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The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is an international organisation established in 1981 between six Gulf countries, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). According to the GCC Supreme Council, it was established to foster and manage cooperation between these countries and to serve their common interests. This thesis explores another factor, that it was established in response to specific security concerns in the context of the energy crisis that arose after the 1970‟s war between Egypt and Israel, the Soviet attack on Afghanistan and the Iranian revolution which was followed by the Iran-Iraq war. It is a doctrinal study that aims to determine where the GCC fits as an international institution within the framework of international law and international institutions particularly. Accordingly, the aim of this thesis is to analyse critically what the GCC is and does exactly. More specifically, it examines the type of organisation the GCC is, its relationship with member states and other international organisations and considers its future role as a key regional organisation. This thesis analyses the reason for its establishment, leaders‟ opinions about its nature, the GCC's methods for producing collective political attitudes and economic cooperation. It also assesses the kinds of laws the GCC produces, their status, whether hard and soft law, as well as their enforcement. This analysis is conducted from a combined legal positivist and international relations framework. From Nasserism to the Arab Spring, the GCC has withstood the waves of political movements in the Middle East. This thesis provide a critical analysis of the GCC‟s overall achievements and aims, with a particular focus on its response to key political developments such as these. This thesis argues that GCC members have been using the GCC as means to achieve their own ends. Due to the nature of their governing systems – absolute monarchy – they are using the GCC to maintain the security and stability of their own ruling systems. However, while the GCC has always focused on security and economic cooperation, its achievements are stronger in the latter because security is linked to external factors.

This study examines variability in the isotopic composition of precipitation in southern Illinois, USA using a 5-year, event-based record, novel in its duration and in potential to extract important isotopic information of precipitation in a dynamic region, and the seasonality of major moisture sources. The isotopic composition of precipitation exhibited seasonal variations in δ18O and δ2H, where values are distinctively higher (lower) during summer (winter). Average values for d-excess were the highest (lowest) during autumn (summer). Seasonality is also present in events originating from the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), isolated by Langrangian methods. GOM JJA events showed more isotopically depleted precipitation than of non-GOM events due to a stronger “amount effect” signal (R2 = -0.40). To date, the amount effect has never been reported this far inland in the US. Precipitation analysis as it related to the ENSO phases exhibited statically significant differences in d-excess values. Precipitation events that occurred during a La Niña phase exhibited positive d¬-excess values, with an average value of 25.18‰. δ18O and δ2H values during El Niño phase were on average more depleted. Overall results highlight that the GOM, as a dominating moisture source, and ENSO phases can modulate the seasonal and intra-seasonal variability in the isotopic composition of precipitation in this region. The data collected, from a single location, can highlight moisture dynamics occurring on a regional scale and highlight the importance of the GOM as prevailing source of moisture for the Midwestern US. The second part of this study involved determining what were the best predictors for 18O and d-excess values. The study revealed that sea surface temperature and oxygen isotope values in the ambient vapor were the best predictors for 18O values but were the poorest predictors of d-excess values. The best predictors of d-excess were land surface characteristics such as the volumetric soil moisture, evaporation from bare soil variable, as well as SST, temperature of the air and specific humidity of the air. However, these predictors worked best with positive d-excess values that equaled or above 20‰.

An alignment or “fit” between an organization’s objectives and knowledge management (KM) practices should be established in order for the organization to fully utilize its knowledge assets and to derive competitive advantages. The organization should deploy a holistic approach for KM that spans business strategy, information system (IS) strategy, organization culture, and human factors. This research has investigated the strategic alignment between knowledge strategy and business strategy - KMBS-SA and the strategic alignment between knowledge strategy and IS strategy - KMIS-SA in the banking sector among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Using the proposed model, the study explored the impacts of KMBS-SA and KMIS-SA on the organizational performance. The main hypothesis of this research is that knowledge is the main resource in an organization, and by aligning this resource with the business strategy and IS strategy, the alignment will contribute positively on the performance of the organization. The research model was illustrated in two different conceptualizations hypothesizing the different relationships between knowledge strategies, business strategy and IS strategy. The first conceptualization illustrates the KMBS-SA and KMIS-SA, and an investigation on the contribution of theses alignments on the organizational performance. The second conceptualization of the research model aims at investigating the impact of different types or profiles of KMBS-SA and KMIS-SA on the organizational performance. This study examined different alignments between two profiles of knowledge strategy - Aggressive Knowledge Strategy (AKS) and Conservative Knowledge Strategy (CKS), with various types of business strategy according to Miles and Snow’s (1978) strategic typology, and, the alignment of the two profiles of knowledge strategy with various IS strategy based on the STROIS approach by Chan et al. (1997). Using both conceptualizations, the role of knowledge strategy as a moderator or a mediator in the contribution of the business strategy and IS strategy towards the organizational performance was examined. The primary data for this study was collected through a survey of 106 banks from the six Gulf countries: Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Oman. The first overall conclusion demonstrated that there is a strong association between knowledge strategy and business strategy and that KMBS-SA clearly influenced the organizational performance. The second overall result of this research shows that in the context of GCC countries, knowledge strategy received stronger support as moderator of the IS congruence association with performance and that KMIS-SA is the primary determinant of the effectiveness of IS in the GCC banks. From the finding, it is recommended that the GCC banks should take KMBS-SA and KMIS-SA challenge seriously and should consider the alignment implication before moving ahead to implement a strategic plan. Furthermore, the research finding revealed that GCC bank should not ignore the different dimensions of knowledge strategic choices. The banks need to determine different profiles for their knowledge strategy in order to support all aspects of business strategy and IS strategic dimensions that are most important for the organization. They should then direct the organizational knowledge resources to support these profiles. Finally, it is recommended that the banks should define and establish a position in KM in order to oversee the knowledge strategy and KM issues.

"December 2003" / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-219) / xviii, 219 leaves : ill. (some col.), maps, plates ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Discipline of Environmental Biology, 2004

Graduation date: 1981 / Best scan available for figures and pages listing computer code. Original is a photocopy.

Seismic refraction data collected in 1985 by the USGS were used in this study to derive the P and S velocity structure of the crust beneath the Gulf of Maine. The data quality differs among instruments and is affected by surficial lateral heterogeneities, a ringy source signature and reverberations. Velocity models of the crust were computed by one-dimensional raytracing and by wavefield continuation. Pg arrivals were modeled using both techniques to derive the P velocity of the upper 5-15 km of the crust and give very similar results. Strong Sg arrivals were also observed, and computed S amplitudes generated from P-S conversion for different scenarios show that the observed S wave is generated at the basement top. Two small sediment basins are indicated in the Central Plutonic Zone and two faults are suggested in the Fault Zone and the Central Plutonic Zone, respectively. Beneath the sediments the layering is uniform with dips of less than 2° and a fairly laterally homogeneous velocity structure, in spite of lateral variations in reflectivity. P and S velocities increase from 5.3 and 2.8 km/s, respectively, at the basement to 6.4 and 3.7 km/s at 10 km depth. A laterally discontinuous low velocity zone is indicated at 6-10 km depth which might be caused by laccolithic granitic intrusions. However, magnetic and gravity data do not show indications for felsic intrusions where the low velocity zones are observed. Velocity differences among some instruments suggest anisotropy in the upper 6 km of the crust, as observed in onshore Maine. These instruments indicate velocities parallel to the structural grain of the Appalachians of 6.1-6.4 km/s and velocities transverse to the grain of 5.8-6.1 km/s in the depth range 2-6 km. Cashes Ledge granite, a site of an intense magnetic high, has a reduced velocity compared to surrounding rocks and might extend to at least 10 km depth. Poisson's ratio for the upper crust ranges from 0.23-0.26. To derive the velocity structure of the middle and lower crust, wide-angle reflections interpreted to be PmP and SmS were modeled by one-dimensional raytracing. In addition synthetic seismograms were computed using the WKBJ method to constrain possible middle and lower crust velocity models by their PmP and SmS amplitudes. Recorded PmP and SmS wide-angle reflections have quite different amplitudes and travel-times among instruments suggesting a heterogeneous lower crust. The crust below 10 km depth has an average P velocity of 6.5-6.8 km/s and an average S velocity of 3.7-3.9 km/s. Most instruments indicate a Poisson's ratio of around 0.25 between 10 km depth and Moho and one instrument suggests a Poisson's ratio of 0.28. Hence, the middle and/or lower crust under the Gulf of Maine is heterogeneous and represents average crust modified by mafic intrusions, probably during Mesozoic extension. Moho depth is indicated between 30 and 37 km depth. Wide-angle reflections coming from 28 km depth as indicated by two instruments are interpreted to come from the top of a lower crustal intrusion. This interpretation is supported by an observed mismatch between the models giving a thickness of 28 km and the reflection data. Although it represents a different geological terrane, the velocity and thickness of the crust beneath the central Gulf of Maine is very similar that onshore Maine. / Graduation date: 1991

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 226-229).

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 1982. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-93). Also available on the World Wide Web.

The number of subsea production systems placed in deepwater locations in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has increased significantly in the last ten to fifteen years. Currently, API-RP2A (2000 a,b) designates the GOM as a low seismic zone, and thus does not require seismic effects to be considered during the design process. However, there have been a number of seismic events with Richter magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.9 that have occurred in this region. As a result, questions have been raised regarding the seismic performance of deepwater subsea systems. This thesis presents an analytical parametric study where a prototype subsea structure was selected based on a survey of subsea systems. The baseline analytical model consisted of a single casing embedded in soft clay soils, which supported a lumped mass at a cantilevered height above the soil. A number of the model characteristics were varied in the parametric study to simulate the structural response of a range of subsea structures. This thesis discusses the impact of API-RP2A Zone 1 and 2 design seismic demands for the performance of subsea structures. The results from the subsequent analyses show that the stresses and deflections produced by the Zone 1 and 2 peak ground accelerations fall within the allowable limits.