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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 is the foundation of the European University on Responsible Consumption and Production consortium (EURECA-PRO). This article introduces the eight EURECA-PRO partner universities: Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria), Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany), Technical University of Crete (Greece), University of León (Spain), Silesian University of Technology (Poland), Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (Germany), University of Petroşani (Romania), and Hasselt University (Belgium). In addition, each university’s role within the alliance and unique research and study programmes are outlined. The synergy created by EURECA-PRO enables the pursuit of an ambitious research agenda with five research “Lighthouse Missions” as well as the implementation of joint study programmes.

The historical stone heritage that we inherit must be passed on to future generations, not only in the same conditions that we found it but, if possible, in better ones. Construction also demands better and more durable materials, often stone. The protection of these materials requires knowledge of the types of rocks and their physical properties. The characterization of these properties is often standardized to ensure the quality and reproducibility of the protocols. These must be approved by entities whose purpose is to improve the quality and competitiveness of companies and to protect the environment. Standardized water absorption tests could be envisaged to test the effectiveness of certain coatings in protecting natural stone against water penetration, but we found that some steps of these protocols neglect any surface modification of the stones, and hence may not be completely effective when a hydrophilic protective coating (i.e., graphene oxide) is present. In this work, we analyze the UNE 13755/2008 standard for water absorption and propose alternative steps to adapt the norm for use with coated stones. The properties of coated stones may invalidate the interpretation of the results if the standard protocol is applied as is, so here we pay special attention to the characteristics of the coating applied, the type of water used for the test, the materials used, and the intrinsic heterogeneity of the specimens.

9 figures, 2 tables.-- Supplementary information available., Concern for the perpetuation of stone monuments is deeply ingrained in humans; however, despite the attempts made in this field, there is still a great deal of effort needed to bring about advancements in the conservation of ornamental stone. Erosive agents, such as rain, extreme temperatures, and chemical and biological agents, threaten our stone heritage and gradually wear away buildings, sculptures, and other monuments found all around the world. Limestone and dolostone have been widely used throughout history, given their ease of extraction and workability. Nevertheless, these properties make them particularly vulnerable to the aforementioned erosive agents, for which the main solution at present is costly and time-consuming restoration. Given the scarcity of effective and durable agents to prevent the deterioration of ornamental and heritage stones, and as graphene oxide (GO) has recently shown impressive effectiveness for this task, this work will further explore the viability of GO as a protective coating for monumental dolostone. For this purpose, GO is sprayed over dolostone surfaces by water dispersion with no adjuvants. The coating performance is assessed in terms of thermal stress, optical inspection (structured light 3D scanner), colorimetry, leachate analysis, and electron microscopy. The main results show that spray-coated GO over stone surfaces creates a highly protective and durable barrier without altering their aesthetic qualities., This research received funding from the University of León (ULE-PoC 2018) and Fundación General de la ULE y de la Empresa (FGULEM) under projects 2019/00149/001 and 2020. This research was also funded through an awarded MICINN project (PID2020-120439RA-I00). The authors are also thankful to the “Applied innovation against climate change and other aggressions on stone monuments (PRESERVARTE)” project of the Regional Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Castilla y León, which will be used to complement this research in the future.

The production of Portland cement is energy-intensive and polluting. As a result, the search for ecological and economical alternatives has become a global priority. Geopolymers are among the most promising ecological alternatives to Portland cement. Their properties depend on the nature and concentration of the activators. This study investigates the effect of Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio and NaOH molarity on the alkaline activation of natural volcanic pozzolan. The physico-mechanical and microstructural properties of the investigated geopolymer were evaluated using compressive strength, density, porosity, water absorption, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the optimal parameters for activation are a NaOH molarity of 8 mol/L and Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio of 1.2. These parameters enhance the dissolution of the volcanic pozzolan and the formation of a N-A-S-H geopolymer gel, resulting in a dense, less porous matrix with good resistance.

Emerging trends such as digitalization, globalization, and the COVID-19 pandemic areforcing higher education institutions to undergo constant organizational and technological changesand to introduce innovative pedagogical approaches suitable for teaching a new generation ofstudents—the so-called digital natives. The goal of this paper is to engage in the ongoing debate inhigher education about new teaching methods, i.e., game-based learning methods, which meet theneeds of digital natives. They have grown up in a fast-paced, technology-driven society, which hasaffected how they absorb information, their ability to concentrate for extended periods, and theirmotivation and engagement in the learning process. Existing research suggests that implementing thegame-based learning method can be very difficult and costly, as it often requires adapting the freelyavailable game to the requirements of the particular course and additional investment in purchasingappropriate equipment. In this paper, we develop a comprehensive procedure for introducing acost-effective game-based learning method in higher education, which includes thirteen steps tohelp lecturers introduce game-based activities straightforwardly into their teaching processes. Inaddition, we also present security, cultural, and quality assurance issues that need to be consideredwhen implementing game-based learning in higher education.Keywords: game-based learning; gamification; game design; higher education; hybrid teaching;online teaching

5 figures, 2 tables.-- This article belongs to the Special Issue "Surface Biotreatment of Building Materials"., Improving the protection of concrete by applying graphene oxide (GO) as a surface treatment has become the objective of the present study. This study focuses on performing a statistical analysis to study different levels of GO application as an exterior coating, thus observing the effectiveness of the coating and the optimization of the treatment material for concrete protection. Four tests were performed to define concrete durability, such as pressurized water penetration, capillary absorption, freeze-thaw resistance and carbonation resistance. The results showed an increase in concrete durability with any level of GO application on the surface, considering that the optimum amount of application for water impermeability and freeze-thaw resistance is 26.2 µg/cm2, since it was possible to reduce pressurized water penetration by 45%, capillary water absorption by 57% and freeze-thaw detachment by 25%. However, the optimum application rate for carbonation resistance is 52.4 µg/cm2, reducing carbonation by almost 60%. In conclusion, if the concrete is going to be exposed to less aggressive environments, the application of a mild surface coating of GO is sufficient for its protection, and if the concrete is going to be exposed to more aggressive environments, it is necessary to increase the amount of GO. The performance of GO as a coating significantly increased the degree of protection of the concrete, increasing its service life and proving to be a promising treatment for concrete surface protection., A.A.R. greatfully acknowledge to Aid from the Junta de Castilla y Leon to finance the pre-doctoral hiring of research personnel, co-financed by the European Social Fund, resolved in the ORDER EDU/875/2021, of July 13. D.M.M. greatfully acknowledge to Aid from the Junta de Castilla y Leon to finance the pre-doctoral hiring of research personnel, co-financed by the European Social Fund, resolved in the ORDEN EDU/601/2020, of July 3. M.F.R and J.M.G.-D. greatfully acknowledge Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and the Spanish Research Agency (AEI) for the financial support provided by the NANOSHIELD project (PID2020-120439RA-I00).

8 figures.-- Supplementary information available., The deterioration of monumental stones is a common event occurring to our historical and cultural heritage, threatening the preservation of our social identity and its legacy to future generations. The prolonged effect of inclement weather is very harmful for particular stone materials such as limestone and dolomite, to which a truly effective and durable protective agent has not yet been found. Herein, an unprecedented performance of graphene oxide (GO) for the shielding of carbonated ornamental stones against environmental aggressions, namely intense rainfall and extreme temperatures, is demonstrated. A simple additive-free aqueous suspension of GO serves as the perfect coating, exceedingly preventing from any kind of wear or erosion after different climatic simulations. Additionally, the stones’ original aesthetics is not altered (a critical issue in monuments), together with an improvement in their mechanical properties, reasserting the unique potential of GO for conserving exposed stone-based monuments in an affordable, accessible, and revolutionary way., This research received funding from the Univerisdad de León (ULE-PoC 2018) and “Fundación General de la ULE y de la Empresa (FGULEM)” under projects 2019/00149/001 and 2020. J.M.G.-D. is grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for his “Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación” research grant and associated research funds (IJCI-2016-27789). In loving memory of Prof. Jose L. García-Fierro, whose support with the XPS characterization was helpful for the development of this work. The authors also thank Mr. Adrián Domínguez Gutiérrez for his assistance during the photogrammetric processing of some samples. Invaluable assistance from Dr. Rebeca Martínez García and Dr. Sagrario Fernández Raga is highly indebted. Further research will be funded through a recently granted MICINN project (PID2020-120439RA-I00).

© 2021 by the authors., Measuring the characteristics of raindrops is essential for different processes studies. There have been many methods used throughout history to measure raindrops. In recent years, automatic image recognition and processing systems have been used with high-speed cameras to characterize rainfall by obtaining the spectrum of droplet sizes and their speeds and thus being able to use this technology to calibrate rainfall simulators. In this work, two phases were carried out: in the first one, individual drops with terminal speeds of different sizes were measured and processed both in speed and in shape with a high-speed camera; and in the second phase, a calibration procedure was designed but in multidrop images, determining the characteristics of the drops produced by a rain simulator. According to results, the real shape of each drop depending on the size was determined, from round to ovaloid shapes, and the terminal velocity of water drops with different sizes was measured. Based on the rain images used to calibrate a rainfall simulator, it was observed that, with a higher intensity of rain, the drops produced were smaller, which contrasts with real rain, in which just the opposite happens. This calibration evaluates their resemblance to reality, calculates the real kinetic energy of the rain they produce and see if they can be used to model events in nature., This research was fund by project PID2020-120439RA-I00 financed by MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033.

This case study describes two iterations of a cross-disciplinary Virtual Exchange (VE) project developed between the Universities of Bordeaux (France) and León (Spain), involving students of Applied Physics and Measurement Engineering (APME), and Electrical Engineering. The students worked together on designing a real garden in Bordeaux within ecological and sustainable parameters. This Project-Based Learning (PBL) activity helped them develop both their content knowledge and their competences in English, teamwork, time management, and self-evaluation.

Optical disdrometers are present weather sensors with the ability of providing detailed information of precipitation such as rain intensity, kinetic energy or radar reflectivity, together with discrete information on the distribution of particle sizes and fall velocities (PSVD) of the hydrometeors. Disdrometers constitute a step forward towards a more complete characterisation of precipitation, being highly useful in several research fields and applications. In this article the performance of the two optical disdrometer most extensively used, the most recent version of Ott PARSIVEL2 disdrometer and Thies Clima Laser Precipitation Monitor, is evaluated. During a two years precipitation observation experiment, four collocated optical disdrometers, two Thies Clima LPM and two Ott PARSIVEL2, recorded 58761 common one-minute precipitation observations, totalling 221 natural rainfall events, with intensities peaking at 220 mm h−1. The results show significant differences between both disdrometer types for all integrated precipitation parameters, which can be explained by differences in the raw particle size and velocity distribution (PSVD). Thies LPM recorded in average double number of particles than PARSIVEL2. PSVD percentile comparison showed Thies LPM measuring more small particles than Ott Parsivel2, resulting in higher rain rates and totals. These differences increased greatly with rainfall intensity. At rain rates above 10 mm h−1 Thies LPM recorded nine times the number of particles of PARSIVEL2, affecting all precipitation variables. The practical consequences of these differences, and possible reasons, are discussed, in order to help researchers and users in the election of the sensor, pointing out at the same time limitations to be fixed in future versions.

Most concrete studies are concentrated on mechanical properties especially strength properties either directly or indirectly (fresh and durability properties). Hence, the ratio of split tensile strength to compressive strength plays a vital role in defining the concrete properties. In this review, the impact of design parameters on the strength ratio of various grades of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) with recycled aggregate is assessed. The design parameters considered for the study are Water to Cement (W/C) ratio, Water to Binder (W/B) ratio, Total Aggregates to Cement (TA/C) ratio, Fine Aggregate to Coarse Aggregate (FA/CA) ratio, Water to Solid (W/S) ratio in percentage, superplasticizer (SP) content (kg/cu.m), replacement percentage of recycled coarse aggregates (RCA), replacement percentage of recycled fine aggregates (RFA), fresh density and loading area of the specimen. It is observed that the strength ratio of SCC with recycled aggregates is affected by design parameters.

This research aimed to estimate the splash erosion and its evolution during the first months in specific land uses after a forest fire. The study area was located in Congosto (North-West Spain), in the margins of Spanish drylands, after a wildfire occurred in May 2012, which burned 15.56 ha of scrubland and Pinus reforestation. Two different burned land uses were selected and compared to control areas: i) burned pine forest; and, scrublands. Rainfall intensity and the number, sizes and speed of raindrops were measured by an optical disdrometer and soil loss by funnels. Moreover, infiltration, soil moisture content, aggregate stability, water repellence, pH and organic matter were also measured. Results showed that the highest soil losses occurred in the burned areas, especially in the scrubland plots. The most influential factors were the presence of bare soil and the low vegetation recovery rate. Changes in soil properties did not significantly influence splash erosion, although an increase in the presence of smaller classes of aggregates could promote erosion in the scrubland. We conclude that the vegetation ecosystem restoration is the key issue to be considered after a wildfire, especially, in those types of land uses which are severely affected by the fire in the margins of drylands.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, researchers have tried to characterise the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 to better understand the pathogenic mechanisms of the virus and prevent further dissemination. As a consequence, there has been a bloom in scientific research papers focused on the behaviour of the virus in different environmental contexts. Nevertheless, despite these efforts and due to its novelty, available information about this coronavirus is limited, as several research studies are still ongoing. This review aims to shed light on this issue. To that end, we have examined the scientific literature to date regarding the viability of SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces and fluids or under different environmental conditions (temperature, precipitation and UV radiation). We have also addressed the role of animals in the transmission of this coronavirus., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Data overview on practical information about SARS-CoV-2-survival on different surfaces. • SARS-CoV-2 is not affected with temperatures as seasonal coronaviruses. • UV radiation may inactivate SARS-CoV-2 after 1 h of index of 10. • Pet animals such as cat, dogs, and ferrets are susceptible to infection.

For the study of soil erosion it is important to set up the experiments well. In the experimental design one of the key factors is the choice of the measurement device. This is especially important when one part of the erosion process needs to be isolated, such as for splash erosion. Therefore, the main aim of this research is to list the general characteristics of the commonly used splash erosion devices and to discuss the performance, to be able to relate them, and make suggestions regarding their use. The devices we selected for this comparative comparison were: the splash cup, funnel, Morgan tray, T&uuml, bingen cup, tower, and the gutter. The devices were tested under the same conditions (rainfall characteristics, slope, and soil type) to assess their hydrological response under different intensities of simulated rainfall. All devices were installed on a sloping plot (10&deg, ) with sandy soil, and were exposed to 10 min. of simulated rain with intensities ranging from 60 to 172 mm/h to measure the splashed sediment, and to describe problems and differences among them. The results showed that the T&uuml, bingen cup was the best performing device to measure kinetic energy of the rain, but, because of its design, it is not possible to measure the detached splashed sediment under natural (field) conditions. On the other hand, the funnel device showed a significant relation with rain intensity because it loses little sediment to washing. In addition, the device is easy to use and cheap. Therefore, this device is highly recommended to estimated splash erosion. to the good performance measuring the actual splash erosion, because it loses little sediment by washing. The device is also cheap and easy to install and manage.

Este artículo contiene 16 páginas, 6 figuras, 2 tablas., Soil degradation by water is a serious environmental problem worldwide, with specific climatic factors being the major causes. We investigated the relationships between synoptic atmospheric patterns (i.e. weather types, WTs) and runoff, erosion and sediment yield throughout the Mediterranean basin by analyzing a large database of natural rainfall events at 68 research sites in 9 countries. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify spatial relationships of the different WTs including three hydro-sedimentary variables: rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield (SY, used to refer to both soil erosion measured at plot scale and sediment yield registered at catchment scale). The results indicated 4 spatial classes of rainfall and runoff: (a) northern sites dependent on North (N) and North West (NW) flows; (b) eastern sites dependent on E and NE flows; (c) southern sites dependent on S and SE flows; and, finally, (d) western sites dependent on W and SW flows. Conversely, three spatial classes are identified for SY characterized by: (a) N and NE flows in northern sites (b) E flows in eastern sites, and (c) Wand SW flows in western sites. Most of the rainfall, runoff and SY occurred during a small number of daily events, and just a few WTs accounted for large percentages of the total. Our results confirm that characterization by WT improves understanding of the general conditions under which runoff and SY occur, and provides useful information for understanding the spatial variability of runoff, and SY throughout the Mediterranean basin. The approach used here could be useful to aid of the design of regional water management and soil conservation measures., This research was supported by projects funded by the MINECOFEDER: CGL2014-52135-C3-3-R, CGL2014-59946-R, CGL2015-65569- R, CGL2015-64284-C2-2-R, and PCIN-2017-061/AEI. When this manuscript was first submitted Estela Nadal-Romero and Damià Vericat received a “Ramón y Cajal” postdoctoral contract (RYC-2013-14371 and RYC‐2010‐06264, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MEC). Damià Vericat is now a Serra Húnter Fellow at the University of Lleida. María Fernández-Raga received a “José Castillejo” postdoctoral grant (Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports). Carla Ferreira was supported by a post-doctoral research grant from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (SFRH/ BPD/120093/2016). Mariano Moreno-de las Heras received a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contract (IJCI-2015-26463) from the MEC. José Andrés López-Tarazón received a Vicenç Mut postdoctoral fellowship from the Autonomous Balearic Government (CAIB PD/038/2016). José Andrés López-Tarazón and Ramon Batalla also acknowledge the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Department of the Economy and Knowledge of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia for supporting the Consolidated Research Group 2014 SGR 645 (RIUSFluvial Dynamics Research Group), and the CERCA Programme. This paper has benefited from the Lab and Field Data Pool created within the framework of the COST action CONNECTEUR (ES1306).

La obtención y gestión de bases de datos completas que recojan datos de las características de las gotas de los diferentes eventos de lluvia en cada lugar concreto resulta sumamente útil en Meteorología.La recogida de estos datos exige de instrumentos meteorológicos especializados, como los disdrómetros, y concretamente el disdrómetro óptico Laser Precipitation Monitor (LPM) de Thies Clima es uno de los más comunes. Este disdrómetro ha sido utilizado por la Universidad de León para el estudio de las gotas desde el año 2006, generando una base de datos tan grande y pesada que resulta muy complicada de gestionar y analizar.Es por tanto de alto interés para fines de investigación diseñar un programa informático que gestione las bases de datos y que permita realizar consultas de periodos de interés de una manera automática, extrayendo aquellas estadísticas y valores que resulten de mayor utilidad.Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo es diseñar una aplicación que permita procesar los registros obtenidos durante más de 10 años por un disdrómetro LPM Thies clima, y almacenarlos en texto plano en datos válidos para su posterior tratamiento. Para ello, hacemos uso del lenguaje Java que lee los datos, los procesa y los sube al servidor de base de datos. Una vez estos datos son almacenados, se pasan a mostrarse en una aplicación Web que, de forma gráfica, puede presentarlos por fechas, tamaños o velocidades, aportando una información válida para estudio de las precipitaciones. Esta aplicación fue implementada con un Login de seguridad para controlar el acceso de usuarios, y con un interfaz de usuario sencillo que permite que usuarios sin conocimientos en Java puedan ejecutar la aplicación sin ningún tipo de problema.

[EN] In a framework in which teaching practice is a dynamic process, predisposed to continuous innovation, the Geological Collection of the University of León (CGULe), with 2000 copies of minerals, rocks and fossils, offers an opportunity for teaching innovation, in relationship with subjects of the geological disciplines that are taught in the Degrees of Mining Engineering and Energy Engineering. At http://laboratorio.wesped.es/, the first phase of development of the Virtual Museum of the CGULe is shown, where information and images of minerals and mineral deposits from León are offered. Likewise, videos of tests of characterization of minerals, made by students as a practice of the subject "Mineralogy and Petrography" (Degree in Mining Engineering), are offered as part of a teaching innovation. This teaching innovation was evaluated in two ways: a) comparing the academic results of students in this practice with equivalent results from previous courses and b) conducting a satisfaction survey. Given the small number of students who participated in this experience, the results of this evaluation are inconclusive. For this reason, teacher innovation will be extended in time and will be extended to other subjects of the above mentioned degrees., The work was partially funded by the project "Design of practical teaching-learning experiences in relation to the virtual musealization of the Geological Collection of the University of León", in the framework of the Support Plan for Teaching Innovation of the University of León (PAID & PAGID 2016). Likewise, the authors express their gratitude to D. Luis Armando Conejo Lombas, donor of copies to the Geological Collection of the University of Leon, as well as photographs of deposits to the Virtual Museum, and to the collaborators: Mr. Ángel Díez Bragado, Mr. Jesús García del Canto, Mr. Manuel Urcera Valladares and Mr. Guillermo Salazar Brugos.

[EN] Rainfall-induced soil erosion is a major threat, especially in agricultural soils. In the Mediterranean belt, vineyards are affected by high soil loss rates, leading to land degradation. Plantation of new vines is carried out after deep ploughing, use of heavy machinery, wheel traffic, and trampling. Those works result in soil physical properties changes and contribute to enhanced runoff rates and increased soil erosion rates. The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of the plantation of vineyards on soil hydrological and erosional response under low frequency - high magnitude rainfall events, the ones that under the Mediterranean climatic conditions trigger extreme soil erosion rates. We determined time to ponding, Tp; time to runoff, Tr; time to runoff outlet, Tro; runoff rate, and soil loss under simulated rainfall (55 mm h(-1), 1 h) at plot scale (0.25 m(2)) to characterize the runoff initiation and sediment detachment. In recent vine plantations (50 years; O). Slope gradient, rock fragment cover, soil surface roughness, bulk density, soil organic matter content, soil water content and plant cover were determined. Plantation of new vineyards largely impacted runoff rates and soil erosion risk at plot scale in the short term. Tp, Tr and Tro were much shorter in R plots. Tr-Tp and Tro-Tr periods were used as connectivity indexes of water flow, and decreased to 77.5 and 33.2% in R plots compared to O plots. Runoff coefficients increased significantly from O (42.94%) to R plots (71.92%) and soil losses were approximately one order of magnitude lower (1.8 and 12.6 Mg ha(-1) h(-1) for O and R plots respectively). Soil surface roughness and bulk density are two key factors that determine the increase in connectivity of flows and sediments in recently planted vineyards. Our results confirm that plantation of new vineyards strongly contributes to runoff initiation and sediment detachment, and those findings confirms that soil erosion control strategies should be applied immediately after or during the plantation of vines. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved., This paper is part of the results of research projects GL2008-02879/BTE, LEDDRA 243857 and RECARE-FP7 (ENV.2013.6.2-4, http://recare-project.eu/).

66 Pags.- 1 Tabl.- 7 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00128252, Soil erosion is a serious ecological and environmental problem, and the main cause of land degradation in many ecosystems at global scale. Detachment of soil particles by raindrop splash is the first stage in the soil erosion process. A review of the scientific literature published in peer-reviewed international journals (ISI) over the last decades on splash erosion research sheds light on the current scientific knowledge on this topic. In addition, it highlights the research gaps and unanswered questions in our understanding of soil erosion processes due to splash. In this literature review, a bibliographic search in Web of Science by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) database was carried out on August the 9th, 2016, that returned 669 papers containing the words “splash erosion”. The research found was categorised according to a number of criteria: i) devices used to measure splash erosion, ii) advantages and disadvantages of these devices, iii) splash erosion studies by country, iv) date of publication of the first article, v) evolution of the number of articles published in each ten-year period, vi) concepts studied, vii) keywords, viii) authors, ix) number of citations, and x) most cited articles. After this review a synthesis of the information that the science has published about splash erosion was made in order to improve our understanding about splash erosion, by identifying the research questions that still remain unanswered today about the first detachment mechanism. From this review several issues were found important for the advancement of this research topic: a) further study of the known basic factors influencing splash erosion; b) description and quantification of sources of uncertainty about the measurement of different variables; c) to understand the influences that the chosen research approach by individual researchers will have in the final result; and, d) to study the impact of drivers or mitigation techniques that may affect splash erosion., This research was funded by the José Castillejo Grant, a Program for Junior professors of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Spain (CAS16/00385).

The aim of this study is to improve the estimation of the characteristic uncertainties of optic disdrometers in an attempt to calculate the efficient sampling area according to the size of the drop and to study how this influences the computation of other parameters, taking into account that the real sampling area is always smaller than the nominal area. For large raindrops (a little over 6 mm), the effective sampling area may be half the area indicated by the manufacturer. The error committed in the sampling area is propagated to all the variables depending on this surface, such as the rain intensity and the reflectivity factor. Both variables tend to underestimate the real value if the sampling area is not corrected. For example, the rainfall intensity errors may be up to 50% for large drops, those slightly larger than 6 mm. The same occurs with reflectivity values, which may be up to twice the reflectivity calculated using the uncorrected constant sampling area. The Z-R relationships appear to have little dependence on the sampling area, because both variables depend on it the same way. These results were obtained by studying one particular rain event that occurred on April 16, 2006. The authors would like to thank Dr. Noelia Ramón for translating this paper into English. Ana I. Calvo acknowledges Posdoc Grant SFRH/BPD/64810/2009 from the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT). This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grant TEC2010-19241-C02-01). published

The variability of winter precipitation in the west of the Iberian Peninsula is strongly affected by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This study focuses on identifying the relationship that exists between precipitation registered in the city of Leon (in northwestern Spain), the NAO index and the associated weather type during the same period. In order to achieve this objective, the prevailing weather type has been calculated for each day in Leon from January 1948 to March 2009, using the objective Lamb Weather Types classification method. The most significant results appear in winter (from December to March). During these months an increase has been observed in the frequency of ‘anticyclonic’ weather type (A) (very dry), and a decrease in the ‘cyclonic’ (C), ‘south-westerly’ (SW) and ‘westerly’ (W) types (the three rainiest weather types). The positive trend in the NAO index could be the main cause of the decrease in the frequency of the three rainiest weather types (C, SW and W) and therefore, responsible for the relevant decline in winter precipitation observed in the city of Leon. The high correlation coefficients between the NAO index, the frequency of the three rainiest weather types and winter precipitation suggests an interesting method to forecast rainfall. Using a binary logistic regression model, a downscaling model for daily precipitation has been obtained based on the weather types and the NAO index. The daily results obtained for the winter months are good (TSS = 0.64) bearing in mind that only sea level pressure data were used in the logistic model. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society

Precipitation and continuous particle number size distributions have been measured using a passive cavity aerosol spectrometer probe PCASP-X, in an urban environment: the city of Leon, Spain. Five rain events have been analyzed in detail, none of which registered very intense precipitation, ranging from 2.5 mm to 14.7 mm, with a maximum rain intensity of 5.6 mm/h. The study focuses on the influence of precipitation in aerosol size distributions before, during and after a rain event. Washout effects have been observed during rain events with intensities of over 3.2 ± 1.5 mm/h, resulting in a decrease of 20% in the number of particles detected, the decrease affecting large and small particles alike. However, if the rain intensity is about 0.6 mm/h or lower, the result is a considerable increase in the number of aerosols measured — up to 89% more — with an increase in the number of particles smaller than 1.3 µm and a decrease in the number of particles larger than 1.3 µm. It may be the case that during very weak rain intensity the probe does not discriminate adequately between aerosols and small precipitating droplets or the extremely small droplets that remain in suspension in the atmosphere. In consequence, it will be argued that measurements taken during very weak rain events (with an intensity of less than 0.6 mm/h), such as drizzle or dense fog, should be treated separately or not be considered. The performance of the accumulation and coarse modes has also been studied, as well as the count median diameters (CMDs) before, during and after the rain event.

This study describes winter precipitation chemistry data (2002–2006) from a remote regional background EMEP station located at Viznar (Granada, Spain). The rainwater samples collected were analyzed for pH, major ion concentrations and conductivity. Wet-only precipitation chemistry was dominated by Ca2+, SO42− and Cl− and the station did not have an acid rain problem (pH lies between 5.8 and 7.4). The samples were classified into nine groups of origin considering the back-trajectory and the chemical composition of the precipitation due to its meteorological origin. Saharan air masses at 1500 m and 3000 m a.g.l. seem to have an important influence on chemical rain composition. Among the marine air masses, the Mediterranean air mass carries the smallest amount of contaminants. Important correlations have been found between acidic anions (SO42− and NO3−) and crustal-derived cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, and K+), suggesting the absorption of acid elements contained in aerosols, such as sulfuric acid and nitric acid, and the subsequent reaction with alkaline components rich in carbonate materials contained in particulate matter. Principal Component Factor Analysis was used in order to provide quantitative insights into the sources of specific chemical components in precipitation. Enrichment factors relative to soil and seawater have also been calculated. Although both Mg2+ and K+ have a crustal origin, a certain marine contribution is also observed.

This study was carried out in the region of Castile and Leon, Spain, from 1980 to 1998 and analyzes the relationship between the number of monthly deaths caused by cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive diseases and three meteorological variables: temperature, pressure and humidity. One of the innovations in this study is the application of principal component analysis in a way that differs from its usual application: one single series representing the whole region was constructed for each meteorological variable from the series of eight weather stations. Annual and seasonal mortality trends were also studied. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Castile and Leon. The mortality related to cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems shows a statistically significant rising trend across the study period (an annual increase of 6, 16 and 4 per thousand, respectively). The pressure at which mortality is lowest is approximately the same for all causes of death (about 915 hPa), but temperature values vary greatly (16.8-19.7 degrees C for the mean, 10.9-18.1 degrees C for the minimum, and 24.1-27.2 degrees C for the maximum temperature). The most comfortable temperatures for patients with cardiovascular diseases (16.8 degrees C) are apparently lower than those for patients with respiratory diseases (18.1 degrees C), which are, in turn, lower than in the case of diseases of the digestive system (19.7 degrees C). Finally, the optimal humidity for patients with respiratory diseases is the lowest (24%) among the diseases, and the highest (51%) corresponds to diseases of the digestive system, while the optimal relative humidity for the cardiovascular system is 45%.

En la pagina web http://laboratorio.wesped.es/, se muestran videos de ensayos de propiedades fisicas de minerales, realizados por alumnos como una practica de la asignatura “Mineralogia y Petrografia” (Grado en Ingenieria Minera), en el marco de un proyecto de innovacion docente. Los minerales utilizados en la experiencia pertenecen a la Coleccion Geologica de la Universidad de Leon, formada por mas de 2000 ejemplares. La experiencia fue evaluada por dos vias: a) comparacion de los resultados academicos de los alumnos en esta practica con resultados equivalentes de cursos academicos anteriores y, b) realizacion de una encuesta de satisfaccion. La evaluacion de la experiencia, aunque muy satisfactoria, no es concluyente, dado el reducido numero de alumnos participantes. Por ello, esta experiencia se prolongara en el tiempo y se ampliara a otras asignaturas de los Grados de Ingenieria Minera y de la Energia. ostrar diversos conceptos de integracion y adaptacion fisiologica.

This study analyses the research on disdrometers based on published studies. To do so, a wide data base of bibliographic references has been used: the Web of Science (published by Thomson Reuters). The search was carried out for all of the articles whose "TOPIC" was disdrometer. The more than 300 articles found were analysed according to various criteria: countries with research using disdrometers; publication dates; evolution of the number of articles; concepts studied and research lines followed in each article; and finally, a bibliometric analysis of the more than 60 journals where these articles have been published. Since 1963, there has been an increase in the number of articles published on disdrometers, which in the last 20 yr has been more than ten times higher than the increase in the number of articles on meteorology.

A lo largo de este trabajo se abordan varios aspectos relacionados con las medidas de las gotas que llegan a la superficie terrestre, determinadas mediante el uso de los disdrómetros ópticos. Se analizan también las incertidumbres y utilidades que estos datos pueden tener a nivel práctico. Se habla primeramente de la importancia del conocimiento del número y tamaño de las gostas de lluvia para poder determinar aspectos tan diferentes como la dispersión de la señal de las ondas de radio o la determinación de la erosión del suelo por salpicadura. Así mismo, también se aborda la historia de la mediciónde las gotas, de los principales hallazgos al respecto, así como del funcionamiento de los disdrómetros ópticos. Los disdrómetos son los actuales sistemas de medición automática terrestre del número, tamaño y velocidad de las gotas de lluvia, y gracias a ellos se pueden calcular variables características de la precipitación como son la reflectivilidad, la energía cinética y el momento lineal en cada minuto de lluvia. A partir de los resultados obtenidos, los profesores de la Unievrsidad de León han caracterizado los distintos episodios de precipitación con estos aparatos, y se han comparado cronológicamente los resultados obtenidos tanto en una misma zona como en áreas localizadas en puntos diversos. Así mismo también se han realizado diversos estudios de erosión de suelo y se han analizado posibles relaciones existentes entre las características de la lluvia y el tipo de tiempo determinado para cada uno de los días de precipitación.

Producción Científica, Rainfall is the key factor to understand soil erosion processes, mechanisms, and rates. Most research was conducted to determine rainfall characteristics and their relationship with soil erosion (erosivity) but there is little information about how atmospheric patterns control soil losses, and this is important to enable sustainable environmental planning and risk prevention. We investigated the temporal and spatial variability of the relationships of rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield with atmospheric patterns (weather types, WTs) in the western Mediterranean basin. For this purpose, we analyzed a large database of rainfall events collected between 1985 and 2015 in 46 experimental plots and catchments with the aim to: (i) evaluate seasonal differences in the contribution of rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield produced by the WTs; and (ii) to analyze the seasonal efficiency of the different WTs (relation frequency and magnitude) related to rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield. The results indicate two different temporal patterns: the first weather type exhibits (during the cold period: autumn and winter) westerly flows that produce the highest rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield values throughout the territory; the second weather type exhibits easterly flows that predominate during the warm period (spring and summer) and it is located on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. However, the cyclonic situations present high frequency throughout the whole year with a large influence extended around the western Mediterranean basin. Contrary, the anticyclonic situations, despite of its high frequency, do not contribute significantly to the total rainfall, runoff, and sediment (showing the lowest efficiency) because of atmospheric stability that currently characterize this atmospheric pattern. Our approach helps to better understand the relationship of WTs on the seasonal and spatial variability of rainfall, runoff and sediment yield with a regional scale based on the large dataset and number of soil erosion experimental stations., Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad - FEDER (CGL2014 52135-C3-3-R; ESP2017-89463-C3-3-R; CGL2014-59946-R; CGL2015-65569-R; CGL2015-64284- C2-2-R; CGL2015-64284-C2-1-R; CGL2016-78075-P; GL2008-02879/BTE; LEDDRA 243857; RECARE-FP7; CGL2017-83866-C3-1-R y PCIN-2017- 061/AEI), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (FJCI-2017-33652), Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (TAD/CRP JA00088807), Junta de Castilla y León - FEDER (CLU-2018-04)