Denitrification in anoxic sediments supported by biological nitrate transport

Biologically available nitrogen (fixed N) is removed from the oceans by metabolic conversion of inorganic N forms (nitrate and ammonium) to N₂ gas. Much of this removal occurs in marine sediments, where reaction rates are thought to be limited by diffusion. We measured the concentration and isotopic composition of major dissolved nitrogen species in anoxic sediments off the coast of California. At depths below the diffusive penetration of nitrate, we found evidence of a large nitrate pool transported into the sediments by motile microorganisms. A ∼20‰ enrichment in ¹⁵N and ¹⁸O of this biologically transported nitrate over bottom water values and elevated [N₂] and δ¹⁵N-N₂ at depth indicate that this nitrate is consumed by enzymatic redox reactions with the production of N₂ as the end product. Elevated N₂O concentrations in pore waters below the nitrate diffusion depth confirm that these reactions include the denitrification pathway. A data-constrained model shows that at least 31% of the total N₂ production in anoxic sediments is linked to nitrate bio-transport. Under suboxic/anoxic regimes, this nitrate bio-transport augments diffusive transport, thus increasing benthic fixed nitrogen losses and the reducing burial efficiency of sedimentary organic matter.     

Spinelloid phases in the nickel gallosilicate system

The phase diagram of the NiO-Ga₂O₃- SiO₂ system has been investigated at high temperatures (up to 1550° C) and 1 atm. pressure. The only ternary phases observed in this system are the spinelloid phases I, II, and V, forming on the NiGa₂O₄-Ni₂SiO₄ pseudo-binary join at temperatures above 1400° C. Our results show that phase V is stable at higher temperature than phase I, while phase II may be metastable. The stability of phases I and V has been confirmed by the successful growth of single crystals from a silica-rich flux. Phases I, II, and V have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The dimensions of their orthorhombic unit-cells are: (I) a= 5.7741(5), b=11.712(1), c=8.2387(9) Å; (II) a= 5.765(1), b= 17.619(3), c= 8.238(2) Å; (V) a= 5.7914(4), b=8.7809(7), c=8.2346(6) Å. High resolution electron microscopy has also revealed the formation of microscopic intergrowths similar to those previously observed for the spinelloid phases of the NiO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system.     

The politics of perspective: subjects,exhibits, and spectacle in Taksim Square,Istanbul

Istanbul’s Taksim Square has long been a place from which people have envisioned the city and the nation. As such, it has a long history of architectural interventions. This essay describes three new interventions as they appeared in July2018, two years after the failed coup attempt of 15July2016: a municipal complex commemorating the resistance to the coup attempt; the juxtaposition of a memorial photo exhibit and the void of the Atatürk Culture Center; and the rapid construction of the Taksim Mosque. Drawing on conceptualizations of landscape and scholarship on Taksim Square’s contested meanings, this paper utilizes the “politics of perspective” as an analytical lens to examine how authorities are attempting to create anew way of seeing in the city. I argue that this project has acquired a new character in the aftermath of the coup attempt, placing viewers within the landscape rather than outside it.     

Voronoi Meshing to Accurately Capture Geological Structure in Subsurface Simulations

Mathematical Geosciences - Mesh generation lies at the interface of geological modeling and reservoir simulation. Highly skewed or very small grid cells may be necessary to accurately capture the...     

Modelling discontinuity control on the development of Hell’s Mouth landslide

Landslides - This paper focuses on numerical modelling and back analysis of the Hell’s Mouth landslide to provide improved understanding of the evolution of a section of the north coast of...     

Quality assessment of COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3 GPS radio occultation data derived from single- and double-difference atmospheric excess phase processing

This study evaluates the quality of GPS radio occultation (RO) atmospheric excess phase data derived with single- and double-difference processing algorithms. A spectral analysis of 1 s GPS clock estimates indicates that a sampling interval of 1 s is necessary to adequately remove the GPS clock error with single-difference processing. One week (May 2–8, 2009) of COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3 data are analyzed in a post-processed mode with four different processing strategies: (1) double-differencing with 1 s GPS ground data, (2) single-differencing with 30 s GPS clock estimates (standard COSMIC Data Analysis and Archival Center product), (3) single-differencing with 5 s GPS clocks, and (4) single-differencing with 1 s GPS clocks. Analyses of a common set of 5,596 RO profiles show that the neutral atmospheric bending angles and refractivities derived from single-difference processing with 1 s GPS clocks are the highest quality. The random noise of neutral atmospheric bending angles between 60 and 80 km heights is about 1.50e−6 rad for the single-difference cases and 1.74e−6 rad for double-differencing. An analysis of pairs of collocated soundings also shows that bending angles derived from single-differencing with 1 s GPS clocks are more consistent than with the other processing strategies. Additionally, the standard deviation of the differences between RO and high-resolution European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) refractivity profiles at 30 km height is 0.60% for single-differencing with 1 and 5 s GPS clocks, 0.68% for single-differencing with 30 s clocks, and 0.66% for double-differencing. A GPS clock-sampling interval of 1 s or less is required for single- and zero-difference processing to achieve the highest quality excess atmospheric phase data for RO applications.