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Understanding the Holocene environmental and climatic changes in the area around the Nile Delta and how they correlate with human occupation patterns can provide valuable information on natural changes in the climatic system and modern environmental dynamics in addition to enabling the prediction of future climatic trends. There are limited high-resolution studies carried out on the desert regions of the Nile, even though the Nile has been a prosperous record of interaction between civilizations, desert, and the river system over a prolonged period of time. Two cores have been recovered from the vicinity of two lakes in the Wadi El-Natrun area, western Nile Delta, Egypt. Samples were subjected to XRF analysis at 5 cm intervals. Preliminary results indicate a major shift in the concentration of key elements like silicon (Si), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and aluminum (Al) indicating pronounced lithofacies changes throughout the studied cores. These changes are related to the combined effects of changing climate and the subsequent change in the depositional environment. Pending carbon-14 dating results will enable the determination of exactly when such lithofacies shifts happened and possibly linking them to known global paleoclimatic events. These data pave the way for a more wholistic understanding of the Holocene climate and environment of the Nile Delta region. 

Energetic particle fluxes that are part of the Earth’s ring current and radiation belts can intensify significantly during space weather events like geomagnetic storms and could cause severe damage to satellite-based technologies. Understanding the physical processes that control their dynamics and improving our capability for their prediction is thus extremely important. In the context of space weather applications and user needs, this paper provides a brief description of our kinetic ring current-atmosphere interactions model with self-consistent magnetic field (RAM-SCB) and its further extension to implement a self-consistent electric (E) field. Specific examples that demonstrate RAM-SCB capabilities and limitations to reproduce the near-Earth space weather environment are given. The current status of RAM-SCB is assessed and plans for its further improvement are discussed. 

Building a diverse workforce is a challenge that is mutually experienced across sectors, yet each sector also has successes to share in efforts towards a more diverse and inclusive workforce. This interactive session will highlight case studies across sectors including industry, municipal, academia and professional societies (WEF) and the impacts of various programs on their local communities and provide insights on moving the industry's diversity and inclusion forward as a whole. Panelists will present case studies and experiences highlighting challenges and opportunities to strengthen the pipeline of leaders in the water industry and recruitment and retention strategies to attract a diverse workforce. Panelists will each give a brief presentation, followed by an interactive panel discussion facilitated by the moderator. Participants across sectors, can glean from the various perspectives and experiences of utility leaders, academic professors, professional societies, and students.