Paolo Baggio

Some Considerations on Modeling Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Media

In this paper some considerations are presented about the equations needed to set up a model of the process of heat and mass transfer in porous media. A clear classification is made of the various types of equations used and of their physical meaning. Special attention is paid to the thermodynamic equilibrium equations and to their derivation since they are too often taken for granted. The importance of the various transport mechanisms (of mass and energy) is analyzed and the consequences that can arise when some term is neglected are indicated.

MEMORIS: a wide angle camera for the BepiColombo mission

MEMORIS (MErcury Moderate Resolution Imaging System) is a wide angle camera (WAC) concept for the ESA mission BepiColombo. The main scientific objectives consist of observing the whole surface of Mercury in the spectral range of 400–1000 nm, with a spatial resolution of 50 m per pixel at peri-Herm (400 km) and 190 m at apo-Herm (1500 km). It will obtain a map of Mercury in stereo mode allowing the determination of a digital elevation model with a panchromatic filter through two different channels. The camera will also perform multispectral imaging of the surface with a set of 8–12 different broad band filters. A third channel dedicated to limb observations will provide images of the atmosphere. MEMORIS will thus monitor the surface and the atmosphere during the entire mission, providing a unique opportunity to study the relationship between surface regions and the atmosphere, as suggested by ground-based observations and theory.

Tectonics and volcanism on Mars: a compared remote sensing analysis with earthly geostructures

The recent knowledge on Mars lithosphere evolution does not find yet sufficient analogies with the Earths tectonic models. The Viking image analysis seems to be even now frequently, rather fragmentary, and do not permits to express any coherent relationships among the different detected phenomena. Therefore, today it is impossible to support any reliable kinematic hypothesis. The Remote-Sensing interpretation is addressed to a Viking image mosaic of the known Tharsis Montes region and particularly focused on the Arsia Mons volcano. Several previously unknown lineaments, not directly linked to volcano-tectonics, were detected. Their mutual relationships recall transcurrent kinematics that could be related to similar geostructural models known in the Earth plate tectonic dynamics. Several concordant relationships between the Arsia Mons volcano and the brittle extensive tectonic features of earthly Etnean district (Sicily, South Italy), interpreted on Landsat TM images, were pointed out. These analogies coupled with the recently confirmed strato- volcano topology of Tharsis Montes (Head and Wilson), the layout distribution of the effusive centers (Arsia, Pavonis and Ascraeus Montes), the new tectonic lineaments and the morphological features, suggest the hypothesis of a plate tectonic volcanic region. The frame could be an example in agreement with the most recent interpretation of Mars (Sleep). A buried circular body, previously incorrectly interpreted as a great landslide event from the western slope of Arsia Mons volcano, seems really to be a more ancient volcanic structure (Arsia Mons Senilis), which location is in evident relation with the interpreted new transcurrent tectonic system.

Brittle tectonics in the northwestern Alps: remote sensing applications

In the North Western sector of the Alps an intense brittle tectonics overprints the nappe stack and related ductile deformations. On a regional scale, different brittle structural sets can be identified. The main purpose of this work was to test the reliability of optical and SAR data to identify new lineaments and to test their mutual interference in a collisional orogenic belt. ERS-1 Geocoded Terrain Correct data, provided by the Italian Processing and Archiving Facility (I-PAF) were analyzed and compared with optical data. These products were verified to be essentially complementary by geological interpretation. As an integrate result, the lineament length and orientation fit well the kinematic model of the study area, obtained through field analysis and apatite fission track datations (AFT) on differential uplift. Moreover it was also identified a close relationship between lineament sets and deep-seated gravitational slope deformations.

Flood hazard analysis: geological predisposing causes and tectonic forecast model

In order to diminish the degree of flood hazard, it is necessary to acquire more geological information, particularly about the predisposing causes. As known, the exogen changes and their control are linked with the regional tectonic structures, hence it is important to identify them. Indeed, the reconstruction of a geomechanical-fracturing model of the rock substratum can be the main element to localize the lowering plane areas that probably draw the flood. For this purpose, the RS-multispectral satellite image interpretation becomes the more suitable method. It was applied over a test area SE of Turin (Piedmont, NorthWest Italy) where localized floods systematically occurred. The identified tectonic model shows that the lowering structural areas correspond also to the flooded depressions.