The Holocene tephrostratigraphic record of Lake Shkodra (Albania and Montenegro)

Two cores were recovered in the southeastern part of Lake Shkodra (Montenegro and Albania) and sampled for identification of tephra layers. The first core (SK13, 7.8 m long) was recovered from a water depth of 7 m, while the second core (SK19, 5.8 m long) was recovered close to the present‐day shoreline (water depth of 2 m). Magnetic susceptibility investigations show generally low values with some peaks that in some cases are related to tephra layers. Naked‐eye inspection of the cores allowed the identification of four tephra layers in core SK13 and five tephra layers in core SK19. Major element analyses on glass shards and mineral phases allowed correlation of the tephra layers between the two cores, and their attribution to six different Holocene explosive eruptions of southern Italy volcanoes. Two tephra layers have under‐saturated composition of glass shards (foiditic and phonolitic) and were correlated to the AD 472 and the Avellino (ca. 3.9 cal. ka BP) eruptions of Somma‐Vesuvius. One tephra layer has benmoreitic composition and was correlated to the FL eruption of Mount Etna (ca. 3.4 cal. ka BP). The other three tephra layers have trachytic composition and were correlated to Astroni (ca. 4.2 cal. ka BP), Agnano Monte Spina (ca. 4.5 cal. ka BP) and Agnano Pomici Principali (ca. 12.3 cal. ka BP) eruptions of Campi Flegrei. The ages of tephra layers are in broad agreement with eight ¹⁴C accelerator mass spectrometric measurements carried out on plant remains and charcoal from the lake sediments at different depths along the two cores. The recognition of distal tephra layers from Italian volcanoes allowed the physical link of the Holocene archive of Lake Shkodra to other archives located in the central Mediterranean area and the Balkans (i.e. Lake Ohrid). Five of the recognised tephra layers were recognised for the first time in the Balkans area, and this has relevance for volcanic hazard assessment and for ash dispersal forecasting in case of renewed explosive activity from some of the southern Italy volcanoes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An overview of the Gulf of Batabanó (Cuba): Environmental features as revealed by surface sediment characterisation

The main environmental features of the Gulf of Batabanó, Cuba, Caribbean, were investigated through the analyses of surface sediments collected at 23 sites. In order to highlight the potential threats affecting the sedimentary compartment of this area, samples were analysed for: granulometry, mineralogy, heavy metals concentration (As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn), organic carbon, total nitrogen and radionuclides. Findings were compared with published data and “grey” literature.Results showed: granulometric homogeneity and a widespread carbonatic condition all over the gulf, probably due to stable bathymetry and lack of terrigenous input (except for the La Coloma basin); a rather pristine environment for what concerns heavy metals pollution, except for La Coloma where a large arsenic input was recorded; very low levels of natural and artificial radioactivity; a relevant quantity of sedimentary organic matter, providing biota with useful substrate for feeding and enhancing the food-web development while indirectly supplying lobster fisheries. Combined data highlighted the impact of the Dique Sur in reducing terrigenous input in the coastal area.Future studies should focus on dating of sediment cores for identifying and quantifying the changes acting in the gulf and on investigating the origins of the large arsenic input to La Coloma.     

Experimental and numerical study of soil-reinforcement effects on the low-strain stiffness and bearing capacity of shallow foundations

This paper presents results of meticulous laboratory testing and numerical simulations on the effect of reinforcement on the low-strain stiffness and bearing capacity of shallow foundations on dry sand. The effect of the location and the number of reinforcement layers is studied in the laboratory, whereas numerical simulations are used to study the reinforcement-foundation interaction. Laboratory tests show an increase of 100, 200, and 275% not only in bearing capacity but also in low-strain stiffness (linear load–displacement behaviour) of a square foundation when one, two, and three layers of reinforcement are used, respectively. The specimen preparation technique is found to be crucial for the repeatability and reliability of the laboratory results (less than 5% variability). Numerical simulations demonstrate that if reinforcements are placed up to a depth of one footing width (B) below the foundation, better re-distribution of the load to deeper layers is achieved, thus reducing the stresses and strains underneath the foundation. Numerical simulations and experimental results clearly identify a critical zone between 0.3 and 0.5B, where maximum benefits not only on the bearing capacity but also on the low-strain stiffness of the foundation are obtained. Therefore, soil reinforcement can also be used to reduce low-strain vibrations of foundations.     

Capturing critical behaviour in soil moisture spatio-temporal dynamics

A physical system is subject to a phase transition process when it shows a discontinuous change of a macroscopic feature of the system under a continuous change of a system’s state variable.     

Evolution of Pangea: paleomagnetic constraints from the Southern Alps, Italy

A new early Late Triassic paleopole for Adria has been obtained from the Val Sabbia Sandstone in the Southern Alps. As Early Permian and Jurassic-Cretaceous paleomagnetic data from para-autochthonous regions of Adria such as the Southern Alps are consistent with ‘African’ APWPs[1–2], paleomagnetic data from this region can be used to bolster the West Gondwana APWP in the poorly known Late Permian-Triassic time interval. The Southern Alpine paleopoles are integrated with the West Gondwana and Laurussia APWPs of Van der Voo [1] and used to generate a tectonic model for the evolution of Pangea. The Early Permian overall mean paleopole for West Gondwana and Adria, in conjunction with the coeval Laurussia paleopole, support Pangea B of Morel and Irving [3]. The Late Permian/Early Triassic and the Middle/Late Triassic paleopoles from Adria and Laurussia support Pangea A-2 of Van der Voo and French [4]. The phase of transcurrent motion between Laurasia and Gondwana[5] that caused the Pangea B to A-2 transition occurred essentially in the Permian (at the end of Variscan orogeny) with an average relative velocity of approximately 10 cm/yr. Finally, the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic paleopoles from West Gondwana and Laurussia agree with Pangea A-1 of Bullard et al. [6], the widely accepted Pangea configuration at the time of the Jurassic breakup.     

Seismotectonic models and CN algorithm: The case of Italy

The CN algorithm is utilized here both for the intermediate term earthquake prediction and to validate the seismotectonic model of the Italian territory. Using the results of the analysis, made through the CN algorithm and taking into account the seismotectonic model, three main areas, one for Northern Italy, one for Central Italy and one for Southern Italy, are defined. Two transition areas between the three main areas are delineated. The earthquakes which occurred in these two areas contribute to the precursor phenomena identified by the CN algorithm in each main area.     

Map of the geoidal ondulations in Italy and the cross section Como-Otranto

Summary Astronomic and geodetic values of all observations made in Italy from 1868 to the present days are used to draw the geoidal ondulations-map in Italy.The geoidal ondulation along a cross section from Como to Otranto (for 1160 km length) is then traced.     

Migrating sand waves

A simple mathematical model is described, which reproduces the major features of sand waves' appearance and growth and in particular predicts their migration speed. The model is based on the linear stability analysis of the flat configuration of the sea bottom subject to tidal currents. Attention is focused on the prediction of the complex growth rate that bottom perturbations undergo because of both oscillatory fluid motions and residual currents. While the real part _r of controls the amplification or decay of the amplitude of the bedforms, the imaginary part _i is related to their migration speed. Previous works on the migration of the sand waves (Németh etal. 2002) consider a forcing tide made up by the M2 constituent (oscillatory period equal to 12 h) plus the residual current Z0 and predict always a downcurrent migration of the bedforms. However, field cases exist of upcurrent-migrating sand waves (downcurrent/upcurrent-migrating sand waves mean bedforms moving in the direction of the steady residual tidal current or in the opposite direction, respectively). The inclusion of a tide constituent characterized by a period of 6 h (M4) is the main novelty of the present work, which allows for the prediction of the migration of sand waves against the residual current Z0. Indeed, the M4 tide constituent, as does also the residual current Z0, breaks the symmetry of the problem forced only by the M2 tide constituent, and induces sand-wave migration. The model proposed by Besio etal. (2003a) forms the basis for the present analysis. Previous works on the subject (Gerkema 2000; Hulscher 1996a,b; Komarova and Hulscher 2000) are thus improved by using a new solution procedure (Besio etal. 2003a) which allows for a more accurate evaluation of the growth rate for arbitrary values of the parameter r, which is the ratio between the horizontal tidal excursion and the perturbation wavelength. Responsible Editor: Jens Kappenberg