Paradoxes of modernity: imperial Rio de Janeiro, 1808–1821

This paper examines the spatial dynamics of urbanism in Rio de Janeiro during the early nineteenth century. Conventional narratives of modernisation fail to capture the complexities of this moment, between 1808 and 1821, when the city replaced Lisbon as the capital of the Portuguese empire. The position of colony and metropolis were inverted, Portuguese absolutism was bolstered by British liberalism, and a market-economy arose alongside the expansion of slavery. As the newly-created imperial capital, Rio felt the effects of these various transformations: the physical boundaries of the city rapidly expanded, its economy diversified and the cultural life of the city was re-shaped. Our aim in this paper is to understand this particular moment of urban transformation as a product of the intersection of global networks of trade, slavery and industrial capitalism. Rather than depicting the historical geography of the city as a passive space for European conquest and expansion, we consider the extent to which its urban dynamics were shaped by a distinct local geography of globalisation. In particular, we examine the interrelated spatialities that are part and parcel of the modernising process.     

Local- and watershed-scale controls on the spatial variability of natural levee deposits in a large fine-grained floodplain: Lower Pánuco Basin, Mexico

This study examines spatial variations in natural levee deposits within the lower reaches of a large coastal plain drainage system. The Pánuco basin (98,227 km²) drains east-central Mexico, and is an excellent setting to examine the influence of watershed and local controls on the morphology and sedimentology of natural levees. Although many fluvial systems in the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain have been investigated, the rivers in the Mexican Gulf Coastal Plain have received comparatively little attention. Lateral and downstream characteristics of natural levee morphology and sediment texture are considered within the context of meandering river floodplain deposits. Data sources include total-stations surveying, sediment samples of surficial levee deposits, topographic maps (1:50,000), and aerial photographs (1:40,000). The slope of natural levees average 0.0049 m/m, whereas the texture (D₈₄) of levee deposits averages 0.12 mm. Natural levee characteristics vary due to local- and watershed-scale controls. The lateral reduction in levee height displays a curvilinear pattern that coincides with an abrupt change in sediment texture. The downstream pattern of natural levee texture exhibits the influence of local-scale perturbations superimposed upon a larger watershed-scale trend. Disruption to the fining trend, either by tributary inputs of sediment or reworking of Tertiary valley deposits, is retained for a limited distance. The influence of the channel planform geometry on levee morphology is examined by consideration of the radius of curvature (R_c) of meander bends, and is inversely related to natural levee width. This suggests that the planform geometry of river channels exerts a control on the dispersal of flood sediments, and is responsible for considerable local variability in the floodplain topography. The average width of natural levees increases with drainage area, from an average of 747 m in the Moctezuma to an average of 894 m in the Pánuco. However, in the lower reaches of the Pánuco valley the width of natural levees rapidly decreases, which is associated with fining of the suspended sediment load. Thus, the reduction in natural levee width signifies an abrupt change in the directionality of cause–effect relationships at the watershed-scale. Findings from this study elucidate linkages between meandering river channels and floodplains for a large lowland alluvial valley.     

Flood delineation in a large and complex alluvial valley, lower Pa´nuco basin, Mexico

Determining the extent of flooding is an important role of the hydrological research community and provides a vital service to planners and engineers. For large river systems located within distant settings it is practical to utilize a remote sensing approach. This study combines a remote sensing and geomorphic approach to delineate the extent of a large hurricane generated flood event in the lower Pánuco basin (98,227 km²), the seventh largest river system draining into the Gulf of Mexico. The lower Pánuco basin is located within the coastal plain of eastern Mexico and has a complex alluvial valley. Data sources included a Landsat 5TM and Landsat 7ETM⁺ scene, and topographic and particle size data from fieldwork and laboratory analysis. The Landsat 5TM image was acquired after the peak of a large flood event in 1993, whereas the Landsat 7ETM⁺ scene was acquired during the dry season in 2000. The increasing number of days between flood crest and the date of flood image acquisition along the river valley provided the opportunity to examine several methods of flood delineation and to consider differences in floodplain geomorphology. Backswamp environments were easily delineated in flooded reaches within the Panuco and Tamuin valleys, whereas in the Moctezuma valley more sophisticated methods were required because of the greater time between image acquisition and flood peak, and the complex floodplain topography. This included Principal Component (PC) analysis and image classification. Within the floodplain, residual Holocene terraces complicated flood mapping. Classification of both images allowed consideration of the influence of permanent standing water. Although the flooded areas were greater in the lower reaches of the study area, because this portion of the valley contained large floodplain lakes, the amount of inundation was actually lower. Remote sensing offers the ability to examine large alluvial valleys in distant settings but does not imply that geomorphic criteria should be excluded. Indeed, because of heterogeneous floodplain topography this study illustrates the importance of including field based geomorphic analysis so that the complexity of distinct floodplain environments are considered. The findings from this study are significant because most remote sensing data obtained for the purpose of flood mapping will not coincide with the flood crest. Thus, this study provides an appropriate method for mapping flood inundation in large and complex floodplain settings after flood crest recession.     

A note on a mineralogical analysis of the sediments associated with the Plata River and Patos Lagoon outflows

Riverine waters bring to seas a variety of suspended materials, which are ultimately deposited on the shelf or exported to the deep ocean. Investigation of the mineralogical contents of these continental-borne constituents on seafloors may reveal valuable information about the environmental conditions in the drainage basin. In this note we report results of X-ray diffraction and other analysis of sediments in bottom samples collected on the continental shelf under influence of the Plata River and the Patos Lagoon, in South America. The analysis reveals that non-clay materials are mostly concentrated south of 33°S, while clay sediments are relatively more abundant further north. We propose that such distributions are controlled by the circulation pattern and water mass distribution of the lower and upper layers, respectively.     

Metals and grain size distributions in soil of the middle Rio Grande basin, Texas USA

 This paper deals with the problem of increased heavy metal constituents in agricultural soils due to the expanded use of fertilizers and elevated atmospheric deposition. It discusses the extent of contamination in soil and establishes an environmental monitoring program in the chosen area of concern in the southern coastal region of Texas. Grain size, pH, and metals (Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Ba, As, Cr, Mn, and Fe) were determined in soils of the middle Rio Grande basin. The soils were mainly of sand texture and alkaline in character. Fine sand constituted the major proportion of the soil, and clay and silt ranged from 8–30% of the soil. Correlations of metal concentrations to grain size and iron contents were performed. Metals, except Cd and Pb, gave positive to negative relationships with decreases in grain size. Silt gave no relationship with metal content while clay and silt had a positive relationship. All these metals had a positive correlation with iron in the soil. The results indicate metals are associated with coarse sand, clay, and iron hydroxides surfaces of the soil. The comparison of metal content in soil of the middle Rio Grande basin with metals from other areas of the world suggests that it is relatively uncontaminated. Received: 14 December 1998 · Accepted: 19 Jaunuary 1999     

Paleomagnetism and rock magnetism of the Neoproterozoic Itajaí Basin of the Rio de la Plata craton (Brazil): Cambrian to Cretaceous widespread remagnetizations of South America

A detailed rock magnetic and paleomagnetic study was performed on samples from the Neoproterozoic Itajaí Basin in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, in order to better constrain the paleogeographic evolution of the Rio de la Plata craton between 600 and 550 Ma. However, rock magnetic properties typical of remagnetized rocks and negative response in the fold test indicated that these rocks carried a secondary chemical remanent magnetization. After detailed AF and thermal cleaning, almost all samples showed a normal polarity characteristic remanent magnetization component close to the present geomagnetic field. The main magnetic carriers are magnetite and hematite, probably of authigenic origin. The mean paleomagnetic pole of the Itajaí Basin is located at Plat = − 84°, Plong = 97.5° (A95 = 2°) and overlaps the lower Cretaceous segment of the apparent polar wander path of South America, suggesting a cause and effect with the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. A compilation of remagnetized paleomagnetic poles from South America is presented that highlights the superposition of several large-scale remagnetization events between the Cambrian and the Cretaceous. It is suggested that some paleomagnetic poles used to calibrate the APWP of Gondwana at Precambrian times need to be revised; the indication of remagnetized areas in southern South America may offer some help in the selection of sites for future paleomagnetic investigations in Precambrian rocks.     

New U–Pb ages and lithochemical attributes of the Ediacaran Rio Doce magmatic arc,Araçuaí confined orogen,southeastern Brazil

The Araçuaí orogen of southeastern Brazil, together with its counterpart located in Africa, the West Congo belt, formed through closure of a gulf connected to the Adamastor Ocean by the end of the Ediacaran and beginning of the Cambrian. Convergence of the margins of the gulf led to the development of the Rio Doce magmatic arc between 630 Ma and 580 Ma on a continental basement mostly composed of Rhyacian orthogneisses. The Rio Doce arc mainly consists of tonalite-granodiorite batholiths, generally crowded with mafic to dioritic enclaves, and minor gabbronorite-enderbite-charnockite plutons, suggesting mixing processes involving crustal and mantle sources. We investigate the basement, magma sources and emplacement ages of the Rio Doce arc. Our data suggest the arc comprises three main granitic rock groups: i) Opx-bearing rocks mostly of enderbite to charnockite composition; ii) enclave-rich tonalite-granodiorite (ETG); and iii) enclave-poor granite-granodiorite with minor tonalite (GT). The Opx-bearing rocks are magnesian, calc-alkalic to alkali-calcic and metaluminous. Together, the ETG and GT rock groups range in composition from tonalite to granite, are metaluminous to slightly peraluminous, show a predominantly medium- to high-K, expanded calc-alkaline signature, and other geochemical and isotopic attributes typical of a pre-collisional volcanic arc formed on a continental margin setting. Mineralogical, chemical, and geochronological data suggest the involvement of HT-melting of granulitic (H₂O-depleted) sources of Rhyacian age for the generation of Opx-bearing granitic rocks, additionally to magma mixing and fractional crystallization processes. In conclusion, the studied rock groups of the Rio Doce arc were likely formed by interactions of mantle and crustal processes, in an active continental margin setting. These processes involved ascent of mantle magmas that induced partial melting on the continental basement represented by the Rhyacian gneisses.     

赤道几内亚里奥穆尼盆地构造演化特征及油气勘探前景

应用盆地原形分析、区域地震资料解释和石油地质综合分析等方法,探讨了赤道几内亚里奥穆尼盆地构造演化和成藏条件。研究结果表明,该盆地构造演化经历了裂谷、过渡—漂移和裂后被动大陆边缘3个阶段,主要充填了中新生代沉积地层,中生界白垩系主要发育2套烃源岩,为裂谷期的湖相泥页岩和过渡—早期漂移期的海相泥页岩,已发现的油气主要储集在上白垩统浊积砂体。盐构造和重力滑动构造是油气成藏的主控因素,在区域上,油气主要分布在盆地的中带,该带勘探程度低,成藏条件优越,是油气聚集的有利场所,尤其盐构造与重力滑动构造区具有较大油气勘探潜力。     

Vegetation and Climate Reconstruction of the Planalto in Rio Grande do Sul, South Brazil (Late Glacial and Holocene)

1IntroductionThe ecosystem of Araucaria-Forest is one of the most important plant-associations in South Brazil. Today,however,the spreading area is a fraction of its natural size,originally spread over 200 km. It spanned from 18°to 30°of southern lati-t…     

When does bedload transport begin in steep boulder‐bed streams?

The paper presents the results of field measurements of critical conditions for bedload motion conducted in the Rio Cordon, a steep boulder‐bed stream in the Italian Alps, under conditions of high Reynolds numbers and low relative submergence poorly explored before. Two methods have been used to determine threshold of motion: the displacement of marked clasts and the flow competence approach, which uses the largest grain size diameter transported by each flood event. The high values of confirm the great relevance of non‐bedload effective shear stresses in step–pool streams given by the additional form drag associated with this morphology. Relative submergence effects on the dimensionless critical shear stress have been quantified by considering the relative submergence ratio R_h/D₈₄, and the major effect of relative size on the mobility of each particle in steep, widely graded bed mixtures has been evaluated. Finally, the dimensionless critical unit discharge has also been adopted in the regression equations as the critical hydraulic parameter, because it may represent an easier parameter to use than the critical shear stress for steep, rough mountain rivers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.