A permafrost warming in a cooling Antarctica?

The magnitude and even direction of recent Antarctic climate change is still debated because the paucity of long and complete instrumental data records. While along Antarctic Peninsula a strong warming coupled with large retreat of glaciers occurred, in continental Antarctica a cooling was recently detected. Here, the first existing permafrost data set longer than 10 years recorded in continental Antarctica is presented. Since 1997 summer ground surface temperature showed a strong warming trend (0.31°C per year) although the air temperature was almost stable. The summer ground surface temperature increase seemed to be influenced mainly by the increase of the total summer radiation as confirmed also by the increase of the summer thawing degree days. In the same period the active layer exhibited a thickening trend (1 cm per year) comparable with the thickening rates observed in several Arctic locations where air warming occurred. At all the investigated depths permafrost exhibited an increase of mean annual temperature of approximately 0.1°C per year. The dichotomy between active layer thickness and air temperature trends can produce large unexepected and unmodelled impacts on ecosystems and CO₂ balance.     

Mapping urban fingerprints of odonyms automatically extracted from French novels

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we propose and discuss a methodology to map the spatial fingerprints of novels and authors based on all of the named urban roads (i.e., odonyms) extracted from novels. We present several ways to explore Parisian space and fictional landscapes by interactively and simultaneously browsing geographical space and literary text. Our project involves building a platform capable of retrieving, mapping and analyzing the occurrences of named urban roads in novels in which the action occurs wholly or partly in Paris. This platform will be used in several areas, such as cultural tourism, urban research, and literary analysis. The paper focuses on extracting named urban roads and mapping the results for a sample of 31 novels published between 1800 and 1914. Two approaches to the annotation of odonyms are compared. First, we describe a proof of concept using queries made via the TXM textual analysis platform. Then, we describe an automatic process using a natural language processing (NLP) method. Additionally, we mention how the geosemantic information annotated from the text (e.g., a structure combining verbs, spatial relations, named entities, adjectives and adverbs) can be used to automatically characterize the semantic content associated with named urban roads.     

Short-term under-ice variability of prokaryotic plankton communities in coastal Antarctic waters (Cape Hallett, Ross Sea)

During the 2006 Italian Antarctic expedition a diel sampling was performed close to Cape Hallett (Ross Sea) during the Austral summer. Under-ice seawater samples (4 m) were collected every 2 h for 28 h in order to estimate prokaryotic processes' variability and community structure dynamics. Prokaryotic and viral abundances, exoenzymatic activities (β-glucosidase, chitinase, lipase, alkaline phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase), prokaryotic carbon production (³H-leucine incorporation) and community structure (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis – DGGE fingerprints) were analysed. Results showed that the diel variability of the prokaryotic activity followed a variation in salinity, probably as a consequence of the periodical thawing of sea ice (driven by solar radiation and air temperature cycles), while negligible variation in viral and prokaryotic abundances occurred. The Bacterial and Archaeal community structures underwent an Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) temporal shift from the beginning to the end of the sampling, while Flavobacteria-specific primers highlighted high variations in this group possibly related to sea ice melting and substrate release.     

Soil erosion processes in subtropical plantations (Diospyros kaki) managed under flood irrigation in Eastern Spain

Persimmons (Diospyros kaki) are trees cultivated under subtropical environmental conditions but are also found in other regions such as the Mediterranean. However, no research has been conducted to investigate soil erosion processes under Mediterranean soil management systems characterized by flood irrigation and/or tillage. The Improved Stock Unearthing Method (ISUM) for assessing long-term soil mobilization was applied to two fields, one under tillage and the other under no-till with herbicide within a 25-year old Mediterranean persimmon plantation. Replicating methods used in vineyard studies, graft unións on persimmon plants were used as passive bio-indicators of soil surface changes in this study. The tilled field showed a total soil mobilization volume of 48.4 m³ on a 408.5 m² plot, representing a total soil loss of 52.6 Mg ha^-1 yr^-1. For the plot (468 m²) managed with no-till and herbicide, the results indicated total soil mobilization of 33.6 m³ which translates to 31.9 Mg ha^-1 yr^-1. It is concluded that flood irrigation is able to modify the runoff pathways and landforms in Mediterranean persimmon plantations, and the flood impact is more extensive when combined with tillage. For the first time, ISUM has been successfully applied to estimate soil erosion in a plantation under flood irrigation.     

Organic waste impact of capture-based Atlantic bluefin tuna aquaculture at an exposed site in the Mediterranean Sea

A variety of pelagic and benthic parameters were measured at an aquaculture farm used for the fattening of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) which is located at an exposed site (700 m from the coast, average bottom depth of 45 m and average current speed of 6 cm s⁻¹) in the Mediterranean Sea. The objective was to test whether modern off-shore tuna fattening industries can exert a sustainable organic waste impact on the receiving environment as has been reported for the offshore culture of more traditional Mediterranean species such as sparids. In the water column, the concentration of phytopigments, organic matter, heterotrophic bacteria and the taxonomic abundance of mesozooplankton (at the species level) were assessed. In the sediment, we assessed the concentration of reduced sulphur pools, phytopigments, organic matter, heterotrophic bacteria and the taxonomic abundance of meiofauna (at the taxa level) and nematodes (at the genus level). For most parameters, we found no substantial differences between farm and control sites. Deviations of farm values from control values, when they occurred, were small and did not indicate any significant impact on either the pelagic and benthic environment. Deviations were more apparent in the benthic compartment where lower redox potential values, higher bacterial production rates and a change in nematode genus composition pointed out to early changes in the sediment's metabolism. In addition, indigenous potential pathogenic bacteria showed higher concentration at the fish farm stations and were a warning of an undesirable event that may become established following aquaculture practice in oligotrophic environments. The overall data from this study provide extensive experimental evidence to support the sustainability of modern offshore farming technology in minimizing the hypertrophic-dystrophic risks associated with the rapidly-expanding tuna-fattening industry in the Mediterranean Sea.     

A model for the formation of vesiculated tuff by the coalescence of accretionary lapilli

Observations on phreatomagmatic ash deposits of Phlegraean Fields and Vesuvius supply evidence for the origin of vesiculated tuff in a cool environment. Early deposition by fallout of a matrix-free bed of damp accretionary lapilli is followed by deposition of cohesive mud or a mud rain. The lapilli bed becomes partly or completely transformed into a vesiculated tuff by mud percolation and eventual coalescence of accretionary lapilli with consequent trapping of air originally contained in the interstices. The proposed mechanism accounts for vesiculated tuff formation in distal deposits beyond limits commonly attained by pyroclastic surges. This same mechanism may, nevertheless, also operate in proximal tuff-ring and cone deposits during fallout of phreatomagmatic ash separating bed sets in surge-dominated successions. The sequence of events in the proposed model fits well with the evolution of a cooling phreatomagmatic ash cloud in which early ash aggregation (accretionary lapilli fallout) is followed closely by steam condensation (mud or muddy rainfall). This new model invoking a cool-temperature origin is intended to be complementary to previously proposed theories. Although difficult to assess because of the often complete obliteration of original lapilli, the process is believed to be relatively common in the generasion of vesiculated tuffs within phreatomagmatic deposits.     

Rapid estimation of ground-shaking maps for seismic emergency management in the Campania Region of southern Italy

Strong ground-shaking mapping soon after a moderate-to-large earthquake is crucial to recognize the areas that have suffered the largest damage and losses. These maps have a fundamental role for emergency services, loss estimation and planning of emergency actions by the Civil Protection Authorities. This is particularly important for areas with high seismic risk levels, such as the Campania-Lucania Region in southern Italy. Taking advantage of the Irpinia Seismic Network (ISNet), a recently installed dense and wide dynamic seismic network, we have developed a procedure for rapid estimation of ground-shaking maps after moderate-to-large earthquakes (GRSmap). This uses an optimal data gridding scheme designed to account for bi-dimensional features of strong ground-motion fields, such as directivity, radiation patterns and focal mechanisms, to which most damage can be correlated. The basis of the mapping technique is a triangulation procedure to locally correct predicted data at the triangle barycentres where their vertices correspond to seismic stations. The method has been tested off-line using a simulated M 6.6 earthquake located at the centre of ISNet and applied to data of the 23 November 1980 Irpina M 6.9 earthquake recorded by a sparse network. This has highlighted its ability to predict peak ground-motion parameters of large magnitude earthquakes with respect to the attenuation relationships.     

Applicability of pushover methods for the seismic analysis of single‐column bent viaducts

An overview of the applicability of a typical single‐mode pushover method (the N2 method) and two typical multi‐mode pushover methods (the modal pushover analysis (MPA) and incremental response spectrum analysis (IRSA) methods) for the analysis of single column bent viaducts in the transverse direction is presented. Previous research, which was limited to relatively short viaducts supported by few columns, has been extended to longer viaducts with more bents. The single‐mode N2 method is accurate enough for bridges where the effective modal mass of the fundamental mode is at least 80% of the total mass. The applicability of this method depends on (a) the ratio of the stiffness of the superstructure to that of the bents and (b) the strength of the bents. In short bridges with few columns, the accuracy of the N2 method increases as the seismic intensity increases, whereas in long viaducts (e.g. viaducts with lengths greater than 500 m) the method is in general less effective. In the case of the analyzed moderately irregular long viaducts, which are common in construction design practice, the MPA method performed well. For the analysis of bridges where the modes change significantly, depending on the seismic intensity, the IRSA method is in principle more appropriate, unless a viaduct is torsionally sensitive. In such cases, all simplified methods should be used with care. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New results of 40Ar/39Ar dating constrain the timing of transition from fissure-type to central volcanism at Mount Etna (Italy)

Recent geological studies performed at Etna allow reassessing the stratigraphic frame of the volcano where distinct evolutionary phases are defined. This stratigraphic reconstruction was chronologically constrained on the basis of a limited number of U–Th and K–Ar age determinations whose uncertainty margins are sometimes too wide. For this reason, we successfully adopted at Etna the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar technique that allowed obtaining more precise age determinations. The incremental heating technique also gives information on sample homogeneity, and potential problems of trapped argon. Five samples were collected from stratigraphically well-controlled volcanic units in order to chronologically define the transition between the fissure-type volcanism of the Timpe phase to the central volcanism of the Valle del Bove Centers. Isotopic ages with an uncertainty margin of 2–4% have been obtained emphasizing that this transition occurred (130–126 ka) without significant temporal hiatus.     

Landslide susceptibility modeling in a landslide prone area in Mazandarn Province,north of Iran: a comparison between GLM,GAM, MARS,and M-AHP methods

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Landslides are identified as one of the most important natural hazards in many areas throughout the world. The essential purpose of this study is to compare...