scholarly journals Intercomparisons, error assessments, and technical information on historical upper-air measurements

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 2471-2485
Author(s):  
Noemi Imfeld ◽  
Leopold Haimberger ◽  
Alexander Sterin ◽  
Yuri Brugnara ◽  
Stefan Brönnimann
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Radiosonde Data ◽  
Full Information ◽  
Data Form

Abstract. Upper-air data form the backbone of weather analysis and reanalysis products, particularly in the pre-satellite era. However, they are particularly prone to errors and uncertainties, especially data from the early days of aerology. Information that allows us to better characterize the errors of radiosonde data is important. This paper reports on an attempt to collect data from historical upper-air intercomparisons and from historical error assessments reaching back to the 1930s. The digitized numerical data will be made available through Copernicus Climate Change Services; here we publish the full information that includes images, literature, and other metadata that may be relevant and can be used to inform homogenization approaches or reanalysis production. The data collection described in this paper is available on PANGAEA: https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.925860 (Imfeld et al., 2021).

scholarly journals Intercomparisons, Error Assessments, and Technical Information on Historical Upper-Air Measurements

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noemi Imfeld ◽  
Leopold Haimberger ◽  
Alexander Sterin ◽  
Yuri Brugnara ◽  
Stefan Brönnimann
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Radiosonde Data ◽  
Full Information ◽  
Data Form

Abstract. Upper-air data form the backbone of weather analysis and reanalysis products, particularly in the pre-satellite era. However, they are particularly prone to errors and uncertainties, especially data from the early days of aerology. Information that allows to better characterize the errors of radiosonde data is important. This paper reports on an attempt to collect data from historical upper-air intercomparisons and from historical error assessments reaching back to the 1930s. The digitised numerical data will be made available through Copernicus Climate Change Services; here we publish the full information that includes images, literature, and other metadata that may be relevant and can be used to inform homogenization approaches or reanalysis production. The data collection described in this paper is available on PANGAEA https://www.pangaea.de/tok/9e5b464ba828e931103d3794d9ae1d4576f7a03d (Imfeld et al, in review).

DISSEMINATION AND USE OF INFORMATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY: A CASE STUDY OF FARMERS IN MALUGA AND CHIBELA VILLAGES IN SEMI-ARID CENTRAL TANZANIA

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Elia ◽  
Stephen Mutula ◽  
Christine Stilwell
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovations ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change And Variability ◽  
Semi Arid

This study was part of broader PhD research which investigated how access to, and use of, information enhances adaptation to climate change and variability in the agricultural sector in semi-arid Central Tanzania. The research was carried out in two villages using Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory and model to assess the dissemination of this information and its use by farmers in their adaptation of their farming practices to climate change and variability. This predominantly qualitative study employed a post-positivist paradigm. Some elements of a quantitative approach were also deployed in the data collection and analysis. The principal data collection methods were interviews and focus group discussions. The study population comprised farmers, agricultural extension officers and the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa project manager. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis whereas quantitative data were analysed to generate mostly descriptive statistics using SPSS.  Key findings of the study show that farmers perceive a problem in the dissemination and use of climate information for agricultural development. They found access to agricultural inputs to be expensive, unreliable and untimely. To mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and variability on farming effectively, the study recommends the repackaging of current and accurate information on climate change and variability, farmer education and training, and collaboration between researchers, meteorology experts, and extension officers and farmers. Moreover, a clear policy framework for disseminating information related to climate change and variability is required.

scholarly journals A multi-purpose National Forest Inventory in Bangladesh: design, operationalisation and key results

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matieu Henry ◽  
Zaheer Iqbal ◽  
Kristofer Johnson ◽  
Mariam Akhter ◽  
Liam Costello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Forest Inventory ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
National Forest Inventory ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Land Cover Map

Abstract Background National forest inventory and forest monitoring systems are more important than ever considering continued global degradation of trees and forests. These systems are especially important in a country like Bangladesh, which is characterised by a large population density, climate change vulnerability and dependence on natural resources. With the aim of supporting the Government’s actions towards sustainable forest management through reliable information, the Bangladesh Forest Inventory (BFI) was designed and implemented through three components: biophysical inventory, socio-economic survey and remote sensing-based land cover mapping. This article documents the approach undertaken by the Forest Department under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to establish the BFI as a multipurpose, efficient, accurate and replicable national forest assessment. The design, operationalization and some key results of the process are presented. Methods The BFI takes advantage of the latest and most well-accepted technological and methodological approaches. Importantly, it was designed through a collaborative process which drew from the experience and knowledge of multiple national and international entities. Overall, 1781 field plots were visited, 6400 households were surveyed, and a national land cover map for the year 2015 was produced. Innovative technological enhancements include a semi-automated segmentation approach for developing the wall-to-wall land cover map, an object-based national land characterisation system, consistent estimates between sample-based and mapped land cover areas, use of mobile apps for tree species identification and data collection, and use of differential global positioning system for referencing plot centres. Results Seven criteria, and multiple associated indicators, were developed for monitoring progress towards sustainable forest management goals, informing management decisions, and national and international reporting needs. A wide range of biophysical and socioeconomic data were collected, and in some cases integrated, for estimating the indicators. Conclusions The BFI is a new information source tool for helping guide Bangladesh towards a sustainable future. Reliable information on the status of tree and forest resources, as well as land use, empowers evidence-based decision making across multiple stakeholders and at different levels for protecting natural resources. The integrated socio-economic data collected provides information about the interactions between people and their tree and forest resources, and the valuation of ecosystem services. The BFI is designed to be a permanent assessment of these resources, and future data collection will enable monitoring of trends against the current baseline. However, additional institutional support as well as continuation of collaboration among national partners is crucial for sustaining the BFI process in future.

scholarly journals Climate Change in the Arctic—The Need for a Broader Gender Perspective in Data Collection

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 628
Author(s):  
Arja Rautio ◽  
Natalia Kukarenko ◽  
Lena Maria Nilsson ◽  
Birgitta Evengard
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Gender Analysis ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Disaggregated Data

Climate change in the Arctic affects both environmental, animal, and human health, as well as human wellbeing and societal development. Women and men, and girls and boys are affected differently. Sex-disaggregated data collection is increasingly carried out as a routine in human health research and in healthcare analysis. This study involved a literature review and used a case study design to analyze gender differences in the roles and responsibilities of men and women residing in the Arctic. The theoretical background for gender-analysis is here described together with examples from the Russian Arctic and a literature search. We conclude that a broader gender-analysis of sex-disaggregated data followed by actions is a question of human rights and also of economic benefits for societies at large and of the quality of services as in the health care.

Effect of multi-level and multi-scale spectral data source on vineyard state assessment via spectral vegetation indices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonello Bonfante ◽  
Arturo Erbaggio ◽  
Eugenia Monaco ◽  
Rossella Albrizio ◽  
Pasquale Giorio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
State Estimation ◽  
Spectral Data ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Spectral Region ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Plant Management ◽  
Spectral Vegetation Indices ◽  
Data Source

<p>Currently, the main goal of agriculture is to promote the resilience of agricultural systems in a sustainable way through the improvement of use efficiency of farm resources, increasing crop yield and quality, under climate change conditions. Climate change is one of the major challenges for high incomes crops, as the vineyards for high-quality wines, since it is expected to drastically modify plant growth, with possible negative effects especially in arid and semi-arid regions of Europe. In this context, the reduction of negative environmental impacts of intensive agriculture (e.g. soil degradation), can be realized by means of high spatial and temporal resolution of field crop monitoring, aiming to manage the local spatial variability.</p><p>The monitoring of spatial behaviour of plants during the growing season represents an opportunity to improve the plant management, the farmer incomes and to preserve the environmental health, but it represents an additional cost for the farmer.</p><p>The UAS-based imagery might provide detailed and accurate information across visible and near infrared spectral regions to support monitoring (crucial for precision agriculture) with limitation in bands and then on spectral vegetation indices (Vis) provided. VIs are a well-known and widely used method for crop state estimation. The ability to monitor crop state by such indices is an important tool for agricultural management. While differences in imagery and point-based spectroscopy are obvious, their impact on crop state estimation by VIs is not well-studied. The aim of this study was to assess the performance level of the selected VIs calculated from reconstructed high-resolution satellite (Sentinel-2A) multispectral imagery (13 bands across 400-2500nm with spatial resolution of <2m) through Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) approach (Brook et al., 2020), UAS-based multispectral (5 bands across 450-800nm spectral region with spatial resolution of 5cm) imagery and point-based field spectroscopy (collecting 600 wavelength across  400-1000nm spectral region with a surface footprint of 1-2cm) in application to crop state estimation.</p><p>The test site is a portion of vineyard placed in southern Italy cultivated on Greco cultivar, in which the soil-plant and atmosphere system has been monitored during the 2020 vintage also through ecophysiological analyses. The data analysis will follow the methodology presented in a recently published paper (Polinova et al., 2018).</p><p>The study will connect the method and scale of spectral data collection with in vivo plant monitoring and prove that it has a significant impact on the vegetation state estimation results. It should be noted that each spectral data source has its advantages and drawbacks. The plant parameter of interest should determine not only the VIs type suitable for analysis but also the method of data collection.</p><p>The contribution has been realized within the CNR BIO-ECO project.</p>

scholarly journals A TALE OF TWO TWITTERS? IDENTIFYING BRIDGES BETWEEN LANGUAGE BASED TWITTERSPHERES

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Victor Münch ◽  
Luca Rossi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Global Space

Global political developments – such as Brexit, climate change, or forced migration – are entangled with communication that transcends national publics. Meanwhile, the EU’s integrity suffers, also due to polarised online discourses, which are sometimes actively manipulated. Therefore, an overview of online communication beyond language barriers is essential. However, whether and how online media create a global space that sustains deliberation of national and global interests by citizens, remains understudied. We approach this problem by exploring relations between the Italian and German Twittersphere, while asking: 1) What is the macrostructure of this bilingual network? 2) Are there bridges between these language communities in the form of single accounts and how can they be described? 3) Are there bridges in the form of groups and what are they tweeting about? We build on an innovative network crawling strategy for language-based Twitter follow networks. We developed it further to combine strengths of rank degree, snowball, and forest fire sampling. Thereby, we collect a network sample of the most central accounts in the Italian-German Twittersphere. Preliminary results suggest a bridging quality of soccer and connections between political clusters of both languages by EU politicians. Furthermore, larger network clusters connect mainly with one linguistic domain while smaller communities show a bridging behaviour. The final paper will present results of months of data collection, focusing on the relation between topics discussed within clusters and their connectivity. While it focuses on the German-Italian Twittersphere, our methods open up new avenues of enquiry regarding multi-language public spheres.

scholarly journals Using smartphones reservations for hotels in Barcelona for a business segment: Empirical analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Joan Francesc Fondevila Gascon ◽  
Gaspar Berbel ◽  
Monica Munoz ◽  
Pedro Mir ◽  
Elena Puiggros
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
The Media ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Object Of Study ◽  
June July ◽  
Usual Research

<p>This paper tries to demonstrate that virtual communities or social media influence the decision to buy tourism products. Specifically, we show that smartphone bookings made by business tourists coming to Barcelona are increasingly popular. The methodology used is first a comprehensive literature review on the topic, media and social networks as a means of tourism promotion and product recommendation. Then, the article goes on with quantitative method that converts the object of study into numerical data, with emphasis on the measurable objective and, therefore, requiring the use of statistics  For this study we decided to devise a quantitative questionnaire which is usually the method of data collection by most usual research using this type of method. The multiple choice is an instrument for obtaining data and it is used to gather the information needed: facts, opinions, trends. Data collection was carried out for 4 months (May, June, July and August 2015) with n=1512. We conducted a sieve with inclusion and exclusion criteria and which discarded all participants who did not travel for business. The final sample was 494 participants. We conclude that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare social media are the media used by young people and where gender does not influence their use. However, the degree of use of Google+, Linkedin, TripAdvisor and Booking have no significant relationship, taking into account such variables as age and gender.</p><p> </p><p>Keywords: smartphones, emprical, business</p>

Management Systems of User Interfaces Functionalities in Latin

2011 ◽  
pp. 196-214
Author(s):  
Elsa Barber ◽  
Silvia Pisano ◽  
Sandra Romagnoli ◽  
Verónica Parsiale ◽  
Gabriela de Pedro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Data Collection Tool ◽  
Search Queries ◽  
National Libraries

Taking into account the fundamental role of online public access catalogs in the dissemination of scientific and technical information, it was considered relevant to look into the situation of user interfaces of OPACs Web of university, special, public and national libraries in Latin America. A quantitative methodology has been adopted and a checklist of system functions (Hildreth, 1982) updated was used as data collection tool. A sample of 846 OPACs was obtained from predefined search queries and classified according to type of software, type of library and country. A subset of 374 units was selected of those whose system presented a frequency of appearance = 10. The percentage of presence of functionalities in each area was calculated and functionalities were compared according to type of software by test of independence. It was then possible to typify the interfaces of the analyzed OPACs according to the selected types of software and in relation to their category.

Climate change advocacy: exploring links between student empowerment and civic engagement

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1209-1231
Author(s):  
Alicia B. Wodika ◽  
Wendi K. Middleton
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Adaptation And Mitigation

Purpose This study identified the attitudes and behaviors of college students regarding their advocacy for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Specifically, perceptions of climate change were assessed and advocacy activities were identified for climate change and/or other topics. Design/methodology/approach Using convenience sampling, students (n = 440) from three universities in the Midwest, the USA, completed surveys assessing their level of agreement with activities related to civic engagement, climate change and policy. Semantic differential scales focused on “learning about climate change,” “advocating for climate change mitigation” and “advocating for climate change adaptation.” Three open-ended questions were used to identify student experiences with civic engagement and/or service-learning, as well as topics in which they advocate and how they advocate. Findings Regarding advocacy in general, over 50% of the sample did not advocate for any topic, with 24.5% of students stating they advocated for the environment/climate change. Students who identified as female, democratic and 1st or 2nd year in school were more likely to be engaged with environmental advocacy. Regarding civic engagement, seniors were more actively engaged with their communities and also more likely to vote in local, state and national elections. Research limitations/implications Time of data collection was a potential limitation with schools conducting data collection at different time periods. Students who identified more progressive politically were also more likely to participate in the study. Originality/value While research exists regarding student civic engagement levels, this research project identified ways in which students engaged in advocacy, identifying potential links with civic engagement and enhanced participation in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

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