ALBERT

Description: Highlights • Coupled geomicrobiology and geomechanics to investigate alterations in shales. • Microbial process can alter the mechanics, mineralogy, and microstructure of shales. • Biogeomechanical alterations reduced permeability by 93% and porosity by 38%. • Microfractures in shales can be sealed during biogeomechanical alterations. • Biogeomechanical alterations can enhance CO2 storage security and caprock integrity. Shales have been a major focus of the energy industry over the past few decades. Recently, there is a paradigm shift in the energy industry to low-carbon solutions, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), to mitigate global warming caused by carbon footprint. The problem of long-term safe and efficient geological CO2 storage (GCS) and caprock integrity are some of the major challenges impeding large-scale CCS application. Here, we investigated how localized and bulk biogeomechanical alterations could potentially impact caprock integrity and CO2 storage in depleted shale reservoirs. We cultivated the shale core samples (containing both artificial-induced and pre-existing natural fractures) with a cultured microbial solution at specific temperature, time, and growth conditions. Subsequently, we obtain the properties of the fractured shale rock samples impacted by this microbial process. We investigate the impact of the mechanical responses due to the microbial process, on the long-term integrity and storage potentials of CO2 in shale reservoirs. Our results suggest that in Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and Niobrara shale formations, microbially-altered local and bulk mechanical properties can enhance the long-term caprock integrity and CO2 storage security by: (1.) Increasing the localized (+19% unconfined compressive strength, −20% Poisson’s ratio, +35% fracture toughness) and bulk (+50% unconfined compressive strength, −13% Poisson’s ratio) mechanical integrity; (2.) Decreasing permeability (−93%) and porosity (−38%); (3.) Altering the clay mineral content (−56%), calcite content (+21%), and morphology; (4.) Occluding microfractures; and (5.) Mitigating any potential leakage to the atmosphere through the caprock. This study considers the heterogeneity of shales, and provide valuable insights and viable assessment in solving the long-term GCS application in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Description: In the present work, an untargeted metabolomic approach based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–HRMS) was performed for the discrimination of 25 accessions of white quinoa from main production zones of Peru. From the fingerprint analysis, a total of eighty-four metabolites were tentatively identified based on their accurate mass measurements and MS/MS data. Among them, forty-six compounds are reported here for the first time in C. quinoa (eight phenolics, one ecdysteroid, and thirty-seven saponins), twenty-four of them would correspond to new structures. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to analyze the metabolomic data. As a result, the samples were distributed into two groups. The compounds contributing to the differences between these groups were identified by S-plot analysis.

Description: Highlights • UAV-based thermal imaging allows precise mapping of diffusive thermal water discharge. • High tidal ranges affect fluid flow and promote larger thermal anomaly. • The La Jolla thermal anomaly is caused by a discharge of 330 ± 44 L s−1 of thermal water. • The La Jolla advective heat output (40.5 ± 5.2 MWt) can power a desalinization plant. The exploration of unexploited geothermal resources is required to encourage the use of renewable energy. This study focuses on La Jolla beach, Ensenada, Mexico. The beach hosts a thermal anomaly with temperatures of up to 52 °C at the surface and up to 93 °C at 20 cm depth. The objectives were to: map the thermal anomaly, understand the impact of tides, quantify the thermal water discharge rate and heat output, and discuss a direct use of the energy. The mapping was performed with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles equipped with optical and thermal cameras at two different dates. Additional temperature measurements were performed with a thermocouple, while the total fluid discharge was estimated from flow measurements. A comparison between the campaigns indicated that the highest surface temperature area was more than three times larger in 2019 than in 2018 (259 m2 vs. 69 m2). Such change was due to the tidal range and associated hydrostatic pressure variations. The total thermal water discharge is 330 ± 44 L s−1, which corresponds to an advective heat output of 40.5 ± 5.2 MWt. The use of this energy in a Multi-Effect Distillation desalinization plant can contribute to cover the shortage of freshwater in Ensenada.

Description: The Neolithic Revolution began approximately 10,000 years ago and is characterized by the ultimate, nearly complete transition from hunting and gathering to agricultural food production on land. The Neolithic Revolution is thought to have been catalyzed by a combination of local population pressure, cultural diffusion, property rights and climate change. We undertake a thought experiment that examines trends in these key hypothesized catalysts of the Neolithic Revolution and patterns of today to explore whether society could be on a path towards another paradigm shift in food production: away from hunting of wild fish towards a transition to mostly fish farming. We find similar environmental and cultural pressures have driven the rapid rise of aquaculture, during a period that has now been coined the Blue Revolution, providing impetus for such a transition in coming decades to centuries (as opposed to millennia). However, we also highlight the interacting and often mutually reinforcing impacts of 1) technological and scientific advancements, 2) environmental awareness and collective action and 3) globalization and trade influencing the trajectory and momentum of the Blue Revolution from patterns and processes of the Neolithic Revolution. We present two qualitative narratives that broadly fall within two future trajectories of seafood production: 1) a ubiquitous aquaculture transition and 2) commercial aquaculture and fisheries coexistence. Each narrative contains two sub-narratives based on differing management and regulatory strategies for aquaculture and fisheries. This scenarios approach aims to encourage logical, forward thinking, and innovative solutions to complex systems’ dynamics. Scenario-based thought experiments are useful to explore large scale questions, increase the accessibility to a wider readership, and ideally catalyze discussion around proactive governance mechanisms. We argue the future is not fixed and society now has greater foresight and capacity to choose the workable balance between fisheries and aquaculture that supports economic, environmental, cultural and social objectives through combined planning, policies, and management.

Description: Accurate and reliable biodiversity estimates of marine zooplankton are a prerequisite to understand how changes in diversity can affect whole ecosystems. Species identification in the deep sea is significantly impeded by high numbers of new species and decreasing numbers of taxonomic experts, hampering any assessment of biodiversity. We used in parallel morphological, genetic, and proteomic characteristics of specimens of calanoid copepods from the abyssal South Atlantic to test if proteomic fingerprinting can accelerate estimating biodiversity. We cross-validated the respective molecular discrimination methods with morphological identifications to establish COI and proteomic reference libraries, as they are a pre-requisite to assign taxonomic information to the identified molecular species clusters. Due to the high number of new species only 37% of the individuals could be assigned to species or genus level morphologically. COI sequencing was successful for 70% of the specimens analysed, while proteomic fingerprinting was successful for all specimens examined. Predicted species richness based on morphological and molecular methods was 42 morphospecies, 56 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) and 79 proteomic operational taxonomic units (POTUs), respectively. Species diversity was predicted based on proteomic profiles using hierarchical cluster analysis followed by application of the variance ratio criterion for identification of species clusters. It was comparable to species diversity calculated based on COI sequence distances. Less than 7% of specimens were misidentified by proteomic profiles when compared with COI derived MOTUs, indicating that unsupervised machine learning using solely proteomic data could be used for quickly assessing species diversity.

Description: Whakaari/White Island is a partially submerged, offshore andesite island volcano, located at the northern end of the Taupō Volcanic Zone. Since the late 1960s, volcanic activity has alternated between quiescence, unrest, and eruption on short timescales. For this review we compiled extensive observational records, examined the rich scientific literature, and use newly acquired data, to understand the broad volcanic history and system dynamics. Based on recent bathymetry data, we propose a distinction exists between the Whakaari edifice and Te Paepae o Aotea/Volkner Rocks, which were previously considered to be part of the same edifice. Geochemical analyses of scoria samples from the island have been used to build a magma system model where dominantly andesitic-dacitic magma is periodically intruded by basalt. More dynamic processes are recorded in the hydrothermal system, where the location and activity of fumarolic features have been ephemeral and the crater lake has varied in scale over short time intervals. Eruptions of the dominantly andesitic magma have historically been small and range from phreatomagmatic through to magmatic, largely depositing ash and scoria to a restricted distance that is confined to the main crater floor. Phreatic eruptions are the most common eruption style, based on recently observed and monitored activity.

Description: Iron (Fe) is the fourth most abundant element in the earth’s crust and plays important roles in both biological and chemical processes. The redox reactivity of various Fe(II) forms has gained increasing attention over recent decades in the areas of (bio) geochemistry, environmental chemistry and engineering, and material sciences. The goal of this paper is to review these recent advances and the current state of knowledge of Fe(II) redox chemistry in the environment. Specifically, this comprehensive review focuses on the redox reactivity of four types of Fe(II) species including aqueous Fe(II), Fe(II) complexed with ligands, minerals bearing structural Fe(II), and sorbed Fe(II) on mineral oxide surfaces. The formation pathways, factors governing the reactivity, insights into potential mechanisms, reactivity comparison, and characterization techniques are discussed with reference to the most recent breakthroughs in this field where possible. We also cover the roles of these Fe(II) species in environmental applications of zerovalent iron, microbial processes, biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients, and their abiotic oxidation related processes in natural and engineered systems.

Description: Intense, southward low-level winds are common in Nares Strait, between Ellesmere Island and northern Greenland. The steep topography along Nares Strait leads to channelling effects, resulting in an along-strait flow. This research study presents a 30-year climatology of the flow regime from simulations of the COSMO-CLM climate model. The simulations are available for the winter periods (November–April) 1987/88 to 2016/17, and thus, cover a period long enough to give robust long-term characteristics of Nares Strait. The horizontal resolution of 15 km is high enough to represent the complex terrain and the meteorological conditions realistically. The 30-year climatology shows that LLJs associated with gap flows are a climatological feature of Nares Strait. The maximum of the mean 10-m wind speed is around 12 m s-1 and is located at the southern exit of Smith Sound. The wind speed is strongly related to the pressure gradient. Single events reach wind speeds of 40 m s-1 in the daily mean. The LLJs are associated with gap flows within the narrowest parts of the strait under stably stratified conditions, with the main LLJ occurring at 100–250 m height. With increasing mountain Froude number, the LLJ wind speed and height increase. The frequency of strong wind events (〉20 m s-1 in the daily mean) for the 10 m wind shows a strong interannual variability with an average of 15 events per winter. Channelled winds have a strong impact on the formation of the North Water polynya.

Description: Highlights • Coupled microbiology and geomechanics to investigate alterations in shales. • Microbial process can alter the near-wellbore of shale gas reservoirs. • Microbial alterations of near-wellbore rock properties can weaken mechanical integrity. • Biogeomechanical alterations increased porosity (+42%) & permeability (+6430%). • Biogeomechanical alteration with other stimulation methods can improve gas recovery. Shale gas reservoirs, with typically ultra-low permeabilities, have been a major focus of hydrocarbon production over the past few decades. In this paper, we investigated how biogeomechanical alteration of near-wellbore properties could potentially impact hydrocarbon recovery from low-permeability reservoirs, using Wolfcamp shale and Niobrara shale formations. We first obtained the geomechanical properties using the scratch test method, in addition to the mineralogical, microstructural, and porosity and permeability measurements of the shale gas samples. Subsequently, we treated the core samples with a cultured microbial solution at distinct conditions. Further, we obtained the corresponding new geomechanical properties, in addition to the new mineralogical, microstructural, and porosity measurements of the samples impacted by the process. Finally, we showed the implications of the altered near-wellbore properties for hydrocarbon recovery from shale gas reservoirs. Our results suggest that in shale gas reservoirs, microbial-induced alterations of near well-bore properties could temporally reduce its mechanical integrity (Wolfcamp shale = −21% unconfined compressive strength, −42% scratch toughness; Niobrara shale = −24% unconfined compressive strength, −14% scratch toughness), increase porosity (+43%) and permeability (+6430%), and impact the microstructural and mineralogical properties. The near-wellbore biogeomechanical alterations could potentially improve hydrocarbon recovery by enhancing: (1.) the susceptibility for induced fractures to nucleate and propagate during reservoir-stimulation; (2.) flow pathways to improve hydrocarbon recovery.

Description: Both chemical and isotopic compositions of volcanic plumes are highly useful in evaluating the present status of active volcanoes. Monitoring their temporal changes can facilitate the forecasts of volcanic activity as well. In the present study, we developed a drone-borne automatic sampler for volcanic plumes in which an output signal from a sulfur dioxide (SO2) sensor triggered a pump to collect samples when its SO2 concentration exceeded a predefined threshold. First, we tested the automatic sampler while holding the device by hand at Iwo-yama volcano, Kirishima volcanic complex, Japan, where the fumaroles were accessible. Second, we fitted the sampler on a drone at Nakadake central cone, Aso volcano, Japan, where only the crater rim was accessible. In both sampling campaigns, good consistency in isotope ratios (2H/1H) of molecular hydrogen (H2) between samples collected by the automatic sampler and those collected directly into pre-evacuated flasks was obtained. Furthermore, by using the drone-borne sampler at Aso volcano, we obtained plume samples with higher concentrations of H2 and carbon dioxide than those taken directly into flasks at the crater rim. Our sampler can be utilized to collect volcanic plume samples for the determination of stable isotopic compositions in general by subsequent laboratory analysis and the remote establishment of fumarole outlet temperature based on the 2H/1H ratios of hydrogen, including their temporal changes.

Description: Volcaniclastic stratigraphy can be difficult to map and describe due to its complex nature. However, such stratigraphy preserves information about fluctuations in volcanic activity and sedimentation and is vital to understanding volcanic systems. Uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) based analysis of volcanic stratigraphy can enhance mapping and analysis, especially on vertical surfaces where outcrop exposure is greatest. Here we present a method for using small UAVs to produce vertical grain size and bedding measurement logs, or quantitative stratigraphic columns, of vertical volcaniclastic stratigraphy. We demonstrate the range of high-accuracy measurements and parameters that can be collected for building measurement logs using consumer grade UAVs through a case study in the Marysvale volcanic field where we collected 34,422 grain measurements from 21 individual units. The purpose of producing such measurement logs is to enhance lithofacies analysis through the use of large quantitative datasets and improve the reproducibility of data reporting. Whereas descriptions of volcaniclastic units such as those describing grading are often reported qualitatively, we describe methods for calculating numerical parameters for enhanced lithologic analysis including grain size, grading, clast to matrix ratios, and shape characteristics. The methods described in this paper can enhance field data acquisition, mapping, and quantitative analysis of volcaniclastic deposits and are applicable to a wide range of other geologic settings where coarse-grained clastic sedimentary deposits exist.

Description: Seismic techniques are the main monitoring tools for CO2 storage projects, especially in saline aquifers with good porosity. The majority of existing commercial and pilot CO2 injections have resulted in clear time-lapse seismic anomalies that can be used for leakage detection as well as refinement of the reservoir models to conform with the monitoring observations. Both tasks are legal requirements imposed on site operators. This paper revisits the rock-physics effects that may play an important role in the quantitative interpretation of seismic data. First, we briefly describe a standard approach to the rock-physics modeling of CO2 injections: Gassmann-type fluid substitution accounts for the presence of compressible CO2 in the pore space, and dissolution/precipitation of the minerals changes the pore volume. For many geologic conditions and injection scenarios, this approach is inadequate. For example, dissolution of the carbonate cement may weaken the rock frame, wave-induced fluid flow between CO2 patches can vary the magnitude of the seismic response significantly for the same saturation, the fluid itself might undergo change, and the seal might act as a sink for CO2. Hence, we critically review the effects of some recent advances in understanding CO2 behavior in the subsurface and associated rock-physics effects. Such a review should help researchers and practitioners navigate through the abundance of published work and design a rock-physics modeling workflow for their particular projects.

Description: Highlights: • Temperature anomalies for the Mid-Holocene compared to preindustrial are significantly different in the low- and high-resolution versions of the atmospheric model ECHAM5 • For summer, shortwave cloud radiative forcing emerges as an important factor. • For boreal winter, differences are mainly related to circulation changes. • Anomaly differences are regionally as large as the mid-Holocene minus preindustrial temperature signals. Abstract: This study evaluates the dependence of simulated surface air temperatures on model resolution and orography for the mid-Holocene. Sensitivity experiments with the atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM5 are performed with low (∼3.75°, 19 vertical levels) and high (∼1.1°, 31 vertical levels) resolution. Results are compared to the respective preindustrial runs. It is found that the large-scale temperature anomalies for the mid-Holocene (compared to preindustrial) are significantly different in the low- and high-resolution versions. For boreal winter, differences are mainly related to circulation changes caused by the response to thermal forcing in conjunction with orographic resolution. For summer, shortwave cloud radiative forcing emerges as an important factor. The anomaly differences (low minus high resolution version) in the Northern Hemisphere are regionally as large as the anomalous mid-Holocene temperature signals. Furthermore, they depend on the applied surface boundary conditions. We conclude that the resolution matters for the Northern Hemisphere response in mid-Holocene simulations, which should be taken into account in model-model and data-model comparisons.

Description: Recently, the aeromagnetic survey with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for mineral exploration has become ubiquitous. They can fly at a lower speed, lower altitude, need fewer crew members, and are cost-effective compared to traditional manned aeromagnetic. With the development of drones, magnetometers were also developed, which reduced the cost, weight, size, and energy consumption of these sensors. One of these sensors is the magneto-inductive magnetometer. This study investigates the integration of the UAV with a magneto-inductive sensor. We have performed an aeromagnetic survey along with six profiles and compared them with the terrestrial magnetic survey using a proton precision magnetometer. We show that the magneto-inductive sensor can sense Earth’s magnetic field’s change up to less than 60 nT. These results show the promising potential of using the UAV equipped with the magneto-inductive sensor to prospect the magnetic ore deposits.

Description: Highlights • UAV surveys can be used for evaluating long-term hillslope morphology evolution. • Successive landslides influence frequency distributions of topographic features. • Successive landslides gradually reduce slope gradient, roughness and local relief. • The slope gradient changes with elevation. Landslides are recognized as dominant geomorphic events of morphological evolution in most mountainous and hilly landscapes. However, the lack of multitemporal high-resolution topographic data has resulted in a lack of quantitative estimates of topographic changes influenced by successive landslides. Taking a typical hillslope with successive loess landslides in the Heifangtai loess tableland, China, as an example, we conducted four unmanned aerial system (UAS) surveys and created corresponding high-resolution digital elevation models (HRDEMs) and orthophotos. We found that multitemporal UAS surveys have become a powerful new approach for addressing local topographic changes and evolution over a relatively long time series. Moreover, landslides can leave persistent geomorphic imprints on hillslope topography. The frequency distributions of topographic indexes are significantly influenced by successive landslides. The mean slope gradient, roughness and local relief decreased with successive landslide occurrences, whereas the mean topographic wetness index (TWI) increased. However, the mean slope aspect was almost unchanged by successive landslides. Furthermore, analysis of the coefficient of variation demonstrates that the frequency distribution of the slope gradient becomes more dispersed with landslide occurrences, while the slope aspect and TWI become more concentrated. The slope gradient changes with elevation. More broadly, this study provides new insights into the prediction of the local topographic feature changes and morphology evolution trends caused by successive landslides.

Description: Highlights • Shale samples were exposed to slick water under the condition of 120 °C and 20 MPa within 30–90 days. • Microindentation was conducted to probe the distance-dependent, gradient alteration to shale mechanical properties. • The average rate of softening advancement was estimated as 0.13 mm/day. • The dissolution of carbonate minerals, pyrite oxidation and clay mineral osmotic swelling determine the shale softening. The shale softening behavior caused by hydrofracturing fluid is of great influence for the fracture conductivity and ultimate recovery of oil and gas from reservoir formations. This paper presents an experimental study on the characterization of a shale after being softened by the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) treatments that simulate the high-temperature and high-pressure rock-fluid interactions occurring in deep reservoirs during and after hydraulic fracturing. Microindentation tests were conducted to characterize the degradation degree and rate of mechanical properties of THMC-treated samples, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) were carried out to analyze compositional and microstructural alterations of samples prior to and after THMC treatment. The results show that Young's modulus, hardness, and fracture toughness degrade significantly upon THMC treatment, and the average softening rate was estimated as 0.13 mm/day. The degradation of mechanical properties of the softened zones is primarily owing to the porous microstructure and crack propagation, resulting from the dissolution of carbonates, pyrite oxidation and the clay mineral osmotic swelling. These findings can provide a good insight of shale-fracturing fluid interactions, phenomenological behavior of shale softening that take place in deep reservoirs at elevated temperatures and pressures, and shed lights on the design, and operation of shale gas exploration.

Description: The recent and growing development and availability of unmanned aerial vehicles/systems (UAV, UAS, or “drones”) in volcanology has promoted a significant advance in volcanic surveillance of active volcanoes and in the characterization of volcanic landforms and hazards. However, in the tropics with heavy rainfall, deep volcanic soils and high relief, UAV surveying for volcanic geomorphology and volcanic hazards seems to be a relatively unexplored technique. Our aim is to present and promote innovative low-cost (〈$3000) UAV applications in volcanology to reduce costs and improve high-resolution quality (up to 8 cm/pixel) data acquisition in highly dynamic landscapes. Our results contribute to the state of the art of UAV applications in volcanic landforms in tropical developing countries where nearly half of the globally active volcanoes are located. Our findings prove that UAV's are a low-cost technique that can map large extensions of geomorphological features with accessibility limitations due to geological hazards and/or private property restrictions in short time. We surveyed four active volcanic sites in Costa Rica, Central America to illustrate potential applications of UAV mapping and geomorphological analysis of lava flows, debris avalanches, lahar deposits (debris flows) and biogeomorphic landscape changes due to forest succession. Analysis derived from the digital imagery captured by the UAV allowed to determine accurate volume calculations, surface roughness characteristics, morphometric quantifications, supervised surface classifications, and in combination with hydraulic modelling to assess hazards in urban planning. We discuss the utility, limitations, and future directions of low-cost UAV surveying in the geomorphological and geological analysis of tropical volcanic landforms and processes.

Description: Mount Agung (the highest volcano in Bali, Indonesia) began to erupt on November 21, 2017, after having been dormant for 53 years. More than 100,000 people were evacuated within the hazard zone between September 2017 (when the highest volcanic alert was issued) and early 2018. The eruptions continued until June 2019, accompanied by at least 110 explosions. During the eruptive crisis, the observation of the lava dome's emplacement was essential for mitigating the potential hazard. Details of the lava dome growth, including the volumetric changes and effusion rates, provide valuable information about potential eruption scenarios and lahar depositions. In this paper, the essential role of multi-temporal unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images in the monitoring of Mt. Agung's lava dome, and in determining the areas of potential lahar hazards during the crisis between 2017 and 2019 is described. A fixed-wing UAV was launched outside the hazard zone to photograph the lava dome on five occasions. Image enhancement, machine learning, and photogrammetry were combined to improve image quality, remove point clouds outliers, and generate digital terrain models (DTMs) and orthoimages. The analysis of the obtained DTMs and orthoimages resulted in qualitative and quantitative data highlighting the changes inside the crater and on the surrounding slopes. These results reveal that, from November 25 to December 16, 2017, the lava dome grew vertically by 126 m and reached a volume of 26.86 ± 0.64 × 106 m3. In addition, its surface experienced a maximal uplift of approximately 52 m until July 2019 with the emergence of a new dome with a volume estimated at 9.52 ± 0.086 × 106 m3. The difference between the DTMs of 2017 and 2019 reveals the total volume of erupted material (886,100 ± 8000 m3) that was deposited on the surrounding slopes. According to the lahar inundation simulation, the deposited material may cause dangerous lahars in 21 drainages, which extend in the north (N), north-east (N-E), south (S), south-east (S-E), and south-west (S-W) sectors of the volcano. This paper presents the use of UAV remote sensing for the production of high-spatial resolution DTMs, which can be used to both observe the emplacement of a lava dome, and to identify areas with potential lahar risk during a volcano crisis.

Description: Highlights • A new approach using UAS to map and classify volcanic deposits is described. • Tephra and lava are distinguished by their roughness and solar heating rate. • Solar heating rate decreases as lava transitions from pāhoehoe to ʻaʻā. • We compare manual and machine learning classification methods. The deposits from volcanic eruptions represent the record of activity at a volcano. Identification, classification, and interpretation of these deposits are crucial to the understanding of volcanic processes and assessing hazards. However, deposits often cover large areas and can be difficult or dangerous to access, making field mapping hazardous and time-consuming. Remote sensing techniques are often used to map and identify the deposits of volcanic eruptions, though these techniques present their own trade-offs in terms of image resolution, wavelength, and observation frequency. Here, we present a new approach for mapping and classifying volcanic deposits using a multi-sensor unoccupied aerial system (UAS) and demonstrate its application on lava and tephra deposits associated with the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra volcano (Galápagos Archipelago, Ecuador). We surveyed the study area and collected visible and thermal infrared (TIR) images. We used structure-from-motion photogrammetry to create a digital elevation model (DEM) from the visual images and calculated the solar heating rate of the surface from temperature maps based on the TIR images. We find that the solar heating rate is highest for tephra deposits and lowest for ʻaʻā lava, with pāhoehoe lava having intermediate values. This is consistent with the solar heating rate correlating to the density and particle size of the surface. The solar heating rate for the lava flow also decreases with increasing distance from the vent, consistent with an increase in density as the lava degasses. We combined the surface roughness (calculated from the DEM) and the solar heating rate of the surface to remotely classify tephra deposits and different lava morphologies. We applied both supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms. A supervised classification method can replicate the manual classification while the unsupervised method can identify major surface units with no ground truth information. These methods allow for remote mapping and classification at high spatial resolution (〈 1 m) of a variety of volcanic deposits, with potential for application to deposits from other processes (e.g., fluvial, glacial) and deposits on other planetary bodies.

Description: Highlights: • Wind-PV power mix beneficial for balancing variability due to weather. • Ratio of 45–57% for PV over PV plus wind power maximises balancing effects. • Simultaneous extremes in wind and PV power occur on less than 10% of the days. Abstract: The increasing use of wind and solar power requires interventions to balance the associated variability in energy production. One option to reduce the costly interventions is to exploit the natural de-correlation of wind and irradiance. This study characterises the balancing potential of the natual variability in wind and photovoltaic energy production within and across eleven European countries. We use 20 years of highly resolved meteorological data from a post-processed regional reanalysis with a 6 km horizontal grid to calculate daily photovoltaic and wind power. Our results suggest a country-dependent reduction of the day-to-day variability in energy production by 29%–42% due to installing both PV and wind power capacities, compared to wind power only. The optimized photovoltaic to photovoltaic plus wind power generation ratios are 45–57% for maximizing balancing effects associated with the changing weather. We further identify on less than 10% of the days a simultaneous occurrence of extremes in photovoltaic and wind power across European countries. The cross-border balancing potentials for the extremes in renewable energy production are therefore high due to the spatio-temporal differences of the local weather.

Description: An extensive, reprocessed two‐dimensional (2D) seismic data set was utilized together with available well data to study the Tiddlybanken Basin in the southeastern Norwegian Barents Sea, which is revealed to be an excellent example of base salt rift structures, evaporite accumulations and evolution of salt structures. Late Devonian–early Carboniferous NE‐SW regional extensional stress affected the study area and gave rise to three half‐grabens that are separated by a NW‐SE to NNW‐SSE trending horst and an affiliated interference transfer zone. The arcuate nature of the horst is believed to be the effect of pre‐existing Timanian basement grain, whereas the interference zone formed due to the combined effect of a Timanian (basement) lineament and the geometrical arrangement of the opposing master faults. The interference transfer zone acted as a physical barrier, controlling the facies distribution and sedimentary thickness of three‐layered evaporitic sequences (LES). During the late Triassic, the northwestern part of a salt wall was developed due to passive diapirism and its evolution was influenced by halite lithology between the three‐LES. The central and southeastern parts of the salt wall did not progress beyond the pedestal stage due to lack of halite in the deepest evaporitic sequence. During the Triassic–Jurassic transition, far‐field stresses from the Novaya Zemlya fold‐and‐thrust belt reactivated the pre‐salt Carboniferous rift structures. The reactivation led to the development of the Signalhorn Dome, rejuvenated the northwestern part of the salt wall and affected the sedimentation rates in the southeastern broad basin. The salt wall together with the Signalhorn Dome and the Carboniferous pre‐salt structures were again reactivated during post‐Early Cretaceous, in response to regional compressional stresses. During this main tectonic inversion phase, the northwestern and southeastern parts of the salt wall were rejuvenated; however, salt reactivation was minimized towards the interference transfer zone beneath the centre of the salt wall.

Description: Tephra deposits in Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ) have been studied for 〉180 years. The now-global discipline of tephrochronology, which has some developmental roots in ANZ, forms the basis of a powerful chronostratigraphic correlational tool and age-equivalent dating method for geological, volcanological, palaeoenvironmental, and archaeological research in ANZ. Its utility is founded on the key principle that tephras or cryptotephras provide widespread isochrons in many different environments. In the first part of this article, we summarise the history of tephra studies in ANZ and then describe how tephras have been mapped, characterised, and correlated using field and laboratory-based methods. We document advances in geochemical fingerprinting of glass; tephra/cryptotephra detection and correlation by sediment-core scanning methods (e.g. X-radiography, CT imaging, XRF elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility); statistical correlation methods; and dating of tephras/cryptotephras. We discuss the advent of ANZ cryptotephra studies (from mid-1970s) and their more-recent growth. The second part comprises examples of applications of tephrochronology in ANZ: climate-event stratigraphy (NZ-INTIMATE project); eruptive-event stratigraphy in the Auckland Volcanic Field; developments in the marine tephra record; advances in identifying, correlating, and dating old (pre-50 ka) tephras and weathered-tephra deposits; forming soils/paleosols on tephras; tephras and archaeology; Kopouatai bog tephrostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments; and volcanic-hazard assessments.

Description: Highlights • Shear strength in the BPT is estimated based on tensorial strain partitioning. • Accounting for full strain components resolves problems in the two-mechanism model. • Inclination of slip planes causes weakening relative to the friction law. • Fault-parallel compression is significant in the BPT and brittle regimes. A constitutive law of shear zones in the brittle-plastic transition (BPT) is of great importance to understanding loading at the bottom of the seismogenic layer preceding large earthquakes. Previous microphysics-based models are based on the partitioning of slip and dilation normal to the shear zone into different deformation mechanisms. Here, I account for the remaining 2-D strain component, inelastic extension of the shear zone, and associated stress buildup parallel to the shear zone, and investigate the steady-state behavior of a shear zone in which slip on inclined planes and bulk plastic flow coexist. Kinematic constraints and constitutive laws of the two mechanisms were solved numerically. The results show that the inclination of slip planes causes weakening relative to the friction law. Whereas the previous two-mechanism model yields a larger strength than the friction law for a rate-weakening slip element in the BPT, the present model qualitatively resolves this problem. Fault-parallel compression buildup can exceed the normal stress in the BPT and the brittle regime if the friction coefficient of the slip planes is in the range of Byerlee's law. This study illuminates the importance of fault-parallel compression in understanding the fabrics and strengths of shear zones.

Description: Degassing volcanic systems, expressed by fumaroles, thermal anomalies, and hydrothermal alteration and deposition at the surface provide insights into the underlying structural architecture and the magmatic system. While the fumarole sites are easily identified and investigated, areas of diffuse degassing and associated hydrothermal alteration are barely explored. Here we investigate high-resolution optical and thermal infrared (TIR) data, acquired by unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) at the La Fossa cone (Vulcano Island) in November 2018. The data provides insights into the structural complexity of degassing sites and associated processes at the surface. Applying the Structure from Motion (SfM) approach, we generate a photomosaic database with a 0.05 m and 0.7 m pixel resolution for the optical and infrared datasets, respectively. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to the optical data to detect, define and extract areas of hydrothermal alteration and sulfuric deposition on a pixel base, with a feature detection threshold of up to 25 cm2. By comparing optical data, PCA results and the IR data, we found a broad alteration zone dominated by diffuse degassing surrounding the main fumaroles, which with ~ 60,000 m2 is ten times larger than the area covered by fumaroles and yellowish sulfuric deposits. Spectral and thermal characteristics of this alteration zone suggest a segmentation into at least 13 distinct subregions. Hydrothermal alteration and deposition were analyzed considering their pixel density and spectral signature (RGB) and show the highest pixel density in the center of the fumarole field, accompanied by a systematic color shift. The same region is characterized by a systematic change in azimuths of thermal lineaments and sulfuric clusters from the dominating trend NW-SE by ~90 degrees to NE-SW. We conjecture this to be controlled by a permeability contrast due to a subsurface structure or crater intersection, facilitating a more direct gas ascent in the center of the fumarole field. We provide a precise and complete database for the state and extent of the La Fossa fumarole field, which can be used for comparative monitoring of spatio-temporal changes within the hydrothermal system at the surface.

Description: We report a novel hybrid, molecular and elemental mass spectrometry (MS) setup for the absolute quantification of snake venom proteomes shown here for two desert black cobra species within the genus Walterinnesia, Walterinnesia aegyptia and Walterinnesia morgani. The experimental design includes the decomplexation of the venom samples by reverse-phase chromatography independently coupled to four mass spectrometry systems: the combined bottom-up and top-down molecular MS for protein identification and a parallel reverse-phase microbore high-performance liquid chromatograph (RP-μHPLC) on-line to inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS/MS) elemental mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-QToF MS). This allows to continuously record the absolute sulfur concentration throughout the chromatogram and assign it to the parent venom proteins separated in the RP-μHPLC-ESI-QToF parallel run via mass profiling. The results provide a locus-resolved and quantitative insight into the three desert black cobra venom proteome samples. They also validate the units of measure of our snake venomics strategy for the relative quantification of snake venom proteomes as % of total venom peptide bonds as a proxy for the % by weight of the venom toxins/toxin families. In a more general context, our work may pave the way for broader applications of hybrid elemental/molecular MS setups in diverse areas of proteomics.

Description: Highlights • Release of additives from plastic pollution may harm wildlife. • Robust methods to characterise additives and their leaching behaviour are needed. • Extraction and leaching methods are informed from well-established industry methods. • Recommended approaches for extraction and leaching studies are presented. • The use of environmentally relevant methods and test materials is advised. Plastic pollution is prevalent worldwide and has been highlighted as an issue of global concern due to its harmful impacts on wildlife. The extent and mechanism by which plastic pollution effects organisms is poorly understood, especially for microplastics. One proposed mechanism by which plastics may exert a harmful effect is through the leaching of additives. To determine the risk to wildlife, the chemical identity and exposure to additives must be established. However, there are few reports with disparate experimental approaches. In contrast, a breadth of knowledge on additive release from plastics is held within the food, pharmaceutical and medical, construction, and waste management industries. This includes standardised methods to perform migration, extraction, and leaching studies. This review provides an overview of the approaches and methods used to characterise additives and their leaching behaviour from plastic pollution. The limitations of these methods are highlighted and compared with industry standardised approaches. Furthermore, an overview of the analytical strategies for the identification and quantification of additives is presented. This work provides a basis for refining current leaching approaches and analytical methods with a view towards understanding the risk of plastic pollution.

Description: Highlights • Carbon dioxide + propane mixtures are studied through accurate measurements of speeds of sound and phase equilibria. • Heat capacities and virial coefficients are obtained from speeds of sound. • Retrograde condensation zone is found for the (0.60 CO2 + 0.40 C3H8) mixture. • Results are compared with reference equations of state such as GERG-2008 and AGA8-DC92. This work presents phase envelope and speed of sound data for the (0.60 CO2 + 0.40 C3H8) and (0.80 CO2 + 0.20 C3H8) binary mixtures. Phase equilibria was measured using a cylindrical resonator working in the microwave band whereas an acoustic resonator was used for speed of sound measurements. The experimental results were compared with GERG-2008 equation of state, obtaining average absolute deviations by 0.24% in pressure for phase equilibria data and 0.025% for speed of sound data. Speed of sound values were used to derive perfect-gas heat capacities, acoustic virial coefficients, and second density virial coefficients. In addition, AGA8-DC92 equation of state performance was checked for the results derived from speeds of sound.

Description: The Net-Zero-2050 cluster aims for a national roadmap for net zero CO2 emissions by 2050, including integrated scenario analyses and negative emission technology assessment (see fact sheet Net-Zero-2050 Structure Project 1). This national target to substantially reduce national CO2 emissions by 2050 stems from the objective to comply with the global long-term temperature goal of well below 2°C of the Paris Agreement (UNFCCC, 2015). Within the cluster it is therefore important to decide on an approach for deriving a national remaining carbon budget from global emissions trajectories in agreement with the Paris Climate Agreement’s longterm temperature goal (UNFCCC, 2015). Allocating national carbon budgets is a balance of environmental effectiveness, equity, national capacity and ability, political feasibility, economic efficiency and technical requirements (Gignac and Matthews, 2015; Höhne et al., 2003; 2014). Given Germany’s capacity and abilities, we decided to follow a sustainable growth trajectory with a convergence phase to equal-per-capita CO2 emissions by 2035, and a net zero CO2 emissions trajectory after 2050 until the end of the century. This approach leads to a remaining Germany CO2 budget of 9 GtCO2 (from 1st January 2018 to 2050 and 2100), which we propose to be used across the Net-Zero-2050 cluster. The remaining carbon budget will serve as a target to be used in all work packages in a concerted way, either qualitatively or quantitatively, and in accordance with other work packages (see also fact sheet Net-Zero-2050 Energy Scenario Approach). The calculated budget is at the lower end of the national budget if allocated by the grandfathering approach (emissions are allocated with respect to today’s emissions shares: 5.5-13.1 GtCO2), but slightly higher than the highest estimate of an equal-per-capita remaining carbon budget (emissions are allocated with respect to Germany’s share of the global population: 3.5-8.4 GtCO2) The 9 GtCO2 national remaining CO2 budget, 6.9 GtCO2 from 1st January 2021, will need to be broken down by category (e.g. energy, land use, industrial processes, and man-made sinks and sources; see Gap Analysis Report) in order to provide a consistent approach across work packages.

Description: Most air quality stations in Spain exceeded the European Union's daily PM10 limit due to the February 2016 Saharan dust outbreak, which resulted from two successive dust storms in Northwest Africa. This study identifies the meso-β/meso-γ-scale dynamical processes responsible for developing these dust storms using observations and high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry simulations. The results revealed that the first dust storm was associated with a strong barrier jet (BJ). The BJ formed on the southeastern foothills of the Saharan Atlas Mountains (SAM) when an easterly-northeasterly low-level Mediterranean flow was blocked by a stably stratified layer close to the SAM. The BJ intensified just after sunrise on 20 February and the associated near-surface peak winds organized the first dust storm. The second dust storm was linked to a mesoscale gravity wave (MGW) and hydraulic jumps. A long-lived westward propagating MGW was triggered by a downslope flow interacting with the stable layer near the northeastern edge of the Tinrhert Plateau in eastern Algeria. When this MGW crossed the Tademaït Plateau, hydraulic jumps formed on its lee side. The strong winds accompanying these hydraulic jumps formed the second dust storm on 21 February. The lifted dust extended over a depth of 2–3 km in the growing daytime boundary layer and was advected poleward by the southerly/southeasterly mid-tropospheric winds. Our results underline the importance of resolving terrain-induced mesoscale processes to understand dust storm dynamics, which are difficult to represent in coarse-resolution numerical models.

Description: There is a significant interest in the usage of algae in everyday diet because of their positive influence on the gastrointestinal system due to the presence of high amounts of dietary fibres, while the presence of ω-3 fatty acids contributes to the protection of cardiovascular system. Algal derived polysaccharides are found in the food products as stabilisers, thickening agents and emulsifiers. In the cosmetic industry, algae are used in sunscreen, anti-age, anti-cellulite, moisturising and skin whitening products. These products can be used for the development of cosmeceuticals which contain algal derived bioactive compounds and they can exert a pharmaceutical therapeutic benefit. However, these compounds also have potential for being isolated and used for development of novel drugs against diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and diabetes. Present review provides information about algal compounds incorporated into various food, cosmetic or medicinal products, as well as their potential for health improvement was evaluated.

Description: Mapping out evoregions is a method that portrays the evolutionary diversification of a clade by revealing regions of independent diversification and radiations. Supplementary, regions of endemism, as well as evolutionary transition zones, can be discovered by investigating phylogenetic turnover. Analyzing phylogeographic patterns is of interest in conservation since here it must be dealt with the issue of finding optimal areas that effectively preserve comprehensive and representative sets of biotas. The inclusion of phylogenetic information supports conservation particularly in the long term. To lighten up about major regions of diversification and to investigate whether spatial patterns are similar among clades, we designed evoregions for six major vertebrate clades (two mammal families, two bird families, and two amphibian families) whose species are widely distributed across the Neotropical realm. Moreover, since phylogeographical patterns are of interest in biodiversity conservation, we investigated whether there are regions of endemism and evolutionary transition zones which may be significant for conservation. To comprehensively decipher the history of focal clades, three figures with phylogenetic information were inferred: (a) maps of evoregions by mapping phylogenetic turnover derived by fuzzy-weighting across grid cells. (b) maps with patterns of low, respectively, high phylogenetic turnover that reveal regions of endemism and evolutionary transition zones by calculating phylogenetic dissimilarity. (c) phylogenetic tree circles which assign species to their respective evoregions, by considering their area of most common occurrence. The latter includes an estimation of ancestral evoregions by using stochastic character mapping. In their shape, the evoregions resemble neotropical biomes among all clades, but they differ in their number, which may be attributed to the clade's ages, their unique ecologies, and histories of colonization. Regions of high endemicity are partly congruent among the clades, with clear overlaps in Amazonia. Evolutionary transition zones differ among clades, but certain trends can be recognized which provide clues about specific biogeographical features and evolutionary alterations of e.g. climate. Phylogenetic circles support the findings and deliver information on whether species diversified in situ along with their closest relatives and can therefore mostly be assigned to a single evoregion, or whether they are likely to have evolved ex situ and tend to be widespread. Analyzing evoregions, phylogeographic patterns of endemism/transition zones, supplemented with ancestral affiliations delivers particularly comprehensive information about a clade's evolution and may be a valuable supplementary tool applicable in biodiversity conservation.

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 1. Wochenbericht 19. - 21.03.2021

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 3. Wochenbericht 29.03.-04.04.2021

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 2. Wochenbericht 22. - 28.03.2021

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 4. Wochenbericht 05. - 11.04.2021

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 5. Wochenbericht 12. - 18.04.2021

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 6. Wochenbericht 19. - 25.04.2021

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 7. Wochenbericht 26.04. - 02.05.2021

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 8. Wochenbericht 03. - 09.05.2021

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 10. Wochenbericht 17.05. - 22.05.2021

Description: FS SONNE SO283 "Mooring Rescue" Emden - Emden, 19.03. - 25.05.2021 9. Wochenbericht 10.05.-16.05.2021

Description: 19 March 2021 – 25 May 2021 Emden (Germany) – Emden (Germany) TRR181 / TRAFFIC / EVAR / BANINO

Description: This report is thought as a guide to early hydrographic log sheets of bottle data obtained by the former Institut für Meereskunde, Kiel (IFMK, now integrated into GEOMAR) in the post-war years 1946 to 1956, and which in summer 2018 when a building used by GEOMAR was to clear were not available in digitized format at GEOMAR. The data mostly were taken by the research cutter FK “Südfall” in the Baltic. It turned out that some of these data from 1950 to 1956 were available in digitized form at the on-line data bank of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Comparison with the original logged data sheets, however, showed that they needed to be improved w/r to time and position and to be completed by missing data. This report shortly describes the methods of sampling and measuring these old data, and the processing steps applied to improve the data set by using the data log sheets before archiving and submitting the now improved and complete data set to data centres for archiving.

Description: 18.-31.10.2021

Description: 18.-31.10.2021

Description: During World War I, an enormous amount of chemical and conventional munitions was fired. Many of these munitions did not explode and are still recovered in the soil of the regions where the war raged for several years. After the war, many of the remaining munitions were dumped in the sea as an easy way of removal. These unexploded and dumped munitions are still present so many years after the end of the war. The explosive material inside the munitions is more than 100 years old now. Samples were collected from some of these old munitions. These samples have been analyzed to determine their composition. The explosives typically used in World War I (TNT, DNT, DNB and picric acid) have been identified. It has been shown that the aged samples still contain their energy. They have not become more sensitive to friction or impact. For one the samples, it has been shown that it is still cap-sensitive and detonates normally. These results are important for any risk assessment involving old munitions.

Description: Digital Twins may be employed for developing embedded software and can be classified in three subcategories by their level of integration with the corresponding physical objects/twins. We introduce and report on experience with a new category: the Digital Twin Prototype. Digital Twin Prototypes support engineers to test embedded software systems, without the need of a connection to a physical object. In CI/CD pipelines they can be used for integration testing and thus, allow for an agile verification and validation process. We developed and evaluated this approach to create an underwater network of ocean observation systems. The feasibility was shown in a demonstration mission in the Baltic Sea in October 2020.

Description: This report reviews the current situation as regards to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Descriptor 1 (Biodiversity) for pelagic habitats and serves as a basis for a workshop with Member States experts and scientists that will be held on March 9-10 2021. Recommendations are in the concluding section. Pelagic habitats cover the 71% of Earth’s surface and play an essential role in regulating temperature on land, producing oxygen and food. They are also a management challenge where the alterations of their physical, chemical and biological characteristics negatively impact their ecosystem functioning and services (e.g. provisioning services). To address these challenges, the MSFD has required the assessment of pelagic habitats against environmental targets to reach Good Environmental Status (GES). A key step in the pelagic habitat assessment is a thorough understanding of its physical, chemical and biological processes and the drivers that underlie the spatiotemporal variability in its ecologically relevant ecosystem components. However, pelagic assessments to date have not sufficiently addressed the functional and structural characteristics of pelagic habitats processes, which is limiting our ability to inform on their environmental status and to disentangle the anthropogenic drivers. This report evaluates previously published work on pelagic habitats assessments considering the actions and targets to meet the MSFD requirements. To do this, the report (i) summarises the main drivers of variation in pelagic habitat characterization; (ii) reviews the common empirical approaches used to assess pelagic habitats, the advantages, and challenges; and finally (iii) exposes a set of recommendations for characterising pelagic habitats in EU waters. Since the pelagic habitats are made of a highly dynamic fluid, appropriate spatiotemporal scales regarding data and methods must be considered to assess their GES. This applies in particular to the selected indicators to propose the effective and quantifiable GES targets that need to be reached.

Description: Methane (CH4) is the second most important naturally occurring greenhouse gas (GHG) after carbon dioxide (Myhre G et al 2013 Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) pp 659–740). For both GHGs, the present-day budget is dominated by anthropogenic emissions (Friedlingstein P et al 2019 Earth Syst. Sci. Data 11 1783–838; Saunois M et al 2020 Earth Syst. Sci. Data 12 1561–623). For CO2 it is well established that the projected future rise in atmospheric concentration is near exclusively determined by anthropogenic emissions (Ciais P et al 2013 Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) pp 465–570). For methane, this appears to be the common assumption, too, but whether this assumption is true has never been shown conclusively. Here, we investigate the evolution of atmospheric methane until 3000 CE under five Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios, for the first time using a methane-enabled state-of-the-art Earth System Model (ESM). We find that natural methane emissions, i.e. methane emissions from the biosphere, rise strongly as a reaction to climate warming, thus leading to atmospheric methane concentrations substantially higher than assumed in the scenarios used for CMIP6. We also find that the natural emissions become larger than the anthropogenic ones in most scenarios, showing that natural emissions cannot be neglected.

Description: Characterizing the variability across timescales is important for understanding the underlying dynamics of the Earth system. It remains challenging to do so from palaeoclimate archives since they are more often than not irregular, and traditional methods for producing timescale-dependent estimates of variability, such as the classical periodogram and the multitaper spectrum, generally require regular time sampling. We have compared those traditional methods using interpolation with interpolation-free methods, namely the Lomb–Scargle periodogram and the first-order Haar structure function. The ability of those methods to produce timescale-dependent estimates of variability when applied to irregular data was evaluated in a comparative framework, using surrogate palaeo-proxy data generated with realistic sampling. The metric we chose to compare them is the scaling exponent, i.e. the linear slope in log-transformed coordinates, since it summarizes the behaviour of the variability across timescales. We found that, for scaling estimates in irregular time series, the interpolation-free methods are to be preferred over the methods requiring interpolation as they allow for the utilization of the information from shorter timescales which are particularly affected by the irregularity. In addition, our results suggest that the Haar structure function is the safer choice of interpolation-free method since the Lomb–Scargle periodogram is unreliable when the underlying process generating the time series is not stationary. Given that we cannot know a priori what kind of scaling behaviour is contained in a palaeoclimate time series, and that it is also possible that this changes as a function of timescale, it is a desirable characteristic for the method to handle both stationary and non-stationary cases alike.

Description: The surface mass balance scheme dEBM (diurnal Energy Balance Model) provides a novel interface between the atmosphere and land ice for Earth system modeling, which is based on the energy balance of glaciated surfaces. In contrast to empirical schemes, dEBM accounts for changes in the Earth’s orbit and atmospheric composition. The scheme only requires monthly atmospheric forcing (precipitation, temperature, shortwave and longwave radiation, and cloud cover). It is also computationally inexpensive, which makes it particularly suitable to investigate the ice sheets' response to long-term climate change. After calibration and validation, we analyze the surface mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) based on climate simulations representing two warm climate states: a simulation of the mid-Holocene (approximately 6000 years before present) and a climate projection based on an extreme emission scenario which extends to the year 2100. The former period features an intensified summer insolation while the 21st century is characterized by reduced outgoing longwave radiation. Specifically, we investigate whether the temperature–melt relationship, as used in empirical temperature-index methods, remains stable under changing insolation and atmospheric composition. Our results indicate that the temperature–melt relation is sensitive to changes in insolation on orbital timescales but remains mostly invariant under the projected warming climate of the 21st century.

Description: This document describes the numerical modelling work done in task 5.2 needed to implement OSPAC

Description: 14.6. – 18.6.2021 Areas of Research: Public relations and aquarium west shore Port Calls: Grena/ DK (15.6. – 17.6.2021) Acquisition of living marine organisms for the public relations division (GEOMAR), the institute’s own aquarium and the Multimar Wattforum - Tönning in the northern Kattegat.

Description: January 25th – February 1st 2021 Kiel (Germany) – Kiel (Germany) Winter cod 2021-25

Description: To protect fifteen northern European countries against sea level rise, a highly ambitious plan was put forward to build massive sea dams across the North Sea and the English Channel, which will cut off the North Sea from the rest of the Atlantic Ocean.

Description: Estimations of the global carbon budget include a quantitative understanding of the evolving processes that occur along river-to-ocean gradients. However, high spatiotemporal resolution observations of these processes are limited. Here we present in situ measurements of the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) made through the Amazon River plume (ARP) during different discharge seasons, from 2010 to 2012. We evaluated the spatiotemporal distribution of pCO2 using Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite observations for each hydrologic period in the ARP. Regression models were used to estimate pCO2 at the ARP for the period of 2010–2014. From these distributions we calculated sea-air gas exchange of CO2 between the plume waters and the atmosphere (Fsea co2). Intra-annual variability of Fsea co2 was related to discharge at the river mouth and ocean currents as well as trade winds in the plume. Climatic events during the study period had a significant impact on the Fsea co2. Including the plume area closer to the river mouth makes the ARP a net source of CO2 with an annual net sea-air flux of 8.6 ± 7.1 Tg C y−1 from 2011 to 2014.

Description: Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) is one key rate-limiting enzyme in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, which is related to various cancers. Tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa), a special tomato, is widely consumed as nutritious vegetable in Mexico, USA, etc. As a rich source for withanolides, the fruits of P. ixocarpa were investigated, leading to the isolation of 11 type-A withanolides including 4 new ones (1 is an artificial withanolide). All these withanolides were evaluated for their inhibition on mutant IDH1 enzyme activity. Among them, physalin F (11) exhibited potent enzyme inhibitory activity and binding affinity with mutant IDH1. It inhibits the proliferation of HT1080 cells by selectively inhibiting the activity of mutant IDH1. Since Ixocarpalactone A, another major type-B withanolide in this plant, could act on another energy metabolism target PHGDH, the presence of different types of withanolides in tomatillo and their synergistic effect could make it a potential antitumor functional food or drug.

Description: Microplastics pollution in marine environments is concerning. Microplastics persist and accumulate in various sections of the ocean where they present opportunity for micropollutant accumulation and microbial colonisation. Even though biofilm formation on plastics was first reported in the 1970's, it is only in recent years were plastic associated biofilms have gained research attention. Plastic surfaces pose a problem as they are a niche ready for colonisation by diverse biofilm assemblages, composed of specific bacterial communities and putative pathogens prone to acquiring ARGs and resistance in the biofilm. However, the nature of antibiotic resistance on aquatic plastic debris is not yet fully understood and remains a concern. Given the inevitable increase of plastic production and waste generation, microplastics released into the environment may prove to be problematic. This review explores microplastic waste in the ocean and possible concerns that may arise from the presence of microplastics in conjunction with favourable conditions for the development and dispersal of antibiotic resistance in the ocean and food web.

Description: often recognized too late, typically when changing the adopted technologies and behavioral norms is difficult. A similar story may unfold if society continues to blindly transition to an unregulated and environmentally unaudited digital world, a transition path that has been facilitated by the fourth industrial revolution and is now accelerated by the global COVID-19 crisis. The newly developed digital lifestyle has major environmental benefits, including the reduction of travel-related CO2 emissions. Yet, increased Internet use has some hidden environmental impacts that must be uncovered (Fig. 1a) to make the transition to a lowcarbon and green economy successful. The data centers’ electricity consumption accounts for 1% of the global energy demand (Masanet et al., 2020), more than the national energy consumption of many countries. Depending on the energy supply mix and use efficiency, Internet traffic contributes differently to negative environmental impacts and climate change. As the number of Internet users increases, the number of online services and applications they use grow. This trend exacerbates the environmental footprint of the Internet, despite the many successful and significant efforts to improve the efficiency of data centers (Masanet et al., 2020) and reduce their reliance on fossil energy. In order to build a sustainable digital world, it is imperative to carefully assess the environmental footprints of the Internet and identify the individual and collective actions that most affect its growth.

Description: Understanding aspects of the biology of early life stages of marine fish is critical if one hopes to reveal the factors and processes that impact the survival and recruitment (year class) strength. The Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens) is a key species in the Humboldt current system, and the present study provides the first description of the embryonic and larval development of this species reared in captivity. Embryonic and early exogenous feeding stages of larvae were illustrated in detail at 18.5°C. Hatching was completed within 42 and 48 h post-fertilization at 18.5 and 14.5°C, respectively. Mean ± 95% C.I. standard length (LS) at hatch (3.40 ± 0.10 mm at 18.5°C and 2.76 ± 0.34 mm at 14.5°C) was significantly different between the two temperatures. Larval behaviour was assessed at 18.5°C; at the onset of exogenous feeding [3 days post-hatch (dph)], larvae were fed small, motile dinoflagellates, Akashiwo sanguinea. At 7 dph, larvae started to feed almost exclusively on zooplankton (rotifers and Artemia nauplii). Larval activity increased with age, and the first sign of schooling was noted at 31 dph (18.56 mm LS) at 18.5°C. Temperature had a significant effect on size-at-age, but not on body shape (depth to LS ratio). The size-at-age data for larvae (this study) was used to parameterize a temperature-corrected von Bertalanffy growth function for Peruvian anchovy, the accuracy of which was assessed for juveniles and adults (literature values).

Description: Fucus virsoides and Cystoseira barbata are important sources of sulfated polysaccharide fucoidan which shows a wide range of biological activities. These activities are significantly dependent on chemical composition which is influenced by species, anatomical part of the seaweed, growing location and conditions, extraction procedures and analytical methods. The objective of this study was to evaluate influence of various pre-treatment solvents and conventional extraction parameters (solvent, temperature and time) on polysaccharide yield and chemical composition (total sugar, fucose, sulfate group and uronic acid content) of the fucoidan from F. virsoides and C. barbata. Combination of acetone and ethanol was chosen for pre-treatment since it removed the most interfering compounds and resulted with the highest polysaccharide yield. Applying acid (0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M H2SO4) instead of water for polysaccharide extraction improved yield and resulted with fucoidan with higher sulfate group content, lower uronic acid content but lower fucose content. Extraction at higher temperatures and longer time resulted with higher polysaccharide yield, uronic acid and total sugars content. However, they had the opposite effect on fucose and sulfate group content between F. virsoides and C. barbata.

Description: Background Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent, lethal and aggressive tumour of the central nervous system in adults. The discovery of novel anti-GBM agents based on the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant phenotypes and classifications have attracted comprehensive attention. Purpose Diterpenoids are a class of naturally occurring 20-carbon isoprenoid compounds, and have previously been shown to possess high cytotoxicity for a variety of human tumours in many scientific reports. In the present study, 31 cassane diterpenoids of four types, namely, butanolide lactone cassane diterpenoids (I) (1-10), tricyclic cassane diterpenoids (II) (11-15), polyoxybutanolide lactone cassane diterpenoids (III) (16-23), and fused furan ring cassane diterpenoids (IV) (24-31), were tested for their anti-glioblastoma activity and mechanism underlying based on IDH1 mutant phenotypes of primary GBM cell cultures and human oligodendroglioma (HOG) cell lines. Results We confirmed that tricyclic-type (II) and compound 13 (Caesalpin A, CSA) showed the best anti-neoplastic potencies in IDH1 mutant glioma cells compared with the other types and compounds. Furthermore, the structure-relationship analysis indicated that the carbonyl group at C-12 and an α, β-unsaturated ketone unit fundamentally contributed to enhancing the anti-glioma activity. Studies investigating the mechanism demonstrated that CSA induced oxidative stress via causing glutathione reduction and NOS activation by negatively regulating glutaminase (GLS), which proved to be highly dependent on IDH mutant type glioblastoma. Finally, GLS overexpression reversed the CSA-induced anti-glioma effects in vitro and in vivo, which indicated that the reduction of GLS contributed to the CSA-induced proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in HOG-IDH1-mu cells. Conclusion Therefore, the present results demonstrated that compared with other diterpenoids, tricyclic-type diterpenoids could be a targeted drug candidate for the treatment of secondary IDH1 mutant type glioblastoma through negatively regulating GLS.

Description: Some trace elements (TE) are eminently toxic for humans (e.g., Al, Pb, Hg, Cd) and its presence in the central nervous system has been linked to the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases (ND). More recently, the focus has shifted to the potential role of the imbalances on essential TE levels (e.g., Fe, Cu, Zn, Se) within the brain tissue, and they have also been identified as potentially responsible for the cognitive decline associated with normal ageing and the development of some ND, although their definite role remains unclear. Accurately, well-defined reference values for TE levels in human body fluids and tissues are indispensable to identify possible disturbances in individual cases. Moreover, since the brain is a highly heterogeneous organ, with anatomically and physiologically very different areas, a detailed mapping of TE distribution across the brain tissue of normal individuals, with an in-depth analysis of TE levels in the different brain regions, is a mandatory prior work so that the results obtained from patients suffering from ND and other brain diseases can be interpreted. This review aims to compile and summarize the available data regarding TE levels in the different human brain regions of “normal” (non-diseased) individuals in order to contribute to the establishment of robust reference values. Fifty-four studies, published since 1960, were considered. The results showed a great variability between different studies. The potential sources of this variability are discussed. The need for increased harmonization of experimental strategies is highlighted in order to improve the comparability of the data obtained.

Description: FS METEOR, 31.07. –29.08.2021, Emden – Emden. 1. Wochenbericht (31.07-01.08. 2021) Die FS METEOR-Expedition M176 wird vom GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel in Zusammenarbeit mit dem GeoZentrum Nordbayern der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg durchgeführt. Arbeitsgebiete sind die westliche Biskaya und der Azoren-Biskaya-Rücken, eine 750 km lange untermeerische Gebirgskette unbekannten Ursprungs.

Description: FS METEOR, 31.07. –29.08.2021, Emden – Emden. 2. Wochenbericht (02.08-08.08.2021) Die FS METEOR-Expedition M176 wird vom GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel in Zusammenarbeit mit dem GeoZentrum Nordbayern der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg durchgeführt. Arbeitsgebiete sind die westliche Biskaya und der Azoren-Biskaya-Rücken, eine 750 km lange untermeerische Gebirgskette unbekannten Ursprungs.

Description: FS METEOR, 31.07. –29.08.2021, Emden – Emden. 4. Wochenbericht (16.08-22.08.2021) Die FS METEOR-Expedition M176 wird vom GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel in Zusammenarbeit mit dem GeoZentrum Nordbayern der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg durchgeführt. Arbeitsgebiete sind die westliche Biskaya und der Azoren-Biskaya-Rücken, eine 750 km lange untermeerische Gebirgskette unbekannten Ursprungs.

Description: FS METEOR, 31.07. –29.08.2021, Emden – Emden. 3. Wochenbericht (09.08-15.08.2021) Die FS METEOR-Expedition M176 wird vom GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel in Zusammenarbeit mit dem GeoZentrum Nordbayern der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg durchgeführt. Arbeitsgebiete sind die westliche Biskaya und der Azoren-Biskaya-Rücken, eine 750 km lange untermeerische Gebirgskette unbekannten Ursprungs.

Description: FS METEOR, 31.07. – 29.08.2021, Emden – Emden. 5. Wochenbericht (23.08-29.08.2021) Die FS METEOR-Expedition M176 wird vom GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel in Zusammenarbeit mit dem GeoZentrum Nordbayern der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg durchgeführt. Arbeitsgebiete sind die westliche Biskaya und der Azoren-Biskaya-Rücken, eine 750 km lange untermeerische Gebirgskette unbekannten Ursprungs.

Description: FS METEOR Fahrt M176/2 RainbowPlume, 01. September – 06. Oktober 2021, Emden - Emden 2. Wochenbericht (06.09 - 12.09 2021)

Description: FS METEOR Fahrt M176/2 RainbowPlume, 01. September – 06. Oktober 2021, Emden - Emden 3. Wochenbericht (13.09 - 19.09 2021)

Description: FS METEOR Fahrt M176/2 RainbowPlume, 01. September – 06. Oktober 2021, Emden - Emden 2. Wochenbericht (01.09 - 05.09 2021)

Description: FS METEOR Fahrt M176/2 RainbowPlume, 01. September – 06. Oktober 2021, Emden - Emden 5. Wochenbericht (27.09 - 03.10.2021)