Search

The Alxa Block is a significant tectonic unit in the middle part of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt that was affected by multiple Paleozoic and Meso-Cenozoic deformation events. In this st...

Forest plantations are a relatively new environment in Chile, with impacts of different magnitude on different taxa. Birds are one of the taxa mostly used as ecological indicators to evaluate the effect of different types of disturbances, due to their level of specialization in the use of different microhabitats. We assessed the effect of the age of Pinus radiata plantations (2 sites of 8 and 12 years, respectively) and seasonal (three seasons) on the diversity of bird assemblages. The abundance of species from both sites was assessed through acoustic and visual survey records, which were also compared at trophic guild level. Differences were observed at both sites, with higher diversity calculated for Cerro Ñielol (8 years) compared to Rucamanque (12 years). In seasonal terms, diversity was not affected in Cerro Ñielol, while in Rucamanque significant differences were observed during fall. Guild composition of both localities also showed differences, resulting in higher diversity for Cerro Ñielol in most cases. Despite the fact that the younger plantation presented the highest diversity, elements associated with the landscape are discussed, as well as particularities in the use of space by the species.

The development of aquaculture, especially in mariculture, contributes to satisfy the increasing demand for aquatic food, but it also faces serious socio-economic and environmental issues. This is also consistent with aquaculture in the Southern Central Region (SCR), Vietnam. The paper conducted to evaluate the mariculture status and activities by questionnaire interviews of 255 mariculture stakeholders (cages/rafts owners) and their challenges by in-depth interviews of 16 aquaculture managing officers at eight provinces in SCR, 2018-2019. The results showed an assessment of the current status of mariculture, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, and orientation strategies of mariculture development. For a long time, the aquaculture area has not varied considerably, and mainly distributed in inland, coastal and off-coastal waters, almost it is not implemented in the open sea yet. Mariculture was also challenged by various concerned issues: various types of mariculture and species, small scale, outdated traditional technology, and labor force with fair practices in mariculture. Almost them are made the challenge for aquaculture expansion and implementation in open seas. Moreover, capital sources and credit access of stakeholders, and enterprise's investment are key factors to develop offshore mariculture. Based on the results of SWOT analysis, five strategies are proposed for sustainable development of mariculture in the SCR, as well as to meet the objectives of Vietnam's mariculture strategy. It is noted that when developing mariculture on an industrial scale to increase commercial products, the small- and medium-scale ones are vulnerable, so expansion and development of mariculture should be combined with the creation of job opportunities, reduction of poverty alleviation and economic growth and sustainability.

Two successive and parallel magmatic arcs within the southern Alxa provide an ideal area to examine the influence of tectonic switching on temporal and spatial distribution of magmatism within accretionary orogens. This study presents new geochronological and geochemical data for Yingen and Quagu plutons from the southern Alxa, located in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Late Permian Yingen granitic dikes (ca. 252 Ma) have depleted whole-rock Nd isotopic compositions, high Sr, low Y and Yb, and high Sr/Y ratios, all of which indicate they were generated by the partial melting of subducted young/hot oceanic slab. The Middle Permian (271 Ma) Yingen hosting granites contain elevated contents of Nb and Zr, and have high 10,000 × Ga/Al ratios, suggesting that they resulted from mixing between Neoproterozoic crust-derived felsic magmas and depleted mantle-derived mafic magmas. The Quagu pluton yields ca. 271–262 Ma zircon U-Pb ages and has an adakitic high-Mg diorite-like geochemical composition, suggesting that it originated from interaction between slab-derived melts and overlying peridotite material. Collectively, these data record the subduction of the Enger Us oceanic slab beneath Mesoproterozoic–Neoproterozoic sialic crust, generating a Japan-type arc within the southern Alxa during Middle–Late Permian. Temporal-spatial variations of zircon Hf isotope for plutons suggest tectonic switching from advancing to retreating subduction during Carboniferous–Early Triassic within the southern Alxa. An advancing subduction resulted from the subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean, and a retreating subduction was related to plate boundary reorganization during the assembly of Pangea.

The spatial and temporal distribution of arc magmatism and associated isotopic variations provide insights into the Phanerozoic history of the western margin of South America during major shifts in Andean and pre-Andean plate interactions. We integrated detrital zircon U-Th-Pb and Hf isotopic results across continental magmatic arc systems of Chile and western Argentina (28°S–33°S) with igneous bedrock geochronologic and zircon Hf isotope results to define isotopic signatures linked to changes in continental margin processes. Key tectonic phases included: Paleozoic terrane accretion and Carboniferous subduction initiation during Gondwanide orogenesis, Permian–Triassic extensional collapse, Jurassic–Paleogene continental arc magmatism, and Neogene flat slab subduction during Andean shortening. The ~550 m.y. record of magmatic activity records spatial trends in magma composition associated with terrane boundaries. East of 69°W, radiogenic isotopic signatures indicate reworked continental lithosphere with enriched (evolved) εHf values and low (0.7) zircon Th/U values consistent with increased asthenospheric contributions during lithospheric thinning. Spatial constraints on Mesozoic to Cenozoic arc width provide a rough approximation of relative subduction angle, such that an increase in arc width reflects shallower slab dip. Comparisons among slab dip calculations with time-averaged εHf and Th/U zircon results exhibit a clear trend of decreasing (enriched) magma compositions with increasing arc width and decreasing slab dip. Collectively, these data sets demonstrate the influence of subduction angle on the position of upper-plate magmatism (including inboard arc advance and outboard arc retreat), changes in isotopic signatures, and overall composition of crustal and mantle material along the western edge of South America.

Paleozoic porphyry copper deposits are generally much less common than their Mesozoic or Cenozoic counterparts, as they can be completely eroded in rapidly uplifting arcs. There are, however, some large Paleozoic porphyry copper deposits preserved worldwide, especially in the Central Asian orogenic belt, although the processes by which these ancient porphyry deposits were preserved are poorly constrained. The Carboniferous Yandong porphyry copper deposit was selected as a case study to resolve this issue using a combination of thermal history models derived from low-temperature thermochronology data and regional geologic records. Our results show that Yandong preserves a record of at least two episodes of cooling separated by a phase of mild Middle Jurassic reheating. These two cooling events included one major event, linked to the Qiangtang collision or northward motion of Tarim plate during the late Permian to Triassic, and one minor event, possibly related to the Lhasa collision or closure of Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean from the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, respectively. Tectonic quiescence and limited exhumation prevailed from the Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic in the Yandong area. Combining our results with regional geologic records, we propose that extensional tectonic subsidence, postmineralization burial, dry paleoclimatic conditions, and Cenozoic tectonic quiescence were key factors for the preservation of Yandong. This study demonstrates that anomalously old apatite fission track ages, integrated with age-elevation relationships, can have implications for mineral exploration strategies in the Chinese Tianshan orogens.

This study indicates a significant variation of humidity on extreme heat (EH) days over South Korea and southern–central Japan during the period 1979–2018. EH is therefore classified into three categories: type-A wet EH, type-B wet EH, and dry EH. Their statistical characteristics and formation mechanisms are investigated and compared. Our results suggest that the type-A wet EH is the most destructive, with the highest intensity, longest duration, and broadest spatial scale covering most of midlatitude East Asia. By contrast, type-B wet EH and dry EH are weaker, shorter, and mostly confined to northeast Asia. Despite these differences in characteristics, both types of wet EH are caused by the poleward advance of tropical warm and humid air masses as a result of the northward displacement of the Asian westerly jet. By contrast, dry EH is primarily induced by an increase in adiabatic heating and solar radiation resulting from anomalous subsidence. The three types of EH are associated with distinct large-scale teleconnections over Eurasia. A stable and persistent tripole wave pattern is responsible for type-A wet EH. The activity of atmospheric blocking over northern Europe, where the pattern originates, plays a crucial role in maintaining this pattern. By contrast, type-B wet EH and dry EH are related to a quadrupole pattern and a Silk Road pattern–like teleconnection, respectively, both lasting for a shorter time. These results highlight the diversity of EH, which suggests that multiple local and large-scale circulations should be considered to improve the forecast skills for EH.

Late Carboniferous to Permian granitoids in South Mongolia records the processes from collision to post-orogenic extension for the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Systematic geochemica...

espanolEn los ecosistemas, las fluctuaciones estacionales en la disponibilidad de recursos pueden tener efectos en especies con requerimientos troficos similares, lo cual aumenta la probabilidad de que surja la competencia interespecifica. Esta situacion se hace mas evidente en ambientes antropizados, donde la homogeneizacion del espacio puede agudizar la escasez de recursos y modificar el comportamiento alimentario en un grado incierto. De esta manera, resulta de especial interes entender como estas especies modifican sus habitos alimentarios en un contexto de transformacion del habitat. Evaluamos la diversidad de presas y el solapamiento de dos depredadores, el zorro chilla, Lycalopex griseus, y la lechuza blanca o lechuza comun, Tyto alba, durante tres estaciones en 2018 (invierno, primavera y verano). Se utilizaron heces y egagropilas recolectadas en un paisaje con predominancia agricola en el centro y sur de Chile. En el caso del zorro chilla, se observo un perfil trofico generalista, ya que consumio una amplia variedad de presas, en la que predominaron los lagomorfos y en menor medida, los roedores. En cambio, la lechuza concentro una gran proporcion de su perfil alimentario a los pequenos roedores, con pequenas variaciones entre estaciones. El analisis del solapamiento de las dietas mostro variaciones durante los periodos estudiados, con un valor maximo en invierno y uno minimo en primavera. La variacion en el consumo de presas en funcion de su tamano facilitaria la coexistencia de ambas especies en la zona de estudio. EnglishIn ecosys-tems, seasonal fluctuations in the availability of resources can promote effects on species with similar trophic requirements, increasing the probability of interspecific competition. This scenario becomes more evident in human–dominated landscapes where homogenization of space can contribute to the shortage of resources, modifying species feeding behavior to an uncertain degree. Understanding how these species modify their feeding habits within the context of habitat transformation is of special interest. We evaluated the diversity of prey and overlap for two predators, the chilla fox Lycalopex griseus and the barn owl Tyto alba, during three seasons in 2018 (winter, spring and summer). The study was based on the analysis of feces and pellets in a landscape with agricultural predominance in Southern–central Chile. We found the chilla fox had a generalist dietary profile, feeding on a broad spectrum of prey, with predominance of lagomorphs and, to a lesser extent, rodents.In contrast, the diet of the barn owl mainly consisted of small rodents, with little variation across sea-sons. Analyses of dietary overlap showed fluctuations during the periods surveyed, with a maximum value in winter and a minimum value in spring. Variations in the consumption of prey based on their size could facilitate their coexistence in the study area.

This paper examines the determinants of foreign direct investment in the Southern Central Coast (SCC) region of Vietnam over the period 2007–2016 by a spatial econometric approach. The estimation results show that FDI inflows in the SCC region are attracted by the cheap labor cost of the host province, and provinces that own national seaports have great advantages in attracting FDI, confirming the vertical FDI form in the SCC region. Interestingly, skilled labor force in the surrounding provinces has a positive impact on FDI inflows in the host province. In particular, regarding the role of local institutional quality, the estimation shows that the legal institutions and level of social security in the host province play important roles in attracting FDI.

—A new species, Aa tenebrosa, from the Yungas Montane Grasslands is described, illustrated, and compared to similar species. Descriptions, brief taxonomic notes, and data on the ecology of Aa species from the Southern Central Andes (Argentina) are provided.

Arisaema liemiana is described and illustrated as a new species from Vietnam. A morphological comparison between the new and other species with yellow spathe limb in the sect. Attentuata is discussed.

The article describes the royal cart burials excavated at the Late Harappan site of Sanauli near Delhi in the spring of 2018 on the basis of the available reports and photographs. The author then comments on these finds, dated to about 1900 bce, with the Sanauli cart burials being the first of their kind in Bronze Age India. In his opinion, several indications suggest that the Sanauli “chariots” are actually carts yoked to bulls, as in the copper sculpture of a bull-cart from the Late Harappan site of Daimabad in Maharashtra. The antennae-hilted swords associated with the burials suggest that these bull-carts are likely to have come from the BMAC or the Bactria and Margiana Archaeological Complex (c.2300–1500 bce) of southern Central Asia, from where thereis iconographic evidence of bull-carts. The ultimate source of the Sanauli/BMAC bull-carts may be the early phase of the Sintashta culture in the Trans-Urals, where the chariot (defined as a horse-drawn light vehicle with two spoked wheels) was most probably invented around the late twenty-first century bce. The invention presupposes an earlier experimental phase, which started with solid-wheeled carts that could only be pulled by bulls. An intermediate phase in the development is the “proto-chariot” with cross-bar wheels, attested in a BMAC-related cylinder seal from Tepe Hissar III B in northern Iran (c.2000–1900 bce). The wooden coffins of the Sanauli royal burials provide another pointer to a possible Sintashta origin. The Sanauli finds are considered in the context of the author’s archaeological model for the prehistory of the Indo-Iranian languages, which is adjusted to meet recent justified criticism.

The Author discusses the evidence of copper ore winning and smelting in Lombardy during the late Bronze/early Iron Ages and observes that far more copper ore reduction sites than copper deposits ar...

As a main part of the North China craton collage system, the tectonic origin of the Bainaimiao arc terrane is still hotly debated, especially its relationship with the North China craton. Thus, we report on a field-based petrological and zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopic study of (meta-)sedimentary and volcanic rocks from the Bainaimiao arc terrane and northern margin of the North China craton in the Damao region. The lower and middle successions of the Bayan Obo Group from the northern North China craton, including the Dulahala, Jianshan, Halahuogete, and Bilute Formations, were deposited ca. 1.81–1.35 Ga and show age peaks at 1.85, 1.90, 2.0, and 2.5 Ga. This age pattern is in accordance with the coeval and extensively outcropped metamorphosed basement rocks of the northern North China craton. The upper succession, including the Bayinbaolage and Hujiertu Formations, deposited ca. 1.19–0.92 Ga, shows age peaks at ca. 1.35, 1.57, and 1.69 Ga, and sediments were derived from coeval rift-related magmatism characterized by a significant increase in positive εHf(t) values in detrital zircons. Thus, the Bayan Obo Group can be subdivided into North China craton basement–derived sediments and Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic rift-derived sediments, and the change of the provenance was probably caused by the ca. 1.35–1.30 Ga rifting event related to the breakup of the Nuna supercontinent. In the Bainaimiao arc terrane, zircon U-Pb geochronological results of (meta-)sedimentary rocks indicate they were formed in the Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic and have mainly late Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic ages (ca. 0.6–0.9, 1.1–1.2, 1.4–1.7, and 1.8–2.0 Ga) with peaks at ca. 0.86, 0.96, 1.15, 1.47, 1.66, 1.75, 1.80–1.87, and 1.94 Ga. The abundant Neoproterozoic ages for the Bainaimiao arc terrane detrital zircons are distinct from the scarcity of these ages in the northern North China craton, southern Siberia (age peaks at ca. 1.87, 1.92, and 2.0 Ga), and Mongolia (age peak at ca. 0.62, 0.83, 0.93, 1.84, and 2.0 Ga), but they are similar to the features of the Tarim craton (age peaks at ca. 0.62, 0.85, 1.15, 1.47, 1.66, 1.75–1.80, 1.85, and 1.94 Ga). Together with the recognition of a possible preexisting Proterozoic basement (ca. 0.7–2.0 Ga) in the Bainaimiao arc terrane, as evidenced by the Hf model ages of continental arc magmatism in the Bainaimiao arc terrane, this late Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic detritus probably resulted from local recycled sedimentation, and the preexisting Bainaimiao arc terrane basement rifted away from a continent with Tarim craton affinity. The rifting probably occurred between ca. 0.6 and 0.52 Ga, because the reworking of the Precambrian rocks in the North China collage system occurred between ca. 520 and 230 Ma.

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt has long been considered the largest Phanerozoic accretionary orogen in the world; it developed through the subduction and final closure of the Paleo–Asian Ocean. However, the architecture and duration of the accretionary orogenesis of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt are still controversial despite decades of investigation. In this study, we present field, compositional, and stratigraphically controlled detrital zircon geochronological data for late Paleozoic sedimentary rocks from the Alxa Tectonic Belt to constrain their provenance, tectonic setting, and the overall tectonic configuration of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. A Devonian sample yields a unimodal age peak (ca. 424 Ma) and broad late Mesoproterozoic ages. A Carboniferous sample has Early Silurian (ca. 438 Ma) and Late Devonian (ca. 382 Ma) peaks along with Neoproterozoic to Archean ages. The Permian samples are dominated by Ordovician–Devonian and Carboniferous–Permian ages. They yield maximum depositional ages ranging from ca. 291 Ma to 248 Ma and contain abundant zircon ages that are close to their depositional ages. These data reveal Ordovician–Silurian and Carboniferous–Permian magmatic flare-ups separated by a Devonian magmatic lull in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The arc terranes in southern Mongolia, central Beishan, and northern Alxa provided major detritus for the late Paleozoic sediments. An abrupt shift of zircon εHf(t) values at ca. 400 Ma reveals significant late Paleozoic crustal growth and excludes southern Alxa as a source. Oceanic basins prevented detritus from southern Alxa from reaching northern Alxa during Permian–Early Triassic time. A geological and provenance comparison of Permian basins in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt reveals the existence of two separate forearcs ascribed to bipolar subduction of the Paleo–Asian Ocean. Combined with recent paleomagnetic data, this leads us to advocate for an archipelago-style accretionary process induced by subduction retreat for the late Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt, which continued into Late Permian–Early Triassic.

is a freshwater crayfish native to the southern central United States and northern Mexico. In Brazil, it is only present in natural environment in the state of Sao Paulo. Nutritional and reproduct...

Ground-stone objects such as stone-headed clubs (gabagab) and axes/adzes held key positions in ethnographically known social networks encompassing Torres Strait and southern central New Guinea. How...

We provide an assessment of future daily characteristics of African precipitation by explicitly comparing the results of large ensembles of global (CMIP5, CMIP6) and regional (CORDEX, CORE) climate models, specifically highlighting the similarities and inconsistencies between them. Results for seasonal mean precipitation are not always consistent amongst ensembles: in particular, global models tend to project a wetter future compared to regional models, especially over the Eastern Sahel, Central and East Africa. However, results for other precipitation characteristics are more consistent. In general, all ensembles project an increase in maximum precipitation intensity during the wet season over all regions and emission scenarios (except the West Sahel for CORE) and a decrease in precipitation frequency (under the Representative Concentration Pathways RCP8.5) especially over the West Sahel, the Atlas region, southern central Africa, East Africa and southern Africa. Depending on the season, the length of dry spells is projected to increase consistently by all ensembles and for most (if not all) models over southern Africa, the Ethiopian highlands and the Atlas region. Discrepancies exist between global and regional models on the projected change in precipitation characteristics over specific regions and seasons. For instance, over the Eastern Sahel in July–August most global models show an increase in precipitation frequency but regional models project a robust decrease. Global and regional models also project an opposite sign in the change of the length of dry spells. CORE results show a marked drying over the regions affected by the West Africa monsoon throughout the year, accompanied by a decrease in mean precipitation intensity between May and July that is not present in the other ensembles. This enhanced drying may be related to specific physical mechanisms that are better resolved by the higher resolution models and highlights the importance of a process-based evaluation of the mechanisms controlling precipitation over the region.

Recent geodynamic characteristics of the Southern Central coast are analyzed on the basis of vertical and horizontal displacement velocities along active fault zones. The horizontal displacement velocity varies in magnitude from this fault system to another fault system, from 0.11–0.3 mm/year on the strike-slip - normal faults to 0–0.058 mm/year on the strike-slip faults and normal faults. The subsidence velocity changes complicatedly, different from one fault to another fault, depending on the mechanism of faults. On the continental shelf, most of the values of high subsidence’s velocity are related to the normal and strike-slip faults. Subsidence activities make the sea level increase highly, the subsidence activity makes the sea level rise at structures that fall close to the shore, reach about 0.2–0.48 mm/year in late Pleistocene - Holocene. The increase of sea level directly affects the intensity of erosion, flood, salinity and land loss events in coastal lowlands. Slippage of the seabed, earthquakes, volcanoes are geological hazards directly related to the geodynamic regime of the Southern Central coast.

Palicourea Aubl. (Rubiaceae) comprises a large group of Neotropical species, many of which were previously classified in Psychotria L. subg. Heteropsychotria Steyerm. Ongoing study of those species here clarifies the identity of Palicourea pilosa (Ruiz & Pav.) Borhidi, Palicourea hazenii (Standl.) Borhidi, and several similar species, and classifies them all in Palicourea subg. Montanae C. M. Taylor sect. Montanae ser. 4 subser. f. Twenty-five species found from southern Central America through western South America are studied here. The circumscription of Palicourea pilosa is narrowed, four new nomenclatural combinations are made in Palicourea, and 10 new species and one new subspecies are described.

Fil: Olivo, Mariana Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geociencias Basicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geociencias Basicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires; Argentina

The large-scale circulation anomalies associated with extreme heat (EH) in South Korea and southern–central Japan are examined using data during the time period 1979–2016. Statistical analysis indicates that EH days in these two regions are concentrated in July and August and tend to occur simultaneously. These EH days are therefore combined to explore the physical mechanisms leading to their occurrence. The composite results indicate that the anomalous atmospheric warming during EH days is dominantly caused by a significant subsidence anomaly, which is associated with a deep anomalous anticyclone over East Asia. Further investigation of the evolution of circulation anomalies suggests that the anomalous anticyclone over East Asia related to EH is primarily initiated by wave trains originating from upstream regions, which propagate eastward along the Asian westerly jet in the upper troposphere. These wave trains can be categorized into two types that are characterized by the precursor anticyclonic and cyclonic anomalies, respectively, over central Asia. The distinction between these two types of wave train can be explained by the wavenumbers of the Rossby waves, which are modulated by both the intensity and the shape of the Asian westerly jet as the background basic flow.

The Andes are thought to be formed through discrete contractional stages separated by periods of little to no orogenic construction. This paper analyzes the intervals between the main contractional phases that built the Southern Central Andes between 35° and 37°S in order to determine whether they were characterized by neutral, contractional or extensional conditions. During an interruption in orogenesis between the Late Cretaceous and the Miocene shortening phases, two extensional stages are recorded through the opening of a series of intra- and retro-arc basins. U-Pb dating of detrital zircons in a sample collected from the Los Á ngeles unit, a synextensional volcano-sedimentary succession located at ∼35°40'S along the Chile and Argentina international border, provided a maximum depositional age of 67.1 +2.4/ -0.9 Ma. This age, in association with evidence of regional crustal thinning, suggests a previously unrecognized extensional phase during latest Cretaceous times. Limited shortening succeeded this extensional event and was followed by a second extensional episode during late Oligocene and earliest Miocene times. While the first extensional event was restricted to the core of the Late Cretaceous orogen, the second episode affected a wide area ranging between the present forearc and retroarc areas. A structural section across the Malargüe fold-thrust belt at ∼36°S indicates inversion of normal faults where extension was focused and new thrust generation in areas not affected by extensional deformation. Our data reveal that the growth of the Southern Central Andes is the product of a complex alternation of contractional and extensional phases, with inherited structures playing a role in their tectonic evolution. A comparison with other Cordilleran orogenic systems such as the Puna-Altiplano plateau, the northern Peruvian Andes and the North American Sevier-Laramide orogenic belt, suggests that extensional deformation in the Southern Central Andes responds better to changes in plate kinematics, rather than to localized events within a continuous contractional setting. Fil: Fennell, Lucas Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina Fil: Iannelli, Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina Fil: Encinas, Alfonso. Universidad de Concepción; Chile Fil: Naipauer, Maximiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina Fil: Valencia, Victor. Washington State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Folguera Telichevsky, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina

ملخص البحث:مصر القديمة لم يکن لها حظ في الأشجار الکبيرة, ولهذا کانت تستورد جزءا من الخشب اللازم لها من آشور ،ولبنان ،وبلاد النهرين وبونت, ومن أهم أنواع الأخشاب التي استوردت الأرز والزان والبلوط والأبنوس والصنوبر والسدر, وبالإضافة إلى هذه الأخشاب کانت هناک أخشاب محلية أيضا, فکثيرا ما صورت الأشجار على جدران المقابر والمعابد, ولکنها کانت ترسم دائما بطريقة اصطلاحية, حيث لم يتم التعرف بوجه التأکيد إلا على القليل جدا منها مثل السنط والنخيل الدوم والجميز .شجرة السنط أو الطلح شجرة معمرة يصل ارتفاعها في بعض الأحيان إلى20 متر، تحمل أزهارا صفراء زاهية وثمارا قرنية يصل طولها إلى15 سم ، تحمل بداخلها عدة بذور تشبه إلى حد ما بذور الفاصوليا لونها بني ، تسمى البذور بالقرضي، کما أن جذع النبات يفرز مادة صمغية اشتهرت باسم الصمغ العربي.وأشجار السنط بشکل عام لا تتحمل الصقيع أقل من – 8 درجة مئوية لکن تتحمل درجات الحرارة العالية التي تفوق 40 درجة مئوية. عرفت شجرة السنط بالهيروغليفية باسم SnDtولقد استخدم خشبها فى العديد من الاغراض مثل صنع القوارب وتسقيف المبانى وصنع بعض التماثيل والاثاث الجنائزى ، کما استخدمت منتجاتها فى الطب المصرى القديم 0، کما دخلت بذور السنط فى الدباغة ، کذلک کانت شجرة السنط مصدرا مهما للحصول على الصمغ.أيضا ارتبطت شجرة السنط ببعض الالهه المصرية مثل حور وايزة ولقد ورد ذکرها فى بعض الکتب الدينية مثل نصوص الاهرام ومتون التوابيت.کما صورت فى بعض المقابر والمعابد وهو ما سيحاول البحث شرحه بالتفصيل. Abstract: Acacia nilotica is a perennial non-climbing shrub or tree, usually 15-20 meters high, found on the silt banks of the river Nile from the southern Central Sudan extending northwards to the Egyptian borders. In ancient Egypt the acacia considered primordial tree . At Heliopolis, there was a tradition that all the Goddesses and Gods were born beneath an acacia tree.In the Pyramid Texts, Horus, comes forth from the acacia tree., In the Book of the Dead the deceased the Divine Children of Iusaaset, the Goddesses and Gods born beneath the sacred acacia.The acacia is associated with a number of Egyptian Deities, it has specific associations with Isis and Her family. A particular acacia—simply called The Acacia, or Shondj—was sacred to Her. And Isis and Nephthys together were called the Two Shonti Goddesses, that is, the Two Acacia Goddesses. In the story of the “Horus and Set,” Isis, in the form of Her sacred bird, flies into the branches of Her holy acacia after tricking Set into condemning His own attempts to usurp the rightful rule of Horus, Isis’ son. In some tales, the acacia is the tree that magically grew up around the body of Osiris when His sarcophagus washed up on the shores of Byblos. He is called “the One in the Tree” and “the Solitary One in the Acacia. Acacia has been used in medicines, baking ingredients, tools,coffins,gum, and woodwork for centuries. These aspects will be handled in the current study in detail

Not much is known from an ethnohistorical perspective about the use of psychoactive substances in southern Central America; it is mainly through the archeological record that their presence in the past has been inferred. This article reviews evidence for the use of mind-altering plants and mushrooms in the societies that inhabited the current Costa Rican territory during pre-Columbian times, and explores the cultural significance of this activity. Historical, ethnographic, archeological, and paleobotanical information was examined and integrated with the data obtained from the analysis of 46 artifacts with a presumed linkage to psychoactive drug use that were selected from an exhaustive search in the collections of the Museums of the Central Bank of Costa Rica and the National Museum of Costa Rica. Preliminary results suggest the consumption of tobacco (Nicotianaspp. L.), morning glory (Ipomoeaspp. L.),cohoba[Anadenanthera peregrina(L.) Speg.], psychedelic fungi [Amanita muscaria(L.) Lam. andPsilocybe(Fr.) P. Kumm. species], as well as various alcoholic and invigorating beverages was present in ancient times. This use was likely connected to shamanistic healing practices, social–ceremonial events, and the ritual activities of people who held positions of religious and political importance within society.

The photographs of Hemitaurichthys polylepis in the natural environment of the coastal waters of Vietnam (Hon Noi) are given for the first time. The feeding of the representatives of the species on epibenthic organisms is registered on the slope of the reef. The data on the occurrence and depth distribution (6–35 m) of this rare (for the studied water area) species in the coastal waters of Vietnam are reviewed.

Based on the re-interpretation of well (log) data this study shows that the Vale Formation was deposited over large areas (> 100 km) in the southern central North Sea Basin (offshore Netherlands). Up to now, the Vale Formation (and the lateral equivalent Maureen Formation) were only described in the nearby offshore Denmark, Norway and UK. In the latter areas, the Vale Formation consists of sandstones, marlstones and marly mudstones. The results of this study show that in the northern offshore Netherlands, the lithology of the Vale Formation ranges from marlstones to marly claystones. Biostratigraphic analyses by previous studies on samples within the (newly interpreted) Vale Formation indicate a similar age (latest Danian and Selandian) and depositional environment (open marine) in the offshore Netherlands compared to the areas further north. Well correlation panels indicate that the Vale Formation obtains it highest thicknesses (over 30 m) in the western study area from where it thins (to less than 10 m) and changes its log-signature towards the - tectonically uplifted - Dutch Central Graben in the eastern study area. On top of the Dutch Central Graben, the Vale Formation and overlying claystones locally seals off an oilfield in the underlying chalks.

The Helmand Civilization in southern Afghanistan and southeastern Iran dates to the third millennium BCE and is best documented by the sites of Shahr-i Sokhta (Iran) and Mundigak (Afghanistan). Its formative phase in the late fourth/early third millennia BCE corresponds to a period that witnesses for the first time a substantial increase in interregional relationships within and between the Indo-Iranian Borderlands and southern Central Asia. Period I at Shahr-i Sokhta is a good illustration of this phenomenon as this period's remains – particularly the ceramics – are characterized by numerous traits with relationships to various, distant cultural spheres located in Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Yet, in many cases, the nature of these relationships remains unclear. In this article, we utilize Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) on different ceramic styles from Shahr-i Sokhta Period I along with one sherd from Mundigak Period III in order to determine whether these shared traits represent actual exchange among separate cultural groups or local imitations of distant ceramic styles. Our results provide new information on the intercultural interactions that occurred during the foundation period of Shahr-i Sokhta and the formative phase of the Helmand Civilization. More broadly, they add another piece to the research that aims to define the nature of the increasing interregional relationships visible around 3000 BCE in eastern Middle Asia.

The Andes represent the modern type area for orogeny at a non-collisional, ocean-continent convergent margin. Subduction geometry, tectonic deformation, and seismicity at this plate boundary are closely related to lithospheric temperature distribution in the upper plate. Despite recent advances in the assessment of the thermal state of the Andean lithosphere and adjacent regions derived from geophysical and geochemical studies, several unknowns remain concerning the 3D temperature configuration at lithospheric scale. In particular, it is not clear how both, the configuration of the continental overriding plate (i.e., its thickness and composition) and the variations of the subduction angle of the oceanic Nazca plate influence thermal processes and deformation in the upper plate. To address this issue, we focus on the southern segment of the Central Andes (SCA, 29°S-39°S), where the Nazca plate changes its subduction angle between 33°S and 35°S from the Chilean-Pampean flat-slab zone (< 5° dip, 27-33°S) in the north to a steeper sector south of 33°S (~30° dip). Additionally, the overriding plate exhibits variations in the crustal geometry and density distribution along- and across-strike of the subduction zone. We derived the 3D lithospheric temperature distribution and the surface heat flow of the SCA from the inversion of S-wave velocity to temperatures and calculations of the steady-state conductive thermal field. The configuration of the region – concerning both, the heterogeneity of the lithosphere and the slab dip – was accounted for by incorporating a 3D data-constrained structural and density model of the SCA into the workflow. We conclude that the generated thermal model allows us to evaluate how mantle thermal anomalies and first-order structural and lithological heterogeneities in the lithosphere, observed across and along-strike of Andean orogen, affect the thermal field of the SCA and thus the propensity of the South American lithosphere to specific styles in deformation. In addition, our results are useful to constrain thermo-mechanical simulations in geodynamic modelling and therefore, contribute to a better understanding of the present-day rheological state of the Andes and adjacent regions.

Resolving Earth’s surface at the meter scale is essential for an improved understanding of topographic signatures generated by debris-flow activity in high-relief mountainous terrains. Here, we explore the applicability and potential of digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from stereo-photogrammetry for debris-flow detection in the southern Central Andes of NW Argentina. Our analysis relies on a high-resolution (3 m) DEM created from SPOT-7 tri-stereo satellite data. We carefully validated DEM quality with ~5000 differential GPS points for an area of 245 km² in the Quebrada del Toro basin within the Eastern Cordillera. We build upon previous work that suggests that debris flows have a distinct signature in the drainage area and slope framework: debris-flow channels exhibit a nearly constant slope (no channel curvature), while channels dominated by fluvial transport processes show a negative power-law behavior in log-log space. Drainage-area approaches in geomorphic analysis are fast and efficient tools to distinguish signatures of debris-flow and fluvial transport processes, yet they might introduce an averaging bias because upstream areas are analyzed jointly. For a more precise localization and assessment of debris-flow activity, we evaluate topographic signatures of individual channels. We present a new approach that relies on connected components of similar slope that can be attributed to different transport regimes. Debris-flow activity reflects particularly steep segments of medium connected-component lengths in small drainage areas. The spatial occurrence and lengths of these segments are controlled by geologic and lithologic boundary conditions and we find that the highest debris-flow activity corresponds with steep slopes in areas documented Quaternary tectonic activity and the exposure of pervasively fractured bedrock. Comparing our results to topographic signatures of the corresponding catchments in log-log space, we show that individual channel approaches allow to better detect intra-catchment variability. These are imperative for understanding erosion and sediment-transport processes in the river channel. Since high-resolution data are needed to reliably resolve debris-flow channels, our meter-scale DEMs greatly improve the localization and prediction of debris-flow activity. Thus, for evaluations of recurring hazardous debris-flow activity in extensive, remote, and sparsely vegetated mountainous landscapes, stereo-photogrammetry presents a very suitable and cost-efficient alternative to airborne lidar data.

The estimation of regional extreme events (heavy precipitation and droughts) in Central Europe under ongoing climate change especially includes an evaluation of the relationship between atmospheric circulation types and regional droughts taking place in the bilateral research project WETRAX+ (WEather Patterns, Cyclone TRAcks, and related precipitation EXtremes). The study area is located in the south of central Europe, including Austria, parts of Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.For a precipitation-conditioned circulation type classification, atmospheric variable fields from gridded daily JRA55 reanalysis data (Japan Meteorological Agency 2018) and gridded daily precipitation data based on 1756 weather stations in the study area (Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik 2018) were used for the observation period 1961 to 2017. Seven different regional climate model runs of the Euro-Cordex – Initiative and from ReKliEs-De (Regional Climate Projections Ensemble for Germany) as well as three runs of the global climate model ECHAM6 (greenhouse gas scenario RCP 8.5) were used to estimate future changes in two projection periods (2031-2060 and 2071-2100).The large-scale atmospheric circulation types have been derived using a non-hierarchical cluster analysis provided in the COST733 Classification Software. The drought-relevant circulation types are determined according to relative frequencies of circulation type days under a particular percentile of precipitation: If at least 20 percent of the circulation type days are below the 20th percentile of precipitation, the circulation type is defined as drought relevant. Drought-relevant circulation types are examined in terms of trends, persistence, changes in monthly occurrence frequencies, and within-type variability. When transferring the circulation types to the climate model data, each single day of the projection period is assigned to the circulation type to whose centroid fields the respective single fields have the smallest Euclidean distance.During the observation period, the trend analyses show that the occurrence of drought-relevant circulation types is significantly more often associated with higher temperatures and lower relative humidity. First results of the analysis for the future climate show an increase of central high-pressure areas over Central and Eastern Europe for the months April to September. Anticyclonic weather conditions with a resulting southwesterly flow occur less frequently.

Numerous lenses of garnet amphibolite occur in the garnet-bearing biotite-plagioclase gneiss belt in the Baishan area of the Beishan Orogen, which connects the Tianshan Orogen to the west and the Mongolia-Xing’anling Orogen to the east. According to the microstructures, mineral relationships, and geothermobarometry, four stages of mineral assemblages have been identified as follows: (1) a pre-peak stage, which is recorded by the cores of garnet together with core-inclusions of plagioclase (Pl1); (2) a peak stage, which is recorded by the mantles of garnet together with mantle-inclusions of plagioclase (Pl2) + amphibole (Amp1) + Ilmenite (Ilm1) + biotite (Bt1), developed at temperature-pressure (P-T) conditions of 818.9–836.5 °C and 7.3–9.2 kbar; (3) a retrograde stage, which is recorded by garnet rims + plagioclase (Pl3) + amphibole (Amp2) + orthopyroxene (Opx1) + biotite (Bt2) + Ilmenite (Ilm2), developed at P-T conditions of 796.1–836.9 °C and 5.6–7.5 kbar; (4) a symplectitic stage, which is recorded by plagioclase (Pl4) + orthopyroxene (Opx2) + amphibole (Amp3) + biotite (Bt3) symplectites, developed at P-T conditions of 732 ± 59.6 °C and 6.1 ± 0.6 kbar. Moreover, the U-Pb dating of the Beishan garnet amphibolite indicates an age of 301.9 ± 4.7 Ma for the protolith and 281.4 ± 8.5 Ma for the peak metamorphic age. Therefore, the mineral assemblage, P-T conditions, and zircon U-Pb ages of the Beishan garnet amphibolite define a near-isothermal decompression of a clockwise P-T-t (Pressure-Temperature-time) path, indicating the presence of over thickened continental crust in the Huaniushan arc until the Early Permian, then the southern Beishan area underwent a continental crust tectonic thinning process.

The varved sediments of Lake Montcortès (central Pyrenees) have provided a continuous and well-dated high-resolution record of the last ca. 3000 years. Previous chronological and sedimentological studies of this record have furnished detailed paleoenvironmental reconstructions. However, palynological studies are only available for the last millennium, and the vegetation and the landscape around the lake had already been transformed by humans by this time. Therefore, the primeval vegetation of Montcortès and the history of its anthropogenic transformations remains unknown. This paper presents a palynological analysis of the interval between the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1100 BCE) and the Early Medieval period (820 CE), aimed at recording the preanthropic conditions, the anthropization onset and the further landscape transformations. During the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1100 BCE to 770 BCE), the vegetation did not show any evidence of human impact. The decisive anthropogenic transformation of the Montcortès catchment vegetation and landscape started at the beginning of the Iron Age (770 BCE) and continued during Roman and Medieval times in the form of recurrent burning, grazing, cultivation, silviculture, hemp retting and other human activities. Some intervals of lower human pressure were recorded, but the original vegetation never returned. The anthropization that took place during the Iron Age did not cause relevant changes in the sediment yield to the lake, but a significant limnological shift occurred, as manifested in the initiation of varve formation, a process that has been continuous until today. Climatic shifts seem to have played a secondary role in influencing catchment vegetation and landscape changes from the Iron Age onwards. These results contrast with previous inferences of low anthropogenic impact until the Medieval Period, at a regional level (central Pyrenees). The intensification of human pressure in Early Medieval times (580 CE onwards) has also been observed in Lake Montcortès, but the overall anthropization of its watershed had already commenced a couple of millennia before, at the beginning of the Iron Age. It could be interesting to verify whether the same pattern – i.e., Late Bronze “pristinity”, Iron Age anthropization and Early Medieval intensification of human pressure – may be a recurrent pattern for mid-elevation Pyrenean landscapes below the tree line. This pattern complicates the definition of the “Anthropocene”, as it adds a new dimension, i.e., elevational diachronism, to the anthropization of mountain ranges, in general.

After years of intense fieldwork, our knowledge about the Neolithisation of the Pyrenees has considerably increased. In the southern central Pyrenees, some previously unknown Neolithic sites have been discovered at subalpine and alpine altitudes (1,000–1,500 m a.s.l.). One of them is Cueva Lóbrica, 1,170 m a.s.l., which has an occupation phase with impressed pottery dated ca. 5400 cal BCE. Another is Coro Trasito, 1,558 m a.s.l., a large rock shelter that preserves evidence of continuous occupations in the Early Neolithic, 5300–4600 cal BCE. Evidence of human occupation at higher altitudes has also been documented. In the Axial Pyrenees, at the Obagues de Ratera rock shelter, 2,345 m a.s.l., an occupation has been dated to around 5730–5600 cal BCE. At Cova del Sardo, in the Sant Nicolau Valley, at 1,780 m a.s.l., a series of occupations have been excavated, dated to ca. 5600–4500 cal BCE. These sites allow us to discuss patterns of occupation of the mountainous areas between the Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic. Recent data suggest that the last hunter–gatherer occupied all altitudinal stages of the Pyrenees, both in the outer and inner ranges. A change in the settlement pattern seems to have occurred in the Early Neolithic, which consisted of a concentration of occupations in the valley bottom and mid-slopes, in biotopes favourable to both herding and agriculture., Research described in this article has been carried out in the framework of several projects: ‘Modelización de los espacios prehistóricos de montaña. Un SIG del patrimonio arqueológico y los territorios pastoriles (HAR2015-66780-P/IP: Ermengol Gassiot)’ funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain; ‘Muntanyes humanes. Arqueología del pastoralisme i l’agricultura al Pirineu Occidental (CLT009/18/00032 Ajuts per a projectes quadriennals de recerca en matèria d’arqueologia i paleontología 2018–2021/IP: Ermengol Gassiot)’ funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya; ‘Arqueología del Pastoralismo en el Bien Pirineos Monte Perdido’, funded by the Ministerio de Cultura in Spain and different contracts with National Park of Aigüestortes & Estany of Sant Maurici. The work of one of the authors (N.M.) was supported by a MSCA-IF grant, project QUANT (ID: 792,544).