ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY

Author: CASTAÑEDA DEL ÁLAMO MARÍA DEL CARMEN.
Year: 2003.
University: ZARAGOZA [www.unizar.es].
Place of defense: EDIFICIO GEOLÓGICAS. FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS.
Place of preparation: GEOLÓGICAS. UNIVERSIDAD DE ZARAGOZA.

Summary: Wetlands are areas of priority concern in environmental policies aimed at the conservation of unique habitats. Wetlands in arid environments described in other countries are often in desert areas of Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas, while in Europe have a very low representation. The salt of Bujaraloz-Sástago subject of this thesis, is one of the very few samples of this habitat type in Europe; conservation is threatened by the conversion of irrigated land in the platform endorreica where they are located. In these wetlands with unique confluence aspects biotic aspects abiotic no less interesting for being less studied. The valuation of the salt requires knowledge of those aspects and their disclosure, including those responsible for managing the territory. The aim of this thesis has been studying the salty southern Monegros using field data and satellite available, extracting information about their retrospective facies and its state water. This (i) have been dealt with Landsat images from 1985 to 2000, using the little water available observations, (ii) are integrated field observations, current and other authors, with the information provided by the satellite images. This has discriminated and cataloged five facies within the salty, whose track would know the possible alteration associated with, for example, the installation of new irrigation, (iii) there has been progress in the understanding of the hydrological regime of salt, on the one hand, exploring their behavior with respect to precipitation and evapotranspiration, and on the other hand updating the water balance in the platform and several salt selected, (iv) finally were assessed changes in salted in recent decades and its current state by establishing indices for quantifying the comments and systematize their study. The thesis reflects the current state of salted water and its regime, and also the methodology proposed for both studies makes it possible to integrate new data. These can arise from advancing the transformation of the territory or introduced new criteria for assessing salt. It also could incorporate comments on the effluent irrigation, soil parameters topographies or updated, if you want to tweak the water balance. The recognition is a wetland of international concern, so there are many studies that use remote sensing as a basic tool of work. In southern Monegros, satellite imagery acquired for further studies combined with the observations of existing water had partially filled the lack of any institution interested in monitoring the return of the salty water. That, together with data from the current state of salt taken in the limited field campaign, has been included in a geographic information system. This has served to bring together disparate and contrasting comments disjointed, from different sources, and some of great historical value. It is open to complete the task and continue this work, but at the moment the record presented here is the only one available in recent decades in the history of these wetlands. Knowledge of the salty, dissemination of their values and official recognition being hampered by circumstances such as: the legal vacuum that exists to qualify as geological heritage, cultural or natural lack of information for its evaluation as a unique saline wetlands of international importance; and discredited in their social environment.

Author: FERNÁNDEZ ESCALANTE A. ENRIQUE.
Year: 2004.
University: COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID [www.ucm.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD CIENCIAS GEOLÓGICAS.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS GEOLÓGICAS.

Summary: The main issues which have been developed are: - The study of the state of affairs of artificial recharge of aquifers (hereafter AR), including an analysis of the legal framework. It has been concluded that this technique has little consideration in legislation hydraulic country, although the platform for application is appropriate. - It has been a hydrogeological characterization of the Basin Santiuste, with contributions to knowledge of the aquifer in nature geological, hydrogeological, climatic, hydrological, and so on. It should be noted that the aquifer has been formed by filling of paleocubetas constituting a "cascade". - There have been eight different sectors through GIS, defining the concept of Unity Hidroambiental (UAH) as a unit of management for operations of RA. The hydrochemical characterizations of water from the aquifer have identified different environments and hydrochemical reactions prevalent in the aquifer in a distributed manner, and provide the qualitative evolution of the groundwater. We have tried two new isorrelaciones ionic: nitrates / total iron and oxygen / oxygen into groundwater, with positive results. - Was updated inventory of wetlands in the study area and vicinity, and marked up 85 with a new system. Most have a very poor state of conservation. It viable regeneration of some operations by RA induced type. - To monitor the evolution of wetlands has been raised a checklist of environmental impacts. It has designed a system of 20 indicators of environmental pressure and state and predesigned 15 other response. For the evaluation has designed a multi-site evaluation of horizontal histograms supported in a system rangos-pesos. - Have been designed sketches and prototypes of new devices for treatment of soil and aquifer (TSS), which would improve the water quality of HR, minimize evapotranspiration, preventing and controlling processes colmatantes, operate "optimal" with cycles frost or avenues, controlling the flow of air to the aquifer and the effect Lisse, concluding that the most effective measure for the proper operation of the AR is the pretreatment of the water before it enters the system. - A proposal has been made location of these devices within the Basin Santiuste, which could be used in other similar scenarios. To do so would be required pilot plant or tranches pilot to test new technologies. - Ultimately, it should be noted that the lessons learned so far indicates that the area is conducive for RA, which extrapolates the method and that the consequences are beneficial overall. The SR-operations must have an integrated approach to environmental protection will be on each system. - Disclosure of aquifer recharge may provide some insights this technique, and therefore, which can be applied in a wider range of experiences. This disclosure believe to be conducted on a general level, that is, of all people, by the administration and competent technicians.

Author: LEÓN LUNA IVÁN MARTÍN.
Year: 2004.
University: VIGO [www.uvigo.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DEL MAR.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD CIENCIAS DEL MAR.

Summary: At the estuary of Pontevedra for over thirty years has been growing very successfully mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. We study the influence of this activity aquaculture in the sedimentary record recently on various physicochemical properties. Particular emphasis has been placed on the speciation of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn, Pb, As, Hg), combining various sequential extraction techniques. We chose four witnesses of gravity in growing areas and three witnesses in areas not under the mitilicultura. The results indicate that low funds bateas accumulates to a greater number of minerals autigénicos as pyrite, fine materials and organic carbon in areas not subject to this activity aquaculture, and living conditions causing a greater degree of anoxia in the sediment. Systems bateasa actuán as a sink of chemical elements, resulting in a surface enrichment of heavy metals Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn. The degree of piritización (PDO) is high, being higher in funds bateas that in the free areas of bateas. The atmosphere sedimentaio geochemical defindo by the PDO is in rust-free zones bateas, while in areas with bateas ranged entrre subóxico to anoxic. The mitilicultura also influences the speciation of heavy metals. In areas without bateas heavy metals prevailed in the residual fraction with values between 44 and 74%, while in the biodepósitos more than 33% of the heavy metals (Cu, Pb, As, Hg and Zn) were found in the fractions not waste sediment distributed in varying proportions in oxihidróxidos of Fe and Mn, organic matter and sulphides, suggesting that they are likely to be transferred to the water column before aerobic processes remobilization of these sediments. We performed aerobic oxidation pilot of the sediments studied and there was a release of metals to the aqueous phase marine who was found by the decline in the total concentration of heavy metals and fractions oxidables sediment. The Cu was the only metal to be released in quantities can be toxic to marine organisms, which is reflected in its high risk factor (greater 2), both in the samples drawn in areas without bateas as in the areas with bateas.

Author: RENDON RIVERA ALBEIRO DE JESÚS.
Year: 2004.
University: BARCELONA [www.ub.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE GEOLOGIA.
Place of preparation: UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA.

Summary: Vall de Nùria is a major tourist center in the Pyrenees Orientales of Spain. There is accessed through a train Rack. The area under study has an area of 31 cm2, which is characterized by being in a valley V where landslides are the main geomorphic process, some of which have affected the normal operation of the train. This problem led to the completion of this investigation, whose purpose was to design and implement a methodology for assessing the dangerousness by landslides along the railway. The application of the methodology involved an integration of all information AreGis / AreInfo at 1:2.500, whose basic unit for the analysis was the transit corridor. The main outcome of the investigation was the classification of the transit corridors, according 4 categories of danger: very high, high, medium and low, according to the calculation of an index of danger, which allowed the transit corridors rank higher to a lesser danger, as it was a technical approach prioritization for the management of the prevention and mitigation of risk.

Author: CARCAVILLA URQUÍ LUIS.
Year: 2005.
University: AUTÓNOMA DE MADRID [www.uam.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS.

Summary: The thesis discusses in depth the concepts of geological heritage and geodiversidad, in order to propose specific methods for research, conservation and management also addresses the relationship of both issues with the protected natural areas and discusses the current status of gracious protection of geological elements in Spain. The aim of the thesis is to provide an overview of the geological heritage and the geodiversidad, in isolation analyzing the different aspects of his study, and relate them to subsequently propose a comprehensive management system based on the documentation and assessment of the elements composed, as well as analysis of the problems and conservation initiatives disclosure and use. To design a method of study of geological heritage have been analyzed connotations scientific, technical, cultural, social, economic and conceptual possessed, as they reflect the framework that puts the issue of its management and in particular, for its conservation . It proposes a comprehensive study of geological heritage based on independent analysis and interrelated's intrinsic value, the potential for use and the risk of degradation of the elements of the geological heritage in the territory. In this thesis proposes a method of studying the geodiversidad, defined as the presence, abundance and distribution of a series of classes geological differentiated mainly by criteria litológicos, cronoestratigráficos and geomorphological. It also discusses the relationship of geodiversidad to biodiversity and geological heritage. Since these three concepts are closely related and management often goes hand in hand. Because the disclosure of geological heritage and geodiversidad represents a further stage in the management of them, describes the main lessons developed in this regard in Spain, and lays the groundwork to be directing it, especially as regards the interpretation the parts. Once analyzed the various aspects mentioned in the thesis proposes a management system that links them, based on the design of integrated management plans, which reflect the essential characteristics of geological heritage and geodiversidad the territory to which they relate and , which embodies the combination of actions to ensure their preservation and presentation.

Author: FLOR BLANCO GERMAN.
Year: 2006.
University: OVIEDO [www.uniovi.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE GEOLOGIA.
Place of preparation: DEPARTAMENTO DE GEOLOGIA.

Summary: The study's main purpose is to know the basics about the morphological characteristics, sediment dynamics and estuaries of the three westernmost of Cantabria: Tina Mayor, Tina Minor and San Vicente de la Barquera. The main variables have focused on the dynamics of each estuary, embodied in a mixture of river water and mareales, controls the waves and tidal salt and a mere reconstruction of the current systems. There were zonificado geomorfológicamente in the longitudinal: complex estuary, bay sand or cantos-gravas and sand plain muddy channel and higher characterize the different units morfosedimentaris and dynamic (facies). There have also been given the variables and granulometric composition (silica / carbon bioclásicos), with greater emphasis on fractions sandy. Thus, proposed for each model sediment transport. It has analyzed the historical evolution particularizada to establish patterns of behavior naturles, highly variable, as well as those relating to the denaturation / conservation, as data necessary to develop future policies of coastal management. At a later stage, have been compared most closely related, Mayor Tina and Tina Minor, which have a greater reliance on running river (river flow and significant fractions sedimentary gross), and the most easterly of San Vicente de la Barquera which is a unit minor river systems, but the fractions are thinner and sedimentary cover an area larger entity.