Introduction to themed issue: “Green security in protected areas”

This introduction to the themed issue discusses the articulation of protected areas, conservation, and security in issue contributions. Protected areas are presented as localized sites to address global crises, such as anthropogenic climate change and the “war on terror.” When they are sites for securitization and militarization, protected areas articulate state and subject formations through violence. As threat discourses have amplified in recent years, communities once deemed putative eco-destroyers have been interpellated as potential threats in wars on drugs and/or terror. The themed issue reveals that reframing environmental crime as organized crime has significant implications for expanding claims of what counts as legitimate use of force in protected areas policing, as well as potential prosecutions. It is apparent that security for one group may hinge on the insecurity of another group at different historical and political moments. In this special issue we challenge conservation actors as well as those critical of conservation to ask: for whom does conservation provide security, under what circumstances, and at what cost?     

The effects of trust in government on earthquake survivors’ risk perception and preparedness in China

Natural Hazards - The accumulation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air affects air quality through the generation of surface level ozone and secondary organic aerosol. A study of...     

Power,perception, and adaptation: Exploring gender and social–environmental risk perception in northern Guanajuato,Mexico

This paper examines how gender relations within rural communities in north-central Mexico affect women’s perceptions of and responses to environmental and social risks. Several studies currently exist which suggest various reasons as to how people especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change perceive their risks, and how this influences their responses. In this paper, I take a feminist approach to questions of social–environmental risks and adaptation to argue that risk perception is tightly linked to knowledge production, and knowledge production is a power-laden process involving the constant negotiation of resources, responsibilities and knowledge. I base this argument on the results of fieldwork conducted from September 2009 to May 2010 with women residents of two ejidos in northern Guanajuato, Mexico. In drawing from feminist political ecology studies, I intend to show how gender, environmental knowledge, risk perception and thus, adaptation are constituted by and embedded in social relations of power.     

Flood resilience in paired US–Mexico border cities: a study of binational risk perceptions

Natural Hazards - The present study was done to analyze and compare synoptic conditions during the most durable pollution and clean waves (MDPW and MDCW) in Tehran City (capital of Iran). For this...     

Spatial–temporal differences in disaster perception and response among new media users and the influence factors: a case study of the Shouguang Flood in Shandong province

Natural Hazards - When human beings cannot avoid extreme climate disasters, it is widely accepted to take measures to address climate change. Research on ordinary people’s perception of...     

Interaction between risk perception and sense of place in disaster-prone mountain areas: a case study in China’s Three Gorges Reservoir Area

Residents of rural mountain settlements are constantly threatened by disasters such as landslides. Their risk perception directly or indirectly affects their behavioral choices. Introducing the concept of sense of place, this paper details its interactions with the risk perception of mountain hazards. Rural residents (n = 348) in landslide-threatened areas of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area were questioned about their sense of place and risk perception. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to explore the interactions between various dimensions, and hypothetical tests were conducted. We found that dimensions of risk perception, such as Possibility and Unknown, had direct, negative impacts on the dimensions of sense of place, such as Society bond and Place dependence. Possibility had an indirect, yet more significant effect on Place attachment and Place identity, acting through Society bond. Rural residents often overestimate disaster risks due to fatalism, and a fear of the unknown stemming from low scientific literacy, which reduces their Place dependence. A complex interaction between sense of place and risk perception was observed. The findings provide a scientific basis for the government to formulate integrated policies regarding settlement relocation, disaster prevention and mitigation, and sustainable development.     

A note on “Origin of components in Chilean thermal waters” by

Risacher et al. (2011) have presented voluminous data on thermal waters of Chile that is quite appreciable; however, their work still falls short on several counts. The most notable shortcoming of the work is the presentation and treatment of data. The interpretations are based on questionable premises (viz., extent of seawater intrusion) and considerations (viz., using average chemical composition of rock types for geochemical modeling, considering volcanic rocks as the only rock type in contact with the geothermal fluids) and assumptions not always substantiated by facts (with proper references) could have been corroborated. Use of Cl/Br ratio for discrimination purpose is unconvincing, considering the uncertainty in the measurement of low (<1 mg/L) Br concentration.     

Does disaster shocks affect farmers’ willingness for insurance? Mediating effect of risk perception and survey data from risk-prone areas in East China

Natural Hazards - The study estimates the impact of disaster shocks and risk perception on farmers’ willingness for insurance. Based on data of 328 farmers from the Shandong province of East...     

Storm‐dominated sedimentation in a protected basin fringed by coral reefs,Nara Inlet,Whitsunday Islands,Great Barrier Reef,Australia

Hydrodynamic data and samples of bed sediment were collected from Nara Inlet, a small incised embayment in the Whitsunday Islands, central Great Barrier Reef. Measured tidal currents in the inlet do not exceed 0.2 ms^–1 even at spring tides. Swell waves dominate much of the inner shelf of the Great Barrier Reef but are absent from in the inlet due to the presence of a fringing reef at the inlet mouth. On the silty sand floor of the inlet, particle size decreases towards the inlet head. Most of the bed is too coarse to be remobilised by fair‐weather wave and tides, and we predict that bedload sediment transport thresholds are only exceeded in the inlet during cyclones. The observed distribution of bed sediments is consistent with landward dispersal of sediment under storm conditions. Over 20 m of (presumably Holocene) sediments occurs in the inlet and the seismic character of the infill is consistent with the observed textural variation of the modern sediments. We infer that sediment accumulation on the floor of the inlet has been storm dominated throughout much of the Holocene.     

Evaluation of community leaders’ perception regarding Alerta Rio,the warning system for landslides caused by heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro

Warning systems help reduce damage and save lives in disasters; however, there is a lack of research analyzing the population perception of these systems. In Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), because the city slums face the risk of landslides caused by heavy rains, a siren early warning system named “Alerta Rio” was installed in 102 areas. The purpose of this paper was to understand the perception of community leaders regarding this alert system. To this end, a survey was conducted with community leaders to collect data on whether and why the public do or do not attend to the alert. Results indicated that (1) public adherence to Alerta Rio is low despite the generally positive view of the system, (2) local violence was reported as the reason for staying at home to protect one’s property, and (3) problems with temporary shelters and the routes to them result in lack of people’s involvement in the system. Whereas these factors are similar to population perception regarding other warning systems, the community leaders also raised the public’s lack of trust in the city hall’s adopted concept of risk and in the politicians as a relevant factor in the population perception of Alerta Rio. These factors, together with the lack of prevention policies complementary with the alert system, led to perception of reduced importance of the system. For potential solutions to enhance alarm compliance, this study recommends improvement in communication, educational programs, and public engagement strategies tailored for each target group.     

222Rn solution by the circulating fluids in a “hot dry rock” geothermal reservoir

The mechanism of²²²Rn release into fracture fluids by direct alpha-recoil, lattice and grain boundary/micro-crack diffusion is discussed. Experimental measurements of²²²Rn release into surrounding air and water phases have been made for crystalline rock specimens with well defined surface areas. The²²²Rn flux from an infinite plane surface and hence the effective diffusion length of²²²Rn in the rock matrix has been estimated.The²²²Rn flux from plane crystalline rock surfaces has been used in conjunction with a simple hydrological model of the reservoir to calculate the²²²Rn content of the return fluids of a geothermal doublet circulation system. For given production rate and piezometric difference between the injection and production wells, the²²²Rn content of the return fluid is dependent upon the distribution of flow path lengths and fracture apertures in the reservoir. Matching of the calculated and experimental²²²Rn contents of the return fluids has been used to select appropriate parameters for the reservoir model and hence to estimate the extent of the heat-transfer surface. The model estimates the fracture width of the flow paths, total swept surface area and fracture volume within the reservoir.     

祝贺“上海地质”创刊100期

中国工程院院士、华东师范大学河口海岸国家重点实验室名誉主任陈吉余题辞贺信《上海地质》从1980年创刊至今,已经出版100期了,特表示诚挚的祝贺。在过去的岁月里,《上海地质》一贯坚持党的”百花齐放、百家争鸣”的方针,坚持学术性刊物的严肃性,坚持面向广大地学工作者、读者的原则,为繁荣地球科学、为上海城市规划建设、经济发展,特别是在“十五”期间,《上海地质》期刊为上海城市地质工作、上海地面沉降防治工作,为上海地质科技的进步与发展发挥了重要作用。     

仪器信息网“100家实验室”专题介绍

为广泛征求用户的意见和需求,了解中国科学仪器市场概况和仪器应用情况,仪器信息网于2009年启动“100家实验室”专题,对不同行业有代表性的实验室进行走访参观。截至目前,已经采访国家生物医学分析中心、国家地质实验测试中心、中科院海洋研究所、中国建筑材料检验认证中心、煤炭科学研究总院煤炭分析实验室、中石化润滑油公司质检中心、福建戴姆勒汽车工业有限公司品管实验室、甘肃天然药物重点实验室、Intertek天祥、上海出入境检验检疫局技术中心、解放军第307医院临床药理研究室、农业部油料及制品质量监督检验测试中心、北京蛋白质组研究中心、燕京啤酒集团国家级科研中心、北京排水集团水质检测中心等五十余家具有行业     

利用“p100/q100”律对胶东地区金矿资源潜力估计

利用幂函数分布在高端截尾 (uppertruncation)条件下具有分形性质 ,即尺度不变的特征 ,证明了统计量q具有分形性质 ,即它与尺度参数k无关。在总体的随机变量X服从幂函数分布条件下 ,从“p10 0 /q10 0”律的概率形式推出“p10 0 /q10 0”律的分形形式 ;“80 /2 0”律是“p10 0 /q10 0”律的一种特殊分形形式。当a =1.16,p =0 .2 0时 ,q =0 .80 ;将“p10 0 /q10 0”律应用于山东胶东地区金矿床储量数据 ,得到了该地区大中小型金矿床的“p10 0 /q10 0”律表达式和相应的百分数。比较理论计算的结果与样本观察值计算的结果大小 ,可预测该地区可能存在 1个或 2个大型金矿床。     

The evaluation of “social risk” due to volcanic eruptions of Vesuvius

A re-evaluation of the demographic risk per number of inhabitants due to volcanic eruptions in the Vesuvius area was made on the basis of the Census data of 2001. We introduced other variables (population density and number of houses) which permit to upgrade the existing models. Using the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and particularly ArcGIS 9.0 software we have elaborated a land use map, an urbanization map and a series of new risk maps which lead us to obtain a map of what we call “social risk” due to volcanic eruptions, derived from the combination of the data used and the overlay of the maps. We have proposed an integrated model which can be easily updated to follow the evolution of the volcanic risk in the overpopulated Vesuvius area, with the aim of supporting the planning of Civil Protection and Local Authorities, for an evacuation scenarios and the possibility of taking into account the potential infrastructural damages. This methodology can be tested in other volcanic regions.