Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

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The Monterrey sheet is located in the northwest of Costa Rica in the limit of the active volcanic arc and the San Carlos basin (SCB), associated with the sedimentation, the volcanism and the tectonic of the back-arc region of southern Central America. The objective and methods were to develop the geological mapping of the sedimentary and volcanic deposits, the tectonic and the sampling for radiometric dating, geochemistry and petrography of the different units. The older rocks are conformed by clastic sediments belonging to Venado Formation, deposited in a shelf and transitional continental environment of Middle–Upper Miocene age. U-Pb geochronology for the youngest group of detrital zircons in these sediments constrained to a maximum depositional age of 6,9 ± 0,2 Ma, suggesting a late Miocene to Pliocene age sedimentation of the basin in this region of the SCB, which is in agreement with previous microforaminiferal and palynological dating and one 40K/40Ar radiometric age of the overlying volcanism on this sediments. The Pliocene sedimentation corresponds to the sealing of the basin associated with the Central American isthmus closure, recognized by an angular discordance associated with the tectonic event registered at the end of the Miocene and the beginning of the Pliocene. The Upper Miocene volcanism is subalkaline of marked tholeiitic and calc-alkaline afinity and transition to both series, varying from basalts to dacites. The geochemical analysis suggest a strong differentiation of these magmas from OIB type source (calc-alkaline/alkaline rocks) to MORB type source (tholeiitic basalts) modified by the subduction processes. The Plio-Pleistocene pyroclastic volcanism is associated to ignimbrites of calc-alkaline dacitic-andesitic composition. Related to primary magmas, the analysis suggest greater or high degrades of partial melting with an input of fluids and carbonate pelagic sediments from the subducting slab to the mantle metasomatism. The primitive mantle normalization shows LILE enrichments and HFSE depletions associated with the input of marine fluids and sediments dehydration of the subducted slab to the mantle metasomatism, typical of arc volcanism with an alkaline component that may be more related to the back-arc rather than the intra-arc volcanism of northern Costa Rica. The Monteverde Formation of the lower Pleistocene, cover most of the area of about 78%, forming transitional and sedentary soils mainly of andesite composition, associated also to a pyroclastic and volcaniclastic volcanism in the southwest of the sheet area. The Buena Vista Formation conform the subsequent volcanism of Monteverde Formation and is constituted by volcaniclastic deposits (lahars) of very indurate volcanic breccia. The pyroclastic Holocene deposits of Arenal volcano (tephra) are calc-alkaline of andesitic-basaltic andesite composition and are distributed to the south of the sheet. The compressive tectonic of the Middle to Upper Miocene is registered in the area by the tectonic deformation of thrusting faults in the sediments of the Venado Formation and the transtensive tectonic of the Plio-Pleistocene by mainly strike-slip faults considered active. The Cenozoic and Mesozoic detrital zircon ages of the Venado Formation, they register the development and evolution of the southern Central America volcanic arc, meanwhile, the Proterozoic and Paleozoic detrital zircon ages a possible connection with northern Central America or southern Mexico, or a possible Gondwanic or Laurentian origin. However, it could also indicate the presence of hidden continental crust fragments underneath southern Central America. These ancient detrital zircons ages constitute a new contribution to the geochronological knowledge and evolution of these continental complexes and provide a paradigm for future studies about the geologic and geotectonic evolution of the Central America isthmus. eology; stratigraphy; detrital zircons.

Seismic waves attenuation models are obtained from accelerographic data and represent one of the most important inputs for seismic hazard studies, which are essential for the design of increasingly efficient seismic-resistant structures and systems. Given that the recording of new earthquakes provides extremely valuable information to update these models and studies, it is necessary that both be reviewed and reconsidered periodically. In this work, a descriptive analysis of accelerographic data recorded in stations in Costa Rica until the year 2021 is presented, as a basis for the subsequent development of attenuation models for the country. The research is motivated by the large number of accelerographic data recorded in the last 11 years, thanks to the densification of the instrument network managed by the Seismic Engineering Laboratory of the University of Costa Rica. This means that, at the present time, there is a sufficiently broad and robust accelerographic database to be able to generate ground motion prediction equations, known as GMPEs, that represent the attenuation in the three tectonic regimes present in the country: crustal, interphase subduction and intraslab subduction. In this stage of the investigation, a total of 3,192 records associated with 245 earthquakes are analyzed, obtained after applying a series of selection filters on a database initially composed of 3,981 records. The analysis has consisted of obtaining the distributions of the number of events and the number of records based on the magnitude, depth, tectonic regime and type of soil at the recording station, classifying it following the criteria of the Seismic Code of Costa Rica (CFIA , 2010). Among the main results of this research, which will condition the ranges of applicability of the models that are developed later, are (1) the identification of a scarcity of records in conditions of hard soil or rock (S1), as well as of high magnitudes at short hypocentral distances and low magnitudes at long distances.; (2) The range of hypocentral distances from the available records is (5-300 km) for crustal earthquakes, (15-300 km) for interphase subduction, and (40-400 km) for intraslab subduction. Finally, two distance measurements were estimated for extended sources, called rupture, R RUP, and Joyner and Boore, R J&B, used when the rupture cannot be considered punctual. These distances have been calculated from the distances for point sources, epicentral and hypocentral, R EPI and R HYPO respectively, following the methodology proposed by Thompson y Worden (2018).

In this study, we demonstrate the capabilities of hypothetical scenario earthquakes as a new tool for assessment of hazards associated with earthquake-triggered landslides. Costa Rica offers an ideal environment for demonstrating the utility of scenario earthquakes due to its diverse tectonic environments and associated widespread seismic hazard, rugged topography, and high landslide susceptibility. We investigate the relative influence of landslide proxies such as topographic slope, peak ground velocity (PGV), and compound topographic index (CTI), and earthquake source parameters such as magnitude and depth, on predicted landslide probability and fatality. We examine five distinct tectonic environments, including subduction events beneath the (1) Nicoya and (2) Osa peninsulas respectively, (3) intraplate earthquakes beneath the Central Volcanic Range (CVR) and (4) the Central Costa Rica Deformed Belt (CCRDB), and (5) back-arc thrust events on the eastern Caribbean coast. Our results demonstrate that the slope, PGV, and CTI thresholds necessary to produce landslide probabilities greater than 10% vary by tectonic environment. In all cases, we observe magnitude to be the primary control on the predicted maximum landslide probability and overall areal landslide coverage. We validate model predictions with observed landslide inventories from the 2009 Cinchona and 1991 Limon earthquakes, demonstrating a good fit, where over 70% of landslides occurring in zones of greater than 20% probability. We also use a global model of landslide impact to predict exposure and fatality ranges for each scenario earthquake of this study, revealing that moderate-sized earthquakes in the CCRDB and CVR and large subduction megathrust earthquakes each pose a significant hazard to Costa Rica’s population.

An analysis of acceleration response spectra (SA) recorded in Nicaragua and its comparison with those predicted with different published GMPE (Ground Motion Prediction Equations) is presented (a geometric mean of recorded horizontal acceleration components is used). It is discussed a procedure for modification of published GMPE to be locally used, based on the residual analysis of observed SA, converted to expected values in hard rock (VS30 = 1130 m/seg), with respect to predicted by GMPE’s ones: ln{ERAobserved(T)} - ln{ERApredicted(T)}. The modification takes the form of a correction Q(μi,σi) with “i” varying over spectrum periods, being “μ” the bias and “σ” the standard dispersion. A procedure is proposed for its use in seismic hazard assesment that consist in using the modified GMPE for hard rock in the calculations and converting the obtained uniform hazard spectra to desired value of VS30 by using the same method employed to convert the observed SA to hard rock ones. It is considered that this procedure gives better results that the direct use of published GMPE.

Remains of selachians have been collected at the Gabinarraca cave. These fossils were found in grainstone type lithoacies from the Upper Miocene carbonated lagoon and estuarine sediments of Venado Formation. Among the sharks remains are notorious the juvenile specimens of Carcharocles megalodon associated to a shallow marine and brackish waters environments. The discovery of these remains shows that species such as Carcharocles megalodon used the shallow waters of the Miocene where Venado de San Carlos is currently located as a breeding area.

BALLISTICA software, designed by the Author, was used to find a reasonable trajectory for the ballistic bombs and blocks ejected on October 29, 2014 from Turrialba volcano that hit the rangers quarters causing deadly damage, if it would have hit a person. The analysis included the proposal that the fragment was dragged by the ash and gas phase in the initial few hundred meters in its flight. The rest of the trajectory was analyzed as a ballistic path within a Newtonian regime acted with a constant drag coefficient of Cd. Both flight path stages were controlled by the crater asymmetry. It is proposed here an initial velocity and ejection angle of 125 ms-1 and 65° for the respectively, as well as 83,3 ms-1 and 74,6° for the corresponding final velocity and angle. A total flight time of a ballistically ejected clast of 20,3 s, calculated with Cd = 0,42 associated to a half-sphere. At the end, four general recommendations about building procedures were outlined to reduce possible future risk for both rangers and visitors in case of similar ballistic explosive eruption event.

Kriging, the interpolation method linked to geostatistics, has been used and has been proposed as the best interpolation method, a lot of times without really understanding how to properly apply it and allowing the software that offers it to decide how to implement it. This statement is correct when used in the right way, performing all the necessary steps throughout the geostatistical analysis and modeling, for this reason is necessary to understand how to apply Kriging correctly so the results are relevant and reliable. These steps are detailed in this work, going over the theory, and through a practical example, using average temperature data over the last 10 years for March 8th for the San José province, the method is implemented using the free statistical software R. Additionally, a free access web application is shown for those who are not comfortable using programming languages.

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Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 mainly affects the respiratory system, but the damage caused by this virus also extends to other systems, including the nervous system, and the mechanisms of neurological infection can be direct or indirect.Objective: To determine the relationship between neurological manifestations and disease severity in symptomatic COVID-19 positive patients at San Vicente de Paul Hospital in 2021.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using medical records of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and neurological manifestations, which were classified into manifestations of the central nervous system and manifestations of the peripheral nervous system.Results: The results show that 74,1 % of patients presented neurological manifestations; the highest percentage was concentrated in patients who developed severe disease (15 [60 %], CNS; 91 [77,1 %], PNS; 125 [65,4 %], CNS and PNS). The joint presence of central and peripheral neurological manifestations was significantly associated with critical COVID-19 (P value= 0,011; OR: 2,005). The mortality rate reached 2,69 %.Conclusions: Neurological manifestations in hospitalized COVID-19 patients are very common, and critical COVID-19 is more likely to have neurological manifestations.