The amino acid and hydrocarbon contents of the Paris meteorite: Insights into the most primitive CM chondrite

The Paris meteorite is one of the most primitive carbonaceous chondrites. It is reported to be the least aqueously altered CM chondrite, and to have experienced only weak thermal metamorphism. We have analyzed for the first time the amino acid and hydrocarbon contents of this pristine meteorite by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). When plotting the relative amino acids abundances of several CM chondrites according to the increasing hydrothermal scale (petrologic subtypes), from the CM2.7/2.8 Paris to the CM2.0 MET 01070, Paris has the lowest relative abundance of β‐alanine/glycine (0.15), which fits with the relative abundances of β‐alanine/glycine increasing with increasing aqueous alteration for CM chondrites. These results confirm the influence of aqueous alteration on the amino acid abundances and distribution. The amino acid analysis shows that the isovaline detected in this meteorite is racemic (d /l  = 0.99 ± 0.08; l ‐enantiomer excess = 0.35 ± 0.5%; corrected d /l  = 1.03; corrected l ‐enantiomer excess = ?1.4 ± 2.6%). The identified hydrocarbons show that Paris has n‐alkanes ranging from C₁₆ to C₂₅ and 3‐ to 5‐ring nonalkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The lack of alkylated PAHs in Paris seems to be also related to this low degree of aqueous alteration on its parent body. The extraterrestrial hydrocarbon content, suggested by the absence of any biomarker, may well have a presolar origin. The chemistry of the Paris meteorite may thus be closely related to the early stages of the solar nebula with a contribution from interstellar (molecular cloud) precursors.     

A Model to Test the Internal Structure of the G31.41+0.31 Hot Molecular Core

We investigate the physical conditions of the material around massive protostars by modelling the so-called hot molecular cores. We present a model for the spectral energy distribution (SED) as well as the ammonia line emission of the G31.41+0.31 hot core. We find that the best fit to the SED is achieved by assuming a density distribution corresponding to the collapse of a magnetized logatropic sphere. On the other hand, the line emission is reproduced by adopting a gas phase ammonia abundance increasing towards the center of the core, as a result of the release of the ammonia molecules trapped in ice grain mantles.     

Known and unknown earthquakes through some European periodicals of the eighteenth century

Since the eighteenth century, pioneer seismologists have used information from the periodical press to compile their lists of European earthquakes. A systematic reading of three eighteenth century periodicals –Gaceta de Madrid (1701–1750), Gazeta de Lisboa (1715–1751) and Mercure de France (1732–1763) – has been carried out in the frame of the EC project ‘Review of Historical Seismicity in Europe (RHISE)’. The retrieval of earthquake records provides data on European and Mediterranean earthquakes. Sources and records are here analysed to verify their reliability and to understand the significance of the earthquake information they supply. Special attention has been paid to earthquakes that affected Italian territory, by means of a comparison between records and space-time, intensity parameters of the Italian seismic catalogue: this comparison shows that about 45% of the earthquakes mentioned by the periodicals are unknown in the Italian catalogue, and that 30% of them are damaging earthquakes.     

The shocked gas distribution around CepA: the H2S and SO2 picture

The preliminary results from a multiline mm-wave survey of H₂S and SO₂ emission towards the Cepheus A star forming region are presented. Large scale maps (? 5'×4') and high-resolution line profiles which clearly indicate the occurrence of multiple H₂S and SO₂ outflows are reported. In particular, a 0.6 pc long outflow flowing towards South from the CepA-East position has been discovered. In addition, besides the well known regions CepA-East and CepA-West other four clumps of shocked gas have been detected. These clumps exhibit distinct H₂S/SO₂ ratios, suggesting different chemical compositions for different regions and show that in Cepheus A the mass loss has strongly modified the chemistry of the quiescent gas.     

Digitization and Scientific Exploitation of the Italian and Vatican Astronomical Plate Archives

There is a widespread interest to digitize the precious information contained in the astronomical plate archives, both for the preservation of their content and for its fast distribution to all interested researchers in order to achieve their better scientific exploitation. This paper presents the first results of our large-scale project to digitize the archive of plates of the Italian Astronomical Observatories and of the Specola Vaticana. Similar systems, composed by commercial flat-bed retro-illuminated scanners plus dedicated personal computers and acquisition and analysis software, have been installed in all participating Institutes. Ad-hoc codes have been developed to acquire the data, to test the suitability of the machines to our scientific needs, and to reduce the digital data in order to extract the astrometric, photometric and spectroscopic content. Two more elements complete the overall project: the provision of high quality BVRI CCD sequences in selected fields with the Campo Imperatore telescopes, and the distribution of the digitized information to all interested researchers via the Web. The methods we have derived in the course of this project have been already applied successfully to plates taken by other Observatories, for instance at Byurakan and at Hamburg.     

Changes in cloudiness over the Amazon rainforests during the last two decades: diagnostic and potential causes

This study shows a decrease of seasonal mean convection, cloudiness and an increase of surface shortwave down-welling radiation during 1984?C2007 over the Amazon rainforests based on the analysis of satellite-retrieved clouds and surface radiative flux data. These changes are consistent with an increase in surface temperature, increased atmospheric stability, and reduction of moisture transport to the Amazon based on in situ surface and upper air meteorological data and reanalysis data. These changes appear to link to the expansion of the western Pacific warm pool during the December?CFebruary season, to the positive phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and increase of SST over the eastern Pacific SST during the March?CMay season, and to an increase of the tropical Atlantic meridional SST gradient and an expansion of the western Pacific warm pool during September?CNovember season. The resultant increase of surface solar radiation during all but the dry season in the Amazon could contribute to the observed increases in rainforest growth during recent decades.     

Lanslide hydrogeological susceptibility of Maierato (Vibo Valentia, Southern Italy)

A large landslide occurred at Maierato (Vibo Valencia District), Southern Italy, on 15 February 2010, when rapid failure was produced after several days of preliminary movements. The landslide can be classified as a rotational slide with flowing of the mass. It occurred within a larger deep-seated gravitational movement area and was preconditioned for failure by the intrinsic geological weakness of the area. Actually, the in situ survey showed the presence of several ancient movement surfaces all around the urban area. The landslide-triggering factor was the increase in the groundwater flow, consequent to a period of heavy and prolonged rainfall. The aim of the paper is to explain the mechanism of occurrence of the February 2010 composite landslide, in order to assess the landslide hydrogeological susceptibility in the whole urban area of Maierato. For this reason, the present paper deals with: (1) identification of the landslide mechanism and triggering factors (2) slope stability back-analysis using a finite-difference-based shear strength reduction method, and (3) 3D groundwater flow modelling extended to the whole urban area both in pre- and post-failure conditions. The results show that the February 2010 composite landslide was triggered by a water table increase of about 15 m uphill the landslide scarp. This hydrogeological condition could be reached after the period of heavy and prolonged rainfall preceding the landslide event. Finally, based on the groundwater modelling in post-failure condition, a landslide hydrogeological susceptibility map was drawn for the all urban area of Maierato, showing the presence of extended areas exposed to hazard.     

The Lower Miocene volcaniclastic sedimentation in the Sicilian sector of the Maghrebian Flysch Basin: geodynamic implications

Abstract

Volcaniclastic debris-rich formations, characterising the Troina-Tusa Unit in the Sicilian Maghrebian Chain, are examined. The Troina-Tusa Unit terrains sedimented in the Maghrebian Flysch Basin, which, from Jurassic to Early Miocene, constituted the southernmost branch of the Western Tethys, located between Africa and the Mesomediterranean Terrane margins. New field, biostratigraphic and pétrographie data enable a reconstruction of the palaeogeographic and structural evolution of the Flysch Basin immediately before its deformation. All the studied formations transpired to be Burdigalian in age. The sandstone compositions, showing different source areas (magmatic arc, recycled orogen and continental block), indicate a provenance for the clastic material from a crystalline basement with an active volcanic arc, replaced by a remnant volcanic arc, which was rapidly completely eroded. The source area that has been considered is Sardinia, where Upper Oligocene -Aquitanian calc-alkaline volcanites are widespread, but the sedimentological characteristics and the Burdigalian age do not fit with this provenance. The Burdigalian calc-alkaline arc should be located on the internal side of the Troina-Tusa Basin, above the already stacked Peloritanian units. A migration of the volcanic activity, connected with the subduction plain roll-back, can be envisaged from the Sardinia Block to the Peloritanian Chain, this latter still docked to the Sardinia-Corsica massif. © 2002 Editions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.     

Coupling of a regional atmospheric model (RegCM3) and a regional oceanic model (FVCOM) over the maritime continent

Climatological high resolution coupled climate model simulations for the maritime continent have been carried out using the regional climate model (RegCM) version 3 and the finite volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM) specifically designed to resolve regions characterized by complex geometry and bathymetry. The RegCM3 boundary forcing is provided by the EMCWF-ERA40 re-analysis. FVCOM is embedded in the Global MITgcm which provides boundary forcing. The domain of the coupled regional model covers the entire South China Sea with its through-flow, the entire Indonesian archipelago with the Indonesian through-flow (ITF) and includes a large region in the western Pacific and eastern Indian oceans. The coupled model is able to provide stable and realistic climatological simulations for a specific decade of atmospheric–oceanic variables without flux correction. The major focus of this work is on oceanic properties. First, the coupled simulation is assessed against ocean-only simulations carried out under two different sets of air–sea heat fluxes. The first set, provided by the MITgcm, is proved to be grossly deficient as the heat fluxes are evaluated by a two-dimensional, zonally averaged atmosphere and the simulated SST have anomalous cold biases. Hence the MITgcm fluxes are discarded. The second set, the NCEP re-analysis heat fluxes, produces a climatological evolution of the SST with an average cold bias of ~?0.8 °C. The coupling eliminates the cold bias and the coupled SST evolution is in excellent agreement with the analogous evolution in the SODA re-analysis data. The detailed comparison of oceanic circulation properties with the International Nusantara Stratification and Transport observations shows that the coupled simulation produces the best estimate of the total ITF transport through the Makassar strait while the transports of three ocean-only simulations are all underestimated. The annual cycle of the transport is also very well reproduced. The coupling also considerably improves the vertical thermal structure of the Makassar cross section in the upper layer affected by the heat fluxes. On the other hand, the coupling is relatively ineffective in improving the precipitation fields even though the coupled simulation captures reasonably well the precipitation annual cycle at three land stations in different latitudes.     

Diagnosis of physical and biological control over phytoplankton in the Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank region using an adjoint data assimilation approach

The linkage between physical and biological processes, particularly the effect of the circulation field on the distribution of phytoplankton, is studied by applying a two-dimensional model and an adjoint data assimilation approach to the Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank region. The model results, comparing well with observation data, reveal seasonal and geographic variations of phytoplankton concentration and verify that the seasonal cycles of phytoplankton are controlled by both biological sources and ad-vection processes which are functions of space and time and counterbalance each other. Although advective flux divergences have greater magnitudes on Georges Bank than in the coastal region of the western Gulf of Maine, advection control over phytoplankton concentration is more significant in the coastal region of the western Gulf of Maine. The model results also suggest that the two separated populations in the coastal regions of the western Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank are self-sustaining.