Move and LithoTect for free

Dr. Alan Gibbs, director of Midland Valley Exploration, has announced in the Geo-Tectonics list that their software Move2009 (which includes 2DMove, 3DMove and 4DMove) is now available for free to universities for teaching and research.

He recommends contacting MVE through their website or using this email: help@mve.com

Move2009, as described by MVE, is “fundamentally different from other geo-modelling and model building software as it incorporates geological time into the modelling process. Other modelling tools simply create good-looking models from the present day interpretations, ours turn the modelling process into a rigorous analytical activity involving geological time, with interoperability support of modelling environments and the ability to easily transfer files between all Move components. Using our products geoscientists can continually challenge and test their assumptions and thereby gain a far deeper understanding into the structural geology they are modelling”.

Is that the only geo-modelling software available for building and balancing cross sections and general structural modelling? No. In the same list, Dr. Robert Ratliff, development director of Geo-Logic Systems, reminds that their software LithoTect is also available for free for universities (as it has been for many years). This software combines the power of geological modelling with a very attractive conditions in terms of available platforms and licensing conditions.

Well, the choice is in your hands. Perhaps you want to make a comment comparing both suites?

Earthquakes in Google Earth

A good habit I have acquired during the last months is to take a look to the recent seismic activity of a region before starting to work in there, in order to get a quick idea of what is going on. This habit can be more illustrating that it initially seems.

USGS provides a KMZ file with a very friendly and attractive interface for Google Earth. It loads the major earthquakes in our planet for the last 7 days, classified by time (Last hour, Last day, Last week), and by magnitude (from 1 to 8). If you click on each individual earthquake, you will open a box with its basic information and the url link for opening in your browser the complete information about it.

You can load this file in your Google Earth from the dedicated USGS website for seismology:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

It is on the left, "Google Earth KML". Anyway, the direct link to the file is:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/catalogs/eqs7day-age.kmz

The interface also loads plate boundaries and convergence rates, measured in mm/year. I haven't found the source of the rates, but let's accept that if the data comes from USGS, should be fine. The plate boundaries included in the KMZ file are:

- Subduction zone.
- Oceanic transform fault.
- Oceanic spreading rift.
- Oceanic convergent boundary.
- Continental transform fault.
- Continental rift boundary.
- Continental convergent boundary.

Of course, don't expect a very precise location for the plate boundaries! It is just an indication of the global tectonics of each area, in order to put the earthquakes in a correct geodynamic context.

Personally I find this KML file very useful, not only for the very up-to-the-date information given, but also for the boundaries, the rates... Useful thing when we have to prepare a simple figure in Corel or Freehand for a report.

Again, the links:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/catalogs/eqs7day-age.kmz

There are more KML's and KMZ's providing similar information, but that will be for another day.

Enjoy!

Graphical templates for Structural Geology

We all need from time to time to print a stereographic projection net, a Kalsbeek counting net or a rose diagram. Courtesy of Holcombe, Coughlin & Associates (http://www.holcombecoughlin.com) today we bring you a document (pdf format) with several graphical templates for structural geology (and mineralogy too!):

http://www.holcombecoughlin.com/downloads/HCA_templates_for_structural_geologists.pdf

The content of the document includes the following diagrams:

Stereographic projection nets (several sizes, 20 cm, 15 cm, 10 cm and 5 cm):

- Lambert equal area projection (Schmidt net).

- Polar equal area projection.

- Equal angle projection (Wulff net).

Rose diagram net

Kaalsbeek counting net

A simple but very useful document, as we can have in a single pdf all the basic diagrams we can need in the field. Now print it and start to plot data!

Obituary of Prof. Maurice Mattauer

I have read today in the Geo-Tectonics distribution list the obituary of Prof. Maurice Mattauer, who passed away on the 8^th of April of 2009. I copy it here, and please accept my apologises for the late posting, but I just read that this morning:

Homage to Professor Maurice Mattauer *

** Holding the latest scientific advice that he wanted to give on the earthquake of Aquila in Italy, to appear in the "Gazette de Montpellier", 9 April of this year, Professor Maurice Mattauer died accidentally at his home April 8 2009.

Born in 1928 in Sentheim (Alsace), he makes his higher education in Besançon, he joined the CNRS in 1951, to conduct a thesis in Ouarsenis Algérien, then it will work for the service of the Card. He returned to France, appointed Professor at the University of Montpellier in 1959 where he became the leader of the team of Structural Geology. It will remain at his post as leader of Geology montpelliéraine until 1996, then Professor Emeritus of the University of Montpellier 2 until 2003. It will continue until the last few days, to come to the meeting of young researchers and former students to give its advice and criticism.

Motivated and dynamic teacher, he brought his passion for geology, rocks and fossils, to generations of students, who followed his footsteps and then raised his voice and his methods in other universities.

His books and numerous publications in the direction of specialists in the discipline "Tectonics" or the general public to share his love of the mountains and rocks all have a huge national and international success.

The mountains were his passion, and has published numerous works in "écumant " first outcrops around Montpellier, discovering in himself, with his legendary flair, fossils largest in the region such as dinosaur eggs from the Upper Cretaceous. It will launch here the foundations of the modern tectonic mapping is special for students awarded by Montpellier. It shows the importance of observing the microstructures in the understanding of mountain ranges.

After the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Massif Central where he will propose the first coherent tectonic models, he embarked on the visit of the mountains of South America and Asia, in cooperation with the Andean countries and China. He will also visit the Mountains of North America, but also the Mediterranean for which he published in 2008, the last scientific article, full of new ideas and always served by the quality of its graphics innate.

All persons who have approached Maurice Mattauer and all students have recognized him quickly an outstanding scientist and passionate living for his Science.

It forms part of this, these few men, leading others by communicating their passion to advance or to excel. It was, ultimately, a chance to have met!

During his career Maurice Mattauer has received numerous awards and honors, especially the prices of Geological Societies of France and Belgium and the Academy of Sciences.

He was also promoted to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor.

Pr. Maurice Brunel, Montpellier

* His funeral have been held in Grammont-Montpellier on Tuesday 14 April *

Mw 6.3 Earthquake in Italy

We got up this morning with the terrible news from Italy, where last night an earthquake affected significantly the location of L’Aquila in the Central Apennines region resulting in more than 90 killed (so far, at 14.00 GMT, and surely the number will increase in the next hours).

The Apennines are an accretionary wedge formed as consequence of the subduction of the Adriatic microplates under Italy from east to west, whilst from the south to the north the convergence of Africa against Europe builds the Alpine orogen and opening the Tyrrhenian sea to the west of the Italic peninsula.  

I won’t extend much in this entry; you can read better and more updated information in the news:

Powerful Italian quake kills many (BBC website)

Magnitude 6.3 – Central Italy (USGS website)

"Eine verlässliche Vorhersage war es auf keinen Fall“ (Tagesschau.de, in German)

Sadly an Italian geophysicist predicted the event –kind of–. We cannot rely on predictions. We cannot expect –yet– to trust correlations between indirect measurements and seismic phenomena. What we can do?

What we can do as geologist is help the authorities educating people, promoting the knowledge of geohazards and how to behave in the case of an Earthquake. Authorities have in their hands the power of approve correct standards for construction. A 6.3 earthquake shouldn’t have caused any fatality in a rich country like Italy. Why it has been like that? Seismicity in the Central Apennines is not new. Historic earthquakes include the one  of 1997 (Mw 6.0) which includen in a period of 2 months several M5.0 events (the Umbria-Marche seimic sequence).

Our support to the people in despair for this earthquake.

(Later I will update this article with some images and corrections... I am sending this from my email!)

Tonga and bad science

In the recent weeks we have witnessed through the media the eruption of the Tonga submarine volcano reaching the oceanic surface. Spectacular images make us feel small in this wonderful planet. The volcano is emerging day after day and, as reported by Associated Press, it is located at 10 km from the main island, Tongatapu, in a cluster of nearly 60 other volcanoes.

A few days after after the volcano got protagonism, the media also informed of a relevant earthquake in the area, happened on the March 19th, 2009. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake shaked the conctact between the Pacific, also in the vicinity of Tonga.

Well. No. Not really. I mean, yes, it happened, but not in the "vicinity of Tonga". It happened 260 km of the location of the volcano. Anyone with a slight knowledge of geology would think: "Yeah, they are close, relatively, but surely not related at all".


This thought didn't pass through the mind of the responsible of choosing the title of the news in the BBC website...: Quake may have caused eruption. Well, why do they choose this title if the video doesn't make any connection between both events? Very few people would have seen the video (hey, it's science, not a celebrity in Cannes), and most of the readers have kept in mind just that: The earthquake and the volcano may be related.

It is hardly explainable how an earthquake in such a tectonic framework (an oceanic convergence) can cause, or trigger, or affect a volcano 250-300 km away. Both phenomena are perfectly understandable if we take them independently. So, why the story in the news? Possibly is easier to sell the story like that.

I remember how difficult is to explain people how two events can happen at the same time but be absolutely independent: "Sorry, are you saying that the tsunami in Sumatra is not related with global warming? but... surely is related. We destroy our planet! And anyway, you work with satellites, you haven't been in the field". Argh.

Anyway, the good news is that there is not any material harm, and general news are talking about geology. Woohoo.

(Reading about the Tonga volcano and the earthquake I got know the blog of Maria Brumm, "Green Gabro". Take a look, is well worth doing it)

Virtual Seismic Atlas

During the 80's the explorationists had in their shelves the unique work of A.W. Bally, "The Seismic Expression of Structural Styles", published by AAPG ("AAPG Studies in Geology" series). This atlas presented and explained in several volumes different seismic lines of all around the world and touched all different types of deformation and deposition. But new times mean changes. Geology isn't an exception to this rule, and for a few years we have available online the Virtual Seismic Atlas.


The Virtual Seismic Atlas is an independent and free project based in contributions by public and private organisations and companies. It collects paradigmatic examples of seismic in differente regions, tectonic / sedimentary frameworks, deposition environments, etc. It is possible to browse it using different criteria (environment, types of structures, depositional environment and so).

http://www.seismicatlas.org/

The Virtual Seismic Atlas is sponsored by BG Group, Shell, BHP Billiton, StatoilHydro, HESS, NERC and PESGB. It also counts with the collaboration of British Geological Survey, The Geological Society, CGG Veritas, Fugro, Badley Geoscience and Midland Valley. The project director is Rob Butler, and it is hosted in the servers of the Universidad de Leeds.