Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Earth Sciences
Calcareous nannofossil assemblages from El Kef (Tunisia) reveal strong regional and bathymetric controls on Northern Hemisphere recovery patterns following the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) mass extinction
Published: 2025-10-12
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event ~66.0 million years ago (Ma), led to the elimination of over 75% of species on Earth and drove large-scale ecological reorganization in both the marine and terrestrial realms. In particular, the nearly complete extinction of calcareous nannoplankton-the most dominant phytoplankton group at the end of the Cretaceous- led to a shift in community [...]
Informing landfill emission reporting programs through remote sensing
Published: 2025-10-11
Subjects: Earth Sciences
Landfills are a significant source of global methane emissions. To quantify and track emissions from these sources over time, jurisdictions and industry experts generally use emission models that involve a variety of process and waste characterization assumptions. These models are used to assess landfill operational performance and establish emission reduction targets. Testing the assumptions of [...]
Curlew 1.0: Spatio-temporal implicit geological modelling with neural fields in python
Published: 2025-10-10
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
We present curlew, an open-source python package for structural geological modelling using neural fields. This modelling framework incorporates various local constraints (value, gradient, orientation and (in)equalities) and tailored global loss functions to ensure data-consistent and geologically realistic predictions. Random Fourier Feature (RFF) encodings are used to improve model convergence [...]
Formation and fluxes of natural hydrogen in the crust and upper mantle
Published: 2025-10-09
Subjects: Biogeochemistry, Earth Sciences, Geochemistry
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is a fundamental component of planetary evolution and an important energy source for microbial life. It is now understood that natural mechanisms, spanning geological and biological processes, can produce high concentrations of hydrogen in natural fluids. Quantifying the processes that modulate natural hydrogen concentrations is necessary not only for conceptualising the [...]
Steep nested clinoforms in the mixed siliciclastic-carbonate Sobrarbe Deltaic Complex (Eocene, Aínsa Basin, Spain)
Published: 2025-10-09
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Sedimentology, Stratigraphy
This study investigates the processes controlling the development of nested clinoforms in outcrops of the Eocene Sobrarbe Deltaic Complex of the Aínsa Basin, highlighting their significance as archives of basin-margin evolution. Small-scale clinoforms record the higher-frequency cycles of delta progradation and the coetaneous development of a carbonate factory, while large-scale clinoforms record [...]
LONG-LIVED TOPOGRAPHY ALONG RIFTED MARGINS: INSIGHTS FROM APARADOS DA SERRA ESCARPMENT, SOUTHEAST BRAZIL
Published: 2025-10-07
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
The Brazilian margin is one of the longest elevated passive margins (EPMs) in the world. However, both the timing of uplift and the long-term evolution of this EPM remain highly debated. In this study, we present a new suite of apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He (AHe) and fission track (AFT) ages for the southern end of the Brazilian EPM, in the Aparados da Serra plateau. Our results reveal that mean AHe ages [...]
Database of Generated Rock Microstructures and their computed Geometrical and Hydraulic properties
Published: 2025-10-06
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering
There is a strong link between a material’s microstructural features and its macroscopic physical properties. However, heterogeneities in real-world rock microstructures often result in strong cross-correlations between the microscopic features, making it difficult to evaluate the influence of individual characteristics. Minkowski functionals (MFs), a set of measures derived from integral [...]
A Field Study on Background Radiation Variability with Elevation in Eastern Nepal
Published: 2025-10-03
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Physics
This research investigates how environmental radioactivity varies with altitude in the diverse landscapes of Eastern Nepal. Employing two calibrated Geiger–Müller (GM) counters, background radiation was recorded as counts per minute (cpm) across selected sites in the districts of Dhankuta, Panchthar, Taplejung, and Ilam. Data were geo- referenced using GPS to correlate radiation levels with [...]
Accessible Climate and Impact Model Output for Studying the Human and Environmental Impacts of Nuclear Conflict
Published: 2025-10-03
Subjects: Agriculture, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
Nuclear winter refers to the suite of physical and biological consequences that may follow nuclear conflict, particularly the cooling and darkening of Earth’s surface due to black carbon soot in the upper atmosphere. While the associated changes in temperature, precipitation, and food system productivity have been the subject of climate modeling for decades, the outputs of models used to project [...]
From Complex SDG Systems to Network Models: an Ontology-Based Eight-Step Framework
Published: 2025-10-01
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies, Sustainability
With only 18% of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on track for 2030, systems-based approaches to understanding their interdependencies are essential. Network science can reveal leverage points and guide prioritisation, yet it is often applied without sufficient domain integration, obscuring rather than clarifying sustainability dynamics. We present an eight-step framework for evaluating [...]
Mechanisms of Lithospheric Dripping in Earth’s Convecting Mantle: Implications for Tectonic Switching
Published: 2025-10-01
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Tectonics and Structure
Gravity-driven dripping is a key recycling process of lithospheric materials into the underlying mantle reservoir. Here, we use 2D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) thermo-chemical simulations to unveil how such dripping process occurs by modulating the thermal convection in Earth’s mantle. Our simulations incorporate the following variables: lithospheric buoyancy contrasts (B), metamorphic [...]
Planetary analog sites in the Indian subcontinent and the Indian Ocean: Underexplored environments suited for astrobiological and space research
Published: 2025-09-24
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Life Sciences, Other Planetary Sciences
A central objective of astrobiology is to evaluate the habitability of other planetary bodies, and given the high cost and logistical complexity of space missions, preliminary investigations of planetary analog sites are a critical step in supporting and de-risking future exploration efforts. Planetary analog sites are extreme environments on Earth that exhibit one or more environmental, [...]
Satellite-Derived Approaches for Coal Mine Methane Estimation: A Re-view
Published: 2025-09-24
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences
Methane emissions from coal mines, especially surface operations, are spatially diffuse, presenting signif-icant challenges for accurate quantification. Satellites such as TROPOMI, GHGSat, PRISMA, Gaofen-5, and GOSAT have been extensively used for detecting methane emissions at various scales, from individual point sources to regional and global assessments. Despite various advancements, methane [...]
Paleoecology indicates wave climate as key factor in coral reef development
Published: 2025-09-24
Subjects: Climate, Earth Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Geomorphology, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Stratigraphy
The Last Interglacial (~125,000 years ago) experienced global temperatures warmer than today, making it a natural analog for future climate scenarios. Contemporary coral reefs preserve ecological signals that offer valuable insights into past climate dynamics. Here, we examine the fossil reefs of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao to reconstruct wind and wave conditions during this period. While modern [...]
The implications of overshooting 1.5°C on Earth system tipping elements - a review
Published: 2025-09-22
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Other Earth Sciences, Other Planetary Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Planetary Sciences, Sustainability
Due to insufficient emission reductions in recent years, it is increasingly likely that global warming will exceed the 1.5 °C temperature limit in the coming decades. As a result, several Earth system tipping elements could, at least temporarily, have their tipping points surpassed, posing risks of large-scale and profound structural change. Tipping does not always occur immediately upon crossing [...]