Atmospheric oxygen exchange in the Hudson River: Dome measurements and comparison with other natural waters

The measurement of metabolism using diel free-water oxygen techniques requires the estimation of atmospheric oxygen exchanges. We measured such exchange on nine different occasions in the freshwater, tidally-influenced Hudson River estuary using a floating dome technique. We also analyzed previously published data on the exchange of a variety of gases measured in lakes, estuaries, and open ocean waters using a wide variety of techniques. Data were expressed as a “transfer velocity” and normalized to an exchange of oxygen at 20°C. Considered together, these data indicate a significant predictive relationship when the natural log of transfer velocity is regressed with measured wind speed (r² = 0.55; p = 0.0001). The influence of wind was particularly pronounced in estuaries and in lakes. Data from open-ocean waters showed much less influence of wind, probably because surface turbulence in these deeper waters can be temporally and spatially decoupled from wind. Our Hudson data agreed well with data collected in other systems. In general, data from estuaries—including the Hudson—indicated slightly higher transfer velocities at any given wind speed than do data from lakes (although this difference was less pronounced for our Hudson data than for other estuaries). The difference may result from some interaction of wind and tidal currents, or it may reflect a bias in the dome method of measurements; all of the estuarine data were collected using the dome approach, while the majority of the lake data were determined using an added tracer. If the dome method actually gives a biased, high estimate of oxygen flux, this is in contradiction to previous criticisms of this method that domes may underestimate fluxes by blocking wind at the water surface. We have used the regression of the natural log of transfer velocity versus wind speed developed here to estimate respiration in the Hudson estuary from diel changes in dissolved oxygen. To allow for possible biases in technique and for measurement error, we estimated 95% confidence limits around the regression. Estimates of respiration in the Hudson determined using the upper and lower 95% confidence limits are 30% higher and 12% lower than that determined when using the best-fit regression. An independently-constrained carbon budget for the tidally-influenced, freshwater Hudson River estuary indicates that respiration rates cannot be much higher than our mean estimate as calculated using the linear regression of the gas transfer and wind data to correct for air-water oxygen exchange. Gas transfer in natural systems is difficult to measure and is controlled by many interrelated physical factors. In the absence of extensive, system-specific field studies, the regression presented here should be useful in estimating atmospheric oxygen exchange in other estuarine or riverine ecosystems which are relatively deep and wide.     

The inverse problem and ground water management

The response of groundwater basins to natural and anthropogenic inputs depends on many interrelated factors such as the values of groundwater flow and mass transport parameters. This work presents a theoretical analysis of the impact of parameter uncertainty on groundwater management decisions. It is shown that under classical, Bayesian, and deterministic assumptions about the parameter structure, the resulting management decisions could be very different. This underscores the importance of adopting the proper parameter structure and the need for using consistent methods to solve the inverse problem.     

A discrete space continuous time modeling approach to nonsteady flow in a leaky aquifer system of finite configuration

Existing analytical procedures for nonsteady flow in a leaky confined aquifer assume that the aquifer system is areally infinite. A technique is presented that treats a leaky confined aquifer system of finite configuration. By means of a discrete space continuous time (DSCT) modeling approach, the partial differential equation governing the flow system is transformed into a set of ordinary differential equations that can be easily integrated numerically on a high speed digital computer using available scientific subroutines. The finite difference formulation is in effect an explicit scheme. A criterion is developed for which the scheme is computationally stable. A numerical example is presented.     

A Simple Model for the Solar Cycle

A simple nonlinear model which describes the 11-year solar cycle can be derived from the usual – dynamo theory in the form of a Van der Pol equation. Solar activity displays also small-scale inter-cycle persistent stochastic oscillations with a Hurst exponent of the order of H0.76±0.01. The results obtained from the Van der Pol oscillator superimposed on a fractional Brownian motion which describes the stochastic fluctuations are presented.     

Statistical properties of dissipation bursts within turbulence: Solar flares and geomagnetic activity

We investigate some statistical properties of the solar soft X-ray flux and of the Auroral Electrojet (AE) index. For both these signals, the probability density functions (PDFs) of normalized differences are shown to display wide, non-Gaussian tails. The shape of the PDFs is nearly unchanged as the timelag, used to calculate differences, varies. Moreover, the two time series are characterized by a power-law distribution for waiting times between successive bursts and by a clear departure from an hypothesis of locally Poisson statistics. A similar behavior is found in a shell model of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence.     

Mine subsidence damage from room and pillar mining in Illinois

Summary Data is presented on case histories of subsidence damage occurring over abandoned room and pillar mines in Illinois. The major modes of behaviour and damage in houses from sag-subsidence are described and summarized. The houses rested on crawl-space and basement foundations built from concrete and masonry. The prevalent mode of failure of bearing walls was inward bending. Failure is analysed and conventional design procedures are used to evaluate foundation failure.     

Earthquake Damage Scenarios of the Building Stock of Potenza (Southern Italy) Including Site Effects

Damage scenarios relevant to the building stock of the town of Potenza, Southern Italy, are presented. A procedure for the preparation of scenarios has been purposely set up. In the first step, the inventory of the building stock has been made. Location and characteristics of buildings have been obtained from a survey carried out after the 1990 Potenza earthquake and further updated in 1999. In the second step, the absolute vulnerability of the buildings has been evaluated. A hybrid technique has been used, where typological analyses and expert judgement are combined together. Beyond the classes of vulnerability A, B and C of the MSK scale, the class D of EMS98 scale, for the less vulnerable buildings, has been considered. The third step has been the selection of the reference earthquakes by including also local amplification effects. Two events with 50 and 475 years return periods have been chosen as representative, respectively, of a damaging and of a destructive seismic event expected in Potenza. The sites that may exhibit important amplification effects have been identified using the first level method of the TC4 Manual. Damage scenarios of dwelling buildings have been prepared in the fourth step and reported in a GIS. They are relevant to the selected reference earthquakes, taking into account or not site effects. The generally low vulnerability of buildings results in a limited number of damaged buildings for the lower intensity earthquake, and of collapsed buildings, for the higher intensity earthquake. The influence of site effects on the damage distribution is significant. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

1980–1990: Ten years of geochemical investigation at Phlegrean Fields (Italy)

A systematic geochemical investigation on the thermal manifestations of the volcanic area of Phlegrean Fields started in 1980, with the aim of obtaining useful information about the changes possibly occurring at the same time of vertical ground movements, termed as “bradyseismic”, which frequently interested this area.The attention was initially given to the fumaroles and the boiling pools of Solfatara and Pisciarelli, then subsequently extended to thermal springs, dug wells, and crater lakes.Analytical data pertaining to a period preceding the last crisis of 1982–1984 were then available, as well as other data collected during the previous crisis of 1970; a comprehensive picture of the variations observed before, during and after the acceleration of vertical movement has been drawn.According to the results obtained, the intrusion of a magmatic body as the trigger of the observed ground deformation is considered unrealistic. The whole area appears now in a quiet stage, and no further perturbation is expected without previous significant tectonic activity; chemical precursors appear suitable for an early detection of changes occurring at depth, to forecast possible consequences to be expected in the surface environment.     

Relationships between joint apparent separation, Schmidt hammer rebound value, and distance to faults, in rocky outcrops, Calabria, Southern Italy

In order to investigate how the apparent separation of jointing varies according to the distance from faults, and how the mechanical properties of rock masses depend on this distance and jointing density, a number of regression analysis were performed on the variables s (apparent joint separation), d (distance from major fault), and sh (rebound value of Schmidt hammer).The variables were measured at 380 stations distributed over a wide study area located in the Aspromonte range in Calabria, Southern Italy.The most significant results of simple regression analysis are expressed by the formulas:

s=c+Fd⁰⁵