OA Earth-prints Repository
Not a member yet
16457 research outputs found
Sort by
Glacial isostatic adjustment in the northern adriatic region: estimates of the contribution from the Alpine ice sheet
No full textThe present-day sea-level variations and vertical movements in the northern Adriatic Sea and in the highly vulnerable Venetian Lagoon result from a number of simultaneously operating contributions. These include Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA), the global, long-term process arising from interactions between the cryosphere, the solid Earth and the oceans in response to the melting of continental ice sheets. Although the GIA contribution in northern Adriatic Sea has been the subject of various investigations so far, significant uncertainties still exist, especially related to the extent and chronology of the Würm Alpine ice sheet and to the rheological profile of the mantle. Here, taking advantage of the recent publication of updated deglaciation chronologies for the far field late-Pleistocene ice sheets and for the near-field alpine ice complex, we produce up-to-date estimates of the present-day rates of GIA-induced relative sea-level variations and vertical displacements in the Venetian Lagoon and in the northern Adriatic Sea, which are compared with GNSS and tide-gauge observations. From high-resolution numerical simulations, we find that GIA is responsible for a complex pattern of geodetic signals across the Po plain and the northern Adriatic Sea. The modeled GIA rates are of the order of fractions of mm yr−1, generally small – but not negligible – compared to the signals observed at local tide gauges and at GNSS sites in the Po plain and facing the Venetian Lagoon. Our results indicate that, while GIA represents a relatively small component among those responsible for present-day land movements and relative sea-level variations in the northern Adriatic Sea, its contribution needs to be taken into account for a correct interpretation of the observed geodetic variations.Published2039–20521T. Struttura della TerraJCR Journa
Editorial: Near-earth electromagnetic environment and natural hazards disturbances: Volume II
No full textThis Research Topic serves two main purposes. Firstly, it validates and calibrates data from ground-based instruments and satellite platforms to explore the EM environment of near-Earth space, including the EM field, plasma parameters, energetic particle flux, and distributions. Secondly, it emphasizes cross-disciplinary studies of natural hazard monitoring, including earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and hurricanes/typhoons. By combining modelling and observation, the goal is to develop innovative methodologies for studying natural hazards and the interconnected mechanisms of the Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere system. This Research Topic represents the second volume of the Research Topic.
This second volume includes four contributions which will be excellent references to future works on the Research Topic.Published1307965OST4 Descrizione in tempo reale del terremoto, del maremoto, loro predicibilità e impattoJCR Journa
Marine Litter Tracking System: A Case Study with Open-Source Technology and a Citizen Science-Based Approach
No full textfirst_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints
Open AccessArticle
Marine Litter Tracking System: A Case Study with Open-Source Technology and a Citizen Science-Based Approach
by Silvia Merlino 1,*ORCID,Marina Locritani 2ORCID,Antonio Guarnieri 3ORCID,Damiano Delrosso 3,Marco Bianucci 1ORCID andMarco Paterni 4
1
CNR-ISMAR (Istituto di Scienze Marine-Sede di La Spezia), 19032 La Spezia, Italy
2
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Roma 2, 00143 Roma, Italy
3
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
4
CNR-IFC (Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica-Pisa), 56124 Pisa, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sensors 2023, 23(2), 935; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23020935
Received: 28 November 2022 / Revised: 9 January 2023 / Accepted: 10 January 2023 / Published: 13 January 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enabling Citizen Science in Communal Smart Environments with IoT Technology)
Download Browse Figures Review Reports Versions Notes
Abstract
It is well established that most of the plastic pollution found in the oceans is transported via rivers. Unfortunately, the main processes contributing to plastic and debris displacement through riparian systems is still poorly understood. The Marine Litter Drifter project from the Arno River aims at using modern consumer software and hardware technologies to track the movements of real anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) from rivers. The innovative “Marine Litter Trackers” (MLT) were utilized as they are reliable, robust, self-powered and they present almost no maintenance costs. Furthermore, they can be built not only by those trained in the field but also by those with no specific expertise, including high school students, simply by following the instructions. Five dispersion experiments were successfully conducted from April 2021 to December 2021, using different types of trackers in different seasons and weather conditions. The maximum distance tracked was 2845 km for a period of 94 days. The activity at sea was integrated by use of Lagrangian numerical models that also assisted in planning the deployments and the recovery of drifters. The observed tracking data in turn were used for calibration and validation, recursively improving their quality. The dynamics of marine litter (ML) dispersion in the Tyrrhenian Sea is also discussed, along with the potential for open-source approaches including the “citizen science” perspective for both improving big data collection and educating/awareness-raising on AMD issues.This research was funded by the INGV “ML-DAR Project, ricerca libera—9999.521 RL2019”; moreover, this paper is part of the NAUTILOS project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101000825.Published9357TM.Sviluppo e Trasferimento TecnologicoJCR Journa
Late Miocene to recent tectonic evolution of the Macquarie Triple Junction
No full textThe Pacific, Antarctic, and Macquarie lithospheric plates diverge from the Macquarie Triple Junction (MTJ) in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, south of Macquarie Island. Morphobathymetric, magnetic, and gravity data have been used to understand the evolution of the three accretionary/transform boundaries that meet at the MTJ. Plate velocities, estimated near the MTJ and averaged over the past 3 m.y., indicate an unstable ridge–fault–fault triple junction. The long life (>6 m.y.) of this configuration can be attributed to a rapid increase in spreading asymmetry along the Southeast Indian Ridge segment as it approaches the MTJ, and to transtension along the southernmost strand of the Macquarie–Pacific transform boundary. A major change in plate motion triggered the development of the Macquarie plate at ca. 6 Ma and makes clear the recent evolution of the MTJ, including (1) shortening of the Southeast Indian Ridge segment; (2) formation of the westernmost Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, which increased its length over time; and (3) lengthening of the two transform boundaries converging in the MTJ. The clockwise change of the Pacific-Antarctic motion (ca. 12–10 Ma) led to complex geodynamic evolution of the plate boundary to the east of the triple junction, with fragmentation of the long-offset Emerald transform fault and its replacement over a short time interval (1–2 m.y.) with closely spaced, highly variable transform offsets that were joined by short ridge segments with time-varying asymmetries in the spreading rates.Published146–1503A. Geofisica marina e osservazioni multiparametriche a fondo mareJCR Journa
The influence of volcano topographic changes on infrasound amplitude: lava fountains at Mt. Etna in 2021
No full textInfrasound signals are used to investigate and monitor active volcanoes during eruptive and degassing activity. Infrasound
amplitude information has been used to estimate eruptive parameters such as plume height, magma discharge rate, and lava
fountain height. Active volcanoes are characterized by pronounced topography and, during eruptive activity, the topography
can change rapidly, affecting the observed infrasound amplitudes. While the interaction of infrasonic signals with topography
has been widely investigated over the past decade, there has been limited work on the impact of changing topography on
the infrasonic amplitudes. In this work, the infrasonic signals accompanying 57 lava fountain paroxysms at Mt. Etna (Italy)
during 2021 were analyzed. In particular, the temporal and spatial variations of the infrasound amplitudes were investigated.
During 2021, significant changes in the topography around the most active crater (the South East Crater) took place and
were reconstructed in detail using high resolution imagery from unoccupied aerial system surveys. Through analysis of the
observed infrasound signals and numerical simulations of the acoustic wavefield, we demonstrate that the observed spatial
and temporal variation in the infrasound signal amplitudes can largely be explained by the combined effects of changes in the
location of the acoustic source and changes in the near-vent topography, together with source acoustic amplitude variations.
This work demonstrates the importance of accurate source locations and high-resolution topographic information, particularly
in the near-vent region where the topography is most likely to change rapidly and illustrates that changing topography
should be considered when interpreting local infrasound observations over long time scales.Published545V. Processi eruttivi e post-eruttiviJCR Journa
Hellenic karst waters: geogenic and anthropogenic processes affecting their geochemistry and quality
No full textKarst hydrosystems represent one of the largest global drinking water resources, but they are extremely vulnerable to pollution. Climate change, high population density, intensive industrial, and agricultural activities are the principal causes of deterioration, both in terms of quality and quantity, of these resources. Samples from 172 natural karst springs were collected in the whole territory of Greece. To identify any geogenic contamination and/or anthropogenic pollution, analyses of their chemical compositions, in terms of major ions and trace elements, were performed and compared to the EU limits for drinking water. Based on chloride content, the collected karst springs were divided into two groups: low-chloride ( 100 mg L-1). An additional group of springs with calcium-sulfate composition was recognised. Nitrate concentrations were always below the EU limit (50 mg L-1), although some springs presented elevated concentrations. High contents in terms of trace elements, such as B, Sr, As, and Pb, sometimes exceeding the limits, were rarely found. The Greek karst waters can still be considered a good quality resource both for human consumption and for agriculture. The main issues derive from seawater intrusion in the aquifers along the coasts. Moreover, the main anthropogenic pollutant is nitrate, found in higher concentrations mostly in the same coastal areas where human activities are concentrated. Finally, high levels of potentially harmful trace elements (e.g. As, Se) are very limited and of natural origin (geothermal activity, ore deposits, etc.).Published111916A. Geochimica per l'ambiente e geologia medicaJCR Journa
Sea-level trend variability in the Mediterranean during the 1993–2019 period
No full textSea-level change is one of the most concerning climate change and global warming consequences, especially impacting coastal societies and environments. The spatial and temporal variability of sea level is neither linear nor globally uniform, especially in semi-enclosed basins such as the Mediterranean Sea, which is considered a hot spot regarding expected impacts related to climate change. This study investigates sea-level trends and their variability over the Mediterranean Sea from 1993 to 2019. We use gridded sea-level anomaly products from satellite altimetry for the total observed sea level, whereas ocean temperature and salinity profiles from reanalysis were used to compute the thermosteric and halosteric effects, respectively, and the steric component of the sea level. We perform a statistical change point detection to assess the spatial and temporal significance of each trend change. The linear trend provides a clear indication of the non-steric effects as the dominant drivers over the entire period at the Mediterranean Sea scale, except for the Levantine and Aegean sub-basins, where the steric component explains the majority of the sea-level trend. The main changes in sea-level trends are detected around 1997, 2006, 2010, and 2016, associated with Northern Ionian Gyre reversal episodes, which changed the thermohaline properties and water mass redistribution over the sub-basins.Published11504884A. Oceanografia e climaJCR Journa
Historical Memory as an Effective and Useful Tool for Proper Land Use Planning: Lessons Learnt from Some Italian Cases
No full textMany Italian cities and towns have been affected by geological or geohydrological processes.
However, due to the loss of historical memory, lessons of the past have been ignored; new urbanized
areas have expanded into the same zones where damage and casualties occurred in the past. Despite
current practices, researchers are showing how historical data can be among the most valid tools for
identifying the most affected and hazardous areas. When the completeness and quality of historical
sources are sufficiently high, we can make useful statistical inferences regarding the spatiotemporal
variations of natural processes. This information is of great importance for land use planning, as it
makes us able to rely not only on the current state of the investigated areas but also on their dynamic
evolutionary framework over time. In this article, we present a chronological review of past Italian
works describing the occurrence of natural extreme events making use of historical data. Then, we
present some Italian case studies in which the awareness of hazards gained by paying attention to
past information would have ensured better management of the risk for the benefit of public safety.
Finally, the authors stress the need to safeguard, manage, and enhance the large collection of historical
data that constitutes Italy’s heritage.Published1751JCR Journa
Lagrangian Particle Dispersion in a Poor Man’s Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence Model
No full textLagrangian dispersion of fluid particle pairs refers to the study of how individual fluid particles disperse and move in a fluid flow, providing insights to understand transport phenomena in various environments, from laminar to turbulent conditions. Here, we explore this phenomenon in synthetic velocity and magnetic fields generated through a reduced-order model of the magnetohy- drodynamic equations, which is able to mimic both a laminar and a turbulent environment. In the case of laminar conditions, we find that the average square distance between particle pairs increases linearly with time, implying a dispersion pattern similar to Brownian motion at all time steps. On the other hand, under turbulent conditions, surprisingly enough we observe a Richardson scaling, indicating a super-ballistic dispersion pattern, which aligns with the expected scaling properties for a turbulent environment. Additionally, our study reveals that the magnetic field plays an organizing role. Lastly, we explore a purely hydrodynamic case without magnetic field effects, showing that, even in a turbulent environment, the behavior remains Brownian-like, highlighting the crucial role of the magnetic field in generating the Richardson scaling observed in our model.Published6622A. Fisica dell'alta atmosferaJCR Journa
Tracking Geomagnetic Storms with Dynamical System Approach: Ground-Based Observations
No full textUsing a dynamical systems approach, we examine the persistence and predictability of geomagnetic perturbations across a range of different latitudes and levels of geomagnetic activity. We look at the horizontal components of the magnetic field measured on the ground between 13 and 24 March 2015, at approximately 40 observatories in the Northern Hemisphere. We introduced two dynamical indicators: the extremal index θ, which quantifies the persistence of the system in a particular state and the instantaneous dimension d, which measures the active number of degrees of freedom of the system. The analysis revealed that during disturbed periods, the instantaneous dimension of the horizontal strength of the magnetic field, which depends on latitude, increases, indicating that the geomagnetic response is externally driven. Furthermore, during quiet times, the instantaneous dimension values fluctuate around the state-space dimension, indicating a more stochastic and thus less predictable nature system.Published30311A. Geomagnetismo e PaleomagnetismoJCR Journa