An extreme negative sea level in the Mediterranean Basin: San Giorgio case study compared with Adriatic Sea

The aim of this paper is to discuss the case of an extreme negative sea level phenomenon that occurred along Sicily Island’s coasts (Italy). Sea level time series associated to six stations that are part of the Italian tide gauge network have been analysed. By deriving the tidal residual and by evaluating meteorological parameters’ trends, it was possible to give an explanation to this phenomenon

Step-like displacements of a deep seated gravitational slope deformation observed during the 2016–2017 seismic events in Central Italy

Deep Seated Gravitational Slope Deformations are characterized by low deformation rates although they can experience partial-collapse phases or more rapid movements, especially in presence of active tectonic structures. In the Central Italy, considering the high seismicity rate, seismic activity must be considered to be an important trigger of deep slope movements. We aim to contribute to the research in this field by reporting the results of a monitoring program on a Deep Seated Gravitational Slope Deformation in this region that involves marly calcareous rocks. We documented the pre-earthquakes evolution of the phenomenon and measured its displacements during the seismic sequence in 2016 and 2017 in Central Italy, which largest events were Mw 5.0-to-6.5. A multidisciplinary approach that combines a field geomorphological survey, installation of permanent GPS stations, and InSAR elaborations was adopted for this study. The average ground motion rate of the slope deformation before the earthquakes was very low (< 3 mm/y) and not spatially homogenous, as detected by GPS and InSAR. In detail, the uppermost area of the slope instability likely moves faster than the lowest sector. On the other hand, GPS and InSAR recorded significant step-like movements, one to ten times higher than the normal activity rate, triggered by the M-w 5.0-to-6.5 earthquakes. In detail, the movement mainly depended on the magnitude of the earthquake and the distance from the epicenter, and only secondarily on the number of larger magnitude earthquakes on a given day. In conclusion, we furnished monitoring data on the activity rate of a Deep Seated Gravitational Slope Deformation in seismic context, we indicated two sectors of the investigated deformation that resulted more unstable and we proved that the combination of InSAR and GPS data is a useful monitoring system for earthquake activated, slow-moving slope instabilities.Published337-3482T. Deformazione crostale attivaJCR Journa

Lifestyles and socio-cultural factors among children aged 6-8 years from five Italian towns: The MAPEC-LIFE study cohort

Background: Lifestyles profoundly determine the quality of an individual’s health and life since his childhood. Many diseases in adulthood are avoidable if health-risk behaviors are identified and improved at an early stage of life. The aim of the present research was to characterize a cohort of children aged 6–8 years selected in order to perform an epidemiological molecular study (the MAPEC_LIFE study), investigate lifestyles of the children that could have effect on their health status, and assess possible association between lifestyles and socio-cultural factors. Methods: A questionnaire composed of 148 questions was administered in two different seasons to parents of children attending 18 primary schools in five Italian cities (Torino, Brescia, Pisa, Perugia and Lecce) to obtain information regarding the criteria for exclusion from the study, demographic, anthropometric and health information on the children, as well as some aspects on their lifestyles and parental characteristics. The results were analyzed in order to assess the frequency of specific conditions among the different seasons and cities and the association between lifestyles and socio-economic factors. Results: The final cohort was composed of 1,164 children (50.9 boys, 95.4% born in Italy). Frequency of some factors appeared different in terms of the survey season (physical activity in the open air, the ways of cooking certain foods) and among the various cities (parents’ level of education and rate of employment, sport, traffic near the home, type of heating, exposure to passive smoking, ways of cooking certain foods). Exposure to passive smoking and cooking fumes, obesity, residence in areas with heavy traffic, frequency of outdoor play and consumption of barbecued and fried foods were higher among children living in families with low educational and/or occupational level while children doing sports and consuming toasted bread were more frequent in families with high socio-economic level. Conclusions: The socio-economic level seems to affect the lifestyles of children enrolled in the study including those that could cause health effects. Many factors are linked to the geographical area and may depend on environmental, cultural and social aspects of the city of residence

La ricostruzione in 3D del sito archeologico di Santa Giulitta a Bagnasco (CN)

La scuola di specializzazione in “Beni Architettonici e del Paesaggio” del Politecnico di Torino da alcuni anni conduce un programma d’indagine presso il complesso di Santa Giulitta, nel comune di Bagnasco in provincia di Cuneo. Il sito è posto a una quota di circa 900 m slm ed è immerso in una fitta boscaglia. Solo alcuni punti interessati dell’articolato insieme architettonico (la torre, la chiesa e i resti di un muro) sono posti in luoghi più aperti e visibili, almeno sulla verticale. Come supporto all’attività di ricerca, in particolare per gli aspetti archeologici, è stato predisposto un volo con un drone sull’intero complesso, con riprese eseguite nel mese di aprile 2017 a mezzo di un DJI Phantom 4. Per l’appoggio è stata eseguita una rete GNSS compensata sulla rete regionale GNSS Piemonte con coordinate RDN-ETRF2000. Dai fotogrammi ottenuti, utilizzando il software 3DZephyr, sono state elaborate le ricostruzioni in 3D dell’intero complesso e di alcune zone particolari, richieste specificatamente dagli storici e dagli archeologi impegnati nella ricerca. L’ortofoto finale è stata ottenuta con un GSD di 5 cm. A supporto del lavoro di dettaglio è stata acquisita ed elaborata un’ortofoto satellitare invernale World View2 (WV02) multispettrale a 8 bande, con risoluzione MS di circa 2 metri, e una PAN di circa 50 cm. Da ultimo, è stata prodotta una visualizzazione in 2.5D su base del DTM Regione Piemonte ICE 2009 (GSD 5m) sul quale è stata drappeggiata l’ortofoto satellitare. Ne è quindi risultata una base conoscitiva ottenuta integrando i dati di due basi differenti (Ortofoto VHR da drone e WV2) che permette di rendere disponibile agli studiosi una mappa del complesso di Santa Giulitta ricostruendo con continuità alcune strutture non accessibili

Environmental quality and hygienic safety of the Alimini Lakes (Puglia, Italy): 20 years of monitoring (1995–2014)

The Alimini Lakes are two water bodies located in the south-eastern part of the Salento Peninsula. They are part of a complex hydrogeological system that includes various intercommunicating water bodies particularly sensitive to point and diffuse pollution. In consideration of the environmental and hygiene-health risks, from 1995 to 2014 the University of Salento and various public authorities, responsible for environmental quality in the Apulia region, conducted a series of monitoring activities to analyse the microbiological, toxicological and ecological quality of the waters throughout the hydrogeological system. The studies made it possible to: quantify the input of fresh water and nutrients to the lakes, revealing a greater environmental risk for Fontanelle as a result of the reduced exchange of waters; identify diffuse contamination of faecal origin linked to the anthropization of the surrounding area, which may have affected the stretch of sea near the mouth of the seaward channel and the underlying aquifer; highlight chemical and toxic risk factors arising from agricultural activities; and identify potential consequences for human health linked to the use of the waters (for domestic purposes, agriculture, recreation, etc.). However, the results of the investigations conducted revealed the gradual improvement of the quality of the waters in the two lakes and the hydrological networks that feed them