Intra‐messinian gypsum palaeokarst in the Northern Apennines and its palaeogeographic implications

A short intra‐Messinian continental period has been recognised in some North Italian gypsum areas, mostly under the form of palaeokarst deposits. This emersion appears to have occurred only locally, and is explained as caused by the intra‐Messinian tectonic phase and a major sea level lowering. Evidences of this palaeokarst are mostly small, although at some places the palaeontological content of its fillings is of great importance. The discovery near Zola Predosa (Bologna) of a new intra‐Messinian extensive karst system and of its infilling sheds new light on the importance of this karst episode.     

An approximate F.E. analysis of seepage with a free surface

An approximate step-by-step procedure is presented for the finite element analysis of transient unconfined flow problems. At each step the free surface is modelled by means of segments coinciding with sides of the elements. This leads to an approximate but extremely simple solution scheme which can be readily incorporated into standard codes for confined analysis. The solutions of some significant problems are presented and compared with other non-approximate solutions. They show that the technique, in spite of its approximation, is capable of giving meaningful results from an engineering viewpoint.     

Mapping and monitoring net primary productivity with AVHRR NDVI time-series: statistical equivalence of cumulative vegetation indices

In the last two decades, numerous investigators have proposed cumulative vegetation indices (i.e., functions which encode the cumulative effect of NDVI maximum value composite time-series into a single variable) for net primary productivity (NPP) mapping and monitoring on a regional to continental basis. In this paper, we investigate the relationships among three of the most commonly used cumulative vegetation indices, expanding on the definition of equivalence of remotely sensed vegetation indices for decision making. We consider two cumulative vegetation indices as equivalent, if the value of one index is statistically predictable from the value of the other index. Using an annual time-series of broad-scale AVHRR NDVI monthly maximum value composites of the island of Corsica (France), we show that the pairwise linear association among the analysed cumulative vegetation indices shows coefficients of determination (R²) higher than 0.99. That is, knowing the value of one index is statistically equivalent to knowing the value of the other indices for application purposes.     

Joint analysis of Rayleigh- and Love-wave dispersion: Issues, criteria and improvements

Joint analysis of Rayleigh- and Love-wave dispersion is performed with the aim of evaluating how their joint use can improve retrieved vertical V_S profiles. In fact, non-uniqueness of the solution and complex energy distribution among different modes represent problems which, if not properly considered, can eventually lead to ambiguous or erroneous subsurface models.Some tests performed on synthetic datasets show that for the deepest layers the improvements obtained by the joint inversion cannot be considered as fully decisive in terms of ultimate solution of non-uniqueness. Nevertheless joint analysis of dispersive properties of Rayleigh and Love waves reveals as a highly valuable tool able to clarify possible interpretation issues of the single components. Under some stratigraphical circumstances, velocity spectra of Rayleigh waves can in fact be extremely complex in terms of energy distribution among different modes and erroneous interpretations of dispersion curves can thus occur. Beneficial aspects of the joint analysis is shown in the light of possible inconsistencies of the Pareto front, since major interpretative errors can be revealed in the outcomes of the proposed inversion procedure. Two field datasets are analysed also suggesting some improvements in the field acquisition procedures aimed at the acquisition of both Rayleigh and Love waves.     

Thresholds of Adverse Effects of Macroalgal Abundance and Sediment Organic Matter on Benthic Habitat Quality in Estuarine Intertidal Flats

Confidence in the use of macroalgae as an indicator of estuarine eutrophication is limited by the lack of quantitative data on the thresholds of its adverse effects on benthic habitat quality. In the present study, we utilized sediment profile imagery (SPI) to identify thresholds of adverse effects of macroalgal biomass, sediment organic carbon (% OC) and sediment nitrogen (% N) concentrations on the apparent Redox Potential Discontinuity (aRPD), the depth that marks the boundary between oxic near-surface sediment and the underlying suboxic or anoxic sediment. At 16 sites in eight California estuaries, SPI, macroalgal biomass, sediment percent fines, % OC, and % N were analyzed at 20 locations along an intertidal transect. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was used to identify step thresholds associated with a transition from "reference" or natural background levels of macroalgae, defined as that range in which no effect on aRPD was detected. Ranges of 3–15 g dw macroalgae m^?2, 0.4–0.7 % OC and 0.05–0.07 % N were identified as transition zones from reference conditions across these estuaries. Piecewise regression analysis was used to identify exhaustion thresholds, defined as a region along the stress–response curve where severe adverse effects occur; levels of 175 g dw macroalgae m^?2, 1.1 % OC and 0.1 % N were identified as thresholds associated with a shallowing of aRPD to near zero depths. As an indicator of ecosystem condition, shallow aRPD has been related to reduced volume and quality for benthic infauna and alteration in community structure. These effects have been linked to reduced availability of forage for fish, birds and other invertebrates, as well as to undesirable changes in biogeochemical cycling.     

A search for continuous ultraviolet opacity sources in the Sun's photosphere

Experimental results on limb darkening and specific intensities imply more ultraviolet continuous opacity than that predicted by theoretical calculations. Some atomic and molecular processes, not yet studied from this standpoint are investigated as to their importance on the continuous absorption coefficient. The negative results obtained suggest some arguments about the importance of iron as photo-absorber.     

Radio model of the transition layer in solar active regions

A model of the transition layer of an active region of the Sun is presented based on radio observations. The model is deduced by using the Laplace transform of the brightness temperature and the hydrostatic equilibrium equation. A rational function, well-behaved in the coronal region, has been used to represent the observed brightness temperature. The model indicates the existence of a very steep temperature gradient and suggests the presence of a constant conductive flux from the corona into the chromosphere. Both these conclusions are quantitatively in a very good agreement with those deduced from the UV emission lines observations, thus removing a previous discrepancy between radio and optical based models. It is also shown that the presence of a weak magnetic field does not alter the above conclusions.     

Assessment of toxicological status of a SW Mediterranean segment population of striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) using skin biopsy

Various studies have revealed high concentrations of contaminants such as organochlorines (OCs) and heavy metals in Mediterranean cetaceans. A geographical trend of contamination (PCBs and DDTs) has been found for striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). In this study we used a non-lethal approach (skin biopsy) to investigate bioaccumulation of OCs, including polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), DDTs, polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), trace elements (Hg, Cd, Pb) and CYP1A activity (BPMO) in nine striped dolphins sampled in the Aeolian area (Sicily - Italy) in summer 2002. The arithmetic mean value of BPMO activity in this group was 43.46 AUF/g tissue/h. This value is approximately 3 times and 5 times lower, respectively, than the value found in the Ionian and in the Ligurian groups. Skin biopsies of striped dolphins emerged as a suitable material for assessing the toxicological status of the various Mediterranean groups.