An evaluation of flow-stratified sampling for estimating suspended sediment loads

Flow-stratified sampling is a new method for sampling water quality constituents such as suspended sediment to estimate loads. As with selection-at-list-time (SALT) and time-stratified sampling, flow-stratified sampling is a statistical method requiring random sampling, and yielding unbiased estimates of load and variance. It can be used to estimate event yields or to estimate mean concentrations in flow classes for detecting change over time or differences from water quality standards. Flow-stratified sampling is described and its variance compared with those of SALT and time-stratified sampling. Time-stratified sampling generally gives the smallest variance of the three methods for estimating storm yields. Flow-stratified sampling of individual storms may fail to produce estimates in some short-lived strata because they may have sample sizes of zero. SALT will tend to give small samples and relatively high variances for small stroms. For longer and more complex hydrographs, having numerous peaks, flow-stratified sampling gives the lowest variance, and the SALT variance is lower than that of time-stratified sampling unless the sample size is very large. A desirable feature of flow-stratified sampling is that the variance can be reduced after sampling by splitting strata, particularly high flow strata that have been visited just once, and recalculating the total and variance. SALT has the potential to produce the lowest variance, but cannot be expected to do so with an auxiliary variable based on stage.     

Analysis of cyclical sedimentation in the lower Permian Mchuchuma coalfield (South-West-Tanzania)

A statistical approach by a modified Markov process model was used to prove that the lower Permian coal measures of the Tanzanian Mchuchuma basin developed distinct cyclicities during deposition. From results the transition path of lithologic states typical for this coal sequence is as follows: (A) coarse sandstone, (B) medium sandstone, (C) fine-very fine sandstone, (D) shale, (E) mudstone, (F) coal or (E+F) and again (A) coarse sandstone. The majority of cycles is are asymmetric (ABCDEF-ABC.)but symmetrical cycles are present as well (ABCDEFED). The statistical results concur with observed sedimentological evidence of depositional environment. Fining upward cycles correspond to the development of basal channel bars, changing into levées, then into back swamps which are topped by coal swamps. Frequent interbedding of coal and mudstone in the upper part of the coal measures calls for periodic flooding and flushing of fine clastics into coal-forming swamps causing interruption of peat formation. Cyclical deposition is explained by wandering channels in response to varying discharge and rate of deposition, their lateral frequent shifting caused the formation of asymmetrical cycles in this fluviodeltaic depositional model.

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Zusammenfassung Das kohleführende untere Perm des Mchuchuma Beckens (SW-Tanzania) wurde statistisch mit Hilfe der Markov Analyse auf Zyklizität innerhalb der Abfolge untersucht. Die statistischen Daten zeigen, daß die bevorzugte und für dieses Kohlebecken typische Sequenz folgende lithologische Abfolge umfaßt: (A) grober Sandstein, (B) mittlerer Sandstein, (C) feiner Sandstein, (D) Siltstein, (E) Tonstein, (F) bzw. (E+F) Kohle und erneut (A) grober Sandstein. Es existieren meist asymmetrische Zyklen (ABCDEF-ABCD...) aber symmetrische Zyklen (ABCDEFED) treten ebenfalls auf. Die Markov Analyse ergänzt sehr gut die Beobachtungen bezüglich des Ablagerungsmilieus in den Aufschlüssen. »Fining up« Zyklen beginnen mit basalen Gerinnesanden, überlagert von levée Ablagerungen, welche ihrerseits übergehen in »back swamps« und Kohlesümpfe. Der obere Teil der Kohleabfolge ist durch häufige Wechsellagerungen von Kohle mit Tonstein charakterisiert, die auf periodische Überflutungen und Verfrachtungen von Feinklastika in die Kohlesümpfe zurückzuführen sind. Wandernde Flußgerinne, ausgelöst durch rasch wechselnde Sedimentfracht und Ablagerungsrate, führten zu zyklischen Ablagerungen. Häufig auftretende laterale Gerinneverlagerungen erklären die asymmetrischen Zyklen in diesem fluvio-deltaischen Ablagerungsmodell.

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Résumé Des analyses statistiques ont été effectuées par la méthode de Markov sur le Permien inférieur charbonnier du bassin de Mchuchuma (Tanzanie du sud-ouest) dans le but de montrer l'existence de cycles sédimentaires. Les résultats font apparaître une séquence, typique de ce bassin, qui s'ordonne ainsi de bas en haut: (A) grès grossier, (B) grès moyen, (C) grès fin à très fin, (F) siltite, (E) pélite, (F) charbon ou (E+F) et de nouveau (A) grès grossier. Les cycles sont pour la plupart assymétriques (ABCDEF-ABC...) mais il en existe aussi de symétriques (ABCDEFED).Les résultats obtenus par la méthode de Markov concordent avec les observations sédimentologiques relatives au milieu de dépôt. Les cycles granoclassés débutent par des sables fluviatiles surmontés par des dépôts de levées suivis à leur tour de »back swamps«, et se terminent par des dépôts de marais tourbeux. La partie supérieure de la série est caractérisée par une stratification alternée de charbon et de pélite due à des inondations périodiques amenant dans les marais des produits clastiques fins qui interrompaient la formation de la tourbe. La sédimentation cyclique s'explique par la migration de chenaux, provoquée par les variations de l'apport sédimentaire et de la vitesse de dépôt. Les fréquents déplacements latéraux des chenaux expliquent l'asymétrie des cycles, dans ce modèle fluvio-deltaïque.

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- Mchuchuma (-). , : (A) ; (B) ; (C) - ; (D) ; (E) ; (F) , (E + F) (A) . (ABCDEF-ABCD), (ABCDEFED). . « » , , , . (). , , , . / .

     

The influence of natural organic matter on the adsorption properties of mineral particles in lake water

The adsorption characteristics of sediment particles from a prealpine Swiss lake were compared with those of γ-aluminum oxide. Under lake water conditions, i.e. with particle concentration of 2–16 mg/1 and DOC concentrations of 1–4 mg/1 at pH=8, the adsorption of copper, zinc and orthophosphate is reduced significantly by the presence of natural organic matter (NOM). It is postulated that the binding sites of the natural mineral surfaces are occupied almost completely by NOM under natural conditions. A simple ligand exchange model can explain the observed phenomena.     

Transport of water in frozen soil: I: Experimental determination of soil-water diffusivity under isothermal conditions

A new experimental method for measuring the soil-water diffusivity of frozen soil under isothermal conditions is introduced. The theoretical justification of the method is presented and the feasibility of the method is demonstrated by experiments conducted using marine deposited clay. The measured values of the soil-water diffusivity are found comparable to reported experimental data.     

Chemical studies of L chondrites—II. Shock-induced trace element mobilization

Previous studies of chondrites heated in the laboratory for extended periods under conditions approximating those in shock-heated collisional debris indicate that Au, Co, Se, Ga, Rb, Cs, Te, Bi, In, Ag, Zn, Tl and Cd progress in mobility. We report data for these 13 trace elements in 14 L4–6 chondrites of established shock history and discuss these and 13 additional chondrites studied earlier. Trace element contents vary with petrologic type, $\text{S}\text{Fe}$ sub-group and shock history, the last dominating strongly. Absolute abundances and interelement relationships for the 6 or 7 most mobile elements vary with degree of shock-loading (i.e. residual temperatures) established from mineralogic/petrologic study. A tertiary process, shock-heating, previously known to have affected radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar and/or ⁴He in meteorites but not other elements, apparently was at least as effective as other open-system processes (secondary [parent body] and primary [nebular and/or accretionary] episodes) in establishing mobile trace element contents of L chondrites and probably others. If conditions during early genetic episodes are to be deduced from compositional information, shocked meteorites should be avoided or effects of later processes should be compensated for.