Macroseismic information for the 1935 moment magnitude 6.1 earthquake, near Témiscamingue, Quebec

The November 1st, 1935, Témiscaming earthquake occurred within 20 km of the town of Témiscaming, Quebec. This earthquake was felt west to Fort William (now part of Thunder Bay), Ontario, east to Saint John, New Brunswick, and south to Kentucky and Virginia. Damaged chimneys were reported in Témiscaming, Quebec, and North Bay and Mattawa, Ontario. In the epicentral region, rockfalls were observed as well as cracks in gravel and sand along the shores of islands and lakes. Some 350 km away from the epicentre, near Parent, Quebec, earthquake vibrations triggered a 30 metre slide of railroad embankment. Numerous aftershocks were felt in Témiscaming and Kipawa during the following months, the largest rated as magnitude ML 5.4 (or mN 4.9). For the main shock and its largest aftershock, this Open File Report provides the available macroseismic information interpreted on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale using newspaper accounts as the main source of information for Canada. Macroseismic information from total of 126 localities in Canada and nearly 900 communities in the US (from the NOAA database of intensities) are tabulated in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. When available, newspaper clippings are included, together with some original damage accounts, photographs and scientific reports. The Open File also includes a Google Earth kmz file that allows the felt information reports to be viewed in a spatial tool.

Flora of the Trans-siberian railway and its correlation with the characteristics of natural biomes on the Eastern European plain

Проведена инвентаризация чужеродных и аборигенных растений на участках Транссибирской магистрали, проходящих по территории Восточно-Европейской равнины. Изучены северная ветка (Киров - Кострома - Ярославль - Москва) и центральная ветка (Киров - Нижний Новгород - Владимир - Москва). Выявляли корреляцию между характеристиками естественных биомов и основными флористическими показателями. Исследовано 15 железнодорожных станций в 5 областях, расположенных в трех естественных биомах. На каждом участке закладывали площадки размером 100 м2 в трех различных экотопах: на железнодорожном полотне, на откосах и на подошве железнодорожной насыпи в начале полосы отчуждения (в основном, это были дренажные канавы), всего составлено 61 геоботаническое описание. Выявлено 265 видов сосудистых растений (28 древесных растений, 135 поликарпических трав и 102 вида монокарпических трав). Объем флоры участков Транссибирской магистрали положительно коррелирует с общим числом видов сосудистых растений, зарегистрированных в биоме: самое высокое число как древесных, так и травянистых видов, причем и на полотне железной дороги, и по откосам, отмечено на участках, проходящих через Смоленско-Приволжский широколиственно-хвойнолесной биом. По снижению числа зарегистрированных видов растений экотопы железной дороги располагаются в ряду: откосы железной дороги → полотно железной дороги → дренажные канавы. Согласно коэффициенту Съеренсена, наиболее высокое сходство наблюдается между флорой откосов (53%), ниже сходство локальных флор железнодорожного полотна (44%), и очень низкое (20%) сходство флор дренажных канав. Только 6 видов встречаются во всех трех биомах, причем все они являются чужеродными инвазионными видами, а 4 из них (Acer negundo, Amaranthus retroflexus, Erigeron canadensis, Epilobium adenocaulon) входят в ТОР-100 самых опасных инвазионных видов России. Транссибирская магистраль служит как реципиентом чужеродных видов, «сбегающих» на нее из населенных пунктов, так и основным вектором их дальнейшего расселения по транспортному коридору. Inventory of alien and native plants was carried out on the segments of the Trans-Siberian Railway, passing through the territory of the East European Plain. The Northern Branch of the Railway (Kirov - Kostroma - Yaroslavl - Moscow) and the Central Branch of the Railway (Kirov - Nizhny Novgorod - Vladimir - Moscow) were studied. We revealed a correlation between the characteristics of natural biomes and the main floristic indices. We studied 15 railway stations in five regions located in three natural biomes. At each site, we laid 100 m2 plots in three different ecotopes: on the railroad bed, on slopes and in the railroad embankment outsole (mainly infiltration ditch). A total of 61 geobotanical descriptions were compiled. 265 species of vascular plants were detected (28 woody plants, 135 polycarpical herbs and 102 species of monocarpical herbs). Plant’s number in the Trans-Siberian Railway positively correlates with the total number of vascular plant species recorded in the biomes: the highest number of both woody and herbaceous species, and both on the railroad bed and on the slopes, is noted in segments passing through the Smolensk-Privolzhsky biome. In terms of reducing the number of plant species, the ecotopes of the railway located in the following range: slopes of the railway → railroad bed → infiltration ditch. According to the Sørensen's similarity coefficient, the highest similarity is observed between the flora of slopes (53%), similarity of local flora of the railway bed is lower (44%), and very low (20%) similarity of flora is noted for infiltration ditch. Only 6 species are found in all three biomes, all of them being alien invasive species, and 4 of them (Acer negundo, Amaranthus retroflexus, Erigeron canadensis, Epilobium adenocaulon) are among the TOP-100 the most dangerous invasive species in Russia. The Trans-Siberian Railway serves both as a recipient of alien species "escaping" from settlements and as a main vector for their further dispersal along the transport corridor.

Steps of fitting the winter shelter of Hungarian Grey Cattle into the environment in Ipolyvece

Besides creating a living place satisfying the unique demands of Hungarian grey cattle the planning of a winter shelter constructed in Ipolyvece (Ipolyvece Farm) has raised exceptionally diverse tasks as regards of fitting the shelter into the environment. This article introduces the different versions of related demands and answers as well as the finally approved solutions which have been created by using - due to necessity - the „research by planning” methodology. The facility has been constructed for the winter housing of those cattle and their offsprings that live in and around the municipal area of Ipolyvece, i.e. in the alluvial pastures of the Ipoly river during the growing season (from April until the end of October). The area involved in the planning process includes some plots and buildings of an animal husbandry facility built in the early 1960s. These real estates have been detached from the other parts of the farm and given to the current operator as a result of the privatisation process of the early 1990s. The installations are situated in the mild North-western slope of Börzsöny mountains. This slope is bounded by a railroad embankment running around the built-up area of the settlement. The embankment is perpendicular to the slope thus creating a valley where the runoff of water is not ensured. A particularly sensitive groundwater supply can be found below the area; this fact makes special protective measures necessary in order to restrain the utilisation and environmental impact of the surface area.