Post-drilling destabilization of temperature profile in borehole Yaxcopoil-1, Mexico

As part of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), the 1.5-km-deep borehole Yaxcopoil-1, located in the Chixculub meteor impact structure in Mexico, has undergone further study after drilling operations ceased. Temperature logs were repeated ten times at intervals 0.3–0.8, 15, 24 and 34 months after borehole shut-in. The logs bear a distinct signature of transient heat transfer by groundwater flow manifested by a gradual distortion of the linear temperature profile when a cold wave of 0.8–1.6°C amplitude was detected propagating downward from 145 to 312 m at a rate of 4–6 m/month. To understand the nature of this moving anomaly, a 20-day monitoring of the cold wave was carried out at a depth of 307 m that showed further cooling of 0.6°C during the first 16 days of the passage followed by temperature stabilisation. As an explanation of this unusual phenomenon, a theory is proposed, whereby the drilling mud has accumulated within the overlying and cooler highly porous and permeable karstic rocks during the drilling and migrates downward. The observed migration rate suggests a permeability higher than 10^?11 m². This indicates a high vulnerability to contamination of the only freshwater aquifer in the Yucatan region.     

济宁二号矿孤岛工作面冲击矿压危险及其控制

孤岛工作面及其周围巷道附近应力集中程度高,顶板运动剧烈,再加上地质构造的影响,采深较大时,冲击危险程度就高,很容易引发冲击矿压。《煤矿安全规程》要求孤岛工作面按冲击矿压危险工作面来管理。孤岛工作面冲击矿压危险检测预报及控制的技术是先分析冲击危险程度,确定冲击危险指数,提出早期预报;采用电磁辐射和钻屑法进行及时预报;采用卸压爆破进行处理,并采用电磁辐射和钻屑法检验防治措施的效果。实践证明,这套技术安全、可靠、有效,能够保证工作面的安全高效生产。     

Numerical simulation of hydrodynamic characteristics and bedload transport in cross sections of two gravel-bed rivers based on one-dimensional lateral distribution method

Accurate evaluation and prediction of bedload transport are crucial in studies of fluvial hydrodynamic characteristics and river morphology.This paper presents a one-dimensional numerical model based on the one-dimensional lateral distribution method(1 D-LDM) and six classic bedload transport formulae that can be used to simulate hydrodynamic characteristics and bedload transport discharge in cross sections.Two gravel-bed rivers,i.e.the Danube River located approximately 70 km downstream from Br...     

Travel time controls the magnitude of nitrate discharge in groundwater bypassing the riparian zone to a stream on Virginia's coastal plain

Groundwater that bypasses the riparian zone by travelling along deep flow paths may deliver high concentrations of fertilizer‐derived NO₃^? to streams, or it may be impacted by the NO₃^? removal process of denitrification in streambed sediments. In a study of a small agricultural catchment on the Atlantic coastal plain of Virginia's eastern shore, we used seepage meters deployed in the streambed to measure specific discharge of groundwater and its solute concentrations for various locations and dates. We used values of Cl^? concentration to discriminate between bypass water recharged distal to the stream and that contained high NO₃^? but low Cl^? concentrations and riparian‐influenced water recharged proximal to the stream that contained low NO₃^? and high Cl^? concentrations. The travel time required for bypass water to transit the 30‐cm‐thick, microbially active denitrifying zone in the streambed determined the extent of NO₃^? removal, and hydraulic conductivity determined travel time through the streambed sediments. At all travel times greater than 2 days, NO₃^? removal was virtually complete. Comparison of the timescales for reaction and transport through the streambed sediments in this system confirmed that the predominant control on nitrate flux was travel time rather than denitrification rate coefficients. We conclude that extensive denitrification can occur in groundwater that bypasses the riparian zone, but a residence time in biologically active streambed sediments sufficient to remove a large fraction of the NO₃^? is only achieved in relatively low‐conductivity porous media. Instead of viewing them as separate, the streambed and riparian zone should be considered an integrated NO₃^? removal unit. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Annual estimates of water and solute export from 42 tributaries to the Yukon River

Annual export of 11 major and trace solutes for the Yukon River is found to be accurately determined based on summing 42 tributary contributions. These findings provide the first published estimates of tributary specific distribution of solutes within the Yukon River basin. First, we show that annual discharge of the Yukon River can be computed by summing calculated annual discharges from 42 tributaries. Annual discharge for the tributaries is calculated from the basin area and average annual precipitation over that area using a previously published regional regression equation. Based on tributary inputs, we estimate an average annual discharge for the Yukon River of 210 km³ year^–1. This value is within 1% of the average measured annual discharge at the U.S. Geological Survey gaging station near the river terminus at Pilot Station, AK, for water years 2001 through 2005. Next, annual loads for 11 solutes are determined by combining annual discharge with point measurements of solute concentrations in tributary river water. Based on the sum of solutes in tributary water, we find that the Yukon River discharges approximately 33 million metric tons of dissolved solids each year at Pilot Station. Discharged solutes are dominated by cations calcium and magnesium (5.65 × 10⁹ and 1.42 × 10⁹ g year^–1) and anions bicarbonate and sulphate (17.3 × 10⁹ and 5.40 × 10⁹ g year^–1). These loads compare well with loads calculated independently at the three continuous gaging stations along the Yukon River. These findings show how annual solute yields vary throughout a major subarctic river basin and that accurate estimates of total river export can be determined from calculated tributary contributions. Copyright © 2011. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Hydrologic simulation of clay‐settling areas in the phosphate mining district,Florida

Clay‐settling areas (CSAs) are one of the most conspicuous and development‐limiting landforms remaining after phosphate mining. Many questions are asked by the mining and regulatory communities with regard to the correct modelling (predictive) methods and assumptions that should be used to yield viable hydrologic post‐reclamation landforms within CSAs. Questions as to the correct methodology to use in modelling/predicting long‐term CSA hydrologic performance have historically been difficult to answer because the data and analysis to support popular hypotheses did not exist. The goal of this paper was to substantially improve the data, analysis and predictive methodology necessary to return CSAs to viable hydrologic units, and moreover, to develop better understanding of the hydrology of CSAs and their ability to support wetlands. The study site is located at the Fort Meade Mine in Polk County, Florida. In this paper, continuous model simulation and calibration of study site were conducted for the hydrologic model, Hydrological Simulation Program – FORTRAN, which was generally selected on the basis of its popularity in predicting the hydrologic behaviour of CSAs. The objective of this study was to simulate streamflow discharges and stage to estimate runoff response from these areas on the basis of the observed rainfall within the CSA. A set of global hydrologic parameters was selected and tested during the calibration by the parameter estimation software PEST. A comparison of the simulated and observed flow data indicates that the model calibration adequately reproduces the hydrologic response of the CSAs. The estimated parameters can be used as references for future application of the model. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A novel approach for estimating karst groundwater recharge in mountainous regions and its application in Switzerland

A pragmatic and simple approach for estimating the groundwater recharge of karst aquifers in mountainous regions by extrapolation of the hydrological regimes of gauged and well‐documented systems is presented. Specific discharge rates are derived using annual precipitation and spring measurements by taking into account catchment size and elevation, which are assumed to be the dominant factors. Reference sites with high data reliability are used for calibration and regional extrapolation. This is performed with normalized values employing spatial precipitation deviations and correlation with the elevation of the catchment areas. A tiered step procedure provides minimum and maximum normalized gradients for the relationship between recharge quantity and elevation for karst regions. The normalized recharge can therefore be obtained and extrapolated for any location using the spatial precipitation variability to provide an estimate of annual groundwater recharge. The approach was applied to Switzerland (approximately 7500 km² of karst terrain situated between 200 and over 4000 m a.s.l.) using annual precipitation data from meteorological stations for the years 2000 to 2011. Results show that the average recharge rates of different Swiss karst domains range from 20 to 46 L/km²s, which corresponds to an infiltration ratio between 0.6 and 0.9 of total precipitation. Despite uncertainties inherent in the approach, these results provide a benchmark for renewable karst groundwater resources in Switzerland of about 8.4 km³/year. The approach can be applied to any other mountainous karst region, that is, where a clear relationship between elevation, precipitation and recharge can be assumed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrological response of an afforested catchment in a Mediterranean humid mountain area: a comparative study with a natural forest

The effects of afforestation on water resources are still controversial. The aim of this paper is to (i) analyse the hydrological response of an afforested area in the Central Pyrenees and (ii) compare the hydrological response of an afforested area with the response observed in a natural undisturbed forest. The Araguás catchment was cultivated until the 1950s, and then afforested with pines in an effort to control the active degradation processes. The hydrological response was variable and complex, because the discharge was generated by a combination of distinct runoff processes. The hydrological response showed that (i) afforestation produced moderate peak discharges, stormflows and recession limbs, and long rising limbs; (ii) no one single variable was able to explain the hydrological response: rainfall volume and intensity did not explain the hydrological response and antecedent rainfall and initial discharge (indicating antecedent moisture conditions) did play an important role; (iii) seasonal differences were observed suggesting different runoff generating processes; and (iv) the effect of forest cover on peak discharges became less important as the size of the hydrological event increased. The stormflow coefficient showed a clear seasonal pattern with an alternation between a wet period, when the catchment was hydrologically responsive, and a dry summer period when the catchment rarely responded to any event, and two transitional periods (wetting and drying). Compared with a natural forest, the afforested area recorded greater flows and peak discharges, faster response times and shorter recession limbs. Afforestation reduces the water yield and the number of floods compared with non‐vegetated areas and abandoned lands. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Submarine groundwater discharge revealed by aerial thermal infrared imagery: a case study on Jeju Island,Korea

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a global phenomenon that carries large volumes of groundwater and dissolved chemical species such as nutrient, metals, and organic compounds to coastal zones. We report the influence of SGD on the coastal waters of Jeju Island, Korea, using high‐resolution aerial thermal infrared (TIR) mapping techniques and field investigations. An aircraft‐based system was implemented using a cost‐effective TIR camera for aerial TIR mapping. Ground‐based calibrations and system integration with GPS/IMU (global positioning system/inertial measurement unit) were performed for the aerial systems. The aerial surveys showed distinct low‐temperature signatures of SGD along the coasts of Jeju Island, revealing large groundwater inputs from the coastal aquifers to the ocean. Multiple aerial surveys over a range of seasons and tidal stages revealed that SGD rates dynamically affect the sea surface temperature (SST) of the coastal zone. The in‐situ measurements supported that SGD has a substantial influence on the coastal water chemistry as well as SST. Our observations highlight the extent to which aerial‐based TIR mapping can serve as a powerful tool for studying SGD and other coastal processes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discharge‐sediment processes of the Zhadang glacier on the Tibetan Plateau measured with a high frequency data acquisition system

In high elevation cold regions of the Tibetan Plateau, suspended sediment transfer from glacier meltwater erosion is one of the important hydrological components. The Zhadang glacier is a typical valley‐type glacier in the Nyainqentanglha Mountains on the Tibetan Plateau. To make frequent and long period records of meltwater runoff and sediment processes in the very high elevation and isolated regions, an automatic system was installed near the glacier snout (5400 m a.s.l) in August 2013, to measure the transient discharge and sediment processes at 5‐min interval, which is shorter than the time span for the water flow to traverse the catchment from the farthest end to the watershed outlet. Diurnal variations of discharge, and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) were recorded at high frequency for the Zhadang glacier, before suspended sediment load (SSL) was computed. Hourly SSC varied from the range of 0.2 kg/m³ to 0.5 kg/m³ (at 8:00–9:00) to the range of 2.0 kg/m³ to 4.0 kg/m³ (at 17:00–18:00). The daily SSL was 32.24 t during the intense ablation period. Hourly SSC was linearly correlated with discharge (r = 0.885**, n = 18, p < 0.01). A digit‐eight hysteresis loop was observed for the sediment transport in the glacier area. Air temperature fluctuations influence discharge, and then result in the sediment variations. The results of this study provide insight into the responses of suspended sediment delivery processes with a high frequency data in the high elevation cold regions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.