Evaluation of frozen ground conditions along a coastal topographic gradient at Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island, Antarctica) by geophysical and geoecological methods

Geophysical surveying and geoelectricalmethods are effective to study permafrost distribution and conditions in polar environments. Geoelectrical methods are particularly suited to study the spatial distribution of permafrost because of its high electrical resistivity in comparison with that of soil or rock above 0 °C. In the South Shetland Islands permafrost is considered to be discontinuous up to elevations of 20–40ma.s.l., changing to continuous at higher altitudes. There are no specific data about the distribution of permafrost in Byers Peninsula, in Livingston Island, which is the largest ice-free area in the South Shetland Islands. With the purpose of better understanding the occurrence of permanent frozen conditions in this area, a geophysical survey using an electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)methodologywas conducted during the January 2015 field season, combined with geomorphological and ecological studies. Three overlapping electrical resistivity tomographies of 78meach were done along the same profile which ran from the coast to the highest raised beaches. The three electrical resistivity tomographies are combined in an electrical resistivitymodel which represents the distribution of the electrical resistivity of the ground to depths of about 13malong 158m. Several patches of high electrical resistivity were found, and interpreted as patches of sporadic permafrost. The lower limits of sporadic to discontinuous permafrost in the area are confirmed by the presence of permafrost-related landforms nearby. There is a close correspondence between moss patches and permafrost patches along the geoelectrical transect.

New Instruments for Impact Assessment: study of an academic library

This study presents a review of new instruments for the impact assessment of libraries and a case study of the evaluation impact of the Library of the Faculty of Science, University of Porto (FCUP), from the students’ point of view. We con ducted a mixed methods research, i.e., which includes both qualitative data, to describe characteristics, in particular human actions, and quantitative data, represented by numbers that indicate exact amounts which can be statistically manipulated. Applying International Standard ISO16439:2014 (E) - Information and documentation - Methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries, we collected, 20 opinion texts from students of different nationalities, published in «Notícias da Biblioteca», from January 2013 to December 2014 and have conducted seven interviews.