Applied Geology and Geophysics

The research staff is actively involved and planss to develloped applied reseach that includes:

• Characterization of shallow subsurface and fractured media. The shallow subsurface provides most of our natural resources and is the host of our waste. High resolution characterization of the shallow subsurface is mandatory in order to locate and determine the network of fractures to prevent leakage in natural underground repositories for natural gas, CO2 trapping, deposits for urban and hazardous waste, and large social infrastructures (super fast trains, tunnels, pipelines, underground transport, etc.). A specific case is the characterization of the subsurface in urban areas where the noise-to-signal ratio is extremely high. This Team is involved in projects funded by the FP6 program and by private companies.
• One of the topics that are coming up is the sustainability of the mineral supplies, especially within Europe. For example the FP7 is starting to favor the generation of European Technological platforms on sustainable Mineral Resources ( ETP-SMR-4D). Thus, the team is aiming to develop research/interest in the characterization and generation of 4D Model studies of ore bodies and lithospheric models for their generation, through the participation in EU-FP7 projects and through contracts/cooperation with service companies (CGG-Veritas, NORSK-HYDRO, REPSOL). These activities currently include research within the Iberian Pyrite Belt and the archean Greenstone belts in South Africa. This theme also fits within that of arc-continent collision and forms an integral part of research, which is lead by a member of the team.
• Acoustic probing of the internal structure of the water column and its physical implications ( GO, GEOCEAN). Recent publications have revealed that marine seismic reflection datasets can image the internal structure of the water column delineating internal wave-fronts. These structures are due to differences in the composition and physical parameters of the water, in particular to the salt content. The images of this thermohaline structure have direct implications on physical oceanography and climate change studies.
• Application of geological and geophysical methods to hydrocarbon research and exploration. This research includes structural geology, stratigraphy, integrated modelling of present-day crustal and lithospheric structure and thermal evolution. The goal is to evaluate possible favorable structures for oil trap and placement as well as thermal condition for oil maturation. These investigations are being developed in several settings as Zagros, North Caribbean margin and Norwegian margin and financed by oil industry.

Links to Research Projects:

• Natural Resources Oriented Research
• Zagros
• Norwegian Margin
• NW Cuba
• IGCP 524
• Fundamental Processes of Radionuclide Migration: FUNMIG
• Geophysical Oceanography: GO

Institut de Ciències de la Terra "Jaume Almera"
Lluís Solé i Sabarís s/n
Tel: +34 93 4095410
Fax: +34 93 411 0012
08028 Barcelona, Spain