Climate Monitoring Research Articles

InSAR data for detection and modelling of overexploitation-induced subsidence: application in the industrial area of Prato (Italy)

Spaceborne-based monitoring for environmental purposes has become a well-established practice. The recent progress of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors, including through the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Sentinel-1 constellation, has enabled the scientific community to identify and monitor several geohazards, including subsidence ground deformations. A case study in the Tuscany Region, Italy, highlights the effectiveness of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) in detecting abrupt increases in ground deformation rates in an industrial area of Montemurlo municipality. In this case, InSAR data enabled prompt identification of the phenomenon, supporting the authorities in charge of environmental management to thoroughly investigate the situation. First, an on-site validation was performed via field surveys confirming the presence of cracks and fissures on some edifices. Further analysis, including water pumping rates, settlement gauge and topographic levelling, corroborated the InSAR data's findings regarding vertical deformation. Integration of collected data allowed for spatial identification and assessment of the subsidence bowl and its source depth recognized by the remote sensing data. The Montemurlo case offers a procedural guideline for managing abrupt accelerations, identified by InSAR data in subsidence-prone areas due to fluid overexploitation. In fact, these data proved useful in helping local authorities responsible for hydrogeomorphological risk management. With the exacerbation of deformation issues in subsidence-prone regions due to climate change, early detection and monitoring of such phenomena are increasingly crucial, with InSAR data playing a central role in achieving this goal.

IAPv4 ocean temperature and ocean heat content gridded dataset

Abstract. Ocean observational gridded products are vital for climate monitoring, ocean and climate research, model evaluation, and supporting climate mitigation and adaptation measures. This paper describes the 4th version of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAPv4) ocean temperature and ocean heat content (OHC) objective analysis product. It accounts for recent developments in quality control (QC) procedures, climatology, bias correction, vertical and horizontal interpolation, and mapping and is available for the upper 6000 m (119 levels) since 1940 (more reliable after ∼ 1957) for monthly and 1°×1° temporal and spatial resolutions. IAPv4 is compared with the previous version, IAPv3, and with the other data products, sea surface temperatures (SSTs), and satellite observations. It has a slightly stronger long-term upper 2000 m OHC increase than IAPv3 for 1955–2023, mainly because of newly developed bias corrections. The IAPv4 0–2000 m OHC trend is also higher during 2005–2023 than IAPv3, mainly because of the QC process update. The uppermost level of IAPv4 is consistent with independent SST datasets. The month-to-month OHC variability for IAPv4 is desirably less than IAPv3 and the other OHC products investigated in this study, the trend of ocean warming rate (i.e., warming acceleration) is more consistent with the net energy imbalance at the top of the atmosphere than IAPv3, and the sea level budget can be closed within uncertainty. The gridded product is freely accessible at https://doi.org/10.12157/IOCAS.20240117.002 for temperature data (Cheng et al., 2024a) and at https://doi.org/10.12157/IOCAS.20240117.001 for ocean heat content data (Cheng et al., 2024b).

Revolutionizing Agriculture: Innovative Techniques, Applications, and Future Prospects in Precision Farming

Precision agriculture (PA) represents a transformative approach to farming, employing advanced technologies to enhance productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. This review article provides an in depth analysis of the latest innovations in PA techniques, their diverse applications, and future directions. Precision agriculture is revolutionizing the agricultural landscape by integrating sophisticated tools such as GPS, remote sensing, Internet of Things (IoT), and big data analytics. These technologies enable farmers to monitor and manage variability in crop production meticulously, optimize the use of inputs, and enhance overall farm management practices. The key innovations in PA include the development and application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), which facilitate accurate mapping and variable rate technology (VRT) for site specific input management. Remote sensing technologies, encompassing both satellite imagery and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), provide critical insights into crop health, soil conditions, and weather patterns, allowing for proactive and informed decision making. The integration of IoT in agriculture involves deploying sensors and connected devices to monitor soil moisture, temperature, and other environmental parameters in real time. This integration supports precision irrigation, climate monitoring, and efficient resource utilization. Big data analytics further enhances PA by processing vast amounts of data to generate actionable insights, enabling predictive analytics and decision support systems (DSS) that aid in optimizing farming operations. The article explores the applications of these advanced techniques in crop management, resource use optimization, and environmental stewardship. Examples include variable rate application of fertilizers, precision irrigation systems, and automated machinery such as drones and robotic harvesters. These innovations lead to significant improvements in crop yields, resource efficiency, and sustainability. Moreover, the review addresses the challenges associated with the adoption and implementation of PA technologies. These challenges include data management complexities, high initial costs, limited accessibility, and the need for technical expertise. The article discusses potential solutions such as cloud computing, machine learning algorithms, government subsidies, collaborative models, and comprehensive training programs to mitigate these barriers, the review highlights the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and enhanced connectivity through 5G networks as pivotal developments that will further revolutionize precision agriculture. AI and machine learning will enhance predictive modeling and automated decision making, while blockchain will ensure transparency and traceability in supply chains. Enhanced connectivity will facilitate real time monitoring and collaborative platforms, driving efficiency and innovation in farming practices.

Environmental Monitoring of Changes in the Flooded Areas of the Marshes and Their Relationship to Water Quality Using GIS Techniques

This study aims to examine the relationship between the flooded areas of the marshes in southern Iraq and their water quality, as well as their relationship with climatic factors such as temperatures and rainfall amounts and their impact on the water discharge into the marshes of southern Iraq in the provinces (Basra, Maysan, and Dhi Qar) through the interpretation of maps with remote sensing tools of the wet cover (water and vegetation), descriptive and quantitative analysis of the flooded areas comparing them with the values of salt concentrations and clarifying the monitoring sites of the water quality and water discharge into the marshes through GIS, as well as the relationship of the wet cover with temperatures, rainfall amounts, and evaporation. The data of this study were obtained from environmental field observation data at climate monitoring stations, incoming water discharge stations, and water quality measurement sites in the three southern governorates. As for the areas of vegetation, the data was obtained through the interpretation of the satellites’ visuals (Sentinel-2 satellite) with a resolution of 15 m using GIS programs through a temporal and spatial comparison of the marshland for April -June-October for ten years (2010-2015-2020) respectively, The results showed that there is a direct relationship between the water quality and the wet cover (vegetation and water) through classification as well as the effect of climatic elements in the marshes.

Trend analysis of air temperature in a megacity between two continents: the synoptic weather station in İstanbul Atatürk Airport

İstanbul is the largest city located in the Mediterranean Basin and has a medium to high risk of climate change and future climate risks. Changes in temperature and other weather variables have had significant impacts on İstanbul. In this context, there is a need for studies on the issues of climate monitoring and climate change vulnerability to reduce the adverse impacts. The aim of this study is to investigate the temperature trends of synoptic weather station in İstanbul Atatürk Airport between 1973 and 2023 to have a general idea about how the temperature has changed over the last half-century and to establish statistically whether a trend is significant or not. The values of minimum (Tmin), maximum (Tmax) and mean (Tmean) temperature related parameters were estimated. Annual, monthly and seasonal temperature trends are also analyzed. The findings of this study indicate a significant (p < 0.001) rise in the mean air temperature (Tmean) of İstanbul over the past 51 years (1973–2023), with an annual warming trend of 0.06 °C. The strongest increasing trend in seasonal mean air temperatures has been observed in the summer season, with an increase of 0.08 °C per year. The trend analysis also shows a statistically non-significant increase in yearly average minimum temperature (Tmin) between 1973 and 2023, with a rate of 0.04 °C per year. However, the annual maximum temperature (Tmax) has shown no changes.

IoT enabled carbon cloth-based 3D printed hydrogen fuel cell integrated with supercapacitor for low-power microelectronic devices

A Hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) broad range associated with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that require slightly less and constant electricity made possible by remote climate monitoring connections. Novelty demonstrates a miniature HFC based on carbon cloth electrodes and sealing elements manufactured via 3D printing. Cobalt (II) Oxide (Co3O4)—reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) and Platinum (Pt) based nanoparticles are coated over carbon cloth to increase the catalytic activity at the anode and cathode. Hydrogen is produced by using an aluminium foil (Al) that is stored in between the filter paper and through capillary action the sodium hydroxide pellets (NaOH) are applied and reacted with Al foil to produce hydrogen. The single HFC device working surface area of 1 × 1 cm2 effectively generates an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.3 V, a current density of 1.602 mA/cm2, and a peak power density of 761 mW/cm2. The fuel cell stability performance is monitored for up to 10 h. The power obtained from the HFC is stored in a supercapacitor and used to supply energy to the IoT component. The module includes a built-in sensor that monitors the temperature, pressure, and humidity. The measured data is then transmitted to a smartphone via Bluetooth.

Research on GNSS-IR soil moisture retrieval based on random forest algorithm

Abstract Soil moisture (SM) retrieval is of great significance in climate, agriculture, ecology, hydrology, and natural disaster monitoring, and it is one of the essential hydrometeorological parameters studied in the world at present. With the continuous development of the GNSS, a technique called GNSS-IR became widely used in ground SM inversion. Therefore, based on the frequency, amplitude and phase of signal-to-noise ratio residuals (δSNR), this study takes P037 and P043 stations set by UNAVCO in the United States as examples and develops the research of SM inversion from Random Forest Regression (RFR) prediction. The experimental results show that the retrieval accuracy of SM under different practical schemes can be in descending order: L1 + L2 dual frequency combination &gt; L2 single frequency &gt; L1 single frequency. It is confirmed that the experimental scheme based on the L1+L2 dual-frequency combination is beneficial to the inversion of SM. In the L1+L2 dual-frequency combination, the prediction set accuracy of the P037 station is as follows: R is 0.796, RMSE is 0.032 cm3cm-3, ME is 0.002 cm3cm-3. The prediction accuracy of the P043 station is as follows: R is 0.858, RMSE is 0.039 cm3cm-3, ME is -0.009 cm3cm-3. Among them, the RMSE of the L1+L2 dual-frequency combination of the two stations has an improvement effect of 13%-37% compared with their single-frequency, which has a noticeable improvement effect. The difference between the SM retrieved by GNSS-IR and the reference value of PBO-H2O is concentrated around 0, further showing the accuracy of SM retrieved by GNSS-IR technology. To sum up, this study considers that SM retrieval based on the RFR model has good reliability and accuracy, which makes GNSS-IR technology an efficient means for SM retrieval. With the continuous improvement of the GNSS system and technology, the application of GNSS-IR technology in SM will become broader.

Climate Change Trend Using Descriptive Time Series Technique in Machine Learning: A Case of Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

Understanding climate variability and monitoring time-series trends of temperature and rainfall is crucial for the sustainable development of our planet. This study utilized historical data from the Global Historical Climatology Network-Monthly (GHCN-M) provided by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) to analyze the temperature and rainfall data from 2015 to 2022. The analysis was conducted using Python 3.1.1 on Anaconda Jupyter Notebook and the package matplotlib 3.2.1 was used for data visualization. The results revealed a pattern of maximum rainfall between March to May for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022, while for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019, the maximum rainfall was recorded in October, December, and November. Additionally, the annual maximum rainfalls were recorded in the years 2020 and 2022, and the annual maximum temperatures for all study years were recorded in January, February, and March months. On the other hand, the annual minimum temperatures for all study years occurred in June, July, August, and September months. Similarly, annual average temperatures were recorded in January, February, and March months. This study emphasizes the importance of monitoring climate change and its impacts on our planet. By understanding climate variability and time-series trends, we can better prepare for the future and work towards a sustainable world.

Wireless Automated Irrigation System

Abstract: This research paper explores the role of automated irrigation systems in modern agriculture, focusing on their effectiveness in optimizing crop growth, resource utilization, and environmental sustainability. The highly increasing demand for food production, coupled with the need for resource efficiency, has led to increased interest in advanced agricultural technologies. Automated irrigation, consisting of technologies like climate control, irrigation and monitoring systems, presents a promising solution to address these challenges. The study conducts a comprehensive analysis of various automated irrigation technologies, examining their impact on crop yield, resource efficiency, and overall environmental sustainability. Key parameters, such as temperature, humidity, pH of soil and irrigation, are considered to evaluate the system’s effectiveness in creating optimal growing conditions for diverse crops. Additionally, the research investigates the potential conservation of research, including water and energy, achieved through precise automation. The findings of this research aim to contribute to the ongoing discourse on sustainable agriculture, offering valuable insights for policymakers, agricultural practitioners, and researchers. By understanding the impact of automated irrigation, stakeholders can make informed decisions to enhance food production while minimizing the ecological footprint of modern agricultural practices. The study advocates for the integration of advanced technologies as a crucial step towards achieving a balance between agricultural productivity and environmental conservation.

Estimation of land surface temperature (LST) using single-channel and multi-band methods in Sablan mountainous region

Studying Land Surface Temperature (LST) provides various scientific, environmental, and practical advantages. It aids climate monitoring, urban heat island studies, environmental assessments, agriculture, urban planning, infrastructure development, and remote sensing. Algorithm selection depends on research constraints and goals, considering different algorithm strengths and limitations. In this study, the LST around the Sabalan volcanic peak was estimated using Landsat 8 satellite images captured by the OLI and TIRS, employing the Single Channel JM&S and Split Window algorithms. The obtained surface temperatures from both algorithms were converted to air temperature. Subsequently, the pixel air temperatures were compared to the corresponding synoptic station air temperatures of the studied region, considering the satellite's passage time. This comparison was executed using regression analysis (R2 and correlation coefficients) and statistical indices such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) to validate the data. The results indicated R2 values and correlation coefficients of 0.04 and 0.97, respectively, for the Single Channel algorithm, and 0.12 and 0.69 for the SW algorithm, signifying a positive relationship and close alignment between these datasets. Furthermore, the examination of the results revealed root mean square error and mean absolute error with minimum errors of 4.20, 3.88, and 8.14, 8.97 °C in the SW method. By assessing the difference between mean LST and the synoptic station air temperatures, the SW approach exhibited lower temperature discrepancies across all stations and lower estimation errors compared to the Single Channel method, thus displaying higher accuracy and closer conformity to the actual temperature.

Optimization model of water-fertilizer coupling in garden plant cultivation based on big data analysis

This study is dedicated to the development of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based water-fertilizer coupling optimization model for landscape plant cultivation using big data analysis technology to solve the problems of resource wastage and unstable plant growth quality in traditional water-fertilizer management. Through real-time monitoring of soil, climate and plant physiological indicators, combined with autoregressive moving average model and other prediction means, to achieve accurate prediction of plant water and fertilizer demand and dynamic coupling management. The model is able to customize personalized water and fertilizer supply strategies according to plant species, growth stages and environmental conditions, thus enhancing the efficiency of water and fertilizer utilization, promoting healthy plant growth, and enhancing the effect of urban greening.

Limited sensitivity of permafrost soils to heavy rainfall across Svalbard ecosystems

Together with warming air temperatures, Arctic ecosystems are expected to experience increases in heavy rainfall events. Recent studies report accelerated degradation of permafrost under heavy rainfall, which could put significant amounts of soil carbon and infrastructure at risk. However, controlled experimental evidence of rainfall effects on permafrost thaw is scarce. We experimentally tested the impact and legacy effect of heavy rainfall events in early and late summer for five sites varying in topography and soil type on the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. We found that effects of heavy rainfall on soil thermal regimes are small and limited to one season. Thaw rates increased under heavy rainfall in a loess terrace site, but not in polygonal tundra soils with higher organic matter content and water tables. End-of-season active layer thickness was not affected. Rainfall application did not affect soil temperature trends, which appeared driven by timing of snowmelt and organic layer thickness, particularly during early summer. Late summer rainfall was associated with slower freeze-up and colder soil temperatures the following winter. This implies that rainfall impacts on Svalbard permafrost are limited, locally variable and of short duration. Our findings diverge from earlier reports of sustained increases in permafrost thaw following extreme rainfall, but are consistent with observations that maritime permafrost regions such as Svalbard show lower rainfall sensitivity than continental regions. Based on our experiment, no substantial in-situ effects of heavy rainfall are anticipated for thawing of permafrost on Svalbard under future warming. However, further work is needed to quantify permafrost response to local redistribution of active layer flow under natural rainfall extremes. In addition, replication of experiments across variable Arctic regions as well as long-term monitoring of active layers, soil moisture and local climate will be essential to develop a panarctic perspective on rainfall sensitivity of permafrost.

Multiyear surface wave dataset from the subsurface “DeepLev” eastern Levantine moored station

Abstract. Processed and analyzed sea surface wave characteristics derived from an up-looking acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) for the period 2016–2022 are presented as a dataset available from the public open-access repository of SEA scieNtific Open data Edition (SEANOE) at https://doi.org/10.17882/96904 (Haim et al., 2022). The collected data include full two-dimensional wave fields, along with computed bulk parameters, such as wave heights, periods, and directions of propagation. The ADCP was mounted on the submerged Deep Levantine (DeepLev) mooring station located 50 km off the Israeli coast to the west of Haifa (bottom depth ∼1470 m). It meets the need for accurate and reliable in situ measurements in the eastern Mediterranean Sea as the area significantly lacks wave data compared to other Mediterranean sub-basins. The developed long-term time series of wave parameters contribute to the monitoring and analysis of the region's wave climate and the quality of wind–wave forecasting models.

Development of Alternate Climate Divisions for Colorado Based on Gridded Data

The official climate divisions for the contiguous United States are used for a wide range of purposes, including ongoing climate monitoring, and through NOAA’s long-standing nClimDiv dataset. In Colorado, the climate divisions are based around the basins of the large rivers that flow out of the state. However, considering the complex topography and climate of the state, these divisions do not always represent key climate variations and changes. This study builds upon an approach first developed by Wolter and Allured to establish alternate climate divisions that more closely reflect observed climate variability across Colorado. Hierarchical cluster analysis is applied to gridded temperature and precipitation data (NOAA’s nClimGrid) from 1950-2021 to identify areas with similar climate variability, then manual inspection is used to establish 11 divisions. These resulting divisions are being used in an updated state-level climate change assessment. The method is flexible and uses open-source tools that could be extended to other regions or datasets.

Routine Climate Monitoring in the State of Hawai‘i: Establishment of State Climate Divisions

Abstract The Hawaiian Islands have some of the most spatially diverse rainfall patterns on Earth, affected by prevailing trade winds, midlatitude disturbances, tropical cyclones, and complex island topography. However, it is the only state in the United States that does not have assigned climate divisions (boundaries defining climatically homogeneous areas), which excludes it from many national climate analyses. This study establishes, for the first time, official climate divisions for the state of Hawai‘i using cluster analysis applied to monthly gridded rainfall data from 1990 to 2019. Twelve climate divisions have been identified: two divisions were found each for the islands of Kaua‘i (Leeward Kaua‘i and Windward Kaua‘i), O‘ahu (Waianae and Ko‘olau), and Maui County (Leeward Maui Nui and Windward Maui Nui), and six divisions were identified for Hawai‘i Island (Leeward Kohala, Windward Kohala, Kona, Hawai‘i Mauka, Ka‘u, and Hilo). The climate divisions were validated using a statewide area-weighted division-average rainfall index which successfully captured the annual cycle and interannual rainfall variations in the statewide average rainfall series. Distinct rainfall seasonality features and interannual/decadal variability are found among the different divisions; Leeward Maui Nui, Leeward Kaua‘i, Kona, and Hawai‘i Mauka displayed the most significant rainfall seasonality. The western Hawai‘i Island divisions show the most significant long-term decreasing trends in annual rainfall during the past 100 years (ranging from −2.5% to −5.0% per decade). With these climate divisions now available, Hawai‘i will have access to numerous operational climate analyses that will greatly improve climatic research, monitoring, education, and outreach, as well as forecasting applications.

Cloud Cover Segmentation and Motion Prediction from Satellite Imagery

Abstract: This research project is dedicated to achieving precise identification, segmentation, and motion prediction of cloud formations in satellite imagery. Leveraging the powerful U-Net, a renowned deep learning architecture for image segmentation, is crucial in addressing the intricate challenge of cloud detection and segmentation within remote sensing imagery. The automation of cloud identification processes within the project not only enhances weather forecasting capabilities but also contributes significantly to advancements in climate monitoring and environmental analysis. The incorporation of Long ShortTerm Memory (LSTM) networks facilitates cloud motion prediction, providing insights into the dynamic behavior of cloud formations over time. The robustness of the U-Net model, coupled with the enhanced capability of capturing intricate patterns and predicting cloud motion, establishes it as a valuable and comprehensive tool. This contributes to improving the accuracy and efficiency of cloud segmentation in satellite imagery, fostering progress in critical domains such as environmental research and meteorological applications

An intelligent climate monitoring system for hygrothermal virtual measurement in closed buildings using Internet-of-things and artificial hydrocarbon networks

Studies analyzing indoor thermal environments comprising temperature and humidity may be insufficient when obtaining data from sensors, which may be susceptible to inaccurate or failed information from internal and external factors. Therefore, this study proposes an intelligent climate monitoring using a supervised learning method for virtual hygrothermal measurement in enclosed buildings used to predict temperature and relative humidity when a sensor failure is detected. The methodology comprises the data collection from a wireless sensor network, the building of the learning model for predicting the dynamics of environmental variables, and the implementation of a sensor failure detection model. We use an artificial hydrocarbon network as the learning model for their simplicity and effectiveness under uncertain and noisy data. The experiments use data acquired in two settings: (1) a laboratory office and (2) a museum storage room. The first scenario has multiple workstations, and the staff turns on or off the air conditioning depending on the feeling of comfort, generating an uncontrolled environment for the variables of interest. The second scenario has controlled temperature and humidity to ensure the conservation conditions of the museum pieces. Both scenarios used 12 sensors that acquired data for one month, providing an average of 58,300 values for each variable. Results of the proposed methodology provide 95% of accuracy in terms of sensor failure detection and identification, and less than 0.22% of tolerance variability in temperature and humidity after sensor accommodation in both scenarios.

Deep learning-based harmonization and super-resolution of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 images

Multi-spectral satellite images of the Earth’s surface are used in various applications, from water quality assessment and urban planning to climate monitoring, disaster response, infrastructure oversight, and agricultural surveillance. Many of these applications would benefit from higher spatial and temporal resolution of observations, which could be achieved by combining observations from several sources. This study introduces a deep learning-based pipeline to harmonize the spectral and spatial discrepancies between the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 Earth Observation satellites. Through established image quality metrics, we demonstrate a significant enhancement in the spatial resolution of Landsat-8 images. Field observation experiments show that leveraging unified images from both satellites increases the availability of cloud-free images by 21% annually on average in our study area. Additionally, our pipeline enhances the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) correlation between Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 observations by about 4.9%, offering significant performance gains in a downstream crop segmentation task. Our 100M parameter model, trained on European data, generalizes to most regions with only minor limitations. Furthermore, we show that the pipeline can provide uncertainty estimates for its outputs, which are valuable for decision-making in downstream applications. Our code base is available online: https://github.com/venkatesh-thiru/Deep-Harmonization.

Cropping calendar, agroclimatic and agroecological zoning for rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) under different rainfall scenarios in a semi-arid region of Brazil

Context The productivity of crops is influenced by the available net water balance, which relies on a complex interplay of edaphic and climatic factors. In this sense, rainfall is the leading water input for crop growth and yield, especially in water-scarce regions under semi-arid climates worldwide. Aims This study aimed to define the optimum cropping calendar and the agroclimatic and agroecological zones for rainfed maize in the state of Ceará, which is predominantly located within the Brazilian semi-arid region, assuming different rainfall scenarios. Methods We considered the subdivision of the study area into eight homogeneous precipitation regions according to the regional rainfall pattern. The climatic water balance for each region over two decades was calculated from historical weather data series, assuming three rainy scenarios: dry, regular, and rainy. The agroclimatic zoning was defined through the crop water balance results, soil classification, land use and occupation, slope and temperature, weighted through a multi-criteria decision analysis based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Key results The recommended planting period was broader in rainy conditions. However, there may be some dry spells between two 10-day intervals of the calendar, which impair plant growth depending on their intensity. For the dry scenario, the agroclimatic zoning showed that the marginal water deficiency covered 96.55% of the study area. Conclusions Rainfed maize cultivated under the semi-arid climate of Ceará state is viable in rainy conditions, partially restricted in regular years, and not recommended in dry years. Implications This study emphasises the importance of climate monitoring in effective planning for rainfed maize cultivation in semi-arid regions.

Leveraging Transfer Learning and U-Nets Method for Improved Gap Filling in Himawari Sea Surface Temperature Data Adjacent to Taiwan

Satellite sea surface temperature (SST) images are valuable for various oceanic applications, including climate monitoring, ocean modeling, and marine ecology. However, cloud cover often obscures SST signals, creating gaps in the data that reduce resolution and hinder spatiotemporal analysis, particularly in the waters near Taiwan. Thus, gap-filling methods are crucial for reconstructing missing SST values to provide continuous and consistent data. This study introduces a gap-filling approach using the Double U-Net, a deep neural network model, pretrained on a diverse dataset of Level-4 SST images. These gap-free products are generated by blending satellite observations with numerical models and in situ measurements. The Double U-Net model excels in capturing SST dynamics and detailed spatial patterns, offering sharper representations of ocean current-induced SST patterns than the interpolated outputs of Data Interpolating Empirical Orthogonal Functions (DINEOFs). Comparative analysis with buoy observations shows the Double U-Net model’s enhanced accuracy, with better correlation results and lower error values across most study areas. By analyzing SST at five key locations near Taiwan, the research highlights the Double U-Net’s potential for high-resolution SST reconstruction, thus enhancing our understanding of ocean temperature dynamics. Based on this method, we can combine more high-resolution satellite data in the future to improve the data-filling model and apply it to marine geographic information science.