Single-well and large-scale cross-hole tracer experiments in fractured rocks at two sites in Sweden

As part of the Swedish site investigations and research associated with the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, tracer experiments in deep boreholes have been employed in order to characterize solute transport and hydraulic connectivity in the fractured bedrock at two sites??Forsmark and Laxemar-Simpevarp. Performance and analytical results are presented from a suite of tracer experiments in varying scales, from single-hole injection-withdrawal tests, intermediate-scale tests with sorbing tracers, to large-scale connectivity tests over distances up to several hundred meters in major fracture zones or networks of zones. In addition to demonstrating transport connectivity over large distances, a general result is that the single-hole tests, as well as the cross-hole tests with sorbing tracers, have clearly demonstrated the process of solute retention of water-conductive features in the rock at different scales.     

Pollution of south of Tehran ground waters with heavy metals

The reuse of nutrients and organic matter in wastewater sludge via on agricultural lands application is a desirable goal. However, trace or heavy metals present in sludge pose the risk of human or phytotoxicity from land application. The aim of this research is possibility of ground water pollution of south of Tehran because of ten years irrigation with Ni, Cd and Pb borne waste water. For this purpose, 6 soil samples from southern parts of Tehran city and 2 ones from Zanjan city without lime and organic matter were selected. The soils differed in their texture from sandy to clayey. Each soil sample in duplicate and uniformly packed into PVC columns. Soil samples were irrigated with Cd, Pb and Ni-added wastewater. After irrigating, the columns were cut and the soils separated from sectioned pieces and their heavy metal concentrations (Pb, Cd and Ni) were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer by use of HNO₃ 4N solution. Because of high sorption capacity of these elements by soils, these metals were accumulated in surface layer of the soils. Movement in the soils without lime and organic matter were as low as other samples. Ni has had the most accumulation or the least vertical movement, and Pb the opposite ones.     

Determination of the natural background content of metals in ground waters of the Czech Republic

Knowledge of the natural background content of metals is important, but can be difficult to establish because the concentrations of substances dissolved in ground waters vary considerably with time and space. The main objective of the paper is to assess the natural background of five selected elements: As, Al, Cd, Pb and Hg. Each of these elements, with the exception of Al, is included in the Minimum list of pollutants and their indicators for which the EU Member States should establish threshold values (Daughter Groundwater Directive). The data of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute which contains analyses obtained by regular monitoring of the quality of ground waters at intervals of 6 months has been used as the source information. This system incorporates ca. 450 monitoring sites which provide information about water in all the types of rocks penetrated by individual boreholes. Because of the low concentrations of certain elements (Hg, Pb and Cd in particular) a significant number of analytical results lie below the quantification limit of the analytical methods used. Therefore, conventional statistical methods for processing data were not applicable and alternative procedures were used. The Kaplan–Meier procedure was used within the NADA module for statistical analysis of data sets containing values below the quantification limit. The concentrations of monitored elements that can be considered natural background are suggested to be values of the third quartile, i.e. values that are less than or equal to 75% of analytical results in the assessed dataset. The remaining 25% of analytical results that exceed the proposed limit can be considered to be anomalies which may be natural or anthropogenic. Based on the statistical analysis of data specific values for the natural background content of elements in ground waters within particular types of lithology have been proposed. These can be considered the natural background values that apply within the whole of the territory of the Czech Republic.     

Trace metals in surface seawaters and sediments from various habitats of the Red Sea coast of Yemen

The purpose of this study was to determine and assess the concentrations of trace metals in surface seawaters and sediments from different coastal habitats of the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Surface seawater and sediment samples were collected, treated and analyzed for cadmium, cobalt, manganese, chromium, lead, iron, nickel, copper, zinc and vanadium by the atomic absorption spectrometric analysis. The concentrations were high for cadmium, cobalt and lead and low or consistent with the natural background concentrations for the rest of the metals. However, the coastal habitats of the Red Sea coast of Yemen are still considered unpolluted, it is concluded that the cadmium cobalt and lead levels in surface seawaters are high and could have negative effects on marine life of the sites. Further studies are needed to characterize the sources fate, biogeochemical processes and impacts of these trace metals on coastal habitats and marine life of the region.     

Trace metals in sediments near offshore oil exploration and production sites in the Alaskan Arctic

Increased offshore development in the Alaskan Arctic has stimulated interest in assessing potential impacts to the environment before the onset of any adverse effects. Concentrations of trace metals in sediments are used in this paper to provide one sensitive indicator of anthropogenic inputs from offshore activity over the past several decades. Sediments in coastal waters of the western Beaufort Sea are patchy with respect to sediment granulometry, organic carbon content, and concentrations of trace metals. However, results for surface sediments and age-dated cores show that nearly all samples contain natural concentrations of Ag, Ba, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, V and Zn, with metal/Al ratios that have been constant for many decades. Metal concentrations for incoming river-suspended matter compare well with sediment metal values and, along with vertical distributions in sediments, show no discernible diagenetic impacts that distort the sedimentary record for metals, except for Mn, As and possibly Cd. Slightly elevated concentrations of Ba, Hg, Ag, Sb and Zn were observed in a total of eight instances or in only 0.7% of the 1,222 data points for metals in surface sediments.     

A comparative study on the style of paleotsunami deposits at two sites on the west coast of India

Based on field documentation, we produce a comparative analysis of soft sediment deformation and other sedimentary signatures indicative of paleotsunami at two beach sites on the west coast of India. Trench profiles from these sites depict major differences in morphology of the structures as a result of greater overpressure from terrigenous backwash deposition at Dive Agar compared to Guhagarh, where the backwash flow escaped through an estuarine outlet. The occurrence of sporadic boulders, wedge-shaped heavy mineral sand layers and capping of the deposit by a pedogenic surface at Guhagarh depicts an older tsunami of larger magnitude compared to Dive Agar. The collective orientation of the characteristic signatures suggests two different sources of tsunami at Dive Agar (from Sunda arc in the SE) and Guhagarh (from Makran in the NW) that are further modeled to suggest the probable paleo-oceanographic conditions. The style of paleotsunami signatures are thus indicative of the coastal response to the arriving tsunami which is further controlled by the direction of source and the morphology of the coast. The study of paleotsunami records therefore provides useful information on the local coastal response to an arriving tsunami which is essential for vulnerability studies and better preparedness.     

Trace metals in acid sediments and waters, Pimpama catchment, southeast Queensland, Australia

The Pimpama River floodplain has developed over the last several thousand years as a result of sea-level fluctuations that shaped the lower catchment and enabled the formation of sedimentary pyrite. The subsequent production of sulfuric acid due to the oxidation of this pyrite enhances the breakdown of metal-bearing sediments and can lead to leaching of major and trace metals into the waters of the region. The seasonal pattern of rainfall and current land-use activities are important aspects that intensify the natural production of acid and influence the release and distribution of metals. To identify the source and migration of metals in the Pimpama catchment and to understand the impact of pyrite oxidation on the distribution of metals in sediments and waters, several components of the drainage system were analyzed: bedrock, sediments from river bed and bank, and water. The elements analyzed in this study (V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb) are all present in the bedrock material which explains their occurrence in the unconsolidated sediments of the floodplain. These metals concentrate in the upper section of the sedimentary sequence and their presence is related to clay minerals such as smectite, organic matter and iron phases. However, Zn, Mo and Co occur in higher amounts than the local background and within standard shale. This comparison suggests that the diagenetic processes alone cannot explain the higher concentrations and it is concluded that these metals also have an anthropogenic source. The formation of sulfuric acid creates conditions for higher mobility of some metals, such as Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, but does not affect less mobile ones such as Mo and Pb. Over the longterm, the production of acid influences the breakdown of mineral phases and enhances the process of weathering. Over the short term, every rain event leaches acid from sediments and mobilizes metals resulting in a substantial reduction in the quality of river water. Received: 2 October 1998 · Accepted: 16 February 1999     

Near-surface earthquakes in the Baltic shield, notably Sweden

A recent series of Swedish earthquakes at a focal depth not exceeding 2–3 km, the largest with I_O = V + (MSK scale) andM_L = 3.2 shows that relatively strong seismic activity can occur in the uppermost part of the Baltic Shield. During the last 15 years several near-surface earthquakes have occurred in this region, as indicated by recorded Rg-waves and/or macroseismic data. Many events are located along the coast of central Sweden, suggesting a seismic belt of minor, near-surface activity, which should be considered in connection with the radioactive waste storage in the Swedish bedrock. The appearance of Rg, common in seismic records of explosions and rockbursts, is not a sufficient discriminator between artificial events and earthquakes.     

Trace metal contamination by phosphogypsum discharge in surface and core sediments of the Gabes coast area (SE of Tunisia)

The purpose of the present study is to ascertain the extent of the effect that phosphate fertilizer industrial waste has on the surface and bottom sediments of the Ghannouch-Gabes coast, off the Tunisian Mediterranean Sea. To achieve this, 44 surface sediments and 3 core sediments were studied for mineralogy, trace metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn), F, CaO, and SO₃. For all the analyzed elements, the spatial distribution in surface sediments showed that the area located between the commercial and the fishing port of Gabes is the most polluted zone. The ranking of metal contents was found to be Zn > Cd > Cu > Pb. The vertical distribution of trace metals indicated that the highest levels were found in the uppermost segment of the sediment cores compared to the lower depth subsurface due to a continuous input of phosphogypsum (PG) release and confirmed that the area between the two harbors suffered from several types of pollutants compared to reference core C1, collected from other non-industrialized areas. This spatial and vertical distribution is probably due to the harbor piers which acted as barriers and limited the dispersion of PG discharge. The contamination factor, the geoaccumulation index, and the pollution load index were determined. The results obtained confirm the anthropogenic impact on the levels of metal, on the fluorine, calcium, and sulfate concentrations in the area, located between the commercial harbor of Ghannouch and the fishing harbor of Gabes, whereas the concentrations of elements analyzed tends to decrease on both sides of this sector. Statistical analyses (principal component analysis) showed trace metals, fluoride, sulfate, and a large amount of calcium resulting from the same anthropogenic source.     

Groundwater recharge and discharge processes in the Jakarta groundwater basin, Indonesia

Proper management of groundwater resources requires knowledge of the processes of recharge and discharge associated with a groundwater basin. Such processes have been identified in the Jakarta groundwater basin, Indonesia using a theory that describes the simultaneous transfer of heat and fluid in a porous medium. Temperature-depth profiles in monitoring wells are used to determine the geothermal gradient. To examine the rules of groundwater flow in the distortion of the isotherms in this area, several methods are compared. Subsurface temperature distribution is strongly affected by heat advection due to groundwater flow. Under natural flow conditions, the recharge area is assumed to occur in the hills and uplands, which are located on the periphery of the Jakarta basin, and the discharge area is located in the central and northern part of the Jakarta groundwater basin. A transition area, which could act as local recharge and discharge areas, occupies the middle of the lowland. Subsurface temperatures show good correlation with the groundwater flow conditions, and the data yield important information on the location of recharge and discharge areas.     

Speciation of metals in natural waters

The form or speciation of a metal in natural waters can change its kinetic and thermodynamic properties. For example, Cu(II) in the free ionic form is toxic to phytoplankton, while copper complexed to organic ligands is not toxic. The form of a metal in solution can also change its solubility. For example, Fe(II) is soluble in aqueous solutions while Fe(III) is nearly insoluble. Natural organic ligands interactions with Fe(III) can increase the solubility by 20-fold in seawater. Ionic interaction models that can be used to determine the activity and speciation of divalent and trivalent metals in seawater and other natural elements will be discussed. The model is able to consider the interactions of metals with the major (Cl^-, SO₄ ^2-, HCO₃ ^-, CO₃ ^2-, Br^-, F^-) and minor (OH^-, H₂PO₄ ^-, HPO₄ ^2-, PO₄ ^3-, HS^-) anions as a function of temperature (0 to 50 °C), ionic strength [0 to 6 m (m = mol kg-¹)] and pH (1 to 13). Recently, it has been shown that many divalent metals are complexed with organic ligands. Although the composition of these ligands is not known, a number of workers have used voltammetry to determine the concentration of the ligand [L ⁿ ] and the stability constant (K _ML) for the formation of the complex     

Spatial distribution of metals in ground/surface waters in the Chandrapur district (Central India) and their plausible sources

This study addresses a framework to evaluate and map environmental hazard with reference to spatial distribution of major and trace metal contamination and its relationship with lithology in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, India using geospatial, statistical and GIS tools. In all, 208 ground water and 35 surface water samples were collected using global positioning system (GPS) synoptically with satellite imagery IRS P6 LISS III and were analyzed in ICP-AES. Analytical results reflect the presence of major and trace metals in ground water in terms of % as Fe (48%), Mn (12%), Zn (9%), Al (8%), Pb (7%), Cu (6%), Ni (4%), Cd (3%) and Cr (3%) of the total average concentration. The contamination is attributed to weathering of rocks and also to mining activities. Similarly, surface water contribution of major and trace metals was found as Al (47.8%), Fe (42.8%), Mn (5.5%), Zn (2.3%), Pb (0.56%), Ni (0.42%), Cu (0.16%), Cr (0.16%) and Cd (0.10%) of the total average concentration. Ordinary kriging interpolation method was adopted to assess the spatial distribution of different major and trace metals in groundwater samples with their best model fit variogram Classical statistical method like principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out in order to establish correlation between spatial pattern of metal contamination and geology of the area in GIS environment. Various surface and subsurface aspects like landuse/land cover, structural features, hydrogeology, topography etc were also considered to ascertain their impact to supplement the inference of the study.     

Fate and transport of metals in H2S-rich waters at a treatment wetland

The aqueous geochemistry of Zn, Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn and As is discussed within the context of an anaerobic treatment wetland in Butte, Montana. The water being treated had a circum-neutral pH with high concentrations of trace metals and sulfate. Reducing conditions in the wetland substrate promoted bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) and precipitation of dissolved metal as sulfide minerals. ZnS was the most common sulfide phase found, and consisted of framboidal clusters of individual spheres with diameters in the submicron range. Some of the ZnS particles passed through the subsurface flow, anaerobic cells in suspended form. The concentration of "dissolved" trace metals (passing through a 0.45 μm filter) was monitored as a function of H₂S concentration, and compared to predicted solubilities based on experimental studies of aqueous metal complexation with dissolved sulfide. Whereas the theoretical predictions produce "U-shaped" solubility curves as a function of H₂S, the field data show a flat dependence of metal concentration on H₂S. Observed metal concentrations for Zn, Cu and Cd were greater than the predicted values, particularly at low H₂S concentration, whereas Mn and As were undersaturated with their respective metal sulfides. Results from this study show that water treatment facilities employing BSR have the potential to mobilize arsenic out of mineral substrates at levels that may exceed regulatory criteria. Dissolved iron was close to equilibrium saturation with amorphous FeS at the higher range of sulfide concentrations observed (>0.1 mmol H₂S), but was more likely constrained by goethite at lower H₂S levels. Inconsistencies between our field results and theoretical predictions may be due to several problems, including: (i) a lack of understanding of the form, valence, and thermodynamic stability of poorly crystalline metal sulfide precipitates; (ii) the possible influence of metal sulfide colloids imparting an erroneously high "dissolved" metal concentration; (iii) inaccurate or incomplete thermodynamic data for aqueous metal complexes at the conditions of the treatment facility; and (iv) difficulties in accurately measuring low concentrations of dissolved sulfide in the field.     

Postglacial land uplift patterns of south Sweden and the Baltic Sea region

Comparison of the land uplift pattern for the last 10,300 years, shown by studies of raised shorelines of the Baltic Ice Lake, with the pattern of present-day land uplift of Fennoscandia, shows that significant regional changes of uplift pattern have taken place. Some of these changes seem to be related to a halt in ice retreat during the Younger Dryas cold stage. It is also probable that some observed anomalies in the present uplift are not of glacio-isostatic origin, but are possibly related to structures in the lower lithosphere and upper mantle or large scale tectonics.     

Weichselian history of the Fennoscandian ice sheet in southern Sweden and the southwestern Baltic Basin

This study presents the Weichselian stratigraphy on Kriegers Flak in the southwestern Baltic Sea, and correlates it to new sections in southernmost Sweden and to previously published stratigraphic sequences from SW Skåne. A total of four Weichselian advances are identified based on our correlations. The oldest till, observed only on Kriegers Flak, is dated to the Early or Middle Weichselian and tentatively correlated to the Ristinge advance, previously identified in Denmark. It is overlain by three interstadial sediment units, starting with brackish clay and followed by terrestrial and lacustrine deposits, which have been dated to 42–36 ka, and finally by glaciolacustrine clay dated to 28.5–26 ka. After 30 ka, the Fennoscandian ice sheet advanced through the Baltic Basin and into the coastal areas of southernmost Sweden where the Allarp Till was deposited, followed by a deglaciation sequence. The uppermost tills, the Dalby Till and the Lund till, were deposited during the LGM advance and the subsequent re‐advances through the Baltic Basin. Based on the new evidence it has been possible to identify and date a Middle and Late Weichselian till succession in southern Sweden and provide a strong correlation to the established glacial stratigraphies in Sweden and Denmark.     

Groundwater capture processes under a seasonal variation in natural recharge and discharge

 "Capture" is the increase in recharge and the decrease in discharge that occurs when pumping is imposed on an aquifer system that was in a previous state of approximate dynamic equilibrium. Regional groundwater models are usually used to calculate capture in a two-step procedure. A steady-state solution provides an initial-head configuration, a set of flows through the boundaries for the modeled region, and the initial basis for the capture calculation. The transient solutions provide the total change in flows through the boundaries. A difference between the transient and steady-state solutions renders the capture calculation. When seasonality is a modeling issue, the use of a single initial hydraulic head and a single set of boundary flows leads to miscalculations of capture. Instead, an initial condition for each season should be used. This approach may be accomplished by determining steady oscillatory solutions, which vary through the seasons but repeat from year to year. A regional groundwater model previously developed for a portion of the San Pedro River basin, Arizona, USA, is modified to illustrate the effect that different initial conditions have on transient solutions and on capture calculations. Received, September 1996 · Revised, October 1997 · Accepted, October 1997     

Present-day trends of vertical ground motion along the coast lines

Vertical ground motion (VGM) rates stand as crucial information, either for predicting the impact of the actual sea level rise along low-lying coasts or refining geodynamic problems. Because present day VGM rates have a magnitude smaller than 10 mm/yr, they remain challenging to quantify and often elusive. We focus on the quantification of global-scale VGM rates in order to identify global or regional trends. We computed VGM rates by combining tide gauges records and local satellite altimetry, which yield a new dataset of 634 VGM rates. We further compare this database to previous studies that use geodetic techniques and tide gauges records in order to evaluate the consistency of both our results and previous ones. The magnitudes differ by less than 5 mm/yr, and similar subsidence and uplift general tendencies appear. Even if the asset of our database stands in the greater number of sites, the combination of all studies, each with different pros and cons, yields a hybrid dataset that makes our attempt to extract VGM trends more robust than any other, independent study. Fennoscandia, the West coast of North America, and the eastern coast of Australia are uplifting, while the eastern coast of North America, the British Isles and Western Europe, the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Japan, and the western coast of Australia are subsiding. Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) is expected to provide a major contribution to the present-day signal. Aside from Fennoscandia, observed VGM often depart from the GIA model predictions of Peltier (2004). This either results from an underestimate of the model predictions or from the influence of other processes: indeed, the influence of the geodynamic setting appears in particular along the coasts of western North America or Japan, where the alternation of transform faults and subduction zones makes it possible to assign contrasted behaviours to the local geodynamic context. Local mechanisms like anthropogenic processes or sediment compaction, also contribute to VGM. This remains true for the critical cases of Venice, the Gulf of Mexico, the Ganges delta, and the Maldives, which are particularly exposed to the current sea level rise.     

Trace and minor elements in Woodbine sub-surface waters of the East Texas basin

As the first phase of an investigation of the possible geologic significance of the occurrence and distribution of trace and minor elements in deep sub-surface waters, determinations have been made of these elements in a number of water samples from the Woodbine sand of Upper Cretaceous age in the East Texas basin. The determinations were made by use of an emission spectrograph.

Of a number of elements which occur in trace amounts in Woodbine waters, four appear to vary systematically in concentration. Strontium and potassium increase in concentration with increasing depth from which the water samples were produced. The distribution of barium, which occurs in relatively high concentrations in the waters of the north-western part of the basin, seems to be related to the pattern of deposition of near-shore sediments during a part of Woodbine time. The distribution of manganese, which is found in relatively high concentrations in the central portions of the basin, appears to reflect the areal extent of deeper parts of the basin. The occurrence of soluble manganese in this area indicates that reducing conditions have prevailed in the central part of the basin during the past.