Interstitial water chemistry in the sediments of Saanich Inlet

Measurements of nutrients and trace metals are used to examine the processes controlling their distributions in the interstitial waters of Saanich Inlet. Samples were collected using both in situ and squeezing techniques with excellent agreement. Additional measurements of porosity, organic carbon and sedimentation rate by ²¹⁰Pb are used in conjunction with the nutrient measurements to test the equation for the diagenesis of organic matter in fine-grained, organic-rich and rapidly-accumulating sediments.Organic carbon and sulfate decrease with depth in the sediment whereas ammonia and alkalinity increase. In the zone of sulfate reduction (0–20 cm) the rate constants for sulfate reduction ($\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{s}}$), ammonia production ($\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{N}}$) and organic carbon decomposition ($\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{c}}$) agree within a factor of two. Our calculations indicate, however, that this is fortuitous since the observed decrease in paniculate organic carbon is insufficient to account for the sulfate consumption. Sulfate must also be consumed by reaction with methane diffusing up from the underlying sediments. The rate constant for sulfate reduction using particulate organic carbon is lower than a modelled rate encompassing all organic species, including methane.The rate constant for ammonia production ($\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{N}}$) decreases by an order of magnitude when sulfate is completely depleted and methane production dominates.Thermodynamic calculations suggest that the interstitial waters are saturated or supersaturated with respect to all forms of iron ‘monosulfides’, apatite and rhodochrosite.     

A numerical study of damping

Diagonal damping matrices were computed for three systems which have non-proportional damping matrices. These diagonal damping matrices were computed on three bases, as follows: 1. After normalizing the equations of motion by the modal matrix, the diagonal terms are retained ignoring the non-diagonal terms. 2. Diagonal damping matrix is established by the optimization algorithm which minimizes the mean square error of the frequency response. 3. Diagonal damping is determined from the normalized differential equation by matching the peaks of the coupled and uncoupled system. The frequency responses for the three cases of one of the three systems are presented together with a comparison of the energy dissipation.     

Wärmehaushalt und Advektion

Zusammenfassung Der Feststellung, daß in der Energiebilanz einer horizontalen Oberfläche keine advektiven Glieder auftreten können, scheint auf den ersten Blick die Angabe von Advektionsgliedern in einigen Arbeiten zu widersprechen. Es zeigt sich aber, daß es sich dabei entweder um die Energiebilanz eines Volumens handelt, wobei die Glieder der Vergleichbarkeit wegen auf die Bodenoberfläche bezogen sind, oder daß Meß- bzw. Überlegungsfehler vorliegen.Advektive Wärmeströme können nur bei einem Volumen eine Rolle spielen. Die Betrachtung der Energiebilanz eines festen Volumens ergibt dann, daß auch bei stationären Verhältnissen der Wärmestrom von der Luft zum Boden im allgemeinen nicht gleich dem vertikalen Austauschwärmestrom oberhalb der Bodenoberfläche ist. Vielmehr treten vier weitere Wärmeströme hinzu, die als Durchflußwärmestrom, vertikaler Mitführungswärmestrom, advektiver Mitführungswärmestrom und advektiver Austauschwärmestrom bezeichnet werden. Ihr Anteil am Wärmestrom von der Luft zum Boden hängt nicht nur von den meteorologischen Verhältnissen, sondern auch von der Höhenlage der Zählfläche ab, für die der Austauschwärmestrom bestimmt wird. Ihre Abschätzung an Hand einfacher, plausibler Annahmen zeigt, daß sie im allgemeinen nicht vernachlässigt werden dürfen. Eine hinreichende Bedingung für ihr Verschwinden ist die Annahme, daß im zeitlichen Mittel alle Parameter in gleicher Höhe den gleichen Wert haben. Auch für instationäre Verhältnisse und den Wärmetransport in einem inhomogenen Medium läßt sich die Energiebilanz aufstellen, was aber bei Änderungen der im Volumen enthaltenen Masse an Beimengung nicht mehr willkürfrei möglich ist.

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Summary The statement that no advective terms occur in the energy balance of a horizontal surface seems at first sight to be in contradiction to the quotation of advective terms in some publications. It proves, however, that in that case it is a question of energy balance of a volume, where for comparability the terms are related to the ground surface, or that it is due to errors of measurement or consideration. Advective heat fluxes are merely of importance with three-dimensional problems. The study of the energy balance of a solid volume shows that the heat flux from the air to the ground is generally not equal to the vertical exchange heat flux above the ground surface, even with stationary conditions. Four further heat fluxes supervene which may be designated as passing heat flux, vertical convection heat flux, advective convection heat flux and advective exchange heat flux. Their share of heat flux from the air to the ground depends not only on the meteorological conditions but also on the altitude of the reference surface for which the exchange heat flux is determined. Its estimation by simple, plausible assumptions shows that in general they should not be neglected. A sufficient condition for their disappearance is the assumption that all parameters at the same level have the same temporal mean value. The energy balance can be set up also for unstationary conditions and for the heat transport in an inhomogeneous medium. In the case where the mass of admixtures contained in the volume undergoes changes the energy balance cannot be established without arbitrary assumptions.

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Résumé Le fait que dans le bilan énergétique d'une surface horizontale il ne peut y avoir de terme advectif semble à première vue contredire certains travaux qui en ont fait état. Mais il s'avère qu'il s'agit soit du bilan énergétique d'une volume, soit d'une erreur de mesure ou de raisonnement.Des courants advectifs de chaleur ne peuvent jouer de rôle que dans le cas d'un volume. Considérant le bilan énergétique d'un volume fixe, on voit que même dans l'état stationnaire le flux de chaleur dirigé de l'air vers le sol n'est pas égal en général au courant vertical d'échange turbulent au-dessus du sol; bien plus, il existe en réalité quatre autres flux (à savoir le flux de chaleur traversant, le flux vertical de chaleur convective, le flux de chaleur advective et le flux d'échange de chaleur advective) dont l'apport au flux de chaleur air/sol ne dépend pas seulement des conditions météorologiques, mais aussi de l'altitude de la surface choisie pour le calcul. L'estimation de ces flux, faite sur la base d'hypothèses simples et plausibles, montre qu'on ne peut pas en général les négliger. Ils ne peuvent disparaître que si en moyenne, dans un temps donné, tous les paramètres sont égaux, à la même altitude. Dans le cas d'états non stationnaires et de milieu non homogène, on peut dresser le bilan énergétique, ce qui n'est plus possible sans arbitraire lorsque la masse d'éléments adjonctifs du volume se modifie.

     

The formation of pyrite from hydrated iron oxide in aqueous solution at 20°C

Experiments are described in which pyrite is synthesized at room temperature and atmospheric pressure from hydrated iron oxides and hydrogen sulphide under conditions similar to those expected in the natural environment. This synthesis differs from earlier work in that oxygen was rigorously excluded from the system and the pH was 5.6. During a later ageing period a reaction appears to take place in which iron monosulphide is converted to pyrite at pH 5.85.

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Zusammenfassung Versuche zur Synthese von Pyrit bei Raumtemperatur unter atmosphärischem Druck, ausgehend von Eisenhydroxiden und Schwefelwasserstoff und somit unter gleichen Verhältnissen, wie in natürlicher Umgebung, werden beschrieben.Die Synthese unterscheidet sich von früheren Arbeiten durch den strengen Ausschluß von Sauerstoff und den pH-Wert von 5.6. In einer darauffolgenden Alterungsperiode scheint eine Reaktion einzusetzen, in der Eisenmonosulfid bei pH 5.85 zu Pyrit umgewandelt wird.

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Published with the approval of the Director; Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics.     

A note on the historical industrial production of carbon dioxide

The historical record of CO₂ emissions from industrial activity is reexamined. The overall annual growth rate has been about 3.5% but with wide variations due to economic fluctuations. It is unlikely that the total CO₂ production would have been greatly different had the major wars of the Twentieth Century been avoided.     

Sterane distribution of solid bitumen pyrolyzates. Changes with biodegradation of crude oil in the Ouachita Mountains,Oklahoma

Solid bitumens (grahamite and impsonite) of southeastern Oklahoma have been shown to originate from near-surface alteration of crude oil (Curiale, 1981; Curiale and Harrison, 1981). Pyrolysis of these solids has been employed to compare the sterane distribution of geographically proximate oils to that of the bitumens. The ratio of rearranged to regular steranes is higher in the pyrolyzates than in the oils, a finding consistent with a bitumen origin due to biodegradation of oil. The remaining presence of steranes, particularly regular steranes, in the bitumens suggests that sterane occlusion may have occurred prior to or during the alteration process, thus removing tetracyclic compounds from the influence of microbial attack. These data suggest that pyrolysis-$\text{GC}\text{MS}$ offers a viable approach to correlation problems involving solid bitumens.     

Geotechnical properties of lower trench inner-slope sediments

Geotechnical property analyses on sediments recovered by DSDP drilling within select convergent margins were integrated to determine the variability in these properties along the trench inner-slope and to delineate the effects of convergence on these properties. Consolidation states range from very underconsolidated to highly overconsolidated, with preconsolidation pressures exceeding 46,000 kPa in Quaternary sediments. Underconsolidated sediments are attributed to:

1. (1) high sedimentation rates.

2. (2) low sediment permeability relative to the length of the drainage path; (3) laterally applied stresses; and (4) induced pore water pressures resulting from the subduction of pelagic sediments with high water content. Factors contributing to the state of overconsolidation include: (1) tectonically induced overpressures; (2) removal of overburden by mass movement processes.

3. (3) low sediment accumulation rates.

4. (4) age.

Vertical gradients of index properties also vary greatly with the maximum gradient associated with overconsolidated sediments. Values of porosity generally exceed 30% at all margins studied, suggesting this porosity represents the minimum attainable solely by the effects of convergence.Geotechnical property results and site-specific parameters suggest two end members should be considered in the general geotechnical property model for convergent margin sediments. Clastic dominated margins form the basis for the initial geotechnical property model. These margins are characterized by thick trench sediment sequences which are folded and faulted and become progressively more deformed upslope. Convergence rates are low, and no well-developed faults or hrst and graben structures are evident on the downbending oceanic plate. Highly overconsolidated sediments and index property values which change rapidly with depth result from the slow progressive deformation of trench and lower slope sediments. Examples of clastic-dominated margins include the Nankai Trough, Aleutian Trench, and Washington continental margin.Pelagic-dominated margins have significantly different geotechnical properties and site-specific parameters. These margins are characterized by thin clastic trench sediment sequences overlying pelagic sediments on a rapidly converging oceanic plate. Well-developed faults and/or hrst and graben structures are evident on the downbending oceanic plate. Sediment deformation along the trench and lower slope appears limited. These sediments are underconsolidated and index property values change gradually but often irregularly with depth. Japan Trench and Middle America Trench-Guatemala margins are considered pelagic-dominated. Middle America Trench-Mexico appears to represent an intermediate case having characteristics of both margin types.