Astronomic forcing on the planktonic foraminifera assemblage in the Piacenzian Punta Piccola section (southern Italy)
[1] A high-resolution quantitative analysis of the calcareous planktonic assemblages (planktonic foraminifers and calcareous nannofossils) at the Punta Piccola section (at the base of which, the global standard stratotype-section and point of the Piacenzian stage is defined) provided a more accurate biostratigraphy for the Mediterranean middle Pliocene (2.6–3.6 Ma). In particular, an astronomically calibrated age of 2.87 Ma was estimated for the Pliocene first occurrence of Neogloboquadrina atlantica instead of the younger previously proposed age of 2.72 Ma. Spectral analysis performed on the Globigerinoides species (spp.) planktonic foraminifera assemblage along with cross-spectral analysi…
A 4500 year record of palaeomagnetic secular variation and relative palaeointensity from the Tyrrhenian Sea
A marine sediment core from the western Mediterranean provides a newhigh-resolution 4,500-year record of palaeomagnetic secular variation and relativepalaeointensity. In 2013, the 7.1-metre C5 core was recovered from the TyrrhenianSea as part of the NextData climate data project. The coring site, 15 km offshorefrom the Volturno river mouth, is well-located to record combined marine andterrestrial palaeoclimatic influences, and the fine-grained, rapidly deposited sedimentsare effective palaeomagnetic recorders. We investigate the palaeomagnetic field direction and strength recorded in the core, which provide a valuable high-resolution recordof Holocene geomagnetic variation in the area. Usin…
Impact of Freshwater Inflow From the Volturno River on Coastal Circulation
The coastal area located in front of the Volturno river's estuary (Gulf of Gaeta, central-eastern Tyrrhenian Sea) has been synoptically sampled during seven surveys, between June 2012 and October 2014. The vertical profiles of temperature and salinity have been acquired on a high resolution nearly-regular grid, in order to describe the spatial and temporal variability of the water masses characteristics. Moreover, to provide a first assessment of the steady circulation at small scale, the three-dimensional velocity field associated to each survey has been obtained through the full momentum equations of the Princeton Ocean Model. The data analysis has shown the entire water column characteri…