Thermal reactions of kerogen with added water, heavy water and pure organic substances

Finely divided samples of the Messel shale that had first been extracted with organic solvents were subjected to pyrolysis at 330°C for 3 days in the presence of excess water or heavy water and also with added pure organic substances. About 8% of the organic carbon was converted into an assemblage of saturated hydrocarbons that closely resembled petroleum hydrocarbons. No olefins were observed in the products. When the reaction was performed in heavy water, extensive deuteration occurred. The extent of substitution and the position of heavy hydrogen in a variety of hydrocarbon structural types were measured by mass spectrometry. A control experiment in which a saturated hydrocarbon was added showed that this deuterium substitution was not due to simple homogeneous exchange.A mechanism for the production of polydeuterated hydrocarbons is advanced, based on a model wherein the molecular fossils that are chemically bonded into kerogen matrix are released as free radicals. During the subsequent chain reactions, migration of olefinic bonds in intermediates and attack by deuterium free radicals result in multiple deuteration with retention of the carbon skeleton of the molecular fossil.     

Theoretical wind wave frequency spectra in shallow water

The method developed by Wen et al. (1988 a) for deriving theoretical wind wave frequency spectrum in deep water is extended to the case of water of finite depth, in which a parameter η=H/d is introduced, where H and d represent the average wave height and water depth respectively. The derived spectra reduce to those in deep water when η=0. The case of η=1/2 corresponds to waves impending to break because of the effect of the bottom. Simplified forms of spectra are given. The theoretical results agree with the observed spectra well.     

Assessment of the mycoflora of commercial poultry feeds sold in the humid tropical environment of Imo State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to identify the common moulds growing in selected commercial poultry feed sold in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Forty-eight bulk samples derived froml92 bags of feeds were collected from broiler starter (BS), broiler finishers (BF), grower mash (GM) and layer mash (LM) across 4 different brands of ommercial poultry feeds, which included Livestock (LF), Top (TF) Guinea (GF) and Vital (VF) feeds. The feed samples were collected during the rainy season months of June, July and August. The common moulds isolated from these feeds were Aspergillus sp., Peicillium sp.,Mucor sp., Yeast sp., Rhizopus sp., Epicoecum sp., Gymnoaseus sp., Cladosporium sp., Mortierella sp. as well as Bacteria. Generally, more organisms were isolated in June than the other months with Mortierella sp. being the only one not isolated in that month. Vital feed with 8 different isolates had the highest diversity of fungal species while the others had between 4 and 5 species. Prevalence rates across the feed types, generally ranged from 18.76% in layer mash to 30.03% in broiler finisher. The four Aspergillus sp. isolated came from GM and BF. This study highlights the need for constant monitoring of moulds in commercial feedstuff produced in the humid tropical environments such as Imo state, Nigeria. There is also the need to routinely include fungal growth nhibitors in commercial feeds since moulds are capable of reducing the nutritional values of feedstuff as well as elaborating pathogenic toxins.     

Bed forms and stratification types of modern gravel meander lobes, Nueces River, Texas

All major streams draining the southwestern flank of the Edwards Plateau in south-central Texas transport large volumes of gravel and sandy muddy gravel and are developing meander lobe sequences consisting predominantly of coarse gravel. The largest of these streams, the Nueces River, has a sinuosity index of 1.3 and an average stream surface slope of 1.8 m/km in the study area. Stream discharge is variable and has ranged from no flow to more than 17,000 m³/s. Mean clast b-axis length for the ten largest clasts at thirteen sample sites ranged from 2.5 to 10.8 cm. Velocities of 2.7-4.4 m/s 1 m above the stream bed are required to transport these clasts. Stream velocities of these magnitudes occur about once in 8 years when discharge of the Nueces River exceeds 3300 m³/s. Mean grain size of Nueces River alluvium ranges from 1.2 to 3.4 cm. At a flow depth of 1 m, sediment of this size has a critical erosion velocity of 1.8-3 m/s. Velocities of this magnitude occur about once in two years when discharge exceeds 340 m³/s. Under these conditions flow is subcritical, with critical shear stresses on depositional surfaces ranging from 6.4 to 12.7 kg/m². Gravel clasts are imbricated and channel bed forms are predominantly transverse gravel bars with slip faces ranging up to 2 m high and wavelengths in excess of 100 m. Stratification includes graded planar crossbeds and horizontal beds. Lower lateral accretion face sediments are also predominantly transverse bars; upper lateral accretion face deposits occur as longitudinal gravel ridges deposited in the lee of vegetation and, less commonly, as chute bars. Near the upper limit of meander lobes where vegetation is heavy, mud and muddy sand occur as overbank deposits; in these deposits sedimentary structures other than desiccation cracks are rare. Sedimentary sequences in gravel meander lobe systems deposited by low sinuosity streams are graded or non-graded horizontal beds and planar cross-beds overlain by mud and muddy sand interbedded with horizontally bedded gravels. Sequences may be several metres thick, but probably do not exceed 8-10 m in thickness. These deposits in turn are overlain by overbank deposits of mud and muddy sand. Similar sedimentary sequences occur in the extensive Quaternary terraces that parallel the Nueces River.     

Control of geochemical error through sampling and subsampling diagrams

Sampling and subsampling diagrams provide a means of visualizing and controlling sampling error during analysis of mixtures, especially those in which a minor constituent contributes heavily to assay values. The model employed refers each sampling problem to an idealized mixture of two constituents which has the same sampling or subsampling characteristics as the real mixture to be sampled. A procedure for calculating and constructing such diagrams depends on appropriate use of both Gaussian and Poisson statistics. The argument is simplified by combining the two statistical models.     

Identification of Water Conservation Sites in a Watershed (WRJ-2) of Nagpur District, Maharashtra using Geographical Information System (GIS) Technique

The paper deals with the application of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) technique for a watershed development program. For this study, the WRJ-2 watershed falling under Narkhed and Katol Tahsils of Nagpur district, Maharashtra, India is investigated. Various thematic maps (i.e. drainage, geology, soil, geomorphology and land use/ land cover) have been prepared using the remote sensing and GIS techniques. Initially, differential weightage values are assigned to all the thematic maps as per their runoff characteristics. Subsequently, the maps are integrated in GIS environment to identify potential sites for water conservation measures like gully plugs, earthen check dams, continuous contour trenches, percolation tanks, cement bandhara, afforestration and farm ponds, etc. The study depicts that the GIS technique facilitates integration of thematic maps and thereby helps in an identification of micro-zones each with unique characters in-terms of hydrogeology, thus amenable to specific water conservation techniques. It is therefore concluded that, the GIS technique is suitable for an identification of water conservation structures.     

Recharge and Groundwater Flow Within an Intracratonic Basin,Midwestern United States

The conservative nature of chloride (Cl^?) in groundwater and the abundance of geochemical data from various sources (both published and unpublished) provided a means of developing, for the first time, a representation of the hydrogeology of the Illinois Basin on a basin‐wide scale. The creation of Cl^? isocons superimposed on plan view maps of selected formations and on cross sections across the Illinois Basin yielded a conceptual model on a basin‐wide scale of recharge into, groundwater flow within and through the Illinois Basin. The maps and cross sections reveal the infiltration and movement of freshwater into the basin and dilution of brines within various geologic strata occurring at basin margins and along geologic structures. Cross‐formational movement of brines is also seen in the northern part of the basin. The maps and cross sections also show barriers to groundwater movement created by aquitards resulting in areas of apparent isolation/stagnation of concentrated brines within the basin. The distribution of Cl^? within the Illinois Basin suggests that the current chemical composition of groundwater and distribution of brines within the basin is dependent on five parameters: (1) presence of bedrock exposures along basin margins; (2) permeability of geologic strata and their distribution relative to one another; (3) presence or absence of major geologic structures; (4) intersection of major waterways with geologic structures, basin margins, and permeable bedrock exposures; and (5) isolation of brines within the basin due to aquitards, inhomogeneous permeability, and, in the case of the deepest part of the basin, brine density effects.