Depth-dependent sampling to identify short-circuit pathways to public-supply wells in multiple aquifer settings in the United States

Depth-dependent water-quality and borehole flow data were used to determine where and how contamination enters public-supply wells (PSWs) at study sites in different principal aquifers of the United States. At each of three study sites, depth-dependent samples and wellbore flow data were collected from multiple depths in selected PSWs under pumping conditions. The chemistry of these depth-dependent samples, along with samples of the surface discharge from the PSWs, was compared to that of adjacent nested monitoring wells. The results of depth-dependent analyses from sites in Modesto (California), York (Nebraska), and Tampa (Florida) are summarized and compared. Although the exact mechanisms for transport of contaminants to the PSWs varied among these hydrogeologic settings, in all three settings the presence of wells or boreholes or natural preferential flow paths allowed water and contaminants to bypass substantial portions of the aquifer and to reach PSWs or depths in the aquifer more quickly than would have occurred in the absence of these short-circuiting flow paths. The chemistry and flow data from multiple depths was essential to developing an understanding of the dominant flow paths of contaminants to PSW in all three settings. This knowledge contributes to developing effective strategies for monitoring and protection.     

Phytoplankton Community Indicators of Short- and Long-term Ecological Change in the Anthropogenically and Climatically Impacted Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, USA

Estuarine and coastal systems represent a challenge when it comes to determining the causes of ecological change because human and natural perturbations often interact. Phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a) and group-specific photopigment indicators were examined from 1994 to 2007 to assess community responses to nutrient and climatic perturbations in the Neuse River Estuary, NC. This system experienced nutrient enrichment and hydrologic variability, including droughts, and an increase in hurricanes. Freshwater input strongly interacted with supplies of the limiting nutrient nitrogen (N) and temperature to determine the location, magnitude, and composition of phytoplankton biomass. Multi-annual, seasonal, and episodic hydrologic perturbations, including changes in the frequency and intensity of tropical storms, hurricanes and droughts, caused significant shifts in phytoplankton community structure. Climatic oscillations can at times overwhelm anthropogenic nutrient inputs in terms of controlling algal bloom thresholds, duration, and spatial extent. Eutrophication models should incorporate climatically driven changes to better predict phytoplankton community responses to nutrient inputs and other anthropogenic perturbations.     

Limnology of Lake Waikaremoana with special reference to littoral and pelagic primary producers

Lake Waikaremoana, the North Island's deepest lake (248 m), lies in a natural forested catchment, but the lake itself has been modified for hydro‐electric power generation and by the introduction of trout, smelt, and adventive aquatic plants. The lake is a warm monomictic water body of low conductivity (82 μS cm^‐1) and a high seasonal water column stability. The waters are oligotrophic, with epilimnetic dissolved reactive phosphorus concentrations typically < 1 mg m^‐3. The concentration of NO₃‐N is seasonally variable but generally high in winter and spring with maximum epilimnetic values approaching 70 mg m ³. This contrasts with other central North Island lakes. Horizontal variability in surface chlorophyll a is low as are the absolute values (< 1–2 mg m^‐3). A notable feature is the formation of a deep chlorophyll maximum within the metalim‐nion comprised largely of Sphaewcystis schweteri as opposed to diatoms and flagellates which normally dominate the epilimnion. Vascular macro‐phytes (maximum biomass 659 g m² dry weight) extended to 9 m and characeans (maximum biomass 447 g m²dry weight) to 16 m. Total phyto‐plankton primary production was calculated as 4524 tCy^‐1 and macrophyte production as 578 t C y^‐1. The proportion of macrophyte to phy‐toplankton production (0.14) is higher than in the other deep lakes of the central North Island.     

Size-resolved aerosol chemical concentrations at rural and urban sites in Central California, USA

Aerosol size distributions were measured with Micro Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI) cascade impactors at the rural Angiola and urban Fresno Supersites in California's San Joaquin Valley during the California Regional PM₁₀/PM_2.5 Air Quality Study (CRPAQS) winter campaign from December 15, 2000 to February 3, 2001. PM_2.5 filter samples were collected concurrently at both sites with Sequential Filter Samplers (SFS). MOUDI nitrate (NO₃⁻) concentrations reached 66 μg/m³ on January 6, 2001 during the 1000–1600 PST (GMT-8) period. Pair-wise comparisons between PM_2.5 MOUDI and SFS concentrations revealed high correlations at the Angiola site (r > 0.93) but more variability (r < 0.85) at the Fresno site for NO₃⁻, sulfate (SO₄⁼), and ammonium (NH₄⁺). Correlations were higher at Fresno (r > 0.87) than at Angiola (r < 0.7) for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and total carbon (TC). NO₃⁻ and SO₄⁼ size distributions in Fresno were multi-modal and wider than the uni-modal distributions observed at Angiola. Geometric mean diameters (GMD) were smaller for OC and EC than for NO₃⁻ and SO₄⁼ at both sites. OC and EC were more concentrated on the lowest MOUDI stage (0.056 µm) at Angiola than at Fresno. The NO₃⁻ GMD increased from 0.97 to 1.02 µm as the NO₃⁻ concentration at Angiola increased from 43 to 66 µg m^− 3 during a PM_2.5 episode from January 4–7, 2001. There was a direct relationship between GMD and NO₃⁻ and SO₄⁼ concentrations at Angiola but no such relationships for OC or EC. This demonstrates that secondary aerosol formation increases both concentration and particle size for the rural California environment.     

THE COLONY METEORITE AND VARIATIONS IN CO3 CHONDRITE PROPERTIES

The Colony meteorite is an accretionary breccia containing several millimeter-to centimeter-size chondritic clasts embedded in a chondritic host. Colony is one of the least equilibrated CO3 chondrites; it has an unrecrystallized texture and contains compositionally heterogeneous olivine and low-Ca pyroxene, kamacite with low Ni and Co and high Cr, amoeboid inclusions with low FeO and MnO, a fine-grained silicate matrix with very high FeO, and numerous small chondrules with clear pink glass. However, Colony differs from normal CO chondrites in several respects: Although Al, Sc, V, Cr, Ir, Fe, Au and Ga abundances are consistent with a CO chondrite classification, certain lithophiles (Mg and Mn), siderophiles (Ni and Co) and chalcophiles (Se and Zn) are depleted by factors of 10–40%. The shape of Colony's thermoluminescence (TL) glow curve is similar to that of Allan Hills A77307 (another unequilibrated chondrite with CO3 petrological characteristics) and different from those of normal CO chondrites. [ALHA77307 also resembles Colony in having low Mg, Mn, Ni and Co, compared to normal CO chondrites, but it possesses CO-CV levels of Se and Zn and nearly CV levels of Cd.] Colony is badly weathered; it contains 22.7 wt.% Fe₂O₃ and 5.7 wt.% H₂O. Recalculating the analysis on an H₂O-free basis with all Fe₂O₃, NiO and CoO converted to metal, yields an inferred original metallic Fe, Ni abundance of ～ 19 wt.%. This is similar to that of Kainsaz (an unweathered CO3 fall), but much higher than that of all other CO3 chondrites (< 6.3 wt.%). Although it is possible that Colony and either ALHA77307 or Kainsaz constitute distinct CO3 chemical subgroups, the weathered nature of Colony and ALHA77307 preclude the drawing of firm conclusions. Nevertheless, it is clear that CO3 chondrites vary more in compositional and petrological properties than was previously recognized.     

Organic matter assimilation and selective feeding by holothurians in the deep sea: some observations and comments

The selective feeding behaviour and assimilation efficiencies of deep-sea holothurians were investigated in order to assess their impact on carbon and nitrogen remineralisation on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP; 49°N 16°W, 4850 m water depth). Unfortunately, reliable determination of organic matter in the gut contents of the organisms proved to be difficult, because of the lysis of cells associated with the death of the animals on recovery. This was expressed in high levels of free fatty acids in the gut contents of Oneirophanta mutabilis, which we ascribe to unregulated lipolysis of phospholipids and triacylglycerides. It was not possible to estimate accurately the contribution that such material made to the gut contents, but based on the distributions of sterols in the gut sediments, it is likely to have been substantial. Therefore, all assimilation efficiencies calculated for holothurians in the deep sea should be treated with caution.Fortuitously, a bloom of holothurians that feed on the sediment surface (namely Amperima rosea and Ellipinion molle) during the period of study provided an opportunity indirectly to assess the impact of megafauna on organic matter cycling at the PAP. Observations suggest that the depletion of phytosterols from the surficial sediments between July and October 1997 resulted from the selective uptake of fresh phytodetritus by the blooming species. Deep-sea holothurians do not biosynthesise sterols de novo and an estimate of the sterol required by the increased population of A. rosea and E. molle is equivalent to the sterol flux to the seafloor during the spring/summer of 1997. The implications are dramatic. Firstly, these and other megafauna apparently turned over and selectively removed phytosterols from the freshly arrived phytodetritus and the surficial sediment (0–5 mm) at the PAP in less than four months. Secondly, their action impacted the food resource available to other organisms. Finally, as phytosterols are expensive to biosynthesise and are apparently an important resource for holothurians, we speculate that the supply of these compounds to the sedimentary community may be one important control on their population in the abyssal ocean.     

A comparison of black smoker hydrothermal plume behavior at Monolith Vent and at Clam Acres Vent Field: Dependence on source configuration

Quantitative visualization of acoustic images is used to compare the properties and behavior of high temperature hydrothermal plumes at two sites with different source configurations, increasing our understanding of how plume behavior reflects source configuration. Acoustic imaging experiments were conducted at the Clam Acres area of the Southwest Vent Field, 21°N East Pacific Rise and at Monolith Vent, North Cleft segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge. At Clam Acres, black smokers discharge from two adjacent chimneys which act as point sources, whereas multiple vents at Monolith Vent define a distributed elliptical source. Both plumes exhibit consistent dilution patterns, reasonable fits to the expected power law increase in centerline dilution with height, and simple bending of plume centerlines in response to ambient currents. Our data suggest that point source vents are associated with ordered plume structure, normal entrainment rates, and initial expansion of isosurfaces while distributed source vents are associated with disorganized plume structure, variable entrainment rates, and initial contraction of isosurfaces.     

Quantitative estimates of interplate coupling inferred from outer rise earthquakes

Interplate coupling plays an important role in the seismogenesis of great interplate earthquakes at subduction zones. The spatial and temporal variations of such coupling control the patterns of subduction zone seismicity. We calculate stresses in the outer rise based on a model of oceanic plate bending and coupling at the interplate contact, to quantitatively estimate the degree of interplate coupling for the Tonga, New Hebrides, Kurile, Kamchatka, and Marianas subduction zones. Depths and focal mechanisms of outer rise earthquakes are used to constrain the stress models. We perform waveform modeling of body waves from the GDSN network to obtain reliable focal depth estimates for 24 outer rise earthquakes. A propagator matrix technique is used to calculate outer rise stresses in a bending 2-D elastic plate floating on a weak mantle. The modeling of normal and tangential loads simulates the total vertical and shear forces acting on the subducting plate. We estimate the interplate coupling by searching for an optimal tangential load at the plate interface that causes the corresponding stress regime within the plate to best fit the earthquake mechanisms in depth and location.We find the estimated mean tangential load over 125–200 km width ranging between 166 and 671 bars for Tonga, the New Hebrides, the Kuriles, and Kamchatka. This magnitude of the coupling stress is generally compatible with the predicted shear stress at the plate contact from thermal-mechanical plate models byMolnar andEngland (1990), andVan den Buekel andWortel (1988). The estimated tectonic coupling,F _tc , is on the order of 10¹²–10¹³ N/m for all the subduction zones.F _tc for Tonga and New Hebrides is about twice as high as in the Kurile and Kamchatka arcs. The corresponding earthquake coupling forceF _ec appears to be 1–10% of the tectonic coupling from our estimates. There seems to be no definitive correlation of the degree of seismic coupling with the estimated tectonic coupling. We find that outer rise earthquakes in the Marianas can be modeled using zero tangential load.     

Experimental investigations into processes controlling stream and hyporheic temperatures,Fryxell Basin,Antarctica

Glacial meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica exhibit daily cycles in temperature with maxima frequently reaching 10–15 °C, often 10 °C above air temperatures. Hydrologic and biogeochemical processes occurring in these streams and their hyporheic zones strongly influence the flux of water, solutes, and sediment to the ice-covered lakes on the valley bottoms. The purpose of this study was to identify the dominant processes controlling water temperature in these polar desert streams and to investigate in particular the role of hyporheic exchange. In order to do this, we analyzed stream temperature patterns on basin-wide, longitudinal, and reach scales. In the basin-wide study, we examined stream temperature monitoring data for seven streams in the Lake Fryxell Basin. For the longitudinal study, we measured temperatures at seven sites along a 5-km length of Von Guerard Stream.