Evaluation of a Novel Control Method on Biofilm Parameters in an Aerated Submerged Fixed‐bed Biofilm Reactor

One of the critical technological parameter in operation of aerated submerged fixed‐bed biofilm reactor (ASFBBR) is the control over process of biofilm detachment. Both, an excessive growth of biomass with its accumulation in the bioreactor and an exceeded biofilm detachment rate, cause serious operational and technological problems. The studies presented in this paper demonstrate that in an ASFBBR reactor with a PVC bed carrier media, an effective way to maintain a proper shear stress acting on the biofilm and causing its detachment could be an internal recirculation of wastewater instead of backwashing with wastewater or air flushing. In case of polishing of oil‐refinery wastewater with average COD loading rate equal to 9 g COD/(m² day), the minimum value of the hydraulic loading rate in such reactor is 1.9 m³/(m² h), at which there was no excessive growth of biofilms. Despite a significant decrease of the biofilms thickness and amount of biomass in the reactor, there was no significant decline in the efficiency of pollutant removal from oil‐refinery wastewater, which made it possible to obtain the quality of effluent at the outlet of the bioreactor significantly below the water permits and standards.     

Simulation of changes in global ozone and atmospheric dynamics in the 21st century with the chemistry-climate model SOCOL

The solar climate ozone links (SOCOL) three-dimensional chemistry-climate model is used to estimate changes in the ozone and atmospheric dynamics over the 21st century. With this model, four numerical time-slice experiments were conducted for 1980, 2000, 2050, and 2100 conditions. Boundary conditions for sea-surface temperatures, sea-ice parameters, and concentrations of greenhouse and ozone-depleting gases were set following the IPCC A1B scenario and the WMO A1 scenario. From the model results, a statistically significant cooling of the model stratosphere was obtained to be 4–5 K for 2000–2050 and 3–5 K for 2050–2100. The temperature of the lower atmosphere increases by 2–3 K over the 21st century. Tropospheric heating significantly enhances the activity of planetary-scale waves at the tropopause. As a result, the Eliassen-Palm flux divergence considerable increases in the middle and upper stratosphere. The intensity of zonal circulation decreases and the meridional residual circulation increases, especially in the winter-spring period of each hemisphere. These dynamic changes, along with a decrease in the concentrations of ozone-depleting gases, result in a faster growth of O₃ outside the tropics. For example, by 2050, the total ozone in the middle and high latitudes approaches its model level of 1980 and the ozone hole in Antarctica fills up. The superrecovery of the model ozone layer in the middle and high latitudes of both hemispheres occurs in 2100. The tropical ozone layer recovers far less slowly, reaching a 1980 level only by 2100.     

Effectiveness of Random Field Approach in Serviceability Limit State Analysis of Strip Foundation

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - This work conducts a probabilistic inquiry on how the variability of the parameter defining soil deformability affects the settlement of the foundation...     

A model of the impact of solar proton events on the ionic and gaseous composition of the mesosphere

A one-dimensional ionic-photochemical model of the gaseous composition of the atmosphere that describes the formation of the D layer of the ionosphere is presented. Based on this model, the vertical profiles of the concentration of electrons and ions in the D layer of the ionosphere were calculated, as were the vertical distributions of minor gaseous constituents in the atmosphere up to a height of 86 km for undisturbed conditions and after a powerful solar proton events (SPE) at the end of October 2003. The calculations showed that SPEs significantly increase NO_x in the mesosphere of polar latitudes. In the lower mesosphere of polar caps, the NO_x mixing ratio increases by 20–50 ppb; in the upper mesosphere it increases by 100 ppb and more. High NO_x levels in zones of their formation can be retained for several weeks, producing a long-term but comparatively small ozone decrease in the lower mesosphere. The main ozone decrease is caused by a short-term HO_x increase after SPEs and is also of a short-term character in the conditions of the illuminated mesosphere. After the SPE in October 2003, model calculations yield an ozone concentration decrease by 40% in the middle and upper mesosphere at 75 ° S and by 70% at the same heights at 70 ° N. The results of modeling NO_x and O₃ changes after the SPE in October 2003 agree well with the data of satellite measurements. The changes in minor gases of the mesosphere after the SPE obtained in the model with parameterized sources of HO_x and NO_x are compared with their changes obtained in the complete ionic-photochemical model. The changes in HO_x, NO_x, and O₃ coincide rather well, whereas the changes in ClO noticeably differ, especially in the lower mesosphere. Thus, at a height of about 60 km, the parameterized photochemical model underestimated twofold the ClO formation after the SPE.     

Bessel and librations of the Moon

On the occasion of the twohundredth anniversary of F. W. Bessel's birth, his method of heliometric observations for the determination of the Moon's physical libration constants and of the reduction of these observations is presented.Communication presented at the International Conference on Astrometric Binaries, held on 13–15 June, 1984, at the Remeis-Sterwarte Bamberg, Germany, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (1784–1846).     

Study of the formation of the methane field in the atmosphere over northwestern Russia

Major processes of generation of the methane field in the atmosphere over northwestern Russia have been studied on the basis of measured surface concentration and total content of methane in the environs of St. Petersburg, air-mass trajectories, and a three-dimensional regional pollution transport model. It is shown that the contribution of methane emission from an industrial center to the total column amount of methane is no more than 2% of its average value. At the same time, because of this emission, the surface methane concentration in the environs of St. Petersburg varies by as much as 50%. The origin of air masses arriving at the site of measurements influences both the total content and the surface concentration of methane. The air masses that passed over the continental part of western and eastern Europe are characterized by the values of total content and surface concentration of methane that are about 4% higher than those in the air masses formed over the ocean, which come to the region from the northwest. The regional transport model for greenhouse gases satisfactorily describes the results of surface measurements and adequately simulates observed tendencies in the change of total methane content. An estimate of the integral emission of methane into the atmosphere from St. Petersburg and its industrial suburbs is about 100 kt per year.     

Lignin degradation products as palaeoenvironmental proxies in the sediments of small lakes

The quantity and quality of lignin phenols (Σ8, Λ, S/V, C/V and (Ad/Al)_v) in the sediments of three small Lobelia lakes with neither inlets nor outlets were investigated and compared with palynological data and lithology of the profiles. The method of alkaline CuO oxidation was used. Substantial differences with respect to sedimentary lignin concentration and provenance recorded along the profiles and among the sites are in good agreement with pollen data describing the dominant type of vegetation and with indices of soil erosion in the lakes’ catchments. This relation shows that the compositions of lignin degradation products in these lakes are closely related to the local environmental conditions. In all the lakes gymnosperm wood is the main source of lignin products; however, each lake is characterized by different S/V index values. Especially good correlations were obtained between pine pollen proportions in sediments and the S/V index. The correlation between the C/V and (Ad/Al)_v indices indicates a higher degradation of organic matter when non-woody tissue is more abundant. This pilot study illustrates the usefulness and potential for a wider application of lignin oxidation products in palaeoecological reconstructions. This kind of data would be of special importance when investigating local presence/absence of woody plants and the role of angiosperms/gymnosperms in local vegetation. Estimates of lignin biodegradation levels, as well as the data on diagenetic processes, may afford supplementary information on possible disturbances in sedimentation.     

Use of the temperature–vegetation dryness index for remote sensing grassland moisture conditions in the vicinity of a lignite open-cast mine

Anthropogenic activities, especially resulting in changes in the water conditions, usually disturb biological and agricultural functions of grasslands, leading to their degradation, often on large areas. Remote sensing observations of such changes in grassland ecosystems evoke a great interest, but they are still a difficult task, especially when performed on industrial and mining areas. This paper presents a new effective method of remote sensing of grassland moisture conditions based on temperature–vegetation dryness index (TVDI) calculated from free Landsat imagery, and employing the TVDI spatial variability estimated from a semivariance analysis. The practical applicability of the method is demonstrated on the example of monitoring of the extensive neighborhood of lignite open-cast mine within a period of a few years. Besides, the developed method was validated at the studied area, using in situ information. Thus, we demonstrated that TVDI may serve as an effective indicator of grassland moisture conditions, even in problematic areas.     

Finite element method for solving geodetic boundary value problems

The goal of this paper is to present the finite element scheme for solving the Earth potential problems in 3D domains above the Earth surface. To that goal we formulate the boundary-value problem (BVP) consisting of the Laplace equation outside the Earth accompanied by the Neumann as well as the Dirichlet boundary conditions (BC). The 3D computational domain consists of the bottom boundary in the form of a spherical approximation or real triangulation of the Earth’s surface on which surface gravity disturbances are given. We introduce additional upper (spherical) and side (planar and conical) boundaries where the Dirichlet BC is given. Solution of such elliptic BVP is understood in a weak sense, it always exists and is unique and can be efficiently found by the finite element method (FEM). We briefly present derivation of FEM for such type of problems including main discretization ideas. This method leads to a solution of the sparse symmetric linear systems which give the Earth’s potential solution in every discrete node of the 3D computational domain. In this point our method differs from other numerical approaches, e.g. boundary element method (BEM) where the potential is sought on a hypersurface only. We apply and test FEM in various situations. First, we compare the FEM solution with the known exact solution in case of homogeneous sphere. Then, we solve the geodetic BVP in continental scale using the DNSC08 data. We compare the results with the EGM2008 geopotential model. Finally, we study the precision of our solution by the GPS/levelling test in Slovakia where we use terrestrial gravimetric measurements as input data. All tests show qualitative and quantitative agreement with the given solutions.     

Multivariate Modelling of the Trace Element Chemistry of Arsenopyrite from Gold Deposits Using Higher-Dimensional Algebras

Mathematical Geosciences - In geochemistry, the elevated concentrations of certain elements in rock or mineral samples are used for the assessment of a mineralising system’s important...