bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extrapolating a spatially explicit tree root reinforcement model with field and LiDAR-derived stand data
Authors: Alterio Edoardo , Rizzi Andrea , Fogliata Paolo , Marchi Niccolò , Cislaghi Alessio , Lingua Emanuele , Sitzia Tommaso , Bischetti Gian Battista
Published: March 2020

Protection from landslides is one of the most important regulating services provided by forest ecosystems. Tree roots provide an increase in tensile strength, compression and shear resistance, compared to that uniquely due to the soil properties. This additional effect is known as root reinforcement. The degree of soil reinforcement given by roots have been modeled using laboratory and field data. The great spatial and temporal variability of root distribution is one of the main sources of uncertainty for the development of accurate and reliable models to quantify root reinforcement. The relative importance of stand structure remains poorly known. Here, we analyze the relationships between observed stand structure from a sample of spruce, beech, chestnut and mixed stands of the Southeastern Alps, and a spatially explicit model of root reinforcement. Data were collected in 20-m radius sampling units inclined 15-40° and covered by a low-resolution airborne LiDAR-derived canopy height model. Tree size and position were used to calculate root reinforcement through commonly used and calibrated models. Then, we studied the relationships between root reinforcement, stand structural indexes and area-based stand metrics from canopy height model. In specific conditions, the three groups of variables were correlated. Therefore, root reinforcement values might be spatially extrapolated through available canopy height models. Final step is to integrate the extrapolated values into a landslide susceptibility model, which combines other data available from forest plans, digital elevation models, geological and meteorological data. This study provides managers with a tool to periodically update maps of the service given by forest trees to protection of humans from landslides.
From local studies to global patterns: Example of systematic reviews on local land use change to study global change processes
Authors: Malek Ziga , Verburg Peter
Published: March 2020

Environmental changes have been studied in numerous local scale studies all around the world. They provide invaluable evidence on the causes and consequences of the way we use and change the environment. However, it remains unknown, how we can use this evidence beyond the study area boundaries, which limits the transferability of potential more sustainable solutions. We present a novel, interdisciplinary workflow on how to combine systematic reviews and meta-analyses with spatial analysis on the example of land use change. First, we performed a systematic review on local scale land use change. The collected studies were used to generate a classification of different actors behind land use change using clustering. Secondly, using the documented case study evidence, we statistically analysed how the location influences the spatial distribution of these studies. We used data on socio-economic, soil, terrain and climate variables. Using the derived statistical relationships, we were able to map the spatial likelihood of the studies, and how representative the study collection is for other parts of the world. The results enabled us to identify areas, which are similar to the meta-analysis collection. Conversely, areas that are very different can be used to identify understudied areas where more research is necessary. The proposed workflow can be used across different domains of environmental and earth system sciences.
Assessment of the performance of Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for a small agricultural catchment in Austria
Authors: Musyoka Francis Kilundu , Klik Andreas , Strauss Peter
Published: March 2020

Hydrological models enable comprehensive examination, understanding and quantification of hydrological processes in catchments under the influence of different characteristics. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has the ability to predict the impact of land management practices on water, sediment and agricultural chemical yield in such catchments.

The objective of this study is to apply the SWAT model on a small agricultural watershed, calibrate and validate it with measured flow, sediment and crop yield data. The model is set up for the HOAL catchment in Petzenkirchen, Lower Austria. The catchment has an area of 66 hectares. The climate is humid with mean annual temperatures of around 10°C, and annual precipitation of around 800 mm. Soils include Cambisols and Planosols with medium to poor infiltration capacities. Gleysols occur close to the stream. At present, 87% of the catchment area is arable land, 5% is used as pasture, 6% is forested and 2% is paved. The agricultural activities mainly involve wheat based crop rotation including winter wheat, winter barley, sweet and silage corn and canola. The catchment is divided into 37 fields and for each field exact information about tillage date and type of implement used, date of planting and harvest, date and amount of fertilization and plant protection are available. This information is incorporated in the model during set up. The procedures of model set up, sensitivity analysis, calibration and validation are outlined. A Sequential Uncertainty Fitting (SUFI-2) procedure within SWAT-CUP is used to auto-calibrate and validate the model. The model calibration (2012-2014) and validation (2015-2017) is based on the observed daily discharge and daily sediment concentration at the watershed outlet. Event based observations of runoff and sediment yield from two sub-watersheds are available as well as measured soil water contents at 30 points and crop yield data from different fields. Stream flow and sediment calibration are performed at the watershed outlet as well as at sub watershed level. Results of the SWAT model capability to predict flow, sediment and crop yield as well as soil water contents in the small watersheds will be presented.
Gradient-based inversion for subsurface porosity using the adjoint two-phase flow equations: A pseudo-transient approach
Authors: Holbach Lukas , Reuber Georg , Räss Ludovic
Published: March 2020

Porous flow is of major importance for reservoir-scale processes such as waste fluid sequestration or oil and gas 
exploration. The motion of a low-viscous fluid through a high-viscous matrix (rock) can be described by the coupled 
nonlinear hydro-mechanical equations. This two-phase flow may result in the initiation of porosity waves, triggering 
high-porosity vertical pipes or chimneys. Such fluid escape features may lead to localized and fast vertical flow 
pathways that may be problematic in the case of e.g. CO2 sequestration. Determining the porosity in such environments 
is a major challenge. Seismic imaging methods can localize the high-porosity chimneys very well in the inverted wave speed 
field but the conversion to porosity is not straightforward. 

Here, we develop an inversion framework that allows us to invert for the porosity using fluid velocities as observables 
and investigate its behavior for simple examples. We introduce the adjoint framework for the two-phase flow equations, 
which allows for efficient calculation of the pointwise gradients of the flow solution with respect to the porosity. 
These gradients are then used in a gradient descent method to invert for the pointwise porosity. Technically, the forward 
and adjoint equations are solved using a parallel iterative finite-difference pseudo-transient approach, which executes 
optimally on latest manycore hardware accelerators such as GPUs. Numerical results show that an inversion for porosity is 
feasible and that the porosity is very locally sensitive to the fluid velocity.
Detection of High-Organic-Carbon Features in Sediments by Direct-Push Color Logging
Authors: Klingler Stefan , Werban Ulrike , Leven Carsten , Dietrich Peter , Cirpka Olaf A.
Published: March 2020

A biogeochemical site characterization aims at delineating zones of reducing and oxidizing conditions in the subsurface to infer their influence on solute and contaminant turnover processes along groundwater flow paths. Hereby, large values of the total organic carbon (TOC) content mark reducing conditions in soils and sediments. Dark sediment colors are good predictors for high-TOC zones and thus indicate hotspots of biogeochemical turnover and microbial activity. Traditionally, obtaining the sediment color requires costly sampling, resulting in poor horizontal resolution and related uncertainty caused by interpolation. We suggest using a direct-push soil color optical screening tool to acquire multiple high-resolution vertical color profiles and demonstrate its applicability in floodplain sediments down to 12 m depth. We use Gaussian mixture models for a cluster analysis of the color logs in the CIE L*a*b* color space to identify color-facies, determine facies-specific relationships between the L*a*b* color-values and the TOC content of the sediments, and to construct the 3-D distributions of three distinct facies and organic matter. Direct-push color-logging may also be used for in-situ mapping of redox-zonation, iron content, or sedimentary structures.
Axial dipole moments of solar active regions in cycles 21-24
Authors: Virtanen Iiro , Virtanen Ilpo , Pevtsov Alexei , Mursula Kalevi
Published: March 2020

The axial dipole moments of emerging active regions control the evolution of the axial dipole moment of the whole photospheric magnetic field and the strength of polar fields. Hale's and Joy's laws of polarity and tilt orientation affect the sign of the axial dipole moment of an active region, determining the normal sign for each solar cycle. If both laws are valid (or both violated), the sign of the axial moment is normal. However, for some active regions, only one of the two laws is violated, and the signs of these axial dipole moments are the opposite of normal. The opposite-sign axial dipole moments can potentially have a significant effect on the evolution of the photospheric magnetic field, including the polar fields.

We determine the axial dipole moments of active regions identified from magnetographic observations and study how the axial dipole moments of normal and opposite signs are distributed in time and latitude in solar cycles 21-24.We use active regions identified from the synoptic maps of the photospheric magnetic field measured at the National Solar Observatory (NSO) Kitt Peak (KP) observatory, the Synoptic Optical Long term Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS) vector spectromagnetograph (VSM), and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).

We find that, typically, some 30% of active regions have opposite-sign axial dipole moments in every cycle, often making more than 20% of the total axial dipole moment. Most opposite-signed moments are small, but occasional large moments, which can affect the evolution of polar fields on their own, are observed. Active regions with such a large opposite-sign moment may include only a moderate amount of total magnetic flux. We find that in cycles 21-23 the northern hemisphere activates first and shows emergence of magnetic flux over a wider latitude range, while the southern hemisphere activates later, and emergence is concentrated to lower latitudes. We also note that cycle 24 differs from cycles 21-23 in many ways. Cycle 24 is the only cycle where the northern butterfly wing includes more active regions than the southern wing, and where axial dipole moment of normal sign emerges on average later than opposite-signed axial dipole moment. The total axial dipole moment and even the average axial moment of active regions is smaller in cycle 24 than in previous cycles.
Freva - Free Evaluation System Framework - New Aspects and Features
Authors: Kadow Christopher , Illing Sebastian , Kunst Oliver , Schartner Thomas , Grieger Jens , Schuster Mareike , Richling Andy , Kirchner Ingo , Rust Henning , Cubasch Ulrich , Ulbrich Uwe
Published: March 2020

The Free Evaluation System Framework (Freva - freva.met.fu-berlin.de) is a software infrastructure for standardized data and tool solutions in Earth system science. Freva runs on high performance computers to handle customizable evaluation systems of research projects, institutes or universities. It combines different software technologies into one common hybrid infrastructure, including all features present in the shell and web environment. The database interface satisfies the international standards provided by the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF). Freva indexes different data projects into one common search environment by storing the meta data information of the self-describing model, reanalysis and observational data sets in a database. This implemented meta data system with its advanced but easy-to-handle search tool supports users, developers and their plugins to retrieve the required information. A generic application programming interface (API) allows scientific developers to connect their analysis tools with the evaluation system independently of the programming language used. Users of the evaluation techniques benefit from the common interface of the evaluation system without any need to understand the different scripting languages. Facilitation of the provision and usage of tools and climate data automatically increases the number of scientists working with the data sets and identifying discrepancies. The integrated webshell (shellinabox) adds a degree of freedom in the choice of the working environment and can be used as a gate to the research projects HPC. Plugins are able to integrate their e.g. post-processed results into the database of the user. This allows e.g. post-processing plugins to feed statistical analysis plugins, which fosters an active exchange between plugin developers of a research project. Additionally, the history and configuration sub-systemstores every analysis performed with the evaluation system in a database. Configurations and results of the toolscan be shared among scientists via shell or web system. Therefore, plugged-in tools benefit from transparency and reproducibility. Furthermore, if configurations match while starting an evaluation plugin, the system suggests touse results already produced by other users – saving CPU/h, I/O, disk space and time. The efficient interaction between different technologies improves the Earth system modeling science framed by Freva.

New Features and aspects of further development and collaboration are discussed.

 
A co-evolutionary modelling framework for water-soil-vegetation interactions in Turkish semiarid landscapes for sustainable natural resources under climate change
Authors: Yetemen Ömer , Avcıoğlu Aydoğan , Çağlar Ferat , Ekberzade Bikem , Çetiner Uğurcan , Şen Ömer Lütfi , Görüm Tolga , Göğüş Oğuz Hakan , Yeo In-Young , Han Shin-Chan , Chun Kwok Pan
Published: March 2020

This multidisciplinary project investigates the implications of aridification induced by climate change and human-induced land-cover land-use change in semiarid landscapes of Turkey on erosion dynamics and landscapes patterns and morphology. Deviations from climate mean states will result in loss of vegetation productivity and soil fertility in these water-limited ecosystems and exacerbate the natural conditions in terms of natural land‑cover and soil protection for natural resources sustainability. Here, we offer a comprehensive modelling framework to explore the water-soil-vegetation interactions under climate change for the following decades.

Remotely‑sensed vegetation indices and maps will be used to identify the regions where are prone to land‑cover change under climate change. Hence, the climate projections for the 21st century taken from CMIP6 model experiments will be used for anticipating the potential changes in ecosystem dynamics and boundaries in these water-limited ecosystems. Moreover, these climate projections will be used as forcing data in a vegetation-coupled landscape evolution model to understand how the landscape morphology and erosion dynamics interact with changing climate in Turkish arid lands. Besides erosion dynamics, the future of the unique geomorphic landscape feature of these regions, the Turkish badlands, will be investigated based on climate projections.

The outcomes of this project will enhance the comprehension of the effects of geomorphic, hydrological, and ecological processes on natural resources under climate change in semiarid Turkish landscapes.
Effects of liquid organic fertilisers on selected soil quality indicators
Authors: Eich-Greatorex Susanne , Kristoffersen Annbjørg Øverli , Stabbetorp Jan , Horn Svein Jarle , Børresen Trond , Sogn Trine Aulstad
Published: March 2020

Anaerobic digestion of organic household waste as a means of energy production leaves considerable amounts of organic residues. These biogas digestates may represent a valuable source of nutrients and organic material, especially in areas with little application of animal manure to arable land. However, due to a typically high amount of available nitrogen and a low dry matter content, only small amounts of organic material are added with untreated digestates, also compared to other liquid organic fertilisers such as cattle slurry. The main objective of the study was to determine how the quality of liquid organic fertilisers affects soil properties. In soil samples from three field experiments in south-eastern Norway, aggregate stability, water retention characteristics, and selected chemical properties were determined. After three to seven years of application, the organic fertiliser treatments showed a positive effect on aggregate stability and pH compared to inorganic or no fertiliser, as well as a trend to higher carbon concentrations especially in soils with relatively low organic matter content. Effects on water retention characteristics depended on the quality of the organic fertilisers: Cattle slurry addition increased the number of medium-sized pores and thus plant-available water, whereas digestate addition instead increased the number of small pores in the soil.
Effects of tree species on soil enzyme activities in natural mixed forest and monoculture plantations in Ethiopia
Authors: Ahmed Iftekhar Uddin , Mengistie Hodaddis K , Sandén Hans , Godbold Douglas
Published: March 2020

Soil extracellular enzymes are crucial for belowground functioning and are sensitive to anthropogenic land use change. The potential effects of tree species on soil microbial and biochemical properties provide crucial feedbacks on mineralization, a key ecosystem function beneath the tree canopy. In the highlands of northern Ethiopia, remnants of the original Afromontane forests are largely restricted to church forests with indigenous tree species. However the impacts on potential soil enzymatic activity by conversion of those forests to monocultures for wood production is largely unknown. We investigated potential soil enzyme activities under four indigenous tree species and adjacent Eucalyptus globulus and Cupressus lusitanica plantations in Gelawdios, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. The potential activities of six enzymes associated with soil C, N and P cycling were measured following the fluorometrically labelled substrates techniques. All enzymes exhibited significantly higher activities in soils under the indigenous trees than the plantation species except, N-acetylglucosaminidase, that was the highest in Eucalyptus globulus soil due to the ectomycorrhizae, associated with the Eucalyptus root systems. Among the four indigenous species Apodytes dimidiata showed the lowest activitie for most of the enzymes. A stronger positive correlation was observed between enzyme activity and total N than with total C in the soil. Acid phosphatase had the highest activity followed by  β-Glucosidase (482 and 167 nmol mg-1 microbial biomass respectively). The activities of leucine aminopeptidase, β-xylosidase, N-Acetylglucosaminidase and cellobiohydrolase in soils under indigenous trees ranged between 63-23 nmol mg-1 microbial biomass. The species specific effects of trees on soil enzyme activities indicate strong influence of tree traits on mineralization processes.     
From hillslope to catchment scale hydrologic prediction in a semi-arid region with in-situ observations, satellite soil moisture products, and a distributed catchment model
Authors: Yeo In-Young , Binesh Ali , Willgoose Garry , Hancock Greg , Yeteman Omer
Published: March 2020

The water-limited region frequently experiences extreme climate variability.  This region, however, has relatively little hydrological information to characterize the catchment dynamics and its feedback to the climate system. This study assesses the relative benefits of using remotely sensed soil moisture, in addition to sparsely available in-situ soil moisture and stream flow observations, to improve the hydrologic understanding and prediction.  We propose a multi-variable approach to calibrate a hydrologic model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a semi-distributed, continuous catchment model, with observed streamflow and in-situ soil moisture.  The satellite soil moisture products (~ 5 cm top soil) from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) are then used to evaluate the model estimates of soil moisture over the spatial scales through time.  The results show the model calibrated against streamflow only could provide misleading prediction for soil moisture.  Long term in-situ soil moisture observations, albeit limited availability, are crucial to constrain model parameters leading to improved soil moisture prediction at the given site.  Satellite soil moisture products provide useful information to assess simulated soil moisture results across the spatial domains, filling the gap on the soil moisture information at landscape scales. The preliminary results from this study suggest the potential to produce robust soil moisture and streamflow estimates across scales for a semi-arid region, using a distributed catchment model with in-situ soil network and remotely sensed observations and enhance the overall water budget estimations for multiple hydrologic variables across scales.  This research is conducted on Merriwa catchment, a semi-arid region located in the Upper Hunter Region of NSW, Australia.
Monitoring and data collection of agricultural water uses in Italy to face water scarcity: approach and tools
Authors: zucaro raffaella , manganiello veronica , ferrigno marianna
Published: March 2020

According to European approach (art. 9 WFD 2000/60/EC), the collection of data relating to the quantification of water abstraction represents an important phase to promote efficiency in the use of water resources. Through the collection and subsequent study of the data provided, in fact, it is possible to apply a water pricing policy, based on the volumes currently used, to cope environmental sustainability and agricultural resilience to climate change, in a context of water scarcity. 
In Italy, for agricultural sector, guidelines to collect and monitoring data are in force at national scale and detailed methodologies are applied at regional scale. A WebGIS platform called SIGRIAN (National Information System for Water Management in Agriculture (https://sigrian.crea.gov.it/sigrian/)), managed by CREA- Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bio-economy and realized in collaboration with Italian Regions, is adopted as national reference database for the collection and share of data resulting from the monitoring of water volumes for irrigation. 
SIGRIAN also fits in the logic of Integrated Water Management (IWRM) approach. In order to coordinate the development and management of water and related resources, this platform is setup to link itself with Google satellites and Copernicus programme in order to obtain and process satellite information and earth observation data. In addition, SIGRIAN website (https://sigrian.crea.gov.it/index.php/cosesigrian/) provides an OPEN DATA section, ( in this section is possible to use a WMS (Web Map Service) Enquiry service and a WFS (Web Feature Service) Service, both related to the borders of authorities irrigation. 
All data collected and monitored in this system are useful to support planning, programming and management processes of policy making and enforcement, such as CAP common indicators, water pricing based on water uses, monitoring and evaluation of investment programs, support economic analysis for Agricultural sector in the context of the Water framework directive.
Otherwise, SIGRIAN data can be useful to support the definition and application of Sustainability standards related to water use in agriculture through defining reference parameters for territories that uses water for irrigation in a sustainable way and in a multidisciplinary approach.
Keyword: SIGRIAN, irrigation volumes, sustainability standards, open data, monitoring, resilience.
Investigate the influence of Polypropylene as fine Aggregate Replacement on the mechanical and thermal properties of the concrete mix
Authors: Keihani Reza , Bahadori-Jahromi Ali
Published: March 2020

The consumption of natural resources in various industrial sectors has caused significant environmental issues to the atmosphere through emission and energy cost due to the extraction and transportation of the materials, along with the availability and long-term damage to the natural resources. In order to address this issue, various solutions have been provided to reduce the amount of consumed natural resources by replacing them with alternative materials such as plastic waste and plastic, as a burden to the environment, is one of those materials being well explored by other researchers due to its worldwide applications and destructive impacts on nature.

The industrial sectors, as massive consumers of natural resources and producers of plastic waste, have shown a continuous responsibility towards innovative alternatives for natural resources. In this regard, plastic materials such as Polyvinyl, Polystyrene, Polyethylene and Polypropylene have been investigated to replace coarse and fine aggregates in the construction without compromising the performance of the concrete mix.

This study aims to investigate the influence of Polypropylene as a fine aggregate replacement on the compressive and tensile strength of concrete cylinder samples after 28 days of curing and assess the impact of temperature on thermal properties of the 28 days cured samples.
Intercomparison of ship emission data models for the North and Baltic Sea region
Authors: Petrik Ronny , Deichnik Kristina , Schwarzkopf Daniel , Matthias Volker , Aulinger Armin
Published: March 2020

International ship traffic is steadily increasing since many years. The associated emission of pollutants like sulphur and nitrogen compounds has strong effects on the coastal air quality and the environment. For instance, investigations of Sofiev et al. (2018) show that the ships contribute about 20 % to the sulphur dioxide and 9 % to the global emission of nitrogen oxides. Thus, shipping is also important for climate change  through emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosol particles and the input of acidifying and eutrophying substances into coastal waters.

Therefore, an accurate estimation of ship emissions and their spatio temporal distribution is an important key to understand and investigate coastal ecosystems. The major prerequisite is a precise record of ship movements and related pollutant emissions. In our contribution we present an intercomparison between different ship emission data models for the North and Baltic Sea region. That is the inventory of the Bundesamt für Schiffahrt und Hydrography (EMMA) and the inventory of the HZG (HiMEMO-Ship, Aulinger 2016) are compared against a reference inventory from the Finnish Meteorological institute (STEAM, Jalkanen 2012). The HiMEMO-Ship is a highly flexible tool under ongoing development and allows for temporally and spatially highly-resolved ship emission data (>=30min and >=500 m) of 9 chemical species including aerosols. The tool is designed to consider also adaptation scenarios (e.g. MARPOL Annex VI regulation).
The uncertainty of the derived emissions are discussed on the basis of two means: a) a multi-parameter ensemble generated with the HZG-model and b) a multi-model ensemble using the 3 afore-mentioned approaches (“EMMA”, ”STEAM” and “HiMEMO-Ship”). The results imply that a large portion of emissions are related to ships with actually only insufficiently known characteristics, which thus cause a large range of uncertainty regarding their emission factors. Moreover, a large spread for mean NOx emissions is detected between inventories for the North Sea region. Because of complex manoeuvers and machine handling in the busy port areas, we also observe significant differences in emissions in that regions. Finally, a strategy is presented for treating the afore-mentioned issues with ship emission data in the framework of atmospheric chemistry transport modelling, i.e. deposition of pollutants
from the air.
From the Critical Zone to decision support tools for China's agriculture
Authors: Hallett Paul ,   China/UK Critical Zone Obervatory Team
Published: March 2020

A number of critical zone observatories across China have focussed on human impacts caused by agriculture, particularly the sustainability of soil and water resources.   Using the CZO approach of measuring from the top of vegetation, through soil, to the bedrock below, joint China/UK projects at these CZOs have quantified large pools of previously undocumented nitrogen stored at depth, pathways for water loss and pollutant transport and drivers of accentuated soil erosion.  Socioeconomic studies have found that these challenges to land and water resources tie in well with the concerns of farmers.  In two different regions of China, farmers identified fertilisers as their greatest cost and water availability as their biggest challenge.  Using large data-sets generated over the past 4 years in these projects, we are developing Decision Support Tools (DSTs) underpinned by CZO science that can guide farmers and policy makers.  The work addresses food and water security in the context of climate change and diminishing resources, with an aim to improve livelihoods and sustainable economic development.  We have been guided by a review of over 400 DSTs designed for agriculture and the environment, which have been ranked in terms of their outputs and data requirements.  A goal at the EGU will be to develop links with other CZO projects to help with our DST development.
Environmental influences on historical monuments: a multi-analytical characterization of degradation materials
Authors: Veiga Joao Pedro , Carvalho Fernanda , Aguas Hugo , Montesperelli Giampiero , Kavoulaki Elissavet , Politaki Elpida , Psaroudaki Angeliki , Philippidis Aggelos , Melessanaki Kristalia , Siozos Panayiotis , Pouli Paraskevi , Curulli Antonella , Padeletti Giuseppina
Published: March 2020

The Minoan Palace of Knossos and the Venetian coastal fortress “Rocca a mare” (Koules), located in Heraklion, Crete, Greece, are two important monuments for the history of mankind particularly vulnerable to environmental conditions, since they are located in an island subjected to strong variations in humidity and, as in the case of the Venetian fortress, in direct contact with sea water. In this type of surrounding environment, the formation of salt efflorescence as well as various other soluble salts crusts is a common situation. They occur according to the existing solubilization and crystallization conditions and can happen either in exterior or interior areas of the monuments. Their presence may stimulate further degradation, either due to the chemical dissolution of the substrate materials or due to the mechanical actions created by the formation of crystals, which may result in the decay of the substrate.

A set of samples from both monuments were analysed using various laboratory (ex-situ) analytical methods such as optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). In-situ measurements using portable Raman and LIBS instruments were also performed. The comparative results from ex-situ analysis and in-situ measurements will be presented with emphasis to the chemical composition of the crusts and their origin. Results indicate that observed stalactites and salt efflorescence are directly related to the type of supporting material and the conditions of the surrounding environment. In general, the formation of crusts and salts are due to processes of alteration of the supporting material while the high impact of sea salt on the formation of the efflorescence at the Venetian coastal fortress was also confirmed.

 

[1] This work was supported by the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON 2020 under Grant Agreement 700395 project HERACLES.

Acknowledgment to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) UID/EAT/00729/2013 and EAT/00729-3 by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Programme and National Funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the project number POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007688, Reference UID/CTM/50025/2013 NOVA.ID.FCT, and the PhD Scholarship SFRH/BD/145308/2019.
Chemical characterization of fine particulate matter, and source apportionment of organic aerosol at three sites in New Delhi, India
Authors: Tripathi Sachchida , Lalchandani Vipul , Kumar Varun , Tobler Anna , Thamban Navaneeth , Mishra Suneeti , Slowik Jay , Bhattu Deepika , Ganguly Dilip , Tiwari Shashi , Prevot Andre
Published: March 2020

Atmospheric particulate matter has adverse effects on human health, and causes over 4 million deaths per year globally. New Delhi was ranked as world’s most polluted megacity with annual average PM2.5 concentration of ~140 ug.m-3. Thus, real time chemical characterization of fine particulate matter and identification of its sources is important for developing cost effective mitigation policies.

Highly time resolved real-time chemical composition of PM2.5 was measured using Long-Time of Flight-Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (L-ToF-AMS) at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and Time of Flight-Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ToF-ACSM) at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Delhi, and PM1 using High Resolution-Time of Flight-Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) at Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad, Haryana located ~40 km downwind of Delhi during Jan-March, 2018. Black carbon concentration was measured using Aethalometer at all three sites. Unit mass resolution (UMR) and high resolution (HR) data analysis were performed on AMS and ACSM mass spectra to calculate organics, nitrate, sulfate and chloride concentrations. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) (Paatero and Tapper, 1994) of organic mass spectra was performed by applying multilinear engine (ME-2) algorithm using Sofi (Source finder) for identifying sources of OA.
Plastic mulch debris in agriculture: accumulation and interactions with pesticides and soil microbiota
Authors: Beriot Nicolas , Zornoza Raul , Zomer Paul , Ozbolat Onurcan , Lloret Eva , Miralles Isabel , Raúl Ortega Raúl , Huerta Lwanga Esperanza , Geissen Violette
Published: March 2020

Plastic mulch is widely used in agriculture to decrease the water evaporation, increase the soil temperature, or prevent weeds. Most plastic mulches are made of highly resistant Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). The incomplete removal of polyethylene mulch after usage causes plastic pollution. Pro-oxidant Additive Containing (PAC) and “biodegradable” (Bio) plastics were developed to avoid the need of plastic removal while preventing the plastic debris accumulation. In conventional agriculture, the use of pesticides releases substances which can be sorbed to soil particles and plastic debris. Pesticides and their residues may affect the soil microbial community. Some microbial groups are capable of using applied pesticide as a source of energy and nutrients to multiply, whereas the pesticide may be toxic to other organisms. Little is known about the long term effects of plastic debris accumulations in relation with pesticides residues. We studied 36 parcels in commercial farms, either organic or conventional, where plastic mulch has been used for 5 to 20 years in Cartagena’s country side (SE Spain). We compared the macro and micro plastic debris contents, pesticides residue levels, soil physiochemical properties in the soil surface among all parcels. Eighteen insecticides, 17 fungicides, and 6 herbicides were analysed with LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS systems. The ribosomal 16S and ITS DNA variable regions were sequenced to study shifts in bacterial and fungal communities, respectively. We found accumulation of plastic debris in all soil samples, plastic contents being higher in soils from organic farms. The average plastic concentration  in both managements was 0.20±0.26 g/kg of plastic debris. Soils under conventional management contained on average more than 6 different pesticide residues and an overall pesticides  concentration of 0.20±0.18 mg/kg. The interactions between plastic debris concentration and pesticide concentration will be presented, together with the interaction of plastic and pesticides in soil with changes in soil microbial communities, identifying the most sensitive groups which can act as bioindicators for plastic and pesticide pollution in soil.
Test bench development dedicated to microbarometers run-in
Authors: Guilbert Emeline , Hue Anthony
Published: March 2020

Seismo Wave Company is ongoing improving metrological processes and quality surveys to guarantee the best Infrasound sensors technology. In accordance with our quality approach, a running-in step for infrasound sensors has been investigated and implemented. Once the metrology process is completed (acoustical and electrical calibration, self-noise measurement), objective is to keep monitoring on sensitivity of MB3a sensors during several days, using the in-situ electrical calibration capability. For this purpose, a new bench has been designed and characterized in our laboratory. Different sensitivity assessment methods have been compared. Testing conditions, bench design, methodology and results are laid out in this poster.
Methane hydrate mobilization by ice stream erosion during the last glacial
Authors: Serov Pavel , Patton Henry , Waage Malin , Shackleton Calvin , Mienert Jurgen , Andreassen Karin , Hubbard Alun
Published: March 2020

During the past ~2.6 Ma, some 30 glaciations have caused episodic high pressure and low temperature conditions and forced growth and decay of extensive subglacial methane hydrate accumulations globally. Research on Arctic methane release has primarily focused on warm, interglacial episodes when hydrates became unstable across territories either abandoned by former ice sheets or affected by permafrost degradation. Here we present a new mechanism – the subglacial erosion of gas hydrate-bearing sediments – that actively mobilizes methane in hydrate and dissolved form and delivers it to the ice sheet margin. We investigate this mechanism using geophysical imaging and ice sheet/gas hydrate modeling focused on a study site in Storfjordrenna, that hosted large ice stream draining the Barents Sea ice sheet. During the last glacial, we find that this ice stream overrode an extensive cluster of conduits that supplied a continuous methane flux from a deep, thermogenic source and delivered it to the subglacial environment. Our analysis reveals that 15,000 to 44,000 m3 of gas hydrates were subglacially eroded from the 17 km2 study site and transported to the shelf-edge. Given the abundance of natural gas reservoirs across the Barents Sea and marine-based glaciated petroleum provinces elsewhere, we propose that this mechanism had the potential to mobilize a substantial flux of subglacial methane throughout multiple Quaternary glacial episodes.
Use of flow cytometry and DNA sequencing as a proxy for characterising microbial communities during managed aquifer recharge
Authors: Sprenger Christoph , Schwarzmüller Hella , Menz Christian , Throniker Oliver , Gnirss Regina , König Anne
Published: March 2020

Biological communities present in the subsurface are essentially involved in processes influencing the water quality. Characterising the temporal and spatial dynamics of microbial communities is key to understand processes in place and their influence on water quality – particularly when used for drinking water production. Due to limitations in automation of sampling and detection of conventional, cultivation-based microbial methods, a fully automatic flow cytometer (FCM) was employed in combination with sampling for DNA sequencing at a water works in Berlin, where drinking water is derived from groundwater recharged via infiltration basins. The DNA sequencing enables a complete "meta genomic" analysis and taxonomic profiling including bacterial, archaea, viral, eukaryotic DNA and the identification of antibiotic resistance genes. The FCM determines the total number of bacterial cells in a water sample (total cell count, TCC), the number of cells that have lost membrane integrity (defect cell count, DCC) and allows statements about the ratio of low nucleic acid content to cells with high nucleic acid content (LNA/HNA). In this study, FCM was installed in a continuously flowing sampling line measuring surface water (basin water) and groundwater (observation and abstraction well) along a flow path for high-frequency microbial monitoring. The combination of automatic FCM with DNA sequencing aims at i) optimizing monitoring strategies, and ii) developing a (quantitative) microbial risk assessment for managed aquifer recharge systems.   

 
The impact of ecosystem change on dust emission in North America
Authors: Hennen Mark , Webb Nicholas , Chappell Adrian
Published: March 2020

An estimated 50 Mt yr-1 of dust is emitted from North American landscapes, with profound regional impacts (Shao et al., 2011). Dust emission flux in North America is controlled by wind speed and land surface (aerodynamic) roughness that are variable in both space and time. Vegetation growth, form and spatial distribution characterise different ecosystem regimes and protect the soil surface from the shearing stress of the wind. In the dry western US, diverse land use and management drivers create disturbance regimes that produce diverse ecosystem responses that could be drastically impacting rates of wind erosion and dust emission (Ravi et al., 2010). Resolving the impacts of ecosystem change on aeolian processes is needed to quantify anthropogenic-induced dust loads and identify management options as environmental solutions (Webb and Pierre, 2018).

Currently, erosion surfaces in North America are derived from satellite imagery, either by spatial analysis of mean aerosol optical depth concentrations (e.g. Ginoux et al., 2012) or point source identification through subjective analysis of individual daily multispectral images (e.g. Lee et al., 2012; Kandakji et al., 2020). In either approach, the results are subjected to spatial and temporal bias caused by a lag in emission-to-observation period and loss of data during cloudy (dust and meteorological) periods. To complement these approaches we produced the first moderate (500 m) resolution daily maps of dust emission across the dry western United States. These maps were based on estimates of soil surface wind friction velocity (us*) derived from MODIS albedo data (Chappell and Webb 2016) using a commonly applied model (Marticorena and Bergammetti, 1995).

The North American dust emission climatology from 2001-2018 was compared with the us* data volume to identify the spatio-temporal occurrence of three key disturbance regimes: i) land clearing for energy infrastructure, ii) invasion of shrublands by exotic annual grasses that alter fire regimes, and iii) replacement of grasslands by invasive shrub species. Against this background we examine the state and transition of ecosystem change across these landscapes to understand the impact on current dust emission. We use these findings to comment on the implications for future dust emission and to encourage the development of this modelling approach in Earth System Models.    
Wind conditions over the Baltic Sea – comparing reanalysis data sets with observations
Authors: Hallgren Christoffer , Sahlée Erik , Ivanell Stefan , Körnich Heiner , Vakkari Ville
Published: March 2020

The potential of increasing the amount of offshore wind energy production in the Baltic Sea has been of great interest for many countries and wind power companies for a long time. From a meteorological point of view, there are several special wind characteristics that are observed in this area that needs to be taken into consideration when planning for a wind farm. For example, as the Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed basin surrounded by coastlines in all directions, phenomenon such as low-level jets occur frequently.

In order to create a climatology of the wind conditions over the Baltic Sea, with wind power applications in mind, four different state-of-the-art reanalysis data sets (MERRA2, ERA5, UERRA and NEWA) have been compared with measurements from LIDAR systems and high meteorological towers (Anholt, Finnish Utö, FINO2 and Östergarnsholm). The performance of the data sets has been analyzed in terms of stability and governing synoptic weather conditions as well as seasonal and diurnal variations. By selecting the most suitable reanalysis data set and using the observations to make corrections, a climatology for wind conditions over the Baltic Sea, focusing on the low-level jets, has then been constructed.
Scientific Enhancements to the World Area Forecast System (WAFS).
Authors: Buchanan Piers , Cheung Jacob , Bennett Katie , Anderson Graeme , Bartholomew Claire , Turp Debi , Canning Mark , Howard Teil , Lanyon Andre , Steele Edward , Pettegrew Brian , Strahan Matt
Published: March 2020

Global aviation industry needs are evolving, with increased volumes of traffic, increased capacity demands and the need to limit the environmental impacts of travel. Therefore, the provision of accurate/detailed meteorological information is becoming even more essential for the safe and efficient management of airline and airport operations.  Underpinning much of this is the World Area Forecast System (WAFS), provided by the London and Washington centres, whose capabilities are currently undergoing significant upgrades that promises improved prediction of en-route hazards. These upgrades, focused on atmospheric turbulence, cumulonimbus cloud, and in-flight icing will see the transition of services to a fully probabilistic offering, as well as the provision of a new high-resolution (0.25 degree) deterministic severity-based forecasts of turbulence and icing (replacing the previously used ‘potential’ metric). With the delivery of the deterministic products due by 2020, and the probabilistic products due by 2024, we will report on these key developments – providing both an overview of the new operational diagnostics and their validation, presenting preliminary results from initial trials involving the ensemble data – enabling users to avoid en-route hazards more safely and efficiently in the future.