Petrogenesis and 230Th-238U disequilibrium at Mt. Shasta,California, and in the Cascades

Petrogenesis at Mt. Shasta is dominated by mixing of magmas and/or assimilation of wall rock, as is shown by petrographic, major and trace element chemistry, and ²³⁸U-²³⁰Th disequilibrium data. At least three end- members are involved in these mixing processes. Lavas of very young Cascades lavas, from Mt. Garibaldi in the north to Lassen Peak in the south, are characterized by a large range of thorium isotopic ratios, although series of samples from single volcanoes are characterized by approximately constant (²³⁰Th/²³²Th). There is a monotonic decrease in this ratio from Crater Lake south through Lassen Peak, perhaps reflecting increasing thickness of the underlying crust. Th/U fractionation in Cascades lavas, as evidenced by (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) 1, is in the opposite sense to that in most island arc lavas. This trend suggests that fluid transport, which is thought to produce uranium enrichment in island arc, is lacking or somehow modified in the petrogenesis of the Cascades lavas.     

Response to pumping of a weathered-fractured granite aquifer

A pumping test in a granite aquifer provides information about the interaction between the upper weathered zone and lower fractured zone. A radial flow numerical model is used to interpret the test and estimate aquifer parameters. This model successfully reproduces both the fractured zone response and the shallow weathered zone response which is characterised by increasing drawdown even after abstraction ceases. When the deep fractured aquifer was exploited, a serious decline in groundwater heads and yields occurred; this behaviour can be reproduced by the model. The model is then used to investigate the effective long-term exploitation of the aquifer and the results indicate that dug-cum-bore wells can be used for the safe and efficient exploitation of the aquifer resources.     

An empirical study of the economic effects of climate change on world agriculture

The economic effects of a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on world agriculture under two alternative crop response scenarios are empirically estimated. These effects include both changes in the prices of agricultural commodities as a result of changes in domestic agricultural yields, and changes in economic welfare following altered world patterns of consumption and production of agricultural commodities. Under both scenarios, with a few exceptions, the effects on national economic welfare are found to be quite modest. However, prices of agricultural commodities are estimated to rise considerably under the more pessimistic scenario. Increased agricultural prices reduce consumer surplus and diminish the benefits from climate change that some countries with predicted positive yield effects would otherwise receive.Authorship is equally shared. Reilly and Tobey are with the Resources and Technology Division, Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Kane is with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. We are grateful for the research assistance of Rhonda Bucklin, and the thoughtful comments of three anonymous reviewers. The views expressed in this paper are the authors' own and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Department of Commerce.     

Dynamics of a confined lava flow on Kilauea volcano,Hawaii

This paper presents a new method of analysing lava flow deposits which allows the velocity, discharge rate and rheological properties of channelled moving lavas to be calculated. The theory is applied to a lava flow which was erupted on Kilauea in July 1974. This flow came from a line of fissures on the edge of the caldera and was confined to a pre-existing gully within 50 m of leaving the vent. The lava drained onto the floor of the caldera when the activity stopped, but left wall and floor deposits which showed that the lava banked up as it flowed around each of the bends. Field surveys established the radius of curvature of each bend and the associated lava levels, and these data, together with related field and laboratory measurements, are used to study the rheology of the lava. The results show the flow to have been fast moving but still laminar, with a mean velocity of just over 8 m s^–1; the lava had a low or negligible yield strength and viscosities in the range 85–140 Pa s. An extension of the basic method is considered, and the possibility of supercritical flow discussed.     

Luminescence dating of canal sediments from Angkor Borei, Mekong Delta, Southern Cambodia

Work to apply luminescence dating to archaeological sites in the Lower Mekong Delta has continued with a programme aimed at dating ancient canal sediments and brick monuments in the vicinity of ancient city of Angkor Borei. Following the successful application of OSL dating to the Paris 2 canal near Angkor Borei further fieldwork and analysis has been undertaken. The infill and substrate of the larger Paris 4 canal connecting Angkor Borei to Oc Eo, some 80 km to the south in Vietnam has been sampled and subjected to luminescence analysis. Field spectroscopy and underwater bleaching experiments were also conducted in the Baray and Angkor Borei in 2004. The results show that both illumination intensities and spectral distributions are severely altered by as little as 1.5 m of turbid water, and that OSL bleaching rates for both quartz and feldspars are reduced. Since quartz resetting is heavily dependant on the UV components in daylight, which have preferentially attenuated the effects of turbid water on OSL zeroing rates are especially marked. The new data from the Paris 4 canal, which has been dated by OSL to be between the first millenium BC and the late first millenium AD are significant to understanding the archaeological development of the Fu Nan state in the Lower Mekong Delta, and the sequence of development of the canal network linking inland agrarian sites and coastal trading centres.     

The energy exchange within a vegetation layer

Summary The concept of vegetation as a multi-layered heat exchange system is discussed with reference to measurements in a barley field. These measurements included the monitoring of net radiation at various levels inside the crop and the conducted heat flux in the soil for typical clear and overcast days. The diurnal variations of the components of the heat balance throughout the crop are discussed, computing the combined flux of sensible and latent heat as a remainder term. The results show a complete reversal of the flux of sensible and latent heat from the top of the crop to the soil surface: during the night the surface loses heat by eddy diffusion as well as radiation and during the day it gains heat through both these processes. The total heat exchange between the crop and the atmosphere gives the usual heat gains by eddy diffusion during the night and losses during the day. The radiation absorbed by a layer of vegetation is converted into sensible and latent heat and 80% of the total energy exchange takes place in the upper half of the crop. The magnitude of the exchange process falls off rapidly with depth in the crop.

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Zusammenfassung Die Vegetation wird als mehrschichtiges System im Hinblick auf den Wärmeaustausch betrachtet, wobei Messungen in einem Gerstenfeld verwendet werden. Die Messungen umfaßten die Registrieuung der Wärmebilanz in verschiedenen Höhen im Getreidestand und des Wärmeflusses im Boden an typischen klaren und bedeckten Tagen. Der Tagesgang der Komponenten der Wärmebilanz durch die Vegetationsschicht wird untersucht, dabei wird die Summe des Fluesses von fühlbarer und von latenter Wärme als Restglied berechnet. Die Resultate zeigen eine vollkommene Umkehr des Flusses von fühlbarer und latenter Wärme von der Obergrenze des Getreidestandes zum Boden: während der Nacht verliert die Erdoberfläche Wärme sowohl durch turbulenten Austausch wie durch Strahlung, während des Tages nimmt sie durch beide Prozesse Wärme auf. Der gesamte Wärmeastausch zwischen dem Getreidefeld und der Atmosphäre ergibt die gewöhnlichen Wärmegewinne durch turbulenten Austausch bei Nacht und die Wärmeverluste bei Tag. Die von der Vegetationsschicht absorbierte Strahlung wird in fühlbare und latente Wärme umgesetzt, wobei 80% des gesamten Wärmeaustausches in der oberen Hälfte der Vegetationsschicht erfolgen. Die Größe des Austauschprozesses vermindert sich rasch mit der Tiefe in der Vegetationsschicht.

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Résumé On considère ici la végétation comme un système à plusieurs strates vis à vis des échanges de chaleur. Pour cela on se sert de mesures effectuées dans un champ d'orge. Ces mesures comprenaient l'enregistrement du bilan de chaleur à différentes hauteurs dans le dit champ ainsi que du flux de chaleur dans le sol à des jours typiques: couverts ou clairs. On étudie l'évolution diurne des composantes du bilan de chaleur au travers de la couche végétale. Pour ce faire, on clacule la somme du flux des chaleurs sensible et latente comme terme final de l'équation. Les résultats montrent une inversion complète du flux de ces deux chaleurs de la surface supérieure du champ jusqu'au sol. Pendant la nuit, la surface du sol perd de la chaleur aussi bien par des échanges turbulents que par rayonnement. Pendant le jour, le sol reçoit de la chaleur par ces deux processus. L'échange total de chaleur entre le champ d'orge et l'atmosphère présente les gains de chaleur ordinaire par turbulence de nuit et les pertes de jour. Le rayonnement absorbé par la couche végétale est transformé en chaleur latente et sensible. 80% de la totalité des échanges de chaleur se passent dans la moitié supérieure de la couche végétale. L'importance des processus d'échange diminue rapidement avec la profondeur de la couche végétale.

     

Rapid Assessment of Trichloroethylene in Ground Water

On-site analysis of trichloroethylene (TCE) in aqueous samples by head- space sample preparation and gas chromatography (HS/GC) provides for quick and precise concentration estimates. This analytical approach is well suited for the on-site determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a variety of sample matrices, including ground water and saturated and unsatured soils. For these reasons, HS/GC can be used to establish analyte concentrations on a near real time basis to help select appropriate casing material during monitoring well installation. This application and the collection of multiple well samples during sampling events facilitates the hydrogeological site interpretation and the formulation of remediation strategies.     

Improvement of a Monoclonal Antibody-based Immunoassay for the Determination of Terbutryn Verbesserung eines Immunassays mit monoklonalen Antikörpern zur Bestimmung von Terbutryn

The performance of an existing enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) for the determination of terbutryn was improved by the application of a new enzyme tracer. For this purpose the triazine derivative 6-chloro-2-(tert-butylamino)-1,3,5-triazine-4-(6-aminohexane carboxylic acid) was coupled to horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The competitive EIA on microwell plates made it possible to determine terbutryn in the range from 0.05 to 1 μg/L with a 50% B/B₀ value of the test at 0.2 μg/L. The application of the EIA to determine terbutryn in spiked surface waters provided good recoveries of terbutryn without matrix effects.