The Informational Approach to Global Optimization in presence of very noisy evaluation results. Application to the optimization of renewable energy integration strategies

We consider the problem of global optimization of a function f from very noisy evaluations. We adopt a Bayesian sequential approach: evaluation points are chosen so as to reduce the uncertainty about the position of the global optimum of f, as measured by the entropy of the corresponding random variable (Informational Approach to Global Optimization, Villemonteix et al., 2009). When evaluations are very noisy, the error coming from the estimation of the entropy using conditional simulations becomes non negligible compared to its variations on the input domain. We propose a solution to this problem by choosing evaluation points as if several evaluations were going to be made at these points. The method is applied to the optimization of a strategy for the integration of renewable energies into an electrical distribution network

Measuring CO2 in sea ice: caveats and improvements

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Net ecosystem production and carbon dioxide fluxes in the Scheldt estuarine plume

Background A time series of 4 consecutive years of measurements of the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the Scheldt estuarine plume is used here to estimate net ecosystem production (NEP). Results NEP in the Scheldt estuarine plume is estimated from the temporal changes of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The strong seasonal variations of NEP are consistent with previous reports on organic carbon dynamics in the area. These variations are related to successive phytoplankton blooms that partly feed seasonally variable heterotrophy the rest of the year. On an annual time scale the Scheldt estuarine plume behaves as a net heterotrophic system sustained with organic carbon input from the Scheldt inner estuary and the Belgian coast. During one of the years of the time-series the estuarine plume behaved annually as a net autotrophic system. This anomalous ecosystem metabolic behaviour seemed to result from a combination of bottom-up factors affecting the spring phytoplankton bloom (increased nutrient delivery and more favourable incoming light conditions). This net autotrophy seemed to lead to a transient aa accumulation of organic carbon, most probably in the sediments, that fed a stronger heterotrophy the following year. Conclusion The present work highlights the potential of using pCO2 data to derive detailed seasonal estimates of NEP in highly dynamic coastal environments. These can be used to determine potential inter-annual variability of NEP due to natural climatic oscillations or due to changes in anthropogenic impacts.EUROTROPH - CARBOOCEAN - CANOPY - SOLAS.BE - COMETS - BELCOLOUR

Tracers of physical and biogeochemical processes, past changes and ongoing anthropogenic impacts: the 43rd International Liege Colloquium on Ocean Dynamics, Liege, Belgium, May 2-6, 2011

The 43rd International Liege Colloquium on Ocean Dynamics (http://modb.oce.ulg.ac.be/colloquium/) gathered a hundred scientists from around the world to discuss new developments and insights related to tracers and proxies (from temperature and salinity to gases and isotopes) with a particular attention on the use of Trace Elements and Isotopes (TEI) as tracers. The colloquium was organized in connection with the Geotraces program (an ongoing international study of the global marine biogeochemical cycles of trace elements and their isotopes, http://www.geotraces.org/) and was the occasion to present the wealth of data collected during large oceanographic expeditions that occurred in connection with the International Polar year. In this framework, particular emphasis was given to the BONUS-GoodHope project, a multi-disciplinary oceanographic cruise that coupled full-depth ocean and atmosphere physical and biogeochemical observations, including trace metals and isotopes (Speich et al. 2013; Speich et al. 2008). The special issue presents a collection of papers dealing with these different thematics

Carbon dioxide in European coastal waters

We compiled from literature annually integrated air-water fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) computed from field measurements, in 20 coastal European environments that were gathered into 3 main ecosystems: inner estuaries, upwelling continental shelves and non-upwelling continental shelves. The comparison of annual cycles of the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO(2)) in 5 contrasting continental shelves provided insights into the biogeochemical drivers of the CO2 fluxes. The latter were also investigated by comparing CO2 fluxes to net ecosystem (NEP) and net community production (NCP) in 3 contrasted coastal ecosystems. Air-water CO2 fluxes were scaled at European regional level and compared to fluxes of atmospheric CO2 in other aquatic and terrestrial compartments. Continental shelves are significant sinks for atmospheric CO2 at an average rate of -1.9 molC m(-2) yr(-1) that scaled at European level corresponds to an absorption of atmospheric CO2 of -68.1 TgC yr(-1). This sink is equivalent to the one reported for the terrestrial biosphere of -66.1 TgC yr(-1), based on carbon-stock change models. Estuaries are significant sources of CO2 to the atmosphere at an average rate of 49.9 molC m(-2) yr(-1) that is higher than the CO2 emission to the atmosphere from rivers, streams and lakes. The scaled emission of CO2 to the atmosphere from inner estuaries of about 67.0 TgC yr(-1) would almost fully balance the sink of atmospheric CO2 computed for continental shelves. However, the scaled emission of CO2 from estuaries to the atmosphere is inconsistent with the potential emission of CO2 based on the fate of river organic carbon during estuarine transit. This discrepancy is most probably due to the poorly constrained surface area estimate of inner estuaries. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Carboeurope-GHG, CARBOOCEAN, EUROPTROPH, CANOPY, PEACE, SOLAS.B

Methane release from open leads and new ice following an Arctic winter storm event

We examine an Arctic winter storm event, which led to ice break–up, the formation of open leads, and the subsequent freezing of these leads. The methane (CH4) concentration in under–ice surface water before and during the storm event was 8–12 nmol L−1, which resulted in a potential sea–to–air CH4 flux ranging from +0.2 to +2.1 mg CH4 m−2 d−1 in open leads. CH4 ventilation between seawater and atmosphere occurred when both open water fraction and wind speed increased. Over the nine days after the storm, sea ice grew 27 cm thick. Initially, CH4 concentrations in the sea ice brine were above the equilibrium with the atmosphere. As the ice grew thicker, most of the CH4 was lost from upper layers of sea ice into the atmosphere, implying continued CH4 evasion after the leads were ice–covered. This suggests that wintertime CH4 emissions need to be better constrainedMethane release from open leads and new ice following an Arctic winter storm eventacceptedVersio

Methane release from open leads and new ice following an Arctic winter storm event

We examine an Arctic winter storm event, which led to ice break–up, the formation of open leads, and the subsequent freezing of these leads. The methane (CH4) concentration in under–ice surface water before and during the storm event was 8–12 nmol L−1, which resulted in a potential sea–to–air CH4 flux ranging from +0.2 to +2.1 mg CH4 m−2 d−1 in open leads. CH4 ventilation between seawater and atmosphere occurred when both open water fraction and wind speed increased. Over the nine days after the storm, sea ice grew 27 cm thick. Initially, CH4 concentrations in the sea ice brine were above the equilibrium with the atmosphere. As the ice grew thicker, most of the CH4 was lost from upper layers of sea ice into the atmosphere, implying continued CH4 evasion after the leads were ice–covered. This suggests that wintertime CH4 emissions need to be better constrained