Climate

Italy’s northern region fits into the mid-latitude climate zone; the region has “cold winds…rolling down from the Alps and northern Europe”. The region is colder, mountainous, and higher in latitude. The mid-latitude zone also means that Northern Italy is closer to the North Pole. This region has a higher albedo because during the winter months the snow reflects the suns UV rays preventing the land from heating up. The elevation of the region can also explain the colder climate; the higher the elevation the colder the temperatures.

 

 

 

 

The southern region fits into the sub-tropical climate zone and has “hot winds arriving from the Sahara in the south”. The region is hotter, lower in latitude, and gets more sunshine. The region receives more sunlight due to the latitude allowing the land to stay warm. Heat and even sand gets carried from the Sahara due to dynamic pressure variation. Circulating wind allows the sand and the heat to get carried from the subtropical trade winds region to the mid-latitude westerlies.

 

Italy’s location makes it a target for powerful winds. Sometimes “Hurricane force” winds can hit Italy, they can be “75 to 90” miles per hour. In the north, cold winds get blown south toward the Mediterranean and Italy.  This cold high density air hits the warm air that comes from the Adriatic Sea lifting it. As the cold air moves to the lower density air it goes through pressure gradients. The isobars in the gradients are close so the wind is faster. The cold and warm air and the pressure gradients cause the powerful winds. The mid-latitudes experience the biggest pressure gradients so they have the highest winds and part of Italy is in the Mid-latitude. Italy also has diurnal flows which are air flows between cold and warm air from the land and sea; along with the wind, thunderstorms and rain can be caused from the air masses.

Shows the pressure gradient and the close iso-bars which cause the wind.

 

 

 

Information

http://www.tours-italy.com/more_info_vacation_packages-weather_and_climate_in_italy-8.htm

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/italy-hit-by-fearsome-winds/46465

Pictures

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/italy-hit-by-fearsome-winds/46465

http://restaurants.uptake.com/blog/bacco-restaurant-authentic-italian-san-francisco-california.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Northern_Italy_topographic_map-blank.png

http://rometour.org/southern-regions-provinces-and-main-towns-population-density-agriculture-industry.html

http://www.gps4touring.com/pois/southern-Italy.htm

 

 

 

 

Mass Wasting

Italy has several examples of mass wasting; the country experiences a myriad of landslides throughout its regions. Two examples of mass wasting are noted in La Spezia which is located in northern Italy and Maierato which is located in southern Italy.

 

In La Spezia Italy, several floods and debris flows occurred which caused destruction to the surrounding environment. Rain fall exceeded “400mm” triggering the debris fall, which carried mud, rocks, trees, and other materials down the slope of the mountain. Most debris falls happen because water puts pressure between the soils causing particles to separate. This allows the soil, or mud, to flow down the slope gaining velocity due to gravity.

 As the soil travels down the mountain it picks up rocks and other materials mixing it with the mud and creating a debris flow. Debris flows are categorized as such because they are composed of mud and a lot of rock debris. The debris flow was fast enough and carried material large enough to even knock over a truck.

 

Another example of mass wasting is seen in Maierato Italy. In this town a landslide most likely occurred because of the “heavy” rain that the region experienced. The landslide is estimated to have a “run out distance of 1.2 km”.  The excessive rainfall most likely impacted a place of weakness on the slope causing a translational slide to occur. Once the soil broke loose it was mixed with water and other materials. These materials were further accelerated by gravity and eventually formed a mudflow. The mudflow is identified as such because there was mostly mud that flowed down the slope with little rock debris.

The town of Mierato before the landslide

The town of Maierato after land slide.

A closer look at the landslide can be noted through videos made by witnesses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nx-gYYRu5I

 

Mass wasting has an effect on people due to the damage it can cause. In the Maierato landslide nobody was hurt but the destruction of the environment and the relocation of the people who lived around the landslide had fiscal impacts. Mass wasting can place people in danger as well as have an effect on them fiscally.

 

La Spezia

Information retrieved from: http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2011/10/26/floods-and-landslides-in-italy-yesterday/

Pictures retrieved from: http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2011/10/26/floods-and-landslides-in-italy-yesterday/

Maierato
Information retrieved from: http://www.springerlink.com/content/43ru3g5082171p45/

Pictures retrieved from: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=43160

 

 

Building Earth's Landscapes

Building Earth’ Landscapes

 Tectonics

Italy is placed between three tectonic plates; they are the Eurasian plate, the African, and the Anatolian plate. The Eurasian plate takes up most of Italy and the African plate only takes up an eastern region of Italy (look at the map for reference). The interactions of these three plates can help explain Italy’s mountain formations as well as the volcanic activity.

 

http://www.npr.org/news/graphics/2009/apr/italy-earthquake/

 http://www.npr.org/news/graphics/2009/apr/italy-earthquake/

 Volcanoes

Mt. Etna is the largest volcano in Italy and it is an extrusive volcanic landform. Italy has several active volcanoes. Etna is located on the island of Sicily (see map for reference). The volcano is formed because of a convergence or subduction of the two plates; the Eurasian and the African plate. Mt. Etna is a cinder cone volcano; it was an example that is in the class notes. The volcanic material that the volcano has is called tephra, which are rocks that are blown out of the volcano. There are several volcanoes that are around each other and they are formed due to subduction zones of the two plates and are close to mountains. As stated in the notes, “volcanoes rest on top of mountains” and much of Italy is covered in mountains. 

http://geology.com/volcanoes/etna/

 http://www.google.com/imgres?q=mt+etna&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&tbnid=GK-hs96PkOj2eM:&imgrefurl=http://www.inquisitr.com/137966/mount-etna-eruption-2011-video/&docid=eC34C7qtN-sMYM&imgurl=http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2011/08/mount-etna-eruption-2011-video.jpg&w=720&h=464&ei=DGlbUKvzDsWGyQG0qYH4CQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=156&sig=100005270292406979736&page=1&tbnh=137&tbnw=183&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0,i:170&tx=51&ty=90

http://www.google.com/imgresq=mt+etna&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&tbnid=GK-hs96PkOj2eM:&imgrefurl=http://www.inquisitr.com/137966/mount-etna-eruption-2011-video/&docid=eC34C7qtN-sMYM&imgurl=http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2011/08/mount-etna-eruption-2011-video.jpg&w=720&h=464&ei=DGlbUKvzDsWGyQG0qYH4CQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=156&sig=100005270292406979736&page=1&tbnh=137&tbnw=183&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0,i:170&tx=51&ty=90

 

Mountains

The mountains that are formed in Italy are formed because of compression between the Eurasian and African plates. They were compressed together and mountains formed throughout Italy. Because of the activity of these two plates, Italy gets earthquakes.  The most recent one was in May, and it occurred in northern Italy along the fault lines of tectonic plates. Tectonic activity affects people in Italy because inn the southern part of the Eurasian and African plate volcanoes form while in the northern part earthquakes occur. People are affected by volcanic activity and earthquakes that cause issues with health, safety, and shelter.

 

http://www.npr.org/news/graphics/2009/apr/italy-earthquake/

 


Hello,

My name is Marko Mocevic and I am a sophomore at CU Denver. I am 20 years and am majoring in political science.

http://knowledgetoday.wharton.upenn.edu/2011/11/italy-and-the-global-economy-an-end-to-la-dolce-vita/ 



I decided to do my blog on Italy because I have always wanted to visit the country. I have been intrested in Italy and it seems like it would be a cool place to go. The food, culture, and people are intresting and exciting. Italy seems to have a little bit of everything; it has beaches, mountains, and other cool landscapes.