Underground pumped storage hydroelectricity using abandoned works (deep mines or open pits) and the impact on groundwater flow

Underground pumped storage hydroelectricity (UPSH) plants using open-pit or deep mines can be used in flat regions to store the excess of electricity produced during low-demand energy periods. It is essential to consider the interaction between UPSH plants and the surrounding geological media. There has been little work on the assessment of associated groundwater flow impacts. The impacts on groundwater flow are determined numerically using a simplified numerical model which is assumed to be representative of open-pit and deep mines. The main impact consists of oscillation of the piezometric head, and its magnitude depends on the characteristics of the aquifer/geological medium, the mine and the pumping and injection intervals. If an average piezometric head is considered, it drops at early times after the start of the UPSH plant activity and then recovers progressively. The most favorable hydrogeological conditions to minimize impacts are evaluated by comparing several scenarios. The impact magnitude will be lower in geological media with low hydraulic diffusivity; however, the parameter that plays the more important role is the volume of water stored in the mine. Its variation modifies considerably the groundwater flow impacts. Finally, the problem is studied analytically and some solutions are proposed to approximate the impacts, allowing a quick screening of favorable locations for future UPSH plants.     

The factors influencing cation site-preferences in spinels a new mendelyevian approach

Pseudopotential orbital radii r _s , r _p are used to construct an index, r _σ=r _s +r _p , which characterizes the average potential experienced by atomic valence electrons. A plot of r _A ^σ verses r _B ^σ for 172 chalogenide spinels (AB₂X₄, X=O, S, Se, Te) leads to two well defined areas, which separate normal and inverse spinels, with only four errors (a predictive success rate of 98%). The gross sorting is achieved without recourse either to the number of d-electrons or an orbital radius r _d , from which it is inferred that it is the energies and extents of the cation s and p-orbitals which primarily determine coordination number in these systems. This approach to the problem of cation distribution in spinels is contrasted with the less generally applicable, traditional, crystal field ideas. The relevance of both r _σ and crystal field stabilization energies to the thermodynamics of spinel reactions is also discussed.     

Comparison of spawning seasons,age, growth rates,and food of two sympatric species of searobins,Prionotus carolinus and Prionotus evolans,from Long Island Sound

Prionotus carolinus and Prionotus evolans were collected from many locations within Long Island Sound in 1971–1973, and in 1976–1977. Data from earlier collections in Block Island Sound (1943–1945) were also included. A total of 1751 specimens, 960 P. carolinus and 791 P. evolans was examined within these two time periods. Both species entered the Sound in April and spawned during June and July. P. evolans appeared to spawn slightly earlier in summer than P. carolinus. Adults began to leave the Sound after spawning and were usually absent after November. Young-of-the-year were taken regularly from August to November and, occasionally in water over 20 m deep, into February when the bottom water temperature was 1.4°C. At the end of the first growing seasons both species exhibited large variations in standard lengths. Back-calculations from scale annuli measurements indicated that linear growth rates during the juvenile years were similar in both species. However, P. evolans was considerably heavier than P. carolinus. During adulthood P. evolans was not only longer and heavier than P. carolinus, but lived longer. Growth rates are described by the following equations: P. carolinus L_t+1=9.60+0.68 (L_t), and p. evolans L_t+1=7.70+0.80 (L_t). Both species were opportunistic feeders, and crustaceans were clearly the dominant group of prey. Young-of-the-year, between 3–6 cm, ate copepods. As they grew they ate larger prey, such as Neomysis americana, Diastylis quadrispinosus, various species of amphipods of small sizes, and juvenile Crangon septemspinosus. Older fish ate larger sizes of these same prey, a number of species of crabs, juvenile Homarus americanus, and Squilla empusa. Occasionally they ate polychaetes, molluscs, and juvenile fish. Partitioning of the resources of Long Island Sound by these two species appeared to be by prey size. P. evolans ate prey that, on the average, were slightly larger than those eaten by P. carolinus. Furthermore, P. evolans ate a greater amount of nektonic species than P. carolinus, which appeared to prefer benthonic invertebrates.     

Rubidium,strontium content and strontium isotopic composition of strongly alkalic basaltic rocks from the Cape Verde islands

The Cape Verde islands are characterized by the presence of very strongly alkalic lavas. Cenozoic volcanics—covering the broadest compositional range present in the archipelago—and ranging from alkali-basalts to phonolites, associated with plutonic essexites and nepheline syenites, were analyzed for Sr isotopic compositions and concentrations in K, Rb and Sr. The close values of the Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ ratios (ranging from 0.7029 to 0.7033) indicate a comagmatic origin for the different rock types; no correlation appears between the Sr isotopic composition and the K-content of the lavas, thus indicating that the lavas with high K₂O/K₂O + Na₂O ratio are generated from a primary magma by differentiation at shallow depths. The values of the Sr isotopic composition are distinctly lower than most values obtained for lavas of other oceanic islands. The origin of the magma type is discussed on the basis of these isotopic compositions and the K/Rb and Rb/Sr ratios: it is suggested that the primary magma has a nephelinitic composition and was formed by partial melting of a small fraction of undepleted mantle peridotite, containing phlogopite; the deeper part of the mantle where this nephelinitic magma generates would have a strontium isotopic ratio of about 0.703 and a Rb/Sr ratio lower than that of the upper part.     

A case study of stably stratified airflow over the pennines using an instrumented glider

In this paper we present data gathered during a weak case of the Helm wind, an example of supercritical airflow, in the vicinity of Cross Fell in Northern England. Airborne measurements have been made using an instrumented glider with simultaneous ground-based measurements both on a hill summit and on the valley floor downwind of the hill.It is found that the major features of the airflow both near the surface and aloft, including the lee-wave activity are well reproduced by the airflow model of Carruthers and Choularton (1982). Secondary features including several higher modes of lee-waves and changes in the valley flow associated with nocturnal cooling were observed which could not be accounted for by the simple model.     

A generalized least-squares family of algorithms for transient dynamic analysis

By use of the generalized least-squares procedure, in conjunction with a finite element approximation in time, a simple three-time-level family of time integration schemes is derived. This results in fourth-order accurate unconditionally stable algorithms and stable eighth-order accurate non-dissipative algorithms. Numerical examples show the accuracy of the proposed schemes in comparison with the Fox-Goodwin formula and Newmark's average acceleration method.     

Diurnal and seasonal variations of meteorology and aerosol concentrations in the foothills of the nepal himalayas (Nagarkot: 1,900 m asl)

A 10-months long monitoring experiment to investigate the diurnal and seasonal variation of aerosol size distribution at Nagarkot (1,900 m asl) in the Kathmadu Valley was carried out as part of a study on katabatic and anabatic influence on pollution dispersion mechanisms. Seasonal means show total aerosol number concentration was highest during post-monsoon season (775 ± 417 cm^?3) followed by pre-monsoon (644 ± 429 cm^?3) and monsoon (293 ± 205 cm^?3) periods. Fine particle concentration (0.25 μm ≤ D_P ≤ 2.5 μm) dominated in all seasons, however, contribution by coarse particles (3.0 μm ≤ D_P ≤ 10.0 μm) is more significant in the monsoon season with contributions from particles larger than 10.0 μm being negligible. Our results show a regular diurnal pattern of aerosol concentration in the valley with a morning and an evening peak. The daily twin peaks are attributed to calm conditions followed by transitional growth and break down of the valley boundary layer below. The peaks are generally associated with enhancement of the coarse particle fraction. The evening peak is generally higher than the morning peak, and is caused by fresh evening pollution from the valley associated with increased local activities coupled with recirculation of these trapped pollutants. Relatively clean air masses from neighbouring valleys contribute to the smaller morning peak. Gap flows through the western passes of the Kathmandu Valley, which sweep away the valley pollutants towards the eastern passes modulated by the mountain - valley wind system, are mainly responsible for the dominant pollutant circulation patterns exhibited within the valley.