Friuli Region Research Articles

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) temperature evolution and biotic response in the Adriatic Carbonate Platform region of Friuli, northeast Italy

Climate modelling and palaeotemperature reconstructions derived from several proxies (TEX86, δ18O) suggest that the Late Cretaceous was one of the warmest intervals in Earth history. The greenhouse climate reached its acme near the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary (CTB) interval with sea surface temperatures over 35 °C in low and mid- palaeolatitudes, coinciding with the highest sea level stands of the Phanerozoic. Following this warming phase, a general cooling trend punctuated by short-term hot snaps characterized the rest of the Cretaceous. Palaeotemperature and palaeoenvironmental changes are well documented in deep-water carbonate deposits based on variations in geochemical proxies and distribution patterns of macro- and microfauna. However, such climatic and environmental fluctuations severely impacted carbonate platforms, sedimentary environments that are particularly sensitive to external perturbations. Palaeontological data show major changes within the main carbonate platform producers (rudists and benthic foraminifera) during the early Late Cretaceous. Both groups experienced major taxonomic turnovers at the CTB, followed by a further re-radiation in the middle/late Turonian. The lack of detailed palaeoclimatic reconstructions in shallow water carbonate succession hampers the possibility to investigate a possible causal relationship between temperature changes and faunal evolution. In this paper, we report integrated geochemical, sedimentological, and palaeontological data from the Adriatic Carbonate Platform (Friuli, north-east Italy). Benthic foraminifera biostratigraphy and isotope stratigraphy (δ13C and 87Sr/86Sr) were used to precisely constrain the stratigraphy of the late Cenomanian-middle Turonian interval. δ18O analysis on both well-preserved rudist shells and bulk rock samples enabled the construction of high-resolution palaeotemperature curves. The resulting temperature trends are comparable with those from the deep-water record across the late Cenomanian-Turonian interval. The warmest phase was in the Early Turonian with sea surface palaeotemperatures as high as 41–45 °C recorded in rudist shells. Data show temperature fluctuation from the late Cenomanian to the Early Turonian with a magnitude >7 °C. Benthic foraminifera and rudist evolution responded to these palaeotemperature fluctuations, and their decline in the late Cenomanian and full recovery in the Turonian suggest a strong link with temperature changes.

Development of SLO KARST Near Fault Observatory site in SW Slovenia

The project RI-SI-EPOS (Research Infrastructure-Slovenia-European Plate Observing System) provided new scientific equipment for solid Earth science related to geology, seismology, geodesy and karstology. Karst research infrastructure is primarily used at the SLO KARST NFO (Near Fault Observatory) developing site. The area covers ~ 2600 km2 and is one of the most seismically active areas in SW Slovenia. It consists mostly of karstified Mesozoic carbonate rocks and partly of non-karstified Eocene flysch. The landscape has numerous karst features including caves, poljes, dolines, uvalas, karst springs, ponors and periodic karst lakes, with typical karst underground water drainage. Site development commenced with the installation of seven temporary seismic stations in the area, along with other geoscience equipment (gravimeter, 3D laser terrestrial scanner, GNSS antenna, TM72 extensometers, spectrometer for methane and drone), deployed in 2020. With the new dense seismic network, locations and other seismic parameters are already determined more reliably than in the past, contributing to a better understanding of active tectonic deformations at the junction between the seismically active Friuli region (Italy) and the Zagreb–Petrinja area (Croatia). The new solid Earth Geoscience research infrastructure is already collecting a big amount of data following the FAIR principles (making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) aiming to be included in the national and international research databases. Here, the first results from the newly operating SLO KARST NFO temporary seismic network (May 2020–June 2021) are discussed.

The Friulian Presence in Hungarian Industry with Particular Regard to the Meat Industry of Debrecen in the 19th century

Abstract Emigration has been a crucial experience for the inhabitants of the Italian Friuli region, at least since the 13th century when Friulian peddlers started journeying from country to country. When it grew into a mass phenomenon in the 19th century, an increasing number of Friulian workers arrived in Hungary, and were involved in industrial activities as both entrepreneurs and employed labour. They gained a leading role in the Hungarian meat industry with the establishment of salami factories that created the conditions for the spread of a new product, the salami. In Debrecen, two Friulian families pursued this activity with numerous Friulian workers and one of them, the Vidoni company, became the third-largest salami factory in Hungary. The activities of the Friulian factories are considerable not only for Hungarian industrial history, but also because they shed light on the migratory processes and broaden the horizon of historical knowledge on Hungarian-Italian relations.

A coral hotspot from a hot past: The EECO and post-EECO rich reef coral fauna from Friuli (Eocene, NE Italy)

The early Paleogene “greenhouse” is the warmest geological period of the Cenozoic and a suitable source to unlock crucial information for better understanding how ecosystems such as coral reefs reacted to a climate much warmer than the present.Herein, we analyse in detail the rich museum coral collections from Friuli region (NE Italy) focusing only on the so-called reef corals, mostly colonial, and on those localities for which the age constraints are well-defined. We grouped the localities into four time-intervals within the Ypresian-Lutetian and thus within EECO (Early Eocene Climatic Optimum) and post-EECO phase, in order to assess the main changes in the following traits: 1) richness and relative abundance at the generic and species level; 2) relative abundance of growth forms; 3) colony size.By systematic revision we recognized a total of 37 genera and 103 species. During the EECO interval (late Ypresian or Cuisian), the diversity at both genus and species level was relatively low (21 genera, 37 species). An abrupt increase is then recorded in the post-EECO 1 interval (latest Ypresian), whereas a peak is reached in the earliest Lutetian (post-EECO 2) (35 genera, 90 species). These results undoubtedly show that a coral hotspot occurred in the region during the late Ypresian-early Lutetian time and highlight that corals of Friuli reacted positively immediately after the warming event of the EECO.This coral hotspot was the most diverse at global scale during the Ypresian and formed in a deltaic depositional setting, most probably in mesophotic conditions as suggested by the dominant growth forms, where rapid sediment accumulation, enhanced nutrient delivery and stressful climatic conditions reduced frame-building capacity.We finally document that corals were resilient to climate stressors and recovered before reefs which, in contrast, required much more time to achieve their buildup potential.

La batalla historiográfica de Carlo Ginzburg: leer a contrapelo las actas inquisitoriales de los benandanti

En el artículo “La batalla historiográfica de Carlo Ginzburg: leer a contrapelo las actas inquisitoriales de los benandanti”, a partir del análisis de su primera obra, Los benandanti (1966), demuestro que la historiografía de Carlo Ginzburg se ha posicionado del lado de los perseguidos inquisitoriales. Esta argumentación se compone de tres momentos: 1) el análisis de la producción historiográfica e intelectual de la obra; 2) la exposición de cómo las creencias de los benandanti, un culto agrario del siglo XVI y XVII en la región de Friul, fueron forzadas a encajar en los esquemas inquisitoriales de la brujería; y 3) cómo el gesto de cepillar las actas inquisitoriales a contrapelo en las revelaciones involuntarias, con base en Walter Benjamin y Marc Bloch, le posibilitó a Ginzburg combatir la barbarie de las actas inquisitoriales y de su proceso de transmisión, y así dar espacio a la aparición de una historia profunda de un conjunto más vasto de tradiciones.

Managed Versus Natural Recharge of Pre‐Alpine Phreatic Aquifers

AbstractManaged aquifer recharge (MAR) is becoming a common practice worldwide. MAR is carried out in different environments from coastlands to highlands, in megalopolis, farmlands and pristine areas, and in arid and humid regions. Pre‐Alpine aquifers represent an optimal target when MAR is aimed at storing large amounts of high‐quality waters. In fact, pre‐Alpine aquifers are generally characterized by high permeability and a thick unsaturated zone, with the catchments crossed by watercourses rich of high‐quality water. Here, we focus the attention to a representative pre‐Alpine aquifer system located in the Friuli region, northeastern Italy. A 1‐year long MAR test was carried out through a ~700 m2 infiltration basin recharged by water diverted from a nearby channel. The site was characterized from the hydrogeological viewpoint, and the MAR test was monitored through time‐lapse hydrogeophysics, water level and piezometric records, and physicochemical water characterization. The data set was used to calibrate a local groundwater flow model, showing that MAR recharged the 50 m deep phreatic aquifer with 1,000 m3/day. Hydrogeologic data made available by previous studies were processed to develop a groundwater model of the regional aquifer that allowed for estimating the natural groundwater recharge of the phreatic system and, subsequently, evaluating the MAR effects in the context of the natural balance. If a single MAR site, like the tested one, plays a certain effect at a local scale only, the MAR implementation on several gravel pits and large‐diameter wells scattered in the region could store several million cubic meters of water per year, significantly raising the water table and improving the groundwater quality.

The last Doge's groom: How the Villa Manin stable became a regional institute and library for Friuli-Venezia Giulia cultural heritage

The 1976 earthquake that devastated much of the Friuli region of Italy also marked the rebirth of the Villa Manin as a centre for cataloguing and restoration. This essay charts how this Venetian villa transformed into an important centre for restoring and conserving the cultural heritage of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

Nekaj primerov paronomazije med slovenščino in furlanščino v furlanskih toponimih

Avtor obravnava 11 primerov paronomazije s historičnega območja Furlanije, zlasti z njenega najbolj zanimivega vzhodnega dela. Tu je več kot tisočletni stik med slovenskimi in romanskimi (furlanskimi) narečji sprožil prevzeme, kalkiranja, paretimologijo (in druge procese), ki jih je potrebno proučevati od primera do primera, od območja do območja, saj ima vsako območje svojo zgodovino, ki omogoča razložiti posamezne jezikovne pojave.

LIFE+ TRUST project: tool to assist the implementation of the Framework Directive 2000/60/CE, methodology and results

The TRUST project is funded by the European Commission’s by the Life+ Programme. The aim of the TRUST project is the identification of the adaption and mitigation measures to counteract the impacts of climate change on the groundwater of the Upper Plain in the Veneto and Friuli region in North-Eastern Italy. The TRUST project aims at implementing a water balance modelling tool to support institutions in formulating sustainable water management planning policies and best practices. This paper reviews the development and application of the tools for the groundwater balance model that simulate the groundwater deficit. Projections on the water deficit as a function of Climate Change have used future precipitation and evapotranspiration patterns derived from climate simulations (SRES-IPCC scenarios A1B and A2) of the Mediterranean region for the 20th and 21st centuries. Model outputs showed that a significant part of future water deficit might be recovered with Managed Aquifer Recharge that will permit the groundwater management preventing the climate change effect.

Complete genome sequence of the actinobacterium Actinoplanes friuliensis HAG 010964, producer of the lipopeptide antibiotic friulimycin

Actinoplanes friuliensis HAG 010964 (DSM 7358) was isolated from a soil sample from the Friuli region in Italy and characterized as a producer of the antibiotic friulimycin. The complete genome sequence includes genomic information of secondary metabolite biosynthesis and of its lifestyle.Genbank/EMBL/DDBJ Accession Nr: CP006272 (chromosome).

Dynamic multiple structure-wave-structure interactions - Living next door to the “town effect" -

Based on the recently developed fully-coupled rigorous mathematical approach (Uenishi (2010)), this paper briefly describes the dynamic of multiple interactions between anti-plane shear waves and surface buildings in a town. The study has been motivated by the observation of a unique structural failure pattern caused by the 1976 Friuli, Italy, earthquake: When many structures stand next to each other in a developed area like the Friuli region, the coupling between multiple structures and waves propagating in the ground should be included in structural analyses (instead of employing a conventional approach where the mechanical behavior of a structure under dynamic disturbances is usually treated independently for each individual building). Indeed, the two-dimensional anti-plane elastodynamic analysis of the collective behavior of a consisting of simplified identical buildings has shown that the buildings, standing at regular spatial intervals on a linear elastic half-space, significantly interact with each other through the elastic medium underneath and that the resonant (eigen) frequencies of the collective system (buildings in the town) become lower than that of a single building with the same mechanical characteristics. This “unexpected” phenomenon may be called the town effect or city The failure pattern in Friuli may better be explained by this “town effect.” Just as in the 1976 popular song, “Living Next Door to Alice,” we may have been living next door to this for a number of years (more than “twenty-four years” in the original lyrics) without noticing its cruciality. Now we might have “to get used to not living next door to” (or more exactly, have to avoid living next door to) the effect.

DETERMINANTS OF TERRITORIAL EXOGAMY IN FRIULI (NORTH-EAST ITALY) IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of individuals who formed exogamic marriages in the Friuli region (north-east Italy) during the second half of the 19th century. Logistic regression models were devised to measure the influence of the determinants of exogamic marriage, taking into account not only variables related to context but also spouses' economic, social and cultural characteristics. The determinants of exogamic marriage differ for men and women, and also vary by region due to differences in geographical mobility and size of the marriage market. The majority of exogamic spouses belong to one of two categories: either older individuals, often, especially in the case of men, with a previous marriage; or the upper social classes.

The Role of the Palaeogene Adriatic Carbonate Platform in the Spatial Distribution of Alveolinids

Sediments of the Palaeogene Adriatic carbonate platform, a distinctive palaeogeographic unit, are today exposed along the eastern Adriatic coast for a distance of 800 km and a width of 100-130 km. The large number of identified alveolinid species (69) from the Early Ypresian (Ilerdian) to the Bartonian record the dynamics of their evolution, with emphasis on the following: (1) great species diversity and great abundance in the middle Ilerdian (SBZ 7-8) followed by a sharp decline in occurrences at the Ilerdian/Cuisian transition; (2) a diversity boom in the late Ypresian (late Cuisian, SBZ 11-12) and (3) an abrupt decrease in species numbers after the early Lutetian. This pattern shows a relationship between abundance and diversity and global sea-level changes in TA and AP events. The 'two peaks' model in alveolinid occurrence is present also in the 'Mediterranean assemblage' in the Pyrenees and within the middle Cuisian assemblages of various Mediterranean areas. Based on studies of numerous stratigraphic sections from the Palaeogene Adriatic carbonate platform, biosedimentary zones (BioZ 2, BioZ 3.1, BioZ 3.2 and BioZ 4) were determined, and each zone is characterized by specific alveolinid associations. These zones are distributed as belts stretching from NE Italy (Friuli region) to Montenegro. Alveolinid associations served as a base for a palaeogeographic map of the Palaeogene Adriatic carbonate platform from the Thanetian to the Priabonian.

My long 1989

Interviews with the leadership of the Movimento Friuli (MF) were the last task, almost a postscript, of a study that preoccupied me during the 1980s. After a decade of research in the Friuli region of northeast Italy I was reasonably satisfied that I had achieved something like closure on the project. I was reluctant in the summer of 1987 to open any new lines of inquiry that might disturb my contentment.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Behavioral Genetics

In 2007 a murder was committed in the Italian Friuli region. An Algerian, Abdelmalek, knifed a Colombian, Novoa. Abdelmalek, who like his victim was an immigrant, was living in particularly difficu...

Uncertainty analysis for seismic hazard in Northern and Central Italy

In this study we examine uncertainty and parametric sensitivity of Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) and 1-Hz Spectral Acceleration (1-Hz SA) in probabilistic seismic hazard maps (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years) of Northern and Central Italy. The uncertainty in hazard is estimated using a Monte Carlo approach to randomly sample a logic tree that has three input-variables branch points representing alternative values for bvalue, maximum magnitude (Mmax) and attenuation relationships. Uncertainty is expressed in terms of 95% confidence band and Coefficient Of Variation (COV). The overall variability of ground motions and their sensitivity to each parameter of the logic tree are investigated. The largest values of the overall 95% confidence band are around 0.15 g for PGA in the Friuli and Northern Apennines regions and around 0.35 g for 1-Hz SA in the Central Apennines. The sensitivity analysis shows that the largest contributor to seismic hazard variability is uncertainty in the choice of ground-motion attenuation relationships, especially in the Friuli Region (?0.10 g) for PGA and in the Friuli and Central Apennines regions (?0.15 g) for 1-Hz SA. This is followed by the variability of the b-value: its main contribution is evident in the Friuli and Central Apennines regions for both 1-Hz SA (?0.15 g) and PGA (?0.10 g). We observe that the contribution of Mmax to seismic hazard variability is negligible, at least for 10% exceedance in 50-years hazard. The overall COV map for PGA shows that the uncertainty in the hazard is larger in the Friuli and Northern Apennine regions, around 20-30%, than the Central Apennines and Northwestern Italy, around 10-20%. The overall uncertainty is larger for the 1-Hz SA map and reaches 50- 60% in the Central Apennines and Western Alps.

The buried shape of an alpine valley from gravity surveys, seismic and ambient noise analysis

SUMMARY It has long been observed that damage due to earthquakes depends greatly on local geological conditions. Alpine valleys represent a typical populated environment where large amplifications can take place owing to the presence of surface soils with poor mechanical properties combined to complex topography of the rock basin. In the framework of the EU Interreg IIIB SISMOVALP Project ‘Seismic hazard and alpine valley response analysis’, a stretch of the Tagliamento River Valley (TRV), located in the north-western part of the Friuli Region (Italy) and close to the epicentre of the 1976 Mw= 6.4 earthquake, has been investigated with the aim to define the buried shape of the valley itself. Two non-invasive, low cost, independent geophysical methods were used: (i) detailed gravity survey and (ii) H/V spectral ratio (HVSR) of microtremors. Because of structural geological complexity and active tectonics of the Friuli region, an irregular valley shape was expected in this area. The independent analysis performed by gravity and passive noise, and complemented with refraction seismic velocity profiles, confirms this hypothesis and leads to two models that were consistent, but for some small scale details. The maximum depth estimated is about 400–450 m in the southern part of the valley, while a mean value of 150–180 m is estimated in the northern part. The sediment thickness obtained for this stretch of the TRV is quite large if compared to eastern Alps Plio-Quaternary rates; therefore the valley shape imaged by this study better corresponds to the top of carbonate rocks. Finally, on the basis of the obtained morphology and some direct measurements, we conclude that the TRV features an overall 1-D seismic response (i.e. the resonance is related only to the sediment thickness rather than to the cross-section shape), but in its deepest part some limited 2-D effects could take place.

Technological Aspects of 16th Century Ceramics Production in Castelnovo del Friuli, Italy

The body of Castelnuovo ceramics refers to a local production with clear serial features, which may be attributed to an almost “proto-industrial” management. The production system was mostly designed to meet local needs and had the purpose of providing tableware with a lead-based coating. For the first time in the Friuli region, it was possible to relate ceramic products to the existence of workshops that had a direct link with the sources of raw material. Thanks to the significant contribution given by the archaeometric analyses, carried out at IRTEC-CNR in Faenza, it was possible to carry out a comparative research on some local samples of clay and finished product. The presence of a vast ceramic production in Castelnovo del Friuli in the 16th century has been the driving force behind a series of archaeometric studies analysing the composition of the bodies and coatings of locally produced ceramics and the materials utilized.

Helium and carbon isotopes in the dissolved gases of Friuli Region (NE Italy): Geochemical evidence of CO 2 production and degassing over a seismically active area

The first geochemical data showing the existence of an active degassing activity over a large seismically active sector of the Southern Alps (Friuli Region, NE Italy) are presented. The dissolved gases, helium and carbon isotopic systematics of 46 water samples taken from 13 sites running along E–W and NE–SW faults besides the natural degassing of a 5000 km 2 wide area are investigated. The chemical composition of the dissolved gases revealed that a CO 2-rich gas phase feeds the local groundwaters. 3He/ 4He ratios ( R) normalized to the atmospheric 3He/ 4He ratio (Ra = 1.39 × 10 − 6 ) and corrected for the atmospheric contamination ( R/Ra c), range from 0.29 to 1 as a result of a two component (radiogenic and atmospheric) mixing. The δ 13C values of total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC) ranging from − 15.28 to − 0.75‰ vs. PDB, show the occurrence of multiple gas–water interactions. The mixing between the atmospheric air and a crustal source and the gas–water interactions occurring at various extents appears to be the main control on the observed He–C systematics. The natural CO 2 degassing was evaluated by a soil gas survey carried out by a grid of about 100 measuring sites located over the area that generated destructive seismic sequences (e.g. the Gemona sequence of 1976; main shocks M6.4 of 6th May and M6.1 of 11th and 15th September). The results obtained show that a significant amount of crustal-originated gases are released over the continental area of Eastern Southern Alps. The evidence that carbon dioxide is associated with radiogenic-type helium denotes the lack of the mantle as primary energy and degassing source, highlighting the possibility that CO 2 is produced by thermo-mechanical processes occurring at seismogenic depth. The information provided here may be used to start up a long-term geochemical monitoring of this seismically active area and could be able to detect the modifications occurring to the circulating fluids to gain a better insight on the relationships between the fluids' geochemistry and the activity of the local seismogenic faults.

Laudatio for Professor Helmut Tributsch

Laudatio for Professor Helmut Tributsch