SpringerBriefs in Earth System Sciences – serie

This book studies the Fuegian Andes in Argentina, showing both simple and complex aspects. The first ones refer to the general stratigraphy of the area and the latter result from their tectonic characteristics. Concerning the stratigraphy, an appraisal of the denomination and valorization of formations of Jurassic and early Cretaceous age is performed here to reach the simple scheme of the Fuegian-Patagonian continuity under the name of “Fuegian Andes Deformed Complex”. As an essay the formational nomenclature is simplified and the local concept of basement is evaluated. In relation to their structural aspects it is assumed that the formation of the orogenic Fuegian arc and the folding of the Mesozoic and early Tertiary layers are connected phenomena. Tectonic forces from the West, the Northeast and the South have had participation in the formation of the tectonic arc. The lithostatic column pressure was added once the layers were folded and thrusted upwards during the birth of the Fuegian Andes. Even the speculation of a great main fold overturned to North, as an abstraction, is considered. Instead, the Magallanes-Fagnano fault is appreciated only as a product of the transcurrent Quaternary movements, lacking associated eruptive processes that contribute to define plate borders.

This open access book discusses biogeochemical processes relevant to carbon and aims to provide readers, graduate students and researchers, with insight into the functioning of marine ecosystems. A carbon centric approach has been adopted, but other elements are included where relevant or needed. The book focuses on concepts and quantitative understanding of primary production, organic matter mineralization and sediment biogeochemistry. The impact of biogeochemical processes on inorganic carbon dynamics and organic matter transformation are also discussed.

This book assesses the use of various non-seismic and non-conventional oil and gas exploration methods in Cuba. In addition to discussing the benefits of these methods, the book demonstrates how they can be combined with geological data and conventional methods, leading to a better evaluation of prospects and exploration risks. The authors describe how potential new gaso-petroleum sites in the Pina-Ceballos and Sancti Spiritus regions can be effectively mapped. The geophysical-geochemical exploration techniques combined in the Redox Complex method are used to identify and evaluate these sites. Areas of interest are mapped based on the presence of a combination of indicator anomalies, mainly derived using gravimetric, aeromagnetic and airborne gamma spectrometry. The geochemical study concentrates on two petroleum-rich regions, one in northern and one in southern Cuba. The scope also includes the seas to the south of Cuba, which are studied with non-seismic exploration tools such as the Digital Elevation Model, which employs morphotectonic regionalization.

The so-called "Non-conventional geophysical-geochemical exploration methods" are used, in the particular case of oil and gas exploration, for the detection and mapping of active microseepage of light hydrocarbons with a vertical nature on the gas-oil accumulations.The non-seismic exploration methods used in Cuba are: Remote Sensing, Gravimetry, Aeromagnetometry, Airborne Gamma Spectrometry (AGS) and Morphometry (non-conventional, from the Digital Elevation Model 90x90m). The AGS also classifies, as a non-conventional geophysical-geochemical method, together with the Redox Complex.Besides, it is of interest to know the geological-structural framework where these microseepage occur. That is why the benefits of using these methods (excluding Redox Complex), prior to their integration with geological and seismic data, translate into a first approximation, valid for an initial understanding of geology and mapping of favourable areas of possible gas-oil interest.Finally, from the implementation of these methods (including Redox Complex), perspective sectors for oil and gas are obtained, once the integration with geology and seismic has been carried out.The book presents a brief theoretical account of the methods used and, as practical results, a set of perspective sectors of possible interest for exploration in Cuba.As a complementary result, the book also offer an evaluation of the areas that meet the petroleum-geologist premises for the presence of large accumulations of high quality oil in Cuba.

Since nearly 50 % of Europe's energy demand is in the heating and cooling sector, it is expected that geothermal energy will play an important role in the transition to a decarbonized energy system. However, deep geothermal energy is currently harvested mainly from areas with very favorable geothermal conditions. As these areas are geographically limited, the use of geothermal energy in less favorable regions is essential for unleashing the full potential of geothermal energy, since they make up the majority of the total geothermal potential in Central Europe. Motivated by the growing interest in deep geothermal energy among, e.g., energy companies and communities, this text reviews the state of the art in deep geothermal energy with focus on direct heating in geothermally less favorable regions. It provides an overview of technologies used to generate heat from the deep underground and discusses main technical and non-technical risks associated with deep geothermal projects. The text addresses readers with an interest in geothermal energy but does not require a background in geoscience or engineering sciences. It is suitable as textbook for Geothermal Energy courses for undergraduate students from different disciplines.

This open access book presents the results of three years collaboration between earth scientists and data scientist, in developing and applying data science methods for scientific discovery. The book will be highly beneficial for other researchers at senior and graduate level, interested in applying visual data exploration, computational approaches and scientifc workflows.

This book explores the drivers and impacts of sand mining in the coastal areas of Lagos Nigeria. Based on empirical evidence, sand mining activity is driven by a number of urbanization-related factors while sand mining impacts are underlined by a number of sustainability-related factors. Four urbanization components describe the drivers of sand mining and four sustainability components describe the impacts of sand mining in Lagos. This book concludes on the puzzling dilemma of sand mining that supports thriving urbanization but undermines environmental sustainability in Lagos. Of course, sand mining has strong implications for environmental sustainability in Lagos coastal areas. This book is of immense benefit to environmental planners, city administrators, students of environmental science and the general public who have regards for environmental management.

This open access book provides insights into the novel Locally Refined B-spline (LR B-spline) surface format, which is suited for representing terrain and seabed data in a compact way. It provides an alternative to the well know raster and triangulated surface representations. An LR B-spline surface has an overall smooth behavior and allows the modeling of local details with only a limited growth in data volume. In regions where many data points belong to the same smooth area, LR B-splines allow a very lean representation of the shape by locally adapting the resolution of the spline space to the size and local shape variations of the region. The iterative method can be modified to improve the accuracy in particular domains of a point cloud. The use of statistical information criterion can help determining the optimal threshold, the number of iterations to perform as well as some parameters of the underlying mathematical functions (degree of the splines, parameter representation). The resulting surfaces are well suited for analysis and computing secondary information such as contour curves and minimum and maximum points. Also deformation analysis are potential applications of fitting point clouds with LR B-splines.

This book addresses the problems of mathematical relations between global and classical coordinate references from the practical applications point of view. It presents a large cartographic and numerical information set, which provides great values for practical and academical use based on the classical Albanian coordinative reference (ALB1986/ALB1987). This information is reflected from the positional point of view in the new modern Albanian satellite reference ALBPOS (Albanian Positioning System) or ALBCORS (Albanian Continuous Operation Reference Stations System). The main purpose of this Monograph is to summarize coordinative references applied in Albania in different periods, both classical and modern. Relevant transformation models between traditional/classical reference ALB1986 / ALB1987 and GNSS satellite reference are presented. The book furthermore recommends the mathematical models of the relationship in plan and height, between the Albanian classical reference and the global/European coordinate references (ITRF, EUREF). It serves to professionals involved in fundamental geodetic works as well as all working with GNSS or developing GIS applications.

This is an open access book. In view of growing conflicts over strategic georesources, the use of the geological subsurface in the sense of a regional resource is becoming increasingly important. In this context, georeservoirs are playing an important role for the energy transition not only as a source of energy but also as a storage facility and deep geological disposal for energy waste. The success of the energy transition also depends to a large extent on the efficient and safe use of underground resources.This book complements the previous basic book (GeomInt—Integrity of Host Rocks) with a series of application examples in different rock formations, clay, salt, and crystalline. The methodology developed in GeomInt is used, among others, in the Mont Terri underground research laboratory (Opalinus Clay), in the large borehole test in Springen (salt rock) and in the “Reiche Zeche” teaching and research mine (crystalline rock). In addition, new methodological developments are also taken up in experiments and models and embedded in workflows for geotechnical system analyses.The present book summarizes the results of the collaborative project “GeomInt2: Geomechanical integrity of host and barrier rocks - experiment, modeling and analysis of discontinuities” within the program: Geo Research for Sustainability (GEO: N) of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Thermodynamics is needed to understand many processes on Earth, be they physical, chemical, or biological. Thermodynamics is critical to study the atmosphere (lapse rate, fohn winds, circulation), hydrosphere (latent and sensible heat, pressure dependence of freezing/boiling points), geosphere (geothermal gradients, mineral stability) and the biosphere (redox zonation, evolution of biogeochemical cycles). This introduction to thermodynamics and equilibria aims to provide the basic concepts of relevance for atmospheric, marine, climate, and environmental sciences and to prepare students for more advanced classes in physical chemistry, mineralogy, and petrology.This is an open access book.

Quantitative assessments of the effects of global change on soil development are mostly focused on soil carbon, some nutrients, pollutants and soil water. Soil however is a complex entity with interacting biological, physical and chemical processes that are rarely modelled in its entirety. Additionally, for the sake of simplicity various soil properties are considered constants whereas in reality they are not. Soil as we observe it is the resultant of many processes driven by varying boundary conditions such as climate and organisms including men. This is not different when we study global change, thus modelling soil development under global change overlaps with modelling soil formation. This book gives an overview of what such model should entail, with ample descriptions to use SoilGen, a simulattion model to study pedogenesis.

This book shows how energy flow plays a major role in: plate tectonics; the formation of continents; ocean basins; and building mountains. Energy flow also produces and drives volcanos, Earth’s magnetic field, the wind belts, our weather, and ocean circulation. The studies of convection cells, eddies, and energy flow all contribute to our understanding of how they are all formed and driven. Insight accumulated during 55 years of research is presented using simple fluid mechanics. The mathematics is algebra. No calculus or advanced geometry is used, so the text is readable to a broad audience. Some laboratory and computer studies are described that help to visualize the applications. This book should appeal to anyone interested in how energy flow is responsible for much of the earth’s larger “workings”. In addition to the general public, these include people who work in applied mathematics, fluid mechanics, earth science, and climate.

This book examines agate provinces through the lens of plate tectonics, stratigraphy, agatization, and more. It delves into the physical and chemical properties of agate deposits, their environments of formation, and related silica deposits like opal, chert, and petrified wood. Examples, illustrations, maps, and thin-section photos illuminate structural, chemical, and temporal controls. Plate tectonics and lithotectonics are explored to provide a deeper understanding of the volcanic processes behind agate formation.

Mining waste management is an important issue for the mining industry since it entails the safe and responsible disposal of waste created during mining operations. This waste comprises tailing, waste rock, and other mining wastes that, if not adequately managed, can pose environmental and health problems. Effective waste management solutions are required to reduce the environmental impact of mining and preserve the long-term viability of mining operations. These initiatives include improving mining practices to reduce waste generation, establishing effective waste treatment and disposal systems, and participating in community outreach and education programme. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the use of new mining waste management technologies and practices. The adoption of modern filtration systems, bio-remediation techniques, and the rehabilitation of abandoned mining sites are examples of these. Overall, good mining waste management is critical for guaranteeing the mining industry; long-term sustainability and protecting the environment and communities where mining operations take place. Sustainable waste management is the implementation of practices and strategies that aim to minimize aim the negative impact of mining waste while promoting resource efficiency and long-term economic viability it involves employing a thorough approach that considers the entire mining waste lifetime, from generation to disposal, and seeks to reduce waste generation, reuse, or recycle items, and appropriately dispose of any remaining rubbish. It attempts to extend the life of materials while reducing the waste volume that is incinerated or dumped in landfills. To lessen the detrimental environmental, economic, social and effects in consumption, a thorough approach to sustainable waste management must concentrate on the life cycle of a product. Mining wastes can be categorized into overburden, waste rock, tailings and mine water. During  mineral extracted, beneficiated, and processed, mining wastes are produced. The first stage, known as extraction, which is  the first layer sacking of minerals. Typically, blasting is used to do this, which produces a significant amount of garbage (soil, debris and other material). This is usually only concentrated within the periphery of a mine rental place and occasionally on public land, and is useless to the industry. The amount of waste produced increases with the size of the mine. Because they produce far more trash than underground mines, opencast mines are consequently more pollutant-intensive. Use of tailing waste of iron mines with clay for producing bricks can lead to consumption of large quantities of the waste materials and managing it in an environmentally friendly way. On the other hand, it can reduce consumption of top soil for making bricks and improve construction materials availability. Similarly, for preparation of ceramics and polymer composite, these wastes can be used, which will help in solving social, environmental problem.

This book examines the capabilities for monitoring air quality, developing emission inventories, and running chemical-transport models for regulatory, forecasting, and research purposes in Southeast Asia. It also reviews scientific efforts made to better understand and characterize air pollution in the region. Poor air quality poses a threat to public health. It affects people's lives and undermines economic growth, but as in many other parts of the world, it has been overlooked in Southeast Asia. International assessments suggest that it is the culprit of 335-thousand premature deaths in the region each year, entailing a monetary cost equivalent to 6.75% of the regional GDP. Reducing air pollution requires concerted efforts from all Southeast Asian nations to implement local and regional air quality policies following a science-policy approach. For such endeavor, it is essential to develop tools that enable timely and reliable air quality management. This entails collecting data to characterize the magnitude, origin, and impact of air pollution to support corrective actions. The objective of this book is to provide a starting point for a science-based conversation about implementing solutions to Southeast Asia's air pollution problem by bringing together an analysis of the availability of air quality data and studies from across the region.

This book analyzes how major events such as the recent pandemic crisis, wars around the world and climate change, have affected agricultural production and the direct food supply. In this sense, human nutrition will never be off the agenda. The book provides information and guidelines for both practitioners and decision-makers about important developments in the use of agriculture, soil and water resources for agricultural purposes, including the effective and efficient use of soil and water resources where agricultural production, increasing water productivity, the use of modern technology and digitalization for this purpose. Accordingly, a number of chapters have been prepared by experts in the field, covering a variety of the above-mentioned objectives.

Toba, the name of a simple farmer from an ancient legend in a remote land, was given to a lake, a people, a volcanic crater, and recently a Geopark.  The name has many meanings, but to scientists such as volcanologists, geologists, and naturalists, Toba is synonymous with the greatest volcanic cataclysm in human history.  This monograph highlights the geologic events leading up to and following the super-eruption that occurred just 74,000 years ago and created Danau (Lake) Toba, the hidden gem of northern Sumatra.  Volcanologist Dr. Craig Chesner uses his vast knowledge of Toba to take you on an illustration-packed journey to this geological wonder.  Designed for the curious visitor to the Toba Caldera Geopark and the student of volcanology alike, this overview provides a concise account of the dynamic processes that have made Toba the focus of scientific research for over 125 years.  The connections between the forces of nature to the stunning landscape and its peoples are continually on display as this narrative addresses almost every aspect of Toba’s geologic origin and evolution, while encouraging global citizens to appreciate its unique status in Earth’s history and explore its many secrets.

This book compares how seismic fault activation can be described by frictional-based theories such as the rate and state theory or by a general dynamic plasticity approach such as the Cam-Clay theory. In this book, the leading edge of fault physics concepts that are best suited and applicable to assess the risk of leakage and induced seismicity associated with large-scale CO₂ storage in sedimentary basins are explored. It compares the hydromechanical response of faults under deviatoric loading at laboratory, field experiment and basin scales. A review of some key parameters that drive the brittle-ductile behavior of faults affecting the reservoir-caprock system is presented. It is suggested that more general plastic criteria than the Coulomb failure should be used to better account for the ratio between the bulk plasticity and localized frictional strength of a fault zone. Based on new field data, it is shown that most of the fault permeability increase occurs at the onset of activation due to bulk dilation, whereas shearing has less impact on the permeability. This is different from laboratory observations where shearing often results in strong permeability reductions. This last part leads to some new concepts that have not been discussed to date, such as the possibility of slow fault movements eventually evolving to earthquakes at timescales of years to decades, thus relevant to the time life of CO₂ storage permits.

This book describes the widely different concepts that have been developed about the general structure and origin of the Guiana shield during the last one hundred years. A review of the evolution of thoughts about the geological framework of the Guiana Shield shows that many problems discussed at present have deep roots in the past: is the shield essentially an Archean craton reworked and remobilized by later Proterozoic events, or is it the result of juvenile continental accretion around pre-existing Archean nuclei? Is the tectonic development comparable to that in the Archean or to modern orogenic processes, and what is the role of plate tectonics? All these questions have an immediate bearing on metallogenesis in the shield. On the basis of many published maps and stratigraphic schemes, advances in geochronology, geochemistry and structural geology, this book shows that many problems have still to be solved. It is based on thorough literature research, including many 'grey' papers in old conference proceedings that are not available digitally, written in the five languages of the Guiana Shield countries Dutch, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, collected by the author during the fifty years of his involvement in Guiana Shield research. One of the striking features is that from the beginning until the present day, there are discrepancies between the views of scientists from the northern Guianian countries Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana on the one hand, and the views of many Brazilian scientists in the south on the other hand, both sides commonly ignoring or neglecting the knowledge obtained by the other side across the rainforest-clad divide. Only a recent international cooperation programme opened the dialogue. By bringing together these views, the book contributes to a better understanding of the history of the Guiana Shield.

This book provides a quantitative fully reproducible delineation of ecoclimatic boundaries to ecoclimate classification. In contrast to previous classifications, the ecoclimate classification does not use the usual “climatological averages,” i.e., the average values of temperature and precipitation and not their indices, but the climatic parameters relevant to plant life (i.e., the length of thermal and hygric growing seasons) as ecophysiologically meaningful variables, as criteria for the delimitation of climate types, as an answer to many environmental questions and also to the global climate change debate. However, the ecoclimate classification model presented here has the potential to infer changes in vegetation cover from changes in climate and vice versa. It is in this context that the ecoclimate classification is a powerful tool for assessing the dimensions of habitat change for flora and fauna or, conversely, for inferring the shift of ecoclimatic boundaries from changes in vegetation cover caused by climate change.

This book summarizes recent advances in medical geology research (past 10 years), highlighting successes and future directions. Africa's growing awareness of the link between geological factors and disease drives this rapid evolution. Despite increasing research, dedicated resources and mentors remain scarce.Recent research focuses on the circulation of both beneficial and harmful elements in the environment and their entry into the food chain, impacting human health through complex metabolic processes. Understanding these processes, like metal metabolism, is crucial for elucidating disease aetiology, particularly for poorly understood conditions. Biogeochemical factors like bioavailability and dose-response relationships are also explored, demonstrating the multidisciplinary nature of medical geology and its role in clinical diagnosis.

This monograph presents a comprehensive geological and geodynamic justification for the construction of underground hydrogen storage facilities in salt-bearing formations of the Izmail district, Odesa region, Ukraine. The research applies an integrated Structural-Thermal-Atmo-Hydro-Geochemical Diagnostics methodology, combining satellite interpretation, morphostructural analysis, field measurements, and laboratory studies. A total of 278 land-based and 149 aquatic observation points were surveyed to assess permeability, geodynamic activity, and stability of the salt formation. As a result, fluid-impermeable and geodynamically passive zones were identified, confirmed as suitable for potential underground hydrogen storage development. The monograph provides scientific justification, mapping materials, methodological guidance, and recommendations for future engineering and feasibility studies on large-scale hydrogen storage in geological salt structures.

This monograph presents a comprehensive geological and geodynamic justification for the construction of underground hydrogen storage facilities in salt-bearing formations of the Izmail district, Odesa region, Ukraine. The research applies an integrated Structural-Thermal-Atmo-Hydro-Geochemical Diagnostics methodology, combining satellite interpretation, morphostructural analysis, field measurements, and laboratory studies. A total of 278 land-based and 149 aquatic observation points were surveyed to assess permeability, geodynamic activity, and stability of the salt formation. As a result, fluid-impermeable and geodynamically passive zones were identified, confirmed as suitable for potential underground hydrogen storage development. The monograph provides scientific justification, mapping materials, methodological guidance, and recommendations for future engineering and feasibility studies on large-scale hydrogen storage in geological salt structures.

The field of Luminescence Dating has reached a level of maturity. Both research and applications from all fields of archaeological science, from archaeological materials to anthropology and geoarchaeology, now routinely employ luminescence dating. The advent of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) techniques and the potential for exploring a spectrum of grain aliquots enhanced the applicability, accuracy and the precision of luminescence dating. The present contribution reviews the physical basis, mechanisms and methodological aspects of luminescence dating; discusses advances in instrumentations and facilities, improvements in analytical procedures, and statistical treatment of data along with some examples of applications across continents, covering all periods (Middle Palaeolithic to Medieval) and both Old and New World archaeology.  They also include interdisciplinary applications that contribute to palaeo-landscape reconstruction.

The work addresses the following questions in the context of interglacial climate dynamics: (i) What are the amplitudes of natural climate variations on timescales of several years to millennia? (ii) Do abrupt changes in the large-scale circulation of the Atlantic Ocean occur in interglacials? (iii) Which biogeochemical feedback mechanisms control the natural limits of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols? (iv) Which linkages exist between climate and pre-industrial cultures?The work is based on an integrated approach in paleoclimate research, in which all available paleoclimate archives (terrestrial and marine as well as ice cores) are combined in order to yield a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of global environmental variations. Moreover, through a close linkage be-tween paleoclimate reconstructions and results from Earth-system models detailed insights into the dynamics of climate variations are gained.

The first Catalogue of Meteorites from South America includes new specimens never previously reported, while doubtful cases and pseudometeorites have been deliberately omitted.The falling of these objects is a random event, but the sites where old meteorites are found tend to be focused in certain areas, e.g. in the deflation surfaces in Chile’s Atacama Desert, due to favorable climate conditions and ablation processes.Our Catalogue provides basic information on each specimen like its provenance and the place where it was discovered (in geographic co-ordinates and with illustrative maps), its official name, its classification type (class, and if applicable, weathering grade and shock stage), if it was seen falling or was found by chance, its total mass or weight, the institution where it is held, and the most important bibliographic references about it.

In view of the wide range of disciplines involved in Quaternary research, this book offers a one-stop resource for the Quaternary research community, since it reviews the latest techniques and provides an approach to how mollusk shell remains are used in the reconstruction of marine environments in southern South America. Written by specialists in the field, this monograph sets the scene for multidisciplinary research involving taphonomy, paleoecology, paleobiography, morphometry, shell mineralogy analysis and sclerochronology performed on mollusk assemblages and/or selected taxa, and offers a consistent picture of spatial and temporal environmental and climatic changes.

The evolution of the Argentina Continental Margin during the Quaternary and the stratigraphic and morphosedimentary configuration responded to climatic variability, oceanographic changes, glacioeustatic fluctuations and tectono-isostatic processes, which began to impact on the margin during previous geological periods. The final modeling of the margin was achieved in the late Miocene, when the interaction between the Antarctic and North Atlantic water-masses favored climatic and oceanographic changes with a profound effect on morphosedimentary features. In the Quaternary, the different regions of the margin distinctly responded to such changes. Whereas in the shelf the main modeling factors were the sea-level fluctuations of glacioeustatic origin and consequent marine-continental stratigraphic records, in the slope (particularly in the sector corresponding to the passive margin) the prevailing effect was the interaction between water-masses and the sea floor, giving origin to contouritic depositional systems accompanied of gravity processes responsible of turbiditic and mass-wasting deposits. Different relationships between contouritic and turbiditic facies respond to distinct combinations of oceanic circulation variability and the indirect effect on the sea floor of sea-level fluctuations.As a result of this complexity in the regional processes in the framework of the broad hemispheric oceanographic-climatic conditioning factors, the ACM can be considered as a complete archive for the Southern Ocean.