Community Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones: Cairns, 1996–2000

This paper is a partial discussion of a four-year study that investigated the vulnerability of the people living in the Cairns region to the tropical cyclone hazard. The longitudinal case study, focussing on the Cairns Northern Beaches area, was unique in that it included a social and societal `pre-cyclone impact' evaluation of various resident communities within the region, and then two consecutive `post-cyclone impact' studies. The primary research method supported an inductive qualitative approach to the collection and analysis of survey data. Some quantitative methods were invoked to support qualitative research findings. Survey data was collected in five separate questionnaire-based social surveys that were administered between 1996 and 2000. During the study, residents experiencedthe direct impact of two land-falling tropical cyclones. In addition to this, targeted andfocussed tropical cyclone awareness education was made increasingly available withinthe community. The social and demographic attributes that influence the individual'sperception of risk and contribute to our understanding of community vulnerability were examined and evaluated. Changes in the residents' attitudes, cyclone preparednessbehaviours and willingness to respond to cyclone warnings were monitored and measured. Analysis of early survey data indicated that community residents generally had some knowledge of cyclones but a limited understanding of cyclone processes and very little direct personal experience of the cyclone hazard. Individually and collectively, residents frequently demonstrated a biased perception of the risks associated with cyclones. The resident community was shown to be fragmented, with limited support being available to individual households. Initially, residents were found to be poorly prepared for cyclones and unlikely to respond to warnings appropriately. It appeared that, in the event of a land-falling tropical cyclone impacting the area, the community was highly vulnerable to unnecessary loss of property, livelihood and – in extreme circumstances – life. By 2000, Cairns community residents were somewhat better informed about cyclones and certainly more experienced. This paper provides some insight into how cyclone experience and education may synergisticly have contributed to a change in risk perceptions and a reduction in the vulnerability of Cairns residents to the tropical cyclone and storm surge hazards.     

STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NIUSHOU MOUNTAIN AND ITS GEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN CENTRAL NINGXIA

There are many thrust-related structures occurring in the Paleozoic strata of the Niushou Mountain in the central part of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The fault-related folds are the typical structures in this area. Based on the analysis about these structures and their relationships, the processes by which these structures of the Miboshan Formation were formed are reconstructed, and the strata underwent about three stages of deformation: (1) horizontal shortening, (2) folding, and (3) thrusting. And the fact that the Niushou Mountain is the leading edge of an old thrust sheet was proved, the Niushou Mountain, the Daluo Mountain and the Xiaoluo Mountain together constitute the front part of this old thrust zone, so the Niushou Mountain and the Ordovician strata in the central and southern parts of Ningxia now are likely allochthons. In the period from middle Ordovician to Devonian, the areas of the central and southern Ningxia belonged to the back-arc foreland basin of North Qilianshan orogen, which was adjacent to the continent in the north. In the later part of the early Paleozoic period, the Niushou Mountain was formed after the closure of the back-arc foreland basin.     

济宁二号矿孤岛工作面冲击矿压危险及其控制

孤岛工作面及其周围巷道附近应力集中程度高,顶板运动剧烈,再加上地质构造的影响,采深较大时,冲击危险程度就高,很容易引发冲击矿压。《煤矿安全规程》要求孤岛工作面按冲击矿压危险工作面来管理。孤岛工作面冲击矿压危险检测预报及控制的技术是先分析冲击危险程度,确定冲击危险指数,提出早期预报;采用电磁辐射和钻屑法进行及时预报;采用卸压爆破进行处理,并采用电磁辐射和钻屑法检验防治措施的效果。实践证明,这套技术安全、可靠、有效,能够保证工作面的安全高效生产。     

Validation of Landslide Susceptibility Maps; Examples and Applications from a Case Study in Northern Spain

A procedure for validating landslide susceptibility maps wasapplied in a study area in northern Spain and the results obtained compared. Validationwas used to carry out sensitivity analysis for individual variables and combinationsof variables. The validity of different map-making methods was tested, as well as theutility of different types of Favourability Functions. The results obtained show thatvalidation is essential to determine the predictive value of susceptibility maps. Italso helps to better select the most suitable function and significant variables, thus improving the efficiency of the mapping process. Validation based on a temporal strategy makes it possible to derive hazard maps from susceptibility maps.     

龙门山地区泥盆纪碳酸盐与硅质碎屑的混积相与混积机理

碳酸盐与陆源碎屑的混合沉积研究至今尚未引起足够重视。文献屈指可数。扬子西经缘龙门山地区盆纪发育了了这类良好的混合沉积。作者根据实际材料，首次从这一思路出发，识别该区泥盆纪Ｅｍｓｉａｎ期到Ｇｉｖｅｔｉａｎ早期的混积相四种，混积亚相约１４种，阐明了其优势混积作用；根据混积作用特征、沉积背景关系，划分出两大混积类型，即泥质背景下的混积１型和砂灰质背景下的混积Ⅱ型；对混积作用机理进行了探讨；并指出不同级次     

宁夏灵盐地区荒漠化灾害与农牧业持续发展

分析了宁夏灵盐地区荒漠化灾害过程中自然环境与人力活动的相互作用，并讨论了区域农牧业经济发展的“退耕还牧”治沙等社会问题。在第四纪地质时期荒漠化的发生发展是一种“气候－地貌”的自然过程；在人类历史时期是气候主控下人为叠加干扰的“自然－人为”地貌过程。自然环境与人为活动具有使荒漠化发生正向或逆转变化的双重机制。     

浅谈雅江县城南各种地质灾害的关系

对雅江县城南地质灾害的产生原因作了查明，为下一步综合整治提供依据。     

黄连山自然保护区的土壤及其地理分布规律

本文根据野外调查，土样室内理化分析及对前人工作成果的系统分析结果表明，黄连山自然保护区的土壤及其地理分布规律是；海拔800m以下为砖红壤；海拔800－1100m为砖红壤性红壤；海拔1100—1600m为山地红壤；海拔1600—1900m为山地黄壤；海拔1900m以上为山地黄棕壤。     

天山北坡降水对河流水沙情势影响

以天山北坡头屯河流域为例，在对山区不同海拔的降水特征、侵蚀产沙情势以及河流水沙运移特点分析的基础上，详尽就山区降水对河流水沙情势的年际变化、年内变化以及月变化的影响进行了分析研究，并就降水对不同海拔的河流水沙情势的影响强度及相互关系作了探讨．     

山西太岳山种子植物区系特征

调查的基础L，统计了太岳山种子植物有97科、316属、575种（含变种），分析了该区系的主要特征，即植物区系地理成分复杂，温带成分占优势；植物资源种类丰富，区系起源古老；植物区系具明显的过渡性；植被类型复杂，具明显的垂直分布．对该区野生经济植物进行了分类统计，为植物资源合理利用与生物多样性保护提供了基础资料穹科学依据．