Xenoliths in recent basaltic andesite flows from Arenal Volcano,Costa Rica: inference on the composition of the lower crust

Basaltic andesite flows erupted between 1973 and 1980 from Arenal Volcano contain abundant inclusions of anorthosite, olivine gabbro, and pyroxenites, and megacrysts of olivine and anorthite. The anorthosites with large (20 mm) anorthite grains (An_96-92) exhibit deformation twinning and granulation between grain boundaries. Some olivine gabbros have angular clasts of anorthite with bent twins, pyroxene, and olivine in a finer-grained matrix which is distinctly foliated. These textural features suggest that these inclusions were deformed. An exotic (xenolithic) origin is supported in part by the mineral compositions and the estimated temperatures of equilibration: a temperature of about 975° C is obtained by two-pyroxene and Fe-Ti oxide geothermometers for the gabbros, but two-pyroxene temperatures are higher (1064 to 1120° C) for the basaltic andesite host. The olivine gabbro is thought to have crystallized at a pressure between 8.5 and 9.5 kb; whereas the lava phenocrysts crystallized at a much lower pressure of less than 5 kb. These xenoliths probably represent fragments of the lower crust below Arenal volcano. The lava flows show evidence for some contamination especially from fragments of anorthite broken apart from the larger megacrysts and xenoliths. A few phenocrysts of plagioclase in the lava samples have deformation twins. The unusually high Al₂O₃ content (19.4 to 23.2 wt%) of the lava samples can be attributed directly to the addition of anorthite; in fact the observed chemical variation in the lava flows (the increasing alumina and lime contents with decreasing silica) can be explained by this contamination.     

Some considerations about the simulation of breach channel erosion on landslide dams

The analysis of the flood hazard related to the areas downstream of landslide dams is one of the most interesting aspects of studying the formation and the failure of natural dams. The BREACH code [14], simulating the collapse of earthen dams, both man-made and naturally formed by a landslide, was chosen in order to analyse the case of the Valderchia landslide (central Italy). The bed-load transport formula used in BREACH (Meyer-Peter and Muller, modified by Smart [27]) is based on flume experiments with well-sorted sediments. Such a methodology probably makes this equation not very suitable for describing the sediment transport peculiar to a landslide body presenting a very poor material sorting. The Schoklitsch [26] formula was implemented into the programme as an alternative to the Smart equation. However, because the landslide deposits may often have a strongly bimodal grain–size frequency curve, the percentile D ₅₀ (the typical granulometric parameter requested by bed-load sediment transport formulas) can sometimes correspond to one of the grain-size classes which are really present to a lesser degree. To consider this phenomenon, the BREACH programme (version 7/88-1) was implemented with a new procedure that calculates two granulometric curves, one for each mode of the original distribution, and evaluates transport of the landslide material separately. Results of the analysis show that the model is very sensitive to the bed-load equation and that the procedure implemented to consider the eventual bimodal distribution of the dam material simulates the armouring phenomenon (which can stop the erosion of the dam during the overtopping phase).     

Structural evolution of the Pleistocene Cimini trachytic volcanic complex (Central Italy)

Structural, geomorphological, geophysical and volcanological data have been processed for the implementation of a dedicated GIS through which the structural evolution of the Pleistocene trachytic Cimini volcano (central Italy) has been reconstructed. The evolution of the Cimini complex includes three main close-in time phases: (1) intrusion of a shallow laccolith, rising along NW and NE trending faults and stagnating at the contact between the Mesozoic-Cenozoic and the Pliocene-Pleistocene sedimentary units constituting the bedrock of the volcano; (2) emplacement of lava domes along radial and tangential fractures formed by the swelling induced by the laccolith growth; (3) ignimbrite eruptions and final effusion of olivine-latitic lavas. Domes are both of Pelean and low lava dome type and their morphology was controlled by the location on the inclined surface of the swelled area. Some domes show to have uplifted upper Pliocene thermally metamorphosed clay sediments, suggesting a cryptodome-like growth. Comparison of the top of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic units with the top of the upper Pliocene-Pleistocene sedimentary complex, suggests that the laccolith emplaced in a graben of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary complex filled by the Pliocene–Pleistocene sediments uplifted by the shallow intrusion. Stress patterns acting on the Cimini area have been deduced analysing the drainage network and the morphotectonic lineaments. Rose diagrams show a large dispersion of the lineaments reflecting the local presence of radial and tangential fractures. The most frequent extensional NW and NE trending lineaments have regional significance and controlled the magma uprise leading to the laccolith emplacement.     

Normal Form Invariants Around Spin-orbit Periodic Orbits

We consider a model of spin-orbit interaction, describing the motion of an oblate satellite rotating about an internal spin-axis and orbiting about a central planet. The resulting second order differential equation depends upon the parameters provided by the equatorial oblateness of the satellite and its orbital eccentricity. Normal form transformations around the main spin-orbit resonances are carried out explicitly. As an outcome, one can compute some invariants; the fact that these quantities are not identically zero is a necessary condition to prove the existence of nearby periodic orbits (Birkhoff fixed point theorem). Moreover, the nonvanishing of the invariants provides also the stability of the spin-orbit resonances, since it guarantees the existence of invariant curves surrounding the periodic orbit.     

A simple and efficient procedure for the numerical simulation of wind fields in complex terrain

In spite of recent progress in the prognostic numerical simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer, the explicit simulation of turbulent flows in actual complex terrain is generally still very complicated and time consuming for many environmental applications. In an attempt to develop simpler and more efficient application oriented techniques, although less refined, we propose a multi-step procedure for simulating wind fields. Once obtained the necessary meteorological input, the mass-consistent modelling technique is used to perform high-resolution mean wind flow simulations taking into account recent developments in the atmospheric boundary-layer theory. Besides, a procedure based on a generalisation of the local logarithmic law-of-the-wall over complex terrain is used to estimate the effective parameters characterising the simulated wind profiles. Turbulence intensities and spectral properties are then calculated through the estimated effective parameters, in particular through the effective friction velocity parameter. Finally, time series of the instantaneous velocity field are simulated by the Monte Carlo technique. Two applications of the proposed approach are discussed briefly: the first one is related to a coastal area in southern Italy (the Messina Straits), where the construction of the world’s longest central span bridge is being planned; the second one corresponds to the flow in a mountainous area in northern Italy (the Albenga Airport).     

Copper complexing capacity of phytoplanktonic cell exudates

Copper complexing capacity of cell exudates of Dunaliella salina in natural seawater culture medium was investigated in order to evaluate the influence of this organism on speciation of trace metals in seawater.Seawater samples were collected at 200 m and 2 miles off the coast and immediately filtered. Copper complexing capacity (CC_Cu) and stability constants (K′) of related cupric complexes were then measured. They were, respectively, 27.1 × 10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ and 0.56 × 10⁷ l mol⁻¹ for the samples collected at 200 m and 12.8 × 10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ and 6.10 × 10⁷ l mol⁻¹ for those collected 2 miles off the coast. A stock culture (20 ml, 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹) in log-phase was inoculated in 2 l of each sample of filtered natural seawater. The trend of cell influence was estimated on filtered culture medium by measuring CC_Cu and K′ after 1 h, 3 and 7 days. From the results it appears that CC_Cu increased with respect to time and this was related to the growth rate, indicating a certain relationship with cell metabolic activity.It can be concluded that a comparison between the culture referring to 200 m and 2 miles, respectively, shows that the former presents a CC_Cu two times higher than the latter while the K′ is ten times higher at 2 miles than that at 200 m.     

Polyphase metamorphism in the eastern Carnic Alps (N Italy–S Austria): clay minerals and conodont Colour Alteration Index evidence

Thermal evolution of the Palaeozoic–Triassic sequences of the Carnic Alps has been characterized by b cell dimension and Kübler Index (illite “crystallinity”) of K-white micas (KI), árkai Index (AI) of chlorites, clay mineral assemblages and conodont Colour Alteration Index (CAI). Data indicate at least two metamorphic events, Variscan and Alpine. In the older event high anchizonal conditions predominated although epizonal conditions were reached over wide areas. It was characterized by low-intermediate pressure facies. The thermal peak was mainly due to an extensional regime during the Bashkirian. A younger thermal overprint generated by Alpine orogeny was of lower grade, reaching high diagenetic–anchizonal conditions characterized by high-pressure facies. Inverted metamorphic patterns are associated with middle to late Miocene thrusting. Hydrothermal alteration in the northern part of the region can be linked with emplacement of Oligocene plutons and high heat flow along the Periadratic lineament. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Evaluation of a spatial rainfall generator for generating high resolution precipitation projections over orographically complex terrain

Space–time variability of precipitation plays a key role as driver of many environmental processes. The objective of this study is to evaluate a spatiotemporal (STG) Neyman–Scott Rectangular Pulses (NSRP) generator over orographically complex terrain for statistical downscaling of climate models. Data from 145 rain gauges over a 5760-km² area of Cyprus for 1980–2010 were used for this study. The STG was evaluated for its capacity to reproduce basic rainfall statistical properties, spatial intermittency, and extremes. The results were compared with a multi-single site NRSP generator (MSG). The STG performed well in terms of average annual rainfall (+1.5 % in comparison with the 1980–2010 observations), but does not capture spatial intermittency over the study area and extremes well. Daily events above 50 mm were underestimated by 61 %. The MSG produced a similar error (+1.1 %) in terms of average annual rainfall, while the daily extremes (>50-mm) were underestimated by 11 %. A gridding scheme based on scaling coefficients was used to interpolate the MSG data. Projections of three Regional Climate Models, downscaled by MSG, indicate a 1.5–12 % decrease in the mean annual rainfall over Cyprus for 2020–2050. Furthermore, the number of extremes (>50-mm) for the 145 stations is projected to change between ?24 and +2 % for the three models. The MSG modelling approach maintained the daily rainfall statistics at all grid cells, but cannot create spatially consistent daily precipitation maps, limiting its application to spatially disconnected applications. Further research is needed for the development of spatial non-stationary NRSP models.     

Chronic oil pollution harms Magellanic penguins in the Southwest Atlantic

Petroleum pollution is a problem for seabirds along the Southwest Atlantic coast. Twenty-five groups from Salvador, Brazil (12 degrees 58'S) to San Antonio Oeste, Argentina (40 degrees 43'S) survey or rehabilitate sick or oiled seabirds. Four groups, one each in Brazil and Uruguay, and two in Argentina, kept counts of birds found alive and in need of rehabilitation. An average of 63.7% of the seabirds found were Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus), with 3869 reported since 1987. Mainly adult penguins were found in Argentina (1605 of 2102 penguins of known age class) and Uruguay (158 of 197). Juveniles were most common in Brazil (234 of 325). Oil fouling was the most frequent cause of injury or sickness. The number of oiled penguins reported in their wintering range has greatly increased since the early 1990s and is strongly correlated with petroleum exports from Argentina. Our results show that chronic petroleum pollution is a problem for wildlife from Southern Brazil through Northern Argentina, and regulations and enforcement are failing to protect living resources.