Petrographic, REE, fluid inclusion and stable isotope study of magnesite from the Upper Triassic Burano Evaporites (Secchia Valley, northern Apennines): contributions from sedimentary, hydrothermal and metasomatic sources

Sparry and microcrystalline magnesite are minor constituents of the Upper Triassic Burano Evaporite Formation of the northern Apennines in Italy. Petrography and geochemistry of magnesite suggest three modes of formation. (1) Evaporitic precipitation of stratified microcrystalline magnesite layers associated with sulfate and carbonate rocks. Most REE are below ICP-MS detection limits. '¹⁸O is +20.2‰ (SMOW) and '¹³C is -2.6‰ (PDB). (2) Hydrothermal infill of Fe-rich (9.78 wt% FeO) lenticular sparry magnesite. This type of magnesite is characterized by very low LREE concentrations, whereas HREEs are relatively high. The fluid inclusion composition is NaCl-MgCl₂-H₂O, salinity is ~30 wt% NaCl equiv., and total homogenization temperatures range from 204-309 °C; '¹⁸O is +17.5‰ and '¹³C is +1‰. (3) The partial or total replacement of dolostones by lenticular sparry magnesite. LREEs are lower in magnesite compared with the partly replaced dolostones. Magnesite yields '¹⁸O and '¹³C compositions of +17.3 to +23.6‰ and +0.5 to +1.4‰, respectively, whereas the partly replaced dolostones yield '¹⁸O and '¹³C values of +25.0 to +26.2 and +1.3 to +1.9, respectively. Complete replacement of dolostones produced massive lenticular sparry magnesite rock containing ooids and axe-head anhydrite relicts; LREEs are depleted compared to unaffected dolostones; '¹⁸O and '¹³C compositions range from +16.4 to +18.4‰ and +0.4 to +0.9‰, respectively. These data and the association between fracture-filling and replacive magnesite suggests a metasomatic system induced by hydrothermal circulation of hot and saline Mg-rich fluids. These processes probably occurred in the Oligocene-Miocene, when the Burano Formation acted as main detachment horizon for the Tuscan Nappe during the greenschist facies metamorphism of the Apuane complex. Thrusting over the Apuane zone produced large scale fluid flow focused at the Tuscan Nappe front. Sources of Mg-rich fluids were metamorphic reactions in the Apuane complex and dissolution of Mg-salts at the thrust front. Considering a maximum tectonic burial depth of 10 km, as inferred from the geometry of the chain, the pressure-corrected temperature of magnesite precipitation (380 to 400 °C) and the calculated fluid composition ('¹⁸O=+13.3ǃ.2‰) are in the range of the published Apuane metamorphic temperatures (300-450 °C) and fluid compositions ('¹⁸O=7-16‰). The results of this study support the hydrothermal-metasomatic model for the formation of sparry magnesite deposits at the expense of dolostone units involved in thrusting and low-grade metamorphism, as proposed for the Northern Graywacke Zone (Alps) and the Eugui deposit (western Pyrenees).     

Application of biomarkers for assessing the biological impact of dredged materials in the Mediterranean: the relationship between antioxidant responses and susceptibility to oxidative stress in the red mullet (Mullus barbatus)

In the period 1997-2000, approximately 1,800,000 m3 of material dredged from the Port of Leghorn was discharged into a sea dumping site located 14 miles from the coast. The red mullet (Mullus barbatus) was used as a bioindicator species for monitoring the biological impact of these discharges on a geographical and temporal scale. Organisms were sampled over three years (1998-2000) at different stations and several biomarkers, both of exposure and effect, were analyzed. Bioavailability of specific classes of pollutants was evaluated by analyzing levels of metallothioneins, the activity of cytochrome P450 1A (CYPIA) and of glutathione S-transferases. Among biomarkers of effect, special attention was paid to the balance between prooxidant challenge and antioxidant defenses, and to the appearance of damage caused by oxidative stress. The analyses of the main components of the antioxidant system included superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidases, glutathione reductase, glyoxalase I and II, and total glutathione. These data were integrated with the measurement of total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) as an indication of the overall biological resistance to toxicity of different forms of oxyradicals (peroxyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite). Results indicated a biological impact in organisms sampled near the disposal site; the impact was particularly evident during 1999 and mainly related to organic chemicals such as PAH. Exposure to these pollutants also caused variations in the levels and activity of several antioxidants. The analysis of TOSC, however, revealed that the overall capacity of specific tissues of organisms to absorb various oxidants was not seriously compromised when challenged with increased prooxidant pressures. Variations of single antioxidants were useful in revealing early warning "biological responses", while integration with TOSC analyses indicated if such changes also reflect a more integrated and functional "biological effect" with possible consequences at the organisms level. The red mullet appears to be a useful sentinel species for a biomarker approach to monitoring impact caused by dredged materials.     

Unidata’s Common Data Model mapping to the ISO 19123 Data Model

Access to real-time distributed Earth and Space Science (ESS) information is essential for enabling critical Decision Support Systems (DSS). Thus, data model interoperability between the ESS and DSS communities is a decisive achievement for enabling cyber-infrastructure which aims to serve important societal benefit areas. The ESS community is characterized by a certain heterogeneity, as far as data models are concerned. Recent spatial data infrastructures implement international standards for the data model in order to achieve interoperability and extensibility. This paper presents well-accepted ESS data models, introducing a unified data model called the Common Data Model (CDM). CDM mapping into the corresponding elements of the international standard coverage data model of ISO 19123 is presented and discussed at the abstract level. The mapping of CDM scientific data types to the ISO coverage model is a first step toward interoperability of data systems. This mapping will provide the abstract framework that can be used to unify subsequent efforts to define appropriate conventions along with explicit agreed-upon encoding forms for each data type. As a valuable case in point, the content mapping rules for CDM grid data are discussed addressing a significant example.

Thermal modelling of the Larderello geothermal field (Tuscany,Italy)

We present a 3-D thermal model of the Larderello geothermal field (Tuscany) to evaluate (1) the extent and contribution of the heat transfer mechanisms (conduction vs. convection) at the intermediate-upper crust levels, (2) the variability of the heat and mass fluxes entering from below and (3) the crucial role of the formation permeability. The model, composed by three main layers, considers the upper 10 km of the crust to better constrain the simulations with experimental data from borehole, fluid inclusion studies and hypocentral distributions. Several sets of simulations were carried out with different bottom boundary temperatures and different formation permeabilities for the two deeper layers. The results indicate that the present temperature (T) and pressure distributions in the Larderello field require deep reservoir rocks with higher permeability than the overlying capping units and underlying intermediate crust. Permeability values of 1 mDarcy for the reservoir rocks are enough to allow fluid convection, if the temperature at 10 km depth is as high as 500 ± 50°C. The presence of localized zones with formation permeability 50–100 times higher than the surrounding rocks strongly favours the migration of over-pressurized fluids, which episodically break through the overburden, feeding the presently exploited geothermal fields.     

Inferences on the main volcano-tectonic structures at Mt. Etna (Sicily) from a probabilistic seismological approach

We analysed earthquakes at Mt. Etna for the period 1983–1991 using a method that weights uncertainties in hypocentral location. Three-dimensional distributions of hypocentral probability and energy density were studied, and two first-order volcano-tectonic structures identified. The first, on the northern and western sides, is roughly NE–SW oriented, and strongly marks the northernmost limit of earthquake occurrences in the volcano region; the second, NNW–SSE trending, affects the south-eastern flank of the volcano, and is evidence for an almost aseismic uprise of magma along it. Both structures fit well with the geodynamic framework of eastern Sicily. On the contrary, there is no evidence for a main magma chamber, as postulated in the literature.     

Assessment of tsunami hazard in the Italian seas

A method for the evaluation of tsunami potential in the seas surrounding Italy is presented. A major difficulty for performing reliable estimates of tsunami occurrence is that the existing tsunami catalog for Italy includes a small number of cases. This is due partly to the catalog incompleteness, strangely more pronounced in our century, and partly to the relative infrequency of tsunamis along the Italian seas. Evaluation of tsunami activity is therefore deduced by complementing the tsunami catalog data with data on seismicity that are by far more abundant and reliable. Analysis of seismicity and assessment of earthquake rate in coastal and submarine regions form the basis of the present method to perform tsunami potential estimates for Italy. One essential limitation of the method is that only tsunamis of seismic origin are taken into account, which leads to an underestimation of the tsunami potential. Since tsunamis generated by earthquakes are much more frequent than events produced by slumps or volcanic eruptions, the underestimation is not dramatic and very likely affects only a limited portion of the Italian coasts. In the present application of the method, eight separate regions have been considered that together cover all the coasts of Italy. In each region, seismicity has been independently examined and the earthquake potential has been calculated in small 20 × 20 cells. Then, on the basis of suitable assumptions, tsunami potential has been evaluated in each cell. According to this study, the Italian coasts that are the most exposed to the attacks of locally generated tsunamis are to be found in the Messina Straits, in Tyrrhenian coasts of Calabria, in the Ionian Sicilian coasts around Catania, and in the Gargano promontory in the Southern Adriatic Sea. Furthermore, this study confirms that the Northern Adriatic Sea has a low level of tsunami potential, in agreement with recent studies emphasizing that the large historical events concerning this region included in the first versions of the Italian tsunami catalog are largely overestimated and must be decreased.     

Two-stage fragmentation in a rotating protostellar cloud

We discuss the problem of fragmentation in a rotating cloud, showing that different physical models can result in widely different results. We also show that results of our turbulent-rotation model agree qualitatively with those of numerical calculations by Larson (1978a) and suggest that fragmentation in a rotating nebula takes place at two different stages.     

The PAH composition of surface sediments from Stagnone coastal lagoon, Marsala (Italy)

This paper examines the presence, distribution, nature and sources of 22 Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are important environmentally and toxicologically, in sediments from the Stagnone coastal lagoon at Marsala (Italy). Analysis was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with selected ion monitoring (SIM). The total concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ranged from 72 to 18381 μg/kg of dry matrix. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the replicates on the concentrations of individual compounds ranged from 5% to 20%. The accuracy of method was estimated by analyzing “blank” samples added of known quantities of analytes and the recover percentage was 88 ± 9%. The detection limit (LOD) of analytical procedure was less than 0.2 μg/kg d.w. for all analytes. The quantification limit (LOQ) of analytical procedure was less than 0.7 μg/kg d.w.The resulting distributions and weight ratios of specific compounds are discussed in terms of sampling location and origin of organic matter. A comparison with other studies of total PAHs suggests that the levels are within the concentration ranges already reported by other authors. From an eco-toxicological point of view, total PAH concentrations at seven out of the eight sites studied represent a relatively clean environment when compared to other sites.Organic matter content and PAH concentrations were found to be correlated and the compounds present in Stagnone sediments were shown to be mainly of pyrolitic origin, while a negligible quantity of PAHs may derive from biogenic sources since all the sediments contain perylene traces. There is no evidence of coal-tar contamination.Cluster analysis was carried out in order to discriminate between different PAH origins.     

Fatal landslides in Europe

Landslides are a major hazard causing human and large economic losses worldwide. However, the quantification of fatalities and casualties is highly underestimated and incomplete, thus, the estimation of landslide risk is rather ambitious. Hence, a spatio-temporal distribution of deadly landslides is presented for 27 European countries over the last 20  years (1995–2014). Catastrophic landslides are widely distributed throughout Europe, however, with a great concentration in mountainous areas. In the studied period, a total of 1370 deaths and 784 injuries were reported resulting from 476 landslides. Turkey showed the highest fatalities with 335. An increasing trend of fatal landslides is observed, with a pronounced number of fatalities in the latest period from 2008 to 2014. The latter are mostly triggered by natural extreme events such as storms (i.e., heavy rainfall), earthquakes, and floods and only minor by human activities, such as mining and excavation works. Average economic loss per year in Europe is approximately 4.7 billion Euros. This study serves as baseline information for further risk mapping by integrating deadly landslide locations, local land use data, and will therefore help countries to protect human lives and property.