http://hdl.handle.net/2122/152 Search the Channel search http://www.earth-prints.org/simple-search http://hdl.handle.net/2122/2478 Title: Contamination of coastal aquifers from intense anthropic activity in south-weastern Sicily, Italy <br/> <br/>Authors: Aureli, A.; Dipartimento di Geologia e Geodesia, Università di Palermo, Italy; Contino, A.; Dipartimento di Geologia e Geodesia, Università di Palermo, Italy; Cusimano, G.; Dipartimento di Geologia e Geodesia, Università di Palermo, Italy; Di Pasquale, M.; Unità Operativa 4.17 del G.N.D.C.I (C.N.R), Palermo, Italy; Gatto, L.; Dipartimento di Geologia e Geodesia, Università di Palermo, Italy; Hauser, S.; Dipartimento di Chimica e Fisica della Terra; Musumeci, G.; Unità Operativa 4.17 del G.N.D.C.I (C.N.R), Palermo, Italy; Pisciotta, A.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Palermo, Palermo, Italia; Provenzano, M. C.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Palermo, Palermo, Italia <br/> <br/>Abstract: This study was conducted in western Sicily, in the Marsala and Castelvetrano-Campobello di Mazara coastal plain area. The economy of the area is mainly based on intense farming of specific agricultural crops (citrus, grapes, olives and others in greenhouses). These activities require a substantial and growing amount of water drawn, essentially, from local aquifers. In summers, water demand increases due to high population density. In order to satisfy this demand, numerous wells were drilled throughout the area, in some cases with a density of 10 wells / km2. The uncontrolled groundwater exploitation in the last 10 years has resulted in a drastic decrease in water well levels, consequently allowing extensive seawater intrusion. The main aquifer is a sandy-calcarenitic, plio-pleistocenic complex, interbedded with clayey-marly layers in the lower layers. Multi-layered aquifers are present with the upper layers unconfined. Related studies are also being conducted in this area including monitoring of over 100 wells to better define potential groundwater resources. More specifically, the authors of this study, who are part of the U.O. 4.17 of the Gruppo Nazionale Difesa dalle Catastrofi Idrogeologiche (G.N.D.C.I) (National Defense Group for Hydrogeologic Catastrophes) of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (C.N.R.) (National Research Council), are completing a “Pollution Vulnerability Map” of all aquifers in south-western Sicily (1:50.000 scale) using the zoning method for homogeneous areas (G.N.D.C.I.-C.N.R. method). This map is a valid instrument for all authorities governing the management and protection of groundwater resources in the area. http://hdl.handle.net/2122/2037 Title: Science requirements and the design of cabled ocean observatories <br/> <br/>Authors: Chave, A. D.; Deep Submergence Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, U.S.A.; Massion, G.; Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, U.S.A.; Mikada, H.; Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan <br/> <br/>Abstract: The ocean sciences are beginning a new phase in which scientists will enter the ocean environment and adaptively observe the Earth-Ocean system through remote control of sensors and sensor platforms. This new ocean science paradigm will be implemented using innovative facilities called ocean observatories which provide unprecedented levels of power and communication to access and manipulate real-time sensor networks deployed within many different environments in the ocean basins. Most of the principal design drivers for ocean observatories differ from those for commercial submarine telecommunications systems. First, ocean observatories require data to be input and output at one or more seafloor nodes rather than at a few land terminuses. Second, ocean observatories must distribute a lot of power to the seafloor at variable and fluctuating rates. Third, the seafloor infrastructure for an ocean observatory inherently requires that the wet plant be expandable and reconfigurable. Finally, because the wet communications and power infrastructure is comparatively complex, ocean observatory infrastructure must be designed for low life cycle cost rather than zero maintenance. The origin of these differences may be understood by taking a systems engineering approach to ocean observatory design through examining the requirements derived from science and then going through the process of iterative refinement to yield conceptual and physical designs. This is illustrated using the NEPTUNE regional cabled observatory power and data communications sub-systems. http://hdl.handle.net/2122/1059 Title: Seafloor Observatory Science: a Review <br/> <br/>Authors: Favali, P.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia; Beranzoli, L.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia <br/> <br/>Abstract: The ocean exerts a pervasive influence on Earth’s environment. It is therefore important that we learn how this system operates (NRC, 1998b; 1999). For example, the ocean is an important regulator of climate change (e.g., IPCC, 1995). Understanding the link between natural and anthropogenic climate change and ocean circulation is essential for predicting the magnitude and impact of future changes in Earth’s climate. Understanding the ocean, and the complex physical, biological, chemical, and geological systems operating within it, should be an important goal for the opening decades of the 21st century. Another fundamental reason for increasing our understanding of ocean systems is that the global economy is highly dependent on the ocean (e.g., for tourism, fisheries, hydrocarbons, and mineral resources) (Summerhayes, 1996). The establishment of a global network of seafloor observatories will help to provide the means to accomplish this goal. These observatories will have power and communication capabilities and will provide support for spatially distributed sensing systems and mobile platforms. Sensors and instruments will potentially collect data from above the air-sea interface to below the seafloor. Seafloor observatories will also be a powerful complement to satellite measurement systems by providing the ability to collect vertically distributed measurements within the water column for use with the spatial measurements acquired by satellites while also providing the capability to calibrate remotely sensed satellite measurements (NRC, 2000). Ocean observatory science has already had major successes. For example the TAO array has enabled the detection, understanding and prediction of El Niño events (e.g., Fujimoto et al., 2003). This paper is a world-wide review of the new emerging “Seafloor Observatory Science”, and describes both the scientific motivations for seafloor observatories and the technical solutions applied to their architecture. A description of world-wide past and ongoing experiments, as well as concepts presently under study, is also given, with particular attention to European projects and to the Italian contribution. Finally, there is a discussion on “Seafloor Observatory Science” perspectives. http://hdl.handle.net/2122/862 Title: Recent changes in rainfalland air temperature at Agnone(Molise - Central Italy) <br/> <br/>Authors: Izzo, M.; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l Ambiente e il Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Isernia, Italy; Aucelli, P. P. C.; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l Ambiente e il Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Isernia, Italy; Mazzarella, A.; Dipartimento di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli «Federico II», Napoli, Italy <br/> <br/>Abstract: An exhaustive daily rainfall and extreme air temperature series (1883-2000) was reconstructed for Agnone, a small town in Molise (Central Italy). Long-term analysis identified an increasing trend of 1.3 ± 0.4°C per 100 years, statistically confident at the 95% level, only for minimum air temperature, and of a seasonal march, reasonably stationary along the entire investigated interval, explaining more than 50% of the corresponding monthly variance, with maxima in November and July for rainfall and air temperature, respectively. Daily clustering analysis evidenced scale-invariant properties, largely dependent on the threshold value, for all the investigated parameters.