The Church Online-The Impact of Online Social Networks on Church Congregations

This study will investigate the impact of online social networks for church members on those members’ levels of engagement in the life of the church. Specifically, we endeavor to determine how and whether social networks for the church, including online calendars, discussion boards, blogs, photo sharing, and other such tools might contribute to behaviors such as greater involvement in church activities including worship, small groups, and volunteer leadership roles. Additionally, we will examine whether use of such tools also contributes to higher levels of giving, either to specific requests or to the routine fund raising of the church. Research hypotheses and a research methodology are proposed, along with directions for future research

Conjugate strike-slip faulting along the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone accommodates coeval east-west extension and north-south shortening in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau

This is the published version. Copyright 2002 American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.Geologic investigations of how the Tibetan plateau is currently deforming have focused primarily on its boundary faults. Consequently, how the interior of the plateau deforms remains poorly understood. To fill this gap in knowledge, we conducted field mapping, analysis of remote sensing and digital topographic data, and reinterpretation of existing geologic maps in central Tibet. This study reveals a 200–300 km wide and 1500–1800 km long east trending zone conjugate strike-slip faults across central Tibet. The central Tibet conjugate fault zone is comprised of northeast striking left-slip faults north of the Bangong-Nujiang suture and northwest striking right-slip faults south of the suture zone. These strike-slip faults are kinematically linked with north trending Tibetan rifts located north and south of the conjugate fault systems. Without exception, all conjugate faults intersect or merge toward one another along the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone. Motion on these faults accommodates coeval east-west extension and north-south contraction. To determine the fault kinematics and the magnitude of fault slip, we investigated three conjugate fault sets in the central Tibet fault zone. These include from east to west, the Dong Co, Bue Co, and Aishi Co conjugate fault systems, which are adjacent to the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone and separated by a distance of 400 and 70 km, respectively. The average magnitude of fault motion on individual strike-slip faults is ∼12 km as determined by offsets of Tertiary thrusts and Paleozoic-Mesozoic lithologic units. The conjugate fault configuration requires ∼12 km of north-south contraction across the 200–300 km fault zone since its initiation. Because the conjugate strike-slip faults are kinematically linked with the north trending Tibetan rifts which initiated between 14 and 8 Ma, our estimated magnitude of north-south contraction implies a contraction rate of ∼1–2 mm/yr across central Tibet. The relatively closely spaced (<150 km) basins may result from a series of conjugate strike-slip fault systems in the interior of Tibet. These structures likely formed by eastward spreading of the Tibetan crust via distributed eastward extrusion of small (<150 km wide) wedge-shaped crustal blocks that leave a space at their trailing end

Tectonic evolution of the early Mesozoic blueschist-bearing Qiangtang metamorphic belt, central Tibet

This is the published version. Copyright 2003 American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.A >500-km-long east-west trending metamorphic belt in the Qiangtang terrane of central Tibet consists of tectonic melange that occurs in the footwalls of Late Triassic–Early Jurassic domal low-angle normal faults. The melange is comprised of a strongly deformed matrix of metasedimentary and mafic schists that encloses lesser-deformed blocks of metabasites, Carboniferous–Triassic metasedimentary rocks, and early Paleozoic gneiss. Both the blocks and melange matrix exhibit greenschist, epidote-blueschist, and locally, epidote-amphibolite facies mineral assemblages. Thermobarometry reveals that the metamorphic belt experienced pressures of >10 kbar. Maximum equilibration temperatures for mafic schists in the melange matrix decrease from east to west, from ∼660°C near Shuang Hu (33°N, 89°E), ∼500°C near Rongma (33°N, 87°E), to ∼425°C near Gangma Co (34°N, 84°E). Equilibration at consistently high pressures over a large range of temperatures is compatible with metamorphism of Qiangtang melange within a low-angle subduction zone beneath a continental margin. Coupled structural, thermobarometric, and 40Ar/39Ar studies suggest that Qiangtang melange was exhumed in an intracontinental setting from depths of >35 km to upper crustal levels in <12 Myr by Late Triassic–Early Jurassic crustal-scale normal faulting. Detrital zircons from metasandstones within the melange matrix yield U-Pb ion-microprobe ages that range from early Paleozoic to Early Archean, and could have been sourced from terranes to the north of the Jinsha suture. Our results support a model in which Qiangtang melange was underthrust ∼200 km beneath the Qiangtang terrane during early Mesozoic flat-slab southward subduction of Paleo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere along the Jinsha suture. This model predicts that significant portions of the central Tibetan continental mantle lithosphere were removed during early Mesozoic low-angle oceanic subduction and that the present-day central Tibetan deeper crust includes large volumes of underthrust early Mesozoic melange

Reply to Ali & Aitchison's comment on 'Restoration of Cenozoic deformation in Asia, and the size of Greater India'

International audienceNo abstrac

DIACHRONOUS EVOLUTION OF BACK-ARC BASINS IN THE SOUTH TIANSHAN: INSIGHTS FROM STRUCTURAL, GEOCHRONOLOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF THE WUWAMEN OPHIOLITE MÉLANGE

The South Tianshan is located to the north of the Tarim block and defines the southern margin of the Paleozoic Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). This study presents new structural data, geochronological and geochemical results for the Wuwamen ophiolite mélange in the Chinese segment of the South Tianshan. In the south, the Wuwamen ophiolite mélange shows typical block-in-matrix fabrics and occurs in the footwall of a south-dipping thrust fault, hanging wall of which is composed of weakly metamorphosed and deformed Lower Paleozoic marine to deep marine sequences from the South Tianshan. In the north, a southdipping thrust fault juxtaposes the Wuwamen ophiolite mélange in its hanging wall against the high-grade and strongly deformed metasedimentary rocks from the Central Tianshan in its footwall.The South Tianshan is located to the north of the Tarim block and defines the southern margin of the Paleozoic Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). This study presents new structural data, geochronological and geochemical results for the Wuwamen ophiolite mélange in the Chinese segment of the South Tianshan. In the south, the Wuwamen ophiolite mélange shows typical block-in-matrix fabrics and occurs in the footwall of a south-dipping thrust fault, hanging wall of which is composed of weakly metamorphosed and deformed Lower Paleozoic marine to deep marine sequences from the South Tianshan. In the north, a southdipping thrust fault juxtaposes the Wuwamen ophiolite mélange in its hanging wall against the high-grade and strongly deformed metasedimentary rocks from the Central Tianshan in its footwall

Evidence for constriction and Pliocene acceleration of east-west extension in the North Lunggar rift region of west central Tibet

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tect.20086/abstract;jsessionid=36D445F6B0A54FA5B74E359605FC0AD1.f04t02The active north trending North Lunggar rift in west central southern Tibet exposes an extensional metamorphic core complex bounded by an east dipping low-angle normal fault. Apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology and thermal modeling of the North Lunggar rift document a minimum timing for rift inception at >10 Ma and rapid footwall exhumation between 5 and 2 Ma. Miocene footwall cooling and exhumation rates were initially slow to moderate at 400°C Ma−1 and 4–10 mm a−1. Footwall isotherms were significantly compressed during rapid exhumation resulting in an elevated transient geothermal gradient between 50 and 90°C km−1. The minimum magnitude of horizontal extension for the North Lunggar rift is 8.1–12.8 km; maximum is 15–20 km, less in the south at ~10 km. Mean Pliocene extension rate is 1.2–2.4 mm a−1 in the ~120° direction. Results for the North Lunggar rift are similar in magnitude, rate, and orientation of slip to the kinematically linked Lamu Co dextral strike-slip fault to the north. This suggests a state of constrictional strain during Pliocene time along this stretch of the Bangong-Nujiang suture from which the Lamu Co fault emanates. The onset of extension in this region may be explained by crustal thickening and gravitational orogenic collapse, followed by accelerated rifting resulting from localized crustal stretching and increased magmatic activity, potentially driven by the position and northward extent of underthrusting Indian lithosphere

Музейна справа сучасної Франції на прикладі музею Бранлі

The article sums up the results of the first year of operation du quai Braniy. It also sheds light on multicultural image of modern France

Direct speed control using LIDAR and turbine data

LIDAR systems are able to provide preview information of the wind speed in front of wind turbines. One proposed use of this information is to increase the energy capture of the turbine by adjusting the rotor speed directly to maintain operation at the optimal tip-speed ratio, a technique referred to as Direct Speed Control (DSC). Previous work has indicated that for large turbines the marginal benefit of the direct speed controller in terms of increased power does not compensate for the increase of the shaft loads. However, the technique has not yet been adequately tested to make this determination conclusively. Further, it is possible that applying DSC to smaller turbines could be worthwhile because of the higher rotor speed fluctuations and the small rotor inertia. This paper extends the previous work on direct speed controllers. A DSC is developed for a 600 kW experimental turbine and is evaluated theoretically and in simulation. Because the actual turbine has a mounted LIDAR, data collected from the turbine and LIDAR during operation are used to perform a hybrid simulation. This technique allows a realistic simulation to be performed, which provides good agreement with theoretical predictions