MATISSE: an ArcGIS tool for monitoring and nowcasting meteorological hazards

Abstract. Adverse meteorological conditions are one of the major causes of accidents in aviation, resulting in substantial human and economic losses. For this reason it is crucial to monitor and early forecast high impact weather events. In this context, CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Center) has implemented MATISSE (Meteorological AviaTIon Supporting SystEm), an ArcGIS Desktop Plug-in able to detect and forecast meteorological aviation hazards over European airports, using different sources of meteorological data (synoptic information, satellite data, numerical weather prediction models data). MATISSE presents a graphical interface allowing the user to select and visualize such meteorological conditions over an area or an airport of interest. The system also implements different tools for nowcasting of meteorological hazards and for the statistical characterization of typical adverse weather conditions for the airport selected

Underwater acoustic channel properties in the Gulf of Naples and their effects on digital data transmission

In this paper we studied the physical properties of the Gulf of Naples (Southern Italy) for its use as a commu- nication channel for the acoustic transmission of digital data acquired by seismic instruments on the seafloor to a moored buoy. The acoustic link will be assured by high frequency acoustic modems operating with a central frequency of 100 kHz and a band pass of 10 kHz. The main operational requirements of data transmission con- cern the near horizontal acoustic link, the maximum depth of the sea being about 300 m and the planned hori- zontal distance between seismic instruments and buoy 2 km. This study constructs the signal-to-noise ratio maps to understand the limits beyond which the clarity of the transmission is no longer considered reliable. Using ray- theory, we compute the amplitudes of a transmitted signal at a grid of 21×12 receivers to calculate the transmis- sion loss at each receiver. The signal-to-noise ratio is finally computed for each receiver knowing also the trans- mitter source level and the acoustic noise level in the Gulf of Naples. The results show that the multipath effects predominate over the effects produced by the sound velocity gradient in the sea in the summer period. In the case of omnidirectional transmitters with a Source Level (SL) of 165 dB and a baud rate of 2.4 kbit/s, the results al- so show that distances of 1400-1600 m can be reached throughout the year for transmitter-receiver connections below 50 m depth in the underwater acoustic channel

Development of a site conditions map for the Campania-Lucania region (southern Apennines, Italy)

Having a reliable site conditions estimate is an important step to analyze and predict earthquake ground motions. To provide this information for the Campania-Lucania region (southern Apennines, Italy), in the framework of a collaboration with regional civil protection agency, geologic units shown on 1:250,000 scale geologic map, have been sorted together into four categories based on age and geological similarities. According to the site classification defined in engineering building codes, we have assigned to each site classes, a value or range of values of the average shear-wave velocity to 30 m (Vs30) and of the site dominant period. Thus, we have digitized the category boundaries from the map tracing only the geologic contacts that separate units of different site classes. The accuracy of the site-conditions map is only limited by the number of Vs profiles, used to compute the Vs30, and geologic data available so far. Analyses with new data will allow updates and modifications of this map. Anyhow, the resulting site classification map may be an helpful tool to better characterizing the sites effects for those applications where amplification values at large scale are need, such as ground-shaking maps or seismic hazard maps

Mechanical Systems: Symmetry and Reduction

Reduction theory is concerned with mechanical systems with symmetries. It constructs a lower dimensional reduced space in which associated conservation laws are taken out and symmetries are \factored out" and studies the relation between the dynamics of the given system with the dynamics on the reduced space. This subject is important in many areas, such as stability of relative equilibria, geometric phases and integrable systems

Inferences on the source mechanisms of the 1930 Irpinia (Southern Italy) earthquake from simulations of the kinematic rupture process

We examine here a number of parameters that define the source of the earthquake that occurred on 23rd July 1930 in Southern Italy (in the Irpinia region). Starting from the source models proposed in different studies, we have simulated the acceleration field for each hypothesized model, and compared it with the macroseismic data. We then used the hybrid stochastic-deterministic technique proposed by Zollo et al. (1997) for the simulation of the ground motion associated with the rupture of an extended fault. The accelerations simulated for several sites were associated with the intensities using the empirical relationship proposed by Trifunac and Brady (1975), before being compared with the available data from the macroseismic catalogue. A good reproduction of the macroseismic field is provided by a normal fault striking in Apenninic direction (approximately NW-SE) and dipping 55° toward the SW

A P wave-based, on-site method for earthquake early warning

A new strategy for a P wave-based, on-site earthquake early warning system has been developed and tested on Japanese strong motion data. The key elements are the real-time, continuous measurement of three peak amplitude parameters and their empirical combination to predict the ensuing peak ground velocity. The observed parameters are compared to threshold values and converted into a single, dimensionless variable. A local alert level is issued as soon as the empirical combination exceeds a given threshold. The performance of the method has been evaluated by applying the approach to the catalog of Japanese earthquake records and counting the relative percentage of successful, missed, and false alarms. We show that the joint use of three peak amplitude parameters improves the performance of the system as compared to the use of a single parameter, with a relative increase of successful alarms of about 35%. The proposed methodology provides a more reliable prediction of the expected ground shaking and improves the robustness of a single-station, threshold-based earthquake early warning system

Development of a multi-phase dynamic ray-tracing code

We here propose a method for rapid, high-frequency seismogram generation that makes use of an algorithm to automatically generate an exhau- stive set of seismic phases that produce an appreciable amplitude on the sei- smogram. The method uses a hierarchical order of rays and seismic phases generation, taking into account some existence constraints for a ray-path and some physical constraints. To compute synthetic seismograms, the COMRAD code (from the Italian: “COdice Multifase per il RAy-tracing Dinamico”) uses as its core a dynamic ray-tracing code. To validate the code, we have computed in a layered medium synthetic seismograms using both COMRAD and a code which computes the complete wavefield by the discrete wavenumber method. The seismograms are compared according to a time-frequency misfit criteria based on the continuous wavelet transform of the signals. The comparison shows that the ray-theory seismogram is enough complete and moreover, the time for the computing of the synthetics using the COMRAD code (truncating the ray series at the 10th generation) is 3-4-fold less than that needed for the Axitra code (to a frequency of 25 Hz)

New tools for scientific learning in the EduSeis project: the e-learning experiment

The Educational Seismological Project (EduSeis) is a scientific and educational project, the main aim of which is the development and implementation of new teaching methodologies in Earth Sciences, using seismology as a vehicle for scientific learning and awareness of earthquake risk. Within this framework, we have recently been experimenting with new learning and information approaches that are mainly aimed at a high school audience. In particular, we have designed, implemented and tested a model of an e-learning environment in a high school located in the surroundings of the Mt. Vesuvius volcano. The proposed e-learning model is built on the EduSeis concepts and educational materials (web-oriented), and is based on computer-supported collaborative learning. Ten teachers from different disciplines and fifty students at the ITIS «Majorana» technical high school (Naples) have been taking part in a cooperative e-learning experiment in which the students have been working in small groups (communities). The learning process is assisted and supervised by the teachers. The evaluation of the results from this cooperative e-learning experiment has provided useful insights into the content and didactic value of the EduSeis modules and activities. The use of network utilities and the «Learning Community» approach promoted the exchange of ideas and expertises between students and teachers and allowed a new approach to the seismology teaching through a multidisciplinary study