On the monitoring of surface displacement in connection with volcano reactivation in Tenerife, Canary Islands, using space techniques

Geodetic volcano monitoring in Tenerife has mainly focused on the Las Cañadas Caldera, where a geodetic micronetwork and a levelling profile are located. A sensitivity test of this geodetic network showed that it should be extended to cover the whole island for volcano monitoring purposes. Furthermore, InSAR allowed detecting two unexpected movements that were beyond the scope of the traditional geodetic network. These two facts prompted us to design and observe a GPS network covering the whole of Tenerife that was monitored in August 2000. The results obtained were accurate to one centimetre, and confirm one of the deformations, although they were not definitive enough to confirm the second one. Furthermore, new cases of possible subsidence have been detected in areas where InSAR could not be used to measure deformation due to low coherence. A first modelling attempt has been made using a very simple model and its results seem to indicate that the deformation observed and the groundwater level variation in the island may be related. Future observations will be necessary for further validation and to study the time evolution of the displacements, carry out interpretation work using different types of data (gravity, gases, etc) and develop models that represent the island more closely. The results obtained are important because they might affect the geodetic volcano monitoring on the island, which will only be really useful if it is capable of distinguishing between displacements that might be linked to volcanic activity and those produced by other causes. One important result in this work is that a new geodetic monitoring system based on two complementary techniques, InSAR and GPS, has been set up on Tenerife island. This the first time that the whole surface of any of the volcanic Canary Islands has been covered with a single network for this purpose. This research has displayed the need for further similar studies in the Canary Islands, at least on the islands which pose a greater risk of volcanic reactivation, such as Lanzarote and La Palma, where InSAR techniques have been used already.

La certificación energética de grandes edificios terciarios

El proyecto consiste en el estudio de la “certificación energética de grandes edificios terciarios” a través del programa CALENER-GT, el funcionamiento de este y sus posibles aplicaciones. Para ello primero se expondrá el campo de la eficiencia energética para luego introducirnos en el tejido del programa. Para un conocimiento claro sobre la materia se realizará un ejemplo práctico de la misma, con la elaboración de un certificado energético de un edificio y las modificaciones de mejora oportunas. ABSTRACT This project consists in the study of the “energy certification of big tertiary buildings”, through the software CALENER-GT. It also focuses on how this particular software works and its possible applications. In order to do so, first the issue of energy efficiency is studied and the whole of the software is fully examined. In order to reach a complete understanding of this aforementioned issue, a practical example, based on the development of an energy certificate for a building and its necessary improvements, has been carried out.

Modelo de gestión por proyectos para el desarrollo local (MGPDL) en el marco de la nueva gestión pública. Aplicación a los distritos y barrios de la ciudad de Madrid

Esta investigación presenta un modelo de gestión para el ámbito público local enmarcado en la Nueva Gestión Pública que aboga por una gestión más eficaz, eficiente y transparente, y que pone el acento en la consideración del administrado como cliente y en las capacidades gerenciales y de liderazgo de los directivos públicos por encima de la función burocrática clásica. Asumiendo el concepto de comunidad política, en el que los ciudadanos y los gobernantes son corresponsables de la concertación política y social, y se pone en valor el conocimiento de la sociedad civil para la toma de decisiones, este modelo se expresa a través de un plan de acción para el desarrollo local que incorpora la estrategia empresarial “gestión por proyectos”, entendidos éstos como todos los proyectos que recogen las necesidades e ideas de los afectados, y que de alguna manera contribuyen al cambio o ayudan a transformar la realidad para la mejora de la calidad de vida. La realidad objeto de estudio que inspira este modelo es el primer plan de inversiones llevado a cabo en los distritos madrileños de Villaverde y Usera. Las características propias de este plan fueron la voluntad y la habilidad de los poderes públicos para transformar una movilización social reivindicativa en un proceso de planificación como aprendizaje social, integrando a los ciudadanos en un innovador sistema de gestión de responsabilidad compartida. El resultado fue considerado un éxito, ya que se cumplió el objetivo de reequilibrio social y económico de ambos distritos con el conjunto de la ciudad de Madrid, gracias a las infraestructuras y equipamientos construidos, y a los programas sociales implementados. De hecho, al concluir el plan, los problemas que originaron la movilización social apenas tenían relevancia: droga (5%), falta de equipamientos (3%) y baja calidad de vida (5%). A raíz del aprendizaje de esta experiencia desarrollada durante el período 1998‐ 2003, se construyó una metodología de actuación que se ha materializado en los actuales Planes especiales de actuación en distritos y Planes de Barrio de la ciudad de Madrid. Las evaluaciones realizadas hasta ahora determinan que se está logrando una homogeneización territorial en la oferta municipal de bienes, servicios y equipamientos públicos, lo que contribuye a una mayor equidad económica y social, en definitiva, a una mejor calidad de vida. ABSTRACT This research presents a management model for the public sector local framed in the New Public Management that advocates a public management more effective, efficient and transparent, and that puts the accent on the consideration of the citizen as client and in managerial and leadership skills of public managers over the classic bureaucratic function. Embracing the concept of political community, in which citizens and governments are jointly responsible for the political and social dialogue, and highlights the knowledge of the civil society to the decision‐making, this model is expressed through an action plan for local development that incorporates the business strategy "management by projects', understood these as all the projects that reflected the needs and ideas of those affected, and that in some way contribute to the change or help to transform the reality for the improvement of the quality of life. The reality which is subject of study and inspires this model is the first investment plan carried out in the districts of Madrid Villaverde and Usera. The characteristics of this plan were the will and the ability of the public authorities to transform a social mobilization in a planning process as social learning, integrating to citizens in an innovative system of management of shared responsibility. The result was considered a success, since the target was met for social and economic balance of the two districts with the whole of the city of Madrid, thanks to the built infrastructure and equipment, and the social programs implemented. In fact, at the end of the plan, the problems that led to the social mobilization had little relevance: drugs (5 %), lack of equipment (3 %) and low quality of life (5 %). As a result of learning from this experience developed during the period 1998‐ 2003, was built a methodology of performance which has been materialized in the current plans for special action in districts and plans of neighborhood of the city of Madrid. The evaluations conducted until now determine that the plans are achieving a territorial homogenization in the municipal supply of goods, services and public facilities, which contributes to a better economic and social equity, ultimately, to a better quality of life.

Storm evolution characterization for analysing stone armour damage progression

Storm evolution is fundamental for analysing the damage progression of the different failure modes and establishing suitable protocols for maintaining and optimally sizing structures. However, this aspect has hardly been studied and practically the whole of the studies dealing with the subject adopt the Equivalent triangle storm. As against this approach, two new ones are proposed. The first is the Equivalent Triangle Magnitude Storm model (ETMS), whose base, the triangular storm duration, D, is established such that its magnitude (area describing the storm history above the reference threshold level which sets the storm condition),HT, equals the real storm magnitude. The other is the Equivalent Triangle Number of Waves Storm (ETNWS), where the base is referred in terms of the real storm's number of waves,Nz. Three approaches are used for estimating the mean period, Tm, associated to each of the sea states defining the storm evolution, which is necessary to determine the full energy flux withstood by the structure in the course of the extreme event. Two are based on the Jonswap spectrum representativity and the other uses the bivariate Gumbel copula (Hs, Tm), resulting from adjusting the storm peaks. The representativity of the approaches proposed and those defined in specialised literature are analysed by comparing the main armour layer's progressive loss of hydraulic stability caused by real storms and that relating to theoretical ones. An empirical maximum energy flux model is used for this purpose. The agreement between the empirical and theoretical results demonstrates that the representativity of the different approaches depends on the storm characteristics and point towards a need to investigate other geometrical shapes to characterise the storm evolution associated with sea states heavily influenced by swell wave components.

Storm characterization for analyzing stone armour damage progression

Storm evolution is fundamental for analysing the damage progression of the different failure modes and establishing suitable protocols for maintaining and optimally sizing structures. However, this aspect has hardly been studied and practically the whole of the studies dealing with the subject adopt the Equivalent triangle storm. As against this approach, two new ones are proposed. The first is the Equivalent Triangle Magnitude Storm model (ETMS), whose base, the triangular storm duration, D, is established such that its magnitude (area describing the storm history above the reference threshold level which sets the storm condition),HT, equals the real storm magnitude. The other is the Equivalent Triangle Number of Waves Storm (ETNWS), where the base is referred in terms of the real storm's number of waves,Nz. Three approaches are used for estimating the mean period, Tm, associated to each of the sea states defining the storm evolution, which is necessary to determine the full energy flux withstood by the structure in the course of the extreme event. Two are based on the Jonswap spectrum representativity and the other uses the bivariate Gumbel copula (Hs, Tm), resulting from adjusting the storm peaks. The representativity of the approaches proposed and those defined in specialised literature are analysed by comparing the main armour layer's progressive loss of hydraulic stability caused by real storms and that relating to theoretical ones. An empirical maximum energy flux model is used for this purpose. The agreement between the empirical and theoretical results demonstrates that the representativity of the different approaches depends on the storm characteristics and point towards a need to investigate other geometrical shapes to characterise the storm evolution associated with sea states heavily influenced by swell wave components.

Land cover dynamics and climate change implications on water resources in South Pacific Costa Rica

Water is fundamental to human life and the availability of freshwater is often a constraint on human welfare and economic development. Consequently, the potential effects of global changes on hydrology and water resources are considered among the most severe and vital ones. Water scarcity is one of the main problems in the rural communities of Central America, as a result of an important degradation of catchment areas and the over-exploitation of aquifers. The present Thesis is focused on two critical aspects of global changes over water resources: (1) the potential effects of climate change on water quantity and (2) the impacts of land cover and land use changes on the hydrological processes and water cycle. Costa Rica is among the few developing countries that have recently achieved a land use transition with a net increase in forest cover. Osa Region in South Pacific Costa Rica is an appealing study site to assess water supply management plans and to measure the effects of deforestation, forest transitions and climate change projections reported in the region. Rural Community Water Supply systems (ASADAS) in Osa are dealing with an increasing demand of freshwater due to the growing population and the change in the way of life in the rural livelihoods. Land cover mosaics which have resulted from the above mentioned processes are characterized by the abandonment of marginal farmland with the spread over these former grasslands of high return crops and the expansion of secondary forests due to reforestation initiatives. These land use changes have a significant impact on runoff generation in priority water-supply catchments in the humid tropics, as evidenced by the analysis of the Tinoco Experimental Catchment in the Southern Pacific area of Costa Rica. The monitoring system assesses the effects of the different land uses on the runoff responses and on the general water cycle of the basin. Runoff responses at plot scale are analyzed for secondary forests, oil palm plantations, forest plantations and grasslands. The Oil palm plantation plot presented the highest runoff coefficient (mean RC=32.6%), twice that measured under grasslands (mean RC=15.3%) and 20-fold greater than in secondary forest (mean RC=1.7%). A Thornthwaite-type water balance is proposed to assess the impact of land cover and climate change scenarios over water availability for rural communities in Osa Region. Climate change projections were obtained by the downscaling of BCM2, CNCM3 and ECHAM5 models. Precipitation and temperature were averaged and conveyed by the A1B, A2 and B1 IPCC climate scenario for 2030, 2060 and 2080. Precipitation simulations exhibit a positive increase during the dry season for the three scenarios and a decrease during the rainy season, with the highest magnitude (up to 25%) by the end of the 21st century under scenario B1. Monthly mean temperature simulations increase for the three scenarios throughout the year with a maximum increase during the dry season of 5% under A1B and A2 scenarios and 4% under B1 scenario. The Thornthwaite-type Water Balance model indicates important decreases of water surplus for the three climate scenarios during the rainy season, with a maximum decrease on May, which under A1B scenario drop up to 20%, under A2 up to 40% and under B1 scenario drop up to almost 60%. Land cover scenarios were created taking into account current land cover dynamics of the region. Land cover scenario 1 projects a deforestation situation, with forests decreasing up to 15% due to urbanization of the upper catchment areas; land cover scenario 2 projects a forest recovery situation where forested areas increase due to grassland abandonment on areas with more than 30% of slope. Deforestation scenario projects an annual water surplus decrease of 15% while the reforestation scenario projects a water surplus increase of almost 25%. This water balance analysis indicates that climate scenarios are equal contributors as land cover scenarios to future water resource estimations.

El muro como referencia arquitectónica

Esta investigación parte del interés particular por la manifestación arquitectónica, paisajística o urbanística de aquellos muros construidos que se han erigido para limitar, planteando un enfoque del muro en una vertiente conceptual. Se propone la formulación de distintas interpretaciones para un mismo elemento físico, logrando una propuesta arquitectónica de identificación para diferentes casos de estudio que consideramos paradigmáticos en su concepto. La hipótesis plantea la posibilidad de identificar un muro con la autonomía o identidad conceptual que le hace capaz de condicionar o dirigir la conformación de una obra de arquitectura, sirviendo como instrumento arquitectónico para las acciones de articulación, implantación, referenciación o conformación. El desarrollo de la investigación muestra la aptitud de individualizar el muro como elemento excepcional en el cumplimiento de la síntesis de distintas variables de proyecto. Se elaboran cinco conceptos diferentes del elemento en la función que cumple en el espacio que se basan en una definición compuesta de dos propiedades determinantes que se identifican con la categoría de la “justificación conceptual” combinando, además, valores de las categorías “Relación con el lugar”, “Función estética”, “Función de programa” y “Generación”. Se propone la identificación del muro que presenta las cualidades que lo hacen actuar de forma articuladora en el espacio y que, al cumplir esa función, condiciona y determina parte de la obra de arquitectura en que se encuentra. El muro articulador se entiende como un elemento que soluciona formal y espacialmente distintas situaciones de programa; no responde a un esquema formal predeterminado, sino que lo crea, en la unión coherente entre opuestos: ámbitos opuestos, esquemas formales opuestos, etc. Proponemos la identificación del muro que presenta determinadas cualidades que lo hacen actuar de forma implantadora en el espacio y que, al cumplir esa función, condiciona y determina parte de la obra en que se encuentra. Se considera el muro implantador como el punto de partida del proyecto en que se ha utilizado y como el elemento elegido para hacer la síntesis entre las variables del proyecto - sitio, función constructiva y estructural, estableciendo una regla formal y espacial coherente. Proponemos la identificación del muro referenciador, elemento que se destaca en la edificación como entidad elegida para hacer la síntesis entre las distintas variables del proyecto: significado, función estética y sitio. El muro referenciador se percibe como una entidad autónoma, particular al carácter o programa de la obra y al sitio en que se erige. Se considera el muro-recinto como el punto de partida del proyecto en que se ha utilizado, así como un elemento fundamental que se destaca en el conjunto de la obra - sea por su vertiente constructiva o de tratamiento estético – como entidad elegida para hacer la síntesis entre las variables del proyecto: forma y programa. Al utilizar un esquema formal predeterminado, permite generar espacio coherente con las demandas de un programa específico, entendiéndose como un elemento arquitectónico particular a la obra. Proponemos la identificación del muro habitable como el elemento que presenta las cualidades que lo hacen pasible de generar espacio en su interior, siendo un instrumento útil para cumplir con la variable del proyecto del programa. El concepto de muro habitable, como contrapunto a los otros cuatro tipos, se manifiesta como una entidad más elemental que traduce un instrumento de trabajo todavía más manejable que los restantes muros estudiados. De hecho, su utilización es incluso posible en aquellos muros que ya presentan el concepto de muro articulador, implantador, referenciador o muro-recinto. ABSTRACT This research is based on a particular interest in the architectural, landscape or urban manifestations of those walls that have been erected to limit, considering a conceptual approach. It suggests the formulation of diverse interpretations for the same physical element to achieve an architectural proposal of identification for different case studies that we consider paradigmatic in its concept. The hypothesis considers the possibility to identify a wall with the autonomy or conceptual identity that makes it able to influence or direct the form of an architecture work, serving as an instrument for the actions of articulation, emplacement, referencing or conformation. The development of the research shows the ability to individualize the wall as an outstanding element in the synthesis of different variables of architectural design. It elaborates five different concepts of the wall function in space, based on a definition with two determinant properties which combine values of the categories "Relation with the context", "Aesthetic function", "Program function" and "Generation". We propose the identification of the wall that has the qualities that make it act in an articulating way in space, conditioning and determining part of the architectural work. The “articulating wall” is understood as an element that formally and spatially solves different situations of functional program; it does not respond to a previous formal scheme, it creates it instead, through the coherent combination between opposites: opposing fields, opposing formal schemes, etc. We identify as well the wall that has the qualities that make it able to emplace on site, conditioning and determining part of the architecture work. The “wall that emplaces” is considered the starting point of the architectural design and the chosen element to make the synthesis between the architectural design variables - site, constructive function and structural function - establishing a formal and spatial coherent rule. We propose the identification of the “referencing wall”, element that stands out in the building as an entity chosen to make the synthesis between the project variables: meaning, aesthetic function and site. The referencing wall is perceived as an autonomous entity, particular to the character or the functional program and the site on which it sits. We consider the “precinct wall” as the departure point of the architectural design where it is used as well as a fundamental element that stands out in the whole of the architecture work - either by its constructive aspect or esthetic treatment - as the chosen entity to synthetize form and pro-gram. Since it uses a predetermined formal scheme it will allow to generate consistent space with-in the demands of a specific program, being understood as an element particular to the architectural work. As a fifth concept we identify the “inhabitable wall” as the element that has the qualities that make it predisposed to generate space inside its nucleus, being a useful instrument to comply with the variable of program in the architectural design. The concept of inhabitable wall, as a counterpoint to the other four types, manifests itself as a more elemental entity that translates itself as a more manageable working tool. In fact, its use is even possible in those walls that al-ready present the concept of articulating wall, emplacing wall, referencing wall or precinct wall.