Nonstationarity of turbulent heat fluxes at Summit,Greenland

Turbulence data collected over a total of 25 days during two summers are used to describe processes responsible for the nonstationarity of turbulent sensible heat fluxes at Summit, Greenland. A stationarity test shows that about 40% of the data are classified as nonstationary. Three main factors are explored to account for the large fraction of nonstationary runs: (1) intermittency of turbulence in stable conditions, (2) changes in net all-wave radiation in response to cloud forcing, and (3) diurnal trends in stability. A classification procedure that accounts for the intermittent nature of turbulence shows that during stable, nonstationary conditions 50% of the total sensible heat flux is realized in 22% of the sampling time. Intermittency often occurs at Summit during periods characterized by weak and irregular horizontal winds in combination with strong stability. Rapid changes in net all-wave radiation in response to cloud forcing results in nonstationarity during unstable conditions. Between 0930–1130 and 1900–1930 UTC turbulent heat fluxes are not only small in magnitude but also typically change sign, with nonstationarity during these periods often as high as 65%. These results should help resolve some of the present uncertainties in obtaining reliable fluxes at this site, in particular under stable atmospheric conditions.     

Elastic properties of pyrope

Brillouin spectroscopy was used to measure the single crystal elastic properties of a pure synthetic pyrope and a natural garnet containing 89.9 mol% of the pyrope end member (Mg₃Al₂Si₃O₁₂). The elastic moduli, c _ij , of the two samples are entirely consistent and agree with previous estimates of the elastic properties of pyrope based upon the moduli of solid solutions. Our results indicate that the elastic moduli of pyrope end-member are c ₁₁=296.2±0.5, c ₁₂=111.1±0.6, c ₄₄=91.6±0.3, K_s=172.8±0.3, =92.0±0.2, all in units of GPa. These results differ by several percent from those reported previously for synthetic pyrope, but are based upon a much larger data set. Although the hydrous components of the two samples from the present study are substantially different, representing both dry and saturated samples, we find no discernable effect of structurally bound water on the elastic properties. This is due to the small absolute solubility of water in pyrope, as compared with other garnets such as grossular.     

Techniques for determination of trace metals in small samples of size-fractionated particulate matter: phytoplankton metals off central California

The oceanic biogeochemical cycles of many trace elements are dominated by their association with the growth, death, consumption and sinking of phytoplankton. The trace element content of marine phytoplankton reflects nutritional status, species composition, surface area to volume ratios, and interactions with bioactive and toxic elements in the ambient seawater. Despite the ecological and environmental importance of trace element assimilation by autotrophs, there are few modern measurements of trace elements in phytoplankton assemblages from the natural environment. Here we introduce a new method for collection and analysis of size-fractionated particulate samples from practical seawater volumes. We pay particular attention to accurate determination of trace element filter blanks which are typically the limiting factor for analysis of such samples. Metals were determined at very low detection limits by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS) for 11 elements (Ag, Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, U, Zn and P, which is used as a biomass normalizer) in three types of polymer filters (0.45, 5.0, and 53 μm pore size) and a quartz fiber filter (0.8 μm pore size). To place these new determinations in a practical context, results are presented for a vertical profile of samples filtered from 1–4 l of coastal seawater (0.3–1.0 mg total solid dry weight) at a station off central California. The results demonstrate that the blanks of the evaluated filter types, precleaned appropriately, are sufficiently low to allow accurate determination of the trace metal content of three size-classes of phytoplankton. At the Pacific station, measured phytoplankton Zn content (as Zn/P) agrees with values predicted from single-species culture studies growing at seawater Zn concentrations expected for coastal waters. The new method has utility as a generally applicable and simple size fractionation technique, and allows determination of natural and pollutant elements in small samples of phytoplankton and particles in coastal, estuarine and offshore marine regimes.     

Interface Treatment of Petroleum Hydrocarbon‐impacted Lower Permeability Layers by Activated Sodium Persulfate to Reduce Emissions to Groundwater

Nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL)‐impacted lower permeability layers in heterogeneous media are difficult to fully remediate and can act as persistent sources of groundwater contamination through diffusive emissions to transmissive aquifer zones. This work investigated the benefits of partial remediation involving treatment focused near the high‐low permeability interface, with the performance metric being emissions reduction. A sequential base‐activated persulfate (S₂O₈ ^2?) delivery treatment strategy was studied in this work, involving 13–14 d deliveries of 10% w/w sodium persulfate (Na₂S₂O₈) and 14–28 d deliveries of 19 g/L sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Treatment and control experiments were conducted in 1.2‐m wide × 1.2‐m tall × 5‐cm thick physical model tanks containing two soil layers differing in hydraulic conductivity by three orders of magnitude. The top 10 cm of the lower permeability layers contained 7400–7800 mg‐NAPL/kg‐soil; the NAPL was comprised of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p‐xylene, o‐xylene, n‐propylbenzene, and 1,3,5‐trimethylbenzene (TMB) mixed in octane. Approximately 0.1 g‐Na₂S₂O₈ was delivered per cm²‐interface area over 13–14 d. The S₂O₈ ^2? and SO₄ ^2? concentration profiles suggest higher oxidant reaction rates when NaOH is delivered prior to, rather than after Na₂S₂O₈. After 264 d and two treatments, hydrocarbon emissions from the NAPL source were reduced by 60% to 73% compared to a no‐treatment control tank. The incremental benefit of the second treatment was only about 10% of the effect of the first treatment.     

Axial and transverse deep-water sediment supply to syn-rift fault terraces: Insights from the West Xylokastro Fault Block,Gulf of Corinth,Greece

Deep-water syn-rift systems develop in partially- or transiently-linked depocentres to form complicated depositional architectures, which are characterised by short transport distances, coarse grain sizes and a wide range of sedimentary processes. Exhumed systems that can help to constrain the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of such systems are rare or complicated by inversion tectonics. Here, we document a mid-Pleistocene deep-water syn-rift system fed by Gilbert-type fan deltas in the hangingwall of a rift margin fault bounding the West Xylokastro Horst block, on the southern margin of the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. Structural and stratigraphic mapping combined with digital outcrop models permit observations along this syn-rift depositional system from hinterland source to deep-water sink. The West Xylokastro Fault hangingwall is filled by two distinct sediment systems; an axial system fed by coarse-grained sediment gravity flows derived from fault-tip Gilbert-type fan deltas and a lateral system dominated by mass transport deposits fed from an evolving fault-scarp apron. Abrupt changes in stratigraphic architecture across the axial system are interpreted to record changes in relative base level, sediment supply and tectonics. Locally, depositional topography and intra-basinal structures controlled sediment dispersal patterns, from bed-scale infilling of local rugose topography above mass transport complexes, to basin-scale confinement from the fault scarp apron. These acted to generate a temporally and spatially variable, heterogeneous stratigraphic architecture throughout the basin-fill. The transition of the locus of sedimentation from a rift margin to a fault terrace through the syn-sedimentary growth of a basinward fault produced regressive surfaces updip, which manifest themselves as channels in the deep-water realm and acted to prograde the system. We present a new conceptual model that recognises coeval axial and transverse systems based on the stratigraphic architecture around the West Xylokastro fault block that emphasizes the lateral and vertical heterogeneity of rift basin-fills with multiple entry points.     

Impact of climate change on Pacific Northwest hydropower

The Pacific Northwest (PNW) hydropower resource, central to the region’s electricity supply, is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC), an interstate compact agency, has conducted long term planning for the PNW electricity supply for its 2005 Power Plan. In formulating its power portfolio recommendation, the NWPCC explored uncertainty in variables that affect the availability and cost of electricity over the next 20 years. The NWPCC conducted an initial assessment of potential impacts of climate change on the hydropower system, but these results are not incorporated in the risk model upon which the 2005 Plan recommendations are based. To assist in bringing climate information into the planning process, we present an assessment of uncertainty in future PNW hydropower generation potential based on a comprehensive set of climate models and greenhouse gas emissions pathways. We find that the prognosis for PNW hydropower supply under climate change is worse than anticipated by the NWPCC’s assessment. Differences between the predictions of individual climate models are found to contribute more to overall uncertainty than do divergent emissions pathways. Uncertainty in predictions of precipitation change appears to be more important with respect to impact on PNW hydropower than uncertainty in predictions of temperature change. We also find that a simple regression model captures nearly all of the response of a sequence of complex numerical models to large scale changes in climate. This result offers the possibility of streamlining both top-down impact assessment and bottom-up adaptation planning for PNW water and energy resources.