Brillouin optical time-domain analysis for geotechnical monitoring

In this paper, we show some recent experimental applications of Brillouin optical time-domain analysis （BOTDA） based sensors for geotechnical monitoring. In particular, how these sensors can be applied to detecting early movements of soil slopes by the direct embedding of suitable fiber cables in the ground is presented. Furthermore, the same technology can be used to realize innovative inclinometers, as well as smart foundation anchors.

The impact of crustal rheology on natural seismicity: Campi Flegrei caldera case study

We analyze the crustal rheology beneath the active resurgent Campi Flegrei caldera(CFc) in Southern Italy by modelling the 3 D brittle-ductile(B/D) transition, based on available thermal, geological and geophysical data. Firstly, the thermal field in the conductive physical regime is modeled using a finite element method; based on an optimization tool, this method is applied to evaluate the location and dimensions of the deep thermal source beneath the caldera. A horizontally-extended thermal anomaly located at about 5000 m depth below sea level is identified beneath Pozzuoli Bay, a part of the CFc. The same isotherm is located at a depth of 20,000 m beyond the caldera. This indicates a higher horizontal temperature gradient in the caldera with respect to the surrounding area. Next, we utilize this thermal model to image the 3D rheological stratification of the shallow crust below the caldera with two different values of strain rates. Within the caldera, the B/D transitions with ε equal to 10^(-12) s^(-1) and 10^(-8) s^(-1) are located at 3000 m and 5000 m depths, respectively. Outside the caldera, the transition is very deep(15,000-20,000 m), seemingly uninfluenced by the thermal state of the CFc volcanism. Finally, we compare these results with the spatial distribution of earthquake hypocenters, Benioff strain release and b-value distribution to investigate the relationship between crustal rheology and seismicity characteristics. Our analysis reveals that the image of the B/D transition is in agreement with the distribution of earthquake hypocenters, constraining the potential seismogenic volume of the region. Our study demonstrates that knowledge of the rheological state of a volcanic system is an important element to interpret its dynamic, forecast future activity and improve evaluation of the associated seismic hazard.

Impact of Sea-Level-Rise and Human Activities in Coastal Regions:An Overview

Coastal regions are becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding because of accelerating sea-level-rise(SLR),local ground subsidence,and the changes in topography and morphology.Moreover,coastal areas are usually highly urbanized and increased human activities have an effect on the stability and preservation of the environment.For instance,the growing demand for new lands to accommodate the population and the industrial facilities in China has required the design and the deployment of land-reclamation projects from the ocean,with a marked impact on fragile coastal eco-systems.Specifically,the Yangtze River and Pearl River Estuary,two major estuaries of the world,have long been subject to intensive human activities over the past decades.Long-term ground subsidence evolution,topographic changes,and morphological variation of the coastal regions have drawn great attention.This paper provides an overview of well-established Earth Observation(EO)remote sensing(RS)technologies that are employed to continuously monitor the changes of urbanized regions.The combined use of EO-based DInSAR analyses along with the knowledge of the geomorphology of the coastal regions allows a more precise picture of the SLR risk in the investigated coastal regions.In this paper,we will concentrate on remote sensing technologies that allow the gathering of heterogeneous information,such as those based on the use of synthetic aperture radar(SAR),satellite altimeters and tide gauge data.We will underline how human activities trigger changes in the living environment of coastal zones and the associated risks for the population.Observed coastline changes,coastal regions terrain subsidence,and offshore bathymetry have a pronounced effect on the increasing risk of flooding.Accordingly,we also present insights into some inundation model projections employed for evaluating the potential flooding risk in coastal regions.

A Scalable Synthesis of Multiple Models of Geo Big Data Interpretation

The paper proposes a scalable fuzzy approach for mapping the status of the environment integrating several distinct models exploiting geo big data. The process is structured into two phases: the first one can exploit products yielded by distinct models of remote sensing image interpretation defined in the scientific literature, and knowledge of domain experts, possibly ill-defined, for computing partial evidence of a phenomenon. The second phase integrates the partial evidence maps through a learning mechanism exploiting ground truth to compute a synthetic Environmental Status Indicator (ESI) map. The proposal resembles an ensemble approach with the difference that the aggregation is not necessarily consensual but can model a distinct decision attitude in between pessimistic and optimistic. It is scalable and can be implemented in a distributed processing framework, so as to make feasible ESI mapping in near real time to support land monitoring. It is exemplified to map the presence of standing water areas, indicator of water resources, agro-practices or natural hazard from remote sensing by considering different models.

On predicting and improving the quality of Volunteer Geographic Information projects

Initiatives that rely upon the contributions of volunteers to reach a specific goal are growing more and more with the success of Web 2.0–interactive applications.Also scientific projects are testing and exploiting volunteers’collaboration,but the quality of information obtained with this approach is often puzzling.This paper offers a rich overview of many scientific projects where geographic contributions are committed to volunteers,to the aim of defining strategies to improve information quality.By describing real examples of Volunteer Geographic Information(VGI),the contribution establishes a categorization based on the characteristics of the information,tasks,and scopes of the projects.After a discussion on the relationships of categories and VGI quality,the paper analyses techniques to improve the quality of volunteered information according to the moment of its assessment(i.e.,ex ante,ex post,or both with respect to information creation).The paper outlines the main limitations of the different approaches and indicates some guidelines for future developments.

A cross-analysis framework formulti-source volunteered, crowdsourced, and authoritative geographic information: The case study of volunteered personal traces analysis against transport network data

The paper discusses the need of a high-level query language to allow analysts,geographers and,in general,non-programmers to easily cross-analyze multi-source VGI created by means of apps,crowd-sourced data from social networks and authoritative geo-referenced data,usually represented as JSON data sets(nowadays,the de facto standard for data exported by social networks).Since an easy to use high-level language for querying and manipulating collections of possibly geo-tagged JSON objects is still unavailable,we propose a truly declarative language,named J-CO-QL,that is based on a well-defined execution model.A plug-in for a GIS permits to visualize geo-tagged data sets stored in a NoSQL database such as MongoDB;furthermore,the same plug-in can be used to write and execute J-CO-QL queries on those databases.The paper introduces the language by exemplifying its operators within a real study case,the aim of which is to understand the mobility of people in the neighborhood of Bergamo city.Cross-analysis of data about transportation networks and VGI from travelers is performed,by means of J-CO-QL language,capable to manipulate and transform,combine and join possibly geo-tagged JSON objects,in order to produce new possibly geo-tagged JSON objects satisfying users’needs.

Gd^(3+) content optimization for mastering high light yield and fast GdxAl_(2)Ga_(3)O_(12):Ce^(3+) scintillation ceramics

Tailoring of the composition of the scintillation ceramics Gd_(x)Ce_(0.03)Al_(2)Ga_(3)O_(12)(x=2.89-3.07) heavily doped with Ce was performed.The co-precipitation is found to be quite a useful method to provide a purpo seful deviation of Gd content from the stoichio metric ratio in powders for their further compacting and sintering in the air.The effect of the composition variations on microstructure,phase composition,luminescent and scintillation characteristics is demonstrated.It is shown that Gd content below the stoichiometric composition leads to increasing the grain size but,quenching of the photoluminescence and the scintillation,whereas excess Gd leads to higher luminosity;the maximum value is obtained for the composition with an excess of Gd ~2%.Ceramics possess a light yield of -50000 ph/MeV,effective scintillation kinetics of 50 ns,and is a good candidate for application in a new generation of scanners utilizing pulsed X-ray sources.

Processing, phase transitions, and dielectric properties of BSPT ceramics

Solid solutions on the base of composition from morphotropic phase boundary(1-x)BiScO_(3)–xPbTiO_(3) with x=0.64,0.645,0.65 were prepared from nitrates solutions.Variations in phase content,structure parameters,microstructure,dielectric and piezoelectric properties of dense ceramic samples were studied.The first-order phase transitions were observed at temperatures near 700 K.The influence of the processing conditions on the morphology,temperature of phase transitions,and dielectric parameters was observed.In some ceramics effect of dielectric relaxation was observed at high temperatures.This effect was explained by the contribution from ionic transport due to the oxygen vacancies creation during high temperature sintering.