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Modeling safety scenarios for dams strengthens effectiveness of disaster risk management plans in this kind of work by reducing risk of failures that can cause considerable damage. The aim of the present paper was a proposal of a modeling methodology for safety scenarios in tailing dams from the Cuban nickel industry, to determine indicators and failure mechanisms, in order to achieve early detection risks and their reduction, as well as to minimize the negative impacts on the economy, the population, and the environment through a risk and disaster management plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality of surface waters is generally affected by discharges of domestic and industrial waste that alter their physical, chemical and bacteriological properties, rendering them unfit for consumption. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the water quality of Cabaña River (Moa, Holguín) by applying the Surface Water Quality Index proposed by Montoya and Contreras. For analyzing the physical-chemical and bacteriological compositions of water, 20 sampling sites were selected in 2017-2018 stage in two moments: rainy and dry seasons. A water quality index was calculated for each site and sampling date. It was found the water quality decreases as the river travels the path of its channel from the upper zone to the lower zone of the sub-basin. Results show that quality of water decreases in the same sense that river travels its path from the upper zone to the lower zone of the sub-basin. It was determined that a large part of the river's pollutant load comes from industrial and domestic waste and sewer discharges, which cause a decrease in the river's self-purification capacity due to their magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The province of Santiago de Cuba now a day have a different hazard, vulnerability and risks conditions in front of the impact of geological processes and phenomena that influence on its social and economic development. This time is been made a review about the main topics of this issue from an actualized perspective, taking in consideration the recent research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article was to map the conditioning and triggering factors that generate hazard due to landslides in the municipality of Mayarí, Holguín province. The Methodological Guide for the Study of Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk of Landslides, prepared by the National Risk Management Group in 2012, was used. By observing and interpreting the Digital Model of the soil and reviewing the topographic maps of 1985 of the Cuban Geodesy and Cartography Institute and aerial images obtained from Google Earth, sliding areas were identified. Field work was also useful, taking into account the application of Geographic Information Systems and past events. As a result, the landslide hazard map of the municipality of Mayarí was obtained, at a scale of 1: 25,000, a useful tool for dealing with the landslides and planning the economic and social development of the municipality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water erosion is the geodynamic phenomenon that most affects the city of Brazzaville (Congo). A geological engineering mapping of the city was carried out with the objective of generating a map of water erosion hazard that facilitates the territorial ordering. The methodology focused on the processing and interpretation of Landsat and Radar SRTM images. From the geological engineering survey of the city it was made the types of water erosion Map for the diagnosis of the area. Thematic maps and the total hazard map were generated through a GIS. It is concluded that the districts located to the north, northeast and northwest of the city present the highest hazard level to water erosion, associated mainly with a low vegetation cover, sandy soil poor in clay and very erodible and the mountainous relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this investigation was to define the zoning of soil liquefaction potential for the Guillermón Moncada Popular Council in the municipality of Santiago de Cuba. The engineering and geological conditions and seismic peculiarities favoring a seism to take place were assessed. The safety factor was re-calculated after determining possible maximum intensity values based on seismic magnitudes that can trigger the soil of the investigated area to liquefy. A scheme of the area's soil susceptibility to liquefaction was obtained. Based on this result, it was concluded that the sectors that are most likely to experience soil liquefaction if an earthquake of magnitudes ranging between 7,75 and 8 occurs are located towards the center-east of the Popular Council with sandy-clayey soils being predominant. This information is very useful for the location and planning of engineering construction works in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation provides the mathematical modeling results applied to the quality assurance performed during the compaction process of argillaceous rocky soils in the embankments of Cuban dams. These results are expressed in a chart of optimal values. A general methodology is conceptualized to model the physical-mathematical behavior of the compaction parameters for these soils. The mathematical model incorporates an additional variable to the traditional compaction process: a larger coarse fraction of 19,1 mm. This facilitates significantly the interpretation of the experimental results concerning the physical phenomenon and allows a better reasoning and flexibility during the engineering decision-making. At the same time, it is recommended to use a method to correct the results from the Standard Proctor Test due to the influence of this coarse fraction, empirically validated through tests and the final results obtained in the embankments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes the implementation of bioengineering techniques to provide economical and effective solutions to the environmental effects caused by the tailings ponds that are exposed to weathering agents. The plantation of tree species as Casuarina equisetifolia, Vetiveria zizanioide, Cynodon dactylon, Panicum maximum and Digitaria decumbens stent which are highly available and adaptable to existing conditions was tested in order to build up a vegetal cover that prevents the erosion of the pond slopes. The results were: 90 % of the species survived and over 95 % stability in the control over the erosion of the soil surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of landslides in Moa poses a serious threat to the industry, communities, socio-economic activities and the environment. The objective of this research is to assess and map the risks generated by the occurrence of landslides in the area by applying the Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For a methodological guidance, the guideline dated 2012 prepared by the National Risk Management Group was used to conduct the landslide hazard, vulnerability, risk analysis on the ground. As a result, this work produced a map indicating the overall landslide dangerousness in Moa on a 1:100 000 scale. This map is one more risk management and mitigation tool in the territorial organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides and rock sliding occur very frequently in the mining area of Catoca, located in Angola. Therefore, a physical/mechanical and geotechnical characterization of the massif and the rock matrix was carried out adopting the landslide classifications as proposed by Hutchinson and Varnes. The safety factor was applied based on the structural weakness coefficient (λ); resulting in 0.70 in surface rocks, sandstones and intraformational sands; 0.58 in oversaturated eluvial gneiss; 0.50 in cracked gneiss and 0.47 in the ore compound of weathered, moist kimberlitic porphyric and weathered porphyric kimberlite. These results indicate the low strength of the massif and the need to reformulate the activities in the mine and the construction of more stable slopes. It could also be observed that deformation of rocks in the slopes and the cuts in the Catoca mine is conditioned by the movement of underground water within the rock massif itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation was guided to establish a geologic zonación engineer of danger and risks for inundation in the territory of Sagua of Tánamo, by means of the analysis and interpretation of the main conditions and conditioning causes of the physical means that propitiate the development of this phenomenon, with the employment of the techniques of digital cartography and SIG. The adopted method, contrary to the methods of traditional works of cartography engineer - geologic and the making of projects SIG, outlines the solution of the problem starting from the conjugation of both, considering among the methods and technical of digital cartographic representation the informatización starting from the work with maps bases and overlapping of its layers. The inundation risk map of Sagua de Tánamo is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has as main objective to establish a classification of the different types of movements of masses in slopes developed in the territory of Moa. The typology classification is based on the documentation of the movements found in the area, as well as characterization of all the geometric, structural elements and compositional of the material in which it has been developed; besides keeping in mind the classifications more accepted at international level. As a results a proposal is made of classification and description of the movements of masses containing the mechanisms of the slips in three main groups: mechanisms related with fall free of the rock, mechanisms of slips through a defined failure surface and mechanism of movements of masses in a disorganized way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper represents a hydrogeologic regionalization of Pinar del Río province in GIS platform. The principles of elaboration of this map propose the division of the territory starting from the automatic integration of a group of such natural variables as: physical-geographical characteristics, hydrology, geomorphology, hydrogeology and structure particularities. It is recognized the regional regularities and the common features of each hydrogeologic structure, such as: the sources of the underground waters, the recharge conditions, circulation and discharges of the horizons and aquifer complexes, hydrochemical and hydrodynamic zoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present time almost any information, mainly graphic, is susceptible of being transmitted through a GIS, that reduces the time of transference of the information besides providing greater functionality. The article describes the generation, by means of technology GIS, of morphostructural map of Pinar del Río Province. Proposed is a methodology in four stages that make possible to divide the territory, according to the altitude position and relief genesis, in twelve basic morphostructural regions: abrasivemarine plain, accumulative marine plain, erosive marine plain, flu-vial-marine plain, fluvial plain, marshy plain, small heights, medium heights, high heights, sub mountains and small mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The watershed of the Cayo Guam River is affected by the anthropogenic activity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of waters of the river from Hydrochemical point of view. It has been taken 13 samples in total around the river bed and in different points subsequent and previous to the polluted sources. To control terrestrial waters, the values of bacteriological, physical and chemical determinations were verified taking into consideration the regulations in force. It was concluded that the main source of water pollution is the exploration and exploitation of different deposits (lateritic, chromite, aggregate) on the riverbed. From the physical point of view, the waters turned out to be weakly basic, hydrocarbon-magnesium type I and soft waters because of its hardness and low calcium contents due to the lithology of the area; its coloration exceeds what is permissible in some sampling points. The presence of nitrites that show contamination by nearby sewers was also detected; showing bacteriological contamination at the point of higher concentration of nitrites. Although the pollution values are not alarming, some elements are above the norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the investigation is to evaluate the engineering and geological conditions of the soils in Caimanera, province of Guantanamo in order to identify the areas of higher seismic probabilities and soil susceptibility to liquefaction. The probability was analyzed to amplify the seismic waves taking into account the effect of the area depending on the physical and mechanical properties in the area of study. The sectors having favorable and unfavorable conditions for the construction of engineering works were characterized. The applied indicator system includes engineering and geological parameters and the calculation of the safety factor for liquefaction. It was concluded that the soils having a greater potential to liquefy are located to the center of the city with the largest population settlement and where the existing fill material behaves as clayey sand type soils and sandy clay soils with gravel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo discurre sobre la minería del cromo en Moa, Cuba. Los autores comentan sobre la importancia de la comunicación en los procesos geológicos y mineros, y describen el concepto de la geoconservación. También se considera el desarrollo de las actividades minerías, incluyendo el avance territorial.

The exploitation of mineral resources brings with it effects on the environment, in particular, on the geological heritage and geodiversity, for this reason professionals with a solid environmental training are required to guarantee the protection of the geological heritage of the nation. This work points towards the need to strengthen, with regard to geological heritage and geodiversity, the environmental training of Geology students at Cuban universities. Different epistemological conceptions related to the environmental formative process are addressed and from this perspective the need to recognize that geological heritage and geodiversity are essential within the environmental training of the geology professional is highlighted. Theoretical methods such as analysis, synthesis and hermeneutics are used. It is concluded that heritage environmental training of geologists is essential as a process aimed at promoting the protection of the geological environment, geological heritage and geodiversity, in correspondence with what society expects from these professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several methods for seismic risk calculation were analyzed in order to obtain the more adequate one in relation with real data and conditions, available for seismic risk determination in Bayamo city. The seismotectonic risk, which expresses the periodicity of occurrence in determined zone, is analyzed using the computer techniques and systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]