The portrayal of the Australian monsoon equatorial monsoon shear line by GCMs: enhanced greenhouse scenario implications

A critical test of a general circulation model is its performance on the regional scale. In this paper we examine the summer climatology of the CSIRO4 (4-layer) climate model over the Australian tropical region. The benchmark for the study is the positioning of the monsoon equatorial trough. We compare the CSIRO4 model climatology with the climatologies from the GFDL and GISS models and we report on the sensitivity of the position of the monsoon shear line and the strength of the monsoon westerly winds to the doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The model results show that under the greenhouse scenario the monsoon is strengthened, but the average location of the monsoon shear line is not sensitive to the doubling of CO₂. Offprint requests to: BF Ryan     

Effects of subsurface soil characteristics on wetland–groundwater interaction in the coastal plain of the Chesapeake Bay watershed

Ecosystem services provided by depressional wetlands on the coastal plain of the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW) have been widely recognized and studied. However, wetland–groundwater interactions remain largely unknown in the CBW. The objective of this study was to examine the vertical interactions of depressional wetlands and groundwater with respect to different subsurface soil characteristics. This study examined two depressional wetlands with a low‐permeability and high‐permeability soil layer on the coastal plain of the CBW. The surface water level (SWL) and groundwater level (GWL) were monitored over 1 year from a well and piezometer at each site, respectively, and those data were used to examine the impacts of subsurface soil characteristics on wetland–groundwater interactions. A large difference between the SWL and GWL was observed at the wetland with a low‐permeability soil layer, although there was strong similarity between the SWL and GWL at the wetland with a high‐permeability soil layer. Our observations also identified a strong vertical hydraulic gradient between the SWL and GWL at the wetland with a high‐permeability soil layer relative to one with a low‐permeability soil layer. The hydroperiod (i.e., the total time of surface water inundation or saturation) of the wetland with a low‐permeability soil layer appeared to rely on groundwater less than the wetland with a high‐permeability soil layer. The findings showed that vertical wetland–groundwater interactions varied with subsurface soil characteristics on the coastal plain of the CBW. Therefore, subsurface soil characteristics should be carefully considered to anticipate the hydrologic behavior of wetlands in this region.     

南天山川乌鲁碱性杂岩体的岩石学和地球化学特征及其岩石成因

位于中国南天山西侧阔克萨彦岭一带的川乌鲁碱性杂岩体,与该区川乌鲁铜金多金属矿床有着直接的成因联系,该杂岩体由早期的辉长岩—闪长岩岩、主期的二长岩—正长岩和晚期的正长花岗斑岩脉组成,各期岩石在矿物组成和化学成分上有明显的变化。从早到晚,SiO2含量增加,变化范围是50.52%～70.64%;全碱含量先增后减,在SiO2含量小于61.69%时,随SiO2含量增加而增加,而当SiO2含量大于61.69%时,与SiO2含量负相关。在AR-SiO2图解上,大多样品落入碱性区间,在A/CNK-A/NK图解上表现出由准铝质向过碱性演化的趋势。微量元素表现为大离子亲石元素相对高场强元素富集,Rb、Ba、Th、Sr等元素的相对富集和Nb、Ta、P、Ti等元素的负异常。稀土元素表现为轻稀土相对富集的特征,其(La/Yb)N为14.13～25.09,具有Eu的正异常或极微弱的Eu负异常。一些元素比值的线性关系暗示了该杂岩体为岩浆混合成因,基性岩浆的源区为富水的岩石圈地幔,而酸性岩浆是中下地壳中性火成岩在含饱和水条件下部分熔融的产物。这些性质指示川乌鲁杂岩体是在后碰撞拉张环境中由岩石圈地幔熔融的基性岩浆的底侵作用导致地壳的熔融以及后期的岩浆混合作用有关。     

Biological reduction of chlorinated solvents: Batch-scale geochemical modeling

Simulation of biodegradation of chlorinated solvents in dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zones requires a model that accounts for the complexity of processes involved and that is consistent with available laboratory studies. This paper describes such a comprehensive modeling framework that includes microbially mediated degradation processes, microbial population growth and decay, geochemical reactions, as well as interphase mass transfer processes such as DNAPL dissolution, gas formation and mineral precipitation/dissolution. All these processes can be in equilibrium or kinetically controlled. A batch modeling example was presented where the degradation of trichloroethene (TCE) and its byproducts and concomitant reactions (e.g., electron donor fermentation, sulfate reduction, pH buffering by calcite dissolution) were simulated. Local and global sensitivity analysis techniques were applied to delineate the dominant model parameters and processes. Sensitivity analysis indicated that accurate values for parameters related to dichloroethene (DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) degradation (i.e., DCE and VC maximum utilization rates, yield due to DCE utilization, decay rate for DCE/VC dechlorinators) are important for prediction of the overall dechlorination time. These parameters influence the maximum growth rate of the DCE and VC dechlorinating microorganisms and, thus, the time required for a small initial population to reach a sufficient concentration to significantly affect the overall rate of dechlorination. Self-inhibition of chlorinated ethenes at high concentrations and natural buffering provided by the sediment were also shown to significantly influence the dechlorination time. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that the rates of the competing, nonchlorinated electron-accepting processes relative to the dechlorination kinetics also affect the overall dechlorination time. Results demonstrated that the model developed is a flexible research tool that is able to provide valuable insight into the fundamental processes and their complex interactions during bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes in DNAPL source zones.     

Air-Coupled Seismic Waves at Long Range from Apollo Launchings

Summary Microphones and seismographs were co-located in arrays on Skidaway Island, Georgia, for the launchings of Apollo 13 and 14, 374 km to the south. Simultaneous acoustic and seismic waves were recorded for both events at times appropriate to the arrival of the acoustic waves from the source. Significant comparisons of the true signals are (1) the acoustic signal is relatively broadband compared to the nearly monochromatic seismic signal; (2) the seismic signal is much more continuous than the more pulse-like acoustic signal; (3) ground loading from the pressure variations of the acoustic waves is shown to be too small to account for the seismic waves; (4) the measured phase velocities of both acoustic and seismic waves across the local instrument arrays differ by less than 6 per cent and possibly 3 per cent if experimental error is included. It is concluded that the seismic waves are generated by resonant coupling to the acoustic waves along some 10 km of path on Skidaway Island. The thickness of unconsolidated sediment on the island is appropriate to a resonant ground wave frequency of 3.5 to 4 Hz, as observed. Under appropriate conditions, ground wave observations may prove more effective means of detecting certain aspects of acoustic signals in view of the filtering of wind noise and amplification through resonance.