Tsunami Resonance in Palma Bay and Harbor, Majorca Island, as induced by the 2003 Western Mediterranean Earthquake

ABSTRACT: he tsunami induced by the May 21, 2003, Algerian Boumerde`s-Zemmouri earthquake (moment magnitude Mw=6.9) propagated across the western Mediterranean Basin, thereby causing material damages in some harbors and coastal areas. This was the case in the Balearic Islands and particularly the Palma harbor. Attempts to simulate the 2003 tsunami event found discrepancies between tsunami arrival times and wave amplitude when comparing tide gauge records with results from numerical models. To date, all published model results of the amplitude of the tsunami are underestimations, attributed to numerical limitations due to the lack of high-resolution bathymetry and poor definition of harbor geometry. Other views suggest the nappropriateness of the available seismic source parameterizations and the possible occurrence of submarine landsliding triggered by the earthquake that has not been included in the numerical simulations. In this article we present the results of a numerical study aimed at better understanding the response of the interacting Palma bay and harbor under the impact of the 2003 western Mediterranean tsunami. The transference of the tsunami energy from the generation area to the continental shelf, the bay, and the harbor has been studied and compared with the natural oscillation modes of the bay and harbor water bodies. Our work includes a sensitivity analysis of the source parameterization and the bathymetry grid size for the bay and harbor as a way to explain the discrepancies between simulations and observations. The Palma harbor tide gauge shows that energy from the tsunami concentrated mainly in periods that fitted to the natural modes of oscillations of the bay. Therefore, the significant wave amplification observed inside the harbor, mainly in its northern basin, was generated by a resonance effect induced by Palma bay. The improvement of the bathymetry grid resolution in the bay and harbor domains and the inclusion in the simulations of the exact harbor geometry and internal configuration result in a slight wave-high increment that is much below the wave height recorded in the tide gauge. Our results strongly point to a necessary revision of the tsunami seismic source parameters

Importancia de la ruralidad y el género en la exposición al humo de combustión de biomasa

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Distribution and elemental composition of the suspended particulate matter in the Catalan-Balearic Sea

The spatial distribution at sufface (-5m) and bottom (2-5m a.s.f.) /levels of the concentration and elemental composition of the suspended particulate matter show that the main trends result from the interaction between oceanographical phenomena and the morpholsedimentary characteristics of each continental margin segment The flow of the Northern current, which parallels the continental Slope, together with the topographic effects due to the bottom reliefs control the transfer of the fluvial inputs to the open-basin. The geostrphic fronts govern the main inputs of autocthonous suspended particulate matte

Keys for sedimentation in the Balearic Islands continental margin: benthic carbonate production vs. particle fluxes

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Exposición laboral y a biomasa en la EPOC: resultados de un análisis transversal del estudio On-Sint

[Background] Although tobacco smoke is the main risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), other inhaled toxics have also been associated with the disease. The present study analyzes data from exposure to these substances in a cohort of patients with COPD and assesses their impact on the clinical presentation of the disease.[Methods] This is a cross-sectional analysis of the Clinical presentation, diagnosis and course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (On-Sint) study. All patients were smokers or ex-smokers as per protocol. In addition, during the inclusion visit patients were enquired about their occupational and biomass exposure history. The clinical features of patients with and without an added risk factor to tobacco were compared and those significant were entered in a multivariate logistic regression analysis, expressed as odds ratio (OR).[Results] The sample size was 1214 patients with COPD, of which 1012 (83.4%) had tobacco as the only risk factor and 202 (16.6%) had additional ones, mainly 174 (14.3%) with occupational gases and 32 (2.6%) with biomass exposure. The geographical distribution of this exposure showed a preference for the northern parts of the country and the East coast. The biomass exposure was rather low. Male gender (OR: 2.180), CAT score (OR: 1.036) and the use of long-term oxygen therapy (OR: 1.642) were associated with having an additional risk factor in the multivariate analysis.[Conclusions] Occupational exposures are more common than biomass in Spain. COPD caused by tobacco plus other inhalants has some differential features and a more impaired quality of life.[Introducción] Aunque el humo del tabaco es el principal factor de riesgo de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC), también se han relacionado con la enfermedad otros agentes tóxicos inhalados. El presente estudio analiza datos de la exposición a estas sustancias y evalúa su impacto sobre la presentación clínica de la enfermedad en una cohorte de pacientes con EPOC.[Métodos] Se trata de un análisis transversal del estudio Presentación clínica, diagnóstico y evolución de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (On-Sint). De conformidad con el protocolo, todos los pacientes eran fumadores o exfumadores. Durante la visita de inclusión se interrogó a los pacientes acerca de sus antecedentes de exposición laboral a tóxicos y a combustión de biomasa. Las características clínicas de los pacientes que presentaban algún factor de riesgo además del tabaco se compararon con las de los pacientes que no presentaban factores de riesgo adicionales, y los factores que indicaron ser significativos fueron incluidos en un análisis de regresión logística multivariante, expresados en oportunidades relativas (odds ratio [OR]).[Resultados] La muestra incluyó 1.214 pacientes con EPOC, en 1.012 (83,4%) de los cuales el tabaco era el único factor de riesgo. En 202 (16,6%) se constataron otros factores, en 174 (14,3%) principalmente la exposición a gases en el ámbito laboral y en 32 (2,6%) la exposición a combustión de biomasa. La distribución geográfica de esta exposición fue mayor en la zona norte y la costa este del país. La exposición a humo de biomasa fue relativamente baja. El análisis multivariante mostró asociaciones entre la presentación de un factor de riesgo adicional y el sexo masculino (OR: 2,180), la puntuación CAT (OR: 1,036) y el uso de oxigenoterapia crónica (OR: 1,642).[Conclusiones] En España, la exposición laboral a tóxicos inhalados es más frecuente que la exposición a humo de biomasa. La EPOC causada por el tabaco y otros productos inhalados tiene algunas características diferenciales y provoca un mayor deterioro de la calidad de vida.Peer reviewe

Sedimentary dynamics of the submarine channels on the Ebro continental slope and base-of-slope (NW Mediterranean Sea) as revealed by HR acoustic imagery

A comprehensive data set of the seafloor relief and superficial sedimentary cover on the Ebro progradational continental slope, NW Mediterranean Sea, reveals that its Late Quaternary building results from complex interrelationships between processes ranging from channel abandonment to incision of inner minor courses, from retrogressive erosion and channel capture to levee cutting and new channel opening, from channel wall sliding to shelf-edge and channel spillover. These processes succeed ones to the others both in time and space conforming a canibalistic frame where the balance between destructive and constructive processes is finally favourable to the last. They result in the formation of the channel-levee complexes characteristic of the Ebro continental slope and base-of-slop

Depicting a high-latitude channel system: the INBIS Channel (NW Barents Sea)

European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2018, 8-13 April 2018, Vienna, Austria.-- 1 pageThe INBIS (Interfan Bear Island and Storfjorden) Channel System is a rare example of deep-sea channel on andbeyond a glaciated continental margin. This channel system is located between the Bear Island and Kveithola-Storfjorden Trough Mouth Fans on the SW Barents Sea continental margin. A new compilation of bathymetry datashows that a series of 40 gullies, about 150-600 m wide and with incision depth of 10-60 m, incises the upperpart of the continental slope. These merge and increase in size downslope, transit into larger tributary channels andconverge into the INBIS Channel. The fringes of the INBIS tributary channels are buried below glacigenic debrisflows originating from the upper slope and shelf of the adjacent Trough-Mouth Fans during glacial maxima. Thissuggests that the INBIS Channel was not generated primarily by mass flows released at the mouth of the troughs.We infer that this gully-dominated part of the INBIS Channel System developed mainly in interglacial periodsfrom dense water cascading from the continental shelf and meltwaters. This gully-dominated part was relativelyprotected, by its location to the west of Bear Island, from recurrent glacigenic debris flows allowing meltwaters tocontinuously increase gullies (and channels) dimensions during interglacial periodsPeer Reviewe