Slope angle and frost formation on Mars

The low partial pressure of water vapor in the Martian atmosphere implies a low (～200K) frost point for water on the surface. This, in turn, has made it difficult to accept the traditional water frost explanation of bright patches that sometimes occur near the equator. We show that, because insolation and surface albedo are so important in determining surface temperature, nighttime frost deposits on steep slopes facing away from the Sun during local winter may persist throughout the day, even at the equator. Above about 25° north latitude, permanent frost deposits may form on steep north-facing slopes. Frost deposits on slopes could explain some bright features, as well as act as a reservoir for atmospheric H₂O.     

Landscape response to tectonic and climatic forcing in the foredeep of the southern Apennines,Italy: insights from Quaternary stratigraphy,quantitative geomorphic analysis,and denudation rate proxies

We present new data about the morphological and stratigraphic evolution and the rates of fluvial denudation of the Tavoliere di Puglia plain, a low‐relief landscape representing the northernmost sector of the Pliocene‐Pleistocene foredeep of the southern Apennines. The study area is located between the easternmost part of the southern Apennine chain and the Gargano promontory and it is characterized by several orders of terraced fluvial deposits, disconformably overlying lower Pleistocene marine clay and organized in a staircase geometry, which recorded the emersion and the long‐term incision history of this sector since mid‐Pleistocene times. We used the spatial and altimetric distribution of several orders of middle to late Pleistocene fluvial terraces in order to perform paleotopographic reconstruction and GIS‐aided eroded volumes estimates. Then, we estimated denudation rates on the basis of the terraces chronostratigraphy, supported by published OSL and AAR dating. Middle to upper Pleistocene denudation rates estimated by means of such an approach are slightly lower than 0.1 mm yr^‐1, in good agreement with short‐term data from direct and indirect evaluation of suspended sediment yield. The analysis of longitudinal river profiles using the stream power erosion model provided additional information on the incision rates of the studied area. Middle to late Quaternary uplift rates (about 0.15 mm yr^‐1), calculated on the basis of the elevation above sea level of marine deposits outcropping in the easternmost sector of the study area, are quite similar to the erosion rates average value, thus suggesting a steady‐state fluvial incision. The approach adopted in this work has demonstrated that erosion rates traditionally obtained by quantitative geomorphic analysis and k_sn estimations can be successfully integrated to quantify rates of tectonic or geomorphological processes of a landscape approaching steady‐state equilibrium. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic response and optimal design of structures with large mass ratio TMD

This paper investigates the dynamic behavior and the seismic effectiveness of a non‐conventional Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) with large mass ratio. Compared with conventional TMD, the device mass is increased up to be comparable with the mass of the structure to be protected, aiming at a better control performance. In order to avoid the introduction of an excessive additional weight, masses already present on the structure are converted into tuned masses, retaining structural or architectural functions beyond the mere control function. A reduced order model is introduced for design purposes and the optimal design of a large mass ratio TMD for seismic applications is then formulated. The design method is specifically developed to implement High‐Damping Rubber Bearings (HDRB) to connect the device mass to the main structure, taking advantage of combining stiffness and noticeable damping characteristics. Ground acceleration is modeled as a Gaussian random process with white noise power spectral density. A numerical searching technique is used to obtain the optimal design parameter, the frequency ratio alpha, which minimizes the root‐mean‐square displacement response of the main structure. The study finally comprises shaking table tests on a 1:5 scale model under a wide selection of accelerograms, both artificial and natural, to assess the seismic effectiveness of the proposed large mass ratio TMD. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vent temperature trends at the Vulcano Fossa fumarole field: the role of permeability

Between 1994 and 2010, we completed 16 thermal surveys of Vulcano’s Fossa fumarole field (Aeolian Islands, Italy). In each survey, between 400 and 1,200 vent temperatures were collected using a thermal infrared thermometer from distances of ～1?m. The results show a general decrease in average vent temperature during 1994–2003, with the average for the entire field falling from ～220°C in 1994 to ～150°C by 2003. However, between 2004 and 2010, we witnessed heating, with the average increasing to ～190°C by 2010. Alongside these annual-scale field-wide trends, we record a spatial re-organisation of the fumarole field, characterised by shut down of vent zones towards the crater floor, matched by rejuvenation of zones located towards the crater rim. Heating may be expected to be associated with deflation because increased amounts of vaporisation will remove volume from the hydrothermal system Gambino and Guglielmino (J Geophys Res 113:B07402, 2008). However, over the 2004–2010 heating period, no ground deformation was observed. Instead, the number of seismic events increased from a typical rate of 37 events per month during 1994–2000 to 195 events per month during 2004–2010. As part of this increase, we noticed a much greater number of high-frequency events associated with rock fracturing. We thus suggest that the heating event of 2004–2010 was the result of changed permeability conditions, rather than change in the heat supply from the deeper magmatic source. Within this scenario, cooling causes shut down of lower sectors and re-establishment of pathways located towards the crater rim, causing fracturing, increased seismicity and heat flow in these regions. This is consistent with the zone of rejuvenation (which lies towards and at the rim) being the most favourable location for fracturing given the stress field of the Fossa cone Sch?pa et al. (J Volcanol Geotherm Res 203:133–145, 2011); it is also the most established zone, having been active at least since the early twentieth century. Our data show the value of deploying multi-disciplinary geophysical campaigns at degassing (fumarolic) hydrothermal systems. This allows more complete and constrained understanding of the true heat loss dynamics of the system. In the case study presented here, it allows us to distinguish true heating from apparent heating phases. While the former are triggered from the bottom-up, i.e. they are driven by increases in heat supply from the magmatic source, the latter are triggered from the top-down, i.e. by changing permeability conditions in the uppermost portion of the system to allow more efficient heat flow over zones predisposed to fracturing.     

Evaluation of seismic vulnerability of a complex RC existing building by linear and nonlinear modeling approaches

Recent earthquakes, that stroked Italian regions in past decades (Umbria— Marche 1997; Molise 2002; L’Aquila 2009), pointed out the high vulnerability of reinforced concrete existing buildings causing severe damages in the structures and consequently life losses. This is mainly due to the fact that such structures were often built without reference to seismic actions or on the basis of old standard provisions. Nowadays in Italy, Public Authorities are requested to evaluate the seismic vulnerability of their building stock assessing the actual capacity of such structures, as a consequence of new hazard levels and seismic microzonation introduced by new standards. According to Eurocode 8 or Italian standard NTC 2008, the seismic analysis of existing reinforced concrete buildings can be performed by one of the established procedure (i.e. Linear Static Analysis LSA, Linear Dynamic Analysis LDA, Nonlinear Static Analysis NSA, Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis NDA), depending on the achieved knowledge level about the structural system and materials. In order to compare efficiency and differences of previously described approaches, a deep investigation was executed on a reinforced concrete existing building whose dynamic behaviour was evaluated by an experimental dynamic analysis. In such a way, updated models were obtained and adopted for seismic analysis performed by using linear and nonlinear approaches, taking into account the stiffness and strength contribution of masonry infill walls. It was so possible to get useful indications on the reliability and discrepancies of different modelling approaches as well as on the influence of masonry infills on the seismic response of existing r.c. buildings.     

The last 500 year of sedimentation in Shkodra Lake (Albania/Montenegro): paleoenvironmental evolution and potential for paleoseismicity studies

Lake Shkodra (northern Albania, southern Montenegro) is a large (45 km length, 15 km width) and shallow (5 m mean depth) lake, developed on a mainly karstic carbonate substratum. Its recent sedimentary fill (mixed calcareous/siliciclastic clayey silts) was analysed through short gravity cores representing five centuries of environmental archive. A combination of high resolution texture analysis (particle size), magnetic susceptibility, carbon content, and radionuclide activity profiles (²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs, ²⁴¹Am) permitted us to detect and date environmental changes, such as the Little Ice Age and the 1962–1963 catastrophic floods. Anthropogenic influences on the watershed, such as damming of the Drin River in the late 1970s, also appear to be recorded. Impacts of known strong earthquakes (1905, 1979), however, could not be clearly detected in the sediment record. The potential of the Shkodra lacustrine archive for paleoseismic investigations on long time intervals (such as Holocene) is discussed. This paper is a preliminary contribution to Shkodra Lake’s Holocene paleolimnology.     

Flow time estimation with spatially variable hillslope velocity in ungauged basins

The automated spatial estimation of the hillslope runoff dynamics is used as a valuable tool for the estimation of the travel time distribution (flow time), a major factor for the hydrologic prediction in ungauged basins. In fact, while the flow time function is usually obtained by rescaling the flow paths with constant channel and hillslope velocities, in this work a spatially distributed kinematic component, as a function of terrain features and in particular slope and land use, is implemented and its influence on the hydrologic response is tested by means of the Width Function Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph (WFIUH) framework. Hillslope surface flow velocities are evaluated by applying different uniform flow formulas within an automated DEM-based (terrain analysis) algorithm. A comparison test of the performances of the Manning, Darcy, Maidment and Soil Conservation Service uniform flow equations is performed for several case studies in Italy pertaining to different climatic and geomorphic conditions. Results provide new insights for a better understanding of the flow time function also introducing a more parsimonious and physically-based calibration scheme of the WFIUH.     

Weakening climatic signal since mid-20th century in European larch tree-ring chronologies at different altitudes from the Adamello-Presanella Massif (Italian Alps)

Tree rings from temperature-limited environments are highly sensitive climate proxies, widely used to reconstruct past climate parameters for periods prior to the availability of instrumental data and to analyse the effect of recent global warming on tree growth. An analysis of the climatic signal in five high-elevation tree-ring width chronologies of European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) from the tops of five different glacial valleys in the Italian Central Alps revealed that they contain a strong summer-temperature signal and that tree-ring growth is especially influenced by June temperatures. However, a moving correlation function analysis revealed a recent loss of the June temperature signal in the tree-ring chronologies. This signal reduction primarily involves the two lowest-altitude chronologies. It is probable that the observed increasing importance of late-summer temperature for tree-ring growth over the past 50 yr is an effect of the lengthening growing season and of the variations in the climate/tree-ring relationship over time. All the chronologies considered, especially those at the highest altitudes, show an increasing negative influence of June precipitation on tree-ring growth. The climatic signal recorded in tree-ring chronologies from the Italian Central Alps varies over time and is also differentially influenced by climatic parameters according to site elevation.     

A performance-based adaptive methodology for the seismic evaluation of multi-span simply supported deck bridges

A performance-based adaptive methodology for the seismic assessment of highway bridges is proposed. The proposed methodology is based on an Inverse (I), Adaptive (A) application of the Capacity Spectrum Method (CSM), with the capacity curve of the bridge derived through a Displacement-based Adaptive Pushover (DAP) analysis. For this reason, the acronym IACSM is used to identify the proposed methodology. A number of Performance Levels (PLs), for which the seismic vulnerability and seismic risk of the bridge shall be evaluated, are identified. Each PL is associated to a number of Damage States (DSs) of the critical members of the bridge (piers, abutments, joints and bearing devices). The IACSM provides the earthquake intensity level (PGA) corresponding to the attainment of the selected DSs, using over-damped elastic response spectra as demand curves. The seismic vulnerability of the bridge is described by means of fragility curves, derived based on the PGA values associated to each DS. The seismic risk of the bridge is evaluated as convolution integral of the product between the fragility curves and the seismic hazard curve of the bridge site. In this paper, the key aspects and basic assumptions of the proposed methodology are presented first. The IACSM is then applied to nine existing simply supported deck bridges, characterized by different types of piers and bearing devices. Finally, the IACSM predictions are compared with the results of nonlinear response time-history analysis, carried out using a set of seven ground motions scaled to the expected PGA values.