bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Ireland’s Dust Bowl: An interdisciplinary assessment of loess genesis, deposition, and dynamics in the Burren
Authors: Bromley Gordon , Bunce Colin , Stevens Tom , Cabello Marta , Nauton Martin , Fitzsimmons Kathryn
Published: February 2023

The west coast of Ireland is currently one of the wettest environments in Europe, with year-round precipitation, high humidity, and minimal thermal seasonality maintained by a strongly North Atlantic climate. While such conditions are not conducive to dust entrainment, transport, and deposition today, we report geologic evidence from the limestone Burren uplands for a period of sustained aeolian sedimentation during the last glacial termination. Contrasting with Ireland’s till- and glacial-outwash-dominated lowlands, the Burren’s extant sediment cover comprises a homogenous mineral silt preserved in lee-side zones and karst depressions, the outer reaches of caves, and amongst drumlins. Compositionally, our sedimentologic-geochemical data confirm the quartz minerology of these silts, which are consistent in composition and morphology to similar deposits reported from the England and France previously identified as loess. We used U-Pb age profiling of zircons to establish the primary source of the loess, providing a robust test of whether Irish deposits are locally sourced or instead derived from more distal regions (e.g., central Europe-Asia); both scenarios have ramifications for atmospheric circulation patterns during glacial-interglacial transitions and abrupt climate shifts. While OSL dating of the Burren silts is ongoing, the sedimentary stratigraphy is consistent with deposition during or immediately following ice sheet retreat, which our 10Be-dating of glacial surfaces places during early Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1). In Ireland, HS1 was also characterised by winter sea ice, extreme thermal seasonality, and relatively low sea level. At multiple Burren sites, a bi-fold stratigraphy suggests the in situ (i.e., airfall) loess is overlain by a subsequently reworked unit of silt that was remobilised during the mid-Holocene, potentially reflecting a combination of climatic and anthropogenic drivers. Thus far, the Burren loess is providing a new aeolian vantage on Europe’s Atlantic margin during the close of the last ice age and has considerable potential for exploring environmental conditions during climatic transitions.
Towards improving dust emission simulations with the ICON-HAM model framework
Authors: Tegen Ina , Kubin Anne
Published: February 2023

Mineral dust contributes significantly to the global atmospheric aerosol burden and is an important climate factor. Its model-based description of the atmospheric life cycle and impacts largely depends on an accurate parameterization of dust emissions. The large variability of near-source dust distribution in current forecast and aerosol-climate models is an indication that accurate simulation of dust emissions remains problematic. The occurrence and strength of dust emissions depends on both surface properties and surface winds. While satellite remote sensing offers great potential for determining relevant surface properties such as surface roughness and land use, model simulations of surface winds remain problematic in resolving strong wind events that occur on small spatial and temporal scales. The peak wind speeds of such events have the potential to cause strong dust emissions, but are unlikely to be captured in model simulations with parameterized convection.  Advances in high-resolution convection atmospheric modelling are a major opportunity for overcoming these limitations. Convection permitting simulations and multi-scale model approaches become feasible with the new ICON model framework which has been developed jointly by the German Weather Service (DWD) and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg. Results of dust simulations with the HAM aerosol model coupled to ICON will be presented. The new model system will advance the flexibility and possibilities to work on understanding the role of mineral dust aerosol and their interactions within the changing climate. The new model system will improve the ability to understand the role of mineral dust aerosols and their interactions with the climate system.
Forecasting Discharge and Water Levels of Rivers and Dams using Earth Observation and AI
Authors: Damova Mariana , Stankov Stanko
Published: February 2023

The exploitation of rivers and hydropower reservoirs involves daily monitoring of  the water resources, the meteorological conditions, the status of  the river banks, the flood areas, etc. As maximum river discharge often results in flooding, it is of importance to provide with timely and reliable forecasts of discharge and water levels. Predicting river discharge and water levels has been a subject of hydrological modelling and a topic of serious research. However, only in recent years scholars and practitioners have turned to consider earth observation data for their studies, mainly to compare evidence of flood mapping. We present an approach of using earth observation data to feed AI architectures – EO4AI – and produce forecasts for discharge and water level with significant degrees of accuracy.  Our starting point is that river discharge and water levels depend on a variety of meteorological and environmental factors like precipitations, snow cover, soil moisture, vegetation index and satellite data offer rich variety of datasets, supplying this information. We adopt a pipeline of deep learning architectures consisting of GAN, CNN, LSTM and EA to actually generate forecasts for river discharge and water level by using historic satellite data of the meteorological features listed above, and in-situ measurements for water level and discharge. The satellite data are provided by ADAM  via the NoR service of ESA. ADAM provides data access to satellite datasets from different satellites with semantic relevance for the construction of sediment transport and deposition forecast model as discussed above.  We explain the purpose of the pipeline components. Our forecast models are calibrated for 3, 5, 7, 30 days ahead, and our experiments provide predictions for one year ahead with each of the calibrated models. We discuss experiment results carried out with data from the Danube and Arda rivers, including three dams from cascade Arda and compare them with predictions derived with other methods. We demonstrate the viability of the approach and the reliability of the forecasting results. We further show how the forecasts can be used in hydrodynamic modelling context, for early warning applications and for routine water resources management and monitoring tasks.
Early Warning Embedded in Intelligent Web-based Workflow for River Monitoring through Earth Observation and AI
Authors: Damova Mariana , Stoyanov Emil , Stankov Stanko , Pessek Hermand
Published: February 2023

The exploitation of rivers and hydropower reservoirs involves daily monitoring of the water resources, the meteorological conditions, the status of the coast, the flood areas, etc. Providing with timely and easy to consume information, analytics and early warnings for current and upcoming statuses or events helps water resources managers and high level officials to adequately observe and plan operations for sustainable development of river areas. We present an intelligent web-based workflow that combines different methods of AI, e.g. linked data, deep learning and resoning, to provide an integrated information system that ensures interoperability between spatial information of GIS systems, remote sensing information, symbolic and numerical data like meteorological data and proprietary measurements and creates an actionable knowledge value chain for the needs of rivers and hydropower reservoirs exploitation with embedded early warning capability. We show how hydrodynamic modelling using Telemac with forecasted water economic data, produced from earth observation and in-situ measurements applied to a series of neural network architectures, derive predictive river models, that are integrated into the work-flow and made available for querying, reviewing, projecting the changes in the navigational conditions of navigable rivers, geo-spatial visualization on GIS. The intelligent work-flow further provides with functional features like forecasts generation for river discharge, turbidity, water level, alerting and querying of a variety of correlations and synchronized visualizations in tables, graphs and GIS maps. It helps improve theoperational efficiency by providing ability to interact with and view all water resources management information at ones, ensures accuracy and decision making ability by correlating historic and forecast data with satellite imagery and data, gives automated forecasting of water economic data using satellite meteorological data, reduce risk through automated alerts. We demonstrate on the example of Danube the advantages of the presented intelligent web-based work-flow for the monitoring of rivers and their environment for sustainable development and planning.AcknowledgementThis work has been carried out within ESA Contract No 4000133836/21/NL/SC 
Monitoring the resilience of European forests from space and its relation to tree functional diversity
Authors: Pickering Mark , Elia Agatha , Girardello Marco , Oto Gonzalo , Ceccherini Guido , Forzieri Giovanni , Cescatti Alessandro
Published: February 2023

The ecological resilience of forests quantifies their capacity to respond to and recover from disturbances, an increasingly important property in an era of climate extremes and anthropogenic pressures. Whilst there are different metrics and studies that relate forest resilience to factors such as climate, the link between biodiversity and resilience in forests is not well understood. This study aims to quantify the importance of metrics of tree functional diversity in the context of forest resilience, via a number of resilience indicators. These indicators include the temporal autocorrelation of MODIS kNDVI at high spatial and temporal resolution, after accounting for short-term fluctuations in climate. The spatial scale dependence of the relationship between resilience and biodiversity is also explored and the study has implications for forest management globally.
The first light from the joint total solar irradiance measurement experiment onboard the FY3-E meteorological satellite
Authors: Ye Xin , Zhu Ping , Montillet Jean-Philippe , Hu Xiuqing , Wang Jinhua , Yang Dongjun , Qi Jin , Finsterle Wolfgang , Zhang Peng , Fang Wei , Koller Silvio , Pfiffner Daniel , Song Baoqi , Luo Zhitao , Wang Kai , Haberreiter Margit , Wu Duo , Schmutz Werner
Published: February 2023

The Fengyun 3E (FY3E) spacecraft was launched on the 4th of July 2021 at 23h 28min UTC according to CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.) on a Long March 4C vehicle from JSLC (Jiuquan Space Launch Center) in China. The orbit is a sun-synchronous near-circular with an altitude of 800 km, and an inclination of 98.7 degrees. The nominal lifetime of the satellite is eight years. The JTSIM experiments belong to the solar activities monitoring package. The solar radiation is absorbed by the black-coated cavity and the induced different heat-flux between the primary and reference cavity is measured, and the electrically calibrated differential heat-flux is used to compute the solar irradiance. SIAR has three identical channels A, B, and C, and each channel has a different solar exposure time to study the instrument’s nonlinear drift due to degradation. DARA also has three cavity radiometers and electrical substitution radiometers (Channel A, Channel B, and Channel C). The difference is that they are aligned in a triangle. Compared to VIRGO/PMO6, DARA inverts the aperture geometry to eliminate stray light. DARA and SIAR absolute radiometers are not operating at the same time due to the different designs and measurement sequences. On August 18, 2021, both instruments successfully passed the first commission phase, and they started to observe the total solar irradiance since then.
Modeling focused fluid flow with geological heterogeneity
Authors: Wang Lawrence Hongliang , Yarushina Viktoriya
Published: February 2023

Two-phase flow equations that couple solid deformation and fluid migration have opened new research trends in geodynamical simulations and modeling of subsurface engineering operations. A numerical model based on two-phase flow equations has been used to study the formation of focused fluid flow in ductile/plastic rocks. While the effects of material properties such as permeability, bulk viscosity, shear viscosity, and bulk moduli have been studied with simple models that contain mainly homogenous material, realistic models with geological heterogeneity are scarce. This is partly due to the physical nonlinearity of fluid-rock systems and the strong coupling between flow and deformation. Here we present numerical models with a viscoelastic approach that solves hydromechanics coupling using an efficient pseudo-transient solver, which can model focused fluid flow with sharp material boundaries. First, we study the effects of a less permeable block on the propagation of channelized fluid flow by varying the permeability factor by several orders of magnitude and block size. We found that an obstacle does not stop the propagation of the localized channels but deflects and slows them down. A wide block allows channels to pass through slowly, while a narrow block deflects the channels to the sides.  Second, we study the dynamics of fluid channels reaching a sharp geological boundary that is significantly less permeable. We also adjust the bulk viscosity and permeability exponent for different materials in our models to mimic the real geological materials. This makes it possible to consider more realistic scenarios with intraformational and top-sealing layers relevant to CO2 storage and natural fluid migration.
A simple toolbox for evaluating the combined contributions to the whole-rock magnetic fabric
Authors: Chadima Martin
Published: February 2023

The interpretation of magnetic fabric (studied mainly by means of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility) has become one of the well-established, fast, and reliable rock fabric proxies used in many branches of the Earth science. In the usual case, the magnetic fabric ellipsoid reflects the crystallographic or shape preferred orientation of the grains of the main rock-constituent mineral. If two (or more) sets of mineral grains are present, their combined contribution towards the whole-rock magnetic fabric is proportional to their relative content, their value of bulk susceptibility and their degree of anisotropy. This can be the case of, for example, combined contribution of differently oriented paramagnetic and ferromagnetic sub-fabrics, normal and inverse magnetic fabric, or anisotropic fabric and isotropic matrix. In order to overcome some misconception on how various magnetic fabrics can contribute to the overall rock fabric, we present a simple toolbox for visualizing a combined contribution of two pre-defined end-member magnetic sub-fabrics. These end-member fabrics are defined by their bulk susceptibility, degree of anisotropy, shape of anisotropy ellipsoid and the orientations of its principal directions. The toolbox is part of Anisoft software which enables the instant visualization how magnetic fabric changes as a function of the relative content of the end-member sub-fabrics.
Quantifying the response of shrubs and trees to drought as a tool to detect vulnerable forests in Spain
Authors: Gazol Antonio
Published: February 2023

Climate change is expected to increase the duration and severity of heatwaves and droughts in the Mediterranean region. In this climate change hotspot, drought and heat stress have triggered the occurrence of forest mortality events over the past decades. It is thus important detecting those regions in which drought-induced forest mortality events are occurring to advance in the knowledge of why some species and populations are more vulnerable to heat and drought than others.If localized on time, these declining forests are valuable natural laboratories to attribute potential factors triggering mortality. However, detecting and identifying drought-impacted forest is challenging because forest mortality events in the Mediterranean region are spatially heterogeneous and have a local extent.Here I summarize the main findings of several studies performed in forests that have been impacted by drought events over the past years aiming to detect how: i) the vitality and growth of shrubs and trees varied between species, and ii) between individuals within species. Further, I discuss how these results can help to increase our capacity in detecting forest mortality hotspots.
Evaluation of satellite precipitation products to runoff simulation in a semi-arid zone
Authors: El Khalki El Mahdi , Tramblay Yves , Elmehdi Saidi Mohamed , Chehbouni Abdelghani
Published: February 2023

In data-sparse regions and in developing countries such as Morocco, where flooding has serious socio-economic impacts, satellite-based precipitation products open up new possibilities for monitoring and modeling water resources and floods. The goal of this study is to explore the possibility of using satellite precipitation products (SPPs) to force lumped hydrologic models (CREST and MISDc) over 9 basins in Morocco. This work provides a hydrological assessment of three SPPs that have demonstrated good capabilities in reproducing precipitation over different basins in Morocco (GPM IMERG – PERSIANN CDR and CHIRPS). The two hydrological models are coupled with a stochastic calibration method to provide the different ranges of uncertainties. In addition, we investigate the ability of SPPs on reproducing November 2014 flood event.  The results indicate that, in calibration, all the models provide similar performance to reproduce river discharge when using observed precipitation and PERCDR. In the validation phase, the combination MISDc/PERCDR performed with minimum confidence interval which allows a good reproduction of the flood hydrograph of November 2014. The establishment of relationships between SPPs, basin parameters, and hydrological modeling technique will allow to find the appropriate combination for different application purposes.
Water demand versus supply in a Mediterranean Arid Region : current and future challenges
Authors: Abdessamad Hadri , Elmehdi Saidi Mohamed , El Khalki El Mahdi , Aachrine Brahim , Saouabe Tarik , Ait Elmaki Abdeslam
Published: February 2023

This research aims at establishing an integrated modelling framework to assess the impact of climate change on water supply and demand across an arid area in the western Haouz plain in Morocco. Five General Circulation Models (GCM) are used to evaluate future water resources availability under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios). The projected crop water demand and irrigation water demand were analysed using Aquacrop software, taking into account the impact of climate change on both reference evapotranspiration and crop cycle lengths. The future water balance is simulated by means of Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) Tool, including several socioeconomic and land use scenarios under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The results reveal an important decrease in net precipitation with an average of -36.2% and -50.5% under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. In terms of water balance, the “business as usual” scenario would lead to an increasing of unmet water demand of about +22% in the 2050 horizon and to an increased depletion of the water table that could reach 2m/year. Changing water management and use practices remains the only solution to ensure sustainable water use and deal with the projected water scarcity.
Machine learning workflow for deriving regional geoclimatic clusters from high-dimensional data
Authors: Lehner Sebastian , Enigl Katharina , Schlögl Matthias
Published: February 2023

Geoclimatic regions represent climatic forcing zones, which constitute important spatial entities that serve as a basis for a broad range of analyses in earth system sciences. The plethora of geospatial variables that are relevant for obtaining consistent clusters represent a high-dimensionality, especially when working with high-resolution gridded data, which may render the derivation of such regions complex. This is worsened by typical characteristics of geoclimatic data like multicollinearity, nonlinear effects and potentially complex interactions between features. We therefore present a nonparametric machine learning workflow, consisting of dimensionality reduction and clustering for deriving geospatial clusters of similar geoclimatic characteristics. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed procedure using a comprehensive dataset featuring climatological and geomorphometric data from Austria, aggregated to the recent climatological normal from 1992 to 2021. The modelling workflow consists of three major sequential steps: (1) linear dimensionality reduction using Principal Component Analysis, yielding a reduced, orthogonal sub-space, (2) nonlinear dimensionality reduction applied to the reduced sub-space using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection, and (3) clustering the learned manifold projection via Hierarchical Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise. The contribution of the input features to the cluster result is then assessed by means of permutation feature importance of random forest models. These are trained by treating the clustering result as a supervised classification problem. Results show the flexibility of the defined workflow and exhibit good agreement with both quantitatively derived and synoptically informed characterizations of geoclimatic regions from other studies. However, this flexibility does entail certain challenges with respect to hyperparameter settings, which require careful exploration and tuning. The proposed workflow may serve as a blueprint for deriving consistent geospatial clusters exhibiting similar geoclimatic attributes.
Statistical characterization of simulated wind ramps
Authors: Baki Harish , Basu Sukanta , Lavidas George
Published: February 2023

Wind ramps, or rapid changes in wind speed, are a crucial aspect of atmospheric dynamics andhave significant implications for various wind energy applications. For example, wind ramps tendto increase uncertainty in power output predictions. Furthermore, they also induce fatigue damageto wind turbines.In a recent study, DeMarco and Basu (2018; Wind Energy) used long-term observationaldata from four geographical locations to characterize the tails of the wind ramp probabilitydistribution functions (pdfs). They showed that the pdfs from these various sites (ranging fromoffshore to complex terrain) portray quasi-universal behavior. The tails of the pdfs are muchheavier than the Gaussian pdf and decay faster with increasing time increments. The tail-indexstatistics, computed via the so-called Hill plots, exhibited minimal height dependency up toapproximately one hundred meters above the land or sea surface level. However, wind rampstatistics at higher altitudes at Cabauw (the Netherlands) were quite distinct.In the present study, we investigate if state-of-the-art reanalysis datasets capture theintrinsic traits of wind ramp pdfs. Specifically, we make use of the newly released CopernicusEuropean Regional ReAnalysis (CERRA) dataset in conjunction with the popular fifth-generationECMWF reanalysis (ERA5) dataset. These datasets allow us to describe the characteristics of windramp pdfs at high altitudes (up to 500 m). Given the disparity of the spatial resolution of CERRA(~5.5 km) and ERA5 (~32 km) datasets, we are also able to demonstrate the impact of spatialresolution on simulated tail index characteristics. Lastly, the influence of natural climate patternssuch as El-Nino and La-Nina on wind ramp pdfs are examined.
Exploiting the full information of the coupling ratio measurements in frequency domain electromagnetic induction instruments
Authors: Carrizo Maria , Slob Evert , Werthmüller Dieter
Published: February 2023

Frequency domain electromagnetic induction (FDEM) sensors are used regularly to investigate near-surface electrical properties for diverse purposes.  FDEM instruments measure the coupling ratio between the secondary magnetic field induced in the ground and the primary magnetic field of the direct wave propagating from a transmitter through the air to the receiver coil, which is a complex ratio, where the real part is called in-phase part and the real part is called the out-of-phase or quadrature part. Usually, the quadrature  part of the data measurements is used to estimate the electrical conductivity of the shallow subsurface. In this study we show the outcome of the estimation of an electrical conductivity model using both quadrature and in-phase  parts of the coupling ratio. We simulate the full solution measurements (quadrature and in-phase) and used only the quadrature part as data to estimate 1D electrical conductivity models of the subsurface in a lookup table. Then, we compare this estimation with the resulting one using the full solution as data measurement. Our results provide insight on the information that the in-phase part provides about the distribution of electrical conductivity with depth.
Application of pulse-Doppler radar and 3D LiDAR for high-resolution velocity measurements of three debris flows at Illgraben (Switzerland)
Authors: Schöffl Tobias , Aaron Jordan , Kaitna Roland , Hübl Johannes
Published: February 2023

The surface velocity of debris flows is constantly subject to strong temporal and spatial fluctuations. These are amplified by the pulse-like occurrence of surges throughout the event and by the high variance of the solids fraction. However, continuous information on velocities of multiple consecutive surges within a single debris-flow event with high temporal resolution is rare. In this study, we test a pulse-Doppler (PD) radar over a total torrent length of 180 m. The PD radar utilizes pulsed transmission and provides spatially resolved cells, called range gates, that extend over a width of 20 meters. Doppler velocity spectra composed of velocity classes and echo intensities are obtained at 4 Hz for each range gate. From these, we derived continuous velocity-time data sets. We present PD radar data for three debris flows that occurred on 05.06, 30.06, and 08.09.2022 at the Illgraben creek, Switzerland. The radar data were validated at the first event with a velocity data set obtained from a LiDAR scanner installed at the same location. This novel method collects high-resolution 3D point clouds at 10 Hz. This data was used to derive a high-resolution velocity vector field for one of the events. We isolate a ~ 2x2 m box in the middle of the channel and compare the LiDAR derived velocities at this location to those measured by the PD radar. Our comparison shows a strong correlation between the two data sets, with a coefficient of determination of 0.85. In addition, we note a minor consistent offset in the two velocity data sets of 0.5 m/s. We attribute this to the nature of the different measurement methods and conclude that the two methods may be sensitive to different features of the surface of the flow. However, our results show the high effectiveness and reliability of both methods in debris-flow monitoring. We anticipate that further analysis of the data sets will provide new insights into the geophysical principles of debris flows.
Magnetic reconnection in the solar wind: Filamentary currents in a multi-layered exhaust region at an ICME sheath—ejecta boundary
Authors: Ala-Lahti Matti , Pulkkinen Tuija , Ruohotie Julia , Akhavan-Tafti Mojtaba , Good Simon , Kilpua Emilia
Published: February 2023

In the solar wind, a bifurcated current sheet is often observed in a reconnection outflow region as predicted by the original Petchek reconnection model, with the detailed exhaust structure becoming more complex when asymmetries between reconnecting plasmas are present. Here we present the first multi-spacecraft mission in-situ observations of a solar wind reconnection exhaust populated with filamentary (Hall) currents at an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) sheath—ejecta boundary. At the ICME sheath—ejecta boundary, asymmetric inflow conditions control reconnection, a relatively hot and dense plasma of the sheath coupling with the sparse low-beta ejecta plasma. These novel high-resolution observations demonstrate a multi- layered exhaust, and speak for the opportunities that future missions, such as HelioSwarm, and Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter open for investigating magnetic reconnection in the solar wind.
Mediterranean biodiversity gradient initiated by basin restriction
Authors: Agiadi Konstantina , Hohmann Niklas , Gliozzi Elsa , Thivaiou Danae , Collareta Alberto , Bosellini Francesca , Bianucci Giovanni , Londeix Laurent , Bulian Francesca , Lozar Francesca , Mancini Alan Maria , Dominici Stefano , Moissette Pierre , Campos Ildefonso Bajo , Borghi Enrico , Kontakiotis George , Zarkogiannis Stergios , Harzhauser Mathias , Camerlenghi Angelo , Garcia-Castellanos Daniel
Published: February 2023

Physical connectivity between marine basins facilitates population exchange and hence controls biodiversity. The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-restricted basin with only a small two-way connection to the global ocean, and it is a region heavily impacted by climate change and biological invasions today. The massive migration of non-indigenous species into the basin through the Suez Canal, driven and enabled by climate warming, is drastically changing Mediterranean biodiversity. Understanding therefore the origin and cause(s) of pre-existing biodiversity patterns is crucial for predicting future impacts of climate change. Mediterranean biodiversity exhibits a west-to-east decreasing gradient in terms of species richness, but the processes that resulted in this gradient have only been hypothesized. By examining the fossil record, we provide evidence that this gradient developed 5.33 million years ago at the end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis, and it was therefore caused by the re-population of the basin by marine species with a dominating western source at the Mediterranean–Atlantic gateway.
Using Remote Sensing and Integrated Hydrologic Models to Characterize the How Irrigated Agriculture Affects Highly Overdrawn Aquifers in the United States
Authors: Hyndman David , Kendall Anthony , Partridge Trevor , Stid Jake , Zwickle Adam
Published: February 2023

Irrigated agriculture consumes vast amounts of water and energy, yet it is key to high crop yields. This is especially important as we are facing increasing population and high variability in precipitation related to climate change. However, groundwater storage continues to be overdrawn due to irrigation withdrawals at unsustainable rates. We have been quantifying the effects of irrigated agriculture, management practices, and climate across the High Plains Aquifer, California’s Central Valley, and Michigan in the United States. Our team uses agricultural and integrated hydrologic models to characterize how management changes affect water resources and crop productivity. We map annual changes in irrigated agriculture and solar panel areas by integrating biophysical data and remote sensing imagery using machine learning. We then use this information as input to model the effects of agricultural management strategies on water use, crop yield, energy use, and water supplies. In a portion of the High Plains Aquifer, we showed the effects of two very different irrigation adaptation strategies on irrigation water use. This analysis showed that a local management solution, where groups of regional farmers collectively agreed to reduce their pumping, was a much more effective solution than a technology-based approach where more efficient irrigation technology was adopted that uses less water per acre. This research shows how the integration of remotely-sensed and ground-based data into fully-distributed integrated hydrologic models can help stakeholders move toward more sustainable agricultural practices. 
Risks of Future Droughts and their Impacts on Scottish Private Water Supplies
Authors: Pawar Sayali , Halliday Sarah , Ovando Paola , Glendell Miriam
Published: February 2023

In recent years, Scotland has been experiencing lower-than-average rainfall in the spring and summer seasons leading to water scarcity in many parts of the country, especially during the summer months. Climate change is likely to exacerbate these dry conditions even more in the future, presenting significant risks to water resources management. Businesses and households, especially those relying on Private Water Supplies (PWS) in rural areas, such as boreholes and springs, have already observed noticeable changes in the quantity and quality of water during the dry periods. Around 3.5% of the Scottish population relies on PWS which includes households, industries, agriculture, and the tourism industry. This study aims to project future drier periods from 2041-2080 across Scotland on a 1-km grid, using the Standardised Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index and the observed meteorological data from 1981-2020 as the baseline. Results suggest low to extreme drought conditions in all 1-km cells , with increases in dry conditions likely to be highest in the eastern parts of Scotland, showing a distinct spatial variability in drought characteristics across Scotland. In future work, past and future drought occurrences will be linked with the water quality characteristics of PWS to understand the likely impact of future droughts on Scotland’s water security. The water quality dataset has been made available from the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland for the period 2006-2020 for nearly 6000 PWS locations. These PWS have been monitored twice a year on an average for their water quality. They span across 25 administrative areas in Scotland and represent roughly 27% of the total PWS in Scotland.  Water quality variables such as faecal coliforms, E.coli, iron, turbidity, lead, pH, colour, nitrate and phosphate will be included in the analysis to facilitate planning for effective, resilient water resources management and ensure access to clean water to maintain health and livelihoods. 
Continuous temperature profiles within the tropical tropopause layer with fiber optic distributed temperature sensing aboard long duration constant altitude balloons in Stratéole 2
Authors: Kalnajs Lars , Goetz J. Douglas , Alexander M. Joan , Bramberger Martina
Published: February 2023

A balloon-borne fiber optic distributed temperature sensing instrument named the Fiber-optic Laser Operated Atmospheric Temperature Sensor, or FLOATS, was used to retrieve continuous vertical temperature profiles spanning approximately 1.6 km within the tropical UTLS as part of the Stratéole 2 2021 balloon mission. In one isopycnic flight, flying at 18.5 km over the Indian Ocean and the Maritime continent, FLOATS retrieved nearly 22 days of temperature profiles with a sampling period of less than 10 minutes. The superpressure balloon flight demonstrated the applicability of distributed temperature sensing for ambient atmospheric temperature measurements and for analysis of dynamics within the UTLS. The temperature retrievals show good agreement with on-board reference sensors demonstrating the effectiveness of the in-flight calibration procedures. Comparisons to nearby meteorological soundings and COSMIC-2 temperature profiles were conducted for validation and to survey energy fluxes on the fiber optic cable including solar radiative heating and radiative cooling at night. Temperature perturbations retrieved from the FLOATS profiles are used to investigate small-scale and large-scale dynamics within the tropical tropopause layer.
Exploring the Role of Hybrid Energy Systems for Enhancing Green Energy Potential in Urban Areas
Authors: Kumar Deepak , Bassill Nick P.
Published: February 2023

Hybrid energy systems for improving sustainable urban energy attempt to combine energy supply, public transport modernization, and residential/commercial energy demand reduction. Due to reduced nonrenewable resources, alternative and augmented energy sources are required everywhere. The development of science and industry has increased the energy required to achieve environmental goals with reduced gas emissions. Solar and wind energy are cleaner, more efficient alternatives to polluting energy sources, so the attention is now on large-scale hybrid energy systems. Lots of attempts have been made to show technological advancement and research has analyzed the functionality of energy systems, but urban applications have received little attention. The proposed work imitates the feasibility analysis of hybrid urban energy systems. The research acknowledged the development of research purpose, methodology, research, and data collection approach to reporting the technological, scientific, and industrial developments. This research explains a typical urban environment to determine the hourly load profile for any urban region to exhibit the role of a hybrid energy system to raise energy potential. It summarizes past, present, and future trends in energy system design, development, and implementation. The design can be enlarged to implementations with several other combinations to provide cleaner and cheaper energy.
Identification of thresholds on Sea surface temperature and coastal chlorophyll for understanding environmental suitability of V. vulnificus incidence
Authors: Jamal Yusuf , Usmani Moiz , Gangwar Mayank , Jutla Antarpreet
Published: February 2023

Vibrio spp. are pathogenic bacteria native to warm and brackish water. Vibriosis- the disease caused by these pathogens in humans accounts for around 80000 illnesses and 100 deaths annually in the United States. Of all the species, V. vulnificus has the highest mortality rate of all seafood-borne pathogens in the United States. In this context, understanding the environmental conditions that lead to increased V. vulnificus growth and spread can aid in the development of early warning systems and targeted prevention strategies. Besides sea surface temperature (SST), biotic parameters like coastal chlorophyll are also determined to affect V. vulnificus incidence in humans locally. However, the precise role of coastal chlorophyll as a potential confounding variable is understudied. Moreover, the spatial scale to which the data for environmental variables could be obtained also poses characterization constraints for researchers since the commonly employed in-situ sampling-based methods usually work with discrete locations covering a small area. The present study uses the odds ratio analysis to determine SST and chlorophyll-a threshold values critical to V. vulnificus incidence. The analysis reveals a definite positive relationship between remotely derived environmental variables and the odds of V. vulnificus incidence, where a specific statistical value of SST and chlorophyll-a marks a clear distinction between low and high odds of V. vulnificus incidence. This finding translates into a consistent pattern when checked for counties of coastal Florida. We anticipate our methodology to help distinguish between high and low-risk conditions, enabling public health workers to take proactive measures to protect the health and well-being of the public.
The 75th Anniversary of the Swedish ‘Albatross’ Around-the-World deep-sea expedition 1947-1948: Its contribution to ocean science and development of marine measurement- and sampling methods
Authors: Bornmalm Lennart , Malmgren Björn , Kuijpers Antoon , Stigebrandt Anders
Published: February 2023

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the return of the Swedish Deep-Sea Expedition to Gothenburg after a 15-month long scientific journey around the world 1947-1948. The initiator and leader of this historical oceanographic expedition with the 4-mast motorized sailing vessel ‘Albatross’ was Professor Hans Pettersson. The sailing route was mainly inside the Tropics to secure the best possible weather conditions throughout the journey. During this expedition the newly invented piston corer by Professor Börje Kullenberg was used which enabled the researchers on board to collect nearly 400 long sediment cores with a maximum length of 20 meters. Final development of this coring device with its free-fall release mechanism and sediment core catcher owes to the innovative efforts of engineer Axel Jonasson. The expedition succeeded in obtaining world-wide undisturbed sediment columns of much greater length than the few meters previously possible to retrieve by gravity-coring. With the appearance of new laboratory methods (e.g. stable isotope chemistry) this made it possible to bridge the gap between oceanography and geology - and a new scientific discipline appeared, namely paleo-oceanography. From now on it was possible with the sediment material from the Albatross expedition to study world ocean processes and linkages in a perspective of up to about two million years, compared to a time frame of less than about a thousand years before. Studies of these sediment cores from the Swedish Deep-Sea Expedition made it also possible to assess influxes of continental-derived sediment material, especially in context with the marine impact of former glaciations and Quaternary climate change. Other important contributions to ocean science included, amongst others, the deployment of new instruments for collecting uncontaminated sea water samples and the measurement of sea water temperature and optical properties. For recording the thickness of sub-bottomsediment layers new seismic exploration methods were introduced by using explosives. At the occasion of its 75th anniversary, with this presentation we will give an overview of some of the highlights and forthcoming scientific results of the Albatross expedition. This will further be illustrated by some original film clips taken on its journey around the world.
A smart dashboard for forecasting disaster casualties: An investigation from sustainable development dimensions
Authors: Naghedi Seyed Reza , Huang Xiao , Gheibi Mohamad
Published: February 2023

Natural disasters are known to cause widespread and severe damages all over the world annually. Flood events are responsible for economic and human life losses[1]. One of the most important indicators of the damage level in a flood crisis is the number of casualties. This index is evaluated annually in all countries based on natural disasters. Studies indicate that the death rate caused by floods correlates with countries' development over time [2]. In the present study, quantitative values of three sustainability indicators were extracted in the Czech Republic, Iran, and the United States between 1990 and 2020. These indicators are the Human Development Index (DPI), Gross Domestic Product(GDP), and Climate-Change Impacts (CCI), representing the Social, Economic, and Environmental aspects of sustainable development, respectively.  Then, the mathematical relationships between the development indicators and the number of human losses caused by disasters were evaluated using statistical distributions based on time series. In the final step, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, including Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), and Random Tree (RT), a prediction of the number of potential fatalities per natural disaster was obtained. The outcomes showed that each country's deaths caused by natural disasters could depend on different parameters and impact coefficients. In addition, the ANFIS algorithm, with more than 98% accuracy, has the most efficiency in determining the severity of the event. With the help of this AI system, it is possible to evaluate society's behavior and its resilience against floods from a holistic viewpoint[3].
Preliminary rock magnetic and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility results from the Reykjanes Ridge basalts, Atlantic Ocean (IODP Expeditions 384 and 395C)
Authors: Satolli Sara , Di Chiara Anita , Friedman Sarah
Published: February 2023

The Reykjanes Ridge is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, southwest of Iceland. Here, the oceanic crust is characterized by a series of V-shaped ridges (VSRs) and V-shaped troughs (VSTs), the formation of which has been linked to three alternative hypotheses: i) thermal pulsing, ii) propagating rifts, and iii) buoyant mantle upwelling. During International Ocean Discovery Program Expeditions 384 and 395C, a transect of five sites were drilled eastwards of the modern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (between 20-30°W) at a latitude of ~60°N, to investigate VSTs/VSRs formation.
In this preliminary study, we analyze basalt samples from four sites, two from VSRs and two from VSTs, using rock magnetic and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) techniques, to investigate the differences between VSRs and VSTs. We analyzed the samples at the CIMaN-ALP (Peveragno) and INGV (Rome) Laboratories of paleomagnetism through bulk susceptibility, AMS, stepwise demagnetization of natural remanent magnetization through alternating field and temperature, hysteresis loops and FORC diagrams, and susceptibility vs temperature curves. Rock magnetism was used to determine the rock magnetic properties of each sample and investigate its correlation with the degree of alteration observed in the basalts. The AMS was measured to determine the magnetic fabric as a proxy of the magmatic fabric, where, for instance, lava flow-like fabric would be typical of an unaltered basalt.
Preliminary results suggest that basalts from VSTs are generally characterized by higher susceptibility values, while the AMS shows a mixed behavior (well defined or dispersed) independently from the structural position. Further rock magnetic data, integrated with petrological, structural and geochemical data will be correlated to the pervasiveness of alteration in each site, the age of basalts and their distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to test the three hypotheses.
Subducting filaments in frontal zones in the Western Mediterranean Sea: Physical, turbulent and biological evidences
Authors: Falcieri Francesco Marcello , Pasculli Lorenzo , Testa Giovanni
Published: February 2023

Oceanic frontal areas are well known as sites prone to the generation of submesoscale instabilities that can lead to surface waters subduction along isopycnal surfaces well below the mixed layer. Those processes can play an important role in the vertical exchange of physical properties and biogeochemical tracers.In the framework of the CALYPSO DRI research initiative (Coherent Lagrangian Pathways from the Surface Ocean to Interior), turbulent dissipation rates characterizing subducting filaments originated form frontal areas were studied with a free falling microstructure profiler. Microstructure profiles, along ancillary data, were collected on several transects along and across frontal areas and mesoscale eddies in the Western Mediterranean Sea during two cruises: one in the Alboran Sea (March/April 2019) and one in the Balearic Sea (February/March 2022).The presence of subducting filaments moving along isopycnal surfaces was identified at depths between 100 and 250 m by the combined analysis of physical (i.e. temperature and salinity), chemical (i.e. dissolved oxygen) and biological properties (i.e. high chlorophyll concentration well below the mixed layer and the deep chlorophyll maximum). The majority of the subducting filaments were characterized by turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates (TKE, values of 10-7 W·m-2) much higher than rates generally observed at such depths. The TKE values were found in conjunction with an increase in Brunt Vaisala frequency and low Thorpe scale values. The same conclusion can be drawn from Turner angle values.