Assessing enigmatic boulder deposits in NE Aegean Sea: importance of historical sources as tool to support hydrodynamic equations

Due to their importance in the assessment of coastal hazards, several studies have focused on geomorphological and sedimentological field evidence of catastrophic wave impacts related to historical tsunami events. Among them, many authors used boulder fields as important indicators of past tsunamis, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of this study was to understand the mechanism of deposition of clusters of large boulders, consisting of beachrock slabs, which were found on the southern coasts of Lesvos Island (NE Aegean Sea). Methods to infer the origin of boulder deposits (tsunami vs. storm wave) are often based on hydrodynamic models even if different environmental complexities are difficult to be incorporated into numerical models. In this study, hydrodynamic equations did not provide unequivocal indication of the mechanism responsible for boulder deposition in the study area. Further analyses, ranging from geomorphologic to seismotectonic data, indicated a tsunami as the most likely cause of displacement of the boulders but still do not allow to totally exclude the extreme storm origin. Additional historical investigations (based on tsunami catalogues, historical photos and aged inhabitants interviews) indicated that the boulders are likely to have been deposited by the tsunami triggered by the 6.7 <i>M</i><sub>s</sub> Chios-Karaburum earthquake of 1949 or, alternatively, by minor effects of the destructive tsunami produced by 1956's Amorgos Island earthquake. Results of this study point out that, at Mediterranean scale, to flank numerical models with the huge amount of the available historical data become a crucial tool in terms of prevention policies related to catastrophic coastal events

Assessing enigmatic boulder deposits in NE Aegean Sea: Importance of historical sources as tool to support hydrodynamic equations

Due to their importance in the assessment of coastal hazards, several studies have focused on geomorphological and sedimentological field evidence of catastrophic wave impacts related to historical tsunami events. Among them, many authors used boulder fields as important indicators of past tsunamis, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of this study was to understand the mechanism of deposition of clusters of large boulders, consisting of beachrock slabs, which were found on the southern coasts of Lesvos Island (NE Aegean Sea). Methods to infer the origin of boulder deposits (tsunami vs. storm wave) are often based on hydrodynamic models even if different environmental complexities are difficult to be incorporated into numerical models. In this study, hydrodynamic equations did not provide unequivocal indication of the mechanism responsible for boulder deposition in the study area. Further analyses, ranging from geomorphologic to seismotectonic data, indicated a tsunami as the most likely cause of displacement of the boulders but still do not allow to totally exclude the extreme storm origin. Additional historical investigations (based on tsunami catalogues, historical photos and aged inhabitants interviews) indicated that the boulders are likely to have been deposited by the tsunami triggered by the 6.7 M s Chios-Karaburum earthquake of 1949 or, alternatively, by minor effects of the destructive tsunami produced by 1956's Amorgos Island earthquake. Results of this study point out that, at Mediterranean scale, to flank numerical models with the huge amount of the available historical data become a crucial tool in terms of prevention policies related to catastrophic coastal events. © 2012 Author(s). CC Attribution 3.0 License

Arhaeological evidence for seismic activity in Butrinti (SW Albania)and neotectonics of the area

This is a preliminary study of the neotectonics and the historical seismic destruction imprinted on the archaeological site of Butrinti (SW Albania). Two fault sets surround and intersect both the limestone hill with the archaeological site and the area around it. A normal N-S trending fault is located along the NW of Butrinti hill with an observable length of 1 km and a maximum vertical displacement of 3-4m. The southern part of the hill is confined by a steep tectonic scarp, trending E-W to NE-SW, which represent the continuity of the transcurrent (right-lateral strike-slip) fault of Northern Corfu. Fault planes parallel to this fault have been observed inside the archaeological site. The continuous subsidence of part the ancient city, the presence of evaporates diapirs and their continuous vertical movement allows us to conclude that these faults are still active. Cracks crossing special foundation stone elements of archaeological buildings and other types of dislocation were the main criteria to evident seismic damage in this study. The catastrophes of the Hellenistic-Roman theatre of Butrinti and the surrounding monuments dated to the 3rd-4th century AD should be attributed to the seismic activity triggered by the reactivation of these faults during late Roman-early Byzantine time (358 AD). Another seismic event affecting Byzantine monuments is also probable (1153)

Black hole and the adiabatic phase

An open system consisting of a scalar field bound to a Kerr black hole whose mass ($M$) and specific angular momentum ($a$) are slowly (adiabatically) perturbed is considered. The adiabatically induced phase and the conditions for the validity of the adiabatic approximation are obtained. The effect of closed cycles in parameter space ($a$, $M$ plane) on the energy levels of both stable and unstable scalar field bound states, together with other quantities of interest, is illustrated. Lastly it is noted that the black hole wavefunction will acquire an equal and opposite phase to that of matter thus leading to a change of its effective action (entropy).Comment: Plain TeX, 12 page

Early Miocene gastropod and ectothermic vertebrate remains from the Lesvos Petrified Forest (Greece)

The Lesvos Petrified Forest (western Lesvos, Greece) has long been famous for its plant fossils. Recently, one proboscidean (from the Gavathas locality) and seven micromammalian species (from the Lapsarna locality) were described; these were the first animals to be found in the Early Miocene subtropical forest. For the first time, a fauna of gastropods and ectothermic vertebrates from the Lapsarna locality is now available. This fauna derives from lacustrine sediments under the pyroclastic material that contains the petrified plants. Based on fragmented mollusc remains, isolated fish pharyngeal teeth and utricular otoliths (lapilli), fragmented amphibian vertebrae and a tooth-bearing element, and reptile fragmented dentaries, teeth, osteoderms and vertebrae, the presence of eight freshwater and three terrestrial gastropod species, three freshwater cyprinid species, and two amphibian and five reptile taxa has been confirmed. Stratigraphical and radiometric data suggest an age older than 18.4 ± 0.5 Ma (latest Early Miocene), in good agreement with the faunal composition. This paper is the first report of the concurrent presence of three cyprinid fish species in a Greek Early Miocene locality, as well as the first documentation of an Early Miocene proteid amphibian in southeastern Europe. The present findings represent one of the best- documented Early Miocene gastropod and fish faunas in the Aegean/southern Balkans, thus adding to our knowledge of Early Miocene amphibians and reptiles from that region and providing valuable information on the local subtropical ecosystem

Paternal mtDNA and Maleness Are Co-Inherited but Not Causally Linked in Mytilid Mussels

BACKGROUND: In marine mussels of the genus Mytilus there are two mitochondrial genomes. One is transmitted through the female parent, which is the normal transmission route in animals, and the other is transmitted through the male parent which is an unusual phenomenon. In males the germ cell line is dominated by the paternal mitochondrial genome and the somatic cell line by the maternal. Research to date has not allowed a clear answer to the question of whether inheritance of the paternal genome is causally related to maleness. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we present results from hybrid crosses, from triploid mussels and from observations of sperm mitochondria in fertilized eggs which clearly show that maleness and presence of the paternal mitochondrial genome can be decoupled. These same results show that the female mussel has exclusive control of whether her progeny will inherit the mitochondrial genome of the male parent. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings are important in our efforts to understand the mechanistic basis of this unusual mode of mitochondrial DNA inheritance that is common among bivalves

Preliminary analysis of the genetic variability of two natural beds of the Scallop Euvola ziczac (Linnaeus, 1758) in Brazil

Euvola ziczac (formerly Pecten ziczac), a simultaneous hermaphroditic scallop was heavily fished in Brazil between 1972 and 1980. The production peaked in 1980 with 8,800 tons and was followed by the total collapse of the resource. In order to investigate the possible loss of genetic variability of the stock associated to overfishing and self-fertilization, the polymorphism of phosphoglucomutase (PGM) and glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) was analyzed by electrophoresis of the adductor muscle of scallops from São Francisco (26° 20.583S; 48° 16.507W) and Bom Abrigo (25° 28.735S; 47° 37.621W) beds; the southern and northern extremes of the scallop fishing ground, respectively. Animals from São Francisco showed a strong deficiency of heterozygosity for GPI and PGM. In addition, PGM showed *exclusive alleles for each bed. Such results coupled with other information about the species suggested the following hypothesis: a) the stock was a metapopulation with at least two populations; b) some reproductive isolation might be occurring which might be influenced by conditions of larval transport and by the extremely low densities of scallops; c) presently, the stock seemed to be mostly maintained through self-fertilization; d) São Francisco could constitute a source-area, contributing with larvae and recruits to Bom Abrigo and other areas; e) both beds were suffering a genetic homogenization more evident in São Francisco. Such hypothesis needed to be investigated in order to furnish guidelines for future programs of recovery and management of the resource.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Electron Rearrangement Dynamics in Dissociating I 2 n Molecules Accessed by Extreme Ultraviolet Pump Probe Experiments

The charge rearrangement in dissociating In 2 molecules is measured as a function of the internuclear distance R using extreme ultraviolet pulses delivered by the free electron laser in Hamburg. Within an extreme ultraviolet pump probe scheme, the first pulse initiates dissociation by multiply ionizing I2, and the delayed probe pulse further ionizes one of the two fragments at a given time, thus triggering charge rearrangement at a well defined R. The electron transfer between the fragments is monitored by analyzing the delay dependent ion kinetic energies and charge states. The experimental results are in very good agreement with predictions of the classical over the barrier model demonstrating its validity in a thus far unexplored quasimolecular regime relevant for free electron laser, plasma, and chemistry application

Gravity wave analogs of black holes

It is demonstrated that gravity waves of a flowing fluid in a shallow basin can be used to simulate phenomena around black holes in the laboratory. Since the speed of the gravity waves as well as their high-wavenumber dispersion (subluminal vs. superluminal) can be adjusted easily by varying the height of the fluid (and its surface tension) this scenario has certain advantages over the sonic and dielectric black hole analogs, for example, although its use in testing quantum effects is dubious. It can be used to investigate the various classical instabilities associated with black (and white) holes experimentally, including positive and negative norm mode mixing at horizons. PACS: 04.70.-s, 47.90.+a, 92.60.Dj, 04.80.-y.Comment: 14 pages RevTeX, 5 figures, section VI modifie