ALBERT

Description: During the 2016–2017, a seismic sequence struck the Central Italy, involving four regions (Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo and Lazio) and causing important damages and victims in inhabited areas such as Norcia and Amatrice towns. The strongest event of the seismic sequence was a Mw 6.5 event with epicenter at about 5 km far from the Norcia area, which is an intermontane basin prone to ground motion amplification. The historical town of Norcia and the surrounding hamlets were recently investigated by the microzonation activity, but information on the geometry and velocity are still partial considering the entire basin. Indeed, past studies aimed at reconstructing the elastic and geometrical properties focusing mainly on the northern part of the basin. Specifically in this paper, we integrated seismic and geological data to get a better knowledge of the properties of the Quaternary Norcia basin. A geological survey was carried out to provide a geological map and three geological cross-sections. We analyzed new seismic ambient vibrations data, collected by single-seismic stations, to infer the distribution of resonant frequency (f0) for the entire basin. We used passive arrays of seismic stations to better define the velocity profiles of the area. In the northern part of the basin, two 2D arrays with elliptical-like shapes were deployed showing strong discrepancies of the elastic soil properties in proximity of Norcia town. We found shear-wave velocities of the near-surface profile of about 300–400 and 500–800 m/s in presence of palustrine and alluvial fan deposits, respectively. Further, the values of f0 are abruptly varying from 0.5 Hz in the SW sector of Norcia village up to 2 Hz in its NE sector. Ambient vibration data reveal less pronounced variation of f0 in the southern part of the basin, with resonant values that are almost in the range 1–1.3 Hz. In the southern sector, a 1D array was arranged along a 5-km line and was analyzed by means of seismic noise cross-correlation analysis suggesting the presence of a deeper seismic contrast. The integration of geophysical and geological results has allowed to infer insights on the subsurface geometry of the basin.

Description: Published

Description: 105501

Description: 5T. Sismologia, geofisica e geologia per l'ingegneria sismica

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Submarine methane emissions in the Tuscan Archipelago have been studied since the 1960s, both for economic and research purposes. Offshore gas seepage is mainly concentrated southward and westward of Elba island, along N–S faults related to recent extensional activity in the Tuscan shelf and N–S trending positive magnetic anomalies, which have been interpreted as serpentinites associated with ophiolitic rocks due to their very high magnetic susceptibility. This study focuses on the gas chemistry of a new emission site corresponding to a shallow water mud volcano in the Scoglio d’Affrica area. The Scoglio d’Affrica seep has a gas composition typical of mud volcanoes, with methane as the prevalent component (95 vol%) and minor gases which include carbon dioxide, nitrogen and trace amounts of helium. The combined stable C and H isotope composition of CH4 (δ13C and δ2H) and the enrichment in heavy carbon isotopes of CO2, highlight a prevalent secondary microbial origin for these fluids (δ13C~− 35.8‰ vs VPDB; δ2H~− 166‰ vs VSMOW; δ13CCO2 up to + 21.7‰ vs VPDB). Thus, in spite of the occurrence of positive magnetic anomalies, a possible abiotic origin of methane is excluded. Moreover, the gas from the mud volcano is extremely depleted in 3He and presents typical 3He/4He ratios of a geological setting in which radiogenic crustal helium is strongly predominant. A photo-mosaic of the mud volcano is also reported. A possible connection with other submarine methane emissions in the Tuscan Archipelago is limited to emissions located few kilometers from the Scoglio d’Affrica area. Recent emissions in the area suggest that gases similar in composition from distinct reservoirs, find their way to the surface from Eocene deposits in different time intervals and through different faults and fractures, placed along the Elba-Pianosa ridge.

Description: Published

Description: 104722

Description: 6A. Geochimica per l'ambiente e geologia medica

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Experimental data are publicly available here: https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/f78bmhr628/1

Description: Temperature is a major source of inaccuracy in high-sensitivity accelerometers and gravimeters. Active thermal control systems require power and may not be ideal in some contexts such as airborne or spaceborne applications. We propose a solution that relies on multiple thermometers placed within the accelerometer to measure temperature and thermal gradient variations. Machine Learning algorithms are used to relate the temperatures to their effect on the accelerometer readings. However, obtaining labeled data for training these algorithms can be difficult. Therefore, we also developed a training platform capable of replicating temperature variations in a laboratory setting. Our experiments revealed that thermal gradients had a significant effect on accelerometer readings, emphasizing the importance of multiple thermometers. The proposed method was experimentally tested and revealed a great potential to be extended to other sources of inaccuracy, such as rotations, as well as to other types of measuring systems, such as magnetometers or gyroscopes.

Description: This work was funded by “Regione Lazio” (Italy) with European Regional Development Fund (Italy, Lazio) through the call “Gruppi di Ricerca 2020 (POR FESR LAZIO 2014 – 2020), project number: A0375-2020-36674

Description: Published

Description: 114090

Description: OSA1: Variazioni del campo magnetico terrestre, imaging crostale e sicurezza del territorio

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Azerbaijan hosts the highest density of subaerial mud volcanoes on Earth. The morphologies characterizing these structures vary depending on their geological setting, frequency of eruption, and transport processes during the eruptions. Lokbatan is possibly the most active mud volcano on Earth exhibiting impressive bursting events every ∼5 years. These manifest with impressive gas flares that may reach more than 100 meters in height and the bursting of thousands of m3 of mud breccia resulting in spectacular mud flows that extend for more than 1.5 kilometres. Unlike other active mud volcanoes, to our knowledge Lokbatan never featured any visual evidence of enduring diffuse degassing (e.g., active pools and gryphons) at and near the central crater. Only a very small new-born gryphon was intermittently active in 2019 (with negligible flow). Gas flux measurements completed with a closed-chamber technique reveal extremely low values throughout the structure with average CH4 = 1.36 tonnes yr−1 and CO2 = 11.85 tonnes yr−1. We suggest that after eruptive events, the mud breccia is able to seal the structure preventing gas release and thereby promoting overpressure build-up in the subsurface. This self-sealing mechanism allows a fast recharge of Lokbatan resulting in more frequent and powerful explosive episodes. Our field observations reveal the presence of large (up to ∼50,000 m3) stratified blocks that were originally part of a large crater cone. These blocks were rafted 〉1 km from the vent on top of mud breccia flows. We use a model based on lubrication theory to show that it is reasonable to transport blocks this large and this far provided the underlying mud flow was thick enough and the blocks are large enough. The presence of large rafted blocks is not a unique phenomenon observed at Lokbatan mud volcano and is documented at other large-scale structures both onshore and offshore.

Description: Published

Description: 116699

Description: 6A. Geochimica per l'ambiente e geologia medica

Description: JCR Journal

Description: © The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Samuel, B., & Danny, H. MineralMate: a standalone MATLAB-based aide for the magnetic separation of minerals. Heliyon, 8(9), (2022): e10411, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10411.

Description: MineralMate is a standalone MATLAB-based program designed to optimize the workflow associated with the magnetic separation of minerals. For nearly every bulk geochemical analysis some amount of mineral separation must occur, and the use of an electromagnetic separator is ubiquitous and considered as standard practice in many fields. Despite the commonality in which magnetic separation is used, there are considerable shortcomings. Electromagnet overheating and composite mineral grains are frequently encountered, as well as poorly constrained mineral behavior. These complications ultimately reduce the quality of downstream geochemical data. MineralMate is designed to alleviate these shortcomings by quickly and efficiently producing a magnetic separation workflow allowing the user to: (1) identify and compare optimal recovery ranges for different minerals from a bulk mineral assemblage, (2) identify the parameters on a conventional magnetic separator required to magnetically separate composite grains, (3) create/update user-specific magnetic susceptibility databases through empirical data collection, and (4) utilize an alternative magnetic separation equation.

Description: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Description: A two-dimensional basin and petroleum system modeling approach was applied to the Burano-Bolognano petroleum system (Central Italy) to constrain some factors (position, lateral extension and maturity of the source rock, the role of fractures and faults in hydrocarbon migration) which influenced its structural evolution and the related migration pathways. The petroleum system extends from the Majella Mountain to the northern Cigno, Vallecupa, Bonanno oil fields, intensively explored during the past century. Some features, such as the location and extension of the source rock and its maturity, and hydrocarbon pathways, are still undefined. Thus, we developed a 3D geological static model of the Cenozoic carbonate succession and then, we performed basin modeling along a 2D geological section, integrating the petrophysical properties of rocks measured in laboratory. Our results prove that the Burano source rock reached a low-middle maturity, and the best representation of the actual hydrocarbon occurrences is reached when the source rock is at north of the Majella Mountain with a minimum extension of 3 km. For the BBPS a strong lateral migration and a gradual oil biodegradation towards the Majella area must be considered. Moreover, modeling results highlight a minor control of the faults on the migration in this area. This basin modeling is relevance for investigations in similar settings since carbonate-ramp reservoir studies are usually very challenging to be correctly modeled due to their high heterogeneities.

Description: Published

Description: 105436

Description: 1TR. Georisorse

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Recent advances in underwater and airborne robotic systems and ocean technologies have opened new perspectives in marine geology and its applications in the context of coastal and marine economic activities, whose sustainable development is increasingly acknowledged as a pillar for the new blue economy. BridgET (Bridging the gap between the land and the sea in a virtual Environment for innovative Teaching and community involvement in the science of climate change-induced marine and coastal geohazard) is an EU ERASMUS+ project designed to develop innovative and inclusive teaching methods to address a growing demand for strategic skills and scientific expertise in the field of 3D geological mapping of coastal environments. Seamless integration of the wide variety of multisource and multiscale onshore, nearshore and offshore geospatial data is indeed one of the main areas for improvement in the implementation of efficient management practices in coastal regions, where climate change, rising sea level, and geohazards are considerable environmental issues. BridgET involves a partnership consisting of six European universities with outstanding expertise in the study of geological hazards, and climate impacts in marine and coastal areas (i.e., University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, Arctic University of Tromsø/CAGE - Norway, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Greece, Kiel University, Germany, University of Liege – Belgium, and the University of Malta), two Italian research institutes (INGV and INAF) and a German company (Orthodrone GmvH) specialized in UAS-based LiDAR and photogrammetry data acquisition services and analyses. Project implementation relies on delivering learning and teaching activities through dedicated summer schools for MSc students by efficiently combining the partner’s expertise. Schools focus on giving students a hands-on experience with the variety of methods and procedures adopted in geospatial data acquisition and processing, including the use of drones (Uncrewed Aerial System – UAS), acoustic remote sensing techniques and underwater robotic systems, together with the progress made by computer visions and digital image analysis by using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are also introduced to the opportunity to easily examine multiple viewing angles of the seabed and coastal 3D surfaces by using immersive and nonimmersive Virtual Reality (VR), to bring them closer to a more straightforward observation of geomorphological data and geological phenomena. The first Summer School was held in Santorini between the 3rd and 14th of October, 2022. It was attended by 26 students coming from 13 different countries. Teaching and learning activities included several classrooms, fieldwork, laboratory sessions, and seven seminars and cultural visits dealing with transversal topics, allowing students to approach an integrated understanding of human interaction with physical processes from social and economic perspectives. In this presentation, we give examples of course content used to allow students to develop a deeper understanding of theoretical and practical knowledge of climate-induced coastal and marine geohazards. Participants' opinions on the quality of the offered learning/training activities of the Erasmus+ BridgET Santorini Summer School (collected through a dedicated questionnaire) will also be presented. Erasmus+ BridgET Team: Varvara Antoniou, Fabio Luca Bonali, Clara Drummer, Theynushya Esalingam, Luca Fallati, Susanna Falsaperla, Felix Gross, Hans-Balder havenith, Juri Klusak, Sebastian Krastel, Iver Martens, Aaron Micallef, Paraskevi Nomikou, Giuliana Panieri, Danilo Reitano, Julian Teege, Alessandro Tibaldi, Andrea Giulia Varzi, Fabio Vitello, Othonas Vlasopoulos

Description: Published

Description: Vienna (Austria)

Description: OSA4: Ambiente marino, fascia costiera ed Oceanografia operativa