Quantifying potential recharge in mantled sinkholes using ERT

Potential recharge through thick soils in mantled sinkholes was quantified using differential electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Conversion of time series two-dimensional (2D) ERT profiles into 2D volumetric water content profiles using a numerically optimized form of Archie's law allowed us to monitor temporal changes in water content in soil profiles up to 9 m in depth. Combining Penman-Monteith daily potential evapotranspiration (PET) and daily precipitation data with potential recharge calculations for three sinkhole transects indicates that potential recharge occurred only during brief intervals over the study period and ranged from 19% to 31% of cumulative precipitation. Spatial analysis of ERT-derived water content showed that infiltration occurred both on sinkhole flanks and in sinkhole bottoms. Results also demonstrate that mantled sinkholes can act as regions of both rapid and slow recharge. Rapid recharge is likely the result of flow through macropores (such as root casts and thin gravel layers), while slow recharge is the result of unsaturated flow through fine-grained sediments. In addition to developing a new method for quantifying potential recharge at the field scale in unsaturated conditions, we show that mantled sinkholes are an important component of storage in a karst system.     

Removal of heavy metals from mine water by carbonate precipitation in the Grootfontein-Omatako canal, Namibia

Water from the Kombat mine was delivered to the Omatako dam via the 263-km-long Grootfontein-Omatako canal during test runs in 1997. It is intended to supply water from Kombat and other underground mines in the Otavi Mountain Land to the capital Windhoek. The Cu-Pb-Zn orebodies are hosted by carbonate rocks and the mine waters are supersaturated with respect to calcite and CO₂. Along the length of the canal, the CO₂ partial pressure drops from 10^−2.1 atm at the inlet of the Kombat mine to 10^−3.5 atm at the end of the canal. This is accompanied by a drop in Ca concentration from about 60 to about 20 mg/l. The heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn) drop along the course of the canal to values far below the national drinking-water standard. Scavenging by calcium carbonate precipitation is the major depletion mechanism. Received: 21 June 1999 · Accepted: 29 August 1999     

Normal moveout velocity for pure‐mode and converted waves in layered orthorhombic medium

We study the azimuthally dependent hyperbolic moveout approximation for small angles (or offsets) for quasi‐compressional, quasi‐shear, and converted waves in one‐dimensional multi‐layer orthorhombic media. The vertical orthorhombic axis is the same for all layers, but the azimuthal orientation of the horizontal orthorhombic axes at each layer may be different. By starting with the known equation for normal moveout velocity with respect to the surface‐offset azimuth and applying our derived relationship between the surface‐offset azimuth and phase‐velocity azimuth, we obtain the normal moveout velocity versus the phase‐velocity azimuth. As the surface offset/azimuth moveout dependence is required for analysing azimuthally dependent moveout parameters directly from time‐domain rich azimuth gathers, our phase angle/azimuth formulas are required for analysing azimuthally dependent residual moveout along the migrated local‐angle‐domain common image gathers. The angle and azimuth parameters of the local‐angle‐domain gathers represent the opening angle between the incidence and reflection slowness vectors and the azimuth of the phase velocity ψ_phs at the image points in the specular direction. Our derivation of the effective velocity parameters for a multi‐layer structure is based on the fact that, for a one‐dimensional model assumption, the horizontal slowness and the azimuth of the phase velocity ψ_phs remain constant along the entire ray (wave) path. We introduce a special set of auxiliary parameters that allow us to establish equivalent effective model parameters in a simple summation manner. We then transform this set of parameters into three widely used effective parameters: fast and slow normal moveout velocities and azimuth of the slow one. For completeness, we show that these three effective normal moveout velocity parameters can be equivalently obtained in both surface‐offset azimuth and phase‐velocity azimuth domains.     

雪藻高密度连续培养中生物量和花生四烯酸的高产率

以 1 .4cm和 2 .8cm光径的平板光生物反应器 ,恒定高光强 [2 4 0 0 μE/(m2 ·s) ],通气、无菌高密度连续培养雪地绿藻 (简称雪藻 )。连续采收并补充等量新鲜培养液 ,当藻体生物量(以去灰分干重表示 ,AFDW)达恒态时 ,研究雪藻比生长速率 (SGR)、藻体的生物产量、总脂肪酸 (TFA)和花生四烯酸 (AA)产率。结果表明 ,尽管随着比生长速率增加 ,雪藻高密度连续培养体系的AA/TFA、TFA/AFDW和AA/AFDW三个指标有不同程度的降低 ,但生物产量、总脂肪酸及其花生四烯酸产出都相当高。 2 .8cm光径的平板光生物反应器中 ,雪藻SGR为0 .2d- 1 时 ,每平方米光照面积日获 35 .3gAFDW的高产量 ;SGR 0 .1 35d- 1 时 ,TFA产率最大 ,为7.0g/(m2 ·d) ,此时AA产率也最高 ,达 2 .6g/(m2 ·d)。尽管 1 .4cm光径的反应器的培养体积比前者下降了 5 0 % ,但细胞浓度明显提高 ,单位光照面积的AFDW和TFA最大日产率只下降了37.3%和 1 0 % ,分别为 2 2 .1和 6.3g/(m2 ·d) ,而AA的最大日产率也是 2 .6g/(m2 ·d)。结果还表明 ,氮或磷营养亏缺能明显提高雪藻AA含量的各项指标 ,同时高光强也有利于雪藻累积AA。     

Nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds in meteorites: significance and mechanisms of formation

Samples of the Murchison (C2), Murray (C2) and Orgueil (C1) carbonaceous meteorites were analyzed for nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds using gas chromatography, cation and anion exclusion liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The purines adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine and xanthine were identified in formic acid extracts of all samples, in concentrations ranging from 114–655 ppb. Purines have not previously been found in the Murray meteorite and adenine. hypoxanthine and xanthine have never simultaneously been detected in meteorite extracts. All four biologically significant purines, as well as the pyrimidine uracil have now been identified in these meteorites. A number of other, previously reported N-heterocyclic compounds such as certain hydroxypyrimidines and s-triazines could not be detected in any of the extracts. Laboratory data indicated that both these classes of compounds may be formed from structurally simple precursors (such as guanylurea in the case of s-triazines) during the extraction and analysis of meteorite extracts.We find that the suite of N-heterocyclic compounds identified in meteorites do not, at present, permit a clear distinction to be made between mechanisms of synthesis such as the Fischer-Tropsch type and other candidates. Secondary reactions and conversions in meteorite parent bodies, of HCN and other nitriles produced by Miller-Urey type reactions as well as by Fischer-Tropsch type reactions, must also be considered.     

The Pemali tin deposit,Bangka, Indonesia

The Pemali tin deposit is located in a Triassic granite pluton the magmatic evolution of which is characterized by a decrease of compatible Ca, Mg, Ti, P and Zr in the sequence: medium- to coarse-grained biotite granite, megacrystic medium-grained biotite granite, two-mica granite/muscovite granite. The tin mineralization is confined to the two-mica granite and consists of disseminated cassiterite as well as greisen-bordered veins. The highly evolved muscovite granite is tin-barren and is distinguished from the two-mica granite by its low mica content and low loss-on-ignition values. The fluid inclusions in quartz and fluorite of the two-mica granite and of the greisen homogenize in the 115–410 °C temperature range; the salinities are in the range of 0.4–23 equiv wt% NaCl and the CO₂ concentrations are < 2 mole%.     

Determination of Earth’s Transient and Equilibrium Climate Sensitivities from Observations Over the Twentieth Century: Strong Dependence on Assumed Forcing

Relations among observed changes in global mean surface temperature, ocean heat content, ocean heating rate, and calculated radiative forcing, all as a function of time over the twentieth century, that are based on a two-compartment energy balance model, are used to determine key properties of Earth’s climate system. The increase in heat content of the world ocean, obtained as the average of several recent compilations, is found to be linearly related to the increase in global temperature over the period 1965–2009; the slope, augmented to account for additional heat sinks, which is an effective heat capacity of the climate system, is 21.8 ± 2.1 W year m^?2 K^?1 (one sigma), equivalent to the heat capacity of 170 m of seawater (for the entire planet) or 240 m for the world ocean. The rate of planetary heat uptake, determined from the time derivative of ocean heat content, is found to be proportional to the increase in global temperature relative to the beginning of the twentieth century with proportionality coefficient 1.05 ± 0.06 W m^?2 K^?1. Transient and equilibrium climate sensitivities were evaluated for six published data sets of forcing mainly by incremental greenhouse gases and aerosols over the twentieth century as calculated by radiation transfer models; these forcings ranged from 1.1 to 2.1 W m^?2, spanning much of the range encompassed by the 2007 assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). For five of the six forcing data sets, a rather robust linear proportionality obtains between the observed increase in global temperature and the forcing, allowing transient sensitivity to be determined as the slope. Equilibrium sensitivities determined by two methods that account for the rate of planetary heat uptake range from 0.31 ± 0.02 to 1.32 ± 0.31 K (W m^?2)^?1 (CO₂ doubling temperature 1.16 ± 0.09–4.9 ± 1.2 K), more than spanning the IPCC estimated “likely” uncertainty range, and strongly anticorrelated with the forcing used to determine the sensitivities. Transient sensitivities, relevant to climate change on the multidecadal time scale, are considerably lower, 0.23 ± 0.01 to 0.51 ± 0.04 K (W m^?2)^?1. The time constant characterizing the response of the upper ocean compartment of the climate system to perturbations is estimated as about 5 years, in broad agreement with other recent estimates, and much shorter than the time constant for thermal equilibration of the deep ocean, about 500 years.     

In situ cosmogenic 10Be production-rate calibration from the Southern Alps,New Zealand

We present a ¹⁰Be production-rate calibration derived from an early Holocene debris-flow deposit at about 1000 m above sea level in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand, in the mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere. Ten radiocarbon ages on macrofossils from a soil horizon buried by the deposit date the deposit to 9690 ± 50 calendar years before AD2008. Surface ¹⁰Be concentrations of seven large boulders partially embedded in the stable surface of the deposit are tightly distributed, yielding a standard deviation of ～2%. Conversion of the ¹⁰Be measurements to sea level/high-latitude values using each of five standard scaling methods indicates ¹⁰Be production rates of 3.84 ± 0.08, 3.87 ± 0.08, 3.83 ± 0.08, 4.15 ± 0.09, and 3.74 ± 0.08 atoms g^?1 a^?1, relative to the ‘07KNSTD’ ¹⁰Be AMS standard, and including only the local time-integrated production-rate uncertainties. When including a sea level high-latitude scaling uncertainty the overall error is ～2.5% (1σ) for each rate. To test the regional applicability of this production-rate calibration, we measured ¹⁰Be concentrations in a set of nearby moraines deposited before 18 060 ± 200 years before AD2008. The ¹⁰Be ages are only consistent with minimum-limiting ¹⁴C age data when calculated using the new production rates. This also suggests that terrestrial in situ cosmogenic-nuclide production did not change significantly from Last Glacial Maximum to Holocene time in New Zealand. Our production rates agree well with those of a recent calibration study from northeastern North America, but are 12–14% lower than other commonly adopted values. The production-rate values presented here can be used elsewhere in New Zealand for rock surfaces exposed during or since the last glacial period.     

Automating Recession Curve Displacement Recharge Estimation

Recharge estimation is an important and challenging element of groundwater management and resource sustainability. Many recharge estimation methods have been developed with varying data requirements, applicable to different spatial and temporal scales. The variability and inherent uncertainty in recharge estimation motivates the recommended use of multiple methods to estimate and bound regional recharge estimates. Despite the inherent limitations of using daily gauged streamflow, recession curve displacement methods provide a convenient first‐order estimate as part of a multimethod hierarchical approach to estimate watershed‐scale annual recharge. The implementation of recession curve displacement recharge estimation in the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) RORA program relies on the subjective, operator‐specific selection of baseflow recession events to estimate a gauge‐specific recession index. This paper presents a parametric algorithm that objectively automates this tedious, subjective process, parameterizing and automating the implementation of recession curve displacement. Results using the algorithm reproduce regional estimates of groundwater recharge from the USGS Appalachian Valley and Piedmont Regional Aquifer‐System Analysis, with an average absolute error of less than 2%. The algorithm facilitates consistent, completely automated estimation of annual recharge that complements more rigorous data‐intensive techniques for recharge estimation.