Fleets of robots for environmentally-safe pest control in agriculture

Feeding the growing global population requires an annual increase in food production. This requirement suggests an increase in the use of pesticides, which represents an unsustainable chemical load for the environment. To reduce pesticide input and preserve the environment while maintaining the necessary level of food production, the efficiency of relevant processes must be drastically improved. Within this context, this research strived to design, develop, test and assess a new generation of automatic and robotic systems for effective weed and pest control aimed at diminishing the use of agricultural chemical inputs, increasing crop quality and improving the health and safety of production operators. To achieve this overall objective, a fleet of heterogeneous ground and aerial robots was developed and equipped with innovative sensors, enhanced end-effectors and improved decision control algorithms to cover a large variety of agricultural situations. This article describes the scientific and technical objectives, challenges and outcomes achieved in three common crops

Morphometric analysis of the post-caldera monogenetic volcanoes at Deception Island, Antarctica: implications for landform recognition and volcanic hazard assessment

EGU2020: Sharing Geoscience Online, 4-8 May 2020Deception Island is one of the most active volcanoes in Antarctica, with more than 20 monogenetic eruptions during the Holocene. The latest episodes of 1967, 1969 and 1970 have shown that volcanic activity on Deception Island can become a concern for tourists, scientists, and military personnel working on or near the island. The objective of this work is, therefore to identify eruptive processes and the evolution of post-caldera volcanic edifices at Deception Island by morphometric analysis, supported by field observations. This methodology has been used since the 1970s to analyse mafic monogenetic volcanoes but it has not been fully developed until recently. Tuff cones and rings, as a result of magma-water interaction, represent the most common eruptive events occurring during Deception Island's recent geological past and are therefore the most likely to occur in the near future. This work provides an opportunity to incorporate for the first time at Deception Island geomorphological observations for a better comprehension of the potential evolution of a future eruption and for a broader understanding of volcanic hazards on this island.This research was supported by the MICINN grant CTM2011- 13578-E and was partially funded by the POSVOLDEC project (CTM2016-79617-P) (AEI/FEDER-UE). A.G. is grateful for her Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2012-11024). D.P. is grateful for his Beatriu de Pinós (2016 BP 00086) and Juan de la Cierva (IJCI-2016-30482) contracts. This research is part of POLARCSIC and AntVolc activitie

Volcanic hazard on Deception Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica)

Deception Island is the most active volcano in the South Shetland Islands and has been the scene of more than twenty identified eruptions over the past two centuries. In this contribution we present the first comprehensive long-term volcanic hazard assessment for this volcanic island. The research is based on the use of probabilistic methods and statistical techniques to estimate volcanic susceptibility, eruption recurrence and the most likely future eruptive scenarios. We perform a statistical analysis of the time series of past eruptions and the spatial extent of their products, including lava flows, fallout, pyroclastic density currents and lahars. The Bayesian event tree statistical method HASSET is applied to calculate eruption recurrence, while the QVAST tool is used in an analysis of past activity to calculate the possibility that new vents will open (volcanic susceptibility). On the basis of these calculations, we identify a number of significant scenarios using the GIS-based VORIS 2.0.1 and LAHARZ software and evaluate the potential extent of the main volcanic hazards to be expected on the island. This study represents a step forward in the evaluation of volcanic hazard on Deception Island and the results obtained are potentially useful for long-term emergency planning.This work was supported by the European Commission (FP7 Theme: ENV.2011.1.3.3-1; Grant 282759: VUELCO) and the MICINN grant CTM2011-13578-E. AG is grateful for her Juan de la Cierva Grant (JCI-2010-06092) and Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2012-11024).Peer reviewe

Talleres : >La baralla del temps geològic> , >Taller de vulcanologia>, >Falles i terratrèmols>

Talleres : >La baralla del temps geològic> de Armand Hernández, >Taller de vulcanologia>de Darío Pedrazzi y Stefania Schamuells, >Falles i terratrèmols>de Irene Pérez y Irene de Felipe a EXPOMINER 201

Volcanic activity in the Acambay Graben: a < 25 Ka subplinian eruption from the Temascalcingo volcano and implications for volcanic hazard

The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) contains a large number of stratovolcanoes, some well-known, as Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl, Nevado de Toluca, or Colima and many others of more modest dimensions that are not well known but constitute the majority in the TMVB. Such volcanoes are, for example, Tequila, San Juan, Sangangüey, Cerro Culiacán, Cerro Grande, El Zamorano, La Joya, Palo Huerfano, Jocotitlán, Altamirano and Temascalcingo, among many others. The Temascalcingo volcano (TV) is an andesitic-dacitic stratovolcano located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) at the eastern part of the Acambay Graben (northwest portion of Estado de México). The TV is composed mainly by dacitic, porphyritic lavas, block and ash deposits and subordinate pumice fall deposits and ignimbrites (Roldán-Quintana et al., 2011). The volcanic structure includes a summit caldera that has a rectangular shape, 2.5×3.5 km, with the largest side oriented E-W, parallel to major normal faults affecting the edifice. The San Mateo Pumice eruption is one of the greatest paroxysmal episodes of this volcano with pumice deposits mainly exposed at the scarp of the Acambay-Tixmadeje fault and at the northern and northeastern flanks of TV. It overlies a paleosol dated at 25 Ka. A NE-trending dispersion was obtained from field data covering an area of at least 80 km2. These deposits overlie older lava flows and mud flows and are discontinuously covered and eroded by younger reworked deposits of Temascalcingo volcano. This event represents a highly explosive phase that generated a relatively thick and widespread pumice fallout deposit that may occur again in future eruptions. A similar eruption today would have a significantly impact in the region, overall due to the fact that there has been no systematic assessment of the volcanic hazard in any of the studies that have been conducted so far in the area. So, this is a pending and urgent subject that must be tackled without delay.Financed by grant DGAPA-PAPIIT IN-104615.Peer Reviewe

The 1970 eruption on Deception Island (Antarctica): Eruptive dynamics and implications for volcanic hazards

© 2014 The Geological Society of London. In the southern winter of 1970, a phreatomagmatic eruption occurred in the northern part of Deception Island (South Shetland Archipelago, Antarctic Peninsula). The eruption, with no eye-witnesses to the event, occurred in the same general area as the 1967 eruption, but with new, more widely distributed vents. Two contrasting groups of craters were formed in the 1970 eruption, showing that different active fissures and eruptive dynamics were operating. One group consists of ‘maar-like’ craters, whereas the other comprises conical edifices. The 1970 eruption can be classified as volcanic explosivity index (VEI) 3, with mainly phreatomagmatic phases that generated a bulk volume of about 0.1 km3 of pyroclastic material and an eruptive column at least 10 km high, from which fallout deposits are recognized more than 100 km to the NE. The 1970 eruption was similar to that of 1967 and together these two eruptive events show how eruption dynamics can be controlled by the uppermost part of the volcano substrate and the width and orientation of the eruptive fissure. These influence magma–water interaction and hence may imply different eruptive phases and associated volcanic hazards.This research was supported by the MICINN grant CTM2011-13578-E.A.G. is grateful for her Juan de la Cierva Grant (JCI-2010-06092) and Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2012-11024).Peer Reviewe

Volcanic hazard at Deception Island: Unresolved matter

Deception Island is the most active volcano in the South Shetland Islands (Fig. 1), with more than twenty eruptions recognized during the last two centuries. The island is located at the intersection between the tensional axis of the Bransfield basin and the extension of the Hero Fracture Zone.Recent activity varies in composition from basaltic andesites to dacites and it is characterized by monogenetic eruptions with low volume and short duration. The VEI values varies between 2 and 4, which have generated a wide variety of pyroclastic deposits and lavas. There are a large number of phreatic eruptions, with the release of large balistic blocks in some of them. The large amount of ash found in the ice of Livingston Island (South Shetland Islands), or in marine sediments of the area, show the explosive phreatomagmatic phase and the wide dispersal of its finest products in a variety of directions, which depend on the prevailing winds in each time. It is also important the presence of different lahar deposits associated with some of these eruptions. In this previous work we present the basis for a volcanic hazard assessment at Deception Island in the short and long term, through the application of GIS based tools for eruptive scenario definition.Peer reviewe

Historic Hydrovolcanism at Deception Island (Antarctica): Hazards Implication

POLAR 2018, Open Science Conference 19 – 23 June 2018 Davos, SwitzerlandDeception Island (DI), the southernmost island of the South Shetlands Archipelago (Antarctica), is characterised by a Quaternary caldera system and a post-caldera succession due to a dispersed (monogenetic), volcanic field. Volcanic activity since the 18th century involved monogenetic small volume eruptions such as scoria cones and hydrovolcanic edifices with estimated VEI magnitude of 2-3. The latest volcanic unrest episodes in the 20th and 21st centuries, demonstrates that the volcanic system is still active and that future eruptions are likely. Magma-water interaction represents a major issue on DI as shown by the 1967, 1969 and 1970 explosive episodes, where the scientific stations on the island were destroyed, or severely damaged. Nowadays, DI is an important touristic destination during the austral summer hosting two temporary military bases as well. A detailed revision of the historical hydrovolcanic post-caldera eruptions of DI was carried out, to understand the dynamics of magma-water interaction, and to characterise the most likely eruptive scenarios from future eruptions. Crimson Hill (estimated age 1825-1829), Kroner Lake (estimated age 1829-1912) eruptions and 1967, 1969 and 1970 events were characterised by describing the eruption mechanisms related to the island's hydrovolcanic activity. The project was partially funded by the POSVOLDEC project (CTM2016-79617-P)(AEI/FEDER-UE). D.P. is grateful for his Beatriu de Pinós contract (2016 BP 00086).The project was partially funded by the POSVOLDEC project (CTM2016-79617-P)(AEI/FEDER-UE). D.P. is grateful for his Beatriu de Pinós contract (2016 BP 00086)

The Grèixer rhyolitic complex (Catalan Pyrenees). An example of Lower Permian collapse caldera.

X Congreso Geológico de España, 5-7 Julio 2021, Vitoria - GasteizEl Complejo Riolítico Greixer (GRC) es una de las manifestaciones más importantes del volcanismo permo-carbonífero del Pirineo Catalán. Este complejo volcánico implicó la formación de una caldera de colapso originada sobre un edificio volcánico central asociado a la actividad explosiva de magmas riolíticos. La formación del GRC fue asociada al emplazamiento de extensos depósitos piroclásticos y a potentes flujos riolíticos, estos últimos circunscritos al interior de la caldera. Los ignimbritas de Castellar de N'Hug representan los productos de la fase explosiva más importante asociada a este complejo volcánico y son los depósitos más extensos que se pueden reconocer en las capas rojas del Pérmico Inferior del Pirineo catalán.The Greixer Rhyolitic Complex (GRC) is one of the most important manifestations of the Permo-Carboniferous volcanism of the Catalan Pyrenees. This volcanic complex involved the formation of a volcanic caldera originated by collapse of a central vent after large-volume explosive activity of rhyolitic magmas. Widespread pyroclastic deposits and thick rhyolitic lava flows were erupted during the formation of the GRC. The Castellar de N'Hug ignimbrites represent the products of the most important explosive episode associated with this volcanic complex and are the most extensive deposits that can be recognised in the Lower Permian red beds of the Catalan Pyrenees.Esta contribución es parte del proyecto SIMPRROP-CGL2017-84901-C