Benthic nitrate biogeochemistry affected by tidal modulation of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) through a sandy beach face, Ria Formosa, Southwestern Iberia

To investigate both the role of tides on the timing and magnitude of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD), and the effect on benthic nitrogen biogeochemistry of nitrate-enriched brackish water percolating upwards at the seepage face, we conducted a study of SGD rates measured simultaneously with seepage meters and mini-piezometers, combined with sets (n = 39) of high resolution in-situ porewater profiles describing NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, Si(OH)₄ and salinity distribution with depth (0–20 cm). Sampling took place during two consecutive spring tidal cycles in four different months (November 2005, March, April and August 2006) at a backbarrier beach face in the Ria Formosa lagoon, southern Portugal. Our results show that the tide is one of the major agents controlling the timing and magnitude of SGD into the Ria Formosa. Intermittent pumping of brackish, nitrate-bearing water at the beach face through surface sediments changed both the magnitudes and depth distributions of porewater NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ concentrations. The most significant changes in nitrate and ammonium concentrations were observed in near-surface sediment horizons coinciding with increased fraction of N in benthic organic matter, as shown by the organic C:N ratio. On the basis of mass balance calculations executed on available benthic profiles, providing ratios of net Ammonium Production Rate (APR) to Nitrate Reduction Rate (NRR), coupled to stoichiometric calculations based on the composition of organic matter, potential pathways of nitrogen transformation were speculated upon. Although the seepage face occasionally contributes to reduce the groundwater-borne DIN loading of the lagoon, mass balance analysis suggests that a relatively high proportion of the SGD-borne nitrogen flowing into the lagoon may be enhanced by nitrification at the shallow (1–3 cm) subsurface and modulated by dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA).     

Numerical simulation of groundwater flowing to horizontal seepage wells under a river

A horizontal seepage well, consisting of an interconnected vertical well, galleries, chambers and small-diameter radiating bores, is used to acquire relatively clean water that has been filtered through natural alluvial deposits in a riverbed. It has wide application, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. The lack of calculation formulae or models for horizontal seepage wells, up until now, has resulted in several false applications. Based on the analysis of groundwater flow characteristics, it has been concluded that several flow regimes coexist and hydraulic head loss exists in the horizontal seepage well. To avoid the difficulty of confirming the flux or head distribution in such a complex system, the model boundary of the whole horizontal seepage well has been moved to that of just the vertical well, and the well-aquifer system was treated as a heterogeneous medium, where the horizontal seepage well itself is a highly permeability medium. A mathematical model has been developed, based on the coupled seepage-pipe flow, by the introduction of equivalent hydraulic conductivity according to different flow regimes. Then a three-dimensional finite difference numerical model, based on the mathematical model, was developed and applied to a horizontal seepage well in China. The numerical model verified the groundwater flow characteristics of the horizontal seepage well. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Analysis of radial movement of an unconfined leaky aquifer due to well pumping and injection

Radial movement of an unconfined leaky aquifer was studied with respect to hydraulic forces that are induced by well recharge and discharge. New analytic solutions in the velocity and displacement fields were found and applied to describe transient movement in an unconfined leaky aquifer. Linear momentum and mass balance of saturated porous sediments, the Darcy-Gersevanov law, and the analytic solution of hydraulic drawdown for unsteady flow within the unconfined leaky aquifer were introduced to find the new solutions. Analytic results indicate that the nonlinear relation between the initial hydraulic head (h₀) and the well function has an insignificant effect on the aquifer transient movement when the drawdown s<0.02h ₀. When the well function is simplified with different assumptions and pumping conditions, the new solutions correspondingly reduce to cases that are similar to the Hantush-Jacob, Muskat, and Theis transient movement of a confined leaky aquifer. It was found that large leakance is important in slowing radial movement and reducing aquifer deformation. Flow velocity in the aquifer is more responsive to leakance than to cumulative displacement within the aquifer. The zones and boundary with tensile stress can be located using the same approach applied to a confined aquifer for risk assessment of earth fissuring.

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Résumé Le mouvement radial dans un aquifère semi-perméable libre a été étudié en considérant les forces hydrauliques induites par la recharge et le prélèvement au niveau d’un puits. De nouvelles solutions analytiques des champs de vitesse et de déplacement ont été trouvées et appliquées pour décrire le mouvement transitoire dans un aquifère semi-perméable libre. Pour trouver les nouvelles solutions, le moment linéaire et le bilan de masse dans les sédiments poreux saturés, la loi de Darcy-Gersevanov, et la solution analytique du rabattement hydraulique pour un écoulement transitoire dans un aquifère semi-perméable libre sont pris en compte. Les résultats analytiques montrent que la relation non-linéaire entre le potentiel hydraulique initial (h₀) et la fonction de puits a un effet insignifiant sur le mouvement transitoire de l’aquifère quand le rabattements s <0.02h₀. Si la fonction de puits est simplifiée en tenant compte de différentes hypothèses et conditions de pompage, les nouvelles solutions se réduisent en conséquence à des cas similaires au mouvement transitoire dans un aquifère semi-perméable captif selon Hantush-Jacob, Muskat, et Theis. Il s’est avéré qu’une drainance élevée est importante pour le ralentissement du mouvement radial et la réduction de la déformation de l’aquifère. La vitesse d’écoulement dans l’aquifère est plus sensible à la drainance qu’au déplacement cumulé dans l’aquifère. Les zones et la frontière présentant des contraintes de traction peuvent être localisées en utilisant la même approche appliquée à un aquifère captif pour l’évaluation des risques de fissuration du sol.

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Resumen Se ha estudiado el movimiento radial en un acuífero no confinado con fuga en relación a las fuerzas hidráulicas que son inducidas por la descarga y recarga del pozo. Se encontraron nuevas soluciones analíticas en los campos de desplazamiento y velocidad, las cuales se aplicaron para describir el movimiento transitorio en un acuífero no confinado con fuga. Se han introducido cálculos de balance de masa y momentum lineal de los sedimentos porosos saturados, la Ley Darcy-Gersevanov, y la solución analítica de descenso hidráulico para flujo sin régimen permanente dentro del acuífero no confinado con goteo para encontrar las nuevas soluciones. Los resultados analíticos indican que la relación no lineal entre la presión hidráulica inicial (h₀) y la función del pozo tiene efecto insignificante en el movimiento transitorio del acuífero cuando el descenso s < 0.02h₀. Cuando se simplifica la función del pozo en base a diferentes supuestos y condiciones de bombeo se reducen las nuevas soluciones a casos que son similares a el movimiento transitorio Hantush-Jacob, Muskat, y Theis de un acuífero confinado con goteo. Se encontró que las fugas grandes son importantes en la disminución del movimiento radial y en la reducción de la deformación del acuífero. La velocidad de flujo en el acuífero responde más a las fugas que al desplazamiento acumulativo dentro del acuífero. Pueden localizarse zonas y límites con esfuerzos tensionales usando el mismo enfoque aplicado a acuíferos confinados para evaluación de riesgo de generación de fracturas en el terreno.

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地下水位升降对某场地地基土承载力的影响

通过工程实例，分析了对比地下水位升降对地基土的物理力学性质的影响，定量地总结了地下水位上升对地基土承载力的削弱情况。     

A feather hydrogen isoscape for Mexico

Developing useful biological isoscapes for areas of the world is a priority. This is the case for Mexico that hosts a large percentage of North America's Neotropical migrant birds. Here we investigated the use of House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) feathers to create a spatially explicit feather deuterium isoscape for that country using samples (n = 461) that were collected across Mexico. Considerable and useful spatial hydrogen isotopic structure was observed, suggesting that isotopes may be a potential forensic tool for evaluating origins of Mexican derived fauna and flora. The most positive feather δD values occurred in the northeast and most negative in the south-central part of the country, roughly matching δD patterns observed in groundwater. A weak negative isotopic relationship was found with altitude in both the Pacific and Atlantic drainage systems. The most parsimonious model describing isotopic spatial variation in feathers between 300 and 3000 m a.s.l. included groundwater δD (δD_gw; precipitation proxy), sex, amount of precipitation, and the coefficient of variation in amount of precipitation. Overall, δD_gw was a poor predictor of sparrow δD_f values for all of Mexico. However, this relationship was considerably strengthened when we considered sex separately, removed the Baja peninsula from our sample, and considered the Atlantic and Pacific drainage basins separately. The strongest relationship between δD_gw and δD_f was found for female sparrows in the Atlantic drainage basin (r² = 0.464). We recommend that researchers interested in inferring origins of migratory birds and other animals in Mexico create species specific isotopic basemaps that may be guided by the isotopic patterns we have observed for House Sparrows and groundwater.     

Spatial assessment and redesign of a groundwater quality monitoring network using entropy theory, Gaza Strip, Palestine

Using entropy theory, a methodology was developed for the evaluation and redesign of groundwater quality monitoring wells in the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Essential to the methodology is the development of a Transinformation Model (TM) which yields the amount of information transfer and the dependency between the wells as a function of distance. The TM parameters, such as the minimum transinformation and the range, were employed for evaluating the network which revealed that most of the distances between wells were less than the range. It also indicated that a high percentage of redundant information existed in the network. Therefore, the network was reduced by superimposing a square pattern over the monitored area and selecting one well per square block in a stratified pattern. The methodology was tested using the chloride data collected from 1972–2000 from 417 groundwater quality monitoring wells in the Gaza Strip. The number of the groundwater quality monitoring wells in the Gaza Strip was reduced by 53%, while there was 26% redundant information based on the minimum existing distance between wells. This methodology is meant to help monitor the groundwater quality (salinity) in the Gaza Strip.     

地下水对地基沉降计算的影响评价

高层建筑地基方案的选择多以变形（沉降或差异沉降）控制,而地基沉降计算是建筑工程勘察阶段地基方案评价的一项重要任务,其计算分析结果直接影响地基基础方案的选择。而地下水对沉降计算结果有很大影响,通过具体工程实例分析了地基沉降计算中地下水位的选取、地下水位的变化等对地基沉降结果的影响。     

The chemistry of bottled mineral and spring waters from Norway,Sweden, Finland and Iceland

Twenty-two bottled mineral and spring waters from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland have been analysed for 71 inorganic chemical parameters with low detection limits as a subset of a large European survey of bottled groundwater chemistry (N = 884). The Nordic bottled groundwaters comprise mainly Ca–Na–HCO₃–Cl water types, but more distinct Ca–HCO₃, Na HCO₃ and Na–Cl water types are also offered. The distributions for most elements fall between groundwater from Fennoscandian Quaternary unconsolidated aquifers and groundwater from Norwegian crystalline bedrock boreholes. Treated tap waters have slightly lower median values for many parameters, but elements associated with plumbing have significantly higher concentrations in tap waters than in bottled waters. The small dataset is able to show that excessive fluoride and uranium contents are potential drinking water problems in Fennoscandia. Nitrate and arsenic displayed low to moderate concentrations, but the number of samples from Finland and Northern Sweden was too low to detect that elevated concentrations of arsenic occur in bedrock boreholes in some regions. The data shows clearly that water sold in plastic bottles is contaminated with antimony. Antimony is toxic and suspected to be carcinogenic, but the levels are well below the EU drinking water limit. The study does not provide any health-based arguments for buying bottled mineral and spring waters for those who are served with drinking water from public waterworks. Drinking water from crystalline bedrock aquifers should be analysed. In case of elevated concentrations of fluoride, uranium or arsenic, most bottled waters, but not all, will be better alternatives when treatment of the well water is not practicable.