Oil persistence on beaches in Prince William Sound - a review of SCAT surveys conducted from 1989 to 2002

In 2002, 13 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), 39 selected sites in Prince William Sound (PWS) were re-surveyed following established shoreline cleanup assessment team (SCAT) field observation procedures to document surface and sub-surface oiling conditions in shoreline sediments and to compare results with those from previous Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team (SCAT) surveys and other surveys in PWS. The selected sites are locations where EVOS oil persisted in 1992, at the time the Federal and State On-Scene Coordinators determined that the cleanup was complete and that further cleanup activities would provide no net environmental benefit. These sites had been included in a 2001 NOAA survey of shoreline oiling conditions and account for 88% of the sub-surface oil residues (SSO) oil documented by that study. The 2002 field survey found isolated occurrences of residual EVOS surface oil residues (SO) in the form of weathered asphalt pavement at 15 of the 39 sites. This residual SO typically consisted of asphalt in mixed sand/gravel substrate, located within a wave shadow effect created by boulders or bedrock in the upper intertidal to supratidal zone. Residual SO, expressed as a continuous oil cover, was less than 200 m(2) within the approximately 111,120 m(2) surveyed. A total of 1182 pits were dug at locations where SSO residues were present in 1992. Six of the 39 sites and 815 (68%) of the pits contained no residual SSO. Eighty-three percent of pits with SSO residues were found primarily in middle to upper intertidal locations. SSO residues commonly occurred in a discontinuous approximately 3 cm thick band 5-10 cm below the boulder/cobble or pebble/gravel veneer. The SO and SSO occurrences in the 2002 survey closely match the locations where they were found in 1992 and earlier surveys; however, in 2002 residual SSO patches are more discontinuous and thinner than they were in the earlier surveys. These sites are biased toward SSO persistence; those that have SSO residues represent less than 0.5% of the originally oiled shorelines in PWS. Despite evidence of continued oil weathering, both at the surface and in the sub-surface, it is clear that the natural cleaning processes at these particular locations are slow. The slow weathering rates are a consequence of the oil residue being incorporated in finer sediments (fine sand, silt, mix) and isolated from active weathering processes as boulders and outcrops, shallow bedrock asperities, or boulder-armoring create wave shadows and limit effective physical action on shorelines.     

The contribution of urban runoff to organic contaminant levels in harbour sediments near two Norwegian cities

The main aim of the present study was to compare the quality of particle emissions (urban runoff and settling particles in rivers and harbours) to the quality of top-layer bed sediments, for two Norwegian harbours (Oslo and Drammen). A sub-aim was to investigate whether non-industrial urban runoff contributed to the organotin load of sediments, apart from leaching from ship hulls. Time-integrated samples of stormwater runoff were obtained in an innovative manner, by sampling man-holes in the stormwater system. Settling particles were sampled with sediment traps. The study focused on PAHs, PCBs and organotin compounds. Contaminant levels were generally a factor of 2-10 (PAHs) and 3-30 (TBT) lower in emitted riverine and runoff particles than in top-layer bed sediments, except for PCBs in Oslo harbour (only 20-30% lower). Significant levels of tributyltin (TBT; median 140mug/kg) were shown in runoff particles, showing that TBT can also be emitted via urban sources, since the sampled man-holes were not in areas where dry-docking activities take place. Possible land-based TBT sources include long-lasting house paint and use of TBT as PVC stabilizer and timber preservative. Since there are ongoing emissions into the two studied harbour areas, it is concluded that the addition of an actively sorbing capping material such as activated carbon might be the best remediation alternative.     

Industrial pollution at Bagnoli (Naples, Italy): benthic foraminifera as a tool in integrated programs of environmental characterisation

In the 20th century an important industrial plant operated on the coastal area of Bagnoli. After its closing, an integrated study of environmental characterisation aimed at restoration started. The survey conducted was based on chemical and sedimentological analyses integrated with benthic foraminifera analyses. Statistical analysis of the data shows sectors with a distinct type and degree of pollution. Particularly, pollution linked to the silty sediment fraction, mainly due to Pb and Zn, was recognised in front of the southern sector of the plant. The study of benthic foraminifera provides evidence for a pollution-tolerant character in some species like Haynesina germanica and Quinqueloculina parvula. In addition, two species among the 113 recognised show high percentages of abnormal specimens. These percentages show a statistical correlation with some pollutants (PAHs, Mn, Pb and Zn). In addition, Energy Dispersive Spectrometry shows small amounts of Fe ions included in deformed tests of Miliolinella subrotunda. Because the number of these deformations is positively correlated to the concentration of PAHs, Mn and Zn, the inability of some specimens to exclude the foreign elements from the crystalline reticulum of the test could be attributed to the potential toxic effect of these pollutants.     

Effects of fish farm waste on Posidonia oceanica meadows: synthesis and provision of monitoring and management tools

This paper provides a synthesis of the EU project MedVeg addressing the fate of nutrients released from fish farming in the Mediterranean with particular focus on the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica habitat. The objectives were to identify the main drivers of seagrass decline linked to fish farming and to provide sensitive indicators of environmental change, which can be used for monitoring purposes. The sedimentation of waste particles in the farm vicinities emerges as the main driver of benthic deterioration, such as accumulation of organic matter, sediment anoxia as well as seagrass decline. The effects of fish farming on P. oceanica meadows are diverse and complex and detected through various metrics and indicators. A safety distance of 400 m is suggested for management of P. oceanica near fish farms followed by establishment of permanent seagrass plots revisited annually for monitoring the health of the meadows.     

MODALL: a practical tool for designing and optimizing capture systems

The primary goals for most ground water capture systems (i.e., pump-and-treat systems) are that (1) all contaminants within zones of interest will eventually be captured and (2) the extraction and reinjection wells are best located and operated at optimal flow rates, creating hydraulically efficient flow systems. A new tool, MODular ALLocation (MODALL), is presented to aid in the design and assessment of capture systems. MODALL uses the MODFLOW-calculated cell-by-cell flow terms to evaluate internodal flow balances to determine the percentage of flow in each cell which has either originated from a given source(s) or flows to a specified sink(s). Output from MODALL can be easily displayed in isopleths of "capture fraction" (CF) to indicate the certainty or strength of capture in various areas. MODALL results are compared to the results from an analytical solution, a pathline analysis using MODPATH, and solute transport simulation with MT3DMS. A brief case study is also presented where MODALL is used to optimize an existing pump-and-treat system to more effectively and more efficiently contain a 5000-m long plume.     

云南洱海现代沉积研究

洱海是位于云南省境内较大的但相对较浅的断陷湖泊（水深小于２０ｍ）。根据１９９０－１９９３年对该湖现代沉积的研究,结果表明,湖泊沉积物主要是来自西部相对高２０００ｍ以上的山地,东部为低矮石灰岩山地,物源较少,南北两条入湖河流亦是重要的物源供应区。湖区沉积物主要是由粉砂质粘土组成,来自山地的粗碎屑物质则大量的堆积于此地,三角洲、扇三角洲及滨湖地带,沉积速度在过去１３０００年中平均为０．２ｃｍａ＾－１,     

地面三维激光扫描仪测量精度的评价分析

针对地面三维激光扫描仪用于城市轨道交通变形监测的精度评价,本文研究了三维激光扫描仪本身、外界环境和被扫描目标3个误差源,对三维激光扫描仪的测距和测角精度进行了评定,并通过试验分析了三维激光扫描技术用于轨道交通变形监测可行性。     

顾及不同天线相位中心改正模型的北斗空间信号精度评估方法

IGS各分析中心提供的北斗精密轨道和精密钟差产品可能因采用不同的天线相位中心模型而存在一定差异,其对精密产品之间的比较以及利用精密产品评估北斗空间信号精度会产生一定影响。首先利用实测观测数据深入分析了采用不同天线相位中心改正模型对精密轨道和钟差的影响规律,在此基础上提出了顾及不同天线相位中心改正模型的北斗空间信号精度评估方法,以欧洲定轨中心、德国地学中心、武汉大学提供的精密轨道和钟差作为参考,对北斗广播轨道、广播钟差以及空间信号精度进行了分析和比较。结果表明,在考虑了卫星天线相位中心改正模型的差异之后,采用不同分析中心提供的北斗精密轨道和精密钟差作为基准评估出的空间信号精度基本一致,地球同步轨道卫星优于1.68 m,倾斜地球同步轨道卫星优于0.78 m,中地球轨道卫星优于0.66 m,验证了所提出的评估方法的正确性。     

The response of the upper ocean to tropical cyclone Viyaru over the Bay of Bengal

Better forecast of tropical cyclone(TC) can help to reduce risk and enhance management. The TC forecast depends on the scientific understanding of oceanic processes, air-sea interaction and finally, the atmospheric process. The TC Viyaru is taken as an example, which is formed at the end of 11 May 2013 and sustains up to 17 May 2013 during pre-monsoon season. Argo data are used to investigate ocean response processes by comparing pre-and post-conditions of the TC. Eight oceanic parameters including the sea surface temperature(SST), the sea surface salinity(SSS), and the barrier layer thickness(BLT), the 26°C isotherm depth in the ocean(D26), the isothermal layer depth(ILD), the mixed layer depth(MLD), the tropical cyclone heat potential(TCHP) and the effective oceanic layer for cyclogenesis(EOLC) are chosen to evaluate the pre-and post-conditions of the TC along the track of Viyaru. The values of the SST, D26, BLT, TCHP and EOLC in the pre-cyclonic condition are higher than the post-cyclonic condition, while the SSS, ILD and MLD in the post-cyclonic condition are higher than the pre-cyclonic condition of the ocean due to strong cyclonic winds and subsurface upwelling. It is interesting that the strong intensity of the TC reduces less SST and vice versa. The satisfied real time Argo data is not available in the northern Bay of Bengal especially in the coastal region. A weather research and forecasting model is employed to hindcast the track of Viyaru, and the satellite data from the National Center Environmental Prediction are used to assess the hindcast.     

Benchmarking of two three-dimensional numerical models in time/space domain to predict railway-induced ground vibrations

In the last 30 years,the scientific community has developed and proposed different models and numerical approaches for the study of vibrations induced by railway traffic.Most of them are formulated in the frequency/wave number domain and with a 2.5D approach.Three-dimensional numerical models formulated in the time/space domain are less frequently used,mainly due to their high computational cost.Notwithstanding,these models present very attractive characteristics,such as the possibility of considering nonlinear behaviors or the modelling of excess pore pressure and non-homogeneous and non-periodic geometries in the longitudinal direction of the track.In this study,two 3D numerical approaches formulated in the time/space domain are compared and experimentally validated.The first one consists of a finite element approach and the second one of a finite difference approach.The experimental validation in an actual case situated in Carregado(Portugal)shows an acceptable fitting between the numerical results and the actual measurements for both models.However,there are some differences among them.This study therefore includes some recommendations for their use in practical soil dynamics and geotechnical engineering.