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The coastline of the Gulf of Naples, Italy, is characterized by a series of infrastructures of strategic importance, including touristic and commercial ports between Pozzuoli to Sorrento, main roads, railways, and urban areas. Furthermore, the Gulf of Naples hosts an intense traffic of touristic and commercial maritime routes. The risk associated with extreme marine events is hence very significant over this marine and coastal area. On 28 December 2020, the Gulf of Naples was hit by an extreme sea storm, with severe consequences. This study focuses on the waterfront area of Via Partenope, where the waves overrun the roadway, causing massive damage on coastal seawall, road edges, and touristic structures (primarily restaurants). Based on the analysis of the meteorological evolution of the sea storm and its effects on the waterfront, we suggest that reflective processes induced on the sea waves by the tuff cliffs at the base of Castel dell'Ovo had an impact in enhancing the local-scale waves magnitude. This caused in turn severe flooding of the roadway and produced widespread damage along the coast. The analysis of the event of 28 December 2020, also suggests the need of an effective mitigation policy in the management of coastal issues induced by extreme sea storm events. Wind-based analysis and prediction of the sea wave conditions are currently discussed in the literature; however, critical information on wave height is often missing or not sufficient for reliable forecasting. In order to improve our ability to forecast the effects of sea storm events on the coastline, it is necessary to analyze all the components of the coastal wave system, including wave diffraction and reflection phenomena and the tidal change. Our results suggest in fact that only an integrated approach to the analysis of all the physical and anthropic components of coastal system may provide a correct base of information for the stakeholders to address coastal zone planning and protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along the coastline of the Phlegraean Fields volcanic district, near Naples (Italy), severe retreat processes affect a large part of the coastal cliffs, mainly made of fractured volcanic tuff and pyroclastic deposits. Progressive fracturing and deformation of rocks can lead to hazardous sudden slope failures on coastal cliffs. Among the triggering mechanisms, the most relevant are related to meteorological factors, such as precipitation and thermal expansion due to solar heating of rock surfaces. In this paper, we present a database of measurement time series taken over a period of ∼4 years (December 2014–October 2018) for the deformations of selected tuff blocks in the Coroglio coastal cliff. The monitoring system is implemented on five unstable tuff blocks and is formed by nine crackmeters and two tiltmeters equipped with internal thermometers. The system is coupled with a total weather station, measuring rain, temperature, wind and atmospheric pressure and operating from January 2014 up to December 2018. Measurement frequencies of 10 and 30 min have been set for meteorological and deformation sensors respectively. The aim of the measurements is to assess the magnitude and temporal pattern of rock block deformations (fracture opening and block movements) before block failure and their correlation with selected meteorological parameters. The results of a multivariate statistical analysis of the measured time series suggest a close correlation between temperature and deformation trends. The recognized cyclic, sinusoidal changes in the width (opening–closing) of fractures and tuff block rotations are ostensibly linked to multiscale (i.e., daily, seasonal and annual) temperature variations. Some trends of cumulative multi-temporal changes have also been recognized. The full databases are freely available online at: 10.1594/PANGAEA.896000 (Matano et al., 2018) and 10.1594/PANGAEA.899562 (Fortelli et al., 2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along the coastline of the Campi Flegrei volcanic district, near Naples (Italy), severe retreat processes affect a large part of the coastal cliffs, mainly made of fractured volcanic tuff and pyroclastic deposits. Progressive fracturing and deformation of rocks can lead to hazardous sudden slope failures on coastal cliffs. Among the triggering mechanisms, the most relevant are related to meteorological factors, such as precipitation, freezing conditions, and thermal expansion due to solar heating of rock surfaces. In this paper, we present a database of measurement time series taken over a period of ∼ 4 years (Dec 2014–Oct 2018), referred to the deformations of selected tuff blocks in the Coroglio coastal cliff. The monitoring system is implemented on five unstable tuff blocks and is formed by nine crackmeters and two tiltmeters equipped with internal thermometers. The system is coupled with a total weather station, measuring rain, temperature, wind and atmospheric pressure operating since January 2014 up to Dec 2018. A measurement frequency of 10 and 30 minutes has been respectively set for meteorological and deformation sensors. The aim of the measurements is to assess the magnitude and temporal pattern of rock block deformations (fracture opening and block movements) before block failure and their correlation with selected meteorological parameters. The results of a multivariate statistical analysis of the measured time series suggest a close correlation between temperature and deformation trends. The recognized cyclic, sinusoidal changes in the width (opening/closing) of fractures and tuff blocks rotations are ostensibly linked to multiscale (i.e. daily, seasonal and annual) temperature variations. Some trends of cumulative multi-temporal changes have been also recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because most relevant studies have used small sample sizes, to date, representative atmospheric monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on a regional scale has been very limited, which makes it difficult to precisely identify "hotspots" and possible pollution sources. In this study, an ultrahigh resolution monitoring technique was used to measure the atmospheric spatial variations in POP concentrations on a regional scale, throughout Campania, Italy. The occurrence of specific POPs—including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and phthalate esters (PAEs)—were investigated using polyurethane foam-based passive air samplers (PUF-PAS), which were deployed at 129 sites across the Campania Territory between April and July 2016. The results show that the highest POP levels occurred in the Naples metropolitan area (NMA), although there were other problematic spots throughout the Territory. More specifically, hotspot areas in the NMA that depict serious POP pollution were found in the Bagnoli brownfield site, Sarno River Basin, and parts of the northeastern NMA sector. The atmospheric POP contamination in Campania is jointly controlled by the contributions of local emissions and long-range atmospheric transport. Diffusion model was employed to identify the potential sources of various POPs. The simulation showed that all the POP sources are located in the NMA and are closely related to industrial sites. This study demonstrates the advantage of using large sample sizes to identify POP source locations and achieve geospatial visualization of POP concentration and risk assessment levels. [Display omitted] • Variations in spatial concentration of POPs in air of the Campania are significant. • Higher levels of POPs found in Campania are linked to pollution hotspots. • The joint influence of local vs. long-range atmospheric transport was validated. • The POPs' simulated source locations are all in the Naples metropolitan area. A high-resolution monitoring technique was implemented to measure spatial variations in atmospheric POP concentrations on a regional scale, for the purpose of identifying sources and determining human exposure risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract I am often reminded of the famous saying of Goethe: "Vedi Napoli e poi muori! - See Naples and die!". Sadly, Naples is now confronted with a number of serious, ongoing problems with a need to alleviate pressure on the worsening environment. One serious problem facing the environment is the presence of the potentially hazardous persistent organic pollutants (POPs), although few systematic studies at regional scale have been conducted. In this study, samples of soil, air, and bulk deposition were collected in Naples metropolitan area (NMA) to characterize the status of POPs, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results obtained showed that most of these compounds are pervasive in all the studied environmental matrices, especially in some hotspot areas, such as the Bagnoli Brownfield Site and the infamous "Triangle of the Death", where unwanted ecological risk conditions for PAHs and Endosulfan were determined, respectively. The interactional complexity between urban and the surrounding rural areas was also confirmed, as is the role that urban areas play in the migration and transformation process of POPs. High urban-rural gradients for atmospheric PAHs and PCBs were observed in the NMA, and the urban areas were identified as the emission source of these contaminants. Similarly, the OCP residues, historically originated from the nearby agricultural regions, experience long-term soil re-emission and continuously influence the connected urban environment via atmospheric transport processes. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Presents systemic data on POP concentrations in a multimedia environment. • Urban areas were identified as the emission source of PAHs and PCBs. • Validates long-term soil re-emission of the OCP residues. • Identifies ongoing effects of "hotspots" on surrounding areas via atmospheric transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]