Geochemistry of Pan-African volcanic arc sequences in southeastern Sinai Peninsula and plate tectonic implications

Major and trace elements of lavas, dykes and plutonic rocks of the late Proterozoic orogenic sequence in SE Sinai, the Kid Group, have been analysed. The dykes and lavas of the southermost sequences, the Tarr Complex and Heib Formation, are calc-alkaline, whereas the lavas of the Malhak Formation and the Sharira Gabbro (to the north of the Heib Formation) show both calc-alkaline and tholeiitic trends. The trace element characteristics of the Tarr Complex and the Heib and Malhak Formations, despite between-sequence variations, are all comparable with ensialic island arc magmatism, whereas the Sharira Gabbro shows some MORB characteristics in addition to the island arc imprints. The Sharira Gabbro and the lavas of the Malhak Formation possibly formed in a developing back-arc basin behind a continental-marginal ensialic island arc (the Tarr Complex and Heib Formation). During the Pan-African orogeny, the constituent units of the Kid Group were mutually juxtaposed along major ductile shear zones of thrust-fault character. This plate-convergence regime involved initial magmatic arc development following northward subduction, and subsequent collision between the arc complex and the Proterozoic continental margin.     

产业集群研究的新视角

本文从垂直、水平、制度、外部和权力因子分析了集群的生成、成长和再生现象。笔者认为,具备可持续发展能力的集群必须与外部的供应商、市场和技术建立系统的联系,多种文化的融合、合理的权力结构、有效的调控手段是集群环境建设的重要内容。同时,在制定区域政策时,不能简单地将一地的产业集群政策移植到另外一个区域。此外,不是世界上的所有地区都具备形成产业集群的前提条件;产业集群政策也不是提升区域经济竞争力的唯一途径。     

Strong growth in weakly-developed networks: Producer-user interaction and knowledge brokers in the Greater Shanghai chemical industry

This paper investigates the developing spatial and social division of labor in the Greater Shanghai chemical industry. This industry experienced strong growth after the Asian financial crisis, when policy support was extended beyond “new economy” industries to include traditional manufacturing sectors. Based on a conceptualization that emphasizes the role of producer-user networks and interactive learning as a basis for ongoing innovation and business success, an explorative study was designed to investigate the supplier and customer linkages in different locations of the Greater Shanghai region. The results suggest that inter-firm networks are not extensive and often involve limited producer-user interaction. Important chemical firms in the region concentrate on business with their established international customer basis, use state-controlled distribution channels or rely on intermediaries that act as knowledge brokers. Neither of these practices of market interaction includes intensive information exchange and feedback on products, customer experience and demand changes. As such, these practices do not provide a sound basis for self-sustained growth or innovation in the future. The paper concludes that regional policy needs to support the establishment of combined “bonding” and “bridging” relations between chemical producers and their user industries.     

Across the Arctic front west of Spitsbergen: high-resolution CTD sections from 1998-2000

The structure of the oceanic Arctic front west of Spitsbergen is investigated using data from high-resolution CTD sections from September 1998-2000. Below the fresher surface layer, the front appears as a temperature-salinity front situated near the shelf break. No clear corresponding front in density is found. Our analysis suggests that barotropic front instability is a main factor in provoking subsurface cross-front exchange. The subsurface heat loss in the West Spitsbergen Current due to this exchange is estimated to be of the same order of magnitude as the heat loss to the atmosphere in the surface layer.     

A Younger Dryas Ash Bed in western Norway,and its possible correlations with tephra in cores from the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic

A bed of volcanic ash up to 23 cm thick is found in lacustrine and marine sediments in western Norway. It is formally mamed the Vedde Ash Bed, and its age is approximately 10,600 yr B.P., i.e., mid-Younger Dryas. The bed consits of pure glass having a bimodal basaltic and rhyolitic somposition. The geochemistry of the glass shards suggests an Icelandic source. By means of stratigraphic position and geochemistry, the ash is correlated with ash zones found in cores from the continental shelf, the Norwegian Sea, and the North Atlatic.     

Quantifying engineering parameters of expansive soils from their reflectance spectra

Occurrence of expansive soils in construction sites has serious implications on planning, design, construction, maintenance, and overall performance especially of lightweight engineering infrastructures. Such soils are particularly susceptible to large volume changes in response to moisture content fluctuations following seasonal climatic variations. This can lead to deformation of structures built up on them. For this study, soil samples were collected from the eastern part of Addis Ababa. Specific expansive soil engineering parameters namely; Atterberg limits (LL, PL and PI), free swell and cation exchange capacity were measured in a soil mechanics laboratory. Reflectance spectra of each soil sample were acquired in a remote sensing laboratory using ASD fieldspec full range spectrometer. A multivariate calibration method, partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis, through simple wavelength approach, was used to construct empirical prediction models for estimating engineering parameters of expansive soils from their respective reflectance spectra. Correlation coefficients of 0.90, 0.87, 0.71, 0.81 and 0.71 for CEC, LL, PL, PI and FS respectively were obtained. The correlation coefficients showed that large portion of variations in engineering parameters of expansive soils could be accounted for by spectral parameters. Apart from these high correlation coefficients, small root mean square errors of calibration (RMSEC) and prediction (RMSEP), standard error of calibration (SEC) and prediction (SEP) and minimum bias were obtained. The results indicate potential of spectroscopy in deriving engineering parameters of expansive soils from their respective reflectance spectra and hence, its potential applicability in supporting geotechnical investigations of such soils.