Assessing the volcanic hazard for Rome. 40Ar/39Ar and In-SAR constraints on the most recent eruptive activity and present-day uplift at Colli Albani Volcanic District

We present new 40Ar/39Ar data which allow us to refine the recurrence time for the most recent eruptive activity occurred at Colli Albani Volcanic District (CAVD) and constrain its geographic area. Time elapsed since the last eruption (36 kyr) overruns the recurrence time (31 kyr) in the last 100 kyr. New interferometric synthetic aperture radar data, covering the years 1993–2010, reveal ongoing inflation with maximum uplift rates (>2 mm/yr) in the area hosting the most recent (<200 ka) vents, suggesting that the observed uplift might be caused by magma injection within the youngest plumbing system. Finally, we frame the present deformation within the structural pattern of the area of Rome, characterized by 50 m of regional uplift since 200 ka and by geologic evidence for a recent (<2000 years) switch of the local stress-field, highlighting that the precursors of a new phase of volcanic activity are likely occurring at the CAVD

Discrete phase-space approach to mutually orthogonal Latin squares

We show there is a natural connection between Latin squares and commutative sets of monomials defining geometric structures in finite phase-space of prime power dimensions. A complete set of such monomials defines a mutually unbiased basis (MUB) and may be associated with a complete set of mutually orthogonal Latin squares (MOLS). We translate some possible operations on the monomial sets into isomorphisms of Latin squares, and find a general form of permutations that map between Latin squares corresponding to unitarily equivalent mutually unbiased sets. We extend this result to a conjecture: MOLS associated to unitarily equivalent MUBs will always be isomorphic, and MOLS associated to unitarily inequivalent MUBs will be non-isomorphic

Non-intrusive measurements of wave-induced flow over dikes by means of a combined ultrasound doppler velocimetry and videography

The performance of non-intrusive instruments, such as acoustic profilers and cameras, to describe the wave-induced flow processes over maritime dike crest was investigated in experiments carried out at the University of Bologna. Direct and derived measurements from the acoustic probes deployed along the structure crest were discussed in relation to the observed backscatter rates. Image processing was implemented by means of clustering algorithm, in order to detect the free surface during overtopping events and characterize wave front propagation over the dike crest. UVP data were processed to indirectly derive flow depths and overtopping rates and compare them with the direct measurements in order to assess the measurement reliability and discuss their limits. Individual overtopping volume distribution as obtained by UVP data were estimated and compared with well-consolidated formulations, showing a good agreement. Finally, suggestions for an appropriate use of non-intrusive instruments to characterize a shallow, transient and aerated flow were provided, such as the control of the artificial seeding density, the use of a bi-static UVP configuration and adjustments to light exposure

Report on advances for pediatricians in 2018: allergy, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, hereditary metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nutrition, respiratory tract disorders and surgery.

This review reported notable advances in pediatrics that have been published in 2018. We have highlighted progresses in allergy, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, hereditary metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nutrition, respiratory tract disorders and surgery. Many studies have informed on epidemiologic observations. Promising outcomes in prevention, diagnosis and treatment have been reported. We think that advances realized in 2018 can now be utilized to ameliorate patient car

Experimental cannibalization of plagioclase by alkaline basalt magmas

Time-series crystallization/dissolution experiments were conducted on a natural potassic basalt seeded with bytownitic plagioclases (Plg) at atmospheric pressure, in air, at 1180- 1240 °C and isothermal dwell time up to 20 hours. Plg-seed presence promotes the early formation of new-Plg, dampening the clinopyroxene (Cpx) crystallization. New-Plgs grow at a rate from 10-6 up to 10-8 cm·s-1 as the dwell time increases. Seeds overgrow at similar rate. Cpx crystallizes with a delay of at least 3 hours; this has a significant impact on the composition of both residual melt and new-Plgs. For undercooling >35 °C the Cpx delay causes a strong supersaturation of this phase in the melt resulting in a decrease in the new-Plg nucleation rate by 2 orders of magnitude in the 3 h-experiment. In the 15h-run, Cpx coarsening and the decrease of crystallinity suggest the achievement of a near-equilibrium conditions. Cpx growth rate is in the order of 10-7 cm·s-1 showing very limited variation. Finally, for the investigated superheating (5-15 °C) only the long lasting experiments allows an estimation of Plg dissolution rate (10-9 cm·s-1) although changes in the melt composition are already detectable in the 3h-runs. As a whole our results suggest that in natural systems, the takeover of antecrysts/ xenocrysts by a magma can induce on a short time scales, changes in its initial nucleation behavior with remarkable petrological implications for the solidification paths and eruptive dynamics of potassic magmatic systems

Base cation mobility in vineyard soils of the Colli Albani volcanic district (Central Italy)

The quality of the Colli Albani volcanic soils has certainly contributed to the vine cultivars hence the name of one of the oldest wines (i.e., Alban wine). The alkali up to 15 wt%, SiO2 ≤ 52 wt% and the emplacement at high temperature (≤ 600 °C) are the bedrock features that have deeply influenced the soil-forming processes in the vineyards. However, the peculiar features of the Colli Albani soils are not well known. Field survey and textural, mineralogical, and chemical data obtained with SEM, EMP, XRD, and ICP-OES were used to characterize the vineyard soils of the Colli Albani. Leucite (Lct)-bearing soils and quartz (Qz)-bearing soils occur in the studied vineyard. The Qz-bearing soils represent more weathered volcanic material, depleted in primary minerals and enriched in clays, which show a lower cation exchange capacity (CEC) than the Lct-bearing soils. CEC is a misleading definition for the Colli Albani soils because the base cation mobility in the vineyard is independent from clay mineral enrichment in the soil. Actually, the release of K, Na, Ca, and Mg depends by (i) the complete dissolution of leucite and analcime, (ii) the oxy-reaction affecting the phlogopite, which releases K + Mg, and (iii) the incongruent dissolution of clinopyroxene characterized by the “gothic texture.” This texture highlights the capacity of clinopyroxene to release Ca and Mg in volcanic soils. Quantification of the texture and abundance of the primary minerals are mandatory for the management of the vineyard soils in the Colli Albani and, in general, it is significative for the vineyards in volcanic areas

Major explosive activity in the Monti Sabatini Volcanic District(central Italy) over the 800-390ka interval: Geochronological-geochemical overview and tephrostratigraphic implications

A review of the existing chronological, stratigraphic and chemo-petrologic data of the major eruptive units from the early phase of activity (800-390ka) in the Monti Sabatini Volcanic District (MSVD), belonging to the ultra-potassic magmatic region of central Italy, is presented along with new radioisotopic age determinations and geochemical analyses. Through the combined use of electron microprobe glass compositions, selected trace-element compositions, and single-crystal 40Ar/39Ar age determinations, we provide a new chrono- and chemo-stratigraphic classification of the products emplaced in the 800-390ka time interval. Besides giving insights on the petrologic evolution of the Roman Comagmatic Region, the large dataset provides fundamental information that is applicable to tephrostratigraphic studies in the wide region encompassing the Tyrrhenian Sea margin to the Adriatic Sea basin. Distal tephras from this volcanic activity also act as important geochronologic markers for the coastal sedimentary successions deposited in response to glacio-eustatic fluctuations, as well as for successions in the Quaternary tectonic basins of the Central and Southern Apennines. An innovative approach based on the use of discrimination diagrams of Zr/Y vs Nb/Y ratios for fingerprinting altered volcanic rocks - recently developed and successfully employed in archaeometric studies - is here combined to the glass compositions for classifying the MSVD deposits and tested on two distal tephra layers, showing its potentiality for tephrostratigraphic correlation. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd