Relationships between hydrodynamic parameters and grain size in two contrasting transitional environments: The Lagoons of Venice and Cabras, Italy

A comparison was made of shallow water sediments from the Lagoon of Venice (LV) and the Lagoon of Cabras (LC), comparing depositional environments and exploring the relationships between hydrodynamics and sedimentological parameters. The two water bodies are very different in size (LV: 360 km²; LC: 22 km²), and the sediments predominantly consist of silty-clay (LV: Mz ≈ 26 μm; LC: Mz ≈ 6 μm). However, there are large differences between the two lagoons with respect to sand (LV: mean 19%; LC: mean ~ 3%) and clay (LV: mean 20%; LC: mean 45%) contents. The Lagoon of Venice (mean depth ~ 1 m) can be considered a tidal basin, whereas the Lagoon of Cabras (mean depth ~ 2 m) has the character of a coastal lake in which wind is the main hydrodynamic forcing factor. A comparison of sediment grain-size distributions with water circulation patterns in different parts of the lagoons highlighted some interesting differences. Grain-size analyses of samples reveal a deficiency of particles around 8 μm in the LC, which is interpreted as reflecting the transition between cohesive flocs/aggregates and non-cohesive coarser silt particles, while the transition limit in the LV is ~ 20 μm. Thus, particles are cohesive below 8 μm in the LC and below ~ 20 μm in the LV. This is probably because of the differences in the clay/silt ratio, which is much lower in the LV (~ 0.3) than in LC (~ 1), conferring a “silt-dominated network structure” on most of the LV sediments.The hydrographical data used were root mean square velocity (RMSV) and water residence time (WRT), computed under the main forcing conditions. The results show a general correlation between RMSV and sortable silt in the LC, and between RMSV and coarser sediments (63–105 μm) in the LV. Some significant differences between the lagoons were detected in the degree of correlation between WRT and grain size. Root mean square velocity (~ 7 cm s^− 1 in the LV and ~ 3 cm s^− 1 in the LC) was a greater forcing factor in the LC than in the LV. Conversely, WRT, which is on average ~ 16 days in the LV and ~ 19 days in the LC, has more influence in the LV. This study highlights the usefulness of comparing environments with different hydrodynamic energies, e.g., tidal and/or wind-driven currents, to elucidate and thereby improve our understanding of the processes governing the spatial distribution of sedimentological features, the transport mechanisms of sediments, and the relationship between them. The results demonstrate that the approach outlined in this study has the potential to provide a universal hydro-sedimentological classification scheme.     

Influence of Organic Enrichment and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spisula subtruncata</Emphasis> (da Costa, 1778) on Oxygen and Nutrient Fluxes in Fine Sand Sediments

The role of labile organic material and macrofaunal activity in benthic respiration and nutrient regeneration have been tested in sublittoral fine sand sediments from the Gulf of Valencia (northwestern Mediterranean Sea). Three experimental setups were made using benthic chambers. One experiment was performed in-situ through the annual cycle in a well-sorted fine sand community. The remaining experiments were carried out with mesocosms under laboratory conditions: one with different concentrations of organic enrichment (mussel meat and concentrated diatoms culture), and the other adding two different densities of the endofaunal bivalve Spisula subtruncata. Biochemical variables in surface sediment and changes in oxygen consumption and nutrient fluxes throughout incubation period were studied in each experiment. In the in situ incubations, dissolved oxygen (DO) fluxes showed a strong correlation with sedimentary biopolymeric fraction of organic carbon. Organic enrichment in the laboratory experiments was responsible for increased benthic respiration. However, sediment response (expressed as DO uptake and dissolved inorganic nitrogen—DIN—release) between oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions was more intense than between eutrophic and hypertrophic conditions. S. subtruncata abundances close to 400 and 850 ind m^?2 also intensified benthic metabolism. DO uptake and DIN production in mesocosms with added fauna were between 60 and 75 % and 65–100 % higher than in the control treatment respectively. The results of these three experiments suggest that the macrobenthic community may increase the benthic respiration by roughly a factor of two in these bottoms, where S. subtruncata is one of the dominant species. Both organic enrichment and macrobenthic community in general, and S. subtruncata in particular, did not seem to have a relevant role in P and Si cycles in these sediments.     

Intrabasinal conditions promoting the development of a biogenic carbonate sedimentary facies associated with the seagrass Posidonia oceanica

This paper aims to elucidate the spatial relationships between the distribution and growth dynamics of Posidonia oceanica, the sedimentary depositional facies (carbonate vs. siliciclastic), and the hydrodynamic features of the Gulf of Oristano (Western Sardinia, Mediterranean sea), a complex depositional system characterized by multiple sources of sediments and a marked hydrodynamic gradient.     

Effects of organic matter input from a fish farming facility on a Posidonia oceanica meadow

In the Mediterranean, the development of aquaculture along the coasts appears as a source of disturbance to the littoral ecosystems, and in particular to Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. Although the impact of fish farms in Northern Europe has been studied over the last few years, the data are more scarce in the Mediterranean. Thus, a number of physico-chemical and biological parameters have been examined here in order to evaluate the impact of a fish farm in a littoral bay of Corsica. The following values that were recorded in the vicinity of the fish farm are much higher than those at the reference station: organic content of the sediment (24–21 versus 2%), nitrogen concentrations (ammonium: 19.5–8.4 versus 1.8 μM) and phosphorous levels in the pore water (orthophosphates: 5.2–1.3 versus 1.7 μM). The seagrass meadow vitality also seems to be affected in the vicinity of cages, with densities that drop from 466 (reference station) to 108 shoots m⁻² (20 m from cages). Total primary production also varies from 1070.6 to 87.9 g m⁻² year⁻¹. The main impact factors seem to be the input of organic matter originating from the cages and the high epiphyte biomass caused by the nutrient enrichment. The high level of organic matter and the presence of mud seem to alter the physico-chemical characteristics of the bottom sediment; moreover, the plant/epiphyte competition seems to lead to a leaf fragility and, more importantly, to a decrease in available light.     

Structural pattern of the western Las Cañadas caldera (Tenerife, Canary Islands) revealed by audiomagnetotellurics

The local and regional structural pattern of volcanic edifices strongly controls the space distribution of electrical resistivity. Here we report on the structural context of the western part of the Las Cañadas caldera of Tenerife (LCC) thought to have initiated the formation of the caldera. Using a new dataset of 11 audiomagnetotelluric tensors we emphasize the resistivity distribution of Ucanca caldera and propose a major revision of its extension. We find that Ucanca caldera has a limited westwards extent and that El Cedro sector is a depression margin of the caldera. According to the extent of hydrothermalized rocks at the base of the LCC wall and the distribution of Pico Teide – Pico Viejo vents, we constrain the location and size of Ucanca caldera. The interpretation of these results also constrains the extension of the Icod Valley and proposes a headwall located below the Pico Teide – Pico Viejo Complex.     

The dipole anisotropy of the 2 Micron All-Sky Redshift Survey

We estimate the acceleration on the Local Group (LG) from the 2 Micron All-Sky Redshift Survey (2MRS). The sample used includes about 23 200 galaxies with extinction-corrected magnitudes brighter than   K _s= 11.25  and it allows us to calculate the flux-weighted dipole. The near-infrared flux-weighted dipoles are very robust because they closely approximate a mass-weighted dipole, bypassing the effects of redshift distortions and require no preferred reference frame. This is combined with the redshift information to determine the change in dipole with distance. The misalignment angle between the LG and the cosmic microwave background (CMB) dipole drops to  12°± 7°  at around  50  h ⁻¹ Mpc  , but then increases at larger distances, reaching  21°± 8°  at around  130  h ⁻¹ Mpc  . Exclusion of the galaxies Maffei 1, Maffei 2, Dwingeloo 1, IC342 and M87 brings the resultant flux dipole to  14°± 7°  away from the CMB velocity dipole. In both cases, the dipole seemingly converges by  60  h ⁻¹ Mpc  . Assuming convergence, the comparison of the 2MRS flux dipole and the CMB dipole provides a value for the combination of the mass density and luminosity bias parameters  Ω^0.6_m/ b _L= 0.40 ± 0.09  .     

Analysis of a database for anthropogenic sinkhole triggering and zonation in the Naples hinterland (Southern Italy)

Anthropogenic sinkholes are generally due to the collapse of man-made underground caves and represent a major threat, especially in urban contexts, where they could cause damage to people, buildings and lifelines. The hinterland of Naples (Campania, Southern Italy) is one of the most urbanized areas of Italy and is historically affected by frequent sinkhole phenomena. This study analyzes a database of both man-made caves and sinkholes collected by the authors over several years. The aim is to comprehend the predisposing and triggering factors of sinkholes in order to attempt a zonation of occurrence. The predisposing factor resulted to be the presence of a preexisting network of caves within the Campanian Ignimbrite tuff and their geometric features. Generally, the shallower the depth of the chamber roof and the lower the thickness of the vault, the higher is the frequency of sinkholes. Furthermore, an intrinsic fragility is represented by the access shafts of vertical wells, usually filled in and abandoned. Meanwhile, the main triggering mechanism identified consists in saturation of the subsoil, due to water leaks coming from buried sewage and water pipelines. The macrozonation of sinkhole occurrence shows that the highest class is achieved where the tuff is shallow and both man-made caves and historical sinkholes are present.

     

Improving the determination of reservoir capacities for drought control

Reliable methods of determining reservoir capacities are becoming more and more necessary to improve the planning and management of water resources. Due to its easy use and solid technical and scientific basis, the Reservoir Operation Study has been widely utilized by engineers. However, this method is limited by its strong dependence on the available database. This study was undertaken to propose potential modifications to the Reservoir Operation Study to overcome its problems, namely the strong dependence upon the first year of the time series and inability of associating the reservoir storage capacity with a frequency (return period). To make the reservoir capacity independent from the first year of the time series, we created (N ? 1) synthetic series of streamflows (N = the number of years in the time series) and applied the Reservoir Operation Study method to each one. To associate the reservoir capacity with a frequency factor (return period), we applied a Gumbel distribution to the reservoir capacity estimated from each one of the synthetic series. For β-values (proportion of the average streamflow to be regulated) greater than or equal to 0.75, the proposed method efficiently overcame the aforementioned limitation regarding the method’s dependence on the database. The association of storage capacities with return periods greater than the length of the time series, which is presented in this work, also considerably improves the Reservoir Operation Study method.     

The Aeroelastic Study of the Messina Straits Bridge

The Tacoma Bridge disaster, in the 40s, has opened a new interesting chapter in the study of suspension bridges. This is still open today, as the need of making connections easier leads to bridge spans which are longer and longer. Table I gives a list of the suspension bridges with the longest main span, while Figure 1 shows the trend in the main span length for different kind of bridges: a sharp growth is clear in the last years. The complex development of the Messina Strait Bridge project is part of this scenario, in which longer and longer bridges are being built. The project has been brought to an end by 1992 (Ponte sullo Stretto di Messina, 1992): it is a road and railway crossing, with a main span of 3300 m. This paper resumes the huge research carried out about the wind actions on the bridge, which is for sure one among the most critical aspects of the project. Into details, the main purpose has been a careful design and improvement in the shape of both the deck and the towers. An outline of the research carried out on this topic is going to be presented, together with the main results (see also Diana et al., 1999b;Diana et al., 1998;Cigada, 1994;Brancaleoni, 1993;Simiu and Scanlan, 1986).     

On the Use of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Data for Monitoring and Forecasting Natural Hazards

Mathematical Geosciences - Recent advances in satellite technologies, statistical and mathematical models, and computational resources have paved the way for operational use of satellite data in...