Evaluating the Implications of Lineaments on Petroleum Fields: South Sumatra, Indonesia

Declining oil prices has led to a reduction of petroleum exploration as oil production as no longer a lucrative area of investment as in the previous years. Current exploration activities are supported by field work which are intensive considering the resources required. There is need to develop low cost methods to delineate areas of potential hydrocarbon resources. This research uses Land Satellite (Landsat) 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) for alteration extraction, Shutter Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) for lineament extraction, Geological maps to develop a low cost method of petroleum exploration. The results indicate high OH bearing alterations on the Gumai and Kasai formation, a seal rock. Extensional tectonics is responsible for the migration of petroleum from the subsurface. It is suggested that future exploration be concentrated on the Gumai and Kasai formation based on evidence of micro seepage.

Shakrook Anticline, a Very Complicated Structural Form, North Iraq, Kurdistan Region

The Shakrook anticline has very a complicated structural form, this is attributed to three thrust faults, and the presence of four anticlinal axes with the main anticlinal body. The most northwest existing anticline is called in the current study the Sisawa anticline, the main two anticlines are called the Shakrook East and Shakrook West, whereas the fourth one is called the Biluk anticline it is developed along the southwestern limb of the Shakrook East anticline. The exposed rocks in the Shakrook anticline range from Upper Jurassic to the Paleogene age. The bulk of the main Shakrook anticline is formed by the Bekhme Formation (Upper Cretaceous age), whereas the bulk of the Sisawa anticline is formed of the Shiranish Formation (Upper Cretaceous age) with Paleogene and Neogene aged rocks. Geological maps and high-quality satellite images were used to elucidate the complex structural form of the Shakrook anticline. The updated geological map is quite different from those existing geological maps. A field investigation was carried out to check the interpreted data and to implement photography to the interested structural and geomorphological forms. Different geomorphological forms also were interpreted; they all refer to the lateral growth of the Shakrook anticline.

The Sistiana Fault and the Sistiana Bending Zone (SW Slovenia)

The Sistiana Fault is an alleged disjunctive deformation of Microadria in the sea bottom of the Gulf of Trieste. Onshore, it is visible only in the Sistiana Bay, but towards the northeast it soon pinches-out, in structural-geometric terms it diminishes soon after the crossing of the thrust boundary of the Dinarides, or the Istrian-Friuli Underthrustig Zone, respectively. Further to the northeast, only the bending zone is developed in the External Dinarides, which stretches all the way from the Sistiana Bay to the Idrija-Žiri area. We named it the Sistiana Bending Zone. Its direction can be determined based on geological maps and is around 60°, so we conclude that the Sistiana Fault should extend approximately in this direction. In the bending zone, the Trieste-Komen Anticlinorium, the Vipava Synclinorium, the Trnovo Nappe opposite to the Hrušica Nappe and the Raša and Idrija Faults are laterally bent. The size of the bend is the largest in the Sistiana Bay, and in the east-northeast direction it decreases linearly. The general geological circumstances suggest that the Sistiana Fault has not been recently active.

Qualitative-Quantitative Assessment of Geodiversity of Western Samoa (SW Pacific) to Identify Places of Interest for Further Geoconservation, Geoeducation, and Geotourism Development

The assessment of geodiversity is a relatively new field of research connecting abiotic aspects of nature to the wider environment. The study of geodiversity is still in development, so a uniform and complete paradigm remains to be defined. Therefore, an assessment of geodiversity may be highly dependent on the nature of the territory subject to study, available databases, and the researchers’ field of specialization. The main quantitative method for the assessment of geodiversity was proposed to the scientific world only few years ago and may only be relevant to some places in the world, rather than all, which would be desirable. However, while similarities in research methods may be apparent, the directions, scales, and data utilized are clearly different. This article demonstrates a quantitative-qualitative method for an assessment of geodiversity, based on a five-point evaluation system and the utilization of widely available standard databases such as geological maps, SRTM models, and satellite images. Western Samoa Islands (Savai’i and Upolu Islands) were selected for assessment, as a typical example of basaltic ocean island volcanism generating relatively homogenous rock formations and subject to gradual geomorphology (e.g., shield volcano). While initially appearing as a region of simple geology and morphology, complexity is added by considering rock ages, the position and type of eruptive centres, and the coastal geoenvironment. By considering these factors, the assessment becomes specifically tailoring for geodiversity assessment of the islands of Samoa. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated a simple methodology of general assessment of geodiversity with additional improvements to take account of variability in other abiotic factors.

The INSPIRE harmonisation: the Geological Map of Italy at 1:100,000 scale

The INSPIRE Directive institute a European infrastructure for spatial information to support the environmental policies of the European Union. In the mainframe of the Directive, 34 different themes that represents different environmental information has been identified. One of this is the Geology theme; it is split into three subthemes and represent a "reference data theme” because it provides basic knowledge on the physical properties and composition of rocks and sediments, their structure and their age as represented in geological maps, as well as geomorphological features.In the feature catalogue of the INSPIRE application schema Geology has been defined the term lists for the information types. Some of these are fully compliant with the features defined in the 1:100.000 scale geological map database and are used in the semantic harmonization procedure.

The Contribution of Geological Maps and Mapping to Industrial Scale Design

The aim of this work is to highlight the contribution of geological maps and mapping to industrial scale design. To achieve this goal, the site selection of a new quarry area is used as an example. For the development of a new quarry, the materials to be mined must meet specific requirements, mainly acceptable quality, adequate reserves, environmental restrictions, and economic viability. Geological maps of various scales were used in all stages of this research project. Initially, geological surveillance maps (1:50,000), which formed the basis for the sampling, were used. Finally, this research project was completed with the detailed mapping of two candidate areas for the development of the new quarry.

Digital geological map and geochronological database of the Cenozoic cover of the southern Mesa Central province, Mexico

The digital geological map of the southern sector of the Mesa Central province is presented, covering an area of ~41 000 km2 in central Mexico. This first interactive map is a compilation of the geological maps available in the literature and the unpublished maps done by our work team. The map focuses on the Cenozoic stratigraphy, supported by a geochronological database of 261 isotopic ages derived from K-Ar, U-Pb, Ar-Ar, and fission tracks methods. The interactive map displays the lithostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic units and the major and second-order Cenozoic faults. Map construction considered lithostratigraphy and geochronological correlation criteria and the main unconformities. Integrating these data in a single digital map allows a regional vision of the southern Mesa Central, making the map a valuable work tool to better understand the Cenozoic geologic evolution of central Mexico.

State geological mapping and domestic geographic information systems. Why import substitution is stalled in geology

The issues of import substitution of geoinformation systems used in the geological industry when creating sets of State geological maps of the scale of 1:1,000,000 and 1:200,000 are considered. The current state of the issue is described. Additional functionality is indicated, which is necessary for the construction and preparation for publication of digital models of the maps of the set. Examples of domestic GIS are given, which can replace the foreign analogues in use. The problems and difficulties arising in this case were revealed. The ways of their solution are suggested.