Fil: Bini, Monica. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia; Italia. Universita degli Studi di Pisa; Italia
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Manuscript Number: jgs2017-038R1 Article Type: Research article Full Title: An Oldest Dryas glacier expansion in the Pelister Mountain (Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia) according to 10Be cosmogenic dating Short Title: Cosmogenic... more
Manuscript Number: jgs2017-038R1 Article Type: Research article Full Title: An Oldest Dryas glacier expansion in the Pelister Mountain (Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia) according to 10Be cosmogenic dating Short Title: Cosmogenic age of an Oldest Dryas glacial advance Corresponding Author: Adriano Ribolini, Ph.D Universita degli Studi di Pisa Pisa, ITALY Corresponding Author E-Mail: ribolini@dst.unipi.it Other Authors: Monica Bini Ilaria Isola Matteo Spagnolo Giovanni Zanchetta Ramón Pellitero Silke Mechernich Raphael Gromig Tibor Dunai Bernd Wagner Ivica Milevski Manuscript Classifications: Dating (radiometric, absolute, etc); Geomorphology Additional Information: Question Response Are there any conflicting interests, financial or otherwise? No
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High-resolution isotopic analyses were performed on RL4 flowstone from Renella Cave (Alpi Apuane, central Italy), a speleothem studied previously at low resolution. The new data are discussed together with recently obtained data from... more
High-resolution isotopic analyses were performed on RL4 flowstone from Renella Cave (Alpi Apuane, central Italy), a speleothem studied previously at low resolution. The new data are discussed together with recently obtained data from Corchia and other localities in the central Mediterranean, to elucidate the possible origin and regional articulation of a climatic event centred at ca. 4.0 ka. This analyses indicates that central to southern Italy between ca 3.8 and 4.3 ka was characterized by drier conditions, whereas in Northern Italy the event seems less expressed or, as within the Alps, marked by cooler and wetter conditions. Several lines of evidence suggest that this event could be characterized by longer summer drought and possibly by little impact on precipitation during winter, even if this aspect needs to be explored in more detail. However, the event is particularly prominent in the northern sector of the African Monsoon domain, which has been robustly linked to southward s...
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Bini M. et al., Geoarchaeological evidences of changes in the coastline progradation rate of the Versilia coastal plain between Camaiore and Viareggio (Tuscany, Italy): possible relationships with Late Holocene high-frequency... more
Bini M. et al., Geoarchaeological evidences of changes in the coastline progradation rate of the Versilia coastal plain between Camaiore and Viareggio (Tuscany, Italy): possible relationships with Late Holocene high-frequency transgressive-regressive cycles. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2009) The Late Holocene progradation of the Versilia coastal-plain, between Camaiore and Viareggio (Tuscany, Italy), was investigated on the basis of geomorphological, stratigraphical, and archaeological data. Five geomorphological units, corresponding to the Camaiore alluvial fan, beach-dune ridges, interdune marshes, a back dune marsh (Giardo and related Massaciuccoli lake area), and the presentday beach, were identified. Archaeological data provide some chronological constraints on the timing of Late Holocene coastal progradation. About 3000 yrs ago, the coastline was located about 2,5 km landward in respect to its present-day position, in the proximity of the Migliarina beach dune, behind which a marsh ar...
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The original article has been corrected. During proof correction of the article, mistakes in the author affiliations of Petra Bajo, John C. Hellstrom, Robert Wiśniewski, Anthony E. Fallick, Stefano Natali, and Marco Luppichini were... more
The original article has been corrected. During proof correction of the article, mistakes in the author affiliations of Petra Bajo, John C. Hellstrom, Robert Wiśniewski, Anthony E. Fallick, Stefano Natali, and Marco Luppichini were introduced. Please find the correct affiliations here as well.
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New constraints on shoreline location at roman times in the Luni area (Eastern Liguria). The location of the shoreline at roman times in the surroundings of the ancient city of Luna is still an unresolved problem. Many archaeo- logical... more
New constraints on shoreline location at roman times in the Luni area (Eastern Liguria). The location of the shoreline at roman times in the surroundings of the ancient city of Luna is still an unresolved problem. Many archaeo- logical surveys have been carried out in the area especially since the 1970s; they have supplied a great number of infor - mation about the different settling phases. None of them, though, clearly outlined the position of the shoreline, nor provided a reliable scenario of the Portus Lunae palaeoge - ography. archaeological tradition suggested that the sea was lapping the western and southern city walls, so that the they were supposed to form an indentation to follow the coast - line irregular profile. This geoarchaeological study, based on geomorphological mapping, stratigraphic and chronostrati - graphic analyses supported by archaeological data, disproves some old theories and constrains the tract of the Magra River alluvial plain where the roman times'...
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M. Bini, Glacial landforms in the Apuan Alps (Tuscany Italy): features in danger of extinction. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2005). The remaining glacial landforms of the Apuan Alps are of great scientific interest, but they are not adequately... more
M. Bini, Glacial landforms in the Apuan Alps (Tuscany Italy): features in danger of extinction. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2005). The remaining glacial landforms of the Apuan Alps are of great scientific interest, but they are not adequately exploited, and even their very conservation is in peril, despite the protective limitations imposed by the Regional Park of the Apuan Alps. From a first analysis of remaining glacial landforms, two sites in particular have been identified as being worthy of special attention, for different reasons: the Arni moraine and the glacial complex of Campocatino. RIASSUNTO: M. Bini, Forme glaciali delle Alpi Apuane (Toscana-Italia): elementi a rischio di estinzione. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2005). I resti glaciali delle Alpi Apuane hanno un grande interesse scientifico, ma non sono adeguatamente valorizzati, e addirittura è messa in discussione anche la loro conservazione, nonostante i vincoli imposti dal Parco delle Alpi Apuane. Da una prima analisi dei resti glaci...
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Geomorphosites are in continuous evolution. They are developing forms constantly attempting to reach a temporary equilibrium depending on the current morphoclimatic regime. The dynamicity of the geomorphosites poses practical and... more
Geomorphosites are in continuous evolution. They are developing forms constantly attempting to reach a temporary equilibrium depending on the current morphoclimatic regime. The dynamicity of the geomorphosites poses practical and theorical issues as regards to the management of such sites. In fact, if these forms are in evolution is it right to set about conserving a stage of that evolution? Moreover it is difficult to conserve with current rigid legislative procedures a dynamic element such as geomorphosites, their ongoing evolution poses problems for our system of limits, which are essentially based on geometrical considerations. Nevertheless, the dynamicity of geomorphosites represents an extraordinary tool for education, to fully understand and interpret the landscape and its complex equilibria.
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In this paper, we describe the first finding of the Campanian Ignimbrite tephra layer in a subaerial succession in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The tephra is interbedded within slope deposits mixed with colluvial loess. The... more
In this paper, we describe the first finding of the Campanian Ignimbrite tephra layer in a subaerial succession in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The tephra is interbedded within slope deposits mixed with colluvial loess. The identification of this fundamental stratigraphic marker is based on major elements. The investigated succession is correlated to lacustrine records from Ohrid and Prespa lakes, several archives of the central and eastern Mediterranean, and mainland Ukraine and Russia. Field observations and correlation with lacustrine records (i.e. pollen) indicate that accumulation of the volcanic ash occurred in a dry environment characterized by low vegetation cover and important wind activity, which promoted loess deposition. The recognition of the Campanian Ignimbrite tephra allows the correlation of the loess sediments to the H4 event, as defined in the North Atlantic event climatic stratigraphy.
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A technical solution to assess multiple data collection on beach dunes: the pilot site of Migliarino San Rossore Regional Park (Tuscany, Italy). Coastal dunes are a complex environment characterized by several biotic and abiotic factors... more
A technical solution to assess multiple data collection on beach dunes: the pilot site of Migliarino San Rossore Regional Park (Tuscany, Italy). Coastal dunes are a complex environment characterized by several biotic and abiotic factors that concur to their evolution and development. A whole comprehension of the interplay between those factors is paramount to a wider definition of dune systems: in some cases focusing on a factor at once is not suffice to get satisfying insights. Here is proposed an integrated solution involving different disciplines in order to collect in-depth datasets within a short span of time on a selected site located in the Migliarino – San Rossore – Massaciuccoli Regional Park (Tuscany, Italy). Geological (geomorphology, sedimentology, and geophysics) and biological aspects of the coastal dunes will be assessed using traditional survey analyses and integrated with state-of-the-art technologies (UAV flights, wireless sensors) to get an all-around characteriza...
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M. Bini, An itinerary around the Apuan Alps (Tuscany, Italy): an example of landscape modelled by different agents. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2005). The combined action of various exogenous agents, together with the powerful endogenous thrust... more
M. Bini, An itinerary around the Apuan Alps (Tuscany, Italy): an example of landscape modelled by different agents. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2005). The combined action of various exogenous agents, together with the powerful endogenous thrust and anthropic activities, have all contributed to the genesis of the current Apuan landscape. This landscape is characterised by numerous geosites, among which the most important is certainly the Antro del Corchia. This karst cavity of international scientific interest, since its opening to the general public has become an important attraction of the Park of the Apuan Alps. However, it tends to be visited purely as an isolated monument, without links with the rest of the area, which offers, also in the immediate surroundings, the chance to observe various other sites of geological or geomorphological interest of comparable scientific value. The exceptional drawing power of the cave could therefore be used to better divulge information relative to tho...
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Coastal erosion coupled with human-induced pressure has severely affected the coastal areas of the Mediterranean region in the past and continues to do so with increasing intensity today. In this context, the Pisa coastal plain shows a... more
Coastal erosion coupled with human-induced pressure has severely affected the coastal areas of the Mediterranean region in the past and continues to do so with increasing intensity today. In this context, the Pisa coastal plain shows a long history of erosion, which started at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In this work, shoreline positions derived from historical maps as well as airborne and DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) surveys were analyzed in a GIS (Geographic Information System) environment to identify the main changes that have occurred in the last 142 years. These analyses were compared with 100 years of discharge data measured at the S. Giovanni alla Vena gauge to identify a possible correlation between the two sets of information. Finally, Sentinel-2 and Landsat images were studied to identify the dispersion of sediments transported by the Arno River. In particular, we found a minimum of fluvial discharge in the years 1954, 1978, and 2012 correspon...
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In this paper we illustrate the stratigraphy, geochronology, and geochemistry (major, minor, trace elements and Sr-isotopes) of a Holocene tephra layer found within coastal sedimentary deposits north of Caleta Olivia (Santa Cruz Province,... more
In this paper we illustrate the stratigraphy, geochronology, and geochemistry (major, minor, trace elements and Sr-isotopes) of a Holocene tephra layer found within coastal sedimentary deposits north of Caleta Olivia (Santa Cruz Province, Argentina). The stratigraphic succession comprises beach deposits with basal erosive surface resting on the local substrate (“Formación Patagonia”) followed by a poorly developed paleosoil. The paleosoil is covered by a lenticular fine-grained (Mdφ: 5.2, 0.027 mm), well sorted (σφ: 1.2) volcanic ash layer and aeolian sands. The geochemical composition of shard fragments points to an origin from the Hudson volcano, located in the southern Andes, ca. 400 km to the west. The geochemistry, Sr-isotopes and the radiometric constraints (younger than the age of the underlying marine layer dated at ca. 4,100 a cal BP) further allow correlating this tephra with the so-called H2 eruption (ca. 3,900 a cal BP). This finding is of interest owing to the poor pres...
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The definition of shoreline is not the same for all contexts, and it is often a subjective matter. Various methods exist that are based on the use of different instruments that can determine and highlight a shoreline. In recent years,... more
The definition of shoreline is not the same for all contexts, and it is often a subjective matter. Various methods exist that are based on the use of different instruments that can determine and highlight a shoreline. In recent years, numerous studies have employed photogrammetric methods, based on different colours, to map the boundary between water and land. These works use images acquired by satellites, drones, or cameras, and differ mainly in terms of resolution. Such methods can identify a shoreline by means of automatic, semi-automatic, or manual procedures. The aim of this work is to find and promote a new and valid beach topography-based algorithm, able to identify the shoreline. We apply the Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques to reconstruct a high-resolution Digital Elevation Model by means of a drone for image acquisition. The algorithm is based on the variation of the topographic beach profile caused by the transition from water to sand. The SfM technique is not effic...
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In this paper the evolution of the Northern Tuscany littoral cell is documented through a detailed analysis of the increasing anthropogenic pressure since the beginning of the 20th century. This sector of the Tuscany coast has been... more
In this paper the evolution of the Northern Tuscany littoral cell is documented through a detailed analysis of the increasing anthropogenic pressure since the beginning of the 20th century. This sector of the Tuscany coast has been experiencing strong erosion effects that resulted in the loss of large volumes of sandy beaches. The anthropogenic impact on natural processes have been intensified by the construction of two ports in the early decades of the 20th century. Competent authorities reacted by building hard protection structures that tried to fix the position of the shoreline but offset the erosion drive downdrift. Therefore, in the last 20 years a regional Plan was undertaken to gradually replace the hard defense schemes with a softer approach, which involved a massive use of sediment redistribution activities. Many nourishments have been done ever since, using both sand and gravel. All these hard and soft protection operations have been archived in a geodatabase, and visuali...
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The stable isotope composition of living and of Holocene Mytilidae shells was measured in the area of Camarones (Chubut, Argentina). The most striking results were the high δ18O values measured in samples older than ca. 6.1 cal ka BP. In... more
The stable isotope composition of living and of Holocene Mytilidae shells was measured in the area of Camarones (Chubut, Argentina). The most striking results were the high δ18O values measured in samples older than ca. 6.1 cal ka BP. In the younger samples, the δ18O values remained substantially stable and similar to those of living specimens. Analysis of the data revealed the possibility for this isotopic shift to be driven mainly by changes in temperature probably accompanied by minor changes in salinity, suggesting cooler seawater before 6.1 cal ka BP, with a maximum possible temperature shift of ca. 5 °C. A possible explanation of this change can be related to a northward position of the confluence zone of the Falkland and Brazilian currents. This is consistent with the data obtained in marine cores, which indicate a northerly position of the confluence in the first half of the Holocene. Our data are also in line with the changes in wind strength and position of the Southern We...
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The aim of this paper is to evaluate the usefulness of TanDEM-X DEM (digital elevation model) for remote geomorphological analysis in Argentinian Patagonia. The use of a DEM with appropriate resolution and coverage might be very helpful... more
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the usefulness of TanDEM-X DEM (digital elevation model) for remote geomorphological analysis in Argentinian Patagonia. The use of a DEM with appropriate resolution and coverage might be very helpful and advantageous in vast and hardly accessible areas. TanDEM-X DEM could represent an unprecedented opportunity to identify geomorphological features because of its global coverage, ~12 m spatial resolution and low cost. In this regard, we assessed the vertical accuracy of TanDEM-X DEM through comparison with Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) datasets collected in two areas of the Patagonia Region during a field survey; we then investigated different types of landforms by creating the elevation profiles. The comparison indicates a high agreement between TanDEM-X DEM and reference values, with a mean absolute vertical error (MAE) of 0.53 m, and a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.73 m. The results of landform analysis show an appropriate...
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Southern Tuscany (Italy) is an important metallogenic district that hosts relevant S-polymetallic deposits that have intensely been exploited for centuries. Consequently, potential toxic elements, such as Hg and As, are widely distributed... more
Southern Tuscany (Italy) is an important metallogenic district that hosts relevant S-polymetallic deposits that have intensely been exploited for centuries. Consequently, potential toxic elements, such as Hg and As, are widely distributed in the surrounding environment. In this paper, an extensive sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical study of two Late Quaternary sediment profiles, partially outcropping along the coast of southern Tuscany (Ansedonia area), was carried out to evaluate the contents and mobility of Hg and As with the aims to contribute to the definition of the geochemical baseline of southern Tuscany before the human intervention and evaluate the potential dispersion of these harmful elements. The sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical (major elements) features revealed that the studied profiles are mostly related to the local geological characteristics and the Quaternary geological history of the area. The concentrations and the normalized patterns ...
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Ground wedge structures of cryogenic origin are common in the Quaternary sediments along the coast of the Patagonia, and their formation is related to climatic cold events experienced by this area in the Late Quaternary. The infilling... more
Ground wedge structures of cryogenic origin are common in the Quaternary sediments along the coast of the Patagonia, and their formation is related to climatic cold events experienced by this area in the Late Quaternary. The infilling sediments of two wedges generations were analyzed in the area of Puerto Deseado. Bulk chemistry (major elements), X-ray diffraction (XRD), morphoscopic observations with Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) and chemical analyses of volcanic glass shards were undertaken to provide indications about infilling sediment provenience, along with chronological constraint for wedge formation. Bulk chemistry and XRD patterns indicate a significant SiO2-enriched composition of the sediment infilling compared to the most of the loess deposits of the North Argentina and the present day dust originated in Patagonia. This was interpreted as due to the nature of the bedrock present over the Deseado Massif. SEM morphoscopic characteristics of glass shards evidence typ...
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Abstract Re-examination of central Mediterranean paleoclimate archives on tephra layers indicates that three widely dispersed tephra layers occurred during the Bronze Age, namely Agnano Mt Spina from Campi Flegrei (ca. 4.4 cal ka BP),... more
Abstract Re-examination of central Mediterranean paleoclimate archives on tephra layers indicates that three widely dispersed tephra layers occurred during the Bronze Age, namely Agnano Mt Spina from Campi Flegrei (ca. 4.4 cal ka BP), Avellino from Somma-Vesuvius (ca. 3.9 cal ka BP), and FL from Etna (ca. 3.3 cal ka BP). Stratigraphical correlations of selected archives using these tephra layers indicate that some records have severe chronological biases, posing important limitations to the use of these archives for defining the paleoclimate conditions during the Bronze Age. Regardless of the temporal mismatches, the Agnano Mt Spina tephra layer seems to have occurred at the beginning of a centennial scale period of climatic deterioration, while the Avellino tephra layer, taking place during a wetter period, seems to mark the end of this event. The dry event bounded by the two tephra layers seems to be correlated with the so-called “4.2 event”. Instead, the FL tephra from Etna seems to herald a new climatic deterioration at ca. 3.3–3.2 cal ka BP. Although the general frame is still incomplete, these three tephra layers appear to play a fundamental role in synchronizing archives, and can lead to the definition of a detailed paleoclimatic framework of the Bronze Age in the central Mediterranean area.
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Abstract The Grotta del Cavallo contains one of the most important stratification of Mousterian, Uluzzian and Final Epigravettian tecnocomplexes; its chronology is of paramount importance for understanding the timing of the transition... more
Abstract The Grotta del Cavallo contains one of the most important stratification of Mousterian, Uluzzian and Final Epigravettian tecnocomplexes; its chronology is of paramount importance for understanding the timing of the transition between Middle and Upper Palaeolithic in the Mediterranean region as well as the demise of the Neanderthal and the dispersal of the first anatomically modern humans through Europe. Within the stratigraphy of the cave three different volcanic ash layers occur (layer G, Fa and C-II). They are located in the middle section of the Mousterian (layer G), in between the Mousterian and Uluzzian layers (layer Fa) and on top of the Uluzzian horizons (layer C-II). The three tephra layers were chemically fingerprinted and correlated to well-known and precisely dated widespread Late Pleistocene tephra markers. Specifically, layer G, Fa and C-II were correlated to the X-6 (108.7 ± 0.9 ka), Y-6 (45.5 ± 1.0 ka) and Campanian Ignimbrite (39.85 ± 0.14 ka), respectively. These findings provide robust chronological points allowing to conclude that: (i) the Mousterian occupation of the cave took place after the fall of the sea level following the MIS 5e high-stand; (ii) the Mousterian-Uluzzian boundary can be dated to 45.5 ± 1.0 ka and climatostratigraphically firmly placed at the transition between the Greenland Interstadial 12 (GI12)-Greenland Stadial 12 (GS12); (iii) the Uluzzian lasted for at least five millennial spanning the GS12-GI9 period and ended at beginning of the Heinrich Event 4.
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The applicability of main scarp upper edge (MSUE) as dependent variable representation was performed in a translational slide susceptibility zonation of the Milia and Roglio basins, Italy. Two landslide inventories were built thanks to... more
The applicability of main scarp upper edge (MSUE) as dependent variable representation was performed in a translational slide susceptibility zonation of the Milia and Roglio basins, Italy. Two landslide inventories were built thanks to detailed geomorphological mapping and aerial photograph analysis. The landslides were used to create the models before 1975, while those after 1975 were employed to validate the predictive power of the model. Possible landslide-related factors were chosen from a geomorphological survey. The inventory landslide maps and the landslide-related factor maps were processed by conditional analysis, producing landslide susceptibility maps with five susceptibility classes. A comparison between the distribution of landslides after 1975 and those derived from models provided the predictive power of each model, which in turn was used to define the best predictive model. Reduced chi-square analysis allowed to define the efficiency of MSUE as dependent variable rep...
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Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Egyptology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, and 9 moreClimate Change, Geoarchaeology, Climate Change Adaptation, Medieval Archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology, Archéologie, Geoarchaeology and Paleoenvironmental Reconstructions, 4.2 ka BP event, and Roman Archaeology
A detailed geomorphological survey was undertaken in the area of Puerto Deseado (Santa Cruz Province, Argentina) to reconstruct the Relative Sea-level (RSL) position during the Last Interglacial highstand. The presence of active and... more
A detailed geomorphological survey was undertaken in the area of Puerto Deseado (Santa Cruz Province, Argentina) to reconstruct the Relative Sea-level (RSL) position during the Last Interglacial highstand. The presence of active and well-preserved abrasive notches and inner margins of terraces related to the MIS5e and to the Holocene, measured with DGPS, allowed to accurately estimate the RSL change from the present to the MIS5e highstand at ca. 21 m. The geomorphological and geo-chronological analyses support the notion of the presence of a significant regional tectonic uplift in the Atlantic Patagonia, which can be locally estimated at ca. 0.12 mm/yr.
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The alluvial plain of the Ceyhan River (SE Turkey) has been populated since the Neolithic. In 1954, Marjory Veronica Seton-Williams described for this area several archeological mounds (höyük), which are the remains of ancient... more
The alluvial plain of the Ceyhan River (SE Turkey) has been populated since the Neolithic. In 1954, Marjory Veronica Seton-Williams described for this area several archeological mounds (höyük), which are the remains of ancient settlements. Today, according to the archeological research carried out in the area, some of these mounds result to have been leveled by agricultural activities. In this work, we identified many color anomalies by low-cost remote-sensing analyses of satellite images. We checked the nature of these anomalies in a dedicated survey and we found a good correspondence between color anomalies and archeological remains consistent with leveled höyük. We compared the grain size and chemical characteristics of the soil collected inside the color anomalies with the soil collected in other areas of the alluvial plain. We found irrelevant differences in grain-size characteristics, but a higher content of CaCO3 in soils collected inside the anomalies with respect to those c...