bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydro-meteorological monitoring activities in Portofino Natural Park (Italy) as demonstrator of the H2020 RECONECT project: preliminary results
Authors: Faccini Francesco , Luino Fabio , Marchese Alessandra , Paliaga Guido , Turconi Laura
Published: March 2020

The European Horizon RECONECT Project (Regenerating ECOsystems with Nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk rEduCTion) aims to contribute to a European reference framework on NBS by demonstrating, upscaling and spreading large-scale NBS in rural and natural areas.

The Italian RECONECT demonstrator is set in the Portofino Natural Park, which represents a unique natural landscape element with high ecologic, social, and economic (touristic) value and severely endangered by hydro-meteorological hazards.

The Portofino Promontory is historically affected by geo-hydrological events. They can produce natural instability processes related to the interaction between meteorological phenomena and the geological environment, which can potentially cause loss of the exposed elements at risk, as happened in the past. The more frequent processes are: shallow landslides and flash floods, sea-storm surges, rockfalls and mud-debris flows. Often, different processes can occur simultaneously during an intense meteorological event, interacting each other and causing an avalanche effect.

This research introduces the NBS interventions proposed in the RECONECT case study of Portofino over two pilot catchments (San Fruttuoso and Paraggi basins), visited by thousands of tourists all over the year. The project envisages the setting up of meteorological-hydrological stations for studying and monitoring geomorphological processes.

In particular, RECONECT project foresees the selection, installation and operation of hydro-meteorological instruments that include three weather stations, two hydrometers and two cameras to monitor small and very steep catchments.

Monitoring activity include the use of remote sensing survey LIDAR data, orthophotography and infrared aerial photography, whose acquisition has been carried out in January 2020.

Remote sensing and monitoring data are used to quantitatively assess the morphological features and processes, allowing to: a) evaluate the critical-instability areas along the slope and channels and to support the reconstruction of dry stone walls of the widespread terraced areas; b) evaluate the potentially more susceptible source areas of mud-debris flows and the identification of thresholds in meteorological conditions.

In relation to future projections of natural, social and economic impacts of climate change, NBS represent a relevant mitigation and adaptation strategy for the Portofino case study, which may be upscaled at national and international level.
Cumulative errors in the use of geophysically-derived salinity for the characterization of seawater intrusion in heterogeneous coastal aquifers
Authors: González Quirós Andrés , Comte Jean-Christophe
Published: March 2020

Seawater intrusion is a natural phenomenon occurring in coastal aquifers, which is exacerbated by borehole abstraction, which may lead to contamination of water supplies. Borehole data are usually too scarce spatially to enable accurate identification and delineation of seawater intrusion. For that purpose, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and electromagnetic (EM) methods are proven and popular geophysical techniques because of their high spatial resolution and sensitivity to pore water salinity, which is particularly beneficial in heterogeneous aquifers characterised by complex saltwater intrusion patterns. Inverted resistivity models can be converted into pore water salt concentration through the application of so-called petrophysical relationships, and further interpreted to map seawater intrusion patterns or used as constraining dataset for groundwater models. However, the conversion procedure is prone to conceptual and computational errors including the application of the appropriate petrophysical relationship —considering heterogeneity or clay content—, and the numerical limitations in the inversion of the geophysical data. These errors are cumulated and transferred throughout all steps from geophysical acquisition to the hydrogeological model. In this work, using ERT geophysics as an example, we evaluate the magnitude and spatial distribution of relative errors and their imprint in the final recovered salinity section to be used for interpretation or model calibration. Results highlight the importance of applying the appropriate petrophysical relationship when delineating spatial salinity patterns from the resistivity model, along with the errors associated with the conceptual simplifications in heterogeneous systems on one hand, and with the geophysical inversion procedure on the other hand. These three sources of errors add-up and may lead to large inaccuracies in the estimated position and spreading of the seawater-freshwater mixing zone. They need to be accounted for when using geophysical model for mapping and modelling of saltwater intrusion. The analysis also provides practical insights for the integration of inverted geophysical data in early-warning seawater intrusion monitoring strategies, for improved estimations of freshwater resources and for the management of coastal aquifers.
A combined neural network- and physics-based approach for modeling the plasmasphere dynamics
Authors: Zhelavskaya Irina , Aseev Nikita , Shprits Yuri , Spasojevic Maria
Published: March 2020

Plasmasphere is a torus of cold plasma surrounding the Earth and is a very dynamic region. Its dynamics is driven by space weather. Having an accurate model of the plasmasphere is very important for wave-particle interactions and radiation belt modeling. In recent years, feedforward neural networks (NNs) have been successfully applied to reconstruct the global plasmasphere dynamics in the equatorial plane [Bortnik et al., 2016, Zhelavskaya et al., 2017, Chu et al., 2017]. These neural network-based models have been able to capture the large-scale dynamics of the plasmasphere, such as plume formation and the erosion of the plasmasphere on the night side. However, NNs have one limitation. When data is abundant, NNs perform really well. In contrast, when the coverage is limited or non-existent, as during geomagnetic storms, NNs do not perform well. The reason is that since these data are underrepresented in the training set, NNs cannot learn from the limited number of examples. This limitation can be overcome by employing physics-based modeling during such intervals. Physics-based models perform stably during high geomagnetic activity time periods if initialized and configured correctly. In this work, we show the combined approach to model the global plasmasphere dynamics that utilizes advantages of both neural network- and physics-based modeling and produces accurate global plasma density reconstruction during extreme events. We present examples of the global plasma density reconstruction for a number of extreme geomagnetic storms that occured in the past including the Halloween storm in 2003. We validate the global density reconstructions by comparing them to the IMAGE EUV images of the He+ particles distribution in the Earth’s plasmasphere for the same time periods.
The synergistic use of Sentinel SAR and optical remote sensing for mapping high-resolution soil moisture
Authors: Qiu Jianxiu
Published: March 2020

The launch of series of Sentinel constellations has provided data continuity of ERS, Envisat, and SPOT-like observations, in order to meet various observational needs for spatially explicit physical, biogeophysical, and biological variables of the ocean, cryosphere, and land research activities. The synergistic use of this publicly-accessible SAR images and temporally collocated optical remote sensing datasets has provided great potential for estimating high-resolution soil moisture information. In this study, advanced integral equation model (AIEM) which simulates the backscattering coefficient of bare soil and the Water-Cloud Model (WCM) accounting for the scattering effect from vegetation, are coupled to map high-resolution soil moisture. Validation conducted in large-scale campaign of Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER-MUSOEXE) in northwest of China showed RMSE of 0.04~0.071 m3m3. In addition, the accuracies in describing vegetation contribution from backscatter coefficient were intercompared between different models including WCM and ratio vegetation model. Sensitivity analysis of soil moisture estimation accuracy to vegetation index also extends to different optical remote sensing data sets including Sentinel-2, Landsat 8 and MODIS.
Modelling the accumulation and transport of microplastics by Arctic sea ice
Authors: Morales Maqueda Miguel Angel , Mountford Alethea Sara
Published: March 2020

The presence of microplastics in the Arctic sea ice cover and water column, as well as on land, has raised the already high concerns about the dispersion of litter in the global environment. We present a 50-year simulation carried out with the NEMO ocean general circulation model of the dispersion of buoyant and neutrally buoyant microplastics in the global ocean that includes a simple formulation of microplastic accumulation in, and advection by, sea ice. Microplastics enter the Arctic predominantly through the Barents Sea, with a smaller input through the Bering Strait, although the simulation also takes into account small plastic sources along the Arctic coastline. Microplastics become trapped in newly formed sea ice chiefly on the Eurasian shelves and the Chukchi Sea, but a still significant amount is transferred from the mixed layer to the ice base through congelation in the central Arctic, where microplastics congregate nearer to the surface than elsewhere in the global ocean due to the strong stratification and the relatively small levels of vertical turbulence underneath multiyear sea ice. In the model, the maximum average residence time of sea ice in the Arctic is about six years, and this is also, therefore, the typical timescale for maximum microplastic accumulation in the ice cover. Plastics trapped in sea ice undergo a seasonal cycle of accumulation and release in consonance with the freeze and melt sea ice cycle but ultimately are release back into the ocean in the Greenland and Labrador seas, from where they will be subsequently transported into the North Atlantic.
Influence of gravity wave drag parametrisations on the stratospheric circulation of seasonal ICON-NWP experiments
Authors: Köhler Raphael , Handorf Dörthe , Jaiser Ralf , Dethloff Klaus , Zängl Günther , Majewski Detlev , Rex Markus
Published: March 2020

The stratospheric polar vortex is highly variable in winter and thus, models often struggle to capture its variability and strength. Yet, the influence of the stratosphere on the tropospheric circulation becomes highly important in Northern Hemisphere winter and is one of the main potential sources for subseasonal to seasonal prediction skill in mid latitudes. Mid-latitude extreme weather patterns in winter are often preceded by sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs), which are the strongest manifestation of the coupling between stratosphere and troposphere. Misrepresentation of the SSW-frequency and stratospheric biases in models can therefore also cause biases in the troposphere.

In this context this work comprises the analysis of four seasonal ensemble experiments with a high-resolution, nonhydrostatic global atmospheric general circulation model in numerical weather prediction mode (ICON-NWP). The main focus thereby lies on the variability and strength of the stratospheric polar vortex. We identified the gravity wave drag parametrisations as one important factor influencing stratospheric dynamics. As the control experiment with default gravity wave drag settings exhibits an overestimated amount of SSWs and a weak stratospheric polar vortex, three sensitivity experiments with adjusted drag parametrisations were generated. Hence, the parametrisations for the non-orographic gravity wave drag and the subgrid‐scale orographic (SSO) drag were chosen with the goal of strengthening the stratospheric polar vortex. Biases to ERA-Interim are reduced with both adjustments, especially in high latitudes. Whereas the positive effect of the reduced non-orographic gravity wave drag is strongest in the mid-stratosphere in winter, the adjusted SSO-scheme primarily affects the troposphere by reducing mean sea level pressure biases in all months. A fourth experiment using both adjustments exhibits improvements in the troposphere and stratosphere. Although the stratospheric polar vortex in winter is strengthened in all sensitivity experiments, it is still simulated too weak compared to ERA-Interim. Further mechanisms causing this weakness are also investigated in this study.
Status of ESA’s independent Earth Orientation Parameter products
Authors: Schoenemann Erik , Springer Tim , Otten Michiel , Mayer Volker , Bruni Sara , Enderle Werner , Zandbergen René
Published: March 2020

The availability of highly accurate, up-to-date Earth Orientation Parameters is of major importance for all positioning and navigation applications on Earth, Sea, Air and also in Space. This is equally true for ESA missions and the EU space programs, e.g. Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus.

In the frame of its responsibility to provide the Geodetic reference for ESA missions, ESA’s Navigation Support Office at ESOC is already contributing to the realisation of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) and the combined Earth Orientation Parameters provided by the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS). The contribution is realised through individual contributions to international services such as the International GNSS Service (IGS), the International Laser Ranging Services (ILRS), the International DORIS Service (IDS), the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) and in the future also to the International VLBI Service (IVS).

For the combination and the long-term predictions of the Earth orientation products ESA is still relying on the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS). Over the past years, ESA repeatedly experienced problems with outdated or missing predictions of the Earth orientation parameters (Bulletin A). Considering the importance of up-to-date Earth orientation parameters, the dependence on a single source outside Europe is considered a risk for European industry, for ESA missions and for EU programmes. For this reason, ESA initiated in 2017 a study with the target to develop independent ESA Earth Orientation parameter products. This study, executed by a consortium led by the Deutsches Geodätisches Forschungsinstitut (DGFI-TUM), is expected to finish in the course of this year.

In this presentation we will give an overview of ESAs up-to-date reference products and discuss their quality. It will outline the combination approach and discuss the way forward to an fully operational provision of the ESA Earth Orientation Parameter products.
Catchment-scale groundwater age stratification reveals groundwater recharge and discharge processes
Authors: Kolbe Tamara , Marçais Jean , de Dreuzy Jean-Raynald , Labasque Thierry , Bishop Kevin
Published: March 2020

The distribution of groundwater ages with depth provides information about subsurface structures and flow dynamics. Upslope measured groundwater age stratifications are commonly used to estimate groundwater recharge rates, whereas downslope measured age stratifications are influenced by recharge conditions, the aquifer structure and interactions between groundwater and surface water. In our study we address the question whether downslope measured groundwater ages from different locations can provide spatial and temporal information about catchment-scale groundwater dynamics and the relationship between groundwater recharge and discharge.
We derived an overall groundwater age stratification, representative for the Svartberget subcatchment (0.47 km2) located within the Krycklan study site, by measuring CFCs from 9 different sampling locations with depths of 2 m to 18 m. All sampling locations were downslope and located in basal till which is overlain by ablation till. 
The CFC-based groundwater age stratification reveals an unexpected pattern, with groundwater ages of already 30 years immediately below the water table. Groundwater ages increase then with depth. We could reproduce the observed groundwater age stratification by using a groundwater flow model and show that the lag of rejuvenation, noticeable in groundwater ages of 30 years at the water table, derives from return flow of groundwater at a subsurface discharge zone that evolves at the interface between the two soil types (basal and ablation till). Furthermore, we demonstrate by varying the infiltration rate how the extent of the discharge zone and the partitioning of the infiltration amount to the two layers change, i.e. young runoff in the upper layer (ablation till) and old groundwater circulation through the deeper layer (basal till).
By providing a simple analytical approximations of the observed groundwater age stratification, we show that the extent of the subsurface discharge zone is a powerful indicator of the relation between the recharge and discharge zone, while the vertical gradient of the age-depth relationship provides information about the overall aquifer recharge.
Spatial Dynamic Modeling of Ecological and Agricultural Land Preservation Strategies for Sustainable Urban Development in Nanjing, China
Authors: Cai Zipan , Chen Si , Cvetkovic Vladimir
Published: March 2020

In the context of accelerated urbanization, ecological and agricultural lands are continuously sacrificed for urban construction, which may severely affect the urban ecological environment and the health of citizens in cities in the long-term. To explore the sustainable development of cities, it is of considerable significance to study the complex and non-linear coupling relationship between urban expansion and the ecological environment. Different from static quantitative analysis, this paper will establish a spatial dynamic modeling approach couples the urban land-use change and ecosystem services. The spatial dynamic modeling approach combines a network-based analysis method with accurate environmental assessments, which includes a causal change mechanism that simplifies the complex interaction between the urban system and the surrounding environment. Because the model can use a pre-determined cell transformation rules to simulate the conversion probability of land cells at a specific point in time, it provides the opportunity to test the impact of changes in different policy scenarios. In the phase of the environmental impact assessment, the change probability will be converted into an environmental impact based on the calculation of the ecosystem services values under different development scenarios. Taking Nanjing, a rapidly developing city in China as an example, this paper will set up a variety of sustainable development policy scenarios based on the feedback relationship of local land use driving factors. We will test and evaluate the “what-if” consequences through a comparative study to help design the optimal environmental regulation scheme. Planning and decision support will be made to further guide the rational allocation of land use parcel and land development intensity towards a sustainable development future. As a result, this study can support policy decision makings on urban land-use planning and achieve ecological and agricultural land preservation strategies.
Evaluation of climate model aerosol trends with ground-based observations over the last two decades – an AeroCom and CMIP6 analysis
Authors: Mortier Augustin , Gliss Jonas , Schulz Michael ,   climate models and aerosol measurements group
Published: March 2020

This study presents a multi-parameter analysis of aerosol trends over the last two decades at regional and global scales. Regional time series have been computed for a set of nine optical, chemical composition and mass aerosol properties by using the observations of several ground-based networks. From these regional time series the aerosol trends have been derived for different regions of the world. Most of the properties related to aerosol loading exhibit negative trends, both at the surface and in the total atmospheric column. Significant decreases of aerosol optical depth (AOD) are found in Europe, North America, South America and North Africa, ranging from −1.3 %/yr to −3.1 %/yr. An error and representativity analysis of the incomplete observational data has been performed using model data subsets in order to investigate how likely the observed trends represent the actual trends happening in the regions over the full study period from 2000 to 2014. This analysis reveals that significant uncertainty is associated with some of the regional trends due to time and space sampling deficiencies. The set of observed regional trends has then been used for the evaluation of the climate models and their skills in reproducing the aerosol trends. Model performance is found to vary depending on the parameters and the regions of the world. The models tend to capture trends in AOD, column Angstrom exponent, sulfate and particulate matter well (except in North Africa), but show larger discrepancies for coarse mode AOD. The rather good agreement of the trends, across different aerosol parameters between models and observations, when co-locating them in time and space, implies that global model trends, including those in poorly monitored regions, are likely correct. The models can help to provide a global picture of the aerosol trends by filling the gaps in regions not covered by observations. The calculation of aerosol trends at a global scale reveals a different picture from the one depicted by solely relying on ground based observations. Using a model with complete diagnostics (NorESM2) we find a global increase of AOD of about 0.2 %/yr between 2000 and 2014, primarily caused by an increase of the loads of organic aerosol, sulfate and black carbon.
Variability of sulphur compounds at the Boknis Eck Time-Series Station in the Baltic Sea during 2009-2016
Authors: Zhao Yanan , Booge Dennis , Schlundt Cathleen , Bange Hermann
Published: March 2020

Dimethyl sulphide (DMS), as a volatile organic sulfur compound, plays an important role among the reduced sulphur gases in the atmosphere. DMS emitted from seawater constitutes a significant component of the global sulphur cycle and may affect climate by forming atmospheric aerosols which could form cloud condensation nuclei and thus modify cloud properties. DMS is produced from its major precursor dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) by complex interactions of phytoplankton and bacterial processes. Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) is the major non-volatile dimethyl sulphur pool in the ocean and plays an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of DMS, although its formation and consumption pathways are poorly understood compared to DMSP.

Although the Baltic Sea is the largest brackish water system of the world, observations of sulphur compounds from the Baltic Sea are limited. The variations of seawater DMS, DMSP and DMSO as well as various phytoplankton marker pigments were investigated at the Boknis Eck Time-Series Station (BE, located in Eckernförde Bay, southwest Baltic Sea) during the period 2009 - 2016.  Average DMS (1.8 nmol L−1), dissolved DMSP (DMSPd, 3.3 nmol L−1) and particulate DMSP (DMSPp, 10.5 nmol L−1) concentrations were generally low, while dissolved DMSO (DMSOd, 14.6 nmol L−1) and particulate DMSO (DMSOp, 13.1 nmol L−1) concentrations were comparably enhanced in the water column during the study. Strong seasonal variations in the concentrations of the sulphur compounds have been linked to the phytoplankton succession over the entire investigation period. Depth profiles of sulphur compounds were generally related to Chlorophyll a concentrations. The averaged DMS flux was 16.3 µmol m-2 day-1 suggesting that BE is a net source of atmospheric DMS. Monthly averaged air-to-sea DMS fluxes at BE varied considerably and they were well-correlated with surface DMS concentrations as well as the relative abundance of haptophytes instead of the wind speed. This time-series study illustrates the importance of phytoplankton community in shaping the distribution of the sulphur compounds and fluxes to the atmosphere in the Baltic Sea.
Minerals Inventory as a part of Mineral Intelligence for Europe
Authors: Kumelj Špela , Vihtelič Andrej , Hribernik Katarina , Bavdek Jernej
Published: March 2020

A significant task of the Mintell4EU project is to improve the quality and spatial coverage of the European inventory of primary and secondary mineral resources. The process of refining the minerals inventory that is currently within the Minerals4EU (M4EU) database includes (a) identification of data gaps in spatial coverage, (b) setting up the quality control application to identify gaps and errors in data, (c) identification of technical errors in the process of harvesting data and (d) establishing connections with other relevant projects.

After almost 2 years, the spatial coverage of the minerals inventory is extended with data from Western Balkan countries in cooperation with the RESEERVE project and new or modified data from existing data providers are available. Besides, a Mintell4EU Quality Control Application (QCA) was developed to visually check the latest reported data from data providers. Related to this, a harvesting system for collecting and validating mineral resources data is being established and improved access to raw materials data technical routines intervening during the harvesting phase are being implemented to ensure a rigorous control of the data quality.

The subsequent task is to enable new data providers to deliver data in a harmonized way to ensure consistency in the way data is displayed. In order to achieve this in the best way possible, a workshop will be held in Ljubljana in May 2020, drawing on experiences from REESERVE and from guidelines developed by the ORAMA project.
Graph-based river network analysis for rapid discovery and analysis of linked hydrological data
Authors: Fry Matt , Rosecký Jan
Published: March 2020

Hydrological analyses generally require information from locations across a river system, and knowledge on how these locations are linked within that system. Hydrological monitoring data e.g. from sensors or samples of the status of river flow and water quality, and datasets on factors influencing this status e.g. sewage treatment input, riparian land use, lakes, abstractions, etc., are increasingly available as open datasets, sometimes via web-based APIs. However, retrieving information, for data discovery or for direct analysis, based on location within the river system is complex, and is therefore not a common feature of APIs for hydrological data.

We demonstrate an approach to extracting datasets based on river connectivity using a digital river network for the UK, converted to a directed graph, and the python networkX package. This approach enables very rapid identification of upstream and downstream reaches and features for sites of interest, with speeds suitable for on-the-fly analysis. We describe how such an approach could be deployed within an API for data discovery and data retrieval, and demonstrate linking data availability information, capturing observed properties and time series metadata, from large sensor networks, in a JSON-LD format based on concepts drawn from SSN/SOSA and INSPIRE EMF. This approach has been applied to identify up- and downstream water quality monitoring sites for lakes within the UK Lakes Database for nutrient retention analysis, and production of hierarchical datasets of river flow gauging stations to aide network understanding.
Monitoring boulder movement using the Internet of Things: towards a landslide early warning system
Authors: Dini Benedetta , Bennett Georgina , Franco Aldina , Whitworth Michael R. Z. , Senn Andreas , Cook Kristen
Published: March 2020

Boulder movement can be observed not only in rock fall activity, but also in association with other landslide types such as rock slides, soil slides in colluvium originated from previous rock slides and debris flows.

Large boulders pose a direct threat to life and key infrastructure, causing destruction along their paths and amplifying landslide and flood hazards, as they move from the slopes to the river network. Despite the hazard they pose, boulders are generally not directly accounted for in hazard assessment methods, nor have they been targeted in dedicated early warning systems or used as a mean to detect landslide movement. The ability to monitor boulder movement in real time and to provide local stakeholders with timely alerts thus represents an important step forward.

Our study focuses on an area in the upper Bhote Koshi catchment northeast of Kathmandu, where the Araniko highway, a critical link between Nepal and China, is subjected to periodic landsliding and floods during the Monsoons and was heavily affected by coseismic landslides after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. In the area, damage by boulders to properties, roads and other key infrastructure, such as hydropower plants, is observed every year.

In April 2019, we installed an innovative monitoring system to observe boulder movement occurring in different geomorphological settings on slopes, before reaching the river system. We embedded trackers in 23 boulders spread between a landslide body and two debris flow channels. The trackers are equipped with accelerometers and can detect, in real time, small angular changes in boulder positions as well as large forces acting on them. They are programmed to send regular data but, crucially, they can be triggered by movement and immediately transmit the data via a long-range wide area network gateway to a server.

Preliminary results show that 10 of the tagged boulders present patterns in the accelerometer data compatible with downslope movements. Of these, 6 lying within the landslide body show small angular changes, indicating a reactivation during the rainfall period and a movement consistent with the landslide mass. 4, located in a debris flow channel, show sharp changes in position, likely corresponding to larger free movements and rotations. The latter have not been found at their original location after the monsoon.

This study highlights that this innovative, cost-effective technology can be used to monitor boulders in prone sites and may set the basis for the development of an early warning system particularly in developing countries, where expensive mitigation strategies may be unfeasible.
First observation of the magnetic dipole CO2 main isotopologue absorption band at 3.3 µm in the atmosphere of Mars by ACS ExoMars
Authors: Trokhimovskiy Alexander , Perevalov Valery , Korablev Oleg , Fedorova Anna , Olsen Kevin S. , Bertaux Jean-Loup , Montmessin Franck , Lefèvre Franck , Patrakeev Andrey , Shakun Alexey
Published: March 2020

The CO2-dominated atmosphere of Mars is an ideal natural laboratory to study the spectroscopy of this gas. The Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) package onboard the ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) sounds the atmosphere in solar occultation, allowing, in case of a very clear atmosphere, reaching an optical path of 300-400 km at an effective pressure of a few millibars. During the first year of ACS observations, the focus of attention was kept on the spectral range covering the fundamental methane absorption band, 2900-3300 cm–1. No methane was detected, while a further improvement of the data processing led to the identification of weak periodic absorption lines, missing from spectroscopic databases. The observed frequencies of the lines match theoretically computed positions of the Q, P and R branches of the magnetic dipole 01111-00001 absorption band of the main CO2 isotopologue, never measured or computed before. We will report the first observational evidence of a magnetic dipole CO2 absorption. The data analysis was supported by RSF (project No. 20-42-09035).
Paleomagnetism and magnetostratigraphy of the Permian-Triassic red beds, East European Platform, Russia
Authors: Fetisova Anna , Veselovskiy Roman , Golubev Valeriy , Chistyakova Alvina , Arefiev Mikhail , Bagdasaryan Tatyana
Published: March 2020

We present the combining results of 6-year comprehensive studies, which have been done on fifteen key sections the Permian-Triassic red beds located within the Russian Basin (East European platform). In our presentation we discuss some aspects of paleomagnetism and rock magnetism of sediments, such as inclination shallowing, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and so on. The main achievement of our work is getting the new mean Permian-Triassic paleomagnetic pole for the East European platform as well as calculation of its Late Permian and Early Triassic poles. We also present new version of the magnetostratigraphic correlation of studied sections within the Russian Basin and with Global Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale, taking into account obtained results of U-Pb LA-ICPMS dating of detrital zircons and paleontological constraints. One of the most intriguing conclusions of our work is a suggestion about the existing of quite long-lasting time interval of non-GAD (Geocentric Axial Dipole) configuration of the Earth's magnetic field close to the Permian-Triassic boundary, evidences of which we have found in some of studied P-Tr sections. This study is supported by the grant of the RFBR (18-05-00593).
Impact of the statistical method, training dataset, and spatial scale of post-processing to adjust ensemble forecasts of the height of new snow
Authors: Jari-Pekka Nousu , Lafaysse Matthieu , Evin Guillaume , Vernay Matthieu , Bellier Joseph , Joly Bruno , Taillardat Maxime , Zamo Michaël
Published: March 2020

Forecasting the height of new snow (HS) is essential for avalanche hazard survey, road and ski resorts management, tourism attractiveness, etc. Meteo-France operates the PEARP-S2M probabilistic forecasting system including 35 members of the PEARP Numerical Weather Prediction system, the SAFRAN downscaling tool refining the elevation resolution in mountains, and the Crocus snowpack model representing the main physical processes in the snowpack (compaction, melting, etc.). It provides better HS forecasts than direct NWP diagnostics but exhibits significant biases and underdispersion. Therefore, a post-processing is required to be able to provide automatic forecasting products of HS from this system.

For that purpose, we compare the skill of two statistical methods (Nonhomogeneous Regression with a Censored Shifted Gamma distribution and Quantile Regression Forest), two predictor datasets for training (22-year reforecast with some discrepancies with the operational system or 3-year real time forecasts similar to the operational system) and two spatial scales of post-processing (local scale or 1000 km² regional scale).

The improvement relative to the raw forecasts is similar at both spatial scales. Thus, the regional validity of post-processing does not restrict the application at points with observations. The impact of the training dataset depends on lead time and on the evaluation criteria. The long-term reforecast improves the reliability of severe snowfall but leads to overdispersion due to a discrepancy with the initial perturbations used in the operational system. Finally, thanks to a larger number of predictors, the Quantile Regression Forest allows an improvement of forecasts for specific cases when the the rain-snow transition elevation is overestimated by the raw forecasts.

These conclusions help to choose an optimal post-processing configuration for automatic forecasts of the height of new snow and encourage the atmospheric modelling teams to develop long reforecasts as homogenous as possible with the operational systems.
QPE adjustment using river discharge
Authors: O'Loughlin Fiachra , Bruen Michael
Published: March 2020

With the expected increase in flooding due to climate change, accurate estimation of precipitation and the resulting modelled hydrographs are an essential requirement for reliable flood forecasts. At present, most radar rainfall adjustment methods require raingauge data to increase the accuracy of the precipitation estimates. One disadvantage is that raingauges only measure precipitation at a given point and usually there are a relatively small number of these points in a typical catchment (and some smaller catchments may not have any). River discharge from the catchment integrates the influence of catchment-wide precipitation and can often be more accurately measured than the areal rainfall, especially in areas with a sparse raingauge network. Here, we present a non-raingauge radar adjustment method that utilises discharge data only to adjust radar precipitation estimates for input to hydrological models. This method allows a hydrological model to adjust its treatment of precipitation input, through an additional model parameter, by comparing the observed and modelled hydrographs. An additional advantage of this method is that it can be also applied to adjust any form of precipitation input (e.g. radar, raingauge or satellite)  to produce more accurate hydrograph estimates. This proposed method is comparable to a traditional radar raingauge adjustment method over a number of catchments and hydrological models, for both peak flows and for the entire hydrograph. Additionally, this method allows for the adjusted of catchment averaged raingauge precipitation measurements to correct for any possibly errors due to using point data i.e. spatial density or representative issues. This results in a substantial improvement in discharge estimation compared to the un-adjusted raingauge measurements.
Monitoring of moisture levels with microwave sensors at the carved rock town Uplistsikhe, Georgia
Authors: Fruhmann Stefanie , Basilaia Giorgi , Elashvili Mikheil , Munchava Tea , Sass Oliver
Published: March 2020

A variety of weathering processes is controlled by moisture movements in porous rock. However, the quantitative assessment of small-scale moisture levels and fluctuations in-situ, over longer time periods, is still a challenge. The aim of our investigation is to close this gap with a microwave-based moisture monitoring system, installed at the cave town Uplistsikhe in Georgia, which oldest structures date back to the early Iron Age (10th-9th centuries BC).

Two morphologically different cave structures were equipped with two pairs of sensors, each covering two depth ranges, at two positions to detect different moisture contents and sources. These are considered the main driver of the highly accelerated weathering processes and decay of Uplistsikhe.

With the long moisture monitoring dataset of 12 months, combined with meteorological data from the study site, seasonal moisture variations and environmental-rock interactions are detected. Preliminary data from the first eight months of monitoring is presented.
Soils and landscapes as legacies of the sugar industry land use
Authors: Gracheva Raisa , Zamotaev Igor , Konoplyanikova Yulia , Telnova Natalia , Belonovskaya Elena
Published: March 2020

The sugar industry has been widespread in the world for centuries, accumulating huge amounts of production waste. The development of modern technologies for sugar beet processing has led to the abandonment of dumps and sumps; not all of them were remediated later. In Russia, the industrial production of sugar from sugar beets was established in the early 19th century. For the first time, soils and landscapes formed on abandoned sites of sugar production waste in the Chernozem zone of Russia were studied. The distribution and chronological sequence of abandoned sites were identified using space images and field observation. Sugar production wastes discharged into sumps and landfills contained mainly carbonic lime (СаСО3), caustic lime Ca(OH)2 and organic material, and an admixture of nitrogen, phosphorus potassium and sulfur (about 1-3%). It was revealed that in about 50 years, alkaline soil- geochemical landscapes were formed, which are unusual in the study area. Series of ponds temporarily filled with rainwater – former waste sumps – are covered with dense reed beds (Phragmítes austrális); there, strongly alkaline (pH ≥9), rich in organic matter and bioturbated soils with a thickness of up to 50-60 cm are formed. They can be attributed to Garbic Technosols (Carbonic), but their classification position in WRB needs to be clarified. Reed has spread widely in the surrounding water bodies and rivers; newly formed landscapes enrich waters with nutrients, contributing to their eutrophication. Soil mantle is also complicated by Technosols of industrial sites of sugar factories, soils in the remediated and no-remediated landfills, and soils irrigated with sugar mills' wastewater. All these soils are repositories of large volumes of organic carbon. The study of newly formed soils and landscapes, overgrowing of dumps and sumps is extremely important both for nature conservation and for understanding the seasonal patterns of carbon dioxide emissions from accumulations of organic substances. Integrated soil-geochemical and geobotanical studies of areas affected by the sugar industry can be pioneers, among other things, to expand the horizons of soil and geobotanical classification.

The work was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project № 19-29-05025-mk.
Characterizing chromophoric dissolved organic matter in Guanting Reservoir Beijing using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence and parallel factor analysis
Authors: Bai Yijuan , Ding Aizhong , Zhang Shurong
Published: March 2020

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an important optically active substance that might be used as an indicator of water quality. The study of CDOM characteristic and source identification in reservoirs is of great importance in decision- making for water quality protection.
Granting reservoir Beijing was selected as the case study, which was the drinking water source for Beijing, while it was ceased to supply water in 1997 because of water pollution. The water samples were collected from 37 sites in the reservoir. Three dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3DEEM) spectra combined with  parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was applied to investigate the fluorescence characteristics and sources of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in Guanting Reservoir. The results showed that: (1) four kinds of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) was identified, which were the tryptophan-like component (C1) autochthonously, the humic-like component (C2) in the ultraviolet zone, the tryptophan-like component (C3) caused by photolysis reaction and the humic-like component (C4) in the visible light zone. (2) The tryptophan-like was the dominant fraction of CDOM in Guanting Reservoir. For the four component, C1 and C3 belong to humic-like; C2 and C4 belong to protein-like. The humic-like increases with the river flowing into the reservoir. the fluorescence intensity of humic-like and protein-like both was the highest in July. (3) the humic-like C2 and C4 were significantly correlated which might indicate they originated from the same source, while the protein-like C1 and C3 didn’t show the correlation that might indicate their source is different. (4)Fluorescence index(FI), biological index (BIX) and humification index (HIX) were also used to identify the source of different components. The FI ranged from 1.8 to 1.95 indicated that CDOM principally originated from microbially derived fulvic acids. The BIX ranged from 0.9 to 1.1 indicated that CDOM was strong autochthonous component and from biological or aquatic bacterial origin. The HIX ranged 1.3 to 3.5 indicated that CDOM was weak humic characteristic and important recent autochthonous component.
Where - A Software for geodetic Analysis
Authors: Fausk Ingrid , Dähnn Michael , Kirkvik Ann-Silje
Published: March 2020

Where is a software package developed by the Norwegian Mapping Authority (NMA). The software will provide a useful contribution to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame, by analysis of data from Very-long-baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR).

Where is written in Python, and is taking advantage of well-tested code like the SOFA and IERS libraries. The architecture is easily maintainable and extendable. Python makes it easy to write, and utilizes external libraries written in faster languages.

 

Both the NMA and the Instituto Geografico Nacional, Spain, are in a test phase of deliveries of VLBI analysis results to the IVS with the Where software. After some improvements of the software, we will also deliver analysis results to the ILRS. Our goal is to receive full status as operational analysis center for both VLBI and SLR, and to contribute to ITRF2020.

 

Sharing and cooperating with other institutions is made possible by making Where an open source project on GitHub.
Magnetostratigraphy and environmental magnetism of the Aptian-Albian boundary of sedimentary core from Sergipe-Alagoas Basin: preliminary results
Authors: Gewehr de Mello Raquel , Fauth Gerson , Guilherme Diemer Kochhann Karlos , Gonsalves Leandro Carolina , Daniel Rodrigues Bruno Mauro , Krahl Guilherme , Marcanth Lopes Fernando , Francisco Savian Jairo
Published: March 2020

The Early Cretaceous was dominated by greenhouse conditions and increases in ocean crust production rate, with critical climate, geography and oceanography changes and abrupt shifts in redox conditions in the oceans. Prior to the Aptian, regarding the Earth’s magnetic field, a high rate of polarity reversals dominated. However, thereafter, a period of polarity stability, known as the Cretaceous Normal Polarity Superchron (CNPS), was established for 34 Myr. Although, there are debates on the causes and consequences of these extreme events. The exact behavior of the geomagnetic field in this period is still poorly understood, and data from volcanic and sedimentary rocks are conflicting. The biostratigraphy data from the sedimentary succession from the Aptian-Albian interval in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin (Brazil) are rare and correlations are weak with Tethyan realm. Since some of the major reservoirs of the terrestrial portion of the Sergipe-Alagoas basin are from Aptian-Albian ages the lack of age models brings difficulties to the oil industry. Magnetic parameters such as magnetic susceptibility, ARM, IRM, and magnetostratigraphy data were obtained with a resolution of 25 cm in the Core SER-03 from Sergipe-Alagoas Basin. The entire section varies 4 Myr, including the Aptian-Albian boundary. Here, we present preliminary environmental magnetism and magnetostratigraphic interpretation for this core. Therefore, these data will aid to develop an age model framework in order to assist this uncovered region and for future comparisons with Tethyan realm.