Estimating Flow Using Tracers and Hydraulics in Synthetic Heterogeneous Aquifers

Regional ground water flow is most usually estimated using Darcy's law, with hydraulic conductivities estimated from pumping tests, but can also be estimated using ground water residence times derived from radioactive tracers. The two methods agree reasonably well in relatively homogeneous aquifers but it is not clear which is likely to produce more reliable estimates of ground water flow rates in heterogeneous systems. The aim of this paper is to compare bias and uncertainty of tracer and hydraulic approaches to assess ground water flow in heterogeneous aquifers. Synthetic two-dimensional aquifers with different levels of heterogeneity (correlation lengths, variances) are used to simulate ground water flow, pumping tests, and transport of radioactive tracers. Results show that bias and uncertainty of flow rates increase with the variance of the hydraulic conductivity for both methods. The bias resulting from the nonlinearity of the concentration–time relationship can be reduced by choosing a tracer with a decay rate similar to the mean ground water residence time. The bias on flow rates estimated from pumping tests is reduced when performing long duration tests. The uncertainty on ground water flow is minimized when the sampling volume is large compared to the correlation length. For tracers, the uncertainty is related to the ratio of correlation length to the distance between sampling wells. For pumping tests, it is related to the ratio of correlation length to the pumping test's radius of influence. In regional systems, it may be easier to minimize this ratio for tracers than for pumping tests.     

The optical polarization of spiral galaxies

Scattering of starlight by dust, molecules and electrons in spiral galaxies will produce a modification of the direct intensity and a polarization in the observed light. We treat the case where the distribution of scatterers can be considered to be optically thin, and derive semi-analytic expressions for the resolved intensity and polarized intensity for Thomson, Rayleigh, and more general scattering mechanisms. These expressions are applied to a parametric model for spiral galaxies. It is further shown that in the case of Thomson and Rayleigh scattering, and when scatterers and stars are distributed with rotational symmetry, the total polarized flux depends on the inclination, i , of the galactic axis to the line of sight according to a simple sin²  i law. This generalizes the well-known result for point-like and spherical light sources. By using a method based on spherical harmonics, we generalize this law for more general mechanisms, and show that to good approximation, the sin²  i law still holds for the class of models considered.     

Dawn-dusk (y) component of the interplanetary magnetic field and the local time of the harang discontinuity

We describe a simple method for determining the time at which the meridian of a sub-auroral magnetic observatory crosses that of the Harang discontinuity—the separation of the eastward and westward electrojets which flow in the evening and morning sectors of the auroral oval. We then consider how this time, determined from examination of magnetograms from sub-auroral observatories varies with the dawn-dusk (y) component of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field. We find that the time at which the Harang discontinuity is identified in the Northern Hemisphere is earlier for B_y > 0 than the occasions when B_y < 0, and that the converse is observed in the Southern Hemisphere. Also we suggest that there is no significant seasonal variation in the relationship between the time of the discontinuity and B_y. The sense of the azimuthal shift of the auroral electrojet currents with changes in B_y is consistent with the theory of Cowley (1981). However, the magnitude of the observed shifts is approximately an order of magnitude greater than the theoretical predictions. We suggest that this difference between observation and theory arises from the use of a dipole magnetic field model at auroral zone latitudes in the theoretical estimation of azimuthal displacement.     

On the testing of fully integrated surface–subsurface hydrological models

Studies employing integrated surface–subsurface hydrological models (ISSHMs) have utilized a variety of test cases to demonstrate model accuracy and consistency between codes. Here, we review the current state of ISSHM testing and evaluate the most popular ISSHM test cases by comparing the hydrodynamic processes simulated in each case to the processes found in well‐characterized, real‐world catchments and by comparing their general attributes to those of successful benchmark problems from other fields of hydrogeology. The review reveals that (1) ISSHM testing and intercode comparison have not adopted specific test cases consistently; (2) despite the wide range of ISSHM metrics available for model testing, only two model performance diagnostics are typically adopted: the catchment outflow hydrograph and the catchment water balance; (3) in intercode comparisons, model performance is usually judged by evaluating only one performance diagnostic: the catchment outflow hydrograph; and (4) ISSHM test cases evaluate a small number of hydrodynamic processes that are largely uniform across the model domain, representing a limited selection of the processes of interest in well‐characterized, real‐world catchments. ISSHM testing would benefit from more intercode comparisons using a consistent set of test cases, aimed at evaluating more catchment processes (e.g. flooding) and using a wider range of simulation diagnostics (e.g. pressure head distributions). To achieve this, a suite of test case variations is required to capture the relevant catchment processes. Finally, there is a need for additional ISSHM test problems that compare model predictions with hydrological observations from intensively monitored field sites and controlled laboratory experiments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ozone as a stratospheric Lagrangian tracer

Published papers reporting the use of ozone as a tracer are reviewed, and we conclude, as have the authors themselves, that the results are limited by lack of data. The results of a Meteorological Office experiment in which soundings were made at 12-hour intervals from four stations are also reported. In the light of these we are of the opinion that little further progress is likely unless campaigns involving sixty stations and soundings every 3 hours can be launched. This would be a formidable undertaking, and raises the question of whether it would be worth the effort and expense. A more modest approach might be to use aircraft and balloons in conjunction.     

Microfractures in rocks from two geothermal areas

Core samples from the Dunes, California, and Raft River, Idaho, geothermal areas show diagenesis superimposed on episodic fracturing and fracture sealing. The minerals that fill fractures show significant temporal variations. Sealed fractures can act as barriers to fluid flow. Sealed fractures often mark boundaries between regions of significantly different physical properties. The fracture porosities measured on several samples are less than 0.1%. This low value indicates that fractures are effectively sealed or that fracturing is confined to the relatively few large fractures visible within the samples. Fracture sealing and low fracture porosity imply that only the most recently formed fractures are open to fluids.