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This contribution focuses on a multidisciplinary research showing the geomorphological evolution and the beach sand composition of the Tyrrhenian shoreline between Capo Suvero promontory and Gizzeria Lido village (Calabria, southern Italy). The aim of the geomorphological analysis was to reconstruct the evolutionary shoreline stages and the present-day sedimentary dynamics along approximately 6 km of coastline. The results show a general trend of beach nourishment during the period 1870–2019. In this period, the maximum shoreline accretion value was estimated equal to + 900 m with an average rate of + 6.5 m/yr. Moreover, although the general evolutionary trend is characterized by a remarkable accretion, the geomorphological analysis highlighted continuous modifications of the beaches including erosion processes. The continuous beach modifications occurred mainly between 1953 and 1983 and were caused mainly by human activity in the coastal areas and inside the hydrographic basins. The beach sand composition allowed an assessment of the mainland petrological sedimentary province and its dispersal pattern of the present coastal dynamics. Petrographic analysis of beach sands identified a lithic metamorphi-clastic petrofacies, characterized by abundant fine-grained schists and phyllites sourced from the crystalline terrains of the Coastal Range front and carried by the Savuto River. The sand is also composed of a mineral assemblage comparable to that of the Amato River provenance. In terms of framework detrital constituents of QFL (quartz:feldspars:aphanitic lithic fragments) and of essential extraclasts, such as granitoid:sedimentary:metamorphic phaneritic rock fragments (Rg:Rs:Rm), sand maturity changes moderately from backshore to shoreface, suggesting that transport processes had a little effect on sand maturity. Moreover, the modal composition suggests that the Capo Suvero promontory does not obstruct longshore sand transport from the north. Indeed, sands displaced by currents driven by storm-wave activity bypass this rocky headland.

Since the 1970s, the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata has expanded its range into Northern regions in Italy, where it was historically absent, helped by climatic change, legal protection, and forest re-expansion. In the past 10 years, a remarkable range expansion has also been observed in the southernmost Italian regions. The aim of our work was to summarize the distribution of this species in Southern Italy and assess potential range expansion under multiple future scenarios of global warming. We collected 1783 occurrence records of the crested porcupine through ad-hoc web pages, online platforms, and some data directly collected by authors (N = 976 occurrences between 1998 and 2008; N = 807 between 2008 and 2019). A remarkable increase in porcupine records occurred in Lucania, Campania, and Apulia regions, in Southern Italy, mostly along the coastlines. Species distribution models showed that porcupine presence is associated with warm temperatures and an intermediate level of precipitation. Although land-cover showed lower importance compared to climate, the species was positively associated with forests and negatively associated with agricultural, grasslands and shrublands, and urban landscapes. Model projections suggested that future global warming can improve suitability for porcupines in the Apennine ridge, including the Southern Calabria and the Aspromonte National Park. However, increase in drought and urbanization may reduce the habitat suitability for the crested porcupine in the Salento peninsula, limiting the success of the range expansion by this large rodent, and in Eastern Calabria, wih possible range contractions along the Tyrrhenian coast.

International audience; After the last interglacial [Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e] Europe was affected by several harsh climatic oscillations. In this context southern Italy acted, like the rest of peninsular Mediterranean Europe, as a ‘glacial refugium’, allowing the survival of various species, and was involved in the spread of ‘cold taxa’ (e.g. woolly mammoth and woolly rhino) only during the coldest phases (MIS 4 and MIS 2). Both late Mousterian and early Upper Palaeolithic sites testify to a human occupation continuity in southern Italy and especially in Apulia in this time span. Here we present a focus on three key Apulian Palaeolithic sequences (Grotta di Santa Croce, Riparo L'Oscurusciuto and Grotta del Cavallo – layers F-E) jointly spanning from the late MIS 4 to the demise of Neanderthals around 43 ka. Novel chronological, sedimentological and zooarchaeological data are discussed for the first time in the light of the palaeoenvironmental information provided by recent analyses carried out on a speleothem from Pozzo Cucù cave (Bari) and the results of the magnetic susceptibility analysis from Riparo L'Oscurusciuto. This integrated reading allows a better understanding of the role played by the Apulian region as both a refugium for late Neaderthals and a suitable habitat for the early settling of modern humans.

The Italian peninsula is a biodiversity hotspot, with its freshwater fish fauna characterized by high levels of local endemism. Two endemic fluvio‐lacustrine fishes of the genus Barbus (barbel, family Cyprinidae) have allopatric distributions in the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic basins of Italy. Barbus plebejus inhabits the mid‐ to northern Adriatic basins, while B. tyberinus is widespread in all central‐northern basins draining into the Tyrrhenian Sea. For basins in Southern Italy draining into the southern parts of these seas, there remains a knowledge gap on their barbel populations due to no previous genetic and morphological studies, despite their apparent biogeographic isolation. Correspondingly, this study quantified the presence and distribution of barbels in the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian basins of Southern Italy through genetic and morphological analyses of 197 fish sampled across eight populations. Testing of how local isolation has influenced the evolution and persistence of these populations was completed by examining sequence variation at two mitochondrial loci (cytochrome b and D‐loop) and performing geometric morphometric analyses of body shape, plus measuring 11 morphometric and meristic characters. Phylogenetic and morphological analyses revealed the presence of two genetically distinct lineages that differed significantly from adjacent B. tyberinus and B. plebejus populations. These two new taxa, here described as SI1 and SI2 Barbus lineages, are highly structured and reflect a complex mosaic biogeographic pattern that is strongly associated with the underlying hydrographical scenarios of the basins. The geographic isolation of these basins thus has high evolutionary importance that has to be considered for maintaining endemism., In Southern Italy, apparent biogeographic isolation may have influenced barbel evolutionary structure. Through genetic and morphological analyses, we quantified the presence and distribution of barbels in Southern Italy describing two new taxa, highly structured and reflecting a complex mosaic biogeographic pattern that is strongly associated with the underlying hydrographical scenarios of the basins.

The theoretical TCEV (Two Component Extreme Value) distribution was applied to interpret the sediment yield datasets available in Southern Italy. The analysis is based on hydrological data collected for twelve catchments located in Calabria and Basilicata. A hierarchical approach was used to obtain a regional parent distribution which was used to determine the return time for each event. The hierarchical approach proposed in this study includes two stages. The first stage served for calibration and made it possible to estimate the parameters of the theoretical TCEV distribution. More specifically, the hypothesis of homogeneity with regard to the skewness coefficient and the coefficient of variation was verified using the datasets related to nine catchments. The second stage consisted in verifying the goodness of the theoretical distribution on three independent datasets provided by three experimental catchments not involved in the calibration. Overall results show that, even if the TCEV distribution was conceived to estimate peak flow, its concept of “double component” can be extended to predict sediment yield on a regional scale.

The Apennine provinces of Campania Region (southern Italy), Benevento, Avellino and Salerno, are known for their ‘unstable towns’ suffering periodic damage from landslides. Their identification and mapping are very challenging tasks, since boundary mapping under urban settlements is not always possible without time-consuming field analysis of building damage and/or expensive mid-term diffuse ground-surface deformation monitoring. To overcome this problem, an inventory of town-damaging landslides, guided by available Permanent Scatterers (PS) ground-deformation data, was prepared. It provides an updated tool suitable to guide future land planning and historical site restoration in the Apennine provinces of Campania Region. Our fourteen Map Sheets show active and local reactivation of suspended/dormant landslides. Overall, 356 landslides were identified, amongst which 162 were identified as flows, 101 as slides, 1 as a spreads and 92 as complex landslides. To supplement our maps, a simplified distribution analysis based on major landslide morphometric characteristics was completed.

We present a 1:10,000 scale map of the coseismic surface ruptures following the 26 December 2018 Mw 4.9 earthquake that struck the eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano (southern Italy). Detailed rupture mapping is based on extensive field surveys in the epicentral region. Despite the small size of the event, we were able to document surface faulting for about 8 km along the trace of the NNW-trending active Fiandaca Fault, belonging to the Timpe tectonic system in the eastern flank of the volcano. The mapped ruptures are characterized in most cases by perceivable opening and by a dominant right-oblique sense of slip, with an average slip of about 0.09 m and a peak value of 0.35 m. It is also noteworthy that the ruptures vary significantly in their kinematic expression, denoting locally high degree of complexity of the surface faulting.

The Western civilization is deeply rooted in the Ancient Greece culture, political, scientific, technological and philosophic knowledge were born in this epoch. Their diffusion was improved upon by the Greek expansionist policy in colonies of Magna Graecia in Mediterranean Basin, leaving important archaeological traces for the community. In this context, the European project &ldquo, MAGNA, on the route from Greece to Magna Graecia&rdquo, seeks to develop a transnational thematic touristic route between Greece and the Ionian coast of Calabria (Southern Italy), an ancient Magna Graecia colony, on the basis of cultural and historical connections between these two Mediterranean areas. The project aims to promote the touristic development of the Greek and Calabrian archaeological sites through dissemination activities. These will concern scientific subjects regarding the conservation of cultural heritage, both in sub-aerial and underwater environments, and study of the sea floor, and pollution of seawater by microplastics. This touristic product consists of cruises on a ship equipped with scientific instruments that offer unique cultural experiences, accompanied by multimedia supports. Experts drive people in the proposed activities, creating more awareness of sustainable and responsible tourism.

Sporophores of a newPsathyrellaspecies have been reported for the first time as growing at the base ofCladiummariscusculms in the Botanical Garden of the University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, southern Italy. The fungus was initially identified asP.thujina(=P.almerensis) by means of both ecology and macro- and microscopic characteristics of the basidiomes, then referred toP.cladii-mariscisp. nov. after extraction, amplification, purification and analysis of the rDNA ITS region. We came to this conclusion after comparing our specimen with the descriptions of the taxa available in the literature for the genusPsathyrella.

This paper deals with the problem of cliff stability and proposes a geomorphological zonation of a cliff using a sector of the Posillipo promontory (named the Coroglio-Trentaremi sea cliff, Italy), in the Campi Flegrei coastal area, as a case study. A detailed geological and geomorphological analysis was carried out, by combining field work with analysis of detailed scale topographic maps, orthophoto, and stratigraphical data from deep boreholes. Field and borehole data, together with structural data collected in seven different stations along the cliff, allowed us to derive six geological cross-sections and to reconstruct the complex stratigraphical and structural setting of the cliff. Geomorphological analysis focused on the detection of the main geomorphological factors predisposing to cliff instability. We selected the most significant factors and divided them into two groups: factors influencing landslide intensity and factors influencing cliff instability. Then, by means of a heuristic approach, we constructed a matrix that was used to derive a map showing the geomorphological zonation of the sea cliff. This map may enable to development of a reliable scenario of cliff instability and consequent retreat, which may be useful either to plan intervention works in the most critical areas or to organize prevention plans aimed at risk mitigation.

In many Italian regions, and particularly in southern Italy, karst aquifers are the main sources of drinking water and play a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the territory. Hence, estimating the groundwater recharge of these aquifers is a fundamental task for the proper management of water resources, while also considering the impacts of climate changes. In the southern Apennines, the assessment of hydrological parameters that is needed for the estimation of groundwater recharge is a challenging issue, especially for the spatial and temporal inhomogeneity of networks of rain and air temperature stations, as well as the variable geomorphological features and land use across mountainous karst areas. In such a framework, the integration of terrestrial and remotely sensed data is a promising approach to limit these uncertainties. In this research, estimations of actual evapotranspiration and groundwater recharge using remotely sensed data gathered by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) satellite in the period 2000&ndash, 2014 are shown for karst aquifers of the southern Apennines. To assess the uncertainties affecting conventional methods based on empirical formulas, the values estimated by the MODIS dataset were compared with those calculated by Coutagne, Turc, and Thornthwaite classical empirical formulas, which were based on the recordings of meteorological stations. The annual rainfall time series of 266 rain gauges and 150 air temperature stations, recorded using meteorological networks managed by public agencies in the period 2000&ndash, 2014, were considered for reconstructing the regional distributed models of actual evapotranspiration (AET) and groundwater recharge. Considering the MODIS AET, the mean annual groundwater recharge for karst aquifers was estimated to be about 448 mm∙year&minus, 1. In contrast, using the Turc, Coutagne, and Thornthwaite methods, it was estimated as being 494, 533, and 437 mm∙year&minus, 1, respectively. The obtained results open a new methodological perspective for the assessment of the groundwater recharge of karst aquifers at the regional and mean annual scales, allowing for limiting uncertainties and taking into account a spatial resolution greater than that of the existing meteorological networks. Among the most relevant results obtained via the comparison of classical approaches used for estimating evapotranspiration is the good matching of the actual evapotranspiration estimated using MODIS data with the potential evapotranspiration estimated using the Thornthwaite formula. This result was considered linked to the availability of soil moisture for the evapotranspiration demand due to the relevant precipitation in the area, the general occurrence of soils covering karst aquifers, and the dense vegetation.

Pelamera atra (Rondani, 1861) is an enigmatic species of bristle fly that has been challenging dipterologists with regard to its taxonomic position within the family Tachinidae since it was first described. The species is rarely collected and is only known from a handful of female specimens. The first ever male specimen of P. atra was collected in southern Italy in 2017, and it allowed for the discovery of its unique terminalia. The present paper provides the first description of a male of P. atra and presents new insights about its phylogenetic position within the family based on molecular data. A maximum likelihood analysis was conducted on a selection of tachinid taxa using sequences of two nuclear protein-coding genes (CAD and MCS) to formulate the first hypothesis concerning the phylogenetic placement of P. atra. Phylogenetic analyses reconstructed P. atra as a member of the Tachininae sister to the (Loewiini + (Polideini + Ernestiini)) clade. This reconstruction challenges previous attempts at classifying Pelamera based on female external morphology, which instead suggested a close affinity to the tribes Brachymerini or Minthoini. Due to the morphological distinctiveness of this taxon, we here propose the placement of P. atra in the monotypic tribe Pelamerini stat. rev.

Knowledge of bioclimatic comfort is paramount for improving people&rsquo, s quality of life. To this purpose, several studies related to climatic comfort/discomfort have been recently published. These studies mainly focus on the analysis of temperature and relative humidity, i.e., the main variables influencing the environmental stress in the human body. In this context, the present work aims to analyze the number of visits to the hospital emergency department made by the inhabitants of the Crati River valley (Calabria region, southern Italy) during the heat waves that accompanied the African anticyclone in the summer of 2017. The analysis of the bioclimatic comfort was performed using the humidity index. Results showed that greater the index, the higher the number of accesses to the emergency department, in particular by the most vulnerable population groups, such as children and the elderly.

The timing, duration and evolution of sea level during the Marine Isotope Stage 5e (MIS 5e) highstand is a subject of intense debate. A major problem in resolving this debate is the difficulty of chronologically constraining the sea level fall that followed the peak of the highstand. This was mainly controlled by ice-sheet dynamics, the understanding of which is relevant for assessing future sea-level behavior due to global warming. Here we use stratigraphical and geochoronological (U/Th dating and tephra fingerprinting) evidence from the Infreschi archaeological cave (Marina di Camerota, Southern Italy) to constrain relative sea level (RSL) evolution during the MIS 5e highstand and younger stages. Uranium-thorium dating of speleothem deposition phases places the maximum highstand RSL at 8.90 ± 0.6m a.s.l., as indicated by the near-horizontal upper limit of Lithophaga boreholes measured for along a ∼3.5 km coastal cliff section. Geochronological data show that RSL fell more than 6 m before ∼120 ka, suggesting a duration of the Last Interglacial highstand significantly shorter than proposed in some previous studies. Modelling shows that the RSL trend predicted by the ICE-5G and ICE-6G ice-sheet simulations is consistent with our data, but requires an additional significant reduction of both Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to match the height of the local maximum highstand if no correction for tectonics is applied. Reconciling field data and models requires an earlier and likely shorter duration of the MIS 5e highstand. This suggests that our new data can constrain global ice-volume variations during the penultimate deglaciation, as well as glacial inception at the end of the Last Interglacial. According to our chronology, there is no local evidence of higher-than-present-day sea levels after 120 ka.

The Volturno alluvial-coastal plain is a relevant feature of the Tyrrhenian side of southern Italy. Its plan-view squared shape is due to Pliocene-Quaternary block-faulting of the western flank of the south-Apennines chain. On the basis of the stratigraphic analysis of almost 700 borehole logs and new geomorphological survey, an accurate paleoenvironmental reconstruction before and after the Campania Ignimbrite (CI, about 40 ky B.P.) eruption is here presented. Tectonics and eustatic forcing have been both taken into account to completely picture the evolution of the coastal plain during Late Quaternary times. The upper Pleistocene-Holocene infill of the Volturno plain has been here re-organized in a new stratigraphic framework, which includes seven depositional units. Structural analysis showed that two sets of faults displaced the CI, so accounting for recent tectonic activity. Yet Late Quaternary tectonics is rather mild, as evidenced by the decametric vertical separations operated by those faults. The average slip rate, which would represent the tectonic subsidence rate of the plain, is about 0.5 mm/yr. A grid of cross sections shows the stratigraphic architecture which resulted from interactions among eustatic changes, tectonics and sedimentary input variations. On the basis of boreholes analysis, the trend of the CI roof was reconstructed. An asymmetrical shape of its ancient morphology&mdash, with a steeper slope toward the north-west border&mdash, and the lack of coincidence between the present course of the Volturno River and the main buried bedrock incision, are significant achievements of this study. Finally, the morpho-evolutionary path of the Volturno plain has been discussed.

The Ionian coast of the Basilicata region, southern Italy, is characterized by a remarkable archaeological heritage, valuable crops, and national and international tourism, contributing significantly to the regional economy. In the last two decades, the area has been affected by the heavy recurrence of flooding events, which caused significant damage to agriculture, tourist infrastructure, and archaeological heritage. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of pluviometric, hydrometric, and erosion/deposition dynamics of main rivers have been carried out in order to investigate the role played by natural factors, climate changes, and human activity. The results show that flooding events in the Metaponto plain were certainly caused by extreme rainy events, but man has also played an important role. The Metaponto plain has been involved in a reclamation consisting of the building of an extensive channel network, which provided better land cultivation, easy access to the beaches, and archaeological heritage protection. The human impact related to the absence of channel cleaning has proved to be the most relevant factor that greatly amplified the effects of low-intensity rainfall events, thus triggering flooding events.

The analysis of 4 year In-SAR Interferometry images and a detailed geomorphological survey have been carried out to detect a large Deep-Seated Gravitational Slopes (DSGSD) affecting the urban area of the Episcopia village, in Southern Italy. The DSGSD largely develops within phyllites of the Liguride Units and, in the upper slope, within Pleistocene sand and conglomerate deposits of the Sant'Arcangelo Basin. Field survey has shown trenches at the top and an evident bulge at the base of the DSGSD, corresponding to the Talweg of the Sinni River. Geological and geomorphological field surveys allowed us to hypothesize a listric geometry of the DSGSD subsurface plane reaching about 700 m of depth. Furthermore, the multi-temporal In-SAR Interferometry analysis collected from November 2014 to May 2017 revealed that a ground deformation of +/- 30 mm was occurred, and the process is still active in the whole area.

The hydraulic and hydrogeological features of the Caposele aquifer have been investigated by using a numerical groundwater flow model. In particular, groundwater flow simulations were performed for a multilayered, unconfined aquifer in steady-state conditions for different thicknesses of the aquifer&rsquo, s saturated zone. The Caposele groundwater model was carried out starting from a generic model drained by a unique spring outlet in accordance with the geo-hydrological features of the study area. The conceptual model was built considering hydrogeological features of spring catchment, and was then implemented with the MODFLOW numerical code. A combined 2D-3D approach was adopted, and the model was calibrated on borehole data available for the time period 2012&ndash, 2019. Different thicknesses of the aquifer were set, and a reliable relationship was found between the hydraulic head, saturated zone and hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer. Using the MODPATH package, the mean travel time (Darcian) of groundwater was computed for five different scenarios, corresponding to the model&rsquo, s depths, the analysis that was performed shows that the travel time is higher for a greater and lower for a smaller thickness of the aquifer&rsquo, s saturated zone, respectively. The Caposele aquifer model was zoned in different sectors, named flow pipe areas, that play different roles in groundwater recharge-discharge processes. A vector analysis was also carried out in order to highlight the ascendant flow near the spring zone.

Muscianese E., Martino G., Sgro P., Scebba S. and Sorrenti M. 2018. Timing of pre-nuptial migration of the Song Thrush Turdus philomelos in Calabria (southern Italy). Ring 40: 19-30. The European Commission has established that pre-nuptial migration of the Song Thrush Turdus philomelos in Italy begins in the second decade (10-day period) of January. This three-year study was carried out at two localities in the Calabria region of southern Italy from 2012 to 2014, with 3-4 ringing sessions every decade from mid-January to the end of March. In total, 447 birds were captured. Based on catching dynamics and changes in fat load and body mass, we documented that the species’ northward migration took place in mainly March, with early movements in February. As no migratory activity was detected before the second decade of February, the dates of the hunting season in this area can be re-considered.

In this paper, an investigation of the temporal rainfall variability, in a large area of southern Italy, has been carried out using a homogeneous monthly rainfall dataset of 559 rain gauges with more than 50 years of observation. The area under investigation is a large portion of the Italian peninsula, ranging from the Campania and the Apulia regions in the North, to Sicily in the South, and covering an area of about 85,000 km2. Possible trends in seasonal and annual rainfall values have been detected by means of a new graphical technique, ?en's method, which allows the trend identification of the low, medium and high values of a series. Moreover, the Mann-Kendall test has been also applied. As a result, different values and tendencies of the highest and of the lowest rainfall data have emerged among the five regions considered in the analysis. In particular, at seasonal scale, a negative trend has been detected especially in winter and in autumn in the whole study area, whereas not well defined trend signals have been identified in summer and spring.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They have been identified as a type of carcinogenic substance and are relatively widespread in environment media such as air, water and soils, constituting a significant hazard for human health. In many parts of the world, PAHs are still found in high concentrations despite improved legislation and monitoring, and it is therefore vital defining their profiles, and assessing their potential sources. This study focused on a large region of the South of Italy, where concentration levels, profiles, possible sources and toxicity equivalent quantity (TEQ) level of sixteen PAHs were investigated. The survey included soils from five large regions of the south of Italy: 80 soil samples (0–20 cm top layer) from urban and rural locations were collected and analysed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Total PAHs and individual molecular compounds from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority pollutants list were identified and measured.\ud \ud Results showed that 16PAHs varied significantly in urban and rural areas, and different regions presented discordant characteristics. Urban areas presented concentrations ranging from 7.62 to 755 ng/g (mean = 84.85 ng/g), whilst rural areas presented ranges from 1.87 to 11, 353 ng/g (mean = 333 ng/g). Large urban areas, such as Rome, Naples and Palermo, exhibited high PAHs total concentration, but high values were also found in rural areas of Campania region. Different PAHs molecular ratios were used as diagnostic fingerprinting for source identification: L WMPAHs/HWMPAHs, Fluo/(Fluo +Pyr), BaA/(BaA +Chr), Ant/(Ant +Phe), and IcdP/(IcdP +BghiP). These ratios indicated that PAHs sources in the study area were mainly of pyrogenic origin, i.e. mostly related to biomass combustion and vehicular emission. On the other hand, values in Sicilian soils seemed to indicate a petrogenic origin, possibly linked to emissions from crude oil combustion and refineries present in the region. Finally, results allowed to calculate the Toxicity equivalent Quantity (TEQ BAP) levels for the various locations sampled, highlighting that the highest values were found in the Campania region, with 661 ng g-1 and 54.20 ng g-1, in rural and urban areas, respectively. These findings, which could be linked to the presence of a large solid waste incinerator plant, but also to well-documented illegal waste disposal and burning, suggest that exposure to PAH may be posing an increased risk to human health in some of the studied areas.

This article focuses on an area located at the northern border of the Monte Poro plateau along the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria (southern Italy). The area is characterized by weathered gneissic rocks involved in widespread landslides. This research employed an integrated approach concerning the relationships between the geological and geomorphological setting and landslides triggered during the construction of a road. The data were obtained by geological, geomorphological, structural, and geomechanical field surveys, coupled with a geomorphological analysis carried out through a combination of aerial photographs, satellite images, and digital elevation models (DEMs). Rock mass classifications of the weathered gneissic materials were applied to evaluate the quality of the rock masses and to define the potential stability conditions of the slopes. Furthermore, a DEMs analysis of pre- and post-road construction was also performed to define a detailed evolution of the instability conditions affecting the studied escarpment. A total of 32 landslides were recognized before the road construction, while 27 landslides were collected after the road construction. Rotations are the most frequent type of mass movements and involved the more weathered rocks or eluvial/colluvial deposits. Complex landslides are less widespread than the previous ones involving different weathering grades. The results showed that the roadworks had a great impact on the geomorphological scenario in terms of landslide trigger in an area already characterized by a high landslide susceptibility. The approach used can provide a reliable tool to evaluate the hazard conditions in other regions with similar geological features.

High-resolution palaeomagnetic and rock magnetic investigations on the Valle di Manche section (Crotone Basin, Calabria, Southern Italy) provide a detailed record of the Matuyama-Brunhes (M-B) reversal that, to our best knowledge, is the only available record of the last geomagnetic reversal for the Mediterranean on-land marine stratigraphy. The M-B transition can be pinpointed precisely, as it develops within a 3-cm-thick interval located just above a prominent tephra layer (the “Pitagora ash”) where the sedimentation rates are about 27 cm/kyr. Demagnetization analyses indicate a stable palaeomagnetic behaviour throughout the section for both normal and reversed polarity directions, with demagnetization vectors aligned toward the origin of Zijderveld diagrams after the removal of a small viscous low-coercivity remanence component. In the lower part of the studied interval, some samples acquired a spurious gyromagnetic remanent magnetization (GRM) during AF demagnetization in high fields. Rock magnetic analyses confirm that magnetite is the main magnetic carrier for all measured specimens, which also have an abundant paramagnetic fraction. Only the lower part of the record, well below the M-B boundary, is characterized by a downward-increasing presence of iron sulphides (greigite). According to our chronology, which is based on a robust, cross-validated age model, the final reverse-to-normal directional change of the M-B transition occurred at ca. 786.9 ± 5 ka (error includes uncertainty in orbital tuning) and was very rapid, of the order of 100 years or less.

The process of Neolithization of Southern Italy and Sicily covers about 500 years (6200–5700 cal BC) and involves two cultural horizons: Archaic Impressed Ware or “Impresse Arcaiche” and Advanced Impressed Ware or “Impresse Evolute”. In Southern Italy the Neolithic peopling from the East is characterized by a “package” of plenty domesticated plants and livestock; in Sicily the adoption of the new economical system is apparently more slow and with no evidences of ruptures between the Mesolithic groups and first farmers. In this paper we present the chronological and cultural framework of the sixth millennium BC within the area of investigation, with an up-to-date bibliography about settlement and economic strategies, palaeoenvironment and climate. In Southern Italy several open air sites are known and well investigated, in Sicily researches have been concentrated along the shoreline caves. Both regions show similarities in settlement strategies on the long duration. From a cultural point of view, to a first homogeneity of the “Impresse Arcaiche” aspects, after 5800 cal BC, the emergence of original and distinctive features designs different geographical areas.

The forest vegetation of the southern sector of the Monti Lattari complex (Amalfi Coast) has been investigated due to the lack of information on vegetation within an area of worldwide relevance and with a high floristic richness. This area shows several environmental peculiarities due to the marked orography, with pedologic features varying from carbonate to volcanic character, and bioclimatic conditions varying in a relatively short space from Mediterranean to temperate types. The study involved an extensive phytosociological survey and the analyses revealed clear differences among the forest communities, whose syntaxonomical queries and the biogeographic and ecological characters have been discussed. The communities varied from the coastal sclerophyllous forests (Cyclamino repandi–Quercetum ilicis) to the mixed thermophilous deciduous forests (Festuco exaltatae–Aceretum neapolitani, Seslerio autumnalis–Aceretum obtusati), and from the mountain neutral–subacid forests (Salvio glutinosae–Alnetum cordatae, Castanea sativa groupment, Asperulo taurinae–Alnetum cordatae) to the mountain beech forest (Anemono apenninae–Fagetum sylvaticae). Multivariate analysis showed the high relevance of steepness, elevation and pyroclastic presence, and a low relevance of aspect in the discrimination of forest communities. Syntaxonomical interpretations showed the affinity of the local communities with those of the southern Italy, but also some interesting peculiarity. Data highlight the area as a geographical boundary and phytogeographic hinge between central and southern Italy.

In this study, the sustainability of low-temperature geothermal field exploitation in a carbonate reservoir near Mondragone (CE), Southern Italy, is analyzed. The Mondragone geothermal field has been extensively studied through the research project VIGOR (Valutazione del potenzIale Geotermico delle RegiOni della convergenza). From seismic, geo-electric, hydro-chemical and groundwater data, obtained through the experimental campaigns carried out, physiochemical features of the aquifers and characteristics of the reservoir have been determined. Within this project, a well-doublet open-loop district heating plant has been designed to feed two public schools in Mondragone town. The sustainability of this geothermal application is analyzed in this study. A new exploration well (about 300 m deep) is considered to obtain further stratigraphic and structural information about the reservoir. Using the derived hydrogeological model of the area, a numerical analysis of geothermal exploitation was carried out to assess the thermal perturbation of the reservoir and the sustainability of its exploitation. The effect of extraction and reinjection of fluids on the reservoir was evaluated for 60 years of the plant activity. The results are fundamental to develop a sustainable geothermal heat plant and represent a real case study for the exploitation of similar carbonate reservoir geothermal resources.

Soil spatial distribution often shows high variability because of geo-environmental settings affecting soil formation and geomorphic processes. The paper describes a combined pedological-geophysical approach for investigating the interplay among soil-forming processes, geomorphic dynamics and physico-chemical soil properties in a soil catena in a Mediterranean mountain landscape (southern Italy). Stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (STN) were determined and their interactions with slope position analyzed. Five slope units were defined along the soil catena (summit, shoulder, back, foot, and toe slopes) and in each of them, a soil profile was dug and analyzed. Thickness of soil horizons and contact between soil and parent material were determined by a 2D-Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) survey. Results showed granitic bedrock is characterized by vary weathering degrees strongly affecting soil type development. Moreover, soil properties variation is related to topographic features and water erosion processes. Soil chemical composition showed high values of SiO2 and Al2O3, probably due to inheritance from underlying granitic parent material. Particularly, Fe2O3 content increased with weathering conditions as shown by chemical index of alteration (CIA) values. Along foot and toe slopes, reworking and accumulation of colluvial soil lead to the formation of thicker accretionary A horizon. Consequently, summit areas, together with foot and toe slopes had greater SOC and STN stocks than back and shoulder slopes. That because soils are thicker and richer in SOC on summit and valley bottom than in shoulder and back slope positions. The proposed approach has showed the benefit of an integrated methodology for investigating spatial variations along soil catenas.

Simulation scenarios of sediment flux variation and topographic changes due to dam removal have been investigated in a reservoir catchment of the axial zone of southern Italy through the application of a landscape evolution model (i.e.,: the Caesar&ndash, Lisflood landscape evolution models, LEM). LEM simulation highlights that the abrupt change in base level due to dam removal induces a significant increase in erosion ability of main channels and a strong incision of the reservoir infill. Analysis of the sediment dynamics resulting from the dam removal highlights a significant increase of the total eroded volumes in the post dam scenario of a factor higher than 4. Model results also predict a strong modification of the longitudinal profile of main channels, which promoted fluvial incision upstream and downstream of the former reservoir area. Such a geomorphic response is in agreement with previous analysis of the fluvial system short-term response induced by base-level lowering, thus demonstrating the reliability of LEM-based analysis for solving open problems in applied geomorphology such as perturbations and short-term landscape modification natural processes or human impact.

The Mousterian site of Grotta Reali (Rocchetta a Volturno, Molise, southern Italy), dated from between 50,940 and 40,370cal BP, provides detailed information on the depositional dynamic and human occupation in southern Italy, and contributes to the international debate on technical behaviour at the end of the Mousterian. The site was discovered in 2001 and it was located in a small cave/shelter now partially quarried, on the backside of a tufa waterfall, at the edge of a large alluvial terrace, in correspondence of the major spring of the Volturno River. Pollen and faunal assemblages record the persistence of wooded environments with large open areas as indicated by the presence of horse, aurochs and spotted hyena. Humans settled occasionally for hunting, processing game and performing related activities. Anthropic occupation was followed by carnivores, particularly in the upper part of the stratigraphy where the evidences of their activities prevail decisively rather than those left by humans. The chronological attribution of Grotta Reali to the MIS 3 allows placing the settlement in the last phase of Neanderthals presence in Europe. The technology of knapping stone does not deviate from the range of methods used during the Mousterian. However, the large presence of a laminar volumetric method may attest a new necessity related to activities differentiation. This paper offers for the first time a comprehensive and detailed illustration of this site with a unique set of environmental data and human occupation layers.

Mycobacterium bovis and related members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) are the etiological agents of tuberculosis. Increasing attention has recently been paid to the role played by wild animals in the epidemiology of tuberculosis and particularly regarding the Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa). Thus, we performed a cross-sectional survey in wild boar in Campania region to assess the seroprevalence against Mycobacterium bovis or cross-reacting members of the MTBC. Fourty six out of 434 (10.6%; 95% CI 7.71–13.49%) sampled animals presented antibodies against M. bovis by MPB83-ELISA. Statistical analysis indicated that the seropositivity to MTBC was not associated with age, gender, or location of sampling. We also evaluated the correlation between the seropositivity in wild boar and the presence of tuberculosis outbreaks in livestock. Our results suggest that wild boar exposure to MTBC is probably related to the presence of tuberculosis in livestock. The average distance between a positive wild boar and the nearest tuberculosis outbreak in cattle was 7.38 km, lower than the expected mean. In conclusion, the seroprevalence observed in the present study indicates a moderate exposure to MTBC in wild boar in Campania region, which may have important implications not only for conservation but also for animal and public health.

This study shows the terrestrial and marine landforms present along the Cilento coast in the southern part of the Campania region (Italy). This coast is characterized by the alternation of bays, small beaches, and rocky headlands. In the adjacent submerged areas, there is a slightly inclined platform that has a maximum width of 30 km to the north, while it narrows in the south to approximately 6 km. A wide variety of landforms are preserved in this area, despite the high erodibility of the rocks emerging from the sea and the effects of human activities (construction of structures and infrastructures, fires, etc.). Of these landforms, we focused on those that enabled us to determine Quaternary sea-level variations, and, more specifically, we focused on the correlation between coastal and sea-floor topography in order to trace the geomorphological evolution of this coastal area. For this purpose, the Licosa Cape and the promontory of Ripe Rosse located in northern Cilento were used as reference areas. Methods were used that enabled us to obtain a detailed digital cartography of each area and consequently to apply physical-based coastal evolution models. We believe that this approach would provide a better management of coastal risk mitigation which is likely to become increasingly important in the perspective of climate change.

An integrated geomorphological and geospatial study was performed in order to map fluvial landforms in a sector of Lama Lamasinata close to the town of Binetto in the Murge Basse karst (metropolitan area of Bari, Apulia, Southern Italy). This study describes a combined approach, based on geomorphological fieldwork and topographical position index (TPI)-based landform classification, aimed at identifying the main landforms in an anthropically-modified environment, which suffered a progressive transformation of original morphologies. The resulting geomorphological map of fluvial features was then compared with the available cartography in order to highlight the main strength of the applied methodology in mapping fluvial landforms. Moreover, semi-automatic landform classification was performed for the entire catchment of the Lama Lamasinata in order to evaluate the usefulness of the approach for the fast and objective delimitation of widespread geomorphological elements of the Murge area such as flat-bottomed valleys with steep- or gently-dipping flanks and relict incised valleys. We demonstrated that such an approach can efficiently support land use planning in an area affected by hydrogeological hazards.

Unprecedented rates of biodiversity loss rise the urgency for preserving species ability to cope with ongoing global changes. An approach in this direction is to target intra-specific hotspots of genetic diversity as conservation priorities. However, these hotspots are often identified by sampling at a spatial resolution too coarse to be useful in practical management of threatened species, hindering the long-appealed dialog between conservation stakeholders and conservation genetic researchers. Here, we investigated the spatial and temporal variation in species presence, genetic diversity, as well as potential risk factors, within a previously identified hotspot of genetic diversity for the endangered Apennine yellow bellied toad Bombina pachypus. Our results show that this hotspot is neither a geographically homogeneous nor a temporally stable unit. Over a time-window spanning 10-40 years since previous assessments, B. pachypus populations declined in large portions of its hotspot, and their genetic diversity levels decreased. Considering the demographic trend, genetic and epidemiological data, and models of current and future climatic suitability, populations at the extreme south of the hotspot area still qualify for urgent in-situ conservation actions, whereas northern populations would be better managed through a mix of in-situ and ex-situ actions. Our results emphasize that identifying hotspot of genetic diversity, albeit essential step, does not suffice to warrant on-ground conservation of threatened species. Hotspots should be analysed at finer geographic and temporal scales, to provide conservation stakeholders with key knowledge to best define conservation priorities, and to optimize resource allocation to alternative management practices.

This paper proposes a simplified GIS-based procedure which aims to preliminary assess areas exposed to debris flows by evaluating erosion and deposition area into channels and along alluvial fans. The methodology is based on the definition of several morphometric parameters on Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), it is independent from landslide volume and its rheological characteristics. By solving a set of parametric equations and excluding, from time to time, the unlikely areas by means of an analysis process that uses on/off-raster masks, potential erosion and deposition areas can be identified. The procedure was applied at six intra-mountain basins upstream of the village of Paupisi, Southern Italy, which was involved in multiple debris flow events in October 2015. The model estimated that a range between 15&ndash, 21% of the selected basin drainage channels may be identified as erosion areas. Moreover, comparison of the recent debris flow paths with model outputs shows a good performance of the procedure, which was able to predict about 46% of the total actual propagation and invasion areas and about 62% of the distribution deposit areas. The methodology can be considered a useful screening for the identification of debris flow-susceptible channels, suitable for use in preliminary hazard evaluations.

In this paper, we report the quantification of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) hosted into two tremolite asbestos from Episcopia and San Severino Lucano villages (Basilicata region, Southern Italy). Micro X-ray fluorescence and Inductively Coupled Plasma spectroscopy with Optical Emission Spectrometry techniques were used to quantify the concentration of major, minor (Si, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe, Mn) and trace elements (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn Sr, Ti, Te, V, W, Zn, Zr), with the aim of providing available data useful for the determination of the asbestos fibers toxicity. Results show that in the two studied samples there exist high concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cr and Ni which could lead to the high toxicity of the mineral fibers. By considering the pseudo-total PTEs amounts in each tremolite asbestos, it is possible to affirm that one of the samples is more enriched in toxic elements than the other one (3572 ppm versus 1384 ppm). These PTEs can represent a source of risk to human health since they may be transported away from the geological outcrops, through asbestos in the air, water and soils and thus encountering the human body.

Soil erosion is one of the major natural risk factors for developing high-value crops and an accurate estimation of spatial distribution and rates of soil degradation can be crucial to prevent crop degradation. In this paper, we use comparisons between high-resolution DEMs and soil erosion models to uncover the short-term landscape evolution of hazelnut crop yields, which are affected by incipient processes of rill development. Maps of rill initiation and evolution were extracted from the analysis of UAV-based multitemporal DEMs and the application of soil erosion models. A comparison between such a short-term analysis and historical orthophotos was carried out. Such a comparison shows how the USPED model predicts, very reliably, where linear erosion occurred. In fact, a reliable overlay between the linear erosive forms predicted by the USPED model and those captured by the UAV images can be observed. Furthermore, land use changes from 1974 to 2020 are characterized by a transition from abandoned areas (1974) to areas with high-value cultivation (2020), which has a strong impact on the spatial distribution of erosion processes and landslide occurrence. Such data represent a key tool for both the investigation of the spatial distribution of hot-spots of soil degradation and the identification of effective mitigation practices of soil conservation.

This work analyses and discusses data on thermochemical plants in Southern Italy that are fed with solid biomass. The analysis takes into account the biomass availability and potential together with the cost-benefit analysis using technology development and economic indicators (LCOE). A total of 63,762 units have been categorised according to the employed technology and produced energy: power plants for electricity production or cogeneration plants for combined heat and electricity production (53 plants) and thermal units for heat production (63,709 units). The eight regions of the area have noteworthy differences. In terms of electricity generated from solid biomass Calabria is by far the largest producer, followed by Apulia. Sicily, Sardinia and Molise provide lower amounts while Abruzzo, Basilicata and Campania generate almost negligible amounts. Regarding thermal production, Campania and Calabria are the largest producers, but Basilicata, Molise and Abruzzo generate the highest amount per capita. The area is far from fully exploiting its biomass potential, and there are also no district heating grids. Bioenergy can be remarkably competitive, provided that capital costs are relatively low and low-cost biomass is available, as it is the case of Italy. New applications and markets for sub-products (i.e., char, ash) would help in lowering the still not competitive economic indicators (LCOE).

The Quaternary evolution of the main coastal basins located along the southwestern margin of the Southern Apennines has been reconstructed by integrating the huge amount of existing stratigraphical and geomorphological data. The information produced in the last twenty years has shed new light on the recent (late Middle Pleistocene to Present) history of the Campanian and Sele plains or basins. During the early Quaternary, the analysed coastal basins originated as half-grabens in response to opening processes active since the late Tortonian in the southern Tyrrhenian back-arc basin. In some of these basins (e.g. the Campanian Plain), volcanism has also played an important role. In the inner sectors of the coastal basins, the complex interplay between block faulting, sedimentary inputs and glacioeustatic fluctuations gave rise to relative sea-level change and related coastline migrations, leading to the formation of the present-day coastal plains. In the Sele Plain basin, the construction of the present-day landscape mainly resulted from the substantial ceasing of subsidence in the final part of the Middle Pleistocene. Conversely, a strong contribution to the recent evolution of the Campanian Plain has been provided by abundant volcaniclastic aggradation, able to hinder the effect of the vertical motions that occurred in the last 100 ka.

The following is a geological study of a Quaternary and active normal fault-system, which crops out in the Pollino area, a seismogenic sector of the Southern Apennines, Italy. From 2010 to 2014, this area was affected by long lasting seismic activity characterized by three major events which occurred in May 2012 (Mw 4.3), in October 2012 (Mw 5.2) and in June 2014 (Mw 4.0). The integration of structural-geological data with morpho-structural and remote sensing analyses, led to define the geometry, the kinematics, the cross-cutting relationships and the slip rates of the inferred active fault segments within and near the epicentral area. We reconstructed an asymmetric extensional pattern characterized by low-angle, E and NNE-dipping faults, and by antithetic, high-angle, SW- to WSW-dipping faults. The geometry of the faults at depth was constrained using high-resolution hypocenter distributions. The overall system fits well with the deformation field obtained from focal mechanisms and geodetic data. Comparing the fault pattern with the time-space evolution of the Pollino seismic activity, we identified the seismogenic sources in two, near-parallel, WSW-dipping faults, whose seismogenic potential were assessed. The peculiar perpendicular-to-fault-strike evolution of the seismic activity, is discussed in the frame of the reconstructed seismotectonic model.

Evolutionary trajectories and related control factors of the Fortore River (southern Italy) are analyzed over a 150-year period as to assess channel modifications. A multitemporal GIS analysis of topographic maps and aerial photographs together with topographic and geomorphological field surveys were performed. Attention was focused on the impact caused by human disturbance, above all the presence of the Occhito dam at only 40 km upstream of the Fortore mouth (central Adriatic coast). Results show that channel adjustments occurred in three distinct phases and were primarily driven by human disturbance that diversely affected reaches located upstream and downstream of the dam. From the last decades of the nineteenth century to the 1950s (phase 1), channel widening prevailed along upstream reaches whilst narrowing along downstream reaches. Major channel adjustments occurred from the 1950s until the end of the 1990s (phase 2), especially channel narrowing of up to 81% in upstream reaches and 98% in downstream reaches. Narrowing was accompanied by channel-bed lowering of 1 to 5 m and by pattern changes in prevalence from multithread to largely prevailing single-thread channel configurations. In-channel mining, channel works, and hydraulic interventions are considered key driving factors of observed channel adjustments. The closure of the Occhito dam in 1966 had significant and permanent effects on downstream reaches through overall discharge regulation and permanent sediment trapping as also proved by the progressive retreat of the Fortore river mouth area. From 2000 to 2015 (phase 3), a substantial trend inversion was observed with overall channel widening and partial aggradation of upstream reaches and total stabilization of downstream reaches. As highlighted by an integrated multitemporal analysis of recent channel changes and flood events, the latter have played an important role in channel recovery of upstream reaches. Comparison between the Fortore River and other rivers in southern Italy has allowed us to ascertain that the reconstructed evolutionary trajectories are quite similar and that control factors are essentially the same. In particular, it confirms the role of major hydraulic structures as to the amount of channel adjustments of downstream reaches and the ensuing scarce to nil potential to channel recovery of regulated reaches.

The aim of this paper is to enrich our knowledge of an important paleosol succession located in Bojano basin of the southern Apennines (Italy), with new pedological, geochemical and magnetic data. The studied area consists of alluvial and fluvial-lacustrine sequences (>160 m) dating from the Middle Pleistocene (0.5 Ma). The study area shows the presence of recent soil consisting of well-developed Andosols (RS), and several clastic sedimentary levels alternating with four layers (Solum I, II, III and IV) of paleosols. Soil and paleosols were analyzed by laser grain size distribution (GSD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), trace elements, and magnetic properties in order to evaluate the relative contributions of pedogenic and detrital components. Results showed that the finest pedogenic ferrimagnetic grains exhibit two trends with respect to the degree of pedogenesis indicate two different pedoclimate formations. The paleosol sequence consists of highly-weathered Vertisols (Solum I and IV) and of less weathered Entisols (Solum II, III). The recent soil (Andosol) has a strong bimodal distribution formed mostly by coarse silt-size particles related to the volcanic parent material. Solum I showed a sharp unimodal clay GSD while Solum III and IV were composed of bimodal GSD with high percentages of fine silt-size particles. On the basis of the trace element content and Gt/χ fd ratio, all Solum (I, II, III, IV) exhibited low weathering pedogenesis compared with RS and negligible contribution to the magnetic properties of the coarse fractions. This occurs in Vertisols which developed under humid temperate climates (Solum I and SIV) and formed below the layer of Neapolitan Yellow Tuff, developed after 12–15 ka BP. In Solum, II, III the finest sedimentary levels, the low rate of pedogenesis could have developed under more cold climatic conditions after the last eruption (Campanian Ignimbrite, 39 ka) in the Late Pleistocene.

International audience; The beginning of the 1st millennium BC was one of the key periods in the development of glassmaking technologies,characterized by the supplanting of plant-ash technology by natron-based production, which would be typical of the Roman glassindustry. The ESEM-EDS, EMPA, and LA-ICPMS analyses of 72 glass samples from Sarno, Cuma and Capua (Campania, southernItaly), dated to the 9th–6th century BC, revealed a complex picture as regards both the chemical composition of the glass and the traderoutes of Early Iron Age Campania. The sample set was composed of classic natron glass, natron black glass (characterised by highlevels of FeO 10 wt%), natron alumina-cobalt blue glass coloured with Egyptian cobaltiferous alum, and plant-ash glass. The traceelement analysis made it possible to hypothesize the trade routes that linked ancient Campania with the Eastern Mediterranean.

Knowledge about the hydrogeological behaviour of heterogeneous low-permeability media is an important tool when designing anthropogenic works (e.g., landfills) that could potentially have negative impacts on the environment and on people&rsquo, s health. The knowledge about the biogeochemical processes in these media could prevent &ldquo, false positives&rdquo, when studying groundwater quality and possible contamination caused by anthropogenic activities. In this research, we firstly refined knowledge about the groundwater flow field at a representative site where the groundwater flows within an evaporite-bearing low-permeability succession. Hydraulic measurements and tritium analyses demonstrated the coexistence of relatively brief to very prolonged groundwater pathways. The groundwater is recharged by local precipitation, as demonstrated by stable isotopes investigations. However, relatively deep groundwater is clearly linked to very high tritium content rainwater precipitated during the 1950s and 1960s. The deuterium content of some groundwater samples showed unusual values, explained by the interactions between the groundwater and certain gases (H2S and CH4), the presences of which are linked to sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea detected within the saturated medium through biomolecular investigations in the shallow organic reach clayey deposits. In a wider, methodological context, the present study demonstrates that interdisciplinary approaches provide better knowledge about the behaviour of heterogeneous low-permeability media and the meaning of each data type.

This paper deals with petrography and mineralogy of serpentinitic rocks occurring in the Southern Apennines (Italy) with the aim to review the already available literature data and furnish new details on asbestos minerals present in the studied area. Two sites of Southern Italy were taken into account: the Pollino Massif, at the Calabrian-Lucanian border, and the surroundings of the Gimigliano and Mt. Reventino areas where serpentinites of Frido Unit are mainly exposed. Textural and mineralogical features of the studied rocks point to a similar composition for both sites including asbestos minerals such as chrysotile and tremolite-actinolite series mineral phases. Only in the Pollino Massif serpentinites edenite crystals have been detected as well; they are documented here for the first time. This amphibole forms as fibrous and/or prismatic crystals in aggregates associated with serpentine, pyroxene, and calcite. Metamorphism and/or metasomatic alteration of serpentinites are the most probable processes promoting the edenite formation in the Southern Apennine ophiolitic rocks.

The relationship between population dynamics and desertification risk in advanced economies is increasingly dependent on the mutual interplay of socioeconomic forces at regional and local scales. Assuming that specific, long-term demographic dynamics are associated with a given level of desertification risk, the present study investigates population trends between 1861 and 2017 and the spatial linkage with the level of desertification risk in Southern Italy, a European region where more than 20 % of land is exposed to degradation processes. Areas classified at the highest risk of desertification experienced intense population growth between 1951 and 1981. Reflecting the latest stage of the first demographic transition in Italy, such dynamics have caused an increasing human pressure on coastal districts, peri-urban areas and flat rural land. Since the early 1980s, population growth was less intense and more heterogeneous over space. Such dynamics led to a discontinuous urban expansion and the formation of a ‘third space’ – neither urban nor rural – with a consequent increase in the rate of land take. These outcomes, typical of the early stage of the second demographic transition, were mostly uncorrelated with the level of desertification risk. The spatial association between population dynamics and desertification risk characteristic of the first demographic transition in Southern Italy outlines the importance of regional developmental policies aimed at rebalancing territorial disparities for land degradation mitigation in the Mediterranean region.

The uncertainties that affect hydrometeorological modelling chains can be addressed through ensemble approaches. In this paper, a convection-permitting ensemble system was assessed based on the downscaling of all members of the ECMWF ensemble prediction system through the coupled atmospheric-hydrological WRF-Hydro modelling system. An exemplary highly localized convective event that occurred in a morphologically complex area of the southern Italian coast was selected as a case study, evaluating the performance of the system for two consecutive lead times up to the hydrological forecast on a very small (11.4 km2) catchment. The proposed approach accurately downscales the signal provided by the global model, improving up to almost 200% the quantitative forecast of the accumulated rainfall peak in the area affected by the event and supplying clear information about the forecast uncertainty. Some members of the ensemble simulations provide accurate results up to the hydrological scale over the catchment, with unit peak discharge forecasts up to 3 m3∙s&minus, 1∙km&minus, 2. Overall, the study highlights that for highly localized convective events in coastal Mediterranean catchments, ensemble approaches should be preferred to a classic single-based simulation approach, because they improve the forecast skills and provide spatially distributed information about the forecast uncertainty, which can be particularly useful for operational purposes.

The present-day Mediterranean landscape is a result of the long-term human&ndash, environment&ndash, climate interactions that have driven the ecological dynamics throughout the Holocene. Pastoralism had (and still has) an important role in shaping this landscape, and contributes to maintaining the mosaic patterns of the Mediterranean habitats. Palaeoecological records provide significant multi-proxy data on environmental changes during the Holocene that are linked to human activities. In such research, the palynological approach is especially useful for detailing the complexity of anthropogenically-driven landscape transformations by discriminating past land uses and pastoral/breeding activities. This paper focuses on the palynological evidence for the impact of centuries of grazing on the vegetation of Basilicata, a region of southern Italy where animal breeding and pastoralism have a long tradition. A set of 121 pollen samples from eight archaeological sites (dated from the 6th century BC to the 15th century AD) and five modern surface soil samples were analyzed. The joint record of pollen pasture indicators and spores of coprophilous fungi suggests that continuous and intense pastoral activities have been practiced in the territory and have highly influenced its landscape. The palaeoecological results of this study provide us with better knowledge of the diachronical transformations of the habitats that were exposed to continuous grazing, with a shift toward more open vegetation and increase of sclerophyllous shrubs. The palynological approach gives insights into the vocation and environmental sustainability of this southern Italy region on a long-term basis.

Stratigraphic Unit 13 of Oscurusciuto Rockshelter (Ginosa, Taranto, Southern Italy) is a short Mousterian palimpsest representing the first stable occupation of the site soon after the deposition of a thick layer of tephra (Mt. Epomeo Green Tuff - Ischia datable around 55 kya BP). Different activities were identified by integrating the study of lithic finds, faunal remains, and the microarchaeology of combustion features. Additionally, geo-statistical analysis of these data has been carried out using a specifically designed geodatabase within a GIS platform. Our results produced an articulated picture of this Neanderthal site as a tripartite location made of spatially segregated and integrated activity areas. A hearths' alignment (parallel to the rockshelter wall) divides the settled area into an inner and outer part. The inner part, between the hearths and the shelter wall, displays an abrupt rarefaction of the anthropic finds and was interpreted as a possible sleeping/resting area. In the outer part, several multipurpose activity areas have been identified, mostly associated with the combustion features. The Northern sector of the settlement appears devoted particularly to lithic production (to a lesser degree, activities related with lithic tools use and faunal processing took place). In the Southern sector the main activities carried out represent more intensive production and use of lithic tools and the butchering and consumption of animal resources. Additionally, in this sector evidence of space maintenance behaviour (cleaning up of working areas and refuse dumping) has been attested.

Large calderas are among the Earth's major volcanic features. They are associated with large magma reservoirs and elevated geothermal gradients. Caldera-forming eruptions result from the withdrawal and collapse of the magma chambers and produce large-volume pyroclastic deposits and later-stage deformation related to post-caldera resurgence and volcanism. Unrest episodes are not always followed by an eruption; however, every eruption is preceded by unrest. The Campi Flegrei caldera (CFc), located along the eastern Tyrrhenian coastline in southern Italy, is close to the densely populated area of Naples. It is one of the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth and represents a key example of an active, resurgent caldera. It has been traditionally interpreted as a nested caldera formed by collapses during the 100–200 km3 Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) eruption at ∼39 ka and the 40 km3 eruption of the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT) at ∼15 ka. Recent studies have suggested that the CI may instead have been fed by a fissure eruption from the Campanian Plain, north of Campi Flegrei. A MagellanPlus workshop was held in Naples, Italy, on 25–28 February 2017 to explore the potential of the CFc as target for an amphibious drilling project within the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP). It was agreed that Campi Flegrei is an ideal site to investigate the mechanisms of caldera formation and associated post-caldera dynamics and to analyze the still poorly understood interplay between hydrothermal and magmatic processes. A coordinated onshore–offshore drilling strategy has been developed to reconstruct the structure and evolution of Campi Flegrei and to investigate volcanic precursors by examining (a) the succession of volcanic and hydrothermal products and related processes, (b) the inner structure of the caldera resurgence, (c) the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the hydrothermal system and offshore sediments, and (d) the geological expression of the phreatic and hydromagmatic eruptions, hydrothermal degassing, sedimentary structures, and other records of these phenomena. The deployment of a multiparametric in situ monitoring system at depth will enable near-real-time tracking of changes in the magma reservoir and hydrothermal system., This research has been supported by the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) through the ECORD/ICDP MagellanPlus Workshop Series Programme (grant no. 2017.2376/4/AF).