Trends in 1,4-Dioxane Analyses: Implications for Identification and Characterization of Contaminated Groundwater Sites

1,4-Dioxane is a contaminant of emerging concern, and there is significant uncertainty about how its environmental occurrence in groundwater is being assessed given the various analytical methods available. This study compiled public sampling records from 2000 to 2019 that included >106,000 analyses of 1,4-dioxane from 822 different U.S. sites. The 1,4-dioxane detection frequency in the entire dataset (including all methods) was 45%, and the median detected concentration was 10 μg/L, highlighting the dilute nature of 1,4-dioxane in environmental media and the importance of selecting methods with adequate sensitivity. The annual distribution of samples analyzed by each method type confirmed a shift towards methods designed for semi-volatile compounds (Method 8270 and Method 8270 SIM) that exhibited consistently lower reporting limits (median reporting limit for each year typically ≤1 μg/L). In contrast, the method designed for volatile compounds (Method 8260) exhibited less sensitivity for 1,4-dioxane (median reporting limit per year between 40 and 100 μg/L) and its use declined significantly over time with increasing use of the moderately sensitive Method 8260 SIM in later years. This shift contributed to an increase in the 1,4-dioxane detection frequency over time, with a strong correlation between the annual detection frequency and the median reporting limit. Sites where 1,4-dioxane was analyzed but not detected overwhelmingly used less-sensitive methods that may not have been adequate for the expected concentration levels. Given the sub-μg/L groundwater criteria issued for 1,4-dioxane by some regulatory agencies, more sensitive and accurate methods will be increasingly needed to assess compliance.     

北吕宋岛菲律宾活动带蛇绿岩及其上覆浊积岩的放射虫研究新进展

The basement of the Philippine Mobile Belt (PMB) is mainly composed of ophiolites that are mostly overlain by Paleogene to Miocene turbidites in central Luzon. To clarify the geological development of the PMB with respect to the initial stage of the arc volcanism (eg. Yumul et al., 2003, 2008; Dimalanta and Yumul, 2003; Suzuki et al., 2011), radiolarian dating was examined in siliceous sediments associated with the ophiolites and turbidites. The samples were collected from sites identified with the Zambales and Montalban ophiolites, basic tuff phyllites in NW Din-galan, and their overlying formations.     

Uneven weighting of stations in the Dst index

We note in this paper that the average disturbances of the four Dst stations are systematically different and, therefore, the stations contribute to the Dst index by unequal weights. This is an important problem, e.g., for the estimated longitudinal asymmetries of the ring current and the long-term averages of the Dst index where the contribution of the most dominant station (HON) is twice as large as the weakest station (KAK). We use an extended network of stations to demonstrate that the averaged local Dst indices are ordered according to the station's geographic longitude, with westernmost stations depicting the largest disturbances and contributions to the Dst index and easternmost the smallest. We show that the problem is related to the way that the quiet days are treated in the Dst recipe. We modify the recipe so that UT-fixed quiet days are used in all stations, whence the corrected local Dcx indices have equal weights at all stations. This gives strong support for using the corrected Dcx index instead of the Dst index.     

Mesozoic Evaniidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) in Spanish Amber: Reanalysis of the Phylogeny of the Evanioidea

<正>One new genus and five new species of the family Evaniidae are described from the Early Cretaceous (Albian)Spanish amber of Penacerrada-Ⅰ(Province of Burgos),San Just and Arroyo de la Pascueta(both in the Province of Teruel):Cretevania alonsoi sp.nov.,C.montoyai sp.nov.,C.alcalai sp.nov.,C.rubusensis sp.nov.,and Iberoevania roblesi gen.and sp.nov.Taxonomic changes include Cretevania pristina(Zhang and Zhang,2000) comb.nov.,C.exquisita(Zhang,Rasmtsyn,Wang and Zhang,2007)comb.nov.,C.vesca(Zhang,Rasnitsyn,Wang and Zhang,2007)comb.nov.,and C.cyrtocerca(Deans,2004)comb.nov.,as a result of the reinterpretation of the genera Procretevania and Eovernevania.The new well preserved specimens of the genus Cretevania,together with the characters shown by the type specimens of the synonymized genera,give new information about their anatomical characters of taxonomical importance,and the genus Cretevania Rasnitsyn,1975 is re-diagnosed.The holotypes of the Russian species in amber have been revised.A cladistic analysis of fossil and extant groups of the superfamily Evanioidea is included.Cretevania had a wide palaeogeographic distribution,with the highest diversity known from Spain.The 13 known Cretevania species show a high interspecific variation mainly in wing characteristics,and a wide range of body and wing size.     

Relationship of diagenetic chlorite rims to depositional facies in Lower Cretaceous reservoir sandstones of the Scotian Basin

The relationship between diagenetic chlorite rims and depositional facies in deltaic strata of the Lower Cretaceous Missisauga Formation was investigated using a combination of electron microprobe, bulk geochemistry and X‐ray diffraction data. The succession studied comprises several stacked parasequences. The delta progradational facies association includes: (i) fluvial or distributary channel sandstones (some with tidal influence); (ii) thick‐bedded delta‐front graded beds of sandstone interpreted as resulting from fluvial hyperpycnal flow during floods and storms; and (iii) more distal muddier delta‐front and prodeltaic facies. The transgressive facies association includes lag conglomerate, siderite‐cemented muddy sandstone and mudstone, and bioclastic sandy limestone. Chlorite rims are absent in the fluvial facies and best developed in thick sandstones lacking mudstone baffles. Good quality chlorite rims are well correlated with Ti in bulk geochemistry. Ti is a proxy for Fe availability, principally from the breakdown of abundant detrital ilmenite (FeTiO₃). Under conditions of sea floor diagenesis, the abrupt decrease in sedimentation rate at transgressive surfaces caused progressive shallowing of the sulphate‐depletion level and of the overlying Eh‐controlled diagenetic zones, resulting in conditions suitable for diagenetic formation of berthierine to migrate upwards through the packet of reservoir sandstones. This early diagenetic berthierine suppressed silica cementation and later recrystallized to chlorite. Thick euhedral outer chlorite rims were precipitated from formation water in sandstone lacking muddy baffles on this chlorite substrate and inhibited late carbonate cementation. This study thus shows that the preservation of porosity by chlorite rims is a two‐stage process. Rapidly deposited delta‐front turbidite facies create early diagenetic conditions that eventually lead to the formation of chlorite rims, but the best quality chlorite rims are restricted to sandstones with high permeability during burial diagenesis.     

A local spatial decision support system for developing countries based on MCA,fuzzy sets and OWA – case study of a municipality in Cuba

This paper presents a Spatial Decision Support System for local governments of developing countries. It allows municipality government, enterprises, scientific community and civil society to address decision problems using GIS. The framework is supported by four modules of information technologies: Environmental Decision Support Database, Data Manipulation, Decision Support, and Mapping. A case study is presented covering the implementation of this framework in one municipality of Cuba. An example of land suitability planning for coconut crops is used to evaluate the system performance and usability. Results show local municipalities are able to use this framework to solve local decision problems using state of the art decision making even with low infrastructure development.     

Research and Application of In‐seam Seismic Survey Technology for Disaster‐causing Potential Geology Anomalous Body in Coal Seam

In order to effectively detect potential geology anomalous bodies in coal bearing formation, such as coal seam thickness variation, small faults, goafs and collapse columns, and provide scientific guidance for safe and efficient mining, the SUMMIT-II EX explosion-proof seismic slot wave instrument, produced by German DMT Company, was used to detect the underground channel wave with the help of transmission method, reflection method and transflective method. Region area detection experiment in mining face had been carried out thanks to the advantage of channel wave, such as its great dispersion, abundant geology information, strong anti-interference ability and long-distance detecting. The experimental results showed that: (1) Coal seam thickness variation in extremely unstable coal seam has been quantitatively interpreted with an accuracy of more than 80% generally; (2) The faults, goafs and collapse columns could be detected and predicted accurately; (3) Experimental detection of gas enrichment areas, stress concentration regions and water inrush risk zone has been collated; (4) A research system of disaster-causing geology anomalous body detection by in-seam seismic survey has been built, valuable and innovative achievements have been got. Series of innovation obtained for the first time in this study indicated that it was more effective to detect disaster-causing potential geology anomalies by in-seam seismic survey than by ground seismic survey. It had significant scientific value and application prospect under complex coal seam conditions.     

Application of extended state space to nonlinear ship rolling

It is well known in the field of marine hydrodynamics that the added mass, damping and wave exciting forces are functions of frequency (Newman, 1977. Marine Hydrodynamics. MIT Press, Cambridge). Although most previous studies of nonlinear ship rolling motion have assumed that these forces do not vary with frequency, in this study the frequency dependent added mass and damping coefficients are approximated in the time domain with extended state space variables. Using numerical time simulation (integration), the extended state space model is compared to the constant coefficient model with a constant frequency forcing and the results for two constant value approximations of the added mass and damping are compared to the extended state space model with a multiple component pseudo random forcing.     

The Morpheus ultramodular autonomous underwater vehicle

The Advanced Marine Systems Lab at Florida Atlantic University has developed a new ultramodular plastic mini autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), called the Morpheus, for littoral military and coastal oceanographic sampling, survey, and mapping. The name Morpheus was chosen because the Greek god Morpheus could change shape or "morph." The higher degree of modularity of the Morpheus AUV allows it to "morph" or change its size and components for different applications. This vehicle is composed of modular injection-molded plastic pressure vessels and a cabling system that allow the modules to be rearranged without rewiring bulkheads. The plastic pressure vessels are inexpensive, inherently mass-producible, extremely corrosion-resistant, and have low magnetic signatures. The pressure vessels are small but are sized to fit most standard electronic board standards. The mini AUV can be anywhere from 4 to 10 ft in length, depending on its mission. The vehicle architecture is an adaptation of the Ocean Explorer AUV system and uses an ANSI 709.1 (LonTalk) distributed control network for connecting all sensors and actuator subsystems as smart nodes. The modularity in containers, control, and power makes this vehicle rapidly reconfigurable and easy to repair or upgrade. This paper will present details of the motivation, design, and construction of the new mini AUV. The Morpheus was deployed during the summer of 2000 in field exercises for very shallow and shallow water mine counter measures. Some results from these tests will be presented