scholarly journals Nature and origin of large-scale and intrasalt deformation within the Wieliczka salt mine, Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark G. ROWAN ◽  
Piotr KRZYWIEC ◽  
Krzysztof BUKOWSKI ◽  
Jerzy PRZYBYŁO

The Wieliczka salt mine, near Kraków in southern Poland, is a world-famous historical and modern destination for both geoscientists and tourists. Despite numerous publications, there is still a lack of consensus on the nature and origin of the large-scale folds as well as whether the small-scale structures represent tectonic or soft-sediment deformation. In this preliminary work, we offer new ideas on both aspects. At the large scale, we emphasize the mechanical stratigraphy of the layered evaporite sequence, which comprises a thin basal weak layer, a thin strong unit, a thicker weak layer, and a thicker strong unit. We suggest that the inclined to recumbent folds and thrusts formed tectonically due to overthrust shear between the basal detachment and the overriding Carpathian frontal thrust, with different structural styles decoupled by the thick weak layer. At the small scale, we suggest that there was early extension directed toward the east to north-east, followed by contraction vergent toward the north. We infer that there was early, syndepositional gravity gliding down a topographic slope dipping into the coeval Gdów depocenter to the east, and that subsequent north-directed Carpathian shortening generated the small-scale contractional structures as the larger folds were developing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2719
Author(s):  
Natacha Carvalho ◽  
Jordi Guillen

The EU-27 fishing fleet consumed 2.02 billion liters of fuel to catch 4.48 million tons of fish, valued at €6.7 billion in 2018. The profitability of the EU fishing fleet shows an increasing trend, partly due to the improvements in the energy efficiency and recovery of fish stocks in the North-east Atlantic. Fuel is one of the main expenses fishing fleets have, and therefore, their economic performance remains highly dependent on the fuel price, even if they benefit from a fuel tax exemption. The adoption of the European Green Deal, the revision of the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD), the ongoing World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiation to prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies, and general public opinion are putting pressure to eliminate this tax exemption. This analysis investigates the impacts of the potential elimination of the fuel tax exemption across the different EU fishing fleets and it is discussed to what extent the small-scale, large-scale and distant-water fleets could be affected. This analysis is useful to inform policy-makers and stakeholders on the consequences of the potential elimination of the fuel tax exemption, as well as to discuss potential measures to mitigate the socioeconomic impacts arising from this eventual change in the current regulatory framework.


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Buchstaller ◽  
Seraphim Alvanides

The aims of this paper are twofold. First, we locate the most effective human geographical methods for sampling across space in large-scale dialectological projects. We propose two geographical concepts as a basis for sampling decisions: Geo-demographic classification, which is a multidimensional method used for the socio-economic grouping of areas; we also develop an updated version of functional regions that can be used in sociolinguistic research. We then report on the results of a pilot project that applies these models to collect data regarding the acceptability of vernacular morphosyntactic forms in the North East of England. Following the method of natural breaks advocated for dialectology by Horvath & Horvath (2002), we interpret breaks in the probabilistic patterns as areas of dialect transitions. This study contributes to the debate about the role and limitations of spatiality in linguistic analysis. It intends to broaden our knowledge about the interfaces between human geography and dialectology.


2008 ◽  

From the late Sixties on, industrial development in Italy evolved through the spread of small and medium sized firms, aggregated in district networks, with an elevated propensity to enterprise and the marked presence of owner-families. Installed within the local systems, the industrial districts tended to simulate large-scale industry exploiting lower costs generated by factors that were not only economic. The districts are characterised in terms of territorial location (above all the thriving areas of the North-east and Centre) and sector, since they are concentrated in the "4 As" (clothing-fashion, home-decor, agri-foodstuffs, automation-mechanics), with some overlapping with "Made in Italy". How can this model be assessed? This is the crucial question in the debate on the condition and prospects of the Italian productive system between the supporters of its capacity to adapt and the critics of economic dwarfism. A dispassionate judgement suggests that the prospects of "small is beautiful" have been superseded, but that the "declinist" view, that sees only the dangers of globalisation and the IT revolution for our SMEs is risky. The concept of irreversible crisis that prevails at present is limiting, both because it is not easy either to "invent", or to copy, a model of industrialisation, and because there is space for a strategic repositioning of the district enterprises. The book develops considerations in this direction, showing how an evolution of the district model is possible, focusing on: gains in productivity, scope economies (through diversification and expansion of the range of products), flexibility of organisation, capacity to meld tradition and innovation aiming at product quality, dimensional growth of the enterprises, new forms of financing, active presence on the international markets and valorisation of the resources of the territory. It is hence necessary to reactivate the behavioural functions of the entrepreneurs.


2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Greve ◽  
S. Otsu

Abstract. The north-east Greenland ice stream (NEGIS) was discovered as a large fast-flow feature of the Greenland ice sheet by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaginary of the ERS-1 satellite. In this study, the NEGIS is implemented in the dynamic/thermodynamic, large-scale ice-sheet model SICOPOLIS (Simulation Code for POLythermal Ice Sheets). In the first step, we simulate the evolution of the ice sheet on a 10-km grid for the period from 250 ka ago until today, driven by a climatology reconstructed from a combination of present-day observations and GCM results for the past. We assume that the NEGIS area is characterized by enhanced basal sliding compared to the "normal", slowly-flowing areas of the ice sheet, and find that the misfit between simulated and observed ice thicknesses and surface velocities is minimized for a sliding enhancement by the factor three. In the second step, the consequences of the NEGIS, and also of surface-meltwater-induced acceleration of basal sliding, for the possible decay of the Greenland ice sheet in future warming climates are investigated. It is demonstrated that the ice sheet is generally very susceptible to global warming on time-scales of centuries and that surface-meltwater-induced acceleration of basal sliding can speed up the decay significantly, whereas the NEGIS is not likely to dynamically destabilize the ice sheet as a whole.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Hall ◽  
Barbara Berx ◽  
Gillian Damerell

Abstract. Internal tide energy flux is an important diagnostic for the study of energy pathways in the ocean, from large-scale input by the surface tide, to small-scale dissipation by turbulent mixing. Accurate calculation of energy flux requires repeated full-depth measurements of both potential density (ρ) and horizontal current velocity (u) over at least a tidal cycle and over several weeks to resolve the internal spring-neap cycle. Typically, these observations are made using full-depth oceanographic moorings that are vulnerable to being fished-out by commercial trawlers when deployed on continental shelves and slopes. Here we test an alternative approach to minimise these risks, with u measured by a low-frequency ADCP moored near the seabed and ρ measured by an autonomous ocean glider holding station by the ADCP. The method is used to measure the M2 internal tide radiating from the Wyville Thompson Ridge in the North Atlantic. The observed energy flux (4.2 ± 0.2 kW m−1) compares favourably with historic observations and a previous numerical model study. Error in the energy flux calculation due to imperfect co-location of the glider and ADCP is estimated by sub-sampling potential density in an idealised internal tide field along pseudorandomly distributed glider paths. The error is considered acceptable (


2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1905-1922 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Prtenjak ◽  
I. Tomažić ◽  
I. Kavčič ◽  
S. Đivanović

Abstract. Characteristics of thermally induced flow, namely the sea breeze, are investigated along the south-eastern Adriatic. The chosen period 24–25 April 2006 favoured sea breeze development and simultaneously allowed a comparison of the large-scale wind influence (north-westerly wind versus south-easterly wind) and the complex terrain on the local circulations. Particular attention is paid to the small-scale formation of the wind field, convergence zones (CZs), channelling flows and small scale eddies, especially in the vicinity of two airports in the central part of south-eastern Adriatic. The results are based on wind measurements (from meteorological surface stations, radiosoundings, satellite data and sodar data) and further supplemented by model data at fine grid spacing. This study shows the formation of numerous irregular daytime and nighttime CZs, which occurred along the coastline in the lee of mountains and over the larger, elongated islands. The results show that the above mentioned airports are surrounded by daytime CZ formations within the lowermost 1000 m and associated updrafts of 1 m s−1, especially if CZs are maintained by the north-westerly large-scale winds. Whereas the daytime CZ was generated due to merged sea breezes, the weaker and shallower nighttime CZs were formed by wind convergence of the seaward breezes, and significantly modified by the large-scale flow of the topography (e.g., accelerated flow in the sea channels and substantial swirled flows around the islands). The passes between the coastal mountain peaks changed the inflow penetration, provoking the increase in wind speed of the channelled flow. The strongest sea breeze channelling was observed above the valley of the Neretva River, where the onshore flow reached 40 km inland with a strength of 8 m s−1, and the highly asymmetric offshore part was confined within the sea channel.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1861-1880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohui Ma ◽  
Ping Chang ◽  
R. Saravanan ◽  
Raffaele Montuoro ◽  
Hisashi Nakamura ◽  
...  

Abstract Local and remote atmospheric responses to mesoscale SST anomalies associated with the oceanic front and eddies in the Kuroshio Extension region (KER) are studied using high- (27 km) and low-resolution (162 km) regional climate model simulations in the North Pacific. In the high-resolution simulations, removal of mesoscale SST anomalies in the KER leads to not only a local reduction in cyclogenesis but also a remote large-scale equivalent barotropic response with a southward shift of the downstream storm track and jet stream in the eastern North Pacific. In the low-resolution simulations, no such significant remote response is found when mesoscale SST anomalies are removed. The difference between the high- and low-resolution model simulated atmospheric responses is attributed to the effect of mesoscale SST variability on cyclogenesis through moist baroclinic instability. It is only when the model has sufficient resolution to resolve small-scale diabatic heating that the full effect of mesoscale SST forcing on the storm track can be correctly simulated.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
SERGI HERRANDO ◽  
LLUÍS BROTONS ◽  
MARC ANTON ◽  
FERRAN PÁRAMO ◽  
DANI VILLERO ◽  
...  

SUMMARYIn Europe, and particularly in the Mediterranean Basin, the abandonment of traditional land-use practices has been reported as one of the main causes of decline for open-habitat species. Data from large-scale bird and butterfly monitoring schemes in the north-east Iberian Peninsula were used to evaluate the impact that land abandonment has had on local biodiversity. Species’ habitat preferences, along a gradient from open to forest habitats, were significantly related to population trends: for both birds and butterflies, open-habitat species showed the most marked declines while forest species increased moderately. Multi-species indicators for tracking the impact of land abandonment on bird and butterfly populations were developed using habitat preference estimates and population trend indices. The patterns shown by these indicators were in line with the changes occurring in forest cover in the monitoring sites. This study reveals that multi-species indicators based on monitoring data from different taxonomic groups (here, birds and butterflies) may usefully be employed to track impacts of environmental change on biodiversity.


1982 ◽  
Vol 119 (5) ◽  
pp. 433-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shutian Suo ◽  
Ruqi Liu ◽  
Xingyuan Ma

SummaryThe Songshan area is located in the southern part of the North China platform, which is one of the most completely cratonized tectonic units of China. Its basement has experienced a complex evolutionary history and was eventually consolidated at the end of early Proterozoic time about 1.7 Ga ago.A systematic study has been made of the deformation history of the lower Proterozoic Songshan Group and the Archean Dengfeng Group. At least two widespread episodes of deformation can be recognised in the early Proterozoic Zhongyue tectonic cycle and three in the Archean Songyang cycle. Large scale and small scale interference patterns of the superimposed folding are investigated with the aim of recognizing possible regularities in their occurrence and of gaining an insight into the regional deformation history. Two important aspects of superimposition relationships are illustrated: the control of earlier structures upon later ones and the reform of the former by thelatter; their geometrical regularities are also dealt with respectively.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (47) ◽  
pp. 1-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J Hunter ◽  
Jonathan Erskine ◽  
Chris Hicks ◽  
Tom McGovern ◽  
Adrian Small ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe North East Transformation System (NETS) was conceived as an experiment in adopting large-scale transformational change across a NHS region in England. Although the NHS in the North East performs well, the health of the population ranks among the poorest in the country. The NETS was viewed as a means of addressing this conundrum. It comprised three components: Vision, Compact and Method.ObjectivesThe evaluation study comprised six elements: a literature review; an evaluation of the evolution and impact of the NETS; an identification of the factors facilitating, and/or acting as barriers to, successful change; an assessment of the role of the NETS project team; establishing how far the changes introduced through the NETS became embedded and sustained; and an evaluation of the impact of the NETS on end users.DesignThe research comprised a longitudinal mixed-methods study conducted over 3.5 years. Research methods included 68 semistructured interviews, observation, two focus groups, documentary analysis and interrupted time series (ITS) analysis. The ITS component comprised analysis of five rapid process improvement workshops in two of the sites.SettingThe research setting was the NHS North East region until its abolition in April 2013 following the UK government’s NHS changes. Fourteen sites were selected for the study, comprising primary care trusts as commissioners, and provider trusts including mental health, community, acute care and ambulance services.ParticipantsThe study respondents were members of staff in the 14 sites drawn from different levels of their organisations.InterventionsThe NETS comprised a complex set of interventions aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of care pathways for staff and patients.Main outcome measuresThe ‘receptive contexts for change’ framework was used to evaluate the transformational change process and its outcomes.Data sourcesQualitative parts of the study drew on semistructured interviews, focus groups, observation and documents. Quantitative parts of the study used routinely collected NHS data.ResultsTransformational change in a complex system takes time and demands consistency, constancy of purpose and organisational stability. The NETS was seriously disrupted by the NHS changes announced in July 2010. Progress was sustained at four of the study sites, but slowed or ceased at the other sites. Leadership style was found to be critical to the success of transformational change.ConclusionsThe NETS was a bold and ambitious initiative which succeeded in bringing about real and lasting change in some parts of the North East. However, it was unable to fully realise its vision and purpose partly because of the widespread reorganisation of the NHS by the new coalition government.Future workThere is a need to develop new methods to understand how change occurs, or fails, in complex settings like the NHS. There is a need for more in-depth studies in those sites that were able to implement and sustain change. This would inform future policy and practice. The results of the quantitative analyses were less conclusive than those obtained by qualitative methods. Further development of mixed-methods approaches would provide additional support for evidence-based decision-making.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.


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