Exploring the thermal cycle of the Northern North Sea area using a 3-D circulation model: the example of PROVESS NNS station

Within the framework of activities of the EC funded Project ‘Processes of Vertical Exchange in Shelf Seas’ (PROVESS), the seasonal thermal behaviour during 1998 at a station in the North Sea has been investigated using COHERENS, a three-dimensional fully non-linear hydrodynamic model. Extensive hydrographic measurements were carried out at the Northern North Sea (NNS) station, located at (59°20′N, 1°E). The collected data are used to validate the model results, showing an acceptable agreement between modelled temperatures and those obtained from CTDs and moored thermistors. This is valid both for surface and bottom temperatures, while the mixed layer thickness appears to be underestimated. A series of 3-D runs, testing different turbulence schemes, an internal wave mixing (IWM) parameterisation and the sensitivity to an increase of the surface stress, have been performed with the aim of assessing the relative importance of the advective and mixing processes. The model comparisons mostly evidenced differences in the behaviour of the bottom layer temperature during the last part of the year, which may be due to advection processes. The adoption of an internal wave mixing parameterisation, though managing to reproduce a deeper thermocline, overestimates the mixing around the period of the thermocline breakdown. The run adopting a wind stress increased by 50% provides a better agreement between observed and modelled thermocline. This applies also for surface velocities when compared to Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements, while the bottom ones appear slightly underestimated only in the U-component. The Northern North Sea site appears to be located close to a gyre induced by thermal fronts. Comparisons with nearby wind data measured by an oil rig and by the ships operating in the area seem to confirm that the wind forcing values adopted during the integration are underestimated.     

Fe<Superscript>3+</Superscript> reduction during biotite melting in graphitic metapelites: another origin of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in granulites

The Fe³⁺/Fe_tot of all Fe-bearing minerals has been analysed by Mössbauer spectroscopy in a suite of biotite-rich to biotite-free graphitic metapelite xenoliths, proxies of an amphibolite-granulite transition through progressive biotite melting. Biotite contains 9 to 16% Fe³⁺/Fe_tot, whereas garnet, cordierite and ilmenite are virtually Fe³⁺ -free (0–1% Fe³⁺/Fe_tot) in all samples, regardless of biotite presence. Under relatively reducing conditions (graphite-bearing assemblages), biotite is the only carrier of Fe³⁺ during high-temperature metamorphism; therefore, its disappearance by melting represents an important event of iron reduction during granulite formation, because haplogranitic melts usually incorporate small amounts of ferric iron. Iron reduction is accompanied by the oxidation of carbon and the production of CO₂, according to the redox reaction:

Petrological significance of high-pressure ultramafic xenoliths from ultrapotassic rocks of Central Italy

Two suites of ultramafic xenoliths have been found in ultrapotassic lavas from the 0.9 Ma old Torre Alfina volcano sited at the northern border of the Vulsinian district (Central Italy). One group of Xenoliths consists of spinel-bearing lherzolites, harzburgites, minor wherlites and dunites with a maximum size of 3–4 cm. Some samples contain discrete laths of phlogopite. A second class consists of phlogopite-rich, glass-bearing peridotites. The first suite displays textural characteristics such as triple points, deformed olivine with well developed kink banding and porphyroclastic textures indicating equilibration at high pressure. Pressure estimates give values in the range 1.3–2.5 GPa, corresponding to mantle depths in the area, where the present-day Moho is about 25 km deep. Equilibration temperatures have been estimated in the range between 950–1000°C. The chemical composition of some phases, such as the very high Fo contents of olivines (up to Fo₉₄ in harzburgites), Mg content of orthopyroxenes and Cr/Cr+Al ratios of clinopyroxenes and spinels, suggest that these xenoliths represent peridotites which suffered different degrees of partial melting before being incorporated into the Torre Alfina magma. On the other hand, the occurrence of phlogopite speaks for metasomatic events. The phlogopite-rich, glass-bearing xenoliths consist of phlogopite, olivine, clinopyroxene, rare orthopyroxene and glass. Apatite is the most common accessory. Olivine is present in both euhedral and strained crystals. A few relics of protogranular textures are also observed. Textural and chemical evidence suggests that these xenoliths represent mica-rich peridotites which have undergone phlogopite breakdown during rapid rise to the surface with the development of a K-rich liquid which reacted with mafic phases producing a rapid growth of olivine and, to a lower extent, pyroxene. Originally, these xenoliths may have represented intensively metasomatized upper mantle. However, a cumulitic origin from previous potassic magmatic events cannot be excluded. The host lavas have compositions intermediate between high-silica lamproite and Roman-type ultrapotassic rock. They have high abundances of incompatible elements and radiogenic Sr, coupled with high Mg content, MgO/CaO, Ni and Cr. These features support a genesis in a residual upper mantle which has suffered partial melting with the extraction of basaltic liquids, followed by metasomatic events which caused an enrichment in incompatible elements and radiogenic Sr. The presence of mantle-derived ultramafic xenoliths in the torre Alfina lavas testifies for a rapid uprise of the magma which reached the surface without suffering fractional crystallization and significant interaction with the upper crust. Accordingly, the Torre Alfina lavas represent an unique example of primitive potassic liquid in Central Italy.     

Numerical modeling of space-time wave extremes using WAVEWATCH III

A novel implementation of parameters estimating the space-time wave extremes within the spectral wave model WAVEWATCH III (WW3) is presented. The new output parameters, available in WW3 version 5.16, rely on the theoretical model of Fedele (J Phys Oceanogr 42(9):1601-1615, 2012) extended by Benetazzo et al. (J Phys Oceanogr 45(9):2261–2275, 2015) to estimate the maximum second-order nonlinear crest height over a given space-time region. In order to assess the wave height associated to the maximum crest height and the maximum wave height (generally different in a broad-band stormy sea state), the linear quasi-determinism theory of Boccotti (2000) is considered. The new WW3 implementation is tested by simulating sea states and space-time extremes over the Mediterranean Sea (forced by the wind fields produced by the COSMO-ME atmospheric model). Model simulations are compared to space-time wave maxima observed on March 10th, 2014, in the northern Adriatic Sea (Italy), by a stereo camera system installed on-board the “Acqua Alta” oceanographic tower. Results show that modeled space-time extremes are in general agreement with observations. Differences are mostly ascribed to the accuracy of the wind forcing and, to a lesser extent, to the approximations introduced in the space-time extremes parameterizations. Model estimates are expected to be even more accurate over areas larger than the mean wavelength (for instance, the model grid size).     

Three-Dimensional Mapping of Air Flow at an Urban Canyon Intersection

In this experimental work both qualitative (flow visualisation) and quantitative (laser Doppler anemometry) methods were applied in a wind tunnel in order to describe the complex three-dimensional flow field in a real environment (a street canyon intersection). The main aim was an examination of the mean flow, turbulence and flow pathlines characterising a complex three-dimensional urban location. The experiments highlighted the complexity of the observed flows, particularly in the upwind region of the intersection. In this complex and realistic situation some details of the upwind flow, such as the presence of two tall towers, play an important role in defining the flow field within the intersection, particularly at roof level. This effect is likely to have a strong influence on the mass exchange mechanism between the canopy flow and the air aloft, and therefore the distribution of pollutants. This strong interaction between the flows inside and outside the urban canopy is currently neglected in most state-of-the-art local scale dispersion models.     

Extensive characterization of Italian accelerometric stations from single-station ambient-vibration measurements

This paper describes the analyses of the single-station ambient-vibration measurements performed on the Italian accelerometric network to detect site resonance phenomena potentially affecting earthquake recordings. The use of low cost, high quality microtremor measurement can be helpful to discriminate among soil classes, since several classification schemes based on resonance frequencies were proposed in the last decades. Operatively, in the framework of the Italian Strong Motion Database project (DPC-INGV 2007–2009 S4; ), soil resonance frequencies have been evaluated from more than 200 ambient vibration measurements in correspondence of accelerometric stations included in ITACA (). The noise recordings have been analyzed using the same numerical protocol in order to standardize the results. Particular attention has been paid to evaluate the quality of measurements and to develop an on-purpose mathematical tool to automatically estimate the peaks in the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) curve. The reliability of the resonance frequencies from HVSR has been tested by comparing estimates provided by independent methods (modeling or earthquake recordings). The test confirmed the reliability of the microtremor HVSR for assessing the resonance frequencies of the examined sites.     

The Italian strong motion network

The Italian Strong Motion Network is a permanent monitoring system run by the Italian national emergency management department (Dipartimento della Protezione Civile, DPC). The network is known as RAN (Rete Accelerometrica Nazionale). An extensive project for updating and improving the technology of RAN instruments as well as the number of recording points was performed in the last 10 years. A wide site selection survey was carried out from eastern Sicily along the Italian peninsula, covering high seismic risk areas. The recording station density and the choice of high-quality digital strong motion instruments ensure reliability of the RAN network in the long-term. At the end of 2008, the free field sites selection and instruments installation, planned in the project, were quite completed. In planning and drawing the new RAN, special attention has been devoted to the robustness of the transmission systems, and to the distribution of new stations in order to ensure plenty of data during a seismic emergency. We spent special care both in the estimation of the RAN site responses and in the diffusion of the strong motion data. In order to better identify damaged earthquake areas, improved ground motion parameters need to be set. Such parameters will also assist future progress for engineering seismic design techniques as well as disaster mitigation.