Evolution of landscapes on the double mountain fork of the brazos river,West Texas: Implications for preservation and visibility of the archaeological record

The Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River is an ephemeral stream that flows across the western Rolling Plains of West Texas. Intensive pedestrian archaeological survey, covering some 8700 acres of the drainage, produced a site inventory with a general paucity of identifiable Paleoindian and Early to Middle Archaic components, whereas Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric sites were widespread and found in a diversity of landscape positions. Geoarchaeological investigations were conducted in conjunction with this survey and later testing activities, and suggested that much of this temporally and spatially skewed archaeological record may be attributable to the evolution of landscapes during the late Pleistocene and Holocene time period, rather than original occupation intensities. Most of the landscape in the study area has been subject to erosional stripping, but in selected localities late Pleistocene and Holocene depositional landform-sediment assemblages of fluvial, alluvial/colluvial fan, and eolian origin are preserved. With few exceptions, however, depositional contexts or stable geomorphic surfaces more than 3000 years old are erosionally truncated, completely absent, or deeply buried. As a result, a bias is imposed that renders older cultural records either poorly preserved or deeply buried and of low visibility to traditional survey techniques. Similar natural formation processes are likely at other locations on the western Rolling Plains, and should be considered during interpretation of prehistoric population dynamics in the area. The biases imposed by such natural formation processes on the western Rolling Plains are slightly different from other areas in the Southern Great Plains of the United States, but in most cases the known archaeological record corresponds with opportunities for preservation and visibility provided by geologic trajectories, and may reflect little on spatial and temporal discontinuities in prehistoric cultural activity.     

Assessing seasonal variations and aquifer vulnerability in coastal aquifers of semi-arid regions using a multi-tracer isotopic approach: the case of Grombalia (Tunisia)

The Grombalia aquifer (NE Tunisia) is an example of an important source of water supply for regional and national development, where the weak controls over abstraction, fertilizer application and waste disposal, coupled with limited knowledge of aquifer dynamics, is causing aquifer over-exploitation and water quality degradation. Assessing the key role of groundwater in water-resources security is therefore of paramount importance to support new actions to preserve water quality and quantity in the long-run. This study presents one of the first investigations targeted at a complete assessment of aquifer dynamics in the Grombalia aquifer. A multi-tracer hydrogeochemical and isotopic (δ²H, δ¹⁸O and ³H) approach was used to study the influence of seasonal variation on piezometric levels, chemical and isotopic compositions, and groundwater recharge. A total of 116 samples were collected from private wells and boreholes during three periods in a 1 year monitoring campaign (February–March 2014, September 2014 and February 2015). Results revealed the overall unsuitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes (NO₃?>?50 mg/L in 51% of the wells; EC >1,000 μS/cm in 99% of the wells). Isotopic balance coupled to piezometric investigation indicated the contribution of the shallow aquifer to deep groundwater recharge. The study also revealed the weakness of ‘business as usual’ management practices, highlighting possible solutions to tackle water-related challenges in the Grombalia region, where climate change, population growth and intensive agricultural activities have generated a large gap between demand and available water reserves, hence becoming a possible driver for social insecurity.     

A case-study of complex gas–water–rock–pollutants interactions in shallow groundwater: Šalek Valley (Slovenia)

The complex geochemical interactions in the groundwater of the industrial area of Šalek Valley (Slovenia) between natural and anthropogenic fluids were studied by means of major (Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO₃ ⁻, Cl⁻ and SO₄ ²⁻) and trace elements’ (As , Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Hg, Se and V) abundances, geochemical classification and statistical analysis of data. Cation abundances indicate mixing between a dolomitic end-member and an evaporitic or geothermal end-member. Anion abundances indicate mixing between bicarbonate waters and either sulphate-enriched waters (suggesting hydrothermalism) or chlorine-rich waters. Principal component analysis (PCA) allowed the extraction of seven factors, which describe, respectively: water–rock interaction mainly on dolomitic rocks; redox conditions of water; Cd–Zn enrichment in chlorine-rich waters (probably from industrial wastes); hydrothermal conditions in waters close to major faults; Pb and Cu pollution; V and K enrichments, indicating their common organic source; the role of partial pressure of CO₂ dissolved in water, which is highest in three wells with bubbling gases. Average underground discharge rates of solutes from the Valley range between 0.09 t/a (V) and 1.8 × 104 t/a (HCO₃ ⁻) and indicate how natural fluids can significantly contribute to the levels of elements in the environment, in addition to the amount of elements released by human activities.     

Evidence of multiple strain fields beneath the eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano (Sicily,Italy) deduced from seismic and geodetic data during 2003–2004

We carried out a study of the seismicity and ground deformation occurring on Mt. Etna volcano after the end of the 2002–2003 eruption and before the onset of the 2004–2005 eruption. Data were recorded by the permanent local seismic network run by Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia – Sezione di Catania and by geodetic surveys carried out in July 2003 and July 2004 on the GPS network. Most earthquakes were grouped in two main clusters located in the northeastern and southeastern sectors of the volcano. The areal distribution of seismic energy associated with the recorded earthquakes allowed us to highlight the main seismogenic areas of Mt. Etna. In order to better understand the kinematic processes of the volcano, 3D seismic locations were used to compute fault plane solutions, and a selected dataset was inverted to determine stress and strain tensors. The focal mechanisms in the northeastern sector show clear left-lateral kinematics along an E-W fault plane, consistent with events occurring along the Pernicana Fault system. The fault plane solutions in the southeastern sector show mainly right-lateral kinematics along a NNE and ENE fault plane and left lateral-kinematics along NW fault planes that together suggest roughly E-W oriented compression. Surface ground deformation affecting Mt. Etna measured by GPS surveys highlighted a marked inflation during the same period and exceptionally strong seawards motion of its eastern flank. The 2D geodetic strain tensor distribution was calculated and the results show mainly ENE-WSW extension coupled with WNW-ESE contraction, indicating right-lateral shear along a NW-SE oriented fault plane. The different deformation of the eastern sector of the volcano, as measured by seismicity and ground deformation, must be interpreted by considering the different depths of the two signals. Seismic activity in the southeastern sector of volcano is located between 3 and 8 km b.s.l. and can be associated with a very strong additional E-W compression induced by a pressurizing source just westwards and at the same depth, located by inverting GPS data. Ground deformation, in contrast, is mainly affected by the shallower dynamics of the fast moving eastern flank which produces a shallower opposing E-W extension. The entire dataset shows that two different processes affect the eastern flank at the same time but at different depths; the boundary is clearly located at a depth of 3 km b.s.l. and could represent the décollement surface for the mobile flank.     

Multiparametric Approach in Investigating Volcano-Hydrothermal Systems: the Case Study of Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy)

Seismic activity, ground deformation, and soil and fumarole temperatures acquired during 2004–2007 at Vulcano (Aeolian Islands) are analysed and the time relations among the different time series are discussed. Changes in temperature of fumarolic gases took place during four “anomalous” periods (November 2004–March 2005; October 2005–February 2006; August–October 2006; July–December 2007) at the same time as an increasing number of volcano-seismic events. In particular, the temperatures at high temperature vents and at steam heated soil ranged in time from 180 to 440°C and from 20 to 90°C, respectively. The maximum daily number of volcano-seismic events was 57, reached during the second anomalous period. This seismicity, characterised by focal depth generally lower than 1?km below sea level (b.s.l.) and composed of different kinds of events associated to both resonance and shear failure processes, is related to the shallow dynamics of the hydrothermal system. During the analysed period, very few volcano-tectonic earthquakes took place and tilt recordings showed no sharp or important changes. In light of such observations, the increases in both temperature and volcano-seismic events number were associated to increases in the release of gas from a deep and stable magma body, without magma intrusions within the shallow hydrothermal system. Indeed, a greater release of gas from depth leads to increased fluid circulation, that can promote increases in volcano-seismic events number by both fracturing processes and resonance and vibration in cracks and conduits. The different trends observed in the measured geochemical and geophysical series during the anomalous periods can be due to either time changes in the medium permeability or a changing speed of gas release from a deep magma body. Finally, all the observed variations, together with the changing temporal distribution of the different seismic event kinds, suggest that the hydrothermal system at Vulcano can be considered unsteady and dynamic.     

Evidences of landslide earthquake triggering due to self-excitation process

The basin-like setting of stiff bedrock combined with pre-existing landslide masses can contribute to seismic amplifications in a wide frequency range (0–10 Hz) and induce a self-excitation process responsible for earthquake-triggered landsliding. Here, the self-excitation process is proposed to justify the far-field seismic trigger of the Cerda landslide (Sicily, Italy) which was reactivated by the 6th September 2002 Palermo earthquake (M _s = 5.4), about 50 km far from the epicentre. The landslide caused damage to farm houses, roads and aqueducts, close to the village of Cerda, and involved about 40 × 10⁶ m³ of clay shales; the first ground cracks due to the landslide movement formed about 30 min after the main shock. A stress–strain dynamic numerical modelling, performed by FDM code FLAC 5.0, supports the notion that the combination of local geological setting and earthquake frequency content played a fundamental role in the landslide reactivation. Since accelerometric records of the triggering event are not available, dynamic equivalent inputs have been used for the numerical modelling. These inputs can be regarded as representative for the local ground shaking, having a PGA value up to 0.2 m/s², which is the maximum expected in 475 years, according to the Italian seismic hazard maps. A 2D numerical modelling of the seismic wave propagation in the Cerda landslide area was also performed; it pointed out amplification effects due to both the structural setting of the stiff bedrock (at about 1 Hz) and the pre-existing landslide mass (in the range 3–6 Hz). The frequency peaks of the resulting amplification functions (A(f)) fit well the H/V spectral ratios from ambient noise and the H/H spectral ratios to a reference station from earthquake records, obtained by in situ velocimetric measurements. Moreover, the Fourier spectra of earthquake accelerometric records, whose source and magnitude are consistent with the triggering event, show a main peak at about 1 Hz. This frequency value well fits the one amplified by the geological setting of the bedrock in correspondence with the landslide area, which is constituted of marly limestones and characterised by a basin-like geometry.     

Ballistic representation for kinematic access

This work uses simple two-body orbital dynamics to initially determine the kinematic access for a ballistic vehicle. Primarily this analysis was developed to assess when a rocket body might conjunct with an orbiting satellite platform. A family of access opportunities can be represented as a volume for a specific rocket relative to its launch platform. Alternately, the opportunities can be represented as a geographical footprint relative to aircraft or satellite position that encompasses all possible launcher locations for a specific rocket. A thrusting rocket is treated as a ballistic vehicle that receives all its energy at launch and follows a coasting trajectory. To do so, the rocket’s burnout energy is used to find its equivalent initial velocity for a given launcher’s altitude. Three kinematic access solutions are then found that account for spherical Earth rotation. One solution finds the maximum range for an ascent-only trajectory while another solution accommodates a descending trajectory. In addition, the ascent engagement for the descending trajectory is used to depict a rapid access scenario. These preliminary solutions are formulated to address ground-, sea-, or air-launched vehicles.     

Cementation effects in two lacustrine clayey soils

This paper describes the main findings of a laboratory study on the mechanical behaviour of cemented geologically normally consolidated lacustrine clayey soils from two sites, Bacinetto (BA) and Avezzano (AZ), in the Fucino basin (Italy). One-dimensional and triaxial compression tests were carried out in order to investigate the effects of the presence and of the progressive degradation of the interparticle cementation bonds. The two tested soils showed quite different physical and mechanical properties, the more apparent ones being plasticity and yield stress values. The experimental results allowed the gross yield curves and the critical state conditions to be identified for both soils (BA clay and AZ silt). A number of typical features generally exhibited by cemented soils were clearly apparent: yield stresses greater than the in situ stress states, both soils being geologically normally consolidated; high values of compressibility index after yielding, which gradually reduce with increasingly applied stresses; strength reductions associated with a globally contractive behaviour. A convenient normalisation of the experimental results, in which the critical state conditions are assumed as a reference state, allowed the effects of cementation bonds and of their progressive degradation to be highlighted. In particular, BA samples were found to be characterised by different structures related to different degrees of cementation. Furthermore, despite the larger values of the yielding stresses exhibited by AZ silt, stronger effects of cementation are apparent in BA soil. Experimental results seem to indicate that at high values of the applied stress and strain paths, when bonds are largely damaged, the structures of the natural and parent reconstituted BA soil continue to be different.     

Modelling the long‐term deformation of the sedimentary substrate of Mt. Etna volcano (Italy)

This study investigates in detail the deformation events that have affected the sedimentary successions forming the substrate of Mt. Etna volcano (Italy). Based on the geometric reconstruction of a buried sedimentary marker, we have been able to identify and quantify the effects of three different mechanisms of deformation that have affected the area in the last 600 ka. Numerical results from Finite Element Method (FEM) applied to model viscoelastic deformation suggest the occurrence of a crustal doming process originating at the mantle‐crust transition (~16 km). We propose that the source of deformation is related to the diapiric uprise of hydrothermal material originating in altered ocean‐like crust and its emplacement at a shallower level in the crust. This process has great relevance in the volcanic system and should be considered for the full assessment of its origin and evolution.     

Pleistocene glaciation of volcano Ajusco,central Mexico,and comparison with the standard Mexican glacial sequence

Three Pleistocene glaciations and two Holocene Neoglacial advances occurred on volcano Ajusco in central Mexico. Lateral moraines of the oldest glaciation, the Marqués, above 3250 m are made of light-gray indurated till and are extensively modified by erosion. Below 3200 m the till is dark red, decomposed, and buried beneath volcanic colluvium and tephra. Very strongly to strongly developed soil profiles (Inceptisols) have formed in the Marqués till and in overlying colluvia and tephra. Large sharp-crested moraines of the second glaciation, the Santo Tomás, above 3300 m are composed of pale-brown firm till and are somewhat eroded by gullies. Below 3250 m the till is light reddish brown, cemented, and weathered. Less-strongly developed soil profiles (Inceptisols) have formed in the Santo Tomás till and in overlying colluvia and tephra. Narrow-crested moraines of yellowish-brown loose till of the third glaciation, the Albergue, are uneroded. Weakly developed soil profiles (Inceptisols) in the Albergue till have black ash in the upper horizon. Two small Neoglacial moraines of yellowish-brown bouldery till on the cirque floor of the largest valley support weakly developed soil profiles with only A and Cox horizons and no ash in the upper soil horizons. Radiocarbon dating of organic matter of the B horizons developed in tills, volcanic ash, and colluvial volcanic sand includes ages for both the soil-organic residue and the humic-acid fraction, with differences from 140 to 660 yr. The dating provides minimum ages of about 27,000 yr for the Marqués glaciation and about 25,000 yr for the Santo Tomás glaciation. Dates for the overlying tephra indicate a complex volcanic history for at least another 15,000 yr. Comparison of the Ajusco glacial sequence with that on Iztaccíhuatl to the east suggests that the Marqués and Santo Tomás glaciations may be equivalent to the Diamantes glaciation First and Second advances, the Albergue to the Alcalican glaciations, and the Neoglacial to the Ayolotepito advances.