Greenhouse gases and greenhouse effect

Conventional theory of global warming states that heating of atmosphere occurs as a result of accumulation of CO₂ and CH₄ in atmosphere. The writers show that rising concentration of CO₂ should result in the cooling of climate. The methane accumulation has no essential effect on the Earth’s climate. Even significant releases of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide into the atmosphere do not change average parameters of the Earth’s heat regime and the atmospheric greenhouse effect. Moreover, CO₂ concentration increase in the atmosphere results in rising agricultural productivity and improves the conditions for reforestation. Thus, accumulation of small additional amounts of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere as a result of anthropogenic activities has practically no effect on the Earth’s climate.     

中国大陆新生代典型火山区温室气体释放的规模及其成因

火山活动能够将地球深部的碳输送到大气圈,是地质碳排放和深部碳循环的重要形式.火山作用不仅在喷发期能够释放大量温室气体,而且在休眠期也能释放巨量的温室气体.在全球变暖的背景下,定量化地研究火山活动对大气圈温室气体含量增加的贡献具有至关重要的意义.本文利用密闭气室法等该领域国际先进的测试技术,测量并计算了长白山、腾冲、五大连池及青藏高原南部的羊八井等典型火山区的温室气体释放规模.结果显示,我国大陆新生代典型火山区向大气圈输送的温室气体总通量约为8.13×10⁶t·a^-1,接近10⁷t·a^-1级别,相当于全球火山活动导致的温室气体(主要为CO₂)释放总量的6%左右.太平洋构造域火山区的温室气体在释放通量与总量方面均低于特提斯构造域,并且太平洋构造域火山气体的地壳混染程度较低,显示出大洋俯冲带与大陆俯冲带火山区温室气体释放的成因差异.     

浅析新生代气候变化与大气温室气体浓度的关系

摘要：根据国内外相关研究结果,对新生代气候变化与温室气体(特别是CO2)浓度在不同时间尺度上的可能关系进行初步归纳和探讨。在构造、轨道和千年时间尺度上,气候变化和温室气体浓度均有显著的相关性,表明温室气体无疑是影响地球气候系统的重要因素。同时,两者亦具有显著的“非耦合”特征,包括新近纪构造尺度上CO2相对稳定水平下的全球变冷和冰量扩张、轨道和千年尺度上CO2浓度变化滞后于气候变化、两半球气候的不对称演化等;两者变化的幅度、趋势和变率也常有不同。这些特征中的多数并不能用地球轨道参数的变化来直接解释,表明除太阳辐射和温室气体外,气候系统内部的其他一些因素或过程有时对过去的气候变化起到了决定性的作用。气候变化与温室气体浓度之间可能存在一种自调节功能,构成一个自调节系统而相互调控,而目前我们对这类过程与机理所知尚少。CO2、CH4等作为温室气体,在上述不同时间尺度的气候变化过程中,无疑对气温具正反馈效应。地质尺度上气候变化与温室气体浓度的关系与机理有助于理解当前全球增温的机制,但把过去与现在类比的同时,也要考虑其他边界条件的不同。加强气候模拟与记录对比的研究,对理解上述问题有望发挥重要作用。 关键词：新生代气候;温室气体;碳循环;人类活动     

Orbital insolation,ice volume,and greenhouse gases

The SPECMAP models of orbital-scale climate change (Imbrie et al., Paleoceanography 7 (1992) 701, Paleoceanography 8 (1993) 699) are the most comprehensive to date: all major climatic observations were analyzed within the framework of the three orbital signals. Subsequently, tuning of signals in Vostok ice to insolation forcing has fixed the timing of greenhouse-gas changes closely enough to permit an assessment of their orbital-scale climatic role. In addition, evidence from several sources has suggested changes in the SPECMAP δ¹⁸O time scale. This new information indicates that the timing of CO₂ changes at the periods of precession and obliquity does not fit the 1992 SPECMAP model of a “train” of responses initiated in the north, propagated to the south, and later returning north to force the ice sheets. In addition, analysis of the effects of rectification on 100,000-year climatic signals reveals that all have a phase on or near that of eccentricity. This close clustering of phases rules out the long time constants for 100,000-year ice sheets required by the 1993 SPECMAP model.A new hypotheses presented here revives elements of an earlier CLIMAP view (Hays et al., Science 194 (1976a) 1121) but adds a new assessment of the role of greenhouse gases.As proposed by Milankovitch, summer (mid-July) insolation forces northern hemisphere ice sheets at the obliquity and precession periods, with an ice time constant derived here of 10,000 years. Changes in ice volume at 41,000 years drive ice-proximal signals (SST, NADW, dust) that produce a strong positive CO₂ feedback and further amplify ice-volume changes. At the precession period, July insolation forces ice sheets but it also drives fast and early responses in CH₄ through changes in tropical monsoons and boreal wetlands, and variations in CO₂ through southern hemisphere processes. These CH₄ and CO₂ responses enhance insolation forcing of ice volume.Climatic responses at 100,000 years result from eccentricity pacing of forced processes embedded in obliquity and precession cycles. Increased modulation of precession by eccentricity every 100,000 years produces 23,000-year CO₂ and CH₄ maxima that enhance ablation caused by summer insolation and drive climate deeper into an interglacial state. When eccentricity modulation decreases at the 100,000-year cycle, ice sheets grow larger in response to obliquity forcing and activate a 41,000-year CO₂ feedback that drives climate deeper into a glacial state. Alternation of these forced processes because of eccentricity pacing produces the 100,000-year cycle. The 100,000-year cycle began 0.9 Myr ago because gradual global cooling allowed ice sheets to survive during weak precession insolation maxima and grow large enough during 41,000-year ice-volume maxima to generate strong positive CO₂ feedback.The natural orbital-scale timing of these processes indicates that ice sheets should have appeared 6000–3500 years ago and that CO₂ and CH₄ concentrations should have fallen steadily from 11,000 years ago until now. But new ice did not appear, and CO₂ and CH₄ began anomalous increases at 8000 and 5000 years ago, respectively. Human generation of CO₂ and CH₄ is implicated in these anomalous trends and in the failure of ice sheets to appear in Canada.     

Comparison study of methane emissions from landfills with different landfill covers

Atmospheric methane, a more effective heat-trapping gas than CO₂ that may affect climate change, has its greatest man-made source in the US from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. Consequently, the wise management of landfills can reduce these greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Methane from modern MSW landfills built with composite covers is frequently vented directly to the atmosphere. Biofiltration of landfill gas could oxidize CH₄ to CO₂ and water. Methane oxidation in old landfills with conventional soil covers can be effective in reducing the amount of CH₄ emitted. In this study, comparison of methane emissions from three different landfill covers was conducted. Methane emissions from old landfills constructed with conventional soil covers, modern MSW landfills constructed with composite covers, and modern MSW landfills constructed with composite covers plus biofilters were calculated using the calculated CH₄ oxidation rates. The results showed that an average of only 14% of the generated CH₄ was emitted from landfills with modern composite covers plus biofilters, and an average of 85% of the generated CH₄ was emitted from landfills with conventional covers when 100% of the generated CH₄ emissions to the atmosphere from landfills with modern composite covers was assumed. By comparing the CH₄ emission rates from three different landfill types, the use of a properly sized biofilter should be an effective technique to reduce CH₄ emissions from landfills across the USA and potentially in many other areas of the world.     

Comparison of size effect for different types of strength tests

SummaryComparison of Size Effect for Different Types of Strength Tests Different theories have been proposed to explain and predict size effect. Notable is Weibull's Weakest link theory. In addition various theories have been founded on strain energy consumption at failure. The present paper suggests a theoretical approach, based on energy considerations and mode of failure, which holds for diverse types of mechanical testing. Maximum size effect is assumed to be associated with failure through development of a single fracture plane and a lack of size effect is associated with failure affecting a volume of material. The quantitative expression of the theoretical approach is based on the relationship between load at failure (P) and cross sectional area of the specimen (A):P=KA ⁿ wheren expresses size effect andK is a constant.The theoretically lowestn-value equals 0.75 expressing maximal size effect whereas the theoretically highestn-value is 1.00 expressing lack of size effect.n-values evaluated from published data for various mechanical tests indeed lie between these limits and appear to be related to type of test, material properties and specimen shape. Point load tests and Brazilian tests are generally associated with large size effects. This may be attributed to the test conditions which promote development of single fracture planes. On the other hand relatively small size effects are generally found for uniaxial compression tests. Failure in these tests characteristically occurs through multiple fracturing and crushing and therefore affects a volume of material rather than a single plane. Brittleness seems to be associated with large size effects and ductility with small size effects.With 4 Figures     

Wood decomposition in Amazonian hydropower reservoirs: An additional source of greenhouse gases

Amazonian hydroelectric reservoirs produce abundant carbon dioxide and methane from large quantities of flooded biomass that decompose anaerobically underwater. Emissions are extreme the first years after impounding and progressively decrease with time. To date, only water-to-air fluxes have been considered in these estimates. Here, we investigate in two Amazonian reservoirs (Balbina and Petit Saut) the fate of above water standing dead trees, by combining a qualitative analysis of wood state and density through time and a quantitative analysis of the biomass initially flooded. Dead wood was much more decomposed in the Balbina reservoir 23 years after flooding than in the Petit Saut reservoir 10 years after flooding. Termites apparently played a major role in wood decomposition, occurring mainly above water, and resulting in a complete conversion of this carbon biomass into CO₂ and CH₄ at a timescale much shorter than reservoir operation. The analysis of pre-impounding wood biomass reveals that above-water decomposition in Amazonian reservoirs is a large, previously unrecognized source of carbon emissions to the atmosphere, representing 26–45% of the total reservoir flux integrated over 100 years. Accounting for both below- and above-water fluxes, we could estimate that each km² of Amazonian forest converted to reservoir would emit over 140 Gg CO₂-eq in 100 years. Hydropower plants in the Amazon should thus generate 0.25–0.4 MW h per km² flooded area to produce lower greenhouse gas emissions than gas power plants. They also have the disadvantage to emit most of their greenhouse gases the earliest years of operation.     

生物成因煤层气的生成及其资源意义

生物成因煤层气一般可分为原生和次生生物成因，它们在生成机理上有许多相似之处，但也有所不同，导致后期保存和同位素组成上的差异。研究指出，原生生物成因气不能被大量保留在煤层中，气田中的生物成因气多为次生生物成因气；次生生物成因煤层气分布比较普遍，含量较为丰富，且生物成因煤层气埋藏深度浅，勘探成本低，因此次生生物成因煤层气具有不容忽视的巨大资源潜力。     

Short-term greenhouse emission lowering effect of biochars from solid organic municipal wastes

Qatar economy has been growing rapidly during the last two decades during which waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions increased exponentially making them among the main environmental challenges facing the country. Production of biochar from municipal solid organic wastes (SOWs) for soil application may offer a sustainable waste management strategy while improving crop productivity and sequestering carbon. This study was conducted to (1) investigate the physicochemical parameters of biochars for SOW, (2) select the best-performing biochars for soil fertility, and (3) evaluate the potential benefits of these biochars in lowering greenhouse gases (GHGs) during soil incubation. Biochars were produced from SOW at pyrolysis temperatures of 300–750 °C and residence times of 2–6 h. Biochars were characterized before use in soil incubation to select the best-performing treatment and evaluation of potential GHG-lowering effect using CO₂ emission as proxy. Here, soil–biochar mixtures (0–2%w/w) were incubated in greenhouse settings for 120 days at 10% soil moisture. Soil properties, such as pH, EC, TC, and WHC, were significantly improved after soil amendment with biochar. Two biochars produced from mixed materials at 300–500 °C for 2 h and used at 0.5–1% application rate performed the best in enhancing soil fertility parameters. A significant decrease in CO₂ emission was observed in vials with soil–biochar mixtures, especially for biochars produced at 500 °C compared the corresponding raw materials which exhibited an exponential increase in the CO₂ emission. Hence, application of biochar to agricultural soils could be beneficial for simultaneously improving soil fertility/crop productivity while sequestering carbon, thereby reducing anthropogenic emissions of GHGs.     

地球系统模式CESM1.0对太阳辐射和温室气体的敏感性差异研究

利用通用地球系统模式CESM 1.0的全强迫试验和单因子敏感性试验结果, 初步探讨了CESM模拟的地表气温、降水率对太阳辐射和温室气体的敏感性差异, 以便更好地认识自然和人为因子对全球气候变化的贡献。结果表明: 地球系统模式CESM 1.0对温室气体变化的敏感性比对太阳辐射的敏感性高, 温室气体含量变化引起相当于1W/m2的辐射强迫增加会导致全球平均温度上升0.51℃, 而太阳辐射变化1W/m2时全球平均温度仅上升0.27℃; 在太阳辐射单因子敏感性试验中, 地表气温每升高1℃降水量增加2.91% , 要高于温室气体单因子敏感性试验的增量2.22% 。另外, 自然和人为因子所导致的地表气温空间变化特征也不相同, 在太阳活动影响下, 气温首先在北欧区域明显升高, 赤道西太平洋暖池区域随着总太阳辐射量的增加而明显变暖, 但在白令海峡和格陵兰岛区域则出现明显降温; 而在温室气体影响下, 地表气温则在北半球高纬区域显著增加, 赤道东太平洋区域随着温室气体浓度的增加呈现出类似 El Niño 的分布型态。     

Interaction of phenanthrene with dissolved organic matter and its fractions from leachate of different landfill ages

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in leachate from landfills of three different ages (0, 5, and 10?year) was partitioned into hydrophobic acid, hydrophobic neutral, and hydrophilic matter fractions using the fractionation method employing XAD-8 resin. The spectroscopic characteristics of these fractions were determined through constant-wavelength synchronous fluorescence spectrometry (CWSFS). The interaction characteristic of phenanthrene with these fractions was determined through the fluorescence quenching method and CWSFS. The results revealed that the composition of DOM became complex with the increase in landfill age. The partition coefficients (K _doc) for the three DOM samples of different landfill ages are in the order 10?a DOM?>?5?a DOM?>?0?a DOM. The hydrophobic fraction showed the highest K _doc value among the DOM fractions. Lower linearity Stern?CVolmer plots were observed in 10?a DOM and its hydrophobic fractions. CWSFS spectra showed that a special site was fully occupied with the addition of the quencher. Desorption was found in some fractions. Therefore, CWSFS is a sensitive tool for the detection of DOM-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon interaction.     

The measurement of coal porosity with different gases

Sorption processes can be used to study different characteristics of coal properties, such as gas content (coalbed methane potential of a deposit), gas diffusion, porosity, internal surface area, etc. Coal microstructure (porosity system) is relevant for gas flow behaviour in coal and, consequently, directly influences gas recovery from the coalbed.This paper addresses the determination of coal porosity (namely micro- and macroporosity) in relation to the molecular size of different gases. Experiments entailed a sorption process, which includes the direct method of determining the “void volume” of samples using different gases (helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane). Because gas behaviour depends on pressure and temperature conditions, it is critical, in each case, to know the gas characteristics, especially the compressibility factor.The experimental conditions of the sorption process were as follows: temperature in the bath 35 °C; sample with moisture equal to or greater than the moisture-holding capacity (MHC), particle size of sample less than 212 μm, and mass ca. 100 g.The present investigation was designed to confirm that when performing measurements of the coal void volume with helium and nitrogen, there are only small and insignificant changes in the volume determinations. Inducing great shrinkage and swelling effects in the coal molecular structure, carbon dioxide leads to “abnormal” negative values in coal void volume calculations, since the rate of sorbed and free gas is very high. In fact, when in contact with the coal structure, carbon dioxide is so strongly retained that the sorbed gas volume is much higher than the free gas volume. However, shrinkage and swelling effects in coal structure induced by carbon dioxide are fully reversible. Methane also induces shrinkage and swelling when in contact with coal molecular structure, but these effects, although smaller than those induced by carbon dioxide, are irreversible and increase the coal volume.     

A comparative study of waste landfill disposal in different countries

This study draws attention to the fact that natural processes can mobilize thallium （Tl）, a highly toxic metal, which may enter the food chain with severe health impacts on the local human population. A rural area having independent Tl mineralization in southwestern Guizhou, China, was chosen for a pilot study. Tl contents of soils extracted by HNO3 in the study area range from 35-165 mg/kg in soils from the mining area, 14-78 mg/kg in alluvial deposits downstream, and 〈0.2-0.5 mg/kg in soils from the background area. Tl contents in ammonium acetate EDTA-extracted fraction are 0.013-1.3 mg/kg, less than 1% of concentration in HNO3-extracted fraction. The amounts of Tl in NH4Ac-extracted fraction were thought to be more exchangeable and bioavailable, i.e., immediately available to plants and/or available to plant roots over a period of years. Tl concentration in crops exhibits species-dependent preferences. The enrichment of Tl in edible crop species decreases in the following order： green cabbage〉chili〉Chinese cabbage〉rice〉com. The highest level of Tl in green cabbage is up to 500 mg/kg （DW）, surpassing the values of Tl in the soils （13-59 mg/kg）. The enrichment factor for TI in green cabbage is up to 1-10 when considering the HNO3-extracted Tl, but the factor highly rises to 30-1300 while considering the NH4Ac-extracted Tl. The average daily uptake of Tl by the local villagers through consumption of locally planted crops was estimated at about 1.9 mg per person, which is 50 times the daily ingestion from the Tl-free background area.     

Progress and opportunities for monitoring greenhouse gases fluxes in Mexican ecosystems: the MexFlux network

Understanding ecosystem processes from a functional point of view is essential to study relationships among climate variability, biogeochemical cycles, and surface-atmosphere interactions. Increasingly during the last decades, the eddy covariance (EC) method has been applied in terrestrial, marine and urban ecosystems to quantify fluxes of greenhouse gases (e.g., CO₂, H₂O) and energy (e.g., sensible and latent heat). Networks of EC systems have been established in different regions and have provided scientific information that has been used for designing environmental and adaptation policies. In this context, this article outlines the conceptual and technical framework for the establishment of an EC regional network (i.e., MexFlux) to measure the surface-atmosphere exchange of heat and greenhouse gases in Mexico. The goal of the network is to improve our understanding of how climate variability and environmental change influence the dynamics of Mexican ecosystems. First, we discuss the relevance of CO₂ and water vapor exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. Second, we briefly describe the EC basis and present examples of measurements in terrestrial and urban ecosystems of Mexico. Finally, we describe the conceptual and operational goals at short-, medium-, and long-term scales for continuity of the MexFlux network.     

不同条件对蒸发法处理垃圾渗滤液效果的影响

利用蒸发法对中老龄垃圾渗滤液进行处理,通过定时分批对蒸发后的渗滤液进行取样测定,研究在不同蒸发温度、不同风速条件下渗滤液在蒸发过程中pH 值、有机物及氨氮含量的变化规律。结果表明: 蒸发浓缩液中pH 值变化幅度不大; 渗滤液中有机污染物在不同的蒸发条件下总量在减少,但减少量不大; 在蒸发温度为25℃,风速为1. 5 m/s 的条件下氨氮的去除效率为37%。     

金矿床中金与黄铁矿和毒砂的关系

卡林型金矿中的金,以肉眼,甚至在显微镜下都看不到,因而称之为“不可见金”.经过金的物相分析,发现Au与毒砂、黄铁矿有关.进一步的问题是:Au在毒砂、黄铁矿中呈何状态分布,是呈微细的独立矿物?还是类质同象?是以化学键进入毒砂、黄铁矿的晶格?还是吸附在其表面?进一步的研究表明,世界上其他类型金矿,如浊积岩型金矿、造山带内太古代绿岩带金矿、变质金矿、与火成岩有关的金矿,甚至含金的块状硫化物矿床,其中的金除了以自然金(可见金)产出外,在黄铁矿、毒砂、辉锑矿、雄黄等硫化物中还含有不可见金.从不可见金到可见金,需经过热液蚀变作用,在高As条件下,温度和硫逸度的升高,可溶出不可见金,在温度下降和还原条件下,Au以可见金形式存在于蚀变环带中.这种从不可见金到可见金的转换过程,反映了Au、As、S以及Fe等元素的地球化学特征.金矿中的黄铁矿和毒砂具有相似的结构,包括在其原始生长的晶体中含有不可见金,并且在稍后的成矿阶段内形成赋存有可见金的蚀变环带.蚀变环带以As含量高为特征,并且,后期的可见金是沿裂隙或毒砂与黄铁矿的粒间分布.可见金是热液活化了矿物内的不可见金而形成的.     

用ASTER数据进行不同类型矿床蚀变异常提取研究

文章在利用多光谱ASTER数据进行不同矿床蚀变异常提取的地质和波谱前提的基础上，对东天山斑岩型Cu矿床、镁铁质岩型Cu-Ni矿床和矽卡岩型Pb-Zn矿床的羟基ASTER蚀变异常提取方法进行了研究；对于铁染异常，利用ASTER数据可提取的只有黄钾铁矾异常。对黄山东Cu-Ni矿及沙泉子Pb-Zn矿的蚀变分带现象进行了初步研究，其结果有助于区分矿床类型。此外还利用多光谱ASTER数据研究了识别某些矿物的可能性。     

Structurally and superficially bound gold in pyrite from deposits of different genetic types

The gold distribution in 32 pyrite samples and some samples of other ore minerals is studied using the method of statistical samplings of analytical data for single crystals. The samples were recovered from deposits of different genetic types within the largest gold provinces of Russia and Uzbekistan. The contents of uniformly distributed gold and the ratios of its structurally to superficially bound forms have been determined. According to the Au–As diagram for the chemical states of gold, uniformly distributed gold in pyrite is chemically bound in the overwhelming majority of cases. The previous experimental data suggest that it is partly incorporated into pyrite and partly into the structures of nanosized nonautonomous phases on the surface of the pyrite crystals. Micro- and nanoparticles of native gold might appear during postgrowth transformations of these phases. Data on the other ore minerals suggest that the dependence of the content of uniformly distributed gold on the size or specific surface area of the crystal and the superficial position of its considerable part are common to the ore minerals. It is shown for pyrite that the observed features are commonly found at deposits of different genetic types, only with differences in the slope and determination coefficients of the dependences. The size dependences of the contents of gold and other elements in pyrite are genetically significant, because they give an insight into the ore-forming processes. The data on structurally bound gold permit comparative evaluation of gold concentrations in ore fluids forming gold deposits of different genetic types.     

藏南新生代火山-地热区温室气体的释放通量与成因——以谷露-亚东裂谷为例

印度-亚洲大陆俯冲带是地球深部碳循环的重要场所,在全球气候变化研究中占有至关重要的地位。谷露-亚东裂谷是青藏高原南部规模最大、延伸最长的近NS向拉张性裂谷,裂谷内出露新生代火山岩和多处大规模地热区,正在向大气圈释放巨量的温室气体。利用密闭气室法测量并计算得出的谷露和羊应火山-地热区的土壤微渗漏CO_2的平均释放通量分别为436.8g·m~(-2)·day~(-1)和99.0g·m~(-2)·day~(-1),接近具有潜在喷发危险的美国黄石公园火山-地热区(410g·m~(-2)·day~(-1))和加利福尼亚州Mammoth Mountain火山区(107.9g·m~(-2)·day~(-1))的CO_2平均释放通量,表明谷露-亚东裂谷的深部地热流体活动异常强烈。此外,在野外考察的基础上,通过实验室测试和理论计算估算了谷露-亚东裂谷每年以土壤微渗漏的形式向当今大气圈释放的CO_2总量约为1.76×107t,与西特提斯俯冲带前缘的意大利Apennine火山区CO_2的释放总量(1.32×10~7t·a~(-1))属于同一个数量级。因此,印度-亚洲大陆俯冲带是全球地质碳脱气的重要场所。气体地球化学特征显示,谷露-亚东裂谷内火山-地热气体的He同位素比值(0.10~0.29RA,RA为大气3He/4He比值)和δ~(13)CCO_2值(-7.20‰~-0.78‰)在空间分布上表现为,从南至北呈逐渐递增的变化特征,显示裂谷内火山-地热区气体在南北方向上可能具有不同的动力学成因机制。具体来讲,δ~(13)CCO_2值自南向北递增的趋势,可能与裂谷南北方向地层岩性存在差异有关;裂谷内火山-地热气体的He同位素比值高于0.1RA,揭示"重要的地幔组分",同时裂谷内地幔来源的流体组分从南向北逐渐递增的趋势表明,印度大陆岩石圈的向北俯冲作用是导致谷露-亚东裂谷内剧烈的水热活动和大规模温室气体释放最终的动力来源和成因机制。     

Hydrogeological studies on the mechanical behavior of landfill gases and leachate of the Nanjido Landfill in Seoul, Korea

 The Nanjido Landfill is the largest uncontrolled landfill in Korea and it causes various kinds of environmental problems. Landfill gases and leachate are recognized as the most serious environmental problems associated with the landfill. This study employs a series of numerical models and uses test data to interpret the distribution and flow of landfill gases and leachate. Leachate seepage appears about 40–60 m higher than the estimated basal groundwater table. Thus, seepage data indicate that perched or floating leachate layers are formed in the unsaturated zone of the landfill. The leachate production rate is estimated using infiltration test data and a model for unsaturated groundwater flow. Geochemical data indicate that the landfill leachate degrades the basal groundwater quality along the downgradient zone. The environmental impact of the leachate on river water is estimated. Received: 17 June 1996 · Accepted: 2 October 1996