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Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Fisiche ed Energetiche, Università «Tor Vergata», Roma, Italy
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- PublicationRestrictedEvaluation of hand-held gamma spectrometry instrument as confirm technique for environmental analysis of thorium in soil(2016)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Gamma spectrometry hand-held instrument may show considerable analytical performances and even if they are not specifically taught for quantitative environmental analysis, in this work we evaluate the performance of one of them in this field comparing the results with ICP-MS, the reference technique in this field. In our work we want to evaluate the possibility to use the analytical performances offered by a portable gamma spectrometer as confirmatory technique. We used for this test soils contaminated with thorium, an increasing interest pollutant, widely present in natural sediments and also emitted in environment by several anthropogenic processes such modern agricultural practices, industrial and military application. Thorium is expected also to increase in interest, for its possible exploitation as nuclear fuel instead of uranium by some countries.290 5 - PublicationRestrictedStromboli: a natural laboratory of environmental science(2002)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;Chiappini, M.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia ;Gregori, G. P.; IFA-CNR, via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy ;Paparo, G.; IDAC-CNR, Rome, Italy ;Bellecci, C.; II Universita' di Roma, Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy ;Crisci, G. M.; UNICAL, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy ;De Natale, G.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione OV, Napoli, Italia ;Favali, P.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia ;Marson, I.; OGS, and Universita' di Trieste, Trieste, Italy ;Meloni, A.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia ;Zolesi, B.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia ;Boschi, E.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione AC, Roma, Italia; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; The science of environment is per se multi- and inter-disciplinary. It is not possible to separate the role of the physical, chemical, biological, and anthropic factors, respectively. Research must therefore rely on suitable natural laboratories, where all different effects can be simultaneously monitored and investigated. Stromboli is a volcanic island slightly North of Sicily, within a tectonic setting characterised by a Benioff zone, curved like a Greek theatre, opened towards the Tyrrhenian Sea, with deep earthquakes. Moreover, it is a unique volcano in the world in that since at least ~ 3000 years ago, it has exploded very regularly, about every 15^20 min. Hence, it is possible to monitor statistically phenomena occurring prior, during, and after every explosion. The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) has recently established a permanent Laboratory and an extensive interdisciplinary programme is being planned. A few main classes of items are to be considered including: (1) matter exchange (solid, liquid, gas, chemistry); (2) thermal and/or radiative coupling; (3) electromagnetic coupling; (4) deformation; (5) biospheric implications; and (6) anthropic relations since either the times of the Neolithic Revolution. Such an entire multidisciplinary perspective is discussed, being much beyond a mere volcanological concern. We present here the great heuristic potential of such a unique facility, much like a natural laboratory devoted to the investigation of the environment and climate.215 32 - PublicationOpen AccessDisturbances in LF radio-signals as seismic precursors(2001-10)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;Biagi, P. F.; INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Bari, Italy ;Piccolo, R.; INFM-Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Bari, Italy ;Ermini, A.; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Fisiche ed Energetiche, Università «Tor Vergata», Roma, Italy ;Martellucci, S.; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Fisiche ed Energetiche, Università «Tor Vergata», Roma, Italy ;Bellecci, C.; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Fisiche ed Energetiche, Università «Tor Vergata», Roma, Italy ;Hayakawa, M.; Department of Electronic Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan ;Kingsley, S. P.; Sheffield Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Sheffield, U.K.; ; ; ; ; ; Low Frequency (LF) radio signals lie in the band 30-300 kHz. Monitoring equipment able to measure the electric strength of such signals, at field sites with very low noise levels, were designed and assembled in Italy. From 1993 onwards, the electric field strength of the MCO (216 kHz, France) broadcasting station has been measured at two sites in Central Italy. At the end of 1996, radio signals from the CLT (189 kHz, Italy) and the CZE (270 kHz, Czech Republic) broadcasting stations were included in the measurements. During this monitoring period, evident attenuation of the electric field strength in some of the radio signals was observed at some of the receivers. The duration of the attenuation observed was several days and so it could have been related to particular meteorological conditions. On the other hand, this phenomenon could also represent precursors of moderate (3.0 =M =3.5) earthquakes that occurred near the receivers (within 50 km) along the transmitter-receiver path. In this case it is possible that some local troposphere defocusing of the radio signals, produced by the pre-seismic processes, might have occurred. These observations were related only to moderate earthquakes and in these cases it may be that suitable meteorological conditions are needed to observe the effect. During February-March 1998 at one measuring site, we observed a significant increase in the CZE electric field strength. Unfortunately, the data of the other receiver could not be used in this case because of frequent interruptions in the recordings. The increase might have been a precursor of a strong earthquake (M = 5.3) that occurred on March 26, 1998 in the Umbria-Marche zone at a location over 100 km from the receiver, but which lay along the transmitter-receiver path. In this case, it is possible that an ionospheric disturbance, produced by the pre-seismic processes, might have occurred. If this pre-seismic behaviour of the LF signals could be confirmed then this type of precursor would seem capable of giving information on the direction, and perhaps even the rough location, of a forthcoming earthquake.155 488