Communities as the agents of commodification: The Kumbo Water Authority in Northwest Cameroon

In 1991 the people of the town of Kumbo in Northwest Cameroon expelled the national water corporation from town by force. They claimed to be retrieving a network that the community rightfully owned and they began to run the system along community lines. The paper tells the story of that water supply twice. First it reproduces the popular accounts that circulated in the 1990s that emphasize the role played by the community in the development and operation of the water supply and portray recent events as a triumph of community management. Then it retells the story using archive evidence that puts a quite different light on some of the events. It is argued that the emphasis on community management has a tendency to obscure other important aspects of the story, for example its political context and consequences. It is suggested that the widespread admiration for any initiative that is community based often results in an uncritical analysis of this form of development project. In this case the commodification of water accelerates after the community has wrested control of this public service from the state.     

Mise en évidence d'un nouveau front de chevauchement dans l'Atlas tunisien oriental de Tunisie par sismique réflexion. Contexte structural régional et rôle du Trias salifère

Structural interpretations of newly acquired seismic lines in northeastern Tunisia allow us to highlight a new thrust front for the Atlasic range of Tunisia, in contrast to the previously Zaghouan fault thrust Dorsale zone. This new thrust front takes place on weakness tectonic zones, materialized by inherited faults anchored on the pre-Triassic basement. This front seems to be a paleogeographic trend controlling structural style and basin fill with a synsedimentary activity. The front is expressed by reverse faults, thrust faults, back thrusting, and decollement structures. To cite this article: S. Khomsi et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Preliminary data on chemical changes in the Aral Sea during low-level periods from the last 9000 years

The withdrawal of the Aral Sea tributaries (Amu and Syr Daria) for cultures has led to significant falls of its level and an important increase in its salinity. During the Holocene, a succession of low and high water inputs occurred. Silty deposits correspond to the high levels and carbonates to the low levels. This study makes a distinction between the Syr Daria and the Amu Daria water inputs during low-level periods by using mineralogical and chemical compositions of the carbonates deposits. Waters from the Syr Daria are more sulphatic and have a low iron content in comparison with that of the Amu Daria. The Syr Daria was the major tributary around 7500, 4956 and 970 yr?BP, whereas around 6200 and 3610 yr?BP, inflow also from the Amu Daria is observed. To cite this article: L. Le Callonnec et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

大别造山带毛屋岩体的解体及古地幔性质的厘定

根据详细的地球化学 (特别是稀土元素地球化学 )的研究资料 ,提出大别造山带毛屋岩体应该解体。毛屋岩体不是由多幕式镁铁 超镁铁质层状堆晶作用形成的一套岩石系列 ,而是由橄榄岩类、含石榴石方辉岩类、榴辉岩类和绿辉石岩类组成的一个混杂岩体。其中含石榴石方辉岩类与绿辉石岩类之间存在成因上的联系 ,含石榴石方辉岩类的原岩是本区原始地幔经约36 %的部分熔融后剩下的残余 ,而绿辉石岩的原岩是由该熔融体结晶的产物。根据含石榴石方辉岩与绿辉石岩之间的成分制约关系 ,对该区古地幔的稀土元素组成和地幔性质进行了反演 ,结果表明 ,该区原始地幔稀土元素成分与球粒陨石中的相似 ,为轻稀土略亏损的平坦型组成模式 ;该区原始地幔矿物成分为橄榄石 (72 8% )、单斜辉石 (12 4% )和石榴石 (14 8% ) ,属含单辉石榴橄榄岩的地幔。     

Geology and Lead–Sulphur Isotope Compositions of the Tongyu Volcanic-Hosted Massive Sulphide Copper Deposit in the Western Part of the North Qinling Orogen, China

The Tongyu copper deposit, located in the western part of the North Qinling Orogen, China, is one of several volcanic-hosted massive sulphide(VHMS) deposits with industrial value and is also a typical example of mineralization related to the subduction and metallogenesis during the Caledonian orogeny. We conducted systematic lead-sulphur isotope geochemical analyses of the Tongyu deposit to understand the possible ore-forming material sources and tectonic settings. Twenty-six sulphide samples yielded clustered δ~(34)S_(CDT) values of 1.13‰-3.36‰, average 2.22‰, and show a tower-type distribution,implying that the sulphur of the Tongyu copper deposit mainly originated from a mantle source. The Pb isotope compositions of sulphides(~(206)Pb/~(204)Pb = 17.59225-18.56354, average 18.32020; ~(207)Pb/~(204)Pb =15.51770-15.69381, average 15.66217; ~(208)Pb/~(204)Pb= 37.99969-39.06953, average 38.52722) are close to the values of the volcanic host rocks(~(206)Pb/~(204)Pb= 18.10678-18.26293, average 18.21158; ~(207)Pb/~(204)Pb =15.63196-15.68188, average 15.65345; ~(208)Pb/~(204)Pb= 38.43676-38.56360, average 38.49171), thus consistent with the Pb in ores and volcanic host rocks having been derived from a common source that was island-arc Pb related to oceanic crust subduction. The northward subduction of the Palaeo-Qinling oceanic crust triggered dehydration of the slab, which generated a large amount of high-oxygen-fugacity aqueous hydrothermal fluid. The fluid rose into the mantle wedge, activated and extracted metallogenic material and promoted partial melting of the mantle wedge. The magma and ore-forming fluid welled up and precipitated, finally forming the Tongyu VHMS copper deposit.     

Zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic characteristics of the Dehe biotite monzonitic gneiss pluton in the North Qinling orogen and their geological significance

The Dehe granitic pluton intruded the Xiahe Group which is in the core complex of the North Qinling Orogenic Belt(NQOB).It shows gneissic bedding and possesses typical S-type granite minerals such as muscovite and garnet.LA-ICP-MS U-Pb isotopic dating of the Dehe granite yielded a weighted average age of 925±23 Ma which represents the emplacement age of the pluton.Most of the εHf(t) values are negative,and the two-stage model ages are consistent with the age of the Qinling Group.The isotope data show that the Dehe granite was formed in the following geological setting:in the syn-collision setting of the NQOB in the Neoproterozoic,crustal thickening induced partial melting of materials derived from the Qinling complex,and then the maga upwelled and intruded into the Xiahe Group.The formation of the Dehe S-type granite implied the occurrence of a convergent event in the QOB during the Neoproterozoic.     

一次梅雨锋结构及锋区强度对锋面结构影响的数值模拟

利用中尺度模式MM5对1999年6月下旬发生在长江中下游地区的一次锋上西南低涡发展的梅雨锋暴雨过程进行了研究。通过敏感性试验, 探讨了低涡对锋强、 锋生的敏感性, 锋生、 锋消与低涡发展演变的时间空间上的联系等问题\.结果表明, 低涡对中层锋面强度的变化敏感, 中层锋强发生改变会导致整层涡度发生同位相的变化。中层系统对梅雨锋气旋的发展起主要作用, 中层锋面对低涡发展的影响比边界层锋更关键。中层锋面强度改变会激发出中低层的垂直次级环流, 低层的辐合上升运动发生改变, 最终影响到低涡强度的发展。敏感性试验证明, 锋面强度变化对低涡发展造成的影响有超前性, 中层锋面先发生变化, 6 h左右以后低涡强度发生改变。锋区强度和低涡强度发生变化的地理位置基本在同一经度上, 锋强变化的位置在涡强变化位置的北面。     

一次强降水过程涡旋状MCS结构特征及成因初步分析

利用新一代天气雷达资料分析了造成2011年6月18日湖北省江汉平原强降水涡旋状中尺度对流系统(MCS)发生发展过程的结构特征,联合常规观测、地面加密观测及雷达四维变分风场反演资料初步研究了MCS可能成因。结果表明:(1)成熟阶段的强降水涡旋状MCS回波表现为气旋性弯曲的多条螺旋对流回波带、周围被大片层状云回波所包裹的结构特征,后期因冷空气侵入演变出冷暖锋式结构。回波合并和旋转式列车效应是产生强降水的主要运动特征。(2)涡旋状MCS是在有利环境场下,主要由鄂西山地一江汉平原过渡带边界层中尺度涡旋系统强烈发展组织的结果。(3)中尺度涡旋系统形成发展与地面暖倒槽发展、西南低涡前侧降水和特殊地形作用有密切关系,来自不同方向气流形成的强烈辐合是其前期形成发展的主要机制,后期发展可能与潜热释放有关,涡旋环流向上发展到700 hPa。     

利用TrackRT进行GPS实时动态形变监测研究

在相对实时动态定位软件TrackRT的基础上进行二次开发,完善了数据流实时传输与解码,并设计了两组模拟地面运动的观测实验,分别对TrackRT水平向和垂直向上的内外符合精度进行了评定。结果表明,在观测数据质量较好的情况下,实时定位水平分量精度优于2cm,垂向分量精度优于4cm。