Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of Antarctic Ice Sheet stability over the last ∼500 ka through a study of iceberg‐rafted debris

We have analyzed ice‐rafted debris (IRD) from the South Atlantic Ocean (∼43°S, 9°E) in order to investigate Antarctic Ice Sheet history during the late Pleistocene; the cores examined for this study include piston core TN057‐6‐PC4 and Ocean Drilling Program Leg 177 drill core Site 1090 (177‐1090). Over the last 500 ka at this distal location, IRD arrived during both glacials and interglacials. IRD is present even during warmer intervals, is greatest during colder intervals, and is absent only during terminations and a few other brief intervals. Four different methods are used to normalize the IRD counts, which are then compared to support our interpretation. Several other high‐quality climate proxies from this location also aid our interpretations. We conclude that sea surface temperatures are the primary control on the delivery of IRD to this site. During cold times more icebergs survived to reach this distal location. During warm times only a few of the largest icebergs could travel this far. Garnets found in these sediments suggest a likely East Antarctic origin for the IRD; the presence of garnets even during warm intervals further strongly supports that the iceberg source must be the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). Therefore, the EAIS must have continued to reach the ocean at least in some part of its margin throughout the last 500 ka. On the other hand, we cannot specifically trace any IRD to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), so WAIS persistence cannot be tested. A particular radiolarian, identified as Dictyocoryne profunda (Ehrenberg) (sensu Boltovskoy (1998)), shows up in the examined size fraction generally only during warm phases. We suggest that D. profunda is a sensitive indicator of warm water temperatures and that it deserves further study.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN IN SITU DYNAMIC LIQUEFACTION TEST

A new field-testing technique has been developed in which liquefaction and pore pressure generation characteristics of soil are measured in situ. The in situ dynamic liquefaction test utilizes a large, hydraulic shaker to load dynamically a soil deposit. The soil response is measured with embedded instrumentation. The embedded instrumentation includes newly developed liquefaction test sensors that incorporate velocity transducers (geophones) and pore pressure transducers in a single case. The recorded data are used to describe pore pressure generation and liquefaction characteristics in terms of the relationship between shear strain and induced pore pressure ratio. The analytical techniques used to compute shear strain from particle velocity measurements are discussed and compared. The results from testing a 1.2-m by 1.2-m by 1.2-m reconstituted field test specimen are presented. The shear strain—pore pressure relationships at selected numbers of loading cycles that were determined from the in situ dynamic liquefaction test are compared with those measured by other investigators in the laboratory. The field-measured relationships show the same shape as the lab-measured relationships, but the field data indicate a smaller threshold strain for pore pressure generation (∼0.005 %). This difference is attributed to the low effective stresses in the reconstituted field specimen.
Reserve Bank of St . Louis Working Paper Series Talent , Labor Quality , and Economic Development German

We develop a theory of labor quality based on (i) the division of the labor force between unskilled and skilled workers and (ii) investments in skilled workers. In our theory, countries differ in two key dimensions: talent and total factor productivity (TFP). We measure talent using the observed achievement levels from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores. Our findings imply that the quality of labor in rich countries is about twice as large as the quality in poor countries. Thus, the implied disparities in TFP levels are smaller relative to the standard growth model using a Mincerian measure of labor quality. In our model, the resulting elasticity of output per worker with respect to TFP is about 2.
Sobre la variación en el marco de la libre elección entre "cantara" y "cantase" en el español peninsular

El articulo trata sobre la variacion en el uso de las formas -ra y -se del imperfecto de subjuntivo en casos donde presentan alomorfia. Se basa en un material empirico de 3201 ocurrencias recogidas de distintas zonas de la Espana peninsular. El objetivo del estudio fue detectar posibles diferencias regionales y reconocer otros posibles factores relacionados con tal variacion. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto no solo variacion diatopica sino, en algunos ca-sos, tambien contextual, que segun la bibliografia no debia existir. Ademas, en la eleccion en-tre los alomorfos se registran diferencias entre varones y mujeres
The brachiopods Alwynella and Grorudia: homeomorphic plectambonitoids in the Middle and Upper Ordovician of Baltoscandia

ABSTRACT Two Ordovician plectambonitoid genera, Alwynella and Grorudia, occur in drill core sections of Latvia in the East Baltic, and in exposures and loose blocks on the Swedish Island of Öland in the Baltic Sea. The new material confirms differences between the two taxa that are assigned herein to separate families, Alwynellidae fam. nov. and Grorudiidae Cocks & Rong, 1989. In particular, the undercut cardinalia separates Alwynella from Grorudia and indicates its proximity to the sowerbyellids. The genus Grorudia, which is externally similar to Alwynella, is more closely related to the palaeostrophomenines. A new species Grorudia morrisoni sp. nov. is established in the East Baltic. The specimens from Öland are included tentatively within the genus Grorudia due to lack of interiors. Both Alwynella and Grorudia were confined to deeper-water facies in the Baltic palaeobasin, within successions ranging in age from latest Mid (late Llanvirn) to earliest Late Ordovician (mid Caradoc).
Foredeep palaeobathymetry and subsidence trends during advancing then retreating subduction: the Northern Apennine case (Oligocene‐Miocene, Italy)

The Northern Apennines provide an example of long‐term deep‐water sedimentation in an underfilled pro‐foreland basin first linked to an advancing orogenic wedge and then to a retreating subduction zone during slab rollback. New palaeobathymetric and geohistory analyses of turbidite systems that accumulated in the foredeep during the Oligocene‐Miocene are used to unravel the basin subsidence history during this geodynamic change, and to investigate how it interplayed with sediment supply and basin tectonics in controlling foredeep filling. The results show an estimated ca. 2 km decrease in palaeowater depth at ca. 17 Ma. Moreover, a change in basin subsidence is documented during Langhian time, with an average decompacted subsidence rate, during individual depocentre life, that increased from <0.3 to 0.4–0.6 mm y−1, together with the appearance of a syndepositional backstripped subsidence bracketed between 0.1 and 0.2 mm y−1. This change prevented the basin from complete filling during late Miocene and is interpreted as the foredeep response to initial rollback of the downgoing Adriatic slab. Thus, the Northern Apennine system provides an example of a pro‐foreland basin that experienced both a slow‐ and high‐subsidence regime as a consequence of the advancing then retreating evolution of the collisional system.
The influence of recent environmental change on flooding and sediment fluxes in the Yorkshire Ouse basin

This study attempts to establish causes of historical variations in flood frequency and magnitude in a 119-year flood stage record at York, and assess its likely effects on fluxes of fine sediment and associated base metal contaminants. Climatic controls of flooding are evaluated through analysis of synoptic flood generation, and large-scale land use changes are also considered in terms of their influence on food frequency and magnitude and sediment availability. The late nineteenth century was characterized by low flood frequency and magnitude, but, as a consequence of upland metal mining, contaminant concentrations and downstream fine sediment delivery would have been high. A further decline in flood frequency and magnitude between 1904 and 1943, combined with the cessation of base metal mining, resulted in a decline of sediment and contaminant fluxes. Between 1944 and 1968 increases in upland drainage, changes in agricultural practices and high flood frequency and magnitude resulted in significantly enhanced sediment fluxes. Rates of flux declined between 1969 and 1977 owing to extremely low flood frequencies and magnitudes. In the last two decades there have been a series of extreme magnitude floods, which through remobilization of mining-contaminated alluvium have resulted in high pollutant metal mining loads, probably approaching those of the late nineteenth century. In an historical context it appears that the LOIS monitoring programme has been undertaken in a period of extremely high flood frequency and magnitude in the UK, and significantly enhanced sediment and contaminant metal flux. Analysis of synoptic flood generation suggests that any future increase in the frequency and vigour of cyclonic atmospheric circulations may result in a higher frequency of extreme floods and consequently increased sediment fluxes.
Petrography and geochemistry of the Belle Roche breccia (lower Visean, Belgium): evidence for brecciation by evaporite dissolution

The lower Visean Belle Roche breccia (east Belgium) displays a number of features that indicate brecciation by evaporite dissolution collapse: the sharp lower contact of the breccia, the gradual transition into the overlying strata, the presence of semi-continuous beds within the breccia giving it a crude ‘stratification’, and the existence of several types of (calcite, dolomite and silica) evaporite pseudomorphs. Furthermore, the majority of the breccia fragments indicates hypersaline to lagoonal sedimentation conditions. Most of these fragments display an interlocking fabric. The interpretation is also supported by the existence of continuous evaporite beds replaced by carbonates (calcite and dolomite) both under and overlying the breccia. The brecciation history is characterized by gradual subsidence. Multiple brecciation episodes are recognized, and are best seen in the lower breccia which underwent at least two major brecciation episodes. Here, brecciated and veined breccia fragments occur within a microsparite (neomorphosed mud) matrix. Brecciation of these strata was due to the dissolution of interlayered evaporites. The second brecciation event relates to infiltration of meteoric water and to the dissolution of the remaining evaporites. This infiltration was probably triggered by the orogenic event at the end of the Visean (Sudetic orogenic phase). The whole breccia was finally cemented by a blocky calcite. The different lithologies and cements were characterized by their trace element (Mg, Sr, Na, Fe, Mn, K), insoluble residue and organic matter content. Carbon/oxygen isotope data of the cements and replaced evaporite layers helped to place the multiple collapse episodes within a general diagenetic model. Solution-reprecipitation processes within the original aragonite-dominated mud fragments, as well as in the early diagenetic dolomite fragments, have been recognized. The geochemical data show that these transformation processes occurred in equilibrium with the same fluid. These processes may have occurred within a freshwater lens very early in the diagenetic evolution or under shallow burial conditions. Cementation of blocky calcite occurred in a meteoric realm under burial conditions.
India: a Case of Fragile Wireless Service and Technology Adoption?

Wireless penetration and the Indian economy have grown significantly over the past few years, but how robust and sustainable is the adoption of wireless services and products? Several papers have discussed India as a wireless service and product market, and sometimes tried to assess quantitative attributes thereof. The present paper aims instead at looking, from a management point of view, at the unique underlying evolution processes, bottlenecks and risks.
Elastic waves through a packing of spheres

Based on a theory of porous solids previously developed by the author, the elasticity of a hexagonal close packing of equal spheres is treated. The packing is anisotropic and because of the weight of the spheres, also inhomogeneous. The velocities of propagation of elastic waves have been calculated for evacuated interspaces and for interspaces filled with a liquid or gas. In the case of evacuated or air‐filled interspaces, the wave rays and travel times have been computed. The packing which has been treated may be of use as a model for a dry or wet loose material such as gravel or sand. Though the model is very simplified, the results obtained show some typical effects such as anisotropy, in homogeneity, and a 90° angle of emergence.
Mantle transition zone beneath Eurasia

Mantle Pds (Fig. 1) converted phases are detected in the records of 11 seismograph stations in easternmost Russia and China. These data reveal neither a strong depression on the 660-km discontinuity nor a layer of partial melting atop the 410-km discontinuity that were found previously beneath this region in studies using long-period underside SH reflections and multiple ScS reverberations. Apparently, a significant deepening of the 660-km discontinuity occurs only if the subducted plate penetrates the discontinuity, which is not the case in the study region. Most estimates of thickness of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) in Eurasia based on the Pds data are a few kilometres larger than the standard value (250 km), and suggest that the average thickness of the MTZ beneath Eurasia is about 10 kilometres more than beneath the surrounding oceans.
Effects of rock mechanical properties on local stress field of the Mahanadi basin, India—results from finite element modelling

Two dimensional (2‐D) finite element models (FEM) are generated using two available seismic sections across the Mahanadi Basin (MB) at the east coast of India. This permits to study the interactive effect between applied stress in the direction of maximum horizontal compressive stress (SH) and variations in rock mechanical properties of several litho‐units present in the basin. The SH orientation for six offshore wells in the MB known from our previous studies [ Chatterjee and Mukhopadhyay, 2000 ] have been used as constraints for FEM. Local stress modifications due to contrast in the Young's modulus between sedimentary in‐fill and the crust down to 20 km depth are investigated for two more orthogonal seismic profiles traversing the basin from onland to offshore. FEM‐derived stress vectors clearly respond to variations in elastic properties of rocks corresponding to lithological interfaces in the basin and its underlying crust. Rotation of the principal stress is prominent where the stress concentration is high. Further, the stress concentration reflects the basinal configuration.
Rock strength and development of glacial valley morphology in the scottish highlands and northwest iceland

Abstract Using data from the Scottish Highlands and northwest Iceland, the present study indicates that bedrock strength properties are an important control on the morphology of glacial valleys. Results indicate that on closely jointed metasedimentary bedrock of low rock mass strength, broad U‐shaped valleys are developed, whilst steeper sided, narrower cross‐profiles have been developed on igneous bedrock of high rock mass strength. Findings suggest it is the interplay of the mass strength of the subglacial bedrock and the dynamic properties of the eroding glacier that control valley morphological development. The implication is that realistic models of topographic development beneath ice sheets need to consider the rock mass strength properties of the eroded bedrock as well as the glaciological variables.
The Italian Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER-Italy) network: results, opportunities, and challenges for coastal transitional ecosystems

1 - The Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) network, now a global reality, was founded on a combination of long-term ecological studies, short-term experiments, and comparisons among sites and eco-domains. 2 - The LTER-Italy network was officially established as a formal member of the LTER international network in 2006, following a wider on-going process in Europe; it currently consists of 22 sites representing the main ecosystem typologies of Italy. Four coastal transitional ecosystem sites are included in the LTER-Italy network: on the northern Peninsula, these include the Venice Lagoon and the lagoons of the Po River Delta, which are characterized by a temperate climate and the influence of tides; and in the southern sector, these include the coastal ecosystems of Sardinia and the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, which are characterized by a Mediterranean climate and the absence of sensible tides. 3 - In this paper, we present and discuss three main issues: (1) the LTER-International and LTER-Europe context, emphasising the most practical issues and activities that must be addressed for the effective organization and maintenance of LTER networks; (2) the history, structure, and perspectives of the national LTER-Italy network; and (3) the opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses related to participation of the LTER-Italy network in the study of coastal transitional ecosystems.
Estructura, composición florística y diversidad de especies leñosas de un bosque mesófilo de montaña de Guerrero, México

THE STRUCTURE, FLORISTIC COMPOSITION, AND SPECIES DIVERSITY OF WOODY PLANTS OF THE CLOUD FOREST IN CARRIZAL DE BRAVO, GUERRERO, WAS DESCRIBED AND COMPARED TO OTHER CLOUD FORESTS OF MEXICO. IN EACH OF THE 17 PLOTS OF 2500 M2, ALL INDIVIDUALS 1 CM DIAMETER AT BREAST HEIGHT (DBH) WERE RECORDED, MEASURED IN DBH, AND DETERMINED TO SPECIES LEVEL. FOREST STRUCTURE WAS BASED ON SPECIES RELATIVE IMPORTANCE VALUES (RIV) AND SPECIES, 66 GENERA AND 42 FAMILIES. THE FAMILIES WITH LARGER NUMBER OF SPECIES WERE COMPOSITAE, FAGACEAE, LAURACEAE, MYRSINACEAE, PINACEAE, AND SOLANACEAE. A SIMILARITY ANALYSIS AMONG PLOTS REVEALED THE EXISTENCE OF TWO FLORISTICALLY DISTINCT GROUPS, ONE LOCATED ON THE PACIFISLOPE AND ANOTHER IN THE BALSAS BASIN, WHICH DIFFERED BY THE OCCURRENCE OF 24 FAMILIES (64 SPECIES). STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT CHIRANTHODENDRON PENTADACTYLON WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT SPECIES DUE TO ITS LARGER RELATIVE BASAL AREA, FOLLOWED BY ROLDANA SCHAFFNERI, CRITONIA PANEROI, SOLANUM ALIGERUM, ABIES GUATEMALENSIS, QUERCUS RUBRAMENTA, OREOPANAX XALAPENSIS, OCOTEA CHIAPENSIS, CROTON DRACO, PERSEA AMERICANA, MELIOSMA DENTATA, AND CLEYERA INTEGRIFOLIA, WHICH TOGETHER ACCOUNTED FOR 51% OF RIV. TOTAL BASAL AREA WAS 232.57 M IN THE 4.25 HA, OR 54.72 M HA, WHICH WASA FIGURE SIMILAR TO THOSE REPORTED FOR OMILTEMI, EL TRIUNFO ANDCENTRAL VERACRUZ CLOUD FORESTS. SHANNON-WIENER AND FISHER'S α DIVERSITY INDEXES FOR THE 4.25 HA WERE 3.35 AND 15.3, RESPECTIVELY. THIS FOREST, COMPARED TO OTHER MEXICAN CLOUD FORESTS, IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE OF THE COUNTRY, ONLY SURPASSED BY THAT OF CUZULAPA FROM MANANTLAN, JALISCO.
Dynamics of Murray‐Darling floodplain forests under multiple stressors: The past, present, and future of an Australian icon

We review the human actions, proximal stressors and ecological responses for floodplain forests Australia's largest river system—the Murray‐Darling Basin. A conceptual model for the floodplain forests was built from extensive published information and some unpublished results for the system, which should provide a basis for understanding, studying and managing the ecology of floodplains that face similar environmental stresses. Since European settlement, lowlands areas of the basin have been extensively cleared for agriculture and remnant forests heavily harvested for timber. The most significant human intervention is modification of river flows, and the reduction in frequency, duration and timing of flooding, which are compounded by climate change (higher temperatures and reduced rainfall) and deteriorating groundwater conditions (depth and salinity). This has created unfavorable conditions for all life‐history stages of the dominant floodplain tree (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh.). Lack of extensive flooding has led to widespread dieback across the Murray River floodplain (currently 79% by area). Management for timber resources has altered the structure of these forests from one dominated by large, widely spreading trees to mixed‐aged stands of smaller pole trees. Reductions in numbers of birds and other vertebrates followed the decline in habitat quality (hollow‐bearing trees, fallen timber). Restoration of these forests is dependent on substantial increases in the frequency and extent of flooding, improvements in groundwater conditions, re‐establishing a diversity of forest structures, removal of grazing and consideration of these interacting stressors.
Saupe Evaluation of Texture Registration by Epipolar Geometry

In the process of digitizing the geometry and appearance of 3D objects, texture registration is a necessary step that solves the 2D-3D mapping between the 2D texture images and the 3D geometric model. For evaluation of texture registration with ground truth, accurate datasets can be obtained with a complex setup consisting of calibrated geometry and texture capture devices. We do not have any knowledge of such evaluation performed; current evaluations reflect, at their best, the precision achieved by the algorithms, but fail to identify a possible bias. We propose a new evaluation measure based on the epipolar geometry of texture image pairs, with the advantage that the ground truth can be extracted solely from the texture images, independent of the 3D acquisition. We developed a noise model suitable to our purpose and analysed three distance measures based on epipolar geometry, well known in the computer vision community, to find new theoretical and experimental results. Finally, using the proposed framework, we evaluated a texture registration algorithm based on mutual information, and found that its accuracy was under half-pixel.
Effects of nonlinear rheology on degree 2 harmonic deformation in a spherical self‐gravitating earth

The effect of non‐linear rheology on surface displacements, gravitational potential perturbation and ∂tJ2 (or J2‐dot) for a self‐gravitating spherical earth is studied using a finite element code coupled to Poisson's equation. Four earth models investigated are: a model with uniform linear rheology throughout the mantle and three others containing nonlinear rheology in the whole mantle, upper mantle and lower mantle respectively. The effect of self‐gravitation is shown to be non‐negligible. The effects of nonlinear rheology in different parts of the mantle on surface displacements and potential have also been shown to be large. ∂tJ2 due to cyclic glaciation of the Laurentian, Fennoscandian, Barents Sea and Antarctic ice sheets over realistic oceans is also computed for all four rheology models. The model with nonlinear lower mantle cannot be ruled out by the observed data.