Risk of water pollution due to ash–sludge mixtures: column trials

The purpose of this work was to study the risks of water pollution due to the use of mixtures containing wood ash and sewage sludge. Mixtures including sludge and ash may be recycled as fertilizers, and they are economical as they do not integrate commercial limes, but Escherichia coli counts may keep significantly high in such mixtures, because their pH is not alkaline enough. In view of that, it seems interesting to study the E. coli survival in lixiviate from ash?Csludge mixtures including limes rather than from ash?Csludge mixtures alone. Two kinds of experiments were performed using laboratory column trials under saturated flow conditions. The first experiment investigated the chemical leaching behaviour of a mixture of 70% timber-industry wood ashes and 30% urban sewage sludge (% dry weight) at doses equivalent to 10 and 30?Mg/ha. The second experiment studied the survival of E. coli in lixiviates generated from 30?Mg/ha of a mixture consisting in 75% wood ash, 20% sewage sludge and 5% quicklime (% dry weight). In the first experiment, admixture of the ash and sludge achieved a stabilization of elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, nickle, carbon monoxide, cadmium, chromium and molybdenum that reduced their solubility compared with that in the ash or sludge alone. Significant solubilisation of heavy metals was not observed, with overall minor risk of chemical water pollution. In the second experiment, although including quicklime E. coli counts were still detected in the lixiviate, indicating risk of water contamination.     

Soil chemical changes resulting from irrigating with petrochemical effluents

Irrigating food crops with treated wastewater is a popular management option in India. This study evaluated the impacts of land application of treated petrochemical effluent on soil chemical properties. Soil samples were collected from different depths from sites irrigated with petrochemical effluent for 2?years and from control sites. The effluent collected was analysed for different physic?Cchemical properties and its impact on Lagenaria siceraria (Bottle gourd) growth. 100% concentrated effluent was used for the study and compared with the control. It was observed that application of effluent significantly increased the major cations and anions in the field. On the basis of the study, it may be suggested that treated petrochemical effluent can be used as an alternate source for irrigating crops as it increases the nutrient content of the soil. The overall application indicates a lavishing growth of L. siceraria crop in petrochemical irrigated soil than control sites. This study provides information for better understanding of changes in soil properties due to land application of petrochemical effluent. These changes must be considered in developing possible criteria for preserving delicate ecosystems.     

Rock physics template (RPT) analysis of well logs and seismic data for lithology and fluid classification in Cambay Basin

The Cambay Basin is 450-km-long north–south-trending graben with an average width of 50 km, having maximum depth of about 7 km. The origin of the Cambay and other Basins on the western margin of India are related to the break up of the Gondwana super-continent in the Late-Triassic to Early-Jurassic (215 ma). The structural disposition of the Pre-Cambrian basement—a complex of igneous and metamorphic rocks exposed in the vicinity of the Cambay Basin—controls its architecture. The principal lineaments in the Basin are aligned towards NE-SE, ENE-WSW and NNW-SSE, respectively. Rock physics templates (RPTs) are charts and graphs generated by using rock physics models, constrained by local geology, that serve as tools for lithology and fluid differentiation. RPT can act as a powerful tool in validating hydrocarbon anomalies in undrilled areas and assist in seismic interpretation and prospect evaluation. However, the success of RPT analysis depends on the availability of the local geological information and the use of the proper model. RPT analysis has been performed on well logs and seismic data of a particular study area in mid Cambay Basin. Rock physics diagnostic approach is adopted in the study area placed at mid Cambay Basin to estimate the volume in the reservoir sands from 6 wells (namely; A, B, C, D, E and F) where oil was already encountered in one well, D. In the study area, hydrocarbon prospective zone has been marked through compressional (P wave) and shear wave (S wave) impedance only. In the RPT analysis, we have plotted different kinds of graphical responses of Lame’s parameters, which are the function of P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity and density. The discrete thin sand reservoirs have been delineated through the RPT analysis. The reservoir pay sand thickness map of the study area has also been derived from RPT analysis and fluid characterization. Through this fluid characterization, oil-bearing thin sand layers have been found in well E including well D. The sand distribution results prove that this methodology has able to perform reservoir characterization and seismic data interpretation more quantitatively and efficiently.     

Nb–Ta fractionation induced by fluid‐rock interaction in subduction‐zones: constraints from UHP eclogite‐ and vein‐hosted rutile from the Dabie orogen,Central‐Eastern China

Niobium and Ta concentrations in ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) eclogites and rutile from these eclogites and associated high pressure (HP) veins were used to study the behaviour of Nb–Ta during dehydration and fluid‐rock interaction. Samples were collected through a ～2 km profile at the Bixiling complex in the Dabie orogenic belt, Central‐Eastern China. All but one eclogite away from veins (EAVs) display nearly constant Nb/Ta ratios ranging from 16.1 to 19.2, with an average of 16.9 ± 0.8 (2 SE), similar to that of their gabbroic protolith from the Yangtze Block. Nb/Ta ratios of rutile from the EAVs range from 12.7 to 25.3 among different individual grains, with the average values close to those of the corresponding bulk rocks. These observations show that Nb and Ta were not significantly fractionated by prograde metamorphism up to eclogite facies when no significant fluid‐rock interaction occurs. In contrast, Nb/Ta ratios of rutile from eclogites close to veins (ECVs) are highly variable from 17.8 to 49.8, which are systematically higher (by up to 17) than those of rutile from the veins. These observations demonstrate that Nb and Ta were mobilized and fractionated during localized fluid flow and intensive fluid‐rock interaction. This is strongly supported by Nb/Ta zoning patterns in single rutile grains revealed by in situ LA‐ICP‐MS analysis. Ratios of Nb/Ta in the ECV‐hosted rutile decrease gradually from cores towards rims, whereas those in the EAV‐hosted rutile are nearly invariable. Furthermore, the vein rutile shows Nb/Ta zoning patterns that are complementary to those in rutile from their immediate hosts (ECVs), suggesting an internal origin for the vein‐forming fluids. The Nb/Ta ratios of such fluids evolved from low values at the early stage of subduction to higher values at later supercritical conditions with increased temperature and pressure. Quantitative modelling was conducted to constrain the compositional evolution of metamorphic fluids during dehydration and fluid‐rock interaction focusing on Nb–Ta distribution. The modelling results based on our proposed multistage fluid phase evolution path can essentially reproduce the natural observations reported in the present study.     

In Situ Determination of Au and Cu in Natural Pyrite by Near‐Infrared Femtosecond Laser Ablation‐Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry: No Evidence for Matrix Effects

Gold and copper concentrations were determined in natural pyrite by near‐infrared femtosecond LA‐ICP‐QMS, using both sulfide reference materials (pyrrhotite Po‐726 and in‐house natural chalcopyrite Cpy‐RM) and NIST SRM 610 as external calibrators. Firstly, using NIST SRM 610 as the external calibrator, we calculated the Au concentration in Po‐726 and the Cu concentration in Cpy‐RM. The calculated concentration averages for Au and Cu were similar to the values published for Po‐726 and Cpy‐RM, respectively. Secondly, we calculated Au and Cu concentrations taking NIST SRM 610 as an unknown sample and using Po‐726 and Cpy‐RM as external calibrators. Again, the average values obtained closely reflected the preferred concentrations for NIST SRM 610. Finally, we calculated Au and Cu concentrations in natural pyrite using sulfide and silicate reference materials as external calibrators. In both cases, calculated concentrations were very similar, independent of the external calibrator used. The aforementioned data, plus the fact that we obtained very small differences in relative sensitivity values (percentage differences are between 5% and 17% for ⁵⁷Fe, ⁶³Cu and ¹⁹⁷Au) on analyses of silicate and sulfide RMs, indicate that there were no matrix effects related to the differences in material composition. Thus, it is possible to determine Au and Cu in natural sulfides using NIST silicate glasses as an external calibrator.     

Stable carbon isotope behaviour of natural seepage of deep underground C-rich methane detected along a fault zone and adsorbed in mudstone: Tokyo Bay area,Japan

Gas was sampled regionally, including by drilling into faults, in the South Kanto gas-field around Tokyo Bay, Japan. Gas samples were collected from cores in a gas sampling container immediately after drilling. A value of δ¹³C₁ = −44.3‰ was obtained for gas in the container and δ¹³C₁ = −36.3‰ for seeping gas in a fault zone. However, typical CH₄ in this dissolved-in-water gas-field is mainly depleted in ¹³C, and δ¹³C₁ values range from −66‰ to −68‰ owing to microbial degradation of organic material. ¹³C-rich CH₄ is so far uncommon in the South Kanto gas-field. Seepages were observed from the surface along the north–south fault zone. The natural gas is stored below the sandstone layer by impermeable mudstone underlying the boundary at a depth of 30 m. Gas seepages were not observed below a depth of 40 m. Gas rises along the fault zone dissolved-in-groundwater up to the shallow region and then separates from the groundwater. ¹³C-rich CH₄ (adsorbed CH₄) was found to have desorbed from drilled mudstone core samples taken at depths of 1400–1900 m in the main gas-production strata. Similarly, ¹³C-rich CH₄ was found in black shale overlying the oceanic crust forming part of a sedimentary accretionary prism underling the Tokyo region. It also appears in the spring-water of spa wells, originating at a depth of 1200–1500 m along a tectonic line. Methane generated by microbial degradation of organic material through CO₂ reduction in the South Kanto gas-field mainly originates as biogenic gas mixed with a small amount of ¹³C-rich CH₄, derived from thermogenic gas without oil components in strata. It is assumed that ¹²C-rich CH₄ is easily detached from core or pore water through gas production, whereas ¹³C-rich CH₄ is strongly adsorbed on the surfaces of particles. The ¹³C-rich CH₄ rises along the major tectonic line or up the 50 m wide normal fault zone from relatively deep sources in the Kanto region.     

Stress distribution from railway track over geogrid reinforced ballast underlain by clay

Railway ballast forms a major component of a conventional rail track and is used to distribute the load to the subgrade, providing a smooth running surface for trains. It plays a significant role in providing support for the rail track base and distributing the load to the weaker layer underneath. Ballast also helps with drainage, which is an important factor for any type of transportation structure, including railroads. Over time, ballast progressively deforms and degrades under dynamic loading and loses its strength. In this study, extensive laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the effect of load amplitude, geogrid position, and number of geogrid layers, thickness of ballast layer and clay stiffness on the behavior of the reinforced ballast layer and induced strains in a geogrid. A half full-scale railway was constructed for carrying out the tests, which consisted of two rails 800 mm in length with three wooden sleepers(900 mm × 10 mm × 10 mm). Three ballast thicknesses of 200, 300 and 400 mm were used in the tests. The ballast was overlying 500 mm thickness clay in two states, soft and stiff. The tests were carried out with and without geogrid reinforcement; the tests were performed in a well-tied steel box of 1.5 m length ×1 m width ×1 m height. Laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the response of the ballast and the clay layers where the ballast was reinforced by a geogrid. Settlement in ballast and clay, soil pressure and pore water pressure induced in the clay were measured in reinforced and unreinforced ballast cases. It was concluded that the amount of settlement increased as the simulated train load amplitude increased, and there was a sharp increase in settlement up to cycle 500. After that, there was a gradual increase that leveled out between, 2500 to 4500 cycles depending on the frequency used. There was a slight increase in the induced settlement when the load amplitude increased from 0.5 to 1 ton but it was higher when the load amplitude increased to 2 tons. The increased amount in settlement depended on the existence of the geogrid and other parameters studied. The transmitted average vertical stress for ballast thicknesses of 30 cm and 40 cm increased as the load amplitude increased, regardless of the ballast reinforcement for both soft and stiff clay. The position of the geogrid had no significant effect on the transmitted stresses. The value of the soil pressure and pore water pressure on ballast thicknesses of 20 cm was higher than for 30 cm and 40 cm thicknesses. This meant that the ballast attenuated the induced waves. The soil pressure and pore water pressure for reinforced and unreinforced ballast was higher in stiff clay than in soft clay.     

Development of an operational rainfall data quality-control scheme based on radar-raingauge co-kriging analysis

Abstract

Automatic raingauge data often serve as an important input to hydrological and weather warning operations. They are not only fundamental in quantitative rainfall analysis, but also act as the ground truth in warning operation and forecast validation. Quality control is required before the data can be used quantitatively due to systematic and random errors. Extremely large random errors and unreasonably small or false zero values can hamper effective monitoring of heavy rain. Yet both are difficult to detect in real-time by objective means. In an attempt to address these problems, a rainfall data quality-control scheme based on radar-raingauge co-kriging analysis was developed. The important threshold values required in the data quality control of 60-min raingauge rainfall were determined from a detailed analysis of the distributions of rainfall residuals defined as the arithmetic difference and the logarithm of the ratio between a raingauge measurement and its co-kriging estimate. The scheme has been developed and is in real-time use in Hong Kong, a coastal city of about 1100 km² area with more than 150 raingauges installed. Geographically, it is located in the subtropics and dominated by heavy convective rainfall in the summer. As a basis of the quality-control scheme, the co-kriging rainfall analysis was shown through a verification exercise to be superior to those obtained by the Barnes analysis and ordinary kriging of raingauge data. The performance of the quality-control algorithm was assessed using selected cases and controlled tests, and was found to be satisfactory, with a high error detection rate for the two targeted types of error. Limitations and operational issues identified during a real-time trial of the quality-control scheme are also discussed.

Citation Yeung, H.Y., Man, C., Chan, S.T., and Seed, A., 2014. Development of an operational rainfall data quality-control scheme based on radar-raingauge co-kriging analysis. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (7), 1285–1299. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2013.839873     

On the reoccurrence of site specific response

The period and amplitude variations of local peaks in the Fourier amplitude spectra of free-field strong ground motion recorded at five stations in San Fernando Valley of metropolitan Los Angeles, California, are described, searching for peaks that reoccur during different earthquakes. The data suggest that some local peaks reoccur (about 50% of the time), during shaking by small local earthquakes (peak ground velocities, v_max<10–20 cm/s). During large strong motion amplitudes (v_max>20 cm/s), these peaks are shifted towards longer periods (by nonlinear response of soils) or disappear. The data also suggest that densification and settlement of soil, minutes and hours following the strong shaking may contribute towards fluctuations in the effective stiffness of the shallow surface layers.     

An improved earthquake catalogue (<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis> ≥ 4.0) for Turkey and its near vicinity (1900–2012)

Many catalogues, agency reports and research articles have been published on seismicity of Turkey and its surrounding since 1950s. Given existing magnitude heterogeneity, erroneous information on epicentral location, event date and time, this past published data however is far from fulfilling the required standards. Paucity of a standardized format in the available catalogues have reinforced the need for a refined and updated catalogue for earthquake related hazard and risk studies. During this study, ~37,000 earthquakes and related parametric data were evaluated by utilizing more than 41 published studies and, an integrated database was prepared in order to analyse all parameters acquired from the catalogues and references for each event. Within the scope of this study, the epicentral locations of M ≥ 5.0 events were firstly reappraised based on the updated Active Fault Map of Turkey. An improved catalogue of 12.674 events for the period 1900–2012 was as a result recompiled for the region between 32–45N° and 23–48E° by analyzing in detail accuracy of all seismological parameters available for each event. The events consist of M ≥ 4.0 are reported in several magnitude scales (e.g. moment magnitude, M_w; surface wave magnitude, M_S; body-wave magnitude m_b; local magnitude M_L and duration magnitude M_d) whereas the maximum focal depth reaches up to 225-km. In order to provide homogenous data, the improved catalogue is unified in terms of M_w. Fore-and aftershocks were also removed from the catalogue and completeness analyses were performed both separately for various tectonic sources and as a whole for the study region of interest. Thus, the prepared homogenous and declustered catalogue consisting of 6573 events provides the basis for a reliable input to the seismic hazard assessment studies for Turkey and its surrounding areas.