Biosedimentary record of postglacial coastal dynamics: high‐resolution sequence stratigraphy from the northern Tuscan coast (Italy)

Integrating analysis of the benthic palaeoecological record with multivariate ordination techniques represents a powerful synergy able to provide an improved characterization of coastal depositional facies in a sequence stratigraphical perspective. Through quantitative analysis of benthic foraminifer, ostracod and mollusc associations from the postglacial succession of Core M3 (Arno coastal plain, Tuscany, Italy), and application of detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) to the mollusc sub‐data set, we offer a refined picture of stratigraphical variations in faunal content from a paralic depositional setting, and reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental gradients that account for such variations. Despite distinct ecological behaviours, and taphonomic and sedimentological constraints, a strong ecological control on meio‐ and macrofaunal biofacies and taxa turnover is documented across the study succession. Amongst all possible mechanisms that may play a role in ‘shaping’ fossil distribution, the ecological signal driven by salinity represents the most prominent factor controlling the composition of fossil associations in the cored succession. Molluscs can even provide outstanding quantitative estimates of palaeosalinity along the sampled core. When plotted stratigraphically, the three fossil sub‐data sets show consistent patterns of vertical evolution that enable prompt identification of the key surfaces for sequence stratigraphical interpretation in otherwise lithologically indistinguishable deposits. The concomitant maximum richness of species with strong marine affinity, paralleled by the highest DCA salinity estimates, allows recognition of the maximum flooding zone, dated to ～7.7 cal. ka BP, within a homogeneous succession of outer lagoon clays. These clays are sandwiched between early transgressive, swamp to inner lagoon deposits and overlying prograding coastal?alluvial plain facies.     

Gully head modelling: A Mediterranean badland case study

Predicting the location of gully heads in various environments is an important step towards predicting gully erosion rates. So far, field data collection and modelling of topographic thresholds for gully head development has mainly focused on gullies that formed in forested areas, rangelands, pastures and cropland. Such information for gullies in badlands however is very scarce. Therefore, this paper aims to extend the database on gully head topographical thresholds through data collection in a badland area and to improve the prediction of gully heads forming at sites with a very low erosion resistance value. For this, we chose a badland site located in central Italy that is characterized by biancana forms and both active and dormant gullies. The definition of the conditions under which present‐day gully heads developed allowed a better modelling of the gully head threshold equation, with modification of a previous model and the exemplification of how to use the updated model. The model shows that the resistance to gully head retreat depends on slope gradient and drainage area at gully heads, land use at the moment of gully development (as numerically expressed using parameters derived from the Runoff Curve Number method), surface rock fragment cover, presence of joints, pipes, and factors/processes affecting detachment rate. This study attempted to better understand environmental conditions that control the development of gully heads in badlands through a combination of field data collection of gully heads, an analysis of land use changes over 10 centuries, focusing on the period 1820–2005, and land use management through repeat photography and a critical examination of historical documents. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Operation of two major reservoirs of Iran under IPCC scenarios during the XXI century

We assess the effects of prospective climate change until 2100 on water management of two major reservoirs of Iran, namely, Dez (3.34 × 10⁹ m³) and Alavian (6 × 10⁷ m³). We tune the Poly‐Hydro model suited for simulation of hydrological cycle in high altitude snow‐fed catchments. We assess optimal operation rules (ORs) for the reservoirs using three algorithms under dynamic and static operation and linear and non‐linear decision rules during control run (1990–2010 for Dez and 2000–2010 for Alavian). We use projected climate scenarios (plus statistical downscaling) from three general circulation models, EC‐Earth, CCSM4, and ECHAM6, and three emission scenarios, or representative concentration pathways (RCPs), RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5, for a grand total of nine scenarios, to mimic evolution of the hydrological cycle under future climate until 2100. We subsequently test the ORs under the future hydrological scenarios (at half century and end of century) and the need for reoptimization. Poly‐Hydro model when benchmarked against historical data well mimics the hydrological budget of both catchments, including the main processes of evapotranspiration and streamflows. Teaching–learning‐based optimization delivers the best performance in both reservoirs according to objective scores and is used for future operation. Our projections in Dez catchment depict decreased precipitation along the XXI century, with ?1% on average (of the nine scenarios) at half century and ?6% at the end of century, with changes in streamflows on average ?7% yearly and ?13% yearly, respectively. In Alavian, precipitation would decrease by ?10% on average at half century and ?13% at the end of century, with streamflows ?14% yearly and ?18% yearly, respectively. Under the projected future hydrology, reservoirs' operation would provide lower performance (i.e., larger lack of water) than now, especially for Alavian dam. Our results provide evidence of potentially decreasing water availability and less effective water management in water stressed areas like Northern Iran here during this century.     

Using the applied element method for modelling calcium silicate brick masonry subjected to in‐plane cyclic loading

The response of calcium silicate unreinforced masonry construction to horizontal cyclic loading has recently become the focus of experimental and numerical research, given its extensive use in some areas of the world that are now exposed to induced earthquakes (eg, north of the Netherlands). To assess the seismic behaviour of such construction, a relatively wide range of modelling methodologies are available, amongst which the discrete elements approach, which takes into account the intrinsic heterogeneity of a brick‐mortar assembly, can probably be deemed as the most appropriate computational procedure. On the other hand, however, since discrete elements numerical methods are based on a discontinuum domain, often they are not able to model every stage of the structural response adequately, and because of the high computational burden required, the analysis scale should be chosen carefully. The applied element method is a relatively recent addition to the discrete elements family, with a high potential for overcoming the aforementioned limitations or difficulties. Initially conceived to model blast events and concrete structures, its use in the earthquake engineering field is, of late, increasing noticeably. In this paper, the use of the applied element method to model the in‐plane cyclic response of calcium silicate masonry walls is discussed and scrutinised, also through the comparison with experimental results of in‐plane cyclic shear‐compression tests on unreinforced masonry walls.     

Estimating free parameters in 2D inversion: example of gravity inversion in a rifted basement

We advance a principle directed to assigning numerical values to free parameters usually present in inversion methods. It may be formulated as: ‘Optimum estimates of free parameters in an inversion procedure must lead, in tests using synthetic data, to solutions whose geometrical expression reflects the main qualitative or semiquantitative geological characteristic of the study area.’ To this end, the interpreter should (i) specify a typical anomalous source geometry which incorporates the most relevant geological information for the study area, (ii) compute the corresponding gravity anomaly and (iii) invert the anomaly for the source geometry finding the numerical values of the free parameters that lead to a solution closest to the typical source. Application of the above methodology to synthetic and real data from the basement relief of a rift basin has asserted its efficacy.     

Formation of an ‘a’ā lava delta: insights from time-lapse multibeam bathymetry and direct observations during the Stromboli 2007 eruption

Five consecutive multibeam bathymetries collected before, during, and after the 2007 Stromboli eruption, combined with visual inspections, allowed us to document the morphological evolution of an ‘a’ā lava-fed delta and to reconstruct the main processes acting during its submarine emplacement. The 2007 Stromboli delta extended down to 600-m water depth and covered an area of 420?×?10³ m², with a maximum thickness of 65 m and a total estimated volume of ≈7?×?10⁶ m³, i.e., three times larger than its subaerial counterpart. The lava delta grew mainly through the emplacement of discrete lobes about 50–150 m in size. Lobes were fed from point sources along the paleoshoreline, and their subaqueous pathways seem to be mainly controlled by the submarine morphology, with flows mostly filling in depressions left by previous lobes. The main controlling factors on the lobe morphology and thickness are the effusion rates and the pre-eruption morphology, i.e., the geometry and gradients of the basal surface. Data also shows that sudden slope failure of portions of the submarine delta may occur simultaneously with accretion, implying that a significant part of the delta material can be transported to greater depths by submarine gravity flows. The present study is relevant for future monitoring and hazard assessment during the growth of active lava-fed deltas as well as for a better interpretation of ancient volcaniclastic successions inland.     

Low-pH waters discharging from submarine vents at Panarea Island (Aeolian Islands,southern Italy) after the 2002 gas blast: Origin of hydrothermal fluids and implications for volcanic surveillance

A geochemical survey of thermal waters collected from submarine vents at Panarea Island (Aeolian Islands, southern Italy) was carried out from December 2002 to March 2007, in order to investigate (i) the geochemical processes controlling the chemical composition of the hydrothermal fluids and (ii) the possible relations between the chemical features of the hydrothermal reservoir and the activity of the magmatic system. Compositional data of the thermal water samples were integrated in a hydrological conceptual model, which describes the formation of the vent fluid by mixing of seawater, seawater concentrated by boiling, and a deep, highly-saline end-member, whose composition is regulated by water-rock interactions at relatively high temperature and shows clear clues of magmatic-related inputs. The chemical composition of concentrated seawater was assumed to be represented by that of the water sample having the highest Mg content. The composition of the deep end-member was instead calculated by extrapolation assuming a zero-Mg end-member. The Na–K–Ca geothermometer, when applied to the thermal end-member composition, indicated an equilibrium temperature of approximately 300 °C, a temperature in agreement with the results obtained by gas-geothermometry.     

Applicability and intercalibration of macrophyte quality indices to characterise the ecological status of Mediterranean transitional waters: the case of the Venice lagoon

In the framework of the WFD 2000/60/EC intercalibration process the updated versions of the EEI and R‐MaQI, proposed by Italy and Greece for the transitional waters, have been applied to the macrophytes of the Venice lagoon to test their comparability and relationships with the pressure gradients. Submerged macrophytes were collected during spring 2007 at 60 sites spread within the lagoon. At each site, five random samples were collected and the total coverage of benthic macrophytes in the field was estimated based on a number of tests of the bottom. To assess seagrass epiphytes, five shoots were collected for each replicate. Physico‐chemical data were collected in the water column at 14 sites selected to reflect the main hydro‐geomorphological and trophic gradients of the lagoon. The analyses performed indicated that the two metrics appeared to be weakly intercalibrated and only the 30% of the sampling sites displayed the same quality class. The main differences fell into the Moderate and Low classes and the two indices provided discordant results in the intermediate and confined areas of the lagoon. In contrast, the two indices showed good affinity in the marine areas of inlets, which are characterised by seagrass meadows and late‐successional macroalgae. Similar results were evidenced also in a redundancy analysis by the different relationships between quality classes and the physico‐chemical gradients. The main reason for this seems to be the heterogeneity of species–environment relationships inside the groups of species on which the indices are based. Critical aspects of methodological differences and applicability of the macrophyte indices proposed by Italy and Greece for the transitional waters of the Mediterranean eco‐region are discussed.