title: Relationship between meteoric ¹⁰Be and NO₃⁻ concentrations in soils along Shackleton Glacier, Antarctica

authors: Diaz, Melisa A.

abstract: Outlet glaciers that flow through the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) experienced changes in ice thickness greater than other coastal regions of Antarctica during glacial maxima. As a result, ice-free areas that are currently exposed may have been covered by ice at various points during the Cenozoic, complicating our understanding of ecological succession in TAM soils. Our knowledge of glacial extent on small spatial scales is limited for the TAM, and studies of soil exposure duration and disturbance, in particular, are rare. We collected surface soil samples and, in some places, depth profiles every 5 cm to refusal (up to 30 cm) from 11 ice-free areas along Shackleton Glacier, a major outlet glacier of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. We explored the relationship between meteoric ¹⁰Be and NO₃⁻ in these soils as a tool for understanding landscape disturbance and wetting history and as exposure proxies. Concentrations of meteoric ¹⁰Be spanned more than an order of magnitude across the region (2.9×10⁸ to 73×10⁸ atoms g⁻¹) and are among the highest measured in polar regions. The concentrations of NO₃⁻ were similarly variable and ranged from ∼ μg g⁻¹ to 15 mg g⁻¹. In examining differences and similarities in the concentrations of ¹⁰Be and NO₃⁻ with depth, we suggest that much of the southern portion of the Shackleton Glacier region has likely developed under a hyper-arid climate regime with minimal disturbance. Finally, we inferred exposure time using ¹⁰Be concentrations. This analysis indicates that the soils we analyzed likely range from recent exposure (following the Last Glacial Maximum) to possibly >6 Myr. We suggest that further testing and interrogation of meteoric ¹⁰Be and NO₃⁻ concentrations and relationships in soils can provide important information regarding landscape development, soil evolution processes, and inferred exposure durations of surfaces in the TAM.

text: Relationship between meteoric ¹⁰Be and NO₃⁻ concentrations in soils along Shackleton Glacier, Antarctica Outlet glaciers that flow through the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) experienced changes in ice thickness greater than other coastal regions of Antarctica during glacial maxima. As a result, ice-free areas that are currently exposed may have been covered by ice at various points during the Cenozoic, complicating our understanding of ecological succession in TAM soils. Our knowledge of glacial extent on small spatial scales is limited for the TAM, and studies of soil exposure duration and disturbance, in particular, are rare. We collected surface soil samples and, in some places, depth profiles every 5 cm to refusal (up to 30 cm) from 11 ice-free areas along Shackleton Glacier, a major outlet glacier of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. We explored the relationship between meteoric ¹⁰Be and NO₃⁻ in these soils as a tool for understanding landscape disturbance and wetting history and as exposure proxies. Concentrations of meteoric ¹⁰Be spanned more than an order of magnitude across the region (2.9×10⁸ to 73×10⁸ atoms g⁻¹) and are among the highest measured in polar regions. The concentrations of NO₃⁻ were similarly variable and ranged from ∼ μg g⁻¹ to 15 mg g⁻¹. In examining differences and similarities in the concentrations of ¹⁰Be and NO₃⁻ with depth, we suggest that much of the southern portion of the Shackleton Glacier region has likely developed under a hyper-arid climate regime with minimal disturbance. Finally, we inferred exposure time using ¹⁰Be concentrations. This analysis indicates that the soils we analyzed likely range from recent exposure (following the Last Glacial Maximum) to possibly >6 Myr. We suggest that further testing and interrogation of meteoric ¹⁰Be and NO₃⁻ concentrations and relationships in soils can provide important information regarding landscape development, soil evolution processes, and inferred exposure durations of surfaces in the TAM.

year: 2021

title: Experiences with the Greenstone digital library software for international development

authors: Nichols, David M.

subjects: computer science

abstract: Greenstone is a versatile open source multilingual digital library environment, emerging from research on text compression within the New Zealand Digital Library Research Project in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Waikato. In 1997 we began to work with Human Info NGO to help them produce fully-searchable CD-ROM collections of humanitarian information. The software has since evolved to support a variety of application contexts. Rather than being simply a delivery mechanism, we have emphasised the empowerment of users to create and distribute their own digital collections.

text: Experiences with the Greenstone digital library software for international development Greenstone is a versatile open source multilingual digital library environment, emerging from research on text compression within the New Zealand Digital Library Research Project in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Waikato. In 1997 we began to work with Human Info NGO to help them produce fully-searchable CD-ROM collections of humanitarian information. The software has since evolved to support a variety of application contexts. Rather than being simply a delivery mechanism, we have emphasised the empowerment of users to create and distribute their own digital collections.

year: 2010

title: Can te ao Māori worldviews exist within a western institute’s online teaching and learning environment?

authors: Hudson, Petera Whaiao

subjects: whakawhanaungatanga

abstract: Tertiary institutions in Aotearoa (New Zealand) offer students online teaching and learning papers across a variety of disciplines. The purpose of this research was to examine whether online teaching and learning environments in a tertiary institute provide opportunities to create conditions that promote te ao Māori (a Māori world view) aspirations for Māori scholars. Following a critical review of selected literature on how technologies and its pedagogical implications can realise cultural, educational, political and social aspirations in an online environment (see Chapter 2), the ethical practices according to Kaupapa Māori theory methodology, whakawhanaungatanga and spiral discourse is outlined (see Chapter 3). These practices together with spiral discourse and conversation analysis, were used to analyse the factors that facilitated or hindered optimal conditions that promoted teacher and student aspirations in the online environment (see Chapter 4). That analysis, conducted in relation to a number of focus points, revealed that when Māori practices of tikanga and ako pedagogy were applied in this realm, Māori scholars experienced the fulfilment of personal aspirations. Participants also experienced positive outcomes when whanaungatanga, the creation of interrelationships relationships between Māori students and teachers, whānau, friends, colleagues, was a focus together with good support facilities and services, and quality resources. This research supports the conclusion that online teaching and learning environments in a tertiary institute can provide opportunities to create conditions that promote te ao Māori aspirations for Māori scholars. Further investigations are needed to unravel the types and nature of the interrelationships between ako Māori pedagogies and the student and teacher, and whanaungatanga between students and other students that facilitate conditions that promoted Māori aspirations in an online environment.

text: Can te ao Māori worldviews exist within a western institute’s online teaching and learning environment? Tertiary institutions in Aotearoa (New Zealand) offer students online teaching and learning papers across a variety of disciplines. The purpose of this research was to examine whether online teaching and learning environments in a tertiary institute provide opportunities to create conditions that promote te ao Māori (a Māori world view) aspirations for Māori scholars. Following a critical review of selected literature on how technologies and its pedagogical implications can realise cultural, educational, political and social aspirations in an online environment (see Chapter 2), the ethical practices according to Kaupapa Māori theory methodology, whakawhanaungatanga and spiral discourse is outlined (see Chapter 3). These practices together with spiral discourse and conversation analysis, were used to analyse the factors that facilitated or hindered optimal conditions that promoted teacher and student aspirations in the online environment (see Chapter 4). That analysis, conducted in relation to a number of focus points, revealed that when Māori practices of tikanga and ako pedagogy were applied in this realm, Māori scholars experienced the fulfilment of personal aspirations. Participants also experienced positive outcomes when whanaungatanga, the creation of interrelationships relationships between Māori students and teachers, whānau, friends, colleagues, was a focus together with good support facilities and services, and quality resources. This research supports the conclusion that online teaching and learning environments in a tertiary institute can provide opportunities to create conditions that promote te ao Māori aspirations for Māori scholars. Further investigations are needed to unravel the types and nature of the interrelationships between ako Māori pedagogies and the student and teacher, and whanaungatanga between students and other students that facilitate conditions that promoted Māori aspirations in an online environment.

year: 2020