Preprints
There are 5591 Preprints listed.
Mapping Responsible AI Workflows for Geospatial Data Science: Developing the I-GUIDE Data Ethics Toolkit
Published: 2025-04-24
Subjects: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Computer Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geographic Information Sciences, Geography, Library and Information Science, Sustainability
AI workflows in geospatial data science promise substantial societal benefits yet pose persistent challenges of ethical risk, transparency, and reproducibility. Current guidance, ranging from high‑level principles to isolated documentation templates, remains difficult to translate into day‑to‑day research practice, especially for teams operating under tight deadlines. This paper reports the [...]
Interpreting drinking water quality samples: understanding contamination pathways at the point of collection
Published: 2025-04-24
Subjects: Public Health
2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, with microbiological water quality the major barrier to the achievement of SDG target 6.1. Microbiological water quality is strongly influenced by environmental and hand hygiene. We demonstrate the significant contribution of contamination from hygiene at water collection point localities and at the household level to drinking water [...]
Leveraging Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) for Urban Climate Emulation
Published: 2025-04-24
Subjects: Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences
Urban climate models are critical for understanding and addressing the impacts of urban climate change. Yet, process-based urban climate models face limitations of high-entry barriers and substantial computing resource consumption, prompting the development of data-driven methods. However, the recently developed urban climate emulators, being location-dependent, are less scalable and may overlook [...]
Application of automatic differentiation to the inversion of nonlinear mantle rheology using plate motion and topography
Published: 2025-04-24
Subjects: Geophysics and Seismology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The rheological properties of the mantle govern plate tectonics and mantle convection, yet constraining the rheological parameters remains a significant challenge. Laboratory experiments are usually performed under different temperature-pressure-strain-rate conditions than those of natural environments, leading to substantial uncertainties when extrapolating the parameters to real-world [...]
The impact hypothesis as a mechanism for the origin of the Amazon basin - analysis of antipodal impacts of celestial bodies and their impact on global morphotectonics
Published: 2025-04-24
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Other Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Amazon Basin is the largest fluvial system on Earth, yet its central subsidence and asymmetrical drainage pattern remain partially unexplained by traditional geological models. This study introduces a novel impact-based hypothesis, proposing that the Amazon depression is a result of tectonic deformation at the intersection of seismic shockwaves originating from two major planetary impacts: [...]
Rural-Urban schism: Access to improved water and sanitation in Sub-Sahara Africa
Published: 2025-04-23
Subjects: Public Health
Abstract Background: Access to potable water and adequate sanitation remains a major public health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where coverage is critically low, especially in rural areas. Despite progress, disparities between urban and rural populations persist, impacting health outcomes and overall well-being. Objective: This study aimed to identify factors influencing [...]
Predicting Urban Heat-Related Illness Across U.S. Climate Regions and Demographics
Published: 2025-04-23
Subjects: Environmental Studies
We still know relatively little about how climate, demographics, built environment, and behaviors interact to drive hospitalizations during extreme heat events (EHEs).This study employed a discrete event system dynamics modeling approach to address two research questions about the relationship between EHEs and heat-related illnesses (HRIs): (1) How will changes in EHE frequencies, intensities, [...]
Impact hypothesis as the cause of the formation of the Mariana Trench and the uplift of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Published: 2025-04-22
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
My dissertation presents an original hypothesis suggesting that the Mariana Trench was formed by an oblique impact of a massive celestial body on Earth’s oceanic crust, and that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge represents its antipodal geodynamic effect. The hypothesis is supported by calculations of impact energy, simulations of shock wave propagation through Earth's interior, and models of mantle [...]
Adaptation to the climate and ecological emergency: motivational factors predict policy support and behavioural engagement
Published: 2025-04-20
Subjects: Environmental Studies
Understanding the determinants of human adaptation to the climate and ecological emergency (CEE) will be essential to any future policy design and implementation. The present study (N = 1951) investigates some of the most relevant psychosocial variables associated with environmental policy support and adaptation to the CEE: descriptive norms, negative affect, perceived self-efficacy and outcome [...]
Cumulative exposure to urban heat can affect the learning capacity of students and penalize the vulnerable and low-income young population
Published: 2025-04-20
Subjects: Other Engineering
Background: Elevated temperatures negatively impact human well-being, heighten mental health risks, and impair cognitive function, with young populations being especially vulnerable. Prolonged exposure to rising ambient temperatures further exacerbates these effects, potentially hindering student’s cognitive performance under extreme heat conditions. Objectives: This paper systematically reviews [...]
Development and validation of MACK-12: A short multidimensional climate knowledge scale
Published: 2025-04-20
Subjects: Environmental Studies
Accurate knowledge about climate change—including its causes, consequences, and solutions—plays a significant role in shaping people's pro-climate attitudes and behaviors. This knowledge influences voting behavior, policy support, personal lifestyle choices, and community-level actions, all contributing to society's collective response to climate change. However, few validated tools exist to [...]
Effects of Salinity on Menstrual and Reproductive Health: Insights from Coastal and Non-Coastal Areas of Bangladesh.
Published: 2025-04-20
Subjects: Public Health
AbstractBackground: Salinity intrusion in coastal regions of Bangladesh is a growing concern due to its potential impact on public health, particularly reproductive health among women. Exposure to saline water may contribute to a variety of health challenges, including menstrual irregularities and pregnancy complications.Objective: This study aimed to assess the reproductive health challenges [...]
Evaluating the role of observational uncertainty in climate impact assessments: Temperature-driven yellow fever risk in South America
Published: 2025-04-20
Subjects: Environmental Sciences
Global gridded temperature data sets (GGTDs) vary in their information sources, quality control procedures, generation techniques, and spatial-temporal resolutions, introducing observational uncertainty. This uncertainty is critical not only for studies on current climate conditions but also for future climate change projections, where observational data sets are used for bias correction and [...]
Evaluation of climatic and non-climatic influence on malaria prevalence in the Upper River Region of The Gambia
Published: 2025-04-20
Subjects: Public Health
Despite the scale-up of intervention, malaria remains a burden in the Upper River Region of The Gambia. Climate changes and non-climatic conditions can substantially influence malaria prevalence, and further affect the coverage of preventive interventions. This work aimed at exploring the different climatic and non-climatic risk factors associated with malaria. A descriptive research method using [...]
Field to Flight: Migration Dynamics Amidst Climate/Weather Driven Crop Yield Fluctuations in Burkina Faso
Published: 2025-04-20
Subjects: Public Health
Climate change is anticipated to significantly affect human migration, driven by factors such as crop failures, rising sea levels, and water insecurity. The African continent is particularly vulnerable due to its population's limited adaptive capacity. However, collecting migration data is challenging, especially in regions lacking reliable demographic and epidemiological census data. [...]