The last deglaciation in the Picos de Europa National Park (Cantabrian Mountains,northern Spain)

A sedimentological and geochemical study of the Lago Enol sequence (Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain), together with detailed geomorphological mapping, provides a first record of glacier evolution and climate change over the last 40 ka in the Picos de Europa National Park. The Enol glacier retreated from its maximum extent prior to 40 ka BP as demonstrated by the onset of proglacial lacustrine sedimentation in two glaciated depressions: the Comella hollow to the north (before 40 ka BP) and the Lago Enol (before 38 ka BP). These results support previous evidence that the maximum extent of southern European glaciers occurred earlier than in northern Europe. Alternation of homogeneous and laminated proglacial sediments during the glacier retreat illustrate a dynamic glacial evolution during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (40–26 ka BP). A slight warming is detected at 26 ka ago with the change from proglacial sediments (in a lake located in contact to the glacier) to glaciolacustrine sedimentation (in a non‐contact or distal lake). Finally, the onset of organic‐rich sediments took place at 18 ka ago. This last transition occurred in two phases, similarly to the North Atlantic Last Termination, suggesting a link between North Atlantic Deep Water formation oscillations and palaeohydrological variability in the Cantabrian Mountains. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of seismic hazard for the Sannio-Matese area of Southern Italy — A summary

The working group on Test Regions for Evaluation of Methods for Seismic Hazard Assessment in Europe (TERESA), consisted of 15 members from 10 different European countries. Methods and experience gathered in these countries have been compared and discussed for two test areas in Europe: the Sannio-Matese region, Southern Italy, with high seismic activity, and the border region between Belgium, The Netherlands, and Federal Republic of Germany, with low activity.This paper summarizes the results for one of the test areas, Sannio-Matese. Most of the participants used statistical procedures to assess earthquake hazard, receiving results in terms of probability of occurrence for intensity as the ground-motion parameter. It was found that careful preparation of input data and parameters is the major influencing factor, therefore most of the efforts of the working group was devoted to this task.The scatter of the obtained results of the group is considerable, mainly because of the uncertainties in the data and the subjectiveness involved in the procedures. For better control of both factors, more objective methods have to be developed.     

The rank evaluation of South Brazilian Gondwana coals on the basis of different chemical and physical parameters

Rank evaluation of South Brazilian Gondwana coals according to the American (American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM) and German (Deutsche Industrie Normen, DIN) standard specifications or on the basis of Alpern's Universal Classification has too often led to conflicting results.When any attempt is made to determine the rank of Brazilian coals by using methods established for the Northern Hemisphere coals, two sorts of difficulties arise: namely, (1) the reflectence measurements do not indicate the real degree of coalification of the organic matter because of the liptinitic impregnations of the vitrinites, and (2) random reflectance values (R_ran, moisture, volatile-matter and carbon contents as well as the calorific value do not correlate when plotted on the ASTM and DIN classification schemes.In addition, when rank determinations are carried out by using fluorescence measurements and geochemical analyses the results are at variance in relation to those determined by the conventional chemical and physical parameters.It is suggested that the rank evaluation of South Brazilian coals is far more meaningful if carried out by reflectance measurements on vitrinites along with fluorescence measurements on sporinites, alginites and coal extracts.     

Seismic activity related to the 1991 eruption of Colima Volcano,Mexico

Ten years after the last effusive eruption and at least 15 years of seismic quiescence, volcanic seismic activity started at Colima volcano on 14 February 1991, with a seismic crisis which reached counts of more than 100 per day and showed a diversity of earthquake types. Four other distinct seismic crises followed, before a mild effusive eruption in April 1991. The second crisis preceded the extrusion of an andesitic scoriaceous lava lobe, first reported on 1 March; during this crisis an interesting temporary concentration of seismic foci below the crater was observed shortly before the extrusion was detected. The third crisis was constituted by shallow seismicity, featuring possible mild degassing explosion-induced activity in the form of hiccups (episodes of simple wavelets that repeat with diminishing amplitude), and accompanied by increased fumarolic activity. The growth of the new lava dome was accompanied by changing seismicity. On 16 April during the fifth crisis which consisted of some relatively large, shallow, volcanic earthquakes and numerous avalanches of older dome material, part of the newly extruded dome, which had grown towards the edge of the old dome, collapsed, producing the largest avalanches and ash flows. Afterwards, block lava began to flow slowly along the SW flank of the volcano, generating frequent small incandescent avalanches. The seismicity associated with the stages of this eruptive activity shows some interesting features: most earthquake foci were located north of the summit, some of them relatively deep (7–11 km below the summit level), underneath the saddle between the Colima and the older Nevado volcanoes. An apparently seismic quiet region appears between 4 and 7 km below the summit level. In June, harmonic tremors were detected for the first time, but no changes in the eruptive activity could be correlated with them. After June, the seismicity decreasing trend was established, and the effusive activity stopped on September 1991.     

A comparison of windows and maximum entropy methods for MT transfer function estimation

The ability of the Maximum Entropy Spectral Estimate (MEM) to handle magnetotelluric signals was investigated. To this end simulations of naturally occurring signals and real data were spectral analyzed both by a standard FFT technique and by MEM. The method developed for the simulation of the time series, provides accurate amplitudes and phase, and turns out to be a good test procedure for spectral analysis methods, as they apply to MT signal processing. The final estimation of the apparent resistivity was better achieved by the FFT technique. Oscillations were observed in the estimation of the apparent resistivities by MEM.     

On the expanding earth hypothesis

Summary The hypothesis of an expanding Earth is discussed on the basis of lunar laser ranging It is provcd that the given data do not indicate a secular increase in the principal moment of the Earth's inertia which would have to occur if the Earth were really expanding.

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Convection of geothermal fluids in the timanfaya volcanic area (Lanzarote,Canary Islands)

Summary A mathematical model has been derived to study the superficial thermal anomalies to be found in Lanzarote (605°C at 13 m depth) in association with the convection of geothermal fluids. The model is valid for a wide range of conditions, in particular for those found beneath the Timanfaya volcano (active between 1730 and 1736). Geological and geophysical data suggest that the heat source is related to a cylindrical magma body with a radius of 200±100 m and a top temperature of 850±100°C at a depth of 4±1 km.Energy is transported through fractures by magmatic volatiles and/or by water vapour coming from a deeply located water table: in such a convection system, a fluid flow of 10 l/m² day, which corresponds to a thermal flux of 130 W/m², is sufficient to explain the temperature anomalies observed at the surface. The relationships between gas flow and the surface temperatures, as well as the thermal gradients in the conducting fracture are also discussed.