bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre Deep Convection: A Tipping Point Reached Decades Ago?
Authors: Müller Joas , Zappa Giuseppe , Bellucci Alessio
Published: March 2024

Recent studies utilizing the CMIP5 and CMIP6 model ensembles reveal that the subpolar North Atlantic (NA) is prone to deep convection collapsing leading to abrupt cooling of sea surface temperatures. Consequently, the latest comprehensive study on tipping points and the first report on global tipping points include the subpolar gyre (SPG) deep convection on the list of core tipping elements of Earth’s climate system. Here, we investigate the drivers and impacts of a collapse of deep convection in the subpolar NA and the role of internal variability using a coupled climate model large ensemble (namely, the CESM2-LE consisting of 100 ensemble members) under the SSP3-7.0 forcing scenario. We identify that freshening of surface conditions leads to the negative surface density anomaly, eventually resulting in the cessation of deep mixing and the abrupt cooling of sea surface temperatures. The ensemble shows abrupt cooling occurring approximately in 2045 with internal variability leading to a spread of ±11 years. In each ensemble member, the subpolar NA transitions to a new state without deep convection, colder sea surface temperatures, strongly reduced heat loss to the atmosphere, and large circulation changes. Internal variability does not determine if, but when abrupt cooling occurs, suggesting a forced response to larger-scale changes and a potential tipping point to be reached decades before the prominent abrupt cooling event. We provide evidence for the collapse of deep convection being a component of a positive feedback mechanism resulting in the SPG circulation transitioning to a weaker state. Without deep convection at the center of the circulation, the density gradient-driven part of the gyre circulation vanishes and the circulation strength decreases by approximately 50 %. The tipping point of the subpolar NA is therefore reached decades prior to the abrupt cooling and abrupt cooling is an inevitable consequence of the tipping event. This points towards a potential misconception concerning drivers of abrupt climatechange in the subpolar NA, connected tipping points, and their thresholds, highlightingthe necessity for clarifying research efforts in the future.
Tsunamis induced by round-shaped seabed deformations
Authors: Liu Chi-Min
Published: March 2024

In this study, tsunamis which are induced by round-shaped seabed deformations and then propagate outwards in an axisymmetric form are analytically analyzed. The derivation of such an asymmetric wave is firstly reviewed, and followed by an introduction of a novel mathematical approach which is applied to decompose the Bessel function appearing in the wave solution. This approach not only provides an easier way to perform the calculation, but also addresses some physical understanding of axisymmetric tsunamis. A simplest scenario is simulated by the derived solution to observe the characteristics in the propagation phase. The major finding addresses that the first wave is not always the biggest one.
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Sustainable Solutions for Incineration Byproducts: The CLEAN Project's Innovative Approach to Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Residue Management
Authors: Caviglia Caterina , Destefanis Enrico , Brombin Valentina , Mancinelli Maura , Martucci Annalisa , Bonadiman Costanza , Pavese Alessandro
Published: March 2024

The fly ashes resulting from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI FA) are classified as hazardous waste due to their high metal and soluble salt content, posing environmental risks upon reuse.The CLEAN project, funded by the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of Land and Sea, introduced steam washing (SW) to reduce chloride and metal concentrations in FAs. This process transforms them into non-hazardous waste, suitable for stabilization, with ongoing investigations exploring the recovery of metals (Cr, Ni, Cu) aligning with the raw-secondary materials market.Detailed elemental characterizations of solid matrices (pre- and post-SW) and liquid matrices (residual washing water, wastewater) employed X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).Results from a waste-to-energy plant in northern Italy indicate metals like Cr (300 mg/kg), Ni (65 mg/kg), Cu (1500 mg/kg), and Sb (1800 mg/kg) concentrating in the solid residue. After a 40% weight loss of FAs post-washing, there's an 80-90% increase in these elements per kg of ash. Residual washing water has high metal concentrations: 6000 mg/L Zn, 400 mg/L Pb, and 250 mg/L Cd, corresponding to approximately 15%, 10%, and 70% extraction from FAs (considering SW uses a 1.5-2.0 liquid-solid ratio).Sequential extraction methods, variable pH release tests, and geochemical simulations trace metal species behavior to different speciation in FA. Many elements associate with mineralogical phases unstable at the treatment's pH (around 6), favoring mobilization (e.g., chlorides, hydroxides, carbonates, and surface adsorption).While these chemical species pose challenges in FA, they can be valuable resources if extracted and recovered. SW yields two matrices suitable for metal recovery: a treated solid and a liquid one. For the solid matrix, increased heavy metal concentration per kg of FA favors effective extraction via targeted washing with diluted acid (e.g., HCl 2-3M), limiting reagent consumption. Analyses for the elemental characterization of wastewater are underway after absorption and recovery of metals by minerals like zeolites.
Using contrasting tracers to characterize groundwater dynamics under a prolonged drought in the lowland catchments in the North German Plain
Authors: Ying Zhengtao , Tetzlaff Doerthe , Freymueller Jonas , Comte Jean-Christophe , Goldhammer Tobias , Schmidt Axel , Soulsby Chris
Published: March 2024

Groundwater, as the key strategic reserve in times of drought, is sensitive to climate change, especially unconfined, shallow aquifers. Frequent and prolonged drought provides an urgent impetus to improve understanding of groundwater dynamics and its residence times in drought-sensitive areas where water and food security are threatened. The Demnitzer Mill Creek catchment is a long-term environmental observatory typical lowland of North German Plain where streams are dominated by groundwater, however its groundwater recharge and dynamics remain poorly constrained. We applied water table observations, isotopic (δ18O, δ2H, 3H), hydrogeochemical, and geophysical investigations to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns of groundwater recharge in a shallow, unconfined aquifer system. Long-term groundwater levels showed a declining trend since 2011, which accelerated after 2018 resulting in increasingly intermittent seasonal streamflow. Geophysical surveys and groundwater monitoring indicated that shallow water tables (typically
Probing CME’s inclination effects with EUHFORIA
Authors: Martinić Karmen , Asvestari Eleanna , Dumbović Mateja , Temmer Manuela , Vršnak Bojan
Published: March 2024

The dynamics of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in interplanetary space (IPS) are primarily determined by the interaction of the CME with the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and the surrounding solar wind (SW). CMEs are complex magnetized plasma structures in which the magnetic field spirals around a central axis, forming what is known as a flux rope (FR). This FR axis can be oriented at any angle with respect to the ecliptic. Throughout its journey, a CME will encounter  IMF and SW in IPS which is neither homogeneous nor isotropic. Consequently, CMEs with different orientations will encounter different ambient medium conditions. It is thus expected that the interaction of the CME with its surrounding environment will vary depending on the orientation of its FR axis, among other factors. This study aims to fill the gap in the understanding of the effect of inclination on CME propagation in the heliosphere. This is achieved by performing simulations with the EUropean Heliospheric FORecasting Information Asset (EUHFORIA) 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. This study focuses on two CMEs with nearly identical properties, differing only by their inclination, which are simulated using the spheromak CME implementation in the model. We show the effects of CME orientation on sheath evolution, MHD drag, and non-radial flows in radial, longitudinal, and latitudinal directions, by analyzing the model data from a swarm of 81 virtual spacecrafts scattered across the inner heliospheric domain of EUHFORIA. These results provide new insights into CME dynamics, the understanding of which is critical for improving space weather forecasting.
21st Century climate change in the European Alps and its elevation dependency
Authors: Napoli Anna , Matiu Michael , Kotlarski Sven , Zardi Dino , Bellin Alberto , Majone Bruno
Published: March 2024

Climate change is a global phenomenon with regionally varying peculiarities. It is well known that mountainous regions are highly sensitive to climate change. Furthermore, the complex orography exerts a strong control on the expected impacts that often depend on several controlling factors such as elevation, slope, land use etc.. In addition, climate models introduce errors in reproducing local physical processes due to their coarse spatial resolution and partly poorly constrained parameterisations.Elevation Dependent Climate Change has been observed in the European Alps as a consequence of the interplay of global warming and the specific Alpine orography. The Alpine region is considered as a climate change hot-spot given that a large portion of this region has warmed about twice as much as the global average with warming rates characterised by a strong dependence on elevation. On the contrary, observed precipitation trends show very high spatial variability, sometimes with significant dependence on the elevation. In this study we analyse these complex Alpine temperature and precipitation change patterns with the elevation in the EURO-CORDEX ensemble of regional climate models at 0.11° resolution including CORDEX-Adjust (bias-adjusted CORDEX simulation) and compare these results to different model outputs characterised by coarse grid resolution (GCMs, e.g. CMIP5 ) and selected convection permitting models. The future trends of climate indices covering both the mean the extremes are explored across spatial scales and different RCPs. This study includes also analysis of the effects of different bias-adjustment techniques on the trend reproduction.
Granitoids of the Jonnagiri greenstone belt of eastern Dharwar craton: Constraints from geochemistry and U-Pb zircon geochronology.
Authors: Das Saumyodeep , Chinnasamy Sakthi Saravanan
Published: March 2024

The Jonnagriri greenstone belt (JGB) of eastern Dharwar craton is one of the unique and economically important greenstone belts of southern India. This greenstone sequence consists of metabasalts, meta-felsic volcanics and schistose meta-tuffs surrounded by granitoid intrusives. These intrusives are the only known granitoid in India that hosts orogenic type gold deposit in the Dona sector of JGB. In our present work, we are focusing on the granitoids emplaced surrounding the JGB that are broadly classified into two main groups; (i) The Pagadarayi granodiorite (PGD) and (ii) The Chennampalli granites (CGR). The present study is to examine the geochemical evolution, decipher the tectonic settings and determine the timing of emplacements of the granitoids using whole rock geochemistry and U-Pb zircon dating. This will also help us to understand the crustal architecture of the part of the eastern Dharwar Carton in the southern Indian peninsula. The PGD compositionally ranges from tonalite to granodiorite suits and the adjacent CGR ranges from granite to syenogranite suits of rocks. The petrogenetic evolution of these granitoid clearly showed a transition from calc-alkaline to a more fractionated potassic rich granite. The major oxide and trace element behavior showed that they are metaluminous to peraluminous in nature where the PGD are geochemically linked to the TTGs while the potassic rich CGR phase majorly shares its genetic link with hybrid and two-mica granites. The source of PGD suits of rocks is inferred to be an outcome of partial melting of TTG crust and the CGR suits are ferromagnesian deficit phase with an increase in K2O/Na2O due to crustal contamination, which indicates a result of crustally reworked magmatic phase. Therefore, an enrichment of LREE and LILE relative to HREE and HFSE with depletion of Nb-Ta-Ti notably is observed, which represents a convergent setting signature for these granitoids. The PGD suit of rocks dominantly showed I-type characteristics affirmed by their ASI index, and with the typical SiO2, CaO and FeO contents, indicating that they are part of volcanic arc to island arc granitoid settings. The CGR showed distinctive characteristics of A2 type granites due to its Y/Nb value ranging from 1.2 to 1.83 depicting a shallow depth subduction regime which are formed within the crust, indicating a within plate post-colliotional settings. Zircon U-Pb dating by LA-ICP-MS reveals that the first emplacement of PGD recorded a concordant emplacement age of 2651±14 Ma and the CGR yielded concordant ages of 2557±10 Ma and 2532±22 Ma respectively. This implies that the Jonnagiri granitoid represents an orogenic type tectonic settings where diversification in the mode of granitoid intrusion showed a change in volcanic-arc magmatism to within plate magmatism, from the older phase of tonalite-granodiorite emplacement to the successive younger potassic rich syenogranite emplacement. 
Upper Pleistocene in Mallorca: Sedimentary variability of littoral deposits in relation to different structural contexts
Authors: Perazzotti Federica , Del Valle Laura , Gómez-Pujol Lluís , Fornós Joan J.
Published: March 2024

This comprehensive study explores the Upper Pleistocene geological history of Mallorca, employing a multifaceted approach that integrates previous findings with new insights. The research spans various coastal regions, focusing on four distinct study areas characterized by different geomorphological and structural contexts. The first structural context, exemplified by Port des Canonge, showcases folded and thrusted deposits, resulting in prominent cliffs with Jurassic and Triassic formations. The second context, observed in Caloscamps, features smoother reliefs and notable terrestrial sediment input. Meanwhile, the third context, represented by Punta de s’Avançada and Punta de n’Amer, exhibits cliffs  carved on Upper Miocene tabular deposits devoid of terrestrial sediment input. The main objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the geological and sedimentological characteristics of the Upper Pleistocene deposits across Mallorca's coastal regions by investigating different study areas located along the west, north-west, north-east, and east coasts, in distinct geomorphological and geological contexts through a multifaceted approach using classical sedimentological methodologies: stratigraphic analysis, X-ray analysis, microscopic techniques, and assessment of sediment color. Additionally, Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating techniques are employed, providing a precise temporal framework spanning Marine Isotope Stage 6 (MIS 6) to Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3). The findings reveal the complex interplay of environmental factors, climatic variations, and geological evolution across Mallorca. Colluvial deposits and paleosols reflect climatic shifts. Alluvial fans and aeolianites highlight periods of intense sediment transport and deposition linked to climate fluctuations. Fossil evidence, such as tracks and trackways associated to Myotragus balearicus, contributes to understanding evolutionary adaptation and isolation, offering unique insights into the island's paleontological legacy. Finally, to provide a comprehensive overview of the outcrops present on the island, a stratigraphic correlation of the mentioned areas was conducted, integrating data from seven other study sites (Es Caló, Punta Manresa, Platja de sa Font de Sant Joan, Sa Ferradura, s’Estret des Temps, Es Carnatge and Ses Penyes Rotges). In conclusion, the study enhances our comprehension of Mallorca's coastal dynamics, geological composition, and environmental history, providing invaluable contributions to the broader understanding of Pleistocene deposits.
Geomorphological evidence for seismic hazard on the southern edge of the Zimbabwe craton: The Kruger-Malale scarp, South Africa. 
Authors: Ramagadane Anzani , Leseane Khumo , Kahle Beth , Sloan Alastair
Published: March 2024

South Africa and its immediate surroundings are considered a stable continental region (SCR), characterized by minor seismicity and low strain rates on the order of 1x10 -9 yr -1. Such strain rates imply minimum recurrence intervals for major earthquakes of 10  - 100 Ka, or even longer. Consequently, the 50 - 70  year instrumental catalogues do not fully reflect the seismic risk potential of the region. Earthquakes in SCRs and slowly deforming regions can have large magnitudes, for example, the 2017 MW 6.5 Moiyabana earthquake in Botswana and the 2006 MW 7.0 Machaze earthquake in Mozambique, and occur in areas unprepared for large earthquakes. Given that such events occur infrequently, but appear to be widespread in the continents, it is important to understand the location, geological context and timing of such events and to assess where they may occur in the future. This can be addressed by investigating faults which show geomorphological evidence of neotectonic activity. We present an analysis of the Kruger-Malale scarp, located on the Bosbokspoort fault in the eastern Limpopo belt, South Africa. We applied stereophotogrammetry to aerial photographs from the Chief Directorate of the National Geo-Spatial Information (NGI) to generate a Digital Surface Model (DSM). Our results indicate that the Kruger-Malale scarp is a 55 km long composite scarp with an average cumulative throw of 9 m. We tentatively suggest that the most recent event had an average throw of 2 - 3 m. This structure has the potential to generate MW 7.1 - 7.5 earthquakes. In combination with the 2017 MW 6.5 Moiyabana earthquake in the western Limpopo belt, the Makgadikgadi Rifts in the Magondi belt, the Zambezi Rifts in the Zambezi belt, the Urema Rift in the Mozambique belt and the 2006 MW 7.0 Machaze earthquake in the Mozambique belt there is evidence for extensional deformation completely surrounding the Zimbabwe craton, which appears to behave as a rheologically strong block concentrating strain within the actively (albeit slowly) deforming mobile belts that surround it. 
Hydrological Analysis of Monsoon Rain Spells in the Indian Ganga Basin over the Last Century
Authors: Maurya Amit Kumar , Swarnkar Somil , Prakash Shivendra
Published: March 2024

The Indian Ganga Basin (IGB) is a highly prominent socioeconomic region in the Indian subcontinent. The IGB supports about 500 million individuals by providing sufficient freshwater for agro-industrial activities, mainly through the contribution of Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) rainfall, which accounts for around 85% of the total rainfall received throughout the IGB. Any modifications in ISM patterns would substantially impact the availability of freshwater, and consequently, the socio-economic activities of the IGB region will be affected. This study aims to evaluate the historical changes in the monsoon rainfall characteristics from 1901 to 2019. Here, we conducted a detailed rainfall analysis in different sub-basins of the IGB where changes in monsoon rain spells are most noticeable and examined the hydrological extremes. We found that monsoon rain spell peaks have significantly increased across the major sub-basins of the IGB after 1960, implying the increased probability of flash flood hazards. At the same time, the monsoon rain spell has been depleted across the IGB after 1960, especially in the lower Indo-Gangetic plains. These results imply a rise in the occurrence of droughts. In addition, our interpretations also indicate a growing potential for combined hydrological extremes in the IGB. Further, the continuous rise in temperature and human-induced perturbations might exacerbate the existing extreme hydrological conditions. Thus, the findings of this study will be beneficial in implementing river basin management methods to assess the complex patterns of major hydrological catastrophes in the IGB.
An integrated GIS-based approach to support the implementation of Hybrid Pumped Hydro Storage in the abandoned Kardia open-pit lignite mine, Western Greece
Authors: Krassakis Pavlos , Karavias Andreas , Zygouri Evangelia , Roumpos Christos , Louloudis Georgios , Pyrgaki Konstantina , Koukouzas Nikolaos , Kempka Thomas
Published: March 2024

Energy supply security is currently a key priority for all European countries, and with a global push towards a decarbonized future, safe and reliable energy storage becomes vital. The European Union (EU) has introduced the European Green Deal, an initiative with the objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, effectively reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to zero. As Europe shifts away from fossil fuels, renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower gain prominence. Hydropower, especially hybrid pumped hydropower storage (HPHS) of excess energy from the electric grid and renewable sources, can contribute to energy security. In this context, modern geospatial technologies can be utilized as promising tools at a preliminary phase by policymakers and stakeholders to support decision-making regarding the implementation of HPHS systems in terms of spatial development and design strategy. The Geographic Information System (GIS) approach can mitigate financial costs, environmental impacts, and exposure to potential hazards such as landslides, earthquakes, and floods. Additionally, advanced geospatial approaches can maximize energy storage by calculating the best-fit options according to the morphological properties of the landscape and the end-user requirements.In the current work, selected criteria were defined and weighted based on topographic and proximity criteria, utilizing multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM), particularly the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Regarding the abandoned Greek Kardia open-pit lignite mine, seven regions were identified and recognized as suitable for HPHS, with potential energy storage capacities ranging from 1.09 to 5.16 GWh [1]. The preliminary suitability of different areas within the mine boundaries was categorized, ranging from very low to very high scoring, providing a better understanding of the existing landscape's potential for HPHS implementation. The utilized methodology identified specific locations with the highest potential for constructing the upper reservoir of the envisaged HPHS system, introducing an innovative tool that can be applied to open pit mines globally.The present study has received funding from the Research Fund for Coal and Steel—2020, under grant agreement No. 101034022 (ATLANTIS). [1] Krassakis, P., Karavias, A., Zygouri, E., Roumpos, C., Louloudis, G., Pyrgaki, K., Koukouzas, N., Kempka, T., Karapanos, D. (2023): GIS-Based Assessment of Hybrid Pumped Hydro Storage as a Potential Solution 
Robust estimation of seismogenic depths and their uncertainties
Authors: González Álvaro
Published: March 2024

Earthquakes occur in a depth range where the physical conditions allow rocks to behave as brittle and to deform in a stick-slip fashion. This range is limited by the so-called upper and lower seismogenic depths, which are input parameters for bounding seismogenic ruptures in models of seismic hazard assessment.Usually, such limits are estimated from the observed depth distribution of hypocenters. An exact estimation is not possible, because earthquake locations (and particularly hypocentral depths) are uncertain. Also, the sample of observed earthquakes is finite, and shallower or deeper earthquakes than those so far observed at a site could eventually happen. For these reasons, the extreme values of the distribution (the shallowest and the deepest earthquakes in the sample) are weak estimators, especially if a small sample (with few earthquakes) is used.A common, more statistically robust, proxy to those limits is a given percentile of the distribution of earthquake depths. For example, the 90%, 95% or 99% percentiles (named D90, D95 or D99, respectively) are frequently used as proxies to the lower seismogenic depth. But the actual uncertainties of such estimates are, so far, not properly assessed.Here I present a method for calculating such percentiles with an unbiased estimator and quantifying their uncertainties in detail.Earthquakes are more easily missed (more difficult to detect) the deeper they are. So earthquake catalogues preferentially contain shallow events. To avoid this bias, only those events with magnitude at least equal to the magnitude of completeness of the sample are regarded.A mapping procedure is used in order to highlight spatial variations of seismogenic depths, considering, for each point in the map, the subsample of its closest earthquakes. Uncertainties arising from the finite sample size are dealt with by using bootstrap.Each hypocentral location is randomized in space in a Monte Carlo simulation, to take into account the reported location uncertainties. Also, crustal earthquakes can be considered separately from deeper ones, by truncating the hypocentral depth distribution with a Moho model for which the uncertainty can also be taken into account.This procedure allows calculating statistically robust maps of the seismogenic depths with a realistic treatment of their uncertainties, as exemplified with the analysis of a regional seismic catalogue.
Hierarchical modelling in digital soil mapping: Advantages for mapping bimodal soil pH
Authors: Nussbaum Madlene , Zimmermann Stephan , Walthert Lorenz , Baltensweiler Andri
Published: March 2024

Maps of soil pH are an important tool for making decisions in sustainable forest management. Accurate pH mapping, therefore, is crucial to support decisions by authorities or forest companies. Soil pH values typically exhibit a distinct distribution characterized by two frequently encountered pH ranges, wherein aluminium oxides (Al2O3) and carbonates (CaCO3) act as the primary buffer agents. Soil samples with moderately acid pH values (pH CaCl2 of 4.5-6) are less commonly observed due to their weaker buffering capacity. The different strength of buffer agents results in a distinct bimodal distribution of soil pH values with peaks at pH of around 4 and 7.5. Commonly used approaches for spatial mapping neglect this often observed characteristic of soil pH and predict unimodal distributions with too many moderately acid pH values. For ecological map applications this might result in misleading interpretations.This study presents a novel approach to produce pH maps that are able to reproduce pedogenic processes. The procedure is suitable for bimodal responses where the response distribution is naturally inherent and needs to be reproduced for the predictions. It is model-agnostic, namely independent from the used statistical prediction method. Calibration data is optimally split into two parts corresponding each to a data culmination, i.e. for soil pH values belonging to the ranges of the two principal buffer agents (Al2O3 and CaCO3). For each subset a separate model is then built. In addition, a binary model is fitted to assign every new prediction location a probability to belong either to Al2O3 or CaCO3 buffer range. Predictions are combined by weighted mean. Weights are derived from probabilities predicted by the binary model. Degree of smoothness is chosen by sigmoid transform which allows for optimal continuous transition of the pH values between Al2O3 and CaCO3 buffer ranges. For each location uncertainty distributions may be combined by using the same weights.We illustrated application of the new approach to a medium and strong bimodal distributed response (1) pH in 0–5 cm and (2) pH in 60–100 cm of forest soils in Switzerland (2 530 calibration sites). While model performance measured at 354 validation sites slightly dropped compared to a common modelling approach (drop of R2 of 0.02–0.03) distributional properties of the predictions are much more meaningful from a pedogenic point of view. We were able to demonstrate the benefits of considering specific distributional properties of responses within the prediction process and expanded model assessment by comparing observed and predicted distributions.
Pesticides in Particulate Matter (PM2.5) at the Rural Background Station Taunus Observatory, Germany 
Authors: Saur Franziska , Vogel Alexander L.
Published: March 2024

No other group of anthropogenic chemicals has been intentionally released on such a large scale as pesticides. Once in the environment, they can spread through various pathways (surface runoff, surface water, infiltration), which are already being analyzed in detail by a broad monitoring system and research projects. An often overlooked and inadequately quantified process is airborne transport. Through this transport route, pesticides can be transported over large distances and end up far away from the original emission source.To investigate pesticide concentrations, particulate matter filter samples (PM2.5) were collected continuously at the Taunus Observatory using a high-volume sampler. The measurement station is situated in the Taunus mountain range at an elevation of 826°m. The location is classified as a rural background station with no nearby urban or agricultural areas. The collected filters underwent extraction, enrichment, and analysis using a high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to an ultra-high resolution (Orbitrap) mass spectrometer. Samples from April 2021 to May 2022 were analyzed in two-week increments. For a more detailed examination of diurnal cycles, two-week periods were analyzed with day and night resolution Additionally, backward trajectories were analyzed to identify potential sources.By applying this technique, we successfully identified and quantified two fungicides (Pyrimethanil, Dimetomorph) and six different herbicides (e.g., Terbuthylazine, Prosulfocarb). The year-long data collection allowed the observation of seasonal variations in pesticide concentrations. The highest occurrences of pesticides were measured during spring, particularly in May. Pesticides used for winter crops showed highest concentrations in late autumn. The identified substances also included the herbicide Atrazine, which has been prohibited in Germany since 1991 and in the EU since 2002. Atrazine is typically used for corn and showed the typical patterns in its seasonality.By applying this method, we were able to demonstrate that certain pesticides can be detected even at significant distances from potential sources. This makes it challenging to limit their occurrence and deposition to a specific area. Outstanding is the detection of Atrazine in aerosols, which has not been reported in Germany before. 
Multitemporal UAV LiDAR detects seasonal heave and subsidence on palsas
Authors: Renette Cas , Thorson Sofia , Olvmo Mats , Holmer Björn , Reese Heather
Published: March 2024

In the context of the accelerating impacts of climate change on permafrost landscapes, this study employs UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) LiDAR technology to investigate seasonal terrain changes in palsas – mounds of frozen peat – since traditional remote sensing methods have struggled to capture the full dynamics of these landforms. We investigated two tall (4–5 m tall) palsas in Sweden's largest palsa mire complex, where we performed five field campaigns between September 2022 and September 2023 to track intra-annual frost heave and thaw subsidence. Our approach allowed us to create digital terrain models (DTMs) from high density point clouds (>1,000 points/m²) and analyze elevation changes over time. We found that both palsas heaved 0.15 m from September to April and subsided back to their height from the previous year, or slightly below, over the course of the following summer. At one of the palsas, we observed notable lateral degradation over the study period in a 300 m2 area, with 0.5–2.0 m height loss, likely initiated during the preceding warm and wet summer months. Part of this degradation occurred between September 2022 and April 2023, suggesting that the degradation of these palsas is not limited to the summer months. Our study shows the value of using UAV LiDAR for understanding how permafrost areas are changing. It helps in tracking the ongoing effects of climate change and highlights palsa dynamics that would not be captured by annual measurements only.
Mapping micro-seismicity around a nuclear power station in stable South Africa through machine learning
Authors: van Zyl Wade , Quiros Diego , Sloan Alastair
Published: March 2024

Ground motion caused by near-source seismic waves from shallow earthquakes can be dangerous to vital infrastructure such as nuclear power plants. South Africa is a stable continental region (SCR), however significant seismicity is known to occur. Nearby Cape Town, and the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, historical sources record an earthquake with a potential magnitude of 6.5 in 1809. On September 29th, 1969 the magnitude 6.3 Ceres-Tulbagh earthquake affected an area less than 100 kilometers of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. These events emphasize the need to take the potential seismic hazard in this area seriously. Previous research has shown that the source zones of historic and even prehistoric SCR earthquakes are frequently related with enhanced microseismicity over hundreds or even thousands of years. This study seeks to investigate possible source zones for the 1809 event, and possible sources of future damaging earthquakes, by establishing whether earthquakes can be detected on regional structures. To accomplish these goals, we deployed 18 3-component seismographs over a 40-by-35-kilometer area near the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. The network, which covered the Colenso fault zone, was also near the postulated Milnerton fault, the Ceres-Tulbagh region, and the Cape Town area. The network recorded for three months between August and October 2021. We looked for seismicity around known structures, like the Colenso fault, using supervised machine learning algorithms like PhaseNET, traditional STA/LTA algorithms, and manual inspection in addition to unsupervised machine learning algorithms such as Density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) and Bayesian Gaussian Mixture Models (BGMMs). We found 35 occurrences dispersed throughout our research area. These events appear to be organized into three broad groups, the first being an offshore cluster outside of the study region, and the second being a scattered cluster between the Colenso fault system and the postulated Milnerton Fault. The third concentrates on the Colenso Fault system, implying that it may be active. Additional results from our research show that traditional methods like STA/LTA are far less accurate at detecting micro-seismic events than manual inspection of waveform data and machine learning (i.e., where the unsupervised and supervised machine learning algorithms get combined to form an earthquake identification tool).
Projecting the impacts of climate change in the Atlantic Ocean: a global ocean downscaling approach
Authors: Katavouta Anna , Holt Jason , Artioli Yuri , Galli Giovanni , Harle James , de Mora Lee , Wakelin Sarah , Wilson Chris
Published: March 2024

The latest generation CMIP6-class Earth system models (ESMs) are a great tool for projecting climate variability on multi-centennial and global scales as they are designed to explicitly represent the process-coupling amongst the different Earth system components (atmosphere, ocean, land, cryosphere, biosphere) and prioritise system robustness such as minimisation of drift. However, CMIP6-ESMs do not accurately represent the fine-scale circulation and water-masses in ocean margins and shelf seas since by design: (i) their resolution is too coarse and so they only implicitly include regional-scale processes or even exclude these processes (particularly shelf-seas related processes); and (ii) their initialisation from a steady state leads to their divergence from reality and present-day conditions. To address these shortcomings and project the impacts of climate change in the Atlantic Ocean with focus on regional scales, we downscale globally an ensemble of future ocean projections with a NEMO-ERSEM coupled hydrodynamic-ecosystem model. Here, we discuss the design-methodology for our global ocean downscaling experiment: (i) selection of future scenarios, (ii) initialisation from “real” ocean conditions, (iii) selection of the CMIP6-ESMs atmospheric conditions to force our model based on their realism and uncertainty span, and (iv) treatment of the river runoffs as to impose both a realistic rivers state and a future trend consistent with CMIP6-ESMs. Comparisons of our global ocean downscaling simulations to CMIP6-ESMs during the historical period demonstrate their added value in terms of representation of physical ocean conditions and circulation in the Atlantic Ocean. We also present preliminary analysis in terms of future trends in temperature, salinity and circulation patterns in the Atlantic Ocean, with focus on regional features like changes in the Gulf Stream and trends in coastal regions.
Locally refined spatial predictions of marine sediment carbon stocks from legacy data
Authors: Chatting Mark , Diesing Markus , Grey Anthony , Kelleher Brian , Coughlan Mark
Published: March 2024

The recent “30 by 30” global initiative to protect 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030 has increased the need for marine spatial planning decisions to be grounded in locally relevant empirical evidence. Continental shelves play a key role in the cycling of carbon, where marine sediments can act as an important sink of organic carbon (OC). As a result, marine sediments storing carbon have attracted recent scientific attention to elucidate the amount of OC stored and mechanisms influencing its sequestration. Spatial models of marine sediment OC stocks have previously been developed and provide preliminary estimates of standing stocks over wide geographical scales. However, these broad-scale predictions are derived from models of broad scale environmental regimes, which makes them unlikely to capture local spatial variations in environmental conditions and subsequently local variations in OC, reducing their utility for local scale marine spatial planning decisions. This study aims to determine whether legacy data could be used to produce local scale spatial predictions of OC relevant for policy makers. To achieve this aim, local scale predictors relevant for OC were produced/sourced in order to predict local-scale marine sediment OC in the Irish Sea. Legacy data of bottom water temperature (BWT) and bottom water salinity (BWS) measurements were used to bias correct and downscale global models of BWT and BWS. Recently developed high resolution sediment properties (% mud, % sand and % gravel) and locally developed Sediment Mobility and Sediment Disturbance Indices (SMI and SDI, respectively) were also sourced as potential predictors. Public-good, environmental consultancy and government agency repositories were also searched for OC-content data. A Random Forest model was trained to predict OC-content on localised predictors as well as previously identified important predictors of marine sediment OC. The outputs from the localised model were compared to one that was trained on broad-scale predictors to determine the change in model performance and utility for making local scale predictions. This study highlights the value of legacy data in contributing to locally refined spatial predictions of OC-content relevant for marine spatial planning decisions.
Solar Energetic Particle Analysis Platform for the Inner Heliosphere (SERPENTINE): Summary of Project Results
Authors: Vainio Rami , Dresing Nina , Gieseler Jan , Palmroos Christian , Kilpua Emilia , Price Daniel , Trotta Domenico , Horbury Timothy , Kartavykh Yulia , Heber Bernd , Wimmer-Schweingruber Robert , Plotnikov Illya , Gómez-Herrero Raúl , Rodriguez-Pacheco Javier
Published: March 2024

Solar Energetic Particle Analysis Platform for the Inner Heliosphere (SERPENTINE) is a 42-months-long EU/H2020 project that started in January 2021 and focuses on the physics of Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) acceleration and transport. The project (see https://serpentine-h2020.eu) provides answers for three science questions:(Q1) what are the primary reasons for widespread SEP events;(Q2) what are the mechanisms responsible for acceleration ions from suprathermal to near-relativistic energies in coronal and interplanetary shocks; and(Q3) what is the role of shocks in the acceleration of electrons in SEP events.SERPENTINE makes use of the present capabilities provided by inner heliospheric missions such as Solar Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe and BepiColombo. In addition to the scientific objectives, the project develops and releases to the community a large number of analysis tools to facilitate the interpretation of observations. Also event catalogs and high-level datasets are produced and distributed.We will give a summary of the results of the project. Some of the science highlights include the several identified causes of widespread events related to both sources and transport (Q1), the role of local and averaged properties of shocks in ion acceleration (Q2), and the observational evidence of shocks as the primary accelerators of MeV electrons in gradual SEP events (Q3).
Modern vs traditional mapping methods for flood risk estimation: A case study for the river Pikrodafni, Athens, Greece
Authors: Kougia Matina , Sigourou Stavroula , Dimitriadis Panayiotis , Ioannidis Romanos , Tsouni Alexia , Sargentis G.-Fivos , Dimitrakopoulou Dimitra , Chardavellas Efthymios , Mamassis Nikos , Koutsoyiannis Demetris , Kontoes Charalampos (Haris)
Published: March 2024

The assessment of human progress often relies on factors such as the availability of energy and resources, the improvement of life expectancy, education, equality, democracy, justice, civilization, and other crucial elements. A significant concern within this evaluation revolves around the inclusivity and accessibility of technological advancements. However, human progress is more than that, since it can also manifest itself in the scientific and technical advances in treating natural hazards presenting a diachronic issue to societies’ resilience. In this study, the progress of engineering in analyzing and managing flood risk between the 1970s and present times is evaluated. To this aim, we utilize the experience of engineers who completed surveying, hydrological, and hydraulic studies for flood risk assessment in the 1970s, to carry out comparisons with recent methodologies applied in the framework of the Programming Agreement between the Prefecture of Attica and the Operational Unit BEYOND Centre of EO Research and Satellite Remote Sensing of the Institute of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications & Remote Sensing (IAASARS) of the National Observatory of Athens (NOA), in cooperation with the Research Group ITIA of the Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering of the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) to the Pikrodafni stream, in Attica, Greece. Specifically, we quantify the progress made and differences between the two periods, in terms of human resources, computational cost, and accuracy of practices and methodologies.
Development of a New Database of Extreme European Winter Windstorms Derived from Multiple Data Sets
Authors: Flynn Clare , Mömken Julia , Pinto Joaquim , Messori Gabriele
Published: March 2024

European winter windstorms can pose significant risks for the safety and lives of people living in their paths as well as to infrastructure and the natural environment. Several storms in the recent past have caused substantial damages, and risks from extreme winter windstorms may increase with climate change. Characterizing the risks and potential losses from such storms and assessing our ability to predict storm economic losses are therefore an utmost priority. To that end, we have developed a new database of extreme European winter windstorm footprints for the extended winter season (ONDJFM) for the period 1995-2015, and have made it publicly available to both the scientific community and industry. In contrast to previously compiled databases, our database includes storm footprints derived from four different data sets and not from a single source: the ERA5 reanalysis, the COSMO-REA6 reanalysis for Europe, simulation output from a regional climate model driven by ERA5 on the EURO-CORDEX domain, and simulation output from the regional climate model COSMO-CLM on an enlarged Germany domain. We included both the footprints themselves, expressed as the relative daily maximum wind gusts associated with a storm event, and the absolute daily maximum wind gusts associated with that footprint. We derived and included the storm footprints associated with the 50 most extreme storms, or Top50 storms, identified within each of the four input data sets. We applied a consistent methodology for identifying storm footprints and assessing their severity across input data sets that does not require downscaling or adjustment with the assistance of an atmospheric or statistical model. This provides for greater comparability among the footprints derived from the different input sources. Lastly, we derived the Top50 storms from each input on its native horizontal resolution, allowing us to characterize the impact that horizontal resolution can have on footprint identification and severity assessment. Our database thus allows for assessment of extreme storms and their impacts from several perspectives, particularly the impacts from use of wind gust data derived on different horizontal resolutions. This complements the existing extreme European winter storm databases, and facilitates scientific research on extreme storms and industry catastrophe modelling assessments.