Earth Sciences Commons^™

Badenian (Middle Miocene) Calcareous Nannofossils From Paglisa (Cluj District): Biostratigraphical Importance, Carmen Chira, Erika Szabo, Constantin Ianoliu

Studia UBB Geologia

The calcareous nannofossils from the Middle Miocene (Badenian) formations from Pâglişa (Cluj district) are typical for the Lower and Middle Badenian, respectivelly Moravian and Wielician (or Langhian). The detailed study of the calcareous nannofossils from the Pâglişa section revealed the presence of the nannoplankton assemblages belonging to the NN5 and NN6 zones. They have been remarked 40 species of calcareous nannofossils. There are mentioned especially the most representative species and their biostratigraphical significance.

Genesis Of Magmatic Derived Ore Deposits. 4 – Hydrothermal Metallogeny (Geneza Zăcămintelor De Origine Magmatică. 4 – Metalogenia Hidrotermală); A Şti Sau A Nu Şti. Adevărurile Vieţii Lui Emil Racoviţă, CăLin G. TăMas̡, Bogdan Petroniu Onac

Studia UBB Geologia

No abstract provided.

Heavy Metal Soil Content As An Indicator Of Pollution, Ana-Maria Rusu, William Dubbin, Nicolae Har, Katalin Bartok, William Purvis, Ben Williamson

Studia UBB Geologia

Two soil sample series were collected from 7 contaminated sites situated along a transect from the pollutant source, Zlatna copper ore-processing plant, and analyzed using different analytical methods. The soils collected in 1998 were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after extraction with DTPA for trace metals and those collected in 1999 were analyzed with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) following two acid digestion procedures. The DTPA extraction procedure produced lower results than the acid digestions. Also, the pH values for all samples was measured and the results obtained during autumn compared with those in spring after a …

Minerale Geme Asociate Genetic Ofiolitelor Mezozoice Si Gheizeritelor Neogene, Din Muntii Apuseni De Sud, Ioan MâRza, Ciprian Constantina

Studia UBB Geologia

The paper studies the geological formations of the Geoagiu- Hărţăgani- Vălişoara- Brad region (Southern Apuseni Mountains) focusing on the content in gems minerals. Based on the field and laboratory reasearch, several perimeters of geological interest have been identified: Luncoiu Valley- Lunga Valley, Vălişoara Valley- Orăzii Valley, Baiţa-Crăciuneşti, Hărţăgani and Sanatoriu (Brad). Geologically, the minerals of gem quality (quartz, chalcedony, jasper) and they associate genetically and spatially with ophiolites, with the exception of the Brad silicolite- gems which represent geyserites generated by the neogene volcanism.

Precise U-Pb Zircon Dating Of The Syenite Phase From The Ditrau Alkaline Igneous Complex, Dinu Pană, Ioan Balintoni, Larry Heaman

Studia UBB Geologia

The Ditrău igneous complex represents the largest alkaline intrusion in the Carpathian-Pannonian region consisting of a plethora of rock types formed by complicated magmatic and metasomatic processes. A detailed U-Pb zircon age study is currently underway and the results for the syenite intrusion phase is reported herein. The U-Pb zircon emplacement age of the syenite of 229.6 +1.7/-1.2 Ma documents the quasi-contemporaneous production and emplacement of the gabbro and syenite magmas. We suggest that the syenite and associated granite formed by crustal melting during the emplacement of the mantle derived gabbroic magma around 230 Ma. The thermal contact aureole produced …

New Data Concerning Mn Bearing Minerals From Rosia Montana, Metaliferi Mountains, Romania, Marcel Benea, Laurent Bailly, CăLin G. TăMaș

Studia UBB Geologia

The paper gives new evidences on some mineral species from Romanian epithermal ore deposits. Microprobe analyses were used to identify the chemical composition of gangue and alteration minerals from Roşia Montană gold deposit. Special attention was given to rhodonite, rhodochrosite, and adularia.

Major Elements Geochemistry Of The Breiner Baiut Ore Deposit (Gutai Mountains, Eastern Carpathians), Dan Costin

Studia UBB Geologia

The Breiner Băiuţ epithermal vein – type deposit is basically a base metal ore body with important amounts of gold and silver. The frequency distribution pattern of the major elements (Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, Cu, S) is complex in many cases, but at some mining levels it is lognormal. The correlation coefficient "r" has been calculated for six pairs of major elements. The values are positive and indicate strong correlations between these elements. The average grades values for each major element at all levels have been used to highlight the vertical variation of chemistry of the mineralization. The ore body …

Geologic And Isotopic Models For The Carpathian Crystalline Evolution, Ioan Coriolan Balintoni

Studia UBB Geologia

The majority of Carpathian metamorphics protoliths have TDM model Sm/Nd ages between 1.6 and 2.0 Ga. This suggests an important episode of continental crust formation after the 2.0 Ga. The Biharia lithogroup (Apuseni Mountains) and the Tulghes lithogroup (East Carpathians) furnished Zircon U/Pb ages from metagranitoids and acid metavolcanics, respective, around 500 Ma; this is a sign of existence of some Lower Proterozoic protoliths among Carpathian metamorphics. The bimodal intrusions which are piercing the volcano-sedimentary sequence of Paiuseni lithogroup in Highiş Massif (Apuseni Mountains) have given Permian ages on Zircon U/Pb data. The Paiuseni lithogroup probably represents the fill of …

Diffusion Coronas Around Quartz Xenocrysts In Basaltic Andesite From Capus (Cionca Hill, Gilau Mountains - Romania), Nicolae Har, Ana-Maria Rusu

Studia UBB Geologia

Diffusion coronas consisting of Al – poor pyroxene (augite), glass and silica polymorphs are developed around the quartz xenocrysts in the olivine basaltic andesite from Cionca Hill (Gilău Mountains). The quartz of xenolitic origin was magmatically corroded and sometimes reacted with the basaltic melt. According to the time of coexistence between quartz and the basaltic melt, two different spatial disposition of the pyroxene of reaction can be noticed. For a shorter reaction time the Al – poor pyroxene are commonly tangentially to the quartz rim while for the crystals which presumably had longer reaction time the pyroxene are radially from …

Date Noi Privind Compozitia Mineralogica A Siltului Lutitic De La Dumbrava, Judetul Cluj (New Mineralogical Data On The Clayey Silt From Dumbrava (Cluj County), Lucreția Ghergari, Corina Ionescu, Cristina Mariș

Studia UBB Geologia

New Mineralogical Data on the Clayey Silt from Dumbrava (Cluj County). New mineralogical data on the lutitic silt occurrence from the Dumbrava (Cluj County, Romania), based on TEM and X-ray diffraction studies, are presented in the paper. Mainly kaolinite, and subordinately illite and illite/montmorillonite represent the mineralogical compounds of the clayey fraction of the rock. The lutitic silt represents a local facies, sedimented in subaquatic environments (a small lake or pool) after a short-distance transport from the sources. The source for the brown clays was probably a paleosoil formed nearby magmatic rocks. The source for the light coloured clays (creamy …

Igneous Protoliths Of The Biharia Lithotectonic Assemblage: Timing Of Intrusion, Geochemical Considerations, Tectonic Setting, Dinu Pană, Ioan Balintoni

Studia UBB Geologia

The oldest U/Pb isotopic age data for the Apuseni Mountains were determined from the Biharia meta-igneous assemblage. Two granitoid bodies yielded 489,6 ± 6,9 Ma and 502 ± 4,2 Ma ages. The geochemical data suggest an island arc tectonic setting for the Biharia meta-igneous protholits.

Hydrologic And Microclimate Characterizations Of Thornton’S Cave, West-Central Florida (Usa), Dorien K. Mcgee

Studia UBB Geologia

A cave’s environment is controlled by a suite of factors unique to the environments in which they formed, including, but not limited to, regional geologic and climate settings. These factors collectively owe to wide variations in cave biology, geomorphology and overall speleogenesis. This report combines local climate, hydrologic, and CO₂ data collected over the course of a two-year study at Thornton’s Cave, a partially-flooded cave in the West-Central Florida karst belt, to characterize its current environment and yield insight regarding how changes in regional climate and hydrology impact its past and future speleogenesis. Data loggers continuously monitoring cave and …

Sedimentary Succesion Of The Lower Cretaceous Deposits From The North-Western Part Of Pădurea Craiului (Apuseni Mountains, Romania), Daniel F. Lazar, Ioan I. Bucur, Ioan Cociuba, Emanoil Sasaran

Studia UBB Geologia

Within the general succession of the Lower Cretaceous deposits from the Vârciorog-Dobreşti area (Pădurea Craiului Mountains), carbonate and terrigenous deposits were identified. The limestones were assigned to two distinctive lithostratigraphic units: the Valea Măgurii and Vârciorog formations. Based on the orbitolinids Palorbitolina lenticularis and Mesorbitolina texana their ages are assigned to the early Aptian, and respectively late Aptian–Albian. The terrigenous facies mainly include fine grained deposits (clays, siltites, marls) and, to a lesser extent, coarser ones (glauconitic sandstones and conglomerates), and they are attributed to the Ecleja and Vârciorog formations. The marls of the Ecleja Formation have been observed in …

The Importance Of Craniofacial Sutures In Biomechanical Finite Element Models Of The Domestic Pig, Jen A. Bright

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Craniofacial sutures are a ubiquitous feature of the vertebrate skull. Previous experimental work has shown that bone strain magnitudes and orientations often vary when moving from one bone to another, across a craniofacial suture. This has led to the hypothesis that craniofacial sutures act to modify the strain environment of the skull, possibly as a mode of dissipating high stresses generated during feeding or impact. This study tests the hypothesis that the introduction of craniofacial sutures into finite element (FE) models of a modern domestic pig skull would improve model accuracy compared to a model without sutures. This allowed the …

Calcareous Nannofossils And Sedimentary Facies In The Upper Cretaceous Bozeş Formation (Southern Apuseni Mountains, Romania), Ramona Balc, Lóránd Silye, Luminita Zaharia

Studia UBB Geologia

The lithology, sedimentology and biostratigraphy of the Bozes Formation, which crop out in the SE Metaliferi Mountains (Apuseni Mts.) have been investigated in order to establish the age of the deposits and the depositional environment.

The sedimentary structures and facies are interpreted as indicating a deep-water depositional environment, representing part of a submarine fan lobe. Three facies assemblages have been identified and described. Calcareous nannofossils were used to determine the age of the investigated deposits. The presence of Lucianorhabdus cayeuxii and Calculites obscurus indicates the CC17 biozone, while UC13 Zone is pointed out by the continuous occurrence of Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis …

Vent-Fault Spatial Study Of Selected Volcanic Fields Of Southwestern North America And Mexico, Michelle Leonard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Of fundamental concern in volcanic hazard and risk assessment studies of volcanic systems is what role crustal structures might play in the ascent of magma through the crust. What are the processes that govern the spatial distribution and timing of eruptions, especially in populated areas or near sensitive facilities? Many studies have drawn the conclusion that faults play a critical role as easily–exploitable crustal weaknesses along which magma can ascend. Great care must be used when assuming a causative relationship between patterns of vents and faults especially when such relationships may be incorporated into hazard assessment models or other forecasting …

A Mineralogical Study Of Late Bronze Age Ceramics From Palatca (Transylvania, Romania), Lucretia M. Ghergari, Carmen Stâncel

Studia UBB Geologia

Our paper studies the mineralogical and petrographical characteristics of 28 ceramic fragments that were excavated in the village of Palatca, Transylvania (Romania). Optical microscopy, X-Ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), grain size analyses, and porosity measurements were used to investigate the samples. Our objective was to describe or reconstruct the corresponding products and to elucidate the manufacturing process, the firing techniques, and the transformation pathways. Based on our results, we conclude that the Late Bronze Age ceramics (1600-1300 BC) were produced from clay and temper material such as river sand and ceramoclasts. It has been modeled by hand …

Geology Of National Parks Modules For The Spreadsheets Across The Curriculum Library, H. L. Vacher, Thomas C. Juster, Judy Mcllrath, Mark Rains

Geology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

First Year Morphological Evolution Of An Artificial Berm At Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Katherine Brutsche, Ping Wang

Geology Faculty Publications

This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) documents the sediment characteristics and first year morphological evolution of an artificial berm placed just offshore in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, based on a series of field data collection periods during the first year after the berm construction.

Swimming Performance Of Epigeal And Hypogeal Species Of Characidae, With An Emphasis On The Troglobiotic Stygichthys Typhlops Brittan & Böhlke, 1965, Francisco Alexandre Costa Sampaio, Paolo Santos Pompeu, Hersília De Andrade E Santos, Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira

International Journal of Speleology

Swimming performance of fish constitutes a good ecophysiological tool to evaluate the ability of species to use different types of habitats. In order to understand how the swimming performance is related to the hydraulic environment, we compared the critical velocity of five fish (Characidae): Stygichthys typhlops (groundwater troglobiotic); Piabina argentea and Bryconamericus stramineus (riverine); Hemigrammus marginatus (generalist, found in rivers and floodplains) and Psellogrammus kennedyi (lacustrine). Swimming speed tests were performed in a respirometer-type apparatus. Total body length was the variable that best explained the maximum speed attained by all species under study. The critical swimming speed values (in body …

Relationship Between Carbon Dioxide In Balcarka Cave And Adjacent Soils In The Moravian Karst Region Of The Czech Republic, Jiří Faimon, Monika Ličbinská, Petr Zajíček

International Journal of Speleology

Carbon dioxide concentration, air temperature, and humidity were monitored at (1) two cave sites and (2) three adjacent karst soils. The data over a one-year period are supported by dripwater chemistry and cave visiting frequency. The results indicate that the sources of cave CO2 are anthropogenic and epikarstic ones in addition to ordinary soils. Epikarstic CO2 produced under almost stationary conditions probably control dripwater chemistry and cave’s CO2 maxima. Based on breathing and door opening, anthropogenic activity affects instantaneous cave CO2 levels, depending on site volume/position and visitor number. A conceptual model of the CO2 dynamics of the soil-cave system …

Scientific Drilling Of Speleothems – A Technical Note, Christoph Spötl, David Mattey

International Journal of Speleology

This short article provides detailed descriptions of custom-made and commercially available hand-held drilling gear and options for water-flushing units specifically designed to obtained good-quality core material from speleothems even in remote cave regions. We use small-diameter (6-7 mm) diamond drill bits to obtain aliquots of calcite (as little as a few hundreds of milligram) from the interior of the basal part of in-situ stalagmites. These small cores are used to date the onset of stalagmite growth and occasionally to obtain other compositional information. Larger diameter drill bits produce cores 25-32 mm in diameter and up to 1.3 m in length …

Measurement Of Luminescent Banding In Speleothems: Some Techniques And Limitations, Bryan E. Crowell, William B. White

International Journal of Speleology

Speleothems, especially flowstone and cylindrical stalagmites, exhibit phosphorescence which is often banded on the scale of a few tens of micrometers. The luminescence bands are paleoclimatic records with a very high temporal resolution. A technique has been developed using a laser source and a high resolution Raman spectrometer with microscope and computer-controlled translation stage for both luminescence profiles and luminescence spectroscopy. Luminescence intensity could be measured as a function of traverse distance with a spatial resolution of 2 – 3 μm. Potential sources of error include loss of intensity due to radiation damage by the laser beam, irregularities, cracks, and …

Identifying The Link Between Lineament And Cave Passage Trends To Comprehend Fractures Continuity And Influence On The Kinta Valley Karst System, Solomon Kassa, Bernard Pierson, Weng S. Chow, Jasmi B. Ab. Talib

International Journal of Speleology

The Kinta Valley karst landscape is characterised by residual limestone hills scattered all over the valley. The aim of this study is to ascertain the link between lineament and cave passage orientations, and to identify the main fracture controlling the karst features. To achieve that, standard cave surveying and direct lineament extraction techniques, from a 2.5m resolution spot image, were employed. Six trends of lineaments were obtained from the remnant limestone hills, and their main orientation appears to be in the NNW-SSE. Similarly, various caves were surveyed and mapped; their passage orientation analyses reveal that NNW-SSE is the prominent direction. …

Chemical Defense In The Cave-Dwelling Millipede Brachydesmus Troglobius Daday, 1889 (Diplopoda, Polydesmidae), Slobodan E. Makarov, Ljubodrag V. Vujisić, Božidar P. M. Ćurčić, Bojan S. Ilić, Vele V. Tešević, Vlatka E. Vajs, Ivan M. Vučković, Bojan M. Mitić, Luka R. Lučić, Iris Ž. Đorđević

International Journal of Speleology

The troglomorphic millipede Brachydesmus troglobius Daday, 1889 (Polydesmida: Polydesmidae) secretes allomones from glands on both lateral surfaces of its body segments. The secretion was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis with electron and chemical ionization, and was shown to be composed of a mixture of benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, benzoylnitrile, benzoic acid and mandelonitrile benzoate. Hydrogen cyanide was qualitatively identified by the picric acid test. This is the first identification of these compounds in a cave-dwelling polydesmid.

Volcanic Caves: Priorities For Conserving The Azorean Endemic Troglobiont Species, Paulo A.V. Borges Prof., Pedro Cardoso, Isabel R. Amorim, Fernando Pereira, João P. Constância, João C. Nunes, Paulo Barcelos, Paulino Costa, Rosalina Gabriel, Maria L. Dapkevicius

International Journal of Speleology

Azorean lava-tubes and volcanic pits adequately sampled for arthropod fauna were evaluated for species diversity and rarity. An iterative partial multiple regression analysis was performed to produce a multi-criteria index (Importance Value for Cave Conservation, IV-CC) incorporating arthropod species diversity indices but also including indices qualifying cave geological and management features (e.g., the diversity of geological structures, threats, accessibility). Additionally, we calculated complementarity solutions (irreplaceability and Fraction-of-Spare measures) for each cave with different targets per species, i.e., the minimum number of caves needed for each species to be represented either once or twice. Our results clearly show that to preserve …

Cover: Volume 41, Issue 1

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Chemoorganotrophic Bacteria Isolated From Biodeteriorated Surfaces In Cave And Catacombs, Filomena De Leo, Agnese Iero, Gabrielle Zammit, Clara E. Urzi

International Journal of Speleology

The main objective of this work was the comparative analysis of a large number of bacterial strains isolated from biodeteriorated surfaces in three different sites, namely the catacombs of St. Callistus in Rome, Italy, the catacombs dedicated to St. Agatha in Rabat, Malta and the Cave of Bats in Zuheros, Spain. Our results showed that even considering only culturable chemoorganotrophic bacteria the variability is very high, reflecting the great variety of microhabitats present. Hence any strategies to prevent, control or eliminate the biofilm-embedded microbiota from an archeological surface should take into account a number of considerations as stipulated in our …

Duality Of Terrestrial Subterranean Fauna, Tone Novak, Matjaž Perc, Saška Lipovšek, Franc Janžekovič

International Journal of Speleology

Terrestrial animals in subterranean habitats are often classified according to their degree of morphological or ecological specialization to the subterranean environment. The commonly held view is that, as distance into a cave increases, the frequency of morphologically specialized, i.e., troglomorphic, species or ecological specialization will increase. We tested this hypothesis for the fauna in 54 caves in Slovenia–the classical land for subterranean biology. We found that there exist two ecologically well separated terrestrial subsurface faunas: one shallow and one deep. 1) The shallow subterranean fauna, adapted to the terrestrial shallow subterranean habitats (SSHs) in the upper 10 m of subsurface …

Speleogenetic Effects Of Interaction Between Deeply Derived Fracture-Conduit Flow And Intrastratal Matrix Flow In Hypogene Karst Settings, Alexander Klimchouk, Elizaveta Tymokhina, Gennadiy Amelichev

International Journal of Speleology

In carbonate rocks, especially in those with high primary porosity such as most Cenozoic carbonates, the interaction between deeply derived rising flow through sub-vertical fracture-controlled conduits and intrastratal matrix flow of shallower systems can invoke mixing corrosion and result in prominent speleogenetic effects. This paper outlines a conceptual model of such interaction and provides instructive field examples of relevant morphological effects from two different regions within the Prichernomorsky (north Black Sea) basin, where karst features are developed in lower Pliocene, Eocene and Paleocene limestones. In the Crimean fore-mountain region, extensive steep to vertical limestone scarps formed through recent exposure of …