Earthquakes are among the most destructive natural disasters, resulting in a huge number of fatalities and economic losses all over the world. For regions with limited number of seismic networks or for regions where there is a seismic gap to produce large magnitude and destructive earthquakes, ground motion simulation approaches provide alternative region-specific time histories for potential events. Region-specific simulations require modeling and calibration of input parameters in terms of source, path and site effects. Verification of these parameters is a challenging task and can be accomplished through comparing the real time histories of the past events against the simulated data. In this study, the recorded time histories of the 9th of July 1998 Faial earthquake (Mw=6.2) at available stations are simulated with the stochastic finite-fault ground motion simulation approach based on a dynamic corner frequency concept. For ground motion simulations, alternative region-specific source, path and site models are employed and tested. The best model is proposed through goodness of fit score which is evaluated through the complementary error function in terms of various seismological parameters between the real and simulated record sets. These seismological parameters include peak ground acceleration peak ground velocity, the ratio of peak ground velocity to peak ground acceleration, Arias intensity, cumulative absolute velocity, acceleration spectrum intensity, modified acceleration spectrum intensity for the period range of 0.1 to 2.5 seconds, velocity spectrum intensity, Housner intensity, significant duration, bracketed duration, Fourier amplitude spectra within the frequency range of 0.1 to 25 Hz and pseudo response spectra within the period range of 0 to 4 seconds. The simulation results demonstrate that for the event of interest the input parameters are verified, and the fits between the real and simulated time histories are satisfactory. Keywords: The 1998 Faial Earthquake, Azores- North Atlantic, Stochastic finite-fault Ground Motion Simulation method, Goodness of Fit Score

The frequency, size, and intensity of wildfires in California have increased substantially in recent years, leading to widespread mandatory evacuations affecting millions of residents. However, because evacuation orders are implemented by local agencies, there is limited quantitative evidence on the scope of evacuations statewide. In order to improve the understanding of wildfire evacuations, we assembled information on historical evacuation orders for two distinct wildfire-prone regions --- Fresno and Sonoma county --- in California. This data was used to understand how the frequency and extent of evacuations have changed over time. We then combined this information with census data to characterize which populations have been most affected by evacuation orders. Ultimately, our work aims to quantify this important element of wildfire impacts in key regions around California. Collectively, it provides a starting point for a public database of evacuation orders that could be used by researchers and policymakers to better understand dynamics and improve decision-making around wildfire evacuations.

Since the start of production in 1968 in the Groningen gas field (Netherlands) considerable land subsidence (>30 cm) has occurred above the field. Variability in reservoir compaction has led to earthquakes on reactivated Mesozoic age reservoir faults. Even though the impact of this seismicity (MW ≤3.6) on society has been large, due to substantial structural damage to buildings, surface deformation induced by the co-seismic slip has been too small to detect using geodetic data. It is possible that differential compaction across faults is not only accommodated by seismic slip, but also by aseismic slip (e.g., creep). Aseismically slipping reservoir faults would relax the stresses in the reservoir and, thus, reduce the severity of the seismicity. In this study we explore the potential occurrence of aseismic slip on the reservoir faults. We perform a sensitivity analysis to investigate whether aseismic slip on the different reservoir faults has the capacity to produce detectable surface signals. We use the analytical Okada (1992) model of slip on a discrete dislocation in a uniform elastic half-space to simulate the deformations originating from slip on a wide range of fault geometries, representing the variability in the field. Unsurprisingly, laterally extensive faults with strong compaction contrasts across them (large differential slip magnitudes) produce the largest surface signals. To determine which potentially aseismically slipping faults produce surface signals that could be detectable in persistent scatterer InSAR time series, we analyze the surface patterns for large differential displacements across large length scales, since InSAR observations are most sensitive to spatially extensive patterns with high spatial gradients. We use the results of the sensitivity analysis to guide our search for patterns originating from aseismically slipping reservoir faults in PS-InSAR time series data of the Groningen area. First results show that these specific patterns are rare, indicating that the amount of aseismic slip is limited. For faults lacking surface signals related aseismic slip, the results of sensitivity analysis are used to determine upper limits for the aseismic differential slip magnitudes.

Water management practices in cities around the world are faced with growing social and environmental pressures. Unfortunately, the linear “take-make-waste” approach, previously recognized as the most conclusive practice to address water-related issues, has been found to be unsustainable due to its dependence on the limited availability of energy and resources. It is, therefore, necessary to change the current linear approach dominant in most cities across the world to one that utilizes a high degree of reuse and recycling that is known as “One Water”. The goal of this study is to evaluate a series of expert interviews that were conducted with utilities across the US and Canada to gain insights into implementing One Water principles. Interpreting several interviews is the key step to provide water managers with an understanding of the perspective and required actions towards transitions in urban water management. The results indicated that although several pressures were described in the expert interviews responses, climate change was the most frequently described pressure, followed by water quality impairments and population growth. Moreover, it has been identified that the studied cities have implemented several strategies such as green infrastructure, recycled water, desalination, and stormwater management to achieve this holistic approach. The thematic analysis revealed that all cities demonstrated the importance of cultural change to break down silos and support various technological solutions. Further investigations revealed that cities encounter several barriers that inhibit the One Water transition. One of the most frequently discussed barriers was related to financial challenges in most cities, especially in light of the pandemic when substantial cities lost their revenue. In addition to the financial challenges, lack of regulatory process and framework, institutional barriers for expanding One Water strategies, short-term thinking, lack of collaboration, community resistance to change, lack of public support, and water rights were mentioned by participants as the top barriers.

Floods are convincingly the most frequent and widespread natural hazard across the world. With an ample amount of literature forecasting increase in its frequency and magnitude further in the future, highly credible and efficient algorithms and tools are crucial for real-time flood monitoring. In this study, a highly efficient tool, Multi-Mission Flood Mapper, has been developed to delineate flood inundation extent without any human intervention from SAR images captured by multiple microwave SAR satellite missions, including ALOS PALSAR CEOS, ALOS 2 CEOS, COSMO-SkyMed, ENVISAT ASAR, ERS 1/2 CEOS, ERS 1/2 SAR(.E1, .E2), ICEYE, JERS CEOS, KOMPSAT-5, PAZ, RADARSAT-1 & -2, RCM, SAOCOM, SeaSat, Sentinel-1, TerraSAR-X, and TanDEM-X. The efficacy of the developed tool is assessed by performing a test on a significant number of flood events in India having diverse flooding patterns and landforms. To manifest the performance of the tool, the step-by-step processing at the backend of the tool is discussed in detail in this study by taking a flood event along the Ganga River in India as a case study. The algorithm of the tool includes various processing steps: pre-processing that incorporate applying orbit file, calibrate to sigma naught, speckle filtering, terrain correction and linear to decibel conversion; thematic analysis that involves multi-segmentation and Otsu’s thresholding techniques; post-processing that consists of the elimination of hill shadows, applying majority filter, and masking out permanent water bodies. Thus derived flood inundation layer is observed to be highly accurate compared to the master image. The total time taken by the tool for processing is about 4 minutes for the given image. The developed tool would be beneficial for rapid flood inundation map generation on a timely basis for flood monitoring and relief management during a disaster. In addition, the flood inundation layers can also be used for calibration/validation of hydrological/hydraulic models, geospatial planning, and generating flood hazard maps. Also, the Multi-Mission Flood Mapper tool is facilitated with a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI), making it look simple and easy to use.

Near-Earth asteroids and meteoroids constitute various levels of impact danger to our planet. On the one end, billions of events associated with small-sized meteoroids have resulted in trivial effects. On the other end, the occurrences of large-sized asteroidal collisions that can cause mass extinctions and may wipe out the modern human civilization are extremely rare. In addition, large near-Earth asteroids are being monitored constantly for accurate and precise predictions of potential hazardous visits to our planet. However, small asteroids and large meteoroids can still often go under the radar and cause bolide explosions with potential of significant damage to communities on the ground. To facilitate management of bolide hazard, a number of scholarly works have been dedicated to estimation of frequencies of bolide events from a global perspective for planetary defense and mitigation. Nevertheless, few of the existing bolide frequency models were developed for local hazard management. In this presentation, the author introduces two recently developed frequency models for local management of bolide hazard. The first one, called the Dome model, computes the expected frequency of bolide explosions within a dome-shaped volume around a location. The second one, called the Coffee Cup model, is for a column-shaped volume above an area. Both models are based on empirical calibrations with historical data on energy, latitude, altitude, and frequency of bolide events. The modeling results indicate a linearly decreasing trend of frequency of bolide events from south to north latitudinally around the globe. The presented models can be applied to any location or area on Earth, including the entire surface of the planet.

The impacts of global change especially the recent climate-related extremes such as floods and droughts reveal significant vulnerability and exposure of freshwater ecosystems and related human systems to current climate variability. However, the effects of the extreme drought in the Okavango Delta system are not well understood and documented. Therefore, the objective of this use case was to apply the products from Digital Earth Africa namely: the Water Observation from Space (WOfS) derived from Landsat, vegetation cover baseline derived from Sentinel 2 data; and data from the meteorological agencies such as rainfall and measured river discharge data to evaluate the effects of drought in the Okavango Delta wetland system in relation to its upstream areas in Angola. In particular, we used the 2019 drought as a case study to assess inundation extent and vegetation cover dynamics with an emphasis on floodplain and dryland vegetation. Our preliminary results reveal that the Okavango Delta permanent marshes are resilient to drought, whereas seasonal floodplains are susceptible to drought. Further, we discovered that the geospatial location of floodplains has a direct effect on the timing of desiccation, with the western tributaries that flow into Lake Ngami and Thamalakane River being the last to dry out due to drought. In addition, we found that the drought phenomenon in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin region started earlier than 2019 spanning over a period of 5 years; with 2018 as the year when the wetland system reached a minimum threshold for a tipping point triggered by the 2019 drought. In addition, the results contribute to the development of large-scale drought risk information and products for the Cubango- Okavango River Basin with a major focus in the Okavango Delta. Further, this use case provides recent baseline information on the effects of drought on vegetation cover and river flows in the Okavango Delta system at a landscape approach, which are essential elements for making informed science-based decisions on climate risks management and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by relevant authorities in the Okavango Delta and the whole of Cubango-Okavango River Basin. In conclusion, this use case will be upscaled to other transboundary river basins in the Southern Africa Development Community.

Terrestrial primary productivity plays a pivotal role as a forcing factor of atmospheric CO2 and drives biospheric carbon dynamics. India is one of the largest GHGs emitters, yet less is understood in carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Here we explored the trend and magnitude of gross and net productivities of India for the last two decades (2000 – 2019) by integrating satellite observation from MODIS, remote sensing-based CASA model and twenty DGVMs from the TRENDY ensemble. Preliminary results exhibited a unimodal response across the data products with an overall positive trend and a declining decadal trend for 2010 – 2019. Alongside, the SPEI drought severity index across various ecological zones indicated India was more positively sensitive to wet span than the dry. We found that the ecosystems were drastically shifting their nature to C source with a positive trend in the productivities and were mediated by the changing climate. The analysis also revealed the increasing decadal amplitude of GPP by 0.0884 Pg C/Year, NBP by 0.0096 Pg C/Year, NEP by 0.0195 Pg C/Year, NPP by 0.0448 Pg C/Year and NEE by 0.0161 Pg C/Year. CASA underestimated the magnitudes but with the temporal synchronisation of the ensemble. Seasonal variability across the agro-ecological zones was more sensitive and was an offset for the declining productivities in the primaeval forests of India. The monsoon season contributed to the interannual variability of India. Higher uncertainty in productivities was observed in the high greening areas, whereas it contradicted NBP by reflecting a stable trend. Our results underscore the nature of C variability in the terrestrial ecosystems of India; and, they indicate that C release has reacted stronger than the C uptake, which was substantially inferred from NEE across the ecological zones.

We give a preliminary report on results of detecting low-frequency earthquakes (LFs) occurring at Mt. Fuji, Japan, using the matched filter method (MF method: e.g., Peng & Zhao, 2009). LFs have been observed in the depth 10-25km beneath Mt. Fuji (Hamada, 1981; Ukawa et al, 2005). These LFs seem to occur at an almost constant rate at all times, but it may become remarkably active as in the fall of 2000 (Yoshida et al., 2006). Because it is considered that the activity of LFs is associated with behavior of magmatic fluid at depth (e.g., Nakamichi et al., 2003), an investigation into the relationship between LFs and volcanic activity (e.g., Harada et al., 2010) is important. Understanding of the details of LFs activity is the first step for this investigation. Here, a system using the MF method for detecting LFs at Hakone volcano, Japan (Yukutake, 2017; Yukutake et al., 2019), was modified to be applicable to the detection of LFs at Mt. Fuji. Then, this was applied to continuous seismic record at seismic stations around Mt. Fuji during the period of 2012-2020. Next, the template waveforms of LFs were prepared on the basis of the earthquake catalog maintained by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Then, the cross-correlation analysis was conducted between the template waveforms and the seismic records. Finally, a catalog of LFs, obtained by using the MF method, was created. Using this catalog, we confirmed that LFs in 2012-2020 occurred at an almost constant rate, and that this is also true for LFs included in the JMA catalog. However, our case shows that LFs occurred at a rate of about 1,250 per year, which is about 10 times higher than that shown for the JMA case (a rate of about 125 per year). It was also confirmed that the larger LFs tend to have fewer numbers and smaller LFs tend to have more numbers, again a feature found by using the JMA catalog. Our research is underway, and tackling challenges such as selection of appropriate template waveforms of LFs, correction of magnitude estimate, and extension of analysis period will improve our results, which will be reported in the presentation.

A large-scale seafloor observation network, known as S-net, has been operated by National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) in the Japan Trench area since 2016. The main objective of the observation is to provide reliable earthquake and tsunami early warnings. The network consists of 150 in-line-type observatories with sensors housed in cylindrical pressure vessels. The stations and cables were buried about one meter beneath the seafloor in the region of water depth less than 1500 m while they were sited on the seafloor in the deeper area. Previous studies have shown that the S-net sensors rotate after some threshold peak ground accelerations due to poor coupling between the sensor house and sediment, resulting in large rotational noises. Another serious concern at the S-net sites is the amplification effect of sediments. To minimize the various effects, researchers have devised equations using the displacement amplitude of vertical component of motions to estimate the magnitude for Japan Meteorological Agency earthquake early warning (Hayashimoto et al. 2019). The vertical motions are affected as well by the presence of water layer in the oceanic area. Thus, the analysis of seafloor records is challenging due to the multiply effects of sediments and water layer. In this meeting, we report the results of analyses of strong-motion records at the ground in the Kanto Basin and adjoining areas and the S-net sites from nearby moderate to strong offshore earthquakes. Strong motions at ground and borehole sites were taken from K-NET/KiK-net and MeSO-net, respectively. We have found that the horizontal PGAs and PGVs at the S-net sites were, on average, similar to or larger than those at the ground and borehole sites at equal distances. In contrast, the vertical PGAs and PGVs at the S-net sites tended to be smaller than those at the ground sites for the S wave. Notably, the PGAs and PGVs for the P-wave parts on the vertical records of S-net were smaller than those at the ground sites. A portion of the results was published in Dhakal and Kunugi (2021). We are now analyzing a larger dataset and report the detailed results elsewhere. This study was supported by the Advanced Earthquake and Tsunami Forecasting Technologies Project of NIED and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP20K05055.

Anthropogenic global warming caused by increased atmospheric carbon forcing is expected to cause a decrease in peak snow water equivalent (SWE), shift the timing of snowmelt to earlier in the year, and lead to slower melt rates in the mountains of the Western United States. High-elevation forests in mountainous terrain represent a critical carbon sink. Understanding the ecohydrology of subalpine forests is crucial for assessing the health of these sinks. The Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research station, located at 3000 m amsl in the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, receives just over 1 m of annual precipitation mostly as snow, supporting a persistent seasonal snowpack in alpine and subalpine ecosystems. Previous studies show that longer growing season length is correlated with shallower snowpack, earlier spring onset and reduced net CO2 uptake. Co-located sensors provide over 20 years of continuous SWE and eddy covariance (EC) data, allowing for robust direct comparison of snow and carbon phenomena in a high-elevation catchment. Linear regression and time series analysis was performed on snowmelt, meteorological, phenological and ecosystem productivity variables. Peak productivity is correlated with peak SWE (R2=0.54) and further correlated with snowmelt disappearance (R2=0.38) and the timing of spring growth onset (R2=0.30). Timing of both peak productivity and spring growth onset are correlated with snowmelt and meteorological variables. A multivariable regression of meteorological variables, timing of spring growth onset, a temporal trend, and snowmelt rate and explains 94% of interannual variability in the timing of peak forest productivity. These results develop support and introduce new evidence for the existing studies of Niwot Ridge ecohydrology. Future work will investigate the meteorological and hydrological record extending back to 1979 and the long-term trends in snowmelt and forest productivity.

Of immediate widespread concern is the accelerating transition from Holocene-like weather patterns to unknown, and likely unstable, Anthropocene patterns. A fell example is irreversible Arctic phase change. It is not clear if existing AOGCMs are adequate to model anticipated global impacts in detail; however, the GISS ModelE AOGCM can be used to locally compare and extend the PIOMAS Arctic ocean historical ice-volume dataset into the near future. Arctic Amplification (AA) mechanisms are poorly understood; to enable timely results, a simple linear, Arctic TOA grid-boundary energy-input is used to enforce AA, avoiding the perils of arbitrary modification of relatively well-studied parameterizations (e.g., restriction of cloud-top height to induce local warming). Only PIOMAS springtime/max and fall/min Arctic ice-volume decadal, linear trends were enforced. This temporally-broad grid-boundary modification produces a surprisingly detailed consonance with 10 out of 12 temporal profiles falling within 1-sigma of PIOMAS temporal data for the entire history modeled (2003 to 2021). The data are then integrated to 2050. The result is a zero-ice-volume, summer/fall half-year, beginning ca. 2035 (onset 1-sigma of ± ~5 years), with mean annual Arctic temperatures increasingly trending above freezing. Persistent, Arctic phase change follows this half-year transition about 20 years later. Also present in later stages, the 500 hPa height minimum is no longer nearly-coincident with the pole, suggesting jet stream disruption and its consequences. Hypothesized large clathrate-methane releases likely associated with Arctic temperature and phase change are also examined. A basic assumption is that the Arctic ice (i.e., temperature) must be preserved at all costs. This work establishes a reasonably detailed timeline for the Arctic phase change based on well-studied AOGCM physics, slightly tuned to decades of PIOMAS data. This result also points to the Arctic as a key, near-term site for localized, nondestructive intervention to mitigate Arctic phase change (e.g., Stjern [2018]), thereby slowing the Holocene -> Anthropocene growing-season disruption. Although such an intervention cannot itself accomplish the requirements of the IPCC SP-15 [2018], nor Planetary Boundaries theory, delaying the Arctic phase change will likely extend the time-window for accomplishing those critical tasks and ultimately to at least slow the rate of increase of climate emergencies.

The facultative, chemolithotrophic bacteria Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus is an understudied thermophilic, hydrogen- and thiosulfate- oxidizing microorganism that has been found globally in hot spring environments. It was identified in a series of four soil samples collected around the Polloquere hot spring of Lauca National Park, Chile, in 10m intervals from the hot spring water line. Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of H. thermoluteolus were reconstructed from each sample, exhibiting high completion and a 98% average nucleotide identity with the reference genome of the cultured H. thermoluteolus isolate. In this study, we collected and analyzed publicly available genomes of H. thermoluteolus and other members of the Hydrogenophilceae family derived from cultures and metagenomes from a diverse set of geothermal environments for pangenomic comparison with the Polloquere MAGs. The Polloquere soils are characterized by distinct changes to the environmental chemistry and biology across the 30m distance from the hot spring. In particular, increased aridity and pH, as well as lower temperatures and biomass, coincided with a shift from a characteristic geothermal microbial population, to that of an arid desert community. Notably, however, the presence and relative abundance of H. thermoluteolus remained stable over the same distance (~0.1% of the total community). Using pangenomics, we were able to deduce several genomic differences between soil samples closest (0m) and furthest (30m) from the hot spring, as well as between the Polloquere MAGs and the cultured reference. Functionally, the 30m MAG lacked carbon fixation capabilities, while all of the soil MAGs showed added genomic capacity for denitrification not present in the reference genome. These results contribute significantly to the pool of genomic data for H. thermoluteolus, adding to our understanding of the organism’s high metabolic flexibility. The Polloquere MAGs also represent a rare example of this organism appearing in a dry, colder, soil environment, presumably transported from the local hot spring. This study investigates how the genomes and metabolisms of H. thermoluteolus vary between environments from a biogeographical perspective, both globally and across a small spatial distance defined by a steep environmental gradient.

The SuperCam instrument onboard Perseverance rover has remote imaging (RMI), VISIR, LIBS, Raman and Time-Resolved Luminescence (TRL) capabilities. RMI images of the rocks at the Octavia Butler landing site have revealed important granular texture diversities. VISIR raster point observations have revealed important differences in the 2.10-2.50 µm infrared range (metal-hydroxides); many include water features at 1.40±0.04 and 1.92±0.02 µm [1]. LIBS observations on the same points analyzed by VISIR revealed important differences in the concentrations of major elements, suggesting mineral grain sizes larger than the laser beam (300-500 µm). LIBS and VISIR show coherent results in some rock surfaces that are consistent with an oxy-hydroxide (e.g., ferrihydrite) [1]. LIBS elemental compositions are consistent with pyroxenes, feldspars, and more often feldspar-like glass, often enriched in silica. Olivine compositions [1, 2] have been observed so far in LIBS data (up to Sol 140) exclusively in rounded regolith pebbles. They have not yet been observed in the rocks themselves, which are MgO-poor compared to regolith and are consistent with FeO bearing pyroxenes (e.g., hedenbergite, ferrosilite). A 3x3 LIBS and VISIR raster (9x9 mm) acquired on a low-standing rock on sol 90 exemplifies these finding. A dark L-shaped filled void sampled by points 1 and 2 with possible ferrihydrite (H seen in LIBS and VISIR spectra). Point 5 contains abundant silica and alkali elements but is Al-depleted relative to feldspars, consistent with dacitic glass composition. Point 7 has TiO2 content consistent with ilmenite. Comparisons to (igneous) Martian meteorites are potentially useful, e.g. [3], to explain the presence of several minerals, although most Martian meteorites are olivine-rich, e.g., more mafic than the rocks at the landing site. In summary, the bedrock at Octavia Butler landing site can be interpreted as showing evidence for relatively coarse-grained weathered pyroxenes, iron and titanium oxides and feldspars, while the local soil contains pebbles from a different source (richer in MgO) incorporating olivine grains. References: [1] Mandon et al. 2021 Fall AGU, New Orleans, LA, 13-17 Dec. ; [2] Beyssac et al. 2021 Fall AGU, New Orleans, LA, 13-17 Dec. ; [3] Garcia-Florentino et al.(2021), Talanta, 224, 121863.

NASA designated Reiner Gamma (RG) as the landing site for the first Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) delivery (dubbed PRISM-1a). Reiner Gamma is home to a magnetic anomaly, a region of magnetized crustal rocks. The RG magnetic anomaly is co-located with the type example of a class of irregular high-reflectance markings known as lunar swirls. RG is an ideal location to study how local magnetic fields change the interaction of an airless body with the solar wind, producing stand-off regions that are described as mini-magnetospheres. The Lunar Vertex mission, selected by NASA for PRISM-1a, has the following major goals: 1) Investigate the origin of lunar magnetic anomalies; 2) Determine the structure of the mini-magnetosphere that forms over the RG magnetic anomaly; 3) Investigate the origin of lunar swirls; and 4) Evaluate the importance of micrometeoroid bombardment vs. ion/electron exposure in the space weathering of silicate regolith. The mission goals will be accomplished by the following payload elements. The lander suite includes: The Vertex Camera Array (VCA), a set of fixed-mounted cameras. VCA images will be used to (a) survey landing site geology, and (b) perform photometric modeling to yield information on regolith characteristics. The Vector Magnetometer-Lander (VML) is a fluxgate magnetometer. VML will operate during descent and once on the surface to measure the in-situ magnetic field. Sophisticated gradiometry allows for separation of the natural field from that of the lander. The Magnetic Anomaly Plasma Spectrometer (MAPS) is a plasma analyzer that measures the energy, flux, and direction of ions and electrons. The lander will deploy a rover that conducts a traverse reaching ≥500 m distance, obtaining spatially distributed measurements at locations outside the zone disturbed by the lander rocket exhaust. The rover will carry two instruments: The Vector Magnetometer-Rover (VMR) is an array of miniature COTS magnetometers to measure the surface field. The Rover Multispectral Microscope (RMM) will collect images in the wavelength range ~0.34–1.0 um. RMM will reveal the composition, texture, and particle-size distribution of the regolith.

Observations reveal end of summer Arctic sea ice extent is declining at an accelerating rate. Model projections underestimate this decline and continue to have a broad spread in forecasted September sea ice extent. This suggests some important summer processes, such as melt pond formation and evolution, may not be properly represented in current models. Melt ponds form on the sea ice surface as snow melts, and pools in low lying areas on the sea ice surface. The evolution of the ponds depends on snow depth, ice thickness, and surface conditions. Melt water may spread across a level surface, or be confined to depressions between sea ice ridges. Ponds decrease the albedo of the surface and enhance the positive ice albedo feedback, accelerating further melt. Until recently, Arctic-wide observations of individual melt ponds were not available. ICESat-2, a photon counting laser altimeter launched in 2018, provides high resolution detail of sea ice and snow topography due to its unique combination of a small footprint (~12 m) and high-resolution along-track sampling (0.7 m). The green laser (532 nm) is able to penetrate water, enabling melt pond depth measurements. We have developed methods to track the melt pond surface and bathymetry in ICESat-2 data to determine melt pond depth. We also track melt pond evolution through application of a sea ice classification algorithm to 10 m resolution Sentinel-2 imagery. The combination of these two datasets allows for an evolving, three-dimensional view of the melting sea ice surface. We focus on the evolution of summer melt on multiyear ice in the Central Arctic north of Greenland and Canada in 2020. Our findings are put in context of existing literature on melt pond depth, volume, and evolution. We also discuss our results in relation to the melt pond fraction north of the Fram Strait, where we expect different ice conditions in the vicinity of the 2020 MOSAiC field studies. Observational data products comprising melt pond fraction and pond depth are being developed for public distribution. These products may be of interest to those studying under-ice light and biology, as well as modelers who are interested in understanding the evolution of melt pond parameters for model initialization and validation.

The Brazilian Amazon provides important hydrological cycle functions, including precipitation regimes that bring water tothe people and environment and are critical to moisture recycling and transport, and represents an important variable forclimate models to simulate accurately. This paper evaluates the performance of 13 Coupled Model Intercomparison Projectphase 6 (CMIP6) models. This is done by discussing results from spatial pattern mapping, Taylor diagram analysis and Taylorskill score, annual climatology comparison, and Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis. Precipitation analysis shows1) This region displays a more uniform spatial distribution of precipitation with higher rainfall in the north-northwest anddrier conditions in the south. Models tend to underestimate northern values or overestimate the central to northwest averages.2) Southern Amazon has a more defined dry season (June, July, and August) and wet season (December, January, andFebruary) and models are able to simulate this well. Northern Amazon dry season tends to occur in August, September, andOctober and the wet season occurs in March, April, and May, and models are not able to capture the climatology as well.Models tend to produce too much rainfall at the start of the wet season and tend to either over- or under-estimate the dryseason, although ensemble means typically display the overall pattern more precisely. 3) EOF analysis of models are able tocapture the dominant mode of variability, which was the annual cycle or SAMS. 4) When all evaluation metrics are taken intoaccount the models that perform best are CESM2, MIROC6, MRIESM20, SAM0UNICON, and the ensemble mean. Thispaper supports research in determining the most up to date CMIP6 model performance of precipitation regime for 1981-2014for the Brazilian Amazon. Results will aid in understanding future projections of precipitation for the selected subset ofglobal climate models and allow scientists to construct reliable model ensembles, as precipitation plays a role in many sectorsof the economy, including the ecosystem, agriculture, energy, and water security.

In closed-canopy forests, the availability of photosynthetically active light has been a focal point of research, emphasizing the role of light as a resource in limiting carbon assimilation and individual tree growth. However, light shapes the functioning of forest ecosystems through multiple mechanisms. Here, using a series of studies from a network of tree diversity experiments, we explore the multifaceted ways in which light---in terms of both quantity and quality---shapes productivity in mixed-species forests. Spectral reflectance from remote sensing of forest canopies is being increasingly used to detect how tree diversity influences productivity. We demonstrate that airborne imaging spectroscopy captures functionally important differences among canopies related to their structure, chemistry, and underlying biological interactions. Ground-based analyses can show in detail how photosynthetically active light is partitioned among species in mixed-species communities. We show that greater interception of light and greater efficiency of light use, generated by inter- and intra-specific differences, combine to enhance productivity in mixed-species forests. Light may shape forest function not only as a resource but also as a stressor and cue. Plants can perceive light at various wavelengths, use this information to assess their neighborhoods, and subsequently adjust their physiology and allocation. We characterize how light quality---from the ultraviolet to shortwave infrared---varies among and within canopies of differing diversity. We explore how these diversity-light quality relationships arise and connect across levels of biological organization from leaf-level trait expression to forest function. Together these studies lend insight into light-mediated mechanisms that drive relationships between biodiversity and productivity in forest ecosystems---insights that are crucial to predict how biodiversity change will affect future forest function.