CONGRESS AND THE CHANGING DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL OUTLAYS,FY81-FY86*

Did Congressional influence play a role in the distribution of federal outlays between FY81 and FY86? This study hypothesizes that states with majority party House and Senate delegations and with seniority in the delegations experienced the largest increases in federal expenditures. These two hypotheses are tested for fifteen divisions of federal outlays using a stepwise regression model. The results provide only very modest evidence of any systematic Congressional influence over changes in the distribution of federal outlays during the study period.     

Programs for laser-AO assisted integral-field spectrometers on ionized flows

An AO-assisted integral-field spectrograph is becoming the most efficient tool with which to explore ionized gas outflows. It maps faint spectral lines that diagnose cloud dust content, gas pressure, excitation mechanism, and chemical abundances. Coupled with recent improvements in photoionization models, the total mass hence flow energetics can be estimated. Establishing a consistent dynamical framework requires linking multi-frequency datasets to track the energy flow through its optimal-contrast emission in the various ISM phases. I show HST results on AGN, starburst nuclei, and Galactic Herbig-Haro Objects that need complementary 3D spectra at comparable spatial resolution to come soon from laser-guided AO + integral-field spectrographs at the William-Herschel and SOAR telescopes.     

Degradation in Cemented Marine Clay Subjected to Cyclic Compressive Loading

The influence of cyclic loading on the strength and deformation behavior of cemented marine clay has been studied. This marine clay is of recent Pleistocene origin and deposited in a shallow water marine environment. Open pits were dug in sheeted enclosures and from these pits, undisturbed samples were taken for strength testing. A series of standard triaxial shear tests and stress controlled one-way cyclic load tests were conducted at consolidation stress ranges below and above the preconsolidation pressure. For the stress levels below the preconsolidation pressure, the cyclic loading has brought about the collapse of the cementation bond through an increase in strains, and at higher pressure ranges, the soil behaves like typical soft clay. This experiment studied the rate of development of strain and pore water pressure and shows that rate is a function of number of cycles, applied stress, and stress history. In addition, soil degradation during cyclic loading is studied in terms of Degradation Index. Attempt has been made to predict stain, pore water pressure, and degradation index through an empirical model.     

A study of heavy metals in limpets Patella sp. collected along a section of the southeastern turkish mediterranean coast

Limpets collected at three locations along the Turkish Mediterranean coast were analyzed for zinc, copper, cadmium, lead, chromium, nickel, iron, arsenic and strontium. Average metal concentrations in samples taken from busy harbor areas and near sewage outfalls differed little from those collected in primarily agricultural areas. Generally, an inverse relationship of metal concentration with size is seen. The average levels found in these samples are of the same order of magnitude as those in limpets from other regions of the world and thus should serve as a good indication of current background levels in this region.     

地震综合效应场函数及其在地震预报中的应用──（一）地震综合效应场函数及其计算方法

在系统地分析了目前各种测震学地震预报方法科学思路的基础上,认为测震学地震预报方法基本上可以分为两大类。一类是以已经发生的一些地震作为未来可能发生的地震的“因”,即由于已经发生的地震对区域应力场的影响,导致未来发生较强地震。这一类包括的预报方法较多,如空区、条带、ｂ值、地震迁移、相关地震等等及其由此衍生出来的各种方法。另一类是把已经发生的一些地震作为区域应力场增强的“果”,即已经发生的地震是区域应力场增强过程中的一种反映,而未来地震不一定是已经发生的地震所导致的结果。这一类包括“地震窗口”、小震群活动等方法。针对第一类方法,各种预报方法都是力图从地震三要素中提取未来地震的信息,而具体作法又都是利用地震三要素这个多维空间的某个剖面。为了从地震活动诸要素的多维空间提取综合信息,我们对每个地震加入了破裂面方位,构成了地震第四要素,并依据地震４要素建立了地震综合效应场函数。地震综合效应场函数概括了多种测震学地震预报方法的科学思路和预报经验,从而可以形成测震学的综合预报方法。     

Commission Geographical Education (IGU/CGE)

The International Geographical Union Reports

Commission Geographical Education (IGU/CGE)     

Acoustic-gravity waves in the thermosphere of Venus

Properties of acoustic-gravity waves in the upper atmosphere of Venus are studied using a two-fluid model which includes the effects of wave-induced diffusion in a diffusively separated atmosphere. In conjunction with neutral mass spectrometer data from the Pioneer Venus orbiter, the theory should provide information on the distribution of wave sources in the Venus upper atmosphere. Observed wave structure in species density measurements should generally have periods ?30–35 min, small N₂, CO, and O amplitudes, and highly variable phase shifts relative to CO₂. A near resonance may exist between downward phase-propagating internal gravity and diffusion waves near the 165-km level at periods near 29 min. As a result, if very large He wave amplitudes are observed near this level, it will indicate that the wave source is below the 150- to 175-km level and that the exospheric temperature is close to 350°K. Wave energy dissipation may be an important mechanism for heating of the nightside Venus thermosphere. Large-density oscillations in stratospheric cloud layer constituents are also possible and may be detectable by the Pioneer Venus large probe neutral mass spectrometer.     

The surface of Io: Geologic units,morphology, and tectonics

A prelimanary geologic map, representing 26.5% of the surface of Io, has been compiled using best-resolution (0.5 to 5 km/line pair) Voyager 1 images and (as a base) a preliminary pictorial map of Io. Nine volcanic units are identified, including materials of mountains (1.9% of total area), plains (49.6%), flows (31.1%), cones (0.1%), and crater vents (4.0%), in addition to seven types of structural features. Photogeologic evidence indicates a dominantly silicate composition for the mountain material, which supports heights of at least 9 ± 1 km. Sulfur flows of diverse viscosity and sulfur-silicate mixtures are thought to compose the pervasive plains. Pit crater and shield crater vent wall scarps reach heights of 2 km and layered plains boundary scarps have estimated heights of 150 to 1700 m; such scarps indicate a material with considerable strenght. A cumulative, volcanic crater size-frequency distribution plot has been prepared using 170 mapped Ionian vents with diameters > 14 km; the shape and slope of the curve are like those for impact craters on other bodies in the solar system, attesting to a similar nonrandom distribution to crater diameters and a surplus of small craters. Io's equatorial zone has six times the number of vents per unit area as the south polar zone. No craters of unequivocal impact origin have been identified on Io to date. A total of 151 lineaments and grabens are recognized with four dominant azimuthal trends forming two nearly orthogonal sets spaces 110° apart (N 85° E, N 25° W and N 45° E, N 55°W). The mapped area lies within the longitudinal zone (250 to 323°) of least-abundant SO₂ frost, indicating that other sulfurous components dominate the upper surface layers in this area.