The solubility control of rare earth elements in natural terrestrial waters and the significance of PO 4 3− and CO 3 2− in limiting dissolved rare earth concentrations: A review of recent information

Rare earth element (REE) concentrations in alkaline lakes, circumneutral pH groundwaters, and an acidic freshwater lake were determined along with the free carbonate, free phosphate, and free sulfate ion concentrations. These parameters were used to evaluate the saturation state of these waters with respect to REE phosphate and carbonate precipitates. Our activity product estimates indicate that the alkaline lake waters and groundwaters are approximately saturated with respect to the REE phosphate precipitates but are significantly undersaturated with respect to REE carbonate and sulfate precipitates. On the other hand, the acidic lake waters are undersaturated with respect to REE sulfate, carbonate, and phosphate precipitates. Although carbonate complexes tend to dominate the speciation of the REEs in neutral and alkaline waters, our results indicate that REE phosphate precipitates are also important in controlling REE behavior. More specifically, elevated carbonate ion concentrations in neutral to alkaline natural waters tend to enhance dissolved REE concentrations through the formation of stable REE-carbonate complexes whereas phosphate ions tend to lead to the removal of the REEs from solution in these waters by the formation of REE-phosphate salts. Removal of REEs by precipitation as phosphate phases in the acid lake (pH=3.6) is inconsequential, however, due to extremely low [PO ₄ ^3– ] _F concentrations (i.e., 10^–23 mol/kg).     

Late holocene paleoclimatic and paleobiologic records from sediments of Devils Lake,North Dakota

An 84 cm sediment core collected from the center of Devils Lake, North Dakota, was analyzed at 1-cm intervals for,²¹⁰Pb,¹³⁷Cs, sediment conductivity, the concentrations of, biogenic silica, total organic carbon, carbon to nitrogen ratio, and the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of the organic fraction. Variations in²¹⁰Pb activities in the upper 20 centimeters indicate that sediment accumulations rates in Devils Lake are not constant, and that accumulation rates were highest during periods of high lake level. The mean sedimentation accumulation rate was calculated as 0.24 cm^–1 yr. The¹³⁷Cs profile is characterized by near-surface maximum concentrations, possibly the result of redistribution of¹³⁷Cs during salinity excursions.Biogenic silica is strongly correlated to lake level in Devils Lake. Periods of low lake level (characterized by high sediment conductivity) correspond to low biogenic silica concentrations. The trends in biogenic silica are attributed to variations in diatom productivity in the lake and to variations in sediment accumulation rates. Based on biogenic silica content and the composition of organic matter in the sediment (total organic carbon, carbon:nitrogen ratio and the ¹³C and ¹⁵N composition of total organic matter), paleobiologic conditions of Devils Lake during low lake stands were characterized by, (1) decreased primary productivity, (2) decreased input of detrital organic matter, and (3) increased nitrogen availability.During the 350 years of sediment accumulation represented by the 84-cm sediment core Devils Lake has experienced two periods of sustained high lake level; one between about 130 and 170 years ago (1820 to 1860 A.D.) and the second between 270 and 310 years ago (1680 to 1720 A.D.). Devils Lake experienced a period of intense drying about 260 years ago (1720 A.D.).     

The race is not to the swift

Megan K Pickett and Andrew J Lim examine the role of spirals in protoplanetary disks and the formation of gas giant planets, and find that slower may be better than faster, if planets are to endure.     

Changing Business Opportunities: The Geography Of Rapidly Growing Small U.S. Private Firms, 1982–1992*

The objective of this paper is to analyze the changing geography of the 500 fastest growing small, private companies, as defined by Inc magazine, in the United States from 1982 to 1992. The study focuses on rates of formation of these firms within types of metropolitan region, the impact of economic restructuring, and the locational dynamics of companies within the fastest growing economic sectors. Results suggest that there is little regional or hierarchical logic to the distribution of the firms, that the influence of economic restructuring is clearly evident, and that new rapidly growing high-technology firms are highly concentrated in San Francisco and Los Angeles, while higher-order service firms are dispersing down the urban hierarchy.     

Nitrate concentrations and nitrate reduction in acid groundwater/lake systems in southern Australia

We have analyzed nitrate in saline groundwaters from the Lake Tyrrell region of north-western Victoria and the Norseman-Salmon Gums region of south-eastern Western Australia. These are regions where acid (pH<4) groundwater exists naturally. The nitrate concentrations of these groundwaters are ∼5–10 times lower than nitrate concentrations from other arid and semi-arid regions around the world and in Australia. The source of the nitrate to the groundwater is soil organic matter, not anthropogenic activity. The data from the Lake Tyrrell system suggest that the gain and loss of fixed nitrogen are probably important biogeochemical processes in the early evolution of these waters. Nitrate reduction also occurs in the shallow groundwaters of Western Australia. Nitrate reduction is very low due to the low concentrations of organic matter present. Groundwaters in both of these systems eventually discharge along the edges of playas. This process may concentrate nitrate in the surficial salts of the playa.     

Optical spectroscopy of two overlapping, flux-density-limited samples of radio sources in the North Ecliptic Cap, selected at 38 and 151 MHz

We present the results of optical spectroscopy of two flux-density-limited samples of radio sources selected at frequencies of 38 and 151 MHz in the same region around the North Ecliptic Cap, the 8C-NEC and 7C- iii samples respectively. Both samples are selected at flux density levels ≈20 times fainter than samples based on the 3C catalogue. They are amongst the first low-frequency selected samples with no spectral or angular size selection for which almost complete redshift information has been obtained, and contain many of the lowest-luminosity z >2 radio galaxies so far discovered. They will therefore provide a valuable resource for understanding the cosmic evolution of radio sources and their hosts and environments. The 151-MHz 7C- iii sample is selected to have S ₁₅₁≥0.5 Jy and is the more spectroscopically complete; out of 54 radio sources fairly reliable redshifts have been obtained for 44 objects. The 8C sample has a flux limit of S ₃₈≥1.3 Jy and contains 58 sources of which 46 have fairly reliable redshifts. We discuss possible biases in the observed redshift distribution, and some interesting individual objects, including a number of cases of probable gravitational lensing. Using the 8C-NEC and 7C- iii samples in conjunction, we form the first sample selected on low-frequency flux in the rest-frame of the source, rather than the usual selection on flux density in the observed frame. This allows us to remove the bias associated with an increasing rest-frame selection frequency with redshift. We investigate the difference this selection makes to correlations of radio source properties with redshift and luminosity by comparing the results from traditional flux-density selection with our new method. We show in particular that flux-density-based selection leads to an overestimate of the steepness of the correlation of radio source size with redshift.     

Measuring the three-dimensional shear from simulation data, with applications to weak gravitational lensing

We have developed a new three-dimensional algorithm, based on the standard P³M method, for computing deflections resulting from weak gravitational lensing. We compare the results of this method with those of the two-dimensional planar approach, and rigorously outline the conditions under which the two approaches are equivalent. Our new algorithm uses a Fast Fourier Transform convolution method for speed, and has a variable softening feature to provide a realistic interpretation of the large-scale structure in a simulation. The output values of the code are compared with those from the Ewald summation method, which we describe and develop in detail. With an optimal choice of the high-frequency filtering in the Fourier convolution, the maximum errors, when using only a single particle, are about 7 per cent, with an rms error less than 2 per cent. For ensembles of particles, used in typical N -body simulations, the rms errors are typically 0.3 per cent. We describe how the output from the algorithm can be used to generate distributions of magnification, source ellipticity, shear and convergence for large-scale structure.     

Numerical well model for non-Darcy flow through isotropic porous media[*]This work was supported in part by the EPA under grant # R 825207-01-1, by the State of Texas under ARP/ATP grant # 010366-168 and by a gift grant from Mobil Oil Corp.

Numerical simulation of fluid flow in a hydrocarbon reservoir has to account for the presence of wells. The pressure of a grid cell containing a well is different from the average pressure in that cell and different from the bottom-hole pressure for the well [17]. This paper presents a study of grid pressures obtained from the simulation of single phase flow through an isotropic porous medium using different numerical methods. Well equations are proposed for Darcy flow with Galerkin finite elements and mixed finite elements. Furthermore, high velocity (non-Darcy) flow well equations are developed for cell-centered finite difference, Galerkin finite element and mixed finite element techniques.