Seminars

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Abstract

The environmental crises, the issue of inequalities, the challenges of ecological and digital transition are multi- and transdisciplinary topics that are characterised by a high level of complexity and a variety of uncertainties. Furthermore, they are traversed by a multiplicity of perspectives, values, economic and political interests, and the urgency of decisions, which often increase the level of conflict between the various actors involved. All this requires a redefinition of the relationship between science and society Traditionally, this has been conceived in a unidirectional manner, with scientists providing politicians with objective, reliable knowledge in order to facilitate informed decision-making. In this webinar I will examine the post-normal approach, which was formalised by Silvio Funtowicz and Jerome Ravetz in the 1990s. Over the past 30 years, this approach has gathered around it an interdisciplinary community that has inspired public policies and introduced alternative narratives on the use of science, including in European institutions. According to this approach, it is necessary to expand the participation in the debate not only on the solutions to these crises, but also on the definition of the problems that characterise them. This should be achieved by actively involving civil society, politics and the scientific community through extended participatory and citizen science practice.

Biography

Environmental scientist at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) of the National Research Council. Her research activities are focused on the study of air pollution and its impact on human health. The objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics and modelling of pollution phenomena, as well as to conduct case studies in the field of environmental epidemiology. Over time, the research has evolved to encompass a broader interest in the relationship between science and society, with particular focus on environmental, communication and gender issues. Author of more than 80 articles in international peer-reviewed journals and more than 30 articles for the general public. Editor of the CNR series 'Scienziati in affanno'. She coordinates the Gender Epidemiology Group of the Italian Epidemiology Association and the interdepartmental working group 'Nature, Research and Society' at the Earth and Environment Division of the National Research Council.

Alba L'Astorina e Cristina Mangia. Scienza, politica e società: l’approccio post-normale in teoria e nelle pratiche. I volume Collana editoriale CNR "Scienziati in affanno" pp 296 ISBN 978-88-8080-277-8  https://www.cnr.it/it/scienziati-in-affanno#1PNS

https://www.isac.cnr.it/index.php/en/users/cristina-mangia

Link https://meet.goto.com/932307501

CANCELLED DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF THE SPEAKER

Abstract
The seminar will introduce the GPM-API python package, where you’ll find everything you need to navigate  through the data archive provided by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. 
The GPM data archive currently includes satellite data records that extend back to 1987. This extensive archive is the result of contributions from 2 spaceborne radars and a fleet of 35 passive microwave (PMW) sensors that forms the so-called GPM constellation. 
The data are organized into various product levels, encompassing raw and calibrated observations (Level 1), intermediate geophysical retrieval products (Level 2), and integrated datasets from multiple satellites (Level 3).
The GPM-API is a Python package designed to make your life easier, whether you aim to download some data, search for specific files, or jump into scientific analysis. Our goal is to empower you to focus more on what you can discover and create with the data, rather than getting bogged down by the process of handling it.

Gionata Ghiggi, doctoral Assistant within the Environmental Remote Sensing Laboratory LTE of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL.

Link https://meet.goto.com/932307501

Abstract

From CloudSat’s Cloud Profiling Radar successfully operating in space for more than 17 years until its deorbit, to INCUS’s Dynamic Atmospheric triplet of radars, via RainCube’s successful demonstration of the first spaceborne precipitation radar in a Cubesat, and beyond, JPL has been pioneering a variety of mission and instrument concepts tailored specifically at meeting the needs of the cloud, convection and precipitation community for more than 4 decades. A brief overview of the context that enabled such contributions will be followed by specific examples of the importance of concerted advances in airborne radar demonstrations, algorithm development, modeling and technology.

Short bio

Simone Tanelli received his PhD in Remote Sensing from the University of Florence in 1999. He is the INCUS Project Scientist at JPL. He has over 20 years of experience in research and development of atmospheric active and passive remote sensing measurement systems and methods. He was the Principal Scientist of the RainCube InVEST technology demonstration.

Link https://meet.goto.com/932307501

Abstract & Bio

Already early in my studies of meteorology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, in had a strong interest in the formation of clouds and the influence of aerosol particles on cloud microphysics. This brought me to investigate in my master thesis, PhD and postdoctoral time the temporal and spatial variability of aerosol particles that later trigger ice formation in the atmosphere. For this, I performed in-situ measurements in various locations in Europe as well as laboratory experiments with selected aerosol samples. In my work now at ISAC, I focus on the detection of Saharan dust aerosol transported over the Mediterranean Sea to Italy making use of 20 years of in-situ measurements at the Monte Cimone.
Within the seminar I will give an overview on dust emission measurements in a desert, the atmospheric transport of dust and its capability of forming ice in clouds by linking my past and present work.

Link  https://meet.goto.com/932307501

Abstract

During the three winter seasons between December 2021 and April 2024, a deployment of snow measurement instruments took place in the Northeast U.S. for the purpose of validating measurements from GPM satellites and examining error characteristics among different ground-based instruments. The deployed instruments include K- and W-band vertical pointing radars and Ka-Ku-band scanning radars, weighing and tipping bucket rain gauges, laser disdrometers, high speed and resolution cameras for quantitative precipitation measurements, weather stations, and a weather drone. After describing the instruments and the various types of measurements, the main problems that exist in the validation of satellite measurements will be discussed together with the implications that these measurements can have in terms of improved weather forecasting (through study of microphysics) and storm impact forecasting (through a better understanding of the relationships between weather variables and their effects).

Biografia

Dr. Diego Cerrai is Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut and Associate Director for Storm Preparedness and Emergency Management at the Eversource Energy Center. Dr. Cerrai's studies extend from basic research on precipitation microphysics to applied research on weather impact models, resilience, renewable energy, and justice in the energy transition. Dr. Cerrai has been instrumental in obtaining, as a manager or collaborator, $20 million for research and development from private companies and federal agencies. Impact prediction models developed in his lab are used by power companies in 11 of the 50 U.S. states and help improve the energy security of 25 million people. Specific projects include predicting outages in power transmission and distribution grids and their repair, forecasting energy demand, forecasting renewable energy integration, predicting tree knocking down, validating winter precipitation measurements, models for predicting wildfires, and supporting low-income communities in energy transition.

Link https://meet.goto.com/932307501

La giornata si svolge nell’ambito del gruppo della modellistica meteorologica del CNR-ISAC e sarà organizzata come corso per gli utenti.

Programma

- Breve presentazione dei modelli meteorologici del CNR-ISAC: Moloch, Bolam, Globo: caratteristiche scientifiche, parametri tecnici

- Installazione dei moduli

- Spiegazioni dei flussi dei dati input/output dei vari moduli

- Prova di applicazione.

Tutte le esercitazioni saranno fatte sul cluster tintin del CNR-ISAC cercando di renderle comprensibili e utili anche per gli utenti esterni.

È possibile seguire l’evento anche da remoto.

Guarda la registrazione dell'evento

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Abstract

Monumental complexes, archaeological sites, historic buildings with related collections and cultural landscapes, are globally recognized to be at risk as a consequence of the impact of climate induced extreme events. The identification of threats and the analysis of the current and future impacts on cultural heritage in its tangible and intangible dimensions are therefore nowadays a priority for the scientific community and public and private authorities responsible for its safeguarding [1,2].

This contribution focuses on the presentation of the “Risk mapping tool for cultural heritage protection” (WGT), which is specifically addressed to the safeguarding of cultural heritage assets exposed to hydrometeorological extreme events linked to climate change. The implementation of the WGT, developed within the Interreg Central Europe projects ProteCHt2save and STRENCH, has been strongly based on a user-driven approach and the multidisciplinary collaboration among the scientific community, public authorities and the private sector [3]. The WGT provides climate hazard maps in Europe and Mediterranean Basin where cultural and natural heritage is exposed to heavy rain, flash and large basin flooding and prolonged drought. Risk level is assessed by the elaboration of extreme changes of precipitation and temperature performed using selected climate extreme indices among those defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection Indices (ETCCDI) and by integrating data from: i) State-of-the-art observational dataset E-OBS; ii) Copernicus C3S products (ERA5 Land and ERA5 reanalyses); iii) NASA product (GPM IMERG) and iv) Regional Climate Models from the Euro-CORDEX experiment under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios for near and far future.

The WGT also allows users to rank the vulnerability of the heritage categories under investigation at local scale taking into account 3 main requirements: susceptibility, exposure and resilience. The functionalities of the “risk mapping tool” have been tested at European case studies representative of cultural landscape, ruined hamlets and historic gardens and parks.

References

[1] Bonazza A., Sardella A., Kaiser A., Cacciotti R., De Nuntiis P., Hanus C., Maxwell I., Drdácký T., Drdácký M. Safeguarding cultural heritage from climate change related hydrometeorological hazards in Central Europe. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. Vol. 63. 2021. 102455.

[2] Bonazza A., and Sardella A. 2023. Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: Methods and Approaches for Damage and Risk Assessment Addressed to a Practical Application. Heritage 2023, 6, 3578–3589. doi:10.3390/heritage6040190.

[3] Sardella A., Palazzi E., von Hardenberg J, Del Grande C., De Nuntiis P., Sabbioni C. and Bonazza A. Risk mapping for the sustainable protection of cultural heritage in extreme changing environments. Special Issue Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Urban Cultural Heritage. Atmosphere. 2020.

Short bio

Alessandro Sardella - Geologist with experience in the field of environmental characterization of contaminated sites, environmental monitoring for the preservation of the built heritage and cultural landscapes in urban and remote areas, planning and implementing field investigations, and project management. Since 2015 he’s involved in the research unit "Impacts on Environment, Cultural Heritage and Human Health" at CNR-ISAC of Bologna dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage from extreme climate events and anthropogenic hazards. He’s currently TD CNR-ISAC and performs technical scientific work on the project PNRR ECOSISTER.

Link https://meet.goto.com/932307501

Abstract

I will present a new method for predicting future sub-hourly precipitation extremes based on our physical understanding of the processes. After a background on the measures of extreme precipitation required by hydrologists and decision makers, I will present the TEmperature-dependent Non-Asymptotic statistical model for eXtreme return levels (TENAX). I will discuss the theory behind the model and show that it can reproduce extremes with the same accuracy as the benchmark statistical methods. I will show that the model reproduces known properties of the extreme precipitation-temperature scaling relation for which it was not explicitly designed. In hindcast, I will demonstrate that TENAX can predict “future” unseen sub-hourly precipitation extremes only based on projections of daily temperatures. I will close showing example applications of the model to real study cases.
The seminar aims at fostering the discussion with the experts of atmospheric sciences in the institute, with the idea of improving the TENAX model (or disproving it and move toward new perspectives) and potentially establishing new collaborations.

Short bio
Dr. Francesco Marra graduated in Physics at the University of Bologna and got his PhD in Hydrology at the University of Padova. He was Postdoc and Research Associate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel) and then Researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR). He is now Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Padova.
His scientific contributions lie in the interface of atmospheric physics, hydrology, geomorphology, climatology and climate change, with special focus on hydrometeorological extremes and related hazards. He is currently interested in the statistical description of extreme precipitation and in its relation with the underlying physical processes.

Link
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/932307501

Abstract

The webinar is focused on economic and ethical sustainability of scientific communication in the scholarly context. 
Current research assessment systems risk to be an obstacle to open access by default at more than 20 years after Berlin Declaration.

The goal is provide researchers with the tools to:

- responsibly manage the results of their research,
- recognize different venues of publishing avoiding predatory journals,
- act open science practices as an antidote to bad science.

Short bio

Librarian at University of Parma since 2001, istitutional repository manager, her activities deal with university's research monitoring and bibliometric consulting, training in courses on scholarly communication and open access. 

Link

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Abstract

Earth is urbanising. Urban living is synonymous with a higher exposure to environmental stressors such as traffic-related air pollution, urban heat island, geohazards and landscape transformation. The society is not equipped to address the speed and scale of urbanisation. A new urban science is needed to develop a novel paradigm for bringing multiple disciplines together to address pressing urban issues, such as the triple crisis of urban pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change, and their cascading hazards, towards sustainable urban development.

In this webinar, I will discuss these issues in the context of the ISAC Working Group Urban , the focus on health-relevant urban aerosol features.

Short bio

F. Costabile (Ph.D., M.S., B.E.) is a senior research scientist at ISAC (temporary since 2003, staff since 2009), where she is today coordinator in the Board of the strategic area “Impacts on Environment, Health and cultural heritage”. Since 2012, she has been a contract professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Atmospheric chemodynamics, Habilitation as Associate Professor/02 – Physics/02/C1 - astronomy, astrophysics, Earth and planetary physics), where she also advises master and PhD students. She has been visiting researcher at the Tsinghua and Peking universities (China) in  2002-2007, at the TROPOS institute (Germany) in 2008, and is visiting at the Max Planck Institute (Germany) in 2024. She has coordinated more than 20 intl. projects (with a total budget as PI of 12.6 million Euros), participated in several projects and authored more than 50 peer-reviewed papers (20 of whom as principal author). Since 2017, she has been contracted by the European Union as a scientific expert (2017/2020, contracting authority: EC Dept. Mobility and Transport; 2021/2024, contracting authority: European Aviation Safety Agency) in the field of aviation air quality and health. Her present research focus is on the complex relationships linking anthropogenic aerosols in the ambient air and planetary health with a one-health approach.

Webinar in English - Link