How Effective Is Thermal Remediation of DNAPL Source Zones in Reducing Groundwater Concentrations?

Dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source areas containing chlorinated volatile organic compounds (cVOCs) such as trichloroethene (TCE) and perchloroethene (PCE) often give rise to significant dissolved plumes in groundwater, leading to the closure of downgradient water supply wells and creating vapor intrusion issues in buildings located above the plume. Hydraulic containment via pump‐and‐treat has often been implemented to limit migration but must continue indefinitely. Removal of the DNAPL source area by means such as in situ thermal remediation (ISTR) offers the potential to diminish or end the need for hydraulic containment if the associated dissolved plume attenuates sufficiently following source removal. A question often raised is whether this occurs or whether the back diffusion of contaminants from secondary sources such as low‐permeability lenses in the dissolved plume precludes it. The authors conducted DNAPL source removal using ISTR at dozens of sites. This paper presents a compilation of cases—10 separate DNAPL source areas at five project sites—where data indicate that the implementation of a thorough ISTR in a DNAPL source area can result in the attenuation of the associated dissolved plume, such that in several cases, long‐standing pump‐and‐treat systems could be turned off. Our findings contrast with recent assertions that aggressive source remediation may not be justifiable because dissolved plume concentrations will not decline sufficiently. We show that the application of ISTR can result in the thorough removal of the DNAPL source, effective diminution of dissolved plume groundwater concentrations, and achievement of drinking water standards.     

Estimating magnetic dike parameters using a non‐linear constrained inversion technique: an example from the Särna area,west central Sweden

In this paper, we describe a non‐linear constrained inversion technique for 2D interpretation of high resolution magnetic field data along flight lines using a simple dike model. We first estimate the strike direction of a quasi 2D structure based on the eigenvector corresponding to the minimum eigenvalue of the pseudogravity gradient tensor derived from gridded, low‐pass filtered magnetic field anomalies, assuming that the magnetization direction is known. Then the measured magnetic field can be transformed into the strike coordinate system and all magnetic dike parameters – horizontal position, depth to the top, dip angle, width and susceptibility contrast – can be estimated by non‐linear least squares inversion of the high resolution magnetic field data along the flight lines. We use the Levenberg‐Marquardt algorithm together with the trust‐region‐reflective method enabling users to define inequality constraints on model parameters such that the estimated parameters are always in a trust region. Assuming that the maximum of the calculated g_zz (vertical gradient of the pseudogravity field) is approximately located above the causative body, data points enclosed by a window, along the profile, centred at the maximum of g_zz are used in the inversion scheme for estimating the dike parameters. The size of the window is increased until it exceeds a predefined limit. Then the solution corresponding to the minimum data fit error is chosen as the most reliable one. Using synthetic data we study the effect of random noise and interfering sources on the estimated models and we apply our method to a new aeromagnetic data set from the Särna area, west central Sweden including constraints from laboratory measurements on rock samples from the area.     

Interpreting magnetic data by integral moments

The use of the integral moments for interpreting magnetic data is based on a very elegant property of potential fields, but in the past it has not been completely exploited due to problems concerning real data. We describe a new 3-D development of previous 2-D results aimed at determining the magnetization direction, extending the calculation to second-order moments to recover the centre of mass of the magnetization distribution. The method is enhanced to reduce the effects of the regional field that often alters the first-order solutions. Moreover, we introduce an iterative correction to properly assess the errors coming from finite-size surveys or interaction with neighbouring anomalies, which are the most important causes of the failing of the method for real data. We test the method on some synthetic examples, and finally, we show the results obtained by analysing the aeromagnetic anomaly of the Monte Vulture volcano in Southern Italy.     

CLustre: semi‐automated lineament clustering for palaeo‐glacial reconstruction

Datasets containing large numbers (>10 000) of glacial lineaments are increasingly being mapped from remotely sensed data in order to develop a palaeo‐glacial reconstruction or ‘inversion’. The palimpsest landscape presents a complex record of past ice flow and deconstructing this information into a logical history is an involved task. One stage in this process requires the identification of sets of genetically linked lineaments that can form the basis of a reconstruction. This paper presents a semi‐automated algorithm, CLustre, for lineament clustering that uses a locally adaptive, region growing, methodology. After outlining the algorithm, it is tested on synthetic datasets that simulate parallel and orthogonal cross‐cutting lineaments, encompassing 1500 separate classifications. Results show robust classification in most scenarios, although parallel overlap of lineaments can cause false positive classification unless there are differences in lineament length. Case studies for Dubawnt Lake and Victoria Island, Canada, are presented and compared with existing datasets. For Dubawnt Lake 9 out of 14 classifications directly match incorporating 89% of lineaments. For Victoria Island 57 out of 58 classifications directly match incorporating 95% of lineaments. Differences are related to small numbers of unclassified lineaments and parallel cross‐cutting lineaments that are of a similar length. CLustre enables the automated, repeatable, assignment of lineaments to flow sets using defined user criteria. This is important as qualitative visual interpretation may introduce bias, potentially weakening the testability of palaeo‐glacial reconstructions. In addition, once classified, summary statistics of lineament clusters can be calculated and subsequently used during the reconstruction process. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Early Cambrian wave-formed shoreline deposits: the Hardeberga Formation,Bornholm, Denmark

International Journal of Earth Sciences - During the early Cambrian, the Danish island Bornholm was situated on the northern edge of the continent Baltica with palaeolatitudes of about 35°S....     

Dune deformation in a multi‐directional wind regime: White Sands Dune Field,New Mexico

As with most dune fields, the White Sands Dune Field in New Mexico forms in a wind regime that is not unimodal. In this study, crescentic dune shape change (deformation) with migration at White Sands was explored in a time series of five LiDAR‐derived digital elevation models (DEMs) and compared to a record of wind direction and speed during the same period. For the study period of June 2007 to June 2010, 244 sand‐transporting wind events occurred and define a dominant wind mode from the SW and lesser modes from the NNW and SSE. Based upon difference maps and tracing of dune brinklines, overall dune behavior consists of crest‐normal migration to the NE, but also along‐crest migration of dune sinuosity and stoss superimposed dunes to the SE. The SW winds are transverse to dune orientations and cause most forward migration. The NNW winds cause along‐crest migration of dune sinuosity and stoss bedforms, as well as SE migration of NE‐trending dune terminations. The SSE winds cause ephemeral dune deformation, especially crestal slipface reversals. The dunes deform with migration because of differences in dune‐segment size, and differences in the lee‐face deposition rate as a function of the incidence angle between the wind direction and the local brinkline orientation. Each wind event deforms dune shape, this new shape then serves as the boundary condition for the next wind event. Shared incidence‐angle control on dune deformation and lee‐face stratification types allows for an idealized model for White Sands dunes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Colin Patterson (1933–1998): a major vertebrate palaeontologist of this century

Geologie en Mijnbouw -     

An experiment to study and control the Langmuir sheath around INTERBALL-2

The satellite INTERBALL-2 has an orbit with high inclination (62.8°), covering the altitude range between a few hundred and about 20000 km. The ambient plasma conditions along this orbit are highly variable, and the interactions of this plasma with the spacecraft body as well as the photo-electron sheath around it are considered to be interesting topics for detailed studies. The electric potential of the spacecraft with respect to the ambient plasma that develops as a result of the current equilibrium reacts sensitively to variations of the boundary conditions. The measurement and eventual control of this potential is a prerequisite for accurate measurements of the thermal plasma. We describe the purpose and technical implementation of an ion emitter instrument on-board INTERBALL-2 utilising ion beams at energies of several thousand electron volts in order to reduce and stabilise the positive spacecraft potential. First results of the active ion beam experiments, and other measures taken on INTERBALL-2 to reduce charging are presented. Furthermore, the approach and initial steps of modelling efforts of the sheath in the vicinity of the INTERBALL-2 spacecraft are described together with some estimates on the resulting spacecraft potential, and effects on thermal ion measurements. It is concluded that even moderate spacecraft potentials as are commonly observed on-board INTERBALL-2 can significantly distort the measurements of ion distribution functions, especially in the presence of strongly aniso-tropic distributions.