IAS Bureau and Council President: Finn SurlykSurlyk, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (e-mail: [email protected]) Past-President: Judith A. McKenzie, ETH-Zentrum, Zurich, Switzerland (e-mail: [email protected]) Vice-Presidents: Maria MuttiMutti, Universität Potsdam, Germany (e-mail: mmutti@)geo.uni-potsdam.de) Davor Pavelicavelic, University of Zagreb, Croatia (e-mail: [email protected]) Eduardo PiovanoPiovano, GIGES, Córdoba, Argentina (e-mail: [email protected]) General Secretary: José-Pedro CalvoCalvo, IGME, Madrid, Spain (e-mail: [email protected]) Treasurer: Patric JacobsJacobs, Ghent University, Belgium (e-mail: [email protected]) Editors: Paul A. CarlingCarling, University of Southampton, UK (e-mail: [email protected]) Peter SwartSwart, Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Miami, USA (e-mail: [email protected]) Special Publications Ian JarvisJarvis, Kingston University, UK Secretary: (e-mail: [email protected]) Thomas StevensStevens, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW2O 0EX, UK Council Members: (e-mail: [email protected]) A.S. AlsharhanAlsharhan, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates (e-mail: [email protected]) Nic BeukesBeukes, University of Johannesburg, South Africa (e-mail: [email protected]) Gilbert CamoinCamoin, CEREGE CNRS, France (e-mail: [email protected]) Brian JonesJones, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (e-mail: [email protected]) Ryo MatsumotoMatsumoto, University of Tokyo, Japan (e-mail: [email protected]) Dilce RossettiRossetti, INPE, Sao Paulo, Brazil (e-mail: [email protected]) Report Annual Report of the International Association of Sedimentologists he International Association 1740 pages. The electronic paper T of Sedimentologists was handling of the journal is settling founded in 1952. Its objectives down. Sedimentology is accompanied are the promotion of the study of by a Newsletter, and the IAS Sedimentology by publications, homepage (http://www.iasnet.org) is discussion, and comparison of regularly updated. research results, by encouraging The IAS friendship scheme for the interchange of research scientists and libraries in developing through international countries continues. In 2008, 157 collaboration, and by favouring individuals and 36 libraries benefit integration with other disciplines. from it. The new IAS Postgraduate Grant Scheme offered 22 grants, Accomplishments in 2008 ranging from 1000 to 1080 Euros, to young researchers from 10 different The IAS held the 26th IAS Mee- countries. ting of Sedimentology in Bochum, Membership accounts for 1628 Germany, from September 1 to 3. associated sedimentologists from 98 More than 330 participants countries in the year 2008. represented 36 countries, and eleven field-trips were run. Furthermore, the Goals for 2009 IAS co-sponsored conferences and workshops in Argentina, Poland and The 27th Meeting of Peru. Sedimentology will be held in A lecture tour developed by Prof. Alghero, Italy (20 – 23 September). Judith A. McKenzie, from The Association will also co-sponsor Switzerland, has started to be meetings and workshops in United organised. Kingdom, Venezuela and Argentina. A The IAS published 6 issues of its lecture tour developed by Prof. journal Sedimentology comprising Judith McKenzie, from Switzerland, 3 IAS Newsletter 220 February 2009 will be run in several countries of sponsor top-level research South America, Asia and Europe to conferences and meetings. However, reach institutions who could we also want to encourage young otherwise not afford to invite sedimentologists from countries foreign lecturers. where research possibilities are less The Third IAS International well established, and where funding is Summer School will be organised lacking. We do this through our during the third term of 2009 in SE friendship and grant schemes, and by Spain. Thirty postgraduate students paying travel expenses to and five senior sedimentologists will international congresses and field participate at the IAS Summer workshops. School. Funding On 2009, the journal Sedimentology will appear with 7 IAS is funded by membership fees. issues, starting with a January issue All officers work for free, and there and then being followed by issues on are no permanent staff or formal even months throughout the year. headquarters. Eight Special Publications and two Field Guides are in preparation. José-Pedro Calvo We will continue to publish high- General Secretary quality science, and to organize and IAS Newsletter 220 February 2009 4 IAS Financial Report 5 IAS Newsletter 220 February 2009 Super Sedimentological Exposures The geological park of Aliaga: and exceptional viewpoint of the Cretaceous and Tertiary evolution of the Iberian ranges (NE Spain) Introduction km around Aliaga (Fig. 2). After a brief explanation of the Mesozoic The outcrops located around the and Tertiary evolution of the Iberian Aliaga village form a very attractive Ranges, we will use these 11 points natural landscape in the Teruel for the description of the proposed province, northeastern Spain (see Geotour around Aliaga. location map in Fig. 1). These outcrops constitute an exceptional Geological setting viewpoint over the Cretaceous and Tertiary evolution of the The sedimentary rocks of Aliaga northeastern part of the Iberian form an almost continuous record of Ranges, and have been largely the Mesozoic and Tertiary strata appreciated over the last decades for (near 2,500 m of marine and conti- research and training purposes. In nental sediments, see Fig. 3). The the early nineties, the development oldest unit represented in the area is of the Geological Park of Aliaga was the Upper Triassic gypsum-rich clays promoted by the Department of of the Keuper facies. The Jurassic Geology of the University of Zarago- form a nearly 400 m thick za and the municipality of Aliaga, succession of shallow water and received financial support from carbonates, from the upper the Aragón Government and the Raethian-Hettangian breccia and Leader program of the European massive dedolomites to the lower Community. The Geological Park of Tithonian massive oncolitic-peloidal Aliaga includes 11 points of special limestones (see Aurell et al., 2003 interest showing explanatory for the general description of the diagrams and informative panels in Jurassic units). A widespread the field, all of them located up to 7 regression at he end of the Jurassic IAS Newsletter 220 February 2009 6 Figure 1. Geological map of the Geological Park of Aliaga, indicating the location of the five points described in the Geotour section. times was followed by a major stratigraphic gap covering most of the Berriasian–Valanginian interval. Continental sedimentation at the Hauterivian and Barremian occurred in irregular basins (i.e., the Weald facies). These basins were controlled by two sets of synsedimentary normal faults, striking NNW-SSE and ENE-WSW, respectively (Liesa et al., 2006). After gradual flooding of the basin at the late Baremian, the shallow platform carbonates of the Urgon facies represent sedimentation in a shallow platform developed during most of the Aptian (Vennin & Aurell, 2001; Figure 2. Informative panel Bover-Arnal et al., 2008). A second regression indicating the location of Point 1 and the nearest converted the area into a marsh associated to an parking area. The location estuary or a delta, including some coal-rich levels and access of the 11 points of (the Escucha and Utrillas formations; e.g., the Geological Park are Rodriguez-López et al., 2008). The widespread indicated across the roads in Late Cretaceous marine transgression resulted in a similar way. 7 IAS Newsletter 220 February 2009 the flooding of most of the eastern The Iberian Chain formed during part of the Iberian Peninsula (see the Tertiary by inversion of an Martín-Chivelet et al., 2002). extensional Mesozoic basin, under Figure 3. Stratigraphic units outcropping in the Geological Park of Aliaga. IAS Newsletter 220 February 2009 8 compressive stresses both transverse Geological Park) has provided the (NNE to NE) and parallel (SE to SSE) graphical motif for designing the logo to its overall trend (Capote et al., of the Geological Park (Fig. 4). 2002). The NNE to NE compression Timing of folding is well was responsible for the principal folds constrained by relationships with and thrusts, whereas the SE to SSE syntectonic continental Tertiary compression had a more limited deposits. These are divided into six macrostructural record. As a tectonosedimentary units (T1 to consequence of those varied T6), each one being bounded by compression directions, fold unconformities related to interference structures are common in compressive structures (González & the region (Simón, 2004, 2005). The Guimerà, 1993). Units T2 to T4 development of these interference (Eocene-Oligocene in age) are coeval structures was enhanced by rheology of NNW-SSE folds; T5 (Early of the Mesozoic cover, which can be Miocene) lies unconformably on the considered as a multilayer composed western limb of the NNW-SSE of three competent ensembles anticline and is affected by ENE (Jurassic, mid-Cretaceous Urgon folds and thrusts near Cobatillas; facies, and Upper Cretaceous) finally, T6 postdates folding (Simón separated by two incompetent ones et al., 1998). (Weald facies, and Escucha-Utrillas formations). In particular, the outline Geotour of the vertical fold of «La Olla», which can be seen looking south from The five stops described below the Aliaga village