South-North Migration Research Articles

О соотношении стабильности и мобильности глобальных систем

Drawing on the studies in globalization in a world and Russian sciences, on a dynamics of sustainability-modernization in Russia, and on his own long-term research in the realms of social ecologyand risk theory, the author came to the following conclusions. First, the globalization is a double-sided process of shaping of unifying all- penetrating networks embracing the planet, and locally-fixed national systems. Second, recently the globalization is a struggle of two forms of production, virtual and ‘material.’ Both of them is producing the ‘goods’ and ‘bads.’ Thirdly, one-sided globalization generates mass social and political protest. Fourth, in the run of last two decades the Russian sociology has concentrated on two issues: on the processes of transition from a planned economy to a market one. Fifth, during that period a set of fundamental research of Russia’s modernization have been fulfilled; at the same time the studies in globalization lagged behind. Sixth, the interdisciplinary, problem and civic oriented studies inherent to Russian scientific community should be restored. Seventh, recently the globalization process has nonlinear and probable character featured by bifurcations and unintended consequences. Eighth, in turn its milieu is not inertial because it consists of numerous actors of static and mobile character. Ninth, mainly unseen the metabolic processes are the most difficult and acute research issue. Tenth, the other urgent problem is the drivers of modernization processes since it accompanied by surplus of labor power, mass the South-North migration flows, etc. Eleventh, the tempo-rhythms of institutional transformations are lag far behind from a pace of social transformations. Twelfth, a prestige of fundamental science is going down whereas a social and political weight of politics built- in the media is growing.

Expansion and Contraction of the Indo-Pacific Tropical Rain Belt over the Last Three Millennia.

The seasonal north-south migration of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) defines the tropical rain belt (TRB), a region of enormous terrestrial and marine biodiversity and home to 40% of people on Earth. The TRB is dynamic and has been shown to shift south as a coherent system during periods of Northern Hemisphere cooling. However, recent studies of Indo-Pacific hydroclimate suggest that during the Little Ice Age (LIA; AD 1400–1850), the TRB in this region contracted rather than being displaced uniformly southward. This behaviour is not well understood, particularly during climatic fluctuations less pronounced than those of the LIA, the largest centennial-scale cool period of the last millennium. Here we show that the Indo-Pacific TRB expanded and contracted numerous times over multi-decadal to centennial scales during the last 3,000 yr. By integrating precisely-dated stalagmite records of tropical hydroclimate from southern China with a newly enhanced stalagmite time series from northern Australia, our study reveals a previously unidentified coherence between the austral and boreal summer monsoon. State-of-the-art climate model simulations of the last millennium suggest these are linked to changes in the structure of the regional manifestation of the atmosphere’s meridional circulation.

English

In Ghana, three regions (Upper West, Upper East and Northern) have the highest proportion of voluntary out-migrants but the percentage share of the population of these regions together has been less than 20.0% since 1970. This phenomenon is due to north-south migration which has been widely attributed to low socio-economic development and unfavourable physical characteristics in these regions. The study examines the main drivers of out-migration from the Wa West District (WWD). Using mixed method approach, 120 respondents were surveyed while 12 key informants were interviewed in six selected communities. The results showed that both economic returns and migrants’ sub-culture were the factors that determine out-migration of young people from the WWD. In particular, sub-cultural values/attributes such as quest for modern lifestyles, improved physical appearances, adoption of day/popular southern names and enhanced family/self status were the key factors shaping out-migration in the study area. The study further revealed that job availability and modern lifestyles were the main factors that influenced migrants’ choice of destinations in southern Ghana. The government, through the Wa West District Assembly, the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and other development partners should rigorously promote socio-economic development in the north to reduce out-migration in the WWD. Key words: Economic returns, migrants’ sub-culture, north-south migration, Ghana.

TWO ETHNOGRAPHIES OF SOUTH–NORTH MIGRATION - RUBEN ANDERSSON, Illegality, Inc.: clandestine migration and the business of bordering Europe. Oakland CA: University of California Press (pb US$29.95 – 978 0 52028 252 0). 2014, 338 pp. - IRIS BERGER, TRICIA REDEKER HEPNER, BENJAMIN N. LAWRANCE, JOANNA T. TAGUE and MEREDITH TERRETTA, editors, African Asylum at a Crossroads: activism, expert testimony, and

TWO ETHNOGRAPHIES OF SOUTH–NORTH MIGRATION - RUBEN ANDERSSON, Illegality, Inc.: clandestine migration and the business of bordering Europe. Oakland CA: University of California Press (pb US$29.95 – 978 0 52028 252 0). 2014, 338 pp. - IRIS BERGER, TRICIA REDEKER HEPNER, BENJAMIN N. LAWRANCE, JOANNA T. TAGUE and MEREDITH TERRETTA, editors, African Asylum at a Crossroads: activism, expert testimony, and

High-resolution Holocene South American monsoon history recorded by a speleothem from Botuverá Cave, Brazil

A Holocene stalagmite from Botuverá Cave, southeastern Brazil was analyzed by LA-ICPMS for Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Ba/Ca. The observed variability in the record was demonstrated to be modulated by prior calcite precipitation, and, thus, is interpreted to reflect monsoon intensity. We find that the calcite δ18O is strongly correlated with Sr/Ca, indicating that atmospheric circulation over South America and monsoon intensity have been tightly correlated throughout most of the Holocene, both directly responding to solar precession. Comparison with other contemporaneous high-resolution hydroclimate records reveals that SAMS has shown a degree of complexity during the Holocene not previously detected, with periods where the South American Convergence Zone (SACZ) expanded to cover most of the South American sub-continent, and coincident with periods of low-SST in the north Atlantic. We also detect periods where rainfall amount in northeastern and southeastern Brazil are markedly anti-phased, suggesting a north-south migration of SACZ, which it appears to be mediated by solar irradiance. The high-resolution nature of our record allow us to examine the effect that Holocene climate anomalies had upon SAMS dynamics and hydroclimate in southeastern Brazil, in particular the 8.2 ka event and the Little Ice Age. In addition to confirm the internal structure of the events, we also detect the possible consequences of the climatic anomalies upon ocean–atmosphere interactions through its effects upon SAMS.

The existentialities of Ethiopian and Nigerian migrants in South Africa

ABSTRACTMany studies on international migrations have concentrated on South-North migrations, causes and consequences of such migrations, sending and receiving countries and characteristics of migrants’ interfaces. there is much less scholarly work on South-South migrations, and academic and policy works on wider Africans’ migrations into South Africa are particularly scarce. even among the very few existing studies on South-South migrations, very few account for migrants’ existentialities in South Africa – a nation experiencing the largest scale migrations in Africa and strategising to cope with associated issues, especially among the hard-to-reach migrant communities. This article therefore, examines the ramifications of experiences and existences or existentialities of ethiopian and Nigerian immigrants in South Africa as crucial case study for the growth of pan-Africanism. the approach adopted for this article is transnational systematic interactions and observations in Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa. Secondary sources from unclassified documents, scholarly journals, reports and reliable Internet sources were utilised. The findings suggest the need for more robust, inclusive and dynamic social/migration policies in South Africa, as well as other southern nations experiencing high immigration. the argument is that the receiving nations of migrants must pay more attention to objective and comprehensive understanding of migrants and migrant communities to sustainably appropriate migration’s gains and to ameliorate unintended migration consequences.

A molecular biogeography of the New World cypresses (Callitropsis, Hesperocyparis; Cupressaceae)

Previous studies of phylogenetic relationships among cypresses have recovered separate Old and New World lineages, resolved a Southeast Asian species sister to the New World clade, and split the New World group into two principal lineages (i.e., the Macrocarpa and Arizonica clades) having fundamentally different geographic distributions. Collectively, these observations suggested a number of intriguing hypotheses regarding the origin and biogeographic history of the New World cypresses (NWC). In this study, we use DNA sequence data to examine the historical biogeography of NWC. Divergence times are estimated in BEAST using fossil-calibrated minimum age constraints, and a spatial history of the group reconstructed using Statistical Dispersal-Vicariance Analysis. Results presented here suggest ancestral NWC colonized the New World from Asia, perhaps by a more widespread trans-Beringian ancestor, in the late Cretaceous or early Cenozoic. Strong positive correlations between species age and geographic location (i.e., latitude and longitude) suggest current distributions were influenced by directional migration (northwest to southeast) as climates cooled and became increasingly arid in the latter half of the Cenozoic. Although our data support a middle Eocene (45 Mya) origin for NWC, nearly all species are apparently no more than late Miocene (6 Mya) in age, and net diversification rates in the group are among the highest reported to date for gymnosperms. Key coastal to interior migrations underlie the fundamentally different biogeographies of the Macrocarpa and Arizonica clades, with the Transverse Ranges of southern California being a barrier to north–south migration of certain species from these two lineages.

From Macrostructural Forces to Social Connectedness: Uncovering the Determinants of South–South Migration

Current perspectives on international migration emphasize conventional macrostructural influences on flows and focus nearly exclusively on migration from South to North. Given this limited framework, and the rapid growth of South–South migration, important questions remain: Do other factors acknowledged in the theoretical literature, but not yet systematically tested, also affect migration flows? Are South–North models appropriate for explaining South–South migration? This study directly addresses these questions using newly available data on bilateral migration flows and an empirical model that extends conventional gravity models of migration to include social connectedness and world-systemic influences. Further, it offers an original framework for analyzing international migration by examining flows first on a global scale and then disaggregated by region. Findings show that while South–North migration is significantly shaped by world-systems trends, such as trade and investment penetration, South–South migration is more strongly associated with social connectedness factors, such as migrant remittances received in the origin, and the region’s unique demographic pressures. Conflict in the origin significantly increases out-migration regardless of migration type. Findings also reveal the self-interested, benefit-maximizing, and culturally neutral migrant as an incomplete theoretical model. Finally, South–South migration is distinguished from other migration forms and potential avenues for continuing research in the field are identified.

Distribución espacio-temporal de la temperatura, salinidad y oxígeno disuelto alrededor del Domo Térmico de Costa Rica

<p>The Costa Rica Thermal Dome (CRTD) is an oceanographic phenomenon in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). This is a region of very high biological productivity, resulting in high concentrations of phytoplankton, sea birds, and large pelagics, such as tunas, dolphins and whales. Few publications have looks at the station variability of the water column of the CRTD. Here, horizontal and vertical distribution of some oceanic parameters was analyzed to show the dynamics of ETP, its influence on the CRTD, climatic variations and relationships that justify their distributions. Climatological monthly mean data of Ocean Data View (ODV) from 1900 to 2009 were used to compile profiles of the water column’s temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen, and their spatial distributions around the Costa Rica Thermal Dome (CRTD). Monthly variations of these parameters depend on the intensity and extent of ocean-meteorological phenomena in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), which are related to the north-south migration of Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The monthly climatic variation of these variables is analyzed down to 200 m depth. Increased climate variability is found in the water column at stations north and east of the CRTD. The two stations north of the CRTD, closer to the coast, are the ones most affected by the wind in front of the Gulf of Papagayo and where the greatest monthly upwelling variation occurs in this region. The distribution and concentration of dissolved oxygen depends on the ocean-atmospheric dynamics. Oxygen is consumed by respiration and organic matter oxidation around CRTD. Moreover, this is one of the regions of the tropical oceans where an Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) exist, which is related also to poor water circulation or lack ocean ventilation. Sources of dissolved oxygen are linked with sub-surface currents coming from the west and from the south of the geographic equator.</p><div> </div>

Calcareous nannoplankton in the Upper Jurassic marine deposits of the Bohemian Massif: new data concerning the Boreal - Tethyan communication corridor

Calcareous nannoplankton assemblages from the Jurassic relict deposits in the northern part of the Bohemian Massif are described here for the first time. They are generally of low diversity and dominated by watznaueriaceans. Some of them are diagenetically affected, probably due to dolomitisation. Calcareous nannoplankton enables the stratigraphical range of the Northern Bohemia Jurassic succession to be extended to the Tithonian by reference to the stratigraphical range of Jurassic platform sequences in Central Poland and the eastern part of the Bohemian Massif. The Oxfordian–Kimmeridgian nannofossil assemblages indicate a generally oligotrophic condition of the restricted sea with episodic fluvial input containing terrestrial nutrients. The character of the upper part of the water column was generally uniform and did not reflect variability at the sea-floor expressed by lithofacies diversity. The palaeoenvironment interpreted for the famous former palaeontological locality “Sternberk Quarry” was characterized by a higher nutrient content and more stable environment. The Tithonian nannofossil assemblages contain warm-water Tethyan taxa which suggest south-north migration of nannoplankton due to warming during the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary interval.

Transnational heritage migrants in Istanbul: second-generation Turk-American and Turk-German ‘Returnees’ in their parents’ homeland

ABSTRACTThis paper addresses several less-explored dimensions of current scholarship on globalisation, migration and transnationalism: north–south migration streams, the role of second-generation ‘heritage migrants’ and the importance of social capital within unequal transnational social fields. We compare two circuits of second-generation migrants, Turk-Germans and Turk-Americans, engaged in ‘intensive transnationalism’ having independently moved to reside in their parents’ homeland. Istanbul becomes the site of homeland return for these distinct streams of educated heritage migrants. Cross-national comparison of the children of the more stigmatised Turk-German ‘guest workers’ with the socially less salient Turk-Americans of middle-class backgrounds offers insight into the way class networks and national capital are distinctly leveraged by adult children with immigrant parents of distinct contexts of homeland exit.

Le clan du destin – irreguläre Bootsmigration von Westafrika auf die Kanaren im Visier von Frontex und Entwicklungspolitik

Abstract „Le clan du destin“ – Exploring irregular boat migration from West Africa to the Canary Islands through the perspective of Fontex and development politics. European policies that regulate migration from the global South to the European Union are founded on a mentality of restriction. Police operations at continental borders and spaces of transit, as well as Development Cooperation with African countries, are the most common instruments to stem irregular „migration flows“, which are often perceived as a threat by „Western“ destination societies. Irregular south-north migration – and in the case of this article, clandestine boat migration from Senegal to the Canary Islands – is not simply the outcome of desperation and a lack of development, rather, it is a societal counterpart to global structure policies. The social and cultural setting of migrants, their behaviour and local structures all indicate that this migratory movement is, in fact, a personal project and has to be located within the context of transnational processes, including policies, social mobility, resources and aspirations.

Invirtiendo la ruta: procesos de retorno de los ecuatorianos en España.

Este trabajo es un análisis del cambio en los flujos migratorios Norte-Sur, concretamente las relaciones migratorias entre España y Ecuador, que han sido generadas por las dinámicas económicas producidas en el contexto global, el cual ha determinado la inversión de las corrientes<br />migratorias. El texto permite viajar a través de la crisis Europea (y sus consecuencias) hasta analizar los cambios sociales y económicos que han transformado la República del Ecuador. La contraposición a los modelos de desarrollo neo-liberales y las políticas del Buen Vivir, han invertido el país de ser una nación de emigrantes a ser receptor de inmigrantes.<br />El tema es de máxima actualidad, por eso se necesita un aproximación antropológica que nos permita entender los cambios que están en la raíz de la transformación de los modelos de interacción económica y sociocultural.

Holocene glacier and climate fluctuations of the maritime ice cap Høgtuvbreen, northern Norway

Holocene fluctuations of a small outlet glacier from the ice cap Høgtuvbreen at 65° N in coastal northern Norway are reconstructed based on distal glacier-fed lake sediments, complemented by a moraine sequence dated by lichenometry. Glaciers respond to changes in accumulation-season precipitation, ablation-season temperature and redistribution of snow by wind. Hence, reconstructions of glacier fluctuations based on distal glacier-fed lakes may give detailed information about past climate at a potentially high temporal resolution. Yet, the importance of any of these climate components is often difficult to solve. Here, we apply the ‘Liestøl-relationship’, which expresses the relationship between ablation-season temperature and annual accumulation of snow at the equilibrium line altitude (ELA), to the reconstructed local temperature–precipitation–wind ELA (TPW-ELA) to infer the relative importance of winter-balance and ablation-season temperature as causes of reconstructed glacier variation. The reconstructions show a large glacier readvance corresponding with the 8.2-ka cold event and a sequence of eight distinct glacier advances and retreats during the Neoglacial time period bracket between 4300 ± 40 cal. yr BP and AD 1900. The glacier reached its Holocene maximum position in AD 1773 ± 29, subsequently followed by an ongoing unprecedented retreat, interrupted only by some minor halts and readvances. Based on a detailed comparison of our results with similar studies of both continental and maritime glaciers, as well as independent temperature proxy records across Scandinavia, we argue that significant and consistent deviations in ELA fluctuations between continental and maritime glaciers in the region are caused by a north–south migration of the arctic polar front. Additionally, we suggest that deviations in ELA fluctuations between Scandinavian maritime and continental glaciers around 7150, 6560, 6000, 5150, 3200 and 2200 cal. yr BP reflect the different response of continental and maritime glaciers to drops in total solar irradiance (TSI).

Numerical simulation of Tibetan Plateau heating anomaly influence on westerly jet in spring

The intensity and location of the westerly jet (WJ) in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere has been closely related to weather and climate changes in Eurasia. In this paper, we analyzed the seasonal and inter-annual variations in the strength and position of the WJ, using the NCEP-DOE reanalysis II (NCEP) data. Spring is the period that the Tibetan Plateau (TP) transits from a cold to a warm condition, and at the same time the WJ weakens and moves northward. Correlation analysis showed that the westerly wind over the north (south) of the TP has a significant positive (negative) correlation with the TP surface temperature in spring during 1979–2013 (99.9% significance level). In spring, surface sensible heat release dominates thermal conditions of the TP, while the contribution of latent heat becomes important in summer. We conducted three numerical experiments to determine the effects of the TP surface sensible heat flux anomaly in spring on the intensity and location of the WJ using the community atmosphere model 5 (CAM5). Experimental results indicated that changing the TP surface sensible heat flux can produce changes in the TP heat sources. When the TP sensible heat flux is switched off (TPSHL), the TP surface has a lower temperature and no longer heats up the middle and upper troposphere, and leads to a maximum cooling of –1.2∘C at 200 hPa over the TP with a significance level of 95%. In spring, the abnormal low temperature over the TP caused the WJ to strengthen and move southward compared with the control experiment (CTL), and this results in a westerly (easterly) wind anomaly over the south (north) of the TP with a significance level of 95%. We obtained the opposite conclusion from the comparison of the enhanced TP surface sensible heat flux (TPSHH) with CTL test results. In TPSHL, the WJ is still steadily located near 30∘N in May as well as April, i.e., the first northward jump occurs from May to June which is a delay of one month compared to CTL. While in TPSHH, the WJ moves northward approximately 10∘ of latitude from April to May which is 5∘ larger than CTL. Thus, the strength and north–south migration of WJ is closely linked to the TP heat source, especially during the spring–summer seasonal transition period, while TP surface temperature increased significantly and showed early signal compared to the surroundings with the global warming. Therefore, considerable attention must be paid to the location and strength of the WJ with respect to the sensible heat flux over the TP.

How political migrants' networks differ from those of economic migrants: ‘strategic anonymity’ among Iraqi refugees in Jordan

ABSTRACTThe study of migrant networks has led scholars to believe that political migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, utilise social networks in similar ways to economic migrants. This assumption is based on empirical investigations of South–North migration in which the Western receiving context is held constant. I argue that the utility of social networks is influenced by the reason for displacement and regional geopolitical frameworks. Like economic migrants, political migrants believe that they would benefit from networks; however, some political migrants must exercise caution in the face of potentially harmful new relationships in receiving countries. These political migrants practise strategic anonymity to navigate social networks. This refers to proactive acts of withholding personal information to maintain security for oneself and one's family. I rely on 30 interviews conducted between 2009 and 2010 with Iraqi refugees in Jordan displaced after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.

French migrants in Morocco: from a desire for elsewhereness to an ambivalent reality

Moroccan emigration has been widely studied over the past decades. Recently, sub-Saharan migrant populations have become a new focus for the media, politicians, and academics. However, European migration to Morocco remains little known, despite its potential to significantly transform the Moroccan migratory landscape. This article seeks to analyse this underexplored North–South migration by focusing on migratory paths of French people living in Morocco and on the social implications that arise from their relationships with Moroccan society. In order to enrich the theoretical framework on lifestyle migration, this article analyses the main migratory motives present in these migrants' narratives (better quality of life and desire for elsewhereness) and the reasons these individuals advance to explain their choice to move to Morocco. We address the ambivalence of social relationships between these migrants and Moroccans by analysing the migrants' configurations of home and their strategies of adaptation to the Moroccan professional environment. Ultimately, our findings emphasise the complexity and ambivalence of relationships with the ‘Other’ in a migratory context and shed light on the North–South migration research field.

Seasonal Variation of the Pacific South Equatorial Current Bifurcation

AbstractThe seasonal variation of the South Equatorial Current (SEC) bifurcation off the Australian coast in the South Pacific (SP) is investigated with observations and a nonlinear, reduced-gravity, primitive equation model of the upper ocean. The mean SEC bifurcation latitude (SBL) integrated over the upper thermocline is around 17.5°S, almost 2° south of the position predicted by Sverdrup theory. For its seasonal variation, the SBL reaches its southernmost position in June/July and its northernmost position in November/December. The south–north migration of 2.7° is twice as large as its counterpart in the North Pacific. It is found that the large seasonal amplitude of the SBL results from the combined effect of Low-Lat-SP and Non-Low-Lat-SP processes. The Low-Lat-SP process (referred to as the Rossby wave dynamics forced by the wind stress curl over the low-latitude SP) accounts for almost ⅔ of the SBL seasonal variability, and the Non-Low-Lat-SP processes account for ⅓. Both of these processes are responsible for its south–north migration but in different ways. The Low-Lat-SP wind forcing determines the offshore upper-layer thickness (ULT) via Rossby wave propagation, while the Non-Low-Lat-SP wind forcing determines the alongshore ULT via coastal Kelvin wave propagation. A simple bifurcation model is proposed under the framework of linear Rossby wave dynamics. It is found that the seasonal bifurcation latitude is predominantly determined by the spatial pattern of the wind and baroclinic Rossby wave propagation. This model explains the roles of local/remote wind forcing and baroclinic adjustment in the south–north migration and peak seasons of the bifurcation latitude.

A journey to the south: socio-economic implications for young female head porters in the central business district of Kumasi, Ghana

The north-south movement in Ghana has taken a new dimension with females searching for better livelihood opportunities. The porters mostly end up living and working under deprived conditions and vulnerable to physical and reproductive health risks. Their expectations of making good money to enable them realise their dreams are hardly realised. Employing a mixed method of data collection, this paper examines the factors of this gendered migration and its socio-economic implications for the migrants in the CBD of Kumasi. It notes that the neo-classical economic theory of migration is inadequate in explaining the current pattern of north-south migration in Ghana. These female head porters face accommodation, health and work related risks/challenges at their destination. Yet deliberate policy intervention to stem the trend or address the associated challenges is lacking. It is the view of the paper that policy intervention must be geared towards bridging the socio-economic gap in development between the north and the south. The introduction of livelihood empowerment programs for these migrants at the destination will be a laudable thing but socio-economic development of the north, especially the promotion of female education will provide a viable long-term solution to the problem.

Synergy of tectonic geomorphology, applied geophysics and remote sensing techniques reveals new data for active extensional tectonism in NW Peloponnese (Greece)

In tectonically active areas, such as in the northwest Peloponnese of western Greece, geomorphic processes are strongly influenced by active faulting; in many cases such faults cannot be easily identified. In this paper we apply multidisciplinary analysis (morphotectonic indices, neotectonic mapping, geophysical surveys and remote sensing techniques) to map the recently-recognized east–west trending Pineios River normal fault zone with a high degree of accuracy, and to better understand its contribution to the evolution of the ancient region of Elis during Holocene time. Fault activity seems to be related to frequent changes in river flow patterns and to displacements of the nearby shoreline. We argue that fault activity is the main reason for migration of Pineios river mouth as documented for several time periods during historical time. Quantitative constraints on deformation caused by the faulting were applied through the application of the morphotectonic indices proposed in this paper, including drainage network asymmetry and sinuosity, and mountain front sinuosity, all of which indicate that this is a highly active structure. Slip rates calculated to be as high as 0.48mm/yr for the last 209ka (based on previously published dating) were verified by applied geophysical methods. The fault surface discontinuity was identified at depth using vertical electrical resistivity measurements and depositional layers of different resistivity were found to be clearly offset. Displacement increases toward the west, reaching an observed maximum of 110m. The most spectacular landform alteration due to surface deformation is the north–south migration of the river estuary into completely different open sea areas during the late Quaternary, mainly during the Holocene. The sediment transport path has been altered several times due to these changes in river geometry with and the most recent seeming to have occurred almost 2000years ago. The river estuary migrated to its contemporary position along the southern coast, settled on the hanging wall, inducing retrograding of the northern coast, and settled on the foot wall, with rates reaching the order of 0.52m/yr, as concluded from historical and recently-acquired remote sensing data.