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Four organic solid wastes (coffee grounds, ground nut shell, paper money sewage sludge and cork powder) have been investigated as bloating inducing agents in lightweight aggregate (LWA) manufacturing when mixed in small proportions (2.5 wt.%) with three types of clays. The pellets obtained were fired in a rotary kiln at the maximum feasible temperature for 4 min. A similar impact was observed both in the working conditions and in the properties of the LWAs, showing that the differences between said residues are not as decisive as those of the clays to which they are added. The organic wastes have played a crucial role in achieving reducing conditions inside the aggregate. Thus, their addition has led to substantial improvements both from an operational point of view, lowering the working temperature, and from a technological perspective, favoring bloating and the development of a highly porous and lightweight structure. Leachate studies have shown that the LWAs meet the regulatory limits. The outcomes of this investigation show that, in line with the precepts of the Circular Economy, the recovery of organic wastes of different nature can have a place in the production of environmentally friendly LWAs

One key to address the issue of the location of the K/Pg boundary at the Um Sohryngkew sections to look at Ccarb, Corg, Hg/TOC, Mo/Al chemostratigraphies, alongside Hg isotopes, in previous studied K/Pg sections in the Meghalaya area, and compare them with same type of data reported in Sial et al. (2016). The possibility of diachronic deposition cannot be totally discarded, and the K/Pg boundary could have been recorded in the Langpar Formation at one site and in the contact between the Mahadeo and Langpar formations in another. A tectonic-induced doubling of the sequence is also possible as the Meghalaya area, within the Shillong plateau, has been linked to a number of kinematic changes, including pop-up tectonics, since the Cretaceous. Fil: Sial, Alcídes Nóbrega. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; Brasil Fil: Chen, Jiubin. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China Fil: Lacerda, L. D.. Universidade Estadual do Ceará; Brasil Fil: Frei, Robert. Universidad de Copenhagen; Dinamarca. Nordic Center for Earth Evolution; Dinamarca Fil: Tewari, Vinod Chandra. Sikkim University; India Fil: Pandit, Manoj K.. University of Rajasthan; India Fil: Gaucher, Claudio. Universidad de la República. Facultad de Ciencias; Uruguay Fil: Ferreira, Valderéz Pinto P.. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; Brasil Fil: Cirilli, Simonetta. Università di Perugia; Italia Fil: Peralta, Silvio Heriberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; Argentina Fil: Korte, Christoph. Universidad de Copenhagen; Dinamarca. Nordic Center for Earth Evolution; Dinamarca Fil: Barbosa, José Antonio. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; Brasil Fil: Pereira, Natan. Universidade Federal da Bahia; Brasil

Vogt's comments emphasize the potential influence that the cryogenic processes could have had on the genesis of the soils analyzed in this study. We really appreciate her comments. Indeed, we took into consideration and cited one of her studies dealing with cryogenic processes and sepiolite formation. However, our results led us to conclusions different to the ones held by Vogt. Fil: Bouza, Pablo Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina

26 páginas, 5 tablas, 3 figuras. -- This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Waste and Biomass Valorization. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12649-020-01137-8, One strategy to re-use solid urban wastes is the production of energy by anaerobic digestion. This process also generates high volume of digestates, which are frequently disposal in landfills. The aim of this work is to assess anaerobic digestates as agricultural inputs. Three different biomethanation wastes from different plants were collected. Firstly, a complete physico-chemical characterization of the wastes was done according to the Spanish regulation, showing that the materials had the 90% of the particles below 25 mm, high values of pH, electric conductivity, organic matter, humic acids and soluble nutrients such as NO3−, SO42−, Ca2+, Mg2+, PO43− and K+. Total concentrations of heavy metals and microbiological parameters were below the threshold levels allowed for agricultural use. The wastes were then treated with a strong acid and a strong base having two different solutions (ATr and BTr, respectively) which were evaluated as biostimulants for tomato plants in hydroponic culture. Those liquid extracts, ATr and BTr, demonstrated their biostimulant ability towards root system of tomato enhancing the hair root density and plant biometric parameters including plants weight and chlorophyll content. This work demonstrates the re-use feasibility of treated digestates in agriculture as fertilizers and more over as feedstock for biostimulants production., The city Hall of Madrid funded this work.

Large amounts of manure waste are produced worldwide. Land application of manure waste is the most common approach to valorization. This practice has several environmental concerns, including pathogen spreading, emissions of odorous chemicals (ammonia or methane) and the pollution of waterbodies with nitrogen and phosphorous compounds. The pyrolysis of manure for biochar production has been tested as a useful treatment to avoid these concerns but the high moisture of some wastes hinders its thermo-chemical valorisation in the absence of a pre-drying step. Recently, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of wet biomass has been identified as a cost-effective valorisation method of biomass without the need for energy-intensive drying processes. The objective of this study is to compare the properties of pyrochars and hydrochars prepared from thermal treatment of rabbit manure (MW). Pyrochars were prepared at 450 °C (BMW450) and 600 °C (BMW600) and hydrochars were obtained using a rabbit manure solution (solid:water ratio 30:70) that was heated at 190 °C (HMW190) and 240 °C (HMW240). The final temperature was maintained during 1 h for pyrochars and 6 h for hydrochars. Results showed that HTC generated more micro-, meso- and macro-porosity than pyrolysis. Pyrochar produced at 600 °C possessed a high thermal, chemical and biological stability, probably due to its highly aromatic structure. Hydrochars (HMW190 and HMW240) were predominantly aliphatic, and this was associated to a lower chemical and thermal stability than pyrochars. The germination index values indicated that the pyrochar BMW450 and the two hydrochars were highly phytotoxic while pyrochar MWB600 presented a moderate phytotoxicity, which was lower than the manure waste. Finally, CO2 emissions of different materials after 60 days followed the order: MW > HMW190 > HMW240 > BMW450 > BMW600. Specifically, pyrolysis evolved CO2 was reduced between 97.8−88.7% with respect to raw material after pyrolysis. The HTC treatment diminished evolved CO2 between 68.8−59.0%, with respect to the manure. These results indicate that both processes can be considered as carbon fixation technologies.

The use of biofuels in the aviation sector has economic and environmental benefits. Among the options for the production of renewable jet fuels, hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) have received predominant attention in comparison with fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), which are not approved as additives for jet fuels. However, the presence of oxygen in methyl esters tends to reduce soot emissions and therefore particulate matter emissions. This sooting tendency is quantified in this work with an oxygen-extended sooting index, based on smoke point measurements. Results have shown considerable reduction in the sooting tendency for all biokerosenes (produced by transesterification and eventually distillation) with respect to fossil kerosenes. Among the tested biokerosenes, that made from palm kernel oil was the most effective one, and nondistilled methyl esters (from camelina and linseed oils) showed lower effectiveness than distilled biokerosenes to reduce the sooting tendency. These results may constitute an additional argument for the use of FAME’s as blend components of jet fuels. Other arguments were pointed out in previous publications, but some controversy has aroused over the use of these components. Some of the criticism was based on the fact that the methods used in our previous work are not approved for jet fuels in the standard methods and concluded that the use of FAME in any amount is, thus, inappropriate. However, some of the standard methods are not updated for considering oxygenated components (like the method for obtaining the lower heating value), and others are not precise enough (like the methods for measuring the freezing point), whereas some alternative methods may provide better reproducibility for oxygenated fuels.

Babassu and camelina oils have been transesterified with methanol by the classical homogeneous basic catalysis method with good yields. The babassu fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) has been subjected to fractional distillation at vacuum, and the low boiling point fraction has been blended with two types of fossil kerosene, a straight-run atmospheric distillation cut (hydrotreated) and a commercial Jet-A1. The camelina FAME has been blended with the fossil kerosene without previous distillation. The blends of babassu biokerosene and Jet-A1 have met some of the specifications selected for study of the ASTM D1655 standard: smoke point, density, flash point, cloud point, kinematic viscosity, oxidative stability and lower heating value. On the other hand, the blends of babassu biokerosene and atmospheric distillation cut only have met the density parameter and the oxidative stability. The blends of camelina FAME and atmospheric distillation cut have met the following specifications: density, kinematic viscosity at −20 °C, and lower heating value. With these preliminary results, it can be concluded that it would be feasible to blend babassu and camelina biokerosenes prepared in this way with commercial Jet-A1 up to 10 vol % of the former, if these blends prove to accomplish all the ASTM D1655-09 standards.

The Spanish diary can surprisingly not be found in his bounded diaries from his American travels, but in a separate folder of his legacy in Berlin, where Humboldt collected material which he wanted to use for his publication about Spain. So it remained undiscovered until recently. Humboldt’s notes contain geognostic descriptions as well as his observations about climate, vegetation, electricity of the atmosphere, etc. The comparison with Humboldt’s publication of 1825 facilitates to gain insight into his scientific methods.El diario español de Humboldt se encuentra sorprendentemente en una carpeta de su legado en Berlín, donde el mismo recopiló los materiales para su publicación sobre la meseta española en la revista Hertha, y no en sus diarios encuadernados del viaje americano. Esto explica que no se hubieran descubierto hasta hace poco tiempo. El manuscrito contiene descripciones geognósticas, observaciones sobre el clima, la vegetación, la electricidad de la atmósfera, etc. La comparación con lo publicado de Humboldt en 1825 sobre la meseta española que realizamos en las notas de esta edición facilitará al lector una aproximación a los métodos cientificos típicos de Humboldt.

The remolding toughness property of fine-grained soil has not been investigated that much, mainly because it has not lent easily to direct measurement, with soil toughness usually qualitatively described. In practical terms, as the plastic limit wP is approached, tougher soils require greater rolling effort during the wP test, such that plasticity and toughness properties can be used to distinguish those plastic soils having greater deformation resistance for various field applications. This state-of-the-art review paper presents a critical appraisal of soil remolding toughness determination and its limited use, to date, in the classification of fine-grained soils. The recent developments reviewed and critically assessed include mechanical thread rolling for nominal toughness measurement during the wP rolling-out procedure, various extrusion approaches, and proposed correlations between toughness and the plasticity index to liquid limit ratio. From statistical analysis of previously reported toughness–consistency limits data, some new correlations are introduced in the present paper. Soil classification using the traditional Casagrande plasticity chart is not entirely accurate for certain soil types in that one can observe soils that present high toughness (something typical of clay) being incorrectly classified as silt soil. From this perspective, a new toughness chart is introduced to augment (or for use instead of) the Casagrande plasticity chart in obtaining more reliable soil classification. This paper concludes with recommendations on future research efforts for routinely obtaining soil toughness measurements.

Resumo: A geologia moderna teve o seu desenvolvimento em meados da década de 70 do séc XIX, com contribuição de diversos pesquisadores, dos quais muitos são renomados até os dias de hoje, uma delas foi Etheldred Benett, nascida em Wiltshire, Reino Unido. Ao que se sabe, Benett foi a primeira mulher geóloga da história, tendo trabalhado com pesquisadores como Gideon Mantell (1790-1852) e James Sowerby (1757-1822). Incentivada por seu cunhado, Aylmer Bourke Lambert, botânico e arqueologista, membro da Geological Society, Etheldred Benett começou a se interessar por fósseis e por volta de 1810 já se dedicava em coletas e estudo com fósseis, muito antes do aparecimento de Mary Anning (1799-1847), uma das mulheres mais conhecidas da paleontologia. Benett, diferente de outros pesquisadores, não publicava trabalhos científicos em periódicos, sua contribuição para a geologia e paleontologia se deu principalmente por suas coleções fósseis, da qual a pesquisadora ficou conhecida por suas doações de exemplares muito bem conservados e quase sempre inteiros, recebendo até reconhecimento do Tzar Nicholas I, que expôs alguns exemplares doados por Benett em seu palácio e lhe concebeu um título honorário. Mesmo tendo um papel importante para o desenvolvimento da paleontologia e geologia, seu único trabalho publicado por Benett é o catálogo “A Catalogue of the Organic Remains of the Country of Wiltshire (Benett 1831)”, contendo uma extensa lista de espécies de sua coleção com descrições do local onde foram encontrados, incluindo a espécie de ammonite do período cretáceo descrita por ela, Drepanites striatus. Após seu falecimento parte de sua coleção foi doada para o British Museum of Natural History, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Geological Society e outras instituições, entretanto infelizmente a maioria foi perdida ao longo do tempo e apenas a partir dos anos 90 iniciou uma busca por sua coleção. Palavras-chave: Etheldred Benett, fósseis, paleontologia, geologia, mulheres na ciência, pioneira. Abstract: Modern geology had its development in the mid-1970s, with contributions from several researchers, many of whom are renowned to this day, one of them was Etheldred Benett, born in Wiltshire, United Kingdom. It is known that Benett was the first female geologist in history, having worked with researchers such as Gideon Mantell (1790-1852) and James Sowerby (1757-1822). Encouraged by her brother-in-law, Aylmer Bourke Lambert, botanist and archaeologist, member of the Geological Society, Etheldred Benett began to be interested in fossils and around 1810 was already engaged in collecting and studying fossils, long before the appearance of Mary Anning (1799 -1847), one of the best-known women in paleontology. Benett, unlike other researchers, did not publish scientific papers in journals, his contribution to geology and paleontology was mainly due to his fossil collections, of which the researcher was known for her donations of very well preserved and almost always intact specimens, receiving even recognition of Tsar Nicholas I, who exhibited some copies donated by Benett in his palace and awarded him an honorary title. Despite having an important role in the development of paleontology and geology, his only work published by Benett is the catalog “A Catalog of the Organic Remains of the Country of Wiltshire (Benett 1831)”, containing an extensive list of species from his collection with descriptions of where they were found, including the Cretaceous ammonite species she described, Drepanites striatus. After his death, part of her collection was donated to the British Museum of Natural History, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the Geological Society, and other institutions, however unfortunately most of them were lost over time and only in the 1990s did he start a search for his collection. Keywords: Etheldred Benett, fossils, paleontology, geology, women in science, pioneer., {"references":["Ager, D. 1988. Short paper: Leyell's pillars and uniformitarism. Journal of the Geological Society (146): 603-605. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 02 abr. 2021.","Benett, E. 1830. [Correspondência]. Destinatário: George Goldie. Norton House 1 Carta. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 8 mar. 2021.","Benett, E. 1831. A Catalogue of the organic remains of the country of Wiltshire. Warminster. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 20 nov. 2020.","Burek, C. V. 2001. The first lady geologist, or collector par excellence?. Geology Today (17)5: 192-194. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 6 abr. 2021.","Caley, E. R.; Richards, J. F. 1956. Theophrastus On Stones: introduction, Greek text, English translation, and commentary. The Ohio State University, Ohio. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 15 abr. 2021.","Darwin, C. 2014. Capítulo XII: Distribuição geográfica. In: Darwin, C. A Origem das Espécies [1859], 6ª ed. São Paulo: Martin Claret. p. 421-451.","Duffin, C. 2016. Gideon Mantell and the early dinosaurs. The Dinosaur Society and PalaeoArtists. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 15 mar. 2021.","Drake, E. T.; Komar, P. D. 1981. A Comparison of the Geological Contributions of Nicolaus Steno and Robert Hooke. 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The Birth and development of the Geological Sciences. The Williams and Wilkins Company 1-21. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 17 mar. 2021.","Hannath, S. 2015. Etheldred Benett 1775-1845. Journal of the Bath Geological Society 34: 26-28. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 20 nov. 2020.","History of Geology. 2007. Mineral Resources. Primefacts, (563): 1-6. Disponível em: http://www.resourcesandenergy.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/109580/history-ofgeology.pdf Acesso em: 15 fev. 2021.","Kardel, T.; Maquet, P. 2013. Nicolaus Steno: Biography and Papers of a 17th Century Scientist. 203-222. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 1 abr. 2021.","Kneel; S. J.; Lewis, C. L. E. 2001. Celebrating the age of the Earth. The Geological Society of London (190): 1-14. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 29 abr. 2021.","Kravitz, G. 2014. The Geohistorical Time Arrow: From Steno's Stratigraphic Principles to Boltzmann's Past Hypothesis. Journal of Geoscience Education (62): 691-700. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 30 mar. 2021.","Laming, S.; Laming, D. 2007. Etheldred Benett (1776-1845): the first woman geologist?. The Geological Society of London (281): 247-249. Disponível em: https://sp.lyellcollection.org/content/281/1/247 Acesso em: 05 nov. 2020.","Lyell, C. 1830. Principles of Geology: being an attempt to explain the former changes of the Earth's surface, by reference to causes now in operation (1). Disponível em: . Acesso em: 14 abr. 2021.","Pemberton, S. G. 2010. History of Ichnology: The Reverend William Buckland (1784-1856) and the fugitive poets. An International Journal for Plant and Animal Traces (17). Disponivel em: . Acesso em: 07 mar. 2021.","Pickford, S. \"I have no pleasure in collecting for myself alone\"1 : Social Authorship, Networks of Knowledge and Etheldred Benett's Catalogue of the Organic Remains of the Country of Wiltshire (1831). Journal of Literature and Sciences, v. 8, n. 1, p. 79-85, 2015. Disponível em: http://www.literatureandscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/JLS-8.1-Pickford.pdf Acesso em: 10 nov. 2020.","Pickford, S. \"I have no pleasure in collecting for myself alone\"1 : Social Authorship, Networks of Knowledge and Etheldred Benett's Catalogue of the Organic Remains of the Country of Wiltshire (1831). Journal of Literature and Sciences, v. 8, n. 1, p. 79-85, 2015. Disponível em: http://www.literatureandscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/JLS-8.1-Pickford.pdf Acesso em: 10 nov. 2020.","Spamer, E. E.; Bogan, A. E.; Torrens, H.S. 1989. Recovery of the Etheldred Benett Collection of Fossils Mostly from Jurassic-Cretaceous Strata of Wiltshire, England, Analysis of the Taxonomic Nomenclature of Benett (1831), and Notes and Figures of Type Specimens Contained in the Collection. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (141): 115-180. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 15 abr. 2021.","Stenonis, N. 1669. De Solido Intra Solidum naturaliter contento dissertations prodromus. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 12 abr. 2021.","Torrens, H. S. 2000. Ethedred Benett of Wiltshire, England, the first lady geologist Her fossil collection in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and the rediscovery of \"lost\" specimens of Jurassic Trigoniidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) with their soft anatomy preserved. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (150): 59-123. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 2 mar. 2021.","Ussher, J. 1650. Annals of the World. Impresso por E. Tyler, Londres. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 12 abr. 2021."]}

The main objective of this paper is to develop an educational intervention proposal for Biology and Geology of the third year of Compulsory Secondary Education, focused on the issue of human reproduction, using Problem-Based Learning and Cooperative Learning through creating a Webquest. The use of these active methodologies allows us to improve students’ motivation, banish a series of erroneous preconceptions that they have about science such as decontextualization with reality and individualistic work, and get students to develop meaningful learning, as opposed to rote learning. The Theoretical Framework section delves into the definition of Problem-Based Learning and Cooperative Learning, with its limitations and advantages. This section also describes what a Webquest is and the guidelines we should follow for creating one. In the intervention proposal, a series of activities about human reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases are presented to be carried out using the Cooperative Learning methodology and a Webquest. At the end of this proposal we find the evaluation thatstudents will have to do about the learning and the activities proposed and the evaluation of the intervention proposal itself. Finally, we find the conclusions related to the objectives proposed at the beginning of this paper and the limitations and prospects of the proposal made. El objetivo principal del presente trabajo fin de máster es elaborar una propuesta didáctica para la asignatura de Biología y Geología de tercero de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, centrada en el tema de la reproducción humana, usando el Aprendizaje Basado en Problemas y el Aprendizaje Cooperativo a través de la creación de una Webquest. El uso de estas metodologías activas nos permite mejorar la motivación del alumnado, desterrar una serie de preconceptos erróneos que tienen sobre la ciencia como son la descontextualización con la realidad y el trabajo individualista, y consigue que los alumnos desarrollen un aprendizaje significativo, en contraposición al aprendizaje memorístico. En el Marco Teórico se ahonda en la definición del Aprendizaje Basado en Problemas y en el Aprendizaje Cooperativo, con sus limitaciones y ventajas. A continuación, se describe qué es una Webquest y las pautas para su creación. En la propuesta de intervención se presentan una serie de actividades para realizar usando la metodología de Aprendizaje Cooperativo y una Webquest. Al final de dicha propuesta encontramos la evaluación para evaluar el aprendizaje de los alumnos y la evaluación de la propia propuesta de intervención, tanto por parte del docente como por parte del alumnado. Por último, encontramos las conclusiones y las limitaciones y prospectiva de la propuesta realizada.

The use of games as learning tools has become a valuable way to help students to learn while having fun. Based on this idea, BetterGeo is a modification created by the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) on Minecraft, one of the most popular games in the world, to improve to help primary school students to get familiarised with the importance of raw materials in modern life and start learning basic concepts on geology, minerals, mining, mineral processing, and circular economy. Together with the development of the mod, BetterGeo projects also work in the development of learning materials to help teachers and students in this approach to the Raw Materials sector. The project developing this initiative, named BetterGeoEdu, is developed with the support of EIT Raw Materials, one of the eight Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) initiated by the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), funded by the European Commission, and whose mission is to help boost the competitiveness, growth, and attractiveness of the European raw materials sector through radical innovation and guided entrepreneurship. The Technical University of Madrid is one of the partners participating in this pioneering initiative, and in this paper, the idea behind BetterGeo, the goals, and the partners of the consortium are described together with the innovative development of exercises and educational material designed to make easy to primary school students the first contact with raw materials. One of the exercises, which is described in this paper, is a new, fast, simple, and efficient learning tool on rocks and minerals, in the form of an interactive game complementing BetterGeo. It is designed for pre-university level students, with or without a vocation for natural sciences. With the support of four sample boxes containing igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary, and mineral rocks for the exercise, the student randomly chooses a sample and starts the game. The game raises several questions about the sample that the student must answer intuitively with a click. If the answer is affirmative, the system offers a route with more information about the sample. If the answer is negative, the system forces the student to go back and start again. If the students can complete the exercise, they will have access to the name of the rock or mineral and will be able to access the sample boxes to start a new analysis. The commands are interactive and intuitive, to better capture the student’s attention. This system offers several advantages: the student manages the entire process by himself, learns without prior knowledge, understands instantly the meaning of the questions and answers as they arise based on comparison with objects and situations known to the student. Additionally, it teaches the applications and uses of minerals and rocks in everyday life.

This paper presents a systematic procedure for developing a characterization and classification of river reaches inspired by the River Styles Framework, through which insight can be gained about the understanding of river behavior. Our procedure takes advantage of several computer based &ldquo, tools", i.e., algorithms implemented in software packages of various types, from "simple" Excel sheets to sophisticated algorithms in Python language, in general all supported by Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The main potentially useful, existing tools for this specific aim are discussed here, revealing their strengths and weaknesses. New, complementary or alternative tools that have been developed in the project feeding this paper are presented, which can contribute to the scientific community and stakeholders of the topic. The main result of our research is a structured and practical guide (a ToolBox Manual) that can support practitioners and researchers wishing to characterize and classify large rivers, based on the River Styles Framework. The main contribution is that this set of ideas, solutions, and tools, makes this type of exercise significantly more transparent and at the same time much less subjective. Moreover, the procedure is applicable to large systems and does not require more information than that generally available also in developing or emerging countries.

La geología del margen noroccidental del cratón del Congo en la frontera entre Gabón y Camerún continúa siendo muy poco conocida. En la región de Minvoul se han identificado bandas kilométricas de rocas supracrustales arcaicas de dirección NE-SW a ENE-WSW interpretadas como cinturones de rocas verdes. El área del presente estudio forma parte de la unidad Ayina, que representa el segmento más oriental del complejo de Ntem. Este trabajo caracteriza petrográficamente y geoquímicamente estas formaciones rocosas por vez primera. El cinturón de rocas verdes de Minvoul está emplazado en el zócalo gnéissico-charnockítico arcaico y está conformado por dos series de formaciones supracrustales metamorfizadas en condiciones epi a catazonales. La primera de estas series está compuesta por anfibolitas y metagabros que parecen representar rocas volcánicas máficas metamorfizadas e intrusivas ígneas respectivamente, además de esquistos y formaciones ferríferas bandeadas. La segunda serie comprende gneises cuarzo-feldespáticos de grano fino a medio, ricos en biotita, que probablemente representan meta-sedimentos o metavolcanitas félsicas. Los granitoides potásicos intruyen las formaciones anteriores. La fuerte meteorización y la espesa vegetación, típica de las latitudes ecuatoriales, no han permitido un detallado estudio estructural de la región, aunque a nivel local los efectos de plegamiento complejos, fallas y cizallamiento se observan tanto en escalas macro como microscópicas. Algunos autores sugieren que la orogenia Eburneana desempeñó un papel importante en la deformación de estas secuencias y fue responsable de una foliación E-W subvertical que fue desplazada posteriormente por cizallas de componente NE-SW. En terreno fueron observados bandeamientos en las anfibolitas y los metagabros interpretados como tectonotermales, así como extensas estructuras de microcizalla y recristalización dinámica en secciones delgadas. Se comprobó una intensa actividad de extracción artesanal de oro aluvial en los ríos que drenan el cinturón de rocas verdes de Minvoul. Asimismo, se puso de manifiesto la presencia de oro en muestras geoquímicas y de batea de la coraza laterítica y de otros horizontes del perfil de alteración. En el saprolito y en el horizonte de las arcillas moteadas, el oro fue parcialmente disuelto como lo demuestran las marcas de corrosión en la superficie de las partículas. La formación de oro secundario en la coraza laterítica es sugerida por el mayor tamaño de las pepitas, su alta pureza (> 999 milésimas en promedio) y las estrechas relaciones texturales entre el oro y los óxidos e hidróxidos de hierro neoformados. La combinación del Análisis de Imagen Óptica (Optical Image Analysis, OIA) junto con el análisis microquímico mediante el microscopio electrónico de barrido de los granos de oro, ha permitido establecer una serie de características morfológicas y composicionales específicas de las partículas de oro para cada uno de los horizontes estudiados y ha demostrado que el oro experimentó una evolución supergénica relacionada con el desarrollo del perfil de alteración. Aunque el origen del oro no ha sido completamente comprendido, las evidencias geológicas, petrográficas y geoquímicas que se obtuvieron tras los estudios realizados en el presente trabajo, indican que la fuente primaria parece corresponder a mineralizaciones de oro orogénico de tipo “gold-only”, lo que es común en los metalotectos arcaicos. El presente trabajo contribuye al conocimiento de una de las más desconocidas regiones del cratón del Congo, ofrece una integración geológica de la unidad Ayina en su contexto geológico, y contribuye a la comprensión de los procesos de disolución, dispersión y concentración de oro en ambientes supergénicos. ----------ABSTRACT---------- The geology of vast portions of the northwestern margins of the Congo craton at the border between Gabon and Cameroon remains poorly known. The Minvoul area corresponds to a NE-SW to ENE-WSW-trending band of Archean supracrustal rocks interpreted as containing greenstone belt formations. The area forms part of the Ayina unit, which represents the most easternmost unit of the Ntem complex. This paper characterizes petrographically and geochemically these rock formations for the first time. The Minvoul greenstone belt is emplaced in the Archean charnockitic gneiss basement and consists of two series of supracrustal formations metamorphosed under epi to mesozonal conditions. The first one is composed of amphibolites and metagabbros that could represent metamorphosed mafic volcanics and igneous intrusives respectively, together with schists and itabirites. The other one comprises fine to medium-grain biotitic quartzo-feldspatic gneisses that probably represents either meta-sediments or felsic meta-volcanics. K-feldspar granitoids intrude the earlier assemblages. The deep weathering and dense vegetation, typical of equatorial latitudes, have hampered a detailed structural study of the region but locally, the effects of complex folding, faulting and shearing are observed at both macro and microscopic scales. Earlier authors suggest that the Eburnean orogeny has played a major role in the deformation of these sequences and is responsible for a steeply-dipping E-W foliation which is displaced by NE-SW shear zones. Tectonothermal banding of amphibolites and gabbros, as well as extensive micro-shear structures and dynamic recrystallization are observed in thin sections. Artisanal alluvial gold mining activity in the rivers draining the Minvoul greenstone belt has been observed. Also, gold have been reported in geochemical and panning samples extracted from iron duricrust and other horizons across the weathering profile. In the saprolite and mottled clay zone, gold is dissolved as demonstrated by corrosion features at the surface of the particles. The formation of secondary gold in the duricrust is indicated by the larger size of the nuggets, their fineness (>995 in average) and the close textural relationship between gold and the neoformed iron oxy-hydroxides. The combination of the Optical Image analysis together with the microchemical analysis of gold grains has allowed to establish specific morphological and compositional characteristics of the gold particles for each one of the studied horizons and has proven that gold underwent a supergene evolution related to the development of the weathering profile. Although, the mode of gold occurrence in bedrock is not completely understood, geological, petrographical and geochemical evidences given in this paper indicate that the primary mineralisation corresponds to orogenic gold-only deposits. This is typical in Archean metallotects. The present work enhances the knowledge of this remote part of the Congo craton, offers a geological integration of the Ayina unit in its geological context and contributes to the understanding of the dissolution, dispersion and gold concentration processes in supergene environments.

This paper presents a detailed study of the tectonic subsidence evolution during the Late Triassic - Late Jurassic period in the central area of the Neuquén Basin. The methodology consisted of the integration of outcrop and subsurface data, in order to obtain tectonic subsidence curves for the analyzed period in the study area. The origin of the basin was linked to a lithospheric mechanical extension episode in the Late Triassic - Early Jurassic that, once completed, gave rise to a post-rift stage. The post-rift stage, comprised between Early Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, was classically assumed as dominated by thermal subsidence. Results obtained in this paper show that there is a change in the geometry of the tectonic subsidence curves, which depart considerably from the expected behavior for a basin dominated by thermal subsidence. Therefore, the post-rift stage of the Neuquén Basin for the study area would have had a more complex tectonic evolution than that determined exclusively by the thermal subsidence, and that superposition of mechanisms must be considered. From the available data, a shift from thermal to dynamic subsidence from the Middle Callovian onwards seems to be the most plausible explanation for the subsidence evolution observed in the study area., Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas

Este trabalho apresenta um levantamento de elementos geopatrimoniais ex situ, além de contextos e identidades vinculadas à geodiversidade, para a área de abrangência do COREDE Campanha, na ‘metade sul’ gaúcha. Os elementos ex situ destacados são fósseis de animais extintos do Permiano (anfíbios e pararrépteis) e do Pleistoceno (megafauna, especialmente as preguiças-gigantes). Os contextos geológicos curiosos ou interessantes ao público do geoturismo são os pântanos formadores de carvões, uma lasca de litosfera oceânica e áreas cratônicas muito antigas. Por fim, a identidade garimpeira e a memória da mineração de metais, juntamente com seu rico patrimônio cultural, também constituem atrativos turísticos que, interpretados de forma interessante, podem se somar aos geomonumentos de destaque, no âmbito de uma estratégia de geoturismo no COREDE Campanha. This paper brings an assessment of ex situ geoheritage elements, as well as of geodiversity-related contexts and identities for the COREDE Campanha territory of the ‘southern half’ of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The ex-situ elements are fossils of extinct animals of Permian (amphibians and para-reptiles) and Pleistocene (mammal megafauna, especially ground sloths) ages. Curious or interesting geoheritage contexts, such as the coal-forming Permian wetlands, an oceanic lithosphere slab, or very ancient craton areas have also been highlighted. Finally, the paper approaches the artisanal gold miners’ identity and the metallic ore mining memory, along with their rich built cultural heritage. By means of an adequate interpretation, such features can be added to geosites within a broad geotourism strategy for the territory of COREDE Campanha. Este trabajo trae un relevamiento de elementos ex situ del patrimonio geológico, además de contextos e identidades vinculadas a la geodiversidad, para el territorio del COREDE Campanha, en la ‘mitad sur’ del Estado de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Los elementos ex situ destacados son los fósiles de animales extintos del Permiano (anfibios y para-reptiles) y del Pleistoceno (megafauna, sobre todo los perezosos terrestres). Los contextos geopatrimoniales curiosos o interesantes son los charcos formadores del carbón mineral, una lasca de litosfera oceánica y áreas pertenecientes a un cratón muy antiguo. Finalmente, la identidad y la memoria de la minería de metales, con su rico patrimonio construido, son también atractivos turísticos que, con una adecuada interpretación, pueden sumarse a los lugares geológicos, en el seno de una estrategia de geoturismo para el COREDE Campanha.

presente trabalho traz um inventário qualitativo de geomonumentos do tipo ‘grandes áreas complexas’ na área de abrangência do COREDE Campanha, na chamada ‘metade sul’ gaúcha. O levantamento considerou mapas geológicos, bibliografia publicada, uso conhecido de locais geopatrimoniais de interesse pela população local, bem como um modelo digital do terreno (MDT), que apontou áreas de grande altitude ou declividade acentuada. Oito geomonumentos foram identificados como de interesse turístico, e são descritos em suas características de geodiversidade, pontos de destaque e atratividade turística, atividades já realizadas e infraestrutura existente. Espera-se que este levantamento estimule os municípios, e especialmente as instâncias de planejamento do COREDE, a considerar o geoturismo uma oportunidade interessante de desenvolvimento socioeconômico sustentável para a região This paper presents a qualitative inventory of ‘complex areas’-type geosites within the territory of the COREDE Campanha, in the so-called ‘southern-half’ at the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The assessment has taken into account published scientific papers and geological maps, known use of geosites by local residents, as well as a digital terrain model (DTM), which has pointed out to some high altitude or steepness areas. We identified eight geosites and provided detailed description in terms of geodiversity, several potential points of tourism, on-going activities, and existing infrastructure. This assessment could be an incentive for the municipalities and especially the COREDE executive board as they could consider geotourism as an interesting opportunity for the social and economic sustainable development in the region. Este trabajo presenta un inventario cualitativo de lugares geológicos de interés de tipo ‘grandes áreas complejas’ en el territorio del COREDE Campanha, en la llamada ‘mitad sur’ del Estado de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. El relevamiento hallevado en cuenta a cartas geológicas, trabajos publicados, utilización ya conocida de estos lugares por la población local, así como un modelo digital de terreno (MDT), el cual ha apuntado áreas de grande altitud o declividad. Ocho lugares geológicos de interés turístico han sido identificadas, y son aquí detalladas en términos de geodiversidad, puntos de destaque como atractivos turísticos, actividades ya realizadas y su infraestructura existente. Se espera que este relevamiento sea un estímulo a que los municipios y especialmente la entidad de planeamiento des COREDE a ver al geoturismo como una oportunidad interesante para el desarrollo social y económico sostenible de la región.