Subsurface flow measurements using passive flux meters in variably-saturated cold-regions landscapes

To date, passive flux meters have predominantly been applied in temperate environments for tracking the movement of contaminants in groundwater. This study applies these instruments to reduce uncertainty in (typically instantaneous) flux measurements made in a low-gradient, wetland dominated, discontinuous permafrost environment. This method supports improved estimation of unsaturated and over-winter subsurface flows which are very difficult to quantify using hydraulic gradient-based approaches. Improved subsurface flow estimates can play a key role in understanding the water budget of this landscape.     

INITIAL SEDIMENTATION OF WASTE PARTICLES DISCHARGED IN COASTAL WATERS

Based on a puff model . and together with the consideration of convection , dispersion and descent of suspended waste particles in marine environment , a numerical model is presented to predict the initial sedimentation of waste particles discharged from ocean outfalls in coastal waters and to compute the stable sedimentation rate in homogeneous trde current fields with water depth constant . When the time step selected is small enough , the results from this model agree well with that from the semi-analytical solution , and have sufficient precision for evaluating the impact on the environment caused by sedimentation of waste particles discharged from ocean outfalls. A numerical example is given for predicting the sedimentation of waste particles discharged in Heishijiao , Dalian .     

Characters of the Pco2 and CO2 Flux in the East China Sea in Autumn

Pco2 of air and seawater samples from the East China Sea(ECS) were measured in situ in autumn, 1994,Ocean currents,terrestrial fluviation,biological activities,etc.,Pco2 char-acters in air and seawater were investigated,CO2 flux and its character in the East China Sea are discussed on the basis of the Pco2 profiles of air and seawater,It was clear that the nearshore was the source of CO2;and tht the oulter sea area was the sink of CO2; and that the shelf area of the EXS is a net sink for atmospheric CO2 in autumn.     

The carbohydrates in relation to mineralogic and granulometric composition of surface sediments in the karst estuary (River Krka estuary,Yugoslavia)

The investigation of mineral, granulometric and chemical composition of sediments of the River Krka estuary (Yugoslavia) were performed in order to elucidate the origin of the sediments and the pattern of sedimentation. Estuarine surface sediments were found to be fine-grained with a bimodal distribution. Environmental conditions in estuarine sediments favour conservation of the organic matter (anoxic conditions). The carbohydrates in the sediments were investigated to determine whether they are of terrigenous or authigenous origin. Glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, rhamnose, glucosamine and glucuronic acid were detected in the sediments. Their mutual relationship indicates a preferentially terrigenous source of sedimented organic material in estuarine sediments.     

Neutron background in large-scale xenon detectors for dark matter searches

Simulations of the neutron background for future large-scale particle dark matter detectors are presented. Neutrons were generated in rock and detector elements via spontaneous fission and (α,n) reactions, and by cosmic-ray muons. The simulation techniques and results are discussed in the context of the expected sensitivity of a generic liquid xenon dark matter detector. Methods of neutron background suppression are investigated. A sensitivity of 10⁻⁹–10⁻¹⁰ pb to WIMP-nucleon interactions can be achieved by a tonne-scale detector.     

Muon flux at the geographical South Pole

The muon flux at the South Pole was measured for five zenith angles, 0°, 15°, 35°, 82.13° and 85.15° with a scintillator muon telescope incorporating ice Cherenkov tank detectors as the absorber. We compare the measurements with other data and with calculations.     

Techniques to measure grain-size distributions of loamy sediments: a comparative study of ten instruments for wet analysis

Ten instruments for measuring the grain‐size distribution of loamy sediments in water were tested in a comparative study. Instruments tested were: the Malvern Mastersizer S, the Coulter LS 200, the Fritsch Analysette 22 (version C), the Horiba Partica LA‐950, the Sedigraph 5100, the Atterberg cylinder, the Coulter Multisizer 3, the CIS‐100, the EyeTech and the image analysis software Histolab. The first four instruments use laser diffraction. The Sedigraph and Atterberg cylinder are based on sedimentation. The Coulter Multisizer 3 uses impedance measurements and the last three instruments use optical techniques. Grain‐size analyses were carried out on four sediments with median grain diameters of approximately 35, 30, 12 and 9 μm, respectively, and with no particles >90 μm. The laser diffraction instruments produced the best results for the various criteria considered in this study, followed by the Coulter Multisizer 3 (electrical sensing zone technique), the sedimentation techniques and the optical methods. However, the study also showed that there is no such thing as an ‘ideal’ method because techniques may score differently according to the criterion tested. An appropriate evaluation thus requires that various criteria be considered. Issues to be taken into account are: type of sediment, quantity of sediment available, speed of measurement, complexity of the measurement protocol, processing of the data, reproducibility of the results and the specific aims of the study undertaken.     

Anthropogenic affects on lake sedimentation process: a case study from Lake Sapanca, NW Turkey

Lake Sapanca in NW Turkey is a fault originated freshwater basin fed by seasonally variable flows of 15 streams. Considerations of lake–river interaction, supported by statistical measures of 47 bottom samples, suggest that sediment transport and deposition within the lake is controlled by two types of human constructed structures in addition to natural factors: (1) the dykes constructed in the front of streams, which feed the lake by strong flows, to prevent the filling of lakebed by coarse-grained sediments; (2) the constructed regulator on the outflowing Çarksuyu stream results in a higher sedimentation rate of clay-sized material on the NE corner of the lake, which is extraordinary in the shelf environment.     

Sedimentation settings of the Vendian Vanavara formation,the Siberian platform

A model of sedimentation settings is elaborated for siliciclastic deposits of the Vendian Vanavara Formation, the Katanga saddle, inner areas of the Siberian platform. Four lithologic complexes are distinguished in the formation. The lower complex is composed of proluvial continental deposits exemplifying a dejection cone of ephemeral streams. Its eroded surface is overlain by second complex largely represented by sandstones of coastal zone, which grade upward into siltstones and shales of deeper sedimentation settings (third complex). Sea transgression advanced in northeastern direction. The fourth complex resting with scouring on the third one was deposited in settings of a spacious shallow-water sea zone: in a tidal flat, sand shoals and islands. Sedimentological data are used to correlate more precisely the Vendian siliciclastic deposits of the Katanga saddle and northeastern Nepa-Botuoba anteclise, and to verify subdivision of the Vanavara Formation into subformations and character of its boundary with the overlying Oskoba Formation.     

南海温跃层基本特征及一维预报模式

根据现有1907—1990年南海大面调查资料,按1°×1°网格进行逐月的标准水层的温度统计。在此基础上采用3次样条函数的插值方法计算出整个南海温跃层的深度、厚度和强度并予以相应分析。分析表明,南海温跃层主要分为两种类型:第一类为辐射型,主要分布在南海北部的陆架区内,季节变化显著;第二类为不同水体叠置型,主要分布在广大深水区,它长年存在,季节变化较小。一种温跃层的一维积分预报模式,该模式是基于忽略热平流作用和水平热扩散的前提下,从局部热平衡方程出发,建立了受海面热收支及风混合作用下求解温度垂直分布及温跃层的时空变化。在南海北部水深约300m处进行了单站温跃层后报,结果表明,温跃层的深度、厚度和强度的相对误差均在30％以下。