Centro de Recursos Naturais e Ambiente

Changes in climate, land use, and land management impact the occurrence and severity of wildland fires in many parts of the world. This is particularly evident in Europe, where ongoing changes in land use have strongly modified fire patterns over the last decades. Although satellite data by the European Forest Fire Information System provide large-scale wildland fire statistics across European countries, there is still a crucial need to collect and summarize in-depth local analysis and understanding of the wildland fire condition and associated challenges across Europe. This article aims to provide a general overview of the current wildland fire patterns and challenges as perceived by national representatives, supplemented by national fire statistics (2009–2018) across Europe. For each of the 31 countries included, we present a perspective authored by scientists or practitioners from each respective country, representing a wide range of disciplines and cultural backgrounds. The authors were selected from members of the COST Action “Fire and the Earth System: Science & Society” funded by the European Commission with the aim to share knowledge and improve communication about wildland fire. Where relevant, a brief overview of key studies, particular wildland fire challenges a country is facing, and an overview of notable recent fire events are also presented. Key perceived challenges included (1) the lack of consistent and detailed records for wildland fire events, within and across countries, (2) an increase in wildland fires that pose a risk to properties and human life due to high population densities and sprawl into forested regions, and (3) the view that, irrespective of changes in management, climate change is likely to increase the frequency and impact of wildland fires in the coming decades. Addressing challenge (1) will not only be valuable in advancing national and pan-European wildland fire management strategies, but also in evaluating perceptions (2) and (3) against more robust quantitative evidence.

A new statistical approach for preliminary risk evaluation of breakage in tailings dam is presented and illustrated by a case study regarding the Mediterranean region. The objective of the proposed method is to establish an empirical scale of risk, from which guidelines for prioritizing the collection of further specific information can be derived. The method relies on a historical database containing, in essence, two sets of qualitative data: the first set concerns the variables that are observable before the disaster (e.g., type and size of the dam, its location, and state of activity), and the second refers to the consequences of the disaster (e.g., failure type, sludge characteristics, fatalities categorization, and downstream range of damage). Based on a modified form of correspondence analysis, where the second set of attributes are projected as "supplementary variables" onto the axes provided by the eigenvalue decomposition of the matrix referring to the first set, a "qualitative regression" is performed, relating the variables to be predicted (contained in the second set) with the "predictors" (the observable variables). On the grounds of the previously derived relationship, the risk of breakage in a new case can be evaluated, given observable variables. The method was applied in a case study regarding a set of 13 test sites where the ranking of risk obtained was validated by expert knowledge. Once validated, the procedure was included in the final output of the e-EcoRisk UE project (A Regional Enterprise Network Decision-Support System for Environmental Risk and Disaster Management of Large-Scale Industrial Spills), allowing for a dynamic historical database updating and providing a prompt rough risk evaluation for a new case. The aim of this section of the global project is to provide a quantified context where failure cases occurred in the past for supporting analogue reasoning in preventing similar situations.

Research on the environmental benefits of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) in cement production so far, has predominantly emphasized energy efficiency enhancements and CO2 emission reductions at a CCU product level, neglecting broader environmental consequences for the sector. This research broadens this perspective by providing an extensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of a circular Portland cement (CPC) model. Synthesized methane is used as input fuel through green hydrogen and calcium-looping (CaL) post-combustion captured CO2 from cement flue gas. Comparative analysis with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) reveals significant reductions in climate change and fossil resource use environmental impact categories. However, trade-offs are evident in acidification, water use, and minerals and metals resource consumption. The electrolysis system is a critical contributor due to the high electricity demand for hydrogen production, and its environmental impact depends largely on the renewable electricity source. The wind-based electrolysis model yields the most favourable results, followed by mixed (50% solar – 50% wind) and solar scenarios. These findings offer valuable insights for the cement industry, supporting stakeholders decision making on the adoption of sustainable circular production methods.

Abstract The impact of incubation in saline solutions of different concentrations on the uptake and cellular location of essential elements (Na + , K + , Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ ), and its effects on membrane integrity and on the photosynthetic apparatus, were investigated in the lichen Ramalina canariensis Steiner. Saline incubation resulted in a rapid uptake of Na + and Mg 2+ in the cell wall fraction, whereas in the intracellular fraction the accumulation of Na + was slower. No changes were observed for intracellular Mg 2+ , suggesting that no generalized membrane damage occurred. Concomitantly with the increase in intracellular Na + , there was a specific loss of K + from the cell interior, indicating that membrane permeability may have been compromised. Incubation in a 100% artificial sea water solution reduced the maximum photochemical efficiency of Photosystem II ( F v / F m ) by 17% after 5 min, and this inhibition increased with incubation time. In samples incubated in 100% artificial sea water solution for 2 h followed by 2 h incubation in deionized water, ion distribution and F v / F m did not recover to control values. The present findings show the importance of determining the cellular location of elements when assessing their physiological impact. Results indicate that saline stress may irreversibly impair photosynthesis, thus compromising lichen vitality.

Business-as-usual (BAU) cement production is associated with a linear model that contributes significantly to global warming and is dependent on volatile energy markets. A novel circular model is proposed, by adding three power-to-gas system components to current production systems: a calcium-looping (CaL) CO2 capture unit; water electrolysis for hydrogen and oxygen generation; and a methanation unit for synthetic natural gas (SNG) production. The paper presents the first analysis of the combined industrial-scale operation of these components in a closed loop, where the SNG fuels the cement kiln and the CaL unit, while the O2 produced feeds it. The circular, hybrid, and BAU models are compared in three feasibility scenarios. It is concluded that the circular model outperforms the other alternatives environmentally, opening a potential pathway for the cement industry to achieve near net-zero CO2 emissions, reduce energy dependence and improve economic efficiency.

Robust crater detection algorithms (CDAs) are important prerequisites for numerous applications in lunar and planetary science. In this paper, we present a novel integrated CDA for processing of global topography and global optical image mosaics. The proposed CDA is applied to one specific asteroid-like body, the small Martian moon Phobos. The new CDA consists of: (1) processing by topography-based CDA; (2) processing by optical-based CDA; (3) re-projection of used datasets and crater coordinates from normal to rotated view and back; (4) corrections of brightness and contrast of used optical image; and (5) tile generation for optical-based CDA and assembling of results with elimination of multiple detections, in combination with down-sampling of used optical-image in a loop down to the resolution of available topography image. Experimental evaluation of the proposed CDA is done by manual verification of crater-candidates and search for craters not catalogued in the previous steps. The evaluation has shown that the proposed CDA was used successfully for cataloging of 75% of Phobos craters. The result is PH1102GT, the first global catalogue of 1102 Phobos craters. It contains considerably more craters in comparison to the previously available maps with 15 named craters.

The Method for the Integrated Assessment of Risks for rainforest (MIARforest) is a specific methodology for assessing the risk of occupational accidents associated with working in native tropical forests. MIARforest was validated for the results’ reproducibility and the reliability of calculated risk levels through the Delphi approach. Two rounds of questionnaires illustrating ten scenarios of activities associated with the logging process in the Eastern Amazon’s native rainforest (Brazil) were presented to forestry and occupational health and safety (OHS) experts. In the first round, the questionnaire was answered anonymously by 55 experts, and in the second, by 46. A percentage of agreement of at least 80% in each question was considered to close the process. Questions that did not meet the criterion in the first round were reassessed in the second round. The obtained results lead to the conclusion that MIARforest, an occupational accident risk assessment tool, has been effectively validated, demonstrating inter-rater reproducibility and reliability in determining risk values. These results highlight the objectivity and reliability of MIARforest.

Maintaining native rainforests as a sustainable ecosystem and their resilience to external pressures involves their economic profitability as a natural resource of unique and renewable products. For this purpose, new approaches have been developed and refined. This work seeks to contribute in this direction in the context of occupational safety and health (OSH) by presenting a new method for integrated assessment of risks for rainforests (MIARforest). The MIARforest is based on the MIAR, a method that has shown promising results in occupational risk assessment in different industrial sectors. Its parameters were discussed and assessed to improve their relevance, wording and risk assessment through the Delphi methodology by a panel of 62 experts in forestry and OSH who responded independently to questionnaires made available through Google Forms. A consensus of over 79% among the experts was reached in two rounds. This result highlights the high objectivity and the low percentage of dubious possible interpretations of the parameters and sub-parameters of this occupational risk assessment method.

The application of remote sensing image classification to derive land covers maps is widely used, because it is a simple and fast procedure. However, these maps are many times disregarded for land use planning and management due to the difficulty to assess accuracy, as well as the lack of reference methods to tackle the problem. Presently land cover classification accuracy assessments are based solely on the used of the confusion matrix, which is a simple cross-tabulation of the mapped class against that observed in the reference data at a set of validation pixels providing a summary of commission (type I) errors and omission (type II) errors. Geostatistics framework is appropriate to model spatial variation of the classification uncertainty. Previous works proposed the use of indicator kriging to local varying means and sequential indicator simulation with prediction via collocated indicator cokriging. However, two main problems remain unsolved: the incorporation of distinct spatial error patterns for each thematic class due to its radiometric features and to take into account patch sizes contribution to uncertainty. In the present work, these two issues are address through the use of patch size weighted spatial covariance estimation in conjunction within the framework of Direct Sequential Simulation algorithm suitably modified in order to take into account patch size influence. In this work the outlined metrology is successfully applied to a Landsat classified map of an area in central Portugal.

Physical activity is fundamental in modern society in order to achieve a healthy lifestyle. In fact, it contributes to a significant improvement in the physical and mental health of citizens, allowing an enhancement in their quality of life. To take better advantage of these benefits it is important to monitor and control some physical and mental parameters of the participants. This monitoring will serve not only to boost the practice of sport but also to potentially detect some physical problems of the person. This paper presents a study of some of the most used sensors and devices, whose common goal is the monitoring of training data by the practitioner. This study is fundamental as it allows to identify the different devices currently used, as well as the type of data they collect, something essential to determine the type of analysis that can be done using these devices. The applications for analyzing and processing this data will also be studied, which will provide a complete overview, from the collection to the processing and analysis of the data.

This study describes a web-based application to readily compute the "mass-transfer coefficient" in a cooling tower, relating the coefficient to the flows of water and air. The application is freely available to any user just by means of a browser, i.e., installing no software in the user's computer, thus needing no special performance or specific operating system. We address an Engineering problem about the mentioned equipment, and, in our approach, congregate the Web and various computer languages: PHP, Python, Fortran. A restricted objective of the study is, using common theory, to compute that coefficient, taught in Engineering courses and key to the design of a cooling tower, and to attract students to computing. A broader goal is to call the attention both to the use of the Web for scientific computing, and to many students' limitedness. This study is an example of web-based computing, which uses the same executable programs as classic computing, the hard task in Engineering and other areas. A remarkable advantage of this approach, which we think little explored, is the ease of access, thus also facilitating the desirable collaboration between academia and industry in the current context of fluent communication.

This research was focused on weathering conditions regarding Banded Iron Formations (BIF) ore exploitation at Bonito Mine. The database is stemmed from an exhaustive drilling program at the mining site. Therefore, hundreds of iron ore samples were assayed for Fe2O3, SiO2, Al2O3, P and Mn grades, and qualitative geotechnical data such as weathering grades, physical ore type, voids, and coring depth levels were collected from drilling core samples. A previous petrographic study has shown that there are four BIF types: amphibolitic itabirites, martitic itabirites, hematitic itabirites, and magnetitic itabirites. In order to enhance this study, a multivariate model using geochemical and geotechnical data under a systemic approach was employed. This approach was conceived to account for the whole available information, both quantitative and qualitative, through the Correspondence Analysis and Cluster Analysis grounded appropriate methodology. This innovative strategy disclosed the presence of two groups of samples, denoted in the sequel Cluster 1 and Cluster 2. Cluster 1 is characterized by the Fe-poorer/High-Al BIF ores describing an association of magnetitic itabirites, martitic itabirites to amphibolitic itabirites which are conditioned to depths deeper than 70 meters and they usually stand as slightly weathered rocks or fresh rocks. Cluster 2 encompasses Fe-richer/Low-Al BIF ores composed of martitic, magnetitic and hematitic itabirites which are described as moderate to highly weathered porous friable ore materials. The proposed multivariate modeling strategy can deal with a wide range of miscellaneous geological issues.

Quality is nowadays a ubiquitous component in manufacture and many other activities. We present a computation related to Acceptance Sampling, which, together with Statistical Process Control, makes the fundamentals of statistical Quality Control. We provide a webpage where a user’s typical sample from a process can be inserted, leading to “accept” or “reject” vs. given specifications. We have several goals: to offer, on a webpage, the statistical procedure computation, which is otherwise complex; to combine, on a Linux platform, programming languages, PHP and Python, and a graphical utility, gnuplot; and to stress the suggestion of the Web as a computing medium. The webpage is freely accessible to a user just by means of a browser, i.e., installing no software, thus needing no special power or matching operating system, this being an example adaptable to many other problems. The study also draws attention both to the use of the Web for scientific computing, and to the convenience of this use in scientific publications. Web-based computing in general is advocated, this route using the same executable programs as classical computing, which is the core technical difficulty. In our technological era, this still insufficiently explored approach is here made accessible, inviting the sharing between academia and industry.

We present a web-based solver to readily compute the parameters governing the "swelling" (expansion) of super-absorbent polymers, which can absorb about 1 thousand times its weight of water, having many industrial applications. The solver is of free access to a user just by means of a browser, i.e., installing no software by the user, thus needing no special power or operating system. We address the illustrative Engineering problem permitting, in this view, to combine the Web and suitable computer languages: PHP, Python, Fortran, gnuplot. The study has as objectives: to compute the parameters mentioned, key in the use of a superabsorbent; to serve as a template for other problems; and, more broadly, to draw attention both to the use of the Web for scientific computing, and to the convenience of this use in scientific publications (the "simple science"). This study points to and advocates web-based computing in general, which can use the same executable programs as classical computing, which is the typical hard task. An advantage of this relatively little explored approach is the easy access, also facilitating the collaboration between academia and industry in an age of effortless communication.

This report is the Deliverable D2.1 of InTheMED project.

Highlights: Mo doping increases oxygen vacancies and improves CO2 surface activation. MICROSCAFS® support enhances charge separation and light harvesting. Mo-CeO2 shows the highest CO2 photoreduction efficiency among samples. Mo incorporation boosts Ce4+/Ce3+ redox cycling during photocatalysis. Structure–performance correlation reveals pathways for improved CO2 conversion. Keywords: CeO2, SiO2-TiO2 porous microspheres, CO2 photoreduction, photocatalysis

This Excel-based model is designed to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of the CCUS value chain for both pure and impure CO2 streams. It integrates mass flow compositions and capital and operational expenditures from 11 different power and process industries that serve as CO2 emission sources. The tool also models CO2 transport by pipelines, allowing users to specify details such as pipeline size, length, and the number of booster stations. For the utilization of CO2 through EOR or geological storage, users can input reservoir fluid flow data and key economic indicators. The impurities analyzed in this study include N2, O2, NO2, SO2, H2S, CO, and H2O.

These models are developed to evaluate the impact of different fluid modeling approaches and grid configurations on a three-dimensional reservoir model of the Illinois Basin–Decatur Project (IBDP) for CO2 storage applications. The baseline model is a history-matched simulation developed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and is publicly available. Building on this reference model, we generated a set of variant models to systematically investigate the effects of fluid formulation and grid modifications. Specifically, the following cases are considered: Case 1: Evaluation of fluid model selection by comparing CO2STORE and GASSOL formulations using the baseline grid. Case 2: Assessment of the impact of reservoir boundary reduction (sector cropping), combined with fluid model variations. Cases 3 and 4: Investigation of grid coarsening applied to the cropped model, alongside fluid model variations, to analyze the combined effects on simulation performance and plume behavior. These models enable a systematic comparison of how fluid representation and grid resolution influence pressure evolution, plume migration, and CO2 dissolution. The files are provided in compressed format for each case. They must be extracted prior to use in a compatible dynamic reservoir simulator (e.g., tNavigator).

This Excel-based model is designed to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of the CCUS value chain for both pure and impure CO2 streams. It integrates mass flow compositions and capital and operational expenditures from 11 different power and process industries that serve as CO2 emission sources. The tool also models CO2 transport by pipelines, allowing users to specify details such as pipeline size, length, and the number of booster stations. For the utilization of CO2 through EOR or geological storage, users can input reservoir fluid flow data and key economic indicators. The impurities analyzed in this study include N2, O2, NO2, SO2, H2S, CO, and H2O.

"Climate psychology: a matter of life and death." International Journal of Environmental Studies, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), pp. 1–2