DISTRIBUTION OF GALLIUM IN ROCKS AND MINERALS (REVIEW OF GALLIUM BY O.V. VERSHKOVSKAYA,V.S. KRASNOVA,V.S. SALTYKOVA,AND A. YE. PERVUKHINA)

This book reviewer is quick to point out the many omissions he detected in the Gallium volume. His list includes some 43 citations. Many of these are from foreign journals, but the reader would first have to refer to the Russian source in order to track down the original source. The data cited, however, should be of interest to those seeking geochemical data on gallium. --H. Brown.     

Geochemical prospecting for groundwater in the granitic terrain around Ghatkesar,A.P. (India)

Soil samples collected from a depth of 8 cm near open wells were studied. Finer (minus 80-mesh) fractions of soil from the A-horizon contain more Mn and Fe compared to coarser fractions and these elements show higher concentrations in soils around wells with a deeper water-table. Greater weathering due to percolation of larger volumes of water through soil results in thorough decomposition of all the minerals, liberating the elements. During this process iron hydroxides with very little Mn form large fragile fragments. Higher Fe/Mn ratios in the minus 44 plus 60-mesh fractions of these soils are characteristic of deeper, high-yielding wells and have a positive correlation with depth of water table.     

Extreme Events: A Research and Policy Framework for Disasters in Context

Extreme events are significant determinants of the character and evolution of many natural and human systems. When extreme events occur at the interface between natural and human systems, they are often called “disasters.” Here, we use a systemic, contextual view of disasters to construct a framework for organizing research and policy. Within this framework, reduction of vulnerability is the organizing principle, and decision processes (which lead to reduced vulnerability) are the fundamental unit of analysis and action. Scientific research is connected to decision processes through knowledge—integrating activities such as prediction, observation, and heuristics. But the value of research depends on its capacity to enhance decision-making capabilities. Our goal is to define an approach by which policy—relevant research questions can be more readily recognized. and societally valuable (i.e., vulnerabilityreducing) knowledge can be more effectively created and used.