The Juchatengo complex: an upper-level ophiolite assemblage of late Paleozoic age in Oaxaca,southern Mexico

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The Juchatengo complex (JC) suite is located between the Proterozoic Oaxacan complex to the north and the Xolapa complex to the south, and was amalgamated...     

Crustal melting and recycling: geochronology and sources of Variscan syn-kinematic anatectic granitoids of the Tormes Dome (Central Iberian Zone). A U–Pb LA-ICP-MS study

International Journal of Earth Sciences - In this study, we report U–Pb Laser Ablation ICP-MS zircon and ID-TIMS monazite ages for peraluminous granitoid plutons...     

Site scale modeling of slow-moving landslides,a 3D viscoplastic finite element modeling approach

This paper presents an advanced 3D numerical methodology to reproduce the kinematics of slow active landslides, more precisely, to reproduce the nearly constant strain rate (secondary creep) and the acceleration/deceleration of the moving mass due to hydrological changes. For this purpose, finite element analyses are performed in a large area covering a long time-span (12 years), in order to exhibit different interacting slope movements. First, we perform a stability analysis using the shear strength reduction (SSR) technique with a Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria. It is done in order to compute factors of safety (FS) and to identify two different scenarios, the first one being stable (FS > 1) and the second one being unstable (FS < 1). In the studied test case, the Portalet landslide (Central Spanish Pyrenees), the first scenario corresponds to an initial stable configuration of the slope and the second one to an unstable excavated configuration. Second, taking the first scenario as an initial condition, a time-dependent analysis is performed using a coupled formulation to model solid skeleton and pore fluids interaction, and a simplified ground water model that takes into account daily rainfall intensity. In this case, a viscoplastic constitutive model based on Perzyna’s theory is applied to reproduce soil viscous behavior and the delayed creep deformation due to the excavation. The fluidity parameter is calibrated to reproduce displacements measured by the monitoring systems. Our results demonstrate that 3D analyses are preferable to 2D ones for reproducing in a more realistic way the slide behavior. After calibration, the proposed model is able to simulate successfully short- and medium-term predictions during stages of primary and secondary creep.     

Rainfall thresholds for the triggering of landslides considering previous soil moisture conditions (Asturias,NW Spain)

Given its geological and climatic conditions and its rugged orography, Asturias is one of the most landslide prone areas in the North of Spain. Most of the landslides occur during intense rainfall episodes. Thus, precipitation is considered the main triggering factor in the study area, reaching average annual values of 960 mm. Two main precipitation patterns are frequent: (i) long-lasting periods of moderate rainfall during autumn and winter and (ii) heavy short rainfall episodes during spring and early summer. In the present work, soil moisture conditions in the locations of 84 landslides are analysed during two rainfall episodes, which represent the most common precipitation patterns: October–November 2008 and June 2010. Empirical data allowed the definition of available water capacity percentages of 99–100% as critical soil moisture conditions for the landslide triggering. Intensity-duration rainfall thresholds were calculated for each episode, considering the periods with sustained high soil moisture levels before the occurrence of each analysed landslide event. For this purpose, data from daily water balance models and weather stations were used. An inverse relationship between the duration of the precipitation and its intensity, consistent with published intensity-duration thresholds, was observed, showing relevant seasonal differences.     

Biogeochemical characterization of a Mediterranean shallow lake using stable isotopes: Laguna del Cristo (NW Iberian Peninsula)

The present multi-isotopic study (δ¹⁸O–δD_water, δ³⁴S–δ¹⁸O_{dissolved-sulphate}, δ¹³C_{dissolved-inorganic-carbon}, δ¹³C–δ¹⁸O_{shells-modern-gastropods}, δ¹³C_plants, and δ¹³C_{sedimentary-organic-matter}) is aimed at assessing the hydrogeochemical changes and biogeochemical dynamics in a Mediterranean shallow lake fed by a Quaternary–Tertiary aquifer, the “Laguna del Cristo” (NW Iberian Peninsula), a system sensitive to climate fluctuations, between 2010 and 2011. Lake water is of the bicarbonate type, and there are no major pollutants. δ¹⁸O-δD_water values plot on a local evaporation line (δD=5.29δ¹⁸O–12.29) indicating that evaporative enrichment had a significant impact on lake water isotopic features. Periods of high water levels are characterized by lower δ³⁴S–δ¹⁸O_{dissolved-sulphate} and δ¹³C_{dissolved-inorganic-carbon} values and suggest sulphate derived from weathering of sulphides in the catchment area, delivered to the lake by surface run-off or via groundwater, and in situ decay of organic matter. During lower water levels, sulphate reduction and enhanced primary productivity lead to higher δ³⁴S_{dissolved-sulphate} and δ¹³C_{dissolved-inorganic-carbon} values. Evaporation induced enrichment in ¹⁸O_sulphate, ¹³C_{dissolved-inorganic-carbon} and ¹³C–¹⁸O_{shells-Galba-Gyraulus}. δ¹³C_plant confirms the C3 photosynthetic pathway. Enrichment in ¹³C submerged aquatic plants indicates that HCO₃^? is the main carbon source, except for ¹³C-depleted Potamogeton. The TOC, δ¹³C_org values, and TC/TN ratios in sediments all confirm the autochthonous character of organic matter contribution. This study provides a baseline for isotopic research into shallow, flow-through lakes fed by siliciclastic aquifers, and stresses the importance of evaporation and refilling (direct precipitation and groundwater discharge) in controlling the solute chemistry and stable isotopic composition in temperate regions with contrasting seasonal climates. The results also provide a snapshot of modern lake isotope variability that can be applied to paleoenvironmental reconstructions.