Field Survey and Numerical Simulations: A Review of the 1998 Papua New Guinea Tsunami

— The Papua New Guinea (PNG) tsunami of 1998 is re-examined through a detailed review of the field survey as well as numerous numerical computations. The discussion of the field survey explores a number of possible misinterpretations of the recorded data. The survey data are then employed by a numerical model as a validation tool. A Boussinesq model and a nonlinear shallow water wave (NLSW) model are compared in order to quantify the effect of frequency dispersion on the landslide-generated tsunami. The numerical comparisons indicate that the NLSW model is a poor estimator of offshore wave heights. However, due to what appears to be depth-limited breaking seaward of Sissano spit, both numerical models are in agreement in the prediction of maximum water elevations at the overtopped spit. By comparing three different hot-start initial profiles of the tsunami wave, it is shown that the initial shape and orientation of the tsunami wave is secondary to the initial displaced water mass in regard to prediction of water elevations on the spit. These numerical results indicate that agreement between numerical prediction of runup values with field recorded values at PNG cannot be used to validate either a NLSW tsunami propagation model or a specific landslide tsunami hot-start initial condition. Finally, with the use of traditional tsunami codes, a new interpretation of the PNG runup measurements is presented.     

Mesozoic thermal evolution of the southern African mantle lithosphere

The thermal structure of Archean and Proterozoic lithospheric terranes in southern Africa during the Mesozoic was evaluated by thermobarometry of mantle peridotite xenoliths erupted in alkaline magmas between 180 and 60 Ma. For cratonic xenoliths, the presence of a 150–200 °C isobaric temperature range at 5–6 GPa confirms original interpretations of a conductive geotherm, which is perturbed at depth, and therefore does not record steady state lithospheric mantle structure.

Xenoliths from both Archean and Proterozoic terranes record conductive limb temperatures characteristic of a “cratonic” geotherm (40 mW m⁻²), indicating cooling of Proterozoic mantle following the last major tectonothermal event in the region at 1 Ga and the probability of thick off-craton lithosphere capable of hosting diamond. This inference is supported by U–Pb thermochronology of lower crustal xenoliths [Schmitz and Bowring, 2003. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 144, 592–618].

The entire region then suffered a protracted regional heating event in the Mesozoic, affecting both mantle and lower crust. In the mantle, the event is recorded at 150 Ma to the southeast of the craton, propagating to the west by 108–74 Ma, the craton interior by 85–90 Ma and the far southwest and northwest by 65–70 Ma. The heating penetrated to shallower levels in the off-craton areas than on the craton, and is more apparent on the southern margin of the craton than in its western interior. The focus and spatial progression mimic inferred patterns of plume activity and supercontinent breakup 30–100 Ma earlier and are probably connected.

Contrasting thermal profiles from Archean and Proterozoic mantle result from penetration to shallower levels of the Proterozoic lithosphere by heat transporting magmas. Extent of penetration is related not to original lithospheric thickness, but to its more fertile character and the presence of structurally weak zones of old tectonism. The present day distribution of surface heat flow in southern Africa is related to this dynamic event and is not a direct reflection of the pre-existing lithospheric architecture.     

Climatic and volcanic forcing revealed in a 50,000-year diatom record from Lake Massoko, Tanzania

The interactions between climatic and volcanic forcing on diatom communities contained in a 50,000-year sedimentary sequence from Lake Massoko, Tanzania, were examined. At the century scale, 19 discrete tephra inputs to the lake isolated the sedimentary nutrient supply and shifted the diatom communities to those tolerant of low phosphorus levels, whereas at the millennial scale, diatom-inferred shifts in precipitation–evaporation based on conductivity optima and diatom life-form ratios were broadly similar to lake-level reconstructions from Lake Rukwa, Lake Malawi, and others in the region. Some fluctuations of Lake Massoko are consistent with the precession-driven changes in insolation, but the major climate shifts do not relate directly to orbital forcing of summer insolation south of the equator and show more consistency with records from the equatorial and northern tropics that receive rainfall from the passing of the intertropical convergence zone. Sea surface temperatures are strongly correlated to multimillennial-scale climate patterns over this region of Africa.     

Paleohydrology of arid southeastern maui, hawaiian islands, and its implications for prehistoric human settlement

Arid slopes on the southeastern side of Maui are densely covered with archaeological remains of Hawaiian settlement from the late prehistoric to early postcontact period (ca. A.D. 1500-1860). Permanent habitation sites, agricultural features, and religious structures indicate perennial occupation and farming in a subregion called Kahikinui, yet there is presently no year-round water source. We explore the possibility that postcontact deforestation led to the loss of either (1) perennial channel flow or (2) perennial springs or seeps. To investigate the first possibility, we estimated ancient peak flows on 11 ephemeral channels in Kahikinui using field measurements and paleohydrology. Peak-flow estimates (3-230 m³/s) for a given drainage area are smaller than those for current perennial Maui streams, but are equivalent to gauged peak flows from ephemeral and intermittent streams in the driest regions of Hawai’i and Maui islands. This is consistent with the long-term absence of perennial channel flow in Kahikinui. On the other hand, others have shown that canopy fog-drip in Hawai’i can be greater than rainfall and thus a large part of groundwater recharge. Using isolated live remnants and snags, we estimate the former extent of the forest upstream from archaeological sites. We use rough estimates of the loss of fog-drip recharge caused by deforestation and apply a simple, steady-state hydrologic model to calculate potential groundwater table fall. These order-of-magnitude estimates indicate that groundwater could have fallen by a minimum of several meters, abandoning perennial seeps. This is consistent with archaeological evidence for former perennial seeps, such as stonewalls enclosing potential seeps to protect them. Although longer-term reductions in rainfall cannot be ruled out as a factor, deforestation and loss of fog-drip recharge are obvious and more immediate reasons for a recent loss of perennial water in Kahikinui, Maui.     

The shifting territory of government: some insights from the Rural White Paper

Summary In this paper it is proposed that the territory of governance is currently being reconfigured by the state. The state is pulling back from a universalist, welfare role, which entailed comprehensive governance of the whole national territory. Now a much more selective form of government is coming into being, concerned with 'community', 'diversity' and 'locality'. This is not, however, simply a belated recognition by the state that these are ever more important features of socio-spatial life: rather, it is part of the reconfiguration of the territory of government as the state invokes these characteristics in order to modify its ways of governing. Using Foucault's concept of governmentality–that is the means used by the state to 'problematise' life within its territorial borders and then act on the basis of these problematisations—the recent case of the Rural White Paper is examined. It is proposed that this is a very clear example of a governmental retreat from a comprehensive role in the governance of rural areas and shows how the state now seeks to govern 'through communities'.     

Calculating the two-dimensional magnetotelluric Jacobian in finite elements using reciprocity

To speed up the calculation of the field Jacobian for 2-D magnetoteliuric inversion using finite elements, the principle of electromagnetic reciprocity is applied. The governing relationship for the Jacobian of the field along strike is obtained by differentiating the Helmholtz equation with respect to the resistivity of each region in the finite-element mesh. The result is a similar Helmholtz equation for the Jacobian, with new sources distributed over all nodes within the parameter medium. However, according to the principle of electromagnetic reciprocity, the roles of sources and receivers are interchangeable. Utilizing reciprocity, the field values obtained from the original forward problem and for new unit sources imposed at the receivers are then utilized in the calculation of the Jacobian by simple multiplication and summation with finite-element terms at each rectangle in the mesh. For the auxiliary (across-strike) fields, the Jacobian terms are obtained by solving source vectors loaded with parabola coefficients used in the approximation to Maxwell's equations. Jacobian terms for the apparent resistivity ( p _a), the impedance phase (φ) and the vertical magnetic field ( K _zy) are then calculated utilizing the parallel- and auxiliary-field Jacobians. Comparison of Jacobian values obtained from reciprocity calculations and by differencing two forward solutions show that the reciprocity method is accurate and can be used to decrease the number of calculations required to obtain sensitivities by one to two orders of magnitude.     

Fluvial process and the establishment of bottomland trees

The effects of river regulation on bottomland tree communities in western North America have generated substantial concern because of the important habitat and aesthetic values of these communities. Consideration of such effects in water management decisions has been hampered by the apparent variability of responses of bottomland tree communities to flow alteration. When the relation between streamflow and tree establishment is placed in a geomorphic context, however, much of that variability is explained, and prediction of changes in the tree community is improved.The relation between streamflow and establishment of bottomland trees is conditioned by the dominant fluvial process or processes acting along a stream. For successful establishment, cottonwoods, poplars, and willows require bare, moist surfaces protected from disturbance. Channel narrowing, channel meandering, and flood deposition promote different spatial and temporal patterns of establishment. During channel narrowing, the site requirements are met on portions of the bed abandoned by the stream, and establishment is associated with a period of low flow lasting one to several years. During channel meandering, the requirements are met on point bars following moderate or higher peak flows. Following flood deposition, the requirements are met on flood deposits ;high above the channel bed. Flood deposition can occur along most streams, but where a channel is constrained by a narrow valley, this process may be the only mechanism that can produce a bare, moist surface high enough to be safe from future disturbance. Because of differences in local bedrock, tributary influence, or geologic history, two nearby reaches of the same stream may be dominated by different fluvial processes and have different spatial and temporal patterns of trees. We illustrate this phenomenon with examples from forests of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. monilifera) along meandering and constrained reaches of the Missouri River in Montana.