Vent area and depositional mechanisms of the Upper Member of the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (Campi Flegrei, Italy): new insights from directional fabric through image analysis

In order to provide new information about the source area and depositional mechanisms of the Upper Member of the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT), a prominent pyroclastic deposit of the Campi Flegrei Volcanic District (southern Italy), statistics on directional fabric, by means of computer-assisted image analysis on 32 rock samples, were compiled. Seventeen samples were collected along vertical direction on two selected exposures and fifteen were taken from outcrops widely distributed all around the Campi Flegrei Volcanic District. Fabric measurements within the investigated successions reveal a vertically homogeneous direction of the mean particle iso-orientation, with considerable variability in the strength of particle iso-orientation even at cm-scale. The existence of particle iso-orientation can be related to continuous sedimentation from a concentrated bedload region beneath suspension currents, producing massive or inversely graded beds by traction carpet sedimentation. The considerable vertical variability in the strength of iso-orientation is the result of very unstable flow regimes, up to the extreme condition of discrete depositional events, with a variable combination of traction carpet and/or direct suspension sedimentation. The vertical homogeneity in the mean orientation values, found in the investigated sections, may derive from the sequential deposition of laminae to thin beds, whose relatively flat upper surfaces were unable to significantly deflect the depositional system of the following currents. According to the observed homogeneous mean particle orientation values along the investigated vertical profiles, samples collected through areal distribution are considered representative of the local paleo-flow directions of the whole deposit. The mean directions of the samples collected areally show two different coherent patterns which point to the existence of two different source areas. The first, which includes all samples from the northern outcrops, appears to converge in a narrow area about 2 km NE of the town of Pozzuoli, largely in coincidence with the inferred area on the basis of the pumice fall distribution. The second, which includes samples from Capo Miseno and Posillipo areas, points to the central part of the Pozzuoli Bay, about 4 km offshore the town of Pozzuoli.     

Crustal structure in the Falcón Basin area, northwestern Venezuela, from seismic and gravimetric evidence

The Falcón Basin in northwestern Venezuela has a complex geological history driven by the interactions between the South American and Caribbean plates. Igneous intrusive bodies that outcrop along the axis of the basin have been associated with crustal thinning, and gravity modeling has shown evidence for a significantly thinned crust beneath the basin. In this study, crustal scale seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection data derived from onshore/offshore active seismic experiments are interpreted and forward-modeled to generate a P-wave velocity model for a 450 km long profile. The final model shows thinning of the crust beneath the Falcón Basin where depth to Moho decreases to 27 km from a value of 40 km about 100 km to the south. A deeper reflected phase on the offshore section is interpreted to be derived from the downgoing Caribbean slab. Velocity values were converted to density and the resulting gravimetric response was shown to be consistent with the regional gravity anomaly. The crustal thinning proposed here supports a rift origin for the Falcón Basin.     

Effects of fish farm waste on Posidonia oceanica meadows: synthesis and provision of monitoring and management tools

This paper provides a synthesis of the EU project MedVeg addressing the fate of nutrients released from fish farming in the Mediterranean with particular focus on the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica habitat. The objectives were to identify the main drivers of seagrass decline linked to fish farming and to provide sensitive indicators of environmental change, which can be used for monitoring purposes. The sedimentation of waste particles in the farm vicinities emerges as the main driver of benthic deterioration, such as accumulation of organic matter, sediment anoxia as well as seagrass decline. The effects of fish farming on P. oceanica meadows are diverse and complex and detected through various metrics and indicators. A safety distance of 400 m is suggested for management of P. oceanica near fish farms followed by establishment of permanent seagrass plots revisited annually for monitoring the health of the meadows.     

Vibrations of a rectangular orthotropic plate with a free edge: a comparison of analytical and numerical results

Transverse vibrations of a rectangular orthotropic plate with a free edge while the others are supported according to four different combinations of boundary conditions are considered in the present paper. The presence of a concentrated mass is also taken into account. In view of the difficulty of satisfying exactly the natural boundary conditions at the free edge, the fundamental frequency of vibration is determined by means of the optimized Rayleigh-Ritz method and a pseudo-Fourier expansion which contains, in its argument, the optimization parameters γ_i. The results are in excellent agreement with those obtained by means of a finite element algorithmic procedure.     

Factors determining subsidence in urbanized floodplains: evidence from MT‐InSAR in Seville (southern Spain)

Major rivers have traditionally been linked with important human settlements throughout history. The growth of cities over recent river deposits makes necessary the use of multidisciplinary approaches to characterize the evolution of drainage networks in urbanized areas. Since under‐consolidated fluvial sediments are especially sensitive to compaction, their spatial distribution, thickness, and mechanical behavior must be studied. Here, we report on subsidence in the city of Seville (Southern Spain) between 2003 and 2010, through the analysis of the results obtained with the Multi‐Temporal InSAR (MT‐InSAR) technique. In addition, the temporal evolution of the subsidence is correlated with the rainfall, the river water column and the piezometric level. Finally, we characterize the geotechnical parameters of the fluvial sediments and calculate the theoretical settlement in the most representative sectors. Deformation maps clearly indicate that the spatial extent of subsidence is controlled by the distribution of under‐consolidated fine‐grained fluvial sediments at heights comprised in the range of river level variation. This is clearly evident at the western margin of the river and the surroundings of its tributaries, and differs from rainfall results as consequence of the anthropic regulation of the river. On the other hand, this influence is not detected at the eastern margin due to the shallow presence of coarse‐grain consolidated sediments of different terrace levels. The derived results prove valuable for implementing urban planning strategies, and the InSAR technique can therefore be considered as a complementary tool to help unravel the subsidence tendency of cities located over under‐consolidated fluvial deposits. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of armadillos in the movement of archaeological materials: An experimental approach

Armadillos are medium‐sized animals whose burrowing behavior can be significant in archaeological settings ranging from South America to the central United States. Although archaeologists are well aware that these animals can move archaeological materials across stratigraphic layers, few data are available about the magnitude of mixing, number of burrows per individual, dimension of burrows, and their impact on archaeological sites. This paper addresses the problem from an experimental perspective. Specifically, we monitored the action of the yellow armadillo (Euphractus sexcintus) in translocating cultural materials. Our results suggest that: (1) the vertical movement of artifacts has no preferential direction; (2) cultural horizons at least 20 cm apart can be mixed; (3) the animal's activity leaves some distinct traces that can be recognized during an excavation; and (4) there is no significant correlation between size, shape, or weight of artifacts and amount of displacement. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Denitrification-nitrification process in permeable coastal sediments: An investigation on the effect of salinity and nitrate availability using flow-through reactors

Permeable coastal sediments act as a reactive node in the littoral zone,transforming nutrients via a wide range of biogeochemical reactions.Reaction rates are controlled by abiotic factors,e.g.,salinity,temperature or solute concentration.Here,a series of incubation experiments,using flow-through reactors,were conducted to simulate the biogeochemical cycling of nitrate (NO_3~?) and phosphorus (P) in permeable sediments under differentNO_3~?availability conditions (factor I) along a salinity gradient (admixture of river and seawater,factor II).In an oligotrophic scenario,i.e.,unamendedNO_3~?concentrations in both river and seawater,sediments acted as a permanent net source ofNO_3~?to the water column.The peak production rate occurred at an intermediate salinity(20).IncreasingNO_3~?availability in river water significantly enhanced netNO_3~?removal rates within the salinity range of 0 to 30,likely via the denitrification pathway based on the sediment microbiota composition.In this scenario,the most active removal was obtained at salinity of 10.When both river and seawater were spiked with NO_3~?,the highest removal rate switched to the highest salinity (36).It suggests the salinity preference of theNO_3~?removal pathway by local denitrifiers (e.g.,Bacillus and Paracoccus) and thatNO_3~?removal in coastal sediments can be significantly constrained by the dilution relatedNO_3~?availability.Compared with the obtained variation forNO_3~?reactions,permeable sediments acted as a sink of soluble reactive P in all treatments,regardless of salinity andNO_3~?input concentrations,indicating a possibility of P-deficiency for coastal water from the intensive cycling in permeable sediments.Furthermore,the net production of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in all treatments was positively correlated with the measuredNO_3~?reaction rates,indicating that the DOC supply may not be the key factor forNO_3~?removal rates due to the consumption by intensive aerobic respiration.Considering the intensive production of recalcitrant carbon solutes,the active denitrification was assumed to be supported by sedimentary organic matter.     

Circulation and fine-sediment dynamics in the Amazon Macrotidal Mangrove Coast

The Amazon Macrotidal Mangrove Coast (AMMC) is a large (~7500 km²) contiguous mangrove fringe eastwards from the Amazon River mouth. It encompasses dozens of interconnected bays intercalated with mangrove peninsulas. Mud accumulates on the mangrove flats, whereas the bed of the bays and channels is generally sandy. In this study we investigated the circulation, sediment transport and deposition in a central site at one of these mangrove peninsulas. The study was undertaken during the dry period, when there is no influence of the Amazon River plume and minimum local freshwater inflow. Current and suspended-sediment concentration were monitored in a feeder channel on the mangrove flat along a ~1000 m section oriented along the peninsula axis. Sediment deposition was also measured on the flat. Our results show there was a strong exchange between the neighboring bays. Channel currents were flood dominant, reaching up to >1 m s⁻¹, with residual water and sediment transport westwards. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the channel was directly related to velocity magnitude, ranging between 50 and 350 mg L⁻¹. The flat was flooded in a way that indicated the tidal wave evolves westwards, nearly parallel to the AMMC shoreline. Currents on the flats were much slower than those in the channel and showed slight ebb dominance. However, SSC was higher during the flood than ebb, clearly indicating settling during the current deceleration and limited erosion during the following ebb–flow acceleration. The net sediment transport across the section was 60 tons westwards for the period of the experiment (~4 days). The mean deposition rate was 0.006 kg m⁻² s⁻¹ (or 1.4 kg m⁻² per tide), which was higher than rates from other reported assessments in mangroves. The set of results indicate very large internal sediment reworking in the AMMC. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.