Gran Sasso Massif Research Articles

Climate change may cause the extinction of the butterfly Lasiommata petropolitana in the Apennines

Climate change represents a threat to narrow-ranged mountain species living in low-altitude massifs. We studied the disjunct Apennine population of Lasiommata petropolitana (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. We quantified the altitudinal shifts undergone in the last decades (1964–2021) in the Alps and Apennines and estimated the local extinction risk due to climate change. We also sequenced the COI mitochondrial marker of seven Apennine specimens, comparing them with those available across the Palearctic. We projected the probability of presence for the species under a future climatic scenario using an ensemble forecasting approach. We found that, despite geographical isolation, the Apennine population of L. petropolitana displays a single widespread COI haplotype also occurring in most European populations. In the Alps and Apennines, this species has shifted uphill an average of 6.3 m per year since 1964. Accordingly, our model predicted a likely extinction in the Apennines by about 2060, due to a reduction of the climatic suitability in this region.Implications for insect conservationImplications for insect conservation Despite its potential loss in the Apennines would not erode mitochondrial diversity, L. petropolitana characterises the butterfly community of the Gran Sasso massif as an alpine enclave. The loss of the Apennine population, together with those of other orophilous butterflies, could trigger a homogenization of alpha and beta diversity and induce a loss of functional diversity in the impoverished high-altitude biotas. As habitat heterogeneity is a key aspect for populations to endure climate change, the maintenance of varied microhabitats, mainly through grazing management, could address the decline of this population.

Investigating Population Genetic Diversity and Rhizosphere Microbiota of Central Apennines’ Artemisia eriantha

The present study aimed to characterize the genetic structure of Artemisia eriantha Ten. and the diversity of the rhizosphere microbiota. Plant leaves and rhizosphere soils were sampled from three areas of Central Italy, namely Monte Corvo, Monte Portella (both from the Gran Sasso massif), and Monte Focalone (Majella massif). The plant samples were subjected to genetic structure analysis by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. The microbiota from the rhizosphere soils was investigated by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. The within and among population variability was typical of outbreeding species. The AFLP polymorphisms revealed a marked closeness among plant populations collected in Monte Focalone and Monte Corvo, despite the geographical proximity of the latter with Monte Portella, a result confirmed by cluster, STRUCTURE, and discriminant analyses. 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding showed higher values of diversity for Monte Corvo (H, 5.7; Chao1, 445) and Monte Focalone (H′, 5.57; Chao1, 446) than Monte Portella (H′, 5.3; Chao1, 275). At the phylum level, the communities were mainly represented by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria (>10%). At the genus level, the Monte Focalone and Monte Corvo microbiotas were closer than Monte Portella, thus confirming the results from the plant communities. The findings provided evidence for the first time of an association between the Artemisia eriantha plant and microbiota communities. The relevance of the results in terms of biodiversity and the conservation strategies of plant and microbiota communities in the Central Apennines are discussed.

Fast Changes in Seismic Attenuation of the Upper Crust due to Fracturing and Fluid Migration: The 2016–2017 Central Italy Seismic Sequence

The Amatrice–Visso–Norcia seismic sequence struck Central Italy across the Apenninic normal fault system in 2016. Fluids likely triggered the sequence and reduced the stability of the fault network following the first earthquake (Amatrice, Mw 6.0), with their migration nucleating the Visso (Mw 5.9) and Norcia (Mw 6.5) mainshocks. However, both spatial extent and mechanisms of fluid migration and diffusion through the network remain unclear. High fluid content, enhanced permeability, and pervasive microcracking increase seismic attenuation, but different processes contribute to different attenuation mechanisms. Here, we measured and mapped peak delay time and coda attenuation, using them as proxies of seismic scattering and absorption before and during the sequence. We observed that the structural discontinuities and lithology control the scattering losses at all frequencies, with the highest scattering delineating carbonate formations within the Gran Sasso massif. The Monti Sibillini thrust marks the strongest contrasts in scattering, indicating a barrier for northward fracture propagation. Absorption does not show any sensitivity to the presence of these main geological structures. Before the sequence, low-frequency high-absorption anomalies distribute around the NW-SE-oriented Apennine Mountain chain. During the sequence, a high-absorption anomaly develops from SSE to NNW across the seismogenic zone but remains bounded north by the Monti Sibillini thrust. We attribute this spatial expansion to the deep migration of CO2-bearing fluids across the strike of the fault network from a deep source of trapped CO2 close to the Amatrice earthquake. Fluids expand SSE-NNW primarily during the Visso sequence and then diffuse across the fault zones during the Norcia sequence.

Snow Avalanche Assessment in Mass Movement-Prone Areas: Results from Climate Extremization in Relationship with Environmental Risk Reduction in the Prati di Tivo Area (Gran Sasso Massif, Central Italy)

Mass movements processes (i.e., landslides and snow avalanches) play an important role in landscape evolution and largely affect high mountain environments worldwide and in Italy. The increase in temperatures, the irregularity of intense weather events, and several heavy snowfall events increased mass movements’ occurrence, especially in mountain regions with a high impact on settlements, infrastructures, and well-developed tourist facilities. In detail, the Prati di Tivo area, located on the northern slope of the Gran Sasso Massif (Central Italy), has been widely affected by mass movement phenomena. Following some recent damaging snow avalanches, a risk mitigation protocol has been activated to develop mitigation activities and land use policies. The main goal was to perform a multidisciplinary analysis of detailed climatic and geomorphological analysis, integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) processing, to advance snow avalanche hazard assessment methodologies in mass movement-prone areas. Furthermore, this work could represent an operative tool for any geomorphological hazard studies in high mountainous environments, readily available to interested stakeholders. It could also provide a scientific basis for implementing sustainable territorial planning, emergency management, and loss-reduction measures.

Seismically Induced Snow Avalanches: The Central Italy Case

Snow avalanches are critical events due to the sudden instability of snow in mountain regions. Seismically induced snow avalanches, due to a particular type of trigger perturbing snow-covered slopes, are occasional events in geodynamically active mountain regions around the world, which can lead to large anomalous avalanches. The seismic trigger of an avalanche is either simultaneous or delayed. In Italy, the Alps, and particularly the Apennines, feature large areas expected to be affected by seismically induced snow avalanches. In this work, the avalanches’ distribution in Central Italy (i.e., Abruzzo region) and its connection with moderate–high seismicity were investigated. With regional and historical analyses, we investigated the connection between avalanches and seismicity. We revealed two main events of seismically induced avalanches (6–9 April 2009, western Gran Sasso-Assergi area, and 18 January 2017, Gran Sasso massif) characterized by an anomalous distribution of avalanches. A specific and detailed analysis focused on the northeast Mt. Siella slope, where well-documented and constrained events occurred on 18 January 2017 in the Gran Sasso area, affecting a tourist facility. This involves geomorphological and photogeological multitemporal investigations. Moreover, the Rigopiano avalanche was analyzed through 3D numerical modelling and stability analysis of the snow to investigate the possible seismic trigger. We found the avalanche was consistent with delayed seismically induced avalanche cases. This combination contributed to a more general assessment of the seismically induced avalanches in the Central Apennines area (i.e., Abruzzo region) and provided new examples of seismically induced avalanches at both the regional and detailed scales, which are largely consistent with the world distribution.

Geomorphological analysis of drainage changes in the NE Apennines piedmont area: the case of the middle Tavo River bend (Abruzzo, Central Italy)

ABSTRACT This work presents a tectonic geomorphology analysis of a river bend in the middle Tavo River valley, in the piedmont area of the NE Apennines (Abruzzo Region), between the eastern slope of the chain (Gran Sasso Massif) and the Adriatic coast. The main map (1:15,000 scale) was obtained through a morphometric, geological, and geomorphological analysis, and was composed of four sections including orography and hydrography at basin scale, main map at local scale, geomorphological cross-section and longitudinal profiles, and morphoneotectonic analysis. This study provides a basis for the recognition of morphostructural and morphotectonic features that control the drainage evolution of the Tavo River. Specifically, the study is focused on the Tavo-Saline basin characterized by possible capture processes, and the evolution of the watershed with the Pescara basin. The results from this study can contribute to the understanding of the evolution of the NE Apennines piedmont area since the Middle Pleistocene.

From Submarine to Subaerial Out‐of‐Sequence Thrusting and Gravity‐Driven Extensional Faulting: Gran Sasso Massif, Central Apennines, Italy

AbstractThrust wedge evolution is typically characterized by out‐of‐sequence thrusting, which can occur in both submarine and subaerial conditions to maintain the balance between gravitational and tectonic forces. The Gran Sasso Massif, in Central Italy, is a high topography region where the kinematics and environmental conditions of deformation of some fault zones are still controversial, and this bears important implications for the Central Apennines orogenic wedge evolution. To obtain further constraints on fault activity in the Gran Sasso Massif, we studied the Monte Camicia and Vado di Ferruccio thrusts using structural, petrographical, and geochemical analyses. Such dataset allowed us to constrain the structural‐diagenetic evolution of the studied faults, which has first‐order implications in the characterization of their paleo‐hydraulic properties. Our results indicate that in the Vado di Ferruccio out‐of‐sequence thrust, pressure solution‐mediated mass transfer promoted low‐permeability conditions in the fault core that led to a semiclosed fluid circulation, pore fluid overpressuring, and dolomite crystallization in submarine conditions. In contrast, the Monte Camicia out‐of‐sequence thrust was characterized by dominant cataclasis in subaerial conditions, which facilitated meteoric fluid infiltration. By considering both fault zones as belonging to the same thrust system at crustal scale, we interpret these differences as indicating the occurrence of multiple pulses of thrusting during the exhumation of this sector of the Central Apennines, up to Quaternary times, when extensional faulting eventually dissected the thrust stack. This caused extensional reactivation of the Monte Camicia Thrust and related alteration in vadose zone conditions, leading to porosity enhancement, dolomite dissolution, and calcitization.

Temporal variations in the diversity of airborne fungal spores in a Mediterranean high altitude site

Relationships between meteorological factors and airborne fungal spore concentrations at high altitudes are virtually unknown. We used cross-correlation analyses to test the relationships between daily variation in meteorological factors (i.e., temperature, humidity and wind speed) and airborne spore concentration, diversity (Shannon and Simpson indices) and evenness (Pielou index) in an Apennine high altitude site (Gran Sasso Massif, 2117 m elevation). Daily average concentration of spores in this high altitude site was much lower than that observed at a low altitude site in the same area, which can be explained by the environmental conditions at high altitudes. We found that diversity and evenness tended to be negatively correlated with temperature and positively with humidity and wind speed with some delay, whereas abundance tended to be positively correlated with temperature and wind, but negatively with humidity. These relationships can be explained by the fact that rain increases turnover by removing dry spores of Cladosporium (the most abundant taxon) and aerosolizing wet ones. The high dominance of the most abundant taxon is a reflection of the extreme climatic conditions at high altitudes.

Correlations between weather conditions and airborne pollen concentration and diversity in a Mediterranean high-altitude site disclose unexpected temporal patterns

Relationships between meteorological factors and airborne pollen concentrations at high altitudes are virtually unknown. We used cross-correlation analyses to test the relationships between daily variation in meteorological factors (i.e. temperature, humidity and wind speed) and airborne pollen concentration, diversity (number of families and Shannon and Simpson diversity indices) and evenness (Pielou index) in an Apennine high-altitude site (Gran Sasso Massif, 2117 m elevation). In contrast to patterns observed at low altitudes, the temperature had a negative correlation with pollen abundance and diversity, whereas humidity had a positive correlation. The unexpected negative correlations with temperature can be explained with the particular position of our sampling site. Wind speed was positively correlated with pollen diversity and abundance in the short term, which can be explained by the fact that higher wind speed promotes both primary emission of pollen from the anthers and subsequent re-suspension. Evenness and wind speed were negatively correlated in the short term because of the different response of different species to meteorological conditions. In the longer term, the average concentrations of the various taxa tend to reach similar values, leading to increased values of diversity. Our finding of a decrease in pollen emission with increasing temperature has important implications for the study of the impacts of global change on high-altitude plant communities. We also detected a high abundance of Cupressaceae/Taxaceae pollen, a reflection of the expansion of thermophilic species, such as Juniperus, due to climate change.

Correlation between groundwater flow and deformation in the fractured carbonate Gran Sasso aquifer (INFN underground laboratories, central Italy)

AbstractThe Gran Sasso massif is a carbonate fractured aquifer with a spring discharge of more than 18 m3 s−1. The water table has been partially drained by two motorway tunnels and an underground laboratory (UL), located into the core aquifer. Karst features have limited role below the water table, where groundwater flow is mainly regulated by the fracture network. Two paired laser extensometers (BA and BC) recorded ground deformation in the UL. Changes in deformation correlate with the seasonal recharge/discharge cycle of groundwater flow and its long‐term changes. Hydrostatic conditions prevail during the recharge phases because of the low permeability of local fractures, favoring compression, and hydraulic gradient increase above the UL. Fast groundwater flow through the high‐permeability fault outcropping in the UL can enhance local dilatation for short periods. Spring discharge during exhaustion periods is fed by the low‐permeability fracture network, fostering hydrodynamic conditions by hydraulic gradient decrease, diminishing compression and consequently favoring dilatation. Independent support to this conceptual model comes from local tests and a numerical model which highlights the hydromechanical strain effects induced by the hydrological cycle on the jointed rock mass along BA and the role of the hydraulic gradient on the rock mass deformation.

The Gran Sasso Laboratory

The Gran Sasso underground laboratory is one of the four national laboratories run by the INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare). It is located under the Gran Sasso massif, in central Italy, between the cities of L’Aquila and Teramo, 120 km far from Rome. It is the largest underground laboratory for astroparticle physics in the world and the most advanced in terms of complexity and completeness of its infrastructures. The scientific program at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories (Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, LNGS)is mainly focused on astroparticle, particle and nuclear physics. The laboratory presently hosts many experiments as well as R&D activities, including world-leading research in the fields of solar neutrinos, accelerator neutrinos (CNGS neutrino beam from CERN to Gran Sasso), dark matter, neutrinoless double-beta decay and nuclear cross-section of astrophysical interest. Associate sciences like earth physics, biology and fundamental physics complement the activities. The laboratory is operated as an international science facility and hosts experiments whose scientific merit is assessed by an international advisory Scientific Committee. A review of the main experiments carried out at LNGS will be given, together with the most recent and relevant scientific results achieved.

Determination of a time-shift in the OPERA set-up using high-energy horizontal muons in the LVD and OPERA detectors

The purpose of this work is to report the measurement of a time-shift in the OPERA set-up in a totally independent way from Time Of Flight (TOF) measurements of CNGS neutrino events. The LVD and OPERA experiments are both installed in the same laboratory: LNGS. The relative position of the two detectors, separated by an average distance of ~ 160 m, allows the use of very high energy horizontal muons to cross-calibrate the timing systems of the two detectors, using a TOF technique which is totally independent from TOF of CNGS neutrino events. Indeed, the OPERA-LVD direction lies along the so-called "Teramo anomaly", a region in the Gran Sasso massif where LVD has established, many years ago, the existence of an anomaly in the mountain structure, which exhibits a low m. w. e. thickness for horizontal directions. The "abundant" high-energy horizontal muons (nearly 100 per year) going through LVD and OPERA exist because of this anomaly in the mountain orography. The total live time of the data in coincidence correspond to 1200 days from mid 2007 until March 2012. The time coincidence study of LVD and OPERA detectors is based on 306 cosmic horizontal muon events and shows the existence of a negative time shift in the OPERA set-up of the order of deltaT(AB) = - (73 \pm 9) ns when two calendar periods, A and B, are compared. This result shows a systematic effect in the OPERA timing system from August 2008 until December 2011. The size of the effect is comparable with the neutrino velocity excess recently measured by OPERA. It is probably interesting not to forget that with the MRPC technology developed by the ALICE Bologna group the TOF world record accuracy of 20 ps was reached. That technology can be implemented at LNGS for a high precision determination of TOF with the CNGS neutrino beams of an order of magnitude smaller than the value of the OPERA systematic effect.

Physiological and morphological leaf trait variations in two Apennine plant species in response to different altitudes

Morphological and physiological traits of Crepis pygmaea L. subsp. pygmaea and Isatis apennina Ten. ex Grande growing at different altitudes in the Gran Sasso Massif (Abruzzo, Italy) were analyzed. The two populations of C. pygmaea and I. apennina growing at the highest altitude (C p2 and I p2 at 2,310 m a.s.l. and 2,350 m a.s.l., respectively) had a lower leaf mass area (LMA) than the two populations growing at the lowest altitude (C p1 and I p1 at 2,250 m a.s.l. and 2,310 m a.s.l., respectively). Leaf tissue density (LTD) had the same LMA trend, decreasing 23 and 10% in C. pygmaea and I. apennina, respectively, from the highest to the lowest altitude. C. pygmaea and I. apennina had the highest photosynthetic rates (P N) in July decreasing on an average 17 and 30%, respectively, in August and 50 and 38%, respectively, in September. Leaf respiration (R) in I p1 and I p2 had the same trend as C p1 and C p2, showing the highest rates in September. Global warming could drive C. pygmaea and I. apennina toward higher altitudes in the Gran Sasso Massif. Nevertheless, C. pygmaea with the higher plasticity index (PI) both at physiological and at morphological levels (0.50 and 0.35, respectively) might have a competitive advantage over I. apennina over the long term.

The geodetic laser interferometers at Gran Sasso, Italy: Recent modifications and correction for local effects

Abstract Two laser interferometers for geophysical researches are operating under the Gran Sasso massif, Central Italy, since several years. Their electro-optical set-up has been recently modified with respect to the original version to reduce costs and improve reliability. Output of each interferometer now consists of two quadrature signals, whose Lissajous figure is inverted for changes in length of the 90-m-long baselines. These top-rank instruments give high-quality strain data, but siting effects produce coupling among the different strain components, so that measured strain is not equal to the large-scale Earth strain. We estimate local effects using reference tidal strains and a matrix representation of the relationship between instrument and remote strains. The three coupling coefficient of each interferometer (obtained by best-fitting) are able to reduce differences between observed and predicted tides down to negligible levels.

Chemical and isotopic ( δ18O‰, δ2H‰, δ13C‰, 222Rn) multi-tracing for groundwater conceptual model of carbonate aquifer (Gran Sasso INFN underground laboratory – central Italy)

Summary A hydrochemical and isotope study was conducted on the drainage waters of an underground laboratory, located inside the Gran Sasso massif (central Italy). The study was expected to improve the conceptual model of groundwater circulation at the base of an over 1000-thick unsaturated zone in the Gran Sasso partitioned karst aquifer. This lithostratigraphically and tectonically complex aquifer is typical of Africa–Europe thrust-and-fold collision belt in the Mediterranean area. In this case, investigations on water–rock interactions during recharge in complex aquifers, overlaid by a thick unsaturated zone, have been made thanks to the strategic location of the Gran Sasso underground laboratories, located in the core of a huge carbonate aquifer. Knowledge of the local basic hydrogeological setting was the starting point for a detailed hydrogeochemical and isotopic study, which was carried out at the aquifer scale and at the fine scale in the underground laboratories. The water–rock interaction processes were investigated both spatially and in temporal sequences, analysing recharge waters and groundwater in the underground laboratories by multitracing techniques, including major ions and δ18O‰, δ2H‰ and δ13C‰ stable isotopes. Use of 222Rn provides information on transit time in the aquifer. Processes proved to be typical of carbonate rocks, with clear influence of vertical movement of water on chemical–physical parameters through the unsaturated zone. Conversely, in the saturated zone, these processes proved to be dominantly affected by local geological–structural conditions. A conceptual model with dual flow velocity is proposed, directly related to the local geological-structural setting. 222Rn decay enables to calculate an effective velocity of around 10 m/day for the fracture network, through the sequence of less permeable dolomites and underlying limestone. Lag time between recharge and chemical changes in the saturated zone testifies to an effective velocity of about 35 m/day for fast flow through recent and active extensional faults.

Clay mineral assemblages and vitrinite reflectance in the Laga Basin (Central Apennines, Italy): What do they record?

AbstractTemperature-dependent clay mineral assemblages and vitrinite reflectance data have been used to investigate levels of diagenesis from the Messinian Laga Basin in the Central Apennines developed at the footwall of the Sibillini Mts. and the Gran Sasso Massif. Data are from stratigraphic units forming the main siliciclastic basin fill up to Middle Messinian gypsum-arenites and its pre-orogenic substratum. Specifically, the largest Rom% values and percentages of illite layers in illite-smectie (I-S) are found in the basin depocenter and at the footwall of the main carbonate thrust sheets. Smaller Rom% values, and percentage of illite layers in I-S characterize less subsided sectors surrounding the depocenter.The X-ray diffraction data were treated using decomposition methods and the peaks identified were rationalized in terms of discrete and/or mixed-layer phases. Complex clay mineral assemblages were found in the Laga Fm. including three sub-populations of illitic material corresponding to authigenic and detrital components. I-S mixed layers record the maximum paleotemperature the Laga Fm. experienced, which is directly related to its burial history. Kübler index (KI) data, however, suggest higher temperatures related to detrital K-micas inherited from the uplift of the Alpine-Apennines chain.A tentative calculation of paleotemperatures from selected data of organic and inorganic parameters is also proposed and compared with recent sedimentological, stratigraphic and structural data. We conclude that the Laga Basin fill never experienced temperatures of >100–110°C, generally due to variable sedimentary loading, whereas localized anomalous heating is due to the effect of the tectonic emplacement and subsequent local erosion of the Sibillini and Gran Sasso thrust sheets.

Late-Holocene alluvial events in the Central Apennines, Italy

A stratigraphic sequence was identified in the Gran Sasso Massif (Central Apennines, Italy), consisting of alluvial sediments and buried soils. The soils, dated by the radiocarbon method, enabled various alluvial phases that have occurred in the last 2500 years to be chronologically framed. These phases were then correlated with the frequency of the Tiber floods at Rome and with the progradation of its delta. The phases of soil burial by alluvial sediments coincide with the periods of intense flooding of the Tiber at Rome (between the second century Bc and the second century AD, between the sixth and the ninth centuries AD, and between the fifteenth and the nineteenth centuries AD) and with periods of strong progradation of the river delta. On the basis of the chronological correlation between alluvial phases, glacial variations, and oscillations in the levels of Lakes Fucino and Trasimeno, it was then possible to establish that, corresponding to the alluvial phases, the hydrological balance of the lakes was positive and, in two of the three cases, the increased flood frequency coincided with the phases of advance of the only glacier located in the Apennines.

UNDERSEIS: The Underground Seismic Array

Research Article| July 01, 2004 UNDERSEIS: The Underground Seismic Array R. Scarpa; R. Scarpa 1Dipartimento di Fisica “E. R. Caianiello”, Universitá di Salerno, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar R. Muscente; R. Muscente 2Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico d'Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar F. Tronca; F. Tronca 2Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico d'Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar C. Fischione; C. Fischione 2Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico d'Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar P. Rotella; P. Rotella 2Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico d'Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M. Abril; M. Abril 3Instituto Andaluz de Geofísica y Prevención de Desastres Sísmicos, Granada, Spain Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar G. Alguacil; G. Alguacil 3Instituto Andaluz de Geofísica y Prevención de Desastres Sísmicos, Granada, Spain Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar W. De Cesare; W. De Cesare 4Osservatorio Vesuviano, INGV, Napoli, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M. Martini M. Martini 4Osservatorio Vesuviano, INGV, Napoli, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information R. Scarpa 1Dipartimento di Fisica “E. R. Caianiello”, Universitá di Salerno, Italy R. Muscente 2Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico d'Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Italy F. Tronca 2Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico d'Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Italy C. Fischione 2Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico d'Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Italy P. Rotella 2Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico d'Abruzzo, L'Aquila, Italy M. Abril 3Instituto Andaluz de Geofísica y Prevención de Desastres Sísmicos, Granada, Spain G. Alguacil 3Instituto Andaluz de Geofísica y Prevención de Desastres Sísmicos, Granada, Spain W. De Cesare 4Osservatorio Vesuviano, INGV, Napoli, Italy M. Martini 4Osservatorio Vesuviano, INGV, Napoli, Italy Publisher: Seismological Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1938-2057 Print ISSN: 0895-0695 © 2004 by the Seismological Society of America Seismological Research Letters (2004) 75 (4): 493–504. https://doi.org/10.1785/gssrl.75.4.493 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation R. Scarpa, R. Muscente, F. Tronca, C. Fischione, P. Rotella, M. Abril, G. Alguacil, W. De Cesare, M. Martini; UNDERSEIS: The Underground Seismic Array. Seismological Research Letters 2004;; 75 (4): 493–504. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/gssrl.75.4.493 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietySeismological Research Letters Search Advanced Search An important research facility for subnuclear particle physics and astrophysics has been operating in central Italy since 1986. These laboratories (Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso: LNGS), promoted by the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics, are located in an underground tunnel about 120 km east of Rome, alongside a motorway tunnel 10.5 km long. The tunnel is shielded by 1,400 m of limestone rocks (Gran Sasso massif). The LNGS are located very close to one of the major seismic faults of the central Apennines. The seismic activity of the central Apennines and in particular in the region of the Gran... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Meadow viper,Vipera ursinii, in Italy: aspects of conservation ecology (Reptilia, Viperidae)

The Meadow viper, Vipera ursinii (Bonaparte, 1835) is the most threatened Italian snake species. The apparent frequency of observations and local distribution were investigated at a few central Apennine massifs. The most abundant populations appeared to be those inhabiting the Gran Sasso massif, particularly the Campo Imperatore valley. On the other hand, the most vulnerable populations appeared to be those inhabiting the Duchessa Mountains and the Majella Massif. The viper populations are affected by negative factors which may have a longitudinal effect (i.e. that may affect the viper populations during the whole cycle of annual activity) or a punctual effect (i.e. that may affect the viper populations during some specific phases of the annual activity cycle). Mean body sizes were similar in all areas, but the few specimens captured on Vettore Massif were significantly smaller than those captured in all other areas. This is probably due simply to the small sample size, rather than to true size differences at the population level. Micro-habitats of capture differed significantly among the various study areas: most specimens were found in or around bushes of Juniperus nana on both the Duchessa and Gran Sasso massifs, but the great majority of specimens were found in or around Pinus mugo on the Majella massif. It is suggested that the main threats are: (1) overgrazing (longitudinal effect, mainly in the Duchessa Mountains); (2) damage produced by wild boar Sus scrofa (longitudinal effect, mainly in the Duchessa Mountains); (3) intentional killing by excursionists (punctual effect); (4) overforestation by P. mugo (on the Majella Massif).

Meadow viper, Vipera ursinii, in Italy: aspects of conservation ecology (Reptilia, Viperidae)

The Meadow viper, Vipera ursinii (Bonaparte, 1835) is the most threatened Italian snake species. The apparent frequency of observations and local distribution were investigated al a few central Apennine massifs. The most abundant populations appeared to be those inhabiting the Gran Sasso massif, particularly the Campo Imperatore valley. On the other hand, the most vulnerable populations appeared to be those inhabiting the Duchessa Mountains and the Majella Massif. The viper populations are affected by negative factors which may have a longitudinal effect (i.e. that may affect the viper populations during the whole cycle of annual activity) or a punctual effect (i.e. that may affect the viper populations during some specific phases of the annual activity cycle). Mean body sizes were similar in all areas, but the few specimens captured on Vettore Massif were significantly smaller than those captured in all other areas. This is probably due simply to the small sample size, rather than to true size differences at the population level. Micro-habitats of capture differed significantly among the various study areas: most specimens were found in or around bushes of Juniperus nana on both the Duchessa and Gran Sasso massifs, but the great majority of specimens were found in or around Pinta mugo on the Majella massif. It is suggested that the main threats are: (1) overgrazing (longitudinal effect, mainly in the Duchessa Mountains); (2) damage produced by wild boar Sus scrofa (longitudinal effect, mainly in the Duchessa Mountains); (3) intentional killing by excursionists (punctual effect); (4) overforestation by P. mugo (on the Majella Massif).