Identification of Multiple Sources of Groundwater Contamination by Dual Isotopes

Chlorinated solvents are one of the most commonly detected groundwater contaminants in industrial areas. Identification of polluters and allocation of contaminant sources are important concerns in the evaluation of complex subsurface contamination with multiple sources. In recent years, compound‐specific isotope analyses (CSIA) have been employed to discriminate among different contaminant sources and to better understand the fate of contaminants in field‐site studies. In this study, the usefulness of dual isotopes (carbon and chlorine) was shown in assessments of groundwater contamination at an industrial complex in Wonju, Korea, where groundwater contamination with chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene (TCE) and carbon tetrachloride (CT) was observed. In November 2009, the detected TCE concentrations at the study site ranged between nondetected and 10,066 µg/L, and the CT concentrations ranged between nondetected and 985 µg/L. In the upgradient area, TCE and CT metabolites were detected, whereas only TCE metabolites were detected in the downgradient area. The study revealed the presence of separate small but concentrated TCE pockets in the downgradient area, suggesting the possibility of multiple contaminant sources that created multiple comingling plumes. Furthermore, the variation of the isotopic (δ¹³C and δ³⁷Cl) TCE values between the upgradient and downgradient areas lends support to the idea of multiple contamination sources even in the presence of detectable biodegradation. This case study found it useful to apply a spatial distribution of contaminants coupled with their dual isotopic values for evaluation of the contaminated sites and identification of the presence of multiple sources in the study area.     

爆炸、核试验与天然地震的区别（英文）

本文通过地震正演模型和面波振幅数据对比分析了天然地震、爆炸,与核试验数据,以探索改进辨别天然地震与爆炸的方法。所提方法是基于波数域和频率域的双积分变换解。用于研究的地震事件都发生在北朝鲜,其中包括2001年6月26日（39.212°N,125.383°E）和2001年10月30日（38.748°N,125.267°E）所记录的爆炸数据,2006年10月9日（41.275°N,129.095°E）所记录的一次核试验数据、以及2002年4月14日（39.207°N,125.686°E）和2002年6月7日（38.703°N,125.638°E）所记录的两次天然地震。基于这些数据通过地震波分析与理论模拟表明爆炸引起的地震与天然地震有着不同的波型特征。爆炸引起的信号特征是P波的能量较S波强,在爆炸记录上0.05-0.5Hz频率之间Rg波清晰呈现,而在然地震记录上没有。这是由于爆炸地震记录上P波是优势波,与SH成分发生了耦合。     

Mass density of the upper atmosphere derived from Starlette’s Precise Orbit Determination with Satellite Laser Ranging

The atmospheric mass density of the upper atmosphere from the spherical Starlette satellite’s Precise Orbit Determination is first derived with Satellite Laser Ranging measurements at 815 to 1115 km during strong solar and geomagnetic activities. Starlette’s orbit is determined using the improved orbit determination techniques combining optimum parameters with a precise empirical drag application to a gravity field. MSIS-86 and NRLMSISE-00 atmospheric density models are compared with the Starlette drag-derived atmospheric density of the upper atmosphere. It is found that the variation in the Starlette’s drag coefficient above 800 km corresponds well with the level of geomagnetic activity. This represents that the satellite orbit is mainly perturbed by the Joule heating from geomagnetic activity at the upper atmosphere. This result concludes that MSIS empirical models strongly underestimate the mass density of the upper atmosphere as compared to the Starlette drag-derived atmospheric density during the geomagnetic storms. We suggest that the atmospheric density models should be analyzed with higher altitude acceleration data for a better understanding of long-term solar and geomagnetic effects.     

Massive sedimentation of fine sediment with organic matter and enhanced benthic-pelagic coupling by an artificial dyke in semi-enclosed Chonsu Bay, Korea

To assess the impact of an artificial dyke in Chonsu Bay (CBD) on the organic carbon (C(org)) cycle, we measured excess (210)Pb activities, C(org) and nitrogen content in sediment cores. The C(org) oxidation rates (C(ox)) on the surface sediment and benthic nutrient fluxes were also quantified with an in situ benthic chamber. The higher excess (210)Pb inventory, C(org) and nitrogen in cores near the CBD indicated lateral transport and local, massive deposition of particulate matter due to tidal circulation altered by artificial dyke construction. The C(ox) in sediment near the CBD was about twice as high as that out of the bay, suggesting the importance of benthic remineralization of organic matter. The benthic fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphate were four to six times higher than those outside the bay, corresponding to 141% and 131% respectively, of the requirements for primary production.     

First retrieval of data regarding spatial distribution of Asian dust aerosol from the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager

Aerosol optical thickness (AOT) was retrieved from the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) on board the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) for the first time. AOT values were retrieved over the ocean at a spatial scale of 0.5 × 0.5 km² by using the look-up table (LUT)-based separation technique. The radiative transfer model (RTM) was used for different models of atmosphere-ocean environmental conditions, taking into account the realistic variability of scattering and absorption. Ocean surface properties affected by whitecaps and pigment content were also taken into account. The results show that the radiance observed by the GOCI amounts to only 5% of the radiation that penetrated the ocean and, consequently, 95% of the radiation is scattered in the atmosphere or reflected at the ocean surface in the visible wavelengths longer than 0.6 ìm. Within these wavelengths, radiance variations at the top of atmosphere (TOA) due to pigment variations are within 10%, while the radiance variation due to wind speed is considerably higher. For verification of GOCI-retrieved AOTs, comparison between GOCI and ground-based sunphotometer measurement at Gosan, Korea (126.10°E, 33.23°N)) showed good correlation (r = 0.99). The GOCI observations obtained by using the proposed technique showed promising results for the daily monitoring of atmospheric aerosol loading as well as being useful for environmental supervisory authorities.     

Probabilistic seismic performance assessment of lap-spliced RC columns retrofitted by steel wrapping jackets

In this study, the seismic fragility curves of two reinforced concrete (RC) columns that were lap-spliced at the bottom and retrofitted with steel wrapping jackets were generated. Their seismic performance was probabilistically assessed in comparison to that of lap-spliced or continuous reinforcement RC columns. This study used two types of steel wrapping jackets, a full jacket and a split jacket. Analytical models of the four types of columns were developed based on the experimental results of the columns using OpenSEES, which is effective in conducting nonlinear time history analyses. A suite of ten artificial ground motions, modified from recorded ground motions, was used to perform nonlinear time history analyses of the analytical models with scaling of the peak ground acceleration from 0.1 g to 1.0 g in increments of 0.1 g. The steel wrapping jackets did not increase the medians for yield (slight damage state) of the lap-spiced column and did not exceed the corresponding median of the continuous reinforcement column. However, the two steel jackets increased the medians for failure by 1.872 and 2.017 times, respectively, and exceeded the corresponding median of the continuous reinforcement column by 11.8% and 20.5%, respectively.     

A TIN compression method using Delaunay triangulation

This study introduces a new Triangulated Irregular Network(TIN) compression method and a progressive visualization technique using Delaunay triangulation. The compression strategy is based on the assumption that most triangulated 2.5-dimensional terrains are very similar to their Delaunay triangulation. Therefore, the compression algorithm only needs to maintain a few edges that are not included in the Delaunay edges. An efficient encoding method is presented for the set of edges by using vertex reordering and a general bracketing method. In experiments, the compression method examined several sets of TIN data with various resolutions, which were generated by five typical terrain simplification algorithms. By exploiting the results, the connecting structures of common terrain data are compressed to 0.17 bits per vertex on average, which is superior to the results of previous methods. The results are shown by a progressive visualization method for web-based GIS.     

Effect of the inter-annual variability of rainfall statistics on stochastically generated rainfall time series: part 2. Impact on watershed response variables

This study analyzes how the stochastically generated rainfall time series accounting for the inter-annual variability of rainfall statistics can improve the prediction of watershed response variables such as peak flow and runoff depth. The modified Bartlett–Lewis rectangular pulse (MBLRP) rainfall generation model was improved such that it can account for the inter-annual variability of the observed rainfall statistics. Then, the synthetic rainfall time series was generated using the MBLRP model, which was used as input rainfall data for SCS hydrologic models to produce runoff depth and peak flow in a virtual watershed. These values were compared to the ones derived from the synthetic rainfall time series that is generated from the traditional MBLRP rainfall modeling. The result of the comparison indicates that the rainfall time series reflecting the inter-annual variability of rainfall statistics reduces the biasness residing in the predicted peak flow values derived from the synthetic rainfall time series generated using the traditional MBLRP approach by 26–47 %. In addition, it was observed that the overall variability of the peak flow and run off depth distribution was better represented when the inter-annual variability of rainfall statistics are considered.     

Flow of a stratified fluid bounded by walls of finite thermal conductance

Abstract

A study is made of the behavior of a thermally stratified fluid in a container when the non-horizontal boundaries have finite thermal conductance. The theory of Rahm and Walin is briefly recounted. Numerical solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations for a Boussinesq fluid in a cylinder, adopting a Newtonian heat flux condition at the vertical sidewall, are presented. Results on the details of flow and temperature fields are given over ranges of the Rayleigh number Ra, the container aspect ratio H, and the sidewall conductance S. As S increases, the isotherms in the meridional plane are horizontal at small radii but they diverge at large radii. This creates temperature nonuniformilies in the horizontal direction, and convective motions result. The salient features of the interior temperature profiles are captured by the theoretical model. The velocity field is characterized by two oppositely-directed circulations. As Ra or S varies, the qualitative circulation patterns remain substantially unchanged, but the magnitudes of the convective flows differ by large amounts. The effects of the externally-imposed parameters on the flow and temperature structures are examined.