Vesuvius Research Articles

Earthquakes May Have Amplified the Destruction of Pompeii

A new analysis of skeletons and collapsed walls indicates that seismic activity compounded the historic catastrophe wrought by Mount Vesuvius.

Volcanic Eruption: Case Studies of Italy Country

It is a well-known fact that among all the major natural disasters, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions have a special place because they originate inside the earth. While an earthquake can occur anywhere although there are preferred areas of high seismicity, volcanic eruptions take place through the existing vents in the earth’s crust. These vents or volcanoes are known locations although new vents or volcanoes can also take birth by volcanic activity. The mainland of our country has no history of such hazards. There are two minor volcanoes in the Andaman Islands and one of these has been silent for long. Fortunately, India is not much affected. However, other countries like Ethiopia, Italy, Canada, Japan, Mexico, USA, Colombia, Iceland, New Zealand, Indonesia, Philippines, and USSR are among those facing volcanic activity, quite serious at times. It can be stated without fear of contradiction that Italy is the country with a long history of volcanic eruptions, some of which have been notoriously disastrous. Therefore, in this research paper discuss a few case studies with special reference to the famous volcanoes of Italy, like Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius, Stromboli and Vulcano.

Soils on Recent Tephra of the Somma–Vesuvius Volcanic Complex, Italy

The Somma–Vesuvius volcanic complex emitted huge quantities of volcanic materials over a period from before 18,300 years BP to 1944. The activity during the last period, from post-AD 1631 to 1944, primarily produced lava and pyroclastics via effusive and strombolian eruptions. We investigated the pedogenesis on rocks formed from post-AD 1631 to 1944, occurring on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius up to Gran Cono Vesuviano and in the northern valley separating Vesuvius from the older Mt. Somma edifice. Pertinent morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical (XRD and FT-IR) soil properties were studied. The results indicated the existence of thin and deep stratified soils on lava, as well as the presence of loose detritic covers formed via pyroclastic emplacement and redistribution. The soils showed minimal profile differentiation, frequently with layering recording the episodic addition of sediments. We found that the dominant coarse size of primary mineral particles was preserved, and there was a low level of clay production. The main mineralogical assemblage present in sands also persisted in clays, indicating the physical breaking of the parent material. Chemical weathering produced mineral modifications towards the active forms of Al and Fe and was also attested in selected soils by glass alteration, allophane production, and the presence of analcime in clay as a secondary product from leucite. The differences in glass alteration and analcime production found in the selected soils on lava were related to soil particle size and soil thickness. Concerning the youngest soil present on Gran Cono Vesuviano, other factors, such as the substratum’s age and site elevation, appeared to be implicated.

Lahar events in the last 2000 years from Vesuvius eruptions – Part 1: Distribution and impact on densely inhabited territory estimated from field data analysis

Abstract. Lahars represent some of the most dangerous phenomena in volcanic areas for their destructive power, causing dramatic changes in the landscape with no premonitory signs and impacting the population and infrastructure. In this regard, the Campanian Plain turns out to be very prone to the development of these phenomena, since the slopes of the Somma–Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei volcanoes, along with the Apennine reliefs, are mantled by pyroclastic deposits that can be easily remobilized, especially after intense and/or prolonged rainfall. This study focuses on the analysis of pyroclastic fall and flow deposits and of the syn- and post-eruptive lahar deposits related to two sub-Plinian eruptions of Vesuvius in 472 CE (Pollena) and 1631. To begin with, historical and field data from the existing literature and from hundreds of outcrops were collected and organized into a database, which was integrated with several new pieces of data. In particular, stratigraphic, sedimentological (facies analysis and laboratory), and archeological analyses were carried out, in addition to rock magnetic investigations and impact parameter calculations. The new data are also referenced to the finding of ash beds in more distal areas, which were included in new isopach maps for the two sub-Plinian eruptions. The results show that for both eruptions the distribution of the primary deposits is wider than previously known. A consequence of these results is that a wider areal impact should be expected in terms of civil protection, as the sub-Plinian scenario is the reference one for a future large eruption of Vesuvius. Such a distribution of the pyroclastic deposits directly affects the one of the lahar deposits, also because a significant remobilization took place during and after the studied eruptions, which involved distal phreatomagmatic ash. From these integrated analyses, it was possible to constrain the timing of the deposition and the kind of deposits remobilized (pyroclastic fall vs. flow), and it was possible to calculate the velocities and dynamic pressures of the lahars and ultimately infer the lahar transport and emplacement mechanisms. The multidisciplinary approach adopted in this work shows how it is crucial to assess the impact of lahars in densely populated areas even at distances of several to tens of kilometers from active volcanoes. This especially applies to large parts of the densely populated areas around Somma–Vesuvius up to the nearby Apennine valleys.

Enricofrancoite, KNaCaSi4O10, a new Ca–K–Na silicate from Somma–Vesuvius volcano, southern Italy

Abstract Enricofrancoite (IMA2023–002), ideally KNaCaSi4O10, is a new litidionite-group member found as the product of high-temperature alteration of hosting silicates with the enrichment by Cu-bearing fluids at the rock–fumaroles interface related to the 1872 eruption of Somma–Vesuvius volcano, southern Italy. It occurs as euhedral and platy crystals or crusts together with litidionite, tridymite, wollastonite and Al- and Fe-bearing diopside, kamenevite, perovskite, rutile, Ti-rich magnetite and colourless Si-glass. Single crystals of enricofrancoite are transparent colourless or light blue with a vitreous lustre. Mohs hardness is 5.5. Dmeas is 2.63(3) g/cm3 and Dcalc is 2.63 g/cm3. The mineral is optically biaxial (−), α = 1.542(5), β = 1.567(5),γ = 1.575(5); 2V(meas) = 60(2)° and 2Vcalc = 58°. The mean chemical composition (wt.%, electron-microprobe data) is: SiO2 64.81, Al2O3 0.03, TiO2 0.08, FeO 0.07, MgO 1.71, CaO 10.64, CuO 2.22, Na2O 8.56, K2O 11.41, total 99.94. The empirical formula based on 10 O apfu is: K0.90Na1.03(Ca0.71Mg0.16Cu0.10)Σ0.97Si4.02O10. The Raman spectrum contains bands at 133, 248, 265, 290, 335, 400, 438, 510, 600, 690 and 1120 cm–1 and the wavenumbers of the IR absorption bands are: 424, 470, 492, 530, 600, 630, 690, 750, 788, 970, 1040 and 1160 cm–1. The eight strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are [d, Å (I, %) hkl]: 6.75 (42) 01 $\bar{1}$ , 3.65 (20) 11 $\bar{2}$ , 3.370 (100) 02 $\bar{2}$ , 3.210 (52) 102, 3.051 (18) 111, 3.033 (25) 2 $\bar{1}\bar{2}$ , 2.834 (22) 02 $\bar{3}$ and 2.411 (72) 03 $\bar{2}$ . Enricofrancoite is triclinic, space group P $\bar{1}$ , unit-cell parameters refined from the single-crystal data are a = 7.0155(4) Å, b = 8.0721(4) Å, c = 10.0275(4) Å, α = 104.420(4)°, β = 99.764(4)°, γ = 115.126(5)° and V = 472.74(5) Å3. The crystal structure has been refined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data to R1 = 0.035 on the basis of 2078 independent reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo). Enricofrancoite is an H2O-free analogue of calcinaksite with 5-coordinated Ca2+ at the M site.

Marine Geological Studies of the Bay of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): Revised Applications of the Seismo-Stratigraphic Concepts and Evolving Technologies to a Late Quaternary Volcanic Area

Marine geological studies of Naples Bay are discussed and reviewed, focusing on the application of the seismo-stratigraphic concepts to a Late Quaternary volcanic area. The Naples Bay represents an active volcanic area in which the interactions between volcanic and sedimentary processes controlled a complex stratigraphic architecture during the Late Quaternary period. While the volcanic processes took place in correspondence with the activity of the Somma–Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei Ischia, and Procida volcanic complexes, the sedimentary processes were controlled by the fluvial processes in the Sarno-Sebeto coastal plain and by the tectonic uplift in correspondence with the Sorrento Peninsula’s structural high Key geophysical and stratigraphic studies of the three active volcanic complexes are revised and discussed. The seismo-stratigraphic concepts applied in the geological interpretation of seismic profiles of Naples Bay are reviewed and discussed: here, the classical concepts of seismic and sequence stratigraphy have been successfully applied, but only partly, due to the occurrence of several buried volcanoes and volcanic seismic units and tephra layers, calibrated by gravity cores.

PROMETHEUS: Probability in the Mediterranean of Tephra dispersal for various grain sizes. A tool for the evaluation of the completeness of the volcanic record in medial-distal archives

PROMETHEUS is a statistical tool that allows creating maps showing the probability of finding tephra deposits of different grain sizes, originating from eruptions of a specific volcanic source, at any location around the vent. It couples wind profiles at different heights in the Mediterranean area with terminal velocity of volcanic particles. The input parameters include the height of the eruption column (which characterizes the intensity of the eruption), wind statistics (directions and intensities), and tephra deposits of a selected grain size. In particular, we used the parameterizations provided by Costa et al. (2016) and performed simulations using the HAZMAP tephra dispersal model to determine the maximum reachable distances that tephra can cover under weak, medium, and strong wind conditions (e.g. 7, 30, and 70 m/s velocities at the tropopause) and with column heights of 10, 20, and 30 km, depositing of at least the loading corresponding to 0.1 mm (corresponding to cryptotephra). Three alternative configurations of the model are validated analyzing first the eruptive source of Somma Vesuvius, with the related explosive eruptions from 22 ka Pomici di Base to the 1944 eruption. A further validation is made by comparing the probabilistic maps with the tephrostratigraphy of known marine and terrestrial cores using standard test of proportions (binomial distributions) and the binary logistic regression model, statistically quantifying the effectiveness of the model against the tephrostratigraphy recorded within this time frame. Based on this validation, a preferred configuration of PROMETHEUS is selected. PROMETHEUS probability maps will guide the selection of sampling sites for specific tephra deposits and could also support the study of the completeness of overall eruption catalogs over time.

The Avellino Event. Cultural and Demographic Effects of the Great Bronze Age Eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Overview of main project results, publications and valorisation activities

Between 2015 and 2019, a team of archaeologists, palaeobotanists and geologists from the Universities of Groningen, Amsterdam and Leiden looked into the distal effects of a powerful eruption of the Somma–Vesuvius volcano in Campania on the former wetlands of the Agro Pontino and Fondi coastal plains in Central Tyrrhenian Italy. These wetlands are located c. 60 km south of Rome and between 90 and 140 km north-west of Mount Vesuvius. The ‘Avellino’ eruption took place during an advanced stage of the Early Bronze Age and was radiocarbon dated around 1900 BCE. This article reports on the results of the research programme “The Avellino Event: Cultural and Demographic Effects of the Great Bronze Age Eruption of Mount Vesuvius”, funded by the Dutch Research Council. The team’s main hypothesis, that people living in the surroundings of Mount Vesuvius in the Early Bronze Age who had time to escape the proximal effects of the eruption – pyroclastic flows and heavy ash falls – fled to the relative safety of nearby coastal areas to build a temporary or permanent new existence, was disproved by field evidence early on. No major environmental and archaeological impacts were evident in the archaeological and environmental record of the study area around the date of the eruption. Nonetheless, the research resulted in a significant increase in geological and palaeobotanical data, which has proved extremely useful for the reconstruction of the longue durée of human–landscape interactions. The Avellino tephra was a most reliable chronological horizon in this reconstruction contributing to the overall objectives of the long-running Pontine Region Project of the University of Groningen. This contribution contains an overview of the main results of the Avellino Event Project, including an overview of scientific publications, valorisation output, and a brief discussion of some remarkable spin-off projects.

Vegetation reconstruction of the Agro Pontino and Fondi basin (central Italy) before and after the Bronze Age eruption of Somma-Vesuvius (c. 1900 BCE)

In the research project The Avellino Event: Cultural and Demographic Effects of the Great Bronze Age Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the recording of local and regional changes in the vegetation of the landscapes of the Agro Pontino and the Fondi basin (southern Lazio, Italy) before and after the Bronze Age eruption of Somma-Vesuvius (c. 1900 BCE) was central to answer the project’s central question, which revolved around the nature of the distal effects of this high-magnitude eruption on the conditions of living for the Bronze Age human population inhabiting these landscapes. If adverse effects of the ash fall in these areas were minor, the Agro Pontino and the Fondi basin, located about 125 km north of the Vesuvius, could well have been the refuge area people might have fled to in their attempts to escape the pyroclastic flows that eventually would bury parts of Campania around the Vesuvius below a thick layer of tephra. If adverse effects of the ash fall were major, the situation might, likewise, have led to changes in vegetation but could have resulted in a decline in human and animal presence due to toxicity, for instance. In both scenarios, either population growth due to in-migration or population decline due to environmental impact, we expected to see changes in the vegetation record in the period during which the Avellino Event occurred. To test our hypotheses, we performed archaeobotanical research, using pollen and macro-remains, on stratified soil sequences from test pits in the Agro Pontino and the Fondi basin containing the Avellino tephra layers, thereby guaranteeing sound chronological control. (The research revealed the presence of other known distal tephras as well.) Contrary to our expectations, the research did not provide proof of any significant changes in the vegetation around the date of the Avellino Event, nor did it provide any strong signs of human impact on these landscapes in the longer term before and after the distal ash fall, thereby indicating low population levels during the final part of the Early Bronze Age (EBA) and the initial phase of the Middle Bronze Age. Although this finding about human impact is an important outcome, it is not the only finding. The archaeobotanical research provided the project with high-resolution information on the vegetation and environmental conditions in the Agro Pontino and the Fondi basin for the duration of the Bronze Age. This, in combination with the physical-geographical data collected during the project, added significantly to our ability to perform detailed palaeogeographical reconstruction of the Agro Pontino and the Fondi basin. In addition, it increased our understanding of how the landscape had been settled during the Bronze Age (Sevink et al. 2022; Attema et al. in press). A final spin-off consisted of possible new information on the 4.2 ka climatic event that impacted Italy during later prehistory, as reflected in the pollen diagrams presented.

Geophysical assessment of seawater intrusion: the Volturno Coastal Plain case study

In coastal alluvial plains, the variability of sedimentary inputs, tectonic and eustatism causes a complex subsurface geology which influences the position of fresh/saltwater interface. Furthermore, in these areas densely populated, the over-pumping of freshwater, coupled with the climate change events, promotes the landward migration of freshwater/saltwater boundary. This research illustrates the ability of geophysical tools to recognize the presence of salt/brackish water at Volturno Coastal Plain, Southern Italy. This area is characterized by a peculiar geological setting, due to the proximity at Somma–Vesuvio and Campi Flegrei volcanic areas, which profoundly influences the circulation of groundwater. The subsurface is mainly characterized by: (i) two denser layers located at − 10 m and − 20 m depth which in part prevents the vertical migration of groundwater, (ii) facies heteropy that facilitates the hydraulic connection between the different geological bodies, (iii) a discontinuous Campanian Ignimbrite deposits which favor the hydraulic connection between deeper and shallower aquifers. In this geological framework, 2D-ERT and 3D-ERT integrated with Downhole, Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves and boreholes made possible to recognize the presence of two main zones with salt and brackish waters, respectively. The first zone, characterized by very low resistivity (≤ 1 Ωm) typical of salt water, stretches 1.5 km inland from the coast. The second zone, with a resistivity between 2 and 5 Ωm typical of brackish water, continues for other 3 km inland. This knowledge is useful for the engagement of all stakeholders (farmers, ranchers and policy makers) in the sustainable use of fresh water and for making water management plan operational tools.

Constraining the volatile evolution of mafic melts at Mt. Somma–Vesuvius, Italy, based on the composition of reheated melt inclusions and their olivine hosts

Abstract. Mount Somma–Vesuvius is a stratovolcano that represents a geological hazard to the population of the city of Naples and surrounding towns in southern Italy. Historically, volcanic eruptions at Mt. Somma–Vesuvius (SV) include high-magnitude Plinian eruptions, such as the infamous 79 CE eruption that occurred after 295 years of quiescence and killed thousands of people in Pompeii and surrounding towns and villages. The last eruption at SV was in 1944 and showed a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 3 (0.01 km3 of volcanic material erupted). Following the 1944 eruption, SV has been dormant for the past nearly 79 years, with only minor fumarolic and seismic activity. During its long history, centuries of dormancy at SV have ended with Plinian eruptions (VEI 6) that signal the beginning of a new cycle of eruptive activity. Thus, the current dormancy stage demands a need to better understand the mechanism involved in high-magnitude eruptions in order to better predict future eruption magnitude and style. Despite centuries of research on the SV volcanic system, many questions remain, including the evolution of magmatic volatiles from deep primitive magmas to shallower more evolved magmas. Developing a better understanding of the physical and chemical processes associated with volatile evolution at SV can provide insights into magma dynamics and the mechanisms that trigger highly explosive eruptions at SV. In this study, we present new data for the pre-eruptive volatile contents of magmas associated with four Plinian and two inter-Plinian eruptions at SV based on analyses of reheated melt inclusions (MIs) hosted in olivine. We correct the volatile contents of bubble-bearing MIs by taking into account the volatile contents of bubbles in the MIs. We recognize two groups of MIs: one group hosted in high-Fo olivine (Fo85–90) and relatively rich in volatiles and the other group hosted in low-Fo olivine (Fo70–69) and relatively depleted in volatiles. The correlation between volatile contents and compositions of host olivines suggests that magma fractionation took place under volatile-saturated conditions and that more differentiated magmas reside at shallower levels relative to less evolved/quasi-primitive magmas. Using the CO2 contents of corrected MIs hosted in Fo90 olivine from SV, we estimate that 347 to 686 t d−1 of magmatic CO2 exsolved from SV magmas during the last 3 centuries (38–75 Mt in total) of volcanic activity. Although this study is limited to only few SV magmas, we suggest that further study applying similar methods could shed light on the apparent lack of correlation between the volatile contents of MIs and the style and age of eruptions. Further, such studies could provide additional constraints on the origin of CO2 and the interaction between the carbonate platform and ascending magmas below SV.

Hydrological and volcano-related gravity signals at Mt. Somma–Vesuvius from ∼20 yr of time-lapse gravity monitoring: implications for volcano quiescence

SUMMARY We report on about 20 yr of relative gravity measurements, acquired on Mt. Somma–Vesuvius volcano in order to investigate the hydrological and volcano-tectonic processes controlling the present-day activity of the volcano. The retrieved long-term field of time gravity change (2003–2022) shows a pattern essentially related to the subsidence, which have affected the central part of the volcano, as detected by the permanent GNSS network and InSAR data. After reducing the observations for the effect of vertical deformation, no significant residuals are found, indicating no significant mass accumulation or loss within the volcanic system. In the north-western sector of the study area, at the border of the volcano edifice, however, significant residual positive gravity changes are detected which are associated to ground-water rebound after years of intense exploitation of the aquifers. On the seasonal timescale, we find that stations within the caldera rim are affected by the seasonal hydrological effects, while the gravity stations at the base of the Vesuvius show a less clear correlation. Furthermore, within the caldera rim a multiyear gravity transient is detected with an increase phase lasting about 4 yr followed by a slower decrease phase. Analysis of rain data seem to exclude a hydrological origin, hence, we hypothesize a deeper source related to the geothermal activity, which can be present even if the volcano is in a quiescent state. We infer the depth and volume of the source by inverting the spatial pattern of the gravity field at the peak of the transient. A volume of fluids of 9.5 × 107 m3 with density of 1000 kg m−3 at 2.3 km depth is capable to fit reasonably well the observations. To explain the gravity transient, simple synthetic models are produced, that simulate the ascent of fluids from a deep reservoir up to the depth of 2.3 km and a successive diffusion within the carbonate aquifer hosting the geothermal system. The whole process appears to not significantly affect the seismicity rate and the deformation of the volcano. This study demonstrates the importance of a 4-D gravity monitoring of a volcano to understand its complex gravity signals that cover different spatial and temporal scales. Discriminating the different contributions that mix up in the observed gravity changes, in particular those due to hydrologic/anthropogenic activities form those due to the geothermal dynamics, is fundamental for a complete and reliable evaluation of the volcano state.

Continuous Gravity Observations at Mt. Somma-Vesuvius with a gPhoneX Gravimeter: In-Depth Instrumental Response Characterization and Tidal Model

We report on the results of about 9 months of gravimetric recordings acquired at Mt. Somma-Vesuvius (SV) volcano (Southern Italy) with the new generation relative gravimeter gPhoneX#116 (gPh#116), which is a gravimeter specifically designed for continuous gravity recording. We also present the outcomes of an intercomparison experiment of the gPhone#116 conducted at the J9 gravity observatory in Strasbourg (France). In this intercomparison, we were able to check the scale factor of the meter with a high degree of precision by means of an intercomparison with 2 superconducting gravimeters (SGs) and a FG5-type absolute ballistic gravimeter. Multiple calibration approaches allowed us to validate the manufacturer's original calibration constants to a level of 1% accuracy and 0.1% precision. Moreover, we carried out a comparative study of the noise level of the gPh#116 with respect to the SGs and other spring meters routinely used in both prospecting and time-lapse gravimetry. It turns out that gPh#116 exhibits lower levels at hourly time-scales than other compared spring gravimeters (Graviton, gPhone#054, Scintrex-CG5). It was also possible to carry out a detailed study of the instrumental drift, a crucial topic for reliable monitoring of the long-term gravity variations in active volcanic areas. In fact, a challenge in time-lapse gravimetry is the proper separation of the instrumental variations from real gravity changes eventually attributable to recharge or drainage processes of magma or fluids in the feeding systems of active volcanoes. A negative finding coming out from the intercomparison is that, even when applying the tilt correction, the gravimetric residuals obtained with the gPh#116 are an order of magnitude larger and quite inconsistent with those obtained with co-located superconducting gravimeters. We guess this problem could be overcome by installing the gravimeter on an auto-levelling platform. From the analysis of the gravity records, a reliable tidal gravity model was derived, which we believe will help to improve the accuracy of volcano monitoring, as it will allow appropriate correction of tidal effects for both relative and absolute gravity measurements acquired in the area. Two further interesting elements arose from our study: (1) a peculiar cavity effect of the SV underground laboratory that seems to influence the tilt change; (2) the small residual gravity signals are time correlated with the rainfall peaks and are compatible with gravity decreases induced by increases in soil moisture above the gravimeter.

Assessing long-term tephra fallout hazard in southern Italy from Neapolitan volcanoes

Abstract. Nowadays, modeling of tephra fallout hazard is coupled with probabilistic analysis that takes into account the natural variability of the volcanic phenomena in terms of eruption probability, eruption sizes, vent position, and meteorological conditions. In this framework, we present a prototypal methodology to carry out the long-term tephra fallout hazard assessment in southern Italy from the active Neapolitan volcanoes: Somma–Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, and Ischia. The FALL3D model (v.8.0) has been used to run thousands of numerical simulations (1500 per eruption size class), considering the ECMWF ERA5 meteorological dataset over the last 30 years. The output in terms of tephra ground load has been processed within a new workflow for large-scale, high-resolution volcanic hazard assessment, relying on a Bayesian procedure, in order to provide the mean annual frequency with which the tephra load at the ground exceeds given critical thresholds at a target site within a 50-year exposure time. Our results are expressed in terms of absolute mean hazard maps considering different levels of aggregation, from the impact of each volcanic source and eruption size class to the quantification of the total hazard. This work provides, for the first time, a multi-volcano probabilistic hazard assessment posed by tephra fallout, comparable with those used for seismic phenomena and other natural disasters. This methodology can be applied to any other volcanic areas or over different exposure times, allowing researchers to account for the eruptive history of the target volcanoes that, when available, could include the occurrence of less frequent large eruptions, representing critical elements for risk evaluations.

Serial Forms: The Unfinished Project of Modernity, 1815-1848, by Clare Pettitt

Reviewed by: Serial Forms: The Unfinished Project of Modernity, 1815–1848 by Clare Pettitt William Lee Hughes (bio) Serial Forms: The Unfinished Project of Modernity, 1815–1848, by Clare Pettitt; pp. xviii + 348. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020, $94.00. Clare Pettitt’s Serial Forms: The Unfinished Project of Modernity, 1815–1848 sets out to develop an interdisciplinary methodology for understanding how ordinary people, particularly the working poor, came to feel like agents of history. This project is the first in a planned series of three books, which draws upon print media studies, affect theory, and nineteenth-century historicism to argue that “seriality is the defining form of modernity” (2). It will be of great interest to scholars of the Victorian period, but it is particularly noteworthy for its closely- and well-researched chapters that cover the Regency and Georgian periods, which are too frequently ignored in nineteenth-century scholarship. The greatest strength of the book is its meticulous research of periodicals, including The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction (1822–49), Penny Magazine (1832–44), Olio; or, Museum of Entertainment (1828–33), Parterre (1834–6), Saturday Magazine (1832–44), Chambers’s Edinburgh Magazine (1832–54), Howitt’s Journal (1847–8), and Frederick Douglass’s North Star (1847–51). In chapter 1, “Yesterday’s News,” Pettitt argues that repressive taxes on print that were passed after Peterloo, especially the Newspaper Stamp Duties Act (one of the Six Acts), created a time-lag in the distribution of news, so that poorer people experienced print not in terms of the ephemera of an empty homogenous time of modernity, but rather as part of a multi-media culture. The repressive taxes encouraged poorer people to purchase chapbooks, broadsides, ballads, and almanacs instead of the costlier newspapers. These older forms of print media provided a different model of time and history, which overlapped with the newer models of time and history created by the daily newspaper. Pettitt shows that these serial rhythms did not synchronize until mid-century, after the repressive taxes had been repealed. Serial Forms opens new directions for the study of nineteenth-century periodicals by thinking of them as media rather than as literature. As media, these texts are not just texts. Rather, they are tools to be actively manipulated and engaged with in various ways that enable the reader or user to imagine themself as a historical agent and to feel like a part of history. Pettitt creates a cogent set of terms for analyzing and theorizing seriality in the period, particularly in her chapters on Lord Byron and Sir Walter Scott. While Scott is often read as the progenitor of the historical novel, Pettitt argues that his work is “unbound” by its close relationship to ballads, broadsides, and popular oral, material, and print culture (69). For Pettitt, it is best to “abandon the idea of the novel” to understand Scott’s work. Instead, Scott’s works are “print objects” (71). This term highlights the ways in which the illiterate and semi-literate engaged with print media through illustrations and as toys, for example. The chapter on Byron argues that his work is best understood in terms of serial performance (rather than as plays or poems) in an “immersive media revolution” (123). This performance creates a structure of feeling, “feeling at a distance,” which makes possible the extention of civic culture to the illiterate and semi-literate working poor (129). Readers will notice Pettitt’s engagement with critical theory and with affect theory in particular. Indeed, Serial Forms offers a refreshingly material engagement with affect studies. In Pettitt’s argument, the working class’s increasing access to serial print media renegotiates their place in history and enables them to feel and “imagine themselves into a historical [End Page 697] present” (250). The chapter on Mount Vesuvius argues that “emerging serial news media” created a shared sense of ordinary dailiness for a widening portion of the population (165). This sense of dailiness precipitated a feeling of living in a potentially historical moment in which an event could emerge. Without the feeling of ordinary dailiness, no true historical difference (event) could occur. The chapter on the biopolitics of seriality brings Pettitt’s...

The potential impact of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) from terrestrial vegetation on a Mediterranean area using two different emission models

Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) emitted from vegetation are precursors of ozone (O3), photochemical oxidants and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in the lower troposphere. The interaction between urban polluted air plumes originated along the coasts of the Mediterranean basin with biogenic emission occurring inland contributes to the occurrence of exceedances of the air quality standards for O3 and fine suspended particles (PM10, PM2.5). This interaction is favoured by prevailing sea-land breeze circulation during persistent high-pressure conditions. The actual contribution of BVOC to photochemical pollution is still uncertain because the approaches used to assess the emissions from terrestrial vegetation are quite different. There is some evidence in literature that BVOC emissions from Mediterranean vegetation is not accurately estimated by models based on the plant functional types (PFT) approach. To investigate these issues, a Plant Specific Emission Model (PSEM) was developed and applied to the Campania region in Southern Italy, for which a detailed vegetation inventory has been built. BVOC emission maps estimated by PSEM were compared with those generated using a PFT methodology, evidencing significant differences. BVOC emissions from the two models were then used to predict the concentrations of precursors and products of photochemical smog pollution over the Gulf of Naples (Italy) using a chemical-transport model. Simulations were performed during a period characterised by high pressure conditions that favour an enhanced O3 production under a sea-breeze circulation regime. VOCs concentration profiles predicted by the two models were compared with field data collected over Mount Vesuvius using a tethered balloon coupled with a PTR-MS. The results proved the better capability of PSEM to predict the concentrations of many BVOCs, including isoprene and some of its primary oxidation products over the measuring site, and suggested the significant potential of BVOC emission to produce SOA over the gulf of Naples.

Sigmund Freud, 19 Berggasse, Vienna. André Breton, 42 Rue Fontaine, Paris

Sigmund Freud, 19 Berggasse, Vienna. André Breton, 42 Rue Fontaine, Paris

Unraveling the role of the thermal and laser impacts on the blackening of cinnabar in the mural paintings of Pompeii

The blackening of red cinnabar (α-HgS) pigment has traditionally been explained by its conversion into black metacinnabar (β-HgS). Scarce is however the scientific evidence that supports this hypothesis in polychrome artworks. As such transition occurs at around 345 °C, the thermal impact of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD could have induced this structural change of the pigment present in the mural paintings of Pompeii. This work aims to assess whether the mentioned volcanic eruption could be responsible of the cinnabar blackening through the formation of metacinnabar. The thermodiffractometry study of cinnabar-decorated fresco mock-ups stated that the formed β-HgS is not stable, observing its reversion into α-HgS. Moreover, sublimation of the cinnabar pictorial layer was registered, also when the cinnabar paint layer was protected by a coating of pyroclastic materials. In real blackened cinnabar Pompeian samples, it was not possible to identify metacinnabar by X-ray diffraction (XRD), but evidence of sublimation of mercury due to the thermal impact was observed. Hence, this blackening seems to be related mainly to the presence of calomel (Hg2Cl2) and a gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) crust as degradation products of red cinnabar and the calcite mortar, respectively, and not to the formation of metacinnabar. Finally, laser-based techniques could also induce modifications in the HgS crystalline structure, resulting in an amorphous black product. Therefore, the elemental and molecular study of the species promoted by laser impact was carried out to avoid false positives in the metacinnabar detection or when the decorated surface has been subjected to laser cleaning.Graphical

Eating in an extreme environment: diet of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) on Vesuvius

The European hare (Lepus europaeus) is cosmopolitan species, living in a variety of habitats and showing a diversified diet, that has been described mainly from agricultural meadows and crops, with little information available for extreme environments. Here, we describe, for the first time, the diet of the European hare from Mount Vesuvius, using DNA metabarcoding and high-throughput sequencing on DNA extracted from faecal pellets, a proxy for a population living in a volcanic environment. The DNA from pellets was first genetically assigned to European hare using high-resolution melting analysis. The diet of the hare on Vesuvius is mainly composed of herbaceous species belonging to Fabaceae (86.26% of total diet). The most frequent plant items ingested by the species are Galega officinalis and Lupinus angustifolius (67.10% of total diet), although these are detected only sporadically in the study area. Indeed, the spectrum of available plants also includes other easily accessible wild (i.e. Lolium sp., Bromus sp., Rumex sp.) and cultivated (i.e. Solanum lycopersicum, Cucumis melo, Pisum sativum) plant items, found only in traces in the diet of the hares. Our contribution adds information on the trophic ecology of the European hare, exploring its ability to live in an extreme environment. This could be useful to set a management strategy for conservation of the species, which is ecologically relevant on Vesuvius as prey for birds and mammals, as well as a vegetation modulator via selective grazing by endozoochory. Furthermore, our study represents the latest information on the diet of the hare living in an environment that no longer exists: an extensive fire destroyed about 80% of the woody area after our sampling. The post-fire regrowth is transforming the original environment and consequently the trophic availability for the European hare.

Gazelles (Gazellaspp.) depicted in frescoes and sculpture from Herculaneum and Pompeii

Paintings and sculptures depicting gazelles ( Gazella spp.) are frequent in Ancient Roman art. Images of gazelles have been discovered during the archaeological explorations of Herculaneum and Pompeii, devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in ad 79. Two bronze statues of ungulates from the Villa of the Papyri, Herculaneum, now on display at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (National Archaeological Museum of Naples), have not been correctly identified, consequently causing erroneous speculation about their cultural significance. The aim of this paper is to suggest which gazelle species inspired these artefacts, and to also discuss the wider context of the artistic representations of gazelles from Herculaneum and Pompeii and their surroundings.