Seismotectonic versus man-induced morphological changes in a cave on the Arrábida chain (Portugal)

Distinctions between cave morphologies originating from seismic or active tectonics and those generated by natural clastic breakdown or by human activity must be made using unambiguous interpretative criteria.Easily accessible caves in particular, which may have been visited for centuries or millennia, or caves located near engineering works or quarries using great quantities of explosives, may have broken speleothems, breakdowns or detachment joints unrelated to seismic events or tectonic movements.Zambujal cave lies near neotectonic and seismic structures associated with a Plio-Quaternary 200 m uplift of the Arrábida chain and has suffered impacts resulting from quarrying, followed by possible vandalism. It is thus an example for which it is difficult to decipher morphological agents as there is the possibility that identical forms have been generated by several causes, which may have repeated at different episodes of its evolution. However, a careful morphological interpretation makes it possible to accept the existence of two seismic episodes, an “ancient” one and a “modern” one. The detection of other episodes between these is only possible using absolute dating.     

From cave geomorphology to Palaeolithic human behaviour: speleogenesis,palaeoenvironmental changes and archaeological insight in the Atxurra-Armiña cave (northern Iberian Peninsula)

A detailed geomorphological study was performed in the Atxurra-Armiña cave system (northern Iberian Peninsula) to decode landscape evolution, palaeoenvironmental changes and human use of a cave within an Inner Archaeological Context. The results show an average incision rate of the river of <0.083 mm a^–1 for at least the last 419 ka, with interruptions due to sedimentary inputs. Moreover, allostratigraphic units comprising fluviokarstic deposits at the base and flowstone formation at the top have been shown to be climatically controlled, formed either during glacial–interglacial cycles or during interstadial cycles. Finally, when the cave was used by humans in the Late Magdalenian, the lower entrance was closed, and they must therefore have entered the cave through the upper entrance. To reach the sectors selected to decorate the panels, they probably travelled from the upper cave level, as the current crawlway was wider than today, according to our U/Th dating. Once these visitors reached the panels, the floor in the main gallery would have been around 15 cm lower than at present. However, the morphology of the conduit was similar; this has significant implications for understanding and interpreting the human use of the cave during the Palaeolithic.     

Surface changes on a landslide affected high bluff in Dunaszekcső (Hungary)

This article presents results from the survey conducted on Dunaszekcs? loess bluff after the last major rotational sliding event in 2008. The study area is a region of 25×30 m located on loess bluff close to the recent scarp. The relative elevation change of the surface was surveyed in 2.5×5 m grid network in relation to a marked base point. The survey was conducted using simple equipment such as analogue theodolite and leveller with regular time interval during a year and control measurements were taken after six months. It was assumed that measurements to the nearest cm are sufficient to recognize vertical displacements of the surface. The study focused on identifying the pattern of general vertical movements for the study area by the relative movements of individual points. Our results show significant cm scale vertical displacements. Most of the grid points have a slow decreasing tendency, but close to the scarp a more significant displacement was found. The main character of the spatial pattern is subsidence, which is more definitive on southern part of the study area than the northern part. Our observations correlate with the broader geomorphological characteristics of loess bluffs along the Danube.     

Structural features of humic acids from a sedimentary sequence in the Guadiana estuary (Portugal–Spain border)

The structural characteristics of humic acids (HAs) from two different depths of a sedimentary sequence representing the last 13 kyr in the valley of Guadiana river estuary (SW Portugal/Spain border) have been approached using a combination of spectroscopic techniques, wet chemical degradation methods (sequential oxidation with sodium persulfate followed by KMnO₄, and oxidation with RuO₄) and analytical pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) in the presence and absence of tetramethylammonium hydroxyde (TMAH). The aim was to obtain complementary information on the sources and alteration of the organic matter (OM) provided by a previous study on the vertical distribution of terrestrial and phytoplankton biogeochemical markers in the sequence. Both the FT-IR (Fourier transformed infrared) and ¹³C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectra showed a close similarity with the structural characteristics of the HA samples. NMR signals in the alkyl region (0–45 ppm) as well as FT-IR band patterns typical for methoxyl-substituted aromatic rings pointed to the presence of an important aliphatic domain, as well as to lignin-derived compounds. This finding was confirmed using analytical pyrolysis. In addition, the main TMAH thermochemolysis products were typical lignin-derived methoxyphenols with both guaicyl and syringyl nuclei. The detection of methoxyphenol units with three to six carbon atom (C₃–C₆) side chains suggests that lignin and possibly suberin were only partially degraded. Compounds arising from proteins and polysaccharides were also detected, although in lesser and varying amount. The major products from persulfate oxidation were series of n-alkanes (C₁₆–C₃₃ with clear odd/even predominance) and n-fatty acids, both saturated (C₁₀–C₂₆ with strong even/odd predominance) and unsaturated, which may arise from the above aliphatic biomacromolecules. The major products from permanganate oxidation of the persulfate residue were α,ω-diacids (C₆–C₁₁) originating from oxidation of the ether bonds linking the building blocks constituting the core of the HA structure. Aromatic compounds (phenols, methoxy-dimethoxybenzene carboxylic acid and benzene di-, tri-, tetra- and pentacarboxylic acids), most probably derived from the aromatic backbone of the HAs, that may also include lignin moieties as well as other polyphenols (flavonoids and tannins) were also detected. The RuO₄ oxidation also released series of n-alkanes (C₁₆–C₃₃), linear saturated fatty acids (C₁₀–C₂₈) and α,ω-diacids (C₇–C₂₅), as well as traces of benzene polycarboxylic acids. Regarding the usefulness of the various techniques used, they provide complementary information. Indeed, spectroscopic techniques and analytical pyrolysis provide information on the backbone of the HAs, and on their origin, whereas the oxidative degradations provide different information on the structural features of the HA, particularly the nature of the linking between the building blocks. In general, the data support the idea that the HAs still contain information about the signature of aliphatic and aromatic biomacromolecules contributing to the OM deposited. The presence of lignin-derived residues suggests a large input from terrestrial carbon throughout the core.     

Quaternary Activity of the Monastir and Grombalia Fault Systems in the North‒Eastern Tunisia (Seismotectonic Implication)

The Monastir and Grombalia fault systems consist of three strands that the northern segment corresponds to Hammamet and Grombalia faults. The southern strand represents Monastir Fault also referred to as the Skanes-Khnis Fault. These NW-trends are observed continuously in the major outcropping features of north-eastern Tunisia including both the Cap Bon peninsula and the Sahel domain. Along the Hammamet Fault, the north-eastern strand of Grombalia fault system, left lateral drainage offset of amount 220 m is found in Fawara valley. To the South, the left lateral movement is occurred along the Monastir Fault based on 180 m of Tyrrhenian terrace displacement. Field observations supported by satellite images suggest that the Monastir and Grombalia fault systems appear to slip mostly laterally with components of normal dip slip. Assuming the development of the stream networks during the Riss-Würm interglacial (115000–125000 years) and the age of the Tyrrhenian terrace (121 ± 10 ka), the strike slip rates of the Hammamet and Monastir faults are calculated in the range of 1.5–1.8 mm/yr. There vertical slip rates are estimated to be 0.06 and 0.26 mm/yr, respectively. These data are consistent with the displacement rate in the Pelagian shelf (1–2 mm/yr) but they are below the convergence rate of African-Eurasian plates (8 mm/yr). Our seismotectonics study reveals that a maximum earthquake of Mw = 6.5 could occur every 470 years in the Hammamet fault zone and Mw = 6–every 263 years in the Monastir fault zone.     

Climatic and geologic controls on the piezometry of the Querença-Silves karst aquifer,Algarve (Portugal)

Karst aquifers in semi-arid regions, like Querença-Silves (Portugal), are particularly vulnerable to climate variability. For the first time in this region, the temporal structure of a groundwater-level time series (1985–2010) was explored using the continuous wavelet transform. The investigation focused on a set of four piezometers, two at each side of the S. Marcos-Quarteira fault, to demonstrate how each of the two sectors of the aquifer respond to climate-induced patterns. Singular spectral analysis applied to an extended set of piezometers enabled identification of several quasi-periodic modes of variability, with periods of 6.5, 4.3, 3.2 and 2.6 years, which can be explained by low-frequency climate patterns. The geologic forcing accounts for ~15 % of the differential variability between the eastern and western sectors of the aquifer. The western sector displays spatially homogenous piezometric variations, large memory effects and low-pass filtering characteristics, which are consistent with relatively large and uniform values of water storage capacity and transmissivity properties. In this sector, the 6.5-year mode of variability accounts for ~70 % of the total variance of the groundwater levels. The eastern sector shows larger spatial and temporal heterogeneity, is more reactive to short-term variations, and is less influenced by the low-frequency components related to climate patterns.     

Effect of a broad shallow sill on tidal circulation and salt transport in the entrance to a coastal plain estuary (Mira—Vila Nova de Milfontes, Portugal)

We describe the tidal circulation and salinity regime of a coastal plain estuary that connects to the ocean through a flood tide delta. The delta acts as a sill, and we examine the mechanisms through which the sill affects exchange of estuarine water with the ocean. Given enough buoyancy, the dynamics of tidal intrusion fronts across the sill and selective withdrawal (aspiration) in the deeper channel landward appear to control the exchange of seawater with estuarine water. Comparison of currents on the sill and stratification in the channel reveals aspiration depths smaller than channel depth during neap tide. During neap tide and strong vertical stratification, seawater plunges beneath the less dense estuarine water somewhere on the sill. Turbulence in the intruding bottom layer on the sill promotes entrainment of fluid from the surface layer, and the seawater along the sill bottom is diluted with estuarine water. During ebb flow, salt is effectively trapped landward of the sill in a stagnant zone between the aspiration depth and the bottom where it can be advected farther upstream by flood currents. During spring tide, the plunge point moves landward and off the sill, stratification is weakened in the deep channel, and aspiration during ebb extends to the bottom. This prevents the formation of stagnant water near the bottom, and the estuary is flooded with high salinity water far inland. The neapspring cycle of tidal intrusion fronts on flood coupled with aspiration during ebb interacts with the sill to play an important role in the transport and retention of salt within the estuary.     

The largest karst cave discovered in a tunnel during motorway construction in Slovenia’s Classical Karst (Kras)

Karst researchers of the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU are regularly consulted during the planning of Slovenia’s motorways and invited to observe and monitor construction in the karst areas. More than 350 caves have been discovered in the course of building 60 km of new motorways over the past decade. Access to the most important caves is preserved by concrete tubes closed with metal covers at the roadside. The largest cave system in a tunnel, named LC-S647, is almost entirely preserved. The protection of this cave will serve as a good example for the preservation of natural heritage in the future. Construction work for the motorway uncovered a high degree of karstification. In particular, the discovery of this cave in the Kastelec tunnel LC-S647 showed the existence of a major cave system in the geological and speleological past. A number of unconnected passages have also been found. Caves discovered during highway construction have brought new knowledge about the cavernosity and the geological history of this part of the karst.     

Application of the European water framework directive in a Western Mediterranean basin (Málaga,Spain)

The water framework directive (WFD) is applied within the Guadalhorce river basin, a Western Mediterranean basin in the Málaga province (South Spain). Criteria defining different surface and groundwater bodies are described. The basic hydrographic network is constituted of low-mountain and low-altitude Mediterranean mineralized rivers. Heavily modified surface water bodies correspond (1) to areas where dams regulate the main watercourses, (2) to areas downstream of reservoirs, where river flow is reduced, and (3) to the coastal sector of the river where artificial channelling has caused morphological variations. Groundwater bodies are related to carbonate and porous aquifers and, locally, to aquifers influenced by dissolution of evaporites. The main impacts to water bodies are irrigated lands and livestock farming. There are also point sources of pollution, such as wastewater, landfills, golf courses, industrial zones, quarries and petrol stations. In addition, groundwater is frequently pumped for human supply and irrigation. Qualitative status of groundwater bodies was done by chemical analysis of samples from a monitoring network and the quantitative status by examining variations in piezometric levels. Both revealed the existence of water bodies at risk of not meeting the environmental objectives of the WFD. The main indicators of pollution are nitrates related to agricultural activities, and total organic carbon (TOC), PO₄³⁻ and NH₄⁺ in relation to wastewater.     

Geochemical compositional changes at the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition in fluviodeltaic deposits in the Tegelen-Reuver area (southeastern Netherlands)

2 O contents, which can be attributed to the Alpine source supplying fresh, sodic plagioclase-rich material instead of the local, strongly weathered sediments. Increasing K₂O/Al₂O₃ can be attributed to a similar decrease in degree of weathering. However, this trend is disturbed by the loss of K from clay minerals during weathering in organic-rich layers. Local high TiO₂ anomalies, caused by preferential sorting and concentration, are found in most Pliocene sections, but they are absent in the Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene Alpine-derived deposits. This change is probably due to a change in the energy of the fluvial system. Finally, (pyrite-) S contents drop (siderite-) Fe contents rise. Micromorphological observations indicate that the Pliocene pyrite was formed when freshwater deposits were flooded with seawater during short-term events. The decrease in S, and the increase in siderite-Fe, can be attributed to decreasing marine influence, as a result of the marine regression at the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition. Received: 28 August 1999 / Accepted: 2 November 1999     

The effects of intensive rainfalls (flash floods) on the development on the landforms in the K?szeg Mountains (Hungary)

The effects of the intensive rainfall episodes in the years 2009 and 2010 in the K?szeg Mountains were investigated. Channel profiles were constructed at various times during these periods, which were used to describe the channel changes. We measured the length of the incised and filled sections on multiple occasions. We could establish the degree and the direction of the changes using this data. The sediment veneer that developed in the area of K?szeg town was mapped and its conditions of development were examined. The erosion and accumulation landforms developed during these years were classified and described. These forms are the following: rills, gullies, alluvial fans and sediment veneer. We distinguished and characterised those which had previously formed, but they were changed or increased (the channels). We established the conditions under which the sediment veneer can develop, furthermore those conditions which can increase the chance of the formation of this landform. These conditions are the following: the high density of roads in the catchment areas of valleys leading to settlements, the great thickness of superficial deposit, and the steep slope of the surface of the catchment area. We created theoretical classification of the morphological environment where the development of sediment veneer may happen and identified settlements with structures which promote or prevent the development of the sediment veneer. We determined the probability of the development of the sediment veneer at some settlements in K?szeg, and suggestions have been given to decrease the chance of the development of this sediment veneer.     

Hypogeal geological survey in the “Grotta del Re Tiberio” natural cave (Apennines, Italy): a valid tool for reconstructing the structural setting

As karst systems are natural windows to the underground, speleology, combined with geological surveys, can be useful tools for helping understand the geological evolution of karst areas. In order to enhance the reconstruction of the structural setting in a gypsum karst area (Vena del Gesso, Romagna Apennines), a detailed analysis has been carried out on hypogeal data. Structural features (faults, fractures, tectonic foliations, bedding) have been mapped in the ”Grotta del Re Tiberio” cave, in the nearby gypsum quarry tunnels and open pit benches. Five fracture systems and six fault systems have been identified. The fault systems have been further analyzed through stereographic projections and geometric-kinematic evaluations in order to reconstruct the relative chronology of these structures. This analysis led to the detection of two deformation phases. The results permitted linking of the hypogeal data with the surface data both at a local and regional scale. At the local scale, fracture data collected in the underground have been compared with previous authors’ surface data coming from the quarry area. The two data sets show a very good correspondence, as every underground fracture system matches with one of the surface fracture system. Moreover, in the cave, a larger number of fractures belonging to each system could be mapped. At the regional scale, the two deformation phases detected can be integrated in the structural setting of the study area, thereby enhancing the tectonic interpretation of the area (e.g., structures belonging to a new deformation phase, not reported before, have been identified underground). The structural detailed hypogeal survey has, thus, provided very useful data, both by integrating the existing information and revealing new data not detected at the surface. In particular, some small structures (e.g., displacement markers and short fractures) are better preserved in the hypogeal environment than on the surface where the outcropping gypsum is more exposed to dissolution and recrystallization. The hypogeal geological survey, therefore, can be considered a powerful tool for integrating the surface and log data in order to enhance the reconstruction of the deformational history and to get a three-dimensional model of the bedrock in karst areas.     

Tourmalinites and Sn-Li mineralization in the Valdeflores area (Cáceres,Spain)

Summary Tourmalinites containing quartz, Li- and Cs-micas, and small amounts of arsenopyrite occur near Cáceres, Spain. The tourmalinites are developed within Ordovician pelites near the eastern margin of the Cabeza de Araya batholith and close to several small bodies of tectonized granite. Field and textural relationships document an epigenetic character for the tourmalinites. The tourmaline is fine to very fine-grained and its composition is intermediate within the schorl-dravite solid-solution series. Hydrothermal veins containing quartz, muscovite, amblygonite-montebrasite, apatite, fluorite, and/or cassiterite appear spatially related to the tourmalinites. The mineralized area is located in a shear zone that was active during D₃ Hercynian deformation and the emplacement of granitic bodies. Tourmalinites and veins derived from B- and Li-rich magmatic-hydrothermal fluids are believed to have been associated with the intrusion of a hidden granite dome, the tourmalinites being produced by extensive metasomatism of Ordovician metasedimentary rocks.

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Turmalinite and Sn-Li-Vererzungen im Valdeflores Gebiet (Cáceres, Spanien)

Zusammenfassung Turmalinite, die Quarz, Li- und Cs-Glimmer, sowie geringe Mengen an Arsenkies führen, kommen in der Ne von Cáceres, Spanien, vor. Sie sind an ordovizische Metapelite in der Nähe des Cabeza de Araya Batholiths und kleinere tektonisierte Granitkörper gebunden. Eine epigenetische Genese der Turmalinite ist auf Grund von Feldbeziehungen und texturellen Beobachtungen belegt. Die Zusammensetzung der sehr feinkörnigen Turmaline entspricht intermediären Gliedern der Schörl-Dravit- Reihe. Hydrothermale Gänge mit Quarz, Muskowit, Amblygonit-Montebrasit, Apatit, Fluorit und/oder Zinnstein treten benachbart zu den Turmaliniten auf. Der mineralisierte Bereich ist an eine Scherzone gebunden, die während der hercynischen D3 Deformation und der Platznahme der Granite aktiv war. Turmalinite und Gänge lassen sich genetisch von magmatisch-hydrothermalen Fluiden ableiten, die mit der Intrusion eines nicht aufgeschlossenen Granitdomes zusammenhängen. Die Turmalinite sind das Produkt einer weiträumigen Metasomatose der ordovizischen Metasedimente.

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With 8 Figures     

Annual soil CO2 efflux in a wet meadow during active layer freeze–thaw changes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Soil CO₂ efflux from an ecosystem responds to the active layer thawing depth (H) significantly. A Li-8100 system was used to monitor the CO₂ exchange from a wet meadow ecosystem during a freeze–thaw cycle of the active layer in a permafrost region on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. An exponential regression equation ( $ F_{\text{soil\, flux}} = 1.84e^{0.023H} + 5.06\,R^{2} = 0.96 $ ) has been established on the basis of observed soil CO₂ efflux versus the thawed soil thickness. Using this equation, the total soil CO₂ efflux during an annual freeze–thaw cycle has been calculated to be approximately 8.18 × 10¹⁰ mg C. The results suggest that freeze–thaw cycles in the active layer play an important role in soil CO₂ emissions and that thawed soil thickness is the major factor controlling CO₂ fluxes from the wet meadow ecosystem in permafrost regions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It can be concluded that with active layer thickening due to permafrost degradation, massive amounts of soil carbon would be emitted as greenhouse gases, and the permafrost region would become a carbon source with a positive feedback effect on climate warming. Hence, more attention should be paid to the influences of the active layer changes on soil carbon emission from these permafrost regions.     

Guadalupian (Middle Permian) δ13Corg changes in the Lower Yangtze,South China

Acta Geochimica - The Middle Permian Guadalupian witnessed significant environmental changes in the Phanerozoic such as large-scale sea-level drop, supercontinent Pangaea assembly, and transition...     

The Cenomanian–Turonian Boundary Event (CTBE) on the southern slope of the Subalpine Basin (SE France) and its bearing on a probable tectonic pulse on a larger scale

The Cenomanian–Turonian Boundary Event (CTBE) event is not associated with a transgression on the southern margin of the Subalpine Basin, but with a steady shallowing-up trend beginning in the lower half of the δ¹³C positive shift. The SW–NE Rouaine Fault had a complex role, first in isolating a black shale basin to the west and a large, deep submarine plateau devoid of black shale to the east, then by a strike-slip movement that induced a forced progradation to the north of the southern platform in the eastern compartment. This compressive tectonic reactivation of the southern margin began around the deposition of the local equivalent of the Plenus bed of boreal basins, as shown by correlation supported by both isotope and palaeontological data. Other local data are pieced together to suggest that the whole of SE France underwent a short-lived transpressive tectonic pulse around the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary, probably connected with the early compressive movement of Africa vs. Europe. On a larger scale, other published data suggest that this pulse could be a global one. It is coeval with renewed thrust loading, volcanism and transgression in the North-American Western Interior, local emergences during the event along the eastern Atlantic margin, suggesting a slight tendency to inversion of the margin, and a tilting to the east of the North-Africa plate that could explain the large transgression recorded from Morocco to Tunisia on the Saharan Craton.New isotope and palaeontological (coiling ratio of Muricohedbergella delrioensis) data from SE France suggest that two coolings of suprabasinal importance occurred just before and during the build-up of the d¹³C shift, including the boreal “Plenus Marls“, especially its middle limestone bed and its SE France equivalent.Regarding the extinction of the genus Thalmaninella and Rotalipora and during the event, neither anoxia nor climate changes can fully explain the palaeontological crisis, given that Rotalipora cushmani crosses the first phase of anoxia without harm, as well as the two coolings, not only in SE France but on a large scale, as shown by the correlation of the published data. This extinction needs alternative explanations as we challenge both anoxia and climate as major causes.     

Research on the adsorptive kinetic experiments on humus and its spacial variations in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary

In this paper, based on the adsorptive kinetic experiments and interfacial chemistry experiments, the adsorption mechanism and the factors influencing the adsorption of humus by HS-12 resin have been studied. Humus in the water of the Changjiang estuary w…     

3rd Regional Symposium on Landslides in the Adriatic-Balkan Region (3rd ReSyLAB)—a final report

The 3rd Regional Symposium on Landslides in the Adriatic-Balkan Region (3rd ReSyLAB) was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from June 11 to 13, 2017, with 70 participants from nine countries (Austria, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain)—scientists, engineers, researchers, students, experts, politicians, and other decision-makers working in the area of landslide risk reduction in the region. The ReSyLAB is a biannual event organized by the Adriatic-Balkan Network of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL ABN). Being an important form of activities of this ICL regional network comprising of six ICL members from four countries, it was also a contribution of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. This article reports on the main outcomes of the 3rd ReSyLAB Symposium. Altogether, 41 abstracts were published in the symposium book of abstracts, and the symposium proceedings with over 20 reviewed full papers are under preparation to be printed early in 2018. During the 3rd ReSyLAB, a five invited keynote lectures have been presented, and 28 oral presentations are given to the audience. An important part of the symposium was a Round Table entitled “Enhancing cooperation between landslide research community and end users.” On the last day of the symposium, over 30 experts participated in two post-symposium study tours in Slovenia.     

Urban land use/land cover changes in the Tema metropolitan area (1990–2010)

Land use and land cover changes are local and place specific, occurring incrementally in ways that often escape our attention. This study sought to detect changes in land cover in the Tema Metropolis of Ghana from 1990 to 2010. Multispectral Landsat Thematic Mapper data sets of 1990, 2000 and 2007 were acquired, pre-processed and enhanced. Unsupervised classification of the images was performed and six land cover classes (water, wetlands, closed vegetation, open vegetation, cropped lands, and built-up) were derived. The post-classification change detection technique was performed to derive the changes in land cover and their corresponding change matrices. Between 1990 and 2010, built-up areas expanded steadily to become the most prevalent land cover type in the metropolis, reducing vegetation cover dramatically. High population growth with its attendant rise in the demand for housing, and increasing commercial activities, were found to have influenced land cover changes over the period.