Romagna Apennines Research Articles

A student-driven multilevel approach for increasing energy sustainability of remote areas in the Emilia Romagna Apennines

This paper is aimed at discussing a series of energy sustainability solutions proposed by a master class of students in environmental engineering using analytical and visual collaborative tools. The activities described are part of the class “Sustainability and renewable sources” at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Six groups of 3-4 students worked on six energy efficiency and sustainability projects chosen from a remote area of the Apennines in Emilia Romagna. The specificity of the case-study framework allowed the implementation of projects where different sustainability aspects are integrated using tools of transitional thinking: agro-food production, use of renewable energy sources, waste management and social integration were considered. Each group identified the key actors for each project, allowing them to approach sustainability from a multilevel perspective. Net Present Value analyses were applied to evaluate economic viability of each project. Photovoltaic power plants and boilers fueled with local wood are the main renewable energy source identified to promote energy sustainability in each project. As result, the combination of the six works creates a powerful tool to demonstrate possible best practices for remote mountain areas.

First report of decapod crustaceans from the middle–late Miocene of Valmarecchia, Romagna Apennines (Emilia-Romagna, Italy)

Axiidean and brachyuran decapods are reported from the middle–late Miocene pre-evaporitic deposits of several localities along the Valmarecchia (Rimini) in the Romagna Apennines (Emilia-Romagna). Goneplax rhomboides (Linnaeus, 1758), already known from the Miocene of Italy, has not been recorded previously in this area, while the record of Chlinocephalus demissifronsRistori, 1886 expands the stratigraphic range of the genus, previously known only from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Italy. Moreover, some specimens are assigned in open nomenclature to LobocarcinusReuss, 1857, already known from the Miocene of Italy. Finally, some loose chelae are assigned to the families Callianassidae and Eucalliacidae, respectively, without generic and specific assignment. The Valmarecchia decapod assemblage enlarges the knowledge on the composition and distribution of the decapod fauna along the palaeo-Adriatic Gulf before the Messinian Salinity Crisis of the Mediterranean Basin.

Decapod assemblage from the late Miocene (early-middle Messinian) of the Romagna Apennines nearby Brisighella, Emilia-Romagna (N Italy)

An assemblage of axiidean and brachyuran decapods is reported from the late Miocene pre-evaporitic (early-middle Messinian) limestone of Cò di Sasso, nearby Brisighella (Ravenna, Emilia- Romagna), located in Romagna Apennines (NE Italy). Except Monodaeus bortolottii Delle Cave, 1988 (Xanthidae MacLeay, 1838), which is reported here for the first time in Miocene, all the other specimens have been assigned to species previously known in the Italian Miocene (Messinian s.l.), but never reported in this area. The report of Galathea cf. G. weinfurteri Bachmayer, 1950 (Galatheidae Samouelle, 1819) and Medorippe ampla Garassino, De Angeli, Gallo and Pasini, 2004 (Dorippidae MacLeay, 1838) enlarges the stratigraphic range of these Miocene species. This report enlarges our limited knowledge on the composition and distribution of the axiidean, anomuran, and brachyuran decapods during the early-middle Messinian before the evaporitic event in the Mediterranean Basin.

Decapod crustaceans from the late Pliocene (Piacenzian) nearby Faenza (Emilia-Romagna, N Italy)

Several specimens of anomuran and brachyuran decapods are reported from the late Pliocene clays (Argille Azzurre Fm.) at localities nearby Faenza (Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna), located in the foothills of Romagna Apennines (NE Italy). The specimens were assigned to species already reported from the Pliocene of Italy, but never previously recorded in this area. This new report enlarges our knowledge on the composition and distribution of the brachyuran decapods along the Pliocene coastline of the Adriatic Gulf of the paleo- Mediterranean Sea.

Orogen-parallel variation in exhumation and its influence on critical taper evolution: The case of the Emilia-Romagna Apennine (Italy)

The Northern Apennine prowedge exposes two adjacent sectors showing a marked along-strike change in erosion intensity, namely the Emilia Apennine to the northwest and the Romagna Apennine to the southeast. This setting has resulted from Pliocene erosion (≤5 Ma) and exhumation, which have affected the whole Romagna sector and mostly the watershed ridge in Emilia. Such an evolution has conceivably influenced the equilibrium of this fold-and-thrust belt, which can be evaluated in terms of critical Coulomb wedge theory. The present state of the thrust wedge has been assessed by crosschecking wedge tapers measured along transverse profiles with fluid pressure values inferred from deep wellbores. The interpretation of available data suggests that both Emilia and Romagna are currently overcritical. This condition is compatible with the presence in both sectors of active NE-dipping normal faults, which would work to decrease the surface slope of the orogenic wedge. However, the presence of Late Miocene-Pliocene passive-roof and out-of-sequence thrusts in Romagna may reveal a past undercritical wedge state ensuing during the regional erosion phase, thereby implying that the current overcritical condition would be a recent feature. The setting of the Emilia Apennine (i.e., strong axial exhumation and limited erosion of the prowedge) suggests instead a long lasting overcritical wedge, which was probably contemporaneous with the Pliocene undercritical wedge in Romagna. The reasons for this evolution are still unclear, although they may be linked to lithosphere-scale processes that have promoted the uplift of Romagna relative to Emilia. The lessons from the Northern Apennine thus suggest that erosion and exhumation have the ability to produce marked along-strike changes in the equilibrium of a fold-and-thrust belt.

Revision of the Messinian flora of Polenta (Romagna Apennines, Northern Italy)

Revision of the Messinian flora of Polenta (Romagna Apennines, Northern Italy)

Possible Location of the Next Major Earthquakes in the Northern Apennines: Present Key Role of the Romagna-Marche-Umbria Wedge

It is argued that in some zones of the Northern Apennines, in particular the Rimini-Ancona thrust system, the Romagna Apennines and the Alta Valtiberina trough, the probability of major earthquakes is now higher than in other Apennine zones. This hypothesis is suggested by the comparison of the present short-term kinematics of the Romagna-Marche-Umbria wedge in the Northern Apennines, deduced by the distribution of major shocks in the last tens of years, with the previous repeated behavior of the same wedge, evidenced by the distribution of major earthquakes in the last seven centuries. The seismotectonics of the Apennine region here considered is closely connected with the larger context that involves the progressive migration (from south to north) of seismicity along the peri-Adriatic zones. The information provided by this study can be used to better manage the resources for prevention in Italy.

DEM-based drainage network analysis using steepness and Hack SL indices to identify areas of differential uplift in Emilia–Romagna Apennines, northern Italy

The landscape evolution in active orogens is mainly dictated by the interaction of tectonic and erosional processes. Semi-automated river profile analysis has been performed to investigate the influence of neotectonics on topographic evolution in Emilia–Romagna Apennines, northern Italy. The objective is to use the drainage network from digital elevation model (DEM) to constrain the active structures and prepare the relative uplift rates, steepness and Hack index maps of the region for the first time. Profiles of Secchia, Panaro and Reno rivers and their tributaries were modelled using stream length gradient index and area-slope analysis for concavity, steepness and uplift indices. These proved to be the most useful topographic metrics for recording the effects of local-scale and/or regional-scale active faults. Different zones are distinguished through differential relative uplift. The differences in uplift rates have been found both transverse and parallel to the mountain chain. The highly deformed areas correspond to the presence of active faults. Description of drainage pattern, river profiles, knickpoints, steepness and stream gradient analysis (Hack SL index) are found to be in good agreement with other datasets, signifying that local tectonic deformation of the study area is embedded within a broader, regional uplift of the mountain chain, in association with compressional and extensional structures.

Geochemical mapping based on geological units: A case study from the Marnoso-arenacea formation (Northern Apennines, Italy)

Geochemical maps can provide us with much information on geology, earth surface processes and anthropogenic pressure and are valuable tools for ore prospecting and land management. Stream sediments represent an integral of the various possible sources of sediments upstream from the sampling point therefore there can be multiple signal sources but generally the prevailing signal source is the one related to bedrock geology. Stream sediments collected from active second-order channels including singular geological units, were selected in order to determine the geochemical characteristics of each unit. The aim of this study was to analyse their potential for using them to integrate geological interpretation and produce a geologically-oriented geochemical map. From the 770 samples collected for a regional geochemical mapping program, we selected 149 samples whose catchment basin included only one of the members recognized within the Marnoso–Arenacea formation. This Middle-Upper Miocene (Langhian–Tortonian) turbiditic unit forms the backbone of the Romagna Apennines and has been subdivided into 14 members according to age and lithostratigraphic criteria. The results indicate that there are marked differences in the composition of the members of the Marnoso Arenecea formation which indicate the provenance of the sediment and the palaeogeographic evolution of the units. By means of univariate and multivariate statistical analyses (Factor analyses) two main types of sediment compositions are identified: Tortonian members are characterized by sialic coarse grain- sediments while the Langhian–Serravallian members are richer in carbonate fraction, slightly enriched in a mafic contribution. This study elaborated the geochemical data from a geological point of view by integrating the information available in literature to spatially extend the interpretation based on limited site observation as for petrographic studies. In general, the geochemical map based on a geological unit could be a useful tool for carrying out the geological reconstruction of a complex area.

Geochemical mapping based on geological units: a case study from the Marnoso-arenacea formation (Northern Apennines, Italy)

Geochemical maps can provide us with much information on geology, earth surface processes and anthropogenic pressure and are valuable tools for ore prospecting and land management. Stream sediments represent an integral of the various possible sources of sediments upstream from the sampling point therefore there can be multiple signal sources but generally the prevailing signal source is the one related to bedrock geology. Stream sediments collected from active second-order channels including singular geological units, were selected in order to determine the geochemical characteristics of each unit. The aim of this study was to analyze their potential for using them to integrate geological interpretation and produce a geologically-oriented geochemical map. From the 770 samples collected for a regional geochemical mapping program, we selected 149 samples whose catchment basin included only one of the members recognized within the Marnoso-arenacea formation. This middle–upper Miocene (Langhian–Tortonian) turbiditic unit forms the backbone of the Romagna Apennines and has been subdivided into 14 members according to age and lithostratigraphic criteria. The results indicate that there are marked differences in the composition of the members of the Marnoso arenecea formation which indicate the provenance of the sediment and the palaeogeographic evolution of the units. By means of univariate and multivariate statistical analyses (Factor analyzes) two main types of sediment compositions are identified: Tortonian members are characterized by sialic coarse grain-sediments while the Langhian–Serravallian members are richer in carbonate fraction, slightly enriched in a mafic contribution. This study elaborated the geochemical data from a geological point of view by integrating the information available in literature to spatially extend the interpretation based on limited site observation as for petrographic studies. In general, the geochemical map based on a geological unit could be a useful tool for carrying out the geological reconstruction of a complex area.

Different spatial methods in regional geochemical mapping at high density sampling: An application on stream sediment of Romagna Apennines, Northern Italy

Geochemical mapping is a fundamental tool for environmental monitoring and land management. For this reason, regional-, national- and global-scale geochemical mapping projects have been carried out in various countries since the late 1960s. A high density regional stream sediment geochemical survey was carried out over an area of 4125km2 in the Romagna Apennines (Northern Apennines) by collecting 770 samples (1 sample per 5km2). The <0.180mm fraction was analysed for 30 elements by means of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.The area has a complex geology dominated by sedimentary rocks, and characterised by various geological units, which belong to the Ligurian, Tosco-Umbrian and Padano-Adriatic palaeogeographical dominions. In the study area, the industrial sites and the largest towns are located on the plains, the agricultural areas are in the hills, and there is a wooded mountainous area in the upper reaches of the main streams.Various mapping techniques were used for presenting and interpreting the data: proportionally sized dots, Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)-based symbols, Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation and Sample Catchment Basin (SCB) mapping approach. Proportional dot maps indicate the lithological control of the geological units. EDA maps demonstrate that it might be easier to extract some information with relevant symbols and class divisions; moreover, the subdivision of a whole data set in separate populations, related to a specific grouping variable, highlights anomalous areas, which would not be visible in a general presentation. Finally, the comparison of IDW interpolation and SCB mapping techniques illustrates that significant anomalies related to geological and anthropogenic sources are better modelled when the geochemical landscape is represented as a discrete surface rather than a continuous surface. However, this study shows how the concentration of chemical elements cannot be presented properly with a standardised mapping technique in an area characterised by multiple factors. Indeed, the use of various mapping techniques highlights interesting features for understanding the effects of local geology or human impact.

Origin of light hydrocarbons in gases from mud volcanoes and CH4-rich emissions

This paper presents new chemical data of hydrocarbon-rich gases discharged from mud volcanoes and CH4-rich emissions located in different areas of Italy (Northern Apennines and Sicily). The determination of C5–C10 alkanes, cyclics and aromatics was carried out by GC–MS, while the main gas species and C1–C4 hydrocarbons were analyzed by GC-TDC and GC-FID, respectively. Methane is by far the most abundant component of all the investigated gas emissions, with the exception of part of those discharging close to Mt. Etna volcano, which are CO2-rich. The gas samples collected from the Emilia Apennine and Sicily show δD–CH4 and δ13C–CH4 values typical of thermogenic gases. Most gases from the Romagna Apennine discharge methane with a biogenic isotopic signature. Non-methane hydrocarbons of biogenic gases are almost exclusively C2–C4 alkanes, with minor amounts (fraction of μmol/mol) of C4+ compounds, including few aromatics and cyclics, likely deriving from minor thermogenic contribution not evidenced by the δ13C–CH4 and δD–CH4 values. The Etnean gases, whose R/Ra and δ13C–CO2 values indicate a strong contribution from a hydrothermal fluid source related to the nearby volcanic system, show a significant enrichment of aromatics compounds (up to 36% of the non-methane organic gas fraction), which is likely produced by catalytic reforming processes, such as dehydrocyclization of alkanes.The thermogenic gases from the Apennines and southwestern Sicily are characterized by the presence of more than 20 different cyclic compounds with concentrations up to several μmol/mol. Cyclic compounds are likely formed by i) thermal cracking and ii) uncompleted aromatization of alkanes occurring at depth>3km and temperatures not exceeding 120–150°C.

The deployment of deep-earth sensor probes for landslide detection

In this paper, we present a state-of-the-art wireless sensor network (WSN) of deep-earth probes (DEPs) that has been deployed to monitor an active landslide in the Western Ghats mountain range of South India. While India has one of the highest incidences of landslides and landslide-induced fatalities—primarily in the Himalayas of North India and in the Western Ghats of Central and South India—our study is perhaps the first comprehensive attempt to instrumentally detect landslides in the Western Ghats. Wireless networks have enabled us, since June 2009, to continuously monitor the deployment site in real time and from anywhere around the globe. There have been a few earlier landslide monitoring WSNs using accelerometers in Emilia Romagna Apennines, Italy; global navigation satellite system (GNSS) sensors to monitor the Hornbergl landslide, Austria; and vibrating wire stress sensors to monitor a slope in China. We improved upon these WSN systems by incorporating a variety of sensors—piezometers, dielectric moisture sensors, strain gauges, tiltmeters, a geophone, and a weather station—and installing some of these sensors as deep as 20 m below the ground surface. We present the salient aspects of the field deployment of DEPs: the selection of sensors and their incorporation in DEPs, the methodology we used in embedding these DEPs into the soil, and a few of the key aspects of the wireless sensor network. We also present a description of the deployment site and some of the results of geotechnical investigations carried out on borehole corings. Finally, we present the more interesting field data collected from the monitoring system during a rainy season in July and August 2009.

Shallow landslides triggered by rainfalls: modeling of some case histories in the Reggiano Apennine (Emilia Romagna Region, Northern Italy)

On April 10–11, 2005, the Emilia Romagna Apennine was affected by an intense rainfall event that triggered dozens of soil slips in the Province of Reggio Emilia. These shallow landslides occurred mainly on slopes of cultivated lands, often blocking roads, causing damages to crops and economic loss. Based on the analysis of an inventory of aerial photographs, it was possible to locate 45 sites where soil slips have occurred. In this paper, the area of study is described from a geological and climatic point of view. The authors analyze both the predisposing factors, related to the morphology of the territory, and the phenomena triggering factors, related to the rain trend. Once the geometrical features and characteristics of the soil slopes were available, a physically based triggering model, recently developed by the authors, was locally applied at each site. The model, which is based on the limit equilibrium method and on the hypothesis of infinite slope, is briefly described. It assumes a partial saturation condition of the soil and provides the safety factor of each slope as a function of time-variable rainfall intensity. The choice of the input parameters of the model is explained in detail. It is underlined, in particular, how the only parameter that has been determined through a procedure of back analysis, i.e., the discharge capability, is comparable to the typical permeability values obtained through field measurements by other authors, for similar kinds of soils and conditions. In this article, the results of the application of our model to the study areas, within a three-year time frame, are presented. Furthermore, on the basis of the analysis carried out, some observations on the operating mode of the model are carried out and its ability to predict a phenomenon triggering is evaluated.

Hypogeal geological survey in the “Grotta del Re Tiberio” natural cave (Apennines, Italy): a valid tool for reconstructing the structural setting

Abstract As karst systems are natural windows to the underground, speleology, combined with geological surveys, can be useful tools for helping understand the geological evolution of karst areas. In order to enhance the reconstruction of the structural setting in a gypsum karst area (Vena del Gesso, Romagna Apennines), a detailed analysis has been carried out on hypogeal data. Structural features (faults, fractures, tectonic foliations, bedding) have been mapped in the ”Grotta del Re Tiberio” cave, in the nearby gypsum quarry tunnels and open pit benches. Five fracture systems and six fault systems have been identified. The fault systems have been further analyzed through stereographic projections and geometric-kinematic evaluations in order to reconstruct the relative chronology of these structures. This analysis led to the detection of two deformation phases. The results permitted linking of the hypogeal data with the surface data both at a local and regional scale. At the local scale, fracture data collected in the underground have been compared with previous authors’ surface data coming from the quarry area. The two data sets show a very good correspondence, as every underground fracture system matches with one of the surface fracture system. Moreover, in the cave, a larger number of fractures belonging to each system could be mapped. At the regional scale, the two deformation phases detected can be integrated in the structural setting of the study area, thereby enhancing the tectonic interpretation of the area (e.g., structures belonging to a new deformation phase, not reported before, have been identified underground). The structural detailed hypogeal survey has, thus, provided very useful data, both by integrating the existing information and revealing new data not detected at the surface. In particular, some small structures (e.g., displacement markers and short fractures) are better preserved in the hypogeal environment than on the surface where the outcropping gypsum is more exposed to dissolution and recrystallization. The hypogeal geological survey, therefore, can be considered a powerful tool for integrating the surface and log data in order to enhance the reconstruction of the deformational history and to get a three-dimensional model of the bedrock in karst areas.

MORPHOLOGIC VARIATIONS OF THE TRACE FOSSIL RUTICHNUS IN CM-THICK TURBIDITES FROM THE VERGHERETO FORMATION (NORTHERN APENNINES, ITALY)

The analysis of 56 specimens of the branched, walled post-depositional trace fossil Rutichnus , sampled from 31 thin-bedded, overbank turbidites from the Verghereto Formation, Romagna Apennines, indicates high morphologic variability of this ichnotaxon in hypichnial preservation. The variability concerns the arrangement of outer and inner walls, number and shape of annulations, distribution of pustules, the (false) branching arrangement and the general external shape. Highest variability has been observed mainly in the Rutichnus rutis ichnospecies, clearly less in the R. irregularis ichnospecies that is rare. The Dino-Lite microscope camera analysis of oriented thin sections indicates that endichnial preservation exhibits many structures due to burrowing in soft substrate, destroying laminae of sand. Consequently Rutichnus probably was produced by a worm or arthropod, inducing strong deformation in turbidite sand during the feeding activity on phytodetritus and organic matter transported by the turbidity flow.

Quantifying rock uplift rates using channel steepness and cosmogenic nuclide–determined erosion rates: Examples from northern and southern Italy

Rock uplift rates can be difficult to measure over 103–105 yr time scales. If, however, a landscape approaches steady state, where hillslope erosion and rock uplift rates are steady and locally similar, then it should be possible to quantify rock uplift rates from hillslope erosion rates. Here, we test this prediction by comparing channel steepness index values and 10Be catchment-averaged erosion rates to well-constrained rock uplift rates in two landscapes in Italy. The first field area is the Romagna Apennines, northern Italy, where rock uplift rates are relatively uniform, between 0.2 and 0.5 mm/yr (regional mean 0.40 ± 0.15 [SE] mm/yr), and have been steady since 0.9 Ma. The second area is the region around northeastern Sicily and the southernmost Italian peninsula, where rock uplift rates are higher and exhibit a strong spatial gradient, from ∼0.7 to ∼1.6 mm/yr (regional mean 1.09 ± 0.13 [SE] mm/yr). In both regions, channel steepness indices and 10Be erosion rates vary directly with rock uplift rates. Although there is considerable variability in erosion rates, regionally averaged rates in both the northern (0.46 ± 0.04 [SE] mm/yr) and southern (1.21 ± 0.24 [SE] mm/yr) areas accurately measure rock uplift rates. Although channel steepness indices do not quantify rock uplift rates, they are useful for (1) identifying regional patterns of rock uplift, (2) identifying areas where uplift rates might be expected to be uniform, and (3) informing 10Be sampling strategies. This study demonstrates that, together, channel steepness and hillslope erosion rates can provide a powerful tool for determining rock uplift rates.

Environmental Monitoring and Task-Driven Computing

Two monitoring projects relate to this issue's theme, Hostile Environments: Landslide Monitoring in the Emilia Romagna Apennines and Air Quality Monitoring for Pervasive Health. In addition, Task-Driven Framework for Pervasive Computing reports on TaskOS, a project to develop task-driven recommendation systems for pervasive computing environments.

A model for triggering mechanisms of shallow landslides

Abstract. Rainfall-induced shallow landslides, also called "soil slips", are becoming ever more frequent all over the world and are receiving a rising interest in consequence of the heavy damage they produce. At the University of Parma, a simplified physically based model has been recently set up for the evaluation of the safety factor of slopes which are potentially at risk of a soil slip. This model, based on the limit equilibrium method applied to an infinite slope, takes into account some simplified hypotheses on the water down-flow and defines a direct correlation between the safety factor of the slope and the rainfall depth. In this paper, this model is explained in detail and is used in a back analysis process to verify its capability to foresee the triggering instant of rainfall-induced shallow landslides for some recent case studies in the Emilia Romagna Apennines (Northern Italy). The results of the analyses and of the model implementation are finally shown.

Bathyal sharks from the middle Pliocene of the Romagna Apennines (Italy)

Bathyal sharks from the middle Pliocene of the Romagna Apennines (Italy)