Volcanism as a stratigraphical reference element in the Cambrian/Ordovician transition of the Central-Iberian Zone in Trás-os-Montes region (Northern Portugal)

The Cambrian/Ordovician transition of the Central Iberian Zone in the region of Trás -os-Montes displays quite distinct features. One is gradational with no noticeable unconformity: Moncorvo (REBELO et al , 1983); S. Gabriel, NW of Castelo Melhor (SILVA et al, 1991); and S limb of the Poiares synclinal, SE of Freixo de Espada à Cinta (Silva et al. 1994). Another is brusque with angular unconformity: E of the gv Marão (RIBEIRO, 1962; COKE, et al. 1993); Sião brook, NE of Pardelhas (PEREIRA, 1987). Recent petrography studies in Marão, Eucísia, Moncorvo and Castelo Melhor revealed siliceous (or riolithic) volcanism. This is associated with Ordovician basal units and is bimodal in some places (Marão and Eucísia). The explosive nature of that volcanism dispersed much ash over a vast area, depositing quantities in several sedimentary settings. Thus, the tuffitic horizons are important transient markers. These allow correlations between Fm. Vale de Bojas in the mountain of Marão, Fm. Quinta da Ventosa in the area of Moncorvo, Fm. de S. Gabriel in Castelo Melhor; and Fm. de "Serrinha" in Eucísia. The coexistence of an angular unconformity and disconformity in the mountain of Marão suggests the occurrence of some emerged areas. In the area of Quinta do Cuco (Moncorvo), this emergence is inferred by the presence of striped phyllite clasts (evidently from Fm. de Desejosa) in the overlying conglomerate. On the hill of S. Gabriel in Castelo Melhor, a gradual transition in the overlying volcanic unit without conglomerate levels, suggests a more distal environment. Observations support the hypothesis of an intracratonic rift in the Upper Cambrian Proterozoic with active faults at the margins were subject to a precocious tectonic inversion involving a right transpression to that following the Varisc compression. This perpendicular left transpression to the axis of the trench discharged bimodal volcanism and produced wide cleavage-free folds (RIBEIRO et al, 1991

Upper Paleozoic Dikes of the Marão Mountain (Northern Portugal); results of intra orogenic Extension?

[Abstract] In the Marão mountain occur hercynian mafic veins cutting the Schistose Formation of the Landeilian age. The geochemistry of these rocks present high concentrations on Ti ,P, Zr, Nb, Ba, and REE (Ti O2= 1.23-1,39 %, P2O5= 1.32-1,60 %, Zr = 565-641 ppm, Nb= 33-46 ppm, Ba = 2531-3219 ppm, ΣREE = 295-430 ppm) and indicate significant REE fractionation (CeN/ Y bN= 10.46) similar to that reported for alkaline mafic rocks. These characteristics and their patterns in THOMPSON (1984) diagram are typical of alkaline rocks. The dikes intrusion occurred in a late stage of the tectonic evolution of the Centro-Iberian autochthon prior to the granitic magmatic phase. Their intrusion was facilitated, either by the reorientation of the stress field due to the emplacement of the NW Iberian nappe complex or local extensions common in transpressive regimes. This geodynamical context could produce the generation of alkaline magmatism due to partial melting of the upper mantle, induced by adiabatical decompression in the major crustal NW-SE shear zones

Law, Liberty and the Rule of Law (in a Constitutional Democracy)

In the hunt for a better--and more substantial--awareness of the “law,” The author intends to analyze the different notions related to the “rule of law” and to criticize the conceptions that equate it either to the sum of “law” and “rule” or to the formal assertion that “law rules,” regardless of its relationship to certain principles, including both “negative” and “positive” liberties. Instead, he pretends to scrutinize the principles of the “rule of law,” in general, and in a “constitutional democracy,” in particular, to conclude that the tendency to reduce the “democratic principle” to the “majority rule” (or “majority principle”), i.e. to whatever pleases the majority, as part of the “positive liberty,” is contrary both to the “negative liberty” and to the “rule of law” itself

Community resilience to climate change: an evidence review

How is the resilience of communities to climate change in the UK currently understood and practised? The concept of community resilience to climate change in the UK has a diverse range of meanings and associated activities. This review of evidence and practice explores this varied and contested field to build the evidence base and help support the development of community resilience to climate change

A high-resolution versatile focused ion implantation platform for nanoscale engineering

The ability to spatially control and modify material properties on the nanoscale, including within nanoscale objects themselves, is a fundamental requirement for the development of advanced nanotechnologies. The development of a platform for nanoscale advanced materials engineering (P-NAME) designed to meet this demand is demonstrated. P-NAME delivers a high-resolution focused ion beam system with a coincident scanning electron microscope and secondary electron detection of single-ion implantation events. The isotopic mass-resolution capability of the P-NAME system for a wide range of ion species is demonstrated, offering access to the implantation of isotopes that are vital for nanomaterials engineering and nanofunctionalization. The performance of the isotopic mass selection is independently validated using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for a number of species implanted into intrinsic silicon. The SIMS results are shown to be in good agreement with dynamic ion implantation simulations, demonstrating the validity of this simulation approach. The wider performance capabilities of P-NAME, including sub-10 nm ion beam imaging resolution and the ability to perform direct-write ion beam doping and nanoscale ion lithography, are also demonstrated

Life satisfaction and confidence in national institutions: evidence from South America

A number of South American countries experienced turbulent democratic, political and economic upheaval over the last 40 years in the form of coup d’états in the 1970s, tumultuous elections, and repeated severe economic crises, some of which happened fairly recently. Starting in 2010, a number of court proceedings across the region have made past military coup d’états the focus of national conversations. South American citizens may, therefore, have lost confidence in national institutions that have repeatedly disappointed their trust and expectations; a situation with potentially detrimental effects on their well-being. Using eight waves of the Gallup World Poll collected between 2009 and 2016 across ten South American countries, we investigate to what extent people’s confidence in financial institutions, the honesty of elections, the military, the judicial system, the national government and the police is associated with people’s current and expectation of future life satisfaction. We find that people who report confidence in these six institutions rate their current and expected life satisfaction, on average, to be higher than those who lack these types of institutional confidence, even after controlling for demographic factors and macroeconomic indicators. In addition, we investigate changes over time for all six measures of confidence in institutions as well as for current and expectation of future life satisfaction. Our results suggest that governments’ investments in well-functioning institutions may contribute positively to subjective well-being in a society. However, our analysis is correlational and we thus cannot rule out reverse causality

Long-term Psychological and Occupational Effects of Providing Hospital Healthcare during SARS Outbreak

TOC Summary Line: Healthcare workers in hospitals affected by SARS experience increased psychological stress 1–2 years after the outbreak

The national inventory of geological heritage: methodological approach and results

A existência de um inventário nacional de património geológico é fundamental para se poderem implementar estratégias de geoconservação. Este trabalho apresenta a metodologia usada no desenvolvimento do mais completo inventário de geossítios, realizado até ao momento em Portugal, assim como os principais resultados obtidos. O inventário vai integrar o Sistema de Informação do Património Natural e o Cadastro Nacional dos Valores Naturais Classificados, ambos geridos pelo Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e da Biodiversidade.The existence of a national inventory of the geological heritage is of paramount importance for the implementation of a geoconservation strategy. This paper presents the methodological approach used to produce the most complete geosites inventory in Portugal, so far, and the obtained results. This inventory will be uploaded into the National Database of Natural Heritage managed by the Portuguese authority for nature conservation.Este trabalho é apoiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, através do financiamento plurianual do CGUP e do projecto de investigação “Identificação, caracterização e conservação do património geológico: uma estratégia de geoconservação para Portugal” (PTDC/CTE-GEX/64966/2006).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio