bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The hydrogen bonding structure of adsorbed water on silver iodide and Feldspar minerals
Authors: Ammann Markus , Yang Huanyu , Artiglia Luca , Boucly Anthony
Published: March 2020

The hydrogen bonding structure of adsorbed water on a solid substrate may control deposition nucleation, which is a pathway of heterogeneous ice nucleation. Hydrogen bonding of water molecules is also controlling the interface between the solid and liquid water relevant for other heterogeneous freezing modes. The hydrogen bonding structure may be affected by short and long-range interactions between the substrate and the water molecules nearby. Electron yield near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy at the oxygen K-edge is used to experimentally explore the difference between the hydrogen bonding structure of interfacial H2O molecules under different conditions of temperature and water vapor pressure. Experiments reported in this work were performed at the in-situ electron spectroscopy endstation at the ISS beamline at the Swiss Light Source (PSI, SLS). We report electron yield oxygen K-edge NEXAFS spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectra from silver iodide (AgI) particles and milled feldspar samples exposed to water vapor at high relative humidity, but subsaturated with respect to ice. AgI serves as a well-studied reference case; and it contains no oxygen in its lattice, which simplifies the analysis of NEXAFS spectra at the O K-edge. The feldspar samples include a potassium containing microcline and a sodium-rich albite. The analysis of the NEXAFS spectra indicate rather tetrahedrally coordinated adsorbed water molecules on AgI particles. On the feldspars, the mobility of ions, as directly observed by the XPS spectra appears to have a strong impact on the hydrogen bonding structure, as apparent from substantial differences between samples previously immersed in pure water or as prepared. To sum up, we attempt to understand the behavior of the hydrogen bonding structure, which provides rich information about the arrangement of water molecules in the vicinity of a solid surface, that is linked to the ability of the solid to induce ice formation.
Progress of the Climate and Atmospheric Composition Exploring Satellites Mission (CACES) in China
Authors: Wang Xin , Wu Xue , Zhang Zhihua , Lyu Daren
Published: March 2020

As a potential way to measure atmospheric variables with high vertical resolution and improved accuracy, the technique of Microwave and Infrared Occultation was studied. To monitor the atmospheric thermodynamic state variables (e.g., pressure, temperature, and humidity) and greenhouse gases (e.g., H2O, CO2, CH4, N2O, O3), a concept mission named Climate and Atmospheric Composition Exploring Satellites (CACES) that is based on the occultation technique of the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, was proposed to the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (SPRPCAS). The mission has been approved in 2018 as a primary study to prove the possibility of observing the benchmark climate data. Designs of the constellation for the scientific objectives in climate and weather forecasts were simulated. The spatiotemporal distribution of simulated measurements was analyzed and evaluated for ensuring the desired performance. And the retrieval methods with bending angle and transmission amplitude of microwave and infrared-laser signals were studied.
Bosphorus Volcano; Signs of an Ancient Volcano on an Ancient City
Authors: Ülgen Semih Can , Şengör A.M. Celâl , Keskin Mehmet , Aysal Namık
Published: March 2020

In many ancient and active volcanic provinces dyke systems represent radial and concentric patterns. In İstanbul, NW Turkey, late Cretaceous dykes, which are emplaced in pre-Cretaceous basement rocks consisting of sedimentary rocks of Palaeozoic and Triassic ages, have both patterns. In the region, late Cretaceous volcanism is represented by three elements, (1) The Çavuşbaşı granitoid, (2) volcano-sedimentary units and (3) dykes.

Age of the Çavuşbaşı granitoid is given as 67.91±0.63 to 67.59±0.5 Ma. It is emplaced in shallow depth and has an indistinct contact aureole. Volcano sedimentary units were deposited in an intra-arc basin. Three types of dykes are reported in the region: lamprophyre, diabase and intermediate to felsic dykes (72.49±0.79 to 65.44±0.93 Ma). Different petrology and the crystallization depths of the crystals in the dykes and the Çavuşbaşı granitoid suggest two different magma chambers emplaced at two different depths, the Çavuşbaşı granitoid representing the shallower one.

Upper Cretaceous dykes are concentrated around the Çavuşbaşı granitoid and extend almost as far as 30 km away from the pluton. The intrusion of the plutonic body of the Çavuşbaşı granitoid caused a dome structure in the basement rocks. The formation of this dome structure may have controlled the stress field and the orientation of the dyke system. Similar patterns are observed in the British Tertiary igneous province, Galapagos volcanoes, Boa Vista (Cape Verde), Summer Coon volcano, Spanish Peak Mountain and Dike Mountain (Colorado), Vesuvio, Etna and Stromboli (Italy).

We suggest that Upper Cretaceous volcanic edifice in the İstanbul region is related to an arc volcano similar to the andesitic volcanoes in the Sumatra Island; we name it the Bosphorus Volcano.  
crops planting area identification and analysis based on multi-source high resolution remote sensing data
Authors: Wang Lei , Sun Haoran , Li Wenjun , Zhou Liang
Published: March 2020

Crop planting structure is of great significance to the quantitative management of agricultural water and the accurate estimation of crop yield. With the increasing spatial and temporal resolution of remote sensing optical and SAR(Synthetic Aperture Radar) images,  efficient crop mapping in large area becomes possible and the accuracy is improved. In this study, Qingyijiang Irrigation District in southwest of China is selected for crop identification methods comparison, which has heterogeneous terrain and complex crop structure . Multi-temporal optical (Sentinel-2) and SAR (Sentinel-1) data were used to calculate NDVI and backscattering coefficient as the main classification indexes. The multi-spectral and SAR data showed significant change in different stages of the whole crop growth period and varied with different crop types. Spatial distribution and texture analysis was also made. Classification using different combinations of indexes were performed using neural network, support vector machine and random forest method. The results showed that, the use of multi-temporal optical data and SAR data in the key growing periods of main crops can both provide satisfactory classification accuracy. The overall classification accuracy was greater than 82% and Kappa coefficient was greater than 0.8. SAR data has high accuracy and much potential in rice identification. However optical data had more accuracy in upland crops classification. In addition, the classification accuracy can be effectively improved by combination of classification indexes from optical and SAR data, the overall accuracy was up to 91.47%. The random forest method was superior to the other two methods in terms of the overall accuracy and the kappa coefficient.
HEPEX: Connecting the dots in hydrologic ensemble predictions
Authors: Verkade Jan , Wetterhall Fredrik , Ramos Maria-Helena , Wood Andy , Wang Quan , Pechlivanidis Ilias , Boucher Marie-Amélie
Published: March 2020

Since 2004, HEPEX (Hydrologic Ensemble Prediction Experiment) has built a community of researchers and practitioners around the world. After 15 years, its mission continues to be very relevant: to establish a more integrated view of hydrologic forecasting. In this view, data assimilation, hydro-meteorological modelling chains, user behavioural-decision models, pre- and post-processing techniques, expert knowledge, participatory co-evolution of knowledge and user needs, communication and visualisation tools, training material, games and decision support systems are connected to enhance operational services, early warning systems and water management applications. Great progress has been made over the years in terms of using ensemble hydro-meteorological forecasting, but there are still institutional, scientific and operational challenges that the community faces. Here, we present the full range of HEPEX activities, such as workshops, conference sessions, testbeds, learning material and our long-running portal (www.hepex.org). We show how HEPEX can continue to be a relevant network in the coming decades. A large part of that answer lies in the fact that our members use the platform to continuously share their research, make announcements, report on workshops, projects and meetings, and hear about related research and operational challenges. It is also a forum for early career scientists to become increasingly involved in hydrologic forecasting science and applications.
Satellite Scheduling with VieSched++ : current status and future plans
Authors: Wolf Helene , Schartner Matthias , Böhm Johannes , Hellerschmied Andreas
Published: March 2020

Observing extragalactic radio sources is an integral part of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) but observing satellites also provides a variety of new possibilities. Interesting scientific applications can be found in providing space ties instead of using local ties for connecting reference frames of different space-geodetic techniques. To generate schedules including observations to satellites a dedicated module has been implemented in the new scheduling software VieSched++.

This newly developed module determines possible satellite observations considering several observation conditions, such as the visibility from the selected station network and antenna slew rates. A schedule including observations to quasars and satellites can be generated in a semi-automatic mode. The scheduling of the satellite scans is done manually by the user who can select and adjust the possible satellite observations before adding them to the schedule. The remaining part of the schedule is filled automatically by the software VieSched++ using the general optimization algorithm with observations to quasars. In this poster an overview of the current status of the satellite scheduling module in VieSched++ is given, as well as an outlook to highlight future plans. 
The meltwater feedbacks on ice dynamics, elevation versus lubrication
Authors: de Fleurian Basile , Langebroek Petra , Halas Paul
Published: March 2020

In recent years, temperatures over the Greenland ice sheet have been rising leading to an increase in surface melt.  Projections show that this augmentation of surface melt will continue in the future and spread to higher elevations. As it increases, melt leads to two different feedbacks on the dynamic of the Greenland ice sheet. This augmentation of melt lowers the ice surface and changes its overall geometry hence impacting the ice dynamics through ice deformation. The other feedback comes into play at the base of glaciers. Here, the increase of water availability will impact the distribution of water pressure at the base of glaciers and hence their sliding velocity. The first feedback is relatively well known and relies on our knowledge of the rheology and deformation of ice. The lubrication feedback acting at the bed of glaciers is however highly uncertain on time scales longer than a season. Here we apply the  Ice  Sheet  System  Model  (ISSM)  to  a  synthetic  glacier  which  geometry  is  similar to the one of a Greenland ice sheet land terminating glacier. The dynamic contributions from ice deformation and sliding are separated to study their relative evolution. This is permitted by the use of a dynamical subglacial hydrology model that allows to link the basal sliding to the meltwater production through an appropriate friction law. The  model  is  forced  through  a  simple  temperature  distribution  and  a  Positive  Degree  Day  model which allows to apply a large range of different forcing scenarios. Of particular interest is the evolution of the distribution of the efficient and inefficient component of the subglacial drainage system and their different response to the distribution of melt during the year which directly impact the sliding regime at the base of the glacier.
Earth Arcade’s The Forest: Scenographic engagement spaces
Authors: Skinner Christopher , Skinner Amy , Fergusson Baugh Cat
Published: March 2020

As researchers we attempt to engage the public with our work in many different spaces yet we hardly ever seriously consider how we might manipulate, or control, that space in order to enhance that engagement. The theatrical research discipline of Scenography concerns itself with understanding how space can be used, through mediums such as stage design and performer/audience interaction, to control engagements and help maximize the impact of the activities within that space.

The Earth Arcade is a series of public engagement activities within an exhibit space that can be tailored for different events, depending on scale and audience. It uses games and game-like activities to share environmental research and inspire people to take actions to address environmental issues. The Forest project was established to explore how scenographic techniques could transform the spaces in which Earth Arcade exhibits are deployed.

Inspiration for The Forest was drawn from a visit to the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space 2019, where several of the exhibits were themselves inspired by environmental concerns. The space was debuted as a distinct part of an Earth Arcade exhibit at the 2019 Freedom Festival in Hull, UK, an annual arts and culture festival with over 130,000 visitors, and included elements like mindfulness, conversation circles, craftivism, and interactive soundscapes. These elements have subsequently been incorporated into further Earth Arcade exhibits.

The Forest demonstrates a successful, inter-disciplinary approach, where environmental researchers and theatrical researchers combine their work for mutual benefit and engage the public with vital environmental issues.
Constraints on the Timing of Surface Uplift of the Iranian Plateau (Arabia-Eurasian Collision Zone) from Clumped Isotope Thermometry on Pedogenic Carbonates
Authors: Ballato Paolo , Licht Alexis , Huntington Katharine , Schauer Andrew , Mulch Andreas , Heidarzadeh Ghasem , Paknia Mohammad , Hassanzadeh Jamshid , Mattei Massimo , Ghassemi Mohammad , Strecker Manfred
Published: March 2020

Orogenic plateaus are extensive, elevated, arid, generally internally drained, morphotectonic provinces of low internal topographic relief that represent a striking and enigmatic feature of Earth’s continental landscapes. They are located along convergent plate boundaries and have a profound impact on regional and global climate, erosional processes, local- to far-field deformation mechanisms and the long-term distribution of biomes and biodiversity. Although the paramount role of large orogenic plateaus in shaping our planet is widely appreciated, the question of why, where, and how some orogenic systems develop large plateaus remains a first-order problem in our understanding of lithospheric evolution and orogenic processes.

Here, we present a clumped isotope paleoaltimetry study to document the elevation history of the Iranian Plateau, with the goal of understanding the rates and mechanisms of orogenic plateau rise. This plateau is in the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone, has a mean elevation of ~ 1.8 km, steep margins with mountain peaks higher than 4 km, and experienced surface uplift sometime after the middle Miocene as documented by the occurrence of ca. 17-My-old marine deposits in the plateau interior.

Preliminary results from Early Miocene to Quaternary pedogenic carbonates on the plateau interior and the adjacent, less elevated, intermontane Tarom basin suggest that surface uplift must have occurred sometime between 12-11 and 8 Ma. The lack of significant crustal shortening and thickening during this time interval and the occurrence of a renewed phase of adakitic volcanism by ca. 11 Ma suggests that surface uplift may have been driven by deep-seated processes associated with asthenospheric flow.
Seasonal elevation changes in the Greenland Ice Sheet from CryoSat-2 altimetry
Authors: Slater Thomas , Shepherd Andrew , McMillan Malcolm , Leeson Amber , Gilbert Lin , Briggs Kate
Published: March 2020

Seasonal changes in the elevation of the Greenland Ice Sheet below the equilibrium line altitude are driven by ice dynamics and fluctuations in surface melting and snowfall accumulation. Here, we use CryoSat-2 altimetry to estimate summer and winter elevation changes in the ablation area of the Greenland Ice Sheet between 2011 and 2019. During this period, we find average summer and winter elevation trends of -2.52 ± 0.68 m/yr and 0.90 ± 0.39 m/yr, respectively. While the rate at which the ablation zone thickens in winter due to snowfall has remained relatively stable, variability in ice thinning in the summer due to surface melting has followed recent changes in atmospheric circulation. In combination with a regional climate model, we examine patterns of change associated with ice sheet dynamics on both multi-annual and seasonal timescales. At the ice sheet scale, we find our altimeter record of height change within the ablation zone strongly agrees with regional climate model reconstructions of elevation change due to surface processes alone. Between 2011 and 2019, we estimate that the ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet has thinned by 3.86 ± 0.30 m from CryoSat-2 altimetry.
Coherent changes in large-scale thermal structure and baroclinic life cycle of synoptic eddies in the Northern Hemisphere under global warming
Authors: Hsu Pei-Chun , Hsu Huang-Hsiung
Published: March 2020

There is a growing concern that human-induced climate change has been affecting weather systems. However, robust observational evidences that confirm the links between global warming and synoptic phenomena at the global scale are lacking. Here we reveal robust covarying signals between poleward temperature gradient and baroclinic life cycle of synoptic (1-10 days) eddies under global warming. We note that the changes in temperature structure in Northern Hemisphere winter and summer in the past decades are different. In boreal winter, the tropospheric warming has been larger in tropical upper troposphere and around 30°N than for the midlatitude (30-60°N). This inhomogeneous warming resulted in the enhancement of poleward temperature gradient in the subtropical upper troposphere and in the lower midlatitude (30-45°N). We observed correlated increasing trends in the entire baroclinic life cycle of synoptic eddies — including eddy fluxes of heat and momentum, and zonal mean jet — associated with steepened poleward temperature gradients in these regions in the winter Northern Hemisphere over the past four decades. By contrast, in the summer Northern Hemisphere, the overall tropospheric warming over the mid- to high-latitude land areas has been accompanied by weakly reduced synoptic eddy activities and zonal mean flow. Our findings suggest that if greenhouse gas–induced warming continue to change the atmospheric thermal structure as projected in a warming climate, extratropical synoptic disturbances and large-scale circulations may change accordingly.
Mitigation strategies to reduce saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers: the testing site of Ca’ Pasqua, Italy.
Authors: Botto Anna , Camporese Matteo , Salandin Paolo
Published: March 2020

 Seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers is a worldwide problem caused by natural processes but significantly worsened by aquifer overexploitation for drinking water supply and irrigation, land subsidence, sea levels rise, and climate changes, which contribute to the reduction of groundwater natural recharge.

Within the framework of an Interreg Italy-Croatia collaboration project (Italy – Croatia 2014 – 2020 CBC Programme), MoST (MOnitoring Sea-water intrusion in coastal aquifers and Testing pilot projects for its mitigation), a study area located at Ca’ Pasqua, in the southern part of the Venice lagoon, Italy, is used as a pilot site to develop and test possible solutions to issues of coastal seawater intrusion. The project consists of two main phases. The first phase is devoted to the collection of hydro-geophysical information and data in the study area and to mimic the dynamics of the relevant processes in laboratory experiments. In the second phase, appropriate countermeasures (e.g., underground barriers, recharge wells, recharge drains, cut-off walls) will be considered to limit or mitigate the seawater intrusion/contamination and their efficiency will be tested. These activities will be carried out with the involvement of local populations and authorities, which will benefit the most by these actions, thanks to their final implications in terms of enhanced crop productivity and touristic activities.

Within the context of this project, we present the results of a numerical modeling study, whereby a finite difference model, SEAWAT, is used to test the potential effects of one of the aforementioned countermeasures, a recharge drain located in a sandy paleochannel which seems to represent a preferential pathway for saline intrusion but can also be used to convey freshwater to reduce soil salinization. The model is set up by integrating information derived from in-situ monitoring and observations of precipitation, rivers hydrometric heads, evapotranspiration and tide levels for a period of about 10 years. A number of different scenarios are modelled and compared, allowing us to predict the resulting seawater intrusion mitigation and its uncertainty.
Evaluation of a rain barrel sharing network for sustainable water management
Authors: Kwon You Jeong , Seo Yongwon
Published: March 2020

Recently, interested in LID and GI has been increasing for sustainable development. Rain water harvesting system is commonly used in various type as a form of low impact development. This study introduces a rain barrel sharing network, which is a connected system through water-sharing among individual RWHS users. In this study, we developed an evaluation procedure for the reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability of a RBSN based on a SRY relationship. The preliminary result shows that reliability and vulnerability increased with all the users connected. However, resiliency is degraded as the degree of sharing increases. Based on this, we analyzed the benefit from a RBSN with 73 observing data and RCP scenarios in South Korea and investigated the regional characteristics of benefits from the RBSN. The potential benefit from a RBSN implies the important role of social practices under water scarcity and extreme hydrologic events with climate change.
High-resolution temperature and wind field observations in the atmospheric boundary layer
Authors: Zeeman Matthias , Katurji Marwan , Banerjee Tirtha
Published: March 2020

Do we get a better picture of the world around us if we simultaneously observe many aspects instead of a few? Dense sensing networks are an elaborate way to validate our representation of land surface boundary layer processes commonly derived from single point monitoring stations or a three-dimensional model world. More samples promise unique insights into interactions that occur at different scales, separated in space and time.

We present a combination of techniques that purvey a) observations of the temperature and wind field in high detail and b) the extraction of information about dynamic interactions near the surface. A field experiment was conducted in complex terrain, in which landscape features dramatically modulate local flow patterns and the atmospheric stability during summer days rapidly transitions on a diurnal scale and between locations. Wind and temperature were simultaneously observed using a network of Doppler lidar, sonic anemometer, fiber-optic temperature sensing (DTS) and thermal imaging velocimetry (TIV) instrumentation, centered around the TERENO/ICOS preAlpine grassland observatory station Fendt, Germany, during the ScaleX Campaigns (https://scalex.imk-ifu.kit.edu). Data analyses relied on signal decomposition and statistical clustering, aimed at the characterization of (non-)turbulent motions and their feedback on turbulent mixing near the surface. The combination of methods offered multiple levels of detail about the development and impact of organized structures in the atmospheric boundary layer.

The study shows that the exploration of novel micrometeorological and data sciences techniques helps advance our knowledge of fundamental aspects of atmospheric turbulence, and provides new avenues for theoretical and numerical studies of the atmospheric boundary layer.
Temperature conditions of development juvenile NEA cod in the Barents sea for 1998-2015 on the basis of satellite data
Authors: Vanyushin George , Bulatova Tatyana
Published: March 2020

Temperature conditions of development juvenile NEA cod in the Barents sea for 1998-2015 on the basis of satellite data

Vanyushin G. P., Bulatova T. V.

Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO)

107140 17, V. Krasnoselskaya str., Moscow

tel: 8(499)264-01-33, fax: 8(499)264-91-87,

e-mail: ladimon@mail.ru

 

Abstract

The paper considers the real temperature conditions in the main spawning area of North-East Arctic cod in the Norwegian sea and the development of its juveniles in the Barents sea in the periods from March to October 1998-2015. Here was taken as a principle the analysis of materials Bank mean weekly maps of sea surface temperature (SST) built on complex process: infrared digital data from metrological satellites of the series "NOAA" and quasisynchronous temperature data "in situ" from ships, buoys and coastal stations. A continuous series of indicators on temperature variability in the surface layer of sea water in coastal zone of the Norwegian sea during spawning periods and later on during the early ontogenesis of juvenile cod in the Barents sea  allowed to establish the dynamics of interannual seasonal temperature trends on a mesoscale period of time (1998-2015). This made it possible to assess the indirect impact of temperature conditions on the prospect of survival and, accordingly, the number of juvenile cod in the first year of its life after spawning – the most important stage in the life cycle of a new generation of cod. The paper presents calculations of monthly and seasonal average values of SST and SST anomalies in the Norwegian and Barents seas, shows the interannual seasonal dynamics of these characteristics. Given for these years, the results of the comparative analysis between: seasonal values of temperature in the water surrounding the Lofoten Islands (March-April – time of the main spawning) and in the water of the Barents sea (May-October - time of the early onthogenesis of juvenile cod) and professional expert estimates the number of yearlings cod. The relationship between these statistical data was positive and about equal to R= + 0,67. Information on the number of generations of cod at different stages of its life cycle was taken from the annual reports of the Arctic Fisheries Working Group ICES.

Keywords: satellite monitoring, sea surface temperature (SST), the  Northeast Arctic cod, main spawning and habitat waters, yearlings of the cod.
Decadal variations in retrieved aerosol optical depth from sunshine duration measurements over Europe since the late 19th century
Authors: Wandji William , Lipponen Antti , van den Besselaar Else , Sanchez–Lorenzo Arturo , Wild Martin , Arola Antti
Published: March 2020

A better knowledge of the present–day aerosol forcing requires an accurate estimation of the historical evolution of aerosol optical depth (AOD), which is also crucial to better understand the role played by atmospheric aerosols in the dimming/brightening phenomena that have occurred since the mid-20th century. A physically-based approach using daily sunshine duration and cloud cover measurements is applied over Europe for retrieving AOD (Wandji Nyamsi et al., 2019). Both European Climate Assessment & Dataset (ECA&D) and national meteorological offices/institutes provide suitable measurements, from ~ 1000 ground-based stations, to carry out our study.

The retrieved long-term AOD shows reasonable seasonal and annual variabilities including signals induced by major volcanic eruptions. The trends of atmospheric aerosols and associated increase and decrease of AOD over the periods 1960–1984 and 1985–2010, respectively, are in good agreement with the dimming/brightening periods reported before. In addition, a more dominant decrease in AOD including high variability from the early-1900s to the 1950s is observed, which agrees with some earlier studies reporting “early brightening” for this period. The high inter-annual AOD variability during that period may be partly due to the transition from coal to gas in some European countries and also due to the possible influence of the Word Wars I & II.

References

Wandji Nyamsi, W.; Lipponen, A.; Sanchez–Lorenzo, A.; Wild, M. and Arola, A. (2019), A hybrid method for reconstructing the historical evolution of aerosol optical depth from sunshine duration measurements, submitted.
Perception of Rural Tourism From the Perspective of Tourists. Case study Mountain area of Suceava County
Authors: Diacon Liliana Daniela , Efros Vasile , Ciubotaru Cristian
Published: March 2020

Rural tourism is an activity that protects the environment in comparison with the consumer industries, becoming an ally in the conservation of the environment. All of the rural areas of the country, the most consistent through potential is the mountain area, which is why we chose as a case study, the mountain region of Suceava county. Starting from the hypothesis that the tourist offer of the mountain area is attractive, the research aims at the degree of tourist satisfaction with the tourist offer of the rural area of â€‹â€‹Suceava county.  

The methodology is based on the conducted survey on the basis of the questionnaire by the method of face-to-face interview, between September 1 and November 30, 2019.The questionnaire was anonymous in order to ensure the highest degree of sincerity of the answers and was applied to a number of 630 tourists from the mountain region of Suceava county. 

The present study shows that most tourists who choose Suceava county as their destination, reside in neighboring counties, especially in the region of Moldova. An element of attractiveness is the lower prices compared to other tourist areas of the country. The economic facility of granting holiday vouchers and cards from the public domain in Romania, makes the tourist demand in non-polluting spaces increasing.   On the other hand, the statistical data confirm that the number of the agrotourism pensions in Suceava county are increasing from year to year; Suceava  is ranking in 2019 on the second place after Brasov county.The hypothesis confirms that rural tourism is a growing phenomenon, but the length of stay of tourists in the rural area is on average 1-3 days.

In conclusion, the following analysis of the results it is found that tourists are attracted by the beauty of the landscape of the existing cultural objectives, the local gastronomy, the hospitality of the hosts, all at a lower prices compared to areas of the great tourist interest in the country.

Keywords:  Rural Tourism, Mountain area, tourists, Suceava County
Effects of Tropical Cyclones on ENSO
Authors: Lian Tao , Ying Jun , Ren Hong-Li
Published: March 2020

Numerous studies have investigated the role of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in modulating the activity of tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western Pacific on interannual timescales, but the effects of TCs on ENSO are less discussed. Some studies have found that TCs sharply increase surface westerly anomalies over the equatorial western–central Pacific and maintain them there for a few days. Given the strong influence of equatorial surface westerly wind bursts on ENSO, as confirmed by many recent literatures, the effects of TCs on ENSO may be much greater than previously expected.

Using recently released observations and reanalysis datasets, it is found that the majority of near-equatorial TCs (TCs hereafter) are associated with strong westerly anomalies at the equator, and the number and longitude of TCs are significantly correlated with ENSO strength. When TC-related wind stresses are added into an intermediate coupled model, the simulated ENSO becomes more irregular, and both ENSO magnitude and skewness approach those of observations, as compared with simulations without TCs. Adding TCs into the model system does not break the linkage between the heat content anomaly and subsequent ENSO event in the model, which manifest the classic recharge–discharge ENSO dynamics. However, the influence of TCs on ENSO is so strong that ENSO magnitude and sometimes its final state—i.e. either an El Niño or a La Niña—largely depend on the number and timing of TCs during the event year. Our findings suggest that TCs play a prominent role in ENSO dynamics, and their effects must be considered in ENSO forecast models.
Secondary Ice Production in Antarctic Clouds: a process neglected in large-scale models
Authors: Sotiropoulou Georgia , Vignon Etienne , Young Gillian , Lachlan-Cope Thomas , Berne Alexis , Nenes Athanasios
Published: March 2020

In-situ measurements of Antarctic clouds frequently show that ice crystal number concentrations  are much higher than the available ice-nucleating particles, suggesting that Secondary Ice Production (SIP) may be active. Here we investigate the impact of two SIP mechanisms, Hallett-Mossop (H-M)and collisional break-up (BR), on a case from the Microphysics of Antarctic Clouds (MAC) campaign in Weddell Sea using the Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) model. H-M is already included in the default version of the Morrison microphysics scheme in WRF; for BR we implement different parameterizations and compare their performance. H-M alone is not effective enough to reproduce the observed concentrations. In contrast, BR can result in realistic ice multiplication, independently of whether H-M is active or not. In particular, the Phillips parameterization results in very good agreement with observations, but its performance depends on the prescribed rimed fraction of the colliding ice particles. Finally, our results show low sensitivity to primary ice nucleation, as long as there are enough primary ice crystals to initiate ice-ice collisions. Our findings suggest that BR is a potentially important SIP mechanism in the pristine Antarctic atmosphere that is currently not represented in weather-prediction and climate models.
Impact of atmospheric quasi-biweekly oscillation on the persistent heavy PM2.5 pollution over Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China during winter
Authors: Gao Libo , Wang Tijian , Ren Xuejuan , Zhuang Bingliang , Li Shu , Yao Ruan , Yang Xiuqun
Published: March 2020

In recent years, persistent heavy air pollution (PHP) events occurred frequently over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China, which posed a great threat to human health. The pollution was characterized by fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5). This study investigates the evolution of PHP over the BTH region and its relation to the atmospheric quasi-biweekly oscillation in winters of 2013–2017. A PHP event is defined as three or more consecutive days with daily mean PM2.5 concentration exceeding 150 μg m-3. We observed a significant periodicity of 10–16 days of the PM2.5 concentration, which notably contributes to the occurrence of PHP. According to the quasi-biweekly variation of PM2.5, the life cycle of PHP events are divided into eight phases. The phase composites of circulation anomalies show that the atmospheric quasi-biweekly oscillation provides favorable conditions for the persistence of wintertime PM2.5 pollution. During the PHP events, the quasi-biweekly southerly anomalies prevail persistently over eastern China. The East Asian winter monsoon is weakened and more moisture is transported to the BTH region continuously. The anomalous warming in the lower troposphere indicates a stable stratification on the quasi-biweekly time scale. In the mid-troposphere, the oscillation of East Asian trough’s intensity is significantly correlated with the PHP events. Further lead-lag correlation analysis suggested that the quasi-biweekly oscillation of East Asian trough can be traced back to a precursor signal over northwestern Eurasia about 11 days earlier, through a southeastward wave train propagation. Therefore, the meteorological conditions conducive to PHP over the BTH region can be predicted on the quasi-biweekly time scale.
Forecast of development of sea coasts on their morphodynamicstate according to the results of space images descryption
Authors: Kosyan Ruben , Dunaev Nickolay , Repkina Tatyana , Juanes Marti Jose
Published: March 2020

The choice of the object of study is due to the alarming problem of the stability of its shores and, above all, the sandy beaches of the recreational and tourist complex of international importance Varadero, Ikakos peninsula. Its relief is represented by a low (on average 10 m) abrasion-accumulating plain with several remnants of indigenous carbonate rocks of calcarenites, the maximum elevation of which is 27 m. From the west, the peninsula is washed by the waters of the Strait of Florida, and from the east by the waters of a small shallow-water Cardenas Bay. In tectonic terms, the Ikakos Peninsula is represented by a fault-block structure complicating the centricline of the neotectonic trough of Remedios, bordering about Cuba island. Holocene deposits of the peninsula on the western side are represented by marine organogenic sand of beaches, limited by organogenic conglore breccia of the Seboruko terrace and cliffs of Miocene calcareous sandstones, and on the eastern side, where mangrove vegetation is widely developed, mainly by sediments of marshes and small shallow lagoons.

Based on the results of comparative interpretation of the Ikakos Peninsula satellite images from 2003 to 2013, a map of the types of its shores was compiled . Comparison of images of different times showed that most part of the western coastline is stable. For the accumulative part of it, this is obviously a consequence of artificial sanding, and for the abrasive part, it is a consequence of the expansion of benches with a boulder block. The beaches are most stable in the middle part of the peninsula, probably because migrating alongshore sediment fluxes from both the southern and northern sides of the peninsula rush here. The most mobile were the basal and distal parts of the peninsula.

In the short term, the morpholithodynamics of the coastal geosystem of the Ikakos Peninsula will be determined mainly by its latest tectonics and sea level kinematics. The western margin will be determined by sand reserves in the coastal shelf zone. If the peninsula maintains a tendency toward a weak and moderate uplift, the abrasion of the coasts formed by calcarenite will slow down. On sandy coastal areas with increased flotation of beach-forming material, the amount of material will be reduced. Therefore, to maintain the beaches, it will be necessary to carry out competent and timely sanding and provide measures to extinguish the energy of storm waves at a submerged slope. The distal part of the peninsula will increase. On low-lying mangrove shores, lagoons and bogging will shrink, and halophilic, mainly mangrove, vegetation will advance into the Gulf of Cardenas waters.

This work was supported  by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, projects no. 18-05-34002, 20-05-00009 and by the Russian Science Foundation, project no. 20-17-00060.
What lies immediately outside of the heliosphere in the very local interstellar medium (VLISM): morphology of the Local Interstellar Cloud, its hydrogen hole, Stromgren Shells, and 60Fe accretion
Authors: Linsky Jeffrey
Published: March 2020

 We describe the very local interstellar medium (VLISM)
immediately outside of the outer heliosphere. The VLISM consists 
of four partially ionized clouds - the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC), 
G cloud, Blue cloud, and Aql cloud that are in contact with the outer 
heliosphere, and ionized gas produced by extreme-UV radiation 
primarily from the star Epsilon CMa. We construct the 
three-dimensional shape of the LIC based on interstellar line 
absorption along 62 sightlines and show that in the direction of 
Epsilon CMa, Beta CMa, and Sirius B the neutral hydrogen column 
density from the center of the LIC looking outward is a minimum. 
We call this region the ``hydrogen hole''. In this direction, the 
presence of Blue cloud absorption and the absence of LIC absorption 
can be simply explained by the Blue cloud lying just outside of the 
heliosphere. We propose that the outer edge of the Blue cloud is a 
Str\"omgren shell driven toward the heliosphere by high pressures in 
the H II region. The outer edges of other clouds facing Epsilon CMa 
are likely also Stromgren shells. Unlike previous models, the LIC
surrounds less than half of the heliosphere.

We find that the vectors of neutral and ionized helium flowing
through the heliosphere are inconsistent with the mean LIC flow 
vector and describe several possible explanations. The ionization
of nearby intercloud gas is consistent with photo-ionization by 
Epsilon CMa and hot white dwarfs without requiring additional 
sources of ionization or million degree plasma. In the upwind 
direction, the heliosphere is passing through an environment of 
several LISM clouds, which may explain the recent influx of 
interstellar grains containing 60Fe from supernova ejecta measured 
in Antarctica snow. The Sun will leave the outer partof the LIC 
in less than 1900 years, perhaps this year, to either enter the 
partially ionized G cloud or a highly ionized intercloud layer. 
The heliosphere will change in either scenario. An instrumented 
deep space probe sending back in situ plasma and magnetic field 
measurements from 500-1,000 AU is needed to understand the 
heliosphere environment rather than integrated data along the 
sightlines to stars.  
Surface Temperature Monitoring by Satellite Thermal Infrared Imagery at Mayon Volcano of Philippines, 1988-2019
Authors: Chan Hai-Po , Konstantinou Kostas
Published: March 2020

Mayon Volcano on eastern Luzon Island is the most active volcano in the Philippines. It is named and renowned as the "perfect cone" for the symmetric conical shape and has recorded eruptions over 50 times in the past 500 years. Geographically the volcano is surrounded by the eight cities and municipalities with 1 million inhabitants. Currently, its activity is daily monitored by on-site observations such as seismometers installed on Mayon's slopes, plus, electronic distance meters (EDMs), precise leveling benchmarks, and portable fly spectrometers. Compared to existing direct on-site measurements, satellite remote sensing is currently assuming an essential role in understanding the whole picture of volcanic processes. The vulnerability to volcanic hazards is high for Mayon given that it is located in an area of high population density on Luzon Island. However, the satellite remote sensing method and dataset have not been integrated into Mayon’s hazard mapping and monitoring system, despite abundant open-access satellite dataset archives. Here, we perform multiscale and multitemporal monitoring based on the analysis of a nineteen-year Land Surface Temperature (LST) time series derived from satellite-retrieved thermal infrared imagery. Both Landsat thermal imagery (with 30-meter spatial resolution) and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) LST products (with 1-kilometer spatial resolution) are used for the analysis. The Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) is applied as the decomposition tool to decompose oscillatory components of various timescales within the LST time series. The physical interpretation of decomposed LST components at various periods are explored and compared with Mayon’s eruption records. Results show that annual-period components of LST tend to lose their regularity following an eruption, and amplitudes of short-period LST components are very responsive to the eruption events. The satellite remote sensing approach provides more insights at larger spatial and temporal scales on this renowned active volcano. This study not only presents the advantages and effectiveness of satellite remote sensing on volcanic monitoring but also provides valuable surface information for exploring the subsurface volcanic structures in Mayon.
Risk of gully erosion: methods and examples of estimates
Authors: Sidorchuk Aleksey , Entin Andrei
Published: March 2020

Risk of damage of buildings and infrastructure by gully erosion can be estimated on the net of flowlines or by evaluation of depths of gullies with erosion model, or by calculation of some simplified measures of erosion rate, which are correlated with such calculated gullies depths and/or with the measurements of gully erosion. The most exact approach is based on calculation of the transformation of longitudinal profiles of linear erosion features along all flowlines on DEM with GULTEM model. The model includes calculation of gully erosion and thermoerosion, gully bank widening and collapsing. This requires detailed meteorological, hydrological, morphological and lithological information and includes model calibration on the measurement data. The simplified methods are based on the calculation of critical runoff depth at which linear erosion of the soil begins for each point on the catchment. The total sediment yield at each point by all flows above critical or difference between the maximum runoff depth and its critical value is calculated within such approach. This requires much less hydrological, morphological and lithological information, but takes into account only initial conditions on the catchment. Calculations of the risk of gully erosion were performed on the net of flowlines for the gas fields on the Yamal Peninsula with existing and designed structures and buildings. Comparison of the results of evaluating the gully erosion potential by the simplified methods with the data of calculations of gully erosion using the detailed dynamic model and field measurements showed their satisfactory agreement. This confirms the possibility of using express-methods for a quick assessment of the scope of using territories for development with the following detailed calculations with the use of GULTEM on certain areas of construction for evaluation of the risks of landscape and infrastructure disturbance.

Funding: This research was funded by RFBR grant 18-05-60147 "Extreme hydrometeorological phenomena in the Kara Sea and the Arctic coast".

 