Eastern Periphery Research Articles

Land Surface Temperature Retrieval based on Thermal Infrared Remotely Sensed Data of Aster

For the geothermal area in the southern part of Gongchangling, Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province, China based on ENVI 5.1 software, Aster thermal infrared remote sensing data was used for surface temperature retrieval. Based on the split windowing algorithm, the ground temperature retrieval result graph is finally obtained. According to this analysis, the temperature in the study area is mainly concentrated at 23-28°C. The average temperature is approximately 22°C. The minimum temperature is 12°Cand the maximum temperature is 35°C. The low temperature area is mainly near the Tanghe River and the Taizi River Basin in the study area. High-temperature areas are concentrated in the eastern fringe, where a large number of urban buildings are presented. The three hot springs are located in the study area, which is the high temperature area. In addition, the high temperature zone and the fracture structure in the study area have a large degree of fit.

First Determination of the Isotope Age of the Andesite–Dacite Complex of the Eastern Zone of the Middle Urals

This paper reports on the first U–Pb dating of zircons from dacites of the volcanic paleo-edifice of the andesite–dacite complex of the Eastern Zone of the Middle Urals orogen. The Eastern Zone involves the retroshariage and sheet-folded structural subzones. The volcanic complex, which includes vent and peri-vent facies, lies in the sheet-folded subzone among flyshoid and carbonate deposits with Middle Devonian fauna. This subzone forms the easternmost border of the orogen. The age of zircon grains is 389 ± 5.6 Ma, which is also in accordance with the Middle Devonian. Therefore, the sedimentary and volcanic complexes were formed around the same time, but based on their composition and structure, in different facial conditions. The sedimentary deposits were accumulated in shallow basins; the volcanic deposits were likely formed in the subaerial conditions surrounded by a shallow sea basin. We suppose that the manifestation of andesite–dacite volcanism in association with the sediments of shallow basins most likely points to the spatial and age-related displacement of the geodynamic and facial conditions of volcanism to the eastern periphery of the orogen.

Quartz and zircon decoupling in sandstone: Petrography and quartz cathodoluminescence of the Early Triassic continental Buntsandstein Group in Germany

AbstractThis study illustrates how decoupling of quartz and zircon can be used advantageously in provenance research. Thirty‐eight fine‐grained to coarse‐grained arkose samples of the Early Triassic intracontinental Buntsandstein Group from the Central European Basin in Germany were analysed for their petrography and 1200 grains in 23 of these for their detrital quartz cathodoluminescence characteristics. The samples represent the Hessian and Thuringian sub‐basins and the Eichsfeld–Altmark Swell separating them. The Hessian Sub‐basin includes more metamorphic lithoclasts with a larger content of plutonic grains than are found further east in the Thuringian Sub‐basin. More than 90% of the detrital quartz from the eastern Thuringian Sub‐basin produce medium to bright blue cathodoluminescence colours and corresponding spectra that are typical for igneous or high‐temperature metamorphic origin. Differently, the quartz from the Hessian Sub‐basin mostly luminesces brown and dark to medium blue, typical for a low‐temperature metamorphic origin. Quartz from the Eichsfeld–Altmark Swell and the western Thuringian Sub‐basin is a mixture between these origins. The quartz indicates different catchments for the sub‐basins, possibly the Bohemian Massif and the Massif Central, with converging transport routes on and close to the eastern fringe of the swell. Taking published zircon data from the same samples into account, light mineral‐zircon grain‐size shifts are up to 2 Φ units. That can be explained by mineral decoupling due to different transport modes for quartz and zircon and different zircon‐size availability in the source areas, exaggerated by combined aqueous–aeolian transport, as well as sample preparation‐induced sorting. This study concludes that submerged highs significantly can influence continental sediment transport. Hence, vast, flat continental areas with submerged morphological highs and a seemingly straightforward transportation pattern may be more complex than expected. The results also illustrate that analysis of detritus that has been affected by different dominating transport modes, and further sorting during sampling and preparation can reveal additional source information.

Geography of international migration in the modern age of globalization

The article deals with international migration during the last decades of the 20th and at the beginning of the 21st centuries and its economic-geographical analysis. The paper provides an overview of opinions about the dating of the contemporary era of global migration. It is shown that only after completion of spatial restructuring of migration processes and with the transition to sustainable growth of the share of international migrants in the world population, the modern increase of migration begins. On the basis of the UN statistics the main sources of migrants to the countries of Western Europe have been determined as well as shifts in the geographical structure of migrant population of the region that have taken place in the last quarter of a century. Two migration waves directed to the core of the European region from its southern and then from the eastern periphery are determined. The transformation of the USA population structure caused by the migration inflow from Latin America and Asia is described. The ratio of the main directions of global migration is shown: South-South, South-North, etc. At the same time, it is noted that a rather limited part of international migrations is associated with the asynchrony of demographic processes in the regions of the world. The article also discusses the remittances of migrants from developing countries to their homeland, forming powerful financial flows, which are second only to foreign direct investment. They play an especially important role in the economies of developing countries. The calculations show that the contribution of international migrants to the world economy far exceeds their share in the world population.

Contested grounds: Adaptation to flooding and the politics of (in)visibility in São Paulo’s eastern periphery

As flood events become more intense and frequent, cities throughout the world increasingly devise projects for flood management and control, including hard and soft infrastructural solutions. Among these, an emblematic example is the project Parque Várzeas do Tietê (PVT) – or Tietê Lowlands Park – a 75 km-long floodplain restoration scheme proposed by the government of São Paulo, Brazil, to allegedly solve the city’s flooding problem. The project’s execution, however, is contingent on the removal of approximately 7500 low-income families, raising questions on the intertwined relationship between adaptation to flooding and the exclusion of informal urban settlements. Drawing on urban and feminist political ecology, we use the PVT as a case study to examine the politics and uneven outcomes of adaptation in São Paulo’s eastern periphery. We combine archival and ethnographic work to expose the persistent politics of invisibility that sustain the project’s exclusionary contours. In the process, we also demonstrate the various ways floodplain residents reshape their invisibility to contest, negotiate, and resist the PVT in the spaces of their everyday lives. As a result, the analysis identifies the project’s perverse effects but also opportunities for productive engagements between the government and local communities towards more just, inclusive, and equitable adaptation futures in São Paulo, and beyond.

Neoarchaean magmatism through arc and lithosphere melting: Evidence from eastern Dharwar Craton

The Neoarchaean era is characterized by rapid crustal growth corresponding to some fundamental global changes in geodynamic processes. However, the nature of crustal growth including the mechanism and tectonic setting of the Neoarchaean are controversial issues. The eastern Dharwar Craton (EDC) exposes widespread Neoarchaean granite‐greenstone belts, which provide an opportunity to evaluate the various models proposed for Neoarchaean crustal growth. In this study, we present field, petrographic, and geochemical data and discuss the petrogenesis and significance for crustal evolution for a suite of previously undescribed banded gneisses, TTG (tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite), biotite granites, alkali feldspar granite and gabbro. These rocks are associated with Neoarchaean metavolcanic and metapelites rocks of the Tsundupalle greenstone belt, in the eastern fringe of the EDC. Whole‐rock major and trace element geochemical data are consistent with diverse sources, including both crust and enriched mantle in an evolving subduction zone. A convergent orogenic setting is proposed for interpreting the association of various granitoids in the Tsundupalle area. Finally, intrusion of crustally derived, highly silicic, alkali‐rich granite, and mantle‐derived gabbro emplaced in a post‐subduction regime is proposed. Lithospheric delamination and attendant mantle melting are suggested as possible mechanisms for generation of these rocks. The understanding of generation of the different granitoid types along with gabbro provides significant insights into the mechanism of Neoarchaean crustal growth.

Effect of food availability on the reproduction in edible dormice (Glis glis L., 1766) on the eastern periphery of the range

The edible dormouse (Glis glis) is an example of a mammal with anticipatory reproduction, the mechanism by which animals increase reproductive output before pulsing resources become available, to provide offspring with the maximum abundance of food. In Central Europe, the main pulsing food resources for the edible dormouse are seeds of the European beech and oak. In this location, spermatogenesis occurs only in mast years and most probably depends on the number of beech flowers and buds. The purpose of the study was to determine the mechanism of reproductive regulation of the dormouse in the Zhiguli Mountains (Russia), which are on the eastern periphery of the dormouse range and outside that of beech trees. The main food of dormice here are acorns, hazelnuts, birch seeds and mushrooms, rather than beech seeds. In years, when there is a shortage of acorns, these are replaced by birch seeds and mass resorption of edible dormouse embryos also occurs. Analyses of diet, environmental condition and reproductive success demonstrated that in unfavourable years, the overwhelming majority of females resorb embryos. In consequence, juveniles are born only once in every 2 to 3 years, despite annual mating and pregnancy of most females. Resorption of embryos is observed in most species of mammals under the influence of strong negative factors and usually affects only some of the embryos, whereas in this dormouse population the process exhibits a regular, synchronous pattern and becomes the primary factor of natality regulation. These findings suggest that mass resorption of embryos might be a common regulatory mechanism of reproduction under pulsing food resources.

The terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Edge\xf8ya, Svalbard: Arctic landscape community composition reflects biogeography patterns

Colonisation and immigration history is often neglected as a factor when investigating community or species distribution patterns. However, for dynamic systems that are still reacting to large-scale environmental change, such as the retreat of the ice since the last glacial maximum, colonisation history may explain a large amount of the variation between geographically distinct communities. The High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard presents an opportunity to test whether it is possible to observe the effects of large-scale biogeographical patterns on species distribution at landscape scales. Svalbard has one of the best described inventories of the invertebrate fauna in the Arctic. Nonetheless, the majority of the species records originate from the more accessible west coast and the invertebrate fauna of the whole eastern region, including Edgeøya, is virtually unknown. Edgeøya is located at the eastern fringe of the archipelago on the boundary between Palaearctic and Nearctic faunas. It was expected that post-colonisation dispersal within Edgeøya would conceal routes to the archipelago. Samples were obtained from six locations along the coast of Edgeøya between 2009 and 2010. 140 invertebrate species were identified belonging to 69 different genera of which 16 are new records for Svalbard. Most new species present an eastern Palaearctic distribution. Habitat variables (percentage cover of moss, lichen, vascular plant, or bare soil) fail to explain 35.5% of the differences among sites. However, cluster analysis reveals a clear east–west distribution pattern across the island suggesting that pan-Arctic dispersal routes can be identified even at relatively short geographical scales.

Duration and geodynamic nature of giant Central Asian batholiths: geological and geochronological studies of the Khangai batholith

In the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic, during about 100 m.y., the world’s three largest batholiths (Angara-Vitim, Khangai, and Khentei, each up to 1 000 000 km3 in volume) had formed within the limits of the Central Asian orogenic belt. Considering the case of the Khangai batholith, the problem of how, when, and why such an extensive granite formation took place is analyzed. The geochronological data for granitoids of the batholith by U–Pb (ID-TIMS) and 40Ar/39Ar dating methods are systematized to distinguish three age groups of rocks. These rock groups are correlated to the geological events occurred in the region. The earliest group includes granitoids formed in the interval of 302–283 Ma. They tend to the western and southern framings of the batholith and correspond to the fragments of two igneous belts that crossed the region, where the batholith formed later, and reached the areas far beyond. The youngest group of igneous rocks (230–200 Ma) is developed in the eastern periphery of the batholith and corresponds to the marginal part of the large Early Mesozoic Mongol-Transbaikalian igneous zone, with the main part being located far away to the east of there. Igneous complexes that formed in the interval of 273–238 Ma correspond to the batholith proper. They are concentrated within the zone of 350 × 400 km in size and are represented by rocks of two associations: granite-granodiorite (Khangai complex) and granite-leucogranite (Sharaus Gol complex). The coeval analogs of these rocks are reported only in the framing of the batholith.
 The comparison between the Khangai batholith and two other giant ones (Angara-Vitim and Khentei) revealed their similarity in terms of structure and evolution. They are all composed of similar rock associations and are of comparable sizes and age intervals of formation. For example, the Angara-Vitim and Khentei batholiths formed mainly in the intervals of 305–275 and 229–195 Ma, respectively. The obtained estimates of formation time of ~30 m.y. should seemingly be considered as the time necessary for chambers of anatectic magmas, which to certain degree formed giant (~1 000 000 km3 in volume) batholiths, to cool down in the Earth’s interior. The formation of giant batholiths is attributed to the effect of mantle plumes on the lithosphere of a young fold zone that appeared as a result of accretionary-collisional events in the marginal part of the Siberian paleocontinent.

Resistance to centralisation in the Ottoman periphery: the Kurdish Baban and Bohtan emirates

Modern Kurdish historiography, which examines resistance to provincial centralisation in Ottoman Kurdistan, focuses largely on Bedir Khan’s Bohtan emirate and his revolt in the 1840s, while ignoring the rest of the other Kurdish emirates such as Baban emirate. While both states, Qajar Iran and Ottoman Empire, were endeavouring to solve their conflicts in the 1840s (a process which culminated in the treaty of Erzurum in 1847) the future of the Baban emirate and its territories emerged as one of the major issues during the course of negotiations. The Baban emirate was the last emirate to give up its struggle against the Sublime Porte’s centralisation reforms. The legacy of the Kurdish emirates is important to understand better the relations between the centre of the Ottoman Empire and its eastern periphery, a much less studied subject in Ottoman historiography. This article will highlight the impact of the centralisation policies in Kurdistan, more specifically on territories of the Bohtan and Baban emirates. It will be demonstrated that the changes wrought by the Tanzimat reforms were partially successful in transforming the Kurdish notables, who later became a part of the state bureaucracy. However, the reform-minded officials, who were appointed after the Kurdish emirs were removed from the region, failed to persuade the locals in favour of the new administration thus transforming their lives.

URBAN SPRAWL AND CHANGES IN AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST AREAS IN THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF YAOUNDÉ, CAMEROON

The Eastern periphery of Yaoundé is an agro-forestry area counted among the agricultural basins that supply the markets and inhabitants of the city of Yaoundé with food. This article focuses on the spread of the city of Yaoundé towards the eastern periphery and the changes over agricultural and forest areas, and has enables us to analyze the impact of urban growth on agricultural and forest areas. The methodology used consisted firstly of documentary research, then the acquisition of satellite images and the administration of a questionnaire to 50 households. The results show a trend in the evolution of the city of Yaoundé towards its Eastern periphery from 2001 to 2018 as well as changes in agricultural and forest areas as a result of the city's pressure. They also show that agricultural land is spreading, reinforcing the role of peri-urban agriculture in food supply to the town of Yaoundé. Finally, the results call upon public policies with the aim of the sustainable management of peri-urban areas.

Core–periphery disparities in Europe: is there a link between political and economic divergence?

This contribution examines whether and how economic divergence between the EU core and its southern and eastern peripheries relates to the emerging political divergence within the EU. Data show that persistent and growing economic disparities are linked to EU member states moving apart with regard to their democratic quality, but not as straightforwardly as the literature claims. This gives rise to two puzzles: first, economic divergence does not always go together with political divergence. While all countries in the eastern and southern periphery marked by low or declining levels of democratic quality are poor, not all poor countries are weak democratic performers. The contribution argues that weakness of state institutions as exemplified by high levels of corruption constitutes a crucial condition under which economic divergence is likely to promote political divergence. Corruption makes poor countries more likely to backslide or to perform poorly with regard to their democratic quality. Second, economic convergence is not necessarily linked to political convergence. Even in times of economic development, identity politics that caters to a strong perception of relative deprivation is likely to drive democratic backsliding in the peripheries. This mechanism is also at work in EU core countries.

Characteristics of atmosphere - sea ice energy exchange in the Central Arctic

Analysis of an interaction between long-term ice cover and atmosphere in different regions of the Arctic Ocean is conducted. For comparison the energy exchange characteristics in the western and eastern periphery of the Beaufort Gyre, the central part of the Arctic Ocean and in the area to the north of the Kara and Barents seas have been analyzed. The results of calculations based on special observations at Russian drifting station “North Pole-4” and its interpretation using a simple thermodynamic model of sea ice were used. As modern in situ data, meteorological observations at drifting stations “North Pole-35” (2007-2008) and “North Pole-39” (2011-2012) were used. Calculations of turbulent heat fluxes in the region of the drift of the American station “SHEBA” were performed. A good agreement between the calculated fluxes based on the historical data and NP-39 data for the summer period is shown. Monthly mean values and standard deviations of meteorological parameters for winter period are presented on the basis of data from drifting stations “North Pole-35” – “North Pole-40” (2007-2013).

Osteology of Batrachuperus yenyuanensis (Urodela, Hynobiidae), a high-altitude mountain stream salamander from western China.

Batrachuperus yenyuanensis, commonly known as Yenyuan Stream Salamander, is a hynobiid species inhabiting high-altitude (2440–4025 m above sea level) mountain stream and pond environments along the eastern fringe of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in western Sichuan Province, China. Although the species has been known for almost 70 years since its initial discovery in 1950, a thorough osteological description has never been provided. Our study provides a detailed account of the bony anatomy of this species, based on micro computed tomography scanning of multiple specimens collected from the type locality Shuangertang at Bailinshan, Yanyuan County, and several other localities in Sichuan Province. Our revised species diagnosis utilizes both bony and soft anatomical features. Comparative study of the specimens from the type locality in Yanyuan area with those from the nearby Xichang and Mianning areas confirms that they all pertain to Batrachuperus yenyuanensis, thereby removing doubt on the occurrence of the species in the latter areas. With this confirmation, the distribution of the species is extended from the type locality northwards some 180 km to the Mianning area, on both the west and east sides of the Yalong River, which is a major tributary of the upper Yangtze River. This distribution pattern indicates that the biogeographic origin and historical evolution of the species are closely associated with the orogeny of the Hengduan Mountains and formation of the Yalong River. Given the basalmost position of Batrachuperus yenyuanensis in relation to other congeneric species based on molecular studies, however, early expansion of the species distribution by dispersal is expected following the origin of the genus in early–middle Miocene in western Sichuan Province. Thus, the species may well have achieved its current distribution in western Sichuan before the drastic uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in Pliocene.

Performance of Three Reanalysis Precipitation Datasets over the Qinling-Daba Mountains, Eastern Fringe of Tibetan Plateau, China

Evaluation of different reanalysis precipitation datasets is of great importance to understanding the hydrological processes and water resource management practice in the Qinling-Daba Mountains (QDM), located at the eastern fringe of the Tibetan Plateau. Although the evaluation of satellite precipitation data in this region has been performed, another kind of popular precipitation product-reanalysis dataset has not been assessed in depth. Three popular reanalysis precipitation datasets, including ERA-Interim Reanalysis of European Centre for Medium Forecasts (ERA-Interim), Japanese 55-year Reanalysis (JRA-55), and National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research Reanalysis-1 (NCEP/NCAR-1) were evaluated against rain gauge data over the Qinling-Daba Mountains from 2000 to 2014 on monthly, seasonal, and annual scales. Different statistical measures based on the Correlation Coefficient (CC), relative BIAS (BIAS), Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) were adopted to determine the performance of the above reanalysis datasets. Results show that ERA-Interim and JRA-55 have good performance on a monthly scale and annual scale. However, the NCEP/NCAR-1 has the least BIAS with the observed precipitation in annual scale in QDM. All reanalysis datasets performed better in spring, summer, and autumn than in winter. The advantages of involving more precipitation observation stations was probably the main reason of the different performance of three precipitation reanalysis products, and the benefit of a four-dimensional variational analysis model over a three-dimensional variational analysis model may be another reason. The evaluation suggested that ERA-Interim is more suitable for study the precipitation and water cycles in the QDM.

The age of the Dalton culture: a Bayesian analysis of the radiocarbon data

ABSTRACTSince a radiocarbon chronology of the Dalton culture in the Southeast was first proposed, several new sites have been dated. I propose a new chronology based on radiocarbon dates from sites in the Dalton Heartland and its eastern periphery using Bayesian statistical models in OxCal and an analysis of the associated diagnostic projectile points. The analyses indicate that the Dalton culture probably evolved from the Clovis or Gainey phenomena about 12,680 cal BP (ca. 10,700 BP) and lasted at least until ca. 10,400 cal BP (ca. 9,200 BP), if not several centuries later. I propose early and late Dalton phases that follow changes in how Dalton points were made and resharpened. It appears that the people living to the east of the Heartland followed a different trajectory of projectile point evolution. There, notched points appear about 11,500 cal BP, while in the Heartland, true notched points do not appear in large numbers until the Graham Cave point over 2,000 years later. The chronologies demonstrate that early, coeval, region-wide cultural changes may not have been the norm. They also raise interesting questions about how people in the Heartland and its eastern periphery interacted.

LANDSCAPE FEATURES AND ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS ON THE WHITE SEA KARELIAN AND POMOR COASTS

The White Sea coastline within the Republic of Karelia stretches for ca. 380 km. All of the adjacent area belongs to the White Sea Lowland, and the coastline is the eastern fringe of Fennoscandia. The Karelian part of the White Sea coast falls into two parts termed Karelian Coast (from the border with the Murmansk Region to the Kem River) and Pomor Coast (from the Kem River to the border with the Arkhangelsk Region). The Pomor Coast partially extends into the Arkhangelsk Region. The land is generally quite uniform, only with a differentiation into three types of the north-taiga landscape, which differ in landforms, their genesis, Quaternary sediments, spatial coverage of mires, and prevalent types of forest habitats. The paper offers short multi-sided descriptions of the landscape types roughly structured as follows: 1) geographic position and distribution; 2) specific traits of: а) genetic landforms and Quaternary sediments; b) soil cover and paludification; c) forest cover and forest plant communities; 3) representativeness for coenotic diversity and forest cover integrity; 4) vulnerability of natural ecosystems to human impact. Vulnerability assessments took into account potential logging-related changes in the soil cover condition, alteration of the paludification rate due to removal of the tree cover or the probability of this process being accelerated or reversed; potential detrimental effects of logging on microclimate (wind and temperature conditions); 5) distinctive features compared to the rest of Karelia; 6) presence of operating protected areas. In addition, the specific features of plant communities on islands in the western part of the White Sea are described.

The Hedgehog Goddess Abaset

The egyptian goddess abaset was a minor hedgehog-deity. her presence was attested only in the 26th dynasty (656-525 bc). She was solely venerated on the eastern fringe of el-bawiti, the capital of bahariyya oasis, which is situated far from the nile Valley. This paper aims at presenting a reliable interpretation for the name of the goddess abaset. It focuses on the history and the development of her cult. The ancient egyptian depicted abaset in an anthropomorphic form. The crown of hedgehog was specific to abaset; it is a key element in the identification of the goddess, especially if the scene was not labelled with her name. The exact reason for this iconography is unclear. The occurrence of the images of abaset and the use of her legends was restricted to specific location, i. e. el-bawiti.

Duration and Geodynamic Nature of Giant Central Asian Batholiths: Geological and Geochronological Studies of the Khangai Batholith

In the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic, during about 100 m.y., the world’s three largest batholiths (Angara-Vitim, Khangai, and Khentei, each up to 1 000 000 km3 in volume) had formed within the limits of the Central Asian orogenic belt. Considering the case of the Khangai batholith, the problem of how, when, and why such an extensive granite formation took place is analyzed. The geochronological data for granitoids of the batholith by U–Pb (ID-TIMS) and 40Ar/39Ar dating methods are systematized to distinguish three age groups of rocks. These rock groups are correlated to the geological events occurred in the region. The earliest group includes granitoids formed in the interval of 302–283 Ma. They tend to the western and southern framings of the batholith and correspond to the fragments of two igneous belts that crossed the region, where the batholith formed later, and reached the areas far beyond. The youngest group of igneous rocks (230–200 Ma) is developed in the eastern periphery of the batholith and corresponds to the marginal part of the large Early Mesozoic Mongol-Transbaikalian igneous zone, with the main part being located far away to the east of there. Igneous complexes that formed in the interval of 273–238 Ma correspond to the batholith proper. They are concentrated within the zone of 350 × 400 km in size and are represented by rocks of two associations: granite-granodiorite (Khangai complex) and granite-leucogranite (Sharaus Gol complex). The coeval analogs of these rocks are reported only in the framing of the batholith. The comparison between the Khangai batholith and two other giant ones (Angara-Vitim and Khentei) revealed their similarity in terms of structure and evolution. They are all composed of similar rock associations and are of comparable sizes and age intervals of formation. For example, the Angara-Vitim and Khentei batholiths formed mainly in the intervals of 305–275 and 229–195 Ma, respectively. The obtained estimates of formation time of ~30 m.y. should seemingly be considered as the time necessary for chambers of anatectic magmas, which to certain degree formed giant (~1 000 000 km3 in volume) batholiths, to cool down in the Earth’s interior. The formation of giant batholiths is attributed to the effect of mantle plumes on the lithosphere of a young fold zone that appeared as a result of accretionary-collisional events in the marginal part of the Siberian paleocontinent.

Only Human

Only Human Jordan Crandall (bio) What follows is an excerpt from Autodrive, a work of literary fiction that speculates on a future characterized by the advent of automotive intelligence. The work combines argumentation and allegory, social criticism and satire, philosophical dialogue and adventure-fantasy, in order to unsettle the stylistic unity of conventional form, move between genres and points of view, pursue eccentric alliances, facilitate insights that might not be available through analysis alone. This version is comprised of a series of excerpts from various sections of the fiction. The Great Mural of the Highways stretches across the eastern periphery of the truck stop on a barrier wall of epic proportions, its height reminiscent of the great fortification systems of antiquity, its length stretching further than the eye can see. The various sections, notwithstanding their many inaccuracies, aim to portray a grand narrative, an overarching chronicle of late modernity as seen from the emergence of the highway network, from the first paved routes built in the early twentieth century to the present day. The mural is about to be recognized for its contribution to national heritage, awarded the National Historical Landmark distinction it has long sought. The parent company is making every effort to maximize the promotional impact of the honor. It has commissioned a film crew to produce a livestream experience of the day's events, commencing with a tour of the mural, already underway, and concluding with the public ceremony to follow. A flatbed truck is being used to ferry the group of truck stop clientele who appear on camera, its empty rear aluminum deck providing the stage. That is where I come in. I have been hired to lend the illusion that the truck is manually driven. ________ A burst of sound from on high causes heads to collectively crane skyward: it is a group of protestors who have occupied the elevated observation deck, inveighing against the rise of automotive robotics through a bullhorn. They, like the other demonstrators assembled on this day, are eager to reach the broader audience the event accords them. Decrying the highway initiatives that exclude the unequipped, bundle inequity into their design. Pave over the asymmetry they avoid attending to, the complications they do not make workable, the inequities they fail to resolve. ________ For the presenter hired to lead the tour, the demand to share the stage has become intolerable, an incursion that threatens the terms of the narrative contract. He came prepared to address a remote audience, not one present [End Page 314] on the platform with him. His indignation has only intensified as we have gotten underway and the expanding mass of attendees encroaches on his space. Although they stand right in front of him on the truck platform, he speaks of them indirectly, as if the individuals on whose behalf he was purporting to speak were not the same ones he was actually speaking to. I can sense him very clearly on the deck right behind me, his image more detailed as he backs up, framed by the rear window when I crane my neck to glance back, or cropped by the wide-angle mirrors whenever I check them. His narration, generally forceful and abrasive, shakes the cabin. The pointer that he uses to indicate the relevant details on the sections of the mural, a flexible rod of thin metal that resembles a whip antenna, occasionally punctuates his oratory with a strike against the cabin wall, producing a sharp lashing sound whose crisp, rigid immediacy makes the device seem stiffer, like a crop. I watch him closely as he sweeps it briskly between the points of reference on the mural and the group of attendees. Often pausing in the interim to aim it skyward. He holds the instrument aloft, as if awaiting reception, then lowers it back toward the group as he conveys his lines, wobbling it up and down in time with the beat of his delivery. It was the construction of new thoroughfares, he is saying, that unlocked the automobile's potential in the first place. Fueling the rise of suburbs, revolutionizing the shipment of freight, increasing personal freedom, creating new industries and jobs. ________ If...