The development of computer networks: First results from a microeconomic model

 Computer networks like the Internet are gaining importance in social and economic life. The accelerating pace of the adoption of network technologies for business purposes is a rather recent phenomenon. Many applications are still in the early, sometimes even experimental, phase. Nevertheless, it seems to be certain that networks will change the socioeconomic structures we know today. This is the background for our special interest in the development of networks, in the role of spatial factors influencing the formation of networks, and consequences of networks on spatial structures, and in the role of externalities. This paper discusses a simple economic model – based on a microeconomic calculus – that incorporates the main factors that generate the growth of computer networks. The paper provides analytic results about the generation of computer networks. The paper discusses (1) under what conditions economic factors will initiate the process of network formation, (2) the relationship between individual and social evaluation, and (3) the efficiency of a network that is generated based on economic mechanisms. Received: 5 July 2000 / Accepted: 28 November 2000     

Investigating the ancient Martian magnetic field using microwaves

The new microwave palaeointensity technique has been used to investigate samples from the Martian meteorite Nakhla. This technique is a promising new way to obtain absolute palaeointensity information regarding the ancient Martian magnetic field as recorded by the Martian meteorites. Assuming that a part of the magnetic remanence is of thermal origin and originating on Mars the two samples studied yield estimates of 4 μT for the Martian magnetic field at 1.35 Ga.     

Latent heat effects of the major mantle phase transitions on low-angle subduction

Very low to zero shallow dip angles are observed at several moderately young subduction zones with an active trenchward moving overriding plate. We have investigated the effects of latent heat for this situation, where mantle material is pushed through the major mantle phase transitions during shallow low-angle subduction below the overriding plate. The significance of the buoyancy forces, arising from the latent heat effects, on the dynamics of the shallowly subducting slab is examined by numerical modeling. When a 32-Ma-old slab is overridden with 2.5 cm/yr by a continent, flat subduction occurs with a 4–5 cm/yr convergence rate. When latent heat is included in the model, forced downwellings cause a thermal anomaly and consequently thermal and phase buoyancy forces. Under these circumstances, the flat slab segment subducts horizontally about 350 km further and for about 11 Ma longer than in the case without latent heat, before it breaks through the 400-km phase transition. The style of subduction strongly depends on the mantle rheology: increasing the mantle viscosity by one order of magnitude can change the style of subduction from steep to shallow. Similarly, an overriding velocity of less than 1 cm/yr leads to steep subduction, which gradually changes to flat subduction when increasing the overriding velocity. However, these model parameters do not change the aforementioned effect of the latent heat, provided that low-angle subduction occurs. In all models latent heat resulted in a substantial increase of the flat slab length by 300–400 km. Varying the olivine–spinel transition Clapeyron slope γ from 1 to 6 MPa/K reveals a roughly linear relation between γ and the horizontal length of the slab. Based on these results, we conclude that buoyancy forces due to latent heat of phase transitions play an important role in low-angle subduction below an overriding plate.     

High precision glacial–interglacial benthic foraminiferal Sr/Ca records from the eastern equatorial Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea

Glacial–interglacial variation in the marine Sr/Ca ratio has important implications for coral Sr thermometry [J.W. Beck et al., Science 257 (1992) 644–647]. A possible variation of 1–3% was proposed based on ocean models [H.M. Stoll and D.P. Schrag, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 62 (1998) 1107–1118]. Subsequently, studies have used fossil foraminifera to test this prediction [P.A. Martin et al., Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 1 (1999); H.M. Stoll et al., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 63 (1999) 3535–3547; H. Elderfield et al., Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 1 (2000)]. But whether some component of foraminiferal Sr/Ca variation can be uniquely ascribed to seawater Sr variation is still not clear. To address this question, we developed cleaning and analysis techniques and measured Sr/Ca ratios on individual shells of the modern benthic foraminifer Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi. We showed that different size shells have different Sr/Ca ratios; however, samples with shell sizes of 355–500 μm appear to have normally distributed Sr/Ca ratios (1σ=1.8%). For multi-shell measurements (with estimated errors of 0.12–0.39%), the ratio varied by as much as 7.2±0.5% during the last glaciation for two Caribbean records at the same site and by 3.7±0.5% over the past 40,000 yr for one record from the Sierra Leone Rise in the eastern equatorial Atlantic. The two Caribbean records are very similar indicating that the behavior of shell Sr uptake was identical locally and that the shell Sr/Ca ratio faithfully reflects the local environment. The Atlantic record differs from the Caribbean records by as much as several percent. Thus, the foraminiferal Sr/Ca changes cannot be solely due to changes in seawater Sr/Ca unless the glacial deep ocean had spatial variation in Sr/Ca well in excess of the modern ocean. Certain similarities between the three records do exist. Notably, the rate of change of Sr/Ca is similar between 9 and 0 ka (−0.25%/kyr) and between 25 and 16 ka (+0.16%/kyr). This suggests that during these intervals, benthic foraminiferal Sr/Ca was affected by similar large-scale variables. One of these variables may be the average marine Sr/Ca ratio; however, comparison with model predictions [H.M. Stoll and D.P. Schrag, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 62 (1998) 1107–1118] suggests other factors must also be considered. The discrepancies between the two sites may be related to the different water mass histories for the Caribbean and eastern Atlantic. Our results suggest that variation of the seawater Sr budget only partially contributed to C. wuellerstorfi Sr/Ca records, while other significant factors still need to be quantified. At present we cannot confidently determine past seawater Sr/Ca variation from our foraminiferal records.     

地下水流面三维实体模型制作系统（V1．00）

简要介绍了地下水流面在维实体模型制作系统－GWT3D（V1．00）的实体建模技术及光线跟踪原理，对其绘图所需数据文件结构进行了必要说明，同时阐述了GWT3D的功能与特色，并给出了该软件在这地区绘制地下水流场三维实体模型的一个实用实例。GWT3D是由VisualC 6.O开发的Win32应用程序，采用Outloow98流行的动画工具条风格，能利用通和地下水流模拟软件（如Modfolw等）所提供的网格剖分及水位数据，给制近似逼真的三维地下水流形态，具有动画显示功能和TIF、BMP、GIF3种图像文件存储格式，是一个专业性和实用性较强的计算机图像制作软件。     

小兴安岭黑大公路沿线多年冻土分布及退化状态

黑大公路沿线多年土主要分布于黑河－北安段，属小兴安岭岛状多年冻土区，该区存在的多年冻土是晚全新世寒冷时期的产物，现处于欧亚多年冰土南界边缘，多年冻土发育在低洼、地表积水、塔头草生长茂密、草炭和泥炭发育的沼泽化湿地当中，沼泽湿地独特的热交换特性决定了其中发育的多年冻土处于退化的最晚阶段，冻土的退化在自然条件下可能依赖于由于至上的地下热流。多年冻土的地温剖面表现为零梯度曲且冰土温度接近于0℃，由此决定了多年冻土对人为活动干扰的敏感性。     

浙江雷甸淡水无光珠中球文石的首次确认

球文石（Vaterite)是CaCO3很不稳定的同质多象变体，在自然界里很少出现，通过光学显微镜在淡水无光珠中发现球文石尚属首次，本文研究了淡水无光珠内球文石的显微特征、X射线粉晶衍射特征及显微红外光谱特征，研究结果表明淡水无光珍珠内球文石粉晶衍射由强至弱五个强峰的d值为0.3266,0.2723,0.3553,0.1811,0.2057nm；其红外光谱特征波数为1489，1450,1420,1087,1050,876,830,762,743cm^-1。球文石的存在是影响淡水珍珠品质的主要内在因素之一。     

地下水氘过量参数的演化

本文详细地介绍了提出水体氘过量参数 (d值 )的依据、源于大气降水的地下水氘过量参数 (d值 )的演化特点、影响因素、误差来源 ,并分析和讨论了应用中的一些问题。     

地质异常理论在兰坪盆地演化中的应用

基于地质异常理论的分析，并结合兰坪盆地的地质、构造特点，充分发挥地壳升降系数法的定量化及其空间优势，对兰坪盆地地质、构造演化进行了形象、直观的表述，对进一步反演兰坪盆地独特构造格架形成的古应力场，具有十分重要的作用。     

缅北中部脉金矿带控矿因素及成矿作用浅析

缅北中部，印缅岛弧及弧后盆地东侧、新生代造山带的前缘推覆构造带中，分布有许多脉金矿床及矿点，构成金矿带。矿带、矿田、矿床及矿体的形成、分布及其规模，受不同级别的近南北向逆冲断裂，及其间派生的北东向张性扩容断裂组成的剪切断裂带控制。可渗透的下麦尔组下部中一粗粒砂岩，起着很好的容矿作用。下麦尔组上部泥岩、细砂岩、粉砂岩和页岩互层单元，在携金热液的迁移、氧化硅的沉淀和矿质沉积定位等方面，可能起到圈闭作用。