A multi-centennial record of past floods and earthquakes in Valle d'Aosta, Mediterranean Italian Alps

Mediterranean Alpine populations are particularly exposed to natural hazards like floods and earthquakes because of both the close Mediterranean humidity source and the seismically active Alpine region. Knowledge of long-term variability in flood and earthquake occurrences is of high value since it can be useful to improve risk assessment and mitigation. In this context, we explore the potential of a lake-sediment sequence from Lago Inferiore de Laures in Valle d'Aosta (Northern Italy) as a long-term record of past floods and earthquakes. The high-resolution sedimentological study revealed 76 event layers over the last ca. 270 years; 8 are interpreted as most probably induced by earthquakes and 68 by flood events. Comparison to historical seismic data suggests that the recorded earthquakes are strong (epicentral Medvedev–Sponheuer–Kárník (MSK) intensity of VI–IX) and/or close to the lake (distance of 25–120 km). Compared to other lake-sediment sequences, Lago Inferiore de Laures sediments appear to be regionally the most sensitive to earthquake shaking, offering a great potential to reconstruct the past regional seismicity further back in time. Comparison to historical and palaeoflood records suggests that the flood signal reconstructed from Lago Inferiore de Laures sediments represents the regional and (multi-)decadal variability of summer–autumn floods well, in connection to Mediterranean mesoscale precipitation events. Overall, our results reveal the high potential of Lago Inferiore de Laures sediments to extend the regional earthquake and flood catalogues far back in time

Carbonate sedimentation and effects of eutrophication observed at the Kališta subaquatic springs in Lake Ohrid (Macedonia)

To date, little is known about the role of spring waters with respect to authigenic carbonate precipitation in a shallow lacustrine setting. Lake Ohrid, located in Southeastern Europe, is a large lake fed to over 50% by karstic springs of which half enter subaquatically and influence significantly its ecology and species distribution. In order to evaluate how sedimentological processes are influenced by such shallow-water springs, the Kališta subaquatic spring area in the north west of Lake Ohrid was investigated by a sidescan sonar survey and with sediment traps and three transects of gravity short cores. Results indicate that sedimentation in the spring area is dominated by authigenic carbonate precipitation. High sedimentation rates and evidences for bio-induced precipitation processes were observed in the water column and in the sediments. Two distinct stratigraphic units characterize the shallow subsurface, both composed of carbonate silts with high carbonate contents of up to 96%, but differing in color, carbonate content and diatom content. A chronological correlation of the cores by radiocarbon dates and <sup>137</sup>Cs activities places the transition between the two stratigraphic units after ~1955 AD. At that time, coastal sedimentation changed drastically to significantly darker sediments with higher contents of organic matter and more abundant diatoms. This change coincides with the recent human impact of littoral eutrophication

Origin and evolution of the Laguna Potrok Aike maar (Patagonia, Argentina)

Laguna Potrok Aike, a maar lake in southern-most Patagonia, is located at about 110 m a.s.l. in the Pliocene to late Quaternary Pali Aike Volcanic Field (Santa Cruz, southern Patagonia, Argentina) at about 52°S and 70°W, some 20 km north of the Strait of Magellan and approximately 90 km west of the city of Rio Gallegos. The lake is almost circular and bowl-shaped with a 100 m deep, flat plain in its central part and an approximate diameter of 3.5 km.Steep slopes separate the central plain from the lake shoulder at about 35 m water depth. At present, strong winds permanently mix the entire water column. The closed lake basin contains a sub saline water body and has only episodic inflows with the most important episodic tributary situated on the western shore. Discharge is restricted to major snowmelt events.Laguna Potrok Aike is presently located at the boundary between the Southern Hemispheric Westerlies and the Antarctic Polar Front. The sedimentary regime is thus influenced by climatic and hydrologic conditions related to the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the Southern HemisphericWesterlies and sporadic outbreaks of Antarctic polar air masses. Previous studies demonstrated that closed lakes in southern South America are sensitive to variations in the evaporation/precipitation ratio and have experienced drastic lake level changes in the past causing for example the desiccation of the 75 m deep Lago Cardiel during the Late Glacial. Multiproxy environmental reconstruction of the last 16 ka documents that Laguna Potrok Aike is highly sensitive to climate change. Based on an Ar/Ar age determination, the phreatomagmatic tephra that is assumed to relate to the Potrok Aike maar eruption was formed around 770 ka. Thus Laguna Potrok Aike sediments contain almost 0.8 million years of climate history spanning several past glacial-interglacial cycles making it a unique archive for non-tropical and non-polar regions of the Southern Hemisphere. In particular, variations of the hydrological cycle, changes in eolian dust deposition, frequencies and consequences of volcanic activities and other natural forces controlling climatic and environmental responses can be tracked throughout time. Laguna Potrok Aike has thus become a major focus of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program. Drilling operations were carried out within PASADO (Potrok Aike Maar Lake Sediment Archive Drilling Project) in late 2008 and penetrated ~100 m into the lacustrine sediment.Laguna Potrok Aike is surrounded by a series of subaerial paleo-shorelines of modern to Holocene age that reach up to 21 m above the 2003 AD lake level. An erosional unconformity which can be observed basin-wide along the lake shoulder at about 33 m below the 2003 AD lake level marks the lowest lake level reached during Late Glacial to Holocene times. A high- resolution seismic survey revealed a series of buried, subaquatic paleo-shorelines that hold a record of the complex transgressional history of the past approximately 6800 years, which was temporarily interrupted by two regressional phases from approximately 5800 to 5400 and 4700 to 4000 cal BP. Seismic reflection and refraction data provide insights into the sedimentary infill and the underlying volcanic structure of Laguna Potrok Aike. Reflection data show undisturbed, stratified lacustrine sediments at least in the upper ~100 m of the sedimentary infill. Two stratigraphic boundaries were identified in the seismic profiles (separating subunits I-ab, I-c and I-d) that are likely related to changes in lake level. Subunits I-ab and I-d are quite similar even though velocities are enhanced in subunit I-d. This might point at cementation in subunit I-d. Subunit I-c is restricted to the central parts of the lake and thins out laterally.A velocity-depth model calculated from seismic refraction data reveals a funnel-shaped structure embedded in the sandstone rocks of the surrounding Santa Cruz Formation. This funnel struc

Dynamical scaling of the DNA unzipping transition

We report studies of the equilibrium and the dynamics of a general set of lattice models which capture the essence of the force-induced or mechanical DNA unzipping transition. Besides yielding the whole equilibrium phase diagram in the force vs temperature plane, which reveals the presence of an interesting re-entrant unzipping transition for low T, these models enable us to characterize the dynamics of the process starting from a non-equilibrium initial condition. The thermal melting of the DNA strands displays a model dependent time evolution. On the contrary, our results suggest that the dynamical mechanism for the unzipping by force is very robust and the scaling behaviour does not depend on the details of the description we adopt.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, A shorter version of this paper appeared in Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 028102 (2002

Orbital changes, variation in solar activity and increased anthropogenic activities: controls on the Holocene flood frequency in the Lake Ledro area, Northern Italy

International audienceTwo lacustrine sediment cores from Lake Ledro in northern Italy were studied to produce chronologies of floodevents for the past 10 000 yr. For this purpose, we have developed an automatic method that objectively identifies the sedimentary imprint of river floods in the downstream lake basin. The method was based on colour data extracted from processed core photographs, and the count data were analysed to capture the flood signal. Flood frequency and reconstructed sedimentary dynamics were compared with lake-level changes and pollen inferred vegetation dynamics. The results suggest a record marked by low flood frequency during the early and middle Holocene (10 000–4500 cal BP). Only modest increases during short intervals are recorded at ca. 8000, 7500, and 7100 cal BP. After 4500–4000 cal BP, the record shows a shift toward increased flood frequency. With the exception of two short intervals around 2900–2500 and 1800–1400 cal BP, which show a slightly reduced number of floods, the trend of increasing flood frequency prevailed until the 20th century, reaching a maximum between the 16th and the 19th centuries. Brief-flood frequency increases recorded during the early and middle Holocene can be attributed to climatic oscillations. On a centennial time scale, major changes in flood frequency, such as those observed after ca. 4500/4000 and 500 cal BP, can be attributed to large-scale climatic changes such as the Neo-glacial and Little Ice Age, which are under orbital and possibly solar control. However, in the Bronze Age and during the Middle Ages and modern times, forest clearing and land use probably partially control the flood activity

A Simplified Classification of the Relative Tsunami Potential in Swiss Perialpine Lakes Caused by Subaqueous and Subaerial Mass-Movements

Historical reports and recent studies have shown that tsunamis can also occur in lakes where they may cause large damages and casualties. Among the historical reports are many tsunamis in Swiss lakes that have been triggered both by subaerial and subaqueous mass movements (SAEMM and SAQMM). In this study, we present a simplified classification of lakes with respect to their relative tsunami potential. The classification uses basic topographic, bathymetric, and seismologic input parameters to assess the relative tsunami potential on the 28 Swiss alpine and perialpine lakes with a surface area >1km2. The investigated lakes are located in the three main regions “Alps,” “Swiss Plateau,” and “Jura Mountains.” The input parameters are normalized by their range and a k-means algorithm is used to classify the lakes according to their main expected tsunami source. Results indicate that lakes located within the Alps show generally a higher potential for SAEMM and SAQMM, due to the often steep surrounding rock-walls, and the fjord-type topography of the lake basins with a high amount of lateral slopes with inclinations favoring instabilities. In contrast, the missing steep walls surrounding lakeshores of the “Swiss Plateau” and “Jura Mountains” lakes result in a lower potential for SAEMM but favor inundation caused by potential tsunamis in these lakes. The results of this study may serve as a starting point for more detailed investigations, considering field data