A marine magnetic survey off southern Iceland

Total-intensity magnetic anomalies observed in a 1973 survey reflect contrasts in the structure of the southern Iceland shelf respectively west and east of 20°W. The western part, which is wider and more evenly sloping than the eastern part, has subdued magnetic relief indicating basement (basalt) depth of at least 400 m. On the eastern part of the shelf there occur pronounced edge anomalies, apparently due to a basement step of at least 1 km mean thickness and of mean width 3–4 km. The distance from the upper edge of this basement step to the bathymetric shelf edge increases from 5–8 km at 19°W to 12–14 km at 14°30W. The basement has alternating magnetic polarities. Linear magnetic anomalies are indistinct or absent in the surveyed region. It is speculated that the sharp basement step represents the trace of the maximum southerly extent of the eastern volcanic zone of Iceland.     

Ambiguity resolution strategies using the results of the International GPS Geodynamics Service (IGS)

Resolving the initial phase ambiguities of GPS carrier phase observations was always considered an important aspect of GPS processing techniques. Resolution of the so-called wide-lane ambiguities using a special linear combination of theL ₁ andL ₂ carrier and code observations has become standard. New aspects have to be considered today: (1) Soon AS, the so-called Anti-Spoofing, will be turned on for all Block II spacecrafts. This means that precise code observations will be no longer available, which in turn means that the mentioned approach to resolve the wide-lane ambiguities will fail. (2) Most encouraging is the establishment of the new International GPS Geodynamics Service (IGS), from where high quality orbits, earth rotation parameters, and eventually also ionospheric models will be available. We are reviewing the ambiguity resolution problem under these new aspects: We look for methods to resolve the initial phase ambiguities without using code observations but using high quality orbits and ionospheric models from IGS, and we study the resolution of the narrow-lane ambiguities (after wide-lane ambiguity resolution) using IGS orbits.     

Spatiotemporal Models of an Estuarine Fish Species to Identify Patterns and Factors Impacting Their Distribution and Abundance

Understanding the distribution and abundance of organisms can be exceedingly difficult for pelagic fish species that live in estuarine environments. This is particularly so for fish that cannot be readily marked and released or otherwise tracked, such as the diminutive delta smelt, Hypomesus transpacificus, endemic to the San Francisco Estuary. The environmental factors that influence their distribution operate at multiple scales, from daily tidal cycles and local perceptual fields to seasonal and annual changes in dominant environmental gradients spanning the entire San Francisco Estuary. To quantify scale-specific patterns and factors shaping the spatiotemporal abundance dynamics of adult delta smelt, we fit a suite of models to an extensive, spatially resolved, catch survey time series from 13 annual cohorts. The best model included cohort-specific abundance indicators and daily mortality rates, a regional spatial adjustment, and haul-specific environmental conditions. The regional adjustment identified several density hot spots that were persistent across cohorts. While this model did include local environmental conditions, the gain in explained variation was relatively slight compared to that explained by the regional adjustment. Total abundance estimates were derived by multiplying habitat volume by catch density (design-based) and modeled density (model-based), with both showing severe declines in the population over the time period studied. The design-based approaches had lower uncertainty but potentially higher bias. We discuss the implications of our results for advancing the science and improving management of delta smelt, and future data collection needs.     

Deep Cement Mixed Walls with Steel Inclusions for Excavation Support

Deep cement mixed (DCM) walls are widely used in supporting excavations in many parts of the world. In this paper, a case study of an excavation supported by a DCM wall with steel inclusions is analysed using a three-dimensional finite element model and based on the coupled theory of nonlinear porous media. The DCM wall is constructed with wide flange steel inclusions. The stress–strain behaviour of the DCM wall section is simulated using an extended version of the Mohr–Coulomb model, which considers the strain-softening behaviour of DCM columns beyond yield. The computed lateral deformations are compared with the field measurements to validate the numerical modelling procedure. Using the same case study, the internal stability of the wall against bending and shear failure modes is investigated. In addition, the lateral pressure distribution along the wall length is investigated because in practice design is carried out considering a uniform pressure distribution assuming rigid wall movements. A parametric study was carried out to investigate the viability of DCM walls in supporting excavations by varying the spacing between steel inclusions, wall thickness and initial lateral earth pressure. Based on the results of the parametric study, guidelines are proposed to select the most efficient geometric arrangement of steel inclusions within DCM walls.     

Development of drinking water resources in coastal areas of estonia

For a sustainable development of Estonia's coastal region it is necessary to achieve a balanced proportion between purified surface water and deep groundwater for public drinking water supplies. Special attention should be directed to problems of sea water encroachment into coastal aquifer systems. Only close co-operation between surface water specialists, hydrogeologists, and socio-economists will be able to solve this sophisticated task.     

A risk assessment approach to contaminants in Port Curtis, Queensland, Australia

Port Curtis is one of Australia's leading ports for which substantial industrial expansion is proposed over the next decade. However, there has been little attempt to date to assess the extent of contamination in waters, sediments and biota or to characterize the potential impacts of contaminants on aquatic biota. Contaminants of potential concern to biota and human health were investigated in the Port Curtis estuary using a screening-level risk assessment approach. Dissolved metal concentrations in waters were below [ANZECC/ARMCANZ, 2000. Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality, Vol. 1. The Guidelines, Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council and Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand] trigger values, suggesting low risk of these contaminants. In sediments, arsenic, nickel and chromium concentrations exceeded interim sediment quality guidelines-low (ISQG-low), but were also high in the reference zone suggesting a natural origin. Historical data on naphthalene in Harbour sediments showed that it was also of potential concern. Bioaccumulation of contaminants in a range of biota was also used as an indicator of contaminant exposure. Biota were generally enriched in metals and tributyltin, which was also elevated in water and sediments. Although not unique to Port Curtis, mercury in barramundi was identified as a potential risk to human health.     

Comparison of migration‐based location and detection methods for microseismic events

Microseismic monitoring in the oil and gas industry commonly uses migration‐based methods to locate very weak microseismic events. The objective of this study is to compare the most popular migration‐based methods on a synthetic dataset that simulates a strike‐slip source mechanism event with a low signal‐to‐noise ratio recorded by surface receivers (vertical components). The results show the significance of accounting for the known source mechanism in the event detection and location procedures. For detection and location without such a correction, the ability to detect weak events is reduced. We show both numerically and theoretically that neglecting the source mechanism by using only absolute values of the amplitudes reduces noise suppression during stacking and, consequently, limits the possibility to retrieve weak microseismic events. On the other hand, even a simple correction to the data polarization used with otherwise ineffective methods can significantly improve detections and locations. A simple stacking of the data with a polarization correction provided clear event detection and location, but even better results were obtained for those data combined with methods that are based on semblance and cross‐correlation.