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Submarine canyons are known as one of the seafloor morphological features where living cold-water coral (CWC) communities develop in the Mediterranean Sea. We investigated the CWC community of the two westernmost submarine canyons of the Gulf of Lions canyon system: the Cap de Creus Canyon (CCC) and Lacaze Duthiers Canyon (LDC). Coral associations have been studied through video material recorded by means of a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle. Video transects have been conducted and analyzed in order to obtain information on (1) coral bathymetric distribution and density patterns, (2) size structure of coral populations, and (3) coral colony orientation with respect to the substrate. Madrepora oculata was the most abundant CWC in both canyons, while Lophelia pertusa and Dendrophyllia cornigera mostly occurred as isolated colonies or in small patches. An important exception was detected in a vertical cliff in LDC where a large Lophelia pertusa framework was documented. This is the first record of such an extended L. pertusa framework in the Mediterranean Sea. In both canyons coral populations were dominated by medium and large colonies, but the frequent presence of small-sized colonies also indicate active recruitment. The predominant coral orientation with respect to the substrate (90° and 135°) is probably driven by the current regime as well as by the sediment load transported by the current flows. In general no clear differences were observed between the CWC populations from CCC and LDC, despite large differences in particulate matter between canyons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El Olivo Cave (Pruvia de Arriba, Llanera, Asturias, Spain) is a small karst cave located in the Aboño River basin and formed in the Cretaceous limestone of the Mesozoic cover of the Cantabrian Mountains (north of the Iberian Peninsula). It contains an important upper Pleistocene sedimentary, archaeological, and paleontological record, with abundant technological evidence and faunal remains. The archaeological record shows a first occupation that could correspond to the Middle Paleolithic and a second occupation in the Middle Magdalenian. The stratigraphic sequence inside and outside the cave was studied with geoarchaeological methodology. In this paper, the lithostratigraphic sequence is analyzed, and the data from the granulometric, mineralogical, edaphological, and radiometric analyses are presented. The results of these analyses enable an accurate interpretation of both the lithostratigraphy of the deposit and the processes responsible for its formation and subsequent evolution. The available numerical dates allow us to locate the first sedimentation episode in the cave in OIS 7a, in the Middle Pleistocene, the base of the outer fluvial sedimentation in the cold OIS 3a stage of the Upper Pleistocene and the Magdalenian occupation in the Last Glacial Maximum (OIS 2) at the end of the Late Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last 3 ka, different human communities occupied the Bay of Cádiz (SW Spain), including Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman, Medieval and Modern settlements. Traces of such historical occupations have been recognized along the bay from a geoarchaeological point of view. Some of them bear a palaeogeographical interest related to the historical location of the shoreline. At the same time, Holocene sedimentary units and geomorphological elements identified along the bay can be interpreted as evidences of its morphological evolution. The objective of the present paper is to represent all the available data about archaeological sites and geomorphology in the northern Bay of Cádiz, with the aim of combining both sources of data for elaborating a simple proposal of landscape evolution during the last 3 millennia. The base for mapping was multiple, from historical aerial photographs to satellite imagery and a digital terrain model with a maximum resolution of 0.35 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica is the property of Universidad de la Rioja, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuaternario y Geomorfología is the property of Cuaternario y Geomorfologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

One of the many factors that leads to soil erosion is rainfall erositivity, which is a basic physical factor enabling us to understand the geomorphological processes that take place in a basin. Results worldwide have shown that the erositivity R factor of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) has a high correlation with soil loss. In the past there have been few pluviometers capable of recording rainfall with continuous measurements. As a result of this lack of accuracy in the available series of rainfall intensity data, the calculation of the R factor has been restricted for a long time and various simplified models were developed on an international scale that relied on information obtained from existing stations. However, the modernisation of stations over the last few decades has provided to be a valuable tool for validating models, as well as for designing others that are more hardwearing and correlate better with the available information. In this paper, we have calculated the rainfall erositivity R factor for a semiarid basin in SE Spain using the formula developed in the USLE model for a series of 20 years of rainfall with 5-minute intervals, obtaining the mean R factor value of 620 MJ/ha·mm/h per year and maximum values of up to 6000 MJ/ha·mm/h per year. In addition, a comparative analysis of various simplified expressions was carried out to obtain the R factor. To obtain this value, we came up with a simplified equation based on annual maximum daily rainfall and average monthly rainfall, which resulted in a correlation coefficient of r = 0.936 and a P-value of 0.033 for the basin under study. Thus, from this structure of the equation we have compiled a series of parametric maps which enable us to calculate the R factor from any position within the basin under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geomorphosites and geotourism in volcanic landscape: the example of La Corona del Lajial cinder cone (El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain). Volcanic landscapes are very often visited by tourists. This paper underlines the relevance of geomorphological heritage as a tourist resource through an assessment of the different geosites (scientific or intrinsic values, cultural or added values and use and managements values) present in La Corona del Lajial Volcano, located in the Canarian island of El Hierro (Spain). El Hierro receives a type of sustainable tourism related to its ecotourist offer based on products like diving or hiking. However, the volcanoes on the island are not appreciated enough as a tourist attraction. The objective of this paper is to highlight the tourist potential of volcanic geomorphology as a tourist resource and alternative activity to diving, by means of the creation of new ecotouristic products such as volcanic hiking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a multidisciplinary approach to the tectonic geomorphology and history of the Palomares strike-slip fault in the Eastern Betic Cordillera (SE Spain). Analysis combines geomorphological mapping of fan-surfaces, pedological studies of faulted sedimentary successions, geoelectrical prospection and typical paleoseismological routines of structural analyses. Combined application of these methods together with the existing geochronological databases offer probable paleoclimatic and paleoseismic scenarios for the zone from Middle Pleistocene to Holocene. This study segments the Palomares Fault (PLF) in three overlapping "en echelon" N–S trends (PLF1, PLF2, PLF3). The older PLF1 controls the main faulted Almenara-Almagro range fronts. The younger PLF2 cuts and beheads crusted fan surfaces in the Aljibejo zone (ABJ). The intermediate PLF3 controls the development of intervening tectonic reliefs and offset paleosol sequences in alluvial-colluvial deposits. Our analysis focuses on the PLF3 at the La Escarihuela site (ESCH), where outcrops display eight faulted paleosols developed on overlapped Middle Pleistocene colluvial-alluvial deposits, with variable vertical slip of between 21 and 12 cm (bulk accumulated offset: 33 cm), evidence of two surface faulting events. After the structural analysis of the fault planes (striae plunges) net left-lateral displacements of 120.9 ± 3.3 cm (Event 1) to 69.1 ± 5.2 cm (Event 2), associated with maximum magnitudes of c. 6.7–6.5 Mw. However, the faulted sequence is sealed by a thick mature calcrete horizon of similar characteristics to that faulted at the ABJ1 site. Regional chronological data on calcic soils and calcretes in SE Spain assign this mature calcrete to Oxygen isotopic stages (OIS) 9 (c. 300 ka). With this age fixed at the uppermost of the faulted paleosol sequence at the ESCH site (PLF3), soil development features (clay and carbonate contents, thickness, reddishness, etc.) were used as paleoclimatic proxies to correlate soil horizons with conventional OIS. Correlation indicates that clayey Bt soil horizons primarily occurred during warm isotopic stages followed by recalcification and carbonate accumulation (Btk; Bk; Ck horizons) during latter warmer stages. A proposed theoretical geochronological framework suggests that the sedimentary sequence at the ESCH site (PLF3) was deposited between OIS 18 and 9. Major environmental change towards the present semi-arid climate occurred during OIS 13 (c. 500 ka). During this same stage, paleoseismic event 1 also occurred, but paleoseismic event 2 took probably place during OIS 10 (c. 350 ka), before development of the uppermost calcrete sealing the deformation in this fault segment. However, this OIS 9 calcrete is faulted in the ABJ1 and a younger less developed calcrete is faulted in ABJ2 on the PLF2 segment. Chronology proposed in this paper suggests theoretical ages for these events of between OIS 8-OIS 5 for ABJ1 (c. 200 ka) and between OIS 4 -OIS 2 for ABJ2 (c. 40 ka). This last paleoseismic event triggered major landscape changes with still-visible fault scarps, linear tectonic reliefs, alluvial fan beheading and active drainage shuttering. This present work illustrates the use of soil/paleosol analyses in paleoseismology as a useful tool to build paleoclimatic analogues and develop relative chronological frameworks from existing regional age data. • Geomorphology of faulted paleosol sequences allows exploration of tectonic landscapes. • Paleosols are used as proxies to build OIS-based geochronological analogues. • The used methodology analyzes past surface faulting seismic events in SE Spain. • Proposed geochronological analogues allow the relative dating of past earthquakes. • Use of paleosol sequences as a valuable tool in paleoseismic investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the economic aspects of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques considered in the DINA-MAR (Depth Investigation of New Areas for Managed Aquifer Recharge in Spain) project. This project firstly identified the areas with potential for MAR for the whole of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands of Spain using characteristics derived from 23 GIS layers of physiographic features, spanning geology, topography, land use, water sources and including existing MAR sites. The work involved evaluations for 24 different types (techniques) of MAR projects, over this whole area accounting for the physiographic features that favor each technique. The scores for each feature for each type of technique were set based on practical considerations and scores were accumulated for each location. A weighting was assigned to each feature by "training" the integrated score for each technique across all the features with the existing MAR sites overlay, so that opportunities for each technique could be more reliably predicted. It was found that there were opportunities for MAR for 16% of the area evaluated and that the additional storage capacity of aquifers in these areas was more than 2.5 times the total storage capacity of all existing surface water dams in Spain. The second part of this work, which is considered internationally unique, was to use this GIS methodology to evaluate the economics of the various MAR techniques across the region. This involved determining an economic index related to key physiographic features and applying this as an additional GIS overlay. Again this was trained by use of economic information for each of the existing MAR sites for which economic data and supply or storage volume were available. Two simpler methods were also used for comparison. Finally, the mean costs of MAR facilities and construction projects were determined based on the origin of the water. Maps of potential sites for Managed Aquifer Recharge (or "MAR zones") in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands of Spain and the results of the previous economic studies developed at the beginning of the project were used as the foundation for the economic analysis. Based on these data, a new specific mapping of the total expected costs for all "MAR zones" (€/m3) was proposed based on the techniques that were considered most appropriate for each Spanish study case. Capital costs ranged from Euro 0.08-0.58 per m3/year. Overall, this study investigates the opportunity and economic feasibility of implementing new MAR projects and provides support to decision makers in Spain. The novel mapping provides valuable guidance for the future development of Managed Aquifer Recharge projects for water managers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granitic boulders are widespread geomorphological elements, particularly found in humid granitic areas. Although they seldom represent a hazard for people or infrastructures, sometimes their location in steep or natural slopes may jeopardise their stability and potentially affect people or infrastructures. In addition, their complex geometry makes the instability mechanisms difficult to identify, so it is even more difficult to compute factors of safety regarding their stability. In this paper, the authors analyse potential failure mechanisms of granite boulders based on analytical mechanic calculations and physical tilt tests, permitting understanding the phenomena under scrutiny. Then, they study the stability of one of these boulders: the Pena do Equilibrio or equilibrium rock. To do that they resort to standard geotechnical characterization and advanced geometrical characterization derived from UAV photogrammetric and 3D Laser Scanning of the boulder. The presented results exemplify how the application of these recently available topographic technologies, in combination with rock mechanics approaches, enable a rigorous analysis of the stability of granite boulders. • Failure mechanisms of granite boulders have been analysed through analytical calculations and tilt tests in laboratory. • Pena do Equilibrio boulder, located in NW Spain, has been selected for the presented analysis. • UAS and Terrestrial Laser Scanner have been resorted for geometrical calculations like volume and position of the centroid. • The stability of the granitic boulder has been assessed through rock mechanics approaches combined with remote sensing techniques. • A 3D-printed 1:50-scale plastic replica of the boulder has been utilized for analyzing results in laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landform-based physiographic maps, also called land systems inventories, have been widely and successfully used in undeveloped/rural areas in several locations, such as Australia, the western United States, Canada, and the British ex-colonies. This paper presents a case study of their application in a developed semi-urban/suburban area (Segovia, Spain) for land use planning purposes. The paper focuses in the information transfer process, showing how land use decision-makers, such as governments, planners, town managers, etc., can use the information developed from these maps to assist them. The paper also addresses several issues important to the development and use of this information, such as the goals of modern physiography, the types of landform-based mapping products, the problem of data management in developed areas, and the distinctions among data, interpretations, and decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuaternario y Geomorfología is the property of Cuaternario y Geomorfologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: This special issue of Geomorphology consists mainly of selected papers from the S15 Session: GIS and SDA applications in Geomorphology at the 6th International Conference on Geomorphology held in Zaragoza (Spain) in September 2005. For this session, 53 abstracts from Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania were submitted, and 18 oral communications and 35 posters were presented. The session provided an opportunity to overview, discuss and evaluate new advances of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and SDA (Spatial Data Analysis) applications in the field of geomorphology. Eight of the manuscripts submitted for the publication call for this special issue survived the review process, and two other invited contributions together form this special issue with 10 papers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reviews the sedimentological and geomorphological imprints of prehistoric and historical tsunamis in the four main estuaries of SW Spain. These imprints include beach erosion, filling of intertidal channels, deposition of bioclastic layers, washover fans and reworked aeolian sheets and the breaching of spits and tombolos. Most of these imprints were caused by the 218–209BC and AD1755 tsunamis, although evidence of other tsunamis has been identified. In these two events, effects on human populations were severe and diverse, such as human loss of life, changes in coastal settlements and international borders, damage to port infrastructure or flooding of marsh and inhabited areas. New radiocarbon reservoir data were included in order to obtain an approach to the recurrence period of these high-energy events (700–1000years) in this area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Over the last forty years, applying dendrogeomorphology to palaeoflood analysis has improved estimates of the frequency and magnitude of past floods worldwide. This paper reviews the main results obtained by applying dendrogeomorphology to flood research in several case studies in Central Spain. These dendrogeomorphological studies focused on the following topics: (1) anatomical analysis to understand the physiological response of trees to flood damage and improve sampling efficiency; (2) compiling robust flood chronologies in ungauged mountain streams, (3) determining flow depth and estimating flood discharge using two-dimensional hydraulic modelling, and comparing them with other palaeostage indicators; (4) calibrating hydraulic model parameters (i.e. Manning roughness); and (5) implementing stochastic-based, cost–benefit analysis to select optimal mitigation measures. The progress made in these areas is presented with suggestions for further research to improve the applicability of dendrogeochronology to palaeoflood studies. Further developments will include new methods for better identification of the causes of specific types of flood damage to trees (e.g. tilted trees) or stable isotope analysis of tree rings to identify the climatic conditions associated with periods of increasing flood magnitude or frequency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Gyprock is a common rock in evaporitic formations, which have a wide distribution across all continents. However, outcrops of gyprock are rather limited, occurring mainly in low rainfall areas (i.e. southwest of USA, Italy, Spain). Gyprock is one of the most common lithology in the Ebro Tertiary Basin. Here, semiarid conditions propitiate the development of specific weathering processes and landforms with significant implications for understanding the genesis of soils and the geomorphological evolution of these areas. Gypsum crystallization within the pores and fissures of gyprock close to the surface leads to volume increase and pressures, with the consequent weathering of this rock. As a result, considerable porosity develops producing peculiar morphologies on gyprock outcrops (domes and decimetre-scale blisters), specific microscopic features (voids with plain walls, horse-shoe pores and serrated pores), as well as microscopic fabrics (grating fabric, skeletal fabric, fan fabric and botryoidal fabric). This paper presents a morphological characterization of the material forming the various types of weathering features, from microscopic to mesoscopic scale. The macromorphology and micromorphology of those features were used to interpret their genesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Geomorphological, sedimentological and geochronological analyses have been undertaken to decipher the effects of Quaternary environmental change on the development of the Rio Bergantes, Ebro basin, northeast Spain. Field mapping and profiling using aerial photography and airborne LiDAR data have identified a sequence of six river terraces. Age control, provided by luminescence dating, has revealed two major phases of valley floor aggradation that appear to have occurred at ~183–130ka (Terrace BT1, elevated ~25m above the modern river channel) and ~111–26.8ka (BT2, ~18–20m above the modern river channel), punctuated by ~20m of incision in the intervening period. Following these two phases of large-scale aggradation, the Bergantes river system appears to have adjusted to a relatively sediment-limited regime and responded to environmental changes through a series of smaller cut and fill cycles. This resulted in four lower elevation terraces (BT3–BT6) that are inset within the older (BT1 and BT2) valley fills. These lower terraces have been temporally constrained to ~24.5–14.2ka (BT3); 10.6–9.8ka (BT4); 8.3–6.2ka (BT5) and ~3ka (BT6). Field sedimentological and stratigraphic analyses of the alluvial fills indicate the influence of tributary and hill slope derived sediment supply during the aggradation of BT1 and, to a lesser extent BT2. This contrasts with the predominantly trunk river derived deposits which make up the fill of BT3–BT6, when the hillslopes and tributaries in the study area appear to have been relatively de-coupled from the trunk river. Data presented in this paper suggest that the Bergantes river system has responded to, and has preserved, a record of environmental changes operating both in synchrony with, and at a higher frequency than, Milankovitch-driven glacial–interglacial cycles. Major net aggradation phases (those associated with relatively large amounts of fluvial sediment e.g. BT1 and BT2) appear to coincide with Pleistocene glacial conditions in MIS 6, and parts of MIS 5 and MIS 4, when the climate on the Iberian Peninsula was cool and dry. Intervening phases of net valley incision appear to coincide with warmer and moister climates in Pleistocene interglacials. The younger terraces (BT3–BT6) are characterised by much smaller amounts of fluvial sediment supply. Dating control places their development during stadial (aggradation) and interstadial (incision) events of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. Some phases of aggradation appear to coincide with North Atlantic Heinrich Events, and also with other securely dated phases of aggradation elsewhere in the Mediterranean basin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Active tectonic deformation influencing the streams and hillslopes of the Sierra Alhamilla ridge (anticlinorium) in southeast Spain is related to the dextral-reverse Polopos Fault Zone to the north and east of the ridge and to normal faulting in the southern side of the ridge. A fault segmentation and fluvial terrace mapping is presented in this paper. The following geomorphic indices were calculated in the area: the mountain-front sinuosity, valley floor width-to-height ratio, drainage basin asymmetry factor, basin hypsometric curve and integral, longitudinal river profile and stream-length gradient index normalized by the graded river gradient (SLk index). The SLk map shows two sets of high anomalies: a) an E–W-striking anomaly, due to the dextral-reverse Polopos Fault Zone located in the northern limb of the anticlinorium; b) a group of NNW–SSE-striking anomalies, associated with Pliocene–Quaternary NW–SE- to NNW–SSE-striking high-angle normal faults that cut the southern limb. Late Pleistocene–Holocene activity occurred along the North Alhamilla Reverse Fault and the dextral transpressive South Gafarillos Fault, two segments in the Polopos Fault Zone. The former fault produces rejuvenation of the streams at the base of the northern slope. In this area, mountain-front sinuosity and valley floor width-to-height ratio suggest Quaternary uplift rates between 0.05 and 0.5mky−1. Holocene to present-day activity of the South Gafarillos Fault is demonstrated by faulted late Pleistocene terraces and Holocene colluvial deposits and suggested by deflected streams that have complex or convex hypsometric curves. Pliocene–Quaternary high-angle normal faults control the relief in the southern limb and the western end of the Sierra Alhamilla. These faults produce low mountain-front sinuosity and valley floor width-to-height ratio indices typical of uplift rates quite higher than field-based rates from some other studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we present a critical analysis of the distribution of Paleolithic sites between the Massif Central and the Pyrenees (southwestern France) to understand the settlement patterns during the last climatic deterioration of the Quaternary period. This analysis used recent stratigraphic and archaeological data from thousands of systematic test pits conducted for rescue archaeology in different geomorphological contexts. Our analysis addresses crucial questions about the role of the Garonne alluvial plain in this territory during the Upper Paleolithic. The implications are discussed in the context of this region of Europe, which was considered to be a favorable zone for human occupation during glacial periods. The conclusions reveal a division of this territory into two parts separated by a large unoccupied or rarely occupied zone. We discuss perspectives not only concerning the territoriality of the prehistoric groups who lived on the margins of this no man’s land, but also the cultural endemism that could have led to this geography, influenced by climatic conditions clearly more rigorous than previously recognized in this region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The northern slope of the Sierra de Aitana (Eastern Betic Cordillera) is characterized by a long mountain front with a prominent Eocene limestone scarp overlying ductile Eocene marlstones. This stratigraphic feature and the highly stepped topography produced by several normal faults favor gravitational processes such as rock avalanches, rock slides and rock falls. This paper reports a compound landslide comprising a rotational rock slide and slab-type lateral spreading affecting these materials with blocks of volumes up to 106 m3. This lateral spread process produced singular and spectacular morphological features, the Simas de Partagat, which are trenches 20m wide and up to 40m deep, formed by the widening of discontinuities. The use of a differential SAR interferometry technique for monitoring this landslide over a time span of 11yr has revealed that velocity of movement is insignificant, with rates comprised between 0 and 2mmyr−1 and cumulative negligible displacements. Individual rock blocks initially located at the free face of the scarp were affected by slides at the base of the scarp, descending from a few to several dozen meters along the slope. Blocks broke up as displacement progresses, with several in different stages of evolution being recognizable along the slope. Differential SAR interferometry shows a greater activity in the area north of compound landslide, although velocity is extremely low (below 16mmyr−1). This extremely slow movement revealed by interferometry is in agreement with other geological and geomorphological evidence such as the existence of speleothems and cemented breccias against the head walls of the trenches. Both deposits are indicative of a long period of discontinuity widening. Also, undisturbed debris deposits covering ancient rock slides are indicative of very slow gravitational processes characterized by long dormant periods. In addition, a historical picture from 1898 shows nearly negligible change in the Simas de Partagat over this 112yr period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Coastal lagoons are valuable water bodies since they are of great ecological and economic interest throughout the world. Their existence is controlled by variations in sea level and the geological substrate of their location. Their morphology is linked to local topography, alternation of high and low pressure, the presence of a river, as well as tidal regime. All these factors influence lagoons along the coastline in the south of Spain. The main morphological characteristics of such lagoons are the following: intermittence, one-dimensional morphology, small size, shallow waters, high area/depth ratio, no flood- or ebb tide deltas, overwash of their low barriers during storms, high evaporation rates and feeding by rivers. Effective management of these systems requires the evaluation not only of their hydrodynamics and opening and closure rate, but also the prediction of possible future scenarios as a response to meteorological events. This paper describes the behavior of a coastal lagoon in Zahara de los Atunes (Cádiz) by means of a numerical model implemented with the objective of serving as a tool for optimizing the coastal zone management. Although the coastal lagoon at Zahara de los Atunes is closed most of the year, it is artificially opened at the beginning of the summer. The results of our study showed that during this period, the lagoon is flood-dominated with a pumping-mode response. It naturally tends to close since it is a trap for littoral drift sediments. The precise date of closure depends on the events that take place during the autumn, which determine whether the sediments deposited in the inlet by the littoral drift are flushed out by the river flow or flushed in by the waves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a kinematic study of the Portalet landslide (Sallent de Gállego, Central Spanish Pyrenees), which was triggered by the construction of a big parking area at the toe of the slope. A description of the landslide from a geomorphological point of view is first introduced. The measurements of displacement performed by conventional (total station, inclinometers and differential GPS) and advanced (GB-SAR) ground monitoring techniques are presented and GB-SAR and DGPS datasets are compared. The correlation between measured displacements and rainfall series indicates that the landslide is very sensitive to rainfall. The continuous GB-SAR measurements from the 5th of October 2006 to the 21st of November 2006 at a rate of 1/h were used to calibrate a simple 1D infinite model by back analysis. The model includes a viscoplastic behaviour and takes into account directly the known daily rainfall intensity and the dissipation of the excess pore-fluid through a simple consolidation equation. Prediction was made in an extended period of time, from May 2006 to July 2007, and compared to the DGPS measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of the dune field dynamics of El Fangar Spit in the Ebro Delta (Spain), associating it with the internal structure of dunes carried out with ground-penetrating radar and supported by data from topographic DGPS. These analyses are of great importance to ascertain the state of the internal structure of dunes as an important element in their stability and, therefore in their evolution. The internal structure shows accretion and progradation sequences of dunes over beach deposits, which depend on dune morphology (height, crest orientation) and location, as well as the processes acting on them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Spanish Journal of Palaeontology is the property of Socieadad Espanola de Paleontologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The area of Alfambra (NE Spain) is very representative of the relief evolution of the Eastern Iberian ranges. The geomorphological cartography (Main Map) includes the northern sector of the Alfambra-Teruel Neogene depression and its mountainous surroundings. The cartographic process started by using aerial photographs (1:30000 scale) and fieldwork. The structural reliefs, erosion surfaces, karst landforms, Quaternary pediments and terraces, and fluvial network are represented over a lithological background. The main cartography is complemented with two maps of lithological and geomorphological units. The obtained information enabled the main geological and geomorphological stages of the regional relief to be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carnivoran-dominated fossil sites provide precious insights into the diversity and ecology of species rarely recovered in the fossil record. The lower level assemblage of Batallones-1 fossil site (Late Miocene; Madrid Basin, Spain) has yielded one of the most abundant and diversified carnivoran assemblage ever known from the Cenozoic record of mammals. A comprehensive taphonomic study is carried out here in order to constrain the concentration mode of this remarkable assemblage. Another distinctive feature of Batallones-1 is that the accumulation of carnivoran remains took place in the context of a geomorphological landform (cavity formation through a piping process) practically unknown in the generation of fossil sites. Two characteristics of the assemblage highly restrict the probable causes for the accumulation of the remains: (1) the overwhelming number of carnivorans individuals; and (2) the mortality profiles estimated for the four most abundant taxa do not correspond to the classic mortality types but rather were the consequence of the behavior of the taxa. This evidence together with other taphonomic data supports the hypothesis that carnivoran individuals actively entered the cavity searching for resources (food or water) and were unable to exit. The scarcity of herbivores implies that the shaft was well visible and avoided by these taxa. Fossil bones exhibit a very good preservation state as a consequence of their deposition in the restricted and protective environment of the chamber. Batallones-1 had another assemblage (upper level assemblage) that was dominated by herbivore remains and that potentially corresponded to the final stages of the cavity filling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A procedure to select the controlling factors connected to the slope instability has been defined. It allowed us to assess the landslide susceptibility in the Rio Beiro basin (about 10 km²) over the northeastern area of the city of Granada (Spain). Field and remote (Google EarthTM) recognition techniques allowed us to generate a landslide inventory consisting in 127 phenomena. To discriminate between stable and unstable conditions, a diagnostic area had been chosen as the one limited to the crown and the toe of the scarp of the landslide. 15 controlling or determining factors have been defined considering topographic, geologic, geomorphologic and pedologic available data. Univariate tests, using both association coefficients and validation results of singlevariable susceptibility models, allowed us to select the best predictors, which were combined for the unique conditions analysis. For each of the five recognised landslide typologies, susceptibility maps for the best models were prepared. In order to verify both the goodness of fit and the prediction skill of the susceptibility models, two different validation procedures were applied and compared. Both procedures are based on a random partition of the landslide archive for producing a test and a training subset. The first method is based on the analysis of the shape of the success and prediction rate curves, which are quantitatively analysed exploiting two morphometric indexes. The second method is based on the analysis of the degree of fit, by considering the relative error between the intersected target landslides by each of the different susceptibility classes in which the study area was partitioned. Both the validation procedures confirmed a very good predictive performance of the susceptibility models and of the actual procedure followed to select the controlling factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In natural systems, the chemistry of floodplain waters is a function of the source of the water, which is influenced by geomorphic features of riparian wetlands. However, anthropogenic disturbances may alter both geomorphic features and the natural balance of water mixing in the floodplain. The aim of this study was to classify riparian wetlands and characterize their water characteristics in one reach of the Middle Ebro River to assess the hydrochemical functioning of the system. In order to accomplish that goal, water samples were collected at 40 sampling sites during low-water conditions and two floods of different magnitude. Moreover, geomorphic characteristics of riparian wetlands were also analyzed to interpret the results at broader spatio-temporal scales. Three group of wetlands were identified using multivariate ordination: (1) major and secondary channels highly connected to the river by surface water, containing weakly ionized water with high nitrate levels during floods; (2) secondary channels and artificial ponds located in riparian forests near the river, most of which were affected by river seepage during the examined events. This type of sites had high major ions concentrations and elevated spatial variability with respect to nutrient concentrations during floods; (3) Siltated oxbow lakes, whose hydrogeochemical features seemed to be unaffected by factors related to river fluctuations. Total dissolved solids, major ion (sulfate, chloride, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium) and nutrient (nitrate, ammonium and organic nitrogen, and phosphate) depended upon the relationships between surface and subsurface water flows. Seasonal changes and geomorphic characterization indicated that a strong functional dependence of floodplain wetlands close to the main river channel is established, whereas most of the floodplain area remains disconnected from river dynamics. Moreover, the effect of nitrate-enriched agricultural runoff seems to affect water... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the nest site selection, breeding density and breeding success in the bearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus in relation to physiography, climate, land-use and degree of human disturbance. The study area was in the Pyrenean Cordillera, Spain, where the largest European population of this species occurs. Univariate analyses and Generalized Linear Models were employed. Models correctly classified the 78% of the cliffs analysed (occupied by bearded vultures, and selected at random). The probability of occupation of a cliff by bearded vultures was directly related to the ruggedness of the topography, altitude, distance to the nearest bearded vulture occupied nest, and distance to the nearest village. Breeding density was positively correlated with snow precipitation. Open areas seemed also to have positive effects, probably by increasing the availability of food, although its effects not separable from that of the relief, as the two factors covary. Bearded vultures showed lower breeding success in areas with high potential human disturbance (density of paved roads). The existence of abrupt and open lands might have a positive effect on breeding success by reducing accessibility to humans, and perhaps by increasing food availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the coastal geomorphology of Majorca, an island in Spain. Divisibility of the large-scale morphology of the Balearic Islands to two basic structural units; Description of the physiographic characteristics of the areas; Association of cliff coasts with deeper waters offshore.

Low-lying coastal areas are high-risk areas regarding sea-level rise (SLR) due to the combination of low elevation, subsidence and currently low sediment supply, on the one hand, and their high natural and socio-economic values, on the other. Because of this, there is a growing need to assess the integrated impact of SLR taking into account the interactions between physical and ecological factors to make more informed decisions for the design of adaptation strategies. This study presents a methodology for improved SLR-induced flood-damage assessments in natural areas which is composed of (i) a pseudo-dynamic method coupling equilibrium-based coastal response and classical bathtub modeling approaches and (ii) a simple method to account for habitat conversion following inundation. This methodology is applied to low-lying coastal areas of Catalonia under different SLR scenarios, which show very different sensitivities depending on the configuration of the water-land border, topography, geomorphology, and degree of human impact on the floodplain. In terms of potential impact, natural habitats will be the most benefited from the likely conversion at the expense of agriculture lands. This can help coastal managers to adopt adaptation strategies where considering the inherent capacity of some coastal landscapes to adapt opens up new alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Campo de Calatrava Volcanic Region is located in Central Spain (Ciudad Real province, Castilla-La Mancha) where some eruptions of different intensity and spatial location took place throughout a period of more than 8 million years. As a result, more than 360 volcanic edifices spread over 5000 km2. Eruptions of this volcanic system were derived from alkaline magmas with events of low explosivity (Hawaiian and Strombolian). These events are characterized by three different manifestations: the emission of pyroclasts (cinder and spatter cones) and lava flows; some hydromagmatic events, which lead to the formation of wide craters (maars) and pyroclastic flows; and remnant volcanic activity related to gas emission (CO2), hot springs (hervideros) and carbonic water fountains (fuentes agrias). The methods used for this study are based on analytical studies of geography, geomorphology and geoheritage to identify volcanoes and their resources and attractions linked to the historical-cultural heritage. These volcanoes are a potential economic resource and attraction for the promotion of volcano tourism (geotourism), and they are the basis for achieving a UNESCO Global Geopark Project, as a sustainable territorial and economic management model, to be part of the international networks of conservation and protection of nature and, especially, that of volcanoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]