Variation of human perceptiveness of earthquakes during seismic sequences

This paper describes the variation of the human perception of earthquakes under the peculiar condition of seismic sequence occurrence. To this aim, we chose and have analyzed four seismic sequences that reflect the most common models of seismicity occurrence in the Italian territory. Our data always refer to the epicentral area, so that the contribution of the epicentral distance to the earthquake sensitiveness is considered constant. To search for recurrent behavior of people in the perception of earthquakes, we crossed seismological data to sensitivity data coming from the archives of the Italian Civil Protection. In each sequence, we individuate a number of “indicators”, such as the rate between felt and not-felt events and the minimum magnitude for which 100% of the events are felt. Such indicators are proportional to the energy released by the sequence and can be particularly affected by the time protraction of the sequence, and/or by the different familiarity with the seismic phenomenon, and/or by the intensity of the emotional impact of a seismic crisis. The observed trends of sensitiveness show a significant variation of the people perceptivity within the sequence development. From the analysis of the dataset, one can distinguish the variation of perceptivity due to emotional factors from those due to physical factors. An important observation, which is confirmed by a statistical analysis, is that the source depth does not affect the perceptiveness of earthquakes. Finally, we find important differences between on-sequence and off-sequence human perceptiveness that are connected with the different levels of alert.     

Determination of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Height from Radiosonde and Lidar Backscatter

The height of the atmospheric boundary layer is derived with the help of two different measuring systems and methods. From radiosoundings the boundary layer height is determined by the parcel method and by temperature and humidity gradients. From lidar backscatter measurements a combination of the averaging variance method and the high-resolution gradient method is used to determine boundary layer heights. In this paper lidar-derived boundary layer heights on a 10 min basis are presented. Datasets from four experiments – two over land and two over the sea – are used to compare boundary layer heights from both methods. Only the daytime boundary layer is investigated because the height of the nighttime stable boundary layer is below the range of the lidar. In many situations the boundary layer heights from both systems coincide within ±200 m. This corresponds to the standard deviation of lidar-derived 10-min values within a 1-h interval and is due to the time and space variability of the boundary layer height. Deviations appear for certain situations and depend on which radiosonde method is applied. The parcel method fails over land surfaces in the afternoon when the boundary layer stabilizes and over the ocean when the boundary layer is slightly stable. An automatic radiosonde gradient method sometimes fails when multiple layers are present, e.g. a residual layer above the growing convective boundary layer. The lidar method has the advantage of continuous tracing and thus avoids confusion with elevated layers. On the other hand, it mostly fails in situations with boundary layer clouds     

First investigations of massive ferromanganese crusts in the NE Atlantic in comparison with hydrogenetic pacific occurrences

Ferromanganese crusts comparable with central Pacific occurrences with respect to thickness and extension have been discovered at the Tropic Seamount in the subtropical NE Atlantic. A comparison with typical hydrogenetic crusts from a central Pacific seamount revealed lower concentration of the Mn phase with Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, and Cu but a strongly increased terrigenous input of Fe, Pb, Al, and Si in the Atlantic crusts. Growth rates are increased compared with the Pacific crusts, and crust ages average at 10 My. The old phosphatized crust generation that started to grow about 20 My ago on the Pacific seamounts is not pronounced at the Tropic Seamount. The typical hydrographic and morphological parameters for hyrogenetic crust growth have also been found at the Tropic Seamount, which implies that the Tropic Seamount crusts have developed according to the hydrogenetic growth model. There are no indications of hydrothermal influence.     

A numerical model for the simulation of debris flow triggering,propagation and arrest

Natural Hazards - In this paper, it is described the development and the assessment of a 1D numerical procedure for the simulation of debris flow phenomena. The procedure focuses on: (1) the...     

The Alpine Seed Conservation and Research Network–a new initiative to conserve valuable plant species in the European Alps

Safeguarding plants as seeds in ex situ collections is a cost effective element in an integrated plant conservation approach. The European Alps are a regional centre of plant diversity. Six institutions have established a regional network covering the European Alps which will conserve at least 500 priority plant species and which will improve the conservation status of plant species in grassland communities in the subalpine, alpine and nival altitudinal belts. Targeted research will expand the knowledge of the ecology of target species. Public engagement activities will raise the awareness for the importance of specific conservation actions in the European Alps.     

Mechanical Behavior of Clayey Soil Reinforced with Recycled Tire Rubber Using Chips and Fibers

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - The volume of discarded tires continues to increase each year, becoming a major topic of concern for society. Motivated by this environmental issue, this...     

Sulfide oxidation and distribution of metals near abandoned copper mines in coastal environments,Prince William Sound,Alaska, USA

The oxidation of sulfide-rich rocks, mostly leftover debris from Cu mining in the early 20th century, is contributing to metal contamination of local coastal environments in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Analyses of sulfide, water, sediment, precipitate and biological samples from the Beatson, Ellamar, and Threeman mine sites show that acidic surface waters generated from sulfide weathering are pathways for redistribution of environmentally important elements into and beyond the intertidal zone at each site. Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits composed of pyrrhotite and (or) pyrite + chalcopyrite + sphalerite with subordinate galena, arsenopyrite, and cobaltite represent potent sources of Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Co, Cd, and Hg. The resistance to oxidation among the major sulfides increases in the order pyrrhotite ? sphalerite < chalcopyrite ? pyrite; thus, pyrrhotite-rich rocks are typically more oxidized than those dominated by pyrite. The pervasive alteration of pyrrhotite begins with rim replacement by marcasite followed by replacement of the core by sulfur, Fe sulfate, and Fe–Al sulfate. The oxi dation of chalcopyrite and pyrite involves an encroachment by colloform Fe oxyhydroxides at grain margins and along crosscutting cracks that gradually consumes the entire grain. The complete oxidation of sulfide-rich samples results in a porous aggregate of goethite, lepidocrocite and amorphous Fe-oxyhydroxide enclosing hydrothermal and sedimentary silicates. An inverse correlation between pH and metal concentrations is evident in water data from all three sites. Among all waters sampled, pore waters from Ellamar beach gravels have the lowest pH (∼3) and highest concentrations of base metals (to ∼25,000 μg/L), which result from oxidation of abundant sulfide-rich debris in the sediment. High levels of dissolved Hg (to 4100 ng/L) in the pore waters probably result from oxidation of sphalerite-rich rocks. The low-pH and high concentrations of dissolved Fe, Al, and SO₄ are conducive to precipitation of interstitial jarosite in the intertidal gravels. Although pore waters from the intertidal zone at the Threeman mine site have circumneutral pH values, small amounts of dissolved Fe²⁺ in the pore waters are oxidized during mixing with seawater, resulting in precipitation of Fe-oxyhydroxide flocs along the beach–seawater interface. At the Beatson site, surface waters funneled through the underground mine workings and discharged across the waste dumps have near-neutral pH (6.7–7.3) and a relatively small base-metal load; however, these streams probably play a role in the physical transport of metalliferous particulates into intertidal and offshore areas during storm events. Somewhat more acidic fluids, to pH 5.3, occur in stagnant seeps and small streams emerging from the Beatson waste dumps. Amorphous Fe precipitates in stagnant waters at Beatson have high Cu (5.2 wt%) and Zn (2.3 wt%) concentrations that probably reflect adsorption onto the extremely high surface area of colloidal particles. Conversely, crystalline precipitates composed of ferrihydrite and schwertmannite that formed in the active flow of small streams have lower metal contents, which are attributed to their smaller surface area and, therefore, fewer reactive sorption sites. Seeps containing precipitates with high metal contents may contribute contaminants to the marine environment during storm-induced periods of high runoff. Preliminary chemical data for mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from Beatson, Ellamar, and Threeman indicate that bioaccumulation of base metals is occurring in the marine environment at all three sites.     

Using fire regimes to delineate zones in a high-resolution lake sediment record from the western United States

Paleoenvironmental reconstructions are important for understanding the influence of long-term climate variability on ecosystems and landscape disturbance dynamics. In this paper we explore the linkages among past climate, vegetation, and fire regimes using a high-resolution pollen and charcoal reconstruction from Morris Pond located on the Markagunt Plateau in southwestern Utah, USA. A regime shift detection algorithm was applied to background charcoal accumulation to define where statistically significant shifts in fire regimes occurred. The early Holocene was characterized by greater amounts of summer precipitation and less winter precipitation than modern. Ample forest fuel and warm summer temperatures allowed for large fires to occur. The middle Holocene was a transitional period between vegetation conditions and fire disturbance. The late Holocene climate is characterized as cool and wet reflecting an increase in snow cover, which reduced opportunities for fire despite increased availability of fuels. Similarities between modern forest fuel availability and those of the early Holocene suggest that warmer summers projected for the 21st century may yield substantial increases in the recurrence and ecological impacts of fire when compared to the fire regime of the last millennium.     

New constraints on the P–T path of HT/UHT metapelites from the Highland Complex of Sri Lanka

We report here rare evidence for the early prograde P-Tevolution of garnet-sillimanite-graphite gneiss(khondalite)from the central Highland Complex,Sri Lanka.Four types of garnet porphyroblasts(Grt_1,Grt_2,Grt_3 and Grt_4)are observed in the rock with specific types of inclusion features.Only Grt_3 shows evidence for non-coaxial strain.Combining the information shows a sequence of main inclusion phases,from old to young:oriented quartz inclusions at core,staurolite and prismatic sillimanite at mantle,kyanite and kyanite pseudomorph,and biotite at rim in Grt_1;fibrolitic sillimanite pseudomorphing kyanite±corundum,kyanite,and spinel+sillimanite after garnet+corundum in Grt_2;biotite,sillimanite,quartz±spinel in Grt_3;and ilmenite,rulite,quartz and sillimanite in Grt_4.The pre-melting,original rock composition was calculated through stepwise re-integration of melt into the residual,XRF based composition,allowing the early prograde metamorphic evolution to be deduced from petrographical observations and pseudosections.The earliest recognizable stage occurred in the sillimanite field at around 575℃ at 4.5 kbar.Subsequent collision associated with Gondwana amalgamation led to crustal thickening along a P-T trajectory with an average dP/dT of ~30 bar/℃ in the kyanite field,up to ~660℃ at 6.5 kbar,before crossing the wet-solidus at around 675 ℃ at 7.5 kbar.The highest pressure occurred at P 10 kbar and T around 780℃ before prograde decompression associated with further heating.At 825℃ and 10.5 kbar,the rock re-entered into the sillimanite field.The temperature peaked at 900℃ at ca.9-9.5 kbar.Subsequent near-isobaric cooling led to the growth of Grt_4 and rutile at T ~880℃.Local pyrophyllite rims around sillimanite suggest a late stage of rehydration at T400℃,which probably occurred after uplift to upper crustal levels.U-Pb dating of zircons by LAICPMS of the khondalite yielded two concordant ~(206)Pb/~(238)U age groups with mean values of 542±2 Ma(MSWD=0.24,Th/U=0.01-0.03)and 514±3 Ma(MSWD=0.50,Th/U=0.01-0.05)interpreted as peak metamorphism of the khondalite and subsequent melt crystallization during cooling.     

Ecological Signatures of Anthropogenically Altered Tidal Exchange in Estuarine Ecosystems

One of the most conspicuous anthropogenic disturbances to estuaries worldwide has been the alteration of freshwater and tidal influence through the construction of water control structures (dikes, tide gates, culverts). Few studies have rigorously compared the responses of differing groups of organisms that serve as contrasting conservation targets to such anthropogenic disturbances in estuarine ecosystems. Elkhorn Slough in central California includes a spectrum of tidally restricted habitats behind water control structures and habitats experiencing full tidal exchange. To assess community composition for several different taxa in habitats with varying tidal exchange, we employed a variety of field approaches and synthesized results from several different studies. Overall, we found that communities at sites with moderately restricted tidal exchange were fairly similar to those with full tidal exchange, but those with extremely restricted tidal exchange were markedly different from other categories. These differences in community composition are likely the result of several factors, including restricted movement due to physical barriers, differences in water quality characteristics, and differences in habitat structure. Indeed, in this study, we found that water quality characteristics strongly vary with tidal restriction and may strongly influence patterns of species presence or absence. We also found that different conservation targets showed contrasting responses to variation in tidal exchange. Full exchange appears to favor native oysters, commercially valuable flatfish, migratory shorebirds, and site-level biodiversity. Minimal tidal exchange due to water control structures supports a suite of estuarine endemics (including the tidewater goby and California brackish snail) not represented elsewhere and minimizes invasions by non-native marine species. Altogether, our results suggest that total estuary-wide biodiversity may be enhanced with a mosaic of tidal exchange regimes.