Monitoring systems for warning impending failures in slopes and open pit mines

Slope stability is a critical safety and production issue for mining. Major wall failure can occur seemingly without any visual warning, causing loss of lives, damage to equipment, and disruption to the mining process. Monitoring systems, ranging from simple piezometers and extensometers to highly sophisticated radars and global navigation satellite systems, are employed to predict impending instabilities and failure. Here, we provide a review of the available monitoring systems used in slope management and highlight their major advantages and shortcomings. We propose a simple method for evaluating the effectiveness and reliability of monitoring systems to warn of pending slope failures. The method is based on constructing monitoring reliability maps for the slope by evaluating two slope parameters: Expected deformation to failure and critical reading frequency, which depend on the slope characteristics (e.g., geology and design), service condition (e.g., rainfall, blast), and the economic impact of the failure. The reliability of a deformation monitoring system can be subsequently assessed by identifying three parameters of the system: Coverage area (large or discrete), Deformation monitoring precision, and Measurement frequency. The application of the method to most commonly used deformation monitoring systems is demonstrated. The advantages and implications of the proposed method are highlighted.     

Genesis of the Khaluta alkaline-basic Ba-Sr carbonatite complex (West Transbaikala, Russia)

The Khaluta carbonatite complex comprizes fenites, alkaline syenites and shonkinites, and calcite and dolomite carbonatites. Textural and compositional criteria, melt inclusions, geochemical and isotopic data, and comparisons with relevant experimental systems show that the complex formed by liquid immiscibility of a carbonate-saturated parental silicate melt. Mineral and stable isotope geothermometers and melt inclusion measurements for the silicate rocks and carbonatite all give temperatures of crystallization of 915–1,000°C and 890–470°C, respectively. Melt inclusions containing sulphate minerals, and sulphate-rich minerals, most notably apatite and monazite, occur in all of the lithologies in the Khaluta complex. All lithologies, from fenites through shonkinites and syenites to calcite and dolomite carbonatites, and to hydrothermal mineralisation are further characterized by high Ba and Sr activity, as well as that of SO3 with formation of the sulphate minerals baryte, celestine and baryte-celestine. Thus, the characteristic features of the Khaluta parental melt were elevated concentrations of SO₃, Ba and Sr. In addition to the presence of SO₃, calculated fO₂ for magnetites indicate a high oxygen fugacity and that Fe⁺³>Fe⁺² in the Khaluta parental melt. Our findings suggest that the mantle source for Khaluta carbonatite and associated rocks, as well as for other carbonatites of the West Transbaikalia carbonatite province, were SO₃-rich and characterized by high oxygen fugacity.     

Long-Term Trends in Submersed Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in Chesapeake Bay, USA, Related to Water Quality

Chesapeake Bay supports a diverse assemblage of marine and freshwater species of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) whose broad distributions are generally constrained by salinity. An annual aerial SAV monitoring program and a bi-monthly to monthly water quality monitoring program have been conducted throughout Chesapeake Bay since 1984. We performed an analysis of SAV abundance and up to 22 environmental variables potentially influencing SAV growth and abundance (1984–2006). Historically, SAV abundance has changed dramatically in Chesapeake Bay, and since 1984, when SAV abundance was at historic low levels, SAV has exhibited complex changes including long-term (decadal) increases and decreases, as well as some large, single-year changes. Chesapeake Bay SAV was grouped into three broad-scale community-types based on salinity regime, each with their own distinct group of species, and detailed analyses were conducted on these three community-types as well as on seven distinct case-study areas spanning the three salinity regimes. Different trends in SAV abundance were evident in the different salinity regimes. SAV abundance has (a) continually increased in the low-salinity region; (b) increased initially in the medium-salinity region, followed by fluctuating abundances; and (c) increased initially in the high-salinity region, followed by a subsequent decline. In all areas, consistent negative correlations between measures of SAV abundance and nitrogen loads or concentrations suggest that meadows are responsive to changes in inputs of nitrogen. For smaller case-study areas, different trends in SAV abundance were also noted including correlations to water clarity in high-salinity case-study areas, but nitrogen was highly correlated in all areas. Current maximum SAV coverage for almost all areas remain below restoration targets, indicating that SAV abundance and associated ecosystem services are currently limited by continued poor water quality, and specifically high nutrient concentrations, within Chesapeake Bay. The nutrient reductions noted in some tributaries, which were highly correlated to increases in SAV abundance, suggest management activities have already contributed to SAV increases in some areas, but the strong negative correlation throughout the Chesapeake Bay between nitrogen and SAV abundance also suggests that further nutrient reductions will be necessary for SAV to attain or exceed restoration targets throughout the bay.     

Structure of the chromosphere-corona transition region

The structure and energy balance of the chromosphere-corona transition region is investigated by means of a static, planar model which is compared with the results of XUV-resonance-line observations. In this model, the transition region is heated by thermal conduction from the corona and cooled by radiative losses. Comparison of the model with observational results implies that this is the dominant process in the energy balance of the transition region, and that the base of the transition region is inherently non-static and/or non-planar. The model explains the observational finding of Noyes et al. (1970) that the number density and the downward heat flux both increase by the same factor from quiet regions to active regions. The implications of these results are discussed with regard to spicules.     

A comparison of neustonic plastic and zooplankton at different depths near the southern California shore

Previous studies of neustonic debris have been limited to surface sampling. Here we conducted two trawl surveys, one before and one shortly after a rain event, in which debris and zooplankton density were measured at three depths in Santa Monica Bay, California. Surface samples were collected with a manta trawl, mid-depth samples with a bongo net and bottom samples with an epibenthic sled, all having 333 micron nets. Density of debris was greatest near the bottom, least in midwater. Debris density increased after the storm, particularly at the sampling site closest to shore, reflecting inputs from land-based runoff and resuspended matter. The mass of plastic collected exceeded that of zooplankton, though when the comparison was limited to plastic debris similar to the size of most zooplankton, zooplankton mass was three times that of debris.     

Evaluation of a Florida coastal golf complex as a local and watershed source of bioavailable contaminants

Contaminant fate in coastal areas impacted by golf course runoff is not well understood. This report summarizes trace metal, pesticide and PCB residues for colonized periphyton, Ruppia maritima (widgeon grass), Callinectes sapidus Rathbun (blue crabs) and Crassostrea virginica Gemlin (Eastern oyster) collected from areas adjacent to a Florida golf course complex which receive runoff containing reclaimed municipal wastewater. Concentrations of 19 chlorinated pesticides and 18 PCB congeners were usually below detection in the biota. In contrast, 8 trace metals were commonly detected although concentrations were not usually significantly different for biota collected from reference and non-reference coastal areas. Residue concentrations in decreasing order were typically: zinc, arsenic, copper, chromium, lead, nickel, cadmium and mercury. Mean BCF values for the eight trace metals ranged between 160-57000 (periphyton), 79-11033 (R. maritima), 87-162625 (C. virginica) and 12-9800 (C. sapidus). Most trace metal residues in periphyton colonized adjacent to the golf complex, were either similar to or significantly less than those reported for periphyton colonized in nearby coastal areas impacted by urban stormwater runoff and treated municipal and industrial wastewater discharges. Consequently, the recreational complex does not appear to be a major source of bioavailable contaminants locally nor in the immediate watershed based on results for the selected biota.     

Archaean lode gold mineralisation in banded iron formation at the Kalahari Goldridge deposit, Kraaipan Greenstone Belt, South Africa

The Kalahari Goldridge Mine is located within the Archaean Kraaipan Greenstone Belt, about 60 km southwest of Mafikeng in the North West Province, South Africa. The ore body thickness varies from 15 to 45 m along a strike length of about 1.5 km within approximately N–S striking banded iron formation (BIF). The stratabound ore body is hosted primarily by BIF, which consists of alternating chert and magnetite–chlorite–stilpnomelane–sulphide–carbonate bands of millimetre- to centimetre scale. A footwall of sericite–carbonate–chlorite schist underlain by mafic amphibolite occurs to the west and carbonaceous metapelites in the hanging wall to the east. Overlying the hanging wall, carbonaceous metapelites, units of coarse-grained metagreywackes fining upwards, become increasingly conglomeratic up the stratigraphy. Small-scale isoclinal folds, brecciation, extension fractures and boudinage of cherty BIF units reflect brittle-ductile deformation. Fold axial planes have foliation, with subvertical plunges parallel to prominent rodding and mineral lineation in the footwall rocks. Gold mineralisation is associated with two generations of quartz–carbonate veins, dipping approximately 20° to 40° W. The first generation consists of ladder-vein sets (group IIA) preferentially developed in centimetre-scale Fe-rich mesobands, whereas the second generation consists of large quartz–carbonate veins (group IIB), which locally crosscut the entire ore body and extend into the footwall and hanging wall. The ore body is controlled by mesoscale isoclinal folds approximately 67° E, orthogonal to the plane of mineralised, gently dipping veins, defining the principal stretching direction and development of fluid-focussing conduits. The intersections of the mineralised veins and foliation planes of the host rock plunges approximately 08° to the north. Pervasive hydrothermal alteration is characterised by chloritisation, carbonatisation, sulphidation and K-metasomatism. Gold is closely associated with sulphides, mainly pyrite and pyrrhotite, and to a lesser extent, with bismuth tellurides and carbonate minerals. Mass balance transfer calculations indicate that hydrothermal alteration of BIF involved enrichment of Au, Ag, Bi, Te, S and CO₂ (LOI), MgO, Ba, K and Rb, but significant depletion of SiO₂ and, to a lesser extent, Fe₂O₃. Extensive replacement of magnetite and chlorite in BIF and other pelitic sedimentary rocks by sulphide and carbonate minerals, both on mesoscopic and microscopic scales, is evidence of interaction of CO₂- and H₂S-bearing fluids with the Fe-rich host rocks. The fineness of gold grains ranges from 823 to 921, similar to that of other epigenetic Archaean BIF-hosted gold deposits, worldwide.     

The role of submarine groundwater discharge in coastal biogeochemistry

The advection of fluids from sediments into the coastal ocean provides a source of nutrients, metals, carbon, and chemical tracers. Of these tracers radium isotopes have proved to be useful in quantifying fluxes of the other components and evaluating sources. Models that use radium must evaluate assumptions that are inherent in the models. The results of these studies demonstrate that submarine groundwater discharge must be considered as a significant source of nutrients, carbon, and metals to the coastal ocean.     

The Effect of the Sea-ice Zone on the Development of Boundary-layer Roll Clouds During Cold Air Outbreaks

High latitude air–sea interaction is an important component of the earth’s climate system and the exchanges of mass and energy over the sea-ice zone are complicated processes that, at present, are not well understood. In this paper, we perform a series of numerical experiments to examine the effect of sea-ice concentration on the development of high latitude boundary-layer roll clouds. The experiments are performed at sufficiently high spatial resolution to be able to resolve the individual convective roll clouds, and over a large enough domain to be able to examine the roll’s downstream development. Furthermore the high spatial resolution of the experiments allows for an explicit representation of heterogeneity within the sea-ice zone. The results show that the sea-ice zone has a significant impact on the atmospheric boundary-layer development, which can be seen in both the evolution of the cloud field and the development of heat and moisture transfer patterns. In particular, we find the air-sea exchanges of momentum, moisture and heat fluxes are modified by the presence of the roll vortices (typically a 10% difference in surface heat fluxes between updrafts and downdrafts) and by the concentration and spatial distribution of the sea-ice. This suggests that a more realistic representation of processes over the sea-ice zone is needed to properly calculate the air-sea energy and mass exchange budgets.     

“Functional localities: an integrated spatial approach towards health care locality definition”

This paper demonstrates a spatial approach towards the definition of localities for health care planning. Recent international decentralisation of health care provision, and more specifically devolution within the United Kingdom, emphasises the need to develop a geographical focus in the delimitation of local structures for health care planning. Geographers, but most especially those applying Geographical Information Science (GIS) techniques, have made enormous contributions in this field and more generally in research related to health services. This paper considers some of these previous approaches and moves on in the light of new technologies, and more importantly the availability of appropriate data, to create localities that reflect dynamic spaces of social interaction, administration and policy. The paper’s focus is placed on the importance of flow data that reflects␣the spatial interaction between services and the population. This data, divided into three sub-groups of administration, education and health, allows us to identify the population’s allegiance to place and ultimately create spatially bounded functional localities that reflect this. Whilst the approach is largely technology driven, it also incorporates the expertise of local health care professionals thus recognising the importance of collaboration and multi-sectoral engagement. Although this combined approach impacted upon the way in which the final localities were defined, crucially it enabled us to incorporate features of both rigorous spatial analysis and a wealth of local knowledge.