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The loess-paleosol sequences in New Zealand are among the thickest in the southern hemisphere, and preserve an important terrestrial record of paleoclimatic changes. Unlike loess-paleosol sequences in North Island, most of those in South Island lack discrete chronostratigraphic marker ash beds, excepting perhaps the widespread ∼24 ka Kawakawa Tephra. Therefore, any specific correlation to marine isotope stage (MIS) proxy records or to loess-paleosol sequences in the northern hemisphere has been unknown. Hence, we applied luminescence sediment dating to four key loess-paleosol sequences from southern South Island. Although these pioneering results suggest that further sampling and luminescence dating are needed, they do provide: (1) the first numeric age constraint (44±3ka on overlying loess) for the end of deposition of the geomorphically and paleoclimatically important Edendale Terrace gravels; (2) the first numeric evidence that the youngest loess-paleosol unit (L1) at the near-coastal Romahapa and inland Stewarts Claim sites began to be preserved much earlier (at ∼60 ka) than at the inland Kingston Crossing site (∼35 ka); (3) the first direct evidence that the 6 m Romahapa sequence extends at least to ∼350 ka, the oldest yet TL-dated such sequence in South Island. Furthermore, the stratigraphically self-consistent (with one exception) luminescence ages between ∼60 and ∼350ka conflict with a previous indirect chronostratigraphy inferred from trace concentrations of glass shards. This traceshard chronology implies a major hiatus in loess-paleosol preservation (missing at least MIS 6-7) not recognized by luminescence dating.

The Ladies' repository: a monthly periodical, devoted to literature, arts, and religion. / Volume 3, Issue 10, Page(s) 289-290, (dlps) volume: acg2248.1-03.010, (dlps) article: acg2248.1-03.010:1, http://quod.lib.umich.edu/t/text/accesspolicy.html

The Ladies' repository: a monthly periodical, devoted to literature, arts, and religion. / Volume 4, Issue 7, Page(s) 213-215, (dlps) volume: acg2248.1-04.007, (dlps) article: acg2248.1-04.007:21, http://quod.lib.umich.edu/t/text/accesspolicy.html

The Ladies' repository: a monthly periodical, devoted to literature, arts, and religion. / Volume 2, Issue 12, Page(s) 375-376, (dlps) volume: acg2248.1-02.012, (dlps) article: acg2248.1-02.012:13, http://quod.lib.umich.edu/t/text/accesspolicy.html

Subcritical crack propagation in the transducer ceramic, PZT, has been studied using the double torsion technique. The effects of testing environment and temperature, as well as the state of poling in the material, have been characterized in detail. Tests run in water and in environments inert with respect to water such as toluene, mineral oil and Freon, a corona supperssant, have established that water enhances slow crack propagation in PZT. Fracture has also been found to depend sensitively on the state of poling. Crack propagation is hindered if poling is perpendicular to the crack plane but is hardly affected if the material is poled parallel to the crack. These results can be explained more in terms of the residual stresses introduced by poling than in terms of the microstructural (i.e., domain structure) changes accompanying poling. A thermal activation analysis carried out on crack propagation data measured in water on unpoled PZT yielded a stress free activation energy of 100 kcal/mol. (Author)

Yellow-grey earths. their intergrades and associated soils represent some 11.5% of the area of soils in New Zealand and occupy a large proportion of the country's flat and rolling land, particularly in the South Island. They are important agriculturally as they are used for mixed arable farming, cereal cropping and prime lamb production. in addition to wool. In some locations they arc used for dairying and in more recent years for the expanding viticultural industry. Yellow-grey earths have been (and still arc) somewhat of an enigma to soil scientists from both New Zealand and abroad. They do not rest easily in their taxonomic position in the New Zealand Genetic Classification where they are placed betwixt the brown-grey earths and the yellow-brown earths or perhaps more pertinently in that somewhat ill-defined no-mans-land - the seasonally dry districts where rainfall ranges between approximately 500 mm and I OOO mm. This uncertainty is at least partly because they are the only soil group in New Zealand which includes both intergrades and associated soils in the general survey legends. Of the 2.89 M ha assigned to the group as a whole, just over 57% ( 1.66 M ha) arc included as yellow-grey earths -the remaining 1.23 M ha of these soils are ascribed to intergrades and associated soils. This present volume of Soil Groups of New Zealand includes a lot of current thinking on various aspects of the yellow-grey earths and will perhaps throw some further light on their genesis and development. While talking recently to Dr A.E. Hewitt. who has the invidious task of revising the New Zealand Soil Classification. he mentioned that when he had sorted out a suitable definition and classification for the yellow-grey earths this would be a major step in formulating a new New Zealand Soil Classification. As this volume finally comes to press. I would like to thank all contributors for their articles - many of the contributors have prepared articles for the previous six volumes in

Fairplace Station is located on the northern flanks of the Hokonui Hills, at the southern margin of the Waimea Plains, approximately 30 km WNW of Gore, Southland. On Fairplace Station, Grasslands Division of DSIR have established a field trial to evaluate grass species and cultivars in hill country environments having a summer soil moisture deficit. The soils of the trial area have been described so that results of the trial can be applied with confidence to other hill country areas with similar soils and environment.

Maps not included, In New Zealand the term loess is used in a broader sense than in the United States or Europe, as indicated by Raeside (1964, p. 811). It is applied to any fine-textured deposit of aeolian origin, other than sand dunes, and thus includes aeolian deposits where transport has been primarily by suspension, irrespective of content of organic matter, mineralogical composition, calcium carbonate content, degree of compaction, or texture. Loess is an important soil-forming material in the South Island of New Zealand, and the broad characteristics of its distribution and stratigraphy have been ascertained from soil surveys and pedological research. The accompanying maps and stratigraphic columns (New Zealand Soil Bureau Map 128) summarise the information available in 1972 and indicate some possible interpretations.