Episodes

The Global Standard Stratotype-section and Point (GSSP) concept is the modern standard for defining chronostratigraphic units in the geological time scale, and over the past decade the working groups involved in locating and characterizing GSSPs have rekindled appreciation for stratigraphy within the profession. The rules adopted by the ICS for establishing the GSSP are, however, less restrictive than, and to some extent in conflict with, the principles set forth by the International Subcommission on Stratigraphic Classification (ISSC) under the leadership of Hollis Hedberg (1976). Under the ICS rules, global boundaries may be established ad hoc for units at any level without regard for the constraints of nested chronostratigraphic hierarchy, even while acknowledging that the stage supposedly holds the critical place. Furthermore, the ICS rules, in advocating that GSSPs be located strictly according to their correlatibility, have the effect of requiring preconceived boundaries that correspond to global geohistorical events. These apparently practical shortcuts have serious consequences against which the Hedberg guidelines specifically warned. Not only does the disregard of stage unit-and boundary-stratotypes do more or less violence to the existing literature, but event-based definitions are inherently unstable in stratigraphic space. We review here the problems associated with the definition of a GSSP, using the controversy over the Paleocene/ Eocene boundary as a case history.

The about 35-Ma old Popigai impact structure is located on the northern edge of the Anbar shield in subpolar Siberia. Among the terrestrial "impact ring basins", the 100 km diameter Popigai represents the best preserved example with excellent outcrops. In addition, a large number of drill holes and geophysical surveys helped to constrain the sub-surface nature of the crater, making Popigai a three-dimensional model for similar impact structures on other terrestrial planetary bodies. Moreover, this crater is the type locality for impact diamonds surpassing there in their total mass that at all other known diamond deposits together; alone this fact makes Popigai a national treasury. The structure which is most probably linked to ejecta horizons occurring in marine sequences of Late Eocene age, has been designated by UNESCO authorities as part of the world's geological heritage. Due to economic reasons, exploration work in this quite remotely area has ceased more than a decade ago, making new field studies in this crater virtually impossible. We outline the basic characteristics of this world-class site for impact research, the history of discovery and mineral exploration, and report on IPEX 1997, the first International scientific Popigai Expedition.

The GSSP for the base of the Eocene Series is located at 1.58 m above the base of Section DBH in the Dababiya Quarry, on the east bank of the Nile River, about 35 km south of Luxor, Egypt. It is the base of Bed 1 of the Dababyia Quarry Beds of the El Mahmiya Member of the Esna Formation, interpreted as having recorded the basal inflection of the carbon isotope excursion (CIE), a prominent (3 to 5%) geochemical signature which is recorded in marine (deep and shallow) and terrestrial settings around the world. The Paleocene/Eocene boundary is thus truly a globally correlatable chronostratigraphic level. It may be correlated also on the basis of 1) the mass extinction of abyssal and bathyal benthic foraminifera (Stensioina beccariiformis microfauna), and reflected at shallower depths by a minor event; 2) the transient occurrence of the excursion taxa among the planktonic foraminifera (Acarinina africana, A. sibaiyaensis, Morozovella allisonensis); 3) the transient occurrence of the Rhomboaster spp.-Discoaster araneus (RD) assemblage; 4) an acme of the dinoflagellate Apectodinium complex. The GSSP-defined Paleocene/Eocene boundary is approximately 0.8 my older than the base of the standard Eocene Series as defined by the Ypresian Stage in epicontinental northwestern Europe.

The eruption of Vesuvius of 79 AD caused extensive destructions all over the Campanian area, engulfing the cities of Pompei, Herculaneum, Oplonti and Stabiae. The eruption followed a long quiescence period and the inhabitants of the area were surprised by the volcanic events. The first part of the eruption was characterized by a widespread dispersal of pumices from a high eruptive column. The second part of the eruption, characterized by pyroclastic flows emplacement, caused the major damages with extensive life losses in most of the towns surrounding the volcano. In Pompei, the major casualties during the first phase resulted from roof collapses. During the second phase, people were killed either by physical trauma due to the kinetic energy of the flow or by suffucation because of the ash-rich atmosphere.

Crimes, investigations, questions, surprises and emotions. Let’s dive into this world with Raymond Reddington (James Spader) who will take us on a journey full of mystery and excitement. The Blacklist, is a typical American crime thriller network series of the 21st century, premiered on NBC on September 23 in 2013. In this paper, I will be analyzing the narrative structure of Joen Bokenkamp’s creation, its progression and evolution throughout the first season only. Narrative complexity, dominant types and styles has changed by the time, so this series does not present an exception of its generation. However it offers plenty of interesting points to talk about and a rich structure to analyze.

The Norwegian Margin formed in response to early Cenozoic continental breakup and subsequent opening of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea. There is a well-defined margin segmentation and the various segments are characterized by distinct crustal properties, structural and magmatic sryles, and post-opening history of vertical motions. The sedimentary basins at the conjugate continental margins off Norway and Greenland and in the western Barents Sea developed as a result of a series of post-Caledonian rift episodes until early Cenozoic time, when complete continental separation took place.

Uranium exploration and mining in Australia and China are significant and increasingly important sectors of each country’s respective mineral industry. Here we focus on similarities in the geology of paleovalley-related uranium mineralising systems, which can be used to refine strategies for exploration. Paleovalley-related uranium resources are developed as sandstone-hosted and surficial deposits within paleovalley-fills, deposited either on incised crystalline bedrock, or incised sedimentary cover that is often of similar age to the sediments that host the mineralisation. With respect to Sino-Australian examples, paleovalley-related uranium occurs mostly around the margins of Mesozoic and Cenozoic basins; often the mineralisation is hosted within sands contained within paleovalleys developed upon, or proximal to, Precambrian crystalline rock that contains primary uranium mineralisation. Numerous examples are known in Australia and China where granitic rocks of pre-Mesozoic age con...

The Pilbara region of Western Australia is one of only two areas on Earth – the other being the Kaapvaal Craton of southern Africa – that contain well preserved, essentially continuous geological records of crustal evolution from the early Paleoarchean into the late Paleoproterozoic. The Pilbara is famous for providing much of the world’s best preserved fossil evidence on early life (stromatolites and microfossils), and for containing rocks sufficiently unaltered to permit investigations on the composition of the atmosphere from the early Archean. The geological record extends from granite–greenstone terranes and overlying clastic basins of the 3.53–2.83 Ga Pilbara Craton across a major regional unconformity into unconformably overlying 2.78–1.79 Ga volcanic and sedimentary successions. It establishes that between 3.53 and 3.23 Ga, a succession of mantle plume events formed a thick volcanic plateau on older continental crust. The precise nature and origin of that older crust remain ...

Buried course of the desiccated river Saraswati/ Ghagghar-Hakara from Himalayan front to Arabian Sea through the plains of NW India has been in discussion and scientific investigations since ~140 years due to its importance in societal evolution and drainage disorganization. Its plains were inhabited by the Harappan/ Indus civilization (7000-1200BC) which collapsed around 4-3 ka BP. Views, both, in favor and against a relation between collapse of civilization and drying up of the Saraswati river exist. The palaeocourse of this river, causes and timing of its drying and reasons of civilization collapse still elude consensus. A large amount of new data generated in last two decades on surface, subsurface and chronological aspects of the Holocene deposits and archeology along the path of the Saraswati river has enhanced our understanding but the problem of defining its evolution through geological time is very complex. In this paper we critically examine the views on the link of the Saraswati paleochannel with the Sutlej towards west and Yamuna towards east as source for the perennial water supply. We also discuss the role of climate change and evaluate the role of active faults (Himalayan Frontal Trust and tear faults), basement structure (Delhi-Sargodha Ridge) and seismicity of the Haryana plains in context of the drainage reorganization as a possible cause of the drying up of the river. Systematic mapping of the entire palaeochannel course with generation of sedimentological and chronological data for the gap areas is suggested for understanding the evolution and demise of the Saraswati river.

This work constitutes the first contribution for the systematisation of geological heritage knowledge in Portugal, following the international recommendations for the characterisation of geological heritage (IUGS, Pro-GEO). The application of the ProGEO methodology has resulted in the creation of fourteen frameworks with international relevance, established by consensus among the Portuguese geological community. The description of each category in this paper is not exhaustive and only the most relevant scientific settings are presented. The following are the three key outcomes of this work: i) At a national level, the most important geosites are identified, indicating where geoconservation efforts should be prioritised based on scientific justification; ii) At a regional level, conditions have been developed to foster dialogue with Spanish colleagues in order to create Iberian frameworks; iii) At an international level, it is now possible to integrate Portuguese geosites in to the global inventories promoted by IUGS, UNESCO, and ProGEO.

Bu makale Kur'dn-ı Kerim'de bazı kıssalarda bulunan paradigmatik yapıyı Yusuf
kıssası bağlamında açıklamayı amaçlamaktadır.
Paradigmatik yapıdaki anlatıda tıpkı bir soğanın kabukları gibi anlatının bölümleri
birbirine simetrik (bakışımlz)'tir. Merkez epizot (bölüm) olayların en karmaşık yeridir.
Paradigmatik yapıdaki bir anlatıda yer alan nesne ve kişiler de birbirine simetriktir

part is the New England Orogen. The Thomson Orogen lies N of the Lachlan Orogen almost completely obscured by Mesozoic and Cenozoic cover. The Mossman Orogen occupies the far northeastern part in north Queensland (Figure 1). The boundary between the Delamerian Orogen and Lachlan Orogen is contentious, even in western Victoria where their outcrops are closest together. Early workers (e.g., Glen, 1992; Wilson et al., 1992) placed the boundary at the Avoca Fault, between the Stawell and Bendigo structural zones (Figure 1) since, on a regional scale it truncates aeromagnetic marker units assigned to the Delamerian Orogen in the west. The Moyston Fault between the Stawell and Glenelg zones has been favoured also (e.g., Cayley and Taylor, 1997, 2001). Early deep seismic reflection data suggested a transitional zone W of the Moyston Fault (Murphy et al., 2006). New seismic data showing that the W-dipping Avoca Fault soles onto the more important crustal-scale E-dipping Moyston Fault was used by Cayley et al. (2011) to support the latter fault being the boundary. This interpretation lies at slight odds with an interpretation of the orogens based on timespace plots, in which a c. 500 Ma deformation characterises the Delamerian Orogen, but not the Lachlan Orogen. This changeover appeared to coincide with the Moyston Fault until Miller et al. (2005) demonstrated c. 500 Ma deformation in the Stawell Zone. The boundary between the Lachlan Orogen and the Thomson Orogen is concealed by the Mesozoic cover. It is defined by major changes in regional trends, evident in geophysical datasets, with curvilinear WNW-NE trends in the southern part of the Thomson Orogen oblique to NNW-N trends in the northwestern part of the

The Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Base of the Serravallian Stage (Middle Miocene) is defined in the Ras il Pellegrin section located in the coastal cliffs along the Fomm Ir-Rih Bay on the west coast of Malta (35°54'50″N, 14°20'10″E). The GSSP is at the base of the Blue Clay Formation (i.e., top of the transitional bed of the uppermost Globigerina Limestone). This boundary between the Langhian and Serravallian stages coincides with the end of the major Mi-3b global cooling step in the oxygen isotopes and reflects a major increase in Antarctic ice volume, marking the end of the Middle Miocene climate transition and the Earth's transformation into an "Icehouse" climate state. The associated major glacio-eustatic sea-level drop corresponds with sequence boundary Ser1 of Hardenbol et al. (1998) and supposedly with the TB2.5 sequence boundary of Haq et al (1987). This event is slightly older than the last common and/or continuous occurrence of th...

The main goal of this paper is to identify the drivers responsible for the high particulate matter concentrations observed in recent years in several urban areas in Poland. The problem was investigated using air quality and meteorological data from routine monitoring network, air mass back trajecto-ries and multivariate statistical modelling. Air pollution in central and southern part of the country was analysed and compared with this in northern-eastern BThe Green Lungs of Poland^ region. The analysis showed that in all investigated locations, there is a clear annual cycle of observed concentrations , closely following temperature-heating cycles, with the highest concentrations noted in January. However, the main drivers differ along the country, being either connected with regional background pollution (in the central part of the country) or with local emission sources (in the southern part). The occurrence of high PM 10 concentrations is most commonly associated with the influence of high-pressure systems that brought extremely cold and stable air masses form East or South of Europe. During analysed episodes, industrial point sources had the biggest (up to 70–80 %) share in PM 10 levels on the days with maximum PM pollution, while remote and residential/traffic sources determined the air quality in the early stages of the episodes. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows that secondary inorganic aerosols account for long-range transported pollution, As, Cd, Pb and Zn for industrial point sources, while Cr and Cu for residential and traffic sources of PM 10 , respectively.

In the last few decades, the Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic tectonic evolution of South China has been quite controversial. The focus of debate is on both the age of ophiolites and the Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic geological and geodynamic environment. The Huaiyu Domain is located in the NE part of South China and exposes numerous significant geological features that are keys to understand the tectonics of South China. In this paper, we present some new evidence on stratigraphy, petrology and SHRIMP zircon U-Pb geochronology, and together with other geological and geochemical data available in the literature, and the following conclusions are suggested: 1) The eastern Jiangnan ophiolites belt, dated at 858±11 Ma by SHRIMP zircon U-Pb method, was generated during the Neoproterozoic, but not the Late Paleozoic; 2) The sedimentary rocks associated with these oceanic rocks do not contain radiolarians but Neoproterozoic acritarchs; 3) During Permian-Early Triassic times, the Huaiyu Domain was dominantly characterized by a shallow sea depositional environment since deep sea sediments are absent; and 4) The pre-Devonian tectonics of South China has been reworked by late polyphase tectonism through the Triassic and the Cretaceous periods. A Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic deep marine domain floored by oceanic crust never existed in the study area. The geochronological and structural data do not comply with a Late Paleozoic

of the tectonic evolution of the southern CAOB occupied the first place of five research fronts in the earth sciences identified by the publisher Elsevier Ltd. The CAOB extends across Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Mongolia. Due to its huge size, extensive and intensive international cooperation researches and, particularly, across-border comparative studies are necessary to improve our understanding of its long and complex evolution. Consequently, CAOB geologists all agree that it is necessary to build a platform of communication between researchers from Russia, China and other countries to exchange new data and ideas and to discuss and plan future cooperative projects.

Clarkina wangi within the lineage from C. longicuspidata to C. wangi at a point 88 cm above the base of the Changxing Limestone in the lower part of Bed 4 (base of 4a-2) at Meishan D section, Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, South China. This level is consistent with the first appearance of Changhsingian index fusulinid Palaeofusulina sinensis and tapashanitid ammonoids. The speciation event from Clarkina longicuspidata to C. wangi occurs just above the flooding surface of the second parasequence in the Changxing Limestone. In addition, the boundary interval is clearly recognizable by the depletion of isotopic carbon ratios and the normal polarity zone appearing above the Late Wuchiapingian reversed polarity zone. Section C, about 300 m to the west of Section D, exposes more of the upper Longtan Formation. It clearly shows the transitional nature of deposition across the Longtan/Changxing formational boundary, and thus is described as a supplementary reference section.

Knowledge of the stress field in the Earth's crust is a key issue for the understanding of geodynamic processes, seismic hazard assessment, and stability of underground openings such as waste disposals, tunnels, mines or wells, and reservoir management. The World Stress Map project is a collaborative project of academia, industry and governmental organizations that aims to understand the states and sources of tectonic stresses in the Earth's crust. We present the World Stress Map at 1:46,000,000 scale as a result of more than two decades of international collaboration. The map reveals that the first-order pattern of stress is of plate-wide scale, indicating that plate boundary forces are the major control of the stress orientations and the tectonic regime.

As part of a broad assessment of climate change impacts in Morocco, an assessment of vulnerability and adaptation of coastal zones to sea-level rise was conducted. The Kenitra coast is socioeconomically vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise, due to its low topography and its high ecological and touristic value. In this study, the effects of future relative sea-level were evaluated for the low alluvial plain Atlantic (Kenitra coastal). This study area is potentially subject to coastal flooding due to its very low topography and because it is affected by a considerable subsidence. Using a GIS-based inundation analysis; the evolution of erosion that occurred in the study area, the potential physical vulnerability to accelerated sea-level rise was investigated, and the most vulnerable socioeconomic sectors were assessed. Results indicate that 35% of the areas will be lost by flooding. In addition, the coast is progressive and regressive with an average rate at minimum (0.31 m/year) and at maximum (-2.39 m/year). Such results may help decision-makers in the implementation of preventive management strategies in the most sensitive areas.

related controversies. We also link Australia's geological heritage, including its resources, as well as its geography, flora and fauna, to this tectonic narrative. Much of the geology of Australia is the consequence of the amalgamation and break-up of supercontinents and supercratons through geological time, such as Vaalbara, Kenorland, Nuna (Columbia), Rodinia and Pangea (including Gondwana) (Figure 1). Supercontinent history has not only controlled the distribution of resources, petroleum, coal and minerals, but has surprising influences on processes that have shaped Australia in the past and are shaping Australia now. Australia, for example, shares many floral and faunal affinities with South America and Africa, but few with northern hemisphere continents (e.g., Couper, 1960; Fooden, 1972). The breakup of Pangea isolated Australia from Eurasia and North America. Moreover, when Australia broke away from Antarctica, the resulting seaway opened to allow polar circulation of ocean currents and ultimately the formation of the Antarctic ice cap (Livermore et al. 2005), making Australia, and the world, drier and cooler (Fujioka and Chappell, 2010). Continental Australia grew predominantly from WE , with Archean rocks mostly in the W, Proterozoic rocks in the centre, and Phanerozoic rocks in the E. The western two-thirds of the continent consist of three mostly Precambrian elements (see Table 1 for definitions), the West Australian, North Australian and South Australia elements, whereas the eastern one-third is made up of the Tasman Element (Figure 2). These spatial and temporal growth patterns are consistent with supercontinent and supercraton growth, particularly Kenorland, Nuna and Pangea-Gondwana. The distribution of Australia's energy and mineral resources (Figure 2) is also governed by this broad pattern, with each of the four major cratonic elements characterised by distinctive deposit assemblages, both in time and in composition. The Australian continent evolved in four broad time periods, namely: 3800-2200 Ma, 2200-1300 Ma, 1300-700 Ma, and 700-0 Ma. The first period saw the growth of nuclei about which cratonic elements grew, whereas the latter three periods involved the amalgamation and dispersal of Nuna, Rodinia and Pangea-Gondwana, respectively. In the sections below we present a history of the growth of the present-day Australian continent using this framework, although noting that in many cases there is significant uncertainty and disagreement about specific details and, indeed, about whether some of these processes occurred at all. This geohistory provides context for events that have shaped and changed Australia and the Earth, including the evolution of life and changes in the composition of the atmosphere and hydrosphere. As they have been increasingly linked to geodynamic processes, the evolution of Australia's mineral and The geological evolution of Australia is closely linked to supercontinent cycles that have characterised the tectonic evolution of Earth, with most geological and metallogenic events relating to supercontinent/ supercraton assembly and breakup. Australia mainly grew from WE , with two major Archean cratons, the Yilgarn and Pilbara cratons, forming the oldest part of the continent in the West Australian Element. The centre of the continent consists of the mainly Paleoproterozoic-Mesoproterozoic North and South Australian elements, whereas the E is dominated by the Neoproterozoic-Mesozoic Tasman Element. The West, North and South Australian elements initially assembled during the Paleoproterozoic amalgamation of Nuna, and the Tasman Element formed mostly as a Paleozoic accretionary margin during the assembly of Gondwana-Pangea. Australia's present position as a relatively stable continent resulted from the breakup of Gondwana. Australia is currently moving northward toward SE Asia, probably reflecting the earliest stages of the assembly of the next supercontinent, Amasia. Australia's resources, both mineral and energy, are linked to its tectonic evolution and the supercontinent cycle. Australia's most important Au province is the product of the assembly of Kenorland, whereas its major Zn-Pb-Ag deposits and iron oxide-Cu-Au deposits formed as Nuna broke up. The diverse metallogeny of the Tasman Element is a product of Pangea-Gondwana assembly and most of Australia's hydrocarbon resources are a consequence of the breakup of this supercontinent. David Huston (right), a research scientist at Geoscience Australia (pictured in background), has interests in metallogenesis, the ages of ore deposits, and the relationship of mineralisation to secular changes in tectonics and the composition of the hydrosphere. He has worked on a range of deposit types with ages from the Paleoarchean through the Cenozoic, with a special interest in volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposits. He joined Geoscience Australia in 1995 and has since worked in the North Pilbara Terrane, the Aileron, Tanami and Mount Isa provinces of the North Australian Element, the Paterson Province, and the Tasman Orogen.

The Lapland-Kola orogen, Inglefield mobile belt and the Rinkian fold belt/Nagssugtoqidian orogen are continent-continent collision zones with limited formation of new Paleoproterozoic crust, whereas the Ketilidian orogen displays a convergent plate-tectonic system, without subsequent collision. The composite Svecofennian orogen is responsible for the main Paleoproterozoic crustal growth of Fennoscandia.

The Proterozoic felsic and mafic magmatism in India in varied tectonic settings is reviewed and discussed based on available geological, geochemical, and geochronological constraints. Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic magmatism, as discrete volcanoplutonic complexes and Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) in the Bastar, Singhbhum and Dharwar cratons and associated mobile belts are also included. Paleoproterozoic magmatism also contributed to the geodynamics of Himalaya. Meso-to Neoproterozoic magmatism comprises kimberlites and lamproites in the Bastar and Dharwar cratons. Neoproterozoic magmatic rocks chiefly constitute the Aravalli-Delhi mobile belts. Mantle-derived magmas, mainly as mafic to hybrid enclaves and syn-plutonic dykes, have contributed significantly in the evolution of calc-alkaline, metaluminous (I-type) to peraluminous (S-type) granites formed in subduction to post-collision tectonic zones. Anorogenic (A-type) granites are commonly reported in post-collision to rift environments. As a whole Proterozoic mafic-felsic magmatism contributed greatly in the crustal architecture and evolution of Indian subcontinent that are correlatable with the construction and break-up of Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents.

Coastal aquifers have played a major role in modern human occupation and economic development in Iberoamerica. Most of Iberoamerica population inhabits coastal areas, and water needs are frequently fulfilled with groundwater. Possible climate changes and consequent sea level rise will deeply affect coastal aquifers, putting considerable pressure in those water bodies. For the prediction of how these aquifers will behave in face of such challenges, and also to establish preventive measures against undesired effects, adequate knowledge is essential. This paper presents the state of knowledge of a number of Latin American coastal aquifers reasonably representative of the overall situation through a literature review, with compilation and synthesis of data. A synthetic comparative analysis conducted on 33 coastal aquifers in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula is showed, as well as detailed information about three out of those aquifers with relatively more abundant data and of parti...

Forensic geology has developed in each country dependent on the history, political and social setting, anthropological influences and geology. The aim of this section is to provide a global overview of forensic geology, including the history, developments and future challenges in Africa,

The remote sensing was utilized for mineral exploration specifically to look for the presence of altered minerals. In addition, airborne magnetic data have been used for modelling of basement faults/structures. Furthermore, these data provide a synoptic view, which is helpful in the identification and delineation of various land forms, linear features and structural elements. Moreover, mapping geological lineaments is essential for regional exploration of hydrothermal deposits. The aim of this study is the determination of relationship between faults/structures and hydrothermal alteration zones based on geophysical and remote sensing data in the Esfordi area, central Iran. Basement faults were extracted by magnetic airborne data and alteration zones were detected using remote sensing data. Statistical and geostatistical parameters were determined in this area including correlation between areas of alteration zones and distances to faults, variograms and anisotropic ellipsoid. These reveal that there is a direct correlation between alteration zones and basement faults in the study area.

part is the New England Orogen. The Thomson Orogen lies N of the Lachlan Orogen almost completely obscured by Mesozoic and Cenozoic cover. The Mossman Orogen occupies the far northeastern part in north Queensland (Figure 1). The boundary between the Delamerian Orogen and Lachlan Orogen is contentious, even in western Victoria where their outcrops are closest together. Early workers (e.g., Glen, 1992; Wilson et al., 1992) placed the boundary at the Avoca Fault, between the Stawell and Bendigo structural zones (Figure 1) since, on a regional scale it truncates aeromagnetic marker units assigned to the Delamerian Orogen in the west. The Moyston Fault between the Stawell and Glenelg zones has been favoured also (e.g., Cayley and Taylor, 1997, 2001). Early deep seismic reflection data suggested a transitional zone W of the Moyston Fault (Murphy et al., 2006). New seismic data showing that the W-dipping Avoca Fault soles onto the more important crustal-scale E-dipping Moyston Fault was used by Cayley et al. (2011) to support the latter fault being the boundary. This interpretation lies at slight odds with an interpretation of the orogens based on timespace plots, in which a c. 500 Ma deformation characterises the Delamerian Orogen, but not the Lachlan Orogen. This changeover appeared to coincide with the Moyston Fault until Miller et al. (2005) demonstrated c. 500 Ma deformation in the Stawell Zone. The boundary between the Lachlan Orogen and the Thomson Orogen is concealed by the Mesozoic cover. It is defined by major changes in regional trends, evident in geophysical datasets, with curvilinear WNW-NE trends in the southern part of the Thomson Orogen oblique to NNW-N trends in the northwestern part of the

The Indian plate has a long history of rifting, drifting and collision. It travelled for about 9000 km from its position within Gondwana to reach its present position within Asia. During its northward journey, the Indian landmass remained physically isolated for about 35 Ma from all other landmasses after its final break-up from Madagascar. A critical examination of the vertebrate fossil record of the Indian plate for the period of early and late drift phases offers very limited information for the early drift phase, but reveals a complex biogeographic history for the late drift phase. The fauna of late drift phase is represented by taxa of both Gondwanan and Laurasian affinities and some endemic forms that originated in the Indian subcontinent and later dispersed out of it. The close relationship between different Late Cretaceous vertebrate clades of the Indian subcontinent and Madagascar is explained through dispersal over a terrestrial route consisting Seychelles, Amirante Ridge, Providence Bank, and some microcontinental fragments. On the other hand, the presence of Laurasian taxa in the Late Cretaceous of the India is accounted by the island arcs and oceanic islands that existed to the north of Greater India in the Late Cretaceous. In other words, the Indian plate served as a 'stepping stone' between Madagascar and Laurasia.

Indian subcontinent offer scope for tracking early oxygenation history of atmosphere and hydrosphere. Available studies, though certainly not exhaustive, record signatures of pre-great oxygenation event (GOE) whiffs of atmospheric oxygenation between 3.29 and 3.02 Ga. Besides, available geochemical signatures from Precambrian sedimentary rocks (BIF, sulfides, sulfates, argillaceous sediments and phosphorites) suggest a generally sub-oxic shallow marine and bipartite oxicsulfidic condition in late Paleoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic time, respectively. In this backdrop, occurrence of phosphorites in several late Paleoproterozoic basins possibly indicates formation of local oxygen oasis in presence of cyanobacterial community. From heavy to very heavy δ 34 S values in sulfides (pyrite) present in a number of Mesoproterozoic basins and Mo, Mo/TOC values from argillaceous intervals of the Vindhyan Supergroup, it is inferred that the deep hydrosphere was, in general, anoxic and, at times, euxinic.

The dataset, resulting from an extensive cooperation between industrial and academic sources, is accessible interactively on a CD-ROM and includes legend, timetable, short explanatory notes, full references and additional supporting data. This dataset provides information on the development of the Tethyan realm in space and time. In particular, the relation between the Variscan and Cimmerian cycles in the Mediterranean realm is illustrated by numerous palaeogeographic and palaeotectonic maps.

The 'Environmental Catastrophes and Recoveries in the Holocene conference held here at Brunei on 28 August―2 September closed to great acclaim. According to the Secretary General of the international research organization that sponsored the event (INQUA), " ... the meeting at ...

Soils are composed of natural inorganic and organic (both natural plant and animal and also man-made) components. The organic soil profile is complex, and there is a range of analytical methods available; however, the organic characteristics strongly complement that of the soil inorganic profile characteristics to provide a complete soil analytical profile, allowing detailed comparison and evaluation of soil recovered from questioned items with soil at a crime scene and to also provide clues in crime reconstruction and in search operations. Organic profiles can provide information about a range of soil forming features such as the vegetation present, land use past and present, altitude, etc., as well as providing information about nearness to industry and roads, tracks and rail networks and infrastructure. Biomarkers which remain in soil as a result of body decomposition can also be analysed and used in search and to help locate human remains.

polymorphum. The ammonite association of D. (Eodactylites) ssp. and other species e.g. Protogrammoceras (Paltarpites) cf. paltum, Lioceratoides aff. ballinense and Tiltoniceras aff. capillatum is particularly significant for the boundary definition and correlation with sections in different basins. Ammonites of the PLB/ TOA are taxa characteristic of both the Mediterranean and Northwest European provinces that allow reliable, global correlations. The PLB/TOA is also characterized by other biostratigraphical markers (brachiopods, calcareous nannofossils, ostracods and benthic foraminifers) and by high-resolution stable carbon and oxygen isotopes, and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios that show distinctive changes just above the PLB/TOA, thus providing additional, powerful tools for global correlations. The PBL-TOA lies at the end of a second (and third) order cycle of sea-level change, and the top of bed 15e is interpreted as a sequence boundary. Cyclostratigraphy analysis is available for the Lower Toarcian of Ponta do Trovão.

as part of the epithermal deposit spectrum in his textbook "Mineral deposits". Telluride-enrichment is, however, observed in a far wider range of deposit types, e.g., Au-rich VMS deposits, porphyry Au(Cu) and Au skarns. In at least some of these, a proportion of the gold occurs as Au-(Ag)-tellurides, or as native gold/Au-minerals paragenetically tied with tellurides of other elements, notably bismuth. Despite their enrichment in Te, gold deposits formed under reducing conditions are generally not acknowledged as Au-telluride deposits, because the telluride-rich character is largely expressed through an abundance of Bi-telluride species, commonly stable together with native bismuth. Gold-Bi compounds, such as maldonite and/or jonassonite, contribute to the mineralogical balance of gold ore, instead of Au(Ag)-tellurides (Ciobanu et al., 2005). A modified definition of the term 'gold-telluride deposits' was thus proposed (Cook and Ciobanu, 2005) to encompass the genetic connotation given by the presence of tellurides other than those of Au-Ag. In a preface to a special issue of Mineralogy and Petrology, Ciobanu et al. (2006a) posed a series of questions concerning the 'how?' and 'why?' of gold-telluride deposit formation. They questioned some of the established thinking about how these deposits were understood, not because the ideas are wrong (on the contrary!), but to encourage debate, and look beyond the confines of what was known and which fitted well to certain epithermal deposits. Likewise, Cook and Ciobanu (2005) attempted to build a framework for the role of other types of hydrothermal systems in the generation of telluridebearing deposits, raising certain taboos about classification, alternative settings and deposition mechanisms, the role of tellurides in orogenic gold systems and skarns, and what studies of trace mineralogy could contribute to the broader ore genesis perspective? They stressed the need to expand thermodynamic databases and modelling of oreforming systems (Afifi et al., 1988; Zhang and Spry, 1994a; Simon et al., 1997) to cover a broader range of formation conditions, e.g., pH/eH variation vs. activity/fugacity of various aqueous/gas species in a hydrothermal system. Within a given deposit, telluride-rich ores can be precipitated either at the same site or separately from native gold ore, depending upon precipitation mechanisms and local setting. Contemporary perspectives (e.g., Cooke and McPhail, 2001) include a Te-rich source, generally magmatically-derived, transport of Te as aqueous/vapour species within hydrothermal fluid, and precipitation of Au-Ag-tellurides due to multistage boiling. In an epithermal-porphyry environment (<5 km), these vapours are transported at the upper part of the veins forming a lowgrade Au-Te cap on top of the main Au mineralisation underneath. Whereas this model fits some telluride-bearing Au deposits (e.g., Gold-(silver)-telluride (selenide) ores occur as epithermal orogenic and intrusion related deposits. Although Te and Se are chalcophile elements and share geochemical affinity with Au, formation of selenides and other elements Ag-Au require acidic or reducing environments. The thermodynamic stability conditions for Au and Agtellurides and native tellurium indicate an epithermal environment. Analysis of mineral paragenensis, textures and compositional variation in tellurides/selenides suggest petrogenetic processes involving interaction with fluids leading to Au scavenging and entrapment in tellurides, changes in chemistry/rates of fluid infiltration and attaining equilibrium in a given assemblage. Lindgren (1933) introduced the subclass of "gold-telluride veins"

The Southern Granulite Terrane (SGT), the wedgeshaped southern termination of Peninsular India, is a mosaic of several crustal blocks and intervening collisional sutures/shears which developed through multiple orogenic cycles during Mesoarchean to late Neoproterozoic-Cambrian. The SGT has been the focus of global geoscience world for more than four decades mainly with regard to deep crustal processes, crustmantle architecture, polyphase structural evolution, extreme crustal metamorphism, growth and recycling of continental crust, and the assembly-evolution-disruption of supercontinents through time, among other aspects. The earliest felsic crust in the SGT includes the 3.5-Ga granitoids in the Coorg Block, followed by successive maturation stages marked by younger magmatic phases in the various blocks. The zircon δ 18 O values from the Coorg Block also fingerprint the emergence of continental crust above sea level in the early Earth. Multiple arc-magmatic pulses along the margins of the different crustal blocks of the SGT during Neoarchean and Neoproterozoic, together with accreted remnants of ophiolites and other oceanic components, suprasubduction zone complexes, and exhumed high-to ultrahigh-temperature metamorphic orogens suggest subduction-accretion-collision tectonics that constructed the various crustal blocks through time, and incorporated them within Precambrian supercontinent assemblies.

deciphering the peak metamorphic conditions (Janots et al, 2008, 2009). Conditions of metamorphism of multiple phases can be ascertained using mineralogical and textural criteria. Monazite composition readjusts to the changing P-T conditions and these variations preserve the evolutionary history of a terrain (e.g. Zhu and O'Nions, 1999; Krenn and Finger, 2007). Studies on control of monazite composition in metamorphic rocks are relatively scarce though monazites developed in contact metamorphic aureole were described as depleted in europium compared to those produced as a product of regional metamorphism (Rosenblum and Mosier, 1983) in a study on monazite grains recovered from the heavy mineral fractions. Khetri copper belt is the northern most entity of North Delhi Fold Belt (NDFB) comprising two metamorphic series representing two episodes of prograde regional metamorphism i.e. andalusite and sillimanite in the north and kyanite sillimanite in the south separated by an east west trending fault between Dhanota and Chappoli

The concept of tectonic stability has long prevailed for most of the Brazilian platform and, because of this fact, investigation of Quaternary tectonics in Brazil has begun to develop only during the last decade. From the two pioneer groups at the end of the eighties, there are now active groups studying neotectonics in almost all regions of Brazil. A clear demonstration of this progress is the fact that during the 7th Brazilian Symposium on Tectonic Studies, held in Lençóis, Bahia, in May, 1999, of the 141 papers presented more than 20% were related to neotectonics. References to faulting and other geologic features directly related to Quaternary tectonics are increasing and now available for many areas in Brazil. In this paper the geological record of Quaternary tectonics in Brazil is reviewed and a comparison with available geophysical data on stress orientations is presented.

Wenn man sich Gesellschaft als ein aus verteilten, dezentral operierenden Prozeduren gewobenes, dynamisch sich reproduzierendes Kommunikationsnetzwerk vorstellt, so ist eine soziologische Beobachtung chancenlos, der es nicht gelingt, sich gleichfalls als verteilte, dezentrale Beobachtungsanordnung einzurichten. Damit die Soziologie ihrem Bobachtungsobjekt auf Augenhöhe begegnen kann, muss sie sich selbst als ein gewissermaßen aus heterogenen Horchposten und multiplen Sendestationen bestehendes verteiltes Kommunikationsnetzwerk aufbauen.

This work constitutes the first contribution for the systematisation of geological heritage knowledge in Portugal, following the international recommendations for the characterisation of geological heritage (IUGS, Pro-GEO). The application of the ProGEO methodology has resulted in the creation of fourteen frameworks with international relevance, established by consensus among the Portuguese geological community. The description of each category in this paper is not exhaustive and only the most relevant scientific settings are presented. The following are the three key outcomes of this work: i) At a national level, the most important geosites are identified, indicating where geoconservation efforts should be prioritised based on scientific justification; ii) At a regional level, conditions have been developed to foster dialogue with Spanish colleagues in order to create Iberian frameworks; iii) At an international level, it is now possible to integrate Portuguese geosites in to the global inventories promoted by IUGS, UNESCO, and ProGEO.

The Niquivil section, Argentine Precordillera, fulfills most of the requirements for a Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Middle Ordovician Series. It has excellent conodont biostratigraphy in a continuous succession of uniform lithology, is readily accessible, and the critical interval is not tectonically affected. The position of the Lower/Middle Ordovician Series boundary in the Central Precordillera is placed at the middle part of the San Juan Formation, an open-platform carbonate unit. The Niquivil section is proposed as a GSSP for the base of the Middle Ordovician, which is marked by the FAD of the conodont Cooperignathus aranda (Cooper). It occurs in level NCA, at the upper part of the Oepikodus evae Zone (overlapping uppermost records of O. evae in association with other guide species); i.e., 100.15 m above the base of the reference section. The auxiliary Peña Sombría section from northern Precordillera records graptolites of the lower (but not lowest) Middle Ordovician in the Isograptus victoriae maximus Zone, few meters above the proposed boundary biohorizon. The range of C. aranda can be correlated with the I. victoriae lunatus Zone up to the lower part of the Undulograptus austrodentatus Zone in diverse sections of the world. C. aranda presents cosmopolitan distribution and occurs in virtually all environments. The proposed GSSP preserves a carbon-isotope record that provides an auxiliary marker of potential global application. Radiometric dating of K-bentonite samples, interbedded with carbonate strata yielding lower records of C. aranda, were recovered from the auxiliary Talacasto section in Central Precordillera (469.8 ± 2.3 Ma, U-Pb SHRIMP dating).

Geothermal fluids are extracted through deep wells drilled in a geological reservoir, which can be represented by highly heterogeneous volcanic complex, sedimentary basins or deep basement rocks. The main objective of this project was to propose suitable methodologies and techniques for the characterization and modeling of fractured geothermal reservoirs, to ensure their sustainable exploitation and, therefore, ensure acceptation of this kind of energy by local communities. This goal was achieved with experiences from the volcanic complex of the Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia), the St. Lawrence Lowlands sedimentary basin (Québec, Canada), the Carboniferous limestone reservoir in the area of Mons (Belgium), the Soultz-Sous-Forêts power plant and the Ploemeur fractured rock hydrogeological experimental site (France), and various areas of interest for geothermal exploration in Chile. The work conducted provided new insights into the construction of conceptual and numerical models for geothermal reservoirs and allowed the creation of a solid research network between Europe and Americas, fostering participation in geosciences of young researchers, students, and women.