RAPID COMMUNICATION A RATIONAL APPROACH TO THE DESIGN OF WASTEWATER-FED FISHPONDS

Abstract --A procedure is given for the minimal treatment of wastewater in a 1-day anaerobic pond followed by a 5-day facultative pond prior to discharge into a fishpond. The criterion for the design of the fishpond is a surface loading of total nitrogen of 4 kg N ha "~ d "t. The number of faecal coliforms in the fishpond is then determined; this should be ~, 1000 per 100 ml to ensure that the fish are microbiologically safe for human consumption. Fish (carp and tilapia) yields are of the order of 13 t ha a a-', assuming that the pond is drained and harvested three times a year and that there is a fish loss of 25 percent. Preliminary financial analysis indicates that such a wastewater-fed fishpond system is commercially viable

Near-surface voids in the Neapolitan Volcanic Tuff (Italy) detected by seismic refraction tomography

The Neapolitan area (Italy) is affected by the presence of shallow man-made cavities in volcanic tuffs that were used in the past as building material. Therefore, the identification of these voids is a fundamental prerequisite for the minimization of subsurface collapse risks. In the past few years, several authors have shown that the geophysics prospecting methods can provide a most convenient solution to detecting underground voids. In this work we show how the seismic refraction tomography represents a powerful tool for the detection of near-surface tuff-cavities located in Casamarciano, Naples. The interpolation of the velocity models, allowed us to build a three-dimensional model of the tuff basement top and to show the lateral extend of the voids. The cavity location detected by seismic refraction tomography has been subsequently confirmed by four core-drilling made in the area. © (2015) by the European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE)

High resolution seismic imaging in alpine environment by common reflection surface method

In alpine environment, alluvial fan architecture can reveal important information about the landscape geomorphic evolution and the climate change. The information about alluvial fan morphology and sedimentology can be obtained by a high-resolution geophysical approach. In this work, we acquired and processed a ~4 km long high-resolution seismic reflection profile across a representative transect of Val Venosta, over the Gadria fan, Eastern Alps, Italy, using non-conventional acquisition and processing approaches. We tested Dense-wide aperture arrays (DWA) and Common Reflection Surface stack (CRS) in a complex environment, in order to obtain seismic data with a quality and resolution adequate to: 1) study the internal reflective configuration of the fan; 2) image both the pattern of the bedrock below the valley and thickness of the sediment accumulation above it; 3) evaluate the geometrical relationships between the Gadria Fan and the Adige River sediments. By the analysis of our results, we can deduce that DWA seismic data in combination with high-resolution CDP/CRS processing can provide complimentary and low-cost information to aid the study of alluvial fans in alpine environments. © (2015) by the European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE)

High-resolution seismic imaging of debris-flow fans, alluvial valley fills and hosting bedrock geometry in Vinschgau/Val Venosta, Eastern Italian Alps

High-resolution active-source seismic surveys target the stratigraphic and structural configuration of the mid-Venosta Valley, which hosts two mega fans located at the confluence between the Adige River and its tributaries: the Gadria-Strimm fan and the Lasa fan. We aimed at imaging with high detail: 1) the postglacial sediment accumulation within the fans, 2) the characteristics of Adige river deposits, and 3) the stratigraphic/structural relationships among fans, alluvial deposits and top of the bedrock (i.e. Ötztal- Ortles-Campo Nappe units). Alluvial and debris-flow fan environments often pose significant challenges to high-resolution seismic exploration, due to the high heterogeneity and the rugged topography of the near surface. We processed our data by integrating first-arrivals refraction tomography with Common Midpoint, and Common Reflection Surface seismic reflection techniques. All methods produced complementary results which allowed us reaching a well-constrained imaging of the internal architecture of the Quaternary sedimentary cover, as well as of the geometry of the hosting bedrock surface. Our result show that the sedimentary record investigated by our profiles is nested in a strongly asymmetrical valley geometry, suggesting that the tectonic forcing associated with the contact between Ötztal- Ortles-Campo Nappe units has interacted closely with fluvial and/or glacial valley incision over the past millennia. We provide also a quantitative estimation of the overall thickness of sediment accumulation in the valley and allow to evaluate the complex postglacial sediment dynamics between the Adige River and the Gadria and Lasa fans, with the Gadria system playing a dominant role in terms of sediment supply

High-Resolution Seismic Profiling in the Hanging Wall of the Southern Fault Section Ruptured During the 2016 Mw 6.5 Central Italy Earthquake

The Vettore–Bove normal fault system in central Italy ruptured during the 2016 MW 6.5 Norcia earthquake causing extensive surface faulting. At the Pian Grande di Castelluccio hanging wall basin, along the southern section of the fault ruptured during the MW 6.5 mainshock, we performed a high-resolution seismic reflection/refraction experiment aimed at (a) imaging the shallow pattern of the fault system, and (b) reconstructing the architecture of the continental infill. We collected three profiles for a total length of ∼8 km. We used a reflection processing flow and non-linear refraction tomography to obtain migrated stack sections and P-wave velocity images resolved down to the depth of the pre-Quaternary substratum. The main profile in the northern part of the basin crosses the westernmost splays of the ruptured fault zone striking N150°–170°. Seismic imaging unravels a ∼1 km-wide fault zone comprising three W-throwing splays and subsidiary faults, which affect the continental infill and produce a minimum aggregate Quaternary throw of ∼400 ± 100 m. Recent deformation is localized in this part of the surveyed fault section, attesting active displacement accumulation of the Vettore–Bove fault system. The other profiles in the central-southern part of the basin show additional faults, likely striking N20°–40° and which concurred to generate a ∼500 m-deep depocenter. These faults were mostly active during an early extensional phase; however, one of them likely displaces shallow layers with a throw close to the resolution limit of seismic data (<10 m), suggesting activity in the Late Pleistocene

Integrated tomographic methods for seismic imaging and monitoring of volcanic caldera structures and geothermal areas

In this paper we present innovative methodologies for seismic monitoring of volcanic structures in space and time (4D) which can possibly evolve toward an unrest stage. They are based on repeated phase and amplitude measurements done on active and/or passive seismic data including shots, vibrations, earthquakes and ambient noise in order to characterize the structure of the volcano and track its evolution through time. The characterization of the medium properties is performed through the reconstruction of an image of the elastic and anelastic properties of the propagation medium crossed by seismic waves. This study focuses on the application of specific tomographic inversion methods to obtain high quality tomographic images. The resolution of the tomographic models is influenced by the number and spatial distribution of data. The expected resolution thus guides the setup of, for example, active seismic surveys. To recognize and monitor changes in the properties of the propagation medium without performing an active survey we identify a fast proxy based on the time evolution of the Vp/Vs ratio. The advantages and limitations of the methods are discussed through synthetic tests, resolution analysis and case studies in volcanic areas such as the Campi Flegrei (southern Italy) and The Geysers geothermal area (California). © 2017 Elsevier B.V