Contouring the Cataclysm: A Geographical Analysis of the Effects of the Minoan Eruption of the Santorini Volcano

This study is a step forward in understanding the palaeoenvironmental effects of the Minoan eruption of Santorini (1627–1600 BCE). We employ geostatistics to produce a prediction map for the thickness of the tephra fallout over the Eastern Mediterranean, and we reconstruct the effects by comparisons with recent eruption analogues. Based on the geostatistical map, the amount of environmental disruption over so far undocumented areas is estimated by comparison with archaeological sites where emplaced Minoan tephra has been recorded before. Nevertheless, independent field evidence suggest that the environment responded differently in places, occasionally posing challenges to the presented interpolation. A second line of evidence coming from contemporaneous fluvial archives provides clues for a widespread ‘Minoan flood’ over a large part of the Eastern Mediterranean, associated with the eruption itself. This simultaneous hydrological event may have had a counterbalancing effect on the impacts of the Minoan tephra cover, and could explain the sporadic discrepancies between the predicted effects and the palaeoenvironmental evidence. Traces of the effects of this extraordinary volcanic event are also sought in the regional Late Bronze Age literature.     

A Late Holocene Tsunami at Basta Voe,Yell, Shetland Isles

A distinctive sand layer enclosed within Holocene peat is described from Basta Voe, Isle of Yell, Shetland Isles. The sand layer, that can be traced considerable distances inland and up to a maximum altitude of c. + 9 m OD, is here interpreted as having been deposited by a former tsunami. AMS dating appears to indicate that the tsunami occurred between 1300 – 1570 cal years BP. At present, the tsunami has no known source mechanism although the most likely mechanism is thought to have been an offshore slump or slide. The available information would presently seem to indicate that this tsunami was restricted to the eastern coastline of Shetland. The relatively young age of this inferred tsunami is of considerable importance to planners and engineers concerned with estimating coastal flood frequency and magnitude.     

1世纪至20世纪中期上荆江流域河道与水环境变迁——基于荆江洪水位历史变迁的考察

清中叶以降,清宫档三汛(桃花汛、伏汛、秋汛)安澜奏本中所见荆江洪水位开始日益上涨,咸丰、同治年间,藕池、松滋决口向洞庭湖分流后,水势稍有缓解,至光绪年间复又急速抬升。不断上涨的洪水位对江北入江河流造成了两方面影响: 其一为河道的变迁,其二为水环境的变化。在沮漳河流域,涉及长江百里洲的变迁,沮漳河入江口的变动,长江主泓迁移,下百里洲靠岸及洲尾东摆引发沮漳河下游延长,以及山水、江水相互顶托造成水环境淤积。在玛瑙河流域,则表现为荆江洪水位抬升对河水的顶托现象,导致入江尾闾沼泽化。     

Urban geoarchaeology and environmental history at the Lost City of the Pyramids,Giza: synthesis and review

Sediment accretion in ancient urban sites and tells records a combination of cultural and geomorphic processes. Urban geoarchaeology is focused on site accumulation, collapse, weathering and erosion, as constrained by architectural plans and structures. These may document settlement growth and decay, as well as environmental history, posing a multidisciplinary challenge of interactive and fluctuating processes.     

Gas breakthrough pressure for hydrocarbon reservoir seal rocks: implications for the security of long-term CO2 storage in the Weyburn field

This paper reports a laboratory study of the gas breakthrough pressure for different gas/liquid systems in the Mississippian‐age Midale Evaporite. This low‐permeability rock formation is the seal rock for the Weyburn Field in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, where CO₂ is being injected into an oil reservoir for enhanced recovery and CO₂ storage. A technique for experimentally determining CO₂ breakthrough pressure at reservoir conditions is presented. Breakthrough pressures for N₂, CO₂ and CH₄ were measured with the selected seal‐rock samples. The maximum breakthrough pressure is over 30 MPa for N₂ and approximately 21 MPa for CO₂. The experimental results demonstrate that the Weyburn Midale Evaporite seal rock is of high sealing quality. Therefore, the Weyburn reservoir and Midale Beds can be used as a CO₂ storage site after abandonment. The measured results also show that the breakthrough pressure of a seal rock for a gas is nearly proportional to the interfacial tension of the gas/brine system. The breakthrough pressure of a CO₂/brine system is significantly reduced compared with that of a CH₄/brine system because of the much lower interfacial tension of the former. This implies that a seal rock that seals the original gas in a gas reservoir or an oil reservoir with a gas cap may not be tight enough to seal the injected CO₂ if the pressure during or after CO₂ injection is the same or higher than the original reservoir pressure. Therefore, reevaluation of the breakthrough pressure of seal rocks for a given reservoir is necessary and of highest priority once it is chosen as a CO₂ storage site.     

Storage adaptations among hunter–gatherers: A quantitative approach to the Jomon period

Food storage economies among hunter–gatherers have been fundamentally important in research within anthropological archeology. It is well recognized that food storage was a key element in the evolution of hunter–gatherer societies. This paper examines storage facilities utilizing a digital planimeter to evaluate the volume and morphology of storage pits in the Jomon period (ca. 13,750–500 cal. BC). Quantitative analysis of Jomon storage pits shows temporal and spatial variability in terms of size. This research demonstrates that the quantitative analysis of storage pits is an effective way to improve our understanding of storage and its role in the Jomon economy in particular and subsistence adaptations in general. Thus, this approach has potential applications to other storage economies worldwide.     

成吉思汗史迹调查

2006年秋,我们随中国国家博物馆蒙古高原考察队,到蒙古人民共和国实地考察青铜时代至明清古迹。重点考察了以下遗址:(1)鄂尔浑河、鄂嫩河流域青铜时代、铁器时代遗址、墓葬和鹿石;(2)诺彦乌拉山、克鲁伦河流域匈奴古墓;(3)鄂尔浑河、土拉     

The natural hazard sector's engagement with Indigenous peoples: a critical review of CANZUS countries

Natural hazard management agencies across the settler countries Canada, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the United States (or CANZUS countries) are presently involved in an increasing range of collaborative and consultative engagements with Indigenous peoples. However, perhaps because these engagements are diverse and relatively recent, little has been written about how they emerged and, from these agencies' perspectives, little is known about how these engagements find their motivation within government natural hazard management frameworks. In this article, we review existing academic and grey literature to categorise the origins of recent and present engagements and then identify and elaborate on the key rationales informing natural hazard management agencies' interactions with Indigenous peoples. We argue both that the broad principles of sustainability and inclusion have transformed these interactions and that developmentalist approaches and an overemphasis on Indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge can sometimes undermine this work. Incorporating critiques of settler colonialism relevant to the CANZUS context, this review aims to support established, emerging, and future collaborative engagements by investigating and analysing the literature to date.     

洪水与战事中的清代绵州迁治研究

乾隆中叶,涪江改道东流,严重的水灾影响绵州城池的完整性和地方政权机构的正常运转,在金川战事迫近和财政拮据的形势下,四川总督阿尔泰主导放弃修城,将治所迁至罗江县城。嘉庆初的白莲教起义又使得绵州旧治的区位优势得以凸显,知州刘印全及本州绅民合力促成了治所的回迁。迁而复回是清代治所迁移的五种方式之一,由自然区位的唯一性和人文区位的历史惯性决定,体现出洪水环境效应的区域差异。城址迁移研究中将“行动者”的决策过程和地理区位的分析相结合,有助于明了因果关系及主次因素,呈现鲜活的历史面貌,获得深入的历史认知。     

Application of veratraldehyde as a temporary consolidant for relics at underwater cultural heritage sites

Because it is often difficult to preserve fragile relics in situ at underwater cultural heritage sites, it is sometimes necessary for relics to be extracted and moved to a controlled environment on land for protection and study. This paper discusses the feasibility of using the volatile organic compound veratraldehyde as a temporary consolidant for underwater fragile relics extraction. The results show that different materials (iron, tile, sand, wood) under water can be bonded together and extracted when using veratraldehyde. The fact that veratraldehyde is difficult to spread on the surface of underwater objects is a problem that can be solved by adding a layer of strong hydrophobic polypropylene (PP) fibres onto the object, serving as a ‘package' for the relics. Under laboratory conditions, we used veratraldehyde and PP fibres to extract broken tiles from underwater sand onto an exhibition stand. The broken tiles, in both condition and distribution, were safely and completely retained as the veratraldehyde was slowly removed by the soaking process. This work fills a gap in knowledge about temporary consolidant materials in underwater archaeology, and provides a new method for extracting underwater fragile cultural relics without damaging them.