Sediment Resuspension and Deposition on Seagrass Leaves Impedes Internal Plant Aeration and Promotes Phytotoxic H2S Intrusion

PubMed Central

Brodersen, Kasper E.; Hammer, Kathrine J.; Schrameyer, Verena; Floytrup, Anja; Rasheed, Michael A.; Ralph, Peter J.; Kühl, Michael; Pedersen, Ole

2017-01-01

HIGHLIGHTS: Sedimentation of fine sediment particles onto seagrass leaves severely hampers the plants' performance in both light and darkness, due to inadequate internal plant aeration and intrusion of phytotoxic H2S. Anthropogenic activities leading to sediment re-suspension can have adverse effects on adjacent seagrass meadows, owing to reduced light availability and the settling of suspended particles onto seagrass leaves potentially impeding gas exchange with the surrounding water. We used microsensors to determine O2 fluxes and diffusive boundary layer (DBL) thickness on leaves of the seagrass Zostera muelleri with and without fine sediment particles, and combined these laboratory measurements with in situ microsensor measurements of tissue O2 and H2S concentrations. Net photosynthesis rates in leaves with fine sediment particles were down to ~20% of controls without particles, and the compensation photon irradiance increased from a span of 20–53 to 109–145 μmol photons m−2 s−1. An ~2.5-fold thicker DBL around leaves with fine sediment particles impeded O2 influx into the leaves during darkness. In situ leaf meristematic O2 concentrations of plants exposed to fine sediment particles were lower than in control plants and exhibited long time periods of complete meristematic anoxia during night-time. Insufficient internal aeration resulted in H2S intrusion into the leaf meristematic tissues when exposed to sediment resuspension even at relatively high night-time water-column O2 concentrations. Fine sediment particles that settle on seagrass leaves thus negatively affect internal tissue aeration and thereby the plants' resilience against H2S intrusion. PMID:28536583

Mg/Ca of planktonic foraminifer Pulleniatina obliquiloculata as a thermocline temperature proxy: results from sediment trap experiments in the equatorial Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagawa, T.; Saito, T.; Irino, T.

2017-12-01

Multi-species approach of planktonic foraminiferal Mg/Ca thermometry has been applied to marine sediments to reconstruct past change of the upper ocean thermal structure. Depth of thermocline and thickness of mixed layer depth in the western equatorial Pacific are of particular interest in terms of the relationship between global climate and ocean heat content in that region. One of questions arising from this approach is which species and calibration are suitable for reconstructing thermocline temperature variations in the past. Knowledge about depth habitat and response of shell Mg/Ca to temperature change is essential to answer this question. Sediment trap experiment has great advantages that allow evaluating seasonal and inter-annual variation of depth habitat of planktonic foraminifera in natural environment. In this study, we analyzed stable isotopes and Mg/Ca of Pulleniatina obliquiloculata collected by two sediment traps moored on the equator in the western and central Pacific during 1999-2002. We estimated habitat depth by comparing the calcification temperature, which is calculated from oxygen isotope, and instrumental data collected by moored buoys in the studied region. The estimated habitat depth of P. obliquiloculata is 100-150 m, which corresponds to the upper thermocline in this region. The habitat depth in western site (175E) is slightly deeper than central Pacific site (160W), probably reflecting thicker mixed layer and deeper thermocline in the western site. Although relationship between Mg/Ca and δ18O-derived calcification temperature is not statistically significant, Mg/Ca values give reasonable temperatures for the upper thermocline when calculated using calibration of Anand et al. (2003). The results of this study confirms the potential of P. obliquiloculata Mg/Ca as a thermocline temperature proxy.

Depositional history, nannofossil biostratigraphy, and correlation of Argo Abyssal Plain Sites 765 and 261

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dumoulin, Julie A.; Bown, Paul R.; Stewart, Sondra K.; Kennett, Diana; Mazzullo, Elsa K.

1992-01-01

Sediments from the Argo Abyssal Plain (AAP), northwest of Australia, are the oldest known from the Indian Ocean and were recovered from ODP Site 765 and DSDP Site 261. New biostratigraphic and sedimentologic data from these sites, as well as reinterpretations of earlier findings, indicate that basal sediments at both localities are of Late Jurassic age and delineate a history of starved sedimentation punctuated by periodic influx of calcareous pelagic turbidites.Biostratigraphy and correlation of Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sediments is based largely on calcareous nannofossils. Both sites yielded variably preserved nannofossil successions ranging from Tithonian to Hauterivian at Site 765 and Kimmeridgian to Hauterivian at Site 261. The nannofloras are comparable to those present in the European and Atlantic Boreal and Tethyan areas, but display important differences that reflect biogeographic differentiation. The Argo region is thought to have occupied a position at the southern limit of the Tethyan nannofloral realm, thus yielding both Tethyan and Austral biogeographic features.Sedimentary successions at the two sites are grossly similar, and differences largely reflect Site 765 's greater proximity to the continental margin. Jurassic sediments were deposited at rates of about 2 m/m.y. near the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) and contain winnowed concentrations of inoceramid prisms and nannofossils, redeposited layers rich in calcispheres and calcisphere debris, manganese nodules, and volcanic detritus. Lower Cretaceous and all younger sediments accumulated below the CCD at rates that were highest (about 20 m/m.y.) during mid-Cretaceous and Neogene time. Background sediment in this interval is noncalcareous claystone; turbidites dominate the sequence and are thicker and coarser grained at Site 765.AAP turbidites consist mostly of calcareous and siliceous biogenic components and volcanogenic smectite clay; they were derived from relatively deep parts of the continental margin that lay below the photic zone, but above the CCD. The Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous section is about the same thickness across the AAP; turbidites in this interval appear to have had multiple sources along the Australian margin. The Upper Cretaceous-Cenozoic section, however, is three times thicker at Site 765 than at Site 261; turbidites in this interval were derived predominantly from the south.Patterns of sedimentation across the AAP have been influenced by shifts in sea level, the CCD, and configuration of the continental margin. Major pulses of calcareous turbidite deposition occurred during Valanginian, Aptian, and Neogene time—all periods of eustatic lowstands and depressed CCD levels. Sediment redeposited on the AAP has come largely from the Australian outer shelf, continental slope, or rise, rather than the continent itself. Most terrigenous detritus was trapped in epicontinental basins that have flanked northwestern Australia since the early Mesozoic.

Basement structures over Rio Grande Rise from gravity inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constantino, Renata Regina; Hackspacher, Peter Christian; de Souza, Iata Anderson; Lima Costa, Iago Sousa

2017-04-01

The basement depth in the Rio Grande Rise (RGR), South Atlantic, is estimated from combining gravity data obtained from satellite altimetry, marine surveys, bathymetry, sediment thickness and crustal thickness information. We formulate a crustal model of the region by inverse gravity modeling. The effect of the sediment layer is evaluated using the global sediment thickness model of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and fitting the sediment compaction model to observed density values from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) reports. The Global Relief Model ETOPO1 and constraining data from seismic interpretation on crustal thickness are integrated in the inversion process. The modeled Moho depth values vary between 6 and 27 km over the area, being thicker under the RGR and also in the direction of São Paulo Plateau. The inversion for the gravity-equivalent basement topography is applied to gravity residual data, which is free from the gravity effect of sediments and from the gravity effect of the estimated Moho interface. We find several short-wavelengths structures not present in the bathymetry data. Our model shows a rift crossing the entire Rio Grande Rise deeper than previously presented in literature, with depths up to 5 km in the East Rio Grande Rise (ERGR) and deeper in the West Rio Grande Rise (WRGR), reaching 6.4 km. An interesting NS structure that goes from 34°S and extends through de São Paulo Ridge may be related to the South Atlantic Opening and could reveal an extinct spreading center.

Hydrological Changes in the Arctic in Response to a Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinzman, L. D.; Kane, D. L.; McNamara, J. P.; Nolan, M. A.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Yang, D.; Yoshikawa, K.

2003-12-01

The broadest impacts of climate change to the terrestrial arctic regions will result through consequent effects of changing permafrost structure and extent. As the climate differentially warms in summer and winter, the permafrost will become warmer, the active layer (the layer of soil above the permafrost that annually experiences freeze and thaw) will become thicker, the lower boundary of permafrost will become shallower and permafrost extent will decrease in area. These simple structural changes will affect every aspect of the surface water and energy balances. As the active layer thickens, there is greater storage capacity for soil moisture and greater lags and decays are introduced into the hydrologic response times to precipitation. When the frozen ground is very close to the surface, the stream and river discharge peaks are higher and the base flow is lower. As permafrost becomes thinner, there can be more connections between surface and subsurface water. As permafrost extent decreases, there is more infiltration to groundwater. This has significant impacts on large and small scales. The timing of stream runoff will change, reducing the percentage of continental runoff released during the summer and increasing the proportion of winter runoff. This is already becoming evident in Siberian Rivers. As permafrost becomes thinner and is reduced in spatial extent, the proportions of groundwater in stream runoff will increase as the proportion of surface runoff decreases, increasing river alkalinity and electrical conductivity. This could impact mixing of fresh and saline waters, formation of the halocline and seawater chemistry. Other important impacts will occur due to changing basin geomorphology. Currently the drainage networks in arctic watersheds are quite immature as compared to the more well-developed stream networks of temperate regions. These stream channels are essentially frozen in place as the major flood events (predominantly snowmelt) occur when the soils and streambeds are frozen solid. As the active layer becomes thicker, there could be significantly increased sediment loads delivered to the ocean. Presently, most small streams (<=ssim1,000 km2) in the Arctic are completely frozen from the bed to the surface when spring melt is initiated. However, in lower reaches of the rivers there are places where the channel is deep enough to prevent complete winter freezing. Break-up of the rivers differs dramatically in these places where the ice is not frozen fast to the bottom. Huge ice chunks are lifted by the flowing water, chewing up channels bottoms and sides and introducing massive sediments to the spring runoff.

Depositing bulk or micro-scale electrodes

DOEpatents

Shah, Kedar G.; Pannu, Satinderpall S.; Tolosa, Vanessa; Tooker, Angela C.; Sheth, Heeral J.; Felix, Sarah H.; Delima, Terri L.

2016-11-01

Thicker electrodes are provided on microelectronic device using thermo-compression bonding. A thin-film electrical conducting layer forms electrical conduits and bulk depositing provides an electrode layer on the thin-film electrical conducting layer. An insulating polymer layer encapsulates the electrically thin-film electrical conducting layer and the electrode layer. Some of the insulating layer is removed to expose the electrode layer.

Vibration Power Flow In A Constrained Layer Damping Cylindrical Shell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yun; Zheng, Gangtie

2012-07-01

In this paper, the vibration power flow in a constrained layer damping (CLD) cylindrical shell using wave propagation approach is investigated. The dynamic equations of the shell are derived with the Hamilton principle in conjunction with the Donnell shell assumption. With these equations, the dynamic responses of the system under a line circumferential cosine harmonic exciting force is obtained by employing the Fourier transform and the residue theorem. The vibration power flows inputted to the system and transmitted along the shell axial direction are both studied. The results show that input power flow varies with driving frequency and circumferential mode order, and the constrained damping layer can obviously restrict the exciting force from inputting power flow into the base shell especially for a thicker viscoelastic layer, a thicker or stiffer constraining layer (CL), and a higher circumferential mode order, can rapidly attenuate the vibration power flow transmitted along the base shell axial direction.

Variability in form and growth of sediment waves on turbidite channel levees

USGS Publications Warehouse

Normark, W.R.; Piper, D.J.W.; Posamentier, H.; Pirmez, C.; Migeon, S.

2002-01-01

Fine-grained sediment waves have been observed in many modern turbidite systems, generally restricted to the overbank depositional element. Sediment waves developed on six submarine fan systems are compared using high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles, sediment core samples (including ODP drilling), multibeam bathymetry, 3D seismic-reflection imaging (including examples of burried features), and direct measurements of turbidity currents that overflow their channels. These submarine fan examples extend over more than three orders of magnitude in physical scale. The presence or absence of sediment waves is not simply a matter of either the size of the turbidite channel-levee systems or the dominant initiation process for the turbidity currents that overflow the channels to form the wave fields. Both sediment-core data and seismic-reflection profiles document the upslope migration of the wave forms, with thicker and coarser beds deposited on the up-current flank of the waves. Some wave fields are orthogonal to channel trend and were initiated by large flows whose direction was controlled by upflow morphology, whereas fields subparallel to channel levees resulted from local spillover. In highly meandering systems, sediment waves may mimic meander planform. Larger sediment waves form on channel-levee systems with thicker overflow of turbidity currents, but available data indicate that sediment waves can be maintaned during conditions of relatively thin overflow. Coarser-grained units in sediment waves are typically laminated and thin-bedded sand as much as several centimetres thick, but sand beds as thick as several tens of centimetres have been documented from both modern and buried systems. Current production of hydrocarbons from sediment-wave deposits suggests that it is important to develop criteria for recognising this overbank element in outcrop exposures and borehole data, where the wavelength of typical waves (several kilometres) generally exceeds outcrop scales and wave heights, which are reduced as a result of consolidation during burial, may be too subtle to recognise. Crown Copyright ?? 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of low-ash, planar peat swamps in an alluvial-plain setting: The no. 5 Block beds (westphalian D) of southern West Virginia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Staub, J.R.; Richards, B.K.

1993-07-01

Coals from the No. 5 Block coal beds (Westphalian D) of the central Appalachian basin are noted for their blocky, dull character and their low ash and low sulfur content. The beds are multiple benched, with rock partings separating benches. Individual benches have limited lateral extent and, where thick, are dominated by bright, high-ash coal at the base and dull, low-ash coal in the upper parts. The duller coals contain more exinite-group and inertinite-group macerals than the brighter coals. These coal beds are encased in sandstone units dominated by fining-upward sequences. The overall depositional setting is an alluvial-plain environment withmore » northwest-flowing channels spaced approximately 20 km apart. The channels were flanked by clastic swamps about 7 km wide. Low-ash peat accumulated in areas of the flood plain most distant from the channels. These peat-accumulating swamps were about 8 km across. In a few instances low-frequency flood events introduced fine siliciclastic sediment into the peat swamps, depositing a thin layer of sediment on top of the peat. This sediment layer is thicker where the underlying coal is the thickest. These thick coal areas are topographically lower than surrounding coal areas. This relationship between coal thickness, parting thickness, and topography indicates that these peat swamps were planar at the time of deposition. Individual coal benches contain abundant preserved cellular tissue (telocollinite, semifusinite, and fusinite) at most locations, suggesting that robust vegetation was widespread in the swamps and that the morphology was planar. The high concentrations of exinite-group an inertinite-group macerals in the upper parts of benches resulted from selective decomposition and oxidation of the peat in subaerial and aquatic planar-swamp environments.« less

Low ash, planar peat swamp development in an alluvial plain setting: The No. 5 block beds of southern West Virginia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Staub, J.R.; Richards, B.K.

1992-01-01

Coals from the No. 5 Block beds (Westphalian D) are noted for their low ash and sulfur content. Beds are multiple benched, with rock partings separating individual benches. Benches have limited continuity and, where thick are dominated by bright, high ash coal at the base and dull, low ash coal in their upper portions. The duller coals contain more exinite and inertinite group macerals than the brighter coals. The depositional setting is an alluvial plain environment with channel systems separated by distances of about 20 km. The channel systems were flanked by clastic swamps for distances of up to 7more » km or more on either side. Areas of flood plain most distant from the channels were sites where peat accumulated and these zones were about 8 km across. High energy, low frequency flood events introduced fine grained sediment into the peat swamps resulting in thin layers of sediment being deposited on top of the peat. These sediment layers are thicker in areas where the underlying coal is the thickest. These thick coal areas are topographically negative. This relationship between coal and parting thickness and topography indicates that these peat swamps were low-lying or planar. Individual coal benches contain abundant amounts of preserved cellular tissue (telocollinite, semifusinite, fusinite) at most locations indicating that woody arborescent like vegetation was widespread in the swamps suggesting a planar morphology. The high concentrations of exinite and inertinite group macerals found in the upper portions of individual benches resulted from decomposition and oxidation of the peat in subaerial to aquatic planar swamp environments.« less

Use of XPS to clarify the Hall coefficient sign variation in thin niobium layers buried in silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demchenko, Iraida N.; Lisowski, Wojciech; Syryanyy, Yevgen; Melikhov, Yevgen; Zaytseva, Iryna; Konstantynov, Pavlo; Chernyshova, Maryna; Cieplak, Marta Z.

2017-03-01

Si/Nb/Si trilayers formed with 9.5 and 1.3 nm thick niobium layer buried in amorphous silicon were prepared by magnetron sputtering and studied using XPS depth-profile techniques in order to investigate the change of Hall coefficient sign with thickness. The analysis of high-resolution (HR) XPS spectra revealed that the thicker layer sample has sharp top interface and metallic phase of niobium, thus holes dominate the transport. In contrast, the analysis indicates that the thinner layer sample has a Nb-rich mixed alloy formation at the top interface. The authors suggest that the main effect leading to a change of sign of the Hall coefficient for the thinner layer sample (which is negative contrary to the positive sign for the thicker layer sample) may be related to strong boundary scattering enhanced by the presence of silicon ions in the layer close to the interface/s. The depth-profile reconstruction was performed by SESSA software tool confirming that it can be reliably used for quantitative analysis/interpretation of experimental XPS data.

High-Flow Asymmetric Reverse-Osmosis Membranes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, M. C.; Wydeven, T. J.

1984-01-01

Water-soluble polymer membrane insolubilized by transition-metal salt. Thin layer of lower permeability material joined with thicker layer of highpermeability material. Two layers chemically identical or chemically distinct. They differ in density, compactness or other respects. Used to purify or desalinate seawater, brackish water, or industrial or domestic wastewater.

Shallow velocity structure of the Alaska Peninsula subduction zone and implications for controls on seismic behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Shillington, D. J.; Becel, A.; Nedimovic, M. R.; Kuehn, H.; Webb, S. C.; Abers, G. A.; Keranen, K. M.; Saffer, D. M.

2014-12-01

Downdip and along-strike variations in the seismic behavior of subduction zone megathrust faults are thought to be strongly controlled by changes in the material properties along the plate boundary. Roughness and hydration of the incoming plate, fluid pressure and lithology in the subducting sediment channel are likely to control the distribution of shallower rupture. Here, we focus on the subduction zone offshore of the Alaska Peninsula. In 2011, the ALEUT program acquired deep penetration multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection and ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) data across the apparently freely sliding Shumagin Gap, the locked Semidi segment that last ruptured in 1938 M8.2 earthquake, and the locked western Kodiak asperity, which ruptured in the 1964 M9.2 earthquake. Seismic reflection data from the ALEUT cruise reveal significant variability in the thickness of sediment on the incoming plate and entering the trench, and the roughness and degree of hydration of the incoming plate. Oceanic crust entering the trench in the Shumagin gap is rugged with extensive faults and only a thin layer of sediment (<0.5 km thick). Farther east in the Semidi segment, the subducting plate has a smoother surface with thicker sediments (~1 km thick) and less faulting/hydration. To better constrain the properties of the accretionary prism and shallow part of the plate boundary, we are undertaking travel time tomography using reflection/refraction phases in OBS and MCS data, and constraints on the interface geometry from MCS images to estimate the detailed shallow velocity structure, with particular focus on properties within the shallow subduction channel. We observe refractions and reflections in OBS data from the shallow part of the subduction zone in both the Shumagin Gap and Semidi segment, including reflections off the top and base of what appears to be a layer of subducting sediment, which can be used for this work. We plan to present initial models of the shallow part of the subduction zone from both segments and discuss comparisons between the two.

Basement geology of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA), Northern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saltus, R.W.; Hudson, T.L.; Phillips, J.D.; Kulander, C.; Dumoulin, Julie A.; Potter, C.

2002-01-01

Gravity, aeromagnetic, seismic, and borehole information enable mapping of crustal basement characteristics within the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA). In general, the pre-Mississippian basement of the southern portion of the NPRA is different from that in the north in that it is deeper and thinner, is made up of dense magnetic rocks, is cut by more normal faults, and underlies thicker accumulations of Mississippian to Triassic Ellesmerian sequence sedimentary rocks. Mafic igneous rocks within the basement and locally within the deeper Ellesmerian sequence sedimentary section could explain the observed density and magnetic variations. Because these variations spatially overlap thicker Ellesmerian sequence sediment accumulations, they may have developed, at least in part, during Mississippian to Triassic extension and basin formation. If this period of extension, and postulated mafic magmatism, was accompanied by higher heat flow, then early Ellesmerian sequence clastic sediments may have become mature for hydrocarbon generation (Magoon and Bird, 1988). This could have produced an early petroleum system in the Colville basin.

Crystallization of silicon-germanium by aluminum-induced layer exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isomura, Masao; Yajima, Masahiro; Nakamura, Isao

2018-02-01

We have studied the crystallization of amorphous silicon-germanium (a-SiGe) by aluminum (Al)-induced layer exchange (ALILE) with a starting structure of glass/Al/Al oxide/a-SiGe. We examined ALILE at 450 °C, which is slightly higher than the eutectic temperature of Ge and Al, in order to shorten the ALILE time. We successfully produced c-SiGe films oriented in the (111) direction for 16 h without significant alloying. The thickness of Al layers should be 2800 Å or more to complete the ALILE for the a-SiGe layers of 2000-2800 Å thickness. When the Al layer is as thick as the a-SiGe layer, almost uniform c-SiGe is formed on the glass substrate. On the other hand, the islands of c-SiGe are formed on the glass substrate when the Al layer is thicker than the a-SiGe layer. The islands become smaller with thicker Al layers because more excess Al remains between the SiGe islands. The results indicate that the configuration of c-SiGe can be altered from a uniform structure to island structures of various sizes by changing the ratio of a-SiGe thickness to Al thickness.

Cone dysfunctions in retinitis pigmentosa with retinal nerve fiber layer thickening

PubMed Central

Sobacı, Güngör; Özge, Gökhan; Gündoğan, Fatih Ç

2012-01-01

Purpose To investigate whether or not thicker retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients relates to functional abnormalities of the photoreceptors. Methods Optical coherence tomography-based RNFL thickness was measured by Stratus-3™ (Zeiss, Basel, Switzerland) optical coherence tomography and electroretinogram (ERG) recordings made using the RETI-port® system (Roland, Wiesbaden, Germany) in 27 patients with retinitis pigmentosa and in 30 healthy subjects. Results Photopic ERG b-wave amplitude, cone ERG b-wave latency, 30 Hz flicker amplitude, and 30 Hz flicker latency had significant correlations to the RNFL-temporal (r = −0.55, P = 0.004, r = 0.68, P = 0.001, r = −0.65, P = 0.001, and r = −0.52, P = 0.007, respectively). Eyes with thicker RNFL (ten eyes) differed significantly from those with thinner RNFL (eight eyes) regarding cone ERG b-wave latency values only (P = 0.001). Conclusion Thicker RNFL in patients with retinitis pigmentosa may be associated with functional abnormality of the cone system. PMID:22536039

Cone dysfunctions in retinitis pigmentosa with retinal nerve fiber layer thickening.

PubMed

Sobacı, Güngör; Ozge, Gökhan; Gündoğan, Fatih Ç

2012-01-01

To investigate whether or not thicker retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients relates to functional abnormalities of the photoreceptors. Optical coherence tomography-based RNFL thickness was measured by Stratus-3™ (Zeiss, Basel, Switzerland) optical coherence tomography and electroretinogram (ERG) recordings made using the RETI-port(®) system (Roland, Wiesbaden, Germany) in 27 patients with retinitis pigmentosa and in 30 healthy subjects. Photopic ERG b-wave amplitude, cone ERG b-wave latency, 30 Hz flicker amplitude, and 30 Hz flicker latency had significant correlations to the RNFL-temporal (r = -0.55, P = 0.004, r = 0.68, P = 0.001, r = -0.65, P = 0.001, and r = -0.52, P = 0.007, respectively). Eyes with thicker RNFL (ten eyes) differed significantly from those with thinner RNFL (eight eyes) regarding cone ERG b-wave latency values only (P = 0.001). Thicker RNFL in patients with retinitis pigmentosa may be associated with functional abnormality of the cone system.

Lime-mud layers in high-energy tidal channels: A record of hurricane deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinn, Eugene A.; Steinen, Randolph P.; Dill, Robert F.; Major, Richard

1993-07-01

During or immediately following the transit of Hurricane Andrew (August 23-24, 1992) across the northern part of the Great Bahama Bank, thin laminated beds of carbonate mud were deposited in high-energy subtidal channels (4 m depth) through the ooid shoals of south Cat Cay and Joulters Cays. During our reconnaissance seven weeks later, we observed lime-mud beds exposed in the troughs of submarine oolite dunes and ripples. The mud layers were underlain and locally covered by ooid sand. The mud beds were lenticular and up to 5 cm thick. Their bases cast the underlying rippled surface. The layers were composed of soft silt- and sand-sized pellets and peloids and in some areas contained freshly preserved Thalassia blades and other organic debris along planes of lamination. The beds had a gelatinous consistency and locally had been penetrated by burrowers and plants. Layers of lime mud had also settled on bioturbated, plant-stabilized flats and in lagoonal settings but were quickly reworked and made unrecognizable by the burrowing of organisms. Thicker, more cohesive (and therefore older) mud beds and angular mud fragments associated with ooids from Joulters Cays have similar characteristics but lack fresh plant fragments. We infer that these older beds were similarly deposited and thus record the passage of previous hurricanes or tropical storms. Storm layers are preserved within channel sediments because migrating ooids prevent attack by the burrowing activity off organisms.

Stratigraphic framework and lake level history of Lake Kivu, East African Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Douglas A.; Scholz, Christopher A.

2017-10-01

Sediment cores and seismic reflection data acquired from the eastern basin of Lake Kivu, Rwanda reveal extensive limnologic variations due to changes in regional climate and basin structure. The eastern basin of the lake contains a sedimentary wedge which is > 1.5 km in thickness on its western side, and basal sediments are estimated to be at least 1.5 million years old. Sediments are likely to be thicker and older than this in the northern, Congolese basin of the lake. Above the ∼300 m iosbath only a thin layer of Holocene sediments are observed indication that this may have been the lake's high stand prior to that time. There are at least three erosional unconformities interpreted as desiccation or near-desiccation events which are estimated to have occurred at ∼475 ka, ∼100 ka, and ∼20 ka; the two most recent of these low stages likely developed during the African Megadrought and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) periods. Following the LGM, the water levels rose to form a ∼100 m deep lake with its surface ∼370 m below the current lake level. The lake remained near that level for several thousand years and during this time the Virunga Volcanic Province expanded. At ∼12.2 ka a change to wetter climate conditions rapidly filled the lake to spill out of the Bukavu Bay basin southward toward Lake Tanganyika. Tephra sampled from the cores show that there have been at least 24 large local volcanic events since the early Holocene lake transgression.

High resolution analysis of northern Patagonia lake sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarvis, S. W.; Croudace, I. W.; Langdon, P. G.; Rindby, A.

2009-04-01

Sediment cores covering the period from the last glacial maximum through the Holocene to the present have been collected from sites in the Chacubuco valley, southern Chile (around 47°08'S, 72°25'W, to the east of the North Patagonian Icecap). Cores were taken from five lakes and one recently dried lake bed. Short cores (0.2 to 0.5m), covering approximately the last two hundred years, were taken from all the lakes. Additionally, long sequences were obtained from one of the lakes and from the dried lake bed, the latter sequence extending back to the last glacial maximum as indicated by thick clay at the base. Each of the lakes are small-medium sized and are open systems situated at 300-1000m above sea level. The shorter cores comprise predominantly clastic gyttja but show a number of distinct changes in colour and chemical composition that suggest major environmental changes over the period of sediment accumulation. This is also reflected in variations in the loss on ignition of samples from the cores and in elemental profiles produced by scanning the cores with the Itrax micro-XRF corescanner at 200μm resolution. The long sequence from the dried lake bed has very low organic content glacial clay at the base, interpreted as last glacial maximum basal clay following determination in the field that this layer exceeded 2m in thickness. Similar sediments occur within a stratigraphically discrete section of approximately 14cm and may relate to a stadial event. The latter section also shows a drop in organic content and appears to be glacial clay incorporating some coarse sandy components indicative of detrital input from the catchment. The second long sequence, from a carbonate lake, includes two mineral layers indicating increased detrital input from the catchment. The deeper and thicker of these layers appears similar to the 14cm layer in the first long sequence, while the upper layer comprises a fine grain size indicative of rock flour and hence also of glacial activity in the catchment. Variation of elemental composition of these ‘glacial' layers is also clear from the Itrax data. It therefore appears that there have been significant reglaciation events in the catchment since the last glacial maximum. Many cores contain tephra layers, identified both visually and from the Itrax scans. Some of these have been confirmed as volcanic ash from the 1991 eruption of Mt Hudson, which at 45°54'S, 72°58'W is the southern-most volcano in the Chilean Andes and only 140km from the study area. Further work is underway to confirm and identify the source and age of other suspected tephra layers. Sediment accumulation rates in the upper parts of the cores are of the order of 1mm/yr (as determined by lead-210, caesium-137 dating and the 1991 Hudson tephra). Given XRF scan resolutions of up to 200μm there is thus the potential for investigation of sub-annual variability. Funding has been obtained to determine carbon-14 dates for the lower parts of the longer cores. The reproducibility and accuracy of the Itrax data has been validated using conventional WD-XRF spectrometry and the work presented will also include geochemical interpretation of the XRF data and comparison with recorded and proxy-inferred climate data for the region.

Blue photon management by inhouse grown ZnO:Al cathode for enhanced photostability in polymer solar cells

DOE PAGES

Bhattacharya, Joydeep; Peer, Akshit; Joshi, Pranav H.; ...

2018-02-21

Here, we report the improvement in photostability of P3HT:PC 60BM based bulk heterojunction solar cells deposited on Al-doped ZnO as a cathode layer replacing ITO as regularly used TCO in cells with N-I-P configuration. We experimentally and theoretically demonstrate that use of thicker ZnO:Al as cathode can successfully cut down the rate of photodegradation in short circuit current by ~40% and open circuit voltage by ~30% compared to the control device made on ITO based cathode. This effective reduction in photodegradation is understood to be coming from the absorption of ultraviolet and blue photon in the cathode layer itself. Themore » loss in short circuit current due to the loss of blue photon in EQE is compensated by higher FF (lower series resistance) due to thicker ZnO:Al layer resulting in final device efficiency almost uncompromised with added benefit of reduced photo degradation. The experimental results are supported with optical simulations which show more absorption in the short wavelength region for the thicker ZnO films, compared to ITO films, deposited on glass substrates. This work also proposes using ZnO:Al cathode as a template for random textured front surface to potentially increase short circuit current by increase in photon absorption in active layer matrix by light scattering techniques. Our results provide an inexpensive pathway for improving the stability of organic photovoltaics without compromising the device performance.« less

Blue photon management by inhouse grown ZnO:Al cathode for enhanced photostability in polymer solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhattacharya, Joydeep; Peer, Akshit; Joshi, Pranav H.

Here, we report the improvement in photostability of P3HT:PC 60BM based bulk heterojunction solar cells deposited on Al-doped ZnO as a cathode layer replacing ITO as regularly used TCO in cells with N-I-P configuration. We experimentally and theoretically demonstrate that use of thicker ZnO:Al as cathode can successfully cut down the rate of photodegradation in short circuit current by ~40% and open circuit voltage by ~30% compared to the control device made on ITO based cathode. This effective reduction in photodegradation is understood to be coming from the absorption of ultraviolet and blue photon in the cathode layer itself. Themore » loss in short circuit current due to the loss of blue photon in EQE is compensated by higher FF (lower series resistance) due to thicker ZnO:Al layer resulting in final device efficiency almost uncompromised with added benefit of reduced photo degradation. The experimental results are supported with optical simulations which show more absorption in the short wavelength region for the thicker ZnO films, compared to ITO films, deposited on glass substrates. This work also proposes using ZnO:Al cathode as a template for random textured front surface to potentially increase short circuit current by increase in photon absorption in active layer matrix by light scattering techniques. Our results provide an inexpensive pathway for improving the stability of organic photovoltaics without compromising the device performance.« less

Glacial origin for cave rhythmite during MIS 5d-c in a glaciokarst landscape, Picos de Europa (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballesteros, Daniel; Jiménez-Sánchez, Montserrat; Giralt, Santiago; DeFelipe, Irene; García-Sansegundo, Joaquín

2017-06-01

Laminated slackwater deposits have been identified in many karst caves related to fluvial and lacustrine sedimentation. However, sedimentological evidence rarely supports a glacial origin for these deposits, which was proposed by previous studies. The Torca La Texa shaft is located in a glaciokarst area that comprises numerous slackwater-type deposits, piled up in fining-upward sequences. A basal sandy erosive layer and millimeter-sized laminated rhythmite with interbedded flowstone characterize these sequences. Fining-upward layers of carbonate silt, clay, and minor quartz sand deposited in flooded conduits define the rhythmite lamination. The presence of allochthonous minerals indicates that the rhythmite sediment comes from the glacial erosion of nearby carbonate mountains. Two 234U/230Th radiometric ages dated the rhythmite deposits around 109 and 95 ka, coinciding with relative cold periods included in the MIS 5d-c. These cold periods were marked by a high annual seasonality, immediately after the glacial local maximum extension, in agreement with a varve-type deposit. The combination of these sedimentological mineralogical, geomorphological and paleoclimate information indicates that the rhythmite should be introduced into the studied cave during the summer melting of the glaciers, which produced the recharge of the karst aquifer, triggering cave floods. In addition, punctual glacier collapses would also have their imprint in the slackwater sequences with thicker, coarser and erosive sand deposits and the spring blocking by glaciers may have promoted floods inside the cave. Therefore, the studied rhythmite can be interpreted as glacial varves decanted during the relatively cold climate conditions.

Strong Effect of Azodye Layer Thickness on RM-Stabilized Photoalignment

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-21

to thicker layers (~40 nm). Author Keywords photoalignment; azodye; reactive mesogen 1. Introduction Photoalignment of liquid crystals by azodye...Polymerizable azodyes[3] as well as passivation of the azodye film by spin-coating with a layer of reactive mesogen[4] are currently proposed solutions...thick alignment film rather than a ~40 nm thick alignment film ; cells with thin alignment layers are stable to exposure to polarized light for at

Mechanical properties of nitrogen-rich surface layers on SS304 treated by plasma immersion ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, B. B.; Mändl, S.; Oliveira, R. M.; Ueda, M.

2014-08-01

The formation of hard and wear resistant surface regions for austenitic stainless steel through different nitriding and nitrogen implantation processes at intermediate temperatures is an established technology. As the inserted nitrogen remains in solid solution, an expanded austenite phase is formed, accounting for these surface improvements. However, experiments on long-term behavior and exact wear processes within the expanded austenite layer are still missing. Here, the modified layers were produced using plasma immersion ion implantation with nitrogen gas and had a thickness of up to 4 μm, depending on the processing temperature. Thicker layers or those with higher surface nitrogen contents presented better wear resistance, according to detailed microscopic investigation on abrasion, plastic deformation, cracking and redeposition of material inside the wear tracks. At the same time, cyclic fatigue testing employing a nanoindenter equipped with a diamond ball was carried out at different absolute loads and relative unloadings. As the stress distribution between the modified layer and the substrate changes with increasing load, additional simulations were performed for obtaining these complex stress distributions. While high nitrogen concentration and/or thicker layers improve the wear resistance and hardness, these modifications simultaneously reduce the surface fatigue resistance.

Method of producing buried porous silicon-geramanium layers in monocrystalline silicon lattices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fathauer, Robert W. (Inventor); George, Thomas (Inventor); Jones, Eric W. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

Lattices of alternating layers of monocrystalline silicon and porous silicon-germanium have been produced. These single crystal lattices have been fabricated by epitaxial growth of Si and Si--Ge layers followed by patterning into mesa structures. The mesa structures are stain etched resulting in porosification of the Si--Ge layers with a minor amount of porosification of the monocrystalline Si layers. Thicker Si--Ge layers produced in a similar manner emitted visible light at room temperature.

New Synthesis of Ocean Crust Velocity Structure From Two-Dimensional Profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christeson, G. L.; Goff, J.; Carlson, R. L.; Reece, R.

2017-12-01

The velocity structure of typical oceanic crust consists of Layer 2, where velocities increase rapidly with depth from seafloor, and Layer 3, which is thicker and has a lower velocity gradient. Previous syntheses have found no correlation of velocity structure with spreading rate, even though we know that magmatic processes differ between slow-spreading and fast-spreading crust. We present a new synthesis of ocean crust velocity structure, compiling observations from two-dimensional studies in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian ocean basins. The Layer 2/3 boundary was picked from each publication at a change in gradient either on velocity-depth functions or contour plots (with at least 0.5 km/s contour interval), or from the appropriate layer boundary for layered models. We picked multiple locations at each seismic refraction profile if warranted by model variability. Preliminary results show statistically significant differences in average Layer 2 and Layer 3 thicknesses between slow-spreading and superfast-spreading crust, with Layer 2 thinner and Layer 3 thicker for the higher spreading rate crust. The thickness changes are about equivalent, resulting in no change in mean crustal thickness. The Layer 2/3 boundary is often interpreted as the top of the gabbros; however, a comparison with mapped magma lens depths at the ridge axis shows that the boundary is typically deeper than average axial melt lens depth at superfast-spreading crust, and shallower at intermediate-spreading crust.

The Varve Record of Puyehue Lake (Meridional Chile), AD 1412-2002 .

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boes, X.; Arnaud, F.; Fagel, N.

2004-12-01

Puyehue Lake is located in the Southern Volcanic Zone of Chile (Southern Lake District, 40°S). This monomictic lake is under the influence of the oceanic winter polar front (WPF) and constitutes a powerful sedimentary archive for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The underflow (PUI) and interflow (PUII) coring sites were selected by a high resolution seismic survey (RUG). The sedimentation is driven by the annual blooms of diatoms in association with thermal lake cycles. For each site, one short core (50-60 cm) is analyzed by continuous cover of thin sections for varve counting and chronology for the AD 1412-2002 time window. The varve chronology is constrained by 210Pb,137Cs sedimentation rate estimates, and by the AD 1960 Valdivia'seismite. The sediment laminations are especially emphasized by the continuous grey-scale measurements from thin sections. Detrital clayey material characterizes the dark levels, and biogenic diatom mud defines the light levels. Varve counting is derived from the occurrence of light layers, i.e. formed at the end of winter after nutrient turn-over. In both cores, the grey-scale is influenced by instantaneous tephra layers related to the regional volcanic activity (Puyehue and Cordon Caulle volcanoes). For instance, in PUII, we identify major historical eruptions (AD 1921, 1837, 1790, 1564, and 1544) in accordance with the varve age model. In addition, we measure the total varve thickness. Lower than 500 µm until AD 1780, the varve thickness gradually increases by a factor of four in PUII. The first period suggests a decrease of lake productivity, in agreement with a cooling. The age fits with the end of Little Ice Age in Southern America. Between AD 1780-2002, the thicker varves could be driven by a reinforcement of the WPF since the 19e century. Our local observations require further investigations to be extrapolated over regional or global scale.

Repeated sedimentation and exposure of glacial Lake Missoula sediments: A lake-level history at Garden Gulch, Montana, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Larry N.

2017-01-01

Glaciolacustrine sediments record lake transgression, regression, and subaerial modification of the silty lake-bottom of glacial Lake Missoula in the Clark Fork River valley. The sequence preserved at Garden Gulch, MT documents lake-level fluctuations at >65% of its full-pool volume. Twelve sedimentary cycles fine upwards from (1) very fine-grained sandy silt to (2) silt with climbing ripples to (3) rhythmically laminated silt and some clay. The cycles are fine-grained turbidites capped locally by thin layers of angular gravel derived from local bedrock outcrops. The gravels appear to be the toes of mass wasting lobes carried onto the exposed lakebed surface during repeated lake-level lowerings. Periglacial wedges, small rotational faults, involutions, and clastic dikes deform the tops of eleven cycles. The wedges are 10-30 cm wide, penetrate 30-70 cm deep, are spaced <1 m apart, and contain vertically oriented gravel and massive to laminated sediment. Wedges split and taper in plan view. A few thin silt-filled dikes, which branch and taper downwards from wedges, are interpreted as filled frost cracks. One 10-20 cm-wide sand-filled dike protrudes upward from a sand bed; it is interpreted as a liquefaction feature consistent with a filling and draining lake. The deformed cycle tops preserve evidence of periglacial cold, subaerial exposure, seasonal frost heave, and the incipient formation of sorted polygons. The lowest five cycles are thicker and display more periglacial modification at their tops than the upper seven cycles. The Garden Gulch section may represent as few as seven and as many as twelve substantial fillings and partial to complete drainings of glacial Lake Missoula.

Hafnium nitride buffer layers for growth of GaN on silicon

DOEpatents

Armitage, Robert D.; Weber, Eicke R.

2005-08-16

Gallium nitride is grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy on (111) and (001) silicon substrates using hafnium nitride buffer layers. Wurtzite GaN epitaxial layers are obtained on both the (111) and (001) HfN/Si surfaces, with crack-free thickness up to 1.2 {character pullout}m. However, growth on the (001) surface results in nearly stress-free films, suggesting that much thicker crack-free layers could be obtained.

Effect of surface ionization on wetting layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kayser, R. F.

1986-01-01

A surface ionization model due to Langmuir is generalized to liquid mixtures of polar and nonpolar components in contact with ionizable substrates. When a predominantly nonpolar mixture is near a miscibility gap, thick wetting layers of the conjugate polar phase form on the substrate. Such charged layers can be much thicker than similar wetting layers stabilized by dispersion forces. This model may explain the 0.4- to 0.6-micron-thick wetting layers formed in stirred mixtures of nitromethane and carbon disulfide in contact with glass.

Epitaxial Growth of Rhenium with Sputtering

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-06

corresponds to two atomic Re layers , considering that the c-axis lattice constant of the tri- atomic layered hcp Re unit cell is ~4.5 Å. Frequently, two...Å) corresponds to two Re atomic layers since the c-axis lattice constant of hcp Re, which is composed of three Re atomic layers , is ~4.5 Å...The growth starts in a three dimensional mode but transforms into two dimensional mode as the film gets thicker. With a thin (~2 nm) seed layer

Facies implications of Trichichnus and Chondrites in turbidites and hemipelagites, Marnoso-arenacea Formation (Miocene), northern Apennines, Italy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McBride, E.F.; Picard, M.D.

Trichichnus, a thread-like burrow possibly the work of sipunculan worms, is widespread in Bouma E (turbidite claystone) and H (hemipelagic claystone) layers and some thin turbidite sandstone beds in basin-plain and outer fan-lobe deposits of the Marnoso-arenacea Formation. Trichichnus closely resembles that described elsewhere in chalk and marlstone, although the burrows are smaller (mean diameter=0.13 mm) and burrow curvature is tighter. Trichichnus fills are darker than the host claystone because of high organic content and disseminated pyrite. Any distinctive internal structure of the burrow wall or fill was destroyed by pyrite growth. Trichichnus is most abundant in Bouma E layers,more » where burrow spacing ranges from 0.4 to 50 cm and burrows extend to depths of 160 cm. The Trichichnus maker commonly burrowed vertically down through E and D layers (clay and silt) and then horizontally on top of C layers (sand). The burrows also vertically penetrate Bouma C sandstone layers up to 6 cm thick, but they are rare in beds thicker than 3 cm. They are less abundant or not well displayed in H layers where Chondrites predominates. Trichichnus overprints Chondrites. Following deposition of the Contessa megaturbidite, which exceeds 9 m in thickness, the sediment surface was repopulated chiefly by Trichichnus and Chondrites producers. Trichichnus extends 160 cm below the top of the Contessa, whereas Chondrites extend only to 64 cm. This suggests a greater tolerance of Trichichnus makers to low in situ oxygen levels. The near absence of laminations in the E division of the Contessa megabed may be the result of Trichichnus burrows that were not pyritized and which lack textural identity.« less

Dual ion beam assisted deposition of biaxially textured template layers

DOEpatents

Groves, James R.; Arendt, Paul N.; Hammond, Robert H.

2005-05-31

The present invention is directed towards a process and apparatus for epitaxial deposition of a material, e.g., a layer of MgO, onto a substrate such as a flexible metal substrate, using dual ion beams for the ion beam assisted deposition whereby thick layers can be deposited without degradation of the desired properties by the material. The ability to deposit thicker layers without loss of properties provides a significantly broader deposition window for the process.

Growth of germanium on Au(111): formation of germanene or intermixing of Au and Ge atoms?

PubMed

Cantero, Esteban D; Solis, Lara M; Tong, Yongfeng; Fuhr, Javier D; Martiarena, María Luz; Grizzi, Oscar; Sánchez, Esteban A

2017-07-19

We studied the growth of Ge layers on Au(111) under ultra-high vacuum conditions from the submonolayer regime up to a few layers with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Direct Recoiling Spectroscopy (DRS) and Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED). Most STM images for the thicker layers are consistent with a commensurate 5 × 8 arrangement. The high surface sensitivity of TOF-DRS allows us to confirm the coexistence of Au and Ge atoms in the top layer for all stages of growth. An estimation of the Au to Ge ratio at the surface of the thick layer gives about 1 Au atom per 2 Ge ones. When the growth is carried out at sample temperatures higher than about 420 K, a fraction of the deposited Ge atoms migrate into the bulk of Au. This incorporation of Ge into the bulk reduces the growth rate of the Ge films, making it more difficult to obtain films thicker than a few layers. After sputtering the Ge/Au surface, the segregation of bulk Ge atoms to the surface occurs for temperatures ≥600 K. The surface obtained after segregation of Ge reaches a stable condition (saturation) with an n × n symmetry with n on the order of 14.

Small-scale modelling of cementation by descending silica-bearing fluids: Explanation of the origin of arenitic caves in South American tepuis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aubrecht, R.; Lánczos, T.; Schlögl, J.; Audy, M.

2017-12-01

Geoscientific research was performed on South American table mountains (tepuis) and in their sandstone cave systems. To explain speleogenesis in these poorly soluble rocks, two theories were introduced: a) arenization theory implying selective weathering of quartz along grain boundaries and releasing of sand grains, b) selective lithification theory implying cementation by descending silica-bearing fluid flow. The latter theory presumes that the descending fluid flow becomes unstable on the interface between two layers with different porosity and splits to separate flow channels (so-called ;finger flow;). The arenites outside these channels remain uncemented. To verify the latter theory, small-scale modelling was performed, using layered sands and sodium-silicate solution. Fine to medium sand was used (0.08-0.5 mm), along with a coarse sand fraction (0.5-1.5 mm). The sands were layered and compacted in a transparent plastic boxes. Three liters of sodium-silicate solution (so-called water glass) were left to drip for several hours to the top of the sediment. The fine-grained layers were perfectly laterally impregnated, whereas the descending fluid flows split to ;fingers; in the coarse-grained layers due their higher hydraulic conductivity. This small-scale laboratory simulation mimics the real diagenesis by descending silica-bearing fluids and matches the real phenomena observed on the tepuis. The resulting cemented constructions closely mimic many geomorphological features observed on tepuis and inside their caves, e.g. ;finger-flow; pillars, overhangs, imperfectly formed (aborted) pillars in forms of hummocks hanging from ceilings, locally also thicker central pillars that originated by merging of smaller fluid-flow channels. The modelling showed that selective lithification theory can explain most of the geomorphological aspects related to the speleogenesis in tepuis.

Early to middle Jurassic salt in Baltimore Canyon trough

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKinney, B. Ann; Lee, Myung W.; Agena, Warren F.; Poag, C. Wylie

2005-01-01

A pervasive, moderately deep (5-6 s two-way traveltime), high-amplitude reflection is traced on multichannel seismic sections over an approximately 7500 km² area of Baltimore Canyon Trough. The layer associated with the reflection is about 25 km wide, about 60 m thick in the center, and thins monotonically laterally, though asymmetrically, at the edges. Geophysical characteristics are compatible with an interpretation of this negative-polarity reflector as a salt lens deposited on the top of a synrift evaporite sequence. However, alternative interpretations of the layer as gas-saturated sediments, an overpressured shale, or a weathered igneous intrusion are also worthy of consideration.Geophysical analyses were made on three wavelet- and true-amplitude processed multichannel seismic dip lines. The lens-shaped layer demarked by the reflection has a velocity of 4.4 km/s; the lens lies within strata having velocities of 5.3 to 5.7 km/s. A trough marking the onset of the lens has an amplitude that is 10 to 20 db greater than reflections from the encasing layers and an apparent reflection coefficient of -0.24. Using amplitude versus offset analysis methods, we determined that observed reflection coefficients, though variable, decrease consistently with respect to increasing offset. Linear inversion yields a low density, about 2.2 g/cc. Integration of one of the true-amplitude-processed lines and one-dimensional modeling of the layer provide data on the impedance contrast and interference patterns that further reinforce the salt lens interpretation.The thin, horizontal salt lens was probably deposited or precipitated during the Jurassic in a shallow, narrow (peripheral) rift basin, as rifting progressed down the North Atlantic margin. Unlike thicker deposits in other areas that deformed and flowed, often into diapir structures, this thin lens has remained relatively undisturbed since deposition.

Creating realistic models and resolution assessment in tomographic inversion of wide-angle active seismic profiling data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stupina, T.; Koulakov, I.; Kopp, H.

2009-04-01

We consider questions of creating structural models and resolution assessment in tomographic inversion of wide-angle active seismic profiling data. For our investigations, we use the PROFIT (Profile Forward and Inverse Tomographic modeling) algorithm which was tested earlier with different datasets. Here we consider offshore seismic profiling data from three areas (Chile, Java and Central Pacific). Two of the study areas are characterized by subduction zones whereas the third data set covers a seamount province. We have explored different algorithmic issues concerning the quality of the solution, such as (1) resolution assessment using different sizes and complexity of synthetic anomalies; (2) grid spacing effects; (3) amplitude damping and smoothing; (4) criteria for rejection of outliers; (5) quantitative criteria for comparing models. Having determined optimal algorithmic parameters for the observed seismic profiling data we have created structural synthetic models which reproduce the results of the observed data inversion. For the Chilean and Java subduction zones our results show similar patterns: a relatively thin sediment layer on the oceanic plate, thicker inhomogeneous sediments in the overlying plate and a large area of very strong low velocity anomalies in the accretionary wedge. For two seamounts in the Pacific we observe high velocity anomalies in the crust which can be interpreted as frozen channels inside the dormant volcano cones. Along both profiles we obtain considerable crustal thickening beneath the seamounts.

Thicker host tissues moderate light stress in a cnidarian endosymbiont.

PubMed

Dimond, James L; Holzman, Benjamin J; Bingham, Brian L

2012-07-01

The susceptibility of algal-cnidarian holobionts to environmental stress is dependent on attributes of both host and symbiont, but the role of the host is often unclear. We examined the influence of the host on symbiont light stress, comparing the photophysiology of the chlorophyte symbiont Elliptochloris marina in two species of sea anemones in the genus Anthopleura. After 3 months of acclimation in outdoor tanks, polyp photoprotective contraction behavior was similar between the two host species, but photochemical efficiency was 1.5 times higher in A. xanthogrammica than in A. elegantissima. Maximum relative electron transport rates, derived from rapid light curves, were 1.5 times higher in A. xanthogrammica than in A. elegantissima when symbionts were inside intact tissues, but were not significantly different between host species upon removal of outer (epidermis and mesoglea) tissue layers from symbiont-containing gastrodermal cells. Tissues of A. xanthogrammica were 1.8 times thicker than those of A. elegantissima, with outer tissue layers attenuating 1.6 times more light. We found no significant differences in light absorption properties per unit volume of tissue, confirming the direct effect of tissue thickness on light attenuation. The thicker tissues of A. xanthogrammica thus provide a favorable environment for E. marina - a relatively stress-susceptible symbiont - and may explain its higher prevalence and expanded range in A. xanthogrammica along the Pacific coast of North America. Our findings also support a photoprotective role for thicker host tissues in reef corals that has long been thought to influence variability in bleaching susceptibility among coral taxa.

Crystallographic structure and superconductive properties of Nb-Ti films with an artificially layered structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sato, N.

1990-06-15

Artificially layered niobium-titanium (Nb-Ti) films with various thickness ratios (3/1--1/3) and periodicities (2--100 A) are made in an argon or in a mixed argon/nitrogen atmosphere by a dc magnetron sputtering method. Films with small periodicities (less than 30 A) have an artificial superlattice structure (ASL) with crystallographic coherence between constituent layers, where Nb and Ti grow epitaxially on the closest planes. The crystallographic structures of films are bcc with the (110) plane parallel to the film for films with the same or a thicker Nb layer than a Ti layer, and hcp with the (001) plane parallel to the filmmore » for films with a thinner Nb layer than a Ti layer. Films with large periodicities have an artificial superstructure (ASS) with only periodic stacking of constituent layers. Films deposited in the Ar/N atmosphere also have the artificially layered structures of ASL or ASS. The artificially layered structure is thermally stable at temperatures up to 500 {degree}C. The superconducting properties of the films depend strongly on the periodicity and thickness ratio of Nb and Ti layers. The dependence of the transition temperature on the periodicity and thickness ratio is qualitatively explained by a proximity effect with a three-region model. Films with periodicities less than 20 A, composed of the same or a thicker Nb layer than a Ti layer, show high transition temperatures (above 9.3 K). The highest {ital T}{sub {ital c}} of about 13.6 K is obtained in the film composed of monatomic layers of constituents deposited in an Ar atmosphere including 30 vol % N.« less

Booms

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Containment booms are used to control the spread of oil to reduce the possibility of polluting shorelines and other resources. They also concentrate oil in thicker surface layers, making recovery easier. They may also be used to divert and channel slicks.

Seismic structure of the crust and uppermost mantle of north America and adjacent oceanic basins: A synthesis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chulick, G.S.; Mooney, W.D.

2002-01-01

We present a new set of contour maps of the seismic structure of North America and the surrounding ocean basins. These maps include the crustal thickness, whole-crustal average P-wave and S-wave velocity, and seismic velocity of the uppermost mantle, that is, Pn and Sn. We found the following: (1) The average thickness of the crust under North America is 36.7 km (standard deviation [s.d.] ??8.4 km), which is 2.5 km thinner than the world average of 39.2 km (s.d. ?? 8.5) for continental crust; (2) Histograms of whole-crustal P- and S-wave velocities for the North American crust are bimodal, with the lower peak occurring for crust without a high-velocity (6.9-7.3 km/sec) lower crustal layer; (3) Regions with anomalously high average crustal P-wave velocities correlate with Precambrian and Paleozoic orogens; low average crustal velocities are correlated with modern extensional regimes; (4) The average Pn velocity beneath North America is 8.03 km/sec (s.d. ?? 0.19 km/sec); (5) the well-known thin crust beneath the western United States extends into northwest Canada; (6) the average P-wave velocity of layer 3 of oceanic crust is 6.61 km/ sec (s.d. ?? 0.47 km/sec). However, the average crustal P-wave velocity under the eastern Pacific seafloor is higher than the western Atlantic seafloor due to the thicker sediment layer on the older Atlantic seafloor.

Multilayer Black Phosphorus Near-Infrared Photodetectors.

PubMed

Hou, Chaojian; Yang, Lijun; Li, Bo; Zhang, Qihan; Li, Yuefeng; Yue, Qiuyang; Wang, Yang; Yang, Zhan; Dong, Lixin

2018-05-23

Black phosphorus (BP), owing to its distinguished properties, has become one of the most competitive candidates for photodetectors. However, there has been little attention paid on photo-response performance of multilayer BP nanoflakes with large layer thickness. In fact, multilayer BP nanoflakes with large layer thickness have greater potential from the fabrication viewpoint as well as due to the physical properties than single or few layer ones. In this report, the thickness-dependence of the intrinsic property of BP photodetectors in the dark was initially investigated. Then the photo-response performance (including responsivity, photo-gain, photo-switching time, noise equivalent power, and specific detectivity) of BP photodetectors with relative thicker thickness was explored under a near-infrared laser beam ( λ IR = 830 nm). Our experimental results reveal the impact of BP's thickness on the current intensity of the channel and show degenerated p-type BP is beneficial for larger current intensity. More importantly, the photo-response of our thicker BP photodetectors exhibited a larger responsivity up to 2.42 A/W than the few-layer ones and a fast response photo-switching speed (response time is ~2.5 ms) comparable to thinner BP nanoflakes was obtained, indicating BP nanoflakes with larger layer thickness are also promising for application for ultra-fast and ultra-high near-infrared photodetectors.

SNS Heterojunctions With New Combinations Of Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vasquez, Richard P.; Hunt, Brian D.; Foote, Marc C.

1992-01-01

New combinations of materials proposed for superconductor/normal-metal/superconductor (SNS) heterojunctions in low-temperature electronic devices such as fast switches, magnetometers, and mixers. Epitaxial heterojunctions formed between high-temperature superconductors and either oxide semiconductors or metals. Concept offers alternative to other three-layer heterojunction concepts; physical principles of operation permit SNS devices to have thicker barrier layers and fabricated more easily.

Study on influences of TiN capping layer on time-dependent dielectric breakdown characteristic of ultra-thin EOT high-k metal gate NMOSFET with kMC TDDB simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Hao; Yang, Hong; Luo, Wei-Chun; Xu, Ye-Feng; Wang, Yan-Rong; Tang, Bo; Wang, Wen-Wu; Qi, Lu-Wei; Li, Jun-Feng; Yan, Jiang; Zhu, Hui-Long; Zhao, Chao; Chen, Da-Peng; Ye, Tian-Chun

2016-08-01

The thickness effect of the TiN capping layer on the time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) characteristic of ultra-thin EOT high-k metal gate NMOSFET is investigated in this paper. Based on experimental results, it is found that the device with a thicker TiN layer has a more promising reliability characteristic than that with a thinner TiN layer. From the charge pumping measurement and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) analysis, it is indicated that the sample with the thicker TiN layer introduces more Cl passivation at the IL/Si interface and exhibits a lower interface trap density. In addition, the influences of interface and bulk trap density ratio N it/N ot are studied by TDDB simulations through combining percolation theory and the kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) method. The lifetime reduction and Weibull slope lowering are explained by interface trap effects for TiN capping layers with different thicknesses. Project supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. SS2015AA010601), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61176091 and 61306129), and the Opening Project of Key Laboratory of Microelectronics Devices & Integrated Technology, Institute of MicroElectronics of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Thicker three-dimensional tissue from a "symbiotic recycling system" combining mammalian cells and algae.

PubMed

Haraguchi, Yuji; Kagawa, Yuki; Sakaguchi, Katsuhisa; Matsuura, Katsuhisa; Shimizu, Tatsuya; Okano, Teruo

2017-01-31

In this paper, we report an in vitro co-culture system that combines mammalian cells and algae, Chlorococcum littorale, to create a three-dimensional (3-D) tissue. While the C2C12 mouse myoblasts and rat cardiac cells consumed oxygen actively, intense oxygen production was accounted for by the algae even in the co-culture system. Although cell metabolism within thicker cardiac cell-layered tissues showed anaerobic respiration, the introduction of innovative co-cultivation partially changed the metabolism to aerobic respiration. Moreover, the amount of glucose consumption and lactate production in the cardiac tissues and the amount of ammonia in the culture media decreased significantly when co-cultivated with algae. In the cardiac tissues devoid of algae, delamination was observed histologically, and the release of creatine kinase (CK) from the tissues showed severe cardiac cell damage. On the other hand, the layered cell tissues with algae were observed to be in a good histological condition, with less than one-fifth decline in CK release. The co-cultivation with algae improved the culture condition of the thicker tissues, resulting in the formation of 160 μm-thick cardiac tissues. Thus, the present study proposes the possibility of creating an in vitro "symbiotic recycling system" composed of mammalian cells and algae.

Thicker three-dimensional tissue from a “symbiotic recycling system” combining mammalian cells and algae

PubMed Central

Haraguchi, Yuji; Kagawa, Yuki; Sakaguchi, Katsuhisa; Matsuura, Katsuhisa; Shimizu, Tatsuya; Okano, Teruo

2017-01-01

In this paper, we report an in vitro co-culture system that combines mammalian cells and algae, Chlorococcum littorale, to create a three-dimensional (3-D) tissue. While the C2C12 mouse myoblasts and rat cardiac cells consumed oxygen actively, intense oxygen production was accounted for by the algae even in the co-culture system. Although cell metabolism within thicker cardiac cell-layered tissues showed anaerobic respiration, the introduction of innovative co-cultivation partially changed the metabolism to aerobic respiration. Moreover, the amount of glucose consumption and lactate production in the cardiac tissues and the amount of ammonia in the culture media decreased significantly when co-cultivated with algae. In the cardiac tissues devoid of algae, delamination was observed histologically, and the release of creatine kinase (CK) from the tissues showed severe cardiac cell damage. On the other hand, the layered cell tissues with algae were observed to be in a good histological condition, with less than one-fifth decline in CK release. The co-cultivation with algae improved the culture condition of the thicker tissues, resulting in the formation of 160 μm-thick cardiac tissues. Thus, the present study proposes the possibility of creating an in vitro “symbiotic recycling system” composed of mammalian cells and algae. PMID:28139713

[Nanoleakage at the resin-dental interface of four self-etching adhesives].

PubMed

Liao, Zhi-qing; Ouyang, Yong; Yang, Jian-zhen

2011-09-01

To evaluate the nanoleakage and ultramorphology of four self-etching adhesives. Sixteen freshly extracted, caries-free human third molars were selected. A flat dentin surface was exposed by removing occlusal enamel. All teeth were randomly divided into four groups acorrding to four different self-etch adhesive: Adper Prompt (A), iBond (B), Xeno III (C) and SE Bond (D). The dentin were bonded with dentin adhesive system according to manufacturer's directions. Composite layers were built up incrementally. The specimens were sectioned longitudinally across the resin-dentin interface into 4.0 mm×0.9 mm sticks and then traced with ammoniacal silver solution. Epoxy resin-embedded sections were prepared for transmission electron microscope (TEM) to observe nanoleakage. The images were qualitatively compared by NIH software, and data was analyzed by SPSS. Different thickness of hybrid layer and adhesives layer were observed for each adhesive. The hybrid layer of A, C was thicker than that of B, D, and adhesive layer of D was thicker than the others. The extent of nanoleakage varied among different adhesives: A (45.02 ± 9.49), B (43.97 ± 8.55), C (27.02 ± 10.86), D (12.94 ± 2.07). D presented significantly less silver deposition than any of the others did (P < 0.05). The thickness of hybrid layer and adhesive layer vary among the four adhesives. The shape and extent of nanoleakage of each adhesive are also different. Two-step system shows less nanoleakage than one-step systems do.

Quantitative Analysis of Mouse Retinal Layers Using Automated Segmentation of Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Images

PubMed Central

Dysli, Chantal; Enzmann, Volker; Sznitman, Raphael; Zinkernagel, Martin S.

2015-01-01

Purpose Quantification of retinal layers using automated segmentation of optical coherence tomography (OCT) images allows for longitudinal studies of retinal and neurological disorders in mice. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of automated retinal layer segmentation algorithms with data from manual segmentation in mice using the Spectralis OCT. Methods Spectral domain OCT images from 55 mice from three different mouse strains were analyzed in total. The OCT scans from 22 C57Bl/6, 22 BALBc, and 11 C3A.Cg-Pde6b+Prph2Rd2/J mice were automatically segmented using three commercially available automated retinal segmentation algorithms and compared to manual segmentation. Results Fully automated segmentation performed well in mice and showed coefficients of variation (CV) of below 5% for the total retinal volume. However, all three automated segmentation algorithms yielded much thicker total retinal thickness values compared to manual segmentation data (P < 0.0001) due to segmentation errors in the basement membrane. Conclusions Whereas the automated retinal segmentation algorithms performed well for the inner layers, the retinal pigmentation epithelium (RPE) was delineated within the sclera, leading to consistently thicker measurements of the photoreceptor layer and the total retina. Translational Relevance The introduction of spectral domain OCT allows for accurate imaging of the mouse retina. Exact quantification of retinal layer thicknesses in mice is important to study layers of interest under various pathological conditions. PMID:26336634

Buried Porous Silicon-Germanium Layers in Monocrystalline Silicon Lattices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fathauer, Robert W. (Inventor); George, Thomas (Inventor); Jones, Eric W. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

Monocrystalline semiconductor lattices with a buried porous semiconductor layer having different chemical composition is discussed and monocrystalline semiconductor superlattices with a buried porous semiconductor layers having different chemical composition than that of its monocrystalline semiconductor superlattice are discussed. Lattices of alternating layers of monocrystalline silicon and porous silicon-germanium have been produced. These single crystal lattices have been fabricated by epitaxial growth of Si and Si-Ge layers followed by patterning into mesa structures. The mesa structures are strain etched resulting in porosification of the Si-Ge layers with a minor amount of porosification of the monocrystalline Si layers. Thicker Si-Ge layers produced in a similar manner emitted visible light at room temperature.

Glacial Lake Lind, Wisconsin and Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, M.D.; Addis, K.L.; Ferber, L.R.; Hemstad, C.B.; Meyer, G.N.; Komai, L.T.

1999-01-01

Glacial Lake Lind developed in the pre-late Wisconsinan St. Croix River valley, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and lasted more than 1000 yr during the retreat of the Superior lobe at the end of the Wisconsinan glaciation. Lake Lind sediment consists primarily of red varved silt and clay, but also includes mud-flow deposits, nearshore silt (penecontemporaneously deformed in places), nearshore rippled sand, and deltaic sand. Lake Lind varved red clay is not part of glacial Lake Grantsburg, as suggested by earlier authors, because the red varves are separated from overlying glacial Lake Grantsburg silt and clay by a unit of deltaic and fluvial sand. Furthermore, varve correlations indicate that the base of the red varves is younger to the north, showing that the basin expanded as the Superior lobe retreated and was not a lake basin dammed to the southwest by the advancing Grantsburg sublobe. Varve correlations indicate that the Superior lobe retreated at a rate of about 200 m/yr. Uniform winter-clay thickness throughout most of the varve couplets suggests thermal stratification in the lake with clay trapped in the epilimnion; some clay would exit the lake at the outlet prior to winter freeze. Zones of thicker winter-clay layers, in places associated with mud-flow layers, indicate outlet incision, lake-level fall, and shoreline erosion and resuspension of lake clay. The most likely outlet for glacial Lake Lind was in the southwest part of the lake near the present site of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nearshore sediment indicates that the lake level of glacial Lake Lind was around 280 m. The elevation of the base of the Lake Lind sediments indicates water depth was 20 to 55 m. Evidence in the southern part of the lake basin suggests that the Superior lobe readvanced at least once during the early stages of glacial Lake Lind. Lake Lind ended not by drainage but by being filled in by prograding deltas and outwash plains composed of sand derived from the retreating Superior lobe. It was upon this fluvial surface that the Grantsburg sublobe advanced, depositing till and forming glacial Lake Grantsburg.

Earth's Archean Impact Record In The ICDP Drilling "Barberton Mountain Land".

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz, Jörg; Schmitt, Ralf-Thomas; Reimold, Uwe; Koeberl, Christian; Mc Donald, Ian; Hofmann, Axel; Luais, Beatrice

2013-04-01

The marine meta-sedimentary successions in the "Barberton Mountain Land" are formed by Archean volcanic and sedimentary rocks including the oldest known impact ejecta layers on Earth. The chemical signature (high iridium concentrations, chromium isotopic ratios) of some of these up to tens of cm thick Archean spherule layers advocate that these ejecta deposits represent mainly extraterrestrial material [1]. These ejecta layers contain millimetre sized spherules that are larger and accumulated thicker layers compared to any impact ejecta layer known from Phanerozoic sediments, including the global ejecta layer of the Chicxulub impact catering event terminating the Mesozoic era of Earth's history [2]. The Archean spherule layers are interpreted as products of large impacts by 20 to >100 km diameter objects [3, 4]. Identifying traces of mega-impacts in Earth's ancient history could be of relevance for the evolution of atmosphere, biosphere, and parts of the Earth's crust during that time. In addition, recognizing global stratigraphic marker horizons is highly valuable for inter-correlating sedimentary successions between Archean cratons [5]. However estimates regarding size of the impact event and correlations between the different outcrops in the Barberton mountain land are complicated by post depositional alterations of the tectonically deformed sediments [6, 7]. The relatively fresh samples recovered from below the water table during the 2011-2012 ICDP drilling "Barberton Mountain Land" are promising samples to investigate and to discriminate primary and secondary features of these rare rocks. We plan to conduct 1) petrographic, micro-chemical and mineralogical characterization of the impact ejecta layers, 2) bulk chemical analyses of major and trace elements, and 3) LAICP- MS elemental mapping of platinum group element (PGE) distributions. and elemental analyses of moderately siderophile elements. This aims at 1) characterization of the ejecta layers, 2) identification of the phases hosting the extraterrestrial PGE signature, 3) discrimination of the primary geological evidence of the impact event from those characteristics that resulted from syn- and post-sedimentary alteration. Acknowledgement: Financial support by the DFG - RE 528/14-1. References: [1] Lowe D. R. et al. (2003) Astrobiology 3, 7-47. [2] Simonson B. M. and Harnik P. (2000) Geology 28, 975-978. [3] Lowe D. R. and Byerly G. R. (1986) Geology 14, 83-86. [4] Melosh H. J. and Vickery A. M. (1991) Nature 350, 494-497. [5] Byerly G. R. et al. (2002) Science 297, 1325-1327. [6] Reimold W. U. et al. (2000) Impacts and the Early Earth. Eds.: Gilmour I., Koeberl C. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences 91, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp.117-180. [7] Hofmann A. et al. (2006) GSA Special Paper 405, 33 - 56.

Sediment distribution pattern mapped from the combination of objective analysis and geostatistics in the large shallow Taihu Lake, China.

PubMed

Luo, Lian-Cong; Qin, Bo-Qiang; Zhu, Guang-Wei

2004-01-01

Investigation was made into sediment depth at 723 irregularly scattered measurement points which cover all the regions in Taihu Lake, China. The combination of successive correction scheme and geostatistical method was used to get all the values of recent sediment thickness at the 69 x 69 grids in the whole lake. The results showed that there is the significant difference in sediment depth between the eastern area and the western region, and most of the sediments are located in the western shore-line and northern regimes but just a little in the center and eastern parts. The notable exception is the patch between the center and Xishan Island where the maximum sediment depth is more than 4.0 m. This sediment distribution pattern is more than likely related to the current circulation pattern induced by the prevailing wind-forcing in Taihu Lake. The numerical simulation of hydrodynamics can strong support the conclusion. Sediment effects on water quality was also studied and the results showed that the concentrations of TP, TN and SS in the western part are obviously larger than those in the eastern regime, which suggested that more nutrients can be released from thicker sediment areas.

Mechanics of dual-mode dilative failure in subaqueous sediment deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Yao; Flemings, Peter; Mohrig, David

2014-07-01

We introduce dual-mode dilative failure with flume experiments. Dual-mode dilative failure combines slow and steady release of sediments by breaching with periodic sliding, which rapidly releases an internally coherent wedge of sediments. It occurs in dilative sandy deposits. This periodic slope failure results from cyclic evolution of the excess pore pressure in the deposit. Sliding generates large, transient, negative excess pore pressure that strengthens the deposit and allows breaching to occur. During breaching, negative excess pore pressure dissipates, the deposit weakens, and ultimately sliding occurs once again. We show that the sliding frequency is proportional to the coefficient of consolidation. We find that thicker deposits are more susceptible to dual-mode dilative failure. Discovery of dual-mode dilative failure provides a new mechanism to consider when interpreting the sedimentary deposits linked to submarine slope failures.

A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial of Single vs. Double Layer Closure of Hysterotomy at the Time of Cesarean Delivery: The Effect on Uterine Scar Thickness.

PubMed

Bamberg, Christian; Dudenhausen, Joachim W; Bujak, Verena; Rodekamp, Elke; Brauer, Martin; Hinkson, Larry; Kalache, Karim; Henrich, Wolfgang

2018-06-01

 We undertook a randomized clinical trial to examine the outcome of a single vs. a double layer uterine closure using ultrasound to assess uterine scar thickness.  Participating women were allocated to one of three uterotomy suture techniques: continuous single layer unlocked suturing, continuous locked single layer suturing, or double layer suturing. Transvaginal ultrasound of uterine scar thickness was performed 6 weeks and 6 - 24 months after Cesarean delivery. Sonographers were blinded to the closure technique.  An "intent-to-treat" and "as treated" ANOVA analysis included 435 patients (n = 149 single layer unlocked suturing, n = 157 single layer locked suturing, and n = 129 double layer suturing). 6 weeks postpartum, the median scar thickness did not differ among the three groups: 10.0 (8.5 - 12.3 mm) single layer unlocked vs. 10.1 (8.2 - 12.7 mm) single layer locked vs. 10.8 (8.1 - 12.8 mm) double layer; (p = 0.84). At the time of the second follow-up, the uterine scar was not significantly (p = 0.06) thicker if the uterus had been closed with a double layer closure 7.3 (5.7 - 9.1 mm), compared to single layer unlocked 6.4 (5.0 - 8.8 mm) or locked suturing techniques 6.8 (5.2 - 8.7 mm). Women who underwent primary or elective Cesarean delivery showed a significantly (p = 0.03, p = 0.02, "as treated") increased median scar thickness after double layer closure vs. single layer unlocked suture.  A double layer closure of the hysterotomy is associated with a thicker myometrium scar only in primary or elective Cesarean delivery patients. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Mass-movement and flood-induced deposits in Lake Ledro, southern Alps, Italy: implications for Holocene palaeohydrology and natural hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonneau, A.; Chapron, E.; Vannière, B.; Wirth, S. B.; Gilli, A.; Di Giovanni, C.; Anselmetti, F. S.; Desmet, M.; Magny, M.

2013-03-01

High-resolution seismic profiles and sediment cores from Lake Ledro combined with soil and riverbed samples from the lake's catchment area are used to assess the recurrence of natural hazards (earthquakes and flood events) in the southern Italian Alps during the Holocene. Two well-developed deltas and a flat central basin are identified on seismic profiles in Lake Ledro. Lake sediments have been finely laminated in the basin since 9000 cal. yr BP and frequently interrupted by two types of sedimentary events (SEs): light-coloured massive layers and dark-coloured graded beds. Optical analysis (quantitative organic petrography) of the organic matter present in soil, riverbed and lacustrine samples together with lake sediment bulk density and grain-size analysis illustrate that light-coloured layers consist of a mixture of lacustrine sediments and mainly contain algal particles similar to the ones observed in background sediments. Light-coloured layers thicker than 1.5 cm in the main basin of Lake Ledro are synchronous to numerous coeval mass-wasting deposits remoulding the slopes of the basin. They are interpreted as subaquatic mass-movements triggered by historical and pre-historical regional earthquakes dated to AD 2005, AD 1891, AD 1045 and 1260, 2545, 2595, 3350, 3815, 4740, 7190, 9185 and 11 495 cal. yr BP. Dark-coloured SEs develop high-amplitude reflections in front of the deltas and in the deep central basin. These beds are mainly made of terrestrial organic matter (soils and lignocellulosic debris) and are interpreted as resulting from intense hyperpycnal flood event. Mapping and quantifying the amount of soil material accumulated in the Holocene hyperpycnal flood deposits of the sequence allow estimating that the equivalent soil thickness eroded over the catchment area reached up to 5 mm during the largest Holocene flood events. Such significant soil erosion is interpreted as resulting from the combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt. The recurrence of flash flood events during the Holocene was, however, not high enough to affect pedogenesis processes and highlight several wet regional periods during the Holocene. The Holocene period is divided into four phases of environmental evolution. Over the first half of the Holocene, a progressive stabilization of the soils present through the catchment of Lake Ledro was associated with a progressive reforestation of the area and only interrupted during the wet 8.2 event when the soil destabilization was particularly important. Lower soil erosion was recorded during the mid-Holocene climatic optimum (8000-4200 cal. yr BP) and associated with higher algal production. Between 4200 and 3100 cal. yr BP, both wetter climate and human activities within the drainage basin drastically increased soil erosion rates. Finally, from 3100 cal. yr BP to the present-day, data suggest increasing and changing human land use.

Multidisciplinary distinction of mass-movement and flood-induced deposits in lacustrine environments: implications for Holocene palaeohydrology and natural hazards (Lake Ledro, Southern Alps, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonneau, A.; Chapron, E.; Vannière, B.; Wirth, S. B.; Gilli, A.; Di Giovanni, C.; Anselmetti, F. S.; Desmet, M.; Magny, M.

2012-08-01

High-resolution seismic profiles and sediment cores from Lake Ledro combined with soil and river-bed samples from the lake's catchment area are used to assess the recurrence of natural hazards (earthquakes and flood events) in the southern Italian Alps during the Holocene. Two well-developed deltas and a flat central basin are identified on seismic profiles in Lake Ledro. Lake sediments are finely laminated in the basin since 9000 cal. yr BP and frequently interrupted by two types of sedimentary events: light-coloured massive layers and dark-coloured graded beds. Optical analysis (quantitative organic petrography) of the organic matter occurring in soils, river beds and lacustrine samples together with lake-sediment bulk density and grain-size analysis illustrate that light-coloured layers consist of a mixture of lacustrine sediments and mainly contain algal particles similar to the ones observed in background sediments. Light-coloured layers thicker than 1.5 cm in the main basin of Lake Ledro are dense and synchronous to numerous coeval mass-wasting deposits remoulding the slopes of the basin. They are interpreted as subaquatic mass movements triggered by historical and pre-historical regional earthquakes dated to 2005 AD, 1891 AD, 1045 AD and 1260, 2545, 2595, 3350, 3815, 4740, 7190, 9185 and 11495 cal. yr BP. Dark-coloured sedimentary event are dense and develop high-amplitude reflections in front of the deltas and in the deep central basin. These beds are mainly made of terrestrial organic matter (soils and ligno-cellulosic debris) and are interpreted as resulting from intense hyperpycnal flood events. Mapping and quantifying the amount of soil material accumulated in the Holocene hyperpycnal flood deposits of the sequence and applying the De Ploey erosion model allow estimating that the equivalent soil thickness eroded over the catchment area reached up to 4 mm during the largest Holocene flood events. Such significant soil erosion is interpreted as resulting from the combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt. The recurrence of flash-flood events during the Holocene was however not high enough to affect pedogenesis processes and highlight several wet regional periods during the Holocene. The Holocene period is divided into four phases of environmental evolution. Over the first half of the Holocene, a progressive stabilization of the soils present through the catchment of Lake Ledro was associated with a progressive reforestation of the area and only interrupted during the wetter 8.2 event when the soil destabilization was particularly important. Lower soil erosion was recorded during the Mid-Holocene climatic optimum (8000-4200 cal. yr BP) and associated with higher algal production. Between 4200 and 3100 cal. yr BP, both wetter climate and human activities within the drainage basin drastically increased soil erosion rates. Finally, from 3100 cal. yr BP to the present-day, results suggest increasing and changing human land-use.

Source to Sink Tectonic Fate of Large Oceanic Turbidite Systems and the Rupturing of Great and Giant Megathrust Earthquakes (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholl, D. W.; Kirby, S. H.; von Huene, R.

2010-12-01

OCEAN FLOOR OBSERVATIONS: Oceanic turbidite systems accumulate above igneous oceanic crust and are commonly huge in areal and volumetric dimensions. For example, the volume of the Zodiac fan of the Gulf of Alaska is roughly 300,000 cubic km. Other large oceanic systems construct the Amazon cone, flood the Bay of Bengal abyss, and accumulate along trench axes to thickness of 1 to 7 km and lengths of 1000 to 3000 km, e.g., the Aleutian-Alaska, Sumatra-Andaman, Makran, and south central Chile Trenches. THE ROCK RECORD: Despite the large dimensions of oceanic turbidite systems, they are poorly preserved in the rock record. This includes oceanic systems deposited in passive-margin oceans, e.g., the Paleozoic Iapetus and Rheric oceans of the Atlantic realm, This circumstance does not apply to Cretaceous and E. Tertiary rock sequences of the north Pacific rim where oceanic turbidite deposits are preserved as accretionary complexes, e.g., the Catalina-Pelona-Orocopia-Rand schist of California and the Chugach-Kodiak complex of Alaska. These rock bodies are exhumed crustal underplates of once deeply (15-30 km) subducted oceanic turbidite systems. PATH FROM SOURCE TO TECTONIC SINK: The fate of most oceanic turbidite systems is to be removed from the sea floor and, ultimately, destroyed. This circumstance is unavoidable because most of them are deposited on lower plate crust destined for destruction in a subduction zone. During the past 4-5 myr alone a volume of 1-1.5 million cubic km of sediment sourced from the glaciated drainages of the Gulf of Alaska flooded the 3000-km-long Aleutian-Alaska trench axis. A small part of this volume accumulated tectonically as a narrow, 10-30-km wide accretionary frontal prism. But about 80 percent was subducted and entered the subduction channel separating the two plates. The subduction channel, roughly 1 km thick, conveys the trench turbidite deposits landward down dip along the rupturing width of the seismogenic zone. SEISMIC CONSEQUENCE OF THE TECTONIC SINK: Most great (Mw8.0 and larger) and giant (Mw8.5 and larger) megathrust earthquakes rupture along subduction zones fronted by thick sediment-filled (1 km and thicker) trench axes. For example, 75 percent of giant earthquakes broke at these trenches, and all earthquakes exceeding Mw9.0 ruptured adjacent to thickly sedimented trenches (2 km and thicker). Ruff (1989) first suggested that subduction of a thick section of sediment forms a relatively homogenous layer between the upper and lower plates that laterally smoothes the roughness of subducting sea-floor relief and rupture-arresting asperities. This condition favors long trench-parallel rupturing (more than 250 km), the hallmark of all great and giant megathrust earthquakes. In positive feedback, these huge strain-releasing shocks produce strong seafloor motions that trigger the flushing of sediment-charged turbidity currents to the trench axis and adjacent overflow fans. Subduction of these deposits recharges the subduction channel, sustaining conditions favorable to future great and giant megathrust ruptures. [Ruff, L., 1989, Do trench sediments affect great earthquakes occurrence in subduction zones, Pure and Applied Geophysics, v. 129, Nos. 1/2, p. 263-282].

Comparison of light-transmittance in dental tissues and dental composite restorations using incremental layering build-up with varying enamel resin layer thickness

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objectives To evaluate and compare light-transmittance in dental tissues and dental composite restorations using the incremental double-layer technique with varying layer thickness. Materials and Methods B1-colored natural teeth slabs were compared to dental restoration build-ups with A2D and B1E-colored nanofilled, supra-nanofilled, microfilled, and microhybrid composites. The enamel layer varied from 0.3, 0.5, or 1.2 mm thick, and the dentin layer was varied to provide a standardized 3.7 mm overall sample thickness (n = 10). All increments were light-cured to 16 J/cm2 with a multi-wave LED (Valo, Ultradent). Using a spectrophotometer, the samples were irradiated by an RGB laser beam. A voltmeter recorded the light output signal to calculate the light-transmittance through the specimens. The data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance followed by the post hoc Tukey's test (p = 0.05). Results Mean light-transmittance observed at thicker final layers of enamel were significantly lower than those observed at thinner final layers. Within 1.2 mm final enamel resin layer (FERL) thickness, all composites were similar to the dental tissues, with exception of the nanofilled composite. However, within 0.5 mm FERL thickness, only the supra-nanofilled composite showed no difference from the dental tissues. Within 0.3 mm FERL thickness, none of the composites were similar to the dental tissues. Conclusions The supra-nanofilled composite had the most similar light-transmittance pattern when compared to the natural teeth. However, for other composites, thicker FERL have a greater chance to match the light-transmittance of natural dental tissues. PMID:29765902

Comparison of light-transmittance in dental tissues and dental composite restorations using incremental layering build-up with varying enamel resin layer thickness.

PubMed

Rocha Maia, Rodrigo; Oliveira, Dayane; D'Antonio, Tracy; Qian, Fang; Skiff, Frederick

2018-05-01

To evaluate and compare light-transmittance in dental tissues and dental composite restorations using the incremental double-layer technique with varying layer thickness. B1-colored natural teeth slabs were compared to dental restoration build-ups with A2D and B1E-colored nanofilled, supra-nanofilled, microfilled, and microhybrid composites. The enamel layer varied from 0.3, 0.5, or 1.2 mm thick, and the dentin layer was varied to provide a standardized 3.7 mm overall sample thickness ( n = 10). All increments were light-cured to 16 J/cm 2 with a multi-wave LED (Valo, Ultradent). Using a spectrophotometer, the samples were irradiated by an RGB laser beam. A voltmeter recorded the light output signal to calculate the light-transmittance through the specimens. The data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance followed by the post hoc Tukey's test ( p = 0.05). Mean light-transmittance observed at thicker final layers of enamel were significantly lower than those observed at thinner final layers. Within 1.2 mm final enamel resin layer (FERL) thickness, all composites were similar to the dental tissues, with exception of the nanofilled composite. However, within 0.5 mm FERL thickness, only the supra-nanofilled composite showed no difference from the dental tissues. Within 0.3 mm FERL thickness, none of the composites were similar to the dental tissues. The supra-nanofilled composite had the most similar light-transmittance pattern when compared to the natural teeth. However, for other composites, thicker FERL have a greater chance to match the light-transmittance of natural dental tissues.

Ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer and retinal nerve fibre layer changes within the macula in retinitis pigmentosa: a spectral domain optical coherence tomography study.

PubMed

Yoon, Chang Ki; Yu, Hyeong Gon

2018-03-01

To investigate how macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thicknesses within the macula change with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) severity. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was used to examine 177 patients with RP and 177 normal controls. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) line scan was used to grade RP severity. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) was categorized as more advanced if there was no identifiable inner segment ellipsoid (ISe) band (NISE) and as less advanced if an ISe band could be identified and peripheral loss of ISe was apparent (IISE). Ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and RNFL thicknesses were manually measured on OCT images and analysed. Pearson's correlation analyses were used to examine correlations between GCIPL thickness, RNFL thickness, visual acuity (VA) and visual field extent in patients and controls. Ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) was significantly thicker in IISE than in control eyes (p < 0.001), but significantly thinner in NISE than in IISE eyes (p < 0.001) in both horizontal and vertical OCT scans. Retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) was significantly thicker in eyes with IISE and NISE than in control eyes in both horizontal and vertical meridians (all p < 0.001). Ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness showed a weak positive correlation with vision, and RNFL thickness showed a weak negative correlation with vision and visual field extent. Based on these results, the inner retina, including the GCIPL and RNFL, maintains its gross integrity longer than the photoreceptor layer in RP. Additionally, thickening of the inner retina may have some functional implications in patients with RP. © 2017 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Miniaturized Metal (Metal Alloy)/PdO(x)/SiC Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Gas Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W. (Inventor); Xu, Jennifer C. (Inventor); Lukco, Dorothy (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdO(x)). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600 C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sided sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.

Novel sonographic clues for diagnosis of antral gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection: a clinical study.

PubMed

Cakmakci, Emin; Ucan, Berna; Colak, Bayram; Cinar, Hasibe Gokçe

2014-09-01

The purpose of this study was to find out whether transabdominal sonography may have a predictive role for detection of antral gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection in the antrum. A total of 108 patients and 54 control participants were allocated into 3 groups: group 1, controls without any symptoms or findings of antral gastritis and H pylori infection; group 2, patients with symptoms and endoscopic findings consistent with gastritis in the absence of documented H pylori infection; and group 3, patients with symptoms and endoscopic findings consistent with gastritis and documented H pylori infection. These groups were compared in terms of demographics, antral wall thickness, mucosal layer (together with muscularis mucosa) thickness, and mucosal layer-to-antral wall thickness ratio. The groups had no statistically significant differences with respect to age, sex, body mass index, and smoking habits. However, it turned out that both antral walls and muscularis mucosa layers were thicker and the mucosal layer-to-antral wall thickness ratio was higher in groups 2 and 3 compared to group 1 (P > .001). In addition, group 3 had statistically significantly thicker antral walls and muscularis mucosa layers and a significantly increased mucosal layer-to-antral wall thickness ratio than group 2 (P < .001). Our results suggest that antral gastritis caused by H pylori infection is associated with characteristic features such as thickening of antral walls and mucosal layers on sonography. These novel clues may be useful in the diagnosis of gastritis, and unnecessary interventions and measures can be avoided in some cases. © 2014 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Observations of large-amplitude cross-shore internal bores near the shelf break, Santa Monica Bay, CA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noble, M.A.; Xu, J. P.

2003-01-01

Two sets of moorings were deployed along a cross-shelf transect in central Santa Monica bay for four months in the winter of 1998-1999. Both sites had an array of instruments attached to tripods set on the seafloor to monitor currents over the entire water column, surface waves, near-bed temperature, water clarity and suspended sediment. A companion mooring had temperature sensors spaced approximately 10 m apart to measure temperature profiles between the surface and the seafloor. One array was deployed in 70 m of water at a site adjacent to the shelf break, just northwest of a major ocean outfall. The other was deployed on the mid shelf in 35 m of water approximately 6 km from the shelf break site. The subtidal currents in the region flowed parallel to the isobaths with fluctuating time scales around 10 days, a typical coastal-ocean pattern. However, during the falling phase of the barotropic spring tide, sets of large-amplitude, sheared cross-shore current pulses with a duration of 2-5 h were observed at the shelf break site. Currents in these pulses flowed exclusively offshore in a thin layer near the bed with amplitudes reaching 30-40 cm/s. Simultaneously, currents with amplitudes around 15-20 cm/s flowed exclusively onshore in the thicker layer between the offshore flow layer and the sea surface. The net offshore transport was about half the onshore transport. Near-surface isotherms were depressed 30-40 m. These pulses were likely internal bores generated by tidal currents. Bed stresses associated with these events exceeded 3 dynes/cm2. These amplitudes are large enough to resuspend and transport not only fine-grained material, but also medium to coarse sands from the shelf toward the slope. Consequently, the seafloor over the shelf break was swept clear of fine sediments. The data suggest that the internal bores dissipate and are reduced in amplitude as they propagate across this relatively narrow shelf. There is evidence that they reach the 35 m site, but other coastal ocean processes obscure their distinctive characteristics.

Zero-order release of poorly water-soluble drug from polymeric films made via aqueous slurry casting.

PubMed

Zhang, Lu; Alfano, Joy; Race, Doran; Davé, Rajesh N

2018-05-30

In spite of significant recent interest in polymeric films containing poorly water-soluble drugs, dissolution mechanism of thicker films has not been investigated. Consequently, release mechanisms of poorly water-soluble drugs from thicker hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) films are investigated, including assessing thickness above which they exhibit zero-order drug release. Micronized, surface modified particles of griseofulvin, a model drug of BSC class II, were incorporated into aqueous slurry-cast films of different thicknesses (100, 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 μm). Films 1000 μm and thicker were formed by either stacking two or more layers of ~500 μm, or forming a monolithic thick film. Compared to monolithic thick films, stacked films required simpler manufacturing process (easier casting, short drying time) and resulted in better critical quality attributes (appearance, uniformity of thickness and drug per unit area). Both the film forming approaches exhibited similar release profiles and followed the semi-empirical power law. As thickness increased from 100 μm to 2000 μm, the release mechanism changed from Fickian diffusion to zero-order release for films ≥1000 μm. The diffusional power law exponent, n, achieved value of 1, confirming zero-order release, whereas the percentage drug release varied linearly with sample surface area, and sample thickness due to fixed sample diameter. Thus, multi-layer hydrophilic polymer aqueous slurry-cast thick films containing poorly water-soluble drug particles provide a convenient dosage form capable of zero-order drug release with release time modulated through number of layers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical models for radio-frequency-magnetron reactively sputtered AlN films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Easwarakhanthan, T.; Assouar, M. B.; Pigeat, P.; Alnot, P.

2005-10-01

The optical properties of aluminum nitrate (AlN) films reactively sputtered on Si substrates using radio-frequency (rf) magnetron have been studied in this work from multiwavelength spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements performed over the 290-615 nm wavelength range. The SE modeling carried out with care to adhere as much to the ellipsometric fitting qualities is also backed up with atomic force microscopy and x-ray-diffraction measurements taken on these films thus grown to nominal thicknesses from 40 to 150 nm under the same optimized experimental conditions. It follows that the model describing the optical properties of the thicker AlN films should consist at least in three layers on the Si substrate: an almost roughnessless smooth surface overlayer that is presumed essentially of Al2O3, a bulk AlN layer, and an AlN interface layer that has a refractive index dispersion falling in the range from 2.04 [312 nm] to 1.91 [615 nm] on the average and is fairly distinguishable from the slightly higher bulk layer index which drops correspondingly from 2.12 to 1.99. These index values imply that, beneath the partly or mostly oxidized surface AlN layer, the films comprise a polycrystalline-structured bulk AlN layer above a less-microstructurally-ordered interface layer that extends over 40-55 nm from the substrate among thicker films. This ellipsometric evidence indicating the existence of the interface layer is consistent with those interface layers confirmed through electron microscopy in some previous works. However, the ellipsometrically insufficient thinner AlN films may be only modeled with the surface layer and an AlN layer. The film surface oxide layer thickness varies between 5 and 15 nm among samples. The refractive index dispersions, the layer thicknesses, and the lateral thickness variation of the films are given and discussed regarding the optical constitution of these films and the ellipsometric validity of these parameters.

Enhanced radiation detectors using luminescent materials

DOEpatents

Vardeny, Zeev V.; Jeglinski, Stefan A.; Lane, Paul A.

2001-01-01

A radiation detecting device comprising a radiation sensing element, and a layer of luminescent material to expand the range of wavelengths over which the sensing element can efficiently detect radiation. The luminescent material being selected to absorb radiation at selected wavelengths, causing the luminescent material to luminesce, and the luminescent radiation being detected by the sensing element. Radiation sensing elements include photodiodes (singly and in arrays), CCD arrays, IR detectors and photomultiplier tubes. Luminescent materials include polymers, oligomers, copolymers and porphyrines, Luminescent layers include thin films, thicker layers, and liquid polymers.

Protective sheath for a continuous measurement thermocouple

DOEpatents

Phillippi, R.M.

1991-12-03

Disclosed is a protective thermocouple sheath of a magnesia graphite refractory material for use in continuous temperature measurements of molten metal in a metallurgical ladle and having a basic slag layer thereon. The sheath includes an elongated torpedo-shaped sheath body formed of a refractory composition and having an interior borehole extending axially therethrough and adapted to receive a thermocouple. The sheath body includes a lower end which is closed about the borehole and forms a narrow, tapered tip. The sheath body also includes a first body portion integral with the tapered tip and having a relatively constant cross section and providing a thin wall around the borehole. The sheath body also includes a second body portion having a relatively constant cross section larger than the cross section of the first body portion and providing a thicker wall around the borehole. The borehole terminates in an open end at the second body portion. The tapered tip is adapted to penetrate the slag layer and the thicker second body portion and its magnesia constituent material are adapted to withstand chemical attack thereon from the slag layer. The graphite constituent improves thermal conductivity of the refractory material and, thus, enhances the thermal responsiveness of the device. 4 figures.

Protective sheath for a continuous measurement thermocouple

DOEpatents

Phillippi, R. Michael

1991-01-01

Disclosed is a protective thermocouple sheath of a magnesia graphite refractory material for use in continuous temperature measurements of molten metal in a metallurgical ladle and having a basic slag layer thereon. The sheath includes an elongated torpedo-shaped sheath body formed of a refractory composition and having an interior borehole extending axially therethrough and adapted to receive a thermocouple. The sheath body includes a lower end which is closed about the borehole and forms a narrow, tapered tip. The sheath body also includes a first body portion integral with the tapered tip and having a relatively constant cross section and providing a thin wall around the borehole. The sheath body also includes a second body portion having a relatively constant cross section larger than the cross section of the first body portion and providing a thicker wall around the borehole. The borehole terminates in an open end at the second body portion. The tapered tip is adapted to penetrate the slag layer and the thicker second body portion and its magnesia constituent material are adapted to withstand chemical attack thereon from the slag layer. The graphite constituent improves thermal conductivity of the refractory material and, thus, enhances the thermal responsiveness of the device.

An extended study of the low-latitude boundary layer on the dawn and dusk flanks of the magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, D. G.; Kutchko, F.; Williams, D. J.; Eastman, T. E.; Frank, L. A.

1987-01-01

The characteristics and structure of the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) have been studied for 66 ISEE 1 passes through the LLBL region. The dawn and dusk LLBL are on closed magnetic field lines for northward magnetosheath and/or IMF (M/IMF), and are on both closed and open field lines for southward M/IMF. For southward M/IMF, the regions of open LLBL field lines lie adjacent to the magnetopause and outside the closed LLBL. The LLBL is thicker (thinner) for northward (southward) M/IMF. With distance away from the subsolar magnetosphere, the LLBL becomes thicker for northward M/IMF and more variable in thickness for southward M/IMF. No dependence of LLBL thickness or electric field on geomagnetic activity is seen in these data. The LLBL electric field is a few millivolts per meter with a apparent upper limit of about 10 mV/m. The field captures magnetospherically drifting particles and propels them tailward.

Trace metal in sediment from a deep-sea floor of Makassar Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budianto, F.; Lestari

2018-02-01

Makassar Strait is located in the entrance of Indonesian Through Flow (ITF). However, the geochemistry of metals in sediment within Makassar Strait remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to measure the concentration of metals in sediment and to assess the sediment quality based on those metals concentrations. The sediment was collected from 632-4730 m in depth using giant piston corer on R/V Baruna Jaya VIII in December 2014. In each observation point, three layers of sediment were sub-sampled from the core i.e. surface layer (0-5 cm), middle layer (45-55 cm) and bottom layer. The metals were analyzed using acid digestion procedure followed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The result indicated that the metal has spatially insignificant differences in sediment and the increase of metal concentration by depth was noticed. The Enrichment factor presented as no enrichment to minor enrichment of metal in sediment.

Miniaturized metal (metal alloy)/ PdO.sub.x/SiC hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W. (Inventor); Xu, Jennifer C. (Inventor); Lukco, Dorothy (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdO.sub.x ). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600.degree. C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sized sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.

Miniaturized metal (metal alloy)/ PdO.sub.x/SiC hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Jennifer C. (Inventor); Hunter, Gary W. (Inventor); Lukco, Dorothy (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdO.sub.x). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600.degree. C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sized sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.

Morphobathymetric analysis of the large fine-grained sediment waves over the Gulf of Valencia continental slope (NW Mediterranean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribó, Marta; Puig, Pere; Muñoz, Araceli; Lo Iacono, Claudio; Masqué, Pere; Palanques, Albert; Acosta, Juan; Guillén, Jorge; Gómez Ballesteros, María

2016-01-01

Detailed analysis of recently acquired swath bathymetry, together with high-resolution seismic profiles and bottom sediment samples, revealed the presence of large-scale fine-grained sediment waves over the Gulf of Valencia continental slope. As many other deep-water sediment waves, these features were previously attributed to gravitational slope failure, related to creep-like deformation, and are here reinterpreted as sediment wave fields extending from 250 m depth to the continental rise, at 850 m depth. Geometric parameters were computed from the high-resolution multibeam dataset. Sediment wave lengths range between 500 and 1000 m, and maximum wave heights of up to 50 m are found on the upper slope, decreasing downslope to minimum values of 2 m high. Sediment waves on the lower part of the slope are quasi-stationary vertically accreting, whereas they show an upslope migrating pattern from the mid-slope to the upper part of the continental slope. High-resolution seismic profiles show continuous internal reflectors, with sediment waves merging down-section and sediment wave packages decreasing in thickness downslope. These sediment packages are thicker on the crest of each individual sediment wave and thinner on the downslope flank. 210Pb analyses conducted on sediment cores collected over the sediment wave fields also indicate slightly higher sediment accumulation rates on the wave crests. Sediment wave formation processes have been inferred from contemporary hydrodynamic observations, which reveal the presence of near-inertial internal waves interacting with the Gulf of Valencia continental slope. Internal wave activity is suggested to be the preferential mechanism for the transport and deposition of sediment, and the maintenance of the observed sediment wave fields.

Light-emitting Si nanostructures formed by swift heavy ions in a-Si:H/SiO2 multilayer heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherkova, S. G.; Volodin, V. A.; Cherkov, A. G.; Antonenko, A. Kh; Kamaev, G. N.; Skuratov, V. A.

2017-08-01

Light-emitting nanoclusters were formed in Si/SiO2 multilayer structures irradiated with 167 MeV Xe ions to the doses of 1011-3  ×  1014 cm-2 and annealed in the forming-gas at 500 °C and in nitrogen at 800-1100 °C, 30 min. The thicknesses were ~4 nm or ~7-8 for the Si, and ~10 nm for the SiO2 layers. The structures were studied using photoluminescence (PL), Raman spectroscopy, and the cross-sectional high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). As-irradiated samples showed the PL, correlating with the growth of the ion doses. HRTEM found the layers to be partly disintegrated. The thickness of the amorphous Si layer was crucial. For 4 nm thick Si layers the PL was peaking at ~490 nm, and quenched by the annealing. It was ascribed to the structural imperfections. For the thicker Si layers the PL was peaking at ~600 nm and was attributed to the Si-rich nanoclusters in silicon oxide. The annealing increases the PL intensity and shifts the band to ~790 nm, typical of Si nanocrystals. Its intensity was proportional to the dose. Raman spectra confirmed the nanocrystals formation. All the results obtained evidence the material melting in the tracks for 10-11-10-10 s providing thereby fast diffusivities of the atoms. The thicker Si layers provide more excess Si to create the nanoclusters via a molten state diffusion.

Potential Sedimentary Evidence of Two Closely Spaced Tsunamis on the West Coast of Aceh, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monecke, Katrin; Meilianda, Ella; Rushdy, Ibnu; Moena, Abudzar; Yolanda, Irvan P.

2016-04-01

Recent research in the coastal regions of Aceh, Indonesia, an area that was largely affected by the 2004 Sumatra Andaman earthquake and ensuing Indian Ocean tsunami, suggests the possibility that two closely spaced tsunamis occurred at the turn of the 14th to 15th century (Meltzner et al., 2010; Sieh et al., 2015). Here, we present evidence of two buried sand layers in the coastal marshes of West Aceh, possibly representing these penultimate predecessors of the 2004 tsunami. We discovered the sand layers in an until recently inaccessible area of a previously studied beach ridge plain about 15 km North of Meulaboh, West Aceh. Here, the 2004 tsunami left a continuous, typically a few cm thick sand sheet in the coastal hinterland in low-lying swales that accumulate organic-rich deposits and separate the sandy beach ridges. In keeping with the long-term progradation of the coastline, older deposits have to be sought after further inland. Using a hand auger, the buried sand layers were discovered in 3 cores in a flooded and highly vegetated swale in about 1 km distance to the shoreline. The pair of sand layers occurs in 70-100 cm depth and overlies 40-60 cm of dark-brown peat that rests on the basal sand of the beach ridge plain. The lower sand layer is only 1-6 cm thick, whereas the upper layer is consistently thicker, measuring 11-17 cm, with 8-14 cm of peat in between sand sheets. Both layers consist of massive, grey, medium sand and include plant fragments. They show very sharp upper and lower boundaries clearly distinguishing them from the surrounding peat and indicating an abrupt depositional event. A previously developed age model for sediments of this beach ridge plain suggest that this pair of layers could indeed correlate to a nearby buried sand sheet interpreted as tsunamigenic and deposited soon after 1290-1400AD (Monecke et al., 2008). The superb preservation at this new site allows the clear distinction of two depositional events, which, based on a first estimate of sedimentation rates, are separated by only a few decades. Future microfossil and grain size analysis as well as radiocarbon dating are necessary to assertively interpret the origin, depositional characteristics and age of the two sand layers. Meltzner et al. (2010): Coral evidence for earthquake recurrence and an A.D. 1390 - 1455 earthquake cluster at the south end of the 2004 Aceh-Andaman rupture. J. Geophys. Res. 115, B10402. Sieh et al. (2015): Penultimate predecessors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Aceh, Sumatra: Stratigraphic, archeological and historical evidence. J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 120, 308-325. Monecke et al. (2008): A 1,000-year sedimentary record of tsunami recurrence in northern Sumatra. Nature, 455, 1232-1234.

Acoustic Velocity Of The Sediments Offshore Southwestern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, C.; Liu, C.; Huang, P.

2004-12-01

Along the Manila Trench south of 21øXN, deep-sea sediments are being underthrusted beneath the Taiwan accretionary prism which is composed of the Kaoping Slope and Hengchun Ridge. Offshore southwestern Taiwan, foreland sediments and Late Miocene strata of the Tainan Basin are being accreted onto the fold-and thrust belt of the syn-collision accretionary wedge of the Kaoping Slope. The Kaoping Slope consists of thick Neogene to Recent siliciclastics deformed by fold-and-thrust structures and mud diapers. These Pliocene-Quaternary sediments deposited in the Kaoping Shelf and upper slope area are considered to be paleo-channel deposits confined by NNE-SSW trend mud diapiric structure. Seismic P-wave velocities of the sediment deposited in the Kaoping Shelf and Kaoping Slope area are derived from mutichannel seismic reflection data and wide-angle reflection and refraction profiles collected by sonobuoys. Sediment velocity structures constrained from mutichannel seismic reflection data using velocity spectrum analysis method and that derived from sonobuoy data using tau-sum inversion method are compared, and they both provide consistent velocity structures. Seismic velocities were analyzed along the seismic profile from the surface to maximum depths of about 2.0 km below the seafloor. Our model features a sediment layer1 with 400 ms in thickness and a sediment layer2 with 600 ms in thickness. For the shelf sediments, we observe a linear interval velocity trend of V=1.53+1.91T in layer1, and V=1.86+0.87T in layer2, where T is the one way travel time within the layer. For the slop sediment, the trend of V=1.47+1.93T in layer1, and V=1.70+1.55T in layer2. The layer1¡¦s velocities gradients are similar between the shelf (1.91 km/sec2) and the slope(1.93 km/sec2). It means layer1 distributes over the slope and shelf widely. The result of the sediment velocity gradients in this area are in good agreement with that reported for the south Atlantic continental margins.

Turbidity Currents With Equilibrium Basal Driving Layers: A Mechanism for Long Runout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luchi, R.; Balachandar, S.; Seminara, G.; Parker, G.

2018-02-01

Turbidity currents run out over 100 km in lakes and reservoirs, and over 1,000 km in the ocean. They do so without dissipating themselves via excess entrainment of ambient water. Existing layer-averaged formulations cannot capture this. We use a numerical model to describe the temporal evolution of a turbidity current toward steady state under condition of zero net sediment flux at the bed. The flow self-partitions itself into two layers. The lower "driving layer" approaches an invariant flow thickness, velocity profile, and suspended sediment concentration profile that sequesters nearly all of the suspended sediment. This layer can continue indefinitely at steady state over a constant bed slope. The upper "driven layer" contains a small fraction of the suspended sediment. The devolution of the flow into these two layers likely allows the driving layer to run out long distances.

Generation of net sediment transport by velocity skewness in oscillatory sheet flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xin; Li, Yong; Chen, Genfa; Wang, Fujun; Tang, Xuelin

2018-01-01

This study utilizes a qualitative approach and a two-phase numerical model to investigate net sediment transport caused by velocity skewness beneath oscillatory sheet flow and current. The qualitative approach is derived based on the pseudo-laminar approximation of boundary layer velocity and exponential approximation of concentration. The two-phase model can obtain well the instantaneous erosion depth, sediment flux, boundary layer thickness, and sediment transport rate. It can especially illustrate the difference between positive and negative flow stages caused by velocity skewness, which is considerably important in determining the net boundary layer flow and sediment transport direction. The two-phase model also explains the effect of sediment diameter and phase-lag to sediment transport by comparing the instantaneous-type formulas to better illustrate velocity skewness effect. In previous studies about sheet flow transport in pure velocity-skewed flows, net sediment transport is only attributed to the phase-lag effect. In the present study with the qualitative approach and two-phase model, phase-lag effect is shown important but not sufficient for the net sediment transport beneath pure velocity-skewed flow and current, while the asymmetric wave boundary layer development between positive and negative flow stages also contributes to the sediment transport.

Glacitectonic deformation around the retreating margin of the last Irish ice sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, J.

2008-12-01

Evidence for ice-marginal glacitectonic shunting and deformation of bedrock slabs is described from three sites around the west coast of Ireland. These sites (Brandon Bay, County Kerry; Pigeon Point, County Mayo; Inishcrone, County Sligo) are all locations where the late Devensian ice margin retreated on land and was confined to within limestone bedrock embayments. At these sites, flat-lying bedrock slabs (< 8 m long) have been dissociated from rockhead and moved seaward (in the direction of ice flow) by glacitectonic shunting. At all of the sites, bedrock slabs have been variously stacked, rotated, deformed into open folds, and brecciated. Separating the bedrock slabs is either a thin layer (< 20 cm) of brecciated and mylonitised cemented bedrock that shows internal folding; or a thicker (< 50 cm) normally-graded diamicton with a fine matrix. Together, the presence of these features suggests oscillation of a polythermal and clean basal ice margin that was strongly associated with basal freeze-on and the presence of proglacial permafrost. Subglacial sediment-laden meltwater was focused from behind the ice margin and through permafrost taliks. It is suggested that hydrofracturing under high hydraulic pressure, and through a frozen-bed ice margin, forced sediment injection into bedrock fractures and bedding planes and away from the ice margin, and that bedrock slabs were moved in part by hydraulic lift as well as thrust-style ice-marginal tectonics. The presence of a mosaic of warm and frozen ice-bed patches, in combination with strong geologic control and meltwater generation from behind the ice margin, can help explain formation of these unusual bedrock slab features.

Bioturbation delays attenuation of DDT by clean sediment cap but promotes sequestration by thin-layered activated carbon.

PubMed

Lin, Diana; Cho, Yeo-Myoung; Werner, David; Luthy, Richard G

2014-01-21

The effects of bioturbation on the performance of attenuation by sediment deposition and activated carbon to reduce risks from DDT-contaminated sediment were assessed for DDT sediment-water flux, biouptake, and passive sampler (PE) uptake in microcosm experiments with a freshwater worm, Lumbriculus variegatus. A thin-layer of clean sediment (0.5 cm) did not reduce the DDT flux when bioturbation was present, while a thin (0.3 cm) AC cap was still capable of reducing the DDT flux by 94%. Bioturbation promoted AC sequestration by reducing the 28-day DDT biouptake (66%) and DDT uptake into PE (>99%) compared to controls. Bioturbation further promoted AC-sediment contact by mixing AC particles into underlying sediment layers, reducing PE uptake (55%) in sediment compared to the AC cap without bioturbation. To account for the observed effects from bioturbation, a mass transfer model together with a biodynamic model were developed to simulate DDT flux and biouptake, respectively, and models confirmed experimental results. Both experimental measurements and modeling predictions imply that thin-layer activated carbon placement on sediment is effective in reducing the risks from contaminated sediments in the presence of bioturbation, while natural attenuation process by clean sediment deposition may be delayed by bioturbation.

Layer-dependent supercapacitance of graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition on nickel foam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wei; Fan, Zhongli; Zeng, Gaofeng; Lai, Zhiping

2013-03-01

High-quality, large-area graphene films with few layers are synthesized on commercial nickel foams under optimal chemical vapor deposition conditions. The number of graphene layers is adjusted by varying the rate of the cooling process. It is found that the capacitive properties of graphene films are related to the number of graphene layers. Owing to the close attachment of graphene films on the nickel substrate and the low charge-transfer resistance, the specific capacitance of thinner graphene films is almost twice that of the thicker ones and remains stable up to 1000 cycles. These results illustrate the potential for developing high-performance graphene-based electrical energy storage devices.

Effect of thin oxide layers incorporated in spin valve structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillies, M. F.; Kuiper, A. E. T.; Leibbrandt, G. W. R.

2001-06-01

The enhancement of the magnetoresistance effect, induced by incorporating nano-oxide layers (NOLs) in a bottom-type spin valve, was studied for various preparation conditions. The effect of a NOL in the Co90Fe10 pinned layer was found to depend critically on the oxygen pressure applied to form the thin oxide film. Pressures over 10-3 Torr O2 yield oxides thicker than about 0.7 nm, which apparently deteriorate the biasing field which exists over the oxide. The magnetoresistance values can further be raised by forming a specular reflecting oxide on top of the sense layer. Promising results were obtained with an Al2O3 capping layer formed in a solid-state oxidation reaction that occurs spontaneously when a thin Al layer is deposited on the oxidized surface of the Co90Fe10 sense layer.

Annually laminated lake sediments as recorders of flood events: evidence from combining monitoring and calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kämpf, Lucas; Brauer, Achim; Mueller, Philip; Güntner, Andreas; Merz, Bruno

2015-04-01

The relation of changing climate and the occurrence of strong flood events has been controversially debated over the last years. One major limitation in this respect is the temporal extension of instrumental flood time series, rarely exceeding 50-100 years, which is too short to reflect the full range of natural climate variability in a region. Therefore, geoarchives are increasingly explored as natural flood recorders far beyond the range of instrumental flood time series. Annually laminated (varved) lake sediments provide particularly valuable archives since (i) lakes form ideal traps in the landscape continuously recording sediment flux from the catchment and (ii) individual flood events are recorded as detrital layers and can be dated with seasonal precision by varve counting. Despite the great potential of varved lake sediments for reconstructing long flood time series, there are still some confinements with respect to their interpretation due to a lack in understanding processes controlling the formation of detrital layers. For this purpose, we investigated the formation of detrital flood layers in Lake Mondsee (Upper Austria) in great detail by monitoring flood-related sediment flux and comparing detrital layers in sub-recent sediments with river runoff data. Sediment flux at the lake bottom was trapped over a three-year period (2011-2013) at two locations in Lake Mondsee, one located 0.9 km off the main inflow (proximal) and one in a more distal position at a distance of 2.8 km. The monitoring data include 26 floods of different amplitude (max. hourly discharge=10-110 cbm/s) which triggered variable fluxes of catchment sediment to the lake floor (4-760 g/(sqm*d)). The comparison of runoff and sediment data revealed empiric runoff thresholds for triggering significant detrital sediment influx to the proximal (20 cbm/s) and distal lake basin (30 cbm/s) and an exponential relation between runoff amplitude and the amount of deposited sediment. A succession of 20 sub-millimetre to maximum 8 mm thick flood-triggered detrital layers, deposited between 1976 and 2005, was detected in two varved surface sediment cores from the same locations as the sediment traps. Calibration of the detrital layer record with river runoff data revealed empirical thresholds for flood layer deposition. These thresholds are higher than those for trapped sediment flux but, similarly to the trap results, increasing from the proximal (50-60 cbm/s; daily mean=40 cbm/s) to the distal lake basin (80 cbm/s, 2 days>40 cbm/s). Three flood events above the threshold for detrital layer formation in the proximal and one in the distal lake basin were also recorded in the monitoring period. These events resulted in exceptional sediment transfer to the lake of more than 400 g/sqm at both sites, which is therefore interpreted as the minimum sediment amount for producing a visible detrital layer.

Sheet flow and suspended sediment due to wave groups in a large wave flume

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dohmen-Janssen, C. M.; Hanes, D.M.

2005-01-01

A series of sand bed experiments was carried out in the Large Wave Flume in Hannover, Germany as a component of the SISTEX99 experiment. The experiments focussed on the dynamic sediment response due to wave group forcing over a flat sand bed in order to improve understanding of cross-shore sediment transport mechanisms and determine sediment concentrations, fluxes and net transport rates under these conditions. Sediment concentrations were measured within the sheet flow layer (thickness in the order of 10 grain diameters) and in the suspension region (thickness in the order of centimetres). Within the sheet flow layer, the concentrations are highly coherent with the instantaneous near-bed velocities due to each wave within the wave group. However, in the suspension layer concentrations respond much more slowly to changes in near-bed velocity. At several centimetres above the bed, the suspended sediment concentrations vary on the time scale of the wave group, with a time delay relative to the peak wave within the wave group. The thickness of the sheet flow changes with time. It is strongly coherent with the wave forcing, and is not influenced by the history or sequence of the waves within the group. The velocity of the sediment was also measured within the sheet flow layer some of the time (during the larger wave crests of the group), and the velocity of the fluid was measured at several cm above the sheet flow layer. The grain velocity and concentration estimates can be combined to estimate the sediment flux. The estimates were found to be consistent with previous measurements under monochromatic waves. Under these conditions, without any significant mean current, the sediment flux within the sheet flow layer was found to greatly exceed the sediment flux in the suspension layer. As a result, net transport rates under wave groups are similar to those under monochromatic waves. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gate Tunable Transport in Graphene/MoS₂/(Cr/Au) Vertical Field-Effect Transistors.

PubMed

Nazir, Ghazanfar; Khan, Muhammad Farooq; Aftab, Sikandar; Afzal, Amir Muhammad; Dastgeer, Ghulam; Rehman, Malik Abdul; Seo, Yongho; Eom, Jonghwa

2017-12-28

Two-dimensional materials based vertical field-effect transistors have been widely studied due to their useful applications in industry. In the present study, we fabricate graphene/MoS₂/(Cr/Au) vertical transistor based on the mechanical exfoliation and dry transfer method. Since the bottom electrode was made of monolayer graphene (Gr), the electrical transport in our Gr/MoS₂/(Cr/Au) vertical transistors can be significantly modified by using back-gate voltage. Schottky barrier height at the interface between Gr and MoS₂ can be modified by back-gate voltage and the current bias. Vertical resistance (R vert ) of a Gr/MoS₂/(Cr/Au) transistor is compared with planar resistance (R planar ) of a conventional lateral MoS₂ field-effect transistor. We have also studied electrical properties for various thicknesses of MoS₂ channels in both vertical and lateral transistors. As the thickness of MoS₂ increases, R vert increases, but R planar decreases. The increase of R vert in the thicker MoS₂ film is attributed to the interlayer resistance in the vertical direction. However, R planar shows a lower value for a thicker MoS₂ film because of an excess of charge carriers available in upper layers connected directly to source/drain contacts that limits the conduction through layers closed to source/drain electrodes. Hence, interlayer resistance associated with these layers contributes to planer resistance in contrast to vertical devices in which all layers contribute interlayer resistance.

Increased Power in Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell: Facilitated Mass Transfer via a Water-Layer Anode Embedded in Sediment.

PubMed

Lee, Yoo Seok; An, Junyeong; Kim, Bongkyu; Park, HyunJun; Kim, Jisu; Chang, In Seop

2015-01-01

We report a methodology for enhancing the mass transfer at the anode electrode of sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs), by employing a fabric baffle to create a separate water-layer for installing the anode electrode in sediment. The maximum power in an SMFC with the anode installed in the separate water-layer (SMFC-wFB) was improved by factor of 6.6 compared to an SMFC having the anode embedded in the sediment (SMFC-woFB). The maximum current density in the SMFC-wFB was also 3.9 times higher (220.46 mA/m2) than for the SMFC-woFB. We found that the increased performance in the SMFC-wFB was due to the improved mass transfer rate of organic matter obtained by employing the water-layer during anode installation in the sediment layer. Acetate injection tests revealed that the SMFC-wFB could be applied to natural water bodies in which there is frequent organic contamination, based on the acetate flux from the cathode to the anode.

Characteristics of the near-bottom suspended sediment field over the continental shelf off northern California based on optical attenuation measurements during STRESS and SMILE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trowbridge, J. H.; Butman, B.; Limeburner, R.

1994-08-01

Time-series measurements of current velocity, optical attenuation and surface wave intensity obtained during the Sediment Transport Events on Shelves and Slopes (STRESS) experiments, combined with shipboard measurements of conductivity, temperature and optical attenuation obtained during the Shelf Mixed Layer Experiment (SMILE), provide a description of the sediment concentration field over the central and outer shelf off northern California. The questions addressed are: (1) existence and characteristics of bottom nepheloid layers and their relationship to bottom mixed layers; (2) characteristics of temporal fluctuations in sediment concentration and their relationship to waves and currents; (3) spatial scales over which suspended sediment concentrations vary horizontally; and (4) vertical distribution of suspended sediment.

Depth Profiling Analysis of Aluminum Oxidation During Film Deposition in a Conventional High Vacuum System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Jongmin; Weimer, Jeffrey J.; Zukic, Muamer; Torr, Douglas G.

1994-01-01

The oxidation of aluminum thin films deposited in a conventional high vacuum chamber has been investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and depth profiling. The state of the Al layer was preserved by coating it with a protective MgF2 layer in the deposition chamber. Oxygen concentrations in the film layers were determined as a function of sputter time (depth into the film). The results show that an oxidized layer is formed at the start of Al deposition and that a less extensively oxidized Al layer is deposited if the deposition rate is fast. The top surface of the Al layer oxidizes very quickly. This top oxidized layer may be thicker than has been previously reported by optical methods. Maximum oxygen concentrations measured by XPS at each Al interface are related to pressure to rate ratios determined during the Al layer deposition.

Effect of layer thickness on the thermal release from Be-D co-deposited layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, M. J.; Doerner, R. P.

2014-08-01

The results of previous work (Baldwin et al 2013 J. Nucl. Mater. 438 S967-70 and Baldwin et al 2014 Nucl. Fusion 54 073005) are extended to explore the influence of layer thickness on the thermal D2 release from co-deposited Be-(0.05)D layers produced at ˜323 K. Bake desorption of layers of thickness 0.2-0.7 µm are explored with a view to examine the influence of layer thickness on the efficacy of the proposed ITER bake procedure, to be carried out at the fixed temperatures of 513 K on the first wall and 623 K in the divertor. The results of experiment and modelling with the TMAP-7 hydrogen transport code, show that thicker Be-D co-deposited layers are relatively more difficult to desorb (time-wise) than thinner layers with the same concentrations of intrinsic traps and retained hydrogen isotope fraction.

Hybrid inorganic–organic superlattice structures with atomic layer deposition/molecular layer deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tynell, Tommi; Yamauchi, Hisao; Karppinen, Maarit, E-mail: maarit.karppinen@aalto.fi

2014-01-15

A combination of the atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD) techniques is successfully employed to fabricate thin films incorporating superlattice structures that consist of single layers of organic molecules between thicker layers of ZnO. Diethyl zinc and water are used as precursors for the deposition of ZnO by ALD, while three different organic precursors are investigated for the MLD part: hydroquinone, 4-aminophenol and 4,4′-oxydianiline. The successful superlattice formation with all the organic precursors is verified through x-ray reflectivity studies. The effects of the interspersed organic layers/superlattice structure on the electrical and thermoelectric properties of ZnO are investigatedmore » through resistivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements at room temperature. The results suggest an increase in carrier concentration for small concentrations of organic layers, while higher concentrations seem to lead to rather large reductions in carrier concentration.« less

Basement structures over Rio Grande Rise from gravity inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constantino, Renata; Hackspacker, Peter Christian; Anderson de Souza, Iata; Sousa Lima Costa, Iago

2017-04-01

In this study, we show that from satellite-derived gravity field, bathymetry and sediment thicknesses, it is possible to give a 3-D model of the basement over oceanic areas, and for this purpose, we have chosen the Rio Grande Rise, in South Atlantic Ocean, to build a gravity-equivalent basement topography. The advantages of the method applied in this study are manifold: does not depend directly on reflection seismic data; can be applied quickly and with fewer costs for acquiring and interpreting the data; and as the main result, presents the physical surface below the sedimentary layer, which may be different from the acoustic basement. We evaluated the gravity effect of the sediments using the global sediment thickness model of NOAA, fitting a sediment compaction model to observed density values from Deep Sea Drilling Program (DSDP) reports. The Global Relief Model ETOPO1 and constraining data from seismic interpretation on crustal thickness are integrated in the gravity inversion procedure. The modeled Moho depth values vary between 6 to 27 km over the area, being thicker under the Rio Grande Rise and also in the direction of São Paulo Plateau. The inversion for the gravity-equivalent basement topography is applied for a gravity residual data, which is free from the gravity effect of sediments and from the gravity effect of the estimated Moho interface. A description of the basement depth over Rio Grande Rise area is unprecedented in the literature, however, our results could be compared to in situ data, provided by DSDP, and a small difference of only 9 m between our basement depth and leg 516 F was found. Our model shows a rift crossing the entire Rio Grande Rise deeper than previously presented in literature, with depths up to 5 km in the East Rio Grande Rise (ERGR) and deeper in the West Rio Grande Rise (WRGR), reaching 6.4 km. We find several short-wavelengths structures not present in the bathymetry data. Seamounts, guyots and fracture zones are much more clearly defined in the basement than in the bathymetric model. An interesting NS structure that goes from 34S and extends through de São Paulo Ridge is interpreted in the basement model, and we propose that this feature can be related to the South Atlantic opening, revealing an extinct spreading center.

Sedimentary and structural patterns on the northern Santa Rosa-Cortes Ridge, southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Field, M.E.; Richmond, W.C.

1980-01-01

The Santa Rosa-Cortes Ridge is an 1800 m high, 180 km long feature lying approximately 90 km off the coast of southern California and directly south of the northern group of Channel Islands. Geophysical profiling and sampling cruises to the northern part of the ridge, an area of recent and future lease sales for petroleum development, provide a strong data base for interpretation of structural and sedimentary patterns and their relation to potential geologic hazards. The northern part of the ridge is a complexly folded and faulted northwest-trending anticlinorium composed mostly of lower and middle Miocene shale and mudstone. Erosional remnants of upper Miocene and Pliocene rocks unconformably overlie highly folded pre-upper Miocene strata. The major structure of the ridge developed almost continuously from Oligocene or early Miocene time to the end of the Tertiary; many small folds formed between post-late Miocene and pre-late Pleistocene time. Numerous small faults cut the rocks on the ridge top. Faults cut basement rocks on the west side of the ridge along the Ferrelo fault zone. Published data on historical epicenters and evidence of offsets on the seafloor from seismic reflection and side-scan profiles, including limited evidence of possible strike-slip movement along fault traces, indicate that the northern Santa Rosa-Cortes Ridge is tectonically active. The crest of the ridge was truncated as the result of repeated sea-level fluctuations in the Quaternary. A thin veneer of unconsolidated medium to fine sand, less than 3 m thick, mantles most of the ridge; locally in topographically low areas and on the upper flanks of the ridge, thickness exceeds 20 m. The meager sediment cover, coupled with available evidence of relatively strong currents flowing across the ridge top, indicate that the ridge is an area of nondeposition or winnowing of fine sediments. Modern sediments become thicker and finer-grained from the ridge top to the ridge flanks, suggesting active accretion in those areas. Slumps are present at various depths on the flanks, and it seems probable that the thicker deposits (> 20 m) of modern sediments on the upper flanks will be sites of future slumping. ?? 1980.

The geology and palynology of lower and Middle Pennsylvanian strata in the Western Kentucky Coal Field

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eble, C.F.; Greb, S.F.; Williams, D.A.

2001-01-01

The Western Kentucky Coal Field is the southern tip of the Eastern Interior, or Illinois Basin. Pennsylvanian rocks in this area, which include conglomerate, sandstone, shale, limestone and coal, were deposited primarily in coastal-deltaic settings at a time when western Kentucky was located close to the equator. This paper discusses temporal changes in regional sedimentation patterns and coal-forming floras of Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian strata in the Western Kentucky Coal Field. Lower Pennsylvanian strata of the Caseyville Formation are characterized by paleovalley-filling sedimentation patterns and extabasinal quartz pebbles. Caseyville Formation coals are characterized thin and discontinuous and were strongly influenced by subsidence within underlying paleovalleys, and the dissected lower Pennsylvanian paleotopography. Caseyville coals are commonly dominated by Lycospora, but can also have variable palynofloras, which probably reflects variable edaphic conditions and edge effects within small, patchy paleomires. Tradewater Formation strata show increased marine influences and tidal-estuarine sedimentation, especially in the middle and upper parts. Coal beds in the lower part of the Tradewater typically are thin and discontinuous, although some economically important beds are present. Coals become thicker, more abundant and more laterally persistent towards the top of the formation. Palynologically, lower and middle Tradewater Formation coals are dominated by Lycospora, but begin to show increased amounts of tree fern spores. Middle and upper Tradewater coals are thicker and more continuous, and contain high percentages of tree fern spores. In addition, cordaite pollen is locally abundant in this interval. Carbondale and Shelburn (Desmoinesian) strata are much more laterally continuous, and occur within classic cyclothems that can be traced across the coal field. Cyclothems have long been interpreted as being eustatically driven, and glacio-eustacy controlled not only sedimentation but also the formation of Desmoinesian paleomires. Palynologically, Carbondale and Shelburn coals are either dominated by Lycospora or have heterogeneous palynofloras. Palynologic and coal-quality data suggest that hydrologic base level may have been the primary control on Desmoinesian paleomires, rather than paleoclimate, as the coals display rheotrophic, rather than ombrotrophic characteristics. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical simulations of sand production in interbedded hydrate-bearing sediments during depressurization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Uchida, Shun; Lin, Jeen-Shang; Myshakin, Evgeniy; Seol, Yongkoo; Collett, Timothy S.; Boswell, Ray

2017-01-01

Geomechanical behavior of hydrate-bearing sediments during gas production is complex, involving changes in hydrate-dependent mechanical properties. When interbedded clay layers are present, the complexity is more pronounced because hydrate dissociation tends to occur preferentially in the sediments adjacent to the clay layers due to clay layers acting as a heat source. This would potentially lead to shearing deformation along the sand/clay contacts and may contribute to solid migration, which hindered past field-scale gas production tests. This paper presents a near-wellbore simulation of sand/clay interbedded hydrate-bearing sediments that have been subjected to depressurization and discusses the effect of clay layers on sand production.

Alkali resistant optical coatings for alkali lasers and methods of production thereof

DOEpatents

Soules, Thomas F; Beach, Raymond J; Mitchell, Scott C

2014-11-18

In one embodiment, a multilayer dielectric coating for use in an alkali laser includes two or more alternating layers of high and low refractive index materials, wherein an innermost layer includes a thicker, >500 nm, and dense, >97% of theoretical, layer of at least one of: alumina, zirconia, and hafnia for protecting subsequent layers of the two or more alternating layers of high and low index dielectric materials from alkali attack. In another embodiment, a method for forming an alkali resistant coating includes forming a first oxide material above a substrate and forming a second oxide material above the first oxide material to form a multilayer dielectric coating, wherein the second oxide material is on a side of the multilayer dielectric coating for contacting an alkali.

Evaluation of Retinal Changes in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Parkinson Disease.

PubMed

Gulmez Sevim, Duygu; Unlu, Metin; Gultekin, Murat; Karaca, Cagatay; Mirza, Meral; Mirza, Galip Ertugrul

2018-06-01

Differentiating Parkinson disease (PD) from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) can be challenging early in the clinical course. The aim of our study was to see if specific retinal changes could serve as a distinguishing feature. We used spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with automatic segmentation to measure peripapillary nerve fiber layer thickness and the thickness and volume of retinal layers at the macula. Thicknesses of superior peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), macular ganglion cell layer, inner plexiform layer, inner nuclear layer, and macular volume were more affected in PSP compared with PD (P < 0.05). Thicker inferotemporal pRNFL and lower macular volume were detected in levodopa users compared with nonusers in patients with PD. PD and PSP are associated with distinct changes in retinal morphology, which can be assessed with SD-OCT.

Crustal and upper mantle velocity structure of the Salton Trough, southeast California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, T.; McCarthy, J.

1996-01-01

This paper presents data and modelling results from a crustal and upper mantle wide-angle seismic transect across the Salton Trough region in southeast California. The Salton Trough is a unique part of the Basin and Range province where mid-ocean ridge/transform spreading in the Gulf of California has evolved northward into the continent. In 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted the final leg of the Pacific to Arizona Crustal Experiment (PACE). Two perpendicular models of the crust and upper mantle were fit to wide-angle reflection and refraction travel times, seismic amplitudes, and Bouguer gravity anomalies. The first profile crossed the Salton Trough from the southwest to the northeast, and the second was a strike line that paralleled the Salton Sea along its western edge. We found thin crust (???21-22 km thick) beneath the axis of the Salton Trough (Imperial Valley) and locally thicker crust (???27 km) beneath the Chocolate Mountains to the northeast. We modelled a slight thinning of the crust further to the northeast beneath the Colorado River (???24 km) and subsequent thickening beneath the metamorphic core complex belt northeast of the Colorado River. There is a deep, apparently young basin (???5-6 km unmetamorphosed sediments) beneath the Imperial Valley and a shallower (???2-3 km) basin beneath the Colorado River. A regional 6.9-km/s layer (between ???15-km depth and the Moho) underlies the Salton Trough as well as the Chocolate Mountains where it pinches out at the Moho. This lower crustal layer is spatially associated with a low-velocity (7.6-7.7 km/s) upper mantle. We found that our crustal model is locally compatible with the previously suggested notion that the crust of the Salton Trough has formed almost entirely from magmatism in the lower crust and sedimentation in the upper crust. However, we observe an apparently magmatically emplaced lower crust to the northeast, outside of the Salton Trough, and propose that this layer in part predates Salton Trough rifting. It may also in part result from migration of magmatic spreading centers associated with the southern San Andreas fault system. These spreading centers may have existed east of their current locations in the past and may have influenced the lower crust and upper mantle to the east of the current Salton Trough.

Origin and history of the Charleston Bump - Geological formations, currents, bottom conditions, and their relationship to wreckfish habitats on the Blake Plateau

USGS Publications Warehouse

Popenoe, P.; Manheim, F.T.

2001-01-01

The Charleston Bump is a structural and topographic high on the northern Blake Plateau that overlies a seaward offset of the edge of continental crust. The feature causes the bottom to shoal and deflects the Gulf Stream offshore, causing an intensification of bottom currents. The area has been swept by strong currents since late Cretaceous time, but the strongest currents have occurred in the Neogene (last ???25 million years). Nondepositional conditions prevail at present, but erosion of the bottom is checked where the bottom is armored by a hard surficial layer of phosphorite pavement. The phosphorite pavements were formed by re-cementation of eroded residues of phosphorite-rich sediments of early-Neogene age. In some places there are multiple pavements separated by poorly lithified sediments. Submersible observations indicate that the south, or current-facing flank of the Charleston Bump has several deep (>100 m) scour depressions, the southern flanks of which form cliffs characterized by ledges and overhangs. In other areas discrete layers of older Paleogene rocks have been partly eroded away, leaving cliff-like steps of 5 m or more relief. Conglomeratic phosphorite pavement layers up to 1 m thick armor most of the bottom. Where breached by scour, these pavements form both low-relief ledges and rock piles. These features form a reef-like environment of caves and overhangs utilized by wreckfish Polyprion americanus and barrelfish Hyperoglyphe perciformis as shelter from the current and as staging areas to prey on passing schools of squid. Wreckfish and other large fish were often localized in rugged bottom habitat, including caves and other shelter areas. We observed wreckfish darting from shelters to feed on passing schools of squid. Present and past observations, are consistent with the concept that impingement of the Gulf Stream at the Charleston Bump compresses midwater fauna from much thicker water layers, providing food for a flourishing big-fish fauna. During our dives we noted currents often exceeding 1 knot, and ranging to 2.4 knots. Evidence of fossil, manganese-iron-encrusted megaripples suggest even greater current regimes in the past. Investigation of the site of an earlier report of possible freshwater discharge failed to find any evidence of a closed sinkhole or freshwater discharge. Rather, we concluded that the apparent loss of buoyancy experienced by the submarine was probably caused by downward-directed eddy currents generated by currents sweeping across the pavement/void interface of a more than 100-m high cliff 3 km south of the reported location.

Hydrocarbon pollution in the sediment from the Jarzouna-Bizerte coastal area of Tunisia (Mediterranean Sea).

PubMed

Zrafi-Nouira, I; Khedir-Ghenim, Z; Zrafi, F; Bahri, R; Cheraeif, I; Rouabhia, M; Saidane-Mosbahi, D

2008-06-01

This study investigated the presence and origin of hydrocarbon pollution in industrial waste water sediments found near the Jarzouna (Bizerte, Tunisia) oil refinery. Analyses of surface sediments (layer 1) and deep sediments (layer 2) showed that Total Hydrocarbon (TH) concentrations ranged from 602 +/- 7.638 microg/g in layer-1 to 1270 +/- 2.176 microg/g in layer-2. The results suggest that the deeper the sediment, the higher the level of total hydrocarbon found. The sedimentary Non Aromatic Hydrocarbon (NAH) and Aromatic Hydrocarbon (AH) concentrations ranged from 66.22 +/- 1.516 to 211.82 +/- 10.670 microg/g for NAH, and from 13.84 +/- 0.180 to 115.60 +/- 2.479 microg/g for AH. The high variability of these concentrations was associated with the location of the sediment collection sites. Aliphatic biomarker analysis revealed petroleum contamination close to the refinery rejection site, and biogenic sources further away. Petroleum contamination may be associated with increased industrial activity in the area of Jarzouna-Bizerte in the Mediterranean Sea.

Measure Guideline: Incorporating Thick Layers of Exterior Rigid Insulation on Walls

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lstiburek, Joseph; Baker, Peter

This measure guideline provides information about the design and construction of wall assemblies that use layers of rigid exterior insulation thicker than 1-½ inches and that require a secondary cladding attachment location exterior to the insulation. The guideline is separated into several distinct sections that cover: fundamental building science principles relating to the use of exterior insulation on wall assemblies; design principles for tailoring this use to the specific project goals and requirements; and construction detailing to increase understanding about implementing the various design elements.

Microwave-immobilized polybutadiene stationary phase for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Lopes, Nilva P; Collins, Kenneth E; Jardim, Isabel C S F

2004-03-19

Polybutadiene (PBD) has been immobilized on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) silica by microwave radiation at various power levels (52-663 W) and actuation times (3-60 min). Columns prepared from these reversed-phase HPLC materials, as well as from similar non-irradiated materials, were tested with standard sample mixtures and characterized by elemental analysis (%C) and infrared spectroscopy. A microwave irradiation of 20 min at 663 W gives a layer of immobilized PBD that presented good performance. Longer irradiation times give thicker immobilized layers having less favorable chromatographic properties.

Nonuniform concentration - A mechanism for drag reduction.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rivard, W. C.; Kulinski, E. S.

1972-01-01

A large reduction in drag coefficient has been observed in certain external flows of aqueous solutions with high molecular weight polymer additives. A change in the near wake configuration is phenomenologically responsible for the drag reduction, but the underlying mechanism is presently unknown. An analogy to known phenomena in particulate suspensions is drawn which suggests nonuniform concentration of the polymer additive as an explanation. An analysis of the boundary layer on a sphere with varying viscosity was made to investigate the effect. The results indicate early transition to turbulence for concentration variations whose length scale is small compared with the momentum boundary layer thickness. Stabilization and delayed transition are indicated for thicker concentration layers. Observations are suggested for the thin concentration layers.

Geochemical effects of rapid sedimentation in aquatic systems: Minimal diagenesis and the preservation of historical metal signatures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Callender, E.

2000-01-01

Rapid sedimentation exerts a pronounced influence on early sedimentary diagenesis in that there is insufficient time for a sediment particle to equilibrate in any one sediment layer before that layer may be displaced vertically by another layer. These sedimentation patterns are common in surface-water reservoirs whose sedimentation rates (1-10 cm yr-1) are several orders of magnitude greater than those for natural lakes (0.01-0.5 cm yr-1). Two examples of the effects of rapid sedimentation on geochemical metal signatures are presented here. Interstitial-water data (Fe) from two sites in the Cheyenne River Embayment of Lake Oahe on the Missouri River illustrate the effects of changing sedimentation rates on dissolved species. Rapid burial during high-flow yrs appears to limit early sedimentary diagenesis to aerobic respiration. Solid-phase metal data (Pb) from a site in Pueblo Reservoir on the upper Arkansas River in Colorado appear to record historical releases by flooding of abandoned mine sites upstream in Leadville, Colorado. Interstitial-water ammonia and ferrous Fe data indicate that at least one interval at depth in the sediment where solid metal concentrations peak is a zone of minimal diagenesis. The principal diagenetic reactions that occur in these sediments are aerobic respiration and the reduction of Mn and Fe oxides. Under slower sedimentation conditions, there is sufficient time for particulate organic matter to decompose and create a diagenetic environment where metal oxides may not be stable. The quasi-steady-state interstitial Fe profiles from Tidal Potomac River sediments are an example of such a situation. This occurs primarily because the residence time of particles in the surficial sediment column is long enough to allow benthic organisms and bacteria to perform their metabolic functions. When faster sedimentation prevails, there is less time for these metabolic reactions to occur since the organisms do not occupy a sediment layer for any length of time. Also, the quantity and quality of the organic matter input to the sediment layer is important in that reservoirs often receive more terrestrial organic matter than natural lakes and this terrestrial organic matter is generally more refractory than autochthonous aquatic organic matter.

Role of Erosion in Shaping Point Bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moody, J.; Meade, R.

2012-04-01

A powerful metaphor in fluvial geomorphology has been that depositional features such as point bars (and other floodplain features) constitute the river's historical memory in the form of uniformly thick sedimentary deposits waiting for the geomorphologist to dissect and interpret the past. For the past three decades, along the channel of Powder River (Montana USA) we have documented (with annual cross-sectional surveys and pit trenches) the evolution of the shape of three point bars that were created when an extreme flood in 1978 cut new channels across the necks of two former meander bends and radically shifted the location of a third bend. Subsequent erosion has substantially reshaped, at different time scales, the relic sediment deposits of varying age. At the weekly to monthly time scale (i.e., floods from snowmelt or floods from convective or cyclonic storms), the maximum scour depth was computed (by using a numerical model) at locations spaced 1 m apart across the entire point bar for a couple of the largest floods. The maximum predicted scour is about 0.22 m. At the annual time scale, repeated cross-section topographic surveys (25 during 32 years) indicate that net annual erosion at a single location can be as great as 0.5 m, and that the net erosion is greater than net deposition during 8, 16, and 32% of the years for the three point bars. On average, the median annual net erosion was 21, 36, and 51% of the net deposition. At the decadal time scale, an index of point bar preservation often referred to as completeness was defined for each cross section as the percentage of the initial deposit (older than 10 years) that was still remaining in 2011; computations indicate that 19, 41, and 36% of the initial deposits of sediment were eroded. Initial deposits were not uniform in thickness and often represented thicker pods of sediment connected by thin layers of sediment or even isolated pods at different elevations across the point bar in response to multiple floods during a water year. Erosion often was preferential and removed part or all of pods at lower elevations, and in time left what appears to be a random arrangement of sediment pods forming the point bar. Thus, we conclude that the erosional process is as important as the deposition process in shaping the final form of the point bar, and that point bars are not uniformly aggradational or transgressive deposits of sediment in which the age of the deposit increases monotonically downward at all locations across the point bar.

Lutz's spontaneous sedimentation technique and the paleoparasitological analysis of sambaqui (shell mound) sediments

PubMed Central

Camacho, Morgana; Pessanha, Thaíla; Leles, Daniela; Dutra, Juliana MF; Silva, Rosângela; de Souza, Sheila Mendonça; Araujo, Adauto

2013-01-01

Parasite findings in sambaquis (shell mounds) are scarce. Although the 121 shell mound samples were previously analysed in our laboratory, we only recently obtained the first positive results. In the sambaqui of Guapi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, paleoparasitological analysis was performed on sediment samples collected from various archaeological layers, including the superficial layer as a control. Eggs of Acanthocephala, Ascaridoidea and Heterakoidea were found in the archaeological layers. We applied various techniques and concluded that Lutz's spontaneous sedimentation technique is effective for concentrating parasite eggs in sambaqui soil for microscopic analysis. PMID:23579793

Lutz's spontaneous sedimentation technique and the paleoparasitological analysis of sambaqui (shell mound) sediments.

PubMed

Camacho, Morgana; Pessanha, Thaíla; Leles, Daniela; Dutra, Juliana M F; Silva, Rosângela; Souza, Sheila Mendonça de; Araujo, Adauto

2013-04-01

Parasite findings in sambaquis (shell mounds) are scarce. Although the 121 shell mound samples were previously analysed in our laboratory, we only recently obtained the first positive results. In the sambaqui of Guapi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, paleoparasitological analysis was performed on sediment samples collected from various archaeological layers, including the superficial layer as a control. Eggs of Acanthocephala, Ascaridoidea and Heterakoidea were found in the archaeological layers. We applied various techniques and concluded that Lutz's spontaneous sedimentation technique is effective for concentrating parasite eggs in sambaqui soil for microscopic analysis.

Dating floodplain sediments using tree-ring response to burial

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedman, J.M.; Vincent, K.R.; Shafroth, P.B.

2005-01-01

Floodplain sediments can be dated precisely based on the change in anatomy of tree rings upon burial. When a stem of tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima) or sandbar willow (Salix exigua) is buried, subsequent annual rings in the buried section resemble the rings of roots: rings become narrower, vessels within the rings become larger, and transitions between rings become less distinct. We combined observations of these changes with tree-ring counts to determine the year of deposition of sedimentary beds exposed in a 150-m-long trench across the floodplain of the Rio Puerco, a rapidly filling arroyo in New Mexico. This method reliably dated most beds thicker than about 30 cm to within a year of deposition. Floodplain aggradation rates varied dramatically through time and space. Sediment deposition was mostly limited to brief overbank flows occurring every few years. The most rapid deposition occurred on channel-margin levees, which migrated laterally during channel narrowing. At the decadal timescale, the cross-section-average sediment deposition rate was steady, but there was a shift in the spatial pattern of deposition in the 1980s. From 1936 to 1986, sediment deposition occurred by channel narrowing, with little change in elevation of the thalweg. After 1986 sediment deposition occurred by vertical aggradation. From 1936 to 2000 about 27 per cent of the arroyo cross-section filled with sediment. The rate of filling from 1962 to 2000 was 0-8 vertical m/decade or 85 m2/decade. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dating floodplain sediments using tree-ring response to burial

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedman, J.M.; Vincent, K.R.; Shafroth, P.B.

2005-01-01

Floodplain sediments can be dated precisely based on the change in anatomy of tree rings upon burial. When a stem of tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima) or sandbar willow (Salix exigua) is buried, subsequent annual rings in the buried section resemble the rings of roots: rings become narrower, vessels within the rings become larger, and transitions between rings become less distinct. We combined observations of these changes with tree-ring counts to determine the year of deposition of sedimentary beds exposed in a 150-m-long trench across the floodplain of the Rio Puerco, a rapidly filling arroyo in New Mexico. This method reliably dated most beds thicker than about 30 cm to within a year of deposition. Floodplain aggradation rates varied dramatically through time and space. Sediment deposition was mostly limited to brief overbank flows occurring every few years. The most rapid deposition occurred on channel-margin levees, which migrated laterally during channel narrowing. At the decadal timescale, the cross-section-average sediment deposition rate was steady, but there was a shift in the spatial pattern of deposition in the 1980s. From 1936 to 1986, sediment deposition occurred by channel narrowing, with little change in elevation of the thalweg. After 1986 sediment deposition occurred by vertical aggradation. From 1936 to 2000 about 27 per cent of the arroyo cross-section filled with sediment. The rate of filling from 1962 to 2000 was 0·8 vertical m/decade or 85 m2/decade.

Diagnostic heavy minerals in Plio-Pleistocene sediments of the Yangtze Coast, China with special reference to the Yangtze River connection into the sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jing; Wang, Zhanghua; Chen, Zhongyuan; Wei, Zixin; Wei, Taoyuan; Wei, Wei

2009-12-01

This present study revealed five heavy mineral zones in the Yangtze coastal borehole sediments. Ilmenite, garnet and zircon suite of Zone I of the Pliocene characterizes the derivation of basaltic bedrock and local andesitic-granitic rocks. Indicative limonite in the Zone I sediments formed as alluvial fan facies shows strong chemical weathering. The assemblage of amphibole, straurolite, kyanite and idocrase of metamorphic derivation, together with a few zircon and tourmaline of andesitic-granitic origin in Zone II, represents the extension of sediment sources to the lower and middle Yangtze basin in Early Pleistocene as the study area subsided. Also, the braided to meandering riverine facies demonstrates a longer distance sediment transport. Few heavy minerals remained in Zone III of Mid-Pleistocene, when mottled thicker stiff mud occurred as the lacustrine facies, suggesting a quasi-coastal floodplain with lower capability of sediment transport. Heavy minerals appeared significant and continuous in Zone IV of Late Pleistocene, when changing to the shallow marine facies, inferring much extended sediment sources to the upper Yangtze. Hypersthene, identified primarily in Zone IV, was closely associated with the Er-Mei Mountain tholeiite basalt of the upper Yangtze. Heavy minerals of Zone V remained almost the same as IV during Holocene, when the modern delta evolved. The heavy minerals suggested the timing of the Yangtze connection to the sea at ca 0.12 Ma BP.

Physics considerations in MV-CBCT multi-layer imager design.

PubMed

Hu, Yue-Houng; Fueglistaller, Rony; Myronakis, Marios E; Rottmann, Joerg; Wang, Adam; Shedlock, Daniel; Morf, Daniel; Baturin, Paul; Huber, Pascal; Star-Lack, Josh M; Berbeco, Ross I

2018-05-30

Megavoltage (MV) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) using an electronic portal imaging (EPID) offers advantageous features, including 3D mapping, treatment beam registration, high-z artifact suppression, and direct radiation dose calculation. Adoption has been slowed by image quality limitations and concerns about imaging dose. Developments in imager design, including pixelated scintillators, structured phosphors, inexpensive scintillation materials, and multi-layer imager (MLI) architecture have been explored to improve EPID image quality and reduce imaging dose. The present study employs a hybrid Monte Carlo and linear systems model to determine the effect of detector design elements, such as multi-layer architecture and scintillation materials. We follow metrics of image quality including modulation transfer function (MTF) and noise power spectrum (NPS) from projection images to 3D reconstructions to in-plane slices and apply a task based figure-of-merit, the ideal observer signal-to-noise ratio (d') to determine the effect of detector design on object detectability. Generally, detectability was limited by detector noise performance. Deploying an MLI imager with a single scintillation material for all layers yields improvement in noise performance and d' linear with the number of layers. In general, improving x-ray absorption using thicker scintillators results in improved DQE(0). However, if light yield is low, performance will be affected by electronic noise at relatively high doses, resulting in rapid image quality degradation. Maximizing image quality in a heterogenous MLI detector (i.e. multiple different scintillation materials) is most affected by limiting imager noise. However, while a second-order effect, maximizing total spatial resolution of the MLI detector is a balance between the intensity contribution of each layer against its individual MTF. So, while a thinner scintillator may yield a maximal individual-layer MTF, its quantum efficiency will be relatively low in comparison to a thicker scintillator and thus, intensity contribution may be insufficient to noticeably improve the total detector MTF. © 2018 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

Acoustic radiation from the submerged circular cylindrical shell treated with active constrained layer damping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Li-Yun; Xiang, Yu; Lu, Jing; Jiang, Hong-Hua

2015-12-01

Based on the transfer matrix method of exploring the circular cylindrical shell treated with active constrained layer damping (i.e., ACLD), combined with the analytical solution of the Helmholtz equation for a point source, a multi-point multipole virtual source simulation method is for the first time proposed for solving the acoustic radiation problem of a submerged ACLD shell. This approach, wherein some virtual point sources are assumed to be evenly distributed on the axial line of the cylindrical shell, and the sound pressure could be written in the form of the sum of the wave functions series with the undetermined coefficients, is demonstrated to be accurate to achieve the radiation acoustic pressure of the pulsating and oscillating spheres respectively. Meanwhile, this approach is proved to be accurate to obtain the radiation acoustic pressure for a stiffened cylindrical shell. Then, the chosen number of the virtual distributed point sources and truncated number of the wave functions series are discussed to achieve the approximate radiation acoustic pressure of an ACLD cylindrical shell. Applying this method, different radiation acoustic pressures of a submerged ACLD cylindrical shell with different boundary conditions, different thickness values of viscoelastic and piezoelectric layer, different feedback gains for the piezoelectric layer and coverage of ACLD are discussed in detail. Results show that a thicker thickness and larger velocity gain for the piezoelectric layer and larger coverage of the ACLD layer can obtain a better damping effect for the whole structure in general. Whereas, laying a thicker viscoelastic layer is not always a better treatment to achieve a better acoustic characteristic. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11162001, 11502056, and 51105083), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China (Grant No. 2012GXNSFAA053207), the Doctor Foundation of Guangxi University of Science and Technology, China (Grant No. 12Z09), and the Development Project of the Key Laboratory of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China (Grant No. 1404544).

Sediment Flux of Particulate Organic Phosphorus in the Open Black Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkhomenko, A. V.; Kukushkin, A. S.

2018-03-01

The interannual variation of the monthly average (weighted average) concentrations of particulate organic phosphorus (PPOM) in the photosynthetic layer, oxycline, redox zone, and H2S zone in the open Black Sea is estimated based on long-term observation data. The suspension sedimentation rates from the studied layers are assessed using model calculations and published data. The annual variation of PPOM sediment fluxes from the photosynthetic layer, oxycline, redox zone, and upper H2S zone to the anaerobic zone of the sea and the correspondingly annual average values are estimated for the first time. A regular decrease in the PPOM annual average flux with depth in the upper active layer is demonstrated. A correlation between the annual average values of PPOM sediment flux from the photosynthetic layer and ascending phosphate flux to this layer is shown, which suggests their balance in the open sea. The results are discussed in terms of the phosphorus biogeochemical cycle and the concept of new and regenerative primary production in the open Black Sea.

Organic matter in sediment layers of an acidic mining lake as assessed by lipid analysis. Part II: Neutral lipids.

PubMed

Poerschmann, Juergen; Koschorreck, Matthias; Górecki, Tadeusz

2017-02-01

Natural neutralization of acidic mining lakes is often limited by organic matter. The knowledge of the sources and degradability of organic matter is crucial for understanding alkalinity generation in these lakes. Sediments collected at different depths (surface sediment layer from 0 to 1 cm and deep sediment layer from 4 to 5cm) from an acidic mining lake were studied in order to characterize sedimentary organic matter based on neutral signature markers. Samples were exhaustively extracted, subjected to pre-chromatographic derivatizations and analyzed by GC/MS. Herein, molecular distributions of diagnostic alkanes/alkenes, terpenes/terpenoids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic alcohols and ketones, sterols, and hopanes/hopanoids were addressed. Characterization of the contribution of natural vs. anthropogenic sources to the sedimentary organic matter in these extreme environments was then possible based on these distributions. With the exception of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, combined concentrations across all marker classes proved higher in the surface sediment layer as compared to those in the deep sediment layer. Alkane and aliphatic alcohol distributions pointed to predominantly allochthonous over autochthonous contribution to sedimentary organic matter. Sterol patterns were dominated by phytosterols of terrestrial plants including stigmasterol and β-sitosterol. Hopanoid markers with the ββ-biohopanoid "biological" configuration were more abundant in the surface sediment layer, which pointed to higher bacterial activity. The pattern of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pointed to prevailing anthropogenic input. Pyrolytic makers were likely to due to atmospheric deposition from a nearby former coal combustion facility. The combined analysis of the array of biomarkers provided new insights into the sources and transformations of organic matter in lake sediments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stochastic Modelling of the Hydraulic Anisotropy of Ash Impoundment Sediment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slávik, Ivan

2017-12-01

In the case reported here the impoundments of a 400 MW coal heated power plant with an annual production of about 1.5 million tons of fuel ash are of the cross-valley type, operated by the simple and cheap „upstream method”. The aim of the research was to determine overall and local values of the permeability in horizontal as well as in vertical direction and the anisotropy of the thin-layered sedimented ash. The coal ashes are hydraulically transported through pipelines in form of a slurry and periodically floated on the beach of the impoundment. The ashes are deposited in the form of a thin-layered sediment, with random alternation of layers with a coarser or finer granularity. The ash impoundment sediment is anthropogenic sediment with horizontally laminated texture. Therefore, the sediment is anisotropic from the viewpoint of water seepage. The knowledge of the permeability and the seepage anisotropy of the sediment is a basic requirement for the design of an appropriate dewatering system. The seepage anisotropy of the ash sediment has been checked by means of stochastic modelling, based on the correlation between the effective grain diameter and the coefficient of permeability of the ash: the effective grain diameter and the thickness of individual layers have been proposed to be random events.

A laboratory study of sediment and contaminant release during gas ebullition.

PubMed

Yuan, Qingzhong; Valsaraj, Kalliat T; Reible, Danny D; Willson, Clinton S

2007-09-01

Significant quantities of gas are generated from labile organic matter in contaminated sediments. The implications for the gas generation and subsequent release of contaminants from sediments are unknown but may include enhanced direct transport such as pore water advection and diffusion. The behavior of gas in sediments and the resulting migration of a polyaromatic hydrocarbon, viz phenanthrene, were investigated in an experimental system with methane injection at the base of a sediment column. Hexane above the overlying water layer was used to trap any phenanthrene migrating out of the sediment layer. The rate of suspension of solid particulate matter from the sediment bed into the overlying water layer was also monitored. The experiments indicated that significant amounts of both solid particulate matter and contaminant can be released from a sediment bed by gas movement with the amount of release related to the volume of gas released. The effective mass transfer coefficient of gas bubble-facilitated contaminant release was estimated under field conditions, being around three orders of magnitude smaller than that of bioturbation. A thin sand-capping layer (2 cm) was found to dramatically reduce the amount of contaminant or particles released with the gas because it could prevent or at least reduce sediment suspension. Based on the experimental observations, gas bubble-facilitated contaminant transport pathways for both uncapped and capped systems were proposed. Sediment cores were sliced to obtain phenanthrene concentration. X-ray computed tomography (CT) was used to investigate the void space distribution in the sediment penetrated by gas bubbles. The results showed that gas bubble migration could redistribute the sediment void spaces and may facilitate pore water circulation in the sediment.

Coupled Northern Hemisphere permafrost-ice-sheet evolution over the last glacial cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willeit, M.; Ganopolski, A.

2015-09-01

Permafrost influences a number of processes which are relevant for local and global climate. For example, it is well known that permafrost plays an important role in global carbon and methane cycles. Less is known about the interaction between permafrost and ice sheets. In this study a permafrost module is included in the Earth system model CLIMBER-2, and the coupled Northern Hemisphere (NH) permafrost-ice-sheet evolution over the last glacial cycle is explored. The model performs generally well at reproducing present-day permafrost extent and thickness. Modeled permafrost thickness is sensitive to the values of ground porosity, thermal conductivity and geothermal heat flux. Permafrost extent at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) agrees well with reconstructions and previous modeling estimates. Present-day permafrost thickness is far from equilibrium over deep permafrost regions. Over central Siberia and the Arctic Archipelago permafrost is presently up to 200-500 m thicker than it would be at equilibrium. In these areas, present-day permafrost depth strongly depends on the past climate history and simulations indicate that deep permafrost has a memory of surface temperature variations going back to at least 800 ka. Over the last glacial cycle permafrost has a relatively modest impact on simulated NH ice sheet volume except at LGM, when including permafrost increases ice volume by about 15 m sea level equivalent in our model. This is explained by a delayed melting of the ice base from below by the geothermal heat flux when the ice sheet sits on a porous sediment layer and permafrost has to be melted first. Permafrost affects ice sheet dynamics only when ice extends over areas covered by thick sediments, which is the case at LGM.

Ciliate diversity and distribution patterns in the sediments of a seamount and adjacent abyssal plains in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean.

PubMed

Zhao, Feng; Filker, Sabine; Stoeck, Thorsten; Xu, Kuidong

2017-09-12

Benthic ciliates and the environmental factors shaping their distribution are far from being completely understood. Likewise, deep-sea systems are amongst the least understood ecosystems on Earth. In this study, using high-throughput DNA sequencing, we investigated the diversity and community composition of benthic ciliates in different sediment layers of a seamount and an adjacent abyssal plain in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean with water depths ranging between 813 m and 4566 m. Statistical analyses were used to assess shifts in ciliate communities across vertical sediment gradients and water depth. Nine out of 12 ciliate classes were detected in the different sediment samples, with Litostomatea accounting for the most diverse group, followed by Plagiopylea and Oligohymenophorea. The novelty of ciliate genetic diversity was extremely high, with a mean similarity of 93.25% to previously described sequences. On a sediment depth gradient, ciliate community structure was more similar within the upper sediment layers (0-1 and 9-10 cm) compared to the lower sediment layers (19-20 and 29-30 cm) at each site. Some unknown ciliate taxa which were absent from the surface sediments were found in deeper sediments layers. On a water depth gradient, the proportion of unique OTUs was between 42.2% and 54.3%, and that of OTUs shared by all sites around 14%. However, alpha diversity of the different ciliate communities was relatively stable in the surface layers along the water depth gradient, and about 78% of the ciliate OTUs retrieved from the surface layer of the shallowest site were shared with the surface layers of sites deeper than 3800 m. Correlation analyses did not reveal any significant effects of measured environmental factors on ciliate community composition and structure. We revealed an obvious variation in ciliate community along a sediment depth gradient in the seamount and the adjacent abyssal plain and showed that water depth is a less important factor shaping ciliate distribution in deep-sea sediments unlike observed for benthic ciliates in shallow seafloors. Additionally, an extremely high genetic novelty of ciliate diversity was found in these habitats, which points to a hot spot for the discovery of new ciliate species.

Leaf morphology of 40 evergreen and deciduous broadleaved subtropical tree species and relationships to functional ecophysiological traits.

PubMed

Kröber, W; Heklau, H; Bruelheide, H

2015-03-01

We explored potential of morphological and anatomical leaf traits for predicting ecophysiological key functions in subtropical trees. We asked whether the ecophysiological parameters stomatal conductance and xylem cavitation vulnerability could be predicted from microscopy leaf traits. We investigated 21 deciduous and 19 evergreen subtropical tree species, using individuals of the same age and from the same environment in the Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning experiment at Jiangxi (BEF-China). Information-theoretic linear model selection was used to identify the best combination of morphological and anatomical predictors for ecophysiological functions. Leaf anatomy and morphology strongly depended on leaf habit. Evergreen species tended to have thicker leaves, thicker spongy and palisade mesophyll, more palisade mesophyll layers and a thicker subepidermis. Over 50% of all evergreen species had leaves with multi-layered palisade parenchyma, while only one deciduous species (Koelreuteria bipinnata) had this. Interactions with leaf habit were also included in best multi-predictor models for stomatal conductance (gs ) and xylem cavitation vulnerability. In addition, maximum gs was positively related to log ratio of palisade to spongy mesophyll thickness. Vapour pressure deficit (vpd) for maximum gs increased with the log ratio of palisade to spongy mesophyll thickness in species having leaves with papillae. In contrast, maximum specific hydraulic conductivity and xylem pressure at which 50% loss of maximum specific xylem hydraulic conductivity occurred (Ψ50 ) were best predicted by leaf habit and density of spongy parenchyma. Evergreen species had lower Ψ50 values and lower maximum xylem hydraulic conductivities. As hydraulic leaf and wood characteristics were reflected in structural leaf traits, there is high potential for identifying further linkages between morphological and anatomical leaf traits and ecophysiological responses. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Frequency and morphology of tropical tropopause layer cirrus from CALIPSO observations: Are isolated cirrus different from those connected to deep convection?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riihimaki, Laura D.; McFarlane, Sally A.

2010-09-16

Tropical Tropopause Layer cirrus (TTLC) profiles identified from CALIPSO LIDAR measurements are grouped into cloud objects and classified according to whether or not they are connected to deep convection. TTLC objects connected to deep convection are optically and physically thicker than isolated objects, consistent with what would be expected if connected objects were formed from convective detrainment and isolated objects formed in situ. In the tropics (±20 Latitude), 36% of TTLC profiles are classified as connected to deep convection, 43% as isolated, and the remaining 21% are part of lower, thicker cirrus clouds. Regions with higher occurence of deep convectionmore » also have higher occurrence of TTLC, and a greater percentage of those TTLC are connected to deep convection. Cloud top heights of both isolated and connected clouds are distributed similarly with respect to the height of the cold point tropopause. No difference in thickness or optical depth was found between TTLC above deep convection or above clear sky, though both cloud base and top heights are higher over deep convection than over clear sky.« less

Nickel electroplating on copper pre-activated Al alloy in the electrolyte containing PEG1000 as an additive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Jie; Wang, Jinwei; Zhang, Dawei

2018-06-01

Ni coatings are prepared on Cu-pretreated anodic Al alloy by electroplating technique in environment-friendly electrolytes with PEG1000 as an additive. Some defects like pores, cracks and even uncovered areas are observed for the sample of the Cu-pretreated anodic Al alloy, and these defects seem to be remedied with the following Ni electroplating as observed from their SEM images; while the covering effect of Ni onto the Cu layer is rather limited as judged by their corrosion current data of polarization test. After adding PEG1000 in the Ni electroplating electrolyte, the obtained coating surfaces are seen smoother and thicker; and most of the tiny particles are seen closely packed together with some bigger particles on them. The diffusion of nickel particles into copper layer are confirmed by the line and mapping mode of EDS element analysis for the Ni-Cu composite coating. Their much lower corrosion current density ( I corr) and higher micro-hardness support the fact that the addition of PEG1000 in Ni plating electrolyte has a function of promoting the refinement of Ni particles and the formation of more compacter, thicker and smoother Ni-Cu composite coating.

The relative contribution of near-bed vs. intragravel horizontal transport to fine sediment accumulation processes in river gravel beds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casas-Mulet, Roser; Lakhanpal, Garima; Stewardson, Michael J.

2018-02-01

Understanding flow-sediment interactions is important for comprehending river functioning. Fine sediment accumulation processes, in particular, have key implications for ecosystem health. However, the amount of fines generated by intragravel flows and later accumulated in gravel streambeds may have been underestimated, as the hydraulic-related driving transport mechanisms in play are not clearly identified. Specifically, the relative contribution of fines from upper vs. lower sediment layers in gravel beds is not well understood. By recreating flooded and dewatered conditions in an experimental flume filled with natural sediment, we estimated such contributions by observing and collecting intragravel transported fines that were later accumulated into a void in the middle of the sediment matrix. Near-bed transport in the upper sediment layers (named Brinkman load) during flooded conditions accounted for most (90%) of the accumulated fines. Intragravel transport in the lower sediment layers (named Interstitial load) was the sole source of transport and accumulation during dewatered conditions with steeper hydraulic gradients. Interstitial load accounted for 10% of the total transport during flooded conditions. Although small, such estimations demonstrate that hydraulic-gradient transport in the lower sediment layers occurs in spite of the contradicting analytical assessments. We provide a case study to challenge the traditional approaches of assessing intragravel transport, and a useful framework to understand the origin and relative contribution of fine sediment accumulation in gravel beds. Such knowledge will be highly useful for the design of monitoring programs aiding river management, particularly in regulated rivers.

In situ observation of the water-sediment interface in combined sewers, using endoscopy.

PubMed

Oms, C; Gromaire, M C; Chebbo, G

2003-01-01

A new method for water-sediment interface observation has been designed. This system is based on a small diameter endoscope protected by a graduated plastic tube. It makes it possible to visualise in a non-destructive manner the sediments and the water-sediment interface. The endoscope was used to investigate Le Marais catchment (Paris): an immobile organic layer was observed at the water-sediment interface. This layer appears in pools of gross bed sediment, at the upstream of collectors, in zones where velocity is slow and where bed shear stress is less than 0.03 N/m2.

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of N-polar InN quantum dots and thin films on vicinal GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lund, Cory; Catalano, Massimo; Wang, Luhua; Wurm, Christian; Mates, Thomas; Kim, Moon; Nakamura, Shuji; DenBaars, Steven P.; Mishra, Umesh K.; Keller, Stacia

2018-02-01

N-polar InN layers were deposited using MOCVD on GaN-on-sapphire templates which were miscut 4° towards the GaN m-direction. For thin layers, quantum dot-like features were spontaneously formed to relieve the strain between the InN and GaN layers. As the thickness was increased, the dots elongated along the step direction before growing outward perpendicular to the step direction and coalescing to form a complete InN layer. XRD reciprocal space maps indicated that the InN films relaxed upon quantum dot formation after nominally 1 nm thick growth, resulting in 5-7 nm tall dots with diameters around 20-50 nm. For thicker layers above 10 nm, high electron mobilities of up to 706 cm2/V s were measured using Hall effect measurements indicating high quality layers.

Magnetic Yoking and Tunable Interactions in FePt-Based Hard/Soft Bilayers

PubMed Central

Gilbert, Dustin A.; Liao, Jung-Wei; Kirby, Brian J.; Winklhofer, Michael; Lai, Chih-Huang; Liu, Kai

2016-01-01

Magnetic interactions in magnetic nanostructures are critical to nanomagnetic and spintronic explorations. Here we demonstrate an extremely sensitive magnetic yoking effect and tunable interactions in FePt based hard/soft bilayers mediated by the soft layer. Below the exchange length, a thin soft layer strongly exchange couples to the perpendicular moments of the hard layer; above the exchange length, just a few nanometers thicker, the soft layer moments turn in-plane and act to yoke the dipolar fields from the adjacent hard layer perpendicular domains. The evolution from exchange to dipolar-dominated interactions is experimentally captured by first-order reversal curves, the ΔM method, and polarized neutron reflectometry, and confirmed by micromagnetic simulations. These findings demonstrate an effective yoking approach to design and control magnetic interactions in wide varieties of magnetic nanostructures and devices. PMID:27604428

Evolution of Slow to Intermediate-Spreading Oceanic Crust in the South Atlantic: The Effects of Age, Sediment Thickness, and Spreading Rate on the Heterogeneity of Upper Crustal Velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kardell, D. A.; Christeson, G. L.; Reece, R.; Carlson, R. L.

2017-12-01

The upper section of oceanic crust (layer 2A) commonly exhibits relatively low seismic velocities due to abundant pore and crack space created by the extrusive emplacement of magma and extensional faulting at the spreading ridge. While this is generally true for all spreading rates, previous studies have shown that slow seafloor spreading can yield much higher levels of upper crustal heterogeneity than observed for faster spreading rates. We use a recent multichannel seismic dataset collected with a 12.5 km streamer during the CREST cruise (Crustal Reflectivity Experiment Southern Transect) to build eleven 60-80 km-long tomographic velocity models. These two-dimensional models include both ridge-normal and ridge-parallel orientations and cover oceanic crust produced at slow to intermediate spreading rates. Crustal ages range between 0 and 70 m.y., spreading rates range between slow-spreading and intermediate-spreading, and sedimentary cover thickness ranges from 0 m close to the spreading center to 500 m proximal to the Rio Grande Rise. Our results show a trend of increasing layer 2A velocities with age out to the midpoint of the seismic transect. There is a rapid increase in velocities from 2.8 km/s near the ridge to 4.3 km/s around 10 Ma, and a slower increase to velocities around 5 km/s in 37 m.y. old crust. While this indicates an ongoing evolution in oceanic crust older than expected, the velocities do level off in the older half of the transect, averaging 5 km/s. Crust covered by a thicker sedimentary section can exhibit velocities up to 1 km/s faster than adjacent non-sedimented crust, accounting for much of the local variations. This is possibly due to the effects of a sealed hydrothermal system. We also observe a more heterogeneous velocity structure parallel to the ridge than in the ridge-normal orientation, and more velocity heterogeneity for slow-spreading crust compared to intermediate-spreading crust.

Directional Attenuation of Jet Noise With Eccentric Coannular Nozzle Investigated

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaman, Khairul B.

2005-01-01

Jet noise and flow field were measured to follow up on observations made by Professor D. Papamoschou of the University of California at Irvine (NASA Grant NAG3-2345). When a dual-stream coannular nozzle was arranged non-concentrically, noise was attenuated significantly on the side where the annulus was thicker. A similar observation was also made in reference 2. The practical significance is obvious. If the bypass flow of a jet exhaust in flight could be diverted to form a thicker layer underneath, then less noise would be heard by an observer on the ground. In view of the current emphasis on jet noise abatement, researchers felt that the effect deserved further attention. This prompted an experiment to confirm the phenomenon in a larger facility and to obtain flow-field data to advance understanding of the mechanism.

Lost Impacts (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, P. H.; Stickle, A. M.

2009-12-01

The absence of a clearly identified crater (or craters) for the proposed YDB impact has raised questions concerning the reality of such an event. Geologic studies have identified impact deposits well before recognizing a causative crater (e.g., Chicxulub and Chesapeake Bay); some have yet to be discovered (e.g., Australasian tektite strewnfields). The absence of a crater, therefore, cannot be used as an argument against the reality of the YDB impact (and its possible consequences). The study here addresses how a large on-land impact during the late Pleistocene or early Holocene could avoid easy detection today. It does not argue the case for a YDB impact, since such evidence must come from the rock record. During the late Pleistocene, the receding Laurentide ice sheet still covered a significant portion of Canada. While a large (1km) body impacting vertically (90°) would penetrate such a low-impedance ice layer and excavate the substrate, an oblique impact couples more of its energy into the surface layer, thereby partially shielding the substrate. Three approaches address the effectiveness of this flak-jacket effect. First, hypervelocity impact experiments at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range investigated the effectiveness of low-impedance layers of different thicknesses for mitigating substrate damage. Second, selected experiments were compared with hydrocode models (see Stickle and Schultz, this volume) and extended to large scales. Third, comparisons were made with relict craters found in eroding sediment and ice covers on Mars. Oblique impacts (30 degrees) into soft particulates (no. 24 sand) covering a solid substrate (aluminum) have no effect on the final crater diameter for layer thicknesses exceeding a projectile diameter and result in only plastic deformation in the substrate. In contrast, a vertical impact requires a surface layer at least 3 times the projectile diameter to achieve the same diameter (with significant substrate damage). Oblique impacts into ice and plasticene layers over clear acrylic blocks allow assessing internal damage. These experiments reveal that low-impedance surface layers approaching 1 to 2 projectile diameters effectively shield the substrate from shock damage for impact angles less than 30 degrees. Missing craters (and relict crater roots) within ice-rich deposits on Mars illustrate the rapid erasure the impact record. Numerous small pedestal craters (crater diameter < 5km) occur at high latitudes and reflect the cyclic expansion and disappearance of polar ice/dust deposits up to 0.5 km thick. Much larger examples (> 50km), however, occur at low latitudes but are localized in certain regions where even thicker deposits (locally >2km) have been removed, uncovering a preserved Noachian landscape. Crater statistics further document this missing cratering record. Thick Pleistocene ice sheets on Earth would have played a similar role for the removal of terrestrial cratering record. We calculate that a crater as large as 15km in diameter formed by an oblique impact could have been effectively erased, except for dispersed ejecta containing shocked impactor relicts and a disturbed substrate. While plausible, evidence for specific missing events (e.g., the proposed YB impact) must be found in still-preserved ice layers and sediments.

[Calculation of environmental dredging depth of heavy sediments in Zhushan Bay of Taihu Lake metal polluted].

PubMed

Jiang, Xia; Wang, Wen-Wen; Wang, Shu-Hang; Jin, Xiang-Can

2012-04-01

Horizontal distribution of heavy metals in surface sediments of Zhushan Bay was investigated, and core sediment samples were collected in the representative area. Core sediments were divided into oxide layer (A), polluted layer (B), upper polluted transition layer(C1), lower polluted transition layer(C2) and normal mud layer(D) from top to bottom. The change of total contents of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, Pb and contents of biological available Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb with depths were analyzed. Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments was done by potential ecological risk index method. At last, environmental dredging depth was calculated. The results shows that the contents of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, Pb are 30.56-216.58, 24.07-59.95, 16.71-140.30, 84.31-193.43, 3.39-22.30, 0.37-1.59, 0.00-0.80 and 9.67-99.35 mg x kg(-1), respectively. The average concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, Pb are 79.74, 37.74, 44.83, 122.39, 10.39, 0.77, 0.14 and 40.08 mg x kg(-1), respectively. Heavy metals in the surface sediments of Zhushan Bay mainly distribute in the west bank and the estuaries of Taige canal, Yincun Port, and Huanshan River,and Cd pollution is relatively serious. There is an accumulative effect of heavy metals in Zhushan Bay, and the contents of biological available metals decrease with depths. Ecological risk grades of Cd in layer A and B are high, and the comprehensive potential ecological risk grades of each layer are in middle or low. The environmental dredging layers are A and B, and the average dredging depth is 0.39 m.

Suspended sediment dynamics in a large-scale turbidity current: Direct measurements from the deep-water Congo Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, S.; Azpiroz, M.; Cartigny, M.; Clare, M. A.; Parsons, D. R.; Sumner, E.; Talling, P. J.

2016-12-01

Turbidity currents that transport sediment to the deep ocean deposit a greater volume of sediment than any other process on Earth. To date, only a handful of studies have directly measured turbidity currents, with flow durations ranging from a few minutes to a few hours. Our understanding of turbidity current dynamics is therefore largely derived from scaled laboratory experiments and numerical modelling. Recent years have seen the first field-scale measurements of depth-resolved velocity profiles, but sediment concentration (a key parameter for turbidity currents) remains elusive. Here, we present high resolution measurements of deep-water turbidity currents from the Congo Canyon; one of the world's largest submarine canyons. Direct measurements using acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) show that flows can last for many days, rather than hours as seen elsewhere, and provide the first quantification of concentration and grain size within deep-water turbidity currents.Velocity and backscatter were measured at 5 second intervals by an ADCP suspended 80 m above the canyon floor, at 2000 m water depth. A novel inversion method using multiple ADCP frequencies enabled quantification of sediment concentration and grain size within the flows. We identify high concentrations of coarse sediment within a thin frontal cell, which outruns a thicker, trailing body. Thus, the flows grow in length while propagating down-canyon. This is distinct from classical models and other field-scale measurements of turbidity currents. The slow-moving body is dominated by suspended fine-grained sediment. The body mixes with the surrounding fluid leaving diffuse clouds of sediment that persist for days after initial entrainment. Ambient tidal flow also controls the mixing within the body and the surrounding fluid. Our results provide a new quantification of suspended sediment within flows and the interaction with the surrounding fluid.

Atomic layer deposited oxide films as protective interface layers for integrated graphene transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrero-Vilatela, A.; Alexander-Webber, J. A.; Sagade, A. A.; Aria, A. I.; Braeuninger-Weimer, P.; Martin, M.-B.; Weatherup, R. S.; Hofmann, S.

2017-12-01

The transfer of chemical vapour deposited graphene from its parent growth catalyst has become a bottleneck for many of its emerging applications. The sacrificial polymer layers that are typically deposited onto graphene for mechanical support during transfer are challenging to remove completely and hence leave graphene and subsequent device interfaces contaminated. Here, we report on the use of atomic layer deposited (ALD) oxide films as protective interface and support layers during graphene transfer. The method avoids any direct contact of the graphene with polymers and through the use of thicker ALD layers (≥100 nm), polymers can be eliminated from the transfer-process altogether. The ALD film can be kept as a functional device layer, facilitating integrated device manufacturing. We demonstrate back-gated field effect devices based on single-layer graphene transferred with a protective Al2O3 film onto SiO2 that show significantly reduced charge trap and residual carrier densities. We critically discuss the advantages and challenges of processing graphene/ALD bilayer structures.

Devices, systems, and methods for conducting assays with improved sensitivity using sedimentation

DOEpatents

Schaff, Ulrich Y.; Koh, Chung-Yan; Sommer, Gregory J.

2016-04-05

Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward devices, systems, and method for conducting assays using sedimentation. In one example, a method includes layering a mixture on a density medium, subjecting sedimentation particles in the mixture to sedimentation forces to cause the sedimentation particles to move to a detection area through a density medium, and detecting a target analyte in a detection region of the sedimentation channel. In some examples, the sedimentation particles and labeling agent may have like charges to reduce non-specific binding of labeling agent and sedimentation particles. In some examples, the density medium is provided with a separation layer for stabilizing the assay during storage and operation. In some examples, the sedimentation channel may be provided with a generally flat sedimentation chamber for dispersing the particle pellet over a larger surface area.

Devices, systems, and methods for conducting assays with improved sensitivity using sedimentation

DOEpatents

Schaff, Ulrich Y; Koh, Chung-Yan; Sommer, Gregory J

2015-02-24

Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward devices, systems, and method for conducting assays using sedimentation. In one example, a method includes layering a mixture on a density medium, subjecting sedimentation particles in the mixture to sedimentation forces to cause the sedimentation particles to move to a detection area through a density medium, and detecting a target analyte in a detection region of the sedimentation channel. In some examples, the sedimentation particles and labeling agent may have like charges to reduce non-specific binding of labeling agent and sedimentation particles. In some examples, the density medium is provided with a separation layer for stabilizing the assay during storage and operation. In some examples, the sedimentation channel may be provided with a generally flat sedimentation chamber for dispersing the particle pellet over a larger surface area.

Are the Element Budget and the Occurrence of Polymetallic Nodules influenced by Fluids Circulating through the Oceanic Crust or/and Sediments?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heller, C.; Kuhn, T.

2016-12-01

Hydrothermal fluids can extract significant amounts of heat from oceanic lithosphere by lateral fluid flow through permeable basaltic crust of an age of up to 65 Ma. Fluid recharge and discharge occur at basement outcrops in between impermeable pelagic sediments. Recharge of oxic seawater causes upward oxygen diffusion into sediments overlying the permeable basalt in areas proximal to recharge sites. It is suggested that this oxygen have a strong impact on sediments and Mn nodules during fluid exposure time. The aim of this study is to investigate if and how fluid flow through oceanic crust influence the distribution and element budget of the Mn nodules. For that purpose, Mn nodules were examined which were collected during the research cruise SO240 in the equatorial NE Pacific at sites with and without faults in the upper basement and overlying sediments. Faults are thought to be preferred fluid pathways. Nodules were found on the sediment surface as well as in the sediment and consist of different nm- to µm-thick, dense and porous layers. The geochemical composition of bulk nodules and single nodule layers were determined by XRF, ICP-MS/OES and by high resolution analyses with EMPA and LA-ICP-MS. Dense layers have low Mn/Fe ratios (<4) and high concentrations of Co, Zr and REY, while porous layers are characterized by high Mn/Fe ratios (> 10) and high Ni+Cu and Li concentrations (Koschinsky et al., 2010; Kuhn et al., 2010). The different compositions depends on different formation processes of the layers. Dense layers are formed by element precipitation from oxygen rich seawater and/or pore water and are called hydrogenetic, while porous layers were formed by precipitation from almost oxygen-free (suboxic) pore water (Burns & Burns, 1978; Glasby, 2006) and are called diagenetic (Halbach et al., 1988). Preliminary results show that there are significant differences between the geochemical composition of nodules grown at sediment surface and those found within sediments. Compared to surface nodules, buried nodules are enriched in Co and W, but has lower concentration of Mo, Ba, Zn, Li. Distribution of Rare Earth Elements (REY) are also different. Especially, the element distribution in the bulk samples and the single layers of the buried nodules could be used to find a possible influence of circulating fluids on nodule formation.

Remedy and Recontamination Assessment Array

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

of silica sand visual tracer at interface, (C) addition of thin sand layer, and (D) final result with treatment and overlying water added...Final result for thin clean sediment layer treatment after final installation of treatment and overlying water ... treatment sediments were held in the sediment cells or tubs with overlying surface water under cool conditions overnight prior to application of the

Manganese cycles in Arctic marine sediments - Climate signals or diagenesis?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

März, C.; Stratmann, A.; Eckert, S.; Schnetger, B.; Brumsack, H.-J.

2009-04-01

In comparison to sediments from other parts of the world ocean, the inorganic geochemistry of Arctic Ocean sediments is poorly investigated. However, marked light to dark brown layers are well-known features of Quaternary Arctic sediments, and have been related to variable Mn contents. Brown layers represent intervals relatively rich in Mn (often > 1 wt.%), while yellowish-greyish intervals contain less Mn. As these brown layers are widespread in pelagic Quaternary deposits of the Arctic Ocean, there are attempts to use them as stratigraphic, age-equivalent marker horizons that are genetically related to global climate changes (e.g. Jakobsson et al., 2000; Löwemark et al., 2008). In the Arctic Ocean, other conventional stratigraphic methods often fail, therefore the use of Mn-rich layers as a chemostratigraphic tool seems to be a promising approach. However, several inorganic-geochemical and modelling studies of Mn cycles in the Arctic as well as in other parts of the world ocean have shown that multiple Mn layers in marine sediments can be created by non-steady state diagenetic processes, i.e. secondary Mn redistribution in the sediment due to microbially mediated dissolution-reprecipitation reactions (e.g. Li et al., 1969; Gobeil et al., 1997; Burdige, 2006; Katsev et al., 2006). Such biogeochemical processes can lead to rapid migration or fixation of redox boundaries in the sediment, resulting in the formation or (partial) destruction of metal-rich layers several thousands of years after sediment deposition. As this clearly would alter primary paleoenvironmental signals recorded in the sediments, we see an urgent need to unravel the real stratigraphic potential of Arctic Mn cycles before they are readily established as standard tools. For this purpose, we are studying Mn cycles in Arctic Ocean sediments recovered during R/V Polarstern expedition ARK XXIII/3 on the Mendeleev Ridge (East Siberian Sea). First results of pore water and sediment composition (analysed by ICP-OES and WD-XRF) indicate that certain Mn-rich layers are currently dissolving, while others are forming. This internal Mn re-distribution, while being more pronounced in some locations than in others, also has an impact on related trace metal distributions (e.g. Co, Cu, Ni, Mo). As Mn diagenesis obviously occurs in most cores studied so far (pelagic depositional areas unaffected by turbidites), we conclude that caution has to be taken when applying Mn layers as stratigraphic tools. In addition to more sensitive analyses (acid digestions and HR-ICP-MS measurements), we will apply methods like sequential Mn extraction, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy to study these Mn-rich layers. These data will be put into a broader context by comparing them to parameters like magnetic susceptibility, grain size distribution, sediment colour or porosity. Hopefully, this will result in a better understanding of Mn biogeochemistry in the Arctic Ocean, including its application as paleoenvironmental proxy. Burdige, D.J. (2006) Geochemistry of marine sediments. Princeton University Press, 609 pp. Gobeil, C., Macdonald, R.W., Sundby, B. (1997) Diagenetic separation of cadmium and manganese in suboxic continental margin sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 61, 4647-4654. Jakobsson, M., Løvlie, R., Al-Hanbali, H., Arnold, E.M., Backman, J., Mörth, M. (2000) Manganese and color cycles in Artic Ocean sediments constrain Pleistocene chronology. Geology 8, 23-26. Katsev, S., Sundby, B., Mucci, A. (2006) Modeling vertical excursions of the redox boundary in sediments: Application to deep basins of the Arctic Ocean. Limnol. Oceanogr. 51, 1581-1593. Li, Y.-H., Bischoff, J. Mathieu, G. (1969) Migration of manganese in Arctic Basin sediments. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 7, 265-270. Löwemark, L., Jakobsson, M., Mörth, M., Backman, J. (2008) Arctic Ocean manganese contents and sediment colour cycles. Polar. Res. 27, 105-113.

Warpage of Large Curved Composite Panels due to Manufacturing Anomalies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starnes, James H., Jr. (Technical Monitor); Ambur, Damadar (Technical Monitor); Ochinero, T. T.; Hyer, M. W.

2002-01-01

This paper discusses the influences of a misaligned layer, a resin-rich slightly thicker layer, and a small thermal gradient on the thermally-induced deformations of large curved composite panels during cooldown from their cure temperature. The deformations represent warpage of the panels due to anomalies that occur during layup, consolidation, and cure. Two-dimensional finite element analyses are used The deformations are categorized as to their impact on circumferential and twist warpage metrics. The results are intended to highlight the sensitivity of manufactured panel shape to the various unwanted effects that can occur during manufacturing.

Preparation of a polybutadiene stationary phase immobilized by gamma radiation for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Lopes, Nilva P; Collins, Kenneth E; Jardim, Isabel C S F

2003-02-14

Polybutadiene (PBD) has been immobilized on HPLC silica by gamma radiation doses in the range from 5 to 180 kGy. Columns prepared from these reversed-phase materials, as well as from similar non-irradiated materials, were tested with standard sample mixtures and characterized by elemental analysis (% C) and infrared spectroscopy. A low dose of 5 kGy is sufficient to produce a layer of immobilized PBD which functions as an efficient and stable stationary phase. Higher doses give thicker immobilized layers having less favorable chromatographic properties.

[Influence of Vallisneria spiralis on the physicochemical properties of black-odor sediment in urban sluggish river].

PubMed

Xu, Kuan; Liu, Bo; Wang, Guo-Xiang; Ma, Jiu-Yuan; Cao, Xun; Zhou, Feng

2013-07-01

Using Indoor simulation method, the effect of Vallisneria spiralis on the physicochemical propertise of black and stink sediment was investigated. The surface sediment of urban sluggish river which had been heavily polluted was used as material in the study. The results showed that the redox environment of the sediment was significantly improved by Vallisneria spiralis. During the experiment, the Eh of surface sediment rose from -70 mV to 90 mV. The ferrous content was reduced by 25% in the experiment group while increased by 38% in the control group; the organic matter was decomposed effectively, prevented from natural decomposition to the smelly substances. There was a 3 mm thick greyish yellow oxide layer after 7 days in the experimental group, and the oxide layer gradually thickened over time. The thickness of the oxide layer reached 11 mm at the end of the experiment, and no significant odor was detected. On the contrary, the oxide layer in the control group was only 1 mm thick and the thickness remained unchanged. Meanwhile, an obnoxious odor existed during the whole experiment. The roots of Vallisneria spiralis had significant influence on the porosity of sediment. On one hand, the densification of sediment could be improved by Vallisneria spiralis. On the other hand, Vallisneria spiralis was able to change the state of the surface sediment flows, reduce the erosion of river sediment and inhibit the transfer of black-odor substances, which has a positive ecological meaning.

The effect of sediment thermal conductivity on vertical groundwater flux estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebok, Eva; Müller, Sascha; Engesgaard, Peter; Duque, Carlos

2015-04-01

The interaction between groundwater and surface water is of great importance both from ecological and water management perspective. The exchange fluxes are often estimated based on vertical temperature profiles taken from shallow sediments assuming a homogeneous standard value of sediment thermal conductivity. Here we report on a field investigation in a stream and in a fjord, where vertical profiles of sediment thermal conductivity and temperatures were measured in order to, (i) define the vertical variability in sediment thermal conductivity, (ii) quantify the effect of heterogeneity in sediment thermal conductivity on the estimated vertical groundwater fluxes. The study was carried out at field sites located in Ringkøbing fjord and Holtum stream in Western Denmark. Both locations have soft, sandy sediments with an upper organic layer at the fjord site. First 9 and 12 vertical sediment temperature profiles up to 0.5 m depth below the sediment bed were collected in the fjord and in the stream, respectively. Later sediment cores of 0.05 m diameter were removed at the location of the temperature profiles. Sediment thermal conductivity was measured in the sediment cores at 0.1 m intervals with a Decagon KD2 Pro device. A 1D flow and heat transport model (HydroGeoSphere) was set up and vertical groundwater fluxes were estimated based on the measured vertical sediment temperature profiles by coupling the model with PEST. To determine the effect of heterogeneity in sediment thermal conductivity on estimated vertical groundwater fluxes, the model was run by assigning (i) a homogeneous thermal conductivity for all sediment layers, calculated as the average sediment thermal conductivity of the profile, (ii) measured sediment thermal conductivities to the different model layers. The field survey showed that sediment thermal conductivity over a 0.5 m profile below the sediment bed is not uniform, having the largest variability in the fjord where organic sediments were also present. Using the measured sediment thermal conductivity for the different model layers instead of a homogeneous distribution did not result in a better fit between observed and simulated sediment temperature profiles. The estimated groundwater fluxes however were greatly affected by using the measured thermal conductivities resulting in changes of ± 45% in estimated vertical fluxes.

Geomicrobiology of Fe-rich crusts in Lake Superior sediment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittrich, M.; Monreau, L.; Quazi, S.; Raoof, B.; Chesnyuk, A.; Katsev, S.; Fulthorpe, R.

2012-04-01

The limnological puzzles of Lake Superior are increasingly attracting scientists, and very little is known about the sediments and their associated microflora. The sediments are organic poor (less than 5%C) and the lake is deep oligotrophic, with water temperatures at the bottom around 3C. Previous studies reveal Fe-rich layers in the sediments at multiple loccations around the lake. The origin and mechanisms of formation of this layer remain unknown. In this study we investigated geochemical and microbiological processes that may lead to the formation of a two cm thick iron layer about 10 cm below the sediment surface. Sediment cores from two stations (EM, 230m water depth and ED, 310m water depth) in the East Basin were used. We monitored oxygen and pH depth profiles with microsensors, porewater and sediment solid matter were analyzed for nutrient and metal contents. Furthermore, phosphorus and iron sequantial extractions of sediment cores have been perfomed. The total cell count was determined using DAPI epifluoresence microscopy. DNA was extracted from the sediment samples and 16S ribosonal RNA amplicons were analyzed with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). For a more in depth analysis, DNA samples from 8-10 cm and 10-12 cm were sent to the Research and Testing Lab (Texas) for pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons amplified using barcoded universal primers 27f-519r. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images from the iron layer 10-12cm show filaments that were encrusted with spheres ca. 20 nm in diameter. SEM observations of thin sections also indicate the presence of very fine particles showing various morphologies. Analyses of the deposit material by SEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) indicate that bacteria cells surfaces served as nucleation surfaces for Fe-oxide formation. EDS line-scans through bacterial cells covered with precipitates reveal phosphorus and carbon peaks at interface between cell surface and Fe-particles. The cluster analysis performed on the DGGE separation of ribosomal RNA gene fragments revealed that the two iron layers were not highly similar to each other. We obtained a total of 26,062 16S rRNA gene sequence reads from the two iron layers and the layers directly above them, which were clustered into operational taxonomic units sharing 80% similarity or more. 64-70% of these clusters could not be classified below the phylum level. While the 8-10 cm sediment layers were dominated (46.5% of reads) by relatives of Paenisporosarcina, the iron layers contained far fewer gram positive organisms, far more proteobacteria, and an a high proportion of Nitrospira species which show relatively high similarity to organisms found in an iron II rich seep.

Shifts among Eukaryota, Bacteria, and Archaea define the vertical organization of a lake sediment.

PubMed

Wurzbacher, Christian; Fuchs, Andrea; Attermeyer, Katrin; Frindte, Katharina; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Hupfer, Michael; Casper, Peter; Monaghan, Michael T

2017-04-08

Lake sediments harbor diverse microbial communities that cycle carbon and nutrients while being constantly colonized and potentially buried by organic matter sinking from the water column. The interaction of activity and burial remained largely unexplored in aquatic sediments. We aimed to relate taxonomic composition to sediment biogeochemical parameters, test whether community turnover with depth resulted from taxonomic replacement or from richness effects, and to provide a basic model for the vertical community structure in sediments. We analyzed four replicate sediment cores taken from 30-m depth in oligo-mesotrophic Lake Stechlin in northern Germany. Each 30-cm core spanned ca. 170 years of sediment accumulation according to 137 Cs dating and was sectioned into layers 1-4 cm thick. We examined a full suite of biogeochemical parameters and used DNA metabarcoding to examine community composition of microbial Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota. Community β-diversity indicated nearly complete turnover within the uppermost 30 cm. We observed a pronounced shift from Eukaryota- and Bacteria-dominated upper layers (<5 cm) to Bacteria-dominated intermediate layers (5-14 cm) and to deep layers (>14 cm) dominated by enigmatic Archaea that typically occur in deep-sea sediments. Taxonomic replacement was the prevalent mechanism in structuring the community composition and was linked to parameters indicative of microbial activity (e.g., CO 2 and CH 4 concentration, bacterial protein production). Richness loss played a lesser role but was linked to conservative parameters (e.g., C, N, P) indicative of past conditions. By including all three domains, we were able to directly link the exponential decay of eukaryotes with the active sediment microbial community. The dominance of Archaea in deeper layers confirms earlier findings from marine systems and establishes freshwater sediments as a potential low-energy environment, similar to deep sea sediments. We propose a general model of sediment structure and function based on microbial characteristics and burial processes. An upper "replacement horizon" is dominated by rapid taxonomic turnover with depth, high microbial activity, and biotic interactions. A lower "depauperate horizon" is characterized by low taxonomic richness, more stable "low-energy" conditions, and a dominance of enigmatic Archaea.

Temporal and spatial variability of the sediment grain-size distribution on the Eel shelf: The flood layer of 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drake, D.E.

1999-01-01

Sediment grain-size characteristics observed on the Eel shelf have been analyzed using a wet-sieving technique that minimizes breakage of aggregates. At several sites on the 70-m isobath north of the river, where a 1995 flood layer attained a maximum thickness of about 9 cm, replicate box cores were collected on seven cruises during February 1995 to January 1997. These samples provide a unique opportunity to follow the evolution of a flood layer over a two-year period as it was modified and gradually buried. One month after the flood, a layer of tan-colored, high-porosity sediment with up to 96% of its particles in the size range of 0-20 ??m had accumulated on the central part of the shelf, 7-30 km north of the river and principally between the 50-m and 90-m isobaths. Substantial coarsening of this layer occurred between February 1995 and May 1995, particularly along the southern and the landward edge of the deposit in water depths of <70 m. The early stage of coarsening was probably caused by physical reworking of the surface 0.5-cm of the deposit and by addition of new sediment from shallower regions of the shelf. Temporal changes in inventories of several grain-size fractions show that physical processes continued to add coarse sediment to the flood layer after May 1995, but the large increases in thickness of the surface mixed layer could only be attributed to bioturbation by a recovering, or seasonally fluctuating, benthic community. The 1995 flood layer has evolved from exhibiting limited variability and normal grading (i:e., upward fining) to a layer that (1) shows significant spatial variability on scales from centimeters to 10's of meters, (2) is substantially coarser owing to additions of sediment from the inner shelf, (3) is inversely graded (i.e., coarsens upward), and (4) is intensely bioturbated to depths of 4-5 cm.

U.S. Geological Survey ArcMap Sediment Classification tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Malley, John

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ArcMap Sediment Classification tool is a custom toolbar that extends the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) ArcGIS 9.2 Desktop application to aid in the analysis of seabed sediment classification. The tool uses as input either a point data layer with field attributes containing percentage of gravel, sand, silt, and clay or four raster data layers representing a percentage of sediment (0-100%) for the various sediment grain size analysis: sand, gravel, silt and clay. This tool is designed to analyze the percent of sediment at a given location and classify the sediments according to either the Folk (1954, 1974) or Shepard (1954) as modified by Schlee(1973) classification schemes. The sediment analysis tool is based upon the USGS SEDCLASS program (Poppe, et al. 2004).

Growth rate dependence of boron incorporation into BxGa1-xAs layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Detz, H.; MacFarland, D.; Zederbauer, T.; Lancaster, S.; Andrews, A. M.; Schrenk, W.; Strasser, G.

2017-11-01

This work provides a comprehensive study of the incorporation behavior of B in growing GaAs under molecular beam epitaxy conditions. Structural characterization of superlattices revealed a strong dependence of the BAs growth rate on the GaAs growth rate used. In general, higher GaAs growth rates lead to a higher apparent BAs growth rate, although lower B cell temperatures showed saturation behavior. Each B cell temperature requires a minimum GaAs growth rate for producing smooth films. The B incorporation into single thick layers was found to be reduced to 75-80% compared to superlattice structures. The p-type carrier densities in 1000 nm thick layers were found to be indirectly proportional to the B content. Furthermore, 500 nm thick BxGa1-xAs layers showed significantly lower carrier concentrations, indicating B segregation on the surface during growth of thicker layers.

Electric potential distributions at the interface between plasmasheet clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, D. S.; Roth, M.; Lemaire, J.

1987-01-01

At the interface between two plasma clouds with different densities, temperatures, and/or bulk velocities, there are large charge separation electric fields which can be modeled in the framework of a collisionless theory for tangential discontinuities. Two different classes of layers were identified: the first one corresponds to (stable) ion layers which are thicker than one ion Lamor radius; the second one corresponds to (unstable) electron layers which are only a few electron Larmor radii thick. It is suggested that these thin electron layers with large electric potential gradients (up to 400 mV/m) are the regions where large-amplitude electrostatic waves are spontaneously generated. These waves scatter the pitch angles of the ambient plasmasheet electron into the atmospheric loss cone. The unstable electron layers can therefore be considered as the seat of strong pitch angle scattering for the primary auroral electrons.

Magnetic pinning in a superconducting film by a ferromagnetic layer with stripe domains

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mancusi, D.; Di Giorgio, C.; Bobba, F.

2014-10-31

A magnetic study of superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers was performed by hysteresis loops and temperature-dependent magnetization measurements. The superconductor/ferromagnet bilayers consist of a Nb film deposited on a Py film with weak perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. By comparing the temperature-dependent magnetization data obtained on samples with different ferromagnetic layer thickness, a decrease of the magnetic pinning with increasing thickness of the ferromagnetic layer has been found. This is confirmed by the reduction of the Nb film critical current density at low fields extracted by using the magnetic irreversibility of the hysteresis loops. As the ferromagnetic layer exhibits a magnetic structure with stripe domains,more » whose width increases for increasing thickness as observed by magnetic force microscopy (MFM) measurements, we relate the reduction of the superconducting critical current in samples with thicker ferromagnetic layers to a weaker interaction between the vortices guided by the underlying magnetic template.« less

Structural enhancement of ZnO on SiO2 for photonic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruth, Marcel; Meier, Cedrik

2013-07-01

Multi-layer thin films are often the basis of photonic devices. Zinc oxide (ZnO) with its excellent optoelectronic properties can serve as a high quality emitter in structures like microdisks or photonic crystals. Here, we present a detailed study on the enhancement of the structural properties of low-temperature MBE grown ZnO on silica (SiO2). By thermal annealing a grain coalescence of the initially polycrystalline layer leads to an enhancement of the electronic structure, indicated by a blue shift of the photoluminescence (PL) signal maximum. Oxygen atmosphere during the annealing process prevents the creation of intrinsic defects by out-diffusion. Pre-annealing deposited SiO2 capping layers instead obstruct the recrystallization and lead to less intense emission. While thin capping layers partially detach from the ZnO film at high temperatures and cause higher surface roughness and the weakest emission, thicker layers remain smoother and exhibit a significantly stronger photoluminescence.

Evidence for a π-junction in Nb/F/Nb' trilayers from superfluid density measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemberger, Thomas; Hinton, Michael; Steers, Stanley; Peters, Bryan; Yang, Fengyuan

Two-coil measurements of the sheet superfluid density of Nb/NiV/Nb' trilayers reveal the transition temperatures and volume superfluid densities of both Nb layers, as functions of the thickness, dF, of the intervening ferromagnetic (F) Ni0.96V0.04 layer. The upper transition occurs when the thicker Nb layer goes superconducting and superfluid first appears. Fitting the high-temperature superfluid density to an appropriate functional form reveals the presence of a lower ``transition'' where additional superfluid appears. This event is really a crossover, but the difference is irrelevant here. There is a surprising minimum in superfluid densities of both Nb layers at dF ~ 30 Å, followed by a slow rise. This behavior suggests that a π phase difference between the Nb layers develops at dF ~ 30 Å and continues to larger F thickness. Supported in part by NSF Grant DMR-0805227.

Flight-measured base pressure coefficients for thick boundary-layer flow over an aft-facing step for Mach numbers from 0.4 to 2.5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goecke, S. A.

1973-01-01

A 0.56-inch thick aft-facing step was located 52.1 feet from the leading edge of the left wing of an XB-70 airplane. A boundary-layer rake at a mirror location on the right wing was used to obtain local flow properties. Reynolds numbers were near 10 to the 8th power, resulting in a relatively thick boundary-layer. The momentum thickness ranged from slightly thinner to slightly thicker than the step height. Surface static pressures forward of the step were obtained for Mach numbers near 0.9, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.4. The data were compared with thin boundary-layer results from flight and wind-tunnel experiments and semiempirical relationships. Significant differences were found between the thick and the thin boundary-layer data.

Coexistence of bipolar and unipolar resistive switching behaviors in the double-layer Ag/ZnS-Ag/CuAlO2/Pt memory device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Xu, Haiyang; Wang, Zhongqiang; Yu, Hao; Ma, Jiangang; Liu, Yichun

2016-01-01

The coexistence of uniform bipolar and unipolar resistive-switching (RS) characteristics was demonstrated in a double-layer Ag/ZnS-Ag/CuAlO2/Pt memory device. By changing the compliance current (CC) from 1 mA to 10 mA, the RS behavior can be converted from the bipolar mode (BRS) to the unipolar mode (URS). The temperature dependence of low resistance states further indicates that the CFs are composed of the Ag atoms and Cu vacancies for the BRS mode and URS mode, respectively. For this double-layer structure device, the thicker conducting filaments (CFs) will be formed in the ZnS-Ag layer, and it can act as tip electrodes. Thus, the formation and rupture of these two different CFs are located in the CuAlO2 layer, realizing the uniform and stable BRS and URS.

Comparative study of encapsulated blebs following Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation and trabeculectomy with mitomycin-C.

PubMed

Bae, Kunho; Suh, Wool; Kee, Changwon

2012-08-01

To compare the histopathologic and morphologic findings of encapsulated blebs following Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation and primary standard trabeculectomy with mitomycin-C. We reviewed the records of patients with otherwise uncontrollable glaucoma who had undergone Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation or trabeculectomy with mitomycin-C. Five eyes that underwent Ahmed valve implantation and three eyes that underwent trabeculectomy needed surgical revision of the initial surgery due to encapsulated bleb development with total loss of function. The surgically removed encapsulated blebs were analyzed macroscopically and microscopically. Removal of the encapsulated bleb was performed at a mean follow-up time of 26.6 ± 19.4 weeks in the Ahmed valve implantation group and 12.0 ± 11.4 weeks in the trabeculectomy group. The fibrotic wall of the encapsulated blebs had an overall thickness of 2.48 ± 0.42 mm in the Ahmed valve implantation group and 1.62 ± 0.37 mm in the trabeculectomy group. Macroscopically, the coconut flesh-like smooth surface was split into two layers, and the wall of the capsule was thicker in the Ahmed valve implantation group than in the trabeculectomy group. Histopathologically, the fibrotic capsule was composed of an inner fibrodegenerative layer and an outer fibrovascular layer, and there were no histopathological differences between the two groups. The fibrotic capsule wall was thicker in the Ahmed valve group, but there were no differences in histological findings between the two groups.

Effects of body condition on buoyancy in endangered North Atlantic right whales.

PubMed

Nousek-McGregor, Anna E; Miller, Carolyn A; Moore, Michael J; Nowacek, Douglas P

2014-01-01

Buoyancy is an important consideration for diving marine animals, resulting in specific ecologically relevant adaptations. Marine mammals use blubber as an energy reserve, but because this tissue is also positively buoyant, nutritional demands have the potential to cause considerable variation in buoyancy. North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis are known to be positively buoyant as a result of their blubber, and the thickness of this layer varies considerably, but the effect of this variation on buoyancy has not been explored. This study compared the duration and rate of ascending and descending glides, recorded with an archival tag, with blubber thickness, measured with an ultrasound device, in free-swimming right whales. Ascending whales with thicker blubber had shorter portions of active propulsion and longer passive glides than whales with thinner blubber, suggesting that blubber thickness influences buoyancy because the buoyant force is acting in the same direction as the animal's movement during this phase. Whales with thinner layers also used similar body angles and velocities when traveling to and from depth, while those with thicker layers used shallower ascent angles but achieved higher ascent velocities. Such alterations in body angle may help to reduce the cost of transport when swimming against the force of buoyancy in a state of augmented positive buoyancy, which represents a dynamic response to reduce the energetic consequences of physiological changes. These results have considerable implications for any diving marine animal during periods of nutritional stress, such as during seasonal migrations and annual variations in prey availability.

3D tissue formation by stacking detachable cell sheets formed on nanofiber mesh.

PubMed

Kim, Min Sung; Lee, Byungjun; Kim, Hong Nam; Bang, Seokyoung; Yang, Hee Seok; Kang, Seong Min; Suh, Kahp-Yang; Park, Suk-Hee; Jeon, Noo Li

2017-03-23

We present a novel approach for assembling 3D tissue by layer-by-layer stacking of cell sheets formed on aligned nanofiber mesh. A rigid frame was used to repeatedly collect aligned electrospun PCL (polycaprolactone) nanofiber to form a mesh structure with average distance between fibers 6.4 µm. When human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), human foreskin dermal fibroblasts, and skeletal muscle cells (C2C12) were cultured on the nanofiber mesh, they formed confluent monolayers and could be handled as continuous cell sheets with areas 3 × 3 cm 2 or larger. Thicker 3D tissues have been formed by stacking multiple cell sheets collected on frames that can be nested (i.e. Matryoshka dolls) without any special tools. When cultured on the nanofiber mesh, skeletal muscle, C2C12 cells oriented along the direction of the nanofibers and differentiated into uniaxially aligned multinucleated myotube. Myotube cell sheets were stacked (upto 3 layers) in alternating or aligned directions to form thicker tissue with ∼50 µm thickness. Sandwiching HUVEC cell sheets with two dermal fibroblast cell sheets resulted in vascularized 3D tissue. HUVECs formed extensive networks and expressed CD31, a marker of endothelial cells. Cell sheets formed on nanofiber mesh have a number of advantages, including manipulation and stacking of multiple cell sheets for constructing 3D tissue and may find applications in a variety of tissue engineering applications.

Ultrahard carbon film from epitaxial two-layer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yang; Cao, Tengfei; Cellini, Filippo; Berger, Claire; de Heer, Walter A.; Tosatti, Erio; Riedo, Elisa; Bongiorno, Angelo

2018-02-01

Atomically thin graphene exhibits fascinating mechanical properties, although its hardness and transverse stiffness are inferior to those of diamond. So far, there has been no practical demonstration of the transformation of multilayer graphene into diamond-like ultrahard structures. Here we show that at room temperature and after nano-indentation, two-layer graphene on SiC(0001) exhibits a transverse stiffness and hardness comparable to diamond, is resistant to perforation with a diamond indenter and shows a reversible drop in electrical conductivity upon indentation. Density functional theory calculations suggest that, upon compression, the two-layer graphene film transforms into a diamond-like film, producing both elastic deformations and sp2 to sp3 chemical changes. Experiments and calculations show that this reversible phase change is not observed for a single buffer layer on SiC or graphene films thicker than three to five layers. Indeed, calculations show that whereas in two-layer graphene layer-stacking configuration controls the conformation of the diamond-like film, in a multilayer film it hinders the phase transformation.

Fabrication of GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well nanostructures on (100) si substrate using a 1-nm InAs relief layer.

PubMed

Oh, H J; Park, S J; Lim, J Y; Cho, N K; Song, J D; Lee, W; Lee, Y J; Myoung, J M; Choi, W J

2014-04-01

Nanometer scale thin InAs layer has been incorporated between Si (100) substrate and GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well (MQW) nanostructure in order to reduce the defects generation during the growth of GaAs buffer layer on Si substrate. Observations based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggest that initiation and propagation of defect at the Si/GaAs interface could be suppressed by incorporating thin (1 nm in thickness) InAs layer. Consequently, the microstructure and resulting optical properties improved as compared to the MQW structure formed directly on Si substrate without the InAs layer. It was also observed that there exists some limit to the desirable thickness of the InAs layer since the MQW structure having thicker InAs layer (4 nm-thick) showed deteriorated properties.

The effect of chain rigidity on the interfacial layer thickness and dynamics of polymer nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Shiwang; Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y.; Carroll, Bobby; Sumpter, Bobby G.; Sokolov, Alexei P.

There are growing experimental evidences showing the existence of an interfacial layer that has a finite thickness with slowing down dynamics in polymer nanocomposites (PNCs). Moreover, it is believed that the interfacial layer plays a significant role on various macroscopic properties of PNCs. A thicker interfacial layer is found to have more pronounced effect on the macroscopic properties such as the mechanical enhancement. However, it is not clear what molecular parameter controls the interfacial layer thickness. Inspired by our recent computer simulations that showed the chain rigidity correlated well with the interfacial layer thickness, we performed systematic experimental studies on different polymer nanocomposites by varying the chain stiffness. Combining small-angle X-ray scattering, broadband dielectric spectroscopy and temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry, we find a good correlation between the polymer Kuhn length and the thickness of the interfacial layer, confirming the earlier computer simulations results. Our findings provide a direct guidance for the design of new PNCs with desired properties.

Small-scale seismogenic soft sediment deformation (Hirlatzhöhle, Upper Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salomon, Martina Lan; Grasemann, Bernhard; Plan, Lukas; Gier, Susanne

2014-05-01

The Hirlatz Cave lies in the Dachstein Massif about 2 km SW of Hallstatt, in the Upper Austrian Salzkammergut. With a length of 101 km, this karst cave, located in the Dachstein nappe (Northern Calcareous Alps), is the second largest known cave system in Austria. Within the cave, in the so-called Lehmklamm, located 2.8 km southeast of the cave entrance, laminated (mm-scale) Quaternary clay-sized sediments with interbedded fine-grained sandy layers are preserved. In these layers, numerous soft sediment deformation structures are preserved in many layers. The unconsolidated sediments show rhythmic layering of brighter, carbonate and quartz rich, and darker, more clay mineral rich horizontal varve-like layers, that are assumed to be fluvio-lacustrine deposits. The present study focuses on a very detailed documentation of an approximately 6.8 x 3 m vertical outcrop that was cut by a small brook. Centimeter to millimeter sized water escape structures (intruded cusps and flame structures), folds (detachment folds, fault bend folds) and faults (normal faults, fault propagation folds, bookshelf faults) are described. Because of the geometric analogy to seismogenic structures which have been described at two orders of magnitude larger scales from areas close to the Dead Sea Fault, we suggest that the formation of the investigated soft-sediment structures was also triggered by seismic events. The structures were mainly formed by three different mechanism: (i) North directed gravitational gliding near the sediment surface; (ii) Liquefaction resulting in a density discontinuity and decreasing in shear strength within in the stratified layers; (iii) Extensional faulting that cut through the stratified layers. Observations of coarsening upwards into sandy layers on the top of the outcrop and current ripple indicate a north-directed flow under phreatic conditions, which is opposite to the present flow direction of the vadose water in the cave. The fact that deformation and erosion mostly occur in the uppermost meter of the outcrop wall suggests a higher seismic activity and at least periodically higher flow rates during sedimentation of the younger deposits. Since several extremely deformed layers occur between undeformed ones, we suggest that deformation of the layers occurred only in the uppermost highly water saturated sediments and that several seismic events lead to the formation of the observed structures. A possible source responsible for the seismic event is the Salzach-Ennstal-Mariazeller-Puchberger (SEMP) strike-slip fault, which accommodates the active extrusion of the Eastern Alps towards the Pannonian Basin.

Role of organic phosphorus in sediment in a shallow eutrophic lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinohara, Ryuichiro; Hiroki, Mikiya; Kohzu, Ayato; Imai, Akio; Inoue, Tetsunori; Furusato, Eiichi; Komatsu, Kazuhiro; Satou, Takayuki; Tomioka, Noriko; Shimotori, Koichi; Miura, Shingo

2017-08-01

We tested the hypothesis that mineralization of molybdenum unreactive phosphorus (MUP) in pore water is the major pathway for the changes in the concentration of molybdenum-reactive P (MRP) in pore water and inorganic P in sediment particles. The concentration of inorganic P in the sediment particles increased from December to April in Lake Kasumigaura, whereas concentrations of organic P in the sediment particles and MUP in pore water decreased. These results suggest that MUP mineralization plays a key role as the source of MRP, whereas desorption of inorganic P from the sediment particles into the pore water is a minor process. One-dimensional numerical simulation of sediment particles and the pore water supported the hypothesis. Diffusive flux of MUP was small in pore water, even in near-surface layers, so mineralization was the dominant process for changing the MUP concentration in the pore water. For MRP, diffusion was the dominant process in the surface layer, whereas adsorption onto the sediment was the dominant process in deeper layers. Researchers usually ignore organic P in the sediment, but organic P in sediment particles and the pore water is a key source of inorganic P in the sediment particles and pore water; our results suggest that in Lake Kasumigaura, organic P in the sediment is an important source, even at depths more than 1 cm below the sediment surface. In contrast, the large molecular size of MUP in pore water hampers diffusion of MUP from the sediment into the overlying water.

Reprint of: A numerical investigation of fine sediment resuspension in the wave boundary layer-Uncertainties in particle inertia and hindered settling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Zhen; Yu, Xiao; Hsu, Tian-Jian; Balachandar, S.

2016-05-01

The wave bottom boundary layer is a major conduit delivering fine terrestrial sediments to continental margins. Hence, studying fine sediment resuspensions in the wave boundary layer is crucial to the understanding of various components of the earth system, such as carbon cycles. By assuming the settling velocity to be a constant in each simulation, previous turbulence-resolving numerical simulations reveal the existence of three transport modes in the wave boundary layer associated with sediment availabilities. As the sediment availability and hence the sediment-induced stable stratification increases, a sequence of transport modes, namely, (I) well-mixed transport, (II) formulation of lutocline resembling a two-layer system, and (III) completely laminarized transport are observed. In general, the settling velocity is a flow variable due to hindered settling and particle inertia effects. Present numerical simulations including the particle inertia suggest that for a typical wave condition in continental shelves, the effect of particle inertia is negligible. Through additional numerical experiments, we also confirm that the particle inertia tends (up to the Stokes number St = 0.2) to attenuate flow turbulence. On the other hand, for flocs with lower gelling concentrations, the hindered settling can play a key role in sustaining a large amount of suspended sediments and results in the laminarized transport (III). For the simulation with a very significant hindered settling effect due to a low gelling concentration, results also indicate the occurrence of gelling ignition, a state in which the erosion rate is always higher than the deposition rate. A sufficient condition for the occurrence of gelling ignition is hypothesized for a range of wave intensities as a function of sediment/floc properties and erodibility parameters.

Global Paleobathymetry Reconstruction with Realistic Shelf-Slope and Sediment Wedge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goswami, A.; Hinnov, L. A.; Gnanadesikan, A.; Olson, P.

2013-12-01

We present paleo-ocean bathymetry reconstructions in a 0.1°x0.1° resolution, using simple geophysical models (Plate Model Equation for oceanic lithosphere), published ages of the ocean floor (Müller et al. 2008), and modern world sediment thickness data (Divins 2003). The motivation is to create realistic paleobathymetry to understand the effect of ocean floor roughness on tides and heat transport in paleoclimate simulations. The values for the parameters in the Plate Model Equation are deduced from Crosby et al. (2006) and are used together with ocean floor age to model Depth to Basement. On top of the Depth to Basement, we added an isostatically adjusted multilayer sediment layer, as indicated from sediment thickness data of the modern oceans and marginal seas (Divins 2003). We also created another version of the sediment layer from the Müller et al. dataset. The Depth to Basement with the appropriate sediment layer together represent a realistic paleobathymetry. A Sediment Wedge was modeled to complement the reconstructed paleobathymetry by extending it to the coastlines. In this process we added a modeled Continental Shelf and Continental Slope to match the extent of the reconstructed paleobathymetry. The Sediment Wedge was prepared by studying the modern ocean where a complete history of seafloor spreading is preserved (north, south and central Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean between Australia-Antarctica, and the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America). The model takes into account the modern continental shelf-slope structure (as evident from ETOPO1/ETOPO5), tectonic margin type (active vs. passive margin) and age of the latest tectonic activity (USGS & CGMW). Once the complete ocean bathymetry is modeled, we combine it with PALEOMAP (Scotese, 2011) continental reconstructions to produce global paleoworld elevation-bathymetry maps. Modern time (00 Ma) was assumed as a test case. Using the above-described methodology we reconstructed modern ocean bathymetry, starting with age of the oceanic crust. We then reconstructed paleobathymetry for PETM (55 Ma) and Cenomanian-Turonian (90 Ma) times. For each case, the final products are: a) a global depth to basement measurement map based on plate model and EarthByte published age of the ocean crust for modern world; b) global oceanic crust bathymetry maps with a multilayer sediment layer (two versions with two types of sediment layers based on: i) observed total sediment thickness of the modern oceans and marginal seas, and ii) EarthByte-estimated global sediment data for 00 Ma); c) global oceanic bathymetry maps (two versions with two types of sediment layers) with reconstructed shelf and slope; and d) global elevation-bathymetry maps (two versions with two types of sediment layers) with continental elevations (PALEOMAP) and ocean bathymetry. Similar maps for other geological times can be produced using this method provided that ocean crustal age is known.

Stable azodye photo-alignment layer for liquid crystal devices achieved by "turning off" dye photosensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGinty, C.; Finnemeyer, V.; Reich, R.; Clark, H.; Berry, S.; Bos, P.

2017-11-01

We have previously proposed a low cost, versatile process for stabilizing azodye photo-alignment layers for liquid crystal devices by utilizing a surface localized reactive mesogen (RM) layer. The RM is applied by dissolving the monomer in a liquid crystal material prior to filling the cell. In this paper, we show the significant effect of azodye layer thickness on the long term stability of these alignment layers when exposed to polarized light. We demonstrate, surprisingly, that thin azodye layers (˜3 nm) provide improved stability over thicker (˜40 nm) layers. Using this process, we show cells which have been stable to exposure with polarized light through one month. Additionally, we demonstrate the use of a photo-alignment layer to align the liquid crystals that afterwards can be rendered insensitive to polarized light. This was accomplished by using the process described above with the additional step of eliminating the photosensitivity of the azodye layer through photo-bleaching; the result is an RM alignment layer that will be stable when exposed to polarized light in the dye absorption band.

Herpin effective media resonant underlayers and resonant overlayer designs for ultra-high NA interference lithography.

PubMed

Bourke, Levi; Blaikie, Richard J

2017-12-01

Dielectric waveguide resonant underlayers are employed in ultra-high NA interference photolithography to effectively double the depth of field. Generally a single high refractive index waveguiding layer is employed. Here multilayer Herpin effective medium methods are explored to develop equivalent multilayer waveguiding layers. Herpin equivalent resonant underlayers are shown to be suitable replacements provided at least one layer within the Herpin trilayer supports propagating fields. In addition, a method of increasing the intensity incident upon the photoresist using resonant overlayers is also developed. This method is shown to greatly enhance the intensity within the photoresist making the use of thicker, safer, non-absorbing, low refractive index matching liquids potentially suitable for large-scale applications.

The effects of leaf size and microroughness on the branch-scale collection efficiency of ultrafine particles

DOE PAGES

Huang, C. W.; Lin, M. Y.; Khlystov, A.; ...

2015-03-02

In this study, wind tunnel experiments were performed to explore how leaf size and leaf microroughness impact the collection efficiency of ultrafine particles (UFP) at the branch scale. A porous media model previously used to characterize UFP deposition onto conifers (Pinus taeda and Juniperus chinensis) was employed to interpret these wind tunnel measurements for four different broadleaf species (Ilex cornuta, Quercus alba, Magnolia grandiflora, and Lonicera fragrantissima) and three wind speed (0.3–0.9 ms -1) conditions. Among the four broadleaf species considered, Ilex cornuta with its partially folded shape and sharp edges was the most efficient at collecting UFP followed bymore » the other three flat-shaped broadleaf species. The findings here suggest that a connection must exist between UFP collection and leaf dimension and roughness. This connection is shown to be primarily due to the thickness of a quasi-laminar boundary layer pinned to the leaf surface assuming the flow over a leaf resembles that of a flat plate. A scaling analysis that utilizes a three-sublayer depositional model for a flat plate of finite size and roughness embedded within the quasi-laminar boundary layer illustrates these connections. The analysis shows that a longer leaf dimension allows for thicker quasi-laminar boundary layers to develop. A thicker quasi-laminar boundary layer depth in turn increases the overall resistance to UFP deposition due to an increase in the diffusional path length thereby reducing the leaf-scale UFP collection efficiency. Finally, it is suggested that the effects of leaf microroughness are less relevant to the UFP collection efficiency than are the leaf dimensions for the four broadleaf species explored here.« less

Characterization of casein and poly-L-arginine multilayer films.

PubMed

Szyk-Warszyńska, Lilianna; Kilan, Katarzyna; Socha, Robert P

2014-06-01

Thin films containing casein appear to be a promising material for coatings used in the medical area to promote biomineralization. α- and β-casein and poly-L-arginine multilayer films were formed by the layer-by layer technique and their thickness and mass were analyzed by ellipsometry and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). (PLArg/casein) films deposited in 0.15M NaCl exhibit fast (exponential-like) growth of the film thickness with the number of layers. The resulting films were c.a. 10 times thicker than obtained for poly-L-arginine and natural polyanions. We investigated the effect of the type of casein used for the film formation, finding that films with α-casein were slightly thicker than ones with β-casein. The effect of polyethylene imine anchoring layer on the thickness and mass of adsorbed films was similar as for linear polyelectrolyte pairs. Thickness of "wet" films was c.a. two times larger than measured after drying that suggests their large hydration. The analysis of the mass of films during their post-treatment with the solutions of various ionic strength and pH provided the information concerning films stability. Films remain stable in the neutral and weakly basic conditions that includes HEPES buffer, which is widely used in cell culture and biomedical experiments. At the conditions of high ionic strength films swell but their swelling is reversible. Films containing caseins as polyanion appear to be more elastic and the same time more viscous than one formed with polyelectrolyte pairs. XPS elemental analysis confirmed binding of calcium ions by the casein embedded in the multilayers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of leaf size and microroughness on the branch-scale collection efficiency of ultrafine particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, C. W.; Lin, M. Y.; Khlystov, A.

In this study, wind tunnel experiments were performed to explore how leaf size and leaf microroughness impact the collection efficiency of ultrafine particles (UFP) at the branch scale. A porous media model previously used to characterize UFP deposition onto conifers (Pinus taeda and Juniperus chinensis) was employed to interpret these wind tunnel measurements for four different broadleaf species (Ilex cornuta, Quercus alba, Magnolia grandiflora, and Lonicera fragrantissima) and three wind speed (0.3–0.9 ms -1) conditions. Among the four broadleaf species considered, Ilex cornuta with its partially folded shape and sharp edges was the most efficient at collecting UFP followed bymore » the other three flat-shaped broadleaf species. The findings here suggest that a connection must exist between UFP collection and leaf dimension and roughness. This connection is shown to be primarily due to the thickness of a quasi-laminar boundary layer pinned to the leaf surface assuming the flow over a leaf resembles that of a flat plate. A scaling analysis that utilizes a three-sublayer depositional model for a flat plate of finite size and roughness embedded within the quasi-laminar boundary layer illustrates these connections. The analysis shows that a longer leaf dimension allows for thicker quasi-laminar boundary layers to develop. A thicker quasi-laminar boundary layer depth in turn increases the overall resistance to UFP deposition due to an increase in the diffusional path length thereby reducing the leaf-scale UFP collection efficiency. Finally, it is suggested that the effects of leaf microroughness are less relevant to the UFP collection efficiency than are the leaf dimensions for the four broadleaf species explored here.« less

Chemically Deposited CdS Buffer/Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells: Relationship between CdS Thickness and Device Performance.

PubMed

Hong, Chang Woo; Shin, Seung Wook; Suryawanshi, Mahesh P; Gang, Myeng Gil; Heo, Jaeyeong; Kim, Jin Hyeok

2017-10-25

Earth-abundant, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide (CZTS), kesterite, is an attractive absorber material for thin-film solar cells (TFSCs). However, the open-circuit voltage deficit (V oc -deficit) resulting from a high recombination rate at the buffer/absorber interface is one of the major challenges that must be overcome to improve the performance of kesterite-based TFSCs. In this paper, we demonstrate the relationship between device parameters and performances for chemically deposited CdS buffer/CZTS-based heterojunction TFSCs as a function of buffer layer thickness, which could change the CdS/CZTS interface conditions such as conduction band or valence band offsets, to gain deeper insight and understanding about the V oc -deficit behavior from a high recombination rate at the CdS buffer/kesterite interface. Experimental results show that device parameters and performances are strongly dependent on the CdS buffer thickness. We postulate two meaningful consequences: (i) Device parameters were improved up to a CdS buffer thickness of 70 nm, whereas they deteriorated at a thicker CdS buffer layer. The V oc -deficit in the solar cells improved up to a CdS buffer thickness of 92 nm and then deteriorated at a thicker CdS buffer layer. (ii) The minimum values of the device parameters were obtained at 70 nm CdS thickness in the CZTS TFSCs. Finally, the highest conversion efficiency of 8.77% (V oc : 494 mV, J sc : 34.54 mA/cm 2 , and FF: 51%) is obtained by applying a 70 nm thick CdS buffer to the Cu 2 ZnSn(S,Se) 4 absorber layer.

Mechanical Controls on Halokinesis in Layered Evaporite Sequences: Insights from 2D Geomechanical Forward Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goteti, Rajesh; Agar, Susan M.; Brown, John P.; Ball, Philip; Zuhlke, Rainer

2017-04-01

Mechanical stratification in LES (Layered Evaporate Sequences) can have a distinct impact on structural and depositional styles in rifted margin salt tectonics. The bulk mechanical response of an LES under geological loading is dependent, among other factors, on the relative proportions of salt and sediment, salt mobility and sedimentation rate. To assess the interactions among the aforementioned factors in a physically consistent manner, we present 2D, large-strain finite element models of an LES salt minibasin and diapirs. Loading from the deposition of alternating salt and sediment layers (i.e., LES), gravity and a prescribed geothermal gradient provide the driving force for halokinesis in the models. To accurately capture the mechanical impact of stratification within the modeled LES, salt is assigned a temperature-dependent visco-plastic rheology, whereas the sediments are assigned a non-associative cap-plasticity model that supports both compaction and shear localization. Perturbations in the initial salt-sediment interface are used to initiate the salt diapirs. Model results suggest that active diapirism in the basal halite layer initiates when the pressure at the base of the incipient salt diapir exceeds that beneath the minibasin. Vertical growth of the diapir is also accompanied by its lateral expansion at higher structural levels where it preferentially intrudes the adjacent pre- and syn-kinematic salt layers. This pressure pumping of deeper salt into shallow salt layers, can result in rapid thickness changes between successive sediment layers within the LES. Caution needs to be exercised as such thickness changes observed in seismic images may not be entirely due to the shifting of depocenters but also due to the lateral pumping of salt within the LES. The presence of salt layers at multiple structural levels decouples the deformation between successive clastic layers resulting in disharmomic folding with contrasting strain histories in the sedimentary stringers. A significant proportion of the bulk deviatoric strain is preferentially partitioned into the salt layers. Effective plastic shear strains within the sediment stringers generally remain low in the minibasin but can be significantly higher with attendant intense folding near the diapirs. In non-LES systems, the shape of a salt diapir is often used as indicator of relative rates of salt supply and sedimentation over geological time. However our models suggest that this rule-of-thumb may not apply in LES where the shape of the salt diapir is a function of the mechanical properties of the salt layers at various structural levels in addition to the relative rates of salt supply and sedimentation. Imaging challenges in LES may preclude placing strong constraints on structural timing based on interpretation of interfaces between the stringers and the salt diapir. In such situations, geomechanical forward modeling can be a useful tool in placing physics-based quantitative constraints on the timing of LES structures.

Effect of same-temperature GaN cap layer on the InGaN/GaN multiquantum well of green light-emitting diode on silicon substrate.

PubMed

Zheng, Changda; Wang, Li; Mo, Chunlan; Fang, Wenqing; Jiang, Fengyi

2013-01-01

GaN green LED was grown on Si (111) substrate by MOCVD. To enhance the quality of InGaN/GaN MQWs, same-temperature (ST) GaN protection layers with different thickness of 8 Å, 15 Å, and 30 Å were induced after the InGaN quantum wells (QWs) layer. Results show that a relative thicker cap layer is benefit to get InGaN QWs with higher In percent at fixed well temperature and obtain better QW/QB interface. As the cap thickness increases, the indium distribution becomes homogeneous as verified by fluorescence microscope (FLM). The interface of MQWs turns to be abrupt from XRD analysis. The intensity of photoluminescence (PL) spectrum is increased and the FWHM becomes narrow.

The phase diagram of hydrogen in ultra thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jisrawi, N.M.; Ruckman, M.W.; Reisfeld, G.

This paper, we discuss changes in the phase diagram of hydrogen in both bilayer (i.e. 200-2000 {Angstrom} Nb/100 {Angstrom} Pd on glass) and multilayer configurations. Comparison of x-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity and volumetric measurements of the films before and after hydrogen charging indicate that the phase equilibria between a correlated (high concentration) and a dilute phase of hydrogen in Nb is not sensitive to the number of layers in the films. On the other hand, the experimental methods show different behavior for 200 {Angstrom} thick Nb films and thicker (>400 {Angstrom}) Nb layers. The diffraction results also show that, whilemore » charging with hydrogen, the Nb layers mainly expand along the surface normal of the films, while the Pd layers expand in all directions equally, and transform to the bulk {alpha} phase.« less

Tectonic framework of the southern portion of the Paraná Basin based on magnetotelluric method: a contribution to the understanding of unconventional reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolim, S.

2015-12-01

The characterization of the tectonic framework of Paleozoic terrains is crucial for the investigation of unconventional fractured volcanic reservoirs. In recent years, the need for exploitation of these areas showed the value of the non-seismic methods in Brazil. Here we present the results of a magnetotelluric imaging (MT) to identify and characterize the structural framework of the southern portion of the Paraná Basin, southern Brazil. We carried out a SW-NE ,1200 km-long MT profile, with 68 stations spaced between 5-15 km on the southernmost states in Brazil. The observation of the PSI profile highlights the presence of large scale NW-SE faults and emphasize the presence of two major regional structures: (i) the Rio Grande Arc in the southern portion, and (ii) the Torres Syncline in the northern portion. The Rio Grande Arc is a horst highlighted by the basement uplift and the thicker layers of sedimentary rocks in the extremes south and north of this structure. The fault system observed along the profile suggests simultaneously uplifting of the basement and deposition of the sedimentary sequences of the Paraná Basin. This hypothesis is in agreement with stratigraphic, borehole and geochronological data, which have shown that the Rio Grande arc is contemporaneous with the deposition of the Triassic to Early Jurassic sediments. The Torres Syncline is a structure characterized by the increasing thickness of sedimentary layers in the north section of our MT profile. The continuity of the layers is interrupted by large regional fault systems, which also affect the volcanic rocks of the Serra Geral Formation, indicating that the faults were active after the Cretaceous. The results show that the MT modeling brings a distinct contribution to the understanding of the present structural architecture of the Paraná basin and the construction of a model for potential fractured volcanic reservoirs.

Compaction and sedimentary basin analysis on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabasova, Leila R.; Kite, Edwin S.

2018-03-01

Many of the sedimentary basins of Mars show patterns of faults and off-horizontal layers that, if correctly understood, could serve as a key to basin history. Sediment compaction is a possible cause of these patterns. We quantified the possible role of differential sediment compaction for two Martian sedimentary basins: the sediment fill of Gunjur crater (which shows concentric graben), and the sediment fill of Gale crater (which shows outward-dipping layers). We assume that basement topography for these craters is similar to the present-day topography of complex craters that lack sediment infill. For Gunjur, we find that differential compaction produces maximum strains consistent with the locations of observed graben. For Gale, we were able to approximately reproduce the observed layer orientations measured from orbiter image-based digital terrain models, but only with a >3 km-thick donut-shaped past overburden. It is not immediately obvious what geologic processes could produce this shape.

A numerical investigation of fine sediment resuspension in the wave boundary layer - effect of hindered settling and bedforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, T. J.; Cheng, Z.; Yu, X.

2016-02-01

The wave bottom boundary layer is a major conduit delivering fine terrestrial sediments to the continental margin. Hence, studying the fine sediment resuspension in the wave boundary layer is crucial to the understanding of various components of the earth system, such as carbon cycle. By assuming the settling velocity to be a constant in each simulation, previous turbulence-resolving numerical simulations reveal the existence of three transport modes in the wave boundary layer associated with the sediment availability. As the sediment availability and hence the sediment-induced stable stratification increase, a sequence of transport modes, namely, (I) well-mixed transport, (II) formulation of lutocline resembling a two-layer system, and (III) completely laminarized transport are observed. In general, the settling velocity is a flow variable due to the floc dynamics and hindered settling. This study further investigate the effect of hindered settling. Particularly, for flocs with lower gelling concentrations, the hindered settling effect can play a key role in sustaining large amount of suspended sediment load and results in the laminarized transport (III). For the simulation with a very significant hindered settling effect due to a low gelling concentration, results also indicate the occurrence of gelling ignition, a state in which the erosion rate is always higher than the deposition rate. A condition for the occurrence of gelling ignition is proposed for a range of wave intensities as a function of sediment/floc properties and erodibility parameters. These aforementioned studies are limited to fine sediment transport over a flat bed. However, recent field and laboratory observation show that a small amount of sand fraction can lead to the formation of small bedforms, which can armor the bed while in the meantime enhance near bed turbulence. Preliminary investigation on the effect of bedforms on the resulting transport modes will also be presented.

Mixed sand and gravel beaches: accurate measurement of active layer depth and sediment transport volumes using PIT tagged tracer pebbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holland, A.; Moses, C.; Sear, D. A.; Cope, S.

2016-12-01

As sediments containing significant gravel portions are increasingly used for beach replenishment projects globally, the total number of beaches classified as `mixed sand and gravel' (MSG) increases. Calculations for required replenishment sediment volumes usually assume a uniform layer of sediment transport across and along the beach, but research into active layer (AL) depth has shown variations both across shore and according to sediment size distribution. This study addresses the need for more accurate calculations of sediment transport volumes on MSG beaches by using more precise measurements of AL depth and width, and virtual velocity of tracer pebbles. Variations in AL depth were measured along three main profile lines (from MHWS to MLWN) at Eastoke, Hayling Island (Hampshire, UK). Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tagged pebbles were deployed in columns, and their new locations repeatedly surveyed with RFID technology. These data were combined with daily dGPS beach profiles and sediment sampling for detailed analysis of the influence of beach morphodynamics on sediment transport volumes. Data were collected over two consecutive winter seasons: 2014-15 (relatively calm, average wave height <1 m) and 2015-16 (prolonged periods of moderate storminess, wave heights of 1-2 m). The active layer was, on average, 22% of wave height where beach slope (tanβ) is 0.1, with variations noted according to slope angle, sediment distribution, and beach groundwater level. High groundwater levels and a change in sediment proportions in the sandy lower foreshore reduced the AL to 10% of wave height in this area. The disparity in AL depth across the beach profile indicates that traditional models are not accurately representing bulk sediment transport on MSG beaches. It is anticipated that by improving model inputs, beach managers will be better able to predict necessary volumes and sediment grain size proportions of replenishment material for effective management of MSG beaches.

Metalliferous sediments from Eolo Seamount (Tyrrhenian Sea): Hydrothermal deposition and re-deposition in a zone of oxygen depletion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dekov, V.M.; Kamenov, George D.; Savelli, C.; Stummeyer, Jens; Thiry, M.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Willingham, A.L.; Boycheva, T.B.; Rochette, P.; Kuzmann, E.; Fortin, D.; Vertes, A.

2009-01-01

A sediment core taken from the south-east slope of the Eolo Seamount is composed of alternating red-brown and light-brown to bluish-grey layers with signs of re-deposition in the middle-upper section. The red-brown layers are Fe-rich metalliferous sediments formed as a result of low-temperature (??? 77????C) hydrothermal discharge, whereas the bluish-grey layers most probably originated from background sedimentation of Al-rich detrital material. The metalliferous layers are composed mainly of Si-rich goethite containing some Al. Co-precipitation of hydrothermally released SiO44- and Fe2+ as amorphous or poorly crystalline Fe-Si-oxyhydroxides explains the high Si concentration in goethite. The elevated Al content of the goethite is fairly unusual, but reflects the extremely high background Al content of the Tyrrhenian seawater due to the high eolian terrigenous flux from the Sahara desert. The Sr and Nd isotope data suggest that the Eolo metalliferous sediments are the product of a 3-component mixture: hydrothermal fluid, seawater, and detrital material (Saharan dust and Aeolian Arc material). The enrichment in Fe, P, As, Mo, Cd, Be, Sb, W, Y, V, depletion in REE and transition elements (Cu, Co, Ni, Zn) and the REE distribution patterns support the low-temperature hydrothermal deposition of the metalliferous layers. The hydrothermal field is located in a seawater layer of relative O2 depletion, which led to a significant fractionation of the hydrothermally emitted Fe and Mn. Fe-oxyhydroxides precipitated immediately around the vents whereas Mn stayed in solution longer and the Mn-oxides precipitated higher up on the seamount slope in seawater with relatively higher O2 levels. High seismic activity led to sediment re-deposition and slumping of the Mn-rich layers down slope and mixing with the Fe-rich layers. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

THOR: Cloud Thickness from Off beam Lidar Returns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cahalan, Robert F.; McGill, Matthew; Kolasinski, John; Varnai, Tamas; Yetzer, Ken

2004-01-01

Conventional wisdom is that lidar pulses do not significantly penetrate clouds having optical thickness exceeding about tau = 2, and that no returns are detectable from more than a shallow skin depth. Yet optically thicker clouds of tau much greater than 2 reflect a larger fraction of visible photons, and account for much of Earth s global average albedo. As cloud layer thickness grows, an increasing fraction of reflected photons are scattered multiple times within the cloud, and return from a diffuse concentric halo that grows around the incident pulse, increasing in horizontal area with layer physical thickness. The reflected halo is largely undetected by narrow field-of-view (FoV) receivers commonly used in lidar applications. THOR - Thickness from Off-beam Returns - is an airborne wide-angle detection system with multiple FoVs, capable of observing the diffuse halo, detecting wide-angle signal from which physical thickness of optically thick clouds can be retrieved. In this paper we describe the THOR system, demonstrate that the halo signal is stronger for thicker clouds, and validate physical thickness retrievals for clouds having z > 20, from NASA P-3B flights over the Department of Energy/Atmospheric Radiation Measurement/Southern Great Plains site, using the lidar, radar and other ancillary ground-based data.

Theoretical models for the combustion of alloyable materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Robert

1992-09-01

The purpose of this work is to extend a theoretical model of layered (laminar) media for SHS combustion presented in an earlier article [1] to explore possible mechanisms for after-burning in SHS ( i.e., gasless) combustion. As before, our particular interest is how the microscopic geometry of the solid reactants is reflected in the combustion wave and in the reaction product. The model is constructed from alternating lamina of two pure reactants that interdiffuse exothermically to form a product. Here, the laminar model is extended to contain layers of differing thicknesses. Using asymptotic theory, it was found that under certain conditions, the combustion wave can become “detached,” and an initial thin flame propagates through the media, leaving a slower, thicker flame following behind ( i.e., afterburning). Thin laminae are consumed in the initial flame and are thick in the secondary. The thin flame has a width determined by the inverse of the activation energy of diffusion, as found previously. The width of the afterburning zone, however, is determined by the absolute time of diffusion for the thicker laminae. Naturally, when the laminae are all the same thickness, there is only one thin flame. The condition for the appearance of afterburning is found to be contingent on the square of the ratio of smallestto-largest thicknesses being considerably less than unity.

Carbonate scale deactivating the biocathode in a microbial fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santini, M.; Marzorati, S.; Fest-Santini, S.; Trasatti, S.; Cristiani, P.

2017-07-01

The development and the following inactivation of a carbon-based biocathode in single chamber and membraneless MFCs was investigated in this work. The electrochemical behavior of the biocathode has been analyzed over time during the MFC life. X-Ray Micro-Computed Tomographies (microCTs) have been carried out at progressive stages, documenting the building over time of a layer of scale deposition becoming thicker and thicker up to the cathode inactivation. The technique provides cross-sectional (tomographic) grayscale images and 3D reconstruction of volumes. Lighter color indicates lower X-ray attenuation (i.e., lower atomic density) thus allowing distinguishing biofilm from inorganic fouling on the basis of the average atomic number Z of each voxel (3D pixel). MicroCT was combined with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX) in order to qualitatively recognize chemical species in each different layer of the cathode's section. Results correlated the presence of biofilm and calcium carbonate deposits, prevalently in the inner part of the cathode, with the produced electric current over time. A specific microCT-related software quantified the time-dependent carbonate scale deposition, identifying a correlation between the decreasing performances of the device and the increasing quantity of scale deposition that penetrates the cathode cross section in time.

Sediment tracing in the upper Hunter catchment using elemental and mineralogical compositions: Implications for catchment-scale suspended sediment (dis)connectivity and management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fryirs, Kirstie; Gore, Damian

2013-07-01

River bed colmation layers clog the interstices of gravel-bed rivers, impeding the vertical exchange of water and nutrients that drives ecosystem function in the hyporheic zone. In catchments where fine-grained sediment supply has increased since human disturbance, understanding sediment provenance and the (dis)connectivity of supply allows practitioners to target sediment source problems and treat them within catchment management plans. Release of alluvial fine-grained sediment from channel bank erosion since European settlement has resulted in the formation of a colmation layer along the upper Hunter River at Muswellbrook, eastern Australia. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) are used to determine the elemental and mineralogical signatures of colmation layer and floodplain sediment sources across this 4480 km2 catchment. This sediment tracing technique is used to construct a picture of how suspended sediment supply and (dis)connectivity operates in this catchment. In this system, the primary source areas are subcatchments in which sediments are stored largely in partly confined floodplain pockets, but from which sediment supply is unimpeded and directly connected to the receiving reach. Subcatchments in which alluvial sediment storage is significant — and which contain large, laterally unconfined valleys — are essentially 'switched off' or disconnected from the receiving reach. This is because large sediment sinks act to trap fine-grained sediment before it reaches the receiving reach, forming a buffer along the sediment conveyor belt. Given the age structure of floodplains in the receiving reach, this pattern of source area contributions and (dis)connectivity must have occurred throughout the Holocene.

Influence of bulk turbulence and entrance boundary layer thickness on the curved duct flow field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawford, R. A.

1988-01-01

The influence of bulk turbulence and boundary layer thickness on the secondary flow development in a square, 90 degree turning duct was investigated. A three-dimensional laser velocimetry system was utilized to measure the mean and fluctuating components of velocity at six cross-planes in the duct. The results from this investigation, with entrance boundary layer thickness of 20 percent, were compared with the thin boundary layer results documented in NASA CR-174811. The axial velocity profiles, cross-flow velocities, and turbulence intensities were compared and evaluated with regard to the influence of bulk turbulence intensity and boundary layer thickness, and the influence was significant. The results of this investigation expand the 90 degree curved duct experimental data base to higher turbulence levels and thicker entrance boundary layers. The experimental results provide a challenging benchmark data base for computational fluid dynamics code development and validation. The variation of inlet bulk turbulence intensity provides additional information to aid in turbulence model evaluation.

Ill-posedness in modeling mixed sediment river morphodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavarrías, Víctor; Stecca, Guglielmo; Blom, Astrid

2018-04-01

In this paper we analyze the Hirano active layer model used in mixed sediment river morphodynamics concerning its ill-posedness. Ill-posedness causes the solution to be unstable to short-wave perturbations. This implies that the solution presents spurious oscillations, the amplitude of which depends on the domain discretization. Ill-posedness not only produces physically unrealistic results but may also cause failure of numerical simulations. By considering a two-fraction sediment mixture we obtain analytical expressions for the mathematical characterization of the model. Using these we show that the ill-posed domain is larger than what was found in previous analyses, not only comprising cases of bed degradation into a substrate finer than the active layer but also in aggradational cases. Furthermore, by analyzing a three-fraction model we observe ill-posedness under conditions of bed degradation into a coarse substrate. We observe that oscillations in the numerical solution of ill-posed simulations grow until the model becomes well-posed, as the spurious mixing of the active layer sediment and substrate sediment acts as a regularization mechanism. Finally we conduct an eigenstructure analysis of a simplified vertically continuous model for mixed sediment for which we show that ill-posedness occurs in a wider range of conditions than the active layer model.

Regional-scale input of dispersed and discrete volcanic ash to the Izu-Bonin and Mariana subduction zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scudder, Rachel P.; Murray, Richard W.; Schindlbeck, Julie C.; Kutterolf, Steffen; Hauff, Folkmar; McKinley, Claire C.

2014-11-01

We have geochemically and statistically characterized bulk marine sediment and ash layers at Ocean Drilling Program Site 1149 (Izu-Bonin Arc) and Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 52 (Mariana Arc), and have quantified that multiple dispersed ash sources collectively comprise ˜30-35% of the hemipelagic sediment mass entering the Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction system. Multivariate statistical analyses indicate that the bulk sediment at Site 1149 is a mixture of Chinese Loess, a second compositionally distinct eolian source, a dispersed mafic ash, and a dispersed felsic ash. We interpret the source of these ashes as, respectively, being basalt from the Izu-Bonin Front Arc (IBFA) and rhyolite from the Honshu Arc. Sr-, Nd-, and Pb isotopic analyses of the bulk sediment are consistent with the chemical/statistical-based interpretations. Comparison of the mass accumulation rate of the dispersed ash component to discrete ash layer parameters (thickness, sedimentation rate, and number of layers) suggests that eruption frequency, rather than eruption size, drives the dispersed ash record. At Site 52, the geochemistry and statistical modeling indicates that Chinese Loess, IBFA, dispersed BNN (boninite from Izu-Bonin), and a dispersed felsic ash of unknown origin are the sources. At Site 1149, the ash layers and the dispersed ash are compositionally coupled, whereas at Site 52 they are decoupled in that there are no boninite layers, yet boninite is dispersed within the sediment. Changes in the volcanic and eolian inputs through time indicate strong arc-related and climate-related controls.

Coupled geophysical characterization of shallow fluvio-clastic sediments in Agwagune, southeastern Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akpan, Anthony E.; Ekwok, Stephen E.; Ebong, Ebong D.; George, Anthony M.; Okwueze, Emeka E.

2018-07-01

Geophysical investigation performed using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), vertical electrical sounding (VES), seismic refraction (SRF) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) techniques were used to constrain and characterize shallow lithologic units in the Cross River bank (CRB) in southeastern Nigeria. Results show that the upper layer sediments comprise a 3-5-layered lithostratigraphic sequence with high clayey content. Around the Cross River bank (CRB), the top sediments consist of loose, silty and clayey sands with low resistivities (<150 Ωm) and low P-wave velocities (300-1000 m/s). These attenuating sediments have no reasonable continuity beyond the vicinity of the CRB. The low attenuating indurated silts/sands characterized by low resistivities (<25 Ωm) and high P-wave velocities (1000-2400 m/s) underlie the first layer around in the CRB. Localized microstructures (e.g., fractures) trending east-west, and saturated sand-filled channels truncate their lateral continuities. The lacustrine clays characterized by low resistivities (<15 Ωm) and high P-wave velocities (>2400 m/s) make up the third layer. The clayey sediments impede vertical percolation of groundwater forcing it to accumulate at the bottom of the second layer resulting in high static water levels of <3 m within the CRB and >5 m elsewhere. Hydraulic gradient in the Cross River bed (CRBD) and in the coastal groundwater drives groundwater flow into the CRBD through macropores. The sediments become unstable when these macropores become enlarged as more materials are continuously transmitted through them.

Identification of in-sewer sources of organic solids contributing to combined sewer overflows.

PubMed

Ahyerre, M; Chebbo, G

2002-09-01

Previous research has shown that combined sewer systems are the main source of particle and organic pollution during rainfall events contributing to combined sewer overflow. The aim of this article is to identify in an urban catchment area called "Le Marais", in the center of Paris, the types of sediments that are eroded and contribute to the pollution of combined sewer overflow. Three sediment types are considered: granular material found in the inverts of pipes, organic biofilms and organic sediment at the water bed interface, identified as an immobile layer in the "Le Marais" catchment area. The method used consist, firstly, of sampling and assessing the organic pollutant loads and metallic loads of the particles in each type of sediment. Then, the mass of each type of sediment is assessed. The mass and the characteristics of each type of sediment is finally compared to the mass and characteristics of the particles eroded in the catchment area, estimated by mass balances, in order to find the source of eroded particles. The only identified type of deposit that can contribute to combined sewer overflows is the organic layer. Indeed, the solids of this layer have mean and metallic loads that are of the same order of magnitude as the eroded particles. Moreover, the mass of the organic layer considered over different time scales is of the same order of magnitude as the eroded masses during rainfall events and an erosion experiment showed that the organic layer is actually eroded.

Microhardness and wear resistance of PEO-coated 5754 aluminum alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyaliy, I. E.; Egorkin, V. S.; Sinebryukhov, S. L.; Minaev, A. N.; Gnedenkov, S. V.

2017-09-01

We present results of the study aimed at assessing the effect of duty cycle (D) during plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) on protective properties of the coatings produced on 5754 aluminum alloy. It is shown that increasing the duty cycle of a microsecond current pulses leads to increased hardness and reduced abrasive wear of the PEO-layers, improving mechanical properties. The obtained data allowed confirming, that increasing the amount of energy consumed for coating growth leads to the formation of thicker PEO-layers with improved tribological properties. The effect of duty cycle during plasma electrolytic oxidation on protective properties of the produced coatings was assessed.

PolyMEMS Actuator: A Polymer-Based Microelectromechanical (MEMS) Actuator with Macroscopic Action

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-09-01

On the right, a gold reinforcement layer has been added on top of the Al, creating a more robust bond. These held up well to handling and use...value back into the total energy, and finally set ∂UT/∂δ=0, with the result V d EtF oext 2/1 2 3 4)1(4 3       − −= εε ν π . (26) 25...0.5-1 µm gold layer above the bond pad. The thicker film resists peeling, has very low contact resistance, and can be soldered. The second

Analysis of passive damping in thick composite structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saravanos, D. A.

1993-01-01

Computational mechanics for the prediction of damping and other dynamic characteristics in composite structures of general thicknesses and laminations are presented. Discrete layer damping mechanics that account for the representation of interlaminar shear effects in the material are summarized. Finite element based structural mechanics for the analysis of damping are described, and a specialty finite element is developed. Applications illustrate the quality of the discrete layer damping mechanics in predicting the damped dynamic characteristics of composite structures with thicker sections and/or laminate configurations that induce interlaminar shear. The results also illustrate and quantify the significance of interlaminar shear damping in such composite structures.

Laboratory studies of silicon vapor deposition, phase A. [feasibility of producing thin films for photovoltaic applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frost, R. T.; Racette, G. W.; Stockhoff, E. H.

1977-01-01

A system is described capable of carrying out silicon vapor deposition experiments in the low 10 to the minus 10th power torr vacuum range. The system was assembled and tested for use in a program aimed at exploration of vacuum heteroepitaxy of silicon on several substrates of potential interest for photovoltaic applications. An experiment is described in which a silicon layer 2.5 microns thick was deposited on a pyrolytically cleaned tungsten substrate held at a temperature of 400 C. Using a resistance heated silicon source, thicker layers can be deposited in periods of hours by utilizing closer source to substrate distances.

Spatial and temporal variations of thaw layer thickness and its controlling factors identified using time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography and hydro-thermal modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Anh Phuong; Dafflon, Baptiste; Bisht, Gautam; Hubbard, Susan S.

2018-06-01

Quantitative understanding of controls on thaw layer thickness (TLT) dynamics in the Arctic peninsula is essential for predictive understanding of permafrost degradation feedbacks to global warming and hydrobiochemical processes. This study jointly interprets electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) measurements and hydro-thermal numerical simulation results to assess spatiotemporal variations of TLT and to determine its controlling factors in Barrow, Alaska. Time-lapse ERT measurements along a 35-m transect were autonomously collected from 2013 to 2015 and inverted to obtain soil electrical resistivity. Based on several probe-based TLT measurements and co-located soil electrical resistivity, we estimated the electrical resistivity thresholds associated with the boundary between the thaw layer and permafrost using a grid search optimization algorithm. Then, we used the obtained thresholds to derive the TLT from all soil electrical resistivity images. The spatiotemporal analysis of the ERT-derived TLT shows that the TLT at high-centered polygons (HCPs) is smaller than that at low-centered polygons (LCPs), and that both thawing and freezing occur earlier at the HCPs compared to the LCPs. In order to provide a physical explanation for dynamics in the thaw layer, we performed 1-D hydro-thermal simulations using the community land model (CLM). Simulation results showed that air temperature and precipitation jointly govern the temporal variations of TLT, while the topsoil organic content (SOC) and polygon morphology are responsible for its spatial variations. When the topsoil SOC and its thickness increase, TLT decreases. Meanwhile, at LCPs, a thicker snow layer and saturated soil contribute to a thicker TLT and extend the time needed for TLT to freeze and thaw. This research highlights the importance of combination of measurements and numerical modeling to improve our understanding spatiotemporal variations and key controls of TLT in cold regions.

Scaling oxygen microprofiles at the sediment interface of deep stratified waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwefel, Robert; Hondzo, Miki; Wüest, Alfred; Bouffard, Damien

2017-02-01

Dissolved oxygen microprofiles at the sediment-water interface of Lake Geneva were measured concurrently with velocities 0.25 to 2 m above the sediment. The measurements and scaling analyses indicate dissolved oxygen fluctuations and turbulent fluxes in exceedance of molecular diffusion in the proximity of the sediment-water interface. The measurements allowed the parameterization of the turbulent diffusion as a function of the dimensionless height above the sediment and the turbulence above the sediment-water interface. Turbulent diffusion depended strongly on the friction velocity and differed from formulations reported in the literature that are based on concepts of turbulent and developed wall-bounded flows. The dissolved oxygen microprofiles and proposed parameterization of turbulent diffusion enable a foundation for the similarity scaling of oxygen microprofiles in proximity to the sediment. The proposed scaling allows the estimation of diffusive boundary layer thickness, oxygen flux, and oxygen microprofile distribution in the near-sediment boundary layer.

Microbial diversity in methane hydrate-bearing deep marine sediments core preserved in the original pressure.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Y.; Hata, T.; Nishida, H.

2017-12-01

In normal coring of deep marine sediments, the sampled cores are exposed to the pressure of the atmosphere, which results in dissociation of gas-hydrates and might change microbial diversity. In this study, we analyzed microbial composition in methane hydrate-bearing sediment core sampled and preserved by Hybrid-PCS (Pressure Coring System). We sliced core into three layers; (i) outside layer, which were most affected by drilling fluids, (ii) middle layer, and (iii) inner layer, which were expected to be most preserved as the original state. From each layer, we directly extracted DNA, and amplified V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA gene. We determined at least 5000 of nucleotide sequences of the partial 16S rDNA from each layer by Miseq (Illumina). In the all layers, facultative anaerobes, which can grow with or without oxygen because they can metabolize energy aerobically or anaerobically, were detected as majority. However, the genera which are often detected anaerobic environment is abundant in the inner layer compared to the outside layer, indicating that condition of drilling and preservation affect the microbial composition in the deep marine sediment core. This study was conducted as a part of the activity of the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan [MH21 consortium], and supported by JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation). The sample was provided by AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology).

The influence of buried nodules on the mobility of metals in deep sea sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heller, Christina; Kuhn, Thomas

2017-04-01

Hydrothermal fluids can extract significant amounts of heat from oceanic lithosphere by lateral fluid flow through permeable basaltic crust of an age of up to 65 Ma. Fluid recharge and discharge occur at basement outcrops in between impermeable pelagic deep sea sediments. Recharge of oxic seawater causes upward oxygen diffusion into sediments overlying the permeable basalt in areas proximal to recharge sites. It is suggested that this oxygen has a strong impact on sediments and Mn-nodules during fluid exposure time. The aim of this study is to investigate if/how fluid flow through oceanic crust influence the distribution and element budget of Mn-nodules. Nodules occur widespread at the seafloor of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the equatorial North Pacific and were analyzed in many studies worldwide. Nodules buried in the deep sea sediments could be found only rarely (von Stackelberg, 1997, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 119: 153-176). High resolution side-scan sonar recordings (unpublished Data BGR Hannover) indicate that there exist a coherent layer of nodules buried in the sediments of the working area. During the expedition SO 240/FLUM nodules were found on the sediment surface in 4200 to 4300 m water depth as well as in the sediment down to 985 cm below seafloor. In general, nodules consist of different nm- to µm-thick, dense and porous layers. The geochemical composition of bulk nodules and single nodule layers were determined by XRF, ICP-MS/OES, XRD and by high resolution analyses with electron microprobe and LA-ICP-MS. Dense layers have low Mn/Fe ratios (<4) and high concentrations of Co, Zr and REY, while porous layers are characterized by high Mn/Fe ratios (> 10) and high Ni+Cu and Li concentrations. The different compositions depend on different formation processes of the layers. They were formed by metal precipitation from oxic (hydrogenetic) and suboxic (diagenetic) bottom-near seawater and/or pore water (Wegorzewski and Kuhn, 2014, Mar. Geol. 357, 123-138). Preliminary results show that there are significant differences between the geochemical composition of nodules grown at sediment surface and those found within sediments. Compared to surface nodules, buried nodules are enriched in Co and W, but have lower concentration of Mo, Ba, Zn and Li. The distribution of Rare Earth Elements and Y(REY) is also different. Furthermore, the locations of the buried manganese nodules correlates with increased contents of Mn, Co and other elements in the suboxic pore water. It seems that the hydrogenetic layers of the buried nodules were dissolved and/ or recrystallized due to diagenetic processes in the sediment. As a result, a new Fe-rich layer type was formed, with Mn being released into the pore water and/or being used to form todorokite in the nodules. The mineralogical analyses of surface and buried nodules support this assumption. Until now, it couldńt be proven that the hydrothermal fluid flow in the basalts underneath the sediments has an influence on the nodule geochemistry.

Development of a three-dimensional, regional, coupled wave, current, and sediment-transport model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, J.C.; Sherwood, C.R.; Signell, R.P.; Harris, C.K.; Arango, H.G.

2008-01-01

We are developing a three-dimensional numerical model that implements algorithms for sediment transport and evolution of bottom morphology in the coastal-circulation model Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS v3.0), and provides a two-way link between ROMS and the wave model Simulating Waves in the Nearshore (SWAN) via the Model-Coupling Toolkit. The coupled model is applicable for fluvial, estuarine, shelf, and nearshore (surfzone) environments. Three-dimensional radiation-stress terms have been included in the momentum equations, along with effects of a surface wave roller model. The sediment-transport algorithms are implemented for an unlimited number of user-defined non-cohesive sediment classes. Each class has attributes of grain diameter, density, settling velocity, critical stress threshold for erosion, and erodibility constant. Suspended-sediment transport in the water column is computed with the same advection-diffusion algorithm used for all passive tracers and an additional algorithm for vertical settling that is not limited by the CFL criterion. Erosion and deposition are based on flux formulations. A multi-level bed framework tracks the distribution of every size class in each layer and stores bulk properties including layer thickness, porosity, and mass, allowing computation of bed morphology and stratigraphy. Also tracked are bed-surface properties including active-layer thickness, ripple geometry, and bed roughness. Bedload transport is calculated for mobile sediment classes in the top layer. Bottom-boundary layer submodels parameterize wave-current interactions that enhance bottom stresses and thereby facilitate sediment transport and increase bottom drag, creating a feedback to the circulation. The model is demonstrated in a series of simple test cases and a realistic application in Massachusetts Bay. 

Suspended sediment dynamics in a large-scale oceanic turbidity current: Direct measurements from the Congo Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, Steve; Azpiroz, Maria; Cartigny, Matthieu; Clare, Mike; Parsons, Dan; Sumner, Esther; Talling, Pete

2017-04-01

Turbidity currents transport prodigious volumes of sediment to the deep ocean, depositing a greater volume of sediment than any other process on Earth. Thus far, only a handful of studies have reported direct measurements of turbidity currents, with typical flow durations ranging from a few minutes to a few hours. Consequently, our understanding of turbidity current dynamics is largely derived from scaled laboratory experiments and numerical models. Recent years have seen the first field-scale measurements of depth-resolved velocity profiles, but sediment concentration (a key parameter for turbidity currents) remains elusive. Here, we present high resolution measurements of deep-water turbidity currents from the Congo Canyon; one of the world's largest submarine canyons. Direct measurements of velocity and backscatter were acquired along profiles through the water column at five and six second intervals by two acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) on separate moorings suspended 80 m and 200 m above the canyon floor, at a water depth of 2000 m. We present a novel inversion method that combines the backscatter from the two ADCPs, acquired at different acoustic frequencies, which enables the first high resolution quantification of sediment concentration and grain size within an oceanic turbidity current. Our results demonstrate the presence of high concentrations of coarse sediment within a fast moving, thin frontal cell, which outruns a slower-moving, thicker, trailing body that can persist for several days. Thus, the flows stretch while propagating down-canyon, demonstrating a behavior that is distinct from classical models and other field-scale measurements of turbidity currents. The slow-moving body is dominated by suspended clay-sized sediment and the flow structure is shown to be influenced by interactions with the internal tides in the canyon.

Role of the bottom sediments immediately beneath the lake water-groundwater interface in the transport and removal of cyanobacteria, cyanophage, and dissolved organic carbon during natural lake-bank filtration at a kettle pond subject to harmful algal blooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, R. W.; Metge, D. W.; LeBlanc, D. R.; Underwood, J. C.; Aiken, G.; McCobb, T. D.; Jasperse, J.

2015-12-01

Bank filtration has proven to be a sustainable, cost-effective method of removing cyanobacteria and their harmful toxins from surface water during filtration through bottom and aquifer sediments. The biologically active layer of sediments immediately beneath the sediment-water interface (colmation layer) is believed to be particularly important in this process. An in situ experiment was conducted that involved assessing the transport behaviors of bromide (conservative tracer), Synechococcus sp. IU625 (cyanobacterium, 2.6 ± 0.2 µm), AS-1 (tailed cyanophages, 110 nm long), MS2 (coliphages, 26 nm diameter), and carboxylate-modified microspheres (1.7 µm diameter) introduced to the colmation layer using a bag-and-barrel (Lee-type) seepage meter. The constituents were monitored as they advected through the colmation layer and underlying aquifer sediments at Ashumet Pond in Cape Cod, MA, a mesotrophic kettle pond that recharges a portion of a sole-source, drinking water aquifer. Because the pond DOC includes the various cyanotoxins produced during harmful algal bloom senescence, the DOC and aforementioned colloids were tracked concomitantly. The tracer test constituents were monitored as they advected across the pond water-groundwater interface and through the underlying aquifer sediments under natural-gradient conditions past push-points samplers placed at ~30-cm intervals along a 1.2-m-long, diagonally downward flow path. More than 99% of the microspheres, IU625, MS2, AS-1, and ~42% of the pond DOC were removed in the colmation layer (upper 25 cm of poorly sorted bottom sediments) at two test locations characterized by dissimilar seepage rates (1.7 vs. 0.26 m d-1). Retention profiles in recovered core material indicated that >82% of the attached IU625 were in the top 3 cm of bottom sediments. The colmation layer was also responsible for rapid changes in the character of the DOC and was more effective (by 3 orders of magnitude) at removing microspheres than was the underlying 30-cm-long segment of sediment. A follow-up study conducted the following year at the same location demonstrated that removal of the top 5 cm of sediment resulted in a six-fold decrease in the efficiency of the near-surface bottom sediments for filtering out Synechococcus, cyanophage, and well-characterized microspheres.

Stabilizing Effects of Bacterial Biofilms: EPS Penetration and Redistribution of Bed Stability Down the Sediment Profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X. D.; Zhang, C. K.; Zhou, Z.; Gong, Z.; Zhou, J. J.; Tao, J. F.; Paterson, D. M.; Feng, Q.

2017-12-01

Biofilms, consisting of microorganisms and their secreted extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), serve as "ecosystem engineers" stabilizing sedimentary environments. Natural sediment bed provides an excellent substratum for biofilm growth. The porous structure and rich nutrients allow the EPS matrix to spread deeper into the bed. A series of laboratory-controlled experiments were conducted to investigate sediment colonization of Bacillus subtilis and the penetration of EPS into the sediment bed with incubation time. In addition to EPS accumulation on the bed surface, EPS also penetrated downward. However, EPS distribution developed strong vertical heterogeneity with a much higher content in the surface layer than in the bottom layer. Scanning electron microscope images of vertical layers also displayed different micromorphological properties of sediment-EPS matrix. In addition, colloidal and bound EPSs exhibited distinctive distribution patterns. After the full incubation, the biosedimentary beds were eroded to test the variation of bed stability induced by biological effects. This research provides an important reference for the prediction of sediment transport and hence deepens the understanding of the biologically mediated sediment system and broadens the scope of the burgeoning research field of "biomorphodynamics."

Advanced Water Quality Modelling in Marine Systems: Application to the Wadden Sea, the Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boon, J.; Smits, J. G.

2006-12-01

There is an increasing demand for knowledge and models that arise from water management in relation to water quality, sediment quality (ecology) and sediment accumulation (ecomorphology). Recently, models for sediment diagenesis and erosion developed or incorporated by Delft Hydraulics integrates the relevant physical, (bio)chemical and biological processes for the sediment-water exchange of substances. The aim of the diagenesis models is the prediction of both sediment quality and the return fluxes of substances such as nutrients and micropollutants to the overlying water. The resulting so-called DELWAQ-G model is a new, generic version of the water and sediment quality model of the DELFT3D framework. One set of generic water quality process formulations is used to calculate process rates in both water and sediment compartments. DELWAQ-G involves the explicit simulation of sediment layers in the water quality model with state-of-the-art process kinetics. The local conditions in a water layer or sediment layer such as the dissolved oxygen concentration determine if and how individual processes come to expression. New processes were added for sulphate, sulphide, methane and the distribution of the electron-acceptor demand over dissolved oxygen, nitrate, sulphate and carbon dioxide. DELWAQ-G also includes the dispersive and advective transport processes in the sediment and across the sediment-water interface. DELWAQ-G has been applied for the Wadden Sea. A very dynamic tidal and ecologically active estuary with a complex hydrodynamic behaviour located at the north of the Netherlands. The predicted profiles in the sediment reflect the typical interactions of diagenesis processes.

New turbidity current model based on high-resolution monitoring of the longest flow ever measured

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azpiroz, Maria; Cartigny, Matthieu; Talling, Peter; Parsons, Daniel; Simmons, Steve; Clare, Michael; Sumner, Esther; Pope, Ed

2016-04-01

Turbidity currents transport large amounts of sediment from shallow waters towards deep ocean basins. Little is known about these flows, despite their potential hazard for damaging expensive and strategically important seafloor infrastructure. So far turbidity currents have been profiled in only 6 deep ocean locations worldwide. Our current knowledge of these flows is therefore mainly based on scaled-down experimental and computationally-limited numerical modelling. Here we present results from the monitoring of a one-week long turbidity current in the Congo Canyon that had a discharge close to that of the Mississippi River. Measurements taken every 5 seconds give the most detailed image yet of a turbidity current deep-water over an unprecedented duration. Our analysis reveals a different flow structure than that presented in previous models. Classical models display a thick front of the flow followed by a thinner and faster flow, which gives way to a short and quasi-steady body. Instead, we observe a thin frontal cell that outruns a thicker (~80 m), long and slower quasi-steady flow. In contrast to the previous model, where the thinner faster flow feeds sediment into the head, the Congo Canyon turbidity current shows a frontal cell that feeds sediment into, and at the same time outruns, the succeeding quasi-steady flow. As a result of the faster moving frontal cell, the flow should continuously stretch and grow in length while propagating down the system. Within the quasi-steady body, the flow switches between what appears to be two stable flow modes. One mode exhibits a fast and thin velocity profile whose maximum is a low distance from the seabed and resembles Froude-supercritical flow conditions, while the other mode is similar to Froude-subcritical flow conditions as the flow is thicker and slower. These first observations provide new insights into the behaviour of deep water long duration flows that differ from traditional models and provide an exciting chance to explore the full range of turbidity current behaviour in nature.

Sediment concentrations, flow conditions, and downstream evolution of two turbidity currents, Monterey Canyon, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xu, Jingping; Octavio E. Sequeiros,; Noble, Marlene A.

2014-01-01

The capacity of turbidity currents to carry sand and coarser sediment from shallow to deep regions in the submarine environment has attracted the attention of researchers from different disciplines. Yet not only are field measurements of oceanic turbidity currents a rare achievement, but also the data that have been collected consist mostly of velocity records with very limited or no suspended sediment concentration or grain size distribution data. This work focuses on two turbidity currents measured in Monterey Canyon in 2002 with emphasis on suspended sediment from unique samples collected within the body of these currents. It is shown that concentration and grain size of the suspended material, primarily controlled by the source of the gravity flows and their interaction with bed material, play a significant role in shaping the characteristics of the turbidity currents as they travel down the canyon. Before the flows reach their normal or quasi-steady state, which is defined by bed slope, bed roughness, and suspended grain size, they might pass through a preliminary adjustment stage where they are subject to capacity-driven deposition, and release heavy material in excess. Flows composed of fine (silt/clay) sediments tend to be thicker than those with sands. The measured velocity and concentration data confirm that flow patterns differ between the front and body of turbidity currents and that, even after reaching normal state, the flow regime can be radically disrupted by abrupt changes in canyon morphology.

Selective reflection by deteriorated phase accumulation in Fabry-Perot cavity with aperiodic metallic nanomesh entry windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Tianyi; Guo, Chuanfei; Kempa, Krzysztof; Ren, Zhifeng

2014-03-01

A Fabry-Perot reflection filter, consisting of semi-transparent metal and dielectric layers on opaque metals, is featured by selective absorption determined by the phase difference of waves from the two interfaces. In such systems, semi-transparency is usually realized by layers of reflective metals thinner than the penetration depth of the light. Here we present a filter cavity with entry windows not made of traditional thin layers, but of aperiodic metallic random nanomeshes thicker than the penetration depth, fabricated by grain boundary lithography. It is shown that due to the deteriorated phase caused by the interface between the random nanomesh and the dielectric layer, the width and location of the resonances can be tuned by metallic coverage. Further experiments show that this phenomenon can be used in designing aperiodic plasmonic metamaterial structures for visible and infrared applications.

Fate of a perched crystal layer in a magma ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morse, S. A.

1992-01-01

The pressure gradients and liquid compressibilities of deep magma oceans should sustain the internal flotation of native crystals owing to a density crossover between crystal and liquid. Olivine at upper mantle depths near 250 km is considered. The behavior of a perched crystal layer is part of the general question concerning the fate of any transient crystal carried away from a cooling surface, whether this be a planetary surface or the roof of an intrusive magma body. For magma bodies thicker than a few hundred meters at modest crustal depths, the major cooling surface is the roof even when most solidification occurs at the floor. Importation of cool surroundings must also be invoked for the generation of a perched crystal layer in a magma ocean, but in this case the perched layer is deeply embedded in the hot part of the magma body, and far away from any cooling surface. Other aspects of this study are presented.

Effect of Micro-Bubbles in Water on Beam Patterns of Parametric Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashiba, Kunio; Masuzawa, Hiroshi

2003-05-01

The improvement in efficiency of a parametric array by nonlinear oscillation of micro-bubbles in water is studied in this paper. The micro-bubble oscillation can increase the nonlinear coefficient of the acoustic medium. The amplitude of the difference-frequency wave along the longitudinal axis and its beam patterns in the field including the layer with micro-bubbles were analyzed using a Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation. As a result, the largest improvement in efficiency was obtained and a narrow parametric beam was formed by forming a layer with micro-bubbles in front of a parametric sound radiator as thick as about the shock formation distance. If the layer becomes significantly thicker than the distance, the beam of the difference-frequency wave in the far-field will become broader. If the layer is significantly thinner than the distance, the intensity level of the wave in the far-field will be too low.

Effect of Same-Temperature GaN Cap Layer on the InGaN/GaN Multiquantum Well of Green Light-Emitting Diode on Silicon Substrate

PubMed Central

Zheng, Changda; Wang, Li; Mo, Chunlan; Fang, Wenqing; Jiang, Fengyi

2013-01-01

GaN green LED was grown on Si (111) substrate by MOCVD. To enhance the quality of InGaN/GaN MQWs, same-temperature (ST) GaN protection layers with different thickness of 8 Å, 15 Å, and 30 Å were induced after the InGaN quantum wells (QWs) layer. Results show that a relative thicker cap layer is benefit to get InGaN QWs with higher In percent at fixed well temperature and obtain better QW/QB interface. As the cap thickness increases, the indium distribution becomes homogeneous as verified by fluorescence microscope (FLM). The interface of MQWs turns to be abrupt from XRD analysis. The intensity of photoluminescence (PL) spectrum is increased and the FWHM becomes narrow. PMID:24369453

High-Performance All 2D-Layered Tin Disulfide: Graphene Photodetecting Transistors with Thickness-Controlled Interface Dynamics.

PubMed

Chang, Ren-Jie; Tan, Haijie; Wang, Xiaochen; Porter, Benjamin; Chen, Tongxin; Sheng, Yuewen; Zhou, Yingqiu; Huang, Hefu; Bhaskaran, Harish; Warner, Jamie H

2018-04-18

Tin disulfide crystals with layered two-dimensional (2D) sheets are grown by chemical vapor deposition using a novel precursor approach and integrated into all 2D transistors with graphene (Gr) electrodes. The Gr:SnS 2 :Gr transistors exhibit excellent photodetector response with high detectivity and photoresponsivity. We show that the response of the all 2D photodetectors depends upon charge trapping at the interface and the Schottky barrier modulation. The thickness-dependent SnS 2 measurements in devices reveal a transition from the interface-dominated response for thin crystals to bulklike response for the thicker SnS 2 crystals, showing the sensitivity of devices fabricated using layered materials on the number of layers. These results show that SnS 2 has photosensing performance when combined with Gr electrodes that is comparable to other 2D transition metal dichalcogenides of MoS 2 and WS 2 .

Shock-wave structure for a polyatomic gas with large bulk viscosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosuge, Shingo; Aoki, Kazuo

2018-02-01

The structure of a standing plane shock wave in a polyatomic gas is investigated on the basis of kinetic theory, with special interest in gases with large bulk viscosities, such as CO2 gas. The ellipsoidal statistical model for a polyatomic gas is employed. First, the shock structure is computed numerically for various upstream Mach numbers and for various (large) values of the ratio of the bulk viscosity to the shear viscosity, and different types of profiles, such as the double-layer structure consisting of a thin upstream layer with a steep change and a much thicker downstream layer with a mild change, are obtained. Then, an asymptotic analysis for large values of the ratio is carried out, and an analytical solution that describes the different types of profiles obtained by the numerical analysis, such as the double-layer structure, correctly is obtained.

Ecosystem effects in the Lower Mississippi River Basin: Chapter L in 2011 Floods of the Central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turnipseed, D. Phil; Allen, Yvonne C.; Couvillion, Brady R.; McKee, Karen L.; Vervaeke, William C.

2014-01-01

The 2011 Mississippi River flood in the Lower Mississippi River Basin was one of the largest flood events in recorded history, producing the largest or next to largest peak streamflow for the period of record at a number of streamgages on the lower Mississippi River. Ecosystem effects include changes to wetlands, nutrient transport, and land accretion and sediment deposition changes. Direct effects to the wetland ecosystems in the Lower Mississippi River Basin were minimized because of the expansive levee system built to pass floodwaters. Nutrients carried by the Mississippi River affect water quality in the Lower Mississippi River Basin. During 2011, nutrient fluxes in the lower Mississippi River were about average. Generally, nutrient delivery of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers contributes to the size of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Based on available limited post-flood satellite imagery, some land expansion in both the Wax Lake and Atchafalaya River Deltas was observed. A wetland sediment survey completed in June 2011 indicated that recent sediment deposits were relatively thicker in the Atchafalaya and Mississippi River (Birdsfoot) Delta marshes compared to marshes farther from these rivers.

Seismically-triggered soft-sediment deformation structures close to a major strike-slip fault system in the Eastern Alps (Hirlatz cave, Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salomon, Martina Lan; Grasemann, Bernhard; Plan, Lukas; Gier, Susanne; Schöpfer, Martin P. J.

2018-05-01

We investigate episodic soft-sediment deformation structures cross-cut by normal faults preserved in unlithified finely laminated calcite rich sediments in the Hirlatz cave in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria). These sediments comprise varve-like alternations of brighter carbonate/quartz rich layers, and darker clay mineral rich layers. The deformed sediments contain abundant millimeter to centimeter-scale soft-sediment structures (load casts, ball-and-pillow structures), sheet slumps (thrust faults and folds), erosive channels filled with slides and chaotic slumps. After deposition and soft-sediment deformation normal faults developed within the entire sedimentary succession, an event that probably correlates with an offset of c. 10 cm of the passage wall above the outcrop. Our major conclusions are: (i) The sediments have a glacial origin and were deposited in the Hirlatz cave under phreatic fluvio-lacustrine conditions. The deposition and the soft-sediment deformation occurred most likely during the last glaciation (i.e. around 25 ka ago); (ii) The liquefaction and formation of the soft-sediment structures in water-saturated stratified layers was triggered by episodic seismic events; (iii) The internally deformed sediments were later displaced by normal faults; (iv) A possible source for the seismic events is the active sinistral Salzach-Ennstal-Mariazeller-Puchberger (SEMP) strike-slip fault which is located about 10 km south of the outcrop and plays a major role in accommodating the extrusion of the Eastern Alps towards the Pannonian Basin. To our knowledge, the described structures are the first report of liquefaction and seismically induced soft-sediment deformations in Quaternary sediments in the Eastern Alps.

The Dust Cycle Observed by Pathfinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, P. H.; Lemmon, M. T.; Tomasko, M. G.

1998-09-01

The Imager for Mars Pathfinder observed the Sun through special filters nearly every sol throughout the 83 sol mission; a total of 1733 images of the Sun have been obtained. Optical depths at four wavelengths (450, 670, 883, and 989 nm) steadily increased from 0.4 to 0.6 during the mission (Ls 145-185). Comparing observations taken in the morning to those from the afternoon shows a general variability with the morning haze being somewhat thicker by 0.1 optical depths. Typically, the trend is more pronounced in the blue wavelength band; we interpret this to be the influence of a high level haze of water ice crystals that forms in the early morning and evaporates during the day. Small, Rayleigh scattering crystals explains the spectral signature that we measure. It may be that this upper haze layer is associated with the small, ice crystals seen by Mariner 9, the Viking orbiters, and the Phobos orbiter. UV images taken by HST show strong limb brightening that can be explained by this high level ice. Calculations of the haze lifetimes given the sedimentation rates measured from the Rover's solar panels and the magnetic targets, suggest that the haze should completely deposit onto the surface within 120 days. A primary mechanism for replenishing the haze may be the dust devils that were observed during the sol 11 gallery pan.

Stable carbon and oxygen isotope record of central Lake Erie sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tevesz, M.J.S.; Spongberg, A.L.; Fuller, J.A.

1998-01-01

Stable carbon and oxygen isotope data from mollusc aragonite extracted from sediment cores provide new information on the origin and history of sedimentation in the southwestern area of the central basin of Lake Erie. Sediments infilling the Sandusky subbasin consist of three lithologic units overlying glacial deposits. The lowest of these is a soft gray mud overlain by a shell hash layer containing Sphaerium striatinum fragments. A fluid mud unit caps the shell hash layer and extends upwards to the sediment-water interface. New stable isotope data suggest that the soft gray mud unit is of postglacial, rather than proglacial, origin. These data also suggest that the shell hash layer was derived from erosional winnowing of the underlying soft gray mud layer. This winnowing event may have occurred as a result of the Nipissing flood. The Pelee-Lorain moraine, which forms the eastern boundary of the Sandusky subbasin, is an elevated area of till capped by a sand deposit that originated as a beach. The presence of both the shell hash layer and relict beach deposit strengthens the interpretation that the Nipissing flood was a critical event in the development of the southwestern area of the central basin of Lake Erie. This event, which returned drainage from the upper lakes to the Lake Erie basin, was a dominant influence on regional stratigraphy, bathymetry, and depositional setting.

Sedimentation from flocculated suspensions in the presence of settling-driven gravitational interface instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouhnia, Mohamad; Strom, Kyle

2015-09-01

We experimentally examine sedimentation from a freshwater suspension of clay flocs overlying saltwater in the presence of gravitational instabilities. The study seeks to determine: (1) if flocculation hampers or alters interface instability formation; (2) how the removal rates of sediment from the buoyant layer compare to those predicted by individual floc settling; and (3) whether or not it is possible to develop a model for effective settling velocity. The experiments were conducted in a tank at isothermal conditions. All experiments were initially stably stratified but later developed instabilities near the interface that grew into downward convecting plumes of fluid and sediment. Throughout, we measured sediment concentration in the upper and lower layers, floc size, and plume descent rates. The data showed that flocculation modifies the mixture settling velocity, and therefore shifts the mode of interface instability from double-diffusive (what one would expect from unflocculated clay) to settling-driven leaking and Rayleigh-Taylor instability formation. Removal rates of sediment from the upper layer in the presence of these instabilities were on the same order of magnitude as those predicted by individual floc settling. However, removal rates were found to better correlate with the speed of the interface plumes. A simple force-balance model was found to be capable of reasonably describing plume velocity based on concentration in the buoyant layer. This relation, coupled with a critical Grashof number and geometry relations, allowed us to develop a model for the effective settling velocity of the mixture based solely on integral values of the upper layer.

A Glimpse into History

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-09

Nothing gets a geologist more excited than layered bedrock, except perhaps finding a fossil or holding a meteorite in your hand. All of these things create a profound feeling of history, the sense of a story that took place ages ago, long before we came appeared. Layered bedrock in particular tells a story that was set out chapter by chapter as each new layer was deposited on top of older, previously deposited layers. Here in Nili Fossae, we see layered bedrock as horizontal striations in the light toned sediments in the floor of a canyon near Syrtis Major. (Note: illumination is from the top of the picture) The ancient layered rocks appear in pale whitish and bluish tones. They are partially covered by much younger ripples made up of dust and other wind blown sediments. The rock of the nearby canyon wall is severely fractured and appears to have shed sand and rocks and boulders onto the floor. This canyon did not form by fluvial erosion: it is part of a system of faults that formed a series of graben like this one, but water probably flowed through Nili Fossae in the distant past. Orbital spectral measurements by the OMEGA instrument on Mars Express and CRISM on MRO detected an abundance of clay minerals of different types in the layered sediments inside Nili Fossae, along with other minerals that are typical of sediments that were deposited by water. The various colors and tones of the layered rocks record changes in the composition of the sediments, details that can tell us about changes in the Martian environment eons ago. Nili Fossae is a candidate site for a future landed robotic mission that could traverse across these layers and make measurements that could be used to unravel a part of the early history of Mars. Nili Fossae is a history book that is waiting to be read. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21206

Impact of small-scale vegetation structure on tephra layer preservation

PubMed Central

Cutler, Nick A.; Shears, Olivia M.; Streeter, Richard T.; Dugmore, Andrew J.

2016-01-01

The factors that influence tephra layer taphonomy are poorly understood, but vegetation cover is likely to play a role in the preservation of terrestrial tephra deposits. The impact of vegetation on tephra layer preservation is important because: 1) the morphology of tephra layers could record key characteristics of past land surfaces and 2) vegetation-driven variability in tephra thickness could affect attempts to infer eruption and dispersion parameters. We investigated small- (metre-) scale interactions between vegetation and a thin (<10 cm), recent tephra layer. We conducted surveys of vegetation structure and tephra thickness at two locations which received a similar tephra deposit, but had contrasting vegetation cover (moss vs shrub). The tephra layer was thicker and less variable under shrub cover. Vegetation structure and layer thickness were correlated on the moss site but not under shrub cover, where the canopy reduced the influence of understory vegetation on layer morphology. Our results show that vegetation structure can influence tephra layer thickness on both small and medium (site) scales. These findings suggest that some tephra layers may carry a signal of past vegetation cover. They also have implications for the sampling effort required to reliably estimate the parameters of initial deposits. PMID:27845415

Observations at convergent margins concerning sediment subduction, subduction erosion, and the growth of continental crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

von Huene, Roland E.; Scholl, D. W.

1991-01-01

At ocean margins where two plates converge, the oceanic plate sinks or is subducted beneath an upper one topped by a layer of terrestrial crust. This crust is constructed of continental or island arc material. The subduction process either builds juvenile masses of terrestrial crust through arc volcanism or new areas of crust through the piling up of accretionary masses (prisms) of sedimentary deposits and fragments of thicker crustal bodies scraped off the subducting lower plate. At convergent margins, terrestrial material can also bypass the accretionary prism as a result of sediment subduction, and terrestrial matter can be removed from the upper plate by processes of subduction erosion. Sediment subduction occurs where sediment remains attached to the subducting oceanic plate and underthrusts the seaward position of the upper plate's resistive buttress (backstop) of consolidated sediment and rock. Sediment subduction occurs at two types of convergent margins: type 1 margins where accretionary prisms form and type 2 margins where little net accretion takes place. At type 2 margins (???19,000 km in global length), effectively all incoming sediment is subducted beneath the massif of basement or framework rocks forming the landward trench slope. At accreting or type 1 margins, sediment subduction begins at the seaward position of an active buttress of consolidated accretionary material that accumulated in front of a starting or core buttress of framework rocks. Where small-to-mediumsized prisms have formed (???16,300 km), approximately 20% of the incoming sediment is skimmed off a detachment surface or decollement and frontally accreted to the active buttress. The remaining 80% subducts beneath the buttress and may either underplate older parts of the frontal body or bypass the prism entirely and underthrust the leading edge of the margin's rock framework. At margins bordered by large prisms (???8,200 km), roughly 70% of the incoming trench floor section is subducted beneath the frontal accretionary body and its active buttress. In rounded figures the contemporary rate of solid-volume sediment subduction at convergent ocean margins (???43,500 km) is calculated to be 1.5 km3/yr. Correcting type 1 margins for high rates of terrigenous seafloor sedimentation during the past 30 m.y. or so sets the long-term rate of sediment subduction at 1.0 km3/yr. The bulk of the subducted material is derived directly or indirectly from continental denudation. Interstitial water currently expulsed from accreted and deeply subducted sediment and recycled to the ocean basins is estimated at 0.9 km3/yr. The thinning and truncation caused by subduction erosion of the margin's framework rock and overlying sedimentary deposits have been demonstrated at many convergent margins but only off northern Japan, central Peru, and northern Chile has sufficient information been collected to determine average or long-term rates, which range from 25 to 50 km3/m.y. per kilometer of margin. A conservative long-term rate applicable to many sectors of convergent margins is 30 km3/km/m.y. If applied to the length of type 2 margins, subduction erosion removes and transports approximately 0.6 km3/yr of upper plate material to greater depths. At various places, subduction erosion also affects sectors of type 1 margins bordered by small- to medium-sized accretionary prisms (for example, Japan and Peru), thus increasing the global rate by possibly 0.5 km3/yr to a total of 1.1 km3/yr. Little information is available to assess subduction erosion at margins bordered by large accretionary prisms. Mass balance calculations allow assessments to be made of the amount of subducted sediment that bypasses the prism and underthrusts the margin's rock framework. This subcrustally subducted sediment is estimated at 0.7 km3/yr. Combined with the range of terrestrial matter removed from the margin's rock framework by subduction erosion, the global volume of subcrustally subducted materia

Release of Methane from Bering Sea Sediments During the Last Glacial Period

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mea Cook; Lloyd Keigwin

2007-11-30

Several lines of evidence suggest that during times of elevated methane flux the sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ) was positioned near the sediment-water interface. We studied two cores (from 700 m and 1457 m water depth) from the Umnak Plateau region. Anomalously low d13C and high d18O in benthic and planktonic foraminifera in these cores are the consequence of diagenetic overgrowths of authigenic carbonates. There are multiple layers of authigenic-carbonate-rich sediment in these cores, and the stable isotope compositions of the carbonates are consistent with those formed during anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). The carbonate-rich layers are associated with biomarkers producedmore » by methane-oxidizing archaea, archaeol and glyceryl dibiphytanyl glyceryl tetraether (GDGT). The d13C of the archaeol and certain GDGTs are isotopically depleted. These carbonate- and AOM-biomarker-rich layers were emplaced in the SMTZ during episodes when there was a high flux of methane or methane-rich fluids upward in the sediment column. The sediment methane in the Umnak Plateau region appears to have been very dynamic during the glacial period, and interacted with the ocean-atmosphere system at millennial time scales. The upper-most carbonate-rich layers are in radiocarbon-dated sediment deposited during interstitials 2 and 3, 28-20 ka, and may be associated with the climate warming during this time.« less

Quasi-two-layer morphodynamic model for bedload-dominated problems: bed slope-induced morphological diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maldonado, Sergio; Borthwick, Alistair G. L.

2018-02-01

We derive a two-layer depth-averaged model of sediment transport and morphological evolution for application to bedload-dominated problems. The near-bed transport region is represented by the lower (bedload) layer which has an arbitrarily constant, vanishing thickness (of approx. 10 times the sediment particle diameter), and whose average sediment concentration is free to vary. Sediment is allowed to enter the upper layer, and hence the total load may also be simulated, provided that concentrations of suspended sediment remain low. The model conforms with established theories of bedload, and is validated satisfactorily against empirical expressions for sediment transport rates and the morphodynamic experiment of a migrating mining pit by Lee et al. (1993 J. Hydraul. Eng. 119, 64-80 (doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1993)119:1(64))). Investigation into the effect of a local bed gradient on bedload leads to derivation of an analytical, physically meaningful expression for morphological diffusion induced by a non-zero local bed slope. Incorporation of the proposed morphological diffusion into a conventional morphodynamic model (defined as a coupling between the shallow water equations, Exner equation and an empirical formula for bedload) improves model predictions when applied to the evolution of a mining pit, without the need either to resort to special numerical treatment of the equations or to use additional tuning parameters.

Quasi-two-layer morphodynamic model for bedload-dominated problems: bed slope-induced morphological diffusion.

PubMed

Maldonado, Sergio; Borthwick, Alistair G L

2018-02-01

We derive a two-layer depth-averaged model of sediment transport and morphological evolution for application to bedload-dominated problems. The near-bed transport region is represented by the lower (bedload) layer which has an arbitrarily constant, vanishing thickness (of approx. 10 times the sediment particle diameter), and whose average sediment concentration is free to vary. Sediment is allowed to enter the upper layer, and hence the total load may also be simulated, provided that concentrations of suspended sediment remain low. The model conforms with established theories of bedload, and is validated satisfactorily against empirical expressions for sediment transport rates and the morphodynamic experiment of a migrating mining pit by Lee et al. (1993 J. Hydraul. Eng. 119 , 64-80 (doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1993)119:1(64))). Investigation into the effect of a local bed gradient on bedload leads to derivation of an analytical, physically meaningful expression for morphological diffusion induced by a non-zero local bed slope. Incorporation of the proposed morphological diffusion into a conventional morphodynamic model (defined as a coupling between the shallow water equations, Exner equation and an empirical formula for bedload) improves model predictions when applied to the evolution of a mining pit, without the need either to resort to special numerical treatment of the equations or to use additional tuning parameters.

Observations of Lower Mississippi River Estuarine Dynamics: Effects of the Salt Wedge on Sediment Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, M. T.; Allison, M. A.

2017-12-01

The lowermost Mississippi River is subject to salt-wedge estuarine conditions during seasonally low flow, when seaward flow is unable to overcome density stratification. Previous studies in the Mississippi River salt wedge have shown the deposition of a fine sediment layer accumulating several mm/day beneath the reach where the salt wedge is present. Field studies were conducted during low flow in 2012-2015 utilizing ADCP, CTD, LISST, and physical samples to observe the physics of the salt wedge reach and to calculate rates and character of sediment trapping beneath the salt wedge. The field observations were summarized using a two-layer box-model representation of the reach to calculate water and sediment budgets entering, exiting, and stored within the reach. The salt wedge reach was found to be net depositional at rates up to 1.8 mm/day. The mechanism for transferring sediment mass from the downstream-flowing fluvial layer to the upstream-flowing marine layer appears to be flocculation, evidenced in LISST data by a spike in sediment particle diameters at the halocline. Applying reach-averaged rates of sediment trapping to a time-integrated model of salt-wedge position, we calculated annual totals ranging from 0.025 to 2.2 million tons of sediment deposited beneath the salt wedge, depending on salt-wedge persistence and upstream extent. Most years this seasonal deposit is remobilized during spring flood following the low-flow estuarine season, which may affect the timing of sediment delivery to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as particulate organic carbon, whose transport trajectory mirrors that of mineral sediment. These results are also relevant to ongoing dredging efforts necessary to maintain the economically-important navigation pathway through the lower Mississippi River, as well as planned efforts to use Mississippi River sedimentary resources to build land in the degrading Louisiana deltaic coast.

Sediment Transport over a Dredge Pit, Sandy Point Southeast, west flank of the Mississippi River during Summer Upcoast Currents: a Coupled Wave, Current and Sediment Numerical Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaichitehrani, N.; Li, C.; Xu, K.; Bentley, S. J.; Miner, M. D.

2017-12-01

Sandy Point southeast, an elongated sand resource, was dredged in November 2012 to restore Pelican Island, Louisiana. Hydrodynamics and wave propagation patterns along with fluvial sediments from the Mississippi River influence the sediment and bottom boundary layer dynamics over Sandy Point. A state-of-the-art numerical model, Delft3D, was implemented to investigate current variations and wave transformation on Sandy Point as well as sediment transport pattern. Delft3d FLOW and WAVE modules were coupled and validated using WAVCIS and NDBC data. Sediment transport model was run by introducing both bed and river sediments, consisted of mainly mud and a small fraction of sand. A sediment transport model was evaluated for surface sediment concentration using data derived from satellite images. The model results were used to study sediment dynamics and bottom boundary layer characteristics focused on the Sandy Point area during summer. Two contrasting bathymetric configurations, with and without the Sandy Point dredge pit, were used to conduct an experiment on the sediment and bottom boundary layer dynamics. Preliminary model results showed that the presence of the Sandy Point pit has very limited effect on the hydrodynamics and wave pattern at the pit location. Sediments from the Mississippi River outlets, especially in the vicinity of the pit, get trapped in the pit under the easterly to the northeasterly upcoast current which prevails in August. We also examined the wave-induced sediment reworking and river-borne fluvial sediment over Sandy Point. The effect of wind induced orbital velocity increases the bottom shear stress compared to the time with no waves, relatively small wave heights (lower than 1.5 meters) along the deepest part of the pit (about 20 meters) causes little bottom sediment rework during this period. The results showed that in the summertime, river water is more likely the source of sedimentation in the pit.

A method for the division of the conglomerate depositional cycle under Milankovitch cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Panpan; Fang, Nianqiao; Li, Cunlei; Liu, Jianmei

2017-06-01

The conglomerate layer at the upper section of the 4th member of the Shahejie formation ({{{{S}}}4}{{u}}) of the Yongan district at the Donying depression is a well-developed sedimentation of several periods. It lacks stable muddy layers and sophisticated classification of the sedimentation periods and the proportion of sedimentary layering in each period has long been a difficult task for geologists. In addressing this problem, this paper attempts to introduce the theory of climatic cycles driven by astronomical periods from astronomical stratigraphy on the basis of the characteristics of the sedimentation under the turbidity current in the region of study. Through studying the conditions for the formation of the conglomerate layer and the factors of control, we pinpoint the formation of the layer in chronology and differentiate the cycle interface and correlation in the same formation period. Milankovitch analysis is conducted on the sedimentation of the conglomerate layer in the region of study to determine if the stratigraphy cycle of the region is primarily controlled by the eccentricity cycle and calculate MSC1 and MSC2 thicknesses of 189.3 m and 78.05 m, respectively. Milankovitch theory is the primary tool used in the analysis, in conjunction with petrographic analysis. The stratum at the {{{{S}}}4}{{u}} is classified into four IV-grade sequences and 11 V-grade sequences. The information on the dominant cycle frequency is used for wave filtering of the well logs and to determine the significant Milankovitch wave log. With the data from this curve, we may compare the stratigraphy cycle with the characteristics of the standard cycle and classify and compare the sedimentation periods of the conglomerate layers in further detail.

Comparison of leaf anatomy on some Nepenthes spp. (Nepenthaceae) from highland and lowland habitat in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arimy, N. Q.; Nisyawati, Metusala, D.

2017-07-01

Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) is one of the unique plants with pitcher to absorb nutritional needs. This dicotyledonous plant is able to live in the lowland and highland. The difference of their habitat may influence its anatomical structures, such in leaves. This study aimed to compare the anatomy of lowland and highland Nepenthes leaves. We examined Nepenthes rafflesiana and N. mirabilis from the group of lowland Nepenthes. We also examined Nepenthes aristolochioides and N. singalana from the group of highland Nepenthes. Each species was represented by three adult leaves from 1-3 individual plants. Each leaf was made transverse section by using a hand mini microtome and the paradermal section was made by leaf screaping technique. Paradermal and the transverse section were dehydrated by using graded series of alcohol. Transverse section was stained with safranin 1 % and fastgreen 1 %, while the paradermal section with safranin 1 %. Microscopic observations were performed at Bioimaging Laboratory, Universitas Indonesia, Depok using a light microscope. The results showed there are differences in the anatomy structure between these two habitats. Highland Nepenthes has thicker and larger hypodermis than lowland Nepenthes. Cuticle layer in the highland Nepenthes was thicker than the lowland Nepenthes. Nectary gland on the highland Nepenthes was thicker and larger than the lowland Nepenthes. In addition, highland Nepenthes has bigger and fewer stomata density than the lowland Nepenthes.

Sedimentation, bioturbation, and sedimentary fabric evolution on a modern mesotidal mudflat: A multi-tracer study of processes, rates, and scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bentley, Samuel J.; Swales, Andrew; Pyenson, Benjamin; Dawe, Justin

2014-03-01

A study of muddy tidal-flat sedimentation and bioturbation was undertaken in the Waitetuna Arm of Raglan Harbor, New Zealand, to evaluate the physical and biological processes that control cycling of sediment between the intertidal seabed and sediment-water interface, and also the formation of tidal flat sedimentary fabric and fine-scale stratigraphy. Cores were collected along an intertidal transect, and analyzed for sedimentary fabric, 210Pb and 7Be radiochemical distributions, and grain size. At the same locations, a new approach for time-series core-X-radiography study was undertaken (spanning 191 days), using magnetite-rich sand as a tracer for sedimentation and bioturbation processes in shallow tidal flat sediments. Sedimentary fabric consists of a shallow stratified layer overlying a deeper zone of intensely bioturbated shelly mud. Bioadvection mixes the deeper zone and contributes fine sediment to the surface stratified layer, via biodeposition. Physical resuspension and deposition of surface muds by wave and tidal flow are also likely contributors to formation of the surficial stratified layer, but physical stratification is not observed below this depth. The deliberate tracer study allowed calculation of bioadvection rates that control strata formation, and can be used to model diagenetic processes. Results suggest that the upper ˜15 cm of seabed can be fully mixed over timescales <1.75 y. Such mixing will erase pre-existing sedimentary fabric and transport buried sediment and chemical compounds back to the tidal-flat surface. Shallow biodiffusion also exists, but produces much slower and shallower mass transport. Best fits for 210Pb profiles using a diagenetic bioadvection/sedimentation model and independently measured tiered bioadvection rates suggest that sediment accumulation rates (SARs) on the tidal flat are ˜0.25 cm/y, near the low end of contemporary New Zealand muddy intertidal SARs. Frequent deposition and erosion of the surface layer demonstrates that long-term sediment accumulation captures only a small fraction of sediment deposited at any one time. Model results also suggest that our magnetite tracer method may slightly underestimate short-term shallow mixing rates (demonstrated by 7Be profiles), and slightly overestimate longer-term, deeper bioturbation rates (demonstrated by 210Pb profiles).

Phylogenetic analysis of Archaea in the deep-sea sediments of west Pacific Warm Pool.

PubMed

Wang, Peng; Xiao, Xiang; Wang, Fengping

2005-06-01

Archaea are known to play important roles in carbon cycling in marine sediments. The main compositions of archaeal community in five deep-sea sediment samples collected from west Pacific Warm Pool area (WP-0, WP-1, WP-2, WP-3, WP-4), and in five sediment layers (1 cm-, 3 cm-, 6 cm-, 10 cm-, 12 cm- layer) of the 12 cm sediment core of WP-0 were checked and compared by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. It was revealed that all the deep-sea sediment samples checked contained members of non-thermophilic marine group I crenarchaeota as the predominant archaeal group. To further detect groups of archaea possibly relating with C1 metabolism, PCR amplification was carried out using primers targeting methane-oxidizing archaea. Although no methane-oxidizing archaea was detected, a group of novel archaea (named as WPA) was instead identified from all these five WP samples by clone analysis. They could be placed in the euryarchaeota kingdom, separated into two distinct groups, the main group was peripherally related with methanogens, the other group related with Thermoplasma. The vertical distributions of WPA, archaea and bacteria along the WP-0 sediment column were determined by quantitative-PCR. It was found that bacteria dominated at all depths, the numbers of bacteria were 10-10(4) times more than those of archaea. The proportion of archaea versus bacteria had a depth related increasing tendency, it was lowest at the first layer (0.01%), reached highest at the 12 cm- layer (10%). WPA only constituted a small proportion of the archaeal community (0.05% to 5%) of west Pacific Warm Pool sediment.

Detailed seismic velocity of the incoming subducting sediments in the 2004 great Sumatra earthquake rupture zone from full waveform inversion of long offset seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Yanfang; Singh, Satish C.

2017-04-01

The nature of incoming sediments defines the locking mechanism on the megathrust, and the development and evolution of the accretionary wedge. Here we present results from seismic full waveform inversion of 12 km long offset seismic reflection data within the trench in the 2004 Sumatra earthquake rupture zone area that provide detailed quantitative information on the incoming oceanic sediments and the trench-fill sediments. The thickness of sediments in this area is 3-4 km, and P wave velocity is as much as 4.5 km/s just above the oceanic crust, suggesting the presence of silica-rich highly compacted and lithified sediments leading to a strong coupling up to the subduction front. We also find an 70-80 m thick low-velocity layer, capped by a high-velocity layer, at 0.8 km above the subducting plate. This low-velocity layer, previously identified as high-amplitude negative polarity reflection, could have porosity of up to 30% containing overpressured fluids, which could act as a protodécollement seaward from the accretionary prism and décollement beneath the forearc. This weak protodécollement combined with the high-velocity indurated sediments above the basement possibly facilitated the rupture propagating up to the front during the 2004 earthquake and enhancing the tsunami. We also find another low-velocity layer within the sediments that may act as a secondary décollement observed offshore central Sumatra, forming bivergent pop-up structures and acting as a conveyer belt in preserving these pop-up structures in the forearc region.

Comparison of Rheological and Sedimentation Behavior of Commercially Available Suspending Vehicles for Oral Pharmaceutical Preparations.

PubMed

Visser, J Carolina; Ten Seldam, Inge E J; van der Linden, Isabella J; Hinrichs, Wouter L J; Veenendaal, Reinier F H; Dijkers, Eli C F; Woerdenbag, Herman J

2018-01-01

A pharmaceutical suspension is a semi-liquid dosage form suitable for patients being unable to swallow solid medicines such as tablets and capsules. A vehicle used for the preparation of pharmaceutical oral suspensions preferably shows pseudo-plastic behavior. In a product that gets thinner with agitation and thicker upon standing, slow settlement of the suspended active pharmaceutical ingredient is combined with good pourability and rehomogenization. This gives the best guarantee of uniformity of dose for oral suspensions. In this study, the rheological behavior of commercially available ready-to-use vehicles for oral pharmaceutical preparations was compared, and the sedimentation of paracetamol dispersed in these vehicles was investigated. With SuspendIt and SyrSpend SF PH4 (Liquid), both pseudoplastic vehicles, very stable paracetamol suspensions were obtained. Of these two vehicles, SyrSpend SF PH4 (Liquid) displayed somewhat higher viscosity, which is a favorable quality characteristic for suspensions. Copyright© by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Inc.

Resistivity profiling for mapping gravel layers that may control contaminant migration at the Amargosa Desert Research Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lucius, Jeffrey E.; Abraham, Jared D.; Burton, Bethany L.

2008-01-01

Gaseous contaminants, including CFC 113, chloroform, and tritiated compounds, move preferentially in unsaturated subsurface gravel layers away from disposal trenches at a closed low-level radioactive waste-disposal facility in the Amargosa Desert about 17 kilometers south of Beatty, Nevada. Two distinct gravel layers are involved in contaminant transport: a thin, shallow layer between about 0.5 and 2.2 meters below the surface and a layer of variable thickness between about 15 and 30 meters below land surface. From 2003 to 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey used multielectrode DC and AC resistivity surveys to map these gravel layers. Previous core sampling indicates the fine-grained sediments generally have higher water content than the gravel layers or the sediments near the surface. The relatively higher electrical resistivity of the dry gravel layers, compared to that of the surrounding finer sediments, makes the gravel readily mappable using electrical resistivity profiling. The upper gravel layer is not easily distinguished from the very dry, fine-grained deposits at the surface. Two-dimensional resistivity models, however, clearly identify the resistive lower gravel layer, which is continuous near the facility except to the southeast. Multielectrode resistivity surveys provide a practical noninvasive method to image hydrogeologic features in the arid environment of the Amargosa Desert.

The distribution of sediments grain size along the depth in source of the Yangtze River, Tibetan Plateau, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Y.; Yao, S.; Zhou, S.; Liu, X.; Yan, X.; Lu, J.

2017-12-01

Sediment was the one result of river process, in alluvial rive, it can reflect the hydrodynamic characteristic, even the hydrology and climate. In the source region of the Yangtze River with few human activities, The Qumalai Reach of the Tongtianhe River was selected to research the distribution of sediments grain size along the depth. The vertical drilling tools were used to obtain 7 boreholes along the river cross section, and the sedimentary cores were made analysis of stratification and granularity. The results show: The sediments are dominated by sand and grail, the sediment transport capacity of river sources is strong; the grain size frequency distribution curve with 2 3 kurtosis, main peak is sharp, it is typical deposit sediment of the suspended load; The grain size coarsen from the stream terrace to the main channel, sediment transport capacity of main stream is bigger; There are several coarse and fine sediments layers in the sedimentary core of the terrace and flood plain, medium diameters of each layer are various from 0.4mm to 80mm, different layer with different grain size can reflect the different hydrodynamic characteristic of each historical period. This result can provide the original data and enlightenment to support the research for historical river process and hydrology so much as the climate change.

Changing fluvial styles in volcaniclastic successions: A cretaceous example from the Cerro Barcino Formation, Patagonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umazano, A. Martín; Krause, J. Marcelo; Bellosi, Eduardo S.; Perez, Mariano; Visconti, Graciela; Melchor, Ricardo N.

2017-08-01

The Cretaceous Puesto La Paloma (PLPM) and Cerro Castaño (CCM) members (Cerro Barcino Formation, Chubut Group) are pyroclastic-rich, alluvial successions deposited in the Somuncurá-Cañadón Asfalto Basin during sag and endorheic conditions. The PLPM comprises sheet-like tuffaceous sandstone strata, whereas the overlying CCM includes sheet-to ribbon-channel sandstone bodies intercalated within tuffaceous and fine-grained sediments. In this context, the goals of this contribution were: i) to make a detailed documentation of the contrasting sedimentary palaeonvironments; and ii) to infer the allocyclic controls that governed the sedimentation of both units. The study area is located in the western sector of the basin, where six localities, which were studied. Six facies associations were defined including ash-falls, sheet-floods, shallow lakes, aeolian, fluvial channel-belts, and reworked debris-flows. We defined four stratigraphic intervals for the studied sections, denominated 1 to 4 in chronological order of deposition, which increase their thicknesses toward the Puesto Mesa-Cerro León site. The interval 1 (18-42 m thick) corresponds to the PLPM and includes numerous pedogenized sheet-flood deposits, carbonate-rich lacustrine, aeolian sandy facies, and ash-fall beds. The interval 1 is interpreted as an ephemeral and unconfined alluvial system that interacted with aeolian dunes and dry interdune zones. The interval 2 (20-47 m thick) represents the lower part of the CCM. It shows an alternation of fluvial channel-belt deposits and vegetated floodplain facies with sediments originated from sheet-floods, lakes, and few ash-falls and debris-flows. The mean palaeoflow was toward E-SE, except in the northernmost locality where the drainage was towards SW. Proportion of channel-belt bodies ranges from 10 to 36%, reaching higher values in the northern part of the study area, where they are also thicker. The interval 2 represents a permanent, meandering or locally low-sinuosity, fluvial system, and displays both an increase of lacustrine facies and a decrease of ash-fall deposits. The interval 3 (7.5-27 m thick) corresponds to the middle part of the CCM, and lacks channel-belt bodies. It has the highest participation of sheet-flood and ash-fall deposits. This interval entirely records a pedogenized floodplain setting. In relation to the interval 2, participation of debris-flow deposits remains constant and lacustrine facies subtly increases. The interval 4 (18-148 m thick) represents the upper part of the CCM. It comprises an alternation of channel-belt bodies and pedogenized floodplain facies, the last characterized by sheet-flood, lake, debris-flow, and volcanic ash rain deposits. The mean palaeoflow was toward E-SE, except in the two localities positioned further north where the drainage was towards NE and SSE. Proportion of channel-belt deposits ranges from 6 to 32%. It represents channelized and perennial fluvial systems with meandering and locally low-sinuosity styles. Increase in channel proportion and thicker channel bodies are in the northern part of the study area. Particularly, in Puesto Mesa-Cerro León locality this interval is the thickest and has the highest proportion of thicker channel-belt bodies. We interpret these changes in facies architecture as the response to alternated periods of high (intervals 1 and 3) and low (intervals 2 and 4) primary pyroclastic sediment supply. Moreover, there was a climatic change to wetter conditions (intervals 1 to 2-4); as well as intrabasinal tectonic activity in northern area for intervals 2 and 4 inferred from palaeocurrent data.

Technogenic and natural radionuclides in the bottom sediments of the Sea of Azov: regularities of distribution and application to the study of pollutants accumulation chronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, A. N.; Fedorov, Yu A.; Yaroslavtsev, V. M.

2018-01-01

The study of pollutants vertical distribution in seabed sediments is of high interest as they conserve the information on the chronology of pollution level in the past. In the present paper, the results of layer by layer study of Cs-137, Am-241, Pb-210 specific activities as well as concentrations of petroleum components, lead and mercury in 48 sediment cores of the Sea of Azov, the Don River and the Kuban River are examined. In most sediment cores, two peaks of Cs-137 and Am-241 are detected. The upper of them was formed due to the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and the other is related to the global nuclear fallout of 1960s. The specific activity of naturally occurring atmospheric Lead-210 decreases exponentially with the sediment core depth. However, it is influenced by fluvial run-off, coastal erosion, Radium-226 and Radon-222 decay. The data on the radionuclides distribution in the seabed sediments is used to date them. According to the results of dating, most of petroleum components, lead and mercury quantities are concentrated in the upper sediment layer formed in the last 50 to 70 years i.e. in the period of the most important anthropogenic pressure.

Sediment resuspension characteristics in Baltimore Harbor, Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maa, J.P.-Y.; Sanford, L.; Halka, J.P.

1998-01-01

Critical bed shear stress for sediment resuspension and sediment erosion rate were measured in-situ at sites from inner to outer Baltimore Harbor using the VIMS Sea Carousel. Clay mineral contents and biological conditions were almost the same at the four study sites. The experimental results indicated that the erosion rate increased from the outer harbor toward the inner harbor with a maximum difference of about 10 times at an excess bed shear stress of 0.1 Pa. The measured critical bed shear stress strongly depended on the existence of a fluff layer. It was approximately 0.05 Pa if a fluff layer existed, and increases to about 0.1 Pa in the absence of a fluff layer.

Benthic boundary layer processes in the Lower Florida Keys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lavoie, D.L.; Richardson, M.D.; Holmes, C.

1997-01-01

This special issue of Geo-Marine Letters, "Benthic Boundary Layer Processes in the Lower Florida Keys," includes 12 papers that present preliminary results from the Key West Campaign. The Dry Tortugas and Marquesas Keys test sites were selected by a group of 115 scientists and technicians to study benthic boundary layer processes in a carbonate environment controlled by bioturbation and biogeochemical processes. Major activities included remote sediment classification; high-frequency acoustic scattering experiments; sediment sampling for radiological, geotechnical, biological, biogeochemical, physical, and geoacoustic studies; and hydrodynamic studies using an instrumented tetrapod. All these data are being used to improve our understanding of the effects of environmental processes on sediment structure and behavior.

Evidence for Defect-Mediated Tunneling in Hexagonal Boron Nitride-Based Junctions.

PubMed

Chandni, U; Watanabe, K; Taniguchi, T; Eisenstein, J P

2015-11-11

We investigate electron tunneling through atomically thin layers of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Metal (Cr/Au) and semimetal (graphite) counter-electrodes are employed. While the direct tunneling resistance increases nearly exponentially with barrier thickness as expected, the thicker junctions also exhibit clear signatures of Coulomb blockade, including strong suppression of the tunnel current around zero bias and step-like features in the current at larger biases. The voltage separation of these steps suggests that single-electron charging of nanometer-scale defects in the hBN barrier layer are responsible for these signatures. We find that annealing the metal-hBN-metal junctions removes these defects and the Coulomb blockade signatures in the tunneling current.

Measure Guideline. Incorporating Thick Layers of Exterior Rigid Insulation on Walls

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lstiburek, Joseph; Baker, Peter

This measure guideline, written by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America team Building Science Corporation, provides information about the design and construction of wall assemblies that use layers of rigid exterior insulation thicker than 1-½ in. and that require a secondary cladding attachment location exterior to the insulation. The guideline is separated into several distinct sections that cover: (1) fundamental building science principles relating to the use of exterior insulation on wall assemblies; (2) design principles for tailoring this use to the specific project goals and requirements; and (3) construction detailing to increase understanding about implementing the various designmore » elements.« less

Use of lasers in the furniture industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieloch, Grzegorz; Pohl, Piotr

1995-03-01

One of the ways of using laser in industry is its usage in loss treatment of wood and composite wood products. In the furniture industry the above mentioned machining is used in such technological processes in which tool machining (sawing, molding) is not economical or even possible. These processes are mainly curvilinear cutting of layer materials like veneers, plywood, and face layers and thicker materials like particleboards, fiberboards, and lumber- core panels. Wide usage has also been achieved in heat treatment in wood for decoration. It can be calcinating designs, engraving them, blackening of parts of surfaces, or changing of anatomic characteristics of wood tissue. Nevertheless laser usage in recliner cutting seems at present causeless.

Effects of lead on oxidation behavior of Alloy 690TT within a high temperature aqueous environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Qiang; Liu, Zhiyong; Li, Chengtao; Li, Xiaogang

2017-12-01

The chemical compositions, phases and structures of two oxide films on Alloy 690TT following exposure for 4400 h in pure water with and without lead at 320 °C were studied by surface analysis techniques. The analysis of a lead-doped oxide film prepared by a focused ion beam (FIB) demonstrated that both Cr-rich and Ni-rich oxides were alternatively distributed within the outer layer, whereas the inner layer was porous and poorly protected, causing severe corrosion of the alloy and a thicker film was formed. A duplex film model was proposed for the effects discussion of lead on the oxidation mechanism.

Nanopatterned articles produced using surface-reconstructed block copolymer films

DOEpatents

Russell, Thomas P.; Park, Soojin; Wang, Jia-Yu; Kim, Bokyung

2016-06-07

Nanopatterned surfaces are prepared by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate, annealing and surface reconstructing the block copolymer film to create an array of cylindrical voids, depositing a metal on the surface-reconstructed block copolymer film, and heating the metal-coated block copolymer film to redistribute at least some of the metal into the cylindrical voids. When very thin metal layers and low heating temperatures are used, metal nanodots can be formed. When thicker metal layers and higher heating temperatures are used, the resulting metal structure includes nanoring-shaped voids. The nanopatterned surfaces can be transferred to the underlying substrates via etching, or used to prepare nanodot- or nanoring-decorated substrate surfaces.

Buckling assisted and lithographically micropatterned fully flexible sensors for conformal integration applications

PubMed Central

Maji, Debashis; Das, Debanjan; Wala, Jyoti; Das, Soumen

2015-01-01

Development of flexible sensors/electronics over substrates thicker than 100 μm is of immense importance for its practical feasibility. However, unlike over ultrathin films, large bending stress hinders its flexibility. Here we have employed a novel technique of fabricating sensors over a non-planar ridge topology under pre-stretched condition which not only helps in spontaneous generation of large and uniform parallel buckles upon release, but also acts as stress reduction zones thereby preventing Poisson’s ratio induced lateral cracking. Further, we propose a complete lithography compatible process to realize flexible sensors over pre-stretched substrates thicker than 100 μm that are released through dissolution of a water soluble sacrificial layer of polyvinyl alcohol. These buckling assisted flexible sensors demonstrated superior performance along different flexible modalities. Based on the above concept, we also realized a micro thermal flow sensor, conformally wrapped around angiographic catheters to detect flow abnormalities for potential applications in interventional catheterization process. PMID:26640124

Influence of chemically p-type doped active organic semiconductor on the film thickness versus performance trend in cyanine/C60 bilayer solar cells

PubMed Central

Jenatsch, Sandra; Geiger, Thomas; Heier, Jakob; Kirsch, Christoph; Nüesch, Frank; Paracchino, Adriana; Rentsch, Daniel; Ruhstaller, Beat; C Véron, Anna; Hany, Roland

2015-01-01

Simple bilayer organic solar cells rely on very thin coated films that allow for effective light absorption and charge carrier transport away from the heterojunction at the same time. However, thin films are difficult to coat on rough substrates or over large areas, resulting in adverse shorting and low device fabrication yield. Chemical p-type doping of organic semiconductors can reduce Ohmic losses in thicker transport layers through increased conductivity. By using a Co(III) complex as chemical dopant, we studied doped cyanine dye/C60 bilayer solar cell performance for increasing dye film thickness. For films thicker than 50 nm, doping increased the power conversion efficiency by more than 30%. At the same time, the yield of working cells increased to 80%. We addressed the fate of the doped cyanine dye, and found no influence of doping on solar cell long term stability. PMID:27877804

Timing of Glacial Lake Missoula Outburst Floods and the southwestern Cordilleran Ice Sheet retreat.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendy, I. L.; Bervid, H. D.; Carlson, A. E.

2017-12-01

Glacial Lake Missoula formed when the Purcell Trench Lobe dammed the Clark Fork River in Montana and catastrophically collapsed repeatedly through the last glacial period as the southern Cordilleran Ice Sheet advanced and retreated. A well-dated 50-kyr jumbo piston core MD02-2496 (48.97˚ N, 127.04˚ W, water depth of 1243 m) collected from the continental slope 75 km off Vancouver Island contains evidence of these floods. The in-situ bulk elemental composition of the 35-m core was determined at 1 mm intervals using an ITRAX X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Core Scanner (Cox Analytical Instruments) at the Sediment Geochemistry Lab of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. With 40 mixed planktonic foraminifera and bulk organic carbon 14C ages, the core provides a high-resolution resolution record of glaciomarine sedimentation during deglaciation. A series of >81 layers of fine-grained sediments with ancient (K/Ar ages of 300 Ma and eNd of -8) shale-like (high Rb counts) composition can be found between 19.6 and 9.2 m below coretop. These layers are interspersed by coarser grained, young (K/Ar ages of 100 Ma and eNd of -3) sediments containing ice-rafted debris (IRD). The composition and age of the layers indicates the sediments originated in Glacial Lake Missoula and were transported by ocean currents 250 miles north along the west coast of North America. The flood layers begin at 19.5 ka with five thin (<5 cm thick) layers before thick flood layers (>5 cm thick) appear after 19.3 ka. At 17.1 ka, IRD concentrations increase from <1 grain g-1 to 20 grains g-1, and remain >50 grains g-1 from 16.5-16.35 ka, except in flood layers, as the Juan de Fuca Strait deglaciated. Another 16 flood layers occur from 16.3-15.65 ka; however, the base and top of these layers are diffuse rather than abrupt like earlier flood layers suggesting enhanced mixing between flood and melt waters. The final flood layers from 14.9-14.5 ka are thin (<2 cm thick) suggesting that the final floods were small events similar to the initial floods. This well-dated sequence displays how Glacial Lake Missoula flood sedimentation changed during the advance and retreat of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet.

19. EMPTY SEDIMENTATION TANKS. TOP LAYER OF WATER FLOWS OVER ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

19. EMPTY SEDIMENTATION TANKS. TOP LAYER OF WATER FLOWS OVER TRIANGULATED CHANNELS AND OUT THE RAISED DUCTS TO FILTRATION PLANT. MOVEABLE BOARDS ON BOTTOM ASSIST IN REMOVING SLUDGE. VIEW LOOKING NORTHEAST. FILTER CONTROL BUILDING AT REAR. - F. E. Weymouth Filtration Plant, 700 North Moreno Avenue, La Verne, Los Angeles County, CA

Bottom Penetration at Shallow Grazing Angles II

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-19

Millwater , "Wave Reflection from a Sediment Layer with Depth-Dependent Properties," J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 77, 1781- 1788 (1985). 35 8. N. P. Chotiros, ’High...Acoust. Soc. Am. 8B1 S131 (1990). 12. M. Stern, A. Bedford, and H. R. Millwater , "Wave Reflection from a Sediment Layer with Depth-Dependent

Impact of protein modification on the protein corona on nanoparticles and nanoparticle-cell interactions.

PubMed

Treuel, Lennart; Brandholt, Stefan; Maffre, Pauline; Wiegele, Sarah; Shang, Li; Nienhaus, G Ulrich

2014-01-28

Recent studies have firmly established that cellular uptake of nanoparticles is strongly affected by the presence and the physicochemical properties of a protein adsorption layer around these nanoparticles. Here, we have modified human serum albumin (HSA), a serum protein often used in model studies of protein adsorption onto nanoparticles, to alter its surface charge distribution and investigated the consequences for protein corona formation around small (radius ∼5 nm), dihydrolipoic acid-coated quantum dots (DHLA-QDs) by using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. HSA modified by succinic anhydride (HSAsuc) to generate additional carboxyl groups on the protein surface showed a 3-fold decreased binding affinity toward the nanoparticles. A 1000-fold enhanced affinity was observed for HSA modified by ethylenediamine (HSAam) to increase the number of amino functions on the protein surface. Remarkably, HSAsuc formed a much thicker protein adsorption layer (8.1 nm) than native HSA (3.3 nm), indicating that it binds in a distinctly different orientation on the nanoparticle, whereas the HSAam corona (4.6 nm) is only slightly thicker. Notably, protein binding to DHLA-QDs was found to be entirely reversible, independent of the modification. We have also measured the extent and kinetics of internalization of these nanoparticles without and with adsorbed native and modified HSA by HeLa cells. Pronounced variations were observed, indicating that even small physicochemical changes of the protein corona may affect biological responses.

Morphological study on the pressure ulcer-like dermal lesions formed in the rat heel skin after transection of the sciatic nerves.

PubMed

Haba, Daijiro; Minami, Chie; Miyagawa, Miki; Arakawa, Takamitsu; Miki, Akinori

2017-01-01

Due to transection of bilateral sciatic nerves, pressure ulcer-like dermal lesion occurred in the hairy skin covering of the heel skin in almost all rats. In the present study, chronological changes of the rat heel skin after the transection were morphologically and immunohistochemically examined. In the heel skin, redness and swelling began by 3days after the operation, and open wound formed by 17days. At the redness and swelling stage, edema extensively occurred in the dermis. At the thickening stage, the epidermis at the pressed site became transiently thicker, and at the whitening stage, rapidly thinner. At these stages, the epidermis in the skin surrounding the pressed site became gradually thicker. At the yellow scar stage, the skin was covered only by necrotic tissues and horny layer. These layers were scratched during walking and turning, and the yellow scar stage became the open wound stage. Inflammatory reaction began at the thickening stage, and at the yellow scar and open wound stages, necrosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells and dilation of small blood vessels were observed. These morphological features are quite similar to those in the human pressure ulcer. These findings suggest that these dermal injuries could compare the human pressure ulcer for medical treatment and depressurization in future study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Seabed roughness parameters from joint backscatter and reflection inversion at the Malta Plateau.

PubMed

Steininger, Gavin; Holland, Charles W; Dosso, Stan E; Dettmer, Jan

2013-09-01

This paper presents estimates of seabed roughness and geoacoustic parameters and uncertainties on the Malta Plateau, Mediterranean Sea, by joint Bayesian inversion of mono-static backscatter and spherical wave reflection-coefficient data. The data are modeled using homogeneous fluid sediment layers overlying an elastic basement. The scattering model assumes a randomly rough water-sediment interface with a von Karman roughness power spectrum. Scattering and reflection data are inverted simultaneously using a population of interacting Markov chains to sample roughness and geoacoustic parameters as well as residual error parameters. Trans-dimensional sampling is applied to treat the number of sediment layers and the order (zeroth or first) of an autoregressive error model (to represent potential residual correlation) as unknowns. Results are considered in terms of marginal posterior probability profiles and distributions, which quantify the effective data information content to resolve scattering/geoacoustic structure. Results indicate well-defined scattering (roughness) parameters in good agreement with existing measurements, and a multi-layer sediment profile over a high-speed (elastic) basement, consistent with independent knowledge of sand layers over limestone.

Structure of Subsurface Sediments in the Scan Basin (Scotia Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreider, Al. A.; Schreider, A. A.; Sazhneva, A. E.; Galindo-Zaldivar, J.; Ruano, P.; Maldonado, A.; Martos-Martin, Y.; Lobo, F.

2018-01-01

The structure of sediments in the Scotia Sea is used as a basis for reconstructing the geological history of its bottom in the Late Quaternary. The Scan Basin is one of the main elements of the topography of the southern Scotia Sea. Its formation played a considerable role in the fragmentation of the continent, which included the Bruce and Discovery banks. The main parameters of the sediment layer in the Scan Basin have been reconstructed by the present time, but its top part has not been studied. In this work, we analyze the first data obtained on the R/V Gesperidas with the use of a TOPAS PS 18/40 high-resolution seismic profilograph in 2012. Three layers in the subsurface sediments on the bottom of the Scan Basin were specified for the first time. The mean periods of their deposition in the Late Quaternary were determined as 115000 years for the first, 76000 years for the second, and 59 000 years for the third layer from the surface of the bottom. The duration of the total accumulation period of the three layers is about 250000 years.

The volume of fine sediment in pools: An index of sediment supply in gravel-bed streams

Treesearch

Thomas E. Lisle; Sue Hilton

1992-01-01

Abstract - During waning flood flows in gravel-bed streams, fine-grained bedload sediment (sand and fine gravel) is commonly winnowed from zones of high shear stress, such as riffles, and deposited in pools, where it mantles an underlying coarse layer. As sediment load increases, more fine sediment becomes availabe to fill pools. The volume of fine sediment in pools...

Atomic layer deposition to prevent metal transfer from implants: An X-ray fluorescence study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilo, Fabjola; Borgese, Laura; Prost, Josef; Rauwolf, Mirjam; Turyanskaya, Anna; Wobrauschek, Peter; Kregsamer, Peter; Streli, Christina; Pazzaglia, Ugo; Depero, Laura E.

2015-12-01

We show that Atomic Layer Deposition is a suitable coating technique to prevent metal diffusion from medical implants. The metal distribution in animal bone tissue with inserted bare and coated Co-Cr alloys was evaluated by means of micro X-ray fluorescence mapping. In the uncoated implant, the migration of Co and Cr particles from the bare alloy in the biological tissues is observed just after one month and the number of particles significantly increases after two months. In contrast, no metal diffusion was detected in the implant coated with TiO2. Instead, a gradient distribution of the metals was found, from the alloy surface going into the tissue. No significant change was detected after two months of aging. As expected, the thicker is the TiO2 layer, the lower is the metal migration.

Topics in electrochemical degradation of photovoltaic modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mon, G. R.

1984-01-01

Electrochemical degradation of photovoltaic modules was examined. It is found that the extent of electrochemical damage is dependent on the integrated leakage current. The PV electrochemical degradation mechanisms in the two polarities are different: (1) degradation rates in the two polarities are of the same order of magnitude; (2) center tapped grounded arrays are a preferred system configuration to minimize electrochemical degradation. The use of thicker pottant layers and polymer substrate films to reduce equilibrium leakage current values is suggested. A metallized substrate layer, if used, should be isolated from the pottant and the frame by polyester layers, and EVA modules appear to be consistent with 30 year life allocation levels for electrochemical damage. Temperature acceleration factors are well behaved and moderately well understood; humidity acceleration factors vary radically with module construction and materials and require additional research.

Confined states in photonic-magnonic crystals with complex unit cell

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dadoenkova, Yu. S.; Novgorod State University, 173003 Veliky Novgorod; Donetsk Physical and Technical Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 83114 Donetsk

2016-08-21

We have investigated multifunctional periodic structures in which electromagnetic waves and spin waves can be confined in the same areas. Such simultaneous localization of both sorts of excitations can potentially enhance the interaction between electromagnetic waves and spin waves. The system we considered has a form of one dimensional photonic-magnonic crystal with two types of magnetic layers (thicker and thinner ones) separated by sections of the dielectric photonic crystals. We focused on the electromagnetic defect modes localized in the magnetic layers (areas where spin waves can be excited) and decaying in the sections of conventional (nonmagnetic) photonic crystals. We showedmore » how the change of relative thickness of two types of the magnetic layers can influence on the spectrum of spin waves and electromagnetic defect modes, both localized in magnetic parts of the system.« less

Laboratory studies to characterize the efficacy of sand capping a coal tar-contaminated sediment.

PubMed

Hyun, Seunghun; Jafvert, Chad T; Lee, Linda S; Rao, P Suresh C

2006-06-01

Placement of a microbial active sand cap on a coal tar-contaminated river sediment has been suggested as a cost effective remediation strategy. This approach assumes that the flux of contaminants from the sediment is sufficiently balanced by oxygen and nutrient fluxes into the sand layer such that microbial activity will reduce contaminant concentrations within the new benthic zone and reduce the contaminant flux to the water column. The dynamics of such a system were evaluated using batch and column studies with microbial communities from tar-contaminated sediment under different aeration and nutrient inputs. In a 30-d batch degradation study on aqueous extracts of coal tar sediment, oxygen and nutrient concentrations were found to be key parameters controlling the degradation rates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). For the five PAHs monitored (naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, and pyrene), degradation rates were inversely proportional to molecular size. For the column studies, where three columns were packed with a 20-cm sand layer on the top of a 5 cm of sediment layer, flow was established to sand layers with (1) aerated water, (2) N(2) sparged water, or (3) HgCl(2)-sterilized N(2) sparged water. After steady-state conditions, PAH concentrations in effluents were the lowest in the aerated column, except for pyrene, whose concentration was invariant with all effluents. These laboratory scale studies support that if sufficient aeration can be achieved in the field through either active and passive means, the resulting microbially active sand layer can improve the water quality of the benthic zone and reduce the flux of many, but not all, PAHs to the water column.

Quaternary sediment architecture in the Orkhon Valley (central Mongolia) inferred from capacitive coupled resistivity and Georadar measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackens, Sonja; Klitzsch, Norbert; Grützner, Christoph; Klinger, Riccardo

2017-09-01

Detailed information on shallow sediment distribution in basins is required to achieve solutions for problems in Quaternary geology, geomorphology, neotectonics, (geo)archaeology, and climatology. Usually, detailed information is obtained by studying outcrops and shallow drillings. Unfortunately, such data are often sparsely distributed and thus cannot characterise entire basins in detail. Therefore, they are frequently combined with remote sensing methods to overcome this limitation. Remote sensing can cover entire basins but provides information of the land surface only. Geophysical methods can close the gap between detailed sequences of the shallow sediment inventory from drillings at a few spots and continuous surface information from remote sensing. However, their interpretation in terms of sediment types is often challenging, especially if permafrost conditions complicate their interpretation. Here we present an approach for the joint interpretation of the geophysical methods ground penetrating radar (GPR) and capacitive coupled resistivity (CCR), drill core, and remote sensing data. The methods GPR and CCR were chosen because they allow relatively fast surveying and provide complementary information. We apply the approach to the middle Orkhon Valley in central Mongolia where fluvial, alluvial, and aeolian processes led to complex sediment architecture. The GPR and CCR data, measured on profiles with a total length of about 60 km, indicate the presence of two distinct layers over the complete surveying area: (i) a thawed layer at the surface, and (ii) a frozen layer below. In a first interpretation step, we establish a geophysical classification by considering the geophysical signatures of both layers. We use sedimentological information from core logs to relate the geophysical classes to sediment types. This analysis reveals internal structures of Orkhon River sediments, such as channels and floodplain sediments. We also distinguish alluvial fan deposits and aeolian sediments by their distinct geophysical signature. With this procedure we map aeolian sediments, debris flow sediments, floodplains, and channel sediments along the measured profiles in the entire basin. We show that the joint interpretation of drillings and geophysical profile measurements matches the information from remote sensing data, i.e., the sediment architecture of vast areas can be characterised by combining these techniques. The method presented here proves powerful for characterising large areas with minimal effort and can be applied to similar settings.

Evolution of Fine-Grained Channel Margin Deposits behind Large Woody Debris in an Experimental Gravel-Bed Flume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ONeill, B.; Marks, S.; Skalak, K.; Puleo, J. A.; Wilcock, P. R.; Pizzuto, J. E.

2014-12-01

Fine grained channel margin (FGCM) deposits of the South River, Virginia sequester a substantial volume of fine-grained sediment behind large woody debris (LWD). FGCM deposits were created in a laboratory setting meant to simulate the South River environment using a recirculating flume (15m long by 0.6m wide) with a fixed gravel bed and adjustable slope (set to 0.0067) to determine how fine sediment is transported and deposited behind LWD. Two model LWD structures were placed 3.7 m apart on opposite sides of the flume. A wire mesh screen with attached wooden dowels simulated LWD with an upstream facing rootwad. Six experiments with three different discharge rates, each with low and high sediment concentrations, were run. Suspended sediment was very fine grained (median grain size of 3 phi) and well sorted (0.45 phi) sand. Upstream of the wood, water depths averaged about 0.08m, velocities averaged about 0.3 m/s, and Froude numbers averaged around 0.3. Downstream of the first LWD structure, velocities were reduced tenfold. Small amounts of sediment passed through the rootwad and fell out of suspension in the area of reduced flow behind LWD, but most of the sediment was carried around the LWD by the main flow and then behind the LWD by a recirculating eddy current. Upstream migrating dunes formed behind LWD due to recirculating flow, similar to reattachment bars documented in bedrock canyon rivers partially obstructed by debouching debris fans. These upstream migrating dunes began at the reattachment point and merged with deposits formed from sediment transported through the rootwad. Downstream migrating dunes formed along the channel margin behind the LWD, downstream of the reattachment point. FGCM deposits were about 3 m long, with average widths of about 0.8 m. Greater sediment concentration created thicker FGCM deposits, and higher flows eroded the sides of the deposits, reducing their widths.

Quaternary geology of the DFDP-2 drill holes, Alpine Fault, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upton, P.; Cox, S.; Howarth, J. D.; Sutherland, R.; Langridge, R.; Barth, N. C.; Atkins, C.

2015-12-01

A 240 m-thick Quaternary sediment sequence in Whataroa Valley was much thicker than predicted before drilling. DFDP-2A and DFDP-2B were mostly drilled through the sequence by dual-rotary method using air or water circulation, returning cuttings bagged at 1 or 2 m sample intervals. Some sorting/bias and contamination occurred. Core was retrieved in DFDP-2A from 125-160 m, with highly variable recovery (0-100%) and mixed preservation/quality. The sequence is interpreted to comprise: fluvial-glacial gravels (0-58 m); grading downward into sandy lake delta sediments (59-77 m); overlying a monotonous sequence of lake mud and silts, with rare pebble-cobble diamictite (77-206 m); with a basal unit (206-240 m) containing coarse cobbles and boulders that may represent a distinct till/diamictite. Evidence has yet to be found for any marine influence in lowermost sediments, despite deposition at least 120 m below present day sea level, and potentially 200 m bsl if uplift has occurred on the Alpine Fault. When corrected for uplift the lacustrine sequence broadly correlates to those in present Lakes Rotokina and Wahapo, suggesting a substantial (~100 km2) pro-glacial lake once covered the area. Radiocarbon dating of plant fragments indicate 70 m of upper lacustrine and deltaic sediments (129-59 m) were deposited rapidly between 16350-15800 Cal BP. Overlying alluvial gravels are much younger (<1 ka), but potentially also involved pulses of rapid aggradation. The sequence provides a record of sedimentation on the Alpine Fault hanging wall following late-glacial ice retreat up Whataroa Valley, with uplift and erosion followed by Holocene alluvial gravel deposition. Future work will address: (1) the nature and history of sedimentation, including the lithology and origin of sediments; (2) what, if any, geological record of tectonics (movement) or Alpine Fault earthquakes (shaking) the sediments contain.

Tuning cell adhesion and growth on biomimetic polyelectrolyte multilayers by variation of pH during layer-by-layer assembly.

PubMed

Aggarwal, Neha; Altgärde, Noomi; Svedhem, Sofia; Michanetzis, Georgios; Missirlis, Yannis; Groth, Thomas

2013-10-01

Polyelectrolyte multilayers of chitosan and heparin are assembled on glass where heparin is applied at pH = 4, 9 and 4 during the formation of the first layers followed by pH = 9 at the last steps (denoted pH 4 + 9). Measurements of wetting properties, layer mass, and topography show that multilayers formed at pH = 4 are thicker, contain more water and have a smoother surface compared to those prepared at pH = 9 while the pH = 4 + 9 multilayers expressed intermediate properties. pH = 9 multilayers are more cell adhesive and support growth of C2C12 cells better than pH = 4 ones. However, pH 4 + 9 conditions improve the bioactivity to a similar level of pH = 9 layers. Multilayers prepared using pH 4 + 9 conditions form thick enough layers that may allow efficient loading of bioactive molecules. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Theoretical Studies on InGaAs/InAlAs SAGCM Avalanche Photodiodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Siyu; Zhao, Yue; ur Rehman, Sajid; Feng, Shuai; Zuo, Yuhua; Li, Chuanbo; Zhang, Lichun; Cheng, Buwen; Wang, Qiming

2018-05-01

In this paper, we provide a detailed insight on InGaAs/InAlAs separate absorption, grading, charge, and multiplication avalanche photodiodes (SAGCM APDs) and a theoretical model of APDs is built. Through theoretical analysis and two-dimensional (2D) simulation, the influence of charge layer and tunneling effect on the APDs is fully understood. The design of charge layer (including doping level and thickness) can be calculated by our predictive model for different multiplication thickness. We find that as the thickness of charge layer increases, the suitable doping level range in charge layer decreases. Compared to thinner charge layer, performance of APD varies significantly via several percent deviations of doping concentrations in thicker charge layer. Moreover, the generation rate ( G btt ) of band-to-band tunnel is calculated, and the influence of tunneling effect on avalanche field was analyzed. We confirm that avalanche field and multiplication factor ( M n ) in multiplication will decrease by the tunneling effect. The theoretical model and analysis are based on InGaAs/InAlAs APD; however, they are applicable to other APD material systems as well.

Method for fabrication of ceramic dielectric films on copper foils

DOEpatents

Ma, Beihai; Narayanan, Manoj; Dorris, Stephen E.; Balachandran, Uthamalingam

2015-03-10

The present invention provides a method for fabricating a ceramic film on a copper foil. The method comprises applying a layer of a sol-gel composition onto a copper foil. The sol-gel composition comprises a precursor of a ceramic material suspended in 2-methoxyethanol. The layer of sol-gel is then dried at a temperature up to about 250.degree. C. The dried layer is then pyrolyzed at a temperature in the range of about 300 to about 450.degree. C. to form a ceramic film from the ceramic precursor. The ceramic film is then crystallized at a temperature in the range of about 600 to about 750.degree. C. The drying, pyrolyzing and crystallizing are performed under a flowing stream of an inert gas. In some embodiments an additional layer of the sol-gel composition is applied onto the ceramic film and the drying, pyrolyzing and crystallizing steps are repeated for the additional layer to build up a thicker ceramic layer on the copper foil. The process can be repeated one or more times if desired.

Observations of transitional tidal boundary layers and their impact on sediment transport in the Great Bay, NH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koetje, K. M.; Foster, D. L.; Lippmann, T. C.

2017-12-01

Observations of the vertical structure of tidal flows obtained in 2016 and 2017 in the Great Bay Estuary, NH show evidence of transitional tidal boundary layers at deployment locations on shallow mudflats. High-resolution bottom boundary layer currents, hydrography, turbidity, and bed characteristics were observed with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), an acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV), conductivity-depth-temperature (CTD) sensors, optical backscatter sensors, multibeam bathymetric surveys, and sediment grab samples and cores. Over the 2.5 m tidal range and at water depths ranging from 0.3 m to 1.5 m at mean lower low water, peak flows ranged from 10 cm/s to 30 cm/s and were primarily driven by the tides. A downward-looking ADCP captured the velocity profile over the lowest 1 m of the water column. Results consistently show a dual-log layer system, with evidence of a lower layer within 15 cm of the bed, another layer above approximately 30 cm from the bed, and a transitional region where the flow field rotates between that the two layers that can be as much as 180 degrees out of phase. CTD casts collected over a complete tidal cycle suggest that the weak thermohaline stratification is not responsible for development of the two layers. On the other hand, acoustic and optical backscatter measurements show spatial and temporal variability in suspended sediments that are dependant on tidal phase. Current work includes an examination of the relationship between sediment concentrations in the water column and velocity profile characteristics, along with an effort to quantify the impact of rotation and dual-log layers on bed stress.

An experimental study of the role of particle diffusive convection on the residence time of volcanic ash clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deal, E.; Carazzo, G.; Jellinek, M.

2013-12-01

The longevity of volcanic ash clouds generated by explosive volcanic plumes is difficult to predict. Diffusive convective instabilities leading to the production of internal layering are known to affect the stability and longevity of these clouds, but the detailed mechanisms controlling particle dynamics and sedimentation are poorly understood. We present results from a series of analog experiments reproducing diffusive convection in a 2D (Hele-Shaw) geometry, which allow us to constrain conditions for layer formation, sedimentation regime and cloud residence time as a function of only the source conditions. We inject a turbulent particle-laden jet sideways into a tank containing a basal layer of salt water and an upper layer of fresh water, which ultimately spreads as a gravity current. After the injection is stopped, particles in suspension settle through the cloud to form particle boundary layers (PBL) at the cloud base. We vary the initial particle concentration of the plume and the injection velocity over a wide range of conditions to identify and characterize distinct regimes of sedimentation. Our experiments show that convective instabilities driven as a result of differing diffusivities of salt and particles lead to periodic layering over a wide range of conditions expected in nature. The flux of particles from layered clouds and the thicknesses of the layers are understood using classical theory for double diffusive convection adjusted for the hydrodynamic diffusion of particles. Although diffusive convection increases sedimentation rates for the smallest particles (<30 μm) its overall effect is to extend the cloud residence time to several hours by maintaining larger particles in suspension within the layers, which is several orders of magnitude longer than expected when considering individual settling rates.

Impact of mechanical heterogeneity on joint density in a welded ignimbrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soden, A. M.; Lunn, R. J.; Shipton, Z. K.

2016-08-01

Joints are conduits for groundwater, hydrocarbons and hydrothermal fluids. Robust fluid flow models rely on accurate characterisation of joint networks, in particular joint density. It is generally assumed that the predominant factor controlling joint density in layered stratigraphy is the thickness of the mechanical layer where the joints occur. Mechanical heterogeneity within the layer is considered a lesser influence on joint formation. We analysed the frequency and distribution of joints within a single 12-m thick ignimbrite layer to identify the controls on joint geometry and distribution. The observed joint distribution is not related to the thickness of the ignimbrite layer. Rather, joint initiation, propagation and termination are controlled by the shape, spatial distribution and mechanical properties of fiamme, which are present within the ignimbrite. The observations and analysis presented here demonstrate that models of joint distribution, particularly in thicker layers, that do not fully account for mechanical heterogeneity are likely to underestimate joint density, the spatial variability of joint distribution and the complex joint geometries that result. Consequently, we recommend that characterisation of a layer's compositional and material properties improves predictions of subsurface joint density in rock layers that are mechanically heterogeneous.

Reactive Fe(II) layers in deep-sea sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

König, Iris; Haeckel, Matthias; Drodt, Matthias; Suess, Erwin; Trautwein, Alfred X.

1999-05-01

The percentage of the structural Fe(II) in clay minerals that is readily oxidized to Fe(III) upon contact with atmospheric oxygen was determined across the downcore tan-green color change in Peru Basin sediments. This latent fraction of reactive Fe(II) was only found in the green strata, where it proved to be large enough to constitute a deep reaction layer with respect to the pore water O 2 and NO 3-. Large variations were detected in the proportion of the reactive Fe(II) concentration to the organic matter content along core profiles. Hence, the commonly observed tan-green color change in marine sediments marks the top of a reactive Fe(II) layer, which may represent the major barrier to the movement of oxidation fronts in pelagic subsurface sediments. This is also demonstrated by numerical model simulations. The findings imply that geochemical barriers to pore water oxidation fronts form diagenetically in the sea floor wherever the stage of iron reduction is reached, provided that the sediments contain a significant amount of structural iron in clay minerals.

Applying a uniform layer of disinfectant by wiping.

PubMed

Cooper, D W

2000-01-01

Disinfection or sterilization often requires applying a film of liquid to a surface, frequently done by using a wiper as the applicator. The wiper must not only hold a convenient amount of liquid, it must deposit it readily and uniformly. Contact time is critical to disinfection efficacy. Evaporation can limit the contact time. To lengthen the contact time, thickly applied layers are generally preferred. The thickness of such layers can be determined by using dyes or other tracers, as long as the tracers do not significantly affect the liquid's surface tension and viscosity and thus do not affect the thickness of the applied layer. Alternatively, as done here, the thickness of the layer can be inferred from the weight loss of the wiper. Results are reported of experiments on thickness of the layers applied under various conditions. Near saturation, hydrophilic polyurethane foam wipers gave layers roughly 10 microns thick, somewhat less than expected from hydrodynamic theory, but more than knitted polyester or woven cotton. Wipers with large liquid holding capacity, refilled often, should produce more nearly uniform layers. Higher pressures increase saturation in the wiper, tending to thicken the layer, but higher pressures also force liquid from the interface, tending to thin the layer, so the net result could be thicker or thinner layers, and there is likely to be an optimal pressure.

Sediment texture and metal contamination in the Venice Lagoon (Italy): A snapshot before the installation of the MOSE system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zonta, Roberto; Botter, Margherita; Cassin, Daniele; Bellucci, Luca Giorgio; Pini, Roberto; Dominik, Janusz

2018-05-01

Sediments of the Venice Lagoon down to 50 cm depth were investigated to assess sediment texture and metal contamination status, before the construction and activation of the MOSE system, which is intended to prevent the periodical flood events affecting the lagoon and the city of Venice. 380 cores were collected in shallow-water areas of the lagoon, and analysed along their vertical profile to determine grain-size distribution and concentrations of some major and trace elements (Al, As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn), total carbon and organic carbon. Radionuclide analyses (137Cs, 210Pb) were performed on 15 cores in an attempt to establish sediment chronology and determine radionuclide inventories in erosional and depositional areas. On the whole-lagoon scale, strong depletion of particles <31 μm in diameter (from medium silt to clay fractions) was observed in sediments down to 10 cm depth in comparison to deeper layers. This depletion characterised both erosional and depositional areas, and may be caused by increased water dynamics and resuspension of sediment due to anthropogenic activities. The apparent sediment accumulation rate determined with 210Pbxs in depositional areas was estimated at 0.2-0.4 cm y-1. In the majority of cores, 210Pbxs inventories were lower than expected from atmospheric fallout, suggesting its export along with fine particles. The different sediment characteristics in terms of grain-size distribution and organic carbon content observed in the upper layer with respect to the deeper ones reflect the modification of the sedimentary balance in recent years. The loss of fine particles, even from sediments in depositional areas of the northern part of the lagoon, may herald changes in local sediment texture leading to a further depletion of morphodiversity, which in turn may lead to the reduction or loss of important lagoon habitats. On the whole-lagoon scale, the prevalently lithogenic elements (Al, As, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni) decreased towards the top of the cores, reflecting the depletion of fine particles in the upper sediment layer due to winnowing in non-confined lagoon areas. In contrast, partly anthropogenic elements (Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) increased up to the subsurface sediment layers (5-10 and/or 10-20 cm) as an effect of increasing pollutant inputs until a certain time in the past. Enrichment Factors (EF) were calculated from 9 cores, comparing concentrations in the "pre-industrial" (>100 years ago) and recent (surface layer, 0-5 cm) sediments. The mostly lithogenic elements were not enriched (EF ˜ 1), whereas the partly anthropogenic elements showed slight (Cu and Pb, EF ˜ 1.2) to significant (Hg and Zn, EF ˜ 2) enrichment. The shallow waters on the landward side (particularly close to freshwater inputs), the area nearby the industrial district of Porto Marghera and a small zone adjacent to the city of Chioggia were identified as the main pollutant accumulation sites. Mercury was the only element potentially harmful for aquatic life. Its concentration in the biologically active surface sediment layer (0-5 cm) exceeded the NOAA Effects Range-Median (ERM) value in 27% of samples, corresponding to 20% of the shallow-water surface area. The collected data set represents a valuable reference for monitoring the impact of the construction and operation of the MOSE system on the sediment features of the Venice Lagoon.

The Pliocene-Pleistocene sedimentary tectonic history of NW California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stone, L.; Moley, K.; Aalto, K.R.

1993-04-01

A thick sequence of Late Miocene to Pleistocene sediments thought to represent deposition in a Neogene forearc basin are preserved in the structural basin referred to as the Eel River basin' located offshore of NW California and SE Oregon. The southern portion of this structural basin comes on land in the vicinity of Eureka where the marine and fluvial Wildcat Group is exposed. Basal Wildcat Group sediments are fluvial and littorial. Marine sandstones of the Wildcat Group contain K-spar concentrations of 5.5% and are believed to represent a fresh source. [sup 40]Ar/[sup 39]Ar laser probe analyses of Wildcat Group micasmore » yield dates of 52--57, 66--75, 128.5 and 299--303 Ma. The presence of Idaho detritus throughout the Neogene Wildcat Group indicates that the Klamath Mountains remained low during the Pliocene and early Pleistocene. Younger fluvial sediments in this region contain primarily locally derived detritus indicating local uplift of the Klamath Mountains. To the north, at Crescent City, thin remnants of the near-shore Saint George Formation and the eastern estuarine and fluvial Wimer Formation are lowermost Pliocene in age (5 ma). The presence of the highly erodible Wilmer Formation on uplifted plateaus in an area of extreme rainfall suggest that these sediments represent only the lowermost portion of an originally much thicker sequence. Consequently, the sediments confined to the present day Eel River basin do not represent the lateral extent of the original forearc basin. Sandstones and conglomerates of the Saint George and Wimer Formation indicate a local Klamath provenance derivation.« less

Research of Houjiayao Unit in North China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Y.

2012-12-01

"Houjiayao Group" is the standard stratigraphic unit of late Pleistocene in northern China, which was created by Jia Lanpo and Wei Qi during their research on Houjiayao site. Based on the mammal, ancient human fossils and Paleolithic features, "Houjiayao Group" was thought as late Pleistocene sediments. "Houjiayao Group" was defined as late Pleistocene stratigraphic units. However, the problems of the age of "Houjiayao Group", stratigraphic division and other issues, have not yet been well resolved. These issues include: the differences of age-dating results, the unclear comparison between stratigraphic units and regional contrast, the uncertain relationship between "Houjiayao Group" and "Nihewan Layer ", and so on. Houjiayao site which located in the southeast of Houjiayao village in Dongjingji town Yangyuan County, Hebei province of China, is a very important paleolithic site. But some researches show that Houjiayao site is located at the 3th terrace of Liyigou valley and there are many opinions about the age of Houjiayao site, which varies from 20-500 thousand years. Combined with former research results and many research methods, our study was mainly focused on the key problems existing in the study of "Houjiayao Group". Through the use of sequence stratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and other theoretical methods, stratigraphic section was studied in the late Pleistocene stratigraphy and sedimentary environment. Through environmental indicators and the age-dating tests, the evolution of ancient geography and environment were identified elementarily. After analyzing informations of this area, geomorphologic investigation and stratum comparation in and around Houjiayao site were done. Houjiayao site is located on the west bank of Liyigou river, which has a tributary named Black Stone River. Two or three layers of volcanic materials were found in this area, those sediments are from a buried paleovolcano in upstream of Black Stone River. The volcanic material layers played an important role in the track of stratum, especially the lower strata. Heights of volcanic sediments become lower south of paleovolcano along the Liyigou River and Black Stone River. The stratum in Houjiayao site shows that the sand-clayey silt-silty clay sediments which are more than 6 meters thick have river sediments characters and they are covered on the culture layers. Culture layers were formed by river and lake. Among the cultural layers, there were two sub-clay layers weak pedogenesis. There is an unconformity sedimentary sequence between the culture layers and the underlying yellow-green lacustrine strata (Nihewan layer). Some volcanic sediments with the K-Ar ages between 0.4-0.5Ma were found in the gray-green Nihewan formation under the culture layers. In general, detailed stratum surveys of this area have not been done before, so this work provided the Lithostratigraphic information for the area research. And with this work, we get the conclusion that Houjiayao site is not located on the 3th terrace of Liyigou valley, and its sediment is one part of Nihewan layers with the age of late Pleistocene.

Transport mechanisms of contaminants released from fine sediment in rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Pengda; Zhu, Hongwei; Zhong, Baochang; Wang, Daozeng

2015-12-01

Contaminants released from sediment into rivers are one of the main problems to study in environmental hydrodynamics. For contaminants released into the overlying water under different hydrodynamic conditions, the mechanical mechanisms involved can be roughly divided into convective diffusion, molecular diffusion, and adsorption/desorption. Because of the obvious environmental influence of fine sediment (D_{90}= 0.06 mm), non-cohesive fine sediment, and cohesive fine sediment are researched in this paper, and phosphorus is chosen for a typical adsorption of a contaminant. Through theoretical analysis of the contaminant release process, according to different hydraulic conditions, the contaminant release coupling mathematical model can be established by the N-S equation, the Darcy equation, the solute transport equation, and the adsorption/desorption equation. Then, the experiments are completed in an open water flume. The simulation results and experimental results show that convective diffusion dominates the contaminant release both in non-cohesive and cohesive fine sediment after their suspension, and that they contribute more than 90 % of the total release. Molecular diffusion and desorption have more of a contribution for contaminant release from unsuspended sediment. In unsuspension sediment, convective diffusion is about 10-50 times larger than molecular diffusion during the initial stages under high velocity; it is close to molecular diffusion in the later stages. Convective diffusion is about 6 times larger than molecular diffusion during the initial stages under low velocity, it is about a quarter of molecular diffusion in later stages, and has a similar level with desorption/adsorption. In unsuspended sediment, a seepage boundary layer exists below the water-sediment interface, and various release mechanisms in that layer mostly dominate the contaminant release process. In non-cohesive fine sediment, the depth of that layer increases linearly with shear stress. In cohesive fine sediment, the range seepage boundary is different from that in non-cohesive sediment, and that phenomenon is more obvious under a lower shear stress.

In situ measurement of radioactive contamination of bottom sediments.

PubMed

Zhukouski, A; Anshakou, O; Kutsen, S

2018-04-30

A gamma spectrometric method is presented for in situ radiation monitoring of bottom sediments with contaminated layer of unknown thickness to be determined. The method, based on the processing of experimental spectra using the results of their simulation by the Monte Carlo method, is proposed and tested in practice. A model for the transport of gamma radiation from deposited radionuclides 137 Cs and 134 Cs to a scintillation detection unit located on the upper surface of the contaminated layer of sediments is considered. The relationship between the effective radius of the contaminated site and the thickness of the layer has been studied. The thickness of the contaminated layer is determined by special analysis of experimental and thickness-dependent simulated spectra. The technique and algorithm developed are verified as a result of full-scale studies performed with the submersible gamma-spectrometer. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural deformation and sedimentation in an active Caldera, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Greene, H. Gary; Tiffin, D.L.; McKee, C.O.

1986-01-01

Recent seismic and tectonic activity in Rabaul Caldera, Papua New Guinea, suggests that magma is accumulating at a shallow depth beneath this partially submerged structure and that a new volcano may be developing. Changes in onshore elevation since 1971 (as much as 2 m on south Matupit Island) indicate that rapid and large-scale uplifts have occurred on the seafloor near the center of the caldera. The frequency of seismic events within the caldera has also increased during this period. Earthquake locations define an elliptical ring surrounding the center of this uplift within the caldera. A marine geophysical survey in 1982 by the U.S. Geological Survey's R/V "S.P. Lee" in Rabaul Caldera shows the development of a bulge in the seafloor near the center of the caldera. High-resolution seismic reflection profiles show that this bulge consists of two domal uplifts bounded and separated by two major north-south-trending fault zones. Deformed sediments overlie these zones; a prominent slump flanks the area of the bulge. Five major acoustic units were identified in the seismic reflection profiles: an acoustic basement and four sedimentary units consisting of irregularly layered, cross-layered, contorted, and well-layered sequences. The acoustic basement is probably composed of crystalline volcanic rocks, and the layered acoustic units are probably sediments, primarily ash deposited in different environments. The cross-layered, irregularly layered, and contorted units appear to have been deposited in a dynamic environment subjected to strong currents, seismicity, and/or mass wasting, while the well-layered units were deposited in a low-energy environment. Locally, well-layered sequences interfinger with the other sedimentary units, indicating a transitional environment that alternated between high-energy and low-energy depositional processes. A submarine channel cuts most of the acoustic units and appears to be the conduit for sediment transport out of the caldera; it occupies an older buried channel north of the caldera that is presently being exhumed. In the south, active erosion of well-layered sediments is taking place. What are believed to be several young volcanic cones also disrupt the depositional layers. We conclude that the bulge in the seafloor and the associated fault zones are a result of emplacement of magma at a shallow depth. Contorted sediment and slumps adjacent to the bulge are probably the result of uplift and seismic activity. The pattern of seismicity appears to reflect increased magma pressure at depth beneath the caldera floor. This activity may eventually lead to an eruption. ?? 1986.

Influence of artificial pinning centers on structural and superconducting properties of thick YBCO films on ABAD-YSZ templates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pahlke, Patrick; Sieger, Max; Ottolinger, Rick; Lao, Mayraluna; Eisterer, Michael; Meledin, Alexander; Van Tendeloo, Gustaaf; Hänisch, Jens; Holzapfel, Bernhard; Schultz, Ludwig; Nielsch, Kornelius; Hühne, Ruben

2018-04-01

Recent efforts in the development of YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) coated conductors are devoted to the increase of the critical current I c in magnetic fields. This is typically realized by growing thicker YBCO layers as well as by the incorporation of artificial pinning centers. We studied the growth of doped YBCO layers with a thickness of up to 7 μm using pulsed laser deposition with a growth rate of about 1.2 nm s-1. Industrially fabricated ion-beam textured YSZ templates based on metal tapes were used as substrates for this study. The incorporation of BaHfO3 (BHO) or Ba2Y(Nb0.5Ta0.5)O6 (BYNTO) secondary phase additions leads to a denser microstructure compared to undoped films. A purely c-axis-oriented YBCO growth is preserved up to a thickness of about 4 μm, whereas misoriented texture components were observed in thicker films. The critical temperature is slightly reduced compared to undoped films and independent of film thickness. The critical current density J c of the BHO- and BYNTO-doped YBCO layers is lower at 77 K and self-field compared to pure YBCO layers; however, I c increases up to a thickness of 5 μm. A comparison between films with a thickness of 1.3 μm revealed that the anisotropy of the critical current density J c(θ) strongly depends on the incorporated pinning centers. Whereas BHO nanorods lead to a strong B∣∣c-axis peak, the overall anisotropy is significantly reduced by the incorporation of BYNTO forming a mixture of short c-axis-oriented nanorods and small (a-b)-oriented platelets. As a result, the J c values of the doped films outperform the undoped samples at higher fields and lower temperatures for most magnetic field directions.

Processing and Characterization of Thin Cadmium Telluride Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojtowicz, Anna

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) has the highest theoretical limit to conversion efficiency of single-junction photovoltaic (PV) technologies today. However, despite a maximum theoretical open-circuit voltage of 1.20 V, record devices have historically had voltages pinned around only 900 mV. Voltage losses due to high recombination rates remains to be the most complex hurdle to CdTe technology today, and the subject of on-going research in the physics PV group at Colorado State University. In this work, an ultrathin CdTe device architecture is proposed in an effort to reduce bulk recombination and boost voltages. By thinning the CdTe layer, a device's internal electric field extends fully towards the back contact. This quickly separates electrons-hole pairs throughout the bulk of the device and reduces overall recombination. Despite this advantage, very thin CdTe layers also present a unique set of optical and electrical challenges which result in performance losses not as prevalent in thicker devices. When fabricating CdTe solar cells, post-deposition treatments applied to the absorber layer are a critical step for achieving high efficiency devices. Exposure of the polycrystalline CdTe film to a chlorine species encourages the passivation of dangling bonds and larger grain formation, while copper-doping improves device uniformity and voltages. This work focuses on experiments conducted via close-space sublimation to optimize CdCl2 and CuCl treatments for thin CdTe solar cells. Sweeps of both exposure and anneal time were performed for both post-deposition treatments on CdTe devices with 1.0 mum absorber layers. The results demonstrate that thin CdTe devices require substantially less post-deposition processing than standard thicker devices as expected. Additionally, the effects of CdTe growth temperature on thin devices is briefly investigated. The results suggest that higher growth temperatures lead to both electrical and stoichiometric changes in CdTe closely associated with lower carrier lifetimes and poorer overall performance.

Stem gravitropism and tension wood formation in Acacia mangium seedlings inclined at various angles.

PubMed

Nugroho, Widyanto Dwi; Nakaba, Satoshi; Yamagishi, Yusuke; Begum, Shahanara; Rahman, Md Hasnat; Kudo, Kayo; Marsoem, Sri Nugroho; Funada, Ryo

2018-05-03

In response to a gravitational stimulus, angiosperm trees generally form tension wood on the upper sides of leaning stems in order to reorientate the stems in the vertical direction. It is unclear whether the angle of inclination from the vertical affects tension wood formation. This study was designed to investigate negative gravitropism, tension wood formation and growth eccentricity in Acacia mangium seedlings inclined at different angles. Uniform seedlings of A. mangium were artificially inclined at 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° from the vertical and harvested, with non-inclined controls, 3 months later. We analysed the effects of the angle of inclination on the stem recovery angle, the anatomical features of tension wood and radial growth. Smaller inclination angles were associated with earlier stem recovery while stems subjected to greater inclination returned to the vertical direction after a longer delay. However, in terms of the speed of negative gravitopism towards the vertical, stems subjected to greater inclination moved more rapidly toward the vertical. There was no significant difference in terms of growth eccentricity among seedlings inclined at different angles. The 30°-inclined seedlings formed the narrowest region of tension wood but there were no significant differences among seedlings inclined at 45°, 60° and 90°. The 90°-inclined seedlings formed thicker gelatinous layers than those in 30°-, 45°- and 60°-inclined seedlings. Our results suggest that the angle of inclination of the stem influences negative gravitropism, the width of the tension wood region and the thickness of gelatinous layers. Larger amounts of gelatinous fibres and thicker gelatinous layers might generate the higher tensile stress required for the higher speed of stem-recovery movement in A. mangium seedlings.

Dynamics of the Sediment Plume Over the Yangtze Bank in the Yellow and East China Seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Zhifa; Zhu, Jianrong; Wu, Hui; Li, Xiangyu

2017-12-01

A distinct sediment plume exists over the Yangtze Bank in the Yellow and East China Seas (YECS) in winter, but it disappears in summer. Based on satellite color images, there are two controversial viewpoints about the formation mechanism for the sediment plume. One viewpoint is that the sediment plume forms because of cross-shelf sediment advection of highly turbid water along the Jiangsu coast. The other viewpoint is that the formation is caused by local bottom sediment resuspension and diffused to the surface layer through vertical turbulent mixing. The dynamic mechanism of the sediment plume formation has been unclear until now. This issue was explored by using a numerical sediment model in the present paper. Observed wave, current, and sediment data from 29 December 2016 to 16 January 2017 were collected near the Jiangsu coast and used to validate the model. The results indicated that the model can reproduce the hydrodynamic and sediment processes. Numerical experiments showed that the bottom sediment could be suspended by the bottom shear stress and diffuse to the surface layer by vertical mixing in winter; however, the upward diffusion is restricted by the strong stratification in summer. The sediment plume is generated locally due to bottom sediment resuspension primarily via tide-induced bottom shear stress rather than by cross-shelf sediment advection over the Yangtze Bank.

Modeling interface roughness scattering in a layered seabed for normal-incident chirp sonar signals.

PubMed

Tang, Dajun; Hefner, Brian T

2012-04-01

Downward looking sonar, such as the chirp sonar, is widely used as a sediment survey tool in shallow water environments. Inversion of geo-acoustic parameters from such sonar data precedes the availability of forward models. An exact numerical model is developed to initiate the simulation of the acoustic field produced by such a sonar in the presence of multiple rough interfaces. The sediment layers are assumed to be fluid layers with non-intercepting rough interfaces.

Influence of silver nanoparticles on benthic oxygen consumption of microbial communities in freshwater sediments determined by microelectrodes.

PubMed

Miao, Lingzhan; Wang, Chao; Hou, Jun; Wang, Peifang; Ao, Yanhui; Li, Yi; Yao, Yu; Lv, Bowen; Yang, Yangyang; You, Guoxiang; Xu, Yi

2017-05-01

The increased use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) will inevitably result in the release of these particles into aquatic environments, with sediments as a substantial sink. However, we do not know whether AgNPs present potential impacts in sediment functioning. In this study, a microcosm approach was constructed, and the potential impacts of AgNPs and PVP-coated AgNPs on oxygen consumption in freshwater sediments (collected from Taihu Lake) were determined using oxygen microelectrodes. To our knowledge, this is the first time that microelectrodes have been used to estimate the impacts of AgNPs in sediments. The steady-state oxygen microprofiles showed that environmental relevant concentration (1 mg/L nano-Ag) did not lead to an apparent change in the oxygen consumption rates of benthic microbial communities in sediment. The addition of 10 mg/L uncoated AgNPs resulted in remarkable differences in the oxygen concentration profiles within 4-5 h and significantly inhibited the oxygen consumption of benthic microbial communities in the upper sediment layer (∼1 mm) after 100 h. Simultaneously, an increase of oxygen consumption in sediment lower zones was observed. These results may suggest that aerobic microorganisms in the upper layer of the sediment reduced metabolic activity to avoid the toxic stress from AgNPs. Concomitantly, facultative aerobes below the metabolically active upper layer switched from fermentation or anaerobic respiration to aerobic respiration as oxygen bioavailability increased in the lower zones of the sediment. In addition, PVP coating reduced the nanotoxicity of AgNPs in benthic microorganisms due to the decreased dissolution of AgNPs in the filtered overlying water, a phenomenon that merits further investigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identity and abundance of active sulfate-reducing bacteria in deep tidal flat sediments determined by directed cultivation and CARD-FISH analysis.

PubMed

Gittel, Antje; Mussmann, Marc; Sass, Henrik; Cypionka, Heribert; Könneke, Martin

2008-10-01

The identity and abundance of potentially active sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in several metre deep sediments of a tidal sand flat in the German Wadden Sea were assessed by directed cultivation and cultivation-independent CARD-FISH analysis (catalysed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization). Presumably abundant SRB from different sediment layers between 0.5 and 4 m depth were selectively enriched in up to million-fold diluted cultures supplemented with lactate, acetate or hydrogen. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from highest dilution steps showing sulfide formation indicated growth of deltaproteobacterial SRB belonging to the Desulfobulbaceae and the Desulfobacteraceae as well as of members of the Firmicutes. Subsequent isolation resulted in 10 novel phylotypes of both litho- and organotrophic sulfate-reducing Deltaproteobacteria. Molecular pre-screening identified six isolates as members of the Desulfobulbaceae, sharing highest identities with either candidatus 'Desulfobacterium corrodens' (95-97%) or Desulfobacterium catecholicum (98%), and four isolates as members of Desulfobacteraceae, being related to either Desulfobacter psychrotolerans (98%) or Desulfobacula phenolica (95-97%). Relatives of D. phenolica were exlusively isolated from 50 and 100 cm deep sediments with 10 and 2 mM of pore water sulfate respectively. In contrast, relatives of D. corrodens, D. psychrotolerans and D. catecholicum were also obtained from layers deeper than 100 cm and with less than 2 mM sulfate. The high in situ abundance of members of both families in sediment layers beneath 50 cm could be confirmed via CARD-FISH analysis performed with a set of six SRB-specific oligonucleotide probes. Moreover, SRB represented a numerically significant fraction of the microbial community throughout the sediment (up to 7%) and reached even higher cell numbers in deep, sulfate-poor layers than in the sulfate-rich surface sediment. This relatively large community size of potentially active SRB in deep sandy sediments might on the one hand be a result of their syntrophic association with other anaerobes. Our results furthermore support the hypothesis that enhanced advective pore water transport might supply nutrients to microbial communities in deep sandy sediments and point to their so far unrecognized contribution to biogeochemical processes in Wadden Sea sediments.

Planar Homojunction Gallium Nitride (GaN) P-i-N Device Evaluated for Betavoltaic Energy Conversion: Measurement and Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) September 2016 2. REPORT TYPE Technical Report 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Planar Homojunction...development of mass- production semiconductor processing methods of 4H-SiC. The ease of fabrication of thicker epitaxial layers make SiC a prime...the 0.1- and 1-nA current settings are very stable and represent the low intensity expected from radioisotope beta decay. 2.2 Planar GaN Device

Fundamentals and Methods of High Angle-of-Attack Flying Qualities Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

the subject, Carr sites the work of Ham and Gorelick (1968) (Reference (26)) which showed that additional lift could be created by rapid pitching of...the laminar boundary layer near the leading-edge. Thicker airfoils (t/c > 0. 12), 32 NADC 88020-60 representative of figure 24b, typically create ...lift-curve can result from leading-edge flow separation as shown in figure 24a. An airplance with this type of lift-curve would exhibit little or no

Long-term recovery of PCB-contaminated surface sediments at the Sangamo-westonl Twelvemile Creek/lake Hartwell Superfund Site.

PubMed

Brenner, Richard C; Magar, Victor S; Ickes, Jennifer A; Foote, Eric A; Abbott, James E; Bingler, Linda S; Crecelius, Eric A

2004-04-15

Natural recovery of contaminated sediments relies on burial of contaminated sediments with increasingly clean sediments over time (i.e., natural capping). Natural capping reduces the risk of resuspension of contaminated surface sediments, and it reduces the potential for contaminant transport into the food chain by limiting bioturbation of contaminated surface or near-surface sediments. This study evaluated the natural recovery of surface sediments contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the Sangamo-Weston/Twelvemile Creek/Lake Hartwell Superfund Site (Lake Hartwell), Pickens County, SC. The primary focus was on sediment recovery resulting from natural capping processes. Total PCB (t-PCB), lead-210 (210Pb), and cesium-137 (137Cs) sediment core profiles were used to establish vertical t-PCB concentration profiles, age date sediments, and determine surface sedimentation and surface sediment recovery rates in 18 cores collected along 10 transects. Four upgradient transects in the headwaters of Lake Hartwell were impacted by historical sediment releases from three upgradient sediment impoundments. These transects were characterized by silt/ clay and sand layering. The highest PCB concentrations were associated with silt/clay layers (1.8-3.5% total organic carbon (TOC)), while sand layers (0.05-0.32% TOC) contained much lower PCB concentrations. The historical sediment releases resulted in substantial burial of PCB-contaminated sediment in the vicinity of these four cores; each core contained less than 1 mg/kg t-PCBs in the surface sand layers. Cores collected from six downgradient Lake Hartwell transects consisted primarily of silt and clay (0.91-5.1% TOC) and were less noticeably impacted by the release of sand from the impoundments. Vertical t-PCB concentration profiles in these cores began with relatively low PCB concentrations at the sediment-water interface and increased in concentration with depth until maximum PCB concentrations were measured at approximately 30-60 cm below the sediment-water interface, ca. 1960-1980. Maximum t-PCB concentrations were followed by progressively decreasing concentrations with depth until the t-PCB concentrations approached the detection limit, where sediments were likely deposited before the onset of PCB use at the Sangamo-Weston plant. The sediments containing the maximum PCB concentrations are associated with the period of maximum PCB release into the watershed. Sedimentation rates averaged 2.1 +/- 1.5 g/(cm2 yr) for 12 of 18 cores collected. The 1994 Record of Decision cleanup requirement is 1.0 mg/kg; two more goals (0.4 and 0.05 mg/kg t-PCBs) also were identified. Average surface sedimentation requirements to meet the three goals were 1.4 +/- 3.7, 11 +/- 4.2, and 33 +/- 11 cm, respectively. Using the age dating results, the average recovery dates to meet these goals were 2000.6 +/- 2.7, 2007.4 +/- 3.5, and 2022.7 +/- 11 yr, respectively. (The 95% prediction limits for these values also are provided.) Despite the reduction in surface sediment PCB concentrations, PCB concentrations measured in largemouth bass and hybrid bass filets continue to exceed the 2.0 mg/kg FDA fish tolerance level.

Estimation of Nutrients Flux of Water-sediment Interface in the Chukchi Sea, the Western Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H.

2016-02-01

Nutrients regeneration in pore water is one of the important ways to supply nutrients of upper water column in the shelf. The pore water in sediment of the central Chukchi Sea continental shelf, showed a typical benthic distribution of nutrients at water-sediment interface, in where physical and bioturbation was weak. The nutrient samples in multi-tubular short column sediment and water column were obtained from the Forth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition, to measure the nutrient concentrations of pore water, overlying water and water column. The results show that, the typical distribution can be separated into three layers. The first layer is the exponential increasing layer (I), in which the concentrations of nutrients increased rapidly with depth. Then was the steady layer (II), the sediment demineralization was equal to the nutrient transference and nutrients' concentrations were substantially constant at this stage. The third layer was a slowly descending layer (III), in which NO3- and PO43- were reduced by bacteria and lost oxygen ions due to organic materials degradation depleting oxygen. By a two-layer mode and the Fick's first law of diffusion, diffusive fluxes of silicate, phosphate and nitrate in R06 station of the Chukchi Sea shelf can be calculated, and the fluxes were 1.660 mmol/(m2 · d), 0.008 mmol/(m2 · d) and 0.117 mmol/(m2 · d), respectively. The diffusive fluxes of silicate for CC1, R06, C07 and S23 stations were 3.101 mmol/(m2 · d), 1.660 mmol/(m2 · d), 1.307 mmol/(m2 · d) and mmol/(m2 · d), respectively, which show obvious distribution characteristics with latitude. Distribution of N * in the pore water suggested that a strong denitrification process in sedimentary environment of the Chukchi Sea shelf, which is an important sink for nitrate.

Mechanical stratification of autochthonous salt: Implications from basin-scale numerical models of rifted margin salt tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ings, Steven; Albertz, Markus

2014-05-01

Deformation of salt and sediments owing to the flow of weak evaporites is a common phenomenon in sedimentary basins worldwide, and the resulting structures and thermal regimes have a significant impact on hydrocarbon exploration. Evaporite sequences ('salt') of significant thickness (e.g., >1km) are typically deposited in many cycles of seawater inundation and evaporation in restricted basins resulting in layered autochthonous evaporite packages. However, analogue and numerical models of salt tectonics typically treat salt as a homogeneous viscous material, often with properties of halite, the weakest evaporite. In this study, we present results of two-dimensional plane-strain numerical experiments designed to illustrate the effects of variable evaporite viscosity and embedded frictional-plastic ('brittle') sediment layers on the style of salt flow and associated deformation of the sedimentary overburden. Evaporite viscosity is a first-order control on salt flow rate and the style of overburden deformation. Near-complete evacuation of low-viscosity salt occurs beneath expulsion basins, whereas significant salt is trapped when viscosity is high. Embedded frictional-plastic sediment layers (with finite yield strength) partition salt flow and develop transient contractional structures (folds, thrust faults, and folded faults) in a seaward salt-squeeze flow regime. Multiple internal sediment layers reduce the overall seaward salt flow during sediment aggradation, leaving more salt behind to be re-mobilized during subsequent progradation. This produces more seaward extensive allochthonous salt sheets. If there is a density difference between the embedded layers and the surrounding salt, then the embedded layers 'fractionate' during deformation and either float to the surface or sink to the bottom (depending on density), creating a thick zone of pure halite. Such a process of 'buoyancy fractionation' may partially explain the apparent paradox of layered salt in autochthonous salt basins and thick packages of pure halite in allochthonous salt sheets.

A Combined Field and Laboratory Study on Activated Carbon-Based Thin Layer Capping in a PCB-Contaminated Boreal Lake.

PubMed

Abel, Sebastian; Akkanen, Jarkko

2018-04-17

The in situ remediation of aquatic sediments with activated carbon (AC)-based thin layer capping is a promising alternative to traditional methods, such as sediment dredging. Applying a strong sorbent like AC directly to the sediment can greatly reduce the bioavailability of organic pollutants. To evaluate the method under realistic field conditions, a 300 m 2 plot in the PCB-contaminated Lake Kernaalanjärvi, Finland, was amended with an AC cap (1.6 kgAC/m 2 ). The study lake showed highly dynamic sediment movements over the monitoring period of 14 months. This led to poor retention and rapid burial of the AC cap under a layer of contaminated sediment from adjacent sites. As a result, the measured impact of the AC amendment was low: Both the benthic community structure and PCB bioaccumulation were similar on the plot and in surrounding reference sites. Corresponding follow-up laboratory studies using Lumbriculus variegatus and Chironomus riparius showed that long-term remediation success is possible, even when an AC cap is covered with contaminated sediment. To retain a measurable effectiveness (reduction in contaminant bioaccumulation), a sufficient intensity and depth of bioturbation is required. On the other hand, the magnitude of the adverse effect induced by AC correlated positively with the measured remediation success.

Impact of beaver ponds on river discharge and sediment deposition along the Chevral River, Ardennes, Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyssen, Jan; Frankl, Amaury; Pontzeele, Jolien; De Visscher, Maarten; Billi, Paolo

2013-04-01

With the recovery of the European beaver (Castor fiber) and their capacity to engineer fluvial landscapes, questions arise as to how they influence river discharge and sediment transport. The Chevral river (Ardennes, Belgium) contains two beaver dam sequences which appeared in 2004 and count now about 30 dams. Flow discharges and sediment fluxes were measured at the in- and outflow of each dam sequence. Volumes of sediment deposited behind the dams were measured. Between 2004 and 2011, peak flows were topped off, and the magnitude of extreme events decreased. 1710 m³ of sediment were deposited behind the beaver dams, with an average sediment thickness of 25 cm. The thickness of the sediment layer is related to the area of the beaver ponds. Along the stream, beaver pond sediment thickness displayed a sinusoidal deposition pattern, in which ponds with thick sediment layers were preceded by a series of ponds with thinner sediment layers. A downstream textural coarsening in the dam sequences was also observed, probably due to dam failures subsequent to surges. Differences in sediment flux between the in- and outflow at the beaver pond sequence were related to the river hydrograph, with deposition taking place during the rising limbs and slight erosion during the falling limbs. The seven-year-old sequences have filtered 190 tons of sediment out of the Chevral river, which is of the same order of magnitude as the 374 tons measured in pond deposits, with the difference between the values corresponding to beaver excavations (60 tons), inflow from small tributaries, and runoff from the valley flanks. Hydrogeomorphic effects of C. fiber and C. canadensis activity are similar in magnitude. The detailed analysis of changes to hydrology in beaver pond sequences confirms the potential of beavers to contribute to river and wetland restoration and catchment management.

Theory of the spatial resolution of (scanning) transmission electron microscopy in liquid water or ice layers.

PubMed

de Jonge, Niels

2018-04-01

The sample dependent spatial resolution was calculated for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning TEM (STEM) of objects (e.g., nanoparticles, proteins) embedded in a layer of liquid water or amorphous ice. The theoretical model includes elastic- and inelastic scattering, beam broadening, and chromatic aberration. Different contrast mechanisms were evaluated as function of the electron dose, the detection angle, and the sample configuration. It was found that the spatial resolution scales with the electron dose to the -1/4th power. Gold- and carbon nanoparticles were examined in the middle of water layers ranging from 0.01--10 µm thickness representing relevant classes of experiments in both materials science and biology. The optimal microscope settings differ between experimental configurations. STEM performs the best for gold nanoparticles for all layer thicknesses, while carbon is best imaged with phase-contrast TEM for thin layers but bright field STEM is preferred for thicker layers. The resolution was also calculated for a water layer enclosed between thin membranes. The influence of chromatic aberration correction for TEM was examined as well. The theory is broadly applicable to other types of materials and sample configurations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear Interaction of Detuned Instability Waves in Boundary-Layer Transition: Resonant-Triad Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Sang Soo

1998-01-01

The non-equilibrium critical-layer analysis of a system of frequency-detuned resonant-triads is presented using the generalized scaling of Lee. It is shown that resonant-triads can interact nonlinearly within the common critical layer when their (fundamental) Strouhal numbers are different by a factor whose magnitude is of the order of the growth rate multiplied by the wavenumber of the instability wave. Since the growth rates of the instability modes become larger and the critical layers become thicker as the instability waves propagate downstream, the frequency-detuned resonant-triads that grow independently of each other in the upstream region can interact nonlinearly in the later downstream stage. In the final stage of the non-equilibrium critical-layer evolution, a wide range of instability waves with the scaled frequencies differing by almost an Order of (l) can nonlinearly interact. Low-frequency modes are also generated by the nonlinear interaction between oblique waves in the critical layer. The system of partial differential critical-layer equations along with the jump equations are presented here. The amplitude equations with their numerical solutions are given in Part 2. The nonlinearly generated low-frequency components are also investigated in Part 2.

Preparation and mechanical properties of layers made of recombinant spider silk proteins and silk from silk worm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junghans, F.; Morawietz, M.; Conrad, U.; Scheibel, T.; Heilmann, A.; Spohn, U.

2006-02-01

Layers of recombinant spider silks and native silks from silk worms were prepared by spin-coating and casting of various solutions. FT-IR spectra were recorded to investigate the influence of the different mechanical stress occurring during the preparation of the silk layers. The solubility of the recombinant spider silk proteins SO1-ELP, C16, AQ24NR3, and of the silk fibroin from Bombyx mori were investigated in hexafluorisopropanol, ionic liquids and concentrated salt solutions. The morphology and thickness of the layers were determined by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) or with a profilometer. The mechanical behaviour was investigated by acoustic impedance analysis by using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCMB) as well as by microindentation. The density of silk layers (d<300 nm) was determined based on AFM and QCMB measurements. At silk layers thicker than 300 nm significant changes of the half-band-half width can be correlated with increasing energy dissipation. Microhardness measurements demonstrate that recombinant spider silk and sericine-free Bombyx mori silk layers achieve higher elastic penetration modules EEP and Martens hardness values HM than those of polyethylenterephthalate (PET) and polyetherimide (PEI) foils.

The opto-thermal effect on encapsulated cholesteric liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yu-Sung; Lin, Hui-Chi; Yang, Kin-Min

2017-12-01

In this study, we implemented a micro-encapsulated CLC electronic paper that is optically addressed and electrically erasable. The mechanism that forms spot diameters on the CLC films is discussed and verified through various experimental parameters, including the thickness of CLCs and Poly(2,3-dihydrothieno-1,4-dioxin)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), pump intensity, and pumping time. The opto-thermal effect, brought on by the PEDOT:PSS absorbing layer, causes the spot diameters on the cholesteric liquid crystal thin films to vary. According to our results, the spot diameter is larger for a sample with a thinner cholesteric liquid crystal layer with the same excitation conditions and same thickness of the PEDOT layer. The spot diameter is also larger for a sample with a thicker PEDOT under the same excitation conditions and same thickness of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. We proposed a simple heat-conducting model to explain the experimental results, which qualitatively agree with this theoretical model.

Desorption Kinetics of Methanol, Ethanol, and Water from Graphene

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, R. Scott; Matthiesen, Jesper; Kay, Bruce D.

2014-09-18

The desorption kinetics of methanol, ethanol, and water from graphene covered Pt(111) are investigated. The temperature programmed desorption (TPD) spectra for both methanol and ethanol have well-resolved first, second, third, and multilayer layer desorption peaks. The alignment of the leading edges is consistent with zero-order desorption kinetics from all layers. In contrast, for water the first and second layers are not resolved. At low water coverages (< 1 ML) the initial desorption leading edges are aligned but then fall out of alignment at higher temperatures. For thicker water layers (10 to 100 ML), the desorption leading edges are in alignmentmore » throughout the desorption of the film. The coverage dependence of the desorption behavoir suggests that at low water coverages the non-alignment of the desorption leading edges is due to water dewetting from the graphene substrate. Kinetic simulations reveal that the experimental results are consistent with zero-order desorption. The simulations also show that fractional order desorption kinetics would be readily apparent in the experimental TPD spectra.« less

Desorption kinetics of methanol, ethanol, and water from graphene.

PubMed

Smith, R Scott; Matthiesen, Jesper; Kay, Bruce D

2014-09-18

The desorption kinetics of methanol, ethanol, and water from graphene covered Pt(111) are investigated. The temperature programmed desorption (TPD) spectra for both methanol and ethanol have well-resolved first, second, third, and multilayer layer desorption peaks. The alignment of the leading edges is consistent with zero-order desorption kinetics from all layers. In contrast, for water, the first and second layers are not resolved. At low water coverages (<1 monolayer (ML)) the initial desorption leading edges are aligned but then fall out of alignment at higher temperatures. For thicker water layers (10-100 ML), the desorption leading edges are in alignment throughout the desorption of the film. The coverage dependence of the desorption behavoir suggests that at low water coverages the nonalignment of the desorption leading edges is due to water dewetting from the graphene substrate. Kinetic simulations reveal that the experimental results are consistent with zero-order desorption. The simulations also show that fractional order desorption kinetics would be readily apparent in the experimental TPD spectra.

[Skin histology and morphometry of the fish Eremophilus mutisii (Trychomecteridae, Siluriformes)].

PubMed

Bonilla Lizarazo, Rocío Johanna; Quintero Virguez, Marllury; Ramírez, Edwin Gómez; Rodríguez Caicedo, Daniel; Hurtado Giraldo, Hermán

2008-06-01

The tropical freshwater fish Eremophylus mutisii is endemic to the Cundinamarca highland in Colombia. Skin samples (0.5x0.5 cm2) were taken from 11 specimens at six body parts (mandible, dorsal head, dorsal trunk, caudal trunk, medial trunk and abdominal area), fixed in 4% formaldehyde, dehydrated in 95% ethanol and 99% isopropanol, embedded in paraffin and sectioned at 5 sm. The skin is made of two mayor cutaneous layers (epidermis and dermis) and a subcutaneous layer (hypodermis). The epidermis presents three layers with secretory cells, epithelial cells and a few taste buds; the dermis is separated from the epidermis by a basal membrane. We observed fibroblasts, two layers of melanophors and some blood vessels; the hypodermis has vascularized adipose tissue. Skin thickness changes with body area; the dermis is thicker than the epidermis; skin has more club cells than mucous cells. The medial trunk area has the largest number of club and mucous cells. The skin of E. mutissi seems to mainly have a protective function.

Relating results from earthworm toxicity tests to agricultural soil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beyer, W.N.; Greig-Smith, P.W.

1992-01-01

The artificial soil tests of the European Economic Community and of the Organization for Economic Cooperation produce data relating earthworm mortality to pesticide concentrations in soil under laboratory conditions. To apply these results to agricultural soils it is necessary to relate these concentrations to amounts of pesticide applied per area. This paper reviews the relevant published literature and suggests a simple relation for regulatory use. Hazards to earthworms from pesticides are suggested to be greatest soon after application, when the pesticides may be concentrated in a soil layer a few millimeters thick. For estimating exposure of earthworms, however, a thicker soil layer should be considered, to account for their movement through soil. During favorable weather conditions, earthworms belonging to species appropriate to the artificial soil test have been reported to confine their activity to a layer about 5 cm. If a 5-cm layer is accepted as relevant for regulatory purposes, then an application of 1 kg/ha would be equivalent to 1-67 ppm (dry) in the artificial soil test.

Extreme Events on a Low-Gradient River and Delta: Evidence for Sediment Mass Movements on the Subaqueous Delta and a Mechanism for Creating Hyperpycnal Flow onto the Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dellapenna, T. M.; Carlin, J. A.; Williams, J. R.

2016-02-01

The Brazos River empties into the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) forming a wave-influenced, muddy, subaqueous delta (SAD). Recent research in the estuarine reach of the river and on the SAD, however, found evidence for significant mass wasting of the delta-front and potential evidence of hyperpycnal flow, a processes typically associated with higher gradient and higher sediment yield rivers. The study used high-resolution geophysics on the SAD and water-column profiling in the lower river to investigate the transfer to and fate of fluvial sediment on the shelf. The SAD side scan mosaic combined with core data reveal that the eastern portion was dominated by exposed relict, consolidated sediment; an erosional scarp along the upper shoreface; and a thinning of the Holocene strata immediately downslope of the scarp. Holocene strata thickness increases into deeper water. These features suggest sediment mass wasting on the delta front. After rapidly prograding during the early and mid 20th century, reductions in sediment load due anthropogenic influences, and a shift in the primary depocenter lead to erosion on these abandoned portions of the delta. During an elevated fluvial discharge event, a >1 m thick fluid mud layer was found along a 6 km span of the river 2 km upstream from the mouth. The river's salt wedge was shown to inhibit sediment export from the river to the GOM, and facilitate deposition of mud in the lower river. We believe that the mud layer in the lower river builds during moderate and low discharge periods and remobilized during increased discharge, potentially resulting in hyperpyncnal flow to the shelf. We observed suspended sediment concentrations up to 100 g/l in the fluid mud layer during this event. While our observations did not capture the transition from fluid mud to hyperpycnal flow, we believe that with persistent increased discharge the fluid mud layer could transition to hyperpycnal flow.

A bilayer model for bedload sediment transport as generalization of Exner models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escalante, Cipriano; Fernandez-Nieto, Enrique; Morales de Luna, Tomas; Narbona Reina, Gladys

2017-04-01

Sediment can be transported in several ways by the action of a river. During low transport stages, particles move by sliding and rolling over the surface of the bed. This type of transport is usually called bedload transport. The usual approach to model these phenomena is to use the Saint-Venant-Exner model (SVE) which consists in a shallow water model coupled with a morphodynamical component for the bedload transport. The bedload transport depends on an empirical flux. Nevertheless, this approach presents some drawbacks, for instance, gravitational effects for bedload transport is neglected and the momentum equation for the sediment is missing. In this work we present a two-layer shallow water type model in order to better describe bedload transport. We consider an upper layer consisting in clear water and a lower layer which accounts for the sediment material. This allows to better describe the phenomena. The key point is the definition of the friction laws between the two layers. The model is a generalization of classic models as it allows to recover SVE system when the ratio between the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic time scales is small, as commonly done to derive SVE models.

Oceanographic controls over sediment water content: northern Bermuda rise

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baker, M.; Laine, E.P.

1985-01-01

Cores taken from the plateaus of Northern Bermuda Rise show that the region is underlain at depths of 1-5 m by a 1-3 m thick layer of hemipelagic lutites with anomalously high water contents. The lack of visually apparent textural and lithological changes in this extremely fine grained sediment rule out these common causes for variation in water content. The water content averages 175% within this layer and 100% immediately above and below it. This is an increase of 9.5% in porosity. The high water content sediment is confined to a period between 12 and 16 ka. Current work onmore » the mineralogy of the sediments which comprise this layer suggest two oceanographic factors that may have influenced its formation. A meltwater spike associated with deglaciation may have altered the ecological conditions above the thermocline sufficiently to promote the increased production of radiolaria, resulting in the deposition of silica enriched sediment on the sea floor. A combination of textural and perhaps chemical factors caused by the silica enrichment may have influenced the increase in water content. Intensified bottom currents at this time also may have eroded smectite rich sediments from exposures of Neogene age and deposited them on the plateaus. An increase in smectite would increase the water content due to the extremely fine grain size and the chemistry of the clay. Thus, the lateral continuity and isochroniety of this layer, combined with its mineralogical characteristics suggests that oceanographic changes can influence water content and perhaps other geotechnical properties on a regional scale.« less

Doubled heterogeneous crystal nucleation in sediments of hard sphere binary-mass mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löwen, Hartmut; Allahyarov, Elshad

2011-10-01

Crystallization during the sedimentation process of a binary colloidal hard spheres mixture is explored by Brownian dynamics computer simulations. The two species are different in buoyant mass but have the same interaction diameter. Starting from a completely mixed system in a finite container, gravity is suddenly turned on, and the crystallization process in the sample is monitored. If the Peclet numbers of the two species are both not too large, crystalline layers are formed at the bottom of the cell. The composition of lighter particles in the sedimented crystal is non-monotonic in the altitude: it is first increasing, then decreasing, and then increasing again. If one Peclet number is large and the other is small, we observe the occurrence of a doubled heterogeneous crystal nucleation process. First, crystalline layers are formed at the bottom container wall which are separated from an amorphous sediment. At the amorphous-fluid interface, a secondary crystal nucleation of layers is identified. This doubled heterogeneous nucleation can be verified in real-space experiments on colloidal mixtures.

Directional Antineutrino Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safdi, Benjamin R.; Suerfu, Burkhant

2015-02-01

We propose the first event-by-event directional antineutrino detector using inverse beta decay (IBD) interactions on hydrogen, with potential applications including monitoring for nuclear nonproliferation, spatially mapping geoneutrinos, characterizing the diffuse supernova neutrino background and searching for new physics in the neutrino sector. The detector consists of adjacent and separated target and capture scintillator planes. IBD events take place in the target layers, which are thin enough to allow the neutrons to escape without scattering elastically. The neutrons are detected in the thicker boron-loaded capture layers. The location of the IBD event and the momentum of the positron are determined by tracking the positron's trajectory through the detector. Our design is a straightforward modification of existing antineutrino detectors; a prototype could be built with existing technology.

Asymmetric metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure formed by pulsed Nd:YAG laser deposition with titanium nitride (TiN) and aluminum nitride (AlN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oshikane, Yasushi

2017-08-01

A novel nanostructured end cap for a truncated conical apex of optical fiber has been studied experimental and numerically. The peculiar cap is composed of asymmetric metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure coupled with subwavelength holes. The MIM structure may act as reflective band cut filter or generator of surface plasmon polariton (SPP). And nano holes in the thicker metal layer could extract the SPP from the MIM structure and lead it to outer surface of the metal layer. For the purpose, the author has started to create the asymmetric MIM structure with TiN and AlN by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The resultant structure was diagnosed by spectroscopic analyses.

Dependence of lattice strain relaxation, absorbance, and sheet resistance on thickness in textured ZnO@B transparent conductive oxide for thin-film solar cell applications.

PubMed

Kou, Kuang-Yang; Huang, Yu-En; Chen, Chien-Hsun; Feng, Shih-Wei

2016-01-01

The interplay of surface texture, strain relaxation, absorbance, grain size, and sheet resistance in textured, boron-doped ZnO (ZnO@B), transparent conductive oxide (TCO) materials of different thicknesses used for thin film, solar cell applications is investigated. The residual strain induced by the lattice mismatch and the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient for thicker ZnO@B is relaxed, leading to an increased surface texture, stronger absorbance, larger grain size, and lower sheet resistance. These experimental results reveal the optical and material characteristics of the TCO layer, which could be useful for enhancing the performance of solar cells through an optimized TCO layer.

Surface modification of investment cast-316L implants: microstructure effects.

PubMed

El-Hadad, Shimaa; Khalifa, Waleed; Nofal, Adel

2015-03-01

Artificial femur stem of 316L stainless steel was fabricated by investment casting using vacuum induction melting. Different surface treatments: mechanical polishing, thermal oxidation and immersion in alkaline solution were applied. Thicker hydroxyapatite (HAP) layer was formed in the furnace-oxidized samples as compared to the mechanically polished ones. The alkaline treatment enhanced the precipitation of HAP on the samples. It was also observed that the HAP precipitation responded differently to the different phases of the microstructure. The austenite phase was observed to have more homogeneous and smoother layer of HAP. In addition, the growth of HAP was sometimes favored on the austenite phase rather than on ferrite phase. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanopatterned articles produced using reconstructed block copolymer films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russell, Thomas P.; Park, Soojin; Wang;, Jia-Yu

Nanopatterned surfaces are prepared by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate, annealing and surface reconstructing the block copolymer film to create an array of cylindrical voids, depositing a metal on the surface-reconstructed block copolymer film, and heating the metal-coated block copolymer film to redistribute at least some of the metal into the cylindrical voids. When very thin metal layers and low heating temperatures are used, metal nanodots can be formed. When thicker metal layers and higher heating temperatures are used, the resulting metal structure includes nanoring-shaped voids. The nanopatterned surfaces can be transferred tomore » the underlying substrates via etching, or used to prepare nanodot- or nanoring-decorated substrate surfaces.« less

Method of producing nanopatterned articles using surface-reconstructed block copolymer films

DOEpatents

Russell, Thomas P; Park, Soojin; Wang, Jia-Yu; Kim, Bokyung

2013-08-27

Nanopatterned surfaces are prepared by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate, annealing and surface reconstructing the block copolymer film to create an array of cylindrical voids, depositing a metal on the surface-reconstructed block copolymer film, and heating the metal-coated block copolymer film to redistribute at least some of the metal into the cylindrical voids. When very thin metal layers and low heating temperatures are used, metal nanodots can be formed. When thicker metal layers and higher heating temperatures are used, the resulting metal structure includes nanoring-shaped voids. The nanopatterned surfaces can be transferred to the underlying substrates via etching, or used to prepare nanodot- or nanoring-decorated substrate surfaces.

Anatomy of the western Java plate interface from depth-migrated seismic images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopp, H.; Hindle, D.; Klaeschen, D.; Oncken, O.; Reichert, C.; Scholl, D.

2009-11-01

Newly pre-stack depth-migrated seismic images resolve the structural details of the western Java forearc and plate interface. The structural segmentation of the forearc into discrete mechanical domains correlates with distinct deformation styles. Approximately 2/3 of the trench sediment fill is detached and incorporated into frontal prism imbricates, while the floor sequence is underthrust beneath the décollement. Western Java, however, differs markedly from margins such as Nankai or Barbados, where a uniform, continuous décollement reflector has been imaged. In our study area, the plate interface reveals a spatially irregular, nonlinear pattern characterized by the morphological relief of subducted seamounts and thicker than average patches of underthrust sediment. The underthrust sediment is associated with a low velocity zone as determined from wide-angle data. Active underplating is not resolved, but likely contributes to the uplift of the large bivergent wedge that constitutes the forearc high. Our profile is located 100 km west of the 2006 Java tsunami earthquake. The heterogeneous décollement zone regulates the friction behavior of the shallow subduction environment where the earthquake occurred. The alternating pattern of enhanced frictional contact zones associated with oceanic basement relief and weak material patches of underthrust sediment influences seismic coupling and possibly contributed to the heterogeneous slip distribution. Our seismic images resolve a steeply dipping splay fault, which originates at the décollement and terminates at the sea floor and which potentially contributes to tsunami generation during co-seismic activity.

Anatomy of the western Java plate interface from depth-migrated seismic images

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kopp, H.; Hindle, D.; Klaeschen, D.; Oncken, O.; Reichert, C.; Scholl, D.

2009-01-01

Newly pre-stack depth-migrated seismic images resolve the structural details of the western Java forearc and plate interface. The structural segmentation of the forearc into discrete mechanical domains correlates with distinct deformation styles. Approximately 2/3 of the trench sediment fill is detached and incorporated into frontal prism imbricates, while the floor sequence is underthrust beneath the d??collement. Western Java, however, differs markedly from margins such as Nankai or Barbados, where a uniform, continuous d??collement reflector has been imaged. In our study area, the plate interface reveals a spatially irregular, nonlinear pattern characterized by the morphological relief of subducted seamounts and thicker than average patches of underthrust sediment. The underthrust sediment is associated with a low velocity zone as determined from wide-angle data. Active underplating is not resolved, but likely contributes to the uplift of the large bivergent wedge that constitutes the forearc high. Our profile is located 100 km west of the 2006 Java tsunami earthquake. The heterogeneous d??collement zone regulates the friction behavior of the shallow subduction environment where the earthquake occurred. The alternating pattern of enhanced frictional contact zones associated with oceanic basement relief and weak material patches of underthrust sediment influences seismic coupling and possibly contributed to the heterogeneous slip distribution. Our seismic images resolve a steeply dipping splay fault, which originates at the d??collement and terminates at the sea floor and which potentially contributes to tsunami generation during co-seismic activity. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V.

Development of 256 x 256 Element Impurity Band Conduction Infrared Detector Arrays for Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Domingo, George

1997-01-01

This report describes the work performed on a one and a half year advance technology program to develop Impurity Band Conduction (IBC) detectors with very low dark current, high quantum efficiency, and with good repeatable processes. The program fabricated several epitaxial growths of Si:As detecting layers from 15 to 35 microns thick and analyzed the performance versus the thickness and the Arsenic concentration of these epitaxial layers. Some of the epitaxial runs did not yield because of excessive residual impurities. The thicker epitaxial layers and the ones with higher Arsenic concentration resulted in good detectors with low dark currents and good quantum efficiency. The program hybridized six detector die from the best detector wafers to a low noise, 256 x 256 readout array and delivered the hybrids to NASA Ames for a more detailed study of the performance of the detectors.

Three-Dimensional Porous Particles Composed of Curved, Two-Dimensional, Nano-Sized Layers for Li-Ion Batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yushin, Gleb; Evanoff, Kara; Magasinski, Alexander

2012-01-01

Thin Si films coated on porous 3D particles composed of curved 2D graphene sheets have been synthesized utilizing techniques that allow for tunable properties. Since graphene exhibits specific surface area up to 100 times higher than carbon black or graphite, the deposition of the same mass of Si on graphene is much faster in comparison -- a factor which is important for practical applications. In addition, the distance between graphene layers is tunable and variation in the thickness of the deposited Si film is feasible. Both of these characteristics allow for optimization of the energy and power characteristics. Thicker films will allow higher capacity, but slower rate capabilities. Thinner films will allow more rapid charging, or higher power performance. In this innovation, uniform deposition of Si and C layers on high-surface area graphene produced granules with specific surface area (SSA) of 5 sq. m/g.

Fresnel coefficients and Fabry-Perot formula for spatially dispersive metallic layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitelet, Armel; Mallet, Émilien; Centeno, Emmanuel; Moreau, Antoine

2017-07-01

The repulsion between free electrons inside a metal makes its optical response spatially dispersive, so that it is not described by Drude's model but by a hydrodynamic model. We give here fully analytic results for a metallic slab in this framework, thanks to a two-mode cavity formalism leading to a Fabry-Perot formula, and show that a simplification can be made that preserves the accuracy of the results while allowing much simpler analytic expressions. For metallic layers thicker than 2.7 nm modified Fresnel coefficients can actually be used to accurately predict the response of any multilayer with spatially dispersive metals (for reflection, transmission, or the guided modes). Finally, this explains why adding a small dielectric layer [Y. Luo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 093901 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.093901] allows one to reproduce the effects of nonlocality in many cases, and especially for multilayers.

Effect of layer thickness on the properties of nickel thermal sprayed steel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nurisna, Zuhri, E-mail: zuhri-nurisna@yahoo.co.id; Triyono,, E-mail: triyonomesin@uns.ac.id; Muhayat, Nurul, E-mail: nurulmuhayat@staff.uns.ac.id

Thermal arc spray nickel coating is widely used for decorative and functional applications, by improving corrosion resistance, wear resistance, heat resistence or by modifying other properties of the coated materials. There are several properties have been studied. Layer thickness of nickel thermal sprayed steel may be make harder the substrate surface. In this study, the effect of layer thickness of nickel thermal sprayed steel has been investigated. The rectangular substrate specimens were coated by Ni–5 wt.% Al using wire arc spray method. The thickness of coating layers were in range from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. Different thickness of coating layers weremore » conducted to investigate their effect on hardness and morphology. The coating layer was examined by using microvickers and scanning electron microscope with EDX attachment. Generally, the hardness at the interface increased with increasing thickness of coating layers for all specimens due to higher heat input during spraying process. Morphology analysis result that during spraying process aluminum would react with surrounding oxygen and form aluminum oxide at outer surface of splat. Moreover, porosity was formed in coating layers. However, presence porosity is not related to thickness of coating material. The thicker coating layer resulted highesr of hardness and bond strength.« less

Mars mission relevant investigations on a ~ 3.5 Ga Mars analogue rock from the Pilbara and Barberton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westall, F.; Pullan, D.; Schröder, C.; Klingelhöfer, G.; Fernández-Sánchez, J.; Jorge, S.; Edwards, H.; Cressey, G.

2007-08-01

Volcaniclastic sediments deposited in shallow water basins on the early Earth represent ideal analogues for Noachian volcanic sediments since the environmental conditions and settings for both were quite similar: important volcanic and hydrothermal activity (somewhat less on Mars), period of late heavy bombardment (~4.0 Ga), water bodies with a slightly acidic pH, higher salt content, atmosphere with minimal O2 (<0.2 % PAL), high UV flux to the surface. Life apparently thrived in these conditions on Earth, leaving structural and geochemical signatures in the Early Archaean sediments. Within the framework of the PAFS-net* programme, using space qualified instrumentation, we analysed previously well-characterised volcanic sedimentary rocks from a number of locations in the 3.5-3.3 Ga-old greenstone belts of the Pilbara (Australia) and Barberton (South Africa). They included mud flat sediments containing traces of probable chemolithotrophic and anoxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms, a small stromatolite (some microfossil traces) and a banded iron formation sample (also some microfossil traces). All the sediments were silicified by early diagenetic processes. The instruments used were the Beagle2 Development Model (DM) stereo camera for proximal (~100 cm) and macroscopic (~10 cm) imaging, the Beagle 2 microscope for microscopic (~1 cm) imaging, a Nuance multi-spectral imager, a TN Technologies Spectrace 9000 commercial energy dispersive XRF spectrometer, a Philips PW1710 diffractometer for XRD, and the Beagle2 spare Mössbauer spectrometer. The camera systems were well able to depict the fine-scale sedimentological structures of the rock samples that, in the case of the volcaniclastic sediment and the stromatolite, can be used to interpret a shallow water environment of deposition (the flaser-linsen bedding of the former and the convex, sinuous layering of the latter). The massively quartz-rich (chert) composition of the silicified sediments was picked up by the XRD and the Raman spectrometers. The silicified volcanics also contain feldspar, identified by the Raman, whereas the XRF analyses showed that they are K-feldspars. The traces of Ba and Cu in this sample are probably related to the mostly hydothermal origin of the silica that cemented the volcanic sediments. Raman spectroscopy also identified a greater abundance of carbon (matured kerogen) in the black layers of this sample (finer grained volcaniclastics). The stromatolite sample, on the other hand, consists largely of quartz although Raman showed some dolomite and carbon (mature kerogen) in the grey layers (silicified stromatolitic layers). The layering in the laminated volcaniclastic sediment was too fine for the Mössbauer spectrometer to pick up any details. The Mössbauer was able to detect a very thin layer of Fe oxide <<0.2 mm on the surface of the stromatolite. Compositional layering in the BIF was clearly visible using multispectral imaging with the Nuance camera and the Mössbauer could identify highly crystalline and chemically pure goethite in the Fe-rich layers with minor goethite and hematite occurring in the quartz-rich layers. The combination of the instrumentation used for imaging and chemical analysis was quite sufficient to identify the sedimentary origin of the finely laminated volcaniclastic and stromatolite rocks and to demonstrate their pervasive silicification. The presence of carbon in these rocks would, in a Mars scenario, make them ideal subjects for organo-geochemical analysis. The same suite of instruments was also able to demonstrate the origin of the BIF, again, a suitable candidate for further analysis. * Planetary Analogue Field Study network (main coordinator D. Pullan)

Nitrate retention capacity of milldam-impacted legacy sediments and relict A horizon soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weitzman, Julie N.; Kaye, Jason P.

2017-05-01

While eutrophication is often attributed to contemporary nutrient pollution, there is growing evidence that past practices, like the accumulation of legacy sediment behind historic milldams, are also important. Given their prevalence, there is a critical need to understand how N flows through, and is retained in, legacy sediments to improve predictions and management of N transport from uplands to streams in the context of climatic variability and land-use change. Our goal was to determine how nitrate (NO3-) is cycled through the soil of a legacy-sediment-strewn stream before and after soil drying. We extracted 10.16 cm radius intact soil columns that extended 30 cm into each of the three significant soil horizons at Big Spring Run (BSR) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania: surface legacy sediment characterized by a newly developing mineral A horizon soil, mid-layer legacy sediment consisting of mineral B horizon soil and a dark, organic-rich, buried relict A horizon soil. Columns were first preincubated at field capacity and then isotopically labeled nitrate (15NO3-) was added and allowed to drain to estimate retention. The columns were then air-dried and subsequently rewet with N-free water and allowed to drain to quantify the drought-induced loss of 15NO3- from the different horizons. We found the highest initial 15N retention in the mid-layer legacy sediment (17 ± 4 %) and buried relict A soil (14 ± 3 %) horizons, with significantly lower retention in the surface legacy sediment (6 ± 1 %) horizon. As expected, rewetting dry soil resulted in 15N losses in all horizons, with the greatest losses in the buried relict A horizon soil, followed by the mid-layer legacy sediment and surface legacy sediment horizons. The 15N remaining in the soil following the post-drought leaching was highest in the mid-layer legacy sediment, intermediate in the surface legacy sediment, and lowest in the buried relict A horizon soil. Fluctuations in the water table at BSR which affect saturation of the buried relict A horizon soil could lead to great loses of NO3- from the soil, while vertical flow through the legacy-sediment-rich soil profile that originates in the surface has the potential to retain more NO3-. Restoration that seeks to reconnect the groundwater and surface water, which will decrease the number of drying-rewetting events imposed on the relict A horizon soils, could initially lead to increased losses of NO3- to nearby stream waters.

Sediment storage time in a simulated meandering river's floodplain, comparisons of point bar and overbank deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ackerman, T. R.; Pizzuto, J. E.

2016-12-01

Sediment may be stored briefly or for long periods in alluvial deposits adjacent to rivers. The duration of sediment storage may affect diagenesis, and controls the timing of sediment delivery, affecting the propagation of upland sediment signals caused by tectonics, climate change, and land use, and the efficacy of watershed management strategies designed to reduce sediment loading to estuaries and reservoirs. Understanding the functional form of storage time distributions can help to extrapolate from limited field observations and improve forecasts of sediment loading. We simulate stratigraphy adjacent to a modeled river where meander migration is driven by channel curvature. The basal unit is built immediately as the channel migrates away, analogous to a point bar; rules for overbank (flood) deposition create thicker deposits at low elevations and near the channel, forming topographic features analogous to natural levees, scroll bars, and terraces. Deposit age is tracked everywhere throughout the simulation, and the storage time is recorded when the channel returns and erodes the sediment at each pixel. 210 ky of simulated run time is sufficient for the channel to migrate 10,500 channel widths, but only the final 90 ky are analyzed. Storage time survivor functions are well fit by exponential functions until 500 years (point bar) or 600 years (overbank) representing the youngest 50% of eroded sediment. Then (until an age of 12 ky, representing the next 48% (point bar) or 45% (overbank) of eroding sediment), the distributions are well fit by heavy tailed power functions with slopes of -1 (point bar) and -0.75 (overbank). After 12 ky (6% of model run time) the remainder of the storage time distributions become exponential (light tailed). Point bar sediment has the greatest chance (6%) of eroding at 120 years, as the river reworks recently deposited point bars. Overbank sediment has an 8% chance of eroding after 1 time step, a chance that declines by half after 3 time steps. The high probability of eroding young overbank deposits occurs as the river reworks recently formed natural levees. These results show that depositional environment affects river floodplain storage times shorter than a few centuries, and suggest that a power law distribution with a truncated tail may be the most reasonable functional fit.

Field observation and analysis of wave-current-sediment movement in Caofeidian Sea area in the Bohai Bay, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuo, Li-qin; Lu, Yong-jun; Wang, Ya-ping; Liu, Huai-xiang

2014-06-01

In order to study the mechanism of flow-sediment movement, it is essential to obtain measured data of water hydrodynamic and sediment concentration process with high spatial and temporal resolution in the bottom boundary layer (BBL). Field observations were carried out in the northwest Caofeidian sea area in the Bohai Bay. Near 2 m isobath (under the lowest tidal level), a tripod system was installed with AWAC (Acoustic Wave And Current), ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers), OBS-3A (Optical Backscatter Point Sensor), ADV (Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters), etc. The accurate measurement of the bottom boundary layer during a single tidal period was carried out, together with a long-term sediment concentration measurement under different hydrological conditions. All the measured data were used to analyze the characteristics of wave-current-sediment movement and the BBL. Analysis was performed on flow structure, shear stress, roughness, eddy viscosity and other parameters of the BBL. Two major findings were made. Firstly, from the measured data, the three-layer distribution model of the velocity profiles and eddy viscosities in the wave-current BBL are proposed in the observed sea area; secondly, the sediment movement is related closely to wind-waves in the muddy coast area where sediment is clayey silt: 1) The observed suspended sediment concentration under light wind conditions is very low, with the peak value generally smaller than 0.1 kg/m3 and the average value being 0.03 kg/m3; 2) The sediment concentration increases continuously under the gales over 6-7 in Beaufort scale, under a sustained wind action. The measured peak sediment concentration at 0.4 m above the seabed is 0.15-0.32 kg/m3, and the average sediment concentration during wind-wave action is 0.08-0.18 kg/m3, which is about 3-6 times the value under light wind conditions. The critical wave height signaling remarkable changes of sediment concentration is 0.5 m. The results show that the suspended load sediment concentration is mainly influenced by wave-induced sediment suspension.

Effect of water vapor on evolution of a thick Pt-layer modified oxide on the NiCoCrAl alloy at high temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Peng; He, Xuan; Xiong, Xiping; Ma, Hongqing; Song, Qunling; Lü, Jianguo; Lu, Jiansheng

2018-03-01

To investigate the effect of water vapor on the novel Pt-containing oxide growth behavior, Pt-addition within the oxide layer on the surface of NiCoCrAl coating and furnace cycle tests were carried out at 1050 °C in air and air plus water vapor. The thick Pt-containing oxide layer on NiCoCrAl exhibits a different oxidation growth behavior compared to the conventional Pt-diffusion metallic coatings. The Pt-containing oxide after oxidation in air plus water vapor showed a much thicker oxide layer compare to the ones without Pt addition, and also presented a much better coating adhesion. During the oxidation process in air, Pt promotes the spinel (NiCr2O4) formation. However, the Cr2O3 formed in air with water vapor and fixed Pt within the complex oxide layer. The water vapor promoted the Ni and Co outer-diffusion, and combined with Pt to form CoPt compounds on the surface of the NiCoCrAl coating system.

The effect of the MgO buffer layer thickness on magnetic anisotropy in MgO/Fe/Cr/MgO buffer/MgO(001)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kozioł-Rachwał, Anna, E-mail: a.koziolrachwal@aist.go.jp; AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków; Nozaki, Takayuki

2016-08-28

The relationship between the magnetic properties and MgO buffer layer thickness d was studied in epitaxial MgO/Fe(t)/Cr/MgO(d) layers grown on MgO(001) substrate in which the Fe thickness t ranged from 0.4 nm to 1.1 nm. For 0.4 nm ≤ t ≤ 0.7 nm, a non-monotonic coercivity dependence on the MgO buffer thickness was shown by perpendicular magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. For thicker Fe films, an increase in the buffer layer thickness resulted in a spin reorientation transition from perpendicular to the in-plane magnetization direction. Possible origins of these unusual behaviors were discussed in terms of the suppression of carbon contamination at the Fe surface and changes inmore » the magnetoelastic anisotropy in the system. These results illustrate a method to control magnetic anisotropy in MgO/Fe/Cr/MgO(d) via an appropriate choice of MgO buffer layer thickness d.« less

Bimetallic strip for low temperature use. [4-300/sup 0/K

DOEpatents

Bussiee, J.F.; Welch, D.O.; Suenaga, M.

A class of mechanically pre-stressed structures is provided suitably bi-layer strips, consisting of a layer of group 5 transition metals in intimate contact with a layer of an intermetallic compound of transition metals with certain group 3A, 4A or 5A metals or metalloids such as Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, As or Sb. The changes of Young's modulus of these bi-layered combinations at temperatures in the region of somewhat above absolute zero provides a useful means of sensing temperature changes. Such bi-metallic strips may be used as control strips in thermostats, or in direct dial reading instruments. The structures are made by preparing a sandwich of a group 5B transition metal strip between the substantially thicker strips of an alloy between copper and a predetermined group 3A, 4A or 5A metal or metalloid, holding the three layers are heated, cooled the copper alloys and is removed. Removing one of the two formed interlayer alloys between the transition metal and the metal previously alloyed with copper remain.

Bimetallic strip for low temperature use

DOEpatents

Bussiere, Jean F.; Welch, David O.; Suenaga, Masaki

1981-01-01

There is provided a class of mechanically pre-stressed structures, suitably bi-layer strips comprising a layer of group 5 transition metals in intimate contact with a layer of an intermetallic compound of said transition metals with certain group 3A, 4A or 5A metals or metalloids suitably gallium, indium, silicon, germanium, tin, arsenic or antimony. The changes of Young's modulus of these bi-layered combinations at temperatures in the region of but somewhat above absolute zero provides a useful means of sensing temperature changes. Such bi-metallic strips may be used as control strips in thermostats, in direct dial reading instruments, or the like. The structures are made by preparing a sandwich of a group 5B transition metal strip between the substantially thicker strips of an alloy between copper and a predetermined group 3A, 4A or 5A metal or metalloid, holding the three layers of the sandwich in intimate contact heating the same, cooling the same and removing the copper alloy and then removing one of the two thus formed interlayer alloys between said transition metal and the metal previously alloyed with copper.

Nanoscale Multigate TiN Metal Nanocrystal Memory Using High-k Blocking Dielectric and High-Work-Function Gate Electrode Integrated on Silcon-on-Insulator Substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Chi-Pei; Luo, Cheng-Kei; Tsui, Bing-Yue; Lin, Cha-Hsin; Tzeng, Pei-Jer; Wang, Ching-Chiun; Tsai, Ming-Jinn

2009-04-01

In this study, a charge-trapping-layer-engineered nanoscale n-channel trigate TiN nanocrystal nonvolatile memory was successfully fabricated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. An Al2O3 high-k blocking dielectric layer and a P+ polycrystalline silicon gate electrode were used to obtain low operation voltage and suppress the back-side injection effect, respectively. TiN nanocrystals were formed by annealing TiN/Al2O3 nanolaminates deposited by an atomic layer deposition system. The memory characteristics of various samples with different TiN wetting layer thicknesses, post-deposition annealing times, and blocking oxide thicknesses were also investigated. The sample with a thicker wetting layer exhibited a much larger memory window than other samples owing to its larger nanocrystal size. Good retention with a mere 12% charge loss for up to 10 years and high endurance were also obtained. Furthermore, gate disturbance and read disturbance were measured with very small charge migrations after a 103 s stressing bias.

In Situ, High-Resolution Profiles of Labile Metals in Sediments of Lake Taihu

PubMed Central

Wang, Dan; Gong, Mengdan; Li, Yangyang; Xu, Lv; Wang, Yan; Jing, Rui; Ding, Shiming; Zhang, Chaosheng

2016-01-01

Characterizing labile metal distribution and biogeochemical behavior in sediments is crucial for understanding their contamination characteristics in lakes, for which in situ, high-resolution data is scare. The diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) technique was used in-situ at five sites across Lake Taihu in the Yangtze River delta in China to characterize the distribution and mobility of eight labile metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cu, Pb, Co and Cd) in sediments at a 3 mm spatial resolution. The results showed a great spatial heterogeneity in the distributions of redox-sensitive labile Fe, Mn and Co in sediments, while other metals had much less marked structure, except for downward decreases of labile Pb, Ni, Zn and Cu in the surface sediment layers. Similar distributions were found between labile Mn and Co and among labile Ni, Cu and Zn, reflecting a close link between their geochemical behaviors. The relative mobility, defined as the ratio of metals accumulated by DGT to the total contents in a volume of sediments with a thickness of 10 mm close to the surface of DGT probe, was the greatest for Mn and Cd, followed by Zn, Ni, Cu and Co, while Pb and Fe had the lowest mobility; this order generally agreed with that defined by the modified BCR approach. Further analyses showed that the downward increases of pH values in surface sediment layer may decrease the lability of Pb, Ni, Zn and Cu as detected by DGT, while the remobilization of redox-insensitive metals in deep sediment layer may relate to Mn cycling through sulphide coprecipitation, reflected by several corresponding minima between these metals and Mn. These in situ data provided the possibility for a deep insight into the mechanisms involved in the remobilization of metals in freshwater sediments. PMID:27608033

Magnetic signatures of Heinrich-like detrital layers in the Quaternary of the North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Channell, J. E. T.; Hodell, D. A.

2013-05-01

Magnetic parameters are useful for distinguishing North Atlantic Heinrich-like detrital layers from background sediments. Here we compare magnetic properties with XRF scanning data back to 700 ka and 1.3 Ma at IODP Sites U1302-U1303 and U1308, respectively. Multi-domain magnetite, with grain sizes >20 µm, is characteristic of both Ca- and Si-rich detrital layers, as defined by XRF core scanning, confirming the contribution of ice rafting. Reflectance spectra and magnetic parameters distinguish Ca- and Si-rich IRD layers due the presence of high coercivity hematite in Si-rich layers. Heinrich layer 6 (H6) at Site U1302-U1303 is unlike other detrital layers, being marked by a 45-cm thick homogeneous cream-colored clay layer underlain by a thin (5-cm) graded coarse-sand. Comparison of Site U1302/03 and Site U1308 detrital layers implies a dominant Laurentide source for both Ca- and Si-rich detrital layers. At Site U1308, low benthic δ13C values during stadials are in-step with magnetic grain-size coarsening associated with Si-rich detrital layers back to 1.3 Ma, indicating a link between deep-sea ventilation and ice rafting. The surface-sediment tan-colored oxic layer (~2 m thick at Site U1308) yields magnetic hysteresis ratios that are offset from the single-domain to multi-domain (SD-MD) magnetite mixing-line in hysteresis-ratio diagrams. This offset is attributed to maghemite grain-coatings, that form on magnetite in surface sediment, and undergo dissolution as they pass through the oxic/anoxic boundary.

Enhanced sorption of PAHs in natural-fire-impacted sediments from Oriole Lake, California.

PubMed

Sullivan, Julia; Bollinger, Kevyn; Caprio, Anthony; Cantwell, Mark; Appleby, Peter; King, John; Ligouis, Bertrand; Lohmann, Rainer

2011-04-01

Surface sediment cores from Oriole Lake (CA) were analyzed for organic carbon (OC), black carbon (BC), and their δ(13)C isotope ratios. Sediments displayed high OC (20-25%) and increasing BC concentrations from ∼0.40% (in 1800 C.E.) to ∼0.60% dry weight (in 2000 C.E.). Petrographic analysis confirmed the presence of fire-derived carbonaceous particles/BC at ∼2% of total OC. Natural fires were the most likely cause of both elevated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations and enhanced sorption in Oriole Lake sediments prior to 1850, consistent with their tree-ring-based fire history. In contrast to other PAHs, retene and perylene displayed decreasing concentrations during periods with natural fires, questioning their use as fire tracers. The occurrence of natural fires, however, did not result in elevated concentrations of black carbon or chars in the sediments. Only the 1912-2007 sediment layer contained anthropogenic particles, such as soot BC. In this layer, combining OC absorption with adsorption to soot BC (using a Freundlich coefficient n = 0.7) explained the observed sorption well. In the older layers, n needed to be 0.3 and 0.5 to explain the enhanced sorption to the sediments, indicating the importance of natural chars/inertinites in sorbing PAHs. For phenanthrene, values of n differed significantly between sorption to natural chars (0.1-0.4) and sorption to anthropogenic black carbon (>0.5), suggesting it could serve as an in situ probe of sorbents.

Multi-Dimensional Damage Detection for Surfaces and Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Martha; Lewis, Mark; Roberson, Luke; Medelius, Pedro; Gibson, Tracy; Parks, Steen; Snyder, Sarah

2013-01-01

Current designs for inflatable or semi-rigidized structures for habitats and space applications use a multiple-layer construction, alternating thin layers with thicker, stronger layers, which produces a layered composite structure that is much better at resisting damage. Even though such composite structures or layered systems are robust, they can still be susceptible to penetration damage. The ability to detect damage to surfaces of inflatable or semi-rigid habitat structures is of great interest to NASA. Damage caused by impacts of foreign objects such as micrometeorites can rupture the shell of these structures, causing loss of critical hardware and/or the life of the crew. While not all impacts will have a catastrophic result, it will be very important to identify and locate areas of the exterior shell that have been damaged by impacts so that repairs (or other provisions) can be made to reduce the probability of shell wall rupture. This disclosure describes a system that will provide real-time data regarding the health of the inflatable shell or rigidized structures, and information related to the location and depth of impact damage. The innovation described here is a method of determining the size, location, and direction of damage in a multilayered structure. In the multi-dimensional damage detection system, layers of two-dimensional thin film detection layers are used to form a layered composite, with non-detection layers separating the detection layers. The non-detection layers may be either thicker or thinner than the detection layers. The thin-film damage detection layers are thin films of materials with a conductive grid or striped pattern. The conductive pattern may be applied by several methods, including printing, plating, sputtering, photolithography, and etching, and can include as many detection layers that are necessary for the structure construction or to afford the detection detail level required. The damage is detected using a detector or sensory system, which may include a time domain reflectometer, resistivity monitoring hardware, or other resistance-based systems. To begin, a layered composite consisting of thin-film damage detection layers separated by non-damage detection layers is fabricated. The damage detection layers are attached to a detector that provides details regarding the physical health of each detection layer individually. If damage occurs to any of the detection layers, a change in the electrical properties of the detection layers damaged occurs, and a response is generated. Real-time analysis of these responses will provide details regarding the depth, location, and size estimation of the damage. Multiple damages can be detected, and the extent (depth) of the damage can be used to generate prognostic information related to the expected lifetime of the layered composite system. The detection system can be fabricated very easily using off-the-shelf equipment, and the detection algorithms can be written and updated (as needed) to provide the level of detail needed based on the system being monitored. Connecting to the thin film detection layers is very easy as well. The truly unique feature of the system is its flexibility; the system can be designed to gather as much (or as little) information as the end user feels necessary. Individual detection layers can be turned on or off as necessary, and algorithms can be used to optimize performance. The system can be used to generate both diagnostic and prognostic information related to the health of layer composite structures, which will be essential if such systems are utilized for space exploration. The technology is also applicable to other in-situ health monitoring systems for structure integrity.

Remnants of Lost Geology

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-07

In this NASA Mars Odyssey image of eastern Arabia Terra, remnants of a once vast layered terrain are evident as isolated buttes, mesas, and deeply-filled craters. The origin of the presumed sediments that created the layers is unknown, but those same sediments, now eroded, may be the source of the thick mantle of dust that covers much of Arabia Terra today. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04400

Hydrography and bottom boundary layer dynamics: Influence on inner shelf sediment mobility, Long Bay, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, L.A.; Leonard, L.A.; Snedden, G.A.

2008-01-01

This study examined the hydrography and bottom boundary-layer dynamics of two typical storm events affecting coastal North Carolina (NC); a hurricane and the passages of two small consecutive extratropical storms during November 2005. Two upward-looking 1200-kHz Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) were deployed on the inner shelf in northern Long Bay, NC at water depths of less than 15 m. Both instruments profiled the overlying water column in 0.35 in bins beginning at a height of 1.35 in above the bottom (mab). Simultaneous measurements of wind speed and direction, wave and current parameters, and acoustic backscatter were coupled with output from a bottom boundary layer (bbl) model to describe the hydrography and boundary layer conditions during each event. The bbl model also was used to quantify sediment transport in the boundary layer during each storm. Both study sites exhibited similar temporal variations in wave and current magnitude, however, wave heights during the November event were higher than waves associated with the hurricane. Near-bottom mean and subtidal currents, however, were of greater magnitude during the hurricane. Peak depth-integrated suspended sediment transport during the November event exceeded transport associated with the hurricane by 25-70%. Substantial spatial variations in sediment transport existed throughout both events. During both events, along-shelf sediment transport exceeded across-shelf transport and was related to the magnitude and direction of subtidal currents. Given the variations in sediment type across the bay, complex shoreline configuration, and local bathymetry, the sediment transport rates reported here are very site specific. However, the general hydrography associated with the two storms is representative of conditions across northern Long Bay. Since the beaches in the study area undergo frequent renourishment to counter the effects of beach erosion, the results of this study also are relevant to coastal management decision-making. Specifically, these issues include 1) identification of municipalities that should share the cost for renourishment given the likelihood for significant along-shelf sand movement and 2) appropriate timing of sand placement with respect to local climatology and sea-turtle nesting restrictions.

Subduction factory in an ampoule: Experiments on sediment-peridotite interaction under temperature gradient conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodland, A. B.; Bulatov, V. K.; Brey, G. P.; Girnis, A. V.; Höfer, H. E.; Gerdes, A.

2018-02-01

To better understand processes above subducted oceanic slabs, we have undertaken experiments with juxtaposed sediment and peridotite layers at pressures of 7.5 and 10.5 GPa at a controlled temperature gradient from ∼100 to ∼500 °C per a sample length of ∼3 mm. The sediment starting material contains H2O (6.9 wt%) and CO2 (5.9 wt%) and has a major-element composition similar to GLOSS (Plank and Langmuir, 1998) doped with trace elements at 10-100 ppm levels. Several experiments were conducted with ∼0.5 wt% Cl or F. The peridotite layer is composed of natural olivine (66 wt%), orthopyroxene (27 wt%) and garnet (7 wt%) mixed with ∼15 wt% graphite. Several experimental configurations were investigated, but the "basic" setup has the sediment layer at the bottom in the cold zone (400-1200 °C) overlain by peridotite at 900-1500 °C. The temperature distribution was determined by two thermocouples and orthopyroxene-garnet thermometry. Features common to many experiments are (1) the development of multiple layers of various lithologies and a pool of hydrous silicate or carbonate-silicate melt in the hottest part of the capsule; (2) replacement of olivine by orthopyroxene in the metaperidotite; (3) preservation and growth of garnet and local development of magnesite in the metaperidotite layer; (4) enrichment in garnet within the metasediment layer at the contact with the metaperidotite; (5) formation of a clinopyroxene-garnet assemblage at the bottom (the coldest part); (6) presence of K-bearing phases (phlogopite or phengite) and carbonates in the metasediment layer only at temperatures <700 °C; and (7) occurrence of accessory zircon, rutile and phosphates in the coldest regions. In terms of element redistribution, the peridotite becomes strongly enriched in SiO2 compared to the starting composition, and the sediment gains MgO, FeO and Cr2O3. Potassium is fully extracted into the melt, while Na and Ca are largely retained in the coldest part of the metasediment layer in clinopyroxene, Ca-rich garnet and aragonite. The melt is a product of interaction between partial melt or fluid from the sediment and peridotite. It has a silico-carbonatite composition with variable SiO2, MgO, FeO and CaO contents and low Al2O3. The addition of Cl has almost no effect on element distribution, whereas the addition of F results in the appearance of humite-group minerals containing significant amounts of Ti. Trace-element distribution is controlled by pressure, temperature and mineral assemblages. At low temperatures in the sediment layer (<700 °C) Ba, Rb, Sr and Li are much more mobile than REE and HFSE, which results in high Ba/La, Ba/Nb, Sr/Nb etc. (fluid metasomatism). At higher temperatures in the sediment layer, the melt is markedly enriched in Ba, Rb, Sr, LREE and U relative to Ti, MREE and HREE. Negative Nb-Ta and Zr-Hf anomalies in melts are caused by the retention of rutile, zircon and humite-group minerals in the solid residue. Thermodiffusion may affect the ratios of some highly incompatible elements (e.g., Ta/La). Possible applications of the results to natural deep subduction are discussed in view of variations in mineral assemblages and trace element ratios.

Acoustical and optical backscatter measurements of sediment transport in the 1988 1989 STRESS experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynch, J. F.; Gross, T. F.; Sherwood, C. R.; Irish, J. D.; Brumley, B. H.

1997-04-01

During the 1988-1989 Sediment Transport Events on Shelves and Slopes (STRESS) experiment, a 1-MHz acoustic backscatter system (ABSS), deployed in 90 m of water off the California coast measured vertical profiles of suspended sediment concentration from 1.5 to (nominally) 26 meters above bottom (m.a.b.). An 8-week-long time series was obtained, showing major sediment transport events (storms) in late December and early January. Comparison of the acoustics measurements from 1.5 m.a.b. are made with optical backscatter system (OBS) concentration estimates lower in the boundary layer (0.25 m.a.b.). Correlations between ABSS and OBS concentration measurements and the boundary layer forcing functions (waves, currents, and their non-linear interaction) provided a variety of insights into the nature of the sediment transport of the STRESS site. Transport rates and integrated transport are seen to be dominated by the largest storm events.

Electron Tunneling in Junctions Doped with Semiconductors and Metals.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Lloyd Douglas, II

In this study, tunnel junctions incorporating thin layers of semiconductors and metals have been analyzed. Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) was employed to yield high-resolution vibrational spectra of surface species deposited at the oxide-M_2 interface of M_1-M_1O _{rm x}-M _2 tunneling samples. Analysis was also performed on the elastic component of the tunneling current, yielding information on the tunnel barrier shape. The samples in this research exhibit a wide range of behavior. The IETS for Si, SiO_2, and Ge doped samples show direct evidence of SiH _{rm x} and GeH_ {rm x} formation. The particular species formed is shown to depend on the form of the evaporated dopant. Samples were also made with organic dopants deposited over the evaporated dopants. Many such samples show marked effects of the evaporated dopants on the inelastic peak intensities of the organic dopants. These alterations are correlated with the changed reactivity of the oxide surface coupled with a change in the OH dipole layer density on the oxide. Thicker organic dopant layers cause large changes in the elastic tunneling barrier due to OH layer alterations or the low barrier attributes of the evaporated dopant. In the cases of the thicker layers an extra current-carrying mechanism is shown to be contributing. Electron ejection from charge traps is proposed as an explanation for this extra current. The trend of barrier shape with dopant thickness is examined. Many of these dopants also produce a voltage-induced shift in the barrier shape which is stable at low temperature but relaxes at high temperature. This effect is similar to that produced by certain organic dopants and is explained by metastable bond formation between the surface OH and dopant. Other dopants, such as Al, Mg, and Fe, produce different effects. These dopants cause large I-V nonlinearity at low voltages. This nonlinearity is modeled as a giant zero-bias anomaly (ZBA) and fits are presented which show good agreement with theory. For some samples, poor fits result due to additional nonlinearity at higher voltages. This is explained in terms of a barrier lowering due to disruption of the OH layer or the small bandgap of the dopant.

A two-dimensional, time-dependent model of suspended sediment transport and bed reworking for continental shelves

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, C.K.; Wiberg, P.L.

2001-01-01

A two-dimensional, time-dependent solution to the transport equation is formulated to account for advection and diffusion of sediment suspended in the bottom boundary layer of continental shelves. This model utilizes a semi-implicit, upwind-differencing scheme to solve the advection-diffusion equation across a two-dimensional transect that is configured so that one dimension is the vertical, and the other is a horizontal dimension usually aligned perpendicular to shelf bathymetry. The model calculates suspended sediment concentration and flux; and requires as input wave properties, current velocities, sediment size distributions, and hydrodynamic sediment properties. From the calculated two-dimensional suspended sediment fluxes, we quantify the redistribution of shelf sediment, bed erosion, and deposition for several sediment sizes during resuspension events. The two-dimensional, time-dependent approach directly accounts for cross-shelf gradients in bed shear stress and sediment properties, as well as transport that occurs before steady-state suspended sediment concentrations have been attained. By including the vertical dimension in the calculations, we avoid depth-averaging suspended sediment concentrations and fluxes, and directly account for differences in transport rates and directions for fine and coarse sediment in the bottom boundary layer. A flux condition is used as the bottom boundary condition for the transport equation in order to capture time-dependence of the suspended sediment field. Model calculations demonstrate the significance of both time-dependent and spatial terms on transport and depositional patterns on continental shelves. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microeukaryotic diversity in marine environments, an analysis of surface layer sediments from the East Sea.

PubMed

Park, Soo-Je; Park, Byoung-Joon; Pham, Vinh Hoa; Yoon, Dae-No; Kim, Si-Kwan; Rhee, Sung-Keun

2008-06-01

Molecular techniques, based on clone library of 18S rRNA gene, were employed to ascertain the diversity of microeukaryotic organisms in sediments from the East Sea. A total of 261 clones were recovered from surface sediments. Most of the clone sequences (90%) were affiliated with protists, dominated by Ciliates (18%) and Dinoflagellates (19%) of Alveolates, phototrophic Stramenopiles (11%), and Cercozoa (20%). Many of the clones were related to uncultivated eukaryotes clones retrieved from anoxic environments with several highly divergent 18S rRNA gene sequences. However, no clones were related to cultivated obligate anaerobic protists. Protistan communities between subsurface layers of 1 and 9 cm shared 23% of total phylotypes which comprised 64% of total clones retrieved. Analysis of diversity indices and rarefaction curve showed that the protistan community within the 1 cm layer exhibited higher diversity than the 9 cm layer. Our results imply that diverse protists remain to be uncovered within marine benthic environments.

Impact of molybdenum out diffusion and interface quality on the performance of sputter grown CZTS based solar cells.

PubMed

Dalapati, Goutam Kumar; Zhuk, Siarhei; Masudy-Panah, Saeid; Kushwaha, Ajay; Seng, Hwee Leng; Chellappan, Vijila; Suresh, Vignesh; Su, Zhenghua; Batabyal, Sudip Kumar; Tan, Cheng Cheh; Guchhait, Asim; Wong, Lydia Helena; Wong, Terence Kin Shun; Tripathy, Sudhiranjan

2017-05-02

We have investigated the impact of Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 -Molybdenum (Mo) interface quality on the performance of sputter-grown Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) solar cell. Thin film CZTS was deposited by sputter deposition technique using stoichiometry quaternary CZTS target. Formation of molybdenum sulphide (MoS x ) interfacial layer is observed in sputter grown CZTS films after sulphurization. Thickness of MoS x layer is found ~142 nm when CZTS layer (550 nm thick) is sulphurized at 600 °C. Thickness of MoS x layer significantly increased to ~240 nm in case of thicker CZTS layer (650 nm) under similar sulphurization condition. We also observe that high temperature (600 °C) annealing suppress the elemental impurities (Cu, Zn, Sn) at interfacial layer. The amount of out-diffused Mo significantly varies with the change in sulphurization temperature. The out-diffused Mo into CZTS layer and reconstructed interfacial layer remarkably decreases series resistance and increases shunt resistance of the solar cell. The overall efficiency of the solar cell is improved by nearly five times when 600 °C sulphurized CZTS layer is applied in place of 500 °C sulphurized layer. Molybdenum and sulphur diffusion reconstruct the interface layer during heat treatment and play the major role in charge carrier dynamics of a photovoltaic device.

In-situ falling-head test for hydraulic conductivity: Evaluation in layered sediments of an analysis derived for homogenous sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnette, Matthew C.; Genereux, David P.; Birgand, François

2016-08-01

The hydraulic conductivity (K) of streambeds is a critical variable controlling interaction of groundwater and surface water. The Hvorslev analysis for estimating K from falling-head test data has been widely used since the 1950s, but its performance in layered sandy sediments common in streams and lakes has not previously been examined. Our numerical simulations and laboratory experiments show that the Hvorslev analysis yields accurate K values in both homogenous sediment (for which the analysis was originally derived) and layered deposits with low-K sand over high-K sand. K from the Hvorslev analysis deviated significantly from true K only when two conditions were present together: (1) high-K sand was present over low-K sand, and (2) the bottom of the permeameter in which K was measured was at or very near the interface between high-K and low-K. When this combination of conditions exists, simulation and laboratory sand tank results show that in-situ Hvorslev K underestimates the true K of the sediment within a permeameter, because the falling-head test is affected by low-K sediment outside of (below the bottom of) the permeameter. In simulation results, the maximum underestimation (occurring when the bottom of the permeameter was at the interface of high K over low K) was by a factor of 0.91, 0.59, and 0.12 when the high-K to low-K ratio was 2, 10, and 100, respectively. In laboratory sand tank experiments, the underestimation was by a factor of about 0.83 when the high-K to low-K ratio was 2.3. Also, this underestimation of K by the Hvorslev analysis was about the same whether the underlying low-K layer was 2 cm or 174 cm thick (1% or 87% of the domain thickness). Numerical model simulations were useful in the interpretation of in-situ field K profiles at streambed sites with layering; specifically, scaling the model results to the maximum measured K at the top of the field K profiles helped constrain the likely ratio of high K to low K at field locations with layered heterogeneity. Vertical K values are important in field studies of groundwater-surface water interaction, and the Hvorslev analysis can be a useful tool, even in layered media, when applied carefully.

Archaeal diversity and the extent of iron and manganese pyritization in sediments from a tropical mangrove creek (Cardoso Island, Brazil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otero, X. L.; Lucheta, A. R.; Ferreira, T. O.; Huerta-Díaz, M. A.; Lambais, M. R.

2014-06-01

Even though several studies on the geochemical processes occurring in mangrove soils and sediments have been performed, information on the diversity of Archaea and their functional roles in these ecosystems, especially in subsurface environments, is scarce. In this study, we have analyzed the depth distribution of Archaea and their possible relationships with the geochemical transformations of Fe and Mn in a sediment core from a tropical mangrove creek, using 16S rRNA gene profiling and sequential extraction of different forms of Fe and Mn. A significant shift in the archaeal community structure was observed in the lower layers (90-100 cm), coinciding with a clear decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) content and an increase in the percentage of sand. The comparison of the archaeal communities showed a dominance of methanogenic Euryarchaeota in the upper layers (0-20 cm), whereas Crenarchaeota was the most abundant taxon in the lower layers. The dominance of methanogenic Euryarchaeota in the upper layer of the sediment suggests the occurrence of methanogenesis in anoxic microenvironments. The concentrations of Fe-oxyhydroxides in the profile were very low, and showed positive correlation with the concentrations of pyrite and degrees of Fe and Mn pyritization. Additionally, a partial decoupling of pyrite formation from organic matter concentration was observed, suggesting excessive Fe pyritization. This overpyritization of Fe can be explained either by the anoxic oxidation of methane by sulfate and/or by detrital pyrite tidal transportation from the surrounding mangrove soils. The higher pyritization levels observed in deeper layers of the creek sediment were also in agreement with its Pleistocenic origin.

Effects of Natural Organic Matter on PCB-Activated Carbon Sorption Kinetics: Implications for Sediment Capping Applications

EPA Science Inventory

In-situ capping of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated sediments with layers of sorbents such as activated carbon has been proposed, but several technical questions remain regarding long-term effectiveness. An activated carbon amended sediment cap was mimicked in laborat...

Geologic columns for the ICDP-USGS Eyreville A and C cores, Chesapeake Bay impact structure: Postimpact sediments, 444 to 0 m depth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edwards, L.E.; Powars, D.S.; Browning, J.V.; McLaughlin, P.P.; Miller, K.G.; ,; Kulpecz, A.A.; Elbra, T.

2009-01-01

A 443.9-m-thick, virtually undisturbed section of postimpact deposits in the Chesapeake Bay impact structure was recovered in the Eyreville A and C cores, Northampton County, Virginia, within the "moat" of the structure's central crater. Recovered sediments are mainly fine-grained marine siliciclastics, with the exception of Pleistocene sand, clay, and gravel. The lowest postimpact unit is the upper Eocene Chickahominy Formation (443.9-350.1 m). At 93.8 m, this is the maximum thickness yet recovered for deposits that represent the return to "normal marine" sedimentation. The Drummonds Corner beds (informal) and the Old Church Formation are thin Oligocene units present between 350.1 and 344.7 m. Above the Oligocene, there is a more typical Virginia coastal plain succession. The Calvert Formation (344.7-225.4 m) includes a thin lower Miocene part overlain by a much thicker middle Miocene part. From 225.4 to 206.0 m, sediments of the middle Miocene Choptank Formation, rarely reported in the Virginia coastal plain, are present. The thick upper Miocene St. Marys and Eastover Formations (206.0-57.8 m) appear to represent a more complete succession than in the type localities. Correlation with the nearby Kiptopeke core indicates that two Pliocene units are present: Yorktown (57.8-32.2 m) and Chowan River Formations (32.2-18.3 m). Sediments at the top of the section represent an upper Pleistocene channel-fill and are assigned to the Butlers Bluff and Occohannock Members of the Nassawadox Formation (18.3-0.6 m). ?? 2009 The Geological Society of America.

Continental rupture and the creation of new crust in the Salton Trough rift, Southern California and northern Mexico: Results from the Salton Seismic Imaging Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Liang; Hole, John A.; Stock, Joann M.; Fuis, Gary S.; Kell, Annie; Driscoll, Neal W.; Kent, Graham M.; Harding, Alistair J.; Rymer, Michael J.; González-Fernández, Antonio; Lázaro-Mancilla, Octavio

2016-10-01

A refraction and wide-angle reflection seismic profile along the axis of the Salton Trough, California and Mexico, was analyzed to constrain crustal and upper mantle seismic velocity structure during active continental rifting. From the northern Salton Sea to the southern Imperial Valley, the crust is 17-18 km thick and approximately one-dimensional. The transition at depth from Colorado River sediment to underlying crystalline rock is gradual and is not a depositional surface. The crystalline rock from 3 to 8 km depth is interpreted as sediment metamorphosed by high heat flow. Deeper felsic crystalline rock could be stretched preexisting crust or higher-grade metamorphosed sediment. The lower crust below 12 km depth is interpreted to be gabbro emplaced by rift-related magmatic intrusion by underplating. Low upper mantle velocity indicates high temperature and partial melting. Under the Coachella Valley, sediment thins to the north and the underlying crystalline rock is interpreted as granitic basement. Mafic rock does not exist at 12-18 km depth as it does to the south, and a weak reflection suggests Moho at 28 km depth. Structure in adjacent Mexico has slower midcrustal velocity, and rocks with mantle velocity must be much deeper than in the Imperial Valley. Slower velocity and thicker crust in the Coachella and Mexicali valleys define the rift zone between them to be >100 km wide in the direction of plate motion. North American lithosphere in the central Salton Trough has been rifted apart and is being replaced by new crust created by magmatism, sedimentation, and metamorphism.

Continental rupture and the creation of new crust in the Salton Trough rift, southern California and northern Mexico: Results from the Salton Seismic Imaging Project

USGS Publications Warehouse

Han, Liang; Hole, John A.; Stock, Joann M.; Fuis, Gary S.; Kell, Annie; Driscoll, Neal W.; Kent, Graham M.; Rymer, Michael J.; Gonzalez-Fernandez, Antonio; Aburto-Oropeza, Octavio

2016-01-01

A refraction and wide-angle reflection seismic profile along the axis of the Salton Trough, California and Mexico, was analyzed to constrain crustal and upper mantle seismic velocity structure during active continental rifting. From the northern Salton Sea to the southern Imperial Valley, the crust is 17-18 km thick and approximately one-dimensional. The transition at depth from Colorado River sediment to underlying crystalline rock is gradual and is not a depositional surface. The crystalline rock from ~3 to ~8 km depth is interpreted as sediment metamorphosed by high heat flow. Deeper felsic crystalline rock could be stretched pre-existing crust or higher grade metamorphosed sediment. The lower crust below ~12 km depth is interpreted to be gabbro emplaced by rift-related magmatic intrusion by underplating. Low upper-mantle velocity indicates high temperature and partial melting. Under the Coachella Valley, sediment thins to the north and the underlying crystalline rock is interpreted as granitic basement. Mafic rock does not exist at 12-18 depth as it does to the south, and a weak reflection suggests Moho at ~28 km depth. Structure in adjacent Mexico has slower mid-crustal velocity and rocks with mantle velocity must be much deeper than in the Imperial Valley. Slower velocity and thicker crust in the Coachella and Mexicali valleys define the rift zone between them to be >100 km wide in the direction of plate motion. North American lithosphere in the central Salton Trough has been rifted apart and is being replaced by new crust created by magmatism, sedimentation, and metamorphism.

Layers in Burns Cliff Examined by Opportunity

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-21

NASA Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity studied layers in the Burns Cliff slope of Endurance Crater in 2004. The layers show different types of deposition of sulfate-rich sediments. Opportunity panoramic camera recorded this image.

[Histomorphological analyse of accelerating the fibrocartilage layer repair of patella-patellar tendon junction in rabbits by low intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation].

PubMed

Zhang, Baoliang; Lü, Hongbin; Hu, Jianzhong; Xu, Daqi; Zhou, Jingyong; Wang, Ye

2013-08-01

To analyse the effect of low intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation (LIPUS) on accelerating the fibrocartilage layer repair of patella-patellar tendon junction. A total of 60 mature female New Zealand white rabbits undergoing standard partial patellectomy were divided into 2 groups randomly. The control group was given comfort treatment and the treatment group was given LIPUS treatment starting from day 3 to the end of week 6 postoperatively. The scheduled time points of animal euthanization would be at week 6, week 12 and week 18 postoperatively. The patella-patellar tendon (PPT) complex would be harvested and cut into sections after decalcification for H&E staining, Safranine o/fast green staining. The thickness and gray value of fibrocartilage layer were analyzed by SANO Microscope Partner image analyzer. At week 6, week 12 and week 18 postoperatively, the fibrocartilage layer in the treatment group was significantly thicker than that in the control group (P<0.01), and the gray value of fibrocartilage layer was significantly smaller than that in the control group (P<0.01). LIPUS helps to accelerate the fibrocartilage layer repair of patella-patellar tendon junction in rabbit models.

Microstructure-Dependent Visible-Light Driven Photoactivity of Sputtering-Assisted Synthesis of Sulfide-Based Visible-Light Sensitizer onto ZnO Nanorods

PubMed Central

Liang, Yuan-Chang; Chung, Cheng-Chia; Lo, Ya-Ju; Wang, Chein-Chung

2016-01-01

The ZnO-CdS core-shell composite nanorods with CdS shell layer thicknesses of 5 and 20 nm were synthesized by combining the hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods with the sputtering thin-film deposition of CdS crystallites. The microstructures and optical properties of the ZnO-CdS nanorods were associated with the CdS shell layer thickness. A thicker CdS shell layer resulted in a rougher surface morphology, more crystal defects, and a broader optical absorbance edge in the ZnO-CdS rods. The ZnO-CdS (20 nm) nanorods thus engaged in more photoactivity in this study. When they were further subjected to a postannealing procedure in ambient Ar/H2, this resulted in the layer-like CdS shell layers being converted into the serrated CdS shell layers. By contrast, the ZnO-CdS nanorods conducted with the postannealing procedure exhibited superior photoactivity and photoelectrochemical performance; the substantial changes in the microstructures and optical properties of the composite nanorods following postannealing in this study might account for the observed results. PMID:28774134

Realization of high heat flux tungsten monoblock type target with graded interlayer for application to DEMO divertor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richou, M.; Gallay, F.; Böswirth, B.; Chu, I.; Lenci, M.; Loewenhoff, Th; Quet, A.; Greuner, H.; Kermouche, G.; Meillot, E.; Pintsuk, G.; Visca, E.; You, J. H.

2017-12-01

The divertor is the key in-vessel plasma-facing component being in charge of power exhaust and removal of impurity particles. In DEMO, divertor targets must survive an environment of high heat fluxes (˜up to 20 MW m-2 during slow transients) and neutron irradiation. One advanced concept for components in monoblock configuration concerns the insertion of a compositionally graded layer between tungsten and CuCrZr instead of the soft copper interlayer. As a first step, a thin graded layer (˜25 μm) was developed. As a second step, a thicker graded layer (˜500 μm), which is actually being developed, will also be inserted to study the compliant role of a macroscopic graded layer. This paper reports the results of cyclic high heat flux loading tests up to 20 MW m-2 and to heat flux higher than 25 MW m-2 that mock-ups equipped with thin graded layer survived without visible damage. First feedback on manufacturing steps is also presented. Moreover, the first results obtained on the development of the thick graded layer and its integration in a monoblock configuration are shown.

Flow and suspended-sand behavior in large rivers after dredging.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuill, B. T.; Wang, Y.; Allison, M. A.; Meselhe, E. A.

2017-12-01

Dredging is commonly used in large rivers to promote navigation and provide sediment for engineering projects. Channel bars typically have thicker, coarser sediment deposits than elsewhere on the channel bed and are often the focus of dredging projects. Bar dredging may create deep pits ("borrow pits") that significantly alter flow and sediment transport. Locally, the pit acts as a large bedform, contracting and expanding the flow field and enhancing turbulence. At the reach scale, the pit acts as a new sediment sink and disrupts the sediment budget which may have consequences for channel stability and aquatic ecosystem health. In this study, we focus on the local impact of the borrow pit and how it, similar to dunes, creates a turbulent wake within the downstream flow column. We hypothesize that this wake may have implications for the overlapping suspended-sediment transport fields. Efficient dredging operations requires the ability to predict channel infilling/recovery timescales and in large, sandy rivers, a substantial fraction of the sediment infilling results from the settling of suspended sediment. However, if the turbulent wake significantly alters pathways of sediment settling within the borrow pit, typical models of sediment deposition that do not account for the wake effects may not apply. To explore this problem, we use numerical modelling to predict sand behavior with and without resolving the effects of wake turbulence. Wake turbulence is resolved using detached-eddy simulation and sand settling is simulated using Lagrangian particle tracking. Our study area is a >1 km2 channel bar in the lower Mississippi River, which was dredged in October 2016. We used vessel-based measurements (MBES, ADCP) to characterize the post-dredge hydrodynamic environment. Study results indicate that the turbulent wake significantly impacted suspended-sand behavior as it entered the borrow pit and large eddies increased the vertical grain velocities, mean grain settling was reduced, and initial sediment deposition was reduced by up to 20%. Study results may be used to optimize dredging in a manner to reduce channel recovery time. In coastal environments, dredged sand is becoming an increasingly precious commodity, useful for construction as well as restoration purposes such as delta land building and beach nourishment.

Formation and preservation of greigite (Fe3S4) in a thick sediment layer from the central South Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jianxing; Mei, Xi; Shi, Xuefa; Liu, Qingsong; Liu, Yanguang; Ge, Shulan

2018-04-01

Sediments from continental shelves are sensitive to changes in both oceanic and terrestrial conditions, and, therefore, magnetic minerals in such sediments are affected strongly by depositional and diagenetic processes. Here, we investigated systematically an N-S transect of three sediment cores from the central South Yellow Sea (SYS) muddy area. Magnetic data indicate the presence of a horizontally distributed thick greigite-bearing layer. From an age model based on published magnetostratigraphy, accelerator mass spectrometry 14C dating ages, sedimentary characteristics and foraminiferal analysis, this layer was deposited within marine isotope stages (MIS) 17-13, following an enhanced sulphidic period over MIS 21-19 when the YS Warm Current and the associated YS Cold Water Mass were strong and where underlying sediments have higher total organic carbon, total sulphur and trace element molybdenum contents. Trace element cadmium enrichment in the greigite-bearing layers is documented for the first time, which indicates that weakly sulphidic (i.e. with trace levels of free H2S) conditions existed before greigite formed in a sulphidic environment during early diagenesis. It also indicates that subsequent conditions free of oxygen and H2S after greigite formation are more favourable for its preservation. We propose that organic matter supply was controlled over an extended period by moderate primary productivity. The combined effects of palaeoclimate and local tectonic subsidence were crucial for the formation and preservation of the identified greigite. In brief, our study improves understanding of the formation and preservation mechanisms of greigite in continental shelf sediments and reveals mid-Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental changes in the SYS.

Neandertal and Denisovan DNA from Pleistocene sediments.

PubMed

Slon, Viviane; Hopfe, Charlotte; Weiß, Clemens L; Mafessoni, Fabrizio; de la Rasilla, Marco; Lalueza-Fox, Carles; Rosas, Antonio; Soressi, Marie; Knul, Monika V; Miller, Rebecca; Stewart, John R; Derevianko, Anatoly P; Jacobs, Zenobia; Li, Bo; Roberts, Richard G; Shunkov, Michael V; de Lumley, Henry; Perrenoud, Christian; Gušić, Ivan; Kućan, Željko; Rudan, Pavao; Aximu-Petri, Ayinuer; Essel, Elena; Nagel, Sarah; Nickel, Birgit; Schmidt, Anna; Prüfer, Kay; Kelso, Janet; Burbano, Hernán A; Pääbo, Svante; Meyer, Matthias

2017-05-12

Although a rich record of Pleistocene human-associated archaeological assemblages exists, the scarcity of hominin fossils often impedes the understanding of which hominins occupied a site. Using targeted enrichment of mitochondrial DNA, we show that cave sediments represent a rich source of ancient mammalian DNA that often includes traces of hominin DNA, even at sites and in layers where no hominin remains have been discovered. By automation-assisted screening of numerous sediment samples, we detected Neandertal DNA in eight archaeological layers from four caves in Eurasia. In Denisova Cave, we retrieved Denisovan DNA in a Middle Pleistocene layer near the bottom of the stratigraphy. Our work opens the possibility of detecting the presence of hominin groups at sites and in areas where no skeletal remains are found. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The formation process of the flood type lamina in the Lake Mokoto, Hokkaido, Japan.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seto, K.; Katsuki, K.; Takeshi, S.

2017-12-01

In the coastal area of the Sea of Okhotsk in the east part of Hokkaido located to subarctic zone, many brackish-water lakes are distributed. Lake Mokoto consist of organic mud with the lamination. The 09Mk-1C core at 2009. In the soft X-ray photograph, the cyclic lamina set is observed. The cyclic lamina set consists of low- and high-density lamina. According to the meteorological data in Abashiri region, the annually precipitation is high from August to September. Probably, the cyclic lamina set is formed by seasonal change of precipitation. In August 2016, it showed a precipitation of 425 mm which is about 4 times the average precipitation. In February 2017, the 10 cm class short core (17Mk-4SC core) was collected and the flood lamina was observed. Six layers showing different color were observed in top 6.5 cm. The first, third and fifth layers from the top are relatively light in color (L*value=17). The second, fourth and sixth layers are relatively dark in color (L*value=8). Thickness of the first to fourth layers is about 5 mm, but the thickness of the fifth layer reaches 4 cm. According to the observation of the soft X-ray photograph, the third and fifth layers were high-density lamina, and the others were low-density lamina. Because these layers were not observed in the 15Mk-3C core collected in March 2015, they were deposited after that. It is estimated that the third layer showing the high-density lamina is the sediment of the flood event in August 2016. This is supported by the fact that the total organic carbon (TOC) and total sulfur (TS) contents are diluted and the C/N ratio is relatively high value. Because this lamina is remarkable, it will be used as a future key bed. On the other hand, the fifth layer showing the high-density is a very thick. In this layer, the TS content is diluted and the C/N ratio is high, but the TOC content shows the highest value. This suggests that sediments with high TOC content flowed out from Mokoto River Basin. It has been reported that a large-scale artificial sediment discharge occurred in agricultural lands in the basin. This sediment was probably deposited at the downstream Lake Mokoto. It is suggested that a remarkable event layer is formed by sediment discharge due to slope collapse in basin.

Variability of in situ sediment strength and pore pressure behavior of tidal estuary surface sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucking, Greg; Stark, Nina; Lippmann, Thomas; Smyth, Stephen

2017-10-01

Tidal estuaries feature spatially and temporally varying sediment dynamics and characteristics. Particularly, the variability of geotechnical sediment parameters is still poorly understood, limiting the prediction of long-term sediment stability and dynamics. This paper presents results from an in situ investigation of surficial sediments (≤50 cm) in a tidal estuary in New Hampshire (USA), using a portable free fall penetrometer. The aim is to investigate variations in sediment strength and pore pressure behavior with regard to sediment type and seabed morphology. The study also provides a detailed analysis of high velocity impact pore pressure data to derive information about sediment type and permeability. The penetrometer was deployed 227 times, and the findings are correlated to 78 sediment samples. Differences in sediment strength and type were found when transitioning from tidal flats to the deeper channels. Finer-grained sediments located predominantly on the tidal flats appeared well consolidated with noticeable and spatially consistent sediment strength (reflected in an estimate of quasi-static bearing capacity qsbcmax 10 kPa). Sediments with higher sand content (>75%) showed more variations in strength relating to differences in gradation, and likely represent loose and poorly consolidated sands (qsbcmax 10-55 kPa). The rate at which the recorded excess pore pressures approached equilibrium after penetration was classified and related to sediment type. The data indicate that the development of excess pore pressures upon impact and during penetration may provide additional insight into the nature and layering of bed material, such as identifying a desiccated or over-consolidated dilative surficial layer. In summary, with varying sediment grain size distributions, bulk densities and morphology, sediment strength and pore pressure behavior can vary significantly within a tidal estuary.

Testing short-range migration of microbial methane as a hydrate formation mechanism: Results from Andaman Sea and Kumano Basin drill sites and global implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malinverno, Alberto; Goldberg, David S.

2015-07-01

Methane gas hydrates in marine sediments often concentrate in coarse-grained layers surrounded by fine-grained marine muds that are hydrate-free. Methane in these hydrate deposits is typically microbial, and must have migrated from its source as the coarse-grained sediments contain little or no organic matter. In "long-range" migration, fluid flow through permeable layers transports methane from deeper sources into the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). In "short-range" migration, microbial methane is generated within the GHSZ in fine-grained sediments, where small pore sizes inhibit hydrate formation. Dissolved methane can then diffuse into adjacent sand layers, where pore size does not restrict hydrate formation and hydrates can accumulate. Short-range migration has been used to explain hydrate accumulations in sand layers observed in drill sites on the northern Cascadia margin and in the Gulf of Mexico. Here we test the feasibility of short-range migration in two additional locations, where gas hydrates have been found in coarse-grained volcanic ash layers (Site NGHP-01-17, Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean) and turbidite sand beds (Site IODP-C0002, Kumano forearc basin, Nankai Trough, western Pacific). We apply reaction-transport modeling to calculate dissolved methane concentration and gas hydrate amounts resulting from microbial methane generated within the GHSZ. Model results show that short-range migration of microbial methane can explain the overall amounts of methane hydrate observed at the two sites. Short-range migration has been shown to be feasible in diverse margin environments and is likely to be a widespread methane transport mechanism in gas hydrate systems. It only requires a small amount of organic carbon and sediment sequences consisting of thin coarse-grained layers that can concentrate microbial methane generated within thick fine-grained sediment beds; these conditions are common along continental margins around the globe.

Lasting Impact of a Tsunami Event on Sediment-Organism Interactions in the Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seike, Koji; Sassa, Shinji; Shirai, Kotaro; Kubota, Kaoru

2018-02-01

Although tsunami sedimentation is a short-term phenomenon, it may control the long-term benthic environment by altering seafloor surface characteristics such as topography and grain-size composition. By analyzing sediment cores, we investigated the long-term effect of the 2011 tsunami generated by the Tohoku Earthquake off the Pacific coast of Japan on sediment mixing (bioturbation) by an important ecosystem engineer, the heart urchin Echinocardium cordatum. Recent tsunami deposits allow accurate estimation of the depth of current bioturbation by E. cordatum, because there are no preexisting burrows in the sediments. The in situ hardness of the substrate decreased significantly with increasing abundance of E. cordatum, suggesting that echinoid bioturbation softens the seafloor sediment. Sediment-core analysis revealed that this echinoid rarely burrows into the coarser-grained (medium-grained to coarse-grained) sandy layer deposited by the 2011 tsunami; thus, the vertical grain-size distribution resulting from tsunami sedimentation controls the depth of E. cordatum bioturbation. As sandy tsunami layers are preserved in the seafloor substrate, their restriction on bioturbation continues for an extended period. The results demonstrate that understanding the effects on seafloor processes of extreme natural events that occur on geological timescales, including tsunami events, is important in revealing continuing interactions between seafloor sediments and marine benthic invertebrates.

In-situ Geotechnical Investigation of Arctic Nearshore Zone Sediments, Herschel Island, Yukon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stark, N.; Quinn, B.; Radosavljevic, B.; Lantuit, H.

2016-02-01

The Arctic is currently undergoing rapid changes with regard to ice coverage, permafrost retreat and coastal erosion. In addition to hydrodynamic processes, the sediments in the Arctic nearshore zone are affected by potential variations in freeze-thaw cycles, as well as an increase of abundant suspended sediment introduced by active retrogressive thaw slumps and increased river discharge. During the YUKON14 expedition to Herschel Island, Yukon, in-situ geotechnical testing of nearshore zone sediments was conducted using a portable free fall penetrometer. The research goals were mapping of sediment types, identification of surficial sediment stratification related to recent sediment remobilization or deposition processes, and the investigation of the soil mechanical characteristics of the uppermost seabed surface in the nearshore zone. Approximately 200 sites were tested using the portable free fall penetrometer, and five different geotechnical signatures identified and grouped. Most locations were characterized by a soft sediment top layer that exhibited a noticeably lower sediment strength than the underlying sediment. The results were correlated to existing sediment grain size records and a sediment type interpretation based on side scan sonar backscatter information. Strong spatial variations in sediment type and stiffness were observed, as well as in abundance and thickness of a top layer of very soft and loose sediment. It was attempted to relate the geotechnical signature to site-specific hydrodynamic energy, morphology, and vicinity to thaw slumps. The results will contribute to a detailed investigation of Arctic coastal erosion in the region, and the investigation of the role of geotechnical parameters for Arctic coastal erosion.

Long-term impacts of boreal wildfire on carbon cycling dynamics in Interior Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaglioti, B.; Mann, D. H.; Finney, B.; Pohlman, J.; Jones, B. M.; Arp, C. D.; Wooller, M. J.

2013-12-01

Wildland fire is a major disturbance in the boreal forest, and warming climate will likely increase the frequency and severity of burning. Fires trigger thermokarst, the thawing of permafrost (perennially frozen ground), which can release large amounts of ancient carbon to the atmosphere. But how vulnerable is the organic carbon stored in permafrost in the boreal forest to a changing fire regime? Paleolimnological records can tell us how the landscape actually responded during prehistoric fires and provide a valuable perspective on future events. Here we present a whole-watershed summary of terrestrial and aquatic carbon dynamics during multiple fire and thermokarst disturbances over the last millennia. We use laminated lake sediments laid down in a permanently stratified, thermokarst lake basin in Interior Alaska to decipher the impacts of wildfires on permafrost carbon release from the surrounding watershed. Sediment chronologies based on layer counts, lead and cesium dating, and radiocarbon dating of plant macrofossils, provide a near-annual resolution of environmental changes over the last 1100 years. Charcoal accumulation rates quantified from sediment thin-sections and fire-scarred spruce trees constrain the timing of fires. The variability of permafrost carbon release before and after fires was investigated by analyzing several geochemical indices including radiocarbon dating on the sediment organic matter directly above and below charcoal layers in the sediment stack. The difference between a sediment layers 'true' age of deposition based on layer counts and the apparent radiocarbon age on the same bulk sediment material (radiocarbon age offset) is then used as a proxy for permafrost carbon release. The relative age of permafrost-derived organic carbon entering the lake before and after past fires was determined by radiocarbon age offsets before and after wildfire events. Fires are not the only triggers of permafrost-C release. Thermokarst caused by shoreline erosion triggered by some combination of fires, beaver dams that raise lake levels, and chance events complicate the larger watershed signal of C release.

Authigenic Carbonate Fans from Lower Jurassic Marine Shales (Alberta, Canada)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martindale, R. C.; Them, T. R., II; Gill, B. C.; Knoll, A. H.

2016-12-01

Authigenic aragonite seafloor fans are a common occurrence in Archean and Paleoproterozoic carbonates, as well as Neoproterozoic cap carbonates. Similar carbonate fans are rare in Phanerozoic strata, with the exception of two mass extinction events; during the Permo-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic boundaries, carbonate fans formed at the sediment-water interface and within the sediment, respectively. These crystal fans have been linked to carbon cycle perturbations at the end of the Permian and Triassic periods driven by rapid flood volcanism. The Early Jurassic Toarcian Ocean Anoxic Event (T-OAE) is also correlated with the emplacement of a large igneous province, but biological consequences were more modest. We have identified broadly comparable fibrous calcite layers (2-10 cm thick) in Pliensbachian-Toarcian cores from Alberta, Canada. This work focuses on the geochemical and petrographic description of these fans and surrounding sediment in the context of the T-OAE. At the macroscale, carbonates exhibit a fan-like (occasionally cone-in-cone) structure and displace the sediment around them as they grew. At the microscale, the carbonate crystals (pseudomorphs of aragonite) often initiate on condensed horizons or shells. Although they grow in multiple directions (growth within the sediment), the predominant crystal growth direction is towards the sediment-water interface. Resedimentation of broken fans is evidence that crystal growth was penecontemporaneous with sedimentation. The carbon isotope composition of the fans (transects up bladed crystals) and elemental abundances within the layers support shallow subsurface, microbially mediated growth. The resemblance of these Early Jurassic fibrous calcite layers to those found at the end-Triassic and their paucity in the Phanerozoic record suggest that analogous processes occurred at both events. Nevertheless, the Pliensbachian-Toarcian carbonate fans occur at multiple horizons and while some are within the T-OAE, others are significantly above and below the event. The formation of these authigenic layers cannot be driven exclusively by the geochemical and paleoenvironmental changes during the T-OAE. Therefore, a new model of formation for the Early Jurassic carbonate fans is required.

Rotating reactor studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Glyn O.

1991-01-01

Undesired gravitational effects such as convection or sedimentation in a fluid can sometimes be avoided or decreased by the use of a closed chamber uniformly rotated about a horizontal axis. In a previous study, the spiral orbits of a heavy or buoyant particle in a uniformly rotating fluid were determined. The particles move in circles, and spiral in or out under the combined effects of the centrifugal force and centrifugal buoyancy. A optimization problem for the rotation rate of a cylindrical reactor rotated about its axis and containing distributed particles was formulated and solved. Related studies in several areas are addressed. A computer program based on the analysis was upgraded by correcting some minor errors, adding a sophisticated screen-and-printer graphics capability and other output options, and by improving the automation. The design, performance, and analysis of a series of experiments with monodisperse polystyrene latex microspheres in water were supported to test the theory and its limitations. The theory was amply confirmed at high rotation rates. However, at low rotation rates (1 rpm or less) the assumption of uniform solid-body rotation of the fluid became invalid, and there were increasingly strong secondary motions driven by variations in the mean fluid density due to variations in the particle concentration. In these tests the increase in the mean fluid density due to the particles was of order 0.015 percent. To a first approximation, these flows are driven by the buoyancy in a thin crescent-shaped depleted layer on the descending side of the rotating reactor. This buoyancy distribution is balanced by viscosity near the walls, and by the Coriolis force in the interior. A full analysis is beyond the scope of this study. Secondary flows are likely to be stronger for buoyant particles, which spiral in towards the neutral point near the rotation axis under the influence of their centrifugal buoyancy. This is because the depleted layer is thicker and extends all the way around the reactor.

Seismic structure of the crust and uppermost mantle of South America and surrounding oceanic basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chulick, Gary S.; Detweiler, Shane; Mooney, Walter D.

2013-01-01

We present a new set of contour maps of the seismic structure of South America and the surrounding ocean basins. These maps include new data, helping to constrain crustal thickness, whole-crustal average P-wave and S-wave velocity, and the seismic velocity of the uppermost mantle (Pn and Sn). We find that: (1) The weighted average thickness of the crust under South America is 38.17 km (standard deviation, s.d. ±8.7 km), which is ∼1 km thinner than the global average of 39.2 km (s.d. ±8.5 km) for continental crust. (2) Histograms of whole-crustal P-wave velocities for the South American crust are bi-modal, with the lower peak occurring for crust that appears to be missing a high-velocity (6.9–7.3 km/s) lower crustal layer. (3) The average P-wave velocity of the crystalline crust (Pcc) is 6.47 km/s (s.d. ±0.25 km/s). This is essentially identical to the global average of 6.45 km/s. (4) The average Pn velocity beneath South America is 8.00 km/s (s.d. ±0.23 km/s), slightly lower than the global average of 8.07 km/s. (5) A region across northern Chile and northeast Argentina has anomalously low P- and S-wave velocities in the crust. Geographically, this corresponds to the shallowly-subducted portion of the Nazca plate (the Pampean flat slab first described by Isacks et al., 1968), which is also a region of crustal extension. (6) The thick crust of the Brazilian craton appears to extend into Venezuela and Colombia. (7) The crust in the Amazon basin and along the western edge of the Brazilian craton may be thinned by extension. (8) The average crustal P-wave velocity under the eastern Pacific seafloor is higher than under the western Atlantic seafloor, most likely due to the thicker sediment layer on the older Atlantic seafloor.

Geostatistical Modeling of Sediment Abundance in a Heterogeneous Basalt Aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welhan, John A.; Farabaugh, Renee L.; Merrick, Melissa J.; Anderson, Steven R.

2007-01-01

The spatial distribution of sediment in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer was evaluated and modeled to improve the parameterization of hydraulic conductivity (K) for a subregional-scale ground-water flow model being developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The aquifer is hosted within a layered series of permeable basalts within which intercalated beds of fine-grained sediment constitute local confining units. These sediments have K values as much as six orders of magnitude lower than the most permeable basalt, and previous flow-model calibrations have shown that hydraulic conductivity is sensitive to the proportion of intercalated sediment. Stratigraphic data in the form of sediment thicknesses from 333 boreholes in and around the Idaho National Laboratory were evaluated as grouped subsets of lithologic units (composite units) corresponding to their relative time-stratigraphic position. The results indicate that median sediment abundances of the stratigraphic units below the water table are statistically invariant (stationary) in a spatial sense and provide evidence of stationarity across geologic time, as well. Based on these results, the borehole data were kriged as two-dimensional spatial data sets representing the sediment content of the layers that discretize the ground-water flow model in the uppermost 300 feet of the aquifer. Multiple indicator kriging (mIK) was used to model the geographic distribution of median sediment abundance within each layer by defining the local cumulative frequency distribution (CFD) of sediment via indicator variograms defined at multiple thresholds. The mIK approach is superior to ordinary kriging because it provides a statistically best estimate of sediment abundance (the local median) drawn from the distribution of local borehole data, independent of any assumption of normality. A methodology is proposed for delineating and constraining the assignment of hydraulic conductivity zones for parameter estimation, based on the locally estimated CFDs and relative kriging uncertainty. A kriging-based methodology improves the spatial resolution of hydraulic property zones that can be considered during parameter estimation and should improve calibration performance and sensitivity by more accurately reflecting the nuances of sediment distribution within the aquifer.

A deep-sea sediment transport storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, Thomas F.; Williams, A. J.; Newell, A. R. M.

1988-02-01

Photographs taken of the sea bottom since the 1960s suggest that sediments at great depth may be actively resuspended and redistributed1. Further, it has been suspected that active resus-pension/transport may be required to maintain elevated concentrations of particles in deep-sea nepheloid layers. But currents with sufficient energy to erode the bottom, and to maintain the particles in suspension, have not been observed concurrently with large concentrations of particles in the deep nepheloid layer2-4. The high-energy benthic boundary-layer experiment (HEBBLE) was designed to test the hypothesis that bed modifications can result from local erosion and deposition as modelled by simple one-dimensional local forcing mechanics5. We observed several 'storms' of high kinetic energy and near-bed flow associated with large concentrations of suspended sediment during the year-long deployments of moored instruments at the HEBBLE study site. These observations, at 4,880 m off the Nova Scotian Rise in the north-west Atlantic, indicate that large episodic events may suspend bottom sediments in areas well removed from coastal and shelf sources.

High speed chalcogenide glass electrochemical metallization cells with various active metals.

PubMed

Hughes, Mark A; Burgess, Alexander; Hinder, Steven; Gholizadeh, A Baset; Craig, Christopher; Hewak, Daniel W

2018-08-03

We fabricated electrochemical metallization cells using a GaLaSO solid electrolyte, an InSnO inactive electrode and active electrodes consisting of various metals (Cu, Ag, Fe, Cu, Mo, Al). Devices with Ag and Cu active metals showed consistent and repeatable resistive switching behaviour, and had a retention of 3 and >43 days, respectively; both had switching speeds of <5 ns. Devices with Cr and Fe active metals displayed incomplete or intermittent resistive switching, and devices with Mo and Al active electrodes displayed no resistive switching ability. Deeper penetration of the active metal into the GaLaSO layer resulted in greater resistive switching ability of the cell. The off-state resistivity was greater for more reactive active metals which may be due to a thicker intermediate layer.

Defect design of insulation systems for photovoltaic modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mon, G. R.

1981-01-01

A defect-design approach to sizing electrical insulation systems for terrestrial photovoltaic modules is presented. It consists of gathering voltage-breakdown statistics on various thicknesses of candidate insulation films where, for a designated voltage, module failure probabilities for enumerated thickness and number-of-layer film combinations are calculated. Cost analysis then selects the most economical insulation system. A manufacturing yield problem is solved to exemplify the technique. Results for unaged Mylar suggest using fewer layers of thicker films. Defect design incorporates effects of flaws in optimal insulation system selection, and obviates choosing a tolerable failure rate, since the optimization process accomplishes that. Exposure to weathering and voltage stress reduces the voltage-withstanding capability of module insulation films. Defect design, applied to aged polyester films, promises to yield reliable, cost-optimal insulation systems.

Spectral emissivity of candidate alloys for very high temperature reactors in high temperature air environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, G.; Weber, S. J.; Martin, S. O.; Sridharan, K.; Anderson, M. H.; Allen, T. R.

2013-10-01

Emissivity measurements for candidate alloys for very high temperature reactors were carried out in a custom-built experimental facility, capable of both efficient and reliable measurements of spectral emissivities of multiple samples at high temperatures. The alloys studied include 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steels, Alloy 617, and SA508 ferritic steel. The oxidation of alloys plays an important role in dictating emissivity values. The higher chromium content of 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steels, and Alloy 617 results in an oxide layer only of sub-micron thickness even at 700 °C and consequently the emissivity of these alloys remains low. In contrast, the low alloy SA508 ferritic steel which contains no chromium develops a thicker oxide layer, and consequently exhibits higher emissivity values.

Substantial difference in target surface chemistry between reactive dc and high power impulse magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greczynski, G.; Mráz, S.; Schneider, J. M.; Hultman, L.

2018-02-01

The nitride layer formed in the target race track during the deposition of stoichiometric TiN thin films is a factor 2.5 thicker for high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), compared to conventional dc processing (DCMS). The phenomenon is explained using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the as-operated Ti target surface chemistry supported by sputter depth profiles, dynamic Monte Carlo simulations employing the TRIDYN code, and plasma chemical investigations by ion mass spectrometry. The target chemistry and the thickness of the nitride layer are found to be determined by the implantation of nitrogen ions, predominantly N+ and N2+ for HIPIMS and DCMS, respectively. Knowledge of this method-inherent difference enables robust processing of high quality functional coatings.

Adsorption of poly(vinyl alcohol) from water to a hydrophobic surface: effects of molecular weight, degree of hydrolysis, salt, and temperature.

PubMed

Kozlov, Mikhail; McCarthy, Thomas J

2004-10-12

The adsorption of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) from aqueous solutions to a silicon-supported fluoroalkyl monolayer is described. Thickness, wettability, and roughness of adsorbed films are studied as a function of polymer molecular weight, degree of hydrolysis (from the precursor, poly(vinyl acetate)), polymer concentration, salt type and concentration, and temperature. The data suggest a two-stage process for adsorption of the polymer: physisorption due to a hydrophobic effect (decrease in interfacial free energy) and subsequent stabilization of the adsorbed layer due to crystallization of the polymer. Adsorption of lower-molecular-weight polymers results in thicker films than those prepared with a higher molecular weight; this is ascribed to better crystallization of more mobile short chains. Higher contents of unhydrolyzed acetate groups on the poly(vinyl alcohol) chain lead to thicker adsorbed films. Residual acetate groups partition to the outermost surface of the films and determine wettability. Salts, including sodium chloride and sodium sulfate, promote adsorption, which results in thicker films; at the same time, their presence over a wide concentration range leads to formation of rough coatings. Sodium thiocyanate has little effect on PVOH adsorption, only slightly reducing the thickness in a 2 M salt solution. Increased temperature promotes adsorption in the presence of salt, but has little effect on salt-free solutions. Evidently, higher temperatures favor adsorption but cause crystallization to be less thermodynamically favorable. These competing effects result in the smoothest coatings being formed in an intermediate temperature range. Copyright 2004 American Chemical Society

Evidence for gassy sediments on the inner shelf of SE Korea from geoacoustic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorgas, Thomas J.; Kim, Gil Y.; Park, Soo C.; Wilkens, Roy H.; Kim, Dae C.; Lee, Gwang H.; Seo, Young K.

2003-05-01

The inner shelf of SE Korea is characterized by an up to 40 m thick blanket of soft sediments often characterized by acoustic turbidity (AT). This AT is caused by a layer of sub-surface gas, which prohibits the identification of geological structures below that gas layer. Sound speeds were measured directly in these sediments using the Acoustic Lance (AL) in both mid- and late-September 1999. In situ sound speeds obtained in mid-September varied between 1400 and 1550 m/s, and thus did not confirm the presence of gas within the top 3.5 m of the seafloor. However, signal waveforms suggested that a gassy layer might have been just below the depth penetrated by the Lance. In late-September, on the other hand, two sites showed an abrupt decrease in signal amplitudes and in sound speed (less than 800 m/s) at depths as shallow as 2 m below seafloor, indicating the presence of free gas bubbles. Piston-cored sediments were retrieved at the same sites in February 1999. X-radiographs of some of the cores revealed numerous microcracks caused by the expansion of gas bubbles during core retrieval. In contrast to in situ acoustic data, ultrasonic sound speeds acquired in the laboratory in May 1999 on those cores did not differentiate convincingly between gas-bearing and gas-free sediments. Our measurements on the SE Korean shelf with the AL provide new data on the in situ acoustic behavior of gassy sediments and the sediments that overlie them in zones of AT.

Coastal eutrophication thresholds: a matter of sediment microbial processes.

PubMed

Lehtoranta, Jouni; Ekholm, Petri; Pitkänen, Heikki

2009-09-01

In marine sediments, the major anaerobic mineralization processes are Fe(III) oxide reduction and sulfate reduction. In this article, we propose that the two alternative microbial mineralization pathways in sediments exert decisively different impacts on aquatic ecosystems. In systems where iron reduction dominates in the recently deposited sediment layers, the fraction of Fe(III) oxides that is dissolved to Fe(II) upon reduction will ultimately be transported to the oxic layer, where it will be reoxidized. Phosphorus, which is released from Fe(III) oxides and decomposing organic matter from the sediment, will be largely trapped by this newly formed Fe(III) oxide layer. Consequently, there are low concentrations of phosphorus in near-bottom and productive water layers and primary production tends to be limited by phosphorus (State 1). By contrast, in systems where sulfate reduction dominates, Fe(III) oxides are reduced by sulfides. This chemical reduction leads to the formation and permanent burial of iron as solid iron sulfides that are unable to capture phosphorus. In addition, the cycling of iron is blocked, and phosphorus is released to overlying water. Owing to the enrichment of phosphorus in water, the nitrogen : phosphorus ratio is lowered and nitrogen tends to limit algal growth, giving an advantage to nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae (State 2). A major factor causing a shift from State 1 to State 2 is an increase in the flux of labile organic carbon to the bottom sediments; upon accelerating eutrophication a critical point will be reached when the availability of Fe(III) oxides in sediments will be exhausted and sulfate reduction will become dominant. Because the reserves of Fe(III) oxides are replenished only slowly, reversal to State 1 may markedly exceed the time needed to reduce the flux of organic carbon to the sediment. A key factor affecting the sensitivity of a coastal system to such a regime shift is formed by the hydrodynamic alterations that decrease the transport of O2 to the near-bottom water, e.g., due to variations in salinity and temperature stratification.

Hydrologic and geologic factors affecting land subsidence near Eloy, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Epstein, V.J.

1987-01-01

At an extensometer site near Eloy, Arizona, 1.09 m of land subsidence caused by groundwater withdrawal were measured by leveling in 1965-83. The extensometer, which partially penetrates the compressible sediments, recorded 0.82 m of compaction during the same period. By use of a one-dimensional model, cumulative daily compaction values were simulated to within an average of 0.0038 m of the actual values. Land subsidence was simulated to within an average of 0.011 m using the same model in conjunction with geohydrologic data of the sediments below the extensometer. A highly compressible clay layer that is 24.38 m thick was partially penetrated by the extensometer. The simulation indicated that the layer was driving compaction and land subsidence linearly with respect to time, despite the presence of other compacting layers. Because of its thickness and compressibility, this layer can be expected to continue to compact after applied vertical stresses have stopped increasing and other layers have stopped compacting. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the compressibility of fine-grained sediments (expressed as specific storage) is one of the factors to which compact is most sensitive. Preconsolidation stress and hydraulic conductivity also affect land subsidence near Eloy, Arizona. (Author 's abstract)

What Lies Below a Martian Ice Cap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on image for larger annotated version

This image (top) taken by the Shallow Radar instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveals the layers of ice, sand and dust that make up the north polar ice cap on Mars. It is the most detailed look to date at the insides of this ice cap. The colored map below the radar picture shows the topography of the corresponding Martian terrain (red and white represent higher ground, and green and yellow lower).

The radar image reveals four never-before-seen thick layers of ice and dust separated by layers of nearly pure ice. According to scientists, these thick ice-free layers represent approximately one-million-year-long cycles of climate change on Mars caused by variations in the planet's tilted axis and its eccentric orbit around the sun. Adding up the entire stack of ice gives an estimated age for the north polar ice cap of about 4 million years a finding that agrees with previous theoretical estimates. The ice cap is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) thick.

The radar picture also shows that the boundary between the ice layers and the surface of Mars underneath is relatively flat (bottom white line on the right). This implies that the surface of Mars is not sagging, or bending, under the weight of the ice cap and this, in turn, suggests that the planet's lithosphere, a combination of the crust and the strong parts of the upper mantle, is thicker than previously thought.

A thicker lithosphere on Mars means that temperatures increase more gradually with depth toward the interior. Temperatures warm enough for water to be liquid are therefore deeper than previously thought. Likewise, if liquid water does exist in aquifers below the surface of Mars, and if there are any organisms living in that water, they would have to be located deeper in the planet.

The topography data are from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, which was flown on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor mission.

NPLD stands for the north polar layered deposits.

BU stands for basal unit, an ice-sand deposit that lies beneath parts of the north polar layered deposits.

The Shallow Radar instrument was provided by the Italian Space Agency. Its operations are led by the University of Rome and its data are analyzed by a joint U.S.-Italian science team. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

Ocean haline skin layer and turbulent surface convections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Zhang, X.

2012-04-01

The ocean haline skin layer is of great interest to oceanographic applications, while its attribute is still subject to considerable uncertainty due to observational difficulties. By introducing Batchelor micro-scale, a turbulent surface convection model is developed to determine the depths of various ocean skin layers with same model parameters. These parameters are derived from matching cool skin layer observations. Global distributions of salinity difference across ocean haline layers are then simulated, using surface forcing data mainly from OAFlux project and ISCCP. It is found that, even though both thickness of the haline layer and salinity increment across are greater than the early global simulations, the microwave remote sensing error caused by the haline microlayer effect is still smaller than that from other geophysical error sources. It is shown that forced convections due to sea surface wind stress are dominant over free convections driven by surface cooling in most regions of oceans. The free convection instability is largely controlled by cool skin effect for the thermal microlayer is much thicker and becomes unstable much earlier than the haline microlayer. The similarity of the global distributions of temperature difference and salinity difference across cool and haline skin layers is investigated by comparing their forcing fields of heat fluxes. The turbulent convection model is also found applicable to formulating gas transfer velocity at low wind.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry of columnar porous Si thin films and Si nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fodor, Bálint; Defforge, Thomas; Agócs, Emil; Fried, Miklós; Gautier, Gaël; Petrik, Péter

2017-11-01

Columnar mesoporous Si thin films and dense nanowire (SiNW) carpets were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the visible-near-infrared wavelength range. Porous Si layers were formed by electrochemical etching while structural anisotropy was controlled by the applied current. Layers of highly oriented SiNWs, with length up to 4.1 μm were synthesized by metal-assisted chemical etching. Ellipsometric spectra were fitted with different multi-layered, effective medium approximation-based (EMA) models. Isotropic, in-depth graded, anisotropic and hybrid EMA models were investigated with the help of the root mean square errors obtained from the fits. Ellipsometric-fitted layer thicknesses were also cross-checked by scanning electron microscopy showing an excellent agreement. Furthermore, in the case of mesoporous silicon, characterization also revealed that, at low current densities (<100 mA/cm2), in-depth inhomogeneity shows a more important feature in the ellipsometric spectra than anisotropy. On the other hand, at high current densities (>100 mA/cm2) this behavior turns around, and anisotropy becomes the dominant feature describing the spectra. Characterization of SiNW layers showed a very high geometrical anisotropy. However, the highest fitted geometrical anisotropy was obtained for the layer composed of ∼1 μm long SiNWs indicating that for thicker layers, collapse of the nanowires occurs.

Exciton-dominated dielectric function of atomically thin MoS 2 films

DOE PAGES

Yu, Yiling; Yu, Yifei; Cai, Yongqing; ...

2015-11-24

We systematically measure the dielectric function of atomically thin MoS 2 films with different layer numbers and demonstrate that excitonic effects play a dominant role in the dielectric function when the films are less than 5–7 layers thick. The dielectric function shows an anomalous dependence on the layer number. It decreases with the layer number increasing when the films are less than 5–7 layers thick but turns to increase with the layer number for thicker films. We show that this is because the excitonic effect is very strong in the thin MoS 2 films and its contribution to the dielectricmore » function may dominate over the contribution of the band structure. We also extract the value of layer-dependent exciton binding energy and Bohr radius in the films by fitting the experimental results with an intuitive model. The dominance of excitonic effects is in stark contrast with what reported at conventional materials whose dielectric functions are usually dictated by band structures. Lastly, the knowledge of the dielectric function may enable capabilities to engineer the light-matter interactions of atomically thin MoS 2 films for the development of novel photonic devices, such as metamaterials, waveguides, light absorbers, and light emitters.« less

Organelle sedimentation in gravitropic roots of Limnobium is restricted to the elongation zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sack, F. D.; Kim, D.; Stein, B.

1994-01-01

Roots of the aquatic angiosperm Limnobium spongia (Bosc) Steud. were evaluated by light and electron microscopy to determine the distribution of organelle sedimentation towards gravity. Roots of Limnobium are strongly gravitropic. The rootcap consists of only two layers of cells. Although small amyloplasts are present in the central cap cells, no sedimentation of any organelle, including amyloplasts, was found. In contrast, both amyloplasts and nuclei sediment consistently and completely in cells of the elongation zone. Sedimentation occurs in one cell layer of the cortex just outside the endodermis. Sedimentation of both amyloplasts and nuclei begins in cells that are in their initial stages of elongation and persists at least to the level of the root where root hairs emerge. This is the first modern report of the presence of sedimentation away from, but not in, the rootcap. It shows that sedimentation in the rootcap is not necessary for gravitropic sensing in at least one angiosperm. If amyloplast sedimentation is responsible for gravitropic sensing, then the site of sensing in Limnobium roots is the elongation zone and not the rootcap. These data do not necessarily conflict with the hypothesis that sensing occurs in the cap in other roots, since Limnobium roots are exceptional in rootcap origin and structure, as well as in the distribution of organelle sedimentation. Similarly, if nuclear sedimentation is involved in gravitropic sensing, then nuclear mass would function in addition to, not instead of, that of amyloplasts.

Methanogenesis in the sediment of the acidic Lake Caviahue in Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koschorreck, Matthias; Wendt-Potthoff, Katrin; Scharf, Burkhard; Richnow, Hans H.

2008-12-01

The biogeochemistry of methane in the sediments of Lake Caviahue was examined by geochemical analysis, microbial activity assays and isotopic analysis. The pH in the water column was 2.6 and increased up to a pH of 6 in the deeper sediment pore waters. The carbon isotope composition of CH 4 was between - 65 and - 70‰ which is indicative for the biological origin of the methane. The enrichment factor ɛ increased from - 46‰ in the upper sediment column to more than - 80 in the deeper sediment section suggesting a transition from acetoclastic methanogenesis to CO 2 reduction with depth. In the most acidic surface layer of the sediment (pH < 4) methanogenesis is inhibited as suggested by a linear CH 4 concentration profile, activity assays and MPN analysis. The CH 4 activity assays and the CH 4 profile indicate that methanogenesis in the sediment of Lake Caviahue was active below 40 cm depth. At that depth the pH was above 4 and sulfate reduction was sulfate limited. Methane was diffusing with a flux of 0.9 mmol m - 2 d - 1 to the sediment surface where it was probably oxidized. Methanogenesis contributed little to the sediments carbon budget and had no significant impact on lake water quality. The high biomass content of the sediment, which was probably caused by the last eruption of Copahue Volcano, supported high rates of sulfate reduction which probably raised the pH and created favorable conditions for methanogens in deeper sediment layers.

PCT MAO’s Enhanced Performance by Specially Designed Sealers for Superior Service & Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

PCT’s Process is with low silicon content. • Aluminized Steel + PCT MAO can be a cost effective alternative to Stainless Steel, Super Duplex...is applied PCT – P seal • Typical Layer thickness: 40-80 micron* • Organic sealer • Hydrophobic surface, reduces sedimentation...PCT - S seal • Typical Layer thickness: 10-40 micron* • Organo-ceramic sealer • Hydrophobic surface, reduces sedimentation. PCT Classic 1000

'Berries' and Rock Share Common Origins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This false-color composite image, taken at a region of the rock outcrop dubbed 'Shoemaker's Patio' near the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's landing site, shows finely layered sediments, which have been accentuated by erosion. The sphere-like grains or 'blueberries' distributed throughout the outcrop can be seen lining up with individual layers. This observation indicates that the spherules are geologic features called concretions, which form in pre-existing wet sediments. Other sphere-like grains, such as impact spherules or volcanic lapilli (fragments of material etween 2 and 64 millimeters or .08 and 2.5 inches in maximum dimension that are ejected from a volcano) are thought to be deposited with sediments and thus would form layers distinct from those of the rocks. This image was captured by the rover's panoramic camera on the 50th martian day, or sol, of the mission. Data from the camera's infrared, green and violet filters were used to create this false-color picture.

Factors controlling late Cenozoic continental margin growth from the Ebro Delta to the western Mediterranean deep sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, C.H.; Maldonado, A.

1990-01-01

The Ebro continental margin sedimentation system originated with a Messinian fluvial system. This system eroded both a major subaerial canyon cutting the margin southeastward from the present Ebro Delta and an axial valley that drained northeastward down Valencia Trough. Post-Messinian submergence of this topography and the Pliocene regime of high sea levels resulted in a marine hemipelagic drape over the margin. Late Pliocene to Pleistocene glacial climatic cycles, drainagebasin deforestation, and sea-level lowstands combined to increase sediment supply, cause the margin to prograde, and create a regime of lowstand sediment-gravity flows in the deeper margin. The depositional patterns of regressive, transgressive and highstand sea-level regimes suggest that location of the sediment source near the present Ebro Delta throughout the late Cenozoic, southward current advection of sediment, and greater subsidence in the southern margin combined to cause generally asymmetric progradation of the margin to the southeast. Thicker, less stable deposits filling the Messinian subaerial canyon underwent multiple retrograde failures, eroded wide gullied canyons and formed unchanneled base-of-slope sediment aprons in the central margin area; other margin areas to the north and south developed a series of channel-levee complexes. On the basin floor, the formation of Valencia Valley over the Messinian subaerial valley and earlier faults led to draining of about 20% of the Ebro Pleistocene sediment from channel-levee complexes through the valley to prograde Valencia Fan as much as 500 km northeast of the margin. Thus, the Ebro margin has two growth directions, mainly southeastward during higher sea levels, and eastward to northeastward during lower sea levels. The northeastward draining of turbidity currents has produced unusually thin and widely dispersed turbidite systems compared to those on ponded basin floors. During the past few centuries, man's impact has exceeded natural controls on Ebro margin growth. Deforestation of the drainage basin more than doubled the normal Holocene sediment supply, and construction of dams then reduced the supply by 95%. This reduction of the past 50 years has caused erosion of the delta and contamination of bottom sediment because normal Holocene sediment discharge is not available to prograde the delta or help dilute pollutants. ?? 1990.

Heterogeneous structure of the incoming plate in the Japan Trench

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Y.; Fujie, G.; Yamaguchi, A.; Kodaira, S.; Miura, S.

2017-12-01

We have conducted seismic surveys in around the Japan Trench subduction zone, northeastern Japan, to investigate the structural features of the incoming Pacific plate and the frontal prism. Thickness of the hemiplegic sediments on the deposited on the incoming Pacific plate shows the variation along trench axis between 200 and 600 ms two-way travel time (TWT). This is remarkably thinner than other subduction zones with megathrust earthquakes like Sumatra subduction zone. Off Miyagi, central part of the Japan Trench which is the main ruptured region of 2011 Tohoku earthquake, has 200 - 300 ms TWT of the incoming sediments thickness. Off Iwate, northern part of the Japan Trench, has thicker incoming sediments 500 ms TWT, and Off Fukushima, southern part of the Japan Trench, has 300 - 400 ms TWT. We found at least three areas with anomalously thin sediments; Area I: 38N 145N, Area II: 39.5N 144.5E, Area III: 39N 144.5N. At the Area I, located on the outer rise off Miyagi, the receiver function analysis using Ocean Bottom Seismograph data revealed the existence of PS conversion surfaces below the interpreted basement on the seismic sections. This implies that the interface between sediments and the igneous basement is located below the interpreted basement reflections. Previous studies suggested the existence of the petit spots in this Area I. Area II shows apparently very thin sediments near the trench axis on seismic profiles, where the petit spot volcanism was observed. Shallow sediment sampling conducted in this area indicates no major surface erosion. These observations suggest that the petit spot volcanism, like sill intrusion, masked the original deeper basement reflections and caused the apparent thin sediments on seismic profiles. Area III also has thin sediments and rough basement topography, which has possibly been caused by another petit spot activity. Petit spot area with apparent very thin sediments in the trench axis (Area II) is located next to the northern edge of the large slip zone of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. The volcanic activities like petit spots on the incoming plate introduce heterogeneous input into the subduction zone, which could be important factors to control the megathrust seismo- and tsunamigenesis in the subduction zone.

Distribution and transport of total mercury and methylmercury in mercury-contaminated sediments in reservoirs and wetlands of the Sudbury River, east-central Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, John A.; Waldron, Marcus C.; Breault, Robert F.; Lent, Robert M.

1999-01-01

Total mercury and methylmercury were measured in 4 reservoir cores and 12 wetland cores from Sudbury River. The distribution of total mercury and methylmercury in these cores was evaluated to determine the potential for total mercury and methylmercury transport from reservoir and wetlands sediments to the water column. Concentrations of methylmercury were corrected for an analytical artifact introduced during the separation distillation used in the analysis procedure. Corrected methylmercury concentrations correlated with total mercury concentrations in bulk sediment from below the top layers of reservoir and wetland cores; methylmercury concentrations at the top layers of cores were relatively high, however, and were not correlated with total mercury concentrations. Concentrations of methylmercury in pore water were positively correlated with methylmercury concentrations in the bulk sediment. High concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury in sediment (73 and 0.047 micrograms per gram dry-weight basis, respectively) contributed less to the water column in the reservoir than in the wetlands probably because of burial by low concentration sediment and differences in the processes available to transport mercury from the sediments to the water in the reservoirs, as compared to the wetlands .

Archaeal populations in hypersaline sediments underlying orange microbial mats in the Napoli mud volcano.

PubMed

Lazar, Cassandre Sara; L'haridon, Stéphane; Pignet, Patricia; Toffin, Laurent

2011-05-01

Microbial mats in marine cold seeps are known to be associated with ascending sulfide- and methane-rich fluids. Hence, they could be visible indicators of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and methane cycling processes in underlying sediments. The Napoli mud volcano is situated in the Olimpi Area that lies on saline deposits; from there, brine fluids migrate upward to the seafloor. Sediments associated with a brine pool and microbial orange mats of the Napoli mud volcano were recovered during the Medeco cruise. Based on analysis of RNA-derived sequences, the "active" archaeal community was composed of many uncultured lineages, such as rice cluster V or marine benthic group D. Function methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA) genes were affiliated with the anaerobic methanotrophic Archaea (ANME) of the ANME-1, ANME-2a, and ANME-2c groups, suggesting that AOM occurred in these sediment layers. Enrichment cultures showed the presence of viable marine methylotrophic Methanococcoides in shallow sediment layers. Thus, the archaeal community diversity seems to show that active methane cycling took place in the hypersaline microbial mat-associated sediments of the Napoli mud volcano.

Prehistoric (Chalcolithic) Eastern Mediterranean tsunami deposit identified offshore central Israel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyuleneva, Natalia; Braun, Yael; Suchkov, Igor; Goodman-Tchernov, Beverly

2017-04-01

The shallow shelf area ( 15-30 m water depth) offshore Israel, bears great potential for paleo-tsunami studies. It was shown in the course of previous research that in these offshore marine deposits, tsunami generated sedimentary layers can be well preserved and readily identified; unlike in onshore sedimentary sequences, which experience continuous exogenous natural and anthropogenic influence. A sediment core, 219 cm long, was obtained from 15.3 m water depth, in about 4 km north of Caesarea. Grain size at 1 cm interval as well as XRD and XRF analyses at coarser resolution were performed. Previously carried out research allowed correlation of two anomalous layers in this core with well described sediment sequences offshore Caesarea. These two events correspond best with the proposed events of 749 AD and 1500 BC. Identified unusual layers in this core bear certain set of proxies that are characteristic for tsunami generated deposits and easily distinguished from the local normal marine setting. The latter is characterized by three dominating mineralogical components, such as carbonaceous sand derived either from biogenic material, namely shell fragments or from eroded limestones and dolomites that outcrop the mountains to the east; siliciclastic quartz for the sand fraction and mineral smectite for the clays. The supply of the two latter terrigenous sedimentary components comes from the Nile River, which has been a stable and predominant source of sediments for the past 8 ka. The aim of this study is to characterize the earliest unusual sedimentary layer found down core between 191 and 211 cm. This layer was attributed to a tsunami-generated sedimentary sequence in the studied core. Absolute age determination based on 14C gave the time frame from 5.6 to 6 ka BP, making this event the oldest identified in the Eastern Mediterranean to date. This tsunami corresponds to the Chalcolithic ('Copper Age') cultural period of the region. Prehistoric age of these sediments makes it impossible to correlate these identified tsunami generated sediments with any known tsunami or earthquake, since the event pre dates any written catalogues of the mentioned hazardous events. The results of this study allow to make following conclusions: (1) the unusual sedimentary layer carries indicators, characteristic for tsunami generated sediments in the studied core, such as distinct deviation of granulometric coefficients (mean, median, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis) and presence of whole, imbricated bivalve mollusks shells; (2) the upper part of tsunami generated layer is characterized by increased content of illite, a characteristic clay mineral for terrestrial sediments; (3) increased content of heavy minerals and such elements as iron, titanium and zirconium at the top of the layer coincide with increased content of coarse sand fraction (541-1821 micron) suggesting deposition in high energy sedimentological setting and influence of a strong backwash wave, carrying terrestrial material to offshore marine environment.

Bacterially mediated diagenetic origin for chert-hosted manganese deposits in the Franciscan Complex, California Coast Ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, James R.; Koski, Randolph A.

1987-08-01

Numerous manganese deposits in the Franciscan Complex, California, occur as conformable lenses within bedded radiolarian chert-argillite sequences that are, in turn, intercalated within thicker sections of sandstone and shale. The field relations, composition, and petro-graphic and isotopic characteristics indicate that the manganese was concentrated by diagenetic reconstitution of siliceous and hemipelagic sediment during burial. The ore lenses are Mn-rich and Fe-poor assemblages consisting largely of rhodochrosite, manganese silicates, opal-CT (disordered cristobalite-tridymite), and quartz. Highly negative δ13C values for the carbonate carbon in rhodochrosite indicate that CO2 likely originated from oxidation of methane; less negative values result from mixing of methanogenic carbon and CO2 derived from bacterial degradation of organic matter. The δ18O values for the carbonate of rhodochrosite indicate temperatures of formation between 12 and 100 °C. The oxidation of methane prior to carbonate precipitation may have used the minor (0.4% 0.5%) Mn and Fe oxyhydroxides and oxides deposited with the sediment. The mobilization of manganese from biogenic and terrigenous sources in the sediment column into discrete horizons and the fractioriation of manganese from iron reflect the presence of oxidation-reduction boundaries and gradients in the sediment column. Fluids derived from compaction and silica-dehydration reactions in the transformation of opal-A (X-ray amorphous biogenic silica) to quartz were involved in transportation of principal components. Sedimentary and geochemical attributes suggest that the deposits formed in a deep-water environment in a zone of oceanic upwelling near a continental margin.

Forearc sedimentation in Terraba Trough, Costa Rica, Central America

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yuan, P.B.; Lowe, D.R.

1987-05-01

Sedimentary rocks of Terraba Trough, Costa Rica, were deposited in a forearc basin developed at an ocean-ocean convergent boundary. The basin developed in the middle to late Eocene when the Farallon plate began its subduction beneath the Caribbean plate. Shallow-water carbonates of the Brito Formation were deposited on shoals of basement blocks. These were surrounded by deeper marine areas in which volcaniclastics and carbonate debris accumulated. The Brito Formation consists of algal-foraminiferal packstone to grainstone, rudstone, and rare wackestone formed in fore-slope, carbonate buildup, and open platform environments in a warm, tropical sea. The Eocene Brito Formation is overlain bymore » rocks of the upper Oligocene Rio Claro Member of the Terraba Formation. It is composed of rhodolite and bioclastic grainstone deposited in shallow water. A combination of little subsidence, mild volcanism, and possible erosion at about 30 Ma during a global drop of sea level may be responsible for the absence of lower Oligocene rocks in the study area. After the deposition of the Rio Claro Member, the area subsided rapidly to become a trough possibly deeper than 2000 m. Sedimentation took place in deep water from sediment gravity flows. In the early to early middle Miocene, coarser sediments and thicker sand units containing coal fragments became more abundant, suggesting that the basin was gradually filled. This study indicates that the timing and degree of subsidence of the fore-arc basin and the vertical variation in lithology are closely related to the variation in convergence rate between lithospheric plates in this part of Central America and the eastern Pacific.« less

Large-scale risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in shoreline sediments from Saudi Arabia: environmental legacy after twelve years of the Gulf war oil spill.

PubMed

Bejarano, Adriana C; Michel, Jacqueline

2010-05-01

A large-scale assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the 1991 Gulf War oil spill was performed for 2002-2003 sediment samples (n = 1679) collected from habitats along the shoreline of Saudi Arabia. Benthic sediment toxicity was characterized using the Equilibrium Partitioning Sediment Benchmark Toxic Unit approach for 43 PAHs (ESBTU(FCV,43)). Samples were assigned to risk categories according to ESBTU(FCV,43) values: no-risk (< or = 1), low (>1 - < or = 2), low-medium (>2 - < or = 3), medium (>3 - < or = 5) and high-risk (>5). Sixty seven percent of samples had ESBTU(FCV,43) > 1 indicating potential adverse ecological effects. Sediments from the 0-30 cm layer from tidal flats, and the >30 - <60 cm layer from heavily oiled halophytes and mangroves had high frequency of high-risk samples. No-risk samples were characterized by chrysene enrichment and depletion of lighter molecular weight PAHs, while high-risk samples showed little oil weathering and PAH patterns similar to 1993 samples. North of Safaniya sediments were not likely to pose adverse ecological effects contrary to sediments south of Tanaqib. Landscape and geomorphology has played a role on the distribution and persistence in sediments of oil from the Gulf War. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution and accumulation of mercury and copper in mangrove sediments in Shenzhen, the world's most rapid urbanized city.

PubMed

Li, Ruili; Xu, Hualin; Chai, Minwei; Qiu, Guo Yu

2016-02-01

To investigate the influence of mangrove forest on heavy metal accumulation and storage in intertidal sediments, core sediments from natural mangrove, restored mangrove, and adjacent mud flat spanning the intertidal zone along the south coastline of the most heavily urbanized Deep bay, Guangdong province, China were analyzed. The average concentrations of mercury (Hg) in surface sediments of natural mangrove and restored mangrove were 172 and 151 ng g(-1), whereas those of copper (Cu) were 75 and 50 μg g(-1), respectively. Compared to those from other typical mangrove wetlands of the world, the metal levels in Shenzhen were at median to high levels, which is consistent with the fact that Shenzhen is in high exploitation and its mangrove suffer intensive impact from human activities. Hg and Cu concentration profiles indicated a higher metal accumulation in surface layers of sediments, in agreement with enrichment of organic matter contents. Maximum concentration, enrichment factors, and excess (background-deducted) concentration inventories of metals (Hg and Cu) were substantially different between environments, decreasing from natural mangrove sediments to restored mangrove sediments to mud flat. Furthermore, metal inputs to Futian mangrove decreased in the order natural mangrove > restored mangrove > mud flat, indicating that mangrove facilitated the accumulation and storage of Hg and Cu in sediment layers.

Impact of ice-shelf sediment content on the dynamics of plumes under melting ice shelves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, A.

2015-12-01

When a floating ice shelf melts into an underlying warm salty ocean, the resulting fresh meltwater can rise in a buoyant Ice-Shelf-Water plume under the ice. In certain settings, ice flowing across the grounding line carries a basal layer of debris rich ice, entrained via basal freezing around till in the upstream ice sheet. Melting of this debris-laden ice from floating ice shelves provides a flux of dense sediment to the ocean, in addition to the release of fresh buoyant meltwater. This presentation considers the impact of the resulting suspended sediment on the dynamics of ice shelf water plumes, and identifies two key flow regimes depending on the sediment concentration frozen into the basal ice layer. For large sediment concentration, melting of the debris-laden ice shelf generates dense convectively unstable waters that drive convective overturning into the underlying ocean. For lower sediment concentration, the sediment initially remains suspended in a buoyant meltwater plume rising along the underside of the ice shelf, before slowly depositing into the underlying ocean. A theoretical plume model is used to evaluate the significance of the negatively buoyant sediment on circulation strength and the feedbacks on melting rate, along with the expected depositional patterns under the ice shelf.

Trace Metal Variations Detected by Using Continuous XRF Core Scanning: Preliminary Results on Redox-sensitive Elements in East Sea, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, J. H.; Shin, D. H.; Kim, J. K.; Hyun, S.; Jang, S.; Kum, B. C.; Yoo, K. C.; Moh, T. J.

2017-12-01

The cruise of R/V ISABU focused on the detailed geological, geochemical and paleoceanographical investigations in the East Sea. The purpose of this cruise was the use of technically sophisticated Giant Piston Corer (GPC, OSIL) as well as the recovery of the longest piston core (20.7 m, ISA-16ESUB-2B) ever recorded in KIOST with a high resolution of stratigraphic sedimentary layer. The Late Pleistocene to the Holocene sediments in the Ulleung Basin are characterized by several volcanic tephra layers with alternations of fine light and dark clayey layers, reflecting variability in the paleoenvironment. Based on the previous researches and AMS results, we determine the ages of sedimentary layers from three tephra layers, 1.86 mbsf (U-Oki, 10.7 ka), 3.31 mbsf (AT, 29.4 ka), 11.67 mbsf (Aso-4, 88.0 ka) and 17.09 mbsf (Aso-3, 133.0 ka) respectively. Sediment textures are identified as hemipelagic mud, bioturbated mud and laminated mud with tephra layers. The sedimentation rates of each intervals are 0.174 m/kyr (present to U-Oki), 0.078 m/kyr (U-Oki to AT), 0.143 m/kyr (AT to Aso-4) and 0.120 m/kyr (Aso-4 to Aso-3) respectively. Sensitivity of XRF core scanner was obtained by establishing equivalences between peak areas. Element concentrations are analyzed by traditional techniques such as ICP-MS, ICP-OES. The Ca/Fe ratio reflects carbonate content and ISA-16ESUB-2B core shows strong correlation to sedimentary horizons. Sr/Ca ratio has good correlation with sedimentary units. Enhanced Sr contents indicates strong surface ocean production. Br/Cl ratio are high peak during MIS 5.5. Br content implies generally high organic rich sediments.

Linking Sediment Transport to Coherent Flow Structures: First Results Using 2-Phase PIV and Considerations of the Origin of Large-Scale Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Best, J.

2004-05-01

The origin and scaling of large-scale coherent flow structures has been of central interest in furthering understanding of the nature of turbulent boundary layers, and recent work has shown the presence of large-scale turbulent flow structures that may extend through the whole flow depth. Such structures may dominate the entrainment of bedload sediment and advection of fine sediment in suspension. However, we still know remarkably little of the interactions between the dynamics of coherent flow structures and sediment transport, and its implications for ecosystem dynamics. This paper will discuss the first results of two-phase particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) that has been used to visualize large-scale turbulent flow structures moving over a flat bed in a water channel, and the motion of sand particles within these flows. The talk will outline the methodology, involving the fluorescent tagging of sediment and its discrimination from the fluid phase, and show results that illustrate the key role of these large-scale structures in the transport of sediment. Additionally, the presence of these structures will be discussed in relation to the origin of vorticity within flat-bed boundary layers and recent models that envisage these large-scale motions as being linked to whole-flow field structures. Discussion will focus on if these recent models simply reflect the organization of turbulent boundary layer structure and vortex packets, some of which are amply visualised at the laminar-turbulent transition.

Using lake sediments from Buarvatnet to reconstruct multiple episodic events found at Folgefonn Peninsula, Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roethe, T.; Bakke, J.; Støren, E.

2016-12-01

Here we present work in progress from Buarvatnet at the Folgefonn Peninsula, located on the west coast of Norway. Earlier work from Buarvatnet indicated several distinct spikes in the Silica count rates, detected by the ITRAX surface XRF-scanner. However, the process behind these distinct spikes was not understood. The arrival of high-resolution and innovative instruments at EARTHLAB, in particular the computed tomography (CT) scanner and grain Morphometer, have the potential to get a process-based understanding of these distinct layers and unravel the frequency and timing of such events. Multiple sediment cores were retrieved using a modified piston corer and a Uwitech corer from Buarvatnet. The sediments have been analysed using a multi-proxy approach and the analyses included magnetic properties, loss-on-ignition, dry bulk density, grain size/shape, geochemical analysis (XRF scanning) and CT-scanning. Accurate age-control will be achieved through 210Pb dating of the top-most sediments and 14C dating of terrestrial macrofossils. The lithostratigraphy of the 3.6 m long master sediment core from Buarvatnet is divided into three distinct units. The lower most unit ( 87 cm) is massive with fine-grained greyish sediments, most likely representing the deglaciation of the area. A 224 cm long unit is found above, characterised as dark brown gyttja with multiple thin layers (sub-mm to cm thick) of fine grained sediments. Also in this unit is two distinct sub-units showing a finer upwards sequence. At top, a gradual transition from dark brown gyttja to grey fine-grained sediments is found in the upper-most 19 cm of the sediment core. In total 16 distinct layers is found in the gyttja sequence, including the two sub-units, based on the lithostratigraphy and the prelimnary results from the magnetic, physical and geochemical properties. A preliminary hypothesis is that these distinct layers are due to outburst floods from a glacier-dammed lake upstream from Buarvatnet. In such a scenario, a bedrock threshold dams the meltwater from the retreating glacier and an outburst flood is triggered when the glacier calves or advances into the lake. Understanding the processes behind the multiple events is therefore important in order to highlight the potential hazards in rapid outburst floods in a warming world.

Sediment size fractionation and focusing in the equatorial Pacific: Effect on 230Th normalization and paleoflux measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyle, Mitchell; Marcantonio, Franco; Moore, Willard S.; Murray, Richard W.; Huh, Chih-An; Finney, Bruce P.; Murray, David W.; Mix, Alan C.

2014-07-01

We use flux, dissolution, and excess 230Th data from the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study and Manganese Nodule Project equatorial Pacific study Site C to assess the extent of sediment focusing in the equatorial Pacific. Measured mass accumulation rates (MAR) from sediment cores were compared to reconstructed MAR by multiplying the particulate rain caught in sediment traps by the 230Th focusing factor and subtracting measured dissolution. CaCO3 MAR is severely overestimated when the 230Th focusing factor correction is large but is estimated correctly when the focusing factor is small. In contrast, Al fluxes in the sediment fine fraction are well matched when the focusing correction is used. Since CaCO3 is primarily a coarse sediment component, we propose that there is significant sorting of fine and coarse sediments during lateral sediment transport by weak currents. Because CaCO3 does not move with 230Th, normalization typically overcorrects the CaCO3 MAR; and because CaCO3 is 80% of the total sediment, 230Th normalization overestimates lateral sediment flux. Fluxes of 230Th in particulate rain caught in sediment traps agree with the water column production-sorption model, except within 500 m of the bottom. Near the bottom, 230Th flux measurements are as much as 3 times higher than model predictions. There is also evidence for lateral near-bottom 230Th transport in the bottom nepheloid layer since 230Th fluxes caught by near-bottom sediment traps are higher than predicted by resuspension of surface sediments alone. Resuspension and nepheloid layer transport under weak currents need to be better understood in order to use 230Th within a quantitative model of lateral sediment transport.

An Eulerian two-phase model for steady sheet flow using large-eddy simulation methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Zhen; Hsu, Tian-Jian; Chauchat, Julien

2018-01-01

A three-dimensional Eulerian two-phase flow model for sediment transport in sheet flow conditions is presented. To resolve turbulence and turbulence-sediment interactions, the large-eddy simulation approach is adopted. Specifically, a dynamic Smagorinsky closure is used for the subgrid fluid and sediment stresses, while the subgrid contribution to the drag force is included using a drift velocity model with a similar dynamic procedure. The contribution of sediment stresses due to intergranular interactions is modeled by the kinetic theory of granular flow at low to intermediate sediment concentration, while at high sediment concentration of enduring contact, a phenomenological closure for particle pressure and frictional viscosity is used. The model is validated with a comprehensive high-resolution dataset of unidirectional steady sheet flow (Revil-Baudard et al., 2015, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 767, 1-30). At a particle Stokes number of about 10, simulation results indicate a reduced von Kármán coefficient of κ ≈ 0.215 obtained from the fluid velocity profile. A fluid turbulence kinetic energy budget analysis further indicates that the drag-induced turbulence dissipation rate is significant in the sheet flow layer, while in the dilute transport layer, the pressure work plays a similar role as the buoyancy dissipation, which is typically used in the single-phase stratified flow formulation. The present model also reproduces the sheet layer thickness and mobile bed roughness similar to measured data. However, the resulting mobile bed roughness is more than two times larger than that predicted by the empirical formulae. Further analysis suggests that through intermittent turbulent motions near the bed, the resolved sediment Reynolds stress plays a major role in the enhancement of mobile bed roughness. Our analysis on near-bed intermittency also suggests that the turbulent ejection motions are highly correlated with the upward sediment suspension flux, while the turbulent sweep events are mostly associated with the downward sediment deposition flux.

Detrital magnetization of laboratory-redeposited sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valet, Jean-Pierre; Tanty, Cyrielle; Carlut, Julie

2017-07-01

We conducted several redeposition experiments in laboratory using natural and artificial sediments in order to investigate the role of grain size and lithology on sedimentary remanence acquisition. The role of grain size was investigated by using sorted sediment from natural turbidites. Taking advantage of the magnetic grain size distribution within turbidites, we compared redeposition experiments performed with coarse magnetic grains taken from the bottom layers of a turbidite with fine grains from the upper layers of the same turbidite. In order to document the magnetization acquired for increasing sediment concentrations that is analogous to increasing depth in the sediment column, the samples were frozen at temperatures between -5 and -10 °C. Magnetization acquisition behaved similarly in both situations, so that little smearing of the palaeomagnetic signal should be linked to grain size variability within this context. Other series of experiments were aimed at investigating the influence of lithology. We used clay or carbonated sediments that were combined with magnetic separates from basaltic rocks or with single-domain biogenic magnetite. The experiments revealed that the magnetization responded differently with clay and carbonates. Clay rapidly inhibited alignment of magnetic grains at low concentrations and, therefore, significant magnetization lock-in occurred despite large water contents, perhaps even within the bioturbated layer. Extension of the process over a deeper interval contributes to smear the geomagnetic signal and therefore to alter the palaeomagnetic record. In carbonates, the magnetization was acquired within a narrow window of 45-50 per cent sediment concentration, therefore, little smearing of the geomagnetic signal can be expected. Finally, experiments on carbonate sediments and biogenic magnetite with increasing field intensities indicate that magnetization acquisition is linear with respect to field intensity. Altogether, the results suggest that sediments with dominant carbonate content should be favoured for records of geomagnetic field changes provided that the minor clay fraction does not vary excessively. They confirm the advantage of using cultures of magnetotactic bacteria for redeposition experiments.

A bench-scale assessment for phosphorus release control of sediment by an oxygen-releasing compound (ORC).

PubMed

Yang, Jie; Lin, Feng K; Yang, Lei; Hua, Dan Y

2015-01-01

The effects of oxygen-releasing compound (ORC) on the control of phosphorus (P) release as well as the spatial and temporal distribution of P fractions in sediment were studied through a bench-scale test. An ORC with an extended oxygen-releasing capacity was prepared. The results of the oxygen-releasing test showed that the ORC provided a prolonged period of oxygen release with a highly effective oxygen content of 60.6% when compared with powdery CaO2. In the bench-scale test, an ORC dose of 180 g·m(-2) provided a higher inhibition efficiency for P release within 50 days. With the application of the ORC, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and redox potential (ORP) of the overlying water were notably improved, and the dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) was maintained below 0.689 mg·L(-1) compared to 2.906 mg·L(-1) without the ORC treatment. According to the P fractions distribution, the summation of all detectable P fractions in each sediment layer exhibited an enhanced accumulation tendency with the application of ORC. Higher phosphorus retention efficiencies were observed in the second and third layers of sediment from days 10 to 20 with the ORC. Phosphorus was trapped mainly in the form of iron bound P (Fe-P) and organically bound P (O-P) in sediment with the ORC, whereas the effects of the ORC on exchangeable P (EX-P), apatite-associated P (A-P) and detrital P (De-P) in the sediment sample were not significant. The microbial activities of the sediment samples demonstrated that both the dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) in the upper sediment layer increased with the ORC treatment, which indicated that the mineralization of P was accelerated and the microbial biomass was increased. As the accumulation of P suppressed the release of P, the sediment exhibited an increased P retention efficiency with the application of the ORC.

The Ability of Microbial Community of Lake Baikal Bottom Sediments Associated with Gas Discharge to Carry Out the Transformation of Organic Matter under Thermobaric Conditions

PubMed Central

Bukin, Sergei V.; Pavlova, Olga N.; Manakov, Andrei Y.; Kostyreva, Elena A.; Chernitsyna, Svetlana M.; Mamaeva, Elena V.; Pogodaeva, Tatyana V.; Zemskaya, Tamara I.

2016-01-01

The ability to compare the composition and metabolic potential of microbial communities inhabiting the subsurface sediment in geographically distinct locations is one of the keys to understanding the evolution and function of the subsurface biosphere. Prospective areas for study of the subsurface biosphere are the sites of hydrocarbon discharges on the bottom of the Lake Baikal rift, where ascending fluxes of gas-saturated fluids and oil from deep layers of bottom sediments seep into near-surface sediment. The samples of surface sediments collected in the area of the Posolskaya Bank methane seep were cultured for 17 months under thermobaric conditions (80°C, 5 MPa) with the addition of complementary organic substrate, and a different composition for the gas phase. After incubation, the presence of intact cells of microorganisms, organic matter transformation and the formation of oil biomarkers was confirmed in the samples, with the addition of Baikal diatom alga Synedra acus detritus, and gas mixture CH4:H2:CO2. Taxonomic assignment of the 16S rRNA sequence data indicates that the predominant sequences in the enrichment were Sphingomonas (55.3%), Solirubrobacter (27.5%) and Arthrobacter (16.6%). At the same time, in heat-killed sediment and in sediment without any additional substrates, which were cultivated in a CH4 atmosphere, no geochemical changes were detected, nor the presence of intact cells and 16S rRNA sequences of Bacteria and Archaea. This data may suggest that the decomposition of organic matter under culturing conditions could be performed by microorganisms from low-temperature sediment layers. One possible explanation of this phenomenon is migration of the representatives of the deep thermophilic community through fault zones in the near surface sediment layers, together with gas-bearing fluids. PMID:27242716

The Ability of Microbial Community of Lake Baikal Bottom Sediments Associated with Gas Discharge to Carry Out the Transformation of Organic Matter under Thermobaric Conditions.

PubMed

Bukin, Sergei V; Pavlova, Olga N; Manakov, Andrei Y; Kostyreva, Elena A; Chernitsyna, Svetlana M; Mamaeva, Elena V; Pogodaeva, Tatyana V; Zemskaya, Tamara I

2016-01-01

The ability to compare the composition and metabolic potential of microbial communities inhabiting the subsurface sediment in geographically distinct locations is one of the keys to understanding the evolution and function of the subsurface biosphere. Prospective areas for study of the subsurface biosphere are the sites of hydrocarbon discharges on the bottom of the Lake Baikal rift, where ascending fluxes of gas-saturated fluids and oil from deep layers of bottom sediments seep into near-surface sediment. The samples of surface sediments collected in the area of the Posolskaya Bank methane seep were cultured for 17 months under thermobaric conditions (80°C, 5 MPa) with the addition of complementary organic substrate, and a different composition for the gas phase. After incubation, the presence of intact cells of microorganisms, organic matter transformation and the formation of oil biomarkers was confirmed in the samples, with the addition of Baikal diatom alga Synedra acus detritus, and gas mixture CH4:H2:CO2. Taxonomic assignment of the 16S rRNA sequence data indicates that the predominant sequences in the enrichment were Sphingomonas (55.3%), Solirubrobacter (27.5%) and Arthrobacter (16.6%). At the same time, in heat-killed sediment and in sediment without any additional substrates, which were cultivated in a CH4 atmosphere, no geochemical changes were detected, nor the presence of intact cells and 16S rRNA sequences of Bacteria and Archaea. This data may suggest that the decomposition of organic matter under culturing conditions could be performed by microorganisms from low-temperature sediment layers. One possible explanation of this phenomenon is migration of the representatives of the deep thermophilic community through fault zones in the near surface sediment layers, together with gas-bearing fluids.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benson, David M.; Tsang, Chu F.; Sugar, Joshua Daniel

One method for the formation of nanofilms of materials, is Electrochemical atomic layer deposition (E-ALD), one atomic layer at a time. It uses the galvanic exchange of a less noble metal, deposited using underpotential deposition (UPD), to produce an atomic layer of a more noble element by reduction of its ions. This process is referred to as surface limited redox replacement and can be repeated in a cycle to grow thicker deposits. Previously, we performed it on nanoparticles and planar substrates. In the present report, E-ALD is applied for coating a submicron-sized powder substrate, making use of a new flowmore » cell design. E-ALD is used to coat a Pd powder substrate with different thicknesses of Rh by exchanging it for Cu UPD. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate an increasing Rh coverage with increasing numbers of deposition cycles performed, in a manner consistent with the atomic layer deposition (ALD) mechanism. Cyclic voltammetry also indicated increased kinetics of H sorption and desorption in and out of the Pd powder with Rh present, relative to unmodified Pd.« less

An automated approach for early detection of diabetic retinopathy using SD-OCT images.

PubMed

ElTanboly, Ahmed H; Palacio, Agustina; Shalaby, Ahmed M; Switala, Andrew E; Helmy, Omar; Schaal, Shlomit; El-Baz, Ayman

2018-01-01

  This study was to demonstrate the feasibility of an automatic approach for early detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) from SD-OCT images. These scans were prospectively collected from 200 subjects through the fovea then were automatically segmented, into 12 layers. Each layer was characterized by its thickness, tortuosity, and normalized reflectivity. 26 diabetic patients, without DR changes visible by funduscopic examination, were matched with 26 controls, according to age and sex, for purposes of statistical analysis using mixed effects ANOVA. The INL was narrower in diabetes (p = 0.14), while the NFL (p = 0.04) and IZ (p = 0.34) were thicker. Tortuosity of layers NFL through the OPL was greater in diabetes (all p < 0.1), while significantly greater normalized reflectivity was observed in the MZ and OPR (both p < 0.01) as well as ELM and IZ (both p < 0.5). A novel automated method enables to provide quantitative analysis of the changes in each layer of the retina that occur with diabetes. In turn, carries the promise to a reliable non-invasive diagnostic tool for early detection of DR.

The interface modification for GNWs/Si Schottky junction with PEI/PEIE interlayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Quan; Liu, Xiangzhi; Luo, Wei; Shen, Jun; Wang, Yuefeng; Wei, Dapeng

2018-03-01

Polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE) and polyethyl-enimine (PEI), the two kinds of interface buffer layer, are widely used in the organic light-emitting diodes and solar cells for band alignment adjustment. In this report, we carefully studied the influence of the inserting organic layer on the graphene nanowalls(GNWS)/Si junction quality and the photoresponse of the Schottky devices. We found that thinner layers of PEI could decrease the dark current and improve the photo-to-dark ratio to 105 for n-Si devices. The s-kink effect and degradation of open circuit voltage could be observed for thicker thickness and excessive doping. Relatively, PEIE with stable thin layer not only improve the rectifying characteristics of p-Si devices but also the incident photon conversion efficiency. The maximus IPCE could reach 44% and be adjusted to zero by the reverse bias. The tunneling inhibition for electrons can be alleviated by increasing the barrier height. Our results provide an attractive method to improve the efficiency of pristine GNWs/Si junction with interface doping and passivation.

Fabrication of hydroxyapatite and TiO 2 nanorods on microarc-oxidized titanium surface using hydrothermal treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Ho-Jun; Kim, Ji-Woo; Kook, Min-Suk; Moon, Won-Jin; Park, Yeong-Joon

2010-09-01

AC-type microarc oxidation (MAO) and hydrothermal treatment techniques were used to enhance the bioactivity of commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti). The porous TiO 2 layer fabricated by the MAO treatment had a dominant anatase structure and contained Ca and P ions. The MAO-treated specimens were treated hydrothermally to form HAp crystallites on the titanium oxide layer in an alkaline aqueous solution (OH-solution) or phosphorous-containing alkaline solution (POH-solution). A small number of micro-sized hydroxyapatite (HAp) crystallites and a thin layer composed of nano-sized HAps were formed on the Ti-MAO-OH group treated hydrothermally in an OH-solution, whereas a large number of micro-sized HAp crystallites and dense anatase TiO 2 nanorods were formed on the Ti-MAO-POH group treated hydrothermally in a POH-solution. The layer of bone-like apatite that formed on the surface of the POH-treated sample after soaking in a modified simulated body fluid was thicker than that on the OH-treated samples.

Antiferromagnetic layer thickness dependence of noncollinear uniaxial and unidirectional anisotropies in NiFe/FeMn/CoFe trilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Hyeok-Cheol; You, Chun-Yeol; Kim, Ki-Yeon; Lee, Jeong-Soo; Shim, Je-Ho; Kim, Dong-Hyun

2010-06-01

We have investigated the dependence of magnetic anisotropies of the exchange-biased NiFe/FeMn/CoFe trilayers on the antiferromagnetic (AF) layer thickness (tAF) by measuring in-plane angular-dependent ferromagnetic resonance fields. The resonance fields of NiFe and CoFe sublayers are shifted to lower and higher values compared to those of single unbiased ferromagnetic (F) layers, respectively, due to the interfacial exchange coupling when tAF≥2nm . In-plane angular dependence of resonance field reveals that uniaxial and unidirectional anisotropies coexist in the film plane, however, they are not collinear with each other. It is found that these peculiar noncollinear anisotropies significantly depend on tAF . The angle of misalignment displays a maximum around tAF=5nm and converges to zero when tAF is thicker than 10 nm. Contributions from thickness-dependent AF anisotropy and spin frustrations at both F/AF interfaces due to the structural imperfections should be accounted in order to understand the AF-layer thickness dependence of noncollinear magnetic anisotropies.

Effect of diffusion annealing regimes on the structure of Nb3Sn layers in ITER-type bronze-processed wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valova-Zaharevskaya, E. G.; Popova, E. N.; Deryagina, I. L.; Abdyukhanov, I. M.; Tsapleva, A. S.

2018-03-01

The goal of the present study is to characterize the growth kinetics and structural parameters of the Nb3Sn layers formed under various regimes of the diffusion annealing of bronze-processed Nb/Cu-Sn composites. The structure of the superconducting layers is characterized by their thickness, average size of equiaxed grains and by the ratio of fractions of columnar and equiaxed grains. It was found that at higher diffusion annealing temperatures (above 650°C) thicker superconducting layers are obtained, but the average sizes of equiaxed Nb3Sn grains even under short exposures (10 h) are much larger than after the long low-temperature annealing. At the low-temperature (575 °C) annealing the relative fraction of columnar grains increases with increasing annealing time. Based on the data obtained, optimal regimes of the diffusion annealing can be chosen, which would on the one hand ensure complete transformation of Nb into Nb3Sn of close to the stoichiometric composition, and on the other hand prevent the formation of coarse and columnar grains.

Melanoma thickness measurement in two-layer tissue phantoms using pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tianyi; Qiu, Jinze; Paranjape, Amit; Milner, Thomas E.

2009-02-01

Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin. Melanoma is one of the rarer types of skin cancer but causes the majority of skin cancer related deaths. The staging of malignant melanoma using Breslow thickness is important because of the relationship to survival rate after five years. Pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR) is based on the time-resolved acquisition of infrared (IR) emission from a sample after pulsed laser exposure. PPTR can be used to investigate the relationship between melanoma thickness and detected radiometric temperature using two-layer tissue phantoms. We used a Monte Carlo simulation to mimic light transport in melanoma and employed a three-dimensional heat transfer model to obtain simulated radiometric temperature increase and, in comparison, we also conducted PPTR experiments to confirm our simulation results. Simulation and experimental results show similar trends: thicker absorbing layers corresponding to deeper lesions produce slower radiometric temperature decays. A quantitative relationship exists between PPTR radiometric temperature decay time and thickness of the absorbing layer in tissue phantoms.

Hadal disturbance in the Japan Trench induced by the 2011 Tohoku–Oki Earthquake

PubMed Central

Oguri, Kazumasa; Kawamura, Kiichiro; Sakaguchi, Arito; Toyofuku, Takashi; Kasaya, Takafumi; Murayama, Masafumi; Fujikura, Katsunori; Glud, Ronnie N.; Kitazato, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

In situ video observations and sediment core samplings were performed at two hadal sites in the Japan Trench on July, 2011, four months after the Tohoku–Oki earthquake. Video recordings documented dense nepheloid layers extending ~30–50 m above the sea bed. At the trench axis, benthic macrofauna was absent and dead organisms along with turbid downslope current were observed. The top 31 cm of sediment in the trench axis revealed three recent depositions events characterized by elevated 137Cs levels and alternating sediment densities. At 4.9 km seaward from the trench axis, little deposition was observed but the surface sediment contained 134Cs from the Fukushima Dai–ichi nuclear disaster. We argue that diatom blooms observed by remote sensing facilitated rapid deposition of 134Cs to hadal environment and the aftershocks induced successive sediment disturbances and maintained dense nepheloid layers in the trench even four months after the mainshock. PMID:23715086

High occurrence of Bathyarchaeota (MCG) in the deep-sea sediments of South China Sea quantified using newly designed PCR primers.

PubMed

Yu, Tiantian; Liang, Qianyong; Niu, Mingyang; Wang, Fengping

2017-08-01

The archaeal phylum Bathyarchaeota, which is composed of a large number of diverse lineages, is widespread and abundant in marine sediments. Environmental factors that control the distribution, abundance and evolution of this largely diversified archaeal phylum are currently unclear. In this study, a new pair of specific primers that target the major marine subgroups of bathyarchaeotal 16S rRNA genes was designed and evaluated to investigate the distribution and abundance of Bathyarchaeota in marine sediments. The abundance of Bathyarchaeota along two sediment cores from the deep-sea sediments of South China Sea (SCS, each from the Dongsha and Shenhu area) was determined. A strong correlation was found between the bathyarchaeotal abundance and the content of total organic carbon (TOC), suggesting an important role of Bathyarchaeota in organic matter remineralisation in the sediments of SCS. Furthermore, diversity analysis revealed that subgroups Bathy-2, Bathy-8 and Bathy-10 were dominant bathyarchaeotal members of the deep-sea sediments in the SCS. Bathy-8 was found predominantly within the reducing and deeper sediment layers, while Bathy-10 occurred preferentially in the oxidizing and shallower sediment layers. Our study lays a foundation for the further understanding of the ecological functions and niche differentiation of the important but not well-understood sedimentary archaeal group. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Accumulation and persistence of chlorobiphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and faecal sterols at the Garroch Head sewage sludge disposal site, Firth of Clyde.

PubMed

Kelly, A G

1995-01-01

The sediment concentrations of organic carbon, faecal sterols, individual chlorobiphenyl congeners and organochlorine pesticides have been measured in seabed cores from the sewage sludge disposal area at Garroch Head in the Firth of Clyde. The measurements confirm the accumulative nature of the site with high levels of sedimentary faecal sterols (152 mg kg(-1) coprostanol). Levels of chlorobiphenyls, DDT compounds and dieldrin in surface sediment were elevated by factors of 12, 40 and 120, respectively, over those observed at a site remote from the effects of dumping. Total chlorobiphenyl levels of 515 microg kg(-1) Arochlor 1254 in surface sediment were comparable to levels found in other areas heavily contaminated with sewage sludge. The 20-cm depth of heavily sludge-contaminated sediment overlays a mixed sludge/basal sediment layer some 10 cm in depth. Levels of organochlorine contaminants were elevated to depths of 90 cm in the sediment, suggesting that the surface layer is a source of contaminants to the deeper sediment. Within the upper 15-20 cm sediment in the disposal area, chlorobiphenyls are conservative, the variation in their concentration with respect to depth being related to historical input. Lindane and possibly dieldrin, and hexachlorobenzene are not conservative. Faecal sterols are removed in sub-surface sediment, in contrast to conservative behaviour previously found at other sewage polluted sites.

Reflection of acoustic wave from the elastic seabed with an overlying gassy poroelastic layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Weiyun; Wang, Zhihua; Zhao, Kai; Chen, Guoxing; Li, Xiaojun

2015-10-01

Based on the multiphase poroelasticity theory, the reflection characteristics of an obliquely incident acoustic wave upon a plane interface between overlying water and a gassy marine sediment layer with underlying elastic solid seabed are investigated. The sandwiched gassy layer is modelled as a porous material with finite thickness, which is saturated by two compressible and viscous fluids (liquid and gas). The closed-form expression for the amplitude ratio of the reflected wave, called reflection coefficient, is derived theoretically according to the boundary conditions at the upper and lower interfaces in our proposed model. Using numerical calculation, the influences of layer thickness, incident angle, wave frequency and liquid saturation of sandwiched porous layer on the reflection coefficient are analysed, respectively. It is revealed that the reflection coefficient is closely associated with incident angle and sandwiched layer thickness. Moreover, in different frequency ranges, the dependence of the wave reflection characteristics on moisture (or gas) variations in the intermediate marine sediment layer is distinguishing.

Evaluation of oxide-coated iridium-rhenium chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, Brian D.

1994-03-01

Iridium-coated rhenium (Ir-Re) provides long life operation of radiation-cooled rockets at temperatures up to 2200 C. Ceramic oxide coatings could be used to increase Ir-Re rocket lifetimes and allow operation in highly oxidizing environments. Ceramic oxide coatings promise to serve as both thermal and diffusion barriers for the iridium layer. Seven ceramic oxide-coated Ir-Re, 22-N rocket chambers were tested with gaseous hydrogen/gaseous oxygen (GHz/G02) propellants. Five chambers had thick (over 10 mils), monolithic coatings of either hafnia (HfO2) or zirconia (ZrO2). Two chambers had coatings with thicknesses less than 5 mils. One of these chambers had a thin-walled coating of ZrO2 infiltrated with sol gel HfO2. The other chamber had a coating composed of an Ir-oxide composite. The purpose of this test program was to assess the ability of the oxide coatings to withstand the thermal shock of combustion initiation, adhere under repeated thermal cycling, and operate in aggressively oxidizing environments. All of the coatings survived the thermal shock of combustion and demonstrated operation at mixture ratios up to 11. Testing the Ir-oxide composite-coated chamber included over 29 min at mixture ratio 16. The thicker walled coatings provided the larger temperature drops across the oxide layer (up to 570 C), but were susceptible to macrocracking and eventual chipping at a stress concentrator. The cracks apparently resealed during firing, under compression of the oxide layer. The thinner walled coatings did not experience the macrocracking and chipping of the chambers that was seen with the thick, monolithic coatings. However, burn-throughs in the throat region did occur in both of the thin-walled chambers at mixture ratios well above stoichiometric. The burn-throughs were probably the result of oxygen diffusion through the oxide coating that allowed the underlying Ir and Re layers to be oxidized. The results of this test program indicated that the thin-walled oxide coatings are better suited for repeated thermal cycling than the thick-walled coating, while thicker coatings may be required for operation in aggressively oxidizing environments.

Evaluation of oxide-coated iridium-rhenium chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, Brian D.

1994-01-01

Iridium-coated rhenium (Ir-Re) provides long life operation of radiation-cooled rockets at temperatures up to 2200 C. Ceramic oxide coatings could be used to increase Ir-Re rocket lifetimes and allow operation in highly oxidizing environments. Ceramic oxide coatings promise to serve as both thermal and diffusion barriers for the iridium layer. Seven ceramic oxide-coated Ir-Re, 22-N rocket chambers were tested with gaseous hydrogen/gaseous oxygen (GHz/G02) propellants. Five chambers had thick (over 10 mils), monolithic coatings of either hafnia (HfO2) or zirconia (ZrO2). Two chambers had coatings with thicknesses less than 5 mils. One of these chambers had a thin-walled coating of ZrO2 infiltrated with sol gel HfO2. The other chamber had a coating composed of an Ir-oxide composite. The purpose of this test program was to assess the ability of the oxide coatings to withstand the thermal shock of combustion initiation, adhere under repeated thermal cycling, and operate in aggressively oxidizing environments. All of the coatings survived the thermal shock of combustion and demonstrated operation at mixture ratios up to 11. Testing the Ir-oxide composite-coated chamber included over 29 min at mixture ratio 16. The thicker walled coatings provided the larger temperature drops across the oxide layer (up to 570 C), but were susceptible to macrocracking and eventual chipping at a stress concentrator. The cracks apparently resealed during firing, under compression of the oxide layer. The thinner walled coatings did not experience the macrocracking and chipping of the chambers that was seen with the thick, monolithic coatings. However, burn-throughs in the throat region did occur in both of the thin-walled chambers at mixture ratios well above stoichiometric. The burn-throughs were probably the result of oxygen diffusion through the oxide coating that allowed the underlying Ir and Re layers to be oxidized. The results of this test program indicated that the thin-walled oxide coatings are better suited for repeated thermal cycling than the thick-walled coating, while thicker coatings may be required for operation in aggressively oxidizing environments.

Testing and evaluation of oxide-coated iridium/rhenium chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, Brian D.

1993-01-01

Iridium-coated rhenium provides long life operation of radiation-cooled rockets at temperatures up to 2200 C. Ceramic oxide coatings could be used to increase iridium/rhenium rocket lifetimes and allow operation in highly oxidizing environments. Ceramic oxide coatings promise to serve as both thermal and diffusion barriers for the iridium layer. Seven ceramic oxide-coated iridium/rhenium, 22 N rocket chambers were tested on gaseous hydrogen/gaseous oxygen propellants. Five chambers had thick (over 10 mils), monolithic coatings of either hafnia or zirconia. Two chambers had coatings with thicknesses less than 5 mils. One of these chambers had a thin-walled coating of zirconia infiltrated with sol gel hafnia. The other chamber had a coating composed of an iridium/oxide composite. The purpose of this test program was to assess the ability of the oxide coatings to withstand the thermal shock of combustion initiation, adhere under repeated thermal cycling, and operate in aggressively oxidizing environments. All of the coatings survived the thermal shock of combustion and demonstrated operation at mixture ratios up to 11. The iridium/oxide composite coated chamber included testing for over 29 minutes at mixture ratio 16. The thicker-walled coatings provided the larger temperature drops across the oxide layer (up to 570 C), but were susceptible to macrocracking and eventual chipping at a stress concentrator. The cracks apparently resealed during firing, under compression of the oxide layer. The thinner-walled coatings did not experience the macrocracking and chipping of the chambers seen with the thick, monolithic coatings. However, burnthroughs in the throat region did occur in both of the thin-walled chambers at mixture ratios well above stochiometric. The burn-throughs were probably the result of oxygen-diffusion through the oxide coating that allowed the underlying iridium and rhenium layers to be oxidized. The results of this test program indicated that the thin-walled oxide coatings are better suited for repeated thermal cycling than the thick-walled coating, while thicker coatings may be required for operation in aggressively oxidizing environments.

Ionically Paired Layer-by-Layer Hydrogels: Water and Polyelectrolyte Uptake Controlled by Deposition Time

DOE PAGES

Selin, Victor; Ankner, John Francis; Sukhishvili, Svetlana

2018-01-11

Despite intense recent interest in weakly bound nonlinear (“exponential”) multilayers, the underlying structure-property relationships of these films are still poorly understood. This study explores the effect of time used for deposition of individual layers of nonlinearly growing layer-by-layer (LbL) films composed of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and quaternized poly-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (QPC) on film internal structure, swelling, and stability in salt solution, as well as the rate of penetration of invading polyelectrolyte chains. Thicknesses of dry and swollen films were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry, film internal structure—by neutron reflectometry (NR), and degree of PMAA ionization—by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results suggestmore » that longer deposition times resulted in thicker films with higher degrees of swelling (up to swelling ratio as high as 4 compared to dry film thickness) and stronger film intermixing. The stronger intermixed films were more swollen in water, exhibited lower stability in salt solutions, and supported a faster penetration rate of invading polyelectrolyte chains. These results can be useful in designing polyelectrolyte nanoassemblies for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery coatings for medical implants or tissue engineering matrices.« less

Germanium photodetectors fabricated on 300 mm silicon wafers for near-infrared focal plane arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeller, John W.; Rouse, Caitlin; Efstathiadis, Harry; Dhar, Nibir K.; Wijewarnasuriya, Priyalal; Sood, Ashok K.

2017-09-01

SiGe p-i-n photodetectors have been fabricated on 300 mm (12") diameter silicon (Si) wafers utilizing high throughput, large-area complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies. These Ge photodetectors are designed to operate in room temperature environments without cooling, and thus have potential size and cost advantages over conventional cooled infrared detectors. The two-step fabrication process for the p-i-n photodetector devices, designed to minimize the formation of defects and threading dislocations, involves low temperature epitaxial growth of a thin p+ (boron) Ge seed/buffer layer, followed by higher temperature deposition of a thicker Ge intrinsic layer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated uniform layer compositions with well defined layer interfaces and reduced dislocation density. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS) was likewise employed to analyze the doping levels of the p+ and n+ layers. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements demonstrated that these SiGe photodetectors, when exposed to incident visible-NIR radiation, exhibited dark currents down below 1 μA and significant enhancement in photocurrent at -1 V. The zero-bias photocurrent was also relatively high, showing a minimal drop compared to that at -1 V bias.

Ionically Paired Layer-by-Layer Hydrogels: Water and Polyelectrolyte Uptake Controlled by Deposition Time

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Selin, Victor; Ankner, John Francis; Sukhishvili, Svetlana

Despite intense recent interest in weakly bound nonlinear (“exponential”) multilayers, the underlying structure-property relationships of these films are still poorly understood. This study explores the effect of time used for deposition of individual layers of nonlinearly growing layer-by-layer (LbL) films composed of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and quaternized poly-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (QPC) on film internal structure, swelling, and stability in salt solution, as well as the rate of penetration of invading polyelectrolyte chains. Thicknesses of dry and swollen films were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry, film internal structure—by neutron reflectometry (NR), and degree of PMAA ionization—by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results suggestmore » that longer deposition times resulted in thicker films with higher degrees of swelling (up to swelling ratio as high as 4 compared to dry film thickness) and stronger film intermixing. The stronger intermixed films were more swollen in water, exhibited lower stability in salt solutions, and supported a faster penetration rate of invading polyelectrolyte chains. These results can be useful in designing polyelectrolyte nanoassemblies for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery coatings for medical implants or tissue engineering matrices.« less

Enhanced Kinetics of Electrochemical Hydrogen Uptake and Release by Palladium Powders Modified by Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition

DOE PAGES

Benson, David M.; Tsang, Chu F.; Sugar, Joshua Daniel; ...

2017-04-28

One method for the formation of nanofilms of materials, is Electrochemical atomic layer deposition (E-ALD), one atomic layer at a time. It uses the galvanic exchange of a less noble metal, deposited using underpotential deposition (UPD), to produce an atomic layer of a more noble element by reduction of its ions. This process is referred to as surface limited redox replacement and can be repeated in a cycle to grow thicker deposits. Previously, we performed it on nanoparticles and planar substrates. In the present report, E-ALD is applied for coating a submicron-sized powder substrate, making use of a new flowmore » cell design. E-ALD is used to coat a Pd powder substrate with different thicknesses of Rh by exchanging it for Cu UPD. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate an increasing Rh coverage with increasing numbers of deposition cycles performed, in a manner consistent with the atomic layer deposition (ALD) mechanism. Cyclic voltammetry also indicated increased kinetics of H sorption and desorption in and out of the Pd powder with Rh present, relative to unmodified Pd.« less

Orphan Basin crustal structure from a dense wide-angle seismic profile - layered modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, K. W. Helen; Watremez, Louise; Louden, Keith E.; Nedimović, Mladen R.; Karner, Garry D.

2014-05-01

The Orphan Basin is a large, deep water basin to the east of Newfoundland and northwest of Flemish Cap, Canada. It contains a considerably wide series of rift basins that provides an excellent opportunity to study continental crustal deformations under varying degrees of extension. We present a 500-km-long P-wave velocity model across the complete rift system of the Orphan Basin, from Flemish Cap to the Bonavista Platform, using high-resolution refraction and wide-angle reflection data from 89 ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS). This layered model builds on a first-arrival traveltime tomography model (Watremez et al., this session) and is formed using additional constraints from a coincident multichannel seismic reflection profile, gravity data and borehole data from three wells. The layered model helps detail deep sediment and crustal variations across this wide region of extended continental crust. The sedimentary section contains post-rift Tertiary (vp~1.7-3.5 km/s) and syn-rift Cretaceous and Jurassic (vp~4-5.4 km/s) layers within both the eastern and the western sub-basins, separated by three basement highs, suggesting that the two sub-basins may have opened during a single, extended rifting event. The crust is composed of three layers with vp of 5.4-6.1, 6.1-6.5 and 6.3-7.1 km/s of highly variable combined thicknesses, from 32 km beneath Flemish Cap and the Bonavista Platform to <10 km beneath both western and eastern sub-basins. The shape of the crustal thinning appears highly asymmetrical across the two sub-basins. Flemish Cap crust thins westward within the eastern sub-basin into a narrow zone (35 km) of hyperextended crust (<10 km thick) beneath an 8-km-deep sedimentary basin. In contrast, the Bonavista Platform crust thins eastward within the western sub-basin into a wider zone (116 km) of hyperextended crust. Separating the two rift basins is a central section with two distinctive zones of thicker (10-16 km) crust, where muted topography characterizes the eastern part and large basement highs in the western part, separated by the eastward dipping White Sail Fault cutting through the whole crust to the Moho. Higher velocities are, however, found within the lower crustal hanging wall relative to its footwall counterpart to its west. Since such structure cannot be explained by displacement along the fault alone, lateral ductile flow may be responsible for such depth-dependant stretching (DDS). Discrepancies between upper crustal thinning (γuc) and lower crustal thinning (γlc) are consistently observed, but only create a small deficit (~7% or 1.5 km) in the lower crust. Reconstruction of the North Atlantic at M0 time suggests a complex connection between Rockall Trough and the West Orphan Basin, Porcupine Bank and the East Orphan Basin, and the Central Orphan High and Porcupine Bank. Unlike the Rockall and Porcupine Basins, no evidence for partial serpentinization of the upper mantle is observed beneath the E. Orphan trough. However, hyperextension (crustal thickness < 10 km) only occurs over a very narrow zone (~ 30 km wide) in the E. Orphan trough, which might have allowed the basement to have been covered by syn-rift sediment that inhibited the flow of water down the faults.

In-situ geotechnical investigation of sediment dynamics over `The Bar', Raglan, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stark, N.; Greer, D.; Phillips, D. J.; Borrero, J. C.; Harrison, S.; Kopf, A.

2010-12-01

The geotechnical characteristics of surficial sediments on a highly mobile, N-S-oriented ebb tidal shoal (‘The Bar’) near the entrance to Whaingaroa Harbour, in Raglan, NZ, were investigated using the dynamic penetrometer Nimrod, which is suitable for deployments in areas characterized by strong currents and active wave climate common to this site. Vertical sediment strength, based upon penetrometer deceleration and a quasi-static bearing capacity equivalent, was profiled at 23 positions along as well as in the vicinity of ‘The Bar’ during slack water. Recently deposited or loose sediment was detected as a top layer of lower sediment strength (quasi-static bearing capacity equivalent [qs. bc.] < 10 kPa) over a stiff substratum (mean maximum qs. bs. ~ 105 kPa), and quantified (thickness: 0 - 7 cm) indicating areas of sediment accumulation and areas of sediment erosion. These results were correlated to mean current velocities and directions predicted by ASR Ltd.’s Whaingaroa Harbour Model. In relation to sediment dynamics, ‘The Bar’ area can be divided into different zones: (i) the channel connecting ‘The Bar’ to the harbor, (ii) the southern arm, (iii) the mid-section, (iv) the northern arm, and (v, vi) the northern and southern wings covering the area between ‘The Bar’ and the shore. The channel is characterized by high current velocities (up to 1.7 m/s) along the W-E-axis, suggesting strong sediment erosion and no (re-)deposition. However, despite the high mean current velocities, the penetrometer results hint at sediment deposition. This is most likely explained by the deep trench in the channel that could trap sediment. Comparing the northern and the southern wing, the currents follow the bathymetry and coastline alignment and are mirrored at the W-E-axis, but the mean current velocities are higher at the southern wing (northern wing: up to 0.4 m/s; southern wing: up to 0.6 m/s). The penetrometer results suggest strong sediment erosion on the southern wing (qs. bc. up to 155 kPa, top layer thickness ~ 2 cm), and show no evidence of sediment remobilization on the northern wing (no layering). On the northern and southern arms, low currents (~ 0.3 m/s) with very mixed directions were predicted. In front (west) of the most southern corner an area of strong sediment accumulation was localized following the penetrometer results (top layer thickness: 7 cm). This leads to the hypothesis that in the ebb-shoal system at Whaingaroa Harbour, mobile sediment is mainly transported via the southern wing of the ‘The Bar’ potentially leading to an increase of sediment erosion in this area due to effects like sanding. Sediment deposition might occur in the trench of the channel as well as in the vicinity of the southernmost portion of the sandbar. This matches observations according to which the southern arm shifted about 220 m whereas the northern arm only moved 20 m within one year. The in-situ penetrometer as well as the numerical results compare favorably with observations of ‘The Bar’s morphology. Both methods provide valuable insights which enhance our understanding of the sediment dynamics in this area.

Are lake sediments mere archives of degraded organic matter? - evidence of rapid biotic changes tracked in sediments of pre-alpine Lake Lunz, Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hollaus, Lisa-Maria; Khan, Samiullah; Schelker, Jakob; Ejarque, Elisabet; Battin, Tom; Kainz, Martin

2016-04-01

Lake sediments are used as sentinels of changes in organic matter composition and dynamics within lakes and their catchments. In an effort to investigate how past and recent hydrological extreme events have affected organic matter composition in lake sediments, we investigated the biogeochemical composition of sediment cores and settling particles, using sediment traps in the pre-alpine, oligotrophic Lake Lunz, Austria. We assessed annual sedimentation rates using 137Cs and 210Pb, time integrated loads of settling particles, analyze stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes to track changes of carbon sources and trophic compositions, respectively, and use source-specific fatty acids as indicators of allochthonous, bacterial, and algal-derived organic matter. Preliminary results indicate that settling particles of Lake Lunz (33 m depth) contain high algae-derived organic matter, as assessed by long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), indicating low degradation of such labile organic matter within the water column of this lake. However, LC-PUFA decreased rapidly in sediment cores below the sediment-water interface. Concentrations of phosphorous remained stable throughout the sediment cores (40 cm), suggesting that past changes in climatic forcing did not alter the load of this limiting nutrient in lakes. Ongoing work reveals dramatic biotic changes within the top layers of the sediment cores as evidenced by high numbers of small-bodied cladocerans (e.g., Bosmina) and large-bodied zooplankton (e.g., Daphnia) are only detected at lower sediment layers. Current research on these lake sediments is aimed at investigating how organic matter sources changed during the past century as a result of recorded weather changes.

Ultrathin planar graphene supercapacitors.

PubMed

Yoo, Jung Joon; Balakrishnan, Kaushik; Huang, Jingsong; Meunier, Vincent; Sumpter, Bobby G; Srivastava, Anchal; Conway, Michelle; Reddy, Arava Leela Mohana; Yu, Jin; Vajtai, Robert; Ajayan, Pulickel M

2011-04-13

With the advent of atomically thin and flat layers of conducting materials such as graphene, new designs for thin film energy storage devices with good performance have become possible. Here, we report an "in-plane" fabrication approach for ultrathin supercapacitors based on electrodes comprised of pristine graphene and multilayer reduced graphene oxide. The in-plane design is straightforward to implement and exploits efficiently the surface of each graphene layer for energy storage. The open architecture and the effect of graphene edges enable even the thinnest of devices, made from as grown 1-2 graphene layers, to reach specific capacities up to 80 μFcm(-2), while much higher (394 μFcm(-2)) specific capacities are observed multilayer reduced graphene oxide electrodes. The performances of devices with pristine as well as thicker graphene-based structures are examined using a combination of experiments and model calculations. The demonstrated all solid-state supercapacitors provide a prototype for a broad range of thin-film based energy storage devices.

High Strain Rate Response of 7055 Aluminum Alloy Subject to Square-spot Laser Shock Peening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Rujian; Zhu, Ying; Li, Liuhe; Guo, Wei; Peng, Peng

2017-12-01

The influences of laser pulse energy and impact time on high strain rate response of 7055 aluminum alloy subject to square-spot laser shock peening (SLSP) were investigate. Microstructural evolution was characterized by OM, SEM and TEM. Microhardness distribution and in-depth residual stress in 15 J with one and two impacts and 25 J with one and two impacts were analyzed. Results show that the original rolling structures were significantly refined due to laser shock induced recrystallization. High density of microdefects was generated, such as dislocation tangles, dislocation wall and stacking faults. Subgrains and nanograins were induced in the surface layer, resulting in grain refinement in the near surface layer after SLSP. Compressive residual stresses with maximum value of more than -200 MPa and affected depths of more than 1 mm can be generated after SLSP. Impact time has more effectiveness than laser pulse energy in increasing the magnitude of residual stress and achieving thicker hardening layer.

The effect of surface nanocrystallization on plasma nitriding behaviour of AISI 4140 steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yang; Wang, Liang; Zhang, Dandan; Shen, Lie

2010-11-01

A plastic deformation surface layer with nanocrystalline grains was produced on AISI 4140 steel by means of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). Plasma nitriding of SMAT and un-SMAT AISI 4140 steel was carried out by a low-frequency pulse excited plasma unit. A series of nitriding experiments has been conducted at temperatures ranging from 380 to 500 °C for 8 h in an NH 3 gas. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and Vickers microhardness tester. The results showed that a much thicker compound layer with higher hardness was obtained for the SMAT samples when compared with un-SMAT samples after nitriding at the low temperature. In particular, plasma nitriding SMAT AISI 4140 steel at 380 °C for 8 h can produced a compound layer of 2.5 μm thickness with very high hardness on the surface, which is similar to un-SMAT samples were plasma nitrided at approximately 430 °C within the same time.

Chemical surface alteration of biodegradable magnesium exposed to corrosion media.

PubMed

Willumeit, Regine; Fischer, Janine; Feyerabend, Frank; Hort, Norbert; Bismayer, Ulrich; Heidrich, Stefanie; Mihailova, Boriana

2011-06-01

The understanding of corrosion processes of metal implants in the human body is a key problem in modern biomaterial science. Because of the complicated and adjustable in vivo environment, in vitro experiments require the analysis of various physiological corrosion media to elucidate the underlying mechanism of "biological" metal surface modification. In this paper magnesium samples were incubated under cell culture conditions (i.e. including CO(2)) in electrolyte solutions and cell growth media, with and without proteins. Chemical mapping by high-resolution electron-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy and infrared reflection microspectroscopy revealed a complex structure of the formed corrosion layer. The presence of CO(2) in concentrations close to that in blood is significant for the chemistry of the oxidised layer. The presence of proteins leads to a less dense but thicker passivation layer which is still ion and water permeable, as osmolality and weight measurements indicate. Copyright © 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improvement in the breakdown endurance of high-κ dielectric by utilizing stacking technology and adding sufficient interfacial layer.

PubMed

Pang, Chin-Sheng; Hwu, Jenn-Gwo

2014-01-01

Improvement in the time-zero dielectric breakdown (TZDB) endurance of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor with stacking structure of Al/HfO2/SiO2/Si is demonstrated in this work. The misalignment of the conduction paths between two stacking layers is believed to be effective to increase the breakdown field of the devices. Meanwhile, the resistance of the dielectric after breakdown for device with stacking structure would be less than that of without stacking structure due to a higher breakdown field and larger breakdown power. In addition, the role of interfacial layer (IL) in the control of the interface trap density (D it) and device reliability is also analyzed. Device with a thicker IL introduces a higher breakdown field and also a lower D it. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) of the samples with different IL thicknesses is provided to confirm that IL is needed for good interfacial property.

Selective colors reflection from stratified aragonite calcium carbonate plates of mollusk shells.

PubMed

Lertvachirapaiboon, Chutiparn; Parnklang, Tewarak; Pienpinijtham, Prompong; Wongravee, Kanet; Thammacharoen, Chuchaat; Ekgasit, Sanong

2015-08-01

An interaction between the incident light and the structural architecture within the shell of Asian green mussel (Perna viridis) induces observable pearlescent colors. In this paper, we investigate the influence of the structural architecture on the expressed colors. After a removal of the organic binder, small flakes from crushed shells show vivid rainbow reflection under an optical microscope. An individual flake expresses vivid color under a bright-field illumination while become transparent under a dark-field illumination. The expressed colors of the aragonite flakes are directly associated with its structural architecture. The flakes with aragonite thickness of 256, 310, and 353 nm, respectively, appear blue, green, and red under an optical microscope. The spectral simulation corroborates the experimentally observed optical effects as the flakes with thicker aragonite layers selectively reflected color with longer wavelengths. Flakes with multiple aragonite thicknesses expressed multi-color as the upper aragonite layers allow reflected colors from the lower layers to be observed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Eulerian two-phase flow model for sediment transport under realistic surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, T. J.; Kim, Y.; Cheng, Z.; Chauchat, J.

2017-12-01

Wave-driven sediment transport is of major importance in driving beach morphology. However, the complex mechanisms associated with unsteadiness, free-surface effects, and wave-breaking turbulence have not been fully understood. Particularly, most existing models for sediment transport adopt bottom boundary layer approximation that mimics the flow condition in oscillating water tunnel (U-tube). However, it is well-known that there are key differences in sediment transport when comparing to large wave flume datasets, although the number of wave flume experiments are relatively limited regardless of its importance. Thus, a numerical model which can resolve the entire water column from the bottom boundary layer to the free surface can be a powerful tool. This study reports an on-going effort to better understand and quantify sediment transport under shoaling and breaking surface waves through the creation of open-source numerical models in the OpenFOAM framework. An Eulerian two-phase flow model, SedFoam (Cheng et al., 2017, Coastal Eng.) is fully coupled with a volume-of-fluid solver, interFoam/waves2Foam (Jacobsen et al., 2011, Int. J. Num. Fluid). The fully coupled model, named SedWaveFoam, regards the air and water phases as two immiscible fluids with the interfaces evolution resolved, and the sediment particles as dispersed phase. We carried out model-data comparisons with the large wave flume sheet flow data for nonbreaking waves reported by Dohmen-Janssen and Hanes (2002, J. Geophysical Res.) and good agreements were obtained for sediment concentration and net transport rate. By further simulating a case without free-surface (mimic U-tube condition), the effects of free-surface, most notably the boundary layer streaming effect on total transport, can be quantified.

On the Non-Uniqueness of Sediment Yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J.; Ivanov, V. Y.; Fatichi, S.

2014-12-01

There has been ample experimental evidence that soil erosion does not necessarily occur at the same rate, given the same amount of rainfall or runoff. Such a non-unique phenomenon has been often referred to in literature as due to 'natural variability'. Our recent study hypothesized that uncertainties in the distribution and properties of a sediment layer can be a potential clue to one of the reasons of the non-unique sediment yield. Specifically, numerical experimentation with a sophisticated two-dimensional model showed that a deposited layer plays two conflicting roles: it can both increase and decrease soil erosion, given the same magnitude of runoff. The difference in erodibilities of the "original, intact soil layer" and the "deposited, loose soil layer" and the composition of soil particles in the underlying layers give rise to the non-uniqueness of the amount of eroded materials. In continuing efforts, we attempt to investigate this phenomenon using a comprehensive the Universal Soil Loss Erosion (USLE) database, that contains data on paired hillslopes that show a high degree of non-uniqueness in the response, even though the hillslopes exhibit the same topography, soil type, rainfall and meteorological forcings, and landuse. An underlying hypothesis of this study is that uncertainties in the distribution of soil substrate prior to a rainfall event lead to low predictability skill, i.e., a stochastically-varying outcome. A large number of simulation cases demonstrating the proposed hypothesis are conducted using a coupled numerical model, tRIBS-VEGGIE-FEaST (Triangulated irregular network - based Real time Integrated Basin Simulator- VEGetation Generator for Interactive Evolution -Flow Erosion and Sediment Transport).

Diffusing, side-firing, and radial delivery laser balloon catheters for creating subsurface thermal lesions in tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chun-Hung; Fried, Nathaniel M.

2016-02-01

Infrared lasers have been used in combination with applied cooling methods to preserve superficial skin layers during cosmetic surgery. Similarly, combined laser irradiation and tissue cooling may also allow development of minimally invasive laser therapies beyond dermatology. This study compares diffusing, side-firing, and radial delivery laser balloon catheter designs for creation of subsurface lesions in tissue, ex vivo, using a near-IR laser and applied contact cooling. An Ytterbium fiber laser with 1075 nm wavelength delivered energy through custom built 18 Fr (6-mm-OD) balloon catheters incorporating either 10-mm-long diffusing fiber tip, 90 degree side-firing fiber, or radial delivery cone mirror, through a central lumen. A chilled solution was flowed through a separate lumen into 9-mm-diameter balloon to keep probe cooled at 7°C. Porcine liver tissue samples were used as preliminary tissue model for immediate observation of thermal lesion creation. The diffusing fiber produced subsurface thermal lesions measuring 49.3 +/- 10.0 mm2 and preserved 0.8 +/- 0.1 mm of surface tissue. The side-firing fiber produced subsurface thermal lesions of 2.4 +/- 0.9 mm2 diameter and preserved 0.5 +/- 0.1 mm of surface tissue. The radial delivery probe assembly failed to produce subsurface thermal lesions, presumably due to the small effective spot diameter at the tissue surface, which limited optical penetration depth. Optimal laser power and irradiation time measured 15 W and 100 s for diffusing fiber and 1.4 W and 20 s, for side-firing fiber, respectively. Diffusing and side-firing laser balloon catheter designs provided subsurface thermal lesions in tissue. However, the divergent laser beam in both designs limited the ability to preserve a thicker layer of tissue surface. Further optimization of laser and cooling parameters may be necessary to preserve thicker surface tissue layers.

Water and oil wettability of anodized 6016 aluminum alloy surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, S. P.; Alves, C. F. Almeida; Cavaleiro, A.; Carvalho, S.

2017-11-01

This paper reports on the control of wettability behaviour of a 6000 series aluminum (Al) alloy surface (Al6016-T4), which is widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries. In order to induce the surface micro-nanostructuring of the surface, a combination of prior mechanical polishing steps followed by anodization process with different conditions was used. The surface polishing with sandpaper grit size 1000 promoted aligned grooves on the surface leading to static water contact angle (WCA) of 91° and oil (α-bromonaphthalene) contact angle (OCA) of 32°, indicating a slightly hydrophobic and oleophilic character. H2SO4 and H3PO4 acid electrolytes were used to grow aluminum oxide layers (Al2O3) by anodization, working at 15 V/18° C and 100 V/0 °C, respectively, in one or two-steps configuration. Overall, the anodization results showed that the structured Al surfaces were hydrophilic and oleophilic-like with both WCA and OCA below 90°. The one-step configuration led to a dimple-shaped Al alloy surface with small diameter of around 31 nm, in case of H2SO4, and with larger diameters of around 223 nm in case of H3PO4. The larger dimples achieved with H3PO4 electrolyte allowed to reach a slight hydrophobic surface. The thicker porous Al oxide layers, produced by anodization in two-step configuration, revealed that the liquids can penetrate easily inside the non-ordered porous structures and, thus, the surface wettability tended to superhydrophilic and superoleophilic character (CA < 10°). These results indicate that the capillary-pressure balance model, described for wettability mechanisms of porous structures, was broken. Moreover, thicker oxide layers with narrow pores of about 29 nm diameter allowed to achieve WCA < OCA. This inversion in favour of the hydrophilic-oleophobic surface behaviour is of great interest either for lubrication of mechanical components or in water-oil separation process.

Mass-physical properties of surficial sediments on the Rhoˆne continental margin: implications for the nepheloid benthic layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chassefiere, Bernard

1990-09-01

Mass-physical properties of the surficial (upper 5 m) sediments on the Gulf of Lions continental margin were analysed, from more than 100 short (1 m) and longer (5 m) cores obtained during several cruises. Data include water content, unit weight, Atterberg limits (liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index), shear strength and compression index, and are used to determine: first, the mass property distribution, according to the main parameters influencing mass-physical properties; the relationships between these properties and the nepheloid layer on the shelf. The shoreline (lagoons) and inner shelf are characterized by low density and shear strength and high water content deposits, due to electrochemical flocculation of the sediment. The outer shelf is blanketed by higher density and shear strength and lower water content deposits generated by normal settling of suspended particles. On the inner shelf, during river peak discharges, a short-term thin bottom layer of "yogurt-like" [ FASS (1985) Geomarine Letters, 4, 147-152; FASS (1986) Continental Shelf Research, 6, 189-208] fluid-mud (unit weight lower than 1.3 mg m -3) is supplied, by a bottom nepheloid layer. During stormy periods, this "yogurt-like" layer (about 10 cm thick) partly disappears by resuspension of suspended particulate matter; this is advected, in the bottom nepheloid layer, over the shelf and the canyons within the upper slope.

Impacts of Colonial Deforestation on Sediment Organic Carbon Fluxes and Budget Using Black Carbon Chronology: Waiapu Continental Shelf, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadman, H. M.; Canuel, E. A.; Bauer, J. E.; McNinch, J. E.

2009-12-01

Small, mountainous rivers deliver a disproportionate amount of sediment and associated organic matter to coastal regions globally. The Waiapu River, North Island, New Zealand, is characterized by one of the highest sediment yields on earth, providing a model system for studying episodic delivery and preservation of sedimentary organic matter in an energetic, aggradational setting. Hyperpycnal plumes provide the primary mode of sediment delivery, depositing fine-grained sediment as flood layers on the inner shelf. Severe erosion following colonial-era (~1890-1920) slash and burn deforestation increased the sediment yield to the shelf 4- to 5-fold relative to previous levels. Colonial catchment-wide burning also produced black carbon (BC), which may be used to establish chronological control in the heterogeneous inner shelf sediments that are not easily dateable using traditional techniques. While recent work indicates that these inner shelf flood layers sequester ~16-34% of the total fine-grained sediment budget, comparable to the amount preserved on the mid-outer shelf, little is understood about the organic matter associated with these inner shelf sediments. High-resolution seismic reflection data were used to select four representative cores to characterize total sedimentary BC, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) sequestered in the inner shelf fine-grained sediments. Soot and graphitic BC (SGBC) was quantified using chemo-thermal oxidation (CTO-375), while coarse-grained BC (CGBC) was quantified using traditional point-counting methodologies. SGBC weight percentages ranged from ~0.01-0.07, and peaked at ~150cm depth in all four cores. This interval corresponds to peak abundance of CGBC as well. The ~150cm interval is interpreted to represent the height of colonial slash and burn deforestation, and is further supported by fining-upward sequences in all of the cores as well as by multiple 14C dates. Overall, SGBC represented an average of 29% (range 7-75%) of the TOC throughout the cores, with the highest levels found in the deforestation layer at ~150cm (average 44%, range 30-75%). A secondary increase in % SGBC was found in the upper 50cm of the cores and is interpreted as increasing global BC production by diesel combustion in the 1970s. TOC and TN weight percentages associated with the fine-sediment fraction did not differ markedly above and below the deforestation layer. TOC and TN associated with the bulk sediment, however, did show increases in weight percent above ~150cm. This suggests that either 1) increases in fine-grained sedimentary organic material associated with the recent increase in sediment yield have been effectively remineralized, or 2) sedimentary organic matter is bimodal in origin (recent plant material vs. ancient, bedrock-derived carbon), and size-related variations in catchment and burial dynamics are influencing the fate of the different size fractions of organic material.

Fault propagation and climatic control of sedimentation on the Ghoubbet Rift Floor: insights from the Tadjouraden cruise in the western Gulf of Aden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audin, L.; Manighetti, I.; Tapponnier, P.; Métivier, F.; Jacques, E.; Huchon, P.

2001-02-01

A detailed geophysical survey of the Ghoubbet Al Kharab (Djibouti) clarifies the small-scale morphology of the last submerged rift segment of the propagating Aden ridge before it enters the Afar depression. The bathymetry reveals a system of antithetic normal faults striking N130°E, roughly aligned with those active along the Asal rift. The 3.5kHz sub-bottom profiler shows how the faults cut distinct layers within the recent, up to 60m thick, sediment cover on the floor of the basin. A large volcanic structure, in the centre of the basin, the `Ghoubbet' volcano, separates two sedimentary flats. The organization of volcanism and the planform of faulting, with en echelon subrifts along the entire Asal-Ghoubbet rift, appear to confirm the westward propagation of this segment of the plate boundary. Faults throughout the rift have been active continuously for the last 8400yr, but certain sediment layers show different offsets. The varying offsets of these layers, dated from cores previously retrieved in the southern basin, imply Holocene vertical slip rates of 0.3-1.4mmyr-1 and indicate a major decrease in sedimentation rate after about 6000yr BP, and a redistribution of sediments in the deepest troughs during the period that preceded that change.

Candor Chasma Mesa

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-09

In this image from NASA Mars Odyssey, a mantling layer of sediment slumps off the edge of a mesa in Candor Chasma producing a ragged pattern of erosion that hints at the presence of a volatile component mixed in with the sediment.

Estuarine sediment transport by gravity-driven movement of the nepheloid layer, Long Island Sound

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poppe, L.J.; McMullen, K.Y.; Williams, S.J.; Crocker, J.M.; Doran, E.F.

2008-01-01

Interpretation of sidescan-sonar imagery provides evidence that down-slope gravity-driven movement of the nepheloid layer constitutes an important mode of transporting sediment into the basins of north-central Long Island Sound, a major US East Coast estuary. In the Western Basin, this transport mechanism has formed dendritic drainage systems characterized by branching patterns of low backscatter on the seafloor that exceed 7.4 km in length and progressively widen down-slope, reaching widths of over 0.6 km at their southern distal ends. Although much smaller, dendritic patterns of similar morphology are also present in the northwestern part of the Central Basin. Because many contaminants display affinities for adsorption onto fine-grained sediments, and because the Sound is affected by seasonal hypoxia, mechanisms and dispersal pathways by which inorganic and organic sediments are remobilized and transported impact the eventual fate of the contaminants and environmental health of the estuary. 

Effects of the PPy layer thickness on Co-PPy composite films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haciismailoglu, Murside

2015-11-01

Co-PPy composite films were electrodeposited on ITO substrate from two different solutions potentiostatically. Firstly, the PPy layers with the thicknesses changing from 20 to 5000 nm were produced on ITO. Then Co was electrodeposited on these PPy/ITO substrates with a charge density of 1000 mC cm-2. The electrochemical properties were investigated by the current density-time transients and the variation of the elapsed time for the Co deposition depending on the PPy layer thickness. X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectra indicated the presence of both Co metal and its oxides on the surface. The weak reflections of the Co3O4, CoO and hcp Co were detected by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. According to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, the thickness of the PPy layer strongly affects the Co nucleation. The composite films with the PPy layer thinner than 200 nm and thicker than 2000 nm have an isotropic magnetic behavior due to the symmetrical crystal field. The composite films with the PPy layer thicknesses between 200 and 2000 nm have an anisotropic magnetic behavior attributable to the deterioration of this symmetrical crystal field by the PPy bubbles on the surface. All films are hard magnetic material, since the coercivities are larger than 125 Oe.

Characterization of a New Organosilicon Photoresist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, Wells C.

1987-08-01

For a number of years, there has lo'ep. great interest in organometallic based photoresists for use as the top layer in multilevel resist schemes.-' In general, bilevel approaches to lithography are forced upon the industry as a means of planarizing topography for a subsequent patterning step. This pattern is initially defined by exposure and development of a thin top layer (0.3 to 0.5μm) over the thicker bottom layer (1.0 to 2.0μm). (See Figure 1). In a conventional bilevel approach, the chosen bottom layer is photoactive at a wavelength for which the top is relatively opaque. The top level acts as a portable conformable mask (PCM) for image transfer through the bottom layer after its exposure and wet development. By using a silicon containing photoresist on the top image transfer may be accomplished using an oxygen plasma instead of a second exposure and development. The PCM in this case acts as an etch mask by forming a silicon dioxide crust in the plasma which slows the etch rate of the top versus the bottom layer. A generic curve of etch rate of a photoresist versus percent silicon by weight is shown in Figure 2. The shape is similar over a wide range of organosilicon polymers.5,6

The effects of thick sediment upon continental breakup: seismic imaging and thermal modeling of the Salton Trough, southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, L.; Hole, J. A.; Lowell, R. P.; Stock, J. M.; Fuis, G. S.; Driscoll, N. W.; Kell, A. M.; Kent, G. M.; Harding, A. J.; Gonzalez-Fernandez, A.; Lázaro-Mancilla, O.

2015-12-01

Continental rifting ultimately creates a deep accommodation space for sediment. When a major river flows into a late-stage rift, thick deltaic sediment can change the thermal regime and alter the mechanisms of extension and continental breakup. The Salton Trough, the northernmost rift segment of the Gulf of California plate boundary, has experienced the same extension as the rest of the Gulf, but is filled to sea level by sediment from the Colorado River. Unlike the southern Gulf, seafloor spreading has not initiated. Instead, seismicity, high heat flow, and minor volcanoes attest to ongoing rifting of thin, transitional crust. Recently acquired controlled-source seismic refraction and wide-angle reflection data in the Salton Trough provide constraints upon crustal architecture and active rift processes. The crust in the central Salton Trough is only 17-18 km thick, with a strongly layered but relatively one-dimensional structure for ~100 km in the direction of plate motion. The upper crust includes 2-4 km of Colorado River sediment. Crystalline rock below the sediment is interpreted to be similar sediment metamorphosed by the high heat flow and geothermal activity. Meta-sediment extends to at least 9 km depth. A 4-5 km thick layer in the middle crust is either additional meta-sediment or stretched pre-existing continental crust. The lowermost 4-5 km of the crust is rift-related mafic magmatic intrusion or underplating from partial melting in the hot upper mantle. North American lithosphere in the Salton Trough has been almost or completely rifted apart. The gap has been filled by ~100 km of new transitional crust created by magmatism from below and sedimentation from above. These processes create strong lithologic, thermal, and rheologic layering. While heat flow in the rift is very high, rapid sedimentation cools the upper crust as compared to a linear geotherm. Brittle extension occurs within new meta-sedimentary rock. The lower crust, in comparison, is maintained hot and weak by the overlying sedimentary thermal blanket. The lower crust stretches by ductile flow and magmatism is not localized. In this passive rift driven by distant plate motions, rapid sedimentation and its thermal effects delay final breakup of the crust and the onset of seafloor spreading.

Deep sediment resuspension and thick nepheloid layer generation by open-ocean convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durrieu de Madron, X.; Ramondenc, S.; Berline, L.; Houpert, L.; Bosse, A.; Martini, S.; Guidi, L.; Conan, P.; Curtil, C.; Delsaut, N.; Kunesch, S.; Ghiglione, J. F.; Marsaleix, P.; Pujo-Pay, M.; Séverin, T.; Testor, P.; Tamburini, C.

2017-03-01

The Gulf of Lions in the northwestern Mediterranean is one of the few sites around the world ocean exhibiting deep open-ocean convection. Based on 6 year long (2009-2015) time series from a mooring in the convection region, shipborne measurements from repeated cruises, from 2012 to 2015, and glider measurements, we report evidence of bottom thick nepheloid layer formation, which is coincident with deep sediment resuspension induced by bottom-reaching convection events. This bottom nepheloid layer, which presents a maximum thickness of more than 2000 m in the center of the convection region, probably results from the action of cyclonic eddies that are formed during the convection period and can persist within their core while they travel through the basin. The residence time of this bottom nepheloid layer appears to be less than a year. In situ measurements of suspended particle size further indicate that the bottom nepheloid layer is primarily composed of aggregates between 100 and 1000 µm in diameter, probably constituted of fine silts. Bottom-reaching open ocean convection, as well as deep dense shelf water cascading that occurred concurrently some years, lead to recurring deep sediments resuspension episodes. They are key mechanisms that control the concentration and characteristics of the suspended particulate matter in the basin, and in turn affect the bathypelagic biological activity.

Late Quaternary distal tephra-fall deposits in lacustrine sediments, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

de Fontaine, C.S.; Kaufman, D.S.; Scott, Anderson R.; Werner, A.; Waythomas, C.F.; Brown, T.A.

2007-01-01

Tephra-fall deposits from Cook Inlet volcanoes were detected in sediment cores from Tustumena and Paradox Lakes, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, using magnetic susceptibility and petrography. The ages of tephra layers were estimated using 21 14C ages on macrofossils. Tephras layers are typically fine, gray ash, 1-5??mm thick, and composed of varying proportions of glass shards, pumice, and glass-coated phenocrysts. Of the two lakes, Paradox Lake contained a higher frequency of tephra (0.8 tephra/100 yr; 109 over the 13,200-yr record). The unusually large number of tephra in this lake relative to others previously studied in the area is attributed to the lake's physiography, sedimentology, and limnology. The frequency of ash fall was not constant through the Holocene. In Paradox Lake, tephra layers are absent between ca. 800-2200, 3800-4800, and 9000-10,300??cal yr BP, despite continuously layered lacustrine sediment. In contrast, between 5000 and 9000??cal yr BP, an average of 1.7 tephra layers are present per 100 yr. The peak period of tephra fall (7000-9000??cal yr BP; 2.6 tephra/100 yr) in Paradox Lake is consistent with the increase in volcanism between 7000 and 9000 yr ago recorded in the Greenland ice cores. ?? 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A large-scale field trial of thin-layer capping of PCDD/F-contaminated sediments: Sediment-to-water fluxes up to 5 years post-amendment.

PubMed

Cornelissen, Gerard; Schaanning, Morten; Gunnarsson, Jonas S; Eek, Espen

2016-04-01

The longer-term effect (3-5 y) of thin-layer capping on in situ sediment-to-surface water fluxes was monitored in a large-scale field experiment in the polychlorinated dibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) contaminated Grenlandfjords, Norway (4 trial plots of 10,000 to 40,000 m(2) at 30 to 100 m water depth). Active caps (designed thickness 2.5 cm) were established in 2 fjords, consisting of dredged clean clay amended with powdered activated carbon (PAC) from anthracite. These active caps were compared to 2 nonactive caps in one of the fjords (designed thickness 5 cm) consisting of either clay only (i.e., without PAC) or crushed limestone. Sediment-to-water PCDD/F fluxes were measured in situ using diffusion chambers. An earlier study showed that during the first 2 years after thin-layer capping, flux reductions relative to noncapped reference fields were more extensive at the fields capped with nonactive caps (70%-90%) than at the ones with PAC-containing caps (50%-60%). However, the present work shows that between 3 and 5 years after thin-layer capping, this trend was reversed and cap effectiveness in reducing fluxes was increasing to 80% to 90% for the PAC caps, whereas cap effectiveness of the nonactive caps decreased to 20% to 60%. The increasing effectiveness over time of PAC-containing "active" caps is explained by a combination of slow sediment-to-PAC mass transfer of PCDD/Fs and bioturbation by benthic organisms. The decreasing effectiveness of "nonactive" limestone and clay caps is explained by deposition of contaminated particles on top of the caps. The present field data indicate that the capping efficiency of thin active caps (i.e., enriched with PAC) can improve over time as a result of slow diffusive PCDD/F transfer from sediment to PAC particles and better mixing of the PAC by bioturbation. © 2015 SETAC.

Uranium and plutonium in anoxic marine sediments of the Santiago River mouth (Eastern Pacific, Mexico).

PubMed

Almazán-Torres, María Guadalupe; Ordóñez-Regil, Eduardo; Ruiz-Fernández, Ana Carolina

2016-11-01

The uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) content with depth in a sediment core collected in the continental shelf off the mouth of the Santiago River in the Mexican Pacific was studied to evaluate the contamination effects of the effluent of the Santiago-Lerma River as it moves into the sea. The large mass of terrestrial detritus delivered by the river influences the physicochemical and geochemical processes in the seafloor. Abnormal concentrations of U and Pu in sediments were examined as indicative of the effects of anoxic conditions. One of the indicators of pollution of seawater is the bacterial activity of the shallow seabed layer; and among the prevailing bacteria, the magnetotactic ones induce the formation of euhedral and framboidal shapes (pyrite). These pyrite entities are by-products of anoxic environments loaded with decomposing detrital material and are very abundant in the surface layers of the sediment core analyzed. The pyrite formation is the result of a biochemical reaction between iron and organic sulphur reduced by bacteria, and the pyrite entities precipitate to the seafloor. In the same upper zone of the profile, 238 U is readily immobilized, while 234 U is oxidized and dissolved in seawater by the effect of hot atom chemistry. This may cause the activity ratio (AR) 234 U/ 238 U disequilibrium (near 0.41). Furthermore, in the shallow layer of the sediment core, an abnormally high concentration of 239+240 Pu was detected. In this upper layer, the activity concentrations found were 3.19 Bq kg -1 for 238 U, 1.32 kg -1 for 234 U and 2.78 Bq kg -1 for 239+240 Pu. In the lower fractions of the sediment core, normal values of AR 234 U/ 238 U (≈1) were found, with traces of 239+240 Pu. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pools, channel form, and sediment storage in wood-restored streams: Potential effects on downstream reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elosegi, Arturo; Díez, José Ramón; Flores, Lorea; Molinero, Jon

2017-02-01

Large wood (LW, or pieces of dead wood longer than 1 m and thicker than 10 cm in diameter) is a key element in forested streams, but its abundance has decreased worldwide as a result of snagging and clearing of riparian forests. Therefore, many restoration projects introduce LW into stream channels to enhance geomorphology, biotic communities, and ecosystem functioning. Because LW enhances the retention of organic matter and sediments, its restoration can reduce siltation in receiving reservoirs, although so far little information on this subject is available. We studied the effects of restoring the natural loading of LW in four streams in the Aiako Harria Natural Park (the Basque Country, Spain) in pool abundance, channel form, and storage of organic matter and sediments. In all reaches log jams induced the formation of new geomorphic features and changes in physical habitat, especially an increase in the number and size of pools and in the formation of gravel bars and organic deposits. The storage of organic matter increased 5- to 88-fold and streambed level rose 7 ± 4 to 21 ± 4 cm on average, resulting in the storage of 35.2 ± 19.7 to 711 ± 375 m3 (733-1400 m3 ha- 1 y- 1) of sediment per reach. Extrapolation of these results to the entire drainage basin suggests that basinwide restoration of LW loading would enhance the retention potential of stream channels by 66,817 ± 27,804 m3 (1075 m3 ha- 1 y- 1) of sediment and by 361 t (5.32 T ha- 1 y- 1) of organic matter, which represents 60% of the estimated annual inputs of sediments to the downstream Añarbe Reservoir and almost twice as much as the annual input of organic matter to the entire river network. Therefore, basinwide restoration of LW loading is a potentially important tool to manage catchments that feed reservoirs, where retention of sediments and organic matter can be considered important ecosystem services as they reduce reservoir siltation.

Formation of Multi-Layer Structures in Bi3Pb7 Intermetallic Compounds under an Ultra-High Gravitational Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashimo, T.; Iguchi, Y.; Bagum, R.; Sano, T.; Sakata, O.; Ono, M.; Okayasu, S.

2008-02-01

Ultra-high gravitational field (Mega-gravity field) can promote sedimentation of atoms (diffusion) even in solids, and is expected to form a compositionally-graded structure and/or nonequilibrium phase in multi-component condensed matter. We had achieved sedimentation of substitutional solute atoms in miscible systems (Bi-Sb, In-Pb, etc.). In this study, a mega-gravity experiment at high temperature was performed on a thin-plate sample (0.7 mm in thickness) of the intermetallic compound Bi3Pb7. A visible four-layer structure was produced, which exhibited different microscopic structures. In the lowest-gravity region layer, Bi phase appeared. In the mid layers, a compositionally-graded structure was formed, with differences observed in the powder X-ray diffraction patterns. Such a multi-layer structure is expected to exhibit unique physical properties such as superconductivity.

Production of lunar fragmental material by meteoroid impact.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcus, A. H.

1973-01-01

The rate of production of new fragmental lunar surface material is derived theoretically on the hypothesis that such material is excavated from a bedrock layer by meteoroid impacts. An overlaying regolith effectively shields the bedrock layer from small impacts, reducing the production rate of centimeter-sized and smaller blocks by a large factor. Logarithmic production rate curves for centimeter to motor-sized blocks are nonlinear for any regolith from centimeters to tens of meters in thickness, with small blocks relatively much less frequent for thicker (older) regoliths, suggesting the possibility of a statistical reverse bedding. Modest variations in the exponents of scaling laws for crater depth-diameter ratio and maximum block-diameter to crater diameter ratio are shown to have significant effects on the production rates. The production rate increases slowly with increasing size of the largest crater affecting the region.

Three-dimensional ground-motion simulations of earthquakes for the Hanford area, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frankel, Arthur; Thorne, Paul; Rohay, Alan

2014-01-01

This report describes the results of ground-motion simulations of earthquakes using three-dimensional (3D) and one-dimensional (1D) crustal models conducted for the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) of the Hanford facility, Washington, under the Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee (SSHAC) guidelines. The first portion of this report demonstrates that the 3D seismic velocity model for the area produces synthetic seismograms with characteristics (spectral response values, duration) that better match those of the observed recordings of local earthquakes, compared to a 1D model with horizontal layers. The second part of the report compares the response spectra of synthetics from 3D and 1D models for moment magnitude (M) 6.6–6.8 earthquakes on three nearby faults and for a dipping plane wave source meant to approximate regional S-waves from a Cascadia great earthquake. The 1D models are specific to each site used for the PSHA. The use of the 3D model produces spectral response accelerations at periods of 0.5–2.0 seconds as much as a factor of 4.5 greater than those from the 1D models for the crustal fault sources. The spectral accelerations of the 3D synthetics for the Cascadia plane-wave source are as much as a factor of 9 greater than those from the 1D models. The differences between the spectral accelerations for the 3D and 1D models are most pronounced for sites with thicker supra-basalt sediments and for stations with earthquakes on the Rattlesnake Hills fault and for the Cascadia plane-wave source.

The Vertical Distribution of Sediment Archaeal Community in the “Black Bloom” Disturbing Zhushan Bay of Lake Taihu

PubMed Central

Fan, Xianfang; Xing, Peng

2016-01-01

Using the Illumina sequencing technology, we investigated the vertical distribution of archaeal community in the sediment of Zhushan Bay of Lake Taihu, where the black bloom frequently occurred in summer. Overall, the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group (MCG), Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Group 6 (DHVEG-6), and Methanobacterium dominated the archaeal community. However, we observed significant difference in composition of archaeal community among different depths of the sediment. DHVEG-6 dominated in the surface layer (0–3 cm) sediment. Methanobacterium was the dominating archaeal taxa in the L2 (3–6 cm) and L3 (6–10) sediment. MCG was most abundant in the L4 (10–15 cm) and L5 (15–20 cm) sediment. Besides, DHVEG-6 was significantly affected by the concentration of total phosphorus (TP). And loss on ignition (LOI) was an important environmental factor for Methanobacterium. As the typical archaeal taxa in the surface layer sediment, DHVEG-6 and Methanobacterium might be more adapted to abundant substrate supply from cyanobacterial blooms and take active part in the biomass transformation. We propose that DHVEG-6 and Methanobacterium could be the key archaeal taxa correlated with the “black bloom” formation in Zhushan Bay. PMID:26884723

Rare earth element geochemistry characteristics of seawater and porewater from deep sea in western Pacific.

PubMed

Deng, Yinan; Ren, Jiangbo; Guo, Qingjun; Cao, Jun; Wang, Haifeng; Liu, Chenhui

2017-11-28

Deep-sea sediments contain high concentrations of rare earth element (REE) which have been regarded as a huge potential resource. Understanding the marine REE cycle is important to reveal the mechanism of REE enrichment. In order to determine the geochemistry characteristics and migration processes of REE, seawater, porewater and sediment samples were systematically collected from the western Pacific for REE analysis. The results show a relatively flat REE pattern and the HREE (Heavy REE) enrichment in surface and deep seawater respectively. The HREE enrichment distribution patterns, low concentrations of Mn and Fe and negative Ce anomaly occur in the porewater, and high Mn/Al ratios and low U concentrations were observed in sediment, indicating oxic condition. LREE (Light REE) and MREE (Middle REE) enrichment in upper layer and depletion of MREE in deeper layer were shown in porewater profile. This study suggests that porewater flux in the western Pacific basin is a minor source of REEs to seawater, and abundant REEs are enriched in sediments, which is mainly caused by the extensive oxic condition, low sedimentation rate and strong adsorption capacity of sediments. Hence, the removal of REEs of porewater may result in widespread REE-rich sediments in the western Pacific basin.

Chesapeake Bay impact structure: Morphology, crater fill, and relevance for impact structures on Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horton, J. Wright; Ormo, J.; Powars, D.S.; Gohn, G.S.

2006-01-01

The late Eocene Chesapeake Bay impact structure (CBIS) on the Atlantic margin of Virginia is one of the largest and best-preserved "wet-target" craters on Earth. It provides an accessible analog for studying impact processes in layered and wet targets on volatile-rich planets. The CBIS formed in a layered target of water, weak clastic sediments, and hard crystalline rock. The buried structure consists of a deep, filled central crater, 38 km in width, surrounded by a shallower brim known as the annular trough. The annular trough formed partly by collapse of weak sediments, which expanded the structure to ???85 km in diameter. Such extensive collapse, in addition to excavation processes, can explain the "inverted sombrero" morphology observed at some craters in layered targets. The distribution of crater-fill materials i n the CBIS is related to the morphology. Suevitic breccia, including pre-resurge fallback deposits, is found in the central crater. Impact-modified sediments, formed by fluidization and collapse of water-saturated sand and silt-clay, occur in the annular trough. Allogenic sediment-clast breccia, interpreted as ocean-resurge deposits, overlies the other impactites and covers the entire crater beneath a blanket of postimpact sediments. The formation of chaotic terrains on Mars is attributed to collapse due to the release of volatiles from thick layered deposits. Some flat-floored rimless depressions with chaotic infill in these terrains are impact craters that expanded by collapse farther than expected for similar-sized complex craters in solid targets. Studies of crater materials in the CBIS provide insights into processes of crater expansion on Mars and their links to volatiles. ?? The Meteoritical Society, 2006.

Contaminated Sediment Management in Dam Removals and River Restoration Efforts: Critical Need for Research and Policy Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, J. E.

2015-12-01

Over 1,000 U.S. dams have been removed (1975-2015) for reasons including obsolescence, liability concerns, water quality upgrades, fisheries, or ecosystem enhancements. Contaminated sediment can significantly complicate the approval process, cost, and timeline of a dam removal, or stop it entirely. In a dam removal, reservoir sediment changes from a sink to a source of contaminants. Recently, the Sierra Club sued to stop the removal of a large dam in Ohio because of the potential impact of phosphate releases on toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie. Heavy metals, PCBs, PAHs, pesticides, and petroleum hydrocarbons can be present in reservoir sediments. In a non-dam removal scenario, reservoir management tools range from "no action" to dredging, dewatering and removal, or sediment capping. But it is not clear how these reservoir management techniques apply to dam removals. Case studies show typically >80% of the reservoir sediment is eventually eroded, precluding sediment capping as a containment option. However, the released contaminants are diluted by mixing with "clean" sediment and are transported to different physio-chemical environments which may immobilize or biodegrade the contaminants. Poorly understood options include phased drawdown/reseeding the former reservoir to contain sediments, diking contaminant "hot spots," and addressing contaminant stratigraphy (where historical use created "hot layers" in the reservoir sediment). Research and policy development needs include: (1) assessment methods based on synergistic effects of multiple contaminants being present; (2) ways to translate the pre-removal contaminant concentrations to post-removal health risks downstream; (3) evaluation of management practices for contaminant "hot spots" and "hot layers;" (4) tools to forecast the presence of contaminated sediment using easily accessible information; and (5) ways to limit liability risk for organizations participating in dam removals involving contaminated sediment.

Vertical stratification of bacteria and archaea in sediments of a boreal stratified humic lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rissanen, Antti J.; Mpamah, Promise; Peura, Sari; Taipale, Sami; Biasi, Christina; Nykänen, Hannu

2015-04-01

Boreal stratified humic lakes, with steep redox gradients in the water column and in the sediment, are important sources of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. CH4 flux from these lakes is largely controlled by the balance between CH4-production (methanogenesis), which takes place in the organic rich sediment and in the deepest water layers, and CH4-consumption (methanotrophy), which takes place mainly in the water column. While there is already some published information on the activity, diversity and community structure of bacteria in the water columns of these lakes, such information on sediment microbial communities is very scarce. This study aims to characterize the vertical variation patterns in the diversity and the structure of microbial communities in sediment of a boreal stratified lake. Particular focus is on microbes with the potential to contribute to methanogenesis (fermentative bacteria and methanogenic archaea) and to methanotrophy (methanotrophic bacteria and archaea). Two sediment cores (26 cm deep), collected from the deepest point (~6 m) of a small boreal stratified lake during winter-stratification, were divided into depth sections of 1 to 2 cm for analyses. Communities were studied from DNA extracted from sediment samples by next-generation sequencing (Ion Torrent) of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) - amplified bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene amplicons. The abundance of methanogenic archaea was also specifically studied by quantitative-PCR of methyl coenzyme-M reductase gene (mcrA) amplicons. Furthermore, the community structure and the abundance of bacteria were studied by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Dominant potential fermentative bacteria belonged to families Syntrophaceae, Clostridiaceae and Peptostreptococcaceae. There were considerable differences in the vertical distribution among these groups. The relative abundance of Syntrophaceae started to increase from the sediment surface, peaked at depth layer from 5 to 10 cm (up to 21 % of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons) and decreased gradually towards deeper layers while the relative abundances of Clostridiaceae and Peptostreptococcaceae started to increase at deeper depths, at 5 cm and 10 cm, respectively, both peaking at depth layer from 20 to 26 cm (Clostridiaceae up to 13 % and Peptostreptococcaceae up to 11 % of bacterial 16S rRNA amplicons). Methanogenic community was dominated by acetoclastic methanogens (genus Methanosaeta), which were most abundant at depth layer from sediment surface to 10 cm (up to 87 % of archaeal 16S rRNA gene amplicons) and decreased drastically until the depth of 18 cm having quite stable relative abundance from 18 to 26 cm (5 to 11 % of archaeal 16S rRNA gene amplicons). Hydrogenotrophic methanogens (Methanoregula, Methanolinea, Methanospirillum, Methanocella) (3 to 11 % of archaeal 16S rRNA gene amplicons) did not show any specific depth patterns. The proportion of methanotrophic microbes was very low and they consisted almost completely of type II methanotrophic bacteria (family Methylocystaceae), which had highest relative abundance at depth layer from 5 to 10 cm (up to 3 % of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons) and were almost absent below 15 cm. Anaerobic methanotrophic archaea were not detected. These findings will be discussed with results from PLFA and q-PCR analyses.

Patterns and drivers of bacterial α- and β-diversity across vertical profiles from surface to subsurface sediments.

PubMed

Luna, Gian Marco; Corinaldesi, Cinzia; Rastelli, Eugenio; Danovaro, Roberto

2013-10-01

We investigated the patterns and drivers of bacterial α- and β-diversity, along with viral and prokaryotic abundance and the carbon production rates, in marine surface and subsurface sediments (down to 1 m depth) in two habitats: vegetated sediments (seagrass meadow) and non-vegetated sediments. Prokaryotic abundance and production decreased with depth in the sediment, but cell-specific production rates and the virus-to-prokaryote ratio increased, highlighting unexpectedly high activity in the subsurface. The highest diversity was observed in vegetated sediments. Bacterial β-diversity between sediment horizons was high, and only a minor number of taxa was shared between surface and subsurface layers. Viruses significantly contributed to explain α- and β-diversity patterns. Despite potential limitations due to the only use of fingerprinting techniques, this study indicates that the coastal subsurface host highly active and diversified bacterial assemblages, that subsurface cells are more active than expected and that viruses promote β-diversity and stimulate bacterial metabolism in subsurface layers. The limited number of taxa shared between habitats, and between surface and subsurface sediment horizons, suggests that future investigations of the shallow subsurface will provide insights into the census of bacterial diversity, and the comprehension of the patterns and drivers of prokaryotic diversity in marine ecosystems. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Hydrocarbons in the Surface Layer of Bottom Sediments in the Northwestern Caspian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemirovskaya, I. A.; Ostrovskaya, E. V.

2018-03-01

The paper presents research results on the concentrations and compositions of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface layer of bottom sediments in the Northwestern Caspian Sea (2014) and compares them to data for sediments of the Middle and Southern Caspian (2012-2013). The seepage of hydrocarbons out of the sediment mass, resulting in abnormally high concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons per dry weight (up to 468 μg/g), as well as within the Corg composition (up to 35.2%), is considered the main source of hydrocarbons in sediments in the surveyed area of the Northern Caspian. This is also confirmed by the absence of any correlation between the hydrocarbon and Corg distributions, as well as by the transformed oil composition of high-molecular alkanes. The distribution of markers within polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons points to a mixed genesis—petrogenic and pyrogenic—with prevalence of the latter. Unlike the shallow-water northern part of the Caspian Sea, the content and composition of hydrocarbons in deep-seated sediments are affected by facial conditions of sedimentation and by matter exchange at the water-bottom interface. Therefore, despite high Corg concentrations (up to 9.9%), sediments in deep-water depressions are characterized by a quite low concentration of aliphatic hydrocarbons (52 μg/g on average; 0.2% of Corg) with prevailing natural allochthonous alkanes.

Sediment profile imaging (SPI) and micro-electrode technologies in impact assessment studies: Example from two fjords in Southern Chile used for fish farming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulsow, S.; Krieger, Y.; Kennedy, R.

2006-10-01

Two state-of-the-art techniques were used to assess the impact of organic loading from fish farming in two fjords of Southern Chile, Pillan and Reñihue Fjords. A sediment profile imaging (SPI) camera was deployed and sediment microprofiles (oxygen, H 2S, redox and pH) were measured in undisturbed sediment cores collected using a HAPS corer. Four out of seven stations in Pillan Fjord were found to be severely disturbed: SPI images showed azoic conditions (no apparent Redox Potential Discontinuity layer, no evidence of aerobic life form, presence of an uneaten fish food layer, negative OSI scores). These findings were corroborated by very high oxygen consumption rates (700-1200 mmol m - 2 day - 1 ), H 2S concentrations increasing quickly within the sediment column and redox potential decreasing towards negative values within a few mm down core. Results for Reñihue Fjord were not so straightforward. SPI images indicated that most of the stations (R3 to R7) presented well-mixed conditions (high apparent RPD layers, presence of infauna, burrows, etc.), but oxygen profiles yielded consumption rates of 230 to 490 mmol m - 2 day - 1 and organic carbon mineralization of 2.16 to 4.53 g C m - 2 day - 1 . These latter values were close to the limit of aerobic degradation of organic matter although no visible changes were recorded within the sediment column. In view of our findings, the importance of integrating multidisciplinary methodologies in impact assessment studies was discussed.

Compositional classification and sedimentological interpretation of the laminated lacustrine sediments at Baumkrichen (Western Austria) using XRF core scanning data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrett, Samuel; Tjallingii, Rik; Bloemsma, Menno; Brauer, Achim; Starnberger, Reinhard; Spötl, Christoph; Dulski, Peter

2015-04-01

The outcrop at Baumkirchen (Austria) encloses part of a unique sequence of laminated lacustrine sediments deposited during the last glacial cycle. A ~250m long composite sediment record recovered at this location now continuously covers the periods ~33 to ~45 ka BP (MIS 3) and ~59 to ~73 ka BP (MIS 4), which are separated by a hiatus. The well-laminated (mm-cm scale) and almost entirely clastic sediments reveal alternations of clayey silt and medium silt to very-fine sand layers. Although radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating provide a robust chronology, accurate dating of the sediment laminations appears to be problematic due to very high sedimentation rates (3-8 cm/yr). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning provided a detailed ~150m long record of compositional changes of the sediments at Baumkirchen. Changes in the sediments are subtle and classification into different facies based on individual elements is therefore subjective. We applied a statistically robust clustering analysis to provide an objective compositional classification without prior knowledge, based on XRF measurements for 15 analysed elements (all those with an acceptable signal-noise ratio: Zr, Sr, Ca, Mn, Cu, Zn, Rb, Ni, Fe, K, Cr, V, Si, Ba, T). The clustering analysis indicates a distinct compositional change between sediments deposited below and above the stratigraphic hiatus, but also differentiates between individual different laminae. Preliminary results suggest variations in the sequence are largely controlled by the relative occurrence of different kinds of sediment represented by different clusters. Three clusters identify well-laminated sediments, visually similar in appearance, each dominated by an anti-correlation between Ca and one or more of the detrital elements K, Zr, Ti, Si and Fe. Two of these clusters occur throughout the entire sequence, one frequently and the other restricted to short sections, while the third occurs almost exclusively below the hiatus, indicating a geochemically distinct component that possibly represents a specific sediment source. In a similar manner, three other clusters identify event layers with different compositions of which two occur exclusively above the hiatus and one exclusively below. The variations in the occurrence of these clusters revealing distinct event layers suggest variations in dominant sediment source both above and below the hiatus and within the section above it. More detailed comparisons between compositional variations of the individual clusters obtained from biplots and microscopic observations on thin sections, grain-size analyses, and mineralogical analyses are needed to further differentiate between sediment sources and transport mechanisms.

From minerals to hillslopes: Towards an integrated framework for interpreting chemical and physical erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahm, W.; Riebe, C. S.; Ferrier, K.; Kirchner, J. W.

2011-12-01

Traditional frameworks for conceptualizing hillslope denudation distinguish between the movement of mass in solution (chemical erosion) and mass moved via mechanical processes (physical erosion). At the hillslope scale, physical and chemical erosion rates can be quantified by combining measurements of regolith chemistry with cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in bedrock and sediment, while basin-scale rates are often inferred from riverine solute and sediment loads. These techniques integrate the effects of numerous weathering and erosion mechanisms and do not provide prima facie information about the precise nature and scale of those mechanisms. For insight into erosional process, physical erosion has been considered in terms of two limiting regimes. When physical erosion outpaces weathering front advance, regolith is mobilized downslope as soon as it is sufficiently loosened by weathering, and physical erosion rates are limited by rates of mobile regolith production. This is commonly termed weathering-limited erosion. Conversely, when weathering front advance outpaces erosion, the mobile regolith layer grows thicker over time, and physical erosion rates are limited by the efficiency of downslope transport processes. This is termed transport-limited erosion. This terminology brings the description of hillslope evolution closer to the realm of essential realism, to the extent that measurable quantities from the field can be cast in a process-based framework. An analogous process-limitation framework describes chemical erosion. In supply-limited chemical erosion, chemical weathering depletes regolith of its reactive phases during residence on a hillslope, and chemical erosion rates are limited by the supply of fresh minerals to the weathering zone. Alternatively, hillslopes may exhibit kinetic-limited chemical erosion, where physical erosion transports regolith downslope before weatherable phases are completely removed by chemical erosion. We show how supply- and kinetic-limited chemical erosion can be distinguished from one another using data from a global compilation of physical and chemical erosion rates. As a step towards understanding these rates at the level of essential realism, we explore how the hillslope-scale regimes of supply- and kinetic-limited chemical erosion relate to existing conceptual frameworks that interpret weathering rates in terms of transport- and kinetic-limitation at the mineral scale.

A Layered Past: the Transformation and Development of Legacy Sediments as Alluvial Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wade, A.; Richter, D. D., Jr.

2017-12-01

Legacy sediments are a widespread consequence of post-colonial upland erosion in the United States. Although these deposits are ubiquitous in valley bottoms of the southeastern Piedmont, mature hardwood forests and collapsed stream banks mask their occurrence. While these deposits have been studied for their fluvial dynamics and water quality impacts, they have received less attention in regards to soil structure and formation. In this study, we characterized legacy sediment mineraology, composition and structure to understand how pedogenic processes are overprinting sediment layering in a 40-hectare Piedmont floodplain. To constrain the timing of deposition, we used Pb-210 and C-14 dating on buried charcoal and tree stumps. Our results show that in 100 years of forest regeneration, vegetation and oscillating floodplain conditions have driven these eroded sediment deposits to evolve as soil profiles both in structure and composition. These textural and nutrient gradients have ramifications for the subsurface flow of nutrients through the floodplain. Given the estimated millennia it will take to erode legacy sediment from Piedmont floodplains, it is important to think of these deposits as new stable environments on their own trajectory of soil evolution.

Archaeal Populations in Hypersaline Sediments Underlying Orange Microbial Mats in the Napoli Mud Volcano▿†

PubMed Central

Lazar, Cassandre Sara; L'Haridon, Stéphane; Pignet, Patricia; Toffin, Laurent

2011-01-01

Microbial mats in marine cold seeps are known to be associated with ascending sulfide- and methane-rich fluids. Hence, they could be visible indicators of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and methane cycling processes in underlying sediments. The Napoli mud volcano is situated in the Olimpi Area that lies on saline deposits; from there, brine fluids migrate upward to the seafloor. Sediments associated with a brine pool and microbial orange mats of the Napoli mud volcano were recovered during the Medeco cruise. Based on analysis of RNA-derived sequences, the “active” archaeal community was composed of many uncultured lineages, such as rice cluster V or marine benthic group D. Function methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA) genes were affiliated with the anaerobic methanotrophic Archaea (ANME) of the ANME-1, ANME-2a, and ANME-2c groups, suggesting that AOM occurred in these sediment layers. Enrichment cultures showed the presence of viable marine methylotrophic Methanococcoides in shallow sediment layers. Thus, the archaeal community diversity seems to show that active methane cycling took place in the hypersaline microbial mat-associated sediments of the Napoli mud volcano. PMID:21335391

Influence of the Portuguese Bend landslide on the character of the effluent-affected sediment deposit, Palos Verdes margin, southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kayen, R.E.; Lee, H.J.; Hein, J.R.

2002-01-01

Historic accretion of sediment on the Palos Verdes margin off Los Angeles County, CA, is dominated by two sources, effluent from Whites Point outfall and sediment eroded from the toe of Portuguese Bend landslide. In this paper, we document the recent history of sedimentation from these non-marine sources from 1937 until the late 1990s, and attempt to estimate the amount of material preserved on the shelf. Toward that end, we characterized offshore sediment by physical and geotechnical testing, using non-destructive gamma-ray whole-core logging techniques and conventional geotechnical strength tests, and X-ray diffraction. Results are reported within a geographic information system framework that allows for: (1) the evaluation of the spatial variability of the measured properties, and (2) assessment of the influence of these properties on processes affecting the effluent-affected Sediment layer. In the inner shelf, material eroded by wave action from the toe of the Portuguese Bend landslide since 1956 has contributed 5.7-9.4 million metric tons (Mmt) of sediment, from a total eroded mass of 12.1 Mmt. A lesser fraction (???2.7Mmt) of sediment is incorporated into the mid- and outer-shelf effluent-affected sediment layer. Evidence from X-ray diffractograms clearly indicates that landslide material has mixed with the mid- and outer-shelf effluent. From 1937-1987, it is estimated that 3.8 Mmt of solid anthropogenic effluent was discharged into the water column and onto the Palos Verdes Shelf.

Effects of vegetation and fecal pellets on the erodibility of cohesive sediments: Ganghwa tidal flat, west coast of Korea.

PubMed

Ha, Ho Kyung; Ha, Hun Jun; Seo, Jun Young; Choi, Sun Min

2018-06-04

Although the Korean tidal flats in the Yellow Sea have been highlighted as a typical macrotidal system, so far, there have been no measurements of the sediment erodibility and critical shear stress for erosion (τ ce ). Using the Gust erosion microcosm system, a series of field experiments has been conducted in the Ganghwa tidal flat to investigate quantitatively the effects of biogenic materials on the erodibility of intertidal cohesive sediments. Four representative sediment cores with different surficial conditions were analyzed to estimate the τ ce and eroded mass. Results show that τ ce of the "free" sediment bed not covered by any biogenic material on the Ganghwa tidal flat was in the range of 0.1-0.2 Pa, whereas the sediment bed partially covered by vegetation (Phragmites communis) or fecal pellets had enhanced τ ce up to 0.45-0.6 Pa. The physical presence of vegetation or fecal pellets contributed to protection of the sediment bed by blocking the turbulent energy. An inverse relationship between the organic matter included in the eroded mass and the applied shear stress was observed. This suggests that the organic matter enriched in a near-bed fluff layer is highly erodible, and the organic matter within the underlying sediment layer becomes depleted and less erodible with depth. Our study underlines the role of biogenic material in stabilizing the benthic sediment bed in the intertidal zone. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sedimentation and remobilization of radiocesium in the coastal area of Ibaraki, 70 km south of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant.

PubMed

Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Kobayashi, Takuya

2013-07-01

Sedimentation and remobilization processes of radiocesium were investigated from time-series observations at nine stations in the coastal area of Ibaraki, 70-110 km south of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (1FNPP). Sediment samples were collected four times between June 2011 and January 2012, and concentrations of radiocesium as well as sediment properties such as grain size and elemental compositions were analyzed. Cumulative inventory of (137)Cs in sediment (0-10 cm) ranged between 4 × 10(3) and 3 × 10(4) Bq/m(2) as of January 2012. This amount was generally higher at stations nearer 1FNPP and has remained at the same level since August 2011. From these results, it can be inferred that dissolved radiocesium advected southward from the region adjacent to the 1FNPP and was deposited to the sediment of the study area in the early stage after the accident. The incorporation of radiocesium into sediments was almost irreversible, and higher concentrations of (137)Cs were obtained from the finer-grained fraction of sediments. In the northern offshore stations, resuspension of the fine-grained sediments formed a high-turbidity layer 10-20 m above the seabed. These results indicate that radiocesium-enriched fine particles were transported from the coast to offshore regions through the bottom high-turbidity layer.

Redox processes as revealed by voltammetry in the surface sediments of the Gotland Basin, Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yücel, Mustafa; Dale, Andy; Sommer, Stefan; Pfannkuche, Olaf

2014-05-01

Sulfur cycling in marine sediments undergoes dramatic changes with changing redox conditions of the overlying waters. The upper sediments of the anoxic Gotland Basin, central Baltic Sea represent a dynamic redox environment with extensive mats of sulfide oxidizing bacteria covering the seafloor beneath the chemocline. In order to investigate sulfur redox cycling at the sediment-water interface, sediment cores were sampled over a transect covering 65 - 174 m water depth in August-September 2013. High resolution (0.25 mm minimum) vertical microprofiles of electroactive redox species including dissolved sulfide and iron were obtained with solid state Au-Hg voltammetric microelectrodes. This approach enabled a fine-scale comparison of porewater profiles across the basin. The steepest sulfide gradients (i.e. the highest sulfide consumption) occurred within the upper 10 mm in sediments covered by surficial mats (2.10 to 3.08 mmol m-2 day-1). In sediments under permanently anoxic waters (>140m), voltammetric signals for Fe(II) and aqueous FeS were detected below a subsurface maximum in dissolved sulfide, indicating a Fe flux originating from older, deeper sedimentary layers. Our results point to a unique sulfur cycling in the Gotland basin seafloor where sulfide accumulation is moderated by sulfide oxidation at the sediment surface and by FeS precipitation in deeper sediment layers. These processes may play an important role in minimizing benthic sulfide fluxes to bottom waters around the major basins of the Baltic Sea.

Influence of dielectric substrate on the responsivity of microstrip dipole-antenna-coupled infrared microbolometers.

PubMed

Codreanu, Iulian; Boreman, Glenn D

2002-04-01

We report on the influence of the dielectric substrate on the performance of microstrip dipole-antenna-coupled microbolometers. The location, the width, and the magnitude of the resonance of a printed dipole are altered when the dielectric substrate is backed by a ground plane. A thicker dielectric substrate shifts the antenna resonance toward shorter dipole lengths and leads to a stronger and slower detector response. The incorporation of an air layer into the antenna substrate further increases thermal impedance, leading to an even stronger response and shifting the antenna resonance toward longer dipole lengths.

Microfluidic "thin chips" for chemical separations.

PubMed

Gaspar, Attila; Salgado, Marisol; Stevens, Schetema; Gomez, Frank A

2010-08-01

This paper describes the design, development and application of microfluidic "thin chips" fabricated from PDMS. Thin chips consist of multiple layers of PDMS chemically bonded onto each other. Unlike thicker PDMS chips that suffer from lack of sensitivity due to PDMS absorption in the VIS and UV range, the thinness of these chips allows for the detection of chromophoric species within the microchannel via an external fiber optics detection system. C18-modified reversed-phase silica particles are packed into the microchannel using a temporary taper created by a magnetic valve and separations using both pressure- and electrochromatographic-driven methods are detailed.

Millennial-scale record of overwash deposits preserved within lagoon sediments from the Arabian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffis, A. M.; Jessica, P.; Reinhardt, E. G.; Kosciuch, T. J.; Kovacs, S. E.; Hoffmann, G.

2017-12-01

Coastlines along the Arabian Sea are susceptible to tsunami-related inundation due to their proximity to the Makran Subduction Zone (MSZ). This subduction zone has seen decades of low intensity events, but has historically produced large tsunamigenic-earthquakes that have impacted the 100 million people living along the Arabian Sea. One major problem in assessing the seismic risk of the MSZ is that the historical record of events are spatially and temporally limited and rely heavily on eye witness accounts. This hinders our ability to forecast the potential magnitude and recurrence intervals of earthquakes and tsunamis that can be expected in the future. Sediments deposited by paleotsunamis are useful as they expand the decadal record of events to include millennial timescales that more accurately capture the full range of magnitudes and recurrence intervals. On November 28, 1945 a 8.1 Mw earthquake originating from the MSZ generated a tsunami inundating coastlines along the Arabian Sea with wave heights up to 13m. At Sur, a small village on the northeastern coastline of Oman, the tsunami deposited a laterally continuous shell-rich layer within a 12 km2 lagoon. This layer contained distinctive taphonomic assemblages of foraminifera and bivalves. Below the 1945 shelly deposit at Sur Lagoon, seven anomalous sand layers were found preserved within fine-grained lagoonal sediment. These layers of medium-coarse sands range in thickness from 5 to 35 cm and are separated by sandy-mud sediment. Grain size analysis shows that these anomalously coarse layers are followed by an abrupt return to lagoonal mud. The sand layers have features consistent with the 1945 tsunami deposit such as fining upward trends, sharp basal contact, and marine foraminifera (e.g., Amphistegina sp., planktics). In contrast, the surrounding lagoon deposits are generally massive, finer in grain size, and contain foraminiferal species typically found in shallow quiescent coastal environments (e.g., Ammonia tepida, miliolids). We have attributed these seven marine sand layers to tsunami overwash deposition. Preliminary radiocarbon dating of articulated bivalve shells establish a late Holocene age range for the tsunami sand layers with ongoing analyses further constraining timings leading to assessing relative magnitudes of past events.

Great differences in the critical erosion threshold between surface and subsurface sediments: A field investigation of an intertidal mudflat, Jiangsu, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Benwei; Wang, Ya Ping; Wang, Li Hua; Li, Peng; Gao, Jianhua; Xing, Fei; Chen, Jing Dong

2018-06-01

Understanding of bottom sediment erodibility is necessary for the sustainable management and protection of coastlines, and is of great importance for numerical models of sediment dynamics and transport. To investigate the dependence of sediment erodibility on degree of consolidation, we measured turbidity, waves, tidal currents, intratidal bed-level changes, and sediment properties on an exposed macrotidal mudflat during a series of tidal cycles. We estimated the water content of surface sediments (in the uppermost 2 cm of sediment) and sub-surface sediments (at 2 cm below the sediment surface). Bed shear stress values due to currents (τc), waves (τw), and combined current-wave action (τcw) were calculated using a hydrodynamic model. In this study, we estimate the critical shear stress for erosion using two approaches and both of them give similar results. We found that the critical shear stress for erosion (τce) was 0.17-0.18 N/m2 in the uppermost 0-2 cm of sediment and 0.29 N/m2 in sub-surface sediment layers (depth, 2 cm), as determined by time series of τcw values and intratidal bed-level changes, and values of τce, obtained using the water content of bottom sediments, were 0.16 N/m2 in the uppermost 2 cm and 0.28 N/m2 in the sub-surface (depth, 2 cm) sediment. These results indicate that the value of τce for sub-surface sediments (depth, 2 cm) is much greater than that for the uppermost sediments (depth, 0-2 cm), and that the τce value is mainly related to the water content, which is determined by the extent of consolidation. Our results have implications for improving the predictive accuracy of models of sediment transport and morphological evolution, by introducing variable τce values for corresponding sediment layers, and can also provide a mechanistic understanding of bottom sediment erodibility at different sediment depths on intertidal mudflats, as related to differences in the consolidation time.

A novel method of measuring leaf epidermis and mesophyll stiffness shows the ubiquitous nature of the sandwich structure of leaf laminas in broad-leaved angiosperm species

PubMed Central

Onoda, Yusuke; Schieving, Feike; Anten, Niels P. R.

2015-01-01

Plant leaves commonly exhibit a thin, flat structure that facilitates a high light interception per unit mass, but may increase risks of mechanical failure when subjected to gravity, wind and herbivory as well as other stresses. Leaf laminas are composed of thin epidermis layers and thicker intervening mesophyll layers, which resemble a composite material, i.e. sandwich structure, used in engineering constructions (e.g. airplane wings) where high bending stiffness with minimum weight is important. Yet, to what extent leaf laminas are mechanically designed and behave as a sandwich structure remains unclear. To resolve this issue, we developed and applied a novel method to estimate stiffness of epidermis- and mesophyll layers without separating the layers. Across a phylogenetically diverse range of 36 angiosperm species, the estimated Young’s moduli (a measure of stiffness) of mesophyll layers were much lower than those of the epidermis layers, indicating that leaf laminas behaved similarly to efficient sandwich structures. The stiffness of epidermis layers was higher in evergreen species than in deciduous species, and strongly associated with cuticle thickness. The ubiquitous nature of sandwich structures in leaves across studied species suggests that the sandwich structure has evolutionary advantages as it enables leaves to be simultaneously thin and flat, efficiently capturing light and maintaining mechanical stability under various stresses. PMID:25675956

Interfacial stability of CoSi2/Si structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

George, T.; Fathauer, R. W.

1992-01-01

The stability of CoSi2/Si interfaces was examined in this study using columnar silicide structures grown on (111) Si substrates. In the first set of experiments, Co and Si were codeposited using MBE at 800 C and the resulting columnar silicide layer was capped by epitaxial Si. Deposition of Co on the surface of the Si capping layer at 800 C results in the growth of the buried silicide columns. The buried columns grow by subsurface diffusion of the deposited Co, suppressing the formation of surface islands of CoSi2. The column sidewalls appear to be less stable than the top and bottom interfaces, resulting in preferential lateral growth and ultimately in the coalescence of the columns to form a continuous buried CoSi2 layer. In the second set of experiments, annealing of a 250 nm-thick buried columnar layer at 1000 C under a 100 nm-thick Si capping layer results in the formation of a surface layer of CoSi2 with a reduction in the sizes of the CoSi2 columns. For a sample having a thicker Si capping layer the annealing leads to Ostwald ripening producing buried equiaxed columns. The high CoSi2/Si interfacial strain could provide the driving force for the observed behavior of the buried columns under high-temperature annealing.

Layered structure and related magnetic properties for annealed Fe/Ir(111) ultrathin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, Pei-Cheng; Chen, Wei-Hsiang; Hsieh, Chen-Yuan

2015-05-07

After annealing treatments for fcc-Fe/Ir(111) below 600 K, the surface layers remain pseudomorphic. The Ir(111) substrate plays an important role on the expanded Fe lattice. At temperatures between 750 and 800 K, the surface composition shows a stable state and a c(2 × 4) structure is observed. We discover a layered structure composed of some Fe atoms on the top of a Fe{sub 0.5}Ir{sub 0.5} interfacial alloy supported on the Ir(111) substrate. The competition between the negative formation heat of Fe{sub 0.5}Ir{sub 0.5} and surface free energy of Fe causes the formation of layered structure. The existence of ferromagnetic dead layer coincides with themore » formation of fcc-Fe for ultrathin Fe on Fe{sub 0.5}Ir{sub 0.5}/Ir(111). For Fe films thicker than three monolayers, the linear increase of the Kerr intensity versus the Fe coverage is related to the growing of bcc-Fe on the surface where the Fe layer is incoherent to the underlying Fe{sub 0.5}Ir{sub 0.5}/Ir(111). These results emphasize the importance of the substrate induced strain and layered structure of Fe/Fe{sub 0.5}Ir{sub 0.5}/Ir(111) on the magnetic properties and provide valuable information for future applications.« less

Effect of the thickness of the anode electrode catalyst layers on the performance in direct methanol fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glass, Dean E.; Olah, George A.; Prakash, G. K. Surya

2017-06-01

For the large scale fuel cell manufacture, the catalyst loading and layer thickness are critical factors affecting the performance and cost of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The influence of catalyst layer thicknesses at the anode of a PEM based direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been investigated. Catalysts were applied with the drawdown method with varied thicknesses ranging from 1 mil to 8 mils (1 mil = 25.4 μm) with a Pt/Ru anode loading of 0.25 mg cm-2 to 2.0 mg cm-2. The MEAs with the thicker individual layers (8 mils and 4 mils) performed better overall compared to the those with the thinner layers (1 mil and painted). The peak power densities for the different loading levels followed an exponential decrease of Pt/Ru utilization at the higher loading levels. The highest power density achieved was 49 mW cm-2 with the 4 mil layers at 2.0 mg cm-2 catalyst loading whereas the highest normalized power density was 116 mW mg-1 with the 8 mil layers at 0.25 mg cm-2 loading. The 8 mil drawdowns displayed a 50% and 23% increase in normalized power density compared to the 1 mil drawdowns at 0.25 mg cm-2 and 0.5 mg cm-2 loadings, respectively.

Application of electrical and electromagnetic depth sounding in highly conductive sediments: The concept of vertical electrical anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köhler, A.; Bahr, K.

2010-12-01

“Nördlinger Ries” is a meteorite crater in the Bavarian ‘Alb’ of Germany that was formed 15 million years ago, and subsequently filled with salty water. Evaporation resulted in an approximately 300 meter thick layer of young, highly conductive sediments. Audio-frequency Magnetotelluric (AMT) and geoelectric depth sounding (VES) techniques were used to analyze the electrical properties of these sediments. The apparent resistivities measured by the two methods are different, which can be explained by vertical electrical anisotropy (horizontal layering). Applying a joint forward modelling technique with resistivity variations found by a Monte Carlo method results in a best fit model containing a large number of layers, while separate inversions of the two data sets yield 3-layer models. Comparisons of the coefficient of anisotropy with drilling core samples demonstrate the reliability of the results. One difficulty of the AMT method is the low signal-to-noise ratio, because of the source’s deadband. Some suggestions for an “intelligent” processing are presented. Kerch (this session) is employing the result of the integrated conductivity as an input for 3D modelling of collected MT data.

Observations on Cretaceous abyssal hills in the northeast Pacific

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eittreim, S.L.; Piper, D.Z.; Chezar, H.; Jones, D.R.; Kaneps, A.

1984-01-01

An abyssal hills area of 50 ?? 60 km in the northeast Pacific was studied using bottom transponder navigation, closely spaced survey lines, and long-traverse oblique photography. The block-faulted north-south hills are bounded by scarps, commonly with 40?? slopes. On these steep scarps sedimentation is inhibited and pillow basalts often crop out. An ash layer of high acoustic reflectivity at about 7 m subbottom depth blankets the area. This ash occurs in multiple beds altered to phillipsite and is highly consolidated. A 24 m.y. age for the ash is based on ichthyolith dates from samples in the overlying sediments. Acoustically transparent Neogene sediments above the ash are thickest in trough bottoms and are absent or thin on steep slopes. These Neogene sediments are composed of pale-brown pelagic clays of illite, quartz, smectite, chlorite and kaolinite. Dark-brown pelagic clays, rich in smectite and amorphous iron oxides, underlie the Neogene surficial sediments. Manganese nodules cover the bottom in varying percentages. The nodules are most abundant near basement outcrops and where the subbottom ash layer is absent. ?? 1984.

Statistical description of flume experiments on mixed-size bed-load transport and bed armoring processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, D.; Zhang, Y.

2008-12-01

The objective of this paper is to describe the statistical properties of experiments on non-uniform bed-load transport as well as the mechanism of bed armoring processes. Despite substantial effort made over the last two decades, the ability to compute the bed-load flux in a turbulent system remains poor. The major obstacles include the poor understanding of the formation of armor lays on bed surfaces. Such a layer is much flow-resistible than the underlying material and therefore significantly inhibits sediment transport from the reach. To study the problem, we conducted a flume study for mixed sand/gravel sediments. We observed that aggregated sediment blocks were the most common characters in armor layers - the largest sizes resist hydraulic forces, while the smaller sizes add interlocking support and prevent loss of fine material through gaps between the larger particles. Fractional transport rates with the existing of armor layers were measured with time by sediment trapping method at the end of flume. To address the intermittent and time-varying behavior of bed-load transport during bed armoring processes, we investigated the probability distribution of the fractional bed-load transport rates, and the underlying dynamic model derived from the continuous time random walk framework. Results indicate that it is critical to consider the impact of armor layers when a flow is sufficient to move some of the finer particles and yet insufficient to move all the larger particles on a channel bed.

Unconsolidated sediments at the bottom of Lake Vostok from seismic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Filina, I.; Lukin, V.; Masolov, V.; Blankenship, D.

2007-01-01

Seismic soundings of Lake Vostok have been performed by the Polar Marine Geological Research Expedition in collaboration with the Russian Antarctic Expedition since the early 1990s. The seismograms recorded show at least two relatively closely spaced reflections associated with the lake bottom. These were initially interpreted as boundaries of a layer of unconsolidated sediments at the bottom of the lake. A more recent interpretation suggests that the observed reflections are side echoes from the rough lake bottom, and that there are no unconsolidated sediments at the bottom of the lake. The major goal of this paper is to reveal the nature of those reflections by testing three hypotheses of their origin. The results show that some of the reflections, but not all of them, are consistent with the hypothesis of a non-flat lake bottom along the source-receiver line (2D case). The reflections were also evaluated as side echoes from an adjacent sloping interface, but these tests implied unreasonably steep slopes (at least 8 degrees) at the lake bottom. The hypothesis that is the most compatible with seismic data is the presence of a widespread layer of unconsolidated sediments at the bottom of Lake Vostok. The modeling suggests the presence of a two hundred meter thick sedimentary layer with a seismic velocity of 1700 -1900 m/sec in the southern and middle parts of the lake. The sedimentary layer thickens in the northern basin to ~350 m

Testing and Validation Studies of the NSMII-Benthic Sediment Diagenesis Module

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

NSMII analytical vs. numerical solutions of sediment methane ............................ 27 3.2.4 Comparisons of the diagenesis rates of three sediment...26 Figure 12. Comparisons of NSMII analytical vs. numerical solutions of sediment methane : (a) layer 2’s CH4, (b...oxygen demand mg-O2 L-1 0-10 CH4 Methane mg-O2 L-1 On/Off HxS Total dissolved sulfides mg-O2 L-1 On/Off DO Dissolved oxygen mg-O2 L-1 On BSi

Importance of the colmation layer in the transport and removal of cyanobacteria, viruses, and dissolved organic carbon during natural lake-bank filtration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harvey, Ronald W.; Metge, David W.; LeBlanc, Denis R.; Underwood, Jennifer C.; Aiken, George R.; Butler, Kenna D.; McCobb, Timothy D.; Jasperse, Jay

2015-01-01

This study focused on the importance of the colmation layer in the removal of cyanobacteria, viruses, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) during natural bank filtration. Injection-and-recovery studies were performed at two shallow (0.5 m deep), sandy, near-shore sites at the southern end of Ashumet Pond, a waste-impacted, kettle pond on Cape Cod, MA, that is subject to periodic blooms of cyanobacteria and continuously recharges a sole-source drinking-water aquifer. The experiment involved assessing the transport behaviors of bromide (conservative tracer), Synechococcus sp. IU625 (cyanobacterium, 2.6 ± 0.2 µm), AS-1 (tailed cyanophage, 110 nm long), MS2 (coliphage, 26 nm diameter), and carboxylate-modified microspheres (1.7 µm diameter) introduced to the colmation layer using a bag-and-barrel (Lee-type) seepage meter. The injectate constituents were tracked as they were advected across the pond water–groundwater interface and through the underlying aquifer sediments under natural-gradient conditions past push-point samplers placed at ∼30-cm intervals along a 1.2-m-long, diagonally downward flow path. More than 99% of the microspheres, IU625, MS2, AS-1, and ∼44% of the pond DOC were removed in the colmation layer (upper 25 cm of poorly sorted bottom sediments) at two test locations characterized by dissimilar seepage rates (1.7 vs. 0.26 m d−1). Retention profiles in recovered core material indicated that >82% of the attached IU625 were in the top 3 cm of bottom sediments. The colmation layer was also responsible for rapid changes in the character of the DOC and was more effective (by three orders of magnitude) at removing microspheres than was the underlying 20-cm-thick segment of sediment.

Modeling of Grain Size Distribution of Tsunami Sand Deposits in V-shaped Valley of Numanohama During the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusman, A. R.; Satake, K.; Goto, T.; Takahashi, T.

2016-12-01

Estimating tsunami amplitude from tsunami sand deposit has been a challenge. The grain size distribution of tsunami sand deposit may have correlation with tsunami inundation process, and further with its source characteristics. In order to test this hypothesis, we need a tsunami sediment transport model that can accurately estimate grain size distribution of tsunami deposit. Here, we built and validate a tsunami sediment transport model that can simulate grain size distribution. Our numerical model has three layers which are suspended load layer, active bed layer, and parent bed layer. The two bed layers contain information about the grain size distribution. This numerical model can handle a wide range of grain sizes from 0.063 (4 ϕ) to 5.657 mm (-2.5 ϕ). We apply the numerical model to simulate the sedimentation process during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Numanohama, Iwate prefecture, Japan. The grain size distributions at 15 sample points along a 900 m transect from the beach are used to validate the tsunami sediment transport model. The tsunami deposits are dominated by coarse sand with diameter of 0.5 - 1 mm and their thickness are up to 25 cm. Our tsunami model can well reproduce the observed tsunami run-ups that are ranged from 16 to 34 m along the steep valley in Numanohama. The shapes of the simulated grain size distributions at many sample points located within 300 m from the shoreline are similar to the observations. The differences between observed and simulated peak of grain size distributions are less than 1 ϕ. Our result also shows that the simulated sand thickness distribution along the transect is consistent with the observation.

Barrier island arcs along abandoned Mississippi River deltas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Penland, S.; Suter, J.R.; Boyd, Ron

1985-01-01

Generation of transgressive barrier island arcs along the Mississippi River delta plain and preservation of barrier shoreline facies in their retreat paths on the inner shelf is controlled by: (1) shoreface translation; (2) age of the transgression; and (3) the thickness of the barrier island arc sediment package. Barrier island arcs experience an average relative sea level rise of 0.50-1.00 cm yr-1 and shoreface retreat rates range from 5-15 m yr-1. Young barrier island arc sediment packages (Isles Dernieres) are thin and have experienced limited landward retreat of the shoreface. Older barrier island arcs (Chandeleur Islands) are thicker and have experienced significant landward movement of the shoreface because of the greater time available for retreat. If the transgressed barrier shoreline sediment package lies above the advancing ravinement surface, the entire sequence is truncated. A thin reworked sand sheet marks the shoreface retreat path. The base of the transgressive sediment package can lie below the ravinement surface in older barrier shorelines. In this setting, the superstructure of the barrier shoreline is truncated, leaving the basal portion of the transgressive sequence preserved on the inner shelf. A variety of transgressive stratigraphic sequences from sand sheets to truncated barrier islands to sand-filled tidal inlet scars have been identified by high resolution seismic profiling across the shoreface retreat paths of Mississippi delta barrier island arcs. One of these examples, the Isles Dernieres, represents a recently detached barrier island arc in the early stages of transgression. An older example, the Chandeleur Islands, represents a barrier island arc experiencing long-term shoreface retreat. This paper describes the stratigraphic character and preserved transgressive facies for the Isles Dernieres and Chandeleur Islands. ?? 1985.

Thickness and quality of Springfield Coal Member, Gibson County, Indiana, as a function of differential compaction of precursor sediments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eggert, D.L.

1983-09-01

The Springfield Coal Member is a time transgressive coal that formed during the Pennsylvanian on a delta platform within the slowly subsiding Illinois basin. In Gibson County, Indiana, the locations of the major Galatia channel and the minor Leslie Cemetery channel were determined by differential compaction of precursor sediments beneath this platform. The springfield coal is thick proximal to both channels, but proximal to the Galatia channel it is either a low-sulfur or a high-sulfur coal. It is a low-sulfur coal where it is underlain by a thick platform of shale with some sandstone and overlain by nonmarine shale. Itmore » is a high-sulfur coal where it is underlain by a thick platform of fluvial sandstone and overlain by brackish to marine rocks. Distal to both channels the coal is thin and high in sulfur. At distal locations the Springfield is underlain by a platform of either thick bay-fill sandstone or fluvial sandstone and overlain by brackish to marine shale and limestone. Compaction of pre-Springfield delta sediments allowed for accumulation of thicker peat along the axis of more rapid local subsidence. Compaction of muddy parts of the delta platform proximal to the Galatia channel resulted in rapid subsidence and the deposition of nonmarine shale over the peat. In the areas underlain by bay-fill and fluvial sandstone where compaction was less, the peat became a relatively thin and high-sulfur coal. Differences in coal thickness and quality in this 500 mi/sup 2/ (1,300 km/sup 2/) area of Gibson County can be explained largely by differential compaction and deltaic sedimentation.« less

Salt structure and sediment thickness, Texas-Louisiana continental slope, northwestern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Raymond G.

1973-01-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the general configuration of the salt surface beneath the Texas-Louisiana continental slope and to isopach the Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary section lying upon it. The structure contour map discloses that the entire slope province between the shelf edge and Sigsbee Escarpment is underlain by salt structures which interconnect at relatively shallow subbottom depths. Salt structures on the slope south of Louisiana and eastern Texas can be grouped according to structural relief and size which define morphological belts of decreasing deformational maturity in a downslope direction. Off northern Mexico and southernmost Texas, salt structures are anticlinal and their trends suggest a structural relationship with the folds of the Mexican Ridge province to the south. Structural trends in the two slope areas meet in the corner of the northwestern gulf where salt structure may have been influenced by a seaward extension of the San Marcos Arch, or an abrupt change in subsalt structural topography. Sediment thickness above the top of salt on the slope averages about 1,400 m (4,620 ft) which is a smaller average than expected from previous estimates. In some synclinal basins between salt structures, sediments may be as thick as 4,000-5,000 m (12,000-17,000 ft). On the average, sedimentary deposits in basins on the upper slope are thicker than on the lower slope. From the isopach map of sediments above salt it is estimated that the U.S. continental slope off Texas and Louisiana contains a sedimentary volume of about 170,000 km3 (41,000 mi3). The bulk of this volume is situated in synclinal basins between domes and principally in those beneath the upper and middle slope regions.

Merging field mapping and numerical simulation to interpret the lithofacies variations from unsteady pyroclastic density currents on uneven terrain: The case of La Fossa di Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doronzo, Domenico M.; Dellino, Pierfrancesco; Sulpizio, Roberto; Lucchi, Federico

2017-01-01

In order to obtain results from computer simulations of explosive volcanic eruptions, one either needs a statistical approach to test a wide range of initial and boundary conditions, or needs using a well-constrained field case study via stratigraphy. Here we followed the second approach, using data obtained from field mapping of the Grotta dei Palizzi 2 pyroclastic deposits (Vulcano Island, Italy) as input for numerical modeling. This case study deals with impulsive phreatomagmatic explosions of La Fossa Cone that generated ash-rich pyroclastic density currents, interacting with the topographic high of the La Fossa Caldera rim. One of the simplifications in dealing with well-sorted ash (one particle size in the model) is to highlight the topographic effects on the same pyroclastic material in an unsteady current. We demonstrate that by merging field data with 3D numerical simulation results it is possible to see key details of the dynamical current-terrain interaction, and to interpret the lithofacies variations of the associated deposits as a function of topography-induced sedimentation (settling) rate. Results suggest that a value of the sedimentation rate lower than 5 kg/m2 s at the bed load can still be sheared by the overlying current, producing tractional structures (laminae) in the deposits. Instead, a sedimentation rate higher than that threshold can preclude the formation of tractional structures, producing thicker massive deposits. We think that the approach used in this study could be applied to other case studies (both for active and ancient volcanoes) to confirm or refine such threshold value of the sedimentation rate, which is to be considered as an upper value as for the limitations of the numerical model.

Characterization of the efficiency of sedimentation basins downstream of harvested peat bogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samson-Do, Myriam; St-Hilaire, André

2015-04-01

Peat harvesting is a very lucrative industry in the provinces of Quebec and New-Brunswick (Canada). Peat enters in many potting mix used for horticulture. However, harvesting this resource has some impacts on the environment. First, industries need to drain the peat bog to dry the superficial layer. Then, it is harvested with industrial vacuums and the underlying layer is allowed to dry. The drained water is laden with suspended sediments (mostly organic peat fibers) that may affect biota of the stream where it is discharged. To counter the problem, this water does not go directly on the stream but first flows through a sedimentation basin, built to reduce suspended sediment loads. This work focuses on characterizing and eventually modeling the efficiency of those sedimentation basins. Seven basins were studied in Rivière-du-Loup, St-Valère and Escoumins (Quebec, Canada). They each have a different ratio basin area/drained area (4.7 10-4 to 20.3 10-4). To continuously monitor the sediment loads (calculated from sediment concentrations and discharge) entering and leaving basins, a nephelometer and a level logger were installed in the water column upstream and downstream of sedimentation basins. Their trapping efficiency was measured during the ice-free period (May to October) and for each significant rain event, since it is known that the rain and subsequent runoff induce most of the peat transport in and out of the basin. Results show that the event efficiency decreases as the basin is filled up with trapped sediments. For one basin, the efficiency was 85August. Trapping efficiency can be used as a tool to estimate basin dimensions. This has been done for municipal sedimentation ponds that trap minerals and will be adapted to the current context, where the dominant sediment is organic.

Modeling the effect of dune sorting on the river long profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blom, A.

2012-12-01

River dunes, which occur in low slope sand bed and sand-gravel bed rivers, generally show a downward coarsening pattern due to grain flows down their avalanche lee faces. These grain flows cause coarse particles to preferentially deposit at lower elevations of the lee face, while fines show a preference for its upper elevations. Before considering the effect of this dune sorting mechanism on the river long profile, let us first have a look at some general trends along the river profile. Tributaries increasing the river's water discharge in streamwise direction also cause a streamwise increase in flow depth. As under subcritical conditions mean dune height generally increases with increasing flow depth, the dune height shows a streamwise increase, as well. This means that also the standard deviation of bedform height increases in streamwise direction, as in earlier work it was found that the standard deviation of bedform height linearly increases with an increasing mean value of bedform height. As a result of this streamwise increase in standard deviation of dune height, the above-mentioned dune sorting then results in a loss of coarse particles to the lower elevations of the bed that are less and even rarely exposed to the flow. This loss of coarse particles to lower elevations thus increases the rate of fining in streamwise direction. As finer material is more easily transported downstream than coarser material, a smaller bed slope is required to transport the same amount of sediment downstream. This means that dune sorting adds to river profile concavity, compared to the combined effect of abrasion, selective transport and tributaries. A Hirano-type mass conservation model is presented that deals with dune sorting. The model includes two active layers: a bedform layer representing the sediment in the bedforms and a coarse layer representing the coarse and less mobile sediment underneath migrating bedforms. The exposure of the coarse layer is governed by the rate of sediment supply from upstream. By definition the sum of the exposure of both layers equals unity. The model accounts for vertical sediment fluxes due to grain flows down the bedform lee face and the formation of a less mobile coarse layer. The model with its vertical sediment fluxes is validated against earlier flume experiments. It deals well with the transition between a plane bed and a bedform-dominated bed. Applying the model to field scale confirms that dune sorting increases river profile concavity.

Fluvial landscapes evolution in the Gangkou River basin of southern Taiwan: Evidence from the sediment cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jia-Hong; Chyi, Shyh-Jeng; Yen, Jiun-Yee; Lin, Li-Hung; Yen, I.-Chin; Yu, Neng-Ti; Ho, Lih-Der; Jen, Chia-Hung

2017-04-01

The Gangkou River basin is the largest basin in the eastern Hengchun Peninsula of Taiwan. Its main river length is 31km and the basin area is 102sq. km. The width of the active channel is relatively narrow, but the valley from the middle to downstream is remarkably wide, indicating a feature of underfit stream. We drilled two sediment cores in the downstream area, including a 30m core (core-A) from a higher terrace, which is 14m above mean sea level, and a 20m core (core-B) from a lower terrace, which is 4m above mean sea level. Most of the sediments in the core-A are mud, which represents the flood plain facies, and 14C dates in the core-A range from 11ka to 7ka BP. Furthermore, the sediment layers reveal signals of marine events at the core depths of 5m to 11m by X-ray fluorescence. In the core-B, there is an erosional surface at the core depth of 5m. The age of the fluvial gravel layer above the erosional surface is about 0.4ka BP, and the mud layer top the surface is about 8.5ka BP. The preliminary results show that (1) as the tectonic uplift rate induced by the marine terraces around the basin is 1.0 to 2.5 mm/yr, and the accumulation rate of the mud layer in the basin is 6.7 to 8.7 mm/yr, the sediments infilling (more than 30-meters-thick) in the downstream area of the basin should be the results of the lower tectonic uplifting and the higher post-glacial sea level rise and; (2) the marine sediment layer with 14C dates of 7.5ka to 8.5ka BP is very likely the remain of the maximum flooding surface (MFS) in the early Holocene. These results indicate that the fluvial landscapes evolution of the basin was controlled by the sea-level; (3) the erosional surface in the core-B indicates the Gangkou River continuously erode the infilling sediments from 7ka to 0.4ka BP. Previous studies show that the sea-level around Taiwan gradually declined from its high stand since 6ka, we proposed that the continuous erosion was probably the results of tectonic uplifting and eustatic sea-level fall.

Development of the benethic nepheloid layer on the south Texas continental shelf, western Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shideler, G.L.

1981-01-01

A monitoring study of suspended sediment on the South Texas Continental Shelf indicates that a turbid benthic nepheloid layer is regionally persistent. A sequence of quasi-synoptic measurements of the water column obtained during six cruises in an 18-month period indicates substantial spatial and temporal variability in nepheloidlayer characteristics. Regionally, the thickness of the shelf nepheloid layer increases both seaward and in a convergent alongshelf direction. Greatest thicknesses occur over a muddy substrate, indicating a causal relationship; maximum observed local thickness is 35 m which occurs along the southern shelf break. Analyses of suspended particulate matter in shelf bottom waters indicate mean concentrations ranging from 49 ?? 104 to 111 ?? 104 particle counts/cc; concentrations persistently increase shoreward throughout the region. Bottom particulate matter is predominantly composed of inorganic detritus. Admixtures of organic skeletal particles, primarily diatoms, are generally present but average less than 10% of the total particulate composition. Texturally, the particulate matter in bottom waters is predominantly poorly sorted sediment composed of very fine silt (3.9-7.8 ??m). The variability in nepheloid-layer characteristics indicates a highly dynamic shelf feature. The relationship of nepheloid-layer characteristics to hydrographic and substrate conditions suggests a conceptual model whereby nepheloid-layer development and maintenance are the results of the resuspension of sea-floor sediment. Bottom turbulence is attributed primarily to vertical shear and shoaling progressive internal waves generated by migrating shelf-water masses, especially oceanic frontal systems, and secondarily to shoaling surface gravity waves. ?? 1981.

Sand Waves That Impede Navigation of Coastal Inlet Navigation Channels

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

Merrymeeting Bay. The bay collects coarse-grained sediment from unconsolidated ice-contact and periglacial deposits (Fenster and FitzGerald 1996). During...bed, which is a layer of denser or larger sized sediment left after finer material has been winnowed by a strong current, can inhibit bed form...Order Descriptors (important) • Superposition: simple or compound. • Sediment Characteristics (size, sorting). Third Order Descriptors (useful

Trawling-induced daily sediment resuspension in the flank of a Mediterranean submarine canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín, Jacobo; Puig, Pere; Palanques, Albert; Ribó, Marta

2014-06-01

Commercial bottom trawling is one of the anthropogenic activities causing the biggest impact on the seafloor due to its recurrence and global distribution. In particular, trawling has been proposed as a major driver of sediment dynamics at depths below the reach of storm waves, but the issue is at present poorly documented with direct observations. This paper analyses changes in water turbidity in a tributary valley of the La Fonera (=Palamós) submarine canyon, whose flanks are routinely exploited by a local trawling fleet down to depths of 800 m. A string of turbidimeters was deployed at 980 m water depth inside the tributary for two consecutive years, 2010-2011. The second year, an ADCP profiled the currents 80 m above the seafloor. The results illustrate that near-bottom water turbidity at the study site is heavily dominated, both in its magnitude and temporal patterns, by trawling-induced sediment resuspension at the fishing ground. Resuspended sediments are channelised along the tributary in the form of sediment gravity flows, being recorded only during working days and working hours of the trawling fleet. These sediment gravity flows generate turbid plumes that extend to at least 100 m above the bottom, reaching suspended sediment concentrations up to 236 mg l-1 close to the seafloor (5 m above bottom). A few hours after the end of daily trawling activities, water turbidity progressively decreases but resuspended particles remain in suspension for several hours, developing bottom and intermediate nepheloid layers that reach background levels ˜2 mg l-1 before trawling activities resume. The presence of these nepheloid layers was recorded in a CTD+turbidimeter transect conducted across the fishing ground a few hours after the end of a working day. These results highlight that deep bottom trawling can effectively replace natural processes as the main driving force of sediment resuspension on continental slope regions and generate increased near-bottom water turbidity that propagates from fishing grounds to wider and deeper areas via sediment gravity flows and nepheloid layer development.

Major occurrences and reservoir concepts of marine clathrate hydrates: Implications of field evidence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Booth, J.S.; Winters, W.J.; Dillon, William P.; Clennell, M.B.; Rowe, M.M.

1998-01-01

This paper is part of the special publication Gas hydrates: relevance to world margin stability and climatic change (eds J.P. Henriet and J. Mienert). Questions concerning clathrate hydrate as an energy resource, as a factor in modifying global climate and as a triggering mechanism for mass movements invite consideration of what factors promote hydrate concentration, and what the quintessential hydrate-rich sediment may be. Gas hydrate field data, although limited, provide a starting point for identifying the environments and processes that lead to more massive concentrations. Gas hydrate zones are up to 30 m thick and the vertical range of occurrence at a site may exceed 200 m. Zones typically occur more than 100m above the phase boundary. Thicker zones are overwhelmingly associated with structural features and tectonism, and often contain sand. It is unclear whether an apparent association between zone thickness and porosity represents a cause-and-effect relationship. The primary control on the thickness of a potential gas hydrate reservoir is the geological setting. Deep water and low geothermal gradients foster thick gas hydrate stability zones (GHSZs). The presence of faults, fractures, etc. can favour migration of gas-rich fluids. Geological processes, such as eustacy or subsidence, may alter the thickness of the GHSZ or affect hydrate concentratiion. Tectonic forces may promote injection of gas into the GHSZ. More porous and permeable sediment, as host sediment properties, increase storage capacity and fluid conductivity, and thus also enhance reservoir potential.

Sediment-peridotite interactions in a thermal gradient: mineralogic and geochemical effects and the "sedimentary signature" of arc magmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodland, Alan; Girnis, Andrei; Bulatov, Vadim; Brey, Gerhard; Höfer, Heidi; Gerdes, Axel

2017-04-01

Strong thermal and chemical gradients are characteristic of the slab-mantle interface in subduction zones where relatively cold sediments become juxtaposed with hotter peridotite of the mantle wedge. The formation of arc magmas is directly related to mass transfer processes under these conditions. We have undertaken a series of experiments to simulate interactions and mass transfer at the slab-mantle interface. In addition to having juxtaposed sediment and peridotite layers, the experiments were performed under different thermal gradients. The sediment had a composition similar to GLOSS (1) and also served as the source of H2O, CO2 and a large selection of trace elements. The peridotite was a depleted garnet harzburgite formed from a mixture of natural hand-picked olivine, opx and garnet. Graphite was added to this mixture to establish a redox gradient between the two layers. Experiments were performed at 7.5-10 GPa to simulate the processes during deep subduction. The thermal gradient was achieved by displacing the sample capsule (Re-lined Pt) from the center of the pressure cell. The gradient was monitored with separate thermocouples at each end of the capsule and by subsequent opx-garnet thermometry across the sample. Maximum temperatures varied from 1400˚ -900˚ C and gradients ranged from 200˚ -800˚ C. Thus, in some experiments melting occurred in the sediment layer and in others this layer remained subsolidus, only devolatilizing. Major and trace elements were transported both in the direction of melt percolation to the hot zone, as well as down temperature. This leads to the development of zones with discrete phase assemblages. Olivine in the peridotite layer becomes converted to orthopyroxene, which is due to Si addition, but also migration of Mg and Fe towards the sediment. In the coldest part of a sample, the sediment is converted into an eclogitic cpx + garnet assemblage. A thin zone depleted in almost all trace elements is formed in peridotite directly above the sediment/peridotite boundary and defines the region of maximum metasomatic alteration. With a low Tmin, fluid-mobile Ba, Rb, Sr and Li are more strongly transported into the melt zone compared to HFSE and REE. At Tmin > 700˚ C, all incompatible elements are extracted from the solid into the melt. However, the mineral assemblage controls which elements are held back in the solid residue (i.e. MREE, HREE, Y, Sc, and to a lesser extent Ti, Zr and Hf in garnet). Peridotite-sediment interaction can produce humite-group minerals, particularly in the presence of F. Negative Nb-Ta anomalies are caused by rutile and/or humite phases. Transport of melt or fluid from the sediment to the overlying mantle wedge produces metasomatized magma sources from which basaltic melts with sedimentary geochemical signatures can be derived. Adding even 1% of melt or fluid to depleted mantle peridotite is sufficient to produce basaltic melts with incompatible element contents similar to those observed in natural subduction-related magmas. Such signatures are retained at 6.5 and even 10 GPa when Tmin < 700˚ C. Plank, T., Langmuir C., 1998. Chem. Geol. 145, 325-394.

The large scale structures of the Late Permian Zechstein 3 intra-salt stringer, northern Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Gent, H.; Strozyk, F.; Urai, J. L.; de Keijzer, M.; Kukla, P. A.

2012-04-01

The three dimensional study of the internal structure of salt structures on the several different scales is of fundamental importance to understand mechanisms of salt tectonics, for intra-salt storage cavern stability, and for drilling in salt-prone petroleum systems with associated problems like borehole instability and overpressured fluids. While most salt-related studies depict salt as structureless bodies, detailed field-, well- and mining gallery mapping have shown an amazing spectrum of brittle, complexly folded, faulted and boudinaged intra-salt layers ("stringers"), but mostly on a very local scale. First detailed insights into these three-dimensionally heterogeneous and very complex structures of the layered evaporites were provided by observations in modern high-resolution 3D seismic data, such as across the Late Permian Zechstein in the Southern Permian Basin (SPB). In the northern Dutch onshore part of the SPB, the Z2 and Z3 halite interface is characterized by the seismically visible reflections of the 30-150 m thick Z3 anhydrite-carbonate layer that clearly resolves the complex intra-salt structure. This stringer shows a high fragmentation into blocks of several tens of meters to kilometres diameter with complexly folded and faulted structures that correlate to the regionally varying deformation stages of the Zechstein, as it is implied by the shape of Top Salt. After an extensive seismic mapping over the entire northern Netherlands, structures observed include an extensive network of thicker zones, inferred to result from early karstification. Later, this template of relatively strong zones was deformed into large scale folds and boudins as the result of salt tectonics. Non-plane-strain salt flow produced complex fold and boudin geometries that overprint each other. There are some indications of a feedback between the early internal evolution of this salt giant and the position of later salt structures. The stringer has a higher density then the surrounding halite, and in the literature there is some controversy concerning the sinking rates of single stringer fragments. We observed no structures indicative of sinking, but conclude that the present-day position of the blocks can be explained by internal folding of the entire salt section. In the end, this study aims at (i) improving the understanding of the development and dynamics of Zechstein halokinesis, (ii) gaining new insights into the 3D internal deformation in salt, and (iii) a linkage of processes in the layered evaporites with the deformation of the enclosing sub- and supra-salt sediments.

Short term changes in hydroperiod after thin layer sediment placement on a New Jersey salt marsh and implications for design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piercy, C.; Carrillo, C. C.; VanZomeren, C. M.; Berkowitz, J.; Chasten, M. A.; Golden, D.; Jahn, J.; Welp, T. L.; Yepsen, M.

2017-12-01

Over the winter of 2015-2016, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District partnered with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, The Nature Conservancy, Green Trust Alliance, Green Vest, and Princeton Hydro to implement a wetland thin layer placement on a salt marsh to the west of Avalon, New Jersey using dredged sediments removed from the Federal navigation channel in response to impacts from Hurricane Sandy. Prior to sediment placement, the marsh exhibited signs of degradation, including fragmentation of the marsh plain. The marsh is characterized by large, open water areas ( 1 m deep) fringed with overhanging banks and punctuated by small remnant ( 1-5 m) islands of intact marsh. The objective of the placement effort was to increase the elevation of degraded marsh areas to a level commensurate with the growth of low marsh vegetation dominated by Spartina alterniflora Loisel and to provide a small ( 5-15 cm) elevation boost to vegetated marsh areas surrounding the open water pools. We examine changes in inundation and tidal exchange resulting from the thin layer placement immediately after placement and a year later. Changes in sediment grain size and other factors are also considered. Coupling hydrologic measurements with observed vegetation recovery, we identify target elevations and sediment depths relative to mean sea level and mean high water consistent with rapid recovery in initially vegetated and open water areas.

Phosphate mineral formation in Lake Baikal sediments and implications for paleoclimate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fagel, N.; Alleman, L. Y.; André, L.; Cloots, R.; Hatert, F.; Juvigné, E.; Renson, V.

2003-04-01

The more than 20 million years old Lake Baikal sedimentary record provides a good climate archive. While most paleoclimate reconstructions are mainly based on biotic proxies, we tested in this study other minerogenic tracers. In particular, it was suggested that the formation of authigenic and/or diagenetic phosphate minerals in Baïkal sediments underlines transitions from glacial to interglacial periods (Deike et al., 1997). The phosphate mineral formation previously evidenced (Müller et al., 2002) may be sensitive to suspended sediment concentrations: glacial periods are characterised by high detrital discharge, interglacial intervals are marked by low detrital supply but high biogenic sedimentation. Phosphate minerals were observed in Baïkal sediments from recent to 65 kyr BP. Their abundance was related to the sedimentation rate, the phosphate enrichment layers being particularly common on low sedimentation site, i.e., the Academician Ridge. Major and trace elements have been analysed by ICP-AES and ICP-MS on four cores drilled on topographic hills, in the southern basin (Posolsky bank, CON01-604), in the central part (Academician Ridge, VER98-1-3 and VER98-1-14) and in the northern basin (Continent Ridge, CON01-603). The geochemical signature is consistent with the occurrence of Mn-Fe-phosphate minerals. For instance P2O5 reaches up to 3% wt. relative to a mean value of 0.3 in the background sediment, MnO2 presents an enrichment factor up to 6. There is no associated enrichment in any of the trace elements measured at the same levels. In the sediments, those P-Mn-Fe rich levels are related either to sparse millimetric dark concretions or to a layer (or a group of layers) defined by an alignment of numerous concretions but there is no so-called crusts. The concretions, isolated by >63 mm sieving, present a lamellar morphology. They are identified as Fe-phosphate phases with a variable proportion of Mn. The powder diffraction diagram is consistent with vivianite, a mineral that has been previously characterized in lacustrine sediments worldwide, including Baïkal. However, its precise formation process is not yet fully understood. Dean et al. (2002) emphasize that the occurrence of phosphate minerals in Elk lake (USA) is indicative of the paleo-productivity of the water-column. For Deike et al. (2002), phosphate crusts mainly accumulate under slow sedimentation conditions. We discuss the paleo-environmental implications of the occurrence of phosphate minerals in sediments. By studying the distribution of the phosphate concretions in sedimentary columns characterised under different sedimentary conditions, we would like to point up the implications of phosphate minerals for paleoclimate reconstruction. Dean et al., 2002. A 1500-year record of climatic and environmental change in Elk Lake, Cearwater County, Minnesota II : Geochemistry , mineralogy, and stable isotopes. J. Paleolimn. 27, 301-319. Müller et al., 2002. P, As, Sb, Mo, and other elements in sedimentary Fe/Mn layers of Lake Baïkal, Environmental Science and Technology, 36, 411-420. Deike et al., 1997. Formation of ferric iron crusts in quaternnary sediments of Lake Baikal, Russia and implications for paleoclimate. Marine Geology 139, 21-46.

Monitoring of well-controlled turbidity currents using the latest technology and a dredger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vellinga, A. J.; Cartigny, M.; Clare, M. A.; Mastbergen, D. R.; Van den Ham, G.; Koelewijn, A. R.; de Kleine, M.; Hizzett, J. L.; Azpiroz, M.; Simmons, S.; Parsons, D. R.

2017-12-01

Recent advances in technology enable monitoring of turbidity currents at field scale. This now allows us to test models developed at small-scale in the laboratory. However, interpretation of field measurements is complicated, as the instruments used are not bespoke for monitoring turbidity currents. For example, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiles (ADCPs) are developed to measure clear water flows, and 3D multimode multibeam echosounders (M3s) are made to find shoals of fish. Calibration of field-scale measurements is complicated, as we often do not know fundamental information about the measured flows, such as grain size and initial sediment volume. We present field-scale measurements of two turbidity currents for which the pre- and post-flow bathymetry, grain size and initial sediment volume is known precisely. A dredger created two turbidity currents by twice discharging 500m3 of sediment on a slope in the Western Scheldt Estuary, the Netherlands. Flow velocity and echo intensity were directly measured using three frequencies of ADCPs, and two M3 sonars imaged the flow morphology in 3D. This experiment was part of the IJkdijk research program. The turbidity currents formed upstream-migrating crescentic shaped bedforms. The ADCPs measured peak flow velocities of 1-1.5 m/s. The M3s however suggest head velocities are 2-4 m/s. The two measured turbidity currents have thicknesses of about 3m, are up to 50m in width and travel downslope for about 150m. Flow dimensions, duration, and sediment discharge indicate a mean sediment concentration of 1-5 vol. %. Flow morphology evolves from a fast but thin, snout-like head, to a thicker body, and a dilute tail. The initial flow dynamics contrast with many laboratory experiments, but are coherent with direct measurements of much larger flows in the Congo Canyon. Well-constrained field studies, like this one, thus help to understand the validity of scaling from the laboratory to the deep sea.

Neogene deformation of thrust-top Rzeszów Basin (Outer Carpathians, Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uroda, Joanna

2015-04-01

The Rzeszów Basin is a 220 km2 basin located in the frontal part of Polish Outer Carpathians fold-and-thrust belt. Its sedimentary succession consist of ca. 600 m- thick Miocene evaporates, litoral and marine sediments. This basin developed between Babica-Kąkolówka anticline and frontal thrust of Carpathian Orogen. Rzeszów thrust-top basin is a part of Carpathian foreland basin system- wedge-top depozone. The sediments of wedge -top depozone were syntectonic deformed, what is valuable tool to understand kinematic history of the orogen. Analysis of field and 3D seismic reflection data showed the internal structure of the basin. Seismic data reveal the presence of fault-bend-folds in the basement of Rzeszów basin. The architecture of the basin - the presence of fault-releated folds - suggest that the sediments were deformed in last compressing phase of Carpathian Orogen deformation. Evolution of Rzeszów Basin is compared with Bonini et.al. (1999) model of thrust-top basin whose development is controlled by the kinematics of two competing thrust anticlines. Analysis of seismic and well data in Rzeszów basin suggest that growth sediments are thicker in south part of the basin. During the thrusting the passive rotation of the internal thrust had taken place, what influence the basin fill architecture and depocentre migration opposite to thrust propagation. Acknowledgments This study was supported by grant No 2012/07/N/ST10/03221 of the Polish National Centre of Science "Tectonic activity of the Skole Nappe based on analysis of changes in the vertical profile and depocentre migration of Neogene sediments in Rzeszów-Strzyżów area (Outer Carpathians)". Seismic data by courtesy of the Polish Gas and Oil Company. References Bonini M., Moratti G., Sani F., 1999, Evolution and depocentre migration in thrust-top basins: inferences from the Messinian Velona Basin (Northern Apennines, Italy), Tectonophysics 304, 95-108.

Electromagnetically Inferred Structure of the Caja del Rio Plateau, New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Layton, M. E.; Speed, C.; Shukla, M.; Vila, A.; Chon, E.; Kitamikado, C.; Feucht, D. W.; Bedrosian, P.; Pellerin, L.

2016-12-01

Magnetotelluric (MT) and transient electromagnetic (TEM) data were acquired by students from the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE) to construct structural models in and around the Caja del Rio Plateau, New Mexico. The Caja del Rio is located on the La Bajada-Jemez constriction that separates the Española and Santa Domingo basins in the Rio Grande Rift. The Rio Grande Rift, the result of tectonic extensional forces, extends approximately north-south across northern New Mexico. MT data collected in 2016 were merged with that from previous years to make up an 11 km north line and a 16 km south line extending from the west side of the Caja Del Rio to the east off the plateau in the Old Buckman Road area. The resistivity distributions revealed in one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) inverse models show some robust features. Models of the north are interpreted as a top resistive layer (<500m) of Tertiary volcanoclastic rock, to a central conductive layer (600-200m) of Mesozoic and Paleozoic sediments of the Santa Fe group to crystalline basement rock. Models for the south line show low resistivity for the first 3 to 5 km and then transitions into higher resistivity values consistent with the models for the north line. At a period of 100 seconds induction arrows (Parkinson's convention) point in the northwest direction towards the conductive Valles Caldera. The MT models are consistent with geologic interpretations of the stratigraphic units. In addition, models disclose an additional conductive layer below the basement that we interpret as the mid-crustal conductor. Transient electromagnetic (TEM) data were collected in seven locations atop the Caja del Rio plateau in an attempt to identify the basal contact of the Cerros del Rio volcanic field, which, in turn, allow for the thickness of these basaltic and andesitic deposits to be mapped across the plateau. One-dimensional inverse models produced from the TEM data were aligned and interpreted geologically. A resistive ( 1000 ohm-m) unit, interpreted to represent the Cerros del Rio volcanics, thickens from 70m to 175m from southeast to northwest. The volcanics are overlain by a thin conductor, interpreted as weathered material. The resistive body is underlain by a thicker conductor, interpreted as sedimentary rocks of the Tertiary-aged Santa Fe Group.