1,721,126 research outputs found
Modeling of magnetic anomalies generated by simple geological structures through Genetic-Price inversion algorithm
No full textA new approach to the interpretation of magnetic anomalies generated by geological structures resembling simple geometrical bodies is presented. The method is based on the Genetic-Price hybrid Algorithm (GPA) recently proposed by the authors for the inversion of potential-field data, specifically of self-potential signals. In this paper, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is tested on magnetic data for retrieving the parameters of the anomaly causative sources. First, the testing is performed on synthetic noise-free and noisy signals due to magnetized sphere-, dike- and fault-like models, then the analysis is extended to field magnetic anomalies. Concerning the synthetic data analyses, a very good agreement is obtained between assumed and retrieved source parameters. Specifically, the error between true and inverted parameter sets was found to be no higher than 9% even by adding 15% of Gaussian white random noise to the initial dataset. As for the study of field data, the values of depth, horizontal position, effective magnetization intensity and angle provided by the proposed GPA method compare well with those obtained by other interpretative approaches. Finally, the results of the GPA application to the inversion of magnetic data measured in the Mt. Somma-Vesuvius volcanic area are reported. In particular, the interpretation of the magnetic anomalies along a SW-NE profile in terms of multiple dikes provides information about depth and location of buried volcanic structures that match well those from other geophysical and geological analyses
A novel approach for monitoring hydrothermal systems by continuous magnetotelluric observations
No full textUnderstanding the behavior and the evolution of hydrothermal systems is of great interest for both scientific and commercial purposes, such as volcanic hazard assessment and geothermal energy exploitation. To this aim, a novel approach based on continuous magnetotelluric (MT) data is proposed for characterizing and monitoring hydrothermal systems. To test the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a sensitivity analysis has been performed by simulating different evolution scenarios of a hydrothermal system and calculating the MT response at different time intervals corresponding to different stages of the system dynamics. The study proved to be essential for understanding the degree of sensitivity of the MT method to changes of the hydrothermal system with reference to its possible temporal evolutions
Which communication for higher education in scientific disciplines?
No full textTeaching, researching, knowledge transfer and innovation are important drivers of the development of any Country, provided by higher education in humanities, e.g. social and political sciences or clinical medicine, as well as in science and technology. In Europe these items correspond to the heart of a strategy, which aims to enforce a more inclusive, cohesive and competitive continent. Sometimes, science teaching fails because educational programs do not satisfactorily meet social needs, or research does not achieve innovation targets since it is not enough social-impacting. Scientific reductionism favours the individual point of view rather than shared perspectives, which integrate different disciplines and better answer to real problems. Many researchers, highly specialized in their knowledge fields, often transfer clear scientific concepts but unrelated to life or social and ethical values. Moreover, teaching today uses increasingly advanced tools to improve active learning, placing great trust in technology and forgetting the basics of good communication, which lies in the skills of communicator, his authenticity, his sincere interest in the listener’s growth. Following teaching experiences gained with a scientific communication course realised in the last two years at the Polytechnic and Basic Sciences School (Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy), we propose a distinction between science popularization and science communication, which establishes interesting guidelines for dealing with the complex interaction between higher education and society's needs. We have recovered the basic of communication skills, highlighting the importance of the sender-receiver relationship and strengthening the idea that effective communication occurs when receiver and sender simultaneously grow: the former improves his knowledge and his ability to choose, and the second one changes himself as an effect of the receiver’s reaction. Achieving effective communication in education is primarily a matter of taking care of the interpersonal relationship. Finally, we demonstrate that there is not only one way to communicate, but there are many approaches, depending on the peculiar relationship between sender and receiver
Sul problema del riconoscimento di uno strato elettricamente polarizzabile mediante misure magnetotelluriche
No full textMonitoring of levee breaching through remote sensing and artificial intelligence
No full textThe study of flooding events resulting from bank over-flooding and levee breaching is of large interest for both society and environment, because flood waves, resulting from levee failure, might cause loss of lives and destruction of properties and ecosystems. Understanding the subsoil mechanics and the fluid-solid interplay allows the stability condition estimate of dams, embankments and slopes and the development of early warning alarm systems. Changes in soil and hydraulic parameters are usually monitored by geotechnical and geophysical investigations that also provide the basic assumptions for developing hydraulic models. Nowadays, remote sensing approaches, including satellite techniques, are mainly used for flooding simulation studies. Indeed, remote sensing observations, such as discharge, flood area extent and water stage, have been used for retrieving flood hydrology information and modeling, calibrating and validating hydrodynamic models, improving model structures and developing data assimilation models. Although all these studies have contributed significantly to the recent advances, uncertainty in observations, as well as in model parameters and prediction, represents a critical aspect for using remote sensing data in the flooding defence. Compared to past and current methods for monitoring the fluvial levee failure, we propose a new procedure that provides a wide and fast alert system. The proposed methodological path is based on presumed relationships between ground level deformation and hydrological and surface soil properties, due to physical mechanisms and exhibited by geodetic and hydrological time series. The procedure is accomplished first through multi-methodological comparative analyses applied to geodetic, hydrological and soil-properties patterns, then through the mapping of the river zones prone to failure. Since the input consists of time series satellite-derived data, the geospatial Artificial Intelligence is applied for extracting knowledge from spatial big data and for increasing the performance of data computing
Estimation of Carbon Dioxide emissions along an active fault by using geoelectrical measurements
No full textIn the last twenty years, a growing interest is noticed in quantifying non-volcanic degassing, which could represent a significant input of CO2 into the atmosphere. Large emissions of non-volcanic carbon dioxide usually take place in seismically active zones, where the existence of a positive spatial correlation between gas discharges and extensional tectonic regimes has been confirmed by seismic data. Extensional stress plays a key role in creating pathways for the rising of gases at micro- and macro-scales, increasing the rock permeability and connecting the deep crust to the earth surface. Geoelectrical investigations, which are very sensitive to permeability changes, provide accurate volumetric reconstructions of the physical properties of the rocks and, therefore, are fundamental not only for the definition of the seismic-active zone geometry, but also for understanding the processes that govern the flow of fluids along the damage zone. In this framework, we present the results of an integrated approach where geoelectrical and passive seismic data are used to construct a 3D geological model, whose simulated temporal evolution allowed the estimation of CO2 flux along an active fault in the area of Matese Ridge (Southern Apennines, Italy). By varying the geometry of the source system and the permeability values of the damage zone, characteristic times for the upward migration of CO2 through a thick layer of silts and clays have been estimated and CO2 fluxes comparable with the observed values in the investigated area have been predicted. These findings are promising for gas hazard, as they suggest that numerical simulations of different CO2 degassing scenarios could forecast possible critical variations in the amount of CO2 emitted near the fault
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