Active faulting and seismicity along the Siculo–Calabrian Rift Zone (Southern Italy)

Southern Italy is dominated by extensional tectonics that in the Calabrian arc and Eastern Sicily produced the development of the Siculo–Calabrian Rift Zone (SCRZ). This zone is represented by a ≈ 370 km-long fault belt consisting of 10 to 50 km long distinct fault segments which extend both offshore and on land being also responsible of the crustal seismicity of this region. The geological and morphological observations indicate that the active normal faults of the SCRZ are characterized by throw-rates ranging from 0.7 to 3.1 mm/a. They accommodate an almost uniform horizontal extension-rate of about 3.0 mm/a along a WNW–ESE regional extension direction. Based on our field observations and following empirical relationships between magnitude and surface rupture length connections between large crustal earthquakes and distinct fault segments of the SCRZ have been also tentatively tested. Our data indicate moreover that the magnitudes (M) of the historical and instrumental earthquakes are consistent with the estimated values and that the geometry and kinematics of the fault segments and the related different crustal features of the SCRZ control the different seismic behaviours of adjacent portions of the active rift zone.     

Crowdsourcing a cyclist perspective on suggested recreational paths in real-world networks

ABSTRACT

Routing and navigation services for leisure activities are conditioned by special needs and trade-offs. The advent of online communities and large crowdsourced datasets offers opportunities to improve the adoption of a user’s perspective in these suggested paths. This paper focuses on achieving two goals. First, the presented methodology analyses a dataset of 190,610 historical GPS traces to gain insights into the appreciation or attractiveness of each edge in a real-world network for a specific leisure activity (i.e. road cycling). Second, as literature on these leisure activities is still sparse, we want to create a thorough understanding of the activities at hand for future work. An appreciation model is proposed and the spread of this score is analyzed in shortest-path alternatives of popular routing engines for this activity. This analysis successfully discriminates these shortest paths based on the scoring value and three morphological parameters of the path. However, the robustness of the model should be improved to ensure the viability of the proposed approach in future work. More specifically, further research on the local optimality of the route choices will be imperative.     

Evaluation of Probe-Induced Flow Distortion of Campbell CSAT3 Sonic Anemometers by Numerical Simulation

The Campbell CSAT3 sonic anemometer is one of the most popular instruments for turbulence measurements in basic micrometeorological research and ecological applications. While measurement uncertainty has been characterized by field experiments and wind-tunnel studies in the past, there are conflicting estimates, which motivated us to conduct a numerical experiment using large-eddy simulation to evaluate the probe-induced flow distortion of the CSAT3 anemometer under controlled conditions, and with exact knowledge of the undisturbed flow. As opposed to wind-tunnel studies, we imposed oscillations in both the vertical and horizontal velocity components at the distinct frequencies and amplitudes found in typical turbulence spectra in the surface layer. The resulting flow-distortion errors for the standard deviations of the vertical velocity component range from 3 to 7%, and from 1 to 3% for the horizontal velocity component, depending on the azimuth angle. The magnitude of these errors is almost independent of the frequency of wind speed fluctuations, provided the amplitude is typical for surface-layer turbulence. A comparison of the corrections for transducer shadowing proposed by both Kaimal et al. (Proc Dyn Flow Conf, 551–565, 1978) and Horst et al. (Boundary-Layer Meteorol 155:371–395, 2015) show that both methods compensate for a larger part of the observed error, but do not sufficiently account for the azimuth dependency. Further numerical simulations could be conducted in the future to characterize the flow distortion induced by other existing types of sonic anemometers for the purposes of optimizing their geometry.     

Characterization of carbon monoxide,methane and nonmethane hydrocarbons in emerging cities of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and in Singapore

We investigate the composition of 63 C₂-C₁₀ nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), methane (CH₄) and carbon monoxide (CO), in Jeddah, Mecca, and Madina (Saudi Arabia), in Lahore, (Pakistan), and in Singapore. We established a database with which to compare and contrast NMHCs in regions where ambient levels and emissions are poorly characterized, but where conditions are favorable to the formation of tropospheric ozone, and where measurements are essential for improving emission inventories and modeling. This dataset will also serve as a base for further analysis of air pollution in Western Saudi Arabia including, but not limited to, the estimation of urban emissions and long range pollution transport from these regions. The measured species showed enhanced levels in all Saudi Arabian cities compared to the local background but were generally much lower than in Lahore. In Madina, vehicle exhaust was the dominant NMHC source, as indicated by enhanced levels of combustion products and by the good correlation between NMHCs and CO, while in Jeddah and Mecca a combination of sources needs to be considered. Very high NMHC levels were measured in Lahore, and elevated levels of CH₄ in Lahore were attributed to natural gas. When we compared our results with 2010 emissions from the MACCity global inventory, we found discrepancies in the relative contribution of NMHCs between the measurements and the inventory. In all cities, alkenes (especially ethene and propene) dominated the hydroxyl radical (OH) reactivity (k _OH) because of their great abundance and their relatively fast reaction rates with OH.     

Uncertainty Modeling in Buffer Operations Applied to Connectivity Analysis

In this paper we will study the potential connectivity of red squirrels in a fragmented landscape, using a buffer operation that takes into account the difficulty of moving through the landscape. The outcome of such an analysis is greatly influenced by the various sources of uncertainty that are introduced in the model. Two main sources of uncertainty can be identified: source layer uncertainty and model uncertainty. In this paper the propagation of source layer uncertainty resulting from a multivariate statistical classification of remotely sensed data is studied using Monte Carlo simulation, taking the spatial structure of uncertainty into account. Model uncertainty results from the adoption of deterministic model parameters regarding the dispersal capacity and the landscape effect, and is examined using fuzzy set theory. Comparing the outcome of error sensitized models to the observed dispersal activity of squirrels, demonstrates how modeling of uncertainty can help to explain the dispersal activity of red squirrels.     

本世纪初我国大陆7级大震危险性研究

地震大形势研究结果表明，我国大陆地区（含边境）１９９９年已进入为期１２年的相对平静幕，幕内可能发生３次７级地震，最大震级不超过７．２级。首发７级地震为２０００年６月８日缅甸７级（位于中缅边境）。预计第二个７级地震危险时间在２００５±０．５年。第三个在２００８年前后。分析了我国主要地震区强震概率增益，给出了３个危险地点。未来３年即２００１～２００３年是相对安全时段，我国大陆不会发生７级以上破坏性地震。２０１１～２０２０年可能进入新世纪第一个７级大地震相对活跃幕，预计该幕持续１０年， 可发生１０次７～７.６级大震。     

The late Quaternary sedimentary infill of Lake Annecy (northwestern Alps): an overview from two seismic-reflection surveys

The sedimentary fill of Lake Annecy (northwestern Alps) - related to the last glacial/post-glacial episode - was investigated through high resolution (sparker) and very high resolution (2.5 kHz) seismic-reflection surveys. A seismostratigraphic approach led to subdivision of a 150 m-thick pile (maximum thickness in axial part) into five units. Basal units (1 and 2) represent an imbrication of subglacial and glacio-lacustrine deposits, close to the grounding line of the glaciers' fronts (respectively at the northern and southern terminations of the lake). The first acoustically well-stratified unit (3) developed during a fast retreat of the glaciers fronts far from the lake basin, and a progradational alluvial regime, with abundant underflows, in a lake larger than the present one. Unit 4 represents the progressive decrease of this clastic input mixed with the progressive development of in situ bio-induced production. As in many other alpine lakes, a topmost unit (5), relatively thin (about 8-10 m) and with a conspicuous drape configuration, is the signature of the Holocene interglacial climatic conditions with a sedimentation rate of about 1 mm/yr. On the lacustrine basin slopes, slumps and debris flow occurred mainly within Unit 3; they may be due to, either climate-induced high rate terrigenous sedimentation, or/and to a period of increased seismo-tectonic activity.     

毫秒脉冲星在时间计量中的可能应用

在分析射电脉冲星的自转和时间尺度的基本特征及其相互之间的关系的基础上，讨论了毫秒脉冲星在时间工作中的可能应用。基于毫秒脉冲星的到达时间的测量，经过必要的时空转换、改正及参数拟合，可以建立脉冲星时及综合脉冲星时。虽然脉冲星时及综合脉冲星时对原子有所依赖，但它们，特别是综合脉冲星时，可以用来将原子时的准确度从一个时段传递到另一个时段，并可用来分析原子时的长期稳定度。另外，可以利用双星脉冲星的轨道运动的相位来定义一种动力学时间尺度－－双星脉冲星时。