Tsunami hazards in the Catalan Coast, a low-intensity seismic activity area

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-2918-zThe potential impacts of tsunamis along the Catalan Coast (NW Mediterranean) are analysed using numerical modelling. The region is characterized by moderate to low seismic activity and by moderate- to low-magnitude earthquakes. However, the occurrence of historical strong earthquakes and the location of several active offshore faults in front of the coast suggest that the possibility of an earthquake-triggered tsunami is not negligible although of low probability. Up to five faults have been identified to generate tsunamis, being the highest associated possible seismic magnitudes of up to 7.6. Coastal flooding and port agitation are characterized using the Worst-case Credible Tsunami Scenario Analysis approach. The results show a multiple fault source contribution to tsunami hazard. The shelf dimensions and the existence of submerged canyons control the tsunami propagation. In wide shelves, waves travelling offshore may become trapped by refraction causing the wave energy to reach the coastline at some distance from the origin. The free surface water elevation increases at the head of the canyons due to the sharp depth gradients. The effects of potential tsunamis would be very harmful in low-lying coastal stretches, such as deltas, with a high population concentration, assets and infrastructures. The Ebro delta appears to be the most exposed coast, and about the 20% of the delta surface is prone to flooding due to its extremely low-lying nature. The activity at Barcelona port will be severely affected by inflow backflow current at the entrance of up to 2 m/s.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Scattering of light halo nuclei on heavy target at energies around the Coulomb barrier

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0.-- et al. and the E1104 S1202 collaborations at TRIUMF.-- Trabajo presentado a la: "25th International Nuclear Physics Conference" (INPC), celebrada en Firenze (Italia) del 2 al 7 de junio de 2013.We report here on experiments performed at TRIUMF to study the scattering of the light halo nuclei 11Li on lead at energies below and around the Coulomb barrier. The the elastic and break-up differential cross section are interpreted in the framework of Continuum-Discretized Coupled-Channel calculations. The departure from Rutherford scattering at energies below the barrier is well beyond the behavior of normal nuclei.This work was supported by the Spanish CICYT under the project numbers FPA2009-07387, FPA2012-32443, FPA2009-08848, FPA2009-07653, and FPA2010-22131-C02-01 and by the Consolider Ingenio 2010 Program CPAN (CSD2007- 00042).Peer Reviewe

Caracterización morfoagronómica de la colección de germoplasma de ají dulce (Capsicum spp.) del caribe colombiano

“Topito” sweet pepper is considered one of the main vegetables in the colombian Caribbean region due to tradition and daily consumption in at least six of the seven continental departments of the Atlantic coast. Development of research lines for genetic improvement to obtain increased production cultivars are highly relevant. To determine the morphological and agronomic variability of the sweet pepper germplasm collection in the colombian Caribbean to use it for genetic improvement, a characterization with 45 qualitative and quantitative descriptors for  Capsicum spp. in 125 accessions for the colombian Caribbean was carried out. A complete randomized design was used for nine plants. Data analysis was done through Ward’s classification method using Gower’s distance. Results showed polymorphism in 19 qualitative characteristics, with 67.9% variability. Data mixed analysis allowed to separate Capsicum genus species of the collection; likewise, collection phenotypic variability has potential for using in genetic breeding programs for desirable characters such as fruit quality, plant architecture and production.El ají dulce tipo topito es considerado una las principales hortalizas en la región Caribe de Colombia debido a su tradición productiva y consumo cotidiano en al menos seis de los siete departamentos de la costa atlántica. En este sentido el desarrollo de líneas investigación en mejoramiento genético que conduzcan a la obtención de cultivares de mayor productividad cobran gran relevancia. Por ello, con el fin de determinar la variabilidad morfológica y agronómica de la colección de germoplasma de ají dulce del Caribe colombiano y utilizarla en programas de mejoramiento genético, se evaluaron 45 descriptores (cualitativos y cuantitativos) de  Capsicum spp. en 125 accesiones procedentes de los siete departamentos de la región Caribe de colombia. Para ello, se empleó un diseño completamente al azar en nueve plantas. El análisis de los datos se realizó a través del método de clasificación de Ward utilizando la distancia de Gower. Los resultados revelan polimorfismo en 19 características cualitativas, con una variabilidad del 67,9%. El análisis mixto de los datos permitió separar las especies del género Capsicum de la colección en estudio; así mismo, la variabilidad fenotípica de la colección muestra potencial para su uso en programas de fitomejoramiento genético en caracteres de interés como calidad de fruto, arquitectura de planta y producción

La Base de Datos de Fallas Activas en el Cuaternario de Iberia (QAFI v.2.0)

ABSTRACT. The Quaternary Active Faults Database of Iberia (QAFI) is an initiative lead by the Institute of Geology and Mines of Spain (IGME) for building a public repository of scientific data regarding faults having documented activity during the last 2.59 Ma (Quaternary). QAFI also addresses a need to transfer geologic knowledge to practitioners of seismic hazard and risk in Iberia by identifying and characterizing seismogenic fault-sources. QAFI is populated by the information freely provided by more than 40 Earth science researchers, storing to date a total of 262 records. In this article we describe the development and evolution of the database, as well as its internal architecture. Additionally, a first global analysis of the data is provided with a special focus on length and slip-rate fault parameters. Finally, the database completeness and the internal consistency of the data are discussed. Even though QAFI v.2.0 is the most current resource for calculating fault-related seismic hazard in Iberia, the database is still incomplete and requires further review.RESUMEN. La Base de Datos de Fallas Activas de Iberia (QAFI) es una iniciativa promovida por el Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME) para construir un repositorio público de información científica sobre fallas con actividad en los últimos 2,59 Ma (Cuaternario). Además, la QAFI persigue establecer una base sobre la que facilitar la transferencia de conocimiento geológico al ámbito tecnológico de la gestión del riesgo sísmico en Iberia, en particular en la identificación y caracterización de fuentes sismogénicas tipo falla. La QAFI se ha construido a partir de la información proporcionada de modo altruista por más de 40 investigadores en ciencias de la Tierra conteniendo actualmente un total de de 262 registros. En este artículo se describe la concepción y evolución de la base de datos, y su arquitectura interna. Además, se ofrece un primer análisis global de los datos que contiene, con especial interés en parámetros tan importantes como la longitud y tasa de deslizamiento de las fallas. Finalmente se discuten dos temas cruciales en cualquier base de datos: su completitud y la homogeneidad de los datos. Se concluye que QAFI v.2.0, pese a ser la fuente más actualizada de información disponible en Iberia sobre peligrosidad sísmica de fallas concretas, dista aun de ser completa, por lo que nuevas revisiones y versiones deberán seguir llevándose a cabo en el futuro

Scattering of light halo nuclei on heavy target at energies around the coulomb barrier

INPC 2013 – International Nuclear Physics ConferenceWe report here on experiments performed at TRIUMF to study the scattering of the light halo nuclei 11Li on lead at energies below and around the Coulomb barrier. The the elastic and break-up differential cross section are interpreted in the framework of Continuum-Discretized Coupled-Channel calculations. The departure from Rutherford scattering at energies below the barrier is well beyond the behavior of normal nucleiConsejo Interinstitucional de Ciencia y Tecnología FPA2009-07387Consejo Interinstitucional de Ciencia y Tecnología FPA2012-32443Consejo Interinstitucional de Ciencia y Tecnología FPA2009-08848Consejo Interinstitucional de Ciencia y Tecnología FPA2009-07653Consejo Interinstitucional de Ciencia y Tecnología FPA2010-22131-C02-0

The Quaternary Active Faults Database of Iberia (QAFI v.2.0)

The Quaternary Active Faults Database of Iberia (QAFI) is an initiative lead by the Institute of Geology and Mines of Spain (IGME) for building a public repository of scientific data regarding faults having documented activity during the last 2.59 Ma (Quaternary). QAFI also addresses a need to transfer geologic knowledge to practitioners of seismic hazard and risk in Iberia by identifying and characterizing seismogenic fault-sources. QAFI is populated by the information freely provided by more than 40 Earth science researchers, storing to date a total of 262 records. In this article we describe the development and evolution of the database, as well as its internal architecture. Aditionally, a first global analysis of the data is provided with a special focus on length and slip-rate fault parameters. Finally, the database completeness and the internal consistency of the data are discussed. Even though QAFI v.2.0 is the most current resource for calculating fault-related seismic hazard in Iberia, the database is still incomplete and requires further review

Taphonomic Criteria for Identifying Iberian Lynx Dens in Quaternary Deposits

For decades, taphonomists have dedicated their efforts to assessing the nature of the massive leporid accumulations recovered at archaeological sites in the northwestern Mediterranean region. Their interest lying in the fact that the European rabbit constituted a critical part of human subsistence during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. However, rabbits are also a key prey in the food webs of Mediterranean ecosystems and the base of the diet for several specialist predators, including the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). For this reason, the origin of rabbit accumulations in northwestern Mediterranean sites has proved a veritable conundrum. Here, we present the zooarchaeological and taphonomic study of more than 3000 faunal and 140 coprolite remains recovered in layer IIIa of Cova del Gegant (Catalonia, Spain). Our analysis indicates that this layer served primarily as a den for the Iberian lynx. The lynxes modified and accumulated rabbit remains and also died at the site creating an accumulation dominated by the two taxa. However, other agents and processes, including human, intervened in the final configuration of the assemblage. Our study contributes to characterizing the Iberian lynx fossil accumulation differentiating between the faunal assemblages accumulated by lynxes and hominins

Coulomb breakup of 17 Ne from the view point of nuclear astrophysics

6 pags., 5 figs. -- XII International Symposium on Nuclei in the Cosmos, August 5-12, 2012, Cairns, AustraliaBy the Coulomb breakup of 17Ne, the time-reversed reaction 15O(2p, γ) 17Ne has been studied. This reaction might play an important role in the rp process, as a break-out reaction of the hot CNO cycle. The secondary 17Ne ion beam with an energy of 500 MeV/nucleon has been dissociated in a Pb target. The reaction products have been detected with the LAND-R3B experimental setup at GSI. The preliminary differential and integral Coulomb dissociation cross section σCoul has been determined, which then will be converted into a photo-absorption cross section σphoto, and a two-proton radiative capture cross section σcap. Additionally, information about the structure of the 17Ne, a potential two-proton halo nucleus, will be received. The analysis is in progress.This project was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), EU(EURONS), EMMI-GSI, and HIC for FAI

Coulomb and nuclear excitations of narrow resonances in Ne-17

New experimental data for dissociation of relativistic 17Ne projectiles incident on targets of lead, carbon, and polyethylene targets at GSI are presented. Special attention is paid to the excitation and decay of narrow resonant states in 17Ne. Distributions of internal energy in the O15+p+p three-body system have been determined together with angular and partial-energy correlations between the decay products in different energy regions. The analysis was done using existing experimental data on 17Ne and its mirror nucleus 17N. The isobaric multiplet mass equation is used for assignment of observed resonances and their spins and parities. A combination of data from the heavy and light targets yielded cross sections and transition probabilities for the Coulomb excitations of the narrow resonant states. The resulting transition probabilities provide information relevant for a better understanding of the 17Ne structure