bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Baltic proper eutrophication - a runaway system that passed the tipping point at the end of the 1950s
Authors: Stigebrandt Anders
Published: March 2020

The magnitude of the annual biological production in the Baltic proper is determined by the phosphorus (P) concentration C in the surface layer in winter. C is proportional to the total P supply TPS to the water column. TPS has three components; the land-based supply LPS; the ocean supply OPS; and the internal supply IPS from anoxic bottoms. The OPS is minor. The land-based P source, LPS, culminated in the 1980s and at present it has about the same value as in the early 1950s. Despite this, C still increases, and the present time C is at least 3 times higher than C in the 1950s. This runaway evolution of the Baltic proper P content demonstrates that the evolution of C cannot be explained only by the evolution of the external sources LPS and OPS. The runaway behaviour suggests that there is a positive feedback between the state C and the supply TPS. It is shown that the internal P-supply IPS provides such a positive feedback via its dependence on the area of anoxic bottoms Aanox, because IPS is proportional to Aanox and Aanox is proportional to C so that IPS is proportional to C. The internal supply IPS thus increases with C if there are anoxic bottoms. Anoxic bottoms start to occur when C passes the threshold value Ct which occurs when TPS passes the threshold value TPSt. This happened in the Baltic proper at the end of the 1950s. A time-dependent P model describes the evolution of C in the Baltic proper from 1950 to the present quite well.
Space Weather in the UK: Updates on the UK Strategy, Investment, and International Engagements
Authors: Bisi Mario M. , Gibbs Mark , Hapgood Mike A. , Willis Mike , Harrison Richard A. , Machin Simon , McCrea Ian W.
Published: March 2020

For the UK, the potential impacts from severe space weather (and everyday space weather) are considered of a high importance and hence the UK Government has included “Severe Space Weather” on its National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies since 2011.  This is not just considering direct impacts on UK infrastructures, but also impacts to key partner/trading/neighbouring nations.  This has led to a long series of national and international engagements and strategic developments both between UK agencies/entities and with international agencies/organisations (such as ESA, NOAA, NASA, COSPAR, ISES, ICAO, WMO, and UN COPUOS).  On top of this, the UK has undertaken a series of wide-ranging investigations to mitigate space-weather impacts at the national level including the ongoing development of a national Space Weather Strategy – where the UK looks to experts across all sectors to feed into its development.

 

An essential aspect of trying to mitigate space-weather impacts on the UK is the need for independent UK space-weather forecast capability in collaboration with the other 24/7 space-weather forecasting institutes around the World.  This UK capability allows for direct advice to government on all things space weather, particularly on what to do when an impending event is expected and throughout its duration and recovery.  Hence, he setting up of a UK staffed 24/7 space-weather forecasting centre at the Met Office alongside the formation of the Space Environment Impacts Expert Group (SEIEG) of experts were undertaken to provide the necessary advice to government.

 

The UK is currently committing a large amount of money both to dedicated UK-based and ESA-based space weather programmes as well as through traditional science research funding channels.  This includes the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF) Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk (SWIMMR) programme and the ESA Space Safety Programme.  The UK has also taken a lead on several other space-/ground-based space-weather endeavours that are proving highly complementary to current UK and global capabilities.

 

In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the above along with any outline of the UK Space Weather Strategy open to the public at the time of the EGU 2020 Meeting.
Monitoring sediment coverage from Distributed Temperature Sensing measurements in the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Authors: Pefkos Manos , Doornenbal Pieter , Wijdeveld Arjan , Shahmirzadi Ebi Meshkati , Kruiver Pauline
Published: March 2020

Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) measurements were conducted in the Port of Rotterdam as part of the INTERREG NWE SURICATES project. In the Port of Rotterdam a program is running to retain sediments in the harbor for river bank protection, and to lower the costs of transferring sediment from the port to the offshore dump locations. The aim of the DTS monitoring is to find spatial patterns in sediment deposition and erosion and thus determining the sediment balance before, during and after re-allocation. Fibre optic cables were installed in two layouts. Two fibre optic cables of lengths 1.2km and 750m were laid out flat parallel and perpendicular to the shore and they passively recorded temperature. Another cable was wrapped helically on a vertical pole condensing 150 m of length into 0.77m, increasing the spatial resolution. This cable was used for passive measurements and active heating experiments. The acquired data span the period from May to September 2019.

The active heating experiments showed that the water-sediment interface along the pole can be tracked from the difference in response between the time when the heating cable is switched on and off. The pole’s passive temperature analysis indicates that signals from the water phase exhibit high variability with time, whereas those from the sediment phase have low variability. Frequency domain analysis of the water phase shows clear peaks in the Fourier Amplitude Spectrum (FAS) at one day and half-day cycles, with the half-day cycle peak having the highest magnitude. The same peaks are present in the sediment phase’s FAS, but their magnitudes are about an order of magnitude lower.

The Fourier amplitude at frequencies corresponding to half-day periods was used for classification of the phases along the pole. The interface between water and sediment is defined as the maximum in the derivative of the Fourier amplitude with height. The interface’s height and thus the occurrence of erosion or deposition was tracked over time. The analysis shows that the sediment interface varied around 5cm over a period of 2.5 months between two dredging actions.

Representative signals from the Fourier amplitude at half-day cycles from the pole were used to derive sediment coverage over the flat passive cables. However, further research is required to establish the minimum horizontal distance over which coverage can be established.

We conclude that, by comparing the spectral properties of the temperature signal of water and sediment phases, sediment coverage over fibre optic cables can be monitored with DTS measurements. The finest time and spatial resolution over which this coverage can be found remains to be decided and can be the subject of future work.
Forest Cover, Windspeed, and Precipitation: A South American Case Study of the Impact of Forest Ecosystems on Wind and Rainfall Patterns
Authors: Ellison David , Ellis Emory
Published: March 2020

Gaps persist in our comprehension of forest-water interactions and how forest cover potentially alters and sustains precipitation at continental scales. We analyze high-resolution, remote sensing data on forest cover, annual average wind speed and total annual precipitation amounts in order to better understand how forest cover impacts windspeed, and how the forest impact on windspeed can influence the transport and potential re-deposition of atmospheric moisture as rainfall. In this first look at these interactions over the South American continent, uur analysis indicates forests slow windspeed, providing more opportunity for the accumulation and aggregation of both incoming atmospheric moisture and local evapotranspiration, thereby contributing to its increased potential re-deposition as rainfall. Our findings indicate rainfall is greater where forest cover has the effect of slowing windspeed. Moreover, in slowing windspeed, greater forest cover intensifies the hydrologic cycle, providing more opportunities for atmospheric moisture and evapotranspiration to condense and precipitate, as well as re-evaporate and re-transpire back to the atmosphere, thereby potentially increasing the terrestrial rainfall recycling and thus water use and availability across continental surfaces. We are hopeful improved understanding of how forest cover, windspeed and rainfall interact can help motivate future study and promote the development of a more rigorous approach to preserving the hydrologic cycle through the pursuit of Nature-based Solutions to forest landscape restoration.
Knowledge transfer through Citizen Science using the example of a forest inventory campaign
Authors: Thiel Christian , Dubois Clémence , Klan Friederike , Pathe Carsten , Schmullius Christiane , Baade Jussi , Müller Marlin , Cremer Felix
Published: March 2020

Citizen Science (CS) operates at the interface of engineering, natural and social sciences. The topic is currently gaining importance, which, from a political perspective, is based, among other things, on the hope of increasing the acceptance of science and scientific knowledge among the general public. The involvement of non-specialists in the conception and implementation of research projects enables and requires the development of innovative educational concepts that integrate knowledge transfer and added value to science, for example through citizen-based data acquisition. This win-win situation of active learning and the generation of research-relevant data can be implemented in educational institutions in particular by expanding didactic concepts with the integration of citizen science.

As an example, the project of the DLR in cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena will be presented. The campaign took place at site 15 km to the SE of Jena featuring planted and intensively managed forest. During the past two years the forest was affected by several stressors such as storm events, long drought periods (spring 2018 and 2019, summer 2018), and bark beetle attacks. Thus, forest management activities were conducted in June 2019 to remove stressed and infected trees. Two CS campaigns were conducted: one before (May) and one after (July) the management action (cross validation, check which trees were logged). The aim was to collect the stem circumference, the species, and other describing parameters. The citizens were “gathered“ from a university lecture for forthcoming Geography teachers. During the campaign a new approach for improved positioning under challenging GNSS conditions was tested (offset correction using Bluetooth low energy beacons – BLE).
A data-drive model for the assessment of shallow landslides hazard with the integration of satellite soil moisture and rainfall data
Authors: Vivaldi Valerio , Bordoni Massimiliano , Lucchelli Luca , Corradini Beatrice , Brocca Luca , Ciabatta Luca , Meisina Claudia
Published: March 2020

Rainfall-induced shallow landslides are very dangerous phenomena, widespread all over the world, which could provoke significant damages to buildings, roads, facilities, cultivations and, sometimes, loss of human lives. For these reasons, it is necessary assessing the most prone zones in a territory which is particularly susceptible to these phenomena and the frequency of the triggering events, according to the return time of them, which generally correspond to intense and concentrated rainfalls. The most adopted methodologies for the determination of the susceptibility and hazard of a territory are physically-based models, that quantify the hydrological and the mechanical responses of the slopes according to particular rainfall scenarios. Whereas, these methodologies could be applied in a reliable way in little catchments, where geotechnical and hydrological features of the materials affected by shallow failures are homogeneous. Data-driven models could constraints these, even if they are generally built up taking into only the predisposing factors of shallow instabilities, allowing to estimate only the susceptibility of a territory, without considering the frequency of the triggering events. It is then required to consider also triggering factors of shallow landslides to allow these methods to estimate also the probability of occurrence and, then, the hazard. This work presents the development and the implementation of data-driven model able to assses the spatio-temporal probability of occurrence of shallow landslides in large areas by means of a data-driven technique. The model is based on Multivariate Adaptive Regression Technique (MARS), that links geomorphological, hydrological, geological and land use predisposing factors to triggering factors of shallow failures. These triggering factors correspond to soil saturation degree and rainfall amounts, which are available for entire a study area thanks to satellite measures. The methodological approach is testing in 30-40 km2 wide catchments of Oltrepò Pavese hilly area (northern Italy), where detailed inventories of shallow landslides occurred during past triggering events and corresponding satellite soil moisture and rainfall maps are available. This work was made in the frame of the ANDROMEDA project, funded by Fondazione Cariplo.
A novel statistical approach for Near-Real Time Quality Control of hydrographic observations
Authors: Gourrion Jérôme , Dobler Delphine , Szekely Tanguy
Published: March 2020

This study concerns a quality check (QC) test in which temperature and salinity observations are compared to the range of variability as known from a reference dataset.

For delayed-time QC, Gourrion et al. (2019) have shown that a validity range built from local minimum and maximum values performs better than the standard one estimated from the local mean +/- N standard deviations. It allows to account for the assymetry and peakedness of the local parameter distribution. The performance of the test is significantly improved, reducing strongly the number of hydrographic stations to be checked by a delayed-time operator.

Nevertheless, for near-real-time applications, the available operator time is severely reduced ; the method needs to be automatized and the number of erroneous detections further reduced.

Here, we first present the impact on the performance brought by the increase of the temporal extent of the reference dataset. Then, an adhoc widening of the validity interval is proposed and shown to further improve the performance, reaching a point of applicability for NRT processing. Finally, performance differences between temperature and salinity are highlighted. 

 
Seismic P- and S-wave velocity Tomography in Scandinavia
Authors: Bulut Nevra , Maupin Valerie , Thybo Hans
Published: March 2020

The causes of the high topography in Scandinavia along the North Atlantic passive continental margins are enigmatic, and two end-member models have been proposed. One opinion is that the high topography has been maintained since the Caledonian orogeny, because isostatic rebound has compensated for most of the erosion over >400 My. The other opinion is that the topography is Cenozoic and that it is related to plate tectonic or deep thermal / geodynamic processes. Onshore uplift is related to simultaneous offshore subsidence, and the rapid topographic changes may be the combined result of a series of complementary processes.

Here, we provide new evidence for the upper mantle structure by calculating a tomographic model for Fennoscandia (Scandinavia and Finland) by teleseismic inversion of finite-frequency P- and S- wave travel-time residuals. We use seismic signals from earthquakes at epicentral distances between 30° and 104° and with magnitudes larger than 5.5, gathered on 200 broad-band seismic stations installed by the ScanArray project in Norway, Sweden and Finland, which operated during 2012-2017, together with data from earlier projects and stationary stations..

We measure relative travel-time residuals of direct body waves in high- and low-frequency bands, and carry out an appropriate frequency-dependent crustal correction. The average residuals vary over the region, and show clear trends depending on location and and back-azimuthal directions. This demonstrates the presence of significant heterogeneity of seismic velocities in the upper mantle across the region. Based on the travel-time residuals, we carry out finite-frequency body-wave tomographic inversion to determine the P and S wave seismic velocity structure of the upper-mantle. By use of “relative kernels” we reduce problems related to station coverage with asynchronous datasets, which allows the use of data from different deployments for the inversion. The resulting seismic model is compared to the existing and past topography in order to contribute to the understanding of mechanisms responsible for the topographic changes in the Fennoscandian region, which we relate to the general tectonic and geological evolution of the North Atlantic region. The models provide basis for deriving high-resolution models of temperature and compositional anomalies that may contribute to the understanding of the observed, enigmatic topography.
Effects of rewetting of peatlands on GHG fluxes from the soils with different land-cover types
Authors: Murdiyarso Daniel , Lestari Iska Lestari , Taufik Muhamad , Santikayasa Putu
Published: March 2020

Deforestation followed by draining of tropical peat swamp forests are the most common disturbance regimes before further land development takes place. The severity and extent depend on a number of drivers that dictate how restoration should be performed. The permanent plots were established to monitor total ecosystem carbon stocks and greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O) emissions from peatland under different vegetation cover, namely forest tree species, oil pal, and rubber plantations, and evaluate the effect of rewetting by blocking the drainage canals on GHG fluxes. We found that the mean total ecosystem carbon stocks at a reforested area, rubber and oil palm were 3983 + 318 Mg C ha-1, 3363 + 207 Mg C ha-1 and 3523 + 253 Mg C ha-1 respectively. The average total soil emission of CO2 during conditions before canal blocking in reforested areas, oil palm and rubber plantations were 10.93 Mg CO2 ha-1yr-1, 16.66 Mg CO2 ha-1yr-1 and 23.70 Mg CO2 ha-1yr-1. After the canals were blocked, the average total CO2 emissions were 3.57 Mg CO2 ha-1yr-1 in reforested area, 10.47 Mg CO2 ha-1yr-1 in oil palm and 15.27 57 Mg CO2 ha-1yr-1 in rubber plantation.

Methane (CH4) flux before blocking were (-0.10 + 0.84), (0.34 + 4.52), and (0.50 + 2.70) mg m-2 hr-1 in reforested area, oil palm and rubber plantation respectively, while the fluxes after blocking were (8.02 + 3.28), (5.36 + 6.13), and (0.64 + 1.19) mg m-2 hr-1 respectively. The increasing trends after blocking suggests that methanogenic bacteria were active in anaerobic. On the other hand, N2O decreased from (0.40 + 0.84), (0.40 + 0.84), and 0.40 + 0.84) mg m-2 hr-1 in forested area, oil palm and rubber plantations to (-0.20 + 0.27), (-0.45 + 2.08), and (2.15 + 0.25) mg m-2 hr-1 respectively.
Cutting time slices of tree rings —How intra-annual dynamics of wood formation help to decipher space for time conversion in tree-ring sciences
Authors: Peres-De-Lis Gonzalo , Rathgeber Cyrille , Ponton Stéphane
Published: March 2020

Despite a long-standing interest in retrieving intra-annual environmental information from tree-ring features, none of the approaches developed so far for accurately dating intra-ring sector has been validated on observations. Here, we investigated space-for-time association across regular intra-ring sectors for which we estimated the timing of formation. For this purpose, a unique dataset containing quantitative wood anatomy measurements and kinetics of tracheid differentiation was compiled for 45 trees grown in North-East France (three years of wood formation monitoring, for five trees, from three different conifer species). Tracheid dimensions were measured directly on the best anatomical sections at the end of the growing season, while the kinetics of xylem cell differentiation were provided at tree-level by an empirical model of wood formation dynamics. Our results confirmed that the time taken to form sectors of the same width increased from earlywood (composed of wide thin-walled tracheids) to latewood (composed of narrow thick-walled tracheids). This mainly reflected the increase of the duration of cell wall deposition through the growing season, and, to a lesser extent, the augmentation of the number of tracheids per sectors. However, our results also show that regular intra-ring sectors, which were well separated in space, overlapped in time. The overlapping culminated during the summer period, reaching 40 % for 10 sectors. It could be reduced to approx. 30 % by increasing the number of sectors (from 10 to 25, for example), but it cannot be removed. Therefore, successive intra-ring sectors could not be attributed to a succession of separated time intervals by simply using their relative position along the ring. However, the formation of sectors of equivalent ranks were noticeably synchronous between the different trees and years, reaching 80 % of synchronicity for the process of wall thickening. This suggest that data from regular intra-ring sectors could be reliably used to build mean chronologies expressing the common signal of tree populations. Our results show the limits that the xylogenesis process itself imposes on the dating of intra-ring features. They also argue for an in-depth understanding of the association between cell differentiation processes (enlargement, wall thickening and lignification) and wood characteristics (density, anatomy, stable isotope composition).
Can we infer the stiffness of the Matterhorn (CH) based on ambient vibrations?
Authors: Weber Samuel , Beutel Jan , Häusler Mauro , Geimer Paul R. , Fäh Donat , Moore Jeffrey R.
Published: March 2020

Reliable rock slope stability assessment depends on the ability to characterize and quantify stability relevant properties as for example the internal structure of a rock slope. So far, to our knowledge, no study successfully determined the stiffness of a whole mountain. Here, we evaluate the structural characteristics of the Matterhorn (Swiss Alps) based on ambient vibration measurements using three seismometer stations (Nanometrics Trillium Compact 20s). We identified the fundamental resonant mode which consists of polarized horizontal ground motion at the summit of the Matterhorn. Based on that, we aim to infer the stiffness of the Matterhorn by reproducing field data in 3D numerical eigenfrequency simulation with Young's modulus that vary with strain magnitude.
How to Win The New Climate War: The Plan to Take Back Our Planet from the Polluters
Authors: Mann Michael
Published: March 2020

Human-caused climate change is arguably the greatest threat we face as a civilization. Efforts to attack and deny the scientific evidence have constituted a major impediment to action over the past two decades. At a time when we appear to be moving past outright denial of the problem, we face a multi-pronged strategy by polluting interests to distract, deflect, attack, and divide the climate activist community. This involves, among other things, (a) efforts to deflect attention from systemic change and regulatory policy solutions to personal behavior,  (b) doomist framing that disempowers us by exaggerating the threat in such a way as to make catastrophic changes now seem unavoidable, and (c) the promotion of false solutions that seek to enable the continued burning of fossil fuels that is at the very root of the problem. I will discuss what we can do to fight back, emphasizing the importance of both urgency AND agency in efforts to save our planet.
Enhanced multidecadal Greenland surface temperature variability during the Last Glacial Maximum linked to the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation
Authors: Song Zhaoyang , Latif Mojib , Park Wonsun , Zhang Yuming
Published: March 2020

Stable oxygen isotope records from northern Greenland suggest that the local multidecadal surface-temperature variability exhibited a large reduction from the last glaciation to the Holocene. The origin of the reduced variability is thought to be perturbations in the mean atmospheric circulation due to Northern Hemisphere ice sheet variability. We reassess the factors driving the large multidecadal Greenland surface temperature (T2m) variability during the Last Glacial Maximum. The Kiel Climate Model has been integrated under preindustrial and glacial boundary conditions. We find that both atmospheric teleconnections from the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) and North Atlantic/Arctic sea ice variations strongly intensify under glacial boundary conditions, driving enhanced surface wind and in turn heat flux variability over Greenland. Additional simulations that restore the Pacific sea-surface temperature (SST) to its climatology confirm the important role of the IPO.

To investigate the relative contributions of atmospheric teleconnection from the IPO and sea-ice on the Greenland T2m, we force the atmospheric component of the coupled model in stand-alone mode by SSTs and sea ice concentrations simulated in coupled mode. The influence of atmospheric teleconnection is three times larger than that of sea ice. We conclude that the enhanced multidecadal Greenland surface-temperature variability during the LGM can largely be attributed to stronger atmospheric teleconnection from the IPO.
The formation of a metalimnetic oxygen minimum exemplifies how ecosystem dynamics shape biogeochemical processes: A modelling study
Authors: Mi Chenxi , Shatwell Tom , Rinke Karsten
Published: March 2020

Metalimnetic oxygen minima are observed in many lakes and reservoirs, but the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not well understood. Thus, we simulated the metalimnetic oxygen minimum (MOM) in the Rappbode Reservoir (Germany) with a well-established two-dimensional water quality model (CE-QUAL-W2) to systematically quantify the chain of events leading to its formation. We used high-resolution measured data to calibrate the model, which accurately reproduced the physical (e.g. water level and water temperature), biogeochemical (e.g. nutrient and oxygen dynamics) and ecological (e.g. algal community dynamics) features of the reservoir, particularly the spatial and temporal extent of the MOM. The results indicated that around 60% of the total oxygen consumption rate in the MOM layer originated from benthic processes whereas the remainder originated from pelagic processes. The occurrence of the cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens in the metalimnion delayed and slightly weakened the MOM through photosynthesis, although its decaying biomass ultimately induced the MOM. Our research also confirmed the decisive role of water temperature in the formation of the MOM since the water temperatures, and thus benthic and pelagic oxygen consumption rates, were higher in the metalimnion than in the hypolimnion. Our model is not only providing novel conclusions about the drivers of MOM development and their quantitative contributions, it is also a new tool for understanding and predicting ecological and biogeochemical water quality dynamics.
The importance of an accurate estimation of the radiation balance and interception loss for the evaluation of evapotranspiration
Authors: Kofroňová Jitka , Šípek Václav , Tesař Miroslav
Published: March 2020

The accurate estimation of the potential evapotranspiration (PET) is one of the key processes for water balance research and for determination of actual evapotranspiration (AET). The rate of PET is primarily affected by the amount of available water, climate conditions and surface characteristics. One of the main controlling factors is the radiation balance. Both shortwave and longwave radiations significantly influence the rate of PET. Since the longwave radiation is rarely measured, it has been computed. The computing approaches include several coefficients connected to specific climate conditions. The accuracy of original set of coefficients is questionable when applied in different sites. Here we present potential systematic error in estimating PET while using modelled longwave radiation. In our study, the use of original coefficient values in calculated longwave radiation resulted in differences from 20 to 80 mm of PET in the growing season. It decreased to less than 20 mm per season after parameter calibration.

Interception describes the amount of water captured by vegetation. Captured water often evaporates back to the atmosphere, thus it doesn’t participate in surface runoff or infiltration of water to the soil. Therefore the rate of interception loss hasn’t an impact only on evaporation but also on other components of water balance. As the interception is often neglected, we decided to compare observed and modelled values of interception loss. Five different modelling approaches were selected and discussed against measured values. Resulting interception loss differences were in range from 1 to 60 mm per growing season. The differences in the rate of interception led to overall variations in predictions of discharge, groundwater height and soil moisture content modelled by HBV model.
Beach Litter Detection and Monitoring Using UAV Image and Deep Neural Network under Imbalanced Data
Authors: Bak Suho , Jeong Minji , Kim Nakyeong , Yoon Hongjoo
Published: March 2020

Beach litters such as plastic bottles and styrofoam destroys coast ecosystems and creates aesthetic discomfort that lowers the value of the beach. Also, these beach litters are consumed by marine creatures, causing secondary ecosystem destruction. In order to solve this beach litters problem, it is necessary to study the generation and distribution pattern of waste and the cause of the inflow. However, the data for the study were only sample data collected in some areas of the beach. Also, most of the data covers only the total amount of beach litters. The total amount obtained from the sampling method was difficult to represent the total amount of beach litters.

UAV(Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and Deep Neural Network can be effectively used to detect and monitor beach litter. Using UAV, it is possible to easily survey the entire beach. Recently, Object Detection technologies based on the Convolutional Neural Network have produced remarkable results in the general object recognition field. The Deep Neural Network can also identify the type of coastal litters. Therefore, using UAV and Deep Neural Network, it is possible to acquire spatial information by type of beach litters.

This paper proposes a Beach litter detection algorithm based on UAV and Deep Neural Network and a Beach litter monitoring process using it. It also offers optimal shooting altitude and image duplication to detect small beach litter such as plastic bottles and styrofoam pieces found on the beach. We are also suggest to effectively methods for training on imbalanced data.

In this study, DJI Mavic 2 Pro was used. The camera on the UAV is a 1-inch CMOS with a resolution of 20MP. The images obtained through UAV are produced as orthoimages and input into a pre-trained neural network algorithm.
Novel experimental methods for the identification of anoxic micro-niches in porous media.
Authors: Ceriotti Giulia , Borisov Sergey , de Anna Pietro
Published: March 2020

Porous media found in the shallow subsurface host an extremely heterogeneous environment arising from the complex coupling of abiotic (e.g. chemical reactions and anomalous solute transport) and biotic (e.g. metabolism and growth) processes. This heterogeneity is expected to characterize oxygen concentration distribution which is one of the major drivers for both abiotic and biotic redox reactions. Anoxic micro-niches, i.e. small portions of medium characterized by disproportionately different physical-chemical properties and microbial community composition compared to those characterizing the medium bulk, are expected to occur and persist even in averagely well-oxygenated porous media explaining macroscopic observed phenomena. However, the current lack of non-invasive technologies to observe the oxygen concentration field in porous media at spatial scales of interest for bacteria (i.e., 10 - 100 μm) structures still limits our ability to attain a quantitative description of anoxic micro-niches formation phenomenology in terms of their spatial distribution, average inter-niche distances, and proportion between oxygenated and anoxic pore-volume. This work presents the development, the implementation and preliminary as- sessment of a novel experimental methodology to observe oxygen concentration gradients and their evolution in space and time. This methodology combines the use of: a) PDMS microfluidics devices, which mimicking natural porous media geometries; b) planar transparent optodes which are fluorescent chemical sensors whose fluorescence intensity is quenched as a function of the oxygen concentration; and c) fully-automated microscope which allows to collect large images. The dynamics of oxy- gen concentration fields generated by pure physical processes are compared to those generated by the coupled effect of solute transport and the metabolism of aerobic bacteria. Our results allow to a) demonstrate the compatibility of microfluidics devices and optodes, b) highlight the strengths and challenges of the proposed novel methodology and c) reveal the ability of the planar optodes to capture fast evolving and sharp gradients associated with oxygen within porous media environment.
Study on meteorological conditions for heavy air pollution and its climatic characteristics in “2+26” cities around Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in autumn and winter
Authors: Mei Mei
Published: March 2020

Based on surface observation meteorological data during 1961-2017 and ERA-interim reanalysis data, an evaluation method of different meteorological conditions for heavy air pollution (MCHAP) was set up by using atmospheric self-cleaning ability index (ASI). Through analyzing the historical variation characteristics of MCHAP of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in autumn and winter, the results were as follows. During 1961-2017, the frequency and extremity of MCHAP in Jincheng of Shanxi province ranked the frst. MCHAP occurred more frequently in Beijing, Langfang of Hebei province and Zhengzhou of Henan province and more extremely in Baoding, Shijiazhuang and Hengshui of Hebei province. MCHAP had occurred in “2+26” cities around Beijing-Tianjin -Hebei region in history since 1961, but which were more common in recent years and caused much more sever air pollution events. During the period of 2013-2017, MCHAP occurred the least frequently in 2017 in “2+26” cities around Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region except Beijing. However the extremity of MCHAP in 2017 receded a lot in Beijing. Both in the 1980s and the period of 2010-2017, MCHAP in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and its surrounding areas took place the most frequently, which was affected by both the cold air intensity and the change of large-scale air stagnation condition. To some extent, the development of urbanization also plays a role in the decadal change of MCHAP.
Deep learning-based approach for landform classification from integrated data sources of digital elevation model and imagery
Authors: Li Sijin , Xiong Liyang , Tang Guoan , Strobl Josef
Published: March 2020

Landform classification is one of the most important aspects in geomorphological research, dividing the Earth’s surface into diverse geomorphological types. Thus, an accurate classification of landforms is a key procedure in describing the topographic characteristics of a given area and understanding their inner geomorphological formation processes. However, landform types are not always independent of one another due to the complexity and dynamics of interior and external forces. Furthermore, transitional landforms with gradually changing surface morphologies are widely distributed on the Earth’s surface. With this situation, classifying these complex and transitional landforms with traditional landform classification methods is hard. In this study, a deep learning (DL) algorithm was introduced, aiming at automatically classifying complex and transitional landforms. This algorithm was trained to learn and extract landform features from integrated data sources. These integrated data sources contain different combinations of imagery, digital elevation models (DEMs), and terrain derivatives. The Loess Plateau in China, which contains complex and transitional loess landforms, was selected as the study area for data training. In addition, two sample areas in the Loess Plateau with complex and transitional loess hill and ridge landforms were used to validate the classified landform types by using the proposed DL method. Meanwhile, a comparative analysis between the proposed DL and random forest (RF) methods was also conducted to investigate their capabilities in landform classification. The proposed DL approach can achieve the highest landform classification accuracy of 87% in the transitional area with data combination of DEMs and images. In addition, the proposed DL method can achieve a higher accuracy of landform classification with better defined landform boundaries compared to the RF method. The classified loess landforms indicate the different landform development stages in this area. Finally, the proposed DL method can be extended to other landform areas for classifying their complex and transitional landforms.
Planetary and Earth science in Russian space programs
Authors: Petrukovich Anatoli , Zelenyi Lev , Korablev Oleg , Mitrofanov Igor , Lupyan Evgeny
Published: March 2020

We review current status of Russian space research in the fields of planetary and Earth science. In the recent years planetary experiments of Space Research Institute are flown onboard six European and US missions at Mars, Venus, Moon and Mercury. In addition, two instruments are onboard Exomars-2016, a joint project with ESA. The second Exomars launch is expected in 2020. Extensive Russian lunar program includes launches of two landers and one orbiter in 2021,2024,2025, also with ESA cooperation. In more distant future the new Venus program is shaping up. Besides that Space Research Institute conducts extensive Earth observation research, mostly targeted at natural systems monitoring. 
Monitoring and Modelling of Soil Moisture in Lower Franconia (Germany)
Authors: Krause Julian , Schäfer Christian , Terhorst Birgit , Baumhauer Roland , Paeth Heiko
Published: March 2020

This research is part of the integrated project “BigData@Geo - Advanced Environmental Technology Using AI In The Web” funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The aim of this ERDF-project is to develop a high-resolution regional earth system model for the region of Lower Franconia. One sub-project is dedicated to regional soil moisture modelling created with WaSiM-ETH based on soil moisture monitoring data. The second sub-project aims to improve the resolution of the regional climate model REMO. Both models will be combined to form the earth system model.

Lower Franconia is amongst the regions in Germany, which will be strongly affected by climate change. Regional climate models show that average temperatures will rise and dry periods as well as extreme precipitation events occur more often. However, it is still not known, what effect the changing climate conditions – especially dry periods and extreme precipitation events – will have on the soils in Lower Franconia.

Yields of forestry and agriculture (including viticulture and pomiculture) depend very much on the availability of soil water. During the growing season the water retention capacity of soils is therefore highly relevant. Up to present, datasets as well as modelling results of future scenarios on soil moisture are only scarcely available on local as well as on regional scale. In order to generate future scenarios, calculation of the soil moisture regime forms the base in order to evaluate present day conditions as well as to develop prognostic studies. As we intend to obtain most realistic parameters, generation of real-time data with high temporal resolution at selected sites is crucial. They are characteristic for Lower Franconia serving as calibration regions for modelling approaches. The operating monitoring stations record soil moisture and - temperature as well as meteorological parameters.

In order to obtain data on dynamics and causes of soil moisture fluctuation as well as to understand process flows, soil geographical surveys form an essential component of our research design for selected sites related to the monitoring stations. Furthermore, relevant sedimentological and pedological parameters such as grain size distribution, permeability, and bulk density are analyzed in the laboratory. Thus, our representative test sites combine detailed ground-truth data combining soil moisture and soil quality and thus, form consecutive modules as parts of soil moisture models. These modules drive and control the modelling procedures of the sub-project and they further serve for assessment and calibration of the area-wide hydrological and climate modelling in the “BigData@Geo” ERDF-project.
Linking source to stratigraphy through sediment transport: The importance of spatially variable climate on the evolution of the Argentine Andes
Authors: Harries Rebekah , Kirstein Linda , Whittaker Alex , Attal Mikael , Gailleton Boris , Mudd Simon
Published: March 2020

Over geological timescales, we often assume the export of sediment, from mountainous source regions to depositional basins, is relatively instantaneous. As such, stratigraphic units are thought to capture erosional trends in their upstream catchment. The export of sediment from mountain basins, however, is a process heavily modified by sediment transport.

Here, we exploit a well-constrained field site in the Argentine Andes to demonstrate how the connectivity between hillslopes and mountain rivers modulates long-term sediment export in post glacial landscapes. We map out erosion trends in upstream catchments by combining an analysis of river profiles with geomorphic mapping of sediment deposits. We then use a comprehensive catalogue of clast lithology data to test to what extent upstream erosion trends are recorded downstream.

Despite their proximity to each other, we find adjacent catchments supplying sediment to the Iglesia basin have distinctly different degrees of hillslope-river connectivity, evident from the morphology of terraced and fan deposits within the catchments. Catchments with good hillslope-river channel connectivity also have a higher abundance of clasts sourced from the upper cordillera downstream of their mountain front. We place these observations within the context of a strong precipitation gradient across the cordillera and demonstrate the importance of climate and climate-controlled base-level on the spatial distribution of erosion within mountain catchments and fundamentally, on sediment export.

This work has implications for those using gravels to reconstruct the history of mountain ranges. Furthermore, it highlights the need to better constrain the potential for a disproportionate increase in sediment export to populated areas under future climate scenarios
Influence of beech and spruce forests on soil water dynamics
Authors: Sipek Vaclav , Hnilica Jan , Vlček Lukáš , Hnilicová Soňa , Tesař Miroslav
Published: March 2020

This study focuses on the description of soil water dynamics at four sites with different land cover types, namely beech forest, conifer forest, meadow and clipped grass. The analysis was based on soil tensiometer measurements from five consecutive vegetation seasons (comprising both wet and dry years). We investigated both column average pressure heads and also their vertical distribution. The soil water balance was studied by the HYDRUS-1D model. The highest pressure heads were observed at the grassland site, followed by the meadow site. The forested sites were generally reaching lower pressure head values, which was a result of higher evapotranspiration and different soil properties. The differences between the spruce forest (Picea abies (L.)) and beech forest (Fagus sylvatica L.) were evident namely in dry periods, when the beech site was experiencing lower pressure heads. Contrarily, the spruce site was drier (with recorded lower pressure heads) in wet periods and at the beginning of each season. Compared to the conifer forest, lower pressure heads were observed in beech forest, namely at the bottom of the inspected soil column (down to 100 cm). The inspection of the soil water balance revealed different rates of evapotranspiration and drainage at all sites. The evapotranspiration was highest in the beech canopy followed by spruce and both grass covered sites. The differences between spruce and beech forest were based namely on the water consumption efficiency and differences in interception rates, vertical distribution of the roots, and soil hydraulic properties.

 

This research was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (GA CR 20-00788S), SoilWater project (EIG CONCERT-Japan), and by the institutional support of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic (RVO: 67985874).
Disdrometer Gravitational Sorting Signature in a Mediterranean Environment
Authors: Kasparis Takis , Michaelides Silas , Lane John
Published: March 2020

The motivation behind this research was initially the observation and the subsequent modelling of the gravitational sorting of precipitation in disdrometer-based spectra. The gravitational sorting signature (GSS) is expected to be observed when every drop impact measured by the disdrometer is time tagged and then displayed as a scatter plot diagram of drop diameter (D) versus time (t). The resulting D-t diagrams exhibit marked diagonal features and gravitational sorting signatures are characterized by a negative slope. However, because of the way that manufacturers and researchers process disdrometer data, this signature is typically wiped out. 

This research is based on the assumption that if a rain producing cloud that goes through a complete rain process from start to end, remains fixed (no advection) over a disdrometer site, then some GSS should occur; if advection dominates, then GSS may not be observable.  In this latter case, the precipitating cloud may move over the disdrometer. In this paper, two cases are presented one in which GSS was detected and another in which GSS was absent.

The disdrometer data used in this study were recorded by using a Joss-Waldvogel impact disdrometer located on the roof of a building of the meteorological station at Athalassa, Cyprus (35.15°N, 33.40°, 161.0 m above Mean Sea Level, MSL). The Joss-Waldvogel impact disdrometer used is able to record drop diameters from 0.3mm to 5.5mm in ten-second intervals, allowing for the establishment of the Drop Size Distribution (DSD) representing this range of drop sizes.