Trading places: The evolution of the retail sector in the new German Länder since unification

After unification in 1990 the German government was faced with the task of modernizing the economies of the five new Länder. This process has focused on service sector expansion, particularly the growth of consumer services, which were underdeveloped in the German Democratic Republic. This paper presents a preliminary survey of the impact of the political transition on the structure, organization and spatial pattern of retail services. The new retail sector is characterized by channels of distribution imported from West Germany, uneven development of retail services, and the survival of artefacts from the retail system of the socialist era. Close convergence with levels of retail provision in the old Länder has not been achieved and the changing nature of economic, legislative and political conditions render further expansion problematic. The introduction of legislation to regulate retail growth, the increasingly contested nature of retail change and the complex politics surrounding economic redevelopment in eastern Germany will influence the nature and extent of future retail development.     

Calculated greenschist facies mineral equilibria in the system CaO−FeO−MgO−Al2O3−SiO2−CO2−H2O

The kinetic problems associated with the experimental determination of reactions among complex solidsolution phases at low temperatures have hindered our understanding of the phase relations in greenschist facies rocks. In the absence of reliable experimental data, we have used the new, expanded internally-consistent thermodynamic dataset of Holland and Powell (1990), to present calculated phase equilibria for the system CaO–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–CO₂ (CaFMASCH) with quartz in eccess, in the range 400°–500°C at low to intermediate pressures, involving the minerals amphibole, chlorite, anorthite, clinozoisite, dolomite, chloritoid, garnet, margarite, andalusite, and calcite. By solving independent sets of non-linear equations formed from equilibrium relationships, we calculate not only the loci of reactions in pressuretemperature-x(CO₂) space, but also the compositions of coexisting minerals in terms of the substitutions, FeMg_-1 and (Fe,Mg)SiAl_-1Al_-1. Invariant, univariant and divariant equilibria are calculated and discussed in relation to naturally-occurring greenschist facies metabasic and siliceous dolomitic mineral assemblages. We thus avoid the use of activity-corrected curves so commonly presented in the literature as a substitute for genuine univariant phase diagram boundaries.     

Fault slip in the 1997 Manyi, Tibet earthquake from linear elastic modelling of InSAR displacements

The M _w 7.6 1997 Manyi earthquake occurred in an area of central northern Tibet where sparse vegetation coverage and a lack of human habitation provide excellent conditions for Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) studies. We use coseismic pairs of radar images acquired by the ESA ERS-2 satellite to construct interferograms of the surface displacement field due to the earthquake. The location and extent of the coseismic fault rupture are mapped using a combination of optical satellite imagery, high-resolution digital topography, interferometric correlation and azimuth offset measurements; in so doing, we are able to relate prominent geomorphic features in the fault zone to bends in the fault.
Using elastic dislocation models consistent with this mapped fault trace, we then test a range of fault geometries and slip conditions to find the combination which best explains the InSAR displacements. Our favoured model contains a reversal in fault dip, approximately halfway along its length, occurring at the location of a restraining bend. Slip on this model fault is heterogeneous, with two areas of peak slip of 7 m or greater, and components of dip-slip displacement which vary significantly along-strike. The success of this model in fitting the data implies that an observed asymmetry in the coseismic interferograms can be explained in terms of the local fault geometry, rather than by using non-linear elastic rheologies as suggested by earlier authors.     

Lithotype discrimination within a gridded model by inverting gravity data

In this paper we present a method which allows delineation of geologic structures in a bi-modal lithotype setting. We propose to use gravity data in combination with a priori information about the density contrast between the two lithotypes. The iterative method uses an objective function with five tunable parameters which need to be set. Using an efficient parameter search, suitable ranges of these are investigated to determine their optimal values, respectively, which in turn, ensures good inversion results.
The approach produces structural images of the subsurface, without the need of an a priori density model; the depth to the top of the inhomogeneity is also retrieved.
Besides synthetic simulations, the methodology has also been applied to a small gravity data set, acquired by the industry over a basinal structure. A consistent, bi-modal image of the bedrock depression is obtained from the data, which, in this case, was the goal. Other potential areas of application include delineation of salt structures and ore deposits.     

Lessons learned in remediation and restoration in the Oklahoma prairie: A review

For almost a decade the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Oklahoma has been used as a field laboratory for the investigation of aspects of the remediation and restoration of oil and brine spills. Objectives of this work have included: (1) simplification of the remediation process and lowering the cost of remediation; (2) the development of methods to accelerate or jump-start the restoration process; and (3) determining appropriate metrics for assessing the status of soil ecosystem recovery. This research has resulted in a number of lessons learned that will be presented here which can be exported to other exploration and production sites, especially sites located in sensitive ecosystems. Key observations have included the role of a fertilizer amendment in linking the remediation and restoration process at an oil-impacted site, the use of nematodes as ecological indicators in the restoration of oil- and brine-impacted sites, and the development of a two-stage process for remediation of brine impacted sites that does not include significant use of gypsum.