Organic carbon inputs,common ions and degassing: rethinking mixing dissolution in coastal eogenetic carbonate aquifers

Caves deliver freshwater from coastal carbonate landscapes to estuaries but how these caves form and grow remains poorly understood. Models suggest fresh and salt water mixing drives dissolution in eogenetic limestone, but have rarely been validated through sampling of mixing waters. Here we assess controls on carbonate mineral saturation states using new and legacy geochemical data that were collected in vertical profiles through three cenotes and one borehole in the Yucatan Peninsula. Results suggest saturation states are primarily controlled by carbon fluxes rather than mixing. Undersaturation predicted by mixing models that rely on idealized end members is diminished or eliminated when end members are collected from above and below actual mixing zones. Undersaturation due to mixing is limited by CO₂ degassing from fresh water in karst windows, which results in calcite supersaturation. With respect to saline groundwater, controls on capacity for mixing dissolution were more varied. Oxidation of organic carbon increased pCO₂ of saline groundwater in caves (pCO₂ = 10^–2.06 to 10^–0.96 atm) relative to matrix porosity (10^–2.39 atm) and local seawater (10^–3.12 atm). The impact of increased pCO₂ on saturation state, however, depended on the geochemical composition of the saline water and the magnitude of organic carbon oxidation. Carbonate undersaturation due to mixing was limited where gypsum dissolution (Cenote Angelita) or sulfate reduction (Cenote Calica) increased concentrations of common ions (Ca²⁺ or HCO₃^?, respectively). Maximum undersaturation was found to occur in mixtures including saline water that had ion concentrations and ratios similar to seawater, but with moderately elevated pCO₂ (Cenote Eden). Undersaturation, however, was dominated by the initial undersaturation of the saline end member, mixing was irrelevant. Our results add to a growing body of literature that suggests oxidation of organic carbon, and not mixing dissolution, is the dominant control on cave formation and enlargement in coastal eogenetic karst aquifers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relations between hydrology and velocity of a continuously moving landslide—evidence of pore-pressure feedback regulating landslide motion?

We measured displacement, pore-water pressure, and climatic conditions for 3 years at the continuously moving Slumgullion landslide in Colorado, USA. The landslide accelerated when pore-water pressure increased within the landslide body, but this occurred as pore-water pressure decreased along the landslide margin. The decrease probably occurred in response to shear-induced soil dilation at rates greater than pore-pressure diffusion and likely increased resistance to shear displacement and resulted in landslide deceleration. This dilative strengthening has been experimentally observed and explained theoretically, but not previously identified during field studies. Although landslide displacement should have exceeded that required to achieve critical-state density of shear boundaries, observed relocation of these boundaries indicates that shearing is episodic at fixed locations, so it permits renewed dilative strengthening when “fresh” soil is sheared. Thus, dilatant strengthening may be a considerable mechanism controlling landslide velocity, even for landslides that have continuously moved great distances.     

Trade Fair Educational Programs and Access to Knowledge: Evidence from the Solar PV Sector

In view of a globalizing marketplace and the continual need for market intelligence, firms seek venues in which to access cost effective, functional information. Significant sources of such knowledge, especially in tacit form, can be found within temporary clusters: international trade fairs. This article explores how firms in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry use educational programs held during a trade fair as a means of information acquisition and exchange, providing a new angle to research on the economic geographies of these events, especially in terms of learning processes. Specifically, it analyzes how firms use educational programs to access remote knowledge (i.e., tacit information unavailable in a local context) in these temporary, spatially confined environments. Analyses of firm-level survey data gathered at a recent solar industry trade fair revealed that there is a significant effect of educational program participation on accessing remote knowledge. The results provide evidence that firms participate in trade fair educational programs to access remote knowledge that is critical to international success. Key Words: educational programs, knowledge exchange, remote knowledge, trade fairs.     

BIBLIOGRAPHY—BIBLIOGRAPHIE

Abstract

The Coupled Routing and Excess STorage model (CREST, jointly developed by the University of Oklahoma and NASA SERVIR) is a distributed hydrological model developed to simulate the spatial and temporal variation of land surface, and subsurface water fluxes and storages by cell-to-cell simulation. CREST's distinguishing characteristics include: (1) distributed rainfall–runoff generation and cell-to-cell routing; (2) coupled runoff generation and routing via three feedback mechanisms; and (3) representation of sub-grid cell variability of soil moisture storage capacity and sub-grid cell routing (via linear reservoirs). The coupling between the runoff generation and routing mechanisms allows detailed and realistic treatment of hydrological variables such as soil moisture. Furthermore, the representation of soil moisture variability and routing processes at the sub-grid scale enables the CREST model to be readily scalable to multi-scale modelling research. This paper presents the model development and demonstrates its applicability for a case study in the Nzoia basin located in Lake Victoria, Africa.

Citation Wang, J., Yang, H., Li, L., Gourley, J. J., Sadiq, I. K., Yilmaz, K. K., Adler, R. F., Policelli, F. S., Habib, S., Irwn, D., Limaye, A. S., Korme, T. &; Okello, L. (2011) The coupled routing and excess storage (CREST) distributed hydrological model. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(1), 84–98.     

HUMAN IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT: UNPREDICTABILITY AND THE PRIMACY OF PLACE

Landscapes, environments, and ecosystems (i.e., places) are historically and spatially contingent and therefore unique. Generalizations and laws are based on “all other things being equal.” Owing to historical and spatial contingency, all other things are never completely equal and often do not approach that ideal closely enough to allow for reliable prediction. The problem is illustrated by examining effects of grazing and fire suppression on transitions between grass and woody vegetation communities. In three different environments in the southern United States (central Texas, southwestern Virginia, and eastern North Carolina), three different relationships exist between grazing and fire regime, and vegetation. Other examples are common in the geographic and environmental literature. This suggests that the search for a single applicable generalization or predictive model of a given human-induced environmental change that can be applied without accounting for the particular characteristics of places may be futile. Several general ways to address this issue are suggested. First is the recognition that place matters. Conditions specific to a location or region will influence what, how, or even if generalizations apply. Second is the adoption of a “demographic” approach. This is based on the idea that for places, like people, it is possible to make aggregate or probabilistic generalizations or predictions, but these cannot be applied to deterministic prediction of individuals. Third is a synoptic approach based on forecasting not via simple cause-effect relationships, but based on a typology of situations that recognizes and incorporates the unique characteristics of site and situation. Several converging threads of inquiry in geography and geosciences explicitly or implicitly address the issue of historical and spatial contingency. [Key words: landscape, environment, place, prediction.]     

拉萨地块和羌塘地块多个二叠纪基性岩及一个古特提斯海山的初步古地磁结果:对模拟东冈瓦纳晚古生代裂解的暗示

Detachment of the sliver-like Cimmerian terrane from eastern Gondwana in the Early Permian triggered mafic volcanism in many parts of the rift zone. To understand this tectonic episode we have carried out paleomagnetic investigations on mafic volcanic for-mations that were erupted on key terranes that now form part of Tibet. Specifically, we will present data from sections near Lhasa City (central Lhasa block) and Tuotuohe (central Qiangtang Block) as well as near Gyanyima (Paleotethyan sea-mount) that was emplaced onto the floor of Palaeotethys during the Late Permian. Paleomagnetic plots from each location will be used for tectonic calculations. Our new data will be used to evaluate regional scale models con-cerned with how the Cimmerian terranes in southern and SE Asia (from Iran-Tibet-SW China-Myanmar- Thailand-Sumatra) formerly abutted eastern Gond-wana.     

Hydraulic and flood-loss modeling of levee,floodplain, and river management strategies,Middle Mississippi River,USA

In this investigation, four scenarios were used to quantify the balance between the benefits of levees for flood protection and their potential to increase flood risk using Hazards U.S. Multi-Hazard flood-loss software and hydraulic modeling of the Middle Mississippi River (MMR). The goals of this study were (1) to quantify the flood exposure under different flood-control configurations and (2) to assess the relative contributions of various engineered structures and flood-loss strategies to potential flood losses. Removing all the flood-control structures along the MMR, without buyouts or other mitigation, reduced the average flood stages between 2.3 m (100-year flood) and 2.5 m (500-year), but increased the potential flood losses by $4.3–6.7 billion. Removing the agricultural levees downstream of St. Louis decreased the flood stages through the metro region by ~1.0 m for the 100- and 500-year events; flood losses, without buyouts or other mitigation, were increased by $4.3–6.7 billion. Removing the agricultural levees downstream of St. Louis decreased the flood stages through the metro region by ~1.0 m for the 100- and 500-year events; flood losses, without buyouts or other mitigation, were increased by 155 million for the 100-year flood, but were decreased by $109 million for the 500-year flood. Thus, agricultural levees along the MMR protect against small- to medium-size floods (up to the ~100-year flood level) but cause more damage than they prevent during large floods such as the 500-year flood. Buyout costs for the all the buildings within the 500-year floodplain downstream of urban flood-control structures near St. Louis are ~40% less than the cost of repairing the buildings damaged by the 500-year flood. This suggests large-scale buyouts could be the most cost-effective option for flood loss mitigation for properties currently protected by agricultural levees.