Search results for "Processes"
showing 10 items of 3831 documents
The evolution of a dynamic geological system: the support of a GIS for geochemical measurements at the fumarole field of Vulcano, Italy
1997
The island of Vulcano (Aeolian arc, Southern Italy) has displayed several periods of volcanic unrest since the end of the last eruption (1890). We report here results obtained from a long-term survey concerning variations of both the steam output and the exhaling surface area at the summit crater fumarolic field of La Fossa. The field measurements analysed in a Geographical Information System (GIS) show a highly dynamic volcanic system in which deep variations in the geochemistry and the temperature of the released fluids were accompanied by fluctuations in the mass output of steam and the topography of the crater field. The use of a GIS facilitated digitized reconstructions of maps of the …
Tectonic evolution of the Sierra Maestra Mountains, SE Cuba, during Tertiary times: From arc-continent collision to transform motion
2008
Abstract A structural study was carried out along the southern Sierra Maestra mountain range, SE Cuba. This was aimed to monitor the effects of Paleogene island arc formation and collision due to convergence of the Caribbean and North American plates and subsequent Neogene disruption of the arc by initiation of the North Caribbean Transform Fault. In the Sierra Maestra two different and unrelated volcanic arcs are exposed, one of Cretaceous age (pre-Maastrichtian) and the other of Paleogene age, the latter forming the main expression of the mountain range. The volcanic arcs are overlain by Middle–Upper Eocene siliciclastic, carbonate and terrigenous rocks. Six distinct phases of deformation…
Alternative energy scenarios for small islands: A case study from Salina Island (Aeolian Islands, Southern Italy)
2012
Abstract The Aeolian archipelago is made up of seven main islands situated in the Tyrrhenian sea (Sicily Italy). They represent a suitable scenario for the development of a sustainable energy production system, that could easily be reproduced on other Mediterranean Islands. The fact that these islands depend on the mainland for energy supplies and the high cost of bringing fuel in tanker boats are factors that should strongly encourage the use of renewable energy source technologies. Taking into account the European Commission guidelines, this paper sets out to evaluate potential energy production using photovoltaic and small scale wind power, in order to verify their contribution to overal…
Rhine flood deposits recorded in the Gallo-Roman site of Oedenburg (Haut-Rhin, France).
2006
13 pages; International audience; From the first to the fourth century AD, the Gallo-Roman town of Oedenburg developed in the alluvial landscape of the southern Upper Rhine Graben. Throughout this period, the landscape mosaic, composed of palaeochannels, stable palaeoislands and river terraces, continued to evolve. A district of this town, situated on a lateral Rhine channel system, was archaeologically excavated. Largescale excavation and cross-section analysis provide evidence of changing fluvial conditions during the period under study. At about AD 20 or earlier, this lateral part of the floodplain, affected by very fine sedimentation, was occupied by moribund marshy palaeochannels. When…
Freshwater discharge and sediment dispersal — Control on growth, ecological structure and geometry of Late Miocene shallow-water coral ecosystems (ea…
2007
Abstract Insolation-driven oceanographic changes are well documented in the Mediterranean deep-sea record and reflect episodes of high precipitation and/or freshwater discharge. In the shallow-water record, however, changes in relative sea-level and sea surface temperature are usually regarded as prime controls on Miocene coral reefs, whereas pulses of freshwater influx represent a hitherto unrecognized factor influencing their growth, ecological structure and geometry. On the island of Crete (NW Messara Basin, Greece) early Tortonian coral biostromes occur associated with deltas along the basin margin and rimming islands formed by large uplifted tectonic blocks. In turbid delta environment…
Occurrence of whale barnacles in Nerja Cave (Málaga, southern Spain): Indirect evidence of whale consumption by humans in the Upper Magdalenian
2014
A total of 167 plates of two whale barnacle species (Tubicinella major Lamarck, 1802 and Cetopirus complanatus Morch, 1853) have been found in the Upper Magdalenian layers of Nerja Cave, Mina Chamber (Maro, Malaga, southern Spain). This is the first occurrence of these species in a prehistoric site. Both species are specific to the southern right whale Eubalena australis, today endemic in the Southern Hemisphere. Because of Antarctic sea-ice expansion during the Last Glacial Period, these whales could have migrated to the Northern Hemisphere, and reached southern Spain. Whale barnacles indicate that maritime-oriented forager human groups found stranded whales on the coast and, because of th…
Elevation of the last interglacial highstand in Sicily (Italy): A benchmark of coastal tectonics
2006
Well-preserved MIS 5.5 terraces in Sicily are identified primarily by the index fossil Strombus bubonius, and dated by amino acid racemization (AAR), electron spin resonance (ESR), Uranium/Thorium (U/Th) and thermo luminescence (TL) methods. This review of published data and new results for the island of Sicily and neighbouring small islands of Egadi, Ustica and Lampedusa identifies areas of rapid uplift in the east (up to +175 m, elevation above sea level), slower uplift in the north (+29 m), and relative stability in the northwest (+2/+18 m). In contrast, about 250 km of the southern coastline of Sicily does not appear to contain MIS 5.5 outcrops. In eastern Sicily, correlation of MIS 5.5…
A Sustainable Energy Mix for the Aeolian Islands
2018
The paper examines the current status of the electrical energy production in the Aeolian Islands, an Italian archipelago, composed by small island North of Sicily. Instead the availability of renewable energy sources, like wind, solar, geothermal and sea wave, these islands produce electrical energy using almost entirely fossil fuels. Starting from this initial condition, the paper proposes an energetic mix based on the available resources and focusing the attention on sea wave. An innovative device is presented in order to exploit this energy source.
Real-time simultaneous detection of volcanic Hg and SO2at La Fossa Crater, Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Sicily)
2007
Measuring Hg/SO2 ratios in volcanic emissions is essential for better apportioning the volcanic contribution to the global Hg atmospheric cycle. Here, we report the first real-time simultaneous measurement of Hg and SO2 in a volcanic plume, based on Lumex and MultiGAS techniques, respectively. We demonstrate that the use of these novel techniques allows the measurements of Hg/SO2 ratios with a far better time resolution than possible with more conventional methods. The Hg/SO2 ratio in the plume of FO fumarole on La Fossa Crater, Vulcano Island spanned an order of magnitude over a 30 minute monitoring period, but was on average in qualitative agreement with the Hg/SO2 ratio directly measured…
Etna and the perception of volcanic risk
2013
Sicily’s uneven geological structure is positioned within a system of tectonic plates, and its very active volcano has always made it prone to disasters. Many Sicilian cities have in fact been destroyed by natural events many times over the centuries. This can certainly be understood negatively as the destruction of entire towns, the emission of volcanic ash, and the mutation of landscapes by a terrifying force have instilled fearful memories in local populations. But from another point of view one must consider the positive elements of Etna. Its beautiful landscapes were a major attraction on the Grand Tour, and its inhabitants have long associated the volcano with the concept of rebirth a…