Characterizing Observed Environmental Variability With HF Doppler Radar Surface Current Mappers and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers: Environmental Variability in the Coastal Ocean

A network of high-frequency (HF) radars is deployed along the New Jersey coast providing synoptic current maps across the entire shelf. These data serve a variety of user groups from scientific research to Coast Guard search and rescue. In addition, model forecasts have been shown to improve with surface current assimilation. In all applications, there is a need for better definitions and assessment of the measurement uncertainty. During a summer coastal predictive skill experiment in 2001, an array of in situ current profilers was deployed near two HF radar sites, one long-range and one standard-range system. Comparison statistics were calculated between different vertical bins on the same current profiler, between different current profilers, and between the current profilers and the different HF radars. The velocity difference in the vertical and horizontal directions were then characterized using the observed root-mean-square (rms) differences. We further focused on two cases, one with relatively high vertical variability, and the second with relatively low vertical variability. Observed differences between the top bin of the current profiler and the HF radar were influenced by both system accuracy and the environment. Using the in situ current profilers, the environmental variability over scales based on the HF radar sampling was quantified. HF radar comparisons with the current profilers were on the same order as the observed environmental difference over the same scales, indicating that the environment has a significant influence on the observed differences. Velocity variability in the vertical and horizontal directions both contribute to these differences. When the potential effects of the vertical variability could be minimized, the remaining difference between the current profiler and the HF radar was similar to the measured horizontal velocity difference (~2.5 cm/s) and below the resolution of the raw radial data at the time of the deployment     

Spring and summer phytoplankton communities in the Chukchi and Eastern Beaufort Seas

Phytoplankton pigments and size-fractionated biomass in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas showed spatial and temporal variation during the spring and summer of 2002. Cluster analysis of pigment ratios revealed different assemblages over the shelf, slope and basin regions. In spring, phytoplankton with particle sizes greater than 5 μm, identified as diatoms and/or haptophytes, dominated over the shelf. Smaller (<5 μm) phytoplankton containing chlorophyll b, most likely prasinophytes, were more abundant over the slope and basin. Due to extensive ice cover at this time, phytoplankton experienced low irradiance, but nutrients were near maximal for the year. By summer, small prasinophytes and larger haptophytes and diatoms co-dominated in near-surface assemblages in largely ice-free waters when nitrate was mostly depleted. Deeper in the water column at 1–15% of the surface irradiance larger sized diatoms were still abundant in the upper nutricline. Phytoplankton from the shelf appeared to be advected through Barrow Canyon to the adjacent basin, explaining similar composition between the two areas in spring and summer. Off-shelf advection was much less pronounced for other slope and basin areas, which are influenced by the low-nutrient Beaufort gyre circulation, leading to a dominance of smaller prasinophytes and chlorophytes. The correlation of large-sized fucoxanthin containing phytoplankton with the higher primary production measurements shows promise for trophic status to be estimated using accessory pigment ratios.     

The anthracite smokers of eastern pennsylvania: PS2 (g)P_{S_2 (g)} -T stability diagram by TL analysis

Coal seams and culm banks associated with mine fires in the anthracite region of eastern Pennsylvania have been burning for decades. Many of the fires may have ignited by spontaneous combustion or by the burning of trash. Minerals associated with the combustion of anthracite form by the condensation of gas exhaled through surficial gas vents or anthracite smokers. A Pressure-Temperature (P-T) stability diagram is constructed for the condensation of orthorhombic sulfur from anthracite gas using Thermodynamic Loop Analysis (TL analysis). This method of analyzing chemical systems incorporates Kirchhoff's Law into a four step procedure structured around a closed thermodynamic cycle or thermodynamic loop. The four steps, referred to us The Four S S of Thermodynamic Loop Analysis, include: (1) Set Up—graphical characterization of the problem. (2) Sum—the application of thermodynamic principles. (3) Substitute—the use of materials data available from the literature, and (4) Solve—computation of one or more variables. The example presented demonstrates that thermodynamic loops can incorporate any number of polymorphic phase transformations. In addition, thermodynamic loop analysis is applicable to any geologic process involving the condensation of minerals from a gas. The stability diagram derived by TL analysis may have applicability in monitoring the release of sulfur gas into the atmosphere.     

The arsenic source term for an in-pit uranium mine tailings facility and its long-term impact on the regional groundwater

Detailed field sampling and analyses and laboratory-based diffusion-cell experiments were used in conjunction with 3-D reactive transport modeling (MODFLOW and MT3D99) to quantify the fate and long-term (10 ka) transport of As in the Rabbit Lake In-pit Tailings Management Facility (RLITMF), northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The RLITMF (300 m × 425 m × 90 m thick) was engineered to ensure solute transport within the RLITMF is dominated by diffusion. Concentrations of As in the tailings pore fluids ranged from 0.24 to 140 mg/L (n = 43). Arsenic speciation analyses indicate 90% of this arsenic exists as As⁵⁺. This observation is supported by pH–Eh measurements of pore fluids (n = 135). Geochemical analyses yielded a strong inverse correlation between the Fe/As molar ratio in the tailings solids and the corresponding concentration of dissolved As, which is attributed to the adsorption of As to secondary 2-line ferrihydrite present in the tailings. Diffusion-cell testing yielded values for the effective diffusion coefficient, sorption coefficient, and effective porosity of As in the tailings of 4.5 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s, 2–4 cm³/g and 0.36, respectively. Reactive transport simulations using the field and laboratory data show adsorption of As to the tailings and diffusive transport of dissolved As in the tailings should reduce the source term concentration of As to between 40% and 70% of the initial concentrations over the 10 ka simulation period. Based on these simulations, the As concentrations in the regional groundwater, 50 m down gradient of the tailings facility, should be maintained at background concentrations of 0.001 mg/L over the 10 ka period. These findings suggest the engineered in-pit disposal of U mine tailings can provide long-term protection for the local groundwater regime from As contamination.     

Climate trends of the North American prairie pothole region 1906–2000

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is unique to North America. Its millions of wetlands and abundant ecosystem goods and services are highly sensitive to wide variations of temperature and precipitation in time and space characteristic of a strongly continental climate. Precipitation and temperature gradients across the PPR are orthogonal to each other. Precipitation nearly triples from west to east from approximately 300 mm/year to 900 mm/year, while mean annual temperature ranges from approximately 1°C in the north to nearly 10°C in the south. Twentieth-century weather records for 18 PPR weather stations representing 6 ecoregions revealed several trends. The climate generally has been getting warmer and wetter and the diurnal temperature range has decreased. Minimum daily temperatures warmed by 1.0°C, while maximum daily temperatures cooled by 0.15°C. Minimum temperature warmed more in winter than in summer, while maximum temperature cooled in summer and warmed in winter. Average annual precipitation increased by 49 mm or 9%. Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) trends reflected increasing moisture availability for most weather stations; however, several stations in the western Canadian Prairies recorded effectively drier conditions. The east-west moisture gradient steepened during the twentieth century with stations in the west becoming drier and stations in the east becoming wetter. If the moisture gradient continues to steepen, the area of productive wetland ecosystems will shrink. Consequences for wetlands would be especially severe if the future climate does not provide supplemental moisture to offset higher evaporative demand.     

Statistical analyses of Global U-Pb Database 2017

The method of obtaining zircon samples affects estimation of the global U-Pb age distribution.Researchers typically collect zircons via convenience sampling and cluster sampling.When using these techniques,weight adjustments proportional to the areas of the sampled regions improve upon unweighted estimates.Here,grid-area and modern sediment methods are used to weight the samples from a new database of 418,967 U-Pb ages.Preliminary tests involve two age models.Model-1 uses the most precise U-Pb ages as the best ages.Model-2 uses the~(206)Pb/~(238)U age as the best age if it is less than a1000 Ma cutoff,otherwise it uses the~(207)Pb/~(206)Pb age as the best age.A correlation analysis between the Model-1 and Model-2 ages indicates nearly identical distributions for both models.However,after applying acceptance criteria to include only the most precise analyses with minimal discordance,a histogram of the rejected samples shows excessive rejection of the Model-2 analyses around the1000 Ma cutoff point.Because of the excessive rejection rate for Model-2,we select Model-1 as the preferred model.After eliminating all rejected samples,the remaining analyses use only Model-1 ages for five rock-type subsets of the database:igneous,meta-igneous,sedimentary,meta-sedimentary,and modern sediments.Next,time-series plots,cross-correlation analyses,and spectral analyses determine the degree of alignment among the time-series and their periodicity.For all rock types,the U-Pb age distributions are similar for ages older than 500 Ma,but align poorly for ages younger than 500 Ma.The similarities(500 Ma)and differences(500 Ma)highlight how reductionism from a detailed database enhances understanding of time-dependent sequences,such as erosion,detrital transport mechanisms,lithification,and metamorphism.Time-series analyses and spectral analyses of the age distributions predominantly indicate a synchronous period-tripling sequence of~91-Myr,~273-Myr,and~819-Myr among the various rock types.     

The definition of marine recreational fishing in Europe

To describe marine recreational fisheries, their socio-economic importance and interactions with other fisheries and the environment, it is necessary to define what is meant by recreational fishing. A review of European Member States’ national legislation revealed considerable variation in ownership and access to coastal waters/fisheries, and in the legal distinction between sport fishing and other recreational uses of marine fisheries and their commercial (catching for sale and profit) counterparts. Together with a re-examination of existing definitions, this has enabled us to suggest definitions that may be used to develop a common approach to evaluate participation and socio-economic value of marine recreational fishing, and guide attempts to legislate for the benefit and development of marine recreational fishing across Europe.