Effects of soil moisture dynamics on slope failure at Hyrum Reservior,Utah

Field observations of shoreline conditions at Hyrum Reservoir, Utah, were conducted during the summers of 1991 to 1993. A process of bluff retreat is described for a multiple-layered bluff environment of sand and clay layers. Failure is initiated by wetting and drying of clay sediments, which produces horizontal cracks within bluff material. These cracks appear to penetrate to a depth of approximately 100-150 mm before initiating vertical cracking in the sediments. The vertical cracks are propagated by continued drying of the surface sediment, ultimately leading to failure of the bluff material. The physical dimensions of sediment blocks succumbing to this mechanism range from a few hundred millimetres up to 3 m on a side, with a depth of approximately 100-150 mm. The mechanism described here appears to operate optimally when the supply of subsurface moisture is abundant and nearly continuous throughout the spring and early summer. Reservoir draw-down, large capillary fringe effects in the bluff and periodic wetting from upslope undrained hollows are the dominant moisture controls at this site. Moisture delivery to the face is strongly influenced by anisotropy of saturated hydraulic conductivity in the alternating clay and sand layers and related differences in sediment texture.     

Modification of the quality of water injected into Louisiana gulf coast sands: Effects of cation exchange

Interest in artificially recharging selected shallow sands in South Louisiana with fresh water has been stimulated by the desire to retard contamination of municipal groundwater supplies by brackish water, to retard ground subsidence and decrease pumping lifts, and to develop emergency subsurface supplies of potable water for communities dependent on surface waters susceptible to contamination. Results of field experiments, laboratory work, and model calculations demonstrate that ion exchange reactions involving clays dispersed in aquifer sands can be expected to modify significantly the composition of waters injected into Gulf Coast sediments. As little as 0.1 weight percent smectite (montmorillonite) can remove, by exchange with absorbed Na, a significant fraction of the dissolved Ca and Mg present in the injected water. The hardness of the water is thus reduced, which may be a desirable modification in water quality. Exchange occurs as fast as the fluids can be pumped into or out of the aquifer, and the water-softening capacity of the aquifer can be restored by allowing sodium-rich native pore waters to sweep back over the dispersed clays. Each acre of an aquifer 50 feet thick and containing 0.1 wt % smectite could soften half a million gallons of injected Mississippi River water. Many individual Gulf Coast aquifers underlie tens of thousands of acres, and their potential softening capacity is thus enormous. Additional exchange processes involving adjacent aquitard shales presumably will operate over long-term periods. It is possible that Gulf Coast aquifers will be used at some point in the future as processing plants to treat injected water to improve its quality for a variety of municipal and industrial purposes.     

Die Entwicklung der Tethystrias und Herkunft ihrer Fauna

Zusammenfassung Es wird zunächst ein kurzer Überblick über die stratigraphische und fazielle Entwicklung der Trias im Gesamtraum der Tethys zwischen Betischer Kordillere in Spanien und Timor gegeben. Hierbei zeigt sich, daß im Westabschnitt, besonders im mediterranen Raum, eine mio- und aristogeosynklinale und nur untergeordnet eugeosynklinale Entwicklung der Trias vorliegt, in Ostasien (Himalaya, China) auch eugeosynklinal entwickelte Trias vermehrt auftritt. Die europäische Entwicklung der Tethystrias ist durch ihre vielfältige Individualisierung von der asiatischen Trias, die in ihrem Oberteil weiträumig durch eine detritische Fazies beherrscht ist, unterschieden, was besonders auf den Einfluß der indosinischen Faltung in Ostasien zurückgeht. Nord- und Südast der Tethys aber deshalb und auf Grund eines verschiedenartigen Erbes als Paläo- und Neotethys zu bezeichnen, geht zu weit, da die Einheit der gesamten Tethys hierdurch begrifflich zerrissen werden würde.Besonders hervorzuheben ist die Tatsache, daß zahlreiche typische Triasschichtglieder in verschiedenen Abschnitten des Gesamtraumes der Tethys auftreten, nach Litho- und Biofazies und Altersstellung eindeutig als gleichartig identifiziert werden können und demnach im gesamten Raum mit gleichen Namen belegt werden sollen. Das gilt besonders für Reichenhaller Rauhwacke, Gutensteiner Kalk, Reiflinger Kalk, Wettersteinkalk, Hallstätter Kalk, Dachsteinkalk, Kössener Schichten, Rhätoliaskalk — um nur einige Glieder zu nennen, die vom gesamten Raum vom mediterranen Gebiet bis über China hinaus, und zwar z. T. bis Timor — und im Falle des Hallstätter Kalkes bis Südamerika -, verfolgt werden können. Die Ursache liegt im gleichen Schicksal der Kontinentrandgebiete, teils durch Eustatik, teils durch die Mobilität des Schelfs, teils durch die gleichartigen Gesteinsbildner in Fauna und Flora bewirkt.Die Gemeinsamkeit von entscheidenden Faunenelementen über den gesamten Raum der Tethys hin ist ein nächstes, besonders ins Auge stechendes Merkmal. Sie bezieht sich nicht nur auf planktonische und pelagische Elemente, sondern auch auf vagil-benthonische, ja sessile Organismen und umfaßt überraschend viele Arten der Makro- und Mikrofauna, darunter viele Leitfossilien. Zahlreiche Formen sind bisher unter verschiedenen Lokalnamen beschrieben worden, deren Nachuntersuchung nun die Gleichartigkeit über den gesamten Raum der Tethys bestätigt hat. Natürlich bezieht sich diese Feststellung nur auf einen Teil der Fauna, daneben erscheinen auch an Faunenprovinzen gebundene Elemente.Schließlich werden Überlegungen über die Herkunft der Tethysfauna angestellt. Als Heimat eines wesentlichen überregional verbreiteten Anteils wird der ostpazifische Raum am amerikanischen Kontinentalrand, besonders der Raum von Britisch-Kolumbien abgeleitet. Als Gründe sprechen dafür: 1. Reichliche Beteiligung von Tethyselementen an der Fauna dieser ostpazifischen Provinz, 2. Fehlen eines Meeresweges quer durch (Mittel-) Amerika nach Osten zur Tethys in der Zeit der Trias, 3. Rekonstruktion eines Paläowind- und Meeresströmungssystems auf Grund der Triaspaläogeographie und aktualistischer Prinzipien, das eine Drift von Osten nach Westen durch Pazifik und Tethys bewirkt haben muß, 4. Die Möglichkeit dieser Wanderung von Faunenelementen über den Pazifik auch für vagiles und sessiles Benthos mit Hilfe von Larvenstadien und in pseudoplanktonischer Form auf Tang und Treibholz. Abgesehen von diesem über den gesamten tropischen bis tropennahen Raum von Pazifik und Tethys verbreiteten Anteil kommt naturgemäß noch ein autochthoner Anteil der Fauna hinzu, der sich in den einzelnen Faunenprovinzen jeweils autonom entwickelt hat — besonders begünstigt im asiatischen Teil der Tethys. Schließlich liegt nach der Verbreitung bestimmter Arten und Artgruppen noch die Möglichkeit der Wanderung eurasiatischer Formen in höheren Breiten mit den ostgerichteten Gegenströmungen von Tethys und Pazifik nahe.

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The development of the Triassic within the Tethys realm and the origin of its fauna

Summary This paper gives at first a survey about the stratigraphy and facies of the Triassic within the Tethys realm between Betic Cordillera in Spain and Timor in Indonesia. This review shows that the western part of the Tethys in the Mediterranean region comprises a mio-, (eu-)and aristogeosynclinal facies of the Triassic and prooves that the eugeosynclinal facies is more significant for the central- and eastasiatic part of the Tethys realm.The European development is characterized by an extreme individualisation of faciestypes and a hight specification of Triassic formations, whilst the Asiatic region is dominated by an extensive spreading of immense masses of detritus in the Upper Triassic — particularly in the northern branch of Tethys -, in dependence on the Indosinic orogenesis at the end of the Middle Triassic. The distinction of a northern Paleotethys and a southern Neotethys during the Mesozoic era with regard to this event can't be sanctioned, respecting the integrity of the Tethys as a whole.The following chapter stresses the fact that many alpine formations are spreaded whole over the Tethys realm, identic in lithofacies, biofacies, fauna, flora and stratigraphic position, so that one must not hesitate denominating the same formations with the same name (Lugeon/Andrusov-principle). Those formations and members, identical all over the Tethys region, are e. g. Reichenhaller cellular dolomite, Gutenstein Wurstel-limestone, Reifling-, Wetterstein-, Hallstatt- and Dachstein-limestone, which can be observed from the Mediterranean region up to China and Timor — the Hallstatt limestone as fare as Southern America. The reason of this surprisingly fact is caused by the same conditions of the plate margins during the Triassic tectonic history, moreover by the same conditions for the formation of organogeneous limestone by time-specific organismes and in some cases also in eustatic movements of the sea level.The next fact shown in this paper is the result that a lot of characteristic alpin fauna elements are spreaded all over the Tethys area, from the Alps to Indonesia. This statement concerns not only planctonic and pseudoplanctonic taxa, but also many bentonic elements living in a vagil or sessil manner within the macro- and microfauna — comprisingly also many index-fossils. Hitherto a lot of those species have been described under local names. The revision of the fossil material, collected directly by the authors in many sectors of the Tethys has confirmed this result of widespread species whole over the Tethys ocean.Finally some reflections are made about the origin of the Tethys fauna. A part of the Tethys fauna which is common with the fauna of the Eastern Pacific region, is regarded as originally developed in Western America, particularly in the territory of British Columbia, and transported by the Pacific ocean currents westwards into the Tethys. A short connection between Eastern Pacific and Western Tethys by a Protoatlantic (Poseidon) did not existe in consequence of the existence of Pangea during the Triassic time. Therefore the communication of the identic faunistic elements of Eastern Pacific and Tethys must have be realized by transpacific way: New observations about the longevity of larval stages, also of recent benthic organisms and reflections about the Triassic paleocurrent system in the Panthalassa established on actualistic principles (Fig. 2) proove the feasibility of such a theory. By the counter-current in high latitudes the transport of Tethyal elements to eastern areas along the shore of America could be effected.

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Résumé Cet article donne premièrement un résumé de la stratigraphie et du faciès du Trias de la région mesogéenne entre la Cordillère Bétique et Timor en Indonésie. Il apparaît ainsi qu'on trouve dans les régions méditerranéennes notamment un faciès mio- et aristogéosynclinal, tandis que le faciès eugéosynclinal est plus fréquent dans la partie centrale et orientale de la Téthys asiatique.La partie européenne de la Téthys est caractérisée par une individualisation extrême des types de faciès et des formations. Au contraire, le faciès de la région asiatique est dominé par des masses détritiques dans le Trias supérieur, comme conséquence de la phase orogénique indosinienne dans l'Asie orientale.Par la suite on démontre que bien des formations alpines sont répandues dans toute la région de la Téthys, identiques en lithofaciès, biofaciès, faunes, flores et dans leur position stratigraphique — en conséquence, il ne faut pas hésiter d'employer les mêmes désignations pour les mêmes formations dans tout le territoire en question. On retrouve par exemple les cargnieules de Reichenhall, les calcaires vermiculés de Gutenstein, les calcaires de Reifling, du Wetterstein, de Hallstatt et du Dachstein etc. à partir de la région méditerranéenne jusqu' en Chine et à Timor; d'autre part, les calcaires de Hallstatt se retrouvent jusqu' en Amérique méridionale. Ce fait étonnant tient à des conditions identiques valables pour les bords des plaques continentales pendant le Triassique, ainsi qu'à une formation identique des calcaires organogènes provoquée par l'existence simultanée des mêmes organismes et aussi par des oscillations eustatiques de l'océan.Un autre résultat que nous aimerions mentionner dans cet article est le fait qu' un nombre assez grand des éléments de la faune alpine est répandu dans tout le territoire de la Téthys. Cette constatation ne concerne pas seulement les éléments (pseudo-)planctoniques, mais aussi beaucoup d'organismes bentoniques (vagiles et sessiles) de la macroet microfaune. Jusqu' à présent, beaucoup de ces espèces sont décrites sous des noms locaux. La révision des suites des fossiles, collectionnées par les auteurs eux-mêmes dans les différents secteurs de la Téthys, a confirmé ce fait.Enfin des réflexions sont faites sur l'origine de la faune téthysienne. Une partie de cette faune de la Téthys, celle qui correspond à la faune de la région pacifique orientale, se serait développée d'abord en Amérique septentrionale, notamment en Colombie britannique, et aurait été transportée par le courant pacifique central vers l'ouest, dans la Téthys. Une communication directe, pendant le Trias, entre le Pacifique et la Téthys occidentale, par un Protoatlantique («Poseidon») n'existait pas du fait que la Pangéa était intacte. La migration des éléments faunistiques dans le Pacifique oriental et dans la Téthys n'était possible que le long de la route transpacifique. Des observations nouvelles sur la longue durée des stades larvales des organismes bentoniques ainsi que des réflexions concernant les paléocourants de la Panthalassa (Fig. 2) prouvent le bien-fondé de cette théorie. Par des contre-courants dans des latitudes supérieures, le transport des éléments faunistiques de la Téthys dans des régions arctiques et antarctiques de l'Amérique était possible.

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Arbeit im Rahmen des Int. Geol. Correl. Programme, Projekt 73/I/4, Triassic of the Tethys Realm, durchgeführt.     

Fish eggs and larvae of the Chesapeake Bay: Observations on the problem of identifying field mortalities of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) larvae from preserved samples

This study considered the rate at which striped bass larvae disintegrate following death as well as the ability of experienced taxonomists to distinguish larvae which were liver or dead on collection from preserved samples. The rate of disintegration was dependent on age (size) of the larvae with pro-larvae being unrecognizable in 8 to 16 h following death (17 to 19°C). Post-larvae decomposed somewhat more slowly, but were unrecognizable as to species after 16 h. Experienced taxonomists were unable to distinguish pro- and post-larvae which had been live or dead prior to preservation. However, the viability of metamorphosed larvae could readily be distinguished.     

Lead-210 sediment geochronology in a changing coastal environment

Sediment accumulation rate studies utilizing excess ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs were conducted as part of recent investigations of biogeochemical cycling at a single site in Cape Lookout Bight, a rapidly changing coastal basin on the Outer Banks of North Carolina (U.S.A.). Cores three meters in length reveal a depositional history for the bight interior characterized by a gradual transition in texture from coarse-grained to fine-grained material over the period 1946–1979. This transition is controlled by progressive enclosure of the bight by an active northerly migrating recurved spit. The textural gradation is periodically interrupted by layers of well-sorted sand associated with major storm events. Lead-210 data indicate that the upper meter of the sediment has accumulated at a rate of 3.35 to 4.71 g · cm^?2 · yr^?1 or approximately 8.4 to 11.8 cm · yr^?1 (at ø = 0.84). Below 120 cm depth, dilution of clay and silt by low activity sand necessitates correction of the ²¹⁰Pb profile in order to establish a geochronology. Grain size ²¹⁰Pb distribution measurements at three depths reveal that the specific activity (dpm · g^?1) of clay is 3.2 times that of silt and 24.7 times that of sand. Corrections of bulk sediment excess ²¹⁰Pb activities based on these measurements lead to dates for textural changes which are consistent with charted changes in basin morphology and major storm events.Sixteen ¹³⁷Cs measurements between 33–241 cm depth reveal a peak activity at 105–115 cm and indicate a minimum sedimentation rate of approximately 2.7 g · cm^?2 · yr^?1.     

The diagenetic production of α-keto acids in heated and fossil Chione shells

Both pyruvic and α-ketobutyric acids are formed during heating experiments with modern Chione shells. These α-keto acids are also present in fossil specimens. These findings provide additional evidence that the dehydration reaction of free serine and threonine or the β-elimination reaction of peptide bound serine and threonine occurred in fossil materials. These experiments suggest that the formation of α-keto acids occurs early in protein diagenesis. A large fraction of the α-keto acids which were formed have been lost either by subsequent reactions or by diffusion out of the shell matrix.     

Improved magnetic anomalies of the Antarctic lithosphere from satellite and near-surface data

The Antarctic magnetic anomaly map compiled marine and airborne surveys collected south of 60°S through 1999 and used Magsat data to help fill in the regional gaps between the surveys. Ørsted and CHAMP satellite magnetic observations with greatly improved measurement accuracies and temporal and spatial coverage of the Antarctic, have now supplanted the Magsat data. We combined the new satellite observations with the near-surface survey data for an improved magnetic anomaly map of the Antarctic lithosphere. Specifically, we separated the crustal from the core and external field components in the satellite data using crustal thickness variations estimated from the terrain and the satellite-derived free-air gravity observations. Regional gaps in the near-surface surveys were then filled with predictions from crustal magnetization models that jointly satisfied the near-surface and satellite crustal anomalies. Comparisons in some of the regional gaps that also considered newly acquired aeromagnetic data demonstrated the enhanced anomaly estimation capabilities of the predictions over those from conventional minimum curvature and spherical harmonic geomagnetic field models. We also noted that the growing number of regional and world magnetic survey compilations involve coverage gaps where these procedures can contribute effective near-surface crustal anomaly estimates.     

Solute and isotope constraint of groundwater recharge simulation in an arid environment,Abu Dhabi Emirate,United Arab Emirates

A simple, well-constrained simulation of solute increases in a downgradient direction was used in the shallow unconfined aquifer of eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate (United Arab Emirates). The simulation indicates that the observed exponential increase in solute concentrations results from a combination of upward transport of solutes from underlying mudstones and evaporites, and groundwater losses by evaporation. Groundwater recharge and discharge flux in unconfined regional aquifers in arid regions commonly are difficult to estimate because there are few constraints on the flux of water lost or gained from the system. Total dissolved solids (TDS) and deuterium isotopes (δ²H) in groundwater are used to constrain estimated fluxes to the shallow aquifer of eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate. Vertical upward transport of solutes from underlying mudstones and evaporites accounts for solute increases along approximately the first 80 km of the simulated flow path, but a combination of upward solute transport and evaporation is necessary to explain observed solute concentrations beyond 80 km. Mobilization and transport of solutes in the unsaturated zone by recharging precipitation is not a significant factor.

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Résumé Une simulation simple et bien contrainte de l’augmentation des solutés dans la direction de l’écoulement a été réalisée sur l’aquifère phréatique et libre de l’Est de l’émirat d’Abu Dhabi (émirats Arabes Unis). La simulation indique que l’augmentation observée de solutés, de forme exponentielle, est le produit de la combinaison du transport ascendant de solutés provenant des mudstones et des évaporites sous-jacents, et de l’évaporation des eaux souterraines. La recharge des eaux souterraines et les flux de vidange dans les aquifères régionaux libres des régions arides sont habituellement difficiles à estimer du fait du peu de contraintes agissant sur la perte ou le gain d’eau dans le système. La charge dissoute totale (TDS, en anglais) et les isotopes deutérium (δ²H) des eaux souterraines sont utilisés pour contraindre l’estimation des flux en direction de l’aquifère phréatique de l’Est de l’émirat d’Abu Dhabi. Le transport vertical ascendant des solutés à partir des mudstones et des évaporites fait parti des processus qui concentrent les solutés approximativement le long des 80 premiers kilomètres du trajet des écoulements simulés, mais une combinaison du transport ascendant des solutés et de l’évaporation est nécessaire pour expliquer les concentrations observées en soluté au delà des 80 km. La mobilisation et le transport des solutés par les précipitations efficaces dans la zone non saturée ne représentent pas des facteurs significatifs.

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Resumen Se utilizó una simulación simple y muy restringida, de incrementos de soluto en la dirección del flujo, en el acuífero libre poco profundo del Emirato oriental de Abu Dhabi, (Emiratos árabes Unidos). La simulación indica que el aumento exponencial observado en las concentraciones del soluto, resulta de una combinación de transporte ascendente de solutos desde las evaporitas y lodolitas subyacentes, y por pérdidas del agua subterránea por evaporación. Los flujos de recarga y descarga de agua subterránea, en los acuíferos libres regionales en regiones áridas, normalmente son difíciles estimar, porque hay algunas restricciones en el flujo de agua perdido o ganado por el sistema. Los sólidos disueltos totales (TDS) y los isótopos de deuterio (δ²H) en el agua subterránea, se usan para forzar los flujos estimados hacia el acuífero poco profundo del Emirato oriental de Abu Dhabi. El transporte ascendente vertical de solutos desde las lodolitas y evaporitas subyacentes, involucra los aumentos del soluto a lo largo de aproximadamente los primeros 80 Km. de la dirección de flujo simulada, pero es necesaria una combinación de transporte ascendente del soluto y la evaporación para explicar las concentraciones del soluto observadas más allá de 80 Km. La movilización y transporte de solutos en la zona no saturada, por recarga debida a precipitación, no es un factor significante.