Planning in Nigeria: The agricultural base 1962–1985

This paper critically examines some of the causes and the problems of agricultural development in Nigeria. It also discusses very minimally, the rise and the contribution of the petroleum industry to the Nigerian economy and its effect on the agricultural sector. Finally, some possible suggestions are made in order to ameliorate the situation of agriculture and to overcome the shortage of food production in the country.     

Schotcrete as permanent lining for the Furka base tunnel

Summary The lining concept of the 15.4 km long one-track Furka railway tunnel is described with particular emphasis on shotcrete application as a permanent support Altogether 70000 m³ dry aggregate/ cement mix and 115000 rock bolts have been applied. The tunnel was lined at a rate of approx. 400 tunnel metres per month using up to five shotcrete machines simultaneously. Systematic quality control throughout the construction work indicated an average uniaxial compressive strength of shotcrete of 40 N/mm². The support requirements were grouped into 16 different classes and an additional special class accounting for extreme geological conditions in some relatively short stretches.     

A study on the interpretation of spontaneous potential and resistivity logs in layered aquifer sequence of Pondicherry Region,South India

Geophysical logs provide a strong mechanism for interpretation and determination of the depositional environments, facies and also help in interpretations of hydrogeologic units. Spontaneous potential (SP) and resistivity logs can be used as an indicator of textural parameters. Pondicherry region has a complicated geology and with formation of different ages. The boreholes (BH) of this region are examined for litholog, SP and resistivity from four different BH locations, viz, Ariyankuppam, Chinnaverampattinam, Thavalakuppam and Nallavadu. These locations were studied and interpreted by using the shapes of the curves to identify the depositional environments, and this was later compared with the vertical litholog profile. Comparing the variation of these logs, the lateral variation of sedimentary facies was also attempted. The average resistivity values of Ariyankuppam, Chinnaverampattinam, Thavalakuppam and Nallavadu are 42.4, 30.4, 50.4 and 28.3?Ωm, respectively. Majority of the resistivity values corresponds from fine- to medium-grained sand, clayey pebbles, fine to very coarse sand and clayey sand with lignite. Frequency of resistivity values in each BH were identified for determining the dominant representative grain size. The study has pointed out the lithological variation of the system laterally and vertically using geophysical well logs.     

Behaviour of radiogenic Pb in zircon during ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism: an ion imaging and ion tomography case study from the Kerala Khondalite Belt,southern India

Zircon crystals from a locally charnockitized Paleoproterozoic high-K metagranite from the Kerala Khondalite Belt (KKB) of southern India have been investigated by high-spatial resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis of U–Th–Pb and rare earth elements (REE), together with scanning ion imaging and scanning ion tomography (depth-profiled ion imaging). The spot analyses constrain the magmatic crystallization age of the metagranite to ca. 1,850 Ma, with ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) metamorphism occurring at ca. 570 Ma and superimposed charnockite formation at ca. 520–510 Ma, while the ion imaging reveals a patchy distribution of radiogenic Pb throughout the zircon cores. Middle- to heavy-REE depletion in ca. 570 Ma zircon rims suggests that these grew in equilibrium with garnet and therefore date the UHT metamorphism in the KKB. The maximum apparent ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age obtained from the unsupported radiogenic Pb concentrations is also consistent with formation of the Pb patches during this event. The superimposed charnockitization event appears to have caused additional Pb-loss in the cores and recrystallization of the rims. The results of depth-profiling of the scanning ion tomography image stack show that the Pb-rich domains range in size from <5 nm to several 10 nm (diameter if assumed to be spherical). The occurrence of such patchy Pb has previously been documented only from UHT metamorphic zircon, where it likely results from annealing of radiation-damaged zircon. The formation of a discrete, heterogeneously distributed and subsequently immobile Pb phase effectively arrests the normal Pb-loss process seen at lower grades of metamorphism.     

Characteristics of Arc-Polarized Alfvén Waves in the Near-Earth Solar Wind

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The arc-polarized Alfvén waves observed in the near-Earth region of the heliosphere are studied with instruments of the WIND spacecraft in 1995–2011....     

Book reviews

APPLIED GEOGRAPHY: Issues, Questions and Concerns (Geo Journal Library Vol. 15) edited by M. S. Kenzer. 16 × 24 cm, x and 210 pages. Kluwer: Dordrecht 1989 (ISBN 0 7923 04381).

WINE AND THE VINE: An Historical Geography of Viticulture and the Wine Trade by T. Unwin. 16 × 24 cm, xvi and 409 pages. Routledge: London 1991 (ISBN 0 415 13120 6) $A155.00 (hard); distributed by The Law Book Co.

WATERFRONT SYDNEY 1860–1920 by G. Aplin and J. Storey. 26 × 18 cm. 144 pages. Allen & Unwin: Sydney 1991 (first published 1984) (ISBN 1 86373 098 2) $A24.95 (soft).

Australian Geographer 23 (2), November 1992

INDUSTRIAL LOCATION: Principles and Policies (Second Edition) by K. Chapman and D. F. Walker. 15 × 23 cm, xiii and 322 pages. Basil Black‐well: Oxford 1991 (ISBN 0 631 16789 7) $A39.95 (soft).

INTERNATIONALISATION OF AUSTRALIA'S SERVICE INDUSTRIES by J. V. Langdale. 17 × 25 cm, iv and 373 pages. Australian Government Publishing Service, for Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce: Canberra 1991 (ISBN 0 644 13841 6).

TOURISM AND GOLD IN KAKADU: The Impact of Current and Potential Natural Resource Use on the Northern Territory Economy by B. Knapman, O. Stanley and J. Lea. 21 × 29 cm, vi and 49 pages. North Australia Research Unit, Australian National University: Darwin 1991 (ISBN 0 7315 1179 4).

ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA AND THE ‘NEW FEDERALISM’ INITIATIVE (Discussion Paper No. 2) by G. J. Crough. 14 × 21 cm, 42 pages. North Australia Research Unit, Australian National University: Darwin 1991 (ISBN 0 7315 1325 8).

AUSTRALIAN NATIONHOOD AND OUTBACK INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (Discussion Paper No. 1) by P. Jull. 14 × 21 cm, 38 pages. North Australia Research Unit, Australian National University: Darwin 1991 (ISBN 0 7315 1309 6).

MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC (Pacific Research Monograph No. 24) edited by J. Connell. 17 × 25 cm, xii and 199 pages. National Centre for Development Studies, Australian National University: Canberra 1990 (ISBN 0 07315 0668 5) $A25.00 (soft).

POPIULESIN BLONG HONIARA: Olketa Popiulesin Map Blong 1986 Sensis. HONIARA: 1986 Census Atlas (Statistics Office Occasional Paper No. 4 / Board of Development Studies Monograph No. 1) by A.C. Walsh. 21 × 29 cm, vii and 95 pages. Department of Statistics: Honiara and Board of Development Studies, Massey University: Palmerston North 1990 (ISSN 0114 8834) $NZ34.00 in New Zealand, $NZ38.00 elsewhere (soft).

DOI MOI: Vietnam's Renovation Policy and Performance (Political and Social Change Monograph No. 14) edited by D. K. Forbes, T. H. Hull, D. G. Marr and B. Brogan. 15 × 22 cm, xiv and 263 pages. Department of Political and Social Change, Australian National University: Canberra 1991 (ISBN 0 7315 1303 7).     

Patterns of urban settlements in Somalia

In this research paper attempts have been made to analyze the distribution of 68 urban settlements in 14 regions of the country. The value of near-neighbour statistic (R) shows nearly random pattern of urban settlements in some regions and approachingly uniform distribution of urban settlements in other regions. Regional distribution of urban settlements and their growth have been explained in context of region's geographical, economic and industrial frameworks.