An experimental investigation of LNAPL migration in an unsaturated/saturated sand

Accidental spills of hydrocarbons, such as Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (LNAPLs), are one of the most common sources of subsurface contamination. Migration of LNAPL in a porous medium is influenced by various factors such as the number of fluids present in the unsaturated/saturated zones and the proportion of pores occupied by each fluid. The results for relationship between matric suction and degree of saturation are presented in this paper for water–air, water–LNAPL and LNAPL–air systems in a sand. A simple and reliable setup using Buchner funnel was designed to obtain these relations. It was found that the relationship between matric suction head and degree of saturation is hysteretic for all the fluid systems (water–air, water–LNAPL and LNAPL–air). Furthermore, the amount of hysteresis depended upon the fluid system, with the maximum hysteresis occurring for water–air system. The results suggest that the amount of trapped air depends upon the reversal degree of saturation from drying to wetting.     

Radio identification and continuum spectra of decameter-wavelength sources

The paper describes a method for the radio identification of decameter-wavelength sources based on their continuum spectra and analysis of their coordinates in relatively large error boxes surrounding a specified position on the sky. The distribution of continuum spectra and identifications in other wavelength ranges are analyzed for the resulting radio catalog. Using identifications with the FIRST and NVSS surveys, the statistics of the spectral index-size and spectral index-flux density distributions for steep-spectrum sources have been studied, and a catalog of ultrasteep-spectrum (α相似文献   

Changes in physical and chemical properties of three soil types in India as a result of amendment with fly ash and sewage sludge

The use of coal fly ash and domestic sewage sludge in agriculture is being considered as one of the methods for recycling of these wastes in an environmental beneficial manner. Mixtures with soil were prepared at different proportions of fly ash and sludge, either alone or in combination at a maximum application rate of 52 t ha^-1. The changes in the selected properties and heavy metal contents of three soil types in India were studied after incubating the respective mixtures for 90 days at near field capacity moisture level. Sewage sludge, due to its acidic and saline nature, high organic matter and heavy metals content, had more impact on soil properties than the fly ash. Sludge application produced several changes including an increase in available nitrogen, organic carbon, salinity and water-holding capacity of the soils. The concentrations of major cations and heavy metals also increased because of the sludge application and the pH was decreased. However, the levels of individual metal concentrations in all the mixture types were below the allowable limits prescribed by several environmental agencies. Using fly ash either alone or in equal quantity with sewage sludge had little influence on soil properties and heavy metal content. The relative availability (RA) of heavy metals in three soils amended with 52 t ha^-1 of sewage sludge was observed to be highest in oxisol, followed by alfisol and vertisol.     

Capture of Helium and Other Volatiles during the Growth of Olivine Phenocrysts in Picritic Basalts from the Juan Fernandez Islands

Olivine crystals in basalt contain helium that can be extractedfor isotopic analysis. Helium-bearing olivine phenocrysts inpicritic tholeiites from the Juan Fernandez Islands, SE Pacific,crystallized from moderately differentiated liquids. None arexenocrysts of mantle peridotite. The helium occurs in cavitiesor bubbles in inclusions best seen at high magnification inthe olivine. The olivine grew around spinel, sulfide, and bubblesthat preferentially nucleated on crystal surfaces. Inclusionswithin these phases range from large cavities to tiny, facetedpits arranged in rows. Many crystals contain curving trainsof inclusions along annealed features. The inclusions formedduring mixing between cooler differentiated magma and hotterolivine-charged magma, which accelerated vesiculation. Bubblesnucleated on the olivine as they do on ice when stirred in carbonatedwater. Mixing also induced thermal stress fracturing, like thecracking of ice dropped into water. Cracking, irregular extinction,and subgrain formation occurred when faceted crystals collidedwith each other or with conduit walls. Boundary layer meltsand bubbles were drawn quickly into the fractures. Thus fewinclusions contain equilibrium proportions of minerals and vapor.Mantle-derived helium clearly permeated into shallow storagereservoirs, including rift zones where magmatic differentiation,mixing, and vapor exsolution were fairly extensive. KEY WORDS: Juan Fernandez; volatiles; inclusions; olivine; picrite     

Use of Geomorphological Information in Indirect Landslide Susceptibility Assessment

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the importance of geomorphological expert knowledge in the generation of landslide susceptibility maps, using GIS supported indirect bivariate statistical analysis. For a test area in the Alpago region in Italy a dataset was generated at scale 1:5,000. Detailed geomorphological maps were generated, with legends at different levels of complexity. Other factor maps, that were considered relevant for the assessment of landslide susceptibility, were also collected, such as lithology, structural geology, surficial materials, slope classes, land use, distance from streams, roads and houses. The weights of evidence method was used to generate statistically derived weights for all classes of the factor maps. On the basis of these weights, the most relevant maps were selected for the combination into landslide susceptibility maps. Six different combinations of factor maps were evaluated, with varying geomorphological input. Success rates were used to classify the weight maps into three qualitative landslide susceptibility classes. The resulting six maps were compared with a direct susceptibility map, which was made by direct assignment of susceptibility classes in the field. The analysis indicated that the use of detailed geomorphological information in the bivariate statistical analysis raised the overall accuracy of the final susceptibility map considerably. However, even with the use of a detailed geomorphological factor map, the difference with the separately prepared direct susceptibility map is still significant, due to the generalisations that are inherent to the bivariate statistical analysis technique.     

Atomistic simulation of the structure and elastic properties of pyrite (FeS2) as a function of pressure

Interatomic potential parameters have been derived at simulated temperatures of 0 K and 300 K to model pyrite FeS₂. The predicted pyrite structures are within 1% of those determined experimentally, while the calculated bulk modulus is within 7%. The model is also able to simulate the properties of marcasite, even though no data for this phase were included in the fitting procedure. There is almost no difference in results obtained for pyrite using the two potential sets; however, when used to model FeS₂ marcasite, the potential fitted at 0 K performs better. The potentials have also been used to study the high-pressure behaviour of pyrite up to 44 GPa. The calculated equation of state gives good agreement with experiment and shows that the Fe–S bonds shorten more rapidly that the S–S dimer bonds. The behaviour of marcasite at high pressure is found to be similar to that of pyrite.     

Metamorphic petrology and zircon geochronology of high-grade rocks from the central Mozambique Belt of Tanzania: crustal recycling of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic material during the Pan-African orogeny

New data on the metamorphic petrology and zircon geochronology of high‐grade rocks in the central Mozambique Belt (MB) of Tanzania show that this part of the orogen consists of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic material that was structurally reworked during the Pan‐African event. The metamorphic rocks are characterized by a clockwise P–T path, followed by strong decompression, and the time of peak granulite facies metamorphism is similar to other granulite terranes in Tanzania. The predominant rock types are mafic to intermediate granulites, migmatites, granitoid orthogneisses and kyanite/sillimanite‐bearing metapelites. The meta‐granitoid rocks are of calc‐alkaline composition, range in age from late Archean to Neoproterozoic, and their protoliths were probably derived from magmatic arcs during collisional processes. Mafic to intermediate granulites consist of the mineral assemblage garnet–clinopyroxene–plagioclase–quartz–biotite–amphibole ± K‐feldspar ± orthopyroxene ± oxides. Metapelites are composed of garnet‐biotite‐plagioclase ± K‐feldspar ± kyanite/sillimanite ± oxides. Estimated values for peak granulite facies metamorphism are 12–13 kbar and 750–800 °C. Pressures of 5–8 kbar and temperatures of 550–700 °C characterize subsequent retrogression to amphibolite facies conditions. Evidence for a clockwise P–T path is provided by late growth of sillimanite after kyanite in metapelites. Zircon ages indicate that most of the central part of the MB in Tanzania consists of reworked ancient crust as shown by Archean (c. 2970–2500 Ma) and Palaeoproterozoic (c. 2124–1837 Ma) protolith ages. Metamorphic zircon from metapelites and granitoid orthogneisses yielded ages of c. 640 Ma which are considered to date peak regional granulite facies metamorphism during the Pan‐African orogenic event. However, the available zircon ages for the entire MB in East Africa and Madagascar also document that peak metamorphic conditions were reached at different times in different places. Large parts of the MB in central Tanzania consist of Archean and Palaeoproterozoic material that was reworked during the Pan‐African event and that may have been part of the Tanzania Craton and Usagaran domain farther to the west.     

Lithofacies succession of maar crater deposits in the Eifel area (Germany)

ABSTRACT Maar craters often contain exceptionally preserved fossils and maar sediments may reflect detailed environmental changes. Volcanosedimentary processes in a Middle Eocene maar crater lake are illustrated by the deposits of Eckfeld Maar in the Tertiary Hocheifel Volcanic Field (Rhenish Massif, Germany). The maar origin of the basin is evident from a circular negative gravity anomaly which indicates a low-density funnel-shaped basin filling. From the facies analysis of an Eocene (Eckfeld) and a Pleistocene (Döttingen) maar we develop a lithozone classification for the interpretation of maar sediments: syn-/post-eruptive breccias are followed by a fining-upwards sequence of lacustrine mud with coarse layers and final swamp deposits. From the facies analysis and regional geological data we reconstruct the pre- to post-eruptive history of a maar crater prior to post-Eocene uplift. These observations can be used for the interpretation of Tertiary and Quaternary maar craters that are ideal fossil and sediment traps.