Ionic liquid as a medium to remove iron and other metal ions: a case study of the North Kelantan Aquifer,Malaysia

An alternative iron removal treatment method using liquid-liquid extraction with the room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, as a solvent medium was studied. The chelating agent 1,10-phenanthroline was used as the extractant. The extraction of Fe(III) and Fe(II) was influenced significantly by the pH of the aqueous phase. The successful removal of iron was achieved; more than 95 % of the initial iron concentration was removed from the groundwater samples. However, detailed research is needed before the ionic liquid method can replace the conventional groundwater treatment protocol because the recovery rate was very low upon reuse (approximately 25–60 %). This low recovery was due to the ion exchange process; the appearance of anions from ionic liquids was also detected in groundwater samples.     

13C/12C ratio double cyclicity in a Miocene browncoal: isotopic signals and orbital forcing

A detailed stable carbon isotopic profile of a late Miocene browncoal seam from the Lower Rhine Embayment, Germany, reveals two clear separate cycles of different frequency: this is the first instance of this type of isotopic signature being recognized within coals. The ratio of the two frequencies suggests this isotopic signal possibly resulted from climatic or vegetational responses to orbital forcing. The cyclicity has been enhanced by the application of conventional filtering methods on the data set. An analysis of the seam's palynology indicates a correlation between heavier isotopic compositions and the presence of Sequoiapollenites polyformosus , whose parent plant is believed to have favoured moist climates and higher groundwater tables.     

The dynamics of jovian white ovals from formation to merger

In early 1998 two of the three, long-lived anticyclonic, jovian white ovals merged. In 2000 the two remaining white ovals merged into one. Here we examine that behavior, as well as the dynamics of three earlier epochs: the Formation Epoch (1939-1941), during which a nearly axisymmetric band broke apart to form the vortices; the Kármán Vortex Street Epoch (1941-1994), during which the white ovals made up the southern half of two rows of vortices, and their locations oscillated in longitude such that the white ovals often closely approached each other but did not merge; and the Pre-merger Epoch (1994-1997), during which the three white ovals traveled together with intervening cyclones from the northern row of the Kármán vortex street in a closely spaced group with little longitudinal oscillation. We use a quasi-geostrophic model and large-scale numerical simulation to explain the dynamics. Our models and simulations are consistent with the observations, but none of the observed behavior is even qualitatively possible without assuming that there are long-lived, coherent cyclones longitudinally interspersed with the white ovals. Without them, the white ovals approach each other and merge on a fast, advective timescale (4 months). A necessary ingredient that allows the vortices to travel together in a small packet without spreading apart is that the strong, eastward-flowing jetstream south of the white ovals is coincident with a sharp gradient in background potential vorticity. The jet forms a Rossby wave and a trough of the wave traps the white ovals. In our simulations, the three white ovals were trapped before they merged. Without being trapped, the amount of energy needed to perturb two white ovals so that they merge exceeds the atmosphere’s turbulent energy (which corresponds to velocities of ∼1 m s⁻¹) by a factor of ∼100. The mergers of the white ovals BC and DE were not observed directly, so there is ambiguity in labeling the surviving vortices and identifying which vortices might have exchanged locations. The simulation and modeling make the identifications clear. They also predict the fate of the surviving white oval and of the other prominent jovian vortex chains.     

Vegetation and Climate Reconstruction of the Planalto in Rio Grande do Sul, South Brazil (Late Glacial and Holocene)

1IntroductionThe ecosystem of Araucaria-Forest is one of the most important plant-associations in South Brazil. Today,however,the spreading area is a fraction of its natural size,originally spread over 200 km. It spanned from 18°to 30°of southern lati-t…     

2D and 3D upper bound solutions for tunnel excavation using ‘elastic’ flow fields

This paper presents 2D and 3D upper bound solutions for the problem of tunnel excavation in soft ground. The solution invokes the use of incompressible flow fields derived from the theory of elasticity and the concept of sinks and sources. Comparison is made with previously published results. For some geometries the current calculation results in lower (better) upper bound values; however, the results were generally close to previously published values. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution, classification, petrological and related gochemical (SRA) characteristics of a tropical lowland peat dome in the Kota Samarahan-Asajaya area, West Sarawak, Malaysia

Petrographic studies indicate that lateral variations in the decomposition levels of peat are associated with the predominantly occurring peat macerals. Source Rock Analyzer (SRA) results indicate lateral variation in peat organic matter types from type II to III and back again to type II, occurring laterally within the top 0-m to 0.5-m layer at the basin margin to the midsection and further towards the near-center areas of the peat dome. This variation is most likely caused by a combination of factors: (a) Horizontal zonation and lateral variation of the dominant species of plant assemblages (b) Fibric (marginal) peats and hemic to sapric peats associated with type II organic matter (kerogen). Sample organic matter (coal-equivalent kerogen) typing indicates that the relative abundance of phytoclasts and palynomorphs generally supports the organic matter classification obtained by the SRA method. Lateral variations in the peat organic matter types may support the lateral vegetation variation concept. The classification of peat organic matter types (interpreted from visual analyses of palynological slides) occurring from the basin periphery to the mid-section and further towards the basin center yields organic matter of type II to type III and mixed types II to III (coal kerogen-equivalent), respectively.     

PPMXL photometric analysis of three open cluster candidates

We present here the astrophysical parameters of three stellar open cluster candidates using PPMXL (<http://vizer.cfa.harvard.edu/viz-bin/VizieR?-source=I/317>) database. In this study, the main photometric, astrometry and statistical parameters of Ruprecht 13, Ruprecht 16 and Ruprecht 24 are estimated for the first time.     

Abel inversion for deriving refractivity profile from down-looking GPS radio occultation: simulation analysis

Down-looking (DL) Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation can produce an estimate of the atmospheric refractivity profile. The main observations are the bending angle as a function of the impact parameter. DL provides both negative as well as positive elevation angle measurements. Abel inversion can be operated on a profile of partial bending angle found by subtracting the positive elevation measurement from the negative one with the same impact parameter. Abel inversion requires the spherical symmetrical assumption. Basically, partial bending calculation removes the ionospheric bending and hence it is possible to use a single frequency GPS receiver. The current paper introduces a simulation data for the case of a receiver on mountain top. The simulation uses model refractivity from MSISE-90 model as well as radiosonde data. Random noises are added to the bending angle profile before inversion. The result shows that it is possible to produce accurate vertical refractivity profile below the receiver altitude. The calculation of the water vapor profile is also made using temperature profile information from the MSISE-90 model as well as radiosonde. The errors in the retrieved vapor profile are always less than 0.1?mbar.     

Dynamics of land use/cover changes and the analysis of landscape fragmentation in Dhaka Metropolitan, Bangladesh

Rapid urban expansion due to large scale land use/cover change, particularly in developing countries becomes a matter of concern since urbanization drives environmental change at multiple scales. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has been experienced break-neck urban growth in the last few decades that resulted many adverse impacts on the environment. This paper was an attempt to document spatio-temporal pattern of land use/cover changes, and to quantify the landscape structures in Dhaka Metropolitan of Bangladesh. Using multi-temporal remotely sensed data with GIS, dynamics of land use/cover changes was evaluated and a transition matrix was computed to understand the rate and pattern of land use/cover change. Derived land use statistics subsequently integrated with landscape metrics to determine the impact of land use change on landscape fragmentation. Significant changes in land use/cover were noticed in Dhaka over the study period, 1975–2005. Rapid urbanization was manifested by a large reduction of agricultural land since urban built-up area increased from 5,500?ha in 1975 to 20,549?ha in 2005. At the same time, cultivated land decreased from 12,040 to 6,236?ha in the same period. Likewise, wetland and vegetation cover reduced to about 6,027 and 2,812?ha, respectively. Consequently, sharp changes in landscape pattern and composition were observed. The landscape became highly fragmented as a result of rapid increase in the built-up areas. The analysis revealed that mean patch size decreased while the number of patches increased. Landscape diversity declined, urban dominance amplified, and the overall landscape mosaics became more continuous, homogenous and clumped. In order to devise sustainable land use planning and to determine future landscape changes for sound resource management strategies, the present study is expected to have significant implications in rapidly urbanizing cities of the world in delivering baseline information about long term land use change and its impact on landscape structure.