Seismicity and gas emissions on Tenerife: a real cause for alarm?

In recent months the media has been drawing attention to the possibility of a dangerous eruption of the Teide Volcano on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Before accepting this prediction, which may well be detrimental to the tourist-based economy of the island, it would be wise to examine the evidence on which it is based.     

3D imaging of a reservoir analogue in point bar deposits in the Ferron Sandstone, Utah, using ground-penetrating radar

Most existing reservoir models are based on 2D outcrop studies; 3D aspects are inferred from correlation between wells, and so are inadequately constrained for reservoir simulations. To overcome these deficiencies, we have initiated a multidimensional characterization of reservoir analogues in the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone in Utah. Detailed sedimentary facies maps of cliff faces define the geometry and distribution of reservoir flow units, barriers and baffles at the outcrop. High‐resolution 2D and 3D ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) images extend these reservoir characteristics into 3D to allow the development of realistic 3D reservoir models. Models use geometric information from mapping and the GPR data, combined with petrophysical data from surface and cliff‐face outcrops, and laboratory analyses of outcrop and core samples. The site of the field work is Corbula Gulch, on the western flank of the San Rafael Swell, in east‐central Utah. The outcrop consists of an 8–17 m thick sandstone body which contains various sedimentary structures, such as cross‐bedding, inclined stratification and erosional surfaces, which range in scale from less than a metre to hundreds of metres. 3D depth migration of the common‐offset GPR data produces data volumes within which the inclined surfaces and erosional surfaces are visible. Correlation between fluid permeability, clay content, instantaneous frequency and instantaneous amplitude of the GPR data provides estimates of the 3D distribution of fluid permeability and clay content.     

Sr and Nd Characteristics of Brasiliano/Pan-African Granitoid Plutons of the Araçuaí Orogen, Southeastern Brazil: Tectonic Implications

Nd and Sr isotope data were obtained for three plutonic suites (595–505 Ma) and distinct young granitoid intrusions (503 Ma), from the southern part of the Neoproterozoic Araçuaí Orogen. The Sr and Nd isotopes (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, eNd) and TDM values from the plutons and distinct basement rocks are used to constrain the magma genesis of the granitoid plutons. These isotopic parameters, with e_Nd values ranging from −4 to −24 and T_DM ages from 1.3 to 2.8 Ga, for the granitoid suites, and −5 to −40 and 3.5 to 1.5 Ga, for the distinct Archean and Proterozoic basement complexes, suggest that the Jequitinhonha Complex metasediments are the main crustal source for most of these plutons, except for the youngest granitoid intrusions, which may have a protolith similar to the Mantiqueira and Guanhães complexes. Furthermore, the isotope data indicate a minor, but important, participation of Neoproterozoic oceanic lithosphere in the granite genesis, which corroborates with a confined orogenic model and a narrow oceanic consumption (B-subduction) for the Araçuaí Orogen.     

Multi-criteria analysis for the identification of waste disposal areas

The municipality of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim (ES) is currently the largest domestic producer and exporter of marble and granite in Brazil. The processing of the rock, especially the sawing results in a large volume of waste, including the abrasives used during sawing and the off-cut pieces. Presently these waste products are disposed of without proper environmental protection and cause pollution to surface water and groundwater resources, including silting, an increase in hardness and increased aluminium values in the groundwater. In order to minimize the harmful effects of these practices on the environment, a research project was undertaken to identify potential disposal sites for the generated waste. A multi-criteria approach was followed during which a database was compiled of all the companies generating waste products and also including a baseline environmental study of the region, integrated analysis (multi-criteria analysis) of the restriction factors and the preliminary identification of possible disposal sites. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Experimental investigation of the effect of dissolution on sandstone permeability, porosity, and reactive surface area

The temporal permeability, porosity, and reactive surface area evolution during dissolution of nonfractured/clay-free Fontainebleau sandstone cores was measured using a flow through percolation reactor. Four core dissolution experiments, each of ∼1000 h duration, were performed on sandstone cores having initial porosities ranging from 5.1 to 16.6%. All experiments were performed at 80°C and at far from equilibrium conditions using a 0.1 M NaOH input solution with a calculated in situ pH of 11.4. Permeability evolution was determined using Darcy’s law together with in situ measured differential pressures. Reactive surface area and porosity evolution were quantified from the mass of Si leaving the core during the experiments. The 5.1 and 8.9% initial porosity sandstone cores experienced porosity increases of 1.2 and 1.4 percent, respectively, during the experiments. These cores experienced a corresponding permeability increase from 0.27 to 0.74 mD and 0.57 to 0.87 mD, respectively. In contrast, the 10.6 and 16.6% initial porosity sandstone cores had permeabilities that were essentially constant during the dissolution experiments despite porosity increases of 6.3 and 2.5%, respectively. Only the 5.1% initial porosity core experienced a permeability evolution roughly consistent with a cubic law dependence on porosity. Reactive surface areas increased during the experiments for all cores; those for the 5.1, 10.6, and 16.6% initial porosity cores increased by 21±6% for each percent porosity increase. The reactive surface area of the 8.9% initial porosity core, however, increased by 148% for each percent porosity increase. These results suggest that dissolution of the 8.9% initial porosity core opened a substantial number of isolated pores, exposing new quartz grain surfaces to dissolution.     

Laboratory Kinetic Studies of the Reactions of Cl Atoms with Species of Biogenic Origin: δ3-Carene, Isoprene, Methacrolein and Methyl Vinyl Ketone

The rate coefficients for the reaction between atomic chlorine and a number of naturally occurring species have been measured at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure using the relative rate technique. The values obtained were (4.0 ± 0.8) × 10^-10, (2.1 ± 0.5) × 10^-10, (3.2 ± 0.5) × 10^-10, and (4.9 ± 0.5) × 10^-10 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, for reactions with isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone, methacrolein and ³-carene, respectively. The value obtained for isoprene compares favourably with previously reported values. No values have been reported to date for the rate constants of the other reactions.     

Construction of a high-resolution gridded rainfall dataset for Peru from 1981 to the present day

ABSTRACT

A new gridded rainfall dataset available for Peru is introduced, called PISCOp V2.1 (Peruvian Interpolated data of SENAMHI’s Climatological and Hydrological Observations). PISCOp has been developed for the period 1981 to the present, with an average latency of eight weeks at 0.1° spatial resolution. The merging algorithm is based on geostatistical and deterministic interpolation methods including three different rainfall sources: (i) the national quality-controlled and infilled raingauge dataset, (ii) radar-gauge merged precipitation climatologies and (iii) the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation (CHIRP) estimates. The validation results suggest that precipitation estimates are acceptable showing the highest performance for the Pacific coast and the western flank of the Andes. Furthermore, a meticulous quality-control and gap-infilling procedure allowed us to reduce the formation of inhomogeneities (non-climatic breaks). The dataset is publicly available at https://piscoprec.github.io/ and is intended to support hydrological studies and water management practices.     

Metamorphic rocks of the Araya Peninsula,Eastern Venezuela

Two grades of metamorphism, both subfacies of the greenschist facies of regional metamorphism, were mapped on the Araya Peninsula: 1. the quartzalbite-epidote-almandine subfacies, consisting mainly of a sequence of garnet and kyanite quartz-mica schists, interlayered with quartzites; and 2. the quartzalbite-muscovite-chlorite subfacies, which consists of chloritic phyllites, quartzmica schists and phyllites, metaconglomerates, calcareous quartz-mica schists, limestones and marbles, and calcareous epidote schists of volcanic origin. The two subfacies are separated by faults. The probable age of these rocks ranges from Triassic(?)-Jurassic to Lower and Middle Cretaceous. Serpentinites intrude rocks of the lower metamorphic grade, and are interpreted as tectonically emplaced. The foliation of these rocks is highly folded by mesoscopic folds, whose axes trend east-northeast and which are overturned to the south-southeast. Lineations parallel to the fold axes and thrusting to the south-southeast are common. These structures reflect a macroscopic structure of antiforms and synforms, all affected by a dominant north-northwest to south-southeast tectonic transport. A system of high-angle or vertical longitudinal faults crosses the peninsula from west-southwest to east-northeast. Evidence of recent strike-slip movement was found, although vertical movement has also been important along these faults. Two tectonic styles exist in the metamorphic rocks. The older one is characterized by compression and thrusting in a south-southeast direction. The younger one is represented by longitudinal faults oriented in an east-northeast direction, with vertical and strike-slip movement. They probably reflect the eastward movement of the Caribbean region with respect to South America.     

Geological development and mineralization in the Atacama segment of the South American Andes,northern Chile (26°15′–27°25′S)

Between the Late Jurassic and the Middle Miocene, widespread magmatism, tectonic events and hydrothermal mineralization characterized the geological evolution of the Atacama segment of the South American Andes. A characteristic feature of this zone is the coincidence in time and space between subduction-generated igneous activity, crustal deformation and mineralization in the magmatic arcs, which formed longitudinal belts migrating eastward.Mineralization in the last 140 Ma is generally restricted to four longitudinal metallogenic belts, in which hydrothermal activity was channelled along crustal-scale faults (1) the Atacama Fault System, along which Early Cretaceous Cu-Au-bearing breccia pipes, veins and stockwork were formed; (2) the Inca do Oro Belt, which contains Upper Cretaceous low sulphur precious metal epithermal mineralization, and Middle Eocene Cu-Mo-Au-bearing breccia pipes; (3) the West Fissure System, which hosts Upper Eocene to Early Oligocene porphyry copper deposits and high sulphur precious metal epithermal mineralization; and (4) the Maricunga Belt, when contains Upper Oligocene to Middle Miocene high sulphur precious metal epithermal deposits and Au-rich porphyry mineralization.