Some thoughts on pulsation and binarity

Intensive monitoring of main-sequence stars for pulsational studies continuously reveals new binaries and multiple systems. The resulting extensive data sets lead to exact orbital parameters, and to accurate masses of the components. This is also the case higher up the main sequence, though less frequently. We discuss a few examples where intensive observational efforts are necessary in order to improve our knowledge of the pulsational behaviour in the upper main-sequence instability domains, but we emphasize that observational efforts alone that turn out more and more of the same type of data, are by far insufficient, and that there is urgent need for theoretical developments. Determination of highly accurate stellar parameters is of paramount importance and is much more needed than time-series observations.     

The importance of oxygen isotope provenance in relation to solute content of bulk meltwaters at Imersuaq Glacier,West Greenland

Stable oxygen isotope analysis and measurement of several dissolved cations and anions of bulk meltwater samples have provided information about the hydrochemical environment of the glacial hydrological system at Imersuaq Glacier, an outlet tongue from the Greenland ice‐sheet, West Greenland. The samples were collected at frequent intervals during the period 20–28 July 2000 in a small (<20 L s^?1) englacial meltwater outlet at the glacier margin. The results document the following findings: (i) a marked diurnal variation of δ¹⁸O is related to the composition of oxygen isotope provenances, mainly near‐marginal local superimposed ice and basal up‐sheared ice further up‐glacier; (ii) a relationship is seen between all base cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺), SO₄^2? and δ¹⁸O, indicating that solute acquisition is provided by solid–solution contact with the up‐sheared ice—as the relationship with Cl^? is weak the influence of seasalt‐derived solutes is small in the area; (iii) when the melt rate is high, two diurnal maxima of δ¹⁸O values and solute concentrations are measured, and it is suggested that a snow meltwater component is responsible for the second maximum of δ¹⁸O—a short residence time leads to a delayed decrease in ion concentrations. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a 3D GIS and its application to karst areas

There is a growing interest in modeling and analyzing karst phenomena in three dimensions. This paper integrates geology, groundwater hydrology, geographic information system (GIS), database management system (DBMS), visualization and data mining to study karst features in Huaibei, China. The 3D geo-objects retrieved from the karst area are analyzed and mapped into different abstract levels. The spatial relationships among the objects are constructed by a dual-linker. The shapes of the 3D objects and the topological models with attributes are stored and maintained in the DBMS. Spatial analysis was then used to integrate the data in the DBMS and the 3D model to form a virtual reality (VR) to provide analytical functions such as distribution analysis, correlation query, and probability assessment. The research successfully implements 3D modeling and analyses in the karst area, and meanwhile provides an efficient tool for government policy-makers to set out restrictions on water resource development in the area.     

The double solid reactant method: II. An application to the shallow groundwaters of the Porto Plain,Vulcano Island (Italy)

This paper presents an example of application of the double solid reactant method (DSRM) of Accornero and Marini (Environmental Geology, 2007a), an effective way for modeling the fate of several dissolved trace elements during water–rock interaction. The EQ3/6 software package was used for simulating the irreversible water–rock mass transfer accompanying the generation of the groundwaters of the Porto Plain shallow aquifer, starting from a degassed diluted crateric steam condensate. Reaction path modeling was performed in reaction progress mode and under closed-system conditions. The simulations assumed: (1) bulk dissolution (i.e., without any constraint on the kinetics of dissolution/precipitation reactions) of a single solid phase, a leucite-latitic glass, and (2) precipitation of amorphous silica, barite, alunite, jarosite, anhydrite, kaolinite, a solid mixture of smectites, fluorite, a solid mixture of hydroxides, illite-K, a solid mixture of saponites, a solid mixture of trigonal carbonates and a solid mixture of orthorhombic carbonates. Analytical concentrations of major chemical elements and several trace elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr and Ba) in groundwaters were satisfactorily reproduced. In addition to these simulations, similar runs for a rhyolite, a latite and a trachyte permitted to calculate major oxide contents for the authigenic paragenesis which are comparable, to a first approximation, with the corresponding data measured for local altered rocks belonging to the silicic, advanced argillic and intermediate argillic alteration facies. The important role played by both the solid mixture of trigonal carbonates as sequestrator of Mn, Zn, Cu and Ni and the solid mixture of orthorhombic carbonates as scavenger of Sr and Ba is emphasized.

EPR investigation of the methyl radical,the hydrogen atom and carbon oxide radicals in Maxixe-type beryl

The EPR spectra of Maxixe-type beryl contain a large number of overlapping signals. The angular dependence of the 1:3:3:1 signal typical for the CH₃ radical shows that this radical is located at the center of the channel cavity with its symmetry axis parallel to the crystal c-axis and is rotating around this axis. Its EPR spectrum is axially symmetric with g _// = 2.00263, g _⊥ = 2.00249 and A_// = 2.288 mT, A_⊥ = 2.256 mT. These anisotropies have the opposite signs of those found for surface-adsorbed methyl radicals. Hydrogen atoms are located at position 2a at the center of the beryl cavity and the EPR parameters of the narrow doublet signal are A ₀ = 1,407 MHz and g = 2.00230. Another doublet signal, which is broader and has axial symmetry with g _// = 2.00265, g _⊥ = 2.00625 and A_// = 0.895 mT, A_⊥ = 0.885 mT, could come from a HCO₃ radical. One narrow and easily saturated signal with g _// = 2.00227 and g _⊥ = 2.00386 is interpreted to arise from a carbon monoxide radical in the beryl channel, oriented with its axis parallel to the crystal c-axis. Additional weak doublet lines, which have similar g values as the carbon monoxide radical, are created by nearby hydrogens. A powder spectrum with g _// = 2.0017 and g _⊥ = 2.0004 appears upon UV irradiation of the single crystal and is easily saturated. This spectrum is interpreted to arise from a carbon dioxide radical, which rotates around its symmetry axis.     

Peace Parks and jaguar trails: transboundary conservation in a globalizing world

An increasingly utilized strategy for expanding conservation in the developing world has been the promotion of protected areas that supersede national borders. Alternatively known as transfrontier biosphere reserves, transfrontier or transboundary conservation areas, or Peace Parks, these protected areas are aggressively advanced by conservation agencies for their purported ecological and economic benefits. This article provides a comparative assessment of two case studies to understand the various impacts of transboundary conservation. The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which unites protected areas in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, is contrasted with efforts to protect jaguars along the United States–Mexico border. We argue that while these cases are promising for the purposes of biodiversity protection, they demonstrate that transboundary conservation can minimize political context, contributes to the hegemony of international conservation agendas, and remains closely linked to economic neoliberalism and decentralization in the developing world.