Magnetization properties of intrusive/extrusive rocks from East Maio (Republic of Cape Verde) and their geological implications

Summary. The remanent magnetization of intrusive/extrusive rocks of the 'basement' complex of East Maio constitutes four components that define two different axes of magnetization, at around dec. 328, inc. 12 and dec. 007, inc. 14 respectively. In general, two or more components co-exist in separate specimens or sites but both axes are present most frequently in the normal sense. The NNW-striking axis, the B-axis, fits very well with the Upper Cretaceous polar wander path for Africa. It is consequently inferred that the major phase of sheet intrusions in Maio dates from this time, probably from the interval 90–70 Myr bp. Comparisons of the directional dispersions in the folded and unfolded states suggest that this injection phase post-dates the uplift of the Central Igneous Complex of the island. The second axis of magnetization, the A -axis, agrees very well with late Teritary—Quaternary palaeomagnetic data for Africa and the Canary Islands. The A -axis is therefore regarded as of secondary origin, being the consequence of a thermal/ chemical overprint during the Miocene—Pliocene volcanism on the island. The occurrence of a 50–70 Myr long period of volcanic quiescence and erosion, between the termination of the early igneous activity (Upper Cretaceous) and the rejuvenated magmatism in Miocene/Pliocene time, is compatible with similar observations in the Canary Islands. In contrast to the palaeomagnetic conclusions, the K/Ar data only give ages around 10 Myr. The unusually young isotope dates are regarded as being due to an almost complete age resetting and are seen in conjuction with the overprinted magnetization. This explanation is further supported by the fact that K/Ar results of pillow lavas underlying Upper Jurassic limestones only give Tertiary ages.     

Mobility and settlement system integration in the USSR

Recent Soviet research on commuting in the USSR is reviewed in the light of the General Strategy for a System of Settlement in the USSR, adopted in 1976. It is noted that rural-urban commuting to work has grown rapidly since 1975, particularly in the European parts of the USSR, and that most commuters prefer to live in rural or suburban areas within easy access of an urban center rather than in the central city itself.     

Rangeland production: use of models incorporating aggregated knowledge and fuzzy construction

This work reports on a method using fuzzy membership functions to construct an aggregated interaction matrix in which the summation of variables is scaled according to the way rainfall and soil variables affect water availability to plants and hence influence rangeland productivity. Aggregation of the variables gives a comprehensive value which can be used to predict production. The model increases the predicability of production to 81% compared to models using rainfall alone and a multiplicative parametric one which give predictibilities of 61 and 76% respectively. The results showed that (1) the importance of rainfall in determining production was most important at lower rainfalls i.e. <350 mm; (2) soil texture and particularly slope were important through out the rainfall range (149–700 mm) investigated; and (3) soil depth was only important at the higher >350 mm rainfalls. The aggregated interaction matrix gives a measure of land productive capability.     

Northern settlement family-style: labor planning and population policy in Noril'sk

This paper reviews labor planning and population policies in Noril'sk, a mining and metallurgical settlement in northern Siberia. When the settlement was established in 1935, planners were lacking in ideas about how to recruit workers to staff the mines and smelters and how to retain the labor force once it was in place. From 1935-79, planners followed a forced labor policy dependent upon the labor of prisoners. However, this solution was not adequate for meeting the manpower needs of an economy undergoing rapid technological sophistication. Northern wage increments were introduced after 1945 to recruit skilled workers from other regions. These increments built up over a 4-year period to a maximum of 80% of base pay. A special cost of living bonus was also awarded. Although these inducements facilitated labor recruitment, labor retention remained a major problem. Surveys indicated that workers would prefer improvements in housing and social services to further wage increases. Thus, policy was directed at the housing shortages, poor medical care, and inadequate child care facilities in Noril'sk. Such improvements facilitated labor retention but also contributed to overpopulation. The population doubled between 1956-80, exceeding 180,000 in the latter year. In the early 1980s, selective measures toward population control were implemented to ensure maintenance of living standards (e.g., encouragement of older workers to leave the area upon retirement, more careful screening of recruits). The goal is to stabilize city size at around 250,000. The Noril'sk case illustrates that quality of life investments can alleviate labor retention problems even in the harshest physical environments. Recent policies have advocated productivity-enriching technologies that do not require increments in the labor force.     

Soil erosion,climatic vagary and agricultural change on the Downs around Lewes and Brighton,autumn 1982

Farmland on the Downs between Lewes and Brighton suffered severe erosion during the autumn of 1982. The erosion was widespread and affected a variety of topographic situations, but it was confined to areas of arable land and recently-sown grass leys. Erosion on the scale recorded during the autumn of 1982 has never previously been recorded from this area. Three major sites of erosion are described and explanations for the erosion are sought through an analysis of rainfall conditions experienced during autumn 1982 and in recent changes in agricultural land use on the Downs. It is concluded that, whilst total rainfall and the intensity of rainstorms were both unusually high, similar events are likely to recur several times a century. Evidence is presented which suggests that the ploughing up of permanent pasture, the removal of field boundaries and the increased adoption of autumn-sown cereals have all contributed to the onset of severe erosion. It appears that a major re-activation of erosion on the Downs may be commencing which threatens the long-term viability of farming in the area.     

Listric extensional fault systems - results of analogue model experiments

Abstract Analogue models are a powerful tool for investigating progressive deformation in extensional fault systems. This paper presents exciting new insights into the progressive evolution of hanging wall structures in listric extensional terranes. Analogue models, scaled to simulate deformation in a sedimentary sequence, were constructed for simple listric and ramp/flat listric extensional detachments. For each detachment geometry homogeneous sand, sand/mica and sand/clay models were used to simulate respectively, deformation of isotropic sediments, of anisotropic sediments and of sedimentary sequences with competency contrasts. Roll-over anticlines with geometrically necessary crestal collapse graben structures are characteristic of the steepening-upwards segments of listric extensional fault systems in all of our models. With progressive deformation, crestal collapse grabens show hanging wall nucleation of new faults. Variations in graben size, amount of fault rotation and throw, are dependent on detachment curvature and amount of extension. Individual faults and associated fault blocks may significantly change shape during extension. Complex and apparently conjugate fault arrays are the result of superposition of successive crestal collapse grabens. Ramp/flat listric extensional fault systems are characterized by a roll-over anticline and a crestal collapse graben system associated with each steepening-upwards segment of the detachment and a ramp zone consisting of a hanging wall syncline and a complex deformation zone with local reverse faults. The roll-over anticlines and crestal collapse graben are similar in geometry to those formed in simple listric extensional systems. The models demonstrate that the geometry of the detachments exerts a fundamental control on the evolution of hanging wall structures. Analysis of particle displacement paths for these experiments provides new insights into the mechanical development of roll-over anticlines. Two general models for deformation above simple listric and ramp/flat listric extensional detachments have been erected.