Methods of terrain evaluation,Mackenzie Transportation Corridor,N.W.T., Canada

In 1971 and 1972, the Terrain Sciences Division of the Geological Survey of Canada carried out the largest mapping program in its history of the distribution and characteristics of terrain types. Over 140.000 mile² (360,000 km²) of the Mackenzie Transportation Corridor was evaluated. This information was supplied to the public, industry and government in order to plan and design projects properly, by efficiently utilizing natural resources and minimizing environmental damage. The requirements of potential users varied to such a degree that it was decided to map the ‘basic’ geology and other terrain characteristics so that derivative maps could be constructed for specific uses. A mapping system was devised for surficial deposits using genesis as the primary unit, modified by texture and morphology. Organic and permafrost terrain were included, factors not ordinarily a part of traditional geological mapping. The system was comprehensive and flexible enough to include such aspects as the percentages of minor units, unit thickness, and slope and other morphological characteristics. In bedrock and unglaciated areas, a second system based upon the same principles as the first but arranged in a different manner was devised. In this case, the primary unit is based upon relief, with additional information on lithology of the bedrock, texture of overlying debris, and broad morphological and slope characteristics. Comprehensive legends were prepared. Using the mapping units as the base, the legends were divided into various categories, providing information on the composition, ground ice content, thickness, and engineering characteristics of the deposits, and surface characteristics including topography, drainage pattern, vegetation, and dominant soils (pedologic sense).     

Obituary Robert W. Pennak

Obituary

Obituary Robert W. Pennak     

Zinc,copper and cadmium in zooplankton from the N.W. Mediterranean

Zinc, copper and cadmium were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in zooplankton from the N. W. Mediterranean. Seasonal variations of metal concentrations in zooplankton as well as the dry weight of the samples and the salinities of surface seawaters were taken into consideration over two periods of 1 year each (1976 and 1978). Zooplankton samples, collected near the estuary of the River Var and near the sewage outfall of the town of Cannes, present higher values than those collected near Villefranche Bay. However, the range of our results appears to be in good agreement with the values reported in the literature for Mediterranean plankton.     

Copper,zinc and cadmium in coastal waters of the N.W. Mediterranean

The concentration levels of copper, zinc and cadmium in the coastal waters of the northwestern Mediterranean tend to match closely those of off-shore waters when there is no significant man-made contamination. The appearance of local high concentration for one metal by possible contamination does not necessarily correlate with high values for other metals, although some contamination sources elevate the concentrations of all three metals. In June 1974, the presence of a water mass having relatively high surface zinc-concentration was observed off the Marseille-Toulon area.     

Channel geometry,bed material,and inferred flow conditions in ephemeral stream systems,barrier range,western N.S.W. Australia

Streams draining the Barrier Range uplands in arid western N.S.W. are ephemeral and undergo rapid channel contraction away from the uplands as a consequence of transmission loss. These processes are documented on the basis of surveys of channel form and bed material at sequential sites located along the contracting lowland reaches of two representative streams. Channel width and depth display considerable fluctuation downstream, but cross-sectional area and maximum bed surface grain size decline in a very regular manner. Flood discharge, estimated from the channel capacity and predicted critical and mean flow velocities, also declines regularly. the trends are well fitted by log-linear models, and are reported in terms of a half-distance, the channel length in km over which the value of a morphometric parameter declines by 50 per cent. Rates of channel contraction and transmission loss are inferred to be inversely proportional to the volume of flow delivered from the upland section of the drainage basin. Unusual channel characteristics, including extensive tree growth in the bed, make application of ordinary flow equations difficult, because friction factors cannot be estimated with confidence. Systematic changes in the nature of the bed surface in contracting streams such as those studied here also have implications for the application of critical velocity equations, and highlight a need for further study of desert channels.