Over recent years, a group of researchers from several universities and research centers, coordinated by Rogelio Linares, Professor, Department of Geology and Geological Survey researcher Cabinet Planning and Environmental Analysis of the UAB-GATA – have been geomorphological out applied research in the area of the central Pyrenees Catalan. Part of the results have been published in a special issue of the journal Acta Geodynamics .

The publication, coordinated by some of Europe’s leading specialists, corresponds to a selection of papers presented at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly held in Vienna in 2009.

It is a multidisciplinary research focused on the study of ancient geologic record shock caused by karst. Specifically, we have studied some forms of more than 250,000 years old-tuff-domes are virtually unknown in Europe and previously described only in Australia. Located in the Conca de Tremp (Lleida), is a type of volcanoes that rise as a result of groundwater discharge, under a hydraulic conditions and hydrochemical particular aquifer at a given geomorphological context.

One of the most important aspects of research and has attracted interest from the international scientific community is the similarity between these species have “hills formed by water” with a gigantic forms identified in several regions of the surface of Mars.

Since, in the case of this work, forms generated by the discharge of cold groundwater, the question arises whether their “big sisters” of Mars may have a similar origin. The interest of the analogy is apparent in the context of the search for water on Mars.

The researcher Alexis Rodriguez of the Planetary Science Institute Tucson, Arizona (USA), one of the world experts in hydrogeological aspects Mars, considers the ways described and types of training proposed by Rogelio Linares and colleagues have a vested interest to interpret the geological origin of newly detected on the surface of Mars.

For this reason, after a visit to the Conca de Tremp, both researchers have jointly initiated new work to deepen the understanding of this unusual Martian landform in Catalonia. These studies will also be involved other researchers in the U.S., Japan and China.

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References:

Linares, R, Rosell, J, Roque, C. Gutierrez, F (2010). “Origin and evolution of tufa mounds related to Artesian springs in Isona karstic area (Pyrenees, NE Spain)” Act Geodynamics, 23/1-3: 129-150

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More information (pictures):

http://www.uab.es/uabdivulga/img/UAB_MarteCataluña.jpg

Illustration of the morphologies recognized in Isona (Cuenca de Tremp, Lleida) and her “sisters giants” on the surface of Mars.

http://www.uab.es/uabdivulga/img/UAB_Inv_MartCatalunya.jpg

Researchers (from left to right) XM Pellicer (Geological Survey of Ireland), R. Linares (Department of Geology and Geological Cabinet Planning and Environmental Analysis-GATA-UAB), A. Rodríguez (Planetary Science Institute-OS), M. Zarroca (Department of Geology UAB) and C. Roque (External Geodynamics Department at the Universitat de Girona), during the days of preparatory field of new research projects.

Source: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona