ARPA-E

About: ARPA-E is a government organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Climate change. The organization has 1161 authors who have published 1267 publications receiving 30049 citations. The organization is also known as: Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy.

Laboratory measurements on radon exposure effects on local environmental temperature: Implications for satellite TIR measurements

Abstract: Surface latent heat flux (SLHF) is proportional to the heat released by phase changes during solidification, evaporation or melting. Effects of SLHF on the earth’s surface could be measured by satellite techniques capable of measuring thermal infrared radiation (TIR). Recent studies have found a possible correlation between SLHF and earthquakes, hence satellite techniques are widely used in research into the possible link between SLHF and earthquakes. Possible fluctuations in SLHF values during seismic periods have been attributed to different causes, such as the expulsion from the ground of greenhouse gases or because of radon. In particular, ionization processes due to radon decay could lead to changes in air temperature. Laboratory experiments have been carried out to highlight the possible role of radon in the thermal environmental conditions of a laboratory-controlled atmospheric volume.

The operational weather radar of Fossalon di Grado (Gorizia, Italy): accuracy of reflectivity and differential reflectivity measurements

Abstract: The error structure of radar measurements should be accurately known in order to provide reliable estimates for a number of quantitative meteorological applications, from rainfall rate estimation to cloud microphysics. The aim of this paper is to give a detailed characterization of ZH and ZDR measurements obtained by the weather radar of Fossalon di Grado (Gorizia, Italy). Vertical-looking observations are used to determine the system bias on differential reflectivity and to estimate the measurement error on both ZH and ZDR in the rain medium. It is estimated that no bias is affecting ZDR and the accuracy of ZH and ZDR is 0.8 and 0.1 dB, respectively. A similar evaluation is done in the rain medium at larger ranges with the antenna pointing at low elevation angles. The long time stability of the absolute reflectivity calibration is also established by radar-rain gage inter-comparison over almost 200 hours of precipitation data collected during nearly two years.

Survey on European studies of the chemical characterisation of tattoo ink products and the measurement of potentially harmful ingredients.

Abstract: The results of the detection of carcinogenic aromatic amines in about 300 ink samples are discussed. All analysed inks contained at least one or more azo compound pigments, and the presence of aromati

Hydrological simulations driven by RCM climate scenarios at basin scale in the Po River, Italy

Abstract: . River discharges are the main expression of the hydrological cycle and are the results of climate natural variability. The signal of climate changes occurrence raises the question of how it will impact on river flows and on their extreme manifestations: floods and droughts. This question can be addressed through numerical simulations spanning from the past (1971) to future (2100) under different climate change scenarios. This work addresses the capability of a modelling chain to reproduce the observed discharge of the Po River over the period 1971–2000. The modelling chain includes climate and hydrological/hydraulic models and its performance is evaluated through indices based on the flow duration curve. The climate datasets used for the 1971–2000 period are (a) a high resolution observed climate dataset, and COSMO-CLM regional climate model outputs with (b) perfect boundary condition, ERA40 Reanalysis, and (c) suboptimal boundary conditions provided by the global climate model CMCC–CM. The aim of the different simulations is to evaluate how the uncertainties introduced by the choice of the regional and/or global climate models propagate in the simulated discharges. This point is relevant to interpret the results of the simulated discharges when scenarios for the future are considered. The hydrological/hydraulic components are simulated through a physically-based distributed model (TOPKAPI) and a water balance model at the basin scale (RIBASIM). The aim of these first simulations is to quantify the uncertainties introduced by each component of the modelling chain and their propagation. Estimation of the overall uncertainty is relevant to correctly understand the future river flow regimes. The results show how bias correction algorithms can help in reducing the overall uncertainty associated to the different stages of the modelling chain.

Geochemical modeling of arsenic release from a deep natural solid matrix under alternated redox conditions

Abstract: Dissolved arsenic (As) concentrations detected in groundwater bodies of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) exhibit values which are above the regulation limit and could be related to the natural composition of the host porous matrix. To support this hypothesis, we present the results of a geochemical modeling study reproducing the main trends of the dynamics of As, Fe, and Mn concentrations as well as redox potential and pH observed during batch tests performed under alternating redox conditions. The tests were performed on a natural matrix extracted from a deep aquifer located in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy). The solid phases implemented in the model were selected from the results of selective sequential extractions performed on the tested matrix. The calibrated model showed that large As concentrations have to be expected in the solution for low crystallinity phases subject to dissolution. The role of Mn oxides on As concentration dynamics appears significant in strongly reducing environments, particularly for large water–solid matrix interaction times. Modeled data evidenced that As is released firstly from the outer surface of Fe oxihydroxides minerals exhibiting large concentrations in water when persistent reducing conditions trigger the dissolution of the crystalline structure of the binding minerals. The presence of organic matter was found to strongly affect pH and redox conditions, thus influencing As mobility.