Carbon dioxide and radon gas hazard in the Alban Hills area (central Italy)

The sudden and catastrophic, or slow and continuous, release at surface of naturally occurring toxic gases like CO₂, H₂S and Rn poses a serious health risk to people living in geologically active regions. In general this problem receives little attention from local governments, although public concern is raised periodically when anomalous toxic-gas concentrations suddenly kill humans or livestock. For example, elevated CO₂ concentrations have been linked to the death of at least 10 people in the central Italian region of Lazio over the last 20 years, while it was the CO₂ asphyxiation of 30 cows in a heavily populated area near Rome in 1999 which prompted the present soil-gas study into the distribution of the local health risk. A detailed geochemical survey was carried out in an area of about 4 km² in the Ciampino and Marino districts, whereby a total of 274 soil-gas samples were collected and analysed for more than 10 major and trace gas species. Data were then processed using both statistical and geostatistical methods, and the resulting maps were examined in order to highlight areas of elevated risk. General trends of elevated CO₂ and Rn concentrations imply the presence of preferential pathways (i.e. faults and fractures) along which deep gases are able to migrate towards the surface. The CO₂ and Rn anomalous trends often correspond to and are usually elongated parallel to the Apennine mountain range, the controlling structural feature in central Italy. Because of this fundamental anisotropy in the factors controlling the soil-gas distribution, it was found that a geostatistical approach using variogram analysis allowed for a better interpretation of the data. With regard to the health risk to local inhabitants, it was found that although some high risk areas had been zoned as parkland, others had been heavily developed for residential purposes. For example, many new houses were found to have been built on ground which has soil-gas CO₂ concentrations of more than 70% and radon values of more than 250 kBq m⁻³. It is recommended that land-use planners incorporate soil-gas and/or gas flux measurements in environmental assessments in areas of possible risk (i.e. volcanic or structurally active areas).     

Imaging buried Quaternary valleys using the transient electromagnetic method

Buried Quaternary valleys in Denmark are complex structures filled with various deposits consisting primarily of glacio-lacustrine clay, till and meltwater sand, and gravel. The valleys are important geophysical targets, because they often contain significant volumes of groundwater used for public water supply. About 700 km of buried valley structures have been imaged in the western part of Denmark by the transient electromagnetic (TEM) method. The ability to map the valleys depends primarily on valley geometry, infill architecture and the resistivity of the fill sediments as well as the substratum. One-dimensional (1-D) inversion models of the TEM soundings have been used to construct contour maps of 20 m average resistivities and depth to a good conductor, which provide images for geological interpretation. Images of buried valley morphology, fill properties, infill architecture, such as cut-and-fill structures, valley distribution and valley generations, are characterized for case studies from Hornsyld, Holstebro and the Vonsild/Agtrup areas of Denmark.     

Studies of Hydrochemical and Kinetic Characteristics of Small Water Bodies in the Context of Their Eutrophication

Comparison study data on the hydrochemical parameters, bacterio- and phytoplankton, and reduction–oxidation characteristics of two ponds in Krasnoyarsk are presented. These water bodies are of interest due to the fact that the ecosystems of these natural model objects respond to eutrophication in different ways. It is assumed that the reason for this difference is in the hydrophysical characteristics depending on the morphology of the basins of the water bodies rather than in the hydrochemical characteristics.     

A Study of Oil Biodegradation in the Black Sea Water

A laboratory study was conducted to examine oil biodegradation in the presence of a fouling organism community. It is shown that the majority of fouling species exhibit relatively weak tolerance to oil. Oil degradation in seawater is shown to proceed quicker and more completely in the presence of the fouling organism community than it does without such organisms. The population of specific bacterial groups is shown first to grow and next decrease as a result of accumulation in water of toxic products of their vital activity. Oil biodegradation is found to cause substantial changes in the water hydrochemical characteristics in experimental vessels.     

Dublin days: the 2003 NAM

Mark E Bailey and Tom Ray give an overview of the National Astronomy Meeting in Dublin, where record numbers of astronomers went to talk, listen and network.     

Natural Gradient Tracer Test to Evaluate Natural Attenuation of MTBE Under Anaerobic Conditions

A natural gradient tracer test using perdeuterated MTBE was conducted in an anaerobic aquifer to determine the relative importance of dispersion and degradation in reducing MTBE concentrations in ground water. Preliminary ground water chemistry and hydraulic conductivity data were used to place the tracer within an existing dissolved MTBE plume at Port Hueneme, California. Following one year of transport, the tracer plume was characterized in detail.
Longitudinal dispersion was identified as the dominant mechanism for lowering the perdeuterated MTBE concentrations. The method of moments was used to determine the longitudinal and lateral dispersion coefficients (0.85 m²/day and 0.08 m²/day, respectively). A mass-balance analysis, carried out after one year of transport, accounted for 110% of the injected mass and indicated that no significant mass loss occurred. The plume structure created by zones of higher and lower hydraulic conductivity at the site was complex, consisting of several localized areas of high tracer concentration in a lower concentration plume. This is important because the aquifer has generally been characterized as exhibiting fairly minor heterogeneity. In addition, the tracer plume followed a curved flowpath that deviated from the more macroscopic direction of ground water flow inferred from local ground water elevation measurements and the behavior of the existing plume. Understanding the mass balance, plume structure, curvature of the tracer plume, and consequently natural attenuation behavior required the detailed sampling approach employed in this study. These data imply that a detailed understanding of site hydrogeology and an extensive sampling network may be critical for the correct interpretation of monitored natural attenuation of MTBE.     

Attenuation of body waves in Southeastern Sicily (Italy)

The attenuation of P- and S-waves in Southeastern Sicily was estimated by applying two different methods in time and frequency domains. We analyzed waveforms from about 290 local events (0.6≤M_L≤4.6) recorded at a three-component digital network.By applying the pulse broadening method to the first P-wave pulse, we found an average Q_p value of ca. 140. The application of the frequency decay method provided a Q_p value of ca. 120, in the low-frequency band (3-9 Hz). Conversely, in the high frequency range (16-27 Hz) the average Q_p is significantly larger (ca. 640). The frequency decay method was also applied to S-waves spectra. In the low frequency range (2-5 Hz) the estimated average Q_s is ca. 190. As for Q_p, also Q_s, in the high frequency range (16-27 Hz), is larger (ca. 700). These results evidenced a frequency dependence of both the quality factors Q_p and Q_s, as commonly observed in tectonically active zones characterized by high degree of heterogeneity.     

A quantitative study of the energy release in the aftershocks of the Bhuj earthquake, 2001, India, using Lg phase

The devastating earthquake on 26 January 2001 at Bhuj, India, resulted in large-scale death and destruction of properties of several million US dollars. The moment magnitude of the earthquake was 7.7 and its maximum focal intensity exceeded X in MM scale. The rate of aftershocks of this earthquake, recorded at Gauribidanur seismic array station (GBA), shows a monotonic decay with time superposed with oscillations. For the Indian continent the Lg phase is a prominent arrival at regional distances. The estimate of Lg amplitude is obtained by optimally fitting the Lg wave train to a exponential decay curve. The logarithm of these amplitudes and logarithm of root mean square (rms) value of actual amplitudes of the Lg are calibrated with USGS m_b to create a local m_bLg magnitude scale. The energy released from these aftershocks is calculated from the rms value of Lg phase. The plot of cumulative energy release with time follows the power law of the form t^p, superposed with oscillations. The exponent of the power law, p, is estimated both by a time-window scanning method and by an interpolation method. The value of p is 0.434 for time-window scanning method and 0.432 for the interpolation method. The predominant periods found in the oscillatory part of the cumulative energy, obtained by differencing the observed from the power law fit, are 10.6, 7.9, 5.4, 4.6 and 3.5 h for time-window scanning method. The corresponding periods for interpolation method are 13.4, 11.5, 7.4, 4.2, 3.5, 2.6 and 2.4 h.     

Triggering Mechanisms of Slope Instability and their Relationship to Earthquakes and Tsunamis

— Submarine and shoreline slope failures that accompany large earthquakes and large tsunamis are triggered by several mechanisms. Triggering mechanisms range from direct effects, such as inertial forces from earthquake shaking, to indirect effects, such as rapid drawdown that occurs when an earthquake-generated tsunami first approaches a shoreline. Soil shear strength also plays an important role in earthquake-related slope failures. Earthquakes change the shear strength of the soil by inducing excess pore water pressures. These excess pore water pressures change with time after the earthquake, resulting in changes in shear strength and slope stability with time. This paper reviews earthquake-related triggering mechanisms for submarine and shoreline slope failures. The variation in shear strength with time following an earthquake is examined and it is shown that delayed slope failures after an earthquake can occur as a result of changes in earthquake-induced excess pore water pressures and shear strength with time.