European space agency’s strategic contribution to seismology

The impacts of disaster events such as earthquakes on economic and human lives are increasing every year, in particular due to the growing urbanization. Until recently, stakeholders involved in disaster risk management focused their efforts mainly on the response phase, immediately after the crisis. Following the recommendations of several recent studies and in order to minimize the increasing impacts of natural disasters, decision-makers and major stakeholders have showed an increasing interest in mitigation activities. Earth Observation (EO) data from space could bring a significant added value to the various phases of the seismic risk management cycle from the mitigation and preparedness phases. Space agencies need to better contribute to the management of geohazards in response to the growing request from the community of users (e.g. seismologists, insurance companies, urban planners). To foster the use of EO remote sensing data, satellite data providers have to take the appropriate measures to remove the policy and technical barriers related to the data access. They have also to increase the awareness of the community of users on the potential benefits that could be gained from the use of EO satellite data. This paper will provide examples of areas where EO remote sensing data from space could bring an added value to the current management of risks and crisis related to earthquakes. Then, the paper will describe the strategic measures undertaken by the European Space Agency in an international framework, to foster the use of satellite data by the various relevant stakeholders.     

非洲矿业发展概况

矿业是非洲多数国家的支柱性产业之一,在其国民经济发展中起着关键性作用.本文综合中国地质调查局天津地质调查中心(南部非洲)和中国地质调查局武汉地质调查中心(北部非洲)取得的阶段性研究成果对非洲矿业发展情况进行了简要总结.39个非洲主要国家中,最新年度矿业产值超过150亿美元的国家有7个,矿业产值占其GDP的比例超过6％的国家有24个,近10年矿业产值占其GDP的平均比例超过6％的国家有22个.非洲大陆以冈瓦纳构造域为主体,其下伏基底主要为太古宙至古元古代变质沉积岩、变质岩浆岩和岩浆岩,内部的太古宙克拉通常被一系列新元古代造山带所包围,部分基底被泛非期岩浆岩侵入.非洲大陆构造演化主要包括古老克拉通陆核的形成阶段(>35亿年)、克拉通演化阶段(35～16.5亿年)、地台发育和陆内裂解阶段(16.5～6亿年)、地台盖层和大断裂发育阶段(6亿年以来)等四个阶段,以新元古代泛非事件为标志可以将非洲大陆进一步划分为5个Ⅱ级构造单元.非洲地区优势矿产主要包括石油、天然气、金、铁、钴、铜、铅锌、铝土矿、铀、钾盐等近30种,本文详细介绍了镍、钴、铬、铜、铁等11个矿种的矿业项目、储量和资源量以及矿床地质特征等相关信息,可为中资企业在非洲开展矿业投资等提供权威可靠的地质资料和理论认识.     

非洲中南部铜多金属矿床研究现状及找矿潜力分析

非洲中南部地区的铜资源主要分布在赞比亚、刚果(金)和南非等12个国家,笔者根据非洲陆壳的形成、后期新元古代泛非运动及古生代—新生代的沉积作用等影响,将除非洲大陆西北缘,从摩洛哥到突尼斯的阿特拉斯山脉以外的非洲大陆划分为Ⅰ级构造单元;以新元古代泛非运动作为标志将非洲陆块划分为西非克拉通、东北非克拉通、中非克拉通、南非克拉通和泛非构造带5个Ⅱ级构造单元;将中南部非洲地区划分为28个Ⅲ级构造单元。在此基础上,笔者将非洲大陆划分为Ⅰ级成矿域,中南部非洲划分为南非克拉通金-铁-锰-铬-镍-铀-金刚石成矿省、中非克拉通金-铜-铁-钨-锡-铌-钽-金刚石成矿省和泛非构造带成矿省3个Ⅱ级成矿省及32个Ⅲ级成矿区(带),其中12个成矿区(带)与铜矿床有关。从地质特征及矿床成因方面对主要成矿区(带)中代表性的沉积变质-改造型铜钴矿床、与镁铁—超镁铁岩侵入体有关的铜镍矿床、与绿岩带有关的铜矿床、与碳酸岩体有关的铜矿床和与灰岩有关的铜多金属矿床进行了系统的总结。在缺乏重点地区物化探资料的条件下,笔者根据非洲中南部铜资源分布的国家、构造单元的划分、成矿区(带)的划分及代表性矿床特征,将非洲中南部地区初步划分为5个铜多金属矿找矿潜力区,并进行了初步的找矿潜力分析。     

地球观测数据卫星分发系统发展综述

地球观测数据卫星分发系统(GEONETCast)借助通信卫星,把从地面站点、航空和航天平台获取的观测数据、产品传送给广大的用户。GEONETCast当前由CMACast,EUMETCast和GEONETCast Americas 3个区域系统组成,作为地球观测组织(GEO)提出的全球综合地球观测系统(GEOSS)的全球地球观测数据和信息卫星分发系统,旨在满足9个社会受益领域的用户需求。GEONETCast建立在现有区域系统之上,利用GEO的协调机制,共同确定GEONETCast系统的整体计划和要求。各区域系统在科研项目和业务建设的支持下,不断发展完善。未来要保障GEONET-Cast健康、良性和可持续的业务运行,还需要加强4个方面的工作:①区域系统之间的互相通信;②保持GEONETCast的开放性和动态性,发展更多的数据提供者提供地球观测数据;③发展更多的数据使用者;④数据政策。     

Assessing quality in Earth Science Education

Quality is an elusive concept — hard to define, but you recognise it when you come across it. This paper reviews the meaning of quality as applied in Higher Education and shows that there are, of necessity, a number of workable definitions of quality in Higher Education. The assessment of quality in Earth Science Higher Education in England during 1994–1995 is described. A number of general features of quality in Earth Sciences Education are drawn from this case study and the future direction of quality assurance is mapped. Three principles drawn from the definitions of quality and from the English teaching quality assessment exercise are applied to Earth Science Education in Africa. It is argued that different definitions of quality will apply in different societal contexts in Africa and that these may be used to shape the relevance of Geoscience Education. Increasing mobility of labour means that comparability of academic standards between African countries within a region is desirable and should be worked for. Finally, research in the UK shows that teaching quality is not necessarily dependent upon the size or research potential of a department, indicating that Africa can deliver high quality Earth Science Education.     

CyberConnector: a service-oriented system for automatically tailoring multisource Earth observation data to feed Earth science models

Feeding multisource Earth observation (EO) data into Earth science models (ESM) remains a daunting challenge. This paper presents a service-oriented approach as an alternative solution. It uses geospatial web services to process the EO data and geoprocessing workflow for automation. Different from existing approaches, it takes advantage of virtual data products (VDP) to release modelers from intensive data processing. It can directly connect ESMs to public EO sources via Cyberinfrastructure. A prototype called CyberConnector is implemented. CyberConnector supports intuitive building of VDP, automatic execution of workflows and effortless retrieval of model-ready input files. We used it to stream multiple datasets to several ESMs including finite-volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM) and cloud-resolving model (CRM). The results show that CyberConnector can truly benefit modelers on time saving and effort minimizing.     

Transboundary aquifer mapping and management in Africa: a harmonised approach

Recent attention to transboundary aquifers (TBAs) in Africa reflects the growing importance of these resources for development in the continent. However, relatively little research on these aquifers and their best management strategies has been published. This report recapitulates progress on mapping and management frameworks for TBAs in Africa. The world map on transboundary aquifers presented at the 6th World Water Forum in 2012 identified 71 TBA systems in Africa. This report presents an updated African TBA map including 80 shared aquifers and aquifer systems superimposed on 63 international river basins. Furthermore, it proposes a new nomenclature for the mapping based on three sub-regions, reflecting the leading regional development communities. The map shows that TBAs represent approximately 42 % of the continental area and 30 % of the population. Finally, a brief review of current international law, specific bi- or multilateral treaties, and TBA management practice in Africa reveals little documented international conflicts over TBAs. The existing or upcoming international river and lake basin organisations offer a harmonised institutional base for TBA management while alternative or supportive models involving the regional development communities are also required. The proposed map and geographical classification scheme for TBAs facilitates identification of options for joint institutional setups.     

A top to bottom lithospheric study of Africa and Arabia

We study the lithospheric structure of Africa, Arabia and adjacent oceanic regions with fundamental-mode surface waves over a broad period range. Including group velocities with periods shorter than 35 s allows us to examine shallower features than previous studies of the whole continent. In the process, we have developed a crustal thickness map of Africa. Main features include crustal thickness increases under the West African, Congo, and Kalahari cratons. We find crustal thinning under Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifts, including the Benue Trough, Red Sea, and East, Central, and West African rift systems, along with less abrupt crustal thickness changes at passive continental margins. We also find crustal thickness differences in North Africa between the West African Craton and East Saharan Shield. Crustal shear wave velocities are generally faster in oceanic regions and cratons, and slower in more recent crust and in active and remnant orogenic regions. Deeper structure, related to the thickness of cratons and modern rifting, is generally consistent with previous work. Under cratons we find thick lithosphere and fast upper mantle velocities, while under rifts we find thinned lithosphere and slower upper mantle velocities. However, we also find the lack of a thick cratonic keel beneath the central portion of the Congo Craton. There are no consistent effects in areas classified as hotspots, indicating that there seem to be numerous origins for these features. Finally, it appears that the African Superswell, which is responsible for high elevation and uplift over large portions of Africa, has had a significantly different impact (as indicated by features such as temperature, time of influence, etc.) in the north and the south. This is consistent with episodic activity at shallow depths, which is well-expressed in northeastern Africa and Arabia today.     

Driving environmental certification: its impact on the furniture and timber products value chain in South Africa

In this new globalised era there is an increasing demand in the developed world for environmental certification (Forestry Stewardship Council) of furniture and timber products. The imposition of this requirement has major implications for producers in developing countries. This paper examines this issue from a value chain perspective, exploring how certification requirements are driven through the links of the global furniture value chain. It does so by focusing on the dynamic underlying the spread of FSC certification through the furniture and timber industry in South Africa, and investigates the role of the various organisational ‘drivers’ of the system. In doing so it explores how developing country firms relate to these opportunities and pressures, drawing out the logistical implications, the costs and benefits, as well as the future for FSC certification. It concludes with a discussion of the role of buyers, agents, certification agencies and manufacturers in driving FSC certification through the wood products value chain in South Africa.     

构建天地一体化的全球对地观测系统--三次国际地球观测峰会与GEOSS

为深入认识地球系统,提高国家、地区和全球应对突发事件的能力;为解决人类社会发展中所面临的资源环境危机,增进人类的健康、安全和福祉;通过广泛的国际合作,构建综合、协调、持续的全球对地观测系统是实现上述目标的有效途径且已成为国际社会共识。通过对近两年来3次国际对地观测峰会概况的介绍和分析,阐述了分布式全球对地观测系统（GEOSS）的目标、范围、社会效益、技术方法和运作机制等内容。强调GEOSS成功的关键因素之一取决于其参加者能否接受并执行系统的互操作规程与统一的数据标准,以实现全球范围的数据资源共享。     

中西非裂谷系形成的动力学机制

中西非裂谷系是沿中非剪切带及邻区发育的一系列中新生代裂谷盆地,其成因机理一直存在争议。中西非裂谷系的构造演化主要经历了三个演化阶段,其中在早白垩世进入强烈断陷期,是盆地形成的重要阶段。以早白垩世中西非裂谷系的地质背景为基础,运用弹性力学有限元数值模拟方法,通过应力场和应变场的分析,为中西非裂谷系形成的力学机制提供依据。模拟结果表明,早白垩世非洲大陆内部走滑和伸展作用并存,中非剪切带不是所谓的"转换断层",而是与中西非裂谷系同时形成和发育的构造。中西非裂谷系是在中新生代泛大陆裂解时期,非洲板块绕西北非地块逆时针旋转,非洲内部不同地块在统一构造应力场作用下,由于伸展和走滑的差异作用形成和发育的。      

Intracontinental movements in Western Gondwanaland: a palaeomagnetic test

Early Cretaceous intracontinental movements within Africa and/or South America, to account for misfit problem in the pre-drift reconstruction of Western Gondwana, have been tested using palaeomagnetic poles from both continents. Each continent has been considered as comprising separate subplates according to the boundaries proposed by Pindell and Dewey (1982) and Curie (1983): i.e., northern Africa ( ), southern Africa ( ), northern South America (nsa) and southern South America ( ). Visual and statistical distribution of Late Permian to Jurassic poles from the African subplates indicate two distinct groups before rotating relative to , while after the rotation they become indistinguishable. The distribution and sparsity of data from South America limit the study in this continent as the data are statistically indistinguishable before and after rotation of with respect to . When the test is extended to the reconstruction of Western Gondwana, the tightest grouping of the poles occurs when an intracontinental movement is assumed within Africa. This suggests that the misfit between the two continents is probably due to intracontinental deformation within Africa and not in South America. If confirmed, this may have profound implications in the kinematics of the processes related to the opening of the South and Central Atlantic Oceans and also the origin of the West African Rift System.     

Impact cratering: The South American record – Part 1

The Earth’s impact record is known to be rather limited in both time and space. There are ca. 190 impact structures currently known on Earth, representing a minor fraction of all the impact events that contributed to the initial formation of our protoplanet, and then to formation and modification of the surface of the planet. Moreover, the distribution of impact structures on Earth is manifestly uneven. One continent that stands out for its relatively small number of confirmed impact structures and impact ejecta occurrences is South America. The limited impact record for this large continent makes a robust case that there is a significant potential for further discoveries. Significant information on the impact record of South America is dispersed in different types of publications (journal articles, books, conferences abstracts, etc.), and in several languages, making it difficult to access and disseminate it among the geoscientific community. We aim to present a summary of the current knowledge of the impact record of this continent, encompassing the existing literature on the subject. It is published in two parts, with the first one covering an up-to-date introduction to impact cratering processes and to the criteria to identify/confirm an impact structure and related deposits. This is followed by a comprehensive analysis of the Brazilian impact structures. The Brazilian impact record accounts for the totality of the large structures of this kind currently confirmed in South America. The second part will examine the impact record of other countries in South America, provide information about a number of proposed impact structures, and review those that already have been discarded as not being formed by impact.     

Mobile phones and safety in developing countries: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper is concerned with the relationship between safety and mobile phones with particular reference to Sub-Saharan Africa; and looks at a range of geographical contexts: non-violent, conflict and post-conflict situations. The main part of the paper reports on recent findings of extensive field-work into the use of mobile phones in 11 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The findings are important partly because from a welfare view, it is use rather than mere adoption that generates actual benefits to consumers. What the survey finds is that use of the mobile phone is mainly for safety-related purposes and that the countries that fare highest in terms of usage are drawn from the richest and poorest members of the sample. In explaining these results I draw heavily on the relationships and interactions between poverty, inequality and crime. For example, the dominance of Southern African countries is ascribed to their exceptionally high levels of inequality, which, in turn, are due partly to the unequal effects of resource abundance.     

Analysis of social vulnerability of residential community to hazards in Tianjin,China

Flood management consists many aspects such as hazard assessment, vulnerability assessment, exposure assessment, risk assessment, early warning system, damage assessment as well as risk mitigation planning. Conventional flood management are depending on the ground based monitoring of rainfall and river discharge. Many parts of the world are not covered by these sensor networks in one hand and these ground based systems are costly. Most of the tropical countries have high flood risk and low financial and institutional capacity to afford ground based system. While conventional flood management is time and cost intensive, spaceborne remote sensing provides timely and low-cost data in comparison to field observation, and is the obvious choice for most developing countries affected by flooding. Many aspects of flood management are being aided with the advancement of remote sensing technology. More precise and near real time flood detection, lead time in flood early warning system, accurate and advance inputs of hydrological models are now blessed by space technology. Many methods and approaches have been developed to overcome the constrains in the application of spaceborne remote sensing in flood management. Application of satellite remote sensing in flood hazard assessment is well documented, however, the application of space technology in other aspects of the flood management is also promising. Therefore, this review paper focuses on the applicability of spaceborne remote sensing and in most of the aspects in flood management.

     

非洲磷矿资源格局与开发现状

磷是生物体所必需的营养元素,因其不可替代性及未来迅速枯竭性,被中、德、日、英、美等国相继列入战略性矿产资源清单。全球磷矿石资源丰富,但是分布极不均衡,70%以上集中在非洲,著名的磷矿资源国有摩洛哥及西撒哈拉地区,阿尔及利亚、南非、埃及、突尼斯、塞内加尔、多哥等国磷矿储量也较为丰富,非洲可谓是全球磷矿储量的绝对担当。矿床类型主要有沉积型、岩浆型和鸟粪型,以沉积型为主,同时具有储量大、品位高、伴生有其他具有经济价值元素等特点。近年来,非洲已成为全球重要磷矿产地与供应地,目前,在非洲从事磷矿勘查开发的矿业公司以本土矿业公司为主,摩洛哥磷酸盐集团是全球上最大的磷酸盐生产和出口商。非洲磷矿石主要出口大国为摩洛哥、埃及、多哥、阿尔及利亚等;出口至印度、印度尼西、墨西哥、巴西等国家。未来,非洲仍将为全球主要磷矿供应地之一,并将扮演更加重要的角色。     

Towards a critical political geography of African development

In this paper we aim to rethink the political geography of African development at the beginning of the 21st century. Central to our thesis are two intertwining legacies, paralleling Edward Said’s Orientalism. The first is the construction of Africa in the western imagination and the second is an enduring trusteeship towards the continent. The core movement we seek to critique and move beyond is the complicity between racialised knowledges about Africa and a series of political interventions that seek to ‘help’ Africans to develop. The paper begins by examining the legacy of colonialism in the policies towards and representations of Africa. Although selective and schematic we argue that what unites these power–knowledge constructions is a sense of trusteeship towards the continent. The next step is to look at ways of decolonising our knowledges as a means to effect more appropriate political engagement with Africa. For this we touch on a range of theoretical positions, but look most closely at the corpus of post-colonial theory for ways of doing this. While not uncritical of post-colonialism we find it potentially useful for destabilising western authority and in addressing questions of popular agency and cultural constructions of exclusion. From here we attempt a reformulation which addresses the role of the state, the politics of place and space, and the ways in which ‘we’––professional geographers––might go about our work.     

地球系统科学的发展与展望

简要回顾了地球系统科学从20世纪80年代作为人类迎接全球环境问题的挑战而提出的集成研究方法、到逐步成长为一门新兴学科的发展历程，系统阐述了地球系统科学的研究目标、研究对象、研究方法及所关注的科学问题。地球系统科学是一门连接地球科学、生命科学、计算机和对地观测技术以及其它相关科学的一门新兴的交叉学科。由于它所针对的特定的全球性环境问题，关系到社会的可持续发展和人类的切身利益，因此，它也是一门有极强生命力的科学。     

Tertiary education requirements in the geosciences for the minerals industry and in the environmental field to meet the demands of the 21st century in South Africa

South and southern Africa are currently facing a major skills shortage in the applied earth sciences, particularly in the minerals industry and in the environmental field. This paper offers outlines of course curricula, developed in South Africa, which are designed to meet these needs.It is argued that insufficient time is devoted to applied geology in degree courses in South Africa and that appropriate specialisations should be introduced into the third and fourth years of Earth Science degrees. More detailed specialisation should be offered at master's level. Examples of such courses currently run in South Africa are cited.The important contribution of the earth sciences to contemporary environmental issues is stressed and the need for environmental geologists emphasised. It is argued that the huge amount of information essential to environmental geology requires postgraduate level teaching of this subject. An example of such a master's level course is taken from a course planned at the University of the Witwatersrand.Courses similar to those being developed in southern Africa need to be developed in other African regions.     

The Commonwealth, ‘development’ and post-colonial responsibility

One important (though often neglected) part of the ‘development business’ committed to principles of partnership is the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 54 independent countries, almost all of which were formerly under British rule. This paper focuses on the Commonwealth’s contemporary sense of ‘responsibility’ for shaping African development through ‘partnership’ and by promoting ‘good governance’ and examines the particular example of Mozambique, which joined the Commonwealth in 1995. In exploring exactly what membership of this post-colonial ‘family’ has meant for Mozambique the paper explores the neocolonial paternalism and sense of trusteeship that the Commonwealth has articulated in its often very apolitical vision of African development which seems to lock the continent into a permanent stage of tutelage and to repetitively reduce Africa to a set of core deficiencies for which externally generated ‘solutions’ must be devised. More generally, the paper also examines the wider context of the Commonwealth’s involvement in Africa by looking at the connections it has made to British industry, British charities and the British Department for International Development (DFID). The paper concludes with an assessment of the ‘showcase’ potential of Mozambique and its importance to Commonwealth and DFID narrations of an African ‘success’ story of peace, stability and growth since the end of the country’s devastating civil war in 1992.