A cryo-SEM study of aggregate and floc structure changes during clay settling and raking processes

The destabilization of kaolinite suspension by anionic flocculant addition occurs in three zones; free settling, hindered settling and compression which usually includes a final bed raking process in mineral processing practice. This paper reports changes in the kaolinite aggregate and floc structures in the different settling and raking zones by cryo-vitrification/cryo-SEM techniques with image analysis combining micro- and macro-flocs. Cryo-SEM images indicate that, even during free settling, fine clay particles are bridged predominantly in edge–edge (E–E) with some face–face (F–F) configurations forming single, small flocs and some chain structures. When these small flocs and chains settle into the hindered settling zone, the collision between flocs and chains results in “honeycomb” network structures formed with lateral chain-like extension. The settled bed consists of these honeycomb structures with both inter-aggregate and intra-aggregate trapped water and has relatively low bed density (e.g. < 12 wt.% for a 2 wt.% slurry). The effect of the raking process in dramatically improving thickener underflow solids has been extensively studied but the structural changes in flocs and aggregates in this process are less well defined. Raking the compression zone for 1 h at 3 rpm can release some of the trapped water in the “honeycomb” structure and the bed density for 2 wt.% slurry improves dramatically to more than 36 wt.%. Cryo-SEM illustrates the extensive restructuring of flocs from predominantly E–E to predominantly F–F in many areas. The STructural IMage ANalysis (STIMAN) software is used to combine a series of images at magnifications from 1000× to 8000×, including both macro- and micro-flocs. This structural analysis comparing the un-raked and raked bed samples gives increases in total particle area of 30% and in relative particle area of 6%. The relatively low energy rake action of the shear stress results in the disruption of the E–E chains and the honeycomb structure, partly releasing the trapped water and inducing some E–E to F–F aggregate restructuring are clearly illustrated in these results.     

Climate change impact on water and salt balances: an assessment of the impact of climate change on catchment salt and water balances in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Climate change has potentially significant implications for hydrology and the quantity and quality of water resources. This study investigated the impacts of climate change and revegetation on water and salt balance, and stream salt concentration for catchments within the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. The Biophysical Capacity to Change model was used with climate change scenarios obtained using the CSIRO DARLAM 125 (125 km resolution) and Cubic Conformal (50 km resolution) regional climate models. These models predicted up to 25% reduction in mean annual rainfall and a similar magnitude of increase in potential evapotranspiration by 2070. Relatively modest changes in rainfall and temperature can lead to significant reductions in mean annual runoff and salt yield and increases in stream salt concentrations within the Basin. The modelled reductions in mean annual runoff were up to 45% in the wetter/cooler southern catchments and up to 64% in the drier/hotter western and northern catchments. The maximum reductions in salt yield were estimated to be up to 34% in the southern catchments and up to 49% in the northern and western catchments. These changes are associated with average catchment rainfall decreases of 13 to 21%. The results suggest that percentage changes in rainfall will be amplified in runoff. This study demonstrates that climate change poses significant challenges to natural resource management in Australia.     

Effects of Bubbles and Sea Spray on Air–Sea Exchange in Hurricane Conditions

The lower limit on the drag coefficient under hurricane force winds is determined by the break-up of the air–sea interface due to Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and formation of the two-phase transition layer consisting of sea spray and air bubbles. As a consequence, a regime of marginal stability develops. In this regime, the air–sea drag coefficient is determined by the turbulence characteristics of the two-phase transition layer. The upper limit on the drag coefficient is determined by the Charnock-type wave resistance. Most of the observational estimates of the drag coefficient obtained in hurricane conditions and in laboratory experiments appear to lie between the two extreme regimes: wave resistance and marginal stability.     

Short‐term forecasting with a multi‐level spectral primitive equation model part II ‐ Hemispheric prognoses and verification

The spectral global baroclinic primitive equation model described in Part I of this paper has been extensively tested. The model has been run daily from operational analyses for over a year. From this large sample of forecasts, verification statistics have been collected and compared with similar statistics collected from three competitive grid‐point models. The spectral model is also compared with the grid‐point models in a synoptic case study.

A second case study demonstrates the effect of horizontal resolution and physical effects on spectral model forecasts. The results of these experiments demonstrate that the spectral model is highly competitive with other models, in terms of both accuracy and computational efficiency. On 18 February 1976 the spectral model became the operational Canadian large‐scale forecast model.     

Inter-trading permanent emissions credits and rented temporary carbon emissions offsets: some issues and alternatives

Permit trading among polluting parties is now firmly established as a policy tool in a range of environmental policy areas. The Kyoto Protocol accepts the principle that sequestration of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere can be used to offset emissions of carbon from fossil fuel combustion and outlines mechanisms. Although the lack of guaranteed permanence of biological offsets is often viewed as a defect, this paper argues that the absence of guaranteed permanence need not be a fundamental problem. We view carbon emissions as a liability issue. One purpose of an emissions credit system is to provide the emitter with a means to satisfy the carbon liability associated with her firm's (or country's) release of carbon into the atmosphere. We have developed and here expand on a rental approach, in which sequestered carbon is explicitly treated as temporary: the emitter temporarily satisfies his liability by temporarily “parking” his liability, for a fee, in a terrestrial carbon reservoir, or “sink,” such as a forest or agricultural soil. Finally, the paper relates the value of permanent and temporary sequestration and argues that both instruments are tradable and have a high degree of substitutability that allows them to interact in markets.     

Nickeliferous pyrite tracks pervasive hydrothermal alteration in Martian regolith breccia: A study in NWA 7533

Martian regolith breccia NWA 7533 (and the seven paired samples) is unique among Martian meteorites in showing accessory pyrite (up to 1% by weight). Pyrite is a late mineral, crystallized after the final assembly of the breccia. It is present in all of the lithologies, i.e., the fine‐grained matrix (ICM), clast‐laden impact melt rocks (CLIMR), melt spherules, microbasalts, lithic clasts, and mineral clasts, all lacking magmatic sulfides due to degassing. Pyrite crystals show combinations of cubes, truncated cubes, and octahedra. Polycrystalline clusters can reach 200 μm in maximum dimensions. Regardless of their shape, pyrite crystals display evidence of very weak shock metamorphism such as planar features, fracture networks, and disruption into subgrains. The late fracture systems acted as preferential pathways for partial replacement of pyrite by iron oxyhydroxides interpreted as resulting from hot desert terrestrial alteration. The distribution and shape of pyrite crystals argue for growth at moderate to low growth rate from just‐saturated near neutral (6 < pH<10), H₂S‐HS‐rich fluids at minimum log fO₂ of >FMQ + 2 log units. It is inferred from the maximum Ni contents (4.5 wt%) that pyrite started crystallizing at 400–500 °C, during or shortly after a short‐duration, relatively low temperature, thermal event that lithified and sintered the regolith breccias, 1.4 Ga ago as deduced from disturbance in several isotope systematics.     

Effects of Recharge Wells and Flow Barriers on Seawater Intrusion

The installation of recharge wells and subsurface flow barriers are among several strategies proposed to control seawater intrusion on coastal groundwater systems. In this study, we performed laboratory‐scale experiments and numerical simulations to determine the effects of the location and application of recharge wells, and of the location and penetration depth of flow barriers, on controlling seawater intrusion in unconfined coastal aquifers. We also compared the experimental results with existing analytical solutions. Our results showed that more effective saltwater repulsion is achieved when the recharge water is injected at the toe of the saltwater wedge. Point injection yields about the same repulsion compared with line injection from a screened well for the same recharge rate. Results for flow barriers showed that more effective saltwater repulsion is achieved with deeper barrier penetration and with barriers located closer to the coast. When the flow barrier is installed inland from the original toe position however, saltwater intrusion increases with deeper barrier penetration. Saltwater repulsion due to flow barrier installation was found to be linearly related to horizontal barrier location and a polynomial function of the barrier penetration depth.     

In situ U–Pb,Sr and Nd isotopic analysis of loparite by LA-(MC)-ICP-MS

This work describes the in situ analysis of loparite [(Na,REE)Ti₂O₆], a perovskite group mineral with extremely low Rb/Sr ratios and high rare earth contents, by LA-(MC)-ICP-MS for the determination of U–Pb ages together with Sr and Nd isotopic composition. The reliability of these data were validated by analysis of a loparite standard by TIMS solution methods. Data are given for loparite from the Lovozero and Khibiny peralkaline complexes of the Kola Alkaline Province (Russia). For Lovozero loparite the Tera–Wasserburg intercept age for 15 loparites analysed is 373 ± 11 Ma, and the weighted ²⁰⁷Pb corrected ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age is 373 ± 2 Ma. For Khibiny loparite, the intercept age for 5 loparites analysed is 375 ± 10 Ma, and the weighted ²⁰⁷Pb corrected ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age is 374 ± 3 Ma. The common Pb compositions for Lovozero and Khibiny loparites are identical i.e. ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb = 0.898 ± 0.009 and 0.898 ± 0.007, respectively. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial ratios of Lovozero loparite range from 0.703552 to 0.703682 (av. 0.703611), and εNd (t₃₇₀) from + 3.8 to + 4.4 (av. + 4.0). The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial ratios of Khibiny loparite range from 0.703560 to 0.703871, and εNd (t₇₃₀) from + 4.0 to + 4.8. Our data indicate that in situ LA-(MC)-ICP-MS analysis of loparite provides accurate and precise estimates of the intrusion ages and isotopic composition of peralkaline rocks.