bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La música y su aprendizaje en la construcción de culturas para hacer las paces
Authors: Cabedo Mas Alberto
Published: March 2015

En el siguiente texto nos proponemos aportar una reflexión en torno a las posibilidades de la música y de la práctica musical conjunta para la construcción de espacios de paz y convivencia positiva. Partiendo de la convicción de que el lenguaje musical puede convertirse en un potente elemento comunicativo, y que la comunicación musical puede ayudar a cohesionar a las personas, pero también a dividirlas, se reconoce a la educación como el principal motor para orientar nuestras acciones hacia el uso de prácticas musicales que repercutan en la mejora en el bienestar de personas y pueblos.Con este fin, queremos mencionar y reconocer algunos proyectos que, haciendo uso de la música y de su aprendizaje, han sido importantes instrumentos de transformación social hacia comunidades más pacíficas. La salvaguarda de estas iniciativas, y el diseño de nuevos proyectos creativos que hagan de la música una herramienta para la construcción de paz es uno de los mayores retos a los que músicos y educadores musicales deben enfrentarse en la actualidad.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/cultura.v20i64.1872 Cultura de Paz Vol.20 Num.64 2015: 10-16
“Marcas de la piel”, “Dulce Real”
Authors: López Jicksin
Published: March 2015

Presento a una joven artista, ella es autodidacta, que a mi criterio tiene ese don nato de plasmar en sus lienzos todo ese mundo de imágenes que en su ser existen; tengo la seguridad que en un futuro cercano se cumplirá esa promesa de triunfar por sí misma.Iván BermúdezPintor NicaragüenseDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/cultura.v20i64.1876Cultura de Paz Vol.20 Num.64 2015
“Mirador Piedras Azules- Lago Xolotlán”, “Los Robles- Río San Juan”
Authors: Hernández Gustavo
Published: March 2015

La pintura y plumilla de Gustavo Hernández, posee mucha sensibilidad extraída de su memoria bucólica de matriz campesina y no de imágenes calcadas del tercer mundo. Son pinturas tratadas en acrílicos y técnicas mixtas; su temática del paisaje nicaragüense, abarca el pacifico, norte, sur, y Costa Caribe. En este sentido sus temas abordan la belleza natural del paisaje pero vista desde un mundo de la simpleza natural, del color vivo y pletórico de un jardín florecido que emana alegría de vivir sin las complejidades, propias de este mundo globalizado.Arnulfo AgüeroCrítico de arteDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/cultura.v20i64.1877Cultura de Paz Vol.20 Num.64 2015
Saludos de Elena Poniatowska
Authors: Saludo al IMLK Saludo
Published: March 2015

Saludo de Elena Poniatowska al IMLK de la UPOLI.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/cultura.v20i64.1882Cultura de Paz Vol.20 Num.64 2015
¿Calidad de la Educación o Nuevo Paradigma de Educación?
Authors: Lacayo Parajón Francisco
Published: March 2015

Francisco Lacayo Parajón se centra en analizar estructural y holísticamente el reto que el paradigma de educación nos plantea en el siglo XXI, no sólo a nosotros sino al mundo entero. En su opinión la educación está en el corazón de la paz y de la cultura de paz. El Acta Constitutiva de la UNESCO afirma que para evitar una nueva guerra hay que erigir la paz a través de la educación, la ciencia y la cultura.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/cultura.v20i64.1883Cultura de Paz Vol.20 Num.64 2015
Homenaje al profesor Dionisio Manga Rodríguez: contribuciones al desarrollo de la neuropsicología del siglo XX y XXI
Authors: Bausela Herreras Esperanza
Published: March 2015

Es de justicia reconocer públicamente el papel que el Dr. Dionisio Manga Rodríguez ha tenido en el desarrollo de la neuropsicología en el siglo XX y el presente siglo XXI, de ahí el fin de este monográfico.
Communication and Ethical Behavior in the Public Service
Authors: Musaraj Arta , Gërxhi Julejda
Published: March 2015

Setting up public administration which operates effectively and taking over responsibilities, both crucial on the point of view of the democracy indicators, requires great effort from all social stake holders in setting up and maintaining a public service organization. This notion implies the setting in function of the instruments and procedures that prevent undesirable behavior and provide encouragement of good behavior among operators of those services. While doing this, communication as a main component of the public service, calls for structure and control. Ethics or standards of behavior in the public sector are important political and public issues for every country, which is always held as a fundamental prerequisite for “good behavior” (good governance). The Code of ethics by which are expressed the values and standards in the civil service is one of the ethical elements of infrastructure. It enhances the function of orientation (giving instructions for action and behavior), and aims: respect for the law, respect for individuals, personal and professional integrity and efficiency in managing public resources, reinforcing the role and importance that the communication strategies and tools have. Professional association helps to develop judgment and of the necessary skills to enable white collar workers to apply communication strategy and tools and ethical principles in real circumstances. Objective progress can help create an environment where the white collar workers are willing to face and resolve communication problems and ethical disputes, they can even develop essential skills for effective communication and ethical analysis. The mechanisms of awareness about mission and processes of the public service, orientation and internal consulting in the civil service should be available to help white collar workers to apply basic communication and ethical standards in the workplace. Improvements in the legal framework is necessary for the proper functioning of public service, namely: to gain and maintain public confidence.
On the way to «Creative Empathy»: the concept of truth as a social community enterprise in G. B. Vico’s «New Science»
Authors: Ferrarotti Franco
Published: March 2015

There is no need to have recourse to sociology and to psychology in order to refute many worthy philosophers, in arguing that philosophical ideas, the history of philosophy, and philosophy itself, cannot be reduced to a chaotic and impersonal flux of problems and ideas. As Nietzsche says: «Little by little I have managed to form an idea of what all philosophies up to now have been: they have been the confessions of their authors, a kind of autobiographical memoirs, without their wishing it, or being aware of this». As Nietzsche shows, besides the categories for analysing the sociology of knowledge, it is useful to take into consideration too the character factors of the individual philosophers, as constants determining not only the actual construction of theories but also, and chiefly, their intelligibility.
San Francisco, California, August 3-31, 2010
Authors: Macioti Maria Immacolata
Published: March 2015

What are my impressions of San Francisco, after a month’s stay? A city wrapped in a thick mist, in a fog obstructing the panorama. Cold. A city, less frequently, with a clear blue sky, silhouetting the hills and buildings. Low houses, of two or three stories, each with their own characteristics, with their own individual style, often delicate, well cared for. With interesting architectural decorations, bay windows allowing you to glimpse objects clearly held dear by their inhabitants: pottery, flower vases. American flags. Religious images. Near where I live, in the Mission, a largely Mexican neighborhood, I often pass an image of Christ that changes physiognomy depending on my distance: now he seems to have an eye closed, now he seems to be looking out with two alert eyes. The houses generally have wooden steps; blue, pink, green in various gradations, yellowish. Also purple. They evoke European architecture, some are Victorian in style. Downtown, instead, skyscrapers characterize the business and bank district.
From A Climate Action Plan (CAP) to a Microgrid: The SEEU Sustainability Concept Including Social Aspects
Authors: Abazi Alajdin , Iljazi Iljas , Spirovski Darko
Published: March 2015

Following new global trends, the South East European University (SEEU), besides excellence in teaching and research, is committed to contributing to climate change effects and energy efficiency. SEEU will introduce a microgrid as a further step from the CAP towards energy sustainability. This paper presents the SEEU CAP and microgrid and also highlights benefits that are related to socio-economic conditions and the environment, including social aspects and sustainability.
Reformation of Tax Procedures along the European Integration Process
Authors: Bungo Tafa Genta
Published: March 2015

Approximation of the Albanian legislation with the acquis communautaire is accompanied by deep reforms and, consequently, by reforms of relations accompanying the relevant laws. In this context, one of the European Union recommendations for the Albanian government was the country’s tax reform. This reform was accompanied by the abrogation of Law no 8560, of 22 December 1999 “On Tax Procedures in the Republic of Albania” and the approval of the new Law No. 9920, of 19 May 2008 “On Tax Procedures in the Republic of Albania”. The purpose of this Law is to reduce informal economy and to improve the business climate in the country. By analyzing the legal amendments in this tax domain, we shall see reformation of tax procedures, evolution and the tax appeal process in Albania. By way of providing details on main issues, we shall focus on the benefits the changed tax procedures have yielded to the taxpayer and to the protection the law provides to the taxpayers against the illegal tax administration actions. Amongst the issues treated in this article is also the impact of such procedures in the fight against fiscal evasion.
For a metaphorical tool to evoke identity: the tomen
Authors: Gandolfi Enrico
Published: March 2015

In my contribution I want to investigate, from a theoretical point of view but also with methodological and practical consequences, the qualitative role of metaphor in social research. As tool able to improve and facilitate the visualization of complex ideas and states of mind, this rhetorical figure permits to obtain more information from interviewed people about topics hard to access in common interviews. This goal can be achieved by the build of the so called “tomen”, an artifact/experience design created by the subject(s) interviewed which represents a gate point from which explore hidden dimensions, individual as diffused. Furthermore, the metaphor offers a strong link to another concept that now in sociology needs an operative dimension, the game: a buzz word that I intend as social frame of experience positioned in an artificial setting, a “magic circle”, able to represent in its operations a collective metaphor which gives us enormous possibilities to configure and set the ground of analysis.
When the biology, pedagogy and teaching standards come together
Authors: Musaraj Adanela
Published: March 2015

Every day, scientific knowledge is growing exponentially and either researcher, nor students have the ability to keep up with literature. On the other hand, new generations of students have different views of information access from that of their older professors and no longer need to depend on professors to obtain information. However, sometimes they are unable to relate this new information to existing knowledge or to transfer it to solve novel problems. It is a challenge for medical educators to search for new pedagogical models that promote in their students the development of strong cognitive processes that allow them to select, integrate, and transfer the new learning and, therefore, to reach meaningful learning. Meaningful learning occurs when the learner interprets, relates, and incorporates new information with existing knowledge and applies the new information to solve novel problems. Meaningful learning, then, involves building multiple representations (mental models) of knowledge. In medicine, meaningful learning implies that knowledge acquired by the students makes sense in their future medical practice and allows them to solve different problems In biology, meaningful learning means that the students are able to apply what they know about biology to novel situations, they are able to predict and explain the responses of a biological system if it is disturbed and sometimes to solve quantitative problems (calculate something). This is easier in the clinical setting than during basic science instruction. During the latter, students receive a great amount of information, some of which does not have direct medical application. Thus, many students in the first semester use rote memorization to acquire a large amount of information that they will forget after the exams. In this study, we addressed the following research question: does the concept mapping methodology, articulated with the mediated learning experience, increase meaningful learning in students attending to the cardiovascular module of a biology course?
Judicial Enforcement of Economic, Social and Cultural Right
Authors: Haxhiraj Aulona
Published: March 2015

Economic, social and cultural right (“social right”) have historically been viewed as distinct in natyre and scope from civil and political right. Rather than being viewed as judicially enforceable rights of immeadiate application, such rights have widely been considered non-justiciable programmatic goals to be archieved progressively within available resources, through political processes. The purpose of this paper is to provide the legal and analytical tools to understand why this dichotomy is false. The paper will consider the international normative framework for the legal protection of social rights, the specific content of state obligations under treaties dealing with such rights, how the international social rights monitoring system functions, and the various obstacles and opportunities currently facing the judicial enforceability of social rights. In every society there is violation which implies its citizen not get proper social right, economical right and cultural right. Proper implementation and adoption of judicial enforcement can reduce this violation rate and established social peace. Step mentioned in the above might not perfect but it might be small starting and ensure social, culture & economical right for the people living in the society.
Eco-Education: A Required Element of Public Policies for Sustainable Social and Economic Development
Authors: Iovan Marţian
Published: March 2015

In this article, the author analyzes eco-education from a transdisciplinary perspective, as part of the “new education”, referring to its current dimensions, its goals and its utility in shaping the attitudes and behaviors of contemporary humans towards their environment and towards sustainable living. The goals and content of eco-education are dependent on a new philosophy, on a new axiological and ethical orientation that is, opposed to rationalistic philosophy, which guided the age of machinism and industrialization. The new view regarding humans’ (anthroposphere) relations with nature (biosphere and geosphere), is inspired from the fundamental rights of the human being, as part of nature, from universal values which harmonize sociosphere and biosphere, the ecological awareness of contemporary society with regard to the objective laws of nature, biodiversity conservation and environmental protection by juridical laws. These goals are meant for the entire population, especially children and young people, with the aid of schools and other educational factors (church, mass – media, cultural foundations, non-governmental organizations etc.), an ecological awareness, positive feelings and attitudes with respect to the environment, skills, abilities and capacities for efficient action in the sense of protecting nature and conserving ecological circuits. The author lays an emphasis on the idea that ecological education, in all its forms, will not yield the results expected by experts and future generations if it is undertaken randomly, fragmentarily, incoherently – regardless of how diversified and quantitatively extended it might be. As a global issue of today’s society – the efficiency of eco-education is dependent on the philosophy of nature and life, materialized in a global strategy, such as that of durable and knowledge-based development, which will facilitate the harmonization of various public policies launched by contemporary organizations and authorities. Generally speaking, any public policy has an ecological component, and the obtainment of performance in ecological policies necessarily involves an adequate ecological education.
The approach towards gay marriage in the Albanian legislation and society
Authors: Kadi Xhensila
Published: March 2015

The goal of this paper is to address the phenomena of homosexuality in Albania and the situation of persons with homosexual tendencies encounter. Future spouses’ sexuality cannot be ignored when addressing the conditions for marriage. The issue of gay marriage has been at the center of political and social debate in the world for years now. Legal regulation concerning homosexual marriage is found in countries like Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and the Netherlands. As regards Albania, no law allowing same gender marriages has been adopted yet. Our Family Code does not give a clear definition of the concept of future spouses, not having a provision that specifically requires different genders of people wishing to join in marriage, although, through a careful reading of the provisions of the Family Code it is noted that different genders are a requirement for marriage. Regardless of the time we live in, we observe that our society is still conservatory towards this phenomenon. The fear that with accepting homosexual marriages the definition of the traditional family will lose its meaning brings a large part of the society to be skeptical in accepting homosexual marriages. We continue to be faced to the myth that the acceptance of homosexual marriages will lead to an increase in the number of homosexuals in the country.
Lawyer of defendant and his role in the criminal process from the viewpoint of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Albanian criminal procedural legislation
Authors: Skenderaj Klodjan , Mëngjesi Sokol
Published: March 2015

A guarantee for real ensuring of defendant’s rights is the qualified legal assistance by the side of the lawyer, chosen or assigned by the proceeding body. Providing legal protection to defendants was an important achievement in the long and difficult efforts to democratize the criminal proceedings. It was initially achieved in developed countries which promulgated the fundamental rights and freedoms and on this basis the major laws of activity of justice’s bodies were enforced. The role of lawyer in the criminal proceeding gradually increased and became an important factor in the fight against violations of law and injustice. The lawyer became a respected procedural figure, standing in front of prosecution, as the opposing party able to develop a cross-examination and to influence in a fair solution of case. However in practice, it is not rare the violation of rights of defendants by proceeding organs. So, it is right to make this question: What will be done with their rights and how will they be protected? In practice there were different opinions in terms of guaranteeing the rights of these defendants and how far the rights of lawyers of the defendants are extended. This is the reason why this paper will bring in attention the position, procedural guarantees of lawyers, the actions that can take and the exercise of their main rights in defending the interest of defendant, taking into account the main phases of criminal proceedings. Special attention will be devoted to case law of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in terms of guaranteeing the rights of defendants, the orientations of the Albanian Constitutional Court and that of Supreme Court. At the end, this paper will reach in some conclusions through which proposals and amendments will be made to the code of criminal procedure, starting from the principle that the rights and procedural guarantees of defendants should be guaranteed at the maximum, because it’s the only way to achieve the highest degree of democratization of the criminal proceedings.
From urchins to sailors: an educative and civic experiment in Naples (1913-1928) - The story of “Caracciolo”, between poverty, social solidarity and education challenges.
Authors: Selvaggio Maria Antonietta
Published: March 2015

This paper proposes to examine Giulia Civita Franceschi’s work in the city of Naples, in favour of abandoned childhood. Between 1913 and 1928, she obtained by the Ministry of Navy and steered the training ship Caracciolo, which became for many urchins their home and family. So, they had the occasion to be saved from misery and delinquency. While before it they crowded streets, squares and arcades of the city, searching charity and ready to steel for surviving, on board ship they became little sailors, living a laborious and restrained life. Civita, inspiring to the concept of the sea as an educator, showed that thanks to her method, edged children and boys could become citizens, conscious of their rights and duties. The ship was site of visits by Italian and foreign delegations, which went to observe closer an educative experiment, considered as a pattern to imitate. The ship was a «second birth» for the Neapolitan urchins, offering them a new starting point, not an arrival point or a temporary protective recovery. The orientation impressed by Giulia Civita, in fact, marked the “Caracciolo” among other similar experiences as a unique educative pattern.
Rolling back malaria
Authors: Matthews Philippa C
Published: March 2015

Efforts to fight malaria in Africa are proving successful in many countries, but a population explosion means that there is still a long way to go.
Women’s Roles and Participation in Rituals in the Maintenance of Cultural Identity: A Study of the Malaysian Iyers
Authors: Vijaya Sankar Lokasundari
Published: March 2015

This paper examines the roles and rituals practiced by Malaysian Iyer women. The Iyers are a small community of Tamil Brahmins who live and work mainly in the Klang Valley. As an Indian diasporic community, who moved to Malaysia from the early 1900s, they have been slowly shifting from Tamil to English and Malay. They are upwardly mobile and place great emphasis on education but at the same time, value their traditions and culture. Data was derived from interactions between women and men from the Malaysian Iyer community together with personal observations made during visits to their homes, weddings and prayer sessions. This data was studied to obtain insights into cultural elements that ruled their discourse. The findings show that for this diasporic community that was slowly losing its language, ethnic identity can still be found in their cultural practices. Women were seen as keepers of tradition and customs that are important to the community. They followed certain cultural and traditional practices in their homes: practiced vegetarianism while cooking and serving food in their homes, followed taboos regarding food preparation, maintained patriarchal practices especially in religious practices and lived in extended families which usually included paternal grandparents. Malaysian Iyer women are seen to continue with the traditional roles given to women of the community.
Gatekeeping in the Coverage of Interethnic Conflicts: An Analysis of Mainstream and Alternative Newspapers in Malaysia
Authors: Lai Fong Yang , Ahmad Ishak Sidin
Published: March 2015

Ethnicity, religion and related issues have always proved to be a difficult topic for reporting in multicultural societies. This study examined the gatekeeping process undertaken by Malaysian newspapers in reporting interethnic conflicts. The gatekeeping theory was employed as the theoretical framework. Interviews with editors from the mainstream and alternative newspapers found that gatekeeping took place at the individual, routine, and organizational as well as institutional levels. Significantly, two newspapers owned by pro-government political parties – Utusan by UMNO and The Star by MCA – claimed that ownership had an impact on their gatekeeping decision. It was found that political reason was the primary external factor influencing the gatekeeping of the newspapers in their coverage of interethnic conflicts. This study indicates that journalists/editors shape a reality that reflects the political, economic and ideological boundaries within which they work. More importantly, gatekeeping was found to reflect a struggle between dominant social norms and efforts for change.
Critical Analysis Of Multiphernia and Identity in Two Selected Malaysian Novels
Authors: Farahmandian Hamid
Published: March 2015

The texts that have been selected to analyse multiphrenia and identity issues areGreen is the Color byLloyd Fernando andMr.Tang’s Girlsby Shirley Lim. In this paper, I discuss how post-modern characteristics of self-creation define the protoganist’s identity while in the second novel, I explore the influence of patriarchal society on the shaping of the protagonist’s identity. The patriarchal society for which the protagonist’s father is an example is considered the ‘other’ as seen in Burke and Stets’ (2009) ‘the nature of the individual depends upon the society in which he or she lives’.
The electrical structure of the central Pacific upper mantle constrained by the NoMelt experiment
Authors: Sarafian Emily , Evans Rob. L. , Collins John A. , Elsenbeck Jimmy , Gaetani Glenn A. , Gaherty James B. , Hirth Greg , Lizarralde Daniel
Published: March 2015

The NoMelt experiment imaged the mantle beneath 70 Ma Pacific seafloor with the aim of understanding the transition from the lithosphere to the underlying convecting asthenosphere. Seafloor magnetotelluric data from four stations were analyzed using 2‐D regularized inverse modeling. The preferred electrical model for the region contains an 80 km thick resistive (>103 Ωm) lithosphere with a less resistive (∼50 Ωm) underlying asthenosphere. The preferred model is isotropic and lacks a highly conductive (≤10 Ωm) layer under the resistive lithosphere that would be indicative of partial melt. We first examine temperature profiles that are consistent with the observed conductivity profile. Our profile is consistent with a mantle adiabat ranging from 0.3 to 0.5°C/km. A choice of the higher adiabatic gradient means that the observed conductivity can be explained solely by temperature. In contrast, a 0.3°C/km adiabat requires an additional mechanism to explain the observed conductivity profile. Of the plausible mechanisms, H2O, in the form of hydrogen dissolved in olivine, is the most likely explanation for this additional conductivity. Our profile is consistent with a mostly dry lithosphere to 80 km depth, with bulk H2O contents increasing to between 25 and 400 ppm by weight in the asthenosphere with specific values dependent on the choice of laboratory data set of hydrous olivine conductivity and the value of mantle oxygen fugacity. The estimated H2O contents support the theory that the rheological lithosphere is a result of dehydration during melting at a mid‐ocean ridge with the asthenosphere remaining partially hydrated and weakened as a result.
Electromagnetic fluctuations of the whistler‐cyclotron and firehose instabilities in a Maxwellian and Tsallis‐kappa‐like plasma
Authors: Viñas Adolfo F. , Moya Pablo S. , Navarro Roberto E. , Valdivia J. Alejandro , Araneda Jaime A. , Muñoz Víctor
Published: March 2015

Observed electron velocity distributions in the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind exhibit a variety of nonthermal features which deviate from thermal equilibrium, for example, in the form of temperature anisotropies, suprathermal tail extensions, and field‐aligned beams. The state close to thermal equilibrium and its departure from it provides a source for spontaneous emissions of electromagnetic fluctuations, such as the whistler. Here we present a comparative analysis of the electron whistler‐cyclotron and firehose fluctuations based upon anisotropic plasma modeled with Maxwellian and Tsallis‐kappa‐like particle distributions, to explain the correspondence relationship of the magnetic fluctuations as a function of the electron temperature and thermal anisotropy in the solar wind and magnetosphere plasmas. The analysis presented here considers correlation theory of the fluctuation‐dissipation theorem and the dispersion relation of transverse fluctuations, with wave vectors parallel to the uniform background magnetic field, in a finite temperature anisotropic thermal bi‐Maxwellian and nonthermal Tsallis‐kappa‐like magnetized electron‐proton plasma. Dispersion analysis and stability thresholds are derived for these thermal and nonthermal distributions using plasma and field parameters relevant to the solar wind and magnetosphere environments. Our results indicate that there is an enhancement of the fluctuations level in the case of nonthermal distributions due to the effective higher temperature and the excess of suprathermal particles. These results suggest that a comparison of the electromagnetic fluctuations due to thermal and nonthermal distributions provides a diagnostic signature by which inferences about the nature of the particle velocity distribution function can be ascertained without in situ particle measurements.
Influences on the positioning of mantle plumes following supercontinent formation
Authors: Heron Philip J. , Lowman Julian P. , Stein Claudia
Published: March 2015

Several mantle convection studies analyzing the effects of supercontinent formation and dispersal show that the genesis of subcontinental plumes results from the formation of subduction zones at the edges of the supercontinent rather than from the effect of continental thermal insulation or thermochemical piles. However, the influence of subduction zone location on the position of subcontinental plumes has received little attention. This study analyzes 2‐D and 3‐D numerical models of supercontinent formation (in an isochemical mantle) to assess the role of subduction and mantle viscosity contrast in the generation of subcontinental mantle plumes. We find that once a critical supercontinent width is reached, plumes do not form under the center of a supercontinent. In studies featuring a low viscosity lower mantle, the surface positions of the initial plumes (arriving within 90 Myr of supercontinent assembly) become locked beneath the continent at a distance 2000–3000 km from the continental margin. However, the broad downwellings in simulations that feature a high‐viscosity lower mantle trigger plumes at a greater distance from the continental margin subduction. For all mantle viscosity profiles, subcontinental plumes show dependence on the location of supercontinent margin subduction. As theories differ on the role of core‐mantle boundary chemical piles in plume formation, it is significant that our isochemical models show that the formation of subduction zones at the margins of a supercontinent has a profound effect on subcontinental mantle dynamics. Our results may help to explain what determined the eruption sites of past (and future) large igneous provinces.
Optical modeling of volcanic ash particles using ellipsoids
Authors: Merikallio Sini , Muñoz Olga , Sundström Anu‐Maija , Virtanen Timo H. , Horttanainen Matti , Leeuw Gerrit de , Nousiainen Timo
Published: March 2015

The single‐scattering properties of volcanic ash particles are modeled here by using ellipsoidal shapes. Ellipsoids are expected to improve the accuracy of the retrieval of aerosol properties using remote sensing techniques, which are currently often based on oversimplified assumptions of spherical ash particles. Measurements of the single‐scattering optical properties of ash particles from several volcanoes across the globe, including previously unpublished measurements from the Eyjafjallajökull and Puyehue volcanoes, are used to assess the performance of the ellipsoidal particle models. These comparisons between the measurements and the ellipsoidal particle model include consideration of the whole scattering matrix, as well as sensitivity studies on the point of view of the Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) instrument. AATSR, which flew on the ENVISAT satellite, offers two viewing directions but no information on polarization, so usually only the phase function is relevant for interpreting its measurements. As expected, ensembles of ellipsoids are able to reproduce the observed scattering matrix more faithfully than spheres. Performance of ellipsoid ensembles depends on the distribution of particle shapes, which we tried to optimize. No single specific shape distribution could be found that would perform superiorly in all situations, but all of the best‐fit ellipsoidal distributions, as well as the additionally tested equiprobable distribution, improved greatly over the performance of spheres. We conclude that an equiprobable shape distribution of ellipsoidal model particles is a relatively good, yet enticingly simple, approach for modeling volcanic ash single‐scattering optical properties.
Temporal variations of atmospheric depositional fluxes of 7Be and 210Pb over 8 years (2006–2013) at Shanghai, China, and synthesis of global fallout data
Authors: Du Juan , Du Jinzhou , Baskaran Mark , Bi Qianqian , Huang Dekun , Jiang Yifei
Published: March 2015

7Be and 210Pb, two atmospherically delivered radionuclides, have been broadly applied to study the processes including air mass transport, soil erosion, and particle cycling in aqueous systems. These studies require temporal variations of their depositional fluxes. In the present work, monthly atmospheric bulk depositional fluxes of 7Be and 210Pb were measured over 8 years (December 2005 to December 2013) at Shanghai, China. The bulk depositional fluxes of 7Be and 210Pb varied from 17.9 to 421 Bq m−2 month−1 and 6.8 to 82.1 Bq m−2 month−1, respectively. The volume‐weighted activities ranged from 0.20 to 8.06 Bq L−1 for 7Be and 0.05 to 3.40 Bq L−1 for 210Pb. There were strong seasonal variations in the depositional fluxes of these nuclides. The seasonal fraction of depositional fluxes was >30% of the total annual depositional fluxes of 210Pb in winter and 7Be in spring. The lowest depositional fluxes were found in summer for both radionuclides, with precipitation‐normalized enrichment factor (α) values of <1.0. The results from the synthesis of global fallout data indicate that there are latitudinal variations in the maximum depositional fluxes and volume‐weighted activities of 7Be, both values increase with latitude from the equator to the midlatitudes. The 210Pb depositional fluxes increase with the distance from the coast in inland regions (distance from the coast >50 km) and increase with the amount of precipitation in onshore region (distance from the coast ≤50 km). We also report that Shanghai, China, has the second highest bulk depositional fluxes of 210Pb in literature.
How well do CMIP5 climate simulations replicate historical trends and patterns of meteorological droughts?
Authors: Nasrollahi Nasrin , AghaKouchak Amir , Cheng Linyin , Damberg Lisa , Phillips Thomas J. , Miao Chiyuan , Hsu Kuolin , Sorooshian Soroosh
Published: March 2015

Assessing the uncertainties and understanding the deficiencies of climate models are fundamental to developing adaptation strategies. The objective of this study is to understand how well Coupled Model Intercomparison‐Phase 5 (CMIP5) climate model simulations replicate ground‐based observations of continental drought areas and their trends. The CMIP5 multimodel ensemble encompasses the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) ground‐based observations of area under drought at all time steps. However, most model members overestimate the areas under extreme drought, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Furthermore, the results show that the time series of observations and CMIP5 simulations of areas under drought exhibit more variability in the SH than in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). The trend analysis of areas under drought reveals that the observational data exhibit a significant positive trend at the significance level of 0.05 over all land areas. The observed trend is reproduced by about three‐fourths of the CMIP5 models when considering total land areas in drought. While models are generally consistent with observations at a global (or hemispheric) scale, most models do not agree with observed regional drying and wetting trends. Over many regions, at most 40% of the CMIP5 models are in agreement with the trends of CRU observations. The drying/wetting trends calculated using the 3 months Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) values show better agreement with the corresponding CRU values than with the observed annual mean precipitation rates. Pixel‐scale evaluation of CMIP5 models indicates that no single model demonstrates an overall superior performance relative to the other models.
New ν‐type relative permeability curves for two‐phase flows through subsurface fractures
Authors: Watanabe Noriaki , Sakurai Keisuke , Ishibashi Takuya , Ohsaki Yutaka , Tamagawa Tetsuya , Yagi Masahiko , Tsuchiya Noriyoshi
Published: March 2015

Appropriate relative permeability curves for two‐phase flows through subsurface fractures remain unclear. We have conducted decane‐water and nitrogen‐water two‐phase flow experiments and simulations on real variable‐aperture fractures in rocks under confining stress. Experiments have been conducted on fractures for different combinations of rock type (granite or limestone), wettability (contact angle of water: 0° or 90°), and intrinsic fracture permeability (10−11 m2 or 10−10 m2) using different combinations of shear displacement (0 or 1 mm) and effective confining stress (1 or 40 MPa). It has been demonstrated that nonwetting phase relative permeability depends on capillary pressure, except at either a higher contact angle or higher intrinsic permeability (i.e., bigger aperture), where no influence of capillarity is expected from the Young‐Laplace equation. In the absence of an influence of capillarity, relations between wetting and nonwetting phase relative permeabilities agree with that of the X‐type relative permeability curves. In order to determine the relative permeability curves under the influence of capillarity, the experimental results have been analyzed by two‐phase flow simulations of the aperture distributions of the fractures. It has been revealed that nonwetting phase relative permeability becomes zero, even at a small wetting phase saturation of approximately 0.3, while wetting phase relative permeability exhibits Corey‐type behavior, resulting in ν‐shaped relative permeability curves. Similar curves have been reported in the literature, but have not been demonstrated for real fractures. It has been revealed that the new ν‐type and traditional X‐type relative permeability curves are appropriate for describing two‐phase flows through subsurface fractures.
Calibrating remotely sensed river bathymetry in the absence of field measurements: Flow REsistance Equation‐Based Imaging of River Depths (FREEBIRD)
Authors: Legleiter Carl J.
Published: March 2015

Remote sensing could enable high‐resolution mapping of long river segments, but realizing this potential will require new methods for inferring channel bathymetry from passive optical image data without using field measurements for calibration. As an alternative to regression‐based approaches, this study introduces a novel framework for Flow REsistance Equation‐Based Imaging of River Depths (FREEBIRD). This technique allows for depth retrieval in the absence of field data by linking a linear relation between an image‐derived quantity X and depth d to basic equations of open channel flow: continuity and flow resistance. One FREEBIRD algorithm takes as input an estimate of the channel aspect (width/depth) ratio A and a series of cross‐sections extracted from the image and returns the coefficients of the X versus d relation. A second algorithm calibrates this relation so as to match a known discharge Q. As an initial test of FREEBIRD, these procedures were applied to panchromatic satellite imagery and publicly available aerial photography of a clear‐flowing gravel‐bed river. Accuracy assessment based on independent field surveys indicated that depth retrieval performance was comparable to that achieved by direct, field‐based calibration methods. Sensitivity analyses suggested that FREEBIRD output was not heavily influenced by misspecification of A or Q, or by selection of other input parameters. By eliminating the need for simultaneous field data collection, these methods create new possibilities for large‐scale river monitoring and analysis of channel change, subject to the important caveat that the underlying relationship between X and d must be reasonably strong.
CO2 dissolution in the presence of background flow of deep saline aquifers
Authors: Emami‐Meybodi Hamid , Hassanzadeh Hassan , Ennis‐King Jonathan
Published: March 2015

We study the effect of background flow on the dissolution and transport of carbon dioxide (CO2) during geological storage in saline aquifers, and include the processes of diffusion, advection, and free convection. We develop a semianalytical model that captures the evolution of the dissolution in the absence of free convection. Using the semianalytical solution, we determine scaling relations for the steady rate of dissolution that follow either
or
depending on the value of Pe/R, where R represents the ratio of the extent of CO2 plume to the aquifer thickness and Pe is the Péclet number. Using direct numerical simulations, we provide detailed behavior of the convective mixing during the dissolution. We establish the criteria for forced and mixed (combined free and forced) convection in aquifers that is governed by the background flow. Accordingly, we provide the scaling relations
and
representing the forced and free convection asymptotes, respectively, where Ra is a Rayleigh number based on aquifer thickness. The results reveal that the background velocity can delay the onset of free convection and can alter the subsequent mixing. This phenomenon is more profound in the systems subject to strong background flows wherein horizontal component of the velocity field generated by background flow hinders the establishments of vertical component of the velocity field. Finally, by applying the proposed relations to several potential storage sites, we demonstrate the screening process in finding aquifers where the background flow exerts an important influence on the dissolution.
Global change and the groundwater management challenge
Authors: Gorelick Steven M. , Zheng Chunmiao
Published: March 2015

With rivers in critical regions already exploited to capacity throughout the world and groundwater overdraft as well as large‐scale contamination occurring in many areas, we have entered an era in which multiple simultaneous stresses will drive water management. Increasingly, groundwater resources are taking a more prominent role in providing freshwater supplies. We discuss the competing fresh groundwater needs for human consumption, food production, energy, and the environment, as well as physical hazards, and conflicts due to transboundary overexploitation. During the past 50 years, groundwater management modeling has focused on combining simulation with optimization methods to inspect important problems ranging from contaminant remediation to agricultural irrigation management. The compound challenges now faced by water planners require a new generation of aquifer management models that address the broad impacts of global change on aquifer storage and depletion trajectory management, land subsidence, groundwater‐dependent ecosystems, seawater intrusion, anthropogenic and geogenic contamination, supply vulnerability, and long‐term sustainability. The scope of research efforts is only beginning to address complex interactions using multiagent system models that are not readily formulated as optimization problems and that consider a suite of human behavioral responses.
The 1 April 2014 Pisagua tsunami: Observations and modeling
Authors: Catalán Patricio. A. , Aránguiz Rafael , González Gabriel , Tomita Takashi , Cienfuegos Rodrigo , González Juan , Shrivastava Mahesh N. , Kumagai Kentaro , Mokrani Cyril , Cortés Pablo , Gubler Alejandra
Published: March 2015

On 1 April 2014, an earthquake with moment magnitude Mw 8.2 occurred off the coast of northern Chile, generating a tsunami that prompted evacuation along the Chilean coast. Here tsunami characteristics are analyzed through a combination of field data and numerical modeling. Despite the earthquake magnitude, the tsunami was moderate, with a relatively uniform distribution of runup, which peaked at 4.6 m. This is explained by a concentrated maximal slip at intermediate depth on the megathrust, resulting in a rapid decay of tsunami energy. The tsunami temporal evolution varied, with locations showing sustained tsunami energy, while others showed increased tsunami energy at different times after the earthquake. These are the result of the interaction of long period standing oscillations and trapped edge wave activity controlled by inner shelf slopes. Understanding these processes is relevant for the region, which still posses a significant tsunamigenic potential.
Small‐scale waves on Jupiter: A reanalysis of New Horizons, Voyager, and Galileo data
Authors: Simon A. A. , Li L. , Reuter D. C.
Published: March 2015

Jupiter's equator‐encircling mesoscale waves were a distinguishing feature observed during the New Horizons Jupiter flyby. Measured velocities indicated eastward propagation, inconsistent with standing wave models developed after the Voyager encounters. We present revised New Horizons mesoscale wave velocities of 164 to 176 m/s, approximately 90 m/s higher than the tropospheric zonal winds on that date, while Voyager and Galileo mesoscale waves do not show any apparent motion. This is consistent with an eastward propagating inertia‐gravity or Kelvin wave, or a wave propagating with the wind at certain altitudes, given proper vertical wind shears. New Horizons high solar phase angle methane band observations show wave crest shadows or aerosol clearing, implying altitudes above the cloud deck for the observed features. New Horizons and Voyager data also indicate that wave trains have lifetimes exceeding two Jovian rotations.
Simulation of upscale error growth with a stochastic convection scheme
Authors: Selz Tobias , Craig George C.
Published: March 2015

By directly comparing the results of a recent convection‐permitting upscale error growth study with simulations on coarser grids, we assessed the ability of two different convection schemes to represent convective uncertainty and propagate it upscale. It is found that the widely used Tiedtke convection scheme shows significantly reduced upscale error growth and hence leads to an overconfidence of the model. In contrast it is found that the stochastic convection scheme of Plant and Craig is able to better reproduce the high‐resolution results. Evidence is presented that this improved uncertainty evolution can be related to the representation of (unpredictable) convective variability near the grid scale.