The Grupo de Investigación en Estratigrafía y Vulcanología (GIEV) Cumanday is a group attached to the Department of Geological Sciences and supported by Instituto de Investigaciones en Estratigrafía (IIES), both from the Universidad de Caldas (Colombia), which was created with the aim of promoting research at the University, involving professors and undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as graduates of the Geology Program. Currently, and due to its constant growth, the group has 48 active participants, of which 6 are junior researchers, 1 associate researcher and 1 senior researcher. During its trajectory, the group has published 82 articles, 1 book and 8 book chapters, and has supported the development of 93 undergraduate theses, 39 master’s and 7 doctoral theses. The specific areas of work are the following:

1. Sedimentology 

This line of research aims to study sediments and sedimentary rocks, including facies analysis techniques, ichnology and conventional petrography. The integrated analysis of these tools allows a detailed interpretation of the depositional environments and the physical-chemical and ecological factors involved, also obtaining an approximation to paleogeography.

Coordinator: M.Sc. Sergio Andrés Celis Hurtado, M.Sc. Carlos Ariel Giraldo Villegas y M.Sc. Nelson Fabián Gallego Bañol

2. Micropaleontology 

Micropaleontology deals with the study of microscopic fossils. In our laboratory we mainly study microfossils composed of organic matter (palynology), calcareous (foraminifera, nanofossils and ostracods) and siliceous (diatoms). Due to their size, they can be very abundant in the geological record, which allows their study to be applied to the determination of the age of rocks or sediments, as well as specifying paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic conditions in both marine and continental deposits.

Coordinator: Ph.D. Andrés Pardo Trujillo, M.Sc. Ángelo Plata Torres y M.Sc. Diego Felipe Vallejo Hincapié

3. Paleoclimatology, paleoceanography, paleoecology 

This line of research through the micropaleontological and stratigraphic record of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits of northern South America and the Caribbean, aims to understand how the tectonic evolution of the region influenced the paleoceanographic and paleoecological dynamics of the Eastern Equatorial Pacific Oceans and the Caribbean Sea.

Coordinator: M.Sc. Diego Felipe Vallejo Hincapié y M.Sc. Raúl Andrés Trejos Tamayo

4. Tectono-stratigraphy 

This line of research aims to address the relationship between tectonic and sedimentary processes responsible for the evolution of sedimentary basins and their geodynamic, paleogeographic and biogeographic implications, as well as their applications to the origin, migration and accumulation of energy resources (e.g. minerals, coal, hydrocarbons). Likewise, the principles and tools of this line of research will be useful and applicable to other areas of science such as hydrogeology, oceanography, geoarchaeology, climate change, and natural hazards.

Coordinator: Ph.D Juan Sebastián Echeverry

5. Tectono-magmatic evolution 

This line of research aims to characterize the spatiotemporal distribution of the different magmatic products (intrusive and extrusive) and their relationship with the various tectonic environments. Likewise, it intends to integrate multiple disciplines, such as petrogenesis, volcanology, lithostratigraphy, structural geology, paleomagnetism, geochronology and thermochronology, to carry out tectono-magmatic reconstructions and reveal the thermal state of the lithosphere, all in order to understand the evolution of deformation. at the level of the lower and upper crust of a given area.

Coordinator: Ph.D Juan Sebastián Echeverry y Ph.D. Hugo Fernando Murcia

6. Structural geology 

This line of research focuses on studying the spatio-temporal evolution of the deformation of the earth’s crust from the recognition and characterization of structures at different scales. For this, we carry out structural analyzes with the objective of understanding the relationship between stress and deformation of rocks, mechanisms and processes of formation of basins, mountain ranges and their relationship with global tectonics and climate. Likewise, this line aims to contribute to the evaluation of the country’s seismic hazard.

Coordinator: M.Sc. Luis Álvaro Botero Gómez

7. Petroleum and coal geology

In this line of research, he intends to establish the origin, evolution and type of the main fossil fuels (also including natural gas). The study of these resources is approached from different perspectives (sedimentology, organic geochemistry, organic petrology, geophysics, palynology), in such a way that it should be considered as an integrated study. No less important is the application of the data obtained to establish the evolution of sedimentary basins and propose models of sequential stratigraphy.

Coordinator: Ph.D. Carlos Alberto Guzmán López y M.sc. Nelson Fabián Gallego Bañol

8. Petrology 

This line of research aims to analyze and characterize igneous and metamorphic rocks based on the identification of the mineralogy present and their textures, as well as the determination of their chemical composition of both total rock and crystals to understand different geological processes. . Specifically, it seeks to understand the origin and evolution of magmas, as well as the transformations that rocks in general undergo due to metamorphism processes.

Coordinator: M.Sc. Laura Sánchez Torres 

9. Isotope geochemistry  

This investigation line aims to apply the study of the isotopic composition of rocks and natural materials to resolve research problems related to Earth sciences such as petrogenesis, volcanology, stratigraphy, structural geology, regional geology, economic geology, environmental geology, oceanography, paleoclimate, among others. Isotope methods include stable and radiogenic isotopes applied to understand the petrogenic and chronological evolution of magmatic provinces, petrogenetic and thermal histories of metamorphic terranes, thermal and exhumation histories of orogenic belts, chronologic and mineralization conditions of diverse deposits, isotopic variations of seawater, environmental contamination, and thermal evolution of sedimentary basins with oil and coal potential generation.

Coordinator: Ph.D. Angel Antonio Barbosa y P.h.D Juan Sebastián Echeverry

10. Volcanology

This research line aims to recognize and characterize volcanoes, volcanic rocks and volcaniclastic deposits using the geological record of ancient and recent volcanic eruptions in the country as a natural laboratory. These geoforms, rocks and deposits include products related to monogenetic and polygenetic volcanoes, and cover the full spectrum of the volcanic and volcaniclastic products: lavas and lava domes, and pyroclastic density current (PDCs), pyroclastic fall, debris avalanche and lahar deposits. Likewise, this research line aims to contribute to the volcanic hazard evaluation in the country.

Coordinator: Ph.D. Hugo Fernando Murcia y Ph.D. Susana Osorio Ocampo

11. Geothermal 

This line of research aims to recognize and characterize the geothermal system of any area of interest in the country based on surface geology, structural geology, geochemistry and geophysics studies. Likewise, this line aims to develop knowledge and implement methodologies to promote the advancement of geothermal projects in the country.

Coordinator: M.Sc. Luis Álvaro Botero Gómez

12. Quaternary geology and climate change 

This line of research aims to study the Quaternary period in a multidisciplinary way to understand climate evolution, including modern climate change, and the oceanographic, geomorphological and volcanological behavior of the last 2.6 Ma. A detailed description is proposed in soundings (marine and continental) and in outcrops, of the variations in the fauna and flora of microfossils, of the geochemical signal, of the volcanic and tefrostratigraphic records, and of all records related to the Quaternary. This line has two approaches: 1) Understanding the development of the Intertropical Convergence Zone over time and its influence on the dynamics of ocean currents and ecosystems in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean and on the behavior of forests Andean tropics. 2) Understand the most recent volcanic processes, the geomorphological modeling of our landscape, the magnitude of its risk and its impact on communities and ecosystems.

Coordinator: Ph.D. Susana Osorio Ocampo, M.Sc. Monica Liliana Duque Castaño y M.Sc. Raúl Andrés Trejos Tamayo

13. Geodiversity and Geoheritage  

This research line aims to contribute to the knowledge of geodiversity and its geosystem services of regulation, support, provisioning, culture and information in the country. Thus, it is intended to contribute to the sustainable development of society by promoting geoconservation and recognizing geoheritage through geoturism and geoeducation. This includes the analysis of the significance of rocks, minerals, fossils, tectonism, faults, magmatism, relief, topography, and hydrological, climatic and edaphological processes for our region. This also implies the need for the effective integration of these natural products with the community in general.

Coordinator: Ph.D Hugo Fernando Murcia

We currently have category A1 in the call for MINCIENCIAS 894.

Production of the group in the following link.

Grupo de Investigación en Estratigrafía y Vulcanología -GIEV-“CUMANDAY”