Tropical chemical weathering of hillslope deposits and bedrock source in the Aburrá Valley, northern Colombian Andes

Tropical chemical weathering produces extensive lateritization and formation of deep weathering profiles. Both processes are fundamental to landscape evolution and slope instability. The Aburrá Valley of the northern Colombian Andes is characterized by tropical conditions. The valley slopes are mostly covered by hillslope deposits originating from four basement rock suites which comprise contrasting granitoid, volcanic–sedimentary, ophiolitic, and metamorphic sources, respectively. Tropical chemical weathering of the Aburrá hillslope deposits and their respective bedrock were examined using X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction analysis, to document and quantify their chemical weathering profiles, compositions, and mineralogical properties. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), loss on ignition (LOI), and the Mobiles index (Imob) were used to quantify the degree of weathering of hillslope deposits and bedrock source. Weathering trends were analyzed using A–CN–K and A–CNK–FM diagrams. The material mantling the slopes in the Aburrá Valley records an intense weathering history. Chemical weathering is characterized by increased development of clay minerals (kaolinite, halloysite) and iron and aluminum sesquioxides. Lateritization characterizes the final stage of the weathering profiles. Concentrations of CaO, Na₂O, K₂O decrease markedly in the weathering products compared to the fresh bedrock source, whereas concentrations of Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, and MgO increase significantly. CIA ratios of matrix slope deposits derived from all four sources near 100, whereas those of boulder slope deposits and saprolites are lower, but exceed source rock values. Different A–CN–K weathering paths are evident for each lithotype, validating the correlation established between the hillslope deposits and their various parents. Chemical weathering indices in some samples are strongly influenced by the presence of sesquioxides, as reflected by high LOI, anomalously low CIA, and varying enrichment trends on the A–CNK–FM diagrams. Consequently, different chemical indices based on different criteria need to be combined to obtain best results, as illustrated here by the combination of LOI, CIA, and Imob. The overall results suggest that tropical conditions have dominated for a long time in the northern Colombian Andes, leading to uniformly high weathering indices in matrix slope deposits irrespective of parent lithotype. Prolonged warm and humid conditions could thus be responsible for the weathering and remobilization of extensive old hillslope deposits during the Quaternary. However, in addition to the influence of climatic factors, tectonism has also undoubtedly influenced slope evolution in the Aburrá Valley.     

Visualization of Volcanic Rock Geochemical Data and Classification with Artificial Neural Networks

An unsupervised neural network technique, Growing Cell Structures (GCS) was used to visualize geochemical differences between four different island arc volcanic rock types: basalts, andesites, dacites and rhyolites. The output of the method shows the cluster structure of the dataset clearly, and the relevant geochemical patterns and relationships between its variables. The data can be separated into four clusters, each associated with a specific volcanic rock type (basalt, andesite, dacite and rhyolite), according to a unique combination of major element concentrations. Following clustering, performance of the trained GCS network as a classifier of volcanic rock type was tested using two test datasets with major element concentration data for 312 and 496 island arc volcanic rock samples of known volcanic type. Preliminary classification results are promising. In the first test dataset 94% of basalts, 76% of andesites, 83% of dacites and 100% of the rhyolites were classified correctly. Successful classification rates in the second dataset were 100%, 80%, 77%, and 98% respectively. The success of the analysis suggests that neural networks analysis constitutes a useful analytical tool for identification of natural clusters and examination of the relationships between numeric variables in large datasets, and that can be used for automatic classification of new data.     

Hydraulic evaluation of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) with urban stormwater in a brackish limestone aquifer

A 5-year aquifer storage and recovery trial at Andrews Farm in South Australia involving the injection of more than 250 ML (250,000 m³) of fresh but turbid stormwater into a brackish limestone aquifer over 4 years and recovery of 150 ML in the fifth provided the opportunity to evaluate rates of clogging and unclogging and the potential to recover water suitable for irrigation supplies. Results reveal there is some clogging by injected sediment, but only to a relatively small degree considering the high suspended solid concentrations and moderate aquifer transmissivity. This clogging was offset by increased matrix porosity through calcite dissolution and by routine well redevelopments after each 40 ML of injection. No significant microbial clogging occurred. Breakthrough responses at three observation wells and the proportion of injectant in the recovered water were determined from chloride data. Temperature and caliper profiles clearly indicate the heterogeneous nature of the aquifer that is attributed, in part, to sand removal during the initial well development. The recovery efficiency was greater than 60%. The trial demonstrates that urban stormwater containing high and variable particulate levels, which receives only passive pre-treatment and is not disinfected, can be used to freshen a heterogeneous brackish aquifer to create a useful water resource.     

Effect of Spectral Resolution on the Mg II Index as a Measure of Solar Variability

The solar Mgii core-to-wing ratio is a useful index of UV variability throughout the solar cycle because it has been measured since 1978 in a series of successive satellite missions: Nimbus 7, Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME), the NOAA 9–14 series, Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), and ERS-2. Eventual construction of a single time series from 1978 to the present by combining these measurements will give a long record of almost daily UV variability to serve as a surrogate for estimating both UV and EUV solar radiation. Here we address the effect of spectral resolution on determination of both long-term and short-term solar variability from this index. We use UARS/SOLSTICE measurements of the Mgii line from October 1991 to December 1996 to study the effect of two spectral resolution regimes characteristic of existing measurements, 0.20 to 0.25 nm and 1.10 to 1.15 nm, on determination of the amplitude of 27-day rotational modulation and the more gradual change in chromospheric radiation in the declining phase of solar cycle 22. The two Mgii indices give solar variations that differ by a scaling factor of 2× for both the solar cycle change from 1992 to 1997 and the amplitude of 27-day modulation over the same period. Both types of measurements appear to yield solar signal equally well except at solar minimum when the solar changes become quite small.     

MRCON: COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR ESTIMATING SOIL MOISTURE RETENTION AND UNSATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY

Abstract. MRCON is an interactive computer program designed to approximate soil moisture retention ( Θ-Ψ ) and/or unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (K- Θ ) for soils. MRCON, which is written in BASIC, uses empirical methods obtained from the literature to calculate K- Θ and a modified method to calculate Θ-Ψ . Input data for the program consist of a saturated moisture content and a minimum of three values of Θ-Ψ . A measured value of saturated hydraulic conductivity can be used as input to better approximate the K -Θ curves to field conditions.     

A generalized genetic framework for the development of sinkholes and Karst in Florida,U.S.A.

Karst topography in Florida is developed on the Tertiary limestones of the Floridan aquifer Post-depositional diagenesis and solution have made these limestones highly permeable, T=ca. 50,000 m²/d. Zones of megaporosity have formed at unconformities, and dissolution has enlarged joints and fractures Erosion of the overlying clastic Miocene Hawthorn group strata on one flank of a structural arch has exposed the limestone The elevated edge of the Hawthorn cover forms the Cody scarp Ubiquitous solution pipes have previously formed at joint intersections and are now filled Downwashing of the fill deeper into solution cavities in the limestone and subsidence of the overlying unconsolidated sediments causes surface collapse a subsidence doline or sinkhole This process may penetrate up to 60 m of the semi-consolidated Hawthorn cover, as occurred when the Winter Park sinkhole developed Dense clusters of solution pipes may have formed cenotes which are now found on the exposed limestone terrain Groundwater moves laterally as diffuse flow except where input or outflow is concentrated. At sinking streams, vertical shafts, and springs, karst caves have formed, but only the major sinking streams form through-flowing conduit systems Shaft recharge dissipates diffusely. Spring discharge is concentrated from diffuse flow In both cases, conduits taper and merge into a zone of megaporosity     

Effects of a variety of impacts on seagrass restoration in Jamaica

For the first time seagrass rehabilitation was attempted in a tropical nation, Jamaica. Repairs to a variety of developmental impact types were attempted with test plots: dredge and fill, bauxite and oil spills, channelization, urban run-off, urban sewage, river bulkheading, jetty construction and artificial beach, industrial lagoons, saline lagoons, thermal effluents, and cement tailings. Three species were routinely planted (Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, Syringodium filiforme) plus Ruppia maritima in saline lagoons, each by two planting techniques. Types of damage which were successfully attempted to be restored for the first time were from heated wastes, bauxite spills, jettied river mouths, small scale oil spills, and diluted urban wastes. Types of pollution damage previously repaired in subtropics and temperate zones, which could be successfully repaired in the tropics also were dredge and fill and urban run-off. Erosion seagrass restoration repair was partially successful at some sites. Attempts to repair high salinity lagoons (up to 160‰) and cement tailings were unsuccessful. Functional species were found which could tolerate ongoing pollutant loads in some cases.     

The effect of a shallow low viscosity zone on the apparent compensation of mid-plate swells

A simple model for mid-plate swells is that of convection in a fluid which has a low viscosity layer lying between a rigid bed and a constant viscosity region. Finite element calculations have been used to determine the effects of the viscosity contrast, the layer thickness and the Rayleigh number on the flow and on the perceived compensation mechanism for the resulting topographic swell. As the viscosity decreases in the low viscosity zone, the effective local Rayleigh number for the top boundary layer of the convecting cell increases. Also, because the lower viscosity facilitates greater velocities in the low viscosity zone, the low viscosity layer produces proportionally greater horizontal flow near the conducting lid, causing the base of the conducting lid to appear like a free boundary. The change in the local Rayleigh number and in the effective boundary condition both cause the top boundary layer to thin. Through a Green's function analysis, we have found that the low viscosity zone damps the response of the surface topography to the temperature anomalies at depth, whereas it causes the gravity and geoid response functions to change sign at depth counteracting the positive contributions from the shallower temperature variations. By increasing the viscosity contrast, the conbined effects of the thinning of the boundary layer and the behaviour of the response functions allow the apparent depth of compensation to become arbitrarily small. Therefore, shallow depths of compensation cannot be used to argue against dynamic support of mid-plate swells. Furthermore, we compared the distribution of the effective compensating densities, which is used to obtain the geoid, to that of Pratt compensation, which is often used to calculate the depth of compensation from geoid and topography data for mid-plate swells. For all of our calculations including those with no low viscosity layer, the effective gravitational mass distribution is more complex than assumed in simple Pratt models, so that the Pratt models are not an appropriate gauge of the compensation mechanism.