EC participation in protection of the marine environment : Legal and institutional aspects

Treaties are usually concluded among national governments, which are also the traditional members of international organizations. The emergence of the European Community — a regional economic integration organization (REIO) to which member States have ceded some authority — has led to tensions in international environmental meetings and negotiations, in part because of foreign partners' uncertainty about how responsibilities are allocated between the REIO and its member States. This paper discusses the issues that arise when an REIO becomes a party to an international agreement or participates in an International organization, with particular attention to agreements and institutions that address international environmental issues.     

A feasible methodology for landslide susceptibility assessment in developing countries: A case-study of NW Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch

In October 1998, Hurricane Mitch triggered a large number of landslides (mainly debris flows) in Honduras and Nicaragua, resulting in a high death toll and in considerable damage to property. In recent years, a number of risk assessment methodologies have been devised to mitigate natural disasters. However, due to scarcity of funds and lack of specialised personnel few of these methodologies are accessible to developing countries. To explore the potential application of relatively simple and affordable landslide susceptibility methodologies in such countries, we focused on a region in NW Nicaragua which was among the most severely hit during the Mitch event. Our study included (1) detailed field work to produce a high-resolution inventory landslide map at 1 : 10,000 scale, and (2) a selection of the relevant instability factors from a Terrain Units Map which had previously been generated in a project for rural development. Based on the combination of these two datasets and using GIS tools we developed a comparative analysis of failure-zones and terrain factors in an attempt to classify the land into zones according to the propensity to landslides triggered by heavy rainfalls. The resulting susceptibility map was validated by using a training and a test zone, providing results comparable to those reached in studies based in more sophisticated methodologies. Thus, we provide an example of a methodology which is simple enough to be fully comprehended by non-specialised technicians and which could be of help in landslide risk mitigation through implementation of non-structural measures, such as land planning or emergency measures.     

Spatio-temporal analysis of rockfall pre-failure deformation using Terrestrial LiDAR

We present a long-term spatio-temporal analysis of rock slope evolution using a Terrestrial LiDAR aiming to improve our understanding of the link between pre-failure deformation and the spatial prediction of rockfalls. We monitored the pilot study area located at the Puigcercós cliff (Catalonia, Spain) over a period of 1,705 days and detected the deformation of nine different cliff regions together with a high rockfall activity. An exact match was observed between the progressively deformed areas and the regions recently affected by three of the highest magnitude rockfall events, demonstrating a causal relationship between pre-failure deformation and rockfall occurrence. These findings allowed us to make a forward spatial prediction of future failures, hypothesizing a high probability of failure in the six remaining regions. We observed an exponential acceleration of the deformation close to failure, in accordance with tertiary creep theory. However, the temporal analysis of the deformed areas showed a complex and variable behavior, so no exact prediction of the date of failure can yet be made. Our findings have broadened our understanding of the pre-failure behavior of rockfalls and have clear implications for the future implementation of early warning systems.     

Speleothems in a north Cuban cave register sea‐level changes and Pleistocene uplift rates

A flight of marine terraces along the Cuban coast records Quaternary sea‐level highstands and a general slowly uplifting trend during the Pleistocene. U/Th dating of these limestone terraces is difficult because fossil reef corals have been affected by open system conditions. Terrace ages are thus often based on geological and geomorphological observations. In contrast, the minimum age of the terraces can be constrained by dating speleothems from coastal mixing (flank margin) caves formed during past sea‐level highstands and carving the marine limestones. Speleothems in Santa Catalina Cave have ages >360 ka and show various cycles of subaerial–subaqueous corrosion and speleothem growth. This suggests that the cave was carved during the MIS 11 sea‐level highstand or earlier. Some stalagmites grew during MIS 11 through MIS 8 and were submerged twice, once at the end of MIS 11 and then during MIS 9. Phreatic overgrowths (POS) covering the speleothems suggest anchialine conditions in the cave during MIS 5e. Their altitude at 16 m above present sea level indicates a late Pleistocene uplift rate of <0.1 mm/ka, but modelling also shows uplift to have been insignificant over a long timespan during the middle Pleistocene since the cave was carved. Our study shows that some flank margin caves in the region of Matanzas are older than commonly believed (i.e. MIS 11 rather than MIS 5). These caves not only can be preserved but are good markers of interglacial sea‐level highstands, more reliable than marine abrasion surfaces. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

'Black skins–white masks': Postcolonial reflections on 'race', gender and second generation return migration to the Caribbean

This paper illustrates the opportunities afforded by the adoption of postcolonial discourse in development geography, drawing specifically on issues of transnationalism, hybridity and inbetweeness. The utility of such notions and associated approaches is illustrated by the authors' current research on the migration of young, second generation and foreign-born 'Bajan-Brits' to the small Caribbean island nation of Barbados, the homeland of their parents. Focussing on issues of 'race' and gender, the paper examines the experiences of return migration among this cohort from an interpretative perspective framed within postcolonial discourse. It argues that notwithstanding the considerable sociocultural problems of adjustment encountered, these Bajan-Brit 'returnees' may be seen as occupying positions of relative economic privilege. Theirs is a liminal space derived by virtue of having been born and/or raised in the UK and being of the black 'race'. Accordingly, they are demonstrated to be both advantaged and disadvantaged; both transnational and national; and black but, in some senses, symbolically white.     

Sorptive stabilization of organic matter in soils by hydrous iron oxides

Strong correlations between iron oxides (FeOx) and organic matter (OM) in soils have implied the importance of the former in stabilizing the latter. One mechanism thought to be important in this stabilization is sorption. We tested this possibility by reductively dissolving FeOx in a wide variety of soils and measuring the organic carbon (OC) that was solubilized. The OC dissolved from non-FeOx phases via anion exchange was corrected for by parallel control extractions. The resultant pool, reductively soluble OC, made up a minor amount of total soil OC in all but one of these soils, indicating that simple sorption reactions do not stabilize the bulk of soil OC in most mineral soils. OC:Fe ratios in the extracts from 2/3 of these soils were less than 0.22 (wt/wt), consistent with a sorbed state for this OC and showing that OC sorption by FeOx in these soils is limited by the amount of FeOx. The remaining soils had low pH and high OM concentrations; their higher OC:Fe ratios indicate inclusion of precipitated organo-Fe complexes in the extracts, which are likely only partially extracted by our method. The high volumetric ratios of OM to FeOx found in correlations between them from the literature are inconsistent with a dominant sorption control and point instead to stabilization to other mechanisms such as organo-Fe complexes or ternary associations among FeOx, OM and other minerals.     

Potential uses of pumped urban groundwater: a case study in Sant Adrià del Besòs (Spain)

Urban groundwater has often been over-exploited for industrial uses. Now, this usage tends to be reduced or the resource abandoned due to pollution and/or changes in land use. The use and the subsequent disuse of groundwater has resulted in rising water tables that damage underground structures (e.g., building basements and underground car parks and tunnels), leading to the need for additional pumping in urban areas. In the case of the underground parking lot of Sant Adrià del Besòs (Barcelona, NE Spain), large amounts of urban groundwater are pumped to avoid seepage problems. Can this pumped groundwater be used for other purposes (e.g., drinking water and urban irrigation) instead of wasting this valuable resource? To answer this question, it was necessary to quantify the groundwater recharge and to assess the evolution of groundwater quality. The limiting factor at this study site is the groundwater quality because ammonium and some metals (iron and manganese) are present at high concentrations. Hence, further treatment would be needed to meet drinking water requirements. The pumped groundwater could also be used for supplementing river flow for ecological benefit and/or for mitigating seawater intrusion problems. Currently, only a small amount of this urban groundwater is used for cleaning public areas and watering public gardens. This situation highlighted the urgent need to manage this resource in a responsible and more efficient manner, especially in moments of high water demand such as drought periods.     

Li, Be, B concentrations and δ7Li values in plagioclase phenocrysts of dacites from Nea Kameni (Santorini, Greece)

Li, Be, B and δ⁷Li SIMS analyses of plagioclase phenocrysts from the 1040–1941 Niki dacite lava (Nea Kameni, Santorini, Greece) exhibit varied processes. From their anorthite contents alone, the crystals may be segregated into four main types: type-N shows the normal decline in An during crystallisation (An_62–40); type-O has only oscillatory zoning accompanied by resorption surfaces (An_58–39); type-C is complex with high-An cores (subtype C1: An_64–58, subtype C2: An_88–73) and normal rims (An_55–42). Type-A plagioclase with high An content (An_92–82) is found within mafic enclaves. On the basis of their Li concentrations, type-O crystals may be subdivided into subtype O1 with flat Li concentration profiles and subtype O2 with decreasing Li concentration from core to rim. The concentrations of Be and B of all four types show a negative correlation with anorthite content (An), but Li concentration profiles differ amongst the different plagioclase types. Types N and O1, and the cores of type-C, are equilibrated in Li concentration. Types O2 and A, and the mantles of type-C display an initial enrichment in Li, probably from volatile influx into the melt. Consistent with the propensity towards equilibrium with the melt, these crystals display dramatic rim-ward declines in Li concentration. All analysed plagioclase crystals, except for the xenocrystic type-A, have nearly the same Li, Be and B concentrations at their rims. These coincide with the composition of plagioclase microlites in the groundmass, thereby affording estimates of plagioclase-melt partitioning for the light elements: K _Li = 0.19–0.28, K _Be = 0.24–0.38 and K _B = 0.007–0.009. δ⁷Li profiles in type-O2 and type-A phenocrysts manifest an unmistakable inverse relation to Li concentration, with variations of up to ~39 ‰, revealing preferential kinetic diffusion. This may have been driven by Li loss from the melt, most likely through degassing during decompression, perhaps in the course of magma ascent to subsequent eruption. Considering the rapid diffusion of Li in plagioclase, in situ phenocryst analyses may yield useful information about processes leading up to, or even causing, eruptions.     

SWAT modeling with uncertainty and cluster analyses of tillage impacts on hydrological processes

The impacts of tillage practices, majorly conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT), on soil hydraulic properties have been studied in recent decades. In this paper, we incorporated an auto-calibration algorithm into the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and calibrated the model at eight field sites with soil water content (SWC) observations in the Pataha Creek Watershed, WA, USA. The Green–Ampt method in SWAT was chosen to determine infiltration and surface runoff. Parameter uncertainty was quantified by “relatively optimal” parameter sets filtered by a critical objective function value. Cluster analysis was adopted to obtain equal-sized parameter sets for each site and to compare parameter sets between tillage practices. The centers of these clusters were employed as a sample of parameter values. The clustered parameter sets were then used in scenario analysis to examine the impacts of cropland tillage practices on lateral flow, runoff and evapotranspiration (ET). The model parameters (e.g., soil hydraulic properties) were significantly different between CT and NT. In particular, higher bulk density, larger available water capacity, and higher effective hydraulic conductivity were found for NT than for CT. SWCs at three depths of the NT sites were significantly higher than those of CT sites, which could be attributed to tillage practices. However, higher available water capacity at NT sites indicated that the NT soil had a higher capacity to hold water. Thus the mean net changes in SWC during a year were not significantly different between CT and NT. The statistically different model parameters neither resulted in statistical differences in annual outputs (e.g., runoff and ET) nor substantial differences in monthly outputs. Our study indicates that the tillage impacts on hydrological processes are site-specific and scale-dependent.