Aina Margalef Porcar

Andorra Research + Innovation

The Pyrenees constitutes an exceptional example of an Alpine orogenic belt characterized by basement thrust sheets involving Paleozoic rocks and Mesozoic and Cenozoic cover units detached on the Triassic evaporites, the main décollement level. This work is located in the Central Pyrenees, where gravity data help to better constrain the internal arc...

In this work we establish reliable correlations between density and magnetic susceptibility in three paramagnetic granites from the Pyrenees. In total, 128 sites (310 density measurements and >2600 susceptibility ones) were studied in the Mont Louis-Andorra, Maladeta and Marimanha granitic plutons covering the main range of variability of magnetic...

Surface and sub-surface geological structures are common targets in both academic and industry research. For example, regional faults and shear zones are used to define the evolution of orogens and sedimentary basins worldwide, whereas quartz veins, unconformities and diagenetic geobodies are of special interest for the mining sector. As a result,...

A new gravity survey (1164 gravity stations and 180 samples for density analysis) combined with two new geological cross sections has been carried out in a sector of the Central Pyrenees in order to improve the characterization of basement and cover architecture. From North to South, the study area comprises the southern half of the Axial Zone and...

The characterization of the basement architecture of the Pyrenean Axial Zone, backbone of the chain, is crucial to understand its geodynamic evolution and the interplay between tectonism and magmatism. In this work, a new gravity-constrained cross section was built along the Central Pyrenees, between two of the largest Pyrenean Late Variscan granit...

Resumo: A paleontologia de Andorra desenvolveu-se na segunda metade do século XX, com geólogos vindos da região catalã e Holanda a procurarem aperfeiçoar os seus métodos de datação relativa. Porém, os estudos paleontológicos que daí resultaram não tiveram grande desenvolvimento e os fósseis de Andorra quase caíram no esquecimento. Em 2006, um inven...

Durante la temporada invernal 2019-2020 se ha registrado un total de 23 accidentes relacionados con los aludes en España, Andorra y los Pirineos de Francia. 28 personas fueron arrastradas, 3 personas quedaron enterradas (cabeza bajo la nieve), 10 personas sufrieron heridas, 16 personas salieron indemnes y 3 personas perdieron la vida.

On 8th February 1996, in the north-western part of Andorra in the Pyrenees, the Les Fonts d’Arinsal (LFd’A) pure powder avalanche was triggered, descending some 1200 m to the bottom of the Arinsal valley and continuing up the opposite slope for about 200 m. This size 4–5 avalanche reached velocities of up to 80 ms−1, devastated 18 ha of forest, inv...

The sensitive mountain catchment of Portainé (Eastern Pyrenees, Iberian Peninsula) has recently experienced a significant change in its torrential dynamics due to human disturbances. The emplacement of a ski resort at the headwaters led to the surpassing of a geomorphological threshold, with important consequences during flood events. Consequently,...

The Variscan deformation in the Iberian Massif is related to the large-scale plate tectonic scenario that drove to the destruction of the Rheic and other intervening oceans, to finally form the Pangea Supercontinent. The Northern Iberian Massif structure consists in an East-vergent orogenic wedge developed at the footwall of a rootless oceanic sutu...

The Variscan deformation in the Iberian Massif is related to the large-scale plate tectonic scenario that drove to the destruction of the Rheic and other intervening oceans, to finally form the Pangea Supercontinent. The Northern Iberian Massif structure consists in an East-vergent orogenic wedge developed at the footwall of a rootless oceanic sutu...

The Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) was developed by Parks Canada in 2004 to inform backcountry users about the exposure to avalanche danger of winter mountain itineraries in their National Parks. Nowadays, ATES maps have become a popular tool for trip planning in Western Canada, Alaska and New Zealand. In 2011, the ATES was first applied f...

This paper uses mobile phone data (Call Detail Record) to analyze backcountry skiers’ dynamics in avalanche terrain. A case study is conducted in Andorra using data from February 2018. In this study, mobile phone data is combined with the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) cartog-raphy to analyse the behaviour of people in avalanche terrain. T...

In recent years different remote sensing techniques have been proved to be very useful for snow measurement and monitoring in alpine environments. Terrestrial Laser Scanner has been tested in different environments and conditions and presented a remarkable performance and accuracy to measure spacial and temporal distribution of snow depth at differ...

Andorra is located in the axial Pyrenees, in a climatic transition zone (Atlantic-Mediterranean). Hence, different atmospheric circulation types generate a high variability on the spatial distribution of snowfalls and windstorms. This leads to episodes with different spatial patterns of avalanche activity affecting in a different way several ski re...

The ALLAUS.AD web-based platform is created to centralize and homogenize all data related to avalanches, giving information that helps to improve the products already available, provide quick access and visualization. This platform will be composed of 3 main sections: 1) Information (con-ditions and advisory, terrain and group), 2) Dissemination (n...

A survey on mountain behavior and perception of avalanche risk destined to winter activities practitioners has been carried out around the geographical area of Andorra. This survey has several objectives: on one hand, to identify the several groups of winter sports practitioners in Andorra, and on the other hand to compare the behaviors among peopl...

The first LA-ICP-MS U-Pb detrital zircon ages from quartzites located in the Ordovician rocks from the Central Pyrenees (the Rabassa Dome, Andorra) were investigated. The four studied samples present very similar U-Pb age patterns. The main age populations correspond to Neoproterozoic (Ediacarian–Cryogenian, ca. 550–750 Ma), Grenvillian (Tonian–Ste...