The GEM project: An international collaboration to survey galactic radiation emission

The GEM (Galactic Emission Mapping) project is an international collaboration established with the aim of surveying the full sky at long wavelengths with a multi-frequency radio telescope. A total of 745 hours of observation at 408 MHz were completed from an Equatorial site in Colombia. The observations cover the celestial band 0 ^h <<24 ^h , and –24° 22<<+35° 37. Preliminary results of this partial survey will be discussed. A review of the instrumental setup and a 10° resolution sky map at 408 MHz is presented.Presented by S. Torres at the UN/ESA Workshop on Basic Space Sciences: From Small Telescopes to Space Missions, Colombo, Sri Lanka 11–14 January 1996     

Fission track and U–Pb in situ dating applied to detrital zircon from the Vale do Rio do Peixe Formation,Bauru Group,Brazil

Combined methods of fission track (FTM) and U–Pb in situ zircon dating were applied to sedimentary samples from the Vale do Rio do Peixe Formation, Bauru Basin, Brazil. Detrital zircons of nine samples were determined by the FTM, and the obtained ages varied from 239 Ma–825 Ma, which can be grouped into four main populations as the 230–300 Ma, 460–490 Ma, 500–650 Ma and 696–825 Ma groups. The U–Pb data show two clear source areas: the Early Paleozoic to Neoproterozoic zircons, ranging from 445 ± 14 to 708 ± 18 Ma, and the Paleoproterozoic zircons, ranging from 1879 ± 23 to 2085 ± 27 Ma. Subordinate occurrences of Early Neoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic zircons (836 ± 15 and 1780 ± 38 Ma) were identified. The combined information allows us to characterize Early Brazilian, Brazilian and Rhyacian material as the main source for the zircons, which are areas situated to west of the Bauru Basin (e.g., Goiás Massif) that have been incorporated into the sedimentary cycles in the Phanerozoic (mainly in the Paraná Basin). FT zircon ages reflect the main denudation processes of the South American Plate from Neoproterozoic to Early Triassic as those related to orogenic cycles of Early Brazilian, Brazilian, Famatinian/Cuyanian and Gondwanide.     

Transformation of social capital during and after a disaster event: the cases Chañaral and Diego de Almagro,Atacama Region,Chile

Natural Hazards - This article analyzes the impact of socio-natural disasters on social capital at a local level, studying the cases of the communities of Chañaral and Diego de Almagro after...     

Site evaluation and RFI spectrum measurements in Portugal at the frequency range 0.408–10 GHz for a GEM polarized galactic radio emission experiment

We probed for radio frequency interference (RFI) at three potential galactic emission mapping experiment (GEM) sites in Portugal using custom made omnidirectional disconic antennas and directional pyramidal horn antennas. For the installation of a 10-m dish dedicated to the mapping of polarized galactic emission foreground planned for 2005–2007 in the 5–10 GHz band, the three sites chosen as suitable to host the antenna were surveyed for local radio pollution in the frequency range 0.01–10 GHz. Tests were done to look for radio broadcasting and mobile phone emission lines in the radio spectrum. The results show one of the sites to be almost entirely RFI clean and showing good conditions to host the experiment.     

Chloride and Boron behavior in fluids of Los Humeros geothermal field (Mexico): A model based on the existence of deep acid brine

Geothermal field Los Humeros, Mexico, is characterized by a high steam fraction in the well fluids, by extremely high B concentrations in separated water (grams per liter, with a magmatic B signature, δ¹¹B ± 2σ = −0.8 ± 1.6‰), by the absence of correlation between B and Cl concentrations and by positive correlation between B content in separated water and fluid enthalpy. Such behavior is consistent with the existence of moderately acid brine (pH 3–5) at depth with a high B concentration (500–600 mg/kg). In this case a 3-level model can be suggested for Los Humeros: (1) immature, moderately acid brine at depth which is boiling at a temperature ∼350 °C producing the HCl-bearing vapor with a high B content; (2) partial condensation of this vapor at the upper level accompanying water–rock interaction and neutralization; (3) formation of a shallow water-dominated aquifer above a lithologic low-permeability boundary as has been proposed by other authors. A thermochemical computer code has been used to model boiling of an aqueous fluid at 350 °C with 0.1 M of NaCl, 0.05 M of H₃BO₃ and variable amount of HCl (0.001–0.1 M), then a partial condensation of the produced vapor at 250 °C and then separation of the steam–water mixture at 150 °C. Results of simulation are in a qualitative agreement with the observed data.     

Intramontane basin development related to contractional and extensional structure interaction at the termination of a major sinistral fault: The Huércal-Overa Basin (Eastern Betic Cordillera)

Among the classical minor structural associations on the termination of transcurrent faults are horsetail splays formed by reverse, normal or strike-slip faults developing duplexes. However, temporal and spatial coexistence of contractional and extensional structures is very rarely documented. We discuss the relationships of contractional and extensional structures and associated sedimentary depocenters at the termination of a major strike-slip fault in the Eastern Betic Cordillera. Field mapping, kinematic fault analysis, paleostress determination and gravity prospecting in the Huércal-Overa Basin, at the southern termination of the NE–SW Alhama de Murcia transcurrent fault (AMF), are used to establish the relationships of tectonic structures and associated sedimentary depocenters. Here, ENE–WSW and WNW–ESE folds interact with two sets of normal faults having the same orientation as well as ENE–WSW reverse faults. Progressive unconformities associated with folds reveal that the beginning of the AMF activity occurred in the Tortonian. The folds progressively grew and rotated from ENE–WSW up to WNW–ESE close to the transcurrent fault. We propose that the development of the normal faults developed during short-term episodes characterized by vertical major stress axis and are, in turn, related to gravitational instability linked to the thickening of a crust relatively hot at depth. This setting may have become predominant in between the main activity, compressive pulses along transcurrent faults.     

A novel algorithm for ship detection in SAR imagery based on the wavelet transform

Carrying out an effective control of fishing activities is essential to guarantee a sustainable exploitation of sea resources. Nevertheless, as the regulated areas are extended, they are difficult and time consuming to monitor by means of traditional reconnaissance methods such as planes and patrol vessels. On the contrary, satellite-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) provides a powerful surveillance capability allowing the observation of broad expanses, independently from weather effects and from the day and night cycle. Unfortunately, the automatic interpretation of SAR images is often complicated, even though undetected targets are sometimes visible by eye. Attending to these particular circumstances, a novel approach for ship detection is proposed based on the analysis of SAR images by means of the discrete wavelet transform. The exposed method takes advantage of the difference of statistical behavior among the ships and the surrounding sea, interpreting the information through the wavelet coefficients in order to provide a more reliable detection. The analysis of the detection performance over both simulated and real images confirms the robustness of the proposed algorithm.     

Consolidation and Break-up of the South American Platform in Southeastern Brazil: Tectonothermal and Denudation Histories

The different tectonic stages that occurred at the end of the Proterozoic and during the Phanerozoic have an important bearing on the tectonothermal history of the South American Platform and its consolidation. Geochronological data (U/Pb monazite, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar whole rock) and apatite fission-track analysis, from Precambrian rocks of the southeastern Brazilian coastline, permit the modeling of a long-term thermal history of the crust and constrain variable denudation rates.Using these data, a temperature-time diagram reflects a period of accelerated exhumation during the end of the Brasiliano Orogeny, followed by long stability and reactivation of the platform during the Rifting Phase of the South Atlantic Ocean.U/Pb zircon and monazite (blocking temperature of ca. 650° C) data from a series of igneous bodies suggest that a tangential and transpressional tectonic regime occurred between 625 and 610 Ma. During the following escape tectonics, between 610 and 590 Ma the exhumation process indicates cooling rates of ca. 12°C/Ma. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar biotite ages between 540 and 510 Ma (ca. 300°C) and a corrected fission-track age on apatites (100°C) of 480 Ma indicate an exhumation event related to block tectonics with huge vertical displacement along shear zones.A long stabilization phase, with low exhumation, and cooling rate around 0.25°C/Ma was recorded from the Cambro/Ordovician to the Mesozoic. At 65 Ma an acceleration of the exhumation through denudation and reworking of the South American surface with cooling rate of 1.5°C/Ma is observed.The uplift of the Mantiqueira and Serra do Mar mountain ranges along the southeast Brazilian coastline works as a climatic barrier provoking lateral erosional processes causing long-term scarp retreat, combined with intense, but progressive denudation towards the continent. A denudation of 2.5 to 4 km was calculated for such processes. This lateral retreat of escarpments and flexural response can provide important insights regarding marginal isostatic uplift and the evolution of offshore sedimentary basins of southeast Brazil.     

A View on the Limiting City Expansion: Inner-City Attraction Issues through Linear Correlation

Current inner-city¹ depopulation coupled with significant peripheral expansions disrupting nature, are the rule in many of the world’s large cities such as Montreal. Expansion needs to be balanced from the inner-city attraction perspective. To deal with that objective and following an inductive process in the scientific method, two field surveys were implemented in one of Montreal’s inner-city most popular neighbourhoods (Sainte-Marie) for measuring its current attraction power. Results expose that current local residential housing/services improvement in terms of their medium to high needs/impedances² linear correlations to achieve it discourage people to continue living in Sainte-Marie on a “free will” basis. This report concludes that limiting city expansion at least through this inner-city neighbourhood’s attraction level is still very much a myth.     

Seakeeping performance of fishing vessels in irregular waves

A study of the seakeeping performance of a set of fishing vessels is carried out aiming to identify the seakeeping criteria, and vessel conditions that limit the operability of the fishing vessels in certain sea states. Ship motions and derived responses are obtained in fully developed sea states using the transfer functions of the hull forms. Those responses are assessed against the prescribed values, for the chosen criteria, to determine the vessels operational conditions that might result in hazards or seasickness. For the purpose of this study, each fishing vessel is considered operating in sea states 5 and 6, with different Froude numbers and heading angles, and their short term responses are assessed against the most relevant criteria related with the absolute and relative motions, accelerations, slamming and green water on deck. The results obtained show that roll and pitch criteria are most critical for seakeeping performance, and there is a significant influence of the transverse metacentric height, GMt, and the location of the reference checking points in the seakeeping performance of these fishing vessels.