Vulnerability indicators of sea water intrusion

In this paper, simple indicators of the propensity for sea water intrusion (SWI) to occur (referred to as "SWI vulnerability indicators") are devised. The analysis is based on an existing analytical solution for the steady-state position of a sharp fresh water-salt water interface. Interface characteristics, that is, the wedge toe location and sea water volume, are used in quantifying SWI in both confined and unconfined aquifers. Rates-of-change (partial derivatives of the analytical solution) in the wedge toe or sea water volume are used to quantify the aquifer vulnerability to various stress situations, including (1) sea-level rise; (2) change in recharge (e.g., due to climate change); and (3) change in seaward discharge. A selection of coastal aquifer cases is used to apply the SWI vulnerability indicators, and the proposed methodology produces interpretations of SWI vulnerability that are broadly consistent with more comprehensive investigations. Several inferences regarding SWI vulnerability arise from the analysis, including: (1) sea-level rise impacts are more extensive in aquifers with head-controlled rather than flux-controlled inland boundaries, whereas the opposite is true for recharge change impacts; (2) sea-level rise does not induce SWI in constant-discharge confined aquifers; (3) SWI vulnerability varies depending on the causal factor, and therefore vulnerability composites are needed that differentiate vulnerability to such threats as sea-level rise, climate change, and changes in seaward groundwater discharge. We contend that the approach is an improvement over existing methods for characterizing SWI vulnerability, because the method has theoretical underpinnings and yet calculations are simple, although the coastal aquifer conceptualization is highly idealized.     

Multilevel samplers as microcosms to assess microbial response to biostimulation

Passive multilevel samplers (MLS) containing a solid matrix for microbial colonization were used as in situ microcosms in conjunction with a push-pull biostimulation experiment designed to promote biological U(VI) and Tc(VII) reduction. MLS were deployed at 24 elevations in the injection well and two downgradient wells to investigate the spatial variability in microbial community composition and growth prior to and following biostimulation. The microbial community was characterized by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) quantification of bacteria, NO(3)(-)-reducing bacteria (nirS and nirK), delta-proteobacteria, Geobacter sp., and methanogens (mcrA). Pretest cell densities were low overall but varied substantially with significantly greater bacterial populations detected at circumneutral pH (t-test, alpha= 0.05), suggesting carbon substrate and low pH limitations of microbial activity. Although pretest cell densities were low, denitrifying bacteria were dominant members of the microbial community. Biostimulation with an ethanol-amended ground water resulted in concurrent NO(3)(-) and Tc(VII) reduction, followed by U(VI) reduction. Q-PCR analysis of MLS revealed significant (1 to 2 orders of magnitude, Mann-Whitney U-test, alpha= 0.05) increases in cell densities of bacteria, denitrifiers, delta-proteobacteria, Geobacter sp., and methanogens in response to biostimulation. Traditionally, characterization of sediment samples has been used to investigate the microbial community response to biostimulation; however, collection of sediment samples is expensive and not conducive to deep aquifers or temporal studies. The results presented demonstrate that push-pull tests with passive MLS provide an inexpensive approach to determine the effect of biostimulation on contaminant concentrations, geochemical conditions, and the microbial community composition and function.     

紫坪铺水利工程地震监测预测

紫坪铺水库微震台网2004年建成,强震台网2007年建成,2005年9月水库蓄水.据对2006年10月水磨突发ML1.4级微小地震群的研究,较准确预报了2006年11月至2007年2月的水磨ML2.5级地震群,并认为该地震群是蓄水初期诱发的一些浅表卸荷型或岩溶塌陷型的小地震.2008年5月12日汶川8级特大天然地震微观震中距水库大坝17 km,水库微震台网和强震台阵正常运行,完成政府部门和水库业主的业务安排,为政府的抗震救灾有效决策提供了科学依据,为社会稳定起到了巨大作用.     

瀑布沟水库蓄水前中小地震震源参数研究

研究瀑布沟水库蓄水前库区地震的活动性以及震源机制、应力场等震源参数的性质,为水库蓄水之后可能诱发地震活动的监测、成因及类型鉴别给出可供依据的参考.研究结果显示,水库库尾边缘西部地震活动水平相对较高;库中段的中小地震活动水平相对较弱;大坝附近的库首段地震活动水平相对较低,震源深度主要集中在5-15 km.研究区内小震震源机制解结果显示,瀑布沟水库蓄水前小震主要为走滑型地震,蓄水区与研究区平均应力场总体呈NW方向.     

Errors with small volume elastic seepage meter bags

The use of small volume elastic collection bags (condoms) has become popular in seepage meter studies in recent years, despite minimal field or laboratory validation of their use and, specifically, the impact of their elasticity on seepage measurements. A laboratory study was initiated after field results using small elastic collection bags produced seepage data that did not correlate with hydrometric data. The laboratory data demonstrate that condoms undergo significant mechanical relaxation during seepage measurement times typically observed in field settings. Unlike conventional nonelastic collection bags, which mechanically relax over several minutes, the condoms suffered from a slow mechanical relaxation or equilibration. Over nine hours, condoms gained 43 mL of water, approximately 50% of maximum workable volume (between mechanical relaxation effect and elastic limit), under stagnant flow conditions. This long-term equilibration invalidates simple subtraction of equilibration volumes from collection volumes as a correction technique. Previously published studies using flexible small-volume elastic measurement bags (condoms) have not reported a mechanical relaxation effect. Overall, because the condom's small workable volume and inherent variability, we would not recommend any small-volume elastic measurement bags for quantitative seepage measurements.     

Geography and math: a technique for finding population centers

In the absence of core requirements that secondary and/or college-level students fulfill specific geography proficiency standards prior to graduation, geography will continue to be taught informally by teachers as a corollary to other major disciplines. These teachers, however, generally lack formal training in the concepts and sheer information of the geography field. Moreover, available texts at these levels tend to simply present statistical data on countries and maybe compare them to those for other countries. The duty of explaining spatial distribution and density implications falls upon the teacher. The basic mathematical concepts of mean and media are easy measures which can be used by teachers to teach the concepts of mean center and median of a population distribution. The processes by which these central points are determined are described and applied respectively to province and state data for China and the US as suggested student activities for practice and discussion.     

中途日落油田利用水平井优化成熟蒸汽驱

钻在中途日落油田陡倾斜的Ｓｕｂ－Ｈｏｙｔ“Ｅ”砂层上的三口短半径水平井显示了很好的开采动态。这些成功促使进行一项三维热采数值模拟研究以评价其它水平井潜力，及优化其余的蒸汽驱开发方案。