Causes of the famine among the rural population of the Sahelian zone of the Sudan

Taking the example of W Sudan, an analysis of the climatic incidents leading to the two recent famine disasters is made. On this natural background, the human side is investigated. Focus is directed towards the fragile economic structure of the famine-prone population groups. An early-warning system for famine in the Sahelian Zone is proposed taking grain production and storage, livestock development and the relationship between the prices of livestock and grain as major indicators.     

Thrust tectonics along the north-western continental margin of Sabah/Borneo

Widely accepted plate tectonic models suggest that an inactive subduction zone lies along the north-west continental margin of Sabah. In contrast, interpretation of reflection seismic data acquired by BGR shows an autochthonous continental terrane comprising an Oligocene to Early Miocene carbonate platform being progressively overthrust by an allochthonous rock complex. Progressive compression resulted in the development of four structural zones: Imbricated thrust sheets (Zone III); two thrust sheet systems one on top of the other (Zone IV); a complex zone with multiphase deformation (Zone V); and piercement ridges (Zone VI).

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Zusammenfassung Nach herkömmlichen plattentektonischen Vorstellungen soll eine inaktive Subduktionszone am nordwestlichen Kontinentalrand von Sabah liegen. Reflexionsseismische Meßdaten der BGR zeigen jedoch, daß hier autochthone kontinentale Kruste mit einer oligozänen-frühmiozänen Karbonatplattform progressiv von einem allochthonen Gesteinsverband überschoben wird. Fortschreitender Zusammenschub seit dem frühen Miozän führte zur Anlage von vier Deformationszonen: Tekonische Schuppen (Zone III); zwei übereinander geschobene Verschuppungssysteme (Zone IV); Gürtel mit mehrphasiger Deformation (Zone V) und Durchspießungsstrukturen (Zone VI).

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Résumé Les modèles géodynamiques que l'on admet habituellement comportent une zone de subduction inactive le long de la marge continentale nord-occidentale de Sabah. Toutefois, des mesures de sismique-réflexion exécutées par le BGR font apparaître qu'à cet endroit, une croûte continentale autochtone, comportant une plateforme carbonatée oligocène à éomiocène, est chevauchée progressivement par un complexe allochtone. La compression, qui s'est manifestée progressivement depuis le Miocène inférieur, a engendré quatre zones structurales: un ensemble d'écailles tectoniques (zone III); deux systèmes de lames tectoniques charriés l'un sur l'autre (zone IV); une zone complexe à déformation multiphasée (zone V); des structures d'extrusion tectonique (zone VI).

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The role of rural-rural migration as a survival strategy in the Sahelian zone of the Sudan —

Taking the example of Burush, N Darfur, Sudan, the authors analyse the role of migration as a survival strategy in the desertification-stricken Sahelian zone. It is being argued that the rual-rual migration plays a greater role than the rual-urban migration among the Berti ethnic group of northern Darfur. Their high mobility within their own area is part of their traditional economic pattern for coping with aridity and high rainfall variability     

Microseismicity and tectonics of Sinai

Five microearthquake seismographs were used at 11 sites in northern Sinai in the period February 1987 to February 1988 to study the microseismicity of the area around the Maghara coal mine for mine-development studies. A total of 270 events were recorded on 850 records. The magnitude, epicenter and depth of each event were calculated using suitable software for an Egyptian Geological Survey and Mining Authority's (EGSMA) XT computer. The interpretation of the seismic activity in the area is given in view of plate tectonics, the Sinai subplate boundary follows the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea. The plate and subplate boundaries are presently active, and there seems to be a diffuse zone of deformation between “NW Africa” and “Nubia” affecting the Cairo-Suez district.     

Generation and migration: Identity crisis and political change among the Moro of the Nuba mountains

During the past half century Moro society has undergone immense economic and social transformations. The Moro adopted rural-urban and rural-rural migration, among other things, to diversify their incomes and augment their sources of livelihood. Politically, the introduction of modern political parties since independence in 1956 and the emergence of regional movements have influenced Moro perception of their reality and relationship with their Hawazma and Jellaba neighbours.I argue in this paper that due to disappointments emanating from harsh living conditions in discordant Northern Sudanese towns, the Moro translate past experiences into a common identity. Migration, in this sense, is seen as a major factor in explaining the Moro crisis of identity and their oscillation between integration and aloofness or modernity and traditionalism.     

Geomorphology and sedimentary/biosedimentary structures of the intertidal environment along the coast of Kuwait,north-western Arabian Gulf

The coast of Kuwait can be divided into nine intertidal geomorphological subunits, of which four are found along the northern muddy shoreline and five along the southern sandy shoreline. In the north the coast is characterized by wide intertidal mudflats, bounded landward by an extensive coastal sabkha which is partly covered by sand drifts. The upper part of the intertidal environment is covered with a mixture of aeolian sands and muddy sediments of marine origin. A number of shallow tidal channels dissect the intertidal flats and small sand bars occur near the low water line. In contrast, the southern shore is characterized by relatively steep sandy beaches fronted by narrow to moderately wide rocky intertidal platforms which are partly covered by sand, bioherms, skeletal debris and algal mats. In some areas the rocky surface is dissected by numerous small gulleys and shallow channels. Multiple sand bars lying either parallel or diagonal to the shoreline are developed near the low water line. This southern intertidal environment is bounded landward by a sandy berm and a wave-cut cliff.Ripple marks are developed almost parallel to the shoreline, showing different flow directions. Energy levels are moderate to high along the southern shore, but low along the northern shore. In the south, waves induced by winds blowing mostly from the north-east and south-east form the dominant energy source, whereas tidal and wind-driven currents are the only tangible process acting along the northern shore.     

Hunger-vulnerable groups within the metropolitan food system of Khartoum

Due to the current civil war and the economic and political deterioration in the Sudan, the majority of the Sudanese are suffering from food shortage. The dislocated southern Sudanese in Khartoum, however, belong to the group most affected. This paper tries to analyse the structure of hunger in the capital city of the Sudan. The formal and informal food supply systems are described. The reasons why the southern Sudanese are specially vulnerable to hunger and the indicators of this vulnerability are discussed.     

Some phenomenological aspects of carbonate geochemistry. The control effect of transition metals

The dualism in carbonate geochemistry — organic or inorganic production — leads to an erroneous definition of the carbonate system. A different formulation of the chemical mechanism is proposed where traces of transition metals together with organic matter in natural environments play a central role in carbonate production. This approach is verified in a series of experiments using natural and artificial sea water and as chelating agents citric, tartaric, malonic, and oxalic acids with five transition metals: Ni, Co, Fe, Mn and Zn. The final product of carbonate precipitation depends on the type of metal acting as a central atom. In the series Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Zn the potential for calcium uptake increases from Ni to Zn, while magnesium uptake increases in the opposit direction from Zn to Ni. Dolomite can precipitate from Mg-rich natural waters by the catalytic effect of Fe(II)-chelates. If the waters containing Fe(II)-chelates are exhausted with respect to magnesium carbonate, they will attack dolomite to form calcite.

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Zusammenfassung Die Gegensätzlichkeit der Geochemie der Karbonate — organische oder anorganische Produktion — führte zu einer widersprüchlichen Definition des Karbonatsystems. Es wird hier eine abweichende Formulierung der chemischen Mechanismen vorgeschlagen, wobei Spuren von Ubergangsmetallen zusammen mit organischen Substanzen in natürlicher Umgebung eine zentrale Rolle bei der Karbonatproduktion spielen. Dieser Ansatz läßt sich in Experimenten nachweisen, wobei in natürlichem und künstlichem Meereswasser chelatbildende Substanzen wie Zitronensäure, Weinsäure, Apfelsäure und Oxalsäure mit 5 Übergangsmetallen Ni, Co, Fe, Mn und Zn zusammengebracht werden. Das Endprodukt einer Karbonatfällung hängt von dem Metall ab, das als zentrales Atom in den Komplexen wirkt. In der Serie Ni, Co, Fe, Mn und Zn nimmt das Potential zur Kalziumaufnahme von Ni nach Zn zu, während die Magnesiumaufnahme in entgegengesetzter Richtung, nämlich von Zn nach Ni zunimmt. Dolomit kann man aus natürlichen Wässern unter Zuhilfenahme des katalytischen Effekts von Fe(II)-chelaten fällen, während man in eisenchelathaltigen Wässern mit einem Unterschuß an Magnesiumkarbonat den Dolomit in Kalzit umwandeln kann.

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Résumé En géochimie des carbonates, la dualité — production organique ou inorganique — conduit à une définition erronée du système carbonate. Les auteurs proposent un modèle différent du mécanisme chimique, dans lequel des métaux de transition en traces, ainsi que des substances organiques de l'environnement naturel jouent un rôle prépondérant dans la genèse des carbonates. Cette approche est vérifiée par une série d'expériences dans lesquelles on ajoute à de l'eau de mer naturelle ou artificielle: d'une part 5 métaux de transition: Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Zn; d'autre part des agents chélatants tels que: acide citrique, tartrique, malonique ou oxalique. Le produit final d'une précipitation carbonatée dépend du métal qui constitue l'atome central du complexe. Dans la série Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Zn, le potentiel de fixation du Ca augmente du Ni au Zn, tandis que celui du Mg augmente dans l'autre sens, du Zn au Ni. Il est possible de précipiter de la dolomite dans des eaux naturelles, à l'aide de l'effet catalytique de chelates de Fe¹¹, tandis que si du carbonate de Mg est soustrait à des eaux contenant du chélate de F¹¹, on peut transformer la dolomite en calcite.

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