Research groups of the UB

PRESENTATION

The Geomodels Research Institute, is a part of the Universitat de Barcelona since 2008.

The main objectives of the Research Institute are developing and spreading new concepts, tools, and workflows to improve the understanding of geological systems, specially, those systems that are relevant to humans in terms of mineral resources, ground-water, and geohazards.

The Geomodels Institute integrates experts from different disciplines, mainly geoscientists, engineers, physicists and mathematicians. This structure gives the Institute the needed interdisciplinarity to achieve our goals.

The Research Groups which make up the Geomodels Research Institute are:

• GGAC (Grup de Geodiàmica i Anàlisi de Conques)
• RISKNAT (Grup de Riscos Naturals)
• GGS (Grup de Geologia Sedimentària)

WHAT WE DO

The main goal of the GEOMODELS Research Institute is the development and incorporation of new technologies to the Earth Sciences research area. More specifically, create new modelling techniques to characterize and correctly understand geological systems in terms of: generation, placement and quality of geologic resources and reservoirs; the geo-mechanical terrain behaviour; and natural hazards and their impact on the surface.

A multidisciplinary team has been established aiming to model geological processes in order to improve their quantification and the prediction of related phenomena in space and time. More specifically, we are dealing with 3D characterization of geological bodies, the numerical simulation of processes within these bodies and the use of the resultant 3D models to tackle hazard scenarios.

The GEOMODELS Research Institute is a multidisciplinary research centre assembling geological and engineering methodologies. The results are scientific (improve the knowledge and characterization of geological processes) and technologic (develop new methodologies and modelling tools).

Services

Courses and Field Trips

• Course on 3D reconstruction and modelling of geological structures
• Course on numerical modelling of deformation and sedimentary processes
• Advanced Geological Mapping
• Thematic Field Trips (Pyrenees, Ebro Basin, Catalan Coastal Ranges, Iberian Range) 

Infrastructures

• Analogue Modelling Laboratory
• Paleomagnetic Laboratory (CCiT UB- ICTJA CSIC)
• LIDAR Laser Sacan
• Hexacopter Drone

Software

• Comercial software with academic agreement or for research purposes
• In-house software for: 3D/4D reconstruction; Fracture analysis and reconstruction; and for sedimentary and deformation processes 

Teaching

• Teaching given by members of the Research Institute at undergraduate and graduate lavels.

FOR WHOM WE WORK

Industry Sectors

Hidrocarbon, Environmental and heritage management, Territorial planning, Geological warehouse

Customers

Atalaya Riotinto Minera, S.L.U., Cairn Energy, Capricorn Spain Ltd, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS, Cepsa, CNPC, Ciuden, ConocoPhilips Company, Ecopetrol, Enel Trade, Endesa, ExxonMobil, Federal Department of Foreign Affaris FDFA, GAIA Geotermia y aguas minerales, S.L., Geofísica Aplicada Consultores, S.L., Geognosia, S.L., Geoma Cen, S.L.,  Iberdrola Ingeniería y Construcción S.A., Iberpotash S.A., Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, Inypsa, NIOC, OMV, Petroleum Oil & Gas España, S.A., Repsol, Shell, Statoil, Total, Universite de Cergy-Pontoise, University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), UTE Línea 9.

RESEARCH

Research lines

• Numerical Modelling of sedimentary and deformation processes
• Analogue Modelling of geologic structures
• High-resolution terrain modelling
• Paleomagnetism
• Analysis and incorporation of geophysical data (EXES-UB)
• Dynamics and evolution of landslides
• 3D/4D reconstruction and modelling of geological structures
• Study and implementation of case studies

Research Projects

• Structural modelling of hydrocarbon plays in the Northern Calcareous Alps within the Vienna Basin: comparison of the Schönkirchen Übertief fields with outcrop analogues along the Jurassic Syncline Trend (Königsberg and Oisberg).
  OMV Exploration and Production GmbH. FBG308985. 2017 – 2019
  Josep Anton Muñoz de la Fuente
• Salt Tectonics in Convergent-Margin Fold and Thurst Belts
  ConocoPhillips Company. FBG308983. 2016 – 2018
  Josep Anton Muñoz de la Fuente
• Fase New Data Collection Analyses (NDCA) para el proyecto Actualización de la Caracterización Sísmica de las Centrales Nucleares Españolas: CN Ascó, CN Vandellós y CN Cofrentes Iberdrola Ingeniería y Construcción S.A. Sociedad Unipersonal. FBG-309294. 2017 – 2018
  Eulàlia Masana, María Ortuño, Eduard Roca
• Inventari de despreniments de roques i detecció de deformacions permonitòries a la Muntanya de Montserrat amb LiDAR Terrestre (any 2017)
  Institut Cartográfic i Geològic de Catalunya. FBG-309543. 2017-2017
  Joan Manuel Vilaplana Fernández
• Synthesis and Comparison of Phanerozoic Carbonate Depositional Systems and Impact of Diagenesis on Reservoir Preservation/Improvement.
  Repsol Exploración S.A. JK002. 2016 – 2017
  Telm Bover-Arnal
• Modelo 3D a partir de base de datos magnetotelúricos del proyecto Mina las Cruces
  Geognosia, S.L.  FBG 308891.   2016-2016
  Juan José Ledo Fernández

RESULTS

Publications

• Ferrater, M.; Ortuño, M.; Masana, E.; Pallàs, R.; Perea, H.; Baize, S.; García-Meléndez, E.; Martínez-Díaz, J.J.; Echeverría, A., Rockwell, T.; Sharp, W.D. (2016). Refining seismic parameters in low seismicity areas by 3D trenching: the not so slow Alhama de Murcia fault, SE Iberia. Tectonophysics, 680, 122-128.
• Valero, L.; Cabrera, Ll.; Sáez, S.; Garcés, M. (2016). Long-period astronomically-forced terrestrial carbon sinks. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 444: 131- 138.
• Piña-Varas, P.; Ledo, J.; Queralt, P.; Marcuello, A.; Bellmunt, F.; Ogaya, X.; Pérez, N.; Rodríguez-Losada, J.A. (2015). Vertical collapse origin of Las Cañadas caldera (Tenerife, Canary Islands) revealed by 3‐D magnetotelluric inversion, Geophysical Research Letters, 6, 1710-1716.
• P. Cabello; C. López; N. Gamba; M. I. Dussán; E. Torres; C. I. Ballesteros-Torres; M. T. Cantisano; N. Marfisi; R. Calvo; Y. M. Vázquez-Taset; E. Ramos (2018) An integrated approach to define new plays in mature oil basins: The example from the Middle Magdalena Valley basin (Colombia)  AAPG Bulletin November 01, 2018, Vol.102, 2201-2238. doi:10.1306/03291816528
• Izquierdo‐Llavall, E.; Roca, E.;   Xie. H.;  Pla, O.;   Muñoz, J.A.; Rowan M.G.; Yuan,N.;   Huang, S. (2018) Influence of Overlapping décollements, Syntectonic Sedimentation, and Structural Inheritance in the Evolution of a Contractional System: The Central Kuqa Fold-and-Thrust Belt (Tian Shan Mountains, NW China) Tectonics, Volume37, Issue8, August 2018, 2608-2632