The Valley of Chin lee

Abstract

This paper is concerned with an instructional design for the teaching of landform geography. A sequence of organizational problems is examined and suggestions made from a previous study of the southern peninsula of Michigan. Considerations of grid design, selection of terrain parameters, and the problem of regional definitions are assessed from both the historic point of view and the results of the pilot study. Of three basic landform parameters, i.e., average elevations, local relief, and average slope, the single criterion of elevation is advocated for the detection of regional homogeniety over large topographic surfaces. However, the use of local relief as a measure of surface texture is proposed for the delineation of individual terrain compartments. Suggested for all age levels above the elementary school, this project is a feasible design for an oft-neglected aspect of physical geography.     

Gendered spaces - socio-spatial relations of self-employed women in craft production,Orissa, India

The present article concerns female self-employment in craft production in Orissa, India. Although industrial policies in India have attempted to address some of the socio-economic problems in local craft production through cooperative societies and subsidies, issues of the division of labour, factors of production and the processes of constructing individual gender identity are embedded in the gender structure and remain invisible to the new social order. Socio-spatial relations of gendered spaces are also deeply embedded in the traditional Brahmanical social order. The analysis is based on the individual story of one female businesswoman. The significance of the individual narrative is discussed with reference to feminist geographies and the self-reflexivity of the researchers. The story of Mami is about her struggle to become a successful businesswoman, and highlights the interrelationship between her actions, her perceptions of work and the socio-economic spaces that she has to relate to. Her story reveals that self-employed women can act as role models for other women and contribute to increasing their power in local and place-bound situations.     

Markets and women's trade: exploring their role in district development in Ghana

The economic importance of periodic and daily markets as well as the crucial role played by women in these markets has been well noted in the development literature on West Africa. While markets in Ghana have been examined in various aspects, not enough work has been done on their potential role within the context of the current decentralized district development process. This article makes the case for market development with the study of markets in two district capitals in the Central Region of Ghana. In both districts, with little industry and a weak tax base, levies on markets serve as a major source of internally generated revenue to local government, namely District Assemblies. The study also indicated that, for many people, the markets in the district capitals serve as the main avenue for interacting with the ‘centre’ (urban), thereby promoting rural‐urban interactions. However, these markets are underdeveloped. This article emphasizes the need to upgrade the infrastructure in these markets in order to generate more revenue for district development, improve agriculture and income, and reduce poverty, especially among women, and generally provide an alternative means to district development.     

中甸矿集区普朗-红山铜多金属成矿亚带北段帕纳牛场斑岩体~(40)Ar—~(39)Ar年龄及锑矿化

普朗-红山铜多金属成矿亚带北部帕纳牛场辉锑矿床与石英二长斑岩(热液)及断裂有关。斑岩黑云母40Ar-39Ar坪年龄和等时线年龄分别为199.1±1.3Ma和199.2±2.4Ma,代表了与辉锑矿化对应的斑岩的侵位时间,是该成矿亚带上目前获得石英二长斑岩中40Ar-39Ar最年轻的新年龄值,代表了义敦岛弧普朗-红山铜多金属成矿亚带存在燕山早期的构造-岩浆活动。在印支晚期主要形成斑岩型-夕卡岩型铜多金属矿床之外,燕山早期还具有斑岩及至少与斑岩有关的热液脉状成矿作用-锑矿化,预示了本区斑岩的一种新的成矿作用和找矿方向与前景。     

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学现状与问题

Ar同位素体系定年矿物的封闭温度范围广,并且可以获得650℃～150℃温度段的非线性冷却历史,因此~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学成为研究地质体热演化历史过程中最有效的工具之一。但是由于矿物中Ar同位素扩散机制还有一些问题没有清楚地被认识,因此在一定程度上制约了~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学的发展。本文介绍了目前应用最广泛的两种~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学模式:多重扩散域模式和多路径扩散模式,讨论了它们的发展现状、存在的问题、可能解决的方法以及今后的发展方向。     

根据碎屑白云母40Ar/39Ar年龄追索喜马拉雅造山带的剥落历史——对青藏高原隆升过程的启示

对喜马拉雅前陆盆地和孟加拉海扇中各地层的碎屑白云母40Ar/39Ar资料的系统分析揭示了喜马拉雅造山带自印度-欧亚板块碰撞开始造山以来的整个剥落历史: 剥落速率开始较为稳定,然后开始上升,在22Ma左右达到峰值,为4~5mm/a,随后急剧下降,最终以2mm/a的速率保持平稳。喜马拉雅造山带与青藏高原周缘剥落历史的对比约束了印度-欧亚板块碰撞造成青藏高原东缘和北缘的不同反应方式。即开始时的挤压主要被青藏高原北缘的大规模左旋走滑吸收, 到30Ma左右,喜马拉雅造山带冷却、剥落速率显著增强,北缘左旋走滑造成的柴达木地块的向东运动被华北板块阻挡而停滞,因此在北缘发生了一些重要的冷却和抬升剥落事件。至18Ma左右,喜马拉雅造山带的冷却、剥落速率继续增高并维持在较高水平,而该时间段内无论是北缘还是东缘,均未发生显著的抬升剥落事件,因此青藏高原的整体隆升和地壳增厚可能发生在此期间。中新世末—上新世初开始至今,青藏高原东缘龙门山地区发生了一些显著的抬升剥落事件,导致了大量的山崩和河流侵蚀,即此时来自喜马拉雅的挤压主要被青藏高原向东方向的地壳逃逸所吸收。     

A new parabolic variational inequality formulation of Signorini's condition for non‐steady seepage problems with complex seepage control systems

By extending Darcy's law to the dry domain above the free surface and specifying the boundary condition on the potential seepage surfaces as Signorini's type, a partial differential equation (PDE) defined in the entire domain of interest is formulated for non‐steady seepage flow problems with free surfaces. A new parabolic variational inequality (PVI) formulation equivalent to the PDE formulation is then proposed, in which the flux part of the complementary condition of Signorini's type in the PDE formulation is transformed into natural boundary condition. Consequently, the singularity at the seepage points is eliminated and the difficulty in selecting the trial functions is significantly reduced. By introducing an adaptive penalized Heaviside function in the finite element analysis, the numerical stability of the discrete PVI formulation is well guaranteed. The proposed approach is validated by the existing laboratory tests with sudden rise and dropdown of water heads, and then applied to capture the non‐steady seepage flow behaviors in a homogeneous rectangular dam with five drainage tunnels during a linear dropdown of upstream water head. The non‐steady seepage flow in the surrounding rocks of the underground powerhouse in the Shuibuya Hydropower Project is further modeled, in which a complex seepage control system is involved. Comparisons with the in situ monitoring data show that the calculation results well illustrate the non‐steady seepage flow process during impounding and the operation of the reservoir as well as the seepage control effects of the drainage hole arrays and drainage tunnels. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic responses of a poroelastic half‐space from moving trains caused by vertical track irregularities

The vibrations of railway tracks on a poroelastic half‐space generated by moving trains are investigated through a vehicle–track–ground coupling model. The theoretical model incorporates a vehicle, a track, and a fully saturated poroelastic half‐space soil medium. The source of vibration excitation is divided into two components: the quasi‐static loads and the dynamic loads. The quasi‐static loads are related to the static component of the axle loads, whereas the dynamic loads are due to the dynamic wheel–rail interaction. A linear Hertizian contact spring is introduced between each wheelset and the rail to consider the dynamic loads. Biot's dynamic theory is used to characterize the poroelastic half‐space soil medium. Using the Fourier transform, the governing equations for the track–ground system are solved and the numerical results are presented for a single axle vehicle model. The different dynamic characteristics of the elastic soil medium and the saturated poroelastic medium are investigated. In addition, the different roles of the moving axle loads and the roughness‐induced dynamic loads are identified. It is concluded that the vibration level of the free field off the track predicted by the poroelastic soil medium is smaller than that predicted by the elastic soil medium for vehicle speed below the Rayleigh wave speed of the poroelastic half‐space, whereas it is larger for vehicle speed above the Rayleigh wave speed. The dynamic loads play an important role in the dynamic responses of the track–ground system. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The timing of eclogite facies metamorphism and migmatization in the Orlica–Śnieżnik complex, Bohemian Massif: constraints from a multimethod geochronological study

The Orlica–?nie?nik complex (OSC) is a key geological element of the eastern Variscides and mainly consists of amphibolite facies orthogneisses and metasedimentary rocks. Sporadic occurrences of eclogites and granulites record high‐pressure (HP) to ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) metamorphic conditions. A multimethod geochronological approach (⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar, Rb–Sr, Sm–Nd, U–Pb) has been used to gain further insights into the polymetamorphic evolution of eclogites and associated country rocks. Special attention was given to the unresolved significance of a 370‐ to 360 Ma age group that was repeatedly described in previous studies. Efforts to verify the accuracy of c. 370 Ma K–Ar phengite and biotite dates reported for an eclogite and associated country‐rock gneiss from the location Nowa Wie? suggest that these dates are meaningless, due to contamination with extraneous Ar. Extraneous Ar is also considered to be responsible for a significantly older ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar phengite date of c. 455 Ma for an eclogite from the location Wojtowka. Attempts to further substantiate the importance of 370–360 Ma zircon dates as an indicator for a melt‐forming high‐temperature (HT) episode did not provide evidence in support of anatectic processes at this time. Instead, SHRIMP U–Pb zircon dating of leucosomes and leucocratic veins within both orthogneisses and (U)HP granulites revealed two age populations (490–450 and 345–330 Ma respectively) that correspond to protolith ages of the magmatic precursors and late Variscan anatexis. The results of this study further underline the importance of Late Carboniferous metamorphic processes for the evolution of the OSC that comprise the waning stages of HP metamorphism and lower pressure HT overprinting with partial melting. Eclogites and their country rocks provided no chronometric evidence for an UHP and ultrahigh‐temperature episode at 387–360 Ma, as recently suggested for granulites from the OSC, based on Lu–Hf garnet ages ( Anczkiewicz et al., 2007 ).     

Twenty‐year weathering remeasurements at St Paul's Cathedral,London

Microerosion meter (MEM) measurements of the surface height of the balustrade of St Paul's Cathedral, London, have been repeated in the year 2000 following earlier measurements in 1980, 1981, 1985 and 1990. Methodological sources of error mean that while the measurements were made to 0·0001 mm, the data are reliable to two decimal places. There was a reduction in the mean erosion rate on horizontal sites from 0·045 mm a^?1 in the period 1980–1990 to 0·025 mm a^?1 in 1990–2000. Decreases in atmospheric SO₂ levels from 20–25 ppb in 1980–1982 to around 10 ppb in 1990–2000, offer a causal explanation. The surface topography evolved more erratically in 1990–2000 than before, with much, but not all, of the more microelevated areas showing greater, and often more variable erosion. There are also indications of less erosion and more surface rises in low‐lying microareas on horizontal sites which is interpreted as possible deposition and/or microfloral growth in wetter depressions, the pattern being largely absent on a well drained vertical site. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.