Hugo Corbí

• Ph.D.
• Researcher at University of Alicante

A composite stratigraphic section ranging from the Messinian to the Pliocene, recording the most important phases of the Messinian Salinity Crisis, is represented in the San Miguel de Salinas area (Bajo Segura basin, SE Spain). Detailed magnetostratigraphic and facies analyses and foraminifer and nannoplankton assemblage studies were carried out. I...

The Bajo Segura basin (eastern Betic Cordillera) has one of the most complete late Miocene–early Pliocene marine records of the western Mediterranean. An updated planktonic foraminifer zonal scheme based on recent astronomically tuned biozones is presented for this interval, documenting a complete succession of biostratigraphic markers, from biozon...

The Messinian coral reef of Santa Pola, one of the most relevant geosites in the geological heritage of the western Mediterranean, is quantitatively assessed in terms of geoscience and features of potential use. Two different methodologies are used, one developed by the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME) for the Spanish Geosite Invento...

This research explores the Messinian record in a western Mediterranean basin at the eastern end of the Betic Cordillera (the Garruchal section, southern sector of the Bajo Segura basin). Sedimentary facies development and foraminiferal assemblages were used as palaeoenvironmental proxies to characterize the palaeoceanographic evolution of the basin...

This study aims to assess the knowledge of geology and sustainability among 14- and 15-year-old secondary school students in Spain and to evaluate the effectiveness of active experiential methodologies in improving academic performance in these subjects. Involving 132 students, we used pre-test and post-test questionnaires for data collection, with...

In this study, coastal scenic beauty was assessed at 29 sites at São Miguel, which is one of the Azores Islands, i.e., a group of remote volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The assessment was based on in situ observations and the use of the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES), which consists of a checklist with 26 physical- and anthro...

The Messinian Salinity Crisis is considered as one of the most influential Cenozoic events that impacted negatively on the benthic fauna of the Mediterranean area. Changing environmental conditions, including a sharp reduction of water exchange between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, altered the geographical ranges of many organisms,...

Plastic debris is becoming a growing environmental concern and microplastics (size <5 mm) are one of the most important fractions due to their environmental and human potential deleterious effects. Despite the recent effort done on estimating their concentrations in several ecosystems, the dynamics of microplastic accumulation are not sufficiently...

The history of Earth is considered a basic principle for scientific literacy. In this sense, it is urgent to improve the comprehension of basic concepts regarding our planet's system and of the most important events that occurred along its history through an understanding of geological time. In this work we approach the topic of the “History of Ear...

XXXVI Jornadas de la Sociedad Española de Paleontología. 29 de septiembre y el 2 de octubre. Facultad de Ciencias Humanas y de la Educación de Huesca (Universidad de Zaragoza).

XXXVI Jornadas de la Sociedad Española de Paleontología. 29 de septiembre y el 2 de octubre. Facultad de Ciencias Humanas y de la Educación de Huesca (Universidad de Zaragoza).

Short Abstract The history of Earth is considered a basic principle for scientific literacy. In this sense, it is urgent to improve the comprehension of basic concepts regarding our planet's system and of the most important events that occurred along its history through an understanding of geological time. In this work we approach the topic of the...

The Middle Pleistocene Transition (MPT, ~641–920 ka) represents a period of the Quaternary climate when, in the absence of substantial changes in orbital forcing, the climate progressively shifted to the 100 ka asymmetrical glacial–interglacial cyclicity characterizing the current climate. The causes of this change remain still uncertain but severa...

The palaeontological site of “El Porquet 1” is a carbonate layer with mammal ichnites located in the Messinian II synthem (MII) of the northern margin of the Bajo Segura Basin. As a consequence of the discoveries resulting from the 2011 systematic excavation, legal protection was promoted by the Government of Valencia. Our team has applied two diff...

In recent years, the dissemination of geoheritage has made great strides in Spain, both at the legislative and outreach levels. As part of these efforts, the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alicante organizes various activities to promote and enhance the learning of geology and the geoheritage of Alicante Provinc...

Sand colour can give important information about mineral composition and, consequently, sediment source areas and input systems. Beach appearance, which is mostly linked to sand colour, has a relevant economic function in tourist areas. In this paper, the colour of 66 sand samples, collected along both natural and nourished beaches in the western M...

The Lorca and Fortuna basins are two intramontane Neogene basins located in the eastern Betic Cordillera (SE Spain). During the Late Tortonian ‐ Early Messinian, marine and continental evaporites precipitated in these basins as a consequence of increased marine restriction and isolation. Here we show a stratigraphic correlation between the evaporit...

Observar determinados sedimentos bajo el microscopio nos permite contemplar una gran variedad de microfósiles cuyo estudio es clave para conocer la historia de la Tierra y de la vida. En este artículo se propone desarrollar un taller de micropaleontología en los laboratorios de ciencias experimentales dentro de la enseñanza de las ciencias de la Ti...

Libreto Geolodía Alicante 2019: Busot

Divulgar el patrimonio paleontológico es importante, pero aún lo es más hacerlo teniendo en cuenta a todas las personas. Diseñamos un módulo expositivo accesible para dar a conocer el arrecife fósil de Santa Pola en el Museo Paleontológico de Elche teniendo en cuenta el concepto de Diseño Universal.

Coastal scenery value was evaluated at 56 locations along the 244 km long coast of Alicante (western Mediterranean) according to the methodology of Ergin et al. Area 36(4):367–386, (2004) based on the evaluation of 26 physical and anthropogenic parameters. Selected areas covered remote (10), rural (9), village (15) and urban (22) bathing areas. The...

This is a proposal for disseminating the exceptional Messinian atoll of Santa Pola (site with very high value using different methodologies on geoheritage assessmente) in the Paleontological Museum of Elche. We have designed an exhibit module using several techniques and bearing in mind accesibility.

The recognition of event beds is of paramount importance to reconstruct palaeoenvironments and to determine palaeoecological parameters. Tortonian and Tyrrhenian deposits have been studied in the Cabo de la Huerta section (Alicante, Southeastern Spain), where both open-platform and coastal deposits crop out. In the absence of sedimentary structures...

A representative outcrop of the Messinian stromatolites belonging to the Terminal Carbonate Complex unit, from the northern sector of the Bajo Segura basin ( Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo section, Sierra del Colmenar, SE Spain) has been studied. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the architecture, external morphology, and internal morpholog...

This work presents the singular case of Nueva Tabarca island (SE Spain), which is an excellent example where stone-built monuments and historical quarries greatly enhance the geoheritage interest of this site. This small western Mediterranean island brings together a rich, diverse geological record and a baroque architectural heritage represented b...

In an informative way data about geology, archeology and botany of the Sierra de Crevillente are shown.

This paper presents the workflow implemented to build a high resolution, 3D, geological model of the Nueva Tabarca Island historical quarry. This 3D model could be the main input for potential restoration by replacement of the deeply weathered stones in the baroque monuments of the island. The workflow starts with the construction of a photogrammet...

Along many Mediterranean coasts, the detached seagrass material of Posidonia oceanica creates seagrass berms that control the structure and morphodynamics of sandy beaches. Here, we show how Terrestrial Laser Scanner remote sensing data allows analyzing the 3-D morphologic change of beaches where this characteristic geomorphic structure is present....

The coast of Alicante (Costa Blanca) was evaluated at 56 different beach locations in remote (10), rural (9), village (15) and urban (22) areas. Litter presence was assessed using the EA/NALG (2000) methodology, which allowed classifying each site in four grades: A: very good (40 sites); B: good (14); C: fair (1) and D: poor (1). Generally, in natu...

Los arribazones son estructuras procedentes del desprendimiento de las hojas y rizomas de la fanerógama marina Posidonia oceanica, que se acumulan a modo de barrera en gran parte de las playas del mar Mediterráneo (Vacchi et al., 2016). Estas estructuras contienen agua y nutrientes, y son capaces de fertilizar el complejo arenoso y dunar, además de...

The detached seagrass material of Posidonia oceanica conforms characteristics beach-cast accumulations (banquettes) which predetermine the structure and morphodynamics of the sandy beaches in many Mediterranean coasts (Vacchi et al., 2016). The aim of this contribution is to examine the evolution of a microtidal pocket-beach with these characterist...

Libreto del Geolodía de Alicante 2018. Crevillente

The Messinian stromatolites belonging to the Terminal Carbonate Complex unit, from the northern sector of the Bajo Segura Basin (CAM section, Sierra del Colmenar, SE Spain) have been studied. To understand the direct relationship between the morphologies of the stromatolites and their deposition context in order to reconstruct the environmental con...

The Messinian stromatolites belonging to the Terminal Carbonate Complex unit, from the northern sector of the Bajo Segura Basin (CAM section, Sierra del Colmenar, SE Spain) have been studied. To understand the direct relationship between the morphologies of the stromatolites and their deposition context in order to reconstruct the environmental con...

Marine microfossils, specifically planktonic and benthic foraminifera, are a valuable tool to constrain the age (biostratigraphy) and water depth (paleobathymetry) of the sedimentary record in the Granada Basin. Using both data sources, our study has aimed to illustrate the history of the vertical movements in the tectonically uplifted sectors of t...

The Messinian and Pliocene record of the Bajo Segura Basin has been analysed by multivariate detendred correspondence analysis (DCA). The obtained results enables a comprehensive and synthetic examination of the sedimentary record, considering the distribution of benthic and planktic foraminifera (ecological groups) recorded in six representative s...

During the Tortonian the Betic Cordillera formed an archipelago of islands that emerged gradually within the Betic corridor. This strait was formed by a series of marine sea-ways and interconnected sedimentary basins that allowed the connection between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The progressive rise of the Betic range produced the continen...

The historical quarry of the Nueva Tabarca fortress (Mediterranean Sea, SE of Spain) was developed in a complex sedimentary Miocene deposit. Five lithostratigraphic units have been defined, including different lithologies such as breccias and microconglomerates (Unit 1), massive and laminated lithoarenites (Units 1, 3 and 5), calcarenites and bioca...

Los arribazones de Posidonia oceanica se acumulan en las playas del mar Mediterráneo, formando una barrera protectora entre la interfase mar-tierra. Dicha barrera protege a la playa de la pérdida de arena, suponiendo un aporte de nutrientes al complejo arenoso y permitiendo la estructuración de la macrofauna de invertebrados, que encuentran aliment...

Posidonia oceanica “banquettes” accumulate on the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, forming a protective barrier between the sea-land interface. This barrier protects the beach from the loss of sand, besides supposing a nutrient contribution to the sandy complex, allowing the structure of the macrofauna of coastal invertebrates, which in addition t...

The main characteristics of 42 beaches distributed along the coast of Alicante (Southeastern Spain) were evaluated using a landscape evaluation method. For this, by means of in situ observations, a series of physical parameters such as cliffs, beaches, rocky platforms, dunes, valleys, relief shape, geomorphological features, vegetation remains, etc...

In several places inside the Sierra Nevada range, marine Tortonianunits of the Granada Basin crop out. Our study is focused on the CerroSevilla (1425 metres of altitude) stratigraphic section. Foraminifers-basedbiostratigraphic and palaeobathymetric data reveal three main aspectsconcerning to the history of vertical movements in the area: i) the in...

In this paper, we have studied a new micromammal site from the Sierra del Colmenar section (Elche, SE Spain), named Sierra del Colmenar 1A (SCO-1A), representing the uppermost levels of Messinian age of the Bajo Segura Basin. The sedimentary context of this locality corresponds to a costal lagoon with marine influence. The fossil site has yielded r...

Benidorm Island is one of the most relevant protected marine areas in the Province of Alicante (south-eastern Iberian Peninsula). Its bathymetric gradient and the structural complexity of the seabed make it an ideal place to analyse foraminifer assemblages considering depth and sediment type (particle size distribution). For this purpose, seven sam...

The Messinian coral reef (atoll type)of Santa Pola, placed in the northern sector of the Bajo Seguraneogene basin, is one of the most important places of geoscientist interest from Alicante Province. In this work, the characterization of its geological and paleontological heritage is presented. Firstly, the quantitative patrimonial evaluation is pr...

The Posidonia oceanica beach wrack contribute to the stability of the beaches preventing the removal of sandy sediment in events of storm and slowing coastal erosion by increasing soil surface. On the other hand, due to the carbon source they represent, they contribute to the invertebrate fauna structure. This work presents a two-pronged methodolog...

Resúmenes del Simposio

Proyecto basado en el análisis y contraste de ecosistemas diversos marcados por las diferentes condiciones biogeografías y ambientales como son los ecosistemas costeros y marinos Atlánticos y Mediterráneos a través de una metodología enmarcada en el aprendizaje activo.

The Barcelón section, located at the inner sector of the Águilas Arc (Eastern Betic Cordillera), records the Pliocene reflooding. This section comprises a basal unit A, made up of conglomerates, overlain by unit B, consisting of silty marls and glauconitic sandstones. Ichnological traits sculptured over blocks of unit A are attributable to the Ento...

A detailed taphonomic analysis was carried out on the lower Albian deposits of the Sierra Helada section (Alicante, Betic Cordillera, southeastern Spain). Ten taphonomic characters were studied and ten skeletal concentrations were defined on the basis of taphonomic features and the dominant taxa. Cluster analysis was performed on the dataset repres...

This work focuses on a Messinian shallow-marine terrigenous unit, termed the La Virgen Formation, which forms part of the sedimentary infill of the Bajo Segura Basin (Betic margin of the western Mediterranean). This formation was deposited during a high sea level phase prior to the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Stratigraphically, it compr...

A sedimentary revision of the marls and sandstone Miocene Units from the northeastern part of the Guadalquivir basin is here reported. Stratigraphical and sedimentological studies from field outcrop and biostratigraphical and palaeoecological analysis from field samples support the interpretations and results. The sedimentary infilling of the studi...

The aims of the present work are: i) the description of the Miocene deposits cropping out in the Nueva Tabarca island; ii) the characterization of the use of these rocks in the local heritage; and iii) the analysis of the rock behaviour during weathering processes. The Miocene stratigraphic succession can be divided into three parts. The first one...

Dentro del Proyecto de Redes de Investigación en Docencia Universitaria para el curso 2012-13, se constituyó esta red para planificar y elaborar de una manera conjunta las Guías Docentes de las asignaturas de Cuarto Curso del Título de Grado en Ciencias del Mar, coordinada por la vicedecana de la titulación e integrada por todos los profesores que,...

A detailed sedimentological and paleontological analysis of the uppermost Miocene (Messinian)-Pliocene boundary at the northern border of the Bajo Segura Basin, southeastern Spain, was carried out in order to describe the evolution of the regional paleocoastline during the Pliocene reflooding of the Mediterranean immediately after the sea-level fal...

The planktonic foraminifers biostratigraphy is crucial in order to precise the timing of the main tectono-sedimentary and palaeogeographic events through the evolution of the Bajo Segura Basin. Our results indicates that the marine stratigraphic record of the basin spans from the earliest late Miocene to the early Pliocene. For this temporal interv...

The Serravallian-Tortonian boundary was a time of strong tectonic activity in the Betic Cordillera. The Early Tortonian sediments continue to be under debate because no clear fossil attributions are available. These sediments have been assigned an Early Tortonian age by indirect stratigraphic criteria or by the absence of fossil content older or yo...

A detailed analysis of the Upper Messinian-Lower Pliocene at the northern border of the Bajo Segura Basin (BSB) has been carried out. Trace fossils of firm- and rockground were collected, aiding in the recognition of three ichnofacies: Glossifungites (types A and B), Entobia and Gnathichnus. The ichnological data provide evidence that the Pliocene...

In the composite section of San Miguel de Salinas the following synthems are represented: MI (preevaporitic Messinan), MII (syn-evaporitic Messinian) and P (post-evaporitic Pliocene). The foraminiferal assemblages of these synthems have been studied in order to reveal the palaeoenvironmental changes related to the Mediterranean Salinity Crisis. The...

In the composite section of San Miguel de Salinas the following synthems are represented: MI (preevaporitic Messinan), MII (syn-evaporitic Messinian) and P (post-evaporitic Pliocene). The foraminiferal assemblages of these synthems have been studied in order to reveal the palaeoenvironmental changes related to the Mediterranean Salinity Crisis. The...

The analysis of the Messinian and Pliocene stratigraphy of the southern Bajo Segura Basin (Betic Cordillera, Spain) has revealed three highstand sedimentary phases (Messinian I, Messinian II, and Pliocene) bounded by two lowstand erosional surfaces (intra-Messinian and end-Messinian unconformities). The Messinian I highstand phase is characterized...

The analysis of the Messinian and Pliocene stratigraphy of the Bajo Segura Basin (a marginal basin of the westernMediterranean) has revealed three synthems deposited in a high sea-level context: T-MI (late Tortonian-Messinian), MII (Messinian), and P (early Pliocene), bounded by two lowstand erosional surfaces (intra-Messinian and end-Messinian unc...