https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/71485 2026-04-10T04:24:41Z 2026-04-10T04:24:41Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/90085 2022-03-02T07:34:37Z 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Minding the gap; what goes in the in-between? an investigative analysis of the fault bound gully at Ras Ħanzir, Magħlaq Abstract: This research provides a detailed study of the Maghlaq Fault system, its kinematics and dynamics. Through site specific investigations of the said fault at Ras Hanzir, one of the most structurally complex facets of the Maghlaq fault is exposed. Fault trace linkage at the site produced a fault bound gully, infilled by a tectonically controlled ramp of incompetent Globigerina and Blue Clay strata, exhibiting strain accommodation through various magnitudes of deformation. Rigid deformation, mainly through compression and the generation of cataclasite and fault bound lenses, can also be observed on the footwall of the gully. The genesis, development and expression of the processes that shape this gully at Ras Hanzir, is one of the main focuses of the dissertation; the other being strata response to stress and strain. In dealing with these themes this study spans across several pertinent sub topics such as gee-chemistry and gee-mechanics and in doing so attempts to give an intimate understanding of the site. Description: B.A.(HONS)GEOGRAPHY

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/76633 2021-06-02T06:49:01Z 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Community sentiment in Marsascala, Malta Abstract: Marsaskala has always been a summer resort. This thesis aims at identifying what the residents of this settlement think are the components that produce a community. A community does not have definite boundaries but it is the people themselves through their behaviour that construct such a phenomena. During the last twenty years, Marsaskala has experienced a great inflow of people which has considerably influenced its communal fabric. In order to achieve the desired results, interviews were conducted among 25 residents of different educational background. Moreover, different aspects of the settlement were observed through the eye of a human geographer and a number of photos which relate to communal formation were taken. The findings showed that people associate different issues with communities such as the settlement feast, the sea, band clubs, central areas of a settlement, distance to the church and the location of the church itself amongst other things. Thus, people attach different meanings to communities and moreover the latter can take different forms through space and place. Indeed, nowadays we also refer to imagined communities. Residents still think that the formation of communities take place in nucleated settlements where most of the buildings are concentrated around a central building which most often is the church. Furthermore a critique of the difference between Constructionist and Classical Approaches was emphasized in order to make clearer the historical and theoretical evolution of communities. Description: M.A.GEOGRAPHY

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/76625 2021-06-02T05:35:35Z 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Near-shore processes along shingle beaches in the Maltese islands Abstract: Coastal areas can be deceiving, especially in their appearances, where one can get the impression that these areas are stable and lack any variations in their physiology. On the contrary, coastal zones, especially beaches, are dynamic and always prone to constant change. Thus, studying beaches is a difficult and complex task as it is a very active zone with results varying from day-to-day. There are various theories and research studies related to the coastal zone and some may differ both in thought and in applications. Nowadays, the main issue is what study to chose and on what the research is based upon rather than a matter of how data is collected. This dissertation takes into consideration the various theories, view the main ones, and apply them to this research. This study involves an examination of the morphological and sedimentary characteristics at three naturally occurring shingle beaches in Malta. Here, a detailed analysis of the beaches will take place, with particular emphasis on the perpendicular and parallel motion of sediment to the shoreline and how they differ between. The aim of this thesis is to undertake an assessment of the geomorphology of shingle beaches in Malta, with emphasis on identifying the predominant berm width and length and processes occurring within. The sampling program for the three beaches consists in collecting discrete samples along a line transect from three locations (left, right, and center). From each location a number of samples will be collected with a maximum of nine samples from each bay. The beach profile, sediment size, sediment sorting and particle shape will be measured at each line transect. The study will include a spatial change of each bay by taking samples during the summer period and the winter period and comparing and contrasting them with one another. The beaches under study are chosen at a certain distance from each other from the west, east, and south of the island. The three shingle bays chosen are Gnejna Bay, Mistra Bay and Qrajten Point. Description: M.A.GEOGRAPHY

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/73392 2021-04-14T07:18:00Z 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Solution subsidence structures (dolines) in Malta : their physical development and human use Abstract: Solution subsidence structures or dolines, as they are more commonly known in the international literature, are common karst landforms in the Maltese Islands. A significant number lie buried beneath metres of soil and sediment while others are mere remnants of much larger structures. Furthermore, some dolines are found in positive relief while a significant percentage exhibit clear surface evidence of their existence. The principal aim of this research study is to present a comprehensive study on the formation, evolution, distribution and land use of subsidence structures in the Maltese Islands. A total of 57 subsidence structures located on the main islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino have been inspected and photographed. The main outcome of this exercise was the production of a doline catalogue, which is presented in Appendix 2. In addition, two maps illustrating the distribution of dolines across the Maltese Islands have been produced and presented through the use of Google Earth. The most representative dolines were further investigated and discussed as case studies. A morphometric analysis, consisting of a number of geometric parameters, has been conducted by means of a hand-held GPS for a total of 11 dolines representing the case studies under investigation. The investigations revealed that the distribution of dolines and the location of faults are closely related to each other. A very high proportion of dolines have formed in the Upper Coralline Limestone, a rock formation with a high secondary porosity. Moreover, a nearest neighbour analysis revealed that subsidence structures in Malta are randomly distributed with a tendency towards clustering while the Gozitan structures are randomly distributed with no tendency towards clustering or regularity. The investigation also concluded that the majority of dolines in Malta should be referred to as buried dolines or collapse dolines. Description: M.A.GEOGRAPHY

2010-01-01T00:00:00Z