Rendiconti Lincei-Scienze Fisiche E Naturali最新文献

We propose an innovative methodology for seismic emergency planning and earthquake risk mitigation in central Italy by integrating three prototypal earthquake scenarios. The different scenarios derive maximum earthquake magnitudes from different input data. The first scenario utilizes local rheological, geological, and geophysical conditions; the second scenario considers the study area fault characteristics, while the third scenario relies on the cluster analysis of historical and instrumental earthquake records. The magnitudes and related uncertainties are combined using a conflation method to derive the expected ground motions for a grid of sites in central Italy. The resulting scenarios include peak ground acceleration and spectral ordinates, presented as maps and spectra for two selected localities. The vertical component of ground motion is also presented, because it is essential for accurately assessing the response of short-period structures. Our methodology complements the more classic seismic hazard analyses, offering additional insights for earthquake contingency planning and loss analysis. The proposed methodology is flexible; multiple models and ongoing advancements in scenario practice (near-field effects, vertical ground motion, and the choice of ground motion models) can be easily incorporated, increasing the effectiveness of seismic scenario modeling in seismic emergency planning and risk mitigation.

Abstract

A soil bin test facility is a crucial tool for investigating the interaction between terrain and measuring devices under specific field conditions in the field of terramechanics. This paper presents a comprehensive categorization of soil bin test facilities based on their applications and provides a summary of their development in agricultural, vehicle engineering, and deep space exploration. In addition, the paper highlights the improvements made in soil bin test facilities through illustrative examples. A comparative analysis of the structure and characteristics of soil bin test facilities during different periods is presented, along with a summary of their key structural parameters. Furthermore, this study outlines the significance of soil bin test facilities across various fields and presents future development directions. The research findings presented herein serve as a valuable reference for the design, modeling, and innovative optimization of soil bin test facilities.

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This short paper introduces the topical collection of rendiconti lincei. scienze fisiche e naturali, which includes contributions originating from those presented at the Conference on “The Mediterranean System: a hotspot for climate changes and adaptation”, 21-22 March 2023 at Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome. The physics of the Earth system, particularly the coupled ocean/atmosphere, constitutes the foundation for modelling the processes of climate change; its consequences strongly impact human society, and adaptation measures are required to mitigate its effects. This paper summarizes these factors by focusing on the Mediterranean Basin which can be considered a laboratory for studying, understanding and modelling global processes worldwide.

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The nature and extent of the main interactions between the Earth’s atmosphere and the ocean are briefly reviewed, introducing the main properties of these two planetary systems, the hierarchy of timescales and spatial scales characterizing their processes, and the main mechanisms involved. To clarify these mechanisms, a few examples of exchanges of momentum, energy, and mass exchanges are briefly outlined. The paper aims at stimulating students to discover the fascinating interplay among two of the most relevant components of our planet, such as the atmosphere and the ocean, and suggests resources for further exploration.

Graphical abstract

On 12 November 2019 at 21:50 UTC, about 85% of the city of Venice was flooded, due to the sea-level height reaching 189 cm—the second largest value ever recorded there. Both the operational modeling system and the machine learning system underestimated the event by about 40 cm. To explain the underestimation, the sea-level data recorded in the area were subjected to the decomposition method that had been gradually developed at the Andrija Mohorovičić Geophysical Institute over the last 40 or so years. The procedure revealed eight phenomena contributing to the sea level maximum: vertical land motion, sea-level rise, variable annual change, surge caused by planetary atmospheric waves, tide, storm surge, meteotsunami, and wind set-up inside the lagoon. It turned out that a combined contribution of the last two phenomena was almost equal to the difference between observed sea-level height and forecasted/hindcasted values. Consequently, the difference was related to a secondary atmospheric depression, which had caused both meteotsunami and wind set-up inside the lagoon but was not adequately captured by the operational modeling system nor was it allowed for by the machine learning system. Since the decomposition method proved to be useful in the Adriatic Sea, it is expected that the method could be applicable in other basins around the world if they are prone to strong and multifaceted atmospheric forcing.

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The funerary paintings at Tarquinia, recognized for their extraordinary cultural and artistic importance, reflect the Etruscan aristocracy’s outlook on life, funeral rites, and their concept of the afterlife, such as their relationship with nature. Despite their recurrence, a botanical analysis of the painted trees was lacking. Here, we analysed 34 Etruscan-painted tombs, looking at the arboreal plants, studying their characteristic architecture, and providing key elements resulting from abstractions from real features for understanding how different species are represented. The identification was supported by a bibliography of Etruscan iconography and botanical atlas and online databases useful for the comparison with the diagnostic elements present in the represented trees. The results show that myrtles (Myrtus communis) and laurels (Laurus nobilis) were the most commonly depicted arboreal species in the fifth and fourth century BC tombs, respectively. Myrtles were prominent in funerary celebrations due to the plant’s Dionysian connection, and laurel was sacred within Apollonian rites. To a lesser extent, we also found palms, with their auspicious symbolism (hybrid forms combining Chamaerops humilis and Phoenix dactylifera), and single occurrences of fig (Ficus carica), and fir (Picea cfr. excelsa). These findings help to better comprehend the role of trees in Etruscan culture, which here seem to contribute to the representation of a sacred space within the funerary tomb, in keeping with the ancient concept of the sacred forests or “nemora”. The regular repetition of trees also helps to project sequences of temporal events and the progress of time in human life.

The annual costs related to corrosion and its prevention have been responsible for a significant part of the Gross Domestic Product in the Western world. In addition to economic costs and technological delays, corrosion can lead to structural failures having dramatic consequences for humans and the environment. In this context, the constant development of coating technology is needed. The search for natural products applied in anti-corrosive coatings has been of great industrial importance as they have a lower energy consumption in their production when compared to their synthetic counterparts. Plant extracts represent a rich source of natural chemical components that can be extracted by means of simple and low-cost procedures. In this research, an alkaloid-rich extract from the jaborandi leaf, with epiisopiloturine (EPI) as the major alkaloid, is investigated for its anti-corrosive activity. The investigation includes the coating formation on an AISI type 1020 steel substrate, which was submitted to accelerated corrosion tests and then to polarization analysis and impedance measurements in saline environment. The extract-covered plates proved to be corrosion-resistant in a saline environment. Thus, using computational chemistry, we propose an electrostatic interaction model that rationalizes the EPI adhesion on metal surfaces.

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In this study, modified activated carbon fibers and phytic acid-doped polyaniline/activated carbon fiber composites were successfully prepared by modifying activated carbon fibers and compounding polyaniline. The electrokinetic adsorption combined remediation technology was used to study the remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil. The results showed that when the electric field intensity was 2 V cm⁻¹ and the repair time was 120 h, 0.1 mol L⁻¹ citric acid solution was circularly added to the cathode using electrolyte. The current during the repair process showed periodic fluctuations with the extension of the repair time. The current of adding P-PANI/ACF adsorbent near the cathode region was larger than that of other groups, and cadmium has a higher removal rate. The mean removal rate of Cd(II) in soil with a content of 60 mg kg⁻¹ reach 76.94%.

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The temporal trends in species’ descriptions of new amphibian species in the period 1758–2017 were studied to understand whether the increase in the number of active taxonomists could have influenced the increase in the number of species discovered over the years, and whether there was any differential attention during the various periods towards especially one of three main orders of amphibians (Anura, Caudata or Gymnophiona). These aspects were studied using a suite of statistical methods. We highlighted that the temporal effect was not statistically homogeneous among the amphibian taxa, with a very strong effect of the years (1758–2017) on the species description numbers for only the order Anura. We also showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the number of active taxonomists (that increased remarkably in recent decades) and the yearly number of discovered amphibian species. Moreover, we showed that the rise of new descriptions by year was significantly quicker in the Neotropical region. In future years, it would be interesting to place the observed patterns within the specific history of the countries situated within the various biogeographic regions, including such aspects as the legacy of the ‘colonial time’, the post-colonization effect, the ‘cold war’, and the modern times. Further suggestions on possible research about correlation to biogeographic variables, type of rarity, threat category, and eco-behavioral traits of the species have been added.

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This study focuses on the archeological characterization of potsherds from Tigranakert in Artsakh belonging to different centuries (from 9–13 century) using SEM/EDS technique. Archeometry and archeological science correspond and refer to the application of scientific techniques to the analysis of archeological materials, as well as the processes involved in their manufacture (Williams, Late Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphorae in the Mediterranean: Archaeology and Archaeometry, BAR International Series, London, 2005; Vigil de la Villa Mencía and García Giménez, La Ciencia y el Arte: Ciencias Experimentales y Conservación del Patrimonio Histórico. Instituto del Patrimonio Histórico Español, Madrid, 2008; Martinón-Torres and Killick, The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Theory, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2015). This paper presents a study of a set of ceramic samples using stratigraphic analysis coupled with SEM/EDX technique. Ceramic materials provide information on the clay materials employed in their manufacture (Hradil et al., Appl Clay Sci 165:135–147, 2018; Giannossa et al., J Cult Herit 43:242–248, 2020), hence facilitating the assignment of their autochthonous or allochthonous character (Kordatzaki et al., J Archaeol Sci Rep 7:526–529, 2016; Montana, Anthropol Sci12:175, 2020; Hein and Kilikoglou, Anthropol Sci 12:180, 2020). Analysis of the cross-section provides the stratigraphic evaluation of the ceramic body (holes, cavities, imperfections, granulometry, inclusions, and color), the glaze, or other superficial layers (glazes, transparency or opacity, color and saturation, defects, and other). SEM images showed that the potsherds have a quite poor vitrification degree and heterogeneous grain distribution, suggesting a simple firing technique.