Description of a coastal impact event in Basque Country: the 9 February 2016 case

In this work we analysed a case from 9 February 2016 from two points of view, the meteorological–ocean characteristics of the event and the damage produced during the episode in the Basque coastal area. On 7 and 8 February 2016 an intense zonal circulation was established in the Atlantic, with very strong westerly winds (over 100 km h−1) and high fetch (more than 2000 km). As a consequence a strong swell (over 7 m) arrived on the Basque coast affecting littoral areas. The wave characteristics are particularly energetic during the morning of the 9 February, which had a significant wave of 9.5 m and a peak period of 20 s in deep water (Donostia buoy). The arrival of these energetic waves coincides with high tide during spring when the sea level reaches 4.69 m in the Port of Bilbao. Overtopping indexes exceeded red-level thresholds established within the Euskalmet coastal warning system and the wave impact resulted in relevant damage (more than EUR 3 million) in different littoral areas. This event is the first red-level case since the new Euskalmet warning procedure became operational at the beginning of 2015.</p

Free-standing graphene films embedded in epoxy resin with enhanced thermal properties

The poor thermal conductivity of polymer composites has long been a deterrent to their increased use in high-end aerospace or defence applications. This study describes a new approach for the incorporation of graphene in an epoxy resin, through the addition of graphene as free-standing film in the polymeric matrix. The electrical and thermal conductivity of composites embedding two different free-standing graphene films was compared to composites with embedded carbon nanotube buckypapers (CNT-BP). Considerably higher thermal conductivity values than those achieved with conventional dispersing methods of graphene or CNTs in epoxy resins were obtained. The characterisation was complemented with a study of the structure at the microscale by cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The films are preconditioned in order to incorporate them into the composites, and the complete manufacturing process proposed allows the production and processing of these materials in large batches. The high thermal conductivity obtained for the composites opens the way for their use in demanding thermal management applications, such as electronic enclosures or platforms facing critical temperature loads.European Defence Agency tender No 17.ESI.OP.066. Study on the Impact of Graphene on Defence Application

Efecto combinado de grafeno y nanotubos de carbono en las propiedades de las resinas dopadas

En este trabajo se estudia la eficiencia de la adición de nanorrefuerzos grafíticos para la mejora de las propiedades de resinas epoxídicas. Para ello, se han obtenido dispersiones de nanotubos de carbono y nanoplaquetas de grafeno en resinas termoestables de calidad aeronáutica. Se ha confirmado que la adición de bajos contenidos de nanotubos aumenta la temperatura de transición vítrea de las resinas y su conductividad eléctrica, mientras que el grafeno aporta un interesante aumento de la conductividad térmica. Es por ello que se concluye que ambos refuerzos son complementarios e inducen mejoras del material en diferentes propiedades

Severe weather as a spectacle: the Meteo-Show

In this work we focus on perhaps one of the worst journalist practice when dealing with severe weather, the Meteo-Show or the extended practice, especially in TV, for using weather and meteorology for spectacle. Journalism today has found weather information in a real goldmine in terms of audience due to the growing public interest in this matter. However, as it happens with other content, sensationalism and exaggeration have also reached weather information, primarily when episodes of adverse nature (snow, heavy rain, floods, etc.) are addressed. In this paper we look to identify the worst practices in weather communication through analysis of examples from real journalist work. We present some keys to understand this trend, highlighting the ingredients that are present in the worst Meteo-show

The <q>Meteo-show</q> in the newspapers

In this work we focus on what may be described as one of the worst journalist practices when dealing with severe weather: the Meteo-Show, considered as the more or less extended informative practice whose main objective is to increase the news impact regardless of the veracity and the exactitude of the weather facts. In this work we analysed such practices on newspapers highlighting different journalist resources used in written press when dealing with weather for attracting attention and promoting impact. The growing public interest in weather causes that journalists often focus on this topic. But as it could happen with other issues, mistakes, inaccuracies, sensationalism and exaggerations have also reached meteorology related written news. This wrongdoing is especially present and dangerous when episodes of adverse nature are treated. In this paper we present some keys to identify Meteo-show in the context of written press. We analysed some examples from real news articles published in different newspapers, in order to understand the motivation of these practices. Finally we present some conclusions and recommendations to deal with this subject.</p

Twitter and weather services

This work focuses on the analysis of the use of Twitter by different weather services around the world. During the last few years the availability of mobile phones connected to the Internet has become a global reality. Likewise, the use of different social networks has been popularized and extended with different purposes including social communication. In this context most meteorological weather services have been using some of these social tools in order to improve their services for the general public and specific users. Twitter is a social tool that enables users to post messages (tweets) of up to 280 characters (up to 140 before November 2017), supporting a wide variety of communicative practices. Twitter is an opportunity not only to spread messages without intermediaries, but also interact in real time with users. Here we present a study of different aspects related to the use of Twitter in diverse weather services worldwide and their evolution during the year 2016.</p

A case of winter lightning initiation from a tall structure in the Basque Country

Lightning research is usually focused on the most active months of the year, those corresponding to the summer season. These thunderstorms produce most of the lightning records during a year in the Basque Country, and they are recorded for further research. In this paper winter lightning is under study. After the dramatic descent in the number of strokes recorded with the end of the summer season, a number of winter thunderstorms crossed the territory. Two different episodes (one in November 7th and 8th, and a thunderstorm in November 30th) left evidence of lightning in the weather radar tower located at Kapildui Mountain. In this paper the research carried out from the first evidence of electrical activity in the tower to the final conclusions of being upward negative flashes initiated by the tower is presented.Preprin

Synergy effect in the addition of nanoreinforcements in matrix and onto the continouos fiber for composite structural health monitoring

The aim of the research is focused on the manufacture of multiscale reinforced composites with self-monitoring capabilities. In order to achieve it, reference material based on epoxy resin and glass fiber fabric has been modified by the addition of carbon nanotubes which allow the creation of a nanoreinforcement electrically conductive percolation network. The registration of electrical resistance variations due to strain or damage can be used to monitorize these effects caused by the mechanical loads. The research also studies the modification of the electrical properties (electrical conductivity measured in both transverse and longitudinal directions) and interlaminar mechanical properties caused by the use of nanoreinforced resins or surface modified fabrics. Multiscale reinforced composites manufactured allow the detection and partial location of damage caused during the interlaminar strength test. Moreover, differences in sensitivity due to manufacturing method and nanoreinforcement used have been clarified