RIVER BED DYNAMICS AND BED SEDIMENT TRANSPORTIN MOUNTAIN TORRENTS IN MOUNTAIN TORRENTS

LIN~DUCTIONTheinvenigationsofrivermorphologyandOfriverbeddebilityresultalwaysinidalsabouttheinterrelationshipbetweenthehydrauliccondihons,sc(hant~rtandbeddynndcs.ThedeCOuragingfactforsuchinveedgationsarethecomplexityoftheseSystemsandthehugenumberofimportantvariables.IfwefollowSimonsetal(1965)andall~eneeandtheconcentrationsofSUSPendedlOadandbedloadthefollowingparametersarethepnncapleVarialllesf-av~velocityofnow,diStributionofnowvelociticsacdeadofturbulence-meandepthacthedistributionofde…     

Accessibility to basic services in one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe: the province of Teruel (Spain)

This paper analyses local differences in access to basic health services in the province of Teruel (Spain), one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe. The demographic decline and the concentration of the remaining population in the main settlements has meant that there is a high degree of spatial fit of supply and demand and average aggregate accessibility is good. However, access costs are high for the scarce and aged population resident in the most remote villages and hamlets scattered over an extensive and tacitly ignored territory. In such circumstances the demands of the inhabitants for more attention from the public authorities, expressed through the 'Teruel Exists' movement, can be readily understood.     

The Case of the `Maldá' Anomaly in the Western Mediterranean Basin (AD 1760–1800): An Example of a Strong Climatic Variability

The study of climatic anomalies on the basis of various types of instrumental information and proxy-data allows unusual events to be identified. The objective of this paper is to introduce and explain a hydrometeorological anomaly that occurred between 1760 and 1800 (Maldá Anomaly), characterised by a sequence of both anomalous droughts and floods, and to compare it with the features of the second part of the 20th century. Firstly, some climatic indices obtained from proxy-data (mainly documentary sources) have been generated. Secondly, instrumental observations made in earlier times, in conjunction with data from the bibliography, have been used in order to relate this period to the different circulation patterns and to analyse the geographical extension of the anomaly. The results confirm the presence of considerable variations in the atmospheric action centres, especially between 1780 and 1795, which in the Western Mediterranean gave rise to a simultaneous increase in the frequency of droughts and heavy rainfalls, either having nothing comparable or sharing similarities with periods in the 19th and 20th centuries.     

Further absolute geomagnetic paleointensities from Baja California: evaluation of Pliocene and Early/Middle Pleistocene data

From a large collection (more than 300 oriented cores) of Baja California Mio-Pliocene volcanic units, sampled for magnetostratigraphy and tectonics, 46 samples were selected for Thellier paleointensity experiments because of their low viscosity index, stable remanent magnetization and close to reversible continuous thermomagnetic curves. 19 samples, coming from 4 individual basaltic lava flows, yielded reliable paleointensity estimates with the flow-mean virtual dipole moments (VDM) ranging from 3.6 to 6.2 ×10²² A m². Our results, although not numerous, are of high technical quality and comparable to other paleointensity data recently obtained on younger lava flows. The NRM fractions used for paleointensity determination range from 38 to 79% and the quality factors vary between 4.8 and 16.7, being normally greater than 5. The combination of Baja California data with the available comparable quality Plio-Plesitocene paleointensity results yields a mean VDM of 6.3 ×10²² A m², which is almost 80% of the present geomagnetic axial dipole. Reliable paleointensity results for the last 5 Ma are still scarce and of dissimilar quality, which makes it hard to draw any firm conclusions regarding the Pliocene and Early/Middle Pleistocene evolution of the geomagnetic field. To cite this article: J. Morales et al., C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

Carbon stable isotopes ratios of pelagic and littoral communities in Alchichica crater-lake, Mexico

Carbon stable isotope ratios were determined in dominant biotic components of pelagic and littoral systems in Alchichica crater-lake. Results showed that carbon signatures were significantly different between both systems. The pelagic environment was more depleted (−26.15 to −15.14 per mille) than the littoral zone (−21.03 to −17.91 per mille). The potential source end-point in the simplified pelagic community was established to be diatomaceous phytoplankton; its predicted value was −21.7 per mille. There is a clear evidence thatNodularia does not sustain the pelagic food chain. In contrast, the highly diverse littoral community was sustained by epiphytes. No allochthonous sources seemed to influence this food web.¹³C enrichment was observed along the components of both systems with fractionations of 0.8 to 1.4 per mille. The contribution of the seagrassRuppia maritima is probably associated with the detritus pathway. Carbon source partitioning between both systems was not recorded. The δ¹³C in Alchichica crater-lake was more enriched than in other saline lakes and could be attributed to different salinity and CO₂ concentrations among lakes.     

EURD: First Year Results

EURD (Espectrógrafo Ultravioleta extremo de Radiación Difusa), one of the instruments onboard the Spanish satellite MINISAT-01, is a spectrograph specially designed to detect diffuse radiation, covering the wavelength range of 350-1100 Å, with a spectral resolution of 6-8 Å. Its main scientific objectives are the detection of the emission line spectrum from the hot phase of the interstellar medium and the spectrum of the upper atmospheric airglow. In order to reduce geocoronal noise, EURD always observes in the anti-sun direction and only when the satellite is in orbital eclipse. After more than one year of observation we have obtained the best spectrum of the upper atmospheric nightglow in this wavelength range, the spectrum of 15 OB stars and the spectrum of the full Moon throughout the year. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.