Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
At the Sharp End of Fractured Granites: A Critical Geology for Critical Times
Published: 2024-05-20
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Human Geography, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences
The geosciences have been positioned as integral to a ‘whole society’ transition that includes the decarbonisation of energy systems. Geothermal energy - which relies on a knowledge of the dynamism of rocks in the subsurface including the movement of fluids through fractures, physio-chemical interactions, and thermal gradients – has been offered as a potential route forward. Its realisation [...]
Remote Sensing of Environmental Impacts for IMACS
Published: 2024-05-20
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Impact Measurement and Conservation System (IMACS) was developed to calculate environmental and human condition impacts and to apply conservation required to neutralize such impacts for products and services purchased by end-user consumers (1- 6). With its implementation, the IMACS system would allow the fastest return to the best approximation of pre-industrial sustainable conditions (Global [...]
A model of near-sea ice phytoplankton blooms
Published: 2024-05-20
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Arctic phytoplankton spring blooms have increased in magnitude and extent over the past two decades, particularly in waters near the sea ice edge. We develop an idealized model of phytoplankton dynamics that takes into account the role of sea ice meltwater flux and its impact on surface mixed layer depth. Satellite observations feature a characteristic peak in phytoplankton concentration at [...]
Bayesian Inversion with TimeOptMCMC
Published: 2024-05-16
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Statistical Methodology, Stratigraphy
TimeOptMCMC (Meyers and Malinverno, 2018) is a Bayesian approach for evaluating cyclostratigraphic records that quantitatively links geologic data with astronomical theory. This manuscript provides an introductory guide for conducting a TimeOptMCMC Bayesian inversion, following the approach of Meyers and Malinverno (2018). The purpose of this guide is to help users identify an appropriate data [...]
Global Warming is Industrially Suppressed Middle-School Science
Published: 2024-05-15
Subjects: Climate, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The 15\% of the American public that denies global warming probably used middle-school science texts in which the topic was omitted at the behest of Big Oil. We attempt to remedy this with a simple explanation of the process, in which the 33°C difference between the Stefan-Bolzmann astrophysical -18°C temperature of the solar-heated planet and the Weather Bureau's comfortable 15°C sea-level [...]
Ultramafic Melt Viscosity: A Model
Published: 2024-05-13
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Planetary Sciences
A non-Arrhenian model for the Newtonian viscosity (η) of ultramafic melts is presented. The model predicts the viscosity of ultramafic melts as a function of temperature (T), pressure (P), H2O content and for a range of melt compositions (70 < Mg# < 100). The calibration consists of 63 viscosity measurements at ambient pressure for 20 individual melt compositions and 5 high-P measurements [...]
Towards A Smart City Concept - Machine Learning Smarts for the Estimation of Future Temperature Rise in Tabuk City
Published: 2024-05-11
Subjects: Education, Engineering, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
In the Middle Eastern peninsula especially in Saudi Arabia, there is a varsity temperature variation among the individual regions. As far as the city of Tabuk is concerned, no study has been conducted, regarding climate change (the temperature rise) in the Tabuk region and its implications on society and for the flagship “Future Smart Cities” concept. In this paper, machine learning algorithms [...]
Soil organic and inorganic carbon interactions under tillage and cover cropping determine potential for carbon accumulation in temperate, calcareous soils
Published: 2024-05-10
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The global soil carbon pool comprises soil organic carbon (SOC), found in almost all soils, and soil inorganic carbon (SIC), in calcareous soils. Despite their agricultural significance, calcareous soils, mostly prevalent in drylands and often alkaline, are historically understudied. Using soils obtained from a decade-long, fully factorial field experiment located on temperate, near neutral pH, [...]
Permafrost thaw subsidence, sea-level rise, and erosion are transforming Alaska’s Arctic coastal zone
Published: 2024-05-10
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Other Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Climate warming is causing rapid coastal change in the Arctic. Permafrost thaw subsidence, sea-level rise, and erosion each threaten the Arctic nearshore. These agents of change have received unequal attention and their compound impact remains poorly understood. Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is ideal for addressing this knowledge gap due to the region’s relatively abundant observational [...]
Misconceptions in the application of the Arrhenius equation to plastics - environmental degradation of plastics unlikely below their glass transition temperature
Published: 2024-05-10
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The term ‘’plastic’’ is derived from the Greek word ''plastikos'', meaning fit for moulding, highlighting the main feature that makes plastics so useful, i.e., their malleability during manufacture, allowing plastics to be formed into a variety of shapes such as bottles, bags and straws1. However, this malleability is temperature-dependent requiring the constituent polymers to be in the molten [...]
Unlocking A Global Ocean Mixing Dataset: toward Standardization of Seismic-derived Ocean Mixing Rates
Published: 2024-05-10
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Turbulent mixing is vital for water transformation in the ocean and sustains the global thermohaline circulation. Despite decades of global observations using different platforms, our understanding of ocean turbulence is still limited. More observations are needed to better characterize the spatio-temporal distribution of mixing to reduce uncertainties in climate models. Marine seismic reflection [...]
Winter subglacial meltwater detected in a Greenland fjord
Published: 2024-05-08
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Glaciology, Oceanography, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Other Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The interaction between glacier fronts and ocean waters is one of the key uncertainties for projecting future ice mass loss. Direct observations at glacier fronts are sparse, but studies indicate that the magnitude and timing of freshwater fluxes are crucial in determining fjord circulation, ice frontal melt and ecosystem habitability. In particular, wintertime dynamics are severely understudied [...]
The fate of bars in braided rivers
Published: 2024-05-05
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Sedimentology, Stratigraphy
Ancient river deposits are important archives of past landscape conditions on planetary surfaces. On Earth, they host valuable groundwater, energy resources, and carbon-storage potential. Reconstructing details of paleochannel forms and movements refines our understanding of the controls on river behavior under different climate, landcover, and tectonic conditions, and improves predictions and [...]
Fiber optic sensing for volcano monitoring and imaging volcanic processes
Published: 2024-05-03
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
This chapter describes fiber optic sensing methodologies and their applications for understanding volcanic structure and processes. We assess their benefits for volcano monitoring and offer possible solutions to address their challenges. The physical principles at the basis of fiber optic sensing technologies have been known for several decades. These principles are related to various processes [...]
CO2 sensitivity studies under laboratory and outdoor conditions as contribution to climate change discussions
Published: 2024-05-02
Subjects: Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The EU considers climate change as an existential threat and wants to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and down to 0% by 2050 within the "EU Green Deal" and economic growth should be decoupled from the use of energy resources. It therefore sees fighting climate change as one of the most important targets1. There is considerable dis-consensus about growing CO2 levels in [...]