The effect of naturally acidified irrigation water on agricultural volcanic soils. The case of Asembagus, Java, Indonesia

Acid water from the Banyuputih river (pH  3.5) is used for the irrigation of agricultural land in the Asembagus coastal area (East Java, Indonesia), with harmful consequences for rice yields. The river water has an unusual composition which is caused by seepage from the acidic Kawah Ijen crater lake into the river. This unique irrigation setting allows the study of soil acidification in situ. This paper assesses the effects of volcanogenically contaminated irrigation water on the chemical properties of the agricultural soils.The changes in soil properties were evaluated by comparing samples taken from the topsoil and sub-soil (1–3 m depth) from areas irrigated with acid water and areas irrigated with neutral water. The field survey thus resulted in four soil categories. Bulk soil composition, organic matter content, moisture content and particle size distribution were determined. Reactive phases were quantified with the selective extractions 1 M KCl, 0.1 M Na-pyrophosphate and 0.2 M acid ammonium oxalate (AAO).By comparing the four soil categories it is shown that the use of the naturally polluted irrigation water has had a large influence on the chemical composition of the topsoil. The composition of the soil solution has changed over the entire investigated soil profile. Furthermore the acid irrigation water has strongly modified the composition of the reactive phases, extracted as KCl, pyrophosphate, and AAO extractable elements, and also the bulk soil composition has been significantly modified. Overall this has resulted in the net dissolution of some elements and the net precipitation of others. The changes in the reactive phases and bulk soil composition are only apparent in the topsoil (0–20 cm) but not in the deeper soil.     

Pole-to-pole moisture conditions for the IGY

Summary A study of the mean atmospheric humidity conditions on a planetary scale during the IGY covering the calendar year 1958 is presented. The fields of mean precipitable water content and of the zonal and meridional transports of water vapor are analyzed for the entire globe. Zonally averaged values of the various quantities at several levels are presented in tabular form and compared whenever possible with previous results or indirectly are analyzed on the basis of information obtained from different sources. The structure of these fields is studied and the corresponding implications for the general circulations of the atmosphere are discussed. Finally the zonal water balance for all the globe is discussed and its implications analyzed.     

Heat exchange between water and ice in the Arctic Ocean

Summary The heat balance equation for the bottom surface of floating sea ice is evaluated on the basis of observations of ice temperature, water temperature, current velocity, and ablation or accretion of ice. Assuming equality of the eddy diffusivities for momentum, heat, and salt (average 24 cm² sec^–1) it is shown that the temperature gradient in the oceanic boundary layer is extremely small (averages between 2.10^–5 and 4.10^–4°C/meter) and difficult to measure directly. It is suggested that a large part of the heat transfer from the relatively warm Atlantic water to the arctic atmosphere may occur through open leads in the ice cover.

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Zusammenfassung Die Wärmebilanzgleichung für die Unterseite von schwimmendem Meereis wird an Hand von Beobachtungen der Eistemperatur, der Wassertemperatur, der Strömungsgeschwindigkeit und der Eisdickenänderung ausgewertet. Unter der Annahme gleicher Austauschkoeffizienten für Bewegungsgröße, Wärme und Salzgehalt (im Mittel 24 cm² sec^–1) ergibt sich für die ozeanische Grenzschicht ein außerordentlich kleiner Gradient der Wassertemperatur (durchschnittlich zwischen 2.10^–5 und 4.10^–4°C/Meter), der durch direkte Beobachtungen schwer nachzuweisen ist. Es ist zu vermuten, daß ein beträchtlicher Teil der Wärmeabgabe von der relativ warmen atlantischen Wassermasse an die arktische Atmosphäre durch Öffnungen in der Meereisdecke erfolgt.

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Résumé On établit l'équation du bilan thermique valable pour la surface inférieure de la glace marine dérivante. Pour ce faire, on se sert d'observations de la température de la glace, de celle de l'eau, de la vitesse du courant et des variations de l'épaisseur de la glace. En admettant que les coefficients d'échange sont les mêmes pour la quantité de mouvement, la chaleur et le taux de salinité (en moyenne 24 cm² sec^–1), il résulte pour la couche limite un gradient extrêmement faible de la température de l'eau (situé en moyenne entre 2·10^–5 et 4·10^–4°C/m); un tel gradient est difficile à prouver au moyen d'observations directes. On peut supposer qu'une partie importante de la chaleur transmise par l'eau relativement chaude de l'Atlantique à l'atmosphère arctique passe au travers des lacunes de la couche de glace recouvrant l'océan.

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Contribution 141, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle. This is a thesis submitted by the author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science.     

Identification of chlorite and chlorite-related minerals in sediments

A scheme is presented for the identification and classification of chlorite and related minerals in sediments which is mainly based on X-ray characteristics of the orginal sample and the sample heated at 350°C and treated with K⁺ and with glycerol. Examples are given. It is emphasized that additional data about clay mineral genesis, electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and chemical analyses are needed for the ordening of a certain mineral in the proposed scheme. Many names of minerals so far found to occur in the clay separate of sediments proved to be synonymous (52 of a total of 88) and thus should be abandoned. They only give confusion and needlessly increase the many difficulties which already exist in the identification, classification and quantitative determination of this complicated group of minerals of about 36 well defined specimens which may be found in sediments.     

Solubility of hydrous ferric oxide and iron speciation in seawater

Iron solubility equilibria were investigated in seawater at 36.22‰ salinity and 25°C using several filtration and dialysis techniques. In simple filtration experiments with 0.05 μm filters and Millipore ultra-filters, ferric chlorides fluorides, sulfates, and FeOH²⁺ species were found to be insignificant relative to Fe(OH)₂⁺ at p[H⁺] = ?log [H⁺] greater than 6.0. Hydrous ferric oxide freshly precipitated from seawater yielded a solubility product of ${}^1\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>so</mtext>}}\text{=}\text{[Fe}{}^{\mathrm{3+}}\text{][H}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{]}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}\text{= 4.7 · 10}{}^5$. Solubility studies based on the rates of dialysis of various seawater solutions and on the filtration of acidified seawater solutions indicated the existence of the Fe(OH)₃⁰ species. The formation constant for this species can be calculated as ${}^1\text{β}{}_3\text{=}\text{[Fe(OH)}{}_3{}^0\text{] [H}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{]}{}^3\text{/[Fe}{}^{\mathrm{3+}}\text{] = 2.4 · 10}{}^{\mathrm{?14}}$. The Fe(OH)₄^? species is present at concentrations which are negligible compared to Fe(OH)₂⁺ and Fe(OH)₃⁰ in the normal pH range of seawater. However, there is at least one other significant ferric complex in seawater above p[H⁺] = 8.0 (possibly with bicarbonate, carbonate, or borate ions) in addition to the Fe(OH)₂⁺ and Fe(OH)₃⁰ species.     

Metabolism of perylene by monooxygenases of the skin and liver of Ambystoma tigrinum

The prevalence of dermal neoplasia among neotenic tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) collected from the Reese Air Force Base sewage lagoon far exceeded that among salamanders from nearby uncontaminated lagoons. Perylene was the predominant pglycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminant in this lagoon. Perylene was shown to be a substrate for monooxygenases in skin and liver homogenates and formed DNA-binding metabolites. Perylene exposure appeared to augment subsequent perylene metabolism by dermal enzymes but it was not a strong inducer of hepatic monooxygenases. Aroclor 1254 induced benzo(a)pyrene and perylene metabolism by both skin and liver enzymes. However, perylene apparently was not activated by salamander enzymes, as suggested by its lack of in vitro mutagenicity and failure to induce tumors.     

Toxicity of Santa Barbara seep oil to starfish embryos: Part 2—the growth bioassay

The asteroid Patiria miniata was used to develop a static bioassay for various crude oil water-soluble fractions (WSF). The criterion used is the size of 48-h exposed embryos. The reasons for choosing this species and the growth criterion are discussed. Experiments show that the body length of 48-h exposed embryos is inversely proportional to hydrocarbon concentration of the WSF and the time of exposure. It is also shown that the toxicity of the WSF decreases with the age of the preparation and that the first 12 h following fertilisation are most sensitive to the effects of WSF.