Mud volcano eruptions and earthquakes in the Northern Apennines and Sicily, Italy

The relations between earthquakes and the eruption of mud volcanoes have been investigated at the Pede–Apennine margin of the Northern Apennines and in Sicily. Some of these volcanoes experienced eruptions or increased activity in connection with historical seismic events, showing a good correlation with established thresholds of hydrological response (liquefaction) to earthquakes. However, the majority of eruptions have been documented to be independent of seismic activity, being mud volcanoes often not activated even when the earthquakes were of suitable magnitude and the epicentre at the proper distance for the triggering. This behaviour suggests that paroxysmal activity of mud volcanoes depends upon the reaching of a specific critical state dictated by internal fluid pressure, and implies that the strain caused by the passage of seismic waves can activate only mud volcanoes in near-critical conditions (i.e., close to the eruption). Seismogenic faults, such as the Pede–Apennine thrust, often structurally control the fluid reservoirs of mud volcanoes, which are frequently located at the core of thrust-related folds. Such an intimate link enables mud volcanoes to represent features potentially suitable for recording perturbations associated with the past and ongoing tectonic activity of the controlling fault system.     

The lithospheric geodynamics of plate boundary transpression in New Zealand: Initiating and emplacing subduction along the Hikurangi margin, and the tectonic evolution of the Alpine Fault system

In contrast to the normal ‘Wilson cycle’ sequence of subduction leading to continental collision and associated mountain building, the evolution of the New Zealand plate boundary in the Neogene reflects the converse—initially a period of continental convergence that is followed by the emplacement of subduction. Plate reconstructions allow us to place limits on the location and timing of the continental convergence and subduction zones and the migration of the transition between the two plate boundary regimes. Relative plate motions and reconstructions since the Early to Mid-Miocene require significant continental convergence in advance of the emplacement of the southward migrating Hikurangi subduction—a sequence of tectonism seen in the present plate boundary geography of Hikurangi subduction beneath North Island and convergence in the Southern Alps along the Alpine Fault. In contrast to a transition from subduction to continental convergence where the leading edge of the upper plate is relatively thin and deformable, the transition from a continental convergent regime, with its associated crustal and lithospheric thickening, to subduction of oceanic lithosphere requires substantial thinning (removal) of upper plate continental lithosphere to make room for the slab. The simple structure of the Wadati–Benioff zone seen in the present-day geometry of the subducting Pacific plate beneath North Island indicates that this lithospheric adjustment occurs quickly. Associated with this rapid lithospheric thinning is the development of a series of ephemeral basins, younging to the south, that straddle the migrating slab edge. Based on this association between localized vertical tectonics and slab emplacement, the tectonic history of these basins records the effects of lithospheric delamination driven by the southward migrating leading edge of the subducting Pacific slab. Although the New Zealand plate boundary is often described as simply two subduction zones linked by the transpressive Alpine Fault, in actuality the present is merely a snapshot view of an ongoing and complex evolution from convergence to subduction.     

Vampire rock avalanches of January 2008 and 2003, Southern Alps, New Zealand

Rock avalanches fell from Vampire (2,645 m) Peak in the Southern Alps of New Zealand during January 2008. There were no direct witnesses, casualties or damage to infrastructure. Field observations indicate about 150,000 m³ (±50,000) of indurated greywacke collapsed retrogressively from a 73° slope between 2,380 and 2,520 m. Debris fell 800 m down Vampire’s south face and out 1.7 km across Mueller Glacier, with a 27.5° angle of reach. The resulting 300,000 m² avalanche deposit contains three distinct lobes. The national seismograph network recorded two pulses of avalanche-type shaking, equivalent in amplitude to a M _L 2.4 tectonic earthquake, for 60 s on Monday 7 January at 2349 hours (NZDT); then 45 s of shaking at M _L 2.5 on Sunday 13 January at 0923 hours (NZDT). Deposit lobes are inferred to relate directly with shaking episodes. The avalanche fell across the debris from an older avalanche, which was also unwitnessed and fell from a different source on Vampire’s south face between February and November 2003. The 2003 avalanche involved 120,000 m³ (±40,000) of interlayered sandstone and mudstone which collapsed from a 65° slope between 2,440 and 2,560 m, then fell 890 m down across Mueller Glacier at a 24° angle of reach. Prolonged above-freezing temperatures were recorded during January 2008, but no direct trigger has been identified. The event appears to be a spontaneous, gravitationally induced, stress failure.     

The first record of Ichneumonidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) from the Upper Cretaceous of Myanmar

A new subfamily of Ichneumonidae, Novichneumoninae subfam. nov., is established based on two new genera with two new species: Novichneumon longus gen. et sp. nov. and Caloichneumon perrarus gen. et sp. nov. These two new species are the first ichneumonids described from the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar (Burmese) amber. A list of all described Mesozoic ichneumonid fossil species with their respective localities and ages is summarized. The distribution of Ichneumonoidea during the Cretaceous indicates that Cretaceous ichneumonids were documented from localities at high latitudes while braconids were distributed worldwide, a pattern consistent with the distribution of extant ichneumonids and braconids.     

Qitianniu zhihaoi gen. et sp. nov.: The first cerambycid beetle found in Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Chrysomeloidea)

A new cerambycid beetle (Qitianniu zhihaoi gen. et. sp. nov.) is described on the basis of a single specimen embedded in Cretaceous Burmese amber (ca. 99 Ma). Unusual characteristics are hairy antennae and large lateral eyes, a pronotum with lateral margin, and sinuate protibiae. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, the systematic position of Qitianniu is still uncertain and we provisionally place it as Cerambycidae incertae sedis.     

New Prionoglarididae from Burmese amber (Psocodea: Trogiomorpha: Prionoglaridetae)

One new genus with three new species of the family Prionoglarididae, Palaeosiamoglaris leinhardi Azar, Huang et Nel gen. et sp. nov.; P. burmica Azar, Huang et Nel sp. nov. and P. inexpectata Azar, Huang et Nel sp. nov. are characterised, illustrated and described from Cretaceous Burmese amber. Palaeosiamoglaris gen. nov. share several characters with the recent genus Siamoglaris Lienhard, 2004, endemic to the Oriental (Sino-Indian) Region. A new tribe Siamoglaridini Azar, Huang et Nel trib. nov. is established to accommodate the group Siamoglaris + Palaeosiamoglaris; the other Prionoglaridinae being attributed to Prionoglaridini. This discovery implicates a palaeobiogeographic repartition for this particular tribe (Siamoglarini) that is still the same currently. Most diagnostic features show a nearly stasis state, supporting the notion that these characters appeared at least by the early Cenomanian. A checklist of all prionoglaridids is given.     

Interspecies care and aging in a gorilla 2.0 world

Two key figures analyzed in Donna Haraway’s monograph, Primate Visions: Gender Race and Nature in The World of Modern Science (1989) warrant further analysis in the emerging cyber politics of environmental conservation. These figures are Koko, a female lowland gorilla born in the San Francisco Zoo and her companion Dr. Francine (Penny) Patterson, a developmental psychologist who taught Koko how to communicate with a modified form of American Sign Language (ASL). Nine years after Haraway’s initial analysis, Koko and Patterson became early examples of conservation-related Web 2.0 engagement with their unprecedented inter-species America Online chat room encounter with 7811 member participants. Today, Koko has a Twitter account (@kokotweets), a Facebook page, a YouTube channel and a website where users watch videos of Koko celebrating birthdays and donate to ‘distant’ conservation projects. One project site is a gorilla reserve in Cameroon and another is a former pineapple plantation turned private nature preserve in Maui, Hawai’i. Inspired by recent analytical work in animal geographies and feminist political ecology, this article explores complex landscapes of caring, aging and conservation in a time of proliferating social media engagement from colonized sites of enduring privilege. The article argues that new media adds layers of violence, disciplinary techniques and co-dependence to the aging bodies, caring practices and landscapes that Koko, Patterson and others inhabit in California and in the proposed physical spaces of a repurposed pineapple field in Maui.     

新世纪第一个五年测井技术的若干进展

新世纪测井技术迅速发展,为油气勘探与开发提供了多种技术手段和丰富的地层信息．本文对新世纪第一个五年测井技术的进展进行评述,重点分析电缆测井、随钻测井、地层测试等井筒探测技术的发展状况,介绍了一些最新的测井仪器．另外,对存储测井、井下永久传感器、取芯随测等刚刚推出的测井新技术也进行了介绍。     

The Research Status and Development Trends of Wind-Sand Engineering in China

The concept and category of wind-sand engineering were discussed in this paper. The development processes of wind-sand engineering in China were reviewed preliminarily. Based on different regional environments, wind-sand engineering research in our country can be divided into two parts: aeolian research of major engineering in desert areas, and aeolian research of major engineering in other areas with special environment. Further than that, aeolian research of major engineering in desert areas can be divided into 4 stages, and aeolian research of major engineering in other areas with special environment mainly focuses on tropical coastal areas, Tibet Plateau and gobi in arid areas. Our research suggests that the development trends of major wind-sand engineering can be summarized as the following aspects. \mathrm{①} Revealing principles of the wind-sand engineering shelter systems; \mathrm{②} Evaluating environmental effects of the major wind-sand engineering; \mathrm{③} Functions of the wind-sand engineering transforming from simple sand prevention to eco-economic types shelter systems; \mathrm{④} A kind of treatment technology with fabricated materials and equipped construction processes needs to be studied urgently, which can make sand prevention with rapid pace, high efficiency and high quality.