Morphological,sedimentological and tectonic features of diamante-m. Carpinoso Marine terrace flight (tyrrhenian coast of northern Calabria,Italy)

Marine terrace flights resulting from the interaction of Quaternary glacio-eustatic fluctuations and tectonic uplift are a typical feature of the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria in Southern Italy; in particular a térrace flight with four orders of terraces is evident in the Diamante area. The lowest terrace levels (fourth order: Diamante-Cirella terrace) are typified by a calcarenitic deposit with Cladocora caespitosa which give a Th/U age > 300,000 years. The third order terrace has a sedimentary cover formed of a basal discontinuous level of well rounded pebbles which underlies a deeply weathered coarse-grained sand horizon. The deposit ends with a paleosol locally cut by erosional scours filled by yellowish tuff deposits. The formation of this terrace dates from the Middle Pleistocene. The second order terrace presents a sedimentary cover composed of two generations of soils and is attributed to Middle Pleistocene age. The first order terrace (M. Carpinoso terrace) presents a wave-cut platform covered by a clastic deposit of marine and continental origin; this deposit consists of superimposed depositional events separated by unconformities, bounded by two diachronous surfaces. The formation of the wave-cut platform could be related to several sea-level stands during a long-lasting slow subsidence phase of the coastal area during the Lower Pleistocene. The uplift following terrace formation displaced the first order terrace most markedly; tectonic lineations controlled the hydrographic pattern and erosion of the surfaces.     

Non-invasive Geophysical Surveys in Search of the Roman Temple of Augustus Under the Cathedral of Tarragona (Catalonia,Spain): A Case Study

An integrated geophysical survey has been conducted at the Tarragona’s Cathedral (Catalonia, NE Spain) with the aim to confirm the potential occurrence of archaeological remains of the Roman Temple dedicated to the Emperor Augustus. Many hypotheses have been proposed about its possible location, the last ones regarding the inner part of the Cathedral, which is one of the most renowned temples of Spain (twelfth century) evolving from Romanesque to Gothic styles. A geophysical project including electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground probing radar (GPR) was planned over 1 year considering the administrative and logistic difficulties of such a project inside a cathedral of religious veneration. Finally, both ERT and GPR have been conducted during a week of intensive overnight surveys that provided detailed information on subsurface existing structures. The ERT method has been applied using different techniques and arrays, ranging from standard Wenner–Schlumberger 2D sections to full 3D electrical imaging with the advanced Maximum Yield Grid array. Electrical resistivity data were recorded extensively, making available many thousands of apparent resistivity data to obtain a complete 3D image after a full inversion. In conclusion, some significant buried structures have been revealed providing conclusive information for archaeologists. GPR results provided additional information about shallowest structures. The geophysical results were clear enough to persuade religious authorities and archaeologists to conduct selected excavations in the most promising areas that confirmed the interpretation of geophysical data. In conclusion, the significant buried structures revealed by geophysical methods under the cathedral were confirmed by archaeological digging as the basement of the impressive Roman Temple that headed the Provincial Forum of Tarraco, seat of the Concilium of Hispania Citerior Province.     

Cost-sensitive rainfall thresholds for shallow landslides

The risk management of rainfall-induced landslides requires reliable rainfall thresholds to issue early warning alerts. The practical application of these thresholds often leads to misclassifications, either false negative or false positive, which induce costs for the society. Since missed-alarm (false negative) and false-alarm (false positive) cost may be significantly different, it is necessary to find an optimal threshold that accounts for and minimises such costs, tuning the false-alarm and missed-alarm rates. In this paper, we propose a new methodology to develop cost-sensitive rainfall thresholds, and we also analyse several factors that produce uncertainty, such as the accuracy of rainfall intensity values at landslide location, the time of occurrence, the minimum rainfall amount to define the non-triggering event, and the variability of cost scenarios. Starting from a detailed mapping of landslides that occurred during five large-scale rainfall events in the Italian Central Alps, we first developed rainfall threshold curves with a ROC-based approach by using both rain gauge and bias-adjusted weather radar data. Then, based on a reference cost scenario in which we quantified several cost items for both missed alarms and false alarms, we developed cost-sensitive rainfall threshold curves by using cost-curve approach (Drummond and Holte 2000). Finally, we studied the sensitivity of cost items. The study confirms how important is the information regarding rainfall intensity at the landslide site for the development of rainfall thresholds. Although the use of bias-corrected radar strongly improves these values, a large uncertainty related to the exact time of landslide occurrence still remains, negatively affecting the analysis. Accounting for the different missed-alarm and false-alarm misclassification costs is important because different combinations of these costs make an increase or decrease of the rainfall thresholds convenient. In our reference cost scenario, the most convenient threshold is lower than ROC-based thresholds because it seeks to minimise the number of missed alarms, whereas the missed-alarm costs are almost seven times greater than false-alarm costs. However, for different cost scenarios, threshold may vary significantly, as much as half an order of magnitude.

     

Sonification of geophysical data through time–frequency analysis: theory and applications

In this paper, we introduce a new method of geophysical data interpretation based on simultaneous analysis of images and sounds. The final objective is to expand the interpretation workflow through multimodal (visual–audio) perception of the same information. We show how seismic data can be effectively converted into standard formats commonly used in digital music. This conversion of geophysical data into the musical domain can be done by applying appropriate time–frequency transforms. Using real data, we demonstrate that the Stockwell transform provides a very accurate and reliable conversion. Once converted into musical files, geophysical datasets can be played and interpreted by using modern computer music tools, such as sequencers. This approach is complementary and not substitutive of interpretation methods based on imaging. It can be applied not only to seismic data but also to well logs and any type of geophysical time/depth series. To show the practical implications of our integrated visual–audio method of interpretation, we discuss an application to a real seismic dataset in correspondence of an important hydrocarbon discovery.     

Reconstruction of the eruptive activity on the NE sector of Stromboli volcano: timing of flank eruptions since 15 ka

A multidisciplinary geological and compositional investigation allowed us to reconstruct the occurrence of flank eruptions on the lower NE flank of Stromboli volcano since 15 ka. The oldest flank eruption recognised is Roisa, which occurred at ~15 ka during the Vancori period, and has transitional compositional characteristics between the Vancori and Neostromboli phases. Roisa was followed by the San Vincenzo eruption that took place at ~12 ka during the early stage of Neostromboli period. The eruptive fissure of San Vincenzo gave rise to a large scoria cone located below the village of Stromboli, and generated a lava flow, most of which lies below sea level. Most of the flank eruptions outside the barren Sciara del Fuoco occurred in a short time, between ~9 and 7 ka during the Neostromboli period, when six eruptive events produced scoria cones, spatter ramparts and lava flows. The Neostromboli products belong to a potassic series (KS), and cluster in two differently evolved groups. After an eruptive pause of ~5,000 years, the most recent flank eruption involving the NE sector of the island occurred during the Recent Stromboli period with the formation of the large, highly K calc-alkaline lava flow field, named San Bartolo. The trend of eruptive fissures since 15 ka ranges from N30°E to N55°E, and corresponds to the magma intrusions radiating from the main feeding system of the volcano.     

Soil C and N response to changes in winter precipitation in a subalpine forest ecosystem,NW Italy

Among the potential effects of climate change on subalpine forest ecosystems during the winter season, the shift in snowline towards higher altitudes and the increase in frequency of rain events on the snowpack are of particular interest. Here, we present the results of a 2‐year field experiment conducted in a forest stand (Larix decidua) in NW Italy at 2020 m a.s.l. From 2009 to 2011, we monitored soil physical characteristics (temperature and moisture), and soil and soil solution chemistry, in particular carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) forms and their change in time, as affected by simulated late snowpack accumulation and rain on snow events. Late snowpack accumulation determined a stronger effect on soil thermal and moisture regimes than rain on snow events. Also soil chemistry was significantly affected by late snowfall simulation. Although microbial biomass C and N were not reduced by soil freezing, soil contents of the more labile dissolved organic carbon and inorganic N increased when the soil was affected by mild/hard freezing. Variations in the soil solution were shifted with respect to those observed in soil, with an increase in N‐NO₃^? concentrations occurring during spring and summer. This study highlights the potential N loss in subalpine soils under changing environmental conditions driven by a changing climate. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Atmospheric Aerosol Characterization Over Naples During 2000–2003 EARLINET Project: Planetary Boundary-Layer Evolution and Layering

The evolution of the planetary boundary layer and the influence of local circulation phenomena over Naples (southern Italy, 40.838° N, 14.183° E, 118 m above sea level) have been studied by systematic lidar measurements of aerosol optical properties and vertical distributions carried out from May 2000 to August 2003, in the course of the EARLINET project. In particular, our data show the development of aerosol layers typically located in the range between 1,000 and 2,300 m, with variable thickness. The optical properties of the observed layers have been determined. In order to analyse the evolution of the planetary boundary layer, detailed observations of complete diurnal cycles have also been performed. The analysis of lidar measurements of vertical profiles of wind speed and wind direction and air mass back-trajectories allowed us to characterize the sea-breeze circulation influence on both the planetary boundary-layer evolution and the observed aerosol vertical distribution.     

Dependence of clinopyroxene composition on cooling rate in basaltic magmas: Implications for thermobarometry

The compositional variation of clinopyroxene and the partitioning of major elements between clinopyroxene and melt are estimated as a function of the cooling rate. Clinopyroxenes were crystallized under variable cooling regimes (15, 9.4, 3, 2.1, and 0.5 °C/min from 1250 down to 1000 °C) and at isothermal conditions of 1000 °C from a basaltic composition at a pressure of 500 MPa under anhydrous and hydrous (H₂O = 1.3 wt.%) conditions. The clinopyroxene chemistry shows that, as the cooling rate increases, crystals are progressively depleted in Ca, Mg, Fe²⁺ and Si and enriched in Na, Fe³⁺, Al (mainly Al^IV), and Ti. Di and Hd versus CaTs and CaFeTs form a continuous binary solid solution characterized by higher amounts of tschermakitic components with increasing cooling rate. Two parameters (DH = Di + Hd and TE = CaTs + CaFeTs + En) are calculated to describe the effect of cooling rate on the clinopyroxene composition. The variation of DH/TE with increasing cooling rate evidences the kinetic process induced by rapid cooling in basic rocks under hydrous and anhydrous conditions.Dynamic crystallization conditions affect the partitioning of major elements between clinopyroxene and melt; with increasing cooling rate, the value of crystal–melt partition coefficient departs from that obtained at the isothermal condition. However, in spite of these variations, the values of ^cpx–meltKd_Fe–Mg remain almost constant. Therefore, the Fe²–Mg exchange between clinopyroxene and melt is not suitable to prove the (dis)equilibrium conditions in basaltic cooling magmas, giving rise to possible mismatches in the application of thermobarometers. The results of our study are consistent with that observed at the margin of dikes or in the exterior portions of lavas, where the cooling rate is maximized and disequilibrium compositions of clinopyroxene have been found.     

New results of 40Ar/39Ar dating constrain the timing of transition from fissure-type to central volcanism at Mount Etna (Italy)

Recent geological studies performed at Etna allow reassessing the stratigraphic frame of the volcano where distinct evolutionary phases are defined. This stratigraphic reconstruction was chronologically constrained on the basis of a limited number of U–Th and K–Ar age determinations whose uncertainty margins are sometimes too wide. For this reason, we successfully adopted at Etna the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar technique that allowed obtaining more precise age determinations. The incremental heating technique also gives information on sample homogeneity, and potential problems of trapped argon. Five samples were collected from stratigraphically well-controlled volcanic units in order to chronologically define the transition between the fissure-type volcanism of the Timpe phase to the central volcanism of the Valle del Bove Centers. Isotopic ages with an uncertainty margin of 2–4% have been obtained emphasizing that this transition occurred (130–126 ka) without significant temporal hiatus.     

Asbestos fibre identification vs. evaluation of asbestos hazard in ophiolitic rock mélanges,a case study from the Ligurian Alps (Italy)

In recent years, the high incidence of harmful health effects through inhalation of airborne asbestos from amphibole-bearing rock mélanges has been thoroughly documented. Here, we present a field-based, multi-scale geological approach aimed at illustrating the occurrence of amphibole fibrous mineralisation in an ophiolitic suite from the Ligurian Alps (Italy) and discussing the implication on in situ determination of the asbestos hazard. The rock mélange is composed of plurimetre-sized blocks of different lithotypes (metagabbro, serpentinite, chloritoschist) juxtaposed by the meaning of tectonic structures. The geological-structural survey revealed that the fibrous mineralisation is localised in specific structural sites of the rock volume, including veins and schistosity. Both micro-chemical and crystal structure analyses on selected fibrous samples revealed that actinolite fibres grow in veins within the metagabbro and in chloritoschists, while fibrous tremolite occurs in serpentinite schistosity. The morphological features of these amphibole fibres have been analysed in TEM images and used for classifying them as “asbestiform” or “non-asbestiform”. The results show that the asbestos hazard determination is not unequivocally identified when different procedures for asbestos fibre identification and classification are applied. This may have impact on normatives and regulations in defining environmental hazards due to asbestos occurrence.