Geophysical and geodetic observations in the messina straits

The present note is intended as a contribution to the clarification of the collision process, generally assumed to be active between the African and the Eurasian plates in the area of the Messina Straits.For this purpose detailed analyses are made of the surveys carried out in the Straits of Messina in order to investigate the 1908 earthquake. The magnitude and intensity are established; limits are set for the linear dimension of the fault and of the dislocation that gave rise to the earthquake and an estimate is then given of these parameters. The results are then set out of the investigation into the focal mechanism of the earthquake of 1908. The results are also studied of geodetic surveys carried out at the time for the purpose of measuring the variations in height that occurred during the earthquake.A study is also made of the results of geodetic surveys (some of which are still under way) designed to measure the horizontal movements of Sicily with respect to Calabria in order to study locally the continental collision process in the area of the Messina Straits.It is found that the old and recent geodetic measurements as well as the fault-plane solution of the old and recent earthquakes of that area and the slips associated with those earthquakes indicate a motion towards the north of Sicily with respect to Calabria.     

Evolution of the late Quaternary San Gregorio Magno tectono‐karstic basin (southern Italy) inferred from geomorphological,tephrostratigraphical and palaeoecological analyses: tectonic implications

The Pantano di San Gregorio Magno is a 4.7 km² large tectono‐karstic basin located in the axial belt of the Southern Apennines, an area affected by intense seismicity. The basin was formed in the Middle Pleistocene and is presently undissected. It is filled by lacustrine sediments (clays, silts and pyroclastic sands) passing laterally into alluvial fan deposits. Geomorphological investigations were integrated with tephrostratigraphical, palynological and palaeoecological analyses of a 61 m thick core (not reaching the bedrock). The multiproxy analysis of the S. Gregorio Magno record shows that, over the last 200k yr, the basin hosted a freshwater lake with an oscillating level. Age constraints provided by the tephrostratigraphic record allowed estimation of the sedimentation rate, which varied strongly through time. Evolution of the basin resulted from the complex combination of tectonic subsidence, karst processes and changing amounts of sedimentary inputs. The latter was influenced by allogenic contributions related both to primary and reworked volcanoclastic inputs and was climate‐driven. The overall evidence, which indicates that in the long‐term the accumulation rate substantially counterbalanced the accommodation space created by faulting, suggests that the basin evolution was also modulated by changing subsidence rates. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hybrid Model for Urban Air Pollution Forecasting: A Stochastic Spatio-Temporal Approach

Air pollution is usually driven by a complex combination of factors in which meteorology, physical obstacles, and interactions between pollutants play significant roles. Considering the characteristics of urban atmospheric pollution and its consequent impacts on human health and quality of life, forecasting models have emerged as an effective tool to identify and forecast air pollution episodes. The overall objective of the present work is to produce forecasts of pollutant concentrations with high spatio-temporal resolution and to quantify the uncertainty in those forecasts. Therefore, a new approach was developed based on a two-step methodology. Firstly, neural network models were used to generate short-term temporal forecasts based on air pollution and meteorology data. The accuracy of those forecasts was then evaluated against an independent set of historical data. Secondly, local conditional distributions of the observed values with respect to the predicted values were used to perform spatial stochastic simulations for the entire geographic area of interest. With this approach the spatio-temporal dispersion of a pollutant can be predicted, while accounting for both the temporal uncertainty in the forecast (reflecting the neural networks efficiency at each monitoring station) and the spatial uncertainty as revealed by the spatial variograms. Based on an analysis of the results, our proposed method offers a highly promising alternative for the characterization of urban air quality.     

The organic composition of C/2001 A2 (LINEAR): II. Search for heterogeneity within a comet nucleus

The nucleus of Comet C/2001 A2 (LINEAR) split several times during its recent apparition, presenting an unusual opportunity to search for chemical differences in freshly exposed material. We conducted this search using NIRSPEC at the W.M. Keck Observatory on four dates in 2001: 9.5 and 10.5 July and 4.4 and 10.5 August. We detected the R0 and R1 lines of the ν₃ vibrational band of CH₄ near 3.3 μm on all dates. The R2 line was detected on 4.4 and 10.5 August. When we compare production rates of CH₄ to H₂O, we find evidence of a significant enhancement in August relative to that found in July. H₂CO was securely detected via its ν₁ and ν₅ bands on 9.5 July. On 10.5 July, H₂CO emission was much weaker, and its mixing ratio had dropped by a factor of about four. The mixing ratios for other detected volatile species did not change significantly over the course of the observations. We discuss the implications of this evidence for chemical heterogeneity in the nucleus of Comet C/2001 A2.     

A high-resolution infrared spectral survey of Comet C/1999 H1 Lee

We obtained high-resolution (λ/Δλ∼25,000) spectra of Comet C/1999 H1 (Lee) on UT 1999 August 19.6 and 21.6 using the cross-dispersed Near InfraRed SPECtrometer (NIRSPEC) at the Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea, HI. Here we present spectra of Comet Lee between 2.874 and 3.701 μm (3479-2702 cm⁻¹) representing the most complete high-resolution infrared survey of a comet to date in this wavelength region. Using published line lists and laboratory spectra we have identified 444 of the 545 distinct emission features present in these spectra. We have tabulated the rest frequencies, assignments, relative intensities, and signal-to-noise ratios of all detected emissions. In addition to gaining insights into the chemistry of Comet Lee, this survey provides a valuable tool for planning future high-resolution infrared observations of comets and other astronomical targets, and for retrospective comparison to existing high-resolution infrared datasets.     

Light curve analysis of the short period eclipsing binary RT and

We have analysed the 1978 UBV photoelectric observations of the short-period (RS CVn type) binary system RT And, using the rectifiable methods of Russell and Merrill (1952) and Kitamura (1965). The primary minimum is a transit. The solutions allow us to classify the system as a detached one, but a certain disagreement results with respect to solutions of previous epochs. A graphical test of the reliability of the solution is given.     

Revised photometric elements of BF Vir

TheB light curve of BF Vir published by Mallama and Witt (1976) has been re-analyzed using the Wilson and Devinney (1971) approach and the absolute dimensions have been computed. The system turns out to be a semi-detached system, with an A2V primary and an evolved G2 undermassive secondary which fills its Roche lobe; the primary, even if detached, is not far from contact.     

A Multi-Wavelength Simultaneous Study of the Composition of the Halley Family Comet 8P/Tuttle

We report on simultaneous optical and infrared observations of the Halley Family comet 8P/Tuttle performed with the ESO Very Large Telescope. Such multi-wavelength and coordinated observations are a good example of what can be done to support space missions. From high resolution optical spectroscopy of the CN (0,0) 388 nm and NH₂ (0,9,0) 610 nm bands using UVES at UT2 we determined ¹²C/¹³C = 90 ± 10 and ¹⁴N/¹⁵N = 150 ± 20 in CN and we derived a nuclear spin temperature of NH₃ of 29 ± 1 K. These values are similar to those found in Oort-Cloud and Jupiter Family comets. From low resolution long slit spectroscopy with FORS1 at UT2 we determined the CN, C₃ and C₂ production rates and the parent and daughter scale lengths up to 5.2 10⁵ km tailward. From high resolution IR spectroscopy with CRIRES at UT1 we measured simultaneously the production rates and mixing ratios of H₂O, HCN, C₂H₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, and CH₃OH.     

Stratigraphic evidence for an Early Aptian sea-level fluctuation: the Graua Limestone of south-eastern Ethiopia

The occurrence of a thin band of marine limestone (Graua Limestone) within a thick succession of fluviatile sandstones in south-eastern Ethiopia is direct evidence of flooding of part of the East African craton (Horn of Africa). According to the presence of abundant orbitolinid foraminifers (Palorbitolina lenticularis Blumenbach andPraeorbitolina cormyi Schroeder), the age of the Graua Limestone can be referred to the Early Aptian. Stratigraphy and palaeogeographic reconstructions for the Early Cretaceous in the surrounding regions (Kenya, Somalia, Yemen, Socotra, Oman, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Libya) show that the Early Aptian transgression was of regional extent. Our data seem to confirm that this transgression was of relatively short duration. This pulse cannot be related to tectono-eustatic mechanisms, which are too slow. A short-lived event should be invoked: either a regional tectonic pulse or the desiccation of the proto-South Atlantic.     

Short time-scale impacts of hydropeaking on benthic invertebrates in an Alpine stream (Trentino,Italy)

The impact of a single hydropeaking event was studied in the Alpine stream Noce Bianco. Four stations were selected, one upstream and three, respectively, at 0.25, 6, and 8 km downstream from a hydropower plant. We collected drifting invertebrates during a planned water release that increased the discharge 7-fold. At the onset of the hydropeaking wave the number of invertebrates lost from the riverbed per minute to the drift increased 9-fold at the first downstream station and the same effects propagated 8 km downstream. The drift was composed mainly of aquatic insect larvae (Chironomidae, Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera Baetidae, and Psychodidae, with Chironomidae as the most abundant taxon at all stations) and partly by larval and adult riparian insects, and by Oligochaeta, which were particularly abundant at the station 6 km downstream. We monitored drift for 30 min from the start of the water release: peaks in drifting invertebrates occurred within 5–10 min of the beginning of the hydropeaking wave, and most of the invertebrates were washed out within the first 15 min of the water release. The different timeframes were possibly due to habitat preferences (most of the taxa that increased in the drift at the arrival of the wave were associated with algae and organic debris, which were washed off quickly by the increase in discharge) and/or behavioral adaptations (other taxa initially resisted the shear stress and began to drift with a delay of 5–10 min). The temporal pattern and drift composition corresponded well with those reported in literature, and indicate that repeated high-flow events of similar magnitude cause considerable losses from benthic populations to drift.