Keynote lecture

Lecturer: Prof. João Mata, Associate Professor at the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa

Abstract:The Cape Verde Archipelago is a hotspot generated by the impingement of a deep-rooted mantle plume on the African plate. The outcropping volcanic rocks preserve a 26 Ma history of magmatism, the last eruption having occurred in 2014-15 at the Fogo Island. The archipelago is characterized by a remarkable inter- and intra-island geochemical heterogeneity to which contributed ancient (> 1Ga) recycling of crustal materials and the interaction of the ascending plume magmas with the old (120-140 Ma) oceanic lithosphere. The archipelago is known as the most important occurrence of carbonatites on an oceanic environment.
During the talk, the most important geochemical characteristics of the Cape Verde islands will be reviewed, while the associated genetic processes will be discussed.

Short CV: João Mata is Associate Professor at the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, where he obtained his PhD degree in 1996. He is a research member of the Instituto Dom Luiz, one of the most important Earth Science research units of Portugal.

A significant part of is scientific activity has been developed in order to contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of the mantle, through the study of magmatic rocks in oceanic islands. Magmatism associated with passive margins have also been one of the focus of his research. This activity has resulted in publications in some of the most prestigious journals in the field (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Chemical Geology, Lithos, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology and others). He witnessed the last eruption occurred in the Cape Verde archipelago and recently published a paper on the elemental and isotopic characteristics of the 2014 erupted lavas.
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ORCID
Research ID: I-3352-2012
Scopus Author ID: 7102806167

Lecturer: Prof. Fernando Joaquim Fernandes Tavares Rocha, Geobiotec Research Centre, Geosciences Department, University of Aveiro

Abstract:Till recent times, Higher Education training in Geosciences in Mozambique was in charge of Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), which ruled this Mission with great effort, thanks to the commitment and quality of its Faculty and Graduates. The Pedagogical University of Mozambique (UPM), which was essentially focused on Education and Teachers training had, in 2010, a deep evolution, turning to provide also formation on Science and Engineering. The Department of Geosciences of the University of Aveiro (DG/UA), of Portugal, which at the end of the last century had collaborated with UEM in this field, was then contacted by UPM, in early 2012, to put forward a training program for UPM faculty to constitute the core of human resources in the area of Geosciences, which UPM wanted to implement in its delegations of Beira and Nampula, due to the urgent need for human resources capacity building in this area of growing importance for Mozambique.The program has, as main action, the frequency, at DG/AU, of MSc courses on Earth Sciences by UPM geosciences faculty members with graduation degree not only in Geosciences but also on related fields, such as geography, physics, chemistry and mathematics. Students develop, in addition, other curricular and extra-curricular training actions in order to acquire a more complete formation for the exercise of their future functions on UPM. Other actions included the technical support for UPM teaching (1st Cycle) lab. facilities implementation, curricular design and development, and strategic planning.
Such a program has been developed over the last 4 academic years. A first group of 8 trainees attended and successfully completed the MSc in Geomaterials and Geological Resources in 2014; a second group of 7 trainees completed the MSc in Geological Engineering in 2016. All are now on teaching exercise in UPM (delegations of Beira and Nampula); some of them are already beginning PhD programs.
The implementation of the program ran on a very satisfactory way for both parties and the excellent results obtained were object of recognition by the UPM in its 30th birthday public ceremony in Maputo (2016). In a recent visit to the UA, a delegation of the UPM chaired by its Rector had new business meeting in DG/UA which establish guiding principles for new and more developed stage of cooperation addressing the areas: a) pos-graduated training at MSc level (2nd cycle) and PhD(3rd cycle), of UPM faculty; b) collaboration of DG/UA faculty in UPM undergraduate and graduate studies, seminars and scientific monographs, dissertations and PhDs and internships; c) of scientific and technological research, through UPM human and material capacity building, mainly focused on support to the local and regional economic players.

Short CV: Born in Lisbon on 7 January 1956. Degree in Geology from the University of Lisbon, in 1984; PhD in Geosciences (Geology) from the University of Aveiro, in 1994; DSc (Habilitation) in Geosciences (Clay Science) from the University of Aveiro, in 2000. Full professor (Mineral Resources, Geosciences Department) since 1st August 2002 and Director of GEOBIOTEC Research Centre since 2007. Has played several positions at the University of Aveiro, including: Head of the Department of Geosciences (1998 to 2002, 2011 to 2015), Pro-Rector (infrastructures and Campii management, 2003 to 2007) and Vice-Rector (research, innovation and technology transfer, 2008 to 2010). After a brief passage (1984/85) by the private sector of public works as Engineering Geologist, developed academic career at the University of Aveiro since 1986, with scientific and pedagogical activity in the fields of mineral resources, marine and coastal geology, and medical and environmental geology. Supervised 6 PosDocs, 27 PhDs and 39 MSc thesis and published 172 papers indexed on Science Citation Index (H-Index=19).

Lecturer: Prof. Rui Castanhinha, GEAL-Lourinhã Museum and Biology Department/CESAM, University of Aveiro, Portugal

Abstract: Mozambique is one of the most important sites in the world for geological and paleontological studies. It contains innumerous fossiliferous outcrops of several geological ages. There are several fossils that have been collected in sediments from the Karoo Supergroup, range from the Paleozoic (e.g. Permian synapsids from the Niassa Province) to the Mesozoic. The extension and abundance of the Mozambican paleontological heritage justified, in the recent years, the implementation of several activities to promote its sustainable development and proper conservation. The main goals have been: 1) to discover, study and increase the collection of fossils of Mozambique, creating a center of excellence in the field of paleontology; 2) to educate new scientists and technical staff; 3) to improve the conditions of research and teaching in the Mozambican academy; 4) to collaborate with the extractive industry and private partners in order to study and preserve the Mozambican heritage. As a result of the existing paleontological richness, Mozambique is starting to strengthen the teaching capacity by providing training to new scientists and technicians. With this in mind, it is expected that the country may fill its academic and research needs in the next years, namely in such a multidisciplinary area as Paleontology. Simultaneously, a new fossil preparation laboratory is being set up to teach how to clean, consolidate and study fossils. In order to develop new valences, state-of-the-art technologies are also being used to describe the anatomy of specimens (e.g. X-ray computed tomography and three-dimensional data processing workstations). In addition, several fieldwork campaigns are in motion in partnership between national and international institutions, and also local populations. By the discovery of new fossils, we expected that Mozambique will have the necessary academic and scientific staff to become completely independent in the area of Paleontology and a reference in higher education by following the highest international standards.

Short CV: He founded in 2006 the Journal of Paleontological Techniques as Editor-in-chief (www.jpaleontologicaltechniques.org). Two years later, having won a scholarship from the Jurassic Foundation for this purpose, he started to studied the dinosaur eggs and embryos from the Jurassic of Lourinhã. He defended his PhD in Evolutionary Biology by Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB/IGC) in 2014 and collaborated subsequently, as a Post-Doctoral Researcher, at the Instituto Superior Técnico (LATR/IST/CTN). He is collaborating, as PI, with the Museu da Lourinhã studying the Upper Jurassic fossils of the Lourinhã Formation over the last years. He is Assistant Professor at the Universidade de Aveiro and his research is centered in three main areas: evolutionary comparative anatomy (manly extant vs extinct vertebrates), paleontology of Mozambique, and Paleo-Evo-Devo studies (ontogeny and morphology). Rui Castanhinha co-funded in Mozambique an international collaborative project called Projecto PalNiassa in 2009 (www.palniassa.org) and descried a new fossil species in the country: Niassodon mfumukasi. He has also supervised over a dozen of theses and academic works and have been involved in science outreach ever since.

Lecturer: Prof. José Feliciano da Silva Rodrigues, National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG)- Portugal

Abstract: The National Geology Plan of Angola (PLANAGEO) is one of the biggest projects of today in the world, regarding the knowledge of the geological infrastructure of a country. The National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG) is an R&D state institution in which are included all the activities of the former Portuguese Geological Survey. LNEG is one of the members of the spanish-portuguese consortium (UTE- IGME/LNEG/Impulso) operating in the PLANAGEO.
The international call for tenders was launched in the beginning of 2011, and after the selection of candidates the works began in the first semester of 2014 with the aerogeophysics campaign (radiometric and magnetic), followed by the first geological field reconnaissance and logistics preparation.
The scientific and technical preparation of the works has had to respond to a simple but important question: how to undertake such a huge campaign of aerogeophysical survey and geological mapping in an area of about 470.000 km2, and also works of mineral exploration in some selected areas in a short period of time – 5 years of intended duration for the project?
Nearly four years have passed since the beginning of the project. Therefore, it is possible to draw up an appraisal of the fulfilled goals, and to do an initial assessment of the chosen work methodology and its implementation as well.
In geological mapping the chosen methodology has a clear epistemological basis, because a clear option was made between two possible paths: evidence driven research and model driven research.
The model driven approach is mainly reflected in the preparation of the works, namely in the design of the GIS data model and in the design of the legend architecture for the continuous geological map of the country.
In LNEG, we think that even in very large-scale and demanding projects it is possible to do operational research to constantly improve and modernize the know-how of a geological survey in a context of institutional collaboration.

Short CV: Born in Porto on 13 December 1966. Degree in Geology from the University of Porto in 1989. PhD in Geology (internal Geodynamics) from the University of Lisbon in 2008. His professional career has been developed in three main areas: exploration geologist in the private sector (alluvial diamond exploration in Lunda Province – NE of Angola); assistant professor in Mining Engineering Department of Porto University (teaching Geoscience disciplines for mining engineers); and, mainly, geological mapping in the Portuguese Geological Survey (with mapping works in Portugal, Angola and Peru). Presently is coordinator of the LNEG technical team for the Angola’s Geology National Plan (PLANAGEO) and one of the coordinators for the 1:250.000 geological map of Angola within the PLANAGEO. His main scientific activity and research interests concern structural geology, tectonics and mapping of orogenic regions.

Lecturer: Prof. Joao F. B. D. Fonseca, C4G – Collaboratory for Geosciences, UBI

Abstract: It is often said that you can leave Africa, but Africa will never leave you. This may explain why African Earth Sciences have been a recurrent topic of research in my career, with emphasis on geo-hazards. In this talk I will review the first steps in geophysical monitoring of the Fogo Volcano, Cape Verde, in the early nineties, including the monitoring of the 1995 eruption, and the subsequent steps through FCT projects VIGIL and ALERT, and FP7 project MIAVITA. The participation of C4G in the monitoring of the 2014/2015 eruption, and its ongoing study through FCT Project FIRE will also be described.
On a different note, the investigation of the southern tip of the East African Rift in central Mozambique will be described in detail, showing the results of a temporary deployment of broadband seismic network in the scope of FCT Project MOZART (Mozambique Rift Tomography). Besides clarifying the seismotectonics of the region, this project contributed also to a better understanding of the crustal structure of Mozambique.
Finally, a brief description of research projects starting now (SUGGEST-AFRICA) or under evaluation (SHAZAM) will be given, and a plan to strengthen Earth Sciences cooperation with Africa in the next decade will be presented and discussed.

Short CV: Dr Joao Fonseca is a researched with Portuguese and Capeverdian nationality. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Geophysics by the University of Durham, UK (1990), and is currently the Technical Director of C4G – Collaboratory for Geosciences, a research infrastructure of the Portuguese Strategic Roadmap. He was born in Luanda, Angola, and attended the University of Lisbon for his first degree. After returning from the UK he joined IST, the school of engineering of the (then) Technical University of Lisbon, where he taught Geophysics and supervised several Ph.D. theses in that domain. Dr Joao Fonseca coordinated several research projects in Africa, concerning volcanic monitoring (Cape Verde) and seismotectonics (Mozambique), and co-authored 16 papers in peer-reviewed international journals with direct relevance to African Earth Sciences.