Magnetostratigraphy of Early Cretaceous Maiolica sections of the Southern Alps (Cismon and Pra da Stua, Italy)

The bottom part of the Cretaceous Cismon section in the Southern Alps was sampled for high-resolution magnetostratigraphy. Although the almost pure pelagic nannofossil limestones ( c. 90 per cent CaCO₃) of the Maiolica/Biancone Formation are extremely weakly magnetized, stepwise thermal and alternating-field demagnetization removed overprints and isolated a characteristic remanent magnetization which is interpreted as a primary magnetization. The dominant magnetic carrier mineral is magnetite; a small fraction of haematite may be present. A clear reversal pattern can be correlated unambiguously with Mesozoic polarity chrons CM10N to CM8. A less well-constrained magnetostratigraphy from the Pra da Stua section could not be directly correlated with the global polarity scale, but biostratigraphic information allows its assignment to the interval CM10-CM5. A counterclockwise rotation of 56 and a northward translation of 28 latitude for the Cismon locality since the Early Cretaceous are derived from the palaeomagnetic data, consistent with previous results from the Southern Alps. The high-resolution magnetostratigraphy of the Cismon section is used in an effort to refine the Cretaceous timescale by the combination of magnetostratigraphic and cyclostratigraphic results from the same section. The cyclostratigraphic duration estimates of chrons CM10N to CM8 are compared to their equivalents in a number of traditional timescales and found to be shorter by a factor of 1.26-2.58.     

Tectonic and sedimentary processes at the submarine Antique Ridge and the accretionary wedge of Negros (Sulu Sea, Philippines): Results of an underwater television and photographic survey by RV 'Sonne'

Abstract Numerous Neogene/Quaternary marl outcrops of the submarine Antique Ridge and southern Negros accretionary complexes (Sulu Sea, Philippines) were formed by an oversteepen-ing of the slope by the collision with the Cagayan Ridge and Cuyo Platform and also by erosion.
The outcrops exhibit distinct joint systems that were developed under compressional stress parallel to an east-northeast subduction of the southeast Sulu Basin complex under the Panay-Negros Fore-Arc and Arc Complexes during the Late Miocene/earliest Pliocene. Typical bc-(longitudinal) joints following the axial trend of the subduction zone, hkO (diagonal) shear joints, and ac-(transverse) joints were formed. The regional stress in south-southeast, which has changed to northeast since the Early Pliocene, has caused an uplift of the accretionary complexes and a clockwise rotation of the subduction/collision zone axis of the Antique Ridge complex from a more northern direction to NNE. Consequently the pre-existing joint system has also rotated for 10° to 20°. A strike-slip motion parallel to this axis as a consequence of the NE collision may have been accommodated within the accretionary complex by the bc-joints.
Some bedding-plane parallel white veins or layers may be related to calcium carbonate precipitation via oxidation of methane which was probably carried by migrating fluids along shear zones.
Downslope, sediment transport as well as trench-parallel sediment transport in southerly directions is still going on, indicating active tectonic oversteepening of the slopes of the accretionary complexes as well as flowing water, possibly of intermediate water from the Northwest Sulu Basin into the Southeast Sulu Basin via the Panay Canyon.     

Geography in general education in the Federal Republic of Germany

The professional formation of German geography teachers is advanced both at university level and for all types of schools. There is a long tradition of teaching geography as a separate independent subject in classes 5–13, whereas it is an integrated subject in classes 1–4 and only in some states, on the secondary level. Speaking for all schools and all ten federal states, it can be maintained that there is a minimum of one geography hour per week, sometimes up to two hours. However a certain decline of classroom hours has occurred during the last 30 years (which most other subjects suffered as well). As most geography teachers have another subject (or two), they have a tendency to identify as a maths teacher, for example, because of the higher general esteem the second subject may have. Still, public opinion considers geography to be of general importance for an educated citizen. This has effectively influenced the curricula, emphasizing cognitive insight in geographical aspects, topography and general understanding of man-land relationship. A higher level of critical insight, planning issues and higher intellectual objectives can be reached with geographical topics.     

Computer-aided geometric design of geologic surfaces and bodies

Bivariate quadratic simplicial B-splines are employed to obtain aC ¹-smooth surface from scattered positional or directional geological data given over a two-dimensional domain. Vertices are generated according to the areal distribution of data sites, and polylines are defined along real geological features. The vertices and the polylines provide a constrained Delaunay triangulation of the domain. Note that the vertices do not generally coincide with the data sites. Six linearly independent simplex B-splines are associated with each triangle. Their defining knots and finite supports are automatically deduced from the vertices. Specific knot configurations result in discontinuities of the surface or its directional derivatives. Coefficients of a simplex spline representation are visualized as geometric points controlling the shape of the surface. This approach calls for geologic modeling and interaction of the geologist up front to define vertices and polylines, and to move control points initially given by an algorithm. Thus, simplex splines associated with irregular triangles seem to be well-suited to approximate and allow further geometrically modeling of geologic surfaces, including discontinuities, from scattered data. Applications to mathematical test as well as to real geological data are given as examples.     

Geology and mathematics: Progressing mathematization of geology

Surveying the history of mathematical geology since the times of Lyell it is shown that its characteristic feature is that of interaction between a strongly historically inclined science and rather abstract mathematics/statistics. It is proven that mathematization of geology and experimental geology stimulate one another, and that mathematical geology can be of essential aid in formulating conceptual models and scientific theories to integrate and unify diverse geological phenomena.Examples of the progressing mathematization of geology and the geosciences have been chosen to be most instructive for the purposes of understanding the general law of the development of science in the geosciences, as well as the propagation of mathematical models and their numerical realization. They range from almost conventional application of classical statistics in subdividing the Tertiary, to mathematical analysis of directional and orientation data vital to plate tectonics, deterministic and stochastic approaches for modeling and simulation purposes in characterization and management of natural resources, and the application of bifurcation theory to study differentiated layering as well as research in artificial intelligence and expert systems in exploration. All examples will be briefly presented and discussed, in general terms, avoiding all severe mathematics. Similarities and differences in the lawful development of geology, biology, and physics with respect to their mathematization are mentioned.

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Zusammenfassung Die Geschichte der mathematischen Geologie seit Lyell überschauend wird festgestellt, da\ ihr charakteristisches Merkmal das der Interaktion einer historisch orientierten Naturwissenschaft mit auf Abstraktion zielender Mathematik/Statistik ist. Es wird belegt, da\ Mathematisierung der Geologie und experimentelle Geologie sich gegenseitig vorantreiben und da\ mathematische Geologie zur Bildung von konzeptionellen Modellen und wissenschaftlichen Theorien, die unterschiedliche geologische Erscheinungen in Zusammenhang stellen, wesentlich beitragen kann.Die hier vorgestellten Beispiele der fortschreitenden Mathematisierung der Geologie und der Geowissenschaften als Ganzes sind nach dem Kriterium ausgewählt, die allgemeine Gesetzmä\igkeit des Entwicklungsprozesses der Wissenschaften für die geologischen Wissenschaften besonders deutlich darzustellen, und mit der Absicht, mathematische Modelle und ihre numerische Realisierung zu verbreiten. Sie reichen von fast standardmä\iger Anwendung klassischer, statistischer Argumente zur Unterteilung des Tertiärs über die mathematische Analyse von Richtungs- und Orientierungsdaten, welche wesentlich zur Akzeptanz der Plattentektonik beitrug, und deterministische und stochastische Zugänge zur Modellierung und Simulation bei der Charakterisierung und Verwaltung natürlicher Ressourcen bis zur Anwendung der mathematischen Verzweigungstheorie bei der Untersuchung von differenziertem metamorphem Lagenbau und zur Forschung auf dem Gebiet der künstlichen Intelligenz und der Expertensysteme in der Exploration. Die Beispiele werden ohne mathematische Formulierungen diskutiert. Auf ähnlichkeiten und Unterschiede bei der gesetzmä\igen Entwicklung von Geologie, Biologie und Physik in bezug auf ihre Mathematisierung wird hingewiesen.

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Résumé Si on résume l'histoire de la géologie mathématique depuis Lyell, on constate que son trait caractéristique réside dans l'interaction d'une science (naturelle) à orientation historique avec une mathématique-statistique tendant à l'abstraction. Il est de fait que la mathématisation de la géologie et la géologie expérimentale se stimulent mutuellement et que la géologie mathématique peut aider de manière significative à l'élaboration de modèles conceptuels et de théories scientifiques qui tendent à intégrer et à unifier les divers phénomènes géologiques.Les exemples présentés ici de ce processus de mathématisation progressive de la géologie et des sciences de la Terre ont été choisis pour Être les plus significatifs possible, afin d'en éclairer le développement et de justifier en mÊme temps le dessein de propager l'usage des modèles mathématiques et leur réalisation numérique. Le premier exemple concerne l'application, presque conventionnelle, de la statistique classique à la subdivision du Tertiaire. On poursuit par l'analyse mathématique des données de direction et d'orientation, vitales dans l'étude du modèle de la tectonique des plaques. Viennent ensuite les approches déterministes et stochastiques de l'élaboration et de la simulation en vue de caractériser et de gérer les ressources naturelles. Les exemples se poursuivent par l'application de la théorie mathématique de la bifurcation à l'étude du rubanement métamorphique et à la recherche dans le domaine de l'intelligence artificielle et des systèmes d'experts appliqués à l'exploration. Tous les exemples sont brièvement présentés et discutés, en termes généraux, à l'exclusion de formulation mathématique. On souligne les ressemblances et les différences entre les lois du développement de la géologie, de la biologie et de la physique en regard de leur mathématisation.

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