Establishing the sediment stratigraphy of reservoirs in the southern Pennines,UK

Abstract

Reservoirs in the southern Pennines have been investigated to determine their potential for reconstructing a history of atmospheric pollution. A selection procedure has been used to identify sites with the best chance of obtaining a usable sedimentary record prior to sample collection. Five reservoirs were selected for core collection and sediment analysis using magnetic susceptibility (χlf), particle size, spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP) analysis and radiometric dating. Analysis reveals that largely undisturbed sedimentary records exist in the deepest zones of these reservoirs, thus reservoir sediments represent a valuable resource for investigating pollution histories in the southern Pennines.     

GRAPHICAL SOLUTION OF GROUND WATER FLOW PROBLEMS

Abstract

Graphical solutions to linear and radial ground water flow problems are described. These methods are based on finite difference approximations which have been widely used in heat flow problems. The case of the leaky aquiclude and vertical recharge to unconfined aquifers is discussed as well as constant head at a control and constant discharge or recharge. These solutions are useful only when the physical factors are known and an estimate of water level changes under certain conditions is desired. The methods are not intended to replace more rigorous mathematical solutions.     

Optimizing bioventing in shallow vadose zones and cold climates

Abstract

This paper describes a bioventing study design and initial activities applied to a JP-4 jet fuel spill at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The primary objectives of the project were to investigate the feasibility of using bioventing technology to remediate JP-4 jet fuel contamination in a sub-arctic environment and to determine to what degree the biodegradation rate of JP-4 soil contaminants could be enhanced by increasing soil temperature, both actively by circulating heated groundwater and passively by utilizing solar energy. Biodegradation rates at the bioventing site remained relatively high during the winter months in the active-warming test plot and were consistently higher than those observed in the passive-warming and control test plots. These studies suggest that an active-warming system operated in conjunction with bioventing is a useful method for remediating fuel-contaminated areas in cold climates.     

Continental/Cordilleran ice interactions: a dominant cause of westward super-elevation of the last glacial maximum continental ice limit in southwestern Alberta, Canada

In southwestern Alberta, Canada, a westward-rising last-glacial-maximum continental ice limit has been identified. This limit is defined by the upper elevation of Canadian Shield erratics deposited by last-glacial-maximum continental ice along the flanks of prominent ridges and buttes within the region. The interpolation between ice-limit data points has produced two distinct slope profiles: 2.9 m/km to the east, and 4.2 m/km to the west of Mokowan Butte. Three hypotheses are proposed to explain this westward rise of the last-glacial-maximum continental ice limit: (1) regional tectonic uplift, (2) glacio-isostatic uplift, and (3) continental ice-flow convergence due to topographic obstacles and interaction with montane ice. Inferred long-term rates of tectonic uplift and glacio-isostatic modelling show that these two mechanisms account for less than 25% of the observed absolute elevation increase of the limit between the Del Bonita uplands and Cloudy Ridge in southwestern Alberta. The remaining rise in elevation of the continental ice-sheet margin in this region is thought to result from continental ice-flow convergence due to the combined effects of the regional topography and interaction with montane glaciers to the west. The steeper rise in the former continental ice surface west of Mokowan Butte can be explained by the topographic obstruction and interaction with montane glaciers in the area of the Rocky Mountain front.     

Glacio-dynamic structures from the Blackwater Formation, Co. Wexford, Ireland

A series of large-scale glacio-dynamic structures exposed in 10 km of coastal cliff cut through the Screen Hills kame-morainc, Co. Wexford. Ireland, is descrihed. The structures range from simple ovcrfolds to complex multiple thrusts, have a consistent structural trend, and result from marginal deformation by an ice-sheet moving from the NE. The relationship between the structures and other, gcomorphic and stratigraphic components is resolved into a simple model of repeated ice-marginal oscillation during a phase of overall glacial retreat.     

A New Video and Digital Camera System for Studies of the Dynamics of Microtopographic Features on Tidal Flats

A newly developed video and camera system for tidal flat microtopographic studies is presented. It consists of a SONY handy cam placed in an underwater housing mounted on a frame about 70?cm above the sediment surface. A rectangular surface area of 30?×40?cm is imaged by the camera. The camera records video sequences and/or digital images at predetermined time lapses. The total number of images is about 540, and a similar number of 10-second long video sequences can be recorded. The camera is programmed with a PC before deployment, and the total deployment time depends on the time lapse between recordings. The camera is connected to an external power supply (12?volt), and a halogen projector pointing towards the sediment surface ensures that the system is operable on a 24-hours scale. The system has been tested in the Danish Wadden Sea. It has proved to be a very useful tool in studies of topographic effects of erosion and deposition sequences, and for studies of benthic organisms-sediment interactions. The test site was further equipped with sensors for water and seabed measurements, which proved to be indispensable regarding the interpretation of recorded image time-series.     

A spatial disaggregation procedure for precipitation

Abstract

A disaggregation procedure is presented to render forecast values of precipitation from an atmospheric model with spatial resolution of 11 × 11 km suitable as input for a distributed hydrological model with spatial resolution of 1.1 × 1.1 km. Statistical and morphological properties of the input field, such as spatial mean, variance, correlation structure and intermittency, are respected in the disaggregated field. The adopted approach is a combination of interpolation and simulation. The four nodal points of the atmospheric model grid cell are used both for determining the parameters of the exponential distribution for simulating precipitation values, and in a simple interpolation procedure to determine the spatial location of the precipitation values. A shifted distribution with two parameters is used in the case of full coverage of the grid cell, and a one-parameter distribution with a theoretically derived intermittency parameter is used if intermittency is present. The results are promising with respect to the statistical and morphological properties of the disaggregated field.