Characterization of synthetic hedenbergite (CaFeSi2O6)–petedunnite (CaZnSi2O6) solid solution series by X-ray single crystal diffraction

Clinopyroxenes of the solid solution series hedenbergite (CaFeSi₂O₆)–petedunnite (CaZnSi₂O₆) were synthesized at temperatures of 825–1200°C and pressures of 0.5–2.5 GPa. Compositions were determined by electron microprobe analysis. Selected crystals were investigated by means of single crystal diffraction and structure refinement and the structural distortion was studied depending on the substitution of iron by zinc on the octahedral M1 site. It is shown that the coordination of the M1 site has the most significant effect on M–O bond lengths, with changes on the other sites accommodating this distortion. The mean quadratic elongation and the octahedral angle variance as quantitative measures of the distortion of the coordination polyhedron were correlated with former results of ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy at 298 K. The results presented now complete an earlier work on synthetic, crystalline powders of the same material and deliver exact structural data that were not possible to obtain by Rietveld refinements on powder data.     

Historical backcasting of metal concentrations in the Chattahoochee River, Georgia: Population growth and environmental policy

The impact of increasing urbanization on the quality of a river system has been investigated by examining the current concentration of trace metals in the Chattahoochee River south of Atlanta, GA, and comparing these to previously published historical sediment data from reservoirs along the river. The lack of historical data for dissolved metal concentrations prior to 1980 requires an approach using these historic metal data from sediment cores. Core data are combined with current suspended load and dissolved metal data to “backcast” dissolved metal concentrations in the metro-Atlanta portion of the Chattahoochee River. The data suggest that the per capita input of dissolved trace metals have actually decreased since the 1920s, but anthropogenic inputs of metal are still a substantial water quality issue.     

Influence of Decarbonisation and Phosphate Dosage on Copper Corrosion in Drinking Water Systems

The effect of softening/decarbonisation and dosage of orthophosphate on copper corrosion was studied in pipe rigs according to the German standard DIN 50931, part 1. A literature study with regard to the effects of phosphate dosing on copper corrosion has shown that on the one hand and in most of the cases a dosage of phosphate led to lower copper concentrations. On the other hand phosphate aggravated the copper corrosion in some cases. The mechanisms are not yet clear and the influence of phosphate on the corrosion of copper remains a question to be answered. Using standardised on‐site corrosion tests (DIN 50931‐1) with virgin copper pipes softening/decarbonisation has decreased the copper concentration. Two effects of phosphate on copper corrosion were noticed: Phosphate dosing decreased the copper oxidation and resulted in lower copper concentration in water. Likewise phosphate hindered the precipitation of cupric ions, which prolonged the existence of copper in water and resulted in a higher copper concentration. As a consequence, dosing phosphate can decrease or increase the copper corrosion, this depends on which effect is dominating.     

Drought 2002 in Colorado: An Unprecedented Drought or a Routine Drought?

The 2002 drought in Colorado was reported by the media and by public figures, and even by a national drought-monitoring agency, as an exceptionally severe drought. In this paper we examine evidence for this claim. Our study shows that, while the impacts of water shortages were exceptional everywhere, the observed precipitation deficit was less than extreme over a good fraction of the state. A likely explanation of this discrepancy is the imbalance between water supply and water demand over time. For a given level of water supply, water shortages become intensified as water demands increase over time. The sobering conclusion is that Colorado is more vulnerable to drought today than under similar precipitation deficits in the past.     

On the cold start problem in transient simulations with coupled atmosphere-ocean models

Finite computer resources force compromises in the design of transient numerical experiments with coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models which, in the case of global warming simulations, normally preclude a full integration from the undisturbed pre-industrial state. The start of the integration at a later time from a climate state which, in contrast to the true climate, is initially in equilibrium then induces a cold start error. Using linear response theory a general expression for the cold start error is derived. The theory is applied to the Hamburg CO₂ scenario simulations. An attempt to estimate the global-mean-temperature response function of the coupled model from the response of the model to a CO₂ doubling was unsuccessful because of the non-linearity of the system. However, an alternative derivation, based on the transient simulation itself, yielded a cold start error which explained the initial retardation of the Hamburg global warming curve relative to the IPCC results obtained with a simple box-diffusion-upwelling model. In the case of the sea level the behaviour of the model is apparently more linear. The cold start error estimations based on a CO₂ doubling experiment and on an experiment with gradually increasing CO₂ (scenario A) are very similar and explain about two thirds of the coupled model retardation relative to the IPCC results.     

An equation of state for roedderites, (K,Na)2Mg5[Si12O30], based on Knudsen cell mass spectrometry and synthesis of eifelite-roedderite crystalline solutions

Knudsen cell mass spectrometry has been applied to obtain activity (a _i) vs composition (X _i) data for 18 synthetic roedderites. (K, Na)₂Mg₅Si₁₂O₃₀, at temperatures between 900° and 1100° C. The samples were synthesized at 800° C and 1 kbar P _{H 2}O and characterized by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) prior to mass spectrometric activity measurement. The experimental a _i-X _i data have been smoothed, assuming for now the simplest possible model of a two-site K-Na mixing for this binary crystalline solution. Using the Margules formalism, and expressing the results in terms of one atom of K-Na mixing, the tentative equation of state is: W _G [J/mol] =-8704 -0.0067 · P, with P given in bar. The temperature-dependence of W _G could not be resolved due to its large uncertainty on the order of 2.8 kJ/mol. A more rigorous thermodynamic model for roedderites will have to be deferred until information on temperature-dependent K-Na disordering becomes available. Besides roedderites, single-phase eifelite-roedderite crystalline solutions have also been snythesized for the first time. They show a symmetric positive excess volume of mixing, with W _V [J/bar·mol]=0.1064±0.0021.     

Facies and genesis of Carboniferous coal seams of Northwest Germany

In order to get detailed information about the facies and genesis of Upper Carboniferous coal seams of Northwest Germany, maceral analyses of complete seam profiles (Westphalian B-D, mainly Westphalian C) were carried out. Four main facies and twelve subfacies could be distinguished. The main facies are:

1. (1) The sapropelic-coal facies, consisting of fine-grained inertinite and liptinite, which forms from organic sediments deposited at the bottom of moor lakes.

2. (2) The densosporinite facies which is high in inertinite and liptinite and low in vitrinite. Syngenetic pyrites, clastic layers, thick vitrains and fusains do not occur. This facies originates from peats of ‘open mires’ with higher groundwater table and herbaceous vegetation. The ‘open mire’ was situated in the centre of extensive swamps. Consequently, clastic sedimentation did not affect this swamp type and nutrient supply and pH values were low.

3. (3) The vitrinite-fusinite facies, which is high in vitrinite. This is the result of abundant vitrains. Under the microscope, fusains were mostly identified as fusinite. The vitrinite-fusinite facies originates from a forest mire. More or less abundant seam splits and clastic layers show that rivers flowed in the neighbourhood of this area.

4. (4) The shaly-coal facies, which represents the most marginal part of the former swamp frequently affected by clastic sedimentation.

Within the Carboniferous of the Ruhr Region it seems unlikely that the thin coal seams of the Namurian C and Westphalian A1 contain a densosporinite facies. The swamps were situated in the lower delta plain where they were often affected by marine influences. Consequently, coals are high in minerals and sulfur and they are thin and discontinous. The best conditions for the formation of extensive swamps, with open mires (densosporinite facies) in their central parts, prevailed during Westphalian A2 and B1 times. Low contents of sulfur and minerals and high content of inertinite are typical for these coals. Sedimentation mainly took place in the transitional zone from the lower to the upper delta plain. During the Westphalian B2 and C fluvial sedimentation dominated. Within the coal seams minerals, sulfur and pseudovitrinite increase while inertinite decreases. This is the consequence of coal of the densosporinite facies occurring with increased rarity. The coal seams of the Westphalian C2 contain no densosporinite facies because peat formation was restricted by increasing fluvial sedimentation and by a better drainage. As a consequence, extensive swamps with ‘open mires’ in the centre were no longer formed after the formation of the “Odin” seams. Above the “Odin” seams coal of the vitrinite-fusinite facies contains thick-walled torisporinites. Variations and lowering of the groundwater table caused mild oxidative influences during peat formation. This is documented by an increase in pseudovitrinite, the occurrence of torisporinites and the absence of spheroidal sideritic concretions. Sulfur content increases in the absence of the low-ash and low-sulfur coal of the densosporinite facies.In Upper Carboniferous coal seams of the Ibbenbüren Region the inertinite and telocollinite contents are higher than in those of the Ruhr Region. Therefore, variations of the groundwater table have been more pronounced and resulting oxidative influences must have been more severe. Seldom occurring marine and brackish horizons and a higher fusinite (fusain) content indicate a slight elevation of this area. From Early Westphalian D times onward, peat formation was no longer possible because of the better drainage. This resulted in severe oxidative conditions which excluded peat formation.