Plate tectonics and volcanism in the gibraltar arc

Late Tertiary and Quaternary volcanism of southeastern Spain can be fitted in a platetectonics model, taking into account the post-Paleozoic evolution of the stable and semimobile Iberian areas and the new orogenic belts bordering the Mediterranean between Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.The occurrence and distribution of calc-alkaline and potassic volcanism suggest an oceanic crust sinking downwards from the Iberian plate. This active margin is causally related to the convergence and collision of Iberia and Africa during Late Cretaceous—Early Miocene time span.A pre-collision distensive phase is inferred from the stratigraphie and tectonic record between the Triassic and Late Cretaceous, while since the Late Miocene another distensive phase is related to the actualistic features.     

Geosynclinal evolution of the Epi-Baykalian platform of Central Brazil

Evidences of geosynclinal polarity (orogenic and sedimentary) in foldbelts of Central Brazil led the authors to the recognition of seven tectonic isopic zones as parts of a wide geosynclinal system policyclically developed during a long Baykalian Cycle of 1,500-500 m. y. ago. Tectonic and stratigraphic evolutions are reinterpreted on the light of the new concepts.The orogenic polarity of contiguous miogeosynclinal and eugeosynclinal foldbelts provided the basis for enlarging the Brasiliane Cycle of short duration (850–550 m. y.) to a Brasiliane Cycle of 1,500-550 m.y. (= Baykalian Cycle). The Minas Cycle is viewed as a phase within a distinct platform-making process.

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Zusammenfassung Die PolaritÄt orogener und sedimentÄrer Erscheinungen in Geosynklinalen der Faltengürtel Zentralbrasiliens veranla\te die Autoren, sieben tektonische Zonen als Teile eines gro\rÄumigen geosynklinalen Systems, das wÄhrend eines langen Baykalischen Zyklusses vor 1500 bis 500 Millionen Jahren entstand, zu unterscheiden. Tektonische und stratigraphische Entwicklungen werden im Lichte dieser neuen Auffassung neu interpretiert.Die orogene PolaritÄt von aneinandergrenzenden miogeosynklinalen und eugeosynklinalen Faltengürteln lieferte die Grundlage für die Erweiterung des Brasilianischen Zyklusses von kurzer Dauer (850-550 Millionen Jahre) zu einem Brasilianischen Zyklus von 1500-500 Millionen Jahren (=Baykalischer Zyklus). Der Minas-Zyklus wird als eine Phase innerhalb eines Plattform bildenden Prozesses angesehen.

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Résumé Certaines évidences de polarité géosynclinale (orogéniques et sedimentaires) dans les régions plissées du Brésil Central ont conduit les auteurs a établir sept zones tectoniques rassemblées dans un seul système géosynclinal, qui s'est développé policycliquement au cours d'un Cycle Baykalien de 1500 à 500 millions d'années. Les évolutions stratigraphiques et tectoniques sont réinterprétées à la lumière de nouveaux concepts.La polarité orogénique du couple eugéosynclinal-miogéosynclinal de ces zones plissées a fourni des données suffisantes pour étendre les limites du Cycle Brésilien (= Baykalien) de 850–550 millions d'années à 1500–550 millions d'années: le Cycle Minas est devenu simplement une phase dans ce processus de formation de plateformes.

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Geochemistry of an oceanite-ankaramite-basalt suite from East Island,Crozet Archipelago

The petrology and geochemistry of East Island have been investigated for the first time. The island is a deeply dissected remnant of a Pleistocene shield volcano, one of several emerging from an oceanic rise forming part of the southwest branch of the Indian Ocean ridge system. The lavas form a flat-lying sequence of oceanites, ankaramites, olivine basalts and feldsparphyric basalts, the ankaramites containing 1 cm phenocrysts of diopsidic clinopyroxene. X-Ray fluorescence analyses were made of 43 lavas for the major elements plus Cr, Ni, Rb, Sr, Ba, Pb, and Th and the minerals were analysed by electron microprobe. The elements Mg, Cr, and Ni are strongly concentrated in spinel, olivine and clinopyroxene phases and in the ankaramites and oceanite lavas with maximum concentrations of 18% MgO, 1,000 ppm Cr, 380 ppm Ni, while Al, Ti, K, Rb, Ba, Th, Na, P, Sr concentrate in the groundmass and in the feldspathic and aphyric basalts. The elements Si, Ca, Fe and Mn remain virtually constant throughout the series.Correlations of +0.95 or better exist between the concentrations of elements within the two groups given above, and negative correlations between elements in different groups. The fractionation trends are unique with respect to the constant Al/Ti ratio and K/Sr ratio, but all trends may be reproduced by calculating the effect of subtraction of suitable amounts of chromite, olivine and low Ti clinopyroxene from an alkaline olivine basalt parent. Either fractionation has taken place involving these three phases under low pressure conditions or it is the result of different degrees of partial melting of mantle material.A complex magnesian chrome spinel is found in the ankaramites and is often jacketed by a chromian titanomagnetite. A complete series of intermediate compositions appears to exist between the two end members.     

中国北方典型沙尘暴的遥感分析

综述了沙尘暴研究的领域和进展，提出了利用NOAA/AVHRR数据提取沙尘暴信息和沙尘暴信息密度分割的方法，经与气象数据对比验证，结果比较满意。结合沙尘暴途经区域的土地覆盖类型和植被覆盖度，对我国北方典型沙尘暴与下垫面之间的关系进行了分析，认为在同样的气象条件下，沙尘暴途经地区下垫面的土地利用/覆盖状况和植被覆盖程度决定着沙尘暴的形成与强度的变化。     

Paleoseismic indications along ‘aseismic’ fault segments in the guadalentín depression (SE Spain)

The Guadalentín Depression, located in SE Spain (Murcia Region), is bounded by two of the main NE-SW master faults of the Eastern Betics Cordilleras: The Lorca-Alhama and the Palomares left-lateral strike-slip faults. Available earthquake data indicate that, in the last 600 years, some sectors of the Lorca-Alhama Fault and the entire sector of the Palomares Fault have not been associated with significant historical seismicity. However, they show a wide range of diagnostic features of earthquake surface displacements on late Pleistocene and Holocene alluvial and colluvial surfaces. Aside from the left-lateral offsets recorded along 045–050 ° master fault strands of the Lorca-Alhama Fault, major paleoseismic surface displacements show different kinematics in relation to the broad orientation of the fault strands: (1) vertical normal displacements along 010–020 ° trending faults mainly preserved as degraded fault scarps of 2.5-1.8 m high (Aljibejo site); and (2) vertical reverse displacements, with average offsets of 0.2 – 1 m, along 065–080 ° subsidiary faults. In this last group, the younger one (Carraclaca Baths site) remains as a fault scarp of 0.8 m height affecting a cascade tufa which was active until the Spanish Roman Period (2nd Century B.C. to 6th Century A.D.). In other cases, reverse offsets resulted in smaller displacements (0.26 m) of paleosols, but show a recurrent behaviour (La Escarihuela site). The strongest earthquakes recorded in the study area did not exceed more than Mb 4.5 or MSK Intensity VIII (historical) with no evidence of coseismic rupture. Therefore, the preliminary data presented here seem to indicate that the paleoseismic activity on both faults is capable of producing coseismic surface displacements, probably reaching magnitudes of at least 6.5. These data show that paleoseismic studies based on geomorphological analyses are a useful tool in the assessment of the relative degree of activity of apparently ‘aseismic’ fault traces.     

Geology and geophysics as successful tools in the discovery of the Lagoa Salgada Orebody (Sado Tertiary Basin – Iberian Pyrite Belt), Grândola, Portugal

Gravimetry was the main exploration method used in this high risk area to the north of the Grândola fault, in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). It showed several targets, among which the Valverde-Lagoa Salgada area stood out. Here, in August 1992, a polymetallic massive sulphide orebody was found, named Lagoa Salgada. According to the geological characteristics of the area and to the nature of the surveyed targets, other exploration techniques were used, namely: geology, magnetometry, resistivity, electrical sounding, magneto-telluric, seismic and mechanical drilling. The deposit was found under a Tertiary cover, 128?m in depth, complete with a 15?m thick gossan, caused by paleoalteration, with a supergene enrichment zone. This gossan gave way to massive sulphides, with intersections, at times, exceeding 60?m. They are limited towards the footwall by an important fault with strong associated kaolinization, which is interpreted as a reverse fault, placed on the inverse limb of an anticlinal structure. Throughout the deposit, the chemical composition of the mineralization showed great variation reaching significant values of Zn, Pb, Sn, Cu, As, Hg, Sb, Cd, Au and Ag. In the initial phase the deposit has an estimated tonnage of 5?Mt. It is related to a large gravity anomaly with the general orientation NW-SE, which was investigated by 15 boreholes made by the Instituto Geológico e Mineiro. The drilling cut an important volcanic centre of an acid to intermediate nature, around which intense hydrothermal activity was associated with contemporaneous sulphide mineralization. The gravity anomaly has two nuclei, a NW and a central one, about 450?m apart, where a pyrite orebody with polymetallic sulphides and stockwork sulphide mineralization are developed. This discovery led to an extensive exploration project that confirmed the mining potentialities of the NW sector of the IPB, to the north of Grândola fault, where previously no polymetallic sulphide occurrences were known.     

Borborema Pegmatitic Province: geological and geochemical characteristics

The geological features of the pegmatites from the Borborerna Pegmatitic Province (BPP) are described, combining data from the literature with new field and laboratory observation. A geochemical study was performed against this geological background to test the crystallization model of mineralized pegmatites against barren pegmatites and to compare the BPP with other provinces, fields or individual pegmatites throughout the world. The field evidence (mode of emplacement, textural relationships, zonation and mineralogy) as well as the geochemical characteristics support the pegmatite crystallization model proposed by London (1990). The geochemical and mineralogical evidence places these pegmatites as “medium Ta-mineralized” compared to other pegmatite provinces.     

Case study and numerical simulation of the summer regional circulation in São Paulo,Brazil

The three-dimensional mesoscale circulation in the vicinity of the city of São Paulo is examined through model simulations validated by observational data obtained during a field experiment. The complex terrain surrounding the plateau where the city is located, plus proximity to the sea, represent the local controls on the wind field with implications for boundary-layer transport of atmospheric constitutents. The coupling of a regional-scale circulation with slope and sea-breeze circulations is an important feature which determines the wind regime in São Paulo in a summer situation not influenced by frontal systems.     

Rockfall susceptibility zoning at a large scale: From geomorphological inventory to preliminary land use planning

Rockfall, up to several hundreds of cubic meters, is a frequent and rapid landslide which menaces extensive areas in mountainous territories. Rockfall susceptibility zoning map at a large scale (1:5000–1:25 000) can be the first tool for land use planning in order to manage rockfall risk. A methodology allowing to analyze susceptibility in extensive areas with optimum cost/benefit relationship is needed. This work analyzes rockfall susceptibility in an extensive rocky mountain of the Principality of Andorra (Pyrenees Mountains), first on the rock slope and then on the exposed area located below. The rockfall record, obtained by means of geomorphological analysis, supplies the main data to analyze the susceptibility on the rock slope. An additional historical inventory verifies the accuracy of rockfall sizes recorded by means of the geomorphological analysis. According to the classification recommended by the Guidelines of Joint Technical Committee, the density of rockfall features on the rock slope assesses susceptibility in four levels. Subsequently, susceptibility on exposed areas has been analyzed by means of reach probability of rock blocks analysis using empirical models. Data acquired from thirteen recent events, from 1999 to 2004, have been used to verify the accuracy of the two empirical models mainly used (reach angle and shadow angle). Five reach probability limits (1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.01, and 0) establish boundaries between susceptibility levels. The resulting rockfall susceptibility zoning map allows: (a) to identify land areas and human elements exposed to rockfalls and, (b) to establish several exposition levels. This map can be a useful and cost-effective tool for administrations responsible to manage natural risk in order to guide urban grow in extensive areas or decide upon work programs based on in-depth analysis (hazard and risk).     

Geotechnical characterization of the upper Pleistocene–Holocene alluvial deposits of Roma (Italy) by means of multivariate geostatistics: Cross-validation results

We are presenting an attempt to evaluate the spatial variability of geotechnical parameters in the upper Pleistocene–Holocene alluvial deposits of Roma (Italy) by means of multivariate geostatistics.The upper Pleistocene–Holocene alluvial deposits of Roma are sensitive to high levels of geohazard. They occupy a sizable and significant part of the city, being the foundation for many monuments, historical neighborhoods, and archaeological areas, and the main host of the present and future subway lines. We have stored information from more than 2000 geotechnical boreholes crossing the alluvial deposits into a relational database. For the present study, only the boreholes with lithologic/textural interpretation and geotechnical information were selected. The set includes 283 boreholes and 719 samples, which have a set of geotechnical information comprising physical properties and mechanical parameters.Techniques of multivariate statistics and geostatistics were combined and compared to evaluate the estimation methods of the mechanical parameters, with special reference to the drained friction angle from direct shear test (φ′). Principal Component Analysis was applied to the dataset to highlight the relationships between the geotechnical parameters. Through cross-validation analysis, multiple linear regression, kriging, and cokriging were tested as estimators of φ′. Cross-validation demonstrates that the cokriging with granulometries as auxiliary variables is the most suitable method to estimate φ′. In addition to proving that cokriging is a good estimator of φ′, cross-validation demonstrates that input data are coherent and this allows us to use them for estimation of geotechnical parameters, although they come from different laboratories and different vintages.Nevertheless, to get the same good results of cross-validation in estimation, it is necessary for granulometries to be available at grid points. Since this information being not available at all grid points, it is expected that, in the future, textural information can be derived in an indirect way, i.e., from lithologic/textural spatial reconstructions.