Search results for "Planetary Science"
showing 10 items of 4367 documents
Analysis of Desert Dust Outbreaks Over Southern Europe Using CALIOP Data and Ground-Based Measurements
2016
Saharan dust outbreaks are one of the major aerosol sources in Southern Europe. Dust affects the radiative balance of the Earth–atmosphere system and impacts health. The assessment of Saharan outbreaks requires information about the vertical distribution of dust in the atmosphere, usually obtained from lidar measurements, such as the ones performed by the spaceborne Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) sensor. In this paper, we have used CALIOP level-1 daytime data in combination with aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements from Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) ground-based photometers to obtain aerosol profiles during 23 dust outbreaks over Southern Europe. These pro…
Exploiting Maximum Entropy method and ASTER data for assessing debris flow and debris slide susceptibility for the Giampilieri catchment (north-easte…
2016
This study aims at evaluating the performance of the Maximum Entropy method in assessing landslide susceptibility, exploiting topographic and multispectral remote sensing predictors. We selected the catchment of the Giampilieri stream, which is located in the north-eastern sector of Sicily (southern Italy), as test site. On 1 October 2009, a storm rainfall triggered in this area hundreds of debris flow/avalanche phenomena causing extensive economical damage and loss of life. Within this area a presence-only-based statistical method was applied to obtain susceptibility models capable of distinguishing future activation sites of debris flow and debris slide, which where the main source of fai…
Sediment yield from glacio-lacustrine calcareous deposits during the postglacial period in the Combe d’Ain (Jura, France)
1998
The middle valley of the river Ain (Jura) cuts through glacio-lacustrine deposits laid down in an ice-dammed lake during the most recent glacial advance. The total volume eroded is about 6·21 ×10 8 m 3 for a surface area of 3·7 ×10 7 m 2 . Erosion occurred between 18 ka BP and 6 ka BP, i.e. over a duration of some 12 ka. Sediment yield from the area was of the order of 2500 t km -2 a -1 , which is comparable with modern-day sediment yield from NW African badlands. These high values are ascribed to the amenability of glacio-lacustrine deposits to mechanical weathering and to the rapid geomorphological changes that affected glacial and paraglacial sedimentary cover after the retreat of the ic…
L'ontogenèse complexe du spatangue Echinocardium cordatum: Un test des standards des trajectoires hétérochroniques
1991
The growth of the spatangoid echinoid Echinocardium cordatum is described by using the three standards (size,shape and age) that are classicaly involved in analyses of heterochronies. A population from Normandy, including all the growth stages, allows an ontogenetic reference to be established, while comparisons are performed with adult samples from other localities (Brittany, Aquitaine, and New-Zealand). The morphology of E. cordatum is characterized by 23 measured parameters and 13 calculated indexes. The ontogenetic trajectory of the species is depicted from the measurements of the size increments, from the analysis of the shape changes, and from an estimate of age. An estimate of the ag…
Long-term analysis (1863–2002) of environmental change in the Capo Feto area (Mediterranean sea)
2004
The area of Capo Feto represents one of the few remaining salt-marshy zones in Sicily. It lies within a site of importance for the Community (defined as a “sito di importanza comunitaria” (SIC)), which also includes Margi Spanò and Margi Milo. The Capo Feto and Margi Spanò marshlands have also been identified by the Ministry for the Environment as an area deserving special protection (“zona a protezione speciale” (ZPS)). Moreover, in 1999, 150 ha of the Capo Feto area were included in a project for environmental rehabilitation as part of the European Union “Life-Nature 2000” programme (Comitato Tecnico-Scientifico Area di Capo Feto, 1997). Prior to this, the area had become somewhat degrade…
Disaster risk perceptions and multinational cooperation in Barentsburg, Svalbard
2022
Abstract Svalbard’s geographical positioning, environmental characteristics and multinational population make it conducive for considering informality and multinational cooperation in disaster risk reduction and response. Most research examining disaster risks and disasters for Svalbard has focused on Norwegian efforts in and for the main settlement of Longyearbyen, with none covering Svalbard’s second-largest settlement of Barentsburg. This paper addresses this gap by analysing how 21 Barentsburg residents deal with disasters. We conducted semi-structured interviews, visually aided by the revised PRISM (Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure) tool, to examine interviewees’ di…
Deep-sea shrimp fishery in Sicily: The economic performance of the shrimp trawling fleet in the ports of Mazara del Vallo, Sciacca, and Porto Empedoc…
2006
Shrimp fishing in Sicily is carried out by fishing companies using trawlers and multifunctional vessels equipped with trawling nets, in a complex and worrisome context, because of the decrease in catch over the last few years. After analysing the structural characteristics of Sicilian trawling, the study concentrates on the three most important shrimp fishing ports in Sicily: Mazara del Vallo, Sciacca, and Porto Empedocle. For each fleet, through a sample analysis, economic performance has been evaluated for the period from 2001 to 2003. Finally, a comparative analysis of the economic performance of the surveyed companies is carried out through a comparison of daily economic productivity in…
Response of benthic foraminifera to heavy metal contamination in marine sediments (Sicilian coasts, Mediterranean sea)
2011
To examine the suitability of benthic foraminifera and their test deformations as bioindicators of pollution in coastal marine environments, we studied foraminifera and metal concentrations in 72 marine sediment samples, collected from the inner shelf along the Sicilian coast (Gulfs of Palermo and Termini) and on the south-eastern coast of Lampedusa Island. These areas are characterised by different environmental conditions. On the basis of pollution sources and foraminiferal assemblages, we recognised different zones in the Gulf of Palermo. The most polluted zones showed high metal concentrations, and low diversity of benthic foraminifera with species typical of stressed environments. By c…
Valoració de l’Avaluació en Competències a través de models d’elecció discreta
2017
La implantació dels nous mètodes d’ensenyament, sota el marc establert per l’Espai Europeu d’Educació Superior (EEES), suposa un canvi en l’organització de la forma d’ensenyar i aprendre, centrat en la formació per competències. En termes d’avaluació, la nova forma d’ensenyament implica el pas d’un sistema d’avaluació única a un sistema d’avaluació contínua, en el qual l’estudiant participa activament en el procés d’aprenentatge i en la consecució no només dels objectius establerts per a cada assignatura, sinó també en l’adquisició d’habilitats i destreses més generals i de caràcter transversal. L’objectiu d’aquesta comunicació és presentar una anàlisi de l’impacte sobre el resultat final …
Older Peruvian Migrants’ Capacity and Desire to Send Remittances from Spain
2016
This article draws on the conceptual framework of capacity and desire to analyze the remitting behavior of older Peruvian migrants in Spain. Cross-sectional survey data are explored using regression analysis to estimate how local and transnational factors relate to the sending of remittances. To reveal the complexities involved in this activity, the findings are discussed in the light of qualitative data gathered through semi-structured interviews with older Peruvian migrants in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Results show that economic integration and transnational ties and practices are strong predictors for the sending of remittances, with local language skills being of intermediate …