Evidence for active retreat of a coastal cliff between 3.5 and 12 ka in Cassis (South East France)

International audienceThis study on the Cap Canaille cliff (N 43.19°, E 5.55°, Cassis, SE France) combines cosmic ray exposure (CRE) dating using two cosmogenic nuclides (in situ-produced 10Be and 36Cl) and morphological analyses to gain a better understanding of a major coastal cliff collapse event. Morphological analysis reveals evidence (cliff morphology, presence of big collapsed blocks) of a possible major collapse of Cap Canaille in the past. Aerial pictures and GIS software allow estimation of a potential collapsed volume of at least 7 × 106 m3, of which roughly 6 × 106 m3 fell into the Mediterranean Sea. In situ-produced 10Be and 36Cl concentrations were measured in samples collected on collapsed block surfaces and in situ-produced 10Be was measured along the cliff face to date the last major collapse event. Statistical analysis of the CRE ages calculated from cliff samples shows that these ages cluster around 3.5 and 6.7 ka, suggesting the existence of a two-step past major collapse. The older ages obtained (at 9 and 12 ka) coincides with the approach of present day sea level, implying a control of sea level on the cliff retreat. The CRE ages calculated from collapsed block samples are more scattered (toward younger ages) due to several geomorphological factors. The estimated collapsed volume associated with the last major collapse around 3.5 ka seems sufficient to have triggered a local tsunami in the Cassis Bay, if it fell at once into the sea

Proteomics: a promising approach to study biotic interaction in legumes. A review

International audienc

Impact of Soil Type, Biology and Temperature on the Survival of Non-Toxigenic Escherichia Coli O157

peer-reviewedThe occurrence of microbial enteropathogens in the environment can represent a serious risk to human health. The fate of enteropathogens introduced into the soil environment is dependent on a wide range of complex interacting environmental factors. While the effect of abiotic factors on enteropathogen survival has been widely examined, the interaction of enteropathogens with the soil microbial community is poorly understood. This study investigated the effect of soil biology and soil type on the survival of a non-toxigenic strain of Escherichia coli O157 under different temperature regimes. Soil microcosms of two soil types, with and without an intact microbial community, were inoculated with the enteropathogen surrogate, and survival was determined over a 64-day period, encompassing a shift from cold to ambient temperatures. In both soil types bacterial numbers decreased in soil with an intact microflora, while in the absence of an intact community E. coli populations increased. This effect was temperature specific, with E. coli populations remaining stable at low temperature, regardless of treatment. Soil type was of importance in survival at both cold and ambient temperatures. This work highlights the signifi cance of the soil microbial community in suppressing enteropathogens in soil, and of investigating die-off in a multi-factorial manner.Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programm

Characterization of a new generation gamma alloy with an increased temperature capability

Communication to : Proceedings of the international symposium TURBOMAT : 137-142, Bonn (Allemagne), June 19, 2002SIGLEAvailable from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : 22419, issue : a.2002 n.107 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc