Use of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the characterization of biodegradation and unresolved complex mixtures in petroleum

A comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC/TOFMS) method has been developed for separation of a series of petroleum samples using a polar/non-polar column set configuration. Groups of oils were selected to provide samples from the same oil family to assist in comparison of compositional changes during biodegradation. The groups also represented different sources and ages to allow an assessment of the application of GC × GC for the differentiation of oil source, as well as fluid history. The increased resolution and separation afforded by the GC × GC technique provides more complete compositional information on complex biodegraded oil samples than one-dimensional GC, and improves the ability to study biodegradation trends. Among the components identified, it is proposed that alkyl-decahydronaphthalenes constitute a significant contribution to the UCM.     

Stanniferrous granites of Vietnam: Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar isotope age,composition, sources,and geodynamic formation conditions

Doklady Earth Sciences - Stanniferrous granite-leucogranite massifs in Vietnam to which the bedrock and placer commercial deposits of cassiterite are associated (Timtuc etc.) are of late Cretaceous...     

Simple monitoring method for precaution of landslides watching tilting and water contents on slopes surface

A low-cost and simple monitoring method for early warning of landslides is proposed. To detect abnormal deformation of a slope, this method employs a tilt sensor in place of an extensometer on the slope surface. In order to examine the relevance of measuring rotation angle on a slope surface by tilt sensor, model tests were conducted, and rotation on the slope surface was observed together with slide displacement along the surface. The rotation data responded 30 min before failure in a model test, which could be useful as a signal for early warning. However, the behavior of rotation before failure varies from case to case, and thus, criteria to issue warning should be defined more carefully. For a model slope made of uniform loose sand, measurement of slide displacement along the slope surface is sensitive to failure at the toe, while the measurement of rotation on the slope surface is useful to detect the development of progressive failure upward along the slope. Wireless sensor units with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) tilt sensor and volumetric water content sensor were also examined on a real slope in Kobe City, and a long-term monitoring was attempted. A simple but possible way to define the criteria of judgment to issue warning can be proposed based on combination of data obtained by the tilt sensors and volumetric water content sensors.     

ISO Spectroscopy of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

Spectroscopy from the Infrared Space Observatory ISO has for the first timeprovided the sensitivity to exploit the diagnostic power ofmid-infrared fine structure lines and PAH features for the study ofultraluminous infrared galaxies (L_IR >10¹² L ). We report on observations obtainedwith SWS, ISOPHOT-S, and the CVF option of ISOCAM. From both fine structure lines and PAH features, we find that the majority of ULIRGs is predominantlypowered by star formation. Our total sample of about 75 ULIRGs allows tosearch for trends within the class of ULIRGs: The fraction of AGNs increaseswith luminosity above 3 × 10¹²L but there is no obvioustrend for ULIRGs to be more AGN-like with more advanced merger phase.     

A study on the preparation of fine and low soda alumina

A simple process to produce fine and low soda α-alumina (α-Al₂O₃) from a commercial grade aluminium trihydroxide (gibbsite, Al(OH)₃) produced by KC Corporation Ltd was developed. There are two options for this process with the first one producing low soda α-alumina (< 0.05% Na₂O) having a mean particle size of 50 μm. The second option yields a fine product with a mean size of less than 10 μm. In the first option, a plant aluminium trihydroxide containing 0.20% Na₂O was first fluidized with nitrogen at 400–600 °C to yield an amorphous activated alumina. This intermediate product was then treated with acetic or oxalic acid, washed with water and heated to 1200 °C to form calcined α-alumina, having a Na₂O content of less than 0.05%. A 20 min leaching using 0.2 M acetic or oxalic acid could yield an alumina product containing 0.04% Na₂O. In the second option, a new technique for the preparation of fine and low soda α-alumina was evaluated using an attrition mill working also as a leaching vessel at 80 °C. Fine (< 10 μm in mean particle size) and low soda (< 0.04% Na₂O) alumina was produced by a 20 min leaching step with 0.2 M acetic acid and concurrent attrition milling.     

A simplified methodology for mapping groundwater vulnerability and contamination risk, and its first application in a tropical karst area, Vietnam

A simplified methodology for mapping groundwater vulnerability and contamination risk is proposed, and the first application of the methodology, in a mountainous tropical karst area, is presented. The test site is the Tam Duong area, one of the poorest and remotest regions in northern Vietnam. The methodology requires a minimum of input data, which makes it particularly useful for developing countries. Vulnerability is assessed on the basis of two factors, which take into account the duality of recharge processes in karst aquifer systems: the overlying layers (O) and the concentration of flow (C). The risk map is obtained by putting together the vulnerability map and a simplified hazard assessment. The resulting maps provide a basis for groundwater protection zoning and land-use planning. Tracer tests and microbiological data confirmed the vulnerability and risk assessment in the test site.     

Dispersion and cost analysis of some finite difference schemes in one-parameter acoustic wave modeling

Given a precision threshold to be imposed on the group velocity error and a finite difference scheme for the acoustic wave equation, it is possible to determine time-step and grid-spacing in an optimal manner, i.e., so as to minimize the computational cost. Using this optimal cost as a criterion, it becomes easy to compare schemes for efficiency in homogeneous media. Heterogeneous media with constant density can be accommodated to a certain extent by minimizing the cost over a range of Courant numbers. Such analysis shows that, amongst the second-order Taylor series schemes in time, higher-order schemes are generally more efficient than lower-order schemes. However, this result does not extend to very high order schemes.     

Predicting Blast-Induced Ground Vibration in Open-Pit Mines Using Different Nature-Inspired Optimization Algorithms and Deep Neural Network

Natural Resources Research - Blast-induced ground vibration (GV) is a hazardous phenomenon in open-pit mines, and it has unquestionable effects, such as slope instability, deformation of...     

Upper Miocene–Pliocene provenance evolution of the Central Canyon in northwestern South China Sea

Provenance studies of the Central Canyon, Qiongdongnan Basin has provided significant insights into paleographic and sedimentology research of the South China Sea (SCS). A suite of geochemical approaches mainly including rare earth elemental (REE) analysis and detrital zircon U–Pb dating has been systematically applied to the “source-to-sink” system involving our upper Miocene–Pliocene Central Canyon sediments and surrounding potential source areas. Based on samples tracing the entire course of the Central Canyon, REE distribution patterns indicate that the western channel was generally characterized by positive Eu anomalies in larger proportion, in contrast to the dominance of negative values of its eastern side during late Miocene–Pliocene. Additionally, for the whole canyon and farther regions of Qiongdongnan Basin, the number of samples bearing negative Eu anomalies tended to increase within younger geological strata. On the other hand, U–Pb geochronology results suggest a wide Proterozoic to Mesozoic age range with peak complexity in Yanshanian, Indosinian, Caledonian and Jinningian periods. However in detail, age combination of most western samples displayed older-age signatures than the eastern. To make it more evidently, western boreholes of the Central Canyon are mainly characterized with confined Indosinian and Caledonian clusters which show great comparability with mafic-to-ultramafic source of Kontum Massif of Central Vietnam, while eastern samples largely bear with distinguishable Yanshanian and Indosinian peaks which more resemble with Hainan Island. Based on geochemistry and geochronology analyses, two significant suppliers and sedimentary infilling processes are generated: (1) the Indosinian collision orogenic belt in central-northern Vietnam, Indochina has ever played significant role in Central Canyon sedimentary evolution, (2) Hainan Island once as a typical provenance restricted within eastern Central Canyon, has been enlarging its influence into the whole channel, even into the farther western regions of Qiongdongnan Basin.

     

Simulating Groundwater-Streamflow Connections in the Upper Colorado River Basin

In mountain, snow driven catchments, snowmelt is supposed to be the primary contribution to river streamflows during spring. In these catchments the contribution of groundwater is not well documented because of the difficulty to monitor groundwater in such complex environment with deep aquifers. In this study we use an integrated hydrologic model to conduct numerical experiments that help quantify the effect of lateral groundwater flow on total annual and peak streamflow in predevelopment conditions. Our simulations focus on the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB; 2.8 × 10⁵ km²) a well-documented mountain catchment for which both streamflow and water table measurements are available for several important sub-basins. For the simulated water year, our results suggest an increase in peak flow of up to 57% when lateral groundwater flow processes are included—an unexpected result for flood conditions generally assumed independent of groundwater. Additionally, inclusion of lateral groundwater flow moderately improved the model match to observations. The correlation coefficient for mean annual flows improved from 0.84 for the no lateral groundwater flow simulation to 0.98 for the lateral groundwater flow one. Spatially we see more pronounced differences between lateral and no lateral groundwater flow cases in areas of the domain with steeper topography. We also found distinct differences in the magnitude and spatial distribution of streamflow changes with and without lateral groundwater flow between Upper Colorado River Sub-basins. A sensitivity test that scaled hydraulic conductivity over two orders of magnitude was conducted for the lateral groundwater flow simulations. These results show that the impact of lateral groundwater flow is as large or larger than an order of magnitude change in hydraulic conductivity. While our results focus on the UCRB, we feel that these simulations have relevance to other headwaters systems worldwide.