The Sword of Damocles behind the Curtain of the Earth’s Global Warming: A Review

The “mainstream” climatology (MSC)—i.e. which includes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) community—considers the present day massive release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as the main cause of the current global warming trend. The main inference from this stance is that the increase in temperature must occur after the release of greenhouse gases originating from the anthropic activities. However, no scientific evidence has been provided for this basic notion. Earth paleoclimatic records document the antecedence of temperature over CO2 levels. For the past 65 Ma, the temperature parameter has controlled the subsequent increase in CO2. This includes the three rapid aberrant shifts and extreme climate transients at 55 Ma, 34 Ma, and 23 Ma REF _Ref159913672 \r \h \* MERGEFORMAT [1]. The simple fact of their existence points to the potential for highly nonlinear responses in climate forcing. Whatever these shifts and transients are, CO2 remains a second order parameter in their evolution through time. Confronted with the past, a suitable response must therefore be given to the unresolved question of whether the CO2 trends precede the temperature trends in the current period, or not. The assertion that the current global warming is anthropogenic in origin implicitly presupposes a change of paradigm, with the consequence (the increase in CO2 levels) that occurred in Earth’s past being positioned as the cause of the warming for its present day climatic evolution. The compulsory assumption regarding the antecedence of CO2 levels over the temperature trends is associated with the haziness of the methodological framework—i.e. the paradigm—and tightens the research fields on the likely origins of global warming. The possible involvement of an “aberrant” natural event, hidden behind the massive release of greenhouse gases, has not been considered by the MSC.

A Review on Tectonic Record of Strain Buildup and Stress Release across the Andean Forearc along the Gulf of Guayaquil-Tumbes Basin (GGTB) near Ecuador-Peru Border

Gravimetric and geologic data show that the reactivation of the Neogene Interandean depression and/or the ~75 - 65 Ma ophiolite suture into the modern dynamic of the Andes controlled the Gulf of Guayaquil Tumbes basin (GGTB) location and evolution during the past 1.8 - 1.6 Myr at least. Depending on whether the remobilization occurred along the interandean depression or the ophiolite suture, the GGTB evolved trough pure or simple shear mechanisms, respectively. Because the GGTB exhibits an along strike tectonic asymmetry associated with a pervasive seismic gap, the simple shear solution is more likely. Tectonic inversion occurred along a mid-crust detachment (the Mid-Crust detachment hereafter) matching the ophiolite suture that accommodates the North Andean Block (NAB) northward drift. The so-called Decoupling Strip located at the shelf slope break accommodated the tensional stress rotation from N-S along the shelf area i.e. NAB-drift induced to E-W along the continental margin i.e. subduction-erosion-induced. The landward dipping Woollard detachment system located at the Upper-Lower slope boundary connects the subduction channel at depth, allowing the Upper slope to evolve independently from the Lower slope wedge. The long-term recurrence interval between earthquakes, the strong interplate coupling, and the aseismic creeping deformation acting along the main low-angle detachments i.e. the Woollard and the Mid-Crust detachments may account for the pervasive seismic gap at the GGTB area. Because the subduction channel exhibits no record of significant seismic activity, no evidence exists to establish a link between the GGTB sustained subsidence and a basin-centered asperity. Because the GGTB is a promising site of hydrocarbon resources, to understand processes at the origin of this escape-induced forearc basin has a major economic interest.

Tectonic Analysis of the Al Hamadah Al Hamra Plateau of the Ghadamis Basin (NW Libya): Hydrological Network, Sinkholes, Folds and Fractures. Style of Reactivation and Setting of Cenozoic Volcanism

Remote sensing analysis is an efficient tool for updating geological maps. The regional scale map obtained in this project from compilation of the pre-existing maps and of a number of space images is somewhat more complete. It takes into account the usual field and laboratory parameters of the rock units, through the previous geologic maps, together with remote sensing parameters such as spectral signatures, textures, roughness, morphology that are observed from optical, microwave and DEM imagery. With more rock characteristics, the old maps are obligatory improved. The Cenozoic faulting in the Al Hamra al Hamadah plateau is largely influenced by the tectonics affecting the Paleozoic oil bearing structures that are hidden by the late Cretaceous-Paleocene layers. The tectonic style is that of reactivation of the Paleozoic faults under effects of the NNE-trending regional tension. Then the faults on the surface of the plateau would indicate location of the hidden Paleozoic faults in depth. A flat plateau, in the arid environment, appears to be a very favorable environment for mapping of gentle folds, faults and tectonic sinkholes. Remote sensing is a fruitful approach in this case study. The gentle anticlines for instance are undetectable in the field, but computer assisted shadowing with a low elevation angle of illumination is the key processing for evidencing these features. Problems of drillings in the area are well known for example to Waha, AGOCO and PB Companies during their exploration activities in the concessions in Ghadames Basin. According to them several incidents of losing drilling Pits have occurred and drilling came into a hole. Because this paper is aimed to know the exact location of sinkholes in the Ghadames basin, I would recommend all the oil companies to review this work and try to trace the sinkholes indicated to minimize the risk of drilling problems.

Contrasted continental rifting via plume-craton interaction： Applications to Central East African Rift

The East African Rift system （EARS） provides a unique system with the juxtaposition of two contrasting yet simultaneously formed rift branches, the eastern, magma-rich, and the western, magma-poor, on either sides of the old thick Tanzanian craton embedded in a younger lithosphere. Data on the pre-rifr, syn-rift and post-rift far-field volcanic and tectonic activity show that the EARS formed in the context of the interaction between a deep mantle plume and a horizontally and vertically heterogeneous lithosphere under far-field tectonic extension. We bring quantitative insights into this evolution by implementing high-resolution 3D thermo-mechanical numerical deformation models of a lithosphere of realistic rheology. The models focus on the central part of the EARS. We explore scenarios of plumelithosphere interaction with plumes of various size and initial position rising beneath a tectonically pre-stretched lithosphere. We test the impact of the inherited rheological discontinuities （suture zones） along the craton borders, of the rheological structure, of lithosphere plate thickness variations, and of physical and mechanical contrasts between the craton and the embedding lithosphere. Our experiments indicate that the ascending plume material is deflected by the cratonic keel and preferentially channeled along one of its sides, leading to the formation of a large rift zone along the eastern side of the craton, with significant magmatic activity and substantial melt amount derived from the mantle plume material. We show that the observed asymmetry of the central EARS, with coeval amagmatic （western） and magmatic （eastern） branches, can be explained by the splitting of warm material rising from a broad plume head whose initial position is slightly shifted to the eastern side of the craton. In that case, neither a mechanical weakness of the contact between the craton and the embedding lithosphere nor the presence of second plume are required to produce simulations that match observations. This result reconciles the passive and active rift models and demonstrates the possibility of development of both magmatic and amagmatic rifts in identical geotectonic environments.