Blanca Bauluz
University of Zaragoza, IUCA- Department of Earh Sciences, Faculty Member
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Título: La mina de Zn-Pb "Virgen del Carmen" de Santa Cruz de Nogueras: morfología del yacimiento. Autores: López Ciriano, A.; Bauluz Lázaro, B.; Fernández-Nieto, C. Revista: Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Mineralogía, 1992;... more
Título: La mina de Zn-Pb "Virgen del Carmen" de Santa Cruz de Nogueras: morfología del yacimiento. Autores: López Ciriano, A.; Bauluz Lázaro, B.; Fernández-Nieto, C. Revista: Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Mineralogía, 1992; 15-1 Página(s): 301-305 ISSN: ...
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The Torrente de Cinca Unit was deposited during the Oligocene-Miocene transition in a carbonate precipitating lacustrine system. Previous sedimentological studies show that this system evolved through the time towards shallowe conditions.... more
The Torrente de Cinca Unit was deposited during the Oligocene-Miocene transition in a carbonate precipitating lacustrine system. Previous sedimentological studies show that this system evolved through the time towards shallowe conditions. The preliminary isotopic study of the carbonates displays variations among the oxygen and carbon values from the lower part ( deposited in deeper inner zones) are lighter than those of the upper part. The combination of the sedimentological and isotopic results allows us to suggest a change toward conditions of lower hydrological balance (precipitation/evaporation) during the sedimentation of this unit. on the other hand, the increase in vegetal remains was the responsible for a change towards ligther values of the carbonates of the upper part.
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Research Interests: Geology, Pedogenesis, Transect, Horizon, Catena, and 4 moreSoil sciences, Podzol, Soil Water, and Soil morphology
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Se ha estudiado la mineralogia (DRX y microscopia petrografica) de la serie Permo-Triasica de Rodanas (Zaragoza) en la Rama Aragonesa de la Cordillera Iberica. Esta constituida por secuencias granodecrecientes de areniscas arcosicas,... more
Se ha estudiado la mineralogia (DRX y microscopia petrografica) de la serie Permo-Triasica de Rodanas (Zaragoza) en la Rama Aragonesa de la Cordillera Iberica. Esta constituida por secuencias granodecrecientes de areniscas arcosicas, grauwacas feldespaticas y argillitas, en claro predominio de las rocas con tamano mas grosero. En la mitad superior de la serie aflora un nivel de areniscas con mineralizacion de Cu. Los resultados obtenidos confirman el caracter detritico de los minerales principales de estas rocas.
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La Formacion Blesa (Barremiense, Cretacico Inferior) es la primera unidad synrift de la subcuenca de Oliete (Teruel). En su parte inferior, esta compuesta por sedimentos continentales siliciclasticos y carbonatados, depositados de manera... more
La Formacion Blesa (Barremiense, Cretacico Inferior) es la primera unidad synrift de la subcuenca de Oliete (Teruel). En su parte inferior, esta compuesta por sedimentos continentales siliciclasticos y carbonatados, depositados de manera discordante sobre calizas de diferentes unidades del Jurasico que presentan evidencias de karstificacion. La Formacion Blesa se inicia con lutitas de colores grisaceos a ocres y rojizos que presentan bioturbacion por raices y abundantes fosiles de vertebrados continentales. Estos materiales tambien incluyen de forma local lutitas y margas con pisoides ferruginosos que sugieren el desarrollo de un suelo lateritico sobre el sustrato jurasico (Aurell et al., 2018). En este trabajo se exponen los resultados obtenidos del estudio mineralogico y textural de los paleosuelos lateriticos desarrollados en la base de la Formacion Blesa en el entorno de la localidad de Alacon (Teruel, Espana). Estos paleosuelos estan formados por una serie de niveles lutitico-margosos de 2 a 3,5 m de espesor que presentan tonos ocres-violaceos y que contienen abundantes pisoides ferruginosos de colores oscuros, compactos, con tamanos de 1 mm a 2 cm y con morfologias esfericas y ocasionalmente mas elipsoidales.
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Research Interests: Humanities and Art
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La Cuenca de Jaca (NE España) tiene una forma alargada en dirección E-W, paralela a la directriz estructural pirenaica. Está limitada por la Zona Axial al norte y las Sierras Exteriores al sur. El relleno de la cuenca tiene una edad que... more
La Cuenca de Jaca (NE España) tiene una forma alargada en dirección E-W, paralela a la directriz estructural pirenaica. Está limitada por la Zona Axial al norte y las Sierras Exteriores al sur. El relleno de la cuenca tiene una edad que va desde el Paleoceno al Oligoceno inferior. El relleno terciario, objeto de este estudio, es contemporáneo a la deformación pirenaica y se dispone de forma asimétrica, registrando una migración continuada de los depocentros hacia el antepaís (Teixell & GarcíaSan Segundo, 1995). La parte norte de la Cuenca está ocupada por las turbiditas (Eoceno inf.medio) del Grupo de Hecho que se acumularon en un surco marino profundo E-W. Este Grupo presenta, además, horizontes cartografiables de brechas carbonáticas y calcarenitas, de gran continuidad lateral y espesor de hasta 200m, denominadas “megacapas”. Las turbiditas presentan un espesor máximo próximo a 4500m. Los materiales de la Cuenca de Jaca fueron afectados por los sistemas de cabalgamientos de Gavarn...
Research Interests: Geology and Humanities
The occurrence of diagenetic kaolinite in sandstones has been described by different authors such as Nedkvitne and Bjorlykke (1992), Ehrenberg et al. (1993), Macaulay et al., (1993), Osborne et al. (1994), Beaufort et al., 1997, Arostegui... more
The occurrence of diagenetic kaolinite in sandstones has been described by different authors such as Nedkvitne and Bjorlykke (1992), Ehrenberg et al. (1993), Macaulay et al., (1993), Osborne et al. (1994), Beaufort et al., 1997, Arostegui et al. (2001) and Bauluz et al. (2008). Diagenetic kaolinite usually crystallized in two distinct sites: 1) forming aggregates of euhedral crystals within primary pores, and 2) constituting muscovite/kaolinite intergrowths.
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Halloysite and kaolinite have many similarities in structure, composition, and genesis. Both minerals are dioctahedral 1:1 layer silicates and are hydrated aluminium-silicates. Halloysite has the same theoretical chemical composition as... more
Halloysite and kaolinite have many similarities in structure, composition, and genesis. Both minerals are dioctahedral 1:1 layer silicates and are hydrated aluminium-silicates. Halloysite has the same theoretical chemical composition as kaolinite except for its higher water content because unit layers in halloysite are separated by a monolayer of water molecules. Halloysite has two forms, a more hydrous form with a single layer of water between the 1:1 layers, which is named halloysite-(10 Å), and a less hydrous form, termed halloysite-(7 Å). The presence or lack of water layers produces different basal spacings in the structure. The ideal unit formula for kaolinite is Al2Si2O5(OH)4 and Al2Si2O5(OH)4·nH2O, where n = 0 for halloysite(7 Å) and n = 2 for halloysite-(10 Å), respectively. Halloysite and kaolinite show variable Fe3+ contents in octahedral positions, and this substitution can be greater in halloysite (up to 12.8% of Fe2O3) than in kaolinite (up to 7% of Fe2O3). Kaolinite u...
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The aim of this study has been to determine the possible influence of several source areas the sedimentation which took place on the septentrional limit of the Ebro Basin (Central sector) during the Oligocene-Miocene. Such sediments... more
The aim of this study has been to determine the possible influence of several source areas the sedimentation which took place on the septentrional limit of the Ebro Basin (Central sector) during the Oligocene-Miocene. Such sediments correspond to the Sarinena Formation and were deposited in relation to alluvial systems coming from the north. In this study mineral and geochemical techniques have been combined with sedimentological data in order to get the aim. Studied sandstones (25) come from proximal alluvial fans located at the S of Sierras Surpirenaicas; from alluvial-fluvial fans (fluvial systems of Huesca); and from Sierra de Sis, located at the S of the Axial Zone. The mineralogical and geochemical data show that the alluvial sandstones would come mainly from carbonate areas (Sierras Surpirenaicas) and those and alluvial-fluvial from more heterogeneous areas and mainly with silica composition (Axial Zone). On the other hand, the compositional differences between the alluvial-fluvial sandstones and those collected from Sierra de Sis imply that, despite the latter acted as a channel for the alluvial-fluvial fans, its mineralogical or geochemical signature has not been reflected in the alluvial-fluvial sandstones. This may be due to the sedimentary process and to the addition of other sediments to the system during its crossing by the zone of the Graus-Trem Basin.
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Two profiles in Devonian marine deposits have been studied, consisting of pelites, subgreywackes, greywackes and quartzites. Quartz and clay minerals are major components and feldspar and calcite are minor ones. Phyllosilicates in the... more
Two profiles in Devonian marine deposits have been studied, consisting of pelites, subgreywackes, greywackes and quartzites. Quartz and clay minerals are major components and feldspar and calcite are minor ones. Phyllosilicates in the fine fractions are kaolinite and illite; kaolinite has a high degree of ordering; illite is predominantly of a 1Md polytype, with low Na content and poor crystallinity and has a phengitic composition in greywackes, whereas in pelites it is muscovitic in composition. Both phyllosilicates may be inherited from a source area with intensive weathering processes, although illite may also be a diagenetic phase. These mineral characteristics indicate that the Devonian rocks did not reach the anchizone boundary in their post-depositional evolution.The chemical composition of pelites and subgreywackes reveals a high degree of chemical maturity. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns indicate a higher degree of weathering of these Devonian sediments than of Post-Arch...
Research Interests: Geology, Geochemistry, Diagenesis, Clay Minerals, Devonian, and 3 moreFeldspar, Kaolinite, and Illite
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metamorphic vs. hydrothermal origin
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In the northernmost Calchaquí Valley (Salta, Argentina), the Paleogene continental sediments show a transition from smectite, at the top, to R3 I-S (>90% illite) through R1 I-S (65–80% illite), in contrast to the remaining sectors,... more
In the northernmost Calchaquí Valley (Salta, Argentina), the Paleogene continental sediments show a transition from smectite, at the top, to R3 I-S (>90% illite) through R1 I-S (65–80% illite), in contrast to the remaining sectors, containing smectite up to the bottom. Samples at the base of the succession were characterized by high-quality step-scan X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and analytical high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Analysis by SEM demonstrated dissolution of primary phases (feldspars, micas and quartz) and crystallization of illite, I-S and kaolinite. As this alteration is not pervasive, an intermediate fluid/rock ratio could be inferred. The lattice-fringe images of the samples from upper parts of the sequence show abundant I1-rich areas, whereas in the lower parts of the sequence, illite packets and I3 I-S coexist and compositions evolve towards muscovite (tetrahedral-charge increase, principally compensated by ...
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Ball clay deposits in the SE of the Iberian Range (NE Iberian Peninsula) consist of Albian clays and siltstones with greyish and blackish colors, interbedded with subbituminous coals. The ball clays are nowadays mined for the manufacture... more
Ball clay deposits in the SE of the Iberian Range (NE Iberian Peninsula) consist of Albian clays and siltstones with greyish and blackish colors, interbedded with subbituminous coals. The ball clays are nowadays mined for the manufacture of white color ceramics. The mineralogy of these deposits consists mainly of kaolinite, illitic phases, and quartz. The euhedral to sub-euhedral morphology of the kaolinites suggests their in-situ origin. The anhedral morphology of the illites and the presence of frayed illites suggest a detrital origin. At the micro-scale, authigenic kaolinite booklets are observed filling pores and forming mica/kaolinite intergrowths, in which the kaolinite grows between the cleavage sheets of pre-existing detrital mica. At nanometer scale, illite/smectite (IS) phases are detected forming interlayers with mica and kaolinite, and evidence of the replacement of mica by kaolinite is observed. The matrix consists of defective illite and kaolinite, and random mixed lay...
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The Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO) represents a global warm period (approximately 17–14.7 Ma) interrupting a long-term period of Cenozoic cooling. To elucidate if bauxitization took place in southeastern European mid-latitude areas during... more
The Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO) represents a global warm period (approximately 17–14.7 Ma) interrupting a long-term period of Cenozoic cooling. To elucidate if bauxitization took place in southeastern European mid-latitude areas during the MCO, we studied a section of undated massive karst bauxite (Crveni Klanac, CK) in central Dalmatia, Croatia, hosted in Upper Cretaceous limestones and overlain by Miocene Sinj Basin lacustrine deposits. Integrated mineralogical, morphological and geochemical analyses indicate the predominant mineral phases of the homogenous bauxite matrix are authigenic, subhedral to euhedral kaolinite and gibbsite. The in-situ mineralization was a consequence of pedogenic processes, indicating the CK bauxites formed autochthonously. In situ U–Pb zircon ages of the lower, middle and upper parts of the CK bauxite are very similar, dominated by Miocene and Oligocene ages, indicating that they all share similar protolith(s). Subsequent high-precision chemical abrasion-isotope dilution-thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS) analyses indicate a maximum depositional age (MDA) for the pre-bauxitic material of 16.9576 ± 0.021 Ma (2σ uncertainty, incorporating decay constant uncertainty). This MDA, a maximum age of autochthonous bauxitization, coincides with the onset of the MCO. Based on currently available geochronological constraints, the maximum timeframe for CK bauxitization was less than ~ 700 ka, which matches the records of the MCO in paleo-mid-latitude Europe. The potential imprint of pre-17 Ma bauxitization and contribution of older (i.e., Upper Paleogene) bauxite deposits resedimented to the CK profile, as well as degree of potential parautochthonous origin of the CK bauxites, is yet to be investigated. More than simply aligning with regional and local reconstructions of continental climatic conditions during the onset and the early stages of the MCO, the high degree of autochthony of the CK bauxites provide a precise climatic constraint. For in-situ bauxitization to occur in the southeastern parts of mid-latitude continental Europe, paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions must have had mean annual temperature greater than 17–22 °C and mean annual precipitation of more than 1100–1200 mm.
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Abstract The Eocene continental sequence investigated in this study belongs to the Salta Group; it was deposited in an intracontinental rift, the Salta Basin (NW Argentina) that evolved from the Lower Cretaceous to middle Paleogene. The... more
Abstract The Eocene continental sequence investigated in this study belongs to the Salta Group; it was deposited in an intracontinental rift, the Salta Basin (NW Argentina) that evolved from the Lower Cretaceous to middle Paleogene. The Salta Group contains the Maiz Gordo and Lumbrera Fms, spans the Paleocene-early Eocene, and shows excellent exposures in the region of the Valles Calchaquies. This research is focused on the continental facies of the Lumbrera Fm, which correspond to the early Eocene. We studied the mineralogy of the fine-grained beds of the Lumbrera Fm in five locations (Valle Encantado, Tonco, Tin Tin, Luracatao, and Obelisco) by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy in order to examine the vertical variations in clay mineralogy and their relations with global paleoclimatic changes registered during the Eocene. The microtexture of the authigenic smectite-type clays (Sm to I/Sm R0) suggests that they mainly originated by crystallization from glassy volcanic materials. The high reactivity of the glass precludes the use of smectite-type-clay formation as an indicator of specific paleoclimatic conditions in the studied sediments. In contrast, the formation of kaolinite in sections with very low smectite proportions and a strong degree of weathering in crystalline silicates reflects intense weathering conditions and is a useful paleoclimatic proxy in terrestrial sediments. Significant variations in kaolinite/muscovite ratios at the base and in an intermediate bed in the Lumbrera Fm at Valle Encantado suggest the presence of cyclic hyperthermals through the Ypresian stage that may be tentatively correlated with the Eocene Thermal Maxima 2 and 3, which are the largest events that have been identified at a global scale in early Eocene marine sediments.
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Found in the Upper Jurassic outcrops of Lourinhã, Portugal, and first published in 1997, the Paimogo dinosaur egg clutch is one of Portugal’s most remarkable fossils, with over one hundred eggs preserved in association with embryonic... more
Found in the Upper Jurassic outcrops of Lourinhã, Portugal, and first published in 1997, the Paimogo dinosaur egg clutch is one of Portugal’s most remarkable fossils, with over one hundred eggs preserved in association with embryonic bones, of the allosauroid theropod Lourinhanosaurus. However, many questions about it have remained unanswered, even until the present day. After its discovery, this extraordinary fossil became the keystone of a small local museum, greatly kick-starting regional tourism, while also holding the fossils in trust for future generations to study. More than 20 years later, continually sustained paleontological interest from the public has even given rise to both a highly successful dinosaur theme park in the region and an aspiring UNESCO Geopark. Recently, a multidisciplinary team of preparators, paleontologists, sedimentologists, mineralogists, and geochemists revisited an unopened jacket from the original excavation using an array of techniques to address various questions. Studies are ongoing, but the corpus of information obtained and the methodologies utilized to gather data have offered an opportunity to design an exhibit around the history of the Paimogo clutch, highlighting the scientific methods involved, and asserting the importance of preserving geological heritage for the future, when new tools will doubtlessly become available to provide yet another new look at old fossils. Here, we describe our analytical procedures and present an innovative exhibit designed to introduce to the public the latest advances on the research behind an iconic piece of Portuguese geoheritage, increasing its value both as a research item and as an educational resource.
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Research Interests: Geology and Geochemistry
The aim of this study is to analyze natural clinkers (= calcined clays by coal combustion) from a lower Cretaceous coal outcrop in Ariño (Teruel, NE Spain) in order to describe mineral and textural transformations produced during the... more
The aim of this study is to analyze natural clinkers (= calcined clays by coal combustion) from a lower Cretaceous coal outcrop in Ariño (Teruel, NE Spain) in order to describe mineral and textural transformations produced during the spontaneous combustion of coal. To achieve this aim, samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and optical and electron microscopy. Spontaneous combustion resulted in the melting of the surrounding clays, with the generation of an Al–Si-rich vitreous phase. Subsequently, high-temperature phases crystallized from this vitreous phase. These new minerals are interesting due to their similarity with those formed during ceramic processes, used in the manufacture of stoneware and ceramic tiles, as well as in refractory ceramics, and with natural events such as metamorphic and igneous processes. The studied natural clinkers are composed of vitreous phase mullite, hematite, hercynite, cristobalite, quartz, pyroxenes, cordierite, gypsum, pyrite, and calcium ...