Farming ‘practice’ as temporally and spatially situated intersections of biography,culture and social structure

This paper brings anthropological, sociological and geographical perspectives to bear on the problem of farm sustainability and, in particular, the legitimation of sustainable farm practices. It attempts to lay some theoretical foundations for explanation of the adoption of farming practices which may, or may not, promote sustainability. A brief survey of the literature surrounding these issues finds many of the current theoretical perspectives incapable of fully accounting for the complexity of farming practice. Reductionist decision/rational‐action models, in particular, are found wanting for their lack of both cultural consistency and social/spatial specificity. Instead, this paper promotes a generative structuralist approach directed towards an analysis of social and economic practice in lived space; that is, firmly anchored in long‐term ethnographic research.     

A climatology of Southern Hemisphere extratropical cyclones

A climatology of extratropical cyclones determined by an objective automatic scheme applied to 15 years (1975–89) of once-daily Australian Bureau of Meteorology hemispheric analyses is presented. Contour maps of the positions of formation (cyclogenesis), dissipation (cyclolysis) together with other cyclone statistics are presented. The distribution of cyclones through the hemisphere was found to be dominated by a permanent high latitude core coincident with the circumpolar trough. During the winter and intermediate seasons, two mid latitude branches are evident in the cyclone density originating in the Tasman Sea and South American sectors, both spiraling poleward and merging with the circumpolar core in the Southern Oceans. Systems were observed to move in an castsouth-east direction, away from their location of formation, exhibiting peak speeds of migration in the mid latitudes. Little seasonality was evident in the densitiy distribution of cyclones through the Southern Oceans, but a considerable amount was found in their central pressure. Correspondence to: I Simmonds     

A simple method of estimating rock mass porosity and permeability

Conclusion A simple method of estimating fracture porosity and permeability based on empirical relations between fracture aperture andJRC andJCS can be developed. This shows very close correlation with existing data, using simple discontinuity models. There is quite a good correlation between fracture porosity and permeability and depth for larger initial apertures.     

The compressibility of silicate liquids containing Fe2O3 and the effect of composition,temperature, oxygen fugacity and pressure on their redox states

Ultrasonic longitudinal acoustic velocities in oxidized silicate liquids indicate that the pressure derivative of the partial-molar volume of Fe₂O₃ is the same in iron-rich alkali-, alkaline earth- and natural silicate melt compositions at 1 bar. The dV/dP for multicomponent silicate liquids can be expressed as a linear combination of partial-molar constants plus a positive excess term for Na₂O−Al₂O₃ mixing. Partial-molar properties for FeO and Fe₂O₃ components allow extension of the empirical expression of Sack et al. (1980) to permit the calculation of Fe-redox equilibrium in a natural silicate liquid as a function of composition, temperature, fo₂ and pressure; a more formal thermodynamic expression is presented in the Appendix. The predicted equilibrium fo₂ of natural silicate melts, of fixed oxygen content, closely parallels that defined by the metastable assemblage fayalite+magnetite+β-quartz (FMQ), in pressure-temperature space. A silicate melt initially equilibrated at 3 GPa and FMQ, will remain within approximately 0.5 log₁₀ units of FMQ during its closed-system ascent. Thus, for magmas closed to oxygen, iron-redox equilibrium in crystal-poor pristine glassy lavas represents an excellent probe of the relative oxidation state of their source regions.     

Temperature dependence of thermal conductivity and its impact on assessments of heat flux

The variability of sedimentary thermal conductivities with increasing temperature are explored for their impact on estimates of present-day heat flux and subsurface temperature gradient. For sand thicknesses less than about 10–20 km, or shale thicknesses less than about 40–80 km, the subsurface temperature is closely linearly proportional to the thermal resistance integral obtained in the absence of the temperature dependence of thermal conductivity. Estimates of heat flux should be increased (decreased) by about 5% for sands and decreased by about 1% for shales. For salt, because of the much shorter temperature range over which its thermal conductivity decreases, effects produced by the temperature dependence are more noticeable: heat flux should be increased by around 13%, salt thicknesses in excess of 5 km will yield major (around 30–100°C) changes in their temperature regimes solely as a consequence of the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity, and the linear increase of temperature with increasing thermal resistance is not an adequate approximation but has to be replaced with a more exact exponential increase.The impact of the variations, particularly in the case of salt, for geologic processes is briefly considered.     

Multiple scattering of seismic waves in fractured media: Crosscorrelation as a probe of fracture intensity

This paper presents the theory which describes how the lateral correlation of vertical displacement is influenced by multiple scattering of seismic waves caused by the presence of fluid-filled fractures, along with an observational methodology to show how to extract fracture-related quantities (e.g. fracture porosity, degree of anisotropy of the fractures, change in orientation of the fractures, density of fluid filling the fractures) from seismic data using the theoretical development as an underpinning framework. A simple physical picture is given of the basic process, as well as some rough order of magnitude estimates to show that the parameters quantifying the size of the multiple scattering fall squarely in the seismic regime.These calculations serve to create a basis to determine, by seismic means ahead of the drill, (1) the degree of fracturing of reservoir rocks (such as the Monterey shale), and (2) the type of fluid filling the fractures.     

Relationships among dissolved organic matter,iron, and discharge in a moorland stream

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) and iron in a moorland stream were determined at 8-hour intervals over a 6-month period to examine relationships with streamflow. Regression of both solutes on discharge were positive and explained 50–70 per cent of the variance in the solute data, but better predictions were obtained in both cases when a covariate reflecting temporal variation in the relationships was introduced (explained variance 80–90 per cent). Variations in the regression of Fe on DOM were also identified, indicating differences in the complexing power of DOM for Fe and possible variations in the chemical composition of the DOM.     

Characteristics and origins of lee-side stratification sequences in late pleistocene drumlins,northern Ireland

Spindle- and parabolic-shaped drumlins examined at fifty-five localities in northern Ireland possess stratification sequences on their lee-side flanks. These forms lack the distinctive steep stoss- and tapering lee-ends of classical drumlins and tend to occur in linear zones transverse to late Pleistocene ice-flow. In most cases (90 per cent) the stratified deposits infill embayments excavated in the lee-side of barkhanoid forms and, in the remainder (10 per cent), they are superimposed on the lee-side of whaleback forms. The stratification sequences developed as a result of sedimentation in interconnected subglacial water-filled cavities and are unlike remanie proglacial sediments moulded by ice into drumlin form. Stratigraphic evidence indicates that the lee-side sequences developed during drumlin streamlining, which supports the view that subglacial hydraulic processes played an important role in drumlin formation.     

Atmospheric effects from post-nuclear fires

During a large nuclear war, the atmosphere would be loaded with huge quantities of pollutants, which are produced by fires in urban and industrial centers, cultivated lands, forests and grasslands. Especially detrimental are the effects of light absorbing airborne particles. An analysis of the amounts of the various types of fuels which could burn in a nuclear war indicates that more than 10¹⁴ g of black smoke could be produced by fires started by the nuclear explosions. Due to this, the penetration of sunlight to the earth's surface would be reduced greatly over extended areas of the northern hemisphere, maybe even globally. This could temporarily cause extreme darkness in large areas in midlatitudes and reduce crop growth and biospheric productivity.This situation would last for several weeks and cause very anomalous meteorological conditions. Much solar radiation would be absorbed in the atmosphere instead of at the earth's surface. The land areas and lower atmosphere would, therefore, cool and the overlying atmosphere warm, creating strong vertical thermal stability in a highly polluted atmosphere. For extended periods and in large parts of the world, weather conditions would be abnormal. The resulting cold, probably freezing, temperatures at the ground would interfere severely with crop production during the growing season and cause extreme conditions for large sections of the biosphere. The combination of lack of sunlight, frost and other adverse meteorological conditions would add enormously to the already huge problems of the survivors.