Geophysical investigation using resistivity and GPR methods: a case study of a lubricant oil waste disposal area in the city of Ribeirão Preto,São Paulo,Brazil

Geophysics has been shown to be effective in identifying areas contaminated by waste disposal, contributing to the greater efficiency of soundings programs and the installation of monitoring wells. In the study area, four trenches were constructed with a total volume of about 25,000 m³. They were almost totally filled with re-refined lubricating oil waste for approximately 25 years. No protection liners were used in the bottoms and laterals of the disposal trenches. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the potential of the resistivity and ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods in characterizing the contamination of this lubricant oil waste disposal area in Ribeirão Preto, SP, situated on the geological domain of the basalt spills of the Serra Geral Formation and the sandstones of the Botucatu Formation. Geophysical results were shown in 2D profiles. The geophysical methods used enabled the identification of geophysical anomalies, which characterized the contamination produced by the trenches filled with lubricant oil waste. Conductive anomalies (smaller than 185 Ωm) immediately below the trenches suggest the action of bacteria in the hydrocarbons, as has been observed in several sites contaminated by hydrocarbons in previously reported cases in the literature. It was also possible to define the geometry of the trenches, as evidenced by the GPR method. Direct sampling (chemical analysis of the soil and the water in the monitoring well) confirmed the contamination. In the soil analysis, low concentrations of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found, mainly naphthalene and phenanthrene. In the water samples, an analysis verified contamination of the groundwater by lead (Pb). The geophysical methods used in the investigation provided an excellent tool for environmental characterization in this study of a lubricant oil waste disposal area, and could be applied in the study of similar areas.     

Decompression and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O exsolution driven crystallization and fractionation: development of a new model for low-pressure fractional crystallization in calc-alkaline magmatic systems

Magma ascent, decompression-induced H₂O exsolution and crystallization is now recognized as an important process in hydrous subduction zone magmas. During the course of such a process calculations suggest that the ascent rate of a degassing and crystallizing mafic magma will be greater than crystal settling velocities. Thus, any crystals formed as a consequence of volatile exsolution will remain suspended in the magma. If the magma erupts before the percentage of suspended crystals reaches the critical crystallinity value for mafic magma (~55 vol.%) it will produce the commonly observed crystal rich island arc basalt lava. If the magma reaches its critical crystallinity before it erupts then it will stall within the crust. Extension of compaction experiments on a 55 vol.% sand-Karo syrup suspension at different temperatures (and liquid viscosities) to the likely viscosities of interstitial andesitic to dacitic liquid within such a stalled magma suggest that small amounts (up to ~10%) can be expelled on a time scale of 1–10 years. The expelled liquid can create a new intermediate to silicic body of magma that is related to the original mafic magma via fractional crystallization. The short time scale for liquid expulsion indicate that decompression-induced H₂O exsolution and crystallization can be an important mechanism for fractional crystallization. Based on this assumption a general model of decompression-induced crystallization and fractionation is proposed that explains many of the compositional, mineralogical and textural features of Aleutian (and other andesites).     

Eutrophication,health risk assessment and spatial analysis of water quality in Gucheng Lake,China

The water characteristics of the Gucheng Lake, such as eutrophication, health and spatial distribution, were investigated. On the basis of the trophic state index (TSI) and entropy weight, a synthesized trophic state index (STSI) model was established to assess lake eutrophication condition through calculating STSI, choosing TP, TN, COD, BOD and NH₃-N as trophic variables. The STSI ranged from 50.58 to 62.44, which showed that the water has been between eutrophic and supereutrophic. A histogram was applied to health risk assessment which was analyzed from carcinogenic substances (Cr⁺⁶, As and Cd) and non-carcinogenic substances (hydroxybenzene, Pb, Hg, CN⁻ and NH₃), and the results showed that the former was much greater than the latter for effect. The total risk for each resident caused by all pollutants ranged from 5.18E-05 to 8.34E-05, which is far higher than the standard, recommended by Sweden Bureau of Environment Protection and Holland Ministry of Building and Environment Protection (1.0E-05). Cluster analysis was used to detect similarities and dissimilarities among the seven sampling sites and explain the observed clustering in terms of affected conditions. Twenty-one variables were used to divide seven sampling sites into three groups, namely, north lake, south lake and lake center.     

Microstructure characteristics and forming environment of late Quaternary Period loess in the Loess Plateau of China

Since the late Quaternary Period, the rapid rising of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau has greatly changed the East Asian climate and formed different regional monsoon climates. Various microstructures of the loess in northern China have formed under a variety of climatic conditions. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy spectrum analysis are used in this paper to study the relationship between the indexes of loess microstructures and the forming climates, and the indexes include the diameter of sand grains, Ca/Fe value and the characteristic shapes of the loess from SEM microstructures pictures. In terms of their respective climatic circumstances, the major microstructures of regional loess may be classified into nine categories according to their forms and particle sizes, such as loess formed in near-sand source, loess of granule sand dropping, and loess formed in hot and rainy places, i.e. with the loess SEM pictures, climates of about 15 ka b.p. in different places may be evaluated. In conclusion, the clear and distinguishable loess microstructures and their indexes in the Loess Plateau of China can also deduce the evolution of climate, such as warm or cold and wet or dry, and even sandstorm activities when the loess is deposited.     

Solar-Cycle Variation of Subsurface Zonal Flow

We study the solar-cycle variation of the zonal flow in the near-surface layers of the solar convection zone from the surface to a depth of 16 Mm covering the period from mid-2001 to mid-2013 or from the maximum of Cycle 23 through the rising phase of Cycle 24. We have analyzed Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Dopplergrams with a ring-diagram analysis. The zonal flow varies with the solar cycle showing bands of faster-than-average flows equatorward of the mean latitude of activity and slower-than-average flows on the poleward side. The fast band of the zonal flow and the magnetic activity appear first in the northern hemisphere during the beginning of Cycle 24. The bands of fast zonal flow appear at mid-latitudes about three years in the southern and four years in the northern hemisphere before magnetic activity of Cycle 24 is present. This implies that the flow pattern is a direct precursor of magnetic activity. The solar-cycle variation of the zonal flow also has a poleward branch, which is visible as bands of faster-than-average zonal flow near 50° latitude. This band appears first in the southern hemisphere during the rising phase of the Cycle 24 and migrates slowly poleward. These results are in good agreement with corresponding results from global helioseismology.     

Interacting CMEs and their associated flare and SEP activities

We have analyzed a set of 25 interacting events which are associated with the DH type II bursts. These events are selected from the Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) observed during the period 1997–2010 in SOHO/LASCO and DH type IIs observed in Wind/WAVES. Their pre and primary CMEs from nearby active regions are identified using SOHO/LASCO and EIT images and their height–time diagrams. Their interacting time and height are obtained, and their associated activities, such as, flares and Solar Energetic Particles (>10 pfu) are also investigated. Results from the analysis are: primary CMEs are much faster than the pre-CMEs, their X-ray flares are also stronger (X- and M-class) compared to the flares (C- and M-class) of pre-CMEs. Most of the events (22/25) occurred during the period 2000–2006. From the observed width and speed of pre and primary CMEs, it is found that the pre-CMEs are found to be less energetic than the primary CMEs. While the primary CMEs are tracked up to the end of LASCO field of view (30 R_s), most of the pre-CMEs can be tracked up to <26 R_s. The SEP intensity is found to be related with the integrated flux of X-ray flares associated with the primary CMEs for nine events originating from the western region.     

Non-uniform propagation of weak waves through thermally-conducting and dissociating gases

Non-uniform propagation of weak discontinuities headed by wavefronts of arbitrary shape along bi-characteristics of a hyperbolic system through thermally-conducting and dissociating gases are studied. An explicit criterion for the growth and decay of weak waves along bi-characteristic curves in the characteristic manifold of the governing differential equations is given. The two fundamental theorems on the global behaviour of the time-dependent wave amplitude of a weak wave has been concluded.     

Efficient Modeling of Gravity Fields Caused by Sources with Arbitrary Geometry and Arbitrary Density Distribution

We present a brief review of gravity forward algorithms in Cartesian coordinate system, including both space-domain and Fourier-domain approaches, after which we introduce a truly general and efficient algorithm, namely the convolution-type Gauss fast Fourier transform (Conv-Gauss-FFT) algorithm, for 2D and 3D modeling of gravity potential and its derivatives due to sources with arbitrary geometry and arbitrary density distribution which are defined either by discrete or by continuous functions. The Conv-Gauss-FFT algorithm is based on the combined use of a hybrid rectangle-Gaussian grid and the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm. Since the gravity forward problem in Cartesian coordinate system can be expressed as continuous convolution-type integrals, we first approximate the continuous convolution by a weighted sum of a series of shifted discrete convolutions, and then each shifted discrete convolution, which is essentially a Toeplitz system, is calculated efficiently and accurately by combining circulant embedding with the FFT algorithm. Synthetic and real model tests show that the Conv-Gauss-FFT algorithm can obtain high-precision forward results very efficiently for almost any practical model, and it works especially well for complex 3D models when gravity fields on large 3D regular grids are needed.