Human‐induced hazardous debris flows in Carrara marble basins (Tuscany,Italy)

In Carrara marble basins, the long and intensive quarrying activities (which began in the first century BC ) have produced extensive dump deposits, locally known as ravaneti. Ravaneti are of such large dimensions and diffusion as to make them a widespread landform of the Apuane Alps (Tuscany). In recent years these quarry dump deposits have been affected by frequent debris flows, more than 50 in 1996/97. This phenomenon is the most significant currently active geomorphological process in this landscape. The evolution of quarrying techniques produced a variety of sedimentological compositions of ravaneti. The debris flows analysed involve only the surface layers where debris is mixed with fine material with a lower permeability (active ravaneti) than the coarser underlying debris (older ravaneti). The presence of different permeability layers causes a wetting front to move downwards. Source area observations indicate a soil slip movement in the initial phases of the failure. The transformation of landslides into debris flow occurs by means of both soil contractive failure and an increase of granular temperature. The morphological and sedimentological analyses of depositional lobes resulted in a classification of three types of lobe, based on fabric–morphometry relationships allowing the identification of different flow dynamics: (1) type A lobe (platy form), matrix‐supported and well developed fabric with general tendency of ab clast plane strikes to lie generally parallel to flow direction as a consequence of laminar flow; (2) type B lobe (elongated form), clast‐supported and random fabric as a consequence of both turbulent flow and coarser composition of starting material; (3) type C lobe, intermediate type A–B morphometry, tendency for ab clast plane to lie in a semi‐circle around the main flow direction determined by the presence of secondary flow lines divergent from it in the stopping phase. In Carrara marble basins, the anomalous frequency with which debris flows tend to be triggered by medium‐intensity rainstorms (about 30 mm h⁻¹ rainfall) is due to the recent increases in silt dump produced by modern quarrying techniques. This represents a significant example of debris flows as an environmental problem in major anthromorphized landscapes. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Martian mud volcanism: Terrestrial analogs and implications for formational scenarios

The geology of Mars and the stratigraphic characteristics of its uppermost crust (mega-regolith) suggest that some of the pervasively-occurring pitted cones, mounds, and flows may have formed through processes akin to terrestrial mud volcanism. A comparison of terrestrial mud volcanism suggests that equivalent Martian processes likely required discrete sedimentary depocenters, volatile-enriched strata, buried rheological instabilities, and a mechanism of destabilization to initiate subsurface flow. We outline five formational scenarios whereby Martian mud volcanism might have occurred: (A) rapid deposition of sediments, (B) volcano-induced destabilization, (C) tectonic shortening, (D) long-term, load-induced subsidence, and (E) seismic shaking. We describe locations within and around the Martian northern plains that broadly fit the geological context of these scenarios and which contain mud volcano-like landforms. We compare terrestrial and Martian satellite images and examine the geological settings of mud volcano provinces on Earth in order to describe potential target areas for piercement structures on Mars. Our comparisons help to evaluate not only the role of water as a functional component of geological processes on Mars but also how Martian mud volcanoes could provide samples of otherwise inaccessible strata, some of which could contain astrobiological evidence.     

The slope aspect: A predisposing factor for landsliding?

The influence of slope aspect on the distribution of landslides was studied in the Milia and Roglio basins in Tuscany, Italy. For each basin, the new Tuscany region landslide inventory that was initiated in 2010 was used. The landslides were split into separate datasets based on their prevailing movement typology. To assess the results that were obtained from the different slope aspect values, maps of the lithology, slope angle, distances to streams, and distances to tectonic lineaments were included in the bivariate statistical analysis as comparison terms. For each basin, all of the geo-environmental factor maps were compared with the different landslide typologies with GIS software. Pearson's Chi² (χ²) coefficient was used to test the degree of spatial association between each predictor variable and landslide type. In addition, Cramer's V test was used to quantify the strength of the degree of association. Next, a conditional analysis was applied to all of the possible combinations that occurred between the slope aspect and other landslide-predisposing factors. Overall, the slope aspect significantly affected the distribution of superficial landslide types, but apparently not that of other landslide types.     

Long-term relationships between climate oscillation and basin-scale hydrological variability during rainy season in eastern Northeast Brazil

ABSTRACT

The high variability in the hydrological regime of the Eastern Hydrological Region (EHR) of Northeast Brazil often results in floods and droughts, leading to serious socio-economic issues. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate connections between spatiotemporal hydrological variability of the EHR and large-scale climate phenomena. Multivariate statistical techniques were applied to relate climate indices with hydrological variables within two representative river basins in the EHR. The results indicated a multi-annual relationship between the state of the sea surface temperature of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and anomalous hydrological variability in the basins. In addition, the northern Tropical Atlantic conditions were shown to play an important role in modulating the long-term variability of the hydrological response of the basins, whilst only extreme ENSO anomalies seemed to affect the rainy season. This knowledge is an important step towards long-term prediction of hydrological conditions and contributes to the improvement of water resources planning and management in the EHR.     

Large‐scale modelling of channel flow and floodplain inundation dynamics and its application to the Pantanal (Brazil)

For large‐scale sites, difficulties for applying coupled one‐dimensional (1D)/2D models for simulating floodplain inundation may be encountered related to data scarcity, complexity for establishing channel–floodplain connections, computational cost, long duration of floods and the need to represent precipitation and evapotranspiration processes. This paper presents a hydrologic simulation system, named SIRIPLAN, developed to accomplish this aim. This system is composed by a 1D hydrodynamic model coupled to a 2D raster‐based model, and by two modules to compute the vertical water balance over floodplain and the water exchanges between channel and floodplain. Results are presented for the Upper Paraguay River Basin (UPRB), including the Pantanal, one of the world's largest wetlands. A total of 3965 km of river channels and 140 000 km² of floodplains are simulated for a period of 11 years. Comparison of observed and calculated hydrographs at 15 gauging stations showed that the model was capable to simulate distinct, complex flow regimes along main channels, including channel‐floodplain interactions. The proposed system was also able to reproduce the Pantanal seasonal flood pulse, with estimated inundated areas ranging from 35 000 km² (dry period) to more than 120 000 km² (wet period). Floodplain inundation maps obtained with SIRIPLAN were consistent with previous knowledge of Pantanal dynamics, but comparison with inundation extent provided by a previous satellite‐based study indicates that permanently flooded areas may have been underestimated. The results obtained are promising, and further work will focus on improving vertical processes representation over floodplains and analysing model sensitivity to floodplain parameters, time step and precipitation estimates uncertainty. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evidences for a quasi 60-year North Atlantic Oscillation since 1700 and its meaning for global climate change

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) obtained using instrumental and documentary proxy predictors from Eurasia is found to be characterized by a quasi 60-year dominant oscillation since 1650. This pattern emerges clearly once the NAO record is time integrated to stress its comparison with the temperature record. The integrated NAO (INAO) is found to well correlate with the length of the day (since 1650) and the global surface sea temperature record HadSST2 and HadSST3 (since 1850). These findings suggest that INAO can be used as a good proxy for global climate change, and that a ~60-year cycle exists in the global climate since at least 1700. Finally, the INAO ~60-year oscillation well correlates with the ~60-year oscillations found in the historical European aurora record since 1700, which suggests that this ~60-year dominant climatic cycle has a solar–astronomical origin.     

On the 60-month cycle of multivariate ENSO index

Many point indices have been developed to describe El Niño/Southern Oscillation, but the multivariate El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index (MEI) is considered the most representative since it links six different meteorological parameters measured over the tropical Pacific. Spectral analysis with appropriate data reduction techniques of monthly values of MEI (1950–2008) has allowed the identification of a large 60-month cycle, statistically confident at a level larger than 99%. The highest values of MEI (typical of El Niño events) and the lowest values of MEI (typical of La Niña events) are concordant with respective maxima and minima values of the identified 60-month cycle.     

Macrophyte production in a shallow coastal lagoon. Part I: Coupling with chemico-physical parameters and nutrient concentrations in waters

Standing crop and production of macroalgae and seagrasses were recorded, together with the main physical and chemical parameters, including nutrient concentrations of the water column and 5-cm top sediment porewater, the grazing pressure and the settled paniculate matter (SPM) in two areas of the central (Lido station) and southern (Petta di Bò station) parts of the Venice lagoon. Then the whole set of data was analysed by multivariate analysis. The highest standing crops of Ulva (Lido station) and Zostera (Petta di Bò station) monitored throughout the year (February 1994–February 1995) were ~ 6.5 and ~ 11.0 kg fwt m⁻², accounting for an annual net production of ~ 20.4 and ~ 20.9 kg fwt m⁻², respectively. The estimated gross production of Zostera was, however, ca 35–55% lower than that of Ulva because of the higher decomposition rate and grazing pressure suffered by the markedly stratified and light-limited free-floating fronds of the macroalga. At the Lido station, the overall grazing pressure accounted for ca 65% of the net Ulva production, but it was found to exceed the total production in the July–August period. Ammonium and orthophosphate concentrations in the water column and sediment porewater were ca 2–3 times higher at the Ulva than at the Zostera station. Considering the N:P atomic ratios, nitrogen, during the quick spring-summer biomass increase, could be temporarily critical for the macrophytic growth, especially at the Lido station. The rates of sediment resuspension and settlement were ca six times higher at the Zostera than at the Ulva station, mainly because of higher sediment coverage by the large free-floating fronds of Ulva. For the contribution of individual variables explained by the principal component analysis, it is shown that the Ulva decomposition at the Lido station and the Zostera production at Petta di Bò were the major factors affecting the total variance.     

Recenti progressi nella costruzione degli anemometri elettrici

Riassunto Dopo aver brevemente delineato le rispettive possibilità di impiego degli anemometri meccanici ed elettrici, l'Autore descrive un nuovo tipo di anemometro elettrico da lui ideato e costruito che presenta due importanti innovazioni: precisa segnalazione della direzione del vento e lettura diretta delle caratteristiche del vento. Difatti, le direzioni che possono essere indicate sono praticamente illimitate pur usando un cavo di collegamento a solo quattro conduttori tra la parte esterna dell'anemometro e gli indicatori situati presso l'opratore.

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Zusammenfassung Nach eine kurze Schilderung des Verwendungsmöglichkeiten der mechanischen und elektrischen windmesser, beschreibt der Verf. eine von ihm erdachten und konstruierten elektr. Anemometer, welcher die genaue Feststellung der Windrichtung sowie die direkte Ablesung der Eigentümlichkeiten der Windstärke gestattet.