Seasonal temperatures over Italy and their relationship with low-frequency atmospheric circulation patterns

An analysis of Italian seasonal temperatures from 1961 to 2006 was carried out, using homogenized data from 49 synoptic stations well distributed throughout Italy. The results show remarkable differences among seasons. Stationarity characterizes winter series, except for Northern Italy (where a warming trend from 1961 is identified); a positive trend over the entire period is recognized for spring series. Summer series are marked by a negative trend until 1981 and by a positive trend afterwards; finally, autumn series show a warming starting from 1970. The relationship between seasonal temperatures and four teleconnection patterns (North Atlantic Oscillation, East Atlantic Pattern, Scandinavian Pattern and Arctic Oscillation) influencing European climate was investigated through Spearman rank correlation and composites. Among the results, the strong linear correlation with the East Atlantic Pattern in all seasons but autumn is remarkable; moreover, the explained variance varies between 31.9% and 50.4% (leaving out autumn). Besides these four atmospheric patterns the role of other factors (e.g. soil moisture) is not dealt with, but their importance and the need for more investigation is pointed out.     

Radially accelerated optimal feedback orbits in central gravity field with linear drag

The solution of a feedback optimal control problem arising in orbital mechanics is addressed in this paper. The dynamics is that of a massless body moving in a central gravitational force field subject also to a drag and a radial modulated force. The drag is linearly proportional to the velocity and inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the center of attraction. The problem is tackled by exploiting the properties of a suitably devised linearizing map that transforms the nonlinear dynamics into an inhomogeneous linear system of differential equations supplemented by a quadratic objective function. The generating function method is then applied to this new system, and the solution is back transformed in the old variables. The proposed technique, in contrast to the classical optimal control problem, allows us to derive analytic closed-loop solutions without solving any two-point boundary value problem. Applications are discussed.     

Another Record: Ocean Warming Continues through 2021 despite La Ni?a Conditions

The increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from human activities traps heat within the climate system and increases ocean heat content (O...     

New gravity maps of the Eastern Alps and significance for the crustal structures

The deep seismic profile Transalp crosses, from north to south, Germany, Austria and Italy. The gravity measurements for each country were made by national agencies with different reference systems and data reduction methods. Within the frame of the Transalp-project a comprehensive database of the Eastern Alps was compiled covering an area of 3.5° by 4° in longitude and latitude (275 by 445 km), respectively. To increase the data coverage in the south Alpine area two gravity surveys were carried out, resulting in 469 areally distributed new stations, of which 215 have been measured with the intent to improve the geoid in the area of the planned Brenner Basistunnel (BBT). The resulting gravity database is the best in terms of resolution and data quality presently available for the Eastern Alps. Here the free air, Bouguer and isostatic gravity fields are critically discussed. The spatial density of existing gravity stations in the three countries is discussed. On the Italian side of the Alps the spatial density is rather sparse compared to the Austrian side. The Bouguer-gravity field varies between − 190 * 10^− 5 m/s² and + 25 * 10^− 5 m/s², with the minimum located along the Alpine high topographic chain, but with a small offset (a few tens of km) to the greatest topographic elevation, showing that the Airy-type local isostatic equilibrium does not fully apply here. The maximum of the Bouguer anomaly has an elongated shape of 100 by 50 km located between the towns of Verona and Vicenza and covers the Venetian Tertiary Volcanic Province (VTVP), a feature not directly related to the plate collision in the Eastern Alps. The gravity high is only partly explainable by high-density magmatic rocks and requires also a deeper source, like a shallowing of the Moho. The isostatic residual anomalies (Airy model) are in the range ± 50 * 10^− 5 m/s², with the greatest positive anomaly corresponding to the location of the VTVP, indicating here under-compensation of masses. At last a discussion of a 2D density model based on reflection seismic data and receiver functions is made.     

Release of toxic elements from rocks and mine wastes at the Furtei gold mine (Sardinia, Italy)

The Furtei gold mine in Sardinia (Italy) exploits a volcanic-hosted high-sulphidation epithermal deposit. Large amounts of materials derived from exploitation are present in open pits, waste rock dumps and cyanidation tailings impoundment. Mineralized rocks in outcrops and waste dumps contain significant amounts of sulphides (mainly pyrite and enargite). These materials have a high potential for acid drainage generation and release of toxic elements (notably Cu and As, but also Al, Ni, Co and Cd) as pointed out by laboratory leaching tests and in agreement with chemical composition of waters draining the mining area, that show pH as low as 2, up to 180 mg/L Cu, up to 5 mg/L As, and up to 788 mg/L Al. On the other hand, leaching solutions and waters interacting with mineral assemblages of the propylitic alteration zone (mainly composed of chlorite, quartz, and calcite, with relic magmatic plagioclase) show higher pH, and lower metal loads. Leachates from cyanidation tailings show variable pH (between 6.2 and 9.7, depending on sulphide content in tailings); cyanide concentration varies between 110 µg/L and about 3 mg/L, whereas contents of toxic elements in leachates are, with the exception of Hg, within the limits of Italian regulations for non-dangerous industrial wastes. Reclamation plans provide for confinement of tailings within specific repositories. This measure should effectively reduce the environmental impact of these materials. Reclamation plans should also include an adequate management of other high-sulphide wastes.     

A computationally efficient method for delineating irregularly shaped spatial clusters

In this paper, we present an efficiency improvement for the algorithm called AMOEBA, A Multidirectional Optimum Ecotope-Based Algorithm, devised by Aldstadt and Getis (Geogr Anal 38(4):327?C343, 2006). AMOEBA embeds a local spatial autocorrelation statistic in an iterative procedure in order to identify spatial clusters (ecotopes) of related spatial units. We provide an analysis of the computational complexity of the original AMOEBA and develop an alternative formulation that reduces computational time without losing optimality. Empirical evidence is provided using georeferenced socio-demographic data in Accra, Ghana.     

华北板块东南缘五河杂岩的麻粒岩相变质、部分熔融与交代作用

华北板块东南缘五河杂岩属于前寒武纪变质基底,出露于蚌埠及相邻地区,主要由变质的镁铁质和长英质火成岩以及表壳岩系组成,并伴生有古元古代片麻状花岗岩和中生代花岗岩类,构成了"蚌埠隆起"。五河杂岩中主要有石榴斜长角闪岩/榴闪岩、石榴麻粒岩、异剥钙榴岩、石榴斜长角闪片麻岩、花岗片麻岩、云母片岩、大理岩和变质砂岩等岩石类型。这些不同类型的变质岩具有类似的峰期变质矿物,如石榴子石、单斜辉石、斜长石、金红石和石英等;结合其锆石U-Pb年龄,表明它们共同经历了古元古代高压麻粒岩相变质作用。石榴斜长角闪岩的石榴子石包体中存在钾长石+斜长石+石英+黑云母等矿物交生体,指示早期花岗质熔体的存在,证明五河杂岩在古元代变质过程中发生了部分熔融作用。此外,部分变基性岩中存在方解石、绿帘石和绿泥石等蚀变矿物,沿石榴子石的裂隙中分布有钾长石+斜长石+石英+黑云母+角闪石等矿物,表明它们经历了含碳酸盐的熔/流体交代作用以及绿帘石化和绿泥石化作用等。遭受过古元古代含碳酸盐的熔/流体交代作用的变基性岩表现为高放射成因Pb同位素组成,而未遭受含碳酸盐的熔/流体交代作用的变基性岩则表现为典型华北板块前寒武纪麻粒岩地体和下地壳包体岩石的低放射成因Pb同位素组成。