ALBERT

Description: Exploring different degrees of complexities in the geometry of seismic tsunami sources is a key point to optimize Probabilistc Tsunami Hazard Analyis (PTHA), as fault geometry can have an impact on the generated tsunami. In this regard, one major difficulty is represented by the potentially tsunamigenic offshore faults that are generally poorly constrained and consequently the geometry is often oversimplified as a planar fault. We present compared scenarios of PTHA for ruptures located in the Calabrian subduction interface using different source models. The Calabrian subduction, located in the Mediterranean Sea, has occasionally be blamed to have generated some past large earthquakes and tsunamis, despite it shows no sign of significant seismic activity on the shallow portion of the interface. Significant in-slab seismicity is recorded below 40 km depth and a rate of 1-5 mm/yr characterize the convergence between the two plates involved, Africa and Europe. A 3D model of the subduction interface was obtained from the original interpretation of a grid of ca. 60 (9000 km length) seismic reflection profiles (Spectrum – INGV collaborative framework CA-60) coupled with the detailed analysis of the seismicity, providing a highly detailed 3D surface geometry for the first 100 km depth. This model includes both the first order information on the curvature and changes in strike and an accurate reconstruction of the 3D subduction interface, and can be scaled to different levels of detail. We compare simplified planar vs 3D models with different degrees of geometrical complexities in order to estimate the effect of the source geometry on the tsunami generation and propagation pattern.

Description: TSUMAPS-NEAM Project, co-financed by the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, Agreement Number: ECHO/SUB/2015/718568/PREV26; Italian Flagship Project RITMARE

Description: Unpublished

Description: Wien

Description: 5T. Modelli di pericolosità sismica e da maremoto

Description: Volcanic crises are complex and especially challenging to manage. Volcanic unrest is characterised by uncertainty about whether an eruption will or will not take place, as well as its possible location, size and evolution. Planning is further complicated by the range of potential hazards and the variety of disciplines involved in forecasting and responding to volcanic emergencies. Effective management is favoured at frequently active volcanoes, owing to the experience gained through the repeated ‘testing’ of systems of communication. Even when plans have not been officially put in place, the groups involved tend to have an understanding of their roles and responsibilities and those of others. Such experience is rarely available at volcanoes that have been quiescent for several generations. Emergency responses are less effective, not only because of uncertainties about the volcanic system itself, but also because scientists, crisis directors, managers and the public are inexperienced in volcanic unrest. In such situations, tensions and misunderstandings result in poor communication and have the potential to affect decision making and delay vital operations. Here we compare experiences on communi- cating information during crises on volcanoes reawakening after long repose (El Hierro in the Canary Islands) and in frequent eruption (Etna and Stromboli in Sicily). The results provide a basis for enhancing commu- nication protocols during volcanic emergencies.

Description: Published

Description: 1-17

Description: 6V. Pericolosità vulcanica e contributi alla stima del rischio

Description: N/A or not JCR

Description: Real-time measurements of GEM and H2S discharged fromnatural and anthropogenic sources are a valuable tool to investigate the dispersion dynamics of these contaminants in air. In this study, a new approach to measure GEM and H2S concentrations in air, carried out by coupling a portable Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometer with high frequency modulation of light polarization (Lumex RA-915M) and a pulsed fluorescence gas analyzer (Thermo Scientific Model 450i), was applied to two distinct areas: (i) in the surroundings of Piancastagnaio (Siena, Central Italy), located in the eastern flanks ofMt. Amiata (a 200,000 years old volcano), where three geothermal plants are operating and whose exhaust gases are dispersed in the atmosphere after passing through the turbines and an abatement system to mitigate the environmental impact on air, and (ii) at Solfatara Crater (Campi Flegrei, Southern Italy), a volcanic apparatus characterized by intense hydrothermal activity. In 2014, seven GEMand H2S surveys were carried out in the two areas along pre-defined pathways performed by car at both the study sites. The lowest and highest recorded GEM and H2S concentrations at Piancastagnaio were up to 194 and 77 ng/m3, respectively, whilst at Solfatara Crater were up to 690 and 3392 μg/m3, respectively. Although the GEM concentrations at Piancastagnaio were lower than the limit value recommended by local regulations for outdoor environment (300 ng/m3), they were almost one order of magnitude higher than the GEM background both in Tuscany (~3.5 ng/m3) and Mt. Amiata (3–5 ng/m3), suggesting that the main source of GEM was likely related to the geothermal plants. At Solfatara Crater, the highest GEM values were recognized in proximity of the main fumarolic gas discharges. As far as the H2S concentrations are concerned, the guideline value of 150 μg/m3, recommended by WHO (2000), was frequently overcome in the study areas. Dot (in the surroundings of Piancastagnaio) and contour (at Solfatara Crater) maps for GEM and H2S concentrations built for each survey highlighted the important effects played by the meteorological parameters, the latter being measured by a Davis® Vantage Vue weather station. In particular, the GEM and H2S plumes were strongly affected by the wind speed and direction thatwere able to modify the dispersion of the two parameters in air in a matter of hours, indicating that the proposed analytical approach is able to produce a more realistic picture of the distribution of these air pollutants than that provided by using passive traps. Finally, the H2S/GEMratio, calculated by normalizing the measured GEM and H2S concentrations to their highest values (nH2S/GEM),was used as a good proxy for the chemical-physical processes that these two gas species can suffer once emitted in the air. In particular, H2S resulted to be more affected by secondary processes than GEM, possibly related to photochemical oxidation reactions.

Description: Published

Description: 48-58

Description: 4V. Vulcani e ambiente

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: Pulsatory eruptions are marked by a sequence of explosions which can be separated by time intervals ranging from a few seconds to several hours. The quantification of the periodicities associated with these eruptions is essential not only for the comprehension of the mechanisms controlling explosivity, but also for classification purposes. We focus on the dynamics of pulsatory activity and quantify unsteadiness based on the distribution of the repose time intervals between single explosive events in relation to magma properties and eruptive styles. A broad range of pulsatory eruption styles are considered, including Strombolian, violent Strombolian and Vulcanian explosions. We find a general relationship between the median of the observed repose times in eruptive sequences and the viscosity of magma given by eta approximate to 100.t(median). This relationship applies to the complete range of magma viscosities considered in our study (10(2) to 10(9) Pas) regardless of the eruption length, eruptive style and associated plume heights, suggesting that viscosity is the main magma property controlling eruption periodicity. Furthermore, the analysis of the explosive sequences in terms of failure time through statistical survival analysis provides further information: dynamics of pulsatory activity can be successfully described in terms of frequency and regularity of the explosions, quantified based on the log-logistic distribution. A linear relationship is identified between the log-logistic parameters, mu and s. This relationship is useful for quantifying differences among eruptive styles from very frequent and regular mafic events (Strombolian activity) to more sporadic and irregular Vulcanian explosions in silicic systems. The time scale controlled by the parameter mu, as a function of the median of the distribution, can be therefore correlated with the viscosity of magmas; while the complexity of the erupting system, including magma rise rate, degassing and fragmentation efficiency, can be also described based on the log-logistic parameter s, which is found to increase from regular mafic systems to highly variable silicic systems. These results suggest that the periodicity of explosions, quantified in terms of the distribution of repose times, can give fundamental information about the system dynamics and change regularly across eruptive styles (i.e., Strombolian to Vulcanian), allowing for direct comparison and quantification of different types of pulsatory activity during these eruptions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Description: Published

Description: 160-168

Description: 3V. Dinamiche e scenari eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: The ionospheric electron density peak (NmF2) is analyzed for the recent minima of solar activity for two mid-latitude stations, Rome (41.8°N, 12.5°E, geomagnetic latitude 41.7°N, Italy) and Gibilmanna (37.9°N, 14.0°E, geomagnetic latitude 37.6°N, Italy), and for the low-latitude station of Tucuma´n (26.9°S, 294.6°E, geomagnetic latitude 17.2°S, Argentina), located in the south ridge of the equatorial ionization anomaly. An inter-minima comparison reveals that from an ionospheric point of view the last minimum of solar activity (minimum 23/24) was peculiar, with values of NmF2 lower than those recorded during the previous minima for all the stations and all the hours of the day. A more pronounced decrease is observed at Tucuma´n than at Rome and Gibilmanna. The study of the winter and semiannual anomaly shows that at mid-latitude stations the winter anomaly is not visible only for the years 2008 and 2009, which represent the deeper part of the prolonged and anomalous last solar minimum. The same is for the semi-annual anomaly. A comparison with the version 2012 of the International Reference Ionosphere model (IRI) is also carried out. The results reveal that for low solar activity the model works better at mid latitudes than at low latitudes, confirming the problems of IRI in correctly representing the low-latitude ionosphere. Nevertheless, using as input updated values of the solar and geomagnetic indices, no loss of accuracy is detected in the IRI performances for the last solar minimum with respect to the previous ones, both at mid and low latitudes.

Description: Published

Description: 363-374

Description: 2A. Fisica dell'alta atmosfera

Description: 1IT. Reti di monitoraggio

Description: 4IT. Banche dati

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Continuous gravity data collected near the summit eruptive vent at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, during 2011–2015 show a strong correlation with summit-area surface deformation and the level of the lava lake within the vent over periods of days to weeks, suggesting that changes in gravity reflect variations in volcanic activity. Joint analysis of gravity and lava level time series data indicates that over the entire time period studied, the average density of the lava within the upper tens to hundreds of meters of the summit eruptive vent remained low—approximately 1000–1500 kg/m^3. The ratio of gravity change (adjusted for Earth tides and instrumental drift) to lava level change measured over 15 day windows rose gradually over the course of 2011–2015, probably reflecting either (1) a small increase in the density of lava within the eruptive vent or (2) an increase in the volume of lava within the vent due to gradual vent enlargement. Superimposed on the overall time series were transient spikes of mass change associated with inflation and deflation of Kīlauea’s summit and coincident changes in lava level. The unexpectedly strong mass variations during these episodes suggest magma flux to and from the shallow magmatic system without commensurate deformation, perhaps indicating magma accumulation within, and withdrawal from, void space—a process that might not otherwise be apparent from lava level and deformation data alone. Continuous gravity data thus provide unique insights into magmatic processes, arguing for continued application of the method at other frequently active volcanoes.

Description: Published

Description: 5477–5492

Description: 2V. Dinamiche di unrest e scenari pre-eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: In this study we combine seismological and GOCE satellite gravity information by using a Bayesian-like technique, with the aim of inferring the density structure of the Pacific (90°N 90°S) (121°E 60°W) lithosphere and upper mantle. We recover a 1° × 1° 3-D density model, down to 300 km depth, which explains gravity observations with a variance reduction of 67.41%. The model, with an associated a posteriori standard deviation, provides a significant contribution to understanding the evolution of the Pacific lithosphere and answers to some debated geodynamic questions. Our methodology enables us to combine the recovery of density parameters with the optimum density-vSV scalings. The latter account for both seismological and gravity observations in order to identify the regions characterized by chemically-induced density heterogeneities which add to the thermally-induced anoma- lies. Chemically-modified structures are found west of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) and are of relevant amplitude both below the north-western side of the Pacific Plate, at the base of the lithosphere, and up to 100 km depth beneath the Hawaiian and Super Swell regions, thus explaining the anomalous shallow regions without invoking the thermal buoyancy as the sole justification. Coherently with the chemically modified structures, our results a) support a lighter and more buoyant lithosphere than that predicted by the cooling models and b) are in favor of the hypothesized crustal underplating beneath the Hawaiian chain and be- neath the volcanic units in the southern branch of the Super Swell region. The comparison between calculated mantle gravity residuals and residual topography a) suggests a lateral viscosity growth associated with the increasing thickness and density of the Plate and b) correlates well with sub-lithospheric mantle flow from the EPR towards west, up to the Kermadec and Tonga Trench in the south and the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench in the north.

Description: Published

Description: 101-115

Description: 7T. Struttura della Terra e geodinamica

Description: JCR Journal

Description: A network of four borehole dilatometers has been installed on Etna in two successive phases (2010–2011 and 2014). The borehole dilatometers are installed in holes drilled at depths usually greater than 100 m, and they measure the volumetric strain of the surrounding rock with a nominal precision up to 10^-11 in a wide frequency range (10^-7–25 Hz). Here we describe the characteristics of the network and the results of the in situ calibrations obtained after the installations by different methods. We illustrate short-term strain changes recorded during several lava fountains erupted by Etna during 2011–2013, and we also show signal changes recorded at all four stations during the lava fountain on 28 December 2014. Analytical and numerical computations constrained the eruptions source depth and also its volume change that is related to the magma volume emitted. Finally, we show the potential of the signal in the medium term to reveal strain changes related to different phases of the volcanic activity.

Description: Published

Description: 4655–4669

Description: 1IT. Reti di monitoraggio e Osservazioni

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: This study reports a complete geochemical dataset of 215 water and 9 gas samples collected in 2015 from thermal and cold discharges located in the eastern sector of the Sabatini Volcanic District (SVD), Italy. Based on these data, two main aquifers were recognized, as follows: 1) a cold Ca-HCO3 to Ca(Na)-HCO3 aquifer related to a shallow circuit within Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanic and sedimentary formations and 2) a deep CO2-pressurized aquifer hosted in Mesozoic carbonate-evaporitic rocks characterized by a Ca- HCO3(SO4) to Na(Ca)-HCO3(Cl) composition. A thick sequence of low-permeability formations represents a physical barrier between the two reservoirs. Interaction of the CO2-rich gas phase with the shallow aquifer, locally producing high-TDS and low-pH cold waters, is controlled by fractures and faults related to buried horst-graben structures. The d18O-H2O and dD-H2O values indicate meteoric water as the main source for both the shallow and deep reservoirs. Carbon dioxide, which is characterized by d13C-CO2 values ranging from 4.7 to þ1.0‰ V-PDB, is mostly produced by thermo-metamorphic decarbonation involving Mesozoic rock formations, masking possible CO2 contribution from mantle degassing. The relatively low R/Ra values (0.07e1.04) indicate dominant crustal He, with a minor mantle He contribution. The CO2/3He ratios, up to 6 1012, support a dominant crustal source for these two gases. The d34SH2S values (from þ9.3 to þ11.3‰ V-CDT) suggests that H2S is mainly related to thermogenic reduction of Triassic anhydrites. The d13C-CH4 and dD-CH4 values (from 33.4 to 24.9‰ V-PDB and from 168 to 140‰ V-SMOW, respectively) and the relatively low C1/C2þ ratios (〈100) are indicative of a prevailing CH4 production through thermogenic degradation of organic matter. The low N2/Ar and high N2/ He ratios, as well as the 40Ar/36Ar ratios (〈305) close to atmospheric ratio, suggest that both N2 and Ar mostly derive from air. Notwithstanding, the positive d15N-N2 values (from þ0.91 to þ3.7‰ NBS air) point to a significant extra-atmospheric N2 contribution. Gas geothermometry in the CH4-CO2-H2 and H2S-CO2-H2 systems indicate equilibrium temperatures 〈200 C, i.e. lower than those measured in deep geothermal wells (~300 C), due to either an incomplete attainment of the chemical equilibria or secondary processes (dilution and/or scrubbing) affecting the chemistry of the uprising fluids. Although the highly saline Na-Cl fluids discharged from the explorative geothermal wells in the study area support the occurrence of a well-developed hydrothermal reservoir suitable for direct exploitation, the chemistry of the fluid discharges highlights that the uprising hydrothermal fluids are efficiently cooled and diluted by the meteoric water recharge from the nearby Apennine sedimentary belt. This explains the different chemical and isotopic features shown by the fluids from the eastern and western sectors of SVD, respectively, the latter being influenced by this process at a lesser extent. Direct uses may be considered a valid alternative for the exploitation of this resource.

Description: Published

Description: 187-201

Description: 6A. Geochimica per l'ambiente

Description: 2IT. Laboratori sperimentali e analitici

Description: 1VV. Altro

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Augmented Reality (AR) is a new way to interact with the world around us by means of the alteration of reality perceived through specific sensors. Virtual elements are indeed overlapped to our visual perception using a video camera or special glasses. In the light of this experience, the AR user will see real images mixed with virtual objects and movies, hear sounds, perceive tactile sensations and, in the next future, have olfactory experiences. We exploit AR features for dissemination purposes in the field of non-structural damage caused by earthquakes as part of our activities within the European project KnowRISK (Know your city, Reduce selSmic risK through non-structural elements). In this presentation, we propose an AR application that allows the user on the field to access information based on a geo database. Accordingly, the application can work in outdoor guided tours as well as field surveys in the form of a virtual assistant. The application requires a tablet and is developed using the WikitudeTM framework, provided by Wikitude GmbH (www.wikitude.com), under Android OS version 4+. From a technical point of view, it is based on the Wikitude Software Development Kit (SDK), which represents an all-in-one AR solution including image recognition and tracking, video overlay, and location based AR service. We developed our prototype application as field trip experience of the town of Noto (Italy), destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. In the middle Ages, the old town of Noto was an important and rich stronghold chosen by Arabs as chief town of one of the three districts (Val di Noto) in which Sicily was divided. Houses, churches, convents and monasteries in Noto were totally destroyed by earthquakes with intensity I=X-XI MCS between 1542 and 1693. The victims were 3,000 out of a total population of 12,000 inhabitants. Our AR application provides historical information on Noto along images and seismic data. Building-up similar tools can be useful not only for laypersons, but also for professionals in support to their field surveys.

Description: Published

Description: INGV - Osservatorio Etneo, Catania Italy

Description: 7IT. Educazione e divulgazione scientifica

Description: open

Description: A new period of eruptive activity started at Turrialba volcano, Costa Rica, in 2010 after almost 150 years of quiescence. This activity has been characterized by sporadic explosions whose frequency clearly increased since October 2014. This study aimed to identify the mechanisms that triggered the resumption of this eruptive activity and characterize the evolution of the phenomena over the past 2 years. We integrate 3He/4He data available on fumarole gases collected in the summit area of Turrialba between 1999 and 2011 with new measurements made on samples collected between September 2014 and February 2016. The results of a petrological investigation of the products that erupted between October 2014 and May 2015 are also presented. We infer that the resumption of eruptive activity in 2010 was triggered by a replenishment of the plumbing system of Turrialba by a new batch of magma. This is supported by the increase in 3He/4He values observed since 2005 at the crater fumaroles and by comparable high values in September 2014, just before the onset of the new eruptive phase. The presence of a number of fresh and juvenile glassy shards in the erupted products increased between October 2014 and May 2015, suggesting the involvement of new magma with a composition similar to that erupted in 1864–1866. We conclude that the increase in 3He/4He at the summit fumaroles since October 2015 represents strong evidence of a new phase of magma replenishment, which implies that the level of activity remains high at the volcano.

Description: Published

Description: 3V. Proprietà dei magmi e dei prodotti vulcanici

Description: 4V. Dinamica dei processi pre-eruttivi

Description: 5V. Dinamica dei processi eruttivi e post-eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Poland is considered the most prospective country for shale gas production in Europe. Hydrocarbon generation/expulsion scenarios, drawn in the latest intensive exploration phases, tend to overestimate maturation levels when compared with brand new data acquired after recent drillings. We tested an integrated workflow to correlate published and original thermal maturity datasets for the Paleozoic to Jurassic successions cropping out in the Holy Cross Mountains. These successions, when preserved in subsurface, host the major source rocks in the area. The application of the workflow allowed us to highlight the burial and thermal evolutionary scenarios of the two tectono-stratigraphic blocks of the Holy Cross Mountains (Łysog ory and Kielce blocks) and to propose this approach as a tool for reducing levels of uncertainty in thermal maturity assessment of Paleozoic successions worldwide. In particular, published datasets including colour alteration indexes of Paleozoic microfossils (conodont, acritarchs) and vitrinite and graptolite reflectance data, show differences in levels of thermal maturity for the Łysog ory (mid mature to overmature) and Kielce (immature to late mature) blocks. Original data, derived from optical analysis, pyrolysis, and Raman spectroscopy on kerogen, and X-Ray diffraction on finegrained sediments, mostly confirm and integrate published data distribution. 1D thermal models, constrained by these data, show burial and exhumation events of different magnitude, during the Late Cretaceous, for the Łysog ory (maximum burial depths of 9 km) and Kielce (burial depths of 6 km) blocks that have been related to the Holy Cross Fault polyphase activity. In the end, Palynomorph Darkness Index and Raman spectroscopy on kerogen, for Llandoverian and Cambrian rocks, turned out to be promising tools for assessing thermal maturity of Paleozoic organic facies devoid of vitrinite macerals.

Description: Published

Description: 112-132

Description: 1TR. Studi per le Georisorse

Description: JCR Journal

Description: The ground-motion median and standard deviation of empirical groundmotion prediction equations (GMPEs) are usually poorly constrained in the nearsource region due to the general lack of strong-motion records. Here we explore the use of a deterministic–stochastic simulation technique, specifically tailored to reproduce directivity effects, to evaluate the expected ground motion and its variability at a near-source site, and seek a strategy to overcome the known GMPEs limitations. To this end, we simulated a large number of equally likely scenario events for three earthquake magnitudes (Mw 7.0, 6.0, and 5.0) and various source-to-site distances. The variability of the explored synthetic ground motion is heteroscedastic, with smaller values for larger earthquakes. The standard deviation is comparable with empirical estimates for smaller events and reduces by 30%–40% for stronger earthquakes. We then illustrate how to incorporate directivity effects into probabilistic seismichazard analysis (PSHA). This goal is pursued by calibrating a set of synthetic GMPEs and reducing their aleatory variability (∼50%) by including a predictive directivity term that depends on the apparent stress parameter obtained through the simulation method. Our results show that, for specific source-to-site configurations, the nonergodic PSHA is very sensitive to the additional epistemic uncertainty that may augment the exceedance probabilities when directivity effects are maximized. The proposed approach may represent a suitable way to compute more accurate hazard estimates.

Description: This work was supported by the project MASSIMO—Cultural Heritage Monitoring in Seismic Area, PON01/02710—coordinated by Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and by the Seismic Hazard Center of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (Centro per la Pericolosità Sismica [CPS]).

Description: Published

Description: 966-983

Description: 5T. Modelli di pericolosità sismica e da maremoto

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Local site effects, normally ground motion amplification, represent one of the main components when developing ground motion simulations and play an important role in the potential earthquake damage. In the framework of the UPStrat-MAFA project a stochastic finite-fault simulation method was selected for the generation of synthetic ground motion scenarios. This method uses spectral site correction functions to account for site amplification effects. These local effects may undergo significant changes due to the source–receiver configuration (i.e., distance, source depth and ray incidence). This holds in particular for reflection and transmission coefficients which may strongly vary depending on the source–receiver geometry, and may alter the characteristics of the spectral site-correction functions. A strategy is proposed to account for local site effects in the context of the regional geological structure, considering SH-waves propagating in a 1D velocity model. Spectral correction functions are derived by comparing Green’s functions obtained for general velocity models and those more detailed at shallow depths. The developed approach is applied in two of the test areas selected in the project, the Mt Etna in Italy and the Vega Baja in SE Spain. The results show the different behaviour in two environments, i.e., volcanic and tectonic, with different seismicity characteristics, and highlight the importance of performing specific site-effect studies in some regions where standard building code soil factors could have some limitations to evaluate the potential for ground motion amplification.

Description: Published

Description: 2117-2127

Description: 3T. Pericolosità sismica e contributo alla definizione del rischio

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: The TOMO-ETNA experiment was planned in order to obtain a detailed geological and structural model of the continental and oceanic crust beneath Mt. Etna volcano and northeastern Sicily up to the Aeolian Islands (southern Italy), by integrating data from active and passive refraction and reflection seismic methodologies, magnetic and gravity surveys. This paper focuses on the marine activities performed within the experiment, which have been carried out in the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, during three multidisciplinary oceanographic cruises, involving three research vessels (“Sarmiento de Gamboa”, “Galatea” and “Aegaeo”) belonging to different countries and institutions. During the offshore surveys about 9700 air-gun shots were produced to achieve a high-resolution seismic tomography through the wide-angle seismic refraction method, covering a total of nearly 2650 km of shooting tracks. To register ground motion, 27 ocean bottom seismometers were deployed, extending the inland seismic permanent network of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and a temporary network installed for the experiment. A total of 1410 km of multi-channel seismic reflection profiles were acquired to image the subsurface of the area and to achieve a 2D velocity model for each profile. Multibeam sonar and sub bottom profiler data were also collected. Moreover, a total of 2020 km of magnetic and 680 km of gravity track lines were acquired to compile magnetic and gravity anomaly maps offshore Mt. Etna volcano. Here, high-resolution images of the seafloor, as well as sediment and rock samples, were also collected using a remotely operated vehicle.

Description: Published

Description: S0428

Description: 3A. Ambiente Marino

Description: JCR Journal

Description: open

Description: As a consequence of climate change and land subsidence, coastal zones are directly impacted by sea-level rise. In some particular areas, the effects on the ecosystem and urbanisation are particularly enhanced. We focus on the Emilia-Romagna (E-R) coastal plain in Northern Italy, bounded by the Po river mouth to the north and by the Apennines to the south. The plain is  ∼ 130 km long and is characterised by wide areas below mean sea level, in part made up of reclaimed wetlands. In this context, several morphodynamic factors make the shore and back shore unstable. During next decades, the combined effects of land subsidence and of the sea-level rise as a result of climate change are expected to enhance the shoreline instability, leading to further retreat. The consequent loss of beaches would impact the economy of the region, which is tightly connected with tourism infrastructures. Furthermore, the loss of wetlands and dunes would threaten the ecosystem, which is crucial for the preservation of life and the environment. These specific conditions show the importance of a precise definition of the possible local impacts of the ongoing and future climate variations. The aim of this work is the characterisation of vulnerability in different sectors of the coastal plain and the recognition of the areas in which human intervention is urgently required. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) sea-level scenarios are merged with new high-resolution terrain models, current data for local subsidence and predictions of the flooding model in_CoastFlood in order to develop different scenarios for the impact of sea-level rise projected to year 2100. First, the potential land loss due to the combined effect of subsidence and sea-level rise is extrapolated. Second, the increase in floodable areas as a result of storm surges is quantitatively determined. The results are expected to support the regional mitigation and adaptation strategies designed in response to climate change.

Description: Published

Description: 2271–2287

Description: 4A. Oceanografia e clima

Description: JCR Journal

Description: The August 24, 2016 Amatrice earthquake (Ml 6.0) struck a region of the central Apennines (Italy) where several active faults were known since decades, most of which are considered the surface expression of seismogenic sources potentially able to rupture during earthquakes with M of up to 6.5-7. The current de-bate on which structure/s activated during the mainshock and the possibility that conterminous faults may activate in a near future urged us gathering all the data on surface geological evidence of fault activi-ty we collected over the past 15-20 years in the area. We then map the main tectonic structures of the 2016 earthquake epicentral and mesoseismal region. Our aim is to provide hints on their seismogenic potential, as possible contribution to the national Database of Individual Seismogenic Source (DISS) and to the Da-tabase of the active and capable fault ITaly HAzard from CApable faults (ITHACA).

Description: Published

Description: 1T. Deformazione crostale attiva

Description: JCR Journal

Description: In this paper we present and discuss data concerning the morphostructural evolution at Ustica Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) during Late Quaternary. New insights on the relative sea-level changes of Ustica are coming from data collected during a geomorphological field survey around the island, together with the bathymetric analysis of the surrounding seabed and 14C datings on samples of speleothems, flowstones and marine shells found inside three selected sea caves. The survey was mainly accomplished on June 2015 through the first complete snorkel investigation off the about 18 km-long volcanic coast of the island, which allowed to precisely define location, relationship and morphometric features of coastal landforms associated with modern sea level. This study highlights the occurrence, for the first time in the Mediterranean, of tidal notches in correspondence of carbonate inclusions in volcanic rocks. The elevation of the modern tidal notch suggests that no significant vertical deformations occurred in the southeastern and eastern sectors of Ustica in the last 100 years. However, the presence of pillow lavas along the coast demonstrates that Ustica was affected by a regional uplift since the Late Quaternary, as also confirmed by MIS5.5 deposits located at about 30 m a.s.l., which suggests an average uplift rate of 0.23 mm/y. Radiocarbon dating of fossil barnacles collected inside the Grotta Segreta cave indicate an age of 1823 ± 104 cal. BP. The difference in height with respect to living barnacles in the same site suggests that their present elevation could be related to stick-slip coseismic deformations caused by the four earthquake sequences (two of which with Mw = 4.63 ± 0.46) that strongly struck the island between 1906 and 1924.

Description: Published

Description: 94–106

Description: 1VV. Altro

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Very little is known about the volatile element makeup of the gaseous emissions of Nyamulagira volcano. This paper tries to fill this gap by reporting the first gas composition measurements of Nyamulagira’s volcanic plume since the onset of its lava lake activity at the end of 2014. Two field surveys were carried out on 1 November 2014, and 13–15 October 2015. We applied a broad toolbox of volcanic gas composition measurement techniques in order to geochemically characterize Nyamulagira’s plume. Nyamulagira is a significant emitter of SO2, and our measurements confirm this, as we recorded SO2 emissions of up to ~ 14 kt/d during the studied period. In contrast to neighbouring Nyiragongo volcano, however, Nyamulagira exhibits relatively low CO2/SO2 molar ratios (〈 4) and a highH2O content (〉 92%of total gas emissions). Strong variations in the volatile composition, in particular for the CO2/SO2 ratio, were measured between 2014 and 2015, which appear to reflect the simultaneous variations in volcanic activity.We also determined the molar ratios for Cl/S, F/S and Br/S in the plume gas, finding values of 0.13 and 0.17, 0.06 and 0.11, and 2.3·10−4 and 1·10−4, in 2014 and 2015, respectively. A total gas emission flux of 48 kt/ d was estimated for 2014. The I/S ratio in 2015 was found to be 3.6·10−6. In addition, we were able to distinguish between hydrogen halides and non-hydrogen halides in the volcanic plume. Considerable amounts of bromine (18–35% of total bromine) and iodine (8–18%of total iodine) were found in compounds other than hydrogen halides. However, only a negligible fraction of chlorine was found as compounds other than hydrogen chloride.

Description: Published

Description: 90

Description: 5V. Dinamica dei processi eruttivi e post-eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Volcanoes release large amounts of reactive trace gases including sulfur and halogen-containing species into the atmosphere. The knowledge of halogen chemistry in volcanic plumes can deliver information about subsurface processes and is relevant for the understanding of the impact of volcanoes on atmospheric chemistry. In this study, a gas diffusion denuder sampling method using 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene (1,3,5-TMB)-coated glass tubes for the in situ derivatization of reactive halogen species (RHS) was characterized by a series of laboratory experiments. The coating proved to be applicable to collect selectively gaseous bromine species with oxidation states (OS) of +1 or 0 (such as Br2, BrCl, HOBr, BrO, and BrONO2) while being unreactive to HBr (OS −1). The reaction of 1,3,5-TMB with reactive bromine species forms 1-bromo-2,4,6-TMB—other halogens give corresponding derivatives. Solvent elution of the derivatives followed by analysis with GC-MS results in absolute detection limits of a few nanograms for Br2, Cl2, and I2. In 2015, the technique was applied on volcanic gas plumes at Mt. Etna (Italy) measuring reactive bromine mixing ratios between 0.8 and 7.0 ppbv. Total bromine mixing ratios between 4.7 and 27.5 ppbv were derived from alkaline trap samples, simultaneously taken by a Raschig tube and analyzed with IC and ICP-MS. This leads to the first results of the reactive bromine contribution to total bromine in volcanic emissions, spanning over a range between 12% (±1) and 36% (±2). Our finding is in an agreement with previous model studies, which imply values 〈44% for plume ages 〈1 min, which is consistent with the assumed plume age at the sampling sites.

Description: Published

Description: 5975–5985

Description: 3V. Proprietà dei magmi e dei prodotti vulcanici

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Since 1999, Mount Etna’s (Italy) South-East crater system has been characterised by episodic lava fountaining. Each episode is characterised by initial strombolian activity followed by transition to sustained fountaining to feed higheffusion rate lava flow. Here, we use thermal infrared data recorded by a permanent radiometer station to characterise the transition to sustained fountaining fed by the New South-East crater that developed on the eastern flank of the South-East crater starting from January 2011. We cover eight fountaining episodes that occurred between 2012 and 2013. We first developed a routine to characterise event waveforms apparent in the precursory, strombolian phase. This allowed extraction of a database for thermal energy and waveform shape for 1934 events. We detected between 66 and 650 events per episode, with event durations being between 4 and 55 s. In total, 1508 (78 %) of the events had short waxing phases and dominant waning phases. Event frequency increased as climax was approached. Events had energies of between 3.0× 106 and 5.8× 109 J, with rank order analysis indicating the highest possible event energy of 8.1× 109 J. To visualise the temporal evolution of retrieved parameters during the precursory phase, we applied a dimensionality reduction technique. Results show that weaker events occur during an onset period that forms a low-energy Bsink^. The transition towards fountaining occurs at 107 J, where subsequent events have a temporal trend towards the highest energies, and where sustained fountaining occurs when energies exceed 109 J. Such an energy-based framework allows researchers to track the evolution of fountaining episodes and to predict the time at which sustained fountaining will begin.

Description: Published

Description: 15

Description: 3V. Dinamiche e scenari eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: INGV GFZ BRGM

Description: Unpublished

Description: 4T. Fisica dei terremoti e scenari cosismici

Description: open

Description: We report on a systematic record of SO2 flux emissions from individual vents of Etna volcano (Sicily), which we obtained using a permanent UV camera network. Observations were carried out in summer 2014, a period encompassing two eruptive episodes of the New South East Crater (NSEC) and a fissure-fed eruption in the upper Valle del Bove. We demonstrate that our vent-resolved SO2 flux time series allow capturing shifts in activity from one vent to another and contribute to our understanding of Etna’s shallowplumbingsystemstructure.We findthatthe fissureeruptioncontributed~50,000tofSO2 or~30%of the SO2 emitted by the volcano during the 5 July to 10 August eruptive interval. Activity from this eruptive ventgraduallyvanishedon10August,markingaswitchofdegassingtowardtheNSEC.Onsetofdegassingat the NSEC was a precursory to explosive paroxysmal activity on 11–15 August.

Description: Published

Description: 7511-7519

Description: 3V. Dinamiche e scenari eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: Measuring the low bromine abundances in Earth's materials remains an important challenge in order to constrain the geodynamical cycle of this element. Suitable standard materials are therefore required to establish reliable analytical methods to quantify Br abundances. In this study we characterise 21 Br-doped glasses synthesized from natural volcanic rocks of mafic to silicic compositions, in order to produce a new set of standards for Br analyses using various techniques. The nominal Br contents (amounts of Br loaded in the experimental samples) of 15 of 21 glasses were confirmed within 20% by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Using this newset of standards, we compare three micro-analytical approaches to measure Br contents in silicate glasses: synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). With SR-XRF, the Br contents of the standard glasses were determined with the highest accuracy (b10% for Br ≥ 10 ppm; N25% for Br ≤ 5 ppm), and high precision (b10% for Br contents N10 ppm; 20–30% for Br ≤ 10 ppm). The detection limit was estimated to be b1 ppm Br. All those factors combined with a high spatial resolution (5 × 5 μm for the presented measurements), means that SR-XRF iswell suited to determine the lowBr abundance in natural volcanic glasses (crystal-hosted melt inclusions or matrix glasses of crystallized samples). At its current stage of development, the LA-ICP-MS method allows the measurement of hundreds to thousands ppm Br in silicate glasses with a precision and accuracy generally within 20%. The Br detection limit of this method has not been estimated but its low spatial resolution (90 μm) currently prevents its use to characterise natural volcanic glasses, however it is fully appropriate to analyse super liquidus or sparsely phyric, Br-rich experimental charges. Our study shows that SIMS appears to be a promising technique to measure the lowBr contents of natural volcanic glasses. Its spatial resolution is relatively good (~15 μm) and, similarly to SR-XRF, the detection limit is estimated to be ≤ 1 ppm. Using our new set of standards, the Br contents of two MPI-DING reference glasses containing ≤ 1.2 ppm of Br were reproduced with precision b5% and accuracy b20%. Moreover, SIMS presents the advantage of being a more accessible instrument than SR-XRF and data processing is more straightforward.

Description: Published

Description: 60-70

Description: 2V. Dinamiche di unrest e scenari pre-eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: When teaching at a non-English language universi- ty, we often argue that because English is the international language, students need to become familiar with English terms, even if the bulk of the class is in the native language. However, to make the meaning of the terms clear, a translation into the native language is always useful. Correct translation of terminology is even more crucial for emergency managers and decision makers who can be confronted with a confusing and inconsistently applied mix of terminology. Thus, it is im- perative to have a translation that appropriately converts the meaning of a term, while being grammatically and lexicologically correct, before the need for use. If terms are not consistently defined across all languages following indus- try standards and norms, what one person believes to be a dog, to another is a cat. However, definitions and translations of English scientific and technical terms are not always available, and language is constantly evolving. We live and work in an international world where English is the common language of multi-cultural exchange. As a result, while finding the correct translation can be difficult because we are too used to the English language terms, translated equivalents that are avail- able may not have been through the peer review process. We have explored this issue by discussing grammatically and lexicologically correct French, German, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Japanese versions for terms involved in communicating effu- sive eruption intensity.

Description: This is ANR-LAVA contribution no. 2.

Description: Published

Description: 57

Description: 6V. Pericolosità vulcanica e contributi alla stima del rischio

Description: JCR Journal

Description: This work describes the automatic picking of the P-phase arrivals of the 3*10^6 seismic registers originated during the TOMO-ETNA experiment. Air-gun shots produced by the vessel “Sarmiento de Gamboa” and contemporary passive seismicity occurring in the island are recorded by a dense network of stations deployed for the experiment. In such scenario, automatic processing is needed given: (i) the enormous amount of data, (ii) the low signal-to-noise ratio of many of the available registers and, (iii) the accuracy needed for the velocity tomography resulting from the experiment. A preliminary processing is performed with the records obtained from all stations. Raw data formats from the different types of stations are unified, eliminating defective records and reducing noise through filtering in the band of interest for the phase picking. The advanced multiband picking algorithm (AMPA) is then used to process the big database obtained and determine the travel times of the seismic phases. The approach of AMPA, based on frequency multiband denoising and enhancement of expected arrivals through optimum detectors, is detailed together with its calibration and quality assessment procedure. Examples of its usage for active and passive seismic events are presented.

Description: Published

Description: S0434

Description: 2V. Dinamiche di unrest e scenari pre-eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: open

Description: San Cristóbal volcano in northwest Nicaragua is one of the most active basaltic–andesitic stratovolcanoes of the Central American Volcanic Arc (CAVA). Here we provide novel constraints on the volcano's magmatic plumbing system, by presenting the first direct measurements of major volatile contents in mafic-to-intermediate glass inclusions from Holocene and historic-present volcanic activity. Olivine-hosted (forsterite [Fo] b80; Fob80) glass inclusions from Holocene tephra layers contain moderate amounts of H2O (0.1–3.3 wt%) and S and Cl up to 2500 μg/g, and define the mafic (basaltic) endmember component. Historic-present scoriae and tephra layers exhibit more-evolved olivines (Fo69–72) that contain distinctly lower volatile contents (0.1–2.2 wt% H2O, 760–1675 μg/g S, and 1021–1970 μg/g Cl), and represent a more-evolved basaltic–andesitic magma. All glass inclusions are relatively poor in CO2, with contents reaching 527 μg/g (as measured by nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry), suggesting pre- to postentrapment CO2 loss to a magmatic vapor. We use results of Raman spectroscopy obtained in a population of small (b50 μm) inclusions with CO2-bearing shrinkage bubbles (3–12 μm) to correct for postentrapment CO2 loss to bubbles, and to estimate the original minimumCO2 content in San Cristóbal parental melts at ~1889 μg/g, which is consistent with the less-CO2-degassed melt inclusions (MI) (N1500 μg/g) found in Nicaragua at Cerro Negro, Nejapa, and Granada. Models of H2O and CO2 solubilities constrain the degassing pathway of magmas up to 425 MPa (~16 km depth), which includes a deep CO2 degassing step (only partially preserved in the MI record), followed by coupled degassing of H2O and S plus crystal fractionation at magma volatile saturation pressures from ∼195 to b10 MPa. The variation in volatile contents from San Cristóbal MI is interpreted to reflect (1) Holocene eruptive cycles characterized by the rapid emplacement of basaltic magma batches, saturated in volatiles, at depths of 3.8–7.4 km, and (2) the ascent of more-differentiated and cogenetic volatile-poor basaltic andesites during historic-present eruptions, having longer residence times in the shallowest (b3.4 km) and hence coolest regions of the magmatic plumbing system. We also report the first measurements of the compositions of noble-gas isotopes (He, Ne, and Ar) in fluid inclusions in olivine and pyroxene crystals. While the measured 40Ar/36Ar ratios (300–304) and 4He/20Ne ratios (9–373) indicate some degree of air contamination, the 3He/4He ratios (7.01–7.20 Ra) support a common mantle source for Holocene basalts and historic-present basaltic andesites. The magmatic source is interpreted as generated by a primitive MORB-like mantle, that is influenced to variable extents by distinct slab fluid components for basalts (Ba/La ~ 76 and U/Th ~ 0.8) and basaltic andesites (Ba/La ~ 86 and U/Th ~ 1.0) in addition to effects of magma differentiation. These values for the geochemical markers are particularly high, and their correlation with strong plume CO2/S ratios from San Cristóbal is highly consistent with volatile recycling at the CAVA subduction zone, where sediment involvement in mantle fluids influences the typical relatively C-rich signature of volcanic gases in Nicaragua.

Description: Published

Description: 131-148

Description: 1V. Storia eruttiva

Description: JCR Journal

Description: We use the chemical and isotopic composition of volcanic gases and steam condensate, in situ measurements of plume composition and remote measurements of SO2 flux to constrain volatile sources and characterize subvolcanic conditions at three persistently degassing and seismically active volcanoes within the Katmai Volcanic Cluster (KVC), Alaska:Mount Martin,Mount Mageik and Trident. In situ plume measurements of gas composition were collected at all three volcanoes usingMultiGAS instruments to calculate gas ratios (e.g. CO2/H2S, SO2/H2S and H2O/H2S), and remote measurements of SO2 column density were collected from Mount Martin and Mount Mageik by ultraviolet spectrometer systems to calculate SO2 fluxes. Fumaroles were directly sampled for chemical and isotopic composition from Mount Mageik and Trident. Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB)-like 3He/4He ratios (~7.2–7.6 Rc/RA) within Mount Mageik and Trident's fumarole emissions and a moderate SO2 flux (~75 t/d) from Mount Martin, combined with gas compositions dominated by H2O, CO2 and H2S from all three volcanoes, indicate magma degassing and active hydrothermal systems in the subsurface of these volcanoes. Mount Martin's gas emissions have the lowest CO2/H2S ratio (~2–4) and highest SO2 flux compared to the other KVC volcanoes, indicative of shallow magma degassing. Geothermometry techniques applied to Mount Mageik and Trident's fumarolic gas compositions suggest that their hydrothermal reservoirs are located at depths of ~0.2 and 4 km below the surface, respectively. Observations of an unusually reducing gas composition at Trident and organic material in the near-surface soils suggest that thermal decomposition of sediments may be influencing gas composition. When the measured gas compositions from Mount Mageik and Trident are compared with previous samples collected in the late 1990's, relatively stable magmatic-hydrothermal conditions are inferred forMountMageik,while gradual degassing of residual magma and contamination by shallow crustal fluids is inferred for Trident. The isotopic composition of volcanic gases emitted from Mount Mageik and Trident reflect mixing of subducted slab, mantle and crustal volatile sources, with organic sediment and carbonate being the predominant sources. Considering the close proximity of the target volcanoes in comparison with the depth to the subducted slab we speculate that Aleutian Arc volatiles are fed by a relatively homogeneous subducted fluid and that much of the apparent variability in volatile provenance can be explained by shallow crustal volatile sources and/or processes.

Description: Published

Description: 64-81

Description: 2V. Struttura e sistema di alimentazione dei vulcani

Description: 3V. Proprietà dei magmi e dei prodotti vulcanici

Description: JCR Journal

Description: In Earth Sciences there is a growing interest in studies concerning soil-radon activity, due to its potential as a tracer of numerous natural phenomena. Our work marks an advance in the comprehension of the interplay between tectonic activity, volcanic eruptions and gas release through faults. Soil-radon measurements, acquired on Mt. Etna volcano in 2009–2011, were analyzed. Our radon probe is sensitive to changes in both volcanic and seismic activity. Radon data were reviewed in light of the meteorological parameters. Soil samples were analyzed to characterize their uranium content. All data have been summarized in a physical model which identifies the radon sources, highlights the mechanism of radon transport and envisages how such a mechanism may change as a consequence of seismicity and volcanic events. In the NE of Etna, radon is released mainly from a depth of 〈1400 m, with an ascent speed of 〉50 m/day. Three periods of anomalous gas release were found (February 2010, January and February 2011). The trigger of the first anomaly was tectonic, while the second and third had a volcanic origin. These results mark a significant step towards a better understanding of the endogenous mechanisms that cause changes in soil-radon emission at active volcanoes.

Description: Published

Description: 24581

Description: 6A. Monitoraggio ambientale, sicurezza e territorio

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: High-resolution ground and marine magnetic data are exploited for a detailed definition of a 3D model of the Vulcano Island volcanic complex. The resulting 3D magnetic imaging, obtained by 3-D inverse modeling technique, has delivered useful constraints both to reconstruct the Vulcano Island evolution and to be used as input data for volcanic hazard assessment models. Our results constrained the depth and geometry of the main geo-structural features revealing more subsurface volcanic structures than exposed ones and allowing to elucidate the relationships between them. The recognition of two different magnetization sectors, approximatively coincident with the structural depressions of Piano caldera, in the southern half of the island, and La Fossa caldera at the north, suggests a complex structural and volcanic evolution.Magnetic highs identified across the southern half of the island reflect the main crystallized feeding systems, intrusions and buried vents, whose NNW–SSE preferential alignment highlights the role of the NNW–SSE Tindari–Letojanni regional system from the initial activity of the submarine edifice, to the more recent activity of the Vulcano complex. The low magnetization area, in the middle part of the islandmay result fromhydrothermally altered rocks. Their presence not only in the central part of the volcano edifice but also in other peripheral areas, is a sign of a more diffuse historical hydrothermal activity than in present days. Moreover, the high magnetization heterogeneity within the upper flanks of La Fossa cone edifice is an imprint of a composite distribution of unaltered and altered rocks with different mechanical properties, which poses in this area a high risk level for failure processes especially during volcanic or hydrothermal crisis.

Description: Published

Description: 40-49

Description: 1V. Storia e struttura dei sistemi vulcanici

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: Over the last twenty yearsMount Etna has produced more than one hundred explosive events ranging fromlight ash emissions to violent sub-plinian eruptions. Significant hazards arise from tephra plumes which directly threaten air traffic, and generate fallout affecting surrounding towns and infrastructures. We describe the first radar system, named VOLDORAD 2B, fully integrated into a volcano instrumental network dedicated to the continuous near-source monitoring of tephra emissions from Etna's summit craters. This 23.5 cmwavelength pulsed Doppler radar is operated in collaboration between the Observatoire de Physique du Globe de Clermont-Ferrand (OPGC) and the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo (INGV-OE) since 2009. Probed volumes inside the fixed, northward-pointing conical beam total about 1.5 km in length, covering the summit craters which produced all recent tephra plumes. The backscattered power, related to the amount of particles crossing the beam, and particle along-beamvelocities are recorded every 0.23 s, providing a proxy for the tephra mass eruption rate. Radar raw data are transmitted in real-time to the volcano monitoring center of INGV-OE in Catania and are used to automatically release alerts at onset and end of eruptive events. Processed radar parameters are also made available fromthe VOLDORAD database online (http://voldorad.opgc.fr/). In addition to eruptive crater discrimination by range gating, relative variations of eruption intensity can be tracked, including through overcast weather when other optical or infrared methods may fail to provide information. Short-lived dense ash emissions can be detected as illustrated for weak ash plumes from the Bocca Nuova and New South East craters in 2010. The comparison with thermal images suggests that the front mushroom of individual ash plumes holds the largest particles (coarse ash and small lapilli) and concentrations at least within the first hundred meters. For these short-lived ash plumes, the highest particle mass flux seems to occur typically within the first 10 s.Wealso analyze data fromthe first lava fountain generating an ash and lapilli plumeon 12 January 2011 that initiated a series of 25 paroxysmal episodes of the New South East Crater until April 2012. We illustrate the pulsating behavior of the lava fountain and showthat vertical velocities reached 250ms−1 (with brief peaks exceeding 300ms−1), leading to mean and maximumtephra fluxes (DRE) of 185 and 318m3 s−1 (with peaks exceeding 380 m3 s−1) respectively, and a total volume of pyroclasts emitted during the lava fountain phase of 1.3 × 106m3. Finally, we discuss capacities and limits of the instrument, alongwith future work aimed at providing source term inputs to tephra dispersal models in order to improve hazard assessment and risk mitigation at Etna.

Description: Published

Description: 26-39

Description: 5V. Sorveglianza vulcanica ed emergenze

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: The early–middle Miocene, marked by the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO) followed by the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT) towards cooler temperatures, represents a crucial period in Earth’s climate evolution. To understand this episode and reconstruct its origin and the regional impact of the observed global changes, it is critical that high-resolution astronomical age models are developed for climate sensitive regions around the world. One of these areas undoubtedly is the Mediterranean, but so far no such an age model has been established for the interval of the MMCO. Nevertheless, this interval is well exposed in the coastal cliffs along the Adriatic Sea near Ancona (Italy), where it is characterized by the occurrence of 7 conspicuous limestone beds, termed megabeds, alternating with marl intervals. Here, we use the Lower La Vedova Beach section to construct an astronomical time scale for the younger part of the MMCO in the Mediterranean. The tuning to ~ 100-kyr eccentricity seems robust, but is less certain for precession in some intervals, as a consequence of the less clearly developed internal structure of the basic precession related cycles and uncertainties in the phase relation with climatic precession and insolation and in the astronomical solution in terms of tidal dissipation and dynamical ellipticity values. The tuning nevertheless provides astronomical ages for calcareous plankton events and magnetic reversals for the interval between 16.3 and 15.0 Ma. Individual megabeds are related to the ~ 100-kyr eccentricity cycle corresponding to eccentricity minima and the megabed interval itself is partly controlled by the 405-kyr cycle, as it marks two successive minima and the maximum in between. However, no relation with very long period eccentricity cycles (2.4 and 1 myr) is evident, and a link to regional tectonic processes (a major orogenic phase at the base of the Langhian and the likely associated Langhian transgression) seems more plausible. The higher sedimentation rate in the megabeds can be explained by the additional preservation of biogenic silica, which may also account for the diluted planktonic foraminiferal assemblages. With the integrated magnetobiostratigraphy and the tuning to eccentricity and to precession/insolation, the Lower La Vedova Beach section meets key requirements for defining the Langhian GSSP.

Description: Published

Description: 1-29

Description: 1A. Geomagnetismo e Paleomagnetismo

Description: JCR Journal

Description: On 29 December 2013, the Chaparrastique volcano in El Salvador, close to the town of San Miguel, erupted suddenly with explosive force, forming a column more than 9 km high and projecting ballistic projectiles as far as 3 km away. Pyroclastic density currents flowed to the north-northwest side of the volcano, while tephras were dispersed northwest and north-northeast. This sudden eruption prompted the local Ministry of Environment to request cooperation with Italian scientists in order to improve the monitoring of the volcano during this unrest. A joint force, made up of an Italian team from the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia and a local team from the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, was organized to enhance the volcanological, geophysical and geochemical monitoring system to study the evolution of the phenomenon during the crisis. The joint team quickly installed a multiparametric mobile network comprising seismic, geodetic and geochemical sensors (designed to cover all the volcano flanks from the lowest to the highest possible altitudes) and a thermal camera. To simplify the logistics for a rapid installation and for security reasons, some sensors were colocated into multiparametric stations. Here, we describe the prompt design and installation of the geodetic monitoring network, the processing and results. The installation of a new ground deformation network can be considered an important result by itself, while the detection of some crucial deforming areas is very significant information, useful for dealing with future threats and for further studies on this poorly monitored volcano.

Description: Published

Description: 1755-1769

Description: 5V. Sorveglianza vulcanica ed emergenze

Description: JCR Journal

Description: open

Description: To bring out the recent findings on mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere on a common platform, a special issue has been called for, inviting appropriate articles from scientists all over the world. An overwhelming response has been received with a total of more than 100 submissions with principal authors spread over 28 countries. A rigorous review process has been carried out with most of manuscripts reviewed by more than two reviewers. Due to the large number of papers, it was decided to present the special issue in two parts. A total of 29 papers accepted by 30 June 2017 are presented as Part-1 in this issue. Further accepted papers will be published as Part-2, which is expected to be printed in Vol. 61, 2018.

Description: Published

Description: 1583-1584

Description: 2A. Fisica dell'alta atmosfera

Description: JCR Journal

Description: The study area is close to the boundary of three tectonic plates (Anatolian, Arabian, and African plates) and is characterized by important tectonic lineaments, which consist mainly of the Dead Sea Fault (DSF), the Karasu Fault, and the East Anatolian Fault (EAF) systems. To understand the origin of soil gas emanation and its relationships with the tectonics of the Amik Basin (Hatay), a detailed soil gas sampling was systematically performed. Together with CO2 flux measurements, N220 soil gas samples were analyzed for Rn and CO2 concentrations. The distribution of soil Rn (kBq/m3), CO2 concentration (ppm), and CO2 flux (g/m2/day) in the area appears as a point source (spot) and/or diffuses (halo) anomalies along the buried faults/fractures due to crustal leaks. The results revealed that Rn and CO2 concentrations in the soil gas show anomalous values at the specific positions in the Amik Basin. The trace of these anomalous values is coincident with the N-S trending DSF. CO2 is believed to act as a carrier for Rn gas. Based on the Rn and CO2 concentrations of soil gases, at least three gas components are required to explain the observed variations. In addition to the atmospheric component, two other gas sources can be recognized. One is the deep crust component, which exhibits high Rn and CO2 concentrations, and is considered the best indicator for the surface location of fault/fracture zones in the region. The other component is a shallower gas source with high Rn concentration and low CO2 concentration. Moreover, He isotopic compositions of representative samples vary from 0.94 to 0.99 Ra, illustrating that most samples have a soil air component and may have mixed with some crustal component, without significant input of the mantle component. Based on the repeated measurements at a few sites, soil gas concentrations at the same site were observed to be higher in 2014 than in 2013, which may be associated with the activity of the DSF in 2013–2014. This suggests that soil gas variations at fault zone are closely related to the local crustal stress, and hence are suitable for monitoring fault activities.

Description: Published

Description: 129–146

Description: 6T. Variazioni delle caratteristiche crostali e precursori

Description: JCR Journal

Description: In this paper we reply to the criticisms advanced by Narkiewicz (2017) on the paper by Schito et al. (2017). We clarify the issues related to the stratigraphic and thermal maturity constraints used for reconstructing burial and thermal models of the two blocks of the Holy Cross Mountains. We also show how geological evidences brought by Narkiewicz (2017) as a proof of elevated Variscan heat flow are not conclusive or at least suggest the occurence of a localized thermal anomaly only along the area of the Holy Cross Fault. In the end, we performed new burial and thermal models in the Kielce region demonstrating that stratigraphic thickness variations between Schito et al. (2017) and Narkiewicz et al. (2010) produce only negligible differences in levels of thermal maturity of Paleozoic rocks. In addition, we outline that levels of thermal maturity for Silurian rocks can be matched only by using constant heat flow values through the Paleozoic and point to a decisive role for the absence of regional high Variscan heat flow in the area.

Description: Published

Description: 1114-1122

Description: 1TR. Studi per le Georisorse

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Seeps are the expression of the migration of hydrocarbons from subsurface accumulations to the surface in sedimentary basins. They may represent an important indication of the presence of petroleum (gas and oil) reservoirs and faults, and are a natural source of greenhouse gas (methane) and atmospheric pollutants (ethane, propane) to the atmosphere. Romania is one of the countries with the largest number of seeps in the world, due to the high petroleum potential and active tectonics. Based on a review of the available literature, and on the field surveys performed by the authors during the last 17 years, we report the first comprehensive GIS-based inventory of 470 seeps in Romania (HYSED-RO), including gas seeps (10.4% of the total), oil seeps (11.7%), mud volcanoes (50.4%), gas-rich springs (12.6%), asphalt (solid) seeps (4.3%), unclassified manifestations (4.0%), and uncertain seeps (6.6%). Seeps are typically located in correspondence with major faults and vertical and fractured stratigraphic contacts associated to petroleum reservoirs (anticlines) in low heat flow areas, and their gas-geochemistry reflects that of the subsurface reservoirs. The largest and most active seeps occur in the Carpathian Foredeep, where they release thermogenic gas, and subordinately in the Transylvanian Basin, where gas is mainly microbial. HYSED-RO may represent a key reference for baseline characterization prior to subsurface petroleum extraction, for environmental studies, and atmospheric greenhouse gas emission estimates in Romania.

Description: Published

Description: 39

Description: 6A. Geochimica per l'ambiente

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Ground deformation and gravity changes in restless calderas during periods of unrest can signal an impending eruption and thus must be correctly interpreted for hazard evaluation. It is critical to differentiate variation of geophysical observables related to volume and pressure changes induced by magma migration from shallow hydrothermal activity associated with hot fluids of magmatic origin rising from depth. In this paper we present a numerical model to evaluate the thermo-poroelastic response of the hydrothermal system in a caldera setting by simulating pore pressure and thermal expansion associated with deep injection of hot fluids (water and carbon dioxide). Hydrothermal fluid circulation is simulated using TOUGH2, a multicomponent multiphase simulator of fluid flows in porous media. Changes in pore pressure and temperature are then evaluated and fed into a thermo-poroelastic model (one-way coupling), which is based on a finite-difference numerical method designed for axi-symmetric problems in unbounded domains. Informed by constraints available for the Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy), a series of simulations assess the influence of fluid injection rates and mechanical properties on the hydrothermal system, uplift and gravity. Heterogeneities in hydrological and mechanical properties associated with the presence of ring faults are a key determinant of the fluid flow pattern and consequently the geophysical observables. Peaks (in absolute value) of uplift and gravity change profiles computed at the ground surface are located close to injection points (namely at the centre of the model and fault areas). Temporal evolution of the ground deformation indicates that the contribution of thermal effects to the total uplift is almost negligible with respect to the pore pressure contribution during the first years of the unrest, but increases in time and becomes dominant after a long period of the simulation. After a transient increase over the first years of unrest, gravity changes become negative and decrease monotonically towards a steady-state value. Since the physics of the investigated hydrothermal system is similar to any fluid-filled reservoir, such as oil fields or CO2 reservoirs produced by sequestration, the generic formulation of the model will allow it to be employed in monitoring and interpretation of deformation and gravity data associated with other geophysical hazards that pose a risk to human activity.

Description: Published

Description: 2V. Dinamiche di unrest e scenari pre-eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: open

Description: Efficient and accurate hydrothermal and mechanical mathematical models in porous media constitute a fundamental tool for improving the understanding of the subsurface dynamics in volcanic areas. We propose a finite-difference ghost-point method for the numerical solution of thermo-poroelastic and gravity change equations. The main aim of this work is to study how the thermo-poroelastic solutions vary in a realistic description of a specific volcanic region, focusing on the topography and the heterogeneous structure of Campi Flegrei (CF) caldera (Italy). Our numerical approach provides the opportunity to explore different model configurations that cannot be taken into account using standard analytical models. Since the physics of the investigated hydrothermal system is similar to any saturated reservoir, such as oil fields or CO2 reservoirs produced by sequestration, the model is generally applicable to the monitoring and interpretation of both deformation and gravity changes induced by other geophysical hazards that pose a risk to human activity.

Description: Published

Description: 6

Description: 3V. Proprietà dei magmi e dei prodotti vulcanici

Description: JCR Journal

Description: open

Description: Integrating geodetic, seismic, and petrological data for a recent eruptive episode at Mount Etna has enabled us to define the history of magma storage and transfer within the multilevel structure of the volcano, providing spatial and temporal constraints for magma movements before the eruption. Geodetic data related to the July–August 2014 activity provide evidence of a magma reservoir at ~4 km below sea level. This reservoir pressurized from late March 2014 and fed magmas that were then erupted from vents on the lower eastern flank of North-East Crater (NEC) and at New South-East Crater (NSEC) summit crater during the July eruptive activity. Magma drainage caused its depressurization since mid-July. Textural and microanalytical data obtained from plagioclase crystals indicate similar disequilibrium textures and compositions at the cores in lavas erupted at the base of NEC and NSEC, suggesting comparable deep histories of evolution and ascent. Conversely, the compositional differences observed at the crystal rims have been associated to distinct degassing styles during storage in a shallow magma reservoir. Seismic data have constrained depth for a shallow part of the plumbing system at 1–2 km above sea level. Timescales of magma storage and transfer have also been calculated through diffusion modeling of zoning in olivine crystals of the two systems. Our data reveal a common deep history of magmas from the two systems, which is consistent with a recharging phase by more mafic magma between late March and early June 2014. Later, the magma continued its crystallization under distinct chemical and physical conditions at shallower levels.

Description: The petrological part of this study was supported by the FIR 2014 research grant to Marco Viccaro from the University of Catania (Italy), grant number 2F119B, title of the project “Dynamics of evolution, ascent and emplacement of basic magmas: case-studies from eruptive manifestations of Eastern Sicily”.

Description: Published

Description: 5659–5678

Description: 2V. Dinamiche di unrest e scenari pre-eruttivi

Description: 3V. Dinamiche e scenari eruttivi

Description: JCR Journal

Description: restricted

Description: The internal layering architecture of ice sheets, as detected with radio-echo sounding (RES), contains clues to past ice-flow dynamics and mass balance and supplies flow models with starting and boundary conditions. In comparison to the Greenland Ice Sheet, the coverage of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet with information on internal ice structure is still sparse. This hampers the constraining or initialization of ice-flow models with geometry and surface mass balance data inadequate resolution.We traced two RES horizons, 38 ka and 160 ka, over great parts and in the most remote areas of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.We dated the horizons at the EPICA Dome C Ice Core and followed them along RES lines of the Alfred Wegener Institute to Vostok and Dome A. There, they could be connected to the RES grid, covering the Gamburtsev mountains, that was collected as part ofthe AGAP (Antarctica’s Gamburtsev Province) project, and continued to South Pole. From this widespread age-depth distribution we reconstruct mean accumulation rates and analyze spatial variations in surface mass balance, as well as differences between the two time periods.

Description: While in the familiar problem of optimal commodity taxation the government faces a constraint on tax revenue, we consider the case of a consumption target on a group of commodities (i.e.,a weak constraint on total consumption), instead. This optimal commodity tax problem with a consumption target brings about taxation rules that are mainly at variance with the standard results of commodity taxation. In our main theorem, we derive a general, though quite simple, rule of optimal commodity taxation under a target on total consumption: in particular, we establish that higher consumer prices should be charged for commodities with (1) high price elasticities of total demand and (2) low consumption shares in total demand. From this theorem we deduce three important corollaries: an anti-inverse elasticity result, an anti-Corlett– Hague result and a uniform-pricing result. All of these results are (generically) at variance with well-known rules of commodity taxation.

Description: Thermokarst is an often non-linear pulse disturbance that rapidly and irreversibly degrades ice-rich permafrost and results in the mobilization of permafrost carbon. Thermokarst landforms occur in most regions with ice-rich permafrost, including the High Arctic, and provide evidence for both past and present permafrost landscape change that can be used to better understand future potential responses. We use high- and medium-resolution optical remote sensing, high-resolution airborne and space-borne digital elevation information, and field data to capture and describe the variability of long-term thaw subsidence and ground deformation due to thermokarst processes across Arctic permafrost regions. The spatial variability of thaw subsidence associated with various thermokarst landforms provides information about potential landscape-scale thaw susceptibilities as well as ground ice volumes and distribution. Accordingly, a landscape vulnerability index based on thermokarst landform morphologies may serve as a proxy for better understanding carbon mobilization potentials. We here exemplarily analyze sites with known near-surface ice-rich deposit thicknesses and where thermokarst has occurred in the recent and distant past. We assess whether there are correlations between observed thaw subsidence magnitude and its spatial variability in a given area based on depositional environment, thermokarst age and morphology, and ground ice volume and type. While many of our sites are located in the Yedoma region of Northeast and Central Siberia and Alaska, several others are located in non-Yedoma permafrost regions, such as the Alaska North Slope. The ultimate goal of this study is an observation-based assessment of thermokarst potential on a panarctic scale as well as contributions to a new panarctic ground ice map.

Description: Landscape-scale impacts of climate change in the Arctic include increases in growing season length, shrubby vegetation, winter river discharge, snowfall, summer and winter water temperatures, and decreases in river and lake ice thickness. Combined, these changes may have created conditions that are suitable for beaver colonization of low Arctic tundra regions. We developed a semi-automated workflow that analyzes Landsat imagery time series to determine the extent to which beavers may have colonized permafrost landscapes in arctic Alaska since 1999. We tested this approach on the Lower Noatak, Wulik, and Kivalina river watersheds in northwest Alaska and identified 83 locations representing potential beaver activity. Seventy locations indicated wetting trends and 13 indicated drying trends. Verification of each site using high-resolution satellite imagery showed that 80 % of the wetting locations represented beaver activity (damming and pond formation), 11 % were unrelated to beavers, and 9 % could not readily be distinguished as being beaver related or not. For the drying locations, 31 % represented beaver activity (pond drying due to dam abandonment), 62 % were unrelated to beavers, and 7 % were undetermined. Comparison of the beaver activity database with historic aerial photography from ca. 1950 and ca. 1980 indicates that beavers have recently colonized or recolonized riparian corridors in northwest Alaska. Remote sensing time series observations associated with the migration of beavers in permafrost landscapes in arctic Alaska include thermokarst lake expansion and drainage, thaw slump initiation, ice wedge degradation, thermokarst shore fen development, and possibly development of lake and river taliks. Additionally, beaver colonization in the Arctic may alter channel courses, thermal regimes, hyporheic flow, riparian vegetation, and winter ice regimes that could impact ecosystem structure and function in this region. In particular, the combination of beaver activity and permafrost dynamics may play an important role in the formation of habitats conducive to colonization by Pacific salmon. Beaver activity in arctic tundra regions may amplify the effects of climate change on permafrost landscapes and lead to landscape-scale responses not currently being considered in ecosystem models.

Description: Permafrost cannot be directly detected from space, but many surface features of permafrost terrains and typical periglacial landforms are observable with a variety of EO sensors ranging from very high to medium resolution at various wavelengths. In addition, landscape dynamics associated with permafrost changes and geophysical variables relevant for characterizing the state of permafrost, such as land surface temperature or freeze-thaw state can be observed with spaceborne Earth Observation. Suitable regions to examine environmental gradients across the Arctic have been defined in a community white paper (Bartsch et al. 2014, hdl:10013/epic.45648.d001). These transects have been revised and adjusted within the DUE GlobPermafrost initiative of the European Space Agency. The ESA DUE GlobPermafrost project develops, validates and implements Earth Observation (EO) products to support research communities and international organisations in their work on better understanding permafrost characteristics and dynamics. Prototype product cases will cover different aspects of permafrost by integrating in situ measurements of subsurface and surface properties, Earth Observation, and modelling to provide a better understanding of permafrost today. The project will extend local process and permafrost monitoring to broader spatial domains, support permafrost distribution modelling, and help to implement permafrost landscape and feature mapping in a GIS framework. It will also complement active layer and thermal observing networks. Both lowland (latitudinal) and mountain (altitudinal) permafrost issues are addressed. The status of the Permafrost Information System and first results will be presented. Prototypes of GlobPermafrost datasets include: Modelled mean annual ground temperature by use of land surface temperature and snow water equivalent from satellites Land surface characterization including shrub height, land cover and parameters related to surface roughness Trends from Landsat time-series over selected transects For selected sites: subsidence, ground fast lake ice, land surface features and rock glacier monitoring

Description: Permafrost cannot be directly detected from space, but many surface features of permafrost terrains and typical periglacial landforms are observable with a variety of EO sensors ranging from very high to medium resolution at various wavelengths. In addition, landscape dynamics associated with permafrost changes and geophysical variables relevant for characterizing the state of permafrost, such as land surface temperature or freeze-thaw state can be observed with space-based Earth Observation. Suitable regions to examine environmental gradients across the Arctic have been defined in a community white paper (Bartsch et al. 2014). These transects have been updated within the ESA DUE GlobPermafrost project. The ESA DUE GlobPermafrost project develops, validates and implements Earth Observation (EO) products to support research communities and international organisations in their work on better understanding permafrost characteristics and dynamics. Prototype product cases will cover different aspects of permafrost by integrating in situ measurements of subsurface properties and surface properties, Earth Observation, and modelling to provide a better understanding of permafrost today. The project will extend local process and permafrost monitoring to broader spatial domains, support permafrost distribution modelling, and help to implement permafrost landscape and feature mapping in a GIS framework. It will also complement active layer and thermal observing networks. Both lowland (latitudinal) and mountain (altitudinal) permafrost issues are addressed. The selected transects and first results will be presented. This includes identified needs from the user requirements survey, a review of existing land surface products available for the Arctic as well as prototypes of GlobPermafrost datasets, and the permafrost information system through which they can be accessed.

Description: Permafrost is an important component of the Cryosphere, which is affected by rapid warming of the Arctic. The degradation and thaw of permafrost in vertical as well as lateral directions results in a reduction of permafrost in high latitudes and high altitudes. Since permafrost affects the ecosystem conditions of the about 23 million square kilometer large permafrost region, its loss has strong effects on hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, and biota. In addition, permafrost soils store about 1500 Gt of organic carbon, about twice the amount currently in the atmosphere and hence changes in permafrost will likely have impacts well beyond local scales. Remote sensing has become an essential tool for quantitatively detecting and monitoring changes in permafrost and associated landscapes. The European Space Agency (ESA) has supported permafrost-focused remote sensing activities in two recent projects, ESA DUE Permafrost (2009-2012) and the ESA GlobPermafrost (2016-2019; http://www.globpermafrost.info). The first ESA DUE Permafrost project with spatial overage of the Northern Hemisphere developed, validated and implemented Earth Observation to support research communities and international organizations in their work on better understanding permafrost characteristics and dynamics. Now, the GlobPermafrost project expands on this successful approach by including both polar hemispheres as well as mountain permafrost regions. Products in the new project will cover different aspects of permafrost by integrating in situ measurements of subsurface properties and surface properties, Earth Observation, and modelling. Currently, the GlobPermafrost team is creating prototype remote sensing derived datasets for defined product and user groups. Selected users will be able to access the usability and validity of the products and provide feedback back to the GlobPermafrost team. The feedback from the Users Groups will be integrated into optimized remote sensing products until they have achieved a final state. To bring the resulting data products closer to the permafrost user communities, the Permafrost Information System (PerSys) has been conceptualized as an Open Access geospatial data dissemination and visualization portal for Earth Observation, i.e. remote sensing derived datasets produced within the GlobPermafrost project. The prototype and final remote sensing products and their metadata will be visualized in the PerSys WebGIS, described and searchable via the PerSys Data Catalogue. The WebGIS visualization is managed via the AWI WebGIS Infrastructure maps@awi (http://maps.awi.de) relying on OGC-standardized Web Mapping Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS) technologies for data display and visualization. The PerSys WebGIS projects allow visualisation of raster and vector products such as land cover classification, Landsat multispectral index trend datasets, lake and wetland extents, InSAR-based land surface deformation maps, rock glacier velocity fields, spatially distributed permafrost model outputs, and land surface temperature datasets. Each of these WebGIS projects is adapted to the spatial scale of the specific products, ranging from local to hemispherical coverage. The PerSys Data Catalogue will provide the metadata and the access to all mature-state and final-state GlobPermafrost products. PerSys can be accessed through the GlobPermafrost project webpage. PerSys is also a core component of the Arctic Permafrost Geospatial Centre (APGC), a geodata portal for permafrost launched within the framework of the ERC PETA-CARB project at the Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar and Meeresforschung. The APGC framework features a range of permafrost-specific geospatial data projects, including PerSys, and will allow searching for project-specific geospatial data by tags, keywords, data type and format, licence type, or by location. PerSys will be launched within APGC in early 2017. In addition, the Open Access data library PANGAEA as a certified ICSU member will serve as permanent archive for the GlobPermafrost final products, providing permanent Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for each dataset archived. The ESA DUE Permafrost final product data set is already published under DOI doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.780111. The final GlobPermafrost remote sensing products published in PANGAEA will remain visualised in the PerSys WebGIS and catalogued and made searchable and accessible via the PerSys Data Catalogue.

Description: A prolonged and exceptionally intense air mass advection event transporting biomass burning aerosols generated in Alaska affected Ny-Ålesund in the mid of July 2015. This paper reports the morphochemical characteristics and mixing state of individual aerosol particles collected during the event. To this aim aerosol samples were collected on nucleopore polycarbonate membrane filters using a DEKATI 12-stage low volume impactor and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Results of SEM investigations depict a complex aerosol characterized by an external mixing between a main part of carbonaceous organic particles (tar balls and organic particles), lower ammonium sulfate and minor potassium chloride and mineral dust amounts. The carbonaceous particles are spherical to slightly elongated and the organic particles show an internal mixing of low density organics and/or ammonium sulfate upon denser nuclei. Most particles are in the accumulation mode size range although the size and the morphology of the chloride and the sulfate salts evidence the growth of these species both in the air and upon the sampling membranes. Individual particle analyses were complemented by aerosol size distribution (Aerodynamic Particle Sizer, Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer) and optical (Particle Soot Absorption Photometer, nephelometer) measurements at ground level in order to retrieve the optical and radiative properties of the aerosol in the atmosphere and to predict the fate and behaviour of particles upon deposition at ground level. Individual particle analyses were also compared with bulk chemical analyses on daily sampling filters and back-trajectory analyses of the air mass movement in order to enucleate distinct sources of the aerosol during the long range transport.

Description: This talk will contain different results of my recent work on carbon cycle-climate interactions. (1) I will show simulations results of recent and future changes in the carbon isotopes and how the anthropogenic perturbation of 13C (the 13C Suess effect) can be used to save radiocarbon dating from possible future ambiguity (the 14C Suess effect). (2) I will briefly show analysis of late Pleistocene paleo time series and how offsets between CO2 and temperature might be related to sea level change and possible variability in volcanic outgassing. (3) Some new insights on the state-dependency of paleo climate sensitivity will be given.

Description: This talk will contain different results of my recent work on carbon cycle-climate interactions. (1) I will show simulations results of recent and future changes in the carbon isotopes and how the anthropogenic perturbation of 13C (the 13C Suess effect) can be used to save radiocarbon dating from possible future ambiguity (the 14C Suess effect). (2) Some new insights on the state-dependency of paleo climate sensitivity will be given.

Description: The submarine Zambezi Channel is the deep, stable, north-south orientated, lower portion of a channel system draining the continental slope of central Mozambique; transporting material southwards into the Mozambique Channel and Basin, southwest Indian Ocean. Using recently collected Multi Beam Echo Sounder and PARASOUND data we discuss the geomorphology of the Zambezi Channel. This system is enigmatic in that the main channel is stable, with low sinuosity despite being at a low latitude where rivers seasonally deliver fine grained sediment. A further enigma is that system does not now continue upslope to the Zambezi River, the largest river in southern Africa. Instead this river flows into the northern Mozambique basin to the south-west of the small channels. The Zambezi Channel is compared to small-scale physical models in an attempt to better understand the geomorphology of the channel. The geomorphological features of the main channel show a quite remarkable resemblance to an analogue model produced within a purely erosive environment. To explain these enigmas, it is proposed that geomorphology of the main Zambezi Channel was produced by periodic, high-volume pulses of flood water, and associated sediment, from the Zambezi River, the second largest river in Africa. These events are considered to be due to minor tectonic movements along the Chobe Fault in the Kalahari that permitted the draining of several palaeo-lake systems between the Early Pleistocene through to the early Mid-Pleistocene. Such repetitive draining of palaeo-lakes would have produced flooding comparable to glacial dam bursts. Such events would deliver significantly more sediment laden flood water to the region than “normal” flow conditions. We hypothesise that these significant flood events have influenced the geomorphology of the Zambezi River to the extent that it is no longer comparable to other low-latitude systems, and exhibits characteristics akin to high-latitude systems with highly variable sediment input.

Description: Biotic interactions are particularly relevant in stable environments, such as the High Antarctic areas. Among them, predation has a key role in structuring community and population variables, including size-frequency distribution. This study aims to quantify the impact of predation by the notothenioid fish Trematomus bernacchii on the Antarctic scallop Adamussium colbecki- size distribution. We developed a model of this impact that estimates the size distribution of the preyed scallop population, taking into account for the predator- size distribution, sex structure, and daily consumption. Comparing this size distribution of the preyed A. colbecki with the living populations at Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica), we were able to detect a relevant impact of fish predation. Fish-size frequency resulted to be the major factor shaping preysize structure, with significant differences between predation by males and females. Our findings, given the key role of the two species in the littoral ecosystem of Terra Nova Bay (Antarctic Special Protected Area 161), fall into the framework of ecosystem management of High Antarctic coastal areas, particularly in the actual context of climate change, and increasing anthropogenic impact

Description: While there is a great deal of global interest in the development of combined uses of open ocean installations, for commercial scale multi-use platforms for food and energy production and other potential applications, the transition from concept to reality has yet to come to fruition. While much is known about the economics, environmental, political and societal effects of individual production sectors, there are many unknowns and challenges with regard to economics, engineering, liability and social aspects of multi-use. Mutually agreed upon principles, such as those articulated in the Bremerhaven Declaration, and EU directives and grant funding opportunities to advance research and development indicate that progress, although measured, is being made. The development of true commercial-scale multi-use offshore platforms will require investment in demonstration projects and multi-national cooperation and collaboration across public and private sectors.

Description: Recent large-scale remote sensing studies have shown that glacier mass loss in south-eastern Tibet, specifically in the eastern Nyainqêntanglha Range exceeds the average in High Asia. However, detailed studies at individual glaciers are scarce and the drivers behind the observed changes are poorly constrained to date. Employing feature tracking techniques on TerraSAR-X data for the periods 2008/2009, 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 we found measurable surface velocities through to the glacier terminus positions of five debris-covered glacier tongues. This is contrary to debris-covered glaciers in other parts of High Asia, where stagnant glacier tongues are common. Our feature tracking results for the 2013/2014 period suggest an average deceleration of 51% when compared with published Landsat velocities for the period 1999/2003. Further, we estimated surface elevation changes for the five glaciers from recently released one arc second resolution elevation data obtained during the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission in 2000 and an interferometrical derived TanDEM-X elevation model for the year 2014. With an average rate of −0.83 ± 0.57 m a^-1 we confirm strong surface lowering in the region, despite the widely discussed insulation effect of debris cover. Beside the influence of thermokarst processes and delayed response times of debris-covered glaciers, we highlight that abundant monsoonal summer rainfall might contribute significantly to the pronounced negative mass balances in the study region.

Description: The large variety of atmospheric circulation systems affecting the eastern Asian climate is reflected by the complex Asian vegetation distribution. Particularly in the transition zones of these circulation systems, vegetation is supposed to be very sensitive to climate change. Since proxy records are scarce, hitherto a mechanistic understanding of the past spatio-temporal climate–vegetation relationship is lacking. To assess the Holocene vegetation change and to obtain an ensemble of potential mid-Holocene biome distributions for eastern Asia, we forced the diagnostic biome model BIOME4 with climate anomalies of different transient Holocene climate simulations performed in coupled atmosphere–ocean(–vegetation) models. The simulated biome changes are compared with pollen-based biome records for different key regions. In all simulations, substantial biome shifts during the last 6000 years are confined to the high northern latitudes and the monsoon–westerly wind transition zone, but the temporal evolution and amplitude of change strongly depend on the climate forcing. Large parts of the southern tundra are replaced by taiga during the mid-Holocene due to a warmer growing season and the boreal treeline in northern Asia is shifted northward by approx. 4° in the ensemble mean, ranging from 1.5 to 6° in the individual simulations, respectively. This simulated treeline shift is in agreement with pollenbased reconstructions from northern Siberia. The desert fraction in the transition zone is reduced by 21% during the mid- Holocene compared to pre-industrial due to enhanced precipitation. The desert–steppe margin is shifted westward by 5° (1–9° in the individual simulations). The forest biomes are expanded north-westward by 2°, ranging from 0 to 4° in the single simulations. These results corroborate pollen-based reconstructions indicating an extended forest area in northcentral China during the mid-Holocene. According to the model, the forest-to-non-forest and steppe-to-desert changes in the climate transition zones are spatially not uniform and not linear since the mid-Holocene.

Description: Phytoplankton are composed of diverse taxonomical groups, which are manifested as distinct morphology, size, and pigment composition. These characteristics, modulated by their physiological state, impact their light absorption and scattering, allowing them to be detected with ocean color satellite radiometry. There is a growing volume of literature describing satellite algorithms to retrieve information on phytoplankton composition in the ocean. This synthesis provides a review of current methods and a simplified comparison of approaches. The aim is to provide an easily comprehensible resource for non-algorithm developers, who desire to use these products, thereby raising the level of awareness and use of these products and reducing the boundary of expert knowledge needed to make a pragmatic selection of output products with confidence. The satellite input and output products, their associated validation metrics, as well as assumptions, strengths, and limitations of the various algorithm types are described, providing a framework for algorithm organization to assist users and inspire new aspects of algorithm development capable of exploiting the higher spectral, spatial and temporal resolutions from the next generation of ocean color satellites.

Description: Contourites are deposits formed by along-slope bottom currents and are therefore sensitive to changes in current velocity, sediments supply and paleoceanographic conditions. They are typically associated with high accumulation rates making these archives ideal for paleoenviromental reconstructions. Nevertheless, they are also occasionally affected by winnowing of fine particles and erosion/deposition of allochthonous material, which alters the grain-size and mineralogy. These processes can, as such, promote significant bias in proxy interpretation compared with other pelagic deposits. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core-scanning is ideal to assess elemental variations in these high accumulation rate sequences. The comparison between lithological changes, Natural Gamma Ray and other parameters with XRF scanning data, along with statistical analysis can provide very useful information to support improved proxy interpretation. Using this approach at Site U1387, (detrital contourite system at Gulf of Cadiz), results indicate that the Zr/Al ratio represents a promising proxy for bottom current speed and show the transition from a hemipelagic to a contouritic system during the Miocene/Pliocene transition. Carbonate content and Ba/Al ratio appear to represent paleo-productivity variations and later to be completely overprinted by current activit y. At Site U1475 (carbonate contourite system at Agulhas Plateau) Zr content is just one artifact associated with high Sr content and the Ca/Sr ratio appears to be a more promising proxy for contourite reconstruction that is influenced by carbonate dissolution by deep corrosive waters. Comparing both locations we can conclude that proxies associated with the continuous background sediment settling over the seafloor (e.g. planktonic foraminifera) do not appear to be severely biased in countourite systems.

Description: The paper of Paillard investigates the Plio-Pleistocene carbon cycle by setting up a conceptual model, consisting of differential equation for the carbon content of the atmosphere-ocean-biosphere C, the alkalinity of the ocean, A, and the stable carbon isotope values of C, d13C. I find the conceptual idea how to understand the observed long-term changes in the carbon cycle very interesting. However, I have some fundamental comments to Equation 3 describing the evolution of the the carbon isotope of the system.

Description: The gateway south of South Africa constitutes an integral inter-ocean link in the global thermohaline circulation (THC) since it allows the exchange of shallow- and deepwater masses between the Indian and the Atlantic. Thus understanding past variations of this current system is important for improving our knowledge of the global climate. The long-term changes in deepwater flow in the Atlantic-Indian gateway during the Cenozoic have been initially studied using reflection seismic profiles. But in many cases the seismic stratigraphy is poorly constrained and not further resolved within the time period from the late Miocene to present. In particular, there are limited Pliocene records that can be used to investigate the influence of climatic (e.g. Antartic ice volume) and tectonic (e.g. closure of the central American seaway) on the deep-water variability. Here we focus on the bottom water flow around the Agulhas Plateau, a location proximal to the entrance of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) to the Southern Ocean and South Indian Ocean. IODP Expedition 361 (SAFARI) Site U1475 was drilled in 2669 m water depth into a sediment drift that is deposited on the southwestern flank of Agulhas Plateau and comprises a complete stratigraphic section of the last ∼7 Ma. We present cleaned, edited, and spliced high-resolution data sets of sediment physical properties measured at Site U1475. Synthetic seismograms generated from the velocity and bulk density core scanning records allow a detailed correlation oft the drilling results with the Site survey seismic reflection profiles. Seismic reflectors at 3.75 and 3.87 s (two-way-traveltime) correspond to major increases in acoustic impedance at ∼110 and ∼216 meters below seafloor. Based on the preliminary shipboard biostratigraphic age model sediments at these depths have ages of ∼4.0 and ∼5.1 Ma, respectively. Furthermore spectral analyses of physical property records such as natural gamma radiation and colour reflectance reveal climate variability on orbital and suborbital timescales.

Description: Ocean margin sediments have been considered as important sources of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to the deep ocean, yet the contribution from advective settings has just started to be acknowledged. Here we present evidence showing that near-surface heating of sediment in the Guaymas Basin, a young extensional depression, causes mass production and discharge of reactive dissolved organic matter (DOM). In the sediment heated up to ~100 °C, we found unexpectedly low DOC concentrations in the pore waters, reflecting the combined effect of thermal desorption and advective fluid flow. Heating experiments suggested DOC production to be a rapid, abiotic process with the DOC concentration increasing exponentially with temperature. The high proportions of total hydrolyzable amino acids and presence of chemical species affiliated with activated hydrocarbons, carbohydrates and peptides indicate high reactivity of the DOM. Model simulation suggests that at the local scale, near-surface heating of sediment creates short and massive DOC discharge events that elevate the bottom-water DOC concentration. Because of the heterogeneous distribution of high heat flow areas, the expulsion of reactive DOM is spotty at any given time. We conclude that hydrothermal heating of young rift sediments alter deep-ocean budgets of bioavailable DOM, creating organic-rich habitats for benthic life.

Description: The Pliocene epoch represents a discrete interval which reversed a long-term trend of late Neogene cooling and is also the most recent geological interval in which global temperatures were several degrees warmer than today. It is therefore often considered as the best analogue for a future anthropogenic greenhouse world. However, there is growing evidence that the Pliocene was not a stable period but can rather be subdivided in several distinct climate phases. Our understanding of Pliocene climate variability in the Southern Hemisphere, and especially in the Atlantic-Indian ocean gateway, is limited by scarce marine records and poor age control on existing terrestrial climate archives. At five from six drilling locations of IODP Exp. 361 (Jan. – March 2016) high resolution complete Plio-/Pleistocene sections have been recovered (see IODP Expedition 361 – Southern African Climates and Agulhas LGM Density Profile by Gruetzner et al., this Volume). Our new research proposal focuses on three of these sites forming a latitudinal transect in the Atlantic-/Indian Ocean gateway and combines chemical, physical property and seismic methods. Primary site for our investigations is Site U1475 with the focus on the interplay between northern and southern sourced deep water masses at the Agulhas Plateau. This will be augmented by investigations at Sites U1479 (Cape Basin) and U1474 (Natal Valley), both located in the pathway of modern NADW. Our research is driven by three main working hypotheses: Seismic stratigraphies for the last 6 Ma and sediment drift growth in the Atlantic-Indian gateway are mainly controlled by bottom water flow changes Using the new sediment archives and physical property records from IODP Exp. 361 (Hall et al., 2016) we aim to construct detailed seismic stratigraphies for the Agulhas Plateau, the Natal valley and the Cape basin for the last 6 Ma. At all Exp. 361 sites P-wave velocity and density records are of sufficient quality to enable detailed correlations of drilling results and site survey data through the calculation of synthetic seismograms. Our working hypothesis implies that seismic reflection patterns and sediment accumulation during the Pliocene are closely linked to deep water circulation changes associated with climate Pliocene phases. Furthermore four distinct high latitude Pliocene glaciation events have been identified. We speculate that these phases and events have led to deep water circulation changes in Agulhas region, have altered the sediment physical properties and thus may be recognized as reflectors in the seismic profiles. How did the sediment input of terrigenous vs. biogenic sediment components in the gateway change during these events? Are these changes driven by dilution, dissolution, or productivity? We strive to answer these questions by interpreting the physical and chemical (XRF) core scanning records. Trajectories and intensities of deep water masses in the Agulhas region during the Pliocene were influenced by Antarctic ice volume rather than by the closure of the Central American Seaway. The Exp. 361 drill sites offer the possibility to inter-correlate different flow speed proxies and to derive a detailed picture of flow changes during the Pliocene. By comparing core-measurements of sortable silt (S̅S̅), physical properties and XRF-core scanning data with seismic features we will tie the major flow speed changes to our seismic grid covering the Agulhas Plateau such that changing current intensities and pathways can be mapped together. Here we hypothesize that these changes are mainly driven by climate (Antarctic ice volume). What were the main changes associated with the Pliocene instability of Antarctic ice sheets and was the production of Antartic Bottom Water (AABW) reduced or enhanced during these intervals? How have the sedimentation patterns changed under the growing influence of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW)? Was there also a potential influence of tectonic processes on the flow changes in the Agulhas region? Especially the closure of the Centarl American Seaway CAS between ~14 and ~2.7 Ma is thought to have had a profound impact on climate. The Pliocene variability in sediment provenance on millennial timescales is subdued when compared to the Pleistocene. Understanding the mechanisms and causes of abrupt climate change is one of the major challenges in global climate change research today and there is growing evidence that millennial scale climate variability was enhanced during times when a critical threshold in continental ice volume was surpassed. Dramatic millennial scale climate shifts are well documented for the “glacial world” of the late Pleistocene but are examined to a much lesser extent for earlier time periods. We suggest testing the potential threshold behaviour for the Atlantic-Indian gateway by comparing short term fluctuations in sediment composition and siliciclastic provenance in the Agulhas region before and after the onset of the Northern Hemisphere glaciation (NHG) at ~2.7 Ma. Time series of sediment provenance dated by “orbital tuning” will be analysed in the time and frequency domain to investigate at what times during the interval 2 – 6 Ma millennial scale climate variability was enhanced or subdued.

Description: Solid phase extraction (SPE) has become a widespread method for isolating dissolved organic matter (DOM) of diverse origin such as fresh and marine waters. This study investigated the DOM extraction selectivity of 24 commercially available SPE sorbents under identical conditions (pH = 2, methanol elution) on the example of Suwannee River (SR) water and North Sea (NS) water by using DOC analysis and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy was employed to assess leaching behavior, and HLB sorbent was found to leach substantially, among others. Variable DOC recoveries observed for SR DOM and NS DOM were primarily caused by the respective molecular composition, with subordinated and heterogeneous contributions of relative salinity. Scatter of average H/C and O/C elemental ratios and gross alignment in mass-edited H/C ratios according to five established coarse SPE characteristics was near identical for SR DOM and NS DOM. FTMS-based principal component analysis (PCA) provided essentially analogous alignment of SR DOM and NS DOM molecular compositions according to the five established groups of SPE classification, and corroborated the sorption-mechanism-based selectivity of DOM extraction in both cases. Evaluation of structural blanks and leaching of SPE cartridges requires NMR spectroscopy because FT-ICR mass spectrometry alone will not reveal inconspicuous displacements of continual bulk signatures caused by leaching of SPE resin constituents.

Description: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in marine sediment pore waters derives largely from decomposition of particulate organic matter and its composition is influenced by various biogeochemical and oceanographic processes in yet undetermined ways. Here, we determine the molecular inventory of pore water DOM in marine sediments of contrasting depositional regimes with ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry and complementary bulk chemical analyses in order to elucidate the factors that shape DOM composition. Our sample sets from the Mediterranean, Marmara and Black Seas covered different sediment depths, ages and a range of marine environments with different (i) organic matter sources, (ii) balances of organic matter production and preservation, and (iii) geochemical conditions in sediment and water column including anoxic, sulfidic and hypersaline conditions. Pore water DOM had a higher molecular formula richness than overlying water with up to 11,295 vs. 2114 different molecular formulas in the mass range of 299–600 Da and covered a broader range of element ratios (H/C = 0.35–2.19, O/C = 0.03–1.19 vs. H/C = 0.56–2.13, O/C = 0.15–1.14). Formula richness was independent of concentrations of DOC and TOC. Near-surface pore water DOM was more similar to water column DOM than to deep pore water DOM from the same core with respect to formula richness and the molecular composition, suggesting exchange at the sediment–water interface. The DOM composition in the deeper sediments was controlled by organic matter source, selective decomposition of specific DOM fractions and early diagenetic molecule transformations. Compounds in pelagic sediment pore waters were predominantly highly unsaturated and N-bearing formulas, whereas oxygen-rich CHO-formulas and aromatic compounds were more abundant in pore water DOM from terrigenous sediments. The increase of S-bearing molecular formulas in the water column and pore waters of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Discovery Basin was consistent with elevated HS- concentrations reflecting the incorporation of sulfur into biomolecules during early diagenesis. Sulfurization resulted in an increased average molecular mass of DOM and higher formula richness (up to 5899 formulas per sample). In sediments from the methanogenic zone in the Black Sea, the DOM pool was distinctly more reduced than overlying sediments from the sulfate-reducing zone. Bottom and pore water DOM from the Discovery Basin contained the highest abundances of aliphatic compounds in the entire dataset; a large fraction of abundant N-bearing formulas possibly represented peptide and nucleotide formulas suggesting preservation of these molecules in the life inhibiting environment of the Discovery Basin. Our unique data set provides the basis for a comprehensive understanding of the molecular signatures in pore water DOM and the turnover of sedimentary organic matter in marine sediments.

Description: The Holocene is characterized by the late Holocene cooling trend as well as by internal short-term centennial fluctuations. Because Arctic sea ice acts as a significant component (amplifier) within the climate system, investigating its past long- and short-term variability and controlling processes is beneficial for future climate predictions. This study presents the first biomarker-based (IP25 and PIP25) sea ice reconstruction from the Kara Sea (core BP00-07/7), covering the last 8 ka. These biomarker proxies reflect conspicuous short-term sea ice variability during the last 6.5 ka that is identified unprecedentedly in the source region of Arctic sea ice by means of a direct sea ice indicator. Prominent peaks of extensive sea ice cover occurred at ~3, ~2, ~1.3 and ~0.3 ka. Spectral analysis of the IP25 record revealed ~400- and ~950-year cycles. These periodicities may be related to the Arctic/North Atlantic Oscillation, but probably also to internal climate system fluctuations. This demonstrates that sea ice belongs to a complex system that more likely depends on multiple internal forcing.

Description: Predicting future thaw slump activity requires a sound understanding of the atmospheric drivers and geomorphic controls on mass wasting across a range of time scales. On sub-seasonal time scales, sparse measurements indicate that mass wasting at active slumps is often limited by the energy available for melting ground ice, but other factors such as rainfall or the formation of an insulating veneer may also be relevant. To study the sub-seasonal drivers, we derive topographic changes from single-pass radar interferometric data acquired by the TanDEM-X satellite (12 m resolution). The high vertical precision (around 30 cm), frequent observations (11 days) and large coverage (5000 km2) allow us to track volume losses as drivers such as the available energy change during summer in two study regions. We find that thaw slumps in the Tuktoyaktuk coastlands, Canada, are not energy limited in June, as they undergo limited mass wasting (height loss of around 0 cm/day) despite the ample available energy, indicating the widespread presence of an insulating snow or debris veneer. Later in summer, height losses generally increase (around 3 cm/day), but they do so in distinct ways. For many slumps, mass wasting tracks the available energy, a temporal pattern that is also observed at coastal yedoma cliffs on the Bykovsky Peninsula, Russia. However, the other two common temporal trajectories are asynchronous with the available energy, as they track strong precipitation events or show a sudden speed-up in late August, respectively. The observed temporal patterns are poorly related to slump characteristics like the slump area. The contrasting temporal behaviour of nearby thaw slumps highlights the importance of complex local and temporally varying controls on mass wasting.