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Introduction: Amidst escalating global temperatures, increasing climate change, and rapid urbanization, addressing urban heat islands and improving outdoor thermal comfort is paramount for sustainable urban development. Green walls offer a promising strategy by effectively lowering ambient air temperatures in urban environments. While previous studies have explored their impact in various climates, their effectiveness in humid climates remains underexplored. Methods: This research investigates the cooling effect of a green wall during summer in a humid climate, employing two approaches: Field Measurement-Based Analysis (SC 1: FMA) and Deep Learning Model (SC 2: DLM). In SC 1: FMA, experiments utilized data loggers at varying distances from the green wall to capture real-time conditions. SC 2: DLM utilized a deep learning model to predict the green wall's performance over time. Results: Results indicate a significant reduction in air temperature, with a 1.5°C (6%) decrease compared to real-time conditions. Long-term analysis identified specific distances (A, B, C, and D) contributing to temperature reductions ranging from 1.5°C to 2.5°C, highlighting optimal distances for green wall efficacy. Discussion: This study contributes novel insights by determining effective distances for green wall systems to mitigate ambient temperatures, addressing a critical gap in current literature. The integration of a deep learning model enhances analytical precision and forecasts future outcomes. Despite limitations related to a single case study and limited timeframe, this research offers practical benefits in urban heat island mitigation, enhancing outdoor comfort, and fostering sustainable and climate-resilient urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the dynamic response of soil moisture to rainfall is crucial for describing hydrological processes at the hillslope scale. However, because of sparse monitoring coupled with the complexity of water movement and steep topography, the findings of rainfall‐related soil moisture dynamics have not always been consistent, indicating a need for systematic investigations of soil moisture dynamics and infiltration patterns following rainfall inputs at multiple topographic positions along a hillslope. This study aimed to examine the nature of these responses by characterizing and quantifying the response amplitude, rate and time for 37 large rainfall events at 25 combinations of topographic positions and soil depths along a steep forested hillslope. Our results showed that soil moisture responses under different rainfall patterns could be attributed to one or the other rainfall characteristics, such as rainfall intensity and amount. However, soil moisture dynamics at different hillslope positions after rainfall varied widely due to the controls of soil properties, topography, and non‐equilibrium flow. Preferential flow was more evident under dry initial soil conditions than under wet initial soil conditions. Findings of this study reveal that the dynamic response patterns of soil moisture to rainfall do not always follow topographic controls, which can improve our understanding of water cycling related to the infiltration process at the hillslope scale, and support water resources management in subtropical mountain ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Amidst escalating global temperatures, increasing climate change, and rapid urbanization, addressing urban heat islands and improving outdoor thermal comfort is paramount for sustainable urban development. Green walls offer a promising strategy by effectively lowering ambient air temperatures in urban environments. While previous studies have explored their impact in various climates, their effectiveness in humid climates remains underexplored.Methods: This research investigates the cooling effect of a green wall during summer in a humid climate, employing two approaches: Field Measurement-Based Analysis (SC 1: FMA) and Deep Learning Model (SC 2: DLM). In SC 1: FMA, experiments utilized data loggers at varying distances from the green wall to capture real-time conditions. SC 2: DLM utilized a deep learning model to predict the green wall’s performance over time.Results: Results indicate a significant reduction in air temperature, with a 1.5°C (6%) decrease compared to real-time conditions. Long-term analysis identified specific distances (A, B, C, and D) contributing to temperature reductions ranging from 1.5°C to 2.5°C, highlighting optimal distances for green wall efficacy.Discussion: This study contributes novel insights by determining effective distances for green wall systems to mitigate ambient temperatures, addressing a critical gap in current literature. The integration of a deep learning model enhances analytical precision and forecasts future outcomes. Despite limitations related to a single case study and limited timeframe, this research offers practical benefits in urban heat island mitigation, enhancing outdoor comfort, and fostering sustainable and climate-resilient urban environments.

This study was carried out to evaluate the performance fruit quality of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cv. “Medjoul” trees grown under two different climate conditions i.e. Al Bahria (Giza Governat ) and El-Dakhla (New valley Governat) Oases during 2021 and 2022 seasons. Medjoul fruits required 289 -291 days, mean Temp. 27.2 C ̊, 25.0 C ̊ and humidity 46.0%, 47.0 % to reach tamr stage under El Wahat Al-Baharia and required 267-272 days, mean Temp. 29.1 C ̊, 26.4 C ̊ and humidity 37.2%, 42.3% to reach tamr stage under El-Dakhla region. The climate play an important role in fruit quality and physical characteristics, where was found the greatest value of yield per palm, fruit weight, flesh weight, fruit volume, fruit length, fruit diameter and appearance of homogeneous dark brown color in Al-Baharia region but appearance two color light brown at the funnel of fruits and dark brown color at the rest of fruits in El-Dakhla region that may be due to the humid climate and mean Temp. which improved physical characteristics in Al-Baharia region than the dry climate in El-Dakhla region. Fruit quality was affected by climate region whereas the highest values were achieved with humid climate. The fruit chemicals properties were not differed according to climate conditions in the region.

The AquaCrop model allows evaluating and designing irrigation strategies that improve the use of irrigation water. The objective of this research was to calibrate and validate the AquaCrop model for maize to the climatic conditions of southern Uruguay, with different irrigation water management. This model was calibrated and validated for corn using experimental data from irrigation trials with different deficit levels in three seasons, 2015-16 and 2016-17 (calibration) and 2014-15 (validation). Three maximum irrigation depths were evaluated: 3, 6 and 9 mm day-1, and rainfed (rainfall only). The crop was parameterized for local conditions and water stress coefficients were adjusted. The calibration simulated the yield, biomass and soil moisture in the irrigated treatments with good performance. All the statistic indexes used to evaluate the adjustment between the observed and simulated data model indicated a good model performance, with the exception of the efficiency coefficient of the Nash-Sutcliffe (EF) model. The model underestimated the yield in the rainfed treatment (EF of -0.52) when root depth was limited to 0.7 m. However, the test soil allowed for greater radical exploration than the initially used. At 0.90 m root depth, the model was good at simulating the yields in the rainfed treatment, mainly in dry years (EF of 0.79). The model predicts the yield with good adjustment in different irrigation and rainfall situations if the stress coefficients are adjusted and the crop is properly parameterized, mainly the root depth.

In humid climate regions, a short period of water deficit, especially during the vegetative growth and tuberization stages, has been found to affect potato plant growth, yield and tuber quality. However, there is still a lack of information on the impact of the water deficit duration. In this study, we examined potato plant growth, yield and tuber quality parameters with plants under 0 to 25 days of water deficit initiated at the beginnings of the vegetative growth stage and the tuberization stage, respectively. We found that for both the vegetative growth and tuberization stages, a longer water deficit duration resulted in no significant change in final plant height but significantly delayed flowering and reduced total biomass, yield, tuber dry matter content and share of large tubers. We estimate that per day of prolonged water deficit, there will be a yield loss of 3.1% and 3.4% for the vegetative growth and tuberization stages, respectively. Similarly, for per liter of irrigation water, there will be a yield increase of 16.3 g and 19.1 g for the vegetative growth and tuberization stages, respectively. Further studies are suggested to examine how supplemental irrigation can be used most effectively to mitigate the impact of water deficit on potato production in humid climate regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methodologies to predict crop water requirements in arid and semi-arid regions are well known. Humid regions such as eastern Canada pose a challenge because irrigation is normally only required for short periods during the growing season to supplement rainfall. This study assessed the capability of the AquaCrop model to simulate the effects of different irrigation regimes on field-grown tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in the humid region of eastern Canada. The experimental study was conducted at the Horticultural Research station of McGill University, Quebec, Canada. There were three irrigation treatments in 2017 and in 2019, that were based on the % depletion of available water content (AWC). The AquaCrop model was calibrated and verified with the 2017 and 2019 field data, respectively. The verified model was used to predict irrigation water requirements and fruit yield for the driest year (1993) and the average rainfall year (2001) of a 35-year historic weather dataset from 1986 to 2000, for three different soil types (silty clay, sandy loam, and heavy clay) under four irrigation regimes. Model performance was greatly improved when the seasonal harvest index (HI) measured from experimental data was used instead of the default model HI values. AquaCrop was suitable for estimating dry yield and total biomass with RMSE = 0.57 ton ha-1 and 0.89 ton ha-1, respectively, in the calibration phase, and RMSE = 0.28 ton ha-1 and 0.01 ton ha-1 for dry yield and total biomass, respectively, in the verification phase. These results indicate a very high accuracy of AquaCrop to estimate total above ground biomass and fruit yield in humid regions with seasonally adjusted HI values. The predictions showed that maintaining AWC depletion below 25% resulted in no significant decrease in crop yield and biomass, making it an optimum water management guideline for irrigated tomato production in Quebec. The findings of this study are useful to crop growers and water resource managers in eastern Canada, who seek better irrigation strategies to optimize productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Corrigendum: An experimental analysis and deep learning model to assess the cooling performance of green walls in humid climates" published in Frontiers in Energy Research corrects errors in the author list and affiliation. The corrected author list includes Amiraslan Darvish, and the affiliation for Mostafa Kazemi is updated to Royal Roads University in Canada. The authors emphasize that these corrections do not impact the scientific conclusions of the article. The study was conducted by researchers from various institutions worldwide, highlighting a collaborative and diverse approach to the research topic. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a corrigendum for an article titled "An experimental analysis and deep learning model to assess the cooling performance of green walls in humid climates." The corrigendum acknowledges an error in the author list, specifically the exclusion of author Amiraslan Darvish. The corrected author list is provided, and it is stated that this error does not affect the scientific conclusions of the article. The document also includes a note from the publisher stating that the claims expressed in the article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their affiliated organizations or the publisher. The article was received, accepted, and published in August 2024. The authors and their affiliations are listed at the end of the document. [Extracted from the article]

Office buildings, characterized by high internal heat gains, represent a major share of energy use, mainly due to HVAC systems, especially in commercial facilities. Such energy use becomes more significant in locations with harsh climatic conditions. The careful design, selection, and operation of HVAC and energy systems, however, can contribute to major reductions in the energy use in buildings. In this paper, we present the outcomes of a study conducted to assess the impact of HVAC operational strategies on energy use in office buildings in the hot and humid climate of Saudi Arabia. The study utilized detailed building-energy simulation coupled with utility-use data. The results revealed annual electrical energy savings ranging from an average of 1.9% for each 1°C increase in the thermostat setpoint temperature up to 42.4%, when limiting HVAC system operation to occupied hours only. On an average, there was about a 1.4% penalty in the annual energy for each hour of increase in the HVAC system start-up time. However, this penalty should not be avoided at the expense of compromising thermal comfort. In summary, a combination of appropriate HVAC operational strategies can have a significant impact on a building's annual energy savings, as demonstrated in the presented case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, the desire to have better thermal comfort in terms of living has been extensively discussed and is in high demand, especially in metropolitan cities. Alongside the desired outcomes, air conditioning facilities have been implemented, but they also bring negative consequences, such as a high energy bill and multi-dimensional environmental impacts. To counter these problems, a hybrid technique combining the evaporative cooling technique with a venturi-shaped natural ventilation tower is proposed. Evaporative cooling takes advantage of cooling in response to the wind blowing through a layer of wetted surface that is built with permeable materials. Combining with the specially designed venturi-shaped natural ventilation tower to improve the volume intake of wind externally, this system is aimed to reduce temperature and achieve thermal comfort by cooling down the air with circulation in a continuous accumulative mode. To gauge the efficiency and effectiveness of this hybrid technique, an evaporative system known as the wind-induced evaporative cooling (WIEC) system is directly fed into a testing chamber (installed with sensors) fabricated with a scale of 1:6. The system was tested in a hot and humid climate with a temperature range of 27°C–34°C. The finding shows that our system is able to reduce temperatures up to 3.873°C with an output cooling capacity of 9 W–476.3 W, which shows the feasibility of this study.

In this study, academic staff residential buildings were studied as part of a university campus located in a hot and humid climate zone in Türkiye. Within the scope of the study, the energy efficient architectural and landscape design decisions of the buildings built in 1976 were examined. The aim was to determine the energy performance of buildings built about 50 years ago and to quantify the effect of changing landscape conditions on thermal comfort. In this aim, the outdoor thermal comfort level was determined by creating microclimate simulations for the hottest day and time of the year. Microclimatic analyses were performed with ENVI-met software and thermal comfort was evaluated with two metrics, average PMV and ASHRAE scale. The energy performance of the buildings was determined using ecological design parameters. An approach to global environmental problems is the use of ecological design principles, including architectural and landscape design principles. It is important to consider both architectural design criteria and landscape design criteria when discussing an ecological design in the built environment. Architectural and landscape design decisions for hot and humid climate regions together increased energy efficiency by 51.1% to 75.5%. It was found that although the plant design improves energy performance in buildings by that range value, it improved outdoor thermal comfort by 15% to 22%. As a result, the study evaluated climate-balanced plant design with building energy performance in order to improve outdoor thermal comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Geochemical concentrations and distribution of major and trace elemental oxides were governed by lithologic factors. • Silicon, Fe, Al, Ca, and K showed the higher affinity to parent material. • The profiles elemental ratios revealed both an oxic and anoxic depositional environment. • Volatility of elements depends on the modes of occurrence, the intensity of the fire and the duration. Geochemical composition and distribution of major elements study is vital in terms of investigating the major soil forming compounds and to know the fate of trace elements in soils. Particle size distribution (PSD), pH, organic carbon (OC), and major and trace elements of hydromorphic soils formed on recent alluvium in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun state, Nigeria were analysed using standard procedures. Three profiles pits were dug based on the mapping units identified, and samples were collected for laboratory analysis. Data were subjected descriptive statistics and Pearson' correlation coefficients using IBM SPSS version 27. The PSD was dominated by sand content, followed by clay and silt, and soil pH in KCl was strongly acid (3.17–4.30) and pH in H 2 O was moderately acid (4.74–5.80), while OC contents were low to moderate (1.22–6.69 g/kg). The major elemental results showed higher concentration of SiO 2 (>50 %) connotes presence quartz, feldspar, and clay minerals. Manganese, Cu, Ba, Zr, and Zn have higher concentrations among the trace elements. Major elements ratios (SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3, K 2 O/Al 2 O 3) showed moderate weathering stage, while trace elements ratios (Ni/Co and Cu/Zn) revealed deposition under humid conditions and anoxic environment. The statistical analysis revealed that most elements have skewness closed to zero except MgO and K 2 O. Correlation coefficients between the elements are positive and significant (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) indicating that their presence can be accounted for by similar lithology, though some have negative relationship which could be as a result of anthropogenic activities. The study found that elements were potential tracers for the presence of human activities and environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humid climate regions, a short period of water deficit, especially during the vegetative growth and tuberization stages, has been found to affect potato plant growth, yield and tuber quality. However, there is still a lack of information on the impact of the water deficit duration. In this study, we examined potato plant growth, yield and tuber quality parameters with plants under 0 to 25 days of water deficit initiated at the beginnings of the vegetative growth stage and the tuberization stage, respectively. We found that for both the vegetative growth and tuberization stages, a longer water deficit duration resulted in no significant change in final plant height but significantly delayed flowering and reduced total biomass, yield, tuber dry matter content and share of large tubers. We estimate that per day of prolonged water deficit, there will be a yield loss of 3.1% and 3.4% for the vegetative growth and tuberization stages, respectively. Similarly, for per liter of irrigation water, there will be a yield increase of 16.3 g and 19.1 g for the vegetative growth and tuberization stages, respectively. Further studies are suggested to examine how supplemental irrigation can be used most effectively to mitigate the impact of water deficit on potato production in humid climate regions.

Methodologies to predict crop water requirements in arid and semi-arid regions are well known. Humid regions such as eastern Canada pose a challenge because irrigation is normally only required for short periods during the growing season to supplement rainfall. This study assessed the capability of the AquaCrop model to simulate the effects of different irrigation regimes on field-grown tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in the humid region of eastern Canada. The experimental study was conducted at the Horticultural Research station of McGill University, Quebec, Canada. There were three irrigation treatments in 2017 and in 2019, that were based on the % depletion of available water content (AWC). The AquaCrop model was calibrated and verified with the 2017 and 2019 field data, respectively. The verified model was used to predict irrigation water requirements and fruit yield for the driest year (1993) and the average rainfall year (2001) of a 35-year historic weather dataset from 1986 to 2000, for three different soil types (silty clay, sandy loam, and heavy clay) under four irrigation regimes. Model performance was greatly improved when the seasonal harvest index (HI) measured from experimental data was used instead of the default model HI values. AquaCrop was suitable for estimating dry yield and total biomass with RMSE = 0.57 ton ha-1 and 0.89 ton ha-1, respectively, in the calibration phase, and RMSE = 0.28 ton ha-1 and 0.01 ton ha-1 for dry yield and total biomass, respectively, in the verification phase. These results indicate a very high accuracy of AquaCrop to estimate total above ground biomass and fruit yield in humid regions with seasonally adjusted HI values. The predictions showed that maintaining AWC depletion below 25% resulted in no significant decrease in crop yield and biomass, making it an optimum water management guideline for irrigated tomato production in Quebec. The findings of this study are useful to crop growers and water resource managers in eastern Canada, who seek better irrigation strategies to optimize productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to propose a compaction control method that facilitates the use of expansive soil, as embankment material for highways in humid climates. Three types of expansive soils, utilised as general embankment fill in Southern China, were selected for investigating the physical, compaction, and shear strength properties. The compaction-control method was proposed based on the compaction curve revealed by the dry preparation method, associated with the corresponding soaked California bearing ratio. The site test and long-term monitoring were conducted in an embankment in Ningming, which was filled with compacted expansive soil controlled by the suggested method. The laboratory test results showed that the maximum dry unit weight obtained from the dry preparation method was less than that generated from the moist preparation method, while the optimum moisture content acquired from the dry preparation method was greater and closer to its natural moisture content. The moisture content corresponding to maximum CBR was 2% larger than the optimum moisture content. The in-situ monitoring results presented that the moisture content of the constructed embankment was close to its natural moisture content or plastic limit, the maximum settlement was 70.6 mm, and the maximum horizontal displacement was 20 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the ever-increasing people's need for housing, affordable housing and environmental comfort are important, and the use of inactive design methods is the cheapest solution to achieve low-energy buildings. This study aimed at understanding the natural ventilation potential in Gorgan. This research has been conducted aiming at providing solutions based on airflow to reduce energy consumption in the building for the warm months of the year. Solutions for using natural ventilation in the design of a residential complex include a terrace, void, direct ventilation for the corridors, cross ventilation, and arranging the units to get suitable ventilation. The energy influence the air through the intermediate spaces of the floor units; as the external consumption during the warm period of the year was simulated in the form of an applied project. In this research, a model with mechanical ventilation and 4 patterns of 22 modes were designed using natural ventilation. The results showed that the factors such as using void, stair layout of the plan, using semi-empty spaces in the building, creating internal lateral ventilation, being the interior doors opened, placing the smaller unit from west to south, the connection between the kitchen and the living space in the building causes a reduction of the energy consumption in the warm seasons of the year in moderate and humid climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Subsurface lateral flow often occurs at 10–40 cm depths along the hillslope. • Wet soil conditions are conducive to triggering hillslope lateral flow. • Variability of infiltration partitioning remains high in the deeper layers. • Dominant factors controlling PWSI are sand (0–10 cm), EL (10–40 cm), and n (40–80 cm). Infiltration is the process of water entering into, and routings through, the subsurface. It has a profound impact on hillslope and catchment runoff. However, because of the hidden and complex subsurface structures, our understanding of rainfall-related infiltration and how it partitions along a topographic gradient remains challenging. In this study, we used two years of field observations of volumetric soil moisture at 25 combinations of topographic positions and soil depths along a steep subtropical forested hillslope. The lateral partition patterns of infiltration and its control factors were investigated based on a new index, percentage of soil water storage increment at each site to all hillslope sites during a rainfall event (PWSI). Our results showed that the active soil layer involved in hillslope lateral flow was distributed within the depths of 10–40 cm. In deep soil depths (i.e., 40–80 cm), lateral flow was more evident under wet initial moisture conditions than under dry initial moisture conditions, whereas rainfall characteristics had a relatively weak effect on it. Unexpectedly, we found the variability of infiltration partitioning remained high in the deeper soil layers. Among the soil properties, sand, bulk density, n , K S , and SOM were conducive to infiltration, whereas clay had the opposite effect. The dominant factors controlling the lateral partition patterns of infiltration across soil depths were sand in the depths of 0–10 cm, topographic gradient in depths of 10–40 cm, and n (parameter of soil retention curve) in the depths of 40–80 cm. Findings of this study reveal the infiltration partitioning indices were useful to quantitatively describe the distribution patterns of infiltration after rainfall events at the hillslope, and provide new insights into the detection of hillslope lateral flow, which is valuable for understanding subsurface hydrological processes and improving water resource management in humid mountain ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study characterizes the existence of Quaternary sediments in the Transversal Zone of the Borborema Province (Northeastern Brazil). The sediments comprise paleosoils, unconsolidated sands and gravel deposits, which overlie Precambrian basement rocks. The new data on these deposits includes sedimentological and stratigraphic aspects, and age definition through quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) method. The outcrops were subdivided in two broad groups (named RL and Rca) referring to nearby towns where the samples were collected. OSL ages from the RL group provided ages between ca. 160.15 ± 38.26ka to 4.30 ± 2.18ka, whereas the sediments in the Rca group present OSL ages from 67.45 ± 18.24ka to 7.67 ± 2.74ka. The geochronological results reveal that these sediments were deposited during a time period from the Pleistocene to the Holocene. Deposits are chronocorrelated to Post-Barreiras (ca. 74-2ka in age), apart from the Barreiras Formation (ca. 25 to 17Ma in age), by an expressive hiatus in the Northeast Brazil. Our investigation suggest that the sediments, in the study area, are a reworking of crystalline basement and differs genetically from Post-Barreiras in the coastal zone, which are reworked from the Barreiras Formation. The combination of intense humid chemical weathering during the Pleistocene-Holocene influenced the quaternary deposition in the study area. In addition, the regional brittle tectonic reactivation of shear zones also during the Paleogene influenced the space of accommodation that allowed the deposition of these sediments. • Exposed sediments overlying the Precambrian basement of Borborema Province are identified. • Quartz OSL geochronology reveals a Pleistocene-Holocene depositional age. • The sediments were deposited by influence of Cenozoic uplift in the northeastern Brazil. • Intense chemical weathering influences the deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the impacts of clouds during the grain‐filling period on the leaf senescence and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), we conducted a 4‐year plot shading experiment in a well‐drained Andosol in northern Japan. Plants were shaded after the beginning of anthesis in mid‐June, which corresponds to a naturally cloudy period in the study region. The effect of shading depended on its synchronization with soil drying, which affected leaf senescence. Grain yield was determined by solar radiation at the beginning of the grain‐filling period, except in 2015, which was a dry year. Later anthesis in 2016 and 2017 significantly reduced the number and weight of individual grains in the shading treatments. Moreover, "Kitahonami", with late anthesis, showed a significantly slower increase in the individual‐grain weight during the grain‐filling process after shading than "Yumechikara". When the duration between anthesis and shading was short, shading significantly reduced the number and weight of grains, and later anthesis makes it more likely that regional reduced light levels are encountered, resulting in fewer grains; the sensitivity of individual‐grain weight to shading synchronized with an increase in grain protein contents. Our results suggest that in wet years, later anthesis makes it easier to encounter regional reduced light and fewer grains; in addition, insufficient light limits photosynthesis under shade and decreases yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage has been observed to prolong the shelf life of fresh produce. The objective of this study was to determine whether CA storage performed better than regular air (RA) storage in maintaining fruit quality of six pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars grown in the state of Georgia. Pomegranate fruit produced in Ty Ty, GA in 2010 and 2011 were stored in CA [5% CO2 + 3% O2, 5 8C, 90% to 95% relative humidity (RH)] or RA (5 8C, 90% to 95% RH) for 3 months. Pomegranate whole fruit and juice were evaluated for various physical and chemical attributes at the end of storage. Fruit differed by cultivar for rind smoothness, fruit cracking, disease incidence, and chilling injury (CI). Fruit stored in CA had a smoother and less shriveled rind, lower CI, fewer disease severity symptoms, and thus better quality than fruit stored in RA. Fruit rind color, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and anthocyanin content in fruit juice were unaffected by storage method. The results showed that pomegranate fruit quality was better sustained under CA compared with RA storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithuania and Bosnia and Herzegovina are considered as countries with high vulnerability and low adaptive capacity to cope with climate change. The entire territory of these countries is characterized by the warming trend, with positive trends in both the maximum and the minimum temperatures throughout the year. The increase in air temperature has resulted in change of evapotranspiration and mean annual water balance values. These countries are also frequently faced with an occurrence of severe droughts and heavy floods. The main purpose of this study was to determine and compare the severity of changes in mean annual water balance for two humid climatic zones, in order to understand how different areas of similar climate characteristics react to climate change and to analyze the significance of their influence. Monthly weather data from two weather stations, Kaunas (Lithuania) and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), for the time period of 30 years (1988 - 2017) were used to determine and analyze the mean annual water balance. The results indicate that climate change has a different effect on the water balance of these two humid areas. Both locations showed a positive trend of reference evapotranspiration, with an increase of 1.450 mm year-1 to 1.503 mm year-1. However, the total runoff and soil moisture deficit are decreasing in Kaunas (-0.480 mm and -2.114 mm year-1, respectively), while they are increasing in Sarajevo (0.492 mm and 0.485 mm year-1, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sedimentological-architectural review, and a palaeohydrological study was performed in a 380 m thick succession of the Bajo Barreal Formation (Upper Cretaceous) in the Cerro Ballena anticline, Golfo San Jorge Basin, Patagonia. The studied exposure shows, at the base, isolated sandstone channel belts of small scale and low connectivity within siliciclastic floodplain strata (Section A, 185 m thick). It changes upwards into sheet-like, sandstone channel fills with larger interconnectivity that form channel-belt complexes intercalated with thinner floodplain fines of volcaniclastic origin (Section B, 195 m thick). The succession contains seventeen lithofacies and twelve architectural elements that provide information on the alluvial organization of channel and overbank deposits. Palaeoflow data of 218 fluvial channels (Az. 187°; n = 3777) indicate the presence of a depocenter located southward. Seven fluvial styles were identified: 1) multistorey bodies dominated by downstream accretion, 2) multilateral, broad sheets dominated by downstream accretion, 3) narrow sheets dominated by lateral accretion, 4) ribbon or sheet-like bodies infilled by resedimented volcaniclastics, 5) ribbon-shaped fixed channels with attached splays, 6) unconfined, isolated sheet complexes, and 7) unconfined, moderately amalgamated sheet complexes. The variable geometry and style of palaeo-rivers in coeval levels, and dominance of avulsion deposits support that the fluvial system was anabranching, and locally anastomosed. Using palaeohydrological parameters estimated from cross-bed set thickness, a climatic shift toward wetter and more humid climatic conditions from Section A to Section B was demonstrated. We find support to assess the climate as the main external forcing factor on the alluvial organization and stacking density of the Bajo Barreal Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lower Cretaceous lacustrine oil shales are widely distributed in southeastern Mongolia. Due to the high organic carbon content of oil shale, many geochemical studies and petroleum exploration have been conducted. Although most of the oil shales are considered to be Early Cretaceous in age, a recent study reveals that some were deposited in the Middle Jurassic. The present study aims at establishing depositional ages and characteristics of the Jurassic and Cretaceous lacustrine deposits in Mongolia. The Lower Cretaceous Shinekhudag Formation is about 250 m thick and composed of alternating beds of shale and dolomite. The Middle Jurassic Eedemt Formation is about 150 m thick and composed of alternating beds of shale, dolomitic marl, and siltstone. The alternations of shale and dolomite in both formations were formed by lake level changes, reflecting precipitation changes. Shales were deposited in the center of a deep lake during highstand, while dolomites were formed by primary precipitation during lowstand. Based on the radiometric age dating, the Shinekhudag Formation was deposited between 123.8 ±2.0 Ma and 118.5 ±0.9 Ma of the early Aptian. The Eedemt Formation was deposited at around 165–158 Ma of Callovian–Oxfordian. The calculated sedimentation rate of the Shinekhudag Formation is between 4.7 ±2.6 cm/ky and 10.0 ±7.6 cm/ky. Shales in the Shinekhudag Formation show micrometer‐scale lamination, consisting of algal organic matter and detrital clay mineral couplets. Given the average thickness of micro‐laminae and calculated sedimentation rate, the micro‐lamination is most likely of varve origin. Both Middle–Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous lacustrine oil shales were deposited in intracontinental basins in the paleo‐Asian continent. Tectonic processes and basin evolution basically controlled the deposition of these oil shales. In addition, enhanced precipitation under humid climate during the early Aptian and the Callovian–Oxfordian was another key factor inducing the widespread oil shale deposition in Mongolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Armoured mud balls were observed after rainfall and a short flood in the otherwise dry Xiaohe (small river) valley of Guanling County, Guizhou Province, South China, approximately 30 km southwest of Guanling City. Armoured mud balls are most common in semiarid climates, but rather unusual in a humid climate as in Guizhou. A number of well-rounded mud balls, 2–20 cm in diameter, were found lying on the gravel of the Xiaohe gully floor. The mud balls consist of sticky, light brown and slightly mottled clay without carbonate content. The surfaces of the mud balls were studded with rims of sand- or gravel-size limestone clasts, collected during bedload transport, as is typical for armoured mud balls. The mud balls originated from alluvial mudstone deposits of the valley floor and cliff that are most likely derived from the weathering and karstification of bedrock limestones. Such mudstones with high clay content seem to be especially well suited for forming armoured mud balls. As flood events are rather common in the area, the formation of armoured mud balls should be very frequent in the Xiaohe valley and similar valleys nearby, giving the possibility for further and more detailed studies. To the best of our knowledge this is the first description of armoured mud balls in China.

Dew point temperature (DPT) is known to fluctuate in space and time regardless of the climatic zone considered. The accurate estimation of the DPT is highly significant for various applications of hydro and agro–climatological researches. The current research investigated the hybridization of a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network with nature-inspired optimization algorithms (i.e., gravitational search (GSA) and firefly (FFA)) to model the DPT of two climatically contrasted (humid and semi-arid) regions in India. Daily time scale measured weather information, such as wet bulb temperature (WBT), vapor pressure (VP), relative humidity (RH), and dew point temperature, was used to build the proposed predictive models. The efficiencies of the proposed hybrid MLP networks (MLP–FFA and MLP–GSA) were authenticated against standard MLP tuned by a Levenberg–Marquardt back-propagation algorithm, extreme learning machine (ELM), and support vector machine (SVM) models. Statistical evaluation metrics such as Nash Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) were used to validate the model efficiency. The proposed hybrid MLP models exhibited excellent estimation accuracy. The hybridization of MLP with nature-inspired optimization algorithms boosted the estimation accuracy that is clearly owing to the tuning robustness. In general, the applied methodology showed very convincing results for both inspected climate zones.