Paleoflood events recorded by speleothems in caves

Speleothems are usually composed of thin layers of calcite (or aragonite). However, cemented detrital materials interlayered between laminae of speleothemic carbonate have been also observed in many caves. Flowstones comprising discontinuous carbonate layers form due to flowing water films, while flood events introduce fluviokarstic sediments in caves that, on occasion, are recorded as clayey layers inside flowstones and stalagmites. This record provides a potential means of understanding the frequency of palaeofloods using cave records. In this work, we investigate the origin of this type of detrital deposit in El Soplao Cave (Northern Spain). The age of the lowest aragonite layer of a flowstone reveals that the earliest flood period occurred before 500 ka, though most of the flowstone formed between 422 +69/‐43 ka and 400 +66/‐42 ka. This suggests that the cave was periodically affected by palaeoflood events that introduced detrital sediments from the surface as a result of occasional extreme rainfall events, especially at around 400 ka. The mineralogical data enable an evolutionary model for this flowstone to be generated based on the alternation of flood events with laminar flows and carbonate layers precipitation that can be extrapolated to other caves in which detrital sediments inside speleothems have been found. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of selection and sequencing of representative wave conditions on process-based predictions of equilibrium embayed beach morphology

In order to decrease the simulation time of morphodynamic models, often-complex wave climates are reduced to a few representative wave conditions (RWC). When applied to embayed beaches, a test of whether a reduced wave climate is representative or not is to see whether it can recreate the observed equilibrium (long-term averaged) bathymetry of the bay. In this study, the wave climate experienced at Milagro Beach, Tarragona, Spain was discretized into ‘average’ and ‘extreme’ RWCs. Process-based morphodynamic simulations were sequenced and merged based on ‘persistent’ and ‘transient’ forcing conditions, the results of which were used to estimate the equilibrium bathymetry of the bay. Results show that the effect of extreme wave events appeared to have less influence on the equilibrium of the bay compared to average conditions of longer overall duration. Additionally, the persistent seasonal variation of the wave climate produces pronounced beach rotation and tends to accumulate sediment at the extremities of the beach, rather than in the central sections. It is, therefore, important to account for directional variability and persistence in the selection and sequencing of representative wave conditions as is it essential for accurately balancing the effects beach rotation events.     

1D velocity structure of the Po River plain (Northern Italy) assessed by combining strong motion and ambient noise data

Strong ground motions recorded on the sedimentary deposits of the Po River alluvial plain during the Emilia (Northern Italy) Mw 5.7 earthquake of May 29, 2012 are used to assess the vertical profile of shear-wave velocity above the limestone basement. Data were collected by a linear array installed for site effect studies after the Mw 5.9 mainshock of May 20, 2012. The array stations, equipped with both strong and weak motion sensors, are aligned in the South–North direction, at distances ranging from 1 to 26 km from the epicenter. The vertical components of ground motion show very distinctive, large-amplitude, low-frequency dispersive wave trains. Wavelet analysis yields group-velocity dispersion curve in the 0.2–0.7 Hz frequency band. The availability of a long ambient noise record allows estimates of the site resonance frequency along with its stability among stations. The joint inversion of dispersion of surface waves and ellipticity curves derived from ambient noise H/V allows extending investigations down to the sediment-limestone interface, at a depth of about 5,000 m. Our results add new information about the velocity structure at a scale that is intermediate between the local scale already investigated by other authors with small-aperture arrays using ambient noise and the regional scale inferred from modeling of seismogram waveforms recorded at hundreds of kilometers from the source.     

Archaeological evidence for destructive earthquakes in Sicily between 400 B.C. and A.D. 600

A systematic archaeoseismological study indicates that at least three earthquakes occurred between 400 B.C. and A.D. 600, causing destruction to numerous ancient monuments in Sicily. Evidence for these earthquakes comes from the collapse style of buildings (toppled walls, column drums in a domino‐style arrangement, directional collapses, etc.), and the exclusion of other likely causes for such effects. Dating of inferred earthquakes is based on coins (accurate to within 5–10 years), pottery (accurate to within 50–200 years), and other artifacts. The oldest documented earthquake occurred between 370 and 300 B.C. and caused the collapse of two Greek temples in Selinunte. This otherwise poorly documented event was probably also the cause of extensive destruction in northeastern Sicily in the first century A.D. Destruction of some sites may be assigned to an earthquake that occurred between 360 and 374 and correlates with the A.D. 365 seismic sequence known from historical sources. This study covers a wider region and provides a more precise dating of earthquakes than previous studies. Although it focuses on a certain period (4th–3rd centuries B.C., 4th–7th centuries A.D.), it indicates that the period before A.D. 1000 is not a period of seismic quiescence in Sicily as was previously believed, but to a period characterized by strong and destructive earthquakes. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

10 Years of the optical &; UV monitor (OM) on-board <Emphasis Type="Italic">XMM-Newton</Emphasis>

The XMM-Newton X-ray observatory was launched at the end of 1999 and it is still successfully operated. In addition to the X-ray instruments, the payload carries a small telescope, the Optical Monitor, which provides simultaneous imaging and spectroscopic observations in the optical and UV ranges. In this report we review the status of the OM and its main achievements after 10 years of operations. We also introduce the XMM-OM Serendipitous Ultra-violet Source Survey (SUSS) Catalogue.     

Phylogeography of the shrimp Palaemon floridanus (Crustacea: Caridea: Palaemonidae): a partial test of meta‐population genetic structure in the wider Caribbean

Marine organisms with a pelagic stage are often assumed to display minor population structure given their extended larval development and subsequent high long‐distance dispersal ability. Nonetheless, considerable population structure might still occur in species with high dispersal ability due to current oceanographic and/or historical processes. Specifically, for the wider Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, theoretical and empirical considerations suggest that populations inhabiting each of the following areas should be genetically distinct: Panama, Belize, Southwest Florida (Tampa), and Southeast Florida (Fort Pierce). This study tests the hypothesis of significant genetic differentiation in Palaemon floridanus populations across the wider Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Population level comparisons were conducted using sequences of the mtDNA COI. In agreement with predictions, AMOVA and pairwise F_ST values demonstrated population differentiation among most pairs of the studied populations. Only Panama and East Florida populations were genetically similar. An isolation‐with‐migration population divergence model (implemented in IMA2) indicated that population divergence with incomplete lineage sorting can be invoked as the single mechanism explaining genetic dissimilarity between populations from the east and west coast of Florida. Historical demographic analyses indicated demographic expansion of P. floridanus in some localities [recent in Panama and ancient in East Florida and the wider Caribbean (entire dataset)] but constant population in other localities (in Belize and West Florida). This study rejects the idea of panmixia in marine species with high long‐distance dispersal ability. Contemporary and historical processes might interact in a complex manner to determine current phylogeographic patterns.     

Sewage treatment level and flow rates affect polychaete assemblages

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) aim to improve water quality and reduce the environmental impact of wastewater, by requiring member states to introduce better treatment levels. This study was carried out in order to detect the most suitable treatment type or flow level for reducing benthic environmental impact. Therefore, soft-bottom polychaete assemblages affected by discharges of six treatment plants, with different treatment technologies and flow rates, were analysed over three consecutive years. Polychaete assemblages changed as a result of sewage discharge. These changes were related to treatment level and flow rates. Both disposal quality and quantity are important since changes in soft-bottom assemblages in stations affected by pre-treated sewage with medium and high flow rates are observed. However, the location with a low-flow pre-treated effluent has similar polychaete assemblages with regard to locations with biological treatment or controls.     

BET_VH: exploring the influence of natural uncertainties on long-term hazard from tephra fallout at Campi Flegrei (Italy)

In this paper, we explore the effects of the intrinsic uncertainties upon long-term volcanic hazard by analyzing tephra fall hazard at Campi Flegrei, Italy, using the BET_VH model described in Marzocchi et al. (Bull Volcanol, 2010). The results obtained show that volcanic hazard based on the weighted average of all possible eruptive settings (i.e. size classes and vent locations) is significantly different from an analysis based on a single reference setting, as commonly used in volcanic hazard practice. The long-term hazard map for tephra fall at Campi Flegrei obtained here accounts for a wide spectrum of uncertainties which are usually neglected, largely reducing the bias intrinsically introduced by the choice of a specific reference setting. We formally develop and apply a general method to recursively integrate simulations from different models which have different characteristics in terms of spatial coverage, resolution and physical details. This outcome of simulations will be eventually merged with field data through the use of the BET_VH model.     

Sensitivity analysis of CDOM spectral slope in artificial and natural samples: an application in the central eastern Mediterranean Basin

In the past two decades, optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in marine environments have been extensively studied. Many of these studies report CDOM properties for the offshore environment where this complex mixture of optically active compounds is strongly diluted. Nevertheless, autochthonous and allochthonous sources have been identified and sinks related to photodegradation and bacterial activity have been demonstrated. The calculation of the spectral slope of the CDOM absorption curve has been proven to be useful and is often reported. However, a rigorous uncertainty analysis of the slope calculation is rarely reported. In this paper, we propose a method to evaluate the uncertainty of CDOM spectral slope calculated between 270 and 400 nm, using both naturally sampled and artificial solutions. We use these results to study the ultra-oligotrophic waters of the Mediterranean Sea (central eastern basin), where little is known about CDOM spatial distribution. We show that dilutions of both artificial and natural samples produce a Gaussian distribution of spectral slopes, indicating that consistent values may be determined, with a typical uncertainty of ±0.0004 nm⁻¹ when absorption at 300 nm was greater then 0.1 m⁻¹ (0.1 m pathlength). Comparing the distribution of spectral slopes from central eastern basin samples to a Gaussian distribution, we show differences between measurements that were significantly different. These values allow us to distinguish possible sources (algal derived CDOM), sinks (e.g. photo-bleaching) at different depths. We propose a subdivision of CDOM compounds into refractory and semilabile/refractory pools and evaluate the CDOM spectral slope of algal derived CDOM released at or near deep chlorophyll maximum.     

Automatic Delineation of Capture Zones for Pump and Treat Systems: A Case Study in Piedmont,Italy

The design of a pump and treat (P&T) system for the hydraulic control of a contaminated plume in a confined aquifer is presented here. Being the system designed for the emergency containment of a nonaqueous phase liquid plume, the evaluation of the system’s short-term efficiency was considered an important issue. For this reason, both time-related and ultimate capture zones were defined. They were traced using the automatic protection area (APA) model, a capture-zone delineation tool based on a hybrid forward-backward particle tracking algorithm, that provides an automatic post-processing encirclement of capture zones. Two simple indexes are here proposed for the evaluation of the performance of the hydraulic barrier, that is, the efficacy and efficiency indexes, calculated from the capture areas provided by APA. The discharge rates of the wells were dimensioned applying the APA algorithm, maximizing efficacy and efficiency of the barrier. Results proved both visually (via plotting of capture zones) and numerically (via calculation of the indexes) that the P&T system can provide a complete capture of the contaminated area and minimizes the volume of extracted water. Consequently, the APA algorithm was proved to be a useful tool in capture zone delineation. As a future perspective, it could be coupled with the real-time measurement of pumping rates and water levels and be implemented as a part of a tuning tool for the management of the hydraulic barrier.