Source identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of a creek around a flow station

Sources of the sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the United States Environmental Protection Agency priority pollutants list were determined in sediments of Kolo Creek using diagnostic ratios of parent PAHs[phenanthrene/phenanthrene + anthracene; fluoranthene/fluoranthene + pyrene; benz(a) anthracene/benz(a) anthracene + chrysene and indeno(1,2,3-d)pyrene/indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene + benzo(ghi)pyrelene]. The study was conducted over four seasons (dry, late dry, rainy and late rainy seasons). Applying cross plots of the diagnostic ratios revealed that PAHs in Kolo Creek sediment have pyrogenic origins except in the rainy season that had petrogenic origins. Comparison of diagnostic ratio values obtained from this study with literature values enabled the further classification into types of pyrogenic and/or petrogenic sources. While the pyrogenic sources of PAHs were mainly as a result of Grass/Wood combustion, the petrogenic PAHs were as result of drained diesel and lubricating oil. The predicted sources corresponded with the prevailing human activities in the vicinity, especially samples collected near a petrol station and an abattoir. This study further affirms the simplicity and accuracy of the use of diagnostic ratios for PAHs source prediction.     

Electromagnetic fields in a halfspace scattered by a buried sphere by the method of transformation of local elements

Summary. A problem in modelling electromagnetic fields used in exploration geophysics is treated mathematically. Analytical expressions are obtained for the electric field due to a harmonic current in a horizontal loop on or above a conducting ground in which is buried a conductive and permeable sphere (ore body). The loop is coaxial with the sphere. For a general time-varying current in the loop, the analysis is carried to the stage where a Fourier inversion can be used to obtain readily the electric field in the time-domain. A new relationship between spherical and cylindrical wave functions is obtained as a transformation of local elements.
Solution of this problem has not been presented before in this form. Lee's solution of 1975 which uses an integral-equation formulation treats a similar problem without taking account of differences in magnetic permeability. The effects of magnetic permeability may have important and useful implications for geophysical explorations.     

Large-Eddy Simulation of Inhomogeneous Canopy Flows Using High Resolution Terrestrial Laser Scanning Data

The effect of sub-tree forest heterogeneity in the flow past a clearing is investigated by means of large-eddy simulation (LES). For this purpose, a detailed representation of the canopy has been acquired by terrestrial laser scanning for a patch of approximately 190 m length in the field site “Tharandter Wald”, near the city of Dresden, Germany. The scanning data are used to produce a high resolution plant area distribution (PAD) that is averaged over approximately one tree height (30 m) along the transverse direction, in order to simplify the LES study. Despite the smoothing involved with this procedure, the resulting two-dimensional PAD maintains a rich vertical and horizontal structure. For the LES study, the PAD is embedded in a larger domain covered with an idealized, horizontally homogeneous canopy. Simulations are performed for neutral conditions and compared to a LES with homogeneous PAD and recent field measurements. The results reveal a considerable influence of small-scale plant distribution on the mean velocity field as well as on turbulence data. Particularly near the edges of the clearing, where canopy structure is highly variable, usage of a realistic PAD appears to be crucial for capturing the local flow structure. Inside the forest, local variations in plant density induce a complex pattern of upward and downward motions, which remain visible in the mean flow and make it difficult to identify the “adjustment zone” behind the windward edge of the clearing.     

Contaminant leakage from deeply buried cylindrical repositories

The presence of any leak in a waste repository is going to cause some concern since it may lead to the contamination of the surrounding soil and groundwater. This is an important problem which occurs and recurs, sometimes despite the precautions taken to minimize the possibility of development of any leak. The effects of contaminant leakage in general are not well understood. Thus it is the aim in this paper to develop some semi-analytical solutions of leakage problems occurring in deeply buried cylindrical repositories. In the solution approach, a series of integral transforms is used to simplify the governing equations and solutions are found in the transform space before numerical inversions are applied to obtain the contaminant concentrations in real space and time. To illustrate the application of the technique, results of some leakage cases are presented.     

Thermal maturity of the axial zone of the southern Apennines fold-and-thrust belt (Italy) from multiple organic and inorganic indicators

The reconstruction of the thermal history of folded and thrust units is crucial to define the pattern of tectonic loading and the time-space evolution of an orogen where tectonic exhumation processes occurred at shallow crustal levels. In the present study, a well-constrained reconstruction of the thermal maturity in the axial zone of the southern Apennines has been achieved by the combined use of different thermal indicators in diagenesis. The major results are: (i) documentation of a jump in thermal maturity from the Apenninic Platform derived tectonic unit (from immature to early mature stages of hydrocarbon maturation) to the Lagonegro Basin derived tectonic units (late diagenetic zone); (ii) documentation of along-strike slighter variations in the Lagonegro units, concerning thermal maturity (thus maximum burial temperatures). This can be related to changes in amounts of tectonic burial and erosion/exhumation because of the lack of cylindricity of contractional structures; (iii) recognition of an independent thermal evolution of the allochthonous chain compared with the Apulian Platform tectonic unit with Mt Alpi area (in the late mature stage of hydrocarbon generation) interpreted as a sector of localized, intense exhumation within the External Zone of the orogen.     

Isotopic constraints on crustal architecture and Permo‐Triassic tectonics in New Guinea: Possible links with eastern Australia

New U–Pb zircon ages and Sr–Nd isotopic data for Triassic igneous and metamorphic rocks from northern New Guinea help constrain models of the evolution of Australia's northern and eastern margin. These data provide further evidence for an Early to Late Triassic volcanic arc in northern New Guinea, interpreted to have been part of a continuous magmatic belt along the Gondwana margin, through South America, Antarctica, New Zealand, the New England Fold Belt, New Guinea and into southeast Asia. The Early to Late Triassic volcanic arc in northern New Guinea intrudes high‐grade metamorphic rocks probably resulting from Late Permian to Early Triassic (ca 260–240 Ma) orogenesis, as recorded in the New England Fold Belt. Late Triassic magmatism in New Guinea (ca 220 Ma) is related to coeval extension and rifting as a precursor to Jurassic breakup of the Gondwana margin. In general, mantle‐like Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of mafic Palaeozoic to Tertiary granitoids appear to rule out the presence of a North Australian‐type Proterozoic basement under the New Guinea Mobile Belt. Parts of northern New Guinea may have a continental or transitional basement whereas adjacent areas are underlain by oceanic crust. It is proposed that the post‐breakup margin comprised promontories of extended Proterozoic‐Palaeozoic continental crust separated by embayments of oceanic crust, analogous to Australia's North West Shelf. Inferred movement to the south of an accretionary prism through the Triassic is consistent with subduction to the south‐southwest beneath northeast Australia generating arc‐related magmatism in New Guinea and the New England Fold Belt.     

Testing Nano-Powder and Fused-Glass Mineral Reference Materials for In Situ Rb-Sr Dating of Glauconite,Phlogopite, Biotite and Feldspar via LA-ICP-MS/MS

Reference materials (RMs) with well-characterised composition are necessary for reliable quantification and quality control of isotopic analyses of geological samples. For in situ Rb-Sr analysis of silicate minerals via laser ablation inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS/MS) with a collision/reaction cell, there is a general lack of mineral-specific and matrix-matched RMs, which limits wider application of this new laser-based dating technique to certain minerals. In this work, pressed nano-powder pellets (NP) of four RMs, GL-O (glauconite), Mica-Mg (phlogopite), Mica-Fe (biotite) and FK-N (K-feldspar), were analysed and tested for in situ Rb-Sr dating, complemented by isotope dilution (ID) MC-ICP-MS Rb-Sr analyses of GL-O and Mica-Mg. In addition, we attempted to develop alternative flux-free and fused ‘mineral glasses’ from the above RMs for in situ Rb-Sr dating applications. Overall, the results of this study showed that among the above RMs only two NP (Mica-Mg-NP and GL-O-NP) were suitable and robust for in situ dating applications. These two nano-powder reference materials, Mica-Mg-NP and GL-O-NP, were thus used as primary RMs to normalise and determine Rb-Sr ages for three natural minerals: MDC phlogopite and GL-O glauconite grains, and also Mica-Fe-NP (biotite). Our in situ analyses of the above RMs yielded Rb-Sr ages that are in good agreement (within 8%) of published ages, which suggests that both Mica-Mg-NP and GL-O-NP are suitable RMs for in situ Rb-Sr dating of phlogopite, glauconite and biotite. However, using secondary RMs is recommended to monitor the quality of the obtained ages.