Tectono-Sedimentary Evolution of Cenozoic Basins

This research was funded by Research Project CGL2016-75679-P (Spanish Ministry of Education and Science); Research Groups, Projects of the Generalitat Valenciana, Alicante University (CTMA-IGA)

3D Visualization of geological structures using Python: the case study of the Palomeque sheets (SE, Spain)

The goal of this paper is the construction of computerized 3D visualization of geological structures. Several Python applications have been used to adapt the paper map-based geological classical information to numerical geological maps represented in HTML files. The models include a map with the stratigraphic and structural contacts and symbols, five serial vertical sections, and a geological block diagram, all with real topography. This block diagram made with 2D figures allows a 3D visualization. Palomeque area (Murcia region, southeastern Spain) has been used as a key-case. This area consists of a deformed Upper Cretaceous to Oligocene succession belonging to the Internal Zone Malaguide Complex. The main structure consists of two thrust-fold sheets forming an imbricate system, also affected by a set of strike-slip faults with a sinistral regime. The constructed maps show a good agreement with the published classical geological maps and cross-sections demonstrating the benefits of using these Python applications.The authors would like to acknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Research Project PID2020-114381GB-100, semigrupos.ugr.es from University of Granada and Research Groups FQM-343 of the Junta de Andalucía, and Research Groups and Projects of the Generalitat Valenciana-University of Alicante, for financial support

A Python Application for Visualizing an Imbricate Thrust System: Palomeque Duplex (SE, Spain)

This paper introduces a Python application for visualizing an imbricate thrust system. The application uses the traditional geologic information to create an HTML geological map with real topography and a set of geological cross-sections with the essential structural and stratigraphic elements. On the basis of the high geological knowledge gained during the last three decades, the Palomeque sheets affecting the Cenozoic Malaguide succession in the Internal Betic Zone (SE Spain) were selected to show the application. In this area, a Malaguide Cretaceous to Lower Miocene succession is deformed as an imbricate thrust system, with two thrusts forming a duplex, affected later by a set of faults with a main strike-slip kinematic. The modeled elements match well with the design of the stratigraphic intervals and the structures reported in recent scientific publications. This proves the good performance of this Python application for visualizing the structural and stratigraphic architecture. This kind of application could be a crucial stage for future groundwater, mining, and civil engineering management.Research Project PID2020-114381GB-100 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Research Groups and Projects of the Generalitat Valenciana from University of Alicante (CTMA-IGA), semigrupos.ugr.es from University of Granada and Research Groups FQM-343 of the Junta de Andalucía

El bien también es banal: sobre "stille Helden" y literatura

An indeterminate number of people from the most diverse backgrounds collaborated to help hundreds of Jews escape their extermination. An inconvenience for post-war German society, it is not until the 1990s, with the beginning of a new context brought about by the new political environment, that we begin to see some attention paid to these people. Proof of such is found in the presence of this subject in scientific and informative literature as well as in commemorative literature and fiction. These persons are often referred to as stille Helden (Silent Heroes), a recognition they frequently reject as they do not consider their actions to have been the result of heroic intentions, rather the only possible reaction to what was happening around them. During a time of moral confusion, Good, for a few, was as banal as Evil for the great majority.Un número indeterminado de personas con los más diversos trasfondos colaboraron para que cientos de judíos pudieran escapar del exterminio. Incómodos para la sociedad alemana de posguerra, sólo a partir del inédito contexto propiciado por la nueva situación política se ha comenzado a prestar cierta atención a estas personas a partir de los años noventa. Prueba de ello es la presencia del tema tanto en la literatura científica o divulgativa como en la memorial o de ficción. Aquellos denominados comúnmente stille Helden rechazan a menudo esta consideración, pues su modo de actuar no se debió a intenciones heroicas, sino que era la única respuesta que a su modo de ver podían dar a lo que ocurría a su alrededor. En unos tiempos de confusión moral, el bien fue para ellos tan banal como el mal para la gran mayoría

3D Visualization of geological structures using Python: the case study of the Palomeque sheets (SE, Spain)

The goal of this paper is the construction of computerized 3D visualization of geological structures. Several Python applications have been used to adapt the paper map-based geological classical information to numerical geological maps represented in HTML files. The models include a map with the stratigraphic and structural contacts and symbols, five serial vertical sections, and a geological block diagram, all with real topography. This block diagram made with 2D figures allows a 3D visualization. Palomeque area (Murcia region, southeastern Spain) has been used as a key-case. This area consists of a deformed Upper Cretaceous to Oligocene succession belonging to the Internal Zone Malaguide Complex. The main structure consists of two thrust-fold sheets forming an imbricate system, also affected by a set of strike-slip faults with a sinistral regime. The constructed maps show a good agreement with the published classical geological maps and cross-sections demonstrating the benefits of using these Python applications.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación: [Grant Number PID2020-114381GB-100]semigrupos.ugr.es from University of Granada and Research Groups FQM-343 of the Junta de AndalucíaResearch Groups and Projects of the Generalitat Valenciana-University of Alicant

The Betic Neogene Basins (S. Spain)

The Betic Neogene basins first differentiated as small, interconnected marine passages, individualized as the major Betic reliefs were being uplifted and emerged as islands in the course of the Miocene during the Alpine Orogeny. Some of them were directly linked to the Atlantic Ocean and some others to the Mediterranean Sea. Narrows seaways, located at different positions and changing in time, marked the precise location of the Atlantic-Mediterranean connections. The geological history and the palaeogeographical evolution of the Mediterranean-linked basins are presented and discussed in this talk. A distinction is made between the “inner basins” (the most distant from the present-day Mediterranean Sea), and the “outer basins” (the nearest to the present-day Mediterranean Sea), exemplified by the Granada and the Sorbas basins respectively. A review of the main characteristics of their sedimentary infilling is given. Special attention is paid to key aspects such as a) evaporite deposition within these basins, its timing and its relation with the Mediterranean, late-Messinian desiccation; b) major climatic changes as deduced from the existence of alternating temperate (cool-water) and tropical (warm-water) shelf-carbonate deposits, and c) the reason for the abundance of huge microbial (stromatolite and thrombolite) domes at the end of the Miocene.Las Cuencas Béticas Neógenas corresponden originalmente a brazos de mar que se fueron individualizando conforme la Cordillera Bética se fue levantando en el curso del Mioceno en la Orogenia Alpina. De ellas unas abrían hacia el Océano Atlantico y otras hacia el Mar Mediterráneo. Estrechos, de posición variable a lo largo del tiempo, mantuvieron a su vez la conexión, a traves de ellas, entre estas dos grandes masas de agua. En esta charla se analiza la historia geólogica y evolución paleogeográfica de dichas cuencas en especial las de filiación Mediterránea. Se hace distinción entre las situadas mas hacia el interior y las localizadas mas próximas al Mediterráneo actual, y se utilizan como ejemplos tipo la cuenca de Granada y la de Sorbas respectivamente, de las que se detalla su relleno sedimentario. Se resaltan determinados aspectos de intéres tales como a) los depositos evaporíticos, su heterocronía y relación con la desecación del Mediterráneo en el Mioceno terminal; b) los grandes cambios climáticos contrastados por la existencia de episodios de sedimentación carbonatada de plataforma de carácter templado (aguas frías) y carácter tropical (aguas cálidas), y c) el porqué de la proliferación y el extraordinario tamaño de los domos microbianos (estromatolitos y trombolitos) del Mioceno terminal

Colapso tectónico en las Zonas Externas Béticas Orientales durante el Paleogeno-Aquitaniense (Alicante, SE España)

Six Paleogene-Aquitanian successions have been reconstructed in the Alicante area (eastern External Betic Zone). The lithofacies association evidences “catastrophic” syn-sedimentary tectonic processes consisting of slumps, mega-olisthostromes, “pillow-beds” and turbiditic deposits. This kind of sedimentation is related to unconformity surfaces delimiting sequence and para-sequence cycles in the stratigraphic record. The data compiled have enabled the reconstruction of the Paleogene-Aquitanian paleogeographic and geodynamic evolution of this sector of the External Betics. During the Eocene the sedimentary basin is interpreted as a narrow trough affected by (growth) folding related to blind thrust faulting with a source area from the north-western margin, while the southeastern margin remained inactive. During the Oligocene-Aquitanian, the sourcing margin becames the southeastern margin of the basin affected by a catastrophic tectonic. The activity of the margins is identified from specific sediment source areas for the platform-slope-trough system and from tectofacies analysis. The southeastern South Iberian Margin is thought to be closer to the Internal Betic Zone, which was tectonically pushing towards the South Iberian Margin. This pushing could generate a lateral progressive elimination of subbetic paleogeographic domains in the eastern Betics. This geodynamic frame could explain the development of such “catastrophic” tectono-sedimentary processes during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene.El presente artículo muestra los resultados obtenidos en el estudio y reconstrucción de seis sucesiones de edad Paleogeno-Aquitaniense localizadas en el área de Alicante (Zonas Externas Béticas orientales). Seis asociaciones de litofacies reconocidas evidencian procesos tectónicos sinsedimentarios catastróficos consistentes en la aparición de slumps, mega-olistostromas, incluso con bloques métricos de elementos deslizados de la plataforma, niveles almohadillados y depósitos turbidíticos. Este tipo de depósitos va acompañado de superficies de discontinuidad que delimitan secuencias y para-secuencias deposicionales en el registro estratigráfico. La interpretación de los datos obtenidos ha permitido proponer un modelo de la evolución geodinámica y paleogeográfica de este sector de las Zonas Externas Béticas orientales durante el Paleógeno-Aquitaniense. La cuenca sedimentaria se interpreta como un corredor afectado por una deformación incipiente que produciría pliegues de crecimiento relacionados con cabalgamientos ciegos profundos. Dicha cuenca presentaría durante el Eoceno un margen que se deformaba situado al noroeste, que suministraría el material terrígeno y otro tranquilo al sureste. En el Oligoceno debió producirse una reorganización paleogeográfica que ocasionó que el margen productivo pasara a ser el sureste. La actividad tectónica de ese margen sureste se reconoce por depósitos característicos del borde del corredor-talud-plataforma, que evidencian la destrucción y redepósito en masa de sedimentos procedentes de dicha plataforma. Para explicar la geodinámica responsable de dicha actividad tectónica sinsedimentaria tan catastrófica se propone que las Zonas Internas Béticas debían ocupar una posición muy cercana a la terminación oriental del Margen Sudibérico durante el periodo compresivo del Oligoceno Superior-Mioceno Inferior. Esto implicaría un acuñamiento lateral de dominios paleogeográficos subbéticos en la parte oriental de la Cordillera Bética ya en este periodo, de manera que podría faltar el Subbético Interno y Medio.This research was supported by the projects CGL2011-30153-CO2-02 and CGL2012-32169 (Spanish Ministry of Education and Science), by Urbino University found (responsible F. Guerrera), and by Research Groups and projects of the Generalitat Valenciana from Alicante University (CTMA-IGA)

Towards energy security by promoting circular economy: A holistic approach.

[EN]Dependence on fossil fuels, coupled with continuous supply disruptions by the most important natural gas suppliers, has jeopardized the energy security of most European countries. Therefore, determining the regions that can significantly increase their natural gas independence through the circular economy of their wastes is more important than ever. This work presents a multi-scale analysis to determine the possibility of implementing a circular economy towards reducing the regions dependency on fossil natural gas. A holistic approach is used to evaluate the availability of waste (manure, municipal solid waste, sludge, and lignocellulosic waste) and model the waste treatment processes (gasification and anaerobic digestion), together with a techno-economy analysis of the infrastructure required. A facility location problem optimizes the selection of the technology, the production capacity and the location of the facilities, according to the available budget. The analysis is focused on Spain, where, at the national level, an investment of 9458 M€ and an operating cost of 5000 M€ per year would allow covering 35% of the natural gas demanded. The regional analysis shows that a total of 19 provinces can be self-sufficient with this budget. These provinces have a high biomethane production potential through lignocellulosic waste gasification and a low demand for natural gas. Since energy is a basic commodity, the ability to produce enough biomethane to cover the entire demand for natural gas gives waste valorization strategic importance at both the social and economic levels.European Union’s Horizon 2020 research, innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement & PI Ph.D. Junta de Castilla León

Provenance, paleogeographic and paleotectonic interpretations of Oligocene-Lower Miocene sandstones of the western-central Mediterranean region: A review

The changing nature of detrital signatures in clastic wedges of the Circum-Mediterranean orogenic systems reflect the provenance relations from different source rocks of evolving geo-puzzle terranes, including ophiolite bearing, uplifted continental crust (both shallow to deep crust terranes), volcanic and sedimentary source rocks. We selected here sandstone suites directly occurring over the Mesomediterranean Micropaleoplate during the final stages of closure of the western-southern Tethyan realm. They are unconformably over the internal domains of the Circum-Mediterranean thrust belts, and include Oligocene-to-lower Miocene siliciclastic formations of the Betic Cordillera (As, Bosque, Río Pliego, El Niño, Ciudad Granada, Fuente-Espejos, Alozaina and Viñuela fms), Rif Chain (Fnideq and Sidi Abdeslam fms), and Calabrian terranes (Paludi, Pignolo and Stilo Capo d'Orlando fms). All these sandstone suites range from quartzolitic to quartzofeldspathic detrital modes reflecting close relations with their Paleozoic metasedimentary and plutonic source rocks and their related Mesozoic sedimentary covers. Marked differences have been recognized from western (Betic-Rif) to eastern (Calabria) portions in terms of detritic suites. Detrital suites of the Betic-Rif portions reflect a transition between a craton, transitional and recycled orogenic provenance type. Contrarily, detrital suites of the Calabria portions reflect their transition from transitional continental to basement uplift orogenic provenance reflecting deposition in wedge-top basins during final subduction of the MFB below the MM and the opening of the Mediterranean basin as a backarc.Support from Ministero Italiano dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica to S. Critelli, is acknowledged. Research Project PID2020-114381GB-I00 to M. Martín-Martín and S. Critelli, Spanish Ministry of Education and Science; Research Groups and Projects of the Generalitat Valenciana, Alicante University (CTMA-IGA) are also acknowledged

New constraints for the western Paleotethys paleogeography-paleotectonics derived from detrital signatures: Malaguide Carboniferous Culm Cycle (Betic Cordillera, S Spain)

Carboniferous sandstone within the Paleo-Mesomediterranean Domain (Malaguide Subdomain), in southern Spain, represents a key detrital mode within the sedimentary budget of convergent plate boundaries during the Variscan s.s. to Paleotethysian orogenic time span (≈ 420–300 Ma). This Carboniferous detritus corresponds with Culm lithostratigraphic depositional unit, and it covers an important gap of information (paleogeographic, paleotectonic, source areas) to the area located between the Iberian-French massifs and the African Paleo-Atlas, in the western Paleotethys. Sandstone composition is quartzolithic and records an important high-to-medium-low grade metamorphic content. The source area was a lithic and transitional recycled orogen with a signature of volcanic and ophiolitic detritus (≈ 330 Ma and/or older). These supplies seem to be derived from a mid-crustal deformed and thrusted Cambrian to lower Carboniferous terrane, involved in the plate convergence (the southern Europe Iberian-French massifs overriding the north African area) of the Variscan s.s. orogenic system, rapidly exhumed and uplifted. Consequently, in the overriding hinterland (southern Europe: Iberian-French massifs), a Pre-middle Carboniferous metamorphic basement should be already structured during middle Carboniferous when thrusting took place, suggesting Proterozoic-Early Carboniferous (most probably, ≈ 420 to 330 Ma) metamorphic highlands. The presence of serpentinite-like detritus (≈ 330 Ma and/or older) seems to indicate a metamorphosed oceanic crust being dismantled at that time, thus, ophiolitic sutures (most probably developed at ≈ 420–330 Ma) zones are tentatively proposed at the northern Gondwana. The occurrence of a synsedimentary volcanic activity (andesitic) should be related to a lost magmatic arc (most probably developed at ≈ 360–330 Ma), reinforcing the idea of a nearby subduction area. Therefore, the thick terrigenous Culm deposits (≈ 330–300 Ma) from the Malaguide Subdomain could be deposited in a complex foreland system basin connected northward with carbonate platforms and with a crystalline highland uplifted domain from the southern Europe Iberian-French massifs and southward with the African Paleo-Atlas Domain. The studied middle-late Carboniferous sandstone petrofacies deeply contributes to paleogeographic reconstructions since blocks fragmentation and spreading, during the Paleotethysian and Alpine orogenies, rearranged the Paleozoic paleogeography now part of the Cenozoic Perimediterranean Chains. After the correlation with the Carboniferous from other western Paleotethys domains, new paleogeographic-paleotectonic constraints are proposed for the transitional area between the Iberian-French massifs and the African Paleo-Atlas Domain.Research Project PID2020-114381GB-I00 to M. Martín-Martín, Spanish Ministry of Education and Science; Research Groups and Projects of the Generalitat Valenciana, Alicante University (CTMA-IGA) are acknowledged. Support from Ministero Italiano dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica to S. Criniti, is also acknowledged