Evaluation of bank filtration as a pretreatment method for the provision of hygienically safe drinking water in Norway: results from monitoring at two full-scale sites

Two case studies were carried out in central Norway in order to assess the performance of bank filtration systems in cold-climate fluvial aquifers relying on recharge from humic-rich surface waters with moderate microbial contamination. Three municipal wells and two surface-water sources at operative bank filtration systems were monitored for naturally occurring bacteriophages, fecal indicators, natural organic matter (NOM) and physico-chemical water quality parameters during a 4-month period. Aquifer passage effectively reduced the microorganism and NOM concentrations at both study sites. Bacteriophages were detected in 13 of 16 (81%) surface-water samples and in 4 of 24 (17%) well-water samples, and underwent 3 ± 0.3 log₁₀ reduction after 50–80-m filtration and 20–30 days of subsurface passage. NOM reductions (color: 74–97%; dissolved organic carbon: 54–80%; very hydrophobic acids: 70%) were similar to those achieved by conventional water-treatment processes and no further treatment was needed. Both groundwater dilution and sediment filtration contributed to the hygienic water quality improvements, but sediment filtration appeared to be the most important process with regard to microbial and NOM reductions. A strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats analysis showed that bank filtration technology has a high potential as a pretreatment method for the provision of hygienically safe drinking water in Norway.     

Why relatively fewer people died? The case of Bangladesh’s Cyclone Sidr

Cyclone Sidr, a Category IV storm, struck the southwestern coast of Bangladesh on November 15, 2007 killing 3,406 people. Despite a similar magnitude, Sidr claimed far fewer lives than Cyclone Gorky, also a Category IV storm, which struck Bangladesh in 1991 causing an estimated 140,000 fatalities. The relatively low number of deaths experienced with Sidr is widely considered the result of Bangladesh government’s efforts to provide timely cyclone forecasting and early warnings, and successful evacuation of coastal residents from the projected path of Cyclone Sidr. Using information collected from both primary and secondary sources, this study identified several other reasons for the unexpectedly lower mortality associated with Cyclone Sidr relative to Cyclone Gorky. Fewer casualties may be attributed to a number of physical characteristics of Cyclone Sidr, such as duration of the storm and storm surge, landfall time and site, varied coastal ecology, and coastal embankment. This article recommends improvements to the cyclone warning systems, establishment of more public cyclone shelters, and implementation of an education campaign in coastal areas to increase the utilization of public shelters for future cyclone events.     

Monitoring of wastewater percolation in unsaturated sandy soil using geoelectrical measurements at Gabal el Asfar farm,northeast Cairo,Egypt

The use of wastewater for irrigation in sandy soil increases the pollution risk of the soil and may infiltrate to the shallow groundwater aquifer. In such environment, some important parameters need to be obtained for monitoring the wastewater in the unsaturated zone over the aquifer. These parameters include clay content, heterogeneities of the upper soils, depth to the aquifer and the variations of groundwater quality. In the present work, the efficiency of DC resistivity method in forms of 1-D and 2-D measurements was studied for wastewater monitoring in the Gabal el Asfar farm, northeast of Cairo, Egypt. Forty-one Schlumberger soundings (VES) were performed then followed by three pole-dipole 2-D profiles along some considered regions within the area. The resistivity measurements were integrated with the boreholes, hydrogeological and hydrochemical (surface and groundwater samples) information to draw a clear picture for the subsurface conditions. The obtained results were presented as cross sections and 3-D visualization to trace the clay intercalations within the unsaturated zone. In addition, a vulnerability map was created using the obtained results from 1-D Schlumberger survey and confirmed with the 2-D resistivity profiling. The obtained results have shown that the 2-D resistivity imaging technique is a powerful tool for mapping the small-scale variability within the unsaturated zone and the wastewater infiltration. However, limitations of resistivity techniques were observed in the area with limited resistivity contrast such as thin clay layers with brackish water background. Under that condition, the measured pattern of resistivity distributions depends on the applied electrode array, electrode spacing and using the available geological information during the inversion process.     

Conversion of kinetic energy from synoptic scale disturbance to low-frequency fluctuation over the Yangtze River valley in the summers of 1997 and 1999

In order to investigate the conversion of kinetic energy from a synoptic scale disturbance （SSD; period≤seven days） to a low-frequency fluctuation （LFF; period〉seven days）, the budget equation of the LFF kinetic energy is derived. The energy conversion is then calculated and analyzed for the summers of 1997 and 1999. The results show that the energy conversion from the SSD to the LFF is obviously enhanced in the middle and lower troposphere during the heavy rainfall, suggesting this to be one of mechanisms inducing the heavy rainfall, although the local LFF kinetic energy may not be enhanced.     

Slope inclinometers for landslides

Slope inclinometers/indicators are used to determine the magnitude, rate, direction, depth, and type of landslide movement. This information is usually vitally important for understanding the cause, behavior, and remediation of a landslide. However, many inclinometer measurements fail to achieve these intended aims because of lack of appreciation of the many factors that need to be correctly implemented during installation, monitoring, and data reduction to yield useful data. This paper presents some guidelines for understanding, installing, and interpreting slope inclinometers and presents three case histories that illustrate some of the pitfalls that can develop if these guidelines are not followed.     

Speciation and potential remobilization of heavy metals in sediments of the Taihu Lake, China

The species of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Cr in sediments of the Taihu Lake, China, have been analyzed using the sequential chemical extraction method. Variations in the chemical fractions of these metals and their geographic distributions have also been studied. For all five metals, the residual fraction is highest but the exchangeable fraction is lowest among all the fractions. Compared to other metals, Cd has the highest percentage in the exchangeable fraction, and Cr is associated mainly with the residual fraction. Cu in the organic fraction and Pb in the Fe-Mn fraction are the important species, whereas the lowest percentages are found for Cd in the organic fraction, Cu in the Fe-Mn oxide fraction and Pb in the carbonate fraction. With respect to spatial differences, the total contents in the non-residual fractions of the metals in bay sediments are found to be higher than those in other sediments. The fractions of Cd, Cu and Cr showed significant variations in different regions. The fractions of Pb and Zn, however, did not show significant variations in spatial distribution, suggesting different amounts and different paths of anthropogenic input for the metals. Comparisons of the metal speciation indicated that Cd might be the most bioavailable metal, followed by Pb.     

Magmatic history and geophysical signature of a post-collisional intrusive center emplaced near a crustal-scale shear zone: the Plechý granite pluton (Moldanubian batholith,Bohemian Massif)

The Plechy pluton, southwestern Bohemian Massif, represents a late-Variscan, complexly zoned intrusive center emplaced near the crustal-scale Pfahl shear zone; the pluton thus provides an opportunity to examine the interplay among successive emplacement of large magma batches, magmatic fabric acquisition, and the late-Variscan stress field associated with strike-slip shearing. The magmatic history of the pluton started with the emplacement of the porphyritic Plechy and Haidmühler granites. Based on gravity and structural data, we interpret that the Plechy and Haidmühler granites were emplaced as a deeply rooted, ∼NE–SW elongated body; its gross shape and internal fabric (steep ∼NE–SW magmatic foliation) may have been controlled by the late-Variscan stress field. The steep magmatic foliation changes into flat-lying foliation (particularly recorded by AMS) presumably as a result of divergent flow. Magnetic lineations correspond to a sub-horizontal ∼NE–SW finite stretch associated with the divergent flow. Subsequently, the Třístoličník granite, characterized by steep margin-parallel magmatic foliation, was emplaced as a crescent-shaped body in the central part of the pluton. The otherwise inward-younging intrusive sequence was completed by the emplacement of the outermost and the most evolved garnet-bearing granite (the Marginal granite) along the southeastern margin of the pluton. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Enlightenments from researches and predictions of 2014–2016 super El Nio event

<正>El Nio is a remarkable climate phenomenon with a basinwide warming of sea surface temperatures(SST) in the easterncentral tropical Pacific. El Nio means The Little Boy, or Christ Child in Spanish, and on the contrary, a basinwide cooling of the tropical Pacific SST is called La Nia that means The Little Girl in Spanish. Always, a large-scale SST change in the tropical