First evidence of lamprophyric magmatism within the Subbetic Zone (Southern Spain)

Two drillings carried out at Cerro Prieto (Province of Málaga), together with additional geophysical data, revealed the existence of an igneous body formed of rock-types previously unknown in the Subbetic zone. The recovered rocks, emplaced under hypoabyssal conditions, are predominantly porphyric, containing olivine, diopside and TiO2-rich phlogopite phenocrysts (up to 1-2 mm in size) within a micro-to-hypocrystalline groundmass componed of alkali-feldspar, diopside, phlogopite and abundant magnetite, and could be classified as "alkali minettes" lamprophyres. They contain numerous xenocrysts corroded by the magma and centimetric ultrafemic xenoliths deriving from the mantle. Clinopyroxenes yield crystallisation temperatures from about 1150 to 1320º C and pressures ranging from about 4 to 17 kbar, suggesting 50 km as the minimum depth of the magma sources. The chemical compositions of these lamprophyres are similar to intra plate alkali-basalts, derived from oceanic-island-basaltic-type highly metasomatized mantle sources. 40Ar/39Ar dating of a phlogopite mineral separate gave an age of 217±2.5 Ma. However, these rocks are more similar to the Permian alkaline lamprophyres in the Spanish Central System than to the Mesozoic dolerites and basalts widespread throughout the Subbetic Zone. We propose that the Cerro Prieto subvolcanic event represents the onset of a widespread magmatic phase induced by the post-Hercynian extensional tectonic activity that also affected the whole South-Iberian Paleomargin, within a geodynamic context that ultimately led to the opening of the Atlantic and the Neotethys oceans, accompanied by intrusion of basic magmas along their continental margins

Génesis de granitoides por interacción entre peridotitas del manto y fluidos hidrotermales en un contexto de expansión oceánica en la Ofiolita de Omán

Los granitos potásicos que afloran en las ofiolítas supra-subducción son atribuidos a la fusión de metasedimentos durante el inicio de la obducción o durante procesos petrogenéticos relacionados con la subducción. En este artículo, presentamos nuevos datos de campo, petrológicos y geoquímicos (elementos mayores, trazas e isótopos), que apoyan la opinión de que parte de estos granitoides pueden haber sido formados a partir de un manto empobrecido afectado por procesos hidrotermales de muy alta temperatura en un ambiente de expansión de litosfera oceánic

Geochemical characterization and geodynamic setting of the metabasites from Sierra del Algarrobo (eastern Betic Cordillera)

The metabasites cropping out in the Sierra del Algarrobo have been studied from petrological and geochemical points of view. They consist of gabbros, dolerites and basalts, which were transformed into eclogites or amphibolites during the Alpine metamorphism. Their primary magmas were tholeiitic basalts originated in E-MORB to N-MORB geodynamic conditions. By comparing these metabasites with those of the Betic and Alpine-Apennine Ophiolites and with basalts from current oceanic ridges, we classify them as ophiolitic and tectonically deriving from the oceanic floor of the Jurassic Western Tethy

Deep Phenotypic Characterisation of CTCs by Combination of Microfluidic Isolation (IsoFlux) and Imaging Flow Cytometry (ImageStream)

Ines Aznar-Peralta holds a "Garantia Juvenil" fellowship (contract number 8040), and M. Carmen Garrido-Navas has a postdoctoral fellowship funded by the Ministry of Economy, Competitiveness, Enterprises and Universities (DOC_01682).The isolation of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) mostly relies on the expression of epithelial markers such as EpCAM, and phenotypic characterisation is usually performed under fluorescence microscopy with only one or two additional markers. This limits the ability to detect different CTC subpopulations based on multiple markers. The aim of this work was to develop a novel protocol combining two platforms (IsoFluxTM and ImageStream®X) to improve CTC evaluation. Cancer cell lines and peripheral blood from healthy donors were used to evaluate the efficiency of each platform independently and in combination. Peripheral blood was extracted from 16 early CRC patients (before loco-regional surgery) to demonstrate the suitability of the protocol for CTC assessment. Additionally, peripheral blood was extracted from nine patients one month after surgery to validate the utility of our protocol for identifying CTC subpopulation changes over time. Results: Our protocol had a mean recovery efficiency of 69.5% and a limit of detection of at least four cells per millilitre. We developed an analysis method to reduce noise from magnetic beads used for CTC isolation. CTCs were isolated from CRC patients with a median of 37 CTCs (IQ 13.0–85.5) at baseline. CTCs from CRC patients were significantly (p < 0.0001) larger than cytokeratin (CK)-negative cells, and patients were stratified into two groups based on BRAFV600E and PD-L1 expression on CK-positive cells. The changes observed over time included not only the number of CTCs but also their distribution into four different subpopulations defined according to BRAFV600E and PD-L1 positivity. We developed a novel protocol for semi-automatic CTC isolation and phenotypic characterisation by combining two platforms. Assessment of CTCs from early CRC patients using our protocol allowed the identification of two clusters of patients with changing phenotypes over time."Garantia Juvenil" fellowship 8040Ministry of Economy, Competitiveness, Enterprises and Universities DOC_0168

Estudio petrológico de las rocas volcánicas del Pérmico de Gréixer (Pirineo catalán)

Se presenta un estudio sobre las rocas volcánicas de edad permica que afloran extensamente cerca de Greker. a lo largo del borde de la Zona Axial pirenaica. El estudio al microscopio y los análisis quimicos de las muestras recogidas, junto con los datos de campo, han proporcionado nuevos resultados sobre la datación y génesis de estas rocas, y sobre sus relaciones en el marco geológico regional y su evolución. Se pone de relieve la muy notable proporción de las ignimbritas en el material volcánico objeto de este estudio. Igualmente, la predominante composición peralcalina de este material. Las hipótesis que pueden explicar tal composición son discutidas

Petrogenetic evolution of the Mesozo ic basic magmatismin the External Zones of the Betic Cordilleras (S. Spain)

Mesozoic basic magmatism from the External Zones of the Betic Cordilleras consisted of two magmatic events. The first one began at the end of the Triassic and the second developed during the Jurassic. Whole-rock geochemical characteristics and primary mineralogical compositions allow to define a tholeiitic affinity for the Triassic magmatism and a transitional to alkaline affinity for the Jurassic magmatism. Trace element ratios evidence an incompatible element enriched source ((La/Ce)n >1, La/Nb < 1.5) for both the Triassic and Jurassic magmatisms. Moreover, differences in other trace element ratios (Th/Nb, Th/Yb, Zr/Nb, Zr/Y, Ba/Zr, etc.) indicate a higher influence of a lithospheric component for the Triassic magmatism regarding to the Jurassic magmatism. This temporal evolution of the magmatism, Is related with the distensive events which affected the Sudiberic margin during the Mesozoic, in relation with the opening of the Central Atlantic ocea

Petrology, geodynamic evolution and georesources of the Natural Space of Sierra Nevada

En este trabajo se muestra la distribución espacial de las diferentes formaciones geológicas que forman los Complejos del Veleta y del Mulhacén en el Espacio Natural de Sierra Nevada y se ilustran, mediante fotos macroscópicas, sus tipos de rocas más característicos. Los Complejos del Veleta y del Mulhacén, constituyen las unidades más profundas de las Cordilleras Béticas y afloran en Sierra Nevada formando los picos de mayor altura de la Península Ibérica. El Complejo del Veleta (CV) está formado por varios miles de metros de micaesquistos con grafito y aflora como una serie de ventanas tectónicas bajo el Complejo del Mulhacén (CM). Este último complejo está formado por dos mantos de corrimiento, de origen cortical, compuestos por basamentos Paleozoicos y coberteras Mesozoicas, entre los cuales está tectónicamente intercalado un manto ofiolítico de edad Jurásico-Cretácica. Dentro de los mantos de origen cortical del CM se encuentran rocas metagraníticas, generadas por un magmatismo sin-colisional tardi-hercínico y por un vulcanismo, ácido a intermedio, de carácter intraplaca postcolisional. El manto ofiolítico está compuesto por rocas básicas, ultramáficas y sedimentarias, afectadas por metamorfismo de fondo oceánico y por metamorfismo orogénico. Las rocas ultramáficas son serpentinitas y harzburgitas secundarias, que contienen diques basálticos parcialmente rodingitizados y metamorfizados. El metamorfismo alpino desarrolló en el CM facies de eclogitas a las que se superpusieron facies de anfibolitas de Ab-Ep, mientras que en el CV se desarrollaron facies de anfibolitas de Ab-Ep seguidas por facies de esquistos verdes. Las diferentes unidades tectónicas que forman los Complejos del Veleta y del Mulhacén, así como la Formación de Soportújar, que se depositó sobre materiales del CM en una etapa intraorogénica alpina, fueron definidas basándose en las características de algunos afloramientos que están muy bien representados dentro del Espacio Natural de Sierra Nevada. Estos afloramientos constituyen una serie de georrecursos petrológicos que son esenciales para reconstruir el origen y la evolución petrogenética de Sierra Nevada y, por extensión, de la Cordillera Bética. Por esta razón, requieren un grado máximo de preservación, que impida su destrucción y el expolio de las rocas y minerales que los integran.We show the spatial distribution of the various geological formations that make up the Veleta and Mulhacén Complexes into the Sierra Nevada Park and illustrate, with macro- and microscopic photographs, their most characteristic types of rock. The Veleta and Mulhacén Complexes were previously considered together as the Nevado-Filábride Complex. They constitute the deepest units of the Betic Cordilleras and crop out in Sierra Nevada forming the highest peaks of the Iberian Peninsula. The Veleta Complex (VC) is formed of several thousand metres of graphite-bearing micaschists and crops out as a series of tectonic windows below the Mulhacén Complex (MC). This latter complex comprises two thrust nappes of crustal origin, composed of a Palaeozoic basement and Mesozoic cover series, between which a Jurassic-Cretaceous ophiolitic nappe is tectonically intercalated. Within the MC nappes of crustal origin, there appear meta-granitic rocks, generated in a late-Hercynian syn-collisional magmatism and a Permian to Triassic, post-collisional intraplate, acidic-to-intermediate volcanism. The ophiolitic nappe is composed of basic, ultramafic and sedimentary rocks affected by ocean-floor and orogenic metamorphism. The basic rocks mainly retain their original MORB character. The ultramafic rocks are serpentinites and secondary harzburgites containing partly rodingitized meta-basaltic dykes. The Alpine metamorphism developed eclogite facies followed by Ab-Ep amphibolite facies in the MC and Ab-Ep amphibolite facies followed by greenschist facies in the VC. The different tectonic units forming the Veleta and Mulhacén Complexes, so as the Soportujar Formation, which was deposited over the MC units during an alpine intraorogenic stage, were defined from outcrops very well represented into the Natural Space of Sierra Nevada. These outcrops constitute a series of petrological georesources, which are essential to reconstruct the origin and petrogenetic evolution of Sierra Nevada and, by extension, of the Betic Cordillera. For this reason, they would deserve the highest degree of protection in order to prevent the destruction and plundering ot their rocks and mineral

«Turón» type flint exploitation (Malaga, Spain): location and petrological and geochemical characterization

The exploitations of the «Turón» type flint are located within the Lower Miocene Numidoide Tm. of the Campo de Gibraltar Complex, which widely crops out along the Internal-External Zone boundary of the Betic Cordillera, and also backthrusts on the Internal Zones in the Malaga province (S Spain). This formation is mainly made of sheared brown clay and quatzarenites with typical features of a tectonosedimentary «mélange», and includes tectonic slices derived from the Tronta! Units of the Internal Zones as well as conglomerates of several ages containing Mesozoic and Tertiary clasts of the same provenance. The «Turón» type flint blocks studied here are located within these Meso-Cenozoic conglomerate bodies. The flint mining of the «valle del Turón» started during the Neolithic and the Chalcolithic, with a final important reactivation in the nineteenth century, when it was used as flintlock for rifles. The petrological and geochemical ana/ys/s of the «Turón» type flint reveals certain characteristics such as a notable homogeneity and very fine grain, which together with a very low alteration grade make these rocks optimum for knapping. Moreover, this flint has been also exploited by the contemporaries forgunflint productio

Estudio petrológico de las rocas volcánicas del Pérmico de Gréixer (Pirineo catalán)

Se presenta un estudio sobre las rocas volcánicas de edad permica que afloran extensamente cerca de Greker. a lo largo del borde de la Zona Axial pirenaica. El estudio al microscopio y los análisis quimicos de las muestras recogidas, junto con los datos de campo, han proporcionado nuevos resultados sobre la datación y génesis de estas rocas, y sobre sus relaciones en el marco geológico regional y su evolución. Se pone de relieve la muy notable proporción de las ignimbritas en el material volcánico objeto de este estudio. Igualmente, la predominante composición peralcalina de este material. Las hipótesis que pueden explicar tal composición son discutidas