Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Environmental Sciences
Global identification of solid waste methane super emitters using hyperspectral satellites
Published: 2024-11-01
Subjects: Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Sciences
Solid waste is the third largest source of anthropogenic methane and mitigating emissions is crucial for addressing climate change. We combine three high-resolution (30–60 m) hyperspectral satellite imagers (EMIT, EnMAP, and PRISMA) to quantify emissions from 38 strongly-emitting disposal sites across worldwide urban methane hotspots. The imagers give consistent emission estimates, with EMIT and [...]
Geological and Environmental Implications of Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques: Balancing Efficiency with Sustainability
Published: 2024-10-31
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
This research paper explores the geological and environmental impacts of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology, focusing on the balance between efficiency and sustainability in fossil fuel extraction. EOR methods, including thermal recovery, gas injection, and chemical flooding, are critical to maximizing reservoir recovery, especially as global energy demand increases and conventional reserves [...]
Automated underwater image analysis reveals sediment patterns and megafauna distribution in the tropical Atlantic
Published: 2024-10-30
Subjects: Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The deep sea environment comprises diverse flora, fauna and habitats, whose characterisation is key towards our collective understanding of ocean health and resilience. Whereas direct sampling allows for detailed investigation of the vertical variability of seabed characteristics at small spatial scales, optical imaging is suitable for high-resolution assessment of the spatial distribution of [...]
Land conversions not climate effects are the dominant consequence of sun-driven CO2 capture, conversion, and sequestration
Published: 2024-10-29
Subjects: Environmental Sciences, Other Environmental Sciences
Removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere is required for mitigating climate change. Large-scale direct air capture combined with injecting CO2 into geological formations could retain carbon long-term, but demands a substantial amount of energy, pipeline infrastructure, and suitable sites for gaseous storage. Here, we study Earth system impacts of modular, sun-powered process chains, [...]
Harnessing nature-based solutions for economic recovery: a systematic review
Published: 2024-10-25
Subjects: Biodiversity, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources and Conservation, Sustainability
Nature-based solutions (NbS) involve working with nature to address societal challenges in ways that benefit communities and biodiversity locally. However, their role supporting economic recovery from crises, such as those arising from conflicts or pandemics remains underexplored. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic review of 66 reviews on the economic impact of nature-based [...]
Application of machine learning methods to forecast petrophysical properties in basalts of the Serra Geral Group: Implications for carbon storage
Published: 2024-10-22
Subjects: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
This study applies machine learning techniques for forecasting petrophysical properties (density, porosity, and permeability) in the basalts of the Serra Geral Group, located in the Paraná Basin, Brazil. These properties are crucial for the successful implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS), an important technology to combat climate change. Employing machine learning models—XGBoost, [...]
Computational Modeling of Climate Change Impacts on Flood Inflows Using Remote Sensing and SWAT: A Case Study of Ban Chat Reservoir, Northern Vietnam
Published: 2024-10-21
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Numerical Analysis and Computation, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
This study examines the changes in land cover and three water quality indicators (chlorophyll-a, colored dissolved organic matter, turbidity) using Sentinel-2 imagery in the Ban Chat hydropower area in Northern Vietnam during the period of 2016--2024. To assess the potential impact of flood flows into the Ban Chat reservoir, key information is extracted from remote sensing data, which is the [...]
Understanding the Li resource of granite hosted geothermal brines using near surface measurements
Published: 2024-10-17
Subjects: Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Statistics and Probability
Unprecedented demand for lithium (Li) is being driven by its use in electric vehicle batteries. Currently, the majority of Li comes from pegmatite mining and salar brines, however, new sources such as geothermal brines will be required to meet future demand. The North Pennines, Northern England has been found to host brines with lithium concentrations exceeding 90 mg/L at depths of 411 to 996 m. [...]
Single-station vehicle tracking using six-component seismic measurements: A comparative study with array-based methods
Published: 2024-10-14
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences
Determining the direction of seismic waves is crucial for many applications, from monitoring natural hazards like avalanches and landslides to detecting nuclear explosions and conducting surveillance. Traditional methods rely on arrays of seismic sensors arranged in specific patterns, but deploying these arrays can be challenging or impossible in many environments, such as cities, ocean floors, [...]
Prediction of the daily spatial variation of stem water potential in cherry orchards using weather and Sentinel-2 data
Published: 2024-10-11
Subjects: Environmental Engineering, Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Sciences, Water Resource Management
The common practice for irrigation management is to apply the water lost by evapotranspiration. However, we could manage the irrigation by monitoring the plant's water status by measuring the stem water potential (Ψs), which is currently costly and time-consuming. The primary goal of this work is to predict the daily spatial variation of Ψs using machine learning models. We measured Ψs in two [...]
Advancing vegetation monitoring with virtual laser scanning of dynamic scenes (VLS-4D): Opportunities, implementations and future perspectives
Published: 2024-10-07
Subjects: Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geographic Information Sciences, Geography, Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing, Physical and Environmental Geography, Remote Sensing
Virtual Laser Scanning (VLS) is an established and valuable research tool in forestry and ecology, widely used to simulate labelled LiDAR point cloud data for sensitivity analysis, model training and method testing. In VLS, vegetation has traditionally been modelled as static, neglecting the influence of vegetation dynamics on LiDAR point cloud representations and limiting applications to [...]
How can Light Pollution over the City of Mumbai be Assessed and Reversed?
Published: 2024-10-05
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Physics
Light pollution, which adversely affects entire ecosystems, is a lesser-known but completely reversible form of pollution. The financial capital of India, Mumbai has been experiencing a steady rise in light pollution levels. This research article aims to answer the question “How can light pollution over the city of Mumbai be assessed and reversed?” It uses satellite data to map radiance levels [...]
Integrating Sparse Data for Climate-Driven Agricultural Productivity Estimation in Low-Income Countries: Bayesian and Long-Term Analytical Approaches
Published: 2024-10-04
Subjects: Environmental Sciences
Agricultural productivity in low-income countries (LICs) is highly vulnerable to climate change, a challenge further compounded by the lack of reliable agricultural data. Existing models often assume the availability of comprehensive datasets, an assumption that does not hold true for LICs. This paper introduces a set of innovative frameworks designed to overcome data scarcity by integrating [...]
Assessing the Function of the Technological Finance Cooperation Pilot Policy in China: Effect on Inclusive Green Growth
Published: 2024-10-04
Subjects: Environmental Sciences
To attempt to find a win-win path between environmental conservation and economic expansion, it is especially crucial to accurately define the influence of emerging policies on green effects. Based on the dataset of 282 cities at the prefectural level and above from 2010 to 2020, this paper uses difference-in-difference and dual machine learning models to investigate the impact and internal [...]
Contrasting Land‑Uses Affect Chemical Composition of Organic Matter in Tropical Soils: A Case Study via Os Staining and FTIR
Published: 2024-10-03
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Soil Science
Particulate organic matter (POM) is a significant component of soil organic carbon (SOC), particularly in tropical soils, where it often serves as a primary precursor for the formation of mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). This study investigates the impact of contrasting land-use practices on composition of POM in tropical soils. Using dual-energy X-ray microtomography approach with [...]