BUILDING A COLONIAL RESOURCE MONOPOLY: THE EXPANSION OF SULPHUR MINING IN NEW SPAIN, 1600–1820*

The discovery, extraction, and monopolistic control of key natural resources was a priority of New Spain's colonial administration. Managing the region's abundant resources, however, often proved difficult for the Spanish Crown. Human and environmental challenges impeded protoindustrial growth and development, and monopolistic control of resources often met resistance. In this article I examine these processes in the context of New Spain's little‐known monopoly on sulphur—a yellow, powdery mineral the Crown jealously guarded as its own. Sulphur was critical for gunpowder and explosives production, yet the Crown often failed to produce enough of it to meet the growing demand by its military and the silver blast‐mining industry. Colonial documents reveal administrators’ attempts to improve sulphur production through reform measures, which included advising sulphur miners on how to discover sulphur deposits and, eventually, how to develop their mines. Efforts to improve sulphur production were moderately successful, although the process was messy and inefficient.     

Planning for growth in a natural resource boomtown: challenges for urban planners in Fort McMurray,Alberta

Between 2000 and 2010, the population of the city of Fort McMurray, Alberta increased by 80%, mainly due to the expansion of oil extraction projects and subsidiary industries. Population growth of this magnitude has significant consequences for city planning. While Fort McMurray struggles to keep up with enormous numbers of in-migrants, the cost of living in the city has skyrocketed. Using interviews with city planners and field experience in the city, in this paper I examine the current challenges faced by urban planners in Fort McMurray against the backdrop of global economic decision-making, corporate influence, and commodity dynamics. While the recession of 2008 gave city planners some breathing room, they still struggle with gathering accurate census information and predicting population growth, providing affordable housing, and balancing short-range planning with their long-term goals. Attempts by city planners to address these challenges could provide a contemporary model for urban planning in rapidly growing, resource-dependent communities.     

GEOGRAPHY AND THE LESSONS FROM EL NIÑO∗

Recognized for years as a major environmental disruption, El Niño generated intense public interest in 1982–1983. During its last occurrence, this phenomenon, which develops in the tropical Pacific and usually affects rimlands of the Pacific basin, exceeded its boundaries and its effects were transmitted to continental North America, Europe, Africa and East Asia. Notwithstanding its vast areal extent, the interest of geographers in El Niño events, past and recent, has been comparatively less than that demonstrated by natural scientists and ecologists: little has been accomplished to place these climatic-ecological crises within global perspective. Lessons from El Niño include the acknowledgement of new concepts of climatic transitivity, ocean dynamics and energy exchanges that must find a place within the conceptual wealth of geography if this science intends to keep up with the rapid progress of other geosciences.     

东日本自然湿地的土壤反硝化

地表水和地下水中硝酸盐污染已成为重要的环境问题之一。随着对全球变暖的贡献增加,N2O（氧化亚氮）也得到IPCC越来越多的关注。反硝化在水生生态系统氮循环过程中起着极为重要的作用。反硝化过程中,厌氧细菌将硝酸盐转化成可溶性亚硝酸盐,最终以N2形式排放到大气。为理解自然湿地生态系统的脱氮机理,以日本千叶县的越智小流域为例开展研究。沿地下水流动方向取原状土,包括2个非饱和带点和2个饱和带点。用乙炔抑制法和带ECD检测器的气相色谱仪于0, 2, 6, 12, 24h测定土壤反硝化能力。同时分析土壤全碳、全氮和反硝化细菌。结果发现,饱和带的反硝化能力高于非饱和带。乙炔抑制后,N2O排放从0-1.17 g Nm-2h-1,前6h增至最大,随后降低。     

系统抽样方法在典型天然阔叶林调查中的应用

以福建省永安市麻岭村9 hm2的典型天然阔叶林为试验研究对象,应用系统抽样方法,分别200 m×100m、100 m×100 m、100 m×50 m和100 m×25 m四种抽样密度,探讨林分主要测树因子的抽样估计精度.结果表明:试验的天然阔叶林分平均树高、平均胸径、平均密度与平均单位面积蓄积量等主要测树因子的估计精度都分别要求达到70％以上、75％以上、80％以上和85％以上的最小抽样密度分别是100 m×100 m、100 m × 50 m、100m×50 m和10 0m×25 m.试验的天然阔叶林分胸径Ⅲ组林木蓄积量的估计精度分别要求达到70％以上、75％以上和80％以上的最小抽样密度分别是100 m×50 m、100 m×25 m和100 m×25 m.     

重庆市自然灾害管理综合信息系统研究

从重庆市自然灾害情况和自然灾害信息管理现状分析入手,构建了该市自然灾害管理信息系统的系统目标、整体设计和界面的开发。该市自然灾害管理信息系统主要由4个模块组成:自然灾害数据库模块、远程通信管理模块、应用分析模型库和决策支持模块四大部分,四大模块通过一定的数据接口连结,成为一体化系统,对市自然灾害进行有效的管理和监测,从而减少自然灾害带来的经济损失。     

基于复杂性测度的中国洪灾受灾面积变化研究

采用复杂性测度方法来进行中国洪涝灾害受灾面积变化的研究。结果表明:(1) 20世纪80、90年代中国洪灾受灾面积及其复杂度均持续上升,说明洪灾剧烈,而且复杂多变、不确定性增加;进入21世纪,两者趋缓或下降,即中国洪涝灾害有所缓解;(2) 从分省区的结果来看,洪灾受灾面积的未来趋势具有区域特征,主要可划分为两个加剧的区域和两个减缓的区域;全国各省市区依据受灾面积趋势可划分为4个等级,在此基础上给出中国的未来洪灾受灾面积趋势图。     

基于信息量模型的玉树地震次生地质灾害危险性评价

2010-04-14发生在青海省玉树的Ms7.1级地震引发了大量的地质灾害.基于GIS技术和信息量模型方法,以坡度、坡向、高程、坡形、地貌类型、断层距和地层岩性为评价因子,通过空间分析计算各因子的信息量,分析地质灾害在各因子中的空间分布特征,对各评价因子图层进行空间建模,将获取的信息量图划分为高度、中度、轻度三级危险区,通过遥感解译研究区实际滑坡分布,与危险性分布图叠加表明:本次研究得出的危险等级与实际的滑坡发生情况相吻合,为灾区重建提供参考依据.     

下扬子复杂构造区超高压含气层的发现及油气富集关键要素

下扬子地区的构造复杂性使该地区油气勘探存在极大的难度和风险,如何在复杂构造区取得油气勘探突破是近年关注的焦点。2019年皖为页1井在下扬子无为凹陷三叠系周冲村组首次发现2套异常高压含天然气层,最高地层压力系数达1.9,取得下扬子油气调查的重大突破性进展,为下扬子油气勘探困局打开了一扇窗口。基于该超压含气层的新发现,综合研究表明,无为凹陷天然气富存得益于4个关键控制要素的有机组合：①深层稳定基底;②对冲过渡带原地体;③深水裂陷黑色页岩有利相带;④多套膏盐有利封盖等。为无为凹陷提供了稳定构造背景、良好构造保存、有利烃源岩及优质盖层等条件。上述地质要素同样有利于该凹陷二叠系页岩气富集,由此提出了构造复杂区三叠系常规天然气与二叠系页岩气一井双探的新思路。上述关键4个要素在下扬子区域上的配置关系显示,望江凹陷与无为凹陷具有相似的地质条件,是下一步油气勘探的首选有利区。     

The Nichols' Relief Model of the United States

Abstract

The agricultural system in West Pakistan is largely subsistence-oriented, and extensive areas are devoted to produce the low-value crops. Only a small portion of the total cropped area is used to raise cash crops. However, there are regional differences in cropland use in the province. The study focuses on regional variations in the cropping patterns in West Pakistan by establishing the crop combination areas. The crop combination areas also point out a land-use distinction between the areas. Also, the changes in some of the important crops in terms of their land occupancy in the area during the fifteen-year period have been analyzed.