bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface charging of JUICE in the solar wind
Authors: Holmberg Mika K.G. , Jackman Caitriona , Taylor Matthew G.G.T. , Witasse Olivier , Wahlund Jan-Erik , Barabash Stas , Altobelli Nicolas , Cipriani Fabrice , Déprez Grégoire , Huybrighs Hans L.F.
Published: September 2022

JUICE is ESA’s first large class mission to the outer Solar System. The main objectives of JUICE are to study Jupiter and its space environment with a special focus on Jupiter’s moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, and their potential habitability. In order to fulfil these objectives, the JUICE measurements need to be accurately corrected for any possible perturbations. Here, we present Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software (SPIS) simulations of the surface charging of JUICE in the solar wind. The results will be used to correct the future JUICE measurements for the impact of the charging. 

We have used a solar wind environment model (i.e. a description of the environment covering typical values for parameters such as electron and ion densities, temperatures, and velocities, magnetic field strengths, and EUV flux) for the location where JUICE will perform its first measurements, between 1500 and 3000 RE from Earth. The typical values for the solar wind parameters and the minimum and maximum values from the expected parameter ranges have been used to simulate the interaction in both average and “extreme” solar wind conditions. Here we present the main results from the SPIS simulations: the surface potential of the spacecraft; the potentials at the locations of the particle and field instrumentation such as the RPWI Langmuir probes and the PEP plasma analysers; the electron and ion density at the locations of the RPWI instruments and the PEP plasma analysers; the characteristics of perturbing particle populations such as photoelectron and secondary electron populations produced by the spacecraft itself; and the properties of the ion wake of the spacecraft. The detailed knowledge of the listed parameters will be used to provide accurate analyses of the first in-situ particle and field measurements performed by JUICE.
The Twinkle Space Mission's Solar System Survey
Authors: Edwards Billy , Wilcock Ben , Joshua Max , Stotesbury Ian , Tessenyi Marcell , Archer Richard , Barrathwaj Raman Mohan Yoga
Published: September 2022

The Twinkle Space Mission is an upcoming 0.45 m space-based telescope that will deliver spectroscopic data sets in the visible and near-infrared, simultaneously covering a 0.5–4.5µm wavelength range. Twinkle is the inaugural mission from Blue Skies Space Ltd., a company that is forging a new class of space missions to bring the benefits of “New Space” to the academic community, increasing the provision of high-quality research data. The spacecraft will be launched into a Sun-synchronous low-Earth polar orbit and will operate in this highly stable thermal environment for a minimum operational lifetime of seven years.

In the first three years of operation, the mission will conduct two simultaneous surveys: one will be dedicated to studying objects within our Solar System and the other to Extrasolar science. As part of this Solar System survey, Twinkle will have the capability to provide high-quality infrared spectroscopic characterisation of the surface composition of several thousand small bodies. This large, consistent dataset will reveal trends in the mineralogy of asteroid families and composition of comets, providing insights into the formation and evolution of our Solar System.

In this presentation, I will give an overview of the Twinkle mission and its capabilities, provide scientific and technical updates, and discuss how researchers can participate in the mission to shape its science programme and access observational data.
The Particle Environment Package (PEP) for the JUICE mission: Ready to go!
Authors: Barabash Stas , Brandt Pontus , Wurz Peter ,   PEP Team
Published: September 2022

1. PEP objectives

The PEP suite explores the particle populations in the Jovian system to answer three overarching science questions:

(1) How does the corotating magnetosphere of Jupiter interact with Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io?

(2) How do internal and solar wind drivers cause such energetic, time variable and multi-scale phenomena in the steadily rotating giant magnetosphere of Jupiter?

(3) What are the structure and composition of the icy moons exospheres and how do they response to the external conditions?

 

2. PEP suite

PEP measures positive and negative ions, electrons, exospheric neutral gas, thermal plasma and energetic neutral atoms present in all domains of the Jupiter system over nine decades of energy from < 0.001 eV to > 1 MeV with full angular coverage. The six PEP sensors are:

Jovian plasma Dynamics and Composition analyzer (JDC);

Jovian Electrons and Ions analyzer (JEI);

Jovian Energetic Electrons (JoEE);

Jovian Energetic Neutrals and Ions sensors (JENI);

Jovian Neutrals Analyzer (JNA);

Neutral gas and Ion Mass spectrometer (NIM).

For the first time at Jupiter PEP combines global imaging via remote sensing using ENAs with in-situ measurements and performs global imaging of Europa/Io tori and magnetosphere combined with energetic ion measurements. Using low energy ENAs originating from the particle – surface interaction PEP investigate space weathering of the icy moons by precipitation particles. PEP will first-ever directly sample the exospheres of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto with high mass resolution.

Figure 1: PEP suite and PEP sensors

3. PEP ready to go

All flight models of the PEP sensors and electronics as well as central processing unit and common power supply system have been tested, qualified, and calibrated. The complete model was delivered to ESA and ready for launch in April 2023. All sensors performance fulfilles the mission requirements. PEP will provide the most comprehensive simultaneous measurements of the plasma and neutral gas environment in the Jovian system and at the Galilean moon.
EMM EMUS Observations of Martian nightside discrete EUV and FUV Aurora
Authors: Lillis Robert , Deighan Justin , Jain Sonal , Holsclaw Greg , Fillingim Matthew , Chirakkil Krishnaprasad , England Scott , Chaffin Michael , Brain David , Al Matroushi Hessa , Lootah Fatma , Al Mazmi Hoor , Thiemann Ed , Eparvier Frank , Schneider Nick , Halekas Jasper , Ruhunusiri Suranga , Espley Jared , Gruesbeck Jacob , Xu Shaosui
Published: September 2022

Here we report on synoptic (or “disk”) observations of Martian discrete aurora in the extreme and far ultraviolet (<200 nm), made by the Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) on board the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM). EMM is well-suited to studying aurora due to its high altitude vantage point and regular observation cadence and the high sensitivity of the EMUS instrument.  The first EUV/EUV auroral spectra measured at Mars reveal O, C, and CO features from 99 to 165 nm. Auroral detection increases with solar activity and discrete aurorae display significant variability over ~20 minute timescales.  Three distinct types of discrete aurora have been identified based on these images.  The first type appears where Mars’ crustal magnetic fields are both strong and vertical and are consistent with point detections made by both Mars Express and MAVEN. The second appears in coherent patches away from crustal magnetic fields and is generally weak. The third is a new phenomenon, which we have named “sinuous discrete aurora” due to its serpentine shape, typically extending from the terminator thousands of kilometers into the nightside.  Investigation into its causes is ongoing but it likely reflects the morphology of Mars’ magnetotail current sheet.  Joint analysis of discrete aurora with EMM, MAVEN, and Mars Express promises to elucidate the processes driving the aurora on Mars.
Space science advancements at the University of Tasmania
Authors: Md Said Noor Masdiana , Molera Calvés Guifré , Kummamuru Pradyumna , Edwards Jasper , Cimo' Giuseppe
Published: September 2022

We present an overview of the University of Tasmania’s (UTAS) progress in monitoring and providing ground support for space projects. With five radio telescopes distributed across Australia, UTAS has a good capacity to study a wide range of scientific phenomena in our Solar System and to improve the outcome of space missions. High-cadence Mars Express spacecraft observations in the X-band (8.4 GHz) were monitored between 2014 and 2022 using the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) network and UTAS radio telescopes to study interplanetary plasma scintillation and characterise solar wind parameters. The quantification of the plasma’s effect on the radio signal helps in phase referencing for ultra-precise spacecraft tracking. The international collaboration with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) also allowed simultaneous coherent tracking of the interplanetary plasma scintillation for the incoming radio signals of the Mars Express and Tianwen-1 spacecraft.

Space weather monitoring has been carried out to study events such as coronal mass ejections using radio signals transmitted by the Solar Orbiter and Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. The unique radio telescope infrastructure at UTAS will be essential in providing ground support to the Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) led by the Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC (JIVE). The PRIDE experiment has been chosen by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer mission (JUICE) that will explore three of Jupiter’s moons: Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. This space mission is scheduled to launch in April 2023.

In addition, University of Tasmania has been conducting observations with NASA and JPL for bi-static radar tracking experiments to detect and monitor Near-Earth Asteroids. Over 14 observations have been conducting with UTAS radio telescopes since the beginning of 2021.

 

 
Extension of RT-CB code to dense discrete random media
Authors: Markkanen Johannes
Published: September 2022

Radiative transfer coherent backscattering (RT-CB) code [1,2] is extended to apply for dense discrete random media of optically soft spherical particles. This is achieved by utilizing the well-known static structure factor (SSF) correction derived from the Percus-Yevick approximation for sticky sphere pair correlation function [3]. The resulting dense medium RT-CB resembles to that of the standard RT-CB except the input parameters are modified with the SSF correction. The SSF correction accounts for the collective scattering and the interference effects arising from the correlated positions of particles in a dense medium. 

We will verify the code against the numerically exact Fast superposition T-matrix method FaSTMM [4] for a small medium consisting of submicrometer-sized particles at optical wavelengths. We show that the SSF correction significantly improves the accuracy of the RT-CB solution for densely-packed systems of icy particles. Thus,the code may find application in analyzing phootometric and polarimetric observations of icy planetary bodies and dust.  

Acknowledgements: This work has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) - program grant CAstRA, agreement ID 757390.

References:

[1] K. Muinonen, 2004. Waves in Random Media 14(3), 365-388.

[2] T. Väisänen, et al, 2016. Abstract for 2016 URSI International Symposium on Electromagnetic Theory (EMTS), pp. 396-399.

[3] L. Tsang, J. Kong, K. Ding, O. Ao, Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves, Numerical Simulations, Vol. 2, 2001.

[4] J. Markkanen & A. Yuffa, 2017, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 189, 181-188.
Europlanet Mentorship programme: opportunities for sharing the knowledge
Authors: Stonkute Edita , Tautvaisiene Grazina , Heward Anita , Mikolaitis Sarunas
Published: September 2022

In August 2020, Europlanet launched the Mentorship platform with the aim to support early career researchers. Two years after launch we are using a survey to gather feedback from mentors and mentees, and we are also following up with participants informally through chats and e-mails. The feedback so far has been positive and points to the effectiveness and the need of the programme to support the paths of early career researchers. We will present the Europlanet mentorship programme and the case study of the Romanian/Brazil collaboration that resulted from the mentor's work with two mentees. Europlanet 2024 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 871149.
The stability of benzene in planetary atmospheres
Authors: Knížek Antonín , Petera Lukáš
Published: September 2022

Benzene is the simplest organic compound with a 6-carbon aromatic ring. As such, it was used as a first order representative of aromatic compounds in planetary atmospheres. These compounds can be brought by asteroid impacts into rocky planetary atmospheres, where they can serve as precursors for further synthesis. Our experiments show that benzene vapours in nitrogen-dominated atmospheres subjected to asteroid impacts (modelled by laboratory laser shots) lead to the formation of acetylene and hydrogen cyanide. Both these products appear in many proposed mechanisms of prebiotic chemistry.
The Radio and Plasma Wave Investigation (RPWI) for the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE)
Authors: Bergman Jan , Wahlund Jan-Erik
Published: September 2022

The Radio & Plasma Wave Investigation (RPWI) onboard the ESA JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) is here described in detail. The RPWI provides an elaborate set of state-of-the-art electromagnetic fields and cold plasma instrumentation, including active sounding with the mutual impedance and Langmuir probe sweep techniques, where several different types of sensors will sample the thermal plasma properties, including electron and ion densities, electron temperature, plasma drift speed, the near DC electric fields, and electric and magnetic signals from various types of phenomena like, e.g., electromagnetic and plasma waves, electrostatic acceleration structures, induction fields etc. A full wave vector, waveform, polarization, and Poynting flux determination is aimed for. In addition, RPWI will enable characterization of Jovian radio emissions (including goniopolarimetry) up to 45 MHz, has the capability to carry out passive radio sounding of the ionospheric densities of icy moons and employ passive sub-surface radar measurements. RPWI can also detect micrometeorite impacts, estimate dust charging, monitoring the spacecraft potential as well as the integrated EUV flux. The sensors consist of four 10 cm diameter Langmuir probes each mounted at the tip of 3 m long booms, a triaxial search coil magnetometer and a triaxial radio antenna system both mounted on the 10.5 m long MAG boom, each with radiation resistant pre-amplifiers near the sensors. There are three receiver boards, 2x Digital Processing Units (DPU) and 2x Low Voltage Power Supply (LVPS) boards in a central box in a radiation vault at the centre of the JUICE spacecraft. Together, the RPWI system can carry out a powerful and ambitious planetary science investigation in and around the Galilean icy moons and the Jovian space environment. Some of the more important science objectives & capabilities will be described here. RPWI focuses, apart from cold plasma studies, on the understanding of how, through electro-dynamic and electromagnetic coupling, the momentum and energy transfer occur in the surrounding space environments and with the icy Galilean moons, their surfaces and salty conductive sub-surface oceans. The RPWI instrument is planned to be operational during most of the JUICE mission, during the cruise phase, in the Jovian magnetosphere, during the icy moon flybys, and in particular Ganymede orbit, and will hopefully deliver data from the near surface during the final crash orbit.
Il cielo in salotto: lessons learnt from livestreaming astronomical events in Italy
Authors: Duras Federica , Mantovani Giulia , Mignone Claudia , Giacomini Livia , Bardelli Sandro , Di Giacomo Federico , Filippelli Gianluigi
Published: September 2022

“Il cielo in salotto” (in English, “The sky in your living room”) is a format for live streaming events of astronomical phenomena devised in 2020 by EduINAF (the official online magazine for education and public outreach of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics, INAF), with the aim of engaging the general public and students with astronomy and space science remotely in the various waves and isolation periods of the pandemic. 

Originally designed to broadcast live telescope observations from the INAF network of observatories, the format evolved in the last year to include 3D models of celestial objects and virtual tours of the INAF institutes, museum and observatories. These events are enriched with live interviews and discussion with INAF researchers and supported by large-scale public engagement campaigns conducted together with space enthusiasts, amateur astronomy associations and other partners. On the occasion of a partial solar eclipse, we also involved telescopes from other European countries (that were better located to observe the event) in partnership with Europlanet.

In this talk, we will present some of the technical and logistical solutions we adopted for the broadcast. Moreover, we will look in detail at the results of a focus group conducted on the latest event (the “SuperMoon” of 13 July 2021) of this format, comparing with results from the very first live event (during the “SuperMoon” of 26 May 2021) and present lessons learnt from two years of experience, that could be of interest to colleagues organising similar events in other countries.
The new Near-Infrared Adaptive-Optics assisted high-resolution NIRPS spectrograph on the ESO 3.6m
Authors: Bouchy Francois , Wildi Francois , González Hernández Jonay I.
Published: September 2022

The Near-InfraRed Planet Searcher (NIRPS) is a new ultra-stable near-infrared spectrograph installed on ESO 3.6-m Telescope in La Silla, Chile. Aiming to achieve a precision of 1 m/s, NIRPS is operating together with HARPS. NIRPS has been designed to explore the exciting prospects offered by the M dwarfs, focusing on three main science cases: 1) High-precision RV survey of M dwarf aiming at detecting Earth-like planets in the habitable zone; 2) Mass (and density) measurements of planetary candidates orbiting M dwarfs from transit surveys, and 3) Atmospheric characterization of exoplanets via transmission spectroscopy. To achieve its science goals, NIRPS is operating in the Y-, J- and H-bands with continuous coverage from 0.97 to 1.8 μm. It will ensure high radial velocity precision and high spectral fidelity corresponding to 1 m/s in less than 30 min for an M3 star with H = 8.4. NIRPS is part of a new generation of adaptive optics (AO) fiber-fed spectrographs. NIRPS uses a 0.4-arcsecond multi-mode fiber, half that required for a seeing-limited instrument, allowing a spectrograph design that is half as big as that of HARPS, while meeting the requirements for high throughput and high spectral resolution. A 0.9-arcsecond fiber is used for fainter targets and degraded seeing conditions. The entire optical design is oriented to maximize high spectral resolution, long-term spectral stability and overall throughput. The instrument covers the 0.97 to 1.81 μm domain on 69 spectral  orders with a spectral resolution of 80,000 recorded on a Hawaii 4RG 4096 × 4096 infrared detector. In return for the manpower effort and financial contributions of the consortium to design, build, maintain and operate NIRPS for five years, ESO will grant the consortium a period of Guaranteed Time Observation (GTO) corresponding to 40% of the 3.6-m Telescope time, leaving ample time for community-driven science topics. Its first light was performed in May 2022. We present here the performance of the spectrograph and first tests on sky.
Toward a unified stochastic framework for projection and prediction of streamflow under changing conditions 
Authors: Nazemi Ali , Zaerpour Masoud
Published: September 2022

Stochastic methods for synthetic streamflow simulations have traditionally supported operational management and planning of surface water systems in both short- and long-term futures. Here we focus on a particular strain of stochastic streamflow generators that use copulas, a generic statistical framework for formulating interdependencies, to resample streamflow series at single and multiple sites. Such stochastic simulators are based on a series of conditional probabilities that are inferred from joint probabilities between streamflow series in time and space. We discuss the core algorithm behind such stochastic samplers and provide a set of practical guidelines across a range of timescales, flow regimes and catchment characteristics on when and how these schemes should and can be developed. We then provide a generalized framework for altering the parameters of these samplers so that streamflow series can be generated under changing conditions, whether such changes are initiated by climate or human interventions. By informing these samplers with weather and climate indices, we show how the quality of streamflow projections can be significantly improved across a range of temporal scales and highlight the potential of such climatic-informed streamflow samplers for short-term predictions, particularly during high flow seasons.
How can we use Data Assimilation for Real-Time Probabilistic Flood Inundation Mapping?
Authors: Moradkhani Hamid , Jafarzadegan Keighobad , Abbaszadeh Peyman
Published: September 2022

Flood risk warning and pertinent decision-making before an upcoming flood event can greatly benefit from real-time probabilistic flood inundation mapping. Deterministic flood inundation maps can be erroneous and misleading for reliable and timely decision-making given the epistemic and aleatory uncertainties involved in the modeling of a nonlinear and complex flood event. Therefore, a real-time probabilistic modeling framework to forecast the inundation areas before the onset of a flood event is of paramount importance. Ensemble data assimilation methods are known as effective procedure for real-time operation of dynamic models while accounting for all sources of uncertainties. In this study, we present a multivariate data assimilation modeling framework that accounts for correlation structure among point source observations and then multiple gauge observations are integrated into a hydrodynamic model to improve its forecasting performance. Through a synthetic experiment, we first evaluate the performance of the proposed approach; then the method is used to simulate the Hurricane Harvey flood in the state of Texas in USA in 2017. We show how the accuracy and reliability of inundation mapping is improved using this robust probabilistic approach that can provide uncertainty in modeling and forecasting.
Open and Free Datasets for Hydrology Research: Insights, Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Newcomer Michelle , Dogulu Nilay , Iravani Honeyeh , Dembélé Moctar , Uysal Gökçen , Roy Tirthankar , Fischer Svenja
Published: September 2022

Open and free data underpin a new way of thinking about what is required to advance scientific discoveries. The fourth paradigm for hydrology, i.e. data-intensive science, can only lead to transformative science and groundbreaking findings if data is freely accessible. Open datasets are available online, are accessible in machine-readable formats (i.e. not pdfs or reports), and are obtainable by the public. Free refers to the availability of datasets  at no cost to individuals, researchers, institutions, or projects. Here, we provide a broad perspective on the current state of hydrological data including data quality, reliability, uncertainty, national and/or international data policies with a special focus on hydropolitics including current data policies. We also discuss the need for increasing awareness and improving visibility of existing datasets and dedicated projects and repositories. Crowdsourced scientific efforts enable collaborative work and provide potential solutions to these issues. We report on our work initiating a crowdsourced manuscript with an inventory of open and free hydrological datasets from around the world, providing a database of static links, data DOIs, descriptions of datasets, and the general typologies of these data including their usability, uncertainty, quality, and trustworthiness. Our work catalyzes new discussions around data requirements for advancing hydrological research.
Understanding groundwater drivers in the Mediterranean region using a combination of modeling and in-situ data at a regional scale
Authors: Chavez Garcia Silva Rafael , Ben-Salem Nahed , Reinecke Robert , Rode Michael , Jomaa Seifeddine
Published: September 2022

The Mediterranean region is characterised by growing anthropogenic and climate pressures, resulting in increased water demand. Even though groundwater represents a strategic freshwater reserve in the Mediterranean, its status is becoming increasingly uncertain. The uneven distribution of data availability and scant data-sharing policies and systematic monitoring are significant constraints for management and vulnerability assessments. The objectives of this work are: i) characterization of significant changes in groundwater level time series in the region, ii) comparison of groundwater level models with in-situ data, iii) determine the influence of drivers in the temporal changes as well as the spatial distribution of groundwater levels. 

A database has been developed with over 8,000 time series of groundwater levels collected from national monitoring systems of Spain, Portugal and France, concentrating most measurements after 1980. At first, a search for long term trends and temporal patterns is performed on the most complete time series in the 1985-2014 period. Correlations between significant trends and environmental and anthropogenic drivers are assessed. Furthermore, the outputs of three steady-state global groundwater models (Reinecke et al. (2019), de Graaf et al. (2015) and Fan et al. (2013)) are compared to both interpolated grid-based and piezometer observations. And the relationship between the spatial distribution of groundwater level with explanatory variables is characterized.

Significant groundwater level changes can be found in at least one third of the assessed piezometers. The simulated steady-state hydraulic head obtained from the three models showed a good agreement with the in-situ data in the Iberian Peninsula. A combined analysis of the temporal and spatial drivers for groundwater dynamics at a regional scale will ameliorate groundwater process understanding in the Mediterranean region. This study also makes a case about the importance of consistent and reliable monitoring as a necessary step for management of the resource. 

Acknowledgement: This work was supported by Sustain-COAST and InTheMED projects. Sustain-COAST - funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Grant 01DH19015) under the EU PRIMA 2018 programme. InTheMED - funed by the PRIMA 2019 programme supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 1923.
Simulating future occurrence and magnitude of flood events through bias-correction of hourly climate scenarios and semi-distributed rainfall-runoff modelling: application to the Panaro river (Northern Italy)
Authors: Neri Mattia , Reder Alfredo , Rianna Guido , Toth Elena
Published: September 2022

Assessing the impact of climate change scenarios on flood regimes is a crucial issue when evaluating the future resilience of flood protection systems. Mainly due to the high computational effort and to the scarcity of hourly climate projections, expected changes in future floods are often simulated by hydrological models on a daily basis, even for basins with short response times, where hourly simulations would be needed.

In this work, the expected occurrence and magnitude of future flood events is modelled through the coupling of bias-corrected local climate scenarios at hourly time scale and continuous rainfall-runoff modelling. The case study for testing the procedure refers to the Panaro river (one of the OpenAir Laboratories in the OPERANDUM H2020 project).

The analysis entailed first the collection, validation and spatialization of historical meteorological ground data over the catchment, to be used both to calibrate the hydrological model and in the bias-correction procedure.

Secondly, the precipitation and temperature timeseries available at hourly time-scale for a set of climate modelling chains based on the same RCM nested in different GCMs, under RCP 8.5, are identified in the EURO-CORDEX ensemble and processed. The comparison with observed spatial fields obtained from weather stations and from gridded E-OBS products allows assessing the biases affecting “raw” data. The Scaled Distribution Mapping (SDM) bias correction procedure is then applied to “adjust” the raw model output towards hourly observations in a post processing step. The strength of such a procedure relies on preserving raw climate model projected changes in the bias-corrected series and on avoiding assumptions about stationarity.

A semi-distributed, continuously simulating HBV-type rainfall-runoff model is parameterised, especially focusing on the reproduction of past flood events, and then run to reproduce the streamflow in the Panaro river, providing in input i) historical meteorological forcing based on ground stations, ii) raw and bias-corrected climate scenarios over the control period, iii) bias-corrected climate scenarios for the future decades. Finally, the flood events are extracted from the continuous streamflow simulations and the changes in the flood signals expected over the future decades are analysed, in terms of both peaks and volumes.
A methodological framework for the evaluation of short-range flash-flood hydrometeorological forecasts at the event scale
Authors: Charpentier-Noyer Maryse , Peredo Daniela , Ramos Maria-Helena , Payrastre Olivier , Gaume Eric , Nicolle Pierre , Bouttier François , Marchal Hugo , Fleury Axelle
Published: September 2022

A new methodological framework for the event-based evaluation of high resolution short-range hydro-meteorological ensemble forecasts is presented. It is specifically designed to address the questions of spatial and temporal scales at which ensemble forecasts should be evaluated, according to the characteristics of a flash-flood event. We adopt the point of view of end-users in charge of organizing evacuation and rescue operations. For this purpose, the potentially local exceedance of discharge thresholds need to be anticipated in time and accurately localized in space. A step-by-step approach is proposed, involving, first, an evaluation of the rainfall forecasts to define the spatial and temporal scales for the event-based evaluation. Second, a spatial analysis of the anticipation lead-times of hydrological responses is performed, focusing on the flood rising limbs, with the evaluation carried out against a reference forecast based on simulated flows. Based on this second step, several gauged sub-catchments are selected, at which a detailed evaluation of the hydrological forecasts is finally conducted.

This methodology has been tested and illustrated on the October 2018 flash-flood which affected part of the Aude River basin (south-eastern France). Three ensemble rainfall nowcasting research products recently developed by the French meteorological service (Météo-France) coupled with rainfall-runoff models (GRSDi and CINECAR) are evaluated and compared. The originality of the method is in the evaluation of the whole hydro-meteorological forecast chain by defining criteria corresponding to the users. The evaluation may seem limited (a single event and a limited number of outlets) but flash floods justify the implementation of such an evaluation framework.

Even if evaluating ensemble hydro-meteorological forecasts based on a limited number of documented flood events remains dependent on the statistical representativeness of the available data, the evaluation framework proposed herein helps drawing rapid and robust conclusions about the usefulness of newly developed rainfall ensemble forecast approaches and about their limits and improvement possibilities. It also contributes to pull together the community towards better framing post-event evaluations, so that we can put together events and evaluations from different parts of the world to collectively enhance our capacity to forecast, take decisions and increase preparedness for floods.
Isotopic fractionation of water in river pools. The effect of diel atmospheric variations and eventual depletion of heavy isotopes.
Authors: Gallart Francesc , González-Fuentes Sebastián , Llorens Pilar , Latron Jérôme
Published: September 2022

The hydrology of non-perennial (temporary) rivers under climate change (UPH 3) affects not only dry regions but could affect all climates, because most of the catchment headwaters already have (or will have) temporary regimes. Most temporary rivers undergo a pools phase when surface flow ceases but surface water remains in disconnected pools. These pools offer many ecosystem services, such as the provision of refuges for aquatic species. Nevertheless, the hydrology of this pools phase is poorly known because gauging stations or hydrological models do not inform about what happens after the cessation of flow.

We implemented a methodology to estimate the time since disconnection of pools from the river flow when they are sampled, based on the study of water stable isotopes. In pools disconnected from groundwater, the isotopic modification of the water allows us to estimate the relative volume of water evaporated (Gonfiantini, 1986). To test this methodology, within the Vallcebre Research Catchments (42º12’N and 1º49’E ) an artificial pool, covered with a transparent lid to prevent the input of rainfall, was installed. From July to November 2020, water volume of this pool was weekly measured and sampled for isotopic analysis. In parallel, meteorological variables were monitored and rainfall was also sampled for water stable isotopes.

The results obtained in the artificial pool were satisfactory but showed two aspects not reported in previous publications: i) the customary application of isotopic fractionation equations using weekly averaged atmospheric conditions strongly underestimated the observed changes, and ii) when about 60% of pool water had evaporated, its isotopy became so enriched with heavy isotopes that periods of heavy isotopes depletion instead of enrichment happened.

The analysis of the information available showed that the first problem could be attributed to the fact that time averages of weather conditions strongly overestimated air humidity during the periods of active evaporation. Therefore we decided to weight air humidity measures with proxies of evaporation flow like vapour pressure deficit or global radiation. When the fractionation equations were applied using flow-weighted air humidity, they adequately reproduced the observed pool water isotopy, including the late periods of heavy isotopes depletion.   
Modelling water needs; from past to present. Case study: The Municipality of Western Mani
Authors: Sargentis G.-Fivos , Meletopoulos Ilias Taygetos , Iliopoulou Theano , Dimitriadis Panayiotis , Chardavellas Efthimis , Dimitrakopoulou Dimitra , Siganou Aimilia , Markantonis David , Moraiti Konstantina , Kouros Konstantinos , Nikolinakou Maria , Koutsoyiannis Demetris
Published: September 2022

In traditional and isolated societies human needs were limited and the resources were sufficient. For example, 70 years ago, water needs per capita in Greece were about 7,2 m3/year. But the basic perception of development is the abundance of water resources. For example, tourist development changes the culture of water consumption as modern way of living needs 150 m3/year per capita. In the same time one visitor would prefer accommodation with pools demanding even more fresh water.

Fortunately, there are many technological solutions to cover this gap of consumption. Unfortunately, some of them are not efficient or sustainable and other have big cost of energy.

This research examines the case study of the Municipality of Western Mani in South Greece, an area with high touristic development, detects the transformation of needs and potential technical solutions which are evaluated with criteria: needs coverage; sustainability; preservation of the landscape.

Stochastic models for the simulation of the function of water infrastructures in different scales (from traditional to modern) are applied.
Reducing the imperviousness of urban soils: a way of improving the quality of runoff that is struggling to impose itself in the Mediterranean area
Authors: Gramaglia Christelle , Salles Christian , Rio Marlène , Tournoud Marie-George
Published: September 2022

Coastal areas are under the influence of runoff that wash out urban soils that are mostly impervious. Our study reports on interdisciplinary research combining hydrology and sociology, to understand the impact of rain runoff on the quality of coastal waters, and to identify brakes and levers for improving urban infrastructure that would slow down the transfer of runoff and associated contaminants to the environment.

After measuring and modelling the transfer of contaminants from impervious urban soils to the environment, semi-structured interviews were conducted in the Montpellier metropolitan area with scientists, local water management stakeholders (elected officials, technical services, state services) and representatives of civil society (associations). They were completed by a focus group with a panel of people previously interviewed and selected. The collection of testimonies allowed us to understand that the pollution generated by urban stormwater was not, with some exceptions, identified as a public problem. The renaturation of urban spaces, to limit the transfer of contaminated water, is rarely considered as a solution, whatever the incentives of the Water Agencies in this field. Preference is generally given to heavy techniques (retention basins and special coatings) rather than to soft alternative developments (rain gardens, etc.). Beyond the organizational reluctance of city's technical services, contextual factors explain the lack of political support for change: the issues of the degradation of the quality of rainwater runoff, which is difficult to perceive, appear negligible compared to the risks of flooding in a Mediterranean region subject to extreme rainfall events. In this particular context, scientists must redouble their efforts to challenge and interest decision-makers in order to convince them to take steps to improve the quality of coastal waters.

The results of our research enabled us to test several runoff management scenarios: the installation of permeable pavements on road surfaces or the connection of roof runoff to permeable areas. They also opened up a broader socio-hydrological reflection on the role of scientists in the city, and their necessary involvement with stakeholders to jointly imagine a concerted approach to water issues. 
Contaminants of emerging concerns in groundwater as tracers of antropization to small Mediterranean lagoons hydrosystems
Authors: Crayol Eléa , Huneau Frédéric , Garel Emilie , Mattei Alexandra , Santoni Sébastien , Pasqualini Vanina
Published: September 2022

Coastal Mediterranean hydrosystems, especially Mediterranean lagoons provide a wide range of ecosystem goods and services that human societies take advantage from. Those socio-hydro-eco-systems are most of the time groundwater dependent ecosystems, however their hydrogeological functioning, essential for their management is still little-known.

Catchment anthropization is one of the highest pressure for the lagoons and can increase their ecological vulnerability, especially by the pollutants flowing to the lagoons via groundwater and surface water. The consideration of the groundwater as an inertial system with the ability to store pollutants is not yet taken into account by the water resource managers. South of Corsica is an interesting study area due to the presence of numerous small lagoons and a high rate of urbanization. The catchments of the Balistra, Santa Ghjulia and Arasu lagoons were investigated to explore the types and concentrations of contaminants of emerging concerns. These specific pollutants being considered here as relevant tracers of the coastal Mediterranean anthropization phenomenon with high population increase due to strong seasonal touristic activity.

An original multi-tracer approach, combining physico-chemical parameters, major ions and trace elements as well as, stable isotopes of the water molecule was carried out on 48 points divided in surface water (16 points), groundwater (18 points) and lagoon water (14 points) on the 3 watersheds. On selected relevant points, the analysis of emerging compounds was also realized to identify potential sources of pollutions.

Emerging compounds analysis shows that the three sites are concerned by contamination, nevertheless at very low content. DEET- diethyltoluamid have been found on 78% of the sampling points with concentrations between 16.2 ng/l to 198 ng/l. It is the most commonly found compounds in groundwater with caffeine and benzotriazoles.

The presence of emerging compounds in groundwaters of the 3 catchments with different level of anthropization reveals a high human footprint due to sewage system leakage which is a vector of pollution to the lagoons. In a context of global change, the hydrological balance of such systems is fragile and the degradation of the quality of groundwaters highlighted by the emerging compounds is increasing the vulnerability of the Mediterranean lagoons.
LTSER platform P3M : Mediterranean Plain, Piedmont and Plateau
Authors: Bénard Héloise , Ayral Pierre-Alain , Bailly Jean-Stéphane , Boudevillain Brice , Champollion Cédric , Demarty Jérome , Batiot-Guilhe Christelle , Josselin Didier , Jourde Hervé , Lachassagne Patrick , Molenat Jérôme , Nord Guillaume , Vinatier Fabrice
Published: September 2022

The eLTER H2020 process aims at developing an European ecosystem research infrastructure and at creating long term observations platforms. In this context, we proposed a platform called P3M (Mediterranean Plain, Piedmont and Plateau) located in the Mediterranean basin that is considered as a hot-spot of both biodiversity and climate change. P3M provides an observation system of several contrasted socio-ecosystems representative of the Mediterranean diversity from local to territorial scales.

P3M will study the connection between strong hydro-pedo-climatic gradients and biodiversity that are subjected to an increasing variability of hydroclimatic processes, while being strongly connected to anthropic drivers. P3M is structured around a toposequence of four different agro-ecosystems where the natural and cultivated sphere are highly connected : (i) Cevenol medium-size mountains characterized with hillside forest ecosystem and extensive agriculture on the valley bottom, (ii) High-altitude plateau with an agropastoralism-dryland system and a karstic hydrogeology reagent to precipitations that highly influences the quality and quantity of the water ressource on the entire platform, (iii) Cevenol piedmont natural forest and garrigue ecosystems, (iv) Herault watershed hilly plains organized around cultivated plains and mainly viticultural activities. 

This scientific collaboration will focus on i) analyzing the hydro-eco-sedimentary dynamics in between each ecosystems but also throughout the entire toposequence, ii) identifying the interactions between those dynamics and human activities within the different  ecosystems iii) predicting the evolution of mediterranean landscape facing climate change and providing adapting solutions. To face these challenges, a transdisciplinary approach is necessary to better understand the connections between the increasing pressure of human activity, climatic phenomena, biophysic processus and biodiversity.  

P3M will answer European environmental scientific issues by ensuring the stability, the availability and the European standardisation of abiotic, biotic and social datas on a long term scale but also the reception of foreigners scientists. This platform gathers four OZCAR labelised observation networks (OMERE, Larzac Observatory, OHM-CV, MEDYCCYS) but also includes ANAEE and ICOS sites. Non-academics partners will take part in this project, for example the national and regional park or the local watershed facilities, to integrate the existing data but also to facilitate the transfer of research to local policies. 
A not-so-paradoxical groundwater rise in semi-arid environments
Authors: Baudron Paul , Leduc Christian , Mohamed Ahmed Salem , Zeddouri Aziez , Hadj-Said Samia , Leblanc Marc , Lachaal Fethi , Tweed Sarah , García Aróstegui José Luis
Published: September 2022

Semi-arid areas are usually associated with decreasing water levels due to groundwater overexploitation, that threatens the sustainability of the water resource and causes negative environmental impacts. More surprisingly, semi-arid areas also host situations of long-term rising groundwater levels, due to anthropization. Changes in land use and land cover, surface application of groundwater pumped from deeper aquifers, inflow of external resources or insufficient sanitation may generate a significant rise in groundwater levels. Consequences on the local water balance may be not less dramatic than those of overexploitation, as rising groundwater tables compromise i) medium term agriculture, via waterlogging and salinization of soils, ii) urban development, via the saturation of drainage systems and water networks and iii) the environment, via the increase in groundwater discharges towards low-topography areas or surface water masses. Qualitative consequences include the death of crops by hypoxia, the increase of water diseases, or the eutrophication of surface water masses. Illustrated by lessons learnt from Mauritania, Niger, Algeria, Australia and Spain, this paper proposes a typology of contexts and associated consequences. It also illustrates implemented or proposed remediation actions, acting from the causes (land-use restrictions, implementation of drip irrigation, enhancement of sewage networks) to the effects (green belt around cities, drainage of agricultural plots for downstream or more remote rejection, groundwater abstraction at regional scale for further treatment). In a wider scale, this paper highlights a less visible but crucial aspect of the need to anticipate anthropogenic and climatic impacts on groundwater evolution at several timescales