Computer mapping of seismic reflectors in the coastal region of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska

This study deals with detailed mapping of sedimentary features within Torok Formation and Nanushuk Group in the northern part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alsaka (NPRA). These Cretaceous units correspond to a single depositional regime of a large deltaic system. Seismic reflecting surfaces within the sequence are seen as sigmoidal traces in seismic sections. These horizons can be identified over long distances (up to 160 km) within individual seismic sections and can be correlated between intersecting sections. The study is centered in four different areas in which seismic information is relatively abundant and of good quality. One of the study areas is of special interest because of a large, now-filled ancient submarine canyon, Simpson Canyon. Reflection-time measurements were obtained by digitizing various horizons that were manually traced on seismic sections. Reflection-time measurements have been converted to depth values, corrected for postdepositional tilting, and portrayed as structure contour maps, perspective fish-net diagrams, and isopach maps prepared by computer. Computer mapping procedures are essential to obtain three-dimensional representations of reflecting surfaces. Because the northern NPRA has undergone little tectonic deformation since Cretaceous, horizons that have been mapped provide a close representation of submarine paleotopographic surfaces. A succession of these surfaces reveals progressive changes in the form of deltaic deposits from west to east, suggesting that energy of waves and currents increased as the delta prograded eastward. The succession of surfaces also suggests that Simpson Canyon was affected by at least two events of erosion and refilling.     

Radar observations of asteroid 25143 Itokawa (1998 SF36)

Abstract— We observed 25143 Itokawa, the target of Japan's Hayabusa (MUSES‐C) sample‐return mission, during its 2001 close approach at Arecibo on twelve dates during March 18‐April 9 and at Goldstone on nine dates during March 20‐April 2. We obtained delay‐Doppler images with range resolutions of 100 ns (15 m) at Arecibo and 125 ns (19 m) at Goldstone. Itokawa's average circular polarization ratio at 13 cm, 0.26 ± 0.04, is comparable to that of Eros, so its cm‐to‐m surface roughness probably is comparable to that on Eros. Itokawa's radar reflectivity and polarization properties indicate a near‐surface bulk density within 20% of 2.5 g cm^?3. We present a preliminary estimate of Itokawa's shape, reconstructed from images with rather limited rotation‐phase coverage, using the method of Hudson (1993) and assuming the lightcurve‐derived spin period (12.132 hr) and pole direction (ecliptic long., lat. = 355°, ?84°) of Kaasalainen et al. (2003). The model can be described as a slightly asymmetrical, slightly flattened ellipsoid with extents along its principal axes of 548 times 312 times 276 m ± 10%. Itokawa's topography is very subdued compared to that of other asteroids for which spacecraft images or radar reconstructions are available. Similarly, gravitational slopes on our Itokawa model average only 9° and everywhere are less than 27°. The radar‐refined orbit allows accurate identification of Itokawa's close planetary approaches through 2170. If radar ranging planned for Itokawa's 2004 apparition succeeds, then tracking of Hayabusa during its 2005 rendezvous should reveal Yarkovsky perturbation of the asteroid's orbit.     

Evaluation of extraction schemes for organic matter in anoxic estuarine sediments

A persistent criticism of studies of organic matter in sediments and soils has been that the extracted products used in these investigations may not resemble the original material, particularly if harsh extractants such as NaOH, Na₄P₂O₇ or HCl are employed. To minimize chemical changes, a mild separation procedure has been developed for obtaining soluble organic matter from anoxic estuarine sediments. The resulting complex mixture of organic compounds can be analyzed by reversed-phase liquid and size-exclusion chromatographic methods, which monitor the relative molecular polarity and size, respectively. The effects of the strong reagents NaOH, Na₄P₂O₇ and HCl, as well as exposure to the atmosphere and bacterial activity on this anoxic sedimentary extract has been investigated. In each instance, significant degradation of anoxic organic matter occurs, producing molecules of increased polarity and reduced molecular weight. These data indicate that extreme care is necessary to avoid artifacts in preparation and handling of samples.     

EVALUATING THE TRANSFORMATION FROM A MONOCENTRIC TO A POLYCENTRIC CITY

A population density model is presented for urban areas containing multiple centers. Utilities of this model include evaluating time series for a transformation from monocentricity to polycentricity and testing the assumption of monocentricity at any point in time. Following a discussion of the method of calibrating this model, a case study of Toronto is presented. The major finding from 1971 and 1976 Toronto data is that no transformation is yet detectable. Interpretation of the model is exemplified in this empirical exercise.     

A Borehole Test for Chlorinated Solvent Diffusion and Degradation Rates in Sedimentary Rock

We present a new field measurement and numerical interpretation method (combined termed “test”) to parameterize the diffusion of trichloroethene (TCE) and its biodegradation products (DPs) from the matrix of sedimentary rock. The method uses a dual-packer system to interrogate a low-permeability section of the rock matrix adjacent to a previously contaminated borehole and uses the borehole monitoring history to establish the pretest condition. TCE and its DPs are removed from the groundwater between the packers at the onset of the testing. The parameters estimated by fitting a radial diffusion model to the concentration history and borehole concentration data, also termed back diffusion, are the tortuosity factor and sorption coefficients of TCE and DPs in the rock matrix and the TCE and DP biodegradation rate coefficients in the borehole. We demonstrate the equipment design and the interpretive method using a borehole accessing the gray mudstone at a TCE contaminated site in the Newark Basin. In this test, both nonreactive (bromide) and reactive (trichlorofluoroethene) tracers are used to constrain the estimated parameters; however, the bromide tracer was not needed to estimate the parameters in this test. The parameters estimated from the field test are consistent with values measured independently in laboratory experiments using field samples of similar lithology. From the interpretation, we compute the TCE and DP concentration distributions in the rock matrix prior to the test to illustrate how the results can be used to enhance understanding of contaminant distribution in the rock matrix.     

Correction: Geochemical and isotopic evidence for upward flow of saline fluid to the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer,southeastern Arkansas,USA

Hydrogeology Journal - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-021-02350-y     

Macroscale friction of granular soils under monotonic and cyclic loading based upon micromechanical determination of dissipated energy

Macroscopic frictional behavior of granular materials is of great importance for studying several complex problems associated with fault slip and landslides. The main objective of this study is to model the macroscale frictional behavior of granular soils under monotonic and cyclic loadings based upon micromechanical determination of dissipated energy at particle contacts. This study is built on the general observation that the externally computed energy dissipation should be equal to the total internal energy dissipation derived from inter-particle sliding and rolling, energy losses from inter-particle collisions, and damping. For this purpose, the discrete element method is used to model a granular soil and determine the stored, dissipated, and damping energies associated with shear loading for applied monotonic and cyclic velocities. These energies are then related to the friction by an application of the Taylor-critical state power balance relationship. Also, the contributions of the different modes of energy dissipation (normal, shear, and rolling) to the total frictional resistance were studied. By changing the inter-particle friction, the simulations showed that the macroscopic friction was nearly constant, the slip friction increased almost linearly with increasing inter-particle friction, and the difference between the two was attributed to the non-energy dissipating dilatancy component. By providing a clear relationship between energy dissipated by micro-scale mechanisms versus the traditional engineering definition based on macro-scale (continuum) parameters, this study provides a means to develop a better understanding for the frictional behavior of granular media.

     

Performance-based design optimization of embankments resting on soft soil improved with T-shaped and conventional DCM columns

Acta Geotechnica - This paper presents a parametric study of the optimization design for T-shaped deep cement mixing (TDM) and conventional deep cement mixing (DCM) columns improved soft soil for...     

Refined discrete and empirical horizontal gradients in VLBI analysis

Missing or incorrect consideration of azimuthal asymmetry of troposphere delays is a considerable error source in space geodetic techniques such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) or Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). So-called horizontal troposphere gradients are generally utilized for modeling such azimuthal variations and are particularly required for observations at low elevation angles. Apart from estimating the gradients within the data analysis, which has become common practice in space geodetic techniques, there is also the possibility to determine the gradients beforehand from different data sources than the actual observations. Using ray-tracing through Numerical Weather Models (NWMs), we determined discrete gradient values referred to as GRAD for VLBI observations, based on the standard gradient model by Chen and Herring (J Geophys Res 102(B9):20489–20502, 1997.  https://doi.org/10.1029/97JB01739) and also for new, higher-order gradient models. These gradients are produced on the same data basis as the Vienna Mapping Functions 3 (VMF3) (Landskron and Böhm in J Geod, 2017.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-017-1066-2), so they can also be regarded as the VMF3 gradients as they are fully consistent with each other. From VLBI analyses of the Vienna VLBI and Satellite Software (VieVS), it becomes evident that baseline length repeatabilities (BLRs) are improved on average by 5% when using a priori gradients GRAD instead of estimating the gradients. The reason for this improvement is that the gradient estimation yields poor results for VLBI sessions with a small number of observations, while the GRAD a priori gradients are unaffected from this. We also developed a new empirical gradient model applicable for any time and location on Earth, which is included in the Global Pressure and Temperature 3 (GPT3) model. Although being able to describe only the systematic component of azimuthal asymmetry and no short-term variations at all, even these empirical a priori gradients slightly reduce (improve) the BLRs with respect to the estimation of gradients. In general, this paper addresses that a priori horizontal gradients are actually more important for VLBI analysis than previously assumed, as particularly the discrete model GRAD as well as the empirical model GPT3 are indeed able to refine and improve the results.     

Chukchi Sea Ice Conditions for the Last Few Centuries: Reconstruction from Sedimentation Records

For the first time, the reconstruction of variations in the duration over several hundred years was conducted on the basis of models developed by comparing hydrometeorological observations and detailed scanning of the chemical composition of bottom sediments accumulated during the corresponding period. The gauge models for the reconstruction of air temperature and ice cover of the water area for three sites in the northern part of the Chukchi Sea have been developed. During the reconstruction, an insignificant increase in the duration of the ice-free period during the Little Ice Age was established, which does not coincide with the changes in the temperature regime that took place. It is concluded that the dynamics of the inflow of warm Pacific waters through the Bering Strait had the predominant influence on the ice regime of the Chukchi Sea.