Hydrochemical features of the Kara Sea aquatic area in summer 2015

During cruise 65 of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in the Kara Sea, three transects were executed: one eastwards from the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago and two in the St. Anna and Voronin troughs. It was noted that the continental runoff affected the entire surveyed aquatic area, even at the northern extremity of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago. The transect along the St. Anna Trough showed the presence of a slope frontal zone overlaid at the surface by a desalinated layer. The Voronin Trough was characterized by sliding of slope waters. The hydrochemical parameters show that the surveys were carried out during a recession of biological activity of the waters and that the peak bloom was over by that time. The hydrochemical structure of waters conformed to early autumn conditions, but before the beginning of intense cooling of surface waters.     

Heterogeneity influences on stream water–groundwater interactions in a gravel-dominated floodplain

ABSTRACT

Floodplains are composed of complex depositional patterns of ancient and recent stream sediments, and research is needed to address the manner in which coarse floodplain materials affect stream–groundwater exchange patterns. Efforts to understand the heterogeneity of aquifers have utilized numerous techniques typically focused on point-scale measurements; however, in highly heterogeneous settings, the ability to model heterogeneity is dependent on the data density and spatial distribution. The objective of this research was to investigate the correlation between broad-scale methodologies for detecting heterogeneity and the observed spatial variability in stream/groundwater interactions of gravel-dominated alluvial floodplains. More specifically, this study examined the correlation between electrical resistivity (ER) and alluvial groundwater patterns during a flood event at a site on Barren Fork Creek, in the Ozark ecoregion of Oklahoma, USA, where chert gravels were common both as streambed and as floodplain material. Water table elevations from groundwater monitoring wells for a flood event on 1–5 May 2009 were compared to ER maps at various elevations. Areas with high ER matched areas with lower water table slope at the same elevation. This research demonstrated that ER approaches were capable of indicating heterogeneity in surface water–groundwater interactions, and that these heterogeneities were present even in an aquifer matrix characterized as highly conductive. Portions of gravel-dominated floodplain vadose zones characterized by high hydraulic conductivity features can result in heterogeneous flow patterns when the vadose zone of alluvial floodplains activates during storm events.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis; ASSOCIATE EDITOR X. Chen     

Validation of methods to estimate design discharge flow rates for dam spillways with large regulating capacity

Abstract

The estimation and review of discharge flow rates in hydraulic works is a fundamental problem in water management. In the case of dams with large regulating capacity, in order to estimate return periods of discharge flow rates from the spillways, it becomes necessary to consider both peak flow and volume of the incoming floods. In this paper, the results of the validation for several methods of assessing design floods for spillways of dams with a large flood control capacity are presented; the validation is performed by comparing the maximum outflows (or the maximum levels reached in the reservoir) obtained from the routing of the design floods with those obtained from the routing of the historical annual maximum floods. The basin of Malpaso Dam, Mexico, is used as the case study.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Domínguez, M.R. and Arganis, J.M.L., 2012. Validation of methods to estimate design discharge flow rates for dam spillways with large regulating capacity. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (3), 460–478.     

Basic Environmental–Hydrogeological Studies in the Territory of European Russia Affected by Chernobyl Accident

Water Resources - A procedure for assessing the protection of groundwater against pollution is considered. This is a basic procedure for tentative forecast estimates of changes in the...     

Classification of Harmonic Functions in the Exterior of a Unit Sphere and Its Application to the Description of the External Magnetic Field of the Earth

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The magnetic fields of a subterranean source observed on the Earth’s surface or from the orbit of a satellite are studied. We analyze the space of all harmonic...     

Multicomponent ionic diffusion in porewaters: Coulombic effects revisited

The diffusion of an ion in porewaters cannot occur independently of the other ions in solution as a result of Coulombic coupling, as well as from other effects not considered here. Unfortunately, a longstanding disagreement exists about the correct form and meaning of the equations that describe Coulombic coupling in porewaters, i.e., Ben-Yaakov [Am. J. Sci. 281 (1981) 974] vs. Lasaga [Am. J. Sci. 281 (1981) 981]. This paper re-examines this controversy by reformulating the problem starting from fundamental concepts of mass and charge conservation. We show that these antagonistic formulations are both valid and, in fact, equivalent, when the different interpretations of charge balance are resolved. Most of the disagreements between Ben-Yaakov and Lasaga are then shown to result from differing methods of solution, not fundamental disparities in their models. We note, however, that the explanation for the concept of “stationary” gradients of nonreacting ions as given Ben-Yaakov is inaccurate, and such gradients do lead to diffusive fluxes that are counterbalanced by electrochemical migrational fluxes to produce no net flux (excluding advective flux). We further find that the bicarbonate diffusive flux will not balance the diffusional charge flux of sulfate during its reduction if advection is present. This latter imbalance generates compensating fluxes in the other nonreacting ions. We have applied our theory to a simplified case of sulfate reduction in a marine sediment. The results show that nonreacting ions do diffuse and that with normally expected values of porewater advection, the ratio of the bicarbonate to the sulfate flux can be far different than the ideal value of −2.     

Probabilistic Assessment of Tsunami Recurrence in the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is one of the most tsunamigenic regions of the world and recently experienced a mega-tsunami in the Sumatra region on 26 December 2004 (M _W 9.2 earthquake) with tsunami intensity I (Soloviev-Imamura intensity scale) equal to 4.5, causing heavy destruction of lives and property in the Indian Ocean rim countries. In this study, probabilities of occurrences of large tsunamis with tsunami intensities I ≥ 2.0 and I ≥ 3.0 (average wave heights H ≥ 2.83 m and H ≥ 5.66 m, respectively) during a specified time interval were calculated using three stochastic models, namely, Weibull, gamma and lognormal. Tsunami recurrence was calculated for the whole Indian Ocean and the special case of the Andaman-Sumatra-Java (ASJ) region, excluding the 1945 Makran event from the main data set. For this purpose, a reliable, homogeneous and complete tsunami catalogue with I ≥ 2.0 during the period 1797–2006 was used. The tsunami hazard parameters were estimated using the method of maximum likelihood. The logarithm of likelihood function (ln L) was estimated and used to test the suitability of models in the examined region. The Weibull model was observed to be the most suitable model to estimate tsunami recurrence in the region. The sample mean intervals of occurrences of tsunamis with intensity I ≥ 2.0 and I ≥ 3.0 were calculated for the observed data as well as for the Weibull, gamma and lognormal models. The estimated cumulative and conditional probabilities in the whole Indian Ocean region show recurrence periods of about 27–30 years (2033–2036) and 35–36 years (2039–2040) for tsunami intensities I ≥ 2.0 and I ≥ 3.0, respectively, while it is about 31–35 years (2037–2041) and 41–42 years (2045–2046) for a tsunami of intensity I ≥ 2.0 and I ≥ 3.0, respectively, in the ASJ region. A high probability (>0.9) of occurrence of large tsunamis with I ≥ 2.0 in the next 30–40 years in the Indian Ocean region was revealed.     

Seasonal deformation regime of rifts in lowland rivers

Various schemes of within-year transformations of rifts from spring flood to low-water period and autumn freshets have been considered. Such transformations have been shown to manifest themselves in the displacement of rift trough from the upper to the lower point bars, accumulation of sediments in one phase of water regime and erosion of ridges in the other phase, as well as in the advancement of ridge-type micro- and meso-forms of channel relief onto rift saddle. Differences have been revealed between the regimes of rifts composed of sand and pebble-boulder sediments; specific features were identified in the regime of rifts in rivers in permafrost zones and rifts with rock protrusions on the bed.     

A model study on the effects of input motion on the seismic behaviour of tunnels

Tunnel behaviour under earthquake loading is affected by many factors such as shape, depth and stiffness of the tunnel lining and the nature of the input motion. However, current knowledge on the effects of these parameters on the seismic behaviour of tunnels is limited to lack of experimental or field data. Existing analytical methods are based on assumptions, the validity of which needs to be established using carefully conducted experimental studies and numerical analyses. This paper focuses on the effects of input motion characteristics on seismic behaviour of circular and square tunnels. Dynamic centrifuge tests were carried out on model tunnels using input motions of different amplitude and frequency. Accelerations and earth pressures around the tunnels were measured. Complementary Finite Element analyses were conducted with different types of input motions. Results show that magnitude of the maximum input acceleration plays a crucial role on the maximum and residual lining forces, which the tunnel experiences.