Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Earth Sciences
A shift in the Sr isotopic composition of the magmatic source triggering 2019 paroxysmal eruptions at Stromboli Volcano
Published: 2023-10-05
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geochemistry, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Volcanology
The persistent volcanic activity of Stromboli Volcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy, is interrupted by paroxysmal eruptions on a decadal interval. In 2019, two strong paroxysms on July 3rd and August 28th, ended a more than a decade long period of regular strombolian activity. During normal strombolian activity the volcano erupts highly porphyritic scoria and lava (HP)20 with a shoshonitic basalt [...]
Complementary classifications of aeolian dunes based on morphology, dynamics, and fluid mechanics
Published: 2023-10-03
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Fluid Dynamics, Geomorphology, Other Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Physics, Planetary Geomorphology, Planetary Sciences, Sedimentology
Dunes form where winds blow over a bed of mobile sediment grains – conditions that are common in our solar system. On Earth, dunes abound in arid continental interiors and along sandy coastlines. Dune fields have also been recognized on Venus, Mars, Saturn's moon Titan, and Pluto. In response to the different boundary conditions and other environmental forcings, dunes adopt a rich diversity [...]
Geological evidence confirms the staircase patterns of Earth’s rotation deceleration from the Neoproterozoic to the Mesozoic Era
Published: 2023-10-02
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences
Due to tidal dissipation, the Earth’s rotation has been slowing down, but the past rates of this process remain subject of debate. Here we conducted a comprehensive cyclostratigraphic analysis of eight geological datasets to further constrain the Earth's rotation history from the Neoproterozoic to Mesozoic. Our results allow us to further test theoretical physical tidal models, and support a [...]
Revisiting oxygen-18 and clumped isotopes in planktic and benthic foraminifera
Published: 2023-09-27
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences
Foraminiferal isotopes are widely used to study past oceans, with different species recording conditions at different depths. Their δ18O values record both seawater oxygen-18 and temperature according to species-specific fractionation factors, while their Δ47 signatures likely depend only on temperature. We describe an open-source framework to collect/combine data relevant to foraminiferal [...]
The Balanced Billion
Published: 2023-09-27
Subjects: Earth Sciences
There is a mid-Proterozoic stretch of Earth’s history (roughly 1.9–0.9 Ga) called, non-affectionately, the “boring billion”. The moniker was first inspired several decades ago by the apparent absence of any significant carbon isotope anomalies and was linked to the relatively “boring” interval in between Earth’s broadly two-step pattern in atmospheric oxygenation. However, in light of (i) the [...]
No respite from permafrost-thaw impacts in absence of a global tipping point
Published: 2023-09-25
Subjects: Biogeochemistry, Climate, Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Hydrology, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Arctic permafrost, the largest non-seasonal component of Earth’s cryosphere, contains a significant climate-sensitive carbon pool. Its potential for loss due to climatic changes leading to a global tipping point, where thawing accelerates with disproportionate impacts, remains debated. Here, we provide an integrative perspective on this question, building on a cross-disciplinary meta-analysis of [...]
Accuracy of UAV mapping of Natura 2000 forest, wetland and grassland habitats: Do we need more seasons or more spectral bands?
Published: 2023-09-22
Subjects: Biodiversity, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Research Methods in Life Sciences
Mapping and monitoring of Natura 2000 habitats (Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC) is one of the key activities to ensure the protection of natural habitats in Europe. Remote sensing can help to acquire high-quality maps of the distribution and conservation status of Natura 2000 habitats, for example through classifying multispectral data. However, due to the high number of habitats (classes) [...]
Omnivariant Generalized Least Squares Regression: Theory, Geochronological Applications, and Making the Case for Reconciled Δ47 calibrations
Published: 2023-09-22
Subjects: Applied Mathematics, Earth Sciences, Geochemistry
Least-squares regression methods are mathematically powerful, conceptually and computationally simple, and widely used in many fields. However, none of the commonly-used flavors of least-squares regression, such as York regression or Generalized Least Squares (GLS), take into account the full set of covariances between all observed (x,y) values. Here we describe the Omnivariant Generalized Least [...]
Messages from the past; the petroglyphs of El Hierro Island
Published: 2023-09-22
Subjects: Earth Sciences
Ancient cultures have frequently made use of stone surfaces to carve and engrave symbols, letters and messages for others. These petroglyphs usually have a lasting character and are frequently preserved well beyond the survival of the culture that produced the petroglyphs. In this article we focus on the written and pictorial testimony of the pre-Hispanic era of the island of El Hierro [...]
Catchment characterization: current descriptors, knowledge gaps and future opportunities
Published: 2023-09-20
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences
An ability to describe hydrologically relevant differences between places is at the core of our science. A common way to characterize hydrological catchments is to use descriptors that summarize important physical aspects of the system, often by aggregating heterogeneous geospatial data into a single number. Such descriptors aim to capture various facets of catchment functioning and structure, [...]
The 2021 La Palma eruption; social dilemmas resulting from living close to an active volcano
Published: 2023-09-20
Subjects: Earth Sciences
Damage and destruction caused by the 2021 eruption of the Tajogaite volcano on La Palma was unprecedented relative to other historical eruptions of the last century (1909, 1949, 1971, 2011) in the Canary Islands. The devastation caused by the eruption was not a result of eruption magnitude, which was only marginally larger than other historical events, but instead of increasing vulnerability due [...]
Shifting institutional culture to develop climate solutions with Open Science
Published: 2023-09-20
Subjects: Climate, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Reactive iron as an important reservoir of marine organic carbon over geological timescales
Published: 2023-09-20
Subjects: Biogeochemistry, Earth Sciences, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Life Sciences, Microbiology
Reactive iron (FeR) has been suggested to serve as a semi-persistent sink of organic carbon (OC) in surface marine sediments, where approximately 10-20% of total OC (TOC) is associated with FeR (FeR-OC). However, the persistence of FeR-OC on geological timescales remains poorly constrained. Here, we retrieved FeR-OC records in two long sediment cores of the northern South China Sea spanning [...]
Antarctic Geothermal Heat Flow, Crustal Conductivity and Heat Production Inferred From Seismological Data
Published: 2023-09-15
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Geothermal heat flow is a key parameter in governing ice dynamics, via its influence on basal melt and sliding, englacial rheology, and erosion. It is expected to exhibit significant lateral variability across Antarctica. Despite this, surface heat flow derived from Earth's interior remains one of the most poorly constrained parameters controlling ice-sheet evolution. To obtain a continent-wide [...]
Continental scale hydrostratigraphy: basin-scale testing of alternative data-driven approaches
Published: 2023-09-11
Subjects: Earth Sciences
Integrated hydrological modeling is an effective method for understanding interactions between parts of the hydrologic cycle, quantifying water resources, and furthering knowledge of hydrologic processes. However, these models are dependent on robust and accurate datasets that physically represent spatial characteristics as model inputs. This study evaluates multiple data-driven approaches for [...]