Sedimentation Processes on Intertidal Areas of the Lagoon of Venice: Identification of Exceptional Flood Events (Acqua Alta) Using Radionuclides

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Campaigning across continents: how Latin American parties link up with migrant associations abroad

Emigrant voting rights have opened new electoral arenas, and many political parties increasingly campaign across borders. Yet relatively little is known about the challenges parties confront when campaigning transnationally and the strategies they have developed in response to these challenges. This paper addresses these shortcomings. First, I investigate the hurdles Latin American parties face in linking up with organized migrant collectives in residency countries for campaigning purposes. Second, I probe into the transnational linkage strategies these parties deploy to tap into migrant associations’ resources and mobilization capacities. This study builds on a comparative research design and draws on almost 40 semi-structured interviews with Bolivian and Ecuadorian party activists as well as association leaders in Barcelona, Spain. Departing from the party interest group literature, I identify three transnational linkage strategies Bolivian and Ecuadorian parties implement: 1) Infiltration, 2) Co-optation, and 3) Cooperation. All parties execute these tactics informally in order to comply with local norms that require associations to remain apolitical. The analysis further demonstrates that differences between home-country electoral systems shape the types of linkage strategies Bolivian and Ecuadorian parties use. This article contributes to the study of migrant politics and political parties in important ways. This study highlights how political parties actively negotiate their entry into the transnational electoral arena, and sheds light on how migrants remain politically connected to their home countries

Radon potential mapping of the Tralee-Castleisland and Cavan areas (Ireland) based on airborne gamma-ray spectrometry and geology

The probability of homes in Ireland having high indoor radon concentrations is estimated on the basis of known in-house radon measurements averaged over 10 km × 10 km grid squares. The scope for using airborne gamma-ray spectrometer data for the Tralee–Castleisland area of county Kerry and county Cavan to predict the radon potential (RP) in two distinct areas of Ireland is evaluated in this study. Airborne data are compared statistically with in-house radon measurements in conjunction with geological and ground permeability data to establish linear regression models and produce radon potential maps. The best agreement between the percentage of dwellings exceeding the reference level (RL) for radon concentrations in Ireland (% > RL), estimated from indoor radon data, and modelled RP in the Tralee–Castleisland area is produced using models based on airborne gamma-ray spectrometry equivalent uranium (eU) and ground permeability data. Good agreement was obtained between the % > RL from indoor radon data and RP estimated from eU data in the Cavan area using terrain specific models. In both areas, RP maps derived from eU data are spatially more detailed than the published 10 km grid map. The results show the potential for using airborne radiometric data for producing RP maps

Sedimentation processes on intertidal areas of the Lagoon of Venice: identification of exceptional flood events (acqua alta) using radionuclides

Particular atmospheric conditions produce frequent storm surges in the Lagoon of Venice, locally called "acqua alta": the highest event of this kind was registered in 1966. The process became of some importance in the last 100 years, when man-made subsidence caused a gradual sinking of the town and lagoon’s bed. Four cores were collected in a range of intertidal environments of the Northern lagoon to undertake radionuclide studies using profiles of natural 210Pb (using the Constant Rate of Supply and Constant Initial Concentration models) and anthropogenic 137Cs. The best agreement between the three dating methods was found at San Giacomo, an eroding saltmarsh at the edge of a navigation channel, with a sedimentation rate ranging from 0.22 to 0.29 cm yr-1. This site recorded the flood of 1966 as a characteristic break in the 210Pbex profile, as dated by the CRS model. For the Cona tidal flat, both the CRS model and the position of the Cs peak-marker gave similar accretion rates, 0.16 and 0.18 cm yr-1. However, two different CIC accumulation rates were calculated, 0.29 cm yr-1 for the deepest section of the core and 0.17 cm yr-1 for the uppermost part. The break in the 210Pbex profile, again corresponds to the flood of 1966. The effects of subsidence were recorded as an increase in accumulation rate between 1910 and 1931, when there were up to 15 floods per year (1926). Higher sedimentation took place during the period 1958-1973, when years with over than 50 flood events were frequent. The maximum deposition rate (0.43 cm yr-1) occurred again around 1967, consistent with the record of the exceptional flood, if the accuracy of the dating is taken into account. The sedimentation rates calculated for the two other mudflats, Rosa and Saline, were more problematic to interpret because of downcore mixing and/or the occurrence of reducing conditions

Estimation of seasonal correction factors through Fourier decomposition analysis--a new model for indoor radon levels in Irish homes.

Radon concentrations in homes have been shown to vary considerably with season. It is important to account for this by applying a correction factor to any home radon measurement of less than one year. To date, Irish radon measurement services have used correction factors based on data derived for the UK in the 1980s. In the absence of similar data for Ireland at the time, these were considered suitable for use due to the similarities between the climates, house types and lifestyles in the two countries. In order to better estimate the long-term radon concentration, measurements from 5640 Irish homes were used to derive a set of correction factors specifically for Ireland. These were generated by means of Fourier decomposition analysis and the new correction factors compared, using 95% confidence intervals, to those derived for the UK using the same analysis and to those currently in use for Ireland. In both cases, a significant difference was found between 10 of the 12 monthly seasonal correction factors. This paper presents the methods used in detail and the results of the analysis

Comparison of RIMPUFF, HYSPLIT, ADMS atmospheric dispersion model outputs, using emergency response procedures, with 85Kr measurements made in the vicinity of nuclear reprocessing plant

International audienceThe Institut de Radioprotection et de Sureté Nucléaire (IRSN) performed a series of 85Kr air sampling campaigns at mesoscale distances (18-50km) from the AREVA NC La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant (North West France) between 2007 and 2009. The samples were collected in order to test and optimise a technique to measure low krypton-85 (85Kr) air concentrations and to investigate the performance of three atmospheric dispersion models (RIMPUFF, HYSPLIT, and ADMS),This paper presents the 85Kr air concentrations measured at three sampling locations which varied from 2 to 8000Bqm-3, along with the 85Kr air concentrations output by the dispersion models. The dispersion models made reasonable estimates of the mean concentrations of 85Kr field measurements during steady wind conditions. In contrast, the models failed to accurately predict peaks in 85Kr air concentration during periods of rapid and large changes in wind speed and/or wind direction. At distances where we made the comparisons (18-50km), in all cases, the models underestimated the air concentration activities. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd