Field Observation of Diurnal Dissolved Oxygen Fluctuations in Shallow Groundwater

Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations influence many biogeochemical processes in groundwater systems but studies of temporal variability in DO are lacking. In this study, we used an optical DO probe to measure rapid changes in concentration due to plant‐groundwater interaction at an alluvial aquifer field site in Iowa. Diurnal DO concentrations were observed during mid‐ to late‐summer when soil conditions were dry, fluctuating approximately 0.2 to 0.3 mg/L on a daily basis. DO fluctuations in groundwater were out‐of‐phase with diurnal water table fluctuations, increasing during the day and decreasing at night. DO consumption at night is likely due to increased soil autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration linked with patterns of carbon supply derived from daytime photosynthetic activity, and consistent with available literature on diurnal soil respiration patterns. Although more work is needed to quantify specific processes, our results indicate the potential usefulness of the new optical DO technology to reveal insights regarding many ecohydrological processes.     

Numerical issues in computing inundation areas over natural terrains using Savage-Hutter theory

When characterizing geologic natural hazards, specifically granular flows including pyroclastic flows, debris avalanches and debris flows, perhaps the most important factor to consider is the area of inundation. One of the key parameters demarcating the leading edge of inundation is the run-out distance. To define the run-out distance, it is necessary to know when the flow stops. Numerical experiments are presented for determining a stopping criterion and exploring the suitability of the Savage-Hutter theory for computing inundation areas of granular flows. The stopping criterion is a function of dimensionless average velocity, pile aspect ratio and internal and bed friction angle and can be implemented on either a global (entire flow) or local (small areas of the flow) level. Slumping piles on a horizontal surface, and geophysical flows over complex topography were simulated. Mountainous areas, such as Colima volcano, Mexico; Casita, Nicaragua; Little Tahoma Peak, USA, and the San Bernardino Mountains, USA, were used as test regions. These areas have combinations of steep, open slopes and sinuous channels. Because of differences in topography and physical scaling, slumping piles in the laboratory and geophysical flows in natural terrain must be scaled differently to determine a reasonable dimensionless relationship for the stopping criterion.     

A data based mechanistic approach to nonlinear flood routing and adaptive flood level forecasting

Operational flood forecasting requires accurate forecasts with a suitable lead time, in order to be able to issue appropriate warnings and take appropriate emergency actions. Recent improvements in both flood plain characterization and computational capabilities have made the use of distributed flood inundation models more common. However, problems remain with the application of such models. There are still uncertainties associated with the identifiability of parameters; with the computational burden of calculating distributed estimates of predictive uncertainty; and with the adaptive use of such models for operational, real-time flood inundation forecasting. Moreover, the application of distributed models is complex, costly and requires high degrees of skill. This paper presents an alternative to distributed inundation models for real-time flood forecasting that provides fast and accurate, medium to short-term forecasts. The Data Based Mechanistic (DBM) methodology exploits a State Dependent Parameter (SDP) modelling approach to derive a nonlinear dependence between the water levels measured at gauging stations along the river. The transformation of water levels depends on the relative geometry of the channel cross-sections, without the need to apply rating curve transformations to the discharge. The relationship obtained is used to transform water levels as an input to a linear, on-line, real-time and adaptive stochastic DBM model. The approach provides an estimate of the prediction uncertainties, including allowing for heterescadasticity of the multi-step-ahead forecasting errors. The approach is illustrated using an 80 km reach of the River Severn, in the UK.     

Arsenic Management Through Well Modification and Simulation

Arsenic concentrations can be managed with a relatively simple strategy of grouting instead of completely destroying a selected interval of well. The strategy of selective grouting was investigated in Antelope Valley, California, where groundwater supplies most of the water demand. Naturally occurring arsenic typically exceeds concentrations of 10 µg/L in the water produced from these long-screened wells. The vertical distributions of arsenic concentrations in intervals of the aquifer contributing water to selected supply wells were characterized with depth-dependent water-quality sampling and flow logs. Arsenic primarily entered the lower half of the wells where lacustrine clay deposits and a deeper aquifer occurred. Five wells were modified by grouting from below the top of the lacustrine clay deposits to the bottom of the well, which reduced produced arsenic concentrations to less than 2 µg/L in four of the five wells. Long-term viability of well modification and reduction of specific capacity was assessed for well 4-54 with AnalyzeHOLE, which creates and uses axisymmetric, radial MODFLOW models. Two radial models were calibrated to observed borehole flows, drawdowns, and transmissivity by estimating hydraulic-conductivity values in the aquifer system and gravel packs of the original and modified wells. Lithology also constrained hydraulic-conductivity estimates as regularization observations. Well encrustations caused as much as 2 µg/L increase in simulated arsenic concentration by reducing the contribution of flow from the aquifer system above the lacustrine clay deposits. Simulated arsenic concentrations in the modified well remained less than 3 µg/L over a 20-year period.     

Quantifying the influence of sill intrusion on the thermal evolution of organic‐rich sedimentary rocks in nonvolcanic passive margins: an example from ODP 210‐1276, offshore Newfoundland,Canada

Intrusive magmatism is an integral and understudied component in both volcanic and nonvolcanic passive margins. Here, we investigate the thermal effects of widespread (ca. 20 000 km²) intrusive magmatism on the thermal evolution of organic‐rich sedimentary rocks on the nonvolcanic Newfoundland passive margin. ODP 210‐1276 (45.41°N, 44.79°W) intersects two sills: an older, upper sill and a younger, lower sill that are believed to correspond to the high amplitude ‘U‐reflector’ observed across the Newfoundland Basin. A compilation of previous work collectively provides; (1) emplacement depth constraints, (2) vitrinite reflectance data and (3) ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates. Collectively, these data sets provide a unique opportunity to model the conductive cooling of the sills and how they affect thermal maturity of the sedimentary sequence. A finite differences method was used to model the cooling of the sills, with the model outputs then being entered into the EASY%R_o vitrinite reflectance model. The modelled maturation profile for ODP 210‐1276 shows a significant but localized effect on sediment maturity as a result of the intrusions. Our results suggest that even on nonvolcanic margins, intrusive magmatism can significantly influence the thermal evolution in the vicinity of igneous intrusions. In addition, the presence of widespread sills on nonvolcanic passive margins such as offshore Newfoundland may be indicative of regional‐scale thermal perturbations that should be considered in source rock maturation studies.     

VARIATIONS IN DEW-POINT TEMPERATURES IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES

Atmospheric humidity as measured by dew-point temperatures is an important component of the climate of the southern United States. The South experiences the country's highest dew-point temperatures throughout the year. A gradient is established between moist air along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts inland toward the drier areas of northwestern Texas. This gradient is strongest in winter and weakest in summer when consistent southerly circulation maintains humid conditions throughout the region. Interannual variability also is largest in the winter and smallest in summer. Dew-point temperatures are strongly related to air temperatures in the non-summer season, but are more fundamentally linked to air mass and circulation changes. Recent increases in southerly flow in the spring and autumn seasons have led to a significant increase in dew-point temperatures in many portions of the region. However, there is no evidence at this time to suggest that increased evaporation from greenhouse warming has altered dew-point temperatures in the southern United States.     

Characterization of Organic Contaminants in New York/New Jersey Harbor Sediments Using FTIR‐ATR and Synchrotron FTIR

Dredging and remediation of contaminated Harbor sediments requires characterization of organic pollutants. In this paper, we apply a combination of Fourier transform IR attenuated total reflectance (FTIR‐ATR) and synchrotron FTIR techniques to the investigation of sediments and related materials from New York/New Jersey Harbor and other locations. The FTIR techniques give information on the functional groups of the compounds found in the sediments and make possible measurements with a spatial resolution of about 0.015 mm. Comparisons of natural organic materials namely, river and groundwater humic substances, recent marine and lacustrine sediments, and ancient sedimentary kerogen show that contaminated NY/NJ Harbor sediments display a strong and distinct absorption in their IR spectra at 2850–2950 cm^?1 identified as a C? H stretching band, indicative of the presence of anthropogenic hydrocarbons. We suggest that the presence of this band could be used for rapid screening for the presence of contaminant organic compounds in sediments encountered in dredging operations and/or as an indicator for the efficacy of sediment decontamination technologies used for treatment of dredged material.     

Collection of intact sediment cores with overlying water to study nitrogen- and oxygen-dynamics in regions with seasonal hypoxia

Settled particles of fresh, labile organic matter may be a significant source of oxygen demand and nutrient regeneration in seasonally-hypoxic regions caused by nutrient inputs into stratified coastal zones. Studying the dynamics of this material requires sediment sampling methods that include flocculent organic materials and overlying water (OLW) at or above the sediment–water interface (SWI). A new coring device (“HYPOX” corer) was evaluated for examining nitrogen- (N) and oxygen-dynamics at the SWI and OLW in the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOMEX). The HYPOX corer consists of a “Coring Head” with a check-valve, a weighted “Drive Unit,” and a “Lander,” constructed from inexpensive components. The corer collected undisturbed sediment cores and OLW from sediments at NGOMEX sampling sites with underlying substrates ranging from sand to dense clay. The HYPOX corer could be deployed in weather conditions similar to those needed for a multi-bottle rosette water-sampling system with 20 L bottles. As an example of corer applicability to NGOMEX issues, NH₄⁺ cycling rates were examined at hypoxic and control sites by isotope dilution experiments. The objective was to determine if N-dynamics in OLW were different from those in the water column. “Ammonium demand,” as reflected by potential NH₄⁺ uptake rates, was higher in OLW than in waters collected from a meter or more above the bottom at both sites, but the pattern was more pronounced at the hypoxia site. By contrast, NH₄⁺ regeneration rates were low in all samples. These preliminary results suggest that heterotrophic activity and oxygen consumption in OLW in the hypoxic region may be regulated by the availability of NH₄⁺, or other reduced N compounds, rather than by the lack of sufficient labile organic carbon.     

The effects of boreal forest expansion on the summer Arctic frontal zone

Over the last 100?years, Arctic warming has resulted in a longer growing season in boreal and tundra ecosystems. This has contributed to a slow northward expansion of the boreal forest and a decrease in the surface albedo. Corresponding changes to the surface and atmospheric energy budgets have contributed to a broad region of warming over areas of boreal forest expansion. In addition, mesoscale and synoptic scale patterns have changed as a result of the excess energy at and near the surface. Previous studies have identified a relationship between the positioning of the boreal forest-tundra ecotone and the Arctic frontal zone in summer. This study examines the climate response to hypothetical boreal forest expansion and its influence on the summer Arctic frontal zone. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting model over the Northern Hemisphere, an experiment was performed to evaluate the atmospheric response to expansion of evergreen and deciduous boreal needleleaf forests into open shrubland along the northern boundary of the existing forest. Results show that the lower surface albedo with forest expansion leads to a local increase in net radiation and an average hemispheric warming of 0.6°C at and near the surface during June with some locations warming by 1–2°C. This warming contributes to changes in the meridional temperature gradient that enhances the Arctic frontal zone and strengthens the summertime jet. This experiment suggests that continued Northern Hemisphere high-latitude warming and boreal forest expansion might contribute to additional climate changes during the summer.