Serpentinites and serpentinites within a fossil subduction channel : La Corea mélange, eastern Cuba

A variety of metaultramafic (serpentinite) rocks in La Corea mélange, Sierra de Cristal, eastern Cuba, show differences in chemical, textural and mineralogical characteristics demonstrating a variety of protoliths. The mélange originated during the Cretaceous as part of the subduction channel associated with the Caribbean island arc. This mélange contains high pressure blocks in a serpentinite matrix and occurs at the base of the large tabular Mayarí-Cristal ophiolite. Two principal groups of serpentinites have been identified in the mélange: a) antigorite serpentinite, mainly composed of antigorite and b) antigorite-lizardite serpentinite, composed of mixtures of antigorite and lizardite and bearing distinctive porphyroblasts of diopsidic clinopyroxene. Antigorite serpentinites are closely related to tectonic blocks of amphibolite (representing subducted MORB) and constitute deep fragments of the serpentinitic subduction channel formed during hydration of the mantle wedge. The composition of the antigorite-lizardite serpentinites and the presence of clinopyroxene porphyroblasts in this type of rock suggest that abyssal lherzolite protoliths transformed into serpentinite before and during incorporation (as tectonic blocks) in the shallow part of the subduction channel. Although the studied rocks have different origin, mineralogical compositions and textures, they display similar PGE compositions, suggesting that these elements experienced no significant redistribution during metamorphism. Both types of serpentinites were exposed together in the La Corea mélange during the Late Cretaceous, during obduction of the overriding Mayarí-Baracoa ophiolitic belt that led to exhumation of the subduction channel (mélange)

First breeding record of kelp gull (<i>Larus dominicanus</i>) in samborombón bay, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

Se describe una nueva colonia de Gaviota Cocinera (<i>Larus dominicanus</i>), la más septentrional de la costa atlántica argentina, ubicada en las cercanías de la Reserva Natural Punta Rasa, Bahía Samborombón. La colonia fue encontrada en una de las islas de la Ría San Clemente, cerca del puerto de pesca de San Clemente del Tuyú. La primera visita a la colonia se realizó durante la etapa de cortejo y formación de nidos el 3 de septiembre de 2005. Se realizó una segunda visita a la colonia durante el periodo de puesta de huevos del 24 al 26 de septiembre de 2005. Fueron hallados un total de 54 nidos, 50 de ellos ubicados sobre jume, 2 sobre cortadera y 2 sobre el barro, en un área de cuevas de cangrejo cavador. El 15 de diciembre de 2005 fueron cuantificados 64 pichones en los 54 nidos. Aunque la reproducción en este sitio no había sido descripta, los pescadores recuerdan la existencia de la colonia desde hace al menos 20 años. Su cercanía con el puerto de San Clemente sugiere que la presencia humana puede ser frecuente y que podría ocurrir ocasionalmente la recolección de huevos.We describe a new Kelp Gull (<i>Larus dominicanus</i>) colony, the most northern one along the Argentine Atlantic coast, located near Punta Rasa Reserve, Samborombón Bay. The colony was found on one of several island of the San Clemente’s tidal creek located near San Clemente del Tuyú Harbour. The first visit to the colony was made during courtship and nest formation in 3 September 2005. The second visit was made during the egg laying period between 24–26 September 2005. A total of 54 nests were found, 50 of them upon pickle weed, 2 upon dense-flowered pampas grass and 2 in the mud near a burrowing crab area. On 15 December 2005 we counted a total of 64 chicks in 54 nests. Although this is the first record of Kelp Gull reproduction in the area, local fishermen recall this colony being there since at least 20 years ago. Its location near San Clemente harbour suggests that human presence may be frequent and that egg collection could occur frequently

Fluid flow in the subduction channel: Tremolite veins and associated blackwalls in antigoritite (Villa Clara serpentinite mélange, Cuba)

Exotic blocks of massive antigorite-serpentinite (antigoritite) document a deep-seated subduction channel in the Villa Clara serpentinite-matrix mélange, central Cuba. The petrological and geochemical characteristics of antigoritite allow distinguishing two types of rock: i) antigoritite and ii) dolomite-bearing antigoritite. Both types are intimately related in field exposures and represent deep peridotite infiltrated by H2O-CO2 fluid mixtures that triggered antigoritization and local carbonation. Fluid infiltration continued after antigoritization forming a vein network as a potential response to hydrofracturing that precipitated tremolitite in the veins and triggered fluid-antigoritite reaction forming blackwalls. The mineralogical and chemical zoning in the blackwalls (Atg + Chl + Tr adjacent to antigoritite and Chl + Tr adjacent to the tremolitite vein) attest for multi-step metasomatic processes during fluid-rock interaction characterized by advection of infiltrating fluid towards the blackwall and, possibly, by diffusion out of the blackwall towards the fluid-filled vein. Tentative thermodynamic modeling of the blackwall domain Atg + Chl + Tr points vein network formation at 400–500 °C and 5–10 kbar during exhumation in the subduction channel, suggesting the infiltration of deep-seated pressurized fluid that triggered hydrofracturing. The chemical compositions of antigoritites, veins and blackwalls indicate a LILE- and LREE-enriched fluid evolved from the subducting plate, while Srsingle bondNd isotope systematics are compatible with an external fluid composed of a mixture of fluids evolved from sediments and, probably to a lesser extent, altered oceanic crust.This research was funded by projects MICINN PID2019-105625RB-C21 (co-funded by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER), Junta de Andalucía P20_00550, Catalonian project SGR 2014-1661 and the University of Granada. LD acknowledges PhD grant BES-2013-063205 of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and scholarship of Fundació Universitària Agustí Pedro i Pons. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUA

High-pressure greenschist to blueschist facies transition in the Maimón Formation (Dominican Republic) suggests mid-Cretaceous subduction of the Early Cretaceous Caribbean Arc

The Maimón Formation (Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic) is formed of metamorphosed bi-modal mafic-felsic volcanic rocks and sedimentary horizons of Early Cretaceous age deposited in the forearc of the nascent Caribbean island arc. Two structural-metamorphic zones depict an inverted metamorphic gradient: the Ozama shear zone, which records intense mylonitic and phyllonitic deformation and ubiquitous metamorphic recrystallization, tectonically overlies the much less deformed and variably recrystallized rocks of the El Altar zone. The presence of ferri-winchite and high-Si phengite, first reported in this paper, in the peak metamorphic assemblage of rocks of the Ozama shear zone (actinolite + phengite + chlorite + epidote + quartz + albite ± ferri-winchite ± stilpnomelane) point to subduction-related metamorphism. Pseudosection calculations and intersection of isopleths indicate peak metamorphic conditions of ~ 8.2 kbar at 380 °C. These figures are consistent with metamorphism in the greenschist/blueschist facies transition, burial depths of ~ 25-29 km and a thermal gradient of ~ 13-16 °C/km. Our new data dispute previous models pointing to metamorphism of Maimón rocks under a steep thermal gradient related to burial under a hot peridotite slice. Instead, we contextualize the metamorphism of the Maimón Formation in a subduction scenario in which a coherent slice of the (warm) Early Cretaceous forearc was engulfed due to intra-arc complexities and regional-scale-driven tectonic processes operating in the late Early Cretaceous. Integration of our findings with previous studies on metamorphic complexes in Hispaniola suggests that a major tectonic event affecting the whole arc system took place at c. 120-110 Ma

First breeding record of kelp gull (Larus dominicanus) in Samborombón Bay, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

Se describe una nueva colonia de Gaviota Cocinera (Larus dominicanus), la más septentrional de la costa atlántica argentina, ubicada en las cercanías de la Reserva Natural Punta Rasa, Bahía Samborombón. La colonia fue encontrada en una de las islas de la Ría San Clemente, cerca del puerto de pesca de San Clemente del Tuyú. La primera visita a la colonia se realizó durante la etapa de cortejo y formación de nidos el 3 de septiembre de 2005. Se realizó una segunda visita a la colonia durante el periodo de puesta de huevos del 24 al 26 de septiembre de 2005. Fueron hallados un total de 54 nidos, 50 de ellos ubicados sobre jume, 2 sobre cortadera y 2 sobre el barro, en un área de cuevas de cangrejo cavador. El 15 de diciembre de 2005 fueron cuantificados 64 pichones en los 54 nidos. Aunque la reproducción en este sitio no había sido descripta, los pescadores recuerdan la existencia de la colonia desde hace al menos 20 años. Su cercanía con el puerto de San Clemente sugiere que la presencia humana puede ser frecuente y que podría ocurrir ocasionalmente la recolección de huevos.We describe a new Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) colony, the most northern one along the Argentine Atlantic coast, located near Punta Rasa Reserve, Samborombón Bay. The colony was found on one of several island of the San Clemente’s tidal creek located near San Clemente del Tuyú Harbour. The first visit to the colony was made during courtship and nest formation in 3 September 2005. The second visit was made during the egg laying period between 24–26 September 2005. A total of 54 nests were found, 50 of them upon pickle weed, 2 upon dense-flowered pampas grass and 2 in the mud near a burrowing crab area. On 15 December 2005 we counted a total of 64 chicks in 54 nests. Although this is the first record of Kelp Gull reproduction in the area, local fishermen recall this colony being there since at least 20 years ago. Its location near San Clemente harbour suggests that human presence may be frequent and that egg collection could occur frequently

Cadomian metabasites of the Eastern Pyrenees revisited

This study presents a new geochemical, petrological, and geochronological U–Pb dataset from Ediacaran metabasites of the Canigó and Cap de Creus massifs, Eastern Pyrenees. The rocks are composed of calcic amphibole + plagioclase + chlorite + epidote ± quartz plus titanite + apatite + ilmenite ± biotite ± rutile as accessory phases and show relict igneous textures. Peak pressure-temperature determinations share common conditions, ranging 452–482ºC and 5.2–7.7kbar. These intermediate P-T conditions suggest Barrovian-type metamorphism, most likely related to a collisional setting. The metabasites correspond to evolved basaltic rocks (Mg#&lt;0.55) with moderate TiO2 content (up to 2.08wt.%) and relatively low Cr (43–416ppm). The rocks are moderately enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE) relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREE) (average (La/Lu)n of 2.7) and the N-MORB normalized multi-element patterns show negative slopes, with prominent negative Nb anomalies ((Nb/La)NMORB=0.33–0.78). These variations are akin to island arc tholeiites generated in back-arc basins and to other metabasites described in the Eastern Pyrenees with a putative Ediacaran age, and they differ from the Ordovician tholeiitic metabasites from the Canigó massif, which derived from a contaminated E-MORB source. The positive ƐNd(T) values (0.82–3.05) of the studied metabasites preclude a notable contribution from an older continental crust. U-Pb dating (LA-ICP-MS) of one chlorite-rich schist sample in contact with the metabasites from the Canigó massif yielded a main peak at ca. 632Ma. We argue that the Cadomian metabasites from the Pyrenees formed during back-arc extension in the continental margin of Gondwana and were later affected by (probably early Variscan) medium-P metamorphism before the HT-LP metamorphism classically described in the Pyrenees

Cadomian metabasites of the Eastern Pyrenees revisited

This study presents a new geochemical, petrological, and geochronological U–Pb dataset from Ediacaran metabasites of the Canigó and Cap de Creus massifs, Eastern Pyrenees. The rocks are composed of calcic amphibole + plagioclase + chlorite + epidote ± quartz plus titanite + apatite + ilmenite ± biotite ± rutile as accessory phases and show relict igneous textures. Peak pressure-temperature determinations share common conditions, ranging 452–482ºC and 5.2–7.7kbar. These intermediate P-T conditions suggest Barrovian-type metamorphism, most likely related to a collisional setting. The metabasites correspond to evolved basaltic rocks (Mg#<0.55) with moderate TiO2 content (up to 2.08wt.%) and relatively low Cr (43–416ppm). The rocks are moderately enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE) relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREE) (average (La/Lu)n of 2.7) and the N-MORB normalized multi-element patterns show negative slopes, with prominent negative Nb anomalies ((Nb/La)NMORB=0.33–0.78). These variations are akin to island arc tholeiites generated in back-arc basins and to other metabasites described in the Eastern Pyrenees with a putative Ediacaran age, and they differ from the Ordovician tholeiitic metabasites from the Canigó massif, which derived from a contaminated E-MORB source. The positive ƐNd(T) values (0.82–3.05) of the studied metabasites preclude a notable contribution from an older continental crust. U-Pb dating (LA-ICP-MS) of one chlorite-rich schist sample in contact with the metabasites from the Canigó massif yielded a main peak at ca. 632Ma. We argue that the Cadomian metabasites from the Pyrenees formed during back-arc extension in the continental margin of Gondwana and were later affected by (probably early Variscan) medium-P metamorphism before the HT-LP metamorphism classically described in the Pyrenees.This research was financially supported by the Spanish Projects CGL2017-87631-P and PGC2018-093903-B-C22, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades/Agencia Estatal de Investigación/Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, Unión Europea. Additional funding was provided by a Margarita Salas grant to NPS by the Universitat de Barcelona with funds from the Ministerio de Universidades/NextGenerationEU/PRTR/Plan de recuperación, transformación y resiliencia

Cadomian metabasites of the Eastern Pyrenees revisited

This study presents a new geochemical, petrological, and geochronological U-Pb dataset from Ediacaran metabasites and associated rocks of the Canigó and Cap de Creus massifs, Eastern Pyrenees. Metabasites are composed of calcic amphibole + plagioclase + chlorite + epidote ± quartz plus titanite + apatite + ilmenite ± biotite ± rutile as accessory phases and show relict igneous textures. Peak pressure-temperature determinations share common conditions, ranging 452-482ºC and 5.2-7.7kbar, which suggest Barrovian-type metamorphism, most likely related to a collisional setting. The metabasites correspond to evolved basaltic rocks (Mg#&lt;0.55) with moderate TiO2 content (up to 2.08wt.%) and relatively low Cr (43-416ppm). The rocks are moderately enriched in Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) relative to Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) (average (La/Lu)n of 2.7) and the N-MORB normalized multi-element patterns show negative slopes, with prominent negative Nb anomalies ((Nb/La)NMORB=0.33–0.78). These variations are akin to island arc tholeiites generated in back-arc basins and to other metabasites described in the Eastern Pyrenees with a putative Ediacaran age, and they differ from the Ordovician tholeiitic metabasites from the Canigó massif, which derived from a contaminated E-MORB source. The positive ƐNd(T) values (0.82-3.05) of the studied metabasites preclude a notable contribution from an older continental crust. Detrital zircon U-Pb dating Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of one chlorite-rich schist sample in contact with the metabasites from the Canigó massif yielded a main peak at ca. 632Ma and apparent maximum age of deposition at ca. 550Ma. We argue that the Cadomian metabasites from the Pyrenees formed during back-arc extension in the continental margin of Gondwana and were later affected by (probably early Variscan) medium-P metamorphism before the Low-Pressure High-Temperature (LP-HT) metamorphism classically described in the Pyrenees

Participación de la Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo UNLP en la Cumbre de Rio+20, a través del Consejo Consultivo de la Sociedad Civil de Cancillería Argentina.

El mundo se encuentra en una  profunda crisis Ambiental Civilizatoria (manifiesto por la vida 2002) que impacta negativamente sobre los sistemas ecológicos. Como consecuencia de ésta, la mayor parte de la población mundial se encuentra en situación de pobreza y de inaccesibilidad de recursos para vivir dignamente. Esto se debe al colonialismo de los países dominantes sobre los países dominados, a los cuales históricamente los han saqueado y privado de sus recursos naturales a través de las guerras, dominación política y económica. Sin lugar a dudas el factor más influyente es el modelo capitalista que ha instalado un estándar de vida donde el bienestar humano y la felicidad solo se logran con la acumulación de riqueza y consumo desmedido. Para salir de esta crisis es necesario un cambio de mentalidad, construyendo un nuevo paradigma ambiental, donde la sustentabilidad ambiental debe consolidarse desde cuatro dimensiones; Económica, Ecológica, Social y Política. (García-Priotto 2009) En este sentido podemos decir que no hay justicia ambiental si no hay justicia social. Entre el 20 y 22 de junio de 2012 se volverá a realizar en Río de Janeiro la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Desarrollo Sustentable, conocida como la Cumbre de la Tierra, impulsado por el PNUMA, cuyos  principales ejes de debate son la “Economía Verde” y la “Gobernanza Mundial”. Ninguna presenta una alternativa de cambio entre progreso económico y sustentabilidad ambiental y por el contrario, profundizan el modelo consumista sin constituir una real alternativa enmarcada dentro de lo denominado sustentable, intentando capitalizar en el mercado los bienes y servicios de la naturaleza. (Colectivo Platense 2012). La Secretaría de Extensión de la FCNyM UNLP ha decidido participar del Consejo Consultivo de la Sociedad Civil de Cancillería Argentina  a través de la Red Social Argentina para el Desarrollo Sustentable, juntamente con organizaciones ambientalistas, ecologistas, sociales, Universitarias, sindicales, políticas y de pueblos originarios, para elaborar una propuesta alternativa al PNUMA en las negociaciones de la Cumbre que tenga en cuenta el derecho de los pueblos y los Estados al desarrollo, que implica el reconocimiento al derecho de las poblaciones para superar la pobreza, la eliminación de las condiciones que generan inequidad y exclusión, el ejercicio de derechos en armonía con la naturaleza, respetando a la Madre Tierra, y los derechos de los pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales, bajo los principios de la Agenda 21 y otros instrumentos relevantes