scholarly journals Multi-satellite sensor study on precipitation-induced emission pulses of NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> from soils in semi-arid ecosystems

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Zörner ◽  
M. J. M. Penning de Vries ◽  
S. Beirle ◽  
H. Sihler ◽  
P. R. Veres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Vertical Column ◽  
Dry Spell ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Soil Emissions ◽  
Sahel Region ◽  
Individual Grid ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. We present a top-down approach to infer and quantify rain-induced emission pulses of NOx (≡ NO + NO2), stemming from biotic emissions of NO from soils, globally with a spatial resolution of 0.25° from satellite-borne measurements of NO2. This is achieved by synchronizing time series at single grid pixels according to the first day of rain after a dry spell of prescribed duration. The full track of the temporal evolution several weeks before and after a rain pulse is retained with daily resolution. These are needed for a sophisticated background correction, which accounts for seasonal variations in the time series and allows for improved quantification of rain-induced soil emissions. We find strong peaks of enhanced NO2 Vertical Column Densities (VCDs) on the first day of rainfall after prolonged droughts in many semi-arid regions of the world, in particular in the Sahel. Detailed investigations show that the rain-induced NO2 pulse detected by the OMI, GOME-2 and SCIAMACHY satellite instruments could not be explained by other sources, such as biomass burning or lightning, or by retrieval artefacts (e.g. due to clouds). For the Sahel region, absolute enhancements of the NO2 VCDs on the first day of rain based on OMI measurements 2007–2010 are on average 4 × 1014 molec cm−2 and exceed 1 × 1015 molec cm−2 for individual grid cells. Assuming a NOx lifetime of 4 h, this corresponds to soil NOx emissions in the range of 6 ng N m−2 s−1 up to 65 ng N m−2 s−1, in good agreement with literature values. Apart from the clear first-day peak, NO2 VCDs show moderately enhanced NO2 VCDs of 2 × 1014 molec cm−2 compared to background over the following two weeks suggesting potential further emissions during that period of about 3.3 ng N m−2 s−1.

scholarly journals Multi-satellite sensor study on precipitation-induced emission pulses of NO<sub><i>x</i></sub> from soils in semi-arid ecosystems

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (14) ◽  
pp. 9457-9487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Zörner ◽  
Marloes Penning de Vries ◽  
Steffen Beirle ◽  
Holger Sihler ◽  
Patrick R. Veres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Vertical Column ◽  
Dry Spell ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Soil Emissions ◽  
Sahel Region ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract. We present a top-down approach to infer and quantify rain-induced emission pulses of NOx ( ≡  NO + NO2), stemming from biotic emissions of NO from soils, from satellite-borne measurements of NO2. This is achieved by synchronizing time series at single grid pixels according to the first day of rain after a dry spell of prescribed duration. The full track of the temporal evolution several weeks before and after a rain pulse is retained with daily resolution. These are needed for a sophisticated background correction, which accounts for seasonal variations in the time series and allows for improved quantification of rain-induced soil emissions. The method is applied globally and provides constraints on pulsed soil emissions of NOx in regions where the NOx budget is seasonally dominated by soil emissions. We find strong peaks of enhanced NO2 vertical column densities (VCDs) induced by the first intense precipitation after prolonged droughts in many semi-arid regions of the world, in particular in the Sahel. Detailed investigations show that the rain-induced NO2 pulse detected by the OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument), GOME-2 and SCIAMACHY satellite instruments could not be explained by other sources, such as biomass burning or lightning, or by retrieval artefacts (e.g. due to clouds). For the Sahel region, absolute enhancements of the NO2 VCDs on the first day of rain based on OMI measurements 2007–2010 are on average 4 × 1014  molec cm−2 and exceed 1 × 1015  molec cm−2 for individual grid cells. Assuming a NOx lifetime of 4 h, this corresponds to soil NOx emissions in the range of 6 up to 65 ng N m−2 s−1, which is in good agreement with literature values. Apart from the clear first-day peak, NO2 VCDs are moderately enhanced (2 × 1014  molec cm−2) compared to the background over the following 2 weeks, suggesting potential further emissions during that period of about 3.3 ng N m−2 s−1. The pulsed emissions contribute about 21–44 % to total soil NOx emissions over the Sahel.

Semi-automated mapping of burned areas in semi-arid ecosystems using MODIS time-series imagery

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 25-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo A. Hardtke ◽  
Paula D. Blanco ◽  
Héctor F.del Valle ◽  
Graciela I. Metternicht ◽  
Walter F. Sione
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Automated Mapping ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Semi Arid

scholarly journals Long-term time series of Arctic tropospheric BrO derived from UV–VIS satellite remote sensing and its relation to first-year sea ice

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (20) ◽  
pp. 11869-11892
Author(s):  
Ilias Bougoudis ◽  
Anne-Marlene Blechschmidt ◽  
Andreas Richter ◽  
Sora Seo ◽  
John Philip Burrows ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
First Year ◽  
Vertical Column ◽  
Chain Reactions ◽  
Heterogeneous Chain ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. Every polar spring, phenomena called bromine explosions occur over sea ice. These bromine explosions comprise photochemical heterogeneous chain reactions that release bromine molecules, Br2, to the troposphere and lead to tropospheric plumes of bromine monoxide, BrO. This autocatalytic mechanism depletes ozone, O3, in the boundary layer and troposphere and thereby changes the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere. The phenomenon also leads to accelerated deposition of metals (e.g., Hg). In this study, we present a 22-year (1996 to 2017) consolidated and consistent tropospheric BrO dataset north of 70∘ N, derived from four different ultraviolet–visible (UV–VIS) satellite instruments (GOME, SCIAMACHY, GOME-2A and GOME-2B). The retrieval data products from the different sensors are compared during periods of overlap and show good agreement (correlations of 0.82–0.98 between the sensors). From our merged time series of tropospheric BrO vertical column densities (VCDs), we infer changes in the bromine explosions and thus an increase in the extent and magnitude of tropospheric BrO plumes during the period of Arctic warming. We determined an increasing trend of about 1.5 % of the tropospheric BrO VCDs per year during polar springs, while the size of the areas where enhanced tropospheric BrO VCDs can be found has increased about 896 km2 yr−1. We infer from comparisons and correlations with sea ice age data that the reported changes in the extent and magnitude of tropospheric BrO VCDs are moderately related to the increase in first-year ice extent in the Arctic north of 70∘ N, both temporally and spatially, with a correlation coefficient of 0.32. However, the BrO plumes and thus bromine explosions show significant variability, which also depends, apart from sea ice, on meteorological conditions.

scholarly journals Long-term Time-series of Arctic Tropospheric BrO derived from UV-VIS Satellite Remote Sensing and its Relation to First Year Sea Ice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilias Bougoudis ◽  
Anne-Marlene Blechschmidt ◽  
Andreas Richter ◽  
Sora Seo ◽  
John Philip Burrows ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
First Year ◽  
Arctic Amplification ◽  
Vertical Column ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. Arctic Amplification describes the rapid increase of the air temperature in the past three decades in the Arctic, which impacts on physicochemical conditions, the ecosystem and biogeochemistry. Every polar spring, the BrO explosion, a series of chemical reactions that release bromine molecules to the troposphere occurs over sea ice covered regions. This autocatalytic mechanism depletes boundary layer and tropospheric ozone, thereby changes the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere and facilitates the deposition of metals (e.g. Hg). In this study, we present a 22 year consolidated and consistent tropospheric BrO dataset, derived from four different UV-VIS satellite instruments and investigate the BrO evolution under the impact of Arctic Amplification. The retrieval data products from the different sensors are compared during periods of overlap and show good agreement. By studying the sensor merged time-series of tropospheric BrO vertical column densities, we find an increase in the magnitude of BrO explosion events under the impact of Arctic Amplification with an upward trend of about 1.5 % per year. Furthermore, the areas where BrO plumes frequently appear have changed, extending over larger regions in the Arctic during more recent years. Comparison to sea ice age data suggests that the reported changes in tropospheric BrO are linked in a complex way to the increase of first-year ice extent in the Arctic.

scholarly journals Automated mapping of burned areas in semi-arid ecosystems using modis time-series imagery

2015 ◽  
Vol XL-7/W3 ◽  
pp. 811-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Hardtke ◽  
P. D. Blanco ◽  
H. F. del Valle ◽  
G. I. Metternicht ◽  
W. F. Sione
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Reference Data ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Commission Error ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Semi Arid

Understanding spatial and temporal patterns of burned areas at regional scales, provides a long-term perspective of fire processes and its effects on ecosystems and vegetation recovery patterns, and it is a key factor to design prevention and post-fire restoration plans and strategies. Standard satellite burned area and active fire products derived from the 500-m MODIS and SPOT are avail - able to this end. However, prior research caution on the use of these global-scale products for regional and sub-regional applica - tions. Consequently, we propose a novel algorithm for automated identification and mapping of burned areas at regional scale in semi-arid shrublands. The algorithm uses a set of the Normalized Burned Ratio Index products derived from MODIS time series; using a two-phased cycle, it firstly detects potentially burned pixels while keeping a low commission error (false detection of burned areas), and subsequently labels them as seed patches. Region growing image segmentation algorithms are applied to the seed patches in the second-phase, to define the perimeter of fire affected areas while decreasing omission errors (missing real burned areas). Independently-derived Landsat ETM+ burned-area reference data was used for validation purposes. The correlation between the size of burnt areas detected by the global fire products and independently-derived Landsat reference data ranged from R<sup>2</sup> = 0.01 - 0.28, while our algorithm performed showed a stronger correlation coefficient (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.96). Our findings confirm prior research calling for caution when using the global fire products locally or regionally.

Global-scale characterization of turning points in arid and semi-arid ecosystems functioning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Bernardino ◽  
Wanda De Keersmaecker ◽  
Rasmus Fensholt ◽  
Jan Verbesselt ◽  
Ben Somers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Turning Points ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Ancillary Data ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Scale Characterization

&lt;p&gt;Ecosystems in drylands are highly susceptible to changes in their way of functioning due to extreme and prolonged droughts or anthropogenic perturbation. Long-standing pressure, from climate or human action, may result in severe alterations in their dynamics. Moreover, changes in dryland ecosystems functioning can take place abruptly (Horion et al., 2016). Such abrupt changes may have severe ecological and economic consequences, disturbing the livelihood of drylands inhabitants and causing increased poverty and food insecurity. Considering that drylands cover 40% of Earth&amp;#8217;s land surface and are home to around one-third of the human population, detecting and characterizing hotspots of abrupt changes in ecosystem functioning (here called turning points) becomes even more crucial.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;BFAST, a time series segmentation technique, was used to detect breakpoints in time series (1982-2015) of rain-use efficiency. An abrupt change in rain-use efficiency time series points towards a significant change in the way an ecosystem responds to precipitation, allowing the study of turning points in ecosystem functioning in both natural and anthropogenic landscapes. Moreover, we here proposed a new typology to characterize turning points in ecosystem functioning, which takes into account the trend in ecosystem functioning before and after the turning point, as well as differences in the rate of change. Case studies were used to evaluate the performance of the new typology. Finally, ancillary data on population density and drought were used to have some first insights about the potential determinants of hotspots of turning point occurrence.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our results showed that 13.6% of global drylands presented a turning point in ecosystem functioning between 1982 and 2015. Hotspots of turning point occurrence were observed in North America (where 62.6% of the turning points were characterized by a decreasing trend in ecosystem functioning), the Sahel, Central Asia, and Australia. The last three hotspot regions were mainly characterized by a positive trend in ecosystem functioning after the turning point. The ancillary data pointed to an influence of both droughts and human action on turning point occurrence in North America, while in Asia and Australia turning point occurrence was higher in areas with higher anthropogenic pressure. In the grasslands of the Sahel, turning points were potentially related to drought.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;By detecting where and when hotspots of turning points occurred in recent decades, and by characterizing the trends in ecosystem functioning before and after the turning points, we advanced towards better supporting decision making related to ecosystems conservation and management in drylands. Moreover, we provided first insights about the drivers of ecosystem functioning change in hotspots of turning point occurrence in global drylands (Bernardino et al., 2019).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bernardino PN, De Keersmaecker W, Fensholt R, Verbesselt J, Somers B, Horion S (2019) Global-scale characterization of turning points in arid and semi-arid ecosystems functioning. Manuscript submitted for publication.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Horion S, Prishchepov A V., Verbesselt J, de Beurs K, Tagesson T, Fensholt R (2016) Revealing turning points in ecosystem functioning over the Northern Eurasian agricultural frontier. Global change biology, &lt;strong&gt;22&lt;/strong&gt;, 2801&amp;#8211;2817.&lt;/p&gt;

Cultivation of New Emerging Agro-Nutritional Crop of Quinoa at Madinat al-Hikmah Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Afzal Rizvi ◽  
Syed Abid Ali ◽  
Iqra Munir ◽  
Kousar Yasmeen ◽  
Rubina Abid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Sindh Province ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Elemental Accumulation ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Good Agreement

Aim: Quinoa is a popular source of protein, minerals and alternative to traditional grains. The objective of this study is to introduce the Quinoa in the semi-arid zone of Sindh province of Pakistan. Method: A variety of NARC-9 from the agricultural Punjab province was cultivated and subjected to analyze the growth, morphological characters of the varieties obtained, saponin, protein and the elemental composition viz. Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Na, Pb, and Zn. Result: The result demonstrated the optimum growth and no disease were found in the experimental area. At least three major varieties of quinoa were obtained. Seed morphological data of these three quinoa cultivars were collected. The average saponin levels were quite reasonable. Overall proteins band pattern revealed very high polymorphism in quinoa cultivars and the results were also in good agreement with earlier studies. Conclusion: All quinoa cultivars of Madinat al-Hikmah showed high concentrations of albumin than globulin concentrations (i.e. 48-52% and 24-27%, respectively) as compared to control seeds from market that had similar concentrations of the two fractions i.e. 35.58% and 37.68%, respectively. Likewise, low concentrations of prolamin 14-16% and glutelin 11-12% compared to control seeds 13% rank our crop much better quality than the imported one in the market. The trend of elemental accumulation was followed as K >Na >Fe >Zn >Cu >Pb >Cd, while for comparison it was Na >K >Zn >Fe >Cu >Pb >Cd >Pb for wheat grown under similar conditions. Traditional grains together make a major contribution to the total nutritional element intake of the average Pakistani citizen through diet, not only because of large amounts consumed, but also in part by suitable levels of their proteins and elemental up take for good health. Thus the successful cultivation of quinoa in the semi-arid zone of Sindh will certainly prove beneficial.

scholarly journals Impedance Spectroscopy of Lead-Free Ferroelectric Coatings

Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
Mariya Aleksandrova ◽  
Ivailo Pandiev
Keyword(s):  
Composite Coatings ◽  
Electrical Circuit ◽  
Ferroelectric Materials ◽  
Piezoelectric Transducers ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Electrical Behavior ◽  
Oxide Composite ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Frequency Dependences ◽  
Good Agreement

This paper presents impedance measurements of ferroelectric structures involving lead-free oxide and polymer-oxide composite coatings for sensing and energy harvesting applications. Three different ferroelectric materials grown by conventional microfabrication technologies on solid or flexible substrates are investigated for their basic resonant characteristics. Equivalent electrical circuit models are applied to all cases to explain the electrical behavior of the structures, according to the materials type and thickness. The analytical results show good agreement with the experiments carried out on a basic types of excited thin-film piezoelectric transducers. Additionally, temperature and frequency dependences of the dielectric permittivity and losses are measured for the polymer-oxide composite device in relation with the surface morphology before and after introduction of the polymer to the functional film.

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