On the contributions of atmospheric pressure and wind to daily sea level in the northern Adriatic Sea

Daily sea level variability in the Adriatic Sea is studied from different data sets using Empirical Orthogonal Functions, in connection with atmospheric pressure and wind stress. The first mode explains 56–69% of total variance and consists of uniform sea level variability all over the basin, correlated with atmospheric pressure through the inverse barometer effect. The second mode explains 13–16% of variance and accounts for an along-basin sea level gradient, which is correlated with the meridional wind stress component. The first two Principal Components are used as proxies to pressure- and wind-induced components of storm surges in the northern Adriatic. The analysis of the frequency of the most intense events in the 1957–2005 period shows that the wind contribution to storm surges has decreased, while no significant trends are found in the contribution of atmospheric pressure.     

PGA and structural dynamics input motion at a given site

The computation of the representative ground motions, to be used as input for the dynamic analyses of a structure at a particular site, can be approached by several methods. The choice of the approach depends on two factors : the data available and the type of problem to be solved. This paper reports the experience of the authors in approaching a specific case study: the Southern Memnon Colossus, located in Luxor, Egypt. The results are of interest when the hazard analysis estimation in developing countries and the safeguard of cultural heritage are concerned. Monuments have to be treated as important structures, due to their historical and economical value. Hence, standard procedures of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for the seismic classification of common buildings have to be disregarded. On the other hand, the consequences of the collapse of a monument are not comparable to those related to structures such as nuclear power plants and large dams, for which the deterministic seismic hazard analysis provides a straightforward framework for evaluation of the worst case ground motions. An “intermediate” approach, which requires a lower amount of input data with respect to the deterministic one, is adopted. Its stochastic component can capture significant characteristics of earthquakes, primarily the frequency contents which depend on the magnitude (often referred to as the earthquake scaling law). Supported by: European Union-ICA3-1999-00006     

Continuous soil CO<Superscript>2</Superscript> and discrete plume SO<Subscript>2</Subscript> measurements at Mt. Etna (Italy) during 1997–2000: a contribution to volcano monitoring

Continuous monitoring of soil CO₂ dynamic concentration (which is proportional to the CO₂ flux through the soil) was carried out at a peripheral site of Mt. Etna during the period November 1997–September 2000 using an automated station. The acquired data were compared with SO₂ flux from the summit craters measured two to three times a week during the same period. The high frequency of data acquisition with both methods allowed us to analyze in detail the time variations of both parameters. Anomalous high values of soil CO₂ dynamic concentration always preceded periods of increased flux of plume SO₂, and these in turn were followed by periods of summit eruptions. The variations were modeled in terms of gas efflux increase due to magma ascent to shallow depth and its consequent depressurization and degassing. This model is supported by data from other geophysical and volcanological parameters. The rates of increase both of soil CO₂ dynamic concentration and of plume SO₂ flux are interpreted to be positively correlated both to the velocity of magma ascent within the volcano and to lava effusion rate once magma is erupted at the surface. Low rates of the increase were recorded before the nine-month-long 1999 subterminal eruption. Higher rates of increase were observed before the violent summit eruption of September-November 1999, and the highest rates were observed during shorter and very frequent spike-like anomalies that preceded the sequence of short-lived but very violent summit eruptions that started in late January 2000 and continued until late June of the same year. Furthermore, the time interval between the peaks of CO₂ and SO₂ in a single sequence of gas anomalies is likely to be controlled by magma ascent velocity.Editorial responsibility: H. Shinohara     

The Eddington Mission

The Eddington mission was given full approval by the European Space Agencyon the 23rd May 2002, as part of the new `Cosmic Vision' Science programme, with launch scheduled for 2007/8. Its twin scienceobjectives are asteroseismology and planet finding.In its current design it consists of 4 × 60 cm folded Schmidt telescopes, eachwith 6° × 6° field of view and its own CCD array camera.The current observing plan is to spend 2 years primarily devoted to asteroseismologywith 1–3 months on different target fields monitoring up to 50,000 stars per field,and 3 years continuously on asingle target field monitoring upwards of 100,000 stars as required for planetsearching. The asteroseismic goal is to be able to detect oscillationsfrequencies with a precision 0.1–0.3 Hz.     

Long‐term demographic and reproductive trends in Ciona intestinalis sp. A

Ciona intestinalis sp. A (Tunicata, Ascidiacea) is a marine invertebrate with a widespread distribution and high invasive potential, yet little is known about its ecology. Here, the macrodynamics of demographic and reproductive trends were first determined using archive data covering 2002–2012. Species abundance in the central Tyrrhenian Sea (Campania, Italy ‐ NW Mediterranean) displayed Poisson distribution across 2002–2008, massive die‐off in 2009/2010 and population recovery in 2011/2012. We defined the seasonal ranges of sea surface temperature in which sampling size, animal size and reproductive status reached their highest values. In 2003/2004, self and non‐self fertilization appeared to follow reverse trends across the year. The long‐term recording run here on Ciona intestinalis sp. A provides novel insights into its population biology and ecology, and represents a valuable tool for sampling management and research planning.     

Atmospheric response to the North Atlantic Ocean variability on seasonal to decadal time scales

The NCEP twentieth century reanalyis and a 500-year control simulation with the IPSL-CM5 climate model are used to assess the influence of ocean-atmosphere coupling in the North Atlantic region at seasonal to decadal time scales. At the seasonal scale, the air-sea interaction patterns are similar in the model and observations. In both, a statistically significant summer sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly with a horseshoe shape leads an atmospheric signal that resembles the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the winter. The air-sea interactions in the model thus seem realistic, although the amplitude of the atmospheric signal is half that observed, and it is detected throughout the cold season, while it is significant only in late fall and early winter in the observations. In both model and observations, the North Atlantic horseshoe SST anomaly pattern is in part generated by the spring and summer internal atmospheric variability. In the model, the influence of the ocean dynamics can be assessed and is found to contribute to the SST anomaly, in particular at the decadal scale. Indeed, the North Atlantic SST anomalies that follow an intensification of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) by about 9 years, or an intensification of a clockwise intergyre gyre in the Atlantic Ocean by 6 years, resemble the horseshoe pattern, and are also similar to the model Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). As the AMOC is shown to have a significant impact on the winter NAO, most strongly when it leads by 9 years, the decadal interactions in the model are consistent with the seasonal analysis. In the observations, there is also a strong correlation between the AMO and the SST horseshoe pattern that influences the NAO. The analogy with the coupled model suggests that the natural variability of the AMOC and the gyre circulation might influence the climate of the North Atlantic region at the decadal scale.     

Origin of salt giants in abyssal serpentinite systems

International Journal of Earth Sciences - Worldwide marine salt deposits ranging over the entire geological record are generally considered climate-related evaporites, derived from the...     

A discriminatory diagram of massive versus stratified deposits based on the sedimentation and bedload transportation rates. Experimental investigation and application to pyroclastic density currents

Dense gas-particle jets similar to collapsing eruption columns were generated by large-scale experiments. The column collapse resulted in a ground-hugging current forming stratified layers with bedding similar to natural pyroclastic density current deposits. At the impact of the collapsing column on the ground, a thick, massive bed was formed due to a high sedimentation rate that dumped turbulence due to high clast concentration. Down-current, flow expansion favoured turbulence and dilute gas-particle current that formed thin rippled layers deposited under traction. Experiments fed with fine ash (median size 0·066 mm) formed deposits without tractional structures, because fine particles, as other sedimentary fine material, is cohesive and exposes a limited surface to the shear stress. Experimental outcomes show that massive beds are formed where the sedimentation rate per unit width S_rw exceeds the bedload transportation rate Q_b by two orders of magnitude. A lower ratio generates traction at the base of the flow and formation of shear structures that increase in wavelength and height with a decreasing flux. This study presents a diagram that provides a useful addition for facies analysis of pyroclastic density currents, provided that deposits representing sustained sedimentation can be identified in the field. In the diagram a decrease in the S_rw/Q_b ratio corresponds to an increase in bedform size. Application of the diagram for hazard assessment purposes allows the reconstruction of the mass eruption rate of the Agnano–Monte Spina eruption at Campi Flegrei, which is the main variable defining the intensity of past eruptions, and of the Bingham rheology of the massive underflow of the Mercato pyroclastic density current at Vesuvius.     

A hybrid optimization scheme for self-potential measurements due to multiple sheet-like bodies in arbitrary 2D resistivity distributions

Self-potential is a passive geophysical method that can be applied in a straightforward manner with minimum requirements in the field. Nonetheless, interpretation of self-potential data is particularly challenging due to the inherited non-uniqueness present in all potential methods. Incorporating information regarding the target of interest can facilitate interpretation and increase the reliability of the final output. In the current paper, a novel method for detecting multiple sheet-like targets is presented. A numerical framework is initially described that simulates sheet-like bodies in an arbitrary 2D resistivity distribution. A scattered field formulation based on finite differences is employed that allows the edges of the sheet to be independent of the grid geometry. A novel analytical solution for two-layered models is derived and subsequently used to validate the accuracy of the proposed numerical scheme. Lastly, a hybrid optimization is proposed that couples linear least-squares with particle-swarm optimization in order to effectively locate the edges of multiple sheet-like bodies. Through numerical and real data, it is proven that the hybrid optimization overcomes local minimal that occurs in complex resistivity distributions and converges substantially faster compared to traditional particle-swarm optimization.