Mineralogy,geochemistry and petrogenesis of the Khopoli mafic intrusion,Deccan Traps,India

The Khopoli intrusion, exposed at the base of the Thakurvadi Formation of the Deccan Traps in the Western Ghats, India, is composed of olivine gabbro with 50–55 % modal olivine, 20–25 % plagioclase, 10–15 % clinopyroxene, 5–10 % low-Ca pyroxene, and <5 % Fe-Ti oxides. It represents a cumulate rock from which trapped interstitial liquid was almost completely expelled. The Khopoli olivine gabbros have high MgO (23.5–26.9 wt.%), Ni (733–883 ppm) and Cr (1,432–1,048 ppm), and low concentrations of incompatible elements including the rare earth elements (REE). The compositions of the most primitive cumulus olivine and clinopyroxene indicate that the parental magma of the Khopoli intrusion was an evolved basaltic melt (Mg# 49–58). Calculated parental melt compositions in equilibrium with clinopyroxene are moderately enriched in the light REE and show many similarities with Deccan tholeiitic basalts of the Bushe, Khandala and Thakurvadi Formations. Nd-Sr isotopic compositions of Khopoli olivine gabbros (εNd_t?=??9.0 to ?12.7; ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr?=?0.7088–0.7285) indicate crustal contamination. AFC modelling suggests that the Khopoli olivine gabbros were derived from a Thakurvadi or Khandala-like basaltic melt with variable degrees of crustal contamination. Unlike the commonly alkalic, pre- and post-volcanic intrusions known in the Deccan Traps, the Khopoli intrusion provides a window to the shallow subvolcanic architecture and magmatic processes associated with the main tholeiitic flood basalt sequence. Measured true density values of the Khopoli olivine gabbros are as high as 3.06 g/cm³, and such high-level olivine-rich intrusions in flood basalt provinces can also explain geophysical observations such as high gravity anomalies and high seismic velocity crustal horizons.     

The caranto paleosol and its role in the early urbanization of Venice

As rising sea level threatens Venice, there is a need to construct a historical framework for interpreting modern environmental changes. Environmental conditions that would later help support Venice's urbanization were established during the Late Glacial period when calcic soils began to develop in the Venetian alluvial paleoplain. A calcic paleosol, buried by Middle to Late Holocene marine transgressive deposits, represents a subsurface layer long known in the Venice area as “caranto.” Referenced in the ancient chronicles of architects and builders, the caranto exhibits relatively high compressive and shear strength, making it an important substrate for supporting building foundations, some dating back to the Gothic era (12th–15th centuries A.D.). Hence, the caranto paleosol documents local post‐glacial environmental changes while playing an important role in Venetian building construction and human settlement. Here we provide geochemical, sedimentological, paleoecological, and chronological analyses of the caranto paleosol and related deposits based on recent coring of the Venetian Lagoon. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Correlation of atmospheric occurences over the United States with some physical and chemical parameters. Part I: Frequences of thunderstorms

Summary A multiple regression analysis has been carried out to obtain some approximate insight into conditions which might favour the occurence of thunderstorms, in terms of certain parameters measured on the ground. It is thought that annual thunderstorm frequencies may largely depend on local temperature parameters and deviations of precipitable water vapour from equilibrium values.Contribution of the «Centro Nucleazione Aerosoli» of the National Research Council of Italy, Via Vettore 4 (Monte Sacro),Roma.     

A method to reconstruct flood scenarios using field interviews and hydrodynamic modelling: application to the 2017 Suleja and Tafa,Nigeria flood

Natural Hazards - The scarcity of model input and calibration data has limited efforts in reconstructing scenarios of past floods in many regions globally. Recently, the number of studies that use...     

Water-table and discharge changes associated with the 2016–2017 seismic sequence in central Italy: hydrogeological data and a conceptual model for fractured carbonate aquifers

A seismic sequence in central Italy from August 2016 to January 2017 affected groundwater dynamics in fractured carbonate aquifers. Changes in spring discharge, water-table position, and streamflow were recorded for several months following nine Mw 5.0–6.5 seismic events. Data from 22 measurement sites, located within 100 km of the epicentral zones, were analyzed. The intensity of the induced changes were correlated with seismic magnitude and distance to epicenters. The additional post-seismic discharge from rivers and springs was found to be higher than 9 m³/s, totaling more than 0.1 km³ of groundwater release over 6 months. This huge and unexpected contribution increased streamflow in narrow mountainous valleys to previously unmeasured peak values. Analogously to the L’Aquila 2009 post-earthquake phenomenon, these hydrogeological changes might reflect an increase of bulk hydraulic conductivity at the aquifer scale, which would increase hydraulic heads in the discharge zones and lower them in some recharge areas. The observed changes may also be partly due to other mechanisms, such as shaking and/or squeezing effects related to intense subsidence in the core of the affected area, where effects had maximum extent, or breaching of hydraulic barriers.

     

Hydrogeological and geochemical characterisation of the Rock of Orvieto

The town of Orvieto, located on the Rock of the same name, is an example of “vulnerable town”; problems of slope instability connected with the lithological and morphological characteristics of the Rock have been thoroughly examined and discussed during previous research studies. Hydrogeochemical data about groundwater recharging the springs present in the area were never taken into account. Pollution of the springs is well known but still occurs for unclear reasons. The aim of this work is therefore to present the results of a hydrogeological and geochemical investigation of all the springs along the slopes of Orvieto hill and at the foot of the tuffaceous Rock, to characterize the groundwater flow paths and to suggest a possible source of contamination. The research study was carried out during three hydrogeochemical surveys in the years 1998–1999, 2003–2004, and 2007–2008.     

Impacts of Realistic Urban Heating. Part II: Air Quality and City Breathability

Urban morphology and inter-building shadowing result in a non-uniform distribution of surface heating in urban areas, which can significantly modify the urban flow and thermal field. In Part I, we found that in an idealized three-dimensional urban array, the spatial distribution of the thermal field is correlated with the orientation of surface heating with respect to the wind direction (i.e. leeward or windward heating), while the dispersion field changes more strongly with the vertical temperature gradient in the street canyon. Here, we evaluate these results more closely and translate them into metrics of “city breathability,” with large-eddy simulations coupled with an urban energy-balance model employed for this purpose. First, we quantify breathability by, (i) calculating the pollutant concentration at the pedestrian level (horizontal plane at \(z\approx 1.5\)–2 m) and averaged over the canopy, and (ii) examining the air exchange rate at the horizontal and vertical ventilating faces of the canyon, such that the in-canopy pollutant advection is distinguished from the vertical removal of pollution. Next, we quantify the change in breathability metrics as a function of previously defined buoyancy parameters, horizontal and vertical Richardson numbers (\(Ri_\text {h}\) and \(Ri_\text {v}\), respectively), which characterize realistic surface heating. We find that, unlike the analysis of airflow and thermal fields, consideration of the realistic heating distribution is not crucial in the analysis of city breathability, as the pollutant concentration is mainly correlated with the vertical temperature gradient (\(Ri_\text {v}\)) as opposed to the horizontal (\(Ri_\text {h}\)) or bulk (\(Ri_\text {b}\)) thermal forcing. Additionally, we observe that, due to the formation of the primary vortex, the air exchange rate at the roof level (the horizontal ventilating faces of the building canyon) is dominated by the mean flow. Lastly, since \(Ri_\text {h}\) and \(Ri_\text {v}\) depend on the meteorological factors (ambient air temperature, wind speed, and wind direction) as well as urban design parameters (such as surface albedo), we propose a methodology for mapping overall outdoor ventilation and city breathability using this characterization method. This methodology helps identify the effects of design on urban microclimate, and ultimately informs urban designers and architects of the impact of their design on air quality, human health, and comfort.