Trajectory optimization for noise abatement arrival procedures. Case study at Barcelona airport.

The main objective of the presented bachelor thesis is the implementation of a trajectory optimizer, based on the minimization of a specific objective function, which describes the noise impact over a set of noise sensitive areas. In order to successfully achieve the desired goal, a convenient noise model is defined where the perceived noise levels are computed as a function of the aircraft trajectory (altitude, speed, thrust, etc.). In addition, the current in-house trajectory optimizer developed by UPC researchers, which before this work only allowed the optimization of the vertical profile (altitude and speed) given a fixed lateral route, has been improved to allow the optimization in the lateral domain by modifying the model describing the aircraft dynamics. Furthermore, with the purpose of obtaining feasible solutions fulfilling the requirements imposed by current air traffic management systems, a set of operational constraints are accurately imposed. Thus, the optimization problem is formulated as an optimal control problem, which is also converted into a non-linear programming problem by means of direct collocation methods. As main contribution of this work, splines interpolation functions are tested with the aim of modeling the measurement grid defining the noise sensitive areas. By doing this, a new unconventional approach is exposed with the intention of proposing an alternative methodology distinct from well-established methods based in implementing discrete points grids, offering then, a simpler way of measuring the noise impact, continuously, through the whole aircraft trajectory. Finally, with the aim of testing the performance of the optimizer, two cases are presented for which different descent trajectories are optimized from the cruise level to the interception of the instrument landing system at three different altitudes (1000, 2000 and 3000 ft). All the results are conveniently exposed with the purpose of obtaining relevant strong evidence-based conclusions. Furthermore, noise footprints are computed with the objective of providing a better visualization of the results. As the results show, the implemented methodology, where splines define the different noise sensitive areas as a continuous, differentiable function, has proven to be more than an effective method, giving very promising results on the two cases exposed

CSDownscale: an R package for statistical downscaling

Downscaling is any procedure to infer highresolution information from low-resolution variables. Many of these techniques have been defined and applied to climate predictions, which suffer from important biases due to the coarse global grids in which they are delivered. To help solve this undesirable issue, the R package resulting from this work provides a set of statistical downscaling methods for climate predictions, ready to be applied to refine the output of climate predictions

Subseasonal predictions for climate services, a recipe for operational implementation

The implementation of operational climate service prototypes, which encompasses the co-design and delivery of real-time actionable products with/to stakeholders, contributes to efficiently leveraging operational climate predictions into actionable climate information by providing practical insight on the actual use of climate predictions. This work showcases a general guideline for implementing an operational climate service based on subseasonal predictions. At this timescale, many strategic decisions can benefit from timely predictions of climate variables. Still, the use of subseasonal predictions is not fully exploited. Here, we describe the key aspects considered to set up an operational climate service from the conception to the production phase. These include the choice of the subseasonal systems, the data sources and the methodology employed for post-processing the predictions. To illustrate the process with a real case, we present the detailed workflow design of the implementation of a climate service based on subseasonal predictions and describe the bias adjustment and verification methodologies implemented. This work was developed in the H2020 S2S4E project, where industrial and research partners co-developed a fully-operational Decision Support Tool (DST) providing 18 months of real-time subseasonal and seasonal forecasts tailored to the specific needs of the renewable energy sector. The operational workflow can be adapted to serve forecast products to other sectors, as has been proved in the H2020 vitiGEOSS project, where the workflow was modified to provide downscaled subseasonal predictions to specific locations. We consider this a valuable contribution to future developments of similar service implementations and the producers of the climate data.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’ss Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grants 7767874 (S2S4E) and 869565 (VitiGEOSS). ECMWF-Ext-ENS real-time predictions used for the operational prototype were provided by the Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) Prediction Project’s Real-Time Pilot Initiative to S2S4E Project as one of the participating projects. The data can be obtained from the S2S Project database through its two data portals: ECMWF ( https://apps.ecmwf.int/datasets/data/s2s/levtype=sfc/type=cf/) and CMA ( http://s2s.cma.cn/index). The ECMWF ERA-5 reanalysis was accessed from Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store ( https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/#!/home).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Anàlisi del risc al pla d'emergències sísmiques de Catalunya

Postprint (published version

Bancos de imágenes y sonido y motores de indización en la www

The audiovisual documentation experiences an importaíit and qualitative growth thanks, among other factors, to the new facilities of diffusion of the information that provides the WWW. We are in the hope that new actors, like museums, film archives and others, will add to the sector of the production and distribution of the banks of images and sounds. In this work, a panorama of the sector of the audiovisual documentation in Internet appears.La documentación audiovisual experimenta un importante crecimiento cualitativo y cuantitativo gracias, entre otros factores, a las nuevas facilidades de difusión de la información que proporciona la WWW. Es de esperar que nuevos actores, como museos, filmotecas y archivos, se sumarán al sector de la producción y la distribución de los bancos de imagen y sonido. En este trabajo se presenta un panorama del sector de la documentación audiovisual en Internet

Advanced seasonal predictions for vine management based on bioclimatic indicators tailored to the wine sector

The potential increase in the adoption value of seasonal forecasts is spotlighted in this paper by introducing observation-forecast blending for wine-sector indicators over the Iberian Peninsula. The predictions of six bioclimatic indicators (temperature and precipitation based) considered highly important from the perspective of wine-sector users were prepared for each month of the growing season and combined with previous observations as the indicator period progresses. The performance of this approach was then assessed with Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Fair Ranked Probability Skill Score (FRPSS). The results show a marked increase in the skill metrics during the growing season from the early combinations for all the indicators. This progressive improvement of the forecasting skill offers the users an opportunity to ponder anticipation and confidence in their decisions and, thus, facilitate the future uptake of seasonal forecasting in their decision planningThanks to all the partners of the project MED-GOLD (Turning climate-related information into added value for traditional MEDiterranean Grape, Olive and Durum Wheat food systems, agreement no. 776467), the project VITIGEOSS (Vineyard innovative tools based on the integration of Earth Observation services and in-field sensors, agreement no. 869565) and the project ASPECT (HE-101081460) funded by the European Union. The results contain modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains. Thanks to SOGRAPE as the end-user for providing feedback in the co-development process. One of the coauthors, Raül Marcos-Matamoros, is a Serra Húnter Fellow. Finally, we thank the reviewers, whose comments helped improve the paper substantially.Peer Reviewed"Article signat per 11 autors/es: Chihchung Chou, Raül Marcos-Matamoros, Lluís Palma Garcia, Núria Pérez-Zanón, Marta Teixeira, Sara Silva, Natacha Fontes, Antonio Graça, Alessandro Dell'Aquila, Sandro Calmanti, Nube González-Reviriego"Postprint (published version

Advances in the application and utility of subseasonal-to-seasonal predictions

The joint WWRP–WCRP Subseasonal to Seasonal Prediction Project (e.g., Robertson et al. 2014) created a global repository of experimental or operational near-real-time S2S forecasts and reforecasts (hindcasts) from 11 international meteorological institutions, cohosted by ECMWF and CMA (Vitart et al. 2017). These data are publicly accessible by researchers and users (https://apps.ecmwf.int/datasets/data/s2s and http://s2s.cma.cn/index). With the exception of the fourth case study, which uses GloSea5 forecasts (MacLachlan et al. 2015), all case studies use selected S2S forecasts and reforecasts that are available from this repository, providing a consistent basis for S2S forecast skill assessment and evaluation of their utility.The subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) predictive time scale, encompassing lead times ranging from 2 weeks to a season, is at the frontier of forecasting science. Forecasts on this time scale provide opportunities for enhanced application-focused capabilities to complement existing weather and climate services and products. There is, however, a “knowledge–value” gap, where a lack of evidence and awareness of the potential socioeconomic benefits of S2S forecasts limits their wider uptake. To address this gap, here we present the first global community effort at summarizing relevant applications of S2S forecasts to guide further decision-making and support the continued development of S2S forecasts and related services. Focusing on 12 sectoral case studies spanning public health, agriculture, water resource management, renewable energy and utilities, and emergency management and response, we draw on recent advancements to explore their application and utility. These case studies mark a significant step forward in moving from potential to actual S2S forecasting applications. We show that by placing user needs at the forefront of S2S forecast development—demonstrating both skill and utility across sectors—this dialogue can be used to help promote and accelerate the awareness, value, and cogeneration of S2S forecasts. We also highlight that while S2S forecasts are increasingly gaining interest among users, incorporating probabilistic S2S forecasts into existing decision-making operations is not trivial. Nevertheless, S2S forecasting represents a significant opportunity to generate useful, usable, and actionable forecast applications for and with users that will increasingly unlock the potential of this forecasting time scale.DD gratefully acknowledges support from the Swiss National Science Foundation through project PP00P2_170523. For case study 1, ACP and WTKH were funded by the U.K. Climate Resilience Programme, supported by the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund. RWL was funded by NERC Grant NE/P00678/1 and by the BER DOE Office of Science Federal Award DE-SC0020324. TS was funded by NERC Independent Research Fellowship (NE/P018637/1). CMG and DB were funded by the Helmholtz Young Investigator Group “SPREADOUT” Grant VH-NG-1243. Case study 2 was supported by the U.K. Global Challenges Research Fund NE/P021077/1 (GCRF African SWIFT) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) of Nigeria TETFund/DR&D/CE/NRF/STI/73/VOL.1. EO thanks Adrian Tomkins of ICTP, Italy, for his contribution. Case study 3 was undertaken as part of the Columbia World Project, ACToday, Columbia University (https://iri.columbia.edu/actoday/). Case study 4 was supported by the ForPAc (Towards Forecast-based Preparedness Action) project within the NERC/FCDO SHEAR Programme NE/P000428/1, NE/P000673/1, and NE/P000568/1. Case study 5 was undertaken as part of the International Research Applications Project, funded by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. EO thanks IRAP project colleagues at The University of Arizona, Indian Meteorological Department, Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia, and two of Bihar’s State Agricultural Universities for their contributions. For case study 6, CASC thanks Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico Process 305206/2019-2 and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Process 2015/50687-8 (CLIMAX Project) for their support. For case study 7, DW’s contributions were carried out under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Case study 8 was funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme Grant 7767874 (S2S4E). We also acknowledge the Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Project’s Real-Time Pilot Initiative for providing access to real-time forecasts. For case study 9, TIC-LCPE Hydro-04 was funded by the University of Strathclyde’s Low Carbon Power and Energy program. JB was supported by EPSRC Innovation Fellowship EP/R023484/1. We thank Andrew Low and Richard Hearnden from SSE Renewables for their input. Case study 10 was supported by the Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub under the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program, and the Decadal Climate Forecasting Project (CSIRO). Case study 11 was funded by the Technologies for Sustainable Built Environments Centre, Reading University, in conjunction with the EPSRC Grant EP/G037787/1 and BT PLC. Case study 12 was funded through the framework service contract for operating the EFAS Computational Center Contract 198702 and the Copernicus Fire Danger Computations Contract 389730 295 in support of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service and Early Warning Systems between the Joint Research Centre and ECMWF.Peer Reviewed"Article signat per 60 autors/es: Christopher J. White, Daniela I. V. Domeisen, Nachiketa Acharya, Elijah A. Adefisan, Michael L. Anderson, Stella Aura, Ahmed A. Balogun, Douglas Bertram, Sonia Bluhm, David J. Brayshaw, Jethro Browell, Dominik Büeler, Andrew Charlton-Perez, Xandre Chourio, Isadora Christel, Caio A. S. Coelho, Michael J. DeFlorio, Luca Delle Monache, Francesca Di Giuseppe, Ana María García-Solórzano, Peter B. Gibson, Lisa Goddard, Carmen González Romero, Richard J. Graham, Robert M. Graham, Christian M. Grams, Alan Halford, W. T. Katty Huang, Kjeld Jensen, Mary Kilavi, Kamoru A. Lawal, Robert W. Lee, David MacLeod, Andrea Manrique-Suñén, Eduardo S. P. R. Martins, Carolyn J. Maxwell, William J. Merryfield, Ángel G. Muñoz, Eniola Olaniyan, George Otieno, John A. Oyedepo, Lluís Palma, Ilias G. Pechlivanidis, Diego Pons, F. Martin Ralph, Dirceu S. Reis Jr., Tomas A. Remenyi, James S. Risbey, Donald J. C. Robertson, Andrew W. Robertson, Stefan Smith, Albert Soret, Ting Sun, Martin C. Todd, Carly R. Tozer, Francisco C. Vasconcelos Jr., Ilaria Vigo, Duane E. Waliser, Fredrik Wetterhall, and Robert G. Wilson"Postprint (author's final draft

Avenços tecnològics aplicats a la inspecció

Control oficial; Inspecció; Eines; ProcessosControl oficial; Inspección; Herramientas; ProcesosOfficial control; Inspection; Tools; ProcessesAquest és un treball fet per una comunitat de pràctica (CoP) que es va constituir l’any 2015 i ha treballat dues temporades consecutives. L'objectiu ha estat elaborar propostes encaminades a augmentar la qualitat i l’eficiència del procés d’inspecció i control oficial, millorar la comunicació i la informació que es dona a la persona inspeccionada, i incrementar el grau de satisfacció de totes les parts implicades en el procés d’inspecció. Per tal d’aconseguir-ho, ens vam marcar dues línies de treball recollides en aquest treball: 1-Detectar les necessitats de les diferents parts implicades en el procés d’inspecció. 2-Avaluar les eines que s’utilitzen actualment a l’Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya (ASPCAT), en altres departaments i administracions i en l’empresa privada, per tal de valorar les oportunitats de millora.Éste es un trabajo realizado por una comunidad de práctica (CoP) que se constituyó en 2015 y ha trabajado dos temporadas consecutivas. El objetivo ha sido elaborar propuestas encaminadas a aumentar la calidad y eficiencia del proceso de inspección y control oficial, mejorar la comunicación y la información que se da a la persona inspeccionada, e incrementar el grado de satisfacción de todas las partes implicadas en el proceso de inspección. Para conseguirlo, nos marcamos dos líneas de trabajo recogidas en este trabajo: 1-Detectar las necesidades de las diferentes partes implicadas en el proceso de inspección. 2-Evaluar las herramientas que se utilizan actualmente en la Agencia de Salud Pública de Cataluña (ASPCAT), en otros departamentos y administraciones y en la empresa privada, para valorar las oportunidades de mejora.This is work carried out by a community of practice (CoP) that was established in 2015 and has worked for two consecutive seasons. The objective has been to develop proposals aimed at increasing the quality and efficiency of the official inspection and control process, improving communication and information given to the inspected person, and increasing the degree of satisfaction of all parties involved in the inspection process. inspection. To achieve this, we set out two lines of work included in this work: 1-Detect the needs of the different parties involved in the inspection process. 2-Evaluate the tools currently used in the Public Health Agency of Catalonia (ASPCAT), in other departments and administrations and in private companies, to assess opportunities for improvement