Development and mass movement processes of the north-eastern Storegga Slide

The Storegga Slide, which occurred ～8100 years ago, is one of the world's largest and best studied exposed submarine landslides. In this study we use novel geomorphometric techniques to constrain the submarine mass movements that have shaped the north-eastern Storegga Slide, understand the link between different forms of failure, and propose a revised development model for this region. According to this model, the north-eastern part of the Storegga Slide has developed in four major events. The first event (event 1) was triggered in water depths of 1500–2000 m. In this event, the surface sediments were removed by debris flows and turbidity currents, and deposited in the Norwegian Sea Basin. Loading of the seabed by sediments mobilised by the debris flows and turbidity currents resulted in the development of an evacuation structure. Loss of support associated with this evacuation structure, reactivation of old headwalls and seismic loading activated spreading in the failure surface of event 1 up to the main headwall (event 2). In some areas, spreading blocks have undergone high displacement and remoulding. Parts of the spreading morphology and the underlying sediment have been deformed or removed by numerous debris flows and turbidity currents (event 3). We suggest that the higher displacement and remoulding of the spreading blocks, and their removal by debris flows and turbidity currents, was influenced by increased pore pressures, possibly due to gas hydrate dissolution/dissociation or by lateral variability in the deposition of contourite drifts in palaoeslide scars. The fourth event entailed a large, blocky debris flow that caused localised compression and transpressive shearing in the southern part of the spreading area.     

Runoff‐induced sediment yield over dune slopes in the Negev Desert. 1: Quantity and variability

Although extensive data exist on runoff erosion and rates for non‐sandy hillslopes, data for arid dune slopes are scarce, owing to the widespread perception that the high infiltrability of sand will reduce runoff. However, runoff is generated on sandy dunes in the Hallamish dune field, western Negev Desert, Israel (P ≈ 95 mm) due to the presence of a thin (usually 1–3 mm) microbiotic crust. The runoff in turn produces erosion. Sediment yield was measured on ten plots (140–1640 m²) on the north‐ and south‐facing slopes of longitudinal dunes. Two plots facing north and two facing south were subdivided into three subplots. The subplots represented the crest of the active dune devoid of crust, the extensively crusted footslope of the dune, and the midslope section characterized by a patchy crust. The remaining plots extended the full length of the dune slope. No runoff and consequently no water‐eroded sediments were obtained from the crest subplots devoid of crust. However, runoff and sediment were obtained from the mid‐ and footslope crusted subplots. Sediment yield from the footslope subplots was much higher than from the midslopes, despite the higher sediment concentration that characterized the midslope subplots. The mean annual sediment yield at the Hallamish dune field was 432 g per metre width and was associated with high average annual concentrations of 32 g l^?1. The data indicate that owing to the presence of a thin microbiotic crust, runoff and water erosion may occur even within arid sandy dune fields. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The removal rates of234Th and228Th from waters of the New York Bight

The mean residence time (τ) of thorium with respect to non-radioactive removal from water was determined as a function of location in three traverses of the New York Bight using both²³⁴Th/²³⁸U and²²⁸Th/²²⁸Ra. τ correlates well with salinity increasing from about ten days near shore to 70 days at the shelf break. It shows a much weaker correlation with suspended matter concentrations both because suspended matter varies in its scavenging efficiency and because salinity is a longer-term integrator of scavenging potential.τ's computed from²²⁸Th/²²⁸Ra were often higher than those computed from²³⁴Th/²³⁸U either because of the detrital matter present as reflected in the²³²Th concentrations or because the water parcels had recently arrived from environments of lower scavenging efficiency.Anomalous isotopic concentrations found in three adjacent samples can best be explained as the result of an episodic release of²²⁸Ra from bottom sediments at a rate 200 times the normal one.     

The effect of distribution of iron-oxyhydroxide grain coatings on the transport of bacterial cells in porous media

 Among the demonstrated processes influencing the transport of bacteria through aquifers, the deposition of cells on mineral surfaces is one of the most important. For example, understanding the transport of introduced bacteria through aquifers is essential to designing some in situ bioremediation schemes. The impact of the presence and distribution of Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide-coated sand grains on bacterial transport through porous media was evaluated in column experiments in which bacteria (short rods; 1.2 μm length) were eluted through columns of quartz sand (0.5–0.6 mm in diameter) for several conditions of chemical heterogeneity of mineral substrate. Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide-coated sand was present as 10% of the mass, and it was arranged in three treatments: (1) homogeneously distributed, and present as a discrete layer (2) at the top and (3) at the bottom of 14-cm-long sand columns. A pulse input of 10⁸ cells ml^–1 was introduced in an artificial groundwater solution flowing at 14 cm h^–1 through the column, and eluted cells were counted. Peak breakthrough occurred at 1.0 pore volume. A large proportion of cells were retained; 14.7–15.8% of the cells were recovered after three pore volumes of solution had eluted through clean quartz sand, and only 2.1–4.0% were recovered from the Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide-coated sand mixtures. The three physical arrangements of the chemical heterogeneity resulted in essentially the same breakthrough of cells, indicating that the spatial distribution of iron coating does not affect the transport of bacteria. The results of the column transport experiments, which mimic hydrogeological conditions encountered in field problems, are consistent with our mechanistic understanding of bacterial sorption. Received: 10 April 1996 · Accepted: 17 February 1997     

The chemical durability of tektites—A laboratory study and correlation with long-term corrosion behavior

Leach tests carried out on tektite specimens (indochinites and australites) under high-dilution conditions show a common behavior characterized by low leach rates (1.8 × 10^?5g · m^?2 · d^?1or 7.2 × 10^?12m · d^?1 at 23°C) and an activation energy of (79.6 ± 0.7) × 10³J · mol^?1. The extent of selective leaching is very small, of the order of 10^?8 m. Extrapolation of test results over the lifetime of the tektites gives an excellent agreement with field observations on the extent of corrosion, and this is an important step in establishing the validity of laboratory tests as a basis for the development of models and predictions concerning long-term durabilities at least in the limiting case of high dilution or rapid flow. The results are also shown to be in agreement with various previous observations on the corrosion resistance of tektites. The chemical durability of tektites is observed to be consistent with their composition, highlighting requirements for high corrosion resistance in glasses; these requirements include a silica content in excess of 67 mol%, an extremely low water content and an alkali content which is low both absolutely and relative to the di- and poly-valent metal oxide levels. It is shown that artificial glasses which fulfil these criteria are no less corrosion-resistant than the corresponding natural glasses. These conclusions have bearing on the development as well as on the evaluation of glasses intended for very long service, such as radioactive waste vitrification media.     

STREAM-SUBSURFACE EXCHANGE, SUSPENDED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT, AND THE COUPLED TRANSPORT OF COLLOIDS AND CONTAMINANTS IN SEDIMENT BEDS

1 INTRODUCTION Alluvial streams generally have permeable bed sediments that can admit significant pore water flows. Steady flow of surface water over bed roughness features such as sand waves or pools and riffles can then drive water flow into and out of the shallow subsurface. This is often termed hyporheic exchange, and the subsurface region where mixing between stream and ground waters occurs is the hyporheic zone (Hynes, 1983). The hyporheic zone has been shown to be a critical com…     

Separation of Clay Minerals from Host Sediments Using Cation Exchange Resins

Classic physical and chemical treatments applied to separating clay minerals from the host sediments are often difficult or aggressive for clay minerals. A technique using cation exchange resins (amberlite IRC-50H and amberlite IR-120) is used to separate clay minerals from the host sediments. The technique is based on the exchange of cations in the minerals that may be associated clay minerals in sediments, such as Ca and Mg from dolomite; Ca from calcite, gypsum and francolite with cations carried by resin radicals. The associated minerals such as gypsum, calcite, dolomite and francolite are removed in descending order. Separation of clay minerals using cation exchange resins is less aggressive than that by other classic treatments. The efficiency of amberlite IRC-50H in the removal of associated minerals is greater than that of amberlite IR-120.     

The chemical composition of fogs and intercepted clouds in the United States

Over the past decade, the chemical compositions of fogs and intercepted clouds have been investigated at more than a dozen locations across the United States. Sampling sites have been located in the northeast, southeast, Rocky Mountain, and west coast regions of the US. They include both pristine and heavily polluted locations. Frontal/orographic clouds (warm and supercooled), intercepted coastal stratiform clouds, and radiation fogs have all been examined. Sample pH values range from below 3 to above 7. Major ions also exhibit a wide concentration range, with clouds at some locations exhibiting high sea salt concentrations, while composition at other locations is dominated by ammonium and sulfate or nitrate.     

Characterization of some Egyptian serpentinites used as ornamental stones

Egypt is characterized by wide occurrence of serpentinites, particularly in the central and southern parts of Eastern Desert. There are several cooperate factors that affect the serpentinites used as ornamental stones. These factors involve mineralogical characteristics （including mineral composition and microstructure parameter）, physical properties and mechanical properties. Antigorite is an essential serpentinite mineral, with a minor amount of chrysotile. Talc, carbonates （magnesite and dolomite） and tremolite are the main associated minerals. Quality and quantity of associated minerals such as talc and carbonates （dolomite and magnesite） affect the properties of serpentinites used as ornamental stones. Carbonates are resistant to weathering but suffer from acidic cleaning agents in interior use, whereas serpentinites with a high content of talc used on external faces undergo an increase in volume and a consequent rapid degradation. Studied serpentinites are characterized by relatively small grain size with foliated texture, low water absorption, low porosity, and high abrasion resistance. In the samples studied the uniaxial compressive strength （UCS） varies between 89 and 189 MPa, with an average of 152 MPa. According to the classification of Bell （1992）, sample No. B8 is very high in strength while the rest high in strength.