A Free Boundary Problem Related to the Location of Volcanic Gas Sources

A mathematical model of general gas emitting systems is derived, and a sample of relevant mathematical results is offered. The present paper indicates that shallow subsurface gas sources in typical volcanic areas can be located if appropriate physico-chemical measurements are made on the Earths surface and put to use.     

Coastal Impacts of the March 11th Tohoku, Japan Tsunami in the Galapagos Islands

On March 11, 2011 at 5:46:23 UTC (March 10 11:46:23 PM Galapagos Local Time), the M_w 9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake occurred near the Tohoku region off the east coast of Japan, spawning a Pacific-wide tsunami. Approximately 12,000 km away, the Galapagos Islands experienced moderate tsunami impacts, including flooding, structural damage, and strong currents. In this paper, we present observations and measurements of the tsunami effects in the Galapagos, focusing on the four largest islands in the archipelago; (from west to east) Isabela, Santiagio, Santa Cruz, and San Cristobal. Access to the tsunami affected areas was one of the largest challenges of the field survey. Aside from approximately ten sandy beaches open to tourists, all other shoreline locations are restricted to anyone without a research permit; open cooperation with the Galapagos National Park provided the survey team complete access to the Islands coastlines. Survey locations were guided by numerical simulations of the tsunami performed prior to the field work. This numerical guidance accurately predicted the regions of highest impact, as well as regions of relatively low impact. Tide-corrected maximum tsunami heights were generally in the range of 3–4 m with the highest runup of 6 m measured in a small pocket beach on Isla Isabela. Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island, the largest harbor in the Galapagos experienced significant flooding and damage to structures located at the shoreline. A current meter moored inside the harbor recorded relatively weak tsunami currents of less than 0.3 m/s (0.6 knot) during the event. Comparisons with detailed numerical simulations suggest that these low current speed observations are most likely the result of data averaging at 20-min intervals and that maximum instantaneous current speeds were considerably larger. Currents in the Canal de Itabaca, a natural waterway between Santa Cruz Island and a smaller island offshore, were strong enough to displace multiple 5.5-ton navigation buoys. Numerical simulations indicate that currents in the Canal de Itabaca exceeded 4 m/s (~8 knots), a very large flow speed for a navigational waterway.     

Identification of lateral discontinuities via multi‐offset phase analysis of surface wave data

Surface wave methods are based on the inversion of observed Rayleigh wave phase‐velocity dispersion curves. The goal is to estimate mainly the shear‐wave velocity profile of the investigated site. The model used for the interpretation is 1D, hence results obtained wherever lateral variations are present cannot be considered reliable. In this paper, we study four synthetic models, all with a lateral heterogeneity. When we process the entire corresponding seismograms with traditional f‐k approach, the resulting 1D profiles are representative of the subsurface properties averaged over the whole length of the receivers lines. These results show that classical analysis disregards evidences of sharp lateral velocity changes even when they show up in the raw seismograms. In our research, we implement and test over the same synthetic models, a novel robust automated method to check the appropriateness of 1D model assumption and locate the discontinuities. This new approach is a development of the recent multi‐offset phase analysis with the following further advantages: it does not need previous noise evaluation and more than one shot. Only once the discontinuities are clearly identified, we confidently perform classical f‐k dispersion curve extraction and inversion separately on both sides of the discontinuity. Thus the final results, obtained by putting side by side the 1D profiles, are correct 2D reconstructions of the discontinuous S‐wave distributions obtained without any additional ad‐hoc hypotheses.     

Field measurements of intertidal bar evolution on a high‐energy beach system

Nearshore bars play a pivotal role in coastal behaviour, helping to protect and restore beach systems particularly in post‐storm conditions. Examination of bar behaviour under various forcing conditions is important to help understand the short‐ to medium‐term evolution of sandy beach systems. This study carried out over a nine‐week period examines, the behaviour of three intertidal bars along a high energy sandy beach system in northwest Ireland using high‐frequency topographic surveys and detailed nearshore hydrodynamic modelling. Results show that, in general, there was onshore migration for all the bars during the study period, despite the variability observed between bars, which was driven mostly by wave dominated processes. Under the prevailing conditions migration rates of up to 1.83 m day^?1 and as low as 0.07 m day^?1 were observed. During higher wave energy events the migration rates of the bars decelerated in their onshore route, however, under lower wave energy conditions, they quickly accelerated maintaining their shoreward migration direction. Tidal influence appears to be subordinate in these conditions, being restricted to moderating the localized wave energy at low tides and in maintaining runnel configurations providing accommodation space for advancing slip faces. The study highlights the intricate behavioural patterns of intertidal bar behaviour along a high energy sandy coastline and provides new insights into the relative importance of wave and tidal forcing on bar behaviour over a relatively short time period. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new percoid fish from the Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy: Hendrixella grandei gen. & sp. nov.

A new genus and species of percoid fish, Hendrixella grandei gen. & sp. nov. is described from the upper Ypresian limestone of Monte Bolca, Italy. It is based on four well-preserved specimens that show an elongate and slender body and a unique combination of features, including possession of 11 + 13 vertebrae, two series of intermuscular bones, fused haemal spine of third preural centrum, caudal fin with 17 principal rays and 11 upper and eight lower procurrent rays, predorsal formula 0/0/1 + 1/1/, two separated dorsal fins with rayless pterygiophore in-between, and a single supernumerary spine in both dorsal and anal fins. Due to this unique combination of features, Hendrixella cannot be placed within any existing fossil or extant percoid families and it is placed incertae sedis in the Percoidei. The possession of two series of intermuscular bones represents an unambiguous autapomorphy of Hendrixella. A comparative analysis of the distribution of intermusculars among percomorph fishes indicates that the intermuscular bones of the upper series can be homologized with the epineurals and those of the lower series are the homologs of the epicentrals of non-acanthomorphs.     

Life history of Cornularia cornucopiae (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) on the Conero Promontory (North Adriatic Sea)

The life cycle of the stoloniferan Cornularia cornucopiae (Pallas, 1766) (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) was studied from March 2009 to October 2010 on the rocky cliff of the Conero Promontory (North Adriatic Sea, 43°34.865′ N, 13°34.320′ E). In this area the species showed unusual high densities never recorded in other sites of the Mediterranean Sea. The density trend of the species showed a marked seasonal cycle, with a winter minimum of about 1000 polyps m^?2 and a summer maximum of about 30,000 polyps m^?2. In accordance with other Mediterranean literature data, polyps were fertile during spring–summer, from March to August, but the number of eggs per polyp continuously decreased during this span of time. Variations of polyp density were strongly correlated to water temperature, which can be considered the main environmental factor triggering this seasonal behaviour. The possibility, for C. cornucopiae, to face adverse winter conditions is probably related to the presence of a characteristic perisarcal envelope covering the stolon and the calyx of each polyp, which isolates the living tissues from the exterior. During winter, polyps degenerate but the stolons remain dormant inside their envelopes. The perisarc covering represents a morphological convergence of C. cornucopiae with benthic hydrozoans. As the latter, the studied stoloniferans are able to live in habitats characterized by periodic favourable conditions thanks to a seasonal life strategy. A similar trend is shared also by other important components (cnidarians and some sponges) of the filter‐feeding community of the North Adriatic Sea. Differently to the Western Mediterranean basin, this area is characterized by high food availability all year around, so benthic organisms are strongly constrained by the very low winter temperatures.     

Ricerche eseguite nelle cave di calcare di Monte Rombolo per rintracciare fori di sonda

Riassunto Vengono esposti i criteri seguiti per determinare con metodi acustici e magnetometrici la direzione dei fori di sonda quando si presenta la necessità di ricercarli ad un determinato livello e quando si teme che le indicazioni topografiche non siano sufficienti alla loro determinazione causa la deviazione frequente che questi fori hanno dalla verticale.

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Zusammenfassung Man erörtet die Verfahren die verfolgt würden um mit akustischen und magnetometrischen Messungen die Richtung der Rohrlöcher zu bestimmen, wenn die Notwendigkeit besteht ein Bohrloch in einer bestimmten Sole zu erforschern und wenn die topographischen Hinweise nicht genügend zu ihrer Bestimmung sind, infolge der häufigen eintretenden Abweichungen dieser Bohrlöcher von der Vertikale.

     

Influence of subaqueous processes on the construction and accumulation of an aeolian sand sheet

In aeolian sand sheets the interaction between aeolian and subaqueous processes is considered one of the principal factors that controls this depositional environment. To examine the role played by the subaqueous processes on the construction and accumulation of sand sheets, surface deposits and subsurface sedimentary sections of a currently active aeolian sand sheet, located in the Upper Tulum Valley (Argentina), have been examined. On the sand sheet surface, airflows enable the construction of nabkhas, wind‐rippled mantles (flattened accumulations of sand forming wind ripples), megaripples, and small transverse dunes. Subaqueous deposits consist of sandy current ripples covered by muddy laminae. The latter are generated by annual widespread but low‐energy floods that emanate from the nearby mountains in the aftermath of episodes of heavy precipitations. Deposits of subaqueous origin constitute 5% of the accumulated sand sheet thickness. The construction of the sand sheet is controlled by meteorological seasonal changes: the source area, the San Juan river alluvial fan, receives sediment by thaw‐waters in spring–summer; in fall–winter, when the water table lowers in the alluvial fan, the sediment is available for aeolian transport and construction of the sand sheet area. The flood events play an important role in enabling sand sheet accumulation: the muddy laminae serve to protect the underlying deposits from aeolian winnowing. Incipient cement of gypsum on the sand and vegetation cover acts as an additional stabilizing agent that promotes accumulation. Episodic and alternating events of erosion and sedimentation are considered the main reason for the absence of soils and palaeosols. Results from this study have enabled the development of a generic model with which to account for: (i) the influence of contemporaneous subaqueous processes on the construction and accumulation in recent and ancient sand sheets; and (ii) the absence of developed soils in this unstable topographic surface. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.