Origin and inversion of fluting in granitic rocks

Flutings are channels scored in steep slopes. They are found on granite bornhardts, blocks and boulders, and occur in a wide range of climatic conditions. Rivulets and seepages charged with chemicals and biota are capable of attacking and degrading granite, and this can occur below the surface, at the weathering front and on outcrops. Many, perhaps most, flutings are of subsurface provenance, but on exposed surfaces, algal coatings develop and so protect the beds. Abandonment and inversion of such flutings-the conversion of channels protected by algae into ribs - are the result of the comparative weakness of the adjacent unprotected laminated rock exposed in the erstwhile, commonly flared, weathering front. At some sites, newer, lateral, channels are eroded through the laminated rock to expose fresh rock in 'button-holes'. Elsewhere, however, deep localised erosion has taken place on ribs on which the algal veneer has deteriorated

Meso-Cenozoic paleotopographies and paleolandscapes in the Deseado Massif (Santa Cruz province, Argentina)

International audienceThe Deseado Massif is the southernmost part of a continent, outside of Antarctica, where Gondwana Landscapes may be observed and investigated. This paper present preliminary observations and field data about the Gondwana Landscapes of this cratonic area of Southern Argentina, one of the most remote, isolated and less populated places on Earth. Under extreme cold-arid climate conditions, the region presents very scarce vegetation cover, which further enables the geomorphological observations. Remnants of planation surfaces of undisputable Late Mesozoic age, developed on Jurassic volcanic units and covered by Late Cretaceous and Paleogene sedimentary rocks, are exposed along tens of thousands square kilometres of this cratonic unit. In those remote times, the climate of this portion of Patagonia was very wet and warm, responsible for the development of extensive chemical weathering. Volcanic and sedimentary paleosurfaces of younger ages were also recognized in the regional landscape, allowing a reconstruction of uplift and denudation histories since the Late Mesozoic

Probing brand luxury: a multiple lens approach

Research relevant to the creation and development of luxury brands is a growing area of interest and importance to branding practitioners and scholars. The issue here is that it is difficult to move forward when current brand luxury theory resembles a patchwork of definitions, methods and metrics. To add clarity, delineate brand luxury from other similar terms and concepts, and improve brand luxury knowledge, this article probes brand luxury through seven lenses. The findings enable brand luxury practice and theory to move forward on the basis of scientific merit. The results delineate brand luxury from competing terms such as brand status and prestigious brands – enabling practitioners and academics to precisely determine the extent to which luxury contributes to a brand, resolve whether or not a brand is a luxury brand, and establish with some accuracy the net worth of the brand luxury market