Coupled ‘storm‐flood’ depositional model: Application to the Miocene–Modern Baram Delta Province,north‐west Borneo

The Miocene to Modern Baram Delta Province is a highly efficient source to sink system that has accumulated 9 to 12 km of coastal–deltaic to shelf sediments over the past 15 Myr. Facies analysis based on ca 1 km of total vertical outcrop stratigraphy, combined with subsurface geology and sedimentary processes in the present‐day Baram Delta Province, suggests a ‘storm‐flood’ depositional model comprising two distinct periods: (i) fair‐weather periods are dominated by alongshore sediment reworking and coastal sand accumulation; and (ii) monsoon‐driven storm periods are characterized by increased wave‐energy and offshore‐directed downwelling storm flow that occur simultaneously with peak fluvial discharge caused by storm precipitation (‘storm‐floods’). The modern equivalent environment has the following characteristics: (i) humid‐tropical monsoonal climate; (ii) narrow (ca <100 km) and steep (ca 1°), densely vegetated, coastal plain; (iii) deep tropical weathering of a mudstone‐dominated hinterland; (iv) multiple independent, small to moderate‐sized (10² to 10⁵ km²) drainage basins; (v) predominance of river‐mouth bypassing; and (vi) supply‐dominated shelf. The ancient, proximal part of this system (the onshore Belait Formation) is dominated by strongly cyclical sandier‐upward successions (metre to decametre‐scale) comprising (from bottom to top): (i) finely laminated mudstone with millimetre‐scale silty laminae; (ii) heterolithic sandstone–mudstone alternations (centimetre to metre‐scale); and (iii) sharp‐based, swaley cross‐stratified sandstone beds and bedsets (metre to decimetre‐scale). Gutter casts (decimetre to metre‐scale) are widespread, they are filled with swaley cross‐stratified sandstone and their long axes are oriented perpendicular to the palaeo‐shoreline. The gutter casts and other associated waning‐flow event beds suggest that erosion and deposition was controlled by high‐energy, offshore‐directed, oscillatory‐dominated, sediment‐laden combined flows within a shoreface to delta front setting. The presence of multiple river mouths and exceptionally high rates of accommodation creation (characteristic of the Neogene to Recent Baram Delta Province; up to 3000 m Ma⁻¹), in a ‘storm‐flood’‐dominated environment, resulted in a highly efficient and effective offshore‐directed sediment transport system.     

Evolution of anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions of air pollutants at global and regional scales during the 1980�C2010 period

Several different inventories of global and regional anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions are assessed for the 1980?C2010 period. The species considered in this study are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and black carbon. The inventories considered include the ACCMIP historical emissions developed in support of the simulations for the IPCC AR5 assessment. Emissions for 2005 and 2010 from the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) are also included. Large discrepancies between the global and regional emissions are identified, which shows that there is still no consensus on the best estimates for surface emissions of atmospheric compounds. At the global scale, anthropogenic emissions of CO, NO_x and SO₂ show the best agreement for most years, although agreement does not necessarily mean that uncertainty is low. The agreement is low for BC emissions, particularly in the period prior to 2000. The best consensus is for NO_x emissions for all periods and all regions, except for China, where emissions in 1980 and 1990 need to be better defined. Emissions of CO need better quantification in the USA and India for all periods; in Central Europe, the evolution of emissions during the past two decades needs to be better determined. The agreement between the different SO₂ emissions datasets is rather good for the USA, but better quantification is needed elsewhere, particularly for Central Europe, India and China. The comparisons performed in this study show that the use of RCP8.5 for the extension of the ACCMIP inventory beyond 2000 is reasonable, until more global or regional estimates become available. Concerning biomass burning emissions, most inventories agree within 50?C80%, depending on the year and season. The large differences between biomass burning inventories are due to differences in the estimates of burned areas from the different available products, as well as in the amount of biomass burned.     

Burial and degradation of organic carbon in Louisiana shelf/slope sediments

The primary focus of this paper is to better understand carbon burial on the Louisiana continental margin using spatial scales that covered various shelf depositional areas far-field and near-field (sediment and organic carbon inputs relative to river mouth proximity) and covering a variety of sedimentation rates. Box-cores samples were collected in July 2003; cores were collected along two depositional transects extending westward and southward from the Southwest Pass (SW Pass). A key difference between the two transects sampled in this study was the greater occurrence of mobile muds derived from spillover from shallower regions along the westward 50 m isobaths. The dominant mechanism for mixing in the surface active zone (SAZ) on the inner Louisiana shelf was due to physical, not biological, forces. Burial efficiencies for organic carbon (57.2–91.5%) and total nitrogen (44.2–86.9%) ranged widely across all shelf stations. Lower burial efficiencies for bulk organic carbon, total nitrogen, and pigment biomarkers were associated with mobile muds west of Southwest Pass. Chlorophyll a concentrations were significantly higher than pheopigments at depth at the Mississippi River and Southwest Pass stations, making up 40.4 and 77.4% of total pigment concentrations in the (SAZ) and 46.2 and 63.2% in the accumulation zone (AZ), respectively. These results are in agreement with earlier plant pigment studies which showed that a large fraction of the phytodetritus delivered to the inner shelf was derived from coastal and river diatoms. The amount of lignin preserved with depth decreased with increasing residence time in the SAZ and diagenetic zone (DZ) along the canyon transect but not along the western transect. Trends for lignin concentration followed previously identified surface sediment trends indicating overall lower burial of refractory terrestrial material at depth with greater distance offshore.     

Characteristics of stone covers on the surface of basalt flows in arid, northeast Jordan

Variations in the stone covers on desert surfaces have implications for the operation of hydrological processes. Some recent attention has been given to the difficulties of identifying and quantifying relevant characteristics of stone covers. Investigation of how such characteristics vary in relation to geological and topographical controls are limited. Results are presented of a field study of the characteristics of stone covers on four lithologies in the late Tertiary to Quaternary basalt plateau of northeast Jordan. Marked variations occur in clast dimensions and the characteristics of sorting between lithologies which are likely to affect hydrological response. A more subtle control, relating to slope conditions, is superimposed on the lithological differences. R- and Q-mode factor analysis identifies groupings within the data, which demonstrate the distinctiveness of different lithologies. Characteristics of the stone covers on sites affected by human occupation are markedly different from undisturbed sites on the same lithology.     

Basin‐scale methods for predicting salmonid spawning habitat via grain size and riffle spacing,tested in a California coastal drainage

Basin‐scale predictive geomorphic models for river characteristics, particularly grain size, can aid in salmonid habitat identification. However, these basin‐scale methods are largely untested with actual habitat usage data. Here, we develop and test an approach for predicting grain size distributions from high resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)‐derived topographic data for a 77 km² watershed along the central California Coast. This approach improves on previous efforts in that it predicts the full grain size distribution and incorporates an empirically calibrated shear stress partitioning factor. The predicted grain size distributions are used to calculate the fraction of the bed area movable by spawning fish. We then compare the ‘movable fraction’ with 7 years of observed spawning data. We find that predicted movable fraction explains the paucity of spawning in the upper reaches of the study drainage, but does not explain variation along the mainstem. In search of another morphologic characteristic that may help explain the variation within the mainstem, we measure riffle density, a proxy for physical habitat complexity. We find that field surveys of riffle density explain 64% of the variation in spawning in these mainstem reaches, suggesting that within reaches of appropriate sized gravel, spawning density is related to riffle density. Because riffle density varies systematically with channel width, predicting riffle spacing is straightforward with LiDAR data. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the efficacy of basin‐scale spawning habitat predictions made using high‐resolution digital elevation models. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Grain Size Analysis and Permeametry for Estimating Hydraulic Conductivity in Engineered Porous Media

Grain size analysis and permeametry are common methods for estimating the hydraulic conductivity (K) of porous media. It is well known that these methods have limited accuracy when they are used to characterize natural sediments. However, hydrogeological research has increasingly introduced technologies dependent on engineered porous media that may be less problematic because complex geologic structures are eliminated in the lab and field-scale packings. The recently introduced Horizontal Reactive Media Treatment Wells (HRX® Wells), for in situ, passive remediation of groundwater is one such example. The HRX Well passively collects groundwater and directs it through a horizontal pipe packed with an engineered porous medium. In this project, grain size analysis was conducted for sand and sand-iron mixtures to estimate K using the 16 algorithms provided in the HydrogeoSieveXL2.3.2 software. The results were compared to K determined by permeametry and a field-scale column, 30 cm long and 25 cm in diameter, representing an HRX Well. The best comparability of K estimates from grain size analysis and permeametry were obtained using the USBR, Slichter, and Shepherd K estimation methods. These also showed good agreement between lab-scale and field-scale K estimations, with reproducibility within the range ±20%. This study shows that laboratory K estimations can be representative across various relevant scales, including the field-scale, for engineered porous media. This finding extends to filter packs, and other engineered porous media design methods by emphasizing and demonstrating one case of accuracy in lab-scale permeability estimation for field-scale implementations.     

Field Demonstration of the Horizontal Treatment Well (HRX Well®) for Passive In Situ Remediation

The horizontal reactive media treatment well (HRX Well®) uses directionally drilled horizontal wells filled with a treatment media to induce flow-focusing behavior created by the well-to-aquifer permeability contrast to passively capture proportionally large volumes of groundwater. Groundwater is treated in situ as it flows through the HRX Well and downgradient portions of the aquifer are cleaned via elution as these zones are flushed with clean water discharging from the HRX Well. The HRX Well concept is particularly well suited for sites where long-term mass discharge control is a primary performance objective. This concept is appropriate for recalcitrant and difficult-to-treat constituents, including chlorinated solvents, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 1,4-dioxane, and metals. A full-scale HRX Well was installed and operated to treat trichloroethene (TCE) with zero valent iron (ZVI). The model-predicted enhanced flow through the HRX Well (compared to the flow in and equivalent cross-sectional area orthogonal to flow in the natural formation before HRX Well installation) and treatment zone width was consistent with flows and widths estimated independently by point velocity probe (PVP) testing, HRX Well tracer testing, and observed treatment in downgradient monitoring wells. The actual average capture zone width was estimated to be between 45 and 69 feet. Total TCE mass discharge reduction was maintained through the duration of the performance monitoring period and exceeded 99.99% (%). Decreases in TCE concentrations were observed at all four downgradient monitoring wells within the treatment zone (ranging from 50 to 74% at day 436), and the first arrival of treated water was consistent with model predictions. The field demonstration confirmed the HRX Well technology is best suited for long-term mass discharge control, can be installed under active infrastructure, requires limited ongoing operation and maintenance, and has low life cycle energy and water requirements.     

Modelling failure mechanisms to explain rock slope change along the Isle of Purbeck coast,UK

Results are presented of distinct element computer modelling used to examine rates and mechanisms of change in rock slopes and cliffs, where material intact properties determine process and form but the most significant controls are the joint pattern and cross-joint properties. The modelling approach does not appear to have been used before in a geomorphological context and provides an alternative approach for examining cliff development. Field and laboratory data have been collected for the Portland Limestone outcrop of the Isle of Purbeck, central southern England. The Portland Limestome is a hard, shelly, crystalline sediment of the Upper Jurassic. It has a regular discontinuity pattern throughout the outcrop in Purbeck. While joint orientation remains relatively constant, bedding changes from horizontal to vertical, a consequence of the Purbeck Monocline. There are resulting implications for spatial variations in rock slope evolution. The modelling exercise enhances previous knowledge on rock failure mechanisms and slope development along the Purbeck coast and demonstrates its potential in research where landforms are developed in lithified, jointed rock masses. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Canonical planetary perturbation equations for velocity-dependent forces,and the Lense-Thirring precession

A form of planetary perturbation theory based on canonical equations of motion, rather than on the use of osculating orbital elements, is developed and applied to several problems of interest. It is proved that, with appropriately selected initial conditions on the orbital elements, the two forms of perturbation theory give rise to identical predictions for the observable coordinates and velocities, while the orbital elements themselves may be strikingly different. Differences between the canonical form of perturbation theory and the classical Lagrange planetary perturbation equations are discussed. The canonical form of perturbation theory in some cases has advantages when the perturbing forces are velocity-dependent, but the two forms of perturbation theory are equivalent if the perturbing forces are dependent only on position and not on velocity. The canonical form of the planetary perturbation equations are derived and applied to the Lense Thirring precession of a test body in a Keplerian orbit around a rotating mass source.     

Dimorphism of Bivalved Arthropod Branchiocaris? Yunnanensis from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang Biota, South China

The bivalved arthropod Branchiocaris? yunnanensis Hou, 1987 is redescribed on the basis of new fossil material from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota, South China. In total, 81 specimens have been examined. The carapace comprises two identical valves, each valve are sub-circular in outline, ranging from 24 mm to 58 mm in length, and from 15 mm to 46 mm in height. The dorsal margin is straight and bears two short cardinal spines. The valve surface is either smooth or ornamented with polygonal reticular structures, which may result from different preservation conditions. Two morphotypes have been recognized based on the presence or absence of a subdorsal swelling of the valve, which is convex dorsolaterally and extends beyond the dorsal margin when it appears. Statistic and ontogenetic analyses show both morphotypes grow isometrically and have the same growth trajectory. Therefore, the two morphotypes are interpreted as dimorphism within the same species. Our results are helpful for investigating the taxonomy and ontogeny of arthropod fossils and suggest that dimorphism might be fairly common in these early arthropods.