On the Lagrangian and Eulerian Time Scales of Turbulence Within a Two-Dimensional Array of Obstacles

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - Fields of Lagrangian ( $$T^{L}$$ ) and Eulerian ( $$T^{E}$$ ) time scales of the turbulence within a regular array of two-dimensional obstacles of unit aspect ratio...     

Macrofaunal succession in sediments around kelp and wood falls in the deep NE Pacific and community overlap with other reducing habitats

Sunken parcels of macroalgae and wood provide important oases of organic enrichment at the deep-sea floor, yet sediment community structure and succession around these habitat islands are poorly evaluated. We experimentally implanted 100-kg kelp falls and 200 kg wood falls at 1670 m depth in the Santa Cruz Basin to investigate (1) macrofaunal succession and (2) species overlap with nearby whale-fall and cold-seep communities over time scales of 0.25–5.5 yr. The abundance of infaunal macrobenthos was highly elevated after 0.25 and 0.5 yr near kelp parcels with decreased macrofaunal diversity and evenness within 0.5 m of the falls. Apparently opportunistic species (e.g., two new species of cumaceans) and sulfide tolerant microbial grazers (dorvilleid polychaetes) abounded after 0.25–0.5 yr. At wood falls, opportunistic cumaceans become abundant after 0.5 yr, but sulfide tolerant species only became abundant after 1.8–5.5 yr, in accordance with the much slower buildup of porewater sulfides at wood parcels compared with kelp falls. Species diversity decreased significantly over time in sediments adjacent to the wood parcels, most likely due to stress resulting from intense organic loading of nearby sediments (up to 20–30% organic carbon). Dorvilleid and ampharetid polychaetes were among the top-ranked fauna at wood parcels after 3.0–5.5 yr. Sediments around kelp and wood parcels provided low-intensity reducing conditions that sustain a limited chemoautrotrophically-based fauna. As a result, macrobenthic species overlap among kelp, wood, and other chemosynthetic habitats in the deep NE Pacific are primarily restricted to apparently sulfide tolerant species such as dorvilleid polychaetes, opportunistic cumaceans, and juvenile stages of chemosymbiont containing vesicomyid bivalves. We conclude that organically enriched sediments around wood falls may provide important habitat islands for the persistence and evolution of species dependent on organic- and sulfide-rich conditions at the deep-sea floor and contribute to β and γ diversity in deep-sea ecosystems.     

Stratigraphy, chronology, and sedimentology of ignimbrites from the white trachytic tuff, Roccamonfina Volcano, Italy

We describe the stratigraphy, chronology, and grain size characteristics of the white trachytic tuff (WTT) of Roccamonfina Volcano (Italy). The pyroclastic rock was emplaced between 317 and 230 Ma BP during seven major eruptive events (units A to G) and three minor events (units BC, CD, and DE). These units are separated by paleosol layers and compositionally well-differentiated pyroclastic successions. Stratigraphic control is favored by the occurrence at the base of major units of marker layers. Four WTT units (1 to 4) occur within the central caldera. These are not positively correlated with specific extracaldera units.The source of most of the WTT units was the central caldera. Units B and C were controlled by the western wall of the caldera, whereas units D and E were able to overcome this barrier, spreading symmetrically along the flanks of MC. The maximum pumice size (MP) of units increases with distance from the caldera, whereas the maximum lithic size (ML) decreases. MP and ML of the marker layer of unit D (MKDa–MKDp) do not show any systematic variations with respect to the central caldera. In contrast, the thickness of surge MKDa decreases with distance from the source, and MKDp accumulates to the north of MC probably controlled, respectively, by mobility-transport power and by wind blowing northwards.The grain size characteristics of the WTT deposits are used for classifying the units. There is no systematic variation of the grain size as a function of stratigraphic height either among units or within single units. Large variation of components in subunit E1, with repetitive alternation of pyroclastic flow to surge through fallout vs. surge deposits, suggests that the process of eruption took place in a complex or piecemeal fashion.Pumice concentration zones (PCZ) occur at all WTT levels on the volcano, but they are much thicker and pumice clasts are much larger within the central caldera. These were probably originated by the disruption of lava (flow or dome) to pumice fragments and fine ash due to sudden depressurization and interaction with lake waters of the molten lava. Local basal PCZ are, in some cases, similar to the lapilli-rich “layer 1P” that has been described elsewhere, and may have been deposited from currents transitional between pyroclastic surge and flow. Other basal PCZ formed in response to small undulations in the substrate, or can be originated by fallout. Lenticular PCZ within ignimbrite interiors and tops are interpreted to record marginal pumice levees and pumice rafts, some of which were buried by subsequant pyroclastic flows.Lithic concentration zones (LCZ) also occur at various stratigraphic height within the extracaldera ignimbrites, whereas intracaldera LCZ are absent, probably due to the fact that ignimbrite currents are strongly energetic and erosive near vent. LCZ at the top of basal inversely graded layers are formed by mechanical sieving or dispersive pressure in response to variable velocity gradients and particle concentration gradients (a segregation process). Coarse LCZ and coarse lithic breccias (LB), that reside in the interior or tops of pyroclastic flows and that occur in medial to distal areas, are interpreted to be the result of slugs of lithic-rich debris introduced by vent collapse or rockslides into the moving pyroclastic flows along their flow paths. These LCZ become mixed to varying degrees due to differential densities and velocities relative to the pyroclastic flows (desegregation processes).     

The geology of the Yellow Trachytic Tuff, Roccamonfina volcano, Italy

The 227 ka Yellow Trachytic Tuff (YTT) of the Roccamonfina volcano is a multiunit ash-, pumice-, scoria- and lithic-ignimbrite with a proximal sandwave surge deposit. The YTT has an estimated volume of 0.42 km³. It erupted in the northern, subsided sector of the volcano from Gli Stagli caldera, and was channelled down ravines northward between the limestone range of M.Cesima and M. Camino that bounds the depression. Up to 5 YTT units occur close to the outer part of the northern rim of Gli Stagli. The basal four units are separated by lithic-rich marker layers which are inferred to result from gravity segregation followed by shearing. The first three units are consolidated by chabazite cementation, the fourth one is not consolidated. The uppermost unit is altered. One or two units characterize the YTT deposits in medial to distal zones. Here, the unconsolidated unit underlies the consolidated one. Absence of markers precludes correlation with proximal stratigraphy. The YTT is poorly sorted and, except the surge deposit and the altered faciés which are very fine-grained, has moderate median diameter typical of pyroclastic flows. Matrix, pumice, and scoria clasts are poorly vesicular. Matrix shards are equant, blocky-shaped, hydrated, and range from non-vesicular to vesicular. These features suggest that magma-water interaction played a role in the YTT eruption process, with some magmatic fragmentation.The complex near-Gli Stagli-rim YTT sequence could record the arrival of successive flows from the source vent, or also form by interaction of one or two flows with the caldera rim. In both cases, the absence of basal Plinian deposits in YTT units suggests that the eruptions were low pyroclastic fountains. The YTT distribution was controlled by interaction with the northern rim of Gli Stagli caldera and with the limestone range that bounds the northern depression. The near-rim stratigraphy shows the complete record of the eruption, whereas the medial to distal sequences provide only the initial pyroclastic flow possibly with the final flow spilling over the caldera rim. The proximal surge episode probably resulted from higher velocity of a later pyroclastic flow due to steeper slope of the volcano in that locality.     

Water-Channel Estimation of Eulerian and Lagrangian Time Scales of the Turbulence in Idealized Two-Dimensional Urban Canopies

Lagrangian and Eulerian statistics are obtained from a water-channel experiment of an idealized two-dimensional urban canopy flow in neutral conditions. The objective is to quantify the Eulerian \((T^{\mathrm{E}})\) and Lagrangian \((T^{\mathrm{L}})\) time scales of the turbulence above the canopy layer as well as to investigate their dependence on the aspect ratio of the canopy, AR, as the latter is the ratio of the width (W) to the height (H) of the canyon. Experiments are also conducted for the case of flat terrain, which can be thought of as equivalent to a classical one-directional shear flow. The values found for the Eulerian time scales on flat terrain are in agreement with previous numerical results found in the literature. It is found that both the streamwise and vertical components of the Lagrangian time scale, \(T_\mathrm{u}^\mathrm{L} \) and \(T_\mathrm{w}^\mathrm{L} \), follow Raupach’s linear law within the constant-flux layer. The same holds true for \(T_\mathrm{w}^\mathrm{L} \) in both the canopies analyzed \((AR= 1\) and \(AR= 2\)) and also for \(T_\mathrm{u}^\mathrm{L} \) when \(AR = 1\). In contrast, for \(AR = 2\), \(T_\mathrm{u}^\mathrm{L} \) follows Raupach’s law only above \(z=2H\). Below that level, \(T_\mathrm{u}^\mathrm{L} \) is nearly constant with height, showing at \(z=H\) a value approximately one order of magnitude greater than that found for \(AR = 1\). It is shown that the assumption usually adopted for flat terrain, that \(\beta =T^{\mathrm{L}}/T^{\mathrm{E}}\) is proportional to the inverse of the turbulence intensity, also holds true even for the canopy flow in the constant-flux layer. In particular, \(\gamma /i_\mathrm{u} \) fits well \(\beta _\mathrm{u} =T_\mathrm{u}^\mathrm{L} /T_\mathrm{u}^\mathrm{E} \) in both the configurations by choosing \(\gamma \) to be 0.35 (here, \(i_\mathrm{u} =\sigma _\mathrm{u} / \bar{u} \), where \(\bar{u} \) and \(\sigma _\mathrm{u} \) are the mean and the root-mean-square of the streamwise velocity component, respectively). On the other hand, \(\beta _\mathrm{w} =T_\mathrm{w}^\mathrm{L} /T_\mathrm{w}^\mathrm{E} \) follows approximately \(\gamma /i_\mathrm{w} =0.65/\left( {\sigma _\mathrm{w} /\bar{u} } \right) \) for \(z > 2H\), irrespective of the AR value. The second main objective is to estimate other parameters of interest in dispersion studies, such as the eddy diffusivity of momentum \((K_\mathrm{{T}})\) and the Kolmogorov constant \((C_0)\). It is found that \(C_0\) depends appreciably on the velocity component both for the flat terrain and canopy flow, even though for the latter case it is insensitive to AR values. In all the three experimental configurations analyzed here, \(K_\mathrm{{T}}\) shows an overall linear growth with height in agreement with the linear trend predicted by Prandtl’s theory.     

Trace-element behavior during weathering of leucite in potassic rocks from the Roccamonfina volcano (Campania, southern Italy) and environmental implications

Trace-element contents in leucite and its alteration mineral phases from the Quaternary potassic rocks of the Roccamonfina volcano have been determined. The dominant weathering phase of leucite is analcite. In the early stages of the conversion process, it concentrates mainly Rb and Sr with minor amounts of Ba, Ni, V, Zn, La, Ce and Zr. At more advanced stages of the conversion process, only Rb and Y persist, while all other elements (except Cu and Cr that are essentially immobile) are lost, particularly Zn and to a lesser extent La, Ce and Nd. Besides analcite, leucite may also subordinately alter to halloysite. This probably occurs by interaction of waters of low cation/H⁺ ratio. Halloysite concentrates mainly Sr and, to a lower extent, Ba. Environmental implications are significant only for K, as the release of this element to groundwaters increases greatly the fertility of soils.     

Mosaic-based navigation for autonomous underwater vehicles

We propose an approach for vision-based navigation of underwater robots that relies on the use of video mosaics of the sea bottom as environmental representations for navigation. We present a methodology for building high-quality video mosaics of the sea bottom in a fully automatic manner, which ensures global spatial coherency. During navigation, a set of efficient visual routines are used for the fast and accurate localization of the underwater vehicle with respect to the mosaic. These visual routines were developed taking into account the operating requirements of real-time position sensing, error bounding, and computational load. A visual servoing controller, based on the vehicle's kinematics, is used to drive the vehicle along a computed trajectory, specified in the mosaic, while maintaining constant altitude. The trajectory toward a goal point is generated online to avoid undefined areas in the mosaic. We have conducted a large set of sea trials, under realistic operating conditions. This paper demonstrates that without resorting to additional sensors, visual information can be used to create environment representations of the sea bottom (mosaics) and support long runs of navigation in a robust manner.     

The white trachytic tuff of Roccamonfina Volcano (Roman Region,Italy)

The White Trachytic Tuff (WTT) is a compositionally-zoned, trachytic, pyroclastic-flow deposit which erupted from Roccamonfina volcano about 300,000 years ago. It was principally emplaced as unwelded, pumice-rich flow units with an estimated volume of 10 km³. These now cover the flanks of the volcano on all sides except the west, behind the highest rim of Roccamonfina's summit caldera; the caldera was probably in existence prior to the WTT activity. Eruption of the WTT generally initiated the leucite-free, second stage of Roccamonfina's development, following a long history of leucite-bearing volcanism, but minor leucite-bearing lavas and pyroclastics overlie the WTT as well. The WTT was in turn followed by progressively more basic, leucite-free magmas (latite, trachybasalt, and basalt). During the course of the eruption, the WTT evolved from white, crystal-poor pumices containing 66% SiO₂ and 1.2% CaO, to grey pumices containing higher crystal contents, 60% SiO₂, and 3% CaO. Early pumices are also relatively enriched in Mn, Na, Zn, Ga, Rb, Y, Zr, Nb, Cs, La, Ce, Yb, Lu, W, Hf, Th, and U, and depleted in Ti, Fe, Mg, K, Sc, V, Cr, Co, Sr, Ba, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, and Ta. The pumices are essentially bimodal in composition, with several minor intermediate types including megascopic, physical mixtures of the white and grey varieties. Certain WTT pumices, including all analyzed intra-caldera samples, are relatively enriched in Pb, Th, Zr, Rb, Ga, Zn, and Cs compared to the rest of the suite. These enrichments may reflect local assimilation of carbonates or more complex exchange processes at the magma chamber margin. All WTT pumices contain the phases sanidine, plagioclase, clinopyroxene, biotite, titanomagnetite, sphene, and apatite; grey varieties also contain magnesian olivine crystals which are probably xenocrysts. The white, crystal-poor types show relatively simple mineralogies with little compositional variability or zoning among crystals of a single phase. Other pumice types, and dark, trachyandesitic inclusions separated from white pumices, show a large compositional spectrum of individually homogeneous crystals. These compositionally diverse crystals and inclusions are interpreted as a result of widespread mixing between the trachytic magmas and more basic magmas prior to or during the WTT eruption. Major-element crystal-fractionation models can successfully derive the early trachytes from the late trachytes by 50–85% separation of a syenitic assemblage of all phases. The predicted phase proportions and compositions closely match cumulate syenite nodules found at Roccamonfina. Trace element models are permissive of syenitic fractionation within the large uncertainties allowed by published partition coefficients.     

Volcanology of trachytic and associated basaltic pyroclastic deposits at Roccamonfina volcano, Roman Region, Italy

The 274 ka “Basalt-Trachytic Tuff of Tuoripunzoli” (TBTT) from Roccamonfina volcano (Roman Region, Italy) consists of a basaltic scoria lapilli fall (Unit A) overlain by a trachytic sequence formed by a surge (Unit B), repetitive pumice lapilli and ash-rich layers both of fallout origin (Unit C) and a pyroclastic flow deposit (Unit D). The TBTT is widespread (40 km²) in the northern sector of the volcano, but limited to a small area on the southern slopes of the main cone. Interpolation between the northern deposits and the latter one yields a minimum depositional area of 123 km², and an approximate bulk volume of 0.2-0.3 km³. Isopach and isopleth maps are consistent with a source vent within the main caldera of Roccamonfina.Unit A shows a fairly good sorting and a moderate grain size; glass fragments are cuspate and vesicular. Unit B is fine grained and poorly sorted; shards are blocky and nonvesicular. Pumice lapilli of Unit C are moderately sorted and moderately coarse grained. Glass shards are equant and vesicular. Lithic clasts are strongly comminuted to submillimetric sizes. By contrast, the ash-rich internal divisions are very fine grained and poorly sorted. They consist of a mixture of equant shards which are prevailingly blocky and poorly vesicular. Unit D is a massive, poorly sorted, moderately coarse-grained deposit. Glass fragments are nearly equant and slightly or nonvesicular.The TBTT is interpreted as due to eruption of a basaltic magma followed in rapid succession by one trachyte magma. Unit A formed by Subplinian fallout of a moderate, purely magmatic column. Interaction between a trachyte magma and water resulted in eruption of surge Unit B. A high-standing eruption column erupted alternating fallout pumice lapilli and fallout ashes. Pumice lapilli originated prevailingly from the inner part of the eruption column, whereas magma-water interaction on the external parts of the column resulted in ash fallout. The uppermost pyroclastic flow Unit D is interpreted as due to final collapse of the eruption column.     

Synthetic observations using POLARIS: an application to simulations of massive prestellar cores

Astrophysics and Space Science - Dynamical evolution of galaxies is a complex process, especially the centers. Gravitationally coupled gas and stellar discs have been observed to coexist in the...