3,742 research outputs found
A 70,000 year multiproxy record of climatic and environmental change from Rano Aroi peatland (Easter Island)
No full textThe Rano Aroi mire on Easter Island (also known as Rapa Nui; 27°09′S, 109°27′W, 430 m above sea level) provides a unique non-marine record in the central South Pacific Ocean for reconstructing Late Pleistocene environmental changes. The results of amultiproxy study on twocores fromthe center and margin of the Rano Aroi mire,including peat stratigraphy, facies analysis, elemental and isotope geochemistry on bulk organic matter, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning and macrofossil analysis, were used to infer past water levels and vegetation changes. The chronology was based on 18 14C AMS dates for the upper 8.7 m. The extrapolated age for the base of the sequence is 70 kyr, which implies that this record is the oldest paleolimnological record on Easter Island.The recovered Rano Aroi sequence consists of a radicel peat formed primarily from the remains of sedges,grasses and Polygonaceae that have accumulated since Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 4 (70 kyr BP) to the present. From 60 to 40 kyr BP (MIS 3), high precipitation/runoff events were recorded as organic mud facies with lighter δ13C, low C/N values and high Ti content, indicating higher detritic input to the mire. A gradual shift in δ13C bulk organic matter from −14% to −26%, recorded between 50 and 45 cal kyr BP, suggests a progressive change in local peat-forming vegetation from C4 to C3 plant types. Post-depositional Ca and Fe enrichment during sub-aerial peat exposure and very low sedimentation rates indicate lower water tables during Late MIS 3 (39-31 cal kyr BP). During MIS 2 (27.8-19 cal kyr BP), peat production rates were very low, most likely due to cold temperatures, as reconstructed from other Easter Island records during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).Geochemical and macrofossil evidence shows that peat accumulation reactivates at approximately 17.5 cal kyr BP, reaching the highest accumulation rates at 14 cal kyr BP. Peat accretion decreased from 5.0 to 2.5 cal kyr BP, coinciding with a regional Holocene aridity phase. The main hydrological and environmental changes in Rano Aroi reflect variations in the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), Southern Westerlies (SW) storm track, and South Pacific Anticyclone (SPA) locations
Models of stress at mid-ocean ridges and their offsets
No full textThis thesis aims to investigate the stresses at mid-ocean ridge offsets, and particularly at the particular class of offsets represented by oceanic microplates. Amongthese, the Easter microplate is one of the best surveyed. This thesis first studies the stress field associated with mid-ocean ridges and simple types of ridge offsets, and then uses the stress field observed at Easter to constrain the driving mechanism of microplates. Two-dimensional finite element modelling is used to predict the lithospheric stress indicators, which are then compared with observations. Extensional structures at high angles (> 35 ) to ridge trends are often observed at ridge-transform intersections and non-tranform offsets, but remained unexplained until now. This study proposes that the topographic loading created by the elevation of mid-ocean ridges relative to old seafloor is a source of ridge parallel tensile stresses, and shows they can be explained by the rotation of ridge parallel tensile stresses at locked offsets. The elasto-plastic rheology is used to investigate the evolution of normal faults near mid-ocean ridges. It is shown that variations in the lithospheric strength, caused entirely by variations in the brittle layer thickness, can account for the observed variations in fault character with spreading rate and along-axis position. Plasticity is shown to prevent the achievement of large fault throws in thin brittle layers. Consequently, it may be important at fast spreading ridges. A new dynamic model is proposed for Easter microplate. It mainly consists of: 1) driving forces along the East and West Rifts, resulting from the combination of a regional tensile stress with an increasing ridge strength towards rift tips, 2) mantle basal drag resisting the microplate rotation, and contributing with less than 20% to the total resisting torque, and 3) resisting forces along the northern and southern boundaries. To explain both the earthquake focal mechanism evidence and theexistence of compressional ridges in the Nazca plate, the boundary conditions alongthe northern boundary are required to change with time, from completely locked tolocked in the normal direction only. This study does not invalidate the microplate kinematic model proposed by Schouten et al. (1993), but shows that normal resisting forces along the northern and southern boundaries of Easter microplate must exist in order to explain the stress observations. Also, it suggests that ridge strength variations play an important role in the dyamics of mid-ocean ridge overlap regions
Past veterinarians in South Africa
No full textAn alphabetical list containing short biographies of all deceased South African veterinarians up to 1990.[compiled by] P.J. (Bill) PosthumusVolume 1: AL -- Volume 2: M-ZAlso available in print http://137.215.9.20/record=b1893606ab2013ab201
Open brief aan den WelEdel. Gestr. Heer P.J. Joubert
No full textleyds-70-7201.pdf created from original pamphlet in the WJ Leyds Collection held in the Africana Section of the Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service.Dutch open letter to P.J. Joubert concerning a railroad concession granted to the author and two of his friends in 1885
Design, Modeling and Simulation of a 52MHz MEMS Gyroscope Device in 1.5um SOI
No full textIn this thesis , a simulation model of a MEMS gyroscope is presented. The model enables mode matching and analysis of the dynamic behavior of a gyroscope. Furthermore, the model allows the optimization the design parameters of the gyroscope. The simulated gyroscope operates at a frequency of 52MHz with amplitudes of 10nm and quality factor of 50,000. Finally, the drive mode measurements are presented at different bias voltages.Microelectronics & Computer EngineeringElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
Polynesien (Inselwelt) oder der fünfte Welttheil [cartographic material] /
No full textMap of Oceania showing Ulimaroa [i.e. Australia] in full outline still joined to Tasmania. The word Ulimaroa was first used to describe Australia in Stockholm in 1780. This map was first published in Vienna in1789 and later in 1795 as well as in Stockholm in 1790 and 1797. Papua New Guinea is shown as two islands. Cook's tracks and those of other explorers are shown with dates. Relief is shown pictorially.; In bottom left corner: Gestochen v. Ig. K. v. Lackner.; At top right corner of sheet: No. CXIV.; Prime meredian: Ferro.; Plate no. CXIV from: Allgemeiner Grosser Atlass / F.A. Schrambl. Wien : P.J. Schalbacher, [1786]-1800.; Phillips, 694.; Also available in an electronic version via the Internet at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-t447; Tracks and countries hand-coloured on Library's copy. Inset: Oster I. [i.e. Easter Island] and S. Daniel I. [i.e. St. Daniel Island]
Polarity: The theology of anti-Judaism in Ephrem the Syrian’s hymns on Easter
No full textIn this paper, the polarity Jews :: Christians in the hymns on Easter of the fourth-century Syrian theologian Ephrem is investigated. This polarity is found to be polemical against the Jews. But since polarity is a constant feature in the work of Ephrem which serves to communicate his theological frame of mind, the question is asked whether anti-Judaism does not also serve to convey theological ideas. An attempt is made to demonstrate that anti-Judaism indeed had a theological function for Ephrem: Anti-Judaism seems to have been an aspect of Christian self-definition. It was also a way of expressing the concepts of theological balance and reciprocity
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