Three-dimensional geophysical characterization of the La Rambla and Zafra de Záncara anticlines (Loranca Basin,Central Spain)

The Zafra de Záncara anticline (also known as the El Hito anticline), located in the Loranca Cenozoic Basin (part of the Tagus Basin, Central Spain), had been studied by several oil companies during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 2009, within the ‘Plan for selection and characterization of suitable structures of CO₂ geological storage’, this anticline was selected as a potential CO₂ storage site. A preliminary three-dimensional geological model, based on five geological cross sections that were constrained with the interpretation of the available seismic profiles (that are rather old and do not have very good quality), was created. With the aim of improving the geological knowledge of the Zafra de Záncara anticline and helping to investigate the suitability of a nearby anticline, namely La Rambla, as another structural closure that might make it a possible CO₂ storage site, a local gravity survey (1 station every km²) was carried out in the area, seven new geological cross sections, based on these existing seismic profiles and field geology, were build, and a new three-dimensional geological model that included both anticlines, improved through three-dimensional stochastic gravity inversion, was constructed. The densities needed for the geological formations of the model come from the analysis of rock samples, logging data from El Hito-1 drillhole and petrophysical information from Instituto Geológico y Minero de España database. The inversion has improved the knowledge about the geometry of the anticlines’ traps and seals as well as the geometry of the basement relief and the structural relationship between basement and cover.     

A comparison of integrated and discrete depth sampling for monitoring toxic species of Dinophysis

Dinophysis acuminata and Dinophysis acuta produce lipophilic toxins that cause most shellfish harvesting closures in the Atlantic coastal waters of Europe. Dinophysis often exhibit patchy distributions and sampling with conventional methods may fail to detect them. A 6-month calibration study in 2006, plus an additional sampling in 2010 were carried out in Galicia to compare Dinophysis counts obtained from weekly high vertical resolution bottle samples with depth-integrated hose samples. Counts with these two methods were comparable at some depth-ranges, but hose maxima were over one order of magnitude lower under thin-layer scenarios. Estimates from hose samplers should be used with caution in programmes using a "Dinophysis index", either to trigger shellfish sampling or to establish precautionary harvesting closures. In general, hose samplers provide reliable information on the occurrence of Dinophysis except under extreme site-specific hydrodynamic conditions. This study adds new information about the heterogeneous, specific vertical distributions of two Dinophysis spp.     

Hydrodynamic conditions associated with the formation,maintenance and dissipation of a phytoplankton thin layer in a coastal upwelling system

During May–June 2005, a 17-d cruise was carried out in Ría de Pontevedra (Galician Rías Baixas) to study the physical–biological interactions that may lead to subsurface aggregations of phytoplankton organisms in thin layers (TLs). Physical processes governed the initiation and development, maintenance, and decline of a diatom (toxin producing Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and Chaetoceros socialis) TL during an upwelling relaxation-upwelling–downwelling sequence. Differences in shear profiles appeared to lead to the formation of a TL during upwelling events. These results reveal that the coupling between maximum values of shear and buoyancy frequency can shape a subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) into a TL. The effect of shear upon phytoplankton patches, which has been predicted on the basis of theoretical studies, has been corroborated in this study in which the vertical distribution of an observed TL was controlled by physical processes.     

Lead removal from aqueous solution by basaltic scoria: adsorption equilibrium and kinetics

Pb-contaminated water is a dangerous threat occurring near metallurgic and mining industries. This circumstance produces serious environment concern, due to Pb(II) high toxic effects. Several reactive materials have been reported for Pb(II) adsorption, but not all reached final Pb(II) suitable concentrations, or they are expensive and rejected in massive remediation technologies; hence, natural materials are good options. The adsorption behavior of a volcanic scoria (two sieved fractions 1425 and <425 µm) was studied toward synthetic Pb(II) water solutions in batch experiments (170.4–912.3 mg L^?1) with high removal efficiencies (97%). The Langmuir model fits both fractions with high linear correlation coefficients (0.9988 and 0.9949) with high maximum capacity values (588.23 and 555.55 mg g^?1). Separation factor R _L parameter varies with initial concentration, and the empirical equation predicts the limits of the material usefulness, a criterion proposed in this paper for conditions’ selection. The Lagergren pseudo-second-order analysis demonstrates chemisorption; calculated rate constant (416.66 mg g^?1 min^?1). Weber–Morris intraparticle model proves that the adsorption phenomena occur fast on the material surface (k _inst = 72 g mg^?1 min^?0.5). The characterization of the volcanic material afforded the elemental composition (X-ray fluorescence), and the empirical formula was proposed. X-ray diffraction patterns verify the material structure as basalt, with a plagioclase structure that matches anorthite and albite, mostly composed of quartz. The presence of oxides on the material surface explain the high Pb(II) adsorption capacity, observed on the surface by scanning electronic microscopy. The studied volcanic scoria has potential use as a Pb(II) adsorbent in water remediation technologies.