Lyell and the Spanish Geology

Lyell visited Spain in the summer of 1830, after the publication of the first volume of Principles of Geology, and in the winter of 1853 coming back from his third trip to America. In his first stay he visited, among others, the Olot region (Catalonia, NE Spain) and in the second the Canary Islands. In both cases his major aim was to study these volcanic zones since volcanism constituted for Lyell the clearest evidence of the Earth interior energy, which had led to mountain building in the past. Another of his aims during his 1830 visit was to study the Pyrenees. Lyell endeavoured to show that this orogen did not result from a violent and rapid revolution, as proposed by Elie de Beaumont, but from processes that spanned long time periods. In the Pyrenees he also made some observations on the neogene lacustrine deposits of la Cerdanya basin, while in the southern Pyrenean foreland (i.e. Ebro basin) he paid attention to facies changes and correlations in the Eocene sequences. Lyell spent some days in Barcelona during this visit but at that time the country was in political turmoil and the main scientific institutions of the city had been closed down. Once in the Olot region, Lyell paid a visit to Bolós, pharmacist and botanist who had an interest in geology and introduced him in the volcanic zone. During his second trip in 1853, Lyell visited the Canaries and limited his personal contacts to Pedro Maffiote, professor of the Nautical School of Tenerife, who had made some interesting although never published geological observations in this island. In the Canary Islands Lyell sought to demonstrate the relationship between volcanism and coastal movement, and to confirm his theory of volcanic cone growth by accretion. Lyell's influence in Spain was not due to his personal contacts in the country but to his books and especially the translation into Spanish by Ezquerra del Bayo of the first edition of "Elements of Geology" in 1838. Lyell's ideas and especially his geological terminology, which was one of his most important contributions, spread in Spain thanks to this translation. Both the personality and the scientific reputation of Ezquerra del Bayo helped to promote the book that became for many years the official teaching book at the Schools of Mines in Spain and Mexico. Ezquerra del Bayo carried out the first geological map of the whole of Spain (1850) adopting in this and other publications (1850-1857) Lyell's nomenclature, although his theoretical concepts (e.g. actualism) did not exert the same influence. It should be borne in mind that Lyell regarded his Elements of Geology as a descriptive Geology, a text book for students and beginners. His more elaborated theories included in Principles of Geology resulted in little influence in Spain, since this book was not translated into Spanish

Las series molásicas estefanienses del occidente de Asturias

En el occidente de Asturias se encuentran una serie de afloramientos carboníferos, que hasta el presente no han sido objeto de un estudio estratigráfico detallado. No obstante, ya se hace referencia a ellos en trabajos de carácter general de finales del siglo pasado y coniienzos de éste : BARROIS(1882) MALLADA (1898), PATAC(1920) y SCHULZ(1930). Los estudios paleontológicos son más abundantes, y ya en los trabajos antes mencionados se citan especies que permiten datar estas series como estefanienses. Más recientemente JOXGMAN(1951), DE LA VEGA ROLLÁN (1959) y ÁLVAREZ RAMIS, los sitúan exactamente en el Estefaniense R y B-C. Están en curso estudios de LLOPIS LLADÓ y MARTÍNEZ ÁLVAREZ.Peer reviewe

Charles Lyell and scientific thinking in geology

Charles Lyell (1797–1875) was born at Kinnordy, Scotland. His father, an amateur botanist, and his grandfather, a navigator, gave him very soon a taste for the observation of the Nature. He went to the Oxford University to study classical literature, but he also followed the geological course ofWilliam Buckland. After having been employed as jurist for some years, in 1827 he decided on a career of geologist and held the chair of geology of the King’s College of London, from 1831 on. He was a contemporary of Cuvier, Darwin, von Humboldt, Hutton, Lavoisier, and was elected ‘membre correspondant’ of the ‘Académie des sciences, France’, in January 1862. Charles Lyell is one of the eminent geologists who initiated the scientific thinking in geology, in which his famous volumes of the Principles of Geology were taken as the authority. These reference volumes are based on multiple observations and field works collected during numerous fieldtrips in western Europe (principally Spain, France, and Italy) and North America. To his name are attached, among others: (i) the concept of uniformitarism (or actualism), which was opposed to the famous catastrophism, in vogue at that time, and which may be summarized by the expression ‘‘The present is the key to the past’’; (ii) the division of the Tertiary in three series denominated Eocene, Miocene, and Pliocene, due to the study of the age of strata by fossil faunas; (iii) the theory according to which the orogenesis of a mountain chain, as the Pyrenees, results from different pulsations on very long time scales and was not induced by a unique pulsation during a short and intense period. The uniformity of the laws of Nature is undeniably a principle Charles Lyell was the first to state clearly and to apply to the study of the whole Earth’s crust, which opened a new era in geology

Consideraciones generales sobre el Triásico y el Pérmico de la Cordillera Ibérica y bordes del Sistema Central

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Pérmico continental en España

[ES] Los conocimientos que hasta el momento se poseen, indican que en España el Pérmico está representado por el «Autuniense» (Rotliegendes Inferior) en facies grises características y por formaciones rojas que son atribuidas al «Saxoniense» (Rotliegendes Superior). El Pérmico Superior sólo ha sido citado en muy escasos puntos. En general, está constituido por series detríticas, cuyo tamaño va desde la arcilla, hasta conglomerados de gruesos bloques. Frecuentemente se intercalan rocas volcánicas de diversos tipos. Su potencia es muy variable, pudiendo llegar a alcanzar espesores de más de 2.000 m. Su deposición se realiza en cuencas continentales condicionadas normalmente por la tectónica tardihercinica. Todas sus características, así como los problemas que plantea su cronoestratigrafia son muy similares a los del Pérmico de Europa Occidental.[FR] Les connaissances aujourd’hui acquisses indiquent quen Espagne, le Permien est répresente par «l’Autunien» (Rotliegendes Infericur) en facies gris characteritiques et par des formations rouges atribuées au «Saxonien» (Rotliegendes Superieur). Le Permien Supericur a été identifle seulement dans quelques points. En general, les séries sont constituées par des seditnents détritiques, des les argiles juqua les conglomerats; frequentment on trouve des passées volcaniques de type divers. Sa puissance est tres variable, jusqua 2.000 metres maximum; sa deposition prend lieu dans bassins continentaux controlés normalement par la tectonique tardihercynienne. Ses characteritiques et ses problemes sont tres similaires a ceux du Permien de lEurope Occidentale.[EN] The present data show that the Spanish Permian is represented by the «Autunian» (Lower Rotliegendes) in a typical grey facies and redbeds similar to the «Saxonian» (Upper Rotliegendes). The Upper Permian has been found only in a very few points. In general it is made of detrital series, from clays to conglomerates; some volcaníc levels are found. Tickness is very variable, up to 2.000 meters. Sedimentation takes place in continental basins, tectonically con troled 1w the tardihercynian pbases. Their caracteristics and problenis are similar to the ones of Western European Permian.Peer reviewe

Nota previa sobre el Pérmico de la Cordillera Ibérica y bordes del Sistema Central

[ES] Se describen las principales características estratigráficas de varios afloramientos pérmicos de los bordes del Macizo Central y Cordillera Ibérica. El estudio comparativo de las series, así como los datos aportados por trabajos anteriores, permiten algunas conclusiones sobre el desarrollo de la sedimentación durante el Pérmico y el límite de éste con el Trías.[EN] The principal stratigraphic characteristics from severa1 permian oatcrops from the Bordes del Macizo Central and Cordillera Ibérica are described here. The comparative study of these series, as well as the data apported by previous works allow certain conclusions about development of the sedimentation during the Permian and the limit between that system and the Trias.Peer reviewe

Depósitos marinos del Cuaternario antiguo (?) sobre la cuarzita armoricana del Cabo Torres (Gijón).

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasFALSEpu

El Pérmico y el Triásico del borde sur-este del Sistema Central: día IV

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Guía de la excursión al Triásico de la Sierra de Prades

Peer reviewe

Nutrición en cuidados paliativos: resumen de recomendaciones del Grupo de Trabajo de Ética de la SENPE

Los cuidados paliativos proporcionan una atención integral que tiene en cuenta los aspectos físicos, emocionales, sociales y espirituales del paciente con enfermedad terminal y su entorno familiar. El tratamiento nutricional debe formar parte activa de los equipos de cuidados paliativos. La necesidad de iniciar o no un tratamiento nutricional sigue siendo, desde hace décadas, uno de los principales problemas éticos a los que se enfrentan los profesionales dedicados a la nutrición clínica. El origen de tal controversia radica, fundamentalmente, en cómo se consideran la nutrición y la hidratación: cuidado/soporte o tratamiento médico. Los objetivos fundamentales del tratamiento nutricional en los pacientes en cuidados paliativos deben ser otros: la mejoría de la calidad de vida, de la supervivencia o de ambas. La decisión de indicar o no el tratamiento nutricional en cuidados paliativos debe tomarse tras considerar el pronóstico, la calidad de vida y la relación “riesgo/beneficio”. En relación a la alimentación por vía oral (con o sin suplementos orales), prevalece la idea de la “alimentación de confort”, que se basa en intentos de alimentación oral hasta que se produzcan la incomodidad y/o el rechazo del paciente. No existen evidencias que justifiquen el uso de nutrientes específicos, aunque desde hace años se señala la posibilidad de lograr beneficios cuando se utilizan ácidos grasos omega-3 en los pacientes con cáncer. En cuanto al tratamiento nutricional (enteral o parenteral), en ausencia de evidencia, las decisiones sobre si iniciar una nutrición artificial en un paciente paliativo deben tomarse teniendo en cuenta los deseos y creencias del paciente y sus familiares, y basarse en el consenso del equipo interdisciplinar sobre los objetivos que se persiguen al iniciarla