Eastern Periphery Research Articles

“You forgot Poland?” Polish involvement in the Iraq war and its aftermath through a postcolonial lens

ABSTRACT This article examines Polish participation in the Iraq war (2003–2008) and its aftermath through a postcolonial lens within the context of Warsaw’s foreign policy choices in the post-Cold War era. After the fall of communism, Poland attempted to join “core” Western countries and institutions, while simultaneously distancing itself from the countries of the “periphery”. The article argues that Poland has operated in a liminal space during the Iraq war and its aftermath as it has been treated as an “internal other” of the West, and at the same time has “othered” the Iraqi periphery. The article does this by applying three key postcolonial theories to the case study: Said’s concept of orientalism, Coronil’s concept of occidentalism and Spivak’s ideas related to the subaltern. The article finds the following to be true: (a) Poland has been orientalised by core Western states while it has also orientalised the Iraqi and Middle Eastern periphery, (b) Poland has generally been a willing participant of occidentalist strategies concerning Iraq and the Middle East and (c) Western core states have attempted to speak for/silence Poland while Poland has spoken for/silenced the Iraqi/Middle Eastern periphery.

Affinities of the Sargat Population in the Baraba Forest-Steppe

Within-group, between-group, and comparative analysis of craniometric data relating to local and chronological samples of the Sargat population (5th century BC to late 3rd / 4th century AD) was carried out. The study focuses on sample from the Baraba forest-steppe. Comparative analysis, performed with the principal component method, included Early Iron Age samples from adjacent territories. No discontinuity was found in the spatio-temporal cranial variation among the Sargat groups. Despite differences between the three Sargat samples (Baraba, Irtysh, and Trans-Ural), they all represent one and the same Caucasoid physical type, characterized by meso-brachycrany, medium-high braincase, wide low, and somewhat flattened face, moderately inclined frontal bone, and protruding nasal bones. The Baraba group differs from two others by a wider face, larger pyriform aperture, and largest dacryal width. Comparative statistical analysis indicates affinities of the male part of Sargat groups with nomads of the Urals and Kazakhstan—Saka, Sauromatians, and Sarmats. Possibly, military campaigns by the Achaemenid state against the nomadic tribal unions of Central Asia in the second half of the 6th century BC triggered the migration process. Initially, migrants moved to the Irtysh basin, and thence to the western (Trans-Ural) and eastern (Baraba) peripheries of the emerging Sargat culture. The female part of the population was less affected by migratory processes. Female samples of the Sargat reveal an autochthonous cranial complex.

The early medieval origins of copper ore extraction in the Carpathian Mountains

The case study addresses the question of the early medieval revival of copper production in Europe. The focus of the research area is the Carpathian Basin, located on the eastern periphery of the zone influenced by European early medieval processes. The research of where and when early medieval metal production started in the region in our case also provides answers to the question of how the region was linked to the European continental economic network, which is until recently an unresolved problem. Ore extraction and the production of various non-ferrous metals (copper, silver, gold) had important centres in the Carpathian Mountains throughout the Middle Ages until the Modern Era. Concerning the Avar period, our study comprises lead isotope and chemical analyses of ‘Late Avar’ (c. 8th century AD) copper rivets, used for certain purposes alongside the copper alloys predominant in the period. As rivets were selected from the entire Avar cultural area, expanding virtually to all lowland and hilly areas in the Carpathian Basin, results are representative of the entire region. It shows that Avar craftsmen producing large quantities of copper alloy objects in the 8th and the early 9th century were supplied with copper from a single mining district, from the ore deposits of the Slovak Ore Mountains in the today Central Slovakia, a region which became an important metal-processing centre in the 11th century AD.

Formation of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation lower limb is critically dependent on Atlantic-Arctic mixing

Deep-water formation in the eastern Subpolar North Atlantic Ocean (eSPNA) and Nordic Seas is crucial for maintaining the lower limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), of consequence for global climate. However, it is still uncertain which processes determine the deep-water formation and how much Atlantic and Arctic waters respectively contribute to the lower limb. To address this, here we used Lagrangian trajectories to diagnose a global eddy-resolving ocean model that agrees well with recent observations highlighting the eSPNA as a primary source of the AMOC lower limb. Comprised of 72% Atlantic waters and 28% Arctic waters, the density and depth of the AMOC lower limb is critically dependent on Atlantic-Arctic mixing, primarily in the vicinity of Denmark Strait. In contrast, Atlantic waters gaining density through air-sea interaction along the eastern periphery of Nordic Seas and not entering the Arctic Ocean make a negligible contribution to the lower limb.

Diurnal Cycle of Precipitation and Extremes in Nepal

This study examines the spatio-temporal distribution of hourly precipitation across Nepal using Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) data from 2015 to 2021. The findings indicate that hourly precipitation intensity during the monsoon season can reach up to 0.7 mm/hr, while pre-monsoon intensities peak at 0.2 mm/hr. These intensities are predominantly concentrated in mid- and low-elevation areas of central and eastern Nepal. Post-monsoon and winter seasons exhibit high-intensity precipitation patches over high-elevation regions in the western, central, and eastern peripheries of the country. The annual distribution of hourly precipitation shows a pronounced peak during the monsoon season, indicating that a significant portion of the total annual precipitation occurs during this period. Extreme precipitation events follow a similar seasonal distribution, with monsoon extremes exceeding 15 mm/hr. The diurnal cycle of monsoonal precipitation shows unique characteristics, peaking at 0.65 mm/hr around midnight and decreasing to 0.2 mm/hr by late morning, then increasing steadily in the afternoon and evening. Additionally, the study contrasts hourly heavy precipitation extremes (≥10 mm/hr or day) with daily extremes, noting that hourly extremes, despite being accumulated into daily measures, present a higher frequency, and pose greater short-term hazard risks. This analysis over a seven-year period suggests the need for continued research to determine spatial and temporal trends in hourly versus daily extreme precipitation patterns, particularly in the context of climate change and its impacts on regional hydrology and meteorology.

Cloudbursts Strike over Foothill Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India: A Case Study from Maldeota, Dehradun District

The present study highlights the cloudburst issues that occurred in Raipur area of Dehradun City. On the night of August 20, 2022, the Raipur area of Uttarakhand state capital Dehradun was lashed by excessive rainfall or cloudbursts resulting in the water level of sub-watersheds of the Song River rising enormously, particularly Bandal Nadi and Song river. Bhaiswar and Sarkhet villages came in limelight which are situated on the Bandal valley due to loss of human lives and property. 5 people were killed while 3 people were injured and 24 animals lost whereas about 8.25 ha of agricultural fields were damaged and 12 families became homeless in these incidences. The transport connectivity of the Sarkhet and adjoining areas was disrupted due to washing off the road in several places. A detailed investigation was carried out in the affected areas to ascertain the causes and impacts of the disaster and the feasibility of rehabilitation land. Geologically, the devastated area is observed to be fragile due to its proximity to Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and subsequent Fault as also lies to the Eastern fringe of the Mussoorie Syncline. It was also observed that untraditionally ways of habitation patterns in the region and economic opportunities due to increasing tourist inflow in the area are responsible for the enhanced devastating potential of disaster. This work mainly concentrates on future risk and suggestions for future risk mitigation within the area.

Integrating with the Global Economy: The Evolution of the Export Profiles of the European Union’s Eastern Periphery (2000–2021)

How have Central and Eastern European countries integrated into global production networks since the early 2000s? Have European Union accession, the Great Recession of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered their export profiles? Using cluster analysis for 11 economies between 2000 and 2021, we uncover persistent differentiation and deepening specialisation over time. Czechia, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia emerge as the manufacturing hub of the region. When broader exports are accounted for, these economies look similar to Poland, Croatia and Romania. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria form a separate group that relies on more labour- and resource-intensive manufacturing goods, commodities and services.

Formation mechanisms of persistent extreme precipitation events over the eastern periphery of the Tibetan Plateau: Synoptic conditions, moisture transport and the effect of steep terrain

The eastern periphery of the Tibetan Plateau (EPTP) is prone to frequent and severe Persistent Extreme precipitation (PEP) events in summer. Given the complexity of weather systems and the intricate nature of terrain over this region, the generation and development mechanisms of the PEP in the EPTP remain to be determined. In this study, the formation and persistence mechanisms are further explored from the perspective of the general features of large-scale circulations, moisture source diagnosis and the influence of steep topography by using a thermal-dynamical diagnosis method, a mesoscale numerical simulation and a Lagrangian identification of the main moisture sources. The results show that during PEP events, the corresponding atmospheric circulation systems are characterized by an anomalous Rossby wave train at middle levels, an intensified westerly jet, an eastward extension of the South Asian high and a westward extension of the western Pacific subtropical high, all of which are possible to facilitate the development of potential instability and anticyclonic convergence of water vapor transport. The evaporative moisture sources from the Southeastern Asia (SEA), Bay of Bengal (BOB), and Southern China Sea (SCS) are remarkably enhanced during PEP events, with a contribution of 56.44%, which is 28.5% higher than the climatic mean. The further sensitive experiment indicates that the steep terrain could enhance the continuous transport of positive potential vorticity and the downward propagation of upper-level isentropic potential vorticity disturbances, thereby playing an essential role in the triggering and development of PEP events.

Assessment of soil erosion in the Irga watershed on the eastern edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, India

Human activities to improve the quality of life have accelerated the natural rate of soil erosion. In turn, these natural disasters have taken a great impact on humans. Human activities, particularly the conversion of vegetated land into agricultural land and built-up area, stand out as primary contributors to soil erosion. The present study investigated the risk of soil erosion in the Irga watershed located on the eastern fringe of the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand, India, which is dominated by sandy loam and sandy clay loam soil with low soil organic carbon (SOC) content. The study used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and Geographical Information System (GIS) technique to determine the rate of soil erosion. The five parameters (rainfall-runoff erosivity (R) factor, soil erodibility (K) factor, slope length and steepness (LS) factor, cover-management (C) factor, and support practice (P) factor) of the RUSLE were applied to present a more accurate distribution characteristic of soil erosion in the Irga watershed. The result shows that the R factor is positively correlated with rainfall and follows the same distribution pattern as the rainfall. The K factor values in the northern part of the study area are relatively low, while they are relatively high in the southern part. The mean value of the LS factor is 2.74, which is low due to the flat terrain of the Irga watershed. There is a negative linear correlation between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the C factor, and the high values of the C factor are observed in places with low NDVI. The mean value of the P factor is 0.210, with a range from 0.000 to 1.000. After calculating all parameters, we obtained the average soil erosion rate of 1.43 t/(hm2•a), with the highest rate reaching as high as 32.71 t/(hm2•a). Therefore, the study area faces a low risk of soil erosion. However, preventative measures are essential to avoid future damage to productive and constructive activities caused by soil erosion. This study also identifies the spatial distribution of soil erosion rate, which will help policy-makers to implement targeted soil erosion control measures.

The “EU‐Leash”: Growth Model Resilience and Change in the EU’s Eastern Periphery

Although the EU’s Eastern periphery has been afflicted by a series of crises over the past two decades, the region’s dependent market economies have shown puzzling resilience. Since the global financial crisis, the FDI-led, export-oriented growth models of the Visegrád countries have been reinforced. Meanwhile, the debt-based, consumption-oriented capitalism of the Baltic states has not experienced dramatic shifts either, despite a strengthening of its export component. Scholarly accounts from a comparative political economy perspective explain this resilience as the product of country-specific factors and tend to downplay the role of external influence. Instead, we aim to bridge these approaches with international political economy scholarship by arguing that European integration, in general, and the EU’s transnational regulatory influence, in particular, serves as an external anchoring mechanism for both semi-peripheral growth models. In addition to the region’s structural characteristics, such as deep embeddedness in global value chains, high exposure to trade with the EU, and dependence on external sources of finance, which already limit domestic agency in changing national growth models, we argue that European transnational regulatory integration involves an “EU-leash” that sets the boundaries for domestic economic policies, thereby influencing growth model trajectories. This ensures institutional continuity and prevents sudden and radical changes in semi-peripheral growth models. We demonstrate these mechanisms through two country studies (Estonia and Hungary).

Exploring the origin of the distance bimodality of stars in the periphery of the Small Magellanic Cloud with APOGEE and Gaia

ABSTRACT The Magellanic Cloud system represents a unique laboratory for study of both interacting dwarf galaxies and the ongoing process of the formation of the Milky Way and its halo. We focus on one aspect of this complex, three-body interaction – the dynamical perturbation of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) by the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and specifically potential tidal effects on the SMC’s eastern side. Using Gaia astrometry and the precise radial velocities (RVs) and multielement chemical abundances from Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2) Data Release 17, we explore the well-known distance bimodality on the eastern side of the SMC. Through estimated stellar distances, proper motions, and RVs, we characterize the kinematics of the two populations in the bimodality and compare their properties with those of SMC populations elsewhere. Moreover, while all regions explored by APOGEE seem to show a single chemical enrichment history, the metallicity distribution function (MDF), of the ‘far’ stars on the eastern periphery of the SMC is found to resemble that for the more metal-poor fields of the western periphery, whereas the MDF for the ‘near’ stars on the eastern periphery resembles that for stars in the SMC Centre. The closer eastern periphery stars also show RVs (corrected for SMC rotation and bulk motion) that are, on average, approaching us relative to all other SMC populations sampled. We interpret these trends as evidence that the near stars on the eastern side of the SMC represent material pulled out of the central SMC as part of its tidal interaction with the LMC.

Core-periphery divisions in the EU? East-west and north-south tensions compared

ABSTRACT Divisive politicisation of inequalities among the member states in the EU is the lowest in member states where one would expect the highest level of domestic demand for it, and it is highest in member states in which one would expect much lower demand. In this paper, we argue that the territorially fragmented structure of political representation in the EU creates the incentives for politicians to engage in blaming the other states and adopting us-vs.-them positions in the national, as well as in the EU arena. Regulatory and monetary integration among economies at different levels of development provides fertile ground for such politicisation. Yet, the ability to engage in such politicisation while ruling a peripheral country is crucially shaped by that country’s form and level of economic dependency on the economies of the European core. The consumption-led and credit-based growth model of the South is much more exposed to crises and suddenly increasing levels of dependency, whereas the FDI-based growth models in the Eastern peripheries provide for much larger room for politicising dependency and cntesting the alleged dictate of ‘foreign powers’ and EU institutions.

Fluvioglacial deposits in large lakes and inland seas of the eastern periphery of the Baltic Shield: formation peculiarities, lithological features and place in the palaeogeography of the Late Pleistocene-Holocene in the Northwest European part of Russia

In the report, on the basis of studies of the Quaternary cover of the Ladoga and Onega lakes and the White Sea carried out in the last decade, the question of the peculiarities of the formation of the first glacial lakes on the eastern periphery of the Baltic crystalline shield, the time of their deposition, and the peculiarities of sedimentogenesis is discussed. It is concluded that sediments of a specific type of sedimentation, which are formed everywhere in inland basins (seas and lakes) can be identified as a glacial-water formation specific to the glacial regions of the Earth.

Return of activist state in a former transition star: the curious case of Hungary

ABSTRACT European governments have become more active in economic affairs since the great financial crisis of 2008; the Covid-19 epidemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine have triggered a variety of government interventions. What is less obvious is the increased non-customary state activism in the form of ‘patriotic economic policy’ in EU periphery, particularly in Hungary, in and out of crisis times. The successive Hungarian governments under PMV. Orbán have systematically eroded checks and balances in order to enlarge their room of manoeuvre while practicing a self-styled illiberal, pro-sovereignty policy. The paper revisits the earlier development phases of the Hungarian transformation, trying to identify antecedents to the later Hungarian backsliding in market competition and liberal democratic order. Aspects of state capacity, size and composition of the state sector, and key policy directions are investigated in order to make sense of the differing transformation paths in Europe’s eastern periphery with a focus on Hungary, a onetime space setter in the transition process. Populism seems to be a misnomer for Orbanism which might be better understood as “cronyism with a cause”: government budgetary measures are self-serving but they also attempt at rebuilding the state. The paper concludes with an overview of possibly outcomes.

Fringe renewal. Enhancing urban and peri-urban fragile areas

This doctoral design-driven research investigates the spatial renewal and urban regeneration of four areas of the case study Eastern fringe of Milan. Each design experimentation focuses on peculiar topics related to urban fringes' renewal which were selected due to the specificities of each area within the broader urban fringe, which is strongly characterized by the presence of different infrastructures – the Lambro river, the railways and the A51 highway ‘Autostrada Tangenziale Est'. Design approaches illustrated in the following visual essays are based on surveys and datasets; they test design strategies through specific toolkits aimed at enhancing spatial relations and urban quality and reacting to climate change through mitigation and adaptation actions.

Characteristics of wind-sand transportation along railways in the eastern fringe of the Taklimakan Desert and sand control system

Abstract This paper focuses on the Korla-Ruoqiang desert railway line, utilizing ERA5 (ERA5 is the fifth generation of ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) atmospheric reanalysis global climate data) wind data to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the wind energy environment along the line in all aspects, reveals the characteristics of wind-sand transport, and puts forward the countermeasures to prevent and control wind-sand disasters. The results of the study indicate that: (1) the wind-sand along the line mainly occurs in the spring and summer seasons, and the dominant sand-moving directions are easterly (ENE, E and NNE) and northeasterly (NE). (2) The average annual sand-moving wind speed ranges from 5.80 m/s to 7.25 m/s, and the annual frequency of sand-moving ranges from 11.99% to 37.26%. (3) The annual sand drift potential (DP) along the line ranges from 69.20 VU to 607.24 VU, with three types of wind energy environments: low, medium and high. The resultant drift potential (RDP) ranges from 45.52 VU to 547.49 VU, and the wind variability index (RDP/DP) is between 0.54 and 0.90. (4) The average sand transport quantity along the line ranges from 2.92 m³/m/a to 9.09 m³/m/a. Based on these results, we optimize the sand blocking, sand fixing and wind erosion prevention measures for different types of wind-sand environments, establish a scientific and efficient wind-sand protection and control system to solve the wind-sand problems and provide a scientific foundation for the prevention and control of wind-sand disasters along the line.

From Third Space to Transnational: A Study of Alter Identities in Bharati Mukherjee’s Jasmine

The burgeoning presence of the Indian Diaspora across the world has triggered a new consideration of the cultural theories of nation, identity and international affairs. Depicting the process of negotiating the borders, both physical borders of states and countries and the metaphorical borders, between genders generations and cultures, Bharati Mukherjee, an American writer of Indian origin, raises the question of space and identity of the Indian immigrants in the US. An attempt is made to map the journey of the Indian Diaspora from the status of the immigrants to that of the transnational citizens of the world. The scope of this study lies in its treatment of transnational space which is going to redefine the idea of Diaspora as a process of gain, contrary to conventional perspectives that construe immigration and displacement as a condition of terminal loss and dispossession, involving the erasure of history and the dissolution of an “original” culture. Rejecting the binaries of the Western Centre and the Eastern Periphery, the paper invites a post-structural approach to the cultural identity construction of the Indian Diaspora.

The Role and Importance of a City and District Police as Bodies of Administrative Justice in the Context of the Integration of Siberia into the Russian Empire in 1782–1862

The creation and development of the police administration system in Siberia was one of the most important aspects of the state's regional policy. The purpose of this study is to determine the role and significance of city and zemstvo police as administrative justice bodies in the context of Siberia's integration into the Russian Empire from 1782 to 1862. This perspective offers a new approach to studying the integration of the macro-region into Russia. The study is based on the concept of frontier modernization, whose legal aspects have not been explored in science. The sources used include regulatory legal acts of the Russian Empire and records management materials extracted from the funds of the Russian State Historical Archive, the Archive of the Altai region, and the State Historical Archive of the Omsk region. The author concludes that the legislative decisions of the imperial power regarding the development of police administration bodies took into account the geographical, demographic, economic, and ethno-cultural characteristics of Siberia and its various regions. The legislation established specific functions and powers for city and zemstvo police in the field of justice. The activities of these bodies as administrative justice organs have become a significant factor in the defrontierization and subsequent modernization of the vast eastern periphery of the Russian Empire.

Belowground competition and niche partitioning between the Babassu palm and Urochloa grass in eastern Amazonian pastures

AbstractMuch of deforested Amazonia is dominated by pastures planted with exotic Urochloa (syn Brachiaria) grass, containing interspersed, ruderal Babassu palm (Attalea speciosa). This two‐species system offers the opportunity to investigate how two very competitive species interact. We investigated three monospecific Urochloa pastures containing dispersed Babassu palm clusters in the eastern periphery of Amazonia. We mapped 0‐ to 50‐cm Babassu and Urochloa root profiles at three distances representing contrasting relative dominance: “within clusters” (0.4–0.6 m from adult palm, Babassu‐dominated), “close” (2.5–4.0 m), and “far” (>8.0–10.0 m, Urochloa‐dominated). Total Babassu root share count was 76.0% within Babassu clusters, as opposed to Urochloa root share count (80.0%) far from clusters, confirming our experimental dominance gradient. Babassu and Urochloa root diameter composition differed strongly, whereas 44.6% of all Babassu roots were mid‐diameter or coarse; 83.0% of all Urochloa roots were fine graminoid. Vertical root profiles likewise differed: Babassu coarse and mid‐diameter roots concentrated within clusters at 20–50 cm depth, well protected against disturbance, though Babassu mid‐diameter roots did extend up to 10 m, indicating active foraging at long distances. By contrast, Urochloa mid‐diameter and coarse roots concentrated in the topsoil (70.4% in top 20 cm). Notably, 45.0% of all Urochloa fine roots but only 29.3% of deeper rooting Babassu concentrated in the top 0–10 cm. Both Urochloa mid‐diameter (R = 0.49) and fine roots (R = 0.40) correlated positively with Urochloa aboveground biomass. Fine‐root fine‐scale variability was high, with high‐density hotspots of both species in the topsoil. Babassu vertical root profiles were unaffected by the degree of interspecific competitive confrontation, whereas Urochloa fine roots were significantly shallower within than outside of Babassu clusters. Though differing Babassu and Urochloa vertical root profiles do support the notion of niche expansion caused by Babassu clusters within the vast Urochloa pastures throughout Amazonia, we also find a strong horizontal and vertical niche overlap with no indication of fine‐scale root segregation, indicating direct competition between both species, possibly in a dynamic state of “mutual invasability.” In practical terms, our findings call for the diversification of Amazonian pastures beyond this two‐species system in order to increase productivity and ecological efficiency.

FORMATION OF THE LARGEST LAKES IN THE NORTH-EASTERN EUROPE AT THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE BALTIC CRYSTALLINE SHIELD<a href="#FN1"><sup>1</sup></a>

Since 2014, the joint research team from the Institute of Earth Sciences, Northern Water Problems Institute KRC RAS, the Science Park of Moscow State University, as well as FSBI “VNIIOkeangeologia”, and Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia has begun a study of Quaternary deposits of Onega and Ladoga Lakes, the largest Russian lakes located on the eastern periphery of the Baltic crystalline shield. Using large volume of data collected in previous studies, and new data obtained by multichannel seismoacoustic profiling and heavy gravity corers, as well as new methods for core analysis the main attention was paid to the geological development of these lakes in the Late Pleistocene-Holocene. The study of the lake Quaternary deposits makes it possible to accurately understand the dynamics of the Scandinavian Ice Shield retreat from the North-Western territory of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the major influence of the glaciers on the lakes formation during its degradation makes it possible to draw regional paleogeographic correlations, starting from the Baltic and ending with the White Sea. The history of the lake basins formation is also of considerable interest, given that there are practically no Phanerozoic deposits. The geological section of the lakes is represented by both Archean-Proterozoic and Quaternary formations.The article discusses the analysis of new data obtained using multichannel seismoacoustic profiling and long sediment cores (Lake Onega), results of mathematical modeling of cycles of lake basins development (glacial, glacial-lake, lacustrine), and their correlation with the paleogeographic development of the White Sea.