Felix' last WoGE,
mud volcanoes in Romania, was rather colourless. After a little image processing I realised there were forests and fields there, so I could stop searching in arid areas. The drainage pattern and the amount of human activity eventually led me to the Carpathian mountains, just in the bend between Eastern and Southern Carpathians in Romania. Then it was just a matter of finding out what it was, which was a lot easier than finding the place.
So this time I compensate with some more colourful geology.
As always, the task is to find out where it is, what it is, and post it in a comment here.
Whoever first supplies the (or "a") correct answer, gets to host the next WoGE.
Previous WoGEs are collected by Felix on
his blog and a
KML file, along with the "rules".
I just realised a hint might be in order.
SvarSlettWhen you see this on GE, there will be a second copyright line. I have no idea how I managed to save the picture without that, it was certainly not intentional and I did nothing to remove it.
Just so you don't pass over a possible location due to the missing line..
If you have (unintentionaly) one of the GE-layers activated, you will get more copyright lines.
SvarSlettI usually have a layer or three activated, yes. This time it seems I didn't. It makes no difference for the picture, but the second line would have been a good clue to where in the world this is.
SvarSlettAnd when you find it, you will most likely need pictures to find out what it is, and then do a bit of searching to find out what the geology is. :)
Found it!
SvarSlettA very radioactive location - Sierra Pintada, near San Rafael, Argentina (34º40'S 68º36W)
Well, it's an uranium (surface ?!?) mine - "Complejo Minero Fabril de Sierra Pintada" - (with all the environmental problems) and its geology is associated to the origin and evolution of the Precordillera, Cuyania or Occidentalia Terrane in the western side of the proto-Andean Gondwana margin (and there is, somewhat, the consensus that could be exotic to western Gondwana) during the Ordovician. I found references to gabbros, tonalites, siliciclastic turbidites, sandstones, tuffs, brecchias and ignimbrites. I don't know the reason for choosing this place, but to me, a biologist, the ecological footprint of this uranium mine is unthinkable in our days!
SvarSlettBy the way, you forgot (again, see #385) about Google Image search (and one of its 1st hits: http://noqueremosinundarnos.blogspot.pt/2012/05/imagenes-satelitales-del-complejo.html)
Sources:
http://www.insugeo.org.ar/libros/misc_7/01_field_guide.htm
http://www.criba.edu.ar/geolarg/Ordovician%20siliciclastic%20in%20Co%20pavon.pdf
You got it again, Luis.
SvarSlettHere is what I found through my search - but as a geologist whose employer pays for access to a wide number of publications, I have a bigger library to read through:
"The Sierra Pintada Uranium District contains widespread uranium mineralisation as relatively minor veins in
Carrizalito Group volcanics and sedim ents of Triassic age and as more significant stratabound bodies within
the Los Reyunos Formation of the Permian Cochico Group. The largest known stratabound deposit in the
area is Sierra Pintada, comprising the Tigre 1 – La Terraza orebodies, which was dis covered by the CNEA in
1968 by drill testing of the most prominent radiometric anomaly in the district.
The economic uranium mineralisation in the Sierra Pintada deposit occurs in the form of two shallowdipping
(generally 20-30o) peneconcordant lenses within feldspathic sandstones at two separate
stratigraphic levels. At a 0.04% U3O8 cut-off, the upper orebody has an average thickness of 10m
(maximum 30m) and average grade of 0.12% U3O8. The lower orebody, 10-20m below, averages 5m in
thickness and 0.09% U3O8 in grade. Uranium mineralisation, consisting of pitchblende with subordinate
brannerite and coffinite, occurs predominantly as disseminations and also as infillings of microfractures."
#404 its scheduled for 2013-10-01|00:00:00 Western European Summer Time in here:
SvarSletthttp://woge-luis.blogspot.pt/2013/07/woge-388.html
I mean .. in here: http://woge-luis.blogspot.pt/2013/10/woge-404.html
SvarSlett