Effects of human-induced alteration of groundwater flow on concentrations of naturally-occurring trace elements at water-supply wells

The effects of human-induced alteration of groundwater flow patterns on concentrations of naturally-occurring trace elements were examined in five hydrologically distinct aquifer systems in the USA. Although naturally occurring, these trace elements can exceed concentrations that are considered harmful to human health. The results show that pumping-induced hydraulic gradient changes and artificial connection of aquifers by well screens can mix chemically distinct groundwater. Chemical reactions between these mixed groundwaters and solid aquifer materials can result in the mobilization of trace elements such as U, As and Ra, with subsequent transport to water-supply wells. For example, in the High Plains aquifer near York, Nebraska, mixing of shallow, oxygenated, lower-pH water from an unconfined aquifer with deeper, confined, anoxic, higher-pH water is facilitated by wells screened across both aquifers. The resulting higher-O₂, lower-pH mixed groundwater facilitated the mobilization of U from solid aquifer materials, and dissolved U concentrations were observed to increase significantly in nearby supply wells. Similar instances of trace element mobilization due to human-induced mixing of groundwaters were documented in: (1) the Floridan aquifer system near Tampa, Florida (As and U), (2) Paleozoic sedimentary aquifers in eastern Wisconsin (As), (3) the basin-fill aquifer underlying the California Central Valley near Modesto (U), and (4) Coastal Plain aquifers of New Jersey (Ra). Adverse water-quality impacts attributed to human activities are commonly assumed to be related solely to the release of the various anthropogenic contaminants to the environment. The results show that human activities including various land uses, well drilling, and pumping rates and volumes can adversely impact the quality of water in supply wells, when associated with naturally-occurring trace elements in aquifer materials. This occurs by causing subtle but significant changes in geochemistry and associated trace element mobilization as well as enhancing advective transport processes.     

Plio-Pleistocene basanitic and melilititic series of the Bohemian Massif: K-Ar ages,major/trace element and Sr–Nd isotopic data

The Plio-Pleistocene volcanic rocks of the Bohemian Massif comprise a compositional spectrum involving two series: an older basanitic series (6.0–0.8 Ma) and a younger, melilititic series (1.0–0.26 Ma). The former consists of relatively undifferentiated basaltic rocks, slightly silica-undersaturated, with Mg# ranging from 62 to almost primitive mantle-type values of 74. The major and trace element characteristics correspond to those of primitive intra-plate alkaline volcanic rocks from a common sub-lithospheric mantle source (European Asthenospheric Reservoir – EAR) including positive Nb, and negative K and Pb anomalies. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.7032–0.7034 and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd of 0.51285–0.51288 indicate a moderately depleted mantle source as for other mafic rocks of the central European volcanic province with signs of HIMU-like characteristics commonly attributed to recycling of subducted oceanic crust in the upper mantle during the Variscan orogeny. The melilititic series is characterized by higher degrees of silica-undersaturation, and high Mg# of 68–72 values, compatible with primitive-mantle-derived compositions. The high OIB-like Ce/Pb (19–47) and Nb/U (32–53) ratios indicate that assimilation of crustal material was negligible. In both series, concentrations of incompatible elements are mildly elevated and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7034–0.7036) and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios (0.51285–0.51288) overlap. Variations in incompatible element concentrations and isotopic compositions in the basanitic series and melilititic series can be explained by a lower degree of mantle melting for the latter with preferential melting of enriched mantle domains. The Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of both rock series are similar to those of the EAR. Minor differences in geochemical characteristics between the two series may be attributed to: (i) to different settings with respect to crust and lithospheric mantle conditions in (a) Western Bohemia (WB) and (b) Northeastern Bohemia (NEB) and the Northern Moravia and Silesia (NMS) areas, (ii) a modally metasomatized mantle lithosphere in WB in contrast to cryptically metasomatized domains in the NEB and NMS, (iii) different degrees of partial melting with very low degrees in WB but higher degrees in NEB and NMS. The geochemical and isotopic similarity between the Plio-Pleistocene volcanic rocks and those of the late Cretaceous and Cenozoic (79–6 Ma) suggests that their magmas came from compositionally similar mantle sources, that underwent low degrees of melting over an interval of ∼80 Ma. The Oligocene to Miocene basanitic series that accompanied the Plio-Pleistoicene basanitic series in the NMS region indicate that they shared a common mantle source. There is no geochemical evidence for thermal erosion of the lithospheric mantle or significant changes in mantle compositions within the time of a weak thermal perturbation in the asthenospheric mantle. These perturbations were caused by a dispersed mantle plume or passively upwelling asthenosphere in zones of lithospheric thinning.     

Implications of management strategies and vegetation change in the Mount St. Helens blast zone

The 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens provided an excellent opportunity for scientists to investigate the recovery of vegetation communities following a major geologic disturbance. An important and often overlooked aspect in these studies is the human factor in recovery processes, and specifically, the different management approaches taken towards re-establishment of vegetation on lands under the control of various owners. This study examines vegetation changes throughout the 1980 blast zone using a time series of Landsat-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) images and change detection methods to assess the changes over 25 years, from 1980 to 2005, as a function of human management combined with ecological factors. This long-term tracking of change indicates that differences in the speed of vegetation re-establishment and consequent rates of change substantially reflect human involvement and varying management strategies.     

Active Cosmic Dust Collector

The Stardust mission returned two types of unprecedented extraterrestrial samples: the first samples of material from a known solar system body beyond the moon, the comet 81P/Wild2, and the first samples of contemporary interstellar dust. Both sets of samples were captured in aerogel and aluminum foil collectors and returned to Earth in January 2006. While the analysis of particles from comet Wild 2 yielded exciting new results, the search for and analysis of collected interstellar particles is more demanding and is ongoing.Novel dust instrumentation will tremendously improve future dust collection in interplanetary space: an Active Cosmic Dust Collector is a combination of an in-situ dust trajectory sensor (DTS) together with a dust collector consisting of aerogel and/or other collector materials, e.g. such as those used by the Stardust mission. Dust particles’ trajectories are determined by the measurement of induced electrical signals when charged particles fly through a position sensitive electrode system. The recorded waveforms enable the reconstruction of the velocity vector with high precision.The DTS described here was subject to performance tests at the Heidelberg dust accelerator at the same time as the recording of impact signals from potential collector materials. The tests with dust particles in the speed range from 3 to 40 km/s demonstrate that trajectories can be measured with accuracies of ～1° in direction and ～1% in speed. The sensitivity of the DTS electronics is of the order of 10^?16 C and thus the trajectory of cosmic dust particles as small as 0.4 μm size can be measured. The impact position on the collector can be determined with better than 1 mm precision, which will ease immensely the task of locating sub-micron-sized particles on the collector. Statistically significant numbers of trajectories of interplanetary and interstellar dust particles can thus be collected in interplanetary space and their compositions correlated with their trajectories.     

Precambrian sedimentation,tectonics, and magmatism in Mexico

Present status of geologic mapping indicates that there are three major units of Precambrian rocks in Mexico. The oldest (older than 1,700 m. y.) and the youngest (younger than 700 m. y.) are confined to the northwest part of the country. The intermediate unit (1,300-800 m. y.) is distributed in eastern and southern Mexico and extend into northern Guatemala.The rocks making up the oldest unit accumulated as greywackees and associated volcanics in a eugeosyncline prior to 1,700 m. y. ago; this eugeosyncline extended into Mexico from the north-northeast, where it bordered the older Precambrian craton. These rocks underwent metamorphism and anatexis around 1,700 m. y. ago, that produced the development of the amphibolite-granulite facies and the emplacement of granitic stocks and batholiths.A similar history, but somewhat younger, is recorded for the Precambrian rocks in eastern and southern Mexico. These rocks accumulated in the southern continuation of the Grenville Geosyncline as greywackees and volcanics, starting about 1,300 m. y. ago. These rocks underwent metamorphism and anatexis during the interval of 1,000-900 m. y. ago to form the Oaxacan Structural Belt.An event of granitic magmatism, around 700 m. y. ago, is evidenced in the extreme northwest and southeast of Mexico which, heretofore is not recognized in Texas. In the northwest, this was followed by the intrusion of diabase dykes, prior to the deposition of the youngest Precambrian sediments.During latest Precambrian time, in northwest Mexico, an about 2,000 m thick sequence of conglomerate, sandy shale and dolomite, containingCollenia, Cryptozoa and other organisms, accumulated on top of the eroded older Precambrian metamorphics and granitic rocks, that formed the northeast flank of the miogeosynclinal part of the ancestral North American Cordilleran Geosyncline, representing a near-shore facies. These rocks deformed together with the overlying Paleozoic sedimentary rocks at the end of the Paleozoic, during the Sonoran Orogeny.The present abrupt truncation in the west of both the older and youngest Precambrian rocks in northwest Mexico against the Gulf of California, is the result of the combination of late Paleozoic movements along the Texas Lineament and Torreón-Monterrey Fracture Zone, of the regeneration due to Early Jurassic metamorphism and anatexis, and of movements along the late Mesozoic-Tertiary San Andreas Fault System. A similar truncation of the younger Precambrian rocks in southern Mexico against the Pacific Ocean crust, is considered to be result of a combined thrust and left-lateral movement along the Jalisco-Nicoya Fault during medial Tertiary time.

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Zusammenfassung Nach dem augenblicklichen Stand der geologischen Kartierung gibt es drei Haupteinheiten präkambrischer Gesteine in Mexiko. Die ältesten (> 1700 M. J.) und die jüngsten (< 700 M. J.) sind auf den Nordwestteil des Landes beschränkt, während die mittlere Einheit (1300-800 M. J.) in Ost- und Südmexiko vorkommt und sich bis nach Nord-Guatemala erstreckt.Die Gesteine der ältesten Serie - Grauwacken und vulkanische Gesteine — wurden vor mehr als 1700 M. J. in einer Eugeosynklinale abgelegt, die nach Mexiko von NNE her hineinreichte, wo sie einen noch älteren Kraton begrenzte. Vor etwa 1700 M. J. wurden diese Gesteine der Metamorphose und Anatexis unterzogen; daraus resultierte die Amphibolit-Granulit-Fazies, die Platznahme von Granitstöcken und Batholiten.Eine ähnliche Geschichte hatten die jüngeren präkambrischen Gesteine Ostund Süd-Mexikos. Hier wurden, beginnend etwa vor 1300 M. J., in der südlichen Fortsetzung der Grenville-Geosynklinale Grauwacken und vulkanische Gesteine abgelagert. Vor 1000-900 M. J. fanden Metamorphose und Anatexis statt, und der Oaxacan-Strukturbogen entstand.Granitischer Magmatismus fand vor etwa 700 M. J. im äußersten Nordwesten Mexikos (ebenfalls südöstlich von Mexiko) statt, der in Texas bisher nicht nachgewiesen wurde. Ihm folgten Diabasintrusionen; nach denen kam es zur Ablagerung jüngster präkambrischer Sedimente.Im jüngsten Präkambrium wurde in NW-Mexiko eine etwa 2000 m mächtige Serie von Konglomeraten, sandigem Tonstein und Dolomit (Collenia, Cryptozoa und andere Organismen enthaltend) abgelagert, und zwar diskordant auf älter präkambrischen metamorphen und granitischen Gesteinen. Sie bildeten in Küstenfazies die Nordostflanke des miogeosynklinalen Teiles der angestammten nordamerikanischen Kordilleren-Geosynklinale. Sie wurden zusammen mit den überlagernden paläozoischen Sedimenten am Ende des Paläozoikums gefaltet (Sonoran-Orogenese).Das heutige plötzliche Aufhören der älteren und der jüngsten präkambrischen Gesteine Nordwest-Mexikos im Westen gegen den Golf von Kalifornien ist das Ergebnis der Kombination von spätpaläozoischen Bewegungen entlang dem Texas-Lineament und der Torreón-Monterrey-Bruchzone (s. Abb. 11), ihrer Regeneration während frühjurassischer Metamorphose bzw. Anatexis und von Bewegung entlang der spätmesozoisch-tertiären San-Andreas-Bewegung. Ein ähnliches Aufhören der jüngeren präkambrischen Gesteine in Süd-Mexiko gegen die Kruste des Pazifiks gilt als das Ergebnis gleichzeitiger Überschiebung und linksseitlicher Seitenverschiebung im mittleren Tertiär entlang der Jalisco-Nicoya-Verwerfung.

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Resumen El estado actual de la cartografía geológica indica que existen tres unidades principales de rocas precámbricas en México. La unidad más antigua (más antigua que 1,700 m. a) y la más reciente (más reciente que 700 m. a.) se limitan para la parte noroccidental del país. La unidad intermedia (1,300-800 m. a.) se encuentra en las partes oriental y meridional de México, y se extiende a la parte septentrional de Guatemala.Las rocas, que constituyen la unidad más antigua, se acumularon como grauvacas y rocas volcánicas relacionadas en un eugeosinclinal, antes de 1,700 m. a.; este eugeosinclinal se extendió a México desde el norte-noreste, donde rodeó un cratón precámbrico aún más antiguo. Estas rocas sufrieron metamorfismo y anatexis cerca de 1,700 m. a., procesos que produjeron el desarrollo de la facies de anfibolita-granulita y el emplazamiento de troncos y batólitos graniticos.Una historia similar, aunque algo más reciente, registran las rocas precámbricas en las partes oriental y meridional de México. Estas rocas acumularon en la prolongación meridional del Geosinclinal Grenville, como grauvacas y rocas volcánicas, a partir, hace aproximadamente de 1,300 m. a. Estas rocas pasaron por metamorphismo y anatexis durante el período comprendido entre 1,000 y 900 m. a., para formar la Faja Tectónica Oaxaqueña.Un evento de magmatismo granítico, ocurrido hace cerca de 700 m. a., se manifiesta en los extremos noroccidental y suroriental de México, y el cual aún no se ha identificado en Texas. En el noroeste, este evento fue seguido por la intrusión de diques de diabasa, antes del depósito de los sedimentos precámbricos de los más recientes.Durante el Precámbrico lo más tardío, en el noroeste de México, se acumuló una sequencia de cerca de 2,000 m de espesor, encima de las rocas metamórficas y graníticas precámbricas más antiguas profundamente erosionadas que formaron en flanco nororiental de la parte miogeosinclinal del ancestral Geosinclinal Cordillerano de Norte América; la secuencia consiste en conglomerado, lutita arenosa, y dolomita conCollenia, Cryptozoa, y con otros organismos, representando una facies cercana a la costa.La terminación actual abrupta occidental de las rocas precámbricas más antiguas y las más recientes en el noroeste de México contra el Golfo de California, es el resultado de movimientos paleozoicos tardios a lo largo del Almeamiento de Texas y de la Zona de Fracturamiento Torreón-Monterrey, de la regeneración producida por el rnetamorfismo y anatexis durante el Jurásico Temprano, y de movimientos a lo largo del Sistema de Fallas San Andreas durante el Mesozoico tardío-Terciario. Un truncamiento similar de las rocas precámbricas más recientes en el sur de México contra la corteza del Océano Pacífico, se considera como resultado tanto de movimiento lateral sinistral como de cabalgamiento a lo largo de la Falla Jalisco-Nicoya, durante el Terciario medio.

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₁ : (_h700 ) ( 700 ) - ; (1300-800 ) . — — 1700 , NNE . 1700 , - , . . , 1300 Grenville . 1000-900 n. 700 - ( - ) , . , . NW – 2000 — , ( Collenia, Cryptozoa ). - . . - Terreon-Monterrey (p . 12), - , -- San-Andreas. , Jalisco-Nic.

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Publication authorized by the Director of Instituto de Geologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.     

Effects of hydrothermal alteration on Pb in the active PACMANUS hydrothermal field, ODP Leg 193, Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea: A LA-ICP-MS study

The conventional model of leaching volcanic rocks as a source of metals in a seafloor hydrothermal systems has been tested by examining the behavior of Pb and other trace elements during hydrothermal alteration. ODP Leg 193 drill sites 1188 (Snowcap) and 1189 (Roman Ruins) on Pual Ridge in the eastern Manus Basin offshore eastern Papua New Guinea provide a unique three-dimensional window into an active back-arc hydrothermal system. We investigate by means of a LA-ICP-MS microbeam technique the capacity of Pb to be leached from a host volcanic rock exposed to various types and intensities of alteration. Our results are in general agreement with previous studies that utilized bulk analytical techniques but provide a more detailed explanation of the processes.Fresh representative dacitic lavas from the Pual Ridge have an average whole rock Pb content of 5.2 ppm, an average interstitial glass Pb content of 5.6 ppm and an average plagioclase Pb content of 1.0 ppm. Altered matrix samples have highly variable Pb values ranging from 0 to 52.4 ppm. High Pb values in altered samples are associated with a low temperature chlorite and clay mineral assemblage, in some cases overprinted by a high temperature (up to 350 °C) silica-rich “bleaching” alteration. Only the most highly altered matrix samples have REE patterns that differ from the fresh Pual Ridge dacite. This may represent either different lava histories or alteration characteristics that have affected normally immobile REEs. Altered samples with the highest Pb values have similar REE patterns to those of the local unaltered lavas. They are compositionally similar to typical Pual Ridge dacites indicating a genetic relationship between the main regional volcanic suite and the subseafloor hydrothermally altered, Pb-enriched material.Relative loss/gain for Pb between the analyzed altered samples and a calculated precursor show a maximum relative gain of 901%. Samples with relative Pb gain from both drill sites are associated with lower temperature alteration mineral assemblages characterized by pervasive chloritization. The related lower temperature (220-250 °C) neutral to slightly acidic fluids have been ascribed by others to return circulation of hydrothermal fluids that did not interact with seawater. Because altered samples have a higher Pb content than the fresh precursor, leaching of fresh volcanic rocks cannot be the source of Pb in the hydrothermal systems.     

Ensemble transform sensitivity method for adaptive observations

The Ensemble Transform(ET) method has been shown to be useful in providing guidance for adaptive observation deployment.It predicts forecast error variance reduction for each possible deployment using its corresponding transformation matrix in an ensemble subspace.In this paper,a new ET-based sensitivity(ETS) method,which calculates the gradient of forecast error variance reduction in terms of analysis error variance reduction,is proposed to specify regions for possible adaptive observations.ETS is a first order approximation of the ET;it requires just one calculation of a transformation matrix,increasing computational efficiency(60%-80%reduction in computational cost).An explicit mathematical formulation of the ETS gradient is derived and described.Both the ET and ETS methods are applied to the Hurricane Irene(2011) case and a heavy rainfall case for comparison.The numerical results imply that the sensitive areas estimated by the ETS and ET are similar.However,ETS is much more efficient,particularly when the resolution is higher and the number of ensemble members is larger.     

Using dust shed from asteroids as microsamples to link remote measurements with meteorite classes

Given the compositional diversity of asteroids, and their distribution in space, it is impossible to consider returning samples from each one to establish their origin. However, the velocity and molecular composition of primary minerals, hydrated silicates, and organic materials can be determined by in situ dust detector instruments. Such instruments could sample the cloud of micrometer‐scale particles shed by asteroids to provide direct links to known meteorite groups without returning the samples to terrestrial laboratories. We extend models of the measured lunar dust cloud from LADEE to show that the abundance of detectable impact‐generated microsamples around asteroids is a function of the parent body radius, heliocentric distance, flyby distance, and speed. We use Monte Carlo modeling to show that several tens to hundreds of particles, if randomly ejected and detected during a flyby, would be a sufficient number to classify the parent body as an ordinary chondrite, basaltic achondrite, or other class of meteorite. Encountering and measuring microsamples shed from near‐Earth and Main Belt asteroids, coupled with complementary imaging and multispectral measurements, could accomplish a thorough characterization of small, airless bodies.