ALBERT

Description: Dimitris Frydas & Helmut Keupp: Upper Cenozoic calcareous and siliceous phytoplankton stratigraphy for marine sediments in central Crete, Greece ...3 ; Dimitris Frydas & Helmut Keupp: The Miocene/Pliocene boundary in NW Crete by means of calcareous nannofossil assemblages ...27 ; Dimitris Frydas: Silicoflagellates of the Late Quaternary Sapropel S5 from the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea, „Meteor“-Cruise 40/4, Site 69 ...35 ; Joachim Gründel: Neritimorpha und weitere Caenogastropoda (Gastropoda) aus dem Dogger Norddeutschlands und des nordwestlichen Polens ...45 ; Rolf Kohring: Nonmarine trace fossils from the Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) of Msemrir (Central High Atlas, Morocco) ...101 ; Uwe Gloy: Bibliographie 2000 ...113 ; --- ❖ --- „Biologie und Paläobiologie der Cephalopoden: Bilanz und Ausblick“ Treffen deutschsprachiger Cephalopodenforscher vom 8. bis 9. März 2001 an der FU Berlin --- Helmut Keupp & Kerstin Warnke: Biologie und Paläobiologie der Cephalopoden: Bilanz und Ausblick ...119 ; Sigurd v. Boletzky: Paläobiologie der Cephalopoden - vom Petrefaktischen zur Frage: „Wie hat das Tier gelebt?“ ...121 ; Günter Schweigert & Gerd Dietl: Die Kieferelemente von Physodoceras (Ammonitina, Aspidoceratidae) im Nusplinger Plattenkalk (Oberjura, Schwäbische Alb) ...131 ; Christian Klug & Dieter Korn: Epizoa and post-mortem epicoles on cephalopod shells - Devonian and Carboniferous examples from Morocco ...145 ; Ute Richter: Spuren der Weichkörperverlagerung auf Pyritsteinkernen von Ammonoideen ...157 ; Kerstin Warnke, Jörg Plötner, José Ignacio Santana, Maria José Rueda & Octavio Llinas: Zur Phylogenie rezenter Cephalopoden - Erste Ergebnisse einer molekulargenetischen Analyse des 18S rRNA-Gens ...169 ; Dieter Korn & Christian Klug: Biometrie analyses of some Palaeozoic ammonoid conchs ...173 ; Gernot Arp: Fazies, Stratigraphie und Ammonitenfauna des Mittleren und Oberen Dogger bei Neumarkt i.d.Opf. (Bajocium-Oxfordium, Süddeutschland), ...189 ;

Description: conference

Description: DFG, SUB Göttingen

Description: The Mid and Late Holocene environment of the Eastern Juyanze and Sogo Nur basins was reconstructed on the base of ostracod assemblages, shell chemistry, sedimentology, palynology and the occurrence of other fossils such as molluscs and a large diatom species in the course of the study. Their climatic implications were discussed in the context of other Holocene records from northwestern China and Central Asia. A brief synopsis is given in the following. The period of maximum moisture availability (China’s Hypsithermal or the Atlantic period in European usage), otherwise recorded roughly between 8000 and 6000 a BP (e.g. LISTER et al. 1991, GASSE et al. 1996, Liu et al. 1998), was neither registered at the site of the main section in the Eastern Juyanze basin nor in the Sogo Nor basin. Sediments at the Eastem-Juyanze-section-A, which was investigated most intensively, are not older than about 5400 cal. a BP and span a period up to about 2700 cal. a BP, whereas the record of the Sogo Nur sections covers a period from about 2500 up to about 400 cal. a BP. However, the subsequent cold and dry period about 5400 a BP, which was proposed earlier from a number of sites in eastern and western China, from Mongolia, India and even America (e.g. ZHOU et al. 1991a, DOROFEYUK & TARASOV 1998, PETIT-MAIRE 1994, MoUGUiART et al. 1998), was clearly recorded as a dry period at the Eastern Juyanze basin too. This study confirms, that this cold and dry Mid Holocene spell was in fact a far-reaching, probably global event. Between about 5000 and 4100 cal. a BP, warm and humid conditions prevailed at most sites in the north of the Tibetan Plateau (e.g. WÜNNEMANN et al. 1998b), supported by high lake levels of the Lake Eastern Juyanze during that period. Simultaneously, the conditions remained rather dry on the southern Tibetan Plateau (e.g. FONTES et al. 1996), probably resulting from the weakening of the Indian monsoon. Climate deterioration occurred all over Central Asia between about 4100 and 3000 cal. a BP. Lake levels are generally regarded as decreasing during that period, soil formation around Qinghai Lake ceased and pronounced cold and dry spells were recorded at about 4100, 3800 and 3400 cal. a BP at several sites of Central Asia and by corresponding regressive events of Lake Eastern Juyanze (e.g. YAO & THOMPSON 1992, SHI et al. 1993, VAN CAMPO et al. 1996). A dramatic shift from cold and dry to warm conditions and a return to cold and dry conditions again was recorded about 3000 cal. a BP by the Dunde ice core (YAO & THOMPSON 1992) and caused rapid environmental fluctuations in the Eastern Juyanze basin. Lake Eastern Juyanze experienced three short-term episodes of desiccation between about 3200 and 2900 cal. a BP, but was re-established in between and afterwards. Glaciers of Central Asia advanced and the lakes displayed a non-uniform response (e.g. ZHOU et al. 1991a), probably due to different hydrological conditions and the presence and different response of glaciers in the respective catchment area. After 3000 cal. a BP, climate is regarded as generally colder and drier than before (LISTER et al. 1991, PETIT-MAIRE1994). However, a return to slightly warmer and more humid conditions led to rising lake levels and a new period of soil formation on the Loess Plateau between about 2700 and 2000 cal. a BP (FANG 1991, SHI et al. 1993). The sediments of the Eastem-Juyanze-section-A are not younger than about 2700 cal. a BP and have therefore not recorded environmental changes after that time, but the record of the Sogo Nur sections starts at about 2500 cal. a BP and was used to trace the Late Holocene climate evolution. Intermediate lake levels of the Sogo Nur between 2500 and 2000 cal. a BP also point to relatively humid conditions, but very low lake levels were established at about 1700 cal. a BP. This coincides with colder and drier conditions between about 2000 and 1500 cal. a BP, indicated by lake records of eastern China, the Tibetan Plateau and the Dunde ice core (e.g. FENG et al. 1993, GASSE et al. 1996, Liu et al. 1998). Another period of relatively warm and humid conditions occurred between about 1400 and 700 cal. a BP (e.g. Liu et al. 1993), interrupted by a short-term regression of the Sogo Nur at about 1000 cal. a BP. This temporary drop of the water level of Sogo Nur corresponds to a drastic cooling event. Lowest temperatures for the last 4000 years were inferred from the Dunde ice core at that time (YAO & THOMPSON 1992). A short period of relatively warm and humid conditions was recorded about 800 cal. a BP (e.g. Liu et al. 1998) and caused high lake levels of the Sogo Nur again. Colder and drier conditions predominated afterwards in eastern China as well as in the continental interior between about 400 and 75 cal. a BP (1550-1875 AD, ZHOU et al. 1991a, FENG et al. 1993) and are related to the Little Ice Age, which was recorded at sites all over the northern hemisphere (LAMB 1977). In contrast, the last 100 years are characterised by relatively warm conditions in China. The environmental fluctuations of the Mid to Late Holocene Lake Eastern Juyanze were regarded as virtually unaffected by human activities and thus, entirely driven by climate. Nonetheless, rapid lake level fluctuations were recorded which gave rise to drastic changes of the lake area due to the flat morphology of the Eastern Juyanze basin. Surprisingly, short-term desiccation events were recorded about 3000 cal. a BP at the site of the main section. However, it was not possible to assess the environmental conditions of the neighbouring topographically-closed basin lakes at that time. Late Holocene environmental fluctuations of the Sogo Nur were relatively dramatic as well. Very shallow levels were recorded at about 1700 cal. a BP and attributed to cold and dry climatic conditions, reported from other sites of Central Asia (Gu et al. 1993, GASSE et al. 1996). At least sub-littoral conditions of the Sogo Nur (water depth 〉 10 m) prevailed in the subsequent period between 1500 and 400 cal. a BP, but it was not possible on the base of the investigations at the Sogo Nur, to prove or deny the merging of the lakes Sogo Nur and Gaxun Nur in Holocene times. The hydrological balance of Sogo Nur was probably not affected by withdrawal of water for irrigation purposes before the Tang Dynasty (618-906 AD, CHEN et a. 1999). The short-term regressive event at about 1000 cal. a BP (950 AD) coincides with a period of increased agricultural population in the catchment area (Chen et a. 1999) as well as a climate spell of cold and dry conditions (YAO & THOMPSON 1992). Similarly, the decrease of the lake level after 700 cal. a BP (1250 AD) may either reflect the simultaneous increase of the agricultural population in the catchment area or the gradual shift towards cooler ands drier conditions during that period or both. Thus, it was not possible to distinguish between climate-driven and man-made fluctuations of the environment of the Sogo Nur.

Description: Die Umweltverhältnisse des östlichen Juyanze- und des Sogo-Nur-Beckens im mittleren und späten Holozän wurden anhand der Ostracoden- Vergesellschaftung, des Schalen-Chemismus, anhand sedimentologischer und palynologischer Befunde und anhand des Auftretens weiterer Fossilien (z.B. von Mollusken und einer großen Diatomeen- Art) rekonstruiert. Die darüber hinaus abgeleiteten Klimaverhältnisse wurden im Vergleich zu anderen, bereits existierenden Klima-Rekonstruktionen aus NW-China und Zentralasien diskutiert. Eine kurze Zusammenfassung wird im Folgenden gegeben. Die Periode maximaler Feuchtigkeit (das chinesische Hypsithermal bzw. das Atlantikum in Europa), an anderen Lokalitäten etwa zwischen 8000 und 6000 J.v.h. belegt (u.a. LISTER et al. 1991, GASSE et al. 1996, Liu et al. 1998), wurde weder durch das Haupt-Profil im östlichen Juyanze-Becken noch im Sogo-Nur-Becken erfasst. Die Sedimente des am detailliertesten untersuchten Profiles (Eastern-Juyanze-section-A) decken den Zeitraum zwischen 5400 und 2700 Jahren vor heute (J.v.h. = kalibrierte 14C-Jahre vor 1950 bzw. Kalenderjahre vor 1950) ab, während die untersuchten Profile am Sogo Nur den Zeitraum von 2500 bis ca. 400 J.v.h. umfassen. Die an die Periode maximaler Feuchtigkeit anschließende, trocken-kalte Klimaphase vor etwa 5400 J.v.h., die an vielen Lokalitäten Ost- und Westchinas, der Mongolei, Indiens und selbst Amerikas abgeleitet wurde (u.a. ZHOU et al. 1991a, DOROFEYUK & TARASOV 1998, PETIT-MAIRE 1994, MOUGUIART et al. 1998), konnte als trockene Periode im östlichen Juyanze-Becken eindeutig ermittelt werden. Die vorliegenden Untersuchungen stützen die Auffassung, dass diese trocken-kalte Klimaperiode im mittleren Holozän ein einschneidendes Klima-Ereignis von möglicherweise globaler Tragweite war. Für den Zeitraum zwischen etwa 5000 und 4100 J.v.h. wurden warme und humide Verhältnisse an den meisten Lokalitäten nördlich des Tibet-Plateaus rekonstruiert (z.B. WÜNNEMANN et al. 1998b). Diese Annahme wird durch die Rekonstruktion hoher Seespiegel des östlichen Juyanze-Sees für den entsprechenden Abschnitt des Holozäns gestützt. Aufgrund der vermutlich schon deutlichen Abschwächung des indischen Monsuns waren die Umweltbedingungen im südlichen Tibet während dieser Zeit relativ trocken. Eine Klimaverschlechterung wurde für Zentralasien zwischen etwa 4100 und 3000 J.v.h. festgestellt. Die Seespiegel gingen im allgemeinen zurück, die Bodenbildung am Qinghai-See setzte aus und besonders ausgeprägte, trocken-kalte Verhältnisse wurden um 4100, 3800 und 3400 J.v.h. an verschiedenen Lokalitäten Zentralasiens dokumentiert (u.a. SHI et al. 1993, YAO & THOMPSON 1992, VAN CAMPO et al. 1996), die zeitgleich mit Seespiegelabsenkungen des östlichen Juyanze-Sees auftraten. Ein dramatischer Klimawechsel von trocken-kalten zu warmen Verhältnissen und wieder zu trocken-kalten Bedingungen wurde vor etwa 3000 J.v.h. im Eis des Dunde-Gletschers aufgezeichnet (YAO & THOMPSON 1992), der erhebliche Umweltveränderungen im östlichen Juyanze-Becken auslöste. Dort erfolgte ein dreimaliges Austrocknen des östlichen Juyanze-Sees mit zwischenzeitlichem und nachfolgendem Seespiegelanstieg zwischen etwa 3200 und 2900 J.v.h. Gletschervorstöße traten in den zentralasiatischen Gebirgen auf, und die Seen dieser Region reagierten vermutlich aufgrund unterschiedlicher hydrologischer Verhältnisse, in Abhängigkeit vom Vorhandensein und der Dynamik der Gletscher in den jeweiligen Einzugsgebieten, uneinheitlich (z.B. ZHOU et al. 1991a). Ab dem Zeitpunkt 3000 J.v.h. wird das Klima im allgemeinen als kälter und trockener als zuvor aufgefasst (LiSTER et al. 1991, PETIT-MAIRE 1994). Ein Klima-Umschwung zu etwas wärmeren und feuchteren Bedingungen führte jedoch zu steigenden Seespiegeln und einsetztender Bodenbildung auf dem Löss-Plateau zwischen etwa 2700 und 2000 J.v.h. (FANG 1991, SHI et al. 1993). Da die Sedimente des Profils , Eastern-Juyanze-section-A ‘ nicht jünger als etwa 2700 J.v.h. sind, lassen sich diese Verhältnisse nicht mehr aufgrund der Befunde vom östlichen Juyanze-Becken belegen. Das Profil vom Sogo Nur setzt dagegen mit etwa 2500 J.v.h. ein, so dass im Folgenden die Ergebnisse vom Sogo Nur für die Rekonstruktion des Klimas im späten Holozän herangezogen werden. Mittlere Seespiegel des Sogo Nur wurden für den Zeitraum von 2500 bis 2000 J.v.h. rekonstruiert und deuten ebenfalls auf relativ humide Verhältnisse hin, jedoch kam es bald darauf zur Ausbildung eines sehr flachen Sees um etwa 1700 J.v.h. Diese Phase eines sehr niedrigen Seespiegels korreliert mit trocken-kalten Klimabedingungen zwischen etwa 2000 und 1500 J.v.h., die sich anhand von See-Rekonstruktionen in Ost-China, vom Tibet-Plateau und anhand des Dunde-Eiskems nachweisen ließen (u.a. FENG et al. 1993, GASSE et al. 1996, Liu et al. 1998). Eine weitere Periode relativ warmer und feuchter Verhältnisse schloss sich etwa zwischen 1400 und 700 J.v.h. an (z.B. Liu et al. 1993), die durch eine Regression des Sogo Nur um 1000 J.v.h. unterbrochen wurde. Diese zeitweilige Seespiegelabsenkung fällt mit einem drastischen Abkühlungsereignis zusammen, für das aufgrund der Untersuchungen des Dunde-Eiskems die niedrigsten Temperaturen während der letzten 4000 Jahre angenommen werden müssen (YAO & THOMPSON 1992). Eine kurze Periode warmer und humider Verhältnisse (z.B. Liu et al. 1998) führte zur Ausbildung hoher Seespiegel am Sogo Nur vor etwa 800 J.v.h. Kalte, trockene Bedingungen beherrschten Ost-China und das Landesinnere während der nachfolgenden Periode von etwa 400 und 75 J.v.h. (1550-1875 AD, ZHOU et al. 1991a, FENG et al. 1993) die der auf der gesamten Nordhalbkugel nachgewiesenen ,Kleinen Eiszeit’ entspricht (LAMB 1977). Die letzten 100 Jahre in China waren im Gegensatz dazu durch warme Verhältnisse gekennzeichnet. Die Umweltveränderungen des östlichen Juyanze-Sees im mittleren bis späten Holozän wurden ausschließlich klimatisch gesteuert, der menschliche Einfluss kann für diesen Zeitraum vernachlässigt werden. Trotzdem traten drastische Seespiegelfluktuationen auf, die im flachen östlichen Juyanze-Becken zu enormen Schwankungen der Seefläche geführt haben müssen. Erstaunlicherweise wurden an der Lokalität des Profils ,Eastern- Juyanze-section-A‘ auch Trockenfall-Perioden des östlichen Juyanze-Sees um etwa 3000 J.v.h. nachgewiesen. Im Zuge der vorliegenden Arbeiten war es jedoch nicht möglich, die Umweltbedingungen der benachbarten Seebecken des Hei Flusses zu diesem Zeitpunkt zu untersuchen. Die Umweitveränderungen des Sogo Nur im späten Holozän waren ebenfalls beträchtlich. Ein sehr flacher Seespiegel existierte vor etwa 1700 J.v.h., zu einem Zeitpunkt, zu dem trocken-kalte Bedingungen für Zentralasien nachgewiesen wurden (Gu et al. 1993, GASSE et al. 1996). Sublitorale Bedingungen (Wassertiefe 〉10 m) herrschten im gesamten nachfolgenden Zeitabschnitt von 1500 bis 400 J.v.h. vor, jedoch war es nicht möglich, anhand der vorliegenden Befunde auf den Zusammenschluss von Gaxun Nur und Sogo Nur im Holozän zu schließen bzw. diesen auszuschließen. Ein erheblicher Eingriff in das hydrologische Gleichgewicht des Sogo Nur erfolgte vermutlich erst durch die Ableitung von Wasser für Bewässerungszwecke während der Tang-Dynastie (618-906 AD, CHEN et a. 1999). Die Seespiegelabsenkung des Sogo Nur um etwa 1000 J.v.h. (950 AD) könnte demnach einerseits durch die Zunahme der agrarischen Bevölkerung im Einzugsgebiet hervorgerufen worden sein (Chen et a. 1999), andererseits jedoch auch auf die Ausbildung trocken-kalter Klimabedingungen zu diesem Zeitpunkt zurückgeführt werden (Yao & Thompson 1992). In ähnlicher Weise könnte der Rückgang des Seespiegels nach etwa 700 J.v.h. (1250 AD) auf den festgestellten Anstieg der Landwirtschaft betreibenden Bevölkerung hindeuten, in gleicher Weise jedoch auch im Zusammenhang mit der allgemeinen Klimaverschlechterung, hin zu kühleren, trockneren Bedingungen, stehen. Aufgrund des möglichen Zusammenwirkens klimatischer und anthropogener Trends war es nicht möglich, den Einfluss beider Faktoren auf die Umweltveränderungen des Sogo Nur in den vergangenen 1000 Jahren voneinander getrennt zu beurteilen.

Description: thesis

Description: DFG, SUB Göttingen

Description: Ionospheric disturbances are associated with the propagation of seismic waves generated by earthquakes. We analyze total electron content (TEC) fluctuations from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data. This study investigates the global earthquakes from December 2004 to March 2020 with magnitude (Mw) 4.0 to 9.1. Data of 65 permanent GNSS stations are used to analyze the impacts of these earthquakes on the ionosphere. The experimental data based on the cluster sampling method ensure strict conditions such as accuracy, the distance from the monitoring stations to the epicenter, and the depth of the hypocenter. At least three GNSS stations near the epicenter participate in the analysis of each earthquake. Probability and statistics are applied to remove outliers and rough errors in the input data, to select datasets with similar quality, and to analyze TEC anomalies. The results show that when a strong earthquake occurs, the TEC values calculated at different GNSS stations surrounding the earthquake region tend to exhibit similar variations. Depending on the magnitude, epicenter, and hypocenter depth, these fluctuations can range from ± 3.2 TECU to ± 14.5 TECU for large earthquakes. These TEC fluctuations occur from 30 min to almost two hours before the mainshock of the earthquakes and last to the aftershock period. For earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 6.0 Mw, the TEC fluctuations are significant. The findings of this study contribute to GNSS applications in studying earthquakes in the future.

Description: In deformation analysis, irregularly spaced data, extreme values, and anomalies in time series can lead to misleading simulations for forecast models, such as overfitting and underfitting. Therefore, K-fold cross-validation is one of the hyperparameter tuning techniques used in machine learning (ML) to deal with these problems. In this study, we use data from 22 permanent GNSS stations to predict the motion trajectory of the Earth’s crust. Lag functions and sampling techniques are applied to generate 924-time series samples. Time series standardization techniques are also performed to improve the quality of data. To test the efficiency of the K-fold cross-validation method, we investigate 26 mathematical models based on six ML algorithms. The optimal K values are selected through trial methods. Root mean squared error (RMSE) of validation and test is the basis for determining the overfitting and underfitting models. The investigations show that the optimal intervals of K-fold range from five to ten folds for the GNSS time series with many anomalies, jumps, and significant variations, from three to ten for stable time series. The sensitivity of cross-validation is more effective on the time series of the Up component than those of the North and East components. In addition, cross-validation can also detect effectively overfitting and underfitting for forecast models in motion of permanent GNSS stations.

Description: Understanding the phase behavior and structural properties of salt water at high pressures is essential for understanding the dynamics and physical characteristics of icy planets. In this study, we employed high-pressure experimental and ab initio simulation techniques to investigate the impact of CaCl2 on the structure of ice VII. Our findings reveal that 1.8 mol% CaCl2 can be incorporated into the ice VII structure above 10 GPa. This CaCl2-bearing ice VII (Cb VII) exhibits a lower O-H stretching frequency in the Raman spectra as well as a reduced volume of the unit cell compared to pure ice VII. In contrast to doping ice VII with other salts such as LiCl and NaCl that leads to an increase of the ice VII to ice X transition pressure occurring at 100–150 GPa, CaCl2 doping stands out by reducing the transition pressure. It shifts the transition to a pressure of 52 GPa, which is significantly lower than the transition pressure of 80 GPa in the pure H2O ice system. This notable distinction highlights the unique influence of CaCl2 on the phase behavior of water under high pressure, and we attribute these effects to the phenomenon of chemical pressure induced by CaCl2 within the ice VII structure. Our study suggests that the presence of a modified ice VII phase, contaminated with salt and referred to as Cb VII, may influence the composition, structure, and evolution of planets.

Description: With the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) failing to provide adequate support to climate victims, vulnerable countries, nongovernmental organizations and affected communities are increasingly exploring legal avenues to obtain recourse for loss and damage. This article contributes to the emerging scholarship on climate litigation by exploring whether, how and with what effects such litigation interacts with the UNFCCC negotiations. For this purpose, the article contextualizes normative claims about the influence of climate court cases through practice‐embedded views of stakeholders in the loss and damage context and provides a typology of loss and damage‐related cases. Having due regard to the fact that litigation for liability and compensation of climate harms is still at an early stage, it argues that this legal avenue offers significant potential to advance the UNFCCC negotiations on loss and damage, and provides recommendations on how both spheres can be more strongly interlinked.

Description: The transition toward renewables is central to climate action. The paper empirically tests whether renewables also enhance international peace, a hypothesis discussed in the International Political Economy (IPE) of renewables literature. It develops and tests hypotheses about the pacifying effects of renewables, with a view to establishing the foundations for analyzing more detailed causal mechanisms. These mechanisms rest on the ‘energy democracy’ debate, suggesting that a low carbon world sees less interstate tension thanks to more states being democratic; the ‘capitalist peace’ theorem, establishing that the deployment of renewables brings about economic development, reducing conflict; and the human security literature, positing that renewables reduce local-level reduce vulnerabilities, thus enhancing social stability and reducing violence. Using a longitudinal dataset on global renewable energy investment, econometric tests suggest that distributed renewable energy systems do not seem to foster democratic rule, nor do they have a significant influence on human development. Countering the energy democracy literature, it is a higher concentration of renewable investment that tends to increase stability/ absence of violence and human development, instead of decentralized investment patterns. We find no evidence for the ‘peace through prosperity’ argument. Overall, there is no support for the assumption that renewables bring about peace and reduce conflict. The paper critically discusses the limitations of these findings and suggests further avenues for empirical research.

Description: As climate targets tighten, all countries must transition toward a renewable electricity system, but conflicts about generation and infrastructure deployment impede transition progress. Although the triggers of opposition are well studied, what people want remains understudied. We survey citizen preferences for a renewable electricity future through a conjoint analysis among 4,103 individuals in Denmark, Portugal, Poland, and Germany. With our study we go beyond the Likert scale survey approach specifically seeking trade-offs and contextualized preferences for regional electricity system designs. We show the importance of identifying both the ‘‘least preferred’’ and ‘‘most preferred’’ solutions and highlighting the possibility of identifying very different systems with identical utility. Lastly, our research actively bridges the divide between social aspects and techno-economic modeling, promoting their integration. We show that the most preferred system design in all four countries is a predominantly regional one, based on rooftop solar, communally owned, and not relying on transmission expansion.

Description: The gap between the internationally agreed climate objectives and tangible emissions reductions looms large. We explore how the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Conference of the Parties (COP), could develop to promote more effective climate policy. We argue that promoting implementation of climate action could benefit from focusing more on individual sectoral systems, particularly for mitigation. We consider five key governance functions of international institutions to discuss how the COP and the sessions it convenes could advance implementation of the Paris Agreement: guidance and signal, rules and standards, transparency and accountability, means of implementation, and knowledge and learning. In addition, we consider the role of the COP and its sessions as mega-events of global climate policy. We identify opportunities for promoting sectoral climate action across all five governance functions and for both the COP as a formal body and the COP sessions as conducive events. Harnessing these opportunities would require stronger involvement of national ministries in addition to the ministries of foreign affairs and environment that traditionally run the COP process, as well as stronger involvement of non-Party stakeholders within formal COP processes. This article is categorized under: Policy and Governance 〉 International Policy Framework

Description: The complexity and importance of environmental, societal, and other challenges require new forms of science and practice collaboration. We first describe the complementarity of method-driven, theory-based, and (to the extent possible) validated scientific knowledge in contrast to real-world, action-based, and contextualized experimental knowledge. We argue that a thorough integration of these two modes of knowing is necessary for developing ground-breaking innovations and transitions for sustainable development. To reorganize types of science–practice collaborations, we extend Stokes’s Pasteur’s quadrant with its dimensions for the relevance of (i) (generalized) fundamental knowledge and (ii) applications when introducing (iii) process ownership, i.e., who controls the science–practice collaboration process. Process ownership is a kind of umbrella variable which comprises leadership (with the inflexion point of equal footing or co-leadership) and mutuality (this is needed for knowledge integration and developing socially robust orientations) which are unique selling points of transdisciplinarity. The extreme positions of process ownership are applied research (science takes control) and consulting (practice takes process ownership). Ideal transdisciplinary processes include authentic co-definition, co-representation, co-design, and co-leadership of science and practice. We discuss and grade fifteen approaches on science–practice collaboration along the process ownership scale and reflect on the challenges to make transdisciplinarity real.