bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Co-seismic landslide directions may help identifying earthquake fault ruptures
Authors: Baroň Ivo , Shen Kai-Ting , Dong Jia-Jyun , Tseng Chia-Han , Yang Che-Ming , Wasowski Janusz , Jelének Jan , Klimeš Jan , Chen Yi-Chin , Lee Chyi-Tyi , Gao Jia-Qian
Published: March 2024

Several studies have suggested that directions of earthquake-triggered landslides might be preferentially oriented according to the seismic waves’ characteristics.  Here we further address this issue by analyzing three landslide populations attributed to 1998 Ruei-Li Mw 6.5, 1999 Chi-Chi Mw 7.3 and 2022 Taitung Mw 6.9 earthquakes in Taiwan. In particular, we seek possible linkages between the patterns of co-seismic landsliding (predominant orientations) and the epicenter and fault rupture locations, by exploiting the assumption that surface waves with horizontal particle motions (Love waves) and horizontal shear waves, both characterized by transverse vibrations perpendicular to the direction of wave radiation from the source, are the major agents responsible for earthquake induced slope failures.First, we take the aspect of each landslide source zone as representing the landslide directions. These directions are then statistically evaluated with respect to the epicentre and fault rupture positions for the characteristic segments of the landslide population. In the next step, we consider numerous possible pairs of the landslides to obtain intersections of the lines normal to their aspect directions using custom-designed Python code.At each particular landslide population segment, the landslide displacement directions revealed slight preferential orientation with the maxima sub-perpendicular to the fault rupture. Symmetrically distributed and round landslide population of the Ruei-Li earthquake showed even better results than elongated landslide population of the Chi-Chi earthquake. In all three earthquake cases, the intersections maxima coincided with the maximum slip velocities and/or displacements along the fault ruptures, as revealed by GNSS. These promising results indicate that such an approach might be useful for identifying fault ruptures of old or even prehistoric earthquakes.   The research was funded by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (GC22-24206J) and Taiwanese National Technological and Science Council (MOST/NTSC 111-2923-M-008-006-MY3).
The identification of wetlands in Noah-MP and their regional environmental effects
Authors: Zhang Quanyu , Gao Yanhong
Published: March 2024

Wetlands play an irreplaceable role in regulating global climate and preserving biodiversity within ecosystems. In recent years, the loss and degradation of wetlands, under the dual impact of human activities and natural factors, have emerged as a critical issue requiring urgent global attention. Due to the fine scale of wetland, the accurate identification and representation of wetlands and their hydrological processes are crucial for monitoring and protecting wetlands from future harm or land conversion. Land Surface Models (LSMs), with Noah-MP as a representative example, serve as essential tools in Earth System Science research to representing the interactions between various land cover types and atmosphere. Despite the significance of wetland, numerous studies indicate that the current representation of wetland physical processes in LSMs remains coarse and deviates significantly from actual observations. This study focuses on analyzing the relationship between terrain indices, hydrological indices, and the probability of wetland presence. These relationships are then incorporated into the Noah-MP land surface model as wetland identification indicators. The study places particular emphasis on the highly urbanized Yangtze River Delta region in China, utilizing these wetland identification indicators to recognize and represent the distribution of wetlands and their hydrological processes. Driven by the China meteorological forcing dataset (CMFD), the research simulates the wetland hydrological dynamics and their regional environmental effects in the Shanghai area from 1979 to 2018. The outcomes of this study contribute valuable insights into wetland protection policies within the context of future sustainable land use.
Storylines for heat-mortality extremes
Authors: Lüthi Samuel , Fischer Erich , Vicedo-Cabrera Ana
Published: March 2024

Recent heat extremes reached records far out of the observational temperature range. These extremes challenged the risk view of climate scientists on what could be physically possible within the current climate conditions. However, it is precisely such unprecedented events that pose a large risk to underprepared societies. To better anticipate and prepare for such potential extreme events, the climate risk community started producing storylines which are designed to draw potential and plausible worst-case scenarios without aiming to quantify their probability of occurrence.The recent development of the ensemble boosting method allows investigating physically plausible extreme heatwaves by re-initializing a climate model with random round-off perturbed atmospheric initial conditions shortly before the onset of a great heat anomaly. This allows for creating storylines whilst ensuring physical consistency. However, so far these storylines were only used to estimate the pure physical climate extreme without the additional quantification of impacts on society.In this study, we therefore aim to produce several storylines for potential worst-case heat-mortality scenarios. For that, we aim to combine ensemble boosted climate model output with methods from environmental epidemiology to quantify heat-mortality. Concretely, we model the empirical relationship between daily mean temperature and daily mortality counts by using quasi-Poisson regression time series analyses with distributed lag nonlinear models, which is a well-established approach in climate change epidemiology. We then combine these empirical temperature-mortality relationships with the bias-corrected extreme storylines that we developed by ensemble boosting a fully-coupled free-running climate model (CESM2).The findings of this study have significant implications for societies, particularly in the context of public health policy development, to effectively respond to unprecedented but anticipatable heat extremes.
Investigating the signature of a tidewater glacier surge behaviour using geomorphological, sedimentological and geotechnical data: Borebreen, Svalbard. 
Authors: Pearce Danni , Harcourt William , Gajek Wojciech , Hann Richard , Rea Brice , Benn Douglas , Lukas Sven , Lovell Harold , Spagnolo Matteo
Published: March 2024

The sedimentary processes taking place beneath contemporary surging glaciers are difficult to observe directly, yet they are crucial for building a holistic understanding of glacier surge processes and mechanisms. Settings where the sediment-landform assemblages characterising the ice-bed interface are preserved without significant modification are therefore an important archive of the subglacial processes that are active during a surge. At tidewater surging glaciers, landforms are often excellently preserved in a submarine setting, but analysis of these beyond mapping from high-resolution bathymetry data (where available) can be limited. However, in most cases, there are also subaerially exposed sediments and landforms at the terrestrial fjord margins, providing an accessible and rich source of data of the subglacial environment of a surging glacier.Borebreen is a tidewater glacier on the northwestern side of Isfjorden in Svalbard. Previously published detailed bathymetric data has identified a suit of submarine glacial landforms formed during the last surge of Borebreen ~100 years ago. The subsequent quiescent phase has exposed a wide spread of crevasse-squeeze ridges (CSRs) both in the fjord and on the terrestrial margins. These are important landforms that are unique to surging glaciers and can therefore provide information concerning surge dynamics and subglacial processes. We present initial geomorphological and geotechnical data from the CSRs through mapping and direct measurements using a hand-held shear vane test, pocket penetrometer and particle size analysis. High-resolution orthmosaics and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) from drone surveys of the proglacial foreland were collected in order to assess the spatial pattern of CSRs and a Python-based ArcGIS toolbox was used to automatically extract 3D morphometric data from the DEMs. These data provide an opportunity to investigate the links between the sediment geotechnical properties, CSR geometries and surge processes and mechanisms; such as the identification of spatial patterns in the state of sediment consolidation within CSRs and CSR morphometrics.
Short-term synchronous and asynchronous ambient noise tomography in urban areas: Application to Karst investigation
Authors: Liu Ya , Xia Jianghai
Published: March 2024

Karst disasters pose a substantial threat to geological environmental stability, resulting in ground collapse and groundwater contamination. To determine the spatial distribution of karst terrain, high-resolution underground imaging is essential. However, traditional synchronous observation systems struggle to achieve high-density spatial sampling due to limitations in instrument quantity. In this study, we conducted short-term synchronous and asynchronous ambient noise observations in a deserted parking lot in Hangzhou, China, to overcome the limitations of insufficient sampling density. We performed the first-round observation on one half of the parking lot for around 24 hours, followed by an immediate relocation of the stations to the other half for the second-round ~24-hour observation. Additionally, 29 fixed stations were placed outside the parking lot to continuously record ambient noise.The imaging results of noise source distribution indicate that high-frequency noise sources exhibit significant non-uniform distribution during the daytime, which could affect the accuracy of the retrieved surface waves. To address this, we propose using the similarity of cross-component cross-correlation functions to select only data segments with stronger in-line noise sources, thereby enhancing the reliability of synchronous cross-correlation functions. Furthermore, we utilized the cross-component cross-correlation stacking method to suppress higher-mode surface waves and reduce their impact on the accuracy of the computation of asynchronous cross-correlation functions. Applying the ambient noise source-receiver interferometry method to the synchronous cross-correlation functions, we successfully retrieved the surface waves between asynchronous stations. In total, we obtained 66,472 pairs of cross-correlation functions, comprising 38,416 synchronous pairs and 28,056 asynchronous pairs. We extracted phase velocity dispersion curves of the fundamental mode surface wave for station pairs within the parking lot and utilized the direct surface wave tomography method to obtain the subsurface 3D shear-wave velocity structure.The inversion results revealed the presence of two distinct low-velocity anomalies in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the site at depths around 40 m, which align with the location and depth of karst caves obtained from drilling data, confirming the reliability of the inversion results. Furthermore, we uniformly subsampled half of the data to simulate the case of insufficient station quantity, and the inversion model exhibited less apparent responses to the low-velocity anomalies, emphasizing the necessity of dense array observations. This study demonstrates that the combined observations of synchronous and asynchronous ambient noise can be utilized for high-resolution imaging of karst characteristics.
Bimodal Hydrographs in Semi-humid Forested Watershed: Controlling Factors and Generation Mechanism 
Authors: Cui Zhen , Tian Fuqiang
Published: March 2024

Bimodal runoff behavior, characterized by two distinct peaks in flow response, often leads to significant stormflow and associated flooding. Understanding and characterizing this phenomenon is crucial for effective flood forecasting. However, this runoff behavior has been understudied and poorly understood in semi-humid regions. This study delves into the mechanisms behind delayed stormflow generation in a mountainous forested watershed within the semi-humid regions of North China. We assess the influence of soil water content and groundwater levels on the threshold behavior of delayed stormflow. Results indicate that the threshold behavior of the bimodal hydrograph is jointly controlled by soil water storage and groundwater levels, with soil water storage serving as the initiating factor for delayed stormflow. The groundwater replenishment and subsequent rise in groundwater level, crucial for the delayed stormflow, occur specifically when the soil water storage reaches 200 mm amid rainfall. At this point, shallow groundwater flow is promptly mobilized, swiftly moving into the channel and leading to the initiation of delayed stormflow. Notably, upon reaching a specific threshold groundwater level, each hillslope responds almost simultaneously, establishing a more extensive hydrological connectivity between the hillslopes and the stream channel. A substantial volume of shallow groundwater is released within a day, resulting in a hybrid bimodal hydrograph. These findings can enhance our understanding of the groundwater stormflow generation mechanism in semi-humid forest watersheds and contribute to the refinement of related runoff generation theories. 
Hitting rock bottom - Experimental study of bedrock erosion by debris flows
Authors: Friedl Caroline , Roelofs Lonneke , Hansen-Löve Joëlle , Scheidl Christian , de Haas Tjalling
Published: March 2024

While there are field observations and studies on erosion of debris flows over loose sediment, bedrock erosion by debris flows has not yet been studied comprehensively. Nevertheless, traces of erosion in the bedrock channel after debris-flow events, such as scars, ridges, grooves or individual impacts, indicate a non-negligible entrainment of material as a result of process-related impact and shear forces. In the Alps, such erosion phenomena are often found in the upper steep and inaccessible parts of the catchment areas and are thus difficult to analyse.In this study we therefore investigate the potential erosion capacity of debris flows of different rheological characteristics on immobile channel beds with a small-scale physical model. We try to understand how bedrock strength influences erosion and if shear or impact forces dominate bedrock erosion by debris flows. To this end, erosion rates in terms of volume and the forces causing erosion are examined in over 100 laboratory experiments. We also compare and scale these rates to natural bedrock erosion caused by debris flows.In our small-scale laboratory investigation, polyurethane foam boards act as bedrock surrogates. This material has already been used as a bedrock simulant in studies into fluvial bedrock erosion. The boards were installed in the lower 2.5 m of the flume channel, which has a total length of 5.6 m. Different board strengths ­­– indicating different erosion susceptibility – were tested with three different debris-flow mixtures. The slope of the channel was kept constant at 34°. After each debris flow, the change in bed elevation was measured with a laser scanner to determine erosion rates at submillimeter accuracy. Laser distance sensors, pore water pressure sensors, a load cell and a geophone were used to quantify debris-flow dynamics and different erosion forces, including shear and impact.Our results show an exponential increase in erosion with a decreasing tensile strength of the bedrock simulant. While impact and shear forces both influence erosion rates, the decisive erosion force component appears to depend on the proportion of gravel and clay in the debris-flow mixture. The results of this study serve to deepen our understanding of the debris-flow process and expand our knowledge of erosion processes in the upper reaches of debris-flow catchments. In addition, our results can be used to tune existing models for longer-term landscape evolution.
Innovative technologies and ecosystem functioning measurements supporting knowledge of P. oceanica meadows in the northern Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Piazzolla Daniele , Scanu Sergio , Mancuso Francesco Paolo , Bosh-Belmar Mar , Bonamano Simone , Madonia Alice , Scagnoli Elena , Tantillo Mario Francesco , Russi Martina , Savini Alessandra , Fersini Giorgio , Sarà Gianluca , Coppini Giovanni , Marcelli Marco , Piermattei Viviana
Published: March 2024

Coastal areas host biodiversity-rich and productive marine habitats but are also highly susceptible to human activities. Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile meadows are one of the most important habitats in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea and are considered a key coastal structuring habitat enhancing biodiversity levels. Accurate information about the spatial distribution and functioning of P. oceanica is essential for an effective management of anthropogenic pressures that can minimise, mitigate, or compensate for the impacts produced, to ensure a long-term successful protection of this habitat. We tested, for the first time, an integrated multi-platform approach for mapping the coastal benthic habitat in the Civitavecchia (northern Latium, Italy) coastal area. This approach includes the use of an unmanned platforms, a remotely-operated vehicle, and in situ P. oceanica ecosystem functioning measurements through benthic chambers.The multi-platform approach allowed us to reconstruct the spatial distribution of different bottom types, as well as the canopy height and coverage of the Posidonia oceanica seagrass. Furthermore, respiration and net primary production rates of P. oceanica and its associated community were assessed.Our results highlight the significance of multi-platform observation data for a thorough exploration of marine ecosystems, emphasizing their utility in forecasting biogeochemical processes in the marine environment. The integration of spatial and functional information coming from this novel approach may significantly contribute to improve management and conservation action plans on key and vulnerable habitats under the current and future climate change scenarios. This work was performed as part of the RENOVATE project, financed by the Port System Authority of the Northern-Central Tyrrhenian Sea.
A sustainable integration of mining activity and geo-tourism: a case study in Northern Italy.
Authors: Casale Marco , Gambino Francesca , Borghi Alessandro , Beltramo Riccardo , Vesce Enrica , Varì Cristina , Giardino Marco , Dino Giovanna Antonella
Published: March 2024

Every mining activity has a footprint on the territory. The signs left by mining operations are physical, such as tunnels, extractive waste facilities, dressing plants, but also economic and social, because the mine generates employment, income and knowledge.The signs left by mining operations are tangible (presence of tunnels, extractive waste facilities, dressing plants, etc..) and cause environmental, social and economic impacts, in terms of employment, income, knowledge, potential risks (if not well managed and monitored).In the extraordinary context of the Germanasca Valley, mining has coexisted for hundreds of years with the mountain environment of the Alps and with the local population and has become a fundamental part, intimately connected with the territory and with the local economic and social fabric.The progressive migration of mining activity at lower altitudes has left behind old mining structures that here, more than elsewhere, they have been able to adapt, at least in part, for the benefit of new forms of industrial and geo-tourism.Similarly, the technological advance and the evolution of mining production, towards a higher quality product, with a consequent reduction in the quantities exploited has led over time to a progressive reduction in the number of miners employed.The resilience of the local population, however, has allowed to absorb the contraction of work in the mine transforming former miners in tourist guides and increasing the activities induced, passing from the previous model "in house" to an “outsourcing” model, where many mine-related activities are outsourced.The transformation of old mines into museums has certainly contributed to the development of the area, particularly considering a rediscovery tourism that has little to do with the "fast and junk" tourism that has grown lately. The challenge is to understand how much weight geo-tourism, in the specific case of mining, has on the attractiveness of a place, starting with the concrete example of Germanasca Valley.The investigated area can be recognised as a case study to analyse the close connection between still active mining activity and territorial development, associated both to mineral production and geo-tourism. KEY WORDSSustainable mining, post-mining, industrial tourism, geo-tourism, mining tourism, talc.
Spatio-temporal distribution of air pollutants and their relationship with land surface temperature over Delhi and its surroundings, India
Authors: Nahid Shadman , Kumar Ram Pravesh
Published: March 2024

Air pollution is an important environmental issue prevailing in the urban landscape of Delhi, the capital city of India which is the 2nd most populous city and most polluted city in the world. The air pollution and land surface temperature (LST) are the most prominent environmental issues in the urban areas. However, there is no comprehensive analysis of the relationship between LST and air pollutants. The objective of the present study is to investigate: (a) the spatio-temporal distribution of LST (diurnal) and the criteria pollutants of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), particle matter (PM2.5, PM10) and Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and (b) the relationship between LST and air pollutants concentration during different seasons in Delhi and its surroundings during 2003–2023. In this study, Landsat satellite data (ETM and OLI) and MODIS satellite data are used to extract the LST for the period 2003-2023. The satellite-based air pollution data is obtained from TROPOMI and MODIS, and ground-based data are obtained from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitoring station. Our result reveals that in the spatio-temporal analysis, the LST has increased significantly while the air pollution increased (decreased) over the period. It is observed that there is a strong relationship between LST and air pollutants during winter among all seasons. SO2 has a significant correlation with LST (R2 = 0.74). Additionally, PM2.5 and PM10 are identified as the main air pollutants affecting LST variations during the winter season (R2 = 0.59 to 0.64). Our results conclude that variation in the LST is not only dependent on its surface properties but also on the associated meteorological conditions. The findings of this study have significant implications for future scientific research as this study provides the integration of effective mitigation strategies to combat the challenges of increasing LST and air pollution in urban areas.
Impact of meteorological conditions on BVOC emission rate from Eastern Mediterranean vegetation under drought 
Authors: Tas Eran , Li Qian , Lewinsohn Efraim , Bar Einat , Gabay Maor
Published: March 2024

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) exert a significant influence on photochemical air pollution and climate change, with their emissions strongly affected by meteorological conditions. However, the effect of drought on BVOC emissions is not well-characterized, limiting the predictive power of this feedback on climate change and air quality. This study focused on two main objectives: i) test our hypothesis that under severe drought conditions, BVOC emissions will be more sensitive to instantaneous intraday variations in meteorological parameters than to the absolute values of those parameters; ii) test the impact of a plant under drought stress receiving a small amount of precipitation on BVOC emission rate, and the manner in which the emission rate is influenced by meteorological parameters. To address these objectives we employed: i) proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) to quantify the mixing ratios of a suite of soluble and insoluble VOCs (including isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, acetone, acetaldehyde, methanol, ethanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, acetic acid, 1,3-butadiene, dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and H2S) under severe drought conditions in a natural Eastern Mediterranean forest in autumn 2016 ; and ii) branch-enclosure sampling measurements in Ramat Hanadiv Eastern Mediterranean Nature Park, both under natural drought and after irrigation, for six selected branches of Phillyrea latifolia, the highest BVOC emitter in this park, during September–October 2020.Notably, both independent analyses revealed that instantaneous changes in meteorological conditions, especially in relative humidity (RH), can serve as a better proxy for drought-related changes in BVOC emission rate than the absolute values of meteorological parameters. However, after irrigation (equivalent to 5.5–7 mm precipitation), the correlation of the detected BVOC emission rate with the instantaneous changes in RH became significantly more moderate, or even reversed. Our findings highlight that under drought, the instantaneous changes in RH, and to a lesser extent in temperature (T), are the best proxy for the emission rate of monoterpenes (MTs) and sesquiterpenes (SQTs), whereas under moderate drought conditions, T or RH serves as the best proxy for MT and SQT emission rate, respectively. In addition, the detected emission rates of MTs and SQTs increased by 150% and 545%, respectively, after the small amount of irrigation. The findings further highlight the importance of analyzing the effect of meteorological conditions on BVOC emissions under drought conditions on a daily—or shorter—timescale, and support biogenic emission sources for 1,3-butadiene.
Disentangling the impact of air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and soil drought on photosynthesis, transpiration, and embolism
Authors: Schuler Philipp , Didion-Gency Margaux , Johnson Kate , Hoch Günter , Kahmen Ansgar , Grossiord Charlotte
Published: March 2024

Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, with higher temperatures, drier air and reduced soil water availability. However, as increasing temperature, increasing VPD and soil drought are often coupled in nature, especially during heat waves, their isolated effects on tree physiology and, ultimately, mortality are not fully understood.To disentangle the effects of these factors, we conducted a climate chamber experiment on nine tree species from different biogeographical backgrounds (three conifer species: Pinus sylvestris L., Pinus halepensis Mill. and Cupressus sempervirens L.; three temperate broadleaved species: Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby, Acer platanoides L. and Phillyrea angustifolia L.; three tropical broadleaved species: Terminalia microcarpa Decne., Syzygium jambos L. (Alston) and Trema orientale (L.) Blume). We exposed the trees to three different treatments which were imposed for two-day periods for a total of twelve days; (1) increasing temperature (20 to 40°C) with constant VPD (1.2 kPa), (2) constant temperature (35°C) with increasing VPD (1.2 to 4.7 kPa), and (3) increasing temperature (20 to 40°C) and VPD (1.2 to 6 kPa) but with constant vapor pressure (1.2 kPa). Each treatment was also divided into two groups: well-watered to field capacity (~35% soil moisture) and soil drought (~10% soil moisture). On the second day of each step, total water consumption, gas exchange (Amax, gs, E), leaf temperature, and the maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) were measured, and leaves were sampled for abscisic acid (ABA) analysis. The occurrence of stem and leaf embolism for conifer and broadleaf trees, respectively, was continuously monitored with the optical vulnerability method. Gmin and P50 were measured for all the tree species.With this data set, we can study the isolated and combined effects of high temperature and VPD on plant gas exchange and xylem embolism, and how this response varies in plants with different biogeographic backgrounds and environmental adaptions. These findings help us better understand the underlying physiological drivers of globally rising tree mortality and improve models to better predict tree responses in a hotter and drier world.
Human health risks estimations from Liquid crystal monomers（LCMs）in Northwest China : partitioning, clearance and exposure in paired human serum and urine
Authors: Yang Kaiming , Cheng Hongguang , Quan Weici , Gong Yiwei , Ai Yadi
Published: March 2024

Mobile phones, televisions, computers and other liquid crystal devices have become the electronic products widely used by humans in modern society. Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are the key material of liquid crystal display and considered as potential persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) substances in recent years, but there is a limited of information regarding their occurrence in human body. We used EPI suite software from USEPA to evaluate its physical and chemical properties, analyzed its concentration in serum and urine by GC-MS, and finally assessed its health risk to humans through the calculation of daily intake. In this paper, 15 LCMs were detected in serum and urine samples of the general population, with median concentrations ranging from 9.7 to 124.8 and 2.68 to 36.98 µg/L, respectively. The correlation of LCM in serum and urine suggests that they have potential common applications and similar sources. The results showed that the CLrenal of LCMs in the Northwest China population was 0.61, 7.79, 6.04, 4.81, 9.37, 4.85, 19.94, 10.64, 3.80, 7.44, 8.26, 15.39, 7.52, 10.17, 13.54 mL/kg/day for EBCN, BCBP, PBIPHCN, DFPrB, FPrCB, BEEB, BMBC, DFPCB, DFEEB, EPrCPB, EEPrTP, EDFPB, DFPrPrCB, EFPeT, TeFPrT, respectively. The daily intake for ∑LCMs in the adult of northwest China was 22.35 ng/kg bw/day, indicating a potential exposure risk to the general population. This study provides the first evidence for the presence of LCM in serum and urine in the daily population and finds a correlation between LCMs, but the differences in B/U ratio and renal clearance indicate the need for further investigation of its metabolism and clearance in the human body.
Reuse and recycle: how the merging of opportunistic data could be used to produce a 3D model of complex seafloor topography at the Aurora vent field - Gakkel ridge, Arctic Ocean
Authors: Isler Tea , Kwasnitschka Tom , German Christopher R. , Jakuba Michael , Purser Autun
Published: March 2024

The evidence of abundant hydrothermal activity at the Gakkel ridge, the slowest spreading mid-ocean ridge, led scientists to reconsider the relationship between hydrothermal cooling and the spreading rate of mid-ocean ridges. Beneath the year-round ice-cover of the Artic Ocean, images of active hydrothermal vents have now been recorded at the western-most end of this ridge, at the Aurora seamount. The presence of abundant micro-organisms living in hydrothermal vent sites in such extreme conditions has implications for the habitability of other ocean worlds and, hence, the search of life beyond Earth, given the evidence for submarine venting  that has been inferred from Enceladus’ ice-covered ocean.A series of deployments of increasingly sophisticated deep-tow camera and ROV systems over the past decade have resulted in the collection of bathymetric, sonar and optical data sets from the Aurora site. Dives have primarily targeted the sampling of rocks and fluids, with platform cameras mainly used for navigation and identification of new vents and species. Nevertheless, the high number of still images and video footage obtained from that work can also be used for 3D reconstruction of this topographically complex environment: an approach that allows for further investigations (e.g., for habitat mapping) which would not be possible using classic ship based multibeam and backscatter technologies.This study highlights the usefulness of opportunistic data, especially when surveying in extreme environments, where data collection requires time consuming operations, expensive devices and experienced operators. We describe the methodological steps undertaken to produce a 3D reconstruction of the recently discovered hydrothermal vents from such opportunistic data.Additionally, the findings of this study highlight the challenges raised by the use of opportunistic data. Regardless of the powerful instrumentation currently available, careful pre-dive planning can help reduce the amount of manual labor required during post-processing steps, which is not only time-consuming but also adds uncertainty and errors to the final product.
PM2.5 and nitrogen deposition mitigation under agricultural ammonia emission reduction in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China
Authors: Li Lu , Zhang Lin , Liu Xuejun , Guo Yixin , Xu Jiayu , Ye Xingpei , Li Danyang , Liu Zehui
Published: March 2024

Ammonia emissions in China mainly came from agricultural activities. Excess emissions could lead to degraded air quality and excess nitrogen deposition. Therefore, it is essential to improve air quality and nitrogen deposition through agricultural ammonia reduction measures. On the basis of the existing research, this study established an Agricultural Management Technology-Ammonia emission assessment platform with 51 measures of fertilizer application and 53 measures of livestock farming derived from a literature review and adopted the Monte Carlo method to apply this platform to Beijing-Tianjing-Heibei (BTH) region where active agricultural activities occur. An updated agricultural ammonia emission inventory at 3-km resolution in BTH region was used in this study. We find that ammonia emissions from livestock farming could be reduced by 79-151Gg (30%-57%) and from fertilizer application by 58-163Gg (18%-51%) in BTH region in 2019. We applied two reduction scenarios that could achieve average and maximum ammonia emission reduction based on the Monte Carlo results, and evaluated the resulting improvements of air quality and deposition using the GCHP model with a resolution of 10km × 10km in BTH region.The results show that the baseline of PM2.5 concentration, NHX and NOy deposition in BTH region in 2019 is 27-61 µg/m3, 8-57 Gg N/month and 3-51 Gg N/month. Under two ammonia emission reduction scenarios, PM2.5 concentration and NHx deposition would, respectively, reduce 1.38-3.89 µg/m3, 3-14 Gg N/month while NOy deposition would increase 0.5-2 Gg N/month. Our research shows that agricultural ammonia has great emission reduction potential that would benefit to the reduction of nitrogen pollution.
Enhanced orbit determination for BDS-3 satellites with LEO onboard GNSS and inter-satellite link data
Authors: Chen Hanlin , Geng Tao , Xie Xin , Li Qiang , Su Xing , Zhao Qile
Published: March 2024

All BeiDou global navigation satellite system (BDS-3) satellites are equipped with Ka-band inter-satellite link (ISL) payloads to achieve the inter-satellite ranging and communication. With the rapid development of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, the LEO onboard BDS-3 observations also become available. The LEO onboard and ISL data can be an effective supplement for precise orbit determination (POD) of the BDS-3 satellite. In this research, we processed the integrated POD of BDS-3 and LEO satellites with the real ground station, LEO onboard GNSS, and ISL observations. To analyze the contribution of different data to BDS-3 POD accuracy, four POD schemes are present: ground stations only, ground stations + 1 LEO, ground stations + ISL, and ground stations + 1 LEO + ISL. The ground tracking data are from about 40 globally distributed ground stations and 10 stations in Asia-Pacific region, respectively. The LEO onboard GNSS observations are from a dual-constellation GNSS receiver of the LUTAN-01A satellite, which is a Chinese LEO synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) satellite for geological observation. The Ka-band observations from more than 400 ISL established between BDS-3 satellites are also used in the integrated POD. The obtained orbits are evaluated by orbit overlaps comparison, the comparison with IGS analysis center precise orbits, and SLR (satellite laser ranging) validation. Compared to the POD using the observation of only 10 ground stations, the addition of 1 LEO onboard GNSS or ISL observations can improve the orbit accuracy of BDS-3 by more than 60%. Furthermore, adding both LEO onboard GNSS and ISL observations simultaneously can lead to further improvements in BDS-3 orbit accuracy.
Weather, influenza epidemics and mortality patterns in central Europe
Authors: Hanzlíková Hana , Urban Aleš , Plavcová Eva , Kynčl Jan , Kyselý Jan
Published: March 2024

In temperate climates, influenza follows a seasonal pattern with peak incidence in winter and contributes significantly to excess winter mortality. The relationship between weather variability, influenza and human health is complex and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the links between meteorological variables, influenza epidemics, and mortality in the Czech Republic over the 1982/83 to 2019/20 epidemics seasons. Results showed that severe influenza outbreaks with largest mortality impacts, primarily driven by A/H3N2 viruses, were preceded by falling temperatures, increasing relative humidity and cloud cover, and low air temperatures, high cloud cover and high relative humidity prevailed for their duration. In contrast, A/H1N1-related epidemics with lower mortality impacts occurred usually during periods of average or above-average temperatures, accompanied by elevated relative humidity and cloud cover. Influenza epidemics peaking later in winter or in early spring were associated with high excess mortality, usually lasted longer and were accompanied by prolonged periods of low temperatures. The results highlight the importance of ambient temperature and other weather variables in the transmission of influenza virus and course and severity of the epidemics. Prolonged periods of low temperatures in winter, together with the prevalence of influenza A/H3N2 in the population, were identified as an important contributing factors to the significant excess mortality in the temperate climate of central Europe.
Revitalizing Earth Science Education in Italian Upper Secondary Schools: Crafting New Educational Materials Aligned with National Guidelines 
Authors: Gravina Teresita , Iannace Alessandro
Published: March 2024

The study of Natural Science, covering Biology, Chemistry, and Earth Sciences, is mandatory in Italian Upper Secondary Schools, lasting 2 to 5 years, guided by National Guidelines (D.M. no. 211 of 7/10/2010), with a specific 4-year mandate for Earth Sciences activities. These activities emphasize "observation and experimentation in the classroom and in the field," employing multidisciplinary approaches. Despite the emphasis on Earth Sciences, research suggests Italian teachers tend to neglect this field compared to Chemistry and Biology. This bias may arise from a perception that the latter subjects are more crucial for university enrolment (Greco e Gualtieri, 2010; Occhipinti, 2014). Such attitudes may result from the diverse academic backgrounds of Natural Science educators, spanning Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Agriculture (DPR 19/2016 and DM 259/2017).  

To understand the challenges in teaching Earth Science, a survey was conducted among Italian upper secondary school teachers last year (Gravina T. & Iannace A., 2023). Results highlighted the need for new teaching materials in Earth Science to align with National Guidelines, especially concerning the hours dedicated to Earth Science lessons.  

Consequently, we initiated the development of a specialized 5-year Earth science curriculum tailored for Liceo students (Classico, Linguistico, Scientifico, Scienze Umane). Here, we present the curriculum, designed to address the challenges faced in particular by teachers without a geological background, offering support in creating engaging and hands-on Earth science lessons. The curriculum underwent review by a group of Italian upper secondary school teachers to gather feedback and finalize it before implementation in schools next year. 

  

Gravina, T., & Iannace, A. (2023). Earth science teaching in Italian Upper secondary school: the floor to Natural Science teachers. In The Geoscience paradigm: resources, risk and future perspectives. Congresso congiunto SIMP, SGI, SOGEI, AIV, Potenza (Italy), 19-21 settembre 2023.  

Greco, R., & Gualtieri, A. F. (2010). Studio geologia perché... Risultati preliminari sull’indagine quali-quantitativa relativa alla scelta del corso di laurea in Scienze Geologiche. Geoitalia, 30, 38-41. 

Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. (2010). Ministerial Decree No. 211 of October 7, 2010. Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series No. 292, December 12, 2010. 

Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. (2017). Ministerial Decree No. 259 of May 9, 2017. Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series No. 126, May 31, 2017. 

Occhipinti, S. (2014). Models and guidelines for more effective tools and paths in active teaching-learning in Earth sciences: looking for a unifying principle (Dissertation). University of Camerino, International School of Advanced Studies (XXVI cycle).
Water hyacinths: Use them or lose them? A holistic approach to a multi-faceted problem
Authors: Penning de Vries Marloes , Dube Timothy , Münch Finn , Ncube Mgcini , Anthonj Carmen , De Senerpont Domis Lisette , Lens Piet , Marambanyika Thomas , Nondo Ntandokamlimu , Osei Frank , Shoko Cletah , van der Wal Daphne
Published: March 2024

Lakes in tropical regions around the world suffer from the infestation of water hyacinth. Its proliferation is attributable to the influx of nutrient-rich waters, as rivers feeding the lakes are polluted with wastewater and run-off of fertilizer and manure from surrounding agricultural fields and husbandry within the catchment. The weed clogs waterways and intakes and affects aquatic life, water availability, transportation, fishing, irrigation, and tourism. Water hyacinth infestation has implications for human health, as it may facilitate the spread of water-related diseases. While water hyacinth may pose health risks, they have the potential to benefit human livelihoods when exploited for wastewater treatment, as fertilizer, for biofuel production or, when made into handicrafts, as a source of income.A sustainable solution to these issues tackles both water quality deterioration and water hyacinth infestation, and “uses” water hyacinth instead of only attempting to “lose” them.  We present a research project that identifies such solutions, applicable and appropriate within the local and cultural context of our study region, Lake Chivero, the main source of drinking water to Harare. The project consists of three main pillars: (1) performing systematic studies of causes and effects of water hyacinth spread based on satellite and empirical data; (2) scientifically investigating water hyacinth exploitation methods, and (3) engaging with stakeholders to co-develop strategies to address the challenges of water quality and water hyacinth. The project’s impacts will be a more healthy and resilient lake ecosystem, improved wellbeing of people depending on the lake, and more resilient communities at Lake Chivero and other lakes in Sub-Saharan Africa. It will thereby contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to health (SDG 3), drinking water (SDG 6), and sustainable communities (SDG 11). Moreover, the project is in line with the South African National Development Plan 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063.
Cloud based tool to enhance urban resilience with the Fresnel Platform using the Multi-Hydro Model
Authors: Drouen Guillaume , Schertzer Daniel , Gires Auguste , Tchiguirinskaia Ioulia
Published: March 2024

The aim of the Fresnel platform of École des Ponts ParisTech is to foster research and innovation in multiscale urban resilience. Studying the hydrological response of such complex urban areas accounting also for small scale spatio-temporal precipitation variability requires adapted tools. For these reasons, RadX provides a user-friendly graphical interface to run simulations using a fully distributed and physically based model: Multi-Hydro. RadX is designed as a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, allowing users to work with data across a wide range of space-time scales and the appropriate tools for analyzing and simulating this data.The hydrological model, developed at École des Ponts ParisTech, integrates four open-source software applications previously used and validated independently by the scientific community as well as practitionners. Its modular structure includes a surface flow module, sewer flow module, a ground flow module and a precipitation module. It is able to simulate the quantity of runoff and rainwater infiltrated into unsaturated soil layers from any space-time varying rainfall event at any location of the studied peri-urban watersheds, as well as depth and flow in all the pipes and nodes of the sewer network.Users can launch hydrological simulations using the Multi-Hydro model directly from their web browser, while they are run on dedicated servers. They can adjust two key input parameters: the land use of the studied catchment and the rainfall data. Dedicated tools have been developed to enable users to modify the land use of the catchment with the same ease as using a raster graphic editor. Users can either choose real rainfall events captured by the X-band weather radar located at École des Ponts ParisTech or utilize user-defined synthetic rainfall as input. Data from other radar can also easily be integrated. For the simulation output, the interface provides users with different tools to study in detail the impact of the chosen input parameters. For instance, by simply selecting two sewer junctions on an interactive map, users can generate a sewer path between these two points and display an interactive representation of the water level heights in sewer conduits and junctions along the user-defined sewer network path.Additional components can be integrated into RadX to meet specific requirements using visual tools and forecasting systems, including those from third parties. Developments are still in progress, with a constant loop of requests and feedback from the scientific and professional world.