Sebastià Monserrat

The formation of Western Mediterranean Intermediate Water (WIW) in the Gulf of Lions and its later presence in the Balearic Channels play a significant role in the regional circulation. The presence of WIW, given by the intermediate water temperatures in the Ibiza Channel, has been related to air temperature in the Gulf of Lions, providing a continuous and long index of regional circulation.

Destructive seiche oscillations occasionally generated in certain bays and inlets are mainly associated with two natural forcing phenomena: Seismic activity (tsunamis), and atmospheric disturbances (meteotsunamis). Despite their different origin, both types are modified and amplified by topography in a similar way and produce similar catastrophic effects in coastal areas. Due to these similarities, it is often difficult to distinguish between these two phenomena without knowing the exact source characteristics. Recognition and separation of these phenomena is important for the revision/improvement of existing tsunami catalogues but also to better understand the generation mechanism and mitigate their possible catastrophic effects. To investigate this problem and to compare seismic and meteorological tsunamis, we assembled a number of cases when both phenomena had been recorded at the same place. In particular, our findings included Alicante (Mediterranean coast of Spain), Malokurils...

Two adjacent bays may interact with each other similar to pendulums connected by a spring. Observational evidence of the resonant coupling between two adjacent elongated inlets (Ciutadella and Platja Gran) were found in the region of Menorca Island (Western Mediterranean). Both inlets are famous for their extreme (sometimes catastrophic) seiche oscillations locally known as 'rissaga waves'. The bays are considered to be linked through diffraction of eigenoscillations radiated from the respective inlets. Experimental evidence for the coupling has been obtained from simultaneous long-wave records measured in both inlets and on the adjacent Menorca shelf. To examine linear coupling of the inlets, we selected for analysis a background period of relatively weak inlet oscillations. The seiche heights inside the inlets during this period were in the order of a few centimeters and the recorded wave heights on the shelf were a few millimeters. To illustrate the fundamental features o...

The feasibility, validity and reliability of the Time Trade-Off (TTO) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) methods in obtaining preference values for health states were compared in a random sample of the Spanish population (n = 294). Respondents valued 43 EuroQol-5D health states in face-to-face interviews. Convergent validity was assessed by examining the relationship between values, and the effect of sociodemographic and health variables on values was used as a means of assessing construct validity. Test-retest reliability was analysed in a subgroup of 50 respondents, using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and generalisability theory. Rates of non-response and missing data were low on both methods, though the VAS took considerably less time to administer. VAS and TTO values correlated highly (r = 0.92), though there were differences in the ordering of health states between methods, and in the number of health states rated worse than death. VAS values were compressed into a ...

The aim of the present paper is to study the relationships between some climatic indices and parental stock, recruitment and accessibility to trawl fishery of hake (Merluccius merluccius) and red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) off Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean). ...

... 91–118 MOHAMED HAMDACHE / Seismic Hazard Estimation in Northern Algeria 119–144 J. BOMMER, C. MC QUEEN, W. SALAZAR, S. SCOTT and G. WOO / A Case Study of the Spatial Distribution of Seismic Hazard (El Salvador) 145–166 Page 2. 302 NATURAL HAZARDS ...

ABSTRACT Meteotsunamis, or meteorological tsunamis, are atmospherically induced ocean waves in the tsunami frequency band that are found to affect coasts in a destructive way in a number of places in the World Ocean, including the U.S. coastline. The Boothbay Harbor, Maine, in October 2008 and Daytona Beach, Florida, in July 1992 were hit by several meters high waves appearing from "nowhere", and a preliminary assessment pointed to the atmosphere as a possible source for the events. As a need for in-depth analyses and proper qualification of these and other events emerged, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) decided to fund the research, currently carried out within the TMEWS project (Towards a MEteotsunami Warning System along the U.S. coastline). The project structure, planned research activities and first results will be presented here. The first objective of the project is creation of a list of potential meteotsunami events, from catalogues, news and high-resolution sea level data, and their proper assessment with regards to the source, generation and dynamics. The assessment will be based on the research of the various types of ocean (tide gauges, buoys), atmospheric (ground stations, buoys, vertical soundings, reanalyses) and remote sensing (satellites) data and products, supported by the atmospheric and ocean modelling efforts. Based on the earned knowledge, the basis for a meteotsunami warning system, i.e. observational systems and communication needs for early detection of a meteotsunami, will be defined. Finally, meteotsunami warning protocols, procedures and decision matrix will be developed, and tested on historical meteotsunami events. These deliverables are expected also to boost meteotsunami research in other parts of the World Ocean, and to contribute to the creation of an efficient meteotsunami warning systems in different regions of interest, such as Mediterranean Sea, western Japan, Western Australia or other.

Destructive seiche oscillations occasionally generated in certain bays and inlets are mainly associated with two natural forcing phenomena: Seismic activity (tsunamis), and atmospheric disturbances (meteotsunamis). Despite their different origin, both types are modified and amplified by topography in a similar way and produce similar catastrophic effects in coastal areas. Due to these similarities, it is often difficult to distinguish between these two phenomena without knowing the exact source characteristics. Recognition and separation of these phenomena is important for the revision/improvement of existing tsunami catalogues but also to better understand the generation mechanism and mitigate their possible catastrophic effects. To investigate this problem and to compare seismic and meteorological tsunamis, we assembled a number of cases when both phenomena had been recorded at the same place. In particular, our findings included Alicante (Mediterranean coast of Spain), Malokurils...