The Australia telescope 20 GHz survey: hardware, observing strategy, and scanning survey catalog

The Australia Telescope 20 GHz (AT20G) survey is a large area (2?? sr), sensitive (40 mJy), high frequency (20 GHz) survey of the southern sky. The survey was conducted in two parts: an initial fast scanning survey, and a series of more accurate follow-up observations. The follow-up survey catalog has been presented by Murphy et al. (MNRAS 402:2403, 2010). In this paper we discuss the hardware setup and scanning survey strategy as well as the production of the scanning survey catalog.     

Numerical distribution of Santonian to Danian corals (Scleractinia,Octocorallia) of Southern Limburg,the Netherlands

The stratigraphical occurrence of 35 known species from the Upper Cretaceous and Danian of Southern Limburg is presented based on existing collections and newly collected material. Corals are relatively rare, except in the Meerssen Member of the Maastricht Formation. Two faunas were recognised in the Meerssen Member: a fauna dominated by Cyclolites cancellata at the base of this member – which coincides with the sequence boundary of the third-order sequence cycle TA1.1 of Haq et al. (1988) – and a fauna dominated by mushroom-shaped and encrusting colonies at the top of the transgressive systems tract of the same sequence cycle.     

Concurrent Treatment of 1,4‐Dioxane and Chlorinated Aliphatics in a Groundwater Recirculation System Via Aerobic Cometabolism

This research demonstrates that groundwater contaminated by a relatively dilute but persistent concentration of 1,4‐dioxane (1,4‐D), approximately 60 μg/L, and chlorinated aliphatic co‐contaminants (1.4 to 10 μg/L) can be efficiently and reliably treated by in situ aerobic cometabolic biodegradation (ACB). A field trial lasting 265 days was conducted at Operable Unit D at the former McClellan Air Force Base and involved establishing an in situ ACB reactor through amending recirculated groundwater with propane and oxygen. The stimulated indigenous microbial population was able to consistently degrade 1,4‐D to below 3 μg/L while the co‐contaminants trichloroethene (TCE) and 1,2‐dichloroethane (1,2‐DCA) were decreased to below 1 μg/L and 0.18 μg/L, respectively. A stable treatment efficiency of more than 95% removal for 1,4‐D and 1,2‐DCA and of more than 90% removal for TCE was achieved. High treatment efficiencies for 1,4‐D and all co‐contaminants were sustained even without propane and oxygen addition for a 2‐week period.     

Estimating mean residence time of karst groundwater in mountainous catchments of Western Himalaya,India

The mean residence time (MRT) of karst groundwater in three mountainous catchments of the Western Himalaya was estimated using multiple approaches: the tritium method, the sine wave model and tracer tests. Water samples were collected from precipitation, glacier melt, streams and karst springs for δ²H and tritium analysis during 2012 and 2013. High tritium values were observed in winter precipitation and low values in summer precipitation. The variation of tritium in karst springs was similar to that of the streams, whereas glacier melt showed lower tritium values. The MRT of cold karst springs was shorter than that of warm karst springs. The tracer breakthrough curves (TBC) retrieved for different springs suggested a short travel time for groundwater and possibly conduit flow. Deterioration of water quality and variation in flux magnitude are the two main practical consequences of the short travel time of karst groundwater in the region.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis

ASSOCIATE EDITOR K. Heal     

Impacts of a Rural Subdivision on Groundwater Quality: Results of Long-Term Monitoring

A rural subdivision in south central Wisconsin was instrumented with monitoring wells and lysimeters before, during, and after its construction to examine the impacts of the unsewered subdivision on groundwater quality and quantity. Prior to construction, the 78-acre (32 ha) site was farmland. Sixteen homes were constructed beginning in 2003. Initial monitoring from 2002 to 2005 showed that groundwater beneath the site had been impacted by previous agricultural use, with nitrate-N values as high as 30 mg/L and some detections of the herbicide atrazine. Our 12-year study shows that the transition from agricultural to residential land use has changed groundwater quality in both negative and positive ways. Although groundwater elevations showed typical seasonal fluctuations each year, there were no measurable changes in groundwater levels or general flow directions during the 12-year study period. Chloride values increased in many wells, possibly as a result of road salting or water softener discharge. Nitrate concentrations varied spatially and temporally over the study period, with some initial concentrations substantially above the drinking water standard. In some wells, nitrate and atrazine levels have declined substantially since agriculture ceased. However, atrazine was still present at trace concentrations throughout the site in 2014. Wastewater tracers show there are small but detectable impacts from septic effluent on groundwater quality. Particle traces based on a groundwater flow model are consistent with the hypothesis that septic leachate has impacted groundwater quality.     

Using in‐field phosphate testing to rapidly identify middens at Piedras Negras,Guatemala

Recent studies have promoted using soil phosphate analysis to detect ancient Maya sites by delimiting areas of occupation based on decomposed organic matter. Refuse associated with human activity increases organic matter around areas of ancient human habitation. Theoretically, the highest concentration of organic matter—detectable by phosphate analysis—should be directly associated with areas of refuse disposal. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the potential of phosphate analysis to detect residential middens in Piedras Negras, Guatemala. This paper presents the results of a sensitive, in‐field phosphate analysis method applied as a midden prospection tool in residential areas. Phosphate concentration is correlated with artifact data obtained from a total of 37 test pits excavated in areas of varying phosphate concentration in three residential sites. A positive correlation between phosphate concentration and ceramic density indicates the potential of this method in defining and orienting excavations of residential areas. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Adoption of flood-related preventive behaviours by people having different risks and histories of flooding

Natural Hazards - The increase in the frequency of floods, which is a projected consequence of climate change, can have wide-ranging health and economic impacts. To cope with these floods and to...     

Metop-GRAS in-orbit instrument performance

The GRAS instrument on the Metop-A satellite provides more than 600 radio occultation measurement profiles per day. The instrument is characterized by its wide antenna coverage, high signal-to-noise ratio and an ultra-stable clock reference. The conventional dual-frequency tracking of GPS signals is under dynamic atmosphere conditions complemented by open loop tracking with sampling of the signal at a 1 kHz rate, providing an unprecedented view of the signal spectral environment. This paper presents the instrument performance as derived from analysis of in-orbit measurement data. We show that the noise figure is low enough to enable mapping of external radio noise variations over the earth’s surface. An error propagation model is presented to relate instrument characteristics to bending angle performance. This model is also used to illustrate the relation between filter bandwidth, resolution and measurement noise. The Doppler model, guiding open loop measurements, is found to be accurate to better than 20 Hz with a possibility for improvement to 10 Hz. The high performance at low altitudes enables the presence of surface reflections at the −20-dB level to be identified in more than 50% of the occultations. The potential performance improvements for next generation receivers are discussed.     

New Reference Materials,Analytical Procedures and Data Reduction Strategies for Sr Isotope Measurements in Geological Materials by LA-MC-ICP-MS

Laser ablation multi-collector mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) has emerged as the technique of choice for in situ measurements of Sr isotopes in geological minerals. However, the method poses analytical challenges and there is no widely adopted standardised approach to collecting these data or correcting the numerous potential isobaric inferences. Here, we outline practical analytical procedures and data reduction strategies to help establish a consistent framework for collecting and correcting Sr isotope measurements in geological materials by LA-MC-ICP-MS. We characterise a new set of plagioclase reference materials, which are available for distribution to the community, and present a new data reduction scheme for the Iolite software package to correct isobaric interferences for different materials and analytical conditions. Our tests show that a combination of Kr-baseline subtraction, Rb-peak-stripping using βRb derived from a bracketing glass reference material, and a CaCa or CaAr correction for plagioclase and CaCa or CaAr + REE²⁺ correction for rock glasses, yields the most accurate and precise ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr measurements for these materials. Using the analytical and correction procedures outlined herein, spot analyses using a beam diameter of 100 μm or rastering with a 50–65 μm diameter beam can readily achieve < 100 ppm 2SE repeatability ("internal") precision for ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr measurements for materials with < 1000 μg g^-1 Sr.