Field Placement and Evaluation of Stabilized Dredged Material (SDM) from the New York/New Jersey Harbor

Since the 1997 local ban on ocean dumping of dredged sediments, the States of New York and New Jersey have pursued a policy of environmentally sound solutions to the management of dredged material, including beneficial use of stabilized dredged material (SDM) in transportation applications. A pilot study was initiated in 1998 to evaluate the use of SDM in the construction of highway embankments. Utilizing 80,000 cubic yards of dredged material, two embankments were constructed from SDM on a commercial development area adjacent to the Harbor. Geotechnical properties and handling of SDM were evaluated both during and one year post - construction. This article presents the evaluation of the embankments themselves, including constructability and performance. The results demonstrate that SDM satisfies most of the geotechnical criteria for fill construction, except those for durability, requiring proper coverage and protection similar to that provided for fills constructed on cohesive soils. This same characteristic precludes long term stockpiling of SDM prior to final placement, limiting applications to those that have schedules overlapping with dredging projects. Increased costs for the use of SDM can be as high as $8 per cubic yard over traditional fills; however, this cost may be recouped through management fees collected from dredging projects.     

Behavioural Effects of Chemically Dispersed Oil and Subsequent Recovery in Diploria strigosa (Dana)

Abstract. Survival and behaviour of the hermatypic coral Diploria strigosa was studied during 6–24 h doses with water-accomodated fractions of chemically dispersed crude oil, and for a subsequent recovery period of 1 month. Experiments utilized a flow-through laboratory dosing procedure and incorporated petroleum hydrocarbon measurements in order to simulate a major but short-term oil spill in shallow subtidal benthic reef environments. Chemically dispersed oil treatments consisted of Arabian Light Crude oil with Corexit 9527 or BP1100WD at 1–20 ppm concentrations of oil.
In general, effects observed were sub-lethal, temporary, and associated with the highest concentrations tested. Responses to the presence of dispersed oil at 20ppm for 24 h included mesenterial filament extrusion, extreme tissue contraction, tentacle retraction and localized tissue rupture. The nature and severity of reactions during the dosing phase varied between colonies and treatments, but colonies typically resumed normal behaviour within 2 h to 4 d of the recovery period. It therefore seems unlikely that observed biological effects would impair long-term viability.     

The October 4, 1994 Shikotan (Kurile Islands) Tsunamigenic Earthquake: An Open Problem on the Source Mechanism

—On October 4, 1994, an earthquake of magnitude M _w = 8.2 occurred in the western part of the Kurile Islands, generating a tsunami that has been well recorded along the entire coast of Japan. Previous works have shown that this earthquake does not represent a low angle thrust event, normally expected in a subduction zone, rather an intra-plate event rupturing through the slab. On the basis of the accepted mechanism, two fault models, representative of the nodal plane ambiguity, have been suggested. The goal of this work is to verify whether the tsunami simulations are able to rule out one of the two proposed fault models. Taking into account both fault models together with a heterogeneous slip along the fault, we have performed numerical simulations of the tsunami. All source models produce tide-gauge records in agreement with the observed ones. The limit of resolution of the performed simulations, estimated by means of a perturbed bathymetry, does not allow us to distinguish the best source model.     

Analysis of vertical crustal movements in the period of the Kaliningrad earthquake of September 21, 2004 (from sea level data)

The paper analyzes data of leveling and meteorological observations conducted in the Kaliningrad region in the second half of September 2004, i.e., during a period including the few moderate seismic shocks of September 21, 2004. The analysis of long observation series and comparison of sea level variations recorded from September 15 through 30, 2004, with meteorological data have led to the conclusion that, most probably, the Sambiiskii Peninsula subsided tectonically by 25–30 cm over 12–24 h and a new sequence of seismic shocks occurred five to eight hours after the beginning of the subsidence. The geodynamic and prognostic aspects of the results obtained in this work are discussed.     

Analysis of formation pressure test results in the Mount Elbert methane hydrate reservoir through numerical simulation

Targeting the methane hydrate (MH) bearing units C and D at the Mount Elbert prospect on the Alaska North Slope, four MDT (Modular Dynamic Formation Tester) tests were conducted in February 2007. The C2 MDT test was selected for history matching simulation in the MH Simulator Code Comparison Study. Through history matching simulation, the physical and chemical properties of the unit C were adjusted, which suggested the most likely reservoir properties of this unit. Based on these properties thus tuned, the numerical models replicating “Mount Elbert C2 zone like reservoir”, “PBU L-Pad like reservoir” and “PBU L-Pad down dip like reservoir” were constructed. The long term production performances of wells in these reservoirs were then forecasted assuming the MH dissociation and production by the methods of depressurization, combination of depressurization and wellbore heating, and hot water huff and puff. The predicted cumulative gas production ranges from 2.16 × 10⁶ m³/well to 8.22 × 10⁸ m³/well depending mainly on the initial temperature of the reservoir and on the production method.This paper describes the details of modeling and history matching simulation. This paper also presents the results of the examinations on the effects of reservoir properties on MH dissociation and production performances under the application of the depressurization and thermal methods.     

Oceanic fine structure

Abstract

Measurements by free fall instruments, in the San Diego Trough, the Florida Current, and the central Pacific, reveal the detailed structure of the vertical component of the oceanic temperature gradient. The temperature changes are concentrated into regions on the order of a meter thick wherein the measured gradients are often more than ten times the average gradient. The horizontal extent of the regions of high gradient is greater than 750 meters in the seasonal thermocline off San Diego, but is only a few hundred meters at depths greater than 400 meters.

Fine scale measurements show that the layers of high gradient consist of even finer fluctuations in gradient which are only a few centimeters thick. Time scales of the thinnest of these regions of high gradient are of the order of five minutes. The data also yields an estimate of the entropy generation. According to the results of an idealized model relating entropy generation to the turbulent heat transport, only 240 to 700 ergs per cm.² per sec were transported in a 25 meter vertical section measured in the San Diego Trough. This value compared with 3600 ergs per cm.² per sec estimated from the mean gradient and an eddy coefficient of 1 cm.² per sec.     

Conversion of waste to electricity in a microbial fuel cell using newly identified bacteria: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas fluorescens</Emphasis>

The present study deals with the capability of pulp industry wastewater to produce bioelectricity with isolation and screening of native electrogenic bacteria from wastewater. In the screening process, three bacterial isolates were obtained; they were studied on the basis of morphology and biochemical characteristics. The maximum bioelectricity producing bacteria was identified by sequencing method and was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens, and it is a novel bacteria reported in bioelectricity production from pulp industry wastewater. Further, the work focuses on optimization of various parameters, i.e., inoculum size, pH, temperature, mediators and its concentration. It was observed that with pulp industry wastewater, inoculum size of 1.5% gave the maximum voltage and current of 1.244 ± 0.003^d V and 5.946 ± 0.005^d mA, respectively. A pH of 7.0 gave maximum voltage and current of 0.956 ± 0.009^e V and 2.692 ± 0.016^e mA. At 35 °C temperature, maximum production of voltage and current of 1.045 ± 0.003^d V and 2.167 ± 0.037^d mA were recorded. Among the various mediators, humic acid was found to be most effective as it produced a voltage of 1.054 ± 0.004^f V and current of 1.070 ± 0.004^d mA. Maximum voltage of 1.291 ± 0.021^f V and current of 1.896 ± 0.006^f mA were recorded with 200 μM of humic acid. Physicochemical analysis of the effluent was conducted before and after experimental run, and the values suggested that the microbial fuel cell technology is an efficient method for biological treatment of wastewater.