Development and the Household: Missing the point?

Over the past two decades development has been shifting its focus toward smaller scales and particular problems. As a result, the household has become an increasingly important institution for development, and has come under increased scrunity as development practitioners and scholars seek to better understand this institution’s functions and foundations, trying to ‘get the household right’. These efforts, rather than clarifying the character and the function of the household, have contributed to its indeterminacy by reifying the very institution they seek to analyse. Arguing that these efforts fundamentally miss the point of examining the household, this paper introduces a different framework of analysis that addresses the household not as a fixed object of research, but as a local construction that embodies flows of power and knowledge both within and transcending the local. Using the example of varying constructions of the household in two villages in Ghana’s Central Region, this article illustrates how such an approach allows us to address the various functions of the household as particular embodiments of these flows, an approach that better explains the endurance or ephemerality of these functions. Such an approach provides a stronger foundation for the consideration of how particular constructions of this institution may have troubling implications for issues like gender equity and sustainability.     

Comparison of Static,Kinematic and Dynamic Geodetic Deformation Models for Kutlugün Landslide in Northeastern Turkey

Being the cause of the loss of life and damaging property, landslide is an important natural hazard. Therefore, landslides have to be monitored and preventive measures taken accordingly. In Geodesy, landslides can be determined with static, kinematic and dynamic geodetic models. The aim of this study is to develop a dynamic geodetic model for landslides and compare it with static and kinematic geodetic models. A study area was selected in the Northeastern Black Sea Region of Turkey where landslides are the most effective natural hazard. Movements were determined with static, kinematic and dynamic geodetic models using geodetic, geologic and geophysical measurements made in the study area. Groundwater levels changes were regarded as causative forces in the formulation of the dynamic model. The dynamic model delivered more detailed information (direction, values, velocity, acceleration of movements) about landslide movements. It is possible to formulate more realistic strategies about prevention of landslides by using this information. As a result, it can be suggested that dynamic geodetic models are more useful in landslide studies.     

Evaluation of superficial settlements in low overburden tunnel TBM excavation: Numerical approaches

In this paper the problem of the superficial settlements related to tunnel mechanised excavation is analysed considering a low overburden application example. The excavation of tunnels in urban areas has actually important diffusion. This kind of work always implies to guarantee the safety and the stability of the existing superficial structures. The use of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) represents a good method in these conditions and the estimation of the induced settlement represents a difficult engineering problem. The study shows the differences between three different numerical approaches; the results, function of the same loss of volume, evidence from a quantitative point of view, the ground settlement.     

Experimental and geochemical evidence for derivation of the El Capitan Granite,California, by partial melting of hydrous gabbroic lower crust

Partial melting of mafic intrusions recently emplaced into the lower crust can produce voluminous silicic magmas with isotopic ratios similar to their mafic sources. Low-temperature (825 and 850°C) partial melts synthesized at 700 MPa in biotite-hornblende gabbros from the central Sierra Nevada batholith (Sisson et al. in Contrib Mineral Petrol 148:635–661, 2005) have major-element and modeled trace-element (REE, Rb, Ba, Sr, Th, U) compositions matching those of the Cretaceous El Capitan Granite, a prominent granite and silicic granodiorite pluton in the central part of the Sierra Nevada batholith (Yosemite, CA, USA) locally mingled with coeval, isotopically similar quartz diorite through gabbro intrusions (Ratajeski et al. in Geol Soc Am Bull 113:1486–1502, 2001). These results are evidence that the El Capitan Granite, and perhaps similar intrusions in the Sierra Nevada batholith with lithospheric-mantle-like isotopic values, were extracted from LILE-enriched, hydrous (hornblende-bearing) gabbroic rocks in the Sierran lower crust. Granitic partial melts derived by this process may also be silicic end members for mixing events leading to large-volume intermediate composition Sierran plutons such as the Cretaceous Lamarck Granodiorite. Voluminous gabbroic residues of partial melting may be lost to the mantle by their conversion to garnet-pyroxene assemblages during batholithic magmatic crustal thickening.     

Clay mineralogical,geochemical and isotopic tracing of the evolution of the Woodleigh impact structure,Southern Carnarvon Basin,Western Australia

Chaotically structured diamictite from the inner ring syncline surrounding the central uplift of the Woodleigh impact structure contains shocked metamorphic and impact melt-rock fragments, largely derived from Ordovician and Devonian target sandstones. Coarse illite fractions (<2 m) from the sandstones containing no K-feldspar yield K–Ar ages of around 400 Ma, whereas the K–Ar ages of authigenic clays of >0.2 m fractions from the diamictite without smectite and K-feldspar cluster around 360 Ma, consistent with Rb–Sr data. Crystallisation of newly formed illite in the impact melt rock clasts and recrystallisation of earlier formed illite in the sandstone clasts preserved in the diamictite, are attributed to impact-induced hydrothermal processes in the Late Devonian. The illitic clays from the diamictite and from the sandstones have very similar trace element compositions, with significantly enriched incompatible lithophile elements, which increase in concentrations correlatively with those of the compatible ferromagnesian elements. The unusual trace element associations in the clays may be due to the involvement of hot gravity-driven basinal fluids that interacted with rocks of the Precambrian craton to the east of the study area, or with such material transported and reworked in the studied sedimentary succession.     

GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PLATINUM GROUP ELEMENTS IN JINCHUAN SUPER-LARGE SULFIDE COPPER-NICKEL DEPOSIT, JINCHANG CITY, GANSU PROVINCE, CHINA

The platinum-group element geochemistry of rocks and ores from Jinchuan super-large copper-nickel sulfide deposit is systemically studied in this paper. The Cu/Pd mean ratio of Jinchuan intrusion is lower than that of original mantle magma, which indicates that these ultrabasic rocks were crystallized from magma that lost Pd in the form of melting segregation of sulfides. The PGE of the rocks show trend of partial melting, similar to that of mantle peridotite, which shows that magma formation occurs during rock-forming and ore-forming processes. The chondrite normalized PGE patterns of the rocks and ores are well related to each other, which signifies the signatures of multi-episode magmatic intrusion, melting and differentiation in the formation processes of rocks and ores. In addition, analyses about the relation between PGE and S, and study on Re-Os isotopes indicate that few contamination of the crustal substances occurred during the magmatic intrusion and the formation of deposit. However, contamination by crustal substances helps to supply part of the S for the enrichment of PGE. Meanwhile, the hydrothermal process is also advantageous for the enrichment of PGE, especially lbr Pt and Pd, due to deep melting segregation. The characteristic parameters （such as Pt/（Pt＋Pd）, （Pt＋Pd）/（Ru＋Ir＋Os）, Pd/Ir, Cu/（Ni＋Cu）, and so on.） for platinum-group elements for Jinchuan sulfide copper-nickel deposit show the same features as those for sulfide copper-nickel deposit related to basic magma, which also illustrates its original magma property representative of Mg-high tholeiite. Therefore, it is the marie （not ultramafic） magma that resulted in the formation of the superlarge sulfide copper-nickel deposit enriched in Cu and PGE. To sum up, the geochemical characteristics of platinum-group elements in rocks and ores from Jinchuan copper-nickel sulfide deposit are constrained by the continental rift tectonic environment, the parent magma features, the enriched mantel magma source, the complex metallogenesis and PGE geochemical signatures, and this would be rather significant for the study about the genetic mechanism of copper-nickel sulfide deposits.     

黔桂边境四堡岩群中高压变质矿物的发现及其意义

分布在黔桂边境地区四堡岩群变质岩属绿片岩相,过去一直认为是低压条件下的变质产物。通过近年区调工作,用X射线粉晶衍射方法,测定泥质变质岩的白云母结晶度b0>0.9040nm,显示出高压型变质矿物———多硅白云母特征。高压变质矿物的确定,对研究该区中元古代末期Rodinia超大陆的聚合提供了佐证。     

豫西宜阳上二叠统孙家沟组孢粉组合及其地质意义*

豫西宜阳上二叠统孙家沟组为一套陆相碎屑岩,在该组中部土门段砂泥互层中发现大量的植物化石碎片和孢粉化石。文中依据孙家沟组沉积特征及孢粉组合区域对比,厘定了土门段的地质时代,并依据孢粉化石的亲缘植物关系和信息函数,结合微量元素Sr/Cu值指标,定性和半定量分析了宜阳地区的古气候特征。结果显示: 土门段共发现52属孢粉化石,以裸子植物花粉占优势,与华北地区晚二叠世孢粉组合特征有很大的相似性,推测其地质时代相当于晚二叠世长兴期。孢粉化石属种的植物亲缘关系与欧美镁灰岩统植物成分类似,表明整体上为较炎热的半干旱古气候。该成果可为华北地区晚二叠世晚期的陆相沉积环境、古植物背景以及古气候演化研究提供参考依据。     

Phase-equilibrium geobarometers for silicic rocks based on rhyolite-MELTS. Part 4: Plagioclase,orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene,glass geobarometer,and application to Mt. Ruapehu,New Zealand

A new phase equilibria geobarometer determines magmatic storage and crystallization conditions, including pressure, temperature, oxygen fugacity (\({f_{{{\text{o}}_2}}}\)), and the presence of a fluid phase for glass-bearing rocks containing the assemblage plagioclase?+?pyroxene(s). This newly developed geobarometer can better constrain crystallization conditions of shallow (<?500 MPa; <~?20 km), glass-bearing andesites to dacites. The geobarometer utilizes rhyolite-MELTS to determine crystallization conditions in natural pumice and scoria samples. The validity of the geobarometer is tested by comparing it to results from experiments. Uncertainties are assessed using Monte Carlo simulations. We apply the geobarometer to the plag?+?opx?+?cpx-bearing system of Mt. Ruapehu, in the southern Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. The samples from Mt. Ruapehu are tested from ~?5 to ~?400 MPa and from super-liquidus to 90% crystalline (~ 1200 to ~ 700 °C). Mt. Ruapehu serves as a methodological testing ground for the geobarometer, and results from our geobarometer agree with recent Mt. Ruapehu studies. Results show a distribution of crystallization pressures ranging from 50 to 150 MPa (~?2.0 to 5.9 km) for different eruptions, with modes of 110 MPa (~ 4.3 km) and 130 MPa (~ 5.1 km). These are consistent with field interpretations of different eruptive styles based on juvenile clast textures and previous knowledge of the magma plumbing system. Mt. Ruapehu magmas are fluid saturated, with \({f_{{{\text{o}}_2}}}\) of ΔQFM ~ + 1 (NNO).     

The accuracy of standard enthalpies and entropies for phases of petrological interest derived from density-functional calculations

The internal energies and entropies of 21 well-known minerals were calculated using the density functional theory (DFT), viz. kyanite, sillimanite, andalusite, albite, microcline, forsterite, fayalite, diopside, jadeite, hedenbergite, pyrope, grossular, talc, pyrophyllite, phlogopite, annite, muscovite, brucite, portlandite, tremolite, and CaTiO₃–perovskite. These thermodynamic quantities were then transformed into standard enthalpies of formation from the elements and standard entropies enabling a direct comparison with tabulated values. The deviations from reference enthalpy and entropy values are in the order of several kJ/mol and several J/mol/K, respectively, from which the former is more relevant. In the case of phase transitions, the DFT-computed thermodynamic data of involved phases turned out to be accurate and using them in phase diagram calculations yields reasonable results. This is shown for the Al₂SiO₅ polymorphs. The DFT-based phase boundaries are comparable to those derived from internally consistent thermodynamic data sets. They even suggest an improvement, because they agree with petrological observations concerning the coexistence of kyanite?+?quartz?+?corundum in high-grade metamorphic rocks, which are not reproduced correctly using internally consistent data sets. The DFT-derived thermodynamic data are also accurate enough for computing the P–T positions of reactions that are characterized by relatively large reaction enthalpies (>?100 kJ/mol), i.e., dehydration reactions. For reactions with small reaction enthalpies (a few kJ/mol), the DFT errors are too large. They, however, are still far better than enthalpy and entropy values obtained from estimation methods.