Carbonate Depositional Systems and Interaction with salt diapirs in Central Portugal

Recently, Geo Logica tailor-suited a field training course in Portugal for a major energy company, focusing on carbonate depositional systems and interaction with diapirs. Together with carbonates specialist Prof. Ana Azerêdo from FCUL’s Geology Department, Geo Logica run another successful field trip in the Lusitanian Basin:

https://ciencias.ulisboa.pt/pt/noticia/25-05-2023/excursao-geologica-de-campo-na-bacia-lusitanica

During its preparation, became clearer that several outcrops in the Lusitanian Basin present excellent examples of the interplay between carbonate depositional systems and salt structures. The work developed resulted in Geo Logica’s new field course that highlights the implications of halokinesis on carbonate facies distribution, reservoir properties and source rock distribution as well as trap geometry and seal properties.

This 4-day field course in central Portugal entitled “Carbonates & salt structures” is available at request for companies, institutions and groups.

Related Links: https://www.geologica.xyz/geotraining

I.G.I. Partnership: Together we go further

New Partnership with IGI Ltd.

It is a great pleasure to inform that Geo Logica just started a partnership with IGI (www.igiltd.com) to run joint field trips in Portugal, which will cover a multitude of themes, including Petroleum Systems, Geothermal Energy and Gas Storage. 

The Lusitanian Basin, in the Lisbon and West Country region of Portugal, is an open geological gallery, with records of rifting (opening of the Atlantic Ocean), basin inversion (ongoing Africa-Eurasia collision), magmatic activity, salt tectonics, and of life on Earth in the last 200 million years. 

Nature is spectacular, with many outcrops in coastal cliffs, the weather is field-friendly during most of the year, and the region is easily accessible, with numerous sites of historical interest, if you ever get bored of looking at the rocks!

To find out more information, please see our joint field trips page here, or consult Geo Logica website (www.geologica.xyz).

Carnival GeoAdventure Vias Ferratas

This was a two-day adventure into inner remote Portugal to climb two via ferrata while understanding how plate tectonics work. We went up to go along a 460-440 millions year old beaches deposited by extinct seas that have been raised, folded and faulted throughout millions of years into the vertical.

On the first day geoadventures learned and practice basic techniques on a low difficulty Via Ferrata in Serra do Muradal while discovering the sediments deposited by Rheic Ocean, an ancient ocean that no longer exits.

On the second day GeoAdventurers climbed a 2100m long grade K3 Ferrata, crossing two suspended cable bridges, and ending in Siza Viera Watch Tower in Serra das Talhadas while discovering the result of collision between continents that created super continent Pangea.

Come with us discover a planet in constant change❣️🌍

Tides of Change!

Praia da Ursa, Parque Natural Sintra-Cascais, Lisboa, Portugal 2021

This is my favourite beach in Lisbon area and is always a great pleasure to bring people here.

This time was a climber eager to climb classic routes while learning more about geology. A short easy climb along a rotten mafic dike intruding granite! At by the time we got on top, the tide was going up.
These fotos were taken from the top of Calhau dos Corvos, while a abseiling it. No need to say that we ended up in the water and walked to the shore!

Many geological wonders can be seen at this amazing beach. More will follow.

Come see Earth’s logic. Come with us see a planet in constant change ❣️🌎

Climbing Ancient Beaches!

Geo adventures at Santa Luzia, 2020

It was a cold but sunny January day back in 2020, when we decided to go climb a via Ferrata at Santa Luzia Dam near Pampilhosa da Serra. Our early arrival wasn’t in fact that early, but was really a cold day! Usually on weekends if not difficult to find rock climbing the northern side routes were already crowded (Photo Below). But on this day we were by ourselves! All alone on this amazing rock face with an amazing geo History.

To put it simple, the rocks exposed here are Ordovician in age (Arenigian to Llandeilian), i.e. were deposited 485 to 458 million years (Ma) ago, during the first part (Lower) of the Paleozoic Era.

At this time, large areas of sandy to muddy beach and shelf environments were being deposited in this region. In fact during the Lower to Middle Ordovician much of central Europe, Iberia and North Africa and America shared these same environments. These were the seas where the trilobites lived, and where it is possible today to find their fossil tracks (Cruziana ichnofossils, aka trace fossils)

For the next 100 Ma, still during the Paleozoic Era, the sands and shales were buried and gently heated, being transformed in sandstones and shales.

Later during a mountain building process called Variscan/Hercynian orogeny, at the end of the Paleozoic Era, the sandstones and shales were buried even more and folded at the same time. This led to metamorphism, i.e. changes in the composition and structure of the rock by pressure and temperature, that transformed the original beach and shelf sediments into quartzites and schist.

During this orogenic process the rocks were “squeezed”, folded and faulted, reason why nowadays the rock units, such as the quartzites in the photo, are tilted near vertical and faulted.

From then to the present day, the softer schists sequences were eroded more easily than the rigid quartzite units, leading to what is known as differential erosion. That explains the origin of the Santa Luzia.

Come with us on a Geoadventure of a lifetime❣️🌍

Get Out There!

Circo de Gredos, Castilla y León, España 2020

In the mountains, as in life, even familiar places are in constant mutation.

When always in the same place, things might look static, but upon absence, the return brings a different view, a different perspective.

The rhythm in which change happens depends on the environment but also on the observer point and time of view.

Depending on the timescale that you look at, nature will always surprise with constant evolution.

That are no winters that look the same. The are no identical days. Earth is in constant change.

Come with us to see the logic❣️🌎

Spread the Wor(l)d: GeoEducate!

Mbeya, Tanzania, 2012

Education is paramount to create a better world.

Sustainability can only be achieved if we collect as much as we give. Only If we learn as much as we teach. If we provide the tools to those that can really make the difference.

Everywhere, anytime, to everyone.

Follow the Earth’s logic❣️🌎

Jimma, Ethiopia, 2008