An Elliptical Model for Deformation Due to Groundwater Fluctuations

Historically, surface subsidence as a result of subsurface groundwater fluctuations have produced important and, at times, catastrophic effects, whether natural or anthropogenic. Over the past 30?years, numerical and analytical techniques for the modeling of this surface deformation, based upon elastic and poroelastic theory, have been remarkably successful in predicting the magnitude of that deformation (Le Mouélic and Adragna in Geophys Res Lett 29:1853, 2002). In this work we have extended the formula for a circular-shaped aquifer (Geertsma in J Petroleum Tech 25:734–744, 1973) to a more realistic elliptical shape. We have improved the accuracy of the approximation by making use of the cross terms of the expansion for the elliptic coordinates in terms of the eccentricity, e, and the mean anomaly angle, M, widely used in astronomy. Results of a number of simulations, in terms of e and M developed from the transcendental Kepler equation, are encouraging, giving realistic values for the elliptical approximation of the vertical deformation due to groundwater change. Finally, we have applied the algorithm to modeling of groundwater in southern California.     

日本海末次冰期以来沉积作用和环境演化及其控制要素

基于对日本海南部、中部和西部3个沉积岩芯的综合研究,探讨了末次冰期以来日本海不同区域的沉积作用、环境演化特征及其控制因素。结果发现：在距今8ka以前,日本海南部、中部和西部陆源碎屑物质分别由河流物质、西风携带的风尘物质和海冰输运的物质组成;8ka以来日本海西部沉积物中存在连续分布的火山物质,推测与利曼寒流形成有关,标志着现代日本海表层环流格局的形成。在末次冰期,日本海中部和南部因为水体层化较强,导致底层水通风较弱,而日本海西部则由于盐析作用,通风较强。在冰消期早期,随着海平面上升,东海北部高盐水团再次入侵日本海,改善了日本海深层水体通风条件,但在日本海西部因受到常年海冰覆盖的影响,沉积物氧含量显著减小;在冰消期晚期和早全新世,日本海南部深层水体通风减弱,而在日本海中部和西部通风较好;但8ka以来日本海通风普遍增强。日本海的沉积作用和环境演化受海平面、东亚季风(西风环流)和对马暖流控制,但不同海域对上述3个因子的响应程度存在差异。海平面变化是控制日本海环境变化的首要因子,它直接制约着日本海与周围水体的交换程度;东亚夏季风影响日本海表层水体层化,而东亚冬季风则控制着日本海西部海冰的形成和深层水体垂向对流;8ka以来对马暖流成为控制日本海环境演化的重要因子,它的入侵增强了表层和底层水体交换,提高了日本海深层水体和沉积物溶解氧的更新速率。     

Northern Eurasia earth science partnership initiative (NEESPI), science plan overview

Northern Eurasia Earth System Partnership Initiative, NEESPI, was established to address the global change processes associated with and/or originated within Northern Eurasia as well as to study the major socially-important processes within the region. NEESPI began as a US–Russian initiative but has quickly broadened into a fully international program. Scientists from 11 countries participated in preparing the NEESPI Science Plan. Current version of the Science Plan was released for public review on the World Wide Web in summer 2004 and finalized in December 2004. This paper provides an Overview of the Plan and is based, mainly, on its Executive Summary. The Overview describes the Plan's science themes and key science questions, provides a justification of the urgency studying Northern Eurasia from the global change prospective, and outlines research strategy and tools to address NEESPI science questions, as well as projected deliverables of the Initiative.     

Effects of placer mining on suspended sediment budget: case study of north of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula

Abstract

Placer mines are located in river valleys, along river benches, or along the pathways of ancient channels. Open-pit mining alters the stream hydrology and enhances sediment transport. The present study focuses on sediment transport in the area of the platinum placer mining located at the north of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula (Seynav-Galmoenan placer deposits). Based on hydrological field investigations, a conceptual model was derived to assess anthropogenic effects on the total sediment budget of rivers. The model illustrates key processes controlling sediment dynamics in the Vyvenka River basin. Field work included water-discharge and sediment-load measurements, assessment of annual channel change in rivers in mining site areas, and evaluation of the relative importance of sediment sources and transport processes. In this study, we estimated total sediment delivery from opencast placer mining of 60 t year^-1; the annual mass wasting rate ranges from 2 to 5.5 kg m^-2 year^-1, which is three orders of magnitude higher than from non-mined streams. Mass wasting dominates surface erosion on the hillslopes and produces significant wastewater effluents; however, erosion of the artificially stratified channel reaches is the primary contributor to the annual sediment yield of the mined rivers (21.4%).

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Chalov, S.R., 2014. Effects of placer mining on suspended sediment budget: case study of north of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (5), 1081–1094.     

Rassvet: Backward Monte Carlo radiative transfer in spherical-shell planetary atmospheres

Validation of global numerical models of planetary atmospheres requires simulating images and spectra from the IR to UV spectral regions in order to compare them with remote observations. This paper describes Rassvet, a 3-D spherical-shell backward Monte Carlo radiative transfer model developed for such simulations. It utilizes a new methodology for calculating atmospheric brightness in scattered sunlight by introducing the concept of an “effective emission source”. This allows for the accumulation of the scattered contribution along the entire path of a ray and the calculation of the atmospheric radiation when both scattered sunlight and thermal emission contribute to the remote measurement - which was not possible in previous models. A “polychromatic” algorithm is extended for applications with the backward Monte Carlo method and implemented in the model. It allows for the calculation of radiative intensity for several wavelengths simultaneously, resulting in improved efficiency. The capabilities of the model are demonstrated by simulating remote measurements from the atmosphere of Io.     

The Wilson–Burg method of spectral factorization with application to helical filtering

Spectral factorization is a computational procedure for constructing minimum-phase (stable inverse) filters required for recursive inverse filtering. We present a novel method of spectral factorization. The method iteratively constructs an approximation of the minimum-phase filter with the given autocorrelation by repeated forward and inverse filtering and rearranging of the terms. This procedure is especially efficient in the multidimensional case, where the inverse recursive filtering is enabled by the helix transform. To exemplify a practical application of the proposed method, we consider the problem of smooth two-dimensional data regularization. Splines in tension are smooth interpolation surfaces whose behaviour in unconstrained regions is controlled by the tension parameter. We show that such surfaces can be efficiently constructed with recursive filter preconditioning and we introduce a family of corresponding two-dimensional minimum-phase filters. The filters are created by spectral factorization on a helix.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as evidence of hydrocarbon migration in marine and lagoon sediments of a recent rift zone (Skjálfandi and Öxarfjörður), Iceland

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content and distribution was studied in the northern part of modern rift zone. All samples analysed represent slightly altered clastic deposits and hot water discharging in springs and from wells. To study PAH in present-day gas emission traps with diatomite absorbent were installed in the Skógalón geothermal field. All samples were analysed by the method of Shpol'sky spectroscopy. Hydrothermally altered deposits show the highest amount of PAH. Data obtained allow to believe that the distribution of PAH is closely associated with the dynamics of the hydrothermal environment. The fissure formation and temperature fluctuation in hydrothermal systems can govern both the processes of PAH synthesis and sorption. The evidences of PAH migration up through the Skjálfandi and Öxarfjörður sedimentary basins show that hydrocarbons associate mainly with hydrothermal minerals and deep ground waters. Studying PAH associations can be used as an indicator of hydrocarbons distribution, ways of migration and possible zones of accumulation in the land and marine sedimentary basins in active and ancient rift zones of Iceland.