Detailed Temporal Evolution Research Articles

Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneity of Martian Tropical Water Ice Through Analysis of Radial and Layered Ejecta Craters

AbstractMartian layered ejecta craters are theorized to form by impacting into an ice‐rich crust. The inference that some equatorial layered ejecta craters are Amazonian indicates that ice has persisted in the tropics. However, the detailed spatial and temporal distribution and evolution of this ice remain unknown, which is critical to constraining Mars' global water cycle and climate change over eons. Here we estimate absolute model formation ages for layered and radial (ballistic) ejecta craters to constrain the spatial and temporal distribution of equatorial ice. The assumption is that radial ejecta form where volatiles are not present in significant quantities. Ages are derived from the density of smaller craters superposed on the ejecta blankets. We examined 73 craters in a 30° × 30° area centered at 15°S, 355°E, with 44 layered and 29 radial ejecta. Layered and radial ejecta craters are mixed over distances comparable to their diameters, which represents an unreasonably short length scale for ground‐ice emplacement. This, along with the lack of trend with age, supports the suggestion that intermittent low‐latitude surface ice—from excursions to high obliquity—could be responsible. Analysis also suggests an increasing proportion of layered ejecta craters with decreasing diameter for those older than 3.4 Ga. This trend would support the hypothesis of more ice being available in early martian history. Conversely, this could indicate that “armoring” preferentially preserves layered ejecta relative to radial ejecta.

A Deep-Learning and Transfer-Learning Hybrid Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm for FY4-AGRI: Development and Verification over Asia

The Advanced Geosynchronous Radiation Imager (AGRI) is a mission-critical instrument for the Fengyun series of satellites. AGRI acquires full-disk images every 15 min and views East Asia every 5 min through 14 spectral bands, enabling the detection of highly variable aerosol optical depth (AOD). Quantitative retrieval of AOD has hitherto been challenging, especially over land. In this study, an AOD retrieval algorithm is proposed that combines deep learning and transfer learning. The algorithm uses core concepts from both the Dark Target (DT) and Deep Blue (DB) algorithms to select features for the machine-learning (ML) algorithm, allowing for AOD retrieval at 550 nm over both dark and bright surfaces. The algorithm consists of two steps: ① A baseline deep neural network (DNN) with skip connections is developed using 10 min Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) AODs as the target variable, and ② sunphotometer AODs from 89 ground-based stations are used to fine-tune the DNN parameters. Out-of-station validation shows that the retrieved AOD attains high accuracy, characterized by a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.70, a mean bias error (MBE) of 0.03, and a percentage of data within the expected error (EE) of 70.7%. A sensitivity study reveals that the top-of-atmosphere reflectance at 650 and 470 nm, as well as the surface reflectance at 650 nm, are the two largest sources of uncertainty impacting the retrieval. In a case study of monitoring an extreme aerosol event, the AGRI AOD is found to be able to capture the detailed temporal evolution of the event. This work demonstrates the superiority of the transfer-learning technique in satellite AOD retrievals and the applicability of the retrieved AGRI AOD in monitoring extreme pollution events.

Magma Evolution of Ngebel Volcano, Ponorogo, East Java, Indonesia

The magma evolution of Ngebel Volcano, both temporally and spatially, is represented by the characteristics of its lava. Ngebel Volcano, located in East Java, is a Quaternary andesitic stratovolcano. This volcano is part of the Wilis Volcanic Complex. The volcanism stage of Ngebel Volcanic Complex can be divided into the Jeding with andesitic basalt (SiO2 49 - 59%), pyroxene andesite Kemlandingan (SiO2 49 - 59%), Manyutan with hornblende andesite (SiO2 49 - 59%), and Ngebel with dacite (SiO2: 49 - 59%). The variation of major elements combined with petrographic features such as plagioclase, pyroxene, hornblende, quartz, and opaque minerals from basaltic andesite to dacite is interesting. The minerals show that the magma differentiation process of Ngebel Volcanic Complex is the results of fractional crystallization of magma. The purpose of this study is to determine the evolution of magma from volcanic rocks of which stratigraphic positions have been determined. The analytical methodology used is petrographic and geochemical analysis. Detailed temporal evolution shows that magma from the Ngebel Volcanic Complex underwent a differentiation process that changed the magma composition from mafic to more felsic.

Elevation Changes of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from Joint Envisat and CryoSat-2 Radar Altimetry

The elevation changes of ice sheets have been recognized as an essential climate variable. Long-term time series of these changes are an important parameter to understand climate change, and the longest time-series of ice sheet elevation changes can be derived from combining multiple Ku-band satellite altimetry missions. However, unresolved intermission biases obscure the record. Here, we revise the mathematical model commonly used in the literature to simultaneously correct for intermission bias and ascending–descending bias to ensure the self-consistency and cohesion of the elevation time series across missions. This updated approach is applied to combine Envisat and CryoSat-2 radar altimetry in the period of 2002–2019. We tested this approach by validating it against airborne and satellite laser altimetry. Combining the detailed temporal and spatial evolution of elevation changes with firn densification-modeled volume changes due to surface processes, we found that the Amundsen Sea sector accounts for most of the total volume loss of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS), mainly from ice dynamics. However, surface processes dominate the volume changes in the key regions, such as the Totten Glacier sector, Dronning Maud Land, Princess Elizabeth Land, and the Bellingshausen Sea sector. Overall, accelerated volume loss in the West Antarctic continues to outpace the gains observed in the East Antarctic. The total volume change during 2002–2019 for the AIS was −68.7 ± 8.1 km3/y, with an acceleration of −5.5 ± 0.9 km3/y2.

Magma evolution of Slamet Volcano, Central Java, Indonesia based on lava characteristic

We reported magma evolution of Slamet volcano, both temporally and spatially, as represented by its lava characteristics. Slamet volcano, located in Central Java Indonesia, is a Quaternary basaltic stratovolcano and part of the extensive Sunda volcanic arc. Slamet volcanism stage can be divided into Old Slamet and Young Slamet. Old Slamet characterized by basaltic to andesite (SiO2 49-59%), composition and have rough morphology in the western flank. Meanwhile, Young Slamet has more mafic composition, basaltic to basaltic andesite (SiO2 48-52%), and smoother morphology in the eastern flank. Variation of major, minor, and trace element combined with petrographic features suggest that the differentiation process of Slamet magma is dominantly caused by fractional crystallization and magma mixing. Detailed temporal evolution suggested that magma of each Old Slamet and Young Slamet undergo a differentiation process that changes magma composition from mafic to more felsic for several times. Old Slamet evolved more intensive, producing a wide range of silica content and might coincide with some explosive events in the past. Young Slamet which the youngest stage represented by Guci unit is dominated by mafic magma. Differences between Old and Young Slamet lead to the conclusion that they come from a different magma chamber.

Spatiotemporal evolution of global population ageing from 1960 to 2017

BackgroundPopulation ageing is an increasingly severe global issue. And this has been posing challenges for public health policies and medical resource allocation There are various features of population ageing in different regions worldwide.MethodsAll data were obtained from the health data of World Bank Open Data. Quantile linear regression was used to subtly measure the common variation tendency and strength of the global ageing rate and ageing population. The Bayesian space-time hierarchy model (BSTHM) was employed to assess the detailed spatial temporal evolution of ageing rate and ageing population in global 195 countries and regions.ResultsAnnual growth of the ageing (65 and above) rate occurred on six continents: Europe (0.1532%), Oceania (0.0873%), Asia (0.0834%), South America (0.0723%), North America (0.0673%) and Africa (0.0069%). The coefficient of variation of the global ageing rate increased from 0.54 in 1960 to 0.69 in 2017. The global ageing rate and ageing population increased over this period, correlating positively with their quantiles. Most countries (37/39) in Europe belong to the top level with regard to the ageing rate, including the countries with the greatest degree of ageing—Sweden, Germany, Austria, Belgium and the UK—whose spatial relative risks of ageing are 3.180 (3.113–3.214), 3.071 (3.018–3.122), 2.951 (2.903–3.001), 2.932 (2.880–2.984) and 2.917 (2.869–2.967), respectively. Worldwide, 44 low ageing areas which were distributed mainly in Africa (26 areas) and Asia (15 areas) experienced a decreasing trend of ageing rates. The local trends of ageing population in the 195 areas increased.ConclusionsThe differentiation of global population ageing is becoming increasingly serious. Globally, all 195 areas showed an increasing local ageing trend in absolute terms, although there were 44 low-ageing areas that experienced a decreasing local trend of ageing rate. The statistical results may provide some baseline reference for developing public health policies in various countries or regions, especially in less-developed areas.

Understanding memory access patterns using the BSC performance tools

The growing gap between processor and memory speeds results in complex memory hierarchies as processors evolve to mitigate such divergence by taking advantage of the locality of reference. In this direction, the BSC performance analysis tools have been recently extended to provide insight relative to the application memory accesses depicting their temporal and spatial characteristics, correlating with the source-code and the achieved performance simultaneously. These extensions rely on the Precise Event-Based Sampling (PEBS) mechanism available in recent Intel processors to capture information regarding the application memory accesses. The sampled information is later combined with the Folding technique to represent a detailed temporal evolution of the memory accesses and in conjunction with the achieved performance and the source-code counterpart. The results obtained from the combination of these tools help not only application developers but also processor architects to understand better how the application behaves and how the system performs. In this paper, we describe a tighter integration of the sampling mechanism into the monitoring package. We also demonstrate the value of the complete workflow by exploring already optimized state--of--the--art benchmarks, providing detailed insight of their memory access behavior. We have taken advantage of this insight to apply small modifications that improve the applications' performance.

Kinetic energy of the rotational flow behind an isolated rippled shock wave

The kinetic energy of the perturbation velocity field generated by a corrugated isolated shock is analyzed as a function of the shock Mach number (Ms) and the fluid compressibility (characterized here with the ideal gas ratio of specific heats γ) within the framework of a linear theory. The shock front dynamics is analyzed, evaluating the zeros and critical points of the temporal evolution of the pressure perturbations behind the shock front. These characteristic times are essential in determining the spatial distribution of the velocity fluctuations in the inhomogeneously compressed fluid. The velocity perturbations are followed in time and space behind the corrugated shock front until an asymptotic stage emerges. Graf’s addition theorem of the Bessel functions is seen to be an adequate mathematical tool with which to evaluate the detailed temporal evolution. The kinetic energy density is analyzed in time and space well into the asymptotic stage. Exact criteria are given, based on the properties of the asymptotic velocity field, in order to determine the critical points of the kinetic energy density. The space integral of the kinetic energy density is studied, and an explicit analytical formula can be written in finite form and in terms of known functions. The integrated kinetic energy (KE) is analyzed at the limits of very weak and very strong shocks. For very weak shocks the kinetic energy scales as , where ui is the asymptotic normal velocity perturbation at the surface x = 0. For very strong fronts, the scaling changes to . The logarithmic factor is due to contribution of the bulk vorticity profile, which becomes important at high compressions.

Effect of equation of state on laser imprinting by comparing diamond and polystyrene foils

We present herein a comprehensive study of how the equation of state affects laser imprinting by nonuniform laser irradiation of an inertial fusion target. It has been suggested that a stiffer and denser material would reduce laser imprinting based on the equation of motion with pressure perturbation. We examine the detailed temporal evolution of the imprint amplitude by using the two-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulation PINOCO-2D for diamond, which is a candidate stiff-ablator material for inertial fusion targets. The simulated laser imprinting amplitude is compared with experimental measurements of areal-density perturbations obtained by using face-on x-ray backlighting for diamond and polystyrene (PS) (the latter as a reference). The experimental results are well reproduced by the results of the PINOCO-2D simulation, which indicates that the imprinting amplitude due to nonuniform irradiation (average intensity, 4.0 × 1012 to 5.0 × 1013) differs by a factor of two to three between diamond and PS. The difference in laser imprinting is mainly related to the material density and compressibility. These parameters are key factors that determine the laser imprinting amplitude.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of radiation and dynamics properties in laser-produced carbon plasmas

The radiation and dynamics properties of laser-produced carbon plasma in vacuum were studied experimentally with aid of a spatio-temporally resolved emission spectroscopy technique. In addition, a radiation hydrodynamics model based on the fluid dynamic equations and the radiative transfer equation was presented, and calculation of the charge states was performed within the time-dependent collisional radiative model. Detailed temporal and spatial evolution behavior about plasma parameters have been analyzed, such as velocity, electron temperature, charge state distribution, energy level population, and various atomic processes. At the same time, the effects of different atomic processes on the charge state distribution were examined. Finally, the validity of assuming a local thermodynamic equilibrium in the carbon plasma expansion was checked, and the results clearly indicate that the assumption was valid only at the initial (<80 ns) stage of plasma expansion. At longer delay times, it was not applicable near the plasma boundary because of a sharp drop of plasma temperature and electron density.

Dynamics of electron injection in a laser-wakefield accelerator

The detailed temporal evolution of the laser-wakefield acceleration process with controlled injection, producing reproducible high-quality electron bunches, has been investigated. The localized injection of electrons into the wakefield has been realized in a simple way—called shock-front injection—utilizing a sharp drop in plasma density. Both experimental and numerical results reveal the electron injection and acceleration process as well as the electron bunch's temporal properties. The possibility to visualize the plasma wave gives invaluable spatially resolved information about the local background electron density, which in turn allows for an efficient suppression of electron self-injection before the controlled process of injection at the sharp density jump. Upper limits for the electron bunch duration of 6.6 fs FWHM, or 2.8 fs (r.m.s.) were found. These results indicate that shock-front injection not only provides stable and tunable, but also few-femtosecond short electron pulses for applications such as ultrashort radiation sources, time-resolved electron diffraction or for the seeding of further acceleration stages.

Constraining N&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;O emissions since 1940 using firn air isotope measurements in both hemispheres

Abstract. N2O is currently the third most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas in terms of radiative forcing and its atmospheric mole fraction is rising steadily. To quantify the growth rate and its causes over the past decades, we performed a multi-site reconstruction of the atmospheric N2O mole fraction and isotopic composition using new and previously published firn air data collected from Greenland and Antarctica in combination with a firn diffusion and densification model. The multi-site reconstruction showed that while the global mean N2O mole fraction increased from (290 ± 1) nmol mol−1 in 1940 to (322 ± 1) nmol mol−1 in 2008, the isotopic composition of atmospheric N2O decreased by (−2.2 ± 0.2) ‰ for δ15Nav, (−1.0 ± 0.3) ‰ for δ18O, (−1.3 ± 0.6) ‰ for δ15Nα, and (−2.8 ± 0.6) ‰ for δ15Nβ over the same period. The detailed temporal evolution of the mole fraction and isotopic composition derived from the firn air model was then used in a two-box atmospheric model (comprising a stratospheric box and a tropospheric box) to infer changes in the isotopic source signature over time. The precise value of the source strength depends on the choice of the N2O lifetime, which we choose to fix at 123 years. The average isotopic composition over the investigated period is δ15Nav = (−7.6 ± 0.8) ‰ (vs. air-N2), δ18O = (32.2 ± 0.2) ‰ (vs. Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water – VSMOW) for δ18O, δ15Nα = (−3.0 ± 1.9) ‰ and δ15Nβ = (−11.7 ± 2.3) ‰. δ15Nav, and δ15Nβ show some temporal variability, while for the other signatures the error bars of the reconstruction are too large to retrieve reliable temporal changes. Possible processes that may explain trends in 15N are discussed. The 15N site preference ( = δ15Nα − δ15Nβ) provides evidence of a shift in emissions from denitrification to nitrification, although the uncertainty envelopes are large.

Effective Fetch and Duration of Tropical Cyclone Wind Fields Estimated from Simultaneous Wind and Wave Measurements: Surface Wave and Air–Sea Exchange Computation

AbstractSimultaneous wind and wave measurements have been obtained inside tropical cyclones in several hurricane hunter missions. Analyses of these datasets show that the surface wave development inside hurricanes follows essentially the same duration- and fetch-limited growth functions established in steady wind forcing conditions. This paper explores the application of several parameterization functions of wind-wave systems to quantify the energy and momentum exchanges inside hurricanes from an initially limited input of the environmental parameters, such as the wind field alone. A critical prerequisite to applying the wind-wave growth functions is the knowledge of fetch and duration for the hurricane wind field. Four sets of simultaneous wind and wave measurements from hurricane hunter missions are analyzed to derive a fetch and duration scaling model. Time series of 2D hurricane wind fields can then be used to investigate the detailed spatial distribution and temporal evolution of the sea state parameters and the associated air–sea energy and momentum exchanges following the hurricane development.

CHROMOSPHERIC RAPID BLUESHIFTED EXCURSIONS OBSERVED WITH IBIS AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETIC FIELD EVOLUTION

Chromospheric rapid blueshifted excursions (RBEs) are suggested to be the disk counterparts of type II spicules at the limb and believed to contribute to the coronal heating process. Previous identification of RBEs was mainly based on feature detection using Dopplergrams. In this paper, we study RBEs on 2011 October 21 in a very quiet region at the disk center, which were observed with the high-cadence imaging spectroscopy of the Ca II 8542 A line from the Interferometric Bidimensional Spectrometer (IBIS). By using an automatic spectral analysis algorithm, a total of 98 RBEs are identified during a 11 minute period. Most of these RBEs have either a round or elongated shape, with an average area of 1.2 arcsec^2. The detailed temporal evolution of spectra from IBIS makes possible a quantitative determination of the velocity (~16 km/s) and acceleration (~400 m/s^2) of Ca II 8542 RBEs, and reveal an additional deceleration (~-160 m/s^2) phase that usually follows the initial acceleration. In addition, we also investigate the association of RBEs with the concomitant photospheric magnetic field evolution, using coordinated high-resolution and high-sensitivity magnetograms made by Hinode. Clear examples are found where RBEs appear to be associated with the preceding magnetic flux emergence and/or the subsequent flux cancellation. However, a further analysis with the aid of the Southwest Automatic Magnetic Identification Suite does not yield a significant statistical association between these RBEs and magnetic field evolution. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of understanding the driving mechanism of RBEs.

Nonsmooth and level-resolved dynamics illustrated with a periodically driven tight binding model

We point out that in the first order time-dependent perturbation theory, the transition probability may behave nonsmoothly in time and have kinks periodically. Moreover, the detailed temporal evolution can be sensitive to the exact locations of the eigenvalues in the continuum spectrum, in contrast to coarse-graining ideas. Underlying this nonsmooth and level-resolved dynamics is a simple equality about the sinc function $\sinc x \equiv \sin x / x$. These physical effects appear in many systems with approximately equally spaced spectra, and is also&#x0D; robust for larger-amplitude coupling beyond the domain of perturbation theory.&#x0D; We use a one-dimensional periodically driven tight-binding model to illustrate these effects, both within and outside the perturbative regime.

Nonsmooth and level-resolved dynamics illustrated with a periodically driven tight-binding model

Abstract We point out that in the first-order time-dependent perturbation theory, the transition probability may behave nonsmoothly in time and have kinks periodically. Moreover, the detailed temporal evolution can be sensitive to the exact locations of the eigenvalues in the continuum spectrum, in contrast to coarse-graining ideas. Underlying this nonsmooth and level-resolved dynamics is a simple equality about the sinc function sinc x ≡ sin x/x. These physical effects appear in many systems with approximately equally spaced spectra, and are also robust for larger amplitude coupling beyond the domain of perturbation theory. We use a one-dimensional periodically driven tight-binding model to illustrate these effects, both within and outside the perturbative regime.

Quantifying the heterogeneity of hypoxic and anoxic areas in the Baltic Sea by a simplified coupled hydrodynamic-oxygen consumption model approach

The Baltic Sea deep waters suffer from extended areas of hypoxia and anoxia. Their intra- and inter-annual variability is mainly determined by saline inflows which transport oxygenated water to deeper layers. During the last decades, oxygen conditions in the Baltic Sea have generally worsened and thus, the extent of hypoxic as well as anoxic bottom water has increased considerably. Climate change may further increase hypoxia due to changes in the atmospheric forcing conditions resulting in less deep water renewal Baltic inflows, decreased oxygen solubility and increased respiration rates. Feedback from climate change can amplify effects from eutrophication. A decline in oxygen conditions has generally a negative impact on marine life in the Baltic Sea. Thus, a detailed description of the evolution of oxygenated, hypoxic and anoxic areas is particularly required when studying oxygen-related processes such as habitat utilization of spawning fish, survival rates of their eggs as well as settlement probability of juveniles. One of today's major challenges is still the modeling of deep water dissolved oxygen, especially for the Baltic Sea with its seasonal and quasi-permanent extended areas of oxygen deficiency. The detailed spatial and temporal evolution of the oxygen concentrations in the entire Baltic Sea have been simulated for the period 1970–2010 by utilizing a hydrodynamic Baltic Sea model coupled to a simple pelagic and benthic oxygen consumption model. Model results are in very good agreement with CTD/O2-profiles taken in different areas of the Baltic Sea. The model proved to be a useful tool to describe the detailed evolution of oxygenated, hypoxic and anoxic areas in the entire Baltic Sea. Model results are further applied to determine frequencies of the occurrence of areas of oxygen deficiency and cod reproduction volumes.

Mesoscale model evaluation with coherent Doppler lidar for wind farm assessment

Wind measurements are fundamental inputs for wind resource assessment and the performance of wind farms. Common approaches for wind energy yield assessment are based on (1) observational data from surface station networks and (2) high-resolution computational fluid dynamic or mesoscale models. In this letter, we investigate the potential of applying a high-resolution nested mesoscale model, Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS), to predict low-level wind characteristics for wind farm domains. The model results are compared to scanning coherent Doppler lidar and tower measurements for a wind energy development. This letter focuses on the magnitude of difference between observations and simulations used for wind energy assessment. The results highlight the challenge for straight-forward application of mesoscale models, even well-established models with a relatively fine resolution on the inner nest (333 m), to produce wind predictions of sufficient fidelity and accuracy appropriate for resource assessment or operational support for individual wind farms. While many of the average wind flow features are captured by the model, their detailed spatial and temporal evolution may be improved through tighter integration with local sensor data.

Diabatic heating profiles over the continental convergence zone during the monsoon active spells

The present paper aims to bring out the robust common aspects of spatio-temporal evolution of diabatic heating during the monsoon intraseasonal active phases over the continental tropical convergence zone (CTCZ). The robustness of spatio-temporal features is determined by comparing the two state-of-the art reanalyses: NCEP Climate Forecast System reanalysis and Modern ERA Retrospective Analysis. The inter-comparison is based on a study period of 26 years (1984–2009). The study confirms the development of deep heating over the CTCZ region during the active phase and is consistent between the two datasets. However, the detailed temporal evolution of the vertical structure (e.g., vertical tilts) of heating differs at times. The most important common feature from both the datasets is the significant vertical redistribution of heating with the development of shallow (low level) heating and circulation over the CTCZ region 3–7 days after the peak active phase. The shallow circulation is found to be associated with increased vertical shear and relative vorticity over certain regions in the subcontinent. This increased vertical shear and relative vorticity in the lower levels could be crucial in the sustenance of rainfall after the peak active phase. Model experiments with linear dynamics affirm the role of shallow convection in increasing the lower level circulation as observed.

Palaeontological age and correlations of the Tertiary deposits of the NW Iberian Peninsula: the tectonic evolution of a broken foreland basin

Ages of Cenozoic sedimentary basins yield information that can be used to infer detailed spatial and temporal evolution in the Alpine foreland. The Tertiary deposits of the NW Iberian Peninsula comprise the remains of a broken foreland basin (the West Duero Basin). This work constrains the timing of tectonic fragmentation and the evolution of the western termination of the Alpine Pyrenean–Cantabrian Orogen (NW Iberian Peninsula). The discovery of Issiodoromys cf. minor 1 and Pseudocricetodon in the lower formation of the Tertiary depression of Sarria (the Toral Formation) constrains its age to the late Early Oligocene (MP23–MP25), similar to its age in the El Bierzo depression (MP24–MP25). Sedimentation initiated in the NE of the study area at Oviedo during the Middle Eocene (Bartonian–Early Priabonian MP16–MP17) and migrated towards the west and south during the Early Oligocene. The Toral Formation was deposited in a foreland basin that connected the present day outcrops of the El Bierzo, Sarria and As Pontes Tertiary depressions. The basin was segmented during the westward migration of structural deformation associated with the Orogen, and the subsequent uplift of the Galaico–Leoneses Mountains. The present-day height above reference level of the base of the Toral Formation has been used to quantify Alpine segmentation that took place after Early Oligocene times. Minimum tectonic uplift assessed is 960 m in the Cantabrian Mountains and 1050 m in the Galaico–Leoneses Mountains. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.