Use of ERTS-1 data in identification, classification, and mapping of salt-affected soils in California

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Influence of climate change and uplift on Colorado Plateau paleotemperatures from carbonate clumped isotope thermometry

The elevation history of Earth's surface is key to understanding the geodynamic processes responsible for the rise of plateaus. We investigate the timing of Colorado Plateau uplift by estimating depositional temperatures of Tertiary lake sediments that blanket the plateau interior and adjacent lowlands using carbonate clumped isotope paleothermometry (a measure of the temperature-dependent enrichment of ^(13)C-^(18)O bonds in carbonates). Comparison of modern and ancient samples deposited near sea level provides an opportunity to quantify the influence of climate and therefore assess the contribution of changes in elevation to the variations of surface temperature on the plateau. Analysis of modern lake calcite from 350 to 3300 m elevation in the southwestern United States reveals a lake water carbonate temperature (LCT) lapse rate of 4.2 ± 0.6°C/km. Analysis of Miocene deposits from 88 to 1900 m elevation in the Colorado River drainage suggests that the ancient LCT lapse rate was 4.1 ± 0.7°C/km, and temperatures were 7.7 ± 2.0°C warmer at any one elevation than predicted by the modern trend. The inferred cooling is plausible in light of Pliocene temperature estimates off the coast of California, and the consistency of lapse rates through time supports the interpretation that there has been little or no elevation change for any of the samples since 6 Ma. Together with previous paleorelief estimates from apatite (U-Th)/He data from the Grand Canyon, our results suggest most or all of the plateau's lithospheric buoyancy was acquired ∼80–60 Ma and do not support explanations that ascribe most plateau uplift to Oligocene or younger disposal of either the Farallon or North American mantle lithosphere

A method for finding new sets of axioms for classes of semigroups

We introduce a general technique for finding sets of axioms for a given class of semigroups. To illustrate the technique, we provide new sets of defining axioms for groups of exponent n, bands, and semilattices

Temperature seasonality in the North American continental interior during the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum

Paleogene greenhouse climate equability has long been a paradox in paleoclimate research. However, recent developments in proxy and modeling methods have suggested that strong seasonality may be a feature of at least some greenhouse Earth periods. Here we present the first multi-proxy record of seasonal temperatures during the Paleogene from paleofloras, paleosol geochemistry, and carbonate clumped isotope thermometry in the Green River Basin (Wyoming, USA). These combined temperature records allow for the reconstruction of past seasonality in the continental interior, which shows that temperatures were warmer in all seasons during the peak Early Eocene Climatic Optimum and that the mean annual range of temperatures was high, similar to the modern value ( ∼ 26&thinsp;°C). Proxy data and downscaled Eocene regional climate model results suggest amplified seasonality during greenhouse events. Increased seasonality reconstructed for the early Eocene is similar in scope to the higher seasonal range predicted by downscaled climate model ensembles for future high-CO2 emissions scenarios. Overall, these data and model comparisons have substantial implications for understanding greenhouse climates in general, and may be important for predicting future seasonal climate regimes and their impacts in continental regions.</p

Temperature seasonality in the North American continental interior during the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148644/1/Hyland_et_al_2018_CotP-Eocene_Climate_Equability.pd

Impact of culture towards disaster risk reduction

Number of natural disasters has risen sharply worldwide making the risk of disasters a global concern. These disasters have created significant losses and damages to humans, economy and society. Despite the losses and damages created by disasters, some individuals and communities do not attached much significance to natural disasters. Risk perception towards a disaster not only depends on the danger it could create but also the behaviour of the communities and individuals that is governed by their culture. Within this context, this study examines the relationship between culture and disaster risk reduction (DRR). A comprehensive literature review is used for the study to evaluate culture, its components and to analyse a series of case studies related to disaster risk. It was evident from the study that in some situations, culture has become a factor for the survival of the communities from disasters where as in some situations culture has acted as a barrier for effective DRR activities. The study suggests community based DRR activities as a mechanism to integrate with culture to effectively manage disaster risk

The modalities of Iranian soft power: from cultural diplomacy to soft war

Through exploring Iran's public diplomacy at the international level, this article demonstrates how the Islamic Republic's motives should not only be contextualised within the oft-sensationalised, material or ‘hard’ aspects of its foreign policy, but also within the desire to project its cultural reach through ‘softer’ means. Iran's utilisation of culturally defined foreign policy objectives and actions demonstrates its understanding of soft power's potentialities. This article explores the ways in which Iran's public diplomacy is used to promote its soft power and craft its, at times, shifting image on the world stage

Cliophysics: Socio-political Reliability Theory, Polity Duration and African Political (In)stabilities

Quantification of historical sociological processes have recently gained attention among theoreticians in the effort of providing a solid theoretical understanding of the behaviors and regularities present in sociopolitical dynamics. Here we present a reliability theory of polity processes with emphases on individual political dynamics of African countries. We found that the structural properties of polity failure rates successfully capture the risk of political vulnerability and instabilities in which 87.50%, 75%, 71.43%, and 0% of the countries with monotonically increasing, unimodal, U-shaped and monotonically decreasing polity failure rates, respectively, have high level of state fragility indices. The quasi-U-shape relationship between average polity duration and regime types corroborates historical precedents and explains the stability of the autocracies and democracies.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl