Sulla genesi dei microsismi

Riassunto In base alle registrazioni sismiche ed a quelle del moto ondoso marino raccolte a Genova dal l^o Marzo 1953 al 31 Maggio 1954 si dimostra dapprima che una forte agitazione locale dello stato del mare causa quasi sempre una corrispondente forte attività microsismica, illustrando il fenomeno e proponendo una spiegazione delle poche eccezioni trovate: questa vien data in funzione dell'ubicazione dei nodi e dei ventri che la parte di crosta terrestre posta in vibrazione presenta a seconda del modo di eccitazione e della posizione del centro eccitatore. L'analisi degli altri casi di microsismi, che costituiscono la grande maggioranza, ha portato alla conclusione che sostanzialmente essi sono tutti provocati dall'azione diretta del vento — in generale con la forte sua turbolenza che si ha al passaggio di perturbazioni meteorologiche — a seguito dell'eccitazione che la pressione dinamica oscillante del vento stesso determina sulla superficie del suolo ed in particolare sulle falde delle montagne.

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Summary From the seismic and sea-waves recordings carried out in Genoa during the period March lst 1953-May 31st 1954 it is first proved that nearly always a great agitation of the sea provokes a corresponding great microseismic activity. The analysis of the other more numerous cases of microseisms has demonstrated that they are all generated by the direct action of the wind on the ground surface, as a consequence of the wind-turbulence, action being particularly marked on the sides of mountains. Further it is also demonstrated that the Alps and the Appennines round Genoa are acting as a microseismic barrier.

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La parte principale di questa relazione venne presentata da uno di noi (M. B.) alla X Assemblea Generale dell'U.G.G.I. (Associazione Internaz. di Sismologia) che ebbe luogo a Roma nel Settembre 1954. Varie cause hanno ritardato la pubblicazione per esteso della relazione, già parzialmente sunteggiata nei Comptes Rendus N. 11 (1955, p. 128) di detta Associazione.     

Sulle correnti costiere nel Golfo di Genova

Riassunto Dapprima vengono illustrate le condizioni generali che influiscono sul regime delle correnti costiere del Mar Ligure. Quindi, in base ad osservazioni di vario tipo, compiute in estate e nell'autunno, si deducono vari risultati ed in particolare che: 1) la massima stabilità della corrente meridionale costiera si ha in Luglio; 2) in generale nell'estate la stessa corrente costiera meridionale, pervenendo nell'interno del Golfo di Genova, si estingue nello stesso, senza proseguire verso SW; 3) presso il vertice del Golfo il senso della circolazione costiera è dipendente dalle variazioni della pressione atmosferica, le correnti generate da tali variazioni interessando anche profondità dell'ordine di 100 m almeno; 4) in occasione del passaggio di depressioni sul Golfo le acque superiori subiscono un sensibile temporaneo riscaldamento.

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Summary First the general conditions determining the coastal currents in the Ligurian Sea are discussed. From observations of different type made by us during summer and autumn, some results are derived, the most important ones being these: 1) the greatest stability of the meridional coastal current occurs in July; 2) during the summer, the same current, having arrived in the Gulf of Genova, is practically extinguished in its vertex, without being turned towards SW; 3) near the vertex of the Gulf, the coastal circulation depends on the variations of the atmospheric pressure and the currents generated in this manner extend to depths until nearly 100 m at least; 4) when the Gulf is subject to a barometric depression, the upper water-strata undergo a noticeable temporary heating.

     

Seven landslide dams of old seismic origin in southeastern Sicily (Italy)

This paper focuses on origin, morphology and evolution of seven landslide dams in southeastern Sicily. These landforms are part of a set of 146 landslides recently recognised in this area, which was hitherto considered to have little or no slope instability. Southeastern Sicily consists of a plateau (the Hyblaean Mountains) incised by canyons and surrounded by lower lands. It is underlain mostly by subhorizontal, moderately to well-lithified carbonate rocks. Relief is low.Several lines of evidence justify the assumption of a seismic trigger for the landslides in this area: (1) the geo-climatic environment is not favourable to landsliding, (2) low-angle basal shear surfaces are very frequent, (3) landslide distribution is consistent with the known magnitude–distance relationships for earthquake-induced landslides, (4) historical documents testify to earthquake-triggered slope instability and (5) a specific landslide can be exactly dated.The phenomena illustrated here include six rock slides (one with a debris-flow component) and one rock fall. Slip surfaces are mostly non-circular. Landslide volume ranges from about 50×10³ to 34×10⁶ m³.With reference to the Costa and Schuster [Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 100 (1988) 1054] classification of landslide dams, five cases belong to type II (spanning the entire valley), and two to type IV (failures from both valley sides, with frontal or side contact between failed masses). With reference to Crozier and Pillans [Catena 18 (1991) 471] classification of landslide lakes, all cases show a main valley lake while tributary valley, back and supra lakes are sporadically present. One damming is attributable to the 1693 earthquake with certainty; another damming, to the same earthquake with high probability. Three dams were reincised, one breached or reincised, one is slightly reincised and two more or less intact; correspondingly, five silting up deposits were reincised, one is being reincised at present and two are still under formation.     

Cyclostratigraphy and high-frequency carbon isotope fluctuations in Upper Cretaceous shallow-water carbonates, southern Italy

Abstract A detailed carbon isotope study has been carried out on a Santonian (Upper Cretaceous) carbonate platform succession that crops out at Monte Sant'Erasmo (southern Italy). Previous centimetre‐scale studies on this succession have shown that high‐frequency eustatic changes, resulting from the Earth's orbital fluctuations, controlled the hierarchical organization of the depositional and early diagenetic features in elementary cycles, bundles (groups of three to five elementary cycles) and superbundles (groups of three or four bundles). The elementary cycles, which correspond to single beds, suggest a control caused by Earth's precession; the bundles and superbundles record the short (≈ 100 kyr) and long (≈ 400 kyr) eccentricity periodicity respectively. The δ¹³C signal of the Monte Sant'Erasmo succession is cyclic in nature and may be considered to be a reliable proxy for the sedimentary evolution (and related sea‐level history) of the analysed sequence. The carbon isotope cyclicity is recorded at bundle and superbundle level, but it is not evident at the scale of the elementary cycles, at least with the sampling interval used in this study. Spectral analysis of the δ¹³C record shows two main peaks corresponding to the short‐ and long‐eccentricity periodicity, whereas the precession signal is not evident in the power spectrum. In addition, lithofacies analysis shows that, in each bundle (and superbundle), higher C isotope values occur in sediments characterized by marine cements, whereas lower values are normally found in more restricted deposits overprinted by early meteoric diagenesis. Early diagenesis, driven by periodic sea‐level fluctuations, developed in either shallow‐subtidal (marine diagenesis) or subaerial‐exposed (meteoric overprint) sedimentary environments and directly influenced the carbon isotope signature. As a consequence, the δ¹³C record at Monte Sant'Erasmo reflects high‐frequency climatic oscillations controlling both environmental and early diagenetic changes. The long‐term isotopic record is similar to that of contemporaneous pelagic sections in England and elsewhere in Italy. It is concluded that the δ¹³C signature of shallow‐water carbonates, such as those of Monte Sant'Erasmo, offers great potential for correlation with coeval sections, including those of the pelagic realm.     

A non-parametric bivariate entropy estimator for spatial processes

In this paper, entropy is presented as an alternative measure to characterize the bivariate distribution of a stationary spatial process. This non-parametric estimator attempts to quantify the concept of spatial ordering, and it provides a measure of how Gaussian the experimental bivariate distribution is. The concept of entropy is explained and the classical definition presented, along with some important results. In particular, the reader is reminded that, for a known mean and covariance, the bivariate Gaussian distribution maximizes entropy. A relative entropy estimator is introduced in order to measure departure of an experimental bivariate distribution from the bivariate Gaussian. Two case studies are presented as examples.     

HPHT reservoir evolution: a case study from Jade and Judy fields, Central Graben, UK North Sea

3D basin modelling of a study area in Quadrant 30, UK North Sea was performed in order to elucidate the burial, thermal, pressure and hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation history in the Jurassic and Triassic high pressure–high temperature sequences. Calibration data, including reservoir temperatures, pressures, petroleum compositional data, vitrinite reflectance profiles and published fluid inclusion data were used to constrain model predictions. The comparison of different pressure generating processes indicated that only when gas generation is taken into account as a pressure generating mechanism, both the predicted present day as well as palaeo-pressure evolution matches the available calibration data. Compositional modelling of hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation also reproduced present and palaeo bulk fluid properties such as the reservoir fluid gas to oil ratios. The reconstruction of the filling histories of both reservoirs indicates that both were first charged around 100 Ma ago and contained initially a two-phase system in which gas dominated volumetrically. Upon burial reservoir fluid composition evolved to higher GORs and became undersaturated as a function of increasing pore pressure up to the present day situation. Our results indicate that gas compositions must be taken into account when calculating the volumetric effect of gas generation on overpressure.     

On the uniformity of anthropogenic Venice uplift

A programme of Venice uplift because of seawater injection into a 600–800 m deep brackish aquifer underlying the lagoon has recently been advanced. As the actual spatial variability of the hydro‐geological parameters is to a large extent unknown, a controversial issue concerns the 25–30 cm heave prediction with the possible generation of differential displacements that might jeopardize the integrity of the architectural patrimony. It is shown that significant differential displacements have occurred in Venice in the past and are still presently occurring as evidenced by SAR interferometry. The results of a stochastic analysis addressing the variability of the hydraulic conductivity of the injected formation indicate that even a highly uneven aquifer expansion does not migrate to ground surface because of the smoothing effect exerted by the overburden. The predicted differential displacements are well below the values Venice is experiencing. Any a priori alarmism appears to be unfounded and unjustified.     

Mercury transport in response to storm events from a northern forest landscape

Concentrations and fluxes of mercury (Hg) species in surface waters of forested watersheds are affected by hydrological events. The mechanisms of Hg transport during these events are poorly understood and yet may influence Hg bioavailability and exposure to aquatic biota. Three storm events with varying magnitude and intensity were investigated (June, September and November 2005) at a forested watershed in the Adirondack region of New York State, USA. Concentrations of Hg species increased during these events, both above and downstream of wetlands in the watershed. While Hg flux was higher from wetland drainage, the Hg flux from the upland site exhibited a greater relative increase to elevated runoff. Hg flux was controlled by discharge; however, Hg species concentrations were not well correlated with discharge, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), or total suspended solids (TSS) through the duration of events. A counter‐clockwise hysteresis response of DOC with increasing runoff contrasted with the clockwise response for total Hg, suggesting different contributions from source areas for these solutes. Correspondence with elevated total K and NO₃^? (α < 0·05) during the rising limb of the hydrograph suggests rapid delivery of throughfall Hg, potentially enhanced by hillslope hollows, to the stream channel. As the watershed saturated, stream Hg appears to be derived from the soil Hg pool. Results suggest that particulate Hg did not contribute substantially to total Hg flux during events (<25%). These results emphasize the role of watershed attributes and storm characteristics in Hg transport and bioavailability. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nonlinear SEM numerical analyses of dry dense sand specimens under rapid and dynamic loading

The paper mainly concerns the mechanical response of 2D dry dense sand specimens under shock loading. The problem is numerically analysed by means of a SEM dynamic code, within which an already conceived non‐local viscoplastic constitutive model characterized by a non‐associated flow rule and by an anisotropic strain hardening has been implemented. In particular the strain localization and time dependency of the material mechanical response are taken into consideration. Both rapid/static loading and dynamic histories are numerically simulated. In the first case, the time dependency of the material mechanical response can be captured by neglecting inertial effects, while in the second one the two factors are superimposed and the propagation of the stress waves within the specimen is discussed. The interest of these analyses derives from the fact that the diffusion phenomenon takes place within a specimen already localized. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.