Using a maximum simplicity paleoclimate model to simulate millennial variability during the last four glacial periods

Many studies have documented the existence of millennial-scale variability in the Earth system during the last glacial period. An increasing number of studies document the occurrence of similar millennial variability during glacial periods previous to the last one. Here we use the simplest possible thermal-bipolar seesaw model to consider this variability for the last four glacial periods. We invert this model and use the high-pass filtered Vostok stable isotope records to make a first, tentative, attempt to estimate high-latitude N. Hemisphere temperature variability over the last four glacial periods, beyond the reach of Greenland ice-core records. The model result is compared against the Vostok methane record, which shows rapid variations in parallel to Greenland temperature records during the last glacial period. A further comparison is carried out against the planktonic oxygen isotope of north Atlantic core ODP 980. There is agreement between the records on the existence of similar millennial-scale variability during the last three glacial periods with very similar characteristics to the variability during the last glacial cycle.     

Continuous in situ measurements of volcanic gases with a diode-laser-based spectrometer: CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O concentration and soil degassing at Vulcano (Aeolian islands: Italy)

We report on a continuous-measurement campaign carried out in Vulcano (Aeolian islands, Sicily), devoted to the simultaneous monitoring of CO₂ and H₂O concentrations. The measurements were performed with an absorption spectrometer based on a semiconductor laser source emitting around a 2-μm wavelength. The emitted radiation was selectively absorbed by two molecular ro-vibrational transitions specific of the investigated species. Data for CO₂ and H₂O concentrations, and CO₂ soil diffusive flux using an accumulation chamber configuration, were collected at several interesting sampling points on the island (Porto Levante beach- PLB, Fossa Grande Crater – FOG- and Valley of Palizzi, PAL). CO₂/H₂O values, measured on the ground, are very similar (around 0.019 (± 0.006)) and comparable to the previous discrete detected values of 0.213 (Fumarole F5-La Fossa crater rim) and 0.012 (Fumarole VFS – Baia Levante beach) obtaid during the 1977–1993 heating phase of the crater fumaroles.     

Wetland Plant Diversity in a Coastal Nature Reserve in Italy: Relationships with Salinization and Eutrophication and Implications for Nature Conservation

Wetlands are important centers of biodiversity. Coastal wetlands are subject to anthropogenic threats that can lead to biodiversity loss and consequent negative effects on nature conservation. We investigated relationships between wetland vegetation and habitat conditions in a coastal Nature Reserve in Northern Italy that has undergone seawater intrusion and eutrophication for several decades. The wetland vegetation in the Nature Reserve consisted of nine communities of hygrophytic and helophytic vegetation and five communities of waterplant vegetation. The hygrophytic and helophytic communities were arranged according to a salinity gradient, from salt-free habitats to strongly saline habitats. The saline habitats had high nutrient levels, due to the influx of nitrate-rich saltwater from an adjacent lagoon. The waterplant communities were all typical of freshwater habitats. Water-table depth and concentration of dissolved nutrients in the water were the main factors structuring waterplant vegetation. The main driver of future changes in the wetland vegetation of the Nature Reserve is the ongoing increase in salinity levels which may enhance expansion of halophilic species and communities, thus outcompeting locally rare freshwater species. If nutrient, especially nitrate, load further increases in the next future, this may exert negative effects on wetland species and communities preferring nutrient-poor habitats.     

Shear and dilatational wave velocities for unsaturated soils

The primary objective of this study is for presenting some simple-to-use expressions relating the shear and dilatational wave velocities (V_S and V_P) to some physical and constitutive parameters of unsaturated soils. To this purpose, a simplified formulation is developed using the theory of linear poroelasticity in conjunction with some constitutive parameters widely used in geotechnical engineering. The derived expressions are of practical interest in view of the fact that they could be employed for evaluating the involved soil parameters from V_S and V_P measurements by in-situ or laboratory geophysical tests.     

Multi‐temporal transport network models for accessibility studies

Vehicle tracking is a spatio‐temporal source of high‐granularity travel time information that can be used for transportation planning. However, it is still a challenge to combine data from heterogeneous sources into a dynamic transport network, while allowing for network modifications over time. This article uses conceptual modeling to develop multi‐temporal transport networks in geographic information systems (GIS) for accessibility studies. The proposed multi‐temporal network enables accessibility studies with different temporal granularities and from any location inside the city, resulting in a flexible tool for transport and urban planning. The implemented network is tested in two case studies that focus on socially excluded people in a large global city, São Paulo, Brazil, including accessibility analyses from slum areas. It explores variations within a day and differences between transport modes across time. Case study results indicate how the accessibility is heterogeneous in low‐income regions.     

Long-range dependence in the runoff time series of the most important Patagonian river draining to the Pacific Ocean

The Baker River is the largest free-flowing river in Chilean Patagonia. Long-range dependence (LRD), a recognised hydrological property of river runoff worldwide, was detected for the Baker River runoff time series. Analyses were conducted on a monthly scale between 1961 and 2015 using the fractal and multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis methodology. A long-range-dependent Hurst coefficient (H) equal to 0.94 was obtained. A scaling range, which is the signature of LRD, was detected for the Baker River runoff time series between 1 and 5.25 years. Baker River runoff showed a strong correlation (r?=?0.96) with the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) Index during the 2007–2015 period. The high storage capacity of Lake General Carrera, the size of the Baker River basin area and the dynamics of AAO are proposed as main factors that contribute to the emergence of LRD in the Baker River runoff time series.     

Boundary-Layer Stress Instabilities in Neutral,Rotating Turbulent Flows

Boundary-layer instabilities are studied by analyzing the results of laboratory simulations of wall turbulence in a shear-driven rotating flow. The experiments were carried out in the Turin University Laboratory rotating water tank, where a circular flow was generated by either increasing (spin-up) or decreasing (spin-down) the rotation speed of the platform. The flow was measured using a Particle Image Velocimetry technique and the developed turbulence analyzed. Two cases were accounted for, in the former the measurements were performed over a smooth surface (bottom of the tank), while in the latter a rough-to-smooth transition was considered. The turbulent boundary layer developed inside the tank is analyzed by means of vertical profiles of mean and turbulent quantities and on the basis of drag coefficients. Then turbulent structures developed in the different cases are shown and discussed in terms of the vorticity fields. Finally, an analysis based on the concept of swirling strength was carried out to select among the vortex extremes those associated with a coherent structure.     

How old is Luzia? Luminescence dating and stratigraphic integrity at Lapa Vermelha,Lagoa Santa,Brazil

During an excavation in the 1970s, a disarticulated female human skeleton, later nicknamed Luzia, was discovered at 12m depth at Lapa Vermelha rockshelter in central Brazil. Radiocarbon dating of associated charcoal suggested an age of 11.4‐16.4 ka for the skeleton. The scattering of the skeletal parts, some uncertainty about the exact provenience of the skeleton, and evidence of pervasive insect turbation in the archaeological layers have raised doubts about the accuracy of the age. Luminescence dates for the depositional ages of the sediments at Lapa Vermelha are reported here. Single‐grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of quartz along with grain‐size, chemical and micro‐morphological analyses of the sediments were employed to assess stratigraphic integrity, particularly the degree of sediment mixing. These various lines of evidence point to high stratigraphic integrity with little mixing at Lapa Vermelha. Sediments closest to where Luzia was recovered give OSL ages ranging from 12.7 to 16.0 ka, thus not refuting the original dates. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Late Pleistocene depositional cycles of the Lapis Tiburtinus travertine (Tivoli, Central Italy): Possible influence of climate and fault activity

The depositional and erosional history of the Lapis Tiburtinus endogenic travertine located circa 25 km to the east of Rome, Central Italy, near the Colli Albani quiescent volcano, is interpreted through three-dimensional stratigraphy and uranium-series geochronology. Analyses of large exposures located in active quarries and of cores obtained from 114 industrial wells reveal that the travertine deposit is about 20 km² wide and 60 m thick on average. The travertine thickness is over 85 m toward its western N–S-elongated side, where thermal springs and large sinkholes occur aligned over a seismically-active N-striking fault. The travertine age was calculated using the U/Th isochron method. Results constrain the onset and conclusion of travertine deposition at about 115 and 30 ka, respectively. The three-dimensional study of the travertine shows that this deposit is characterized by a succession of depositional benches grown in an aggradational fashion. The benches are separated by five main erosional surfaces, which are associated with paleosols, conglomerates, and karstic features. This evidence shows that the travertine evolution was mostly controlled by water table fluctuations. Chronological correlations between travertine evolution and paleoclimate indicators suggest that the travertine deposition was partly modulated by climate conditions. Other influencing factors may have been fault-related deformation and volcanic events.     

Dealing with uncertainties in angles-only initial orbit determination

A method to deal with uncertainties in initial orbit determination (IOD) is presented. This is based on the use of Taylor differential algebra (DA) to nonlinearly map uncertainties from the observation space to the state space. When a minimum set of observations is available, DA is used to expand the solution of the IOD problem in Taylor series with respect to measurement errors. When more observations are available, high order inversion tools are exploited to obtain full state pseudo-observations at a common epoch. The mean and covariance of these pseudo-observations are nonlinearly computed by evaluating the expectation of high order Taylor polynomials. Finally, a linear scheme is employed to update the current knowledge of the orbit. Angles-only observations are considered and simplified Keplerian dynamics adopted to ease the explanation. Three test cases of orbit determination of artificial satellites in different orbital regimes are presented to discuss the feature and performances of the proposed methodology.