EGU General Assembly 2023  

The transition towards carbon-free, renewable based energy systems is a central element to limit global warming and is one of the key societal challenges we are currently facing. The subsurface offers many different pieces for the energy transition jigsaw, from renewable energy from geothermal sources to large volumes of pore-space to permanently sequester carbon dioxide. The subsurface also provides several options for storing renewable energy over seasonal timescales, by storing renewable energy surplus converted into hydrogen and compressed air. As the subsurface can be utilized for many different energy related purposes, it becomes clear that it has to be a crucial part of the energy-transition.  However, most subsurface utilization technologies are not yet used on the scale that is needed for a successful energy transition. One reason for this lies in the incomplete understanding of (geological) processes that occur in the subsurface during, and after, the operation of these technologies. Predicting the performance and the potential of subsurface utilisation in the energy transition can also be hampered by limited data availability and the uncertainties associated with sparse datasets. Here, some of the key geoscience challenges that need to be solved for a timely energy transition are presented and some potential solutions are reviewed. The subsurface can, and must, play an important role in tomorrow’s green energy systems!

How to cite: Miocic, J.: The role of the subsurface in the energy transition – (some of) the (scientific) challenges, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11361, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11361, 2023.

Due to rapid urbanisation and population, a constant supply of clean and fresh water has come under stress. Raw water must be continuously treated and supplied to satisfy the day-to-day needs for potable water for household use. To find a solution to the issue, several governments worldwide have moved their focus to water and sanitation. Large sewage and effluent treatment facilities are continuously working to treat wastewater, which is the most crucial step in addressing the problem of fresh water. Sludge is the main by-product produced by these treatment plants, which creates a challenge when it comes to disposal. The sludge is processed in the treatment facilities before being disposed of, allowing for better waste management. In the treatment process of the wastewater, from the moment the wastewater enters the treatment facility until the sludge is disposed of, there are multiple points at which emissions are produced. These emissions need to be evaluated and dealt with, as they have the potential to significantly impact climate change and the depletion of the ozone layer. The authors have analysed the emissions using several methodologies, including IPCC inventories, life cycle assessment, and many more. The study's findings indicate that a significant quantity of greenhouse gas emissions (directly and indirectly) and air pollutants are emitted during the process of treating wastewater and disposal of sludge.

How to cite: Vidyarthi, P. K., Arora, P., Blond, N., and Ponche, J.-L.: Assessment of direct and indirect emissions from the wastewater treatment plant and sludge processing: A case study, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-592, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-592, 2023.

Abstract:

Experimental investigation on flat stepped spillway were conducted with two different width 0.52m and 0.28m on 26.67⁰ slope under nappe flow regimes. The study assessed the rate of energy dissipation at the toe of the spillway for unit discharge, q, ranging from 0.00954m²/s to 0.078854 m²/s for Froude number (F_r) between 0.5 to 0.85. The stepped chute comprised 10 identical steps having 0.10-m step heights and 0.2-m length. It is observed that the rate of energy dissipation at the step edge was relatively observed to be higher in the wider channel. The energy dissipation rate decreased from 3.81% to 26.135% by decreasing the channel width by 46.15% under same unit discharges. It signifies that the width of channel has certain influence on energy dissipation efficiency of spillway under same slope. Therefore, wider channel should be taken for design of stepped spillway under nappe flow regime. The variation in energy dissipation is due to the variation in mean air concentration between two widths. For further validation of these experimental observations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models were also used with k-ɛ turbulence model and0.010 m mesh size. 

Keywords: stepped spillway, energy dissipation, channel width, CFD

How to cite: Mishra, R. and Ojha, C. S. P.: Effect Of Channel Width on Energy Dissipation Efficiency of Stepped Spillway, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-919, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-919, 2023.

For the formation of oil (PG), a certain geological and geochemical environment of the Earth's Crust is necessary. Geologically, the current PG models are based on a 2-layer model of the Earth's Crust, consisting of Granite and Basalt layers. However, as the drilling of the Kola Superdeep Borehole (SG3) showed, there is no basalt layer on the continents. A model of a 1-layer Earth's Crust was compiled, consisting of a granite layer on the continents and a basalt layer in the Oceans:[1 layer  Мodel of the Earth's Crust Galant (MECG), ( AAPG, Athens 2007; EGU, Vienna 2013,2022;)] сonsist of separated layers of  Granite  and separated layers of  Basalt. This Model of the Earth's Crust Galant (MECG) fundamentally changes the geological and geochemical setting of the Earth's Crust and hence the PG processes. Basalts and Granites are antipodes and therefore fluids migrating from the mantle with the goal of generating oil passing through the Earth's Crust that does not have Basalts but has only Granites will behave differently - respectively. In connection with the change in the geological and geochemical situation, the parameters of the fluid migrating from the mantle will also change: the C-O-H ratio, reactions with the components of the layer, the supply and removal of components, the change in T, the intensity of degassing, the change in the fugacity of O, the depth of the depleted mantle, etc. Since the Kola on the Baltic Shield did not reveal the basalt layer and due to this, the depth [According based on 1 layer Model of the Earth's Crust Galant (MECG), ( AAPG Athens 2007, EGU Vienna 2013)] of the granite layer reaches the mantle deeply and the greater the thickness the thickness of the depleted mantle is greater, from this it can be assumed that the mantle gave up light hydrocarbon components concentrated in the upper horizons of the Lithosphere, and heavy hydrocarbon components still remained in the depleted mantle or are now slowly migrating upward into the granite layer. This may explain that granites contain more light hydrocarbons. Due to the change in the physical and chemical conditions of the Earth's Crust, the PG depth zone changes, expands or localizes, and the composition of the oil changes accordingly. CONCLUSIONS: In connection with the 1-layer model of the Earth's Crust, the energy-material exchange between the domains of the Earth, the Mantle and the Lithosphere changes. Characteristics of the parameters of physic-chemical conditions change. And also the tactics, strategy, philosophy of PG research should change, taking into account the new model of the Earth's Crust.

How to cite: Galant, Y.: The Genesis of Oil in connection with a 1-layer Model of the Earth’s Crust, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1002, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1002, 2023.

Nano Fe(III) oxide (FO) was employed as an additive material for CO₂-aided pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds (SCG) and its impacts on the syngas (H₂ & CO) generation and biochar adsorption characteristics were examined. Amendment of FO led to 153 and 682% increase of H₂ and CO in pyrolytic process of SCG, respectively, which is deemed to arise from enhanced thermal cracking of hydrocarbons and oxygen transfer reaction mediated by FO. Incorporation of FO successfully created porous structure in the produced biochar. The adsorption tests revealed that the biochar exhibited bi-functional capability to remove both positively charged Cd(II) and Ni(II), and negatively charged Sb(V). The adsorption of Cd(II) and Ni(II) was hardly deteriorated in the multiple adsorption cycles, and the adsorption of Sb(V) was further enhanced through formation of surface ternary complexes. The overall results demonstrated nano Fe(III) oxide is a promising amendment material in CO₂-aided pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass for enhancing syngas generation and producing functional biochar.

How to cite: Cho, D.-W., Jang, J.-Y., Cheong, Y., and Yim, G.-J.: Co-thermochemical conversion of coffee grounds and nano Fe(III) oxides to fabricate metal-biochar for the simultaneous removal of Sb(V), Cd(II), and Ni(II) from  water, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1700, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1700, 2023.

This study aims to mitigate As pollution in wetlands by using biochar composites, which are a byproduct of valorizing drinking water treatment sludge (i.e., polyaluminum chloride (PAC) sludge). PAC sludge produced when PAC is used as a coagulant contains various aluminum and iron components because of the high affinity of PAC for heavy metals. Therefore, the valorization of PAC sludge by pyrolysis can be a strategic method to secure environmental safety for sludge utilization by destroying the organic pollutants and immobilizing heavy metals while simultaneously producing biochar composites that can be used as an environmental adsorbent. Biochar composites were fabricated under N₂ and CO₂ environments, systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller/Barrett–Joyner–Halenda analyses, and tested for the adsorption of As species. Both biochar composites exhibited excellent adsorption performance for both inorganic As (As(III) and As(V)) and organic As (dimethylarsinic acid, DMA). A lab-scale microcosm test showed that ~30% of spiked DMA was removed by biochar and that the total As fixed in the sediment decreased by ~20%. In addition, the As speciation results for the sediment and biochar revealed demethylation of the DMA and reduction of As(V) to As(III) by microorganisms, which was confirmed by a microbial growth batch test. Finally, a large-scale field experiment carried out in an artificial ecological wetland ensured that the addition of biochar could reduce the total amount of As to be immobilized in wetland sediment by 19%. In addition, the presence of biochar could alter the migration trend of As species in plants by reducing the amount of organic As to be fixed in the sediment. The aforementioned results demonstrate the practical feasibility of using PAC sludge-derived biochar as an adsorbent for As species.

How to cite: Ryu, J., Han, Y.-S., Cho, D.-W., Kim, S.-J., Cho, Y.-C., Chon, C.-M., Ahn, J. S., and Nam, I.-H.: Fabrication of PAC sludge-valorized biochars and their practical application to the remediation of methyl arsenic in wetlands, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2222, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2222, 2023.

Recently, University of Illinois has been working on the front-end engineering design (FEED) of carbon capture facilities for several power plants in Illinois. While carbon capture facilities often would need cooling water for operation, the water demand for power plants carbon capture facilities has not received much attention. For the two real-world FEED design projects (the Prairie State Generating Company (PSGC) and the 21st Century Power plant (21CPP)), we comprehensively analyze the water demand and supply risks for the two carbon capture facilities. Both power plants and the associated carbon capture facilities are expected to run for decades and thus climate change would play key role in managing water supply risks which is important for informing the engineering design of water system and cooling system of the carbon capture facilities. Both historic and future hydrologic conditions are examined to determine water supply risks. Future hydrologic conditions are simulated using hydrologic models and global circulation models (GCM) results. The climate scenarios are adopted from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Projection Phase 5 (CMIP5) datasets. Three representative concentration pathways (RCPs), i.e. RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5, are employed for exploring different future carbon dioxide emission scenarios. This work explores the tradeoff between water footprint and carbon footprint of power plants in Illinois and provides scientific information for water management and carbon management and for engineering design of the real-world carbon capture facilities.

How to cite: Zhang, Z., Getahun, E., Keefer, L., Qie, G., and Felipe Prada Sepulveda, A.: Water-energy-carbon nexus in Illinois - water supply risk for carbon capture, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2351, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2351, 2023.

Prussian blue analogue (PBA) has been received great attention as a material for radioactive Cs removal because of its high Cs ion adsorption efficiency. In this study, we synthesized PBA with three different transition metal ions (Ni(II), Co(II), and Fe(II) for NiFe-PBA, CoFe-PBA, and FeFe-PBA, respectively) and adjusted their particle sizes and surface areas by controlling the amount of stabilizing agent. They also composited with TiO₂ and then compared the efficiencies of Cs ion adsorption under dark or UV light. The larger the surface areas and the smaller the particle size, the better the Cs ion adsorption, and the NiFe, NiFe-TiO₂ and FeFe-TiO₂ showed additional Cs ion adsorption under UV light irradiation. In particular, NiFe has an adsorption capacity of about 0.8 mmolg^-1 and 1.7 mmolg^-1 under dark and UV light, respectively, which is a result of about twice the increase in the adsorption capacity by UV light irradiation. In addition, the NiFe-TiO₂ nanocomposite shows adsorption capacities of about 0.45 mmolg^-1 and 1.5 mmolg^-1 under dark and UV light, respectively, which is a result of about three times the increase in the adsorption capacity by UV light irradiation. Photo-induced additional adsorption on NiFe showed even with radioactive ¹³⁷Cs adsorption. This enhanced Cs ion adsorption of NiFe happens due to photoinduced charge transfer in NiFe molecular, which leads to additional adsorption of Cs ions. This is very meaningful result because it is first study of photo-induced additional removal of Cs on PBAs.

How to cite: Kim, S., Kim, M., and Eun, S.: Photo-induced enhancement of radioactive 137Cs removal by adsorption on Prussian blue analogues, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2500, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2500, 2023.

The produced crude oil from reservoirs usually contains a considerable amount of water which is submitted to large shear rates through production process, and due to the existence of natural surface-active agents in crude oils, stable water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions are formed. Effectively purifying the emulsified crude oil through the electrostatic desalting process plays an important role in reducing its water and water-soluble salts contents, which otherwise exacerbate oil deterioration, equipment corrosion, and catalysts deactivation in subsequent units. The electrostatic desalting process has proved to be an efficient means of separation using electrodes subjected to a high voltage to enhance the coalescence of water droplets. In this study, a mathematical model was developed to simulate the W/O dispersed flow to study the evolution of droplet size distributions in crude oil desalters. The population balance approach was employed to describe the behavior of W/O emulsions in the continuous phase assuming that the process is controlled by two simultaneous physical phenomena; breakage and coalescence of droplets. Experimental results on the W/O system were utilized to validate the mathematical model and the employed numerical technique. The agreement between the developed model and experimental droplet volume size distributions was shown to be satisfactory, confirming the further applicability of the model. The present study can be helpful for optimizing crude oil desalting operating conditions, enhancing efficiency, and decreasing energy and chemical consumption.

How to cite: Kooti, G., Dabir, B., Taherdangkoo, R., and Butscher, C.: Mathematical modeling of dispersed phase behavior of water-in-oil emulsions in electrostatic crude oil desalters, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3456, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3456, 2023.

Detection of high pesticide concentrations in sediments and water often leads to prioritizing a site as being ‘at risk’. However, the risk does not depend on pesticide concentration alone, but on other site-specific characteristics also. We developed an indicator that identifies the ‘Level of Concern’ by integrating five such characteristics: (i) pesticide concentrations in surface and groundwater causing risks to ecological health (ii) impacts on human health, (iii) water scarcity, (iv) agricultural production, and (v) biodiversity richness. We applied this framework in an agricultural region of the Lower Ganges Basin in West Bengal, India. We measured concentrations of selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface and groundwater within an 8 km² area in 2019. Of 20 banned and restricted OCPs, 11 were detected as a cause of high risk to ecological health and 10 were detected at concentrations above the Accepted Carcinogenic Risk Limit (ACRL) for humans. In the pre-monsoon, the mean concentrations of ΣOCPs in groundwater and surface water were 126.9 ng/L and 104 ng/L,in the monsoon they were 144.7 ng/L and 138 ng/L, and in the post-monsoon 122.1 ng/L and 147 ng/L respectively. In groundwater, no significant seasonal difference was observed in most pesticides. In the surface water, 7 pesticides were significantly higher in the monsoon and post-monsoon, which may be attributed to increased runoff as well as post monsoon application of OCPs. In September 2022we again measured OCP concentrations in surface water and sediment. The mean concentration of 14 of the 20 measured OCPs were found to be significantly lower in the post-pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic time. These lower pesticide concentrations may indicate a reduced use of OCPs in agricultural practices during the pandemic. This area was identified as being at the highest Level of Concern, even though the OCP concentrations alone conformed to general guidelines.

How to cite: Ray, S., Mohasin, P., and Chakraborty, P.: Developing an Indicator of Pesticide Pollution Risk: Integrating the site specific water scarcity, biodiversity and impacts on human Health, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7429, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7429, 2023.

In recent times, the research trend has shifted towards identifying sustainable energy resources. Bioenergy generation employing wastewater and micro-organisms might be a potential solution to achieve this goal. In microbial fuel cells (MFC), the energy stored in the chemical bonds of contaminants present in wastewater is utilized by the micro-organisms for their metabolism in redox conditions. Furthermore, in this process, free electrons are released into the system, which are captured by the electrodes resulting in the generation of electricity in the external circuit. Hence, the system provides wastewater treatment along with bioenergy generation. However, the system finds difficulty in degrading recalcitrant organic compounds, such as pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants, which is possible in constructed wetland (CW) systems. However, CWs require a large footprint area. Recently, combined CW and MFC systems are being used for this purpose due to their resilience and capacity to produce electricity and provide a high level of wastewater treatment. Combined CW-MFC has been found to be more useful than either system alone by complimenting their issues as the redox conditions required for the proper functioning of the MFC system are available in the CW system. Furthermore, the high diversity of micro-organisms present in MFC improves the treatment efficiency of the CW system. This study involves the application of a combined CW-MFC system for the treatment of wastewater and the production of bioelectricity using Lemna minor as macrophyte species. Graphite plates were used as the anode and cathode for electricity production. In order to test the system's effectiveness in terms of removing recalcitrant organic compounds, synthetic wastewater was spiked with 5 mg/L of sulfamethoxazole. The influence of various parameters, such as electrode spacing, the substrate to water depth ratio, and the initial COD concentration of wastewater, was studied. Considerably high removal of around 99% for sulfamethoxazole and 90% for COD removal were observed, along with the production of 133 mV of voltage. It was observed that with the increase in initial COD concentration and substrate to water depth ratio, COD removal also increased. However, an increase in electrode spacing and substrate to water depth ratio after a certain limit showed a negative effect on voltage generation. The entire system could effectively generate bioenergy and treat the sulfamethoxazole-contaminated wastewater.

Keywords- Constructed wetlands, Microbial fuel cell, Lemna minor, Emerging contaminants, Bioelectricity

How to cite: Jain, M., Ghosal, P. S., and Gupta, A. K.: Application of combined constructed wetland- microbial fuel cell system for simultaneous bioenergy generation and treatment of wastewater contaminated with sulfamethoxazole, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8535, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8535, 2023.

Pandemics greatly affect transportation, economic and household activities and their associated air pollutant emissions. In less affluent regions, household energy use is often the dominant pollution source and is sensitive to the affluence change caused by a persisting pandemic. Air quality studies on COVID-19 have shown declines in pollution levels over industrialized regions as an immediate response to pandemic-caused lockdown and weakened economy. Yet few have considered the response of residential emissions to altered household affluence and energy choice supplemented by social distancing. Here we quantify the potential effects of long-term pandemics on ambient fine particulate matter pollution (PM_2.5) and resulting premature mortality worldwide, by comprehensively considering the changes in transportation, economic production and household energy use. We find that a persisting COVID-like pandemic would reduce the global gross domestic product by 11.2% and PM_2.5-related mortality by 9.5%. The global mortality decline would reach 13.0% had the response of residential emissions been excluded. Among the 13 aggregated regions worldwide, the least affluent regions exhibit the greatest fractional economic losses with no comparable magnitudes of mortality reduction. This is because their weakened affluence would cause switch to more polluting household energy types on top of longer stay-at-home time, largely offsetting the effect of reduced transportation and economic production. International financial, technological and vaccine aids could reduce such environmental imbalance.

How to cite: Li, C., Lin, J., Chen, L., Cui, Q., Liu, Y., McDuffie, E. E., Du, M., Kong, H., and Wang, J.: Inter-regional environmental imbalance under lasting pandemic exacerbated by residential response, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10017, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10017, 2023.

 Socio-environmental conflicts are the result of an alteration in the natural environment that has repercussions on the interests of the social actors involved. The management of any case depends on the stage of the conflict, the interest in taking advantage of the resource, and the group that takes precedence over the change that this would imply. The environmental factors consist of many climatic, social, and economic variables that result in many types of conflict. For this, so many efforts have already been made to map these incidents at the national and international levels. One such mapping was conducted in the environmental justice atlas, an international compendium of environmental issues. However, little is known about the actors involved in such conflicts. The objective of this work is to identify the resistance actors reported by the Environmental Justice Atlas for Mexico and to search for available information on each of them, as well as the estimated or reported location of their headquarters. The main result was a cartographic mapping of the locations of these actors. The Environmental Justice Atlas registers 151 socio-environmental conflicts in Mexico, in which 485 civil organizations are or were in some way expressing their disagreement or rejection of some projects or megaprojects, while the Mexican government has participated with 171 institutions of the three levels of government, and has been judged and partnered in several of these conflicts; 186 state-owned companies representing the private sector have been identified as the ones responsible for affecting the interests of the actors on the territory and resources of their respective states. From this exercise, it was determined that not all actors have public location information, and even if they do have data, it is difficult to locate them, which could suggest a preference for anonymity when opposing different management of the territory and its resources and the awareness of possible risk in doing so.         

How to cite: González Lezama, M. A., Ramírez Serrato, N., Jácome Paz, M. P., Hernandez Cedeño, I., and Duquino Rojas, L. G.: Characterization of the social elements involved in socio-environmental conflicts in Mexico., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10512, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10512, 2023.

Mitigating climate change is one of the greatest challenges humanity has to face in the next decades. For this purpose, negative emissions – the active removal of large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (~10Gt/a) – are indispensable, meaning that highly efficient methods for carbon dioxide removal have to be developed.¹

In our work we aim to design a photoelectrochemical system that uses solar energy to drive a catalytic process that converts carbon dioxide into long term stable storage products such as oxalate or carbon flakes. Here, we present first results of electrochemical and spectroscopic investigations on two promising catalytic processes for carbon dioxide conversion which are based on metallic cerium and a GaInSn–based liquid metal alloy. The determination of the conversion efficiency allows for an estimation of the area demand of a large-scale deployment of our artificial photosynthesis-based process to meet the carbon dioxide reduction goals.

Apart from developing catalytic processes that result in high solar to carbon efficiencies, our work aims to improve the knowledge on the solid/liquid interface between catalyst and electrolyte. This is done by applying a combination of well established electrochemical methods like Cyclic Voltammetry or Chronoamperometry and operando Spectroscopy based on Raman and Reflection Anisotropy Spectroscopy. This is expected to allow for monitoring and controlling changes at the catalytic surfaces, like the formation of potentially catalyst poisoning species such as cerium fluoride. Since surface processes play a crucial role in the carbon dioxide conversion, understanding and controlling them might pave the way for improvements on the conversion efficiency. This would further reduce the area requirements of our system, which in turn would ease the suspected land-use conflict potential caused by climate change mitigation measures.

How to cite: Lörch, D., Euchner, H., Mohamed, A., Bogdanoff, P., and May, M.: Negative Emissions based on Photoelectrochemical Methods: Surface Investigation of Potential Catalysts, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12708, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12708, 2023.

Net-zero emission targets require transitioning to low carbon energy sources (including bioenergy) and large-scale carbon dioxide removal. Aside from direct air capture (DAC), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and terrestrial carbon removal and sequestration are two available negative emission technologies (NETs) ready for large-scale deployment. Nationally determined contributions endorse bioenergy as an alternative carbon neutral energy source for fossil fuels. However, this carbon neutral assumption is disputed with several studies indicating that it may lead to accounting errors and biased decision-making.

Bottom-up techno-economic energy system models such as the TIMES framework are used to identify and analyze potential decarbonization pathways for countries or regions. However, these models do not include biogenic carbon flows. Biogenic carbon refers to the carbon contained in biomass. One could assume that biogenic carbon is neutral since the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere through biomass combustion and the amount of carbon sequestered by plants during their lifetimes are equal. This assumption may be acceptable when the biomass rotation length is short, as in annual crops, and the balance between emissions and uptakes is indeed neutral. The assumption, however, may not remain valid when the sequestration period is lengthy, as in the case of forest trees. This study combines an aspatial, stand- and landscape-level modeling framework (CBM-CFS3) with a bottom-up techno-economic energy system model (NATEM). We use the CBM-CFS3 output to model various forest management strategies that would result in different biomass availability for bioenergy as well as net forest carbon stocks and emissions. This allows us to determine whether and how this biomass will be used in the energy system over time. Besides, we model several forest-based bioenergy and BECCS technologies to allow the energy system to use the available biomass. This is the first time biogenic CO₂ flows are being modeled in a thorough energy system model such as TIMES. We show how the assumption of carbon neutrality results in biased decision-making (using different sets of NETs and resources). We demonstrate that the decarbonization effort could be reduced by integrating forest sequestration into the energy system model. We explore how a high sequestration capacity forest management strategy may minimize the need for expensive NETs such as DAC. Moreover, this research highlights the need to adopt the most promising forest management strategy before investing in BECCS.

How to cite: Kouchaki Penchah, H., Bahn, O., Vaillancourt, K., Moreau, L., Thiffault, E., and Levasseur, A.: Does the assumption of biogenic carbon neutrality affect decarbonization pathways? Lessons learned from a techno-economic analysis, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-104, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-104, 2023.

British and Northern Irish agri-food systems are faced with the challenge of reducing their supply-chain emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) in line with the UK’s ambition of achieving a cross-sector ‘net zero’ economy by 2050. Approximately 10% of the GHG emissions are generated by agriculture, and approximately 56% of these GHGs are generated by livestock in the form of CH₄ from enteric fermentation (eructation primarily) and manure management (i.e., storage and subsequent application as an organic fertiliser). Numerous mitigation strategies, both extant and at prototype stage, are being proposed to reduce GHG emissions from ruminants, with many aimed at reducing enteric CH₄ (e.g., methane inhibitors such as 3NOP and ‘wearables’ which break CH₄ down into CO₂ and water vapour during respiration). Before implementing such practices, it is critical to evaluate their net impact on primary production GHG emissions (i.e., farm-level losses). Thus, a cradle-to-farm gate scale modelling framework combining a process-based model, the RothC Model, with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted to explore the benefits and trade-offs of a range of intervention strategies for grazing beef systems in UK.

Mitigation interventions were applied to a baseline ‘business as usual’ scenario using the UK Research Council’s (UKRI) National Capability, the North Wyke Farm Platform utilising high resolution data collected on the world’s most instrumented research fam. Mitigation effects on net GHG emissions were subsequently assessed through an LCA scenario analysis with a view to identifying the most feasible, cost-effective strategies. The interventions assessed included: (i) grazing management (e.g., decreasing inputs of synthetic fertilisers and optimising stocking densities); (ii) manure management practices (e.g., adopting anaerobic digestion technology); (iii) livestock feeding regimes (e.g., dietary modification such as inhibitory supplementation) and breeding practices (, for instance, identifying high-performing breeding animals which have been shown to generate fewer GHGs whilst increasing both throughput and financial provision). Although the results to be presented in this work are currently preliminary, some notable findings with implications for policymakers have been observed already; for example, including carbon uptake from soils in a cradle-to-farmgate analysis can reduce system-wide emissions by ~10% in certain circumstances including climate, soil type, and manure management.

How to cite: Jebari, A., Collins, A., Takahashi, T., Lee, M. R., Harris, P., Cardenas, L., Pereyra, F., and McAuliffe, G.: Life Cycle Assessment of mitigation measures of greenhouse gas emissions from beef production in England, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-235, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-235, 2023.

State-of-the-art soil models can be used to monitor and predict the evolution of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes at national, sub-national, and supernational levels. This can help predict the effect of disturbances on the soil and facilitate the development of sustainable management practices to prevent further soil degradation and GHG losses under climate change.

However, model simulations are still highly uncertain due to many factors. For instance, the lack of understanding of many soil processes, the way processes are represented in the models, and the parametrization, initialization, and forcing variables used to run them. One way to consider these uncertainties is to use multi-model ensembles, thus simulating the evolution of SOC stocks and GHG fluxes according to models with different structures and mechanistic assumptions.

In this work, we show a webtool that enables the simulation of SOC stocks and GHG gases in European forests under different climate and land-use change scenarios, using a multi-model ensemble. In the absence of on-site measurements, the webtool directly accesses online databases of pedo-climatic data that is required to run the models.

Models also need to be correctly parameterized and evaluated before their application. For that, we build a map of model parameters that can be used to force the models, and which is evaluated on the European LUCAS database. Uncertainties linked to the initialization method used are also discussed.

How to cite: Bruni, E., Guenet, B., Abramoff, R., Manzoni, S., Khurana, S., and Tupek, B.: Modelling soil organic carbon stocks and greenhouse gases in European forests with multi-model ensembles, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2264, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2264, 2023.

While Africa has contributed negligibly to global emissions, it stands out as the world's most vulnerable region, owing to the continent's current low levels of socioeconomic growth and, thus, a lack of resources to afford the goods and services required to recover from the worst of the changing climate effects. Temperature and rainfall projections in disaster-prone areas are therefore critical for planning climate change mitigation and boosting our adaptation capacity to respond effectively. This study makes a contribution in this direction by identifying vulnerable areas to warming and drought in Africa, with a particular focus on Morocco—whose conditional goal, which will be attained with international assistance, is rated as "almost sufficient" but is not yet in alignment with the Paris Agreement's goal—, taking into account diverse levels of political efforts to slow down and adapt to climate change, known as the Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs), using the outputs of the global climate model, HadGEM3-GC31-LL, provided by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) Phase 6 [1]. Temperature and precipitation projections over Africa indicate significant geographical variability in the twenty-first century. The northern part of Africa (NAF), the Sahara (SAH), and South West Africa (SWAF) are expected to undergo increasing warming, followed by Central Africa (CAF), North East Africa (NEAF), and South-East Africa (SEAF). When compared to other regions, West Africa (WAF) and Central East Africa (CEAF) will have the lowest mean annual temperature values. The SAH, NEAF, and CEAF are projected to get more precipitation than the NAF, WAF, SWAF, and SEAF, which are expected to endure severe drought conditions. The emission scenario has a large influence on the quantity of rain that falls over Central Africa (CAF), which has increased precipitation under the strong forcing scenario. The amount of greenhouse gases emitted globally over the next few decades (i.e., emission scenario) and the level of uncertainty in Morocco's climate sensitivity to those emissions (i.e., climate model, time horizon) will determine the extent of climate change in the next few decades. We estimate that significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could limit Morocco's annual average temperature rise to 1.07 °C (resp. 1.72 °C) in the near- (resp. long-) term. However, if these emissions are not greatly decreased, yearly average temperatures may rise by 1.25 °C (resp. 6.25 °C) by the end of the century. Morocco's spatio-seasonal warming pattern is highest in the mountainous areas of the Rif and Atlas Mountains and lessens along the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas. The findings also point to a significant gradual emergence of humid climate in the South, as well as a migration of aridity to the North, East, and West. 

[1] Bouramdane, A.-A. Assessment of CMIP6 Multi-Model Projections Worldwide: Which Regions Are Getting Warmer and Are Going through a Drought in Africa and Morocco? What Changes from CMIP5 to CMIP6? Sustainability 2023, 15, 690. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010690

How to cite: Bouramdane, A.-A.: Determining Vulnerable Areas to Warming and Drought in Africa and Morocco Based on CMIP6 Projections: Towards the Implementation of Mitigation and Adaptation Measures, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2456, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2456, 2023.

Soils are a key natural capital asset. Soil health, defined as the capacity of a soil to function as a living system, is a vital component of wider ecosystem processes and functioning, including the flow of multiple ecosystem services. Land use change is an important factor influencing declines in soil health globally. To meet demand for low carbon energy, ground-mounted solar parks (SPs) have expanded rapidly in recent decades, incurring significant land use change, with predictions that UK solar capacity could quadruple by 2050. There is potential for both positive and negative impacts of SPs on soil health - SPs present a relatively unique land use change, in that large areas of land remain physically undisturbed but are shaded by panels. This shading can alter microclimate metrics under panels, including air and soil temperature, soil moisture, photosynthetically active radiation and humidity, which may impact indicators of soil health. Further, the majority of SPs in the UK are developed on former agricultural land, often intensively managed. Arable land use is one of the most detrimental to overall soil health, whilst there is significant evidence supporting the benefits of taking agricultural land out of cultivation, including increased soil carbon, reduced erosion, compaction, and pollution. Considering the land use requirements and microclimatic variation within SPs, it is critical that their impacts on soil health are understood, yet research on solar park-soil impacts remains sparse.

We investigated the impact of location within SPs (under solar panels and in gap areas) and the influence of prior land use (arable and grassland) on physical, chemical, and biological indicators of soil health, to address this knowledge gap and provide one of the first quantifications on the impacts of SP development on soil health.  Preliminary results suggest no difference in indicators with SP prior land use, however bulk density and inorganic phosphorus were significantly lower in gap areas compared to under panels, whilst organic matter and microbial biomass carbon were higher in gap areas. These results suggest that soil health may be degraded under the shade of solar panels.

However, on-site management decisions such as livestock grazing, wildflower planting and mowing regimes likely influence soil health indicator values and vary across SPs. Further, the SPs studied have been operational since 2014, a relatively short time in terms of soil health. As such, further research is required across spatial and temporal scales, considering the impact of SP management actions to accurately infer SP impacts on soil health.

How to cite: Treasure, L., Armstrong, A., Sharp, S., Smart, S., and Parker, G.: The impacts of ground-mounted solar parks on soil health in the UK, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2672, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2672, 2023.

The Glasgow Declaration on forests signed at the recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) committed to halt forest loss by 2030. Over 141 countries and regions, collectively covering over 90% of global forest, endorsed this declaration, making it by far one of the largest forest protection programs in the world. Avoiding forest loss can generally contribute to climate change mitigation, however, the impacts of the declaration on global CO₂ emissions reduction is still unclear. Here we show that by stopping global forest area loss, a large portion of deforestation-related CO₂ emissions could be reduced, and the socio-economic damage to global society could be largely avoided. Over three quarters of emissions could be reduced over the next three decades, though any delays in implementing the declaration would decrease the avoided emissions. The value of the public goods provided by avoided deforestation could compensate for loss of private goods gained from clearing the land for agriculture. The Glasgow Declaration, if implemented fully and in a timely fashion, could help the world move closer to carbon neutrality.

How to cite: Qin, Z.: Protecting global forest to avoid carbon emissions, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3063, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3063, 2023.

It has been proved that reaching the objective of complete decarbonization in Greece by the year 2028 is necessary to ensure the stability of the country's power-generating system and Greece's energy security. Since the middle of the 1960s, when lignite reserves were exploited for the purpose of power production, the Region of Western Macedonia, which includes both an industrial and an agricultural sector, has held a unique position within the borders of Greece. However, as a result of a strategy for the transition to a more sustainable energy plan, the majority of plants that were powered by lignite were required to shut down in 2019. A just transition in a post-lignite era requires strategic planning in order to avoid social, economic, and energy issues while simultaneously maximizing the amount of power output that is sustainable. The present study makes use of a SWOT analysis in order to carry out a comprehensive socio-economic analysis for the Region of Western Macedonia. This analysis takes into account all of the primary economic sectors that are present in the region that is being studied, and it discusses the priorities that have been set by the Energy Union in order to achieve its energy goals. Additionally, the study discusses the results of a generalized SWOT analysis that was applied to the specific strategy of the Energy Union, placing special emphasis on the axes requiring further support actions. According to the findings of the study, the Region of Western Macedonia possesses significant advantages and presents a multitude of fresh chances as it makes the transition to a new production model. On the other hand, its unemployment rates are quite high, and its competitiveness and innovation rates are quite poor. The difficulty to locate sufficient employment opportunities is the primary factor contributing to the desertification of the region. When taking into account the aims of the Energy Union, the Region of Western Macedonia follows the priorities of Europe in its transition to the new production model in a satisfactory manner; yet, there is a significant amount of potential for development.

How to cite: Tagaris, E., Tranoulidis, A., Sotiropoulou, R.-E. P., and Bithas, K.: Decarbonization and sustainable energy transition to the post-lignite era in Greece, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4117, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4117, 2023.

The mission of the Comparing Electricity Options (CEO) research program at UT Austin is to understand and quantify trade-offs among society’s goals of providing reliable and affordable energy, mitigating climate change, and improving local environments that can sustain a healthy economy for future populations. Our goals are to create tools that support decision makers in the energy and policy sectors with better environmental and economic assessments to manage environmental, social, and governance risks across global supply chains; highlight where innovation can mitigate impacts; and, inform policies that encourage innovation. This is done by conducting a three-phase, data-driven study of natural gas-fired, wind, and solar power plants (including batteries to address intermittencies). We use several methodologies and will develop interactive tools to allow wider audiences to quickly compare alternative scenarios. In Phase 1, which we anticipate will be completed in early 2023, we conduct a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of power plants for 18 impacts covering greenhouse gas and local (PM, SO_X, NO_X) emissions; land and water use and pollution, biodiversity and ecosystem services, etc. The LCA system boundaries encompass extraction of natural resources, manufacturing of generation equipment, power plant operations, and end-of-life. In Phase 2, which will begin in mid-2023, we investigate electric power grids instead of individual power plants, and aggregate environmental impacts and costs associated with transitioning generation mixes over time, including new transmission and distribution infrastructure. In Phase 3, we use results from Phases 1 and 2 to develop a new cost estimate for electricity at the consumer level that includes environmental and system costs. We show early results from Phase 1 and how environmental impacts are manifested along the global supply chains needed to support energy development, at different times during the 30-year lifespan of the facilities.

How to cite: Young, M., Gulen, G., Ur Rehmman, A., and Chapman, D.: Comparing Life-Cycle Environmental Impacts of Natural Gas-Fired and Renewable Electricity Generation, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4490, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4490, 2023.

Land use change for solar parks could provide a unique opportunity to support insect pollinators, such as bumble bees, if located and managed appropriately. Vegetation management can provide floral and nesting resources for bumble bees and well managed solar parks could safeguard suitable bumble bee habitats for up to 40 years. Understanding the potential for solar parks to contribute to bumble bee conservation is growing, but the longer-term roles of solar parks have not yet been considered. To address this knowledge gap, we used a geographic information system (GIS) and a process-based pollinator model to quantify the impact of solar park management on bumble bee density in present day Great Britain and in 2050. Future landscapes were based on state-of-the-art UK-SCAPE CRAFTY-UK scenarios that represent how land use responds simultaneously to climatic and social change. Scenarios range in levels of sustainability and therefore deliver contrasting landscapes that impact bumble bees in both solar parks and the surroundings. In the present day, solar parks managed with resource-rich wildflower margins approximately doubled bumble bee density compared to those managed as turf grass. Moreover, bumble bee density was higher in solar parks surrounded by more floral resources. In future scenarios, the impact of solar park management differed depending on how the surrounding landscape changed. Our findings suggest that solar parks could contribute to bumble bee conservation both now and in the future, potentially becoming more or less valuable habitats depending on land use change.

How to cite: Blaydes, H., Gardner, E., Whyatt, D., Dunford, R., Potts, S., and Armstrong, A.: Appropriate solar park management enhances bumble bee populations under different land use scenarios, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4912, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4912, 2023.

Forest ecosystems act as huge reservoirs of organic carbon by binding atmospheric carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis. Carbon in forests is stored both in aboveground and belowground biomass as well as in the form of dead organic matter in the soil. This soil organic carbon (SOC) pool may play a particularly important role in mitigating climate change through the long-lasting retention of organic compounds.

Much of Europe's forests are located in the mountains, where low temperatures and high humidity protect dead organic matter from rapid oxidation. In addition, the area covered by forests is increasing due to forest succession in abandoned areas. Both land cover change, as well as tree species conversion, are the factors that can lead to significant changes in SOC content. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the impact of land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) on SOC content in European mountain forest ecosystems.

Data on land cover and SOC content in European mountains (areas above 500 m a.s.l.) were obtained from the 2009, 2015 and 2018 Land Use and Coverage Area frame Survey (LUCAS) databases. We compared the SOC content of sites that were under forests in 2009 or 2018, with or without changes in land use or species composition over the designated period. The highest increase in SOC content was noted at sites where conversion from meadow to deciduous forest took place (mean 3.46 g C kg^-1 year^-1). The SOC content decreased at sites that in the period 2009-2018 were constantly under mixed forests (mean -0.87 g C kg^-1 year^-1) and under coniferous forests (mean -0.21 g C kg^-1 y^-1), while at sites located under deciduous forests, the SOC content increased (mean 1.08 g C kg^-1 y^-1). These results suggest that forestation and maintenance of deciduous forests may have the greatest impact on carbon sequestration in mountain ecosystems in Europe.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 952327 (HES-GEO).

How to cite: Gus-Stolarczyk, M., Bartos, A., Gołąb, A., and Musielok, Ł.: Change in soil organic carbon content in European mountain forests based on LUCAS soil databases 2009-2018, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5329, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5329, 2023.

Land-use change and land management practices alter soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in agricultural systems. Changing natural vegetation to agriculture in particular has resulted in a loss of approximately 5% of the current global terrestrial carbon stock. However, this carbon loss is reversible. Increasing the area of grassland is, therefore, an increasingly discussed climate change mitigation option since grasslands often store similar SOC stocks to natural vegetation. However, the time it takes for cropland to return to its pre-cropland carbon state after conversion to grassland is far from certain. Using soil and land-use history data gathered during the German Soil Inventory as well as from historical land use maps, this study therein aims to answer two questions: i) how does land-use change affect SOC stocks in agricultural systems; and ii) how long does it take for agricultural lands to reach a new SOC equilibrium following land-use change. By substituting space for time and accounting for differences in site properties via stratification, our results challenge the established “slow in, fast out” paradigm. At a national scale, topsoil SOC is lost relatively slowly when grassland is converted to cropland, and gained relatively quickly when cropland is returned to grassland. Further, neither direction of SOC change agreed with the 20 years’ timescales on which current emission reporting and climate mitigation policy is based, and SOC stocks were influenced by land-use changes for more than 100 years.

How to cite: Emde, D., Don, A., Poeplau, C., and Schneider, F.: Long-term impact of land-use change on soil organic carbon in German agriculture, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5703, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5703, 2023.

The decarbonization of the energy sector is among the highest priorities in the European Union’s effort to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, avoid the worst effects of rapid climate change, and transition to a more sustainable economy. Multi-energy systems (MESs) have emerged as powerful and flexible solutions to integrate renewable energy sources (RES) in the energy grid and support the decarbonization of heating and transport. In MESs, multiple energy vectors and sectors that are traditionally planned and operated independently like electricity, heating and cooling, fuel and transport are coupled with each other at various levels, from demand to storage and generation, with the aim of increasing the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of the whole system.  
The transition to carbon-neutral energy systems may come with significant costs, especially in areas where the social and economic opportunities are tied to carbon-intensive activities or where the land-use change to accommodate RES carries significant environmental and social impacts. In these contexts, where multiple stakeholders with competing objectives are involved, multi-objectives modeling tools can be used to support decision-makers in identifying the most suitable technical configuration of MESs to fulfill the decarbonization and economic goals while considering the needs of the territory involved and the assets and resources already available. 
This work presents a novel approach to identifying optimal solutions when designing MES under multiple competing environmental, economic, technological, and social objectives. We use the multi-scale energy systems modeling framework CALLIOPE to simulate the optimal management of a MES with high temporal resolution under a specific system configuration. These configurations are explored via a Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm, to extract Pareto-optimal MES designs and highlight synergies and trade-offs between multiple objectives. 
The new framework is applied to the Sulcis Iglesiente (SI) Province in Sardinia, Italy; a territory that already faces severe socio-economic challenges which are at risk of being exacerbated by the planned phase-out of the local coal power plant. Together with the economic end emission targets, the analysis includes objectives such as land-use allocation for renewables, air quality, and local job opportunities and losses. 
The resulting MES configurations, as expected, highlight a strong conflict between the maintenance of the previously carbon-intensive assets and the reduction of GHGs emissions. From the demand side, substituting fossil fuel boilers with heat pumps to exploit the excess electricity production that follows the expansion of the already existing renewable resources pool (mainly via new on-shore wind turbines) represents a good solution to increase efficiency and reduce the overall carbon footprint. However, from the generation side, fully compensating for removing the fossil fuel-based power plant would require massive investment in on-the-ground photovoltaic, and wind turbines (off-shore and on-shore), which may be too costly in terms of investment, surface allocation and landscape degradation. 

How to cite: Tangi, M., Ruggeri, S., Troncia, M., and Amaranto, A.: A multi-objective approach to design integrated multi-energy systems for efficient and sustainable decarbonization at the regional level, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5983, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5983, 2023.

Anthropogenic and natural CO₂ fluxes on land constitute substantial CO₂ emissions and removals but are usually not well distinguished in national greenhouse gas inventories (NGHGIs) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Instead, countries frequently include natural and indirect human-induced CO₂ fluxes on managed land in their estimates of CO₂ fluxes from land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF), mostly due to methodological constraints. Comparisons of anthropogenic LULUCF flux estimates from global models and from NGHGI reports thus reveal a substantial gap. Globally, this gap could be successfully reconciled by considering the different definitions used by global models and by NGHGI reports. Recent improvements in LULUCF flux modelling enable such a reconciliation now also at the country-level.

We separate natural and land-use-related CO₂ fluxes from NGHGI reports in eight countries using global models to assess and improve the attribution of land CO₂ fluxes to direct anthropogenic activities. In most investigated countries, the gap between model-based and report-based CO₂ flux estimates is reduced (by up to 70%) if natural and indirect human-induced CO₂ fluxes on managed land are considered. This confirms that the methodological discrepancies between NGHGI reports and global model estimates of LULUCF emissions are primarily due to differing estimation and reporting definitions, which need to be considered when accounting for country contributions to global climate mitigation targets. Further examinations show that remaining differences are linked to country-specific discrepancies between model-based and report-based estimates, such as incomplete reporting by countries, uncertainties in historical land-use dynamics, and model limitations. Moreover, most countries report the areas considered as managed without explicit information on their location, which prevents a precise spatial identification necessary for a detailed comparison of natural fluxes in managed forests with model-based estimates.

Reconciling estimates of LULUCF fluxes in individual countries by separating natural and land-use-related CO₂ fluxes at national scales provides an important step toward a transparent assessment of LULUCF fluxes from NGHGI reports and supports a fair burden sharing of climate mitigation across countries.

How to cite: Schwingshackl, C., Obermeier, W. A., Bultan, S., Grassi, G., Canadell, J. G., Friedlingstein, P., Gasser, T., Houghton, R. A., Kurz, W. A., Sitch, S., and Pongratz, J.: Reconciling differences in CO2 emissions and removals from LULUCF by separating natural and land-use CO2 fluxes at the country level, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7116, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7116, 2023.

Global anthropogenic mercury (Hg) emissions are a long-lived hazard to human and environmental health. Targeted efforts to ban anthropogenic uses and trade and other releases of mercury and its compounds are underway through the UN Minamata Convention on Mercury [1]. However, more than half of Hg emissions in 2015 were linked to unintentional release via the combustion of fossil fuels (especially coal) and industrial activities such as metals production. Thus, in addition to mercury-specific policies and interventions, global action on climate change and the accompanying transition in energy systems, as well as the demand for metals and cement are important drivers of future mercury emissions.

The Greenhouse Gas – Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model is an integrated assessment model that explores cost-effective multi-pollutant emission control strategies which aim at maximizing impacts of improved local and global air quality and emissions abatement. Hg-GAINS, as developed by Rafaj et al. [2] is one of few models which currently represents all anthropogenic mercury emission sources on a sector-by-sector basis. A recent update enhances representation of the co-benefits for mercury emissions from particulate matter (PM) and SO₂ controls and extended the representation of Hg-specific control technologies. Climate and energy policy is represented through exogenous inputs into the model.

We quantify the relative importance of climate policy, co-benefits from PM and SO₂ controls and technological mercury pollution control measures by comparing six scenarios of global mercury emissions in 5-year steps from 2010 up to 2050. Three energy scenarios from IEA World Energy Outlook 2022 (A - “Stated Policies (STEPS)”,  B - “Advanced Pledges (AP)”,  C - “Net Zero Emissions (NZE)”  [3]) are combined with two strategies of mercury emission control (1 - Current Legislation (CLE) , assuming technical mercury control compliant with the Minamata convention and national emission standards, relying mainly on co-benefits from PM and SO2 control; 2 - Maximum Feasible Reduction (MFR), assuming utilisation of the most efficient Hg-specific technologies and measures across all sectors). The share of Hg emissions from fossil fuel combustion is decreasing significantly in the Net Zero scenario (NZE-CLE) by 2050. Additionally, stringent air pollution policy reduces Hg emissions from this sector globally in all energy CLE scenarios. However, material and metal demand, driven by the deployment of renewable energy, as well as population growth both lead to a net increase of Hg even in NZE-CLE, which can only be resolved by applying stringent MFR controls for mercury (NZE-MFR).

[1] UNEP (2019). Minamata Convention on Mercury. Text and Annexes. www.mercuryconvention.org.

[2] Rafaj, P., Bertok, I., Cofala, J., and Schöpp, W. (2013). Scenarios of global mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources. Atmospheric Environment, 79:472–479.

[3] International Energy Agency (2022). World Energy Outlook 2022.

How to cite: Brocza, F. M., Sander, R., and Rafaj, P.: Mercury Emissions under Different Climate Pathways, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7344, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7344, 2023.

The quality of national and regional estimates of carbon emissions/removals under the LULUCF sector directly depends on the quality of the used input data for land use and land use changes, and their associated carbon stocks and emission/removal factors. The increasingly strict European regulations for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reporting and the growing importance of the LULUCF sector in climate action plans and policies provide clear incentives to strive for continuous improvement of LULUCF datasets, including their spatial and temporal resolution.

The region of Flanders, Belgium, is characterized by relatively heterogeneous land use, which is monitored at a high spatial resolution resulting in the triennial production of a detailed land use map (18 categories, raster map with cell size of 10 by 10 meters). However, the estimation of LULUCF carbon emissions/removals currently relies on a different, less detailed land use dataset (5 categories, regular grid of 6799 points each representing an area of approximately 2000 by 1000 meters). The use of the latter dataset is motivated by the adoption of a similar approach over the three regions of Belgium, to guarantee the consistent integration of regional carbon emissions/removals estimates into the national GHG inventory. Apart from the general limitations of a sample-based dataset, this LULUCF land use dataset provides insufficient detail to grasp the effect of LULUCF-related policies and measures, undermining the use of derived carbon emissions/removals estimates for policy evaluation and development at the level of Flanders.

To overcome the issues related with spatial (and temporal) resolution of the current LULUCF land use dataset, we tested a machine learning approach to integrate four more detailed data sources available for Flanders in order to predict the corresponding LULUCF land use at a resolution of 10 meters. More specifically, we used the land use file, the land use map, the land cover map, and the dataset of registered agricultural parcels as input data in a multinomial logistic regression, considering a search neighbourhood with a 10-m radius around an original LULUCF land use data point. The model was created based on input data for two years, namely 2012 and 2015. Of the original LULUCF dataset, 70% of the data points was used for training of the model, leaving 30% for validation. In a first test, a prediction accuracy of approximately 90% was achieved. After manual correction of the original LULUCF dataset, the accuracy improved to 94%.

Although the approach proved successful for the prediction of the LULUCF land use for the individual years considered, less satisfying results were found when using the predictions to derive the land use change between these years: a land use change was estimated to occur at 8% of the total area of Flanders, while this was only 2% and 4% based on the original dataset before and after manual correction. Considering the major significance of the land use change area in the estimation of carbon emissions/removals, further research is required to adjust the methodology in order to guarantee the prediction of a consistent land use time series.

How to cite: Van De Vijver, E., Luts, D., Pieters, J., Cockx, K., Willems, P., and Vanacker, S.: Improving LULUCF carbon emissions/removals estimates for Flanders, Belgium, through high-resolution prediction of land use based on a machine learning approach, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-9861, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-9861, 2023.

When it comes to mitigating the damaging effects of deforestation and the adverse effects of rising carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, reforestation is an environmentally responsible and effective strategy. China, which has one of the most significant rates of afforestation in the world, has increased its forest cover from 16.6% when it was last measured twenty years ago to 23.0% when it is next measured in 2020. However, there is uncertainty regarding the maximum potential forest coverage that can be achieved through tree planting and restoration. We developed a random forest regression model to map the potential tree coverage across China. The model links environmental factors with the types of forests that are most appropriate. After removing already-forested areas, urban areas, and agricultural land covers and uses, we estimate that there is a total of 67.2 million hectares of land that is currently available for tree restoration. This is a 50% increase over the current understanding of the available land. The establishment of a forest on these lands would result in the creation of 3.99 gigatons of new carbon stocks both above and below ground, which would be an important contribution toward the goal of reaching carbon neutrality. This potential is geographically unbalanced, with the largest restorable carbon potential being located in the south-west (29.5%), followed by the north-east (17.2%), and then the north-west (16.8%). The results of our study highlight the importance of coordinating the planting of trees in reforestation efforts with the uneven distribution of potential carbon storage. Reforestation should provide other environmental services in addition to acting as a biological mitigation strategy to partially offset carbon dioxide emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels. These services include the restoration of degraded soils, conservation of biological diversity, revitalization of hydrological integrity, localized cooling, and improvement in air quality. Instead of concentrating solely on the act of planting trees, we believe it is more beneficial for forest restoration efforts to concentrate on the ecosystem as a whole rather than just the trees themselves.

How to cite: Jiang, X.: Forest Restoration Potential in China: Implications for Carbon Capture, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10215, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10215, 2023.

Expansion of a development area can have a negative impact on ecosystems by decreasing or fragmenting habitats. As awareness of the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services grows, ecosystem service evaluations are receiving increased attention. The geography surrounding the city of Incheon is ecologically valuable because its mudflats and coastal terrain make it ecologically diverse. It is a wildlife habitat and breeding site for endangered species as designated by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 2014, and the subject of disputes between advocates of ecological protection and those favoring human development. This study used the InVEST model to analyze the changes in the ecosystem services in accordance with the agreement on the IFEZ. An analysis showed that the carbon fixation was reduced by 40% due to the development led by the agreement, leading to a decrease in carbon storage of 793,586.25 Mg of C. This study suggests that the value of ecosystem services and expansion of conservation areas should be considered as part of ecological research under economic free trade agreements. Lastly ecological changes associated with IFEZ designation should be examined, and maintenance and management of carbon storage to restore climate controls and the valu-ation of biodiversity should be considered by developers and government officials.  In the natural environment ecology the EIA for development, biodiversity, dominance, natural environment, cultural assets, and protected species are investigated. It is judged that it will be a meaningful study by applying the quantitative evaluation methodology of ecosystem services for the planned development area. Afterwards, it is judged that it can be used as basic data in making development pol-icy decisions through qualitative and quantitative evaluation along with other environ-mental fields by utilizing ICT and AI methods, which are related methodologies according to the 4th industrial revolution.

How to cite: Choi, J. and Lee, D. K.: Analysis of spatio-temporal carbon fixation change in Incheon, Korea, as a result of free trade Agreement, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10316, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10316, 2023.

Land use and land cover changes (LULCC) as a part of ecosystems has a significant impact on carbon budget. According to IPCC, approximately 23% of carbon was emitted from the human activities in agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) from 2007 to 2016. However, land cover includes crucial sector for carbon stock, as well. The land cover consists of five categories which are used area, agricultural land, forest, grass, wet land, and barren. Among these categories, forest counts because of its capacity of carbon sequestration. It is essential to manage the land use and land cover changes effectively since it has lots of influences on carbon cycles. Also, the sustainable management of land use and land cover changes could contribute to reducing the carbon emissions such as preventing deforestation and revegetation. Therefore, this study aims at analyzing the frequent land use change region using hot spot analysis in South Korea and North Korea and estimating the carbon emission and removals from land cover changes. First of all, we tracked the land cover changes at 10 years interval from 1980s to 2010s and identified the general trends. The changed area and ratio of each land cover were varied in both countries, but they had similar characteristics which is land cover changes from forest to cropland and from cropland to forest. It occurred for last four decades. To define the which region has been changed, the hot spot analysis was utilized. The change from forest to cropland appeared in southwest region of North Korea, major agriculture land. On the other hand, the transition from agriculture land to forest seemed to be minor, but the distinguished figure was created during the 2000s to 2010s change. The carbon emission was estimated at the hot spot area and these repeated changes led to additional carbon emission. This study would contribute to preventing the land cover changes frequent by defining the region to be managed.

How to cite: Kim, W. and Lee, W.-K.: The Hot Spot analysis of Land use and Land cover changes (LULCC) in South Korea and North Korea, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11668, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11668, 2023.

Under the Paris Agreement, countries are encouraged to preserve and enhance existing carbon sinks, especially forests, thereby including the LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry) sector in international climate mitigation targets. In particular, Europe has set the target to reach climate neutrality, i.e. a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks, by 2050. A prerequisite to reach these goals is an accurate and credible estimation of both these large fluxes. However, recent works highlighted the uncertainty related to the quantification of the land sector mitigation potential, one of the most challenging emission sectors. Moreover, the definition of climate mitigation policies often occur at the local level, where details on CO₂ removals from forests and other land uses are traditionally lacking. Indeed, local authorities  (e.g. cities and Regions) can be more effective in the transition to a sustainable economy compared to higher level authorities such as Nations.

In this study, we tested a data-driven method based on eddy covariance (EC) data to quantify the current LULUCF role to the regional carbon sink of the Aosta Valley Region (Italy), by the integration of different approaches. Our model is based on eddy covariance measurements of CO₂ fluxes, MODIS NDVI (250m), daily gridded meteorological variables at 100m spatial resolution, and a land cover map at 250m spatial resolution. A Random Forest model was used to up-scale the point eddy covariance data to the Regional level, by testing different sets of drivers (air temperature, VPD, Snow (presence/absence), NDVI, solar radiation,...). Our model was then compared to independent data derived from the National Forest Inventory (NFI), and a process-based model. Preliminary results show that forests and other ecosystems of the Region remove nearly 70% of the total anthropogenic emissions in this area. The discrepancies between the different methods will be discussed by exploring the different advantages and flaws and the spatio-temporal variability of the different approaches. Such an assessment of the local carbon budget and its uncertainties will provide a solid base for Climate-smart management of the territory and thus for reaching the carbon neutrality targets.

How to cite: Tuzzi, L., Galvagno, M., Filippa, G., Cremonese, E., Collalti, A., Franzoso, L., Tomelleri, E., Scodellaro, R., Sironi, L., and Colombo, R.: Eddy covariance CO2 flux data for supporting local climate change mitigation policies., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12710, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12710, 2023.

Comparison of the Life Cycle Analysis of inert electrodes and the Hall-Heroult process in aluminum production

Bethany Bronkema bethanyb@ru.is Guðrún Arnbjörg Sævarsdóttir gudrunsa@ru.is

David C. Finger davidf@ru.is

To be presented orally at EGU2023 – April 23^rd-28^th.

• Reykjavik University, School of Science and Engineering, Department of Engineering, Reykjavik, Iceland

The global production of pure aluminum consumes substantial amounts of energy and alone produces around 1.1 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (CO_{2, eq}) each year, or around two percent of global emissions. The Hall-Heroult process is currently the only industrial process for primary aluminum production, producing up to two tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of pure aluminum by electrolysis in a molten salt electrolyte using carbon anodes. However, the use of inert electrodes represents a low-carbon alternative to the Hall-Heroult process as direct emissions can be significantly reduced, lowering the CO_{2, eq} footprint and the ecotoxicity of aluminum production. However, a transition to inert anodes implies a redesign of current electrolysis cells to optimize the energy requirement of the new process. In this study, we performed a life cycle analysis to compare the ecological footprint of the aluminum production process with inert electrodes and the Hall-Heroult process. The life cycle assessment was conducted using GaBi software linked to the ecoinvent database and complemented with primary data. We calculated the ecological footprint for five scenarios: i) using inert electrodes with a 13.5 kWh per kilogram of aluminum energy requirement, ii) using a 17 kWh per kilogram of aluminum energy requirement, iii) using Icelandic grid electricity (primarily renewable hydropower), iv) using a global energy mix (primarily based on fossil energy), and v) and “best case scenario” in which a renewable source of energy is assumed for the refinement stage preceding the smelting stage. Each of these scenarios were then compared with the ecological footprint for the Hall-Heroult process using carbon anodes. The preliminary results reveal that the energy mix always has the highest impact on the ecological footprint in the earlier refinement and electrolysis stages. However, using inert electrodes in smelters powered with renewable electricity can significantly lower the carbon footprint and ecotoxicity of aluminum production.

How to cite: Bronkema, B., Sævarsdóttir, G., and Finger, D. C.: Comparison of the Life Cycle Analysis of inert electrodes and the Hall-Heroult process in aluminum production, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13952, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13952, 2023.

For as long as agriculture has existed, agricultural land abandonment (ALA) has been a globally relevant land use change. Depending on the timescale considered and the definitions and methods used, spatial estimates of historical ALA range in the several hundreds of millions of hectares. ALA implies the spontaneous recovery of ecosystem properties towards pre-disturbance states. Because agricultural lands are often degraded and carbon depleted, the natural ability of abandoned agricultural lands to act as carbon sinks has been, and will continue to be, a significant component of the terrestrial carbon cycle. Here, we provide a brief snapshot of the history of ALA, its drivers, and its known ecosystem carbon impacts from ancient times to the present, especially since the mid-20th century. We then explore the current and future implications of ALA-derived carbon sequestration in Europe, focussing on soil organic carbon based on synthesized published data (chronosequences and paired plots) and land surface model estimates. The majority of abandoned agricultural lands serve as carbon sinks, but there are clear scenarios where carbon may be lost or unchanged even after several years post-agriculture. Our results show that management of abandoned agricultural lands must consider multiple factors such as past land use practices (e.g., croplands vs pastures, past crop types, etc.), future land use management practices (e.g., natural or assisted restoration), local climate variables, and the present soil quality and carbon stock to ensure steady carbon sequestration following agricultural cessation. To avoid lost opportunities for climate change mitigation, ALA requires dedicated research and policy attention because: 1) it is a widespread, ongoing global land use change; 2) it does not always result in carbon sequestration; 3) its carbon gains are often lost in the first few decades when agriculture is re-established; 4) and it can facilitate wildfires which can also reverse carbon gains.

How to cite: Bell, S. M., Prishchepov, A. V., Schillaci, C., Goll, D., and Ciais, P.: Historical and future perspectives of agricultural land abandonment and carbon sequestration, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-14564, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-14564, 2023.

Oil palm (OP) plantations account for 1.7 % of global CO2 emissions. Numerous studies have focused primarily on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from peatlands, constituting 20% of total OP area in the two largest OP producing countries, Indonesia and Malaysia. Few studies have investigated the potential for reducing GHG emissions in OP plantations. Strategies to reduce emissions and sequester carbon must consider how different practices affect production and the environment. Understanding the spatial distribution of GHG intensity and how the environment affects GHG intensity is therefore key to sustainable oil palm production.

GHG intensity was used as a metric to map the potential for sustainable OP plantations. GHG intensity represents the GHG emissions / removals (ton C ha-1) per unit of oil palm yields (ton ha-1). The approach for analysing the change in GHG emissions/ removals, referred to as the IPCC tier 1 method, is based on changes in soil organic carbon due to C and N emissions in drained peatlands and the associated change in aboveground biomass due to land use change. Changes in GHG intensity were investigated spatially for a case study in an industrial OP plantation located in Riau Province, Indonesia, from 2015 to 2019. Linear regression was used to analyse the relationships between GHG intensity and agri-environmental variables including NDVI, NPP, GPP, evapotranspiration, soil moisture in the root zone, soil moisture in deeper layer, C and N emissions from organic soils, and soil organic carbon (SOC).

The results show that around 90% of the new oil palm plantations in 2019 were converted from timber plantation, swamp scrubland, and bare land in 2015. Consequently, biomass growth from land use change acted as a carbon sink in this period. However, drained organic soils contributed significantly to GHG emissions. The change in GHG intensity in OP plantation in this study varied spatially from emitting (0.19 to 4.10 Ton C eq Ton-1 yields) to removing the GHG (0.23 to 2.40 Ton C eq Ton-1 yields). Among the environmental variables, NDVI and soil moisture showed the strongest relationship with GHG emissions/ removals (R2 = 0.23,   p value = < 2.2e-16) and yields (R2 = 0.2   p value = < 2.2e-16) in OP plantations.

These initial findings are advantageous for spatially identifying potential OP plantations that remove or emit GHG. Understanding the relationship between GHG emissions/removals and yields to environment variables provides insight into monitoring and enhancing OP sustainability, both from production and environmental perspectives. Future work will examine non-linear approaches to better model this relationship. 

How to cite: Safitri, L., Galdos, M., Challinor, A., and Comber, A.: The relationship  between spatial variation of greenhouse gases intensity and agri-environmental variables in Oil Palm plantations, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-14986, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-14986, 2023.

Keywords: Renewable energy, photovoltaics (PV), ecological restoration, ecosystem services, management strategies

The drive for renewable energy has resulted in a heightened focus on expanding sustainable energy systems, with solar PV playing a crucial role in this transition. While large-scale solar parks are met with controversy due to potential land-use conflicts and negative effects on the environment, they also present an opportunity for multifunctional land use. To address these concerns, an integrated research project in Austria was launched to develop strategies for integrating solar parks ecologically and maximizing ecosystem services through grassland restoration and adaptive management. Additional data and analysis will be used to improve the ecological integrity and biodiversity of solar parks and explore opportunities for combined agricultural use. By focusing on expanding renewable energy systems, solar PV in particular, and developing strategies for integrating them ecologically, we can address the global climate crisis and species extinction while also creating systems that are beneficial for both the environment and society in the long term.

However, specific and local conditions of solar parks must be considered in implementation and management. A monitoring system was set up to continuously record data on vegetation, local climate, and soil conditions, including measurements of soil water content, solar radiation, vegetation height, and plant species. Preliminary results show distinct effects of panel areas on several environmental factors, with the greatest impact on radiation and air temperature, also impacting the species composition in the area beneath and between panels.

How to cite: Blecha, M., Obriejetan, M., and Stangl, R.: Maximizing Ecosystem Services through Grassland Restoration and Adaptive Management in Solar Parks, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15110, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15110, 2023.

Tree restoration plays a key role in curbing climate change by storing carbon. However, the impacts these strategies have on water resources is still unclear. While more and more areas are afforested every year, the extent to which these trees can grab rainwater and displace it from other uses while inducing water scarcity should be further investigated. Here, we examine the hydrological limits to tree restoration in tropics and the impacts of these strategies on water availability locally and downstream. We consider tropical biomes as case study since water is the main limiting factor to plant growth there. First, we use the spatially distributed agro-hydrological model WATNEEDS to evaluate the tree water requirement in suitable and available areas for tree restoration at pixel scale. Available areas for tree restoration are shrub areas not yet occupied by agricultural purposes or urbanization. Then, we compute the hydrological balance for different land use scenarios starting from present conditions (i.e., current land use) to tree restoration with and without yield gap closure (i.e., expansion of irrigation on currently rainfed areas).

We find that more than one third of suitable and available areas for tree restoration are in zones at high water stress for the plant, where rain alone can meet just up to the 40% of plant water requirement. Here, tree restoration causes substantial increase in water scarcity conditions, especially in the Horn of Africa and in Oceania. When accounting for both tree restoration and agricultural yield gap closure, water scarcity on these areas is exacerbated. Here, more than half of suitable and available areas for tree restoration will experience water scarcity conditions for at least six months per year.

It appears clear how competition for water resources reduces the benefits of tree restoration practices as plant growth is overall constrained by the lack of water.

How to cite: Ricciardi, L., D'Odorico, P., Galli, N., Chiarelli, D. D., and Rulli, M. C.: Water limits to curb climate change through large scale afforestation in the tropics and impacts on water availability for food production, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15480, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15480, 2023.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the transportation sector contributes approximately one-quarter of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The increasing use of personal vehicles (PVs), especially conventional fuel-based four-wheelers, is significantly worsening the air quality index (AQI). Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic, during which social distancing was promoted as a preventative measure, has increased the propensity of PV use. As such, efforts to decarbonise transport have to be emphasised, wherein the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could play a crucial role. It is worth mentioning that European Union has been the global frontrunner for EV adoption with about 20% of its new vehicle stock being electric, while India is bridging the gap fast with its respective EV share being nearly 11%.

However, EVs per se might not be able to bring about changes in the existing scenario, as a substantial share of the electricity demand is met (for example, more than half of India’s production) through non-renewable energy sources. In such a situation, higher adoption of EVs would lead to increased demand for electricity, resulting in more emissions from thermal power plants, thus offsetting the reductions in tailpipe emissions. As such, this study analyses the environmental benefits of electrifying the passenger 4-wheeler transport sector by - (1) optimising the share of renewable energy sources (RES) and (2) facilitating higher shared usage of electric vehicles. While the existing studies largely focus on ownership and usage aspects of personal-use EVs, very few estimates the impact of the transition of different passenger commercial EV fleets and their emission implications for various RES utilisation. The present research aims to empirically assess demand for car-based travel alternatives (personal car, ride-hailing/ sharing, and taxi) while illustrating plausible electrification scenarios, considering emissions at sources. Such emissions are estimated through life cycle assessment (LCA) of vehicle operations and at power generation sources, i.e., thermal power plants. The current study considers vehicle level LCA including majorly three stages- (1) manufacturing, (2) operation, and (3) decommissioning-recycling, whereas the LCA at power generation sources was carried out at four stages- (1) upstream, (2) fuel cycle, (3) powerplant function and (4) downstream. This approach aids in developing a comparable emission estimate for EVs vis-à-vis conventional vehicles. At the same time, it presents a true view of EV’s emission reduction potential incorporating the RES transition effect.  

Data regarding user behaviour and choice towards the aforementioned four-wheeler-based alternatives have been collected using questionnaire surveys in Kolkata, India, and a multinomial logit model is developed. Subsequently, the model is used to develop scenarios for estimating the likely effects of electrification on travel choices. Finally, the LCA method, including exergy analysis and battery degradation, is used to calculate the impact of such travel choices on energy use and decarbonisation. The study is expected to provide empirical evidence for the viability of EV deployment in India and the benefits of switching to EVs with an increased share of RES in power generation.

Keywords: Electric vehicle (EV); Vehicular emissions; Lifecycle assessment (LCA); Renewable energy sources (RES)

How to cite: Jain, A., Bhaduri, E., and Kishore Goswami, A.: Assessing the impact of electric four-wheelers on the environment, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16644, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16644, 2023.

The siting of large energy facilities is a major challenge in countries where environmental and landscape issues related to outdoor recreation, place attachment, or tourism are publicly discussed, as the choice of the "optimal" location always depends on perspective. To allow informed decisions by policy makers, landscape research should provide data on current and potential future land use, public perceptions of landscapes and energy infrastructure etc. Decision support tools can convey this information to end users and help them to mimic tradeoffs between landscape issues and renewable energy development. However, these trade-offs often focus on techno-economic aspects and ignore environmental and social aspects. In this presentation, an optimization technique (MARXAN) is applied to mimic siting of renewable energy in Switzerland. Each potential energy site has costs in terms of ecosystem services and social preferences. MARXAN optimizes the selection of these sites to produce a given energy output at the lowest cost. It is shown that when focusing on the (often) common techno-economic approach, ecological costs peak while social costs are moderate compared to ecologically and socially oriented siting strategies. When siting incorporates ecosystem service costs, both spatial stress (claimed square kilometers of landscape for renewable energy infrastructure development) and social impacts peak, and when social costs are incorporated, both spatial and ecosystem service impacts turn out to be quite moderate. The results highlight the implications of a potential paradigm shift by showing the impact of integrating ecological and social information to provide informed decision support.

How to cite: Salak, B., Hunziker, M., Grêt Regamey, A., Spielhofer, R., Wissen Hayek, U., and Kienast, F.: Trade-off scenarios in energy transition: The impact of social preferences and ecosystem services, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-17078, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-17078, 2023.

The surface of the earth's surface together with the granulometric composition of the soil are among the main parameters that determine the flow and accumulation of surface and underground water. Poorly drained and wet soils are important for biodiversity, water exchange, various chemical and biological processes, as well as for organic carbon accumulation. This research was done within the framework of the project Demonstration of climate change mitigation potential of nutrients rich organic soils in Baltic States and Finland (OrgBalt) and its purpose is to map the thickness of the organic layer on a national scale for the territory of Latvia. The mapping was done using machine learning methods and NFI sample plot data on peat layer thickness, ALS laser scanning data and other additional data were used as training data. As a result, a raster map was obtained, which depicts the depth of the peat layer in three different classes - No peat, peat layer thickness from 1 to 20 cm and peat layer thickness more than 20 cm. The accuracy of the machine learning classification algorithm reaches 0.88, while the kappa value is 0.74. Separately by different classes, the sensitivity of the model is 0.94 for the first class, 0.63 for the second class and 0.81 for the third class.

How to cite: Ivanovs, J. and Lazdiņš, A.: Mapping peat layer thickness using machine learning and aerial laser scanning data, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-17242, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-17242, 2023.

Reliable determination of the soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) and its time trend at field scale is a key condition to value soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration as a negative emission technology (NET) at farm level. Limiting the stock estimation to 30 cm depth is acceptable on the range of some decades (Balesdent et al., 2018). The carbon stock, however, is not directly estimated from the SOC content. SOC content must be multiplied by the bulk density (BD) of the corresponding layer. BD determination is time consuming and tedious to determine, and changes with time due to soil swelling with water, soil tillage, and changes in SOC. Therefore, the changes in SOCS must be monitored on an equivalent soil mass (ESM) basis, by referring to the sampled soil mass of the previous sampling rather than to a constant depth layer. Corrections of the mass, simplification of the soil mass determination overcoming the BD determination issue, as well as a simplified one-layer method have been proposed (Wendt and Hauser, 2013). However, this simplified ESM method requires the sampling and analysis of at least two layers for sampled mass correction. Moreover, the field volume percentage of the coarse (> 2 mm) fraction must be determined and removed from the sampled layer volume, which is not well documented. On the other hand, and to our best knowledge, private companies providing SOCS certificates sample the soils at constant depth using mechanical gauges that do not allow to control the quality of the extracted core. Finally, the errors associated with these different technical options needs to be clarified.

This study was performed using samples collected in 60 fields from different farms of the Swiss Leman-Lake region. It aimed at providing a full reliable methodology to determine SOCS at field scale, while solving the remaining issues, namely to determine the errors associated to the different parameters estimated and to simplify the ESM one-layer method to decrease the sampling and analytical costs. The minimum detectable change was determine (i) for sampling performed using the mechanical gauges at constant depth, (ii) for the ESM one-layer method as described in (Wendt and Hauser, 2013), (iii) the additional error introduced by coarse fraction estimation and gauge diameter and (iv) a simplification of the one-layer ESM method taking into account local average properties of the soil below the 0-30 cm sampled layer.

How to cite: Boivin, P. and Lemaître, T.: Determination of carbon stocks in arable land: errors, improvement of the one-layer equivalent soil mass method and associated minimum detectable change, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-17576, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-17576, 2023.

How to cite: Feng, T.: Induction mechanism and optimization of tradable green certificates and carbon emission trading acting on electricity market in China, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1993, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1993, 2023.

Energy system analysis has been widely used to imply technologically and economically plausible energy-system transition pathways for national net-zero emissions targets. Undermining the feasibility of such energy system analysis results are the highly-resolved mapping, sector-by-sector, of the timing and spatial distribution of changes in energy infrastructure, capital investment, employment, air pollution, land use, and other key outcomes at local level. A successful net-zero transition must be accomplished with supplementary supply of factors of production (e.g., human capital, natural capital, investment etc.) to enable such low-carbon transition. Using Princeton’s net-zero America study as example, we find that each net-zero pathway results in a net increase in energy-sector employment and delivers significant reductions in air pollution, leading to public health benefits that begin immediately in the first decade of the transition. We also conclude that each transition pathway features historically unprecedented rates of deployment of multiple technologies. Impacts on landscapes, incumbent industries and communities are significant and planning will need to be sensitive to regional changes in employment and local impacts on communities.

How to cite: Zhang, C.: Linking energy system analysis with factors of production analysis: A US case study, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3084, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3084, 2023.

How to cite: Zhang, P., Feng, K., Yan, L., Guo, Y., Gao, B., and Li1, J.: The carbon cost of mitigating air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants in China, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3817, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3817, 2023.

The globally booming renewable power industry has stimulated an unprecedented interest in metals as key infrastructure components. Many economies with different endowments and levels of technology participate in various production stages and cultivate value in global renewable power industry production networks, known as global renewable power value chains (RPVCs), complicating the identification of metal supply for the subsequent low-carbon power generation. Here, we use a value chain decomposition model to trace the metal footprints (MFs) and value-added of major global economies’ renewable power sectors. We found that the MFs of the global renewable power sector increased by 47% during 2005—2015. Developed economies occupy the high-end segments of RPVCs while allocating metal-intensive (but low value-added) production activities to less developed economies. The fast-growing demand for renewable power in developed economies is a major contributor to the embodied metal transfer increment within RPVCs, which is partly offset by the declining metal intensities in less developed economies. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a metal-efficient and green supply chain for upstream suppliers as well as downstream renewable power installers for transition in the power sector across the globe.

How to cite: Fu, R., Peng, K., Wang, P., Zhong, H., Liu, X., Feng, K., and Li, J.: Tracing metal footprints through global renewable power value chains, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4023, 2023.

Hydropower is the largest renewable source of electricity generation. However, the construction and operation of hydropower plants may cause significant material footprints. This study provides a systems accounting framework for evaluating the life-cycle material footprint of a hydropower plant. It is based on the hybrid method as a combination of the process analysis and the input-output analysis. A case study for a typical pumped storage hydropower plant (NPSHP) is carried out to demonstrate the framework. 12 metals (bauxite and aluminum ores, copper ores, gold ores, iron ores, lead ores, nickel ores, PGM ores, silver ores, tin ores, uranium and thorium ores, zinc ores, and other non-ferrous metal ores) and 8 minerals (building stones, chemical and fertilizer minerals, clays and kaolin, gravel and sand, limestone & gypsum & chalk & dolomite, salt, slate, and other minerals) are included.  The results can be helpful to promote a sustainable energy transition by incorporating material planetary boundaries into renewable energy systems.

How to cite: Shao, L., Pan, Y., Chu, Y., and Wu, Z.: Material footprint assessment of hydropower plants, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4171, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4171, 2023.

Low-carbon power transition, key to combatting climate change, brings far-reaching effects on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in terms of resources use, environmental emissions, employment, and many more. Here we assess the potential impacts of power transition on multiple SDGs progress across 49 economies under six socio-economic-climate scenarios. We find that the low carbon power transition under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 scenarios could lead to approximately 10% improvement in global SDG index score from 65.30 in 2015 to 71.62-71.64 in 2050. However, the improvement would be significantly decreased to 1.91%-4.98% and 3.42%-5.24% under RCP6.0 and RCP4.5 scenarios, respectively. Power transition could improve the overall SDG index in most developed economies under all scenarios while undermine their resources-related SDG scores. The power transition induced changes in international trade would improve developed economies’ SDG progress, but jeopardize that of developing economies which usually serve as resource hubs to meet the demand for low carbon power transition in developed economies. 

How to cite: Peng, K.: Low carbon transition of global power sector may enhance sustainable development goals, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4310, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4310, 2023.

China’s supply of terbium and other heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) are critical to global sustainable transition. However, their supply chain and corresponding bottlenecks remain unclear. Here we present the first deep-dive analysis of China’s terbium supply chain and trade flows from 1990 to 2018, as well as its future potential trends through 2040. We identify a growing terbium shortage along with its fast-increasing demand to meet various sustainable applications, particularly for electric vehicles (EVs) and wind power (nearly half in 2018). In sharp contrast to previous views, we uncover that the lack of available green mining technology under rigorous environmental regulations, rather than China’s production quota, is currently the main constraint of terbium supply, given only 25% of its quota was exhausted in 2018. Moreover, this supply gap is expected to increase six-fold over the next 20 years to meet China’s EVs and wind power ambitions. Our further analysis reveals the present widely-advocated approaches (including material substitution, reduction, and recycling), will alleviate only around 56% of such shortages, which urges radical green mining breakthroughs to overcome environmental constraints in both China and other HREEs supply countries.

How to cite: Chen, W., Wang, P., and Chen, W.-Q.: Growing Terbium Shortage Urges Radical Green Mining of Heavy Rare Earths, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4592, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4592, 2023.

The biggest increase in carbon emissions took place in the power sector, accounting for more than 40% of global carbon emissions. Identifying critical sectors of carbon emissions in the upstream power sector and mapping out emission reduction pathways are core components of achieving supply chain-wide carbon reductions in China. However, the path to achieving supply chain-wide carbon reductions in China from the provincial perspective is still unclear. This study quantifies the embodied carbon emissions of different power generation technologies by region using a multi-regional input-output-based hybrid approach. The critical upstream sectors that indirectly drive or transport large amounts of carbon emissions through supply chains are identified using both consumption-based and betweenness-based methods. The changes in supply chain-wide carbon emissions of the power sector by region under different emission reduction policy scenarios are also examined. The results indicate that the solar power sector brings the highest carbon reduction benefits, with an average carbon intensity of 1.25 t/10000 yuan. Significant differences in embodied carbon intensity across provinces for the same type of power generation sector are observed, and there is a mismatch between current installation and carbon reduction targets in the coal-fired and wind power sectors. Critical sectors of carbon emissions in the upstream power sector are concentrated in the energy sector and energy-intensive sectors, while the electrical machinery and equipment sector is also key to alleviating environmental pressures as an important upstream carbon transmission sector. Besides, the implementation of the "Replacing Small Generation Units with Large Ones" policy at the provincial level, especially in northwest China, and “further enhancing the supply capacity of clean energy” can effectively promote the emission reduction of the whole supply chain in the power sector. The results presented in this paper may provide a reference for the provincial government to rationally plan future low-carbon transformation paths of the power sector.

How to cite: Yang, J. and Tang, L.: Carbon footprint scenarios for electricity mix in China, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5194, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5194, 2023.

China is the world’s largest cement producer and consumer, contributing 58% of the world’s total cement production in 2020. The cement industry in China is associated with 4–5% of China’s total energy production and contributes 10–15% of national total CO₂ emissions, ranking second only to the power industry, and also significant air pollutant discharges such as SO₂, NO_x and particulate matter (PM). Since China’s energy and environmental policies for the cement industry usually focus on specific energy/environment effects and a single manufacturing process, this study described the cradle-to-gate lifecycle covariation relationship of these effects and analyzed the potential transgression magnitude to related planetary boundaries to assist in designing low carbon and pollution industrial transition in Chinese cement industry. The multi-regional decomposition analysis model, the LMDI decomposition, and the SDA method were employed to identify the driving factors such as energy intensity, manufacturing technology, economic structure, intermediate demand and structure, and total demand. We found that the Chinese cement industry not only causes massive emissions directly but also imposes environmental burdens on other sectors through up- and downstream supply chains, especially in eastern and central regions. Scope 1 and 2 emissions decreased sharply for CO₂, SO₂, and PM thanks to stricter environmental regulations, but Scope 3 emissions of CO₂ increased by approximately 30%, contributed by energy intensity and economic structural change. Although total emissions basically presented decline trends, several national and regional planetary boundaries might be transgressed under downscaling principles based on population, and gross value added. This work improves our understanding of lifecycle carbon emissions and pollution and related total environmental burden in terms of planetary boundaries, thus offering references for the implementation of energy conservation and environment policies in the Chinese cement industry.

How to cite: Cai, X., Zheng, C., Meng, J., and Wang, X.: Life-cycle CO2 and Air Pollutant Emission Assessment of China’s Cement Industry under Planetary Boundaries, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8314, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8314, 2023.

The identification of the drivers of carbon emissions is fundamental for carbon reductions at the national level. In this study, structural decomposition analysis (SDA) is applied to 112 countries in the world from 1990 to 2014. Carbon dioxide emissions are decomposed into six driving factors: population, fuel mix, energy intensity, production structure, consumption patterns, and consumption volume. Then, the contributions of five final consumers and the six driving factors to the total carbon dioxide emissions are quantified. Based on the CO₂ emissions intensity and the CO₂ emissions growth rates, 112 countries are classified into 4 groups and the effects of all driving factors vary significantly among groups. Energy intensity is the most significant factor that negatively influences the total carbon emission in all groups. Fuel mix and production structure show potential positive effects on reducing carbon emissions in Group 2 (e.g. the USA, Greece, Italy) and Group 3 (e.g. Germany, the UK, Sweden), but they increase the carbon emissions in Group 1 (e.g. China) and Group 4 (e.g. Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan). Consumption volume results in a dramatic increase in the carbon emissions in all groups, which implies that the increasing purchasing power of households and government is the most notable obstacle to carbon dioxide mitigation. Population growth accelerates the carbon emissions in developing countries in Group 4. Thus, the race between household consumption volume growth and energy intensity reduction is vital for carbon emission mitigation in Group 4.

How to cite: Duan, C.: Drivers of global carbon emissions 1990-2014, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16498, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16498, 2023.

ABSTRACT

Metal pollution is a global environmental issue and considers one of the most serious problems in coastal environments. Present work aimed to document the distribution, ecological risk, and the potential sources of heavy metals (HMs) in coastal sediments of Ras Abu Ali Island, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia. V, Fe, Sr, Al, As, Hg, Sb, Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb, Cu were determined in 34 coastal sediment using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP - AES) and several pollution indices, and multivariate analysis were applied. The lower HM levels were recorded in the medium to coarse sized samples in the northern part of the study area faced to the open sea. The average values of Ni, Zn, Cu, As, Pb, and Cr were less than the sediment quality guideline (SQG) and the background continental crust. Most applied pollution indices revealed minor enrichment, low contamination and low risk for all HMs, except Sr, which indicated extremely severe enrichment and very high contamination. Sr is incorporated in calcite and aragonite of the invertebrate skeletons and sorbed in hydrated form by clay minerals. The petrochemical wastes from nearby Al-Jubail industrial city, Zn refineries, and intensive use of phosphate fertilizers might be the potential anthropogenic sources of Sr in the study area.

Keywords: Heavy metals, Pollution index, Coastal sediment, Strontium, Ras Abu Ali Island.

How to cite: Alkahtani, K. and El-Sorogya, A. S.: Contamination and environmental risk assessment of heavy metals in coastal sediments of Ras Abu Ali Island, Saudi ArabiaKhaled Al-Kahtanya and Abdelbaset S. El-Sorogya, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-54, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-54, 2023.

Concurrent with an extensive population growth, the African continent has experienced a vast urbanization trend over the last decades. In 2000, around 35% of the population resided in urban areas. By 2020, this share has increased to around 44% and is projected to increase even further by 2050 following the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios. Besides an important effect on local land use through urban expansion, this also affects food systems by shifting dietary patterns away from traditional diets towards imported or convenient goods. This is particularly the case for rice, which is predominantly imported from Southeast Asia, India, or Pakistan, and is gaining in popularity in African urban diets because of the low effort needed for cooking or storage – giving it a strong advantage over other staple crops. This dietary shift will alter trade dynamics, increase the pressure on local resources such as land, water, and fertilizer use, and subsequently also on biodiversity. In studies investigating the influence of urbanization, either the direct effect of urban expansion on land cover or the effects of dietary changes on demands are investigated, but rarely a combination or comparison of both. Particularly in impact studies or applications that focus on the synergy between water, land, and food-related issues, the dimension of human behavior, such as consumer preferences, is often overlooked.

In this study, we provide an initial projection of the expected future effects of both sprawl and shifting preferences for rice caused by urbanization on rice availability, land – and input use, rice-specific emissions, and trade dynamics. By combining micro-level data from household surveys stemming from the Living Standards Measurements Study (LSMS) with the partial equilibrium Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM) at an African scale, we were able to identify the relative contribution of land cover effects stemming directly from urban expansion and indirectly from dietary shifts caused by rural-urban migration and a divergence in income between urban and rural areas.

We indicate that while urban expansion only has a limited effect at the continental scale, the omission of any dietary shifts caused by urbanization substantially underestimates projections of African rice demand (by around 8% under an SSP2-scenario). This also results in subsequent underestimations of impacts on land use, trade dynamics, and rice-specific methane emissions. By this, our study exemplifies that consumer preferences are an essential component to understanding urbanization impacts, and that, by extension, human behavior is important to consider in impact and nexus studies.

How to cite: De Vos, K., Janssens, C., Jacobs, L., Campforts, B., Boere, E., Kozicka, M., Havlík, P., Hemerijckx, L.-M., Van Rompaey, A., Maertens, M., and Govers, G.: What about human behavior? The case of urbanization and rice in Africa, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1411, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1411, 2023.

This talk will present key results from a suite of comprehensive simulations performed with a configuration of the LPJmL biosphere model able to represent the dynamic and spatially detailed status of terrestrial Planetary Boundaries (PBs, i.e. guardrails describing maximum tolerable levels of land-system change, biosphere degradation, freshwater use and nitrogen leaching to avoid Earth system destabilisation).

An application of the PB simulator addresses the question how much food could be supplied globally while respecting these multiple PBs, and to what degree this supply could be increased through transformative actions towards more sustainable food production and consumption patterns. A further application demonstrates the potential to achieve ‘negative emissions’ through dedicated biomass plantations (as a measure to limit transgression of the climate change PB) within these PBs. A main finding is that almost half of current food production is environmentally unsustainable in that it depends on PB transgressions. Subsequent simulations show that the same amount of food presently produced under these unsustainable conditions, and even up to about 50% more, could be provided without violating the PB constraints in any place. This would be sufficient to feed around 10 billion people. The required underlying transformations of the food system are rather radical though: ambitious prerequisites are more efficient use of freshwater and nitrogen fertiliser in many places, reallocation of rainfed and irrigated cropland to areas where that would still be acceptable from a PB point of view, halving of food losses, dietary shifts towards lower shares of animal-based products, and (importantly) combinations thereof.

While this poses grand challenges regarding transformation of world agriculture and optimisation of resource use, currently debated methods to achieve ‘negative emissions’ via large-scale deployment of biomass plantations are likely to require large areas as well as freshwater and nutrients on their own. We will show that the option space for such measures is therefore actually very limited, if the terrestrial PBs were to be maintained. In addition, PB interactions such as ongoing and aggravating climate change including more frequent and intense droughts may seriously affect both the food production and negative emissions potentials. A conclusion is that quantitative robust understanding of these major tradeoffs and dilemmas requires even more comprehensive and integrated nexus studies bringing together the relevant aspects in a consistent PB modelling framework, not least also accounting for the social dynamics underlying the required transformations in the real world.

How to cite: Gerten, D., Braun, J., Breier, J., Schaphoff, S., Stenzel, F., and Werner, C.: Feeding 10 billion people and achieving negative emissions within Planetary Boundaries – insights from global modelling, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2258, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2258, 2023.

Arsenic (As) pollution has become a global concern due to its toxic and carcinogenic nature. Even at relatively low concentrations, arsenic can cause acute and chronic human toxicity. In the current study, samples of groundwater, soil at three depths (top, 50cm, and 150 cm), and grains were collected from a humid sub-tropical region in India encompassing Ballia, Deoria, and Mau districts in the state of Uttar Pradesh. All the samples were analyzed for arsenic employing Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS-MS). 60.3% of groundwater samples exceeded the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) permissible limit of 10 μg/l. 40% of soil samples were above the mean background concentration for arsenic in the soil as indicated by the Indian Agricultural Research Centre (IARC), i.e., 5 mg/kg. Further, Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) was evaluated in four stages: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. HHRA estimates the nature, magnitude, and probability of arsenic impacts in the present and the future. Chronic Daily Intake rate (CDI) was determined to assess the exposure, which depends on the mobility of arsenic in groundwater→soil→crop system. The gradual increase in arsenic contamination in groundwater, mostly used in irrigation, finds its way to the food chain either via drinking or cooking, which is a matter of concern for humans. For risk assessment, Total cancer risk (TCR) and Hazard Index (HI) were computed. Finally, the study estimated the cancerous and non-cancerous risks from arsenic toxicity in groundwater-soil-crop system to human adults and children. The cancerous risk for arsenic contamination was in the order of adults>children due to long-term exposure to arsenic by adults. In contrast, the non-cancerous risks for adults and children exceeded the threshold value of 1 provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), specifying a high health risk rate (children>adults). Apparently, children are more sensitive to chemicals in comparison to the adaptability of adults, and hence, they are most affected. It is envisaged that studies like this, which examine scenarios of elevating probabilities of health risks in children and adults from arsenic-contaminated groundwater, soil, and crops, would enable more rational and decisive actions from the concerned stakeholders for arsenic management in the future.

How to cite: Dhamija, S. and Joshi, H.: Assessment of Human Health Risks from Arsenic Contamination in Groundwater-Soil-Crop System of a Humid Sub-Tropical Region in India, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2526, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2526, 2023.

The nexus has gained importance in assessing interlinkages between related resources and is critical to achieving broader policy goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or targeted objectives related to biodiversity and climate. Creating awareness of such interactions offers a basis to seek synergies that might be created. Guided by an extensive literature review and a consultation of nexus experts, the presentation will summarize the main features of the nexus and an overview of essential resources that are critical for consideration in a Resource Nexus concept. Definitions of the nexus provided in the literature typically relate to focused and often limited approaches. Moreover, some steps are presented to advance the concept in Resource Nexus assessments. In light of the latter, an effort is made to propose a more robust definition of the Resource Nexus for its application and operationalization for policy support.

How to cite: Brouwer, F.: A Resource Nexus concept - Definition, design, and practice, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3963, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3963, 2023.

Water, Energy and Food (WEF) are considered global security, prosperity, and equity pillars. These resources are fundamentally linked: food production requires both water and energy; pumping, treating, and transporting water requires energy; energy production requires water, which faces numerous challenges, including growing population density, rapid urbanisation, economic growth, poverty, hunger, changing diet habits and climate changes. In this study, we have developed a spatially distributed (block-scale) WEF-Nexus model with the help of the Modified Pardee-RAND Water-Energy-Food Security Index (MPRWEFSI) equation to meet the basin-scale WEF challenges. The Pardee RAND WEF security index has been modified by considering the industrial and agricultural water requirement, renewal energy and water sources, modern farm equipment uses, hunger index, etc. The developed model can produce the resources availability, accessibility and security indexes. We have tested the model in the Kangsabati river basin for 2011. The estimated values of the water, energy, and food subindex reveals that the Jaypur block (1.0) had the highest water security, the Bipur-II block (0.865) had the highest energy security, and the Jhargram block (1.0) had the highest food security. Conversely, the Jhalda-II block (0.65) has the lowest water security, the Kharagpur-I block (0.52) has the lowest water security, and the Purulia-I block (0.56) has the lowest water security. Furthermore, Jaypur (0.92) and Jhalda-II (0.63) had the highest and lowest overall WEF nexus index. The result also shows that the basin's water, energy, and food availability indexes are 0.88, 0.91 and 0.65, accessibility indexes are 0.92, 0.60, and 0.98, and security indexes are 0.89, 0.73 and 0.79, respectively. The overall WEF nexus Index of the basin is 0.80. Although the availability and accessibility of resources are in a considerable range, different schemes and policies are needed to achieve a hundred per cent resources availability, security, and security. Likewise, basin-scale WEF management will ensure better management of WEF resources holistically and equitably. This study will be helpful in influencing the policy and resource planning process.

Keywords: Resources Availability, WEF-Nexus, Pardee RAND, Basin-scale

How to cite: Mondal, K., Chatterjee, C., and Singh, R.: Water-Energy-Food Nexus Analysis at Basin Level to Improve the Resources Availability and Accessibility Sources, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4253, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4253, 2023.

The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus represents a concrete system the components of which are inextricably linked with direct and indirect interlinkages. Complexity is the main characteristic describing this complicated system of interactions that affects the effective management of available resources at both physical and policy level. Thus, sectorial approaches have been proved rather insufficient and a holistic rationale is now suggested, placing emphasis on the systemic nature of the WEFE nexus. The achievement of SDGs and relevant sub-targets is also significantly affected by the sustainable use of resources as the core dimension of SDGs reflects the urgent need for the adoption of a more sustainable and resource-efficient pattern of development. This study elaborates on WEFE nexus indicators supporting sustainability in line with the priorities having been set by SDGs. Such indicators focus on issues strongly related to the several WEFE sectors such as flood alleviation, hydropower production, exploitation of biomass, rural/agricultural development, water quality protection, securing of environmental flow, food production and land use changes under climate change conditions. Moreover, the spatial dimension is taken into consideration as, according to the literature, the successful implementation and achievement of SDGs presupposes their specialization and adaptation to local needs and characteristics (e.g. country or regional level). Land use change in time (%), GHG emissions emanating from agriculture and livestock (%), crop yields (cereals, vegetables, etc.) (%), use of pesticides/fertilizers (kg) and water available for environmental flow (%) are among the proposed indicators. It should be mentioned that such indicators correspond to more than one SDG as emphasis was placed on covering as many aspects of SDGs as possible.

How to cite: Papadopoulou, C.-A. and Mellios, N.: Integrating Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus Indicators and SDGs, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6277, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6277, 2023.

Projection of land use and land cover change is highly uncertain yet drives critical estimates of carbon emissions, climate change, and food and bioenergy production. We use new, spatially-explicit land availability data in conjunction with a model sensitivity analysis to estimate the effects of additional land protection on land use and cover. The land availability data include protected land and agricultural suitability and are incorporated into the Moirai land data system for initializing the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM). Overall, decreasing land availability is relatively inefficient at preserving undeveloped land while having considerable regional land use impacts. Current amounts of protected area have little effect on land and crop production estimates, but including the spatial distribution of unsuitable (i.e., unavailable) land dramatically shifts bioenergy production from high northern latitudes to the rest of the world, as compared to uniform availability. This highlights the importance of spatial heterogeneity in understanding and managing land change. Approximately doubling current protected area to emulate a 30% protected area target may avoid land conversion by 2050 of less than half the newly protected extent while reducing bioenergy feedstock land by 10.4% and cropland and grazed pasture by over 3%. Regional bioenergy land may be reduced (increased) by up to 46% (36%), cropland reduced by up to 61%, pasture reduced by up to 100%, and harvested forest reduced by up to 35%. Only a few regions show notable gains in some undeveloped land types of up to 36%. Half of the regions can reach the target using only unsuitable land, which would minimize impacts to agriculture but may not meet conservation goals.

A.V. Di Vittorio, K.B. Narayan, P. Patel, K. Calvin, C.R. Vernon (2022). Doubling protected land area may be inefficient at preserving the extent of undeveloped land and could cause substantial regional shifts in land use. GCB Bioenergy, 00:1-23. http://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.13016

How to cite: Di Vittorio, A., Narayan, K., Patel, P., Calvin, K., and Vernon, C.: Doubling protected land area may be inefficient at preserving the extent of undeveloped land and could cause substantial regional shifts in land use, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8580, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8580, 2023.

Hydropower dams can induce spatial and temporal changes in land and water systems in terms of resource access and use. Regardless of the main purpose of these dams (that is, to produce energy), analyzing these changes by the lenses of the water-energy-food nexus helps us to identify the synergies and trade-offs between these components in the watershed context. Changes  in land & water systems happen in different times (dam’s construction and operation), spatial scales and, in many cases, are also influenced by national political-economic context. Colombia is moving towards peace agreements in recent years, and this process already showed impact in the patterns of land and water uses, especially by agricultural systems. This new scenario can create or consolidate some local and national socioeconomic characteristics, adding inequalities beyond the dam’s construction. This work focuses on the land cover and land use transitions surrounding two dams in the Magdalena basin, Betania-Quimbo and Hidrosogamosso. This basin is responsible for 70% of the national energy production, it concentrates the production of important food/energy value chains for the local and global market and possess high biodiversity. Both dams were built in 2009 and started operations after 2015, so Landsat satellite images were used to build the land use & cover maps in 2009, 2015 and 2021 for 7 classes (rice, palm oil, pasture, forest, water surface, temporary and permanent crops and others). Due to the intensity of clouds and high altitudes, Colombia is one of the most difficult regions in the world to build these maps, and for this reason global, or even local, mapping available turn out to be unrealistic. A random forest model was chosen, and, as variables, indexes and spatial temporal metrics using 176 bands in total. To extract the pixel information for training and testing the model, a stratified random sample was run using different secondary maps, and after that, we used Google Earth for visual verification (1196 observation for all years). For the accuracy assessment just the sample from the current year was used. The model was run in Google Earth Engine. The model achieved a similar overall accuracy in all years (79%), and for certain agricultural systems a high accuracy, such as the case of palm oil with100% accuracy in 2021 and 2015, despite reaching 70% in 2009. Accuracy for rice was also high: 95%, 84% and 88% in 2021, 2015 and 2009 respectively. Pasture achieved a medium accuracy: 78% (2021): 83% (2015); and 71% (2009). Water surface achieved a high accuracy.For water surface: 100% in 2021 and 2015, and 97% in 2009. The Forest category reached a medium-high accuracy: 81%, 88% and 77% in 2021, 2015 and 2009 respectively. Land use and Land cover maps of areas impacted by dams is of high importance to support decisions that will be implemented via instruments such as Basin Management Plans or compensatory schemes.

How to cite: Salomão, C., Alsleben, J., Rufin, P., and Hostert, P.: Spatial patterns of land use & land cover changes surrounding Colombian water reservoirs, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10381, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10381, 2023.

A safe access to water, energy, and food that does not impact the state of ecosystems and natural resources are needed for human well-being as well as for economic and environmental sustainability. As natural resources availability is threatened by a multiplicity of stressors (including e.g. climate change), the interconnections and interdependencies among resources become stronger and more critical to investigate. Sustainable resources use thus requires a holistic ‘Nexus’ approach, which can contribute to reduce conflicts among sectors and create more synergies compared to a silo approach to water, energy, food, and ecosystems realms.

The importance of active stakeholder engagement in the management of natural resources is also increasingly acknowledged, although there is a lack of participation in policy planning phases and in the decision-making processes. When models are developed to support resources planning and management, the involvement of stakeholders from early stages is crucial to include their knowledge in model building, to tailor the model according to their needs, and to ensure that the potential implications of actions are correctly represented. This ultimately guarantees ownership of modelling results.

System Dynamics Modelling (SDM) includes a multiplicity of tools and methods to describe, model, simulate, and analyse dynamically complex systems taking jointly into account both scientific information (e.g. from sectoral models) and stakeholders’ knowledge and perception. SDM has gained attention, in the recent scientific literature, in Nexus studies. Specifically, the use of qualitative SDM tools (such as Causal Loop Diagrams – CLDs) allows the analysis of the system behaviour based on a conceptual (mental) model focusing on linkages and feedback loops. Quantitative simulation models (stock-and-flow diagrams) use equations to quantify linkages between different types of variables over time. Stock and flow diagrams benefit from the information deriving from sectoral models, such as hydrological models, although the integration with such models has been limitedly explored to date.

The present work proposes an approach based on the use of SDM tools for the development of an integrated model supporting the analysis of a complex Nexus system. Particular attention is given to the analysis of the interdependencies between water quantity, quality, and management, and to the implications of irrigation and agricultural practices for the state of the environment. The main elements of innovation are: i) the coupling between SDM, built in a participatory form with the key stakeholders in the study area, and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT); ii) the combination scientific and stakeholder knowledge to appraise the socio-economic and ecological effects of the various management situations co-designed with the stakeholders. Reference is made to one of the pilot areas of the LENSES project (PRIMA Foundation, GA n. 2041), namely the Tarquinia plain watershed, located in Central Italy, an area with a relevant environmental value, but characterized by intensive irrigated agriculture with severe impacts on water and ecosystems.

How to cite: Yaseen, M., Portoghese, I., Giordano, R., Pagano, A., Iacobellis, V., Vanino, S., Pirelli, T., Fabiani, S., and Baratella, V.: Integrating SWAT and Participatory System Dynamics Modelling for analyzing the WEF Nexus: the Tarquinia plain case study, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10490, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10490, 2023.

Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems are inextricably linked within a complex system (“the WEFE Nexus”) dominated by interactions, feedback, and scale effects. The analysis of the WEFE nexus is increasingly relevant in both academic and policy discussion; since its systematic approach could contribute addressing some fundamental EU challenges and policies, supporting the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals.

Existing studies are still focused on dual interactions between sectors (e.g. water-energy, water-food) and don’t fully consider the ecosystem services components, despite their importance is widely recognized. There are still some challenges on how to use heterogeneous and sector-specific data and large climate projection datasets within the nexus concept.

The aim of this analysis is to explore how the WEFE nexus components and their interactions have been examined in recent scientific literature, and how they can be conceptualized in the Adige River basin (Italy), in order to identify synergies and trade-offs among different resources and uses.

Firstly, an in-depth state-of-the-art review on the main methodologies which allow the full integration of ecosystem services and climate change effects was undertaken for publications in the time frame 2010-2022. The review focused on i) how complex interlinkages among the sub-sectors of the WEF nexus and Ecosystem Services are modeled and how researchers operationalized these interlinkages in current conceptual frameworks; ii) how the spatial (from source to sea) and temporal dynamics of nexus are changing under future scenarios of climate and socio-economic changes; iii) which are the recent applied tools, methods and models which allow to operationalize the WEFE nexus behaviors and to support decision-making policies. The review shows that the interrelations among the WEFE sectors within conceptual frameworks are mainly modeled by qualitative methods (e.g. causal loops, multi-criteria decision analysis); while the spatio-temporal dynamics are mainly assessed by quantitative approaches (e.g. System Dynamics, Bayesian Networks). Furthermore, ecosystem services and climate change are mainly considered as external drivers influencing the WEF nexus sectors rather than a nexus component.

Based on the collection and review of peer-reviewed, grey literature and newspaper articles dealing with the water management topic, a first conceptualization of the sectors involved in the WEFE Nexus for the Adige River basin was performed. The framework, finalized with expert-based discussions in the context of two local stakeholders’ workshops, allowed the identification and qualitatively characterization of the relations among the WEFE sectors as well as the pressures by external components on the system (i.e. climate and socio-economic drivers). Five levels of conceptualization have been conceived to represent the main dynamics for each nexus’ sectors (i.e. water, energy, food, and ecosystem services) and their overall interactions.

The results of the analysis are part of the Horizon2020 project NEXOGENESIS, and pave the way for the application of a complex science methodology able to disentangle the role of ecosystem services and climate change in the frame of the nexus approach

How to cite: Sambo, B., Cocuccioni, S., Carnelli, F., Terzi, S., Sperotto, A., Torresan, S., Pittore, M., Zebisch, M., and Critto, A.: Water- Energy- Food- Ecosystem Services (WEFE) nexus assessment in the context of climate change: a literature review and conceptual model development for the Adige River basin (Italy)., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11213, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11213, 2023.

There is a growing awareness on the existence of dynamic interdependencies between the Water-Energy-Food sectors that cannot be ignored in identifying sustainable sectoral and cross-sectoral policies. In addition, the increasing demand for resources creates trade-offs that are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, such as drought and flood with increasing frequency and magnitude. The Water-Energy-Food Nexus approach is a powerful concept to address the interrelationships of resource systems and move towards better coordination and utilisation of natural resources, considering existing trade-offs and promoting positive synergistic impacts. However, the incorporation of this approach into policies is making slow progress. This means that a gap exists between science (Nexus thinking) and policy (Nexus doing). 

The present work, carried out in the framework of the REXUS project (H2020, GA 101003632), aims to develop a process, strongly based on the use of participatory approaches, to support decision‐makers in designing sustainable and actionable forward-looking solutions that increase resilience across sectors. Integrated modelling based on System Dynamics is used for this purpose. In fact, it i) accounts for real-world complexities; ii) allows for future scenarios development and analysis, with clear options for policymakers; iii) allows for the integration of stakeholders’ knowledge.

Specific reference is made to one of the REXUS pilots, namely the Isonzo‐Soca watershed between Italy and Slovenia, for which current cross‐border flow regulation agreements are insufficient to guarantee a good status of ecosystem services in the Italian territory. The participatory System Dynamics modelling approach is combined with results of sectoral models, hydropeaking indicators, and ecosystem services indicators for a clear framing of the problem and its effects on the system. Through stakeholder engagement, some strategies for limiting sectoral conflicts are co-designed and fed into the System Dynamics simulation model to assess their effects on the system - and on different aspects (social, environmental, economic, etc.) - under various multidimensional future scenarios. The approach, organised in several steps, is based on a common framework replicable in different study contexts.

How to cite: Coletta, V. R., Imbò, A., Pagano, A., Fratino, U., and Giordano, R.: Participatory System Dynamics modelling for Water-Energy-Food Nexus characterization and for supporting the analysis of management measures, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11836, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11836, 2023.

Attaining resource security in the water, energy, food, and ecosystem (WEFE) sectors is paramount in order to fulfill many of the sustainable development goals. To obtain a holistic understanding of this WEFE nexus and assess the impacts of policy decisions, climate change, and other interventions, a system dynamics approach to modelling has been encouraged. Due to the multiscale, nonlinear nature of this nexus and a recent data deluge in the WEFE sectors, we propose the use of data-driven methods, which rely on dimensionality reduction and machine learning algorithms to find low-rank patterns and parsimonious models in big data sets. As these methods have proven highly successful within other scientific disciplines, we evaluate the prospect of using a data-driven approach to address key issues in nexus research based on analogous case studies from these disciplines. Specifically, we address three key issues with nexus modelling: model discovery, extreme events, and scenario analysis. We first consider how to identify nonlinear dynamical equations from chaotic, noisy, multiscale, and variable-deficient measurements using algorithms like SINDy and HAVOK, which have already been employed on a multitude of physical, biological, and chemical systems. We then investigate how to model the cascading impacts of extreme events on the nexus based on data-driven models of disease outbreak, as well as rapid model recovery after an unprecedented extreme event. Finally, we look into how to employ data-driven control, using case studies in flight control and drug intervention modelling, for the purpose of assessing how policy decisions, climate change, or population growth may be evaluated when modelling the nexus. This can provide tools for stakeholders to see what systemic impacts their decisions might have, and how they can attain synergies between the WEFE sectors. While many studies have conceded that nexus modelling is highly individualized based on the selected region, sectors, and data availability, this overview highlights that a generalized systematic approach to nexus modelling may still be possible, despite these challenges.

How to cite: Jonsson, E., Teutschbein, C., Grabs, T., Todorovic, A., Francisco, A., and Blicharska, M.: Modelling The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus Using Data-Driven Methods, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15793, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15793, 2023.

Water, energy, food and ecosystems are four elements of paramount importance in achieving global human well-being leading to poverty reduction and sustainable social and economic development.

New global challenges brought about by increasing resource scarcity, climate change and environmental degradation are leading to an ever-increasing tightening of living conditions for men and women. 

These difficulties exacerbate conflicts, damaging economic development and leading to the death and forced displacement of millions of people each year. Women are the most affected by all these dramatic situations because they exacerbate gender inequalities and reinforce gender gaps. 

At the same time, it is widely recognized that there is a strong relationship between gender and sustainability in consumption, food production and ecosystem management.  

A Water-Energy-Food and Ecosystems Nexus approach which considers gender issues as important elements of the socio-economic environment, is proposed here for a sustainable management of resources. Men and women are affected differently by the lack of resources and have different roles in using and managing them, so it is crucial to have a gender perspective and to investigate gender issues while transitioning to WEFE-Nexus..

The approach is based on the analysis of 1) factors that contribute to a situation of gender inequality and 2) gender issues that impair a holistic transition towards WEFE-Nexus., i.e., a situation in which men and women do not have the same rights, responsibilities, and opportunities regarding the use and management of WEFE resources.

A thorough understanding of gender issues at various levels requires gender-disaggregated data. Only with this kind of data can policy makers be aware of the existing situation and can design gender-sensitive policies and strategies. In addition, gender-specific datasets linked to WEFE-Nexus are important to understand what differences arise from gender-specific productive roles, different perspectives of resources, access, and decision-making mechanisms with respect to resource management and use.

The preliminary analysis developed on 4 Mediterranean countries, namely Italy, Spain, Egypt, and Tunisia, in addition to a different availability of gender disaggregated data, reveals a significant gender gap in decision-making in the water, energy, food, and ecosystem sectors. All are dominated by men, especially in the most relevant job positions. This means that women are hardly involved in shaping policies or innovative resource management systems whose lack affects them most. The root cause of these gaps has been identified as a lack of awareness of the topic. Gender issues are considered irrelevant to the achievement of sustainable resource management. This often causes an underestimation of the effects that gender dynamics have on the achievement of this outcome. 

Having scientists who are aware of gender issues in their field and able to understand and analyze them in different contexts is the first step to having research that makes a real contribution to achieving gender equality by providing gender-disaggregated data and gathering the perspectives of all relevant actors and actresses.

How to cite: Rizzo, B. M., Caporali, E., and Schneiderand, X.: Gender gaps in the Water-Energy-Food and Ecosystems Nexus, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16010, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16010, 2023.

With increased water scarcity due to anthropocentric and natural causes, the trade-offs and synergies intrinsic to efficiently allocating water resources to various competing uses have become more polarized. Realizing the importance of an integrated approach in water governance, the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus can be used as a multi-level and cross-sectoral approach that advocates the EU water economy and, in addition, relies on ecological and social considerations. The goal of this work is to propose, design and foster the adoption of integrated, innovative and inclusive Nexus-smart water governance schemes and institutional settings to promote a secure water future in the EU, resilient to climate change. This work follows an evidence-based approach to propose, assess and optimize a set of WEFE Nexus smart methods in six different case studies reflecting various cross-sectoral, multi-level and multi-stakeholder water governance contexts. To achieve this goal and monitor water governance in the EU we provide a set of Nexus-smart socio-economic and environmental indicators that reflect the cross-sectoral and multi-level nature of water use.  We also propose and develop economic instruments and business models that support robust water management under cross-sectoral competition. 

How to cite: Vrachioli, M.: Resilient water governance under climate change within the WEFE Nexus (RETOUCH Nexus project), EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16792, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16792, 2023.

The green revolution enhances crop yield, significantly contributing to many low-income countries' socio-economic development. However, increasing crop yields might raise crop residue burning, leading to adverse human health and environmental consequences. Recent studies show that international trade affects the global distribution of Agricultural Greenhouse Gas (AGHG) emissions, air pollution, and public health. Domestic Interstate Trade (DIT) has similar effects on AGHG within the country but has yet to be comprehensively investigated. Large-scale open burning of crop residue further contributes to severe haze pollution in Indian cities, affecting national climate goals. Given the critical importance of food security, further reducing AGHG remains challenging. While there has been an increasing focus on AGHG, limited attention has been paid to its consumption-based drivers. We found that DIT exacerbates the health burdens of air pollution in Indian states based on regional wind patterns. Here, by tracing the consumption-based accounting of emissions, we evaluated the consequences of agricultural DIT on the emission potential of India. Our preliminary results show that though residual crop burning pollutes nearby regions, it is driven by consumption-based demands. These results suggest that DIT structure readjustment according to emission losses is needed for India while targeting trade intensification strategies. Our findings are relevant to national efforts to reduce emission losses in India. 

How to cite: Goyal, S. and Bhatia, U.: Trade-driven relocation of Greenhouse gas emission in India, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-741, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-741, 2023.

Crops consume the majority of green and blue water worldwide which, in many areas, affects water availability and state of ecosystems. Hence, it is important to understand the recent dynamics in crop water footprints (WF, m³ t^-1). Here, we analyse the global WF of more than 150 crops during 1990–2019 simulated with a global gridded crop model ACEA at 5 x 5 arc minute resolution. Our results indicate the overall decreasing trends in unit WF across all crop groups. However, these reductions are insufficient to curb the increase in total water consumption, which is mostly driven by the growing demand for oil crops. The WF dynamics vary among regions due to a combination of multiple environmental and socio-economic factors. Thus, it is possible to identify key challenges and opportunities in WFs of crop production. Addressing them may benefit water and food security while making the global food system more sustainable.

How to cite: Mialyk, O., Booij, M. J., Hogeboom, R. J., and Berger, M.: Key trends and opportunities in water footprints of crop production, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1556, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1556, 2023.

Global diets consume tremendous natural resources while causing multiple environmental and health issues. As the world faces challenges of adequate nutrition security with concomitant climate and environmental crises requiring urgent action, policies need to improve the efficiency of devoting environmental input of the food systems for health benefits. Here we evaluate the global transition of such efficiency in the past two decades represented by health benefits obtained by per unit of 4 key environmental inputs (GHG emissions, stress-weighted water withdrawal, acidifying emissions, and eutrophying emissions) in 195 countries. We find that the efficiency of each environmental input follows an N-shaped curve along the Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) gradient representing different development levels. The efficiency first increases by benefiting from the eliminated stunting with a larger abundance of food supply, then decreases driven by climbing environmental impacts from a shift to animal products, and finally starts to slowly grow again as countries shift toward a healthier diet. Our efficiency indicator offers an improved understanding of nutritional transitions in terms of environmental impacts and a useful way to monitor the transition of dietary patterns, set up policy targets, and evaluate the effectiveness of specific interventions.

How to cite: He, P., Liu, Z., Hubacek, K., Baiocchi, G., and Guan, D.: Efficiency of dietary sustainability and its global transition, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2393, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2393, 2023.

Despite widespread attempts to ‘eat local,’ many of the lifestyle factors in the Global North rely on the production of agrifood commodities that can only be grown in tropical ecosystems, far from the dominant geographies of consumption. Chocolate, coffee, and palm oil represent a handful of consumer goods that are described as ‘tropical forest risk commodities,’  whose production threatens some of the last remaining biodiversity hotspots and stable carbon sinks. This research assesses the trade-offs between dominant approaches to poverty reduction in tropical forest landscapes – regions where global land use change is concentrated as forests are converted to agrifood commodity production areas to produce consumer goods that are core to global food systems. After Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana is the second largest exporter of cocoa (the main ingredient in chocolate). Ghana’s economy is highly cocoa-dependent, and cocoa provides livelihoods for about a quarter of the population, especially in rural areas where alternative incomes are limited. Although the cocoa sector contributed an estimated US$2.71 billion in government revenues in 2017, many cocoa producers live below the national poverty line.

Policy responses to balance the trade-offs between global food production, climate change, and socioeconomic development have recently come to the fore in Ghana – the world’s second largest producer of cocoa. In 2019, the Government of Ghana introduced the Living Income Differential (LID), which requires buyers to pay an additional US$400 per ton of cocoa on top of the floor price. With low farmer incomes identified as a critical driver of multiple sustainability issues in Ghana’s cocoa sector, this differential is meant to be directly transferred to cocoa farmers in response to the persistent challenge of poverty in cocoa farming communities. Using the Q methodology, we engaged over 50 stakeholders from various levels (international policy experts, cocoa sector stakeholders in Ghana, and cocoa farmers) to understand how LID is perceived, including its potential to transform the rural poverty complex embedded in Ghana’s cocoa supply chain. While the LID is lauded for increasing producer price across the board, our findings indicate that the lack of regard for farmer diversity (i.e., tenure rights, sharecroppers, and caretakers), farm size, and land management strategies (agroforestry versus clearing forest to establish farms) risks undermining the ability of this pricing mechanism to reduce farmer poverty as a way to foster sustainability in the sector. Further, the LID is siloed from on-going sustainability governance efforts in the sector, such as zero deforestation cocoa. If the LID is delivered to farmers across the board without any quid pro quo for how cocoa is produced, the policy’s unintended consequences may include increasing deforestation in the short term, while lowering the world market price of cocoa in the long term as cocoa supply increases. We conclude with policy implications on why different perspectives matter in managing sustainability trade-offs in deforestation frontiers. This study provides important insights for understanding how to achieve multiple sustainability goals together.

How to cite: Carodenuto, S. and Adams, M.: Sustainability trade-offs for equity and climate interventions in global food systems: The case of cocoa in Ghana, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3940, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3940, 2023.

Communities in the highlands of Guatemala are currently struggling with insufficient access to effective sanitation. Water born solutions, often referred to as the “flush and forget model” of human excreta management, cannot be adequately delivered to the rapidly growing peri-urban regions growing across the area. The consequences of the insufficient collection and treatment of this waste are worsening human and environmental health outcomes. Concurrently, smallholder farmers in the region struggle to supply their soil with sufficient quantities of plant nutrients to avoid growing yield gaps. Even when capable of utilizing required amounts of chemical fertilizers, there is no clear option available to maintain soil organic carbon; typically relied upon organic inputs such as animal manure are available in only insufficient quantities.

To deal with the sanitation challenge facing communities in the region, Mosan, an NGO based in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala has, for the last several years, piloted a novel approach to sanitation provision. Utilizing an on-site urine diversion system that focuses on the capture, processing, and valorization of excreta, this resource-oriented approach, in addition to providing households with the means to safely manage generated excreta, yields a novel organic fertilizer. Using two treatment processes, alkaline dehydration for urine and pyrolysis for the feces, Mosan can produce an enhanced biochar product that could have the potential to sustainably improve soil health and fertility for small holder highland farmers in the region. Working in partnership with Mosan and Vivamos Mejor, and agricultural development organization based in Guatemala, the Sustainable Agroecosystems group at ETH Zurich has been testing the potential of this novel source of organic fertilizer.

Over the last eighteen months, this interdisciplinary team of researchers, community activists, and farmers has managed two experimental sites in the region. The first focused on the incorporation of enhanced biochar into a potting mix used to grow tree seedlings used for reforestation efforts in the region. The second, a participatory farmer field trial, was designed to compare the yield increases of maize fertilized with enhanced biochar to that grown with chemical fertilizer (urea). In addition to observing no significant differences in the growth performance of the seedlings, or the yield increases of the maize grown with the excreta-based biochar compared to the standard alternatives, our team also observed positive changes to several soil physical and chemical properties in the field trial. Given these results, we argue that a socio-technical transition towards a circular rural-urban system, one predicated on nutrient capture and reuse of currently underutilized organic waste sources such as human excreta, would simultaneously improve human and environmental health outcomes in urban areas, while also increasing long term soil health and fertility in outlying rural ones.

How to cite: Wilde, B., Mijthab, M., Anisie, R., La Blasca, F., Gonzalez, E., and Six, J.: Enhanced excreta-based biochar: a novel source of organic fertilizer in the Guatemalan highlands, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4584, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4584, 2023.

The evolving international conflicts have a rippling effect on global food security, forcing nations to impose new trade laws to increase their domestic supply at reduced prices and promote the need to develop local and regional food systems to reduce transboundary dependence. While aiming to become a major global food supplier, India faces significant domestic food security risks. India has achieved food security through injudicious fertilizer application on the domestic front. Past agricultural policies, while primarily focusing on maximizing production, paid less attention to their environmental consequences. India feeds 17.1% of the world's population, with 10.7% of the world's arable land: this will further increase with increasing national and international food trade. Sustainably feeding the growing population has garnered considerable attention; however, its national implementation still needs to be improved. The current intensive agricultural practices operate at low water, nutrient, and nutritional efficiencies, demanding high input for high output. As a result, Nitrogen, Phosphorus losses are high, and groundwater resources are depleting in some areas. The vexing question is how to produce sufficient food in the existing regions with minimum inputs and reduced environmental impact. For this, India must reconfigure its current cereal crop production and interstate crop distribution system by reducing nutrient pollution losses, greenhouse gas emissions, and water consumption while sufficing its increasing nutritional demand. Using a state-of-the-art framework from agricultural sciences, network, and resource optimization, our study provided ways toward national assessment of Indian staple crop system redesign for future sustainable intensification.  Further, by incorporating interstate trade within this restructured system, we try to understand how India's cereal crop redistribution will impact domestic food security. Thus to limit the environmental burden of the growing consumer demand, we optimized crop distribution and domestic trade patterns within the parameters of minimizing nitrogen and phosphorus losses. This realistic multi-dimensional framework will help India and other nations identify sustainable food security solutions. 

How to cite: Bhatia, U., Goyal, S., and Kumar, R.: Restructuring the Indian agricultural system toward sustainability and lower environmental costs, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5975, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5975, 2023.

Climate change has already impacted the productivity of important food crops. The projected increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns affect the climatic suitability of food production areas. Changes in climatic suitability require adaptive actions on farms and will likely alter the potential volume and diversity of food crop production globally.

Existing research has mostly analysed the impacts of climate change on the four staple crops: wheat, rice, maize, and soybean. However, other food crops contribute more than 50% to the global calorie and protein supply and therefore constitute a crucial element of food security. Moreover, these crops might succeed in more diverse climate conditions than the staple crops. If climate change narrows the production potential of the staple food crops, other food crops could become even more important for global food security in the future. Therefore, to comprehensively understand the implications of climate change on food crop production, there is need for analysis on a diverse set of food crops.

In this study, we delineate suitable climate conditions for 27 major food crops using historical climatic data and examine the effect of future changes in climate suitability on food crop production volume and diversity. We define the crop-specific suitable climate conditions utilizing the Safe Climatic Space concept, based on global gridded datasets on biotemperature, precipitation, and aridity in 1970–2000 as well as crop production in 2010. Then, using future climate parameter data, we project changes in global climate suitability for the 27 food crops. The analyses cover five global warming scenarios from +1.5 °C to +5 °C.

The preliminary results indicate that the global food crop production potential on the current croplands will decrease for most crops in all five global warming scenarios. Furthermore, the potential diversity of food crops will decrease significantly at low latitudes but increase in other areas. In all five scenarios, areas near the equator will become unsuitable for most studied crops. On the other hand, on the current extent of cropland, the potential production area of especially oil crops and starchy roots will expand in the northern hemisphere.

For many crops, there is distinct difference in the magnitude of lost production and diversity potential between global warming of +2 °C and +3 °C, highlighting that it is important to restrict global warming at the very maximum to +2 °C. The results of this study could provide insights for agricultural adaptation to climate change by illustrating opportunities for geographically shifting or expanding production in regions where climate suitability is projected to change. Further, the results could identify potential substitute crops for regions where climate conditions might become unsuitable for the currently cultivated food crops.

How to cite: Heikonen, S., Heino, M., Jalava, M., and Kummu, M.: Climate change alters the global diversity of food crops, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6115, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6115, 2023.

Higher food prices arising from restrictions on exports from Russia or Ukraine have been exacerbated by energy price rises, leading to higher costs for agricultural inputs such as fertiliser. Using a scenario approach with a global land use and food system model (LandSyMM), we quantify the potential outcomes of increasing agricultural input costs and the curtailment of exports from Russia and Ukraine on human health and the environment.  We show that, combined, agricultural inputs costs and food export restrictions could increase food costs by 60-100% from 2021 levels, potentially leading to undernourishment of 60-110 million people and annual additional deaths of 400 thousand to 1 million people if the associated dietary patterns are maintained. In additional to lower yields, reduced land use intensification arising from higher input costs would lead to agricultural land expansion of 130-349 Mha by 2030, with associated carbon and biodiversity loss. The impact of agricultural input costs on food prices is larger than that from curtailment of Russian and Ukrainian exports. Restoring food trade from Ukraine and Russia alone is therefore insufficient to avoid food insecurity problem from higher energy and fertiliser prices. While the Black Sea Grain Initiative has been a welcome development and has largely allowed Ukraine food exports to be re-established, the immediacy of these issues appears to have diverted attention away from the impacts of fertiliser prices. While fertiliser prices at the start of 2023 have come down from the peaks of mid-2022, they remain at historically high levels.  Our results suggest the costs and lower crop yields achieved through reduced fertiliser use will drive high food price inflation in 2023 and beyond. More needs to be done to break the link between higher food prices and harm to human health and the environment.  

This study demonstrates how modelling can be used to explore the complexity and interlinked nature of the globalised food system and to quantifying the trade-offs and synergies for health and environmental outcomes of difference scenarios.

How to cite: Alexander, P., Arneth, A., Henry, R., Maire, J., Rabin, S., and Rounsevell, M.: Energy and fertiliser price rises are more damaging than food export curtailment from Ukraine and Russia for food prices, health and the environment, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6434, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6434, 2023.

Extreme weather often causes crop losses with sharp fluctuations in agricultural prices, which imposes negative impacts on sustainable agricultural development. Greenhouse farming is regarded as an effective measure against extreme weather. Thus, it requires a better understanding of the growing complexity of agri-food systems involving greenhouse environmental and societal tradeoffs under climate variations. Considering high energy consumption of greenhouses, this study aims at adopting machine learning with IoT-big data mining to innovatively develop a smart greenhouse environmental control service model under the nexus between meteorology, water, energy, food, and greenhouse environmental control while exploring pathways to low-carbon greenhouse cultivation. The proposed model will be applied to greenhouses in Taiwan for evaluating cross-sectoral synergies and environmental benefits. The results are expected to support greenhouse owners and authorities to make the best use of resources of water, energy, and food through the optimal environmental operation on greenhouse cultivation under extreme climatic events for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and move towards green economy.

How to cite: Hsia, I.-W. and Chang, F.-J.: Machine Learning-Enabled Smart Greenhouse Environmental Control Service Model, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6494, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6494, 2023.

Agriculture is a key to the Zambian economy, contributing 20% to the country’s GDP and 12% to the national export earnings. However, climate change has a negative impact on Zambian agriculture production. In line with its Vision 2030 to have an efficient, competitive, sustainable and export-led agriculture sector, Zambia is aiming to improve irrigated agriculture through large investment in irrigation. Considering climate change and variability, it is important to adopt best water and nutrient management practices for sustainable use of agricultural resources. Maize being the major staple crop of Zambia, a study was carried out to improve irrigation management by optimizing water and nitrogen use efficiency for maximum maize productivity at field level under varying water and fertilizer applications. To achieve this goal, our study used and adapted nuclear (neutron probe) and isotope (¹⁵N and ¹³C) techniques to the Zambian agro-ecological conditions. Drip irrigation was used as the targeted system. The experiment was implemented based on three water application levels, i.e., deficit (50% and 75% Evapotranspiration) versus optimal (100% Evapotranspiration)and three nitrogen (N) levels (140 kg.ha^-1, 112 kg.ha^-1 and 84 kg.ha^-1, widely practiced being 112 kg.ha^-1). Maize was grown as a sole crop, under drip irrigation, in rotation with a legume over the dry season of Zambia in 2021 and 2022. For both years, maize yield was ranging between 2 and 7 ton.ha^-1. Results showed that deficit irrigation can be practiced without a significant negative impact on yield (with higher N levels showing significantly higher yields under deficit irrigation) and nitrogen use efficiency. The total N yield and agronomic water use efficiency were significantly higher, up to 1.5 and 3 times respectively, under deficit irrigation as compared to the optimal. Intrinsic water stress (d ¹³C results) was higher, though not statistically significant, under deficit irrigation. Thus, considering climate change and sustainable use of resources, deficit irrigation should be considered as the option to achieve higher yield and food security.

How to cite: Mwape, M., Said, H., Phiri, E., Heiling, M., Dercon, G., and Resch, C.: Understanding the interaction between maize water use efficiency and nutrient uptake in irrigated cropping systems, a basis for predicting and improving Zambia’s productivity in a changing climate, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6729, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6729, 2023.

Eating more fruits and vegetables lowers risk of non-communicable diseases. Globally, people are not eating the recommended amounts of these foods; consumption must increase to improve human health. However, in general, areas of cropland are associated with lower biodiversity than natural land (e.g., forests and grasslands). Converting natural land to cropland for agriculture therefore risks biodiversity loss which, in turn, risks lowering crop yields because biodiversity supports food production via pollination and pest control. Herein lies a trade-off. As the world seeks to eat more healthily, more fruits and vegetables will be produced to meet demand. Here, we share our research into this trade-off between healthy diets and biodiversity conservation.

To quantify the biodiversity pressure associated with healthy fruit and vegetable crops, we made use of freely available data on: species distributions (IUCN, 2013); fruit and vegetable production, yield, and harvested area (Monfreda et al., 2008); and international trade of fruits and vegetables (FAOSTAT; Dalin et al., 2017). Previous research into cropland-biodiversity relationships has typically grouped land-cover types into ‘cropland’ and ‘natural land’, without considering the impacts of specific crops on biodiversity (except for major commodities, like cocoa, and staples, like maize). We have developed a new suite of biodiversity-pressure metrics for specific crops which can be measured globally. These metrics enable us to quantify the species potentially impacted for each unit of crop in both a consumer country and its trade-partner countries. The new measures facilitate quantitative comparisons among specific crops and countries for the first time. Using these new measures, we compared the biodiversity pressures associated with the production and consumption of 54 different fruits and vegetables. We mapped the origin of crops consumed in the UK, South Africa, and India, and quantified associated biodiversity pressures relative to food produced and imported.

Contrary to previous research considering the relative impacts of food crops on climate change and water resources, biodiversity pressure due to fruit production is not always higher than that due to vegetables. The most important factors associated with increased biodiversity pressures include the country of production and the amounts being produced. We did not identify a single suite of crops standing out as particularly unsustainable across all three focal countries. This is significant, as it emphasizes the importance of trade in influencing sustainability. For some crops, domestic production would have a lower biodiversity pressure than importing from trade partners (e.g., UK-grown tomatoes). In such cases, the domestic production of fruits and vegetables should be promoted in conjunction with biodiversity-friendly farming practices. In other cases, domestic production of a crop is associated with a higher biodiversity pressure than the crop’s biodiversity pressure when produced overseas (e.g., UK-grown cherries). Our findings are particularly important in the context of changing trade patterns since the early 2000s, where countries like the UK have been increasingly sourcing fruits and vegetables from abroad. Our results could therefore inform policies aimed at tracing the environmental impacts of food-supply chains in the UK, India, and South Africa.

How to cite: Chapman, A., Dalin, C., Bonetti, S., Green, R., Hadida, G., Mabhaudhi, T., and Scheelbeek, P.: Healthier diets, healthier planet? Quantifying the biodiversity pressure of fruit and vegetable consumption in South Africa, India, and the UK, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7963, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7963, 2023.

The global production of vegetable oils exceeds 200 million tonnes per year, with almost 40% for food use, and around 330 M hectares occupied by oil crops. The most produced is palm (40% if palm kernel oil is included), followed by soybean oil (28%), rapeseed oil (12%) and sunflower oil (9%). Some of these oil crops, particularly oil palm plantations and soy cultivations, are among the main drivers of global land use changes (LUC) and deforestation. In particular palm oil has been one of the most highly criticized due to the link between oil palm cultivation expansion and the loss of primary tropical forests, observed in recent decades. This issue has generated two different responses in the food sector: some players decided to produce and/or use deforestation-free palm oil. Other actors chosen to replace palm oil with other vegetable oils, such as soybean, rapeseed and sunflower oil.

Considering the importance of a proper land management in view of the food-ecosystems-resources nexus, this study assesses the potential LUC and the related GHG emissions that can occur by using sustainable palm oil or replacing it with the other oils for food use. 

A methodology was developed to assess the potential GHG emissions from the LUC due to alternative oil crops expansion at detrimental of high carbon content areas, such as forests or perennial croplands, and the GHG emissions from the production process though a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Under the scenario of 100% replacement of palm and palm kernel oil globally, the extra-land needed to produce the additional alternative oils was determined in their three top producer countries using yield data from literature. An expansion algorithm considering suitability and distance from roads and existing oil crops was developed to determine the potential LUC which may occur in the selected countries. The potential GHG emissions from deforestation and other LUC were calculated from the carbon stock data of the FAO Forest Resource Assessment and IPCC; the field production of the four oils was reconstructed to calculate anthropogenic GHG emissions using relevant LCA existing databases. 

Results show that deforestation-free palm oil is the less impacting in terms of GHG emissions per oil ton thanks to its far highest oil yield. Replacing sustainable palm oil with any other alternative oil is never a favourable solution (Fig. 1), entailing a potential GHG emissions increase from 0.94-0.96 Mg CO₂  per ton of palm oil replaced by sunflower oil produced in Ukraine or in Russia (where deforestation is unlikely), to 4.38 Mg CO₂ per ton of palm oil replaced by soybean oil produced in Brazil, up to 13.65 Mg CO₂ per ton of palm oil replaced by soybean oil produced in Argentina.

Figure 1. GHG emissions in Mg CO₂eq t^-1 from LCA (blue bars) and LUC (green bars) with 100% palm oil replacement. Based on national trends and forest policies, potential deforestation can be likely (full green), likely with limitation (dense dots), likely with offset (oblique lines), unlikely (scattered dots). Vertical lines for palm oil include deforestation.

How to cite: Chiriacò, M. V., Galli, N., Santini, M., and Rulli, M. C.: Risk of deforestation and potential greenhouse gas emissions from vegetable oils’ expansions for food use, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10063, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10063, 2023.

Conventional agricultural practices are heavily dependent on nitrogen fertilizers, which can have negative impacts on the environment through ammonia volatilization and nitrous oxide emission. Previous studies have shown that the use of urease inhibitors or biofertilizers may help reduce such impacts.

A field experiment was established by the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre at the experimental station of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) located east of Vienna (Austria) to determine the effect of urease inhibitor and biofertilizer on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission, in wheat cropping systems. A randomized complete block design including five treatments and four replicates was used in this study. The treatments were: T₁ (control treatment - without N fertilizer), T₂ (Urea only), T₃ (Urea+Urease Inhibitor (UI)), T₄ (Urea+Biofertilizer), T₅ (Urea+UI+Biofertilizer). All treatments received 50 kg N ha^-1 at tillering stage (GS 31), except T₁. In this study N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (nBTPT) or “Agrotain” was used as UI and Azotobacter chroococcum (“AZOTOHELP”) was applied as biofertilizer.

Soil N₂O gas fluxes were measured using the static chamber method, eight times between 3 to 84 days after fertilizer application. Gas sampling was performed at the same time each day of measurement, between 8:00 and 10:00 h, to minimize diurnal variation and better represent the mean daily fluxes. A PVC chamber (24 cm height and 24 cm diameter) was inserted into the soil 5 cm deep. The chamber was composed of two separate parts joined together with an airtight rubber. Gas samples were taken at 0 and 30 minutes after closing the chambers using a 500 mL syringe. The gas sample was then immediately transferred from the syringe to a pre-evacuated 1L gas sampling bag with multi-layer foil. Nitrous oxide in the gas samples was analysed using off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (ICOS, Los Gatos).

The statistical analysis showed that UI and biofertilizer had a clear and significant effect on nitrous oxide emission. However, this effect was only observed during the first week after the fertilizer application. Further, the results showed that the highest N₂O emission, within this week after adding urea fertilizer, was under the U+UI treatment, which was significantly higher by about 139, 91,79% compared to the Urea+Biofertilizer, Urea, Urea+UI+Biofertilizer treatments, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the other Urea, Urea+Biofertilizer and Urea+UI+Biofertilizer treatments in this period. Although not significantly (p < 0.05), N₂O emission was higher in Urea+UI+Biofertilizer treatment compared to the Urea+Biofertilizer treatment.

Due to the ability of UI to reduce ammonia volatilization, we assume that pollution swapping from ammonia volatilization to nitrous oxide emission occurred, explaining the stimulus of UI on nitrous oxide emission. The lower N₂O emission in the treatments receiving biofertilizer, compared to the one with no biofertilizer, may be caused by the ability of Azotobacter to reduce N₂O emission by N₂O-fixation, N₂ fixation and reduction of N₂O to N₂.  

How to cite: Mirkhani, R., Resch, C., Weltin, G., Heng, L. K., Mitchell, J., Clare Hood-Nowotny, R., and Dercon, G.: Effect of urease inhibitor and biofertilizer on nitrous oxide emission, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11242, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11242, 2023.

Many of the key feedstuff, such as oilseed meals or fishmeal, used in livestock and aquaculture production are highly traded commodities in global agricultural markets. The dependence on these imported inputs creates vulnerabilities to the production countries when disturbances on global trade flows occur. Increasing the feed use of the available food system by-products offers a solution to decrease the dependency and increase food system circularity and resilience. In this global study we combine trade data from various sources of the material flows in feed trade and estimate for the first time the potential to replace the imported feeds with a more efficient use of food system by-products from domestic production. The results highlight the materials and areas with most potential to guide and inform decisions when looking for solutions in the transition towards more sustainable food systems.

How to cite: Sandström, V., Kummu, M., and Schwarzmueller, F.: The potential to increase resilience by replacing feed imports with domestic food system by-products, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11440, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11440, 2023.

Agricultural production must increase by 50% to support about 9 billion people by 2050. Previous studies show that integrated crop-soil management strategies can improve cereal yield by 30% without increasing nitrogen use. Sustainable practices and the application of environmentally friendly technologies can help to reach this point by improving resource use efficiency and increasing yield. For this purpose, the effect of urease inhibitor and biofertilizer were evaluated in this study as environmentally friendly technologies that can increase cereal grain yield.

In the spring of 2022, a field experiment was established at the experimental station of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), located in the east of Vienna, to determine the effect of urease inhibitor and biofertilizer on wheat production. A randomized complete block design including five treatments and four replicates was used in this study. Each main plot was 9 by 9 meters, and a buffer zone of 1.5 meters was implemented between each of the individual main plots. The treatments were: T₁ (control treatment - without N fertilizer), T₂ (Urea only), T₃ (Urea+Urease Inhibitor (UI)), T₄ (Urea+Biofertilizer), T₅ (Urea+UI+Biofertilizer). All treatments received 50 kg N ha^-1 at tillering stage (GS 31), except T₁. In this study N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (nBTPT) or “Agrotain” was used as UI and Azotobacter chroococcum or “AZOTOHELP” was applied as biofertilizer. To determine wheat yield (grain and straw), a 1.5 by 8 meter area was harvested in each main plot (9 by 9 meters). To measure other parameters including the number of tillers per square meter, 1000-grain weight (g), plant height (cm), spike length (cm) and numbers of grains per spike, a 1m-by-1m area was harvested within each main plot for all treatments.

The highest grain and straw yields were observed in the Urea+UI+Biofertilizer treatment, with a grain yield of about 20, 11, 8% higher, compared to the Urea, Urea+UI and Urea+Biofertilizer treatments, respectively. However, a significant difference in grain and straw yields was only observed between Urea and Urea+UI+Biofertilizer treatments. The grain and straw yields in the Urea+UI and Urea+Biofertilizer treatments were not significantly different from both Urea and Urea+UI+Biofertilizer treatments. The number of grains per spike and the weight of 1000-grain in the Urea+UI+Biofertilizer treatment showed an increase of about 20 and 11% respectively, compared to the Urea treatment, but these increases were not significant. Plant height in treatments that received nitrogen fertilizer was not affected by fertilization treatments, but spike length was affected. This study suggests that the use of urea fertilizer coated with urease inhibitor in combination with biofertilizer is a promising way for sustainable crop production in the lowlands of Austria.

How to cite: Eichinger, C., Mirkhani, R., Kheng Heng, L., Mitchell, J., Hood-Nowotny, R. C., and Dercon, G.: Effect of urease inhibitor and biofertilizer on wheat yield and related crop parameters, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12259, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12259, 2023.

Food loss and waste is increasingly becoming a topic of great public concern: in 2011, FAO presented the estimate that around one third of the world’s food was lost or wasted every year and SDG 12 (“Sustainable consumption and production”) from Agenda 2030 includes among its targets to “halve per capita global food waste” and to “reduce food losses”. The impact on environmental resources is significant: in particular, 24% of total freshwater resources used in food crop production are lost in the different stages of food loss and waste. While in high-income countries food is mainly wasted at the consumer level, low-income ones record losses concentrated in the agricultural and post-harvest stages. Globally, food markets are telecoupled and globalized, so wasted food has effects on water resources in the whole supply chain, propagating along the trade network up to the countries of initial production, where water resources have been utilized, often through irrigation, altering the local hydrological cycle. The reconstruction of such network is one of the most challenging aspects of tracing the impact of food waste on water resources. The difficulties are due to the numerous food re-exports and nested supply chains, to the different origins of food waste (from production to distribution and consumption), and to the marked variability of the country-specific unit water footprints. As a key hypothesis, we assumed that in each country the ratio between imports and domestic production would be the same in both domestic consumption and exports, to cope with re-export feedbacks in the network. Focusing on the emblematic case of wheat and its derivatives (e.g., flour, bread, pasta), we were able to reconstruct the complex global network that connects losses and wastes at any stage along the supply chain with the corresponding wasted water resources.

Our results show that, for most countries, the network is very extensive and involves many states around the world. For example, in 2016 over 20 foreign countries employed their water resources to produce wheat which in turn was wasted as bread in Italy at the consumer level, accounting for around 15% of the bread’s water footprint (870 m³/t).  This highlights how much water resources are now globalized and that the waste of food in a country can impact even very distant water resources. We also quantify the contribution of each waste component, from agriculture’s field losses to consumers’ household wastes. For Italy, 54% of losses related to bread are at the consumption stage, while only 6% occur at the agricultural stage. Eventually, we present how the relative importance of each component varies, depending on the network of countries involved in the production, storing, processing, distribution and consumption of food.

How to cite: Semeria, F., Laio, F., Ridolfi, L., and Tuninetti, M.: Tracing the water footprint of food losses the in trade network: the case of wheat, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12478, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12478, 2023.

Crop development and foliar density as expressed with Leaf Area Index (LAI) is an important source of information for disease prevention. Canopy density in vineyards has been correlated with disease incidence, mainly concerning the impact of high density on intra-canopy ventilation and levels of humidity. LAI data can be used together with other data sources, such as temperature, humidity, rainfall etc., to enhance disease predictive models and continuous monitoring of crops. To improve the crowdsourcing aspect of data collection from farmers and agronomists capturing in-field observations, this study was implemented aiming to evaluate LAI smartphone applications. The applications selected for testing and evaluation were smart fLAIr (https://sys.cs.uos.de/smartflair) and VitiCanopy (https://viticanopy.com.au), selected based on their applicability, subscription pricing, user-friendliness and continued support from the developers among all available Android applications. The smartphone applications were evaluated against LiCOR 2200C plant canopy analyzer (https://www.licor.com/env/products/leaf_area/LAI-2200C) to demonstrate the measurement accuracy of each. Sampling for this experiment was carried out in four plots (25 points/plot, 100 total) applying gaiasense smart farming services (https://www.gaiasense.gr/en/gaiasense-smart-farming), located in two irrigated commercial vineyards in Stimagka, southern Greece. The collected samples were representing various canopy states considering foliar density. Sampling took place during early morning hours (after sunrise) for the first two plots, while the remaining two plots were sampled after midday to early afternoon hours (before sunset). All sampling locations were recorded with geo-tagged photographs. A cap-view of 45^o under clear-sky conditions was used for LiCOR2200C measurements and atmospheric scattering correction was applied, following a 4A measurement sequence protocol as described in the instruction manual (https://licor.app.boxenterprise.net/s/fqjn5mlu8c1a7zir5qel). FV2200 software (https://www.licor.com/env/support/LAI-2200C/software.html) was used to process the LiCOR dataset. Statistical analyses were performed after excluding 10% of total acquired samples as outliers. The results show that VitiCanopy has greater accuracy compared to fLAIr with a correlation coefficient of 0.65 over 0.25, while producing overestimated LAI values (mean diff = 0.74, p<0.0001). On contrast, fLAIr generated slightly underestimated LAI values (mean diff=-0.24, F=0.0155). Per plot analysis showed that measurements acquired earlier during the day (first two plots) provided higher correlation values (0.39<r<0.64), while those acquired after midday scored lower (r<0.12). This comes in agreement with relevant literature, suggesting that the ideal light conditions for accurate LAI measurements (under clear-sky conditions) is the earliest possible after sunrise. Although correlation values remained low to moderate (0.07<r<0.64), findings indicate that VitiCanopy performs more accurately than fLAIr and can be used as an alternative to costly and sophisticated equipment, however caution should be taken while standardising the optimal atmospheric/lighting conditions. This insight can be useful for disease predictive models, as well as farmers and agronomists who seek an accessible way to monitor LAI, potentially leading to spatially variable spraying applications. Future plans include the integration of LAI measurements as an additional parameter within the gaiasense’s Smart Farming solution aiming to enhance information richness of the existing operational pest infestation risk index calculation algorithms for vineyards.

This work was supported by EU-H2020 project ‘Resilient farming by adaptive microclimate management’ (STARGATE – 818187).

How to cite: Ovakoglou, G., Navrozidis, I., Pyrgiotis, V., Kalatzis, N., and Alexandridis, T.: An evaluation of smartphone applications for LAI estimation to facilitate canopy state assessment in vineyards, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12940, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12940, 2023.

The sustainability of crop production regarding different climate change scenarios will compromise actors and activities involved in agri-food systems. Furthermore, sustainable development was defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development as the ability to meet present demands without compromising the needs of future generations. In parallel, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), land evaluation is the process of projecting land use potential based on its characteristics, and it has been the principal approach used worldwide to manage land use planning. Its use today is required due to changing needs and pressures from decision-making policies or agricultural market tendencies among others, so a rational use of natural land is a crucial goal for economic development. However, future climate change scenarios will modify the actual crop development conditions and must be tackled.

This paper presents two case studies at the river basin scale to determine the Land Use Suitability (LUS) analysis that is performed according to the FAO framework, thus, areas that are the most suitable for crops using GIS and multicriteria methodology that involves actual and future climatic conditions under different climate change scenarios, crop management practices and edaphological conditions for different crops. The tool developed generates a product that classifies areas suitable for a particular crop from a collection of maps and their corresponding thresholds. The approach involves standardizing the suitability maps, assigning relative importance weights to the suitability maps, and then combining the weights and the standardized suitability maps to obtain a suitability score.

In this paper, the wheat crop LUS at the Júcar River Basin (42,735 Km2, located in Spain) and the cotton LUS at the Pinios River Basin 11,000 km2, located in Greece) are evaluated. Once the LUS is estimated, a collection of yearly thematic maps over both river basins is ready for use by local stakeholders, regarding different climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5).

These results are part of the EU Horizon 2020 project REXUS (Managing Resilient Nexus Systems Through Participatory Systems Dynamics Modelling), in which local stakeholders, from farmers to land use managers, are collecting and evaluating the information. Our final goal is to provide spatial information for future climate change scenarios that increase land-use knowledge and enhance decision-making policies.

How to cite: Galve, J. M., Garrido-Rubio, J., González-Piqueras, J., Osann, A., Calera, A., López, M. L., Henao, E., Sánchez, D., Puchades, J., Molina, A. J., Papadaskalopoulou, C., Antoniadou, M., and Tassopoulos, D.: A novel tool implementation to estimate the Land Use Sustainability for crops production under different climate change scenarios, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15016, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15016, 2023.

Animal foods play an important role in human nutrition providing essential micro and macronutrients. In addition, animal-source foods cover 16% of the global food supply, so contribute to global food security. However, livestock consumes about 70% of the global agricultural land and one-third of the freshwater available for agriculture, thus fueling the debate on the competition between the food and the feed sector for the use of increasingly scarce natural resources. Several studies suggest that more efficient management in the food system can reduce competition and increase the global food supply without further pressure on resources. Here we propose a strategy consisting in the replacement of energy-rich food-competing feeds, such as cereals and tubers, with agricultural by-products and residues. Thus, we analyze both the current impact on land and water use for animal-source foods and the natural resources (i.e. land and water) saving associated with the replacement. To this aim, we collected data on regional feed use and the potential replacement of these feeds with actually available by-products and residues. Then, the collected data are combined with countries-specific crop yields and a dynamic spatially distributed and physically based agro-hydrological model to analyze the difference in the land and water use between the current baseline condition and the substitution scenario. Considering the replacement of five major cereals and cassava estimated to range between 11% to 16% of their feed use, the potential amount of fertile land and green water volume that could be saved ranges from 10% to 14%, while from 11% to 17% for the blue water volume. While Eastern Asia and North America would reduce their energy-rich feed crop consumption the most, would be Southern, Eastern, and South-Eastern Asia, and Eastern Europe that would benefit the most from the use of agricultural by-products and residues to save land and green water resources. As far as blue water is concerned, the highest savings are expected to occur in Asia, where cereal production is traditionally irrigated, although linked to unsustainable water withdrawals. Furthermore, the effect of trade on the consumption of natural resources, namely virtual land and water trade, is also explored, with feed crop production relocated through virtual resource flows. While Eastern Europe, Northern America, and South America appear as net land and green water exporters, Eastern and Western Asia and Southern Europe appear as net importers, and Western Europe, instead, as both an importer and exporter region through feed trade. On the other hand, Asia and Northern America appear to be net freshwater exporters. As the demand for livestock products grows over the next half-century, any strategy aimed at curbing the demand for primary commodities and making the food system more resilient has the benefit of reducing environmental impacts on both local and distant areas of the world but also the trade dependency of countries, in a time where global food security is threatened by several factors.

How to cite: Govoni, C., D'Odorico, P., Pinotti, L., and Rulli, M. C.: Usage of by-products and residues of the food system in livestock diets leads to savings in global land and water resources, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15056, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15056, 2023.

Due to the high rainfall variability in the Brazilian semi-arid region and the occurrence of long periods without rain, society has adopted techniques to cope with drought, with focus on the construction of surface reservoirs. However, silting is causing a decrease in the water storage capacity of those structures, reducing their depth, increasing water losses by evaporation and contributing to the degradation of water quality by adsorbed pollutants. In a context where mitigating solutions are necessary, removal of the nutrient-enriched sediment from the reservoirs’ beds and their subsequent reuse for soil fertilization have been proposed. To assess the potential of the sediment as fertilizer, maize plants were grown under controlled conditions in a greenhouse, considering: i) soil from the region where the sediment was collected with no amendments, ii) soil with 100% of the nitrogen recommendation provided by mineral fertilizer (iii) soil with sediment from São Nicolau reservoir (iii), soil with sediment from São Joaquim reservoir (iv). We observed higher relative chlorophyll content, plant growth and biomass production of maize plants from the soil with added sediment, with a similar behavior to plants growing in the soil with chemical fertilizer. We also found that the silt improves soil structure by increasing the water retention capacity of the soil. We have previously evaluated that this technique is economically feasible and can present savings of up to 30% in relation to traditional fertilization, depending on the characteristics of the sediment. However, sediments from the same hydrographic region may present high spatial variability in their physicochemical characteristics. Therefore, it is relevant to map the spatial distribution of the sediment characteristics. Recently, we demonstrated that diffuse reflectance spectroscopy might be useful to characterize sediments at lower costs and efforts than by laboratory analyses: for instance, regression models for electrical conductivity and clay content performed in the range of good to very good in the study region. A further promising approach is the application of spaceborne imaging spectroscopy to estimate the concentration of elements such as sodium, the electrical conductivity, the content of clay and organic matter in the sediment. The derived information can be used for informed decisions in the application of sediment reuse practice. For example, if the electrical conductivity of the sediment is higher than 4 dS/m, addition of sediment to the soil may prevent plant growth and, therefore, its reuse is not recommended. Thereby, sediment reuse can also potentially promote de-silting of reservoirs, reducing the carbon footprint associated with traditional fertilization and improving the water quality of small reservoirs, the main source of water supply for rural families, by removing nutrients that could return to the water column. In addition, the use of sediments may represent an alternative to increase agricultural production, being less susceptible to market price variation than commercial fertilizers. The CAPES/PROBRAL and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) are acknowledged for the financial support.

How to cite: Brennda, B., Bronsinsky, A., Foerster, S., and Medeiros, P.: SEDIMENT REUSE FROM TROPICAL RESERVOIRS: assessing the suitability of sediment material for soil improvements and impacts of the practice on plant growth, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15211, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15211, 2023.

Providing healthy food from a sustainable food system, while satisfying the demand of a growing population, is one of the major challenges of the century.  The limited agricultural land and water represent the main boundaries to meet the food demand of a growing population (Davis et al., 2014, 2017). Moreover, availability of natural freshwater is expected to furtherly decline in future due to climate change (Rodell et al., 2018) – especially in arid regions – and, thus, there is an urgent need to reshape the agricultural system to sustainably feed a global population approaching 9 billion people in the next century (Godfray et al., 2010).

Food security in the Nile Basin is strictly related to the availability of freshwater resources, which are increasingly threatened by climate change and future demographic trends. Currently, food production is insufficient to meet the population food demand, and all Nile countries are currently net food importers. Healthy food is also needed to address malnutrition within the poorest rural communities in the Nile countries. Countries in the Basin are highly affected by undernourishment - linked low dietary energy - iron-deficiency-induced anemia and diabetes. The agricultural sector is the largest consumer of the Nile waters and, thus, the state of the food system has profound implications for attaining water security in the Nile Basin (NBI, 2020).

In this study we suggest a sustainable agricultural strategy to enhance sustainable a food system within the Nile River Basin. We couple the WATNEEDS hydro-agrological (Chiarelli et al., 2020) model with a linear optimization algorithm to reshape the current cropland with the aim of producing more healthy food, with several benefits for the ecosystem (e.g., reduced irrigation water consumption) and human health. Cropland redistribution can be coupled with agricultural intensification and diet shift generating, at the meso-scale, benefits in terms of irrigation water savings and increase in food self-sufficiency. We first evaluated the amount of irrigation water and the crop production related to the current crop distribution and second, we identified potential differences in food production and water consumption between the current and optimized crop distributions. We use the WATNEEDS model to quantify spatially distributed crop water requirements, - namely blue and green water requirements - which are the volumes of water needed to compensate crop water losses through evapotranspiration. Our results show that crop redistribution increases food availability and, thus, the percentage of population sustained sustainably with the local agricultural production, reducing the pressure on the currently available renewable freshwater resources of the Nile.

How to cite: Sardo, M., Rulli, M. C., and Chiarelli, D. D.: Sustainable agricultural strategies to address limited freshwater availability and meet food demand in the Nile River Basin, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15582, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15582, 2023.

Coffee is one of the most important agri-food systems from a global economic point of view. Most of the production takes place on small and medium-sized farms and is the main source of income for many rural families in several developing countries. Areas suitable for coffee production are very biodiverse and ecologically important, thus negative impacts should be minimized.
Coffee production requires special environmental and climatic conditions. Current and future climate changes could cause problems for a sustainable production and result in lower yields. To overcome these problems, it is necessary to investigate the effectiveness of possible adaptation measures, such as intercropping with other tree species that can provide more shade to coffee plants and favour environmental sustainability. 
In order to study how such modifications could improve the resilience and sustainability of coffee production, the use of process-based models can be very useful. The DynACof model was developed specifically to simulate coffee farming systems, including phenological development, physiological processes related to flower and fruit production, carbon allocation, the effect of water availability, light and temperature, as well as management. We tested the DynACof model on some study areas in Mexico, Brasil and Rwanda and verified that the yield predictions were in line with the observations. We then developed a modelling tool where the model can be applied to entire geographical areas in a spatially explicit manner, using global climatic and soil datasets.
We used this tool to simulate yields in Latin America and Africa, both for the period 1985-2014 and for the period 2036-2065 using climate projections. Comparing the two periods, the model predicts a decrease in yields of about 28% in Latin America and about 12% in Africa. We then simulated specific management options (e.g. agroforestry shading vs intensive monocropping) to assess their efficacy in enhancing environmental sustainability and resilience to climate risks. These impact analyses will be crossed with socio-economic indicators for a more comprehensive climate risk assessment to support adaptation recommendations.

How to cite: Della Peruta, R., Mereu, V., Spano, D., Marras, S., and Trabucco, A.: Coffee Agrosystems and Climate Change, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15681, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15681, 2023.

The threats to crop yields are projected to increase under climate change and one of the most promising adaptation measures is for farmers to adjust their crop varieties over time to minimize climate risk. An improved or modern variety is a new variety of a plant species which produces higher yields, higher quality or provides better resistance to plant pests and diseases while minimizing the pressure on the natural environment. Selecting best maize varieties for various sites is also a good agricultural practice that can increase current yields in many low-productivity areas.  In this study, we aimed at identifying the climate change buffering potential of improved maize varieties using a spatialized DSSAT model using a case study across Uganda. We calibrate the model with observed weather data and then replace the weather files with climate projections from the ISIMIP3b. Model evaluation showed that the model performance was satisfactory with a correlation  coefficient (r) of 0.89, coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.79, index agreement (d) of 0.83 with observed yields. The impact of climate change on maize yield show spatial and temporal disparities with general trends showing that they worsen with time (2030 to 2090) and scenario (SSP1-RCP2.6 to SSP3-RCP7.0). At the national level, we project a yield loss of 6.2% (SSP1-RCP2.6) and 4.4% (SSP3-RCP7.0), by around 2030, 8.6% (SSP1-RCP2.6) and 14.3% (SSP3-RCP7.0) by around 2050, and 8.8% (SSP1-RCP2.6) and 26.8% (SSP1-RCP7.0) by around 2090. Switching to an improved variety results in at least double the maize yield under current climatic conditions (113.2%) compared to the current varieties, with maize yield exceeding 10 t/ha in the south-western, western and eastern parts of the country.  This positive yield effect was realized across all grids but substantially varied from around 10% to 500% yield change. Comparing the effect of climate change with an improved variety versus with a conventional variety shows it is always better to use an improved variety under climate change (positive effect), especially under worse case climatic conditions(2.9% and  8% yield buffering by 2090 under  SSP1:RCP2.6 and SSP3:RCP7.0 respectively) at national level. We therefore conclude that improved maize varieties offer a more durable solution to adapt to climate change and seed systems should therefore be strengthened to increase access to improved maize varieties for farmers.

How to cite: Chemura, A., Arumugum, P., Awori, E. K., and Gornott, C.: Elucidating climate change adaptation potential of improved maize (Zea mays L.) varieties with crop modelling, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15686, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15686, 2023.

Weather-extreme events are increasingly common due to climate change, with longer periods of drought and periods of strong rainfall. Drought periods are a problem in agriculture with several crops suffering from qualitative and quantitative yield reduction depending on the crop growth stage. Sugar beet (Beta Vulgaris) makes up 20% of sugar production worldwide and is the main source of sugar in temperate regions, with a recent increase in its use for biofuel production. The search for drought-resistant varieties of sugar beet with lower water requirements is expanding, however substantial variability in drought resistance regarding yield and quality has not been found so far. The goal of this study was to develop strategies to improve yield security in sugar beet cultivation under low water availability conditions. Therefore, two field experiments were established at sites representative of Austrian sugar beet production (Oberhausen, Marchfeld; Guntersdorf, Weinviertel) over the course of two years, 2020 and 2021. The experiments involved combining breeding strategies (variety selection) with agronomic approaches (soil management, land cover, irrigation, fertilization) to investigate the sugar beet's response to water stress and assess the performance of different sugar beet varieties, leading to a more climate-resilient sugar beet crop. Direct methods of measuring soil hydraulic properties (e.g. via soil moisture sensors) and plant properties (e.g. stomata density and conductance) with stable isotope analysis for carbon and water were combined. As a result, a significant yield increase was found in irrigated plots. Nitrogen fertilization had a detrimental effect when applied extensively. A yield increase was obtained by soil coverage with wooden chips in both years and sites. Furthermore, the choice of variety also played an essential role, especially regarding the trade-off between drought resistance and yield.

How to cite: Santos Pires, S., Bodner, G., and Stumpp, C.: Management Options to Improve Drought Resilience in Sugar Beet, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16211, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16211, 2023.

Some nations and regions, such as the European Union (EU), use food ingredients and agri-food products that are not produced within their borders while being essential for their food security and food systems. This product flow through international trade means that these regions are connected to water resources outside their borders. It also means they create subsequent environmental and social effects in the original production locations, a phenomenon called ‘cross-border impacts”.  For example, these imports can be a substantial part of existing problems of water depletion and pollution in producing regions since every step in the food system such as growing, harvesting, transportation, production, packaging, and retail consume and pollute water. Furthermore, agricultural production in exporting regions provides the lion’s share of greenhouse-gas emissions from the food systems.

This study first maps the cross-border environmental footprints of agri-food systems in Europe (water and carbon footprints) along the supply chain of major imported agri-food products from Africa. Second, it determines the vulnerability of these agri-food systems to climate change. Third, it identifies potential solutions to minimize the vulnerabilities and environmental impacts of the agri-food systems that are connecting Europe and Africa.

The study shows that the cross-border environmental impact of European agri-food systems on Africa is largely related to imports of oranges, potatoes, grapes, tangerines, and tomatoes. For example, the water footprint of this trade is approximately 5 km3 per year.  These products originate from water-scarce areas such as North Africa (Egypt, Morocco) and South Africa. Furthermore, climate change will reduce water availability in these regions, e.g., 20% less water is expected in North African countries by 2050.

Minimization of food loss and waste along the supply chain of the Europe-Africa trade is investigated as a potential solution to reduce the environmental footprint of this trade. It is found that around a 30% reduction in water footprint can be achieved by eliminating food waste at the consumer level in Europe. Further reductions in environmental impacts can be achieved if manufacturing and transportation losses are minimized as well, up to 10% and 20% reductions in the water footprint and carbon footprint, respectively. Another solution to reduce the footprint of agri-food systems is to source relevant products locally instead of importing from Africa. This option significantly reduces carbon footprints (up to 60%) but not much for water footprints (around 10% reduction). For some food items such as oranges, more water can be saved if they are imported from Africa rather than locally produced in Europe.

This study concludes that the sustainability of agri-food systems has a cross-border dimension, which is mostly neglected in national policies of sustainable production and consumption. The sustainability of such imported agri-food products can be understood by assessing their environmental impacts at production locations. Improving production efficiencies at exporting regions (e.g., reduction of production losses and waste) and minimizing waste of these products at consumer levels can help reduce the environmental consequences of this trade and help achieve our sustainability goals.

How to cite: Ercin, E., D’Haeyer, B., Nolet, C., Alkaya, E., Mahsunlar, D., Pilevneli, T., and Capar, G.: Cross-border environmental impacts of agri-food systems and potential solutions towards sustainability: a case study of trade between Europe and Africa., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16316, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16316, 2023.

With increasing global demand for oil and gas, the exploration of unconventional resource plays (shale oil and gas) continues to gain relevance. Such plays could be significant for maximising the production value in proven geological basins, allowing the exploration of a cleaner fossil fuel. Unconventional resources could play a part in the energy transition to lower-impact CO₂ fuels while meeting current energy security needs.

For several decades, the UK North Sea has been a prolific oil and gas province, with numerous conventional oil and gas discoveries sourced predominantly by the Kimmeridge Clay Formation (KCF). In this study, we have used 3-D geostatistical modelling of the distribution of key geochemical and geomechanical properties for the KCF to investigate the potential of shale oil and gas plays within Quadrant 15 in the Outer Moray Firth region of the UK North Sea.

The utilized geochemical and geomechanical property logs were generated from sixteen selected drilled wells using machine learning and established property equations, while the top and base KCF structural depth maps used for modelling were created using grid- and isopach creation tools in Zetaware's Trinity software, an existing Base Cretaceous Unconformity (BCU) map of the UK North Sea and well top information from 58 wells within the study area.

The geostatistical property maps created for the KCF in Schlumberger’s Petrel software were then normalised and integrated to identity sweet spots for potential shale oil/gas exploitation, after the application of various cut-offs using standard industry thresholds for unconventional resources.

The modelling results suggest that the KCF show good potential for shale oil and gas exploitation within the central part of the Witch Ground Graben and limited areas of the Piper Shelf and Claymore-Tartan Ridge in the study area.  Further investigations on maturity, saturation and producibility will be conducted by 3-D basin modelling.

How to cite: Akinwumiju, A.: Sweet-spot mapping of the Kimmeridge Clay Formation in the UK North Sea for unconventional resource exploitation using a geostatistical modelling approach, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-63, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-63, 2023.

Three-dimensional seismic data and well-log data analysis deliver complete information on the petrophysical characteristics of reservoir rock and its fluid content. The current study shows the combined interpretation of 3D seismic data and well log responses such as gamma ray, delay time (DT)- P wave and S wave, resistivity, neutron, density, and lithology logs from eight wells under the research area of Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin. The main target of the paper is focused on the prominent positive topographic features in the bathymetry data and on the porous and fractured/faulted hydrocarbon rocks. Fluid/gas migration characteristics like acoustic voids, chimneys, and turbid layers may be seen in the present mounds. Coherence, dip, curvature, and saliency attributes are used to enhance the discontinuities within the seismic volume. After then, well logs were used to identify the hydrocarbon-bearing zones. Finally, the seismic to well tie step was initiated, and the complete earth model of the given data was generated.

The goal of this paper is to describe the offshore KG basin reservoir areas, in a qualitative way using 3D seismic and well log data and its possible correlation with facies. The possible data and wells information are conjugated with other attributes, which are relatively recent methods in this field study, yet it is crucial to reducing geological uncertainty and predicting facies. The characterization of reservoirs using only the seismic volume (impedance dependent data) characteristics is difficult due to the shally environment of the area, which might obscure reservoir identification. As a result, combining a variety of techniques and data is important for better understanding geological settings and identifying meaningful geological features in the shally environment of the KG basin.

How to cite: Singh, G., Rani, A., Mohanty, W. K., and Routray, A.: Subsurface mechanical modeling of Krishna Godavari basin using petrophysical properties of the rocks by utilizing 3D seismic and well log data sets, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-543, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-543, 2023.

In wells for carbon capture and storage (CCS), fractures can develop in the cement due to strong thermal shocks upon pressurized CO₂ injection into the subsurface. The network of these fractures forms leakage pathways that can impair well integrity, and thus impede successful geological storage of CO₂. In this study, we investigate how thermal shocks affect cement integrity under unconfined and confined conditions. Solid cylindrical samples (Φ3 x 7 cm) and samples of the same size but with a hole (Φ4 mm) in the middle are used. All samples are prepared using class G cement with 35% BWOC silica flour by Halliburton AS Norway, in accordance with API specification 10B-2. In unconfined experiments, we either quench the solid sample into cold water or inject cold water through the hollow-cylindrical sample to induce thermal shocks. In confined experiments, we mount the hollow-cylindrical sample in a triaxial deformation setup with confining pressure and axial stress, then inject cold water to induce the shocks. Before the shocks in all experiments, samples have been heated to 130°C. The temperature of the water is 5°C to achieve a strong thermal shock as possible. We produce eight cycles of thermal shock in all experiments. To study the extent of cracking, we use a micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) scanner to characterize the network of pores and fractures in the cement before and after experiments.

Under unconfined conditions, fractures develop in cement after thermal shocks in both quenching and injecting-through experiments. Both experiments generate sufficient thermal stresses to cause cracking in cement. In quenching, multiple fractures are initiated at different orientations. However, by injecting cold water through the sample, only one longitudinal fracture is created. This fracture is intersected with the injecting hole, where most thermal stresses are built up. The volume ratio of pores and fractures in samples increases to 2.74% by quenching and 1.84% by injecting through respectively, from 0.38%. Compressive strength decreases from 97.9 MPa for intact samples to 53.9 MPa after quenching, and 83.6 MPa after the injecting-through experiment. Under confined conditions, we carry out injecting-through experiments to bring about thermal shocks under 1.5 and 10 MPa confining pressure. We haven’t observed any failure in cement integrity under either confinement. Instead, compressive strength increases by 6.2% and 7.2%, and the volume ratio of pores and fractures decreases by 7.7% and 18.2% after the experiment under the confinement of 1.5 and 10 MPa, respectively. This means the presence of confining pressure not only hinders the adverse effects of thermal stresses on cement integrity but also compacts the samples. Higher confining pressure causes more compression to the sample, then resulting in greater strength.

How to cite: Li, K. and Pluymakers, A.: Effects of Thermal Shocks on Cement for CCS under Confined and Unconfined Conditions, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1319, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1319, 2023.

Many bacteria have been proved to change physical (viscosity, wettability, and tension), and compositions of crude oil, which can make it easier for oil to be released from rock pores and achieve the purpose of improving recovery, which is called Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR). Our team has previously isolated six emulsified and viscosity-reducing bacteria (Bacillus. sp.) in low permeability layers (Chang 4+5 and Chang 6) of Ordos Basin. However, environmental tolerance of the strains is limited, and the components of crude oil used by the strains were also different. The combination of strains of different species and genera may enhance the effects of single bacteria, surpass the tolerance upper limit, and optimize the viscosity reduction and degradation. Therefore, in this study, it is extremely necessary to study the bacterial consortium. Two consortia were obtained and each consortium consisted of three bacterial strains and was designated as Consortium A (51+61, 61+H-1, 51+H-1; A-ALL) and Consortium B (34(2)+42, 34(2)+A-3; 42+A-3. B-BLL). The performance of the mixed strains was evaluated by the analysis of change in emulsification rate, crude oil composition, viscosity, and the tolerance (temperature, salinity, and pH) though GC-MS, rotational rheometer, and other methods. The results showed that bacterial consortiums had higher alkali resistance and could survive temperatures of 55 °C and salinity of 50 g/L in comparison to single bacterium. The emulsification rate was 22%-48%. Consortium B has better effects than Consortium A. The viscosity reduction rate of the Consortium A after 7 days was exceeded 30% as a whole, and the rate of Consortium B was more than 35%. The crude oil of Consortium B is basically non-stick to flask. Compared with single bacteria, the utilization components of crude oil to bacteria are still different, including both long chain hydrocarbons and short chain hydrocarbons. However, the proportion of long chain n-alkanes is further reduced compared with that of single bacteria, and the highest ratio is reduced by 23.81% (B-ALL). Overall, the bacterial consortium outperforms the single strain in terms of tolerance, viscosity reduction, and degradation, which further optimizes the application of MEOR.

How to cite: Bian, Z., Zhi, Z., Zhang, X., Qu, Y., Wei, L., Wu, Y., and Wu, H.: Viscosity-reducing and Biosurfactant-producing Bacterial Consortia Isolated from Low-permeability Reservoir in Ordos Basin, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1627, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1627, 2023.

Abstract: the pressure of the coal seam decays to a certain value due to the production of CH₄, the production wells are switched to CO₂ injection wells. The injection of CO₂ can improve the CH₄ recovery and realize the CO₂ geological storage.The reverse migration of coal fines produced in the CH₄ development stage can be caused by CO₂ injection, which blocks the pore-thorats and fractures in coal seams and increases the difficulty of CO₂ injection. We carried out experiments on coal fine migration and CO₂ injection and storage at reservoir conditions on the simulated coal seam, which was a composite core composed of different types of coal. We focus on the migration of coal fine in simulated coal seam and the impact on CO₂ storage. The experiment results show that, the permeability of the combined core, which is composed of proppant fractured coal, fractured coal and matrix coal in turn, decreases by 40.6% after being injected with 300ml of coal fine suspension with a concentration of 1g/1L. This is due to the deposition or capture of coal fines during the suspension injection, resulting in surface adsorption, bridging blockage, and direct blockage in the pore space, which seriously damaged the connectivity of the coal pore space. The proppant fractured coal can filter 77.1% of the coal fines in the suspension, and the fractured coal rock can filter the remaining 23.9% of the coal fines. The average CO₂ storage capacity and CO₂ storage efficiency of the composite core increased by 4.47 cm³·g^-1 and 10.8%, respectively after subsequent CO₂ injection into the composite core. The corresponding injection pressure difference also increased by 32.5%, and a CH₄ recovery improvement of 13.6% is obtained.The migration and balockage of coal fines lead to the most significant improvement of CO₂ storage in fractured coal (14.4%), followed by proppant fractured coal (10.3%), and the worst improvement of CO₂ storage in matrix coal (3.4%). The migration of coal fines improves the CO₂ storage effect in fractured coal seams to a certain extent, but increases the difficulty of CO₂ injection, which is not conducive to the CO₂ storage of the reservoir.

Keywords: CO₂ storage, coal seams, coal fines migration, proppant fracture

How to cite: Wang, Q., Shen, J., Glover, P. W. J., and Lorinczi, P.: The CO2 storage in coal seams at the influence of coal fines migration, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1648, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1648, 2023.

Conversion of static geologic models into numerical simulation grids is a pre-requisite to undertake site-specific assessments of geologic subsurface utilisation in terms of risk assessments, design and operational optimisations as well as long-term predictions.

GEOMODELATOR is a Python-based Open Source software package which enables modellers to translate static geologic models into regular structured simulation grids with element partitions following a complex model geometry.

For that purpose, geologic models generated by means of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Computer-Aided Design (CAD) or other specific geologic modelling software packages are integrated in form of point cloud data together with the desired structured simulation grid geometry.

GEOMODELATOR maps geometric features such as lithologic horizons, faults and any kind of other geometric data by 3D Delaunay triangulation onto the pre-defined grid element centres, and provides the modeller with Visualization Toolkit (VTK) data and Python numpy arrays for visual model inspection and their direct application in numerical simulations, respectively.

The present contribution shows the application of GEOMODELATOR to different numerical simulation studies addressing fluid flow as well as transport of heat and chemical species in geological subsurface utilisation.

How to cite: Nakaten, B. and Kempka, T.: GEOMODELATOR – from static geologic models to structured grids for numerical simulations, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2016, 2023.

Continental shale oil can be divided into two categories according to vitrinite reflectance of kerogen: medium-high maturity (R_o > 0.9%) and medium-low maturity (R_o ≤ 0.9%). Due to high ratio of gaseous (C_1-5) and light hydrocarbons (C_6-14), high GOR and overpressure of the shale section, medium-high maturity shale oil has commercially productivity, which is considered as the target of unconventional resources in China. Shale oil composition is the basic and key parameter for resource evaluation, prediction of favorable areas, well location and field development plan. However, in shale oil composition research projects, the samples used and the analytical methods are quite different, and evaluation standard has not been established, which has restricted the exploration and exploitation of continental shale oil in China.

To understand this effect, we took the first member of Qingshankou Formation (Late Cretaceous) in Songliao Basin in eastern China as the target section. The section develops pure shale oil at a burial depth of 2000-2500m, with vitrinite reflectance of kerogen (R_o) of 1.20%-1.70% and high clay minerals content (40 wt%-60 wt%). We performed four sets of experiments on molecular composition of shale oil, including oil produced from shale section, the full-closure coring shale, the conventional coring shale and extracted hydrocarbons of shale with chloroform. The crude oil and saturated hydrocarbons (extracted hydrocarbons) separated by chromatographic column were directly analyzed by gas chromatography. The full-closure coring and conventional coring shale samples were conducted TG-GC (thermogravimetry-gas chromatography) experiment, where the powder samples were thermally desorbed at 300 ℃ for 3 minutes.

The experimental results show that carbon number of n-alkanes in crude oil is 4–38. The carbon number of n-alkanes in full-closure coring shale is 1–26, and it contains a large amount of gaseous and light hydrocarbons, accounting for up to 60 wt%–80 wt%. It is worth noting, however, that due to the loss of gas and light hydrocarbons in conventional coring, the carbon number of n-alkanes in conventional coring shale is 11–26, and the main peak carbon is 13–16. In the process of shale placement in core library, extraction and concentration, a large amount of hydrocarbons are lost. Through chromatographic analysis, carbon number of n-alkanes in saturated hydrocarbons is 15-38, and the main peak carbon is 18–22. C_15- components are totally lost in extraction (Figure 1).

The comparison data we assembled show that shale oil components obtained from different samples vary significantly, especially for medium-high maturity shale containing large amounts of gaseous and light hydrocarbons. The heavy hydrocarbon components (C₁₅₊) can be determined by combining the produced oil with extracted hydrocarbons, and the gaseous and light hydrocarbons retained in shale can be determined by combining the produced oil with TG-GC analysis for full-closure coring shale. Pressure-retained coring or full-closure coring is indispensable for obtaining shale oil components in place.

Figure 1 (a) Gas chromatogram of oil produced from shale section; (b) TG-GC chromatogram of conventional coring shale sample; (c) TG-GC chromatogram of full-closure coring shale sample; (d) Gas chromatogram of saturated hydrocarbon extracted from shale sample.

How to cite: Li, M., Wang, M., and Li, J.: Composition of pure shale oil with medium-high maturity, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2535, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2535, 2023.

After a long period of water flooding development, oilfields will enter the production stage of "high water cut, high recovery degree, and low oil recovery rate". On the one hand, due to the displacement effect of the water injection, some oil layers already reached the water flooding limit. On the other hand, due to the effect of reservoir heterogeneity, dominant seepage channels, and imperfect injection-production well pattern, some oil layers are enriched with a large amount of remaining oil. Unbalanced production of reservoirs and difficulty in development and adjustment are common problems in mature oilfields. Mature multi-layer oilfields generally develop many sets of oil-bearing layers vertically. After a long water injection period, the water-flood law and the remaining oil distribution are complex, and the production of different well patterns or strata varies greatly. Through strata and well pattern reorganization, combined with the evaluation results of water flooding adjustment potential, some reservoir engineers and researchers established a stereoscopic development adjustment mode for enhanced oil recovery in mature multi-layer oilfields. This paper summarizes the main technologies of stereoscopic development adjustment mode for enhanced oil recovery in mature multi-layer oilfields. The main technologies of stereoscopic development adjustment mode include research on the remaining oil distribution, evaluation of water flooding adjustment potential, selection of tertiary oil recovery methods, reorganization of strata and well pattern, and optimization of timing from water flooding to tertiary oil recovery, etc. For strata with low water flooding adjustment potential, the tertiary oil recovery well pattern is reorganized and tertiary oil recovery is adopted to improve oil recovery. For strata with large water flooding adjustment potential, the water drive well pattern is reorganized and water flooding development is used to excavate the remaining oil. As for strata with general water flooding adjustment potential, the tertiary oil recovery well pattern is reorganized and water flooding development is used to excavate the remaining oil first, and then transfer to tertiary oil recovery at the proper time. The stereoscopic development adjustment mode is applied to test block K of Q reservoir which is a mature multi-layer oilfield. After stereoscopic development adjustment, the development effect of test block K meliorates. It is estimated that the EOR will be increased by more than 8% after stereoscopic development adjustment in test block K.

How to cite: Lai, L., Zou, C., Jiang, Z., Su, H., Zhang, X., Li, S., and Zhang, H.: Stereoscopic Development Adjustment Mode for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Mature Multi-Layer Oilfield, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3107, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3107, 2023.

Deep geothermal heat represents a massive opportunity to provide low-carbon district heating for towns and cities. Space heating represents a large percentage of total energy use in Northern Europe; nearly 40% of all UK energy use (BEIS, 2022) is for heating, predominantly from natural gas. Global pressures on the international gas market and the urgent need to decarbonise the heating system to deliver NetZero highlight the need for identifying renewable heat sources to replace gas.

However, finding reliable high temperatures requires drilling to several-kilometres depth. Achieving sustainable heat supply, without depletion, means that wells must intersect deep permeable strata which are impossible to detect from the surface. Well prognosis is therefore heavily reliant on data from legacy drilling. Drilling is always an expensive process and any operational issues can impose significant additional costs, as rigs capable of drilling such boreholes have rental rates of many €1000s per day. Even when the drilling is completed, financial returns are slow and reaching profit takes years. Therefore, reassuring investors requires de-risking such projects through mitigating avoidable additional costs.

Digital data from wells penetrating many kilometres are needed for understanding subsurface processes. Only small numbers of deep geothermal wells have been drilled, so the best alternatives are legacy hydrocarbon exploration boreholes; these are good analogies for geothermal wells as they rely on permeability at depth. Such legacy hydrocarbon data are increasingly openly available through National Data Repositories (NDR) and/or Geological Survey Organisations. 

The EU Horizon programme funded OptiDrill project (101006964) is using legacy well data to optimise the drilling process, by linking drilling parameters with petrophysical data to understand the constraints upon the drilling processes. This will allow causes of interruptions to drilling and unnecessary down-time to be assessed and hopefully eliminated.

NDR archives have been trawled for modern drilling and logging data that admits optimal analysis. An Isolation Forest machine-learning algorithm was used to analyse Measurement-While-Drilling derived Rate-of-Penetration data and geophysical log data, identifying zones of anomalous responses quickly and without supervision. Examination of newly available daily drilling reports (DDR) data, from the NDR, allows these anomalous responses to be associated with breaks in drilling operations and their causes to be understood. This allows both refinement of the anomaly-detection algorithm for the identification of drilling problems, and differentiation between problems caused by drilling or geological issues and those caused by operational and logistical difficulties (e.g. procurement delays). Where drilling issues are identified these can be used to develop remediation strategies for future wells drilled in similar conditions, through revised drilling programmes and optimised well designs that minimise avoidable drilling operations such as unnecessary round trips etc.

How to cite: Kingdon, A., Arran, M., Fellgett, M., Jamali, S., Knauer, H., and Mallin, K.: Optimising the drilling process for geothermal wells using legacy oil field data and machine learning, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3408, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3408, 2023.

Reservoir heterogeneity is one of the key geological problems in the process of oil and gas exploration and development of clastic rocks. Understanding reservoir heterogeneity is imperative to improve the effectiveness of exploration and development. The primary porosity calculation model proposed by the authors in the previous study is used to calculate the primary porosity of samples from modern braided river sands and sandstone outcrops of braided sand bodies, and the primary porosity heterogeneity (PPH) model of the braided sand body is established. The architectural-elemental structures of braided sand bodies have obvious control effects on the distribution of its primary porosity heterogeneity. The central braided channel and braid bars have strong primary physical properties; the primary porosity is high and always greater than 38%. The contact areas between the braided channel and braided bars have a low value of primary porosity and are always lesser than 33%. The distribution characteristics of the present porosity of braided river reservoirs are also influenced by sedimentary architecture. To compare the relationship between PPH, present porosity heterogeneity (pPH), and sedimentary architecture (SA), the images of PPH, pPH, and SA were digital, graying, and normalized. The digital image Q-Q plots of the distribution probability of PPH, pPH, and SA are calculated. The results show that: the Q-Q plots of the probability distribution of present porosity and architectural-elemental structures (or lithofacies) can reflect the influence and degree of primary porosity and diagenesis on the present heterogeneity of the reservoir. The Q-Q plots of distribution probability primary porosity and present porosity identify the distribution areas; the points are always distributed on different lines. The line ‘y = x’, is derived from compaction and primary porosity; the line ‘y = ax, a > 1’, is derived from diagenesis, which is unfavorable to the reservoir porosity preservation (such as cementation); the line ‘y = ax, a < 1’ is derived from diagenesis, which is beneficial to reservoir porosity preservation (such as dissolution). Based on the Q-Q plots of distribution probability, the influence from primary porosity and diagenesis can be quantitatively analyzed. The influence of primary porosity on pPH in braided sand bodies of Ahe formation (Kuqa depression), middle Jurassic fluvial sandstone (Datong basin), and Karamay Formation (Junggar basin) were 19%, 90%, and 10%, respectively. A quantitative probability distribution Q-Q model of reservoir PPH and pPH is effective for reservoir physical modeling.

How to cite: Yiming, Y., Liqiang, Z., Shuai, J., and Zuotao, W.: The primary porosity heterogenetic model of braided river sandstone reservoirs and its influence on the present porosity heterogeneity in the Kuqe depression, Tarim basin, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6856, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6856, 2023.

In geological resource exploitation engineering such as reservoir development, the intrusion of foreign liquid will cause water lock damage to the formation rock structure, which affects the effect of reservoir transformation such as CO2 sequestration. The tight sand conglomerate reservoir is characterized by high content of expansive clay minerals, high capillary pressure, small pore throat, and serious heterogeneity, which leads to serious water lock damage. The extent, mechanism and reasonable prediction of damage are the concerns of the engineering community.
In view of this problem, this study uses the laboratory long core experiment method based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) monitoring to simulate and study the reservoir damage law before and after the invasion of foreign liquid into the formation. The damage distance of liquid resistance and influencing factors were studied, and a prediction model was established. The long core experiment used drilled natural cores with a total length of 45 cm that were spliced from short cores with a diameter of 2.5 cm. A total of five pressure points were set up at 10 cm intervals to monitor the pressure gradient. The pressure gradient changes along the long core after saturated oil and water intrusion were tested separately. A new method of calculating the range and degree of water lock damage zone based on pressure gradient was established. According to the damage control factors obtained from the experimental study, the prediction model of water lock damage with the transformation from multiple nonlinear problems to linear problems is established by using permeability, porosity and content of water-sensitive clay minerals as input conditions.
The results show that the physical property of reservoir plays a decisive role in the damage distance of liquid resistance. The foreign liquid intrudes into the formation has obvious characteristics of "three zones", and the "pressed liquid stop zone" is the main factor controlling the damage degree of liquid resistance. Physical property, lithology and expansibility clay mineral content together constitute the 0-1 judgment value to determine the time-varying damage of fluid resistance in reservoir. The accuracy of the established multiple nonlinear regression prediction model of liquid resistance damage is greater than 80%, which can be used to quantitatively predict the liquid resistance damage degree of underground reservoir when it is difficult to conduct indoor simulation experiments in the evaluation of water intrusion damage degree.

How to cite: Wu, J., Yang, S., and Li, Q.: Study on Hydraulic Resistance Damage Law of External Liquid Intrusion in Tight Sand Conglomerate Reservoir, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7034, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7034, 2023.

Large-scale energy storage is becoming more important due to the increase in electricity generation from renewable sources and the related grid balancing requirements. In this context, Pumped Hydropower Storage (PHS) in former open-pit lignite mines can substantially contribute to energy supply safety. Assuming an average storage capacity of 150 MW per open-pit mine, PHS could generate a power output of at least 6 GW in European mines which will be abandoned in the next two decades. Experiences from mine-flooding across Europe demonstrate that hydrogeochemical processes can become a critical environmental and economic factor for the realisation of such projects. Depending on sulphide and oxygen availability, buffer capacities and dilution processes, mine waters with increased acidity as well as elevated sulphate and metal concentrations can pose a threat to adjacent ecosystems, groundwater resources and the installed PHS infrastructure.

We present a generic parameter study by means of numerical simulations to predict changes in the mine water composition as a result of PHS operation in different hydrogeochemical settings. Published datasets on hydrogeochemical, hydrogeological and technical conditions with a focus on German mines were applied for model parametrisation. A reaction path model was developed that accounts for initial mine flooding, inflows and outflows as well as pumping and release cycles between the two reservoirs. The simulations were run until chemical equilibrium was achieved in the lower reservoir.

Simulation results indicate that the long-term availability of buffer capacities in the reservoir water and adjacent sediments determine the development of acidic or neutral mine waters. Sulphate concentrations are mainly influenced by dilution processes, emphasizing the relevance of considering additional in- and outflows. Depending on these fluxes as well as oxygen availability and initial sulphide concentration in the mine sediments, the time to reach chemical equilibrium in the lower reservoir varies significantly from several weeks to months. Furthermore, the dissolution of sulphides and carbonates as well as the precipitation of iron (oxy)hydroxides may affect the properties of the open-pit slope sediments. Their long-term stability may be altered, based on their initial mineral concentration and hydraulic conductivity.

In summary, potential impacts on water quality in the PHS reservoirs have been investigated under different hydrogeochemical settings. We conclude that, under specific boundary conditions such as the availability of sufficient buffer capacities and dilution by controlled inflows and outflows, PHS operation in abandoned open-pit coal mines can be realised from an environmental perspective.

How to cite: Schnepper, T., Kühn, M., and Kempka, T.: Hydrogeochemical impacts of pumped hydropower storage in open-pit lignite mines, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8226, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8226, 2023.

Geothermal reservoir characterisation benefits from the oil and gas petrophysics experience in areas such as porosity and permeability estimation, rock-fluid interactions etc.. Permeability is the crucial parameter in assessing water transmissibility with geothermal reservoirs. Permeability impairment is a key worry due to rock-fluid interactions within the reservoir life cycle management. The laboratory techniques help in recreating the reservoir conditions and determining formation damage. Uncertainty increases for tight geothermal reservoirs (permeability < 1 mD), which often contain significant amounts of clay that reacts with water or ionic species during hydraulic fracturing used in Enhanced Geothermal Systems.

Clay-bearing sandstones are complex reservoirs since their clay minerals actively interact with water, causing formation damage by clay swelling and migration mechanisms. Core flooding experiments study the clay minerals' behaviour in different water conditions - e.g. salinity, electrolytes species, pH, and temperature - helping to understand the impact of clays on reservoir quality and identifying optimal conditions to reduce formation damage.

A multi-salinity experiment was undertaken to study the clay effect of three tight clay-bearing sandstones, samples A, B and C, of different reservoir provenance. Sample A has a core porosity of 18%, gas permeability of 1.28 mD, and 15.5%v/v of XRD clay minerals and kaolinite as the primary group. Sample B has a core porosity of 20.2%, gas permeability of 0.56 mD, and 37%v/v of XRD clay minerals and chlorite as the primary group. Sample C has a core porosity of 18.8%, the gas permeability of 1.95 mD, and 36.3%v/v XRD clay minerals and mica as the primary group. The experiment consisted of flooding brine with constant inflow at different salinities and monitoring the rock resistance, pressure drop, and outlet brine conductivity. High- and low-salinity batteries were flooded, ranging from 200,000-75,000 and 50,000-0 ppm NaCl respectively, at a constant room temperature of 21⁰C. In addition, the brine permeability was measured in steady- and unsteady-states techniques, and pore size distribution was NMR scanned at each run per battery.

Permeability impairment increased in all samples. Samples A (kaolinite) and C (mica) show a staggered increase in the salinity range. In contrast, sample B (chlorite) shows a peculiar upside-down trend in the low-salinity range. Clay migration was detected in the last brine runs since fines grain were released in the outflow. NMR T2 distribution shows a bimodal pore distribution for samples B and C, and the pore-throat connectivity rearranges as salinity decreases in both samples, indicating a clay swelling mechanism. The cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of samples A and C resulted in 3.7 and 3.6 meq/100g, respectively, and sample B was 71.5 meq/100g. CEC values are directly related to the clay mineral content. The highest CEC (sample B) relates to the upside-down permeability impairment with clay swelling. This investigation contributes to the geothermal reservoir characterisation in understanding how the water salinity controls the clay effect in tight clay-bearing sandstone reservoirs.

How to cite: Navarro-Perez, D., Fisher, Q., Lorinczi, P., Allshorn, S., and Grattoni, C.: Multi-salinity core flooding study in clay-bearing sandstones, a contribution to geothermal reservoir characterisation, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8407, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8407, 2023.

The motivation behind this study is to repurpose idle wells from hydrocarbon exploration and production to provide heat for end users being located near the idle well. This is possible by prolonging the value-added chain of idle wells from the gas and oil industry by re-completion as geothermal closed loop wells. This is the most efficient way to produce green energy without drilling new wells by saving the carbon emission and costs of building a new geothermal well.

With this feasibility study we quantify the concept of re-completing idle wells in the North German Basin (NGB) into deep coaxial borehole heat exchangers. With numerical models of two typical geological settings of the NGB and two different completion schemes it was possible to simulate the thermal performance over a lifetime of 30 years. The calculated heat extraction rates are in the range of 200 kW to 400 kW with maximum values of up to 600 kW. This is higher than from already installed deep borehole heat exchangers. Sensitivity analyses demonstrate that flow rate, injection temperature and the final depths of re-completion are the most impacting parameters of thermal output determination.

In the final project stage, the heat demand around two exemplary boreholes was mapped and possible heating networks were simulated. The initial production costs for heat are comparable to other renewable energy resources like biomass and - depending on distance between source and user – well competitive against current gas prices. These calculations highlight not only the environmental valuable motivation behind the concept of repurposing idle wells but could also save capital expenditures for the geothermal industry.

Using a vacuum isolated tubing characterized by very low thermal conductivity of 0.02 W/(m*K), would make it possible to use the geothermal resources even more efficiently from idle wells. This project highlights the major potential of usable geothermal resources in already installed deep wells. The application has almost no geological risk, as the concept is independent of reservoir uncertainties like permeability and reservoir fluid composition, drilling risks are skipped completely and it is realizable at any location.

How to cite: Koltzer, N., Schoenherr, J., Sporleder, M., Steininger, S. A., Halm, M., Kettermann, M., and Wellmann, F.: Repurposing of idle wells from the oil and gas industry into deep borehole heat exchangers, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-9352, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-9352, 2023.

Power-to-Methanol is considered as an additional option to Power-to-Gas to convert surplus energy from renewable sources and the electric grid into storable energy carriers. In this context, methanol is an alternative fuel to power combustion engines, and it can be applied to produce chemical feedstock such as formaldehyde required for polymer production, hydrocarbons, gasoline and olefines, as well as gasoline additives and especially as an energy carrier and carbon sink.

As long-term storage of energy carriers is required to realise the transition of the energy sector to renewable sources scheduled in the European Union, the fact that storage of methanol requires less operational and safety efforts compared to natural gas or hydrogen is a significant benefit, i.e. methanol does not require any compression prior to its injection into geologic subsurface reservoirs, while being biodegradable and of generally low environmental toxicity. Existing hydrocarbon transport and storage infrastructure can be directly applied to transport and store methanol in the geologic subsurface. In this context, a major concern besides methanol biodegradability is its high miscibility with water, potentially resulting in relevant storage losses that may favour uneconomic storage operations in active groundwater aquifers. Hence, the present study aims at a quantitative assessment of the mixing behaviour of methanol and water based on a reference numerical simulation benchmark previously applied to investigate that of CH₄ stored in a CO₂ cushion gas within a depleted natural gas reservoir (Oldenburg et al., 2003, Ma et al., 2019, and others). For that purpose, the TRANSPORTSE numerical simulator (Kempka, 2020), applicable to simulate fluid flow as well as transport of heat and reactive transport of chemical species (Kempka et al., 2022) is used in the present study. Mixing ratio-dependent density and viscosity changes as well as different reservoir dipping angles are considered to determine the chemical storage efficiency in view of mixing losses. Simulation results demonstrate that methanol fraction-driven variations in fluid density and viscosity of up to 20 % and 30 %, respectively, as well as the relatively low diffusion coefficients compared to those of gases result in low mixing degrees of both liquid components. Structural geological features need to be considered in the selection of methanol storage sites, since these directly affect the spatial extent of the mixing region, and thus methanol recovery efficiency.

Kempka, T., Steding, S., Kühn, M. (2022) Verification of TRANSPORT Simulation Environment coupling with PHREEQC for reactive transport modelling. Advances in Geosciences, 58, 19-29. https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-58-19-2022

Kempka, T. (2020) Verification of a Python-based TRANsport Simulation Environment for density-driven fluid flow and coupled transport of heat and chemical species. Advances in Geosciences, 54, 67-77. https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-54-67-2020

Ma, J., Li, Q., Kempka, T., Kühn, M. (2019) Hydromechanical Response and Impact of Gas Mixing Behavior in Subsurface CH₄ Storage with CO₂-Based Cushion Gas Energy & Fuels 33 (7), 6527-6541. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b00518

Oldenburg, C. M. (2003) Carbon Dioxide as Cushion Gas for Natural Gas Storage. Energy Fuels 17(1), 240−246. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef020162b

How to cite: Kempka, T.: Mixing behaviour of methanol stored in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs to support the European Union energy transition, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-9383, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-9383, 2023.

One of the main challenges in soil science lies in the passage from heterogeneous soil structure to a quantified multi-scale 3D model. Here a new approach to quantify the microbial distribution relating to soil pore structure is presented. Characterising 3D microbial soil structural in digital porous media is not found and most soil process models tend to assume a homogenous spatial distribution of microbes. We measured the in situ spatial distribution of bacteria in arable soils across scales from sub-micrometers to metres and here we describe further progress to quantify and explicitly model the 3D microbial distributions, based on a stochastic Bayesian approach to predict spatial variation in the underlying bacterial intensity measure. A 3D higher order Multi-Markov chain model is introduced to model complex geometry of real soil structure and associated microbial distribution. In this study, Markov random fields are used to construct multiscale 3D Pore Architecture Models (PAM). The binary structure of PAM has been successfully used to predict multiphase flow behaviour in porous media such as hydrocarbon bearing reservoir rocks, we explore further to use such a new multi-components scheme in modelling pore structure incorporating with microbial spatial distribution, the multicomponent Markov chain model, which is a stationary multiple higher order Markov chain. The models parameterisation is based on high resolution SEM images of soil that have been prepared in a manner that preserves the microbial community information in situ. Based on the quantified 3D multiscale soil structure associated with microbial distribution components, the accurate reactive flow of microbial degradation can be simulated to predict environmental impact of microbial activates in the field. A variety of examples of structures and bacterial distribution created by the models are presented.

How to cite: Wu, K.: A new 3D multicomponent markov chain model incorporating multi-scale soil structure with microbial distribution, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-9593, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-9593, 2023.

The Canadian Mackenzie Delta (MD) is a river-mouth depocentre and the second-largest Arctic delta. It exhibits high resources of prospected sub-permafrost gas hydrates (GHs), mainly consisting of thermogenic methane (CH₄) at the Mallik site, which migrated from deep source rocks. The objective of the present study is to confirm the sub-permafrost GHs formation mechanism proposed by Li et al. (2022a), stating that CH₄-rich fluids were vertically transported from deep overpressurized zones via geologic fault systems and formed the present-day GH deposits in the shallower Kugmallit Sequence since the Late Pleistocene. Given this hypothesis, the coastal permafrost began to form since the early Pleistocene sea-level retreat, steadily increasing in thickness until 1 Million years (Ma) ago. Observations from well-logs and seismic profiles were used to establish the first field-scale static geologic 3D model of the Mallik site. A framework of equations of state to simulate the formation of GHs and permafrost (Li et al., 2022a, 2022b) has been developed and coupled with a numerical simulator for fluid flow as well as the transport of chemical species and heat in previous studies. Here, numerical simulations using the proven thermo-hydro-chemical simulation framework were employed to provide insights into the hydrogeologic role of the regional fault systems in view of the CH₄-rich fluid migration and the spatial extent of sub-permafrost GH accumulations during the past 1 Ma. The simulated ice-bearing permafrost and GH interval thicknesses, as well as sub-permafrost temperature profiles, are consistent with the respective field observations, confirming our previously introduced hypothesis. In addition, simulation results demonstrate that the permafrost has been substantially heated to 0.8–1.3 °C, triggered by the global temperature increase of about 0.44 °C (IPCC, 2022) and further accelerated by Arctic amplification from the early 1970s to the mid-2000s. Overall, the good agreement between simulations and observations demonstrates that the present modeling study provides a valid representation of the geologic controls driving the complex permafrost-GH deposit system. The model’s applicability for predicting GH deposits in permafrost settings can provide relevant contributions to future GH exploration and exploitation activities.

References

IPCC, 2022: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, 3056 pp., doi:10.1017/9781009325844.

Li, Z., Spangenberg, E., Schicks, J. M. & Kempka, T. Numerical Simulation of Coastal Sub-Permafrost Gas Hydrate Formation in the Mackenzie Delta, Canadian Arctic. Energies 15, 4986 (2022a). https://doi.org/10.3390/en15144986

Li, Z., Spangenberg, E., Schicks, J. M. & Kempka, T. Numerical Simulation of Hydrate Formation in the LArge-Scale Reservoir Simulator (LARS). Energies 15, 1974 (2022b). https://doi.org/10.3390/en15061974

How to cite: Li, Z., Chabab, E., Spangenberg, E., Schicks, J., and Kempka, T.: Geologic Controls on the Genesis of the Arctic Permafrost and Sub-Permafrost Methane Hydrate-bearing System in the Beaufort–Mackenzie Delta, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-9686, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-9686, 2023.

In the past decades, boreholes were drilled all over the world for the purpose of hydrocarbon prospection. Data from these boreholes are a very valuable resource, that can be used in current geological, geothermal and hydrogeological studies. Since the process of drilling is both expensive and disturbing to the environment the possibility of incorporating data that already exists in the current studies is always worth consideration. However, in the case of older boreholes quality of data is not on par with modern standards which limits its usefulness, especially in the case of data from boreholes drilled in thin-bedded rock formations.

Resistivity logs are one of the main logs used both in hydrocarbon prospection and other applications such as geological, geothermal and hydrogeological studies. Resistivity logs measured by older generations of logging tools are characterized by significantly lower vertical resolution in comparison to logs measured by newer logging tools which affect the quality of the interpretation. However, the information averaged in the process of logging can be partially restored in the process of iterative inversion.

The focus of the presentation is on the utilization of open-source global optimization software in the process of inversion of resistivity well logs. Since inverse problems encountered in geophysics tend to be on the difficult side, relatively simple optimization schemas that often can be found in open-source software are not always giving good results. Therefore, in the presentation, a few methods that allow adapting those algorithms to the problem of inversion of well logs are discussed. The performance of the inversion procedure is validated on synthetic data and real data from the borehole where resistivity logs were measured by different generations of logging tools in the same depth intervals, which allows for comparison of the inversion results to logs measured by modern equipment.

The research was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland, grant number 2020/37/N/ ST10/03230.

How to cite: Wilkosz, M.: Adaptation of open-source global optimization software to the process of iterative inversion of resistivity well logs, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10004, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10004, 2023.

Measurements of the zeta potential using streaming potential method are frequently used to characterise flows in subsurface settings owing to a broad range of applications of this petrophysical property; examples include CO₂ geological storage, hydrocarbon reservoirs, geothermal sources and freshwater aquifers. Many experimental studies of the zeta potential have been carried out covering a wide range of parameters including different rock mineralogy, brine concentration and composition, and temperature to understand the impact of each parameter. The capability of the streaming potential method to be used on intact rock samples, single-/ and multi-phase flows, wide range of salinity, pressure and temperature makes the method suitable for representation of typical subsurface conditions. However, none of previous studies reported high multi-phase measurements at high pressure conditions typical for deep reservoirs. To adequately represent subsurface conditions of carbon geological storage sites, the minimum experimental pressure of 7.38 MPa and minimum temperature of 31 °C, consistent with the supercritical-CO₂ (scCO₂), need to be used. Obtaining stable measurements of the streaming potential under these conditions is extremely challenging. We report a detailed design of a high-pressure experimental system and experimental protocol for multi-phase streaming potential measurements that were carried out on scCO₂-sandstone-brine systems at temperature of 40 °C, pressures ≤10 MPa and with a variety of aqueous solutions.

The obtained results demonstrate for the first time that the multi-phase zeta potential correlates with the measured scCO₂ residual saturation and rock’s wetting state interpreted from other parameters. Moreover, our results unambiguously identify for the first time the polarity and likely magnitude of the scCO₂-brine interfacial zeta potential. Our findings improve the current understanding of the complex wetting behaviour of scCO₂ and provide important experimental data for numerical (surface complexation, molecular dynamics), analytical (DLVO) or combined models.

How to cite: Hidayat, M., Vinogradov, J., Sarmadivaleh, M., Iglauer, S., Vega-Maza, D., and Derksen, J.: New Insights into Underlying Mechanisms of CO2 Wettability and Residual Saturation from Laboratory Measurements of Multi-Phase Zeta Potential in Supercritical CO2-Rock-Brine Systems, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11350, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11350, 2023.

Inland salinisation due to the upwelling of highly mineralised deep waters formed by leaching of Upper Permian salt diapirs is a typical phenomenon in the North German Basin. In the German State of Brandenburg, the local absence of the regionally most important aquiclude, the Lower Oligocene Rupelian Clay, separating deep saline waters from the overlying freshwater aquifers, is considered to be the main cause of local salinisation in the freshwater column.

The present study uses density-driven 3D flow and transport simulations to assess saltwater upwelling across Quaternary window sediments in the Rupelian for an area in southeastern Brandenburg with detectable salt concentrations in the freshwater column. Previous simulations along a 55 km long transect in Brandenburg using a 2D model have already demonstrated the potential negative impact of groundwater extraction, the use of the deep subsurface as a storage reservoir or lower precipitation rates and decreasing groundwater levels as a consequence of global climate change on the degree of upper aquifer salinisation (Chabab et al., 2022; Tillner et al., 2016; Wetzel et al., 2016).

The presented simulation results show that 3D flow strongly affects the temporal and spatial distribution of upper aquifer salinisation due to the varying extent of layers and erosion windows in the Rupelian Clay. The location of groundwater extraction sites, hydraulically conductive faults and spatial variations in groundwater recharge additionally influence the location and degree of shallow aquifer salinisation, and must therefore be carefully considered. Depending on topographic gradients and density variations occurring due to differences in pressure and temperature, convective cells with descending flow and freshwater lenses in the saltwater column also develop locally. We show that 3D flow simulations are essential for site-specific analysis to represent the dynamics of the system with many different hydrogeologic interacting and controlling factors.

Literature

Chabab, E., Kühn, M., Kempka, T. (2022): Upwelling mechanisms of deep saline waters via Quaternary erosion windows considering varying hydrogeological boundary conditions. Advances in Geosciences, 58, 47-54.

Tillner, E., Wetzel, M., Kempka, T., Kühn, M. (2016): Fault damage zone volume and initial salinity distribution determine intensity of shallow aquifer salinisation in subsurface storage. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 20, 1049-1067.

Wetzel, M., Kühn, M. (2016): Salinization of Freshwater Aquifers Due to Subsurface Fluid Injection Quantified by Species Transport Simulations. Energy Procedia, 97, 411-418.

How to cite: Chabab, E., Kühn, M., and Kempka, T.: Saltwater upwelling quantified by density-driven 3D flow and transport simulations for a study area in Brandenburg, Germany, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12741, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12741, 2023.

The use of the coupling approach in analyzing the interaction between the flow field and the stress field in shallow, unconsolidated aquifers allows a better description of the involved phenomena. We perform our study on an area in the Po Plain (northern Italy) in the province of Bologna in Emilia-Romagna based on intended future studies on ground movements due to the superposition of shallow water production with deep underground gas storage.

The static geological model of the alluvial sediments, locally exceeding 500 meters of thickness, is developed via a stochastic approach in order to manage the high degree of uncertainty in the system spatial continuity and heterogeneities. Corresponding water production data and piezometric measurements are collected for simulating the dynamic behavior of the shallow aquifer. The high uncertainty in water production data are managed considering a maximum and minimum scenarios on the basis of punctual well measurements and regional trend information. Correlation law between petrophysical parameters and deformation variables are derived for technical literature. The coupling technique is then applied and some sensitivity analysis are developed to assess the effects of the correlation laws. The results are finally compared with the output from the uncoupled techniques.

How to cite: Eid, C., Benetatos, C., and Rocca, V.: Coupling approach in shallow, unconfined aquifers in the Po Plain area: A preliminary study for future ground monitoring purposes., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12843, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12843, 2023.

The decarbonization of communities and their energy supply is considered as a contemporary priority path forward, although it poses many challenges. In this scenario, geothermal energy can cover a pivotal role in the energy transition and in a wider spread of renewable energies. Moreover, the possibility to reuse or modifying existing wells for geothermal purposes is becoming a hot and promising topic. In Italy, there are more than 8000 abandoned/inactive on-shore wells drilled for hydrocarbon exploration subsequently abandoned either for the end of the resource (exhausted well) or for sterility (barren well). This can represent a huge opportunity for geothermal energy exploitation. The drilled borehole available data, collected during the exploration activity, provide useful information about the sub-surface reservoirs, highly reducing the mining risk level, and allowing direct and low cost access to the sub-surface heat energy.

This work aims to analyse the feasibility of the retrofitting of abandoned oil and gas wells focusing on the Italian territory, proposing a selection methodology of wells starting from raw data collection. We want to evaluate which could be the best technical solutions for the retrofitting of an inactive oil&gas well considering the closed loop geothermal options, both coaxial and deep-U heat exchangers options. We decided to concentrate on the closed loop solution for the retrofitting because of its low environmental impact due to the absence of fluid exchange with the surrounding underground, despite the lower efficiency, compared to a system that involves the extraction of fluids from the subsoil.

A database, that collects data of wells drilled since the middle of 1900, provide by public information, is used, applying a first filter by considering the following discriminant parameters: the depth (more than 1000 m), the Bottom Hole Temperature (BHT), higher than 65°C, and the nearness of possible end-users. After this operation a set of 541 wells has been obtained.  A focus on the status of the well has been performed,  such as vertical or deviated and the availability of a litho-stratigraphic data to thermally characterize the rock formations around the well.  Then, the measured temperature data was analysed to figure out the distribution of geothermal gradient and to identify different situations in terms of temperature at national scale, that could be selected later as representative case studies of high, medium and low enthalpy geothermal plant.  Moreover, the Horner plot approach have been adopted for computing equilibrium temperature at depth after drilling, obtaining the real temperatures for each well. The proximity to possible heat stakeholders was then assessed using a GIS system.

How to cite: Facci, M., Di Sipio, E., and Galgaro, A.: Energy transition and Deep Geothermal solution role: a screening procedure for the retrofitting and reuse of ex Oil&Gas wells as deep closed-loop borehole heat exchangers in Italy, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-14599, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-14599, 2023.

Seismic time-lapse (4D) imaging has been considered as a key solution to monitor CO₂ reservoirs. However, traditionally this technology requires dense data acquisition to produce high-resolution images. It is anticipated that monitoring will be required for more than 50 years after CCS operations cease and the monitoring phase is profit-negative. Developing cheaper 4D seismic imaging techniques is necessary. Historical knowledge of the subsurface structure in and near abandoned hydrocarbon fields, could reduce the dense data requirement of 4D imaging.

Here we present preliminary results of 4D seismic (image-domain) wavefield tomography (IDWT) using pre-stack gathers from a sparse monitoring acquisition. IDWT uses short-offset data to exploit primarily kinematic changes rather than amplitude changes. IDWT minimises the shift between baseline and monitor migrations by optimising the monitor velocity model. Pre-stack IDWT, unlike post-stack methods, can use individual shot gathers to calculate the migration images. This property is beneficial when using sparse data acquisition permitting reliable measurement of shifts between monitor and baseline. Knowing the structure of the subsurface, we can design sparse acquisition surveys for seismic deployment, to minimize uncertainty in target areas. 

We create synthetic models based on Tyra gas field, a prospective future repository of CO₂ in the Danish sector of North Sea and simulate CCS and subsequent leakage scenarios. The presence of CO₂ in the reservoir, as well as the effect of reservoir pressure on the overburden stress-state, changes the seismic velocity structure of the reservoir and the overburden. These velocity changes cause an apparent depth (or time) shift when migrating the data.

How to cite: de Ridder, S., Mohammadzaheri, A., Calvert, A., and Lüthje, M.: Sparse image domain wavefield tomography for low-cost CCS monitoring in repurposed hydrocarbon fields, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15410, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15410, 2023.

Coaxial Deep Borehole Heat Exchanger (DBHE) provides an alternative way to extract geothermal energy by circulating a working fluid without producing geofluids or performing injection processes. It can be used to avoid induced seismicity issues caused by injection operations in hydrothermal doublets or to repurpose damaged or non-productive wells. A detailed numerical model is required to accurately capture as well the thermo-hydraulic processes within the DBHE and the cooling effects in the surrounding reservoir. This numerical model is often high dimensional. For a real-time monitoring purpose and optimization study, a direct numerical simulation with this model is computationally intractable.

In this study, we use a physics-based machine learning method to reduce the computational cost of the performed forward model run. The physics-based machine learning method here is based on the non-intrusive reduced-basis method which expresses a physical solution in a linear combination of basis functions and weights. It is a model-order reduction technique that is mathematically proven to produce physically consistent predictions. The structure of the physics is maintained in basis functions and a machine learning model is deployed to calculate the weight for each basis function.

We show the advantages of using the physics-based machine learning method by applying it to the planned coaxial DBHE in Eden (Cornwall, UK). The forward simulation is performed using the open-source simulator GOLEM, a finite-element (FE) based simulator that is built within the MOOSE framework. In this study we provide a running time comparison between the FE simulations and the physics-based machine learning simulations. We will also evaluate the accuracy of the physics-based machine learning predictions towards the FE solutions. Here, we would like to emphasize the significant computational speed-up that allow us to obtain new temperature and pressure state predictions in real-time context and to perform optimization with numerous iterations.

How to cite: Teza, D., Santoso, R., Koltzer, N., Degen, D., Bennett, T., and Wellmann, F.: Physics-based machine learning for modeling thermo-hydraulic processes in a coaxial deep borehole heat exchanger, considering an explicit reservoir-wellbore representation: A case study of Cornwall, UK , EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16369, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16369, 2023.

Efficient use of new CCS resources depends critically on their characterisation. This is as true for CCS reservoirs that are deep aquifers or reservoirs that have previously been exploited as oil or gas reservoirs. Conventional pre-existing or newly commissioned reservoir characterization methodologies, such as well logs, 3D and 4D seismic reflection and cross-well electromagnetic imaging are limited in their scope and resolution. For CCS, the  crucial characterisation is that of the connectivity of the pore network. Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are inert carbon nano-particles less than 10 nm in diameter. They can be made easily from environmentally-friendly stock materials and remain stable in aqueous solution no matter the pH or salinity, unlike conventional nanoparticles. In fluorescence spectroscopy CQDs demonstrate a strong absorption in the UV region with peaks at 228 nm and 278 nm. Their fluorescence spectra occupy the visible spectrum and are related to the stimulating frequency. These optical properties allow the number of particles to be ascertained easily and their small size allows them to be pervasive in the porous medium. Consequently, CQDs are ideal for use as a conservative tracer. Core and bead–pack tests have shown that almost 100% of the injected CQDs can be recovered from the porous medium indicating that there would be no damage to the CCS resource by their use. Breakthrough curves (BTCs) can be used to calculate the porosity and connectivity of water saturated rocks and the water saturation and connectivity of rocks from previously exploited hydrocarbon reservoirs at temperatures up to 80^oC. Indeed it is possible that CQDs could be used to monitor quantitatively the emplacement of CO₂ along the injection path. Although these CQDs have an attenuated performance in carbonate rocks, surface coatings are expected to resolve this question. Surface functionalisation will also allow the properties of the reservoir, such as temperature to be measured by altering the frequency of the emerging CQDs.

How to cite: Glover, P.: CCS Reservoir Characterisation using Carbon Quantum Dots, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16627, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16627, 2023.

One strategy for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions as the world progresses towards net zero is to extract more hydrocarbons from existing resources. Conventional modelling and simulation of heterogeneous and anisotropic reservoirs consistently and significantly underestimates production, sometimes by as much as 70%.

We now understand that many reservoir properties are fractal, such as porosity, grain size and permeability. While water saturation and capillary pressure have distributions which arise from fractally-distributed microstructural properties. Recent work has resulted in the development of the fractal theory of Archie’s laws, providing fractal dimensions underlying both the cementation and saturation exponents that is consistent with the n-phase Archie’s law theory.

The significant underestimation of production by conventional reservoir models can be overcome by the use of advanced fractal reservoir models (AFRMs) which take account of the fractal distribution of key petrophysical properties such as porosity, grain size, cementation exponent, permeability, water saturation and capillary pressure. These models employ existing and interpolated data across an extended range of scales and take account of variability less than the 50 m seismic resolution limit. AFRMs provide production profiles that are much closer to actual production profiles.

This presentation describes briefly the AFRM approach to the modelling and simulation of heterogeneous and anisotropic reservoirs, showing how AFRMs can be generated easily to match an imposed degree of heterogeneity and anisotropy, or can be conditioned to represent the heterogeneity and anisotropy of the target reservoirs. We describe how AFRMs can be generated and normalised to represent key petrophysical parameters, how AFRM models can be used to calculate permeability, synthetic poroperm cross-plots, water saturation maps and relative permeability curves, and how AFRMs which have been conditioned to represent real reservoirs provide a much better simulated production parameters than the current best technology.

Generic AFRM modelling and simulation show that total production, production rate, water cut and the time to water breakthrough all depend strongly on heterogeneity and anisotropy. Counter to expectation, optimal production is obtained from placing both injectors and producers in the most permeable areas of heterogeneous reservoirs. Furthermore, modelling with different degrees and directions of anisotropy shows how hydrocarbon production depends critically on anisotropy direction, which changes over the lifetime of the reservoir.

AFRMs are ultimately only useful if they can be conditioned to real reservoirs. We have developed a method of fractal interpolation to match AFRMs to reservoir data across a wide scale range. Results comparing the hydrocarbon production characteristics of such an approach to a conventional krigging approach show a remarkable improvement in the modelling of hydrocarbon production when AFRMs are used; with AFRMs in moderate and high heterogeneity reservoirs returning values always within 5% of the reference case, while the conventional approach often resulted in systematic underestimations of production rate by over 70%.

Although more work needs to be done on this new approach to reservoir modelling, initial results indicate that it has the potential for improving the accuracy of modelling and simulation in heterogeneous and anisotropic reservoirs by an order of magnitude or more.

How to cite: Glover, P., Yaghoobpour, M., Lorinczi, P., Wei, W., Bo, L., and Sinan, S.: Unconventional Fractal Modelling and Simulation of Heterogeneous and Anisotropic Reservoirs, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16672, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16672, 2023.

Tight oil reservoirs are often oil-wet and contain surface adsorbed layers of hydrocarbon. Improvement of production lies in part in the ability to produce this adsorbed oil for its own sake and to unblock small pores that can improve the relative permeability of the reservoir. In this paper we have used molecular modelling and simulation first to study the formation of adsorbed oil films made from n-alkanes of 5 different molecular weights (nC7, nC12, nC18, nC22, nC25) on an hydroxylated ->-SiO₂ surface, and then to examine the process of stripping oil from these layers using carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water. It was found that all n-alkanes but nC12 formed a monolayer oil film, while nC12 formed a three-layer oil film. Molecular weight, length and flexibility of the n-alkane were all factors in oil film formation. It was found that flooding with CO₂ is able to strip all of the modelled n-alkanes from the α-SiO₂ surface effectively. The time required to strip the n-alkane was longer for n-alkanes with higher molecular weights. The stripping process was divided into three stages: (i) CO₂ diffusion and dissolution, (ii) competitive adsorption, and (iii) oil film push-off. A fourth stage was recognized only for light n-alkanes, and which involved the dissolution of CO₂ in mobilized n-alkane, leading to improvements in its mobility. Comparative simulations using nC12 showed that N₂ and H₂O exhibit no efficacy in stripping n-alkanes from surface adsorbed oil films. The efficacy of CO₂ was attributed to (i) it being a polar molecule that is attracted to the hydroxylated silica surface, (ii) its miscibility in n-alkanes, and (iii) that it is in a supercritical state at reservoir conditions. The failure of N₂ arises because it is a non-polar molecule with no affinity for the surface and exists as an immiscible gas at reservoir conditions. Water was ineffective, because, though polar, it is immiscible in the oil layer and so cannot access the rock surface. Consequently, CO₂-flooding is expected to be particularly effective in improving production from tight oil-wet clastic reservoirs.

Key words: tight reservoir; pore throats; CO₂ flooding; oil film stripping; molecular simulation

How to cite: Wang, Q., Shen, J., Jie, B., Glover, P. W. J., and Lorinczi, P.: Molecular simulation of stripping of crude oil by CO2 in tight reservoirs, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-17292, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-17292, 2023.

Underground coal fire (UCF) is a disaster associated with coal mining activities which occurs in almost all main coal-producing countries. UCF not only burns up massive coal resource, but also causes damages and pollutions to local eco-environment, such as the land subsidence, the contamination to soil and nearby water resource, the pollution to air, and so on. In this presentation, the author attempts to illustrate a comprehensive understanding to UCF from micro and macro perspectives, including the mechanism of UCF occurrence and propagation, the monitoring and early warning of UCF, the efficient advanced materials depressed the UCF and the UCF’s impact on local eco-environment, which is helpful to understanding well of UCF. Methods and technologies which were employed in this study include analyses of the remote sensing data, the TG data, the C¹³- NMR data, the HRTEM data, the FTIR data, the XRD and XPS data, etc. Necessary models for quantifying UCF occurrence and propagation were established by analyzing the process of UCF. And a novel method was proposed by analyzing the distribution of surface temperature coupled with the NDVI data and InSar data. Some inhibitors were used in this study to depress the proceeds of coal oxidation which is useful to control the UCF. In addition, considering the UCF’s impacts on local eco-environment, coal-fire-induced heavy metal contamination to soil also were investigated which show that the heat effect is a major factor influences the distribution of heavy metal. Finally, strategies were suggested to carry out the restoration of UCF sites after it was extinguished.

Keywords: Underground Coal Fire; Mechanism of Occurring and Propagating; Remote Sensing; Inhibitor; Eco-environment Impact

How to cite: Zeng, Q.: Causes, Monitoring, Extinction, and Eco-environmental Impacts of Underground Coal Fires: A Comprehensive Perspective, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-914, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-914, 2023.

Uncontrolled coal fires are a universal coal mining and post-mining concern. Efforts to extinguish these fires are often unsuccessful and these fires can result in major catastrophes such as the abandonment of the town of Centralia Pennsylvania in the U.S. and displacement of many thousands of villagers in India. The physical threat of these fires, often a result of coal mining, is a serious issue that has taken the lives of people in the U.S., Asia, and Africa. However, an equally though more insidious issue is the long-term health impacts of the emissions of these uncontrolled coal fires. Recent studies in the Jharia region of India has shown that villagers living about one mile from active coal fires reported twice as many health concerns as villagers living about five miles away. Yet, there are many villages in this region and elsewhere where people are living in immediate proximity to these fires. Studies of the gases emitted from these fires and condensates formed from the escaping gases document the mobilization of potentially toxic gases such as benzene, xylene, toluene, methane, carbon monoxide and elements such as As, Se, Hg, F, Pb, Sb. An SEM/EDX study of a small (30mm X 20mm) piece of condensate collected from an active underground coal fire just meters from a village revealed several generations of deposition with at least 30 phases containing ammonia, B, F, Al, Si, S, Cl, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Mo, Cd, I, Ba, Pb, and Bi. Clearly, more attention should be paid to this post mining catastrophe to minimize the health problems and deaths resulting from these uncontrolled coal fires.

How to cite: Finkelman, R. and Dodds, H.: Underground coal fires – A global post-mining catastrophe, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1643, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1643, 2023.

This work investigated an abandoned asbestos mine (AAM) remediation project in CA, US. Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) hyperspectral data were used to assess the mine treatment effect. The distribution of AAM and restored area were evaluated before and after remediating based on the spectral analysis and model for indicating naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) and encapsulation (remediation). We developed NOA, host rock, and encapsulation indices by binary logistic regression modeling using hyperspectral bands. The detection models statistically selected visible-near infrared (VNIR) regions rather than shortwave infrared (SWIR) ranges. The models-based classification accuracy was approximately 84%. Notably, the detection accuracy of non-treated and treated areas was increased to about 90% excluding the host rock index. The NOA and encapsulation indices showed that they can be efficiently applied to asbestos occurrence/remediation. The remote sensing data revealed that the whole AAM area was increased by ~5% by the remediation process, and the restoration activity reduced asbestos exposure by ~32%. This work would be contributed to providing an intuitive and realistic-spatial understanding of the planning and managing remediation project.

How to cite: Jeong, Y., Yu, J., Wang, L., and Kim, H.-C.: Spatial Assessment of Asbestos Mine Remediation Effect Using Airborne Hyperspectral Imaging System, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1693, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1693, 2023.

Modelling oxygen-limited and self-sustained smoldering propagation is of significance for prevention of underground coal fire hazards. However, coupling oxidative reaction and oxygen transport in multi-scale porous media has been still a challenging issue and the conventional models have been questioned by inadequacy of TG-scale kinetic parameters applied to bed-scale propagation. In this work, an analytic expression of oxidative reaction rates limited by oxygen transport was derived from the conservation equations of oxygen species transport in gas and solid. Along with the Darcy air flow driven by thermal buoyancy, the oxygen-limited and self-sustained smoldering propagation of underground coal fires was modeled in this work. The model was compared with laboratory experiments and the conventional model. Results show that the proposed model well predicts the oxygen-limited and self-sustained smoldering propagations of underground bituminous and anthracite coal fires. The predictability of the proposed model is better than the conventional model in spite of great effort to modify kinetic parameters best fitting with experimental data. It is validated that the proposed model addresses the two puzzled issues in the conventional model with respect to buoyancy-driven, oxygen-limited, and self-sustained smoldering propagation of underground coal fires. This work may help to develop green countermeasures to mitigate underground coal smoldering fires.

How to cite: Song, Z.: Modelling oxygen-limited and self-sustained smoldering propagation of underground coal fires driven by thermal buoyancy, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1959, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1959, 2023.

In the coal fire control project, the multiple water injections used to extinguish coal fires and the coal fires that reignite can cause many forms of ground collapse to occur, threatening project safety. Therefore, studying the thermal damage and capturing disaster signals of sandstone, a main weight bearer in coal measure strata, exposed to heating-cooling, cycles is critical to ensure the engineering safety. In this work, the coal-measure sandstones from Urumqi, Xinjiang and Yulin, Shaanxi, China, were collected. For the sandstones from Urumqi, China (Type A sandstone), the samples were first heated to 800 °C, and cooled using water, heated to a setting temperature (100 °C, 200 °C, 300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C and 800 °C), and cooled using water again. The ultrasonic p-wave velocity, density and water absorption of the sandstones were tested. Uniaxial compression tests and shear tests were conducted on the sandstones. The thermal damage in sandstones were analysed using rock energy theory. For the sandstones from Yulin, China (Type B sandstone), the X-ray diffraction test, scanning electron microscope test and uniaxial compression experiment with AE monitoring were carried out for the raw sandstone and the sandstone exposed to 800 °C and water cooling twice (cooling shock sandstone), respectively. The results show that, for the type A sandstone, compared with the mechanical strength of the sandstone at room temperature, the mechanical strength of the sandstone exposed to 800 °C for the first time is decreased by less than 20%. When the sandstone is exposed to high temperature again, the critical threshold temperature is 400 °C. When the temperature exceeds 400 °C, the thermal damage aggravated again and the mechanical strength rapidly degraded. For the type B sandstone, the results showed that the crack density and volume of cooling shock sandstone increased by 8.79% and 2.69%, respectively, and p-wave velocity decreased by 51.83%, compared with those of the raw sandstone. The mechanical strength of cooling shock sandstone decreased, including a 50.68% reduction in elastic modulus. The AE attenuation coefficient α=(1-E_c/E₀) /k_c, related to the elastic modulus and the crack change rate, was derived, which providing an approach to count the attenuation of AE signal caused by thermal damage for cooling shock sandstone. Increasing the preamplifier amplification factor is feasible to improve the accuracy for monitoring the fracture of cooling shock sandstone in coal-fire control project.

How to cite: Ge, S., Shi, B., Zhang, S., Deng, J., and Wu, C.: Effect of thermal damage on capturing fracture signal of high temperature sandstone subjected to cooling shock from the coal fire control project, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3848, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3848, 2023.

Grouting treatment in old goafs is an effective method to achieve sustainable development of mining areas after coal seam mining. Due to the concealment of the old goaf and the lack of historical information, it is difficult to directly obtain the distribution of the residual void in the old goaf. In this study, the residual void distribution law of the longwall old goaf area was studied through similar material simulation test, gangue compression test and stress arch theory. The results showed that the collapse zone can be divided into regular collapse zone and irregular collapse zone. Fissure zone and regular collapse zone have few grouting voids due to the closing effect. Due to the different forms of crushing, the irregular collapse zone has large voids and was difficult to completely close with the passage of time, which is the key area of grouting treatment. For the longwall old goaf area that has reached full mining, the stress relief zone was formed at both ends of the open-off cut and the stop-mining line, and the stress recovery zone and the stress stabilization zone were formed in turn close to the middle of the goaf area. The evolution process of stress arch and fracture arch in the stope can be divided into two stages and three periods. The first stage: the development stage of fracture arch and stress arch, that is, the stress relief and stress recovery period of broken gangue in the goaf. The second stage: the fracture arch and stress arch formation stage, that is, the stress stabilization period of broken gangue in the goaf area. On the basis of the above research, the concept of residual void equivalent height was proposed, and its calculation formula was given, and furthermore, the formula for the estimation of grouting volume was given. The height of the irregular collapse zone was 0.915~0.975 times of the coal seam mining thickness, the residual void equivalent height was about 0.3 times the mining thickness (take its upper limit value), and the residual void equivalent height in insufficiently collapsed area was 0.5 times the mining thickness.

How to cite: Guo, Z., Lu, W., Zhou, Y., Zhang, M., Liao, C., and wang, C.: residual space distribution law in long-wall old mining  area, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4239, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4239, 2023.

Abstract: Atmospheric pressure fluctuation is one of the most important factors affecting the climate environment and gas emission in the fire area. In order to obtain the influence rule of the surface atmospheric pressure change on the gas sampling and abnormal emission in the mine closed goaf, the No. 1 coal mine in Dananhu, Xinjiang was taken as the research object. Using Fourier transform and Fisher harmonic analysis and other methods, the influence of the periodic variation of atmospheric pressure on the gas leakage and outflow in the closed goaf was studied. The results showed that there were three atmospheric pressure periods of 15.2d, 1d and 182.2d, and the probability was greater than 95%. The time period with the highest number of atmospheric pressure peaks was 7:00-8:00, which accounted for 20.2% of total occurrence number in a day. And the time periods with the highest number of atmospheric pressure trough were 2:00, 15:00 and 16:00, accounting for 27.4%. The peak-to-trough transition time was mainly concentrated around 6h, and the diurnal variation curve of atmospheric pressure was mainly bimodal. The atmospheric pressure change rate was mostly concentrated in 10~50 Pa/h. It was determined that the distance that the gas sampling pipe was pre-laid into the inner side of the closed wall should be greater than 44.4m, and the CO concentration and atmospheric pressure in the closed goaf were both periodic and negative with atmospheric pressure. The research results have important guiding significance for the disaster warning and environmental protection of the goaf.

How to cite: Shao, Z. and Tan, B.: Research on the effect of periodic wide atmospheric pressure change on CO emission in closed goaf, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4676, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4676, 2023.

The coal-fire gases are the main actors in terms of element and heat transfer within burning post-mining waste heaps (BPWHs). Although they mainly comprise CO₂ and water, they can locally be enriched in dimethyl (di)sulfide (as much as 15000 ppm, Bytom site), thiophene, SO₂, H₂S; 1,1- and 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane and other halocarbons; chlorobenzene, ammonia, pyridine, HCN, numerous NO_x, (iso)cyanogen halides, and triazine-based and imine-type compounds, AsH₃, PH₃, SiF₄, and SF₆, to mention some. Metals are most likely transported as neutral hydroxides, and/or carbonyl, nitrosyl, and hydride complexes, while iodine - as I₂, iodosomethane, iodocyanoacetylene, and - alongside with Br and Cl - as halocarbons. Occurrence of exotic gases is possible considering their transient nature. The most recent proposal compounds include HNC, formaldoxime isocyanate, peroxyethyl nitrate; tetrafluoro-p-xylylene, perfluorinated p-benzyne, CHClF, HCFBr, 1,2,4-trixolane, thioacetaldehyde, thiocarbonyl fluoride, bromomethane, dithio-p-benzoquinone, monomethylsilane, and titanacyclopropene (e.g., Kruszewski, 2021). Still, the image of the coal-fire exhalative processes is not full. Here, crystal chemistry of some major minerals deposited within exhalative vents of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin heaps is presented. Chemistry of godovikovite - the major component of the Czerwionka-Leszczyny sulfate crust - is [(NH₄)_0.94K_0.04Ca_0.01Mg_0.01]_Σ1.00(Al_0.90Fe_0.09Ti_0.01)_Σ1.00[(SO₄)_1.99 (n=24); it thus bears 8 mol% sabieite and 3% steklite end-members. The local sabieite's formula is [(NH₄)_0.96K_0.03Mg_0.01]_Σ1.00(Fe_0.58Al_0.40Ti_0.02)_Σ1.00(SO₄)_2.00. Chemistry of millosevichite from sulfate crust of Radlin is expressed as  (Al_1.73Fe_0.19Ca_0.07K_0.02Na_0.01Mg_0.01Ti_0.01)_Σ2.04[(SO₄)_2.97(PO₄)_0.01]_Σ2.98 (n=16), while that for its minor Fe-analogue mikasaite is (Fe_1.38Al_0.51K_0.04Ca_0.03Ti_0.02Na_0.02)_Σ2.00[(SO₄)_2.90(PO₄)_0.02]_Σ2.92 (n=3). The local dolerophanite is likely stabilized by iron: (Cu_1.96Fe_0.03)_Σ1.99O_1.03(SO₄)_0.98 (n=15). Locally, a Fe-rich variety is observed, its chemistry being, possibly, (Cu_1.26Fe_0.65Na_0.04K_0.03Al_0.02)_Σ2.00[(SO₄)_0.95(SiO₄)_0.01]_Σ0.96(O_0.99Cl_0.01)_Σ1.00 (n=5). Dolerophanite is associated with honey-yellow crystals with the (Cu_3.85Fe_0.15)_Σ3.00O_1.33(SeO₃)_0.96(SO₄)_1.93 (n=6) formula, likely representing a new mineral species. So is true for a Cu-I-S species and a iodobismuthate (known both at Radlin and Rydułtowy), the forming abundant inclusions in extremely (Br,I)-enriched salammoniac. The wealth of the heap's exhalative zones is "completed" by (NH₄)₃XCl₅ (X = Zn, Fe, Mg, Mn, Cu), a sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate, a potassium sodium dithionate chloride, an ammonium sulfate nitrate, and a phosphimate (tetra-μ-imidocyclotetraphosphate). Both the above halogen-bearing gaseous species and minerals result from transformation of the pore-contained post-mining brines.

Kruszewski, Ł., 2021. Burning Coal-Mining Heaps as an Organochemical Laboratory: Interesting Trace Compounds and Their Potential Sources.  Chapter 3, in: Organic Compounds, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, ISBN: 978-93-87500-41-9, 38 pp., openaccessebooks.com/organic-compounds.html

How to cite: Kruszewski, Ł.: Gas-phase element transfer, rare mineral deposition, and other exhalative phenomena associated with coal fires in heaps: the state of art based on the data from the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6008, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6008, 2023.

Temperature variation and gas generation at different depths and positions in the coal combustion process were studied to determine the propagation and evolution of high temperature regions in the process of coal spontaneous combustion. This study selected coal samples from Mengcun, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China, and developed a semi-enclosed experimental system (furnace) for simulating coal combustion. The thermal mass loss of coal samples under various heating rates (5, 10, and 15 °C/min) was analyzed through thermogravimetric analysis, and the dynamic characteristics of the coal samples were analyzed; the reliability of the semi-enclosed experimental system was verified through the equal proportional method of fuzzy response. The results revealed that the high-temperature zone was distributed nonlinearly from the middle to the front end of the furnace, and the temperatures of points in this zone decreased gradually as the layer depth increased. The apparent activation energy of the coal samples during combustion first increased and then decreased as the conversion degree increased. Furthermore, the proportion of mass loss and the mass loss rate in the coal samples observed in the thermogravimetric experiment was consistent with that observed in the first and second stages of the experiment conducted using the semi-enclosed system. The research findings can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of high-temperature zones in coal combustion.

How to cite: zhao, J., Ming, H., Lu, S., Yang, X., Xiao, Y., Jiang, X., and Li, R.: Semi-enclosed experimental system for coal spontaneous combustion for determining regional distribution of high-temperature zone of coal fire., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6557, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6557, 2023.

Exploitation of coal mining is an important part for economic development, but the exploitation of coal mining will bring a serious impact on the local ecological environment. Ecological restoration is an effective method to improve the ecological environment in the mining areas. The first step of ecological restoration in post-mine is  to rebuild a sustainable mine-soil system. Fine soil overburden is often used in reconstructing soil profiles to provide habitat for vegetation restoration. Fine soil overburden will change the infiltration and evaporation of soil water. However, the understanding of the infiltration and evaporation of soil water is still an ongoing challenge. In this study, four groups of clay soil thicknesses (25 cm, 20 cm, 15 cm and 10 cm) were set up to simulate the overburden fine soil in post-mine ecological restoration, to study the influence of cover fine soil thickness on soil water infiltration and evaporation. The results showed that: a) the correlation between cover clay soil thickness and wetting front migration velocity was negative, namely, the thicker the cover clay soil thickness, the slower the wetting front migration velocity, and the smaller the average infiltration velocity is. However, the amount of water holding in thick overburden clay soil was more than the thin overburden clay soil. b) The overlying clay soil would improve soil water evaporation, but it wasn’t significant(p>0.1) with the thickness. The amount of soil water evaporation was low than the amount of water infiltration in thick overburden clay soil, so, the thick overburden soil could hold more water for the vegetation utilization. c) With the progress of soil water evaporation, the rate of evaporation was decreased with the increase of clay soil cover thickness. The greater the soil cover thickness, the stronger the soil water retention capacity. From the experimental result, the thick clay soil cover could remain more water, and is more suitable for vegetation establishment in post-mining restoration.

How to cite: chengzhi, L.: Influence of soil overburden thickness on water infiltration and evaporation characteristic in post-mine restoration, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7056, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7056, 2023.

The spontaneous combustion of underground minerals causes huge property losses and ecological damage. Coal and oil shale are co associated minerals in the Fushun West Mine, and both have the ability of oxidative spontaneous combustion. To study the effect of microstructure changes on the macroscopic gas product concentration during the mineral oxidation spontaneous combustion process in the Fushun West Mine, this study used a high-temperature temperature-programmed test to obtain the change trend of gas product concentration in different oxidation stages of minerals. Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technology, the changes in active functional groups of surface molecules during the process of mineral oxidation and spontaneous combustion were identified. Finally, using the gray correlation degree, correlation analysis between the concentration of gas products and the concentration of active functional groups in different oxidation stages was carried out. The key reactive functional groups affecting mineral spontaneous combustion were identified. The essential reason for the change in the gas product was revealed.

How to cite: Chang, J.-M., Zhao, J.-Y., Song, J.-J., Zhang, T.-H., Hang, G., Chi, Z.-L., and Wang, C.: Correlation analysis of the change law of index gas and active functional groups in the process of high-temperature spontaneous combustion of minerals in the Fushun West Mine., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7139, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7139, 2023.

Underground mining operations, in which large amounts of rock are extracted, can induce seismic events. Furthermore, draining the water to prevent it from flowing into the mining works is necessary for hard coal mines. Once mining stops, the pumping rates of groundwater decrease or is no longer necessary, allowing the water level to return to its state prior to the construction of such mines. During the post-mining phase in hard coal regions, induced micro-seismicity represents a risk for future land use. The EU-PostMinQuake project, funded by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), aims to study the dependency of such events and the rising water table in hard coal basins to detect and manage the risks of post-mining seismicity. This contribution shows the relation between water and seismicity in four former underground hard coal mines located in Czech Republic, France, Germany and Poland.

How to cite: Primo Doncel, P., Rudolph, T., and Möllerherm, S.: PostMinQuake: analysis of post-mining induced micro-seismicity in former European hard coal regions., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7247, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7247, 2023.

Accurate identification of high temperature area of coal fire is the premise of coal fire control, coal fire monitoring is the test of coal fire control effect, coal fire detection and monitoring are the key and difficult points of coal field fire fighting engineering. This report first introduces the characteristics of high temperature anomalies in coal fire areas, Abnormal characteristics include: abnormal temperature, spontaneous potential, magnetic field intensity, resistivity, gas content. and then proposes targeted detection and monitoring methods on this basis. Commonly used methods include: Temperature measurement method, thermal infrared remote sensing method, natural electric field method, magnetic method, high density resistivity method, transient electromagnetic method, gas component measurement method, radon gas measurement method, and so on. Finally, comprehensive comparative analysis is adopted to achieve the purpose of identifying and monitoring the fire area.

How to cite: Yuan, Y.: Introduction of detection and monitoring methods in coal field fire, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7322, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7322, 2023.

The coalfield fire area is widespread in the world. Numerous coal resources have been destroyed because of the large-scale coalfield fires. Meanwhile, toxic and harmful substances, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, sulfide, and nitrogen oxide, etc., are numerously generated. All of them threat the local ecological environment and the economic development. The occurrence and evolution processes are complex, challenging the scientific prevention and control for coalfield fire. Gas transport mechanism is one of the key points that influence coalfield fire evolution and its efficient prevention and control. This investigation mainly pays attention to the flow filed in underground coalfield fire area. Combining physical test and numerical simulation, the transition law of the main air supply channel in underground coalfield fire area is studied, and the distribution characteristics of flow field in the channels are revealed. These are of great significance for revealing the evolution process of coalfield fire.

How to cite: Li, Q.-W., Fan, H.-P., Ren, L.-F., Xiao, Y., and Zeng, Q.: Study on the Flow Field Variation in Fracture Channel of Coalfield Fire, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8255, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8255, 2023.

As a chronic hazard, coal mine dust is widely distributed in mines around the world, especially in China, and the number of cases of pneumoconiosis caused by coal mine dust remains high every year. In highly gas mines, excavation work is at risk of exceeding gas concentrations, which could cause gas-coal explosions under certain conditions. The underground excavation face of the high gas mine urgently needs to solve the gas overrun problem caused by dust prevention and control work. In this work, gas-coal dust monitoring and early warning technology was used, to establish a treatment concept combining intelligent wind control and dust removal and gas overrun prevention and control. Via numerical simulation with FLUENT, to determine the air volume ratio of gas over limit prevention and control, the optimal dust removal air volume ratio, and applied in the field. The results indicated that the intelligent wind control technology had a excellent prevention effect on the problem of dust-gas coexistence.

How to cite: Cao, Y., Xiao, Y., Wang, Z., and Li, Q.: Intelligent coordinated control technology of dust-gas in underground excavation face in highly gas mine, China, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10406, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10406, 2023.

As a new green chemical inhibitor, ionic liquids can inhibit spontaneous combustion of coal by dissolving and destroying the active structure in coal. In order to investigate the influence of ionic liquids with different concentrations on the molecular structure and the characteristics of low temperature oxidation kinetics of coal at oxygen-poor environment, taking Wucaiwan coal sample in Zhundong mining area as the research object, the molecular structure model of Wucaiwan coal in Zhundong mining area is constructed, and 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazole tetrafluoroborate [HOEtMIm] [BF4] ionic liquid is selected. The effect of ionic liquid on coal is investigated from macroscopic and microscopic levels by means of NMR carbon spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron energy, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and X-ray diffraction. The results show that different concentrations of [HOEtMIm] [BF4] ionic liquids increase the ignition temperature point and the maximum weight loss rate temperature point of coal samples. The percentage of weight loss in the rapid oxidation stage and the whole combustion process of spontaneous combustion decreases with the increase of ionic liquid concentration. Compared with coal samples treated with other concentrations, the coal samples treated with 15% ionic liquids show good stability, and the fluctuation range of combustion characteristics parameters is small, which shows that high concentration ionic liquids can effectively reduce the influence of temperature on coal samples. Different stages of coal spontaneous combustion oxidation follow different reaction mechanism. The activation energy of the coal samples treated with different concentrations of [HOEtMIm] [BF4] ionic liquids did not change obviously in the evaporation and desorption stages of water, and the flame retardant effect was mainly shown in the oxygen absorption and weight gain stages and thermal decomposition stages. Higher concentration of ionic liquids can make aliphatic, oxygen-containing functional groups and side chains in coal structure fall off , so that the macromolecules of coal are arranged more closely, and the arrangement of organic carbon atoms tends to be oriented and regular gradually. The concentration of ionic liquids changed the polymerization degree of coal macromolecules, and the concentration of ionic liquids was proportional to the polymerization degree of coal macromolecules.

How to cite: Hao, R. and Zeng, Q.: Effect of Ionic Liquids with Different Concentrations on Molecular Structure and Combustion Performance of Coal, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10504, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10504, 2023.

Dust suppressant is an important way to improve the efficiency of wet dust removal，but the dust suppressant currently used in mine is generally chemical dust suppressant，which faces challenging problems of low interfacial activity, high cost， poor degradation，as well as environmental pollution and other issues. To synthesis biological dust suppressant (BDS), a new idea of microbial fermentation technology is proposed. Response surface optimization method was used to explore optimal fermentation conditions. These results show that BDS can be produced to the maximum capacity under the conditions of temperature =37.56℃, pH =7.99, rotating speed =220 r/min, inoculant =2.17%, and liquid loading =59.89 ml.XRD, FTIR and HPLC-MS/MS were adopted to explore the structural features of BDS. Its molecular structure shows a cyclic lipopeptide. The wettability was tested with interface rheometer and we found its good wetting ability under the concentration of 0.06wt‰ compared with chemical dust suppressant. At the same time, dust reduction performance was studied with self-developed test system and BDS showed good performance in dust reduction efficiency. Its application prospects are broad, which may open a new situation for green and efficient control of mine dust.

How to cite: Wang, H. and Zhang, Q.: Basic research on application of green dust suppression materials in mines, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-10676, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-10676, 2023.

Coal mining produces a huge amount of waste which is stored in dumps located in close vicinity of coal mines and settlements. As organic matter is still present in deposited claystones, mudstones, sandstones, carbonates, and conglomerates, they are susceptible to self-heating, causing environmental problems. However, these wastes can also be utilized to reduce the amount of waste and the number of dumps.

The municipal waste landfill, operating from 1991 to 1996 for the Katowice town in Wełnowiec district, in Upper Silesia Coal Basin, Poland, was reclaimed with coal wastes. In total, a rubbish dump collected about 1.6 million tonnes of urban waste, composed of ca. 22.5% of coal waste, ca. 21.5% of municipal waste, ca. 40% of building waste and the remainder of composting plant waste. The residents living next to the dump complained about unpleasant odours. This is why it was decided to reclaim the municipal waste landfill and form a multi-barrier system composed of 0.3 m of compacted coal mine wastes, 0.5 m of clays, 0.1 m of sand, 0.3 m of gravel, 0.6 m of uncompacted coal mine waste mixed with soil, and 0.4 m of humus on the top. In 2001, it was decided to exploit biogas (methane) from the dump, and a total of 39 boreholes were drilled. Unfortunately, the rehabilitation caused self-heating and self-ignition to occur, and the first intense fire broke out in the eastern part of the northern slope in November/December 2008, emanating harmful components to the soil, air, and groundwater.

We proved geophysically, that properly planned reclamation has never been performed. Much more coal wastes with much higher organic matter content were deposited on the dump without any packing and fire-preventing measures. The most intensive fire expanded at the northern slope and appeared as hot spots in the eastern and southern parts. The temperature was elevated exceeding 80^oC in these places preventing plants from growing. The highest measured temperature reached 770^oC at 0.3 m subsurface. Vents and fissures which emit hot exhalations containing water vapour, carbon mono- and dioxide, methane, and other light hydrocarbons were encrusted by exhalating minerals. There the dump surface was permeated with water and bitumen formed in pyrolytical conditions in a self-heating zone located deeper within the dump.

Geophysical methods revealed up to 26 m of municipal waste covered by the irregularly distributed material of varying thickness and composition instead of a designed 2.2-m-thick multi-barrier system. The real thickness of coal wastes used for reclamation of the municipal Wełnowiec dump was documented and amounts from 1 to 8 m. The consequence is intensive burning and the necessity of prevention. Where the volume of coal waste is not adequate for thermal activity, no thermal activity was noticed. Where the volume is only just sufficient, small hot spots (< ~20m in diameter) appear and wane. Where the volume of coal waste used in rehabilitation was much greater than planned, as on the northern slope of the dump, burning could spread for many years and require professional firefighting to stop it.

How to cite: Ciesielczuk, J., Fabiańska, M. J., Misz-Kennan, M., Pierwoła, J., and Abramowicz, A.: Utilization of coal wastes in municipal waste landfill reclamation – a Katowice-Wełnowiec case study, Poland, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16711, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16711, 2023.

The intracontinental High Atlas Mountains are the result of multiple tectonic events, from Late Permian-Early Mesozoic Pangea breakup to Cenozoic Africa-Eurasia convergence. Prior to the Cenozoic inversion event, the South Atlas Fault Zone (SAFZ), which surrounded the High Atlas from the south, witnessed for the growth of multiple basins during the Liassic rifting in the eastern segment of the belt. The present work aims to shed light on the development of the Beni Bassia Liassic basin through two faults components of the SAFZ, the E-W J. Amalou faulted anticline (ridge) and Garn Talou fault from the South. Preliminary investigations based on the combination of field data and satellite images reveal significant results regarding the evolution of the basin. In the Beni Bassia Basin, the Ouchbis-Pleinsbachian Formation is an alternating layer of conglomerate limestones and marls, containing olistoliths over 10 meters in length, resulting from the destruction of the underlying platform of the Idikel-Sinemurian Formation. This huge breccia developed at the foot of steep faults on the southern margin of the basin, during the acceleration of the Liassic rifting. During the Cenozoic deformation and uplift of the Eastern High Atlas, bedding directions of Jurassic formations denote progressive changes from E-W in the northwestern to approximately NW-SE to N-S in the southeastern part of the basin. Similarly, the dip direction changes from dipping towards the south to dipping southwest to westward, indicating a dextral movement due to NNW-SSE regional shortening driven by the plates convergence. Other smaller-scale structures confirm dextral transpression kinematics at several places east of the High Atlas, including easterly detachments recorded in Lower Jurassic carbonates. Further investigations are planned to quantify the stress, strain and mechanisms involved in the configuration of the Liassic basin and the subsequent Cenozoic transpression.

Keywords: Eastern High Atlas, South Atlas Fault Zone, Beni Bassia Basin, Jurassic, Inversion, Transpression.

How to cite: Es-sabbar, I., Amrouch, K., Soulaimani, A., and Skikra, H.: Cenozoic inversion of the Lower Jurassic Beni Bassia Basin in the Eastern High Atlas (Morocco): effect of the right lateral transpression along the South Atlas Fault Zone (SAFZ), EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2104, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2104, 2023.

The Atlas system is an intracontinental chain established upon a Paleozoic substratum by the inversion of Triassic basins starting in the late Mesozoic-early Cenozoic. The inversion of the chain is related to the Atlas rift system that was influenced by the opening of the Central Atlantic in the West and the Tethys in the north. This was coeval with a regional exhumation following the Alpine shortening responsible for the continuous uplifting of the chain since Late Cretaceous. The structural history and chronology of events are still matter of debates. To contribute to this, we focus on the Western High Atlas (WHA) aiming a retro enactment of the paleo-stresses states, by analyzing deformation structures at various scales. The geological data were collected at different stratigraphic levels: from the contact Paleozoic basement/Mesozoic cover interface to the Triassic detrital formations of the Argana corridor in the east, to the Jurassic-Cretaceous and Cenozoic plateaus in the west. Preliminary results highlight two major tectonic events: (1)- a first extensive event, with sub-horizontal minimal principal stress σ3 oriented NW-SE, that is linked to the Central Atlantic basin opening. This event is characterized by pull apart basins structured into horsts and grabens. (2)- a second compressive event, marked by NE-SW to NNE-SSW shortening. The later is subdivided into two episodes: i- an early post-rift episode (Middle-Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous), marked by stylolites and meso-structures that occurred at the beginning of the main uplifting stage. ii- a late compression episode, characterized by a maximum principal stress σ1 mainly oriented NNE-SSW to NNW-SSE, starting at the late Cretaceous and accelerating during the Tertiary, simultaneously with the Africa-Europe collision.

Keywords: Paleo-stress, Structural analysis, Atlas rift system, Tectonic inversion, Western High Atlas Morocco, Alpine orogeny.

How to cite: Amarir, S., Amrouch, K., Belfoul, M. A., and Skikra, H.: Upper Crust structural evolution of the Alpine orogeny in an intracontinental belt: Western High Atlas (WHA) Mountains, Morocco, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2858, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2858, 2023.

The Wilson Cycle (ca. 250-300 Ma) is driven by plate tectonics, and is expressed by the opening of oceanic basins, which are subsequently closed to form orogens. Morocco has experienced several orogenic cycles: e.g., Eburnean, Pan-African, Hercynian (Variscan) and Alpine (Atlasian). The last Wilson Cycle that shaped the geology of Morocco is the Alpine Cycle (300-0 Ma). It started by the dismantlement of the Pangea Supercontinent leading to the opening of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlas rift system. The latter was subsequently aborted and inverted into a fold-and-thrust belt during the Cenozoic, due to the opening of the South Atlantic and the convergence between Africa and Iberia-Europe. The Atlas system of NW Africa includes two intracontinental ranges, the High and Middle Atlas extending ENE-WSW and NE-SW, respectively. It is a key piece in the Pangea breakup puzzle, as its evolution captures the kinematic of the African plate during Mesozoic to Cenozoic times. Several studies have examined the structural and stratigraphic architectures of the Atlas system during the rifting phase, by removing the Alpine inversion along palinspaticly reconstructed 2D sections. However, little was done to investigate the crustal structure and the amount of crustal stretching during the Triassic to Jurassic extension. This work aims to reconstruct the pre-alpine architecture of the Atlas system and link it directly with the evolution of the crust. Our goal is to provide insights into the amount of crustal thinning that took place during the Mesozoic rifting in the Atlas domain and constrain the strain distribution within the African plate during the dismantlement of the Pangea.

Key words: Wilson cycle; Atlas system; Pangea; Break up; Inversion; Pre-Alpine cycle.

How to cite: Ankach, M., Amrouch, K., and Gouiza, M.: Reconstructing the Pre-Alpine cycle of Moroccan Atlas system before the inversion phase, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2949, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2949, 2023.

The Moroccan High Atlas is an Alpine fold belt formed by the structural inversion of Mesozoic rift basins during the Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic. The involvement of mantle-related thermal mechanisms is anticipated to account for the anomalously elevated orogen and surrounding plateaus and basins. In the range’s Western portion, the Marrakech High Atlas displays the most pronounced basement exposure at the range scale. Recent studies highlighted the role of thick-skinned tectonics thrusting and folding during the basin inversion. Although several works brought considerable insights into the actual understanding of the High Atlas structural evolution, there is still an ambiguity regarding the kinematics, paleostresses, and tectonic regime associated with the basin inversion. In the present work, we examine the paleostresses history of the High Atlas fold belt through analyses of mesostructures i.e. striated faults planes, micro-shear fractures/veins, tensile fractures/veins, stylolites and mesoscale folds, in the northern and southern borders of the Marrakech High Atlas. The aim of this work is to illustrate the tectonic complexity of orgenic belts developed in an intracontinental setting far from the plates’ collision boundaries.

How to cite: Skikra, H., Amrouch, K., Soulaimani, A., and Amarir, S.: Stress and strain patterns related to the inversion of the High Atlas aborted rift, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5266, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5266, 2023.

The Imini mining district (Morocco) hosts the largest manganese (Mn) ore deposits of North Africa (~120.000 T in 2016). The area is world recognized for hosting several epigenetic karst-type high-grade manganese deposits in a 10-15 meters thick Cenomanian-Turonian dolostone unit. These unconventional Mn oxide deposits occur along a belt of ~25-30 km in the southern foreland of the intraplate Atlasic belt of Morocco. This is due to two laterally extensive ore bodies of nearly pure pyrolusite-rich manganese ores (72-88 wt.% MnO₂) and a third discontinuous medium-grade coronadite-rich Mn ore (40–48 wt.% MnO₂)(Dekoninck et al., 2016a, b; Gutzmer et al., 2006). Our recent works allowed precise dating and geodynamic reconstructions of the ore deposit genesis. The ore depositions occurred during (i) late Cretaceous to late Paleocene (~ 92 Ma, ~ 78–82 Ma, ~ 65–67 Ma and ~58 Ma), (ii) late Eocene (c. 36 Ma), and (iii) early Burdigalian to early Serravalian probably in two pulses at c. 19–20 Ma and c. 13 Ma (Dekoninck et al., 2021, 2023). This multistage deposition coincides with three geodynamic events linked to the uplift of the Atlas. The late Cretaceous uplift of the Atlas created the required hydraulic head to sustain (1) fluid-rock interactions between O₂-poor acidic ground waters and the Triassic series source, (2) migration of the metal-rich low-temperature hydrothermal fluid from the rock source and (3) overpressure fluid in the Imini depositional site. The vanishing of Triassic series above the Imini anticline forced these hydrothermal fluids to mix with oxygenated ground and alkaline waters resident in the karst system and precipitated the Mn oxides. The N70°-oriented Atlasic tectonic structure controls the orientation of these epigenetic karst-hosted Mn deposits. The late Eocene – Early/Middle Miocene uplifts generated additional supplies and/or in-situ remobilizations of the primary late Cretaceous medium-grade ore to form the high-grade pyrolusite-rich ore.

References

Dekoninck et al. 2023 (accepted). Mineralium Deposita. Dekoninck et al. 2016. Mineralium Deposita 51, 13-23. Dekoninck et al. 2016. in: Mineral Deposits of North Africa. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 575–594. Dekoninck et al. 2021. Mineralium Deposita 59, 935–956. Gutzmer et al. 2006. Economic Geology 101, 385–405.

How to cite: Dekoninck, A., Barbarand, J., Ruffet, G., Missenard, Y., Mattielli, N., Leprêtre, R., Mouttaqi, A., Saddiqi, O., Verhaert, M., and Yans, J.: How to create the highest manganese ore grade in the world? A geodynamic story in the Atlas of Morocco., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5478, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5478, 2023.

Integrating geological and 2D basin modeling of the East Beni Suef Basin, located in north-central Egypt, allows extending burial and thermal history modeling into the deeper parts of the basin, which are not explored by drilling activities thereby evaluating the hydrocarbon potential of the actual kitchen areas. In addition, this regional approach allows us not only to study the hydrocarbon generation potential of the deeper kitchen area but also the migration and accumulation history of the basin. The East Beni Suef Basin (EBSB) is an extensional rift basin, which was initiated following the opening of the NeoTethys and Atlantic oceans and the associated tectonic motion of Africa with respect to Eurasia during the Early Cretaceous. Its stratigraphy comprises five main rock units of mixed siliciclastic-carbonates ranging from the Albian to the Eocene from base to top as follows: Kharita Formation, Bahariya Formation, Abu Roash Formation, Khoman Formation, and Apollonia Formation. The Upper Cretaceous Abu Roash Formation is divided into seven members based on the siliciclastic to non-clastic ratio and includes the main petroleum system elements of the basin, where the carbonate “F” Member is the source rock, while the siliciclastic portions of the “E” and “G” members constitute the reservoir rocks. This study aims to gain insight into the geological evolution of the EBSB and to improve our understanding of its Upper Cretaceous petroleum system, in terms of burial and thermal histories, source rock maturity, and hydrocarbon generation, migration, and accumulation. Thus, an integrated geological and basin modeling workflow was employed, making use of two basin-wide seismic sections, crossing the EBSB in SW-NE and NW-SE directions, and three boreholes with well data. The interpreted 2D seismic lines served as the basis to define the geometrical and structural framework and the development of the subsequent 2D basin modeling of the basin. Modeling results indicate that the Abu Roash “F” source rock maturity ranges from the early oil window at the basin margins to the main oil window in the center. The main phase of hydrocarbon generation occurred during the Eocene after trap formation in the Late Cretaceous. Generated hydrocarbons have migrated both laterally and vertically, most likely from the central part of the basin toward the basin margins, particularly eastward to the structural traps. The model predicts low accumulation rates for the EBSB, which are caused by the ineffective sealing capacity of the overburden rocks and normal faults. In addition to the proven kitchen for the charging of the Abu Roash “E” reservoirs, an additional kitchen to the west of the basin is suggested for the Abu Roash “G” reservoirs. The results of this work can better elucidate the present-day distribution of the Upper Cretaceous accumulations in the EBSB for further successful exploration activities.

How to cite: Tawfik, A. Y., Ondrak, R., Winterleitner, G., and Mutti, M.: Integrated Workflow for Petroleum System Analysis: Application to the East Beni Suef Basin, Egypt, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8854, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8854, 2023.

The geomorphological and tectonic processes being responsible for the control of the mountain ranges geometry is feasible to be assessed through geomorphological and morphotectonic indices. Those indices are dependent on tectonic or erosional processes and other factors influencing the development of the landforms. Tectonic geomorphology applications using satellite-based remotely sensed data, such as Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), can highlight specific geomorphic features capable to provide useful information and knowledge towards the evaluation of the regional tectonic activity in mountain ranges. This study examines the Moroccan High Atlas mountain range by using morphotectonic and geomorphometric indices such as the channel steepness index, amplitude of relief index, stream length gradient index, swath profiles, local relief and hillslope mapping to determine the distribution of the tectonic activity variations. Through those indices the evaluation of the geomorphic responses to tectonics takes place by highlighting the relationships between tectonic activity, rock resistance, stream channel slope, active or recent vertical displacements. The outcomes of the geomorphometric and morphotectonic investigation highlight the presence of considerable geomorphic variations across the main fault zones featuring the orogen’s anatomy, while tectonic activity seems to be a major factor controlling and shaping the Moroccan High Atlas mountain range landscape. The methodological framework of this study could be developed into a low-cost technique for assessing seismic hazard, offering a valuable tool towards assessing disaster risk reduction activities, whereas in conjunction with other factors the georesources exploration. 

Acknowledgements

The corresponding author acknowledges the 'EXCELSIOR': ERATOSTHENES: Excellence Research Centre for Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment H2020 Widespread Teaming project (www.excelsior2020.eu). The 'EXCELSIOR' project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 857510, from the Government of the Republic of Cyprus through the Directorate General for the European Programmes, Coordination and Development and the Cyprus University of Technology.

How to cite: Argyriou, A. V., Skikra, H., Amrouch, K., and Soulaimani, A.: GIS-based morphotectonic and geomorphometric assessment for the Moroccan High Atlas mountain ranges, Morocco., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12569, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12569, 2023.

The impact of climate change on cultural assets represents a topical subject of scientific research, although spotlighting heritage sites on land while often neglecting the vulnerability of the underwater world. The WATERISKULT project (https://wateriskult.geoscienze.unipd.it), funded by the European Union under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, aims at filling that gap. The project will provide the first quantitative assessment of the risk to underwater cultural heritage, with a focus on archaeological stone, a material part of countless remains of ancient cities and ship cargoes sunken in the oceans. This contribution introduces WATERISKULT by presenting its layout and first research activities, based on an interdisciplinary approach (including petrography, oceanography, analytical chemistry, marine biology, hydraulic engineering, and underwater archaeology) and a mixed field and laboratory experimentation. The key-factors of climate change under investigation involve ocean acidification, sea level rise, ocean warming, and extreme weather events. Moreover, the causes and effects of current deterioration of archaeological stone materials are being explored, considering the Mediterranean Sea as pilot area. The research results are expected to help assessing the observed and predicted decay trends of underwater heritage sites, constrained by the diverse characteristics of the component materials and submarine environments.

How to cite: Germinario, L., Moro, I., and Mazzoli, C.: Assessing the climate change risk to underwater cultural heritage: the EU-funded WATERISKULT project, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1054, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1054, 2023.

Change in climate extremes and the increased risk associated with human-induced global warming is apparent. Less apparent is the impact such changes may have on vulnerable systems in our society. Climate change impact assessments using state-of-the-art climate models coupled with damage information can offer actionable insight for stakeholders to better protect vulnerable systems.

Cultural heritage is an example of a system that is vulnerable to climate change, especially built cultural heritage which is directly exposed to changing climate extremes. In the UK, significant development has been achieved to better understand the potential change in climate extremes following the release of UK Climate Projections 18 (UKCP18), however, understanding of risk posed by these climate extremes to built cultural heritage is poorly constrained. How to assess and quantify this risk is in its infancy.

We have developed a new methodology building on previous work by cultural heritage experts - the Cultural Heritage Climate Risk Assessment (CHCRA) framework. The CHCRA framework focuses on combining stakeholder engagement and high-resolution climate models to develop site-specific projections of potential damage to cultural heritage assets. This integrated framework when applied with adequate information allows estimation of expected damages to cultural heritage assets through the 21st century.

We applied the CHCRCA framework to cultural heritage buildings in the Edinburgh World Heritage Site, Scotland, considering one-day extreme rainfall events. This pilot study used UKCP18 2.2 km resolution climate projections alongside qualitative and quantitative damage data obtained from multiple sources.

Importantly, UKCP18 2.2 km model is a Convection Permitting Climate Model with the ability to better represent extreme rainfall events. Furthermore, expert elicitation through interviews with practitioners from cultural heritage organisations within Edinburgh were carried out to obtain damage information specific to cultural heritage buildings in the Old and New Town Edinburgh (ONTE), part of the Edinburgh World Heritage Site. A damage function was derived based on expert elicitation and other sources.

Key findings include annual expected damage per year increases from 0.6% in the baseline period (1981-2000) to 1.5% in 2021-40 and 2.3% in 2061-80. A three-to-four-fold increase in annual expected damage to cultural heritage buildings in the ONTE is expected towards the end of the 21^st century.

This is the first application of the CHCRA framework. This pilot study considered only one climate stressor, extreme one-day rainfall events. Damage at built cultural heritage is likely exacerbated and accelerated by other climate stressors, as well as non-climate related factors such as poor maintenance. Furthermore, damage caused by pluvial and/or fluvial flooding mechanisms were not taken into consideration, as well as no consideration given to reduction in risk due to adaptive measures.

This study provided insight into the changing risk posed by an impactful climate stressor to cultural heritage buildings in the ONTE. The study highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement from the outset when carrying out a climate change impact assessment. Further work may benefit from considering a more wide-ranging array of climate stressors to capture synergistic damage processes.

How to cite: O'Neill, S., Tett, S., and Donovan, K.: Extreme rainfall risk and climate change impact assessment for Edinburgh World Heritage sites, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2440, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2440, 2023.

The conservation and protection of cultural heritage, seen in its broadest definition, face ongoing and new challenges as a result of the impacts of slow and extreme climate changes. Therefore, there is the need of further studies and the development of improved methods in order to support decision makers and public authorities in preparing plans to manage and mitigate the correlated risks.

The present contribution aims at analysing and assessing the impacts of pollution and climate change induced extremes on the built heritage located in the historic centre of Rieti (Italy). This research has been conducted in the framework of the Interreg Central Europe Project STRENCH (STRENgthening resilience of Cultural Heritage at risk in a changing environment through proactive transnational cooperation, 2020–2022) and the National Italian Project "Piano Straordinario di Monitoraggio e Conservazione dei Beni Culturali Immobili'', coordinated by the Ministry of Culture. First, the pollutants data (NO₂, SO₂, O₃, PM_2,5 and PM₁₀) extracted from air quality monitoring station at Rieti (IT0867A) were analysed and interpreted in accordance with the limiting values mandated by Italian law (legislative Decree 155 of 2010) for the characterization of air quality. Further, surface recession of carbonate stones for the period of 2011-2021 was calculated using Lipfert (1989) and Kucera et al. (2007) damage functions. Then, the “Risk Mapping tool for Cultural Heritage Protection” (https://www.protecht2save-wgt.eu/) was exploited: time series based on earth observation data (e.g. Copernicus C3S reanalysis and NASA GPM IMERG products), historical changes based on EOBS dataset and future hazard maps at territorial level based on outputs from regional and global climate models (EURO-CORDEX initiative) were investigated.

Obtained results reveal that a constant slight decline trend of pollutants annual average is shown over the years from 2011 to 2019. During 2020, lower values for each pollutant component were observed, partially attributed to the lockdown caused by the Covid19 pandemic. It was also observed that each investigated gaseous pollutant and PM fractions were within the limits regulated by the Italian Law.

Regarding the surface recession analysis, it was observed that it has been decreasing over the past 10 years from 2010 with slight increases occasionally. Also here, a decline in 2020 attributed to the lockdown is clearly observable. Moreover, most of particles contributing to PM can be certainly attributed to vehicular traffic, among anthropogenic sources, and are therefore in the fine fraction.

Finally, climate future projections, with spatial resolution of 12x12km, show a general increase of the changes of the extreme indices taken into consideration (R20mm and Rx5day); the biggest variations are typically foreseen for the far future (2071-20100), under the pessimistic scenario (RCP 8.5), highlighting a high likelihood of heavy rain and flooding risk in the area of Rieti.

How to cite: Sardella, A., Canesi, L., Prashanth Setty, N., Gaddi, R., and Bonazza, A.: Impact Assessment of Pollution and Climate-Induced Damage on Historic Centre of Rieti (Italy), EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3237, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3237, 2023.

The methods and the tools aimed at characterizing and analysing the carbonate materials used in the historic built heritage often follow different ways according to the different branches of applied research involved in the knowledge process. In this framework, the 3D digital models both of in situ architectural elements and of significative samples of rocks used as building materials can play an important role in relating different data and disciplines aimed at the prevention and conservation of the Cultural Heritage. Although the 3D geomatic and geophysical digital models represent privileged tools of the diagnostic analysis, they must be supported by the knowledge of the textural characteristics of the rocks under investigation with petrographic analyses. In order to study the stone materials heavily used in the historic built heritage and analyse their vulnerability to the conditions in their environment, it can be beneficial to study appropriately prepared samples and make as many measurements as necessary with different techniques. Moreover, some analyses are destructive and there is a limit to the number of samples that can be sacrificed. For this reason, in the analysis of rock samples, non-destructive techniques are constantly being improved. In this study, using a suitably implemented integrated methodology we analysed in detail samples of the carbonate rocks of the Calcari di Cagliari formation represented by Pietra Cantone, Tramezzario and Pietra Forte lithologies, mainly used in the past as construction materials for the buildings of the Historical Centre of Cagliari (Italy). Our methodology is represented by an integration of the geomatic survey carried out by structure-from-motion (SfM) digital close-range photogrammetry and the seismic tomography normally used for the in situ inspection adapted to laboratory tests on samples of the above lithologies using ultrasonic frequency signals. The rigorous metric of the geomatic 3D models was used to implement the ultrasonic survey by which internal characteristics and physical properties of the studied material are detected thanks to the spatial variations of the longitudinal velocity obtained after the tomographic inversion. The geomatic and geophysical data were complemented by an accurate analysis of the above carbonate materials by optical and scanning electron microscopy in order to detect their textural characteristics and especially the nature and distribution of their porosity. The microscopy analyses were integrated by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) to obtain further information on the pore network, particularly on the effective porosity, pores-throat diameters/radii, permeability and tortuosity of the investigated materials. All the above parameters were found to affect the geomatic and geophysical behaviour of the carbonate materials. The integration of the multi-technique data produced in this study contributes to better understand the interaction between the investigated materials and the environment.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Regione Autonoma dellaSardegna (RAS) (Sardinian Autonomous Region), Regional Law 7th August 2007, no. 7, Promotion of scientific research and technological innovation in Sardinia (Italy), Resp. Sc. S.Fais.

How to cite: Casula, G., Fais, S., Cuccuru, F., Bianchi, M. G., and Ligas, P.: Characterization of the carbonate rocks of the Calcari di Cagliari Formation using a combined petrographic, geomatic and geophysical approach., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5424, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5424, 2023.

Built heritage, which gives identity to the urban fabric and fosters the collective memory of the community, is at risk of deterioration due to climate stressors. These stressors result from rapid urbanisation, covering surfaces with hard materials, and a disconnection from nature.

Today, nature-based solutions have become a growing trend as a way to reconnect with nature and mitigate the impact of climate change. Green infrastructures (GI), in particular, offer numerous environmental and social benefits, especially in dense urban areas, including improved air quality, reduced heat island effect, increased biodiversity and improved stormwater management, and stress-reducing and restorative effects on individuals.

Although built heritage sites form an important part of the urban fabric, they are often excluded from this green transition due to the risk of invasive species damaging historic buildings' structural and aesthetic integrity. Therefore, there is a lack of research analysing rigorously designed examples of GI in a historical context.

This study aims to narrow the focus to the sociocultural perception and acceptance of GI in a historical context. We will analyse spatial-perceptual patterns and socio-cultural motivations behind the deliberate use of GI in this context, using biophilic design principles and architectural perception theories as frameworks. Using GIS monitoring as a methodology, we will map and collect inventory data on real-life examples of GI applied to historical buildings in Belgium-Antwerp. The goal is to understand the correlations between spatial-perceptual factors and the use of GI in built heritage contexts.

How to cite: Kale, E., De Groeve, M., and De Kock, T.: Exploring the Socio-Cultural Compatibility of Green Infrastructures in Built Heritage Contexts: A Case Study in Antwerp (Belgium), EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5685, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5685, 2023.

Salt weathering is a main cause of damage in building heritage materials. Despite the large amount of research on this topic, the mechanism of damaging processes remains not fully understood in particular at the pore scale where the salt crystallization and dissolution occur. For this reason, we propose an innovative approach combining damage proxy measurements at pore-scale using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Raman spectrometry and multi-scale numerical modelling, performed during weathering cycles. Imbibition-evaporation cycles are performed on carbonate stones (Savonnières and Saint Maximin limestones) with a 0.1 mol/L sodium sulfate solution at controlled room temperature and relative humidity. The stone samples are especially designed for the measurements at the pore-scale. Cylinder of 1.6 cm diameter and 1.5 cm thickness have been coated with very viscous epoxy resin. Then the two sides of the cylinder have been polished to obtained two free surfaces that allow the fluid circulation in the sample and the measurements. After each weathering cycle, nanoindentation experiments are performed on representative areas of several hundreds of square micrometers in order to monitor the mechanical properties evolution. A force of the µN order is applied in order to stay in the elastic deformation regime. Young modulus values can be then deduced from the slope of the force curves that occurs during the cantilever deflection. With this method, the effect of salt weathering on the mechanical properties of stone minerals is investigated at the pore scale and with no impact of the measurement on the phases structure (reversible indentations). The AFM results are then coupled with chemical Raman mapping to identify the present phases and assign them their mechanical properties. The obtained experimental data are then used in numerical modeling, to generate a numerical Young modulus field with the same properties than the experimental field. Finally, a new medium with higher dimensions will be generated to compare the results with the macro-scale observations on building heritage stones. AFM characterization shows that changes occurred on the topography of the samples between the first and the third alteration cycles. They are of the order of several tens of nanometers and correspond either to salt crystals deposits or in some cases to the loss of material that took place between the second and the third cycle. A decrease of the Young modulus is observed after each cycle that is of the order of 2 GPa between the first and the second cycles. More significant changes are observed after the third cycle especially in some areas where a decrease up to 3 to 4 GPa is estimated.

How to cite: Mathieu, C., Wassermann, J., Adler, P. M., Péralta, S., Gallias, J.-L., Hébert, R. L., and Bromblet, P.: Pore-scale investigation of salt weathering in building heritage materials: combining AFM nano-indentation measurements and multiscale modeling., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5786, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5786, 2023.

The characteristics of the pore space are considered a key factor in susceptibility of the stone to various weathering processes. The pore size distribution can be determined by a number of methods such as mercury intrusion porosimetry or computed topography. None of them is without disadvantages, namely the mercury intrusion porosimetry – despite being very popular – is the object of some critics due to the harmful effects of the mercury. Within the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the use of non-Newtonian fluids for obtaining the pore size distribution of the porous materials (see, e.g., Abou Najm and Atallah, 2016; Rodríguez de Castro et al., 2016). The principle exploits the behaviour of non-Newtonian fluids whose viscosity changes with shear rate. This is manifested by the fact that saturated flow of different fluids under different hydraulic gradients is distributed differently in the pore space. Therefore, conducting a set of saturated flow experiments with different fluids and/or under different hydraulic gradients allows – using a numerical model – to determine an approximation of the pore size distribution.

Our goal is to test feasibility of determining the pore size distribution using saturated flow experiments with low-concentration water-xanthan solutions (<1 g/l) under relatively small hydraulic gradients (<5). We have now completed a set of laboratory experiments for three types of sandstone and we are performing a sensitivity analyses of the parameters used in the numerical model. The presented approach is low-cost, easy-to-use and can serve as an alternative to mercury intrusion porosimetry in geoscience and various cultural heritage studies.

The research is funded by the Czech Science Foundation [21-27291S].

References:

Abou Najm, M.R., Atallah, N.M., 2016: Non-Newtonian Fluids in Action: Revisiting Hydraulic Conductivity and Pore Size Distribution of Porous Media. Vadose Zone Journal, 15(19), 1–15.

Rodríguez de Castro A., Omari, A., Ahmadi-Sénichault, A., Savin, S., Madariaga, L-S., 2016: Characterizing Porous Media with the Yield Stress Fluids Porosimetry Method. Transport in Porous Media, 114, 213–233.

How to cite: Slavík, M. and Lanzendörfer, M.: Obtaining pore size distribution of porous stone using non-Newtonian fluids, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5956, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5956, 2023.

The prospect for the sustainability of the Gallo-Roman archeological site located in Genainville (France), where relics and artifacts dated to the 2rd century CE have been excavated is threaten by groundwater ingression. The in-situ building heritage materials and structures comprising a two cellea temple and an amphitheater made of limestones, are submitted all days to rising and changing groundwater levels; water being the main agent or vector of damage processes (salt weathering or freeze-thaw cycles). As part of a multi-disciplinary effort to support archeological expeditions and conserve the site structures. We report the results of groundwater monitoring and hydrogeological studies as well as tidal subsurface analysis executed to quantitatively evaluate hydraulic and geo-mechanical characteristics of the subsurface sequences toward a nondestructive approach. Continuous groundwater level data recorded in three wells in the archeological site were decomposed into constituent events that impact the observed fluctuations. The groundwater levels and barometric pressure data were acquired at 60 seconds intervals to study the response of the aquifer to strain and stress prevalence at the site. Using the method of regression deconvolution, the response to barometric pressure was disentangled from the measured water levels. Theoretical Earth tides parameters were computed using the PyGtide code, based on the ETERNA PREDICT program, at intervals of 1 minute. Harmonic analysis of the raw and filtered data using the classical Fast Fourier transform (FFT), and Singular Spectral Analysis (SSA) identify M₂, S₂, K₁ and O₁ tidal constituents as the dominant amplitudes. The SSA technique has the advantage of resolving the events into individual strands compare to the spectra of the composite data produced by the FFT. Hence, an event decomposed in the data is isolated in terms of it frequency and amplitude, and visualized. The K₁ and S₂ harmonic constituents were present in the filtered and raw data sets with different amplitudes. The amplitude response method was used to compute the poroelastic properties of the aquifer and characterize the subsurface heterogeneity. The model identified a semi-confined aquifer as the main groundwater storage system in the site.

Keyword: Heritage site, groundwater ingress, harmonic constituents, hydraulic properties

How to cite: Nkitnam, E. E., Maineult, A., and Wassermann, J.: Investigations of shallow aquifer groundwater systems of a Gallo-roman anthropized site using earth tide analysis, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6252, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6252, 2023.

A large number of stained glass windows were installed from the 13^th century. During the Middle-Ages, most of glass pieces have a Si-K-Ca composition with a relatively low SiO₂ content, but high content of K₂O and CaO.  This chemical composition means that medieval stained glass deteriorates during environmental exposure, from climate and environmental pollution. These alterations are manifested in the form of an alteration layer and secondary phases (mainly gypsum or syngenite). The alteration layer is generally depleted in K and Ca, but rich in Si, Al and Fe. Its thickness varies up to 300 µm after 6 or 7 centuries of alteration. In order to reconstruct the alteration history and predict the deterioration of stained glass windows in the future, it is necessary to determine alteration rates as a function of the climate and environmental parameters.

Several methodologies can be used to achieve this. First, short-term exposures or laboratory experiments can assess the first stages of the alteration and short-term kinetics. From these results, dose-response functions (DRF) were established for sheltered and unsheltered rain conditions. They correlate relevant environmental factors (temperature, rain quantity, rain pH, relative humidity, SO₂ concentration) with the response of the materials in terms of alteration layer thickness. The second methodology consists in laboratory experiments that aim at parametrizing kinetic laws as a function of specific parameters (temperature, pH of rain, and relative humidity). These kinetic parameters do not directly consider pollution, but they can be extrapolated over long periods and can be inputs to geochemical models. In this study, we have compared both methodologies to simulate the alteration of a model stained glass at different European sites (using data from the ICP-Materials program). Both models give good results, but the geochemical model tends to underestimate the alteration at polluted sites. This indicates that the pollution via the concentration in SO₂ for example should be included to improve the model.

How to cite: Verney-Carron, A., Sessegolo, L., Lefèvre, R.-A., and Brimblecombe, P.: Comparison of different kinds of models to simulate the alteration of medieval stained glass as a function of climate and pollution, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8060, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8060, 2023.

Moisture and salts cause considerable damage to built and rock-hewn heritage. Rock moisture is a key factor for numerous decay processes, but there is limited knowledge of salt and moisture distribution because measurements of spatial and temporal moisture distribution still remain challenging. The medieval cave town of Uplistsikhe (Georgia) is hewn out of very soft Lower Miocene sandstone and is a typical example of a heritage site suffering from progressive decay. We present data on moisture and salt distribution derived from a multi-method approach, including microwave sensor monitoring (MW-mon; continuously over 2 yrs), microwave handheld sensors (MW), 2D-resistivity profiles (ERT), rock sampling by drilling, and salt extraction by paper pulp poultices (PPP).

Microwave monitoring was applied for the first time (to our knowledge) in a long-term monitoring of heritage sites. We used equipment from hf-sensor (Germany) with two types of microwave reflectivity sensors penetrating approx. 7 cm and 13 cm deep, respectively. The sensors were installed inside and outside of two prominent caves (Grand Hall and Long Hall). MW, ERT, PPP and drilling were carried out in four caves (the two mentioned plus Blackberry Hall and Teatron). Careful laboratory calibration using samples from the site was necessary to produce quantitative results for MW-mon, MW and ERT.  

MW-mon showed pronounced annual fluctuation with highest moisture saturation occurring in summer. The moisture maximum in the caves lags 2 months behind the spring precipitation maximum and might be partly caused by air humidity condensation amplified by salts. Heavy rainfall events cause additional moisture pulses by seeping through the rock or by capillary rise. Spatial moisture distribution derived from MW shows relatively dry rock outside the caves and different patterns of moisture ingress into the caves: Capillary rise from the base, ingress through fractured or otherwise water-permeable areas of the roofs or back walls. The spatial patterns are confirmed by ERT; however, calculated moisture saturation differs between MW and ERT due to electrical conductivity effects of salty pore water.

All drill samples from the caves are significantly saltier on the respective surfaces, which points to the rate of evaporation being smaller than the outward migration of salts. Outside the caves, flaking of thicker layers (several cm) point to deeper layers of salt concentration caused by higher evaporation from the surface; flaking at the "lips" above the caves is probably also amplified by stronger temperature and moisture fluctuations. The main ions everywhere are  Ca²⁺ and SO₄^2- (subordinate K⁺) while at the strongly flaking surfaces of Grand Hall, Na⁺, Cl^- and NO₃^2- are also present. Summing up, the results show very diverse and complex patterns of moisture and salt distribution at an apparently homogeneous site.

How to cite: Sass, O. and Fruhmann, S.: Spatiotemporal rock moisture distribution at the medieval cave town of Uplistsikhe, Georgia, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8442, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8442, 2023.

Salt weathering of building stone is a major cause of loss of historic structures. Many geoheritage sites including stone heritage and geomorphosites have been damaged by this process. In nearly two centuries, research and observation relating salt weathering have accumulated. These studies could be organized focusing on theories, mechanisms, experimental methods, and research tools. This presentation introduce by reviewing many, though not enough, studies to summarize the research history of salt weathering, including the results of subsequent studies, especially focused on an important mechanism of salt weathering, crystallization pressure. Since the concept of crystallization was first proposed in the early 20th century, many equations have been proposed. However, in order to apply them correctly, it is important to consider the type of salt weathering and the surrounding environment, as well as the type and properties of salt and rock (rock properties), and to select and apply the proposed model according to the situation. Although salt weathering studies have been done in a wide variety of research fields, appropriate collaboration among disciplines will lead to meaningful conservation and will be used for practical problems in the future.

How to cite: Oguchi, C.: Evaluation of salt weathering equations. – a review, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11011, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11011, 2023.

Although Climate Change (CC) has already been reported to have a significant impact on historical areas hosting Cultural Heritage (CH) sites, it is still challenging to assess quantitatively and qualitatively the impact of various climatic and other parameters on the CH sites, since the specific climatic conditions at their vicinity, and the emanating effects on their structure, are difficult to grasp due to cost and regulatory barriers. In the framework of the HYPERION EU project, we address this problem by providing a holistic solution for improving resilience and sustainable reconstruction of historic areas, which integrates the use of smart IoT devices, called Smart Tags, designed to provide environmental measurements close to monuments, with a number of state-of-the-art of technologies, services and tools (e.g. advanced ML, IoT, satellite and terrestrial imaging, social networking, event, material decay and business continuity modelling), in order to develop a single decision support system which aspires to become the cornerstone for resilience and reconstruction planning for historic areas in the future.

How to cite: Kalis, Dr. A., Mitro, N., and Amditis, Dr. A.: Smart IoT sensors as part of a holistic solution for improving resilience and sustainable reconstruction of historic areas, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11840, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11840, 2023.

Since the Industrial revolution and due to increasing anthropogenic emissions, the composition of the atmosphere has been modified, leading to climate change and pollution. The impacts of pollution were depicted through paintings and writing from the beginning of the 19^th century, but pollution measurements are relatively recent. In order to obtain ancient air pollution data, proxies in urban area need to be found.

Black crusts formed on limestone and marble monuments in urban area seem to be a good candidate as local proxy. Mainly composed of gypsum (CaSO₄.2H₂O), they are a chemical alteration pattern resulting from the reaction of the dissolution of the calcite (CaCO₃) of the stone and of sulfation by sulphur dioxide (SO₂) from the atmosphere. Particulate matter accumulates in the newly formed gypsum layer in sheltered area from the rain, thus giving the black crust a passive sampler potential.

To use black crusts as past air pollution archives, samples were collected at Père Lachaise cemetery (Paris) on ancient, dated (1820-1887) and unrestored limestone or marble tombs. Different types of analyses were performed to study sample morphology (by Optical Microscope), particulate matter (by Scanning Electron Microscopy) and chemical composition (especially major elements and trace metals by ICP-AES, LA-ICP-MS). Results underline two important features to use black crusts as past air pollution archives. First, the low variability of chemical composition of black crusts from Père Lachaise cemetery highlights that the black crusts are representative of the site and register the background pollution. Then, the morphology (laminar vs. dendritic) of black crusts is a key parameter to sample black crusts as the stratigraphy is much better preserved in laminar black crusts.

How to cite: Ropiquet, M., Verney-Carron, A., and Chabas, A.: Selection of relevant black crusts samples as ancient air pollution archives, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11948, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11948, 2023.

Built heritage is rich in cultural and economic values and is an essential part of urban environments. These buildings are abundant in city centres that have been the site of development for several centuries. This has produced a dense environment, exhibiting strong urban heat island effects. Green initiatives are increasingly being implemented to mitigate current climate stressors and improve the health and well-being of residents. However, built heritage is often excluded from these approaches due to concerns about their impact on materials and structural integrity, which is poorly understood. 

This research scopes the technical compatibility of vertical greening with built heritage in an urban environment regarding the degradation of historic building materials. Vertical greening here is understood to include plants, rooted in the ground, growing along a vertical surface by either attaching themselves to the façade or trellising. Investigating the impact of vertical greening on the local microclimate by monitoring case studies, lab experiments and analysing current literature can help us understand how vertical greening affects common forms of degradation caused by salts, frost, bio-activity and air pollution. Each method has its own approach to understanding the relationship of vertical greening with built heritage and is complementary to the others. The lab experiments explore the three main factors impacted by vertical greening such as temperature and relative humidity, incoming solar irradiation and precipitation exposure. Temperature and relative humidity are inseparably connected with each other and therefore analysed together. The impact of vertical greening on the aforementioned environmental parameters is investigated separately to provide better insights into those microclimatic changes that determine the risk of weathering of historic building materials.

How to cite: De Groeve, M., Kale, E., Orr, S. A., and De Kock, T.: The technical relationship between vertical greening and built heritage, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12449, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12449, 2023.

In recent years, the control of the micro-climate in museum environments or in historical buildings has assumed a role of great importance for the protection of the artefacts exhibited and for planning cost-effective and strategic preservation policy. The process of degradation indeed, defined as a result of progressive and cumulative material decay, strongly depends by environmental variables and their changes. Rapid changes and/or strong gradients in temperature and/or relative humidity, are the main causes of internal stress and of material surface detachments. Compared to new museums, historical ones often do not dispose of ideal conservation parameters, and they need specific conservation environments, considering the so-called historical climate, i.e. the microclimate to which the Cultural Heritage has adapted over the time. This is the case of the Museum of Roman Civilisation (Rome), which has been closed since 2014 and hosts a huge and valuable collection of plaster casts, such as those of the Trajan’s Column made by Napoleon III in 1861-1862 and gifted from Vatican City to Rome City Hall in 1953. In view of the imminent museum reopening and restoration, it is essential to define the actual level of microclimate quality, compared to the expected one, considering also economic and regulatory aspects and the future welfare of the artefacts. The research is focused on the response of the materials to the micro-climate by evaluating the incidence of temperature and relative humidity, presumably the main chemical and physical degradation factors for the plaster casts. A multidisciplinary diagnostic approach (i.e. Hyperspectral Imaging, Raman Spectroscopy, Infrared Spectroscopy) is also planned to characterise the constituent materials, to suppose the manufacturing techniques of the casts and to identify the degradation forms. The analysis of the complex interaction between the dynamics of the climate and the need for the conservation of the artefacts under conditions of maximum stability represents the starting point for proposing a sustainable restoration of the Trajan’s Column plaster casts of the Museum of Roman Civilisation and a future exhibition project that will allow their valorisation and exposure.

How to cite: Bubola, F., Balliana, E., Coletti, C., Cecamore, C., Parisi Presicce, C., and Mazzoli, C.: Microclimatic monitoring of the plaster casts of the Trajan’s Column in the Museum of Roman Civilisation (Rome), EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12934, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12934, 2023.

The geology of the region strongly influences the construction materials of Medieval structures and, consequently, the available raw materials. The current study focuses on the use and vulnerability of various lithotypes and renders in a Medieval Ruined Chuch in West Central Hungary, close to Lake Balaton. The church was constructed in the 13^th century and was rebuilt in several periods using various lithotypes and renders. The identification of primary lithologies followed the generation of point clouds by Terrestrial Laser Scanner and the drawing of walls. More than ten various stone types were found, including Jurassic cherty limestone, cemented Triassic limestone (Muschelkalk), basalt tuff, basalt, red Permian sandstone, grey Tertiary sandstone, highly porous Miocene limestone, and travertine. The properties of stones and condition assessment were made by using non-destructive on-site strength tests such Schmidt hammer and Duroskop. Micro-drilling technique was also applied to assess the strength parameters of renders: medieval lime-based mortars, 20^th-century portland cement based mortars. Small samples were also taken for laboratory analyses. Our studies suggest that the application of portland cement bearing renders in the 20^th century caused significant damage to the structure, accelerating weathering processes. Medieval lime mortars are relatively durable and show smaller-scale alterations. The use of various lithotypes leads to differential weathering of the structure. The long-term preservation of this building depends on the use of appropriate renders and the refurbishment of wall sections that are structurally unstable.

How to cite: Török, Á., Logó, B., and Kis, A.: The use and vulnerability of medieval masonries in Balaton region, Hungary, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13158, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13158, 2023.

Not only ecosystems are particularly sensitive to extreme weather as a result of climate change. Historical buildings, museum’s collections and historical gardens can also be affected by extreme weather conditions. Assessing the extent to which cultural assets are endangered by such weather and climate events is an interdisciplinary task that requires the collaboration of climate scientists together with cultural heritage managers, monument conservators, restorers and engineers. However, this discussion is currently hardly taking place in Germany, both on a scientific and on policy levels.

Therefore, the BMBF-funded project KERES addresses the following questions:

• What safety risks of our cultural heritage are caused by extreme weather events?
• Which practical solutions need to be addressed and managed the current and emerging impacts of climate change on cultural assets in Germany?

In close cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and potential users, such as the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation (SPSG), Fraunhofer IOSB is building a web-based knowledge platform that combines the research results and best practices for adaptation and mitigation measures of the historical buildings and historical parks property. This aims to create the greatest possible degree of user orientation so that the knowledge platform can be used sustainably in the long term. This platform is able to collect and integrate multisource information in order to effectively provide complete and updated situational awareness and decision support for innovative measurements improving cultural heritage resilience, in particular new solutions for maintenance and conservation. It is based on the open source; easily configurable and extendable. It can be accessed by the wide range of users via the web interface.

Several levels of data integration, aggregation and linking are aggregated:

• integration of expert knowledge,
• connection of sensors for comprehensive monitoring

and reporting,

• data analysis of complex processes with an open interface

for easy integration of new algorithms,

• semantic and geographic linking of analysis data and
• multiple domain information.

The backbone of this information network is an ontology, which connects the data of the different domains, like cultural heritage, climate change, environmental data, crisis management, regulations, sensor data management, buildings, materials and many more. The platform is flanked by two other applications, such as a planning tool for the evacuation of art objects:

• This is a tool for creating route maps for the fire brigade to evacuate cultural objects.
• The decision-maker supports finding individual measures against damage caused by climate change.

The applications for preventive and reactive measures to deal with potential or acute damage situations are examined as well. The designed methods are tested for five case studies including historical buildings and historical gardens in Germany.

How to cite: Moßgraber, J., Hellmund, T., and Kotova, L.: IT support for climate resilient cultural heritage - examples from the KERES project, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13243, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13243, 2023.

The outstanding preservation of Paleolithic decorated caves is related to the buffering properties of their karstic environment. However, long-term monitoring of air/wall temperatures and gas compositions has recently revealed disruption signs in cave microclimates that had been maintained stable for hundreds of centuries.

High precision and continuous temperature data records are currently monitored in various prehistoric caves in the South of France. Such operations have been promoted since the late 1990s by the French government for risk assessment and conservation.

The most striking feature is the positive drift of underground temperatures (air and wall) which is now obvious in most sites except for Niaux Cave (> 300 m undersurface) and in the deepest parts of Mas-d’Azil and Chauvet Caves (> 50 m undersurface). In tourist caves (Pech-Merle, Mas-d’Azil, Gargas, Villars), the positive thermal trends could not be related to the energy increase brought by visitors which number is now stable, nor to the lighting systems whose energy demand was strongly reduced. In addition, the underground thermal drift nearly starts at the same time in many caves with uncertainties of +/- 1 year: 2012 for Chauvet with +0.4 °C/decade, 2011 for Pech Merle with +0.32 °C/decade, 2011 for Marsoulas Cave with +1.09 to +0.36 °C/decade from the entrance to the deep gallery, 2011 for Gargas with +0.69 °C, +0.54 °C and +0.36 °C for the deeper station. It is worth noting that a 0.3-0.4 °C thermal drift is consistent with that predicted from global warming in these regions.  The thermal drifts were already in progress when monitoring began in Villars Cave in 1996 (+0.17 °C to +0.39 °C/decade), in Mas-d’Azil in 2012 and in Bruniquel in 2015. Marsoulas (+1.09 °C/decade) and Mas-d’Azil (more than +1 °C/decade in 6 of the 16 stations) present a much higher drift rate compared with that of surface, which suggests a thermal amplification process.

As measurements are performed in heterothermal zones, the long-term thermal drifts are modulated by persisting smoothed and out-of-phase yearly variations. A notable exception is the case of Bruniquel main gallery where the temperature records show a quasi-linear increase. In that case, the decadal evolutions of temperature +0.31 °C, +0.175 °C, and +0.24 °C, are not related to the depth of monitoring stations (32 m, 55 m, and 38 m, respectively) nor to their distances from the entrance. In 2018, those drift rates induced a permanent inversion of thermal gradient in the main gallery. In Gargas, the drift rate is more pronounced in the outer parts of the karst body, thus inducing a continuous evolution of the thermal gradients within the galleries.

Such underground microclimate disruption of patrimonial caves is a warning signal of direct threat on the preservation of remains. Karst physical organization and its related underground environment are themselves legacies of past climates; the current functioning of transfer zones of karst aquifers which includes the caves, are directly dependent on the outside climate. A more comprehensive approach and modelling of possible tipping points are urgently needed for conservation issues.

How to cite: Bourges, F., Lartiges, B., Perrier, F., Genty, D., Losno, R., Bonnet, S., Regard, V., Touron, S., Bousta, F., Girault, F., and Foucher, P.: Global warming evidence in long-term temperature monitoring of heritage karstic caves, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13666, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13666, 2023.

How to cite: Segabinazzi, E., Salvatici, T., Centauro, I., Calandra, S., and Garzonio, C. A.: Assessing weathering damage in Arenitic Rock using Non-Destructive Testing: the case study of the stone coats of arms of Palazzo Ricasoli in Florence, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13699, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13699, 2023.

Salts are widely present in all porous building materials. Their chemical composition, degree of hydration and crystalline phase as well as their abundance and location in the building are highly variable. In addition, these parameters depend on the type of material, the location and environmental factors such as climate, air pollution or groundwater composition.  The crystallization of salts inside porous materials depends on the nature of the solutions present in the pores and the conditions under which it occurs. Environmental, climatic and pollution conditions have changed in the past and continue to change today.

In this work we will estimate the changes of the potential salt weathering in vernacular cultural heritage in Europe and archaeological sites in Latin America, in particular in the selected regions of the European project SCORE (Sustainable COnservation and REstoration of built cultural heritage 2021-2024). In order to determine how future climatic conditions may affect salt weathering in these sites, climatic conditions in different models, based on scientific literature, will be used. Salt weathering will be estimated for different salts: Na₂SO₄, NaCl, and mixture of salt.

For temperatures between 0 and 30 ° C, the solubility of sodium chloride is almost constant (around 26% by mass) while that of sodium sulfate is very variable (between 5% and 20% by mass). Changes in temperature will induce precipitation/dissolution more easily for sodium sulphate than for sodium chloride. Similar conclusions can be drawn for changes in relative humidity in the case of crystals. In the case of sodium sulphate, the crystalline phase changes between the anhydrous salt (thenardite) and the decahydrated salt (mirabilite) and the deliquescence will depend on both temperature and relative humidity. In the case of sodium chloride with a single degree of hydration at temperatures above 0°C, the deliquescence is almost independent of temperature, with a relative humidity of almost constant equilibrium around 75%. In general, salts that have only one state of hydration have a lower capacity of degradation than salts with several phases of hydration. Phase diagrams will be employed to quantify the weathering induced by thee salts.

In nature as well as in buildings, it is common to find associations of salts more than pure salts, which complicates the study of the dependence of salt crystallization on environmental conditions. The variety of salts that can be formed by crystallization of solutions containing several different anions and cations is extremely important. The behavior of mixed solutions is much more complicated than that of solutions containing a single species of cation and anion. For complex solutions, the crystallization pathways as a function of composition and environmental conditions cannot be directly deduced from that of the salts taken separately. Thermodynamic models can be very useful for modeling the sequence and conditions of salt crystallization in a solution. We used the ECOS-RUNSALT model to calculate the evolution of salt volume as a function of temperature and relative humidity conditions to estimate the weathering produced by complex solutions.

How to cite: Menendez, B., Esteban Cantillo, J., and Quesada, B.: Climate change impact of salt weathering on vernacular and archaeological cultural heritage building materials in Europe and Latin America, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-14025, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-14025, 2023.

Cultural heritage is an irreplaceable component of a country's socio-cultural and economic capital, valuable for community cohesion and for the creation and enhancement of social capital, economic impact and environmental sustainability [1-4]. Unfortunately, the vulnerability of cultural heritage has increased over time and its exposure to a series of slow and sudden natural and man-made hazards threatens its existence.

Comacchio is a small municipality in the province of Ferrara (Emilia-Romagna region in north-eastern Italy), in the southern part of the present-day Po River estuary. It is an early medieval settlement, mainly known for the presence of several Etruscan settlements in its territory [5]. Comacchio is the result of continuous variations in sea level and the Po River, the extent of subsidence phenomena, and finally human activity over the last five thousand years.

The Loggiato dei Cappuccini has always been a symbol of the town of Comacchio for its simple and pleasant aesthetic characteristics, for the shelter it can offer from the weather and the summer sun, for its secluded position with respect to the town centre and for its connection with the sanctuary of the Virgin Mary in Aula Regia, which has always been venerated here [6,7].

This study aims to enhance the Capuchin Loggia through an analysis of the monument's state of conservation. The research started with a historical analysis of the maintenance and restoration work that the monument has undergone over time. Subsequently, macroscopic observation and bibliographic research also analyzed the current degradation morphologies and their causes. The proposed analysis campaign may be used by the Municipality of Comacchio to plan future rehabilitation and restoration works aimed at the conservation of the historical-cultural heritage.

References

• Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe. Full Report of the EU Project “Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe: towards a Eu-ropean Index for Cultural Heritage”, 2015. https://www.europanostra.org/our-work/policy/cultural-heritage-count s-europe/
• Culture 2030 Indicators: Thematic Indicators for Culture in the 2030 Agenda. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2019. http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/publication_culture_202 0_indicators_en.pdf
• Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Resolution A/RES/70/1, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations, 2015. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication
• Romão, X.; Bertolin, C. Risk protection for cultural heritage and historic centres: Current knowledge and further research needs. Int J Disaster Risk Reduc, 2022, 67, 102652,
• Gelichi, S. L’Isola del Vescovo, Firenze, Edizioni all’insegna del Giglio s.a.s., 2009.
• Alberti, A. Segnali di una ritrovata cultura della manutenzione urbana e architettonica a Comacchio, FE. Quaderni di soprintendenza : Qds, 2001, 5.
• Zamboni, A. La fabbrica dei pesci dietro il loggiato dei Cappuccini e la sede amministrativa delle Valli Comunali di Comacchio. In: Anecdota, Quaderni della Biblioteca L.A. Muratori Comacchio, Ferrara, Gabriele Corbo Editore, 2001, 1/2, 1.

How to cite: Marrocchino, E., Ferroni, L., Manfrini, R., Paletta, M. G., and Telloli, C.: The Loggiato dei Cappuccini in Comacchio (Italy): assessment of degradation and state of conservation., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15431, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15431, 2023.

Granitic rocks are generally ranked to very low porosity (open porosity of fresh, non-weathered granite should be below 1 vol. %) and durable rocks. Favourable physical properties dictate their choice for monumental works and important infrastructural projects such as bridges.

Current study focuses on detailed analysis of porosity evolution in granitic rocks used for the construction of two road bridges (making part of cultural heritage of the Czech Republic) over the Vltava River in Prague (Bohemian capital) in the second half of 19^th c. After 120-150 service, many of the stone ashlars of load-bearing parts exhibit quite extensive decay phenomena; however, mostly close to the exposed surfaces. In order to understand causes of decay, several tens of samples obtained from decayed surfaces and from original source quarries were studied by various methods, namely mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and optical and scanning electron microscopy.

Based on the results, porosity of granites in the stone masonry significantly increased compared to that of source rocks: two principal types of granites show open porosity 0.53-0.82 vol. %, and 1.03-1.15 vol. % respectively. In the case of granitic samples from studied bridges, their open porosity ranged from 2.13 to 6.42 vol. %. Most of the pores rank to coarse pores and macropores (according to IUPAC terminology), content of mesopores is negligible.

Significant increase of porosity reflects dynamics of decay process in a specific microclimate in Vltava River valley and polluted atmosphere of the city. However, pre-quarrying history of granites is another important factor: the examined rock types belong to the oldest members of the Central Bohemian Plutonic Complex of Variscan age, and numerous discrete hydrothermal alteration phenomena present in the studied rocks can promote their susceptibility to decay as well.

How to cite: Natherová, V., Přikryl, R., Řimnáčová, D., Racek, M., and Přikrylová, J.: Porosity evolution of granitic rocks used for the bridge construction, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16553, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16553, 2023.

The PARADeS project uses participatory approaches to contribute towards enhancing Ghana’s national flood disaster risk reduction and management strategy. The project was initiated by practitioners from Ghana and the problem setting was developed during a definition phase of the project. When the project started, commitment and strong partnership and involvement of partners were already established - a prerequisite for collaborative and non-extractive research.

Multiple workshops and focus group discussions were ‘successfully’ conducted in collaboration with our local partners. Despite the sound basis of the project (e.g. shared goal(s), strong and committed partnership), we experienced challenges before, during and post fieldwork. In this contribution, we particularly reflect and focus on including and managing different types of participants. On the one hand, we engaged with representatives from different governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations with mostly academic background during the workshops. On the other hand, flood-affected urban and rural citizens with strongly differing educational backgrounds and socio-economic assets elaborated on their flood experiences during the focus group discussions. Here, three main themes and challenges arose:

• Selection of participants: Identifying blind spots of researchers and local partners, e.g. the risk of missing out marginalized voices,
• Expectations management: Coping with expectations of participants and communicating own room of action, and
• Feedback processes: Preventing extractive research by feedbacking information relevant to the participants

During the session, these themes are discussed using the guiding principles for fieldwork with participants (see Rangecroft et al. 2020) by highlighting ethics, communication, power dynamics and positionality. For this, we share our experiences and lessons learned e.g. how we deal with the problem of getting a gender balanced participant list or how we manage unexpected structures of focus groups. Furthermore, we would like to share our uneasiness when, for example, a focus group discussion turned into a community talk or unrealistic though understandable expectations were raised. By sharing our successes and pitfalls, we would like to contribute to a broader discussion on how to improve fieldwork, prepare for surprise and, especially, to meet expectations of participants, partners and researchers without compromising each other’s needs and integrity. 

Rangecroft, S., M. Rohse, E. W. Banks, R. Day, G. Di Baldassarre, T. Frommen, Y. Hayashi, B. Höllermann, K. Lebek, E. Mondino, M. Rusca, M. Wens and A. F. Van Loon (2020). "Guiding principles for hydrologists conducting interdisciplinary research and fieldwork with participants." Hydrological Sciences Journal: 1-12.

How to cite: Höllermann, B. and Ntajal, J.: Managing participants, expectations and surprises during fieldwork – Experiences from collaborative flood risk management in Ghana, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-207, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-207, 2023.

Understanding local perceptions of preparedness, risk and response to climate change is important for effective adaptation-focused actions and policy design. While there have been national surveys of the public’s concern, organisational perspectives are less studied. This research presents findings of a national survey of UK-based organisations’ perceptions about adapting to a changing climate. The survey covers awareness among organisations of climate change, its physical risks and how organisations are taking action to prepare for perceived risks. Administered in spring 2021, our survey summarises the insights of 2,400 respondents in roles related to organisational planning. The majority of respondents (69%) were from the private sector, while others came from public health authorities, local authorities, public educational establishments, and third sector or charitable organisations. 58% of respondents identified the effects of climate change as a concern. While the survey results support a picture of UK organisations taking steps to prepare for similar extreme weather events in the future, action is strongly informed by dealing with the effects of extremes already experienced. There is a much lower proportion of organisations taking measures to deal with the physical risks of future climate change. In terms of future action, organisations perceived a strong role for leadership from government and collective responsibilities for adaptation, signalling a need to recognise this in efforts to promote adaptation. These findings, though UK-centric, provide insight to societal responses, options and pathways, especially at the organisational level for the less widely studied private sector, as noted in IPCC AR6 WGII Chapter 13: Europe. 

How to cite: Dookie, D. S., Conway, D., and Dessai, S.: Organisational preparedness for the physical risks of climate change in the UK, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-851, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-851, 2023.

Professional experiences led geoscientists initially to put together epistemic-moral hybrids [1], e.g. The Cape Town Statement on Geoethics  [2]. Then, combining geosciences and political philosophies more comprehensively, geo-philosophical assessments of human practices as part of the Earth System emerged [3] [4]. These assessments describe the Human-Earth Nexus amalgamating insights into (i) the dynamics of the Earth System; (ii) socio-historical features of human societies; (iii) philosophical appraisals of socio-political choices.

Scholars of the history of science recently developed a theory of the evolution of knowledge [5] [6] [7]. Applied to societies experiencing anthropogenic global change, they discern the concept of an ergosphere to depict the essence of the Human-Earth Nexus. “With their rapidly evolving culture, humans have introduced an “ergosphere” (a sphere of work, as well as of technological and energetic transformations) as a new global component of the Earth system, in addition to the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere, thus changing the overall dynamics of the system.“ [6, p. 7].

The historians’ theory of evolution of knowledge offers geoscientists notions (e.g. borderline problem, economy of knowledge, and external representation) for assessing human practices, e.g. (i) a ‘borderline problem’ defined as: “problems that belong to multiple distinct systems of knowledge. Borderline problems put these systems into contact… (and sometimes into direct conflict) with each other, potentially triggering their integration and reorganisation” [7, p427]; (ii) an ‘economy of knowledge’ defined as: “societal processes pertaining to the production, preservation, accumulation, circulation, and appropriation of knowledge mediated by its external representation” [7, p.429]; (iii) an ‘external representation’ defined as: “any aspect of the material culture or environment of a society that may serve as an encoding of knowledge” [7, p. 224].

Concluding: (i) taking a geo-philosophical perspective means, per se, specifying a borderline problem, an economy of knowledge, and an external representation; (ii) the theoretical findings of the history of science offer a standardised methodology for geo-philosophical studies, namely asking: What borderline problem? What economy of knowledge? What external representation? Responses will discern sharper the socio-historical features of geo-philosophical topics, be it geoheritage or the Human-Earth-Nexus.

[1] Potthast T (2015) Toward an Inclusive Geoethics—Commonalities of Ethics in Technology, Science, Business, and Environment. In: Peppoloni MW (ed) Geoethics. Elsevier, pp 49–56

[2] Di Capua G, Peppoloni S, Bobrowsky P (2017) The Cape Town Statement on Geoethics. Ann Geophys 60:1–6. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-7553

[3] Di Capua G, Bobrowsky PT, Kieffer SW, Palinkas C (2021) Introduction: geoethics goes beyond the geoscience profession. Geol Soc London, Spec Publ SP508-2020–191. https://doi.org/10.1144/SP508-2020-191

[4] Bohle M, Marone E (2022) Phronesis at the Human-Earth Nexus: Managed Retreat. Front Polit Sci 4:1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2022.819930

[5] Rosol C, Nelson S, Renn J (2017) Introduction: In the machine room of the Anthropocene. Anthr Rev 4:2–8. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053019617701165

[6] Renn J (2018) The Evolution of Knowledge: Rethinking Science in the Anthropocene. HoST - J Hist Sci Technol 12:1–22. https://doi.org/10.2478/host-2018-0001

[7] Renn J (2020) The Evolution of Knowledge - Rethinking Science for the Anthropocene. Princeton University Press, Oxford, UK

How to cite: Bohle, M.: Takings from the History of Science for Geo-philosophical Studies, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1204, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1204, 2023.

Geoethics incorporates instances, categories, concepts, principles, and values already present in the cultural debate, and develops an original theoretical and interdisciplinary framework that merges reflections and considerations that animate philosophical, political, sociological, economic, and (geo)scientific discussions. Geoethics analyses critically and rationally theoretical and practical issues of local and global importance (from climate change, to defense against geohazards and the use of geo-resources), in order to guide social stakeholders towards more inclusive, sustainable, and ecologically-oriented choices.

Geoethics can be qualified as:

• universal and pluralist (it defines an ethical framework for humanity, in the awareness that the respect of the plurality of visions, approaches, tools is essential to assure dignity to all agents and to guarantee a wide range of opportunities for developing more effective actions to face common threats).
• wide (its issues and reflections cover an extensive variety of themes);
• multidisciplinary (its approach favors cooperation and overcoming the sectoral languages of the individual disciplines, to reach the intersection and integration of knowledge);
• synthetic (it expresses a position of synthesis, definable as ecological humanism, between various existential concepts and different conceptions regarding the nexus between human being and Earth system);
• local and global (its topics of interest concern both local and regional dimensions, as well as the global one related to the entire Earth system);
• pedagogical (it proposes a reference model to cultivate one's ethical dimension, to reach a greater awareness of the value of human identity, not in terms of exercisable power over the other by oneself, but of respect of the dignity of what exists);
• political (it criticizes the materialism, egoism, and consumerism of capitalism, prefiguring a profound cultural change of economic paradigms, and supports the right to knowledge as the foundation of society).

By contributing to change the perception of the nexus between the human being and the Earth system and consequently the social and legal structures of the organization of human communities, geoethics defines educational and political horizons for reaching a global reform of society (Peppoloni and Di Capua 2021: https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810024).

Based on these considerations, the definition of geoethics, as included in the Cape Town Statement on Geoethics (Di Capua et al. 2017: https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-7553) and internationally adopted, can find a new, broader formulation, which also describes better its theoretical structure and operational logic:

Geoethics is a field of theoretical and applied ethics focused on studies related to human-Earth system nexus. Geoethics is the research and reflection on principles and values which underpin appropriate behaviors and practices, wherever human activities interact with the Earth system. Geoethics deals with ways of creating a global ethics framework for guiding individual and social human behaviors, while considering human relational domains, plurality of human needs and visions, planetary boundaries, and geo-ecological tipping points. Geoethics deals with the ethical, social, and cultural implications of geoscience knowledge, education, research, practice, and communication and with the social role and responsibilities of geoscientists.

How to cite: Di Capua, G. and Peppoloni, S.: An expanded definition of geoethics, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1385, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1385, 2023.

In the science and technology domain, common methods, procedures, and protocols (rules allowing to make science) guarantee the quality and reliability of scientists’ and technicians’ work. When those rules are adequately followed, there should not arise any problems in deciding what is the best action to take while carrying out research and technological activities. But this is not enough to ensure that activities are conducted ethically.

Ethics influences personal and collective conduct and thereby shapes relationships and resulting outcomes. Research institutions/networks/organizations and their operators have societal responsibilities since their activities may have an impact on stakeholders, partners, and general end users with consequential effects on the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment, or quality of life that goes way beyond a purely academic impact. Science, technology, and ethics are closely interconnected and they mutually influence the subject of their analyses and reflections. Thus, research and technological activities have to consider ethics to develop their full potential.

The mission of EPOS is “To establish and underpin a sustainable and long-term access to solid Earth science data and services integrating diverse European Research Infrastructures under a common federated framework.” This mission encapsulates ethical aspects that must be considered by the EPOS community (scientists, technicians, and data providers, who have different roles and therewith responsibilities within the EPOS community) and that are reflected in EPOS’ goals (https://www.epos-eu.org/about-epos).

In the EU H2020 EPOS-SP project, we developed first draft of the ethical guidelines for the EPOS community, that considers the following EPOS key-concepts:

• multidisciplinary research;
• integrated use of data, models, and facilities;
• appropriate legal solutions;
• common and shared data policy;
• open access policy;
• transparent use of data;
• mutual respect of intellectual property rights.

The ethical guidelines are essential for establishing an informal “contract” between all members of the EPOS community for managing the relationships within the research infrastructure and with partners by defining principles and values to be shared for building a community of purposes, that is a set of individual and institutional subjects who share an organization, a language, a mission, goals to be achieved, a working method and operational tools.

These guidelines shall ensure that the research conducted within EPOS and services operated in this context are done in an ethical way.

The ethical guidelines are an orienting document for the implementation of the EPOS ERIC’s (European Research Infrastructure Consortium) tasks towards its reference community and stakeholders and are preparatory to the drafting of the final version of the EPOS ERIC ethical guidelines on which to develop subsequent ethical codes for managing specific activities or issues concerning EPOS activities.

How to cite: Peppoloni, S. and Di Capua, G.: Proposal of ethical guidelines for the European Research Infrastructure EPOS, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1391, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1391, 2023.

This 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference clearly pointed out that global warming is progressing. The threat of climate change and extreme disasters will increase rapidly, and the risk of community disasters will increase significantly. Therefore, effective disaster risk management and risk communication can enable community residents in disaster potential areas to understand disaster risks and build disaster prevention organizations, which has become a Practitioner in Disaster Risk Management. This study aims to explore training methods for resilient Communities. These include community environment diagnosis map making, including natural disaster risk and vulnerability discussion and disaster prevention map drawing, and secondly, how to train resilient community to conduct disaster risk control and disaster management measures before or during disaster events and recovery periods. Finally, combine the geographic information of the public sector and volunteers to conduct public-private cooperation to build disaster risk management and practice with resilient communities as the key players.

How to cite: Chuang, M.-H., Ma, K.-C., and Tan, Y.-C.: Study on the effective disaster risk management and communication for resilient community, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2805, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2805, 2023.

This communication aims at testifying how individual commitments of researchers can be combined to engage a whole research lab – in this case INRAE RiverLy – in a carbon transition path. INRAE RiverLy is an interdsciplinary research unit for the management and restoration of river systems and their catchments. In 2020, a group of RiverLy people started questioning the downstream impacts of their research practices. An official internal action called RiverLy Downstream was thus launched to address these issues. A first lab-scale carbon accounting for the year 2019 was performed thanks to the GES 1point5 tool (https://apps.labos1point5.org/ges-1point5). It showed a large contribution of air travel to the total carbon footprint. Further carbon accounting for 2020 and 2021 however highlighted the even larger impact of purchases (equipment, consumables, etc.) thanks to newly implemented features in GES 1point5. An open “climate day” was organized in the lab in September 2022 for (1) raising awareness through a general-public-oriented tool, (2) provide live feedback from other research labs engaged in a carbon transition, and (3) collectively identify propositions of local actions on different themes: purchases, travels, premises, computing, food, and research activities. These propositions fed a lab-wide survey that will help defining a few carbon footprint reduction scenarios based on their social acceptability. These scenarios will then be submitted to the lab board for implementation. The whole process benefited from rich interactions with INRAE national to regional strategy for reducing its environmental footprint (https://www.inrae.fr/en/corporate-social-responsibility-inrae), and with the French national initiative Labos1point5 (https://labos1point5.org/).

How to cite: Vidal, J.-P., Berni, C., Coquery, M., Devers, A., Gauthier, L., Lauvernet, C., Masson, M., Mimeau, L., and Turlan, M. and the RiverLy Downstream team: How to collectively engage in reducing the carbon footprint of a research lab?, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3462, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3462, 2023.

Once upon a time, super-specialization and intra-disciplinary approaches were highly rated, although implying divisions of knowledge¹. How to challenge such epistemic boundaries? The disciplinary methodology for creating knowledge is important, particularly when subject to solid quality control. However, it is often faulty when handling broad complex systems, such as Natural or Social ones, despite scholars building elaborated methodologies, such as multi-, inter, trans-, and cross-disciplinary practices². They provided insights and knowledge generation, although showing limitations^3,4,5 (epistemic, field domination, egos, etc.).

Geoethics, looking into appropriate behaviours and practices wherever human activities interact with the Earth system⁶, is an example of the above, which requires overcoming limitations of disciplinary approaches by aiming at supradisciplinary⁷: engaging with a subject matter across a range of discourses/fields without giving rise to an interdisciplinary hybrid or sui generis discipline.

Exploring what a supradisciplinary practice means, a networkⁿ of scholars proposes a tactic to assemble fellows from the People Sciences and the Natural Sciences: (i) A respectful epistemic trespassing⁸ allows crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries^, and applying proper supradisciplinary collaboration seems more ethical than other methodologies. (ii) Organizing the team under a rhizomatic structure⁹ does not allow any scientific field hierarchy, avoiding the dilemma of preferring transdisciplinary approaches versus interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary ones and vice versa. Epistemic trespassing is a powerful tool for creating new supradisciplinary knowledge, avoiding the usual hyper-protection (and egos) related to any disciplinary epistemic backyards. It must be considered that supradisciplinary collaboration depends strongly on the quality of the given scientific problem and the proper promotion of the needed epistemic metamorphosis, which seems a more ethical and efficient way of producing knowledge.

¹ Klein, J. T., & Miller, R. C. (1983). The Dialectic and Rhetoric of Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary. Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies.

² Van den Besselaar, P., & Heimeriks, G. (2001). Disciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary: Concepts and indicators. In ISSI (pp. 705-716).

³ Okamura, K. Interdisciplinarity revisited: evidence for research impact and dynamism. Palgrave Commun 5, 141 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0352-4

⁴ Editorial. How to avoid glib interdisciplinarity. Nature 552, 148 (2017). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-017-08465-1

⁵ Kotter, R., Balsiger, P. W., Bailis, S., & Wentworth, J. (1999). Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity: a constant challenge to the sciences. Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies.

⁶ Peppoloni, S., Bilham, N., & Di Capua, G. (2019) Contemporary Geoethics Within the Geosciences. In: Exploring Geoethics. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp 25–70

⁷ Balsiger, P. W. (2004). Supradisciplinary research practices: history, objectives and rationale. Futures, 36(4), 407-421.

⁸ Ballantyne, N. (2019). Epistemic trespassing. Mind, 128(510).

⁹ Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (1987) [1980]. A Thousand Plateaus. Translated by Massumi, Brian. University of Minnesota Press. p. 21. ISBN 0-8166-1402-4.

ⁿ The Network: Alexandra Aragão, Alessia Rochira, Anamaria Richardson, Antony Milligan, Bruno Costelini, Carlos A.S. Batista, Carlos Murillo, Carsten Herrmann-Pillath, Claire A. Nelson, Cornelia E. Nauen, Eduardo Marone, Francesc Bellaubi, Jas Chambers, Javier Valladares, Luis Marone, Martin Bohle, Nic Bilham, Paul Hubley, Rika Preiser, Sharon Stein, Silvia Peppoloni, Vincent Blok, Will Steffen.

How to cite: Marone, E., Bohle, M., and Prieser, R.: Supradisciplinary approach: a (geo)ethical way of producing knowledge and guiding human actions in the XXI Century., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4066, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4066, 2023.

Watching the documentary ‘The Leadership’ led to a consentient discussion amongst colleagues. In this documentary a group of female scientists set off on a cruise to learn about and experience leadership. Personal experiences, what happens on board and statistics about social safety, show that feeling socially safe and included is still an issue amongst (female) scientists, especially when working in the field. The significantly high numbers of female field scientists in STEM research having experienced discrimination, gender inequality and (sexual) harassment cannot be ignored, so we decided this subject has to be embedded in our bachelor curriculum.

In order to enhance social safety in our earth sciences program, we set up a workshop on this subject for our bachelor students as part of a 15ECTS fieldwork course. In the field, students are physically and mentally challenged, while operating in an often unfamiliar environment, working in bigger and smaller groups, for longer periods of time and integrating all they have learned over the past year(s). With the many challenges this encompasses, they will likely face the boundaries of their comfort zone. This makes them more vulnerable and increases the risk of creating an unsafe working, studying/living environment. However, when treated with care, these experiences can have a significant positive impact on the students personal growth and become beneficial to their professional skills and learning.

The workshop we designed starts with discussing daily practicalities and individual responsibilities, including sanitary hygiene and proper field-equipment, and continues with professional attitude, an exercise on group dynamics, how to function in a team that is not your own choice, and getting to know your teammates in a playful manner. We finish with the discussion of (sexual) harassment, providing tools to become an active bystander, and giving the students case studies of socially (un)safe settings in the field. They present these case studies to each other on how they would react, reflecting on their own capabilities and responsibilities.

After this first year, student evaluations and discussions with field staff point out that this is a valuable part of the fieldwork. For example the staff could more easily refer to some manners discussed in the workshop, and the students could recognize the case studies and use this to tackle unsafe situations at an earlier stage. We now continue with optimizing the existing workshop, and would like to exchange experiences about this subject with colleagues to enhance improvement of social safety and personal growth in the field for both students and teaching staff.

How to cite: Peters, K., Verhoeve, S., and Nijland, W.: Social safety in the field – preparing the students, our future colleagues, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4384, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4384, 2023.

The unprecedented acceleration of human extractions of living and mineral resources particularly after WWII and their wasteful transformation in an expanding technosphere is now estimated to exceed living matter[1]. This fossil fuel driven acceleration has led to exceeding planetary boundaries in several dimensions [2], including the on-going mass extinction of species particularly in the warming and overfished ocean. Catch reconstructions since the beginnings of global statistics in 1950 are revealing the extent of unsustainable extractions from the ocean[3]. Two decisions at global negotiations in 2022, one on harmful fishing subsidies and the landmark target 3 on the protection of 30% of ocean and land by 2030, have potential to slow down the excesses and gradually rebuild fully functional ecosystems. How can scientists enhance their contribution towards shifting the emphasis to implementation? We know from cognitive science, e.g. that excessive car speed and other forms of sensory overload stress humans and reduce quality of life while also harming the environment[4]. Yet even in the face of evidence, it has often been impossible to act decisively on this evidence. Similarly, it has so far been been difficult to overcome widespread cognitive dissonance about climate change and species extinctions in the ocean. Contrary to widely held beliefs, here it is postulated that different attitudes are not impervious to scientific information and learning. Historically these judgemental processes are not fixed, even when reinforced by social norms[5]. However, the accumulation of facts and their presentation in the scientific literature is not enough to bring about what may be considered desirable behavioural change. This is reflected in considerable effort put into policy briefs and other dissemination formats in recent years, including video and social media e.g. by the IPCC. Art of hosting and collective leadership are other proven approaches for building understanding and trust necessary to develop robust solutions through enabling collective action. In their various context-adapted formats they have been successfully deployed for joint learning and action in settings as diverse as largely illiterate small-scale fishing communities and government organisations. They could benefit research and academic institutions in their search for promoting more stakeholder engagement and fostering greater inter- and transdisciplinarity.

[1] Elhacham, E., Ben-Uri, L., Grozovski, J. et al. Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass. Nature 588, 442–444 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-3010-5

[2] Steffen, E., Richardson, K., Rockstroem, J. et al. Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science 347(6223) (2015). DOI: 10.1126/science.1259855

[3] Pauly, D. & Zeller, D. Catch reconstructions reveal that global marine fisheries catches are higher than reported and declining. Nature Commun. 7, 10244 (2016). doi: 10.1038/ncomms10244

[4] Knoflacher, H. Zurück zur Mobilität! Anstöße zum Umdenken. Ueberreuter, Wien (2013)

[5] Sparkman, G., Howe, L., Walton, G. How social norms are often a barrier to addressing climate change but can be part of the solution. Behavioural Public Policy 5(4), 528-555 (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2020.42

How to cite: Nauen, C. E.: Art of hosting approaches with greater participation of scientists can support robust solutions for increased societal resilience, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4421, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4421, 2023.

When the core ideas of Geology were being developed in the 19th century, geologists used colonial expeditions for transport, access, data, and -- critically -- specimens. Mineral specimens were sent from colonized and mined localities around the world to centralized collections in Europe and European settler states, forming diverse repositories of minerals, rocks, and fossils that geologists could then draw on without having to leave their home country. The accumulation of these specimens contemporaneously spurred the growth of museums and formed the collections at the heart of object-based pedagogy. As curators of these collections today, how can we use these specimens and their histories to illustrate these connections? This presentation will examine how the Bryn Mawr Mineral Collection is using mineral specimens in cataloging, display, and teaching to provoke reflection on this critical social dimension of our science. One of these strategies has been to recruit student research into mine sites and the provenance and provenience of individual specimens. Activating historical collections in this way helps make them relevant to today’s students. It also helps students recognize that geo-colonialism is not restricted to the past. Lithium, cobalt, and other rare minerals will be central to the production of batteries and anti-carbon technologies for the new “green economy” in the coming decades. It is important that mineral collections begin to use specimens to teach broader social histories of mining, extraction, and Western colonial relationships so that differential distributions of power are taken into account.

How to cite: Hearth, S. and Robbins, C.: Minerals as lenses to illustrate the relationships between Geology and colonialism, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4443, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4443, 2023.

Scientists remain citizens and human beings. As so, they keep their critical mind and have visions for society and opinions on related crucial issues. The climate and ecological crisis makes no exception and has become the subject of more and more discussions among scientific communities. The bond between scientific research and societal issues can be seen in the common practice of national funding agencies asking scientists to explicitly define the societal values of their research activities (the so-called “knowledge utilization”). On such occasions, scientists need to prove that their findings will bring parts of technical, scientific, social, or even political solutions to a range of stakeholders, including decision-makers. Such a peculiar position raises many issues. In democracies, scientists and other experts are usually asked to remain neutral and only provide scientific and technical knowledge to support decision-makers (i.e., governments) who will make the decision.

The question of neutrality has particularly animated scientific communities for decades. May we, as scientists, activate only the rational part of our brains when doing science and activate the emotional one when we return to our daily personal and civic life? Should we remain neutral at all costs? When "business as usual" means making the ecological and social crisis more profound, does the concept of neutrality even exist? Is that ethical if doing nothing means supporting "business as usual"? Or should we admit that this is neither doable nor desirable?

In this paper, we suggest that being neutral and inactive is neither doable nor desirable for the sake of science and society. First of all, scientists are people, and their actions cannot remain completely value-free or independent from societal influences. Instead, the notions of objectivity, scientific rigor, and transparency, which all make part of scientific integrity, may be much more relevant to define good research practices. As long as these practices are followed, many ways of communicating with peers, stakeholders, and the public sphere may be considered, from appeased recommendations to stakeholders all the way down to (illegal) civil disobedience, as those may only differ by their degree of engagement in reporting the same facts. To which the ethics of responsibility should be added: we must say what we know (Resnik and Elliot, 2016).

We collected several testimonies from scientists from the earth and climate sciences engaged in activism and civil disobedience. The description of the several types of intellectual trajectories will help us understand how scientists connect their values to science and how, at their scale, their vision helps them disseminate science to improve societies and reduce their impacts on global changes.

Resnik, D. B. and Elliott, K. C.: The Ethical Challenges of Socially Responsible Science, Accountability in Research, 23, 31–46, https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2014.1002608, 2016.

How to cite: Lassabatere, L., Kuppel, S., and Vitón, Í.: Engaged scientists and the question of neutrality and integrity: illustrative intellectual trajectories of geoscientists, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5456, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5456, 2023.

As the global research enterprise grapples with the challenge of a low carbon future, a key challenge is the future of international conferences. An emerging initiative which combines elements of the traditional in-person and virtual conference is a multi-hub approach. Here we report on one of the first real-world trials of a multi-hub approach, the World Climate Research Programme/Stratosphere-troposphere Processes And their Role in Climate (WCRP/SPARC) General Assembly held in Qingdao-Reading-Boulder during the last week of October 2022. Based on travel surveys of participants, we estimate that the multi-hub approach reduced the carbon footprint from travel of between a factor of 2.3 and 4.1 times the footprint when hosting the conference in a single location. This resulted in a saving of at least 288 tCO₂eq and perhaps as much as 683 tCO₂eq, compared to having the conference in one location only. Feedback from participants, collected immediately after the conference, showed that the majority (85%) would again attend another conference in a similar format. There are many ways that the format of the SPARC General Assembly could have been improved, but this proof-of-concept provides an inspiration to other groups to give the multi-hub format a try.

How to cite: Zechlau, S., Kremser, S., Charlton-Perez, A., Richter, J., Santos, J., Danzer, J., and Hölbling, S.: Decarbonising conference travel: testing a multi-hub approach, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5570, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5570, 2023.

Paul Crutzen’s concept of the Anthropocene in Nature in 2002 stressed that “a daunting task [lay] ahead for scientists and engineers to guide society towards environmentally sustainable management” and that “this will require appropriate human behaviour at all scales”. The proposal by the Anthropocene Working Group of the International Commission on Stratigraphy’s Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy for an ‘Anthropocene Epoch’ with an isochronous mid-20^th century start has been recently challenged by another group of researchers. Mindful of the diachronous impacts of human evolution, they favor a much longer and still ongoing ‘Anthropocene Event’.

In sync with IUGS goals to promote public understanding of the Earth and contribute to international policy decisions, the Anthropocene debate offers an unprecedented opportunity for the geoscience profession to become proactively relevant to the UN’s next-step vision for Planet Earth. Arguably, its 2015-2030 agenda of 17 Sustainable Development Goals each focused on a facet of society and the environment needs a more holistic successor with realistic thinking about sustainability, “one of the most overused and ill-defined words in conversations about the environment” in the view of Andrew Revkin at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Ideally, the UN’s successor plan would be aligned with the interdependent subsystems of the Earth-Human System and propelled by transdisciplinary involvement of the sciences and humanities.

Echoing an observation by Stanley Finney and Lucy Edwards in GSA Today in 2016 that the terms Anthropocene and Renaissance have similar characteristics as “richly documented, revolutionary human activities”, an ‘Anthropocene Renaissance’ would highlight the need for greater harmony among and between environmental and societal movements. In this vision, the past-framed ‘Anthropocene Event’ underpins the future-framed ‘Anthropocene Renaissance’ as a boldly integrated effort to ‘protect our planet’, one of twelve commitments made by world leaders in 2020 at the UN’s 75^th Anniversary Meeting. In a profile of the Anthropocene debate in The New York Times on 18 December 2022, the conclusion featured my interview: “I always saw it not as an internal geological undertaking but rather one that could be greatly beneficial to the world at large”. The UN’s ‘Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow’ will take place in New York City on 22-23 September 2024.

How to cite: Koster, E.: Defining the Anthropocene for the greatest good as an Event-based Renaissance, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6182, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6182, 2023.

A growing portion of scientists realized the need to not only alert about climate change, but also change their professional practices. A range of tools have emerged to promote more sustainable activities, yet many scientists struggle to go beyond simple awareness-raising to create concrete transition actions. This study proposed the use of a new game-based transition support system called " Ma Terre en 180 Minutes ", which is, to our knowledge, the first tool developed by and for the academic community. It has been designed to build scenarios of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions reduction in the academic community, and present its deployment during the year 2021, including six hundred participants from 9 countries and 50 cities.

After the phase 1, called awareness, that aims to build a common scientific background about the context (global warming, its causes and consequences, planetary boundaries) and challenge (50% reduction of our carbon budget by 2030), the participants, with the phase 2 called role-playing, immerse themselves into fictional characters, to simulate the behavior of real research groups. Phase 1 and 2 are separated by a few days interphase helping participants to embody their fictional characters and be comfortable with the virtual research group they will simulate, as well as having time to perform their personal carbon footprint. Finally, an important final phase after the game-playing phase 2 take place to discuss, analyze and assess the results of phase 2.

Results show clear pathways for GHG reductions between 25 and 60%, and a median reduction of 46%. The alternatives allowing the greatest reduction are video communication tools (36%), followed by mutualization of professional activities and voluntary cancellation or reduction, thatrepresents 22 and 14% of reduction, respectively. The remaining 28% of reduction is composed by the use of trains as a transport alternative, the relocation of professional activities, the duration extension of some missions, etc… In addition, the analyses pointed out the importance of guided negotiations to bring out some alternatives such as relocation, local partners and computing optimization. An added value of this transition support system is that the information it collects (anonymously) will be used to answer pressing research questions in climate change science and environmental psychology regarding the use of serious games for promoting changes in attitudes and behaviors towards sustainability, and including broader questions on how network structures influence “climate behavior”, knowledge, and the governance of the commons.

How to cite: Champollion, N. and the Ma Terre en 180 Minutes team: Ma Terre en 180 Minutes: a transition support system to build decarbonization scenarios in the academic community., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6356, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6356, 2023.

According to the current legislation of Italy (e.g., Law No. 165/2001) public organizations must have a code of conduct in place, which specifies and complements the General Code of Conduct for public employees, embedding issues that are typical for the specific context. 

The Authority aimed at disseminating a culture of integrity and legality, the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC), provided a set of directives over time that specifies key actors and procedures, drafting methods, and fundamental principles that the Code must contain.

In this framework, public research institutes are no exception. At the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology of Italy (INGV) an interdisciplinary working group with diverse experiences and profiles has been created and committed to reviewing the current code of conduct and proposing a new one.

The drafting process progressed through a thorough examination of fundamental principles and compliance with laws, on the one hand, and with an in-depth analysis of areas of application in the context of the institute and its activities. 

Once drafted, the first version has been proposed for provisional approval by the Board of Administrators (CdA), and submitted for stakeholder consultation.  INGV personnel commented on the first version, expressed their concerns, and proposed various amendments. These comments have all been addressed, partially or completely accepted, or refused; an updated version has been created and submitted for a further round of approval by the Independent Evaluation Body (OIV), a body assessing the performance, clearness, and integrity of the administrative action.

The values on which the Code is structured refer to four geoethical domains: 1) the individual dimension, which concerns the ethical action of each individual recipient of the Code in the context of his/her specific work activity; 2) the interpersonal/professional dimension, which refers to relationships with colleagues; 3) the societal dimension, which includes relations with all the various components of society; and d) the relationship with the natural environment, which includes actions aimed at minimizing negative impacts on ecosystems and promoting eco-sustainable behaviors. Moreover, the code benefits from the principles expressed in the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and the European Charter for Researchers.

At present, the Code contains both ethical and legal norms, i.e. both principles underpinning appropriate behaviors and rules, which if violated give rise to sanctions.  Code recipients are called to observe them in order to ensure workplace well-being, quality of research and services, prevention of corruption phenomena, compliance with the constitutional duties of diligence, loyalty, impartiality, care of the public interest, and achievement of INGV institutional goals. The Code will be updated according to the structure of a new General Code of Conduct to be issued by the Italian Government.

How to cite: Rubbia, G., Bravi, D., De Paola, V., Gurrieri, S., Intini, M. V., and Peppoloni, S.: The evolving Code of Conduct at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology of Italy: a participatory process to combine law compliance and geoethics principles, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7063, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7063, 2023.

The annual Congress of the Società Geologica Italiana (SGI) and Società Italiana di MIneralogia e Petrologia (SIMP), held in Turin in September 2022 and dedicated to Geosciences for a sustainable future, has been the occasion to critically think on the role of the Geosciences for our society and planet, on the position geoscientists deserve and the role they must take in the formation of citizens, protection from natural hazards and preservation of cultural and natural heritage. In continuation of our previously published work Are we ready for a sustainable development? A survey among young geoscientists in Italy , the present study broadens the sample analyzed to include the entire Italian community of geoscientists and aims to highlight: 1) The relevance of the ethical aspects connected to the work of professionals and scholars, in accordance with the values of geoethics; 2) the most widely held views about the connections between the Earth Sciences and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda; 3) which initiatives have been put in place by Italian Earth Sciences departments on education for sustainability and which can be the best strategies for developing sustainability education related to geoscience issues. Based on 230 answers to a questionnaire with open and closed questions sent to the participants at the Congress, the results show that the Italian geocommunity has great awareness of the ethical implications of its work and research, in particular of the responsibility towards the environment; despite this consciousness, the average level of knowledge about the 2030 Agenda and its goals is still scarce. To fill this gap, the need for sustainability education initiatives in departments is recognized as urgent, as well as the use of inter- and transdisciplinary educational approaches that can train scholars and professionals capable of addressing the complex challenges of our time.

How to cite: Egidio, E., Gerbaudo, A., Lasagna, M., Lozar, F., and Tonon, M. D.: For a sustainable future: a survey about geoethics and 2030 Agenda among the Italian geosciences community, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7377, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7377, 2023.

This communication aims at presenting how transitions are being made at different organizational scales at INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment): (1) at the scale of a research lab through the perspective of a sustainable development contact person, (2) at the scale of a regional research centre through the perspective of the sustainable development regional manager, and (3) at the national and institutional level with the view of the sustainable development director of INRAE. The overall institutional context is first introduced to further develop viewpoints of the three persons involved on the on-going transitions, the strengths of the implemented approach, but also the points of attention. This communication aims at triggering exchanges on how to make sustainable development reach all organizational levels while ensuring a global coherence, and notably across all professions including administration staff, scientists, engineers, etc.

How to cite: Gauthier, L., Vidal, J.-P., and Carnet, A.: How to make a sustainable development approach successful across all scales of a research institute? Crossed views at INRAE, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7600, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7600, 2023.

NERSC is a non-profit research foundation established in Bergen (Norway) in 1986. Besides cutting-edge research in climate science, the NERSC has for a long time been very attentive to the working conditions, diversity, inclusion, and environmental impact of its activities.

In this poster, we will present the different efforts taken at the NERSC initiative to take the path of reducing its environmental impact, especially the GHG footprint, of its activities. We have divided the analysis into big compartments including the travels, the numerical computations, the field campaigns, and the premises. For each compartment, we are in the process to assess the GHG emissions, and some actions have already been taken to already minimize the impacts, for example, a travel policy, and opportunity campaigns.

In addition to the details of the work done by NERSC for reducing GHG emissions, we will reflect on challenges and problems encountered while taking those actions, some being general to the scientific or geoscience field (e.g., travel injunction), others being specific to NERSC (fundings, geographic location, low-carbon electricity).

Finally, we will draw perspective to the experience, and try to bring recommendations into the debate, such as a better inclusion of climate impact in the European research calls.

How to cite: Brajard, J. and Sivertsen, C. D.: Reducing environmental impact at NERSC (Bergen, Norway)., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7601, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7601, 2023.

Some practices embedded in academic culture (international conferences, scientific instruments...) are  important sources of greenhouse gases (e.g., van Ewijk & Hoekman, 2021). Although the scientific community have started to propose ways to reduce the impact of international conferences (e.g., Warner et al., 2022), collective efforts should be pursued to reduce the carbon footprint of the entire academic world. Serious games have been used in the encourage climate change attenuation practices (Fernández Galeote et al., 2021). Nevertheless, to our knowledge, the deployed evaluations have only measured the changes on knowledge and not on actual practices.

My Earth in 180 Minutes (ME180, https://materre.osug.fr/) is a collaborative role-playing game aiming at raising awareness, stimulating interactions in groups and constructing scenarios of professional carbon footprint reductions with multiple stakeholders. The game sessions place staff (researchers, technical and administrative staff, etc.) in a situation of social interaction in which each person plays two characters (inspired from real life observations) of a research team needing to reduce its carbon footprint by 50%. The game allows to build scenarios to reproduce as much as possible the complexity of interactions and the level of inequality existing within academic world. With 85 games played between November 2020 and June 2021, My Earth in 180 Minutes collaborative workshop has shown robust results, in particular Academia’s capacity to reduce its own carbon footprint and propose concrete alternatives: video communication, mutualization and reduction of professional activities (Gratiot et al., 2022).

This communication will describe the methods designed to a) evaluate the effectiveness of the serious game “My Earth in 180 Minutes” in academic practices and b) investigate the factors (e.g., career status, family engagements) that enable or constrain changes in academic practices.

The protocol for a future study is described. Participants working in French research centres (N = 970) will be recruited and randomly split in two groups: a) a group who will participate to the ME180 workshop, or b) control group using another approach for discussing about Academic carbon footprint. Participants will complete online surveys about their professional practices (air travelling, commuting ...) and about the psychological, institutional and, sociodemographic factors related to these practices (intention towards reducing professional air travelling, number of children). The surveys will be repeated six times over the 2 years of the study: before the experiment, one, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after the beginning of the study. Data will be analysed by using mixed linear methods.

We expect that carbon footprint reduction and related practices would be more important in the ME180 group. Mediation and moderation analysis will be used to identify psychological, institutional and, sociodemographic factors (career status, intention to change practices) that may facilitate or block the transition of professional practices.

The previous deployments of “My earth in 180 minutes” help in identifying Academic transition paths (Gratiot et al., in revision). The present study will allow to assess the effects of ME180 in Academic carbon footprint reduction to provide insights about the obstacles and levers of carbon footprint reduction in academia.

How to cite: Teran-Escobar, C., Becu, N., Champollion, N., Gratiot, N., Hingray, B., Panthou, G., and Ruin, I.: My earth in 180 minutes: A transition support system for reducing the carbon footprint in Academia. Experimental design for evaluating its impact on academic practices, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7612, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7612, 2023.

Groundwater resources are largely invisible and unknown to most people. Hence, unauthorized appropriation of groundwater is not obvious, and its impacts are less evident. It can be said that it is an invisible geo-resource but its impacts and problems are visible to mankind, even if often its source is not recognized. Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, is the fifth fastest-growing city in the world and rapid population growth and urbanization have created huge pressure on groundwater resources. As a result of a lack of surface water storage and the seasonal variability of river flows, Kabul is among the world's most water-stressed cities as it depends almost entirely on groundwater. The findings of scientific studies reveal that extensive groundwater depletion and degradation of groundwater quality in Kabul city is largely due to anthropogenic factors and it is likely to rapidly continue in the future, particularly in densely populated areas of the city. Here, ethics can play an important role because human behavior is among the main factors creating the problems. So, hydrogeoethical concepts can be assessed and discussed, especially for urban groundwater where human needs (social ethics) and environmental dynamics (environmental ethics) both should be respected. In this study, the most vital questions related to ethical aspects of groundwater management in Kabul city are extracted. To achieve the questions, the water ethics principles and ethical criteria were evaluated concerning the condition of groundwater and the society of Kabul city, as an exercise of applied hydrogeoethics. Finally, six questions are obtained as the result of this study. The response to these critical questions could be a key to solving many dilemmas related to groundwater management in an urban concept. It is recommended to groundwater managers and policymakers explore the answer to these questions and consider the findings in the policies, strategies, and regulations, particularly in urban regions.

The questions are as follows:

1) What is the level of contribution, obligation, responsibility, honesty, trust, and respect among geoscientists, and engineers related to groundwater management?

2) What kind of regulation is adequate for the management of over-abstraction urban groundwater; top-down or self-regulation or a mix of both?

3) How education and communication can shape moral motivation for city residents to better groundwater management?

4) What is the level of participation of public media (TV, radio, newspapers, etc.) in awareness-raising campaigns related to groundwater conditions?

5) Can groundwater abstraction from the deep aquifer (groundwater mining) be an ethical and sustainable policy concerning future generations and environmental ethics?

6) How consideration of gender equity and women's participation can be effective in the management of groundwater?

How to cite: Hussaini, M. S., Farahmand, A., and Abrunhosa, M.: Hydrogeoethical questions related to urban groundwater management: the case of Kabul city, Afghanistan, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8072, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8072, 2023.

The climate and ecological crises question the role and responsibility of scientists and scientific institutions as producers and conveyers of knowledge. Decades of thorough reporting, efforts at communication towards policy makers, and strong-worded scientific warnings, have not yet lead to policy changes significant enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and halt environmental degradation. This questions whether geoscientists and scientific institutions should remain distanced from the political and societal implications of their research work, or if on the contrary they have a responsibility to lead by example and to use their position to press for urgent action on the climate and ecological crisis. 

We argue that the failure of governments and international institutions to address these crises at the appropriate scale gives scientists and scientific institutions a responsibility to be more than mere producers of knowledge.  Indeed, doing “science as usual” while warning of the ever growing urgency to act on the climate and ecological crisis risks is widening the already-existing dissonance between, on the one hand, our stated raison d’être and discourses and on the other hand, our everyday practice and institutional mechanisms ; effectively undermining our impact on the broader society.

We first discuss the issue of scientific institutions and the scientific community at large not yet leveling with the urgency to address the climate and ecological crises. A prominent example is that despite repeated campaigns for universities to severe ties with the fossil industry, most  are still accepting sponsoring and research funding from fossil companies, which contributes to the legitimization of companies that have been and are still actively opposing effective climate action. While some universities are taking initiatives to limit carbon intensive behavior such as flying, serve plant-based food as a standard, stop accepting polluting companies on campuses, or include climate education in all curriculums, these are still individual initiatives, dependent on the voluntary mobilization from student and staff.

 We then argue that we, as geoscientists, can not only lead by example with individual changes to our lives, but can also have a strong impact when engaging in collective action, pressing our universities and governments to enact strong climate and environmental policies. Public engagement of universities, of other scientific institutions, and of scientists can amplify and legitimize the voice of the climate and environmental movements in a mutually beneficial science-society approach, notably because the former produce the very scientific knowledge empowering these movements.  We propose to discuss recent examples, including from our own experience, of the impact of scientists engaging in demonstrations and civil disobedience as part of environmental groups, at the ethical level, but also regarding consequences within and outside of academic circles.

How to cite: Marc, O., Duyck, E., Lassabatère, L., Viton, I., and Wens, M.: The specific responsibility of geoscientists in the midst the climate and ecological crises: a need to address personal and institutional dissonances, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8173, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8173, 2023.

Values underlie geoethics and geoscience, especially climatology.  Can we understand or build geoethics without reference to values?  Are values and geoethics driven by beliefs, or should values remain unchanged despite changing beliefs?  Those are some of the questions that we may ask when considering ethics in life, in the geosciences and in climate change and action.  Values include honesty, compassion, quality, patience, objectivity, truth, respect, individualism, justice, power, peace and beauty.  How are these related to geoethics?  Often an ethical dilemma stems from two or more underlying value conflicts, such as individual identity and social value.  It is not easy to understand the principles and dynamics of such relations.

One way into this quagmire is by using a values clarification exercise or game (VCE or VCG).  A VCE can be a useful geoethics literacy tool to help people explore the complexities of such relationships, to allow them to express their own ideas, to confront their ideas with those of others and to gain a rich understanding of their own values that underlie geoethics.  Undorf and colleagues (eg, ^{https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-12732}, ^{https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-022-03435-7}) have adopted a philosophical approach.  We take an easier approach, that of interactive, participatory gaming.

We have designed and used VCEs and VCGs in a variety of cultural and social settings and with encouraging results.  Our poster will outline our prior experience and allow you to participate, albeit superficially, in a VCE.  Please come to see us during the poster session, and be sure to bring along one or two friends so that you can play; three players is better than two.  Also bring some paper and a pen.

How to cite: Crookall, D. and Promduangsri, P.: Geoethics values clarification: A playable poster, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8259, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8259, 2023.

To maintain global warming below 1.5°C the last IPCC report indicates global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions should be reduced by 45% and 80% before 2030 and 2050, respectively, reaching an average of 2 tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1 on Earth. Although responsibilities vary, substantial reductions must be implemented across all aspects of society including academia. It can even be argued that, given its role in informing and alerting the public about climate and ecological change, the scientific community should have a leading role and demonstrate exemplarity in terms of reducing its environmental impact.

Here, we present a broad-scope GHG budget of five laboratories of the Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées in France, in 2019. The studied laboratories comprise 90 to 260 staff members each, with study fields encompassing the solid Earth and the environment, the superficial biosphere, oceanography and glaciology, atmospheric physics and chemistry, as well as astronomy and astrophysics.

To assess GHG emissions, we follow standard procedure (see Mariette et al., Environ. Res.: Infrastruct. Sustain., 2022) in which any ‘activity data’ quantifying the usage of a given resource (e.g., in kWh of electricity, or km travelled by aircraft) is multiplied with an appropriate ‘emission factor’ quantifying the unitary carbon footprint of the resource (e.g., electricity production or air-travel). The quantified budget thus includes infrastructures usage, professional travel and expenses and an estimation of the GHG footprint of research infrastructures, in particular scientific satellites. For the latter, we adapted the methodology of Knödleser et al. (Nature Astronomy, 2022), in which the GHG footprint is estimated based on the launch mass or cost of the mission and the share attributable to a given lab depends on the fraction of world author affiliated with the lab who have published articles referring to the satellite, as extracted from the Web of Science database.

We find that emissions related to the lab facilities (electricity, heating, air conditioning and waste) and to individual habits (commuting and lunch meals) both reach about 1 tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1. Unsurprisingly, professional trips significantly contribute to the overall budget (2-6 tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1) and are largely dominated by long-haul air travel. However, services and equipment equally contribute with more than 3-5 tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1. These numbers vary between the studied labs but higher (lower) values for services and equipment tends to compensate for lower (higher) values for professional trips. Furthermore, for three out of five laboratories observational data from research infrastructures represents the largest share of the emissions, with about 5-10 tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1. Although this last estimate is subject to large uncertainty and shows discrepancies between research fields, it suggests that current GHG budget should include at least a first order estimate of the footprint of research infrastructures and adapt reduction strategies accordingly.

How to cite: Marc, O., Biancamaria, S., Derrien, S., Gheusi, F., Knödleser, J., Kuppel, S., Maisonobe, M., Mialon, A., Martin, P., Pantillon, F., Tibaldo, L., and Toublanc, F.: The share of research infrastructure in comprehensive greenhouse gas budget for five French Earth and Space Science laboratories, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8402, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8402, 2023.

Nine European countries under the umbrella of the Joint Programming Initiatives on Climate (JPI Climate) and on Oceans (JPI Oceans) have set up a joint Knowledge Hub on Sea Level Rise. The ambition is to provide easy access to usable knowledge on regional-local sea level change in Europe, regularly updated as a series of periodic assessments. It will complement existing global and national assessments by providing additional geographical and contextual detail, tailored to regional, national and European policy development and implementation.

As its key product, it will deliver by the end of 2023 its first European Assessment Report on Sea level rise hazards and impacts, co-designed with European Sea stakeholders. The co-design framework is based on consultation workshops, questionnaires and a final Conference in Venice that enabled to discuss at large the regional and local end-user needs.

Based on the latest available science provided by  the IPCC AR6 WGI and II reports and using the most advanced knowledge on sea level rise from European services and research done at the national level, the Assessment report will allow to downscale to the European Seas the SLR impacts and devise adaptation strategies. We will present the user needs that were revealed by the stakeholder consultations and plan to provide a peek into the content of the first draft of this first Assessment Report.

How to cite: Pinardi, N., van den Hurk, B., Jimenez, J. A., Winter, G., Galluccio, G., Bisaro, S., Melet, A., van de Wal, R., Richter, K., Calewaert, J.-B., Bruegge, B., Pomarico, L. G., Depuydt, M., Kiefer, T., and Manderscheid, P.: The Knowledge Hub on Sea Level Rise and the science-based European Seas assessment reporting, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8683, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8683, 2023.

Local climate change risk assessments and climate resilient adaptation are best supported by a quantitative integration of physical hazards, exposures and vulnerabilities that includes the characterization of uncertainties. However, it is challenging to take into account the complex information of climate change projections and uncertainties in participatory risk assessments with decision-makers. We propose to use Bayesian Networks (BNs) for this task. Bayesian Networks are a cutting-edge integrated modelling approach for combining qualitative and quantitative knowledge in uncertain and complex domains, such as climate change impacts on water. To quantify potential future hazards of climate change on water, it is state-of-the-art to rely on multi-model ensembles to integrate the uncertainties of both climate and impact modelling. At the same time, local expert knowledge needs to be integrated in local climate change risk assessments. We show how to integrate freely-available output of multiple global hydrological models into BNs, in order to probabilistically assess risks for water supply. To this end, a roadmap to set up BNs and apply probability distributions of risk levels under historic and future climate and water use in a participatory manner was co-developed with water experts from Spain and the Maghreb. Multi-model information on hydrological variables was computed by three global hydrological models driven by the output of four global climate models for four greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. The output of projected relative changes of hydrological hazards was pre-processed using MATLAB, taking into account local information on water availability and use, to set up the BN. Results show that the method is useful for probabilistically computing climate change impacts on water stress and to assess potential adaptation measures in a participative process with stakeholders and decision-makers. Local water experts positively evaluated the BN application for local climate change risk assessments. While requiring certain training, the presented approach is suitable for application in the many local risk assessments necessary to deliver efficient and successful climate resilient adaptation.

How to cite: Kneier, F., Woltersdorf, L., and Döll, P.: Participatory Bayesian Network modelling to assess climate change risks and adaptation regarding water supply: integrating multi-model ensemble hazard information and local expert knowledge, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8861, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8861, 2023.

To maintain global warming below 1.5°C the last IPCC report indicates global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions should be reduced by 45% and 80% before 2030 and 2050, respectively, reaching an average of 2tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1 on Earth. Recent estimates of the carbon footprint of universities and research centers accounting for indirect emissions often exceed 10tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1.

Here we find similar or higher values (10-30tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1) for the year 2019 for five research labs encompassing the solid Earth and the environment, the superficial biosphere, oceanography and glaciology, atmospheric physics and chemistry, and astronomy and astrophysics. These values are derived through a common procedure (see Mariette et al., 2022) in which any activity data quantifying the usage of a given resource (e.g., in kWh or km) is multiplied by an appropriate emission factor quantifying the unitary carbon footprint of the resource (e.g., electricity production or air travel). Our budget quantifies the share of emissions from local facilities (about 1tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1), lunch meals and commuting (about 1tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1), professional trips (2-6tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1), services and equipment (3-5tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1), and the use of observational data from research infrastructures, in particular scientific satellites (up to 10tCO2e.pers^-1.yr^-1; derived similarly to Knödlseder et al., 2022).

These numbers imply radical changes to make scientific activity sustainable and have strong implications on potential strategies to reduce GHG emissions. For example, a predominant discussion in the literature in the past years focused on avoiding air travel. However, in our case, shifting all national travels to train or halving the number of plane trips would reduce the total emissions by a fraction only. Similarly, any strategy targeting local building efficiency or individual habits will little influence the budget. In contrast, reducing or changing practice for services and equipment may have stronger impact but requires collective thinking, especially for research infrastructures that are planned and managed at national and international levels.

The sheer magnitude of our GHG emissions questions the degree of reduction that can be achieved without redirection of scientific activity. We present and discuss examples of changes such as shifting to interdisciplinary research including social sciences, focusing on archived data, relocating field work, or engaging more with students and society.

How to cite: Pantillon, F., Kuppel, S., Biancamaria, S., Derrien, S., Gheusi, F., Knödlseder, J., Maisonobe, M., Marc, O., Mialon, A., Martin, P., Tibaldo, L., and Toublanc, F.: How to reduce the carbon footprint of Earth and Space Science? Potential strategies based on a comprehensive greenhouse gas budget for five French labs, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8882, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8882, 2023.

Climate change may be the most severe crisis humanity has faced to date. Both the social and natural sciences have well understood the causes and effects of climate change as well as the possible mitigation and adaptation measures. However, implementations of both mitigation and adaptation measures generally fall behind the goals defined by the Paris agreement.