Chemical composition of precipitation at Mt. Vesuvius and Vulcano Island,Italy: volcanological and environmental implications

Natural precipitation and water samples from passive devices were collected at Mt. Vesuvius and Vulcano Island, Italy, during the period 2004–2006, in order to investigate its possible interactions with fumarolic gases. Evidence of chemical reactions between fumarolic fluids and rain samples before and after its deposition into the sampling devices was found at Vulcano Island. Very low pH values (down to 2.5) and significant amounts of chlorine and sulfate (up to 22 mEq/l) were measured at sampling points located close to the fumarolic field. In contrast, anthropogenic contributions and/or dissolution of aerosols (both maritime and continental) influence the chemistry of rainwaters at Mt. Vesuvius, which show inter-annual variations that are highly consistent with those recorded at the coastal site at Vulcano Island. Chemistry of waters directly exposed to fumarolic fluids may then give useful information about its temporal evolution, holding the signal of the “maximum” chemical event occurred in the meanwhile. In addition, the observation of the health status of vegetation colonizing the immediate surroundings of the fumarolic fields, due to its strong dependence on the interactions with these fluids, may work as a possible biomarker of volcanic activity.     

Maximum entropy method: an unconventional approach to explore observables related to the electron density in phengites

The maximum entropy method (MEM) is used here to get an insight into the electron density [ρ(r)] of phengites 2M ₁ and 3T, paying special attention to the M1-formally empty site and charge distribution. Room temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction data have been used as experimental input for MEM. The results obtained by MEM have been compared with those from conventional structure refinement which, in turn, has provided the prior-electron density to start the entropy maximization process. MEM reveals a comparatively non-committal approach, able to produce information related to the M1-site fractional occupancy, and yields results consistent with those from the difference Fourier synthesis, but free of the uncertainties due to the abrupt truncation of the series. The charge distribution is investigated by means of the notion of ‘‘site basin’’, i.e., those site-centered volumes delimited by a surface such as ∇ρ·n = 0. In particular, we observe: (1) the overall partitioning of the basin total charge between cation and anion sites, and the interlayer site charge seems to depend on sample composition, and (2) the apical-oxygen plane total basin charge and hydroxyl basin charge are presumably related to the polytype. The MEM-determined electron density does not allow full exploration of the critical points for very complex structures as micas, insofar as conventional room temperature experimental diffraction data are used.     

Altimetry-derived tide model for improved tide and water level forecasting along the European continental shelf

Ocean Dynamics - With the continued rise in global mean sea level, operational predictions of tidal height and total water levels have become crucial for accurate estimations and understanding of...     

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.     

Microdistribution of macroinvertebrates in a temporary pond of Central Italy: Taxonomic and functional analyses

Spatial distribution of physical and chemical variables and macroinvertebrate composition, structure and functional aspects were investigated in five microhabitats available (Ranunculus acquatilis+Ranunculus sardous, Spirogyra sp., Juncus effusus, and unvegetated littoral sediments and central sediments) in a temporary pond near Rome during spring 2004. The central sediments were found to differ greatly from the other substrates. They were characterized by higher nutrient contents (total P, total N), organic matter and organic C, and silt and clay in the sediments, and lower dissolved oxygen content and lower pH in the water. Species richness and densities of total macrofauna showed the lowest values in central sediments and the highest ones in submerged macrophytes (Ranunculus spp.) and emergent vegetation (Juncus effusus). Oligochaeta Tubificidae, some Nematoda (Dorylaimus spp.), and Chironomidae Tanypodinae (Procladius sp. and Psectrotanypus varius) and Chironominae (Chironomus plumosus group) characterized the central sediments, whereas Ephemeroptera and most of the Odonata and Coleoptera species were commonly found in submerged macrophyte beds. Some species of Coleoptera and Hemiptera (Hygrobia hermanni, Helochares lividus, Berosus signaticollis and Gerris maculatus) were mainly found in the algal substratum, and some Nematoda species (Tobrilus spp. and Aporcelaimellus obtusicaudatus), Oligochaeta Enchytraeidae, young larvae of Sympetrum and Diptera Ceratopogonidae in littoral sediments. Juncus effusus appeared to be mainly colonized by Chironomidae Orthocladiinae (Psectrocladius sordidellus group and Corynoneura scutellata) and Tanytarsini (Paratanytarsus sp.). Central sediments also favoured high abundances of collector-gatherers, burrowers and drought resistant forms with passive dispersal, whereas Ranunculus spp. hosted mainly scrapers, shredders, swimmers+divers and active dispersal forms without any resistant stages to desiccation. Juncus plants were mostly colonized by collector-filterers and by organisms capable of both active dispersal and surviving desiccation. Littoral sediments and algae showed similar functional organization and intermediate features between central sediments and submerged macrophyte beds. All these results demonstrate that microhabitat characteristics play a crucial role in selecting macroinvertebrate taxa according to their environmental requirement, feeding mechanism, movement and resistance to drought. Moreover, our study confirms the role of submerged and emergent vegetation in maintaining high biodiversity and suggests that all microhabitats should be considered to provide both an exhaustive collection of species for pond management and conservation and basic insights into the functioning of pond communities.     

On the response of a turbulent coastal buoyant current to wind events: the case of the Western Adriatic Current

This numerical study focuses on the response of the Western Adriatic Current to wind forcing. The turbulent buoyant surface current is induced by the Po river outflow in the Adriatic Sea. Idealized and realistic wind conditions are considered by retaining the complex geomorphology of the middle Adriatic basin. In the absence of wind, the Adriatic Promontories force the current to separate from the coast and induce instabilities. Persistent 7-m s^− 1 downwelling favorable northwesterly winds thicken and narrow the current. Instabilities whose size is ~10 km develop but ultimately vanish, since there is not enough across-shore space to grow. On the contrary, 7-m s^− 1 upwelling favorable southeasterly winds thin and widen the current, and instabilities can grow to form mesoscale (~35 km) features. When realistic winds are considered, the same trends are observed, but the state of the sea set up by previous wind events also plays a crucial role. The turbulent regimes set up by different winds affect mixing and the WAC meridional transport. With downwelling winds, the transport is generally southward and mixing happens mostly between the fresher (S ≤ 38) salinity classes. With upwelling winds, the transport decreases and changes sign, and mixing mainly involves saltier (S > 38) waters. In all cases, mixing is enhanced when a finer 0.5-km horizontal resolution is employed.     

Algorithms for automatic,real-time tsunami detection in wind–wave measurements Part I: Implementation strategies and basic tests

Several, although not all, wind–wave gages are equipped with sensors capable of detecting sea-level oscillations within the tsunami frequency band. The present paper looks at the algorithms to be implemented in the software of these gages in order to automatically perform the real-time detection of a possible tsunami within recorded signals. In particular, a new algorithm is proposed and tested. The first part of the paper concentrates on the algorithms' characteristics, implementation strategies and basic testing. First of all, the situations in which wind–wave measurements are either essential, or useful for real-time tsunami detection are discussed. In the second place, already existing algorithms are recalled, specifying their characteristics and fields of application. Then, the characteristics of the new proposed algorithm – mainly based on an infinite impulse response, time domain filter – are illustrated and analyzed. Performance and efficiency of the considered algorithms are compared using synthetic time series. The second part of the paper discusses the algorithms' use in the framework of Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS), testing them in actual cases.     

Bader’s topological analysis of the electron density in the pressure-induced phase transitions/amorphization in α-quartz from the catastrophe theory viewpoint

In this work, the Bader’s topological analysis of the electron density, coupled with Thom’s catastrophe theory, was used to characterize the pressure-induced transformations in α-quartz. In particular, ab initio calculations of the α-quartz structures in the range 0–105 Gpa have been performed at the HF/DFT exchange–correlation terms level, using Hamiltonians based on a WC1LYP hybrid scheme. The electron densities calculated throughout the ab initio wave functions have been analysed by means of the Bader’s theory, seeking for some catastrophic mechanism in the sense of Thom’s theory. The analysis mainly showed that there is a typical fold catastrophe feature involving an O–O interaction at the quartz–coesite transition pressure, while the amorphization of α-quartz is coincident with an average distribution of the gradient field of the electron density around the oxygen atom which is typically observed in the free atoms. This approach is addressed to depict a phase transition from a novel viewpoint, particularly useful in predicting the stability of a compound at extreme conditions, especially in the absence of experimental data.     

Isotope geochemistry of Paleoproterozoic metacarbonates from Itatuba,Borborema Province,Northeastern Brazil: Evidence of marble melting within a collisional suture

Strongly-deformed marbles may be easily confused with linear and elongated carbonatite intrusions. Both rocks may present similar texture and foliation to the host rock, or even cross cutting field relationships, which could be interpreted either as igneous or high-grade metamorphosed marble. Diagnostic criteria are even more complex when there is evidence of melting of the metasedimentary carbonate rock, such as has been described in the Himalayas and in the Eastern Ghats, India.In the Alto Moxotó Terrane, a high-grade gneissic domain of the Borborema Province, Northeastern Brazil, there are metacarbonates associated with banded gneisses and different metaplutonic rocks. Field evidence indicates the absence of other metasedimentary rocks associated with these marbles, thus suggesting that these carbonates were separated from other siliciclastic metasedimentary rocks. The presence of marble also suggests that it may represent the initial stage of a crustal carbon recycling into the mantle. These marbles present many field similarities to carbonatites (e.g., fluid-flow structure) and, together with metagranites and metamafic intrusions, may represent a major collisional tectonic suture.A detailed study of the carbon, oxygen and strontium isotopic composition of these marbles is presented. This study aims to identify the origin of the different isotopic components. It is argued that these rocks were subjected to temperature and pressure conditions that were sufficiently high to have melted them. The isotopic data presented here support this interpretation and indicate the mixing of two components: (i) one characterized by radiogenic Sr isotopes and mantle-like carbon isotopes, which is associated with the gneissic and mafic rocks, and (ii) another characterized by low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios and highly positive δ¹³C values. Available geochemical data for the upper Paleoproterozoic indicate that the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of ocean water, varying between 0.7050 (2.25 ± 0.25 Ga) and 0.7047 (1.91 Ga), falls within the lower range of the samples from Itatuba and thus reinforces the interpretation that these marbles are sedimentary-derived and were partially contaminated by interaction with the host gneissic and mafic rocks.