Coupling basin- and site-scale inverse models of the Española aquifer

Large-scale models are frequently used to estimate fluxes to small-scale models. The uncertainty associated with these flux estimates, however, is rarely addressed. We present a case study from the Espa?ola Basin, northern New Mexico, where we use a basin-scale model coupled with a high-resolution, nested site-scale model. Both models are three-dimensional and are analyzed by codes FEHM and PEST. Using constrained nonlinear optimization, we examine the effect of parameter uncertainty in the basin-scale model on the nonlinear confidence limits of predicted fluxes to the site-scale model. We find that some of the fluxes are very well constrained, while for others there is fairly large uncertainty. Site-scale transport simulation results, however, are relatively insensitive to the estimated uncertainty in the fluxes. We also compare parameter estimates obtained by the basin- and site-scale inverse models. Differences in the model grid resolution (scale of parameter estimation) result in differing delineation of hydrostratigraphic units, so the two models produce different estimates for some units. The effect is similar to the observed scale effect in medium properties owing to differences in tested volume. More important, estimation uncertainty of model parameters is quite different at the two scales. Overall, the basin inverse model resulted in significantly lower estimates of uncertainty, because of the larger calibration dataset available. This suggests that the basin-scale model contributes not only important boundary condition information but also improved parameter identification for some units. Our results demonstrate that caution is warranted when applying parameter estimates inferred from a large-scale model to small-scale simulations, and vice versa.     

Measurement of copper release rates from antifouling paint under laboratory and in situ conditions: implications for loading estimation to marine water bodies

The release of biocides, such as copper (Cu), from antifouling (AF) coatings on vessel hulls represents a significant proportion of overall Cu loading in those harbors and estuaries where substantial numbers of small craft or large vessels are berthed. Copper release rates were measured on several self-polishing, tin-free coatings and an ablative Cu reference coating applied to steel panels using three measurement methods. The panels were exposed in natural seawater in San Diego Bay, and release rates were measured both in the laboratory and field over 2 years. Results with the static (20 cm x 30 cm) panels indicated that Cu release rates were initially high (25-65 microg Cu cm(-2)day(-1)), with a large range of values between paint types. Release rates declined to substantially lower rates (8-22 microg cm(-2)day(-1)) with reduced variability within 2 months. Release rates continued to decrease over time for approximately 6 months when relatively constant release rates were observed for most coatings. Over time, relative differences in Cu release rates measured by three exposure methods decreased, with all coatings exhibiting similar behavior toward the end of the study. Lowest overall Cu release rates were observed with the self-polishing experimental paint no. 7 in static-dynamic and in situ treatments. The highest periodic release rates were measured from panels that experienced periods of both static and dynamic exposure (8.7 ms(-1) rotation). The lowest release rates were measured from panels that experienced static, constant depth exposure, and where release rates were evaluated in situ, using a novel diver-deployed measurement system. Results from this in situ technique suggests that it more closely reflects actual Cu release rates on vessel hulls measured with intact natural biofilms under ambient conditions than measurements using standardized laboratory release rate methods. In situ measurements made directly on the AF surface of vessels demonstrated typically lower release rates than from the panel studies, averaging 8.2 microg cm(-2)day(-1) on pleasure craft, and 3.8 microg cm(-2)day(-1) on Navy vessels. The data suggest that the presence of an established biofilm likely serves to moderate the release of Cu from field-exposed antifouling coatings both on panels and hull surfaces.     

Positionality and Praxis: Fieldwork Experiences in Rural India

This paper provides a reflexive account of conducting fieldwork as a graduate student in the Sunderban area of West Bengal state, India, in the mid‐1990s. Reflecting on my personal experiences of research in a setting that was simultaneously familiar and foreign, I use frames of positionality to understand the impact of explicit and implied power structures on the research process, the relationships between the researcher and those researched, and the transfer of knowledge. This paper argues that the multiple subject positions and identities of both scholar and subjects as presented in the field vary with setting, and that these positionalities affect access to informants, the tenor and outcomes of encounters, and knowledge production. While self‐reflexivity is endorsed as a strategy for critically informed research, active measures such as openness about the agenda and activities undertaken, self‐disclosure, making conscious accommodations for the research subject's work schedule and time constraints, mutual sharing of information, and explicit recognition of the research subjects' expertise through lived experiences are proposed as strategies for equalising the power balance between scholar and subject.     

Source regions of granites and their links to tectonic environment: examples from the western United States

This review, in honor of Ilmari Haapala's retirement, reflects on lessons learned from studies of three granitic systems in western North America: (1) Mesoproterozoic samples from west Texas and east New Mexico; (2) Laramide granitic systems associated with porphyry-copper deposits in Arizona; and (3) granites of the Colorado Mineral Belt. The studies elucidate relationships amongst tectonic setting, source material, and magma chemistry.

Mesoproterozoic basement samples are from two different felsic suites with distinct elemental and isotopic compositions. The first suite, the “plutonic province”, is dominantly magnesian, calc-alkalic to alkali-calcic, and metaluminous. It has low K₂O/Na₂O and Rb/Sr, and Nd model ages of 1.56 to 1.40 Ga. The second suite, the “Panhandle igneous complex”, is magnesian, metaluminous, alkalic, and is part of the Mesoproterozoic belt of magmatism that extends from Finland to southwestern United States. Samples from the Panhandle igneous complex demonstrate three episodes of magmatism: the first pulse was intrusion of quartz monzonite at 1380 to 1370 Ma; the second was comagmatic epizonal granite and rhyolite at 1360 to 1350 Ma. Both of these rock types are high-K to slightly ultra-high-K. The third pulse at 1338 to 1330 Ma was intrusion of ultra-high-K quartz syenite. Nd model ages (1.94 to 1.52 Ga) are distinct from those of the “plutonic province” and systematically older than crystallization ages, implying a substantial crustal input to the magmas.

At the Sierrita porphyry-copper deposit in the Mazatzal Province of southeastern Arizona, trace element, Sr, and Nd isotopic compositions were determined for a suite of andesitic and rhyolitic rocks (67 Ma) intruded by granodiorite and granite. Isotopic composition and chemical evolution are well correlated throughout the suite. Andesite has the least negative initial ε_Nd (−4.3) and lowest ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i (0.7069). It is also the oldest and chemically most primitive, having low concentrations of Rb, SiO₂, and high concentrations of transition elements. These parameters change through the system to the youngest unit (granite), which has the most negative ε_Nd (−8.5), the highest ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i (0.7092), and is chemically most evolved. Correlation between chemical and Nd isotopic evolution probably resulted from a continuous process of progressive assimilation, in which mafic magmas invade and incorporate continental crust. Deposits in Arizona with ε_Nd values more negative than the −8.5 of Sierrita lie in the older Yavapai province in the northwestern part of the state. The difference in the most negative epsilon Nd implies that Nd isotopic signature is sensitive to the age of the Precambrian domain.

The granites from the Colorado Mineral Belt were emplaced during the transition from Laramide convergence to mid-Tertiary extension. Three different groups of granites are recognized. The first is Laramide and was formed during assimilation-fractional crystallization involving lower crustal mafic source materials; the second and third groups are mid-Tertiary and represent intracrustal melting of heterogeneous sources. This change in source regions and melt regimes in transition from convergence to extension is fundamental to the Mesozoic and Cenozoic evolution of western North America.     

DFT study of the cation arrangements in the octahedral and tetrahedral sheets of dioctahedral 2:1 phyllosilicates

Quantum mechanical calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) are used to study the crystal structures of dioctahedral 2:1 phyllosilicates. The isomorphous cation substitution is investigated by exploring different substitutions of octahedral Al³⁺ by Mg²⁺ or Fe³⁺, tetrahedral substitution of Si⁴⁺ by Al³⁺, and different interlayer cations (IC) (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺). Samples with different kinds of layer charges are studied: only tetrahedrally charged, only octahedrally charged, or mixed octahedral/tetrahedral charged. The effect of the relative arrangements of these substitutions on the lattice parameters and total energy is studied. The experimental observation of segregation tendency of Fe³⁺ and dispersion tendency of Mg²⁺ in the octahedral sheet is reproduced and explained with reference to the relative energies of the octahedral cation arrangements. These energies are higher than those due to the IC/tetrahedral and IC/octahedral relative arrangements. The tetrahedral and octahedral substitutions that generate charged layers also tend to be dispersed. The octahedral cation exchange potentials change with the IC-charge/ionic radius value.     

Hydrodynamic response of subduction zones to seismic activity: A case study for the Costa Rica margin

Thermal anomalies in tectonically active areas are often attributed to sub-seafloor fluid circulation and faulting mechanisms, particularly in subduction zones where the largest thrust earthquakes occur. Postseismic fluid flow is enabled by the poroelastic response of the fault system to the earthquake's strain field, as well as by the rupturing of permeability barriers in the vicinity of the fault zone. We investigated the relative importance of these mechanisms on postseismic pore-pressure diffusion and advective heat transport in the subduction zone setting. A two-dimensional numerical fluid flow and heat transport model was developed for the Costa Rica subduction zone offshore of the Nicoya Peninsula. The flow and transport model was coupled with an earthquake strain model to quantify the effects of coseismic strain and permeability enhancement on fluid pressures and temperatures within the Costa Rica margin. Coseismic changes in pore pressure and postseismic pore-pressure diffusion were found to be sensitive to the compressibility of the porous medium, and patterns of pore-pressure recovery were more complex than that predicted by theoretical faulting models. Coseismic contraction and extension of the crust produced high fluid pressures close to the fault, while the inflow of fluid from depth increased fluid pressures several years following the simulated fault slip. Crustal deformation alone was not observed to perturb the temperature field. Laterally extensive permeability increases of two orders of magnitude along the décollement were required to produce small changes in heat flow. Local permeability changes in the upper slope region of least five orders of magnitude were necessary to noticeably affect heat flow. The results of the numerical simulations may help to refine conceptual faulting models and provide guidance for locating long-term hydrologic monitoring sites at Costa Rica and other subduction zones.     

Optimization strategies for sediment reduction practices on roads in steep,forested terrain

Many forested steeplands in the western United States display a legacy of disturbances due to timber harvest, mining or wildfires, for example. Such disturbances have caused accelerated hillslope erosion, leading to increased sedimentation in fish‐bearing streams. Several restoration techniques have been implemented to address these problems in mountain catchments, many of which involve the removal of abandoned roads and re‐establishing drainage networks across road prisms. With limited restoration funds to be applied across large catchments, land managers are faced with deciding which areas and problems should be treated first, and by which technique, in order to design the most effective and cost‐effective sediment reduction strategy. Currently most restoration is conducted on a site‐specific scale according to uniform treatment policies. To create catchment‐scale policies for restoration, we developed two optimization models – dynamic programming and genetic algorithms – to determine the most cost‐effective treatment level for roads and stream crossings in a pilot study basin with approximately 700 road segments and crossings. These models considered the trade‐offs between the cost and effectiveness of different restoration strategies to minimize the predicted erosion from all forest roads within a catchment, while meeting a specified budget constraint. The optimal sediment reduction strategies developed by these models performed much better than two strategies of uniform erosion control which are commonly applied to road erosion problems by land managers, with sediment savings increased by an additional 48 to 80 per cent. These optimization models can be used to formulate the most cost‐effective restoration policy for sediment reduction on a catchment scale. Thus, cost savings can be applied to further restoration work within the catchment. Nevertheless, the models are based on erosion rates measured on past restoration sites, and need to be updated as additional monitoring studies evaluate long‐term basin response to erosion control treatments. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

O/O mapping and hydrogeology of a short-lived (≈10 years) fumarolic (>500°C) meteoric–hydrothermal event in the upper part of the 0.76 Ma Bishop Tuff outflow sheet, California

¹⁸O/¹⁶O data from the 200-m-thick, 0.76 Ma Bishop Tuff outflow sheet provide evidence for a vigorous, short-lived (≈10 years), high-temperature, fumarolic meteoric–hydrothermal event. This is proved by: (1) the juxtaposition in the upper, partially welded Bishop Tuff of low-¹⁸O groundmass/glass (δ¹⁸O=−5 to +3) with coexisting quartz and feldspar phenocrysts having magmatic δ¹⁸O values (+8.7±0.3; +7.5±0.3); and (2) the fact that these kinds of ¹⁸O/¹⁶O signatures correlate very well with morphological features and mapped zones of fumarolic activity. Profiles of δ¹⁸O with depth in the Bishop Tuff within the fumarole area define a 40- to 50-m-thick, low-¹⁸O, stratigraphic zone that is sandwiched between the essentially unwelded near-surface portion of the tuff and an underlying, densely welded black tuff that displays magmatic ¹⁸O/¹⁶O values. Shallow-dipping columnar joints and other fumarolic features (i.e., subhorizontal tubular conduits and steep fissures) correlate very well with these pervasively devitrified, low-¹⁸O zones. The base of the low-¹⁸O zone is extremely sharp (3‰ per meter) and is located directly above the transition from partially welded tuff to densely welded black tuff. The observed average whole-rock ¹⁸O-depletions within this low-¹⁸O zone are about 6–7‰, requiring meteoric water/rock ratios in excess of 0.24 in mass units. Rainfall on the surface of the tuff would not have been high enough to supply this much H₂O in the short lifetime of fumarolic activity, suggesting that some recharge must have been from groundwater flow through the upper part of the tuff, above the sloping (1°–5°) top of the impermeable lower zone. This is compatible with the observation that the fumarolic areas roughly correlate with the preeruptive regional drainage pattern. Some of this recharge may in part have been from the lake that filled Long Valley caldera, which was dammed by the Bishop Tuff up to the level of this boundary between the partially and densely welded zones (≈7000 ft, the elevation of the highest Long Valley Lake shorelines). Gazis et al. had previously shown that the 2.8-Ma intracaldera Chegem Tuff from the Caucasus Mountains exhibits exactly the same kind of ¹⁸O-signature that we have correlated with fossil fumaroles in the Bishop Tuff outflow sheet. Although not recognized as such by McConnell et al.; ¹⁸O/¹⁶O data from drill-hole samples from the intracaldera Bishop Tuff in Long Valley also display this characteristic ¹⁸O signature (i.e., analogous δ¹⁸O-depth profiles, as well as low-¹⁸O groundmass coexisting with high-¹⁸O feldspar phenocrysts). This fumarolic ¹⁸O/¹⁶O signature is observed to much greater depths (≈650–750 m) in the intracaldera tuffs (≈1500 m thick) than it is in the ≈200-m-thick Bishop Tuff outflow sheet (≈80 m depth).