Climate change in arid lands and Native American socioeconomic vulnerability: The case of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe

The case of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe exemplifies tribal vulnerabilities as a result of climate change. Preliminary socio-economic data and analysis reveal that the tribe’s vulnerability to climate change is related to cultural and economic dependence on Pyramid Lake, while external socio-economic vulnerability factors influence adaptive capacity and amplify potential impacts. Reduced water supplies as a consequence of climate change would result in a compounded reduction of inflows to Pyramid Lake, thus potentially impacting the spawning and sustenance of a cultural livelihood, the endangered cui-ui fish (Chasmistes cujus). Meanwhile, limited economic opportunities and dwindling federal support constrain tribal adaptive capacity. Factors that contribute to tribal adaptive capacity include: sustainability-based values, technical capacity for natural resource management, proactive initiatives for the control of invasive-species, strong external scientific networks, and remarkable tribal awareness of climate change.     

An overview on the seismic zonation and microzonation studies in India

The present study presents a review on the progressive development of the seismic zonation map of India both from official agencies and also from independent individual studies. The zonation map have been modified and updated regularly with the occurrence of major destructive earthquakes over the years in the Indian subcontinent with the addition of new data. This study discusses the criteria chosen for the progressive zonation and the major earthquakes that were responsible for retrospection of the earlier published maps. The seismic zonation maps of India have also been prepared by various independent workers by adopting different approaches to achieve the purpose of the zonation. Despite the endeavors from various sources to provide a solution for the problem of earthquake hazards in India, there were many limitations on the zonation map as it gives the picture at a regional scale mostly on the bedrock level without addressing the local site conditions. But nevertheless, the seismic zonation map gives basic guidelines for any region to know the hazard scenario and if any city or urban population is under threat from seismic point of view, further site specific seismic microzonation may be carried out. In the International scenario, the Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program (GSHAP) in 1999 prepared a hazard map for world in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA) with a 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, but it turned out to be an underestimation of the hazard parameter when compared with the observed PGA. To tackle the problem of seismic hazards, there was a need to have a detail study on the local site conditions in terms of its geological, geophysical and geotechnical properties. With the advent of better instrumentation and knowledge on the mechanics of earthquakes, it was possible to identify zones of hazards at a local level and this gives rise to the study of seismic microzonation. Seismic microzonation work has been carried out in India in some of the strategic important mega cities and industrial build up that has the potential of being damaged from future earthquakes, as has been shown in the past. Though the microzonation map is not the final output map, as it can still be updated at later stage with more input data, it does provide a more realistic picture on the site specific seismic hazard.     

Sedimentological constraints on hydrometeor-enhanced particle deposition: 1992 Eruptions of Crater Peak, Alaska

Water is a dominant component of volcanic clouds and has fundamental control on very fine particle deposition. Particle size characteristics of distal tephra-fall (100s km from source volcano) have a higher proportion of very fine particles compared to predictions based on single particle settling rates. In this study, sedimentological analyses of fallout from for the 18 August and 16–17 September 1992 eruptions of Crater Peak, Alaska, are combined with satellite observations, and cloud trajectory and microphysics modeling to investigate meteorological influences on particle sedimentation. Total grain size distributions of tephra fallout were reconstructed for both Crater Peak eruptions and indicate a predominance of fine particles < 125 μm. Polymodal analysis of the deposits has identified a particle subpopulation with mode ~ 15–18 μm involved in particle aggregation. Accounting for the magmatic water source only, calculated ice water content of the 3.7 hour old September 1992 Spurr cloud was ~ 4.5 × 10^− 2 g m^− 3 (based on an estimated cloud thickness of ~ 1000 m from trajectory modeling). Hydrometeor formation on particles in the volcanic cloud and subsequent sublimation may induce a cloud base instability that leads to rapid bulk (en masse) sedimentation of very fine particles through a mammatus-like mechanism.     

利用漫反射光谱鉴定红粘土中针铁矿和赤铁矿

针铁矿(Gt)和赤铁矿(Hm)是广泛存在于土壤和沉积物中的重要铁矿物。这两种矿物在土壤和沉积物中含量很低,常规的测试手段很难有效地测定其含量。利用反射光谱联合加热处理的方法,可对土壤及沉积物样品中针铁矿和赤铁矿进行定性或半定量测定。实验结果显示,样品加热到300℃后,针铁矿的反射光谱的一阶导数特征峰发生了变化,赤铁矿的一阶导数特征峰却没有明显的变化。因此加热前后样品反射光谱一阶导数的变化取决于针铁矿和赤铁矿的含量。利用这种方法估计黄土高原第三纪红粘土样品中的赤铁矿含量约为0.3%～0.4%,针铁矿含量约为0.5%～1%。     

Petrogenesis of voluminous mid-Tertiary ignimbrites of the Sierra Madre Occidental,Chihuahua, Mexico

The mid-Tertiary ignimbrites of the Sierra Madre Occidental of western Mexico constitute the largest continuous rhyolitic province in the world. The rhyolites appear to represent part of a continental magmatic arc that was emplaced when an eastward-dipping subduction zone was located beneath western Mexico.In the Batopilas region of the northern Sierra Madre Occidental the mid-Tertiary Upper Volcanic sequence is composed predominantly of rhyolitic ignimbrites, but volumetrically minor lava flows as mafic as basaltic andesite are also present. The basaltic andesite to rhyolite series is calc-alkalic and contains 1% K₂O at 60% SiO₂. Trace element abundances of a typical ignimbrite with 73% SiO₂ are Sr 225 ppm, Rb 130 ppm, Y 32 ppm, Th 12 ppm, Zr 200 ppm, and Nb 15 ppm. The entire series plots as coherent and continuous trends on variation diagrams involving major and trace elements, and the trends are distinct from those of geographicallyassociated rocks of other suites. We interpret these and other geochemical variations to indicate that the rocks are comagmatic. Mineral chemistry, Sr isotopic data, and REE modelling support this interpretation.Least squares calculations show that the major element variations are consistent with formation of the basaltic andesite to rhyolite series by crystal fractionation of observed phenocryst phases in approximate modal proportions. In addition, calculations modelling the behavior of Sr with the incompatible trace element Th favor a fractional crystallization origin over a crustal anatexis origin for the rock series. The fractionating minerals included plagioclase (> 50%), and lesser amounts of Fe-Ti oxides, pyroxenes, and/or hornblende. The voluminous ignimbrites represent no more than 20% of the original mass of a mantle-derived mafic parental magma.