Geochemical indicators of interbasin groundwater flow within the southern Rio Grande Valley, southwestern USA

Increased groundwater withdrawals for the growing population in the Rio Grande Valley and likely alteration of recharge to local aquifers with climate change necessitates an understanding of the groundwater connection between the Jornada del Muerto Basin and the adjoining and more heavily used aquifer in the Mesilla Basin. Separating the Jornada and Mesilla aquifers is a buried bedrock high from Tertiary intrusions. This bedrock high or divide restricts and/or retards interbasin flow from the Jornada aquifer into the Mesilla aquifer. The potentiometric surface of the southern Jornada aquifer near part of the bedrock high indicates a flow direction away from the divide because of a previously identified damming effect, but a groundwater outlet from the southern Jornada aquifer is necessary to balance inputs from the overall Jornada aquifer. Differences in geochemical constituents (major ions, δD, δ¹⁸O, δ³⁴S, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) indicate a deeper connection between the two aquifers through the Tertiary intrusions where Jornada water is geochemically altered because of a geothermal influence. Jornada groundwater likely is migrating through the bedrock high in deeper pathways formed by faults of the Jornada Fault Zone, in addition to Jornada water that overtops the bedrock high as previously identified as the only connection between the two aquifers. Increased groundwater withdrawals and lowering of the potentiometric surface of the Jornada aquifer may alter this contribution ratio with less overtopping of the bedrock high and a continued deeper flowpath contribution that could potentially increase salinity values in the Mesilla Basin near the divide.     

Geometallurgical Modeling at Olympic Dam Mine, South Australia

Modeling of geometallurgical variables is becoming increasingly important for improved management of mineral resources. Mineral processing circuits are complex and depend on the interaction of a large number of properties of the ore feed. At the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, plant performance variables of interest include the recovery of Cu and U₃O₈, acid consumption, net recovery, drop weight index, and bond mill work index. There are an insufficient number of pilot plant trials (841) to consider direct three-dimensional spatial modeling for the entire deposit. The more extensively sampled head grades, mineral associations, grain sizes, and mineralogy variables are modeled and used to predict plant performance. A two-stage linear regression model of the available data is developed and provides a predictive model with correlations to the plant performance variables ranging from 0.65–0.90. There are a total of 204 variables that have sufficient sampling to be considered in this regression model. After developing the relationships between the 204 input variables and the six performance variables, the input variables are simulated with sequential Gaussian simulation and used to generate models of recovery of Cu and U₃O₈, acid consumption, net recovery, drop weight index, and bond mill work index. These final models are suitable for mine and plant optimization.     

Assessment of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in plasma of bottlenose dolphins from two southeast US estuarine areas: relationship with age, sex and geographic locations

Plasma PFCs were measured in 157 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) sampled from two US southeast Atlantic sites (Charleston (CHS), SC and Indian River Lagoon (IRL), FL) during 2003-2005. ∑PFCs, perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (∑PFCAs), perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (∑PFSAs) and individual compounds were significantly higher in CHS dolphins for all age/sex categories compared to IRL dolphins. Highest ∑PFCs concentrations occurred in CHS juvenile dolphins (2340 ng/g w.w.); significantly higher than found in adults (1570 ng/g w.w. males; 1330 ng/g w.w. females). ∑PFCAs were much greater in CHS dolphins (≈ 21%) compared to IRL dolphins (≈ 7%); ∑PFSAs were 79% in CHS dolphins versus 93% in IRL dolphins. PFOS, the dominant compound, averaged 72% and 84%, respectively, in CHS and IRL dolphins. Decreasing PFC levels occurred with age on the bioaccumulation of PFCs in both sites. These observations suggest PFC accumulation in these two dolphin populations are influenced by site-specific exposures with significantly higher levels in CHS dolphins.     

Heterogeneity in mycorrhizal inoculum potential of flood-deposited sediments

Riparian areas are diverse systems where flooding creates new sites for establishment of vegetation. Symbioses with soil microorganisms, such as mycorrhizal fungi, affect vascular plant growth and community composition. It is unknown, however, how mycorrhizal fungi are dispersed along rivers and what potential they have to inoculate roots of plants establishing on recently deposited sedimentary surfaces of flood plains. We measured AMF inocula in sediment deposited by an average spring flood along an expansive riverine flood plain in Montana, USA, to determine whether AMF inocula were present in sediments and what types of propagules (spores, hyphae, or colonized root fragments) contribute to AMF infectivity. Flood-deposited sediments contained sufficient inocula for AMF to colonize host plants (Sorghum sudanense) grown in a greenhouse, and both AMF hyphal lengths and spore densities were correlated with infectivity. Availability of mycorrhizal inocula, which is patchily distributed in this system, may lead to microsites that differ in ability to support establishment and growth of early-successional plants.     

Evaluation of nearshore wave models in steep reef environments

To provide coastal engineers and scientists with a quantitative evaluation of nearshore numerical wave models in reef environments, we review and compare three commonly used models with detailed laboratory observations. These models are the following: (1) SWASH (Simulating WAves till SHore) (Zijlema et al. 2011), a phase-resolving nonlinear shallow-water wave model with added nonhydrostatic terms; (2) SWAN (Simulating WAve Nearshore) (Booij et al. 1999), a phase-averaged spectral wave model; and (3) XBeach (Roelvink et al. 2009), a coupled phase-averaged spectral wave model (applied to modeling sea-swell waves) and a nonlinear shallow-water model (applied to modeling infragravity waves). A quantitative assessment was made of each model’s ability to predict sea-swell (SS) wave height, infragravity (IG) wave height, wave spectra, and wave setup ( \( \overline{\eta} \) ) at five locations across the laboratory fringing reef profile of Demirbilek et al. (2007). Simulations were performed with the “recommended” empirical coefficients as documented for each model, and then the key wave-breaking parameter for each model (α in SWASH and γ in both SWAN and XBeach) was optimized to most accurately reproduce the observations. SWASH, SWAN, and XBeach were found to be capable of predicting SS wave height variations across the steep fringing reef profile with reasonable accuracy using the default coefficients. Nevertheless, tuning of the key wave-breaking parameter improved the accuracy of each model’s predictions. SWASH and XBeach were also able to predict IG wave height and spectral transformation. Although SWAN was capable of modeling the SS wave height, in its current form, it was not capable of modeling the spectral transformation into lower frequencies, as evident in the underprediction of the low-frequency waves.     

Two solution methods for dynamic game in reservoir operation

During the last decade, a number of models have been developed to consider the conflict in dynamic reservoir operation. Most of these models are discrete dynamic models which are developed based on game theory. In this study, a continuous model of dynamic game and its corresponding solutions are developed for reservoir operation. Two solution methods are used to solve the model of continuous dynamic game, namely the Ricatti equations and collocation methods. The Ricatti equations method is a closed form solution, requiring less computational efforts compared with discrete models. The collocation solution method applies Newton's method or a quasi-Newton method to find the problem solution. These approaches are able to generate operating policies for dynamic reservoir operation. The Zayandeh-Rud river basin in central Iran is used as a case study and the results are compared with alternative water allocation models. The results show that the proposed solution methods are quite capable of providing appropriate reservoir operating policies, while requiring rather short computational times due to continuous formulation of state and decision variables. Reliability indices are used to compare the overall performance of the proposed models. Based on the results from this study, the collocation method leads to improved values of the reliability indices for total reservoir system and utility satisfaction of water users, compared to the Ricatti equations method. This is attributed to the flexible structure of the collocation model. When compared to alternative water allocation models, lower values of reliability indices are achieved by the collocation method.     

Ar-Ar ages of martian nakhlites

We report ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar ages of whole rock (WR) and plagioclase and pyroxene mineral separates of nakhlites MIL 03346 and Y-000593, and of WR samples of nakhlites NWA 998 and Nakhla. All age spectra are complex and indicate variable degrees of ³⁹Ar recoil and variable amounts of trapped ⁴⁰Ar in the samples. Thus, we examine possible Ar-Ar ages in several ways. From consideration of both limited plateau ages and isochron ages, we prefer Ar-Ar ages of NWA 998 = 1334 ± 11 Ma, MIL 03346 = 1368 ± 83 Ma (mesostasis) and 1334 ± 54 Ma (pyroxene), Y-000593 = 1367 ± 7 Ma, and Nakhla = 1357 ± 11 Ma, (2σ errors). For NWA 998 and MIL 03346 the Ar-Ar ages are within uncertainties of preliminary Rb-Sr isochron ages reported in the literature. These Ar-Ar ages for Y-000593 and Nakhla are several Ma older than Sm-Nd ages reported in the literature. We conclude that the major factor in producing Ar-Ar ages slightly too old is the presence of small amounts of trapped martian or terrestrial ⁴⁰Ar on weathered grain surfaces that was degassed along with the first several percent of ³⁹Ar. A total K-⁴⁰Ar isochron for WR and mineral data from five nakhlites analyzed by us, plus Lafayette data in the literature, gives an isochron age of 1325 ± 18 Ma (2σ). We emphasize the precision of this isochron over the value of the isochron age. Our Ar-Ar data are consistent with a common formation age for nakhlites. The cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) age for NWA 998 of ∼12 Ma is also similar to CRE ages for other nakhlites.     

The effects of surface moisture on aeolian sediment transport threshold and mass flux on a beach

This paper presents results from a study designed to explore the effects of beach surface moisture and fetch effects on the threshold of movement, intensity of sand transport by wind and mass flux. The experiment was carried out over a period of five weeks at Greenwich Dunes, Prince Edward Island, Canada in May and June 2002. Moisture content was measured with a Delta‐T moisture probe over a 50 m by 25 m grid established on the beach. Measurements of wind speed and direction were made with arrays of cup anemometers and a two‐dimensional sonic anemometer. Transport intensity was measured at a height of 2–4 cm above the bed using omnidirectional saltation probes which count the impact of saltating grains on a piezoelectric crystal. Anemometers and saltation probes were sampled at 1 Hz. Sand transport was measured with vertical integrating sand traps over periods of 10–20 minutes. Results show that where there is a considerable supply of dry sand the saltation system responds very rapidly (1–2 s) to fluctuations in wind speed, i.e. to wind gusts. Where sand supply from the surface is limited by moisture, mean transport rates are much lower and this reflects in both a reduction in the instantaneous transport rate and in a transport system that becomes increasingly intermittent. Threshold wind speed is significantly correlated with an increase in surface moisture content near the upwind end of the beach fetch, but the relationship is not significant at the downwind end where sediment transport is initiated primarily by saltation impact from upwind. Mass flux increases with increasing fetch length and the relationship is described best by a power function. Further work is necessary to develop a theoretical function to predict the increase in transport with fetch distance as well as the critical fetch distance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.