Showing posts with label geology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geology. Show all posts

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Weird. Soil in flames causes burns in Chilean tourists



CHILE. In the town of Lautaro, province Cautín - a strange phenomenon occurred in the Isabel Riquelme National Park when a tourist couple,Francisco  Catalan  and Paola Vergara - from the capital of country - Santiago - were seriously injured, burned 'by the earth - when they were passing in a determined point of the Reserve.


The Park. IMAGE: YOUTUBE

The victims, who suffered second-degree burns, were medicated in the Clínica Alemã in the city of Temuco  - the provincial capital. Catalán had to be hospitalized. The youths were walking without problems when, suddenly, his feet began to sink into the soil that was in burning coals beneath the surface.


Paola was the first to be caught up by the burning soil. She immediately screamed and fell, bending her knees. Catalán, in effort to help his girlfriend, also was seriously injured with arms, hands and legs burned. Until now (02/20/2014) the phenomenon was not explained.

SOURCES
Pololos resultaron con graves quemaduras tras caminar sobre tierra caliente en Lautaro.
SOY CHILE, 20/02/2014
[http://www.soychile.cl/Temuco/Sociedad/2014/02/20/232130/Pololos-resultaron-con-graves-quemaduras-tras-caminar-sobre-tierra-caliente-en-Lautaro.aspx]
Pareja sufrió graves quemaduras por extraño fenómeno en Temuco.
CHILEVISON, 19/02/2014
[http://www.chilevision.cl/noticias/noticias/nacional/pareja-sufrio-graves-quemaduras-por-extrano-fenomeno-en-temuco/201402-19/220731.html]

Friday, June 29, 2012

Canary Islands: El Hierro island rises five centimeters in four days


Mar de Las Calmas, Canarias Islands

CANARIAS ISLANDS. The magma pressure detected in the Canary island of El Hierro has caused in the past four days on the island deformation of four to five inches vertically and horizontally three to four, as reported Thursday (28/06/2012) by the General Directorate of Security Canary Islands Government.

The energy released has reached 420,000 million joules, a fact which, together with the ground deformation, evidences the magmatic process acceleration on the Canary Island.

The General Directorate of Security (Dirección General de Seguridad del Gobierno de Canarias), which coordinates the Civil Protection Plan of Islands Volcanic Risk) (Plan de Protección Civil ante Riesgo Volcánico de Canarias), said that since the beginning, when was detected the magmatic activity, last Sunday, have occurred in El Hierro over 750 earthquakes.

The largest earthquake, with magnitude of 4.0 on the Richter scale, occurred at 18:55 hours Wednesday in Mar de las Calmas, 2 km from the coast and 20 km deep.

The seismic activity began in the sea of the Gulf (north of El Hierro) and then was propagated to the center of the island, coinciding with the point of intersection of the grooves and then - migrated to the west. At the noon of June 25, the seismicity was concentrated in an area that includes the west and the dorsal side of the El Julan, and at noon, on June 27 the focus of the earthquake begins to migrate towards to the Mar de las Calmas.

According to the esoteric geology, the Canary Islands are one of the few portions of land that remained above the sea level after the major part of the territory, that housed the mythical civilization of the Atlanteans disappearing completely, submerging in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

SOURCE: La isla de El Hierro se ha elevado cinco centímetros en sólo cuatro días.
El Mundo/Spain, published in 28/06/2012.
[http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/06/28/ciencia/1340883064.html]

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Discovered - The first volcanic cave in Brazil



IMAGES: PARANAShop [look sources]


BRAZIL, Parana's state. It is a ancient scientific dogma: at Brazil - volcanoes do not exist for a long time, so long that there's no more traces of some of them that can have existed in the past.

But, now - in the nearby the city of Palmital, (state of Parana, southeast region of the country), a cave, the first cave that - in its origin was a volcano - was discovered (in February, 20 of 2012). Called Stone House, the cave was a volcano in an epoch determined in 130 millions of years ago. It is located there more than 800 meters in altitude relative to sea level.

The cave that is mainly - formed by basalt rock was - possibly, a volcanic conduit-type giant, hitherto - unknown in Brazil - explains the scholar of Geography, State University of the Midwest (Unicentro), Ricardo Geovane Calixto, a one of the responsible for scientific discovery.

The cave that is mainly - formed by basalt rock was - possibly, a volcanic conduit-type giant, hitherto - unknown in Brazil - explains the scholar of Geography of the State University of the Midwest (Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste - Unicentro), Ricardo Geovane Calixto, a one of the responsible for scientific discovery.

Geovane, along with the teachers of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC), Wellington Barbosa de Silva and Eliza do Belém Tratz, made ​​the speleological and geological reconnaissance of the area. They will start exploration in the coming days. For them, a discovery of this type of cave is a the beginning of a study on the origin of the formation of the called - Third Plateau of the Serra Geral (Serra = geological formation, something like Sierra or mountain range).




The volcanic caves, also known the lava tubes are formed during the eruption of volcanoes. After going through the surface - provoking the forming of rivers of lava - the exposure to the cooling in the surface of earth, results in the solidification of the lava,

By this way, appears a crust that will be becoming increasingly thicker, until the formation of a tunnel made of solid lava. To the extent that decreases the flow of liquid rock mass, the tunnel begins to stay with the configuration of a cavity , resulting in volcanic ducts.

The caves originate from geological processes That may involve a combination of chemical transformations, tectonic, biological and atmospheric. Due to the unique environmental conditions of the caves, this ecosystem has Specialized wildlife to live in dark and without vegetation


The owner of the farm where the "Stone House" cave is located, Basilio Burei, has discovered the geological formation - there 60 years ago, during a persecution of wild pigs. Since then proceeded to call the place of the Stone House.

Mr. Burei tells: "Back then you could see traces of fire inside the cave, trees and plants charred too". Basil, will cede the area to research. According to the Municipal Secretariat of Environment and Tourism of Palmital (Secretaria do Meio Ambiente e Turismo de Palmital), Miguel Burei Sobrinho, some photos of the cave were distributed in social networks and - since then, researchers from more than five states have shown interest in know the place.

This discovery represents a mark for the study of geology in the country and the insertion of Palmital's city in the Brazilian map of the geological science of the country, not only for Brazil's scientists but to foreign researchers too, said the secretary. He also informed that the city intends to partner with universities to increase the incentive for research and tourism in the region.




State Representative (deputy) Rasca Rodrigues (PV - Partido Verde, something like Green political party), requested in 2006 - during his tenure as State Secretary of Environment and Water Resources (Secretaria Meio Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos) - an official study of 260 registered caves in Paraná. The study was conducted by the Speleological Research Group of the State.

Still according Mr. Rasca: This is a heritage that must be preserved. This cave is a proof of Palmital that sustains the knowledge that our state has its geological formation consists of volcanic eruption. In the coming days we will go present a project of law to protect the Parana caves (all of them - the caves of the surface and the underground caves. A specialized company will map the region.

The Secretary adds: The study conducted in 2006 showed that many caves located near urban areas have been damaged by the lack of a conservation policy. If all the caves of Paraná were in the hands of people like Mr. Basil Burei, we would not have this preoccupation.


* NOTE OF the EDITOR OF THIS BLOG: The Secretary could have avoided the last observation. This is wrong. The council has - yes - the obligation of to care of this things, and not stay waiting the citizens, that pay taxes, to make the work of authorities of to preserve the historical and geological heritage of the country.


SOURCES:
Descoberta 1ª caverna originária de vulcão do país.
BEM PARANA, published in 02/03/2012
[http://www.bemparana.com.br/index.php?n=207639&t=descoberta-1-caverna-originaria-de-vulcao-do-pais-]
Primeira caverna originária de vulcão do país é descoberta no Paraná.
PARANAShop, published in 02/03/2012
[http://www.paranashop.com.br/colunas/colunas_n.php?id=33387&op=notas]
Translated by Lygia Cabus


Friday, June 18, 2010

Mystery: Brackish water of a pit reaches 60 degree centigrade without explanation



CEARÁ – At Missão Velha city, dwellers of the siege Riacho Seco are scared with a phenomenon still not explained by geologists. The water of a pit located in the backyard of the agriculturist Mr. Marcelo Barros Santana, suddenly, became hot to a temperature above 60 degrees centigrade. The suction pump of water was burnt but according to the technician Mr. José Rodrigues, who examined the machine, was not the defect that caused the warming water.

The geologist Mr. Raimundo de Oliveira Romcy, who visited the site, believes the phenomenon has a geothermal cause, like a wave of steam that has could pass through earthly fissures in the crust or even some chemical reaction among minerals salts. The geologist, then, recommended emptying the well but water, renewed, continued hot. The water from that well was brackish and, because this, the water was only used for certain domestic services.

The case can only be clarified after the examine water in laboratory. The fact that intrigued the geologist is that the heating only occurred in one of the pits of the region that receive water of the same underground source.

SOURCE: VICELMO, Antonio. Cacimba com água quente intriga populares.
IN Diario do Nordeste – published em 06/18/2010
[http://diariodonordeste.globo.com/materia.asp?codigo=801325]