U.S. Continental Scientific Drilling Community Looks to the Future

No abstract available. doi:10.2204/iodp.sd.11.11.2011</a

The presence and absence of god in the Jacob narrative

This thesis explores the theological complexity of the Jacob narrative. In particular this is centred upon the paradox of divine presence and absence, and the contrast of the human and the divine. In the first part, an investigation is made of three key episodes which contain an encounter with the divine: the opening oracle (25:19ff), Bethel (28:10-22) and Peniel (32:23-33). It is concluded that the first passage is constructed as an introduction, making explicit the theme of the presence of God in the Jacob story, but also introducing the human side of the paradox. Bethel and Peniel are based on older pre-Yahwistic traditions, now shaped and incorporated into the story of Jacob to throw a theological perspective over the wider plot. The second part consists of a reading of the wider Jacob story, with particular attention to the theme of divine presence and absence and the interaction of the human and the divine. It is argued that even the most human of stories betray a theological interest and contribute to the overall paradox, but also that there are several indications of the presence of God. In the conclusion, it is noted that behind the present unity of the Jacob story there is evidence of earlier traditions, a growing together of material, and supplements offering new perspectives. It is also concluded that a close reading of the final text and a historical-critical appreciation need not be mutually exclusive, and that a cautious use of critical insights has thrown light upon the final form. Finally, it is argued that the theme of the presence and absence of God offers a way of reading the Jacob story in a theological way, that does most justice to its historical depth, final form, and canonical status

Pennsylvanian Stratigraphy of Douglas County, Kansas: Glacioeustatically Modulated Cyclic Deposition on a Remarkably Smooth Shelf

The Middle and Late Pennsylvanian succession of Kansas consists of two types of cyclothems, lithologic successions that consist of several members that repeat in a particular order. Cyclothems are a few meters to a few tens of meters thick. One type of cyclothem, the Kansas cyclothem, or here the limestone-rich cyclothem, consists of interbeds of limestone and shale, where the amounts of limestone are approximately equal to the amount of shale or dominate the succession. This trip will study one such cyclothem in the Oread Limestone at Stop 3 and possibly another cyclothem at the optional Stop 4. Siliciclastic cyclothems are dominated by shale and may contain an incised valley filled partly by fluvial or estuarine sandstone. The Lawrence Shale, which we will see at Stops 2 and 3, contains such features. While many cyclothems are incomplete, both types of cyclothem may contain dark gray to black, fissile, phosphatic core shale beds, commonly a meter or less thick, and an underlying transgressive deposit beneath. Overlying deposits represent regression or progradation of the shoreline: either lime mudstone grading to grainstone or clay-rich marine shale grading to coarse siltstone or fine sandstone. Paleosols and fossils of marine invertebrates are common and indicate that deposition took place in both marine and non-marine conditions. Some marine deposits show a paleosol overprint. The deposits indicate that the area was a shelf during the Late Pennsylvanian where relief was very low, and very laterally extensive deposits formed as sea level rose and fell. The alternation of shale-rich and limestone-rich intervals plus the feet-per-mile dip to the WNW create the characteristic topographic expression of cuestas with gently sloping caps that are underlain by limestone. While glacial deposits are mostly restricted to northern and east-central Douglas County, Pleistocene glaciers influenced the erosional and drainage patterns of the area

Computer simulation of liquid flow patterns on distillation trays

This thesis describes work carried out to improve the fundamental modelling of liquid flows on distillation trays. A mathematical model is presented based on the principles of computerised fluid dynamics. It models the liquid flow in the horizontal directions allowing for the effects of the vapour through the use of an increased liquid turbulence, modelled by an eddy viscosity, and a resistance to liquid flow caused by the vapour being accelerated horizontally by the liquid. The resultant equations are similar to the Navier-Stokes equations with the addition of a resistance term.A mass-transfer model is used to calculate liquid concentration profiles and tray efficiencies. A heat and mass transfer analogy is used to compare theoretical concentration profiles to experimental water-cooling data obtained from a 2.44 metre diameter air-water distillation simulation rig. The ratios of air to water flow rates are varied in order to simulate three pressures: vacuum, atmospheric pressure and moderate pressure.For simulated atmospheric and moderate pressure distillation, the fluid mechanical model constantly over-predicts tray efficiencies with an accuracy of between +1.7% and +11.3%. This compares to -1.8% to -10.9% for the stagnant regions model (Porter et al. 1972) and +12.8% to +34.7% for the plug flow plus back-mixing model (Gerster et al. 1958). The model fails to predict the flow patterns and tray efficiencies for vacuum simulation due to the change in the mechanism of liquid transport, from a liquid continuous layer to a spray as the liquid flow-rate is reduced. This spray is not taken into account in the development of the fluid mechanical model. A sensitivity analysis carried out has shown that the fluid mechanical model is relatively insensitive to the prediction of the average height of clear liquid, and a reduction in the resistance term results in a slight loss of tray efficiency. But these effects are not great. The model is quite sensitive to the prediction of the eddy viscosity term. Variations can produce up to a 15% decrease in tray efficiency. The fluid mechanical model has been incorporated into a column model so that statistical optimisation techniques can be employed to fit a theoretical column concentration profile to experimental data. Through the use of this work mass-transfer data can be obtained

Alteration of hyaloclastites in the HSDP 2 Phase 1 Drill Core 1. Description and paragenesis

This is the publisher's version. Copyright 2003 by Chinese Geophysical Society. All rights reserved.The core from the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project 2 Phase 1 provides a unique opportunity for studying the low-temperature alteration processes affecting basalt in suboceanic-island environments. In hyaloclastites, which make up about one half of the lower 2 km of this core (the portion that accumulated below sea level), these processes have resulted in zones of incipient, smectitic, and palagonitic alteration. The alteration of sideromelane in these hyaloclastites has four distinct outcomes: dissolution, replacement by two different textural varieties of smectite (i.e., reddened and green grain-replacive), and conversion to palagonite. All samples show evidence of the incipient stage of alteration, suggesting that every sample passed through that zone. However, most samples that show palagonitic alteration do not also show evidence of smectitic alteration and vice versa, suggesting these two outcomes represent divergent paths of alteration. Incipient alteration (1080 to 1335 m depth) includes fracturing and mechanical reduction of porosity from 40–45% to about 20–30%; growth of one form of pore-lining smectite; dissolution of sideromelane; and formation of sideromelane-grain replacements consisting of Fe-hydroxide-strained smectite, titaniferous nodules, and tubules. DNA-specific stains and morphological features indicate that tubules are the result of microbial activity. Smectitic alteration (1405 to 1573 m) includes growth of a second variety of pore-lining smectite, pore-filling and grain-replacing smectite, and cements of phillipsite and Ca-silicate minerals. Palagonitic alteration (1573 m to the deepest samples) includes replacement of margins of shards with palagonite and growth of pore-filling chabazite. The porosity is reduced by cementation to less than 4% at 1573 m. Porosity does not decrease further down hole, nor does the thickness of palagonite rims on shards increase through the zone of palagonitic alteration. In these samples, palagonite is not an intermediate alteration product in the development of smectite. Rather, in hyaloclastites from the HSDP core, palagonite has formed after all observed smectites. Current downhole temperatures at the boundaries between the three alteration zones are in the range from 12° to 15°C, suggesting that geochemical thresholds or vital effects, not temperature conditions, control different outcomes of alteration

Tackling unemployment, supporting business and developing careers

The issue of unemployment remains high on the political agenda. However, there is evidence that employers can be wary of employing people who are out of work. Employer practice is key, both in terms of providing employment opportunities to job seekers, and in providing space for low-skilled people to develop their skills and cement their attachment to the labour market. This report discusses the role of career guidance in mediating between job seekers and employers to allow both to achieve their objectives.The issue of unemployment remains high on the political agenda. However, there is evidence that employers can be wary of employing people who are out of work. Employer practice is key, both in terms of providing employment opportunities to job seekers, and in providing space for low-skilled people to develop their skills and cement their attachment to the labour market. This report discusses the role of career guidance in mediating between job seekers and employers to allow both to achieve their objectives