A two-dimensional analytical solution of groundwater responses to tidal loading in an estuary and ocean

Previous studies on tidal dynamics of coastal aquifers have focussed on the inland propagation of oceanic tides in the cross-shore direction, a configuration that is essentially one-dimensional. Aquifers at natural coasts can also be influenced by tidal waves in nearby estuaries, resulting in a more complex behaviour of head fluctuations in the aquifers. We present an analytical solution to the two-dimensional depth-averaged groundwater flow equation for a semi-infinite aquifer subject to oscillating head conditions at the boundaries. The solution describes the tidal dynamics of a coastal aquifer that is adjacent to a cross-shore estuary. Both the effects of oceanic and estuarine tides on the aquifer are included in the solution. The analytical prediction of the head fluctuations is verified by comparison with numerical solutions computed using a standard finite-difference method. An essential feature of the present analytical solution is the interaction between the cross- and along-shore tidal waves in the aquifer area near the estuary’s entry. As the distance from the estuary or coastline increases, the wave interaction is weakened and the aquifer response is reduced, respectively, to the one-dimensional solution for oceanic tides or the solution of Sun (Sun H. A two-dimensional analytical solution of groundwater response to tidal loading in an estuary, Water Resour Res 1997;33:1429–35) for two-dimensional non-interacting tidal waves.     

Rapid magmatic processes accompany arc–continent collision: the Western Bismarck arc, Papua New Guinea

New U–Th–Ra, major and trace element, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data are presented for young lavas from the New Britain and Western Bismarck arcs in Papua New Guinea. New Britain is an oceanic arc, whereas the latter is the site of an arc–continent collision. Building on a recent study of the Manus Basin, contrasts between the two arcs are used to evaluate the processes and timescales of magma generation accompanying arc–continent collision and possible slab detachment. All three suites share many attributes characteristic of arc lavas that can be ascribed to the addition of a regionally uniform subduction component derived from the subducting altered oceanic crust and sediment followed by dynamic melting of the modified mantle. However, the Western Bismarck arc lavas diverge from the Pb isotope mixing array formed by the New Britain and the Manus Basin lavas toward elevated ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb. We interpret this to reflect a second and subsequent addition of sediment melt at crustal depth during collision. ²³⁸U and ²²⁶Ra excesses are preserved in all of the lavas and are greatest in the Western Bismarck arc. High-Mg andesites with high Sr/Y ratios in the westernmost arc are attributed to recent shallow mantle flux melting at the slab edge. Data for two historical rhyolites are also presented. Although these rhyolites formed in quite different tectonic settings and display different geochemical and isotopic compositions, both formed from mafic parents within millennia.     

Application of airborne LiDAR data and airborne multispectral imagery to structural mapping of the upper section of the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus

Structural maps are traditionally produced by mapping features such as faults, folds, fabrics, fractures and joints in the field. However, large map areas and the spatially limited ground perspective of the field geologist can potentially increase the likelihood that not all structural features will be identified within a given area. The ability to recognise and map both local and regional structural features using high-resolution remote sensing data provides an opportunity to complement field-based mapping to help generate more comprehensive structural maps. Nonetheless, vegetation cover can adversely affect the extraction of structural information from remotely sensed data as it can mask the appearance of subtle spectral and geomorphological features that correspond to geological structures. This study investigates the utility of airborne Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data and airborne multispectral imagery for detailed structural mapping in vegetated ophiolitic rocks and sedimentary cover of a section of the northern Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus. Visual enhancement techniques were applied to a 4-m airborne LiDAR digital terrain model and 4-m airborne multispectral imagery to assist the generation of structural lineament maps. Despite widespread vegetation cover, dykes and faults were recognisable as lineaments in both data sets, and the predominant strike trends of lineaments in all resulting maps were found to be in agreement with field-based structural data. Interestingly, prior to fieldwork, most lineaments were assumed to be faults, but were ground-verified as dykes instead, emphasising the importance of ground-truthing. Dyke and fault trends documented in this study define a pervasive structural fabric in the upper Troodos ophiolite that reflects the original sea-floor spreading history in the Larnaca graben. This structural fabric has not previously been observed in such detail and is likely to be continuous in adjacent regions under sedimentary cover. This information may be useful to future exploration efforts in the region focused on identification of structurally controlled mineral and groundwater resources. Overall, our case study highlights the efficacy of airborne LiDAR data and airborne multispectral imagery for extracting detailed and accurate structural information in hard-rock terrain to help complement field-based mapping.     

Exploring the impact of diagenesis on (isotope) geochemical and microstructural alteration features in biogenic aragonite

For the Quaternary and Neogene, aragonitic biogenic and abiogenic carbonates are frequently exploited as archives of their environment. Conversely, pre‐Neogene aragonite is often diagenetically altered and calcite archives are studied instead. Nevertheless, the exact sequence of diagenetic processes and products is difficult to disclose from naturally altered material. Here, experiments were performed to understand biogenic aragonite alteration processes and products. Shell subsamples of the bivalve Arctica islandica were exposed to hydrothermal alteration. Thermal boundary conditions were set at 100°C, 175°C and 200°C. These comparably high temperatures were chosen to shorten experimental durations. Subsamples were exposed to different ¹⁸O‐depleted fluids for durations between two and twenty weeks. Alteration was documented using X‐ray diffraction, cathodoluminescence, fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy, as well as conventional and clumped isotope analyses. Experiments performed at 100°C show redistribution and darkening of organic matter, but lack evidence for diagenetic alteration, except in Δ₄₇ which show the effects of annealing processes. At 175°C, valves undergo significant aragonite to calcite transformation and neomorphism. The δ¹⁸O signature supports transformation via dissolution and reprecipitation, but isotopic exchange is limited by fluid migration through the subsamples. Individual growth increments in these subsamples exhibit bright orange luminescence. At 200°C, valves are fully transformed to calcite and exhibit purple‐blue luminescence with orange bands. The δ¹⁸O and Δ₄₇ signatures reveal exchange with the aqueous fluid, whereas δ¹³C remains unaltered in all experiments, indicating a carbonate‐buffered system. Clumped isotope temperatures in high‐temperature experiments show compositions in broad agreement with the measured temperature. Experimentally induced alteration patterns are comparable with individual features present in Pleistocene shells. This study represents a significant step towards sequential analysis of diagenetic features in biogenic aragonites and sheds light on reaction times and threshold limits. The limitations of a study restricted to a single test organism are acknowledged and call for refined follow‐up experiments.     

沉水植物氧化塘对污水厂尾水深度净化效果与机制的小试研究

室外采用玻璃缸装置研究了抚仙湖常见的9种沉水植物氧化塘对澄江县污水厂尾水营养盐的去除效果及机制.结果表明:氧化塘中沉水植物的光合作用导致水体较高的DO和pH值,从而提高氧化塘总氮和总磷的去除率,但沉水植物叶片的腐烂分解则提高了水体氮磷的含量.沉水植物氧化塘对总氮和总磷的去除率分别介于19.44%-64.71%和28.13%-98.33%.沉水植物的直接吸收对总氮和总磷量去除的贡献比较低,占氧化塘总氮和总磷量的0.26%-1.54%和0.47%-1.77%.沉水植物氧化塘内DO、pH变化,促进了氮的降解及氧化还原分解,使其对氮的去除占氧化塘总氮量的30.71%-65.25%,而磷的去除则主要通过化学沉淀及基质吸附,占氧化塘总磷量的73.37%-93.34%.最终,选出蓖齿眼子菜、苦草、黑藻、金鱼藻和光叶眼子菜对氧化塘中氮磷具有较高的去除率.     

The Stratigraphy,Sedimentology, and Fossils of the Haughton Formation: A Post-Impact Crater-Fill,Devon Island,N.W.T., Canada

Abstract— After the impact that formed Haughton crater, 22.4 ± 1.4 Ma ago (early Miocene), the cavity filled with water and began to accumulate lacustrine sediments. These preserve detailed evidence of pre-impact stratigraphy and post-impact morphology and development of the crater, as well as of the climatic and biotic regime in which it lay. In this report we formally designate these sediments as the Haughton Formation, of which only a 48 m thick remnant covering approximately 7 km² still exists. Dolomite-rich, poorly-sorted silt, fine sand, and mud are the principal lithologies. The formation unconformably overlies a blanket of allochthonous impact breccia forming the floor of the original crater. Presence of a debris-flow deposit in the base of the sequence indicates that lacustine deposition began very shortly after crater formation. The Haughton Formation contains a moderately diverse and highly endemic vertebrate fauna as well as palynomorphs and plant macrofossils that indicate a cool-temperate climatic regime. A small percentage of reworked Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary palynomorphs point to the former existence of the Eureka Sound Formation in the drainage area of the crater. In addition, the distribution of the lake beds indicates the absence of an inner ring on the west side of the crater, and the 3° to 3.5° inward dip of Haughton strata implies that the central mass has subsided approximately 300 to 350 m since deposition began.     

Report of centimeter-sized tektites in Pima County,Arizona, cannot be verified

Abstract— Glassy objects reportedly found in Pima County, Arizona, have been identified as tektites. A field survey of the area where they were said to occur, however, did not produce any other tektites, nor did it reveal any other geologic features that might indicate a nearby impact crater. The major-, minor-, and trace-element composition of one specimen is similar to those measured in indochinites, which suggests the objects reportedly from Pima County were instead transported to southern Arizona from Indochina by people.     

Sediment related impacts of climate change and reservoir development in the Lower Mekong River Basin: a case study of the Nam Ou Basin,Lao PDR

This study applies the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT), with climate (precipitation and temperature) outputs from four general circulation models (GCMs) and a regional circulation model (PRECIS), to evaluate (1) the impacts of climate change on reservoir sedimentation and (2) the impacts of climate change and reservoir development on sediment outflow in the Nam Ou River Basin located in northern Laos. Three reservoir–density scenarios, namely one reservoir (1R), three reservoirs in series (3R), and five reservoirs in series (5R), were evaluated for both no climate change and climate change conditions. The results show that under no climate change conditions, by 2070, around 17, 14, and 15% of the existing reservoir storage volume in the basin will be lost for 1R, 3R, and 5R scenarios, respectively. Notably, under climate change scenario with highest changes in erosion and sediment outflux from the basin, the additional reduction in reservoir storage capacity due to sedimentation is estimated to be nearly 26% for 1R, 21% for 3R, and 23% for 5R. Climate change alone is projected to change annual sediment outflux from the basin by ?20 to 151%. In contrast, the development of reservoirs in the basin will reduce the annual sediment outflux from the basin varying from 44 to 80% for 1R, 44–81% for 3R, and 66–89% for 5R, considering climate change. In conclusion, climate change is expected to increase the sediment yield of the Nam Ou Basin, resulting in faster reduction of the reservoir’s storage capacity. Sediment yield from the Nam Ou River Basin is likely to decrease significantly due to the trapping of sediment by planned reservoirs. The impact of reservoirs is much more significant than the impact of climate change on the sediment outflow of the basin. Hence, it is necessary to investigate appropriate reservoir sediment management strategies.