Blended head analyses to reduce uncertainty in packer testing in fractured-rock boreholes

Open boreholes in fractured rock often cross-connect fractures with differing hydraulic head and the head differences between these fractures cause vertical flow in the water column. This cross-connection has potential to bias transmissivity (T) values obtained from straddle packer tests. This study demonstrates how measurements of the blended head in the open-hole segments above and below the straddle-packer test interval can be used to correct packer tests for cross-connection effects. A pressure response observed in the open-hole segment above and/or below the packers isolating a test interval during a hydraulic test indicates short-circuiting of water from the injection interval through the vertically connected fracture network to the open-hole segments, resulting in the overestimation of T. A method is presented using blended head concepts to minimize this error using a trial-and-error procedure to determine the short-circuiting flow rate to account for the head conditions in the open-hole segments during each hydraulic test. Observed differences between the measured head and the calculated blended head in the open-hole segments above and below the test interval are attributed to cross-connection effects around the 1-m-long packers. The head and corrected T values determined from packer tests are used to estimate the flow in and out of the open hole at each of the intervals tested for assessing the cross-connection effects under open borehole conditions. Understanding open-hole flow dynamics gives insight about the potential for vertical cross connection of chemical constituents caused by the open hole.     

In-channel geomorphic complexity: The key to the dynamics of organic matter in large dryland rivers?

Large rivers are often considered to retain less organic material than smaller streams primarily because of a decrease in retentive structures. From our observations on the Barwon–Darling River, a semi-arid river in southeastern Australia, we suggest that geomorphic complexity plays a fundamental role in the retention of organic matter. The Barwon–Darling River has a ‘complex’ river channel cross-section with large inset benches being a prominent morphological feature within the channel. The importance of geomorphic complexity for retaining organic material is likely to be significant in dryland rivers. These rivers spend extended periods at low flow with infrequent large floods that inundate the floodplain. They do, however, experience more frequent within channel floods that inundate in-channel ‘bench’ features. In-channel geomorphic complexity and its ability to retain organic material, therefore, means that although the dominant lateral movements of organic material will still occur during large overbank flows, smaller ‘pulse’ inputs will occur with each in-channel rise and fall in water level. In dryland rivers, where large overbank flows may only occur every seven or more years, these small ‘pulse’ inputs of organic material may well be vital for the integrity of the system.This paper describes the contemporary complexity of a channel in a regulated and an unregulated reach of the Barwon–Darling and compares this with cross-sections surveyed in 1886. We show that flow regulation has greatly reduced channel complexity. We estimate the potential organic matter input to each bench level within the channel (using data collected under near natural riparian conditions) and measure the contemporary organic loads within the channel of the regulated and unregulated reach. This modelling suggests that the development of water resources has reduced the complexity of the channel in the regulated reach, resulting in a potential decrease in the retention of organic matter in this region of the river. The importance of this organic matter to the aquatic food web of the Barwon–Darling River is also demonstrated.     

Biodegradation of riverine dissolved organic carbon in five estuaries of the southeastern United States

The biological turnover of riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) discharged into five southeastern United States estuaries was examined in long-term respiration bioassays. Measures of bacterial oxygen consumption indicated surprisingly large differences in the inherent biodegradability of DOC among the five estuaries, despite their close geographic proximity. Differences of up to 13-fold in biodegradation rates were also found temporally within a single estuary. For most of the southeastern United States estuaries, measured rates of riverine DOC biodegradation were low relative to rates reported for other freshwater and marine environments. This was particularly true for the coastal plain (“blackwater”) rivers that contribute about 35% of the riverine DOC exported to coastal marine environments in this region; extrapolation of biodegradation rates to the adjacent continental shelf predict biodegradation of a maximum of 11% of exported blackwater DOC within the estuary-shelf system (with transit times of up to 140 d). DOC from Piedmont rivers was more biologically labile, with maximum losses of 30% predicted within the estuary and adjacent shelf. Short exposures to natural sunlight increased the lability of the riverine DOC and enhanced biodegradation rates by over 3-fold in some cases, although significant inter-estuary differences in susceptibility of riverine DOC to photolysis were also evident. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY085 00007     

Spaceborne Microwave Remote Sensing of Arctic Sea Ice During Spring

This paper outlines the fundamental roles sea ice plays during the spring Arctic climate, and it demonstrates the use of passive microwave remote sensing in measuring climatically important sea ice variables during the spring transitional period. It discusses the theoretical concepts underlying passive microwave remote sensing of sea ice, and it summarizes the historical use of satellite microwave radiometry in the Arctic region. In addition, this paper discusses the derivation of climatically important sea ice variables, including sea ice extent, concentration, multiyear ice fraction, and snow melt onset, with additional comments on the precision and accuracy of the remote sensing estimates. It also discusses interannual trends in sea ice extent and presents interannual trends in snow melt onset dates. Finally, this paper provides a brief discussion on the future directions in passive microwave remote sensing of climatically important sea ice variables during the spring transitional period.     

The Poynting-Robertson effect in the Newtonian potential with a Yukawa correction

We consider a Yukawa-type gravitational potential combined with the Poynting-Robertson effect. Dust particles originating within the asteroid belt and moving on circular and elliptic trajectories are studied and expressions for the time rate of change of their orbital radii and semimajor axes, respectively, are obtained. These expressions are written in terms of basic particle parameters, namely their density and diameter. Then, they are applied to produce expressions for the time required by the dust particles to reach the orbit of Earth. For the Yukawa gravitational potential, dust particles of diameter \(10^{ - 3}\) m in circular orbits require times of the order of \(8.557 \times 10^{6}\) yr and for elliptic orbits of eccentricities \(e =0.1, 0.5\) require times of \(9.396 \times 10^{6}\) and \(2.129 \times 10^{6}\) yr respectively to reach Earth’s orbit. Finally, various cases of the Yukawa potential are studied and the corresponding particle times to reach Earth’s are derived per case along with numerical results for circular and various elliptical orbits.     

Study on semi-active control of mega-sub controlled structure by MR damper subject to random wind loads

The recently proposed mega-sub controlled structure （MSCS）, a new type of structure associated with the design and construction of super-tall buildings, has attracted the attention of designers for use in enhancing the control effectiveness in mega-frame buildings. In this paper, a dynamic equation and method to assemble parameter matrixes for a mega-sub controlled structure under random wind loads is presented. Semi-active control using magnetorheological dampers for the MSCS under random wind loads is investigated, and is compared with a corresponding system without dampers. A parametric study of the relative stiffness ratio and relative mass ratio between the mega-frame and the substructures, as well as the additional column stiffness ratio that influences the response control effectiveness of the MSCS, is discussed. The studies reveal, for the first time, that different control mechanisms exist. The results indicate that the proposed structure employing semi-active control can offer an effective control mechanism. Guidelines for selecting parameters are provided based on the analytical study.     

Associations between zircon and Fe–Ti oxides in Hiltaba event magmatic rocks,South Australia: atomic- or pluton-scale processes?

Abstract

The Hiltaba Suite intrusive rocks and penecontemporaneous Gawler Range Volcanics (GRV) comprise the 1590?Ma Gawler silicic large igneous province in the Gawler Craton, South Australia. Zircon is principally associated with Fe–Ti oxides and clusters of touching crystals in these rocks, including in the Roxby Downs Granite (RDG), host of the Olympic Dam iron oxide–copper–gold deposit, and in other intrusive rocks that comprise the Olympic Province. There has been no explicit evaluation and explanation of potential origins published for concentrations of zircon with Fe–Ti oxides (herein zircon-rich clusters) found in these and similar rocks of western North America and elsewhere. Here we use U–Pb geochronology, mineral morphologies and compositions, and insights from surface chemistry and liquid-bound particle interaction studies to investigate zircon-rich clusters and provide a model for their formation. U–Pb geochronology does not reveal any concordant zircon populations older than ca 1590?Ma, so it is unlikely that there are significant xenocrystic zircon grains or that the zircons include significant inherited cores. The lack of pre-magmatic zircon, consistent intra-grain and inter-grain zircon compositional trends, the predominance of oscillatory zoned zircon with morphologies indicating growth from hot, evolved silicate melts, and the lack of evidence for zircon recrystallisation, indicates that zircon crystallised in the host GRV and RDG magmas. Variable zircon compositions within individual clusters does not support epitaxial nucleation of zircon on Fe–Ti oxides, but it is likely that some zircon grains grew from seed crystals formed by exsolution of Zr from Fe–Ti oxides. Aggregation of isolated, liquid-bound crystals is energetically favourable, and the grainsize discrepancy between larger crystals (Fe–Ti oxides, pyroxenes) and smaller accessory minerals (zircon, apatite) maximises the disparity in particle velocities and hence enhances the opportunities for collisions and adhesion between these crystals. We propose that zircon adheres to Fe–Ti oxides with greater ease and/or with greater bond strengths, than to other phases present in the parental magmas. It is possible that this association is related to interactions between zircon and Fe–Ti oxide surface sites with opposing charges, presuming the distance between phase surfaces is sufficiently small. The occurrence of small zircon grains within Fe–Ti oxides and both euhedral zircon and zircon with asymmetric growth zonation in contact with Fe–Ti oxides indicates that several processes are responsible for the high concentrations of zircon crystals in some Fe–Ti oxide clusters.

1. Zircon is principally associated with Fe--Ti oxides in 1.59 Ga Gawler Range Volcanics (GRV) and Roxby Downs Granite (RDG)

2. U–Pb geochronology does not reveal any concordant zircon populations older than ca 1590?Ma

3. Zircon compositions and morphologies indicate that zircon crystallised in the host RDG and GRV magmas and suggest recharge, reheating and mixing occurred in these magmatic systems

4. Seed crystals, aggregation and surface chemical affinities contributed to the strong association of zircon and Fe–Ti oxides