The oceans and the physics of the Earth

The Earth is the only terrestrial planet to have seas, by which it is covered to the extent of seventy percent. The oceans determine the climate of the Earth and it is through them that life and civilization have evolved, but they also have major influence on physical processes in the solid Earth. Tidal friction leads to the Earth's spin slowing down with a consequent recession of the Moon from the Earth, while the presence of the oceans controls the tectonic evolution of the Earth through the formation of oceanic crust, the erosion of land and the accumulation of sediment, the formation of mountains and the establishment of isostatic balance.     

Provincialism and correlations between some properties of vitrinites

Optical and chemical properties for hand-picked samples of vitrinite from a number of British coalfields are correlated and the correlations compared with previously published data. The form of the relationship found for the properties of British vitrinites is generally similar to that exhibited by a number of other sets of analyses, but some significant differences also exist in several of the correlations. For maximum reflectance as a function of carbon content, the present data indicate that at medium and low ranks, maximum reflectance is lower than the level suggested by most previous studies. The relationships of volatile-matter yield to reflectance and carbon content suggest that at low ranks, volatile-matter yield is strongly dependent upon the nature of the coalification history of the vitrinite. Furthermore, these correlations are likely to show provincialism, in that correlations which hold for one coalfield may not be representative of the relationship in other coalfields. Similarly, major differences in relationships involving bireflectance are associated with the tectonic setting at the time of effective coalification. The data presented here indicate that for low-rank coals at least, correlations between properties of vitrinites must take account of provincialism if they are to be sufficiently reliable to be useful. The measurement of a number of rank-sensitive variables can yield additional information about rank, as compared with the use of a single rank-sensitive variable.     

Gelification of victorian tertiary soft brown coal wood. II. Changes in chemical structure associated with variation in the degree of gelification

The gross chemical structures of xylites and gelified soft brown coal woods, Latrobe Valley, Victoria, Australia, as determined by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, are compared with those of present-day wood-derived materials prepared from an angiosperm, Eucalyptus regnans, and a gymnosperm (conifer), Pinus radiata. Also examined are the changes in the gross chemical structures of soft brown coal woods with increase in their degree of gelification and the relationship between these changes and variations in their chemical composition and microscopic appearance.The Victorian xylites exhibit greater affinities with the present-day gymnosperm than the present-day angiosperm. The progressive removal of cellulose with increasing degree of gelification can be equated with an increase in huminite reflectance, elimination of humotelinite autofluorescence and changes in the relative proportions of the humotelinite submacerals. The lignin structure of xylite is also modified during the gelification process, including the progressive loss of methoxyl groups and evidence of minor oxidation.     

Field survey of the East Java earthquake and tsunami of June 3, 1994

A field survey of the June 3, 1994 East Java earthquake tsunami was conducted within three weeks, and the distributions of the seismic intensities, tsunami heights, and human and house damages were surveyed. The seismic intensities on the south coasts of Java and Bali Islands were small for an earthquake with magnitudeM 7.6. The earthquake caused no land damage. About 40 minutes after the main shock, a huge tsunami attacked the coasts, several villages in East Java Province were damaged severely, and 223 persons perished. At Pancer Village about 70 percent of the houses were swept away and 121 persons were killed by the tsunami. The relationship between tsunami heights and distances from the source shows that the Hatori's tsunami magnitude wasm=3, which seems to be larger for the earthquake magnitude. But we should not consider this an extraordinary event because it was pointed out byHatori (1994) that the magnitudes of tsunamis in the Indonesia-Philippine region generally exceed 1–2 grade larger than those of other regions.     

Structure,composition and bulk properties of upland stream gravels

Upland gravel-bedded streams in the U.K. have received only scant attention from both hydrologists and sedimentologists, but are worthy of further investigation. The sedimentology of three small streams in Teesdale in the Pennines has been examined in detail. Grain-size characteristics, bedforms, structure, composition and packing characteristics of these deposits are described, and compared where appropriate with published information. It is argued that a fuller appreciation of gravel bed composition and morphology should eventually contribute to an improved understanding of sediment transport and deposition mechanisms, and, hence, to improved accuracy in sediment transport and deposition estimates.     

Tellurides from Sunrise Dam gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia: a new occurrence of nagyágite

Summary The Cu–Fe–Au–Mo (W) deposits in southeastern Hubei are an important component of the Middle–Lower Yangtze River metallogenic belt. Molybdenite from the Fengshandong Cu- (Mo), Ruanjiawan W–Cu- (Mo), Qianjiawan Cu–Au, Tongshankou Cu–Mo and Tonglüshan Cu- (Fe) deposits yielded Re–Os ages of 144.0 ± 2.1 Ma, 143.6 ± 1.7 Ma, 137.7 ± 1.7 Ma, 142.3 ± 1.8–143.7 ± 1.8 Ma and 137.8 ± 1.7–138.1 ± 1.8 Ma, respectively. Phlogopite from the Tieshan Fe- (Cu) deposit yielded an Ar–Ar age of 140.9 ± 1.2 Ma. These data and other published isotopic ages (Re–Os molybdenite and Ar–Ar mica ages) for the Cu–Fe–Au–Mo (W) deposits in the Middle–Lower Yangtze River metallogenic belt show that Cu–Fe–Au–Mo (W) mineralisation in the Tongling, Anqing, Jiurui and Edong ore districts developed in a narrow time span between 135.5 and 144.9 Ma, reflecting an important regional metallogenic event. An integrated study of available petrological and geochronological data, together with relationships to magmatism and the regional geodynamic framework, indicate that the Cu–Fe–Au–Mo (W) mineralisation in the Middle–Lower Yangtze River belt occurred during a regime of lithospheric extension. This extension is probably related to Late Mesozoic processes of lower crustal delamination and lithospheric thinning in East China.     

Regional variability in relationships between climate and dengue/DHF in Indonesia

Since 1970, the worldwide distribution, frequency and intensity of epidemics of dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) have increased dramatically. In Indonesia, as elsewhere, the geographic distribution and behaviour of the two main vectors – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus – and the consequent transmission dynamics of the disease are strongly influenced by climate. Monthly incidence data were examined in relation to monthly data for temperature, rainfall, rainfall anomalies, humidity and the Southern Oscillation Index for 1992–2001. Focusing on eight provinces, significant Pearson correlations were observed between dengue/DHF incidence and at least one climate variable ( r  = ±0.2 to ±0.43; P  < 0.05). Multiple regression analyses showed that 12.9–24.5 per cent of variance in incidence was explained by two or three climate variables in each province ( P  < 0.1–0.01). Rainfall appears to be the principal climatic agent affecting the geographic distribution and temporal pattern of incidence while temperature appears to play a critical role in outbreak intensity. Wide regional and temporal variations in the strength and nature of the observed associations led to the identification of three groups of provinces where increases in dengue/DHF incidence were variously associated with increased rainfall, decreased rainfall and/or high susceptibility to climate variability. Although climatic factors play an important role in explaining the timing and intensity of dengue/DHF outbreaks, a wide range of other factors specific to local environments also appear to be involved – information that may assist in the prediction and mitigation of regional dengue/DHF outbreaks.