Tiber Research Articles

Identification of flood‐prone areas with GeoFlood: Lessons learned from the Tiber River case study

AbstractFlood mapping is a vital component for sustainable land use in flood‐prone areas. Due to the frequency of flood events, local authorities demand effective yet simple methods for the preliminary identification of flood‐prone areas at large scales to subsequently define mitigation strategies. We focus here on the workflow GeoFlood, a parsimonious model which uses only high‐resolution Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) to define the geomorphological and hydrological information necessary for flood inundation mapping, thus allowing for large‐scale simulations at a reasonable computational cost. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the conditions under which GeoFlood is able to correctly reproduce inundation scenarios (with an assigned return period) and their flooding characteristics. Specifically, we analyze its performance over a highly urbanized area, the mid‐lower portion of the Tiber River (Italy). We simulated the 200‐year return period scenario and compared the results to those provided by the local authority. A sensitivity analysis is performed to quantify the influence of the main geometric and hydraulic parameters involved. Results show that GeoFlood produces rapid flood estimation than can be used in support of standard costly methods over large scales, quickly pointing out the critical flood‐prone areas, with consideration of all the uncertainties involved.

Simultaneous assimilation of water levels from river gauges and satellite flood maps for near-real-time flood mapping

Abstract. Hydro-meteo hazard early warning systems (EWSs) are operating in many regions of the world to mitigate nuisance effects of floods. EWS performances are majorly impacted by the computational burden and complexity affecting flood prediction tools, especially for ungauged catchments that lack adequate river flow gauging stations. Earth observation (EO) systems may integrate the lack of fluvial monitoring systems supporting the setting up of affordable EWSs. But, EO data, constrained by spatial and temporal resolution limitations, are not sufficient alone, especially at medium–small scales. Multiple sources of distributed flood observations need to be used for managing uncertainties of flood models, but this is not a trivial task for EWSs. In this work, a near-real-time flood modelling approach is developed and tested for the simultaneous assimilation of both water level observations and EO-derived flood extents. An integrated physically based flood wave generation and propagation modelling approach, that implements an ensemble Kalman filter, a parsimonious geomorphic rainfall–runoff algorithm (width function instantaneous unit hydrograph, WFIUH) and a quasi-2D hydraulic algorithm, is proposed. An approach for assimilating multiple stage gauge observations is proposed to overcome stability issues related to the updating of the quasi-2D hydraulic model states. Furthermore, a methodology to retrieve distributed observed water depths from satellite images to update 2D hydraulic modelling state variables is implemented. Performances of the proposed approach are tested on a flood event for the Tiber River basin in central Italy. The selected case study shows varying performances depending on whether local and distributed observations are separately or simultaneously assimilated. Results suggest that the injection of multiple data sources into a flexible data assimilation framework constitutes an effective and viable advancement for flood mitigation to tackle EWS uncertainty and numerical stability issues. Specifically, our findings reveal that the simultaneous assimilation of observations from static sensors and satellite images led to an overall improvement of the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) between 5 % and 40 %, the Pearson correlation up to 12 % and bias reduction up to 80 % with respect to the open-loop simulation. Moreover, this combined assimilation allows us to reduce the flood extent uncertainty with respect to the disjoint assimilation simulations for several hours after the satellite image acquisition.

Assessing Indices Tracking Changes in River Geochemistry and Implications for Monitoring

In geochemical data analysis, assessing the potential of new techniques to identify compositional time–space changes is of great interest for monitoring purposes. This work aims to evaluate, in the light of the compositional data analysis perspective, the performance of different statistical indices in tracing the evolution of a geochemical composition and the relationships among its parts. To reach this goal, source-to-sink chemical changes in water and stream sediment composition of the Tiber river (central Italy) are analyzed using three indices: (i) the cumulative sum of unclosed perturbation factors of each composition (row sum) with respect to a reference composition; (ii) the robust Mahalanobis distance, describing the compositional differences from the same reference and, (iii) the geometric mean of each composition as a measure able to capture the interactions among the parts. The results highlight the major compositional changes downriver, allowing to explore geochemical footprints’ propagation and their natural or anthropogenic origin. The tested indices are consistent in most cases, particularly if high-variability species are treated separately and low values are rare. Under this latter condition, the geometric mean of the composition shows a close connection with the cumulative sum of unclosed perturbation factors. This indicates that both indices inherit the complex history of the changes, well capturing the interactions among the parts under the influence of environmental drivers. With this awareness, the application of these methods in monitoring and applied geochemical studies could offer new insights into the inner workings of river systems and their resilience to environmental pressures.

Nitrogen Budget and Statistical Entropy Analysis of the Tiber River Catchment, a Highly Anthropized Environment

Modern farming causes a decline in the recycling of the soil’s inorganic matter due to losses by leaching, runoff, or infiltration into the groundwater. The Soil System Budget approach was applied to evaluate the net N budget at the catchment and sub-catchment levels of the Tiber River (central Italy) in order to establish the causes for different N budgets among the sub-catchments. Statistical Entropy Analysis (SEA) was used to evaluate the N efficiency of the Tiber River and its sub-catchments, providing information on the dispersion of different N forms in the environment. The total N inputs exceeded the total outputs, showing a low N retention (15.8%) at the catchment level, although some sub-catchments showed higher N retention values. The Utilized Agricultural Area was important in the determination of the N balance, as it was linked to zoo- and agricultural activities, although the Random Forest analysis showed that the importance ranking changed with the land use. The low N retention of the Tiber catchment was due to the soil characteristics (Cambisols and Leptosols), loads from atmospheric deposition, biological fixation, and the livestock industry. The SEA simulations showed a reduction of the N released into the atmosphere and groundwater compartments from 34% to 6% through a reduction of the N loads by 50%.

Efficient capture of ornidazole through cobalt/zinc-containing naonoporous carbons derived from cobalt/zinc-based MOF-74

Ornidazole (ONZ) capture from water is one of thorny difficulties for water purification. To solve this issue, a series of novel interconnected nano-porous carbons (NPCs) with high adsorption activities toward ONZ has been firstly developed via direct carbonization of Zn-(MOF-74), Co-(MOF-74), and Zn/Co-(MOF-74) self-sacrifice templates. Textural properties of as-prepared NPCs were proven and compared by XRD, SEM, XPS, and N2 adsorption, etc. The extraordinary 3D porous structure thus fabricated significantly enhanced ONZs capture ability. Inspiring, we observed that Zn/Co-NPC exhibited extraordinarily high ONZs capture capacity as a result of synergistic effects of electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, coordination, and π-π conjugation, displaying a maximum ONZs uptakes capacity of 320 ​mg/g. Moreover, the ONZs capture ability over our prepared NPCs only underwent a slight change after the fifth reuse. Overall, this novel NPC exhibits a promising practical application for ONZs capture from aqueous solutions.

Fluorometric determination of ornidazole by using BSA coated copper nanoclusters as a novel turn off sensor.

A fluorescent probe based on bovine serum albumin stabilized copper nanoclusters (BSA-CuNCs) was developed for the selective and sensitive determination of ornidazole (ORN). The nanoclusters were synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal process in basic media. The synthesized and characterized BSA-CuNCs have less than 3 nm particle size and exhibited blue emission at 405 nm when excited at 325 nm. Synthesized and characterized nanoclusters were successfully applied as a turn-off fluorescent probe for the determination of ORN in pharmaceutical dosage forms. The quenching mechanism created an was inner filter effect (IFE). The method was linear in the concentration range of 0.52-13.56 μg mL-1 with a low limit of detection (LOD) 0.01 μg mL-1. High recovery values (98.5%-102.42%) with low RSD% values (0.25%-2.73%) were obtained. The synthesized nanoclusters can be used as a turn-off probe for ORN determination with their selective, simple, rapid, and inexpensive properties.

From City to Sea: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Floating Macrolitter in the Tiber River

From City to Sea: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Floating Macrolitter in the Tiber River

A series of carbonate-brisdged Ln (Ln = Eu, Tb, Gd) frameworks: Colour tunability for barcode applications and selective luminescence sensing towards nitroimidazole antibiotics

Three metal–organic frameworks, TbCO3OH (ZH-103), EuCO3OH (ZH-104), and GdCO3OH (ZH-105), were synthesised using DMF/H2O under solvothermal conditions. Multiple types of bimetallic doped EuxTb1 − X-ZH-103 frameworks, which showed unique colour changes, were obtained by adjusting Eu3+/Tb3+ ion ratios. Subsequently, multiple types of trimetallic doped EuxGdyTb1 − x − y-ZH-103 frameworks were obtained by tuning Eu3+/Gd3+/Tb3+ ion ratios. These frameworks also exhibited striking colour changes, including white light emissions, and showed potential for their use in barcode applications. In addition, ZH-103 showed high selectivity towards nitroimidazole antibiotics, including metronidazole (MDZ), dimetridazole (DTZ), and ornidazole (ODZ), through luminescence quenching. The detection of one antibiotic using ZH-103 was not interfered with by other antibiotics. The calculated limits of detection for MDZ, DTZ, and ODZ were 0.12, 0.23, and 0.09 mM, respectively.

Identifying the influence of a large alluvial valley on train-induced vibration propagation in Rome by an integrated approach

In recent decades, the number of tunnels has increased within city centres worldwide due to the construction of new underground train lines, thus instigating subsequent issues related to an increase in the amount of vibrations affecting pre-existing buildings and infrastructures; therefore, more studies have been devoted to investigating the interactions between underground train lines and buildings within the framework of a site-city interaction (SCI) scheme. The already designed layout of line C of the Rome Metro was chosen as the research object of a case study focusing on underground train-induced vibration propagation in the city centre of Rome (Italy). Numerical modelling was carried out to analyse the propagation of future vibrations within the large buried alluvial valley and to assess the spatial extension of the induced vibration resentment.Two different subsoil models were considered for this study area: i) a homogeneous model (HoM), in which a homogeneous filling of Tiber alluvia was considered, and ii) a heterogeneous model (HeM), where the Tiber alluvia was distinguished within various lithotechnical units. Specific geophysical measurements were performed to i) record vibrations induced by accelerating, braking and regularly transiting trains to provide input for numerical modelling and ii) define the typical ambient vibration noise of the investigated area. Numerical modelling was then performed using the CESAR-LCPC code, which adopts a finite element method (FEM) solution in the time domain, to simulate the propagation of train-induced vibrations within the Tiber River valley in both the HoM and HeM simulations.The simulation outputs reveal a negligible deamplification effect up to approximately 2 Hz with respect to the considered solicitation in the area located above the tunnels and a maximum effect with respect to the reference ambient vibration noise within 5 and 10 Hz along the valley. The vibrations induced by the accelerating trains can be associated with the highest resentment at the free surface of the valley. A more intense effect generally results in the HeM simulation, which highlights the nonnegligible role of the heterogeneities present within the Tiber alluvia in propagating train-induced vibrations. The numerical outputs highlight that the train-induced vibrations can propagate hundreds of metres away from the underground train location, i.e., up to 400 m astride the axis of the designed tunnels in the case study considered here, and can be distinguished with respect to the regular ambient vibration level.

From Lithological Modelling to Groundwater Modelling: A Case Study in the Tiber River Alluvial Valley

This study presents the results of a research project financed by the Lazio Regional Government. The research focused on defining an integrated model of recent alluvial deposits in the Tiber River. To achieve this objective, geological boreholes were made to monitor the aquifer and in situ and laboratory tests were carried out. The data obtained were used to detail stratigraphic aspects and improve the comprehension of water circulation beneath the recent alluvial deposits of the Tiber River in the urban area of Rome, between the Ponte Milvio bridge and the Tiber Island. The stratigraphic intervals recognised in the boreholes were parameterised based on their litho-technical characteristics. The new data acquired, and integrated with existing data in the database of Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering of the Italian National Research Council, made it possible to produce a three-dimensional model of the lithologies in the study area. The model of the subsoil, simplified for applied reasons, was described in hydrostratigraphic terms: three different lithotypes were subjected to piezometric levels monitoring. Finally, the research generated a numerical hydrological model in a steady state. In general, this study demonstrates how a numerical hydrogeological model calibrated by piezometric monitoring data can support the construction of a geological model, discarding or confirming certain hypotheses and suggesting other means of reconstructing sedimentary bodies.

Assessment of a low-enthalpy geothermal resource and evaluation of the natural CO2 output in the Tor di Quinto area (Rome city, Italy)

Rome Capital City is located in a high heat flux area of central Italy, suitable for low-enthalpy geothermal exploitation. In the central-northern part of the city, near Tor di Quinto hippodrome close to Tiber River, a wide undeveloped area occurs, which is a possible future urban development site. We present the results of a geochemical and geophysical study aimed at assessing the presence in this zone of a low-enthalpy geothermal aquifer and at evaluating its depth, thickness and the physico-chemical characteristics of the geothermal water. Furthermore the natural CO2 output of this zone has been investigated. A soil CO2 flux survey with 551 measurements over a surface of 3.09 km2 revealed the presence of parallel NW-SE trending positive flux anomalies. The total CO2 output was estimated to 87.77 t*day−1, most of which (85%) of endogenous or mixed origin. An Electrical Resistivity Tomography survey, consisting of five parallel 355 m long and 100 m spaced profiles, allowed the reconstruction of the stratigraphy of the underground sediments, which are fluvial deposits of the near Tiber River. The geothermal water is hosted in a low-resistivity layer, corresponding to the Tiber base gravels, which are here 20 m thick and whose top is 40 m below the surface. The water has a nearly constant temperature of 17.5 °C, a relatively high salinity and an appreciable content in dissolved gas. This low-enthalpy resource is suitable for direct uses, e.g. individual and district heating/cooling, sanitary hot water, spa facilities for swimming and bathing.

ROMAN PORTS IN THE LOWER TIBER VALLEY: COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES TO REASSESS ROME'S PORT SYSTEM

This paper presents an innovative study of the port system of Rome in Imperial times through the application of an integrated approach to both archaeological analysis and material evidence. Specifically, it seeks to provide a more complete contextualization and understanding of the port system of Rome by focusing on the exploration of the physical geography of the river Tiber and its transformations in connection with the organization of the port system between the late first century BC and early third century AD. Methodologically, this study is based on the compilation, re-evaluation and analysis of published archaeological and geoarchaeological data and on the application of modelling and simulations techniques within a GIS environment. These foundations and means allow us to reconstruct the development of the river Tiber's historical course in antiquity and its impact on specific organizational aspects of Rome's port system. In this sense, this study provides new insights and avenues of research (applicable to other geographical areas and periods of time) to evaluate the system's changing capacity for transport and the potential existence of a signalling system, in contrast to previous hypotheses on the organization of river traffic along the Tiber.

Antequera’nın Roma Mozaikleri. Genel Bir Bakış

The present-day city of Antequera, in the province of Malaga, Spain, dominates an extensive territory encompassing numerous archaeological sites from different eras. The urban centres of Singilia Barba, Anticaria and Aratispi, belong to the Roman period, now only offering us two mosaics, and a good number of rural properties, from which most of the set of Antequera mosaics come.
 Within the Antequeran mosaic repertoire, the geometric mosaic occupies a special place, with specimens of great beauty and excellent design, for example those in the majestic Roman villa of La Estación. From a figurative point of view, Antequera has beautiful specimens, such as the Oceanus mosaic of the baths of Santa María and that of the Erotes and Priapus figures of the Roman villae of La Estación and Bobadilla, respectively. Particularly, the Roman villa of Caserío Silverio has a heritage consisting of a large number of figurative representations, highlighting the imposing, although poorly preserved, pavement of the triclinium. This mosaic must have contained a scene related to the mythology of water, of which singular fragments are preserved, such as the representation of the Tiber River and some epigraphic verses extracted from book IV of Vergil’s Georgics.

DISTRIBUTION AND GENETIC ANALYSIS OF WILD-LIVING EURASIAN BEAVERS IN CENTRAL ITALY

The presence of the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber L. has been recently confirmed with two separated populations in Tuscany (Central Italy) and probably represents the result of an unofficial release. In late spring and summer 2021, seven reliable records of Eurasian beaver have been collected in Umbria and other neighbouring regions, implying that the distribution of this large rodent is even wider than previously reported. In this short work, we updated the distribution of this protected species in Central Italy, by collecting and mapping all the confirmed occurrences. Beavers were proved to be present throughout the Tiber (Tevere) river basin in both provinces of Umbria, and another individual has been road-killed in the Marche region, near the border with Tuscany. Other single signs of presence occurred in Emilia Romagna and Latium. The only hair sample we were able to collect confirmed it as the Eurasian beaver species. No reliable evidence is available on the number of free-ranging beavers in Central Italy, and systematic monitoring is needed. Before any management and conservation action, further data are required concerning distribution range, potential origin, social perception, and the effects on the ecosystems.

Detection of interaction between ornidazole and albumin by using thermodynamic parameters

The binding of 1-chloro-3-(2-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazole-1-yl) propan-2-ol (Ornidazole) to human serum albumin (HSA) was studied by fluorescence and UV-visible spectroscopy. Interaction of ornidazole (OR) with HSA was identified by Stern-Volmer and Van’t Hoff equations. The binding constant, Kb and the thermodynamic parameters, ∆H, ∆S, and ∆G at different temperatures were calculated by several equations. Data shows that the fluorescence quenching mechanism of HSA with ornidazole may occur via static quenching. The thermodynamic parameters showed that van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonds are the major forces for the interaction of ornidazole with HSA. The spectral changes of synchronous fluorescence suggested that both the microenvironment of OR and the conformation of HSA concerning their concentrations have changed during binding.  Â

A millennium-long climate history of erosive storms across the Tiber River Basin, Italy, from 725 to 2019 CE

Rainfall erosivity drives damaging hydrological events with significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. This study presents the world’s hitherto longest time-series of annual rainfall erosivity (725–2019 CE), one from the Tiber River Basin (TRB), a fluvial valley in central Italy in which the city of Rome is located. A historical perspective of erosive floods in the TRB is provided employing a rainfall erosivity model based on documentary data, calibrated against a sample (1923–1964) of actual measurement data. Estimates show a notable rainfall erosivity, and increasing variability, during the Little Ice Age (here, ~ 1250–1849), especially after c. 1495. During the sixteenth century, erosive forcing peaked at > 3500 MJ mm hm–2 h–1 yr–1 in 1590, with values > 2500 MJ mm hm–2 h–1 yr–1 in 1519 and 1566. Rainfall erosivity continued into the Current Warm Period (since ~ 1850), reaching a maximum of ~ 3000 MJ mm hm–2 h–1 yr–1 in the 1940s. More recently, erosive forcing has attenuated, though remains critically high (e.g., 2087 and 2008 MJ mm hm–2 h–1 yr–1 in 1992 and 2005, respectively). Comparison of the results with sediment production (1934–1973) confirms the model’s ability to predict geomorphological effects in the TRB, and reflects the role of North Atlantic circulation dynamics in central Italian river basins.

Tectonics and fluvial dynamism affecting the Tiber River in Prehistoric Rome

Geomorphological investigations in Rome’s river valley are revealing the dynamism of the prehistoric landscape. It is becoming increasingly apparent that paleogeographic conditions that defined Rome in the historical era are the product of changes since the Bronze Age, which may be the result of local fault activity in addition to fluvial dynamism. Through a dedicated borehole chronostratigraphic study, integrated by 14C and archaeological dates, and paleomagnetic investigations, we offer here new evidence for fault displacement since ca. 4500 years/BP. We present the failure of the sedimentary fabric of a clay horizon caused by liquefaction processes commonly linked with seismic shaking, interpreting an (ca. 4 m) offset to signify the existence of a fault line located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. In addition, we show evidence for another (ca. 1 m) offset affecting a stratigraphic horizon in the river channel, occurring along another hypothesized fault line crossing through the Tiber Valley. Movement along this fault may have contributed to a documented phase of fast overflooding dated to the sixth century BCE which eventually led to the birth of the Tiber Island. The most plausible scenario implies progressive deformation, with an average tectonic rate of 2 mm/year, along these inferred fault lines. This process was likely punctuated with moderate earthquakes, but no large event necessarily occurred. Together, the available evidence suggests that during the early centuries of sedentary habitation at the site of Rome, active fault lines contributed to significant changes to the Tiber River valley, capable of challenging lowland activities.

The construction and the collapse of the Tiber retaining walls in Rome, Italy (1870–1900)

This paper addresses the construction history of the River Tiber retaining walls (muraglioni) in Rome, Italy, between 1876 and 1900. In particular, the construction and the collapse of the Anguillara and Alberteschi sections are analysed through the analysis of the literature of the time and the archival source of the Genio Civile of Rome, after the river flood of December 1900. The retaining wall collapse and the subsequent studies on stability conditions conducted in 1901 are presented and discussed to improve the knowledge of geotechnical engineering history and its crucial role in the maintenance of existing heritage structures.

Environmental management of waters and riparian areas to protect biodiversity through River Contracts: The experience of Tiber River (Rome, Italy)

AbstractUrban rivers may perform important ecological roles and provide many ecosystem services, especially in urban contexts. Considering this, River Contracts were officially introduced in 2000, during the Second Forum of the World Water Council, as participative agreements aimed at managing the complexity of fluvial ecosystems. Collecting data on fluvial and riparian biodiversity, establishing ecological relationships among biological components, and evaluating their resistance and resilience to anthropic impacts are needed to assess the ecological sustainability of the anthropic actions. Here, we provide a review of literature and regulation on River Contracts, and a methodological contribution to the evaluation of different environmental components, their ecological connections, and the role of anthropic impacts. To address the aim, we performed a critical analysis of the existing data on the Tiber River close to Rome. We used the information to identify the actions that should be included in the Tiber River Contract to improve its natural value and its potential ecosystem services. Several areas emerged where information was lacking such as the human impact on these ecosystems. Data highlight the disappearance of rare Mediterranean species and of those linked to wetland habitats, as well as an increase in alien species and species typical of disturbed areas. Further research on biodiversity and management is required to support nature conservation.

An integrated approach for chemical water quality assessment of an urban river stretch through Effect-Based Methods and emerging pollutants analysis with a focus on genotoxicity

The impact of emerging chemical pollutants, on both status and functionality of aquatic ecosystems is worldwide recognized as a relevant issue of concern that should be assessed and managed by researchers, policymakers, and all relevant stakeholders. In Europe, the Reach Regulation has registered more than 100.000 chemical substances daily released in the environment. Furthermore, the effects related to the mixture of substances present in aquatic ecosystems may not be predictable on the basis of chemical analyses alone. This evidence, coupled with the dramatic effects of climate changes on water resources through water scarcity and flooding, makes urgent the application of innovative, fast and reliable monitoring methods. In this context, Effect-Based Methods (EBMs) have been applied in the urban stretch of the Tiber River (Central Italy) with the aim of understanding if detrimental pressures affect aquatic environmental health. In particular, different eco-genotoxicological assays have been used in order to detect genotoxic activity of chemicals present in the river, concurrently characterized by chemical analysis. Teratogenicity and embryo-toxicity have been studied in order to cover additional endpoints. The EBMs have highlighted the presence of diffuse chemical pollution and ecotoxicological effects in the three sampling stations, genotoxicological effects have been also detected through the use of different tests and organisms. The chemical analyses confirmed that in the aquatic ecosystems there is a diffuse presence, even at low concentrations, of emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, not routinely monitored pesticides, personal care products, PFAS. The results of this study can help to identify an appropriate battery of EBMs for future studies and the application of more appropriate measures in order to monitor, mitigate or eliminate chemical contamination and remediate its adverse/detrimental effects on the ecosystem health.