How to bring geoscience to the public—a UK 'Science week' experience

In the UK, the National Science week aims to bring exciting science to the public. As explained on the British Association (BA) website: 'National Science Week aims to celebrate science and its importance to our lives, giving people from everywhere in the UK the chance to participate in science activities and experiments and to engage in science discussions in their local area. … We encourage individuals and organisations to take part …' The Prime Minister has said: 'National Science Week is so important. It encourages people to engage with science through informative and fun events, and provides scientists with an opportunity to talk to people about their research and gain an understanding of the public's views.' Science Week provides a wonderful opportunity for geoscientists to bring their science to the public in ways that will inform and inspire. It takes a day, some preparation, and a willingness to 'be in the front line' of interaction with people of all ages. It needs an engaging jargon-free approach and activities that will 'draw in the punters' and provide them with experiences that they won't easily forget. This article shows ways in which it can be delivered.     

Geomagnetic field anomalies over the Lombok Island region: an attempt to understand the local tectonic changes

During the last years, several investigations on the earthquakes and related tectonic structures along the Java Trench have been conducted. In this study, we focus on the Lombok Island—West Nusa Tenggara (Indonesia), which lies between the centres of the highest intensity of contiguous negative–positive geomagnetic anomalies in this region. The geological and tectonic structures, however, are not known in detail for this island, whereas a better knowledge of these conditions could lead to better estimate the potential earthquake risks and thus a possible improvement of the existing early warning system. We have performed a ground-based geomagnetic survey at 56 stations in the Lombok Island during October–November 2006 for a detailed mapping and interpretation of geomagnetic anomalies related to the geological and tectonic characteristics. The 2D and 3D magnetic maps show a general geomagnetic anomaly pattern in the Lombok Island which consists of repeated contiguous negative–positive anomalies. Two forward models have been proposed for a profile connecting a strongest apparent dipolar structure. The first model assumes a uniformly magnetized sphere as the source of the anomaly, and could be interpreted as a specific local structure composed by a quite large magnetic body. The second model considers several rocks with different susceptibilities and magnetizations, and could be interpreted as a discontinuity in the geological structures. This model agrees with the local geological surface conditions and the known large scale regional tectonic structure. Therefore, it is used to interpret our results in terms of tectonic characteristics, which suggests the potential existence of a new tectonic element (e.g. a local normal fault) in this region.     

Changing conflict resolution institutions in the Ethiopian pastoral commons: the role of armed confrontation in rule-making

Pastoralist access and use of common grazing resources in the Horn of Africa increasingly include armed confrontation over diminishing resources and reduced access. This comes about as traditional customary institutions (sets of rules) for commons management become compromised due to the presence of outside influences and actors which significantly change both resource availability, and conceptions about who is subject to traditional rules governing commons – particularly rules associated with exclusion. At the same time a combination of local knowledge regarding what happens to open access commons (degradation), a reluctance to give up control of commons and associated ways of life, and armed conflict as a viable alternative for exclusion rules, provide for combative situations and large costs. While a great deal of valuable work has been accomplished regarding the derivation of effective institutions to better manage commons, situations of armed conflict can seem particularly distant from effective rule-making, because few institutions can endure the stresses of armed conflict. Recent developments in Ethiopia however suggest an unexpected proximity between armed confrontation and the prospect for commons management rule-making. With examples from the Afar, Somali and Karamojong Cluster pastoralists, this paper examines the ingredients for rule-making in combative commons situations. Specific coincident forms of state recognition, donor flexibility, perceptions of the cost of conflict, and the local to international reaction to these, are examined for their utility and limitations in the provision of a facilitating context for institution derivation for commons management.     

从"创新的空间"到"空间的创新"

当前，科技园区本身作为创新空间，大大推动了我国社会经济的发展，但其建设过程中亦出现了种种问题，很多甚至偏离了建设的初衷。以宁波科技园区规划为例，通过对园区现状存在问题的分析，提出若干空间创新的规划理念与措施，从而为我国科技园区未来的发展提供借鉴。     

The ionic model: Extension to spatial charge distributions

In this paper the validity of the classical ionic model, using a Madelung term and a Born-Mayer repulsive term, is investigated quantatively for systems with a considerable overlap of the electron clouds of neighbouring ions, such as silicates with a high degree of polymerisation. A modified ionic model is presented which takes into account the spatial extent of the ions within the approximation of spherical atoms. Both models are tested against quantum mechanical electron densities and energies for SiO ₄ ^4- -clusters. The data demonstrate the validity of the spherical atom approximation, producing a fit of 99.995%, and the importance of manybody effects maintaining the spherical symmetry of the electron clouds as contraction/expansion of the ions and charge transfer between ions. Although the new interaction potential is physically more plausible than the classical Born-Mayer model, both models reproduce the quantum mechanical potential surface with numerical accuracies of the same order of magnitude. The new model provides an improved tool for judging between ionic and non-ionic effects and for analysis of the quantum mechanical electron densities and interaction energies.     

Groundwater modelling: Towards an estimation of the acceleration factors of iterative methods via an analysis of the transmissivity spatial variability

When running a groundwater flow model, a recurrent and seemingly subsidiary question arises at the starting step of computations: what value of acceleration parameter do we need to optimize the numerical solver? A method is proposed to provide a practical estimate of the optimal acceleration parameter via a geostatistical analysis of the spatial variability of the logarithm of the transmissivity field Y. The background of the approach is illustrated on the successive over-relaxation method (SOR) used, either as a stand-alone solver, or as a symmetric preconditioner (SSOR) to the gradient conjugate method, or as a smoother in multigrid methods. It shows that this optimum acceleration factor is a function of the standard deviation and the correlation length of Y. This provides an easy-to-use heuristic procedure to estimate the acceleration factors, which could even be incorporated in the software package. A case study illustrates the steps needed to perform this estimation.     

首批国家地质公园的建立——地球科学服务社会的新尝试

1995年国际地球科学联合会在联合国教科文组织支持下,开始推进编录全球地质遗迹名录的工作(Winbledon et.al.,1998)。与各国地质学家一样,中国地学界十分重视地质遗迹的保护。 广泛的地质资源调查,可以选择出一些国家级或区域级别的地质遗产地(Geosites,Geological heritage或Geotope)提     

A dynamic spatial diffusion model: an application to the kibbutz industry in Israel

A simple dynamic spatial diffusion model is suggested using the hitherto unreferred to concept ofinnovation adoption disparity between adoption units. Such disparity is an outcome of spatial variations in information flow caused by differential distances. The model is structured around the relationship between adoption disparity and distance in a temporal context. An application of the model to the diffusion of industrialization among Kibbutzim in Israel demonstrates its usefulness as a basic conceptual framework for understanding spatial difcesses. A possible extension of the model to inncorporate elements of the logistic curve is also proposed. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** ABI02060 00004     

Lateglacial and Holocene climate oscillations in the South-western Alps: An attempt at quantitative reconstruction

The high topographic complexity of the Alpine region is the origin of important climate differences that characterise the different areas of the Alps. These differences might have had a strong influence on vegetation and on migrations of human populations in the past. Based on an improved database containing about 3000 modern pollen samples, the standard “Modern Analogue Technique” has been applied to five pollen sequences from the subalpine belt of the South-western Italian Alps (Laghi dell’Orgials, 2240 m, Lago delle Fate, 2130 m, Torbiera del Biecai, 1920 m, Rifugio Mondovì, 1760 m, Pian Marchisio, 1624 m) to provide quantitative climate estimates for the Lateglacial and Holocene periods. Consistent climate trends are reconstructed for the different sequences. Sites recorded in detail the climate variations when they were located at the limit of two ecotones. Sites above the tree line recorded lower temperature values and less important variations. Climate was cold and dry during the Oldest and Younger Dryas and close to present-day values during the Bølling/Allerød interstadial. At the beginning of the Holocene, climate changed to warmer and moister conditions; a high number of climate fluctuations are recorded at several sites. A climate optimum is recorded in the Atlantic period, which caused a development of fir above its present-day altitudinal distribution. Climatic differences recorded at the various sites are discussed taking into account the limits of the method.     

An attempt to characterize phase Q: Noble gas, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy in residues prepared from the Allende meteorite

We have prepared a HF-HCl residue and its oxidized residue of the Allende meteorite and have measured the elemental concentrations and the isotopic compositions of noble gases. In the HF-HCl reside, noble gases are enriched in colloidal fraction compared to the non-colloidal fraction by a factor of 2-4. The heavy noble gases were evidently lost after the oxidization, indicating that phase Q (carrier of planetary heavy noble gases) was removed by the oxidation. The Raman spectroscopic parameters show that the colloidal fraction of the HF-HCl residue is more amorphous compared to the non-colloidal fraction. As the ion irradiation converts carbon into a more amorphous form, our result indicates that the “plasma model” is more plausible than the “labyrinth model” as the origin of phase Q. TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope) observations also show such a trace of ion irradiation. While the TEM observations did not show any large difference between the HF-HCl residue and its oxidized residue, the Raman spectroscopic parameters changed discretely resulting from the oxidization. This observation indicates that the oxidization not only dissolved and removed oxidized carbon, but also changed the carbon structure itself to a more amorphous (disordered) state. The Raman spectroscopic results indicate the possibility that release of Q-gas during oxidation is not accompanied by mass loss and that the release of Q-gas simply resulted from rearrangement of carbon structure during oxidation.     

Multi-approach assessment of the spatial distribution of the specific yield: application to the Crau plain aquifer,France

Spatially distributed values of the specific yield, a fundamental parameter for transient groundwater mass balance calculations, were obtained by means of three independent methods for the Crau plain, France. In contrast to its traditional use to assess recharge based on a given specific yield, the water-table fluctuation (WTF) method, applied using major recharging events, gave a first set of reference values. Then, large infiltration processes recorded by monitored boreholes and caused by major precipitation events were interpreted in terms of specific yield by means of a one-dimensional vertical numerical model solving Richards’ equations within the unsaturated zone. Finally, two gravity field campaigns, at low and high piezometric levels, were carried out to assess the groundwater mass variation and thus alternative specific yield values. The range obtained by the WTF method for this aquifer made of alluvial detrital material was 2.9– 26%, in line with the scarce data available so far. The average spatial value of specific yield by the WTF method (9.1%) is consistent with the aquifer scale value from the hydro-gravimetric approach. In this investigation, an estimate of the hitherto unknown spatial distribution of the specific yield over the Crau plain was obtained using the most reliable method (the WTF method). A groundwater mass balance calculation over the domain using this distribution yielded similar results to an independent quantification based on a stable isotope-mixing model. This agreement reinforces the relevance of such estimates, which can be used to build a more accurate transient hydrogeological model.

     

地质温度计在郯庐断裂带南段低温糜棱岩中的尝试

在缺少糜棱岩形成温度资料的情况下,糜棱岩的形成深度、与所叠加岩石的关系、变质演化、抬升-剥露历史、矿物的变形机制、同位素年龄数据的解释等一系列问题就很难得到正确合理的解释.适用于低温条件下的白云母-绿泥石地质温度计、白云母-黑云母地质温度计和绿泥石成分温度计仅在区域变质岩中应用过,从未在糜棱岩中使用.本文利用郯庐断裂带南段（安徽段）韧性剪切带内糜棱岩中同构造新生的白云母、黑云母和绿泥石,首次尝试上述3种地质温度计在糜棱岩中的应用.糜棱岩中新生矿物组合及长石变形行为显示,糜棱岩的变形温度为350℃～450℃.利用白云母-黑云母地质温度计和绿泥石地质温度计获得的温度值分别为672℃～1116℃和470℃～520℃,高于糜棱岩的形成温度,指示这2个地质温度计不适用于计算低温糜棱岩的形成温度.而利用白云母-绿泥石地质温度计获得的温度值与糜棱岩的形成温度相吻合,这表明在上述3种低温地质温度计中,只有白云母-绿泥石地质温度计适用于低温糜棱岩的形成温度测定.     

Mapping the liquefaction induced soil moisture changes using remote sensing technique: an attempt to map the earthquake induced liquefaction around Bhuj, Gujarat, India

The Bhuj earthquake (Mw = 7.9) occurred in the western part of India on 26th January 2001 and resulted in the loss of 20,000 lives and caused extensive damage to property. Soil liquefaction related ground failures such as lateral spreading caused significant damage to bridges, dams and other civil engineering structures in entire Kachchh peninsula. The Bhuj area is a part of large sedimentary basin filled with Jurassic, Tertiary and Quaternary deposits. This work pertains to mapping the areas that showed sudden increase in soil moisture after the seismic event, using remote sensing technique. Multi-spectral, spatial and temporal data sets from Indian Remote Sensing Satellite are used to derive the Liquefaction Sensitivity Index (LSeI). The basic concept behind LSeI is that the near infrared and shortwave infrared regions of electromagnetic spectrum are highly absorbed by soil moisture. Thus, the LSeI is herein used to identify the areas with increase in soil moisture after the seismic event. The LSeI map of Bhuj is then correlated with field-based observation on Cyclic Stress Ratio (CSR) and Cyclic Resistance Ratio (CRR), depth to water table, soil density and Liquefaction Severity Index (LSI). The derived LSeI values are in agreement with liquefaction susceptible criteria and observed LSI (R ² = 0.97). The results of the study indicate that the LSeI after calibration with LSI can be used as a quick tool to map the liquefied areas. On the basis of LSeI, LSI, CRR, CSR and saturation, the unconsolidated sediments of the Bhuj area are classified into three susceptibility classes.     

Climatic and lithologic controls on the temporal and spatial variability of CO2 consumption via chemical weathering: An example from the Australian Victorian Alps

A detailed geochemical study on river waters of the Australian Victorian Alps was carried out to determine: (i) the relative significance of silicate, carbonate, evaporite and sulfide weathering in controlling the major ion composition and; (ii) the factors regulating seasonal and spatial variations of CO₂ consumption via silicate weathering in the catchments. Major ion chemistry implies that solutes are largely derived from evaporation of precipitation and chemical weathering of carbonate and silicate lithologies. The input of solutes from rock weathering was determined by calculating the contribution of halite dissolution and atmospheric inputs using local rain and snow samples. Despite the lack of carbonate outcrops in the study area and waters being undersaturated with respect to calcite, the dissolution of vein calcite accounts for up to 67% of the total dissolved cations, generating up to 90% of dissolved Ca and 97% of Mg. Dissolved sulfate has δ³⁴S values of 16 to 20‰_CDT, indicating that it is derived predominantly from atmospheric deposition and minor gypsum weathering and not from bacterial reduction of FeS₂. This militates against sulphuric acid weathering in Victorian rivers. Ratios of Si vs. the atmospheric corrected Na and K concentrations range from ~ 1.1 to ~ 4.3, suggesting incongruent weathering from plagioclase to smectite, kaolinite and gibbsite.Estimated long-term average CO₂ fluxes from silicate weathering range from ~ 0.012 × 10⁶ to 0.039 × 10⁶ mol/km²/yr with the highest values in rivers draining the basement outcrops rather than sedimentary rocks. This is about one order of magnitude below the global average which is due to low relief, and the arid climate in that region. Time series measurements show that exposure to lithology, high physical erosion and long water–rock contact times dominate CO₂ consumption fluxes via silicate weathering, while variations in water temperature are not overriding parameters controlling chemical weathering. Because the atmospheric corrected concentrations of Na, K and Mg act non-conservative in Victorian rivers the parameterizations of weathering processes, and net CO₂ consumption rates in particular, based on major ion abundances, should be treated with skepticism.     

Lung cancer risk associated with residential proximity to industrial installations: a spatial analysis

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death and thus a major public health problem. While lung cancer frequency might be partially attributable to smoking habit and occupational exposure, the role of industrial pollution also needs to be assessed. To ascertain the possible effect of residential proximity to industrial installations on lung cancer risk in Asturias, an industrial region in Spain, taking into account the type of industrial activity and carcinogenic substances released. We conducted a hospital-based case–control study covering 700 lung cancer patients and 700 controls recruited in Asturias, matched individually by ethnicity, hospital, age, and sex. Distances were computed from the respective participants’ residential locations to the 48 industrial facilities governed by the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Act 16/2002 and included in the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register, and located in the study areas. Using logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) were calculated and adjusted for sex, age, hospital area, tobacco consumption, family history of cancer, area of residence, and occupation. Excess risk of lung cancer was observed for individuals living near industrial installations (OR = 1.43; 95 % CI = 1.08–1.89), particularly metal industries (OR = 1.40; 95 % CI = 1.05–1.87), cement plants (OR = 4.81; 95 % CI = 1.20–19.19), and shipyards (OR = 1.69; 95 % CI = 1.17–2.43). Residents living close to industrial facilities releasing dioxins displayed a high, though non-statistically significant, excess risk of lung cancer (OR = 1.62; 95 % CI = 0.86–3.07). This study suggests a possible association between lung cancer risk and proximity to industrial installations, specifically metal industries, cement plants, and shipyards.