New analysis method for continuous base-flow and availability of water resources based on Parallel Linear Reservoir models

Water flows in the hydrosphere through a tangled and tortuous labyrinth of ways that is the hydrological cycle. Flow separation models are an attempt to group such complexity of paths into a few components of flow and storage so as to reflect the overall behaviour of a basin. A new method of analysis and separation of flow components, based on equations of dynamic relations between Linear Reservoirs connected in Parallel (PLR models), is developed in this article. A synthesis of models based on mathematical filter equations is carried out in order to make comparisons with the proposed model. Reference is also made to the methodology of adjustment and calibration of the PLR models based on the recession curves of the real hydrographs. The models are tested with the continuous register of a basin located in the northeast of Spain. The simulations are carried out with two reservoir models (2R models), three reservoirs (3R models) and with a mathematical filter model to compare the results. With the results of the models, flow duration curves (FDCs) and storage duration curves (SDCs) were elaborated, thus allowing assessment of the origin of the water resources of the basin, a guarantee of their regulation and availability, the dynamic storage in the catchment, residence times and other features

Sustainability indicator for the prevention of potential thermal interferences between groundwater heat pump systems in urban aquifers

The steady increase of geothermal systems using groundwater is compromising the renewability of the geothermal resources in shallow urban aquifers. To ensure sustainability, scientifically-based criteria are required to prevent potential thermal interferences between geothermal systems. In this work, a management indicator (balanced sustainability index, BSI) applicable to groundwater heat pump systems is defined to assign a quantitative value of sustainability to each system, based on their intrinsic potential to produce thermal interference. The BSI indicator relies on the net heat balance transferred to the terrain throughout the year and the maximum seasonal thermal load associated. To define this indicator, 75 heating-cooling scenarios based in 23 real systems were established to cover all possible different operational conditions. The scenarios were simulated in a standard numerical model, adopted as a reference framework, and thermal impacts were evaluated. Two polynomial regression models were used for the interpolation of thermal impacts, thus allowing the direct calculation of the sustainability indicator developed as a function of heating-cooling ratios and maximum seasonal thermal loads. The BSI indicator could provide authorities and technicians with scientifically-based criteria to establish geothermal monitoring programs, which are critical to maintain the implementation rates and renewability of these systems in the cities

La modelización tridimensional del flujo del agua subterránea y transporte de calor en la gestión de recursos geotérmicos someros en zonas urbanas

La planificación del uso geotérmico del agua subterránea en acuíferos someros urbanos requiere un modelo numérico capaz de reproducir los efectos de la explotación actual y ser capaz de predecir los impactos derivados de dicha actividad. En este trabajo se presenta el desarrollo preliminar de un modelo numérico que puede contribuir a mejorar la gestión de los recursos geotérmicos someros en la ciudad de Zaragoza. El modelo numérico permite implementar toda la información hidrogeológica y térmica recopilada, explicar esta información de forma coherente reproduciendo la física de fluidos y termodinámica en medios poroso s y predecir a medio y largo plazo los impactos producidos. Finalmente se muestran las posibilidades y ventajas derivadas del uso del modelo numérico en la gestión de permisos de concesión de derechos de explotación para nuevos aprovechamientos. The management of the thermal use of groundwater in shallow urban aquifers requires a numerical model capable of reproducing the impacts of actual exploitations and of predicting further impacts in the future. In this work, the numerical model developed for the management of shallow geothermal resources in the city of Zaragoza (Spain) is presented. The model allows to explain the data coherent with the fluid physics and the heat transport in porous media and also provide predictions for the thermal impacts at mid- and long-term. Finally, the possibilities and advantages derived from the use of the numerical modelling for the concession process of new exploitation licenses are described

Fenómenos de inundación subterránea asociados a las crecidas del río Ebro en la ciudad de Zaragoza

En este trabajo se estudia desde un punto de vista cuantitativo la respuesta hidráulica del acuífero aluvial urbano de Zaragoza a las crecidas del río Ebro con el objetivo del estudio de fenómenos de inundación subterránea. La simulación de dicha respuesta mediante un modelo numérico de flujo ha hecho posible evaluar la interacción del nivel freático con las estructuras subterráneas próximas al río Ebro. Los resultados obtenidos han sido validados con afecciones documentadas demostrando la utilidad del modelo.Además, de estos resultados se desprende que un total de 107 edificios son susceptibles de interaccionar con el agua subterránea donde las estructuras pueden llegar a ser sometidas a presiones hidrostáticas de hasta 0,7 kg·cm-2 dependiendo de la profundidad de la estructura y de la crecida considerada. The objective of this work is to study groundwater inundation phenomena in the metropolitan area of Zaragoza as a consequence of Ebro river flood events. A groundwater flow numerical model has been used to simulate the hydraulic response of the urban groundwater body to flood events in order to quantify the groundwater-building basements interaction. The model developed has been validated with damage documented proving its utility. The results showed that 107 buildings are vulnerable to groundwater inundation and that the structures affected may experience a pressure load up to 0.7 kg·cm-2 depending on the structure depth and the flood event considered

Propagación de la recarga inducida por una crecida del río Ebro en el acuífero aluvial urbano de Zaragoza (España).

En este artículo se estudia desde un punto de vista cuantitativo la recarga del acuífero aluvial urbano de Zaragoza inducida por una crecida del río Ebro.Mediante la implementación de un modelo numérico de flujo se ha simulado la propagación de la crecida por el acuífero aluvial. Los resultados obtenidos muestran una dinámica de la recarga estrechamente ligada a la anisotropía de la transmisividad y las relaciones río-acuífero previas a la crecida. En general se produce un avance del frente de la recarga rápido, velocidades de 35-45 m·h-1 en las primeras 20 horas. Posteriormente, dicho frente experimenta una importante deceleración con velocidades muy bajas entorno al inicio de la curva de decrecida del río Ebro. El alcance de la recarga es de 1.000 m en zonas fuertemente efluentes previamente a la crecida y de 2.000-2.500 m en otras zonas. This paper studies the recharge induced by a flood event in the alluvial urban aquifer of Zaragoza from a quantitative point of view. Thanks to the implementation of a groundwater flow numerical model, the propagation of the recharge front through the alluvial aquifer has been simulated. The results obtained have shown a propagation of the recharge front through the aquifer driven by the transmissivity field and the existent river-aquifer regime prior to the flood event. In general, the recharge front has a 35-45 m·h-1 displacement in the first 20 hours. Subsequently, the front decelerates to almost zero velocity at the flood peak. Finally, it is concluded that the recharge front reaches 1,000 m in previous river effluent zones and 2,000- 2,500 m in other zones

Modification of BRCA1-associated breast cancer risk by HMMR overexpression

Breast cancer risk for carriers of BRCA1 pathological variants is modified by genetic factors. Genetic variation in HMMR may contribute to this effect. However, the impact of risk modifiers on cancer biology remains undetermined and the biological basis of increased risk is poorly understood. Here, we depict an interplay of molecular, cellular, and tissue microenvironment alterations that increase BRCA1-associated breast cancer risk. Analysis of genome-wide association results suggests that diverse biological processes, including links to BRCA1-HMMR profiles, influence risk. HMMR overexpression in mouse mammary epithelium increases Brca1-mutant tumorigenesis by modulating the cancer cell phenotype and tumor microenvironment. Elevated HMMR activates AURKA and reduces ARPC2 localization in the mitotic cell cortex, which is correlated with micronucleation and activation of cGAS-STING and non-canonical NF-kappa B signaling. The initial tumorigenic events are genomic instability, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and tissue infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages. The findings reveal a biological foundation for increased risk of BRCA1-associated breast cancer. The effect of hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (HMMR) expression in BRCA1-associated breast cancer risk remains unknown. Here, HMMR overexpression induces the activation of cGAS-STING and non-canonical NF-kappa B signalling, instigating an immune permissive environment for breast cancer development

Assessing associations between the AURKAHMMR-TPX2-TUBG1 functional module and breast cancer risk in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers

While interplay between BRCA1 and AURKA-RHAMM-TPX2-TUBG1 regulates mammary epithelial polarization, common genetic variation in HMMR (gene product RHAMM) may be associated with risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 mutation carriers. Following on these observations, we further assessed the link between the AURKA-HMMR-TPX2-TUBG1 functional module and risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers. Forty-one single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in 15,252 BRCA1 and 8,211 BRCA2 mutation carriers and subsequently analyzed using a retrospective likelihood appr

Atlas de las praderas marinas de España

Knowledge of the distribution and extent of seagrass habitats is currently the basis of management and conservation policies of the coastal zones in most European countries. This basic information is being requested through European directives for the establishment of monitoring programmes and the implementation of specific actions to preserve the marine environment. In addition, this information is crucial for the quantification of the ecological importance usually attributed to seagrass habitats due to, for instance, their involvement in biogeochemical cycles, marine biodiversity and quality of coastal waters or global carbon budgets. The seagrass atlas of Spain represents a huge collective effort performed by 84 authors across 30 Spanish institutions largely involved in the scientific research, management and conservation of seagrass habitats during the last three decades. They have contributed to the availability of the most precise and realistic seagrass maps for each region of the Spanish coast which have been integrated in a GIS to obtain the distribution and area of each seagrass species. Most of this information has independently originated at a regional level by regional governments, universities and public research organisations, which explain the elevated heterogeneity in criteria, scales, methods and objectives of the available information. On this basis, seagrass habitats in Spain occupy a total surface of 1,541,63 km2, 89% of which is concentrated in the Mediterranean regions; the rest is present in sheltered estuarine areas of the Atlantic peninsular regions and in the open coastal waters of the Canary Islands, which represents 50% of the Atlantic meadows. Of this surface, 71.5% corresponds to Posidonia oceanica, 19.5% to Cymodocea nodosa, 3.1% to Zostera noltii (=Nanozostera noltii), 0.3% to Zostera marina and 1.2% to Halophila decipiens. Species distribution maps are presented (including Ruppia spp.), together with maps of the main impacts and pressures that has affected or threatened their conservation status, as well as the management tools established for their protection and conservation. Despite this considerable effort, and the fact that Spain has mapped wide shelf areas, the information available is still incomplete and with weak precision in many regions, which will require an investment of major effort in the near future to complete the whole picture and respond to demands of EU directives.Versión del edito