Investigation of an elevated sands unit at Tralispean Bay, South-West Ireland – potential high-energy marine event

A sequence of high elevation sands containing both broken and whole marine shells, as well as many mega-sized, raft-shaped boulders (1-3m across) has been discovered at Tralispean Bay, West Cork, Ireland. Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), ground surveying and differential GPS (dGPS) show that the sediments cover an area of c.0.75ha, reaching a maximum height of c.+18.5m ODM, with interconnected pockets of sand varying in thickness of up to 1m. Coring, lithostratigraphic study, granulometry, organics loss-on-ignition and carbonate content analyses, together with examination of micro- and macrofossils, indicate that the shelly sands were deposited rapidly, under high energy conditions. Informal interviews with local residents, as well as the extent of the sands, suggest that the deposit is not the result of human actions. Elevations reached by the sediments, the presence of mega-boulders, and other indicators make it unlikely that these sediments arose from storm activity. It is possible that they have been deposited as the result of a tsunami. The radiocarbon (AMS) date obtained places the age of such an event at 1465 AD (Cal BP 485). At present, no clear historical record has been identified of any tsunami impacts affecting the south coast of Ireland other than the Lisbon earthquake of 1755

Uncovering Enhancer Functions Using the α-Globin Locus

Over the last three decades, studies of the α- and β-globin genes clusters have led to elucidation of the general principles of mammalian gene regulation, such as RNA stability, termination of transcription, and, more importantly, the identification of remote regulatory elements. More recently, detailed studies of α-globin regulation, using both mouse and human loci, allowed the dissection of the sequential order in which transcription factors are recruited to the locus during lineage specification. These studies demonstrated the importance of the remote regulatory elements in the recruitment of RNA polymerase II (PolII) together with their role in the generation of intrachromosomal loops within the locus and the removal of polycomb complexes during differentiation. The multiple roles attributed to remote regulatory elements that have emerged from these studies will be discussed

The geomorphology of Ireland's Coastline : patterns, processes and future prospects

Glacial history and sea-level have together helped shape the coastline of Ireland. Ireland's coastline suffers erosional problems at many points at present. More information is needed on the causes and type of erosion in progress. It is necessary that management plans be set in place in order to maintain coastal environments in the future.Géomorphologie des côtes irlandaises : modelés, processus et perspectives d'évolution Il n'existe pas, jusqu'ici, d'étude intégrée ni d'analyse systémique du littoral irlandais. L'évolution des différents secteurs côtiers dépend à la fois de la lithologie et de l'énergie des vagues. Celle-ci est beaucoup plus faible sur les côtes de la mer d'Irlande que le long de l'Atlantique où des vagues peuvent atteindre 20 m de hauteur (fig. 1 et photo 1).Sinnot A.M., Devoy R. J. N. The geomorphology of Ireland's Coastline : patterns, processes and future prospects. In: Hommes et Terres du Nord, 1992/3. Les littoraux. pp. 145-153