Critérios de reconhecimento dos depósitos de inundação tsunamigénica no contexto do Ordenamento do Território

Os tsunamis são fenómenos naturais extremos que representam elevados perigos para muitas regiões costeiras. Os estudos sobre os eventos extremos de inundação que afetaram a costa portuguesa referem sobretudo o tsunami de AD 1775, considerado o mais devastador no território português. No presente estudo optou-se por analisar sedimentologicamente a sondagem CF2 localizada na margem direita do Rio Alcabrichel, a aproximadamente 650 m da foz, na praia de Porto Novo, na costa ocidental portuguesa. Esta sondagem já foi estudada anteriormente no âmbito do Projeto FMI-5000 e os resultados do projeto apontaram para a ocorrência de dois eventos extremos de inundação marinha associados aos possíveis eventos tsunamigénicos que afetaram o litoral português. Na presente dissertação foi continuado o estudo sedimentológico da referida sondagem, utilizando além dos critérios estratigráficos e texturais, outros indicadores de inundação marinha, alguns deles inovadores nos estudos de paleotsunamis, que poderiam clarificar os processos deposicionais e revelar informações adicionais sobre aqueles eventos extremos. O estudo tem como objetivo principal detetar potenciais indicadores tsunamigénicos, sobretudo morfoscópicos, geoquímicos e microtexturais nos grãos de quartzo que permitam reconhecer o(s) depósito(s) de tsunami no estuário do Rio Alcabrichel e estabelecer a área exposta ao risco de tsunami. A interpretação litoestratigráfica e textural permitiu identificar 5 unidades litoestratigráficas que correspondem ao preenchimento sedimentar que proporcionou a formação de uma planície aluvial na parte jusante do Rio Alcabrichel. As unidades litoestratigráficas denominadas UL1, UL2 e UL4, são constituídas sobretudo por material lodoso, silte e argila, com algumas intercalações de material arenoso, enquanto no topo da sondagem, a unidade UL5 corresponde ao sistema dunar existente no local. Na unidade UL2 foi detetada uma lâmina de areia muito fina, de 3cm de espessura, denominada UL2a e cuja origem foi associada a um possível evento tsunamigénico. Intercalada entre as unidades UL2 e UL4 ocorre uma lâmina essencialmente arenosa, maciça de maior espessura (10 cm), denominada UL3 e as datações por radiocarbono realizadas no âmbito do Projeto FMI-5000 para esta unidade colocaram este evento na proximidade cronológica do tsunami de AD 1755. Os resultados da caraterização textural permitiram atribuir a génese tsunamigénica para a unidade UL3. No entanto, no caso da subunidade UL2a, a associação a um possível evento tsunamigénico foi inconclusiva, considerando-se que um temporal costeiro foi provavelmente o responsável pela sua formação. Os resultados da análise geoquímica corroboram a origem tsunamigénica da unidade UL3 e a análise estatística dos dados geoquímicos permitiu atribuir a génese de temporal para a subunidade UL2a, devido à maior dominância dos elementos terrígenos sobre marinhos. Através da análise morfoscópica foi possível discriminar os distintos ambientes sedimentares e associar as areias tsunamigénicas com a fonte potencial para o depósito, identificando também três diferentes fases de tsunami, relacionadas com as ondas de inundação e de retorno. A análise microtextural, recorrendo às imagens de muito alta resolução, obtidas por microscopia eletrónica de varrimento (MEV), revelou nas areias tsunamigénicas a presença de assinaturas microtexturais típicas de eventos extremos de inundação marinha, com abundantes marcas de percussão e superfícies frescas, mostrando a importância da hidrodinâmica no processo de transporte dos sedimentos. Adicionalmente, demonstrou-se que a geomorfologia local representa um fator extremamente importante na propagação do fluxo de tsunami, condicionando a extensão do depósito e o limite interior da inundação tsunamigénica. A conjugação desta variável com as caraterísticas do depósito de tsunami permitiu estabelecer a área exposta ao risco de tsunami, demonstrando deste modo a importância do estudo no contexto do Ordenamento do Território.Tsunamis are extreme natural events with great magnitude responsible for important hazards in many coastal areas. The studies on the extreme flood events that affected the Portuguese coast refer mainly to the tsunami of AD 1775, considered the most devastating for Portuguese territory. In the present study, it was applied a sedimentological analysis of the CF2 core located on the right bank of the Alcabrichel River, approximately 650m upstream the river mouth, at Porto Novo beach, on the Portuguese west coast. This core has been previously studied in the framework of the FMI-5000 Project and the results pointed to the occurrence of two extreme marine flood events associated with the possible tsunamigenic origin that affected the Portuguese coastline. In the present dissertation, the sedimentological study of this core was continued using the stratigraphic and textural criteria and other indicators of marine flooding, some of them innovative in paleotsunamis studies, that could clarify the depositional processes and reveal additional information about these extreme events. The main purpose of the study is to detect potential tsunamigenic indicators, especially morphoscopic, geochemical and microtextural features in the quartz grains that allow to recognize the tsunami deposit(s) in the Alcabrichel River estuary and establish the area exposed to tsunami risk. The stratigraphic and textural interpretation allowed to identify 5 lithostratigraphic units. They correspond to the sedimentary filling of an alluvial plain downstream the Alcabrichel River. The UL1, UL2 and UL4 lithostratigraphic units consist mainly of mud, silt and clay, with some sandy material intercalations, while at the top of the core, the UL5 unit corresponds to the existing dune system. In the UL2 unit a very thin sand lamina, about 3 cm thickness, called UL2a, was detected and its origin was associated with a possible tsunamigenic event. Interposed between the UL2 and UL4 units is a massive, essentially sandy (10cm) thicker layer called UL3 and the radiocarbon dating performed under the FMI-5000 Project for this unit placed this event in circa AD 1755 tsunami. The results of the textural characterization suggested that the UL3 unit is a tsunamigenic deposit. However, in the case of the UL2a subunit the association to a possible tsunamigenic event was inconclusive, considering that a coastal storm was probably responsible for its formation. The results of the geochemical analysis confirmed the tsunamigenic origin of the UL3 unit and the statistical analysis of the geochemical data allowed to consider the UL2a subunit, like a sandy storm deposit, due to the greater dominance of the terrigenous elements on the marine elements. Through the morphoscopic analysis it was possible to discriminate the different sedimentary environments and to associate the tsunamigenic sands with the potential source for the deposit, identifying three different tsunami waves related to the flood and backwash waves. The microtextural analysis of the tsunami sands, using very high-resolution images obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), revealed the presence of microtextural signatures typical for extreme events of marine flood, with abundant percussion marks and fresh surfaces, showing the importance of hydrodynamics in the sediment transport process. In addition, local geomorphology has been shown to be an extremely crucial factor in the propagation of the tsunami flow, conditioning the extent of the deposit and the inner boundary of the tsunamigenic flood. The combination of this variable with the characteristics of the tsunami deposit allowed establishing the area exposed to tsunami risk, thus demonstrating the importance of the study in the Spatial Planning framework

PERCEIVE project - Deliverable D4.5 "Report on the comparative analysis of experts' and citizens' perceptions and views"

This report is a comparative analysis of nine regional case-studies selected in our project, based on original data collected through the PERCEIVE field survey that was conducted during the summer of 2017 and on the reports on regional case studies written by Perceive’s partners. Each report was based on the analysis of the focus group’s section that addresses the assessment of Cohesion Policy. The general objective of this report is to synthesize the citizens’ and practicioners’ views on EU Cohesion Policy and to compare them in order to understand if there are different perceptions of this policy and its implementation. For each region included in the study, the identification of the relevant regional needs are considered, followed by an assessment of the EU policy effectiveness in responding to the revealed issues. Both have been pursued at the level of citizens and of Cohesion Policy practitioners, and are followed by a comparative analysis that helps to understand whether the EU Cohesion Policy is perceived and understood by citizens in the same way as it has been conceived by practitioners. The comparative analysis helped shed light on the convergence and divergence points between citizens and experts with regard to the public intervention needs through Cohesion Policy and in the evaluation of the effectiveness of these interventions, thus contributing to a better understanding of the general perception of the EU by the large public

Changes in ecosystem services from wetland loss and restoration: An ecosystem assessment of the Danube Delta (1960–2010)

Deltaic flood plains provide critically important ecosystem services, including food production, fresh water, flood control, nutrient cycling, spiritual values and opportunities for recreation. Despite growing recognition of their societal and ecological importance, deltaic flood plains are declining worldwide at alarming rates. Loss of wetland ecosystem services bears socio-environmental costs overlooked in land-use planning. Conversely, wetland restoration can deliver important long-term benefits. This paper examines effects of different land use policies on ecosystem services provided by the Danube Delta, one of Europe’s largest and most outstanding wetlands. First, we identify, characterize and measure the most important ecosystem services provided by the Danube Delta. Second, we assess trends between 1960 and 2010, contrasting periods of economic development (1960–1989) and ecological restoration (1990–2010). Our results indicate that i) the Danube Delta provides important services with benefits accrue from local communities to humanity at large, ii) that two thirds of the Delta’s ecosystem services have declined over the studied period and iii) that ongoing restoration efforts have so far been unable to reverse trends in ecosystem service decline. Benefits from ecological restoration policies are already becoming apparent, but at a scale not yet comparable to the costs from ecosystem decline incurred over previous decades. Ecosystem assessment Socio-environmental costs Wetlands Restoration Danube Delta RomaniaacceptedVersio

The encroaching dunes of the portuguese coast

Late Holocene dunes migration is intricately linked to climate change and anthropogenic actions. Along the Portuguese coast, large-scale sand drifts occurred between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, sometimes associated with the Little Ice Age (LIA) period, characterised by long-term cooling across the north Atlantic region. Primary historical sources, coupled with scientific data about paleoenvironmental conditions and OSL ages were used to analyse the spatial and temporal extent of the sand drift occurrences and explore their impact on coastal communities. Covering the period of the past millennium, the study describes the main drivers for drift events in Portugal. The results show the intensification of sand drift episodes after 1500 AD, which can be attributed to both natural forcing factors and human activities (e.g., agriculture and intensive deforestation). It is also clear that human pressure on dunes was dominant after 1800, when dunes fixing strategies through afforestation programmes were seen as the best solution to control sand encroachment. The negative impact of the drift-sands was an important trigger for the management of coastal areas and determinant for the implementation of a set of environmental policies in Portugal. Through a geohistorical perspective, the paper discloses the human-nature interactions over time, and the long-term efforts of governments to control natural processes, contributing to large-scale landscape transformation of the Portuguese coastal dunes.Project DUNES has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programmeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Acid-modified, Ti3C2-based MXene as catalysts for up-cycling polyethylene terephthalate

Plastics are indispensable materials for packaging and many products from our daily life and their recycling is essential to ensure a circular economy. In this study, −SO3H modified-MXene, Ti3C2, was used as a recoverable solid acid catalyst for up-cycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG) by hydrolysis. For the addition of −SO3H groups to the Ti3C2Tx surface (where Tx represents the surface moieties such as -OH or -O), sulfonation with an aryl diazonium salt obtained from sulfanilic acid was employed. X-ray photoelectron and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies analyses provided a direct indication that sulfonation of the Ti3C2Tx was successfully performed, while X-ray diffraction and Transmission electron microscopy analyses evidence the presence of −SO3H groups in between the layers of Ti3C2Tx due to the increases of the interlayer spacing through the intercalation of functional groups. The higher the concentration of acid groups, the higher the interlayer spacing. The depolymerisation of PET in water occurred with a very good isolated yield in TPA (99%) for the MXene with the highest amount of sulfonic acid groups. We can conclude that the acidity is mandatory to perform the hydrolysis reaction, in agreement with the acidity measurements, which shows that the MXene modified with the highest amount of derived sulfonic acids contains the highest amount of acidity. Nevertheless, the accessibility to the acidic sites is a key factor that promotes the 2D acid-modified MXene materials as important catalysts for PET up-cycling to TPA

Prospective observational cohort study on grading the severity of postoperative complications in global surgery research

Background The Clavien–Dindo classification is perhaps the most widely used approach for reporting postoperative complications in clinical trials. This system classifies complication severity by the treatment provided. However, it is unclear whether the Clavien–Dindo system can be used internationally in studies across differing healthcare systems in high- (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods This was a secondary analysis of the International Surgical Outcomes Study (ISOS), a prospective observational cohort study of elective surgery in adults. Data collection occurred over a 7-day period. Severity of complications was graded using Clavien–Dindo and the simpler ISOS grading (mild, moderate or severe, based on guided investigator judgement). Severity grading was compared using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Data are presented as frequencies and ICC values (with 95 per cent c.i.). The analysis was stratified by income status of the country, comparing HICs with LMICs. Results A total of 44 814 patients were recruited from 474 hospitals in 27 countries (19 HICs and 8 LMICs). Some 7508 patients (16·8 per cent) experienced at least one postoperative complication, equivalent to 11 664 complications in total. Using the ISOS classification, 5504 of 11 664 complications (47·2 per cent) were graded as mild, 4244 (36·4 per cent) as moderate and 1916 (16·4 per cent) as severe. Using Clavien–Dindo, 6781 of 11 664 complications (58·1 per cent) were graded as I or II, 1740 (14·9 per cent) as III, 2408 (20·6 per cent) as IV and 735 (6·3 per cent) as V. Agreement between classification systems was poor overall (ICC 0·41, 95 per cent c.i. 0·20 to 0·55), and in LMICs (ICC 0·23, 0·05 to 0·38) and HICs (ICC 0·46, 0·25 to 0·59). Conclusion Caution is recommended when using a treatment approach to grade complications in global surgery studies, as this may introduce bias unintentionally

The surgical safety checklist and patient outcomes after surgery: a prospective observational cohort study, systematic review and meta-analysis

© 2017 British Journal of Anaesthesia Background: The surgical safety checklist is widely used to improve the quality of perioperative care. However, clinicians continue to debate the clinical effectiveness of this tool. Methods: Prospective analysis of data from the International Surgical Outcomes Study (ISOS), an international observational study of elective in-patient surgery, accompanied by a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature. The exposure was surgical safety checklist use. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and the secondary outcome was postoperative complications. In the ISOS cohort, a multivariable multi-level generalized linear model was used to test associations. To further contextualise these findings, we included the results from the ISOS cohort in a meta-analysis. Results are reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results: We included 44 814 patients from 497 hospitals in 27 countries in the ISOS analysis. There were 40 245 (89.8%) patients exposed to the checklist, whilst 7508 (16.8%) sustained ≥1 postoperative complications and 207 (0.5%) died before hospital discharge. Checklist exposure was associated with reduced mortality [odds ratio (OR) 0.49 (0.32–0.77); P\u3c0.01], but no difference in complication rates [OR 1.02 (0.88–1.19); P=0.75]. In a systematic review, we screened 3732 records and identified 11 eligible studies of 453 292 patients including the ISOS cohort. Checklist exposure was associated with both reduced postoperative mortality [OR 0.75 (0.62–0.92); P\u3c0.01; I2=87%] and reduced complication rates [OR 0.73 (0.61–0.88); P\u3c0.01; I2=89%). Conclusions: Patients exposed to a surgical safety checklist experience better postoperative outcomes, but this could simply reflect wider quality of care in hospitals where checklist use is routine

Critical care admission following elective surgery was not associated with survival benefit: prospective analysis of data from 27 countries

This was an investigator initiated study funded by Nestle Health Sciences through an unrestricted research grant, and by a National Institute for Health Research (UK) Professorship held by RP. The study was sponsored by Queen Mary University of London