A hydrological simulation of the water regime in two playa lakes located in southern Spain

The subject of this paper is the detailed hydrological simulation of two playa lakes located in southern Spain from January 2011 to March 2012 on a daily basis. These playas are placed over a 400-km ² shallow aquifer, which is exposed to an increasing stress caused by agricultural activities, mainly olive grove plantations. The objective of the paper is to elaborate a detailed numeric model that simulates the water regime of each playa lake on a daily scale. The simulation is compared to measured water level (WL) data of the playas in order to characterize the groundwater–surface interactions. The ultimate objective of this paper is to assess the environmental impact of the increasing anthropogenic water consumption within the area of research. The results of the GW–surface interaction were very consistent with previous works. One of the playa lakes is groundwater-dependent and the other one is presumably a perched playa lake. The GW discharge of the former playa (214 mm) during the research period stands in sharp contrast to no regional GW discharge in the latter. Water level data prove that the hydrological year (2011–2012) had a very negative water budget. The evapotranspiration estimation was almost as high as double the sum of the precipitation, the run-off, and the groundwater discharge. The simulation of an anthropologically altered water regime proves that water retrieval has a harmful impact on the WL of the playa lakes as well as on the aquifer.     

Tsunami vulnerability evaluation in the Mentawai islands based on the field survey of the 2010 tsunami

On October 25, 2010, a large earthquake occurred off the coast of the Mentawai islands in Indonesia, generating a tsunami that caused damage to the coastal area of North Pagai, South Pagai, and Sipora islands. Field surveys were conducted soon after the event by several international survey teams, including the authors’. These surveys clarified the tsunami height distribution, the damage that took place, and residents’ awareness of tsunamis in the affected islands. Heights of over 5 m were recorded on the coastal area of the Indian Ocean side of North and South Pagai islands and the south part of Sipora island. In some villages, it was difficult to evacuate immediately after the earthquake because of the lack of routes to higher ground or the presence of rivers. Residents in some villages had taken part in tsunami drills or education; however, not all villages shared awareness of tsunami threats. In the present paper, based on the results of these field surveys, the vulnerability of these islands with regards to future tsunami threats was analyzed. Three important aspects of this tsunami disaster, namely the geographic disadvantage of the islands, the resilience of buildings and other infrastructure, and people’s awareness of tsunamis, are discussed in detail, and corresponding tsunami mitigation strategies are explained.     

Kriging of water levels in the Souss aquifer,Morocco

Universal kriging is applied to water table data from the Souss aquifer in central Morocco. The procedure accounts for the spatial variability of the phenomenon to be mapped. With the use of measured elevations of the water table, an experimental variogram is constructed that characterizes the spatial variability of the measured water levels. Spherical and Gaussian variogram models are alternatively used to fit the experimental variogram. The models are used to develop contour maps of water table elevations and corresponding estimation variances. The estimation variances express the reliability of the kriged water table elevation maps. Universal kriging also provides a contour map of the expected elevation of the water table (drift). The differences between the expected and measured water table elevations are called residuals from the drift. Residuals from the drift are compared with residuals obtained by more traditional least-squares analysis.     

U–Pb SHRIMP data constraints on calc-alkaline granitoids with 1.3–1.6 Ga Nd TDM model ages from the central domain of the Borborema province,NE Brazil

The Tabira, Itapetim and Timbaúba granitoids are intruded into metasedimentary sequences and Cariris Velhos (Tonian) orthogneisses from the Central Domain of the Borborema Province, NE Brazil. They have U–Pb SHRIMP ages of 593 ± 7 Ma; 615 ± 9 Ma and 616 ± 5 Ma respectively. The studied granitoids have zircon cores inherited from the protholith, with a large number of analyses showing ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages ranging from 950 to 1200 Ma. Oscillatory zoning typical of magmatic zircon is common, although it is faint in some inherited cores.The studied granitoids are calc-alkaline and show Nd T_DM model ages ranging from 1.30 to 1.56 Ga and ?Nd (600 Ma) ranging from ?2.40 to ?5.34. These values are similar to those recorded in the country rocks. The lowest values of ?Nd (600 Ma) were recorded in enclaves of dioritic composition. Nd and U–Pb SHRIMP data suggest a significant participation of the metasedimentary rocks in the protholith of these granitoids. The Mesoproterozoic Nd T_DM model ages recorded in the studied granitoids are interpreted as the result of a hybrid source involving melting of metagraywackes, metamafic rocks of Tonian ages and/or biotite – bearing orthogneisses (Cariris Velhos Orthogneisses). The resulted melting was modified by mingling with juvenile Brasiliano melts, diorite in composition.The Timbaúba granitoids intrusions are coeval with high-T metamorphism and flat-lying foliation forming event in an intracontinental setting, during the Brasiliano convergence and contractional deformation. The Itapetim Pluton was emplaced in the convergence - lateral escape setting and the Tabira granitoids were intruded after the flat-lying foliation event, representing sin transcurrent intrusions.Our data show that within the Central Domain of the Borborema Province, granitoids with similar petrographic and geochemical compositions can have distinct ages and be intruded in distinct tectonic regimes.     

Technical, financial and location criteria for the design of land application system treatment

Conventional water treatments when downsized to cover the demands of small and scattered populations are costly and ineffective. In fact, many small towns cannot afford the high average treatment costs nor provide the skill and complex management requirements. Even when these facilities are available, waste water might not be properly treated. Land application system treatments (LAST) have been shown to be preferable on the basis of their technical effectiveness and financial viability. The recently approved Spanish regulations (RDL 1620/2007, pp 50369–50661) represent an opportunity for the implementation of well-designed LASTs. This paper presents an assessment methodology for the design of LASTs by combining technical, financial and location criteria. The method is applied to the design of LASTs to cover the water disposal demand of twelve municipalities located within the protected natural landscape, and surrounding areas of ‘El Rebollar’, Salamanca, Spain.     

The development of folds in bedded chert and related rocks in the Malaguide Complex, southern Spain

Folds and folding mechanism in a chert sequence and related rocks of the Maláguide Complex (the uppermost tectonic unit of the Betic Zone) have been investigated. The geometric study shows that folds that developed in the chert sequence are usually angular in shape and asymmetric. Chevron and conjugate folds are common.Folding in bedded chert is explained in terms of a suggested model:

1. (1) Development of folds by kink and conjugate kinking.

2. (2) As the shortening increases, the interlimb angles decrease; in the kink folds this is caused by a reduction of the angle between the layers within the kink and the kink boundaries. There seems to be a relationship between this angle and the asymmetrical thinning-out in the limbs of many folds: the smaller is the angle between the kink boundary and the layers within the kink band, the larger is the reduction of the thickness in these layers.

Single limestone layers embedded in slate deform very probably by a buckling mechanism, implying tangential longitudinal strain and an additional flattening.     

Geology and geochronology of the Betara region in south-southeastern Brazil: Evidence for possible Statherian (1.80–1.75 Ga) and Calymmian (1.50–1.45 Ga) extension events

The results of geological mapping, chemical analysis and radiometric dating of metabasic rocks of Betara Formation, and mapping and dating of those present in the Betara basement nucleus together with mylonitic granodiorite and syenogranite are reported here. U–Pb analysis of bulk zircon fractions from the metabasic rocks of the basement nucleus yielded a Statherian age of 1790 ± 22 Ma, while the metabasic rocks from the upper part of the Betara Formation yielded a Calymmian age between 1500 and 1450 Ma. This age is a minimum for the deposition of the Betara Formation. The older metabasic rocks are associated with post-tectonic, possibly anorogenic syenogranite, while the younger ones are gabbro or very porphyritic ankaramite whose REE patterns are consistent with crystallization from an N-MORB parent magma. The observations and data point to the probable events associated with extensional processes of the end of Paleoproterozoic and early Mesoproterozoic. Similar registers of Statherian (1.80–1.75 Ga) and Calymmian (1.50–1.45 Ga) extensional events are recorded in other parts of the South American and African continents. The Neoproterozoic witnessed the formation and junction of the tectonic slices which formed the Apiaí domain during the assemblage of western Gondwana.     

Water balance in the playa-lakes of an arid environment,Monegros, NE Spain

The playa-lakes of the Monegros desert in north-east Spain are saline wetlands in an arid environment, a rare phenomenon in Europe. These extremely valuable habitats are threatened by changes associated with agricultural expansion and incorporation of new irrigated areas. An understanding of the present hydrologic regime will enable changes to be identified, particularly those brought about by flooding and pollution caused by irrigation surplus. This study sets out to show the results of applying a daily water balance in three selected playa-lakes. The balance was in two parts and consisted of: (1) the average balance for all the endorheic basin using the BALAN_11 program, and (2) the water balance in some playa-lakes, applying discharge flows obtained from the previous balance. The resulting volumes of water were converted to water depths and contrasted with reference volumes taken from field and Landsat images. The model was calibrated by applying various hypotheses of function which enabled the results to be adjusted. The proposed balance is an acceptable reproduction of field water measurements during this period, and underlines the consistency of the conceptual model. The methodology used is appropriate for understanding the playa-lakes function and for monitoring them for conservation purposes.     

Contribution of SHRIMP U–Pb zircon geochronology to unravelling the evolution of Brazilian Neoproterozoic fold belts

The South-American continent is constituted of three major geologic–geotectonic entities: the homonym platform (consolidated at the end of the Cambrian), the Andean chain (essentially Meso-Cenozoic) and the Patagonian terrains, affected by tectonism and magmatism through almost all of the Phanerozoic. The platform is constituted by a series of cratonic nuclei (pre-Tonian, fragments of the Rodinia fission) surrounded by a complex fabric of Neoproterozoic structural provinces.     

A depth average SPH model including μ(I) rheology and crushing for rock avalanches

Classical depth-integrated smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) models for avalanches are extended in the present work to include a μ(I)− rheological model enriched with a fragmentation law. With this improvement, the basal friction becomes grain distribution dependent. Rock avalanches, where grain distribution tends to change with time while propagating, are the appropriate type of landslide to apply the new numerical proposal. The μ(I)− rheological models considered in the present work are those of Hatano and Gray, combined with two different fragmentation laws, a hyperbolic and a fractal-based law. As an application, Frank avalanche, which took place in Canada in 1903, is analyzed under the scope of the present approach, focusing in the influence of the rheological and fragmentation laws in the evolution of the avalanche.