Lake bank filtration at Nainital,India: water-quality evaluation

There are different water-supply schemes in Uttarakhand, India to tap the water from streams, rivers and lakes. At Nainital, seven tube-wells (depths 22.6–36.7 m), located at a distance of <100 m from the lake, are being used to abstract (1) lake water after passage through the soil and (2) subsurface water/groundwater flowing towards the lake. Water samples from the lake and tube-wells were analyzed in monsoon and non-monsoon periods from 1997 to 2006. Total dissolved solids, EC, alkalinity and hardness were found to be marginally greater in tube-well waters. The difference in hydrochemistry of tube-well water was mainly due to variation in flow regimes during monsoon and non-monsoon periods. Results clearly indicate that lake water as such is not potable as it contains unacceptable levels of organic matter in terms of COD (~44 mg/L), coliforms (~15.6 × 10⁴ MPN/100 mL) and nutrients. Coliform bacteria and COD have not been detected in any of the tube-well water samples over the years. Lake water, treated by sand filters did not conform to drinking water standards. These investigations have led to the closure of the treatment facility and installation of two tube-wells in addition to the existing five tube-wells.

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Résumé  Il existe divers projets d’alimentation en eau dans l’état d’Uttarakhand, Inde, afin de capter l’eau de ruisseaux, de rivières et de lacs. A Nainital, sept puits tubés (profondeur de 22.6–36.7 m), situés à une distance < à 100 m du lac, sont utilisés pour prélever (1) de l’eau du lac après transit à travers le sol et (2) de l’eau de sub-surface/eau souterraine s’écoulant vers le lac. Des échantillons d’eau du lac et des puits tubés ont été analysés en périodes de mousson et de celles sans mousson 1997 à 2006. Résidu sec, C.E., alcalinité et dureté ont été trouvés marginalement supérieurs dans l’eau des puits tubés. La différence d’hydrochimie de l’eau des puits tubés était surtout due à la variation des régimes d’écoulement pendant les périodes de mousson et de celles sans mousson. Les résultats indiquent clairement que l’eau du lac en tant que telle n’est pas potable car elle contient des teneurs inacceptables de matière organique en termes de COD (~44 mg/L), de coliformes (~15.6 × 10⁴ MPN/100 mL) et d’éléments nutritifs. Des bactéries coliformes et du COD n’ont été détectés dans aucun des échantillons d’eau de puits tubés au fil des années. L’eau du lac traitée par des filtres à sable ne se conformait pas aux normes de l’eau potable. Ces recherches ont conduit à la fermeture de l’installation de traitement et à l’implantation de deux puits tubés en plus des cinq puits existants.

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Resumen  En el estado de Uttarakhand, India, existen diferentes esquemas de abastecimiento de agua que explotan agua de arroyos, ríos y lagos. En Nainital, siete pozos (profundidades entre 22.6–36.7 m), ubicados a una distancia de <100 m del lago, se usan para extraer (1) agua del lago luego de su pasaje a través del suelo y (2) agua superficial y subterránea que fluye hacia el lago. En períodos de monzón y de no monzón de 1997 a 2006 se han analizado muestras de agua del lago y de las captaciones. Se halló que el agua de los pozos es ligeramente mayor en términos del total de sólidos disueltos, la conductividad eléctrica, la alcalinidad y la dureza. La diferencia en la hidroquímica del agua de las perforaciones se debe principalmente a la variación de los regímenes de flujo durante los períodos de monzón y de no monzón. Los resultados claramente indican que el agua del lago no es potable por su contenido inaceptable de materia orgánica medida como demanda de carbono orgánico/oxígeno –DCO- (~44 mg/L), coliformes (~15.6 × 10⁴ NMP/100 mL) y nutrientes. En el período, no se han detectado bacterias coliformes ni DCO en las muestras de agua de las captaciones. El agua del lago, tratada con filtros de arena, no conformó los estándares de agua para bebida. Estas investigaciones han demostrado la necesidad de clausurar las instalaciones de tratamiento y la adición de dos captaciones a las cinco ya existentes.

     

Early Devensian sediments and palaeovenvironmental evidence from the excavations at the Royal Oak Portal Paddington,West London,UK

This paper discusses the results of the investigation of Pleistocene sediments at the Royal Oak Portal (ROP) site on the new Crossrail scheme near Paddington Station, London. The site was sampled and recorded in May 2011 by archaeologists from Oxford Archaeology commissioned by Crossrail Ltd. The investigation revealed a sedimentary sequence associated with cool climate waterlain deposition towards the edge of the River Westbourne floodplain. During excavation an assemblage of around 100 identifiable large mammal bones was recovered, dating to the Late Pleistocene. The major concentration of bones, from bison and reindeer, was located and excavated from a shallow sequence of sediments. Analysis of the bones indicates that they represent a natural death assemblage, scavenged and subsequently disarticulated, transported by water, exposed and further dispersed and broken by trampling. The site is of regional and national importance because the assemblage derives from a well-constrained geological context, with associated dating evidence suggesting accumulation during the later parts of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and continuing within MIS 4. The site is also of significance because it is one of a growing number of recently discovered sites away from the main fluvial archive for the British Middle and Upper Pleistocene. These sites have the potential to add significantly to our understanding of parts of the Pleistocene record that remain difficult to document through the investigation of the more active systems associated with major rivers such as the Thames, Severn or Trent.     

Study of physical and chemical properties of vitrinites. Inferences on depositional and coalification controls

A detailed study of petrological, geochemical, textural and coking properties was carried out on vitrains from the Puertollano, Blanzy–Montçeau, Asturias and Teruel. The objective was to determine in depth the physical and chemical properties of a series of natural and pure vitrinites of different rank, and the influence that the sedimentary and post-sedimentary conditions had on them. It is demonstrated that although vitrains are almost entirely made up of the huminite/vitrinite maceral group they have a different composition, thermal behaviour and physical properties. Thus, geochemical and textural properties of Blanzy–Montçeau vitrains can be considered to be representative of the telinite, the major component in both samples (75% vol.) at the beginning of the bituminization stage (subbituminous/high volatile C bituminous coals). The characteristics of the Puertollano vitrains described here can also be attributed to the telocollinite (>80% vol.) for the high volatile C bituminous coal. Variations in physico-chemical properties between Puertollano and Blanzy–Montçeau vitrains are due to the differences in the initial composition of organic matter. Slight differences (i.e., bed moisture content or porosity) between vitrains from the two coal seams in the same basin can be attributed to their stratigraphic position. Several parameters such as S₂, HI, oil and extraction yield and fluorescent properties suggest that the Puertollano and Blanzy–Montçeau vitrains have a lower hydrocarbon potential. The relationships between geochemical and textural properties make it possible to distinguish between ‘normal' and perhydrous vitrains. The two different hydrogen-enrichment processes that occur in vitrains from the Teruel and Asturias basins can be distinguished from the extraction yield data.     

Hydrofracture mechanisms in rock during pressure grouting

Summary Hydrofracture Mechanisms in Rock During Pressure Grouting. The paper examines the basic meachnisms controlling the initiation of fractures in rocks and layered soils during pressure grouting, and their subsequent propagation into the ground mass. Previous analyses of fracture initiation have tended to concentrate on simplified models in which the ground is treated as an impervious elastic or Mohr-Coulomb continuum. The present method allows for the porous or fissured nature of the ground by considering the effect of seepage forces induced by the pore pressure gradient. The effect is quantified by use of a parameterN such that the ratio of fluid force used in expanding the injection hole, to that used in forcing fluid through void spaces, isN to (1—N).Analysis of hydrofracture propagation is based on stress analysis of a borehole in an elastic continuum, the propagating fracture zone around the borehole being represented as a non-elastic material governed by the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. This is supplemented by an energy approach which equates the energy supplied to the ground from the injection pump, with the energy stored in the ground and the energy necessary to fracture it.

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Zusammenfassung Brucherscheinungen im Fels bei Verprearbeiten. In der Arbeit wird der grundlegende Mechanismus untersucht, welcher bei Verpreßarbeiten in Fels und geschichtetem Boden zur Einleitung und Ausbreitung von Brüchen führt. Frühere Untersuchungen des Bruchbeginns stützten sich im wesentlichen auf vereinfachte Modelle, in denen der Untergrund als undurchlässiges Kontinuum angesehen wird, das entweder elastisch ist oder der Mohr-Coulombschen Bruchbedingung genügt. Die neue Methode berücksichtigt dagegen eine Porosität oder Klüftung des Untergrundes durch Ansatz der vom strömenden Medium auf das Gebirge ausgeübten Belastung. Diese Belastung wird aufgeteilt in einen Druckverlust an der Bohrlochwand (gleich ParameterN mal Verpreßdruck) und die entsprechende, über den gesamten durchströmten Bereich verteilte Belastung.Die Untersuchung der Bruchausbreitung geht von der Spannungsermittlung um ein Bohrloch in einem elastischen Kontinuum aus, wobei in der sich ausbreitenden Bruchzone um das Bohrloch herum nichtelastisches Material angenommen wird, das dem Mohr-Coulombschen Bruchkriterium genügt. Zur Ergänzung dient eine Energie-Betrachtung, bei der die von der Injektionspumpe abgegebene Energie gleichgesetzt wird der im Untergrund gespeicherten Energie und der aufgewendeten Brucharbeit.

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Résumé Les mécanismes de la fracturation hydraulique dans les roches pendant les injections sous pression. Le mémoire examine les mécanismes fondamentaux qui gouvernent l'initiation des ruptures dans les roches et les sols stratifiés, au cours des injections et leur propagation dans les massifs. Les analyses antérieures de l'initiation de la rupture, se sont concentrées sur des modèles simplifiés où l'on considérait la roche comme un milieu élastique et imperméable, ou comme un milieu de Mohr-Coulomb. La présente méthode admet que le massif est poreux ou fissuré, en considérant l'action des forces de percolation engendrées par le gradient de pression interstitielle. Cette action est quantifiée par un paramètreN, tel que le rapport de la force du liquide employée à dilater le forage d'injection, à celle employée pour forcer le coulis à travers les vides soitN/(1—N). L'analyse de la propagation des ruptures se base sur l'analyse des contraintes autour d'un forage dans un milieu élastique, alors que la zone de la rupture qui se propage autour du forage est représentée par un milieu non-élastique admettant le critère de rupture de Mohr-Coulomb. Cette analyse est complétée par une approche énergétique, où l'énergie qui est fournie au massif par la pompe d'injection est égalée à l'énergie emmagasinée dans la roche et à l'énergie de rupture.

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Nomenclature A area of new cracks created per unit volume of time t - E total work done by injection fluid - E _i irrecoverable component of energy - E _{i c} work done in fracturing rock or soil - E _{i l} work done to overcome various frictional forces in grouting system - E _{i p} work done to cause plastic deformation of fractured zone - E _{i s} work done to overcome shear strength of fluid during flow - E _{i v} work done to overcome frictional drag between fluid and rock in soil surfaces during flow - E _r recoverable component of energy - E _{r f} elastic strain energy stored in fluid - E _{r s} elastic strain energy stored in rock or soil - h height of overburden - i j 1, 2, 3 - K ₀ coefficient of horizontal earth pressure - k permeability of ground to grout - L length of cylindrical grout source - n rock or soil porosity - p average fluid pressure between timet and (t + t) - p ₀ injection pressure - R radius of grout front - r radial distance from borehole axis - r ₀ radius of borehole - r ₁ radius of fractured zone - S specific surface area of rock or soil - S _T tensile strength of rock or soil - t time - u grout seepage velocity - V volume of grout injected - v volumetric strain - specific surface energy of rock - bulk density of rock or soil - _{i j} ^e elastic strain increment tensor - _{i j} plastic strain increment tensor - v Poisson's ratio - _{i j} average stress tensor in the ground during timet and (t + t) - _R , _T, _Z radial, tangential and vertical stresses induced by grouting - _r , _t , _z radial, tangential and vertical stress around borehole before grouting - grout shear strength - angle of internal friction of rock or soil With 7 Figures     

The subaerial origin of mantle depositsZur subaerischen entstehung der decksedimenteL'origine subaérienne des formations de couverture

The authors deal with the problems of the origin of mantle formations consisting of loams and sandy loams that occur on the surface of Central and Eastern Europe. The loams are usually considered periglacial deposits; however, the authors have developed a new theory on the origin of these formations. In their opinion loams developed as a result of deposition of atmospheric dust. The new theory is supported by measurements of dust fall mainly on glaciers in the Caucasus and in Central Asia. The measurements correspond favorably with the absolute age of humus in the soils of the Russkaya ravnina (Lowland). Recently, dust fall has increased owing to activities by man. The increase disturbs the equilibrium in the subaerial lithogenesis — soil development system and therefore more attention should be given to this phenomenon.     

Detection of subsidence conditions by photogeology

A variety of air-photo interpretation criteria need to be used for detecting areas of potential subsidence. An initial step is to search for past failures showing on air photographs, to establish the cause and to interpret the boundaries of the environment that might be affected. Causes detectable include karstic terrain, areas liable to piping, or containing concealed peat, old shafts, and stratiform or vein workings. Airborne imaging conditions can be selected to improve the possibility of detection in some situations.

The technique can indicate situations where risks are high, but cannot be used to map with certainty voids liable to collapse.     

Removal of magnesium from interstitial waters in reducing environments—the problem reconsidered

Iron-containing smectites are not affected significantly by Mg-containing dilute sulphide solutions. Concentrated solutions reduce most of the Fe in montmorillonites; Fe is partially extracted from nontronite with concomitant disintegration of the structure. It is concluded that direct Mg → Fe exchange in clays seems improbable, but that depletion of Mg in interstitial waters of anoxic sediments may be due to reaction of Mg-containing solutions with partially disintegrated clay.     

Compositional,structural, and geodynamic controls of the evolution of inter- and intramontane basins of the Tien Shan

The crustal orogeny which formed the present-day Tien Shan results from the complex interaction between two independent processes. The first is the lateral (horizontal) compression related to the collision between the Indian and Eurasian Plates. The second is the rearrangement and flow of crustal material at different levels of the lithosphere beneath the mountain belt. Two broad morphologic and genetic types of mountain basins (intramontane and intermontane/foreland) are proposed as indicators of specific geodynamic factors controlling the topographic relief of the orogenic belt. The first-type basins, having the upper crustal roots, reflect mainly the N–S crustal compression and correspond to simple (elementary) longitudinal folds with basement involvement. The second type basins developed mostly in response to deep processes in the upper mantle and lower crust.     

Extremely Fluorine-Rich Fluoborite from Fumarolic Exhalations of the Tolbachik Volcano,Kamchatka

Geology of Ore Deposits - Fluoborite extremely close to the fluorine endmember of the fluoborite Mg3[BO3]F3–hydroxylborite Mg3[BO3](ОН)3 series has been found in exhalations of...     

Synchronous Transformations of Mineral and Organic Constituents of Sedimentary Rocks in Geological Structure with an Initial Extension and Subsequent Compression Tectonic Regime

Sedimentary rocks of the section in the Red River fold zone of northern Viet Nam are considered. It is shown that secondary mineral parageneses formed in two stages. The first stage (35–17 Ma ago) corresponded to the period of structure extension and sediment subsidence to a depth of about 6 km. This period and subsequent 10 Ma were marked by the formation of a usual dia- and catagenetic zoning of metasedimentary rocks. The second stage (5–7 Ma ago) corresponded to processes of compression that were responsible for the deformation of rocks into gentle folds and 1.5 to 2.2 times contraction of the section thickness in different places. The sequential–mineralogical zoning was disturbed at this stage. Smectites and mixed-layer minerals were replaced by chlorites and hydromicas. Organic material also responded to compression simultaneously with inorganic components. The bituminous component was released from humic matter and rocks became enriched in hydrocarbons.