Local Mountain Research Articles

From Local Initiative to National State Process: The Case of Rondane National Park, Norway

Abstract Discussions about the purpose and management of Norway’s first national park evolved along different lines than planning did elsewhere in the world. First proposed in 1956 by local mountain boards wishing to protect wild reindeer, Rondane National Park opened in December 1962 with a significantly altered management emphasis. Prior to 1960, Norway had yet to adopt a national system for the conservation of large areas, and, therefore, local actors could set the terms of the debate. In 1960, however, the nation established a more comprehensive system for nature conservation, reshaping conservation in ways that prioritized the core actors over those on the periphery. The newly empowered administrator emphasized outdoor recreation, the preservation of pristine nature, and the protection of cultural traditions rather than wild reindeer. Rejecting a proposal for a management board for Rondane that would have included local representatives, Norwegian officials opted to emphasize national priorities and, in so doing, set a precedent for subsequently organized national parks.

Flood-generated hyperpycnal delta front sands of the Brora Arenaceous Formation (upper Callovian–middle Oxfordian) of the Inner Moray Firth, Scotland, record the onset of rifting

Sandstones of the Middle–Upper Jurassic Brora Arenaceous Formation of the Inner Moray Firth, NE Scotland have hitherto been interpreted as representing coastal, tidally-influenced bars. The formation is exposed close to the northern basin-bounding Helmsdale Fault, and the middle member of the formation, the Clynelish Quarry Sandstone, consists of thick, mainly structureless sandstone beds with wavy, commonly amalgamated boundaries. It also includes sandstone bodies with sigmoidal clinothems, erosional surfaces and backset beds. Rich marine faunas dominated by bivalves and ammonites occur at a few levels, whereas trace fossils are rare or absent. The Clynelish Quarry Sandstone is here reinterpreted as reflecting deposition by hyperpycnal sandy density flows in flood-generated marine, subaqueous, delta-scale clinoforms and lobes in front of local mountain streams. The reinterpretation of these sandstones implies the presence of a tectonically controlled, relatively steep basin margin along the line of the Helmsdale Fault. The Brora Arenaceous Formation thus dates the onset of Jurassic rifting in the Inner Moray Firth to the latest Callovian rather than the late Oxfordian as previously interpreted from seismic data.

The use of Sabang mountain rocks and substitution of LDPE in the AC-WC mixture with dry method

The aggregate used in the flexible pavement in the city of Sabang must be brought from Aceh Besar Regency. This can affect the high operational cost and the insufficient use of local materials. In anticipation of this, the local mountain rocks used are variated with coconut shell ash as a filler and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic use as asphalt substitution. The method used in this study refers to the 2018 specification of Bina Marga (fourth revision of 2010 version). The research results showed that asphalt concrete wearing course (AC-WC), which filler varied with coconut shells (0% and 25% of the weight), meet all predefined parameters. In terms of AC-WC varied with coconut shell and LDPE, the best combination found in this result was 25% of coconut shell ash and 3% of LDPE. AC-WC varied with this best combination has a stability of 1,780.99 kg, the flow of 2.97 mm, VIM of 4.79%, VMA of 16.51%, and VFA of 70.97%.

A Framework of Linear Sensor Networks with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Rainfall-Induced Landslides Detection

This paper proposes a real-time monitoring framework for a landslide susceptibility area based on wireless sensor network using multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Many researchers have considered building a landslide susceptibility map to distinguish different levels of landslide susceptible zones. However, to prevent damage from landslides, it is more important for the disaster control center to identify the time and location of the landslide occurrence in those highly susceptible areas. Hence, a rain-triggered landslide monitoring system is proposed herein for local mountain areas. First, a wireless sensor network framework is constructed to inform the control center as immediately as possible when landslides occur. Second, multiple UAV sensors will be responsible for collecting the stereo images of the slope in highly sensitive zones on schedule. Based on the stereo images and the binocular model, in-depth information can be obtained. With the depth information and Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) detection, the key point characteristic information is constructed as the input data for Support Vector Machine (SVM). An SVM algorithm is designed with Python program language and executed in real time. Using this algorithm, the real-time images collected by UAVs and the landslide warning information will be sent to the control center for further analysis. Finally, a field experiment is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Orographic effects on the propagation and rainfall modification associated with the 2007–08 Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) past the New Guinea Highlands

Based on the tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM)-measured rainfall and estimated outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) fields, it is found that 2007–08 Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO07-08) went through blocking, splitting, and merging stages when it passed over the New Guinea Highlands (NGH). The TRMM-estimated OLR fields fail to capture detailed TRMM rainfall field and thus is not suitable to serve as proxy for rainfall, as also found in previous studies. The mechanism of orographic blocking is explained by strong orographic blocking on the incoming, low-Froude number, and moist flow, which belonged to the flow-around regime. This is evidenced by estimating the Froude number by upstream soundings. The strong blocking forced the flow to go around the mountains on NGH, leading to the splitting of flow and MJO precipitating system and the merging at the southeast tip of New Guinea. Orographic, MJO, and cyclone clouds were shown in both observed and model-simulated results. The major differences of the model-simulated and TRMM-measured precipitation are as follows: (a) the model-simulated rainfall area is much larger than that covered by the observed rainfall and (b) even though they both show comparable maximum rainfall rate, the rainfall estimated by TRMM reveals more localized rainfall spots, which is unexpected since the WRF simulation uses a relatively fine resolution (5 km). In summary, during the blocking stage, the mountains have slowed down the MJO propagation and increased the rainfall amount upstream of the local mountains, while during the splitting and merging stages, the mountains have made significant impacts on the MJO rainfall distribution.

Ground state homoclinic orbits for a class of asymptotically periodic second-order Hamiltonian systems

In this paper, we consider a class of second-order Hamiltonian systems of the form \begin{document}$ \ddot{u}(t)-L(t) u(t)+\nabla W(t,u(t)) = 0 $\end{document} where \begin{document}$ L:R\rightarrow R^{N^2} $\end{document} and \begin{document}$ W \in C^1(R\times R^N, R) $\end{document} are asymptotically periodic in \begin{document}$ t $\end{document} at infinity. Under the reformative perturbation conditions and weaker superquadratic conditions on the nonlinearity, the existence of a ground state homoclinic orbit is established. The main tools employed here are the local mountain pass theorem and the concentration-compactness principle.

Density-dependent responses of mountain pine beetle to its pheromones and host volatiles in naïve lodgepole pine stands

Mountain pine beetle has expanded its host range into naïve lodgepole pine forests in western Canada and killed a large number of pine trees. Synthetic attractants mainly bark beetle pheromones and host monoterpenes attached to traps are typically used to monitor beetle populations within its range. Despite well-established differences in beetle host selection behavior between endemic and outbreak population densities, the influence of population density on the response of mountain pine beetle to the synthetic attractants is poorly understood. Over three years, we tested the effects of different release rates of female mountain pine beetle aggregation pheromone (trans-verbenol) and two host monoterpenes (terpinolene and mycrene) and local beetle population density on trap catches of mountain pine beetle. We estimated local mountain pine beetle population densities using the number of dead trees observed in the previous year’s aerial detection survey. During the first three weeks of the flight period, the lures with low release rates of all components captured more mountain pine beetle with increasing beetle population density and the lures with a high release rate of trans-verbenol plus a low release rate of host monoterpenes were preferred by beetles in low population density sites. We also found a temporal shift in attraction patterns. As the flight period progressed, the preference for low trans-verbenol release rate lures was less pronounced at high mountain pine beetle densities. No sex-specific responses of mountain pine beetles, along with number of competitor and predatory beetles of mountain pine beetle, were found for a particular attractant. These results provide evidence that mountain pine beetle has a density dependent response to attractants and can assess available semiochemicals cues to ensure successful host colonization depending on their density and the flight period. Overall, this study can improve the efficacy of current semiochemical-based monitoring tools, which are essential to implementing informed mitigation strategies for mountain pine beetle especially while they are in a sub-outbreak stage in the expanded distribution.

Settlement of the Kiya River Basin by the Russians: Case Study of the Foundation of the Village of Сhumay in the Chebulinsky District of Kemerovo Region

The present research featured the development of the Northern Kemerovo region. The paper focuses on the case of the village of Chumay in the Kiya river basin. The development of Russian settlements along the Kiya remains understudied. Existing publications give different foundation dates for the villages in the area of Prichulym'e. The Russians first came to the Kiya basin in the early XVII century. However, they were slow to settle down for a number of reasons. First, it was the military confrontation with the Yenisei Kirghiz. Second, the local taiga and mountains were impassable and unsuitable for farming. In addition, the existing communication routes were far from the Kia basin. The article describes the prerequisites and conditions for the emergence of Russian villages in this territory. The research was based on rare historical sources, e.g. memoirs of local residents and parochial documents, related to the foundation of the village of Chumay located in the Chebulinsk district of the Kemerovo region. The research revealed the settling process and some new data on the first settlers. The findings refute the thesis that this territory of the Kemerovo region was settled exclusively by fugitives and exiles in the XVII–XVIII centuries. The Russian advanced into the Kiya river basin after the military threat from the Kirghiz had been eliminated. Second, the indigenous peoples were converted to Christianity and had to pay tribute in furs. Third, a section of the Moscow-Siberian tract was built in the vicinity. Finally, voluntary migrants willing to settle down in the area were given a free piece of land. Unlike the rest of the Kemerovo region, the lands along the Kiya river were colonized by the Russians much later. The government colonization was organized and started "from above". It was represented mainly by voluntary immigrants. The research also revealed the role of migrants from the Caucasus in the development of the Kiya basin as they set up new settlements and went to live in sparsely populated villages.

Еconomic efficiency of local, merino and meat-type sheep breeds raised in Bulgaria without milking

Abstract. The goal of the present study is to perform an economic assessment of the local (autochthonic), merino and meat-type sheep breeds raised in Bulgaria without milking and under the conditions of a market economy and free commerce. We studied sheep from three herds, of the Srednostaroplaninska breed, Northeast Bulgarian Merino breed (NEBM) and the Île-de-France breed. The sheep from all three herds were under selection control. The results of the study indicated low economic effects for all three herds. Without subsidies, the local and merino breeds finished with negative values for profits and cost-efficiency of the income and expenses, and zero for the meat-types. The subsidy for the sheep of the Srednostaroplaninska breed made up 37.9% of the income, whereas the sold lambs and sheep culled for meat made up 60.7%. This indicated that the local mountain sheep cannot provide the necessary income for a farm’s normal function without milking and without subsidies, under the present market situation. The efforts in this field should be directed towards organic production of meat and dairy products and a closed production cycle. The income from sold lambs and sheep culled for meat from the NEBM breed made up 66.8% of the total income, whereas wool accounted for merely 4.6%. The subsidy provided 28.5% of the farm’s funds. Accomplishing an economic effect in merino breeds is possible only if prices for buying off wool were normalized, and the fertility of the ewes was increased. For the meat-type sheep of the Île-de-France breed, the income from selling meat and breeder lambs, as well as sold culled sheep made up 75.6%, and the subsidy – 22.7%. A higher economic effect for this breed could be achieved through selection towards fertility and more frequent births, i.e. 3 litters in 2 years. A significant productive and economic effect in the meat-type breeds could be achieved from ram breeding and conducting industrial crossbreeding in the stock part of the breeds.

First adaptation of quinoa in the Bhutanese mountain agriculture systems.

Bhutan represents typical mountain agriculture farming systems with unique challenges. The agriculture production systems under environmental constraints are typical of small-scale agricultural subsistence systems related to family farming in the Himalayan Mountains with very low level of mechanization, numerous abiotic stresses influenced by climate and other socio-economic constraints. Quinoa was first introduced in 2015 through FAO’s support to Bhutan as a new crop to enhance the food and nutritional security of the Bhutanese people. The main objective was to adapt this versatile crop to the local mountain agriculture conditions as a climate resilient crop for diversifying the farmer’s traditional potato and maize based cropping systems. Ten quinoa varieties were evaluated at two different sites representing contrasted mountain agroecologies in Bhutan and were tested during the two agricultural campaigns 2016 and 2017. Yusipang (2600 masl) represents the cool temperate agroecological zone, and Lingmethang (640 masl) the dry subtropical agroecological zone. The sowing time differed depending on the growing season and elevation of the sites. Results indicate that quinoa can be successfully grown in Bhutan for the two different agroecological zones. The grain yields varied from 0.61 to 2.68 t.ha-1 in the high altitude areas where quinoa was seeded in spring and harvested in autumn season. The grain yield in the lower elevation ranged from 1.59 to 2.98 t.ha-1 where the crop was sown in autumn and harvested in winter season. Depending on genotypes’ characteristics and agroecological zones, crop maturity significantly varied from 92 to 197 days with all genotypes maturing much earlier in the lower elevations where mean minimum and maximum temperatures during the growing season were higher. Quinoa is rapidly promoted across different agroecological contexts in the country as a new climate resilient and nutrient dense pseudo cereal to diversify the traditional existing cropping system with some necessary adjustments in sowing time, suitable varieties and crop management practices. To fast track the rapid promotion of this new crop in Bhutan, four varieties have been released in 2018. In just over three years, the cultivation of quinoa as a new cereal has been demonstrated and partially adapted to the maize and potato based traditional cropping systems under the Himalayan mountain agriculture. Quinoa is also being adapted to the rice based cropping system and rapidly promoted as an alternative food security crop in the current 12th Five Year national development plan of Bhutan. To rapidly promote quinoa cultivation, the Royal Government of Bhutan is supporting the supply of free quinoa seeds, cultivation technologies and milling machines to the rural communities. To promote the consumption and utilization of quinoa at national level, consumer awareness are created by preparing and serving local Bhutanese dishes from quinoa during local food fairs and farmer’s field days. In addition, the Royal Government of Bhutan has included quinoa in the school feeding programme recognizing the high nutrient value of the crop for enhancing and securing the nutritional needs of the young children.

Warming and drying over the central Himalaya caused by an amplification of local mountain circulation

Climatic changes over the central Himalaya are critical for water resources in downstream regions where hundreds of millions of people live. Warming and drying in this region have both occurred in recent decades, but the associated meteorological factors are difficult to diagnose based on observations from unevenly distributed weather stations, reanalyses, and global climate models that poorly reproduce the orographic diurnal cycle. Here, recent trends in the summer diurnal cycle over the central Himalaya are investigated using a 36-year high-resolution dynamical downscaling. We illustrate contrasting trends over the diurnal cycle of circulation and convection over the Himalaya. In the daytime, warming of the slopes has enhanced anabatic upslope winds. At night, clearer skies have radiatively cooled the slopes, enhancing katabatic downslope winds. The enhanced upslope winds have prevented any drying over the mountains in the daytime, while the enhanced downslope winds are associated with significant nocturnal drying at high elevations. This amplification in the diurnal cycle is critical for projecting the future hydroclimate over the region’s complex terrain.

Mountain Service in the Czech Lands from Its Foundation until the Second World War

The aim of this thesis is to look back at the history of the Mountain Service and to introduce the readers of the article to the history of Mountain Service in the Czech Republic, which dates back to the period of the First Republic, that is around 1930. At that time there was a great development of community life in European countries and the same holds true for the Czech Republic. The development of tourism, mountain climbing and skiing resulted in a higher number of people coming to the mountain areas where they could enjoy their new hobby and share the delights of nature. It resulted in first injuries and distress caused partially by people´s lack of knowledge of the terrain, partially by weather instability and also by insufficient technical equipment and tools. The first rescue teams recruited from native inhabitants who knew the local terrain and mountain areas. The first participants in the rescue activities, who were only insufficiently technically equipped, were woodworkers, postmen, Slalom and Wintersportvereine ski schools instructors, firemen, as well as gendarmes. The increase in accidents and events needing help took place in winter 1934/35. During the first two weekends in February six people died on the ridges of the Giant Mountains. After these events the Provincial Office in Prague initiated the establishment of Mountain Service with the help of District Office in Vrchlabí and the District Governor JUDr. Vladimír Záboj Vaina. The District Office proceeded to the establishment of the Mountain Rescue Service.

On a class of Kirchhoff problems via local mountain pass

In the present work we study the multiplicity and concentration of positive solutions for the following class of Kirchhoff problems: − ( ε 2 a + ε b ∫ R 3 | ∇ u | 2 d x ) Δ u + V ( x ) u = f ( u ) + γ u 5 in R 3 , u ∈ H 1 ( R 3 ) , u > 0 in R 3 , where ε > 0 is a small parameter, a , b > 0 are constants, γ ∈ { 0 , 1 }, V is a continuous positive potential with a local minimum, and f is a superlinear continuous function with subcritical growth. The main results are obtained through suitable variational and topological arguments. We also provide a multiplicity result for a supercritical version of the above problem by combining a truncation argument with a Moser-type iteration. Our theorems extend and improve in several directions the studies made in (Adv. Nonlinear Stud. 14 (2014), 483–510; J. Differ. Equ. 252 (2012), 1813–1834; J. Differ. Equ. 253 (2012), 2314–2351).

A Damping Effect of the Maritime Continent for the Madden‐Julian Oscillation

AbstractThe damping effect of the Maritime Continent (MC) on propagation of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) has been widely recognized; however, its underlying physics remains largely elusive. Capitalizing on the latest high‐resolution reanalysis data (ERA‐5) from the ECMWF, analyses in this study suggest that the interruption of lower‐tropospheric moistening over the MC land during MJO eastward propagation is mainly due to a drying effect induced by zonal advection of the low‐level winter mean moisture by MJO winds. The low‐level mean moisture pattern over the MC tends to closely follow local topography, with moisture maxima collocated with local mountain peaks. Given this mean moisture distribution, the moisture advection by anomalous easterly MJO winds corresponding to the active MJO convection over the eastern Indian Ocean will lead to a drying (moistening) effect to the east (west) of the mountain peaks. Diagnosis based on hourly output from ERA‐5 further illustrates that the diurnal cycle plays a crucial role for the formation of the topographically locked mean moisture pattern over the MC. This study, therefore, indicates that high‐resolution models capable of resolving detailed topography and associated diurnal cycle over the MC could be necessary for realistic depiction of the interaction between the MC and MJO.

Using Mountain Lion Habitat Selection in Management

ABSTRACTWildlife agencies are generally tasked with managing and conserving species at state and local levels simultaneously. Thus, it is necessary for wildlife agencies to understand basic ecological processes of a given species at multiple scales to aid decision making at commensurately varied spatial and behavioral scales. Mountain lions (Puma concolor) occur throughout California, USA, and are at the center of a variety of management and conservation issues. For example, they are genetically and demographically at risk in 1 region yet apparently stable and negatively affecting endangered species in another. Currently, no formal plan exists for mountain lions in California to deal with these diverse scenarios involving issues of local mountain lion population viability and problems related to predation of endangered species. To facilitate development of a state‐wide management and conservation plan, we quantified habitat selection by mountain lions at 2 spatial scales across the range of environmental conditions in which the species is found in California. Our analyses used location data from individuals (n = 263) collared across the state from 2001–2019. At the home range scale, mountain lions selected habitat to prioritize meeting energetic demands. At the within home range scale, mountain lions avoided areas of human activity. Further, our analyses revealed 165,350–170,085 km2, depending on season, of suitable mountain lion habitat in California. Fifty percent of the suitable habitat was on unprotected lands and thus vulnerable to development. These habitat selection models will help in the development of a state‐wide conservation and management plan for mountain lions in California by guiding mountain lion population monitoring through time, prioritization of habitat to be conserved for maintaining demographic connectivity and gene flow, and efforts to mediate mountain lion‐prey interactions. Our work and application area will help with wildlife policy and management decisions related to depredation problems at the local scale and issues of habitat connectivity at the statewide scale. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

Web GIS in mountaineering in Croatia

Abstract Using maps is inevitable in many human activities as well as in mountaineering. Until recently, most of the spatial and attribute data of the mountaineer’s interest could have been found only in analog form. With the development of information technology, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), easily accessible measuring sensors and digital cameras, it is easier to collect, store, visualize, share, and update spatial data. The web GIS with its associated applications assumes dominance in browsing and dissemination of spatial data, and is applied in areas where there is a need for processing, analysis and visualization of various data that contain a spatial component, including mountaineering. When planning hiking, mountaineers need both spatial and attribute information on mountaineering facilities, checkpoints, and hiking trails in the form of GNSS traces. Through the interactive web application interface, it is possible to connect all these data, enabling easy viewing, browsing and analysis, or performing various spatial queries, which greatly facilitates the planning of hiking excursions. This paper presents a review and comparison of four most visited Croatian mountaineering portals: HPS’s Interactive Mountaineering Map of Croatia, Mountaineering portal and Geodetic mountaineering portal developed at the Faculty of Geodesy of the University of Zagreb and planinarenje.hr portal developed by the group of mountain enthusiasts. Numerous data on Croatian mountains and peaks, mountain facilities, huts and hiking trails are now accessible through portals to anyone with Internet connection, either with the computers, tablets or smartphones. All users can browse, filter and download data from the portal, and there are additional options for authorized users such as commenting on portal content. Several thematic portals of neighboring countries were also analyzed (portal of the Slovenian Mountaineering Association, Slovak mountaineering portal and one Swiss mountaineering portal) and compared with Croatian portals. Finally, the importance of the web GIS portals for the development of mountaineering tourism was emphasized, as well as the ecological culture and the sustainability of the mountaineering environment (preservation of mountain trails and facilities, protection of endemic plants, karst and geological features, etc.). Highlights for public administration, management and planning: • The presented web GIS represent an effective and efficient tool for planning and conducting trips in mountain areas as it allows better organization and management of mountain content for the tourists and other hikers. • Registered users can participate in the portal update (e.g. peak or hill endonyms) and this can be used by State Geodetic Administration for their register of geographical names (http://rgi.dgu.hr/pretrazivanje) • The Web GIS can also be used as a support in the tourism development of local mountain areas with respect to the ecological culture and sustainability of the mountain environment.

Estimates of changes in surface wind and temperature extremes in southwestern Norway using dynamical downscaling method under future climate

Extreme surface winds and temperatures were estimated by the dynamical downscaling method combined with the generalized extreme value theory for the construction of Hardanger Suspension Bridge and the maintenance of Sotra Bridge in southwestern Norway. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model was used to downscale the Norwegian Earth System Model data from 2.5° × 1.8° to 1 km × 1 km horizontal grids. Simulations were performed for the control period, the 1990s, and the projection period, the 2050s, under the RCP8.5 radiative forcing scenario. Monthly maximum winds were compared with observations at three nearby observation stations for the warm and the cold seasons as well as the annual period. The simulated extreme wind distributions are in good agreement with the observed distributions at the coastal area, but have systematic positive deviations on the mountain. An extrapolation method was used to project extreme winds in the early and the late this century. Comparison of the simulated extreme winds between the 1990s and the 2050s shows that future extreme winds are unlikely to change with statistical significance during the cold season, but tend to decrease at mountainous and coastal areas with statistical significance during the warm season. They are possibly the reflections of the shift in the regional storm activities associated with the changes of the North Atlantic Oscillations and the effects of the local mountain topography. For surface maximum and minimum temperatures, the model can well reproduce the spreads of the pdf distributions. Both distributions shift towards higher temperatures in the 2050s.

A local mountain pass approach for a class of fractional NLS equations with magnetic fields

We complete the recent study started in Ambrosio (2019) concerning the existence and concentration phenomenon of complex-valued solutions for a class of nonlinear Schrödinger equations driven by the fractional magnetic Laplacian (−Δ)As. The proofs are obtained by combining suitable variational methods with a Kato’s approximation argument for (−Δ)As. The approach developed here can be also used to consider other fractional magnetic problems like fractional magnetic Choquard equations, fractional magnetic Kirchhoff problems and fractional magnetic Schrödinger–Poisson equations, in which local conditions on the potential are assumed.

Chinook Salmon, Late Holocene Climate Change, and the Occupational History of Kettle Falls, a Columbia River Fishing Station

ABSTRACT Kettle Falls, located 1125 km from the mouth of the Columbia River in present-day Washington State (USA), was the second-most important salmon fishing and trading locus on that river in the early historic era. We encapsulate the late Holocene history of the fishery by deriving a summed probability distribution function (SPDF) from 50 radiocarbon ages from 13 archaeological sites within 2 km of the falls. When compared to an SPDF from 307 sites from elsewhere on the Columbia Plateau, and a null model, the Kettle Falls SPDF exhibits two phases of elevated activity at 1700–1300 cal BP and 800–500 cal BP, and an intervening lull. These phases are not related to the excavation history or differential exposure of sites to taphonomic processes, but they are concordant with episodes of glacial advance in the local mountains, which reflect hemispheric-scale changes in climate. Modern returns of summer-run Chinook salmon to the Columbia River are inversely correlated with sea-surface temperature regimes in the northeast Pacific Ocean, and we propose that the occupational history of the Kettle Falls fishery echoes long-term variations in the returns of salmon to the upper Columbia River linked to climate change.

Temporal dynamics of ground-level ozone and its impact on morbidity in Almaty city in comparison with Astana city, Kazakhstan.

Respiratory diseases are nowadays much related to environmental factors such as air pollution. In this sense, it is considered that the annual and the daily courses of ground-level ozone concentrations affect the respiratory systems. A study of ground-level ozone concentration (GO) in the city of Almaty is developed attending to the general content of ozone in the atmosphere as one of sources of ground ozone. The study analyzed the annual and daily course of total ground-level ozone in Almaty. It is shown that the dynamics of its concentrations depends on many factors such as large-scale circulation in the Central Asian region, solar radiation, local mountain valley circulation, and the time of year. Geographic location, motor vehicles traffic intensity, and some specific synoptic conditions can also dramatically affect the daily course of ground-level ozone, promoting formation of two maximum concentration peaks, and one deep minimum concentration between them. The main maximum was fixated at 1:0p.m., the secondary one at 1:0a.m. The main minimum was not stable throughout the year. It was fixated at 7:0p.m. in cold seasons and at 7:0a.m. in warm seasons. The mean concentration of ground-level ozone from February to November was higher than average permitted concentrations. During 1-2months, this measurement was higher than MAC (Maximum Allowable Concentrations). High concentration of GO is related to an increase on the number of cases with respiratory problems mainly in the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan.