Preprints

Filtering by Subject: Life Sciences

Experimental method for quantifying macroplastic fragmentation in rivers

Maciej Liro, Anna Zielonka, Paweł Mikuś

Published: 2024-03-14
Subjects: Life Sciences

Direct field measurements of macroplastic fragmentation during its transport in rivers are unavailable, and there is no method to perform such measurements. Recent theoretical works have hypothesised that river channels may be hotspots of macroplastic fragmentation. Here, we propose a methodology for quantifying riverine macroplastic fragmentation by conducting repeated measurements of tagged [...]

Old concepts in a new semantic perspective: introducing a geotemporal approach to conceptual definitions in geology

Kris Piessens, Jan Walstra, Anthea Willems, et al.

Published: 2024-02-27
Subjects: Life Sciences

Geological units are the fundamental building blocks that help understand regional geological history and architecture. Classifying these correctly is therefore crucial, as is acknowledging how they relate to each other. This is where traditional definitions fall short, which is increasingly becoming evident with the ongoing effort of setting up advanced knowledge systems that rely on semantic [...]

Co-constructing ‘third spaces’ for engagement between minoritized community groups and environmental scientists

Richard Holliman, Geeta Ludhra, Clare Warren, et al.

Published: 2024-02-27
Subjects: Education, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The demographics of environmental and Earth scientists are not representative of the UK’s multicultural society. We sought to widen diversity through two related engaged research projects, 'Walking the Walk' and 'Landscape Stories'. This paper offers a critically reflexive account, based on the methodology of duoethnography, of how we co-constructed a ‘third space’ for these projects. We sought [...]

From nutrients to fish: Impacts of mesoscale processes in a global CESM-FEISTY eddying ocean model framework

Kristen Krumhardt, Matthew C. Long, Colleen M. Petrik, et al.

Published: 2024-02-09
Subjects: Life Sciences

The ocean sustains ecosystems that are essential for human livelihood and habitability of the planet. The ocean holds an enormous amount of carbon, and serves as a critical source of nutrition for human societies worldwide. Climate variability and change impacts marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems. Thus, having state-of-the-art simulations of the ocean, which include marine biogeochemistry and [...]

Flow dynamics and tributary mouth bar formation at river confluences with high rates of tributary sediment supply

Gelare Moradi, Colin Rennie, Romain Cardot, et al.

Published: 2024-01-29
Subjects: Engineering, Life Sciences

River confluences influence the formation of secondary circulation, bed morphology, and associated feedbacks. With distance downstream through a drainage network, it becomes likely that the flow momentum of tributaries is lower than that of the main river, creating confluences with very low momentum ratio. However, the tributary may be able to supply significant quantities of sediment, especially [...]

2023 record marine heat waves: Coral Bleaching HotSpot maps reveal global sea surface temperature extremes, coral mortality, and ocean circulation change

Tom Goreau, Raymond L Hayes

Published: 2024-01-23
Subjects: Life Sciences

2023 was the hottest year in recorded history on land and in the sea, with dramatic and unexpected temperature increases (Cheng et al., 2024, Hausfather, 2024). 2023 Coral Bleaching HotSpot maps provide unique insight into global ocean circulation changes in response to greenhouse gas (GHG) forcing that caused dramatic global temperature rises. The highest excess daily air temperatures recorded [...]

Recognizing diversity in wetlands and farming systems to support sustainable agriculture and conserve wetlands

Anne A. van Dam, Hugh A. Robertson, Roland Prieler, et al.

Published: 2024-01-20
Subjects: Life Sciences

Agriculture is a main driver of global decline in wetlands, but in addressing its impact the diversity in agricultural production systems and their catchment interactions must be recognized. In this paper we review the impacts of food production systems on wetlands to seek a better understanding of agriculture-wetland interactions and identify options for increasing sustainability. Eight farming [...]

An Assessment of Annual Load Estimation Methods in Small Watersheds for Cross Site Comparisons

Nicholas James Gubbins, Weston M Slaughter, Michael Vlah, et al.

Published: 2024-01-12
Subjects: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Streams and rivers export dissolved materials and eroded sediments from the watersheds they drain. Much can be learned about rivers and their watersheds by measuring the magnitude, timing and form of these exports. Such watershed load datasets are used to gain fundamental understanding of watershed ecosystems as well as to assess water quality and the efficacy of management approaches to sustain [...]

Human Civilization will Collapse (High Confidence)

Demetrios Karis

Published: 2024-01-11
Subjects: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Human civilization is now in serious jeopardy due to climate change. The earth is not in energy balance because more energy is arriving at the earth from the sun than is being radiated back out into space. This is occurring because we have been cutting down forests and burning fossil fuels for the last 150 years at a furious rate, leading to a greenhouse effect and the consequent warming of the [...]

2D and 3D imaging of ‘tunnel-shaped’ weathering features in soil grains: a biological origin?

Ria Louise Mitchell, Paul Kenrick, Andrew Bodey, et al.

Published: 2024-01-10
Subjects: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The evolution of the first plant-based terrestrial ecosystems some ~450 million years ago had a profound effect on the development of soils and shifts in global biogeochemical cycles, notably drawdown of CO2 from the atmosphere. In some part these shifts were due to biologically mediated weathering of mineral grains, which until plants evolved, had not been a significant contributor to [...]

Sustainable Living Unveiled: A Comprehensive Review of Key Studies on Zero Energy Homes

Alexis Sue White, Shaylee Grace Zimmerman, Timothy Alan Gurney, et al.

Published: 2023-12-21
Subjects: Engineering, Life Sciences

The journey to achieve Net Zero Energy in residential areas has progressed slowly. However, in recent times, the research behind accessing Net Zero has become more consistent. This paper discusses the steps to be taken in terms of technology, energy consumption, and energy efficiency to reach the goal of Net Zero. The timeline has been changed throughout discovering new and improved ways to [...]

Zero Energy Homes: Definitions, Design Considerations, Challenges, and Real-world Applications

George Elliott Joyce, Nathaly Loaiza Valenzuela, Graciela Camacho Ramirez, et al.

Published: 2023-12-20
Subjects: Engineering, Life Sciences

In the pursuit of sustainable living, Zero Energy Homes (ZEHs) have emerged as a promising solution to mitigate the carbon footprint of residential housing. This review paper explores the multifaceted realm of ZEHs by examining diverse definitions, design considerations, challenges, and real-world applications. The lack of standardized definitions is addressed, encompassing variations from [...]

Transdisciplinary doctoral training to address global sustainability challenges

Zoie Taylor Diana, John Virdin, Michelle Nowlin, et al.

Published: 2023-12-14
Subjects: Education, Engineering, Life Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Methods for assessing Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) biomass sinking rates and decomposition for carbon dioxide removal applications

Sebastian Jian Ernst Krause, Sara Matsumura, Chance James English, et al.

Published: 2023-12-07
Subjects: Life Sciences

One promising carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy to achieve negative emissions of carbon dioxide is the sinking of farmed seaweed into the ocean where it may be sequestered. Methods to quantify the sinking rates, degradation rates and the release of degradation products from kelp is fundamental to understanding the durability of the strategy if applied to scale. The aim of this white paper is [...]

Stromatoporoids and extinctions

Stephen Kershaw, Juwan Jeon

Published: 2023-12-01
Subjects: Life Sciences

Stromatoporoids are common shallow marine hypercalcified sponges in two major episodes with distinctive skeletal architectures: 1) Palaeozoic: Early to Middle Ordovician, to Late Devonian; and 2) Mesozoic: Late Triassic to Cretaceous and rare Cenozoic, but not confirmed in Permian and earlier Triassic strata. Stromatoporoids appeared in Early to Middle Ordovician strata, important in buildups [...]

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