Accumulation and speciation of selenium in evaporation basins in California,USA

The accumulation of selenium in evaporation basins (or ponds) in the San Joaquin Valley, California is of a great concern due to its potential hazards to environments. In this study, the accumulation, speciation and concentrations of Se were examined in waters as well as sediments in a system of the evaporation ponds. A significant decrease in the total dissolved Se concentration in Cell 1 in which drainage water with higher Se concentration was pumped from Inlet Channels indicated that the immobilization of Se was active in the Cell 1 and resulted in the higher Se concentration in sediments compared to the terminal cell such as Cell 9. The percentage of reduced Se species such as selenite [Se(IV)] and org-Se of total Se in drainage waters was also found increased in Cell 1 compared to Inlet Channels. The total dissolved Se concentrations in water along flow paths from Cell 1 were relatively constant except for terminal cells such as Cells 9 and 10, which showed higher total dissolved Se concentrations due to evapoconcentration. The percentage of reduced Se forms of total Se was inversely proportional to the percentage of Se(VI) depending on the redox condition of evaporation ponds along the flow paths. Sequential extractions of Se species in sediments indicated that organic associated Se and elemental Se were prevalent forms in sediments in the ponds system. The higher concentrations of elemental Se and organic associated Se in sediments in Cell 1 indicated that the immobilization of Se was active in the sediments compared to Cell 9, while the percentage of both fractions of total Se in sediments in Cells 1 and 9 was relatively constant. The organic materials from algae might provide carbon sources for Se reduction and Se sink in sediments in its elemental and organic associated forms.     

Radiation induced lattice defects in natural zircon (ZrSiO4) observed at atomic resolution

Fission tracks and point defects in natural zircon are directly observed by a 1 MV electron microscope at atomic resolution for three types of samples adjusted to the 100 orientation. Lattice planes intersecting the fission tracks at high angles are distorted in a rather irregular manner over a wide region up to more than 100 Å wide. Diameter of the tracks, ranging from 25 Å to 40Å, is much narrower than those so far reported for the U-doped synthetic zircon (100–200 Å), UO₂ thin film (100 Å), mica (66 Å, 240 Å) or fluorophlogopite (150 Å). The fact that fairly long tracks thousands of angstroms in length are observed in thin 100-oriented sample hundreds of angstroms in thickness and that some of them are nearly parallel to a low index lattice plane suggest a possible occurrence of channelling in the process of track formation. Parallel tracks often observed in chemically etched specimens support the idea of channelling. Slightly bent tracks are sometimes observed. It is concluded from computer simulation that many contrast anomalies of bright and dark spots in the lattice image are due to point defects of vacancies and interstitial atoms, mainly produced by the direct atomic collision with α-particles or by passage of ionizing nuclear particles. Optimum conditions of the observation of point defects with highest contrast are studied. One interstitial Zr atom or one Zr ion vacancy will give very low contrast and will be not detectable unless the crystal is less than two unit cells thick. A pair of Zr ion vacancies, however, yields extended detectable limit of thickness. Some of the observed defects are in good accordance with those simulated.     

Long-term climato-limnological cycles found in a 3.5-million-year continental record

Analysis of physical properties in long sediment cores (BDP96) from Academician Ridge in Lake Baikal indicates that major climato-limnological changes during the past 3.5 Myr occurred at about 2.5–2.8, 1.7–1.9, and 0.9–1.2 Ma, which were close to times of major geomagnetic polarity reversals (Matuyama/Gauss, Olduvai, Jaramillo + Matuyama/Brunhes). The principal climato-limnological oscillation has a long-term period of nearly 1,000 kyr, which corresponds to the periodicity of fluctuation in solar insolation. It also seems to be related to geomagnetic field intensity. Other long-term period of 400 kyr corresponds to Milankovitch parameters of eccentricity. These results suggest that changes in solar insolation were closely related to long-term environmental variations in the deep continental interior.     

Climato-limnological signals during the past 260 000 years in physical properties of bottom sediments from Lake Baikal

The St.16 core obtained from the Academician Ridge of Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia may span about 260 000 years, and some physical properties of the core samples are closely related to aquatic paleoproductivity and climatic change. The median of grain size, grain density, and water content fluctuate synchronously. They also are connected with change in the abundance of biogenic silica (diatoms). The physical parameters indicate that there were high aquatic productivity periods around interglacial periods (MIS 5 and 7; 70 000-125 000 yr B.P. and 180 000-250 000 yr B.P.). Comparatively large clastics were transported from outside of the lake through various routes (ice rafting, etc.) in addition to fluvial routes during the glacials or 'stadials. There are ca. 20 000 yr, 40 000 yr and 100 000 yr periods in the variations of physical properties. These are related to the three Milankovitch parameters of solar insolation.     

Application of lattice imagery to radiation damage investigation in natural zircon

High-, intermediate-, and low-type zircon crystals of natural origin were investigated using a 1,000 kV high-resolution electron microscope. The lattice images obtained successfully for high zircon were in good accordance with computer simulated ones, and 1.5 Å separations, the nearest distance between zirconium atoms projected along the a axis, were clearly resolved under a certain instrumental condition. The images of fission tracks and surrounding areas show nearly perfect lattice images and that within the fission tracks, with a width of 20 ～ 30 Å and length of ca. 1,000 Å, the structure is heavily disordered, almost amorphous; that both sides of the tracks the lattices are displaced or dislocated, and that in the area adjacent to the tracks, bright and dark spot images occur, corresponding to vacancies and their interstitial atoms. In low zircon, the structure is completely destroyed to show an entirely amorphous state, whereas an intermediate type consists of domains of the order of 50 ～ 100 Å across with nearly regular lattices, along whose boundaries strongly disordered areas with widths of few tens of angstroms appear, but the relative orientations of the neighbouring domains are almost continuous. Thus a whole process of metamictization is visualized on a lattice scale. Metamictization proceeds principally by the formation of fission tracks, the direct result of fast movement of nuclear particles; recoil nuclei therefrom seem to play a less important role in the destruction of the structure.     

Under‐ice salinity and stable isotope distribution of Saroma‐ko Lagoon,Hokkaido, northern Japan

In winter, lakes and lagoons at high altitudes or high latitudes have interesting hydrological cycles that differ from those in other seasons or in other regions, because water surfaces are covered with ice. Hydrological balances of lakes and lagoons are complex dynamic systems, and to elucidate them, isotopic tracers of water have been used as effective tools along with observations of precipitation, evaporation, inflows, and outflows. Here, to understand hydrological processes during freezing periods in the brackish Saroma‐ko Lagoon, Hokkaido, northern Japan, we examined horizontal and vertical distributions of salinity and isotope compositions of lagoon water and ice in 2005 and 2006. Horizontal and vertical gradients of salinity and isotope compositions were observed from the river mouth to the sea channel, and factors determining these distributions were considered. The mixing of freshwater and seawater and a freezing effect were presumed to be factors in relationships between salinity and isotopes and in relationships between surface waters and ice just above the water. A simple box model for water balance was constructed based on these putative factors to reproduce the distributions of salinity and isotope compositions of surface waters and ice. An evaluation of the model revealed that this hydrological system is controlled primarily by horizontal advection of the epilimnion, freshwater influx, and the ice growth rate. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Speciation and behavior of arsenic in evaporation basins,California, USA

Disposal of saline subsurface drainage waters from croplands into evaporation basins (or ponds) in the San Joaquin Valley of California causes excessive accumulation of salts and elevated concentrations of arsenic (As), a potentially high risk element with little information about its fate, in the agricultural evaporation ponds. We examined dissolved As concentration, speciation, and distribution in waters as well as As fractionation in sediments in the 10-cell South Evaporation Basin for better understanding of processes and conditions affecting As transformations and fate in a specific drainage disposal facility. The increase of total dissolved As concentrations were observed with higher Cl⁻ and electric conductivity along flow path indicating that evaporation was an important factor regulating total dissolved As concentration. The increases of reduced As species such as arsenite [As(III)] and organic As (monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid) were found towards the terminal flow pathway. However, arsenate [As(V)], the oxidized species remained greater than 67% of total dissolved As in all cell waters. Sequential extractions of sediments indicated that reducing conditions may influence As behavior in sediments to be more soluble and exchangeable. Arsenic association with oxides was appreciable only under oxidizing condition. Carbonate minerals played an important role in immobilizing As into the sediments under alkaline condition and a broad range of redox conditions. However, these sink mechanisms did not significantly reduce As concentrations in the cell waters. The reducing condition facilitated by high concentration of organic matter might be a major factor for the increase in As mobility.     

Soil CO2 efflux, carbon dynamics, and change in thermal conditions from contrasting clear-cut sites during natural restoration and uncut larch forests in northeastern China

With the implementation of the Chinese Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) in 1998, over millions of hectares of forest in northeastern China have been protected through natural restoration (closure of hills). The impact of this program on the carbon budget of soil has not been evaluated until now. This paper presents results from a 6-year study of total CO₂ efflux from both soil and litter (R _total), CO₂ flux from soil (R _soil), soil organic matter (SOM), soil microbe density, and litter input and root biomass at an uncut larch (Larix gmelinii) forest and at a natural restoration site. The natural restoration area is a clear-cut site that was formerly part of a continuous portion of the uncut larch forest. Our objectives were to: (1) quantify the magnitude of CO₂ efflux from typical sites in northeastern China; (2) explore the changes in thermal conditions, SOM, and annual CO₂ flux during the 6-year natural restoration, and (3) evaluate the impact of NFCP on soil carbon processes. The annual R _soil at the clear-cut site (58.6–68.2 mol m^???2 year^???1) was 113.6–228.4% (mean 141.5%) higher than that at the uncut larch site (29.6–58.4 mol m^???2 year^???1). At the same time, annual CO₂ from litter at the clear-cut site (2.0–14.2 mol m^???2 year^???1) was only 23.5–84.5% (mean 52.5%) of that at the uncut larch site (5.4–16.8 mol m^???2 year^???1). SOM at the surface layer of the clear-cut site was 75% of that at the uncut larch site, but the soil microbial biomass (carbon) at the clear-cut site was much higher than that at the larch site (p?<?0.05). The percentage of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes also were largely different between both sites. Natural restoration at the clear-cut site strongly affected thermal conditions. Although the soil temperature (T _soil) and effective accumulated $T_{\rm soil} > 0^{\circ}$ C at the clear-cut site was much higher, the temperature sensitivity (Q ₁₀) was much lower than that at the uncut larch site, and their differences decreased linearly from 2001 to 2006 (p?<?0.05). Moreover, Q ₁₀ at the clear-cut site significantly increased with the progress of natural restoration, which diminished the Q ₁₀ difference between the two sites (slope?=???0.2792, r ²?=?0.4744, p?<?0.05). These data imply that the NFCP natural restoration process has positively recovered the thermal condition of the clear-cut site to the level of uncut larch forest during the 6-year period. However, linear regression analysis showed that the 6-year natural restoration only slightly affected the annual soil CO₂ efflux and SOM at both sites, and also did not diminish the differences between the two sites (p?>?0.10), indicating that a much longer time is necessary to restore the soil carbon in the clear-cut site.     

Temperature measurements of electrostatic shocks in?laser-produced counter-streaming plasmas

Collisionless shocks in counter-streaming plasmas, created by the high-power laser system Gekko XII HIPER, are investigated. The shock structure and density are measured by optical diagnostics such as shadowgraphy, interferometry, and streaked interferometry. The plasma density and temperature are estimated from self-emission measurements with visible light by streaked optical pyrometer and gated optical imager. Brightness temperatures are calculated considering the efficiency of the detectors, and electron temperatures are estimated.