The crystal structure of sarkinite,Mn2AsO4(OH)

Summary Sarkinite is a basic manganese arsenate, Mn₂AsO₄(OH). The lattice parameters are:a=12.779 (2) Å,b=13.596 (2) Å,c=10.208 (2) Å, =108°53 (6). Space groupP2₁/a,Z=16. The crystal structure has been solved by direct methods from three-dimensional X-ray diffractometer data and refined by least-squares methods toR=0.052 for 3519 independent reflections. The crystal structure is built up by a three-dimensional framework of MnO₄(OH)₂ octahedra, MnO₄(OH) trigonal bipyramids and AsO₄ tetrahedra, as found in wagnerite. Isotypy of sarkinite with triploidite is confirmed.

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Die Kristallstruktur des Sarkinits, Mn₂AsO₄(OH)

Zusammenfassung Die Kristallstruktur des basischen Manganarsenates Sarkinit, Mn₂AsO₄(OH), mit den Gitterkonstantena=12,779 (2) Å,b=13,596 (2) Å,c=10,208 (2) Å, =108°53 (6). RaumgruppeP2₁/a,Z=16, wurde mit dreidimensionalen Röntgendiffraktometermessungen durch direkte Methoden gelöst und nach dem kleinste-Quadrate-Verfahren verfeinert (R=0,052 für 3519 unabhängige Reflexe). Die Struktur besteht aus einem dreidimensionalen Gerüst aus MnO₄(OH)₂-Oktaedern, trigonalen Bipyramiden von MnO₄(OH) und AsO₄-Tetraedern wie in Wagnerit. Die Isotypie von Sarkinit mit Triploidit wurde bestätigt.

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How Cr<Superscript>3+</Superscript> and Fe<Superscript>3+</Superscript> affect Mg–Al order–disorder transformation at high temperature in natural spinels

Three natural Mg(Al_2-yCr_y)O₄ spinels (y 0.07–0.16), highly ordered in terms of Mg–Al, and one Mg(Al_2–yFe³⁺_y)O₄ spinel (y0.08), highly ordered also in terms of Fe³⁺, were studied by means of X-ray single-crystal diffraction. All samples were heated in situ from 25 to 1000 °C in order to follow both thermal expansion and evolution of the structural state of spinel with temperature. Thermal expansion was monitored by means of the variation of cell edge a with temperature, and found to be well represented throughout the temperature range by a regression line a = a₀ (1+T), slightly different at lower and higher temperatures. Thermal expansion coefficient ₁, referring to the lower temperature range (i.e. during pure thermal expansion), was slightly lower than ₂, calculated only over the highest temperatures. The trend showed different slopes for individual crystals. Structural evolution with temperature was studied by means of the variation of oxygen positional parameter u, which is strongly influenced by intersite cation exchange and thus closely correlated with inversion parameter x. In particular, in the three Cr samples, in which Cr resides only in the octahedral site, u parameter variations and hence the order–disorder process, started at about 700 °C. Instead, in the Fe³⁺ sample, this process was triggered at lower temperatures, starting at 550 °C with Fe³⁺–Mg exchange followed at higher temperatures by that of Mg–Al. Cr contents in the Cr samples affected the occupancy of Al in the tetrahedral site at the highest temperatures. In both Mg–Al–Cr and Mg–Al–Fe³⁺ compositions, if CrFe³⁺, parameter u reached the same value only when the Mg–Al exchange was dominant, i.e. at the highest temperatures, but not before. Cation distribution at each temperature was obtained by the bond-length model, applying thermal expansion to pure bond lengths. This method is applied here to complex compositions for the first time.     

Shallow landslides in pyroclastic soils: a distributed modelling approach for hazard assessment

An effective assessment of shallow landslide hazard requires spatially distributed modelling of triggering processes. This is possible by using physically based models that allow us to simulate the transient hydrological and geotechnical processes responsible for slope instability. Some simplifications are needed to address the lack of data and the difficulty of calibration over complex terrain at the catchment's scale. We applied two simple hydrological models, coupled with the infinite slope stability analysis, to the May 1998 landslide event in Sarno, Southern Italy. A quasi-dynamic model (Barling et al., 1994) was used to model the contribution to instability of lateral flow by simulating the time-dependent formation of a groundwater table in response to rainfall. A diffusion model [Water Resour. Res. 36 (2000) 1897] was used to model the role of vertical flux by simulating groundwater pressures that develop in response to heavy rainstorms. The quasi-dynamic model overestimated the slope instability over the whole area (more than 16%) but was able to predict correctly slope instability within zero order basins where landslides occurred and developed into large debris flows. The diffusion model simulated correctly the triggering time of more than 70% of landslides within an unstable area amounting to 7.3% of the study area. These results support the hypothesis that both vertical and lateral fluxes were responsible for landslide triggering during the Sarno event, and confirm the utility of such models as tools for hazard planning and land management.     

Diel microbial variations at a coastal Northern Adriatic station affected by Po River outflows

Diel sampling was performed during an early spring survey in the Northern Adriatic Sea at a coastal station off the Po River delta. Samples were taken every 6 h at spring tide maxima and minima in the sub-superficial layer, at the maximum fluorescence depth (∼3 m). Variations in microbial community structure and its processes were assessed by considering heterotrophic bacteria, picocyanobacteria, viruses, exoenzymatic activities, microphytoplankton, nanoplankton and bacterial/cyanobacterial Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles. A considerable diatom bloom, mostly supported by Skeletonema marinoi was detected. All microbial parameters except viruses, showed a sinusoidal trend with a 12 h period; only picocyanobacteria expressed relative maxima during high tide, showing a phase in opposition to the other parameters. No substantial changes in DGGE band patterns were detected. Even though the results showed bacterial activities to be influenced by the phytoplankton bloom, all microbial parameters' diel trends (except viruses) preferentially followed the tidal fluctuation rather than the light:dark cycle.     

Modelling of ground deformation and gravity fields using finite element method: an application to Etna volcano

Elastic finite element models are applied to investigate the effects of topography and medium heterogeneities on the surface deformation and the gravity field produced by volcanic pressure sources. Changes in the gravity field cannot be interpreted only in terms of gain of mass disregarding the ground deformation of the rocks surrounding the source. Contributions to gravity changes depend also on surface and subsurface mass redistribution driven by dilation of the volcanic source. Both ground deformation and gravity changes were firstly evaluated by solving a coupled axisymmetric problem to estimate the effects of topography and medium heterogeneities. Numerical results show significant discrepancies in the ground deformation and gravity field compared to those predicted by analytical solutions, which disregard topography, elastic heterogeneities and density subsurface structures. With this in mind, we reviewed the expected gravity changes accompanying the 1993–1997 inflation phase on Mt Etna by setting up a fully 3-D finite element model in which we used the real topography, to include the geometry, and seismic tomography, to infer the crustal heterogeneities. The inflation phase was clearly detected by different geodetic techniques (EDM, GPS, SAR and levelling data) that showed a uniform expansion of the overall volcano edifice. When the gravity data are integrated with ground deformation data and a coupled FEM modelling was solved, a mass intrusion could have occurred at depth to justify both ground deformation and gravity observations.     

Internal structure of Ustica volcanic complex (Italy) based on a 3D inversion of magnetic data

A ground magnetic study of Ustica Island was performed to provide new insights into subsurface tectonic and volcanic structures. The total-intensity anomaly field, obtained after a data-reduction procedure, shows the presence of a W–E-striking magnetic anomaly in the middle of the island and another two intense anomalies, which seem to continue offshore, in the southwestern and the northeastern sides, respectively. The detected anomalies were analyzed by a quadratic programming (QP) algorithm to obtain a 3D subsurface magnetization distribution. The volcano magnetization model reveals the presence of intensely magnetized volumes, interpreted as the feeding systems of the main eruptive centers of the island, which roughly follow the trend of the main regional structural lineaments. These findings highlight how regional tectonics has strongly affected the structural and magmatic evolution of the Ustica volcanic complex producing preferential ways for magma ascent.     

Data issues at the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change

Climate Change research is even more becoming a data intensive and oriented scientific activity. Petabytes of climate data, big collections of datasets are continuously produced, delivered, accessed, processed by scientists and researchers at multiple sites at an international level. This work presents the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (CMCC) initiative, discussing data and metadata issues and dealing with both architectural and infrastructural aspects concerning the adopted grid enabled solution. A complete overview of the grid services deployed at the Centre is presented as well as the client side support (CMCC data portal and monitoring dashboard).     

Magnetic history of a dyke on Mount Etna (Sicily)

During the 1989 eruption of Mount Etna, two fracture systems, trending c. N45°E and N150°E, opened at the foot of its 3000 m high SE Crater and propagated quickly downslope to distances of ≈3 and 7 km, respectively. The northeastern fracture fed a flank eruption, whereas the southeastern fracture remained dry and offered contrasting volcanological and geophysical evidence of the presence of magma at a shallow depth. During the opening of this non-eruptive fracture system, a differential magnetic network was set up on a short profile across its distant extremity. Initially, the magnetic field did not display any change along the profile between frequent surveys. However, repeated measurements at intervals of about 3 months for two years revealed the slow build-up of a 130 nT anomaly. The anomaly vanishes laterally within 0.2 km of the surface expression of the fracture system. This exceptional set of observations constrains the location and time of cooling of a shallow dyke. The increase in magnetization of the dyke inferred by the rate of growth of the anomaly leads to the interpretation that the dyke was emplaced near the end of the eruption.