bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrated methodology of micro-CT and thin-section analysis for paleoflow reconstructions in lacustrine event deposits
Authors: Lisson Kamill , Van Daele Maarten , Schröer Laurenz , Cnudde Veerle
Published: February 2023

X-ray computed microtomography (μCT) is a non-destructive 3D imaging and analysis technique that is increasingly used in geosciences, including the analysis of grains, pores, structures, fluid flow and morphological features. In Quaternary sedimentology, particularly in disciplines that study unconsolidated sediment cores from (glacio)lacustrine environments, μCT scanning of smaller subsamples is proving to be a valuable integration tool to the traditional thin section micromorphology, as it allows visualisation of internal 3D sediment composition, texture and structure at high resolution. We created an integrated methodology of μCT and thin section analysis by developing a 3D-printed subsampler that can effectively (1) extract areas of interest from soft sediment cores, (2) stabilise the unconsolidated “wet” sediment during μCT scanning and (3) allow dehydration and impregnation to be carried out while the sample is in the subsampler, which ensures an undisturbed sample for thin section preparation.Here we apply our new methodological approach on sediment cores from Alaskan, Chilean and Swiss lakes. Medical X-ray CT scans of sediment cores from these lakes have proven to be valuable for studying seismically, volcanically and climatically induced event deposits. However, higher resolution μCT data with a voxel size of 5 μm is required to isolate individual grains larger than medium silt to determine their grain size, shape and orientation. Subsamples (8.0 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm) of different types of event deposits (turbidites, lahars and avalanches) were extracted from the sediment cores, scanned at the Centre for X-ray Tomography (UGCT, Ghent University) and thin sections were prepared. μCT scanning of the “wet” sediment subsamples allowed 3D characterisation of grains and structures of the original sediment microstructure and radiodensity contrast at high resolution, while the thin sections provided additional mineralogical and high resolution structural 2D information. This detailed analysis of the orientations of mud clasts, silt/sand grains and dropstones (in deposits from historical events) will lead to a better understanding of the relationships between paleoflow direction and grain deposition, and thus improve the reconstructions of past natural hazard events in the study areas.
Isotopic and chemical characterization of saline lake and playa salts: Implication for climate on Earth and Mars
Authors: Hao Yuxin , Qiu Yuhe , Chen Lanxiadi , Li Jun , Liu Wanyu , Tang Mingjin , Zhang Xiying , Niu Zhenchuan , Pettersson Jan , Wang Sen , Kong Xiangrui
Published: February 2023

Evaporite salts from saline lakes and playas play active roles in the atmospheric cycles and the climate system, especially in the context of changing climate. Similar processes also occurred on Mars, where large water bodies dried up and formed saline lakes and then salt evaporites and deposits. In this study, various salt samples (brines, lakebed salts, crust salts, playa surface salts, and a series of salts collected at different depths) were collected from two Martian analogue sites (Mang’ai and Dalangtan, MA and DLT) in Qaidam Basin. The salt samples were measured for their ionic compositions and pH as the fundamental characterization, and the effects of sample types and sampling sites are discussed. The hygroscopic properties of solid salts, including crystalized brines, were experimentally determined. The results show strong connections between the ionic composition and hygroscopic properties though discrepancy exists, indicating that the hygroscopicity is sensitive to the molecular forms and the hydrate degrees of salts. Sulfur and chlorine isotopes were measured, and the results are presented as δ34S and δ37Cl. The δ34S values of samples from MA and DLT show great difference. The δ34S values of MA samples are comparable to previously reported fresh water, brines and local precipitation, indicating that the MA samples are strongly influenced by materials exchanged from local environments. The DLT samples have higher δ34S values, which suggest that the material exchanges with surrounding environments are limited. The δ37Cl values are confined within a relatively narrow window compared to literature values. A trend is that the δ37Cl values vary with sample types, i.e., crust > lakebed > brine. This is likely caused by the isotopic fractionation during evaporite precipitation, where the heavier 37Cl isotope is preferably precipitated. The study of salt samples from MA and DLT areas improves the understanding of the active role of evaporite salts in the material cycle and climate system of both Earth and Mars.Keywords: δ34S, δ37Cl, hygroscopicity, climate, Mars, Qaidam Basin
Application of machine learning techniques in groundwater potential mapping in the Korba coastal aquifer Cap Bon Peninsula
Authors: Khammessi Ichrak , omar hamdi
Published: February 2023

Groundwater potential mapping (GWPM) in the coastal areas is central for the decion making and development of the society and the environment. The current study endeavours the delineation of the groundwater potential zones of Korba coastal aquifer in the Cap-Bon Peninsula in the North East of Tunisia, using three different machine Learning techniques : random forest (RF), boosted regression tree (BRT), and the ensemble of RF and support vector machine (SVM). In order to achieve the objective, 17 groundwater influencing factors including elevation, slope, aspect, slope length (LS), profile curvature, plan curvature, topographical wetness index (TWI), distance from streams, distance from lineaments, lithology, geomorphology, soil, land use, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI),Stream Power Index,Drainage Density and rainfall were considered for inter-thematic correlations and overlaid with wells locations and Transmissivity data in a spatial database. A total of 225 wells locations were identified, which had been divided into two classes: training and validation, at the ratio of 70:30, respectively. The RF, BRT, and RF-SVM ensemble models have been applied to delineate the groundwater potential zones. These models were validated with area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) curve. The accuracy of RF (92%) and hybrid model (89.2%) was more efficient than BRT (85.6%) model. The results of the study will help the decision-makers, government agencies, and private sectors for sustainable planification of  groundwater resources in the study area.
Energy transition and Deep Geothermal solution role: a screening procedure for the retrofitting and reuse of ex Oil&Gas wells as deep closed-loop borehole heat exchangers in Italy
Authors: Facci Marina , Di Sipio Eloisa , Galgaro Antonio
Published: February 2023

The decarbonization of communities and their energy supply is considered as a contemporary priority path forward, although it poses many challenges. In this scenario, geothermal energy can cover a pivotal role in the energy transition and in a wider spread of renewable energies. Moreover, the possibility to reuse or modifying existing wells for geothermal purposes is becoming a hot and promising topic. In Italy, there are more than 8000 abandoned/inactive on-shore wells drilled for hydrocarbon exploration subsequently abandoned either for the end of the resource (exhausted well) or for sterility (barren well). This can represent a huge opportunity for geothermal energy exploitation. The drilled borehole available data, collected during the exploration activity, provide useful information about the sub-surface reservoirs, highly reducing the mining risk level, and allowing direct and low cost access to the sub-surface heat energy.

This work aims to analyse the feasibility of the retrofitting of abandoned oil and gas wells focusing on the Italian territory, proposing a selection methodology of wells starting from raw data collection. We want to evaluate which could be the best technical solutions for the retrofitting of an inactive oil&gas well considering the closed loop geothermal options, both coaxial and deep-U heat exchangers options. We decided to concentrate on the closed loop solution for the retrofitting because of its low environmental impact due to the absence of fluid exchange with the surrounding underground, despite the lower efficiency, compared to a system that involves the extraction of fluids from the subsoil.

A database, that collects data of wells drilled since the middle of 1900, provide by public information, is used, applying a first filter by considering the following discriminant parameters: the depth (more than 1000 m), the Bottom Hole Temperature (BHT), higher than 65°C, and the nearness of possible end-users. After this operation a set of 541 wells has been obtained.  A focus on the status of the well has been performed,  such as vertical or deviated and the availability of a litho-stratigraphic data to thermally characterize the rock formations around the well.  Then, the measured temperature data was analysed to figure out the distribution of geothermal gradient and to identify different situations in terms of temperature at national scale, that could be selected later as representative case studies of high, medium and low enthalpy geothermal plant.  Moreover, the Horner plot approach have been adopted for computing equilibrium temperature at depth after drilling, obtaining the real temperatures for each well. The proximity to possible heat stakeholders was then assessed using a GIS system.
Assessing impacts of Spatio-temporal changes in land use and land cover on the hydrologic response of an Indian Catchment
Authors: Kaur Sukhsehaj , Chavan Sagar
Published: February 2023

The hydrology of a catchment is sensitive to its intrinsic attributes, such as the land use/land cover(LULC), soil type, and topography, which collectively determines its response to the weather inputs(e.g., precipitation, temperature, radiation, etc.). The dynamic nature of LULC in both space and timeposes a severe challenge in the reliable prediction of the hydrologic response of catchments.However, the spatio-temporal variation in LULC is seldom accounted for in hydrological modelingstudies, which leads to an inaccurate characterization of the watershed. In this study, we haveincorporated dynamic LULC (both in space and time) within the Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT) model, using SWAT-LUT (Land use Update Tool) for the Nowrangpur catchment in India. TheLULC maps corresponding to the years 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2015 are used to generate theintermediate years’ maps via linear interpolation. The future LULC maps till the year 2035 arepredicted using Cellular Automata- Artificial Neural Network (CA-ANN) algorithm in the GISframework. It is observed that there is a reduction in the forest cover from 19.13% in the year 1985to 7.55% in the year 2015, along with the expansion of urban areas and impervious surface from0.36% in the year 1985 to 2.47% in the year 2015. Calibration and validation of the monthlystreamflows are performed by accounting for dynamic LULC within the catchment through SWAT-LUT. The satisfactory performance of the SWAT model is observed in predicting the monthlystreamflows in the Nowrangpur catchment. Further, the comparison of streamflow prediction understatic and dynamic LULC is performed. In these two cases, the observed changes in the values ofwater balance components (i.e., with and without using SWAT-LUT), such as evapotranspiration,surface runoff, infiltration, and water yield, are studied. The changes in the water balancecomponents are attributed to the LULC changes within the catchment. The results indicate that theland use update (to account for the Spatio-temporal variability in LULC) needs to be incorporated todetermine the reliable hydrological response of a catchment.
Genesis and tectonic setting of podiform chromitites in the Hegenshan and Solonker ophiolites, Inner Mongolia, southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt
Authors: Qian Qunye , Huang Bo , Fu Dong , Liu Man , Kusky Timothy , Wang Lu
Published: February 2023

Ophiolite is the remnants of ancient oceanic crust and mantle, which can reveal the tectonic evolution of paleo-oceanic basins. Podiform chromite deposit in ophiolites can retain the original information of petrogenesis and mineralization during the later deformation and metamorphism process, and it is a key object that can be used to decipher the origin and tectonic setting of ophiolites and the evolution of paleo-oceanic basins. Ophiolite suites are widely developed in Hegenshan and Solonker tectonic belts, the Inner Mongolia segment of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. However, the genesis and tectonic environment of ophiolite and associated podiform chromitites remain debated, which restrict the understanding of the tectonic evolution and metallogenic background of the orogenic belt. Here, we conducted a detailed study of field, petrography, and mineral chemistry on the podiform chromitites in the Hegenshan and Solonker ophiolites in Inner Mongolia to explore their origin and tectonic environment. Petrographic results show that the Hegenshan chromites contain abundant high-pressure, hydrous mineral inclusions of sodic amphibole, white mica, and clinopyroxene, along with previously reported ultra-high pressure minerals (e.g., diamond); whereas the Solonker chromite contains minor white mica inclusions. Mineral chemical analysis shows that the Hegenshan ophiolite is dominated by high-Al type spinels with subordinate high-Cr type spinels; whereas the Solonker ophiolite mainly contains High-Cr type spinels. Accordingly, we suggest that the Hegenshan chromitites formed initially in a mid-ocean ridge (MOR) setting of a backarc ocean basin, then experienced modification in a suprasubduction zone (SSZ) setting, with deep mantle recycling and two stages of melt-peridotite interactions due to backarc subduction initiation; and the Solonker chromitites formed by boninitic melt-peridotite reaction in the SSZ forearc setting probably due to slab roll-back or subduction re-initiation following ridge subduction. These findings provide important constraints on the petrogenesis of chromites/ophiolites, regional tectonic evolution and mineralization background of chromitites in the Inner Mongolia segment of the Central Asian Orogenic belt.
Analysis of the impact of selected sources of uncertainty on precipitation simultaions of summer convection over Central Europe
Authors: Czajka Beata , Barthlott Christian , Kohler Martin , Wieser Andreas , Hoose Corinna
Published: February 2023

In this study we investigate the impact of several selected sources of uncertainty on convective precipitation prediction. For this purpose, we conduct numerical simulations with the ICOsahedral Non-hydrostatic (ICON) model for two consecutive days in June, 2021, on which deep moist convection triggered by different synoptic forcing occurred over southwestern Germany. We use single- and double-moment microphysics schemes and vary the initial soil moisture, grid spacing, and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration. We compare the results with measurements conducted on the same two days during the Swabian MOSES (Modular Observation Solutions for Earth Systems) field campaign. We find that the applied dry bias (initial soil moisture in the model reduced by 25%) much better represents the actual soil moisture conditions and leads to an improved quantitative precipitation forecast when compared to radar-derived precipitation amounts. Furthermore, the model resolution impacts the precipitation amount, intensity, and the timing of convection initiation: while 1-km runs show the least root mean square error for 24-hour precipitation sums, the onset of convective precipitation in 2-km resolution runs matches better the observations. However, the overall impact of this factor is not always systematic. The comparison of several radiosounding-derived convective indices (e.g. lifted index, convective available potential energy, convective inhibition) with model data yield many non-systematic results. For instance, CCN concentrations do not seem to have any significant impact on any of the calculated indices. At the same time, runs with coarser resolution (2-km) often better depict the temporal development of CAPE but overestimate its amount.
A feature based perspective on upscale error growth.
Authors: Schmidt Sören , Riemer Michael , Selz Tobias
Published: February 2023

Atmospheric predictability is fundamentally limited by the upscale growth of initial small-scale, small-amplitude errors. Studying upscale error growth mechanism is essential to better understand this fundamental limitation. Upscale error growth is frequently investigated by spectral analysis. By design, however, spectral analysis is non-local. A local investigation of error growth in different flow configurations is desirable, though, to study the well-known flow dependence of error growth. We thus take here a complementary approach to spectral analysis and identify local regions of prominent errors as “error features”.We have developed an automated algorithm to identify error features in gridded data and track their spatial and temporal evolution. Errors are considered in terms of potential vorticity (PV) and near the tropopause, where they maximize. A previously derived PV-error tendency equation is evaluated to quantify the different contributions to error growth in previously published upscale error growth experiments with the global prediction Model ICON from the German Weather Service. Errors in these experiments grow from very small initial-condition uncertainty (three orders of magnitude smaller than current-day uncertainty) and due to differences in the seeding of a stochastic convection scheme.Spatial composites centered on the centroid of error features indicate that features are primarily generated ahead of an upper-tropospheric trough. The environment surrounding the features at the time of their first detection is characterized by locally enhanced lower to mid tropospheric moisture, latent heat release, and upper tropospheric divergence. Subsequently, this moist-diabatic nature of the error environment becomes gradually less prominent. The evaluating of process specific error growth rates enables to quantify the upscale growth mechanics in more detail. For this purpose, we integrate the growth rates over the respective area associated with an error feature. Examination of the combined growth rates of all features reproduces the previously found three-phased multi-scale upscale growth paradigm: Errors are first generated on the small scale by differences in latent heat release, then projected onto the tropopause region by associated differences in upper tropospheric divergent outflow, and finally amplified by nonlinear Rossby wave dynamics. The growth rates from a single feature, however, can substantially differ from the mean picture. Some features, e.g., go through the described stages in a cyclic sequence, and the main focus of the presentation will be on the differences between fast and slowly amplifying error features.
GHOST: A globally harmonised dataset of surface atmospheric composition measurements
Authors: Bowdalo Dene , Basart Sara , Guevara Marc , Jorba Oriol , Pérez García-Pando Carlos
Published: February 2023

A critical measure for our understanding of the complex non-linear processes which determine atmospheric composition is through the use of Chemical Transport Models and Earth System Models. In order to evaluate the veracity of these models, observations are required, however the availability and quality of these observations serves as a major impediment to this process. The most temporally consistent measurements have been made at the surface by established measurement networks, typically for the purpose of monitoring local exceedances of air quality limits. There are multiple networks which report this data, in disparate formats, requiring harmonisation to allow for synthesis.On the occasion that evaluation efforts use data from multiple networks, there is typically little to no detail given about the methodology used for the data synthesis across the different networks, or regarding the quality assurance (QA) or station classifications employed to subset the data. Therefore, evaluation efforts across different research groups are often incomparable.As a response to this common challenge, we established GHOST (Globally Harmonised Observational Surface Treatment). GHOST can be succinctly stated as an effort to standardise the data / metadata from the major public reporting networks which provide in situ atmospheric measurements at the surface. In total the dataset comprises of ~20 billion processed measurements, for ~200 components, across 32 networks, from 1970 to 2022. This represents the biggest collection of harmonised atmospheric composition surface measurements ever composed. Substantial efforts have been made towards standardising almost every facet of provided data / metadata from across the networks. On top of this, additional metadata was added by processing various commonly utilised globally gridded datasets (e.g. land use), as well as adding temporal classifications per measurement (e.g. weekday / weekend). As the dataset spans many decades, metadata is handled dynamically and allowed to vary through the record, important for instances when there are changes in measurement instrumentation or the measurement position.Major efforts were made for the standardisation of the numerous metadata fields detailing measurement procedures, with all measurements linked to a dictionary of standard measurement methods and standard instruments. Great effort was also spent in the standardisation of station classifications, providing large flexibility for the subsetting of stations. Rather than dropping any measurements which are labelled as potentially erroneous by the measurement provider, standardised data flags are associated with each individual measurement. On top of this, GHOST own QA flags are also associated per measurement.All data is now freely available to the community.
Contrasting changes in extreme rainfall and river flow as global mean temperature increases
Authors: Addor Nans , Lord Natalie , Uhe Pete , Quinn Niall , Wing Oliver , Sampson Chris
Published: February 2023

Air can hold more moisture as temperature increases, leading to more extreme rainfall events. Yet, this does not necessarily result in larger river floods. Here we use model projections to explore differences in the response of the atmosphere and catchments to an increase in global mean temperature. For both extreme rainfall and flow, we compute relative changes per °C, often called change factors (CFs) or scaling factors. Unlike some other studies, the multidecadal temperature mean is used instead of the temperature during the extreme event. This allows us to use CFs to produce maps of future changes for any emission scenario and future period.We relied on rainfall projected by 4 high-resolution GCMs from CMIP6 HighResMIP post-processed using 3 levels spatial smoothing (low to high smoothing). We also used hydrological simulations from 3 global hydrological models (GHMs) forced by 4 GCMs and produced as part of the ISIMIP2b project. We computed changes in the median of annual maxima based on periods of 31 years on 0.25° (HighResMIP) and 0.5° (ISIMIP2b) global grids. Working with two 12-member ensembles enables us to assess uncertainties in future changes.We found that whilst extreme rainfall is projected to increase over 87% of the land area (ensemble median), only 69% of the land area is projected to show an increase in extreme flow magnitude. Importantly, while there is high model agreement (at least ¾ of the models agree) that extreme rainfall will increase over 76% of the land area, high agreement that future flows will increase is only found over 40% of the land area. We show that these discrepancies are caused by changes in soil moisture and snow pack projected by the GHMs, highlighting the importance of river flood drivers other than extreme rainfall.
Low opaque clouds formed over Baffin Sea enhances Greenland's west coast surface cloud warming
Authors: Lac Jean , Chepfer Hélène , Gallagher Michael R. , Arouf Assia
Published: February 2023

Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) melt plays a major role in the global sea level rise. Surface melting is driven by changes in the radiative budget at the surface which is modulated by clouds. However, relatively little is known on the influence of local atmospheric processes on the fragile GrIS coast. Here we used space based lidar cloud profile observations with complementary data to show that low clouds formed in response to the Arctic sea ice retreat in September are transported over the GrIS west coast and warm radiatively the GrIS surface. Previous works have shown that low liquid clouds are formed in response to arctic sea ice retreat in September. We first showed the existence of continuous stratiform low liquid clouds between the Baffin Sea and the GrIS west coast in September using 12 years space lidar data at full resolution (instantaneous time scale and less than 500m spatial scale). Secondly, we analyzed wind profiles from re-analyis and from recent Doppler wind space lidar data and found that westerlies transport these stratiform clouds from the Baffin Sea to the GrIS west coast. Then, we used Surface LongWave Cloud Radiative Effect data derived from space-based active sensors for days that correspond to these specific situations where clouds are transported from the Baffin Sea, to quantify how much they warm radiatively the GrIS coast. We found that clouds coming from the Baffin Sea warm radiatively the GrIS west coast surface by +80W/m2 during the month of September. This contributes to an increase of +10W/m2 of cloud surface warming in average between July and September on the GrIS west coast. Overall, this study suggests that processes independent from large-scale circulation also influence the GrIS mass balance. 
Validation of the ASIM MXGS performance using cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts
Authors: Ramsli Andreas , Marisaldi Martino , Tsvetkova Anastasia , Guidorzi Cristiano , Sarria David , Mezentsev Andrey , Lindanger Anders , Østgaard Nikolai , Neubert Torsten , Reglero Victor , Svinkin Dmitry , Lysenko Alexandra , Frederiks Dmitry
Published: February 2023

The Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) is a mission of the European Space Agency launched in April 2018 and hosted onboard the International Space Station (ISS). ASIM is dedicated to study the physics of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) and Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) and their relation to lightning. TGFs are X- and Gamma-ray flashes associated to lightning discharges, with average duration of few tens of microseconds and energies up to 40 MeV. ASIM detects TGFs by means of the Modular X- and Gamma-ray Sensor (MXGS). So far, the MXGS performance (efficiency, effective area) have been evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations only, while energy calibration is monitored using built-in radioactive sources and background lines. TGFs are local events, very rarely observed by more then one spacecraft simultaneously, therefore it is difficult to use them to validate the MXGS performance. Goal of this study is to use cosmic Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) simultaneously detected by ASIM and other spacecraft as calibration sources to validate the spectral performance of MXGS. GRBs are the brightest explosions in the universe, associated to the collapse of massive stars or the merger of compact objects, involving at least one neutron star, at cosmological distances. During the period from June 2018 to December 2021, 12 GRBs were detected by ASIM and by one or more other spacecraft. Here we use data from the Konus-WIND mission and from the Fermi Gamma Burst Monitor (GBM), both considered as benchmarks in the field of GRB analysis. We cross-correlate the light curves of the three instruments, and we perform simultaneous spectral analysis using the forward-folding approach. In some cases, we find good consistency between the detectors, indicating an overall validation of the MXGS performance. In other cases, we identified discrepancies, possibly due to absorption from structures of the ISS, currently under investigation. In this presentation, we show our data sample, the methodology used and the preliminary joint spectral analysis results. This work is relevant because it will provide an independent assessment of the MXGS performance, with clear implications for ASIM TGF results.
Multi-analytical methodology to indagate the Pietraforte sandstone risk assessment
Authors: Salvatici Teresa , Centauro Irene , Segabinazzi Eugenio , Calandra Sara , Intrieri Emanuele , Garzonio Carlo Alberto
Published: February 2023

Pietraforte sandstone is one of the most important stone material used during Renaissance in Historic Center of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of its main uses as building material is rusticated block facades, a peculiar masonry technique typical of many historical Florentine palace (ie. Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Palazzo Strozzi, etc.). The characteristic color of Pietraforte, ranging from grey to yellow-ochreous, is a distinctive feature of the urban landscape of Florence.Stone rusticated blocks constitute elements with different overhangs which make them subject to decay phenomena due to weathering that, together with their intrinsic characteristics, can lead to detachment and loss of blocks (even of considerable size).The study of Pietraforte as a geoheritage with its morphological, mechanical, physical, mineralogical, and petrographic characterization is an important starting point to understand the possible evolution of decay processes.A multi-analytical characterization of this stone in several study cases allow the comparison of Florentine rusticated blocks used in different architectural registers (rough-hewn, smooth-faced and pillow rusticated), highlighting different behaviors of Pietraforte in distint architectural contexts.For example, convolute laminations and calcite veins (Pecchioni et al. 2007, Pecchioni et al. 2020), typical macroscopic characteristics of Pietraforte, show different behavior depending on the type of rusticated blocks.A multi-analytical methodology has been developed including sampling for physical, petrographic and mineralogical characterization and Non Destructive Techniques (NTD), using ultrasonic pulse velocity and sclerometric tests for mechanical behaviors (Salvatici et al. 2020, Centauro et al. 2022, Calandra et al. 2023). The main morphological features of Pietraforte from a geological point of view are investigated pondering each rusticated blocks as a rock mass and applied some methods of rock slope stability analysis.The study performed in this work aims to protect and preserve geoheritage stones finding a new and sustainable restoration and conservation approach for Pietraforte built Cultural Heritage weaknesses. Furthermore this multi analytical approach allow the diagnosis of the vulnerability of the stone material to detachments of scales, fragments and whole blocks that represent a damage to the monuments and a danger for people.
Attribution of a warmer climate on temperature extremes over Europe using high-resolution storyline simulations with ICON-CLM
Authors: Klimiuk Tatiana , Ludwig Patrick , Ehmele Florian , Pinto Joaquim , Braesicke Peter
Published: February 2023

Besides ongoing research on general future climate changes, the actual attribution of changed climatic conditions on single extreme events becomes an important topic. The focus of this study is to place historical European temperature extremes into a warmer climate context using the storyline approach. Global storyline simulations show that local near-surface temperature anomalies during a heat wave can be significantly amplified compared to the mean global warming level. To refine these results and for a better process understanding, the storylines produced with the global model of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI-CM1; also contributing to CMIP6) are dynamically downscaled with ICON-CLM to the EURO-CORDEX domain (12km) and subsequently nested into a extended Germany domain on convection-permitting scale (3km). After a validation of the present-day ICON-CLM simulation against reanalyses and observations, the dynamical downscaling of two storylines corresponding to the 2K and 4K global warming levels have been performed. In this study, we present results of a case study considering the development of the European heat wave of 2019 at different warming levels with focus on regional temperature anomalies and feedbacks that might cause them. Additionally, the results are compared to the classical EURO-CORDEX CMIP6 projections.
Dominant features and variability of the mesoscale circulation and thermohaline structure of the eastern Levantine during the post POEM period 1995-2015
Authors: Brenner Steve , Gertman Isaac , Ozer Tal , Simoncelli Simona , Zodiatis George
Published: February 2023

An analysis of in-situ data gathered over the two decade post POEM period in the South-Eastern Levantine Basin from extensive hydrographic (CTD) campaigns and VOS XBT transects, along with data provided by the latest SeaDataCloud Mediterranean Sea Temperature and Salinity climatology (http://dx.doi.org/10.12770/3f8eaace-9f9b-4b1b-a7a4-9c55270e205a) and the Mediterranean Sea Physics Reanalysis from the Copernicus Marine Service (CMS; https://data.marine.copernicus.eu/product/MEDSEA_MULTIYEAR_PHY_006_004), have all provided insight on the dominant, coherent, meso-scale, circulation features as well as the evolution and variability of the thermohaline properties of the main water masses in this sub-basin. The most pronounced feature, the warm core Cyprus Eddy, migrates over the broad region of the Eratosthenes seamount and exhibits significant seasonal and inter-annual spatio-temporal variability. Another prominent structure is the anticyclonic Shikmona Eddy generated periodically due to instabilities of the strong northward flowing jet along the south-easternmost shelf and slope of the Levantine basin. Its evolution and co-existence with the Cyprus Eddy for periods of a few months, affects the temporal re-establishment of the Shikmona Gyre, which was first observed during the POEM cruises in the mid 1980s. The eastward flowing Mid Mediterranean Jet (MMJ) defines the northern flanks of these sub-basin scale eddies and transports the lower salinity Modified Atlantic Water (MAW) through the warmest and most saline region of the Mediterranean. Periodically the MMJ bifurcates and/or is diverted northward, along the western coast of Cyprus due to spatial fluctuations of the Cyprus Eddy. Four active periods were identified with either a dominant Cyprus Eddy only or coexisting Cyprus and Shikmona Eddies. This long term in-situ monitoring also provides an overview of the extent of the main water masses and characterizes their variability throughout the period considered. The temperature and salinity of the Levantine Surface Water (LSW) and of the subsurface MAW have increased. The Eastern Mediterranean Transient Water (EMTW) is shown to occupy the deep cavities, below the Eastern Mediterranean Deep Water (EMDW), in the vicinity of the Eratosthenes seamount while its upper boundary was lifted to shallower depths over the same period.
meteostations-geopy: a Pythonic interface to access data from meteorological stations
Authors: Bosch Martí
Published: February 2023

Observational meteorological data is central to understanding atmospheric processes, and is thus a key requirement for the calibration and validation of atmospheric and numerical weather prediction models. While recent decades have seen the development of notorious platforms to make satellite data easily accessible, observational meteorological data mostly remains scattered through the sites of regional and national meteorological service, each potentially offering different magnitudes, temporal coverage and data formats. In order to overcome these shortcomings, we propose meteostations-geopy, a Pythonic library to access data from meteorological stations. The central objective is to provide a common interface to retrieve observational meteorological data, therefore reducing the amount of time required to process and wrangle the data. The library interacts with APIs from different weather services, handling authentication if needed and transforming the requested information into geopandas data frames of geolocated and timestamped observations that are homogeneously structured independently of the provider. The project is currently in an early development stage with support for two providers only. Current and future work is organized in three interrelated main axes, namely integration of further providers, implementation of native support of distributed data structures and organization of the library into the intake technical structure with drivers, catalogs, metadata sharing and plugin packages that are provider specific.
Integrating the electrical resistivity tomography and the microtremor exploration technology to explore the spatial distribution of the mud reservoir and the channel of the Gunshuiping mud volcano
Authors: Rupeljengan Ljegay , Chen Tzung-Ting , Lin Yu-Xuan , Su I-Ting
Published: February 2023

The rapid sedimentation of the seafloor in southwestern Taiwan in early period created the sediments which are not fully compacted and cemented. With the developing geological process, a well-developed mud diapir was formed. Linear structures such as faults or fissures were exposed on the earth’s surface to form mud volcanoes of different scales. Our study area is located at the Gunshuiping mud volcano in Yanchao District and Qiaotou District, Kaohsiung City. It is adjacent to the Qishan Fault and spans the Chegualin Fault, which is the extension of the Longchuan Fault. According to the geological map published by Central Geological Survey, MOEA, the stratum from top to down in this area can be divided into recent alluvial formation, terrace deposits formation, Qiding formation, Gutingkeng formation, etc. The mud eruption of the Gunshuiping mud volcano was chemically analyzed and the result showed that it is the product of the Gutingkeng formation. This project will use the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to construct a complete subsurface stratum distribution map and the structure of the mud volcano, and combine the micro-tremor site exploration technology to analyze the underground structure of mud volcano. The ERT method can observe the mud reservoir content and mud channel structure under the surface and analyze the trend of mud flow, while the micro-tremor site exploration technology can observe the underground velocity structure caused by mud volcanic activity, and explore its mud accumulation thickness, fissure distribution and potential Eruption range. Therefore, the two methods can be seen as complementary and mutually corroborate each other's information. In the future, this method can be used to make plan and take precaution in advance for the activity level and the influence area of Gunshuiping mud volcanoes or other geologically sensitive area.
The potential for colloidal silica grout in multi-barrier systems for geological disposal
Authors: Lunn Rebecca , Pagano Arianna , El Mountassir Grainne
Published: February 2023

Over the past decades, researchers and industry have developed multi-barrier approaches to the sealing of deposition holes, tunnels, shafts and boreholes. Research has comprehensively described the hydromechanical behaviour of typical barrier materials, such as cement and compacted bentonite over a wide range of hydromechanical conditions. Where challenges remain for post-closure sealing is in controlling the hydromechanical behaviour at interfaces between materials within the repository. These interfaces include between the host rock and the barrier materials, as well as at the interfaces with materials required for safe construction and operation, such as shotcrete and steel. This study explores the potential for colloidal silica grout as a secondary grouting material for repair of degraded cementitious construction materials and wasteforms and for sealing the interfaces between barriers materials and the host rock. Colloidal silica is an aqueous suspension of silica (SiO2) nanoparticles, with average particle size <100 nm.  The creation of siloxane bonds (Si – O – Si), typically triggered by the addition of an electrolyte accelerator, leads to the formation of a solid-like network of silica nanoparticles in the form of a hydrogel. Previous work at Strathclyde on colloidal silica gel has proved its potential to form low-permeability hydraulic barriers against fluid migration, and to inhibit the diffusion of radionuclides through the gel, making it a promising material for use in retrieval operations. Here we present research to determine the potential for colloidal silica to be used in a range of geological disposal applications. We show that due to its excellent penetrability and controllable gel time, colloidal silica has the potential for repairing fine-aperture cracks within the cementitious materials, at the cement/steel interface, or at the interface between barrier materials and the host rock. We inject colloidal silica injected into fractured cement cores (0.2 and 0.5 mm fracture aperture) and expose them to varying pressure and temperature conditions. Fracture permeability upon water injection is assessed pre- and post-treatment. We find that permeability values after treatment are reduced by three orders of magnitude, thus confirming the potential of colloidal silica for repairing fine-aperture cracks. Further, our experiments show that mechanical strength of the cement is recovered, suggesting that additional C-S-H is produced during grouting. We then discuss the wider potential for colloidal silica as part of a multi-barrier approach to long-term sealing of geological disposal facilities.
Multivariate forecasting of tropical cyclones using combined neural networks.
Authors: Hudozhnik Yegor , Windisch Andreas
Published: February 2023

Tropical Cyclones (TCs) are extremely dangerous and destructive events which pose a danger to human lives every year. Conventional TC forecasting methods are computationally intensive and require a relatively large amount of energy and time.In the light of climate change due to the process of global warming, the behavior of TCs may change, and therefore require the use of modern, more flexible learning methods for estimation and forecasting.In recent years, the study of the application of Deep Learning (DL) in this area proved to be highly effective. These methods are designed to facilitate the prediction process, as well as automatically detect possible trends that may occur over time.In this work, an application of neural networks such as LSTMs and GRUs is investigated to forecast tracks and classify the evolution of TC systems using satellite image data series as an input, where historical track data and the satellite image data are used to train the network. Particular attention is paid to adaptivity of DL approaches to recent trends and edge cases.
Could hydraulic parameters variation affect the vegetation development in treatment wetlands?
Authors: Sciuto Liviana , Sacco Alessandro , Cirelli Giuseppe L. , Barbera Antonio C. , Licciardello Feliciana
Published: February 2023

Abstract: Treatment wetlands (TWs) are complex ecosystems due to variable conditions of hydrology, soil hydraulics, plants and microbiological species diversity and mutual interactions. On the one hand, hydraulics plays a vital role on the treatment performance and on the life cycle of TWs, on the other hand, the vegetation substantially contributes to remove and to retain pollutants. As well known, the unavoidable and progressive clogging phenomenon in TWs affects their hydraulics. A lack of knowledge still remains to what extend hydraulic parameters variation can affect the vegetation developments in TWs. To answer to this question, the Phragmites australis development in comparison with hydraulic characteristics was monitored in a 8 years old - horizontal flow (HF) TW located in Mediterranean area (Eastern Sicily, Italy). Data were collected in nine observation points equally distributed along three transects established at 8.5 m (T1), at 17 m (T2) and at 25.5 m (T3) from the inlet. The falling head (FH) test was conducted to assess the hydraulic conductivity (Ks) variation in the HF-unit. Residence time distribution (RTD) analysis was performed to evaluate the real hydraulic retention time (HRT) and the hydraulic efficiency parameter (λ). Finally, the saturation method was applied for substrates porosity (φ) determination. In the HF-TW a morphological and chemical characterization of Phragmites australis above-ground biomass was carried out in 2022. In particular, plants density (in terms of culms number) and height (m) were measured at the end of the growing season (July). In each transect of the HF-TW, fresh weight (g), dry matter (DM, %), ash (%), volatile solids (VS, %), pH, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN, % of DM) and fiber content (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) were estimated. Preliminary results showed a strong positive regression between DM and both Ks (R2 = 0.78) and porosity values (R2 = 0.97) observed in the HF-TW. This study could contribute to help plant operators to understand hydraulic characteristics effects on the biomass, to improve TWs treatment efficiency, system management and lifespan.Keywords: Wastewater treatment, Phragmites australis, plants growth, hydraulic characteristics, substrate.Acknowledgments: This research was funded by the University of Catania-PIAno di inCEntivi per la RIcerca di Ateneo 2020/2022—Linea di Intervento 3 “Starting Grant” and the PhD Course in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science (Di3A, University of Catania).