Comments on “Confirmation of beach accretion by grain-size trend analysis: Camposoto beach, Cádiz, SW Spain” by E. Poizot et al. (2013) Geo-Marine Letters 33(4)

This Discussion provides comments on the application of grain-size trend analysis to Camposoto beach (SW Spain) reported by Poizot et al. (2013) in Geo-Marine Letters 33(4):263–272. Some of their results are updated or complemented by existing data from other studies carried out on Camposoto and other nearby beaches. For example, a detailed breakdown of beach nourishment volumes and costs is presented, and the influence of a horizontal reef flat on the tilting of the beach profile around the mean or the low water level is highlighted. Moreover, data from the displacement of dyed samples are used to evaluate the relationship between sediment transport speed (v_a) and current speed (V), the corresponding ratio being consistent with the range of values reported by several other authors. Finally, some minor, although still significant, differences are detected in some granulometric parameters as well as in the profile shape. Determining the reason for these discrepancies could enhance our current knowledge about the factors controlling short-term beach profile responses.     

Vertical distribution of two sympatric labrid fishes in the Western Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic rocky subtidal: local shore topography does matter

Changes in the shore topography (e.g. slope) occur at a scale of hundreds of meters in several locations in the Lusitanian and the Mediterranean Sea provinces. We tested whether differences in the bottom inclination might affect the vertical distribution patterns of two sympatric coastal labrid fishes, the rainbow wrasse Coris julis and the ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo. Visual censuses were used to determine the distribution and abundance of these labrid species in high (≥30°) and low (≤3°) slope rocky substrates covered by brown macroalgae and at two different depths (shallow, 4–7 m, and deep 14–20 m). Pectoral fin aspect ratio was used as an estimate of swimming performance to potentially explain the patterns observed. Despite the intrinsic biogeographical differences in the overall density of T. pavo and C. julis, on steep coasts the ornate wrasse dominated in shallow waters, whereas the two species coexisted both in shallow and deeper depths on gentle slope coasts. These distribution patterns were consistent across locations, and fin aspect ratio was not a good predictor of between‐habitat use for wrasses. We show that, under specific topographical conditions, the depth segregation pattern seems to be an interactive segregation (likely related to resource competition) rather than a result of selective segregation due to morphological differences in the pectoral fin. Significant ecological changes might occur in locations where the density of T. pavo has recently increased as a result of water warming.     

Environmental and Physical Controls on the Formation and Transport of Blooms of the Dinoflagellate <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cochlodinium polykrikoides</Emphasis> Margalef in the Lower Chesapeake Bay and Its Tributaries

Massive blooms of the harmful alga Cochlodinium polykrikoides Margalef occurred in the lower Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries during the summers of 2007 and 2008. The Lafayette and Elizabeth Rivers appeared to act as initiation grounds for these blooms during both years. However, in 2008 there were also localized sites of initiation and growth of populations within the mesohaline portion of the James River. Bloom initiation appeared to be correlated with intense, highly localized rainfall events during neap tides. Subsequent spring tides increased tidal flushing and transport of C. polykrikoides from the Lafayette and Elizabeth Rivers into the lower James River where it was transported upriver by local estuarine circulation. Blooms dissipated in response to increased wind-driven mixing associated with frontal systems moving through the region. A combination of physical factors including, seasonal rainfall patterns, increased stratification, nutrient loading, spring-neap tidal modulation, and complex estuarine mixing and circulation allowed C. polykrikoides to spread and form massive blooms over large portions of the tidal James River and the lower Chesapeake Bay.     

Multipathing and spectral modulation of the downgoing wavefield in a complex crust: an example from the KTB (Germany) borehole

VSP data collected in the KTB (Germany) borehole to a depth of 8.5 km in 1999 show a surprising spectral modulation of the downgoing wavefield. After filtering the data with the singular value decomposition technique it was found that below about 6.2 km there are two depth intervals where the modulation can be explained in terms of a basic wavelet plus two weighted and delayed copies of that wavelet, with the delay for each wavelet remaining almost constant in each interval. The boundary between the two intervals is at about 7.25 km depth and above and below this depth the delay for the second wavelet is almost the same, while the delay for the third wavelet is significantly different. Neither the modulation nor its depth variation are source related and cannot be explained in terms of multiple reflections in a subhorizontal low-velocity layer. On the other hand, finite difference synthetic data show that subvertical layering (which is prevalent in the borehole area) provides a mechanism that can explain the observations. This mechanism has analogies with the generation of the standard refracted (i.e. head) waves. When a plane wave front propagates perpendicular to the boundaries of a vertical low-velocity layer surrounded by two vertical high-velocity layers, refracted wave fronts are generated in the low-velocity layer, which in turn generate secondary wave fronts in the high-velocity layers. These wave fronts trail the primary wave fronts by a constant delay whose magnitude has a simple dependence on the thickness of the low-velocity layer and the velocities involved. This process creates multipath arrivals that in geological settings with steeply inclined and faulted layers may appear and disappear rather abruptly, which may contribute to a scattered appearance of the wavefield.     

The Holocene volcanic history of Gran Canaria island: implications for volcanic hazards

Previous published data, combined with our results of 13 new radiocarbon ages and extensive geological fieldwork, indicate that during the past 11 ka 24 monogenetic basaltic eruptions occurred in the north sector of Gran Canaria. These eruptions can be grouped into three periods of eruptive activity: 1900–3200 ¹⁴C a BP; 5700–6000 ¹⁴C a BP; and an older period represented by only one eruption, El Draguillo, dated at 10 610 ± 190 ¹⁴C a BP. Archaeological studies have shown that the more recent eruptions affected prehistoric human settlements on the island. Field studies demonstrate that the eruptions typically built strombolian cones (30–250 m in height) and associated relatively long lava flows (100–10 350 m in length); a few eruptions also produced tephra fall deposits. The total erupted volume of these eruptions is about 0.388 km³ (46.1% as tephra fall, 41.8% as cinder cone deposits and 12.1% as lava flows). The relatively low eruption rate (～0.04 km³ ka^?1) during the past 11 ka is consistent with Gran Canaria's stage of evolution in the regional volcano‐tectonic setting of the Canary Archipelago. The results of our study were used to construct a volcanic hazards map that clearly delimits two sectors in the NE sector of Gran Canaria, where potential future eruptions would pose a substantial risk for densely populated areas. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Winter-spring precipitation reconstructions from tree rings for northeast Mexico

The understanding of historic hydroclimatic variability is basic for planning proper management of limited water resources in northeastern Mexico. The objective of this study was to develop a network of tree-ring chronologies to reconstruct hydroclimate variability in northeastern Mexico and to analyze the influence of large-scale circulation patterns, such as ENSO. Precipitation sensitive tree-ring chronologies of Douglas-fir were developed in mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre Oriental and used to produce winter-spring precipitation reconstructions for central and southern Nuevo Leon, and southeastern Coahuila. The seasonal winter-spring precipitation reconstructions are 342 years long (1659–2001) for Saltillo, Coahuila and 602 years long (1400–2002) for central and southern Nuevo Leon. Both reconstructions show droughts in the 1810s, 1870s, 1890s, 1910s, and 1970s, and wet periods in the 1770s, 1930s, 1960s, and 1980s. Prior to 1800s the reconstructions are less similar. The impact of ENSO in northeastern Mexico (as measured by the Tropical Rainfall Index) indicated long-term instability of the Pacific equatorial teleconnection. Atmospheric circulation systems coming from higher latitudes (cold fronts or `nortes’) and others developed in the Gulf of Mexico (tropical storms, hurricanes) also influence the climatic conditions characterizing this region. The recent development of new and longer tree-ring chronologies for the region will contribute to a better understanding of the interannual and multidecadal climatic variability of northeastern Mexico.     

Magnitude Formulae and Intensity–Magnitude Relations for Early Instrumental Earthquakes in the Iberian Region

The magnitudes of early instrumentally recorded earthquakes in the Iberian region (1912–1962) have been studied through processing of digitized seismograms of Wiechert seismograph and analysis of macroseismic information. A magnitude system based on instrumental registrations and macroseismic observations has been proposed. It consists of two compatible magnitude formulae depending on the total duration of seismic oscillations and on the maximum ground amplitude/period ratio of surface waves and includes correspondent intensity–magnitude relationships.     

Using disaster footprints,population databases and GIS to overcome persistent problems for human impact assessment in flood events

Preventing disasters and their consequences is crucial to protect our societies and promote stability. Reliable information on impact is essential for an in-depth analysis of the factors that lead to disaster and for better disaster prevention and preparedness policies. At present, the estimation of the population exposed to natural hazards is based on proxies of their physical footprint such as flooded regions or watersheds. Satellite hazard footprints, combined with population and disaster impact data, can provide an impact assessment of higher precision. We report here on the procedure to combine such data using GIS methods and compare these estimates with those obtained using a previous approach. We found that the process is feasible, although there were limitations in the matching of disaster databases and possible problems of estimation when the data had different resolutions. In half of the events, the watershed approach largely overestimated the population physically exposed to floods. We conclude that the systematic production of footprints, as well as better methodologies for human impact measurement, would improve our understanding of disaster impacts and thereby strengthen disaster preparedness.