ALBERT

Description: Un nuevo yacimiento de micromamíferos en Alhaurín el Grande (Málaga, Sur de España) situado sobre depósitos marinos del Plioceno inferior permite una aproximación a la correlación marino-continental para esa época. El relleno sedimentario marino del Plioceno inferior en el conjunto de la cuenca de Málaga comprende tres secuencias transgresivas-regresivas (unidades Pl-1, Pl-2 y Pl-3) limitadas por discordancias. A techo de la secuencia intermedia Pl-2, sedimentos turbosos han liberado restos de Rodentia, Lagomorpha, Insectivora y Crocodylia. La presencia de Cricetus barrieri Mein & Michaux, 1970 en asociación con dos múridos, uno con morfología primitiva (Apodemus gudrunae Van de Weerd, 1976) y otros más evolucionados próximo a Occitanomys brailloni Michaux, 1969 y Stephanomys donnezani cordii Ruiz Bustos, 1986, permiten inferir una edad Rusciniense inferior (biozona MN14). En función de los foraminíferos planctónicos, los datos bioestratigráficos indican que los sedimentos marinos justo por debajo del nivel de micromamíferos pertenecen a la biozona MPL-2 del Zancliense inferior. Los datos paleomagnéticos disponibles muestran que el nivel de micromamíferos se localiza entre el subcron geomagnético normal C3n3n (4.89-4.80 Ma) y el subcron C3n2n (4.63-4.49 Ma), limitando la edad del yacimiento a la parte superior del Zancliense inferior.

Description: Monitoring stations around the globe routinely detect microbarom signals with a dominant frequency of ∼0.2 Hz from regions of marine storminess. International Monitoring System (IMS) infrasound array IS59 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii recorded clear signals in close proximity of Hurricanes Felicia and Neki of 2009 for a first-hand investigation of the detailed source mechanism through a hindcast analysis. A spectral wave model describes the tropical cyclone and ambient sea states through a system of two-way nested grids with forcing from a blended data set of global, regional, and cyclonic winds. The computed wave conditions are validated with altimetry measurements and utilized in an acoustic model to estimate the intensity and spatial distribution of the microbarom source. The model results elucidate origins of infrasound signals from the tropical cyclone waves as well as their interactions with the ambient conditions consisting of swells, wind seas, and storm waves from nearby systems. The positive correlation between the IS59 observations and the theoretical microbarom estimates, and the saturation of recorded signals from high-energy sources support the use of infrasound signals for inference of tropical cyclone waves.

Description: Varied acoustic signals were recorded at Kīlauea Volcano in mid-2007, coincident with dramatic changes in the volcano's activity. Prior to this time period, Pu'u 'Ō'ō crater produced near-continuous infrasonic tremor and was the primary source of degassing and lava effusion at Kīlauea. Collapse and draining of Pu'u 'Ō'ō crater in mid-June produced impulsive infrasonic signals and fluctuations in infrasonic tremor. Fissure eruptions on 19 June and 21 July were clearly located spatially and temporally using infrasound arrays. The 19 June eruption from a fissure approximately mid-way between Kīlauea's summit and Pu'u 'Ō'ō produced infrasound for ∼30 minutes—the only observed geophysical signal associated with the fissure opening. The infrasound signal from the 21 July eruption just east of Pu'u 'Ō'ō shows a clear azimuthal progression over time, indicative of fissure propagation over 12.9 hours. The total fissure propagation rate is relatively slow at 164 m/hr, although the fissure system ruptured discontinuously. Individual fissure rupture times are estimated using the acoustic data combined with visual observations.

Description: Microbaroms are continuous infrasonic signals with a dominant frequency around 0.2 Hz produced by ocean surface waves. Monitoring stations around the globe routinely detect strong microbaroms in the lee of tropical cyclones. We utilize a parametric wind model and a spectral wave model to construct the tropical cyclone wave field and a theoretical acoustic source model to describe the intensity, spatial distribution, and dynamics of microbarom sources. This approach excludes ambient wave conditions and facilitates a parametric analysis to elucidate the source mechanism within the storm. A stationary tropical cyclone produces the strongest microbarom signals at the center, where the waves generated by the cyclonic winds converge. As the tropical cyclone moves forward, the converging wave field becomes less coherent and lags and expands behind the storm center. The models predict a direct relation between the storm forward speed and the location of maximum microbarom source intensity consistent with the infrasonic observations from Hurricane Felicia 2009 in the North Central Pacific.

Description: A multiproxy study of a 7 m long sedimentary sequence from Lake La Parra (39°50.948', 1°52', 1014 m a.s.l.) supported by 11 14 C AMS and 210 Pb/ 137 Cs dates provides a robust, high-resolution hydrological and environmental variability record for the last 1600 years of the Las Torcas sinkhole Complex in the Central Iberian Range. The succession of depositional environments in Lake La Parra sinkhole is controlled by both changes in the regional water table and by the balance between sedimentary input through ephemeral creeks and in-lake production of carbonates and organic matter. Although synergetic links with climate are likely, phases of increased sediment delivery to the lake at c . ad 500–700, c . ad 1000, ad 1450–1500, ad 1550–650 and since 1700 till recent times are driven primarily by human impact in the watershed. Prior to c . ad 300, the sinkhole was dry, then became a lake at the end of the Roman Period ( ad 350) when the doline was flooded, and it has not dried out during the last 1600 years. Moderate lake levels with deposition of coarser clastic facies dominated up to the 12th century ( ad 400–1200), and relatively higher levels with deposition of laminated facies during the 13th–15th centuries ( ad 1200–1600). The pattern of palaeohydrological evolution at a centennial scale is roughly coherent with most Iberian lacustrine records; however, the ‘La Parra’ sequence indicates that increased humidity during Iberian–Roman times was restricted to southern Spain and the humid phases of the ‘Little Ice Age’ (‘LIA’) starting and ending earlier in the central Iberian Range compared with the Pyrenean Domain and southern Spain. This new sequence highlights the heterogeneity through space and time of the main dry and wet climatic periods at shorter scales, emphasizing the impact of latitudinal climate gradients on the Iberian Peninsula climate variability.

Description: The Marboré Cirque, which is located in the southern Central Pyrenees on the north face of the Monte Perdido Peak (42°40'0''N; 0.5°0''W; 3355 m), contains a wide variety of Holocene glacial and periglacial deposits, and those from the ‘Little Ice Age’ (‘LIA’) are particularly well developed. Based on geomorphological mapping, cosmogenic exposure dating and previous studies of lacustrine sediment cores, the different deposits were dated and a sequence of geomorphological and paleoenvironmental events was established as follows: (1) The Marboré Cirque was at least partially deglaciated before 12.7 kyr BP. (2) Some ice masses are likely to have persisted in the Early Holocene, although their moraines were destroyed by the advance of glaciers during the Mid Holocene and ‘LIA’. (3) A glacial expansion occurred during the Mid Holocene (5.1 ± 0.1 kyr), represented by a large push moraine that enclosed a unique ice mass at the foot of the Monte Perdido Massif. (4) A melting phase occurred at approximately 3.4 ± 0.2 and 2.5 ± 0.1 kyr (Bronze/Iron Ages) after one of the most important glacial advances of the Neoglacial period. (5) Another glacial expansion occurred during the Dark Age Cold Period (1.4–1.2 kyr), followed by a melting period during the Medieval Climate Anomaly. (6) The ‘LIA’ represented a clear stage of glacial expansion within the Marboré Cirque. Two different pulses of glaciation were detected, separated by a short retraction. The first pulse occurred most likely during the late 17th century or early 18th century (Maunder Minimum), whereas the second occurred between 1790 and ad 1830 (Dalton Minimum). A strong deglaciation process has affected the Marboré Cirque glaciers since the middle of the 19th century. (7) A large rock avalanche occurred during the Mid Holocene, leaving a chaotic deposit that was previously considered to be a Late Glacial moraine.

Description: [1]  Three large-scale infrasound calibration experiments were conducted in 2009 and 2011 to test the IMS infrasound network and provide ground-truth data for infrasound propagation studies. Here we provide an overview of the deployment, detonation, atmospheric specifications, infrasound array observations, and propagation modeling for the experiments. The experiments at the Sayarim Military Range, Israel had equivalent TNT yields of 96.0, 7.4, and 76.8 tonnes (t) of explosives on 26 August 2009, 24 January 2011, and 26 January 2011, respectively. Successful international collaboration resulted in the deployment of numerous portable infrasound arrays in the region to supplement the IMS network and increase station density. Infrasound from the detonations is detected out to ~3500 km to the northwest in 2009 and ~6300 km to the northeast in 2011, reflecting the highly anisotropic nature of long-range infrasound propagation. For 2009, the moderately strong stratospheric wind jet results in a well-predicted set of arrivals at numerous arrays to the west-northwest. A second set of arrivals is also apparent, with low celerities and high frequencies. These arrivals are not predicted by the propagation modeling and result from unresolved atmospheric features. Strong eastward tropospheric winds (up to ~70 m/s) in 2011 produce high amplitude tropospheric arrivals recorded out to 〉1000 km to the east. Significant eastward stratospheric winds (up to ~80 m/s) in 2011 generate numerous stratospheric arrivals and permit the long-range detection (i.e. 〉1000 km). No detections are made in directions opposite the tropospheric and stratospheric wind jets for any of the explosions. Comparison of predicted transmission loss and observed infrasound arrivals gives qualitative agreement. Propagation modeling for the 2011 experiments predicts lower transmission loss in the direction of the downwind propagation compared to the 2009 experiment, consistent with the greater detection distance. Observations also suggest a more northerly component to the stratospheric winds for the 2009 experiment and less upper atmosphere attenuation. The Sayarim infrasound calibration experiments clearly demonstrate the complexity and variability of the atmosphere, and underscore the utility of large-scale calibration experiments with dense networks for better understanding infrasound propagation and detection. Additionally, they provide a rich dataset for future scientific research.