A new method for estimating BOD and the rate of biochemical oxidation based on modified Streeter-Phelps equations

An analytical solution of a modified system of Streeter-Phelps equations in the absence of aeration of the water body is given. Such solution is of interest in calculating the dynamics of biochemical oxidation of organic matter in a water body or a river channel covered by ice. The same solution can be used to describe processes taking place in a sealed flask in the determination of biochemical demand of the examined water sample over some period. The analytical solution of the modified system of Streeter-Phelps equations was used to derive formulas for calculating biochemical oxygen demand and the rate of biochemical oxidation.     

Trefftz method for the solution of three-dimensional forward and inverse problems of geoelectrics

The Trefftz method is applied to the numerical solution of the three-dimensional (3D) forward problem for an electromagnetic field harmonically oscillating with time in a 3D environment, which ensures the possibility to solve a 3D inverse problem. Here, the known idea of simultaneous joint interpretation of the tangential components of electric and magnetic fields measured on the Earth's surface, which was suggested by A.N. Tikhonov for the development of the electromagnetic sounding method, is employed in the context of the numerical-analytical representation of the forward problem solution in accordance with the Trefftz method. Application of this method allows enables one to generalize the basic plane-stratified vertically 1D model of the medium by allowing for lateral variations in electric conductivity.     

Monitoring the erosion of an expressway during its construction: problems and lessons

Abstract

The large quantities of sediment eroded from the Sydney F3 Expressway extension and the lack of defined channels within the catchment presented several problems of discharge and sediment load sampling. The monitoring equipment at the catchment outlet, namely pump samplers and capacitance-based water level sensors, was computer controlled, but for partial area monitoring manual methods were used together with Gerlach traps and erosion pins. The monitoring at the catchment outlet was cost-effective because of the use of electronic equipment. The sampling strategies are described and recommendations for future sampling programs are presented. Coarse sand and silt-clay concentrations in many samples were more than 10 g 1^?1 at the outlet. In some samples the silt-clay concentrations exceeded 30 g 1^?1 and the coarse sand concentrations 100 g 1^?1.     

On the use of the fitting method in solving inverse problems of gravimetry and magnetometry

An analytical approach to the gravity and magnetic data inversion by the fitting method is described. The problems of the uniqueness of the solution and the convergence and stability of the iterative process are considered.     

Research Note: A unifying framework for the widely used stabilization of potential field inverse problems

We present a brief review of the widely used and well-known stabilizers in the inversion of potential field data. These include stabilizers that use L₂, L₁ and L₀ norms of the model parameters and the gradients of the model parameters. These stabilizers may all be realized in a common setting using two general forms with different weighting functions. Moreover, we show that this unifying framework encompasses the use of additional stabilizations which are not common for potential field inversion.     

Dependence of reaction rate of pyrite oxidation on temperature, pH and oxidant concentration

Pyrite is a common sulfide mineral, particularly abundant in mining waste. It is a focus of mine envi-ronmental concern because the oxidation of exposed pyrite may lead to acid drainage and poisonous mate-rials (like As and heavy metals) release. In the United States, approximately $1000000 per day is spent in alleviating acid mine drainage[1], while the Canadian mining community has environmental liabilities that exceed $2 billion for disposal, management, and rec-lamation of mine waste[2]. …     

Modern trends in the solution of forward and inverse 3D electromagnetic induction problems

The main results obtained during the last 5–8 yr in the solution of forward and inverse problems of 3D induction studies are summarized. The up-to-date status of 3D modelling is presented and prospective improvements in the formulation and numerical solution of forward problems are discussed. Approximate techniques and practical aspects of 3D modelling are specially considered. The general scheme of 3D interpretation of electromagnetic geophysical observations is outlined and realistic formalized approaches to solving 3D inverse problems, namely direct inversion and formalized model fitting, are studied.     

Measurements and calculations of seasonal evaporation rate from bare sandstone surfaces: Implications for rock weathering

Evaporation from porous rock plays an important role in weathering processes. In the case of salt weathering, the evaporation rate controls supersaturation of salt solutions within pores and the amount of precipitated aggressive salts, therefore weathering occurs mostly in places with intense evaporation. Evaporation also strongly affects frost, hydric and biogenic weathering, as these are influenced by water content and its temporal changes. Despite its importance, evaporation from porous rocks has seen little scientific focus. We present a study on evaporation from bare sandstone, one of the most common rocks affected by weathering. A new method that measures the evaporation rate from the surfaces of sandstone samples under field microclimate was developed and tested. Also, a simple calculation of 1D evaporation rate from bare sandstone surfaces based on Fick's law of diffusion is presented. The measurement was performed using sandstone cores (with a set depth of the vaporization plane) in a humid continental climate and measured on a roughly monthly interval for about 1 year. For the calculations, a laboratory-measured water-vapour diffusion coefficient of the sandstone, in-situ seasonally measured vaporization plane depth, and values of air humidity and temperature were used. The sensitivity analyses showed that the most important factor controlling the evaporation rate was the vaporization plane depth, while seasonal and spatial changes of air humidity and temperature were of lesser importance. The calculated evaporation rate reasonably follows measured values. For its simplicity and the small number of parameters required, the proposed method has the potential to improve knowledge of weathering and living conditions of endolithic and epilithic organisms. Further research should focus on factors affecting the evaporation rate (wind, hygroscopicity, hydrophobicity, etc.) to improve the accuracy of the calculations, as well as to test the applicability of the method for other lithologies and climates. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The inverse gravimetric problem: Existence,uniqueness and stability of the solution

Summary The paper is concerned with the mathematical properties of the density distribution within the Earth obtained by inverting of the external gravity field, provided an Earth's reference density model, used as the initial guess, is available. The method of regularization, which proves the existence, the uniqueness and the stability of the solution, which is nearest the initial guess in the L ² norm, is described.

---

nua m¶rt; uauu ¶rt;am a¶rt;au ¶rt; aumau n u uma, m uma aaa a an¶rt;u nmmu . mm m¶rt; n¶rt;maum m amu u, m ¶rt;a, mu u uu aa u.

     

A priori information and admissible complexity of the model of anomalous objects in the solution of inverse problems of gravity

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - We study the problem of selecting an admissible complexity of the model of gravity sources, which largely governs the quality of the inverse problem solution...     

Physics of the solar-terrestrial coupling: Results,problems, and new approaches

The results of the works performed in the field of the most actual problems of physics and optics of the solar-terrestrial coupling have been analyzed. This is the problem of energy in the ionospheric physics, considered because space monitoring of the solar irradiance ionizing the upper ionosphere is still absent. These are the problems of transformation of the solar flare energy and corpuscular precipitation into the microwave ionospheric radiation. Finally, this is the main problem of present-day natural science: the physical mechanism of the solar-terrestrial coupling as applied to the explanation of the detected correlations in the Sun-weather and the Sun-biosphere systems. A unified physical (radio-optical) mechanism for controlling the processes in the lower atmosphere and biosphere (including human being), dependent on the level of solar and geomagnetic activity and related to the ionospheric microwave radiation in transitions between the optically highly excited (Rydberg) states of all components of the upper atmosphere, has been considered.     

Water management complex of Russia: Concept,state of the art,and problems

The structure of the water management complex of the Russian Federation is discussed. The main features showing the degree of meeting the demands for water in different spheres of economic activities are presented. The tendencies for variations in volumes of water use are revealed in housing facilities and public utilities, manufacturing and extractive branches of industry, electric power engineering, and agriculture. The article shows the present condition of fishery in inland water bodies, river craft and the infrastructure of inland water and aquatic water transport, and recreation.     

Subsurface disposal of liquid wastes: Achievements, problems, and prospects

The hydrogeological fundamentals of subsurface disposal of toxic liquid wastes are considered along with the experience in its application in the chemical and nuclear industry of the USSR and Russia, the institutional problems, resulting from the imperfection of legislation, and the potential extension and liberalization of the hydrogeological conditions of its application.     

Crude Oil at the Bemidji Site: 25 Years of Monitoring,Modeling, and Understanding

The fate of hydrocarbons in the subsurface near Bemidji, Minnesota, has been investigated by a multidisciplinary group of scientists for over a quarter century. Research at Bemidji has involved extensive investigations of multiphase flow and transport, volatilization, dissolution, geochemical interactions, microbial populations, and biodegradation with the goal of providing an improved understanding of the natural processes limiting the extent of hydrocarbon contamination. A considerable volume of oil remains in the subsurface today despite 30 years of natural attenuation and 5 years of pump‐and‐skim remediation. Studies at Bemidji were among the first to document the importance of anaerobic biodegradation processes for hydrocarbon removal and remediation by natural attenuation. Spatial variability of hydraulic properties was observed to influence subsurface oil and water flow, vapor diffusion, and the progression of biodegradation. Pore‐scale capillary pressure‐saturation hysteresis and the presence of fine‐grained sediments impeded oil flow, causing entrapment and relatively large residual oil saturations. Hydrocarbon attenuation and plume extent was a function of groundwater flow, compound‐specific volatilization, dissolution and biodegradation rates, and availability of electron acceptors. Simulation of hydrocarbon fate and transport affirmed concepts developed from field observations, and provided estimates of field‐scale reaction rates and hydrocarbon mass balance. Long‐term field studies at Bemidji have illustrated that the fate of hydrocarbons evolves with time, and a snap‐shot study of a hydrocarbon plume may not provide information that is of relevance to the long‐term behavior of the plume during natural attenuation.     

Numerical simulation of water resources problems: Models,methods, and trends

Mechanistic modeling of water resources systems is a broad field with abundant challenges. We consider classes of model formulations that are considered routine, the focus of current work, and the foundation of foreseeable work over the coming decade. These model formulations are used to assess the current and evolving state of solution algorithms, discretization methods, nonlinear and linear algebraic solution methods, computational environments, and hardware trends and implications. The goal of this work is to provide guidance to enable modelers of water resources systems to make sensible choices when developing solution methods based upon the current state of knowledge and to focus future collaborative work among water resources scientists, applied mathematicians, and computational scientists on productive areas.     

Erosion,deposition, and the persistence of soil organic matter: mechanistic considerations and problems with terminology

The effect of erosional detachment, transport, and deposition of topsoil on the stock of soil organic matter (SOM) and its association with soil minerals has been a focus of a growing number of studies. A particularly lively debate is currently centered on the questions of whether terrestrial sedimentation of previously eroded SOM may constitute a relevant sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), and how ‘stable’ such carbon (C) might be on multidecadal timescales. In this commentary, we illustrate how redistribution of eroded SOM within a landscape can create situations that are not adequately described by the jargon commonly used to characterize C turnover dynamics. We argue that more quantitative and scientifically rigorous categories are needed to describe soil C turnover and to promote the development of innovative, numerical models of C dynamics in landscapes characterized by significant mass movement. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modification of the Streeter-Phelps system with the aim to account for the feedback between dissolved oxygen concentration and organic matter oxidation rate

A fundamental feature of the classic Streeter-Phelps system of equations is the lack of a feedback between dissolved oxygen concentration and the rate of organic matter oxidation. This may result in physically incorrect solutions, in which dissolved oxygen concentration is negative. Such physical incorrectness is still potentially hazardous for more complex systems of differential equations, resulting from “evolutionary” complication of the classic version. An example of such solutions is given and a criterion (in the form of an inequality) is derived, providing a sufficient condition for the solution of a classic system to be a priori declared physically incorrect. It is proposed to supplement the classic system by an equation relating the concentration of dissolved oxygen and the oxidation rate of organic matter. The new system, called “closed Streeter-Phelps system” will not yield a physically incorrect solution. It can be recommended as an alternative to the classic system, which is used as the core in many complex models of water quality. An additional effect of such change will be a considerable simplification of the calibration of model parameters and the extension of their application range. Two versions of the closed system are suggested, one of which is proposed to be referred to as the system of Streeter-Phelps-Shishkin.     

GPS Monitoring in the N-W Part of the Volcanic Island of Tenerife,Canaries, Spain: Strategy and Results

This paper describes design, observation methodology, results and interpretation of the GPS surveys conducted in the areas of the N-W of Tenerife where deformation was detected using InSAR. To avoid undesirable antenna positioning errors in the stations built using nails, we designed and used calibrated, fixed-length metal poles, allowing us to guarantee that the GPS antenna was stationed with a height repeatability of the order of 1 mm and of less than 3 millimeters on the horizontal plane. The results demonstrate that this system is ideal for field observation, especially to detect small displacements that might be masked by accidental errors in height measurements or centering when observed with a tripod. When observations were processed, we found that using different antenna models in the same session sometimes causes errors that can lead to rather inaccurate results. We also found that it is advisable to observe one or two stations in all the sessions. The results have reconfirmed the displacement in the Chío deformation zone for the period 1995–2000 and indicate a vertical rebound from 2000 to 2002. They also confirm that the subsidence detected by InSAR to the south of the Garachico village has continued since 2000, although the magnitude of the vertical deformation has increased from around 1 cm to more than 3 cm a year. Detected displacements could be due to groundwater level variation throughout the island. A first attempt of modelling has been made using a simple model. The results indicate that the observed deformation and the groundwater level variation are related in some way. The obtained results are very important because they might affect the design of the geodetic monitoring of volcanic reactivation on the island, which will only be actually useful if it is capable of distinguishing between displacements that might be linked to volcanic activity and those produced by other causes. Even though the study was limited to a given area of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, some conclusions apply to, and are of general interest in similar geodynamic studies.