scholarly journals Simulation of tsunamis induced by volcanic activity in the Gulf of Naples (Italy)

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 311-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Tinti ◽  
G. Pagnoni ◽  
A. Piatanesi

Abstract. The paper explores the potential of tsunami generation by pyroclastic flows travelling down the flank of the volcano Vesuvius that is found south of Naples in Italy. The eruption history of Vesuvius shows that it is characterised by large explosive eruptions of plinian or subplinian type during which large volume of pyroclastic flows can be produced. The most remarkable examples of such eruptions occurred in 79 AD and in 1631 and were catastrophic. Presently Vesuvius is in a repose time that, according to volcanologists, could be interrupted by a large eruption, and consequently proper plans of preparedness and emergency management have been devised by civil authorities based on a scenario envisaging a large eruption. Recently, numerical models of magma ascent and of eruptive column formation and collapse have been published for the Vesuvius volcano, and propagation of pyroclastic flows down the slope of the volcanic edifice up to the close shoreline have been computed. These flows can reach the sea in the Gulf of Naples: the denser slow part will enter the waters, while the lighter and faster part of the flow can travel on the water surface exerting a pressure on it. This paper studies the tsunami produced by the pressure pulse associated with the transit of the low-density phase of the pyroclastic flow on the sea surface by means of numerical simulations. The study is divided into two parts. First the hydrodynamic characteristics of the Gulf of Naples as regards the propagation of long waves are analysed by studying the waves radiating from a source that is a static initial depression of the sea level localised within the gulf. Then the tsunami produced by a pressure pulse moving from the Vesuvius toward the open sea is simulated: the forcing pulse features are derived from the recent studies on Vesuvian pyroclastic flows in the literature. The tsunami resulting from the computations is a perturbation involving the whole Gulf of Naples, but it is negligible outside, and persists within the gulf long after the transit of the excitation pulse. The size of the tsunami is modest. The largest calculated oscillations are found along the innermost coasts of the gulf at Naples and at Castellammare. The main conclusion of the study is that the light component of the pyroclastic flows produced by future large eruptions of Vesuvius are not expected to set up catastrophic tsunamis.

Author(s):  
Stefan Schmid ◽  
Rudi Kulenovic ◽  
Eckart Laurien

For the validation of empirical models to calculate leakage flow rates in through-wall cracks of piping, reliable experimental data are essential. In this context, the Leakage Flow (LF) test rig was built up at the IKE for measurements of leakage flow rates with reduced pressure (maximum 1 MPA) and temperature (maximum 170 °C) compared to real plant conditions. The design of the test rig enables experimental investigations of through-wall cracks with different geometries and orientations by means of circular blank sheets with integrated cracks which are installed in the tubular test section of the test rig. In the paper, the experimental LF set-up and used measurement techniques are explained in detail. Furthermore, first leakage flow measurement results for one through-wall crack geometry and different imposed fluid pressures at ambient temperature conditions are presented and discussed. As an additional aspect the experimental data are used for the determination of the flow resistance of the investigated leak channel. Finally, the experimental results are compared with numerical results of WinLeck calculations to prove specifically in WinLeck implemented numerical models.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Zeybek ◽  
Lei Jiang ◽  
Hadrien Dumont

Abstract The radius of investigation (ROI) of pressure transient analyses has been traditionally assessed using analytical formulations with basic reservoir parameters for homogenous systems. Numerous studies aimed to improve ROI formulations to incorporate all reservoir and testing parameters such as gauge resolution and rate for more accurate ROI assessments. However, new generation wireline formation testers aim to improve deep transient tests with significant developments in gauge resolution and increasing rate. Challenges still remain in heterogeneous formations such as shaly sands and carbonate reservoirs. In this study, detailed conceptual high-resolution numerical models are set up, including comprehensive reservoir and measurement parameters, to investigate more realistic ROI assessments in layered heterogeneous systems without and with hydraulic communication. Several conceptual examples are presented in layered systems with permeability contrasts. In addition, deviation from infinite-acting radial flow (IAFR) and pressure propagation in highly heterogeneous layered systems are investigated to detect the presence of geological features, including closed boundary systems and the presence of a fault in the proximity of wellbore.


Author(s):  
Joaquín Moris ◽  
Patricio Catalán ◽  
Rodrigo Cienfuegos

Wave breaking is one of the main forcing mechanisms in coastal hydrodynamics, driving mean water levels and currents. Understanding its behavior is key in the goal of improving our comprehension of coastal morphodynamics variations. One way to improve our understanding is through the use of numerical models, such as phase-resolving numerical models based on the Boussinesq equations (Kirby, 2016), which are modified to include breaking by the inclusion of a breaking criteria and a dissipation mechanism. Since there is not a universal law capable of characterizing the wave breaking, the existing models must be calibrated. Traditionally, this is done by adjusting wave height profiles and other free surface statistical parameters without explicitly considering the time-space location and duration of the breaking process. Consequently, it is possible to calibrate a model that accurately represents wave elevation statistics parameters, such as wave height and wave set-up; however, it might not necessarily represent the breaking location-duration and therefore, the forcing.


Author(s):  
Michael Borg ◽  
Anthony Viselli ◽  
Christopher K. Allen ◽  
Matthew Fowler ◽  
Christoffer Sigshøj ◽  
...  

Abstract As part of the process of deploying new floating offshore wind turbines, scale model testing is carried out to de-risk and verify the design of novel foundation concepts. This paper describes the testing of a 1:43 Froude-scaled model of the TetraSpar Demo floating wind turbine prototype that shall be installed at the Metcentre test facility, Norway. The TetraSpar floating foundation concept consists of a floater tetrahedral structure comprising of braces connected together through pinned connections, and a triangular keel structure suspended below the floater by six suspension lines. A description of the experimental setup and program at the Alfond W2 Ocean Engineering Lab at University of Maine is given. The objective of the test campaign was to validate the initial design, and contribute to the development of the final demonstrator design and numerical models. The nonlinear hydrodynamic characteristics of the design are illustrated experimentally and the keel suspension system is shown to satisfy design criteria.


Author(s):  
Amir Taheri ◽  
Jan David Ytrehus ◽  
Ali Taghipour ◽  
Bjørnar Lund ◽  
Alexandre Lavrov ◽  
...  

Abstract In this study, a new approach for detailed tracking of the interface between well fluid and cement by using particles is investigated. This can improve the quality of annular cementing of CO2 wells and thus the storage safety. For this purpose, the displacement mechanisms of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids in the annulus of vertical and inclined wells is investigated by using an experimental set-up with an eccentric annular geometry and by finite element analysis of an equivalent model with COMSOL Multiphysics solver. For more efficient displacement, the displacing fluid has a higher density than the displaced fluid, and the intermediate-buoyancy particles that reside at the interface between successive fluids are introduced into the models. Such particles must overcome strong secondary flows in order to travel with the interface. Particle motions are investigated in different experimental and numerical models, and their effectiveness is investigated. The experimental results confirm that while the particles with a size of 425–500 um are unable to overcome the secondary flows in eccentric vertical models and track the interface, they can be useful for tracking the interface between two fluids in an eccentric model with a small inclination to the narrow side. CFD analysis investigates this behavior with more details and shows the effects of some parameters on the particle motions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Luiz Mascagni ◽  
Eduardo Siegle ◽  
Moysés Gonsalez Tessler ◽  
Samara Cazzoli y Goya

Abstract Wave-dominated embayed beaches on irregular rocky coastlines are highly appreciated for their landscapes and tourism potential. Yet our understanding about the interaction of the oceanographic processes with the geological inheritance in this type of beaches still needs further investigation to better understand their natural balance. In this study, we apply the classical approach of morphodynamics to describe for the first time the variations in the Boiçucanga beach morphology, an embayed beach located in São Sebastião City on an irregular rocky coastline that is well known for its beautiful beaches embedded in the valleys of Serra do Mar. Field surveys were performed over 15 months, between April 2008 and September 2009, seeking to evaluate the interactions among the morphology, sediments and hydrodynamic characteristics at Boiçucanga. All data generated during the field surveys have supported the application of the following morphodynamic models: Classification of morphological beach stages [O]; Number of nearshore sandbars [B*]; Relative tide range [RTR]; Beach exposure on embayed coasts [Ro/a and ß]; and Embayment beach scaling parameter [d] to determine the geomorphological behavior of the beach on monthly and annual time scales. From these models, Boiçucanga is classified as a deep embayed beach exposed to high-energy waves, with a predominant reflective profile, which favors the development of beach cusps and topographically controlled rip currents. The combined results of the field observations and applied models allowed us to better understand the role of geological heritage in the two morphodynamic signatures found at the same beach arch. For future studies, we will focus on numerical models to increase the understanding of the hydrodynamic processes that govern the sediment transport in Boiçucanga.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morelia Urlaub ◽  
Jon Carey ◽  
Gareth Crutchley ◽  
Joshu Mountjoy

<p>Numerous subaqueous landslides exhibit spreading failure morphologies which are typically characterized by repetitive patterns of parallel ridges and troughs oriented perpendicular to the direction of movement. Whilst these spreading failures are commonly attributed to (i) downslope removal of material causing unloading of the temporary stable slope or (ii) significant loss of shear strength of the substratum allowing blocks of overlying sediment to detach and slide downslope, their movement rates and potential triggers remain poorly constrained. <!-- Suggest wording this to set up motivation of research -->Spreading appears to be a dominant failure mechanism within the Tuaheni Landslide Complex (TLC)<!-- I’m not wedded to this name but makes some sense to stick with the same --> on the Hikurangi Subduction Margin off the coast of Gisborne, New Zealand. A combination of swath bathymetric, 2D and 3D seismic data, drilling investigations and laboratory experiments on sediments recovered from the TLC indicate that this geomorphology has been generated by translational failure. Failure could occur through episodic cycles of movement-arrest in response to either elevated pore fluid pressures or undrained loading during earthquakes<!-- We now have some data from dynamic experiments which would be good to include in the model -->. <!-- You will know better than me Morelia but it might pay to be a little more circumspect at this stage? -->We developed numerical models that integrate this unique data set to explore the processes that lead to spreading failure and determine how large shear strains can be accommodated without accelerating to catastrophic failure. The results provide a novel approach that demonstrates how seafloor morphology can, in part, be controlled by the underlying failure processes</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Bieser ◽  
Ute Daewel ◽  
Corinna Schrum

<p>Five decades of Hg science have shown the <strong>tremendous complexity of the global Hg cycle</strong>. Yet, the pathways that lead from anthropogenic Hg emissions to MeHg exposure through sea food are not fully comprehended. Moreover, the observed amount of MeHg in fish exhibits a large temporal and spatial variability that we cannot predict yet. A key issue is that fully speciated Hg measurements in the ocean are difficult to perform and thus we will never be able to achieve a comprehensive spatial and temporal coverage.</p><p>Therefore, we need complex modeling tools that allow us to fill the gaps in the observations and to predict future changes in the system under changing external drivers (emissions, climate change, ecosystem changes). Numerical models have a long history in Hg research, but so far have virtually only addressed inorganic Hg cycling in atmosphere and oceans.</p><p>Here we present a novel 3d-hydrodynamic mercury modeling framework based on fully coupled compartmental models including atmosphere, ocean, and ecosystem. The generalized high resolution model has been set up for European shelf seas and was used to model the transition zone from estuaries to the open ocean. Based on this model we present our findings on intra- and inter-annual dynamics and variability of mercury speciation and distribution in a coastal ocean. Moreover, we present the first results on the dynamics of mercury bio-accumulation from a fully coupled marine ecosystem model. Most importantly, the model is able to reproduce the large variability in methylmercury accumulation in higher trophic levels.</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Maierová ◽  
Karel Schulmann ◽  
Pavla Štípská ◽  
Taras Gerya ◽  
Ondrej Lexa

<p>In the easternmost part of the European Variscan collisional belt, the Bohemian Massif, strongly metamorphosed felsic rocks crop out at several locations in a current distance of up to several hundreds of kilometers from the supposed contact of the subducting and overriding plates. These rocks were interpreted to originate from the subducting plate (now the Saxothuringian domain), which means that the orogenic root (the Moldanubian domain) consists of rocks that originate from both upper and lower plate. More specifically, the root domain is composed of (U)HP granulites and orthogneiss, garnet peridotites, eclogites and ultra-potassic plutons that alternate with the less metamorphosed rocks of the upper plate.</p><p>Such a process of subduction and emplacement of the subducted crust into the upper plate is called relamination. In order to better constrain the dynamics of relamination, we set up a numerical thermal-mechanical model and compare the modeling results with the data from the Bohemian Massif. The model simulates oceanic and continental subduction and takes into account non-linear visco-plastic rheology, percolation of fluids, melting and melt extraction. For different parameter values, the models show different styles of behavior, namely (i) exhumation of the subducted crust along the plate interface, and (ii) flow of the subducted crust beneath the upper plate and then incorporation into its crust (i.e. relamination).</p><p>In the former case, the material records heterogeneous peak metamorphism sampling the conditions along the subduction zone, and cooling during decompression. Similar features are typical for the metamorphic complex in the Saxothuringian domain of the Bohemian Massif.</p><p>In the latter case, the typical feature is the development of diapirs that grow from the subducted continental crust, pierce the overlying lithosphere and intrude into the middle crust of the upper plate. We show that growth of such trans-lithospheric diapirs results in a similar rock assemblage as observed in the orogenic root in the Bohemian Massif. The pressure-temperature-time paths obtained in the modeled diapirs mimic those of the Moldanubian granulites. The flow of crustal material through the mantle wedge results into mixing, hydration of the mantle and melting of both materials. Emplacement of the resulting melt into crust can explain formation of the Moldanubian ultra-potassic plutons.</p>


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