Chemical Evolution of Galaxies and Nature of High Redshift Objects

We review the methodology adopted in computing chemical evolution models of galaxies of different morphological type (ellipticals, spirals and irregulars). We discuss the importance of the history of star formation in different galaxies in order to interpret the observed abundances. In particular, we discuss the time-delay model which allows us to interpret the observed abundance patterns in galaxies as due to the different contributions of supernovae II and Ia. We show that the time-delay model applied to galaxies of different morphological type predicts different [X/Fe] versus [Fe/H] relations in different galaxies. As a consequence of this, these relations can be used to infer the nature and to date high redshift objects. Finally, we show our predictions for the cosmic star formation rate.     

Modelling the nonlinear static response of a 2-storey URM benchmark case study: comparison among different modelling strategies using two- and three-dimensional elements

Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering - This paper aims at comparing the use of different software environments for the study of a simple unreinforced masonry building through nonlinear static...     

A multidisciplinary investigation of deep-seated landslide reactivation triggered by an extreme rainfall event: a case study of the Monesi di Mendatica landslide,Ligurian Alps

Landslides - In November 2016, an extreme rainfall event affected the Ligurian Alps (NW Italy). Consequently, several landslides and debris flows occurred in the upper Tanarello stream basin. In...     

Dry granular masses impacting on rigid obstacles: numerical analysis and theoretical modelling

Acta Geotechnica - The assessment of the time evolution of the impact force exerted by dry flowing masses on rigid obstacles is mandatory for the dynamic design of sheltering structures and the...     

Variations in multiscale curvature distribution and signatures of LiDAR DTM errors

The development of high resolution LiDAR digital terrain models (DTMs) has enabled the exploration of the statistical signature of morphology on curvature distributions. This work analyzes Minimum Curvature distributions to identify the statistical signature of two types of LiDAR‐DTM errors (outliers and striping artifacts) in the derived estimates, rather than morphology itself. The analysis shows the importance of modeling these errors correctly, in relation to the scale of analysis and DTM resolution, in order to have reliable curvature estimates. Nine DTMs of different morphological areas are considered, and grouped into a training dataset (without errors) and a test dataset (with errors). In the training dataset, the original DTMs are considered as true values; errors are then applied to these data. Minimum Curvature is computed at multiple scales from each DTM: changes in curvature distributions due only to morphology and scale are characterized from the original data; error effects are then identified from the datasets with simulated errors, and validated against the test dataset. The analysis shows that outliers and striping artifacts can be realistically simulated by heavily left tailed distributions. For DTMs without errors, the scale‐dependent change in curvature distribution is primarily controlled by real morphology. When DTMs include errors, curvature distributions become controlled by these errors, whose propagation depends on error distribution, error spatial correlation, and the scale of analysis. This study shows that the curvature distributions are impacted upon differently by striping artifacts and outliers, and that these are clearly distinguishable from the signal of morphological features: a scale‐dependent change in curvature distribution can therefore be interpreted as the signature of these specific errors, rather than morphology. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biogeochemical processes involving dissolved CO2 and CH4 at Albano, Averno, and Monticchio meromictic volcanic lakes (Central–Southern Italy)

This paper focuses on the chemical and isotopic features of dissolved gases (CH₄ and CO₂) from four meromictic lakes hosted in volcanic systems of Central–Southern Italy: Lake Albano (Alban Hills), Lake Averno (Phlegrean Fields), and Monticchio Grande and Piccolo lakes (Mt. Vulture). Deep waters in these lakes are characterized by the presence of a significant reservoir of extra-atmospheric dissolved gases mainly consisting of CH₄ and CO₂. The δ¹³C-CH₄ and δD-CH₄ values of dissolved gas samples from the maximum depths of the investigated lakes (from ?66.8 to ?55.6?‰ V-PDB and from ?279 to ?195?‰ V-SMOW, respectively) suggest that CH₄ is mainly produced by microbial activity. The δ¹³C-CO₂ values of Lake Grande, Lake Piccolo, and Lake Albano (ranging from ?5.8 to ?0.4?‰ V-PDB) indicate a significant CO₂ contribution from sublacustrine vents originating from (1) mantle degassing and (2) thermometamorphic reactions involving limestone, i.e., the same CO₂ source feeding the regional thermal and cold CO₂-rich fluid emissions. In contrast, the relatively low δ¹³C-CO₂ values (from ?13.4 to ?8.2?‰ V-PDB) of Lake Averno indicate a prevalent organic CO₂. Chemical and isotopic compositions of dissolved CO₂ and CH₄ at different depths are mainly depending on (1) CO₂ inputs from external sources (hydrothermal and/or anthropogenic); (2) CO₂–CH₄ isotopic exchange; and (3) methanogenic and methanotrophic activity. In the epilimnion, vertical water mixing, free oxygen availability, and photosynthesis cause the dramatic decrease of both CO₂ and CH₄ concentrations. In the hypolimnion, where the δ¹³C-CO₂ values progressively increase with depth and the δ¹³C-CH₄ values show an opposite trend, biogenic CO₂ production from CH₄ using different electron donor species, such as sulfate, tend to counteract the methanogenesis process whose efficiency achieves its climax at the water–bottom sediment interface. Theoretical values, calculated on the basis of δ¹³C-CO₂ values, and measured δ¹³C_TDIC values are not consistent, indicating that CO₂ and the main carbon-bearing ion species (HCO₃ ^?) are not in isotopic equilibrium, likely due to the fast kinetics of biochemical processes involving both CO₂ and CH₄. This study demonstrates that the vertical patterns of the CO₂/CH₄ ratio and of δ¹³C-CO₂ and δ¹³C-CH₄ are to be regarded as promising tools to detect perturbations, related to different causes, such as changes in the CO₂ input from sublacustrine springs, that may affect aerobic and anaerobic layers of meromictic volcanic lakes.     

Plan‐form evolution of ancient meandering rivers reconstructed from longitudinal outcrop sections

The mode of channel‐bend transformation (i.e. expansion, translation, rotation or a combination thereof) has a direct bearing on the dimensions, shape, bedding architecture and connectivity of point‐bar sandstone bodies within a fluvial meander belt, but is generally difficult to recognize in vertical outcrops. This study demonstrates how the bend transformation mode and relative rate of channel‐floor aggradation can be deciphered from longitudinal outcrop sections aligned parallel to the meander‐belt axis, as a crucial methodological aid to the reconstruction of ancient fluvial systems and the development of outcrop analogue models for fluvial petroleum reservoirs. The study focuses on single‐storey and multi‐storey fluvial meander‐belt sandstone bodies in the Palaeogene piggyback Boyabat Basin of north‐central Turkey. The sandstone bodies are several hundred metres wide, 5 to 40 m thick and encased in muddy floodplain deposits. The individual channel‐belt storeys are 5 to 9 m thick and their transverse sections show lateral‐accretion bed packages representing point bars. Point bars in longitudinal sections are recognizable as broad mounds whose parts with downstream‐inclined, subhorizontal and upstream‐inclined bedding represent, respectively, the bar downstream, central and upstream parts. The inter‐bar channel thalweg is recognizable as the transition zone between adjacent point‐bar bedsets with opposing dip directions into or out of the outcrop section. The diverging or converging adjacent thalweg trajectories, or a trajectory migrating in up‐valley direction, indicate point‐bar broadening and hence channel‐bend expansion. A concurrent down‐valley migration of adjacent trajectories indicates channel‐bend translation. Bend rotation is recognizable from the replacement of a depositional riffle by an erosional pool zone or vice versa along the thalweg trajectory. The steepness of the thalweg trajectory reflects the relative rate of channel‐floor aggradation. This study discusses further how the late‐stage foreland tectonics, with its alternating pulses of uplift and subsidence and a progressive narrowing of the basin, has forced aggradation of fluvial channels and caused vertical stacking of meander belts.     

Time-course evaluation of ROS-mediated toxicity in mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, during a field translocation experiment

Harbours can be considered as model environments for developing and validating field monitoring procedures and to investigate mechanistic relationships between different biological responses. In this study several biomarkers were investigated in marine mussels caged for 4 weeks (June–July 2001) into an industrialized harbour of NW Italy. Organisms were collected at different time-intervals to better characterize the sensitivity, temporal variations and interactions of analysed responses. Besides single antioxidants the total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) assay was used to analyse the capability of the whole antioxidant system to neutralize specific forms of radicals: these data were further integrated by measurement of DNA integrity, oxidized bases and the impairment of lysosomal membrane stability in haemocytes. Results showed a biphasic trend for single antioxidants and TOSC, with an increase during the first 2 weeks of exposure to the polluted site followed by a progressive decrease up to a severe depletion in the final part of the experiment.     

Rhythms of feeding activity and food consumption of two Mediterranean burrowing fishes: Gnathophis mystax (Delaroche) and Chlopsis bicolor Rafinesque

Data on the food consumption, feeding activity and periodicity of two burrowing fish, the congrid eel Gnathophis mystax (Delaroche, 1809) and the false moray Chlopsis bicolor Rafinesque, 1810 are presented. In all, 455 specimens were collected by bottom trawl in the central Mediterranean Sea at depths ranging from 140 to 160 m during four 24‐h day–night sampling cycles. The diet of G. mystax and C. bicolor was investigated by means of stomach content analysis. Diet varied significantly with length and maturity stage. During ontogenetic development G. mystax occupied different trophic levels: diet shifted from amphipods, predominantly in the smaller congrid eels [<25 cm total length (TL)] to fish in the larger individuals (>30 cm TL). Before the transition to the icthyophagous phase, the congrid eel showed a more generalistic foraging behaviour where decapods (Solenocera membranacea, Parapenaeus longirostris, Alpheus glaber), cephalopods (Sepiola spp. and Alloteuthis media), benthic (Gobiidae, Callionymus maculatus, Arnoglossus laterna) and benthopelagic fish (Argentina sphyraena) dominated the diet. Smaller C. bicolor (<25 cm TL) fed primarily on amphipods and cephalopods; bigger specimens fed also on decapods both natantian (A. glaber, Processa canaliculata) and reptantian (Medorippe lanata, Goneplax rhomboides). Daily ration values, computed from the Eggers method, ranged from 2.48% to 2.99% wet body weight for C. bicolor and G. mystax, respectively. Diel patterns in stomach fullness and the trophic niche overlap between the two species were also discussed.     

Characterization of the atmosphere above a site for millimeter wave astronomy

The Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) is a challeging scientific project managed by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), it is being developed at 30 km North of the city of Cagliari, Italy. The goal of the SRT project is to build a general purpose, fully steerable, 64 m diameter radio telescope, capable of operating with high efficiency in the centimeter and millimeter frequency range (0.3–100 GHz). In portions of this frequency range, especially towards the high end, astronomical observations can be heavily deteriorated by non-optimal atmospheric conditions, especially by water vapor content. The water molecule permanent electric dipole in fact, leads to pressure broadened rotational transitions around the 22.23 GHz spectral line. Furthermore, water vapor’s continuum absorption and emission may influence higher frequency observations too. To a lower degree, cloud liquid black body radiation can also affect centimeter and millimeter observations. In addition to this, inhomogeneities in water vapor distributions can cause signal phase errors which introduce a great amount of uncertainty to VLBI mode observations. The Astronomical Observatory of Cagliari (OA-CA) has obtained historical timeseries of radiosonde profiles conducted at the airport of Cagliari. Through the radiosonde measurements and an appropriate radiative transfer model, we have performed a statistical analysis of the SRT site’s atmosphere which accounts for atmospheric opacity at different frequencies, integrated water vapor (IWV), integrated liquid water (ILW) and cloud cover distributions during the year. This will help to investigate in which period of the year astronomical observations at different frequencies should be performed preferably. The results show that, at the SRT site, K-band astronomical observations are possible all year round, the median opacity at 22.23 GHz is 0.10 Np in the winter (Dec-Jan-Feb) and 0.16 Np in the summer (Jun-Jul-Aug). Integrated water vapor during winter months ranges, on average, between 7 and 15 mm. Cloud cover is usually not present for more than 36% of the time during the year. The atmospheric opacity study indicates that observations at higher frequencies (50–100 GHz) may be performed usefully: the median opacity at 100 GHz is usually below or equal to 0.2 Np in the period that ranges from January to April.