Search Results (91)

The results of a multiscale study of fault and fracture geometry, distribution, density, and intensity are reported for Mesozoic platform carbonates cropping out along the axial zones of the southern Apennines fold-and-thrust belt, Italy. By integrating field structural observations with digital outcrop analysis, the study focuses on Cretaceous limestone rocks exposed along natural creeks and artificial trails of the Castelsaraceno area, Raparo Mt., southern Italy. There, the limestone beds are bounded by mm- to cm-thick marly–clayey interbeds, forming a well-layered succession made up of a few m-thick bed packages bounded by several cm-thick clayish interlayers. The carbonate multilayer was first affected by thrust tectonics, with the formation of low-angle intra-carbonate thrust faults and fault bend-folding. Then, the multilayer was crosscut by extensional–transtensional high-angle faults, which displaced the previously formed contractional structural elements, and allowed carbonate exhumation from shallow crustal depths. At outcrop scales, thrust-related deformation was solved by low-angle joints and veins, rare high-angle stylolites, and low-angle sheared fractures displaying reverse kinematics. Quantitative analyses of fracture density (P20) and intensity (P21) conducted on selected portions of the thrust fault zones indicate that the low-angle joints and veins attain their highest values in the vicinity of the main slip surfaces, whereas they are almost absent in the surrounding carbonate host rocks. Plio-Quaternary transtensional deformation was solved by NW–SE- and NE–SW striking faults. The latter fault set, nicely exposed along the flanks of the Raganello Creek, was characterized by right-lateral components of slip. Incipient faults, with ca. 1 cm throw, are made up of vertically discontinuous slip surfaces, which crosscut single bed packages and abut against clayish interlayers. The slip surfaces form conjugate geometries, and are associated to high-angle fractures and veins striking NE–SW, dissecting the bed packages. The fault core is virtually absent, whereas the damage zones are very discontinuous along dip. The P20 values computed for the high-angle fractures and veins increase toward the slip surfaces, whereas the P21 values remain nearly constant. These data are interpreted as being due to fault nucleation processes associated with fracture nucleation within the limestone rocks. NE–SW striking small faults displaying throws between 10 and 60 cm are comprised of through-going main slip surfaces crosscutting multiple bed packages, and poorly developed, discontinuous fault cores flanked by m-thick damage zones. The damage zones include sub-parallel high-angle shear fractures, fractures and veins showing a positive correlation between P20 and P21, whose values increase in the vicinity of the main slip surfaces. Such a positive correlation is interpreted as due to fault growth by linkage and coalescence of pre-existing high-angle fractures, and formation of fault-related joints and veins at the extensional quadrants of single shear fractures. Similarly, large-scale NE–SW striking mature faults with throws on the order of tens of meters, made up of a m-thick fault core and 10 s of m-thick damage zones including sub-parallel fractures and veins, also show a positive P20 and P21 correlation. The main outputs of this work are synthesized into a conceptual model illustrating the transition from thrust-related deformation to extensional–transtensional faulting, documenting the evolution of fracture networks from incipient-to-small-to-mature faults. Full article

Conventional spring sowing of sugar beet in Europe faces increasing constraints from summer drought, high temperatures, and Cercospora beticola pressure due to climate change. This two-year field trial (2021–2022 and 2022–2023) evaluated the feasibility of autumn-sown sugar beet at a northern Mediterranean site in Legnaro (Padua, NE Italy, 45°21′ N). Nine varieties were assessed across four sowing dates in 2021 (late September to early November) and two sowing dates in 2022 (late September and late October). Measurements included overwinter survival, bolting incidence at two reproductive stages, fresh root and above-ground biomass yield at sequential harvest dates, and root soluble solids (°Brix). Post-winter mortality was negligible following September and early-October sowings, moderate after late-October sowings (17.3% in 2021; 13.2% in 2022), and extremely high after early-November sowing (81.5%). These patterns indicated that winter survival was more strongly determined by crop developmental stage before winter than by seasonal minimal temperatures recorded in two seasons (−3.6 °C and −6.3 °C, respectively). Bolting incidence showed the opposite trend, reaching near-complete or complete expression in the earliest sowings regardless of variety choice. In late-October sowings, clear varietal differences emerged. Some varieties combined low bolting incidence with high root yields, reaching 81.1–84.4 t ha⁻¹ at the final harvest (early August 2023). Root juice soluble solids were higher in the drier 2021–2022 season (exceeding 20 °Brix in several cases) than in the wetter 2022–2023 season (consistently below 17.5 °Brix), reflecting dilution effects associated with the different seasonal precipitation. In the sequential harvest series of late-October 2022 sowing, later harvest dates were generally associated with lower soluble solids. These results indicate that, within the autumn sowing window evaluated, late-October sowing combined with appropriate varietal selection provided the best balance between overwinter survival, bolting incidence, and root yield at this northern Mediterranean latitude. Future multi-site studies, including spring-sown controls, could enable direct comparison with conventional sowing practice. Full article

Small Mediterranean coastal lagoons are sensitive sedimentary environments where basin morphology, hydrodynamic processes, and inherited coastal structures interact to control sediment dispersal. This study investigates modern sedimentary patterns in Lake Porto Vecchio, a shallow coastal brackish pond within the Oliveri–Tindari lagoon system (NE Sicily, Italy), by integrating grain-size statistical and petrographic analyses, and morpho-bathymetric data. A total of 115 surface sediment samples were collected from the coastal pond’s shallow bottom, shoreline, adjacent beach, and shallow marine sector. Grain-size distributions were analyzed using mechanical sieving and laser diffraction, and textural parameters were calculated following Folk and Ward’s formula. Results reveal a well-defined spatial organization of siliciclastic sediments characterized by a grain-size gradient from gravelly coarse-grained sands along the shallow marginal platform to fine-grained sands and silts toward the deeper central basin. This pattern reflects a progressive decrease in hydrodynamic energy from the lagoon margins toward the basin depocenter. A partially lithified beachrock belt forms a shallow platform controlling sedimentation, trapping coarse sediments along the margins while promoting the accumulation of finer fractions in the inner basin. Grain-size discrimination diagrams further distinguish lagoonal sediments from adjacent marine deposits, highlighting the effectiveness of classical statistical approaches in reconstructing modern sedimentary processes. These results support a conceptual model in which inherited beachrock platforms act as key morphological control on sediment architecture in microtidal coastal lakes. Lake Porto Vecchio, therefore, represents a useful modern analog for interpreting similar lagoonal deposits preserved in the Quaternary sedimentary record. Full article

Using International Waterbird Census data spanning 1993–2022, we analysed temporal trends in the abundance and community composition of wintering waterbirds in the Venice Lagoon (NE Italy). We examined total numbers, major lagoon macro-areas (fish farms, open lagoon, coastal littoral zone, minor wetlands), species-level and guild-level trends and assessed climate-related community changes through the Community Temperature Index (CTI). Total wintering waterbird abundance increased markedly over the study period, from 74,348 birds in 1993 to 445,350 in 2022. Fish farms (about 20% of the total area) hosted the largest number of individuals (about 83%) and accounted for most of the lagoon-wide increase, while open lagoon (15%) and coastal littoral (<2%) areas showed weaker and more variable dynamics. Species-level analyses revealed pronounced heterogeneity, with strong increases in several Anatidae, contrasted by stable or declining trends in other species. The CTI exhibited a significant long-term increase, indicating a progressive shift towards communities dominated by warm-affinity species. CTI decomposition nevertheless showed this signal was disproportionately driven by a limited number of highly abundant species. Our results indicate that wintering waterbird dynamics in the Venice Lagoon are shaped by the interaction between large-scale climatic processes and local habitat management, particularly within fish farms. While management practices can likely sustain exceptionally high wintering numbers and potentially buffer climate-driven redistribution, they may also promote strong species dominance and associated ecological risks. Integrating long-term census data with climate and functional indicators provides a robust framework for understanding and managing Mediterranean wetlands under ongoing climate change. Full article

Coastal alluvial plains underlain by unconsolidated deposits are prone to land subsidence, a geohazard that can damage infrastructure and alter drainage patterns. One such example is the Venetian–Friulian coastal plain (NE Italy), where natural sediment compaction and anthropogenic activities have led to ground deformation across multiple zones. From this perspective, this study presents a 30-year analysis of land subsidence across the Venetian–Friulian plain, particularly highlighting municipalities such as Portogruaro, Concordia Sagittaria, San Stino di Livenza, Eraclea, and Caorle. The dataset comprises multi-source SAR data from ERS, Envisat, COSMO-SkyMed (CSK), Sentinel-1, and the European Ground Motion Service (EGMS), covering the period from 1992 to 2021. The study integrates multi-platform SAR observations with ADAFinder-based extraction of Active Deformation Areas (ADAs), data quality evaluation using the Quality Index (QI), building-scale analysis based on LOS-derived vertical displacement time series, and orthophotos to confirm the building’s presence and evolution. By using the adopted extraction thresholds, a total of 57, 16, 83, 33, and 72 ADAs were identified from the ERS, ENVISAT, COSMO-SkyMed, Sentinel-1, and EGMS datasets, respectively. The result suggests that the strongest deformation occurred during the earlier observation periods in Zones 1 to 3, then progressively stabilized, whereas some parts of Zone 4 remained active and showed renewed deformation during the later periods. The research highlights the importance of conducting long-term analysis using multi-platform interferometric datasets to refine and personalize outcomes in geohazard monitoring. The findings from this research offer invaluable insights into the ongoing surveillance of geohazards, which are progressively related to urban development and planning. Full article

Lake Faro (Cape Peloro coastal lagoon, NE Sicily, Italy) is a distinctive Mediterranean coastal lake characterized by the coexistence of a shallow platform and a steep-sided deep basin within a very limited area. This study provides a sedimentological and geological characterization of the present-day lake floor based on grain-size, petrographic, statistical, and GIS-based analyses, with the aim of clarifying the relationship between basin morphology and modern depositional processes. The lake floor is subdivided into two main bathymetric domains. The shallow platform (<10 m water depth) is dominated by modern coarse-grained, very poorly sorted sediments, including gravel and very coarse- to medium-grained sand, deposited under high-energy, low-confinement conditions comparable to beach and open-lagoon environments. In contrast, the deep basin (>10 m water depth) is characterized by modern finer, organic-rich sediments with extremely poor sorting, reflecting lower-energy and more confined depositional conditions. A key new finding is the identification of upper Holocene beachrocks beneath the modern unconsolidated sediments of the shallow platform, which likely exert a significant morpho-structural control on platform development. Overall, the results highlight the strong influence of bathymetry on sediment distribution in coastal lake systems and provide a reference framework for comparable Mediterranean lagoon environments. Full article

Data on microplastic contamination in pristine caves are rare, thus limiting our understanding of its pervasiveness in intact underground ecosystems. Here, we quantified microplastics in sediments from two newly discovered, extremely remote caves (Maucci and Luftloch) and compared them with a frequently visited cave (Trebiciano), all three of which are hydraulically connected to the Reka/Timavo River in the Classic Karst (NE Italy). Sediment samples were collected along river-to-slope transects and analyzed for microplastics using density separation and μFT-IR spectroscopy. Average contamination levels were comparable across caves, ranging from 84.7 to 105.9 items kg⁻¹ (dry weight). Fibers and fragments dominated, with similar polymer spectra across sites—polypropylene (PP, 29–42%), polyethylene (PE, 19–27%), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 33–46%). Microplastic abundance systematically increased with elevation, up to ~4–12× from river-proximal to high-bench sediments. Polymer-resolved trends reflected density-coupled, flood-driven sorting with low-density PP and PE accumulated on higher benches and denser PET depleted aloft, indicating slackwater retention at flood crests and re-entrainment of lower benches during recession. These findings suggest that indirect riverine inputs of microplastics outweigh direct human contamination and provide the first baseline for pristine Timavo caves—serving as reference sites for background microplastic levels in the Classic Karst and similar karst systems worldwide. Full article

Low-lying coastal plains are increasingly threatened by saltwater intrusion, yet the extent of the phenomenon and the role of coastal dune systems remain unevenly assessed. In the northern Adriatic Sea (NE Italy), salinisation has been documented, but systematic, spatially resolved studies are lacking. This work investigates the Belvedere–San Marco relict dune system to assess its hydrogeological function and vulnerability to seawater intrusion. An integrated methodology combining borehole and core stratigraphy, in situ water electrical conductivity (EC) measurements, and multi-method geophysical surveys (FDEM, ERT, GPR, active seismics) was tested. Results reveal a consistent stratigraphy of permeable aeolian sands overlying clay-rich units, with groundwater EC values in the dune sector always remaining well below thresholds for brackish or saline conditions. Geophysical imaging reveals that the dunes are low-conductive bodies contrasting sharply with the conductive surrounding lowlands, thus indicating the persistence of a freshwater lens sustained by local recharge within the dunes. The Belvedere–San Marco dunes therefore act as both freshwater reservoirs and natural hydraulic barriers, buffering shallow aquifers against salinisation. This study demonstrated the applicability of integrated geophysical methods to extensively investigate shallow phreatic aquifers lying a few metres below the surface, and establishes a baseline for monitoring future changes under rising sea levels, subsidence, and increased groundwater exploitation. Full article

Assessing soil fertility is a complex task as it is determined by natural and anthropogenic factors, including specific agronomic interventions (e.g., fertilization and crop rotation) and broader soil management (e.g., tillage and drainage). For agricultural management, soil represents a primary production factor whose chemical–physical characteristics and macro-elements content must be known. This work presents the maps of three macronutrients, i.e., N, K, and P, in the topsoils (0–30 cm layer) of the Emilia-Romagna (21,710.1 km²) region in NE Italy. The maps and associated uncertainty at 100 m resolution were obtained via digital soil mapping (DSM) resorting to Quantile Random Forests using topsoil data from the regional soil database (N = 34,750). As Emilia-Romagna is characterized by two distinct major landforms, i.e., the intensively cultivated alluvial plain and the extensively managed mountain range of the Northern Apennines, each representing nearly half of the region, two distinct sets of numerical and categorical covariates were used as predictors for the DSM estimation of each macronutrient. Results highlight an average N content of approximately 1.57 ± 0.83 (standard deviation) g kg⁻¹ in the alluvial plain and of 1.63 ± 0.49 g kg⁻¹ in the Apennines. For exchangeable potassium (K), concentrations were 275.90 ± 92.6 mg kg⁻¹ and 210.2 ± 86.3 mg kg⁻¹ in the plain and Apennines, respectively. A stark contrast was observed for available phosphorus (P), with mean values of 40.4 ± 11.0 mg kg⁻¹ in the alluvial plain, dropping to 15.2 ± 6.1 mg kg⁻¹ in the Apennines. Such results provide useful information for assessing the fertility of regional soils and provide a reference baseline for soil quality monitoring. The resulting macronutrient maps were eventually compared with those based on the Land Use and Cover Area frame Survey (LUCAS), which represents the reference baselines at the EU scale. Full article

Background/Objectives: Lung cancer (LC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, with both environmental and occupational exposures contributing to its incidence. While oncogene-addicted tumors—defined by single driver mutations—have garnered attention due to their therapeutic implications, less is known about the mutational landscape of tumors potentially arising from occupational exposure to carcinogens. This real-life observational study aimed to assess whether previous occupational exposure to lung carcinogens correlates with distinct LC phenotypes, particularly non-oncogene-addicted (nOA) profiles. Methods: A total of 199 LC patients were enrolled across two specialized oncology centers in Northern Italy between 2021 and 2023. Each participant underwent detailed occupational history taking and molecular characterization using next-generation sequencing. Patients were stratified into nonexposed (NE), low exposed (LE), and high exposed (HE) to carcinogens for lung based on standardized questionnaires and sector-specific assessments. Results: No significant differences were found in histological subtypes across exposure groups. However, people with adenocarcinoma and high occupational exposure to lung carcinogens were more frequently characterized by a nOA phenotype compared to those with low occupational exposure. Logistic regression models—adjusted for age, sex, and smoking habits—confirmed that HE patients had a significantly higher likelihood of developing nOA tumors (OR = 3.07; 95% CI: 1.16–8.11; p = 0.023). This association persisted after adjusting for smoking habits Exposures occurring 5–10 years before diagnosis seemed to be associated with an increased nOA profile. Conclusions: These findings suggest that high levels of exposure to occupational carcinogens impact LC phenotypes. Indeed, these phenotypes are more complex to treat and show the worst prognosis. Assessing the occupational exposure to lung carcinogens during work may offer prognostic insights and support the request for more adequate compensation for the patients. Further studies are warranted to validate these results and to explain the mechanisms that produce the differences observed in LC phenotypes in people with high exposure to occupational carcinogens. Full article

The aging population in Europe and other developed regions is accelerating the demand for adaptable domestic environments that support independent living and care at home. In this context, ontologies offer a promising approach to represent and manage knowledge about built environments, smart technologies, and user needs—especially within Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) systems. This paper presents a systematic literature review examining the role of ontologies in the reconfiguration of domestic living spaces, with a focus on their application in design processes and decision support systems. Following the PRISMA methodology, 14 relevant works published between 2000 and 2025 were identified and analyzed. The review explores key aspects such as ontology conceptualization, reuse, engineering methodologies, integration with CAD systems, and validation practices. The results show that research on this topic is fragmented yet growing, with the first contribution dated 2005 and peaks in 2016, 2018, and 2024. Most works (11) were conference papers, with Europe leading the contributions, particularly Italy. Half of the reviewed ontologies were developed “from scratch”, while the rest relied on conceptualizations such as BIM. Ontology reuse was inconsistent: only 50% of works reused existing models (e.g., SAREF, SOSA, BOT, ifcOWL), and few adopted Ontology Design Patterns. While 11 works followed ontology engineering methodologies—mostly custom or established methods such as Methontology or NeOn—stakeholder collaboration was reported in less than 36% of cases. Validation practices were weak: only six studies presented use cases or demonstrators. Integration with CAD systems remains at a prototypical stage, primarily through semantic enrichment and SWRL-based reasoning layers. Remaining gaps include poor ontology accessibility (few provide URLs or W3IDs), limited FAIR compliance, and scarce modeling of end-user needs, despite their relevance for AAL solutions. The review highlights opportunities for collaborative, human-centered ontology development aligned with architectural and medical standards to enable scalable, interoperable, and user-driven reconfiguration of domestic environments. Full article

The analysis of earthquake source mechanisms is key for seismotectonic studies, but it is often limited to traditional methods plagued with issues of precision and automation. This is particularly true in low-seismicity areas with deep and/or hidden seismogenic sources, where the identification of precise source mechanisms is a difficult and non-trivial task. In this study, we present a detailed application of TESLA (Tool for automatic Earthquake low-frequency Spectral Level estimAtion), a novel tool designed to overcome these limitations. We demonstrated TESLA’s effectiveness in defining source mechanism analysis by applying it to seismic sequences that occurred near Asti (AT), in the Monferrato area (Southern Piedmont, Italy). Our analysis reveals that the observed clusters consist of two distinct seismic sequences, occurring in 1991 and 2012, which were activated by the same seismogenic source. We relocated a total of 36 events with magnitudes ranging from 1.1 to 3.7, using a 3D velocity model, and computed 12 well-constrained focal mechanism solutions using the first motion polarities and the low-frequency spectral level ratios. The results highlight a relatively small seismogenic source located at approximately 5 km north of Asti (AT), at a depth of between 10 and 25 km, trending SW–NE with strike-slip kinematics. A smaller cluster of three events shows an activation of a different fault segment at around 60 km of depth, also showing strike-slip kinematics. These findings are in good agreement with the regional stress field acting in the Monferrato area and support the use of investigation tools such as TESLA for microseismicity analysis. Full article

An indicator-based approach was implemented to assess the contributions of soils in supplying ecosystem services, providing a scalable tool for modeling the spatial heterogeneity of soil functions at regional and local scales. The method consisted of (i) the definition of soil-based ecosystem services (SESs), using available point data and thematic maps; (ii) the definition of appropriate SES indicators; (iii) the assessment and mapping of potential SESs provision for the Emilia-Romagna region (22.510 km²) in NE Italy. Depending on data availability and on the role played by terrain features and soil geography and its complexity, maps of basic soil characteristics (textural fractions, organic C content, and pH) covering the entire regional territory were produced at a 1 ha resolution using digital soil mapping techniques and geostatistical simulations to explicitly consider spatial variability. Soil physical properties such as bulk density, porosity, and hydraulic conductivity at saturation were derived using pedotransfer functions calibrated using local data and integrated with supplementary information such as land capability and remote sensing indices to derive the inputs for SES assessment. Eight SESs were mapped at 1:50,000 reference scale: buffering capacity, carbon sequestration, erosion control, food provision, biomass provision, water regulation, water storage, and habitat for soil biodiversity. The results are discussed and compared for the different pedolandscapes, identifying clear spatial patterns of soil functions and potential SES supply. Full article

The NW–SE-trending Firenze-Pistoia Basin (FPB) is an intermontane tectonic depression in the Northern Apennines (Italy) bounded to the northeast by a SW-dipping normal fault system. Although it has moderate historical seismicity (maximum estimated Mw 5.5 in 1895), the FPB lacks detailed characterization of its recent tectonic structures, unlike those of nearby basins that have produced Mw > 6 events. This study focuses on the southeastern sector of the basin, including the urban area of Florence, using tectonic geomorphology derived from remote sensing, in particular LiDAR data, field verification, and high-resolution geophysical surveys such as electrical resistivity tomography and seismic reflection profiles. The integration of these techniques enabled interpretation of the subdued and anthropogenically masked tectonic structures, allowing the identification of Holocene activity and significant, although limited, surface vertical offset for three NE–SW-striking normal faults, the Peretola, Scandicci, and Maiano faults. The Scandicci and Maiano faults appear to segment the southeasternmost strand of the master fault of the FPB, the Fiesole Fault, which now shows activity only along isolated segments and cannot be considered a continuous active fault. From empirical relationships, the Scandicci Fault, the most relevant among the three active faults, ~9 km long within the basin and with an approximate Late Quaternary slip rate of ~0.2 mm/year, might source Mw > 5.5 earthquakes. These findings highlight the need to reassess the local seismic hazard for more informed urban planning and for better preservation of the cultural and architectural heritage of Florence and the other artistic towns located in the FPB. Full article

Strapdown gravity systems are increasingly employed in airborne geophysical exploration and geodetic studies due to advantages such as ease of installation, wide dynamic range, and adaptability to various platforms, including airplanes, helicopters, and large drones. This study presents results from an airborne gravity survey conducted over the northeastern sector of Sardinia (Italy), using a high-resolution strapdown gravity ensuring an accuracy of approximately 1 mGal. Data were collected at an average altitude of 1800 m with a spatial resolution of 3.0 km. The survey focused on the Sos Enattos area near Lula (Nuoro province), a candidate site for the Einstein Telescope (ET), a third-generation gravitational wave observatory. The ideal site is required to be geologically and seismically stable with a well-characterized subsurface. To support this, we performed a new gravity survey to complement existing geological and seismic data aimed at characterizing the mid-to-shallow crustal structure of Sos Enattos. Results show that the strapdown system effectively detects gravity anomalies linked to crustal sources down to ~3.5 km, with particular emphasis within the 1–2 km depth range. Airborne gravity data reveal higher frequency anomalies than those resolved by the EGM2008 global gravity model and show good agreement with local terrestrial gravity data. Forward modeling of the gravity field suggests a crust dominated by alternating high-density metamorphic rocks and granitoid intrusions of the Variscan basement. These findings enhance the geophysical understanding of Sos Enattos and support its candidacy for the ET site. Full article