Surveying Upstate NY Well Water for Pesticide Contamination: Cayuga and Orange Counties

Private wells in Cayuga and Orange counties in New York were sampled to determine the occurrence of pesticide contamination of groundwater in areas where significant pesticide use coincides with shallow or otherwise vulnerable groundwater. Well selection was based on local groundwater knowledge, risk modeling, aerial photo assessments, and pesticide application database mapping. Single timepoint samples from 40 wells in each county were subjected to 93‐compound chromatographic scans. All samples were nondetects (reporting limits ≤1 μg/L), thus no wells from either county exceeded any of 15 state groundwater standards or guidance values. More sensitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) found two wells with quantifiable atrazine in each county (0.1–0.3 μg/L), one well with quantifiable diazinon (0.1 μg/L) in Orange County, and one well with quantifiable alachlor (0.2 μg/L) in Cayuga County. Trace detections (<0.1 μg/L) in Cayuga County included atrazine (five wells), metolachlor (six wells), and alachlor (one well), including three wells with multiple detections. All 12 Cayuga County wells with ELISA detections had either corn/grain or corn/forage rotations as primary surrounding land uses (although 20 other wells with the same land uses had no detections) and all quantified detections and most trace detections occurred in wells up to 9‐m deep. Orange County trace (<0.1 μg/L) ELISA detections (atrazine three wells, diazinon one well, and metolachlor five wells) and quantified detections were only generally associated with agricultural land uses. Finding acceptable drinking water quality in areas of vulnerable groundwater suggests that water quality in less vulnerable areas will also be good.     

A hydrothermal deposit from explorer ridge in the northeast Pacific Ocean

Crusts composed of nontronite and ferromanganese oxides were recovered from Explorer Ridge, a spreading ridge segment in the northeastern Pacific Ocean located off the west coast of Canada. The chemical and mineralogical composition of the crusts closely resembles that of the mound-like hydrothermal deposits recently discovered at the FAMOUS site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and on the Galapagos spreading centre. Compositional anomalies suggest that the crusts are precipitates of hydrothermal vent solutions which were ejected discontinuously and subsequently mixed with seawater.     

Internal tides and waves near the continental shelf edge

Abstract

The subject is reviewed from the viewpoints of theory, internal tide and wave structure and their implications.

A wider theoretical context suggests scope for further investigation of natural or nearly-trapped forms above the inertial frequency.

Although internal tides in many locations are observed to have first-mode vertical structure, higher modes are seen offshore from shallow shelf-break forcing and for particular Froude numbers, and may be expected locally near generation. Bottom intensification is often observed where the sea floor matches the characteristic slope. Solitons form from internal tides of large amplitude or at large changes of depth.

Internal tides and solitons are observed also at many sills and in straits, and to intensify in canyons.

Non-linear effects of the waves, especially solitons, include the conveyance of water, nutrients, ‘‘mixing potential'’ etc. away from their source to other locations, and the generation of mean currents. The waves transfer energy and possibly heat between the ocean and shelf, may be a source of medium frequency waves on the shelf (periods of minutes) and can contribute to interior mixing and overturning, bottom stirring and sediment movement.     

Trace elements in sediments from the lower Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel

Sediments are very important as trace element traps, particularly in estuaries and high levels of heavy metals have previously been reported in sediments in the Severn estuary and parts of the Bristol Channel. In this paper the concentration and distribution of thirteen elements are reported. The concentrations of tin, zinc and lead, in particular, may have ecological consequences and should be viewed with some concern.     

From global to local: Testing the potential of cross-scaling in global data sets

The present study investigates the potential of readily available and easily accessible global data sets to understand regional/local level interactions in wetland systems. The biogeographical zones of India were used a base-frame to select three sites. The study well fits the interests of National Wetland Committee of India to investigate and document fundamental information on wetland extent/distribution. The national partnership with SACON represents this interest. SACON commenced the inland wetland inventory module at national scale using geospatial data, although the provincial scale analysis is underway. In addition, the global irrigated area mapping (GIAM-IWMI) project generated multi-scalar spatial outputs for irrigated/rain-fed areas. With the existing information base, a multi-level geospatial analysis using Arc GIS algorithmic modelling was used to derive comprehensive appraisal of wetland systems complementing the data from GIAM and SACON. It was observed that the overlap between the two layers was 58 percent for Gujarat and 10 percent in Tamil Nadu. In Krishna basin the wetland’s cover 1.04 million hectare excluding the rice agro-ecosystem. The difference in the biogeography of the case sites governs the gradient of information derived from both data layers. Additionally, the global lakes and wetlands database (GLWD) database added thematic information on coastal wetlands. In summary we describe the cross-scaling the global data layers to compliment the regional/national level monitoring assignments.     

A multifractal model of crack coalescence in rocks

Geometric characteristics of fractal sets of cracks are investigated from the standpoint of their coalescence. A 1D computer model, in which a realistic character of forms of crack sets is achieved through the inducing of sets with the use of the multiplicative cascade procedure, is considered. The investigation is aimed at the determination of conditions of coalescence of cracks organized as a superposition of fractal subsets of a unified set of cracks. The process of crack coalescence is investigated for three different values of the coalescence criterion. The geometric characteristics of the sets of cracks that are necessary for the transition of the crack coalescence process into an avalanche-like stage are estimated.     

Dynamics of a moored barge under regular and random waves

Developments in the study of wave forces and construction techniques in deep water by the offshore oil industry have increased the use of marine terminals at deep water locations. A thorough understanding of moored ship dynamics when subjected to waves, wind and current combined with the use of flexible mooring lines would help to design berthing terminals for exposed areas. In this paper, the three dimensional problem of wave interactions with a barge moored to a single point is dealt with, based on the finite element method. The effect of flexibility of the mooring line and the point of mooring on the response of the barge as well as the mooring line tension is investigated. The paper compares the numerical results with model tests carried out on a barge moored to a fixed support under regular and random waves in head sea. The effect of stiffness of the mooring line on the barge response for different mooring points is discussed, which would be useful for the designers. The effect of viscous damping is also considered. The analytical results are in good agreement with the experimental results in both regular and random waves.