Coastal Observations of Weather Features in Senegal during the AMMA SOP-3 Period

During 15 August through 30 September 2006, ground and aircraft measurements were obtained from a multi-national group of students and scientists in Senegal. Key measurements were aimed at investigating and understanding precipitation processes, thermodynamic and dynamic environmental conditions, cloud, aerosol and microphysical processes and spaceborne sensors (TRMM, CloudSat/Calipso) validation. Ground and aircraft instruments include: ground based polarimetric radar, disdrometer measurements, a course and a high-density rain gauge network, surface chemical measurements, a 10 m flux tower, broadband IR, solar and microwave measurements, rawinsonde and radiosonde measurements, FA-20 dropsonde, in situ microphysics and cloud radar measurements. Highlights during SOP3 include ground and aircraft measurements of squall lines, African Easterly Waves (AEWs), Saharan Air Layer advances into Senegal, and aircraft measurements of AEWs -- including the perturbation that became Hurricane Isaac

What, If Anything, Is A Nummulite Bank?

Since the introduction of the concept of a “nummulite bank” more than 50 years ago, the significance of these peculiar sed- imentary structures has been debated, especially whether they are of autochthonous or allochthonous origin. At first consid- ered as substantially autochthonous, an alternative interpreta- tion as allochthonous deposits was suggested in the mid-1980s to explain the observation of sedimentary features indicating displacement of the nummulite tests. In more recent litera- ture, we found examples of non-uniform use of the nummulite bank concept; sometimes the ‘banks’ are vaguely described as nummulite-rich beds, and illustrations may not allow recog- nition of the features characteristic of the real banks. In an attempt to achieve a scientifically robust model explaining the genesis of the nummulite banks, our objective was to test the original definition, based upon the most fundamental and use- ful characteristics that can be observed in the field, even in non- optimal outcrop conditions: the A/B ratio and the percentage composition (dominance) of the fossil assemblage. Both can be quantified using simple techniques on samples collected for this purpose. In an extensive survey of nummulite banks and non-banks from Italy, Spain, Romania, and Germany, we determined A/B ratios and taxonomic composition of the nummulite as- semblages. Recognized nummulite banks are characterized by A/B ratios 75% of the larger foraminiferal assemblage

Oligocene nearshore benthic assemblages and coral facies of the northern Gargano Promontory

Shallow water carbonate successions of Oligocene age are quite well distributed in the Apulia domain and are often associated with the development of luxuriant coral reef systems (Salento Peninsula, Maiella Mountain). The dominant biogenic components generally consist of rich associations of scleractinian corals and larger foraminifera. In the Gargano Promontory, the Oligocene has been recently reported for the first time and a new carbonate unit informally established and named as Grotta S.Michele limestone (Morsilli et al., 2005). The aim of the present study is thus to investigate the type locality of this unit in order to describe and interprete its lithologic composition and biotic content through facies analysis. The stratigraphic succession consists of grainstones-rudstones to wackestones-mudstones, reaches a maximum thickness of about 28 m and clearly shows a fining-upward trend. The fossil fauna is mainly characterized by abundant scleractinian corals, associated with benthic forams and coralline algae. Corals are represented by very few genera and basically consist of globose colonies of Goniopora near the base of the succession, followed by floatstones-rudstones rich in branched Acropora, Stylophora, Alveopora and phaceloid colonies of Caulastrea towards the top. Similarly, also the foraminiferal assemblages, dominated by miliolids and soritids, are rather poor, often with a small number of specimens and low taxonomic diversity. Some larger foraminifera such as Archaias, Austrotrillina, Nephrolepidina, and Nummulites also occur, thus indicating an Oligocene age (Chattian). Several facies types have been identified on the basis of macroscopic observations in the field and microfacies analysis. Data are provided in particular for the distribution and relative abundance of the main biotic components, including coralline algae, bivalve and gastropod fragments, together with textural features. The facies association suggests a nearshore, sheltered, shallow-water marine paleoenvironment with possible evidence of changes in hydrodynamic conditions from very low to moderate-high energy. Within this setting, the unusual low-diversified coral assemblages and the absence of a true framework can be interpreted as a response to stressed conditions probably controlled by the inherited paleotopography

Oligocene nearshore benthic assemblages and coral facies of the northern Gargano Promontory (southern Italy).

Shallow water carbonate successions of Oligocene age are quite well distributed in the Apulia domain and are often associated with the development of luxuriant coral reef systems (Salento Peninsula, Maiella Mountain). The dominant biogenic components generally consist of rich associations of scleractinian corals and larger foraminifera.In the Gargano Promontory, the Oligocene has been recently reported for the first time and a new carbonate unit informally established and named as Grotta S.Michele limestone (Morsilli et al., 2005). The aim of the present study is thus to investigate the type locality of this unit in order to describe and interprete its lithologic composition and biotic content through facies analysis.The stratigraphic succession consists of grainstones-rudstones to wackestones-mudstones, reaches a maximum thickness of about 28 m and clearly shows a fining-upward trend.The fossil fauna is mainly characterized by abundant scleractinian corals, associated with benthic forams and coralline algae. Corals are represented by very few genera and basically consist of globose colonies of Goniopora near the base of the succession, followed by floatstones-rudstones rich in branched Acropora, Stylophora, Alveopora and phaceloid colonies of Caulastrea towards the top. Similarly, also the foraminiferal assemblages, dominated by miliolids and soritids, are rather poor, often with a small number of specimens and low taxonomic diversity. Some larger foraminifera such as Archaias, Austrotrillina, Nephrolepidina, and Nummulites also occur, thus indicating an Oligocene age (Chattian).Several facies types have been identified on the basis of macroscopic observations in the field and microfacies analysis. Data are provided in particular for the distribution and relative abundance of the main biotic components, including coralline algae, bivalve and gastropod fragments, together with textural features.The facies association suggests a nearshore, sheltered, shallow-water marine paleoenvironment with possible evidence of changes in hydrodynamic conditions from very low to moderate-high energy. Within this setting, the unusual low-diversified coral assemblages and the absence of a true framework can be interpreted as a response to stressed conditions probably controlled by the inherited paleotopography.ReferencesMorsilli, M., Noferini, M., Bosellini, A., Bosellini, F., Brandano, M., Furlanis, S., Gianolla P., Neri, C., Rusciadelli, G. & Russo, A., 2005, The Oligo-Miocene of the Gargano Promontory: new insights of the paleoenvironmental evolution of the Apulia domain (Southern Italy). ESF Workshop “Carbonate Systems during the Oligocene-Miocene climatic transition”, Potsdam (Germany), 22-25 February 2005, Abstract book

New mosasaurs from Northern Italy.

A series of mosasaur specimens has been discovered in northern Italy thanks to the quarrying operations in the local Upper Cretaceous limestones. These carbonate rocks belong to the Scaglia Rossa Veneta Formation and in particular to a unit informally referred to as the “Lastame”. The Lastame is a lithotype loosely dated to the uppermost Turonian-lowermost Santonian (Lozar and Grosso, 1997), however, a recent analysis of the rocky matrix of one of the mosasaurs (MPPS-IGVR 42224) allowed us to date the specimen more precisely to the early Santonian.So far five mosasaur specimens (NHMV-V7481, MPPS-IGVR 45301, MPPS-IGVR 42224, MPPS-IGVR 45299 and THF-IGVR 64108) have been recovered from quarries located north of Verona: NHMV-V7481 is represented only by isolated skull bones, including the two maxillary bones, the left dentary, the frontal, and the posterior end of the left mandibular ramus; MPPS-IGVR 42224 is a well preserved but fragmentary skull represented by two complete mandibular rami, the left maxilla, the right jugal, the two quadrates, one cervical vertebra, and a series of uncertainly identified bony fragments. The left quadrate of MPPS-IGVR 42224 has been prepared free of the matrix and compares closely with the quadrate of Russellosaurus coheni (Polcyn and Bell, 2005); MPPS-IGVR 45301 consists of an incomplete skull and some postcranial material, which unfortunately is poorly preserved. However, on the basis of the similar anatomy of some skull bones and the identical marginal dentition, it is possible to conclude that it very probably belongs to the same species of MPPS-IGVR 42224; MPPS IGVR 45299 is represented only by a poorly preserved series of vertebrae belonging to the dorsal and proximal caudal regions. However, the size and morphology of the preserved elements show a clear resemblance to the vertebrae belonging to MPPS-IGVR 45301. Adding all available data together (morphology, identical locality and horizon) we consider these last three specimens to be congeners, if not conspecific; THF-IGVR 64108 is the most recently found mosasaur of the series, and consists of an almost complete skull (inclusive of jaws, braincase, squamosals, pterygoids, ectopterygoids, and quadrates) and about half of the vertebral column exposed in ventral view.These mosasaurs have some anatomical characters in common with Russellosaurus coheni, but the presence of some distinctive features suggests placement in a new genus and possibly two distinct species. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the Mosasauroidea based on a modified version of the data matrix published by Caldwell and Palci (2007) places these new mosasaurs in a clade that is in the sister group to the Plioplatecarpinae and Tylosaurinae.ReferencesCALDWELL M.W., & PALCI A. (2007). A new basal mosasauroid from the Cenomanian (U. Cretaceous) of Slovenia with a review of mosasauroid phylogeny and evolution. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27: 863–880.LOZAR F., & GROSSO F. (1997). Biostratigrafia della successione cretacica del margine dei Lessini occidentali (Provincia di Verona, Italia). Bollettino del Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino 15: 111–136.POLCYN M. J., & BELL G.L.Jr. (2005). Russellosaurus coheni n. gen., n. sp., a 92 million-year-old mosasaur from Texas (USA), and the definition of the parafamily Russellosaurina. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 84: 321–333

New mosasaurs (Reptilia: Squamata) from the Scaglia Rossa Veneta Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Lessini area, Italy).

So far undescribed mosasauroid material is reported from the Turonian-Coniacian of Northern Italy (Lessini Mountains). The mosasaurs were collected from units of the Scaglia Rossa Veneta Formation, and more precisely within the lithozone informally known as the “Lastame”, an assemblage of well-bedded, reddish, often nodular marly limestones. The vertical extension of this lithozone in the area is usually less than ten meters, and has been related, as the rest of the formation, to a pelagic sedimentation on a submerged plateau, the Trento Plateau (Bosellini et al. 1978). Even if the Scaglia Rossa Veneta Formation is a unit spanning through the Turonian up to the Maastrichtian, Lozar & Grosso (1997) managed to date the “Lastame” subunit to the uppermost Turonian-Coniacian on the basis of the tintinnids and planktonic foraminifers biozones. The material is curated in two collections: The Natural History Museum in Verona and the Paleontological Museum in Sant’Anna di Alfaedo. The specimen in Verona (MCSNV V7481) includes the right and left maxillae, the right dentary, the frontal, and the posterior end of the lower jaw (surangular + articular complex), while the specimens in Sant’Anna di Alfaedo are represented by a very well preserved but fragmentary skull (IGVR 4224), and by an almost complete but badly preserved skull and postcranial skeleton (IGVR 4301). On the basis of the unique combination of anatomical characters (e.g. tooth morphology and number, shape of the frontal, quadrate, maxillary and dentary) the preserved material cannot be directly referred to any known mosasaur species and may represent two different species and a new genus. After being compared with specimens that can be considered representative of all the different mosasaur subfamilies, these Turonian-Coniacian mosasaurs show marked anatomical similarities to the basal Russellosaurina, as for example the recently described Russellosaurus coheni Polcyn & Bell, 2005. References:Bosellini A., Broglio-Loriga C. & Busetto C., 1978. I bacini cretacei del Trentino. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, 84: 897-946.Lozar F. & Grosso F., 1997. Biostratigrafia della successione cretacica del margine dei lessini occidentali (Provincia di Verona, Italia). Bollettino del Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino, 15: 111-136.Polcyn M.J. & Bell G.L.Jr., 2005. Russellosaurus coheni n. gen., n. sp., a 92 million-year-old mosasaur from Texas (USA), and the definition of the parafamily Russellosaurina. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences, 84: 321-333

Le pietre naturali rinvenute nello scavo del Parco Novi Sad

Analisi dei materiali lapidei archeologici rinvenuti nello scavo del Parco Novi Sad a Modena

Coral Buildups in Oligophotic, Nutrient‐Rich, Siliciclastic Prodelta Settings (Late Eocene, Southern Pyrenees, Spain): An As Yet Unexplored Play?

Cenozoic zooxanthellate corals are commonly considered to form framework‐dominated buildups in shallow‐, well‐illuminated (euphotic) and oligotrophic conditions. In contrast, detailed outcrop study and facies‐component analysis show that Eocene non‐framework coral buildups also developed in turbid, oligophotic (poorly illuminated) and nutrient‐rich conditions. The study area is located in the South‐Central Pyrenean Zone (Jaca Basin). Here, middle to upper Eocene prodelta clay/marl succession passes, up‐section, into prograding delta‐front sandstones and, subsequently, into continental sandstones and conglomerates. Coral‐rich lithosomes occur in the upper part of the clay/marls succession and are completely encased in clay.Within coral buildups, facies consist of: 1) coral boundstone with different coral growth fabrics (platestone and domestone, and subordinate pillarstone and mixstone) and abundant red algae, in a mud‐dominated matrix; 2) well‐sorted fine‐grained or poorly‐sorted coarse‐grained skeletal packstones with abundant coral fragments, red algae, bryozoans, benthonic foraminifers and rare planktonic foraminifers, locally rich in larger benthic foraminifers and siliciclastic sand; 3) red‐algae‐rich coral rudstone with pack‐wackestone matrix; 4) bryozoan floatstone in a mud‐ dominated matrix. These carbonate lithofacies pass, laterally and vertically into 4) thinly laminated clay to marls with interbedded sandstone beds. Coral boundstone, and associated packstone and rudstone wedges, form single bioherms and discrete biostromes (1‐8 m thick) that stack into larger carbonate buildups, commonly 20‐30‐m thick, with some up to 50‐m thick. Facies associations, textures and photo‐dependent components indicate these buildups to have grown in the oligophotic‐ (lithofacies 1, 2 and 3) and aphotic (lithofacies 4) zones, and in low energy conditions below fair‐weather wave base, where they were only occasionally hit by storms. Dominance of corals and bryozoans (plankton catchers) over sponges and mollusks (plankton pumpers) indicates predominance of phyto‐ and zooplankton over picoplankton, which suggest mesotrophic conditions.Our results highlight the contrast with present‐day “classic” reef models, and suggests that by the late Eocene reef coral assemblages where able to thrive in low‐light, low‐energy, turbid and nutrient‐rich conditions. The location of these coral buildups, encased in prodelta clays, can be regarded as a new, unexplored, potential play