Going with the flow: Sedimentary processes along karst conduits within Chalk aquifers, northern France

Sediment-filled caves, conduits and voids are common inmany karst regions. These voids and the sediment they contain are important palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental archives, but often have an adverse impact on engineering projects, mineral extraction and hydrogeology.Most studies into fluvial sedimentation in karst aquifers have focussed on more traditional karst areas. However, the nature and extent of fluvial sedimentation within caves and conduits in the important Upper Cretaceous Chalk Group aquifer (NW and Central Europe), and their impacts are lesswell known. This is principally due to a lack of accessible Chalk caveswith exposed 3D sediment archives for study. Fortunately, the discovery of the World's longest Chalk cave system by underground quarrying at Caumont in the Seine valley near Rouen, northern France, has exposed numerous sediment sections along 2.4 km of passage. Detailed analysis of the stratigraphy, mineralogy, sedimentology, provenance and the chronology of the exposed sediments including the novel use of Gamma-ray spectrometry, reveals complex stratigraphy and lateral facies distribution along a karst conduit. The depositional model comprises five allostratigraphical units since the mid-Chibanian, separated by periods of erosion. The units are derived from hyper-concentrated and sediment-laden flows, and include thalweg, channel, slackwater, backswamp speleothem facies and debris flow deposits that are interbedded. Speleothems precipitated during MIS 7, 6, 5e and 1. During MIS 7–6, detrital sediments filled almost all Chalk conduits, similar to other caves in the European Atlantic Margin, coevally with the Penultima (Saalian) Glacial Cycle and a maximum of the Earth eccentricity. Detrital sediments are derived from the erosion of local Chalk bedrocks as well as metamorphic and igneous rocks of remote areas, such as Morvan massif and Massif Central. The depositional model is consistent with the conception of the Chalk as a karst aquifer. Significant sediment aggradation caused upwards dissolution (paragenesis), conduit occlusion and subsequent genesis of new conduits by flow diversion, potentially altering the functioning of the chalk aquifer and the interpretation of Chalk hydrogeology (e.g., dye-tracing tests).PALECONOR project funded by Région NormandieComité Régional de Spéléologie de NormandieMuséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris)France regional council's Sesame and Labex BcDiv programmesPlan Andaluz de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación 2020 (Junta de Andalucía, Spain

A GIS‑supported Multidisciplinary Database for the Management of UNESCO Global Geoparks: the Courel Mountains Geopark (Spain)

Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada/CBUA. The work was funded by the Courel Mountains UGGp.The management of a UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) requires a vast wealth of miscellaneous scientific knowledge that can be successfully organised using a Geographical Information System (GIS). This paper presents a pragmatic GIS database to assist in the suitable governance of the Courel Mountains UGGp (2017) in Northwest Spain. The database is structured in 66 coverages compiled from public sources and previous works or produced through traditional mapping (combining fieldwork and photointerpretation) and GIS tools. The acquired data was later homogenised and validated by a multidisciplinary team and archived in independent coverages. Forty thematic maps illustrate the broad range of cartographic information included in the GIS database. Among them, 25 basic maps provide an overview of the UGGp and 15 new maps focus on crosscutting and technical issues. All maps illustrate the huge potential of GIS to create new resources combining coverages and adapting the legend according to their purpose and audience. The database facilitates the suitable publishing of consistent outputs (e.g., brochures, books, panels, webpages, web serves), as well as the elaboration of technical data to assist the park management. The database furnishes information on the design of education actions, touristic routes, activities and Geopark facilities. The GIS database is also a supportive tool for scientific research and provides the necessary knowledge to conduct geoconservation actions based on land use, geological hazards and the occurrence of natural and cultural heritages. Altogether, the GIS database constitutes a powerful instrument for policy-making, facilitating the identification and evaluation of alternative strategy plans.Universidad de Granada/CBUACourel Mountains UGG

Mammalian turnover as an indicator of climatic and anthropogenic landscape modification: A new Meghalayan record (Late Holocene) in northern Iberia

Acknowledgements AB.M-A. developed part of this research as part of the ERC Consoli- dator Grant (SUBSILIENCE ref. 818299). We thank J.A. Delgado for his technical work on studying macromammal assemblage. Financial sup- port was provided by the Bilbao Port Authority (Autoridad Portuaria de Bilbao) within the project “Estabilizaci´on del sector occidental de la Cantera de Punta Lucero en el Puerto de Bilbao”. We are also grateful to Juan Manuel L´opez-García and the anonymous reviewer for their sug- gestions and comments that strongly improved the manuscript.Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111476The Punta Lucero III cave is a natural trap where abundant vertebrate remains were accumulated during the Meghalayan (Late Holocene). To better understand the paleoenvironmental conditions in which this record was accumulated, the micromammal assemblage, comprising a minimum number of 1396 individuals belonging to 19 taxa, was studied using the Mutual Ecogeographic Range and the Habitat Weighting Method. Throughout ~2600 years, the micromammal community's quick turnover reflected a shift from patchy forests and humid meadows to open, shrubbier grasslands. The Late Holocene Thermal Maximum's humid and mild climatic conditions underwent a cooling and aridification phase, coeval with the Iron Age Cold Epoch. These concluded in a slight temperature rising, coeval with the Roman Warm Period. Macromammals experienced a shift from wild populations to domestic herds. Therefore, this work discusses a broader context for this mammalian turnover from a human cultural perspectiveERC Consolidator Grant (SUBSILIENCE ref. 818299)Bilbao Port Authority (Autoridad Portuaria de Bilbao)Estabilización del sector occidental de la Cantera de Punta Lucero en el Puerto de Bilba

Instability mechanisms and evolution of a rocky cliff on the Atlantic coast of Spain

Predicting the response of rocky coasts to different erosional agents remains a great challenge at present. The episodic and discontinuous nature of the instability processes typical of hard bedrocks makes it difficult to make predictions based on observations over short research periods. This work aims to contribute to the understanding of the geomorphological evolution of rocky cliffs by means of a case study of a geologically complex cliff (developed on quartzite and slate) located on the Atlantic coast of Spain. The analysis of high-precision topographic models and orthophotographs, the use of geomatics techniques and geomorphological characterization have made it possible to define a model of the cliff behaviour. The results indicate that the structure of the bedrock determines the type of instability processes affecting the cliff and the morphology of the associated deposits. Lithology is the other main conditioning factor: while slate is easily eroded, quartzite offers greater strength and its detached blocks act as an effective natural defence element protecting the cliff and slowing down the coastal retreat. The evolution model established for this cliff explains the absence of retreat in the study period (2003–2022) and confirms the important role of local factors in cliff evolution.CRUE-CSICSpringer Nature"COSINES" Project, Call 2017 for RETOS Projects - Spanish Economy, Industry and Competitiveness Ministry-Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) CGL2017-83909-RSpanish Research AgencyAgencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI)European Regional Development Found (FEDER)GEOCANCOSTA research group - Asturian Regional Government (Spain) GRUPIN-IDI-2018-184GEOCANTABRICAE research group - Asturian Regional Government (Spain) SV-PA-21-AYUD/2021/517

Shortclips: aplicación profesional de los SIG en Ciencias de la Tierra

El proyecto persigue proporcionar referentes profesionales relacionados con la aplicación de sistemas de información geográfica (SIG) en las Ciencias de la Tierra para los estudiantes de grados en Ciencias Ambientales, Geología y áreas afines. Para ello, se han editado vídeos (shortclips) de menos de 5 minutos de duración siguiendo un método de trabajo que básicamente incluye: (i) el diseño y estructuración de los vídeos, (ii) la selección de la temática e ítems claves (liderazgo, emprendibilidad, movilidad, inclusión social, conciliación familiar, igualdad) de cada vídeo, (iii) la grabación del vídeo mediante el programa libre y de código abierto Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) Studio, (iv) la revisión académica y científica de los vídeos, (v) la edición técnica de los vídeos por Foto Estudio La Fresneda a finde mejorar la calidad y añadir los créditos, y (vi) la evaluación sobre la utilidad de los vídeos por el alumnado de la asignatura Sistema de Información Geográfica, Teledetección y Cartografía Temática (Grado en Ciencias Ambientales). Los vídeos elaborados están protagonizados por especialistas en biología, bioquímica, geología y ciencias ambientales del sector privado y público que han resumido su trayectoria profesional y mostrando un ejemplo real del uso profesional de los SIG. Estas trayectorias desempeñadas tanto por hombres como por mujeres de diferentes edades, muestran experiencias de movilidad tanto dentro de España como entre países europeos y latinoamericanos, movimientos de profesionales entre el sector privado y público, e iniciativas de emprendimiento que conllevaron a la creación de tres sociedades empresariales limitadas y cooperativas. El alumnado encuestado ha encontrado los vídeos realmente útiles por la diversidad de ejemplos prácticos de la aplicación de los SIG a las Ciencias de la Tierra, algunos muy curiosos, como los estudio sobre especies marinas afectadas por el Cambio Global o sobre la dispersión de determinados virus. Los resultados del proyecto se consideran satisfactorios y se espera que los vídeos puedan ser empleados en otras asignaturas para mostrar la utilidad práctica de los SIG por multitud de profesionales adaptados a las exigencias del siglo XXI en clave de movilidad, emprendimiento e igualdad. Además, los vídeos refuerzan la implicación de empresas privadas (DOTGIS Corporation, Natures S. Coop. And. y GeoLAG S.L.) y espacios protegidos (Geoparque Mundial de la UNESCO Montañas do Courel) en la docencia de la Universidad de Granada, al mismo tiempo que se colabora con otras universidades, como la de Cantabria y Salamanca, esta última perteneciente al Grupo Coimbra.The project aims to provide professional references related to the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Earth Sciences for students studying Environmental Sciences, Geology, and related fields. To achieve this, we have edited short clips of less than 5 minutes in duration, following a working method that primarily includes: (i) designing and structuring the videos, (ii) selecting key themes and topics (leadership, entrepreneurship, mobility, social inclusion, work-life balance, equality) for each video, (iii) recording the videos using the free and open-source software Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) Studio, (iv) academic and scientific review of the videos, (v) technical editing of the videos by Foto Estudio La Fresneda to enhance quality and add credits, and (vi) evaluation of the usefulness of the videos by students of the Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, and Thematic Cartography course (Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences). The created videos feature specialists in biology, biochemistry, geology, and environmental sciences from both the private and public sectors, summarizing their professional trajectories and showcasing real-life examples of professional GIS use. These trajectories, carried out by individuals of various ages and genders, demonstrate experiences of mobility within Spain, as well as between European and Latin American countries, movements between the private and public sectors, and entrepreneurial initiatives that led to the creation of three limited companies and cooperatives. The surveyed students have found the videos truly helpful due to the diverse range of practical examples showcasing the application of GIS in Earth Sciences, some of which are particularly intriguing, such as studies on marine species affected by Global Change or the spread of specific viruses. The project results are considered satisfactory, and it is expected that the videos can be used in other courses to demonstrate the practical utility of GIS for a multitude of professionals, meeting the demands of the 21st century in terms of mobility, entrepreneurship, and equality. Furthermore, the videos reinforce the involvement of private companies (DOTGIS Corporation, Natures S. Coop. And., and GeoLAG S.L.) and protected areas (Courel Mountains UNESCO Global Geopark) in the teaching activities at the University of Granada. The collaboration with other universities such as Cantabria and Salamanca, the latter being part of the Coimbra Group, have been also reinforced.Proyecto de innovación docente y buenas prácticas 22-106: Shortclips: aplicación profesional de los SIG en Ciencias de la Tierra, plan de Formación e Innovación Docente (FIDO) de la Universidad de Granada

Understanding the retreat of the Jurassic Cantabrian coast (N. Spain): Comprehensive monitoring and 4D evolution model of the Tazones Lighthouse landslide

Forecasting coastal dynamics and sea cliff retreat under different sea level rise scenarios requires a good understanding of the conditioning factors and their relative contribution to cliff stability. The so-called Jurassic Cantabrian Coast extends along 76 km of the coastline of the Asturias region (N Spain) and is well-known worldwide due to its paleontological heritage, in particular the presence of dinosaur remains and footprints. The abundance of stratigraphic, paleontological and tectonic studies contrasts with the scarcity of studies focused on the stability of this rocky coastline where cliffs predominate, sometimes exceeding 120 m in height. In fact, evidence of current and recent instability processes can be observed along the entire coastline. In this regard, continuous monitoring is crucial to understand ongoing instabilities in rocky coastlines, as in these settings some instabilities might initiate as slow movements that induce subtle topographic changes whose detection from either satellite or aerial imagery is problematic due to the spatial and temporal resolutions. This contribution presents a 4D evolution model of a key site, the Tazones Lighthouse landslide, located on the Cantabrian Coast of Asturias (N Spain), which affects subvertical rocky cliffs sculpted in the Jurassic bedrock made of alternating sandstone and marl. A high resolution multiapproach methodology was developed in order to understand its structure and kinematic characteristics, including: i) interpretation of aerial photographs and unmanned aerial photogrammetric surveys (UAV); ii) 22 monthly monitoring campaigns by total station; iii) 5 manual boreholes; iv) geomechanical characterization of the cliff bedrock; v) geomorphological evidence mapping; vi) analysis of landscape deformations obtained from UAV; and vii) precipitation, soil moisture and significant wave height (Hs) data analysis. The results show that the slope evolves by means of a complex-type mass movement, which combines translational and sliding mechanisms, and occupies tens of thousands of square meters. DTM and fieldwork analysis indicate that mass movement is mainly controlled by bedrock discontinuities (S0, 360/15-17; J1, 262/85; J2 166/75). The most important accelerations of slope movement correlate very well with rainfall, soil moisture and waves. Thus, the largest displacements occurring in January and October–November 2019, coincide with 2 periods of storms (maximum 24-h rainfall of 64.5 mm and 82.1 mm and maximum Hs of 6.54 and 9.09, respectively) and soil moisture values above 90%. Half of the markers moved more than 1 m and one of them exceeded 15 m. The 4D model obtained after the interpretation of the Tazones Lighthouse slope whole dataset, allows an understanding of how the surrounding cliffs have evolved in the past, fundamental to predicting their future behaviour."COSINES" Project GRUPIN-IDI-2018-184 Spanish Economy, Industry and Competitiveness Ministry-Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO)Spanish Research Agency-Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI)European Regional Development Found (FEDER)Asturian Regional Government (Spain) CGL2017-83909-

Linking Geoheritage and Traditional Architecture for Mitigating Depopulation in Rural Areas: the Palaeozoic Villages Route (Courel Mountains UNESCO Global Geopark, Spain)

Courel Mountains UGGp through the Ribeira Sacra-Courel Local Action Group, municipalities of Quiroga, Ribas de Sil and Folgoso do Courel, Deputy Government of Lugo Province, and the Regional Government of Galicia.The PVR forms part of the tourism programme of the Courel Mountains UGGp. Topographic and vegetation data displayed in the figures are from the Geographical National Institute of Spain. We acknowledge the assistance provided by Dr. Luis González- Menéndez (Spanish Geological Survey). We thank also E. de Boer for proofreading the article. The PVR is possible thanks to the cooperation of local people, companies, and schools, whose promising future is a truly inspiration to the UGGp.The use of stone in traditional architecture represents one of the most relevant links between geological and cultural heritage. As a topic of general interest and easily understandable to all public, this link is a guiding thread for touristic routes mitigating the depopulation trend that affects large inland rural areas, including many areas in UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp). In the northwest of Spain, the Courel Mountains UGGp created the Palaeozoic Villages Route for touristic purposes in 2018, highlighting the relevance of local stones in traditional architecture as a key feature for sustainable development. For the design and creation of this route, seven villages were selected along six criteria: (1) the representativeness of the building stone with the bedrock of the UGGp, (2) the preserved traditional architecture, (3) their link with geoheritage, (4) the scenic beauty of their surroundings, (5) the potential combination with other touristic activities, and (6) the presence of local services. The Palaeozoic Villages Route exhibits four rock types/sections/structures spanning four Palaeozoic periods, as well as different uses for walling and roofing depending on the rock feature. Since 2018, the route experienced an increased revenue of 19% in the touristic sector to the traditional villages, while visitors used up to 61% of the local services of the UGGp for one or more days. In addition, the route reinforces the awareness of depopulation and abandonment of rural villages, fostering the purchase and/or restoration of dwellings as second regular residences in tranquil and scenic environments. In the short to medium term, these actions are expected to reverse or, at least, minimise the loss of population in the UGGp.Courel Mountains UGGp through the Ribeira Sacra-Courel Local Action Groupmunicipality of Quirogamunicipality of Ribas de SilDeputy Government of Lugo ProvinceRegional Government of Galiciamunicipality of Folgoso do Coure

Improving landslide inventories by combining satellite interferometry and landscape analysis: the case of Sierra Nevada (Southern Spain)

An updated and complete landslide inventory is the starting point for an appropriate hazard assessment. This paper presents an improvement for landslide mapping by integrating data from two well-consolidated techniques: Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) and Landscape Analysis through the normalised channel steepness index (ksn). The southwestern sector of the Sierra Nevada mountain range (Southern Spain) was selected as the case study. We first propose the double normalised steepness (ksnn) index, derived from the ksn index, to remove the active tectonics signal. The obtained ksnn anomalies (or knickzones) along rivers and the unstable ground areas from the DInSAR analysis rapidly highlighted the slopes of interest. Thus, we provided a new inventory of 28 landslides that implies an increase in the area affected by landslides compared with the previous mapping: 33.5% in the present study vs. 14.5% in the Spanish Land Movements Database. The two main typologies of identified landslides are Deep-Seated Gravitational Slope Deformations (DGSDs) and rockslides, with the prevalence of large DGSDs in Sierra Nevada being first revealed in this work. We also demonstrate that the combination of DInSAR and Landscape Analysis could overcome the limitations of each method for landslide detection. They also supported us in dealing with difficulties in recognising this type of landslides due to their poorly defined boundaries, a homogeneous lithology and the imprint of glacial and periglacial processes. Finally, a preliminary hazard perspective of these landslides was outlined.Universidad de Granada/CBUAMarie Curie Actions B-RNM-305-UGR18 A-RNM-508-UGR20 P18-RT-3632ERDF through the project RISKCOAST' of the Interreg SUDOE Programme SOE3/P4/E0868Project MORPHOMED' from the Spanish Ministry of Science (MCIN)/State Research Agency (SRA) PID2019-107138RB-I00Ramon y Cajal' Programme of the Spanish Ministry of Science RYC-2017-23335NoR 6373

Oral saliva swab reverse transcription PCR for Covid-19 in the paediatric population

8Pág. Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA)To evaluate the performance of oral saliva swab (OSS) reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) compared with RT-PCR and antigen rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) on nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) for SARS-CoV-2 in children.The study was funded by: Project PI20/00095, from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness) and cofounded by the European Regional Development Fund, by Infanta Sofia University Hospital and Henares University Hospital Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation (FIIB HUIS HHEN), and by SERMAS-Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital 12 de Octubre. EC-C is supported by the Spanish Society of Paediatrics (Asociación Española de Pediatría); Grant COVID-19 EPICO-AEP 2020. JMM is funded by SERMAS-Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Infanta Sofía y del Henares and by Universidad Europea de Madrid, Spain. MdlS is funded by Grant Cantera de Investigación Santander, Fundación Universidad Europea de Madrid, Spain. ED is funded by the Juan de la Cierva–Incorporación granted by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. DB-G is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation—Instituto de Salud Carlos III and Fondos FEDER by ’Contratos para la intensificación de la actividad investigadora en el Sistema Nacional de Salud, 2020 (INT20/00086)’.Peer reviewe

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049