Hacia una diversidad patrimonial europea: geositios en la costa gallega (NW España)

The pervasive lack of awareness in today’s society regarding geological processes and their effects on the landscape is of such magnitude that their relationship to biodiversity and their value as part of the natural heritage is almost completely ignored. In this situation are the Quaternary deposits located on the Galician coast (NW Spain). The lack of awareness of these deposits, or the mere fact that they have either been omitted, or included as other coastal formations in the POL (The Planning Programme for Coastal areas of Galicia), makes their recognition and promotion unfeasible. Taking into account the scientific works and considering the current administrative context, the aim of this study is to demonstrate the importance and scientific and educational interest of the Quaternary sedimentary deposits as palaeoenvironmental records in the hope that this will be recognised as a Geosites by administration, in order to promote their geoconservation as a meaningful and diverse Geological Heritage in European Coastal context.La falta generalizada de conciencia en la sociedad actual en relación con los procesos geológicos y sus efectos sobre el paisaje es de tal magnitud que su relación con la biodiversidad y su valor como parte del Patrimonio Natural casi está completamente ignorado. En esta situación se encuentran los Depósitos Cuaternarios situados en la Costa de Galicia (NW de España). Su falta de conocimiento, o el mero hecho de que, se han omitido o incluido como otras formaciones costeras en la POL (Plan de Ordenación del Litoral de Galicia) hace que su reconocimiento y su difusión sea inviable. Teniendo en cuenta los trabajos científicos y el contexto administrativo actual, el objetivo de este estudio es mostrar su importancia e interés científico y educativo como registros paleoambientales con la esperanza de que alcancen su reconocimiento por parte de la administración como Geositios, con el fin de promover su geoconservación como un Patrimonio Geológico significativo y diverso en el contexto Costero Europeo.This research was partially funded by Project 09SEC015606PR (Xunta de Galicia) and by COMDEMO Project (Plan Nacional de I+D+i: EDU2015-65621-C3-1-R) co-financed with EU ERDF funds.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Another view of geological heritage: the assessment of the quaternary deposits of the galician coast (NW Spain)

En la última década se ha desarrollado una base de conocimiento sólido relacionado con la geodiversidad, caracterización, conservación y gestión del patrimonio geológico, que lleva implícito una legislación al respecto. Sin embargo, el escaso conocimiento a nivel científico por parte de la Administración sobre “lugares de interés geológico” hace complicado conseguir una normativa adecuada, a fin de proteger algo que no está contemplado. A esto se suma, un desconocimiento parcial de la sociedad sobre procesos geológicos, su relación con la biodiversidad y su valor como patrimonio natural. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo mostrar el valor de los depósitos sedimentarios antiguos localizados en la costa de Galicia como archivos paleoambientales y geoformas con entidad propia. Estos valores son ejemplificados con depósitos localizados en la “Costa Sur”, así definida en el Plan de Ordenación Litoral (POL) de Galicia.Over the last decade, a solid knowledge base has been built up globally in relation to geodiversity, geoheritage identification, conservation and management, which implies legislation on the subject. However, the partial absence of knowledge and information on a scientific level on the part of the Administration regarding national, regional or local “points of geological interest” makes it complex to create appropriate legislation, since something which is not even considered cannot be protected. There is also public ignorance about geological processes and their relationship with biodiversity, as well as their value as natural heritage. This study aims to show the value of ancient sedimentary deposits located on the coast of Galicia as palaeoenvironmental records and landforms. These values are exemplified with deposits of the “Southern Coast”, established in the Coastline Management Plan (POL)

Geological heritage at risk in NW Spain. Quaternary deposits and landforms of “Southern Coast” (Baiona-A Garda)

Over the last decade, a knowledge base has been built up worldwide in relation to geological heritage and geodiversity, and respective working methodologies. However, the absence of knowledge and technical information by the local, regional and national authorities about geosites makes it difficult to create appropriate legislation and to assure a good management. There is also a public ignorance about geological processes and their relationship to biodiversity, as well as their value as natural heritage. This study focuses on the Autonomous Community of Galicia (NW Spain), specifically the “Southern Coast” area established in the Planning Programme for the Coast (POL) and brings to light the importance of the Quaternary deposits and associated landforms. The study concludes that the Southern Coast should be recognized as an area-type geosite. Taking into account the evaluation of their scientific value, the landforms of Oia and San Xián are proposed as geosites. Legal mechanisms of protection need to be reinforced and new, more specific ones, developed in tandem that make reference to the fact that these landforms exemplify environmental records of the past. This area is unique on a national level due to the scientific and educational value of the deposits. Therefore, they should be proposed to the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME) for inclusion in the general list of geosites of the Spanish State.Manuela Costa-Casais is supported by the Research Programme "Isidro Parga Pondal 2007"-Xunta Galicia. This research was partially funded by Project 09SEC015606PR (2009-2012) "Xeoarqueolox a e reconstrucion paleoambiental. Metodolox a aplicada a contextos arqueoloxico-culturais"-"Geoarchaeology and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Methodology applied to cultural and archaeological contexts"-(Conseller a de Econom a e IndustriaXunta de Galicia) and by Portuguese National Funds through the FCT (Fundacao para a Cincia e a Tecnologia) under the project PEst-OE/CTE/UI0039/2011". This paper has been prepared in collaboration with Professor M. Isabel Caetano Alves, during post-doctoral research as "Parga Pondal" carried out by Manuela Costa-Casais at the Centre for Earth Sciences, University of Minho-Centre of Geology, University of Oporto. The authors are deeply grateful to Antonio Martnez Cortizas, the reviewers and the editor for their helpful comments and contributions to the manuscript

Assessment and management of the geomorphological heritage of Monte Pindo (NW Spain): a landscape as a symbol of identity

This study focuses on the granite mountain known as Monte Pindo (627 m above sea level) in the Autonomous Community of Galicia (NW Spain). This territory is included in the area classified as “Costa da Morte” in the “Politica de Ordenación Litoral” (POL) (Coastal Planning Policy) for the region of Galicia. This coastal unit, located between “Rías Baixas” and “Cape Fisterra” has great potential for demonstrating geological processes and its geomorphological heritage is characterized by a high degree of geodiversity of granite landforms. The main objective of our work is to assess the geomorphological heritage of the site, thus revealing its wide geodiversity. We shall analyze and highlight: its scientific value, developing an inventory of granite landforms; its educational valuel and its geotouristic potential. It must be ensured that the Administration understands that natural diversity is composed of both geodiversity and biodiversity. Only then will the sustainable management of Monte Pindo become possible by integrating natural and cultural heritage values. The goal is to ensure that Monte Pindo and its immediate surroundings become a geopark with the aim of promoting local development projects based on the conservation and valorization of its geological heritage.This research was conducted under the research projects CPC2014/009 and R2014/001 funded by the Xunta de Galicia

Reconstructing Holocene evolution in the archaelogical site of Campo Lameiro (NW Spain): an interdisciplinary approach to geoarchaeology

Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – Programa FAACUniversidade de Coimbra. Faculdade de Letras. Departamento de GeografiaCâmara Municipal de CoimbraDelt

Linking forest cover, soil erosion and mire hydrology to late-Holocene human activity and climate in NW Spain

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (http://www.uk.sagepub.com/aboutus/openaccess.htm).This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Forest clearance is one of the main drivers of soil erosion and hydrological changes in mires, although climate may also play a significant role. Because of the wide range of factors involved, understanding these complex links requires long-term multi-proxy approaches and research on the best proxies to focus. A peat core from NW Spain (Cruz do Bocelo mire), spanning the last ~3000 years, has been studied at high resolution by physical (density and loss on ignition (LOI)), geochemical (elemental composition) and palynological (pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs) analyses. Proxies related to mineral matter fluxes from the catchment (lithogenic tracers, Glomus and Entorrhiza), rainfall (Bromine), mire hydrology (HdV-18), human pressure (Cerealia-type, nitrophilous taxa and coprophilous fungi) and forest cover (mesophilous tree taxa) were the most useful to reconstruct the evolution of the mire and its catchment. Forest clearance for farming was one of the main drivers of environmental change from at least the local Iron Age (~2685 cal. yr BP) onwards. The most intense phase of deforestation occurred during Roman and Germanic times and the late Middle Ages. During these phases, the entire catchment was affected, resulting in enhanced soil erosion and severe hydrological modifications of the mire. Climate, especially rainfall, may have also accelerated these processes during wetter periods. However, it is noteworthy that the hydrology of the mire seems to have been insensitive to rainfall variations when mesophilous forest dominated. Abrupt changes were only detected once intense forest clearance commenced during the Iron Age/Roman transition (~2190 cal. yr BP) phase, which represented a tipping point in catchment's ability to buffer impacts. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of studying ecosystems' long-term trajectories and catchment-wide processes when implementing mire habitat protection measures.This work was funded by the projects CGL2010-20672 (Plan Nacional I+D+i, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) and 10PXIB200182PR (General Directorate of I+D, Xunta de Galicia). N Silva-Sánchez and L López-Merino are currently supported by a FPU predoctoral scholarship (AP2010-3264) funded by the Spanish Government and a MINT postdoctoral fellowship funded by the Brunel Institute for the Environment, respectively

Measurement of CP -violating and mixing-induced observables in Bs0→ϕγ decays

A time-dependent analysis of the B 0 s → ϕ γ decay rate is performed to determine the C P -violating observables S ϕ γ and C ϕ γ and the mixing-induced observable A Δ ϕ γ . The measurement is based on a sample of p p collision data recorded with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3     fb − 1 at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The measured values are S ϕ γ = 0.43 ± 0.30 ± 0.11 , C ϕ γ = 0.11 ± 0.29 ± 0.11 , and A Δ ϕ γ = − 0.67 + 0.37 − 0.41 ± 0.17 , where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This is the first measurement of the observables S and C in radiative B 0 s decays. The results are consistent with the standard model predictions

Observation of the doubly charmed baryon decay Ξcc++→Ξc′+π+

The Ξcc++→Ξc′+π+ decay is observed using proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb−1. The Ξcc++→Ξc′+π+ decay is reconstructed partially, where the photon from the Ξc′+→Ξc+γ decay is not reconstructed and the pK−π+ final state of the Ξc+ baryon is employed. The Ξcc++→Ξc′+π+branching fraction relative to that of the Ξcc++→Ξc+π+ decay is measured to be 1.41 ± 0.17 ± 0.10, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. [Figure not available: see fulltext.