Rocks, minerals, and microscopes: a multimedia application

During the last two decades of the 20th century the boom of the Information Society changed the usual way of teaching and learning. Computers contributed to better classes allowing teachers to make high-quality presentations and eliminating old transparencies and slide collections. The use of multimedia resources, downloaded from the Internet or based on CD-ROM, constitutes a major advantage for the educational system. Unfortunately, many teachers were not able to take advantage of this technological advance due to several factors, namely: bad conditions in schools, resistance to/afraid of using computers, high cost of equipments, and deficient lifelong formation. Geology teaching can be improved by using multimedia materials because geological processes can be better understood as factors like time and scale can be easily simulated. The edition of educational CD-ROMs dedicated to Earth Sciences triggered in the beginning of the nineties. Nevertheless, during the last couple of years, the number of new educational geology-dedicated CD-ROMs decreased. The diversity of subjects is also rather limited. In 2003 the present authors published in a new CD-ROM designated for preuniversity teachers and students entitled ?Rocks and Minerals from Portugal under the Microscope?. This CD-ROM followed a previous on-line version (very simplified and available at http://www.dct.uminho.pt/eng/rpmic_eng/index.html). The CD-ROM helps the visualization of thin sections of rocks and minerals in the lack of polarizing microscopes in classrooms. It also allows self-studying and teachers presentations during classes. This multimedia application describes the preparation of thin sections and the main characteristics of polarizing microscopes by using video support. The observation of thin sections uses QuickTime? technology simulating true microscopical observations in rotating stages viewed with crossed and parallel polars. Each rock specimen is presented with its main characteristics: name, mineralogical composition, texture, structure, place of sampling, and photographs of a hand sample and of the outcrop. The simulation of minerals observation is complemented with information regarding name, chemical composition, crystalline system, cleavage, hardness, color, and industrial applications. Taking advantage of the interactivity and multimedia resources, this CD-ROM can increase the interest of students in the study of rocks and minerals and hence raising awareness of geology

New methodologies for the promotion of Geological Heritage using multimedia technology, 3D and augmented reality.

[Excerpt] The Internet and several hardware and software options that are currently available are very efficient ways for the promotion of geoparks, geoheritage and geosciences. The aim of this paper is to present a new and interactive way of gathering data into a website, based on several new web and photogrammetric technologies, applied to the Terras de Cavaleiros Global Geopark (Portugal). [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

On the age and extent of the Serra da Peneda glaciation, NW Portugal

10th International Conference on Geomorphology, Coimbra, Portugal, 12–16 Sep 2022.Geomorphological vestiges in the mountains of NW Portugal testify a low altitude, sheltered, and precipitation-driven glaciation. These vestiges have already been characterised in several works, with emphasis on mapping and delimitation of the extent of glaciation, especially in the Serra do Gerês. In Serra da Peneda, the glacial reconstitution is not so comprehensive. Previous works have identified erosional and accumulation landforms, as well as various types of tills. However, the maximum extent of glaciation still raises some doubts and the spatial discontinuity of vestiges could suggest different episodes of glaciation. To detail the extent of the glaciation in the Serra da Peneda, an identification of glacial and periglacial landforms and deposits was performed, based on field surveys, aerial photography analysis, and LiDAR imagery processing and interpretation. Moreover, 10Be cosmogenic nuclide dating of moraine granite boulders exposure age was carried out in the Alto Vez valley, the area where the main glacial vestiges occur. Samples were collected from the uppermost erratic boulders of Senhora da Guia, at 1000 m asl., pointing to a Last Glaciation Maximum (LGM) age whereas the moraine boulders of the valley floor, at 900 m asl. indicate a Younger Dryas age. These are the first glacial dating results for this region and are in contrast to others previously published for exposure ages of glaciated surfaces in the Serra do Gerês, which raises the possibility that different Pleistocene glaciations may be represented in the mountains of NW Portugal. To reconstitute the history of glaciations in the region, similar dating in other moraines of the Peneda and Gerês mountains is in progress

Methodologies to represent and promote the geoheritage using unmanned aerial vehicles, multimedia technologies, and augmented reality

Promoting geoheritage using the Internet materializes mainly through the use of maps, posters, informational murals, or websites. This information is usually detailed and visually appealing. However, in most cases, there is little interactivity and a limited or complete lack of contextualization within the geographical space. The main objective of this work was to integrate information collected with unmanned aerial vehicles, georeferenced information processed in geographical information systems, photogram- metry techniques, and multimedia technologies to promote a better computer visualization of geoheritage. A working website was built based on panoramic photography, three-dimensional representation of the terrain, and multimedia information, in order to provide a pleasant way of promoting and interacting with field geology by using the Internet. The navigation through the information is based on 360° spherical panoramic images that are fully oriented and georeferenced. Their movement can be perfectly synchronized with the viewing of the landscape by using motion sensors found on portable devices (tablets or smartphones) such as GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes, or compasses. These images can include the access to multimedia elements such as websites, videos, images, sounds, interpretation models, text, or interactive 3D terrain models, working as an excellent support base for the provision of an augmented reality experience. If used in the field, this technical implementation can act as an interactive guide for the interpretation of the landscape. This type of content can be accessed online from locations with a network signal or can be obtained in advance for offline use.This work received financial support from Capes - Higher Education Personnel Improvement Coordination for the granted in Brazil between 2013 and 2014 and abroad in 2015. This work was co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund, based on COMPETE 2020 (Programa Operacional da Competitividade e Internacionalização), project ICT (UID/GEO/04683/2013) with reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007690 and national funds provided by Foundation of Science and Technology (FCT)

Aspectos técnico-científicos de barragens no Brasil: uma abordagem teórica

The safety of a dam is the result of a series of factors, including structural, geotechnical, hydraulic, operational and environmental aspects. In Brazil, Law No. 12.334 of September 2010 establishes the National Dam Safety Policy, which requires safety reports and monitoring inspections for existing dams. The inspection comprises a set of devices installed on the dam, which are used to assess the structural behavior based on performance parameters of the structure, such as displacements, flows, stresses, slopes and others. Dam auscultation procedures, historically, have been performed since the 1950s. Since then, there have been significant advances in instrumentation and dam auscultation methods. This work presents a theoretical approach on technical and scientific aspects of dams in Brazil, based on a state-of-the-art literature review, involving auscultation of dams in the context of design codes, concepts, instrumentation, safety, procedures and monitoring methods.A segurança de uma barragem é resultante de uma série de fatores, dentre os quais podem ser citados aspectos estruturais, geotécnicos, hidráulicos, operacionais e ambientais. No Brasil, a Lei nº 12.334 de setembro de 2010 estabelece a Política Nacional de Segurança de Barragens. A instrumentação compõe um conjunto de dispositivos instalados nas barragens, que são utilizados para avaliar o seu comportamento estrutural a partir de parâmetros de desempenho da estrutura, tais como deslocamentos, vazões, tensões, inclinações e outros. Procedimentos de auscultação de barragens, historicamente, tem sido realizado desde a década de 50, conforme a literatura. Desde então, houve avanços significativos na instrumentação e nos métodos de auscultação de barragens. Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar uma abordagem teórica sobre aspectos técnico-científicos de barragens no Brasil, fundamentada numa revisão de literatura no estado da arte, envolvendo auscultação de barragens no contexto de normas, conceitos, instrumentação, segurança, procedimentos e métodos de monitoramento.Uminho -Universidade do Minho(undefined

Can geosites be restored? The example of the Alto Vez geosite (Peneda Mountain, Portugal)

One of the most important tasks in geoheritage management is the conservation of the geosite values, protecting them from natural or human induced degradation. In some cases, degradation still occurs even with the existence of geoconservation initiatives. Normally, the loss of geodiversity features is irreversible and protection measures are only applied in order to try to stop further damage. However, should this be imperative to all types of geosites? This question emerged with the case of the restoration of the Alto Vez geosite in the Peneda Mountain, one of the most remarkable fields of glacial erratic boulders in Portugal. Besides the erratic granite boulders, other relevant glacial features occur such as an U-shaped valley and moraines, justifying the inclusion of this site as one of the most important geosites in the Portuguese geoheritage inventory. Despite its scientific relevance, it is located just outside the contiguous Peneda-Gerês National Park, the most important protected area in Portugal. This national park was founded in 1971 and its limits were defined before the scientific discovery of these relevant glacial features. In 2012, a horseracing track was constructed in the geosite by the local village administration, with the removal of erratic boulders from their original place, affecting the natural landscape and the geosite’s integrity. After a claim made by a citizen, legal and administrative actions made by the Portuguese Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests and by the municipal authorities, have resulted in the closure of the racing track, an assessment of the degradation and definition of a strategy to reduce the damages. Under our supervision, a restoration plan was conducted in 2017. Aerial photos captured by unmanned aerial vehicles were used, together with dGPS and GIS procedures. The initial topography was restored using earthmoving machinery and the buried erratic boulders were identified and carefully relocated to their original position. A management plan of the geosite is being produced in order to protect it more efficiently through a statutory designation and to promote its tourism and educational uses. This case-study shows that a well-informed society is essential to help authorities to protect geoheritage and that a geosite restoration is possible when the main geodiversity features are not yet fully destroyed

A discussion on the quantification and classification of geodiversity indices based on GIS methodological tests

Quantitative assessment methods are attaining special attention in geodiversity research. Procedures to map geodiversity indices have been proposed by several authors though there is no consensus on how to best apply and replicate them in diverse areas. A contribution to the quantitative mapping of geodiversity using GIS tools of quantification and classification is presented. These procedures were applied in the municipality of Miguel Pereira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A quantification stage is supported by the multiparts technique, in which the geodiversity elements are considered without pondering their repetition, and by the singleparts technique, where the repetitions are counted. Geodiversity is then mapped and classified according to the MOV (maximum obtained value) that considers the highest score obtained by the sum of the geodiversity sub-indices and to the MPV (maximum possible value) defined by the sum of the maximum scores in each of the geodiversity sub-indices. The maps produced according to the singleparts tools reflect a higher difference between the minimum and maximum scores of geodiversity, and using the MPV more areas are classified with low geodiversity. Fieldwork surveys support the idea that combining the multiparts technique for geodiversity quantification with the MOV to its classification is more appropriate to characterize the geodiversity of the area. Nevertheless, using different methodological approaches may generate significantly different results, what must be taken into account when considering geodiversity as a support tool in land management.This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors are grateful to CPRM (Servico Geologico do Brasil) and DRMRJ (Departamento de Recursos Minerais do Estado do Rio de Janeiro) for providing data of the study area and to the Department of Geology of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) for providing financial support for the fieldwork

Close range photogrammetry in the survey of the coastal area geoecological conditions (on the example of Portugal)

Close range digital photogrammetry, which involves the application of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), has been used in a growing number of diverse applications across different scientific disciplines. Our objective was to use the mentioned method in the survey of the contemporary geoecological conditions of the coastal area on the example of Portuguese northwest coastal zone. The coastal zone can be subdivided into two geomorphological sectors: Sector 1, between the Minho River and the town of Espinho, where the coastal segments consist of estuaries, sandy and shingle beaches with rocky outcrops, and Holocene dune systems. The estuaries and the foredunes in particular are very degraded by human activities; and Sector 2, between Espinho and the Mondego Cape, where coastal lagoons and Holocene dune systems occur. We chose two beaches for surveying – Aguçadoura and Ramalha to which the drone swinglet CAM took the photos. We used the ground control software eMotion 2 to plan the flights over the study area and controlled the drone’s trajectory during flight. After processing the obtained images in the program of AgisoftPhotoscanPro, we generated the 2D orthophotos and 3D digital elevation models (DEM) of the research sections. At this stage of study we derived the above product without using the ground control points, or we used only the camera GPS data. Based on these models the compilation of the large-scale maps of high resolution (1cm-5cm) will be possible in the GISs for monitoring and management of the geoecological state of the mentioned beaches in case to precise the x, y and z values of the models with the geodetic device of Differential GPSs in the selected ground control points (GCP).We are grateful to the European Commission ERASMUS-MUNDUS Action-2 ELECTRA program and the Earth Sciences Centre of the University of Minho (Braga, Portugal) in supporting us to conduct the field works and research.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Avaliação da geodiversidade de Portugal Continental

Este trabalho tem como principal objetivo a avaliação da geodiversidade de Portugal Continental e testar eventuais relações existentes entre as várias componentes da geodiversidade, bem como relações com a biodiversidade e as áreas protegidas. A avaliação da geodiversidade baseou-se na quantificação de índices litológicos, geomorfológicos e pedológicos, considerando o número de diferentes ocorrências existentes em cada célula de uma grelha 16x10km, correspondente às folhas da Carta Militar 1/25000. Além do referidos índice de geodiversidade foi feita também uma avaliação quantitativa dos recursos minerais e dos recursos hídricos superficiais. Os dados obtidos permitiram elaborar mapas parciais de diversidade litológica, geomorfológica, pedológica, hidrológica e de recursos minerais. Os três índices de geodiversidade (pedologia, litologia e geomorfologia) estão correlacionados com coeficientes de correlação significativos. Os recursos hídricos superficiais estabelecem também uma correlação positiva com a geomorfologia. Realça-se também o papel dos recursos hídricos na biodiversidade, demonstrando que os recursos hídricos possuem um papel fulcral na criação e manutenção dos ecossistemas. Já os recursos minerais estabelecem uma relação ínfima fraca com os recursos hídricos e fraca com a biodiversidade. Os geossítios estabelecem uma correlação positiva ínfima fraca com os índices parciais da geodiversidade e fraca com o índice de geodiversidade. Por fim, é possível observar uma relação, ainda que fraca, entre a geodiversidade e a biodiversidade. A utilização e a correlação dos dados obtidos, bem como a correlação com dados relativos ao património geológico, às áreas protegidas e à biodiversidade, permite discutir questões sensíveis sob o ponto de vista da conservação da natureza e da exploração de recursos minerais. A metodologia e os resultados obtidos podem servir de base a trabalhos mais desenvolvidos, úteis na gestão territorial, no uso e gestão dos recursos naturais e ainda na criação de estratégias de conservação da natureza que atribuam maior valor à geodiversidade

¿Entre héroes y deidades? actos de sacrificio de la Edad del Hierro grabados en la roca 6 del monte de Porreiras (Noroeste de Portugal)

El objetivo de este trabajo es publicar los grabados rupestres del Monte das Porreira 6, situado en Paredes de Coura, en el no de Portugal. El estudio se ha basado en un levantamiento fotogramétrico y el posterior contraste con la determinación de la distancia geométrica. Se trata de una roca profusamente decorada con una larga diacronía de grabados. La fase inicial incluye el arte atlántico clásico, integrado en el Calcolítico Reciente. La segunda fase incluye la representación de équidos, jinetes y puñales con mango de antenas. Basándose en los paralelos de dichas armas, es posible integrar estos motivos entre la Edad de Bronce Final y la Edad de Hierro Inicial. También es posible observar el paso de una gramática abstracta, durante la primera fase, a una gramática figurativa, en la que se puede identificar una narrativa relacionada con los sacrificios humanos y de animales, asociada al uso de puñales con mango de antenas. Estas representaciones evocan un simbolismo que recuerda a los textos de Estrabón y objetos de bronce que contienen escenas de sacrificio. La última fase del grabado indica nuevos cambios simbólicos, con la valorización de acciones aisladas perpetradas por un jinete, portando un arma arrojadiza, que pueden representar a una divinidad o a un héroe.The aim of this work is to publish the rock engravings of Monte das Porreira 6, located in the council of Paredes de Coura, in the Northwest of Portugal. The study was based on photogrammetric surveys and subsequent contrast recurring to geometric distance determination. It is a profusely decorated rock with a long diachrony of carving. The initial phase includes Classical Atlantic Art, integrated in the regional Neo-Chalcolithic period. The second phase includes representation of several types of equids, horsemen, and antenna-hilted daggers. Based on parallels for such weapons, it is possible to integrate these motifs between the Late Bronze Age and an Early Iron Age of North-western Iberia. It is also possible to observe a change from an abstract grammar, during the first phase, to a figurative grammar, in which we can identify a narrative related to human and animal sacrifices, associated with the use of antenna-hilted daggers. These depictions recall a symbolism reminiscent of Strabo’s writings, including bronze objects containing sacrificial scenes. The final phase of engraving indicates new symbolic changes, with valorisation of isolated actions perpetrated by horsemen, carrying throwing weapons, which may be a representation of a deity or hero