The international decade for natural disaster reduction (IDNDR): A challenge to science

The United Nations proclaimed the 1990s as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). Based on the ‘Tokyo Declaration’—an action plan for the IDNDR formulated by a commission of highly recognized experts—a program was drafted in March 1991 by the International Scientific and Technical Committee for the IDNDR, whose members were appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations. Based on this international draft program a framework for national scientific programs should be developed by National Committees. The Decade and its translation into actions are briefly reviewed.     

TheUrquiola oil spill,La Coruña,Spain: Impact and reaction on beaches and rocky coasts

The supertankerUrquiola grounded, exploded, and burned at the entrance to La Coruña harbor (Spain) on May 12, 1976. A total of 100,000 tons of Persian Gulf crude oil was lost, of which about 30,000 tons washed onto shoreline environments. From May 17 to June 10, 1976, the impact and interaction of oil on fine-sand, coarse-sand, and gravel beaches and on sheltered and exposed rocky coasts was monitored in detail. At 32 localities, the beach was profiled, trenched, extensively sampled, and photographed. Another 67 stations were examined for surficial oil coverage and distribution. The surficial distribution of oil on the beaches was influenced primarily by wave activity, tidal stage, and oil quantity. Heaviest accumulations formed along the high-tide swash line. Within beach sediments, oil was present at distinct oiled sediment layers, which were often deeply buried. The depth of burial was related to wave energy and sediment type. Deepest burial (1 m) was on a high-energy, coarse-sand beach (M_z=0.82φ). Burial on fine-sand beaches was less than 30 cm. The thickness of oiled sediment depended on sedimentary characteristics, the quantity of oil present, wave action, and capillary forces. Oil-soaked sediment, as much as 65-cm thick, occurred on coarse-grained beaches. On fine-sand beaches, oiled sediment was limited to thicknesses of 10 cm or less. On rocky shores, oil distribution was determined primarily by wave energy. Along high-energy, cliffed, or steeply dipping rocky areas, wave reflection kept the oil approximately 5 m offshore and contamination was minimal. In low-energy, sheltered areas, oil readily accumulated, causing apparent environmental damage.     

Petrographie des minerais de fer de la Fosse du Labrador

Résumé Les textures des minerais de fer précambriens de type «jaspilite» sont semblables à celles des calcaires. Les éléments texturels suivants sont décrits: 1. orthochems: a) fémicrite, b) matrice siliceuse, c) ciment siliceux; 2. allochems: a) pellets, b) intraclastes, c) oolithes et pisolithes, d) échardes. Les types pétrographiques sont définis par la combinaison des éléments de texture, comme pour la classification des calcaires. Les types de faciès sont caractérisés par une séquence de bancs correspondant à un ou plusieurs types pétrographiques et par certaines structures sédimentaires. Ils forment la base de l'interprétation des conditions de dépôt et de la paléogéographie du bassin.Les transformations épigénétiques sont les suivantes: 1. dessication, fissuration, cimentation et compaction. 2. Cristallisation du gel de silice: a) quartz à cristallisation primaire, calcédonite et quartzine, b) quartz micropolygonal, c) quartz recristallisé. 3. Cristallisation de la poussière d'hématite, migration du fer et cristallisation de la spéculante et de la magnétite. 4. Cristallisation et recristallisation de la sidérite, de la minnesotaïte, de la stilpnomélane, de la riebeckite et du talc. La migration du fer et la cristallisation de la spécularite, de la magnétite et de la sidérite prennent place avant la compaction complète du sédiment et avant ou pendant la cristallisation primaire du quartz. Le quartz recristallisé, la minnesotaïte et peut-être le talc et la stilpnomélane, sont des minéraux tardidiagénétiques. La riebeckite se forme pendant le métamorphisme. Les phénomènes de recristallisation se poursuivent pendant le métamorphisme régional.

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Textures of Precambrian cherty ironstones are similar to those of limestones. The following textural elements have been recognized: 1. Orthochems: a) femicrite, b) matrix chert, c) cement chert. 2. Allochems: a) pellets, b) intraclasts, c) oolites and pisolites, d) shards. Textural lithotypes are defined by the combination of the textural elements they contain, analogous to the classification of limestones. Textural faciès consist of beds of one or several lithotypes in characteristic sequence. They commonly contain distinguishing sedimentary structures. Textural facies are the basis of the interpretation of the depositional environment and basin configuration.The following types of epigenetic transformations have been recognized: 1. Dessication, shrinkage, cementation and compaction. 2. Crystallization of silicagel in the following sequence: a) primocrystalline quartz and chalcedony (normal and lengthslow), b) micro-polygonal quartz, c) recrystallized quartz. 3. Crystallization of hematite dust, migration of iron and crystallization of specular hematite and of magnetite. 4. Crystallization and recristallization of siderite, minnesotaite, stilpnomelane, riebeckite and talc. Migration of iron and the recristallization of speculante, magnetite and siderite take place essentially before the complete compaction of the rock and before and during the primo-cristallization of quartz. Recrystallized quartz, minnesotaite, and may be stilpnomelane and talc are essentially late diagenetic minerals. Riebeckite formed during metamorphism. A certain recrystallization occured during regional metamorphism.

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Zusammenfassung Texturen der präkambrischen, kieseligen Eisensteine (Jaspilite) sind ähnlich denen von Kalken. Folgende Texturelemente wurden erkannt: 1. Orthocheme: a) Femikrit, b) Quarzmatrix (matrix chert), c) Quarzzement (cement chert). 2. Allocheme: a) Pellets, b) Intraklasten, c) Oolithe und Pisolithe, d) Scherden. Texturelle Lithotypen werden definiert durch die Kombination ihrer Texturelemente, wie in Kalken. Texturelle Fazies bestehen aus einem oder mehreren Lithotypen in regelmäßiger Folge. Sie besitzen oft kennzeichnende Strukturen. Texturfazien sind die Grundlage der Rekonstruktion der Bildungsbedingungen, Umwelt und Paläogeographie der Eisensteine.Folgende Arten epigenetischer Veränderungen wurden unterschieden: 1. Trocknung, Schrumpfung, Zementation und Kompaktion. 2. Kristallisation von Silikagel in der Reihenfolge: a) Primärquarz, Chalzedon und Quarzin, b) Kristallisation von Hämatitstaub, Wanderung von Eisen und Kristallisation von Spekulant und Magnetit. 4. Kristallisation und Rekristallisation von Siderit, Minnesotait, Stilpnomelan, Riebeckit und Talk. Wanderung von Eisen sowie Kristallisation von Spekulant, Magnetit und Siderit erfolgen im wesentlichen während der Kompaktion der Gesteine und vor (z. T. während) der Primärkristallisation von Quarz. Rekristallisierter Quarz, Minnesotait und vielleicht Stilpnomelan und Talk bilden sich weitgehend im spätdiagenetischen Stadium. Regionalmetamorphe Reaktionen führen zur Entstehung von Riebeckit und gelegentlich zu weiterer Kornvergröberung aller Minerale.

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Publié avec l'autorisation du Ministre, Ministère des Richesses Naturelles du Québec.     

Spin-cast ZERODUR mirror substrates of the 8 m class and lightweight substrates for secondary mirrors

For about 20 years SCHOTT has been supplying the glass ceramic ZERODUR, a material with very low thermal expansion. Besides many other applications, ZERODUR is excellently suited for the manufacture of mirror substrates for telescopes. About 80% of all telescopes in the western world with mirror diameters >1.8 m have been equipped with ZERODUR during the last 10 years. The development of modern astronomical telescopes is aimed at larger primary mirrors and lighter secondary mirrors.New techniques have been developed by SCHOTT for manufacture of thin monolithic mirror blanks of more than 8 m in diameter. The development of thin meniscus shaped shells using the spin-casting technique was successfully completed last year. During a test production several mirror substrates up to 4.1 m in diameter and down to 57 mm in thickness could be produced. The know-how has been acquired for the fabrication of mirror substrates of more than 8 m in diameter by the spin-casting technique.SCHOTT has also performed considerable developmental work in the field of lightweighted ZERODUR mirror substrates which can be generated using different techniques: forming of the lightweighted structure during casting, fusion of individual components to a total structure and lightweighting of a massive block by various mechanical machining methods.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.Registered trademark of SCHOTT Glaswerke, Mainz.     

Solar flares: High-energy radiation and particles

Due to the Sun's proximity flares can be investigated in the gamma-ray regime and flare generated particles can be measured in space and related to particular events. In this review paper we focus on the problem of particle acceleration by using as observational ingredients: the fluxes and spectra of particles inferred from gamma-ray measurements and observed in interplanetary space, the temporal characteristics of flares at high-energy X- and gamma-rays and the distribution of gamma-ray flares over the solar disc.     

Limonit vom Hohen Sarstein,Oberösterreich

Zusammenfassung Von einem Limonit aus der Umgebung der Steinhüttelalm am Hohen Sarstein im Dachsteingebiet (Oberösterreich) werden die Ergebnisse der Durchlicht-, Auflicht-und Elektronenmikroskopie, der DTA, Röntgen- und chemischen Untersuchungen mitgeteilt. Das Hauptmineral ist Nadeleisenerz, -FeOOH. Die Entstehung wird kurz erörtert.

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Summary Limonite from the environment of Steinhüttelalm at Hoher Sarstein in the Dachstein area (Upper Austria) is described. The results of microscopy in transmitted and reflected light, electron microscopy, DTA, X-ray, and chemical investigations are communicated. The main mineral is goethite, -FeOOH. The genesis is discussed.

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Mit 4 Textabbildungen

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Herrn Professor Dr.F. Machatschki zum 70. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Über das Vorkommen einiger Spurenmetalle in Blei-Zink-Erzen der ostalpinen Metallprovinz

Zusammenfassung Die Spurenanalyse ostalpiner Bleiglanze und Zinkblenden ergibt unabhängig von minerogenetischen Faktoren regionale Unterschiede in der Mikroparagenese. Die Pb-Zn-führenden Erzvorkommen der Ostalpen werden in nachstehend angeführte Erzbezirke gegliedert (vgl. auch Abb. 8): Mit 10 Textabbildungen.     

Untersuchungen zum Mechanismus von Blastesis und Syntexis in Phylliten und Hornfelsen des südwestlichen Fichtelgebirges

Ohne ZusammenfassungMit 14 Textabbildungen     

Untersuchungen zum Mechanismus von Blastesis und Syntexis in Phylliten und Hornfelsen des südwestlichen Fichtelgebirges

Ohne ZusammenfassungMit 22 Textabbildungen