Multi-model climate projections of the main cyclogenesis hot-spots and associated winds over the eastern coast of South America

Climate Dynamics - In this study, multi-model ensembles are used to understand regional features of future climate trends of cyclones and associated winds in eastern South America. For this, we...     

Towards a better understanding of the evolution of the flood risk in Mediterranean urban areas: the case of Barcelona

This contribution explores the evolution of the flood risk in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (MAB; Northeast Spain) from 1981 to 2015, and how it has been affected by changes in land use, population and precipitation. To complete this study, we analysed PRESSGAMA and INUNGAMA databases to look for all the information related to the floods and flash floods that have affected the chosen region. The “Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros”, a state insurance company for extraordinary risks, provided data on economic damage. The extreme precipitation trend was analysed by the Fabra Observatory and El Prat-Airport Observatory, and daily precipitation data were provided by the State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET) and the Meteorological Service of Catalonia (SMC). Population data were obtained from the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (IDESCAT). Changes in land use were estimated from the land use maps for Catalonia corresponding to 1956, 1993, 2000, 2005 and 2009. Prevention measures like rainwater tanks and improvements to the drainage system were also been considered. The specific case of Barcelona is presented, a city recognised by United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction as a model city for urban resilience to floods. The evolution of flood events in the MAB does not show any significant trend for this period. We argue that the evolution in floods can be explained, at least in part, by the lack of trend in extreme precipitation indices, and also by the improvements in flood prevention measures.     

Early warning system for detection of urban pluvial flooding hazard levels in an ungauged basin

Prolonged and high intensity rainfall often saturates urban drainage systems and generates urban pluvial flooding, resulting in hazardous flash floods. The city most affected by urban flooding in Colombia (South America) is Barranquilla since lacks a proper storm water drainage system. Heavy rainfall produces flash floods to quickly become torrential streams that flow down the streets endangering pedestrians. This research describes a low-cost early warning system (EWS) to detect in real time the hazard level of a stream in an ungauged basin. The EWS indicates whether it is safe or not for pedestrians to cross a flooded street, based on certain criteria used to assess the hazard level of the torrent. A hydrological and hydraulic model calculates the flow, velocity and water level in all cross sections along the stream. The model uses only real-time measurements of rain gauges and topographic survey data to determine the hazard level. Finally, a wireless sensor network sends the alert to a web platform and warns the community in real time.

     

Petrological,geochemical, isotopic,and geochronological constraints for the Late Devonian–Early Carboniferous magmatism in SW Gondwana (27–32°LS): an example of geodynamic switching

International Journal of Earth Sciences - We report a study integrating 13 new U–Pb LA-MC-ICP-MS zircon ages and Hf-isotope data from dated magmatic zircons together with complete...     

Rapid characterisation of the extremely large landslide threatening the Rules Reservoir (Southern Spain)

Landslides - When an active landslide is first identified in an artificial reservoir, a comprehensive study has to be quickly conducted to analyse the possible hazard that it may represent to such...     

The high hydraulic conductivity of three wooded tropical peat swamps in northeast Peru: measurements and implications for hydrological function

The form and functioning of peatlands depend strongly on their hydrological status, but there are few data available on the hydraulic properties of tropical peatlands. In particular, the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) has not previously been measured in neotropical peatlands. Piezometer slug tests were used to measure K at two depths (50 and 90 cm) in three contrasting forested peatlands in the Peruvian Amazon: Quistococha, San Jorge and Buena Vista. Measured K at 50 cm depth varies between 0.00032 and 0.11 cm s^?1, and at 90 cm, it varies between 0.00027 and 0.057 cm s^?1. Measurements of K taken from different areas of Quistococha showed that spatial heterogeneity accounts for ~20% of the within‐site variance and that depth is a good predictor of K. However, K did not vary significantly with depth at Buena Vista and San Jorge. Statistical analysis showed that ~18% of the variance in the K data can be explained by between‐site differences. Simulations using a simple hydrological model suggest that the relatively high K values could lead to lowering of the water table by >10 cm within ~48 m of the peatland edge for domed peatlands, if subjected to a drought lasting 30 days. However, under current climatic conditions, even with high K, peatlands would be unable to shed the large amount of water entering the system via rainfall through subsurface flow alone. We conclude that most of the water leaves these peatlands via overland flow and/or evapotranspiration. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Drag-induced resonant capture in a multiplanet scenario: An application to 55 Cancri A

The binary star 55 Cancri harbors at least five giant planets. The discovery of a possible dust disk around the primary of the system was announced in 1998 although it was later dismissed as an observational artifact induced by the presence of three background galaxies. However, the possible existence of an asteroid belt beyond 6 AU from the primary could not be excluded. The actual properties of a hypothetical outer asteroid belt around 55 Cancri A are likely to be the result of the gravitational influence of the outermost planets and gas drag during the late stages of the formation of the planetary system. Gaseous drag within a protoplanetary disk in a multiplanet context can induce resonant capture of solid material rather easily, triggering the formation of asteroid belts similar to our own transneptunian belt. In this paper we investigate this scenario using numerical simulations within the framework of the planar restricted four-body problem to find possible stable debris locations or additional planets around 55 Cancri A. Our results indicate that, beyond 55 Cancri d, only the 1:2 and 1:3 mean-motion resonances may be possible although the details of gas drag-induced resonant trapping depend strongly on the size of the particles, with larger particles being preferentially trapped farther away from the host star. For a primary of mass 0.94 M and i=53° we find solid particles submitted to confined chaos at 10.14 and 13.22 AU with average eccentricities 0.14 and 0.20, respectively. The argument of pericentre of the trapped particles is found to librate around π/2 with the pericentres of the two resonant structures nearly aligned. The resonance responsible for the inner ring effectively halts the migration of the particles. The outer structure resembles a rosette or separatrix orbit. Our calculations suggest that hypothetical planets or asteroid belts in these locations would be, in principle, dynamically stable.     

Experimental simulation of melt migration in stromatic metatexite migmatites

Melting experiments on a gneissic protolith using the diamond trap technique produced an accumulation of crystals of biotite in the boundary of the diamond trap. Several hypotheses can be inferred to explain this feature, but textural evidence and calculations of the settling and drag velocities of the crystals suggest a model of extraction of melt due to a pressure gradient inside the capsule as the most likely origin of this biotite layer. This biotite layer and the trapped melt resemble the melanosome and leucosome, respectively, of stromatic metatexite migmatites. The melt extraction model developed is similar to the “filter pressing” model for migmatite formation. The diamond trap technique is a suitable method to develop migmatites experimentally.     

Weathering rates at Alto Sorocaba basin,Brazil, using U-isotopes and major cations

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the chemical weathering rate at Alto Sorocaba basin, São Paulo State, Brazil, as it is an important parameter on geomorphological characterization of continents. Several tools may be used for such evaluation, and this work compares the results obtained from analytical data involving the uranium concentration, the ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio and the major cation concentration for samples of waters, soils, and rocks from that basin. The use of the natural uranium as a tracer in weathering rate rocks studies is advantageous since this element is virtually absent in rainwater and also allows obtaining the dissolution rocks coefficient by the ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio. The Alto Sorocaba basin has serious environmental problems in terms of the quality of the rainwater and river waters, and, consequently, the geochemical balance using the main cations presented some difficulties. However, measuring of the weathering rate utilizing the U-isotopes method corresponded to 14 μm/year that allows estimating a time of 72,000 years to weather 1 m of rock at Sorocaba River upstream from Itupararanga Reservoir, under the present climatic conditions.     

Comparison and Combination of Coastal and Off-Shore Tide Gauge Measurements from Eivissa Island,Western Mediterranean

Two sea-level records, spanning eight months of simultaneous data in 2002, have been derived from pressure tide gauge measurements at Sant Antoni harbor (Eivissa Island, Western Mediterranean) and off Es Vedrà island, 15 km SW from Sant Antoni. The two time series are compared and used to characterize the sea-level variability in the Balearic Sea. The main forcings for the observed variations, astronomic tides, and meteorologic forcing by the inverse barometer effect are quantified. In a further step, an amplitude transfer function is determined, reflecting the frequency dependent amplification or damping of the nontidal sea-level residuals between both locations due to their local topography. The interpretation of the obtained transfer function indicates sea-level modulating topographic specifics not only for the coastal record at Sant Antoni, but also at the Es Vedrà site. In general, the application of such a transfer function allows the prediction of off-shore sea-level variations from coastal tide gauge measurements. In the present study, ellipsoidal sea-surface heights for Es Vedrà are inferred from Sant Antoni tide gauge data with an accuracy of about 1.5 cm by applying the determined transfer function and a geoid model.