bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Precipitation Data Harmonizer: Harmonizing radar, nowcast, and forecast precipitation data for hydrological applications
Authors: Wagner Michael , Grundmann Jens
Published: February 2023

Flash floods often lead to significant damages and human suffering. To mitigate this, hydrological forecasting models provide extended warning time and allow for better preparedness in the affected areas.Among other data, hydrological modeling highly depends on reliable precipitation input. Typically, for the use case of precipitation based hydrological flood forecasting three data product types appear useful: (i) observed data for the near past until now, (ii) nowcast data for the next few hours, and (iii) forecast data for precipitation amounts in the near future. The German Weather Service (DWD) provides a multitude of different products for all three types covering Germany.Producing a coherent time series containing data of these three types can be challenging because of different file formats, different temporal and spatial resolutions, and even varying spatial representations (e.g. regular grid versus icosahedron). To facilitate hydrological forecast modeling, we present our open source Python package weatherDataHarmonizer. It overcomes the temporal and spatial differences between the data types and provides a harmonized time series of spatially distributed precipitation.First, the package contains modules for low-level access of the DWD original binary data for quantitative radar composites. This comprises measured radar data, e.g. RADOLAN RW, and nowcasting products like RADVOR RQ and RADOLAN RV. The modules are generic enough to support other products in this binary format. Beyond RADOLAN binaries, the package provides low-level access to data used at DWD for the regional weather forecast modeling, e.g. Icon-D2 and the ensemble forecast model Icon-D2-EPS in grib2 format. Both low-level access modules offer specific data and metadata classes and include functions to give the correct spatial coordinates.Second, we added high-level support for the following DWD products: RADOLAN RW, RADVOR RQ, RADOLAN RV, Icon-D2, and Icon-D2-EPS. All these classes comprise methods for reading files, regridding via IDW method, cropping, and exporting to netcdf with data and metadata.Third, the package involves a weather data class that collects all supported data, harmonizes the temporal resolution, and invokes regridding for the same spatial distribution. It results in a coherent time series of precipitation data from the near past to the maximum forecast time. Users can directly use the harmonized data within Python or rely on the export to netcdf functionality.For quality assurance and reproducibility purposes, the weatherDataHarmonizer is highly modular and extendable for other products. It further includes unittests and standardized docstrings, which describe packages, classes, methods, and functions.The weatherDataHarmonizer is developed and used within the project HoWa-PRO to generate ensemble precipation timeseries for flood early warning in small catchments.
Testing simplifying hypotheses for modelling forest throughfall and stemflow water stable isotopes
Authors: Llorens Pilar , Gallart Francesc , Pinos Juan , Cayuela Carles , Latron Jérôme
Published: February 2023

The stable isotope composition of the water entering the hydrological system is frequently used as natural tracer for plant, soil and catchment hydrology studies in forested areas. For these studies is important to know how the isotopic composition of precipitation is modified when rainfall passes through the canopies, therefore, the modelling of these processes would be very useful. However, it has been described as a complex task due to the complexity of the insufficiently known mechanisms involved. As an alternative way, we propose to test a set of hypotheses that try to simplify the main driving mechanisms. The hypotheses being tested are: i) The enriched isotopic composition of stemflow is in dynamic equilibrium with that of air moisture; ii) Dripping water has the same isotopic composition than stemflow; and iii) Throughfall isotopic composition is a mixing of those of free throughfall and stemflow. The measured event and intra-event isotopic composition of rainfall, throughfall and stemflow measured in a Scots pine plot during several years at the Vallcebre Research Catchments (South-Eastern Pyrenees), combined with Rutter and Gash models, previously tested in the studied plot, are being used to test these hypotheses.
Continental lithosphere deformation is a response to its thermodynamically controlled critical crustal thickness
Authors: Kumar Ajay , Cacace Mauro , Scheck-Wenderoth Magdalena
Published: February 2023

We study the present-day thermo-mechanical state of the Alpine Himalayan Collision Zone to understand the physics controlling the observed crustal differentiation and the underlying continental-wide geodynamics. We found that the stability of the lithosphere is regulated by a thermodynamically controlled critical crustal thickness (Cr), which is close to the average thickness of the continental crust. Regions with thickness higher than Cr, representing orogenic lithosphere, and higher than average potential energy undergo weakening and dissipate the acquired internal energy, compared to their foreland lithospheres that have crustal thickness close to Cr. A weaker orogenic lithosphere deforming in a dissipative mode to release the acquired potential energy manifests as zones of diffused rather than focused deformation. We additionally find that the energy dissipation path that the orogenic lithosphere takes to either attain Cr (cratonization) or to undergo runaway instability (rifting) is modulated by the feedback between the thermal and mechanical relaxation of the lithosphere. The internal energy stored in the crust from heat-producing elements, fastens the dissipation of the acquired potential energy.
Exploring and investigating the performance of the global and regional climate models in precipitation over The Nile River basin
Authors: Abdelmoneim Hadir , Kantoush Sameh A. , Saber Mohamed , Moghazy Hossam M. , Sumi Tetsuya
Published: February 2023

Natural disasters like droughts and flood events have frequently been occurring due to climate change in the global pattern of precipitation in recent decades. Estimating the future spatiotemporal precipitation variability is necessary to mitigate climate change's impact, particularly extreme precipitation events. However, global and regional climate models typically vary on the projected change in precipitation characteristics over particular regions. Therefore, this study comprehensively evaluates historical and future climate models in terms of spatial distribution, annual cycles, and frequency distributions of precipitation over the Blue Nile basin (BNB) based on different statistical indices. Also, the autocorrelated time series data were subjected to the Mann-Kendall (MK) and Sen's slope estimator tests to identify trends. Many regional and global climate models, such as HadCM3, ECHAM5, MPI-ESM-LR, and EC-EARTH, are employed not only better to understand the discrepancy and the uncertainties of climate models but also to estimate the impact of climate change in the extreme precipitation events over the Blue Nile basin (BNB). Overall, our finding would serve as a benchmark for flood risk mitigation research and water resources management applications over the Blue River basin.
Efforts towards reconstructing ice sheets during the Pliocene
Authors: Dolan Aisling , Hill Daniel , Haywood Alan , Smith Yvonne
Published: February 2023

Understanding Polar climate and the stability of high-latitude ice sheets is incredibly important in light of predicted future climate change and the polar amplification of warming.  The mid-Pliocene warm period (3.3 to 3.0 Ma) has been a highly investigated time in Earth history and it is well established that during this time period temperatures were warmer and CO2 levels were elevated compared to that of the pre-industrial era.  Changes in the polar cryosphere are a key driver of Pliocene climate change and reduced equator-to-pole temperature gradients. During the mid-Pliocene, estimates of sea level change between 5m and 25m have been reconstructed based on geological evidence. Best estimates of maximum sea level rise are around 20m, suggesting a significant contribution to sea level from both the Greenland and Antarctic Ice sheets is likely at certain intervals within the mid-Pliocene. Despite the uncertainties, Pliocene sea level has become a key target for ice sheet models trying to simulate ice sheet melt and a test-bed for ice loss physics.Alongside a series of modelling efforts to understand the broader Pliocene climate (PlioMIP1 and PlioMIP2), the Pliocene ice sheet modelling Intercomparison project (PLISMIP) was formed to investigate the dependency of ice sheet reconstructions on the specific climate or ice sheet model employed.   We detail investigations of ice sheet model parameterisations and initial conditions, climate model boundary conditions and the climate model used, and show the extent to which these impact our predictions of ice sheet configuration during the Pliocene. We consider the implications of having to prescribe an ice sheet configuration in large model intercomparison projects such as PlioMIP and how the results from PLISMIP and more recent independent ice sheet modelling work has influenced the experimental design in PlioMIP3 to include different ice sheet scenarios over Antarctica.  We also highlight key areas where there is the potential to use geological proxy data or employ enhanced modelling techniques to constrain our estimates of ice in a warmer world.  
Accessing ice effective viscosity using physics-informed deep learning
Authors: Yongji Wang , Lai Ching-Yao
Published: February 2023

Ice flows in response to stresses according to the flow law that involves ice viscosity. An accurate description of effective ice viscosity is essential for predicting the mass loss of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, yet measurement of ice viscosity is challenging at a continental scale. Lab experiments of polycrystalline ice shows that the effective viscosity of ice obeys a power-law relation with the strain rate, known as Glen’s flow law. However, it remains unclear how processes at ice-shelf scales impact the effective viscosity of glacial ice. Here, we leverage the availability of remote-sensing data and physics-informed deep learning to infer the effective ice viscosity and examine the rheology, i.e. flow law,  of glacial ice in Antarctic Ice Shelves. We find that the rheology of ice shelves differs substantially between the compression and extension zones. In the compression zone near the grounding line the rheology of ice closely obeys power laws with exponents in the range 1<n<3, consistent with prior laboratory experiments. In the extension zone, which comprises most of the total ice-shelf area, ice performs complex rheological behavior, deviating from laboratory findings. We also discover the areas where ice viscosity appears non-isotropic.
The DARA/PROBA-3 radiometer: results from the preflight calibration campaign
Authors: Montillet Jean-philippe , Schmutz Werner , Finsterle Wolfgang , Kopp Greg , Koller Silvio , Pfiffner Daniel , Gyo Manfred , Soder Ricco , Gander Matthias , Beeler Lloyd , Langer Patrick , Spescha Marcel , Schlatter Pascal , Föller Jakob , Haberreiter Margit , Heuerman Karl , Zukhov Andrei
Published: February 2023

The Project for On-Board Autonomy-3 (PROBA-3) is the fourth satellite technology development and demonstration precursor mission within ESA's GSTP (General Support Technology Program) series. The primary mission objective is to demonstrate the technologies required for formation flying of multiple spacecrafts. The PROBA-3 mission concept comprises two independent minisatellites in highly-elliptical Earth orbits in precise formation flying, close to one another with the ability to accurately control the attitude and separation of the two satellites. The mission launch is scheduled for end of 2023.PROBA-3 mission consists of a coronograph spacecraft, hosting the coronograph APIICS, and the occulter spacecraft with the Digital Absolute RAdiometer (DARA).  The radiometer to record total solar irradiance is mounted on the front satellite pointing to the Sun. DARA is  developed and manufactured in Switzerland by the PMOD/WRC. We have done two pre-flight calibration campaigns: one at the World Radiation Center in Davos, Switzerland, and one at the Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) Radiometer Facility of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder Colorado, USA. We report on the results of the laboratory comparisons and discuss uncertainties of several instrument parameters, which are used to transform the raw measurements, which are voltage and current, into solar irradiance values. 
The new FES2022 tidal atlas.
Authors: Michel Lionel Tchilibou , Florent Lyard , Loren Carrere , Mathilde Cancet , Damien Allain , Ergane Fouchet , Mei-ling Dabat , Ramiro Ferrari , Yannice Faugere , Gerald Dibarboure , Nicolas Picot
Published: February 2023

    Thanks to its current accuracy and maturity, altimetry is considered as a fully operational observing system dedicated to various applications such as climate studies. Altimeter measurements are corrected from several geophysical parameters in order to isolate the oceanic variability and tide correction is one of the most critical. The accuracy of tidal models has been much improved for the last 25 years leading to centimetric accuracy in the open ocean. The last release of the global tidal model, referenced as FES2014b was distributed in mid-2016.The underlying unstructured mesh resolution of FES2014b was increased in areas of interest like shallow waters and on the slope of the continental shelves, and the error of the pure hydrodynamic ocean solution has been divided by a factor of 2 compared to the previous version (FES2004). Still, some significant errors remain in some regions, due to the omission of compound tides and bathymetric errors (in shelf/coastal seas), seasonal sea ice effects, and lack of available data for assimilation (in the high latitudes).To address the reduction of these errors and face the new challenges of the tide correction for HR altimetry, in particular, the forthcoming SWOT mission, a new global tide model FES2022 has been developed, focusing particularly on shallow waters and high latitudes.This new tidal solution uses higher spatial resolution in coastal areas, extending systematically the model mesh to the narrowest coastal systems (fjords, estuaries, …), and the model bathymetry has been upgraded in many places thanks to an international collaboration effort. The hydrodynamic modeling benefits also from further improvements which allow producing very accurate hydrodynamic simulations. The use of the most recent altimeter standards and high inclination altimeters like Cryosat-2, Saral/AltiKa, and even Sentinel-3, also allowed retrieving some tide observations in the highest latitudes to help improving the polar tides modeling.    Results show a great improvement in the FES2022 hydrodynamic solution compared to FES2014’s one. The assimilation procedure was conducted, and a specific loading tide solution was produced. The final FES2022 tidal solution was validated in comparison to the FES2014b, EOT20, GOT, and TPXO9v5 models, for the missions Jason 3, Sentinel-3A, and Cryosat-2.  Some validations of the new FES2022 tidal current are also presented here.
On the evaluation of different WRF urban canopy schemes for the study of precipitation related to urban heat island in Kuala Lumpur
Authors: Ghielmini Chiara , Pausata Francesco S.R. , Argüeso Daniel , Vhuiyan Razib
Published: February 2023

Cities can have a significant impact on local microclimate. Higher temperatures that often characterise urban fabric can influence other meteorological parameters, such as precipitation. In this study, we investigated how the urban heat island (UHI) of Kuala Lumpur impacts rainfall through a set of sensitivity studies performed with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Many studies have already pointed out that the UHI can increase local rainfall, but they disregarded the city heterogeneity to large extent. Here, we investigated the effect of the city on precipitation incorporating different representations of the urban landscape. We performed three simulations with different urban land cover: 1) without city (control experiment) 2) with the urban terrain represented homogeneously and 3) with the urban land represented heterogeneously with the surface classification in the 11 categories of the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) system. We observed that the consideration of the city of Kuala Lumpur in the simulations results in a localised increase in mean annual precipitation and mean intense precipitation within the boundaries of the urban area. However, in the case of the homogeneous representation of the city, the increase is more pronounced than in the case of the heterogeneously represented city. In the former case, the increases also occur over a larger area and the impacts propagate more strongly into the upper layers of the atmosphere. Thus, a more realistic representation of the city and its heterogeneities limits the urban-induced effects on precipitation.
Coupled THM modelling of the FE Experiment at Mt. Terri in Decovalex Task C
Authors: Kaiser Sonja , Pitz Michael , Wang Wenqing , Buchwald Jörg , Chaudhry Aqeel Afzal , Kolditz Olaf , Nagel Thomas
Published: February 2023

The theory of non-isothermal Richards flow with mechanics (TRM) assumes that the mobility of gases in unsaturated porous media is always large enough to allow sufficiently fast drainage so that the gas pressure does not increase significantly but remains constant. The benefit of an implementation using this simplified approach is a faster numerical model compared to an implementation using the more general theory of non-isothermal two-phase two-component flow with mechanics (TH2M), which represents the gas phase explicitly. The Full-scale Emplacement (FE) experiment conducted at the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory was designed to simulate an emplacement tunnel for high-level radioactive waste at full scale using the reference repository design of the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra) of Switzerland. In this experiment, which is numerically studied in Task C of the Decovalex-2023 project, water vaporisation in the bentonite backfill near the heaters might potentially increase the gas pressure. Thus, justification for the applicability of Richards' assumption for this environment should be demonstrated before attempting to use a TRM process to model the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical problem of this experiment. We demonstrate the applicability for the given conditions by comparing model results from OpenGeoSys (OGS-6) obtained by a TRM process with those obtained by a TH2M process implementation. The comparison of the TRM with the TH2M process provides the basis for subsequent extensive analyses using the TRM process of OGS-6 for modelling the FE experiment with large 3D meshes with more than one million degrees of freedom in parameter variation studies. This model has 75 parameters and many initial / boundary conditions, of which single ones or several at a time are varied. By comparing model results of these variations at 200 observation points with each other and to five years of hourly measurement data using statistical methods, sensitivities to single parameters are studied. But also relevant features not included in the current setup are revealed by using parameter settings that act as proxies for these anticipated missing features. These proxies give results that fit well to the observations but are without physical justification themselves. Due to the great possibilities for validation of existing coupled THM models arising thereof, this also leads to significant further development of model capabilities for the use in integrity evaluations of geotechnical and geological barriers.
Co- and post-seismic deformation resolved from joint inversion of GPS and borehole strainmeter measurements during the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence
Authors: Hanagan Catherine , Bennett Richard
Published: February 2023

The 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence is an exceptionally well-studied event, captured in nearly unprecedented geophysical detail. Three horizontal tensor borehole strainmeters (BSMs), ranging from ~2 to 30 kms near the trace of the rupture, offer a less-conventional and more sensitive measure of coseismic and postseismic deformation for the event. Historically, these instruments are noted as unreliable for measurements of coseismic strain because they are sensitive to small-scale, near-instrument heterogeneities, such as additional offsets triggered by dynamic strains or pore pressure effects. However, many studies compare the strains with pre-constrained forward models of slip. Our preliminary investigations show that we can better match the observed strains if we include BSM measurements in a joint inversion with GPS displacements for coseismic slip. Postseismically, the strainmeters record rapid, non-monotonic deformation that likewise does not match existing afterslip models with a single decay time. We present a new interpretation of co- and post-seismic deformation using BSM strains and GPS displacements at discrete time intervals marked by a change in sign or rate of strain accumulation. Our joint analysis resolves details of the co- and post-seismic slip history that remain otherwise hidden with more common satellite-based inversions from GPS and InSAR alone. 
Plasma Observatory ESA M7 candidate mission: unveiling plasma energization and energy transport through multiscale observations
Authors: Marcucci Maria Federica , Retinò Alessandro , Dunlop Malcolm , Forsyth Colin , Khotyaintsev Yuri , Le Contel Olivier , Mann Ian , Nakamura Rumi , Palmroth Minna , Plaschke Ferdinand , Soucek Jan , Yamauchi Masatoshi , Vaivads Andris , Valentini Francesco ,   Plasma Observatory Team
Published: February 2023

The Earth's Magnetospheric System is the complex and highly dynamic environment in near-Earth space where plasma gets actively energized and transport of large amounts of energy occurs, due to the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth's magnetic field. Understanding plasma energization and energy transport is an open challenge of space plasma physics, with important implications for space weather science as well as for the understanding of distant astrophysical plasmas. Plasma energization and energy transport are related to fundamental processes such as shocks, magnetic reconnection, turbulence and waves, plasma jets and instabilities, which are at the core of the current space plasma physics research. ESA/Cluster and NASA/MMS four-point constellations, as well as the large-scale multipoint mission NASA/THEMIS, have greatly improved over the last two decades our understanding of plasma processes at individual scales compared to earlier single-point measurements. Despite the large amount of available observations, we still do not fully understand the physical mechanisms which give rise to plasma energization and energy transport. The reason is that the fundamental physical processes governing plasma energization and energy transport operate across multiple scales ranging from the large fluid to the smaller kinetic scales. Here we present the Plasma Observatory (PO) multiscale mission concept which is tailored to study plasma energization and energy transport within the Earth's Magnetospheric System. PO baseline is comprised of one mothercraft (MSC) and six identical smallsat daughtercraft (DSC) in an HEO 8 RE X 18 RE orbit, covering all the key regions of the Magnetospheric System where strong energization and transport occur: the foreshock, bow shock, magnetosheath, magnetopause, magnetotail current sheet, and the transition region. MSC payload provides a complete characterization of electromagnetic fields and plasma particles in a single point with time resolution sufficient to resolve kinetic physics at sub-ion scales. The DSCs have identical payload which is much simpler than on the MSC, yet giving a full characterization of the plasma at the ion and fluid scales. Going beyond Cluster, THEMIS and MMS, PO will permit us to resolve for the first time the coupling between ion and fluid scales as well as the non-planarity and non-stationarity of plasma structures at those scales.  PO is one of the five ESA M7 candidates to be launched around 2037 and is currently undergoing a competitive Phase 0 at ESA for further downselection to Phase A at the end of 2023.
On the sensitivity of inclusion pressures after entrapment: the drastic effect of aqueous fluid on garnet viscous relaxation
Authors: Zhong Xin , Wallis David , Kingsbery Phillip , John Timm
Published: February 2023

Elastic geo-thermobarometry has become an important technique in determining the pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions of entrapment during metamorphism. A prerequisite is that the inclusion’s over- or under-pressure is not reset during exhumation. This would be the case if the host-inclusion pair interacts elastically only, which is an oversimplification. It is thus not yet been fully understood how fast the inclusion pressure may become reset. In this study, we performed heating experiment on an almandine-rich (from an eclogite) and a spessartine-rich garnet (gem-stone) under 1) graphite (dry), 2) forming gas (5% H2 and 95% N2) and 3) water vapour (wet) buffered conditions at high T and room P. Raman spectroscopy is used to measure the same quartz and zircon inclusions at room T before and after different heating times. In wet and forming gas conditions, the Raman band wavenumber changes are dependent on time, decreasing for quartz and increasing for zircon inclusions. Under dry condition, the Raman band wavenumber exhibits a small amount of shift and becomes stable shortly. Raman mappings reveal that the stress heterogeneity of the garnet host develops stronger at the early stage of the wet heating experiments and fade away afterward, potentially indicating a diffusion-like behaviour of the dislocation density. A visco-elastic model is performed to fit the measured data. The calculated flow law parameters of garnet around quartz inclusions is comparable to the flow law extracted from deformation experiments, while zircon shows substantially faster relaxation rate. This study highlights that fluid can be an important trigger for fast viscous relaxation together with temperature, time and inclusion mineralogy. The study may have implications for elastic thermobarometry, garnet rheology, and the preservation of coesite inclusions.
The joint impact of rainfall events on water- and dike systems in Dutch polders
Authors: Strijker Bart , Kok Matthijs
Published: February 2023

Polders can be found in coastal and alluvial lowlands all over the world. These polders need an internal drainage system consisting of drainage canals, weirs and/or pumps to discharge the water out of the polder. Next to these drainage canals, dikes can protect the low-lying polder areas that are situated several meters lower than the controlled water levels in these canals. This study investigates the joint impact of extreme rainfall events on water and dike systems within Dutch polders. Previous research has shown that the combined effect of heavy rainfall and storm surge can increase flood risk in coastal polders in the Netherlands. However, the impact of extreme rainfall on multiple water-and-dike systems within a single polder, resulting in multiple hazards, has received little attention. Our analysis uses physical models that are calibrated on measurements and forced by synthetic rainfall and evaporation time series to examine the response time and interdependencies between regional drainage systems and pore-water pressures in canal dikes. Water levels and pore-water pressures and their interrelationships were analyzed as indicators of flood hazards. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering the joint impact of multiple hazards on flood risk in polders, as the functioning of regional drainage systems and canal dikes can be affected by similar weather events.
Evaluating the cooling potential of green walls and green roofs in Central European cities
Authors: Milosevic Dragan , Pucher Bernhard , Savic Stevan , Dunjic Jelena , Langergraber Günter
Published: February 2023

Incorporating green infrastructure such as green walls and green roofs as nature-based solutions for the urban environment has the potential to mitigate climate change, enhance climate resilience, increase urban circularity and biodiversity, reduce urban heat island (UHI) and surface urban heat island (SUHI) intensities, reduce energy consumption in buildings, improve air quality, retain rainwater, and enhance human outdoor thermal comfort, health and well-being. In a bilateral project between Serbia and Austria, measurements of the cooling potential of green walls and green roofs are carried out in Novi Sad (Serbia) and Vienna (Austria). The obtained results indicate the cooling potential of these types of nature-based solutions that can provide a more comfortable climate and outdoor thermal comfort conditions in urban areas. Local temperature reductions near green infrastructure (compared to reference locations) were up to 2-3 °C in both cities. However, the cooling intensity depends on the season, time of day, type of green infrastructure, and the availability and type of water used for irrigation of green infrastructure. The obtained results can be used to develop guidelines for green infrastructure design and can be provided to interested stakeholders in their pursuit to create sustainable, resilient, circular, and climate-neutral cities in the future.Acknowledgment: This research was supported by the bilateral project between Serbia and Austria Water demand of Vertical Greening Systems mitigating Urban Heat Islands (project no. 337-00-577/2021-09/32).
A Virtual Expedition to the Juneau Icefield
Authors: Balter-Kennedy Allie , Varuolo-Clarke Arianna
Published: February 2023

The Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) has provided Polar science and research experiences for undergraduates for 75 years, positioning itself as an important pipeline to careers in the Polar sciences and the geosciences at large. With the goal of increasing diversity within the Polar science pipeline and increasing awareness of Polar science career paths, JIRP is partnering with federally funded Upward Bound programs around the United States to offer a two-week, cost-free Polar science experience modeled after JIRP for highschool students from low income families where neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. As a precursor to the JIRB-UB experience, we prepared a two week virtual course for Upward Bound students from Washington State University that could easily be adapted to a higher education environment. The goals of our course were: 1) inspiring excitement for and participation in the JIRP-UB program; 2) creating awareness about Polar science career paths; and 3) developing a foundational understanding of Polar science concepts. We covered an orientation to JIRP and the basics of glacier and climate science, including glacier mass balance. We framed the curriculum around a scientific expedition, where students first created an expedition plan during Week 1, and then analyzed mass balance and climate data that was “collected” on their expedition during Week 2. Specifically, we used publicly available data to help students re-create a figure from a recently published paper using Google Sheets. The curriculum was designed so that students could opt to take either one or both weeks of the course. This curriculum could also serve as an introduction to glacier science in a higher education setting, offering students a virtual field experience. As the geosciences community grapples with a severe lack of diversity, our goal is to use this expedition-style curriculum to broaden participation and engagement in the Polar sciences and beyond. 
3-D Geologic Modelling of the Bjerkreim Lobe, Norway
Authors: Lee Madeline , McEnroe Suzanne , Pastore Zeudia , Church Nathan
Published: February 2023

In this work, we conduct 3-D geologic modelling of the Bjerkreim-Sokndal (BKS) layered intrusion's Bjerkreim lobe in southern Norway. The BKS is a folded, double-plunging syncline with an areal extent of 230km2. There are five rhythmic megacyclic lithological units (MCU, I - V) that are divided into zones (a - f) based on the presence or absence of index minerals. The BKS is often used as an analogue for Martian studies due to the presence of strong magnetic remanence, 20 000 nT below background. It has also undergone significant exploration for critical minerals.Although the BKS is well-studied, there are limitations that have hindered geophysical mapping. The layered units reside along a topographic low, limiting the lowest altitude for airborne surveys. Land use is classified for agriculture and the presence of lakes restrict ground data collection to roads and pathways. Seismic and gravity surveys have been collected over the study area; however, the gravity data is sparse, and the seismic data is restricted to a single profile. These limited studies suggest a BKS depth to base of 4 - 5 km. Drillcore has been collected, however these extend on average to a depth of 30 m. In 2021, a small-scale drone magnetic survey was collected. This survey was to complete low-altitude, high resolution magnetic sampling to complement previous ground magnetic surveys and as a segue for multiscale analysis with regional airborne surveys. Since no single geophysical dataset is sufficient for a complete geologic interpretation, joint modelling is required to better understand subsurface distribution.A master ground sample database was compiled of over 3000 samples and 11 petrophysical properties. This database consisted of in-situ and in-lab measurements. Principal Component Analysis was conducted to reduce dimensionality and identify which properties should be incorporated into the model. K-means clustering was conducted to identify natural groupings in the data, where average values for these properties were calculated from the dominant cluster. 2-D profiles orthogonal to strike were constructed at 2 km increments along the Bjerkreim lobe with additional intermediate profiles to minimize truncation of 3-D volumes. A combination of 2-D forward and joint inversion modelling was implemented using compiled aeromagnetics and gravity as the observed values. Each MCU zone was modelled as a block with average properties from the cluster analysis and constrained at surface by mapped contacts. Depth estimation routines, including Euler deconvolution, were also executed. The modelled blocks were then wireframed into volumes to create a 3-D representation of the Bjerkreim lobe.
What makes low-frequency earthquakes low frequency?
Authors: Wang Qing-Yu , Frank William , Abercrombie Rachel , Obara Kazushige , Kato Aitaro
Published: February 2023

Low-frequency earthquakes are repetitive seismic events that occur downdip of the seismogenic megathrust where slow aseismic fault slip dominates the tectonic budget. These tiny events, distinct from regular earthquakes, have the potential to provide in-situ constraints on the fault rheology where slow slip occurs, but are hard to study due to their small signal amplitudes. We take advantage of the unique geometry of seismicity in the Nankai subduction zone, where low-frequency earthquake sandwich regular earthquakes, to study the source signature of low-frequency earthquakes and the local seismic structure. We isolate two 10 km-radius depth columns, one where low-frequency earthquakes periodically occur and one where they do not. Taking the collocated regular earthquakes below and above the subducting plate interface, we develop a three-step cluster-based approach to correct for local site effects, extract the accurate Empirical Attenuation functions, and apply them to the correction of Low-frequency earthquakes. The falloff of corrected displacement spectra inversely obeys the 𝝎-square hypothesis with a maximum possible corner frequency of fc at ~2 - 3Hz. The local 1-D vertical structure inverted from earthquake travel times suggests a distinct difference in the ratios of seismic attenuation and velocity. Assuming seismic waves go through similar paths within depth column, the local attenuation is insufficient to generate specific low-frequency spectral content that differs from fast earthquakes. Instead, our results support a relative contrast of Q over depth with a higher Q at shallow depth above the zone of low-frequency earthquakes. This high Q layer may serve as an impermeable layer and produce an environment with enhanced pore-fluid pressure and heterogeneous frictional characteristics different from the zone with regular earthquakes. This particular condition favors low-frequency earthquakes and generates distinct nucleation procedures or/and rupture processes of low-frequency earthquakes from regular earthquakes.
Loss of Amazon rainforest resilience confirmed from single-sensor satellite data
Authors: Blaschke Lana , Nian Da , Bathiany Sebastian , Ben-Yami Maya , Boers Niklas
Published: February 2023

The Amazon rainforest acts as a carbon sink and is one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems of our planet. As such, it is an important but vulnerable subsystem of the Earth System. Studies suggest that the region is bi-stable with respect to mean annual precipitation. Thus, it is considered a Tipping Element of the Earth System.In this work, we investigate several statistics which, according to dynamical system theory, change in the advent of a Tipping Point. To assess the state of the Amazon rainforest, various remotely sensed vegetation indices (VIs) exist. Multiple single-sensor VIs are considered and analyzed if they show reasonable behavior. The results reveal an ongoing loss of resilience in several parts of the Amazon rainforest.  
Seasonal and interannual variability in Fram Strait sea ice ridge statistics during 2006-2019 from the data of Ice Profiling Sonars.
Authors: Divine Dmitry , Sumata Hiroshi , de Steur Laura , Pavlova Olga , Granskog Mats , Gerland Sebastian
Published: February 2023

Fram Strait is the major gateway connecting the Arctic Ocean and North Atlantic Ocean, where nearly 90% of the sea ice export from the Arctic Ocean takes place. The transported ice represents a broad range of thicknesses and types and exhibits an integrated history of thermodynamic growth/decay and deformation on its way across the Arctic. The present study utilizes high resolution sea ice draft data from ice profiling sonars (IPS) from the four moorings of the Fram Strait Outflow Observatory at 78.85 N and 3W to 6.5 W over the period 2006-2019. The analysis focuses on the identification of deformed ice/sea ice ridges and analysis of the seasonal and interannual variability in the number, geometry and shape of ridges. The study demonstrates a pronounced seasonal cycle in the number, probability density function of keel drafts and shape of ridges traversing FS with a maximum ridge count in March-April and minimum in August-September. An overall decline found in the annual ridge number is accompanied by a general shallowing of ridge keels. The observed changes are most pronounced in the easternmost mooring at 3W, and linked to continuing sea ice retreat in the FS over the studied period. The results are further compared with previous studies on ridge statistics from the area and placed in the context of the observed changes in Arctic sea ice over the last two decades.
Scale-separation diagnostics and the Symmetric Bounded Efficiency for the inter-comparison of precipitation reanalyses
Authors: Casati Barbara , Lussana Cristian , Crespi Alice
Published: February 2023

The ERA5 global reanalysis has been compared against a high-resolution regional reanalysis (COSMO-REA6) by means of scale-separation diagnostics based on 2d Haar discrete wavelet transforms. The presented method builds upon existing methods and enables the assessment of bias, error and skill for individual spatial scales, separately. A new skill score (evaluated against random chance) and the Symmetric Bounded Efficiency are introduced. These are compared to the Nash-Sutcliffe and the Kling-Gupta Efficiencies, evaluated on different scales, and the benefits of symmetric statistics are illustrated. As expected, the wavelet statistics show that the coarser resolution ERA5 products underestimate small-to-medium scale precipitation compared to COSMO-REA6. The newly introduced skill score shows that the ERA5 control member (EA-HRES), despite its higher variability, exhibits better skill in representing small-to-medium scales with respect to the smoother ensemble members. The Symmetric Bounded Efficiency is suitable for the intercomparison of reanalyses, since it is invariant with respect to the order of comparison.
Determining Earth’s outgoing radiative flux from a Moon-Based Wide Field-of-view Radiometer
Authors: zhang yuan , Bi Shengshan , Dewitte Steven
Published: February 2023

Observing the Earth radiation budget (ERB) at top of the atmosphere (TOA) from space is crucial for monitoring and understanding Earth’s climate. The accurate estimation of Earth’s outgoing radiative flux is of critical importance to studying ERB at TOA. The Moon-based wide field-of-view radiometer (MWFVR) can provide long-term, continuous full-disk broadband irradiance measurements, which provides an important data source for studying the ERB. Within this context, the lunar surface site 0° E 0° N is selected as the position of the Moon-based wide field-view radiometer, and based on the radiation transfer function, the entrance pupil irradiances time series are obtained by utilization of the CER_SYN1deg-1Hour_Edition4 data products and ERBE ADMs, which is used as the substitute for the truth of the measurements. In this work, the Earth outgoing radiative flux estimating model from the MWFVR measurements is established, and according to the framework, the entrance pupil irradiances are converted to full-disk LW and daytime SW outgoing radiative fluxes. By comparing the results from Moon-based radiometer measurements with those from NISTAR data and CERES SYN1deg data, the results show the moon-based data a much better agreement with those from the satellite data. Besides, The Moon-based SW fluxes oscillate around 194 and 205 W∙m-2, and the range of LW fluxes is 251 ~ 287 Wm−2. Therefore, the complementary advantages and cooperative work of platforms at different altitudes will be an important way for future research on the ERB.  
Isothermal Macrocalorespirometry – Novel Instrument Design to Analysis Microbial Metabolism in Soil Systems
Authors: Di Lodovico Eliana , Meyer Maximilian , Maskow Thomas , Schaumann Gabriele , Fricke Christian
Published: February 2023

Isothermal microcalorespirometry is a non-destructive technique widely used to study terrestrial activity in ecosystems by measuring the heat and the carbon dioxide (CO2) released by metabolic reactions of soil organisms. Therefore, microbial communities naturally present in the soil play a key role in the C and N cycle thereby releasing heat and CO2 which are quantitatively related to the matter fluxes via the law of Hess. In order to measure both quantities simultaneously, current methods follow mainly a purely calorimetric approach (absorbent method or GC analysis) [1]. In the absorbent method, CO2 is measured indirectly via the heat released during the absorption reaction in a NaOH-solution (CO2-trap), which is placed in the sample vessel together with the soil sample. This approach presents a few disadvantages, e.g. indirect CO2 measurement, small sample size, low sample throughput, low CO2 partial pressure and oxygen limitation. To overcome the drawbacks of the current calorespirometric approach, a newly designed isothermal macrocalorespirometer (IMCR) was developed by combining a classic respirometer and the proven concept of isothermal microcalorimetry. The IMCR is composed of 10 mobile channels placed in a thermally isolated box, water-thermostated at 20°C. Each channel is composed of a heat sink and a heat sensor directly in contact with the sample vessel (calorimetric unit), plus a vessel with a KOH-solution (CO2-trap) in which a pair of electrodes is immersed (respirometric unit) connected to the channel’s lid. The spatial separation between the two units, the use of electrodes and the size of the channel, make it possible to overcome the disadvantages of the absorbent method (NaOH-solution) mentioned above. The new approach has been successfully tested with glucose-induced microbial metabolic activity in soil samples, allowing the quantification of the calorespirometric ratio . Additionally, TGA-DSC-MS and GC-MS analysis will be performed, necessary to close balances of mass and energy fluxes.This newly designed IMCR will be applied in the wider frame of calorimetric environmental soil studies, aiming at understanding the carbon dynamics in soil, the latter being known as the biggest carbon pool among the natural matrix. New knowledge in this area support potential solutions for climate change, intimately connected to the global carbon fluxes.[1] Wadsö L., A method for time-resolved calorespirometry of terrestrial samples, Methods 76 (2015) 20–2
Middle Miocene events in the peripheral basins of Central Paratethys (Central Europe): inferences from Tuzla and Lopare basins
Authors: Andrić-Tomašević Nevena , Mandic Oleg , Zeh Armin , Simić Vladimir , Vrabac Sejfudin
Published: February 2023

The Central Paratethys Sea occupied the transition between the Alps, Dinarides and Carpathian mountains during Oligocene to Miocene times. However, its spatial and temporal evolution, i.e. southward expansion, subsequent salinity crisis, and governing mechanisms are poorly constrained. Here, we employ radiometric dating to construct the Middle Miocene absolute chronology of the evolution of the successions developed along the southwestern margin of the Central Paratethys flanking the NE Dinarides (NE Bosnia and Herzegovina) and governing mechanisms. We present three U-Pb zircon ages acquired by LA-ICP-MS from volcanic ash layers sampled in Tuzla marginal marine basin (two layers) and neighboring lacustrine Lopare Basin (one layer). Zircon grains from the lowermost ash of the playa lake in Lopare Basin yielded a U-Pb age of 15.143 ± 0.094 Ma. This indicates that despite the warm and humid global climate, the Lopare Basin and many lakes in the internal part of the Dinarides hosting similar salina-type successions recorded regional arid climatic conditions during Middle Miocene. Furthermore, this age implies synchronicity of arid with humid lakes (e.g., Sinj, Gacko) developed in the internal and external Dinarides, respectively which are orographically controlled. The U-Pb zircon age of the middle ash layer (14.12 ± 0.077 Ma) places new constraints on the marine flooding in the Tuzla Basin, i.e. along the southwestern margin of the Central Paratethys. Considering age data from previous studies the new age implies south-southeastward marine expansion of the Central Parathetys over a period of 3-4 Myrs, along the N, NE-ward flanks of the Dinarides. The demise of the Dinarides affected by the rift climax in the neighbouring Pannonian Basin and associated block rotations provided a space for the S/SE-ward marine expansion. Deposition of the uppermost ash layer sampled at the top of marine salt succession in Tuzla Basin is constrained by a U-Pb zircon age of 13.88 ± 0.11 Ma. This indicates that Salinity Crisis in Badenian was affecting the entire Central Parathehys coevally. Therefore, we correlate the evaporitic event in the Tuzla basin with the sea-level fall controlled by the global climatic Mi3b event.