Traçage chimique et isotopique (Cl−, 18O) d'une crue d'automne sur un petit bassin versant Méditerranéen incendié

Résumé

A la suite des incendies qui ont ravagé le massif des Maures au cours de l'été 1990, le petit bassin du Rimbaud (bassin versant du Réal Collobrier) a vu son comportement hydrologique fortement modifié. Parallèlement au suivi hydrologique et hydrochimique habituel, les isotopes stables ont été mesurés sur les précipitations et l'écoulement. La disparition de la végétation et donc de son influence sur les pluviolessivats nous a incité à comparer l'évolution respective des teneurs en oxygène 18 et en chlorure. Au cours de la crue du 9 décembre 1990, ces deux éléments présentent un comportement très similaire et, fait original, les décompositions d'hydrogramme qu'ils permettent d'établir sont comparables. En considérant les facteurs habituels d'évolution des chlorures et de l'oxygène 18, il apparaît qu'une proportion de l'ordre de 45% d'eau “ancienne” participe aux écoulements de crue et que la zone non saturée ne joue dans ce cas précis aucun rôle significatif. En outre, en s'appuyant sur l'évolution des températures de l'eau qui révèle l'arrêt du ruissellement, la quantité d'eau qui rejoint le réservoir souterrain peut être estimée à au moins 30%.     

Seismic and volcanic hazards in Peru: changing attitudes to disaster mitigation

Over the last 15 years there have been dramatic shifts in the consensus over how best to cope with natural hazards in economically developing regions such as South America. One very positive outcome of the United Nations sponsored International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR 1990–2000) has been that there is now greater interchange between the work of earth scientists examining the processes and mechanics of hazard occurrence and impact, and social scientists exploring the causes of human vulnerability to hazard – and thereby disaster. This paper traces the development of this new understanding with reference to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in Peru, one of the most hazardous countries in South America. Particular focus is placed on the excellent progress currently being made by scientists in better understanding the physical dimensions of natural hazard exposure, and the ground-breaking work by social scientists in promoting new approaches to understanding and mitigating human vulnerability to disaster. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need to build on this research to produce more inclusive, incultured and unified strategies of disaster mitigation at the local, national and international levels.     

STUDY OF CORONAL TRANSIENTS IN UV LINE EMISSION

We investigate the expected emission from coronal transients in the following spectral lines observable with the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) on board SOHO: Hi L 1216 Å, Ovi 1032–1037 Å, Nv 1239–1243 Å, Mgx 610–625 Å, Sixii 499–521 Å, and Fexii 1242 Å. We calculate line intensities and profiles for typical CME conditions, and we analyse their relation with the properties of the perturbed coronal region. We find that significant changes in UV line intensities are produced during a coronal transient. An overall decrease of the Hi L intensity is found, which is mainly due to the Doppler dimming produced by the increase in plasma outflow velocity. The emission from heavy ions is instead mainly affected by variations in plasma density and temperature. We expect to compare these results with the future UVCS observations of coronal transients.     

Moved by the Company - International Migrants and Transnational Organisations

Labour markets are generally thought to have become more integrated across international boundaries. Employees that move between branches of transnational organisations are a potential contributor to this integration. Interviews with human resources managers in 33 New Zealand‐based organisations indicate that the number of employees transferred is small and likely to decrease as corporate functions are transferred from New Zealand to regional offices.