Heat flux measurement from thermal infrared imagery in low-flux fumarolic zones: Example of the Ty fault (La Soufrière de Guadeloupe)

International audienceMonitoring the geothermal flux of a dormant volcano is necessary both for hazard assessment and for studying hydrothermal systems. Heat from a magma body located at depth is transported by steam to the surface, where it is expelled in fumaroles if the heat flow exceeds 500 W/m2. If the heat flow is lower than 500 W/m2, steam mainly condensates in the soil close to surface and produces a thermal anomaly detectable at the surface. In this study, we propose a method to quantify low heat fluxes from temperature anomalies measured at the surface by a thermal infrared camera. Once corrected from the atmospheric and surface effects, thermal infrared images are used to compute (1) the excess of radiative flux, (2) the excess of sensible flux and (3) the steam flux from the soil to the atmosphere. These calculations require measurements of atmospheric parameters (temperature, wind velocity and humidity) and estimations of surface parameters (roughness and emissivity). This method has been tested on a low-flux fumarolic zone of the Soufrière volcano (Guadeloupe Island -- Lesser Antilles), and compared to a flux estimation realized from the thermal gradient measurements into the soil. The two methods show a good agreement and a similar precision (267 ± 46 W/m2 for the thermal infrared method, and 275 ± 50 W/m2 for the vertical temperature gradient method), if surface roughness is well calibrated

Monitoring earths surface dynamics with optical imagery

The increasing availability of high‐quality optical satellite images should allow, in principle, continuous monitoring of Earth's surface changes due to geologic processes, climate change, or anthropic activity. For instance, sequential optical images have been used to measure displacements at Earth's surface due to coseismic ground deformation [e.g., Van Puymbroeck et al., 2000], ice flow [Scambos et al., 1992; Berthier et al., 2005], sand dune migration [Crippen, 1992], and landslides [Kääb, 2002; Delacourt et al., 2004]. Surface changes related to agriculture, deforestation, urbanization, and erosion—which do not involve ground displacement—might also be monitored, provided that the images can be registered with sufficient accuracy. Although the approach is simple in principle, its use is still limited, mainly because of geometric distortion of the images induced by the imaging system, biased correlation techniques, and implementation difficulties

Rapport sur le suivi morphosédimentaire du sillon de Talbert pour l'année 2015

La présente étude s’inscrit dans la continuité du suivi topo‐morphologique du Sillon de Talbert initié en 2003 à la demande de la commune de Pleubian et du Conservatoire du Littoral. L’objectif est d’analyser les modalités d’évolution de la flèche depuis l’enlèvement de l’enrochement en 2004 (Stéphan et al., 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 ; Fichaut et al., 2010, 2013). Dans le cadre de ce rapport, nous présentons les principaux changements morphologiques survenus entre les levés topographiques effectués aux mois de septembre 2014 et septembre 2015 à l’échelledu Sillon. La méthode que nous avons employée pour reconstituer la topographie de l’estran respecte en partie le protocole de mesure détaillé dans nos précédents rapports. Elle s’appuie sur l’acquisition de mesures topographiques au DGPS (type TopCon HiperV) à partir d’une station fixe installée sur la borne IGN située sur le sémaphore de Créac’h Maout, dont les coordonnées géodésiques sont accessibles sur le site de l’IGN (www.ign.fr/ rubrique Géodésie). Toutefois, il faut noter que quelques changements ont été introduit cette année et nécessite de faire un nouveau point méthodologique. Il faut noter que le levé de 2015 fait suite aux grosses tempêtes de l’hiver 2013‐ 2014. Ce dernier a été l’un des plus tempétueux qu’a connu la Bretagne au cours des deux dernières décennies. Entre les mois d’octobre 2013 et de mars 2014, une douzaine de tempêtes majeures se sont succédé sur les côtes françaises de l’Atlantique et de la Manche, associant des vents violents, de fortes pluviométries et de fortes houles océaniques (Blaise et al., 2015). Ce contexte, particulièrement propice au mouvement des sédiments sur le littoral, a entraîné un démaigrissement de nombreuses plages de Bretagne. La forte fréquence de ces événements durant l’hiver a abouti, à plusieurs reprises, à la conjonction d’une mer très agitée et d’une marée de vive‐eau. Durant les pleines mers, l’action des vagues a été portée dans les parties hautes de l’estran, rarement atteintes par la mer. Conjuguée à des coefficients de marée importants et des surcotes significatives, la forte agitation marine a généré des niveaux d’eau instantanés très élevés. Les vagues ont donc franchi de nombreux cordons de galets. Compte tenu de son exposition aux houles, le Sillon de Talbert a été frappé de plein fouet par ces phénomènes. Toutefois, la comparaison des levés réalisés entre mars 2014 et septembre 2014 a montré que le cordon était en cours de régénération post‐tempête, liée aux conditions météo‐océaniques plus calmes qui ont agi durant cette période (Stéphan et al., 2015). Il s'agissait donc de voir si le levé de l'année 2015 confirmait ou pas cette tendance à la régénération du sillon de Talbert

Correlation of multi-temporal ground-based optical images for landslide monitoring

The objective of this work is to present a low-cost methodology to monitor the displacement of continuously active landslides from ground-based optical images analyzed with a normalized image correlation technique. The performance of the method is evaluated on a series of images acquired on the Super-Sauze landslide (South French Alps) over the period 2008-2009. The image monitoring system consists of a high resolution optical camera installed on a concrete pillar located on a stable crest in front of the landslide and controlled by a datalogger. The data are processed with a cross-correlation algorithm applied to the full resolution images in the acquisition geometry. Then, the calculated 2D displacement field is orthorectified with a back projection technique using a high resolution DEM interpolated from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data. The heterogeneous displacement field of the landslide is thus characterized in time and space. The performance of the technique is assessed using differential GPS surveys as reference. The sources of error affecting the results are then discussed. The strongest limitations for the application of the technique are related to the meteorological, illumination and ground surface conditions inducing partial or complete loss of coherence among the images. Small movements of the camera and the use of a mono-temporal DEM are the most important factors affecting the accuracy of the ortho-rectification of the displacement field. As the proposed methodology can be routinely and automatically applied, it offers promising perspectives for operational applications like, for instance, in early warning systems. © 2012 International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Inc. (ISPRS)

Long term evolution and internal architecture of a high-energy banner ridge from seismic survey of Banc du Four (Western Brittany, France)

International audienceThe recent completion of a coupled seismic and swath bathymetric survey, conducted across the sand ridge system of the Banc du Four located on the Atlantic continental shelf of Brittany (Mer d’Iroise, France), provided new data for the study of the long term evolution of deep tidal sand ridges. Five seismic units are distinguished within the ridge, separated by pronounced major bounding surfaces. The basal unit is interpreted to be shoreface deposits forming the core of the ridge. It is overlaid by a succession of marine sand dunes fields forming the upper units. Sandwave climbing, which combines progradation and accretion, is the major process controlling the growth of the ridge. The elevation of the preserved dune foresets reaches values of about 20–30 m within the ridge. The foresets indicate a combination of giant dunes characterized by numerous steep (up to 20°) clinoforms corresponding to a high-energy depositional environment. Moreover, the presence of scour pits linked to the 3D geometries of giant dunes allow the growth of bedforms migrating oblique to the orientation of giant dune crest lines. All of the radiocarbon ages of the biogenic surficial deposits of the Banc du Four range from 10,036 to 2748 cal years B.P. and suggest the Banc du Four has grown during the last sea-level rise. The apparent absence of recent surface deposits could be caused by a change in benthic biogenic productivity or the non-conservation of recent deposits. In contrast, the presence of relatively old sands at the top of the ridge could be explained by the reworking and leakage of the lower units that outcrop locally at the seabed across the ridge. Moreover, the long-term evolution of the ridge appears strongly controlled by the morphology of the igneous basement. The multiphase accretion of the ridge is closely linked to the presence of a residual tidal current eddy, consecutive with the progressive flooding of the coastal promontories and straits that structured the igneous basement.Therefore, the Banc du Four should be thought of as a representative example of a large-scale high-energy banner bank

DRELIO : Un drone hélicoptère pour le suivi des zones littorales

International audienceLa connaissance du littoral, sa protection, son aménagement nécessitent un suivi des changements qui s'y produisent. Toutefois, en France, devant l'étendue des façades maritimes à couvrir, les techniques de mesures in situ ne peuvent être appliquées de façon systématique. Dans ce cas, les techniques de télédétection spatiale ou aérienne sont des approches complémentaires. A partir de ces plates-formes, des images stéréoscopiques multi-temporelles sont, après une série de traitements photogrammétriques appropriés, directement exploitables sous formes d'orthophotographies et de Modèles Numériques de Terrain (MNT). Ce type de produits permet notamment la quantification des changements morphosédimentaires à l'interface Terre-Mer (transport transversal et longitudinal de sédiments, érosion,...). Actuellement, la résolution spatiale des MNT générés à partir d'images aériennes ou satellitaires (<50 cm) est insuffisante pour la plupart des applications sur la frange littorale. En outre, dans le cas d'interventions consécutives à un événement extrême (tempête, raz de marée, pollution...), ces systèmes manquent de souplesse (trajectoires prédéfinies, contraintes d'altitude, de vitesse, coût de mise en oeuvre...) L'utilisation de drones constitue donc une alternative intéressante pour des suivis de précision ou des interventions rapides

Direct sediment transfer from land to deep-sea: Insights into shallow multibeam bathymetry at La Réunion Island

International audienceSubmarine canyon heads are key areas for understanding the triggering factors of gravity currents responsible for the transfer of detrital sediment to the deep basins. This contribution offers a detailed picture of canyon heads off La Réunion Island, with high-resolution multibeam bathymetry in the water depth range of 4-220 m. The present feeding of the Cilaos turbidite system, one of the largest modern volcaniclastic systems in the world, is deduced from morphological and sedimentological interpretations of newly acquired data. The study highlights small-scale sedimentary features indicating hydrodynamic and sedimentary processes. A direct connexion between the Saint-Etienne river mouth and submarine canyons is evidenced by the complete incision of the shelf and the presence of canyon heads connected to the modern deltaic bar. This direct connection, supplied by river torrential floods (cyclonic floods every two or three years), suggests the continuity of high-density fluvial flows to submarine gravity flows, forming hyperpycnal flows in the canyon. The initiation of secondary submarine gravity flows by storm waves (large austral waves and cyclonic waves) is also proposed for submarine canyons with large canyon heads developed in the surf zone from a sandy coastal bar. Bedforms in active canyon axis are considered as an indicator of the frequent activity of high-density turbidity currents. Moreover, a morphological record of last glacial and deglacial sea level variations is preserved, and particularly the Last Glacial Maximum sea level with the presence of small vertical cliffs, observed in this bathymetric data, which likely corresponds to a paleo-shoreline or paleo-reefs

INTERFÉROMÉTRIE RADAR APPLIQUÉE AUX VOLCANS : CAS DE L’ETNA ET DES CHAMPS PHLÉGRÉENS (ITALIE)

During the last few years, the radar images collected by the European satellites ERS1 and ERS2, the Japanese satellite JERS and the Canadian satellite RADARSAT have been used with success to create interferograms. This technique has been applied for geophysical applications like co-seismic deformation mapping, volcano deformation monitoring, landslides monitoring, mining subsidence detection, glaciers monitoring. Here we report the research carried out by our group on Etna volcano (Italy) and in the area of Naples (Italy) where are located several potentially active volcanoes (Vesuvius, Ischia) and where a subsidence of the caldera of Campi Flegrei is still on going in response to the 1982-1984 seismic crisis. Etna is the volcano that has been studied first using ERS SAR interferometry. Using this method, a large scale deflation of the volcano associated with the large 1991-1993 eruption was detected in data covering the second half of the eruption. Further studies showed that the local deformation fields located in Valle del Bove (East of the volcano) where associated with the compaction of the 1986-1987 and 1989 lava fields and also partly with a subsidence of the surrounding terrain in response to the load of the new deposited material. Other local deformation fields have been identified, corresponding to the 1983, 1981 and 1971 lava fields. However, due to its strong topography, interferograms of Etna are affected by tropospheric effects. Those effects must be eliminated in order to correctly interpret the fringes pattern. The problem of the troposphere has been first investigated from its theoretical point of view and using existing local meteorological data as well as radio-soundings data. Recently, thanks to the large amount of available interferograms, another approach has been investigated, consisting in the research of a correlation fringe/elevation in the interferograms themselves. This approach, operated either in automatic mode (automatic fringe unwrapping) or in manual mode proved to be efficient for most of the coherent interferograms. After removal of the tropospheric correction, the evolution of the deformation of the volcano at large scale between 1992 and 1998 has been inferred. The subsidence occurring during the second half of the 1992 eruption as well as the uplift preceding the 1995 unrest of the Southeast crater are visible, but their amplitude is less than previously estimated. The depth of the modelled source of subsidence/uplift related to the large scale deformation is of the order of 6 to 8 km, not well constrained by the data. The study of the correlation fringe/elevation was possible only after a detailed analysis of the spatial and temporal properties of coherence of the Etna area. Indeed, the technique of fringe unwrapping for fringe/elevation correlation analysis is possible only if the poorly coherent pixels are eliminated. A map of the most coherent pixels of the volcano was produced. The recent lava fields as well as the towns and villages surrounding the volcano are the most coherent areas. The quality of the interferograms is also enhanced when high accuracy DEM (Digital Elevation Model) are used. Using kinematic GPS data collected along more than 100 km of road around the volcano, we assessed the accuracy of several DEMs of Etna. The most accurate DEM was produced by digitising 1/25.000e maps of Etna. This DEM does not take into account the topographic changes due to the recent eruptions. Merging other more recent DEMs corresponding to those areas, we produced an updated relatively high accuracy DEM (±3 m) of Etna. In the Naples area, we analysed interferograms in the period 1993-1996 and show that the Campi Flegrei caldera is still subsiding at a rate of about 30 mm/year

Matrix Metalloproteinase Gene Polymorphisms and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Identification of MMP16 as a New Player in Lung Development

International audienceBACKGOUND: Alveolarization requires coordinated extracellular matrix remodeling, a process in which matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role. We postulated that polymorphisms in MMP genes might affect MMP function in preterm lungs and thus influence the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). METHODS AND FINDINGS: Two hundred and eighty-four consecutive neonates with a gestational age of <28 weeks were included in this prospective study. Forty-five neonates developed BPD. Nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were sought in the MMP2, MMP14 and MMP16 genes. After adjustment for birth weight and ethnic origin, the TT genotype of MMP16 C/T (rs2664352) and the GG genotype of MMP16 A/G (rs2664349) were found to protect from BPD. These genotypes were also associated with a smaller active fraction of MMP2 and with a 3-fold-lower MMP16 protein level in tracheal aspirates collected within 3 days after birth. Further evaluation of MMP16 expression during the course of normal human and rat lung development showed relatively low expression during the canalicular and saccular stages and a clear increase in both mRNA and protein levels during the alveolar stage. In two newborn rat models of arrested alveolarization the lung MMP16 mRNA level was less than 50% of normal. CONCLUSIONS: MMP16 may be involved in the development of lung alveoli. MMP16 polymorphisms appear to influence not only the pulmonary expression and function of MMP16 but also the risk of BPD in premature infants

Morphological analysis of the upper reaches of the Kukuy Canyon derived from shallow bathymetry

We present preliminary results on the morphology of the upper reaches of the Kukuy Canyon and Selenga shelf in front of Proval Bay (Lake Baikal), derived from newly acquired, high-resolution bathymetry. Numerous and varied erosional and transport features provide an interpretation framework for source to sink transfer and gravity flow processes in this shallow and active tectonic environment, suggesting on-going gravity instabilities and sediment-laden flows. Scarps in the canyon head are likely signatures of retrogressive incision of the western tributary and eastward lateral migration of the western tributary, the latter coming within about 1 km of the shoreline. Immature gullies incising the upper-slope feedings of the Kukuy Canyon indicate gravity flows with low erosional power. Large arcuate scarps on the break of the narrow shelf east of Proval Bay reveal gravity instabilities. The morphological connection between the Selenga Delta and the Kukuy Canyon suggests a direct pathway for fluvial sediment focused through breaches in the Sakhalin sand shoal, with likely occurrence of hyperpycnal flows into canyons heads during high sediment discharges. The neotectonic activity affects both the accommodation space around the prograding delta via earthquake-induced subsidence of coastal areas, and the location of incisions through slope instability triggering. Subsequent surveys allowing diachronic analysis would help determining the influence of tectonic and climatic factors controlling sediment transfer across the land-lake continuum and interpreting the morphological signature of the associated gravity processes shaping the delta and surrounding shelf and canyons