Environmental hydrogeology of the southern sector of the Samborombon Bay wetland,Argentina

The Samborombon Bay wetland is located on the west margin of the Rio de la Plata estuary, in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This paper analyses the geological, geomorphologic, soil and vegetation characteristics of the southernmost sector of this wetland and their influence on surface water and groundwater. The study area presents three hydrologic units: coastal dunes, sand sheets and coastal plain. Coastal dunes and sand sheets are recharge zones of high permeability with well-drained, non-saline soils, and a few surface water flows. Changes in the water table are related to rainfall. Groundwater in coastal dunes is Ca–Mg–HCO₃ to Na–HCO₃, and of low salinity (590 mg/l). Groundwater in sand sheets is mainly Na–HCO₃ with a salinity of about 1,020 mg/l. The coastal plain exhibits medium to low permeability sediments, with submerged saline soils poorly drained. Groundwater is Na–Cl with a mean salinity of 16,502 mg/l. A surface hydrological network develops in the coastal plain. Surface water levels near the shoreline are affected by tidal fluctuations; far from the shoreline water accumulates because of poor drainage. Both sectors have Na–Cl water, but the former is more saline. Human intervention and sea level rise may affect the wetland severely.     

Implications of channel flow analogue models for extrusion of the Higher Himalayan Shear Zone with special reference to the out-of-sequence thrusting

The Higher Himalayan Shear Zone (HHSZ) contains a ductile top-to-N/NE shear zone—the South Tibetan detachment system-lower (STDS_L) and an out-of-sequence thrust (OOST) as well as a top-to-N/NE normal shear at its northern boundary and ubiquitously distributed compressional top-to-S/SW shear throughout the shear zone. The OOST that was active between 22 Ma and the Holocene, varies in thickness from 50 m to 6 km and in throw from 1.4 to 20 km. Channel flow analogue models of this structural geology were performed in this work. A Newtonian viscous polymer (PDMS) was pushed through a horizontal channel leading to an inclined channel with parallel and upward-diverging boundaries analogous to the HHSZ and allowed to extrude to the free surface. A top-to-N/NE shear zone equivalent to the STDS_U developed spontaneously. This also indirectly connotes an independent flow confined to the southern part of the HHSZ gave rise to the STDS_L. The PDMS originally inside the horizontal channel extruded at a faster rate through the upper part of the inclined channel. The lower boundary of this faster PDMS defined the OOST. The model OOST originated at the corner and reached the vent at positions similar to the natural prototype some time after the channel flow began. The genesis of the OOST seems to be unrelated to any rheologic contrast or climatic effects. Profound variations in the flow parameters along the HHSZ and the extrusive force probably resulted in variations in the timing, location, thickness and slip parameters of the OOST. Variation in pressure gradient within the model horizontal channel, however, could not be matched with the natural prototype. Channel flow alone presumably did not result in southward propagation of deformation in the Himalaya.     

Evaluating the influence of mixture composition on the kinetics of salt damage in wall paintings using time lapse video imaging with direct data annotation

This paper presents an examination of the timescale of phase transition behaviour of a series of salts known to cause damage to wall paintings and other cultural property. The rate of deliquescence and crystallisation of single salts (nitromagnesite and halite) under different RH regimes, and the extent to which this was affected when mixed with other salts (niter, nitratite and gypsum), was investigated. The study was conducted using simple conventional techniques (mass measurements over time) and also using an innovative new method: timelapse video imaging with online data annotation. The results demonstrate the synergy gained from combining video imaging with environmental data in reference to time in the study of salt phase changes: where it revealed new information concerning the kinetics of deliquescence and crystallisation. The implications of these results for the implementation of environmental control measures within historic buildings are discussed.

Geothermal potential evaluation and development prioritization based on geochemistry of geothermal waters from Kangding area,western Sichuan,China

Kangding geothermal area is located in the western Sichuan, belonging to southeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau. Similar to world-renowned south Tibetan and western Yunnan geothermal belt, western Sichuan has intensive surface thermal manifestations including boiling and hot springs. The emerging temperature of thermal waters ranges from 47 to 79 °C with total dissolved solids lying between 899 and 2550 mg/L. δ²H–δ¹⁸O isotopes indicate a meteoric source for the thermal waters and a significant positive oxygen-18 shift in the southern region. It is suggested that southern thermal waters experienced stronger water–rock interaction and are closer to thermodynamic equilibrium, which is also proved by the water type classification. The reservoir temperature calculated by empirical and theoretical chemical thermometry is 180–225 °C for the north and 225–310 °C for the south. Evidences of hydrogeochemistry, stable isotopes, geothermometry and radiocarbon dating indicate that southern region of Kangding area shows greater geothermal potential than the northern region. In addition, based on the hydrogeochemical modeling of mineral saturation, underlying problem of scaling is likely to occur in the study area. According to the results of reservoir temperature, south Kangding sub-district has greater potential in geothermal power generation and development than northern Kangding. Therefore, further exploration and drilling work should give priority to the south Kangding area.     

Changing depositional environment revealed from sediment components,west of “Swatch of No Ground”, northern Bay of Bengal

The sediment cores of 20 cm length collected from 31 to 83 m range of water depth from the inner shelf of Bay of Bengal west of “Swatch of No Ground” were analyzed for grain size, organic carbon, total nitrogen, calcium carbonate and clay mineralogy. Grain size analysis revealed that the sediment size decreases from west to east within the study area indicating a possible direction of transport towards east parallel to the coast. The grain size also decreases with increasing water depth, i.e. north to south, indicating sediment contribution to the area of study from Hooghly and other local rivers. In the cores studied, illite was the dominant clay mineral which seems to be a product of glacial weathering under arid conditions with its source being the Himalayan region. The organic carbon content was low in the sediments and was attributed to low plankton production or intense oxidation processes. Low calcium carbonate percentage also supports the view of a low productivity in this region. Organic carbon increases gradually from west to east indicating its association with finer sediments and also indicates transport due to currents which drift the organic carbon away before it settles down within the sediments. Higher values relatively closer to the coast in the eastern side indicate additional contribution from Sunderban mangroves. The C/N ratio obtained indicates mixed source of terrestrial and marine for the organic matter in the sediments. Sedimentation rates available for deltaic plains and shelves off Bangladesh when adopted for the present area revealed that a 20 cm long sediment column was deposited in around 10 years. In most of the cores studied, a change in the trend of sediment components and organic carbon was observed at around 10 cm where grain size increases and organic carbon decreases towards the surface inferring that during the last 5 years, possible floods during NE monsoon or due to melting of ice in Himalaya are responsible for releasing additional water and material which brought a change in hydrodynamic conditions. The surface depletion of organic carbon indicates its dilution by the addition of coarser materials.     

Cotton Fiber/ZrO2, A New Material for Adsorption of Cr(VI) Ions in Water

The natural cotton fiber was used to synthesize an anion exchange, containing ZrO₂ film on its surface, NCFZC (natural cotton fiber/ZrO₂ composite). This anion exchanger was produced by the reaction of the zirconium oxychloride and hydroxyl groups on surface of the natural cotton fiber. The material was used for Cr(VI) ions adsorption studies. Adsorption equilibrium time and optimum pH for Cr(VI) adsorption were found to be 6 h and 4.0, respectively. The Langmuir and Temkin isotherms were used to models adsorption equilibrium data. The adsorption capacity of NCFZC was found to be 1.33 mmol/g. Kinetic studies showed that the rate of adsorption of Cr(VI) on NCFZC obeyed a pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model.     

Phytoplankton productivity in the western subarctic gyre of the North Pacific in early summer 2006

We deployed a profiling buoy system incorporating a fast repetition rate fluorometer in the western subarctic Pacific and carried out time-series observations of phytoplankton productivity from 9 June to 15 July 2006. The chlorophyll a (Chl a) biomass integrated over the euphotic layer was as high as 45–50 mg Chl a m⁻² in the middle of June and remained in the 30–40 mg Chl a m⁻² range during the rest of observation period; day-to-day variation in Chl a biomass was relatively small. The daily net primary productivity integrated over the euphotic layer ranged from 144 to 919 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹ and varied greatly, depending more on insolation rather than Chl a biomass. In addition, we found that part of primary production was exported to a 150-m depth within 2 days, indicating that the variations in primary productivity quickly influenced the organic carbon flux from the upper ocean. Our results suggest that the short-term variability in primary productivity is one of the key factors controlling the carbon cycle in the surface ocean in the western subarctic Pacific.     

Mapping the change of coral reefs using remote sensing and in situ measurements: a case study in Pangkajene and Kepulauan Regency,Spermonde Archipelago,Indonesia

As elsewhere in Indonesia, local inhabitants in the Pangkajene and Kepulauan (PANGKEP) Regency, Spermonde Archipelago area and along the south-west coast of Sulawesi traditionally regard the coral reefs as their livelihood source. Since human activities as well as natural disturbances pose major threats to the coral reefs, these livelihoods may also be at risk. Currently, no comprehensive information on the status and condition of coral reefs in this area is available for this resource management. We determined the changes of coral reef habitat over a period of 20 years from 1994 to 2014 using a satellite Landsat multi-temporal image substantiated with in situ measurement data collected in 2014. The spectral value of coral reefs was extracted from multi-temporal Landsat imagery data, while the diffuse attenuation coefficient of water was obtained by using statistical analysis between the ratio of live coral cover and the spectral value of the visible bands. By using the unsupervised classification integrated with the data ground truth, it is stated that there has been a decline in live coral cover over a period of 20 years from 7716 ha in 1994 to 4236 ha in 2014, with a degradation rate of 174 ha/year. Based on the results, the ratio of the coral cover in the coral reef transects varied from the average of 24% for live corals to 96% for coral rubbles, implying the degraded status of coral reefs in the study area.     

Numerical Model of Two-Phase Flow in Dissolvable Porous Media and Simulation of Reservoir Acidizing

Mathematical model of porous media dissolution coupled with two-phase flow is proposed. The model is based on the conception of dissolvable porous medium with deformable mass-variable porous skeleton. Model can be used for simulation of coupled chemo- and hydrogeomechanical processes which are difficult to examine experimentally. Acidizing of calcite oil reservoir is used as an example of the process. Water solution of hydrochloric acid and oil are two fluid phases of the model with several components. Dissolvable porous media is treated as deformable mass-variable solid phase. Change in mass of the solid phase is caused by hydrochloric acid dissolving the calcite part of the solid phase. Dissolution is supposed to be congruent; kinetics is governed by the Nernst law. Software for numerical solution of the model is developed. It uses AmgCL parallel library for high-performance computing in order to deal with large algebraic systems on the each time step of calculations. The library uses algebraic multigrid methods for preconditioning and parallel iterative solvers. NVidia CUDA framework is used as a backend to perform GPGPU calculations, because it proved to be faster than OpenCL framework on this problem. Numerical experiments on the basis of data set from real reservoirs are conducted with the developed software. Good correlation between field and calculated data is achieved. Numerical experiments for different configurations of heterogeneous layer are performed. Acidizing of layers with highly permeable conduit and with random distribution of permeability is modeled.