Elastic model for the gravity and elevation changes before the 2001 eruption of Etna volcano

For 5 months before the 2001 Mt. Etna eruption, a progressive gravity decrease was measured along a profile of stations on the southern slope of the volcano. Between January and July 2001, the amplitude of the change reached 80 μGal, while the wavelength of the anomaly was of the order of 15 km. Elevation changes observed through GPS measurements during a period encompassing the 5-month gravity decrease, remained within 4–6 cm over the entire volcano and within 2–4 cm in the zone covered by the microgravity profile. We review both gravity and elevation changes by a model assuming the formation of new cracks, uniformly distributed in a rectangular prism. The inversion problem was formulated following a global optimization approach based on the use of Genetic Algorithms. Although it is possible to explain the observed gravity changes by means of the proposed analytical formulation, the results show that calculated elevation changes are significantly higher than those observed. Two alternative hypotheses are proposed to account for this apparent discrepancy: (1) that the assumptions behind the analytical formulation, used to invert the data, are fallacious at Etna, and thus, numerical models should be utilized; (2) that a second process, enabling a considerable mass decrease to occur without deformation, acted together with the formation of new cracks in the source volume.     

Geophysical investigation of the Sandalp rock avalanche deposits

In the study of rock avalanche phenomena, numerical modelling makes use of back analyses of the rock avalanche propagation for calibration of the modelling assumptions and parameters. The back analyses require knowledge of the run-out area boundaries and the thickness distribution of the deposit. Geophysical methods can be applied to retrieve the thickness distribution, but, due to strong heterogeneities and logistic problems they are seldom applied. The aim of this work is to assess the potential of integrated geophysical methods to recognise and characterise a deposit created by two rock avalanches which occurred in the Sandalp valley (Switzerland) in 1996. The topography of the site before and after the rock avalanche is known and can be used as a benchmark. Resistivity tomography, seismic P-wave tomography, and active and passive surface wave analysis have been applied on several profiles deployed both on the rock avalanche deposit and in the surrounding area. Innovative approaches for surface wave analysis based on laterally constrained inversion and multimodal inversion have been applied to the data. A comparison of the results of the geophysical investigations with the topographic benchmark has shown the capability of the geophysical methods to locate the bottom of the deposit in the areas where the contrast with the host sediments properties is significant. In these areas, the deposit has higher resistivities and lower seismic velocities than the underlying materials. In the areas where the deposit is thicker and richer in fine-grained materials the geophysical parameters are not able to discriminate between the rock avalanche deposit and the underlying sediments. As a secondary task, the geophysical methods also allowed the bedrock pattern to be outlined.     

Response time and water origin in a steep nested catchment in the Italian Dolomites

In this study, we investigate the surface flow time of rise in response to rainfall and snowmelt events at different spatial scales and the main sources originating channel runoff and spring water in a steep nested headwater catchment (Rio Vauz, Italian Dolomites), characterized by a marked elevation gradient. We monitored precipitation at different elevations and measured water stage/streamflow at the outlet of two rocky subcatchments of the same size, representative of the upper part of the catchment dominated by outcropping bedrock, at the outlet of a soil‐mantled and vegetated subcatchment of similar size but different morphology, and at the outlet of the main catchment. Hydrometric data are coupled with stable isotopes and electrical conductivity sampled from different water sources during five years, and used as tracers in end‐member mixing analysis, application of two component mixing models and analysis of the slope of the dual‐isotope regression line. Results reveal that times of rise are slightly shorter for the two rocky subcatchments, particularly for snowmelt and mixed rainfall/snowmelt events, compared to the soil‐mantled catchment and the entire Rio Vauz Catchment. The highly‐variable tracer signature of the different water sources reflects the geomorphological and geological complexity of the study area. The principal end‐members for channel runoff and spring water are identified in rainfall and snowmelt, which are the dominant water sources in the rocky upper part of the study catchment, and soil water and shallow groundwater, which play a relevant role in originating baseflow and spring water in the soil‐mantled and vegetated lower part of the catchment. Particularly, snowmelt contributes up to 64 ± 8% to spring water in the concave upper parts of the catchment and up to 62 ± 11% to channel runoff in the lower part of the catchment. These results offer new experimental evidences on how Dolomitic catchments capture and store rain water and meltwater, releasing it through a complex network of surface and subsurface flow pathways, and allow for the construction of a preliminary conceptual model on water transmission in snowmelt‐dominated catchments featuring marked elevation gradients.     

Sediment chemical contamination of a shallow water area close to the industrial zone of Porto Marghera (Venice Lagoon, Italy)

The industrial zone of Porto Marghera is one the most important "contaminated sites of national interest" (SIN) in Italy, being identified as an area of high environmental risk. The site includes a wide shallow water area of the Venice Lagoon extending toward the city of Venice, which was investigated in order to acquire information on the pollutant level and distribution. Grain-size, heavy metal, nutrient, and organic micropollutant concentrations were determined in the surface sediment layers (0-5 and 5-10 cm depths) of 51 sites. A generally low contamination was found, except for Hg concentration, which increases the toxicological risk in most of the sites of the area, according to the results of a comparison with Sediment Quality Guidelines. A heavy pollution fingerprint (Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn up to 15.2, 257, 11.9, 248, and 3010 mg/kg d.w., respectively) was instead found near the Tresse Island, which is ascribed to the spill of pollutants from the contaminated sediment disposed therein. Grain-size and heavy metal profiles down to a depth of 40 cm in eight selected sites, finally show a probable decrease of the pollution affecting the area in recent years.     

Improved Monte Carlo inversion of surface wave data

Inversion of surface wave data suffers from solution non‐uniqueness and is hence strongly biased by the initial model. The Monte Carlo approach can handle this non‐uniqueness by evidencing the local minima but it is inefficient for high dimensionality problems and makes use of subjective criteria, such as misfit thresholds, to interpret the results. If a smart sampling of the model parameter space, which exploits scale properties of the modal curves, is introduced the method becomes more efficient and with respect to traditional global search methods it avoids the subjective use of control parameters that are barely related to the physical problem. The results are interpreted drawing inference by means of a statistical test that selects an ensemble of feasible shear wave velocity models according to data quality and model parameterization. Tests on synthetic data demonstrate that the application of scale properties concentrates the sampling of model parameter space in high probability density zones and makes it poorly sensitive to the initial boundary of the model parameters. Tests on synthetic and field data, where boreholes are available, prove that the statistical test selects final results that are consistent with the true model and which are sensitive to data quality. The implemented strategies make the Monte Carlo inversion efficient for practical applications and able to effectively retrieve subsoil models even in complex and challenging situations such as velocity inversions.     

Characterizing high energy explosive eruptions at Stromboli volcano using multidisciplinary data: An example from the 9 January 2005 explosion

Stromboli is well known for its persistent, normal explosive activity, consisting of intermittent, mild to moderate, Strombolian explosions that typically occur every 10–20 min. All tephras erupted during this activity usually fall back into the crater terrace, and consist of volatile-poor scoriae fed by Highly Porphyritic (HP) magma. More occasionally, large explosions or “paroxysms” eject a greater quantity of tephra, mainly consisting of HP scoriae and pumice clasts of Low Porphyritic (LP) magma, but also including large lithic blocks. In addition to this activity, between 2004 and 2006 high energy explosions, displaying an intermediate eruptive style between that of normal and paroxysmal explosions in terms of column height, duration and tephra dispersal, were observed to occur at a frequency of one to eight events per year. While many volcanological, geochemical and geophysical studies have focused in the last few years on the two end-members of activity, i.e. normal or paroxysmal, a detailed investigation on these intermediate types of events has not been carried out yet. Here we report of a study on the 9 January 2005 explosion, one of the high energy explosions during which the main fountaining phase lasted nearly a minute causing ejection of coarse bombs up to a height of 120 m, and of ash and lapilli to > 200 m. An accompanying ash plume rose up to 500 m at the end of the explosion. We present a multidisciplinary approach that integrates the results from analysis of live-camera images with compositional and textural characterization of the erupted products. Major element composition of glassy groundmass and 3D views of textures in the erupted scoriae support the hypothesis based on volcanological observations that this explosion falls between normal and paroxysmal activity, for which we use the term “intermediate”. By comparing the video-camera images of the 9 January 2005 explosion with volcanological features of other high energy explosions that occurred at Stromboli between June 2004 and October 2006, we find that three additional events can be considered intermediate explosions, suggesting that this type of activity may be fairly common on this volcano. The results of this study, although preliminary given our limited dataset, clearly indicate that the methodology used here can be successfully applied to better define the range of eruptive styles typifying the normal explosive activity, potentially improving our capability of eruption forecasting and assessing volcanic hazard at Stromboli.     

Calibration shifts in a LaCoste-and-Romberg gravimeter: comparison with a Scintrex CG-3M

The reliability and ruggedness of LaCoste-and-Romberg gravity meters has meant that their use has extended over recent years from gravity mapping to the investigation of small gravity changes (> 10 μGal) with time. When using the instrument at the limit of its capability, limitations become apparent. Some instruments drift more than others and some are prone to excessive tares. However, with regular servicing these problems are minimized. Here we demonstrate clear evidence for calibration changes of the order of 1000 ppm for LaCoste-and-Romberg meter G513, which, for gravity differences of over 50 mGal, represents a highly significant induced error of over 50 μGal. Data collected over 15 years using nearly 4000 mGal of the 7000 mGal range of the instrument illustrates that long periods of stability may be interspersed with periods lasting several months while the calibration changes by up to 0.1%. This is comparable with the calibration drift of a new Scintrex CG-3M instrument, although the process causing the change may not be the same.     

Distinct element modelling of the in-plane cyclic response of URM walls subjected to shear-compression

The in-plane capacity of unreinforced masonry (URM) elements may vary considerably depending on several factors, including boundary conditions, aspect ratio, vertical overburden, and masonry texture. Since the overall system resistance mainly relies on the in-plane lateral capacity of URM components when out-of-plane modes are adequately prevented, the structural assessment of URM structures could benefit from advanced numerical approaches able to account for these factors simultaneously. This paper aims at enhancing and optimising the employment of the distinct element method, currently confined to the analysis of local mechanisms of reduced-scale dry-joint blocky assemblies, with a view to simulate the experimentally observed responses of a series of URM full-scale specimens with mortared joints subjected to quasi-static in-plane cyclic loading. To this end, a mesoscale modelling approach is proposed that employs a simplified microscale modelling approach to effectively capture macroscale behaviour. Dynamic relaxation schemes are employed, in combination with time, size, and mass-scaling procedures, to decrease computational demand. A new methodology for numerically describing both unit, mortar and hybrid failure modes, also including masonry crushing due to high-compression stresses, is proposed. Empirical and homogenisation formulae for inferring the elastic properties of interface between elements are also verified, enabling the proposed approach to be applied more broadly. Using this modelling strategy, the interaction between stiffness degradation and energy dissipation rate was accounted for numerically. Although the models marginally underestimate the energy dissipation in the case of slender piers, a good agreement was obtained in terms of lateral strength, hysteretic response, and crack pattern.     

Historical geospatial database for landslide analysis: the Catalogue of Landslide OCcurrences in the Emilia-Romagna Region (CLOCkER)

A review of the content, structure, accuracy, and completeness of the Catalogue of Landslide OCcurrences in the Emilia-Romagna Region (CLOCkER) is presented. CLOCkER is a historical database, designed and developed for all types of landslides in the hilly-mountain area of the Emilia-Romagna section of the Northern Italian Apennines. Historical data have been gathered through a collection of numerous sources, including technical reports, historical archives, scientific literature, and newspapers. The information obtained, which has been evaluated to assess its temporal precision and spatial accuracy, has been recorded in a catalogue consisting of a Database Management System (DBMS) linked to a geographical information system (GIS) interface. The catalogue presently includes 14,416 records of documented landslide occurrences, dating from Middle Ages up to the present. The catalogue is associated with a landslide inventory, continuously updated by the Geological Survey of the Emilia-Romagna Region, where information on the shape, typology, and state of activity of more than 80,000 landslides is included. Our assessment of catalogue quality reveals a satisfactory spatial accuracy and a level of completeness comparable with the theoretical target proposed in the literature for complete inventories. Outputs indicate that CLOCkER can be a reference example useful for other regional historical landslide catalogues. Such reference datasets are useful for a wide range of landslide assessment purposes and can provide practical assistance for stakeholders involved in both scientific and technical fields, forming the basis for landslide temporal trend reconstruction that is essential for landslide hazard evaluation at different spatial-temporal scales. CLOCkER is open access, freely available online.