It all comes out in the wash: Actualistic petrofacies modeling of temper provenance,Tonto Basin,Arizona, USA

Prehistoric potters frequently tempered their pottery with sand, the provenance of which can be established petrographically. In the Tonto Basin of central Arizona, the bedrock geology is highly variable, giving rise to geographically unique sands. Zones of sands with similar compositions can be modeled at an archaeologically relevant scale. Here we use the actualistic petrofacies concept, the Gazzi–Dickinson point‐counting technique, and multivariate statistics to create a petrofacies model, then apply it to sand‐tempered utilitarian pottery recovered from three Tonto Basin project areas. Data analysis reveals strong temporal and spatial ceramic production and consumption patterns. Production of pottery for exchange was established in at least one petrofacies ca. A.D. 600–950, with increasing specialization through time. By ca. A.D. 1150, corrugated wares had been added, and specialized production by ware was established in two petrofacies. Provenance evidence suggests different regional affiliations for groups in different parts of the basin. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Magnetic properties as indicators of pedogenic and pyrogenic processes at the Upper Paleolithic site of Kostenki 14

In geoarchaeological studies, there is an issue with distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic signals in pedological paleoarchives. With the pedostratigraphy of the Upper Paleolithic site of Kostenki 14, this issue is reflected by problems with the determination of features of pedogenic and pyrogenic processes. This issue was addressed by means of a thorough analysis of the magnetic properties of paleosols accompanied by micromorphological observations. Most of the humic samples were shown to be a result of pedogenesis, but two samples (a Paleolithic hearth sample and a sample from paleosol IIc) had features of intensely burnt material. The difference in the typical intensity of large-scale (natural or human-induced) and local-scale anthropogenic fire allowed for suggesting that the magnetic properties of the burnt sample were the result of an anthropogenically controlled fire event, that is, a hearth. This study shows that the magnetic properties of paleosols can be used to differentiate anthropogenic activity, in particular—burning, from pedogenic processes. This indicator is especially helpful in finding disturbed combustion features when the hearth structure is lost. This methodology used to demonstrate the local human-induced pyrogenic effect at the Upper Paleolithic site can contribute to the discussion of the niche construction effect of human activities in the Pleistocene.     

Reflexion sur la tectonique de faille plio-quaternaire

Résumé Après avoir montré l'importance tectonique du réseau de faille plio-quaternaire, il est insisté sur son indépendance par rapport aux tectoniques antérieures, d'après les deux exemples de chaÎnes alpines et leurs bordures méditerranénnes et de la Cordillère des Andes et sa bordure pacifique.Cette tectonique, «postgéosynclinale» dans le premier cas, «postliminaire» dans le second, témoigne de mouvement en extension et non des compressions qu'on admet généralement en compensation des extensions océaniques: l'état actuel des ceintures orogéniques paraÎt donc Être l'extension, du moins dans ces deux secteurs.Le Plio-Quaternaire semble ainsi une période d'extension généralisée, au contraire de périodes antérieures où des compressions se sont manifestées dans les ceintures orogéniques.

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The Plio-Quaternary fault net, beyond its tectonic and morphologic importance, seems independent of the previous structures, as illustrated by the examples of the Alpines chaines and their Mediterranean edges and of the Andes Cordillera and its Pacific edge.Theses structures — of postgeosynclinal origin in the first case, postliminar in the second — display tensional motion, not the compressions expected as sea floor spreading compensation. Thus the present status of orogenetics belts seems to be tension at least in theses two areas.Thus the Plio-Quaternary may appear as a period of general tension, in contrast to the previous periods, some of which show compressional motion in the orogenetic belts.

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Zusammenfassung Die tektonische Bedeutung des plio-quartÄren Verwerfungsnetzes wird gezeigt. Wie aus den beiden Beispielen der Alpenketten und ihrer mediterranen Küstenlinien sowie der Andenkordillere und ihrer pazifischen Küstenlinie hervorgeht, scheint dieses Verwerfungsnetz unabhÄngig von früheren Strukturen zu sein.Diese im ersten Fall postgeosynklinale und im zweiten Fall postliminare Tektonik zeugt von Extensions- und nicht von Kompressionsbewegungen, die man im allgemeinen als Folge ozeanischer Extensionen (sea floor spreading) annimmt: der gegenwÄrtige Zustand der orogenen Gürtel scheint also Extension zu sein, zumindest in diesen beiden Abschnitten.Das Plio-QuartÄr scheint demnach eine Periode allgemeiner Extension zu sein, im Gegensatz zu vorhergehenden Perioden, wo sich in den orogenen Gürteln Kompressionen zeigten.

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Do LINER 2 galaxies harbour low-luminosity active galactic nuclei?

We use ROSAT HRI spatial data and ASCA spectral measurements for a sample of seven nearby, early-type spiral galaxies, to address the question of whether a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN) is present in galaxies that have a LINER 2 classification. The brightest discrete X-ray source in the ROSAT HRI observations is invariably found to be positionally coincident with the optical galactic nucleus, and in most cases its flux dominates the X-ray emission from the central region of the galaxy. All seven galaxies have X-ray spectra consistent with a two-component, soft thermal plus hard power-law, spectral form. If we exclude the two galaxies with relatively hard X-ray spectra, NGC 3628 and NGC 4594, for which there is supporting evidence for a LLAGN (or alternatively in the case of NGC 3628 a dominant ultraluminous X-ray binary), then the remaining galaxies show surprisingly similar X-ray spectral properties. Specifically the flux ratio F _X(0.5–1)/ F _X(2–5) , which measures the relative strengths of the thermal and non-thermal emission components, shows little scatter about a mean of 0.66, a value very similar to that measured in the classic starburst galaxy NGC 253. As there is no obvious reason why the luminosity of the hard power-law continuum emanating from a putative LLAGN should be very closely correlated with the thermal emission of the surrounding region, this suggests that that the broad-band (0.5–5 keV) X-ray emission from these LINER 2 galaxies may originate in a common set of processes probably associated with the starburst phenomenon. Conversely, it appears that in many LINER 2 galaxies and perhaps the majority, the nuclear X-ray luminosity does not derive directly from the presence of a LLAGN.     

High-energy facility development plan

Plans for the deployment of a comprehensive set of instruments designed to study the high-energy emissions of solar flares have been developed as part of a series of studies for an Advanced Solar Observatory (ASO). These studies have identified the Space Station as the preferred mode for the deployment of the full ASO. The accident of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, and the growth in the estimated costs for the Space Station during the fiscal year 1989 budget discussions, have created an uncertain climate within the United States Space Program, making it difficult to predict the schedule for major programs such as the ASO. Approaches to the deployment of instruments for the study of high-energy solar emissions alone, or in conjunction with other solar instruments are discussed. As an independent entity the High-Energy Facility could be on a co-orbiting platform.     

Mapping collective human activity in an urban environment based on mobile phone data

Identifying and characterizing variations of human activity – specifically changes in intensity and similarity – in urban environments provide insights into the social component of those eminently complex systems. Using large volumes of user-generated mobile phone data, we derive mobile communication profiles that we use as a proxy for the collective human activity. In this article, geocomputational methods and geovisual analytics such as self-organizing maps (SOM) are used to explore the variations of these profiles, and its implications for collective human activity. We evaluate the merits of SOM as a cross-dimensional clustering technique and derived temporal trajectories of variations within the mobile communication profiles. The trajectories’ characteristics such as length are discussed, suggesting spatial variations in intensity and similarity in collective human activity. Trajectories are linked back to the geographic space to map the spatial and temporal variation of trajectory characteristics. Different trajectory lengths suggest that mobile phone activity is correlated with the spatial configuration of the city, and so at different times of the day. Our approach contributes to the understanding of the space-time social dynamics within urban environments.     

Validation of MODIS Vegetation Continuous Fields for monitoring deforestation and forest degradation: two cases in Mexico

This study assesses whether MODIS Vegetation Continuous Fields percent tree cover (PTC) data can detect deforestation and forest degradation. To assess the usefulness of PTC for detecting deforestation, we used a data set consisting of eight forest and seven non-forest categories. To evaluate forest degradation, we used data from two temperate forest types in three conservation states: primary (dense), secondary (moderately degraded) and open (heavily degraded) forest. Our results show that PTC can differentiate temperate forest from non-forest categories (p = 0.05) and thus suggests PTC can adequately detect deforestation in temperate forests. In contrast, single-date PTC data does not appear to be adequate to detect forest degradation in temperate forests. As for tropical forest, PTC can partially discriminate between forest and non-forest categories.     

A hybrid approach to modeling territorial control in violent armed conflicts

Territorial control is central to the understanding of violent armed conflicts, yet reliable and valid measures of this concept do not exist. We argue that geospatial analysis provides an important perspective to measure the concept. In particular, measuring territorial control can be seen as an application of calculating service areas around points of control. The modeling challenge is acute for areas with limited road infrastructure, where no complete network is available to perform the analysis, and movements largely occur off road. We present a new geospatial approach that applies network analysis on a hybrid transportation network with both actual road data and hexagon‐fishnet‐based artificial road data representing on‐road and off‐road movements, respectively. Movement speed or restriction can be readily adjusted using various input data. Simulating off‐road movement with hexagon‐fishnet‐based artificial road data has a number of advantages including scalability to small or large study areas and flexibility to allow all‐directional travel. We apply this method to measuring territorial control of armed groups in Sub‐Saharan Africa where inferior transport infrastructure is the norm. Based on the Uppsala Conflict Data Program's (UCDP) Georeferenced Event Data (GED) as well as spatial data on terrain, population locations, and limited transportation networks, we enhance the delineation of the specific areas directly controlled by each warring party during civil wars within a given travel time.     

Mineralogy and geochemical behaviour during weathering of greenstone belt under tropical dry conditions in the extreme North Cameroon (Central Africa)

Mineralogy, major, trace and rare earth elements of a weathering profile developed on tertiary greenstone belt in the extreme North Cameroon are reported. The aim of which was to investigate mineralogical evolution and element mobilization and redistribution during weathering under dry tropical climate. The weathering profile consists of four main horizons: (1) a spheroidal weathering zone constituted by a corestone–shell complex, (2) a C horizon, (3) a Bw horizon and an Ah horizon. The results indicate that nontronite, a Fe-rich smectite, is the exclusive clay mineral formed in the exfoliated shells and the C horizon. It is associated with kaolinite in the upper horizons. The coexistence of these two clay minerals induced a decrease of CEC and pH which becomes neutral. The weathering index (WI) values reveal that weathering becomes more and more intensive from the corestone up to Bw horizon, which is the most weathered horizon in the weathering profile. Mass balance calculations, using Th as immobile element, indicate that Ti is quite mobile and that Al and Fe are relatively enriched at the bottom and strongly leached at the top of the profile. Alkalis and alkaline earth elements are strong leached through out the profile, except Ca which displays similar trend as Al and Fe. The same goes for LILE (Cs, Sr), TTE (Cr, Co, Ni) and HSFE (Y, Nb, Hf). In opposite, REE are depleted at the bottom and enriched in the upper horizons, with more enrichment for LREE than for HREE. It appears that weathering of greenstone belt causes a fractionation of HREE and induces a concentration of LREEs. Ce and Eu anomalies display opposite behaviour.     

Modeling the Effects of Oyster Reefs and Breakwaters on Seagrass Growth

Seagrass beds have declined in Chesapeake Bay, USA as well as worldwide over the past century. Increased seston concentrations, which decrease light penetration, are likely one of the main causes of the decline in Chesapeake Bay. It has been hypothesized that dense populations of suspension-feeding bivalves, such as eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), may filter sufficient seston from the water to reduce light attenuation and enhance seagrass growth. Furthermore, eastern oyster populations can form large three-dimensional reef-like structures that may act like breakwaters by attenuating waves, thus decreasing sediment resuspension. We developed a quasi-three-dimensional Seagrass-Waves-Oysters-Light-Seston (SWOLS) model to investigate whether oyster reefs and breakwaters could improve seagrass growth by reducing seston concentrations. Seagrass growth potential (SGP), a parameter controlled by resuspension-induced turbidity, was calculated in simulations in which wave height, oyster abundance, and reef/breakwater configuration were varied. Wave height was the dominant factor influencing SGP, with higher waves increasing sediment resuspension and decreasing SGP. Submerged breakwaters parallel with the shoreline improved SGP in the presence of 0.2 and 0.4 m waves when sediment resuspension was dominated by wave action, while submerged groins perpendicular to the shoreline improved SGP under lower wave heights (0.05 and 0.1 m) when resuspension was dominated by along-shore tidal currents. Oyster-feeding activity did not affect SGP, due to the oysters’ distance from the seagrass bed and reduced oyster filtration rates under either low or high sediment concentrations. Although the current implementation of the SWOLS model has simplified geometry, the model does demonstrate that the interaction between oyster filtration and along-shore circulation, and between man-made structures and wave heights, should be considered when managing seagrass habitats, planning seagrass restoration projects, and choosing the most suitable methods to protect shorelines from erosion.