Marine and transitional Middle/Upper Eocenen units of the Southeastern Pyrenean Foreland Basin (NE Spain)

The stratigraphic basis of this work has allowed the use of larger foraminifers in the biostratigraphic characterisation of the new Shallow Benthic Zones (SBZ). This part of the volume presents a description of the sedimentary cycles formed by the transgressive-regressive systems of the Lutetian and Bartonian in the southeastern sector of the Ebro Foreland Basin. Concerning the Lutetian deposits studied in the Amer-Vic and Empordà areas, four sedimentary cycles have been characterised. The first and second are found within the Tavertet/Girona Limestone Formation (Reguant, 1967; Pallí, 1972), while the third and fourth cycles cover the Coll de Malla Marl Formation (Clavell et al., 1970), the Bracons Formation (Gich, 1969, 1972), the Banyoles Marl Formation (Almela and Ríos, 1943), and the Bellmunt Formation (Gich, 1969, 1972). In the Bartonian deposits studied in the Igualada area, two transgressive-regressive sedimentary cycles have been characterised in the Collbàs Formation (Ferrer, 1971), the Igualada Formation (Ferrer, 1971), and the Tossa Formation (Ferrer, 1971). The Shallow Benthic Zones (SBZs) recognised within the Lutetian are the following: SBZ 13, from the Early Lutetian, in the transgressive system of the first cycle; SBZ 14, from the Middle Lutetian, in the second cycle and the lower part of the transgressive system of the third cycle; SBZ 15, from the Middle Lutetian, in the remaining parts of the third system; SBZ 16, from the Late Lutetian, throughout the fourth cycle. The association of larger foraminifers in the first and second cycles of the Bartonian in the Igualada area has been used as the basis for the definition of SBZs 17 and 18 recognised in the Bartonian of the western Tethys.

Origin of a restraining bend in an evolving strike-slip system: The Cenozoic As Pontes basin (NW Spain)

The As Pontes basin (12 km2), NW Iberian Peninsula, is bounded by a double restraining bend of a dextral strike-slip fault, which is related to the western onshore end of the Pyrenean belt. Surface and subsurface data obtained from intensive coal exploration and mining in the basin since the 1960s together with additional structural and stratigraphic sequence analysis allowed us to determine the geometric relationships between tectonic structures and stratigraphic markers. The small size of the basin and the large amount of quality data make the As Pontes basin a unique natural laboratory for improving our understanding of the origin and evolution of restraining bends. The double restraining bend is the end stage of the structural evolution of a compressive underlapping stepover, where the basin was formed. During the first stage (stepover stage), which began ca. 30 Ma ago (latest Rupelian) and lasted 3.4 My, two small isolated basins bounded by thrusts and normal faults were formed. For 1.3 My, the strike-slip faults, which defined the stepover, grew towards each other until joining and forming the double restraining bend, which bounds one large As Pontes basin (transition stage). The history of the basin was controlled by the activity of the double restraining bend for a further 3.4 My (restraining bend stage) and ended in mid-Aquitanian times (ca. 22 Ma).

Unusual concentration of Early Albian arthropod-bearing amber in the Basque-Cantabrian Basin (El Soplao, Cantabria, Spain): Palaeoenvironmental and paleobiological implications.

The El Soplao site is a recently-discovered Early Albian locality of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin (northern Spain) that has yielded a number of amber pieces with abundant bioinclusions. The amber-bearing deposit occurs in a non-marine to transitional marine siliciclastic unit (Las Peñosas Formation) that is interleaved within a regressive-transgressive, carbonate-dominated Lower Aptian-Upper Albian marine sequence. The Las Peñosas Formation corresponds to the regressive stage of this sequence and in its turn it splits into two smaller regressive-transgressive cycles. The coal and amber-bearing deposits occur in deltaic-estuarine environments developed during the maximum regressive episodes of these smaller regressive-transgressive cycles. The El Soplao amber shows Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy spectra similar to other Spanish Cretaceous ambers and it is characterized by the profusion of sub-aerial, stalactite-like flows. Well-preserved plant cuticles assigned to the conifer genera Frenelopsis and Mirovia are abundant in the beds associated with amber. Leaves of the ginkgoalean genera Nehvizdya and Pseudotorellia also occur occasionally. Bioinclusions mainly consist of fossil insects of the orders Blattaria, Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, Raphidioptera, Neuroptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera, although some spiders and spider webs have been observed as well. Some insects belong to groups scarce in the fossil record, such as a new morphotype of the wasp Archaeromma (of the family Mymarommatidae) and the biting midge Lebanoculicoides (of the monogeneric subfamily Lebanoculicoidinae). This new amber locality constitutes a very significant finding that will contribute to improving the knowledge and comprehension of the Albian non-marine paleoarthropod fauna.

Firmground ichnofacies recording high-frequency marine flooding events (Langhian transgression, Vallè-Penedès Basin, Spain)

The decapod burrow Spongeliomorpha sudolica occurs associated with transgressive firmgrounds in the transition between Aragonian continental red beds and Langhian marine units in some of the inner sectors of the Vallès-Penedès Basin. This ichnospecies designates branching burrow systems with scratch marks in the walls produced by marine crustacean decapods. The occurrence of Spongeliomorpha represents an example of theGlossifungites ichnofacies. The several horizons where the traces are found are intercalated with continental red beds a few meters below the main transgressive surface, which is overlain by fossiliferous marine sandstones. The Spongeliomorpha-bioturbated layers record short, high frequency marine flooding surfaces that may be related either to actual sea-level changes or to variations in tectonic subsidence or sediment input. In any case, these flooding events punctuated the early phases of the Langhian transgression in the basin.

The sandstone-hosted Beverley uranium Deposit, Lake Frome Basin, South Australia: Mineralogy, geochemistry, and a time-constrained model for its genesis

The sandstone-hosted Beverley uranium deposit is located in terrestrial sediments in the Lake Frome basin in the North Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The deposit is 13 km from the U-rich Mesoproterozoic basement of the Mount Painter inlier, which is being uplifted 100 to 200 m above the basin by neotectonic activity that probably initiated in the early Pliocene. The mineralization was deposited mainly in organic matter-poor Miocene lacustrine sands and partly in the underlying reductive strata comprising organic matter-rich clays and silts. The bulk of the mineralization consists of coffinite and/or uraninite nodules, growing around Co-rich pyrite with an S isotope composition (delta S-34 = 1.0 +/- 0.3 parts per thousand), suggestive of an early diagenetic lacustrine origin. In contrast, authigenic sulfides in the bulk of the sediments have a negative S isotope signature (delta S-34 ranges from -26.2 to -35.5 parts per thousand), indicative of an origin via bacterially mediated sulfate reduction. Minor amounts of Zn-bearing native copper and native lead also support the presence of specific, reducing microenvironments in the ore zone. Small amounts of carnotite are associated with the coffinite ore and also occur beneath a paleosoil horizon overlying the uranium deposit. Provenance studies suggest that the host Miocene sediments were derived from the reworking of Early Cretaceous glacial or glaciolacustrine sediments ultimately derived from Paleozoic terranes in eastern Australia. In contrast, the overlying Pliocene strata were in part derived from the Mesoproterozoic basement inlier. Mass-balance and geochemical data confirm that granites of the Mount Painter domain were the ultimate source of U and BEE at Beverley. U-Pb dating of coffinite and carnotite suggest that the U mineralization is Pliocene (6.7-3.4 Ma). The suitability of the Beverley deposit for efficient mining via in situ leaching, and hence its economic value, are determined by the nature of the hosting sand unit, which provides the permeability and low reactivity required for high fluid flow and low chemical consumption. These favorable sedimentologic and geometrical features result from a complex conjunction of factors, including deposition in lacustrine shore environment, reworking of angular sands of glacial origin, deep Pliocene weathering, and proximity to an active fault exposing extremely U rich rocks.

Characterization and classification of soils in the Taquari river basin - Pantanal region, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Among the soils in the Mato Grosso do Sul, stand out in the Pantanal biome, the Spodosols. Despite being recorded in considerable extensions, few studies aiming to characterize and classify these soils were performed. The purpose of this study was to characterize and classify soils in three areas of two physiographic types in the Taquari river basin: bay and flooded fields. Two trenches were opened in the bay area (P1 and P2) and two in the flooded field (P3 and P4). The third area (saline) with high sodium levels was sampled for further studies. In the soils in both areas the sand fraction was predominant and the texture from sand to sandy loam, with the main constituent quartz. In the bay area, the soil organic carbon in the surface layer (P1) was (OC) > 80 g kg-1, being diagnosed as Histic epipedon. In the other profiles the surface horizons had low OC levels which, associated with other properties, classified them as Ochric epipedons. In the soils of the bay area (P1 and P2), the pH ranged from 5.0 to 7.5, associated with dominance of Ca2+ and Mg2+, with base saturation above 50 % in some horizons. In the flooded fields (P3 and P4) the soil pH ranged from 4.9 to 5.9, H+ contents were high in the surface horizons (0.8-10.5 cmol c kg-1 ), Ca2+ and Mg² contents ranged from 0.4 to 0.8 cmol c kg-1 and base saturation was < 50 %. In the soils of the bay area (P1 and P2) iron was accumulated (extracted by dithionite - Fed) and OC in the spodic horizon; in the P3 and P4 soils only Fed was accumulated (in the subsurface layers). According to the criteria adopted by the Brazilian System of Soil Classification (SiBCS) at the subgroup level, the soils were classified as: P1: Organic Hydromorphic Ferrohumiluvic Spodosol. P2: Typical Orthic Ferrohumiluvic Spodosol. P3: Typical Hydromorphic Ferroluvic Spodosol. P4: Arenic Orthic Ferroluvic Spodosol.

The application of agricultural land rating and crop models to CO2 and climate change issues in Northern regions : the Mackenzie Basin case study

Selostus: Viljelyvyöhykkeiden ja kasvumallien soveltaminen ilmastonmuutoksen tutkimisessa: Mackenzien jokialue, Kanada

Evolution of a Ladinian (Middle Triassic) intraplatform basin : stratigraphy, microfacies and palaeoecology of the Meride Limestone (Monte San Giorgio, Canton Ticino, Southern Switzerland)

The Monte San Giorgio (Southern Alps, Ticino, Switzerland) is the most important locality in the world for vertebrates dating back to the Middle Triassic. For this reason it was registered in 2003 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the objectives of this doctoral thesis was to fill some of the cognitive gaps regarding the Ladinian succession, including in particular the San Giorgio Dolomite and the Meride Limestone. In order to achieve this, the entire succession, more than 600 metres thick, was measured and sampled. Biostratigraphic research based on new finds of fossil invertebrates and microfossils and on the palynological analysis of the entire section was integrated with single-zircon U-Pb dating of volcanic ash layers intercalated in the carbonate succession. This enabled a redefinition of the bio-chronostratigraphic and geochronologic framework of the succession, which encompasses a significantly shorter time interval than previously held. The Ladinian section extends from the E. curionii Ammonoid Zone (Early Fassanian) to the P. archelaus Ammonoid Zone (Early Longobardian). The age of the classic fossiliferous levels of the Meride Limestone, rich in organic matter and containing vertebrate fossils which are known all over the world, was defined in both biostratigraphic and geochronologic terms. The presumed stratigraphie significance of the pachypleurosaurid reptiles found in such levels is called into question by new finds. These fossiliferous horizons were found to correspond to the main volcanoclastic intervals of the Buchenstein Formation (Middle and Upper Pietra Verde). Thus, a correlation with the Bagolino Section (Italy) containing the GSSP for the base of the Ladinian was proposed. Bulk sedimentation rates in the studied succession average 200 m/Myr and therefore prove to be 20 times higher than those of the South-Alpine pelagic basins. These values express high carbonate productivity from the surrounding platforms on one hand, and on the other a marked subsidence of the basin. Only in the intervals consisting of laminated limestones did the sedimentation rates drop to average values of around 30 m/Myr. The distribution of organic and inorganic facies appears to be the consequence of relative variations in sea-level. The laminated and organic-matter- rich intervals of the Meride Limestone are linked to a relative sea-level drop which favoured dysoxic to anoxic bottom-water conditions, coupled with an increase in runoff, perhaps due to recurrent explosive volcanic activity. The transient development under dysoxic conditions of monospecific benthic meio-/macrofaunas was documented. Organic matter suggests a predominant origin due to benthic bacterial activity, as can be witnessed in alveolar structures typical of exopolymeric substances secreted by bacteria within microbial mats. A microbial contribution to the carbonate (peloidal) precipitation was documented. The protective effect exerted by these microbial mats is also indicated as the main taphonomic factor contributing to the excellent preservation of vertebrate fossils. A radiolarian assemblage discovered in the lower part of the section (earliest Ladinian, E. curionii Zone) suggests the transient existence of open-marine but not deep-water connections with the tethyan pelagic basins. It shows marked similarities to the faunas typical of the late Anisian, suggesting therefore a low resolution power provided by radiolarian biostratigraphy in recognizing the Anisian/Ladinian boundary. The present thesis describes a new species of conifer (Elatocladus cassinae), a new species of insect (Dasyleptus triassicus) and seven new species of radiolarians (Eptingium danieli, Eptingium neriae, Parentactinosphaera eoladinica, Sepsagon ticinensis, Sepsagon? valporinae, Novamuria wirzi and Pessagnollum? hexaspinosum). In addition, following revision of the type material of already existent taxa, four new genera of radiolarians are introduced: Bernoulliella, Eohexastylus, Ticinosphaera and Lahmosphaera.

Genesis, Characterization, and Classification of Mangrove Soils in the Subaé River Basin, Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT Preservation of mangroves, a very significant ecosystem from a social, economic, and environmental viewpoint, requires knowledge on soil composition, genesis, morphology, and classification. These aspects are of paramount importance to understand the dynamics of sustainability and preservation of this natural resource. In this study mangrove soils in the Subaé river basin were described and classified and inorganic waste concentrations evaluated. Seven pedons of mangrove soil were chosen, five under fluvial influence and two under marine influence and analyzed for morphology. Samples of horizons and layers were collected for physical and chemical analyses, including heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Mn, Zn, and Fe). The moist soils were suboxidic, with Eh values below 350 mV. The pH level of the pedons under fluvial influence ranged from moderately acid to alkaline, while the pH in pedons under marine influence was around 7.0 throughout the profile. The concentration of cations in the sorting complex for all pedons, independent of fluvial or marine influence, indicated the following order: Na+>Mg2+>Ca2+>K+. Mangrove soils from the Subaé river basin under fluvial and marine influence had different morphological, physical, and chemical characteristics. The highest Pb and Cd concentrations were found in the pedons under fluvial influence, perhaps due to their closeness to the mining company Plumbum, while the concentrations in pedon P7 were lowest, due to greater distance from the factory. For containing at least one metal above the reference levels established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (United States Environmental Protection Agency), the pedons were classified as potentially toxic. The soils were classified as Gleissolos Tiomórficos Órticos (sálicos) sódico neofluvissólico in according to the Brazilian Soil Classification System, indicating potential toxicity and very poor drainage, except for pedon P7, which was classified in the same subgroup as the others, but different in that the metal concentrations met acceptable standards.

Rigorous characterization of oxygen vacancies in ionic oxides

Charged and neutral oxygen vacancies in the bulk and on perfect and defective surfaces of MgO are characterized as quantum-mechanical subsystems chemically bonded to the host lattice and containing most of the charge left by the removed oxygens. Attractors of the electron density appear inside the vacancy, a necessary condition for the existence of a subsystem according to the atoms in molecules theory. The analysis of the electron localization function also shows attractors at the vacancy sites, which are associated to a localization basin shared with the valence domain of the nearest oxygens. This polyatomic superanion exhibits chemical trends guided by the formal charge and the coordination of the vacancy. The topological approach is shown to be essential to understand and predict the nature and chemical reactivity of these objects. There is not a vacancy but a coreless pseudoanion that behaves as an activated host oxygen.

Effects of urban development on the flood-flow characteristics of the Walnut Creek Basin, Des Moines Metropolitan area, Iowa,1978.

This report deals with the probable impact of urban development on the magnitude and frequency of flooding in the lower reach of the Walnut Creek Basin.

Genetic isolation of insular populations of the Maghrebian bat, Myotis punicus, in the Mediterranean Basin

We investigate the population genetic structure of the Maghrebian bat, Myotis punicus, between the mainland and islands to assess the island colonization pattern and current gene flow between nearby islands and within the mainland. Location North Africa and the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Methods We sequenced part of the control region (HVII) of 79 bats across 11 colonies. The phylogeographical pattern was assessed by analysing molecular diversity indices, examining differentiation among populations and estimating divergence time. In addition, we genotyped 182 bats across 10 colonies at seven microsatellite loci. We used analysis of molecular variance and a Bayesian approach to infer nuclear population structure. Finally, we estimated sex-specific dispersal between Corsica and Sardinia. Results Mitochondrial analyses indicated that colonies between Corsica, Sardinia and North Africa are highly differentiated. Within islands there was no difference between colonies, while at the continental level Moroccan and Tunisian populations were highly differentiated. Analyses with seven microsatellite loci showed a similar pattern. The sole difference was the lack of nuclear differentiation between populations in North Africa, suggesting a male-biased dispersal over the continental area. The divergence time of Sardinian and Corsican populations was estimated to date back to the early and mid-Pleistocene. Main conclusions Island colonization by the Maghrebian bats seems to have occurred in a stepping-stone manner and certainly pre-dated human colonization. Currently, open water seems to prevent exchange of bats between the two islands, despite their ability to fly and the narrowness of the strait of Bonifacio. Corsican and Sardinian populations are thus currently isolated from any continental gene pool and must therefore be considered as different evolutionarily significant units (ESU).

1.° P. Ovidii Nasonis heroïdes : epistolae octo priores integrae et nonae initium desiderantur. — 2.° Ejusdem amorum libri tres. — 3.° Ejusdem de arte amandi libri tres. — 4.° Ejusdem de remedio amoris libri duo. — 5.° Ejusdem carmen in ibin. — 6.° Ejusdem elegia de nuce. — 7.° Ejusdem carmen de medicamine faciei. — 8.° Ejusdem somnium. — 9.° Bernardi Silvestri megacosmus et microcosmus.

Mentellianus

1.° Coelii Sedulii carmen Paschale, libris quatuor ; passim inter lineas glossae. — 2.° Veteris et Novi Testamenti collatio, versibus elegiacis : eodem authore. — 3.° Ejusdem hymnus acrostichus, totam Christi vitam continens. — 4.° Sancti Paulini epithalamium in nuptiis Juliani et Titiae. — 5.° Bellesarii versus acrostichi in laudem Sedulii. — 6.° Sancti Prosperi epigrammata, passim inter lineas glossae. — 7.° Anicii Manlii Severini Boëtii in librum Aristotelis de interpretatione commentariorum libri duo.

nuper comparatus