Remineralization Ratios in the Subtropical North Pacific Gyre

Based on a new mixing model of two end-members, the water column remineralization ratios of P/N/C_org - O₂ = 1/13 ± 1/135 ± 18/170 ± 9 are obtained for the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) data set at station ALOHA. The traditional Redfield ratios of P/N/C_org/–O₂ = 1/16/106/138 have standard deviations of more than 50%, when they are based on the average composition of phytoplankton. Apparently, the remineralization processes in the water column have smoothed out the observed large variability of plankton compositions. A new molar formula for the remineralized plankton may be written as ₁₃₅H₂₈₀O₁₀₅N₁₃P or C₂₅(CH₂O)₁₀₁(CH₄)₉(NH₃)₁₃(H₃PO₄). Oxidation of this formula results inC₂₅(CH₂O)₁₀₁(CH₄)₉(NH₃)₁₃(H₃PO₄) + 170O₂ 135CO₂ + 132H₂O + 13NO₃ ^- + H₂PO₄ ^- + 14H⁺.For comparison, remineralization using Redfield's formula gives:(CH₂O)₁₀₆(NH₃)₁₆(H₃PO₄) + 138O₂ 106CO₂ + 122H₂O + 16NO₃ ^-+ H₂PO₄ ^- + 17H⁺     

Size Fractionation (Dissolved, Colloidal and Particulate) of Trace Metals in the Thur River, Switzerland

The distribution of some trace metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Co,Fe, Mn) and of DOC over a particulate (> 1 m),a colloidal (size < 0.45 m and molecular weight > 10 kD) and an ultrafiltered fraction (< 10 kD)was determined at several sites on the Thur River,Switzerland, at various times of the year. Thecomplexation of Cu by strong ligands in theultrafiltrate and in the conventional filtrate (<0.45 m) was compared using a ligand-exchange/CSV method.The <0.45 m concentrations of Cu (from anaverage of 7 nM to 24 nM), Zn (<5–23 nM), Ni (5–13 nM),Co (1.5–3 nM) and Mn (7–92 nM)increased downstream. The major part of Cu, Zn, Niand Co usually occurred in the ultrafiltratefraction at all sites, whereas Fe and Mn were mostlyin the particulate fraction, under conditions of lowsuspended matter content (< 10 mg L^-1) in theriver. The percentage of metal in the colloidalfraction, with respect to the 0.45-m filtrate,decreased in the order: Cu (median 11%) > Zn Ni(median 5–6%) > Mn Co (median < 5%). DOCalso consisted mostly of molecules in the < 10 kDrange.Cu was strongly complexed by natural organic ligandsin all filtrate and ultrafiltrate samples. A largepart of the strong Cu binding ligands consisted ofcompounds in the < 10 kD range, but colloidalligands with similar properties also occurred. Cu wasdistributed among the dissolved and the colloidalligands, roughly in proportion to organic carbon.The colloidal fraction (as defined here) did notincrease in its proportional amount downstream and wasonly of limited significance in transporting traceelements in the Thur River under low discharge conditions.     

Modelling phosphorus transport in a surface irrigation drain

Understanding phosphorus (P) transport from agricultural land is essential to the development of effective management strategies that reduce the impact of agriculture on inland water quality. This paper describes the development and application of a process based model describing P transfer down a farm scale irrigation drain.     

Fracture in Westerly Granite under AE Feedback and Constant Strain Rate Loading: Nucleation, Quasi-static Propagation, and the Transition to Unstable Fracture Propagation

New observations of fracture nucleation are presented from three triaxial compression experiments on intact samples of Westerly granite, using Acoustic Emission (AE) monitoring. By conducting the tests under different loading conditions, the fracture process is demonstrated for quasi-static fracture (under AE Feedback load), a slowly developing unstable fracture (loaded at a `slow' constant strain rate of 2.5 × 10<sup>−6</sup> /s) and an unstable fracture that develops near instantaneously (loaded at a `fast' constant strain rate of 5 × 10⁻⁵ /s). By recording a continuous ultrasonic waveform during the critical period of fracture, the entire AE catalogue can be captured and the exact time of fracture defined. Under constant strain loading, three stages are observed: (1) An initial nucleation or stable growth phase at a rate of ~ 1.3 mm/s, (2) a sudden increase to a constant or slowly accelerating propagation speed of ~ 18 mm/s, and (3) unstable, accelerating propagation. In the ~ 100 ms before rupture, the high level of AE activity (as seen on the continuous record) prevented the location of discrete AE events. A lower bound estimate of the average propagation velocity (using the time-to-rupture and the existing fracture length) suggests values of a few m/s. However from a low gain acoustic record, we infer that in the final few ms, the fracture propagation speed increased to 175 m/s. These results demonstrate similarities between fracture nucleation in intact rock and the nucleation of dynamic instabilities in stick slip experiments. It is suggested that the ability to constrain the size of an evolving fracture provides a crucial tool in further understanding the controls on fracture nucleation.     

Site Response in Las Vegas Valley, Nevada from NTS Explosions and Earthquake Data

We report site response in Las Vegas Valley (LVV) from historical recordings of Nevada Test Site (NTS) nuclear explosions and earthquake recordings from permanent and temporary seismic stations. Our data set significantly improves the spatial coverage of LVV over previous studies, especially in the northern, deeper parts of the basin. Site response at stations in LVV was measured for frequencies in the range 0.2–5.0 Hz using Standard Spectral Ratios (SSR) and Horizontal-Vertical Spectral Ratios (HVR). For the SSR measurements we used a reference site (approximately NEHRP B ``rock' classification) located on Frenchman Mountain outside the basin. Site response at sedimentary sites is variable in LVV with average amplifications approaching a factor of 10 at some frequencies. We observed peaks in the site response curves at frequencies clustered near 0.6, 1.2 and 2.0 Hz, with some sites showing additional lower amplitude peaks at higher frequencies. The spatial pattern of site response is strongly correlated with the reported depth to basement for frequencies between 0.2 and 3.0 Hz, although the frequency of peak amplification does not show a similar correlation. For a few sites where we have geotechnical shear velocities, the amplification shows a correlation with the average upper 30-meter shear velocities, V₃₀. We performed two-dimensional finite difference simulations and reproduced the observed peak site amplifications at 0.6 and 1.2 Hz with a low velocity near-surface layer with shear velocities 600–750 m/s and a thickness of 100–200 m. These modeling results indicate that the amplitude and frequencies of site response peaks in LVV are strongly controlled by shallow velocity structure.     

快速精密星历替代精密星历定位的初步研究

由于GPS精密定位所需的IGS精密星历要在两周以后才能得到,因而利用两天后即可得到的快速精密星历、12小时后得到的超快速精密星历代替精密星历是GPS应用于地震短临预测的一个重要条件。本文利用北京市全球定位综合应用服务系统中五个GPS连续观测站一年半的数据,分别用三种星历进行精密定位计算,得到了小规模网中快速精密星历一般可以代替精密星历进行精密定位计算的结果。     

长波辐射(OLR)信息预测华北地震的方法研究

利用卫星对地遥测长波辐射(OLR)信息,分析了华北地块OLR信息场的空间分布及其变化特征,结合地震活动分布特点进行了短期预测中强地震判定指标的方法研究。结果表明该方法可对华北地区短期内有无可能发生M5以上的显著地震做出较为明确的诊断。经近一年的实际检验效果良好,对华北地区震情监测预报有实用价值。