The evolution of regional development concepts: some new trends

This paper traces the theoretical development of the regional concept and the use of regionalization techniques in Soviet geography and seeks to compare this history with comparable trends in Western geography. It is severely critical of the major and rapid paradigm shifts noticed in post-war Western geographical science and relates these to shifts in the approach to global development issues.     

Nappe displacement in the Scandinavian Caledonides

Large areas of the Scandinavian Caledonides are eroded to the level of the basement/cover contact. Relationships between the Precambrian crystalline basement (largely Svecofennian-Dalslandian, 1800-1000 m.y.) and cover sequences are exposed both in transverse profiles through the mountain belt and along the belt in the various windows. These relationships provide an unique opportunity for studying the basement configuration, character of basement involvement and general nappe geometry. Major allochthonous units of the central part of the Scandinavian Caledonides — the Offerdal, Särv and Seve-Köli Nappe Complex — have been shown to wedge out westwards, having been displaced eastwards from environments along and west of the present Norwegian coast. Recent investigations have shown that these units (the Offerdal, Särv and Seve) reappear in western Norway as major pinch-and-swell structures, the lenses reaching thicknesses in the order of 2 km and with long axes of several tens of kilometres. Within the western parts of the Swedish Caledonides the thicker parts of the lenses approximately coincide with the axes of the late synforms which fold basement and cover together. Further west, in Norway, the tensing appears to be unrelated to the geometry of these major folds.This evidence increases estimates of nappe displacement distance (now thought to be in the order of at least 1000 km). At the same time it emphasizes that translation may account for only about half of this amount, the rest being achieved by stretching of the nappes. Apparently, a nappe sequence built up in the west which subsequently collapsed, leading to continued displacement eastwards on to the Baltoscandian Platform. Whereas basement shortening is of the order of several tens to perhaps hundreds of kilometres in the western part of the central Scandes, it is of lesser importance from central Trøndelag eastwards, a distance of about two hundred kilometres, to the Caledonian Front.Biostratigraphic evidence from the late-orogenic intramontane basins, taken in relation to the youngest units involved in the nappes, requires nappe translation into western Norway to have occurred after the Llandoverian (Köli Supergroup) and prior to the (Ludlovian?) Downtonian (Hitra Formation) deposition in the intramontane basins. The nappes contain sequences derived from a variety of probable oceanic and continental margin environments, and this translation may greatly exceed the minimum estimate of five hundred kilometres. Further displacement eastwards occurred during uplift of seaboard Norway and accompanied sedimentation both in the intra- and extramontane basins. The latter were not finally influenced by the décollement tectonics until after the Early Devonian.This evidence suggests that a compressive regime dominated the early phases of orogenesis during basement shortening, build up of the nappe pile and translation of these denser units on to the western margin of the Baltoscandian Platform. This compression subsequently gave way to a gravity regime, collapse and stretching of the nappes dominating the late phases of displacement on to the Baltoscandian Platform.     

A deep seismic profile of 800 km length recorded in southern Queensland, Australia

Summary. In 1984, the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources and the Geological Survey of Queensland recorded a regional seismic reflection profile of over 800 km length from the eastern part of the Eromanga Basin to the Beenleigh Block east of the Clarence Moreton Basin. A relatively transparent upper crustal basement with an underlying, more reflective lower crust is characteristic of much of the region. Prominent westerly dipping reflectors occur well below the sediments of the eastern margin of the Clarence Moreton Basin and the adjacent Beenleigh Block, and provide some of the most interesting features of the entire survey. A wide angle reflection/refraction survey of 192 km length and an expanding reflection spread of 25 km length were recorded across the Nebine Ridge. The only clear deep reflectors are interpreted as P-to-SV or SV-to-P converted reflections from a mid-crustal boundary at a depth of about 17 km. The combined Nebine Ridge data provide well-constrained P and S wave velocity models of the upper crust, and suggest a crustal structure quite different from that beneath the adjacent Mesozoic basins.     

Precursory seismic crustal deformation in the area of southern Albanides

On the basis of growing evidence thatstrong earthquakes are preceded by a periodof accelerating seismicity of moderatemagnitude earthquakes, an attempt is madeto search for such seismicity pattern in NWAegean area. Accelerating seismic crustaldeformation has been identified in the areaof southern Albanides mountain range(border region between Greece, formerYugoslavia and Albania). Based on certainproperties of this activity and on itssimilarity with accelerating seismicdeformation observed before a strongearthquake which occurred in the sameregion on 26 May 1960 (M = 6.5), we canconclude that a similar earthquake may begenerated in the same region during thenext few years. This conclusion is inagreement with independent results whichhave been derived on the basis of the timepredictable model.     

Enzymatic and cellular responses in relation to body burden of PAHs in bivalve molluscs: A case study with chronic levels of North Sea and Barents Sea dispersed oil

Mytilus edulis and Chlamys islandica were exposed to nominal dispersed crude oil concentrations in the range 0.015–0.25 mg/l for one month. Five biomarkers (enzymatic and cellular responses) were analysed together with bioaccumulation of PAHs at the end of exposure. In both species, PAH tissue residues reflected the exposure concentration measured in the water and lipophylicity determined the bioaccumulation levels. Oil caused biomarker responses in both species but more significant alterations in exposed C. islandica were observed. The relationships between exposure levels and enzymatic responses were apparently complex. The integrated biomarker response related against the exposure levels was U-shaped in both species and no correlation with total PAH body burden was found. For the monitoring of chronic offshore discharges, dose- and time-related events should be evaluated in the selection of biomarkers to apply. From this study, cellular damages appear more fitted than enzymatic responses, transient and more complex to interpret.     

Cosmology and cosmogony in a cyclic universe

In this paper we discuss the properties of the quasi-steady state cosmological model (QSSC) developed in 1993 in its role as a cyclic model of the universe driven by a negative energy scalar field. We discuss the origin of such a scalar field in the primary creation process first described by F. Hoyle & J. V. Narlikar forty years ago. It is shown that the creation processes which take place in the nuclei of galaxies are closely linked to the high energy and explosive phenomena, which are commonly observed in galaxies at all redshifts. The cyclic nature of the universe provides a natural link between the places of origin of the microwave background radiation (arising in hydrogen burning in stars), and the origin of the lightest nuclei (H, D, He³ and He⁴). It also allows us to relate the large scale cyclic properties of the universe to events taking place in the nuclei of galaxies. Observational evidence shows that ejection of matter and energy from these centers in the form of compact objects, gas and relativistic particles is responsible for the population of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) and gamma-ray burst sources in the universe. In the later parts of the paper we briefly discuss the major unsolved problems of this integrated cosmological and cosmogonical scheme — the understanding of the origin of the intrinsic redshifts, and the periodicities in the redshift distribution of the QSOs.     

ON THE CENOZOIC GEOLOGY BETWEEN LOYANG AND SIAN

Bordered by the Chungtiaoshan (中條山) on the North and the Tsinling (秦嶺) on the South, the area between Loyang and Sian, where the Huangho River hits and follows the old Weiho valley has been known for a long time to be specially rich in Cenozoic formations of different ages. These deposits are     

Stratigraphic status,age, and paleobathymetry of the Grey shale Member,Dalmiapuram Formation,Cauvery Basin,India

Grey shale Member of the Dalmiapuram Formation, Ariyalur Group, Cauvery Basin, India was studied for its stratigraphic position, age, and paleobathymetry with a re-look into the lithological relationship and foraminifer assemblages in the deepened limestone mine excavations at M/s Dalmia Cements, Dalmiapuram. Twenty grey shale samples from Kovandankurchchi (pit-4) and Kallakkudi mines yielded diversified calcareous, benthic, and rare index planktic foraminifera. The foraminiferal assemblages suggest a latest Albian age and middle neritic depositional conditions. The abundance of kaolinite and smectite clay minerals relate to warm/humid climate which corroborate with rising relative sea level during grey shale deposition. The grey shale occurs in patches within the marl bedded limestone member which exhibits cyclic deposition of limestone and marl. The limestone mine sections demonstrate that the grey shale forms part of basal marl bedded limestone, directly overlying the coral algal limestone. The present study demonstrates that the grey shale outcrops in Dalmiapuram Formation should be placed stratigraphically as part of marl bedded limestone. The member status for grey shale which is current usage stands discounted.