Assessing landslide exposure in areas with limited landslide information

Landslide risk assessment is often a difficult task due to the lack of temporal data on landslides and triggering events (frequency), run-out distance, landslide magnitude and vulnerability. The probability of occurrence of landslides is often very difficult to predict, as well as the expected magnitude of events, due to the limited data availability on past landslide activity. In this paper, a qualitative procedure for assessing the exposure of elements at risk is presented for an area of the Apulia region (Italy) where no temporal information on landslide occurrence is available. Given these limitations in data availability, it was not possible to produce a reliable landslide hazard map and, consequently, a risk map. The qualitative analysis was carried out using the spatial multi-criteria evaluation method in a global information system. A landslide susceptibility composite index map and four asset index maps (physical, social, economic and environmental) were generated separately through a hierarchical procedure of standardising and weighting. The four asset index maps were combined in order to obtain a qualitative weighted assets map, which, combined with the landslide susceptibility composite index map, has provided the final qualitative landslide exposure map. The resulting map represents the spatial distribution of the exposure level in the study area; this information could be used in a preliminary stage of regional planning. In order to demonstrate how such an exposure map could be used in a basic risk assessment, a quantification of the economic losses at municipal level was carried out, and the temporal probability of landslides was estimated, on the basis of the expert knowledge. Although the proposed methodology for the exposure assessment did not consider the landslide run-out and vulnerability quantification, the results obtained allow to rank the municipalities in terms of increasing exposure and risk level and, consequently, to identify the priorities for designing appropriate landslide risk mitigation plans.     

Characterization of organic-rich mineral debris revealed by rapid glacier retreat,Indren Glacier,European Alps

In the summer of 2003 and 2004, characterized by a rapid glacier retreat, a stony surface covered by well-structured organic-rich mineral debris was observed very close to the Indren glacier terminus(Monte Rosa Massif, NW Italy, 3100 m ASL), on an area covered by the glacier tongue till the year before. The origin and type of this organicrich material were investigated, in order to detect their characteristics, potential sources and fate within the foreland system. The deposits were dated using Carbon-14 and analyzed for the chemical characteristics of the organic component, the elemental composition of the mineral fraction and presence of microbial markers. The material, granular and dark in color, had a total organic carbon(TOC) content ranging between 17.4 ± 0.39 and 28.1 ± 0.63 g kg-1 dry weight(dw), significantly higher than the surrounding glacial till(～ 1.4 g kg-1 dw), although only 0.33% of it was in water soluble form. Microbial carbon(C) and nitrogen(N) accounted for 10.6% and 3.13% of TOC and total N, respectively. Dissolved nitrogen(N), mainly present as ammonium, represented 2.40% of the total N. The low aromatic component and large presence of nitrogen(N)-derived compounds suggested that most of the organic carbon(OC) in these organic-rich mineral deposits was derived from microbial cells, although the high average radiocarbon age of about 2900 years may also point to the contribution of aeolian depositions of anthropogenic or natural origin. Elemental composition and the crustal enrichment factor of trace elements in the mineral fraction of the aggregates corroborated the hypothesis that most part of the accumulated material derived from ice meltwater. Some indicators of the colonization of these deposits by microbial communities were also reported, from the abundance of DNA and phylogenetic markers, to the presence of bacterial taxa commonly able to thrive in similar habitats. All these elements suggested that such kind of deposits may have a potential role as energy and nutrient sources in recently deglaciated areas, highlighting the necessity to better understand the processes underlying their formation and their evolution.     

Late Neolithic vegetation history at the pile‐dwelling site of Palù di Livenza (northeastern Italy

The Late Neolithic pile‐dwelling of Palù di Livenza yielded archaeological remains typical of the Square Mouth Pottery and Lagozza Cultures. A palynological investigation reveals important changes in the vegetation due to anthropogenic pressure. Between ca. 6590 and 5960 cal. yr BP, dense oak wood forests with deciduous Quercus, Fagus and Corylus extended around the mire, with no signs of human impact. The establishment of the pile‐dwelling, dated to ca. 5960 cal. yr BP, led to a strong reduction of forests, reclamation of wetlands, and expansion of herbaceous communities, with cultivated species, infestant weeds, nitrophilous and ruderal herbs, pastures and meadows. According to AMS dates and previous archaeological chronologies, the pile‐dwelling persisted for about 700 years (from ca. 5960 to 5260 cal. yr BP). The history of the pile‐dwelling after ca. 5260 cal. yr BP cannot be reconstructed because of recent contamination of the top part of the section. Rarefaction analysis was applied to estimate changes of palynological richness through time: the highest E(T_n) (between 56 and 69 taxa) are contemporaneous with the local development of the pile‐dwelling. The comparison of pollen data with archaeobotanical evidence indicates that Fragaria vesca, Malus sylvestris, Papaver somniferum and Physalis alkekengi were gathered at some distance from the site and that Linum usitatissimum is strongly under‐represented in pollen samples. Crop cultivation can be estimated for a radius of several hundred metres around the mire. Palù di Livenza is significant in the context of Neolithic archaeobotany of northern Italy and neighbouring countries. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Innovative monitoring tools for the complex spatial dynamics of river chemistry: case study for the Alpine region

Chemical reactions in aqueous geochemical systems are driven by nonequilibrium conditions, and their dynamics can be deduced through the distributional analysis (identification of probability laws) of complex compositional indices. In this perspective, compositional data analysis offers the possibility to investigate the behavior of the composition as a whole instead of isolated chemical species, with the awareness that multispecies systems are characterized by the simultaneous interactions among all their parts. We addressed this problem using D???1 isometric log-ratio coordinates describing the D compositional dataset of the river chemistry of the Alpine region (D number of variables), thus working in the \({{\mathbb{R}}^{D - 1}}\) statistical sample space. The D???1 coordinates were chosen using the decreasing variance criterion so that each one could provide information about different space–time properties for the investigated geochemical system. Coordinates dominated by heterogeneity appear to be able to capture regime shifts only on a long-time period and monitor processes on a very wide scale. On the other hand, coordinates characterized by lower variability present multimodality, thus capturing the presence of alternative states in the analyzed spatial domain also for the current time. Further developments are needed to determine the ranges of conditions for which variability and other statistics can be useful indicators of regime shifts on different time–space scales in geochemical systems.     

PCBs and PAHs in surficial sediments from aquatic environments of Mexico City and the coastal states of Sonora,Sinaloa, Oaxaca and Veracruz (Mexico)

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in 13 surficial sediment samples collected at three lacustrine locations in the surroundings of Mexico City and four coastal areas of the States of Sinaloa, Sonora, Oaxaca and Veracruz. Total PCB concentrations span the interval 3.18–621 ng g⁻¹. The highest values (63.7–621 ng g⁻¹) were found in Mexico City, which is a highly anthropogenically impacted area, whereas low concentrations (3.18–12.9 ng g⁻¹) were characteristic of seven places, some of them subject to intense hydrodynamics. In these latter cases, values increase by 18–73 times if normalised against the fine fraction (silt plus clay) content in sediment. Two samples from Mexico City exceed the ERM (Effect Range Median) guidelines and are likely to cause adverse effects. Samples contain only lower chlorinated PCBs (mainly 2-, 3- and 4-CB), thus suggesting that the most used PCB commercial mixture was Aroclor 1242. The homologue composition of the sample taken close to the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde is identical to this commercial mixture. PAHs in the same samples have relatively low concentrations (14.9–287 ng g⁻¹), well below ERL (Effect Range Low) guidelines. The composition of PAH mixtures accounts for the influence of both petrogenic and pyrolitic sources, with these latter prevailing at some places in Mexico City.     

Geochemical thermodynamics of cadmium removal from water with limestone

Limestone-based material can reduce concentrations of cadmium below 0.001 mg/L (1 ppb) in water, resulting in > 99% removal efficiency. Thermodynamic constraints appear to be favorable for reactions involving the formation of otavite during cadmium removal. Thermodynamic values for these reactions yield a theoretical removal limit of 0.0015 mg/L or better for cadmium, in reasonable agreement with tests on laboratory and field samples that show cadmium removal at levels less than 0.001 mg/L.     

Particulate matter concentrations in a high-quality rubber-tyred metro system: the case study of Turin in Italy

Particulate matter concentrations measured in railway metro systems are consistently higher than at street level (up to an indoor/outdoor ratio equal to 10), with dangerous effects for passenger health. These concentrations are mainly produced both by the mechanical friction and wear processes at the rail-wheel-brake interfaces and by the re-suspension caused by the turbulence generated by the train transit. The literature abounds in case studies dealing with the elevated concentrations and the analysis of the atomic composition of particulate matter as well as the epidemiological studies regarding the effects on human health. By contrast, the problem of reducing particulate matter concentrations was not much discussed. Starting from these considerations, the aim of this research was to investigate the PM concentrations of a “high-quality” metro system equipped with useful devices for reducing these concentrations: rubber-tyred, platform screen doors, an advanced ventilation system and a variable slope of the longitudinal profile. A measurement campaign was performed in the metro of Turin (Italy). Experimental results show that the indoor concentrations are statistically lower than those measured in outdoors; that particulate matter levels are closely correlated to the train frequency; the particulate matter concentrations measured inside trains are lower than the ones measured at station platform. From these results, it is possible to note that particulate matter concentrations measured in a “high-quality” metro system are significantly lower than the ones measured in “traditional” railways. This result is significant and poses the bases for the definition of useful interventions for retrofitting metro systems.     

Late slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation during the Last Glacial Inception: New constraints from sedimentary (231Pa/230Th)

Our study gives new constraints on the response of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) export to various forcings during the Last Glacial Inception. The decay corrected excess sedimentary (²³¹Pa/²³⁰Th) activity ratio (hereafter referred to as (Pa/Th)) has been measured over that period in two deep cores from the Western (SU90-11, 44°04′N, 40°01′W, 3645 m) and Eastern (MD01-2446, 39°03′N, 12°37′W, 3547 m) basins of the North Atlantic. Both records display significant changes despite the relatively short half-life of ²³¹Pa (～ 32 kyr) compared to the period we investigate. The (Pa/Th) variability does not correlate to changes in local opal flux normalized to ²³⁰Th. Moreover, the (Pa/Th) profiles display a high degree of coherency with indirect proxies of AMOC activity such as the benthic foraminifera δ¹³C and the mid-latitude summer Sea Surface Temperature in nearby reference cores. These additional pieces of evidence support our interpretation of the (Pa/Th) as reflecting AMOC export. The (Pa/Th) repeatedly underwent rapid changes during the Last Glacial Inception associated with the extension of ice rafted detritus in the North Atlantic, highlighting the control of ice-sheet dynamics through freshwater forcing on AMOC export. AMOC export remains large during periods of ice-sheet growth and its decreases lag the Northern Hemisphere summer insolation forcing. AMOC modulation appears driven by ice-sheet dynamics, itself driven by the seasonal insolation gradient between low and high Northern Hemisphere latitudes and the associated intensity of the meridional oceanic and atmospheric circulation.     

“Enough Wandering Around!”: Life Trajectories,Mobility, and Place Making in Neoliberal Academia

This article analyzes the life trajectories of twelve early-career geographers in relation to their life–work experiences in an increasingly neoliberal academia and its constant demands of hypermobility. Using (auto)ethnographic research methods, it delves into the manifestations and effects of the pervasive myth of the detached, always ready-to-move scholar. We analyze the role of mobility in imaginaries and practices of academia and its close relationship with privilege and precarity. Our findings show how academic work is inescapably located despite the systematic erasure of the bodies, places, and networks that scholars are part of. By taking into account the centrality of place making in academic experience, our conclusions point to more comprehensive ways in which academic mobility can be understood, reflected on as part of geographers’ professional training, and transformed.     

Microalgal Communities of the Sea Ice, Ice-Covered and Ice-Free Waters of Wood Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica) During the Austral Summer 1993 – 94

Abstract. During the austral summer 1993 – 94, microalgal density and biomass were investigated in the sea ice, in the underlying water column, in the melt water and during the formation of the sea ice. Of the 96 taxa identified, 59 were diatoms and 32 were dinoflagellates. Among the remaining five species, Pseudopleurochloris antarctica  was very abundant both in the sea ice and in the ice-free waters. Cell densities and biomass of microalgae were higher in the bottom of the sea ice and during the formation of the ice than in the seawater, and diatoms were the dominant group at higher microalgal biomass. Among these, Entomoneis kufferathii , Chaetoceros dichaeta and Fragilariopsis species were the most common taxa.