Decoding Last Interglacial sea-level variations in the Western Mediterranean using speleothem encrustations from coastal caves in Mallorca and Sardinia: A field data - model comparison

U-Th ages of phreatic overgrowths on speleothems in coastal caves of the Western Mediterranean record high sea level positions during marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e of the last interglacial.While relative sea level (RSL) on the southeastern coast of Mallorca stood w2.6 m above present sea level (apsl) during MIS 5e, it stood w4.3 m apsl at this time in northwestern Sardinia. The difference between the two sites during MIS 5e and the deviation from the eustatic sea level trend during the Holocene was investigated using the numerical code SELEN. The offset between the eustatic curve and those pertaining to the two sites principally reflect the vertical deformations and geoidal variations in response to meltwater loading. As Sardinia is closer to the center of the Mediterranean basin, the hydro-isostatic component of RSL is enhanced here compared to Mallorca, which results in a modeled offset ofw60 cm between the two sites. This result is qualitatively useful as it provides a partial reconciliation for the site differences. However, the need for refinement in the model is also recognized, as it does not match the observation based on UeTh dating of speleothem overgrowths in Mallorca that sea level there has remained stable for the past 2800 years. Overall, the results of the study first suggest that both sites largely track the eustatic sea level curve, and second suggest that glacial isostatic adjustment is a viable mechanism to reconcile some, if not most, of the relatively small elevation difference of MIS 5e sea level observed at Mallorca and Sardinia, although minor tectonic adjustments cannot be ruled out in explaining some low-amplitude local variation

May measurement month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Spain.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is the single most important contributing risk factor to the global disease burden, leading to over 10 million deaths each year. In Spain, hypertension (HTN) affects around 20% of the adult population and remains the greatest attributable cause of cardiovascular mortality. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a worldwide initiative aimed at increasing awareness of HTN and to improve the lack of screening programmes worldwide. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged 18 and over was carried out in May 2018. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of HTN and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. Anthropometric data and responses to questionnaires on demographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors were obtained as additional information. Screening sites mainly in community pharmacies, universities, primary care centres, HTN units, and cardiovascular departments in hospitals were set up across Spain as part of this initiative. In total, 7646 individuals (63.5% female) were screened during MMM18. After multiple imputation, 40.0% had HTN, of whom 74.4% were aware of their diagnosis and 69.6% were taking antihypertensive medication. Of individuals not receiving antihypertensive medication, 16.9% were hypertensive. Of individuals receiving antihypertensive medication, 36.4% had uncontrolled BP. MMM18 almost doubled the number of participants of MMM17 and was the largest BP screening campaign ever undertaken in Spain, showing that in the absence of systematic screening programmes for HTN, MMM can identify a great number of individuals at risk, increasing their awareness and attracting the interest of the healthcare system in Spain

Constraints on Global Mean Sea Level During Pliocene Warmth

Reconstructing the evolution of sea level during past warmer epochs such as the Pliocene, provides unique insight into the response of sea level and ice sheets to prolonged warming1. While estimates of global mean sea level (GMSL) during this time exist, they vary by several tens of metres2–4, hindering the assessment of past and future ice sheet stability. Here we show that during the mid-Piacenzian Warm Period, which was on average 2–3 °C warmer than pre-industrial5, the GMSL was 16.2 m (most likely, 5.6–19.2 m, 68% uncertainty range) higher than today. During the even warmer Pliocene Climatic Optimum (~4 °C warmer than pre-industrial)6, our results show that GMSL was 23.5 m above present (most probably, 9.0–26.7 m, 68% uncertainty range). We present six GMSL data points, ranging from 4.39 to 3.27 million years ago, that are based on phreatic overgrowths on speleothems from the western Mediterranean (Mallorca, Spain). This record is unique owing to its clear relationship to sea level, its reliable U–Pb ages and its long timespan, which allows us to quantify uncertainties on potential uplift. Our data indicate that ice sheets are very sensitive to warming and provide important calibration targets for future ice sheet models7