Trees help cities cope with heat, but only if their soil holds enough water. We measured soil moisture at 555 trees in 37 cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and studied how the soil responds to rain and watering. Warm weather lets the soil gain less water and dry faster. Watering lasts about three times longer than rain but brings no benefit if the soil is still wet, and open ground around a tree matters more than other site features. Soil sensors can help watering trees in drought.

We developed a compact, portable instrument that records the colours of auroras across a broad range of visible and near-infrared light. Field tests in northern Norway showed that it can capture several important auroral emissions at the same time and can be operated with simple portable equipment. This makes it suitable for coordinated observations from multiple sites, helping researchers study how auroras vary in space and time.

One of the controlling factors for the depth-of-investigation in groundwater measurements with surface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is the maximum current of the transmitter pulses. Increasing the maximum current of a surface NMR transmitter is generally a costly and difficult engineering challenge. However, the challenge can be partially circumvented by operating two (or more) transmitter units in unison. We demonstrate the approach with a field measurement at a well characterized site.

We tested reflected Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals as a way to monitor glacier surfaces using the Antarctic ice shelf near McMurdo Station during the 2023–24 austral summer. We collected GNSS, lidar, and camera data from: snow-covered ice near Phoenix airfield, and a mixed surface of bare ice and snow-covered ice at the former Pegasus airfield. The directly-reflected GNSS signal was too weak to extract surface conditions. GNSS interferometry data do differ between the sites.

This manuscript reports the design, optimization, system integration, and field validation of a novel fully-airborne three-component transient electromagnetic (TEM) system based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms. Compared with other state-of-art UAV based fully-airborne TEM systems, the proposed system takes significant advantages in sensing three-component electromagnetic field and low system noise level.

Environmental sensors gradually develop errors during the course of a deployment. Operators routinely check, clean, and recalibrate each sensor, but current practice treats the checks as error-free and reports no uncertainty for the corrected data. We present a statistical method that quantifies uncertainty in both the checks and the corrections, combines information across a sensor network to improve estimates for new sensors, and is efficient enough for routine use.

The team launched a specialized balloon from India to capture the weak electric fields that connect Earth to the upper atmosphere. Measuring these fields is difficult because the stratosphere is highly resistant to electrical currents flowing between Earth and upper atmosphere and the equipment itself can create interference. By using a new sensor design, the team successfully recovered noise-free data. These results help to map the global electric circuit in tropical regions.

We developed and tested an affordable, open-source camera system for long-term and temporary monitoring. Flexible settings, automated storage, and data transfer allow it to meet varied needs and operate in remote or harsh environments. Tests at volcanoes and in the laboratory showed reliable performance and enabled measurements of lava flows, volcanic plumes, and rapid processes. The system could broaden visual monitoring at less-monitored sites and support other environmental applications.

Earthquake planning needs more than maps of past shaking. This study uses long-term strong-motion records from the İzmir Basin to update future earthquake scenarios and identify areas that may face repeated or uncertain high shaking. The results show that the Tuzla Fault scenario gives the largest potential impact area. The workflow can help cities use monitoring data to guide preparedness, inspection, and resilience planning before damaging earthquakes occur.

Ammonia from agriculture can harm ecosystems and air quality, but tracking emissions accurately is difficult. We developed a method combining in situ measurements and satellite observations to estimate ammonia emissions across the Netherlands. In situ measurement captures local detail while satellites provide broad coverage; combining both improves estimates. We also identified where new measurement stations would most improve emission monitoring, helping guide future network design.

This study presents a new framework showing how instrument noise can affect the ability of seismic networks to detect earthquakes after signal correction. The results demonstrate that modern dense networks may become increasingly limited by instrument quality rather than station spacing alone, with important implications for future seismic-network design and optimization.

This study investigates concepts of measuring magnetic fields with CubeSats. An exemplary instrument including the sensor, electronics, and boom was designed, built and tested. A novel Application-Specific Integrated Circuit has been used and concepts of larger missions have been adapted. Tests have shown the radiation hardness of the electronics and an improved performance over existing concepts. The results validate the technology and set further directions of CubeSat instrument developments.

Scientific observations carry context such as uncertainty, quality assessments and modeling decisions, yet usually merely average values survive when data moves between research teams. This paper presents a method for packing that context into compact binary codes inside standard data formats. Three linked projects show network effects when information accumulates across independent teams. The approach merges with existing analyses and works despite current scientific incentive structures.

To address the long-distance dynamic data transmission bottlenecks of XCPs, this study optimized data transmission technology. It reduced interference by improving LVDS data transmission analog circuits and added RS encoding to the probe’s digital board to lower bit error rates. Experimental results showed the optimized system transmits data over 2500 meters via 0.1 mm double-coated enamelled wire, with a 9600 baud rate and 10⁻⁴ bit error rate.

Accurate rainfall data require well-calibrated gauges, but existing tools are expensive or not suited to field use. We present the Adjustable-Rate 3D Printed Calibrator a low-cost device that delivers a steady, adjustable flow of water to check gauge accuracy. Tests in the lab and field show it is precise, reliable, and easy to build for about 12 USD, helping make routine calibration more accessible.

This research was carried out to understand and fix repeated startup failures in an older geophysical measurement device that became unusable after losing its internal settings. The failures prevented the instrument from starting and showing any information on its screen. We carefully examined the cause, connected external display and input tools, and rebuilt the correct configuration step by step. After recovery, the instrument started correctly every time and reliably kept its settings.

The analysis and data-processing programs and applications for observational meteorology and environmental research that we have developed over the years now allow us to simplify and automate the analysis, processing and production of data for research. The latest developments account for the arrival of multidimensional variables from remote‑sensing instruments and include graphical interfaces to facilitate use of the tools.