Belén Rubio - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Belén Rubio

International Journal of Earth & Environmental Sciences, 2016

San Simón Bay (inner Ría de Vigo, NW Spain) is a well-known polluted area because of its high Pb ... more San Simón Bay (inner Ría de Vigo, NW Spain) is a well-known polluted area because of its high Pb concentrations caused by waste discharges from a ceramic factory. The present study is focused on the historical and diagenetic monitoring of Pb pollution in this Bay based on sediment and pore water analyses of two cores collected in October 2010 adjacent to the factory using different techniques. A chronological framework was constructed based on 137 Cs and 210 Pb dating. Lead stable isotope ratios confirmed that the ceramic factory is still the main Pb source despite its closing in 2001. The historical monitoring of Pb pollution included Itrax TM Core Scanner (Itrax) analyses on the sedimentary record and the comparison with previous geochemical studies. The location of Pb maxima values in the cores allowed the estimation of sedimentation rates which were similar to those calculated from radionuclide dating. Moreover, Itrax analyses supported the results of the other techniques, but providing results with a higher resolution, and providing information about variations in cores composition that could affect radionuclide activities. The short-time interval required for obtaining the Itrax results and the high-resolution of the data, among other applications of this scanner, confirmed its importance as a complementary tool for Environmental coastal management.

Frontiers in Marine Science, 2014

Environmental Pollution, 2007

Sediment geochemical technique was employed to assess how the sediment records reflect the enviro... more Sediment geochemical technique was employed to assess how the sediment records reflect the environmental changes of Jiaozhou Bay, a semi-enclosed bay adjacent to Qingdao, China. In the past hundred years, Jiaozhou Bay has been greatly impacted by human interventions. A dated core sediment by 210 Pb chronology was analyzed for trace metals including Li, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Ni, Co, Zn together with C, N, P and BSi. Based on the research, the development of Jiaozhou Bay environment in the past hundred years can be divided into three stages: (1) before the 1980s characterized by relatively low sedimentation rate, weak heavy metal pollution and scarce eutrophication; (2) from the 1980s to 2000, accelerating in the 1990s, during which high sedimentation rates, polluted by heavy metals and the frequent occurrence of red tide; (3) after 2000, the period of the improvement of environment, the whole system has been meliorated including the heavy metal pollution and hypernutrification.

XIV Congreso Nacional de …, 2001

The M iñor river is one o f the 35 m inor currents entering the Ría de Vigo (Pontevedra) at Baion... more The M iñor river is one o f the 35 m inor currents entering the Ría de Vigo (Pontevedra) at Baiona Bay, ; close to the SE margin o f the Ría. The present study was carried out over two periods: from May 97 to July 98 and from May 00 to May 01. In this paper we carry out a hydraulic and sedimentologic approach o f the M iñor river, making an estimation o f the total freshwater discharge and sediment input transported as suspended and dissolved loads. The final aim o f this study is to calculate erosion rates at the catchment, sediment yield, transport and the nature o f the sediments accumulated at the estuarine area. In view o f the average discharge for both periods o f time (2.7 m3/s y 6.7 m3/s) and the catchment area (75.6 m2) is possible to estimate suspended and dissolved sediment yields. Mean values for suspended sediments are 25.76 t/km2a for 97/98 and 139.74 t/ km2a for 00/01 and those for dissolved loads o f 109 t/km2a y 204 t/km2a, respectively. Finally, considering an average rock density o f 2 .7 g/cm3 we can estimate mechanical denudation rates o f 9.54 m3/km 2a during 97/98 and 51.76 m3/km 2a during 00/01. Chemical denudation rates are 40.46 m3/km 2a for the first period and 75.56 m3/km 2a for the second. Data obtained during 00/01 interval can be considered as maximum values, bearing in m ind the very unusually high rainfall conditions. .

Journal of Coastal …, 2007

... Scientia Marina, 64 (3), 295-302. PAZOS, O.; VILAS, F.; GARCÍA GIL, E.; GARCÍA GIL; S.; NOMBE... more ... Scientia Marina, 64 (3), 295-302. PAZOS, O.; VILAS, F.; GARCÍA GIL, E.; GARCÍA GIL; S.; NOMBELA, MA; ALEJO, I.; RUBIO, B. and REY, D., 1994. La costa de rías. ... Radiocarbon, 35, 215-230. THORNDYCRAFT, VR and BENITO. G., 2005. ...

2014 AGU Fall Meeting, Dec 15, 2014

The models are based on 0.1% perturbations of an homogenous seafloor model with seawater (and sed... more The models are based on 0.1% perturbations of an homogenous seafloor model with seawater (and sediment) conductivities/susceptibilities of 3 S/m and -9 x 10**-6 (1 S/m and 100 x 10**-6; susceptibility in SI-units).

Distribution, accumulation and diagenesis of surficial sediments in coastal and continental shelf... more Distribution, accumulation and diagenesis of surficial sediments in coastal and continental shelf systems follow complex chains of localized processes and form deposits of great spatial variability. Given the environmental and economic relevance of ocean margins, there is growing need for innovative geophysical exploration methods to characterize seafloor sediments by more than acoustic properties. A newly conceptualized benthic profiling and data processing approach based on controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) imaging permits to coevally quantify the magnetic susceptibility and the electric conductivity of shallow marine deposits. The two physical properties differ fundamentally insofar as magnetic susceptibility mostly assesses solid particle characteristics such as terrigenous or iron mineral content, redox state and contamination level, while electric conductivity primarily relates to the fluid-filled pore space and detects salinity, porosity and grain-size variations. We develop and validate a layered half-space inversion algorithm for submarine multifrequency CSEM with concentric sensor configuration. Guided by results of modeling, we modified a commercial land CSEM sensor for submarine application, which was mounted into a nonconductive and nonmagnetic bottom-towed sled. This benthic EM profiler Neridis II achieves 25 soundings/second at 3-4 knots over continuous profiles of up to hundred kilometers. Magnetic susceptibility is determined from the 75 Hz in-phase response (90% signal originates from the top 50 cm), while electric conductivity is derived from the 5 kHz out-of-phase (quadrature) component (90% signal from the top 92 cm). Exemplary survey data from the north-west Iberian margin underline the excellent sensitivity, functionality and robustness of the system in littoral (~0-50 m) and neritic (~50-300 m) environments. Susceptibility vs. porosity cross-plots successfully identify known lithofacies units and their transitions. All presently available data indicate an eminent potential of CSEM p [...]