Late Quaternary changes in intermediate water oxygenation and oxygen minimum zone, northern Japan: A benthic foraminiferal perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibahara, Akihiko; Ohkushi, Ken'ichi; Kennett, James P.; Ikehara, Ken

2007-09-01

A strong oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) currently exists at upper intermediate water depths on the northern Japanese margin, NW Pacific. The OMZ results largely from a combination of high surface water productivity and poor ventilation of upper intermediate waters. We investigated late Quaternary history (last 34 kyr) of ocean floor oxygenation and the OMZ using quantitative changes in benthic foraminiferal assemblages in three sediment cores taken from the continental slope off Shimokita Peninsula and Tokachi, northern Japan, at water depths between 975 and 1363 m. These cores are well located within the present-day OMZ, a region of high surface water productivity, and in close proximity to the source region of North Pacific Intermediate Water. Late Quaternary benthic foraminiferal assemblages experienced major changes in response to changes in dissolved oxygen concentration in ocean floor sediments. Foraminiferal assemblages are interpreted to represent three main groups representing oxic, suboxic, and dysoxic conditions. Assemblage changes in all three cores and hence in bottom water oxygenation coincided with late Quaternary climatic episodes, similar to that known for the southern California margin. These episodes, in turn, are correlated with orbital and millennial climate episodes in the Greenland ice core including the last glacial episode, Bølling-Ållerød (B/A), Younger Dryas, Preboreal (earliest Holocene), early Holocene, and late Holocene. The lowest oxygen conditions, marked by dysoxic taxa and laminated sediments in one core, occurred during the B/A and the Preboreal intervals. Suboxic taxa dominated mainly during the last glacial, the Younger Dryas, and most of the Holocene. Dysoxic conditions during the B/A and Preboreal intervals in this region were possibly caused by high surface water productivity at times of reduced intermediate ventilation in the northwestern Pacific. Remarkable similarities are evident in the late Quaternary sequence of benthic foraminiferal assemblage change between the two very distant continental margins of northern Japan and southern California. The oscillations in OMZ strength, reflected by these faunal changes, were widespread and apparently synchronous over wide areas of the North Pacific, reflecting broad changes in intermediate water ventilation and surface ocean productivity closely linked with late Quaternary climate change on millennial and orbital timescales.

Intermediate and deep water mass distribution in the Pacific during the Last Glacial Maximum inferred from oxygen and carbon stable isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herguera, J. C.; Herbert, T.; Kashgarian, M.; Charles, C.

2010-05-01

Intermediate ocean circulation changes during the last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the North Pacific have been linked with Northern Hemisphere climate through air-sea interactions, although the extent and the source of the variability of the processes forcing these changes are still not well resolved. The ventilated volumes and ages in the upper wind driven layer are related to the wind stress curl and surface buoyancy fluxes at mid to high latitudes in the North Pacific. In contrast, the deeper thermohaline layers are more effectively ventilated by direct atmosphere-sea exchange during convective formation of Subantarctic Mode Waters (SAMW) and Antarctic Intermediate Waters (AAIW) in the Southern Ocean, the precursors of Pacific Intermediate Waters (PIW) in the North Pacific. Results reported here show a fundamental change in the carbon isotopic gradient between intermediate and deep waters during the LGM in the eastern North Pacific indicating a deepening of nutrient and carbon rich waters. These observations suggest changes in the source and nature of intermediate waters of Southern Ocean origin that feed PIW and enhanced ventilation processes in the North Pacific, further affecting paleoproductivity and export patters in this basin. Furthermore, oxygen isotopic results indicate these changes may have been accomplished in part by changes in circulation affecting the intermediate depths during the LGM.

Hydrogeologic conditions and saline-water intrusion, Cape Coral, Florida, 1978-81

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, D.J.

1986-01-01

The upper limestone unit of the intermediate aquifer system, locally called the upper Hawthorn aquifer, is the principal source of freshwater for Cape Coral, Florida. The aquifer has been contaminated with saline water by downward intrusion from the surficial aquifer system and by upward intrusion from the Floridan aquifer system. Much of the intrusion has occurred through open wellbores where steel casings are short or where casings have collapsed because of corrosion. Saline-water contamination of the upper limestone unit due to downward intrusion from the surficial aquifer is most severe in the southern and eastern parts of Cape Coral; contamination due to upward intrusion has occurred in many areas throughout Cape Coral. Intrusion is amplified in areas of heavy water withdrawals and large water-level declines. (USGS)

46 CFR Appendix A to Part 45 - Load Line Certificate Form

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Midsummer MS Summer S Intermediate I Winter W load line above S Upper edge of line through center of diamond below S below S Increase for salt water for all freeboards __ inches. The upper edge of the deck line... so endorsed. notes (1) In accordance with the Great Lakes Load Line Regulations the diamond and lines...

Millennial-scale variations of late Pleistocene radiolarian assemblages in the Bering Sea related to environments in shallow and deep waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itaki, Takuya; Kim, Sunghan; Rella, Stephan F.; Uchida, Masao; Tada, Ryuji; Khim, Boo-Keun

2012-02-01

A high-resolution record of the radiolarian assemblage from 60 to 10 ka was investigated using a piston core (PC-23A) obtained from the northern slope of the Bering Sea. Faunal changes based on the 29 major radiolarian taxa demonstrated that the surface and deep water conditions in the Bering Sea were related to the orbital and millennial-scale climatic variations known as glacial-interglacial and Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) cycles, respectively. During interstadial periods of the D-O cycles, the assemblage was characterized by increases in the high-latitude coastal species Rhizoplegma boreale and the upper-intermediate water species Cycladophora davisiana, while the sea-ice related species Actinomma boreale and A. leptodermum and many deep-water species such as Dictyophimus crisiae and D. hirundo tended to be reduced. This trend was more apparent in two laminated intervals at 15-13.5 and 11.5-11 ka, which were correlated with well-known ice-sheet collapse events that occurred during the last deglaciation: melt-water pulse (MWP)-1A and MWP-1B, respectively. The radiolarian faunal composition in these periods suggests that oceanic conditions were different from today: (1) surface water was affected by increased melt-water discharge from continental ice-sheet, occurring at the same time as an abrupt increase in atmospheric temperature, (2) upper-intermediate water (ca. 200-500 m) was well-ventilated and organic-rich, and (3) lower-intermediate water (ca. 500-1000 m) was oxygen-poor. Conversely, the sea-ice season might have been longer during stadial periods of the D-O cycles and the last glacial maximum (LGM) compared to the interstadial periods and the earliest Holocene. In these colder periods, deep-water species were very abundant, and this corresponded to increases in the oxygen isotope value of benthic foraminifera. Our findings suggest that the oxygen-rich water was present in the lower-intermediate layer resulting from intensified ventilation.

Arctic Intermediate Water in the Nordic Seas, 1991-2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeansson, Emil; Olsen, Are; Jutterström, Sara

2017-10-01

The evolution of the different types of Arctic Intermediate Water (AIW) in the Nordic Seas is evaluated and compared utilising hydro-chemical data from 1991 to 2009. It has been suggested that these waters are important components of the Norwegian Sea Arctic Intermediate Water (NSAIW), and of the dense overflows to the North Atlantic. Thus, it is important to understand how their properties and distribution vary with time. The AIWs from the Greenland and Iceland Seas, show different degrees of variability during the studied period; however, only the Greenland Sea Arctic Intermediate Water (GSAIW) shows an increasing temperature and salinity throughout the 2000s, which considerably changed the properties of this water mass. Optimum multiparameter (OMP) analysis was conducted to assess the sources of the NSAIW. The analysis shows that the Iceland Sea Arctic Intermediate Water (ISAIW) and the GSAIW both contribute to NSAIW, at different densities corresponding to their respective density range. This illustrates that they flow largely isopycnally from their source regions to the Norwegian Sea. The main source of the NSAIW, however, is the upper Polar Deep Water, which explains the lower concentrations of oxygen and chlorofluorocarbons, and higher salinity and nutrient concentrations of the NSAIW layer compared with the ISAIW and GSAIW. This shows how vital it is to include chemical tracers in any water mass analysis to correctly assess the sources of the water mass being studied.

Long-term Variation of Ventilation System in the East Sea (Japan Sea) Revealed by Heat Content Change and Water Mass Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, S.; Chang, K. I.; Kim, K. R.; Lobanov, V. B.

2016-02-01

The semi-enclosed East Sea (ES) is called a miniature ocean with its own thermohaline circulation characterized by the formation of deep and intermediate water masses in the Japan Basin, southward discharge of those subsurface water masses towards the Ulleung and Yamato basins, and northward heat transport by the Tsushima Warm Current in the upper layer. Reports have been given of rapid changes of physical and biogeochemical properties associated with its ventilation system. We present results on upper ocean heat content variations and changes in water mass structure and properties from the analysis of historical and most recent hydrographic data. The analysis of non-seasonal heat content (HCA) variations in the upper 500 m from 1976 to 2007 highlights the 2-year lagged in-phase decadal-scale HCA variations in the eastern and western ES until 1995 followed by uncorrelated variations between two regions thereafter with pronounced interannual variations. Long-term trend of HCA in the entire ES shows an increasing trend, but with a large increase in the eastern part and relatively weaker but statistically significant decrease in the western part. The thickness variation of water warmer than 10°C mainly contributes to the HCA variation. Analyses of upper circulation in conjunction with climate indices suggest the importance of the wind-stress curl pattern represented by the Western Pacific index in the western ES and the influence of the Siberian High in the eastern ES. The thickness and temperature variation of 1-5°C representing the East Sea Intermediate Water (ESIW) is relatively minor contributor to the HCA variation in the upper 500 m. However, the thickness (temperature) of the ESIW has been increased (decreased) in the entire ES since 1992, which implies that the formation of the ESIW has been activated in recent decades. To investigate water mass changes in deeper than 500 m, we use full-depth CTD data obtained from CREAMS expeditions from 1993 to 2015. Temperature deeper than 1000 m has been increased about 0.03°C during 20 years and the depth of deep salinity minimum depth which is the lower (upper) limit of the East Sea Central Water (Deep Water) has been deepened. Other characteristics of water mass structure and property changes will be presented.

Hydrology of Polk County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spechler, Rick M.; Kroening, Sharon E.

2007-01-01

Local water managers usually rely on information produced at the State and regional scale to make water-resource management decisions. Current assessments of hydrologic and water-quality conditions in Polk County, Florida, commonly end at the boundaries of two water management districts (South Florida Water Management District and the Southwest Florida Water Management District), which makes it difficult for managers to determine conditions throughout the county. The last comprehensive water-resources assessment of Polk County was published almost 40 years ago. To address the need for current countywide information, the U.S. Geological Survey began a 3?-year study in 2002 to update information about hydrologic and water-quality conditions in Polk County and identify changes that have occurred. Ground-water use in Polk County has decreased substantially since 1965. In 1965, total ground-water withdrawals in the county were about 350 million gallons per day. In 2002, withdrawals totaled about 285 million gallons per day, of which nearly 95 percent was from the Floridan aquifer system. Water-conservation practices mainly related to the phosphate-mining industry as well as the decrease in the number of mines in operation in Polk County have reduced total water use by about 65 million gallons per day since 1965. Polk County is underlain by three principal hydrogeologic units. The uppermost water-bearing unit is the surficial aquifer system, which is unconfined and composed primarily of clastic deposits. The surficial aquifer system is underlain by the intermediate confining unit, which grades into the intermediate aquifer system and consists of up to two water-bearing zones composed of interbedded clastic and carbonate rocks. The lowermost hydrogeologic unit is the Floridan aquifer system. The Floridan aquifer system, a thick sequence of permeable limestone and dolostone, consists of the Upper Floridan aquifer, a middle semiconfining unit, a middle confining unit, and the Lower Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer provides most of the water required to meet demand in Polk County. Data from about 300 geophysical and geologic logs were used to construct hydrogeologic maps showing the tops and thicknesses of the aquifers and confining units within Polk County. Thickness of the surficial aquifer system ranges from several feet thick or less in the extreme northwestern part of the county and along parts of the Peace River south of Bartow to more than 200 feet along the southern part of the Lake Wales Ridge in eastern Polk County. Thickness of the intermediate aquifer system/intermediate confining unit is highly variable throughout the county because of past erosional processes and sinkhole formation. Thickness of the unit ranges from less than 25 feet in the extreme northwestern part of the county to more than 300 feet in southwestern Polk County. The altitude of the top of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the county ranges from about 50 feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) in the northwestern part to more than 250 feet below NGVD 29 in the southern part. Water levels in the Upper Floridan aquifer fluctuate seasonally, increasing during the wet season (June through September) and decreasing during the rest of the year. Water levels in the Upper Floridan aquifer also can change from year to year, depending on such factors as pumpage and climatic variations. In the southwestern part of the county, fluctuations in water use related to phosphate mining have had a major impact on ground-water levels. Hydrographs of selected wells in southwestern Polk County show a general decline in water levels that ended in the mid-1970s. This water-level decline coincides with an increase in water use associated with phosphate mining. A substantial increase in water levels that began in the mid-1970s coincides with a period of decreasing water use in the county. Despite reductions in water use since 1970, howev

Effects of groundwater levels and headwater wetlands on streamflow in the Charlie Creek basin, Peace River watershed, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, T.M.; Sacks, L.A.; Hughes, J.D.

2010-01-01

The Charlie Creek basin was studied from April 2004 to December 2005 to better understand how groundwater levels in the underlying aquifers and storage and overflow of water from headwater wetlands preserve the streamflows exiting this least-developed tributary basin of the Peace River watershed. The hydrogeologic framework, physical characteristics, and streamflow were described and quantified for five subbasins of the 330-square mile Charlie Creek basin, allowing the contribution of its headwaters area and tributary subbasins to be separately quantified. A MIKE SHE model simulation of the integrated surface-water and groundwater flow processes in the basin was used to simulate daily streamflow observed over 21 months in 2004 and 2005 at five streamflow stations, and to quantify the monthly and annual water budgets for the five subbasins including the changing amount of water stored in wetlands. Groundwater heads were mapped in Zone 2 of the intermediate aquifer system and in the Upper Floridan aquifer, and were used to interpret the location of artesian head conditions in the Charlie Creek basin and its relation to streamflow. Artesian conditions in the intermediate aquifer system induce upward groundwater flow into the surficial aquifer and help sustain base flow which supplies about two-thirds of the streamflow from the Charlie Creek basin. Seepage measurements confirmed seepage inflow to Charlie Creek during the study period. The upper half of the basin, comprised largely of the Upper Charlie Creek subbasin, has lower runoff potential than the lower basin, more storage of runoff in wetlands, and periodically generates no streamflow. Artesian head conditions in the intermediate aquifer system were widespread in the upper half of the Charlie Creek basin, preventing downward leakage from expansive areas of wetlands and enabling them to act as headwaters to Charlie Creek once their storage requirements were met. Currently, the dynamic balance between wetland storage, rainfall-runoff processes, and groundwater-level differences in the upper basin allow it to generate approximately half of the streamflow from the Charlie Creek basin. Therefore, future development in the upper basin that would alter the hydraulic connectivity of wetlands during high flow conditions or expand recharging groundwater conditions could substantially affect streamflow in Charlie Creek. LIDAR (Light detection and ranging) based topographic maps and integrated modeling results were used to quantify the water stored in wetlands and other topographic depressions, and to describe the network of shallow stream channels connecting wetlands to Charlie Creek and its tributaries over distances of several thousand feet. Peak flows at all but one streamflow station were underpredicted in MIKE SHE simulations, possibly because the hydraulics of surface channels connecting wetlands to stream channels were not explicitly simulated in the model. Explicitly simulating the smaller channels connecting wetlands and stream channels should improve the ability of future watershed models to simulate peak flows in streams with headwater wetlands. The runoff potential was greater in the lower half of the Charlie Creek basin than in the upper half, and the streambed of Charlie Creek had greater potential to both directly gain streamflow from groundwater and lose streamflow to groundwater. Charlie Creek is more incised into the surficial aquifer in the lower basin than in the upper basin, and the streambed intersects the top of the intermediate aquifer system at two known locations. Groundwater levels in the intermediate aquifer system varied widely in the lower half of the basin from artesian conditions inducing upward flow toward the surficial aquifer and streams, to recharging conditions allowing downward flow and stream leakage. Recharge areas were greatest in May 2004 when rainfall was at a seasonal low and irrigation pumping was at a seasonal high. Recharge conditions

Reduced oxygenation at intermediate depths of the southwest Pacific during the last glacial maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durand, Axel; Chase, Zanna; Noble, Taryn L.; Bostock, Helen; Jaccard, Samuel L.; Townsend, Ashley T.; Bindoff, Nathaniel L.; Neil, Helen; Jacobsen, Geraldine

2018-06-01

To investigate changes in oxygenation at intermediate depths in the southwest Pacific between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Holocene, redox sensitive elements uranium and rhenium were measured in 12 sediment cores located on the Campbell and Challenger plateaux offshore from New Zealand. The core sites are currently bathed by Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW), Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) and Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW). The sedimentary distributions of authigenic uranium and rhenium reveal reduced oxygen content at intermediate depths (800-1500 m) during the LGM compared to the Holocene. In contrast, data from deeper waters (≥1500 m) indicate higher oxygen content during the LGM compared to the Holocene. These data, together with variations in benthic foraminiferal δ13C, are consistent with a shallower AAIW-UCDW boundary over the Campbell Plateau during the LGM. Whilst AAIW continued to bathe the intermediate depths (≤1500 m) of the Challenger Plateau during the LGM, the data suggest that the AAIW at these core sites contained less oxygen compared to the Holocene. These results are at odds with the general notion that AAIW was better oxygenated and expanded deeper during the LGM due to stronger westerlies and colder temperatures. These findings may be explained by an important change in AAIW formation and circulation.

The combined use of 87Sr/86Sr and carbon and water isotopes to study the hydrochemical interaction between groundwater and lakewater in mantled karst

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, B.G.; Bullen, T.D.

1996-01-01

The hydrochemical interaction between groundwater and lakewater influences the composition of water that percolates downward from the surficial aquifer system through the underlying intermediate confining unit and recharges the Upper Floridan aquifer along highlands in Florida. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio along with the stable isotopes, D, 18O, and 13C were used as tracers to study the interaction between groundwater, lakewater, and aquifer minerals near Lake Barco, a seepage lake in the mantled karst terrane of northern Florida. Upgradient from the lake, the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of groundwater decreases with depth (mean values of 0.71004, 0.70890, and 0.70852 for water from the surficial aquifer system, intermediate confining unit, and Upper Floridan aquifer, respectively), resulting from the interaction of dilute oxygenated recharge water with aquifer minerals that are less radiogenic with depth. The concentrations of Sr2+ generally increase with depth, and higher concentrations of Sr2+ in water from the Upper Floridan aquifer (20-35 ??g/L), relative to water from the surficial aquifer system and the intermediate confining unit, result from the dissolution of Sr-bearing calcite and dolomite in the Eocene limestone. Dissolution of calcite [??13C = -1.6 permil (???)] is also indicated by an enriched ??13CDIC (-8.8 to - 11.4???) in water from the Upper Floridan aquifer, relative to the overlying hydrogeologic units (??13CDIC < - 16???). Groundwater downgradient from Lake Barco was enriched in 18O and D relative to groundwater upgradient from the lake, indicating mixing of lakewater leakage and groundwater. Downgradient from the lake, the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of groundwater and aquifer material become less radiogenic and the Sr2+ concentrations generally increase with depth. However, Sr2+ concentrations are substantially less than in upgradient groundwaters at similar depths. The lower Sr2+ concentrations result from the influence of anoxic lakewater leakage on the mobility of Sr2+ from clays. Based on results from mass-balance modeling, it is probable that cation exchange plays the dominant role in controlling the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of groundwater, both upgradient and downgradient from Lake Barco. Even though groundwater from the three distinct hydrogeologic units displays considerable variability in Sr concentration and isotopic composition, the dominant processes associated with the mixing of lakewater leakage with groundwater, as well as the effects of mineral-water interaction, can be ascertained by integrating the use of stable and radiogenic isotopic measurements of groundwater, lakewater, and aquifer minerals.

Simulation of Regional Ground-Water Flow in the Suwannee River Basin, Northern Florida and Southern Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Planert, Michael

2007-01-01

The Suwannee River Basin covers a total of nearly 9,950 square miles in north-central Florida and southern Georgia. In Florida, the Suwannee River Basin accounts for 4,250 square miles of north-central Florida. Evaluating the impacts of increased development in the Suwannee River Basin requires a quantitative understanding of the boundary conditions, hydrogeologic framework and hydraulic properties of the Floridan aquifer system, and the dynamics of water exchanges between the Suwannee River and its tributaries and the Floridan aquifer system. Major rivers within the Suwannee River Basin are the Suwannee, Santa Fe, Alapaha, and Withlacoochee. Four rivers west of the Suwannee River are the Aucilla, the Econfina, the Fenholloway, and the Steinhatchee; all drain to the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps the most notable aspect of the surface-water hydrology of the study area is that large areas east of the Suwannee River are devoid of channelized, surface drainage; consequently, most of the drainage occurs through the subsurface. The ground-water flow system underlying the study area plays a critical role in the overall hydrology of this region of Florida because of the dominance of subsurface drain-age, and because ground-water flow sustains the flow of the rivers and springs. Three principal hydrogeologic units are present in the study area: the surficial aquifer system, the intermediate aquifer system, and the Floridan aquifer system. The surficial aquifer system principally consists of unconsoli-dated to poorly indurated siliciclastic deposits. The intermediate aquifer system, which contains the intermediate confining unit, lies below the surficial aquifer system (where present), and generally consists of fine-grained, uncon-solidated deposits of quartz sand, silt, and clay with interbedded limestone of Miocene age. Regionally, the intermediate aquifer system and intermediate con-fining unit act as a confining unit that restricts the exchange of water between the over-lying surficial and underlying Upper Floridan aquifers. The Upper Floridan aquifer is present throughout the study area and is extremely permeable and typically capable of transmitting large volumes of water. This high permeability largely is due to the widening of fractures and formation of conduits within the aquifer through dissolu-tion of the limestone by infiltrating water. This process has also produced numerous karst features such as springs, sinking streams, and sinkholes. A model of the Upper Floridan aquifer was created to better understand the ground-water system and to provide resource managers a tool to evaluate ground-water and surface-water interactions in the Suwannee River Basin. The model was developed to simulate a single Upper Floridan aquifer layer. Recharge datasets were developed to represent a net flux of water to the top of the aquifer or the water table during a period when the system was assumed to be under steady-state conditions (September 1990). A potentiometric-surface map representing water levels during September 1990 was prepared for the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD), and the heads from those wells were used for calibration of the model. Additionally, flows at gaging sites for the Suwannee, Alapaha, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe, Fenholloway, Aucilla, Ecofina, and Steinhatchee Rivers were used during the calibration process to compare to model computed flows. Flows at seven first-magnitude springs selected by the SRWMD also were used to calibrate the model. Calibration criterion for matching potentiometric heads was to attain an absolute residual mean error of 5 percent or less of the head gradient of the system which would be about 5 feet. An absolute residual mean error of 4.79 feet was attained for final calibration. Calibration criterion for matching streamflow was based on the quality of measurements made in the field. All measurements used were rated ?good,? so the desire was for simulated values to be wi

The distribution of nutrients, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll a in the upper Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica, a tropical estuary.

PubMed

Palter, Jaime; Coto, Sandra León; Ballestero, Daniel

2007-06-01

In the Gulf of Nicoya on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, nutrient rich equatorial subsurface water (ESW) is upwelled in much of the lower gulf. These offshore waters are often regarded as the major source of nutrients to the gulf. However, for most of the year, the ESW has little influence on the nutrient content of the upper gulf, which has a distinct character from the lower gulf. The upper gulf, extending 40 km north of the restriction between Puntarenas Peninsula and San Lucas Island, is bordered primarily by mangrove swamps, is less than 20 m deep, and is less saline than the lower gulf. We surveyed the upper gulf for dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphate, silicate, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll in November 2000, January and July 2001. All nutrients are more concentrated in the upper gulf during the rainy and transitional seasons than the dry season, significantly so for phosphate and silicate. Throughout the year, nutrients tend to be much more concentrated in the less saline water of the upper gulf. This trend indicates that discharge from the Tempisque River predominantly controls spatial and temporal nutrient variability in the upper gulf. However, nutrient rich ESW, upwelled offshore and mixed to form a mid-temperature intermediate water, may enter the inner gulf to provide an important secondary source of nutrients during the dry season.

Wave height estimates from pressure and velocity data at an intermediate depth in the presence of uniform currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, Biswajit

2017-12-01

Bounds on estimates of wave heights (valid for large amplitudes) from pressure and flow measurements at an arbitrary intermediate depth have been provided. Two-dimensional irrotational steady water waves over a flat bed with a finite depth in the presence of underlying uniform currents have been considered in the analysis. Five different upper bounds based on a combination of pressure and velocity field measurements have been derived, though there is only one available lower bound on the wave height in the case of the speed of current greater than or less than the wave speed. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nonlinear water waves'.

The Effect of Cultural Integration on the Development of Listening Comprehension among Iranian Upper-Intermediate EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fatemi, Mohammad Ali; Montazerinia, Fatemeh; Shirazian, Sharifeh; Atarodi, Maliheh

2014-01-01

Cultural integration can be used as an effective learning practice in contexts of English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of cultural integration on the development of Iranian EFL upper-intermediate learners' listening comprehension. To this end, fifty-two upper-intermediate EFL learners…

The combined use of 87Sr/86Sr and carbon and water isotopes to study the hydrochemical interaction between groundwater and lakewater in mantled karst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Brian G.; Bullen, Thomas D.

1996-12-01

The hydrochemical interaction between groundwater and lakewater influences the composition of water that percolates downward from the surficial aquifer system through the underlying intermediate confining unit and recharges the Upper Floridan aquifer along highlands in Florida. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio along with the stable isotopes, D, 18O, and 13C were used as tracers to study the interaction between groundwater, lakewater, and aquifer minerals near Lake Barco, a seepage lake in the mantled karst terrane of northern Florida. Upgradient from the lake, the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of groundwater decreases with depth (mean values of 0.71004, 0.70890, and 0.70852 for water from the surficial aquifer system, intermediate confining unit, and Upper Floridan aquifer, respectively), resulting from the interaction of dilute oxygenated recharge water with aquifer minerals that are less radiogenic with depth. The concentrations of Sr2+ generally increase with depth, and higher concentrations of Sr2+ in water from the Upper Floridan aquifer (20-35 μg/L), relative to water from the surficial aquifer system and the intermediate confining unit, result from the dissolution of Sr-bearing calcite and dolomite in the Eocene limestone. Dissolution of calcite [δ13C= -1.6permil(‰)] is also indicated by an enriched δ13CDIC(-8.8 to -11.4 ‰) in water from the Upper Floridan aquifer, relative to the overlying hydrogeologic units (δ13CDIC< -16‰). Groundwater downgradient from Lake Barco was enriched in18O and D relative to groundwater upgradient from the lake, indicating mixing of lakewater leakage and groundwater. Downgradient from the lake, the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of groundwater and aquifer material become less radiogenic and the Sr2+ concentrations generally increase with depth. However, Sr2+ concentrations are substantially less than in upgradient groundwaters at similar depths. The lower Sr2+ concentrations result from the influence of anoxic lakewater leakage on the mobility of Sr2+ from clays. Based on results from mass-balance modeling, it is probable that cation exchange plays the dominant role in controlling the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of groundwater, both upgradient and downgradient from Lake Barco. Even though groundwater from the three distinct hydrogeologic units displays considerable variability in Sr concentration and isotopic composition, the dominant processes associated with the mixing of lakewater leakage with groundwater, as well as the effects of mineral-water interaction, can be ascertained by integrating the use of stable and radiogenic isotopic measurements of groundwater, lakewater, and aquifer minerals.

UPTAKE AND INTERNAL DOSIMETRY OF INHALED CHLORINE IN THE ISOLATED UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT (URT) OF F344 RATS.

EPA Science Inventory

Due to large-volume commercial uses as an intermediate and for water disinfection, chlorine (Cl₂) is an important hazardous air pollutant (HAP). Inhaled Cl₂ causes irritant effects in the respiratory tract. We conducted studies to characterize determinants...

31. DETAIL VIEW OF UPPER INTERMEDIATE WALL CONTROL STATION, SHOWING ...

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

31. DETAIL VIEW OF UPPER INTERMEDIATE WALL CONTROL STATION, SHOWING RECESSES FOR AUXILIARY LOCK LIFT GATE LEAVES, LOOKING EAST - Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 27, Granite City, Madison County, IL

32. DETAIL VIEW OF UPPER INTERMEDIATE WALL CONTROL STATION, SHOWING ...

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

32. DETAIL VIEW OF UPPER INTERMEDIATE WALL CONTROL STATION, SHOWING RECESSES FOR AUXILIARY LOCK LIFT GATE LEAVES, LOOKING NORTHEAST - Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 27, Granite City, Madison County, IL

Assessment of Southern Ocean water mass circulation and characteristics in CMIP5 models: Historical bias and forcing response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallée, J.-B.; Shuckburgh, E.; Bruneau, N.; Meijers, A. J. S.; Bracegirdle, T. J.; Wang, Z.; Roy, T.

2013-04-01

The ability of the models contributing to the fifth Coupled Models Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) to represent the Southern Ocean hydrological properties and its overturning is investigated in a water mass framework. Models have a consistent warm and light bias spread over the entire water column. The greatest bias occurs in the ventilated layers, which are volumetrically dominated by mode and intermediate layers. The ventilated layers have been observed to have a strong fingerprint of climate change and to impact climate by sequestrating a significant amount of heat and carbon dioxide. The mode water layer is poorly represented in the models and both mode and intermediate water have a significant fresh bias. Under increased radiative forcing, models simulate a warming and lightening of the entire water column, which is again greatest in the ventilated layers, highlighting the importance of these layers for propagating the climate signal into the deep ocean. While the intensity of the water mass overturning is relatively consistent between models, when compared to observation-based reconstructions, they exhibit a slightly larger rate of overturning at shallow to intermediate depths, and a slower rate of overturning deeper in the water column. Under increased radiative forcing, atmospheric fluxes increase the rate of simulated upper cell overturning, but this increase is counterbalanced by diapycnal fluxes, including mixed-layer horizontal mixing, and mostly vanishes.

Using the nutrient ratio NO/PO as a tracer of continental shelf waters in the central Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Cara; Wallace, Douglas W. R.

1990-12-01

Historical nitrate, phosphate, and dissolved oxygen data from the central Arctic Ocean are examined with particular emphasis on the conservative parameters NO (9 * NO3 + O2) and PO (135 * PO4 + O2). The NO/PO ratio is shown to increase with depth in the Canada Basin, being ˜0.78 in Surface and Upper Halocline Waters and ˜1.0 in the Atlantic Layer and Deep Waters. Lower Halocline Water is marked by NO and PO minima and intermediate NO/PO. NO/PO ratios from the Arctic shelf seas are examined to determine possible source regions for the various water masses. The NO/PO ratio of Canada Basin Deep Water implies an upper bound of ˜11% shelf water contribution to this water mass. A slight oxygen maximum core in the Lower Halocline Water is identified at a salinity of S = 34.5 in the vicinity of the Alpha Ridge. This core appears to be diminished by diapycnal mixing and does not extend into the Beaufort Gyre.

Bending-related faulting and mantle serpentinization at the Middle America trench.

PubMed

Ranero, C R; Morgan, J Phipps; McIntosh, K; Reichert, C

2003-09-25

The dehydration of subducting oceanic crust and upper mantle has been inferred both to promote the partial melting leading to arc magmatism and to induce intraslab intermediate-depth earthquakes, at depths of 50-300 km. Yet there is still no consensus about how slab hydration occurs or where and how much chemically bound water is stored within the crust and mantle of the incoming plate. Here we document that bending-related faulting of the incoming plate at the Middle America trench creates a pervasive tectonic fabric that cuts across the crust, penetrating deep into the mantle. Faulting is active across the entire ocean trench slope, promoting hydration of the cold crust and upper mantle surrounding these deep active faults. The along-strike length and depth of penetration of these faults are also similar to the dimensions of the rupture area of intermediate-depth earthquakes.

Water mass distributions and transports for the 2014 GEOVIDE cruise in the North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Ibáñez, Maribel I.; Pérez, Fiz F.; Lherminier, Pascale; Zunino, Patricia; Mercier, Herlé; Tréguer, Paul

2018-04-01

We present the distribution of water masses along the GEOTRACES-GA01 section during the GEOVIDE cruise, which crossed the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean and the Labrador Sea in the summer of 2014. The water mass structure resulting from an extended optimum multiparameter (eOMP) analysis provides the framework for interpreting the observed distributions of trace elements and their isotopes. Central Waters and Subpolar Mode Waters (SPMW) dominated the upper part of the GEOTRACES-GA01 section. At intermediate depths, the dominant water mass was Labrador Sea Water, while the deep parts of the section were filled by Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) and North-East Atlantic Deep Water. We also evaluate the water mass volume transports across the 2014 OVIDE line (Portugal to Greenland section) by combining the water mass fractions resulting from the eOMP analysis with the absolute geostrophic velocity field estimated through a box inverse model. This allowed us to assess the relative contribution of each water mass to the transport across the section. Finally, we discuss the changes in the distribution and transport of water masses between the 2014 OVIDE line and the 2002-2010 mean state. At the upper and intermediate water levels, colder end-members of the water masses replaced the warmer ones in 2014 with respect to 2002-2010, in agreement with the long-term cooling of the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre that started in the mid-2000s. Below 2000 dbar, ISOW increased its contribution in 2014 with respect to 2002-2010, with the increase being consistent with other estimates of ISOW transports along 58-59° N. We also observed an increase in SPMW in the East Greenland Irminger Current in 2014 with respect to 2002-2010, which supports the recent deep convection events in the Irminger Sea. From the assessment of the relative water mass contribution to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) across the OVIDE line, we conclude that the larger AMOC intensity in 2014 compared to the 2002-2010 mean was related to both the increase in the northward transport of Central Waters in the AMOC upper limb and to the increase in the southward flow of Irminger Basin SPMW and ISOW in the AMOC lower limb.

Downhole steam generator with improved preheating/cooling features

DOEpatents

Donaldson, A. Burl; Hoke, Donald E.; Mulac, Anthony J.

1983-01-01

An apparatus for downhole steam generation employing dual-stage preheaters for liquid fuel and for the water. A first heat exchange jacket for the fuel surrounds the fuel/oxidant mixing section of the combustor assembly downstream of the fuel nozzle and contacts the top of the combustor unit of the combustor assembly, thereby receiving heat directly from the combustion of the fuel/oxidant. A second stage heat exchange jacket surrounds an upper portion of the oxidant supply line adjacent the fuel nozzle receiving further heat from the compression heat which results from pressurization of the oxidant. The combustor unit includes an inner combustor sleeve whose inner wall defines the combustion zone. The inner combustor sleeve is surrounded by two concentric water channels, one defined by the space between the inner combustor sleeve and an intermediate sleeve, and the second defined by the space between the intermediate sleeve and an outer cylindrical housing. The channels are connected by an annular passage adjacent the top of the combustor assembly and the countercurrent nature of the water flow provides efficient cooling of the inner combustor sleeve. An annular water ejector with a plurality of nozzles is provided to direct water downwardly into the combustor unit at the boundary of the combustion zone and along the lower section of the intermediate sleeve.

Downhole steam generator with improved preheating/cooling features. [Patent application

DOEpatents

Donaldson, A.B.; Hoke, D.E.; Mulac, A.J.

1980-10-10

An apparatus is described for downhole steam generation employing dual-stage preheaters for liquid fuel and for the water. A first heat exchange jacket for the fuel surrounds the fuel/oxidant mixing section of the combustor assembly downstream of the fuel nozzle and contacts the top of the combustor unit of the combustor assembly, thereby receiving heat directly from the combustion of the fuel/oxidant. A second stage heat exchange jacket surrounds an upper portion of the oxidant supply line adjacent the fuel nozzle receiving further heat from the compression heat which results from pressurization of the oxidant. The combustor unit includes an inner combustor sleeve whose inner wall defines the combustion zone. The inner combustor sleeve is surrounded by two concentric water channels, one defined by the space between the inner combustor sleeve and an intermediate sleeve, and the second defined by the space between the intermediate sleeve and an outer cylindrical housing. The channels are connected by an annular passage adjacent the top of the combustor assembly and the countercurrent nature of the water flow provides efficient cooling of the inner combustor sleeve. An annular water ejector with a plurality of nozzles is provided to direct water downwardly into the combustor unit at the boundary of the combustion zone and along the lower section of the intermediate sleeve.

Spreading of Levantine Intermediate Waters by submesoscale coherent vortices in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea as observed with gliders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosse, Anthony; Testor, Pierre; Mortier, Laurent; Prieur, Louis; Taillandier, Vincent; d'Ortenzio, Fabrizio; Coppola, Laurent

2015-03-01

Since 2007, gliders have been regularly deployed in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, a crucial region regarding the thermohaline circulation of the Mediterranean Sea. It revealed for the first time very warm (+0.4∘C) and saline (+0.1) submesoscale anticyclones at intermediate depth characterized by a small radius (˜5 km), high Rossby (˜0.3), and Burger (˜0.7) numbers. They are likely order of 10 to be formed each year, have a life time order a year and certainly contribute significantly to the spreading of the Levantine Intermediate Waters (LIW) toward the whole subbasin, thus potentially impacting wintertime vertical mixing through hydrographical and dynamical preconditioning. They could be mainly formed by the combined action of turbulent mixing and flow detachment of the northward flow of LIW at the northwestern headland of Sardinia. Upwelling conditions along the western coast of Sardinia associated with a southward geostrophic flow within the upper layers seem to play a key role in their formation process.

On the Pathways of the Return Flow of the Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Tropical Atlantic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jochum, Markus

2002-01-01

A numerical model of the tropical Atlantic ocean is used to investigate the upper layer pathways of the Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) in the tropical Atlantic. The main focus of this thesis is on those parts of the tropical circulation that are thought to be important for the MOC return flow, but whose dynamics have not been understood yet. It is shown how the particular structure of the tropical gyre and the MOO act to inhibit the flow of North Atlantic water into the equatorial thermocline. As a result, the upper layers of the tropical Atlantic are mainly fed by water from the South Atlantic. The processes that carry the South Atlantic water across the tropical Atlantic into the North Atlantic as part of the MOO are described here, and three processes that were hitherto not understood are explained as follows: The North Brazil Current rings are created as the result of the reflection of Rossby waves at the South American coast. These Rossby waves are generated by the barotropically unstable North Equatorial Countercurrent. The deep structure of the rings can be explained by merger of the wave's anticyclones with the deeper intermediate eddies that are generated as the intermediate western boundary current crosses the equator. The bands of strong zonal velocity in intermediate depths along the equator have hitherto been explained as intermediate currents. Here, an alternative interpretation of the observations is offered: The Eulerian mean flow along the equator is negligible and the observations are the signature of strong seasonal Rossby waves. The previous interpretation of the observations can then be explained as aliasing of the tropical wave field. The Tsuchyia Jets are driven by the Eliassen-Palm flux of the tropical instability waves. The equatorial current system with its strong shears is unstable and generates tropical instability waves.

46 CFR Appendix A to Part 45 - Load Line Certificate Form

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... registry Type of Ship: TYPE “A” TYPE “B” TYPE “B” with increased freeboard freeboard from deck line Midsummer MS Summer S Intermediate I Winter W load line above S Upper edge of line through center of diamond... salt water of the St. Lawrence River west of a straight line from Cap de Rosiers to West Point...

Hydrogeologic setting, water budget, and preliminary analysis of ground-water exchange at Lake Starr, a seepage lake in Polk County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swancar, Amy; Lee, T.M.; O'Hare, T. M.

2000-01-01

Lake Starr, a 134-acre seepage lake of multiple-sinkhole origin on the Lake Wales Ridge of central Florida, was the subject of a detailed water-budget study from August 1996 through July 1998. The study monitored the effects of hydrogeologic setting, climate, and ground-water pumping on the water budget and lake stage. The hydrogeologic setting of the Lake Starr basin differs markedly on the two sides of the lake. Ground water from the surficial aquifer system flows into the lake from the northwest side of the basin, and lake water leaks out to the surficial aquifer system on the southeast side of the basin. Lake Starr and the surrounding surficial aquifer system recharge the underlying Upper Floridan aquifer. The rate of recharge to the Upper Floridan aquifer is determined by the integrity of the intermediate confining unit and by the downward head gradient between the two aquifers. On the inflow side of the lake, the intermediate confining unit is more continuous, allowing ground water from the surficial aquifer system to flow laterally into the lake. Beneath the lake and on the southeast side of the basin, breaches in the intermediate confining unit enhance downward flow to the Upper Floridan aquifer, so that water flows both downward and laterally away from the lake through the ground-water flow system in these areas. An accurate water budget, including evaporation measured by the energy-budget method, was used to calculate net ground-water flow to the lake, and to do a preliminary analysis of the relation of net ground-water fluxes to other variables. Water budgets constructed over different timeframes provided insight on processes that affect ground-water interactions with Lake Starr. Weekly estimates of net ground-water flow provided evidence for the occurrence of transient inflows from the nearshore basin, as well as the short-term effects of head in the Upper Floridan aquifer on ground-water exchange with the lake. Monthly water budgets showed the effects of wet and dry seasons, and provided evidence for ground-water inflow generated from the upper basin. Annual water budgets showed how differences in timing of rainfall and pumping stresses affected lake stage and lake ground-water interactions. Lake evaporation measurements made during the study suggest that, on average, annual lake evaporation exceeds annual precipitation in the basin. Rainfall was close to the long-term average of 51.99 inches per year for the 2 years of the study (50.68 and 54.04 inches, respectively). Lake evaporation was 57.08 and 55.88 inches per year for the same 2 years, making net precipitation (rainfall minus evaporation) negative during both years. If net precipitation to seepage lakes in this area is negative over the long-term, then the ability to generate net ground-water inflow from the surrounding basin plays an important role in sustaining lake levels. Evaporation exceeded rainfall by a similar amount for both years of the study, but net ground-water flow differed substantially between the 2 years. The basin contributed net ground-water inflow to the lake in both years, however, net ground-water inflow was not sufficient to make up for the negative net precipitation during the first year, and the lake fell 4.9 inches. During the second year, net ground-water inflow exceeded the difference between evaporation and rainfall and the lake rose by 12.7 inches. The additional net ground-water inflow in the second year was due to both an increase in the amount of gross ground-water inflow and a decrease in lake leakage (ground-water outflow). Ground-water inflow was greater during the second year because more rain fell during the winter, when evaporative losses were low, resulting in greater ground-water recharge. However, decreased lake leakage during this year was probably at least as important as increased ground-water inflow in explaining the difference in net ground-water flow to the lake between the 2 years. Estimates of lake leakage

Hydrologic assessment of the Upper Dorr Run Watershed, Hocking County, Ohio, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haefner, R.J.

1999-01-01

The Upper Dorr Run Watershed in Hocking County, Ohio, has been mined several times for coal and clay since 1913 and is a significant source of acid mine drainage to the Hocking River. To assess the surface-water hydrology of the site, a topographic map showing the location of springs and other hydrologic features of interest was prepared using aerial photography and field surveying and mapping techniques. Discharge and water-quality measurements at six springs and one stream site were made during field investigations in June 1998. Discharge and water quality observed at a downstream weir on Upper Dorr Run represents the combined discharge from springs plus ground-water inflow. Discharges from springs to surface water were generally small (less than 0.3 cubic foot per second), but one spring constituted 56 percent of the total discharge measured at the downstream weir. The total flow at an intermediate measurement site was less than the combined discharge of the upgradient springs because of evaporation, transpiration, and ground-water flow beneath the stream channel. The total flow at the weir was greater than the combined discharge of all springs, primarily because two potential sources of water were not included in field measurements. The water quality in Upper Dorr Run is strongly affected by acid mine drainage as indicated by pH less than 4, elevated acidity, and elevated concentrations of dissolved sulfate and dissolved iron. Concentrations of chemical constituents in the water were lower at the downstream weir than at the source springs because of residence times in ponds and chemical interactions between the water and the atmosphere. Acidity loads during the sampling period were significantly higher from the Lower Kittanning (No. 5) coal (272 kilograms per day) than from the Upper Kittanning (No. 6) coal (17.7 kilograms per day). Comparison of data obtained in 1998 to data obtained in 1982 showed that quality of water of selected sampling sites had not changed appreciably in 16 years.

Hydrogeologic framework and geologic structure of the Floridan aquifer system and intermediate confining unit in the Lake Okeechobee area, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reese, Ronald S.

2014-01-01

The successful implementation of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) as a water-management tool requires detailed information on the hydrologic and hydraulic properties of the potential water storage zones. This report presents stratigraphic and hydrogeologic sections of the upper part of the Floridan aquifer system and the overlying confining unit or aquifer system in the Lake Okeechobee area, and contour maps of the upper contacts of the Ocala Limestone and the Arcadia Formation, which are represented in the sections. The sections and maps illustrate hydrogeologic factors such as confinement of potential storage zones, the distribution of permeability within the zones, and geologic features that may control the efficiency of injection, storage, and recovery of water, and thus may influence decisions on ASR activities in areas of interest to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.

Groundwater levels, geochemistry, and water budget of the Tsala Apopka Lake system, west-central Florida, 2004–12

USGS Publications Warehouse

McBride, W. Scott; Metz, Patricia A.; Ryan, Patrick J.; Fulkerson, Mark; Downing, Harry C.

2017-12-18

Tsala Apopka Lake is a complex system of lakes and wetlands, with intervening uplands, located in Citrus County in west-central Florida. It is located within the 2,100 square mile watershed of the Withlacoochee River, which drains north and northwest towards the Gulf of Mexico. The lake system is managed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District as three distinct “pools,” which from upstream to downstream are referred to as the Floral City Pool, Inverness Pool, and Hernando Pool. Each pool contains a mixture of deep-water lakes that remain wet year round, ephemeral (seasonal) ponds and wetlands, and dry uplands. Many of the major deep-water lakes are interconnected by canals. Flow from the Withlacoochee River, when conditions allow, can be diverted into the lake system. Flow thorough the canals can be used to control the distribution of water between the three pools. Flow in the canals is controlled using structures, such as gates and weirs.Hydrogeologic units in the study area include a surficial aquifer consisting of Quaternary-age sediments, a discontinuous intermediate confining unit consisting of Miocene- and Pliocene-age sediments, and the underlying Upper Floridan aquifer, which consists of Eocene- and Oligocene-age carbonates. The fine-grained quartz sands that constitute the surficial aquifer are generally thin, typically less than 25 feet thick, within the vicinity of Tsala Apopka Lake. A thin, discontinuous, sandy clay layer forms the intermediate confining unit. The Upper Floridan aquifer is generally unconfined in the vicinity of Tsala Apopka Lake because the intermediate confining unit is discontinuous and breached by numerous karst features. In the study area, the Upper Floridan aquifer includes the upper Avon Park Formation and Ocala Limestone. The Ocala Limestone is the primary source of drinking water and spring flow in the area.The objectives of this study are to document the interaction of Tsala Apopka Lake, the surficial aquifer, and the Upper Floridan aquifer; and to estimate an annual water budget for each pool and for the entire lake system for 2004–12. The hydrologic interactions were evaluated using hydraulic head and geochemical data. Geochemical data, including major ion, isotope, and age-tracer data, were used to evaluate sources of water and to distinguish flow paths. Hydrologic connection of the surficial environment (lakes, ponds, wetlands, and the surficial aquifer) was quantified on the basis of a conceptualized annual water-budget model. The model included the change in surface water and groundwater storage, precipitation, evapotranspiration, surface-water inflow and outflow, and net groundwater exchange with the underlying Upper Floridan aquifer. The control volume for each pool extended to the base of the surficial aquifer and covered an area defined to exceed the maximum inundated area for each pool during 2004–12 by 0.5 foot. Net groundwater flow was computed as a lumped value and was either positive or negative, with a negative value indicating downward or lateral leakage from the control volume and a positive value indicating upward leakage to the control volume.The annual water budget for Tsala Apopka Lake was calculated using a combination of field observations and remotely sensed data for each of three pools and for the composite three pool area. A digital elevation model at a 5-foot grid spacing and bathymetric survey data were used to define the land-surface elevation and volume of each pool and to calculate the changes in inundated area with change in lake stage. Continuous lake-stage and groundwater-level data were used to define the change in storage for each pool. The rainfall data used in the water-budget calculations were based on daily radar reflectance data and measured rainfall from weather stations. Evapotranspiration was computed as a function of reference evapotranspiration, adjusted to actual evapotranspiration using a monthly land-cover coefficient (based on evapotranspiration measurements at stations located in representative landscapes). Surface-water inflows and outflows were determined using stage data collected at a series of streamgages installed primarily at the water-control structures. Discharge was measured under varying flow regimes and ratings were developed for the water-control structures. The discharge data collected during the study period were used to calibrate a surface-water flow model for 2004–12. Flows predicted by the model were used in the water-budget analysis. Net groundwater flow was determined as the residual term in the water-budget equation.The results of the water-budget analysis indicate that rainfall was the largest input of water to Tsala Apopka Lake, whereas evapotranspiration was the largest output. For the 2004–12 analysis period, surface-water inflow accounted for 11 percent of the inputs, net groundwater inflow accounted for 1 percent of inputs (annual periods with positive net groundwater flow were included as inputs, while annual periods with negative net groundwater flow were counted as outputs), and rainfall accounted for the remaining 88 percent. For the same period, the outputs consisted of 2 percent surface-water outflow, 12 percent net groundwater outflow, and 86 percent evapotranspiration. Net groundwater inflows and surface-water/groundwater storage were negligible during the water-budget period but could be important components of the budget in individual years.The net groundwater flow was negative (downward) for 8 out of the 9 years modeled (2004–12), indicating that the Tsala Apopka Lake study area was primarily a recharge area for the underlying Upper Floridan aquifer during this time period. Groundwater-level elevation in paired wells (adjacent wells completed in the surficial aquifer and Upper Floridan aquifer) typically was higher in the surficial aquifer than the Upper Floridan aquifer. However, hydraulic head data indicate that the surficial aquifer often has discharge potential to the surface-water system, especially in the low lying areas near the major lakes. Surficial-aquifer water levels were often higher than lake stages, especially during wet periods, which is likely an indication of aquifer-to-lake seepage in these areas. East of the major lakes, hydraulic head data were nearly equal in the surficial aquifer and Upper Floridan aquifer, which is an indication that the Upper Floridan aquifer is unconfined. Based on deuterium and oxygen stable isotope data collected in December 2011 and December 2012, there was no evidence of recharge to the Upper Floridan aquifer from the wetlands east of the major lakes; aquifer isotopic ratios did not indicate an enriched source, which is typical of lake and wetland sources. West of the major lakes, there was evidence of enriched isotopic ratios in water samples from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Differences in hydraulic head at paired wells in the surficial aquifer and Upper Floridan aquifer indicated that the surficial aquifer has the potential to recharge the Upper Floridan aquifer in the western part of the pools and west of the major lakes.

Carbonate system parameters and anthropogenic CO2 in the North Aegean Sea during October 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasakopoulou, E.; Souvermezoglou, E.; Giannoudi, L.; Goyet, C.

2017-10-01

Data of AT (total alkalinity) and CT (total inorganic carbon) collected during October 2013, on a N-S transect crossing the North of Lemnos basin allowed to identify the peculiarities of the CO2 system in the North Aegean Sea and estimate the anthropogenic CO2 (CANT) concentrations. Extremely high concentrations of AT and CT were recorded in the upper layer of the North Aegean reflecting the high loads of AT and CT by the brackish BSW (Black Sea Water) outflowing through the Dardanelles strait and by the rivers runoff. Both AT and CT exhibit strong negative linear correlation with salinity in the upper layer (0-20 m). Investigation of the AT-S relationship along with the salinity adjustment of AT revealed excess alkalinity throughout the water column in relation to the surface waters implying a possible occurrence of non-carbonate alkalinity inputs as well as of other processes that take place probably over the extended shelves and contribute to the alkalinity surplus. The intermediate layer occupied by the Modified Levantine Intermediate Water (MLIW) mass exhibits the lowest CT and AT concentrations, while rather elevated AT and CT concentrations characterize the North Aegean Deep Water (NAgDW) mass filling the deep layer of the North of Lemnos basin linked to previous dense water formation episodes. High anthropogenic CO2 content was detected at intermediate and deep layers of the North Aegean reflecting the effective transportation of the absorbed atmospheric CO2 from the surface to the deeper waters via the dense water formation episodes. The MLIW layer is more affected by the penetration of CANT than the NAgDW that fills the deep part of the basin. The observed variability of CANT distribution reflects the influence of the intensity of dense water formation events, of the different θ/S properties of the newly formed dense waters as well as of the diverse submarine pathways followed by the cascading dense waters. The invasion of CANT has lead to more acidic conditions and to lower saturation degree of calcium carbonate in relation to the preindustrial era. The findings of this study provide baseline information about the carbonate system properties of the North Aegean and highlight its active role in sequestering and storing anthropogenic CO2.

Differential soil water sourcing of managed Loblolly Pine and Sweet Gum revealed by stable isotopes in the Upper Coastal Plain, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brockman, L. E.; Younger, S. E.; Jackson, C. R.; McDonnell, J.; Janzen, K. F.

2017-12-01

Stable isotope signatures of stem water can illuminate where in the soil profile different types of trees are accessing soil water and thereby contribute to our understanding of water movement through the soil plant atmosphere continuum. The objective of this study was to use 2H and 18O isotopes to characterize water sources of fourteen-year-old intensively managed Loblolly Pine and Sweet Gum stands in replicated (n=3) paired plots. In order to differentiate the isotopic signatures of tree and soil water, both species and five soil depths were sampled monthly for one year. Tree sap and soil water were extracted cryogenically and their isotopic signatures were determined. Although plant water uptake is generally considered a non-fractionating process, our dataset suggests a source of fractionation in 2H signatures in both species and during most of the thirteen sampling events. As a result, only the 18O isotopic data were used to determine the vertical distribution of soil water contributions to stem water. Statistically, we grouped the five soil sampling depths into three isotopic horizons. Shallow, intermediate and deep soil represent sampling depths of 0-10cm, 30-70cm and 100-125cm, respectively. These isotopic horizons were used in a direct inference approach and Bayesian mixing model analysis to determine the origin of stem water. In this study, Loblolly Pine used more water from intermediate and deep soil while Sweet Gum used more water from shallow and intermediate soil. In the winter months, January through March, Loblolly Pine transpired primarily deep soil where as Sweet Gum mainly utilized shallow soil for transpiration. These results indicate that both species have opportunistic water use patterns with seasonal variation.

Paleoproductivity and intermediate-water ventilation in the subarctic Northwest Pacific during the last deglaciation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khim, B.; Ikehara, K.; Sagawa, T.; Shibahara, A.; Yamamoto, M.

2010-12-01

Laminated sediments during the last deglaciation in the subarctic North Pacific indicate significant depletion of dissolved oxygen concentration at intermediate water depths. Such a strong oxygen minimum zone results primarily from a combination of high surface water productivity and poor ventilation of intermediate waters. We investigated a variety of paleoclimatic proxies using about 8-m long piston core sediment (GH02-1030; 42o13.770N, 144o12.530E; water depth, 1212 m) obtained from the continental slope off Tokachi (eastern Hokkaido Island), which is the main path of the southwestward Oyashio Current in the subarctic Northwest Pacific. Laminated sediments were identified at the two horizons in the core GH02-1030; the upper one at 11.4-12.2 cal.kyr BP and the lower one at 14.1-14.7 cal.kyr BP, corresponding to Bølling-Allerød (B/A) and Preboreal (PB), respectively. Between these laminated layers, Younger Dryas occurred. Both laminated sediment layers are characterized by Bolivina tumida, B. pacifica, and Buliminella tenuata, indicating dysoxic bottom water conditions. Increased Mg/Ca-derived intermediate-water temperature and δ18OW values at B/A and PB periods suggest the poor ventilation of intermediate water because of the surface water freshening (i.e., decrease of surface-water salinity). UK'37-derived temperature record also supports the increase of surface-water temperature during B/A and PB intervals. During the last deglaciation, short-chain C14-C18 n-fatty acids, derived mainly from marine organisms, showed higher concentrations, indicating the increased surface-water production, and at the same time, abundant lignin reflected more contribution of terrigenous organic matter, supporting increased freshwater discharge. Variation of CaCO3 contents show remarkable double peaks, corresponding to B/A and PB periods, respectively, leading to the increase of TOC contents. Opal contents also follow similar pattern to CaCO3 contents, but are much less than the Holocene values. Interesting are the remarkable double peaks of δ15N values, also corresponding to B/A and PB intervals, respectively. Such increased δ15N values indicated the enhanced nitrate utilization through the promoted phytoplankton production. Otherwise, the high δ15N records could be indicative of water column denitrification in the source region. Thus, our study area possibly experienced high surface water productivity at times of reduced intermediate ventilation in the subarctic Northwest Pacific during the last deglaciation.

Final Scientific/Technical Report of Gas Hydrate Dynamics on the Alaskan Beaufort Continental Slope: Modeling and Field Characterization

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

Hornbach, Matthew J; Colwell, Frederick S; Harris, Robert

Methane Hydrates, a solid form of methane and water, exist at high pressures and low temperatures, occurs on every continental margin on Earth, represents one of the largest reservoirs of carbon on the planet, and, if destabilized, may play an important role in both slope stability and climate change. For decades, researchers have studied methane hydrates with the hope of determining if methane hydrates are destabilizing, and if so, how this destabilization might impact slope stability and ocean/atmosphere carbon budgets. In the past ~5 years, it has become well established that the upper “feather-edge” of methane hydrate stability (intermediate watermore » depths of ~200-500 meters below sea level) represents an important frontier for methane hydrates stability research, as this zone is most susceptible to destabilization due to minor fluctuations in ocean temperature in space and time. The Arctic Ocean—one of the fastest warming regions on Earth—is perhaps the best place to study possible changes to methane hydrate stability due to ocean warming. To address the stability of methane hydrates at intermediate ocean depths, Southern Methodist University in partnership with Oregon State University and The United State Geological Survey at Woods Hole began investigating methane hydrate stability in intermediate water depths below both the US Beaufort Sea and the Atlantic Margin, from 2012-2017. The work was funded by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The key goal of the SMU component of this study was to collect the first ever heat flow data in the Beaufort Sea and compare measured shallow (probe-based1) heat flow values with deeper (BSR-derived2) heat flow values, and from this, determine whether hydrates were in thermal equilibrium. In September 2016, SMU/OSU collected the first ever heat flow measurements in the US Beaufort Sea. Despite poor weather and rough seas, the cruise was a success, with 116 heat flow measurements acquired across the margin, spanning 4 transects separated by more than 400 km. Useable heat flow data exists for 97% (113) of probe heat flow measurements, revealing a clear picture of regional heat flow across the basin. During the past 8 months since the cruise, SMU researchers have processed the heat flow and thermal conductivity measurements and compared results to deeper heat flow estimates obtained from seismic data. The analysis reveals clear, consistent trends: All probe heat flow measurements in depths greater than 800 mbsl are consistent with BSR-derived values; heat flow measurements obtained in water depths between ~250-750 mbsl are systematically lower than those estimated from BSRs; and heat flow estimates in water depths shallower than ~250 mbsl are systematically warmer than deeper estimates. The consistency between shallow (probe) and deep (BSR) heat flow measurements at depths greater than ~750 m where ocean temperature changes are minimal supports the premise that the hydrates consist primarily of methane and represent a valuable tool for estimating heat flow. The anomalous cooling trend observed in the upper 250 m is consistent with expected seasonal effects observed in shallow ocean buoy measurements in the arctic, when cold, less dense melting sea ice cools the upper 200 m of the ocean during the summer as ice melting occurs. The discrepancy in heat flow at intermediate water depths is best explained via recent intermediate ocean temperature warming, where long-term (annual or longer) warming intermediate ocean bottom waters result in an anomalously low heat flow in shallow heat flow measurements. Using the characteristic 1D time-length scale for diffusion, we estimate that ocean temperature warming began no later than ~1200 years ago but arguably much more recently as results are limited by seismic resolution. More importantly, our analysis indicates methane hydrate is destabilizing not only in the upper feather edge (200-500 mbsl) but at depths as great as 750 mbsl. The intermediate ocean warming rate supports previous studies suggesting geologically rapid warming (>0.1 deg C/decade) at intermediate ocean depths in the Beaufort Sea. Assuming no further changes or additional warming, our analysis indicates methane hydrates will destabilize at seafloor depths shallower than 750 mbsl in the Beaufort Sea within the next ~3000 years. 1 Probe outfitted with sensors inserted into the seafloor sediment 2 Bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) seismic data indicates presence of hydrate deposits« less

Ground-water resources of the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin in parts of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia; SUBAREA 4 of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torak, Lynn J.; McDowell, Robin John

1996-01-01

Increased hypothetical pumpage over October 1986 rates for the Upper Floridan aquifer, located almost entirely in Georgia, indicated reduction in ground-water discharge to streams that reduced flow in the Apalachicola River and to the Bay, especially during droughts. Water budgets prepared from simulation results indicate that discharge to streams and recharge by horizontal and vertical flow are principal hydrologic mechanisms for moving water into, out of, or through aquifers. The Intermediate system contributes less than 2 percent of the total simulated ground-water discharge to streams; thus, it does not represent an important source of water for the Apalachicola River and Bay.

Switching predominance of organic versus inorganic carbon exports from an intermediate-size subarctic watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dornblaser, Mark M.; Striegl, Robert G.

2015-01-01

Hydrologic exports of dissolved inorganic and organic carbon (DIC, DOC) reflect permafrost conditions in arctic and subarctic river basins. DIC yields in particular, increase with decreased permafrost extent. We investigated the influence of permafrost extent on DIC and DOC yield in a tributary of the Yukon River, where the upper watershed has continuous permafrost and the lower watershed has discontinuous permafrost. Our results indicate that DIC versus DOC predominance switches with interannual changes in water availability and flow routing in intermediate-size watersheds having mixed permafrost coverage. Large water yield and small concentrations from mountainous headwaters and small water yield and high concentrations from lowlands produced similar upstream and downstream carbon yields. However, DOC export exceeded DIC export during high-flow 2011 while DIC predominated during low-flow 2010. The majority of exported carbon derived from near-surface organic sources when landscapes were wet or frozen and from mineralized subsurface sources when infiltration increased.

Hydrogeology and quality of ground water in Orange County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adamski, James C.; German, Edward R.

2004-01-01

Ground water is the main source of water supply in central Florida and is critical for aquatic habitats and human consumption. To provide a better understanding for the conservation, development, and management of the water resources of Orange County, Florida, a study of the hydrogeologic framework, water budget, and ground-water quality characteristics was conducted from 1998 through 2002. The study also included extensive analyses of the surface-water resources, published as a separate report. An increase in population from about 264,000 in 1960 to 896,000 in 2000 and subsequent urban growth throughout this region has been accompanied by a substantial increase in water use. Total ground-water use in Orange County increased from about 82 million gallons per day in 1965 to about 287 million gallons per day in 2000. The hydrogeology of Orange County consists of three major hydrogeologic units: the surficial aquifer system, the intermediate confining unit, and the Floridan aquifer system. Data were compiled from 634 sites to construct hydrogeologic maps and sections of Orange County. Water-level elevations measured in 23 wells tapping the surficial aquifer system ranged from about 10.6 feet in eastern Orange County to 123.8 feet above NGVD 29 in northwestern Orange County from March 2000 through September 2001. Water levels also were measured in 14 wells tapping the Upper Floridan aquifer. Water levels fluctuate over time from seasonal and annual variations in rainfall; however, water levels in a number of wells tapping the Upper Floridan aquifer have declined over time. Withdrawal of ground water from the aquifers by pumping probably is causing the declines because the average annual precipitation rate has not changed substantially in central Florida since the 1930s, although yearly rates can vary. A generalized water budget was computed for Orange County from 1991 to 2000. Average rates for the 10-year period for the following budget components were computed based on reported measurements or estimates: precipitation was 53 inches per year (in/yr), runoff was 11 in/yr, spring discharge was 2 in/yr, and net lateral subsurface outflow and exported water was 1 in/yr. Evapotranspiration was 39 in/yr, which was calculated as the residual of the water-budget analysis, assuming changes in storage were negligible. Water-quality samples were collected from April 1999 through May 2001 from a total of 26 wells tapping the surficial aquifer system, 1 well tapping the intermediate confining unit, 24 wells tapping the Upper Floridan aquifer, 2 springs issuing from the Upper Floridan aquifer, and 8 wells tapping the Lower Floridan aquifer. These data were supplemented with existing water-quality data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and St. Johns River Water Management District. Concentrations of total dissolved solids, sulfate, and chloride in samples from the surficial aquifer system generally were low. Concentrations of nitrate were higher in samples from the surficial aquifer system than in samples from the Upper Floridan or Lower Floridan aquifers, probably as a result of agricultural and residential land use. Water type throughout most of the Upper Floridan and Lower Floridan aquifers was calcium or calcium-magnesium bicarbonate, probably as a result of dissolution of the carbonate rocks. Water type in both the surficial and Floridan aquifer systems in eastern Orange County is sodium chloride. Concentrations of total dissolved solids, sulfate, and chloride in the aquifers increase toward eastern Orange County. Data from 16 of 24 wells in eastern Orange County with long-term water-quality records indicated distinct increases in concentrations of chloride over time. The increases probably are related to withdrawal of ground water at the Cocoa well field, causing an upwelling of deeper, more saline water. The most commonly detected trace elements were aluminum, barium, boron, iron, manganese, and strontium. In addition, arse

NUCLEAR FLASH TYPE STEAM GENERATOR

DOEpatents

Johns, F.L.; Gronemeyer, E.C.; Dusbabek, M.R.

1962-09-01

A nuclear steam generating apparatus is designed so that steam may be generated from water heated directly by the nuclear heat source. The apparatus comprises a pair of pressure vessels mounted one within the other, the inner vessel containing a nuclear reactor heat source in the lower portion thereof to which water is pumped. A series of small ports are disposed in the upper portion of the inner vessel for jetting heated water under pressure outwardly into the atmosphere within the interior of the outer vessel, at which time part of the jetted water flashes into steam. The invention eliminates the necessity of any intermediate heat transfer medium and components ordinarily required for handling that medium. (AEC)

Water masses in the Humboldt Current System: Properties, distribution, and the nitrate deficit as a chemical water mass tracer for Equatorial Subsurface Water off Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Nelson; Rojas, Nora; Fedele, Aldo

2009-07-01

Three sections are used to analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of the water masses in the eastern South Pacific and their distributions. Oceanographic data were taken from the SCORPIO (May-June 1967), PIQUERO (May-June 1969), and KRILL (June 1974) cruises. Vertical sections of temperature, salinity, σ θ, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and silicate were used to analyze the water column structure. Five water masses were identified in the zone through T- S diagrams: Subantarctic Water, Subtropical Water, Equatorial Subsurface Water, Antarctic Intermediate Water, and Pacific Deep Water. Their proportions in the sea water mixture are calculated using the mixing triangle method. Vertical sections were used to describe the geographical distributions of the water mass cores in the upper 1500 m. Several characteristic oceanographic features in the study area were analyzed: the shallow salinity minimum displacement towards the equator, the equatorial subsurface salinity maximum associated with a dissolved oxygen minimum zone and a high nutrient content displacement towards the south, and the equatorward intermediate Antarctic salinity minimum associated with a dissolved oxygen maximum. The nitrate deficit generated in the denitrification area off Peru and northern Chile is proposed as a conservative chemical tracer for the Equatorial Subsurface Waters off the coast of Chile, south of 25°S.

Water masses in the Monterey Bay during the summer of 2000

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warn-Varnas, Alex; Gangopadhyay, Avijit; Hawkins, J. A.

2007-06-01

Water masses in Monterey Bay are determined from the CTD casts of the Monterey Ocean Observing System (MOOS) Upper-water-column Science Experiment (MUSE) August 2000 dataset. It is shown through cluster analysis that the MUSE 2000 CTD dataset contains 5 water masses. These five water masses are: bay surface water (BSW), bay warm water (BWW), bay intermediate water (BIW), sub arctic upper water (SUW) and North Pacific deep water (NPDW). The BWW is a new water mass that exists in one area and is attributed to the effects of solar heating. The volumes occupied by each of the water masses are obtained. The BIW water is the most dominant water mass and occupies 68.8% of the volume. The statistical means and standard deviations for each water parameter, including spiciness and oxygen concentration, are calculated during separate upwelling and relaxed periods. The water mass content and structure are analyzed and studied during upwelling and a relaxed period. During upwelling, along a CTD track off Pt. Ano Nuevo, the water mass T, S distribution tended to be organized along three branches. Off Pt. Ano Nuevo the innovative coastal observation network (ICON) model showed the formation of a cyclonic eddy during the analyzed upwelling period. In time the eddy moved southwest and became absorbed into the southerly flow during the initial phases of the following wind-relaxed period.

Non-Rayleigh control of upper-ocean Cd isotope fractionation in the western South Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Ruifang C.; Galer, Stephen J. G.; Abouchami, Wafa; Rijkenberg, Micha J. A.; de Baar, Hein J. W.; De Jong, Jeroen; Andreae, Meinrat O.

2017-08-01

We present seawater Cd isotopic compositions in five depth profiles and a continuous surface water transect, from 50°S to the Equator, in the western South Atlantic, sampled during GEOTRACES cruise 74JC057 (GA02 section, Leg 3), and investigate the mechanisms governing Cd isotope cycling in the upper and deep ocean. The depth profiles generally display high ε 112 / 110Cd at the surface and decrease with increasing depth toward values typical of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). However, at stations north of the Subantarctic Front, the decrease in ε 112 / 110Cd is interrupted by a shift to values intermediate between those of surface and bottom waters, which occurs at depths occupied by North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). This pattern is associated with variations in Cd concentration from low surface values to a maximum at mid-depths and is attributed to preferential utilization of light Cd by phytoplankton in the surface ocean. Our new results show that in this region Cd-deficient waters do not display the extreme, highly fractionated ε 112 / 110Cd reported in some earlier studies from other oceanic regions. Instead, in the surface and subsurface southwest (SW) Atlantic, when [Cd] drops below 0.1 nmol kg-1, ε 112 / 110Cd are relatively homogeneous and cluster around a value of +3.7, in agreement with the mean value of 3.8 ± 3.3 (2SD, n = 164) obtained from a statistical evaluation of the global ocean Cd isotope dataset. We suggest that Cd-deficient surface waters may acquire their Cd isotope signature via sorption of Cd onto organic ligands, colloids or bacterial/picoplankton extracellular functional groups. Alternatively, we show that an open system, steady-state model is in good accord with the observed Cd isotope systematics in the upper ocean north of the Southern Ocean. The distribution of ε 112 / 110Cd in intermediate and deep waters is consistent with the water mass distribution, with the north-south variations reflecting changes in the mixing proportion of NADW and either AABW or AAIW depending on the depth. Overall, the SW Atlantic Cd isotope dataset demonstrates that the large-scale ocean circulation exerts the primary control on ε 112 / 110Cd cycling in the global deep ocean.

Slab temperature controls on the Tonga double seismic zone and slab mantle dehydration

PubMed Central

Wei, S. Shawn; Wiens, Douglas A.; van Keken, Peter E.; Cai, Chen

2017-01-01

Double seismic zones are two-layered distributions of intermediate-depth earthquakes that provide insight into the thermomechanical state of subducting slabs. We present new precise hypocenters of intermediate-depth earthquakes in the Tonga subduction zone obtained using data from local island–based, ocean-bottom, and global seismographs. The results show a downdip compressional upper plane and a downdip tensional lower plane with a separation of about 30 km. The double seismic zone in Tonga extends to a depth of about 300 km, deeper than in any other subduction system. This is due to the lower slab temperatures resulting from faster subduction, as indicated by a global trend toward deeper double seismic zones in colder slabs. In addition, a line of high seismicity in the upper plane is observed at a depth of 160 to 280 km, which shallows southward as the convergence rate decreases. Thermal modeling shows that the earthquakes in this “seismic belt” occur at various pressures but at a nearly constant temperature, highlighting the important role of temperature in triggering intermediate-depth earthquakes. This seismic belt may correspond to regions where the subducting mantle first reaches a temperature of ~500°C, implying that metamorphic dehydration of mantle minerals in the slab provides water to enhance faulting. PMID:28097220

Abrupt Deglacial Changes in Subarctic Pacific Ventilation: Intermediate and Deep Water Ventilation, Oxygen Fluctuations, and the relation to carbon cycle dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lembke-Jene, L.; Tiedemann, R.; Gong, X.; Max, L.; Zou, J.; Shi, X.; Lohmann, G.

2016-12-01

The modern subarctic Pacific halocline prevents the formation of deepwater masses andonly mid-depth waters are ventilated by North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW). During the last glacial, isolation of the deep North Pacific ids thought to have been more pronounced, combined with a better ventilated and expanded NPIW. This glacial deep to intermediate separation, together with upper ocean stratification, has principal implications for the deep ocean storage of carbon, as well as the mid-depth provision of nutrients by NPIW to the lower-latitude thermocline and the Pacific subarctic gyre. To date, conflicting evidence persists how the North Pacific biological and physical carbon pump reorganized during millennial-scale glacial and deglacial changes over the past 50 ka, limiting our understanding of carbon pool dynamics between Pacific ocean and the atmosphere. We present proxydata and paleoclimate modelling evidence for rapid intermediate and deep ocean nutrient and ventilation changes based on a sediment core collection with good temporal and spatial resolution from the Okhotsk Sea, Bering Sea, and the open subarctic North Pacific. High sedimentation rates (20-200 cm/ka) enable us to decipher rapid climatic changes on millennial time scales through MIS 2-3 and with a higher, up to inter-decadal, resolution during the last glacial termination. Paired AMS radiocarbon planktic-benthic ages help us to constrain water mass age changes, while multi-species foraminiferal stable isotope and redox-sensitive elemental time series provide information on past oxygenation and nutrient dynamics. We found evidence for a weaker chemical separation between intermediate and deep water during the glacial than previously thought, with rapid alternations between major NPIW ventilation areas in marginal seas, in particular during Heinrich stadials and the termination. We provide new information about the deglacial mid-depth subarctic Pacific de-oxygenation timing, extent and forcing. Finally, we discuss evidence for the spatial characteristics and causes of observed physical and chemical intermediate and deep ocean changes, based on results from a suite of paleoclimate modelling experiments using the COSMOS Earth System Model, and the high-resolution (eddy-permitting) sea ice - ocean model AWI-FESOM.

Hydrogeology and simulation of the effects of reclaimed-water application in west Orange and southeast Lake counties, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Reilly, Andrew M.

1998-01-01

Wastewater reclamation and reuse has become increasingly popular as water agencies search for alternative water-supply and wastewater-disposal options. Several governmental agencies in central Florida currently use the land-based application of reclaimed water (wastewater that has been treated beyond secondary treatment) as a management alternative to surface-water disposal of wastewater. Water Conserv II, a water reuse project developed jointly by Orange County and the City of Orlando, began operation in December 1986. In 1995, the Water Conserv II facility distributed approximately 28 Mgal/d of reclaimed water for discharge to rapid-infiltration basins (RIBs) and for use as agricultural irrigation. The Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) began operation of RIBs in September 1990, and in 1995 these RIBs received approximately 6.7 Mgal/d of reclaimed water. Analyses of existing data and data collected during the course of this study were combined with ground-water flow modeling and particle-tracking analyses to develop a process-oriented evaluation of the regional effects of reclaimed water applied by Water Conserv II and the RCID RIBs on the hydrology of west Orange and southeast Lake Counties. The ground-water flow system beneath the study area is a multi-aquifer system that consists of a thick sequence of highly permeable carbonate rocks overlain by unconsolidated sediments. The hydrogeologic units are the unconfined surficial aquifer system, the intermediate confining unit, and the confined Floridan aquifer system, which consists of two major permeable zones, the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers, separated by the less permeable middle semiconfining unit. Flow in the surficial aquifer system is dominated regionally by diffuse downward leakage to the Floridan aquifer system and is affected locally by lateral flow systems produced by streams, lakes, and spatial variations in recharge. Ground water generally flows laterally through the Upper Floridan aquifer aquifer to the north and east. Many of the lakes in the study area are landlocked because the mantled karst environment precludes a well developed network of surface-water drainage. The USGS three-dimensional ground-water flow model MODFLOW was used to simulate ground-water flow in the surficial and Floridan aquifer systems. A steady-state calibration to average 1995 conditions was performed by using a parameter estimation program to vary values of surficial aquifer system hydraulic conductivity, intermediate confining unit leakance, and Upper Floridan aquifer transmissivity. The calibrated model generally produced simulated water levels in close agreement with measured water levels and was used to simulate the hydrologic effects of reclaimed-water application under current (1995) and proposed future conditions. In 1995, increases of up to about 40 ft in the water table and less than 5 ft in the Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric surface had occurred as a result of reclaimed-water application. The largest increases were under RIB sites. An average traveltime of 10 years at Water Conserv II and 7 years at the RCID RIBs was required for reclaimed water to move from the water table to the top of the Upper Floridan aquifer. Approximately 67 percent of the reclaimed water applied at the RCID RIB site recharged the Floridan aquifer system, whereas 33 percent discharged from the surficial aquifer system to surface-water features; 99 percent of the reclaimed water applied at Water Conserv II recharged the Floridan aquifer system, whereas only 1 percent discharged from the surficial aquifer system to surface-water features. The majority of reclaimed water applied at both facilities probably will ultimately discharge from the Floridan aquifer system outside the model boundaries. Proposed future conditions were assumed to consist of an additional 11.7 Mgal/d of reclaimed water distributed by the Water Conserv II and RCID facilities. Increases of up to about 20 ft in the water

Chemical Characteristics, Water Sources and Pathways, and Age Distribution of Ground Water in the Contributing Recharge Area of a Public-Supply Well near Tampa, Florida, 2002-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, Brian G.; Crandall, Christy A.; Metz, Patricia A.; McBride, W. Scott; Berndt, Marian P.

2007-01-01

In 2001, the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey began a series of studies on the transport of anthropogenic and natural contaminants (TANC) to public-supply wells. The main goal of the TANC program was to better understand the source, transport, and receptor factors that control contaminant movement to public-supply wells in representative aquifers of the United States. Studies were first conducted at regional scales at four of the eight TANC study areas during 2002-03 and at small (local) scales during 2003-05 in California, Nebraska, Connecticut, and Florida. In the Temple Terrace study area near Tampa, Florida, multiple chemical indicators and geochemical and ground-water flow modeling techniques were used to assess the vulnerability of a public-supply well in the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer to contamination from anthropogenic and naturally occurring contaminants. During 2003-05, water samples were collected from the public-supply well and 13 surrounding monitoring wells that all tap the Upper Floridan aquifer, and from 15 monitoring wells in the overlying surficial aquifer system and the intermediate confining unit that are located within the modeled ground-water contributing recharge area of the public-supply well. Six volatile organic compounds and four pesticides were detected in trace concentrations (well below drinking-water standards) in water from the public-supply well, which had an open interval from 36 to 53 meters below land surface. These contaminants were detected more frequently in water samples from monitoring wells in the overlying clastic surficial aquifer system than in water from monitoring wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer in the study area. Likewise, nitrate-N concentrations in the public-supply well (0.72-1.4 milligrams per liter) were more similar to median concentrations in the oxic surficial aquifer system (2.1 milligrams per liter) than to median nitrate-N concentrations in the anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer (0.06 milligram per liter) under sulfate-reducing conditions. High concentrations of radon-222 and uranium in the public-supply well compared to those in monitoring wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer appear to originate from water moving downward through sands and discontinuous clay lenses that overlie the aquifer. Water samples also were collected from three overlapping depth intervals (38-53, 43-53, and 49-53 meters below land surface) in the public-supply well. The 49- to 53-meter interval was identified as a high-flow zone during geophysical logging of the wellbore. Water samples were collected from these depth intervals at a low pumping rate by placing a low-capacity submersible pump (less than 0.02 cubic meter per minute) at the top of each interval. To represent higher pumping conditions, a large-capacity portable submersible pump (1.6 cubic meters per minute) was placed near the top of the open interval; water-chemistry samples were collected using the low-capacity submersible pump. The 49- to 53-meter depth interval had distinctly different chemistry than the other two sampled intervals. Higher concentrations of nitrate-N, atrazine, radon, trichloromethane (chloroform), and arsenic (and high arsenic (V)/arsenic (III) ratios); lower concentrations of dissolved solids, strontium, iron, manganese, and lower nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios were found in this highly transmissive zone in the limestone than in water from the two other depth intervals. Movement of water likely occurs from the overlying sands and clays of the oxic surficial aquifer system and intermediate confining unit (that contains high radon-222 and nitrate-N concentrations) into the anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer (that contains low radon-222 and nitrate-N concentrations). Differences in arsenic concentrations in water from the various depth intervals in the public-supply well (3.2-19.0 micrograms per liter) were related to pumping conditions. The high arsenic

Diagenesis of Upper Carboniferous rocks in the Ouachita foreland shelf in mid-continent USA: an overview of widespread effects of a Variscan-equivalent orogeny

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walton, A.W.; Wojcik, K.M.; Goldstein, R.H.; Barker, C.E.

1995-01-01

Diagenesis of Upper Carboniferous foreland shelf rocks in southeastern Kansas took place at temperatures as high as 100-150?? C at a depth of less than 2 km. High temperatures are the result of the long distance (hundreds of kilometers) advection of groundwater related to collisional orogeny in the Ouachita tectonic belt to the south. Orogenic activity in the Ouachita area was broadly Late Carboniferous, equivalent to the Variscan activity of Europe. Mississippi Valley-type Pb-Zn deposits and oil and gas fields in the US midcontinent and elsewhere are commonly attributed to regional groundwater flow resulting from such collisional events. This paper describes the diagenesis and thermal effects in sandstone and limestone of Upper Carboniferous siliciclastic and limestone-shale cyclothems, the purported confining layer of a supposed regional aquifer. Diagenesis took place in early, intermediate, and late stages. Many intermediate and late stage events in the sandstones have equivalents in the limestones, suggesting that the causes were regional. The sandstone paragenesis includes siderite cement (early stage), quartz overgrowths (intermediate stage), dissolution of feldspar and carbonates, followed by minor Fe calcite, pore-filling kaolinite and sub-poikilotopic Ca ankerite (late stage). The limestone paragenesis includes calcite cement (early stage); megaquartz, chalcedony, and Fe calcite spar (intermediate stage); and dissolution, Ca-Fe dolomite and kaolinite (late stage). The Rm value of vitrinite shows a regional average of 0.6-0.7%; Rock-Eval TmaX suggests a comparable degree of organic maturity. The Th of aqueous fluid inclusions in late stage Ca-Fe-Mg carbonates ranges from 90 to 160?? and Tmice indicates very saline water (>200000 ppm NaCl equivalent); ??18O suggests that the water is of basinal origin. Local warm spots have higher Rm, Tmax, and Th. The results constrain numerical models of regional fluid migration, which is widely viewed as an artesian flow from recharge areas in the Ouachita belt across the foreland basin onto the foreland shelf area. Such models must account for heating effects that extend at least 500 km from the orogenic front and affect both supposed aquifer beds and the overlying supposed confining layer. Warm spots indicate either more rapid or more prolonged flow locally. Th and Tmice data show the highest temperatures coincided with high salinity fluids. ?? 1995 Springer-Verlag.

User's guide to revised method-of-characteristics solute-transport model (MOC--version 31)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Konikow, Leonard F.; Granato, G.E.; Hornberger, G.Z.

1994-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey computer model to simulate two-dimensional solute transport and dispersion in ground water (Konikow and Bredehoeft, 1978; Goode and Konikow, 1989) has been modified to improve management of input and output data and to provide progressive run-time information. All opening and closing of files are now done automatically by the program. Names of input data files are entered either interactively or using a batch-mode script file. Names of output files, created automatically by the program, are based on the name of the input file. In the interactive mode, messages are written to the screen during execution to allow the user to monitor the status and progress of the simulation and to anticipate total running time. Information reported and updated during a simulation include the current pumping period and time step, number of particle moves, and percentage completion of the current time step. The batch mode enables a user to run a series of simulations consecutively, without additional control. A report of the model's activity in the batch mode is written to a separate output file, allowing later review. The user has several options for creating separate output files for different types of data. The formats are compatible with many commercially available applications, which facilitates graphical postprocessing of model results. Geohydrology and Evaluation of Stream-Aquifer Relations in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, Southeastern Alabama, Northwestern Florida, and Southwestern Georgia By Lynn J. Torak, Gary S. Davis, George A. Strain, and Jennifer G. Herndon Abstract The lower Apalachieola-Chattahoochec-Flint River Basin is underlain by Coastal Plain sediments of pre-Cretaceous to Quaternary age consisting of alternating units of sand, clay, sandstone, dolomite, and limestone that gradually thicken and dip gently to the southeast. The stream-aquifer system consism of carbonate (limestone and dolomite) and elastic sediments, which define the Upper Floridan aquifer and Intermediate system, in hydraulic connection with the principal rivers of the basin and other surface-water features, natural and man made. Separate digital models of the Upper Flori-dan aquifer and Intermediate system were constructed by using the U.S. Geological Survey's MODular Finite-Element model of two dimensional ground-water flow, based on concep- tualizations of the stream-aquifer system, and calibrated to drought conditions of October 1986. Sensitivity analyses performed on the models indicated that aquifer hydraulic conductivity, lateral and vertical boundary flows, and pumpage have a strong influence on groundwater levels. Simulated pumpage increases in the Upper Floridan aquifer, primarily in the Dougherty Plain physiographic district of Georgia,. caused significant reductions in aquifer discharge to streams that eventually flow to Lake Seminole and the Apalachicola River and Bay. Simulated pumpage increases greater than 3 times the October 1986 rates caused drying ofsome stream reaches and parts of the Upper Floridan aquifer in Georgia. Water budgets prepared from simulation results indicate that ground- water discharge to streams and recharge by horizontal and vertical flow are the principal mechanisms for moving water through the flow system. The potential for changes in ground-water quality is high in areas where chemical constituents can be mobilized by these mechanisms. Less than 2 percent of ground-water discharge to streams comes from the Intermediate system; thus, it plays a minor role in the hydrodynamics of the stream- aquifer system.

Late Holocene Radiocarbon Variability in Northwest Atlantic Slope Waters

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

Sherwood, O; Edinger, E; Guilderson, T P

2008-08-15

Deep-sea gorgonian corals secrete a 2-part skeleton of calcite, derived from dissolved inorganic carbon at depth, and gorgonin, derived from recently fixed and exported particulate organic matter. Radiocarbon contents of the calcite and gorgonin provide direct measures of seawater radiocarbon at depth and in the overlying surface waters, respectively. Using specimens collected from Northwest Atlantic slope waters, we generated radiocarbon records for surface and upper intermediate water layers spanning the pre- and post bomb-{sup 14}C eras. In Labrador Slope Water (LSW), convective mixing homogenizes the pre-bomb {Delta}{sup 14}C signature (-67 {+-} 4{per_thousand}) to at least 1000 m depth. Surface watermore » bomb-{sup 14}C signals were lagged and damped (peaking at {approx} +45{per_thousand} in the early 1980s) relative to other regions of the northwest Atlantic, and intermediate water signals were damped further. Off southwest Nova Scotia, the vertical gradient in {Delta}{sup 14}C is much stronger. In surface water, pre-bomb {Delta}{sup 14}C averaged -75 {+-} 5{per_thousand}. At 250-475 m depth, prebomb {Delta}{sup 14}C oscillated quasi-decadally between -80 and -100{per_thousand}, likely reflecting interannual variability in the presence of Labrador Slope Water vs. Warm Slope Water (WSW). Finally, subfossil corals reveal no systematic changes in vertical {Delta}{sup 14}C gradients over the last 1200 years.« less

Dry Juan de Fuca slab revealed by quantification of water entering Cascadia subduction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canales, J. P.; Carbotte, S. M.; Nedimović, M. R.; Carton, H.

2017-11-01

Water is carried by subducting slabs as a pore fluid and in structurally bound minerals, yet no comprehensive quantification of water content and how it is stored and distributed at depth within incoming plates exists for any segment of the global subduction system. Here we use seismic data to quantify the amount of pore and structurally bound water in the Juan de Fuca plate entering the Cascadia subduction zone. Specifically, we analyse these water reservoirs in the sediments, crust and lithospheric mantle, and their variations along the central Cascadia margin. We find that the Juan de Fuca lower crust and mantle are drier than at any other subducting plate, with most of the water stored in the sediments and upper crust. Variable but limited bend faulting along the margin limits slab access to water, and a warm thermal structure resulting from a thick sediment cover and young plate age prevents significant serpentinization of the mantle. The dryness of the lower crust and mantle indicates that fluids that facilitate episodic tremor and slip must be sourced from the subducted upper crust, and that decompression rather than hydrous melting must dominate arc magmatism in central Cascadia. Additionally, dry subducted lower crust and mantle can explain the low levels of intermediate-depth seismicity in the Juan de Fuca slab.

Tritium in the western Mediterranean Sea during 1981 Phycemed cruise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrie, Chantal; Merlivat, Liliane

1988-02-01

We report on simultaneous hydrological and tritium data taken in the western Mediterranean Sea during April 1981 and which implement our knowledge of the spatial and temporal variability of the convection process occurring in the Northern Basin (Gulf of Lion, Ligurian Sea). The renewal time of the deep waters in the Medoc area is calculated to be 11 ± 2 years using a box-model assymption. An important local phenomenon of "cascading" off the Ebro River near the Spanish coast is, noticeable by the use of tritium data. In the Sardinia Straits area tritium data indicate very active mixing between 100 and 500 m depth. The tritium subsurface maxima in Sardinia Straits suggests the influence of not only the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) but also an important shallower component. In waters deeper than 500m, an active mixing occurs between the deep water and the LIW via an intermediate water mass from the Tyrrhenian Sea by "salt-fingering". Assuming a two end-member mixing. We determine the deep tritium content in the Sardinia Channel to be 1.8 TU. For comparison, the deep tritium content of the Northern Basin is equal to 1.3 TU. Tritium data relative to the Alboran Sea show that a layer of high tritium content persists all along its path from Sardifia to Gibraltar on a density surface shallower than the intermediate water. The homogeneity of the deep tritium concentrations between 1200 m depth and the bottom corroborate the upward "pumping" and westward circulation of deep waters along the continental slope of the North African Shelf. From the data measured in the Sardinia Straits and in the Alboran Sea, and upper limit of the deep advection rate of the order of 0.5 cm s-1 is estimated.

Widespread methane leakage from the sea floor on the northern US Atlantic margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skarke, Adam; Ruppel, Carolyn; Kodis, Mali'o; Brothers, Daniel S.; Lobecker, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

Methane emissions from the sea floor affect methane inputs into the atmosphere, ocean acidification and de-oxygenation, the distribution of chemosynthetic communities and energy resources. Global methane flux from seabed cold seeps has only been estimated for continental shelves, at 8 to 65 Tg CH4 yr−1, yet other parts of marine continental margins are also emitting methane. The US Atlantic margin has not been considered an area of widespread seepage, with only three methane seeps recognized seaward of the shelf break. However, massive upper-slope seepage related to gas hydrate degradation has been predicted for the southern part of this margin, even though this process has previously only been recognized in the Arctic. Here we use multibeam water-column backscatter data that cover 94,000 km2 of sea floor to identify about 570 gas plumes at water depths between 50 and 1,700 m between Cape Hatteras and Georges Bank on the northern US Atlantic passive margin. About 440 seeps originate at water depths that bracket the updip limit for methane hydrate stability. Contemporary upper-slope seepage there may be triggered by ongoing warming of intermediate waters, but authigenic carbonates observed imply that emissions have continued for more than 1,000 years at some seeps. Extrapolating the upper-slope seep density on this margin to the global passive margin system, we suggest that tens of thousands of seeps could be discoverable.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies of Iranian Upper-Intermediate EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khatib, Mohammad; Hassanzadeh, Mohammad; Rezaei, Saeed

2011-01-01

This study examines the preferred vocabulary learning strategies of Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners. In order to identify the aforementioned group in terms of language proficiency, a TOEFL test was administered to a population of 146 undergraduate EFL students at the university of Vali-e-Asr in Rafsanjan, Iran. Those scoring above 480 were…

On Suspended matter grain size in Baltic sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bubnova, Ekaterina; Sivkov, Vadim; Zubarevich, Victor

2016-04-01

Suspended matter grain size data were gathered during the 25th research vessel "Akademik Mstislav Keldysh" cruise (1991, September-October). Initial quantitative data were obtained with a use of the Coulter counter and subsequently modified into volume concentrations (mm3/l) for size intervals. More than 80 samples from 15 stations were analyzed (depth range 0-355 m). The main goal of research was to illustrate the spatial variability of suspended matter concentration and dispersion in Baltic Sea. The mutual feature of suspended matter grain size distribution is the logical rise of particle number along with descending of particle's size. Vertical variability of grain size distribution was defined by Baltic Sea hydrological structure, including upper mixed layer - from the surface to the thermocline - with 35 m thick, cold intermediate layer - from the thermocline to the halocline- and bottom layer, which lied under the halocline. Upper layer showed a rise in total suspended matter concentration (up to 0.6 mm3/l), while cold intermediate level consisted of far more clear water (up to 0.1 mm3/l). Such a difference is caused by the thermocline boarding role. Meanwhile, deep bottom water experienced surges in suspended matter concentration owing to the nepheloid layer presence and "liquid bottom" effect. Coastal waters appeared to have the highest amount of particles (up to 5.0 mm3/l). Suspended matter grain size distribution in the upper mixed layer revealed a peak of concentration at 7 μ, which can be due to autumn plankton bloom. Another feature in suspended matter grain size distribution appeared at the deep layer below halocline, where both O2 and H2S were observed and red/ox barrier is. The simultaneous presence of Fe and Mn (in solutions below red/ox barrier) and O2 leads to precipitation of oxyhydrates Fe and Mn and grain size distribution graph peaking at 4.5 μ.

Southern Ocean Circulation: a High Resolution Examination of the Last Deglaciation from Deep-Sea Corals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, L. F.; Li, T.; Chen, T.; Burke, A.; Pegrum Haram, A.; Stewart, J.; Rae, J. W. B.; van de Flierdt, T.; Struve, T.; Wilson, D. J.

2017-12-01

Two decades ago it was first noted that the skeletal remains of deep-sea corals had the potential to provide absolutely dated archives of past ocean conditions. In the intervening twenty years this field has developed to the point where strategic collections and high throughput dating techniques now allow high resolution, well dated records of past deep sea behaviour to be produced. Likewise, efforts to improve understanding of biomineralisation and growth rates are leading to refinements in proxy tools useful for examining circulation, nutrient and carbon cycling, temperature and weathering processes. Deep-sea corals are particularly valuable archives in high latitude regions where radiocarbon-based age models are susceptible to large changes in surface reservoir ages. In this presentation we show new high resolution multiproxy records of the Southern Ocean (Drake Passage) made on U-Th dated corals spanning the last glacial cycle. With more than seventeen hundred reconnaissance ages, and around 200 precise isotope dilution U-Th ages, subtle changes in ocean behaviour can be identified during times of abrupt climate change. The geochemical signature of corals from the deepest sites, closest to modern day Lower Circumpolar Deep Waters, typically show a gradual shift from glacial to Holocene values during deglaciation, likely related to ventilation of the deep ocean. By contrast for the samples collected shallower in the water column (within sites currently bathed by Upper Circumpolar Deep Waters and Antarctic Intermediate and Mode Waters) the evidence points to a more complicated picture. Vertical zonation in the geochemical data suggests that periods of stratification are interspersed with mixing events within the upper 1500m of the water column. At the same time comparison to U-Th dated records from the low latitude Pacific and Atlantic points to an important role for the Southern Ocean in feeding the intermediate waters of both ocean basins throughout the deglaciation.

44. DETAIL VIEW OF CONTROL PANEL IN UPPER WEST WALL ...

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

44. DETAIL VIEW OF CONTROL PANEL IN UPPER WEST WALL CONTROL STATION, LOOKING EAST. UPPER INTERMEDIATE WALL AND UPPER EAST WALL CONTROL STATIONS IN BACKGROUND - Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 27, Granite City, Madison County, IL

Shell preservation of Limacina inflata (Pteropoda) in surface sediments from the Central and South Atlantic Ocean: a new proxy to determine the aragonite saturation state of water masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerhardt, Sabine; Henrich, Rüdiger

2001-08-01

Over 300 surface sediment samples from the Central and South Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea were investigated for the preservation state of the aragonitic test of Limacina inflata. Results are displayed in spatial distribution maps and are plotted against cross-sections of vertical water mass configurations, illustrating the relationship between preservation state, saturation state of the overlying waters, and overall water mass distribution. The microscopic investigation of L. inflata (adults) yielded the Limacina dissolution index (LDX), and revealed three regional dissolution patterns. In the western Atlantic Ocean, sedimentary preservation states correspond to saturation states in the overlying waters. Poor preservation is found within intermediate water masses of southern origin (i.e. Antarctic intermediate water (AAIW), upper circumpolar water (UCDW)), which are distinctly aragonite-corrosive, whereas good preservation is observed within the surface waters above and within the upper North Atlantic deep water (UNADW) beneath the AAIW. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, in particular along the African continental margin, the LDX fails in most cases (i.e. less than 10 tests of L. inflata per sample were found). This is most probably due to extensive "metabolic" aragonite dissolution at the sediment-water interface combined with a reduced abundance of L. inflata in the surface waters. In the Caribbean Sea, a more complex preservation pattern is observed because of the interaction between different water masses, which invade the Caribbean basins through several channels, and varying input of bank-derived fine aragonite and magnesian calcite material. The solubility of aragonite increases with increasing pressure, but aragonite dissolution in the sediments does not simply increase with water depth. Worse preservation is found in intermediate water depths following an S-shaped curve. As a result, two aragonite lysoclines are observed, one above the other. In four depth transects, we show that the western Atlantic and Caribbean LDX records resemble surficial calcium carbonate data and δ13C and carbonate ion concentration profiles in the water column. Moreover, preservation of L. inflata within AAIW and UCDW improves significantly to the north, whereas carbonate corrosiveness diminishes due to increased mixing of AAIW and UNADW. The close relationship between LDX values and aragonite contents in the sediments shows much promise for the quantification of the aragonite loss under the influence of different water masses. LDX failure and uncertainties may be attributed to (1) aragonite dissolution due to bottom water corrosiveness, (2) aragonite dissolution due to additional CO 2 release into the bottom water by the degradation of organic matter based on an enhanced supply of organic matter into the sediment, (3) variations in the distribution of L. inflata and hence a lack of supply into the sediment, (4) dilution of the sediments and hence a lack of tests of L. inflata, or (5) redeposition of sediment particles.

Hydrological and chlorofluoromethane measurements of the Indonesian throughflow entering the Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fieux, M.; Andrié, C.; Charriaud, E.; Ilahude, A. G.; Metzl, N.; Molcard, R.; Swallow, J. C.

1996-05-01

The Java Australia Dynamic Experiment high-resolution February-March 1992 conductivity-temperature-depth and chlorofluoromethane section obtained between Australia and Bali and on the sills between Flores, Sumba, Sawu, Roti, and the Australian continental shelf allows detailed examination of the water masses distribution and their inferred circulation. A sharp hydrological front between the Indonesian waters and the southern Indian Ocean waters is found between 13°S and 14°S in both seasons (February-March 1992 and August 1989). It separates the high-salinity surface waters to the south from the lower-salinity surface waters derived from the Indonesian Seas to the north. It reaches the surface in February 1992, whereas it was capped by a particularly low salinity surface layer in August 1989. Near Bali, the NW monsoon of February-March produces large intrusions of low-salinity water from the Java Sea, through Lombok Strait in the upper 100 m. At depth, the North Indian Intermediate Water, flowing along the Indonesian coast, brings salty, low-oxygen and low-chlorofluorocarbon water. It enters the Sawu Sea through Sumba Strait toward the east, while it undergoes strong mixing with the Indonesian Seas water. The primary pathway of the Indonesian waters is found north of the front and south of the North Indian Intermediate Water, between 13°S and 9°30'S, and the associated salinity minimum can be followed all across the Indian Ocean.

Toward a Taxonomy of Errors in Iranian EFL Learners' Basic-Level Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmani Nodoushan, Mohammad Ali

2018-01-01

This study attempted at classifying common errors found in the written performance of lower- and upper-intermediate Iranian EFL learners. It engaged a rich corpus of EFL writing samples collected over a course of 20 years (between 1992 and 2011) from lower- and upper-intermediate EFL learners studying at various Iranian universities to provide a…

Transport of terrigenous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons affected by the coastal upwelling in the northwestern coast of South China Sea.

PubMed

Ya, Miaolei; Wu, Yuling; Li, Yongyu; Wang, Xinhong

2017-10-01

Coastal upwelling prevails in the coast of Hainan Island, the northern South China Sea (SCS) during summer. We studied the influences of the upwelling on the horizontal and vertical transport of terrigenous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs in dissolved and suspended particulate phase of water samples were determined in the upper (depth < 1 m) and water column (depth > 10 m). PAH levels decreased sharply from inshore to offshore to open sea. The results showed that terrestrial input was the main source of coastal PAHs. Perylene, an important indicator of land plant-derived PAH, showed the significant correlation with PAHs (p < 0.005). This implied that fluvial transport was the primary pathway of terrigenous PAHs into the coast of northern SCS. Variations of the concentrations, compositions and diagnostic ratios of PAHs, accompanied the partition equilibrium in the water column, could indicate the selective degradation of PAHs by the plankton affected by upwelling. Different from the "traditional" transport pathway of PAHs in the water column (surface enrichment-depth depletion distribution), the upwelling could provide the original driver to elevate the upward diffusion of sediment entrained contaminants towards the intermediate even the upper waters. It could also enhance the outward diffusion of terrigenous PAHs accompanied by the offshore transport of the upper waters. Therefore, the transport pathway of PAHs can be summarized by the coastal upwelling rising PAHs with their subsequent transport offshore and settling in the adjacent open sea. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Local point sources that affect ground-water quality in the East Meadow area, Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heisig, Paul M.

1994-01-01

The extent and chemical characteristics of ground water affected by three local point sources--a stormwater basin, uncovered road-salt-storage piles, and an abandoned sewage-treatment plant--were delineated during a 3-year study of the chemical characteristics and migration of a body of reclaimed wastewater that was applied to the watertable aquifer during recharge experiments from October 1982 through January 1984 in East Meadow. The timing, magnitude, and chemical quality of recharge from these point sources is highly variable, and all sources have the potential to skew determinations of the quality of ambient ground-water and of the reclaimed-wastewater plume if they are not taken into account. Ground water affected by recharge from the stormwater basin is characterized by low concentrations of nitrate + nitrite (less than 5 mg/L [milligrams per liter] as N) and sulfate (less than 40 mg/L) and is almost entirely within the upper glacial aquifer. The plume derived from road-salt piles is narrow, has high concentrations of chloride (greater than 50 mg/L) and sodium (greater than 75 mg/L), and also is limited to the upper glacial aquifer. The sodium, in high concentrations, could react with aquifer material and exchange for sorbed cations such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Water affected by secondary-treated sewage from the abandoned treatment plant extends 152 feet below land surface into the upper part of the Magothy aquifer and longitudinally beyond the southern edge of the study area, 7,750 feet south of the recharge site. Ground water affected by secondary-treated sewage within the study area typically contains elevated concentrations of reactive chemical constituents, such as potassium and ammonium, and low concentrations of dissolved oxygen. Conservative or minimally reactive constituents such as chloride and sodium have been transported out of the study area in the upper glacial aquifer and the intermediate (transitional) zone but remain in the less permeable upper part of the Magothy aquifer. Identification of the three point sources and delineation of their areas of influence improved definition of ambient ground-water quality and delineation of the reclaimed-wastewater plume.

Assessment of the hydrogeology and water quality in a near-shore well field, Sarasota, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Broska, J.C.; Knochenmus, L.A.

1996-01-01

The city of Sarasota, Florida, operates a downtown well field that pumps mineralized water from ground water sources to supply a reverse osmosis plant. Because of the close proximity of the well field to Sarasota Bay and the high sulfate and chloride concentrations of ground-water supplies, a growing concern exists about the possibility of lateral movement of saltwater in a landward direction (intrusion) and vertical movement of relict sea water (upconing). In 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey began a 3-year study to evaluate the hydraulic characteristics and water quality of ground-water resources within the downtown well field and the surrounding 235-square-mile study area. Delineation of the hydrogeology of the study area was based on water- quality data, aquifer test data, and extensive borehole geophysical surveys (including gamma, caliper, temperature, electrical resistivity, and flow meter logs) from the six existing production wells and from a corehole drilled as part of the study, as well as from published and unpublished reports on file at the U.S. Geological Survey, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and consultant's reports. Water-quality data were examined for spatial and temporal trends that might relate to the mechanism for observed water-quality changes. Water quality in the study area appears to be dependent upon several mechanisms, including upconing of higher salinity water from deeper zones within the aquifer system, interbore-hole flow between zones of varying water quality through improperly cased and corroded wells, migration of highly mineralized waters through structural deformities, and the presence of unflushed relict seawater. A numerical ground-water flow model was developed as an interpretative tool where field-derived hydrologic characteristics could be tested. The conceptual model consisted of seven layers to represent the multilayered aquifer systems underlying the study area. Particle tracking was utilized to delineate the travel path of water as it enters the model area under a set of given conditions. Within the model area, simulated flow in the intermediate aquifer system originates primarily from the northwestern boundary. Simulated flow in the Upper Floridan aquifer originates in lower model layers (deeper flow zones) and ultimately can be traced to the southeastern and northwestern boundaries. Volumetric budgets calculated from numerical simulation of a hypothetical well field indicate that the area of contribution to the well field changes seasonally. Although ground-water flow patterns change with wet and dry seasons, most water enters the well-field flow system through lower parts of the Upper Floridan aquifer from a southeastern direction. Moreover, particle tracking indicated that ground-water flow paths with strictly lateral pathlines in model layers correspond to the intermediate aquifer system, whereas particles traced through model layers corresponding to the Upper Floridan aquifer had components of vertical and lateral flow.

South Atlantic circulation in a world ocean model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

England, Matthew H.; Garçon, Véronique C.

1994-09-01

The circulation in the South Atlantic Ocean has been simulated within a global ocean general circulation model. Preliminary analysis of the modelled ocean circulation in the region indicates a rather close agreement of the simulated upper ocean flows with conventional notions of the large-scale geostrophic currents in the region. The modelled South Atlantic Ocean witnesses the return flow and export of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) at its northern boundary, the inflow of a rather barotropic Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) through the Drake Passage, and the inflow of warm saline Agulhas water around the Cape of Good Hope. The Agulhas leakage amounts to 8.7 Sv, within recent estimates of the mass transport shed westward at the Agulhas retroflection. Topographic steering of the ACC dominates the structure of flow in the circumpolar ocean. The Benguela Current is seen to be fed by a mixture of saline Indian Ocean water (originating from the Agulhas Current) and fresher Subantarctic surface water (originating in the ACC). The Benguela Current is seen to modify its flow and fate with depth; near the surface it flows north-westwards bifurcating most of its transport northward into the North Atlantic Ocean (for ultimate replacement of North Atlantic surface waters lost to the NADW conveyor). Deeper in the water column, more of the Benguela Current is destined to return with the Brazil Current, though northward flows are still generated where the Benguela Current extension encounters the coast of South America. At intermediate levels, these northward currents trace the flow of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) equatorward, though even more AAIW is seen to recirculate poleward in the subtropical gyre. In spite of the model's rather coarse resolution, some subtle features of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence are simulated rather well, including the latitude at which the two currents meet. Conceptual diagrams of the recirculation and interocean exchange of thermocline, intermediate and deep waters are constructed from an analysis of flows bound between isothermal and isobaric surfaces. This analysis shows how the return path of NADW is partitioned between a cold water route through the Drake Passage (6.5 Sv), a warm water route involving the Agulhas Current sheeding thermocline water westward (2.5 Sv), and a recirculation of intermediate water originating in the Indian Ocean (1.6 Sv).

Impact of Explicit Vocabulary Instruction on Writing Achievement of Upper-Intermediate EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solati-Dehkordi, Seyed Amir; Salehi, Hadi

2016-01-01

Studying explicit vocabulary instruction effects on improving L2 learners' writing skill and their short and long-term retention is the purpose of the present study. To achieve the mentioned goal, a fill-in-the-blank test including 36 single words and 60 lexical phrases were administrated to 30 female upper-intermediate EFL learners. The EFL…

Distribution and origin of salinity in the surficial and intermediate aquifer systems, southwestern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmerge, David L.

2001-01-01

Chloride concentrations in the surficial and intermediate aquifer systems in southwestern Florida indicate a general trend of increasing salinity coastward and with depth. There are some notable exceptions to this trend. Brackish water is present in the sandstone and mid-Hawthorn aquifers in several inland areas in Lee County. In an area near the coast in Collier County, the lower Tamiami aquifer contains freshwater, with brackish water present farther inland. Saline water is present in the lower Tamiami aquifer along the coast in Collier County, but water is brackish in the underlying mid-Hawthorn and Upper Floridan aquifers. The analyses of major ions, hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, and strontium isotopes indicate the primary sources of salinity are underlying aquifers and the Gulf of Mexico. Based on these data, much of the salinity is from upward leakage of brackish water from underlying aquifers. Discharge as diffuse upward leakage and artesian wells are two possible pathways of saltwater intrusion from underlying aquifers. Artesian wells open to multiple aquifers have been pathways of saltwater intrusion in the sandstone and mid-Hawthorn aquifers in much of Lee County. The source of brackish water in the lower Tamiami and mid-Hawthorn aquifers in Collier County may be natural diffuse leakage from underlying aquifers. The source of the saline water in the lower Tamiami aquifer in Collier County is apparently the Gulf of Mexico; it is unclear however, whether this saline water is residual water from former Pleistocene sea invasions or recent saltwater intrusion.

Upper Ocean Circulation in the Glacial Northeast Atlantic during Heinrich Stadials Ice-Sheet Retreat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toucanne, S.; Soulet, G.; Bosq, M.; Marjolaine, S.; Zaragosi, S.; Bourillet, J. F.; Bayon, G.

2016-12-01

Intermediate ocean water variability is involved in climate changes over geological timescales. As a prominent example, changes in North Atlantic subsurface water properties (including warming) during Heinrich Stadials may have triggered the so-called Heinrich events through ice-shelf loss and attendant ice-stream acceleration. While the origin of Heinrich Stadials and subsequent iceberg calving remains controversial, paleoceanographic research efforts mainly focus on the deep Atlantic overturning, leaving the upper ocean largely unexplored. To further evaluate variability in upper ocean circulation and its possible relationship with ice-sheet instabilities, a depth-transect of eight cores (BOBGEO and GITAN-TANDEM cruises) from the Northeast Atlantic (down to 2 km water depth) have been used to investigate kinematic and chemical changes in the upper ocean during the last glacial period. Our results reveal that near-bottom flow speeds (reconstructed by using sortable silt mean grain-size and X-ray fluorescence core-scanner Zr/Rb ratio) and water-masses chemistry (carbon and neodymium isotopes performed on foraminifera) substantially changed in phase with the millennial-scale climate changes recognized in the ice-core records. Our results are compared with paleoceanographic reconstructions of the 'Western Boundary Undercurrent' in order to discuss regional hydrographic differences at both sides of the North Atlantic, as well as with the fluctuations of both the marine- (through ice-rafted debris) and terrestrial-terminating ice-streams (through meltwater discharges) of the circum-Atlantic ice-sheets. Particular attention will be given to the Heinrich Stadials and concomitant Channel River meltwater discharges into the Northeast Atlantic in response to the melting of the European Ice-Sheet. This comparison helps to disentangle the cryosphere-ocean interactions throughout the last ice age, and the sequence of events occurring in the course of the Heinrich Stadials.

Comparative study of fluvial lakes in floodplains of the Elbe, Lužnice and Svratka Rivers based on hydrochemical and biological approach.

PubMed

Havlíková, Petra; Chuman, Tomáš; Janský, Bohumír

2017-11-17

The aim of the thesis was to specify key differences in chemistry and biota (zooplankton communities) among fluvial lakes in three regions of the Czech Republic: the central part of the Elbe River, the upper part of the Lužnice River and the upper part of the Svratka River. The ten studied lakes of the three regions differ in size, geology, shading, connection with the river and the level of anthropogenic impact. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) The water chemistry of fluvial lakes significantly differs in different floodplains. In the central Elbe River floodplain, there are the highest values of conductivity and concentrations of organic matter and nutrients. Fluvial lakes of the Svratka River floodplain show the lowest level of these parameters, and fluvial lakes of the upper Lužnice River have levels intermediate between the two previous regions. (2) The chemistry of fluvial lakes that have contact with the river through surface connection is significantly influenced by the river. (3) The structure of zooplankton differs in different lakes due to the geographical distance between locations, their different altitude and water chemistry. The PCA analysis of selected parameters of the water chemistry revealed a close relationship of locations in the central Elbe River floodplain on the one side and close relationship of the locations in the upper Lužnice River and Svratka River on the other. However, the amount of organic matter, nitrogen (with the exception of nitrates) and phosphorus was independent of the region. The relationship between the extent of the lake-river connection and the water chemistry was not significant. The hypothesis that the zooplankton differ in different lakes was not proved-the species composition was similar in all the lakes.

The effect of hydraulic lift on organic matter decomposition, soil nitrogen cycling, and nitrogen acquisition by a grass species.

PubMed

Armas, Cristina; Kim, John H; Bleby, Timothy M; Jackson, Robert B

2012-01-01

Hydraulic lift (HL) is the passive movement of water through plant roots, driven by gradients in water potential. The greater soil-water availability resulting from HL may in principle lead to higher plant nutrient uptake, but the evidence for this hypothesis is not universally supported by current experiments. We grew a grass species common in North America in two-layer pots with three treatments: (1) the lower layer watered, the upper one unwatered (HL), (2) both layers watered (W), and (3) the lower layer watered, the upper one unwatered, but with continuous light 24 h a day to limit HL (no-HL). We inserted ingrowth cores filled with enriched-nitrogen organic matter ((15)N-OM) in the upper layer and tested whether decomposition, mineralization and uptake of (15)N were higher in plants performing HL than in plants without HL. Soils in the upper layer were significantly wetter in the HL treatment than in the no-HL treatment. Decomposition rates were similar in the W and HL treatments and lower in no-HL. On average, the concentration of NH(4)(+)-N in ingrowth cores was highest in the W treatment, and NO(3)(-)-N concentrations were highest in the no-HL treatment, with HL having intermediate values for both, suggesting differential mineralization of organic N among treatments. Aboveground biomass, leaf (15)N contents and the (15)N uptake in aboveground tissues were higher in W and HL than in no-HL, indicating higher nutrient uptake and improved N status of plants performing HL. However, there were no differences in total root nitrogen content or (15)N uptake by roots, indicating that HL affected plant allocation of acquired N to photosynthetic tissues. Our evidence for the role of HL in organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling suggests that HL could have positive effects on plant nutrient dynamics and nutrient turnover.

Transmissivity and water quality of water-producing zones in the intermediate aquifer system, Sarasota County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knochenmus, L.A.; Bowman, Geronia

1998-01-01

The intermediate aquifer system is an important water source in Sarasota County, Florida, because the quality of water in it is usually better than that in the underlying Upper Floridan aquifer. The intermediate aquifer system consists of a group of up to three water-producing zones separated by less-permeable units that restrict the vertical movement of ground water between zones. The diverse lithology, that makes up the intermediate aquifer system, reflects the variety of depositional environments that occurred during the late Oligocene and Miocene epochs. Slight changes in the depositional environment resulted in aquifer heterogeneity, creating both localized connection between water-producing zones and abrupt culmination of water-producing zones that are not well documented. Aquifer heterogeneity results in vertical and areal variability in hydraulic and water-quality properties. The uppermost water-producing zone is designated producing zone 1 but is not extensively used because of its limited production capability and limited areal extent. The second water-producing zone is designated producing zone 2, and most of the domestic- and irrigation-supply wells in the area are open to this zone. Additionally, producing zone 2 is utilized for public supply in southern coastal areas of Sarasota County. Producing zone 3 is the lowermost and most productive water-producing zone in the intermediate aquifer system. Public-supply well fields serving the cities of Sarasota and Venice, as well as the Plantation and Mabry Carlton Reserve well fields, utilize producing zone 3. Heads within the intermediate aquifer system generally increase with aquifer depth. However, localized head-gradient reversals occur in the study area, coinciding with sites of intense ground-water withdrawals. Heads in producing zones 1, 2, and 3 range from 1 to 23, 0.2 to 34, and 7 to 42 feet above sea level, respectively. Generally, an upward head gradient exists between producing zones 3 and 2. However, an upward head gradient between producing zones 2 and 1 does not consistently occur throughout Sarasota County, probably the result of greater ground-water withdrawals from producing zone 2 than from producing zone 1. The transmissivity of the intermediate aquifer system is spatially variable. Specific-capacity data from selected wells penetrating producing zones 2 and 3, were used to estimate transmissivity. Estimated transmissivity values for producing zones 2 and 3 range from about 100 to 26,000 feet squared per day and from about 1,300 to 6,200 feet squared per day, respectively. Because the capacity of specific water-producing zones is highly variable from site to site, estimating the performance of a specific water-producing zone as a water resource is difficult. Water samples collected during the study were analyzed for major-ion concentrations. Generally, bicarbonate type water from rock interaction occurs in northern Sarasota County; enriched calcium-magnesium-sulfate type water from deeper aquifers occurs in central Sarasota County; and sodium-chloride type water from saltwater mixing occurs in southern Sarasota County. In some areas of northern Sarasota County, the major-ion concentrations in water are lower in producing zone 2 than in producing zone 1. Major-ion concentrations in water are higher in producing zone 3 throughout the study area. A major objective of the study was to evaluate hydraulic and water-quality data to determine distinctions that could be used to characterize a particular producing zone. However, data indicate that both hydraulic and water-quality properties are highly variable within and between zones, and are more related to the degree of connection between and areal extent of water-producing zones than to aquifer depth and distance from the coast.

A Milankovitch climate control on the Middle Miocene Mediterranean Intermediate Water: evidence from benthic microfauna and isotope geochemistry of the Ras Il-Pellegrin composite section (Malta island, central Mediterranean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocca, D.; Bellanca, A.; Neri, R.; Russo, B.; Sgarrella, F.; Sprovieri, M.

2003-04-01

The marly sediments of the Blue Clay Formation in the upper part of the Middle Miocene Ras il-Pellegrin composite section (Malta island, central Mediterranean) have been investigated by integrated analysis of benthic microfauna and planktonic and benthic oxygen isotopes. The astronomical calibration of the whole section, obtained by using the astronomical solution of Laskar et al. (1993), indicates for deposition of the analysed sediments a time interval ranging between 13.75 and 12.32 Ma (Sprovieri et al., 2002). This time interval is useful to investigate the oceanographic evolution of the (paleo)Mediterranean after the interruption of communications between the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific areas. This important paleogeographic event, estimated at about 16 Ma by Johnson (1985) and at about 14.5 Ma by Woodruff and Savin (1991), represented the first step of a progressive oceanographic evolution of the Tethys region water masses towards present Mediterranean conditions. A comparison of long-term planktonic and benthic d18O trends suggests that the intermediate outflowing Mediterranean water (proto-MIW), originated in the surface eastern zone of upper Langhian lower Serravallian (paleo)Mediterranean, had hydrographic and hydrodynamic features similar to those of the present Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW). Focusing our attention on benthic species which can be considered the best recorders of variation of proto-MIW production, we elaborated benthic data by Q-mode varimax principal factor analysis. Spectral analysis was carried out only on two factors which have a clear paleoecological significance: Factor 1 (loaded by Cibicidoides ungerianus and Siphonina reticulata) indicative of oxic bottom waters and Factor 2 (loaded by Bulimina elongata group) indicative of oxygen stressed conditions. Results of these analyses show that Factor 1 and Factor 2 curves are respectively in and out of phase with maxima of the eccentricity (100 and 400 kyr). Factor 1 is interpreted as a tracer of high production of proto-MIW, during periods of high eccentricity and, probably, precession minima, characterized by coldest winter seasons. These results point out a direct link between selected benthic species, long term astronomical forcing, and deep water response and provide an useful tool for astronomical calibration of geological time and paleoceanographic reconstructions. REFERENCES Johnson D. (1985). Abyssal teleconnections II. Initation of Antarctic Bottom Water flow in the southwestern Atlantic. In: Hsű K. And Weissert H. eds. - South Atlantic paleoceanography, 283-325, Cambridge (Cambridge University Press). Laskar J., Joutel F. &Boudin F. (1993). Orbital precession and insolation quantities for the Earth form 20 Myr to +10 Myr. Astron. Astrophys., 270: 522-533, Washinghon. Sprovieri M., Caruso A., Foresi L., Bellanca A., Neri R., Mazzola S. &Sprovieri R. (2002). Astronomical calibration of the upper Langhian/lower Serravallian record of Ras Il-Pellegrin section (Malta Island, central Mediterranean). In: Iaccarino S.M. (ed.) Integrated Stratigraphy and Paleoceanography of the Mediterranean Middle Miocene. Riv. It. Paleont. Strat., 108: 183-193, Milano. Woodruff F. &Savin S.M. (1991). Mid-Miocene isotope stratigraphy in the deep-sea: high resolution correlations, paleoclimatic cycles, and sediment preservation. Palaeoceanography, 6: 755-806, Washington.

Lithological and hydrological influences on ground-water composition in a heterogeneous carbonate-clay aquifer system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kauffman, S.J.; Herman, J.S.; Jones, B.F.

1998-01-01

The influence of clay units on ground-water composition was investigated in a heterogeneous carbonate aquifer system of Miocene age in southwest Florida, known as the Intermediate aquifer system. Regionally, the ground water is recharged inland, flows laterally and to greater depths in the aquifer systems, and is discharged vertically upward at the saltwater interface along the coast. A depth profile of water composition was obtained by sampling ground water from discrete intervals within the permeable carbonate units during coring and by squeezing pore water from a core of the less-permeable clay layers. A normative salt analysis of solute compositions in the water indicated a marine origin for both types of water and an evolutionary pathway for the clay water that involves clay diagenesis. The chemical composition of the ground water in the carbonate bedrock is significantly different from that of the pore water in the clay layers. Dissolution of clays and opaline silica results in high silica concentrations relative to water in other parts of the Intermediate aquifer system. Water enriched in chloride relative to the overlying and underlying ground water recharges the aquifer inland where the confining clay layer is absent, and it dissolves carbonate and silicate minerals and reacts with clays along its flow path, eventually reaching this coastal site and resulting in the high chloride and silica concentrations observed in the middle part of the Intermediate aquifer system. Reaction-path modeling suggests that the recharging surficial water mixes with sulfate-rich water upwelling from the Upper Floridan aquifer, and carbonate mineral dissolution and precipitation, weathering and exchange reactions, clay mineral diagenesis, clay and silica dissolution, organic carbon oxidation, and iron and sulfate reduction result in the observed water compositions.A study was conducted to clarify the influence of clay units on ground-water composition in a heterogeneous carbonate aquifer system of Miocene age in southwest Florida. A depth profile of water composition was obtained by sampling ground water from discrete intervals within the permeable carbonate units during coring and by squeezing pore water from a core of the less-permeable clay layers. A normative salt analysis of solute compositions in the water indicated a marine origin for both types of water and an evolutionary pathway for the clay water that involves clay diagenesis. The factors influencing water compositions were determined.

Seismic Characterization of Oceanic Water Masses, Water Mass Boundaries, and Mesoscale Eddies SE of New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorman, Andrew R.; Smillie, Matthew W.; Cooper, Joanna K.; Bowman, M. Hamish; Vennell, Ross; Holbrook, W. Steven; Frew, Russell

2018-02-01

The Subtropical and Subantarctic Fronts, which separate Subtropical, Subantarctic, and Antarctic Intermediate Waters, are diverted to the south of New Zealand by the submerged continental landmass of Zealandia. In the upper ocean of this region, large volumes of dissolved or suspended material are intermittently transported across the Subtropical Front; however, the mechanisms of such transport processes are enigmatic. Understanding these oceanic boundaries in three dimensions generally depends on measurements collected from stationary vessels and moorings. The details of these data sets, which are critical for understanding how water masses interact and mix at the fine-scale (<10 m) to mesoscale (10-100 km), are inadequately constrained due to resolution considerations. Southeast of New Zealand, high-resolution seismic reflection images of oceanic water masses have been produced using petroleum industry data. These seismic sections clearly show three main water masses, the boundary zones (fronts) between them, and associated thermohaline fine structure that may be related to the mixing of water masses in this region. Interpretations of the data suggest that the Subtropical Front in this region is a landward-dipping zone, with a width that can vary between 20 and 40 km. The boundary zone between Subantarctic Waters and the underlying Antarctic Intermediate Waters is also observed to dip landward. Several isolated lenses have been identified on the three data sets, ranging in size from 9 to 30 km in diameter. These lenses are interpreted to be mesoscale eddies that form at relatively shallow depths along the south side of the Subtropical Front.

Comparison of the hydrogeology and water quality of a ground-water augmented lake with two non-augmented lakes in northwest Hillsborough County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Metz, Patricia A.; Sacks, Laura A.

2002-01-01

The hydrologic effects associated with augmenting a lake with ground water from the Upper Floridan aquifer were examined in northwest Hillsborough County, Florida, from June 1996 through May 1999. The hydrogeology, ground-water flow patterns, water budgets, and water-quality characteristics were compared between a lake that has been augmented for more than 30 years (Round Lake) and two nearby nonaugmented lakes (Dosson Lake and Halfmoon Lake). Compared to the other study lakes, Round Lake is in a more leakage-dominated hydrogeologic setting. The intermediate confining unit is thin or highly breached, which increases the potential for vertical ground-water flow. Round Lake has the least amount of soft, organic lake-bottom sediments and the lake bottom has been dredged deeper and more extensively than the other study lakes, which could allow more leakage from the lake bottom. The area around Round Lake has experienced more sinkhole activity than the other study lakes. During this study, three sinkholes developed around the perimeter of the lake, which may have further disrupted the intermediate confining unit.Ground-water flow patterns around Round Lake were considerably different than the nonaugmented lakes. For most of the study, groundwater augmentation artificially raised the level of Round Lake to about 2 to 3 feet higher than the adjacent water table. As a result, lake water recharged the surficial aquifer around the entire lake perimeter, except during very wet periods when ground-water inflow occurred around part of the lake perimeter. The non-augmented lakes typically had areas of ground-water inflow and areas of lake leakage around their perimeter, and during wet periods, ground-water inflow occurred around the entire lake perimeter. Therefore, the area potentially contributing ground water to the non-augmented lakes is much larger than for augmented Round Lake. Vertical head loss within the surficial aquifer was greater at Round Lake than the other study lakes, which is additional evidence of the limited confinement at Round Lake. A comparison of the water quality and lake-bottom sediments at the three lakes indicate that Round Lake is strongly influenced by the addition of large quantities of calcium-bicarbonate enriched augmentation water. Round Lake had higher alkalinity, pH, calcium and dissolved oxygen concentrations, specific conductance, and water clarity than the two non-augmented lakes. Round Lake was generally saturated to supersaturated with respect to calcite, but was undersaturated when augmentation was low and after high rainfall periods. Calcium carbonate has accumulated in the lake sediments from calcite precipitation, from macrophytes such as Nitella sp., and from the deposition of carbonate-rich mollusk shells, such as Planerbella sp., both of which thrive in the high alkalinity lake water. Lake-bottom sediments and aquatic biota at Round Lake had some of the highest radium-226 activity levels measured in a Florida lake. The high radium-226 levels (27 disintegrations per minute per dry mass) can be atrributed to augmenting the lake with ground water from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Although the ground water has relatively low levels of radium-226 (5.8 disintegrations per minute per liter), the large volumes of ground water added to the lake for more than 30 years have caused radium-226 to accumulate in the sediments and lake biota.The Round Lake basin had higher calcium and bicarbonate concentrations in the surficial aquifer than at the non-augmented lakes, which indicates the lateral leakage of calcium-bicarbonate enriched lake water into the surficial aquifer. Deuterium and oxygen-18 data indicated that water in well nests near the lake consists of as much as 100 percent lake leakage, and water from the augmentation well had a high percentage of recirculated lake water (between 59 and 73 percent lake leakage). The ground water surrounding Round Lake was undersaturated with respect to calcite, indicating that the water is capable of dissolving calcite in the underlying limestone aquifer. Annual and monthly ground-water outflow (lake leakage) was significantly higher at Round Lake than at the non-augmented lakes for the 3-year study period. Minimum estimates of the total annual ground-water inflow and outflow were made from monthly net ground-water flow values. Based on these estimates, total annual groundwater outflow from Round Lake was more than 10 times higher than for the non-augmented lakes. Local ground-water pumping, augmentation, and hydrogeologic factors are responsible for the high net ground-water outflow at Round Lake. Localized ground-water pumping causes the head difference between the lake and the Upper Floridan aquifer to increase, which increases lake leakage and results in lower lake levels. Augmenting the lake further increases the head difference between the lake, the water table, and the Upper Floridan aquifer, which results in an increase in lateral and vertical lake leakage. The lack of confinement or breaches in the intermediate confining unit facilitates the downward movement of this augmented lake water back into the Upper Floridan aquifer. The increase in ground-water circulation in the leakage-dominated hydrogeologic setting at Round Lake has made the basin more susceptible to karst activity (limestone dissolution, subsidence, and sinkhole formation)

Paleoceanography/climate and taphonomy at intermediate water depth in the Subtropical Western North Pacific Ocean over the last 1 Ma from IODP Exp 350 Sites U1436C and U1437B, Izu arc area.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vautravers, Maryline

2015-04-01

IODP Expedition 350 Site U1436C lies in the western part of the Izu fore arc basin, ~60 km east of the arc front volcano Aogashima, at 1776 m water depth. This site is a technical hole (only a 150 m long record) for a potential future deep drilling by Chikyu. Site U1437 is located in the Izu rear arc, ~90 km west of the arc front volcanoes Myojinsho and Myojin Knoll, at 2117 m water depth. At this site in order to study the evolution of the IZU rear arc crust we recovered a 1800 meter long sequence of mud and volcaniclastic sediments. These sites provide a rich and well-preserved record of volcanic eruptions within the area of the Izu Bonin-Arc. However, the material recovered, mostly mud with ash containing generally abundant planktonic foraminifera, can support additional paleoceanographic goals in an area affected by the Kuroshio Current. Also, the hydrographic divide created by the Izu rise provides a rare opportunity to gain some insight into the operation of the global intermediate circulation. The Antarctic Intermediate Water Mass is more influential at the depth of U1437B in the West and the North Pacific Intermediate Water at Site U1436C to the East. We analyzed 460 samples recovered at Sites U1436C and U1437B for a quantitative planktonic foraminifer study, and also for carbonate preservation indices, including: shell weight, percent planktonic foraminifera fragments planktonic foraminifer concentrations, various faunal proxies, and benthic/planktonic ratio. We measured the stable isotopes for a similar number of samples using the thermocline dwelling Neogloboquadrina dutertrei. The dataset presented here covers the last 1 Ma at Site U1437B and 0.9 Ma at Site U1436C. The age models for the two sites are largely established through stable isotope stratigraphy (this study). On their respective age models we evidence based on polar/subpolar versus subtropical faunal assemblages changes qualitative surface water temperature variations recording the changing influences in the Kuroshio/Oyashio currents at orbital time scales over the last 1 Ma. However, the 2 main findings are i.) that of the intense and pervasive carbonate dissolution at such an intermediate water depth, especially during interglacials, and in particular at site U1436C, and ii.) the good and improving carbonate preservation at Site U1437B during glacials, particularly in the upper part of the record.

Diagenesis of the Oligocene-Miocene rocks of the Upper Floridan and Intermediate aquifer systems by meteoric and mixing-zone waters in southwest Florida

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

Weedman, S.D.; McCartan, L.

1993-03-01

Optical and SEM of samples from 6 cores of Oligocene and Miocene rocks that compose portions of the Florida and Intermediate aquifers and the intervening semiconfining unit documents meteoric and mixing-zone (seawater and fresh carbonate ground water) diagenesis inferred to have occurred over several cycles of sea level change. Dolomite, limestone, sandstone, and claystone of the Suwannee Formation and the Arcadia Formation (Hawthorn Group) were examined. Core samples from time-equivalent strata in two E--W transects in Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota, and DeSoto Counties are estimated to be 16--33 Ma on the basis of [sup 87]Sr/[sup 86]Sr ratios from unaltered molluskmore » shells and by molluscan biostratigraphy. Lithostratigraphic correlations are based on examination of 19 cores, 62 thin sections, 60 geophysical logs, and mineralogy determined by X-ray diffraction. Diagenetic indicators that the authors tracked petrographically include shell micritization, shell dissolution, equant and (or) fibrous CaCO[sub 3] cement, neomorphism, dolomite, etched phosphate grains, echinoderm fragment syntaxial overgrowths, and amorphous silica pore lining. Infiltration of meteoric water caused dissolution of carbonate minerals, especially aragonite, and precipitation of equant calcite crystals in voids of dissolved fossils and in pore spaces between grains. The silica was precipitated as pore linings in zones having soil textures. Observed replacement of calcite by limpid dolomite is consistent with modeling predictions of mixing-zone diagenesis. Etched crystals of limpid dolomite may indicate freshwater dissolution of a mixing-zone precipitate. Mapping of regional unconformities revealed pronounced thickening and thinning of some units. Evidence of meteoric water diagenesis is observed in the upper 600 ft of the transects examined. Evidence of mixing-zone diagenesis is observed at varying depths, but appears to increase in abundance and thickness toward the west.« less

North Atlantic Deep Water and the World Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gordon, A. L.

1984-01-01

North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) by being warmer and more saline than the average abyssal water parcel introduces heat and salt into the abyssal ocean. The source of these properties is upper layer or thermocline water considered to occupy the ocean less dense than sigma-theta of 27.6. That NADW convects even though it's warmer than the abyssal ocean is obviously due to the high salinity. In this way, NADW formation may be viewed as saline convection. The counter force removing heat and salinity (or introducing fresh water) is usually considered to to take place in the Southern Ocean where upwelling deep water is converted to cold fresher Antarctic water masses. The Southern ocean convective process is driven by low temperatures and hence may be considered as thermal convection. A significant fresh water source may also occur in the North Pacific where the northward flowing of abyssal water from the Southern circumpolar belt is saltier and denser than the southward flowing, return abyssal water. The source of the low salinity input may be vertical mixing of the low salinity surface water or the low salinity intermediate water.

Interaction of various flow systems in small alpine catchments: conceptual model of the upper Gurk Valley aquifer, Carinthia, Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilberg, Sylke; Riepler, Franz

2016-08-01

Small alpine valleys usually show a heterogeneous hydraulic situation. Recurring landslides create temporal barriers for the surface runoff. As a result of these postglacial processes, temporal lakes form, and thus lacustrine fine-grained sedimentation intercalates with alluvial coarse-grained layers. A sequence of alluvial sediments (confined and thus well protected aquifers) and lacustrine sediments (aquitards) is characteristic for such an environment. The hydrogeological situation of fractured hard-rock aquifers in the framing mountain ranges is characterized by superficially high hydraulic conductivities as the result of tectonic processes, deglaciation and postglacial weathering. Fracture permeability and high hydraulic gradients in small-scaled alpine catchments result in the interaction of various flow systems in various kinds of aquifers. Spatial restrictions and conflicts between the current land use and the requirements of drinking-water protection represent a special challenge for water resource management in usually densely populated small alpine valleys. The presented case study describes hydrogeological investigations within the small alpine valley of the upper Gurktal (Upper Carinthia, Austria) and the adjacent Höllenberg Massif (1,772 m above sea level). Hydrogeological mapping, drilling, and hydrochemical and stable isotope analyses of springs and groundwater were conducted to identify a sustainable drinking-water supply for approximately 1,500 inhabitants. The results contribute to a conceptual hydrogeological model with three interacting flow systems. The local and the intermediate flow systems are assigned to the catchment of the Höllenberg Massif, whereas the regional flow system refers to the bordering Gurktal Alps to the north and provides an appropriate drinking water reservoir.

Multidecadal variations in the early Holocene outflow of Red Sea Water into the Arabian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, S. J. A.; Ganssen, G. M.; Davies, G. R.

2001-12-01

We present Holocene stable oxygen isotope data from the deep Arabian Sea off Somalia at a decadal time resolution as a proxy for the history of intermediate/upper deep water. These data show an overall δ18O reduction by 0.5‰ between 10 and ˜6.5 kyr B.P. superimposed upon short-term δ18O variations at a decadal-centennial timescale. The amplitude of the decadal variations is 0.3‰ prior, and up to 0.6‰ subsequent, to ˜8.1 kyr B.P. We conclude from modeling experiments that the short-term δ18O variations between 10 and ˜6.5 kyr B.P. most likely document changes in the evaporation-precipitation balance in the central Red Sea. Changes in water temperature and salinity cause the outflowing Red Sea Water to settle roughly 800 m deeper than today.

Potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer, west-central Florida, May 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, A.G.; Blanchard, R.A.

2006-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing freshwater are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer is a highly productive aquifer and supplies more than 10 times the amount of water pumped from either the surficial aquifer system or the intermediate aquifer system in most of the study area (Duerr and others, 1988). This map report shows the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer measured in May 2005. The potentiometric surface is an imaginary surface connecting points of equal altitude to which water will rise in a tightly cased well that taps a confined aquifer system (Lohman, 1979). This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the dry season, when ground-water levels usually are at an annual low and withdrawals for agricultural use typically are high. The cumulative average rainfall of 67.27 inches for west-central Florida (from June 2004 through May 2005) was 14.20 inches above the historical cumulative average of 53.07 inches (Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), 2005). The above average precipitation is attributed to the active hurrican season for Florida in 2004. Historical cumulative averages are calculated from regional rainfall summary reports (1915 to the most recent completed calendar year) and are updated monthly by the SWFWMD. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the SWFWMD, is part of a semiannual series of Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface map reports for west-central Florida. Potentiometric-surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971, May 1973, May 1974, and for each May and September since 1975. Water-level data are collected in May and September each year to show the approximate annual low and high water-level conditions, respectively. Most of the water-level data for this map were collected by the USGS during May 23-27, 2005. Supplemental water-level data were collected by other agencies and companies. A corresponding potentiometric-surface map was prepared for areas east and north of the SWFWMD boundary by the USGS office in Altamonte Springs, Florida (Kinnaman, 2006). Most water-level measurements were made during a 5-day period; therefore, measurements do not represent a 'snapshot' of conditions at a specific time, nor do they necessarily coincide with the seasonal low water-level condition. Water levels in about 19 percent of the wells measured in May 2005 were lower than the May 2004 water levels (Blanchard and others, 2004). Data from 409 wells indicate that the May 2005 water levels ranged from about 5 feet below to about 18 feet above the May 2004 water levels (fig. 1). The largest water-level declines occurred in southwestern Hernando County, northeastern Hillsborough County, and parts of Hillsborough, Sumter, and Sarasota Counties. The largest water-level rises occurred in southeastern Hillsborough County, eastern Manatee County, and western Hardee County (fig. 1). Water levels in about 95 percent of the wells measured in May 2005 were lower than the September 2004 water levels (Blanchard and Seidenfeld, 2005). Data from 405 wells indicate that the May 2005 water levels ranged from about 22 feet below to 14 feet above the September 2004 water levels. The largest water-level decline was in east-central Manatee County and the largest water-level rise was in central Sarasota County.

Flow of river water into a karstic limestone aquifer - 2. Dating the young fraction in groundwater mixtures in the Upper Floridan aquifer near Valdosta, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plummer, Niel; Busenberg, E.; Drenkard, S.; Schlosser, P.; Ekwurzel, B.; Weppernig, R.; McConnell, J.B.; Michel, R.L.

1998-01-01

Tritium/helium-3 (3H/3He) and chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs, CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113) data are used to date the young fraction in groundwater mixtures from a karstic limestone aquifer near Valdosta, Georgia, where regional paleowater in the Upper Floridan aquifer receives recharge from two young sources the flow of Withlacoochee River water through sinkholes in the river bed, and leakage of infiltration water through post-Eocene semi-confining beds above the Upper Floridan aquifer. In dating the young fraction of mixtures using CFCs, it is necessary to reconstruct the CFC concentration that was in the young fraction prior to mixing. The 3H/3He age is independent of the extent of dilution with older (3H-free and 3He(trit)-free) water. The groundwater mixtures are designated as Type-I for mixtures of regional paleowater and regional infiltration water and Type-2 for mixtures containing more than approximately 4% of river water. The fractions of regional paleowater, regional infiltration water, and Withlacoochee River water in the groundwater mixtures were determined from Cl- and ??18O data for water from the Upper Floridan aquifer at Valdosta, Georgia The chlorofluorocarbons CFC-11 and CFC-113 are removed by microbial degradation and/or sorption processes in most allaerobic (Type-2) groundwater at Valdosta, but are present in some aerobic Type-I water. CFC-12 persists in both SO4-reducing and methanogenic water. The very low detection limits for CFCs (approximately 0.3 pg kg-1) permitted CFC-11 and CFC-12 dating of the fraction of regional infiltration water in Type-I mixtures, and CFC-12 dating of the river-water fraction in Type-2 mixtures. Overall, approximately 50% of the 85 water sam pies obtained from the Upper Floridan aquifer have CFC-12-based ages of the young traction that are consistent with the 3H concentration of the groundwater. Because of uncertainties associated with very low 3H and 3He content in dilute mixtures, 3H/3He dating is limited to the river-water fraction in Type-2 mixtures containing more than about 10??? river water. Of the 41 water samples measured for 3H/3He dating, dilution of H and low -He concentration limited 3H/3He dating to 16 mixtures in which 3H/3He ages are defined with errors ranging from ??2 to ??7.5 a (1 ??). After correction for dilution with (assumed) CFC-free regional infiltration water and regional paleowater in the Upper Floridan aquifer, adjusted CFC-12 ages agree with 3H/3He ages within 5 a or less in 7 of the 9 co-dated Type-2 mixtures Tritium data and dating based on both CFC-11 and CFC-12 in Type-I mixtures indicate that travel times of infiltration water through the overlying Post-Eocene semi-confining beds exceed 35 a. The CFC and 3H/3He dating indicate that the river fraction in most groundwater entered the groundwater reservoir in the past 20 to 30 a. Few domestic and municipal supply wells sampled intercept water younger than 5 a. Calculated velocities of river water in the Upper Floridan aquifer downgradient of the sinkhole area range from 0.4 to 8.2 m/d. Radiocarbon data indicate that ages of the regional paleowater are on the 10 000-a time scale. An average lag time of approximately 10 to 25 a is determined for discharge of groundwater from the surficial and intermediate aquifers above the Upper Floridan aquifer to the Withlacoochee River.

MERCHANT MARINE SHIP REACTOR

DOEpatents

Mumm, J.F.; North, D.C. Jr.; Rock, H.R.; Geston, D.K.

1961-05-01

A nuclear reactor is described for use in a merchant marine ship. The reactor is of pressurized light water cooled and moderated design in which three passes of the water through the core in successive regions of low, intermediate, and high heat generation and downflow in a fuel region are made. The foregoing design makes a compact reactor construction with extended core life. The core has an egg-crate lattice containing the fuel elements confined between a lower flow baffle and upper grid plate, with the latter serving also as part of a turn- around manifold from which the entire coolant is distributed into the outer fuel elements for the second pass through the core. The inner fuel elements are cooled in the third pass.

Merchant Marine Ship Reactor

DOEpatents

Sankovich, M. F.; Mumm, J. F.; North, Jr, D. C.; Rock, H. R.; Gestson, D. K.

1961-05-01

A nuclear reactor for use in a merchant marine ship is described. The reactor is of pressurized, light water cooled and moderated design in which three passes of the water through the core in successive regions of low, intermediate, and high heat generation and downflow in a fuel region are made. The design makes a compact reactor construction with extended core life. The core has an egg-crate lattice containing the fuel elements that are confined between a lower flow baffle and upper grid plate, with the latter serving also as part of a turn- around manifold from which the entire coolant is distributed into the outer fuel elements for the second pass through the core. The inner fuel elements are cooled in the third pass. (AEC)

Hydrogeology, water quality, and simulated effects of ground-water withdrawals from the Floridan aquifer system, Seminole County and vicinity, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spechler, Rick M.; Halford, Keith J.

2001-01-01

The hydrogeology and ground-water quality of Seminole County in east-central Florida was evaluated. A ground-water flow model was developed to simulate the effects of both present day (September 1996 through August 1997) and projected 2020 ground-water withdrawals on the water levels in the surficial aquifer system and the potentiometric surface of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers in Seminole County and vicinity. The Floridan aquifer system is the major source of ground water in the study area. In 1965, ground-water withdrawals from the Floridan aquifer system in Seminole County were about 11 million gallons per day. In 1995, withdrawals totaled about 69 million gallons per day. Of the total ground water used in 1995, 74 percent was for public supply, 12 percent for domestic self-supplied, 10 percent for agriculture self-supplied, and 4 percent for recreational irrigation. The principal water-bearing units in Seminole County are the surficial aquifer system and the Floridan aquifer system. The two aquifer systems are separated by the intermediate confining unit, which contains beds of lower permeability sediments that confine the water in the Floridan aquifer system. The Floridan aquifer system has two major water-bearing zones (the Upper Floridan aquifer and the Lower Floridan aquifer), which are separated by a less-permeable semiconfining unit. Upper Floridan aquifer water levels and spring flows have been affected by ground-water development. Long-term hydrographs of four wells tapping the Upper Floridan aquifer show a general downward trend from the early 1950's until 1990. The declines in water levels are caused predominantly by increased pumpage and below average annual rainfall. From 1991 to 1998, water levels rose slightly, a trend that can be explained by an increase in average annual rainfall. Long-term declines in the potentiometric surface varied throughout the area, ranging from about 3 to 12 feet. Decreases in spring discharge also have been observed in a few springs with long-term record. Chloride concentrations in water from the Upper Floridan aquifer in Seminole County range areally from 6.2 to 5,300 milligrams per liter. Chloride concentrations are lowest in the recharge areas of the Floridan aquifer system in the western part of Seminole County and near Geneva. The most highly mineralized water occurs adjacent to the Wekiva River in northwestern Seminole County, around the eastern part of Lake Jesup, and along the St. Johns River in eastern Seminole County. Analysis of limited long-term water-quality data indicates that the chloride concentrations in water for most wells in the Floridan aquifer system in Seminole County have not changed significantly in the 20-year period from 1976 to 1996, and probably not since the mid 1950's. Analysis of water samples collected from some Upper Floridan aquifer springs, however, indicates that the water has become more mineralized during recent years. Increases in specific conductance and concentrations of major cations and anions were observed at several of the springs within the study area where long-term water-quality data were available. Associated with these increases in the mineralization of spring water has been an increase in total nitrate-plus- nitrite as nitrogen concentration. A three-dimensional model was developed to simulate ground-water flow in the surficial and Floridan aquifer systems. The steady-state ground-water flow model was calibrated to water-level data that was averaged over a 1-year period from September 1996 through August 1997. The calibrated flow model generally produced simulated water levels in reasonably close agreement with measured water levels. As a result, the calibrated model was used to simulate the effects of expected increases in ground-water withdrawals on the water levels in the surficial aquifer system and on the potentiometric surface of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers in Seminole County. The ca

Okamejei ornata n. sp., a new deep-water skate (Elasmobranchii, Rajidae) from the northwestern Indian Ocean off Socotra Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigmann, Simon; Stehmann, Matthias F. W.; Thiel, Ralf

2015-05-01

A new species of the Indo-Pacific skate genus Okamejei is described based on 10 specimens caught around the Socotra Islands (northwestern Indian Ocean). The type series of Okamejei ornata n. sp. was sampled during cruise 17 of RV 'Vityaz' along the deep western Indian Ocean in 1988/89. The new species represents the fifth species of Okamejei in the western Indian Ocean and differs from its congeners in having a unique dorsal pattern of variable dark brown spots encircled with beige pigment and arranged into rosettes. The dorsal ground color is ocher, but the anterior snout is dusky. Compared to congeners in the western Indian Ocean, the new species has a shorter preorbital snout length, a greater orbit diameter, fewer pectoral radials, an intermediate distance between first gill slits, and an intermediate number of upper jaw tooth rows.

The lower body muscle activation of intermediate to experienced kayakers when navigating white water.

PubMed

Murtagh, Misha; Brooks, Darrell; Sinclair, Jonathan; Atkins, Stephen

2016-11-01

In white-water kayaking, the legs play a vital part in turning, stabilising and bracing actions. To date, there has been no reported information on neuromuscular activation of the legs in an authentic white-water environment. The aim of the current study was to identify lower body muscle activation, using 'in-boat' electromyography (EMG), whilst navigating a white-water run. Ten experienced male kayakers (age 31.5 ± 12.5 yr, intermediate to advanced experience) completed three successful runs of an international standard white-water course (grade 3 rapids), targeting right and left sides of the course, in a zigzag formation. Surface EMG (sEMG) outputs were generated, bilaterally, for the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis, biceps femoris and gastrocnemius, expressed as a percentage of a dynamic maximal voluntary contraction (dMVC). Only RF showed significantly higher activation than any muscle on the left side of the body, and only on the left side of the course (P = .004; ETA(2) = 0.56). Other results showed no significant difference between muscle activation in the right and left legs during each run, nor when assessed at either the right or left side of the course (P > .05). These findings indicate that contralateral symmetry in lower limb muscle activation is evident during white-water kayaking. This symmetry may provide a stable base to allow more asymmetrical upper body and trunk movements to be fully optimised. Lower body symmetry development should be considered useful in targeted training programmes for white-water kayakers.

On the Mediterranean Sea inter-basin exchanges and nutrient dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rupolo, V.; Ribera D'Alcalà, M.; Iudicone, D.; Artale, V.

2009-04-01

The Mediterranean Sea is an evaporative basin in which the deficit of water is supplied by the inflow from the Gibraltar Strait of Atlantic Water. The net result of the air sea interactions in the entire basin is an outflow at Gibraltar of a salty water that is mainly constituted by the Levantin Intermediate Water, formed in the eastern part of the basin. Despite this simplified pattern, the circulation in the Mediterranean is rather complex. Most of the Mediterranean sub-basins are characterized by water mass formation processes and the presence of sills and straits strongly influence both the spreading and the mixing of intermediate and deep waters. In this context a Lagrangian diagnostics applied to numerical results was used to quantify mass transport in the main pathways of the upper and lower cells of the Mediterranean thermohaline circulation as they results from OGCM simulations. Lagrangian diagnostics reveals to be very useful to quantify both transports between different regions and the associated spectrum of transit times by means of pdf distribution of particles transit times between the different regions of the basin. This method is very effective to estimate the contribution of different water masses in isopycnal and diapycnal transformation processes and in reconstructing the fate of tracers. We use here these previous results on the basin circulation for better understanding the nutrient dynamics within the basin where the inputs from the different sources (atmosphere, runoff and open ocean) have similar order of magnitude. This, to the aim of building scenarios on the impact of climate driven changes in elemental fluxes to the basin on the internal nutrient dynamics.

24. DETAIL VIEW OF TILE GAUGE IN INTERMEDIATE LOCK WALL, ...

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

24. DETAIL VIEW OF TILE GAUGE IN INTERMEDIATE LOCK WALL, LOOKING NORTHEAST. NOTE STEEL WALL ARMOR EMBEDDED IN CONCRETE. - Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 26, Alton, Madison County, IL

A global ocean climatological atlas of the Turner angle: implications for double-diffusion and water-mass structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Yuzhu

2002-11-01

The 1994 Levitus climatological atlas is used to calculate the Turner angle (named after J. Stewart Turner) to examine which oceanic water masses are favorable for double-diffusion in the form of diffusive convection or salt-fingering and which are doubly stable. This atlas complements the Levitus climatology. It reveals the major double-diffusive signals associated with large-scale water-mass structure. In total, about 44% of the oceans display double-diffusion, of which 30% is salt-fingering and 14% is diffusive double-diffusion. Results show that various central and deep waters are favorable for salt-fingering. The former is due to positive evaporation minus precipitation, and the latter is due to thermohaline circulation, i.e. the southward spreading of relatively warm, salty North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) overlying cold, fresh Antarctic Bottom Water. In the northern Indian Ocean and eastern North Atlantic, favorable conditions for salt-fingering are found throughout the water column. The Red Sea (including the Persian Gulf) and Mediterranean Sea are the sources of warm, salty water for the ocean. As consequence, temperature and salinity in these outflow regions both decrease from the sea surface to the bottom. On the other hand, ocean currents are in general sluggish in these regions. In the polar and subpolar regions of Arctic and Antarctic, Okhotsk Sea, Gulf of Alaska, the subpolar gyre of the North Pacific, the Labrador Sea, and the Norwegian Sea, the upper layer water is favorable for diffusive convection because of high latitude surface cooling and ice melting. Weak and shallow diffusive convection is also found throughout tropical regions and the Bay of Bengal. The former is due to excessive precipitation over evaporation and rain cooling, and the latter is due to both precipitation and river runoff. Diffusive convection in the ocean's interior is unique to the South Atlantic between Antarctic Intermediate Water and upper NADW (uNADW). It is the consequence of the intrusive equatorward flow of upper Circumpolar Deep Water, which carries with it the minimum temperature and very low salinity overlying warm, salty uNADW.

Attitudes of the Preparatory Class Students towards the Writing Course and Their Attitude-Success Relationship in Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paker, Turan; Erarslan, Ali

2015-01-01

This study aims to explore the attitudes of Turkish EFL students towards the writing course at university and to investigate the relationship between students' attitudes and their overall proficiency in writing. The participants were 782 students from various departments in the pre-intermediate, intermediate and upper-intermediate levels in a…

RELAP5 Analyses of OECD/NEA ROSA-2 Project Experiments on Intermediate-Break LOCAs at Hot Leg or Cold Leg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, Takeshi; Maruyama, Yu; Watanabe, Tadashi; Nakamura, Hideo

Experiments simulating PWR intermediate-break loss-of-coolant accidents (IBLOCAs) with 17% break at hot leg or cold leg were conducted in OECD/NEA ROSA-2 Project using the Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF). In the hot leg IBLOCA test, core uncovery started simultaneously with liquid level drop in crossover leg downflow-side before loop seal clearing (LSC) induced by steam condensation on accumulator coolant injected into cold leg. Water remained on upper core plate in upper plenum due to counter-current flow limiting (CCFL) because of significant upward steam flow from the core. In the cold leg IBLOCA test, core dryout took place due to rapid liquid level drop in the core before LSC. Liquid was accumulated in upper plenum, steam generator (SG) U-tube upflow-side and SG inlet plenum before the LSC due to CCFL by high velocity vapor flow, causing enhanced decrease in the core liquid level. The RELAP5/MOD3.2.1.2 post-test analyses of the two LSTF experiments were performed employing critical flow model in the code with a discharge coefficient of 1.0. In the hot leg IBLOCA case, cladding surface temperature of simulated fuel rods was underpredicted due to overprediction of core liquid level after the core uncovery. In the cold leg IBLOCA case, the cladding surface temperature was underpredicted too due to later core uncovery than in the experiment. These may suggest that the code has remaining problems in proper prediction of primary coolant distribution.

Source of water to Lithia Springs in Hillsborough County, Florida

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

Hickey, J.J.; Coates, M.J.

1993-03-01

The source of water to Lithia Springs adjacent to the Alafia River in Hillsborough County, Florida has traditionally been hypothesized to be from the Upper Floridan aquifer. As a result, potential impacts from an adjacent public supply well field has been of interest since the well field began production in July, 1988. The discharge from Lithia Springs since March, 1984 has averaged about 3,600,000 cubic feet per day. Pumpage from the adjacent well field since July, 1988 has averaged about 2,500,000 cubic feet per day. A comparison between mean daily pumpage from the well field and mean daily discharge frommore » the springs showed no apparent association indicating that the Floridan aquifer may not be the source for the springs. Lithologic data suggested that the Upper Floridan aquifer was confined with no direct connection to the springs. This confining unit hypothesis was tested and accepted by pumping two wells close to the springs. The test consisted of pumping both wells for about 13 days at a combined rate that was about 40% of the average daily well field pumpage. No discernable test caused effects were observed on the springs or in an adjacent 115-foot deep well open to carbonate rock. Because of this, it was concluded that the Upper Floridan aquifer was not the source of water to Lithia Springs. Interpretation of available data suggested that the source of water to Lithia Springs was from the intermediate aquifer system located within solution riddled Early Miocene carbonate rocks of the lower Hawthorn Formation with maybe an important aquifer contribution from the Alafia River.« less

Indian Ocean sources of Agulhas leakage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durgadoo, Jonathan; Rühs, Siren; Biastoch, Arne; Böning, Claus

2017-04-01

We examine the mean pathways, transit timescales, and transformation of waters flowing from the Pacific and the marginal seas through the Indian Ocean (IO) on their way toward the South Atlantic within a high-resolution ocean/sea-ice model. The model fields are analysed from a Lagrangian perspective where water volumes are tracked as they enter the IO. The IO contributes 12.6 Sv to Agulhas leakage, which within the model is 14.1 ± 2.2 Sv, the rest originates from the South Atlantic. The Indonesian Through-flow constitutes about half of the IO contribution, is surface bound, cools and salinificates as it leaves the basin within 1-3 decades. Waters entering the IO south of Australia are at intermediate depths and maintain their temperature-salinity properties as they exit the basin within 1.5-3.5 decades. Of these waters, the contribution from Tasman leakage is 1.4 Sv. The rest stem from recirculation of Subantarctic Mode Water formed within the IO. The marginal seas export 1.0 Sv into the Atlantic within 1.5-4 decades, and the waters cool and freshen on-route. However, the model's simulation of waters from the Gulfs of Aden and Oman are too light and hence overly susceptible to upper ocean circulations. In the Cape Basin, Agulhas leakage is well mixed. On-route, temperature-salinity transformations occur predominantly in the Arabian Sea and within the greater Agulhas Current region. Overall, the IO communicates at least 7.9 Sv from the Pacific to the Atlantic, thereby quantifying the strength of the upper cell of the global conveyor belt.

Biophysical Factors Affecting the Distribution of Demersal Fish around the Head of a Submarine Canyon Off the Bonney Coast, South Australia

PubMed Central

Currie, David R.; McClatchie, Sam; Middleton, John F.; Nayar, Sasi

2012-01-01

We sampled the demersal fish community of the Bonney Canyon, South Australia at depths (100–1,500 m) and locations that are poorly known. Seventy-eight species of demersal fish were obtained from 12 depth-stratified trawls along, and to either side, of the central canyon axis. Distributional patterns in species richness and biomass were highly correlated. Three fish assemblage groupings, characterised by small suites of species with narrow depth distributions, were identified on the shelf, upper slope and mid slope. The assemblage groupings were largely explained by depth (ρw = 0.78). Compared to the depth gradient, canyon-related effects are weak or occur at spatial or temporal scales not sampled in this study. A conceptual physical model displayed features consistent with the depth zonational patterns in fish, and also indicated that canyon upwelling can occur. The depth zonation of the fish assemblage was associated with the depth distribution of water masses in the area. Notably, the mid-slope community (1,000 m) coincided with a layer of Antarctic Intermediate Water, the upper slope community (500 m) resided within the core of the Flinders Current, and the shelf community was located in a well-mixed layer of surface water (<450 m depth). PMID:22253907

Response of the North Atlantic surface and intermediate ocean structure to climate warming of MIS 11.

PubMed

Kandiano, Evgenia S; van der Meer, Marcel T J; Schouten, Stefan; Fahl, Kirsten; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S; Bauch, Henning A

2017-04-10

Investigating past interglacial climates not only help to understand how the climate system operates in general, it also forms a vital basis for climate predictions. We reconstructed vertical stratification changes in temperature and salinity in the North Atlantic for a period some 400 ka ago (MIS11), an interglacial time analogue of a future climate. As inferred from a unique set of biogeochemical, geochemical, and faunal data, the internal upper ocean stratification across MIS 11 shows distinct depth-dependent dynamical changes related to vertical as well as lateral shifts in the upper Atlantic meridional circulation system. Importantly, transient cold events are recognized near the end of the long phase of postglacial warming at surface, subsurface, mid, and deeper water layers. These data demonstrate that MIS 11 coolings over the North Atlantic were initially triggered by freshwater input at the surface and expansion of cold polar waters into the Subpolar Gyre. The cooling signal was then transmitted downwards into mid-water depths. Since the cold events occurred after the main deglacial phase we suggest that their cause might be related to continuous melting of the Greenland ice sheet, a mechanism that might also be relevant for the present and upcoming climate.

How much drinking water can be saved by using rainwater harvesting on a large urban area? application to Paris agglomeration.

PubMed

Belmeziti, Ali; Coutard, Olivier; de Gouvello, Bernard

2014-01-01

This paper is based on a prospective scenario of development of rainwater harvesting (RWH) on a given large urban area (such as metropolitan area or region). In such a perspective, a new method is proposed to quantify the related potential of potable water savings (PPWS) indicator on this type of area by adapting the reference model usually used on the building level. The method is based on four setting-up principles: gathering (definition of buildings-types and municipalities-types), progressing (use of an intermediate level), increasing (choice of an upper estimation) and prioritizing (ranking the stakes of RWH). Its application to the Paris agglomeration shows that is possible to save up to 11% of the total current potable water through the use of RWH. It also shows that the residential sector offers the most important part because it holds two-thirds of the agglomeration PPWS.

A multi-proxy analysis of Late Quaternary ocean and climate variability for the Maldives, Inner Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunzel, Dorothea; Schmiedl, Gerhard; Lindhorst, Sebastian; Mackensen, Andreas; Reolid, Jesús; Romahn, Sarah; Betzler, Christian

2017-12-01

As a natural sediment trap, the marine sediments of the sheltered central part of the Maldives Inner Sea represent an exceptional archive for paleoenvironmental and climate changes in the equatorial Indian Ocean. To evaluate the complex interplay between high-latitude and monsoonal climate variability, related dust fluxes, and regional oceanographic responses, we focused on Fe / Al, Ti / Al and Si / Ca ratios as proxies for terrigenous sediment delivery and total organic carbon (TOC) and Br XRF counts as proxies for marine productivity. Benthic foraminiferal fauna distributions, grain size and stable δ18O and δ13C data were used for evaluating changes in the benthic ecosystem and changes in the intermediate water circulation, bottom water current velocity and oxygenation. Our multi-proxy data record reveals an enhanced dust supply during the glacial intervals, causing elevated Fe / Al and Si / Ca ratios, an overall coarsening of the sediment and an increasing amount of agglutinated benthic foraminifera. The enhanced dust fluxes can be attributed to higher dust availability in the Asian desert and loess areas and its transport by intensified winter monsoon winds during glacial conditions. These combined effects of wind-induced mixing of surface waters and dust fertilization during the cold phases resulted in an increased surface water productivity and related organic carbon fluxes. Thus, the development of highly diverse benthic foraminiferal faunas with certain detritus and suspension feeders was fostered. The difference in the δ13C signal between epifaunal and deep infaunal benthic foraminifera reveals intermediate water oxygen concentrations between approximately 40 and 100 µmol kg-1 during this time. The precessional fluctuation pattern of oxygen changes resembles that from the deep Arabian Sea, suggesting an expansion of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) from the Arabian Sea into the tropical Indian Ocean with a probable regional signal of strengthened winter-monsoon-induced organic matter fluxes and oxygen consumption further controlled by the varying inflow intensity of the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). In addition, the bottom water oxygenation pattern of the Maldives Inner Sea reveals a long phase of reduced ventilation during the last glacial period. This process is likely linked to the combined effects of generally enhanced oxygen consumption rates during high-productivity phases, reduced AAIW production and the restriction of upper bathyal environments in the Inner Sea during sea-level lowstands. Thus, our multi-proxy record reflects a close linkage between the Indian monsoon oscillation, intermediate water circulation, productivity and sea-level changes on orbital timescale.

Characteristics of the deep ocean carbon system during the past 150,000 years: ΣCO2 distributions, deep water flow patterns, and abrupt climate change

PubMed Central

Boyle, Edward A.

1997-01-01

Studies of carbon isotopes and cadmium in bottom-dwelling foraminifera from ocean sediment cores have advanced our knowledge of ocean chemical distributions during the late Pleistocene. Last Glacial Maximum data are consistent with a persistent high-ΣCO2 state for eastern Pacific deep water. Both tracers indicate that the mid-depth North and tropical Atlantic Ocean almost always has lower ΣCO2 levels than those in the Pacific. Upper waters of the Last Glacial Maximum Atlantic are more ΣCO2-depleted and deep waters are ΣCO2-enriched compared with the waters of the present. In the northern Indian Ocean, δ13C and Cd data are consistent with upper water ΣCO2 depletion relative to the present. There is no evident proximate source of this ΣCO2-depleted water, so I suggest that ΣCO2-depleted North Atlantic intermediate/deep water turns northward around the southern tip of Africa and moves toward the equator as a western boundary current. At long periods (>15,000 years), Milankovitch cycle variability is evident in paleochemical time series. But rapid millennial-scale variability can be seen in cores from high accumulation rate series. Atlantic deep water chemical properties are seen to change in as little as a few hundred years or less. An extraordinary new 52.7-m-long core from the Bermuda Rise contains a faithful record of climate variability with century-scale resolution. Sediment composition can be linked in detail with the isotope stage 3 interstadials recorded in Greenland ice cores. This new record shows at least 12 major climate fluctuations within marine isotope stage 5 (about 70,000–130,000 years before the present). PMID:11607737

Final Scientific/Technical Report: Characterizing the Response of the Cascadia Margin Gas Hydrate Reservoir to Bottom Water Warming Along the Upper Continental Slope

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

Solomon, Evan A.; Johnson, H. Paul; Salmi, Marie

The objective of this project is to understand the response of the WA margin gas hydrate system to contemporary warming of bottom water along the upper continental slope. Through pre-cruise analysis and modeling of archive and recent geophysical and oceanographic data, we (1) inventoried bottom simulating reflectors along the WA margin and defined the upper limit of gas hydrate stability, (2) refined margin-wide estimates of heat flow and geothermal gradients, (3) characterized decadal scale temporal variations of bottom water temperatures at the upper continental slope of the Washington margin, and (4) used numerical simulations to provide quantitative estimates of howmore » the shallow boundary of methane hydrate stability responds to modern environmental change. These pre-cruise results provided the context for a systematic geophysical and geochemical survey of methane seepage along the upper continental slope from 48° to 46°N during a 10-day field program on the R/V Thompson from October 10-19, 2014. This systematic inventory of methane emissions along this climate-sensitive margin corridor and comprehensive sediment and water column sampling program provided data and samples for Phase 3 of this project that focused on determining fluid and methane sources (deep-source vs. shallow; microbial, thermogenic, gas hydrate dissociation) within the sediment, and how they relate to contemporary intermediate water warming. During the 2014 research expedition, we sampled nine seep sites between ~470 and 520 m water depth, within the zone of predicted methane hydrate retreat over the past 40 years. We imaged 22 bubble plumes with heights commonly rising to ~300 meters below sea level with one reaching near the sea surface. We collected 22 gravity cores and 20 CTD/hydrocasts from the 9 seeps and at background locations (no acoustic evidence of seepage) within the depth interval of predicted downslope retreat of the methane hydrate stability zone. Approximately 300 pore water samples were extracted from the gravity cores, and the pore water was analyzed for a comprehensive suite of solutes, gases, and stable isotope ratios. This comprehensive geochemical dataset was used to characterize the fluid and gas source(s) at each of the seep sites surveyed. The primary results of this project are: 1) Bottom simulating reflector-derived heat flow values decrease from 95 mW/m2 10 km east of the deformation front to ~60 mW/m2 60 km landward of the deformation front, with anomalously low values of ~25 mW/m2 on a prominent mid-margin terrace off central Washington. 2) The temperature of the incoming sediment/ocean crust interface at the deformation front ranges between 164-179 oC off central Washington, and the 350 oC isotherm at the top of the subducting ocean crust occurs 95 km landward of the deformation front. Differences between BSR-derived heat flow and modeled conductive heat flow suggest mean upward fluid flow rates of 0.4 cm/yr across the margin, with local regions (e.g. fault zones) exhibiting fluid flow rates up to 3.5 cm/yr. 3) A compilation of 2122 high-resolution CTD, glider, and Argo float temperature profiles spanning the upper continental slope of the Washington margin from the years 1968 to 2013 show a long-term warming trend that ranges from 0.006-0.008 oC/yr. Based on this long-term bottom water warming, we developed a 2-D thermal model to simulate the change in sediment temperature distribution over this period, along with the downslope retreat of the methane hydrate stability field. Over the 43 years of the simulation, the thermal disturbance propagated 30 m into the sediment column, causing the base of the methane hydrate stability field to shoal ~13 m and to move ~1 km downslope. 4) A preliminary analysis of seafloor observations and mid-water column acoustic data to detect bubble plumes was used to characterize the depth distribution of seeps along the Cascadia margin. These results indicate high bubble plume densities along the continental shelf at water depths <180 m and at the upper limit of methane hydrate stability along the Washington margin. 5) The majority of the seeps cored during the 2014 research expedition on the R/V Thompson contained abundant authigenic carbonate indicating that they are locations of long-lived seepage rather than emergent seep systems related to methane hydrate dissociation. Despite the evidence for enhanced methane seepage at the upper limit of methane hydrate stability along the Washington margin, we found no unequivocal evidence for active methane hydrate dissociation as a source of fluid and gas at the seeps surveyed. The pore fluid and bottom water chemistry shows that the seeps are fed by a variety of fluid and methane sources, but that methane hydrate dissociation, if occurring, is not widespread and is only a minor source (below the detection limit of our methods). Collectively, these results provide a significant advance in our understanding of the thermal structure of the Cascadia subduction zone and the fluid and methane sources feeding seeps along the upper continental slope of the Washington-sector of the Cascadia margin. Though we did not find unequivocal evidence for methane hydrate dissociation as a source of water and methane at the upper pressure-temperature limit of methane hydrate stability at present, continued warming of North Pacific Intermediate Water in the future has the potential to impact the methane hydrate reservoir in sediments at greater depths along the slope. Thus, this study provides a strong foundation and the necessary characterization of the background state of seepage at the upper limit of methane hydrate stability for future investigations of this important process.« less

Distribution of net-collected planktonic cnidarians along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge and their associations with the main water masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosia, A.; Stemmann, L.; Youngbluth, M.

2008-01-01

Planktonic cnidarians and ctenophores were sampled with a multiple opening-closing net (Multinet) as well as a non-quantitative plankton net along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) between Iceland and the Azores. Sixty-four species or genera of planktonic cnidarians (38 siphonophora, 21 hydromedusae, 5 scyphomedusae) and one genus of ctenophore were collected. Of these, Leuckartiara adnata and Clausophyes laetmata were new records for the area. Multinet samples collected from depths of 0-100, 100-500, 500-1000, 1000-1500 and 1500-2500 m at 11 stations were compared. Multivariate analysis of the data indicated that species composition and abundance along the ridge varied with the dominant water masses, with changes in the cnidarian zooplankton assemblage observed with regard to geographic location as well as depth. The surface waters of the two northernmost stations characterized by modified North Atlantic Water (MNAW) as well as the three southernmost stations characterized by North Atlantic Central Water (NACW) exhibited relatively high abundances (3284-13,915 individuals·1000 m -3) in the upper 100 m. No such peak was evident at the middle stations characterized by Subarctic Intermediate Water (SAIW), where the abundances in the upper three depth strata were consistently lower (57-863 individuals·1000 m -3). Across the study area, the lowest abundances were found in the 1500-2500 m stratum (0-56 ind.·1000 m -3). The main divergence in the species composition and abundance of planktonic cnidarians was observed at the Subpolar Front (SPF), which marked the boundary for the distribution of many species. The divergence at the SPF was strongest in the upper 500 m but observable down to 1500 m. Profoundly different epipelagic species assemblages were observed in SAIW and NACW on opposite sides of the SPF, with the distribution of several species of calycophoran siphonophores confined to the southern NACW. At mid-water depths, the species composition north of the SPF was possibly influenced by Labrador Sea Water (LSW). The highest diversity of planktonic cnidarians was observed in the surface waters south of the SPF and in the 100-1000 m range north of the SPF.

Differential Distributions of Synechococcus Subgroups Across the California Current System

PubMed Central

Paerl, Ryan W.; Johnson, Kenneth S.; Welsh, Rory M.; Worden, Alexandra Z.; Chavez, Francisco P.; Zehr, Jonathan P.

2011-01-01

Synechococcus is an abundant marine cyanobacterial genus composed of different populations that vary physiologically. Synechococcus narB gene sequences (encoding for nitrate reductase in cyanobacteria) obtained previously from isolates and the environment (e.g., North Pacific Gyre Station ALOHA, Hawaii or Monterey Bay, CA, USA) were used to develop quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays. These qPCR assays were used to quantify populations from specific narB phylogenetic clades across the California Current System (CCS), a region composed of dynamic zones between a coastal-upwelling zone and the oligotrophic Pacific Ocean. Targeted populations (narB subgroups) had different biogeographic patterns across the CCS, which appear to be driven by environmental conditions. Subgroups C_C1, D_C1, and D_C2 were abundant in coastal-upwelling to coastal-transition zone waters with relatively high to intermediate ammonium, nitrate, and chl. a concentrations. Subgroups A_C1 and F_C1 were most abundant in coastal-transition zone waters with intermediate nutrient concentrations. E_O1 and G_O1 were most abundant at different depths of oligotrophic open-ocean waters (either in the upper mixed layer or just below). E_O1, A_C1, and F_C1 distributions differed from other narB subgroups and likely possess unique ecologies enabling them to be most abundant in waters between coastal and open-ocean waters. Different CCS zones possessed distinct Synechococcus communities. Core California current water possessed low numbers of narB subgroups relative to counted Synechococcus cells, and coastal-transition waters contained high abundances of Synechococcus cells and total number of narB subgroups. The presented biogeographic data provides insight on the distributions and ecologies of Synechococcus present in an eastern boundary current system. PMID:21833315

Relationship between inferred redox potential of the depositional environment and geochemistry of the Upper Pennsylvanian (Missourian) Stark Shale Member of the Dennis Limestone, Wabaunsee County, Kansas, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatch, J.R.; Leventhal, J.S.

1992-01-01

Analyses of 21 samples collected from a core of the 52.8-cm-thick Stark Shale Member of the Dennis Limestone in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, demonstrate four cycles with two-orders-of-magnitude variations in contents of Cd, Mo, P, V and Zn, and order-of-magnitude variations in contents of organic carbon, Cr, Ni, Se and U. The observed variability in amounts and/or ratios of many metals and amounts and compositions of the organic matter appear related to the cause and degree of water-column stratification and the resulting absence/presence of dissolved O2 or H2S. High Cd, Mo, U, V, Zn and S contents, a high degree of pyritization (DOP) (0.75-0.88), and high high V (V + Ni) (0.84-0.89) indicate the presence of H2S in a strongly stratified water column. Intermediate contents of metals and S, intermediate DOP (0.67-0.75) and intermediate V (V + Ni) (054-0.82) indicate a less strongly stratified anoxic water column. Whereas, low metal contents and low V (V + Ni) (0.46-0.60) indicate a weakly stratified, dysoxic water column. High P contents at the top of the organic-matter-rich intervals within the Stark Shale Member indicate that phosphate precipitation was enhanced near the boundary between anoxic and dysoxic water compositions. Relatively abundant terrestrial organic matter in intervals deposited from the more strongly stratified H2S-bearing water column indicates a combined halocline-thermocline with the fresher near-surface water the transport mode for the terrestrial organic matter. The predominance of algal organic matter in intervals deposited from a less strongly stratified water column indicates the absence of the halocline and the presence of the more generally established thermocline. Relatively low amounts of degraded, hydrogen-poor organic matter characterize intervals deposited in a weakly stratified, dysoxic water column. The inferred variability in chemistry of the depositional environments may be related to climate variations and/or minor changes in sea level during the general phase of deeper water deposition responsible for this widespread shale member. ?? 1992.

Hydrological and geophysical investigation of streamflow losses and restoration strategies in an abandoned mine lands setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cravotta, Charles A.; Sherrod, Laura; Galeone, Daniel G.; Lehman, Wayne G.; Ackman, Terry E.; Kramer, Alexa

2017-01-01

Longitudinal discharge and water-quality campaigns (seepage runs) were combined with surface-geophysical surveys, hyporheic-temperature profiling, and watershed-scale hydrological monitoring to evaluate the locations, magnitude, and impact of streamwater losses from the West Creek subbasin of the West West Branch Schuylkill River into the underground Oak Hill Mine complex that extends beneath the watershed divide. Abandoned mine drainage (AMD), containing iron and other contaminants, from the Oak Hill Boreholes to the West Branch Schuylkill River was sustained during low-flow conditions and correlated to streamflow lost through the West Creek streambed. During high-flow conditions, streamflow was transmitted throughout West Creek; however, during low-flow conditions, all streamflow from the perennial headwaters was lost within the 300-to-600-m "upper reach" where an 1889 mine map indicated steeply dipping coalbeds underlie the channel. During low-flow conditions, the channel within the "intermediate reach" 700-to-1650-m downstream gained groundwater seepage with higher pH and specific conductance than upstream; however, all streamflow 1650-to-2050-m downstream was lost to underlying mines. Electrical resistivity and electromagnetic conductivity surveys indicated conductive zones beneath the upper reach, where flow loss occurred, and through the intermediate reach, where gains and losses occurred. Temperature probes at 0.06-to-0.10-m depth within the hyporheic zone of the intermediate reach indicated potential downward fluxes as high as 2.1x10-5 m/s. Cumulative streamflow lost from West Creek during seepage runs averaged 53.4 L/s, which equates to 19.3 percent of the daily average discharge of AMD from the Oak Hill Boreholes and a downward flux of 1.70x10-5 m/s across the 2.1-km-by-1.5-m West Creek stream-channel area.

Seismic Oceanography in the Tyrrhenian Sea: Thermohaline Staircases, Eddies, and Internal Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffett, G. G.; Krahmann, G.; Klaeschen, D.; Schroeder, K.; Sallarès, V.; Papenberg, C.; Ranero, C. R.; Zitellini, N.

2017-11-01

We use seismic oceanography to document and analyze oceanic thermohaline fine structure across the Tyrrhenian Sea. Multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection data were acquired during the MEDiterranean OCcidental survey in April-May 2010. We deployed along-track expendable bathythermograph probes simultaneous with MCS acquisition. At nearby locations we gathered conductivity-temperature-depth data. An autonomous glider survey added in situ measurements of oceanic properties. The seismic reflectivity clearly delineates thermohaline fine structure in the upper 2,000 m of the water column, indicating the interfaces between Atlantic Water/Winter Intermediate Water, Levantine Intermediate Water, and Tyrrhenian Deep Water. We observe the Northern Tyrrhenian Anticyclone, a near-surface mesoscale eddy, plus laterally and vertically extensive thermohaline staircases. Using MCS, we are able to fully image the anticyclone to a depth of 800 m and to confirm the horizontal continuity of the thermohaline staircases of more than 200 km. The staircases show the clearest step-like gradients in the center of the basin while they become more diffuse toward the periphery and bottom, where impedance gradients become too small to be detected by MCS. We quantify the internal wave field and find it to be weak in the region of the eddy and in the center of the staircases, while it is stronger near the coastlines. Our results indicate this is because of the influence of the boundary currents, which disrupt the formation of staircases by preventing diffusive convection. In the interior of the basin, the staircases are clearer and the internal wave field weaker, suggesting that other mixing processes such as double diffusion prevail.

Variability of nutrients and carbon dioxide in the Antarctic Intermediate Water between 1990 and 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panassa, Essowè; Santana-Casiano, J. Magdalena; González-Dávila, Melchor; Hoppema, Mario; van Heuven, Steven M. A. C.; Völker, Christoph; Wolf-Gladrow, Dieter; Hauck, Judith

2018-03-01

Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) formation constitutes an important mechanism for the export of macronutrients out of the Southern Ocean that fuels primary production in low latitudes. We used quality-controlled gridded data from five hydrographic cruises between 1990 and 2014 to examine decadal variability in nutrients and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the AAIW (neutral density range 27 < γ n < 27.4) along the Prime Meridian. Significant positive trends were found in DIC (0.70 ± 0.4 μmol kg- 1 year- 1) and nitrate (0.08 ± 0.06 μ mol kg- 1 year- 1) along with decreasing trends in temperature (- 0.015 ± 0.01∘C year- 1) and salinity (- 0.003 ± 0.002 year- 1) in the AAIW. Accompanying this is an increase in apparent oxygen utilization (AOU, 0.16 ± 0.07 μ mol kg- 1 year- 1). We estimated that 75% of the DIC change has an anthropogenic origin. The remainder of the trends support a scenario of a strengthening of the upper-ocean overturning circulation in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean in response to the positive trend in the Southern Annular Mode. A decrease in net primary productivity (more nutrients unutilized) in the source waters of the AAIW could have contributed as well but cannot fully explain all observed changes.

The tug-of-war between the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea Tropical Waters and Intermediate Waters in the Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C. T. A.

2015-12-01

It has been known that Kuroshio subsurface waters are the major source of nutrients to the East China Sea continental shelf, a major fishing ground. It has also been known that subsurface waters that upwell onto the shelf are heavily affected by the South China Sea (SCS) Tropical Water and the SCS Intermediate Water which contain more nutrients than the tropical (Smax) and intermediate (Smin) waters from the West Philippine Sea (WPS). A front has been found to separate the tropical and intermediate waters from the SCS and WPS. The reported front in the Okinawa Trough, however, was identified based only on one-time data from a single cross-section in the central Okinawa Trough. Here historical hydrographic data between Mar. 1950 and Dec. 2011 in the Okinawa Trough and its neighborhood are analyzed. A vertical front tilted toward the west is found in all seasons in all years across the World Ocean Circulation Repeated Lines PR 18 and 19 as well as at the PN cross-section in the central Okinawa Trough. The front at the Smax level (sigma theta=24.6-24.9) shows large seasonal and interannual variations. In winter during normal and La Niña periods the presence of the SCS Tropical Water is the most prominent. It is the weakest in autumn during normal periods and in spring during La Nina periods. Yet during El Niño periods the SCS Tropical Water is the most prominent in spring and it becomes the weakest in winter. As for intermediate waters (Smin at sigma theta= 26.7-26.9) the WPS Intermediate Water and SCS Intermediate Water show much weaker seasonality compared with tropical waters although during normal periods in winter the WPS Intermediate Water contribution is slightly larger than during other times. During El Niño periods the WPS Intermediate Water contribution is the smallest but in spring it is much strengthened. On the other hand, the WPS Intermediate Water contribution is the smallest in spring, and the largest in winter during La Niña periods.

The Jeffers Brook diorite-granodiorite pluton: style of emplacement and role of volatiles at various crustal levels in Avalonian appinites, Canadian Appalachians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pe-Piper, Georgia; Piper, David J. W.

2018-04-01

Small appinite plutons ca. 610 Ma outcrop in the peri-Gondwanan Avalon terrane of northern Nova Scotia, with different structural levels exposed. Field mapping shows that the Jeffers Brook pluton is a laccolith emplaced along an upper crustal thrust zone, likely in a dilational jog in a regional dextral strike-slip system. The oldest rocks are probably mafic sills, which heated the area facilitating emplacement of intermediate magmas. Cross-cutting relationships show that both mafic and intermediate magmas were supplied throughout the history of pluton emplacement. The modal composition, mineral chemistry, and bulk chemistry of gabbro, diorite, tonalite, granodiorite, and granite have been studied in the main plutonic phases, dykes, and sills, and mafic microgranular enclaves. As with the type appinites in the Scottish Caledonides, the pluton shows evidence of high water content: the dominance of hornblende, locally within pegmatitic texture; vesicles and irregular felsic patches in enclaves; and late aplite dykes. Analyzed mafic microgranular enclaves are geochemically similar to larger diorite bodies in the pluton. Tonalite-granodiorite is distinct from the diorite in trace-element geochemistry and radiogenic isotopes. Elsewhere to the east, similar rocks of the same age form vertically sheeted complexes in major shear zones; hornblende chemistry shows that they were emplaced at a deeper upper crustal level. This implies that little of the observed geochemical variability in the Jeffers Brook pluton was developed within the pluton. The general requirements to form appinites are proposed to be small magma volumes of subduction-related magmas that reach the upper crust because of continual heating by mafic magmas moving through strike-slip fault pathways and trapping of aqueous fluids rather than venting through volcanic activity.

A pollution history of Chesapeake Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goldberg, E.D.; Hodge, V.; Koide, M.; Griffin, J.; Gamble, E.; Bricker, O.P.; Matisoff, G.; Holdren, G.R.; Braun, R.

1978-01-01

Present day anthropogenic fluxes of some heavy metals to central Chesapeake Bay appear to be intermediate to those of the southern California coastal region and those of Narragansett Bay. The natural fluxes, however, are in general higher. On the bases of Pb-210 and Pu-239 + 240 geochronologies and of the time changes in interstitial water compositions, there is a mixing of the upper 30 or so centimeters of the sediments in the mid-Chesapeake Bay area through bioturbation by burrowing mollusks and polychaetes. Coal, coke and charcoal levels reach one percent or more by dry weight in the deposits, primarily as a consequence of coal mining operations. ?? 1978.

Characterization of mechanical unfolding intermediates of membrane proteins by coarse grained molecular dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Tatsuya; Mitaku, Shigeki; Yamato, Takahisa

2018-01-01

Single-molecule force spectroscopy by atomic force microscopy allows us to get insight into the mechanical unfolding of membrane proteins, and a typical experiment exhibits characteristic patterns on the force distance curves. The origin of these patterns, however, has not been fully understood yet. We performed coarse-grained simulation of the forced unfolding of halorodopsin, reproduced the characteristic features of the experimental force distance curves. A further examination near the membrane-water interface indicated the existence of a motif for the force peak formation, i.e., the occurrence of hydrophobic residues in the upper interface region and hydrophilic residues below the lower interface region.

Isolation and Spectroscopic Characterization of Reactive Species in Atmospheric and Interstellar Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Relph, Rachael A.

2011-12-01

A critical element to the study of chemical reactions is the characterization of reaction intermediates. Methods have been developed to isolate these transient species in the gas phase and when combined with infrared spectroscopy have proven to be excellent tools for determining the structure and reactivity of key intermediates. The studies presented here exploit these technologies to better understand the chemistry of species involved in atmospheric and interstellar reactions. An excellent example of their utility is in the study of the formation of proton hydrates and HONO in the upper atmosphere by sequential addition of water molecules onto the nitrosonium ion. This reaction only proceeds to products after addition of the fourth water molecule, and isolation and characterization of the intermediate trihydrate, NO+(H 2O)3, shows that this species is formed in three isomeric forms, each with a different water network that controls the degree of bond formation between the nitrosonium ion and an activated water molecule. Many isomeric structures are also seen in the clustering reactions of acetylene which may be a mechanism for the formation of benzene cation in interstellar space. The spectroscopy of the trimer, (C2H2)3 + indicates that this species exists in two major isomer classes; covalent forms, one of which may be benzene, and an ion-molecule complex, comprised of a loosely bound acetylene on a dimer core. Interestingly, this dimer core is different from the cyclobutadiene-like structure observed in dimerized acetylene, and proves to be a robust species on the potential energy surface as it survives further clustering events. Two structural isomers of CO3 -and NO3 - are also investigated, and found to have drastically different infrared spectra which are analyzed in the context of their electronic structure. Isomers in these systems are prepared under different expansion conditions which accounts for their unique spectral signatures.

Nine years of mass transport data in the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraile-Nuez, Eugenio; MachíN, Francisco; VéLez-Belchí, Pedro; López-Laatzen, Federico; Borges, Rafael; BeníTez-Barrios, Verónica; HernáNdez-Guerra, Alonso

2010-09-01

One of the longest current meter time series in the Lanzarote Passage in the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre has been used to determine and quantify the 9-year mean transport, the inter-annual and seasonal mass transport variability for the three water masses present in the area. Results show North Atlantic Central Water (NACW) flowing southward in the upper levels with a mean mass transport of -0.81 ± 1.48 Sv, Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) flowing northward at intermediate levels with a mean transport of +0.09 ± 0.57 Sv and Mediterranean Water (MW) flowing southward in the deep part of the passage with a mean transport of -0.05 ± 0.17 Sv. Harmonic and wavelet analysis show the presence of a seasonal pattern in the passage for the three water masses. A maximum southward transport in winter and spring has been observed for the NACW followed by a minimum in summer and fall. Near zero values during winter and spring are found for AAIW, with a maximum northward value in summer and a negative value in fall, when this water mass reverses its flow. MW has a similar seasonal pattern to NACW. The vertical structure in the Lanzarote Passage can be approximated by four significant oscillatory modes which cumulatively explain 86.4% of the variance. The strong transport fluctuation found at the seasonal and inter-annual timescales demonstrates that the Eastern Boundary Current transport has a strong impact on meridional overturning estimates, thus indicating that to understand Meridional Overturning Circulation variability, these transport estimates at the eastern Atlantic margin are necessary.

Fish assemblages in Tanzanian mangrove creek systems influenced by solar salt farm constructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mwandya, Augustine W.; Gullström, Martin; Öhman, Marcus C.; Andersson, Mathias H.; Mgaya, Yunus D.

2009-04-01

Deforestation of mangrove forests is common occurrence worldwide. We examined fish assemblage composition in three mangrove creek systems in Tanzania (East Africa), including two creeks where the upper parts were partly clear-cut of mangrove forest due to the construction of solar salt farms, and one creek with undisturbed mangrove forest. Fish were caught monthly for one year using a seine net (each haul covering 170 m 2) within three locations in each creek, i.e. at the upper, intermediate and lower reaches. Density, biomass and species number of fish were lower in the upper deforested sites compared to the mangrove-fringed sites at the intermediate and lower parts in the two creeks affected by deforestation, whereas there were no differences among the three sites in the undisturbed mangrove creek system. In addition, multivariate analyses showed that the structure of fish assemblages varied between forested and clear-cut sites within the two disturbed creeks, but not within the undisturbed creek. Across the season, we found no significant differences except for a tendency of a minor increase in fish densities during the rainy season. At least 75% of the fishes were juveniles and of commercial interest for coastal fisheries and/or aquaculture. Mugil cephalus, Gerres oyena and Chanos chanos were the most abundant species in the forested sites. The dominant species in the clear-cut areas were M. cephalus and Elops machnata, which were both found in relatively low abundances compared to the undisturbed areas. The conversion of mangrove forests into solar salt farms not only altered fish assemblage composition, but also water and sediment conditions. In comparison with undisturbed areas, the clear-cut sites showed higher salinity, water temperature as well as organic matter and chlorophyll a in the sediments. Our results suggest that mangrove habitat loss and changes in environmental conditions caused by salt farm developments will decrease fish densities, biomass and species numbers as well as alter the overall fish assemblage composition in the salt farm area but not downstream in the creek.

Distinct characteristics of the intermediate water observed off the east coast of Korea during two contrasting years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nam, S.; Yoon, S.; Park, J. H.; Kim, Y. H.; Chang, K. I.

2016-02-01

The intermediate water known as `East Sea Intermediate Water' and its coastal mode `North Korea Cold Water' found south of the Subpolar Front (SF) is formed in the northern East (Japan) Sea, and its physical properties are known to be determined by wintertime air-sea interaction north of the SF. Hydrographic data collected off the coast bi-monthly from 1994 to 2011 show significant decadal oscillations in spiciness following isopycnals of intermediate water (27.1-27.2 sigma-theta typically corresponding to 150 m depth), which are explained by the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and consequent cold-air outbreaks. During positive AO phases over the decades, the cold-air outbreak and water formation are more active and the intermediate water having the same spiciness reaches higher density (higher spiciness following the same isopycnals). At interannual timescale, however, the spiciness variability is well beyond the relationship with the AO. Especially, significantly lower spiciness (or both less saline and lower temperature) intermediate water was observed in spring of 2010 than 2001 under the similar AO condition (negative peaks). Strong cooling with common negative peaks in surface net-heat flux (with different patterns) and common negative peaks in the AO index are prominent in winter of the two years over past two decades. Such contrasting characteristics of intermediate water between 2001 and 2010 are consistent with the HYCOM reanalysis results which, along with the satellite altimetry-derived sea surface height maps, indicates widespread extension of low (high) spiciness intermediate water in the southwestern East Sea in 2010 (2001). A clear contrast in circulation pattern, along with net-heat flux pattern, is suggested to derive the observational results in the distinctly different characteristics of the intermediate water.

Potentiometric surfaces of the intermediate aquifer system, west-central Florida, September 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duerr, A.D.

2001-01-01

The intermediate aquifer system underlies a 5,000-square-mile area within the Southwest Florida Water Management District including De Soto, Sarasota, Hardee, Manatee, and parts of Charlotte, Hillsborough, Highlands, Polk, and Lee Counties.  The intermediate aquifer system is overlain by the surficial aquifer system and is underlain by the Floridan aquifer system.  The intermediate aquifer system consists of layers of sand, shell, clay, calcareous clay, limestone, and dolomite of the Tamiami Formation and Hawthorn Group of Oligocene to Pleistocene age (Wingard and others, 1995).  The intermediate aquifer system contains one or more water-bearing units separated by discontinuous confining units.  The intermediate aquifer system is the principal source of potable water in the southwestern part of the study area and is widely used as a source of water where wells are open to the intermediate aquifer system or to both the intermediate and Floridan aquifer systems.  Yields of individual wells open to the intermediate aquifer system vary from a few gallons to several hundred gallons per minute.  The volume of water withdrawn from the intermediate aquifer system is considerably less than that withdrawn from the Floridan aquifer system in the study area (Duerr and others, 1988).

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Budgets in the Northwestern Mediterranean Deep Convection Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessouri, Faycal; Ulses, Caroline; Estournel, Claude; Marsaleix, Patrick; Severin, Tatiana; Pujo-Pay, Mireille; Caparros, Jocelyne; Raimbault, Patrick; Pasqueron de Fommervault, Orens; D'Ortenzio, Fabrizio; Taillandier, Vincent; Testor, Pierre; Conan, Pascal

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is to understand the biogeochemical cycles of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea (NW Med), where a recurrent spring bloom related to dense water formation occurs. We used a coupled physical-biogeochemical model at high resolution to simulate realistic 1 year period and analyze the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles. First, the model was evaluated using cruises carried out in winter, spring, and summer and a Bio-Argo float deployed in spring. Then, the annual cycle of meteorological and hydrodynamical forcing and nutrients stocks in the upper layer were analyzed. Third, the effect of biogeochemical and physical processes on N and P was quantified. Fourth, we quantified the effects of the physical and biological processes on the seasonal changes of the molar NO3:PO4 ratio, particularly high compared to the global ocean. The deep convection reduced the NO3:PO4 ratio of upper waters, but consumption by phytoplankton increased it. Finally, N and P budgets were estimated. At the annual scale, this area constituted a sink of inorganic and a source of organic N and P for the peripheral area. NO3 and PO4 were horizontally advected from the peripheral regions into the intermediate waters (130-800 m) of the deep convection area, while organic matter was exported throughout the whole water column toward the surrounding areas. The annual budget suggests that the NW Med deep convection constitutes a major source of nutrients for the photic zone of the Mediterranean Sea.

Medicaid program; revision to Medicaid upper payment limit requirements for hospital services, nursing facility services, intermediate care facility services for the mentally retarded, and clinic services. Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS. Final rule.

PubMed

2001-01-12

This final rule modifies the Medicaid upper payment limits for inpatient hospital services, outpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, intermediate care facility services for the mentally retarded, and clinic services. For each type of Medicaid inpatient service, existing regulations place an upper limit on overall aggregate payments to all facilities and a separate aggregate upper limit on payments made to State-operated facilities. This final rule establishes an aggregate upper limit that applies to payments made to government facilities that are not State government-owned or operated, and a separate aggregate upper limit on payments made to privately-owned and operated facilities. This rule also eliminates the overall aggregate upper limit that had applied to these services. With respect to outpatient hospital and clinic services, this final rule establishes an aggregate upper limit on payments made to State government-owned or operated facilities, an aggregate upper limit on payments made to government facilities that are not State government-owned or operated, and an aggregate upper limit on payments made to privately-owned and operated facilities. These separate upper limits are necessary to ensure State Medicaid payment systems promote economy and efficiency. We are allowing a higher upper limit for payment to non-State public hospitals to recognize the higher costs of inpatient and outpatient services in public hospitals. In addition, to ensure continued beneficiary access to care and the ability of States to adjust to the changes in the upper payment limits, the final rule includes a transition period for States with approved rate enhancement State plan amendments.

Clipperton, a possible future for atoll lagoons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charpy, L.; Rodier, M.; Couté, A.; Perrette-Gallet, C.; Bley-Loëz, C.

2010-09-01

Closure of the Clipperton Island atoll (10°17' N 109°13' W), now a meromictic lake, is estimated to have occurred between 1839 and 1849. It was still closed in 2005. Brackish waters in the upper layer (0-10 m) were oxygenated, while saline waters in the deep layer (>20 m) were anoxic. Allowing for the methodological difficulties of earlier measurements, the physical characteristics of the lagoon did not seem to have changed significantly since the last expedition (1980). The intermediate layer between brackish and saline waters was characterized by a strong density gradient and a temperature inversion of up to 1.6°C. Microbial activity, water exchange between the deep layer and surrounding oceanic waters and the geothermal flux hypothesis are discussed. The low DIN and SRP concentrations observed in the upper layer, despite high nutrient input by seabird droppings, reflect the high nutrient uptake by primary producers as attested by the elevated overall gross primary production (6.6 g C m-2 day-1), and high suspended photosynthetic biomass (2.23 ± 0.23 μg Chl a l-1) and production (263 ± 27 μg C l-1 day-1). Phytoplankton composition changed in 67 years with the advent of new taxa and the disappearance of previously recorded species. The freshwater phytoplanktonic community comprised 43 taxa: 37 newly identified during the expedition and 6 previously noted; 16 species previously found were not seen in 2005. The closure of the lagoon, combined with the positive precipitation-evaporation budget characteristic of the region, has induced drastic changes in lagoon functioning compared with other closed atolls.

Did Antarctic Intermediate Water in the Southeast Pacific expanded vertically or only deepened?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Mendez, G.; Lamy, F.; Mohtadi, M.; Hebbeln, D.

2017-12-01

Paleoceanographic and modelling studies have demonstrated in the last few years that deep waters are not the single protagonists in the global circulation scheme. Intermediate waters also play various and important roles. Particularly, the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is key for the ventilation of mid-depths and thermocline levels, with its influence being noticeable till the eastern equatorial Pacific; it is involved in rapid reorganizations of the Global Circulation and also, most plausibly, in trapping and releasing atmospheric CO2 on glacial-interglacial time scales. In recent years, several records about the past variability of the AAIW have been published while they all lay at the lower edges of the influence of this water mass and, hence, mostly only conclusions about the AAIW variability at its deep boundary could be drawn. Here we present a novel record covering several glacial-interglacial cycles from the upper levels of this water mass. Site GeoB15020 was drilled with the MARUM Sea floor drill rig (MeBo) off Chile (27.29°S; 71.05°W) at 550 m water depth (core length: 78 meters composite depth). We will present δ18O, δ13C downcore records and Mg/Ca-derived ambient temperature from peak interglacial and peak glacial periods. The records will be compared with published results from Site GeoB15016 (Martínez-Méndez et al., 2013), which lays at nearly the same position but at 956 m water depth, i.e. both cores bound the main tongue of AAIW today. The results of GeoB15016 had shown increase presence of the AAIW at the site, but it was not possible to relate unequivocally this increased presence to a deepening of the core of the AAIW or to an increase in production. Results from GeoB15020 will allow answering that dichotomy. In addition, actual changes in the intrinsic characteristics of the AAIW are poorly constrained. Therefore, we will additionally present high resolution (multi-decadal time scales) δ18O, δ13C and Sortable Silt records from core GeoB3359-3 (35.23°S; 72.81°W, 678 m, 380 cm core length) to investigate fluctuations within the core of AAIW from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present and relate those to the changes observed downstream.

On the nature of the Madagascar dipoles: An analysis from Argo profiling floats and altimetry measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguiar-González, Borja; Ponsoni, Leandro; Ridderinkhof, Herman; de Ruijter, Will P. M.; Maas, Leo R. M.

2016-04-01

The South East Madagascar Current (SEMC) flows poleward along the eastern coast of Madagascar as a western boundary current which further south provides some of the source waters of the Agulhas Current, either directly or in the form of eddies. We investigate the region of dipole formation south of Madagascar combining vertical T/S profiles from Argo floats, altimetry measurements and an existing eddy detection algorithm. Results from our analysis show that the dipole consists of an anticyclonic intrathermocline eddy (ITE) formed on its southern flank and a cyclonic ITE formed on its northern flank. Both lobes of the dipole exhibit similar T/S properties throughout the water column, although vertically shifted within the thermocline depending on its nature: upward in a cyclonic ITE and downward in an anticyclonic ITE. A subsurface salinity maximum of about 35.5 psu characterizes the upper layers with Subtropical Surface Water (STSW). At intermediate levels, a well defined path of South Indian Central Water (SICW) extends throughout the water column up to reach a minimum in salinity of 34.5 psu, corresponding to Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). Below, at deep layers, the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) is found. The intrathermocline nature of the Madagascar dipoles has not been previously reported and represents an important feature to be considered when assessing the heat and salt fluxes driven by eddy movement and contributing to the Agulhas Current. Unlike surface eddies, intrathermocline eddies strongly influence the intermediate/deeper layers in the oceans and, hence, may have a larger contribution in the spreading rates and pathways of water masses. Because the intrathermocline nature of eddies is invisible to altimetry measurements, these results stress the importance of combining altimetry with historical records of Argo profiles which uncover eddy dynamics below the sea surface. Lastly, we further investigate from altimetry the area of dipole formation. The main axis of the SEMC appears flanked on its northern and southern borders by a semi-isolated semicircular region where kinetic energy of the mean flow is being transfered to the eddy kinetic energy field, in this case to the dipole formation, through barotropic instabilities without the need of an evident SEMC retroflection. In this regard, future work will be addressed to account for the mechanism by which Madagascar dipoles thus generated present an intrathermocline structure.

Southern Ocean Mixed-Layer Seasonal and Interannual Variations From Combined Satellite and In Situ Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buongiorno Nardelli, B.; Guinehut, S.; Verbrugge, N.; Cotroneo, Y.; Zambianchi, E.; Iudicone, D.

2017-12-01

The depth of the upper ocean mixed layer provides fundamental information on the amount of seawater that directly interacts with the atmosphere. Its space-time variability modulates water mass formation and carbon sequestration processes related to both the physical and biological pumps. These processes are particularly relevant in the Southern Ocean, where surface mixed-layer depth estimates are generally obtained either as climatological fields derived from in situ observations or through numerical simulations. Here we demonstrate that weekly observation-based reconstructions can be used to describe the variations of the mixed-layer depth in the upper ocean over a range of space and time scales. We compare and validate four different products obtained by combining satellite measurements of the sea surface temperature, salinity, and dynamic topography and in situ Argo profiles. We also compute an ensemble mean and use the corresponding spread to estimate mixed-layer depth uncertainties and to identify the more reliable products. The analysis points out the advantage of synergistic approaches that include in input the sea surface salinity observations obtained through a multivariate optimal interpolation. Corresponding data allow to assess mixed-layer depth seasonal and interannual variability. Specifically, the maximum correlations between mixed-layer anomalies and the Southern Annular Mode are found at different time lags, related to distinct summer/winter responses in the Antarctic Intermediate Water and Sub-Antarctic Mode Waters main formation areas.

Hydrogeologic evaluation of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the southwestern Albany area, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, Debbie

1997-01-01

A cooperative study by the Albany Water, Gas, and Light Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey was conducted to evaluate the hydrogeology of the Upper Floridan aquifer in an area southwest of Albany and west of the Flint River in Dougherty County, Ga. The study area lies in the Dougherty Plain district of the Coastal Plain physiographic province. In this area, the Upper Floridan aquifer is comprised of the upper Eocene Ocala Limestone, confined below by the middle Eocene Lisbon Formation, and semiconfined above by the undifferentiated Quaternary overburden. The overburden ranges in thickness from about 30 to 50 feet and consists of fine to coarse quartz sand, clayey sand, sandy clay, and clay. The Upper Floridan aquifer has been subdivided into an upper water-bearing zone and a lower water-bearing zone based on differences in lithology and yield. In the study area, the upper water-bearing zone generally consists of dense, highly weathered limestone of low permeability and ranges in thickness from 40 to 80 feet. The lower water-bearing zone consists of hard, slightly weathered limestone that exhibits a high degree of secondary permeability that has developed along fractures and joints, and ranges in thickness from about 60 to 80 feet. Borehole geophysical logs and borehole video surveys indicate two areas of high permeability in the lower water-bearing zone-one near the top and one near the base of the zone. A wellfield consisting of one production well and five observation-well clusters (one deep, intermediate, and shallow well in each cluster) was constructed for this study. Spinner flowmeter tests were conducted in the production well between the depths of 110 and 140 feet below land surface to determine the relative percentages of water contributed by selected vertical intervals of the lower water-bearing zone. Pumping rates during these tests were 1,080, 2,200, and 3,400 gallons per minute. The results of these pumping tests show that the interval between 118 and 124 feet below land surface contributes a significant percentage of the total yield to the well. An aquifer test was conducted by pumping the production well at a constant rate of 3,300 gallons per minute for about 49 hours. Time-dependent water-level data were collected throughout the pumping and recovery phases of the test in the pumped well and the observation wells. The maximum measured drawdown in the observation wells was about 2.6 ft. At about 0.5 mile from the pumped well, there was little measurable effect from pumping. Water levels increased during the test in wells located within about 3.75 miles of the Flint River (about 0.5 miles east of the pumping well). This water-level increase correlated with a 3.5-feet increase in the stage of the Flint River. The hydraulic characteristics of the Upper Floridan aquifer were evaluated using the Hantush-Jacob curve-matching and Jacob straight-line methods. Using the Hantush-Jacob method, values for transmissivity ranged from about 120,000 to 506,000 feet squared per day; values for storage coefficient ranged from 1.4 x 10-4 to 6.3 x 10-4; and values for vertical hydraulic conductivity of the overlying sediments ranged from 4.9 to 6.8 feet per day. Geometric averages for these values of transmissivity, storage coefficient, and vertical hydraulic conductivity were calculated to be 248,000 feet squared per day, 2.7 x 10-4, and 5.5 feet per day, respectively. If a dual porosity aquifer model (fracture flow plus matrix flow) is assumed instead of leakage, and the Jacob straight-line method is used with late time-drawdown data, the calculated transmissivity of the fractures ranged from about 233,000 to 466,000 feet squared per day; and storage coefficient of the fractures plus the matrix ranged from 5.1 x 10-4 to 2.9 x 10-2.

Along - Strike Analysis of Contemporary Ocean Temperature Change on the Cascadia Margin and Implications to Upper Slope Hydrate Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phrampus, B.; Harris, R. N.; Trehu, A. M.; Embley, R. W.; Merle, S. G.

2017-12-01

Gas hydrates are found globally on continental margins and due to the large amount of sequestered carbon in hydrate reservoirs, whether these deposits are dynamic or stable has significant implications for slope stability, ocean/atmosphere carbon budget, and deep-water energy exploration. Recent studies indicate that upper slope hydrate degradation may be relatively widespread on passive margins due to recent ocean temperature warming between 0.012 and 0.033 °C/yr (e.g. Svalbard, North Alaska, and US Atlantic margin). However, the potential and breadth of warming induced hydrate instability remains contentious based on multiple observations including: 1) seep locations not consistent with locations of hydrate dissociation, 2) a lack of hydrate in regions of warming, and 3) evidence for long-lived seepage in regions associated with contemporary warming-induced hydrate dissociation. At the Cascadia margin, a recent study suggests that contemporary warming of intermediate water intersects the hydrate stability zone leading to hydrate dissociation that feeds upper slope seeps. Here, we provide a systematic analysis of along-strike variations in hydrate distribution along the Cascadia margin combined with a multivariable regression of ocean temperatures to characterize the potential of upper slope hydrate instability. Preliminary seep locations reveal upper slope seeps and observed regions of hydrate are correlated spatially between 42.5 and 48.0 °N, outside this region there is a dearth of identified upper slope hydrate and seeps. Between 44.5 and 48.0 °N a contemporary warming trend is as large as 0.006 °C/yr and is collocated with upper slope hydrate and gas seepage. This warming rate is relatively small, 2-5x smaller than warming trends identified in the Arctic where temperature induced hydrate instability remains uncertain. Additionally, we identify a region between 42.5 and 44.5 °N with collocated upper slope seepage and hydrate but no evidence of ocean warming, suggesting upper slope seepage is not driven by temperature induced hydrate instability, but maybe driven by tectonic uplift. These results highlight the absence of temperature driven seepage and slope instability on the Cascadia margin and deemphasize the impact of lower latitude warming on global hydrate dynamics and carbon budget.

Deep and intermediate mediterranean water in the western Alboran Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parrilla, Gregorio; Kinder, Thomas H.; Preller, Ruth H.

1986-01-01

Hydrographic and current meter data, obtained during June to October 1982, and numerical model experiments are used to study the distribution and flow of Mediterranean waters in the western Alboran Sea. The Intermediate Water is more pronounced in the northern three-fourths of the sea, but its distribution is patchy as manifested by variability of the temperature and salinity maxima at scales ≤10 km. Current meters in the lower Intermediate Water showed mean flow toward the Strait at 2 cm s -1. A reversal of this flow lasted about 2 weeks. A rough estimate of the mean westward Intermediate Water transport was 0.4 × 10 6 m 3 s -1, about one-third of the total outflow, so that the best estimates of the contributions of traditionally defined Intermediate Water and Deep Water account for only about one-half of the total outflow. The Deep Water was uplifted against the southern continental slope from Alboran Island (3°W) to the Strait. There was also a similar but much weaker banking against the Spanish slope, but a deep current record showed that the eastward recirculation implied by this banking is probably intermittent. Two-layer numerical model experiments simulated the Intermediate Water flow with a flat bottom and the Deep Water with realistic bottom topography. Both experiments replicated the major circulation features, and the Intermediate Water flow was concentrated in the north because of rotation and the Deep Water flow in the south because of topographic control.

Assessing the Vulnerability of Public-Supply Wells to Contamination: Floridan Aquifer System Near Tampa, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jagucki, Martha L.; Katz, Brian G.; Crandall, Christy A.; Eberts, Sandra M.

2009-01-01

This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well in Temple Terrace, Florida, northeast of Tampa. The well selected for study typically produces water at the rate of 700 gallons per minute from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Water samples were collected at the public-supply well and at monitoring wells installed in or near the simulated zone of contribution to the supply well. Samples of untreated water from the public-supply wellhead contained the undesirable constituents nitrate, arsenic, uranium, radon-222, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and pesticides, although all were detected at concentrations less than established drinking-water standards, where such standards exist. Overall, study findings point to four primary factors that affect the movement and fate of contaminants and the vulnerability of the public-supply well in Temple Terrace: (1) groundwater age (how long ago water entered, or recharged, the aquifer); (2) short-circuiting of contaminated water through sinkholes; (3) natural geochemical processes within the aquifer; and (4) pumping stress. Although the public-supply well is completed in the Upper Floridan aquifer, it produces water with concentrations of nitrate, VOCs, and the natural contaminant radon that are intermediate between the typical composition of water from the Upper Floridan aquifer and that of the overlying surficial aquifer system. Mixing calculations show that the water produced by the public-supply well could consist of upwards of 50 percent water from the surficial aquifer system mixed with water from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Anthropogenically affected water from the surficial aquifer system travels rapidly to depth through sinkholes that must be directly connected to the cavernous zone intersected by the public-supply well (and several other production wells in the region). Such solution features serve as fast pathways to the well and circumvent the natural attenuation of nitrate and radon that occurs when water from the surficial aquifer flows downward through the confining unit and then through the Upper Floridan aquifer matrix. Roughly 50 percent of the simulated flow to the public-supply well consists of water less than about 10 years old, thus making the well vulnerable to contamination from human activities. Sampling at various depths in the public-supply well during pumping and nonpumping conditions showed that water entering the well from the cavernous zone had much higher arsenic concentrations during pumping conditions (18.9 ug/L) than during nonpumping conditions (4.2 ug/L). This implies that movement of arsenic to the public-supply well from the cavernous zone is enhanced by pumping. One possible explanation is that pumping increases the movement of water with elevated dissolved oxygen content through the cavernous zone, which causes dissolution of arsenic associated with pyrite. All public-supply wells in the area may not have the same level of vulnerability as the well studied - many of the public-supply wells in the region have lower pumping rates and longer open intervals that may draw in a larger proportion of old water that predates anthropogenic influences. Determining the similarity of water produced by various public-supply wells in the region to that of the surficial aquifer system is one measure of well vulnerability that could be used to prioritize monitoring and land-use planning efforts to protect the most vulnerable wells.

Hydrophilic organic/salt-containing aqueous two-phase solvent system for counter-current chromatography: a novel technique for separation of polar compounds.

PubMed

Liu, Dan; Zou, Xiaowei; Gao, Mingzhe; Gu, Ming; Xiao, Hongbin

2014-08-22

Hydrophilic organic/salt-containing aqueous two-phase system composing of ethanol, water and ammonium sulfate for separation polar compounds was investigated on multilayer coil associated with J-type HSCCC devices. Compared to the classical polar solvent system based on 1-butanol-water or PEG1000-ammonium sulfate-water, the water content of upper phase in ethanol-ammonium sulfate-water systems was from 53.7% to 32.8% (wt%), closed to PEG1000-ammonium sulfate-water aqueous two-phase systems and higher than 1-butanol-water (22.0%, wt%). Therefore, the polarity of ethanol-ammonium sulfate-water is in the middle of 1-butanol-water and PEG-ammonium sulfate-water system, which is quite good for separating polar compounds like phenols, nucleosides and amino acids with low partition coefficient in 1-octanol-water system. The retention of stationary phase in four elution mode on type-J counter-current chromatography devices with multilayer coil column changed from 26% to 71%. Hydrodynamic trend possess both intermediate and hydrophilic solvent system property, which closely related to the composition of solvent system. The applicability of this system was demonstrated by successful separation of adenosine, uridine guanosine and cytidine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diel Vertical Dynamics of Gelatinous Zooplankton (Cnidaria, Ctenophora and Thaliacea) in a Subtropical Stratified Ecosystem (South Brazilian Bight)

PubMed Central

Nogueira Júnior, Miodeli; Brandini, Frederico Pereira; Codina, Juan Carlos Ugaz

2015-01-01

The diel vertical dynamics of gelatinous zooplankton in physically stratified conditions over the 100-m isobath (~110 km offshore) in the South Brazilian Bight (26°45’S; 47°33’W) and the relationship to hydrography and food availability were analyzed by sampling every six hours over two consecutive days. Zooplankton samples were taken in three depth strata, following the vertical structure of the water column, with cold waters between 17 and 13.1°C, influenced by the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) in the lower layer (>70 m); warm (>20°C) Tropical Water in the upper 40 m; and an intermediate thermocline with a deep chlorophyll-a maximum layer (0.3–0.6 mg m-3). Two distinct general patterns were observed, emphasizing the role of (i) physical and (ii) biological processes: (i) a strong influence of the vertical stratification, with most zooplankton absent or little abundant in the lower layer. The influence of the cold SACW on the bottom layer apparently restricted the vertical occupation of most species, which typically inhabit epipelagic warm waters. Even among migratory species, only a few (Aglaura hemistoma, Abylopsis tetragona eudoxids, Beroe sp., Thalia democratica, Salpa fusiformis) crossed the thermocline and reached the bottom layer. (ii) A general tendency of partial migrations, with variable intensity depending on the different species and developmental stages; populations tended to be more widely distributed through the water column during daylight, and to become more aggregated in the upper layer during the night, which can be explained based on the idea of the “hunger-satiation hypothesis”, maximizing feeding and minimizing the chances of being predated. PMID:26637179

Diel Vertical Dynamics of Gelatinous Zooplankton (Cnidaria, Ctenophora and Thaliacea) in a Subtropical Stratified Ecosystem (South Brazilian Bight).

PubMed

Nogueira Júnior, Miodeli; Brandini, Frederico Pereira; Codina, Juan Carlos Ugaz

2015-01-01

The diel vertical dynamics of gelatinous zooplankton in physically stratified conditions over the 100-m isobath (~110 km offshore) in the South Brazilian Bight (26°45'S; 47°33'W) and the relationship to hydrography and food availability were analyzed by sampling every six hours over two consecutive days. Zooplankton samples were taken in three depth strata, following the vertical structure of the water column, with cold waters between 17 and 13.1°C, influenced by the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) in the lower layer (>70 m); warm (>20°C) Tropical Water in the upper 40 m; and an intermediate thermocline with a deep chlorophyll-a maximum layer (0.3-0.6 mg m-3). Two distinct general patterns were observed, emphasizing the role of (i) physical and (ii) biological processes: (i) a strong influence of the vertical stratification, with most zooplankton absent or little abundant in the lower layer. The influence of the cold SACW on the bottom layer apparently restricted the vertical occupation of most species, which typically inhabit epipelagic warm waters. Even among migratory species, only a few (Aglaura hemistoma, Abylopsis tetragona eudoxids, Beroe sp., Thalia democratica, Salpa fusiformis) crossed the thermocline and reached the bottom layer. (ii) A general tendency of partial migrations, with variable intensity depending on the different species and developmental stages; populations tended to be more widely distributed through the water column during daylight, and to become more aggregated in the upper layer during the night, which can be explained based on the idea of the "hunger-satiation hypothesis", maximizing feeding and minimizing the chances of being predated.

Hydrodynamic variability of the Cretan Sea derived from Argo float profiles and multi-parametric buoy measurements during 2010-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassis, Dimitris; Korres, Gerasimos; Petihakis, George; Perivoliotis, Leonidas

2015-12-01

In this work, we examine the complex hydrology of the Cretan Sea, an important area which affects the dynamics of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. We use T/S profile data derived from the first Argo float deployed in the area during June 2010 within the framework of the Greek Argo program. Temperature and salinity profiles were measured over a 2-year period, analyzed, and combined with time series data recorded from the POSEIDON E1-M3A multi-parametric instrumentation platform operating in the area since 2007. The acquired datasets have been enriched with available CTD profiles taken on the mooring site during cruise maintenance surveys. The combined research activities resulted in a large dataset of physical properties allowing extended geographical coverage and an in-depth analysis of the Cretan Sea dynamics during this 2-year period. Data analysis shows significant variability of water masses of different origin at subsurface and deep layers. This confirms previous findings describing the area as transitional with water masses of different origin meeting and interacting. Furthermore, additional features of the area are described combining information from satellite altimetry. In this study, new circulation systems are identified at intermediate and subsurface layers affecting both the dynamic behavior of the basin's upper thermocline and the intermediate/deep water mass tempo-spatial variability. We further investigate the physical properties of the water column and suggest an updated mesoscale circulation picture based on the dynamics of the variable hydrological regimes of the Cretan Sea basin.

Medicaid program; modification of the Medicaid upper payment limit transition period for inpatient hospital services, outpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, intermediate care facility services for the mentally retarded, and clinic services. Final rule.

PubMed

2001-09-05

This final rule modifies the Medicaid upper payment (UPL) limit provisions by establishing a new transition period for States that submitted plan amendments before March 13, 2001 that do not comply with the new UPLs effective on that date (but do comply with the prior UPLs) and were approved on or after January 22, 2001. This new transition period applies to payments for inpatient hospital services, outpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, intermediate care facility services for the mentally retarded, and clinic services.

Antigenic characterization of intermediate adenovirus 14-11 strains associated with upper respiratory illness in a military camp.

PubMed Central

Hierholzer, J C; Pumarola, A

1976-01-01

An unusual variant of adenovirus (AV) 11 was isolated from throat and rectal swabs from six persons with upper respiratory illness in a Spanish military camp in March 1969. The same strain was serologically related to the upper respiratory illness of seven other men among 25 sample cases studied in detail. After strain purification, the virus was grouped as an AV by standard biological tests; it possessed the usual titers of group-specific hexon antigen but only low hemagglutinin titers (1:4 to 1:8) with erythrocytes from selected rhesus monkeys. The virus gave little reaction in hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests with antisera to AV 1 through 35, but was neutralized to homologous titers by AV 11 antiserum. Reciprocally, rabbit and guinea pig antisera to the isolates possessed high HI antibody titers to prototype AV 14 and high serum neutralization (SN) antibody titers to prototype AV 11. On this basis, the variants were classified as AV 14-11 intermediates. Sequential serum specimens from the patients with and without positive cultures showed diagnostic rises in HI and SN antibody levels to the AV 14-11 intermediate and to prototype AV 11, but little response to AV 14. PMID:177365

Hydrologic Conditions that Influence Streamflow Losses in a Karst Region of the Upper Peace River, Polk County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Metz, P.A.; Lewelling, B.R.

2009-01-01

The upper Peace River from Bartow to Fort Meade, Florida, is described as a groundwater recharge area, reflecting a reversal from historical groundwater discharge patterns that existed prior to the 1950s. The upper Peace River channel and floodplain are characterized by extensive karst development, with numerous fractures, crevasses, and sinks that have been eroded in the near-surface and underlying carbonate bedrock. With the reversal in groundwater head gradients, river water is lost to the underlying groundwater system through these karst features. An investigation was conducted to evaluate the hydrologic conditions that influence streamflow losses in the karst region of the upper Peace River. The upper Peace River is located in a basin that has been altered substantially by phosphate mining and increases in groundwater use. These alterations have changed groundwater flow patterns and caused streamflow declines through time. Hydrologic factors that have had the greatest influence on streamflow declines in the upper Peace River include the lowering of the potentiometric surfaces of the intermediate aquifer system and Upper Floridan aquifer beneath the riverbed elevation due to below-average rainfall (droughts), increases in groundwater use, and the presence of numerous karst features in the low-water channel and floodplain that enhance the loss of streamflow. Seepage runs conducted along the upper Peace River, from Bartow to Fort Meade, indicate that the greatest streamflow losses occurred along an approximate 2-mile section of the river beginning about 1 mile south of the Peace River at Bartow gaging station. Along the low-water and floodplain channel of this 2-mile section, there are about 10 prominent karst features that influence streamflow losses. Losses from the individual karst features ranged from 0.22 to 16 cubic feet per second based on measurements made between 2002 and 2007. The largest measured flow loss for all the karst features was about 50 cubic feet per second, or about 32 million gallons per day, on June 28, 2002. Streamflow losses varied throughout the year, and were related to seasonal fluctuations in groundwater levels. When groundwater levels were at their lowest level at the end of the dry season (May and June), there was an increased potential for streamflow losses. During this study, the largest streamflow losses occurred at the beginning of the summer rainy season when discharge in the river increased and large volumes of water were needed to replenish unfilled cavities and void spaces in the underlying aquifers. The underlying geology along the upper Peace River and floodplain is highly karstified, and aids in the movement and amount of streamflow that is lost to the groundwater system in this region. Numerous karst features and fractured carbonates and cavernous zones observed in geologic cores and geophysical logs indicate an active, well-connected, groundwater flow system. Aquifer and dye tests conducted along the upper Peace River indicate the presence of cavernous and highly transmissive layers within the floodplain area that can store and transport large volumes of water in underground cavities. A discharge measurement made during this study indicates that the cavernous system associated with Dover Sink can accept over 10 million gallons per day (16 cubic feet per second) of streamflow before the localized aquifer storage volume is replenished and the level of the sink is stabilized.

Arctic intermediate water in the Norwegian sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blindheim, Johan

1990-09-01

At least two types of intermediate water propagate into the Norwegian Sea from the Iceland and Greenland seas. North Icelandic Winter Water flows along the slope of the Faroe-Iceland Ridge towards the Faroes. The distribution of this intermediate water is limited to the southern Norwegian Sea. The second type intrudes between the bottom water and the Atlantic Water, and can be traced as a slight salinity minimum of the entire area of the Norwegian Sea. There seems to be along-isopycnal advection of this water type along the Arctic Front from both the Iceland and Greenland Seas. Although the salinity minimum is less distinct along the slope of the continental shelf than in the western Norwegian Sea, this intermediate water separates the deep water and the Atlantic Water, and prohibits direct mixing of these two water masses.

Environmental forcing of the Campeche cold-water coral province, southern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hebbeln, D.; Wienberg, C.; Wintersteller, P.; Freiwald, A.; Becker, M.; Beuck, L.; Dullo, C.; Eberli, G. P.; Glogowski, S.; Matos, L.; Forster, N.; Reyes-Bonilla, H.; Taviani, M.

2014-04-01

With an extension of > 40 km2 the recently discovered Campeche cold-water coral province located at the northeastern rim of the Campeche Bank in the southern Gulf of Mexico belongs to the largest coherent cold-water coral areas discovered so far. The Campeche province consists of numerous 20-40 m-high elongated coral mounds that are developed in intermediate water depths of 500 to 600 m. The mounds are colonized by a vivid cold-water coral ecosystem that covers the upper flanks and summits. The rich coral community is dominated by the framework-building Scleractinia Enallopsammia profunda and Lophelia pertusa, while the associated benthic megafauna shows a rather scarce occurrence. The recent environmental setting is characterized by a high surface water production caused by a local upwelling center and a dynamic bottom-water regime comprising vigorous bottom currents, obvious temporal variability, and strong density contrasts, which all together provide optimal conditions for the growth of cold-water corals. This setting - potentially supported by the diel vertical migration of zooplankton in the Campeche area - controls the delivering of food particles to the corals. The Campeche cold-water coral province is, thus, an excellent example highlighting the importance of the oceanographic setting in securing the food supply for the development of large and vivid cold-water coral ecosystems.

Environmental forcing of the Campeche cold-water coral province, southern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hebbeln, D.; Wienberg, C.; Wintersteller, P.; Freiwald, A.; Becker, M.; Beuck, L.; Dullo, C.; Eberli, G. P.; Glogowski, S.; Matos, L.; Forster, N.; Reyes-Bonilla, H.; Taviani, M.; MSM 20-4 shipboard scientific party, the

2013-11-01

With an extension of >40 km2 the recently discovered Campeche cold-water coral province located at the northeastern rim of the Campeche Bank in the southern Gulf of Mexico belongs to the largest coherent cold-water coral areas discovered so far. The Campeche province consists of numerous 20 to 40 m high coral ridges that are developed in intermediate water depths of 500 to 600 m. The ridges are colonized by a vivid cold-water coral ecosystem that covers the upper flanks and summits. The rich coral community is dominated by the framework-building scleractinia Enallopsammia profunda and Lophelia pertusa while the associated benthic megafauna shows a rather scarce occurrence. The recent environmental setting is characterized by a high surface water production caused by a local upwelling center and a dynamic bottom water regime comprising vigorous bottom currents, internal waves and strong density contrasts, which all together provide optimal conditions for the growth of cold-water corals. The strong hydrodynamics - potentially supported by the diel vertical migration of zooplankton in the Campeche area - drive the delivering of food particles to the corals. The Campeche cold-water coral province is, thus, an excellent example highlighting the importance of the hydrographic setting in securing the food supply for the development of large and vivid cold-water coral ecosystems.

On the Use of Writing Assignments in Intermediate Microeconomic Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Patrick B.

2009-01-01

A typical writing assignment in upper level required courses is a term paper. However many economics majors, particularly those in business schools, need to develop skill at writing shorter pieces. In this paper I describe numerous examples of shorter writing assignments that I have incorporated into an Intermediate Microeconomic Theory course.…

Glacial - interglacial changes of northwest Pacific stratification, inferred from deep and shallow living radiolarians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hays, J. D.

2009-12-01

Shallow (0-200m) and deep (200 to1000m) living radiolarian flux is used to measure past production from within discrete intervals of the ocean’s water column. Deep-living faunas can also be used as proxies for export production, for they remineralize it and respond geographically and temporally to varying export. Few members of the mesopelagic community leave a fossil record, but of those that do, radiolarians are the most abundant and diverse group. In northwest Pacific late Pleistocene (glacial) sediments, deep-living radiolarian flux dominates over shallow-living flux, but the reverse is true in Holocene sediments, with the dramatic dominance change occurring across the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. Changing primary productivity can’t cause these flux changes, for shallow-living faunas have access to the same carbon flux as do deep-living faunas, but rather they signal a major reorganization of the radiolarian fauna within the water column and suggest greater glacial than Holocene carbon export. In the Holocene world-ocean, the only region where deep-living radiolarian flux dominates over shallow-living flux is in the Sea of Okhotsk, suggesting environmental similarities between this sea and the northwest Pacific. In winter, cold Siberian air chills the upper hundred meters of the Sea of Okhotsk, promoting the spread of vast sea ice fields. High productivity in a thin (10-15m) summer mixed layer depletes nutrients Between 15 and about 150m exists a layer of cold (-1 to 0 degrees C.) intermediate water, within which radiolarian concentrations are low, but these concentrations increase between 200 and 500m in warmer intermediate water (Nimmergut and Abelmann, 2002). This radiolarian stratification results in greater deep- than shallow-living radiolarian flux to the sea floor. A similar water structure in the glacial northwest Pacific is the probable cause of similar flux patterns between the glacial northwest Pacific and Holocene Sea of Okhotsk. If so then cold glacial northwest Pacific intermediate water promoted the southward spread of sea ice. This inference is supported by the near coincidence of the southern limit of deep-living species dominated glacial sediments and extensive ice rafting. It also explains nutrient depleted glacial northwest Pacific surface waters inferred from isotopic data.

Summary of well construction, testing, and preliminary findings from the Alligator Alley test well, Broward County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meyer, F.W.

1988-01-01

A 2,811-foot deep test well was drilled during 1980 in The Everglades along Alligator Alley as part of the Floridan Regional Aquifer Systems Analysis project. The well was cased 895 feet deep. Hydraulic packers were used to isolate selected zones in the open hole for water samples and measurement of water levels. The well penetrated the surficial and intermediate aquifers into the Floridan aquifer system. The top of the Floridan aquifer system occurs at 770 feet and includes limestone ranging in age from Oligocene to early Eocene. About 67 percent of the total thickness of the Floridan aquifer system was penetrated by the well. The chief water-producing zones in the Floridan aquifer system occur at about 1,030 feet and at about 2,560 feet. The 1,030-foot zone contains brackish artesian groundwater, and the 2,560-foot zone contains salty artesian groundwater similar in composition to seawater. The static water geothermal gradient is indicated, and radiocarbon activities suggest that the saltwater in the lower zone is younger than brackish groundwater in the upper zone. (USGS)

Fluid mechanics relevant to flow through pretreatment of cellulosic biomass.

PubMed

Archambault-Léger, Véronique; Lynd, Lee R

2014-04-01

The present study investigates fluid mechanical properties of cellulosic feedstocks relevant to flow through (FT) pretreatment for biological conversion of cellulosic biomass. The results inform identifying conditions for which FT pretreatment can be implemented in a practical context. Measurements of pressure drop across packed beds, viscous compaction and water absorption are reported for milled and not milled sugarcane bagasse, switchgrass and poplar, and important factors impacting viscous flow are deduced. Using biomass knife-milled to pass through a 2mm sieve, the observed pressure drop was highest for bagasse, intermediate for switchgrass and lowest for poplar. The highest pressure drop was associated with the presence of more fine particles, greater viscous compaction and the degree of water absorption. Using bagasse without particle size reduction, the instability of the reactor during pretreatment above 140kg/m(3) sets an upper bound on the allowable concentration for continuous stable flow. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Timing of Deglacial AMOC Variability From a High-Resolution Seawater Cadmium Reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valley, Shannon; Lynch-Stieglitz, Jean; Marchitto, Thomas M.

2017-11-01

A new, high-resolution record of benthic seawater Cd (Cdw) was generated from a Florida Straits sediment core at 546 m water depth. The record provides additional evidence for Cdw below modern values in this channel during the Younger Dryas and Heinrich Stadial 1—climatological periods associated with ice sheet melt. Lower Cdw values are interpreted as a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), reflecting a decreased northward transport of southern sourced higher-nutrient intermediate waters by the surface return flow of AMOC. Comparison of this new Cdw record with previously published neodymium isotope and δ18O records from the same core shows synchronous transitions, further illustrating the connection between Cdw levels and AMOC strength in the Florida Straits. An increase in Cdw near 16 ka bolsters existing evidence for a resumption of upper branch AMOC strength approximately midway through Heinrich Stadial 1.

Expanded record of Quaternary oceanographic change: Amerasian Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ishman, S.E.; Polyak, L.V.; Poore, R.Z.

1996-01-01

Four sediment cores collected from the Northwind and Mendeleyev ridges, Arctic Ocean, from 1089 m to 1909 m water depth, provide an oceanographic record extending back into the Matuyama reversed polarity chron. Benthic foraminiferal analyses show four prominent assemblage zones: Bolivina arctica, Cassidulina teretis, Bulimina aculeata, and Oridorsalis tener from the upper Matuyama reversed polarity chronozone through the Brunhes normal polarity chronozone. These assemblage zones represent depth-dependent benthic foraminiferal biofacies changes associated with oceanographic events that occurred in the Amerasian basin at ??? 780 and 300 ka, and indicate oceanographic influence from the North Atlantic. Recognition of these benthic assemblage zones in Arctic cores from the Alpha Ridge indicates that the benthic foraminiferal zonations in intermediate to deep water (>1000 m) Arctic cores may be more useful than preexisting lithostratigraphic zonations and should provide important information pertaining to the Quaternary paleoceanographic evolution of the Arctic Ocean.

Trace Element Inputs to the Upper West Pacific from Nd Isotopes and Rare Earth Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrens, M. K.; Pahnke, K.; Schnetger, B.; Brumsack, H. J.

2015-12-01

Neodymium isotopes (143Nd/144Nd, expressed as ɛNd) and rare earth element (REE) concentrations in the ocean trace water mass transport and margin-seawater exchange processes. The distinct ɛNd and REE signatures of the lithogenic components of margin sediments of the West Pacific allow characterization of trace element inputs to the Pacific Ocean. We present dissolved ɛNdand REE concentrations from twelve vertical profiles of a transect from South Korea to Fiji. Near South Korea, surface waters are marked by unradiogenic ɛNd (as low as -7.3), high REE concentrations (e.g., Nd = 15.3 pmol/kg) and low salinity. Towards the open ocean, these parameters gradually change towards typical Pacific open ocean values (ɛNd = -3.3, [Nd] = 5.55 pmol/kg). Subsurface waters show REE depletions, followed by the typical REE increase with increasing water depth. These distributions indicate trace element input near South Korea and enhanced subsurface scavenging, as indicated by strong heavy REE to light REE fractionation. In the tropical West Pacific (10°N-15°S), high surface and subsurface water ɛNd values (+0.7) and positive Eu anomalies trace the influence of volcanic islands. Yet, absolute REE concentrations are extremely low at these depths (e.g., Nd = 2.77 pmol/kg). Using shale-normalized Nd/Er and Ho/Dy ratios, that show a much stronger surface to subsurface decrease in coastal waters compared to the open ocean, we suggest enhanced scavenging in this area. Eastward flowing intermediate waters (NPIW, AAIW) have ɛNd values up to +1.9 (NPIW) and +3.7 (AAIW) higher than those entering the tropical West Pacific from north and south, respectively. Modified ɛNd at intermediate depths and no change in REE patterns suggest that boundary exchange along volcanic island margins modifies the seawater ɛNd without changing the REE budget.

Ground-water quality of the Upper Floridan Aquifer near an abandoned manufactured gas plant in Albany, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapman, M.J.

1993-01-01

Manufactured gas plants produced gas for heating and lighting in the United States from as early as 1816 into the 1960's. By-products including, but not limited to, oil residues and tar, were generated during the gas-manufacturing process. Organic compounds (hydrocarbons) were detected in water in the upper water-bearing zone of the Upper Floridan aquifer near an abandoned manufactured gas plant (MGP) in Albany, Georgia, during an earlier investigation in 1990. Chemical analyses of ground-water samples collected from five existing monitoring wells in 1991 verify the presence of hydrocarbons and metals in the upper water-beating zone of the Upper Floridan aquifer. One well was drilled into the lower water-beating zone of the Upper Floridan aquifer in 1991 for water-quality sampling and water-level monitoring. Analyses of ground water sampled from this well did not show evidence of benzene, toluene, xylene, napthalene, acenaphthlene, or other related compounds detected in the upper water-bearing zone in the study area. Low concentrations of tetrachloroethane, trichloromethane, and l,2-cisdichloroethene were detected in a water sample from the deeper well; however, these compounds were not detected in the upper water-bearing zone in the study area. Inorganic constituent concentrations also were substantially lower in the deeper well. Overall, ground water sampled from the lower water-bearing zone had lower specific conductance and alkalinity; and lower concentrations of dissolved solids, iron, and manganese compared to ground water sampled from the upper water-bearing zone. Water levels for the upper and lower water-bearing zones were similar throughout the study period.

Phototransformation of the sunlight filter benzophenone-3 (2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone) under conditions relevant to surface waters.

PubMed

Vione, Davide; Caringella, Rosalinda; De Laurentiis, Elisa; Pazzi, Marco; Minero, Claudio

2013-10-01

The UV filter benzophenone-3 (BP3) has UV photolysis quantum yield ΦBP3=(3.1±0.3)·10(-5) and the following second-order reaction rate constants: with (•)OH, k(BP3,(•)OH)=(2.0±0.4)·10(10) M(-1) s(-1); with the triplet states of chromophoric dissolved organic matter ((3)CDOM*), K(BP3,(3)CDOM*)=(1.1±0.1)·10(9) M(-1) s(-1); with (1)O2, k(BP3,(1)O2)=(2.0±0.1)·10(5) M(-1) s(-1), and with CO3(-•), k(BP3,CO3(-•))<5·10(7) M(-1) s(-1). These data allow the modelling of BP3 photochemical transformation, which helps filling the knowledge gap about the environmental persistence of this compound. Under typical surface-water conditions, direct photolysis and reactions with (•)OH and (3)CDOM* would be the main processes of BP3 phototransformation. Reaction with (•)OH would prevail at low DOC, direct photolysis at intermediate DOC (around 5 mg C L(-1)), and reaction with (3)CDOM* at high DOC. If the reaction rate constant with CO3(-•) is near the upper limit of experimental measures (5·10(7) M(-1) s(-1)), the CO3(-•) degradation process could be somewhat important for DOC<1 mg C L(-1). The predicted half-life time of BP3 in surface waters under summertime conditions would be of some weeks, and it would increase with increasing depth and DOC. BP3 transformation intermediates were detected upon reaction with (•)OH. Two methylated derivatives were tentatively identified, and they were probably produced by reaction between BP3 and fragments arising from photodegradation. The other intermediates were benzoic acid (maximum concentration ~10% of initial BP3) and benzaldehyde (1%). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Salt-water encroachment in southern Nassau and southeastern Queens Counties, Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lusczynski, N.J.; Swarzenski, Wolfgang V.

1966-01-01

Test drilling, extraction of water from cores, electric logging, water sampling, and water-level measurements from 1958 to 1961 provided a suitable basis for a substantial refinement in the definition of the positions, chloride concentrations, and rates of movement of salty water in the intermediate and deep deposits of southern Nassau County and southeastern Queens County. Filter-press, centrifugal, and dilution methods were used to extract water from cores for chloride analysis at the test-drilling sites. Chloride analysis of water extracted by these methods, chloride analyses of water from wells, and the interpretation of electric logs helped to define the chloride content of the salty water. New concepts of environmental-water head and zerovels, developed during the investigation, proved useful for defining hydraulic gradients and ratee of flow in ground water of variable density in a vertical direction and in horizontal and inclined planes, respectively. Hydraulic gradients in and between fresh and salty water were determined from water levels from data at individual and multiple-observation wells. Salty ground water occurs in southern Nassau and southeastern Queens Counties as three wedgelike extensions that project landward in unconsolidated deposits from a main body of salty water that lies seaward of the barrier beaches in Nassau County and of Jamaica Bay in Queens County. Salty water occurs not only in permeable deposits but also in the shallow and deep clay deposits. The highest chloride content of the salty ground water in the main body and the wedges is about 16,000 ppm, which is about 1,000 to 2,000 ppm less than the chloride content of ocean water. The shallow salty water in the Pleistocene and Recent deposits is connected freely with the bays, tidal estuaries, and ocean. The intermediate wedge is found only in the southwestern part of Nassau County in the upper part of the Magothy (?) Formation, in the Jamneco Gravel, and in the overlying clay deposits. It extends from the seaward areas inland about 2 miles into Island Park. The deep wedge extends into southeastern Queens County and southern Nassau County principally in the deeper parts of the Magothy (?) Formation and in the underlying clay member of the Raritan Formation. The leading edge of the deep wedge is at the base of the Magothy (?) Formation. This edge is apparently at the shoreline east of Lido Beach and extends inland about 4 miles to Woodmere and about 7 miles to South Ozone Park. Zones of diffusion as much as 6 miles wide and about 500 feet thick were delineated in the frontal part of the salty-water wedges. These thick and broad zones of diffusion were probably formed during the past 1,000 or more years in heterogeneous unconsolidated deposits by long- and short-term changes in sea level and in fresh-water outflow to the sea and by dispersion caused by the movements of the water and its salt mass. Changes in sea level and fresh-water outflow together produced appreciable advances and recessions of the salt-water front. The chemical compositions of the diffused water in all wedges are modified to some extent by base exchange and other physical and chemical processes and also by diffusion. The intermediate wedge of salty water is moving landward at a rate of less than 20 feet a year in the vicinity of Island Park and, thus, has moved less than 1,000 feet since 1900. The leading edge of the deep wedge has advanced landward at about 300 feet a :ear in Woodmere in southwestern Nassau County and about 160 feet a year at South Ozone Park in southeastern Queens County, principally under the influence of local withdrawals near the toe of the wedge. Between Hewlett and Lido Beach, the deep wedge is moving inland at the rate of about 10 feet a year under the influence of regional withdrawals in inland areas. Regional encroachment of the deep wedge is apparently retarded appreciably by cyclic flow, that is, by the return seaward in the upper

Crustal structure between Lake Mead, Nevada, and Mono Lake, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Lane R.

1964-01-01

Interpretation of a reversed seismic-refraction profile between Lake Mead, Nevada, and Mono Lake, California, indicates velocities of 6.15 km/sec for the upper layer of the crust, 7.10 km/sec for an intermediate layer, and 7.80 km/sec for the uppermost mantle. Phases interpreted to be reflections from the top of the intermediate layer and the Mohorovicic discontinuity were used with the refraction data to calculate depths. The depth to the Moho increases from about 30 km near Lake Mead to about 40 km near Mono Lake. Variations in arrival times provide evidence for fairly sharp flexures in the Moho. Offsets in the Moho of 4 km at one point and 2 1/2 km at another correspond to large faults at the surface, and it is suggested that fracture zones in the upper crust may displace the Moho and extend into the upper mantle. The phase P appears to be an extension of the reflection from the top of the intermediate layer beyond the critical angle. Bouguer gravity, computed for the seismic model of the crust, is in good agreement with the measured Bouguer gravity. Thus a model of the crustal structure is presented which is consistent with three semi-independent sources of geophysical data: seismic-refraction, seismic-reflection, and gravity.

Hydrogeologic conditions and simulation of ground-water flow in the Greater Orlando Metropolitan Area, East-Central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murray, L.C.; Halford, K.J.

1996-01-01

A finite-difference ground-water flow model was used to simulate the effects of both modern-day (1988) and projected 2010 ground-water withdrawals on the Floridan aquifer system in the greater Orlando metropolitan area. This area covers about 2,500 square miles and includes all of Orange and Seminole Counties and parts of Lake, Volusia, Brevard, Osceola, and Polk Counties. The hydrogeology of the area is characterized by a thin surficial aquifer underlain by the thick, highly productive rocks of the Floridan aquifer system. Water in the Upper Floridan aquifer is brackish (chloride concentrations greater than 1,000 milligrams per liter) in discharge areas beneath and near the St. Johns and Wekiva Rivers and is freshest (chloride concentrations less than 100 milligrams per liter) inrecharge areas. A slight trend toward increasing concentrations of dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate has been observed at Upper Floridan aquifer springs. Chloride concentrations in the Upper Floridan aquifer measured between 1966 and 1993 at the Cocoa well field have increased from 50 milligrams per liter to 120 milligrams per liter; concentrations measured in the Lower Floridan aquifer between 1966 and 1993 have increasedfrom 600 milligrams per liter to 3,000 milligrams per liter. The flow model was calibrated by comparing (a) simulated and estimated Upper Floridan aquifer predevelopment (unstressed) potentiometric surfaces, (b) simulated and measured heads at 142 Upper Floridan aquifer monitoring wells in 1988 (averageabsolute error of 1.8 feet), (c) simulated and measured discharge rates at 15 Upper Floridan aquifer springs in 1988 (306 cubic feet per second), and (d) simulated and measured drawdowns at 134 Upper Floridan aquifer monitoring wells between 1988 and May 1990 (58 and 95 percent of simulated drawdowns were within plus or minus 25and 50 percent of measured drawdowns, respectively). Relative to predevelopment conditions, model simulations indicate that about half of the 305 million gallons per day of water pumped from the Floridan aquifer system in 1988 was accounted for by increased recharge from the surficial aquifer system. About 23 cubic feet persecond was derived from increased lateral inflow. A storage coefficient of 1x10-3 provided the best comparisons of measured-to-simulated data during the transient simulation from January to May 1990. This storativity probably is greater than the true storativity of the Upper Floridan aquifer because storage contributions from the intermediateconfining unit were not accounted for during model design and development. Calibrated transmissivity ranged from 10,000 to greater than 400,000 feet squared per day in the Upper Floridan aquifer, and from 5,000 to 600,000 feet squared per day in the Lower Floridan aquifer. Calibrated intermediate confining unit leakance ranged from 1x10-5 to 4x10-3 per day and was highest in areas where the unit is thin or has been breached by numerous sinkholes. In general,calibrated transmissivity and leakance values were higher than associated aquifer-test values. Simulated recharge rates to the Upper Floridan aquifer from the surficial aquifer system ranged from less than 3 to 21 inches per year. Recharge rates of greater than 10 inches per year were simulated in areas of west Seminole, west Orange, east Lake, and southwest Volusia Counties. Recharge rates of less than 3 inches per year were simulated in east Orange and northeast Osceola Counties. The calibrated model was used to simulate the effects of increased Floridan aquifer withdrawals in the year 2010 (542 million gallons per day) on water levels and spring flow. Projected effects were simulated for both "wet" conditions (using 1988 fixed-head arrays) and for "dry" conditions (using May 1990 fixed-head arrays), thus bracketing a potential range of effects. Relative to simulated 1988 conditions, simulated 2010 spring flow decreased by 43 cubic f

The "Illusio" of the Foreign Language Standard in a Colombian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castillo, Rigoberto; Alexandra, Pineda-Puerta

2016-01-01

The Ministry of education in Colombia set a policy for higher education in which graduates should achieve an intermediate proficiency level (B1) in another language; and by 2025 it expects that they leave college with an upper intermediate level (B2). This report deals with a private college that attempts to participate in the policy, yet the…

Generalized thickness and configuration of the top of the intermediate aquifer, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Corral, Miguel A.; Wolansky, Richard M.

1984-01-01

Generalized map show the thickness and top of the intermediate aquifer in west-central Florida within the boundaries of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The intermediate aquifer consists of a series of water-bearing units and confining beds between the surficial aquifer (water table) and the Floridan aquifer. This aquifer contains from one to several water-bearing units in west-central Florida. The aquifer and confining beds consist of the Tamiami and Hawthorn Formations of late and middle Miocene age and parts of the Tampa Limestone of early Miocene age. The top of the intermediate aquifer is about 100 feet above sea level in the north and slopes to about 100 feet below sea level in the south. The thickness ranges from zero in the north to more than 600 feet in the south. Despite the high mineral content of the water in some areas, the intermediate aquifer offers the best source of ground water to the coastal and southern areas of west-central Florida. (USGS)

A global ocean climatology of preindustrial and modern ocean δ13C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eide, Marie; Olsen, Are; Ninnemann, Ulysses S.; Johannessen, Truls

2017-03-01

We present a global ocean climatology of dissolved inorganic carbon δ13C (‰) corrected for the 13C-Suess effect, preindustrial δ13C. This was constructed by first using Olsen and Ninnemann's (2010) back-calculation method on data from 25 World Ocean Circulation Experiment cruises to reconstruct the preindustrial δ13C on sections spanning all major oceans. Next, we developed five multilinear regression equations, one for each major ocean basin, which were applied on the World Ocean Atlas data to construct the climatology. This reveals the natural δ13C distribution in the global ocean. Compared to the modern distribution, the preindustrial δ13C spans a larger range of values. The maxima, of up to 1.8‰, occurs in the subtropical gyres of all basins, in the upper and intermediate waters of the North Atlantic, as well as in mode waters with a Southern Ocean origin. Particularly strong gradients occur at intermediate depths, revealing a strong potential for using δ13C as a tracer for changes in water mass geometry at these levels. Further, we identify a much tighter relationship between δ13C and apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) than between δ13C and phosphate. This arises because, in contrast to phosphate, AOU and δ13C are both partly reset when waters are ventilated in the Southern Ocean and underscore that δ13C is a highly robust proxy for past changes in ocean oxygen content and ocean ventilation. Our global preindustrial δ13C climatology is openly accessible and can be used, for example, for improved model evaluation and interpretation of sediment δ13C records.

Simulations of Groundwater Flow and Particle Tracking Analysis in the Area Contributing Recharge to a Public-Supply Well near Tampa, Florida, 2002-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandall, Christy A.; Kauffman, Leon J.; Katz, Brian G.; Metz, Patricia A.; McBride, W. Scott; Berndt, Marian P.

2009-01-01

Shallow ground water in the north-central Tampa Bay region, Florida, is affected by elevated nitrate concentrations, the presence of volatile organic compounds, and pesticides as a result of groundwater development and intensive urban land use. The region relies primarily on groundwater for drinking-water supplies. Sustainability of groundwater quality for public supply requires monitoring and understanding of the mechanisms controlling the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination. A single public-supply well was selected for intensive study based on the need to evaluate the dominant processes affecting the vulnerability of public-supply wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer in the City of Temple Terrace near Tampa, Florida, and the presence of a variety of chemical constituents in water from the well. A network of 29 monitoring wells was installed, and water and sediment samples were collected within the area contributing recharge to the selected public-supply well to support a detailed analysis of physical and chemical conditions and processes affecting the water chemistry in the well. A three-dimensional, steady-state groundwater flow model was developed to evaluate the age of groundwater reaching the well and to test hypotheses on the vulnerability of the well to nonpoint source input of nitrate. Particle tracking data were used to calculate environmental tracer concentrations of tritium and sulfur hexafluoride and to calibrate traveltimes and compute flow paths and advective travel times in the model area. The traveltime of particles reaching the selected public-supply well ranged from less than 1 day to 127.0 years, with a median of 13.1 years; nearly 45 percent of the simulated particle ages were less than about 10 years. Nitrate concentrations, derived primarily from residential/commercial fertilizer use and atmospheric deposition, were highest (2.4 and 6.11 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, median and maximum, respectively) in shallow groundwater from the surficial aquifer system and lowest (less than the detection level of 0.06 milligram per liter) in the deeper Upper Floridan aquifer. Denitrification occurred near the interface of the surficial aquifer system and the underlying intermediate confining unit, within the intermediate confining unit, and within the Upper Floridan aquifer because of reducing conditions in this part of the flow system. However, simulations indicate that the rapid movement of water from the surficial aquifer system to the selected public-supply well through karst features (sinkholes) and conduit layers that bypass the denitrifying zones (short-circuits), coupled with high pumping rates, allow nitrate to reach the selected public-supply well in concentrations that resemble those of the overlying surficial aquifer system. Water from the surficial aquifer system with elevated concentrations of nitrate and low concentrations of some volatile organic compounds and pesticides is expected to continue moving into the selected public-supply well, because calculated flux-weighted concentrations indicate the proportion of young affected water contributing to the well is likely to remain relatively stable over time. The calculated nitrate concentration in the selected public-supply well indicates a lag of 1 to 10 years between peak concentrations of nonpoint source contaminants in recharge and appearance in the well.

Ground-water levels, predevelopment ground-water flow, and stream-aquifer relations in the vicinity of the Savannah River Site, Georgia and South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clarke, John S.; West, Christopher T.

1998-01-01

Ground-water levels, predevelopment ground-water flow, and stream-aquifer relations in the vicinity of the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site, Georgia and South Carolina, were evaluated as part of a cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Energy, and Georgia Department of Natural Resources. As part of this evaluation: (1) ground-water-level fluctuations and trends in three aquifer systems in sediment of Cretaceous and Tertiary age were described and related to patterns of ground-water use and precipitations; (2) a conceptual model ofthe stream-aquifer flow system was developed; (3) the predevelopment ground-water flow system, configuration of potentiometric surfaces, trans-river flow, and recharge-discharge relations were described; and (4) stream-aquifer relations and the influence of river incision on ground-water flow and stream-aquifer relations were described. The 5,147-square mile study area is located in the northern part of the Coastal Plain physiographic province of Georgia and South Carolina. Coastal Plain sediments comprise three aquifer systems consisting of seven aquifers that are separated hydraulically by confining units. The aquifer systems are, in descending order: (1) the Floridan aquifer system?consisting of the Upper Three Runs and Gordon aquifers in sediments of Eocene age; (2) the Dublin aquifer system?consisting of the Millers Pond, upper Dublin, and lower Dublin aquifers in sediments of Paleocene-Late Cretaceous age; and (3) the Midville aquifer system?consisting of the upper Midville and lower Midville aquifers in sediments of Late Cretaceous age. The Upper Three Runs aquifer is the shallowest aquifer and is unconfined to semi-confined throughout most of the study area. Ground-water levels in the Upper Three Runs aquifer respond to a local flow system and are affected mostly by topography and climate. Ground-water flow in the deeper, Gordon aquifer and Dublin and Midville aquifer systems is characterized by local flow near outcrop areas to the north, changing to intermediate flow and then regional flow downdip (southeastward) as the aquifers become more deeply buried. Water levels in these deeper aquifers show a pronounced response to topography and climate in the vicinity of outcrops, and diminish southeastward where the aquifer is more deeply buried. Stream stage and pumpage affect ground-water levels in these deeper aquifers to varying degrees throughout the study area. The geologic characteristics of the Savannah River alluvial valley substantially control the configuration of potentiometric surfaces, ground-water-flow directions, and stream-aquifer relations. Data from 18 shallow borings indicate incision into each aquifer by the paleo Savannah River channel and subsequent infill of permeable alluvium, allowing for direct hydraulic connection between aquifers and the Savannah River along parts of its reach. This hydraulic connection may be the cause of large ground-water discharge to the river near Jackson, S.C., where the Gordon aquifer is in contact with Savannah River alluvium, and also the cause of lows or depressions formed in the potentiometric surfaces of confined aquifers that are in contact with the alluvium. Ground water in these aquifers flows toward the depressions. The influence of the river is diminished downstream where the aquifers are deeply buried, and upstream and downstream ground-water flow is possibly separated by a water divide or 'saddle'. Water-level data indicate that saddle features probably exist in the Gordon aquifer and Dublin aquifer system, and also might be present in the Midville aquifer system. Ground-water levels respond seasonally or in long term to changes in precipitation, evapotranspiration, pumpage, and river stage. Continuous water-level data and water-levels measured in a network of 271 wells during the Spring (May) and Fall (October) in 1992, indicate that seasonal water-level changes generally are

Assessment of hydrogeologic conditions with emphasis on water quality and wastewater injection, southwest Sarasota and West Charlotte counties, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchinson, C.B.

1992-01-01

The 250-square-mile area of southwest Sarasota and west Charlotte Counties is underlain by a complex hydrogeologic system having diverse ground-water quality. The surficial and intermediate aquifer systems and the Upper Floridan aquifer of the Floridan aquifer system contain six separate aquifers, or permeable zones, and have a total thickness of about 2,000 feet. Water in the clastic surficial aquifer system is potable and is tapped by hundreds of shallow, low-yielding supply wells. Water in the mixed clastic and carbonate intermediate aquifer system is potable in the upper part, but in the lower part, because of increasing salinity, it is used primarily for reverse-osmosis desalinization feed water and irrigation. Within the Upper Floridan aquifer, limestone and dolomite of the Suwannee permeable zone are tapped by irrigation and reverse-osmosis supply wells. The underlying, less permeable limestone of the Suwannee-Ocala semiconfining unit generally encompasses the transition zone between freshwater and very saline water. Interbedded limestone and dolomite of the Ocala-Avon Park moderately permeable zone and Avon Park highly permeable zone compose the deep, very saline injection zone. Potential ground-water contamination problems include flooding by storm tides, upward movement of saline water toward pumping centers by natural and induced leakage or through improperly constructed and abandoned wells, and lateral and vertical movement of treated sewage and reverse-osmosis wastewater injected into deep zones. Effects of flooding are evident in coastal areas where vertical layering of fresh and saline waters is observed. Approximately 100 uncontrolled flowing artesian wells that have interaquifer flow rates as high as 350 gallons per minute have been located and scheduled for plugging by the Southwest Florida Water Management District--in an attempt to improve ground-water quality of the shallow aquifers. Because each aquifer or permeable zone has unique head and water-quality characteristics, construction of single-zone wells would eliminate cross-contamination and borehole interflow. Such a program, when combined with the plugging of shallow-cased wells having long open-hole intervals connecting multiple zones, would safeguard ground-water resources in the study area. The study area encompasses seven wastewater injection sites that have a projected capacity for injecting 29 million gallons per day into the zone 1,100 to 2,050 feet below land surface. There are six additional sites within 20 miles. The first well began injecting reverse-osmosis wastewater in 1984, and since then, other wells have been drilled and permitted for injection of treated sewage. A numerical model was used to evaluate injection-well design and potential for movement of injected wastewater within the hydrogeologic framework. The numerical model was used to simulate injection through a representative well at a rate of 1 million gallons per day for 10 years. In this simulation, a convection cell developed around the injection well with the buoyant fresh injectant rising to form a lens within the injection zone below the lower Suwannee-Ocala semiconfining unit. Around an ideal, fully penetrating well cased 50 feet into the injection zone and open from a depth of 1,150 feet to 2,050 feet, simulations show that the injectant moves upward to a depth of 940 feet, forms a lens about 600 feet thick, and spreads radially outward to a distance of about 2,300 feet after 10 years. Comparison simulations of injection through wells having open depth intervals of 1,150 to 1,400 feet and 1,450 to 2,050 feet demonstrate that such changes in well construction have little effect on the areal spread of the injectant lens or the rate of upward movement. Simulations also indicate that reverse-osmosis wastewater injected beneath a supply well field, where water levels above the semiconfining unit are lowered 20 feet by pumping, would move upward after 10 years to a de

Farm water budgets for semiarid irrigated floodplains of northern New Mexico: characterizing the surface water-groundwater interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutierrez, K. Y.; Fernald, A.; Ochoa, C. G.; Guldan, S. J.

2013-12-01

KEY WORDS - Hydrology, Water budget, Deep percolation, Surface water-Groundwater interactions. With the recent projections for water scarcity, water balances have become an indispensable water management tool. In irrigated floodplains, deep percolation from irrigation can represent one of the main aquifer recharge sources. A better understanding of surface water and groundwater interactions in irrigated valleys is needed for properly assessing the water balances in these systems and estimating potential aquifer recharge. We conducted a study to quantify the parameters and calculate the water budgets in three flood irrigated hay fields with relatively low, intermediate and, high water availability in northern New Mexico. We monitored different hydrologic parameters including total amount of water applied, change in soil moisture, drainage below the effective root zone, and shallow water level fluctuations in response to irrigation. Evapotranspiration was calculated from weather station data collected in-situ using the Samani-Hargreaves. Previous studies in the region have estimated deep percolation as a residual parameter of the water balance equation. In this study, we used both, the water balance method and actual measurements of deep percolation using passive lysimeters. Preliminary analyses for the three fields show a relatively rapid movement of water through the upper 50 cm of the vadose zone and a quick response of the shallow aquifer under flood irrigation. Further results from this study will provide a better understanding of surface water-groundwater interactions in flood irrigated valleys in northern New Mexico.

Geohydrology and potential for upward movement of saline water in the Cocoa well field, East Orange County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelps, G.G.; Schiffer, D.M.

1996-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system, an approximately 2,000-foot thick sequence of Eocene-age limestone and dolomite, is the main source of water supply in central Florida. Hydraulic conductivity is different in strata of different lithology and is the basis for separating the aquifer system into the Upper Floridan aquifer, a middle semi- confining unit, and the Lower Floridan aquifer. The coastal city of Cocoa withdraws about 26 million gallons of water per day from the Upper Floridan aquifer from a well field in east Orange County, about 25 miles inland. About 60 million gallons per day are withdrawn from the Upper Floridan aquifer and 56 million gallons per day from the Lower Floridan aquifer in the Orlando area, about 15 miles west of the Cocoa well field. Wells drilled in the Cocoa well field from 1955-61 yielded water with chloride concentrations ranging from 25-55 milligrams per liter. Soon after the wells were put in service, chloride concentrations increased; therefore, new wells were drilled further inland. Chloride concen- trations in water from many of the new wells also have increased. Possible sources of saline water are lateral movement of relict seawater in the Upper Floridan aquifer from the east, regional upconing of saline water from the Lower Floridan aquifer or underlying older rocks, or localized upward movement of saline water through fractures. Several test wells were drilled to provide information about chloride concentration changes with depth and to monitor changes with time, including a multi-zone well drilled in 1965 (well C) and two wells drilled in the 1990's (wells R and S). Chloride concentrations have increased in the zone pumped by the supply wells (the upper 500 feet of the aquifer) and in the 1,351-1,357-foot deep zone of well C, but not in the two intervening zones. This indicates that the source of saline water is located laterally, rather than vertically, from the pumped zone in the area of well C. The potential for upward movement of saline water depends on the direction of the vertical hydraulic gradient and on the vertical hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer. A series of aquifer tests was run in 1993-94 and existing water-level and water-quality data were analyzed to evaluate the potential for upward movement of saline water in the well field. The transmissivity of the upper 500 feet of the aquifer is about 100,000 feet squared per day (the horizontal hydraulic conductivity is about 200 feet per day) and the storage coefficient is about 2x10 -4. Horizontal hydraulic conductivities determined from slug tests of the three deepest zones of well C ranged from 20-50 feet per day. Vertical hydraulic conductivities probably do not exceed 0.05 feet per day. The vertical hydraulic gradient is determined by comparing water levels in the various zones, but because of density differences, unadjusted water levels in the deepest zone investigated cannot be directly compared to water levels in the overlying freshwater zones. The difference between environmental-water heads (adjusted for density differences) in the saline-water zone of well C and the overlying freshwater zone were calculated from measured water levels for the period 1966 to 1994. During most of this time period, the gradient was downward, indicating that saline water did not move upward. Upconing of saline water probably is not taking place in the center and western part of the well field, based on the low vertical hydraulic conductivity values estimated for the middle semi-confining unit, the generally downward vertical hydraulic gradient, and the constant chloride concentrations in the intermediate zones of well C. However, there is no information about the extent of the zone of low vertical hydraulic conductivity gradient in the eastern part of the well field. Thus, increased chloride concentrations in supply wells in the eastern part of the well field could be caused either by lateral movement of saline water from the east, or by upwar

Dry Juan de Fuca slab revealed by quantification of water entering Cascadia subduction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canales, J. P.; Carbotte, S. M.; Nedimovic, M. R.; Carton, H. D.

2017-12-01

Water is carried by subducting slabs as a pore fluid and in structurally bound minerals, yet no comprehensive quantification of water content and how it is stored and distributed at depth within incoming plates exists for any segment of the global subduction system. Here we use controlled-source seismic data collected in 2012 as part of the Ridge-to-Trench seismic experiment to quantify the amount of pore and structurally bound water in the Juan de Fuca plate entering the Cascadia subduction zone. We use wide-angle OBS seismic data along a 400-km-long margin-parallel profile 10-15 km seaward from the Cascadia deformation front to obtain P-wave tomography models of the sediments, crust, and uppermost mantle, and effective medium theory combined with a stochastic description of crustal properties (e.g., temperature, alteration assemblages, porosity, pore aspect ratio), to analyze the pore fluid and structurally bound water reservoirs in the sediments, crust and lithospheric mantle, and their variations along the Cascadia margin. Our results demonstrate that the Juan de Fuca lower crust and mantle are much drier than at any other subducting plate, with most of the water stored in the sediments and upper crust. Previously documented, variable but limited bend faulting along the margin, which correlates with degree of plate locking, limits slab access to water, and a warm thermal structure resulting from a thick sediment cover and young plate age prevents significant serpentinization of the mantle. Our results have important implications for a number of subduction processes at Cascadia, such as: (1) the dryness of the lower crust and mantle indicates that fluids that facilitate episodic tremor and slip must be sourced from the subducted upper crust; (2) decompression rather than hydrous melting must dominate arc magmatism in northern-central Cascadia; and (3) dry subducted lower crust and mantle can explain the low levels of intermediate-depth seismicity in the Juan de Fuca slab.

Abrupt changes of intermediate water properties on the northeastern slope of the Bering Sea during the last glacial and deglacial period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rella, Stephan F.; Tada, Ryuji; Nagashima, Kana; Ikehara, Minoru; Itaki, Takuya; Ohkushi, Ken'ichi; Sakamoto, Tatsuhiko; Harada, Naomi; Uchida, Masao

2012-09-01

Millennial-scale variability in the behavior of North Pacific Intermediate Water during the last glacial and deglacial period, and its association with Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) cycles and Heinrich events, are examined based on benthic foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotopes (δ18Obf and δ13Cbf) and %CaCO3 using a sediment core recovered from the northeastern slope of the Bering Sea. A suite of positive δ18Obf excursions at intermediate depths of the Bering Sea, which seem at least in part associated with increases in the δ18Obf gradients between the Bering and Okhotsk Seas, suggest the Bering Sea as a proximate source of intermediate water during several severe stadial episodes in the last glacial and deglacial period. Absence of such δ18Obf gradients during periods of high surface productivity in the Bering and Okhotsk Seas, which we correlate to D-O interstadials, suggests a reduction in intermediate water production in the Bering Sea and subsequent introduction of nutrient-rich deep waters from the North Pacific into intermediate depths of the Bering Sea. We argue that a reorganization of atmospheric circulation in the high-latitude North Pacific during severe cold episodes in the last glacial and deglacial period created favorable conditions for brine rejection in the northeastern Bering Sea. The resulting salinity increase in the cold surface waters could have initiated intermediate (and deep) water formation that spread out to the North Pacific.

Deep Arctic Ocean warming during the last glacial cycle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, T. M.; Dwyer, G.S.; Farmer, J.; Bauch, H.A.; Spielhagen, R.F.; Jakobsson, M.; Nilsson, J.; Briggs, W.M.; Stepanova, A.

2012-01-01

In the Arctic Ocean, the cold and relatively fresh water beneath the sea ice is separated from the underlying warmer and saltier Atlantic Layer by a halocline. Ongoing sea ice loss and warming in the Arctic Ocean have demonstrated the instability of the halocline, with implications for further sea ice loss. The stability of the halocline through past climate variations is unclear. Here we estimate intermediate water temperatures over the past 50,000 years from the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca values of ostracods from 31 Arctic sediment cores. From about 50 to 11 kyr ago, the central Arctic Basin from 1,000 to 2,500 m was occupied by a water mass we call Glacial Arctic Intermediate Water. This water mass was 1–2 °C warmer than modern Arctic Intermediate Water, with temperatures peaking during or just before millennial-scale Heinrich cold events and the Younger Dryas cold interval. We use numerical modelling to show that the intermediate depth warming could result from the expected decrease in the flux of fresh water to the Arctic Ocean during glacial conditions, which would cause the halocline to deepen and push the warm Atlantic Layer into intermediate depths. Although not modelled, the reduced formation of cold, deep waters due to the exposure of the Arctic continental shelf could also contribute to the intermediate depth warming.

Upper Tract Urological Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery (LESS)

PubMed Central

Tugcu, Volkan; Sahin, Selcuk; Seker, Gokhan; Kargi, Taner; Tasci, Ali Ihsan

2015-01-01

Background and Objectives: Our objective is to report intermediate-term outcomes for patients who have undergone upper tract urologic laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) at a single institution. Methods: From January 1, 2008, through November 30, 2012, 107 cases treated with LESS were identified, including pyeloplasty (n = 30), ureterolithotomy (n = 32), nephrectomy (n = 35; simple = 31, partial = 4), and cyst decortication (n = 10). Perioperative data were reviewed, and conversion and complication rates were noted. Results: The median follow-up was 21.5 months for pyeloplasty, 20.5 for ureterolithotomy, 28.0 for simple nephrectomy, 14.0 for partial nephrectomy, and 19.0 for cyst decortication. Major complications were encountered in 8 patients, including 3 intraoperative complications (2 bowel injury with serosal tearing and 1 intraoperative bleeding), which were recognized and repaired with LESS or conversion to conventional laparoscopy (CL). During the intermediate postoperative period (30–90 days) major complications occurred in 5 patients: 4 ureteral strictures (Clavien-Dindo grade [CG] IIIb) and 1 urinoma formation (CG IIIa). During the early postoperative period (<30 days), the most common minor complications were flank pain (CG I) in 16 patients and urinary tract infection (CG II) in 11, followed by urinary leakage (CG I) in 8. Conclusions: Intermediate-term functional outcomes of this single-center study confirm that upper tract LESS is a challenging procedure that can be safe and effective when performed by an experienced team. Prospective studies with longer follow-up periods are needed to investigate the safety of LESS in the treatment of various upper urinary tract conditions. PMID:26648679

Selected Natural Attenuation Monitoring Data, Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington, June 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dinicola, R.S.; Huffman, R.L.

2007-01-01

Previous investigations have shown that natural attenuation and biodegradation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are substantial in shallow ground water beneath the 9-acre former landfill at Operable Unit 1 (OU 1), Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has continued to monitor ground-water geochemistry to assure that conditions remain favorable for contaminant biodegradation. This report presents ground-water geochemical and selected VOC data collected at OU 1 by the USGS during June 12-14, 2006, in support of long-term monitoring for natural attenuation. For June 2006, the strongly reducing conditions (sulfate reduction and methanogenesis) most favorable for reductive dechlorination of VOCs were inferred for 5 of 15 upper-aquifer sites in the northern and southern phytoremediation plantations. Predominant redox conditions in ground water from the intermediate aquifer just downgradient from the landfill remained mildly reducing and somewhat favorable for reductive dechlorination. Since about 2003, measured dissolved hydrogen concentrations in the upper aquifer generally have been lower than those previously measured, although methane and sulfide have continued to be detected throughout the upper aquifer beneath the landfill. Overall, no widespread changes in ground-water redox conditions were measured that should result in either more or less efficient biodegradation of chlorinated VOCs. For the northern plantation in 2006, chlorinated VOC concentrations at piezometers P1-3 and P1-4 were lower than previously measured, and trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE), or vinyl chloride (VC) were not detected at piezometers P1-1 and P1-5. The steady decrease in contaminant concentrations and the continued detection of the reductive dechlorination end-products ethene and ethane have been consistent throughout the upper aquifer beneath the northern plantation. For the southern plantation in 2006, changes in chlorinated VOC concentrations at the piezometers were highly variable. At piezometer P1-9, the 2006 total chlorinated VOC concentration as well as the concentrations of cis-DCE and VC were measured at their highest levels to date; contaminant concentrations substantially decreased at piezometer P1-9 between June 2004 and June 2005. The reasons for the 2004-05 decrease in concentrations or the 2005-06 increase in concentrations are unknown. At piezometer P1-10, the consistent temporal trend of decreasing chlorinated VOC concentrations measured since 1999 ended, and the concentration of total chlorinated VOC in 2006 was the highest measured since 1999. The reductive dechlorination end-product ethene was measured at concentrations as high as 1,300 micrograms per liter in the upper aquifer beneath the southern plantation, which is reliable evidence that reductive dechlorination of VOCs is ongoing.

Method to synthesize dense crystallized sodalite pellet for immobilizing halide salt radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Koyama, Tadafumi

1994-01-01

A method for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as cesium and strontium and hazardous materials such as barium. A sodalite intermediate is prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of silica, alumina and sodium hydroxide with respect to sodalite and heating the mixture to form the sodalite intermediate and water. Heating is continued to drive off the water to form a water-free intermediate. The water-free intermediate is mixed with either waste salt or waste salt which has been contacted with zeolite to concentrate the radionuclides and hazardous material. The waste salt-intermediate mixture is then compacted and heated under conditions of heat and pressure to form sodalite with the waste salt, radionuclides and hazardous material trapped within the sodalite cage structure. This provides a final product having excellent leach resistant capabilities.

Method to synthesize dense crystallized sodalite pellet for immobilizing halide salt radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Koyama, Tadafumi.

1994-08-23

A method is described for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as cesium and strontium and hazardous materials such as barium. A sodalite intermediate is prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of silica, alumina and sodium hydroxide with respect to sodalite and heating the mixture to form the sodalite intermediate and water. Heating is continued to drive off the water to form a water-free intermediate. The water-free intermediate is mixed with either waste salt or waste salt which has been contacted with zeolite to concentrate the radionuclides and hazardous material. The waste salt-intermediate mixture is then compacted and heated under conditions of heat and pressure to form sodalite with the waste salt, radionuclides and hazardous material trapped within the sodalite cage structure. This provides a final product having excellent leach resistant capabilities.

Method to synthesize dense crystallized sodalite pellet for immobilizing halide salt radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Koyama, T.

1992-01-01

This report describes a method for immobilizing waste chloride salts containing radionuclides such as cesium and strontium and hazardous materials such as barium. A sodalite intermediate is prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of silica, alumina and sodium hydroxide with respect to sodalite and heating the mixture to form the sodalite intermediate and water. Heating is continued to drive off the water to form a water-free intermediate. The water-free intermediate is mixed with either waste salt or waste salt which has been contacted with zeolite to concentrate the radionuclides and hazardous material. The waste salt-intermediate mixture is then compacted and heated under conditions of heat and pressure to form sodalite with the waste salt, radionuclides and hazardous material trapped within the sodalite cage structure. This provides a final product having excellent leach resistant capabilities.

Secondary Education Systems and the General Skills of Less- and Intermediate-Educated Adults: A Comparison of 18 Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heisig, Jan Paul; Solga, Heike

2015-01-01

We investigate the impact of external differentiation and vocational orientation of (lower and upper) secondary education on country variation in the mean numeracy skills of, and skills gaps between, adults with low and intermediate formal qualifications. We use data on 30- to 44-year-olds in 18 countries from the 2011-12 round of the Program for…

Realization of Speech Acts of Refusals and Pragmatic Competence by Turkish EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Turgay; Burgucu-Tazegül, Assiye

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to examine a) how lower-intermediate and upper-intermediate level Turkish learners of English-as-a-foreign language (EFL) realize refusals in English, b) the differences between native and non-native speakers of English in the use of refusals, and c) if L2 proficiency affects possible pragmatic transfer or not.…

Assessing Phytoplankton Nutritional Status and Potential Impact of Wet Deposition in Seasonally Oligotrophic Waters of the Mid-Atlantic Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedwick, P. N.; Bernhardt, P. W.; Mulholland, M. R.; Najjar, R. G.; Blumen, L. M.; Sohst, B. M.; Sookhdeo, C.; Widner, B.

2018-04-01

To assess phytoplankton nutritional status in seasonally oligotrophic waters of the southern Mid-Atlantic Bight, and the potential for rain to stimulate primary production in this region during summer, shipboard bioassay experiments were performed using natural seawater and phytoplankton collected north and south of the Gulf Stream. Bioassay treatments comprised iron, nitrate, iron + nitrate, iron + nitrate + phosphate, and rainwater. Phytoplankton growth was inferred from changes in chlorophyll a, inorganic nitrogen, and carbon-13 uptake, relative to unamended control treatments. Results indicated the greatest growth stimulation by iron + nitrate + phosphate, intermediate growth stimulation by rainwater, modest growth stimulation by nitrate and iron + nitrate, and no growth stimulation by iron. Based on these data and analysis of seawater and atmospheric samples, nitrogen was the proximate limiting nutrient, with a secondary limitation imposed by phosphorus. Our results imply that summer rain events increase new production in these waters by contributing nitrogen and phosphorus, with the availability of the latter setting the upper limit on rain-stimulated new production.

Distribution of Dissolved Zinc in the Western and Central Subarctic North Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Taejin; Obata, Hajime; Nishioka, Jun; Gamo, Toshitaka

2017-09-01

We investigated the biogeochemical cycling of dissolved zinc (Zn) in the western and central subarctic North Pacific during the GEOTRACES GP 02 cruise. The relationship between dissolved Zn and silicate in the subarctic North Pacific plotted as a concave curve. Values of Zn* were strongly positive in the intermediate waters (26.6-27.5 σθ) of both the western and the central subarctic North Pacific. There was a distinct kink in the relationship between dissolved Zn and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) at the transition from shallow to intermediate water, which is similar to what has been reported for other open oceans. The high Zn:SRP ratio and high Zn* in the intermediate water suggest that intermediate water masses play an important role in the decoupling of dissolved Zn and silicate in the subarctic North Pacific, which implies that the biogeochemical processes that control dissolved Zn and silicate in the intermediate water are different from those in other oceanic regions.

Hydrogeology and simulated effects of ground-water withdrawals from the Floridan aquifer system in Lake County and in the Ocala National Forest and vicinity, north-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knowles, Leel; O'Reilly, Andrew M.; Adamski, James C.

2002-01-01

The hydrogeology of Lake County and the Ocala National Forest in north-central Florida was evaluated (1995-2000), and a ground-water flow model was developed and calibrated to simulate the effects of both present day and future ground-water withdrawals in these areas and the surrounding vicinity. A predictive model simulation was performed to determine the effects of projected 2020 ground-water withdrawals on the water levels and flows in the surficial and Floridan aquifer systems. The principal water-bearing units in Lake County and the Ocala National Forest are the surficial and Floridan aquifer systems. The two aquifer systems generally are separated by the intermediate confining unit, which contains beds of lower permeability sediments that confine the water in the Florida aquifer system. The Floridan aquifer system has two major water-bearing zones (the Upper Floridan aquifer and the Lower Floridan aquifer), which generally are separated by one or two less-permeable confining units. The Floridan aquifer system is the major source of ground water in the study area. In 1998, ground-water withdrawals totaled about 115 million gallons per day in Lake County and 5.7 million gallons per day in the Ocala National Forest. Of the total ground water pumped in Lake County in 1998, nearly 50 percent was used for agricultural purposes, more than 40 percent for municipal, domestic, and recreation supplies, and less than 10 percent for commercial and industrial purposes. Fluctuations of lake stages, surficial and Floridan aquifer system water levels, and Upper Floridan aquifer springflows in the study area are highly related to cycles and distribution of rainfall. Long-term hydrographs for 9 lakes, 8 surficial aquifer system and Upper Floridan aquifer wells, and 23 Upper Floridan aquifer springs show the most significant increases in water levels and springflows following consecutive years with above-average rainfall, and significant decreases following consecutive years with below-average rainfall. Long-term (1940-2000) hydrographs of lake and ground-water levels and springflow show a slight downward trend; however, after the early 1960's, this downward trend generally is more pronounced, which corresponds with accumulating rainfall deficits and increased development. The U.S. Geological Survey three-dimensional ground-water flow model MODFLOW-2000 was used to simulate ground-water flow in the surficial and Floridan aquifer systems in Lake County, the Ocala National Forest, and adjacent areas. A steady-state calibration to average 1998 conditions was facilitated by using the inverse modeling capabilities of MODFLOW-2000. Values of hydrologic properties from the calibrated model were in reasonably close agreement with independently estimated values and results from previous modeling studies. The calibrated model generally produced simulated water levels and flows in reasonably close agreement with measured values and was used to simulate the hydrologic effects of projected 2020 conditions. Ground-water withdrawals in the model area have been projected to increase from 470 million gallons per day in 1998 to 704 million gallons per day in 2020. Significant drawdowns were simulated in Lake County from average 1998 to projected 2020 conditions: the average and maximum drawdowns, respectively, were 0.5 and 5.7 feet in the surficial aquifer system, 1.1 and 7.6 feet in the Upper Floridan aquifer, and 1.4 and 4.3 feet in the Lower Floridan aquifer. The largest drawdowns in Lake County were simulated in the southeastern corner of the County and in the vicinities of Clermont and Mount Dora. Closed-basin lakes and wetlands are more likely to be affected by future pumping in these large drawdown areas, as opposed to other areas of Lake County. However, within the Ocala National Forest, drawdowns were relatively small: the average and maximum drawdowns, respectively, were 0.1 and 1.0 feet in the surficial aquifer system, 0.2 and

Role of the circulation on the anthropogenic CO2 inventory in the North-East Atlantic: A climatological analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carracedo, L. I.; Pérez, F. F.; Gilcoto, M.; Velo, A.; Padín, A.; Rosón, G.

2018-02-01

Climatology-based storage rate of anthropogenic CO2 (Cant, referred to year 2000) in the North-East Atlantic (53 ± 9 kmol s-1, 0.020 ± 0.003 Pg-C yr-1) is described on annual mean terms. Cant advection (32 ± 14 kmol s-1) occurs mostly in the upper 1800 m and contributes to 60% of the Cant storage rate. The Azores and Portugal Currents act as 'Cant streams' importing 389 ± 90 kmol s-1, most of which recirculates southwards with the Canary Current (-214 ± 34 kmol s-1). The Azores Counter Current (-79 ± 36 kmol s-1) and the northward-flowing Mediterranean Water advective branch (-31 ± 12 kmol s-1) comprise secondary Cant export routes. By means of Cant transport decomposition, we find horizontal circulation to represent 11% of the Cant storage rate, while overturning circulation is the main driver (48% of the Cant storage rate). Within the domain of this study, overturning circulation is a key mechanism by which Cant in the upper layer (0-500 dbar) is drawdown (74 ± 14 kmol s-1) to intermediate levels (500-2000 dbar), and entrained (37 ± 7 kmol s-1) into the Mediterranean Outflow Water to form Mediterranean Water. This newly formed water mass partly exports Cant to the North Atlantic at a rate of -39 ± 9 kmol s-1 and partly contributes to the Cant storage in the North-East Atlantic (with up to 0.015 ± 0.006 Pg-C yr-1). Closing the Cant budget, 40% of the Cant storage in the North-East Atlantic is attributable to anthropogenic CO2 uptake from the atmosphere (21 ± 10 kmol s-1).

Betaine synthesis and accumulation in barley during field water-stress

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

Hitz, W.D.; Ladyman, J.A.R.; Hanson, A.D.

1982-01-01

The timing and extent of betaine accumulation by mature leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were followed in irrigated (I) and non-irrigated (N-I) plots under rain-shelters. In the N-I crop, leaf water potential (/sup psi/leaf) began to fall at the five-leaf stage, continued to drop steadily until maturity, and reached a minimum of about -35 bars. Betaine accumulation started in the N-I crop about a week after the decline in /sup psi/leaf began and continued until about 10 days post-anthesis. The maximum betaine concentration attained by N-I leaves (100 ..mu..mol/g dry wt) was three times that in I leaves. Betainemore » accumulation by upper leaves was due mainly to de novo synthesis in these leaves, because: (1) there was little /sup 14/C-import into upper leaves when (/sup 14/C)betaine was applied to lower leaves, and (2) attached upper leaves of N-I plants rapidly converted supplied (/sup 14/C)ethanolamine to (/sup 14/C)betaine during the peak period of betaine accumulation. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) behaved as an intermediate in the conversion of (/sup 14/C)ethanolamine to betaine. The estimated peak metabolic cost of betaine biosynthesis via PC by stressed leaves (about 2 mg hexose/g dry wt/day) approached the cost of protein turnover in the same leaves (3 to 5 mg hexose/g dry wt/day) as estimated from (/sup 3/H) lysine incorporation. In N-I plants, cessation of betaine synthesis preceded the onset of senescence by several days, indicating that continuous betaine production is not mandatory for leaf function at lowered /sup psi/leaf. These field results are consistent with an adaptive value for betaine accumulation in barley during prolonged water stress. A search for genetic variation in betaine-accumulating potential in barley is now warranted.« less

Zooplanktivory and nutrient regeneration by invertebrate (Mysis relicta) and vertebrate (Oncorhynchus nerka) planktivores: Implications for trophic interactions in oligotrophic lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chipps, S.R.; Bennett, D.H.

2000-01-01

We investigated zooplanktivory and nutrient regeneration by the opossum shrimp Mysis relicta and kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka to assess the relative roles of these planktivores in oligotrophic food webs. Using bioenergetic models and clearance rate estimates, we quantified phosphorus (P) excretion rates and consumption of cladoceran prey by Mysis and kokanees in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, from 1995 to 1996. Consumption of cladoceran prey by Mysis was 186 kg ?? ha-1 ?? year-1, whereas consumption by kokanees was less than one quarter as much, at 45 kg ?? ha-1 ?? year-1. Similarly, Mysis excreted approximately 0.250 kg P ?? ha-1 ?? year-1 during nighttime migrations into the upper water column, whereas P excretion by kokanees was less than one third as much, at approximately 0.070 kg P ?? ha-1 ?? year-1. On a volumetric basis, nocturnal excretion by Mysis ranged from 0.002 to 0.007 ??g P ?? L-1 ?? d-1 and accounted for less than 1% of the soluble reactive P typically measured in the upper water column of the lake. Hence, nutrient recycling by Mysis may be limited in the upper water column because of the nocturnal feeding habitats that constrain Mysis to deeper strata for much of the day. In spring and autumn months, low abundance of cladoceran prey coincided with high seasonal energy requirements of the Mysis population that were linked to timing of annual Mysis brood release and abundance of age-0 Mysis. Predation by Mysis accounted for 5-70% of daily cladoceran standing stock, supporting the notion that seasonal availability of cladocerans may be regulated by Mysis predation. In lakes where Mysis experience little predation mortality, they likely play a dominant role in food web interactions (e.g., trophic cascades) relative to planktivorous fishes. Biotic mechanisms, such as successful predator-avoidance behavior, omnivorous feeding habits, and seasonal variation in Mysisbiomass, enhance the ability of Mysis to influence food web interactions from an intermediate trophic level.

The Deep Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Indian Ocean Inferred from the GECCO Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W.; Koehl, A.; Stammer, D.

2012-04-01

The meridional overturning circulation in the Indian Ocean and its temporal variability in the GECCO ocean synthesis are being investigated. An analysis of the integrated circulation in different layers suggests that, on time average, 2.1 Sv enter the Indian Ocean in the bottom layer (>3200m) from the south and that 12.3 Sv leave the Indian Ocean in the upper and intermediate layers (<1500m), composed of the up-welled bottom layer inflow water, augmented by 9.6 Sv Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) water. The GECCO time-mean results differ significantly from those obtained by box inverse models, which, being based on individual hydrographic sections, are susceptible to aliasing. The GECCO solution has a large seasonal variation in its meridional overturning caused by the seasonal reversal of monsoon-related wind stress forcing. Associated seasonal variations of the deep meridional overturning range from -7 Sv in boreal winter to 3 Sv in summer. In addition, the upper and bottom transports across 34°S section show pronounced interannual variability with roughly biennial variations superimposed by strong anomalies during each La Niña phase as well as the ITF, which mainly affect the upper layer transports. On decadal and longer timescale, the meridional overturning variability as well as long-term trends differ before and after 1980. Notably, our analysis shows a rather stable trend for the period 1960-1979 and significant changes in the upper and bottom layer for the period 1980-2001. By means of a multivariate EOF analysis, the importance of Ekman dynamics as driving forces of the deep meridional overturning of the Indian Ocean on the interannual timescale is highlighted. The leading modes of the zonal and meridional wind stress favour a basin-wide meridional overturning mode via Ekman upwelling or downwelling mostly in the central and eastern Indian Ocean. Moreover, tropical zonal wind stress along the equator and alongshore wind stress off the Sumatra-Java coast contributes to evolution of IOD events.

40 CFR 142.65 - Variances and exemptions from the maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Raw water quality range &considerations 1 1. Ion exchange (IE) (a) Intermediate All ground waters. 2...-filtration. 5. Lime softening (d) Advanced All waters. 6. Green sand filtration (e) Basic. 7. Co-precipitation with barium sulfate (f) Intermediate to Advanced Ground waters with suitable water quality. 8...

On the Revealing Firsthand Probing of Ocean-Ice-Atmosphere Interactions off Sabrina Coast During NBP1402

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huber, B. A.; Orsi, A. H.; Zielinski, N. J.; Durkin, W. J., IV; Clark, P.; Wiederwohl, C. L.; Rosenberg, M. A.; Gwyther, D.; Greenbaum, J. S.; Lavoie, C.; Shevenell, A.; Leventer, A.; Blankenship, D. D.; Gulick, S. P. S.; Domack, E. W.

2014-12-01

Diverse interactions of winds, currents and ice around Antarctica dictate how, where and when the world's densest waters form and massive floating ice shelves and glaciers melt, as well as control sea surface gas exchange and primary productivity. Compelled by recent rate estimates of East Antarctic Ice Sheet mass loss, we contrast the paths and mixing histories of oceanic waters reaching the continental ice edge off the Sabrina and Adelie coasts relying on the unique set of synoptic shipboard measurements from NBP1402 (swath bathymetry, ADCP, underway CTD). Analysis of historical hydrography and sea ice concentration fields within the Mertz Polynya indicates the apparent effect of evolving ocean-ice-atmosphere interactions on the characteristics of local Shelf Water (SW) sources to current outflow of newly formed Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). A polynya dominated water mass structure similar to that observed off the Adelie Coast before the removal of the Mertz Ice Tongue was expected to the west of the Dalton Ice Tongue (DIT). However, we found no evidence of dense SW off Sabrina Coast, which may lessen the region's preconceived influence to global meridional overturning. Present sea ice production within the eastern Dalton Polynya is overshadowed by freshwater input to relatively stable interior upper waters. The Antarctic Coastal Current (ACoC) picks up distinct meltwater contributions along the DIT western flank and in front of the Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS) and Totten Glacier (TG). Unlike over other highly influential margins to global sea level rise, there is no evidence of local cross-shelf inflow and mixing of warm Circumpolar Deep Water. Relatively cold thermocline waters from the continental slope enter the eastern trough off Sabrina Coast, and they are swiftly steered poleward by complex underlying topography. Meltwater export from beneath the MUIS and TG is observed at newly discovered trenches that effectively constrain sub-cavity inflow to low salinity near-freezing waters drawn from intermediate levels of the adjacent westward flowing ACoC. Winds, currents and ice interactions observed off Sabrina Coast during NBP1402 are most likely widespread, in view of reported decadal freshening of upper waters over the Antarctic continental shelf and their localized AABW outflows.

40 CFR 141.66 - Maximum contaminant levels for radionuclides.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... quality range andconsiderations. 1 1. Ion exchange (IE) (a) Intermediate All ground waters. 2. Point of.... Lime softening (d) Advanced All waters. 6. Green sand filtration (e) Basic. 7. Co-precipitation with Barium sulfate (f) Intermediate to Advanced Ground waters with suitable water quality. 8. Electrodialysis...

The sequestration switch: removing industrial CO2 by direct ocean absorption.

PubMed

Ametistova, Lioudmila; Twidell, John; Briden, James

2002-04-22

This review paper considers direct injection of industrial CO2 emissions into the mid-water oceanic column below 500 m depth. Such a process is a potential candidate for switching atmospheric carbon emissions directly to long term sequestration, thereby relieving the intermediate atmospheric burden. Given sufficient research justification, the argument is that harmful impact in both the Atmosphere and the biologically rich upper marine layer could be reduced. The paper aims to estimate the role that active intervention, through direct ocean CO2 storage, could play and to outline further research and assessment for the strategy to be a viable option for climate change mitigation. The attractiveness of direct ocean injection lies in its bypassing of the Atmosphere and upper marine region, its relative permanence, its practicability using existing technologies and its quantification. The difficulties relate to the uncertainty of some fundamental scientific issues, such as plume dynamics, lowered pH of the exposed waters and associated ecological impact, the significant energy penalty associated with the necessary engineering plant and the uncertain costs. Moreover, there are considerable uncertainties regarding related international marine law. Development of the process would require acceptance of the evidence for climate change, strict requirements for large industrial consumers of fossil fuel to reduce CO2 emissions into the Atmosphere and scientific evidence for the overall beneficial impact of ocean sequestration.

Fronts and intrusions in the upper Deep Polar Water of the Eurasian and Makarov basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzmina, Natalia; Rudels, Bert; Zhurbas, Natalia; Lyzhkov, Dmitry

2013-04-01

CTD data obtained in the Arctic Basin are analyzed to describe structural features of intrusive layers and fronts encountered in the upper Deep Polar Water. This work is an extension of Arctic intrusions studies by Rudels et al. (1999) and Kuzmina et al. (2011). Numerous examples of fronts and intrusions observed in a deep layer (depth range of 600-1300 m) in the Eurasian and Makarov basins where salinity is increasing, and temperature is decreasing with depth (stable-stable thermohaline stratification), are described. The data are used to estimate hydrological parameters capable of determining different types of fronts and characterizing intrusive layers depending on the front structure. Coherence of intrusive layers is shown to get broken with the change of front structure. An evidence is found that enhanced turbulent mixing above local bottom elevations can prevent from intrusive layering. A linear stability model description of the observed intrusions is developed based on the Merryfield's (2000) assumption that interleaving is caused by differential mixing. Theoretical analysis is focused on prediction of the slopes of unstable modes at baroclinic and thermohaline fronts. Apparent vertical diffusivity due to turbulent mixing at baroclinic and thermohaline fronts is estimated on the basis of comparison of observed intrusion slopes with modeled slopes of the most unstable modes. Apparent lateral diffusivity is estimated too, based on Joyce (1980) approach. These estimates show that intrusive instability of fronts caused by differential mixing can result in sizable values of apparent lateral heat diffusivity in the deep Arctic layer that are quite comparable with those of the upper and intermediate Arctic layers (Walsh, Carmack, 2003; Kuzmina et al., 2011).

The medial temporal lobe-conduit of parallel connectivity: a model for attention, memory, and perception.

PubMed

Mozaffari, Brian

2014-01-01

Based on the notion that the brain is equipped with a hierarchical organization, which embodies environmental contingencies across many time scales, this paper suggests that the medial temporal lobe (MTL)-located deep in the hierarchy-serves as a bridge connecting supra- to infra-MTL levels. Bridging the upper and lower regions of the hierarchy provides a parallel architecture that optimizes information flow between upper and lower regions to aid attention, encoding, and processing of quick complex visual phenomenon. Bypassing intermediate hierarchy levels, information conveyed through the MTL "bridge" allows upper levels to make educated predictions about the prevailing context and accordingly select lower representations to increase the efficiency of predictive coding throughout the hierarchy. This selection or activation/deactivation is associated with endogenous attention. In the event that these "bridge" predictions are inaccurate, this architecture enables the rapid encoding of novel contingencies. A review of hierarchical models in relation to memory is provided along with a new theory, Medial-temporal-lobe Conduit for Parallel Connectivity (MCPC). In this scheme, consolidation is considered as a secondary process, occurring after a MTL-bridged connection, which eventually allows upper and lower levels to access each other directly. With repeated reactivations, as contingencies become consolidated, less MTL activity is predicted. Finally, MTL bridging may aid processing transient but structured perceptual events, by allowing communication between upper and lower levels without calling on intermediate levels of representation.

Eastern Ionian Sea paleoceanographic conditions during the Plio - Pleistocene as revealed through the study of fish otoliths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agiadi, K.; Triantaphyllou, M. V.; Girone, A.; Karakitsios, V.; Dermitzakis, M. D.

2009-04-01

Fish otoliths from the SE Zakynthos and SW Kephallonia islands (Eastern Ionian Sea) provide new evidence for the reconstruction of the paleoceanographic conditions during the Late Pliocene - Early Pleistocene interval. The forty - six fish taxa identified in the sediments of the study areas are separated in tropical, subtropical, temperate and subpolar ecological groups occupying surface, intermediate and deep water layers, based on their modern geographic and bathymetric distributions. During the Late Pliocene, the presence of Chlorophthalmus agassizi in the Eastern Ionian Sea probably denotes temperate oligotrophic conditions. At about 1.96 Ma B.P the high contribution of the bathypelagic Electrona risso, whose modern contribution is limited by the 10-15° C isotherms and productivity greater than 50gC/m2y (Whitehead et al., 1984), is combined with the increased presence of the deeper water species Maurolicus muelleri and Benthosema glaciale, which are mostly known from the high temperate - subpolar zones of today's oceans (Whitehead et al., 1984; Mytilineou et al., 2005). The nutrient-rich intermediate water layers at this time thus overlie colder deep waters, much like today (Malanotte-Rizzoli et al., 1997). In addition, the high abundance of representatives of the genus Diaphus could imply warmer surface conditions (Whitehead et al., 1984). The situation around 1.93 Ma, throughout the water column, is much more homogenous, signified by the introduction of Hygophum hygomii in the deeper water layers, as well as the decrease in relative abundance of Benthosema glaciale, perhaps due to a certain increase in deep water temperate. However, the most dominant species by far in the assemblage remains Ceratoscopelus maderensis, a purely temperate meso-bahtypelagic species (D'Onghia et al., 2004). At around 1.9Ma, there is a marked increase in the relative abundance of tropical taxa, namely Diaphus taaningi and Bregmaceros sp., which occupy the upper 500 meters of the water column. This increase in the tropical group of surface and intermediate waters, along with a decrease accordingly of both subtropical and temperate taxa, can be attributed to a climatic optimum at this time. However notable is the strong presence also of cold species Nansenia groenlandica and Benthosema glaciale in deeper water layers (mostly below 500 meters). Considering this event, it seems that warmer Atlantic water inflow in the Mediterranean, as a result of higher mean temperatures at this time, could be responsible for the upper part of the water column temperature increase. In addition, the formation of deeper water with lower temperatures than before could be attributed to increased river run off in the Adriatic Sea, which then inflows to the study areas. The paleoceanographic conditions appear generally stable until the uppermost part of the Pliocene, with colder temperatures prevailing gradually with an increase in relative abundance of Maurolicus muelleri combined with a decrease of Electrona risso. In the uppermost Pliocene and lowermost Pleistocene (around 1.73 Ma) the relative abundance of Electrona risso increases again in both study areas. Finally, the conditions in the upper part of the stratigraphic sequences return to temperate, with notable the presence of Myctophum punctatum, typically associated with upwelling conditions (Whitehead et al., 1984). Fish otoliths, as indicators of the paleoceanographic conditions throughout the water column, play a most significant role in the reconstruction of the deep - sea conditions. The presented palaeoecologic analysis of the Teleost fauna reveals distinct phases in the evolution of climate and oceanography during the Late Pliocene - Early Pleistocene interval. Notwithstanding the general deterioration of climate progressing into the Pleistocene era, it appears that the Mediterranean paleocirculation in conjunction with regional topography were modulated by the constantly changing global climatic conditions, to produce a rather compex palaeoceanographic setting in the central part of the basin. In this respect, fish otoliths offer a unique opportunity to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental conditions in the entire water column and through time. D'Onghia, G., Lloris, D., Politou, C.-Y., Sion, L., Dokos, L. (2004) New records of deep-water teleost fishes in the Balearic Sea and Ionian Sea (Mediterranean Sea). Scientia Marina, 68(3): 171-183. Malanotte - Rizzoli, P., Manca, B.B., d'Alcala, M.R., Theocharis, A., Bergamasco, A., Bregant, D., Budillon, G., Civitarese, G., Georgopoulos, D., Michelato, A., Snsone, E., Scarazzato, P., Souvermezoglou, E. (1997). A synthesis of the Ionian Sea hydrography, circulation and water mass pathways during POEM-Phase I, Progress in Oceanography, 39: 153-204. Mytilineou, C., Politou, C.-Y., Papaconstantinou, C., Kavadas, S., D'Onghia, G., Sion, L. (2005) Deep-water fish fauna in the Eastern Ionian Sea. Belgian Journal of Zoology, 135 (2): 229-233. Whitehead, P.J.P., Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, J.C., Nielsen, J., Tortonese, E. (1984) Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Unesco, I: 510pp.

δ13C and δ15N Values of Sediment-trap Particles in the Japan and Yamato Basins and Comparison with the Core-top Values in the East/Japan Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khim, Boo-Keun; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Park, Kyung-Ae; Noriki, Shinichiro

2018-03-01

Investigation of sediment-trap deployments in the East/Japan Sea (EJS) showed that distinct seasonal variations in particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes of intermediate-water sediment-traps clearly corresponded to changes in chlorophyll a concentrations estimated from SeaWiFS data. The prominent high POC flux periods (e.g., March) were strongly correlated with the enhanced surface-water phytoplankton blooms. Deep-water sedimenttraps exhibited similar variation patterns to intermediate-water sediment-traps. However, their total flux and POC flux were higher than those of intermediate-water sediment-traps during some months (e.g., April and May), indicating the lateral delivery of some particles to the deep-water sediment-traps. Distinct seasonal δ13C and δ15N variations in settling particles of the intermediate-water sediment-traps were observed, strongly supporting the notion of seasonal primary production. Seasonal variations in δ13C and δ15N values from the deep-water sediment-traps were similar to those of the intermediate-water sediment-traps. However, the difference in δ13C and δ15N values between the intermediate-water and the deepwater sediment-traps may be attributed to degradation of organic matter as it sank through the water column. Comparison of fluxweighted δ13C and δ15N mean values between the deep-water sediment-traps and the core-top sediments showed that strong selective loss of organic matter components (lipids) depleted in 13C and 15N occurred during sediment burial. Nonetheless, the results of our study indicate that particles in the deep-water sediment-trap deposited as surface sediments on the seafloor preserve the record of surface-water conditions, highlighting the usefulness of sedimentary δ13C and δ15N values as a paleoceanographic application in the EJS.

Global ocean climatology of the 13C Suess effect and preindustrial δ13C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eide, Marie; Olsen, Are; Ninnemann, Ulysses; Eldevik, Tor; Johannessen, Truls

2017-04-01

We present the first observationally based estimate of the full global ocean 13C Suess effect since preindustrial times. This was constructed by using Olsen and Ninnemann's [2010] back-calculation method to calculate the 13C Suess effect with data from 29 cruises spanning the world ocean. We find a strong 13C Suess effect in the upper 1000 m of all basins, with strongest decrease in the Subtropical Gyres of the Northern Hemisphere, where δ13C has decreased by more than 0.8‰ since the industrial revolution. At greater depths, a significant 13C Suess effect can only be detected in the northern parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. The magnitude of the 13C Suess effect is correlated with the concentration of anthropogenic carbon, but their relationship varying strongly between water masses, reflecting the degree to which source waters are equilibrated with the atmospheric 13C Suess effect before sinking. From the 13C Suess effect estimates, we have estimated the preindustrial δ13C (δ13CPI) along the 29 sections. Further, we developed regional multilinear regression equations, which were applied on the World Ocean Atlas data to construct the δ13CPI climatology, which reveals the natural δ13C distribution in the global ocean. Compared to the modern distribution, the preindustrial δ13C spans a larger range of values, and we find that in some regions in the high northern latitudes, the gradient in modern ocean δ13C is completely reversed compared to the preindustrial. Maximum δ13CPI, of up to 1.8‰, are found in the subtropical gyres of all basins, in the upper and intermediate waters of the North Atlantic, as well as in mode waters with a Southern Ocean origin. Particularly strong gradients occur at intermediate depths, revealing a strong potential for using δ13C as a tracer for changes in water mass geometry at these levels. Further, we identify a much tighter relationship between δ13C and Apparent Oxygen Utilization (AOU) than between δ13C and phosphate that occurs because both δ13C and AOU, in contrast to phosphate, are partly reset when waters are ventilated in the Southern Ocean. This makes δ13C a robust proxy for past changes in ocean oxygen content and ventilation. Our δ13CPI climatology has strong applications in paleo-sciences, and can be used for example for improved model evaluation, interpretation of sediment δ13C records, and core top comparison. Olsen, A., and U. Ninnemann (2010), Large δ13C gradients in the preindustrial North Atlantic revealed, Science, 330(6004), 658-659, doi:10.1126/science.1193769.

Online kinetic studies on intermediates of laccase-catalyzed reaction in reversed micelle.

PubMed

Liu, Zhi-Hong; Shao, Mei; Cai, Ru-Xiu; Shen, Ping

2006-02-01

Using water/AOT/n-octane reversed micelle as the medium, the optical signal of the reactive intermediate of laccase-catalyzed oxidation of o-phenylenediamine, which was indetectable in aqueous solutions, was successfully captured. Thus online kinetic studies of the intermediate were accomplished. Two-way kinetic spectral data were acquired with stopped-flow technique. By resolving the data with global analysis software, both the kinetic curves and the absorption spectra of the components involved in the reaction process were simultaneously obtained. The whole reaction in the reversed micelle was proved to be composed of two successive steps, an enzymatic generation of the intermediate and a following nonenzymatic decay of the intermediate. A consecutive first-order kinetic model of the whole reaction was confirmed. The influences of microenvironmental factors of the medium (such as the pH value of the water pool and the water/AOT ratio) on the detection of the intermediate were also investigated.

Ongoing niche differentiation under high gene flow in a polymorphic brackish water threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) population.

PubMed

Østbye, Kjartan; Taugbøl, Annette; Ravinet, Mark; Harrod, Chris; Pettersen, Ruben Alexander; Bernatchez, Louis; Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn

2018-02-05

Marine threespine sticklebacks colonized and adapted to brackish and freshwater environments since the last Pleistocene glacial. Throughout the Holarctic, three lateral plate morphs are observed; the low, partial and completely plated morph. We test if the three plate morphs in the brackish water Lake Engervann, Norway, differ in body size, trophic morphology (gill raker number and length), niche (stable isotopes; δ 15 N, δ 13 C, and parasites (Theristina gasterostei, Trematoda spp.)), genetic structure (microsatellites) and the lateral-plate encoding Stn382 (Ectodysplasin) gene. We examine differences temporally (autumn 2006/spring 2007) and spatially (upper/lower sections of the lake - reflecting low versus high salinity). All morphs belonged to one gene pool. The complete morph was larger than the low plated, with the partial morph intermediate. The number of lateral plates ranged 8-71, with means of 64.2 for complete, 40.3 for partial, and 14.9 for low plated morph. Stickleback δ 15 N was higher in the lower lake section, while δ 13 C was higher in the upper section. Stickleback isotopic values were greater in autumn. The low plated morph had larger variances in δ 15 N and δ 13 C than the other morphs. Sticklebacks in the upper section had more T. gasterostei than in the lower section which had more Trematoda spp. Sticklebacks had less T. gasterostei, but more Trematoda spp. in autumn than spring. Sticklebacks with few and short rakers had more T. gasterostei, while sticklebacks with longer rakers had more Trematoda. spp. Stickleback with higher δ 15 N values had more T. gasterostei, while sticklebacks with higher δ 15 N and δ 13 C values had more Trematoda spp. The low plated morph had fewer Trematoda spp. than other morphs. Trait-ecology associations may imply that the three lateral plate morphs in the brackish water lagoon of Lake Engervann are experiencing ongoing divergent selection for niche and migratory life history strategies under high gene flow. As such, the brackish water zone may generally act as a generator of genomic diversity to be selected upon in the different environments where threespine sticklebacks can live.

Benthic foraminifera as indicators of hydrologic and environmental conditions in the Ross Sea (Antarctica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertoni, E.; Bertello, L.; Capotondi, L.; Bergami, C.; Giglio, F.; Ravaioli, M.; Rossi, C.; Ferretti, A.

2012-04-01

This study, present data on benthic foraminiferal assemblages from four box cores collected in different areas of the Ross Sea during the 2005 oceanographic cruise in the framework of the Italian Antarctic Research National Programme (PNRA). Based on magnetic susceptibility, biosiliceous content, and micropaleontological analysis, the sediment cores provide a record of glacial retreat and Holocene environmental changes in the Ross Sea during the last 11 kyr BP. Sediment lithologies range between diamicton to surficial diatomaceous mud, the intermediate levels being glacial-marine sediment. The sedimentary sections include diatomaceous glacial-marine deposit over transitional (proximal grounding zone) glacial-marine sediment. The study revealed that the Ross Sea contains typical Antarctic foraminifera fauna with the dominance of agglutinated taxa. Relatively elevated abundances, richness and diversity were common in the northernmost site, where the water column was characterized by relatively warmer intermediate waters and by the presence of the colder High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW) occupying the deepest part of the basin. Here, the assemblage was dominated by Miliammina arenacea and the more abundant species were Trochammina quadricamerata and Lagenammina difflugiformis. In the southernmost site and in the eastern Ross Sea, richness and diversity were low and the most significant species were Trochammina sp., and Reophax sp. M. arenacea was ubiquitous in all the samples and sites, confirming its tolerance to cold corrosive bottom waters and salinity fluctuations as well as its uniquely high preservation potential. Moreover, elevated abundances, richness and diversity were common in the upper portion of the core which represents the youngest climatic phase characterized by the presence of some calcareous specimens too. This may indicate a deeper Carbonate Compensation Depth, probably due to relatively stable and warmer environmental conditions. Results document that diversity of benthic foraminifera, number of specimens and variations in test morphology are related to regional differences in water properties (temperature, salinity, carbonate chemistry).

Treating post-traumatic tremor with deep brain stimulation: report of five cases.

PubMed

Issar, Neil M; Hedera, Peter; Phibbs, Fenna T; Konrad, Peter E; Neimat, Joseph S

2013-12-01

Post-traumatic tremor is one of the most common movement disorders resulting from severe head trauma. However, literature regarding successful deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment is scarce, resulting in ambiguity regarding the optimal lead location. Most cases support the ventral intermediate nucleus, but there is evidence to defend DBS of the zona incerta, ventral oralis anterior/posterior, and/or a combination of these targets. We report five patients with disabling post-traumatic tremor treated with DBS of the ventral intermediate nucleus and of the globus pallidus internus. Patients were referred to the Vanderbilt Movement Disorders Division, and surgical intervention was determined by a DBS Multidisciplinary Committee. Standard DBS procedure was followed. Patients 1-4 sustained severe diffuse axonal injuries. Patients 1-3 underwent unilateral ventral intermediate nucleus DBS for contralateral tremor, while Patient 4 underwent bilateral ventral intermediate nucleus DBS. Patients 1-3 experienced good tremor reduction, while Patient 4 experienced moderate tremor reduction with some dystonic posturing of the hands. Patient 5 had dystonic posturing of the right upper extremity with tremor of the left upper extremity. He was treated with bilateral DBS of the globus pallidus internus and showed good tremor reduction at follow-up. Unilateral or bilateral DBS of the ventral intermediate nucleus and bilateral DBS of the globus pallidus internus may be effective and safe treatment modalities for intractable post-traumatic tremor. Further studies are needed to clarify the optimal target for surgical treatment of post-traumatic tremor. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Discharge, water temperature, and water quality of Warm Mineral Springs, Sarasota County, Florida: A retrospective analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Metz, Patricia A.

2016-09-27

Warm Mineral Springs, located in southern Sarasota County, Florida, is a warm, highly mineralized, inland spring. Since 1946, a bathing spa has been in operation at the spring, attracting vacationers and health enthusiasts. During the winter months, the warm water attracts manatees to the adjoining spring run and provides vital habitat for these mammals. Well-preserved late Pleistocene to early Holocene-age human and animal bones, artifacts, and plant remains have been found in and around the spring, and indicate the surrounding sinkhole formed more than 12,000 years ago. The spring is a multiuse resource of hydrologic importance, ecological and archeological significance, and economic value to the community.The pool of Warm Mineral Springs has a circular shape that reflects its origin as a sinkhole. The pool measures about 240 feet in diameter at the surface and has a maximum depth of about 205 feet. The sinkhole developed in the sand, clay, and dolostone of the Arcadia Formation of the Miocene-age to Oligocene-age Hawthorn Group. Underlying the Hawthorn Group are Oligocene-age to Eocene-age limestones and dolostones, including the Suwannee Limestone, Ocala Limestone, and Avon Park Formation. Mineralized groundwater, under artesian pressure in the underlying aquifers, fills the remnant sink, and the overflow discharges into Warm Mineral Springs Creek, to Salt Creek, and subsequently into the Myakka River. Aquifers described in the vicinity of Warm Mineral Springs include the surficial aquifer system, the intermediate aquifer system within the Hawthorn Group, and the Upper Floridan aquifer in the Suwannee Limestone, Ocala Limestone, and Avon Park Formation. The Hawthorn Group acts as an upper confining unit of the Upper Floridan aquifer.Groundwater flow paths are inferred from the configuration of the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer for September 2010. Groundwater flow models indicate the downward flow of water into the Upper Floridan aquifer in inland areas, and upward flow toward the surface in coastal areas, such as at Warm Mineral Springs. Warm Mineral Springs is located in a discharge area. Changes in water use in the region have affected the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer. Historical increase in groundwater withdrawals resulted in a 10- to 20-foot regional decline in the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer by May 1975 relative to predevelopment levels and remained at approximately that level in May 2007 in the area of Warm Mineral Springs. Discharge measurements at Warm Mineral Springs (1942–2014) decreased from about 11–12 cubic feet per second in the 1940s to about 6–9 cubic feet per second in the 1970s and remained at about that level for the remainder of the period of record. Similarity of changes in regional water use and discharge at Warm Mineral Springs indicates that basin-scale changes to the groundwater system have affected discharge at Warm Mineral Springs. Water temperature had no significant trend in temperature over the period of record, 1943–2015, and outliers were identified in the data that might indicate inconsistencies in measurement methods or locations.Within the regional groundwater basin, Warm Mineral Springs is influenced by deep Upper Floridan aquifer flow paths that discharge toward the coast. Associated with these flow paths, the groundwater temperatures increase with depth and toward the coast. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that a source of warm groundwater to Warm Mineral Springs is likely the permeable zone of the Avon Park Formation within the Upper Floridan aquifer at a depth of about 1,400 to 1,600 feet, or deeper sources. The permeable zone contains saline groundwater with water temperatures of at least 95 degrees Fahrenheit.The water quality of Warm Mineral Springs, when compared with other springs in Florida had the highest temperature and the greatest mineralized content. Warm Mineral Springs water is characterized by a slight-green color, with varying water clarity, low dissolved oxygen (indicative of deep groundwater), and a hydrogen sulfide odor. Water-quality samples detected ammonium-nitrogen and nitrates, but at low concentrations. The drinking water standard for nitrate adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is 10 milligrams per liter, measured as nitrogen. Water samples collected at spring vents by divers on April 29, 2015, had concentrations of 0.9 milligram per liter nitrate-nitrogen at vent A and 0.04–0.05 milligram per liter at vents B, C, and D. Typically, the water clarity is highest in the morning (about 30 feet Secchi depth) and often decreases throughout the day.Analysis of existing data provided some insight into the hydrologic processes affecting Warm Mineral Springs; however, data have been sparsely and discontinuously collected since the 1940s. Continuous monitoring of hydrologic characteristics such as discharge, water temperature, specific conductance, and water-quality indicators, such as nitrate and turbidity (water clarity), would be valuable for monitoring and development of models of spring discharge and water quality. In addition, water samples could be analyzed for isotopic tracers, such as strontium, and the results used to identify and quantify the sources of groundwater that discharge at Warm Mineral Springs. Groundwater flow/transport models could be used to evaluate the sensitivity of the quality and quantity of water flowing from Warm Mineral Springs to changes in climate, aquifer levels, and water use.

Understanding the Steric Height Long Term Variability at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study (BATS) Site with a Neutral Density Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goncalves Neto, A.; Johnson, R. J.; Bates, N. R.

2016-02-01

Rising sea level is one of the main concerns for human life in a scenario with global atmosphere and ocean warming, which is of particular concern for oceanic islands. Bermuda, located in the center of the Sargasso Sea, provides an ideal location to investigate sea level rise since it has a long term tide gauge (1933-present) and is in close proximity to deep ocean time-series sites, namely, Hydrostation `S' (1954-present) and the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study site (1988-present). In this study, we use the monthly CTD deep casts at BATS to compute the contribution of steric height (SH) to the local sea surface height (SSH) for the past 24 years. To determine the relative contribution from the various water masses we first define 8 layers (Surface Layer, Upper Thermocline, Subtropical Mode-Water, Lower Thermocline, Antarctic Intermediate Water, Labrador Sea Water, Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water, Denmark Strait Overflow Water) based on neutral density criteria for which SH is computed. Additionally, we calculate the thermosteric and halosteric components for each of the defined neutral density layers. Surprisingly, the results show that, despite a 3.3mm/yr sea level rise observed at the Bermuda tide gauge, the steric contribution to the SSH at BATS has decreased at a rate of -1.1mm/yr during the same period. The thermal component is found to account for the negative trend in the steric height (-4.4mm/yr), whereas the halosteric component (3.3mm/yr) partially compensates the thermal signal and can be explained by an overall cooling and freshening at the BATS site. Although the surface layer and the upper thermocline waters are warming, all the subtropical and polar water masses, which represent most of the local water column, are cooling and therefore drive the overall SH contribution to the local SSH. Hence, it suggests that the mass contribution to the local SSH plays an important role in the sea level rise, for which we investigate with GRACE data.

Abrupt changes of intermediate-water oxygen in the northwestern Pacific during the last 27 kyr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishizaki, Yui; Ohkushi, Ken'ichi; Ito, Takashi; Kawahata, Hodaka

2009-04-01

An oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) currently exists at intermediate water depths on the northern Japanese margin in the northwestern Pacific. The OMZ results largely from a combination of high surface-water productivity and poor ventilation of intermediate waters. We investigated the late Quaternary history (last 27 kyr) of the intensity of this OMZ using changes in benthic foraminiferal carbon isotopes and assemblages in a sediment core taken on the continental slope off Shimokita Peninsula, northern Japan, at a water depth of 975 m. The core was located well within the region of the present-day OMZ and high surface-water productivity. The benthic foraminiferal δ13C values, which indicate millennial-scale fluctuations of nutrient contents at the sediment-water interface, were 0.48‰ lower during the last glacial maximum (LGM) than during the late Holocene. These results do not indicate the formation of glacial intermediate waters of subarctic Pacific origin, but rather the large contribution of high-nutrient water masses such as the Antarctic Intermediate Water, implying that the regional circulation pattern during the LGM was similar to that of modern times. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages underwent major changes in response to changes in dissolved oxygen concentrations in ocean floor sediments. The lowest oxygen and highest nutrient conditions, marked by dysoxic taxa and negative values of benthic foraminiferal δ13C, occurred during the Bølling/Allerød (B/A) and Pre-Boreal warming events. Dysoxic conditions in this region during these intervals were possibly caused by high surface-water productivity at times of reduced intermediate-water ventilation in the northwestern Pacific. The benthic assemblages show dysoxic events on approx. 100- to 200-year cycles during the B/A, reflecting centennial-scale productivity changes related to freshwater cycles and surface-water circulation in the North Pacific.

Intermediate water recovery system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deckman, G.; Anderson, A. R. (Editor)

1973-01-01

A water recovery system for collecting, storing, and processing urine, wash water, and humidity condensates from a crew of three aboard a spacecraft is described. The results of a 30-day test performed on a breadboard system are presented. The intermediate water recovery system produced clear, sterile, water with a 96.4 percent recovery rate from the processed urine. Recommendations for improving the system are included.

Spectroscopic Characterization of the Water Oxidation Intermediates in the Blue Dimer Ru-Based Catalyst for Artificial Photosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moonshiram, Dooshaye; Pushkar, Yulia; Jurss, Jonah; Concepcion, Javier; Meyer, Thomas; Zakharova, Taisiya; Alperovich, Igor

2012-02-01

Utilization of sunlight requires solar capture, light-to-energy conversion and storage. One effective way to store energy is to convert it into chemical energy by fuel-forming reactions, such as water splitting into hydrogen and oxygen. Ruthenium complexes are among few molecular-defined catalysts capable of water splitting. Mechanistic insights about such catalysts can be acquired by spectroscopic analysis of short-lived intermediates of catalytic water oxidation. Use of techniques such as EPR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) are used to determine electronic requirements of catalytic water oxidation. About 30 years ago Meyer and coworkers reported first ruthenium-based catalyst for water oxidation, the ``blue dimer''. We performed EPR studies and characterized structures and electronic configurations of intermediates of water oxidation by the ``blue dimer''. Intermediates were prepared chemically by oxidation of Ru-complexes with defined number of Ce (IV) equivalents and freeze-quenched at controlled times. Changes in oxidation state of Ru atom were detected by XANES at Ru K-edges. K-edges are sensitive to changes in Ru oxidation state for Blue Dimer [3,3]^4+, [3,4]^4+, [3,4]'^4+ and [4,5]^3+ allowing a clear assignment of Ru oxidation state in intermediates. EXAFS demonstrated structural changes.

MOUNT HOOD WILDERNESS AND ADJACENT AREAS, OREGON.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keith, T.E.C.; Causey, J.D.

1984-01-01

A mineral survey of the Mount Hood Wilderness, Oregon, was conducted. Geochemical data indicate two areas of substantiated mineral-resource potential containing weak epithermal mineralization: an area of the north side of Zigzag Mountain where vein-type lead-zinc-silver deposits occur and an area of the south side of Zigzag Mountain, where the upper part of a quartz diorite pluton has propylitic alteration associated with mineralization of copper, gold, silver, lead, and zinc in discontinuous veins. Geothermal-resource potential for low- to intermediate-temperature (less than 248 degree F) hot-water systems in the wilderness is probable in these areas. Part of the wilderness is classified as a Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA), which is considered to have probable geothermal-resource potential, and two parts of the wilderness have been included in geothermal lease areas.

Hydrogeology, Chemical Characteristics, and Transport Processes in the Zone of Contribution of a Public-Supply Well in York, Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landon, Matthew K.; Clark, Brian R.; McMahon, Peter B.; McGuire, Virginia L.; Turco, Michael J.

2008-01-01

In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey, as part of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, initiated a topical study of Transport of Anthropogenic and Natural Contaminants (TANC) to PSW (public-supply wells). Local-scale and regional-scale TANC study areas were delineated within selected NAWQA study units for intensive study of processes effecting transport of contaminants to PSWs. This report describes results from a local-scale TANC study area at York, Nebraska, within the High Plains aquifer, including the hydrogeology and geochemistry of a 108-square-kilometer study area that contains the zone of contribution to a PSW selected for study (study PSW), and describes factors controlling the transport of selected anthropogenic and natural contaminants to PSWs. Within the local-scale TANC study area, the High Plains aquifer is approximately 75 m (meter) thick, and includes an unconfined aquifer, an upper confining unit, an upper confined aquifer, and a lower confining unit with lower confined sand lenses (units below the upper confining unit are referred to as confined aquifers) in unconsolidated alluvial and glacial deposits overlain by loess and underlain by Cretaceous shale. From northwest to southeast, land use in the local-scale TANC study area changes from predominantly irrigated agricultural land to residential and commercial land in the small community of York (population approximately 8,100). For the purposes of comparing water chemistry, wells were classified by degree of aquifer confinement (unconfined and confined), depth in the unconfined aquifer (shallow and deep), land use (urban and agricultural), and extent of mixing in wells in the confined aquifer with water from the unconfined aquifer (mixed and unmixed). Oxygen (delta 18O) and hydrogen (delta D) stable isotopic values indicated a clear isotopic contrast between shallow wells in the unconfined aquifer (hereinafter, unconfined shallow wells) and most monitoring wells in the confined aquifers (hereinafter, confined unmixed wells). Delta 18O and delta D values for a minority of wells in the confined aquifers were intermediate between those for the unconfined shallow wells and those for the confined unmixed wells. These intermediate values were consistent with mixing of water from unconfined and confined aquifers (hereinafter, confined mixed wells). Oxidation-reduction conditions were primarily oxic in the unconfined aquifer and variably reducing in the confined aquifers. Trace amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOC), particularly tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), were widely detected in unconfined shallow urban wells and indicated the presence of young urban recharge waters in most confined mixed wells. The presence of degradation products of agricultural pesticides (acetochlor and alachlor) in some confined mixed wells suggests that some fraction of the water in these wells also was the result of recharge in agricultural areas. In the unconfined aquifer, age-tracer data (chlorofluorocarbon and sulfur hexafluoride data, and tritium to helium-3 ratios) fit a piston-flow model, with apparent recharge ages ranging from 7 to 48 years and generally increasing with depth. Age-tracer data for the confined aquifers were consistent with mixing of 'old' water, not containing modern tracers recharged in the last 60 years, and exponentially-mixed 'young' water with modern tracers. Confined unmixed wells contained less than (=) 97% of old water. Confined mixed wells contained >30% young water and mean ages ranged from 12 to 14 years. Median concentrations of nitrate (as nitrogen, hereinafter, nitrate-N) were 17.3 and 16.0 mg/L (milligram per liter) in unconfined shallow urban and agricultural wells, respectively, indicating a range of likely nitrate sources. Septic systems are most numerous near the edge of the urban area and appear to be

Observations of the southern East Madagascar Current and undercurrent and countercurrent system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nauw, J. J.; van Aken, H. M.; Webb, A.; Lutjeharms, J. R. E.; de Ruijter, W. P. M.

2008-08-01

In April 2001 four hydrographic sections perpendicular to the southern East Madagascar Current were surveyed as part of the Agulhas Current Sources Experiment. Observations with a vessel mounted and a lowered ADCP produced information on the current field while temperature, salinity, oxygen and nutrient data obtained with a CTD-Rosette system, gave information on the water mass structure of the currents southeast of Madagascar. The peak velocity in the pole-ward East Madagascar Current through these four sections had a typical magnitude of ˜110 cm/s, while the width of this current was of the order of 120 km. The mean pole-ward volume transport rate of this current during the survey above the 5°C isotherm was estimated to be 37 ± 10 Sv. On all four sections an undercurrent was observed at intermediate depths below the East Madagascar Current. Its equator-ward transport rate amounted to 2.8 ± 1.4 Sv. Offshore of the East Madagascar Current the shallow South Indian Ocean Countercurrent was observed. This eastward frontal jet coincided with the barotropic and thermohaline front that separates the saline Subtropical Surface Water from the fresher Tropical Surface Water in the East Madagascar Current. The near-surface geostrophic flow of the East Madagascar Current, derived from satellite altimetry data from 1992 to 2005, suggests a strong variability of this transport due to eddy variability and interannual changes. The long-term pole-ward mean transport of the East Madagascar Current, roughly estimated from those altimetry data amounts to 32 Sv. The upper-ocean water mass of the East Madagascar Current was very saline in 2001, compared to WOCE surveys from 1995. Comparison of our undercurrent data with those of the WOCE surveys in 1995 confirms that the undercurrent is a recurrent feature. Its water mass properties are relatively saline, due to the presence of water originating from the Red Sea outflow at intermediate levels. The saline water was advected from the Mozambique Channel to the eastern slope of Madagascar.

Optical detection of polychlorinated biphenyls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuncova, Gabriela; Berkova, Daniela; Burkhard, Jiri; Demnerova, Katerina; Pazlarova, Jarmila; Triska, Jan; Vrchotova, Nadezda

1999-12-01

In this paper we describe the detection of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which is based on the measurement of changes of optical absorption at 400 nm of the medium in an aerobic bioreactor with immobilized cells Pseudomonas species 2. The rate of production, composition and the concentration of yellow intermediates are influenced by concentration and composition of PCB mixtures, concentration of cells and by the methods of immobilization. The method was applied in the detection of commercial mixture D103. It was found that the advantageous carriers were inorganic or organic-inorganic matrices, which sorbed PCBs and a cell outgrowth from their surface was low. In water contaminated with transformer oil and chlorinated hydrocarbons the detection limit is 10-2 gD103/kg. In transformer oil the upper limit for degradation of D103 by sodium dehalogenation (1.5 gD103 /kgoil) was determined also in the presence of the same concentration of trichloroethylene. The employment to of a liquid core waveguide spectrophotometer instead of a diode array spectrophotometer increased the sensitivity of the measurement of yellow intermediates by a factor of 100. An extrinsic fiber-optic sensor was used for in-situ measurement during biodegradation of PCBs in bioreactors.

Planktonic benthonic foraminiferal ratios: Modern patterns and Tertiary applicability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gibson, T.G.

1989-01-01

The abundance of planktonic specimens in foraminiferal assemblages was determined in numerous bottom samples from inner neritic to deep oceanic depths along the Atlantic margin of the northeastern United States. The results augment previous studies in other areas that have shown a general increase in percentage of planktonic specimens in total foraminiferal bottom assemblages as water depth increases. The patterns found in this area of complex shelf bathymetry and hydrography illustrate the influence on the planktonic-benthonic percentages of water depth, distance from shore, different water mass properties and downslope movement of tests in high energy areas. The patterns found in the 661 samples from the Atlantic margin were compared with results from 795 stations in the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean and Red Sea. The relative abundance of planktonic specimens and water depth correlates positively in all open oceanic areas even though taxonomic composition and diversity of the faunas from different areas is variable. The variation of planktonic percentages in bottom samples within most depth intervals is large so that a precise depth determination cannot be made for any given value. However, an approximate upper depth limit for given percentages can be estimated for open ocean environments. A decrease in planktonic percentages is seen in the lower salinity and higher turbidity coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine. Planktonic percentages intermediate between the lower values in the less saline coastal waters and the higher values in the normal open oceanic conditions occur in the transitional area between the Gulf of Maine and the open marine Atlantic Ocean to the east. Similarly lowered values in another area of restricted oceanic circulation occur in the high salinity, clear, but nutrient-poor waters of the Gulf of Aqaba off the Red Sea. A comparison of the similarity of modern planktonic percentage values to those found in earlier Tertiary assemblages was made to confirm the usefulness of this measure in the fossil record. In some stratigraphic sections in upper Paleocene and lower Eocene strata of the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain, water depths inferred from trends and values of planktonic percentages consistently match paleobathymetry constructed from physical stratigraphic characteristics and paleogeographic relationships. ?? 1989.

Extratropical Influence of Upper Tropospheric Water Vapor on Greenhouse Warming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hu, H.; Liu, W.

1998-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the impact of upper tropospheric water vapor on greenhouse warming in midlatitudes by analyzing the recent observations of the upper tropospheric water vapor from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), in conjuction with other space-based measurement and model simulation products.

Connecting Soil Water to Groundwater to Streams: Understanding Controls of Nitrate Losses from a Dryland Agricultural Landscape in the Upper Missouri River Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigler, W. A.; Ewing, S. A.; Payn, R. A.; Jones, C. A.; Brookshire, J.; Klassen, J. K.; Jackson-Smith, D.; Weissmann, G. S.

2016-12-01

Shallow aquifers impaired by nitrate from agriculture are widespread and remediation or prevention of this problem requires understanding of N leaching rates at a variety of spatial scales. Characterization of the drivers of nitrate leaching at an intermediate scale (103 to 105 ha) is needed to bridge from field scale observations to the landscape-scale context, allowing informed water resource management decisions. Here we explore patterns in nitrate leaching rates across a depositional landform with a predominant land use of non-irrigated small grain production in the Northern Great Plains within the Upper Missouri Basin. The shallow Moccasin terrace (260,000 ha) aquifer is bounded in vertical extent by underlying shale and is isolated from mountain front stream recharge, such that aquifer recharge is dominated by infiltration of precipitation through agricultural soils. We leverage this simplified landform scale water balance to estimate leaching rates using groundwater nitrate concentrations and surface water discharge, and quantify uncertainty using a Monte Carlo approach based on spatial variation in groundwater nitrate concentrations. Landform-scale nitrate-N leaching rates ranged between 10 and 24 kg ha-1 yr-1 during 2012-2014 across two terrace catchments. These rates represent 11 to 27% of fertilizer application rates but are likely derived from a combination of soil organic N mineralization and direct fertilizer loss. While groundwater apparent age is relatively young (0-5 y) based on tritium-helium analysis, whole-aquifer turnover time calculations are an order of magnitude longer (20-23 y), suggesting aquifer heterogeneity and thus a longer potential response time to management changes than suggested by tracer-based aging. We collaborated with local producers to undertake this work, and discussed our results with community members throughout the study. Based on a follow-up survey, producers are now more likely to consider nitrate leaching when making management decisions, suggesting that location-specific producer engagement can facilitate practical solutions to non-point source water quality issues.

Geohydrology and evaluation of water-resource potential of the upper Floridan Aquifer in the Albany area, southwestern Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torak, L.J.; Davis, G.S.; Strain, G.A.; Herndon, J.G.

1993-01-01

In the Albany area of southwestern Georgia, the Upper Floridan aquifer lies entirely within the Dougherty Plain district of the Coastal Plain physiographic province, and consists of the Ocala Limestone of late Eocene age. The aquifer is divided throughout most of the study area into an upper and a lower lithologic unit, which creates an upper and a lower water-bearing zone. The lower waterbearing zone consists of alternating layers of sandy limestone and medium-brown, recrystallized dolomitic limestone, and ranges in thickness from about 50 ft to 100 ft. It is highly fractured and exhibits well-developed permeability by solution features that are responsible for transmitting most of the ground water in the aquifer. Transmissivity of the lower water-bearing zone ranges from about 90,000 to 178,000 ft2/d. The upper water-bearing zone is a finely crystallized-to-oolitic, locally dolomitic limestone having an average thickness of about 60 ft. Transmissivities are considerably less in the upper water-bearing zone than in the lower water-bearing zone. The Upper Floridan aquifer is overlain by about 20-120 ft of undifferentiated overburden consisting of fine-to-coarse quartz sand and noncalcareous clay. A clay zone about 10-30 ft thick may be continuous throughout the southwestern part of the Albany area and, where present, causes confinement of the Upper Floridan aquifer and creates perched ground water after periods of heavy rainfall. The Upper Floridan aquifer is confined below by the Lisbon Formation, a mostly dolomitic limestone that contains trace amounts of glauconite. The Lisbon Formation is at least 50 ft thick in the study area and acts as an impermeable base to the Upper Floridan aquifer. The quality of ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer is suitable for most uses; wells generally yield water of the hard, calcium-bicarbonate type that meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Primary or Secondary Drinking-Water Regulations. The water-resource potential of the Upper Floridan aquifer was evaluated by compiling results of drilling and aquifer testing in the study area, and by conducting computer simulations of the ground-water flow system under the seasonally low conditions of November 1985, and under conditions of pumping within a 12-mi 2 area located southwest of Albany. Results of test drilling, aquifer testing, and water-quality analyses indicate that, in the area southwest of Albany, geohydrologic conditions in the Upper Floridan aquifer, undifferentiated overburden, and Lisbon Formation were favorable for the aquifer to provide a large quantity of water without having adverse effects on the groundwater system. The confinement of the Upper Floridan aquifer by the undifferentiated overburden and the rural setting of the area of potential development decrease the likelihood that chemical constituents will enter the aquifer during development of the ground-water resources. Computer simulations of ground-water flow in the Upper Floridan aquifer, incorporating conditions for regional flow across model boundaries, leakage from rivers and other surface-water features, and vertical leakage from the undifferentiated overburden, were conducted by using a finite-element model for ground-water flow in two dimensions. Comparison of computed and measured water levels in the Upper Floridan aquifer for November 1985 at 74 locations indicated that computed water levels generally were within 5 ft of the measured values, which is the accuracy to which measured water levels were known. Water-level altitudes ranged from about 260 ft to 130 ft above sea level in the study area during calibration. Aquifer discharge to the Flint River downstream from the Lake Worth dam was computed by the calibrated model to be about 1 billion gallons per day; about 300 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) greater than was measured for similar lowflow conditions. The excess computed discharge was attributed partially to stream withdrawals for

16. DETAIL VIEW OF AUXILIARY LOCK MITER GATE OPERATING MACHINERY ...

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

16. DETAIL VIEW OF AUXILIARY LOCK MITER GATE OPERATING MACHINERY LOCATED IN INTERMEDIATE WALL, LOOKING NORTHWEST - Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 27, Granite City, Madison County, IL

Kinetics of a Criegee intermediate that would survive high humidity and may oxidize atmospheric SO2

PubMed Central

Huang, Hao-Li; Chao, Wen; Lin, Jim Jr-Min

2015-01-01

Criegee intermediates are thought to play a role in atmospheric chemistry, in particular, the oxidation of SO2, which produces SO3 and subsequently H2SO4, an important constituent of aerosols and acid rain. However, the impact of such oxidation reactions is affected by the reactions of Criegee intermediates with water vapor, because of high water concentrations in the troposphere. In this work, the kinetics of the reactions of dimethyl substituted Criegee intermediate (CH3)2COO with water vapor and with SO2 were directly measured via UV absorption of (CH3)2COO under near-atmospheric conditions. The results indicate that (i) the water reaction with (CH3)2COO is not fast enough (kH2O < 1.5 × 10−16 cm3s−1) to consume atmospheric (CH3)2COO significantly and (ii) (CH3)2COO reacts with SO2 at a near–gas-kinetic-limit rate (kSO2 = 1.3 × 10−10 cm3s−1). These observations imply a significant fraction of atmospheric (CH3)2COO may survive under humid conditions and react with SO2, very different from the case of the simplest Criegee intermediate CH2OO, in which the reaction with water dimer predominates in the CH2OO decay under typical tropospheric conditions. In addition, a significant pressure dependence was observed for the reaction of (CH3)2COO with SO2, suggesting the use of low pressure rate may underestimate the impact of this reaction. This work demonstrates that the reactivity of a Criegee intermediate toward water vapor strongly depends on its structure, which will influence the main decay pathways and steady-state concentrations for various Criegee intermediates in the atmosphere. PMID:26283390

Kinetics of a Criegee intermediate that would survive high humidity and may oxidize atmospheric SO2.

PubMed

Huang, Hao-Li; Chao, Wen; Lin, Jim Jr-Min

2015-09-01

Criegee intermediates are thought to play a role in atmospheric chemistry, in particular, the oxidation of SO2, which produces SO3 and subsequently H2SO4, an important constituent of aerosols and acid rain. However, the impact of such oxidation reactions is affected by the reactions of Criegee intermediates with water vapor, because of high water concentrations in the troposphere. In this work, the kinetics of the reactions of dimethyl substituted Criegee intermediate (CH3)2COO with water vapor and with SO2 were directly measured via UV absorption of (CH3)2COO under near-atmospheric conditions. The results indicate that (i) the water reaction with (CH3)2COO is not fast enough (kH2O < 1.5 × 10(-16) cm(3) s(-1)) to consume atmospheric (CH3)2COO significantly and (ii) (CH3)2COO reacts with SO2 at a near-gas-kinetic-limit rate (kSO2 = 1.3 × 10(-10) cm(3) s(-1)). These observations imply a significant fraction of atmospheric (CH3)2COO may survive under humid conditions and react with SO2, very different from the case of the simplest Criegee intermediate CH2OO, in which the reaction with water dimer predominates in the CH2OO decay under typical tropospheric conditions. In addition, a significant pressure dependence was observed for the reaction of (CH3)2COO with SO2, suggesting the use of low pressure rate may underestimate the impact of this reaction. This work demonstrates that the reactivity of a Criegee intermediate toward water vapor strongly depends on its structure, which will influence the main decay pathways and steady-state concentrations for various Criegee intermediates in the atmosphere.

The medial temporal lobe—conduit of parallel connectivity: a model for attention, memory, and perception

PubMed Central

Mozaffari, Brian

2014-01-01

Based on the notion that the brain is equipped with a hierarchical organization, which embodies environmental contingencies across many time scales, this paper suggests that the medial temporal lobe (MTL)—located deep in the hierarchy—serves as a bridge connecting supra- to infra—MTL levels. Bridging the upper and lower regions of the hierarchy provides a parallel architecture that optimizes information flow between upper and lower regions to aid attention, encoding, and processing of quick complex visual phenomenon. Bypassing intermediate hierarchy levels, information conveyed through the MTL “bridge” allows upper levels to make educated predictions about the prevailing context and accordingly select lower representations to increase the efficiency of predictive coding throughout the hierarchy. This selection or activation/deactivation is associated with endogenous attention. In the event that these “bridge” predictions are inaccurate, this architecture enables the rapid encoding of novel contingencies. A review of hierarchical models in relation to memory is provided along with a new theory, Medial-temporal-lobe Conduit for Parallel Connectivity (MCPC). In this scheme, consolidation is considered as a secondary process, occurring after a MTL-bridged connection, which eventually allows upper and lower levels to access each other directly. With repeated reactivations, as contingencies become consolidated, less MTL activity is predicted. Finally, MTL bridging may aid processing transient but structured perceptual events, by allowing communication between upper and lower levels without calling on intermediate levels of representation. PMID:25426036

Texture, mineralogy and geochemistry of the continental slope sediments in front of Los Tuxtlas, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico: implications on weathering, origin and depositional environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marca-Castillo, M. E.; Armstrong-Altrin, J.

2017-12-01

The textural analysis, mineralogy and geochemistry of two sediment cores recovered from the deep water zone of the southwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico ( 1666 and 1672 m water depth) were studied to infer the provenance and depositional behavior. The textural analysis revealed that both cores are dominated by silt, which occupy more than 50% in both samples and the clay occupy 40%. The petrographic analysis revealed remains of biogenic origin sediments and lithic fragments with an angular shape and low sphericity, indicating a low energy environment and therefore a low level of weathering in the sediment, which suggests that the sediments were not affected by transport and derived from a nearby source rock. In both cores quartz fragments were identified; also volcanic lithic and pyroxenes fragments, which are rocks of intermediate composition and are generally associated with the volcanic activity of the continental margins. SEM-EDS studies showed that the analysed samples have concentrations of minerals such as barite, gibbsite, kaolinite, grossular, magnetite, plagioclase and chlorite, which are probably derived from the mainland to the deep sea zone. In the trace element analysis it was observed a low Sc content, while Co, Ni, V and Cu are slightly enriched with respect to the upper continental crust; this enrichment is related to sediments from intermediate sources. The sediments are classified as shale in the log (SiO2 / Al2O3) - log (Fe2O / K2O) diagram. The fine particles of the shale indicate that a deposit occurred as a result of the gradual sedimentation due to relatively non-turbulent currents, which is consistent with the petrographic analysis. The geochemical features of major and trace elements suggest sediments were derived largely from the natural andesite erosion of coastal regions along the Gulf of Mexico. High values of Fe2O3 and MnO are observed in the upper intervals, reflecting the influence of volcanic sediments. The major element discriminant function diagrams indicate the provenance of sediments from a passive margin, which is consistent with the geology of the Gulf of Mexico.

The path of the Levantine intermediate water to the Alboran sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Font, Jordi

1987-10-01

The Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) traditionally has been assumed to reach the Alboran Sea as a counter-current along the North African coast. Here data are presented that confirm the LIW flow through the sill that separates the Balearic Islands from the mainland, after contouring cyclonically the western Mediterranean along the continental slope. This seems to be a seasonal phenomenon related to the process of deep water formation in the northwestern Mediterranean and to fluctuations in the Ligurian Current. In winter the LIW can circulate across the Catalan Sea without remarkable dilution, while in summer the intermediate outflow has almost lost the LIW water mass characteristics.

Hydrologic description of the Braden River watershed, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

DelCharco, M.J.; Lewelling, B.R.

1997-01-01

The Braden River watershed drains an 83-square mile area in west-central Florida and is the largest tributary to the Manatee River. The hydrology of the Braden River was altered in 1936 when the city of Bradenton created Ward Lake, a reservoir with an 838-foot broad-crested weir 6 miles upstream from the mouth. In 1985 the reservoir, which is the sole source of drinking water for the city of Bradenton, was expanded and supplies an annual average of 5.7 million gallons of water per day. The Braden River can be hydrologically divided into three distinct sections that include an 8.6-mile reach of naturally incised, free-flowing channel; a 6.4-mile reach of impounded river created by the Ward Lake reservoir and weir; and a 6-mile reach of tidal estuary. Ten first-order and two second-order tributaries that flow into the Braden River were examined in this report. The Braden River watershed is dominated by low topographic relief. The two physiographic zones that contain the Braden River watershed, the Gulf Coast Lowlands and De Soto Plain, are both poorly drained and have numerous depressional features. The climate is subtropical with an annual average rainfall of 56 inches, annual average temperatures of 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and estimated annual lake evaporation of 52 inches. The soil series in the watershed are predominantly Myakka-Cassia and the EauGallie-Floridana; these series are characterized as nearly level and poorly drained soils. Land use within the watershed is the fastest changing characteristic that affects the hydrology of the system. The western half of the watershed is typically urban and includes parts of the city of Bradenton. Land use in the eastern half of the watershed is predominantly agricultural, but the explosive population growth of the area is driving the development of medium to high-density residential communities. The three major aquifers underlying the Braden River watershed are the surficial, intermediate, and Floridan aquifer systems. The surficial aquifer generally is underlain in places by a clay layer that enhances the ground-water flow of the surficial aquifer to surface-water bodies. The intermediate aquifer system has discontinuous water-bearing units, but retards ground-water movement between the surficial and Floridan aquifer system. The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by a middle confining unit. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the primary source for ground-water withdrawals in the watershed and has, at times, heads 20 feet higher than land-surface elevation. Discharge over the Ward Lake weir into the tidal estuary was measured using volumetric and standard discharge measurement techniques. Annual mean flow for water years 1993 and 1994 were 59.7 and 57.3 cubic feet per second, respectively. Weir coefficients, calculated from discharge measurements, ranged from 0.023 to 2.99, depending on the head of water over the weir, and the method of determining length of flow on the weir. Weir coefficients calculated from the theoretical rating ranged from 0.032 to 3.11. No significant seepage was found around the ends of the weir, and no leakage was detected through the weir.

Juvenile Lost River and shortnose sucker year class strength, survival, and growth in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2016 Monitoring Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burdick, Summer M.; Ostberg, Carl O.; Hoy, Marshal S.

2018-04-20

Executive SummaryThe largest populations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) exist in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing because adult mortality, which is relatively low, is not being balanced by recruitment of young adult suckers into known spawning aggregations. Most Upper Klamath Lake juvenile sucker mortality appears to occur within the first year of life. Annual production of juvenile suckers in Clear Lake Reservoir appears to be highly variable and may not occur at all in very dry years. However, juvenile sucker survival is much higher in Clear Lake, with non-trivial numbers of suckers surviving to join spawning aggregations. Long-term monitoring of juvenile sucker populations is needed to (1) determine if there are annual and species-specific differences in production, survival, and growth, (2) to identify the season (summer or winter) in which most mortality occurs, and (3) to help identify potential causes of high juvenile sucker mortality, particularly in Upper Klamath Lake.We initiated an annual juvenile sucker monitoring program in 2015 to track cohorts in 3 months (June, August, and September) annually in Upper Klamath Lake and Clear Lake Reservoir. We tracked annual variability in age-0 sucker apparent production, juvenile sucker apparent survival, and apparent growth. Using genetic markers, we were able to classify suckers as one of three taxa: shortnose or Klamath largescale suckers, Lost River, or suckers with genetic markers of both species (Intermediate Prob[LRS]). Using catch data, we generated taxa-specific indices of year class strength, August–September apparent survival, and overwinter apparent survival. We also examined prevalence and severity of afflictions such as parasites, wounds, and deformities.Indices of year class strength in Upper Klamath Lake were similar for shortnose suckers in 2015 and 2016, but about twice as high for Lost River suckers and suckers having intermediate Prob[LRS] in 2016 than in 2015. Indices of apparent August–September survival were lower in 2016 (0.41) than in 2015 (1.07) for shortnose suckers and suckers identified as having intermediate Prob [LRS] (0.14 in 2016 and 1.69 in 2015). Indices of apparent August—September survival were similar in 2016 (0.16) and 2015 (0.07) for Lost River suckers. Indices of apparent survival were lower for age-0 Lost River suckers than age-0 shortnose suckers in both years. Although samples sizes are small, a declining trend in the ratio of Lost River to shortnose suckers from 28/23 (1.22) as age-0 fish in September of 2015 to 1/9 (0.11) as age-1 fish in June of 2016 is consistent with higher over winter apparent mortality for Lost River suckers than shortnose suckers in Upper Klamath Lake.Shortnose sucker year class strength was greater in years with high Willow Creek inflows and Clear Lake surface elevation during the spawning season, indicating that access to spawning habitat was an important contributing factor. In previous sampling, age-0 sucker catch per unit effort (CPUE) was relatively high in 2011 and 2012, moderately high in 2013, and zero in 2014 and 2015. The 2011 and 2012 year classes continued to be detected, but the 2013 year class went undetected for the first time in 2016. The 2014 year class continued to be undetected in 2016. Three suckers with one annulus each on fin rays were captured in Clear Lake in 2016. Although these fish are potential representatives of the 2015 year class, they were small for their age, indicating they may have hatched in 2016. Age-0 shortnose and Lost River suckers were captured in Clear Lake in 2016, indicating new cohorts of both taxa were produced. Moderate to abundant year classes were produced in 2011, 2012, and 2016 when lake surface elevation greater than 1,378.9 m (4,524 ft) during the February–June spawning season. Also in 2011 and 2016, rapid increases in lake-surface elevation indicated potentially high Willow Creek inflows. A somewhat less abundant year class produced in 2012 than in 2011 and 2016 was associated with lower spawning season inflows. The apparently smaller 2013 year class was formed when Willow Creek inflows were apparently low and lake surface never exceeded 1,379.2 m (4,524.9 ft). In 2014 and 2015, when year-classes were small or not detected, the Clear Lake surface elevations were at or below 1,378.2 m (4,522 ft), and there was very little spring time Willow Creek inflow.Age-0 shortnose sucker CPUE in Clear Lake was correlated with seasonal decreases in water volumes in 2016 and could not be used to create indices of August–September survival. Age-0 shortnose sucker catch rates in Clear Lake Reservoir were about seven times less in August than in September. Meanwhile, the water volume in Clear Lake Reservoir declined by about 36 percent between these two sampling periods. Higher September catch rates may have resulted from additional age-0 suckers entering the lake from the river, a concentrating effect of declining water volumes, or both.Differences in August standard length, apparent growth rates, and the prevalence of abnormalities were consistent with healthier age-0 suckers in Clear Lake Reservoir than in Upper Klamath Lake. Age-0 suckers were larger in August in Clear Lake Reservoir than in Upper Klamath Lake, which may be due to an earlier hatch date, faster growth, or both in Clear Lake Reservoir. Sample sizes were only large enough to compare growth rates of age-0 shortnose suckers from Upper Klamath Lake in 2015 to Clear Lake Reservoir in 2016. Age-0 shortnose suckers grew more between August and September in Clear Lake Reservoir in 2016 than in Upper Klamath Lake in 2015. Petechial hemorrhages of the skin on age-0 suckers were more prevalent in Upper Klamath Lake than in Clear Lake Reservoir in 2016. Deformed opercula, black-spot forming parasites, and infections presumed to be Columnaris sp. were observed on less than 12 percent of suckers from Upper Klamath Lake but were not observed on suckers from Clear Lake Reservoir in 2016.

Increasing water use efficiency along the C3 to C4 evolutionary pathway: a stomatal optimization perspective.

PubMed

Way, Danielle A; Katul, Gabriel G; Manzoni, Stefano; Vico, Giulia

2014-07-01

C4 photosynthesis evolved independently numerous times, probably in response to declining atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but also to high temperatures and aridity, which enhance water losses through transpiration. Here, the environmental factors controlling stomatal behaviour of leaf-level carbon and water exchange were examined across the evolutionary continuum from C3 to C4 photosynthesis at current (400 μmol mol(-1)) and low (280 μmol mol(-1)) atmospheric CO2 conditions. To this aim, a stomatal optimization model was further developed to describe the evolutionary continuum from C3 to C4 species within a unified framework. Data on C3, three categories of C3-C4 intermediates, and C4 Flaveria species were used to parameterize the stomatal model, including parameters for the marginal water use efficiency and the efficiency of the CO2-concentrating mechanism (or C4 pump); these two parameters are interpreted as traits reflecting the stomatal and photosynthetic adjustments during the C3 to C4 transformation. Neither the marginal water use efficiency nor the C4 pump strength changed significantly from C3 to early C3-C4 intermediate stages, but both traits significantly increased between early C3-C4 intermediates and the C4-like intermediates with an operational C4 cycle. At low CO2, net photosynthetic rates showed continuous increases from a C3 state, across the intermediates and towards C4 photosynthesis, but only C4-like intermediates and C4 species (with an operational C4 cycle) had higher water use efficiencies than C3 Flaveria. The results demonstrate that both the marginal water use efficiency and the C4 pump strength increase in C4 Flaveria to improve their photosynthesis and water use efficiency compared with C3 species. These findings emphasize that the advantage of the early intermediate stages is predominantly carbon based, not water related. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Simulation of the interaction of karstic lakes Magnolia and Brooklyn with the upper Floridan Aquifer, southwestern Clay County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merritt, M.L.

2001-01-01

The stage of Lake Brooklyn, in southwestern Clay County, Florida, has varied over a range of 27 feet since measurements by the U.S. Geological Survey began in July 1957. The large stage changes have been attributed to the relation between highly transient surface-water inflow to the lake and subsurface conduits of karstic origin that permit a high rate of leakage from the lake to the Upper Floridan aquifer. After the most recent and severe stage decline (1990-1994), the U.S. Geological Survey began a study that entailed the use of numerical ground-water flow models to simulate the interaction of the lake with the Upper Floridan aquifer and the large fluctuations of stage that were a part of that process. A package (set of computer programs) designed to represent lake/aquifer interaction in the U.S. Geological Survey Modular Finite-Difference Ground-Water Flow Model (MODFLOW-96) and the Three-Dimensional Method-of-Characteristics Solute-Transport Model (MOC3D) simulators was prepared as part of this study, and a demonstration of its capability was a primary objective of the study. (Although the official names are Brooklyn Lake and Magnolia Lake (Florida Geographic Names), in this report the local names, Lake Brooklyn and Lake Magnolia, are used.) In the simulator of lake/aquifer interaction used in this investigation, the stage of each lake in a simulation is updated in successive time steps by a budget process that takes into account ground-water seepage, precipitation upon and evaporation from the lake surface, stream inflows and outflows, overland runoff inflows, and augmentation or depletion by artificial means. The simulator was given the capability to simulate both the division of a lake into separate pools as lake stage falls and the coalescence of several pools into a single lake as the stage rises. This representational capability was required to simulate Lake Brooklyn, which can divide into as many as 10 separate pools at sufficiently low stage. In the first of two calibrated models, recharge to the water table, specified as a monthly rate, was set equal to 40 percent of the monthly rainfall rate. The specified rate of inflow to the uppermost stream segment was set equal to outflows from Lake Lowry estimated from lake stage and the 1994-97 rating table. Leakage to the intermediate and Upper Floridan aquifers was assumed to occur from the surficial aquifer system through the confining layers directly beneath deeper parts of the lake bottom. A leakance coefficient value of 0.001 feet per day per foot of thickness was used beneath Lake Magnolia, and a value of 0.005 feet per day per foot of thickness was used beneath most of Lake Brooklyn. With these values, the conductance through the confining layers beneath Lake Brooklyn was about 19 times that beneath Lake Magnolia. The simulated stages of Lake Brooklyn matched the measured stages reasonably well in the early (1957-72) and later (1990-98) parts of the simulation time period, but the match was unsatisfactory in an intermediate time period (1973-89). To resolve this discrepancy, the hypothesis was proposed that undocumented losses of water from Alligator Creek upstream from Lake Brooklyn or from the lake itself occurred between 1973 and 1989 when there was sufficient streamflow. The resulting simulation of lake stages matched the measured lake stages accurately during the entire simulation time period. The model was then revised to incorporate the assumption that only 20 percent of precipitation recharged the water table (the second calibrated model). Recalibration of the model required that leakance values for the confining units under deeper parts of the lakes also be reduced by nearly 50 percent. The stages simulated with the new parameter assumptions, but retaining the assumption of surface-water losses, were an excellent match of the measured values. The stage of Lake Magnolia was also simulated accurately. The results of sensitivity analyses show that simulated s

The quality of our Nation's waters: water quality in the Upper Floridan aquifer and overlying surficial aquifers, southeastern United States, 1993-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berndt, Marian P.; Katz, Brian G.; Kingsbury, James A.; Crandall, Christy A.

2015-01-01

About 10 million people rely on groundwater from the Upper Floridan and surficial aquifers for drinking water. The Upper Floridan aquifer also is of primary importance to the region as a source of water for irrigation and as a source of crystal clear water that discharges to springs and streams providing recreational and tourist destinations and unique aquatic habitats. The reliance of the region on the Upper Floridan aquifer for drinking water and for the tourism and agricultural economies highlights the importance of long-term management to sustain the availability and quality of these resources.

Stress drops for intermediate-depth intraslab earthquakes beneath Hokkaido, northern Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kita, S.; Katsumata, K.

2015-12-01

Spatial variations in the stress drop for 1726 intermediate-depth intraslab earthquakes in the subducting Pacific plate beneath Hokkaido were examined, using precisely relocated hypocenters, the corner frequencies of events, and detailed determined geometry of the upper interface of the Pacific plate. The analysis results show that median stress drop for intraslab earthquakes generally increases with an increase in depth from 10 to 157 Mpa at depths of 70-300 km. Median stress drops for events in the oceanic crust decrease (9.9-6.8 MPa) at depths of 70-120 km and increase (6.8-17 MPa) at depths of 120- 170 km, whereas median stress drop for events in the oceanic mantle decrease (21.6-14.0 MPa) at depths of 70-170 km, where the geometry of the Pacific plate is well determined. The increase in stress drop with depth in the oceanic crust at depths of 120-170 km can be explained by a lithofacies change (increases in velocity and density and a decrease in the water content) due to the phase change with dehydration in the oceanic crust. At depths of 70-110 km, the decrease in the median stress drop in the oceanic crust would also be explained by that the temperature-induced rigidity decrease would be larger than that of the rigidity increase caused by lithofacies change and water content. Stress drops for events in the oceanic mantle were larger than those for events in the oceanic crust at depths of 70-120 km. Differences in both the rigidity of　the rock types and in the rupture mechanisms for events between the oceanic crust and mantle could be causes for the stress drop differences within a slab. These analysis results can help clarify the nature of intraslab earthquakes and provide information useful for the prediction of strong motion associated with earthquakes in the slab at intermediate depths.

Drought Risk Assessment for Greater New York Area: A Paleo View

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceylan, G.; Devineni, N.

2014-12-01

The Delaware River provides half of New York City's drinking water, is a habitat for wild trout, American shad and the federally endangered dwarf wedge mussel. It has suffered four 100-year floods in the last seven years. A drought during the 1960s stands as a warning of the potential vulnerability of the New York City area to severe water shortages if a similar drought were to recur. The water releases from three New York City dams on the Delaware River's headwaters impact not only the reliability of the city's water supply, but also the potential impact of floods, and the quality of the aquatic habitat in the upper river. The goal of this work is to influence the Delaware River water release policies (FFMP/OST) to further benefit river habitat and fisheries without increasing New York City's drought risk, or the flood risk to down basin residents. The Delaware water release policies are constrained by the dictates of two US Supreme Court Decrees (1931 and 1954) and the need for unanimity among four states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware -- and New York City. Coordination of their activities and the operation under the existing decrees is provided by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). Questions such as the probability of the system approaching drought state based on the current FFMP plan and the severity of the 1960s drought are addressed using long record paleo-reconstructions of flows. For this study, we developed reconstructed total annual flows (water year) for 3 reservoir inflows using regional tree rings going back up to 1754 (a total of 246 years). The reconstructed flows are used with a simple reservoir model to quantify droughts. We observe that the 1960s drought is by far the worst drought based on 246 years of simulations (since 1754). However, there are intermediate drought warning periods and proper adaptation would be sufficient during these periods. Modified release rules that aid thermal relief to wild trout in the upper Delaware can be explored without much stress to the system during most periods.

Heterotrophic Potential for Amino Acid Uptake in a Naturally Eutrophic Lake1

PubMed Central

Burnison, B. Kent; Morita, Richard Y.

1974-01-01

The uptake of sixteen 14C-labeled amino acids by the indigenous heterotrophic microflora of Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, was measured using the kinetic approach. The year-long study showed a seasonal variation in the maximum uptake velocity, Vmax, of all the amino acids which was proportional to temperature. The maximum total flux of amino acids by the heterotrophic microflora ranged from 1.2 to 11.9 μmol of C per liter per day (spring to summer). Glutamate, asparagine, aspartate, and serine had the highest Vmax values and were respired to the greatest extent. The percentages of the gross (net + respired) uptake of the amino acids which were respired to CO2 ranged from 2% for leucine to 63% for glutamate. Serine, lysine, and glycine were the most abundant amino acids found in Upper Klamath Lake surface water; at intermediate concentrations were alanine, aspartate, and threonine; and the remaining amino acids were always below 7.5 × 10-8 M (10 μg/liter). The amino acid concentrations determined chemically appear to be the sum of free and adsorbed amino acids, since the values obtained were usually greater than the (Kt + Sn) values obtained by the heterotrophic uptake experiments. PMID:4207581

Thermal biology of Pacific cicada killers, Sphecius convallis Patton, in the Upper Sonoran Desert.

PubMed

Coelho, Joseph R; Holliday, Charles W; Hastings, Jon M; Phillips, Christy M

2016-04-01

A comprehensive investigation of the Pacific cicada killer, Sphecius convallis Patton, was undertaken to examine the behavioral and physiological mechanisms by which they are able to complete their life cycle in the thermal extremes of the Upper Sonoran Desert. S. convallis were endothermic, exhibiting elevated and relatively constant thorax temperatures during many activities. Males basked in trees at dawn to warm up, then used a variety of behaviors and perching strategies to maintain thorax temperature during territorial behavior. The thorax temperature of females was highest during provisioning and orientation flights, somewhat lower while investigating burrows, and lowest while digging burrows. The optimal thorax temperature for flight was about 40°C, which was approximated most closely by males resting in the shade during the afternoon. In mating clusters, the mated male was the hottest, the female was coolest and the other males were intermediate. Wasps lost about 5% of body mass during heating treatments, and may use evaporative water loss for cooling. Pacific cicada killers use a complex suite of behavioral and physiological adaptations to regulate body temperature during their nesting season. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of periglacial cover beds on runoff generation in a small spring catchment, Ore Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heller, Katja; Hübner, Rico; Kleber, Arno

2010-05-01

The knowledge of hillslope processes is essential to improve pollutant research and flood prediction. Relic periglacial covers are widespread on slopes of the central European low mountain ranges. Cover beds are assumed to be an important control factor for subcutaneous water flow paths. Periglacial cover beds originated by solifluction, kryoturbation and accumulation of loess during Pleistocene times. Differences in bulk density, sediment type, as well as structure and rate of coarse clasts in the layers result in vertical disparity in hydraulic conductivity (anisotropy), leading to interflow. This hypothesis has been testing in an ongoing study in a small spring catchment (6 ha) in the eastern Ore Mountains, south-eastern Germany, since November 2007. The study area is underlain by gneiss and is formed as a slope hollow. The cover beds consist of a 3-layer complex with upper layer, intermediate layer and basal layer. Soil water tension within the layers is measured with 76 recording tensiometers. Electrical resistivity tomography was used to monitor the spatial dispersal of soil moisture. Results of hydrometrical measurements and of electrical resistivity surveys will be described and new findings on slope water dynamics will be presented.

Influence of northwest Pacific productivity on North Pacific Intermediate Water oxygen concentrations during the Bølling-Ållerød interval (14.7-12.9 ka)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crusius, John; Pedersen, Thomas F.; Kienast, Stephanie; Keigwin, Lloyd D.; Labeyrie, Laurent

2004-01-01

Elevated productivity in the northwest Pacific is suggested as a new possible control driving past intervals of low-O2 intermediate water along the western continental margin of North America. According to this mechanism, O2 consumption would occur near the site of formation of North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW), due to increased respiration of organic carbon in response to a high-productivity event. Evidence is provided for such a productivity increase during the Bølling-Ållerød interval (14.7–12.9 ka), a time when laminated sediments were deposited along the northern California margin. By this mechanism, low-O2 events in intermediate waters off the western North American margin could occur without significant changes in the rate of NPIW ventilation.

The Southern Ocean in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5

PubMed Central

Meijers, A. J. S.

2014-01-01

The Southern Ocean is an important part of the global climate system, but its complex coupled nature makes both its present state and its response to projected future climate forcing difficult to model. Clear trends in wind, sea-ice extent and ocean properties emerged from multi-model intercomparison in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3). Here, we review recent analyses of the historical and projected wind, sea ice, circulation and bulk properties of the Southern Ocean in the updated Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) ensemble. Improvements to the models include higher resolutions, more complex and better-tuned parametrizations of ocean mixing, and improved biogeochemical cycles and atmospheric chemistry. CMIP5 largely reproduces the findings of CMIP3, but with smaller inter-model spreads and biases. By the end of the twenty-first century, mid-latitude wind stresses increase and shift polewards. All water masses warm, and intermediate waters freshen, while bottom waters increase in salinity. Surface mixed layers shallow, warm and freshen, whereas sea ice decreases. The upper overturning circulation intensifies, whereas bottom water formation is reduced. Significant disagreement exists between models for the response of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current strength, for reasons that are as yet unclear. PMID:24891395

Morphosedimentary and hydrographic features of the northern Argentine margin: The interplay between erosive, depositional and gravitational processes and its conceptual implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preu, Benedict; Hernández-Molina, F. Javier; Violante, Roberto; Piola, Alberto R.; Paterlini, C. Marcelo; Schwenk, Tilmann; Voigt, Ines; Krastel, Sebastian; Spiess, Volkhard

2013-05-01

Bottom currents and their margin-shaping character became a central aspect in the research field of sediment dynamics and paleoceanography during the last decades due to their potential to form large contourite depositional systems (CDS), consisting of both erosive and depositional features. A major CDS at the northern Argentine continental margin was studied off the Rio de la Plata River by means of seismo- and hydro-acoustic methods including conventional and high-resolution seismic, parametric echosounder and single and swath bathymetry. Additionally, hydrographic data were considered allowing jointly interpretation of morphosedimentary features and the oceanographic framework, which is dominated by the presence of the dynamic and highly variable Brazil-Malvinas Confluence. We focus on three regional contouritic terraces identified on the slope in the vicinity of the Mar del Plata Canyon. The shallowest one, the La Plata Terrace (˜500 m), is located at the Brazil Current/Antarctic Intermediate Water interface characterized by its deep and distinct thermocline. In ˜1200 m water depth the Ewing Terrace correlates with the Antarctic Intermediate Water/Upper Circumpolar Deep Water interface. At the foot of the slope in ˜3500 m the Necochea Terrace marks the transition between Lower Circumpolar Deep Water and Antarctic Bottom Water during glacial times. Based on these correlations, a comprehensive conceptual model is proposed, in which the onset and evolution of contourite terraces is controlled by short- and long-term variations of water mass interfaces. We suggest that the terrace genesis is strongly connected to the turbulent current pattern typical for water mass interfaces. Furthermore, the erosive processes necessary for terrace formation are probably enhanced due to internal waves, which are generated along strong density gradients typical for water mass interfaces. The terraces widen through time due to locally focused, partly helical currents along the steep landward slopes and more tabular conditions seaward along the terrace surface. Considering this scheme of contourite terrace development, lateral variations of the morphosedimentary features off northern Argentina can be used to derive the evolution of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence on geological time scales. We propose that the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence in modern times is located close to its southernmost position in the Quaternary, while its center was shifted northward during cold periods.

Intermediate Temperature Water Heat Pipe Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devarakonda, Angirasa; Xiong, Da-Xi; Beach, Duane E.

2005-01-01

Heat pipes are among the most promising technologies for space radiator systems. Water heat pipes are explored in the intermediate temperature range of 400 to above 500 K. The thermodynamic and thermo-physical properties of water are reviewed in this temperature range. Test data are reported for a copper-water heat pipe. The heat pipe was tested under different orientations. Water heat pipes show promise in this temperature range. Fabrication and testing issues are being addressed.

Radio Observations of Ultra-Luminous X-Ray Sources ---Microblazars or Intermediate-Mass Black Holes?---

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Körding, E.; Colbert, E.; Falcke, H.

In recent years Ultra-Luminous X-Ray sources (ULXs) received wide attention, however, their true nature is not yet understood. Many explanations have been suggested, including intermediate-mass black holes, super-Eddington accretion flows, anisotropic emission, and relativistic beaming of microquasars. We model the logN-logS distribution of ULXs assuming that each neutron star or black hole XRB can be described by an accretion disk plus jet model, where the jet is relativistically beamed. The distribution can be either fit by intermediate-mass black holes or by stellar mass black holes with mildly relativistic jets. Even though the jet is intrinsically weaker than the accretion disk, relativistic beaming can in the latter approach lead to the high fluxes observed. To further explore the possibility of microblazars contributing to the ULX phenomenon, we have embarked on a radio-monitoring study of ULXs in nearby galaxies with the VLA. However, up to now no radio flare has been detected. Using the radio/X-ray correlation the upper limits on the radio flux can be converted into upper limits for the black hole masses of MBH ≲ 10^3 M⊙.

Carbon uptake and biogeochemical change in the Southern Ocean, south of Tasmania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conde Pardo, Paula; Tilbrook, Bronte; Langlais, Clothilde; Trull, Thomas William; Rich Rintoul, Stephen

2017-11-01

Biogeochemical change in the water masses of the Southern Ocean, south of Tasmania, was assessed for the 16-year period between 1995 and 2011 using data from four summer repeats of the WOCE-JGOFS-CLIVAR-GO-SHIP (Key et al., 2015; Olsen et al., 2016) SR03 hydrographic section (at ˜ 140° E). Changes in temperature, salinity, oxygen, and nutrients were used to disentangle the effect of solubility, biology, circulation and anthropogenic carbon (CANT) uptake on the variability of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) for eight water mass layers defined by neutral surfaces (γn). CANT was estimated using an improved back-calculation method. Warming (˜ 0.0352 ± 0.0170 °C yr-1) of Subtropical Central Water (STCW) and Antarctic Surface Water (AASW) layers decreased their gas solubility, and accordingly DIC concentrations increased less rapidly than expected from equilibration with rising atmospheric CO2 (˜ 0.86 ± 0.16 µmol kg-1 yr-1 versus ˜ 1 ± 0.12 µmol kg-1 yr-1). An increase in apparent oxygen utilisation (AOU) occurred in these layers due to either remineralisation of organic matter or intensification of upwelling. The range of estimates for the increases in CANT were 0.71 ± 0.08 to 0.93 ± 0.08 µmol kg-1 yr-1 for STCW and 0.35 ± 0.14 to 0.65 ± 0.21 µmol kg-1 yr-1 for AASW, with the lower values in each water mass obtained by assigning all the AOU change to remineralisation. DIC increases in the Sub-Antarctic Mode Water (SAMW, 1.10 ± 0.14 µmol kg-1 yr-1) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW, 0.40 ± 0.15 µmol kg-1 yr-1) layers were similar to the calculated CANT trends. For SAMW, the CANT increase tracked rising atmospheric CO2. As a consequence of the general DIC increase, decreases in total pH (pHT) and aragonite saturation (ΩAr) were found in most water masses, with the upper ocean and the SAMW layer presenting the largest trends for pHT decrease (˜ -0.0031 ± 0.0004 yr-1). DIC increases in deep and bottom layers (˜ 0.24 ± 0.04 µmol kg-1 yr-1) resulted from the advection of old deep waters to resupply increased upwelling, as corroborated by increasing silicate (˜ 0.21 ± 0.07 µmol kg-1 yr-1), which also reached the upper layers near the Antarctic Divergence (˜ 0.36 ± 0.06 µmol kg-1 yr-1) and was accompanied by an increase in salinity. The observed changes in DIC over the 16-year span caused a shoaling (˜ 340 m) of the aragonite saturation depth (ASD, ΩAr = 1) within Upper Circumpolar Deep Water that followed the upwelling path of this layer. From all our results, we conclude a scenario of increased transport of deep waters into the section and enhanced upwelling at high latitudes for the period between 1995 and 2011 linked to strong westerly winds. Although enhanced upwelling lowered the capacity of the AASW layer to uptake atmospheric CO2, it did not limit that of the newly forming SAMW and AAIW, which exhibited CANT storage rates (˜ 0.41 ± 0.20 mol m-2 yr-1) twice that of the upper layers.

Surface- and ground-water characteristics in the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds, South Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, July-December 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, T.G.; Allander, Kip K.

2000-01-01

The Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds, South Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, were studied from July to December 1996 to develop a better understanding of the relation between surface water and ground water. Base flows at 63 streamflow sites were measured in late September 1996 in the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds. Most reaches of the main stem of the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek had gaining or steady flows, with one losing reach in the mid-section of each stream. Twenty-seven of the streamflow sites measured in the Upper Truckee River watershed were on 14 tributaries to the main stem of the Upper Truckee River. Sixteen of the 40 streamflow sites measured in the Upper Truckee River watershed had no measurable flow. Streamflow in Upper Truckee River watershed ranged from 0 to 11.6 cubic feet per second (ft3/s). The discharge into Lake Tahoe from the Upper Truckee River was 11.6 ft3/s, of which, 40 percent of the flow was from ground-water discharge into the main stem, 40 percent was from tributary inflows, and the remaining 20 percent was the beginning flow. Gains from or losses to ground water along streams ranged from a 1.4 cubic feet per second per mile (ft3/s/mi) gain to a 0.5 ft3/s/mi loss along the main stem. Fourteen of the streamflow sites measured in the Trout Creek watershed were on eight tributaries to the main stem of Trout Creek. Of the 23 streamflow sites measured in the Trout Creek watershed, only one site had no flow. Flows in the Trout Creek watershed ranged from zero to 23.0 ft3/s. Discharge into Lake Tahoe from Trout Creek was 23.0 ft3/s, of which, about 5 percent of the flow was from ground-water discharge into the main stem, 75 percent was from tributary inflows, and the remaining 20 percent was the beginning flow. Ground-water seepage rates ranged from a 1.4 ft3/s/mi gain to a 0.9 ft3/s/mi loss along the main stem. Specific conductances measured during the seepage run in September 1996 increased in a downstream direction in the main stem of the Upper Truckee River and remained relatively constant in the main stem of Trout Creek. Water temperatures measured during the seepage run also increased in a downstream direction in both watersheds. Depths to ground water measured at 62 wells in the study area were used with the results of the seepage run to produce a water-level map in the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds. Ground-water levels ranged from 1.3 to 69.8 feet below land surface. In the upper sections of the watersheds ground-water flow is generally toward the main stems of Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek, whereas in the lower sections, ground-water flow generally parallels the two streams and flows toward Lake Tahoe. The altitude of ground water between Lake Tahoe and Highway 50 was nearly the same as the lake-surface altitude from July to November 1996. This suggests ground-water discharge beneath the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek drainages directly to Lake Tahoe was minimal and that much of the ground-water discharge was to the channels of the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek upstream from Highway 50. Hydraulic gradients ranged from near zero to 1,400 feet per mile. Samples were collected at six surface-water-quality and eight ground-water-quality sites from July through mid-December 1996. Specific conductance of the ground-water-quality sites was higher than that of the surface-water-quality sites. Water temperature and pH median values were similar between ground-water-quality and surface-water-quality sites but ground water had greater variation in pH and surface water had greater variation in water temperature. Ground-water nutrient concentrations were generally higher than those in streams except for bioreactive iron.

Seasonal cycling of sulfur and iron in porewaters of a Delaware salt marsh

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luther, George W., III; Church, Thomas M.

1987-01-01

An extensive pore water data set has been gathered in the Great Marsh, Delaware over various seasons, salinities, and tides. The data all point to a complimentary redox cycle for sulfur and iron which operates seasonally and tidally. Surface oxidizing conditions prevail in summer, with more reducing conditions at depth during the winter. During the spring tides which flood the marsh, pyrite oxidation occurs releasing excess dissolved iron (II) and sulfate to the porewaters, and precipitating authigenic solid iron phases. The redox conditions in the porewaters of the upper zone during the summer is poised between mildly oxidizing and mildly reducing conditions as shown by pE calculations. This redox environment and intermediate iron-sulfur redox species may be important for the stimulation of plant growth (photosynthesis) and sustenance of a viable microbial community (heterotrophy and chemoautropy).

Sensitivity of gravitational wave searches to the full signal of intermediate-mass black hole binaries during the first observing run of Advanced LIGO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calderón Bustillo, Juan; Salemi, Francesco; Dal Canton, Tito; Jani, Karan P.

2018-01-01

The sensitivity of gravitational wave searches for binary black holes is estimated via the injection and posterior recovery of simulated gravitational wave signals in the detector data streams. When a search reports no detections, the estimated sensitivity is then used to place upper limits on the coalescence rate of the target source. In order to obtain correct sensitivity and rate estimates, the injected waveforms must be faithful representations of the real signals. Up to date, however, injected waveforms have neglected radiation modes of order higher than the quadrupole, potentially biasing sensitivity and coalescence rate estimates. In particular, higher-order modes are known to have a large impact in the gravitational waves emitted by intermediate-mass black holes binaries. In this work, we evaluate the impact of this approximation in the context of two search algorithms run by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration in their search for intermediate-mass black hole binaries in the O1 LIGO Science Run data: a matched filter-based pipeline and a coherent unmodeled one. To this end, we estimate the sensitivity of both searches to simulated signals for nonspinning binaries including and omitting higher-order modes. We find that omission of higher-order modes leads to biases in the sensitivity estimates which depend on the masses of the binary, the search algorithm, and the required level of significance for detection. In addition, we compare the sensitivity of the two search algorithms across the studied parameter space. We conclude that the most recent LIGO-Virgo upper limits on the rate of coalescence of intermediate-mass black hole binaries are conservative for the case of highly asymmetric binaries. However, the tightest upper limits, placed for nearly equal-mass sources, remain unchanged due to the small contribution of higher modes to the corresponding sources.

Ocean-Ice-Atmosphere Interactions off Sabrina and Adelie Coasts During NBP1402 and AU1402

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orsi, A. H.; Zielinski, N. J.; Webb, C.; Huber, B. A.

2015-12-01

Diverse interactions of winds, currents and ice around Antarctica dictate how, where and when the world's densest waters form, massive floating ice shelves and glaciers melt, gases are exchanged at the sea surface, and primary productivity. Compelled by recent rate estimates of East Antarctic Ice Sheet mass loss, we contrast the paths and mixing histories of oceanic waters reaching the continental ice edge off the Sabrina and Adelie coasts relying on a the first synoptic shipboard measurements made by U.S. (NBP1402) and Australian (AU1402) scientists. Analysis of historical hydrography and sea ice concentration fields within the Mertz Polynya indicates the apparent effect of evolving ocean-ice- atmosphere interactions on the characteristics of local Shelf Water (SW) sources. A polynya dominated water mass structure similar to that observed off the Adelie Coast before the removal of the Mertz Ice Tongue was expected to the west of the Dalton Ice Tongue (DIT). However, there was no evidence of dense SW off Sabrina Coast during both summer cruises of 2014 and 2015, thus lessening the region's preconceived influence to global meridional overturning. Present sea ice production within the eastern Dalton Polynya is overshadowed by freshwater input to relatively stable interior upper waters. The Antarctic Coastal Current (ACoC) picks up distinct meltwater contributions along the DIT western flank and in front of the Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS) and Totten Glacier (TG). Unlike over other highly influential margins to global sea level rise, the main evidence of inflow and mixing of relatively warm oceanic waters is reduced to relatively cold thermocline water (< 0.3°C) from the continental slope. This source water enters the eastern trough off Sabrina Coast and is swiftly steered poleward by complex underlying topography. Meltwater export from beneath the MUIS and TG is observed at newly discovered trenches that effectively constrain sub-cavity inflow to low salinity near-freezing waters drawn from intermediate levels of the adjacent westward flowing ACoC.
Winds, currents and ice interactions observed off Sabrina Coast during NBP1402 and AU1402 are most likely widespread, in view of reported decadal freshening of upper waters over the Antarctic continental shelf and their localized AABW outflows.

Modeling hydrological controls on vegetation distribution across topography in Seward Peninsula, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mekonnen, Z. A.; Riley, W. J.; Grant, R. F.; Salmon, V. G.; Iversen, C. M.; Biraud, S.; Breen, A. L.

2017-12-01

Observed changes in vegetation affect carbon and nutrient cycles in diverse landscapes of northern ecosystems. These changes can be affected by topography and landscape hydrology. We applied a coupled transect version of the ecosystem model ecosys in a landscape underlain by impermeable permafrost at Kougarok, Alaska to examine hydrological controls on watershed-scale vegetation distributions. Our preliminary results indicate strong relationships between vegetation distribution and soil physical and hydraulic properties that control water, nutrients, and energy flows across the hillslope. Modeled differences in aboveground biomass across the Kougarok hillslope had a good agreement (R2 0.80) with preliminary biomass measurements from the NGEE-Arctic project in summer 2016. Low soil water content from shallower soil depth and lateral flow of water and nutrients in the upper slope position of the hillslope resulted in water stress and low N mineralization for plants with deeper roots. The middle slope position had intermediate soil moisture from deeper soil and higher N mineralization that favoured fast-growing and deep-rooted plants. The gentle slope and deeper soil in the lower slope position resulted in saturated soil, thus reduced O2 for microbes, hence favouring plants with higher root porosity. Earth system models that do not account for the underlying mechanisms of surface and sub-surface flows of water, nutrients, and energy may not predict these types of dynamics in Arctic ecosystems.

Water resources during drought conditions and postfire water quality in the upper Rio Hondo Basin, Lincoln County, New Mexico, 2010-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sherson, Lauren R.; Rice, Steven E.

2015-07-16

Changes in climate and increased groundwater and surface-water use are likely to affect the availability of water in the upper Rio Hondo Basin. Increased drought probably will increase the potential for wildfires, which can affect downstream water quality and increase flood potential. Climate-research predicted decreases in winter precipitation may have an adverse effect on the amount of groundwater recharge that occurs in the upper Rio Hondo Basin, given the predominance of winter precipitation recharge as indicated by the stable isotope results. Decreases in surface-water supplies because of persistent drought conditions and reductions in the quality of water because of the effects of wildfire may lead to a larger reliance on groundwater reserves in the upper Rio Hondo Basin. Decreasing water levels because of increasing groundwater withdrawal could reduce base flows in the Rio Bonito and Rio Ruidoso. Well organized and scientifically supported regional water-resources management will be necessary for dealing with the likely scenario of increases in demand coupled with decreases in supply in the upper Rio Hondo Basin.

Salinity of the ground water in western Pinal County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kister, Lester Ray; Hardt, W.F.

1966-01-01

The chemical quality of the ground water in western Pinal County is nonuniform areally and stratigraphically. The main areas of highly mineralized water are near Casa Grande and near Coolidge. Striking differences have been noted in the quality of water from different depths in the same well. Water from one well, (D-6-7) 25cdd, showed an increase in chloride content from 248 ppm (parts per million) at 350 feet below the land surface to 6,580 ppm at 375 feet; the concentration of chloride increased to 10,400 ppm at 550 feet below the land surface. This change was accompanied by an increase in the total dissolved solids as indicated by conductivity measurements. The change in water quality can be correlated with sediment types. The upper and lower sand and gravel units seem to yield water of better quality than the intermediate silt and clay unit. In places the silt and clay unit contains zones of gypsum and common table salt. These zones yield water that contains large amounts of the dissolved minerals usually associated with water from playa deposits. Highly mineralized ground water in an area near Casa Grande has moved southward and westward as much as 4 miles. Similar water near Coolidge has moved a lesser distance. Good management practices and proper use of soil amendments have made possible the use of water that is high in salinity and alkali hazard for agricultural purposes in western Pinal County. The fluoride content of the ground water in western Pinal County is usually low; however, water from wells that penetrate either the bedrock or unconsolidated sediments that contain certain volcanic rocks may have as much as 9 ppm of fluoride.

Age Spreads and the Temperature Dependence of Age Estimates in Upper Sco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Qiliang; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Rizzuto, Aaron

2017-06-01

Past estimates for the age of the Upper Sco Association are typically 11–13 Myr for intermediate-mass stars and 4–5 Myr for low-mass stars. In this study, we simulate populations of young stars to investigate whether this apparent dependence of estimated age on spectral type may be explained by the star formation history of the association. Solar and intermediate mass stars begin their pre-main sequence evolution on the Hayashi track, with fully convective interiors and cool photospheres. Intermediate-mass stars quickly heat up and transition onto the radiative Henyey track. As a consequence, for clusters in which star formation occurs on a timescale similar to that of the transition from a convective to a radiative interior, discrepancies in ages will arise when ages are calculated as a function of temperature instead of mass. Simple simulations of a cluster with constant star formation over several Myr may explain about half of the difference in inferred ages versus photospheric temperature; speculative constructions that consist of a constant star formation followed by a large supernova-driven burst could fully explain the differences, including those between F and G stars where evolutionary tracks may be more accurate. The age spreads of low-mass stars predicted from these prescriptions for star formation are consistent with the observed luminosity spread of Upper Sco. The conclusion that a lengthy star formation history will yield a temperature dependence in ages is expected from the basic physics of pre-main sequence evolution, and is qualitatively robust to the large uncertainties in pre-main sequence evolutionary models.

Gross Anatomy of Pampas Deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus, Linnaeus 1758) Mouth and Pharynx.

PubMed

Pérez, W; Vazquez, N; Ungerfeld, R

2017-04-01

The aims of this study were to describe the anatomy of the mouth and pharynx of the pampas deer, and to consider its evolutionary feeding niche according to those characteristics. Gross dissections of the mouth and pharynx were performed in 15 animals, 10 adult females and five young animals under 1 year (three males and two females), all dead by causes unrelated to this anatomical region. The upper lip entered in the constitution of a pigmented nasolabial plane. The masseter muscles weighed 43.8 ± 3.5 g and represented 0.23% of body weight, which corresponds to ruminants of feeders intermediate to grazers and browsers. Parotid glands represented 0.08% of the body weight, characteristic that also categorize the pampas deer as belonging to the intermediate feeding group. The dental formula was the same of the domestic ruminants. The upper incisors and canines were absent, and instead of them, there was a dental pad (Pulvinus dentalis). The upper canine teeth were present only in the deciduous dentition. The existence of a brachydont dentition turns Ozotoceros very vulnerable to continuous use as there is no compensatory teeth growth. The particular anatomy of the mouth and lips of this animal was adapted to a very selective feeding, taking highly nutritious sprouts beyond plant category. In conclusion and in addition to previous studies of anatomy of the digestive organs in this species, pampas deer may be categorized as belonging to the intermediate type of feeding. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The deep meridional overturning circulation in the Indian Ocean inferred from the GECCO synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weiqiang; Köhl, Armin; Stammer, Detlef

2012-11-01

The deep time-varying meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the Indian Ocean in the German “Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean” consortium efforts (GECCO) ocean synthesis is being investigated. An analysis of the integrated circulation suggests that, on time average, 2.1 Sv enter the Indian Ocean in the bottom layer (>3200 m) from the south and that 12.3 Sv leave the Indian Ocean in the upper and intermediate layers (<1500 m), composed of the up-welled bottom layer inflow water, augmented by 9.6 Sv Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) water. The GECCO time-mean results differ substantially from those obtained by inverse box models, which being based on individual hydrographic sections and due to the strong seasonal cycle are susceptible to aliasing. The GECCO solution shows a large seasonal variation in its deep MOC caused by the seasonal reversal of monsoon-related wind stress forcing. The associated seasonal variations of the deep MOC range from -7 Sv in boreal winter to 3 Sv in summer. In addition, the upper and bottom transports across the 34°S section show pronounced interannual variability with roughly biennial variations superimposed by strong anomalies during each La Niña phase as well as the ITF, which mainly affect the upper layer transports. On decadal and longer timescale, the meridional overturning variability as well as long-term trends differs before and after 1980. GECCO shows a stable trend for the period 1960-1979 and substantial changes in the upper and bottom layer for the period 1980-2001. By means of an extended EOF analysis, the importance of Ekman dynamics as driving forces of the deep MOC of the Indian Ocean on the interannual timescale is highlighted. The leading modes of the zonal and meridional wind stress favour a basin-wide meridional overturning mode via Ekman upwelling or downwelling mostly in the central and eastern Indian Ocean. Moreover, tropical zonal wind stress along the equator and alongshore wind stress off the Sumatra-Java coast contribute to the evolution of the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) events.

Tectonic stresses in the lithosphere: constraints provided by the experimental deformation of rocks.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirby, S.H.

1980-01-01

The strengths of rocks clearly place an upper limit on the stress that can be sustained by the upper half of the lithosphere. Laboratory data on rock rheology are generally lacking at intermediate temperatures and pressures on the important rock types expected in the lithosphere, so a definitive accounting of the strength distribution with depth in the upper lithosphere is presently unattainable. Analogies are drawn between the fragmentary strength data on slicates at intermediate temperature and the more extensive experimental data on marble and limestone, and several tentative conclusions are drawn: First, brittle processes, such as faulting and cataclasis, are expected to control rock strength at low pressures and temperatures. The strengths associated with these brittle mechanisms increase rapidly with increasing effective pressure and are relatively insensitive to temperature and strain rate. Second, the transitions between brittle and ductile processes occur at critical values of the least principal stress sigma3. I suggest that the concept of the deformation mechanism map of Ashby (1972) be extended to brittle-ductile transitions by normalizing the applied differential stress sigma by sigma3, i.e., the transitions occur at critical values of sigma/sigma3. -from Author

Search for gravitational wave ringdowns from perturbed intermediate mass black holes in LIGO-Virgo data from 2005-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Alemic, A.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amariutei, D.; Andersen, M.; Anderson, R.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Austin, L.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barbet, M.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bavigadda, V.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Belczynski, C.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Benacquista, M.; Bergmann, G.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biscans, S.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bloemen, S.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, Sukanta; Bosi, L.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Buchman, S.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burman, R.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Bustillo, J. Calderón; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castiglia, A.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Celerier, C.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C.; Colombini, M.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M.; Conte, A.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corpuz, A.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Canton, T. Dal; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dolique, V.; Donath, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Dossa, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Ducrot, M.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edo, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Endrőczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Feldbaum, D.; Feroz, F.; Ferrante, I.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Gendre, B.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Goggin, L. M.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Gräf, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gushwa, K.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hart, M.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hooper, S.; Hopkins, P.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Huerta, E.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, H.; Jaranowski, P.; Ji, Y.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Karlen, J.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kawabe, K.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keiser, G. M.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, N. G.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kremin, A.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, D. Nanda; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C.-H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Le Roux, A.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Libbrecht, K.; Libson, A.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Litvine, V.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Luijten, E.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Macarthur, J.; Macdonald, E. P.; MacDonald, T.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magana-Sandoval, F.; Mageswaran, M.; Maglione, C.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mangini, N.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinelli, L.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McLin, K.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meinders, M.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyers, P.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Milde, S.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Moesta, P.; Moggi, A.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Necula, V.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pan, H.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Pedraza, M.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poteomkin, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Premachandra, S.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Qin, J.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quiroga, G.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Ramirez, K.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Recchia, S.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rhoades, E.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rodruck, M.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J. R.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Scheuer, J.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Singh, R.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Staley, A.; Stebbins, J.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Stephens, B. C.; Steplewski, S.; Stevenson, S.; Stone, R.; Stops, D.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Tonelli, M.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Urbanek, K.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Verma, S. S.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, K.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yang, Z.; Yoshida, S.; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2014-05-01

We report results from a search for gravitational waves produced by perturbed intermediate mass black holes (IMBH) in data collected by LIGO and Virgo between 2005 and 2010. The search was sensitive to astrophysical sources that produced damped sinusoid gravitational wave signals, also known as ringdowns, with frequency 50≤f0/Hz≤2000 and decay timescale 0.0001≲τ/s≲0.1 characteristic of those produced in mergers of IMBH pairs. No significant gravitational wave candidate was detected. We report upper limits on the astrophysical coalescence rates of IMBHs with total binary mass 50≤M/M⊙≤450 and component mass ratios of either 1:1 or 4:1. For systems with total mass 100≤M/M⊙≤150, we report a 90% confidence upper limit on the rate of binary IMBH mergers with nonspinning and equal mass components of 6.9×10-8 Mpc-3 yr-1. We also report a rate upper limit for ringdown waveforms from perturbed IMBHs, radiating 1% of their mass as gravitational waves in the fundamental, ℓ=m =2, oscillation mode, that is nearly three orders of magnitude more stringent than previous results.

Gasket with pushrod retainer

DOEpatents

Knudsen, Julian R.; Welch, Christopher B.

2005-04-26

In an engine having a rocker member adapted to rock about an axis intermediate the rocker member and a pushrod extending from a lower body to an upper body and engaging an end of the rocker member, a gasket for sealing the lower body to the upper body is provided. The gasket includes a sealing portion adapted to substantially seal at least a portion of the upper body to the lower body, and a pushrod support portion extending outwardly from the sealing portion adapted to engage the pushrod. At least a portion of the pushrod support portion engaging the pushrod is constructed from a material that is softer than the material of the pushrod.

Colloidal gas-liquid condensation of polystyrene latex particles with intermediate kappa a values (5 to 160, a > kappa(-1)).

PubMed

Ishikawa, Masamichi; Kitano, Ryota

2010-02-16

Polystyrene latex particles showed gas-liquid condensation under the conditions of large particle radius (a > kappa(-1)) and intermediate kappa a, where kappa is the Debye-Hückel parameter and a is the particle radius. The particles were dissolved in deionized water containing ethanol from 0 to 77 vol %, settled to the bottom of the glass plate within 1 h, and then laterally moved toward the center of a cell over a 20 h period in reaching a state of equilibrium condensation. All of the suspensions that were 1 and 3 microm in diameter and 0.01-0.20 vol % in concentration realized similar gas-liquid condensation with clear gas-liquid boundaries. In 50 vol % ethanol solvent, additional ethanol was added to enhance the sedimentation force so as to restrict the particles in a monoparticle layer thickness. The coexistence of gas-liquid-solid (crystalline solid) was microscopically recognized from the periphery to the center of the condensates. A phase diagram of the gas-liquid condensation was created as a function of KCl concentration at a particle diameter of 3 microm, 0.10 vol % concentration, and 50:50 water/ethanol solvent at room temperature. The miscibility gap was observed in the concentration range from 1 to 250 microM. There was an upper limit of salt concentration where the phase separation disappeared, showing nearly critical behavior of macroscopic density fluctuation from 250 microM to 1 mM. These results add new experimental evidence to the existence of colloidal gas-liquid condensation and specify conditions of like-charge attraction between particles.

Temporal and spatial variabilities in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namikas, S. L.; Edwards, B. L.; Bitton, M. C. A.; Booth, J. L.; Zhu, Y.

2010-01-01

This study examined spatial and temporal variations in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach at Padre Island, Texas, USA. Surface moisture measurements were collected on a 27 × 24 m grid that extended from the dune toe to the upper foreshore. The grid was surveyed at 2 to 4 h intervals for two tidal cycles, generating 17 maps of the spatial distribution of surface moisture. Simultaneous measurements of air temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, tidal elevation, and water table elevation were used to interpret observed changes in surface moisture. It was found that the spatial distribution of surface moisture was broadly characterized by a cross-shore gradient of high to low content moving landward from the swash zone. The distribution of surface moisture was conceptualized in terms of three zones: saturated (> 25%), intermediate or transitional (5-25%), and dry (< 5%). The position of the saturated zone corresponded to the uppermost swash zone and therefore shifted in accordance with tidal elevation. Moisture contents in the intermediate and dry zones were primarily related to variation in water table depth (which was in turn controlled by tidal elevation) and to a lesser extent by evaporation. Signals associated with atmospheric processes such as evaporation were muted by the minimal degree of variation in atmospheric parameters experienced during most of the study period, but were apparent for the last few hours. The observed spatial and temporal variations in moisture content correspond reasonably well with observations of key controlling processes, but more work is needed to fully characterize this process suite.

Vulnerability of a public supply well in a karstic aquifer to contamination

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, B.G.; McBride, W.S.; Hunt, A.G.; Crandall, C.A.; Metz, P.A.; Eberts, S.M.; Berndt, M.P.

2009-01-01

To assess the vulnerability of ground water to contamination in the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA), age-dating tracers and selected anthropogenic and naturally occurring compounds were analyzed in multiple water samples from a public supply well (PSW) near Tampa, Florida. Samples also were collected from 28 monitoring wells in the UFA and the overlying surficial aquifer system (SAS) and intermediate confining unit located within the contributing recharge area to the PSW. Age tracer and geochemical data from the earlier stage of the study (2003 through 2005) were combined with new data (2006) on concentrations of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), tritium (3H), and helium-3, which were consistent with binary mixtures of water for the PSW dominated by young water (less than 7 years). Water samples from the SAS also indicated mostly young water (less than 7 years); however, most water samples from monitoring wells in the UFA had lower SF6 and 3H concentrations than the PSW and SAS, indicating mixtures containing high proportions of older water (more than 60 years). Vulnerability of the PSW to contamination was indicated by predominantly young water and elevated nitrate-N and volatile organic compound concentrations that were similar to those in the SAS. Elevated arsenic (As) concentrations (3 to 19 ??g/L) and higher As(V)/As(III) ratios in the PSW than in water from UFA monitoring wells indicate that oxic water from the SAS likely mobilizes As from pyrite in the UFA matrix. Young water found in the PSW also was present in UFA monitoring wells that tap a highly transmissive zone (43- to 53-m depth) in the UFA. ?? 2008 National Ground Water Association.

Impact of sulfur dioxide oxidation by Stabilized Criegee Intermediate on sulfate

EPA Science Inventory

We revise the Carbon Bond chemical mechanism to explicitly represent three Stabilized Criegee Intermediates (SCIs) and their subsequent reactions with sulfur dioxide, water monomer, and water dimer, and incorporate the reactions into the Community Multiscale Air Quality model. Th...

Global Map of Epithermal Neutrons

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-28

Observations by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft show a global view of Mars in intermediate-energy, or epithermal, neutrons. Soil enriched by hydrogen is indicated by the deep blue colors on the map, which show a low intensity of epithermal neutrons. Progressively smaller amounts of hydrogen are shown in the colors light blue, green, yellow and red. The deep blue areas in the polar regions are believed to contain up to 50 percent water ice in the upper one meter (three feet) of the soil. Hydrogen in the far north is hidden at this time beneath a layer of carbon dioxide frost (dry ice). Light blue regions near the equator contain slightly enhanced near-surface hydrogen, which is most likely chemically or physically bound because water ice is not stable near the equator. The view shown here is a map of measurements made during the first three months of mapping using the neutron spectrometer instrument, part of the gamma ray spectrometer instrument suite. The central meridian in this projection is zero degrees longitude. Topographic features are superimposed on the map for geographic reference. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03800

Crystallization Caught in the Act with Terahertz Spectroscopy: Non-Classical Pathway for l-(+)-Tartaric Acid.

PubMed

Soltani, Amin; Gebauer, Denis; Duschek, Lennart; Fischer, Bernd M; Cölfen, Helmut; Koch, Martin

2017-10-12

Crystal formation is a highly debated problem. This report shows that the crystallization of l-(+)-tartaric acid from water follows a non-classical path involving intermediate hydrated states. Analytical ultracentrifugation indicates solution clusters of the initial stages aggregate to form an early intermediate. Terahertz spectroscopy performed during water evaporation highlights a transient increase in the absorption during nucleation; this indicates the recurrence of water molecules that are expelled from the intermediate phase. Besides, a transient resonance at 750 GHz, which can be assigned to a natural vibration of large hydrated aggregates, vanishes after the final crystal has formed. Furthermore, THz data reveal the vibration of nanosized clusters in the dilute solution indicated by analytical ultracentrifugation. Infrared spectroscopy and wide-angle X-ray scattering highlight that the intermediate is not a crystalline hydrate. These results demonstrate that nanoscopic intermediate units assemble to form the first solvent-free crystalline nuclei upon dehydration. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nucleation via an unstable intermediate phase.

PubMed

Sear, Richard P

2009-08-21

The pathway for crystallization from dilute vapors and solutions is often observed to take a detour via a liquid or concentrated-solution phase. For example, in moist subzero air, droplets of liquid water form, which then freeze. In this example and in many others, an intermediate phase (here liquid water) is dramatically accelerating the kinetics of a phase transition between two other phases (water vapor and ice). Here we study this phenomenon via exact computer simulations of a simple lattice model. Surprisingly, we find that the rate of nucleation of the new equilibrium phase is actually fastest when the intermediate phase is slightly unstable in the bulk, i.e., has a slightly higher free energy than the phase we start in. Nucleation occurs at a concave part of the surface and microscopic amounts of the intermediate phase can form there even before the phase is stable in the bulk. As the nucleus of the equilibrium phase is microscopic, this allows nucleation to occur effectively in the intermediate phase before it is stable in the bulk.

Anthropogenic CO2 invasion into the northeast Pacific based on concurrent δ13CDIC and nutrient profiles from the California Current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, J. D.; Mix, A. C.; Wheeler, P. A.; Key, R. M.

2000-09-01

The stable isotopic signature of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC) in the northeast Pacific Ocean is lower in near-surface waters by ≈1.1‰ relative to values predicted from global oceanic trends of δ13CDIC versus nutrients. A combination of anthropogenic carbon uptake from the atmosphere and thermodynamic, air-sea gas exchange processes in different water mass source areas account for the isotopic depletion. Here we evaluate the efficacy of using a concurrent nutrient-δ13C strategy to separate these two effects, with the goal of improving estimates of anthropogenic carbon uptake over the course of the Industrial Revolution. In depth profiles from the sea surface to 2500 m at four stations across the California Current (42°N), nitrate, rather than phosphate, is best correlated to δ13CDIC providing the best choice for this experiment. On the basis of an assumption of no anthropogenic carbon in North Pacific Deep Waters between 1000-2500 m depth (potential densities, σθ ˜ 27.3-27.7), the "anthropogenic— preanthropogenic" carbon isotope shift (Δδ13Ca-p) in near-surface waters of the northeast Pacific is inferred to be -0.62 ± 0.17‰, while the thermodynamic air-sea gas exchange signature is estimated at -0.48 ± 0.17‰. Values of Δδ13Ca-p (similar to the regional patterns of Δ14C and Tritium penetration) approach zero for σθ > 26.8, indicating little penetration of anthropogenic carbon into the North Pacific Intermediate Water or the upper North Pacific Deep Water. Our results suggest an upper North Pacific sink of anthropogenic carbon over the past ˜200 years that is ˜40% greater than that estimated for the interval between ˜1970 and ˜1990 by Quay et al., [1992]. Our estimate of the North Pacific inventory of anthropogenic carbon, added to published estimates from the North Atlantic and Indian Ocean, is smaller than model predictions of the total carbon sink, suggesting that a significant portion of anthropogenic carbon enters the deep sea via the Southern Ocean.

Use of chemical and isotopic tracers to characterize the interactions between ground water and surface water in mantled karst

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, B.G.; Coplen, T.B.; Bullen, T.D.; Hal, Davis J.

1997-01-01

In the mantled karst terrane of northern Florida, the water quality of the Upper Floridan aquifer is influenced by the degree of connectivity between the aquifer and the surface. Chemical and isotopic analyses [18O/16O (??18O), 2H/1H (??D), 13C/12C (??13C), tritium(3H), and strontium-87/strontium-86(87Sr/86Sr)]along with geochemical mass-balance modeling were used to identify the dominant hydrochemical processes that control the composition of ground water as it evolves downgradient in two systems. In one system, surface water enters the Upper Floridan aquifer through a sinkhole located in the Northern Highlands physiographic unit. In the other system, surface water enters the aquifer through a sinkhole lake (Lake Bradford) in the Woodville Karst Plain. Differences in the composition of water isotopes (??18O and ??D) in rainfall, ground water, and surface water were used to develop mixing models of surface water (leakage of water to the Upper Floridan aquifer from a sinkhole lake and a sinkhole) and ground water. Using mass-balance calculations, based on differences in ??18O and ??D, the proportion of lake water that mixed with meteoric water ranged from 7 to 86% in water from wells located in close proximity to Lake Bradford. In deeper parts of the Upper Floridan aquifer, water enriched in 18O and D from five of 12 sampled municipal wells indicated that recharge from a sinkhole (1 to 24%) and surface water with an evaporated isotopic signature (2 to 32%) was mixing with ground water. The solute isotopes, ??13C and 87Sr/86Sr, were used to test the sensitivity of binary and ternary mixing models, and to estimate the amount of mass transfer of carbon and other dissolved species in geochemical reactions. In ground water downgradient from Lake Bradford, the dominant processes controlling carbon cycling in ground water were dissolution of carbonate minerals, aerobic degradation of organic matter, and hydrolysis of silicate minerals. In the deeper parts of the Upper Floridan aquifer, the major processes controlling the concentrations of major dissolved species included dissolution of calcite and dolomite, and degradation of organic matter under oxic conditions. The Upper Floridan aquifer is highly susceptible to contamination from activities at the land surface in the Tallahassee area. The presence of post-1950s concentrations of 3H in ground water from depths greater than 100 m below land surface indicates that water throughout much of the Upper Floridan aquifer has been recharged during the last 40 years. Even though mixing is likely between ground water and surface water in many parts of the study area, the Upper Floridan aquifer produces good quality water, which due to dilution effects shows little if any impact from trace elements or nutrients that are present in surface waters.The water quality of the Upper Floridan aquifer is influenced by the degree of connectivity between the aquifer and the surface water. Chemical and isotopic analyses, tritium, and strontium-87/strontium-86 along with geochemical mass-balance modeling were used to identify the dominant hydrochemical processes that control the composition of groundwater. Differences in the composition of water isotopes in rainfall, groundwater and surface water were used to develop mixing models of surface water and groundwater. Even though mixing is likely between groundwater and surface water in many parts of the study area, the Upper Floridan aquifer produces good quality water, showing little impact from trace elements present in surface waters.

Diverse patterns of stored water use among saplings in seasonally dry tropical forests.

PubMed

Wolfe, Brett T; Kursar, Thomas A

2015-12-01

Tree species in seasonally dry tropical forests likely vary in their drought-survival mechanisms. Drought-deciduousness, which reduces water loss, and low wood density, which may permit dependence on stored water, are considered key traits. For saplings of six species at two distinct sites, we studied these and two associated traits: the seasonal amount of water released per stem volume ("water released") and the hydraulic capacitance of the stem (C). Two deciduous species with low stem density, Cavanillesia platanifolia and Bursera simaruba, had high C and high dry-season stem water potential (Ψ(stem)), but differed in dry-season water released. C. platanifolia did not use stored water during the dry season whereas B. simaruba, in a drier forest, released stored water. In both, water released was highest while flushing leaves, suggesting that stored water supports leaf flushing. In contrast, two deciduous species with intermediate stem density, Annona hayesii and Genipa americana, had intermediate C, low dry-season Ψ(stem), and high seasonal change in water released. Meanwhile, two evergreen species with intermediate stem density, Cojoba rufescens and Astronium graveolens, had relatively low C, low dry-season Ψ(stem), and intermediate seasonal change in water released. Thus, at least three, distinct stored-water-use strategies were observed. Additionally, bark relative water content (RWC) decreased along with Ψ(stem) during the dry season while xylem RWC did not change, suggesting that bark-stored water buffers Ψ(stem) seasonally. Together these results suggest that seasonal use of stored water and change in Ψ(stem) are associated with functional groups that are characterized by combinations of deciduousness and stem density.

Vulnerability of a public supply well in a karstic aquifer to contamination.

PubMed

Katz, B G; McBride, W S; Hunt, A G; Crandall, C A; Metz, P A; Eberts, S M; Berndt, M P

2009-01-01

To assess the vulnerability of ground water to contamination in the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA), age-dating tracers and selected anthropogenic and naturally occurring compounds were analyzed in multiple water samples from a public supply well (PSW) near Tampa, Florida. Samples also were collected from 28 monitoring wells in the UFA and the overlying surficial aquifer system (SAS) and intermediate confining unit located within the contributing recharge area to the PSW. Age tracer and geochemical data from the earlier stage of the study (2003 through 2005) were combined with new data (2006) on concentrations of sulfur hexafluoride (SF(6)), tritium ((3)H), and helium-3, which were consistent with binary mixtures of water for the PSW dominated by young water (less than 7 years). Water samples from the SAS also indicated mostly young water (less than 7 years); however, most water samples from monitoring wells in the UFA had lower SF(6) and (3)H concentrations than the PSW and SAS, indicating mixtures containing high proportions of older water (more than 60 years). Vulnerability of the PSW to contamination was indicated by predominantly young water and elevated nitrate-N and volatile organic compound concentrations that were similar to those in the SAS. Elevated arsenic (As) concentrations (3 to 19 microg/L) and higher As(V)/As(III) ratios in the PSW than in water from UFA monitoring wells indicate that oxic water from the SAS likely mobilizes As from pyrite in the UFA matrix. Young water found in the PSW also was present in UFA monitoring wells that tap a highly transmissive zone (43- to 53-m depth) in the UFA.

High-resolution experiments on chemical oxidation of DNAPL in variable-aperture fractures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arshadi, Masoud; Rajaram, Harihar; Detwiler, Russell L.; Jones, Trevor

2015-04-01

Chemical oxidation of dense nonaqueous-phase liquids (DNAPLs) by permanganate has emerged as an effective remediation strategy in fractured rock. We present high-resolution experimental investigations in transparent analog variable-aperture fractures to improve understanding of chemical oxidation of residual entrapped trichloroethylene (TCE) in fractures. Four experiments were performed with different permanganate concentrations, flow rates, and initial TCE phase geometry. The initial aperture field and evolving entrapped-phase geometry were quantified for each experiment. The integrated mass transfer rate from the TCE phase for all experiments exhibited three time regimes: an early-time regime with slower mass transfer rates limited by low specific interfacial area; an intermediate-time regime with higher mass transfer rates resulting from breakup of large TCE blobs, which greatly increases specific interfacial area; and a late-time regime with low mass transfer rates due to the deposition of MnO2 precipitates. In two experiments, mass balance analyses suggested that TCE mass removal rates exceeded the maximum upper bound mass removal rates derived by assuming that oxidation and dissolution are the only mechanisms for TCE mass removal. We propose incomplete oxidation by permanganate and TCE solubility enhancement by intermediate reaction products as potential mechanisms to explain this behavior. We also speculate that some intermediate reaction products with surfactant-like properties may play a role in lowering the TCE-water interfacial tension, thus causing breakup of large TCE blobs. Our quantitative experimental measurements will be useful in the context of developing accurate computational models for chemical oxidation of TCE in fractures.

Water-chemistry and chloride fluctuations in the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the Port Royal Sound area, South Carolina, 1917-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landmeyer, J.E.; Belval, D.L.

1996-01-01

Withdrawal of water from the Upper Floridan aquifer south of Port Royal Sound in Beaufort and Jasper Counties, South Carolina, has lowered water levels and reversed the hydraulic gradient beneath Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Ground water that had previously discharged at the Sound is now being deflected southwest, toward withdrawals located near the city of Savannah, Georgia, and the island of Hilton Head. The reversal of this hydraulic gradient and the decline of water levels have caused saltwater in the Upper Floridan aquifer north of Port Royal Sound to begin moving southwest, toward water-supply wells for the town of Hilton Head and toward industries pumping ground water near Savannah. Analytical results from ground-water samples collected from wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer beneath and adjacent to Port Royal Sound show two plumes in the aquifer with chloride concentrations above the drinking- water standard. One plume of high chloride concentration extends slightly south of the theoretical predevelopment location of the steady- state freshwater-saltwater interface as indicated by numerical modeling. The other plume is present beneath the town of Port Royal, where the upper confining unit above the Upper Floridan aquifer is thin or absent. In these areas, the decline in water levels caused by ground-water withdrawals may have made it possible for water from tidal creeks to enter the Upper Floridan aquifer. Many wells completed in the upper permeable zone of the Upper Floridan aquifer show a distinct specific- conductance profile. One non-producing, monitoring well on Hilton Head Island (BFT-1810) was selected to depict a worst-case scenario to examine the short- and long-term water-chemistry and chloride fluctuations in the aquifer. Specific conductance was monitored at depths of 170, 190, and 200 feet below the top of the well casing. The specific conductance measured in 1987 ranged from approximately 450 microsiemens per centimeter near the top of the Upper Floridan aquifer to 1,500 microsiemens per centimeter near the lower, less permeable zone. Short-term fluctuations in conductance were measured at each probe and were found to be related to water-level fluctuations in the well caused by tidal cycles. The conductance varied regularly up to 100 microsiemens per centimeter, with an increasing time lag between high and low tides and low and high specific conductance for progressively shallower depths. Well BFT-1810 was monitored for specific conductance and water levels from October 1987 through September 1993. Specific conductance at the 170-foot probe showed little long-term change, while the 190- and the 200-foot probes showed long-term increases to approximately 4,000 and 10,000 microsiemens per centimeter, respectively. This well is located closest to one of the two plumes of saltwater delineated in the Upper Floridan aquifer, and the long-term chloride increases are a result of the movement of saltwater in the Upper Floridan aquifer toward Hilton Head Island under the influence of regional ground-water withdrawals.

Regional hydrology of the Blanding-Durango area, southern Paradox Basin, Utah and Colorado

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

Whitfield, M.S. Jr.; Thordarson, W.; Oatfield, W.J.

1983-01-01

Principal findings of this study that are pertinent to an assessment of suitability of the hydrogeologic systems to store and contain radioactive waste in salt anticlines of adjacent areas are: water in the upper ground-water flow system discharges to the San Juan River - a major tributary of the Colorado River. Discharge of water from the upper aquifer system to streambed channels of the San Juan River and its tributaries during low-flow periods primarily is through evapotranspiration from areas on flood plains and maintenance of streamflow; the lower ground-water system does not have known recharge or discharge areas within themore » study area; subsurface inflow to this system comes from recharge areas located north and northeast of the study area; the upper and lower ground-water systems are separated regionally by thick salt deposits in the Blanding-Durango study area of the Paradox basin; potential exists in mountainous areas for downward leakage between the upper and lower ground-water systems, where salt deposits are thin, absent, or faulted; no brines were found in this study area with outflow to the biosphere; water in the upper ground-water system generally is fresh. Water in the lower ground-water system generally is brackish or saline; and ground-water flow disruptions by contiguous faults probably are common in the upper ground-water system. These disruptions of flow are not apparent in the lower ground-water system, perhaps because available hydrologic data for the lower ground-water system are scarce. The above major findings do not preclude the potential for waste storage in salt; however, they do not allow the prediction of detailed ground-water flow rates and directions through this area. 55 references, 13 figures, 15 tables.« less

46 CFR Appendix A to Part 45 - Load Line Certificate Form

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Midsummer MS Summer S Intermediate I Winter W load line above S Upper edge of line through center of diamond... so endorsed. notes (1) In accordance with the Great Lakes Load Line Regulations the diamond and lines...

46 CFR Appendix A to Part 45 - Load Line Certificate Form

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Midsummer MS Summer S Intermediate I Winter W load line above S Upper edge of line through center of diamond... so endorsed. notes (1) In accordance with the Great Lakes Load Line Regulations the diamond and lines...

46 CFR Appendix A to Part 45 - Load Line Certificate Form

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Midsummer MS Summer S Intermediate I Winter W load line above S Upper edge of line through center of diamond... so endorsed. notes (1) In accordance with the Great Lakes Load Line Regulations the diamond and lines...

15. DETAIL VIEW OF MAIN LOCK MITER GATE IN PARTIALLY ...

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

15. DETAIL VIEW OF MAIN LOCK MITER GATE IN PARTIALLY OPENED POSITION, LOOKING NORTHWEST (UPSTREAM). COMPRESSOR BUILDING VISIBLE TO REAR ON INTERMEDIATE WALL - Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Project, Lock & Dam 27, Granite City, Madison County, IL

Hydrogeologic, water-level, and water-quality data from monitoring wells at the US Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murray, L.C.; Keoughan, K.M.

1990-01-01

Unlined hazardous-waste disposal sites at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina, are located near drinking-water supply wells that tap the Castle Hayne aquifer. Hydrogeologic and water-quality data were collected near 2 of these sites from 12 monitoring wells installed in May through June 1987. Near the northernmost landfill site, differences in hydraulic head between the surficial, intermediate Yorktown, and Castle Hayne aquifers indicate a potential for migration of contaminants downward into the intermediate Yorktown and Castle Hayne aquifers. Movement would be impeded, however, by two confining units of silty sand to sandy clay that separate these aquifers. Geophysical and lithologic data show the upper confining unit to be approximately 26 feet thick near this landfill. Near the southernmost landfill, these confining units are thin and discontinuous in an area that coincides with the location of a buried paleochannel. Static water-level data collected in this area indicate that both the Castle Hayne and Yorktown aquifers discharge into the surficial aquifer, minimizing the potential for downward contaminant movement. Ground water in the surficial aquifer at both landfills moves laterally away from nearby drinking-water supply wells and toward Slocum Creek, a tributary of the Neuse River. Concentrations of organic compounds and trace inorganic constituents included on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s list of priority pollutants were determined for water samples from the surficial and Yorktown aquifers. High concentrations of two purgeable organic compounds, trichloroethylene and 1,2-dichloroethene (4,600 and 4,800 micrograms per liter, respectively), were detected in water samples collected from the surficial aquifer near the southernmost landfill; much smaller concentrations of trichloroethylene and 1,2-dichloroethene were detected in samples from wells in the Yorktown aquifer (up to 16 and 12 micrograms per liter, respectively). These compounds may have migrated into the Yorktown aquifer from the surficial aquifer during periods of pumping from nearby drinking-water supply wells if the pumping were sufficient to reverse the hydraulic head between these aquifers. Only trace amounts of organic compounds were detected in the surficial and Yorktown aquifers near the northernmost landfill. Trace metals were detected in most of the wells sampled near both landfills, but none exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards except for iron and manganese. Highest concentrations of priority pollutant metals detected were for zinc (60 micrograms per liter) and chromium (36 micrograms per liter).

Physical Mechanisms Controlling Upper Tropospheric Water Vapor as Revealed by MLS Data from UARS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newell, Reginald E.; Douglass, Anne (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The third year and final report on the physical mechanisms controlling upper tropospheric water vapor revealed by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is presented.

Abandoning the ship: spontaneous mass exodus of Clinostomum complanatum (Rudolphi, 1814) progenetic metecercariae from the dying intermediate host Trichogaster fasciatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).

PubMed

Rizvi, Asim; Alam, Md Maroof; Parveen, Saltanat; Saleemuddin, M; Abidi, S M A

2012-04-01

The dramatic and spontaneous exodus of live Clinostomum complanatum progenetic metacercaria from the gill slits of the dying intermediate host, Trichogaster fasciatus is reported. Basic water parameter tests for dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature revealed slightly lower level of dissolved oxygen in tank water used for water change. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report of a digenean metacercariae, en mass leaving their intermediate host, upon its death in search of an alternative host to support their survival and help in continuing their life cycle.

Ries Bunte Breccia revisited: Indications for the presence of water in Itzing and Otting drill cores and implications for the emplacement process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pietrek, Alexa; Kenkmann, Thomas

2016-07-01

We reassessed two drill cores of the Bunte Breccia deposits of the Ries crater, Germany. The objectives of our study were the documentation of evidence for water in the Bunte Breccia, the evaluation of how that water influenced the emplacement processes, and from which preimpact water reservoir it was derived. The Bunte Breccia in both cores can be structured into a basal layer composed mainly of local substrate material, overlain by texturally and compositionally diverse, crater-derived breccia units. The basal layer is composed of the youngest sediments (Tertiary clays and Upper Jurassic limestone) and has a razor-sharp boundary to the upper breccia units, which are composed of older rocks of Upper Jurassic to Upper Triassic age. Sparse material exchange occurred between the basal layer and the rest of the Bunte Breccia. Fluids predominantly came from the Tertiary and the Upper Triassic sandstone formation. In the basal layer, Tertiary clays were subjected to intense, ductile deformation, indicating saturation with water. This suggests that water was mixed into the matrix, creating a fluidized basal layer with a strong shear localization. In the upper units, Upper Triassic sandstones are intensely deformed by granular flow. The texture requires that the rocks were disaggregated into granular sand. Vaporization of pore water probably aided fragmentation of these rocks. In the Otting core, hot suevite (T > 600 °C) covered the Bunte Breccia shortly after its emplacement. Vertically oriented gas escape pipes in suevite partly emanate directly at the contact to the Bunte Breccia. They indicate that the Bunte Breccia contained a substantial amount of water in the upper part that was vaporized and escaped through these vents.

Ground-Water Hydrology of the Upper Klamath Basin, Oregon and California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gannett, Marshall W.; Lite, Kenneth E.; La Marche, Jonathan L.; Fisher, Bruce J.; Polette, Danial J.

2007-01-01

The upper Klamath Basin spans the California-Oregon border from the flank of the Cascade Range eastward to the Basin and Range Province, and encompasses the Klamath River drainage basin above Iron Gate Dam. Most of the basin is semiarid, but the Cascade Range and uplands in the interior and eastern parts of the basin receive on average more than 30 inches of precipitation per year. The basin has several perennial streams with mean annual discharges of hundreds of cubic feet per second, and the Klamath River at Iron Gate Dam, which represents drainage from the entire upper basin, has a mean annual discharge of about 2,100 cubic feet per second. The basin once contained three large lakes: Upper and Lower Klamath Lakes and Tule Lake, each of which covered areas of 100 to 150 square miles, including extensive marginal wetlands. Lower Klamath Lake and Tule Lake have been mostly drained, and the former lake beds are now cultivated. Upper Klamath Lake remains, and is an important source of irrigation water. Much of the wetland surrounding Upper Klamath Lake has been diked and drained, although efforts are underway to restore large areas. Upper Klamath Lake and the remaining parts of Lower Klamath and Tule Lakes provide important wildlife habitat, and parts of each are included in the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges Complex. The upper Klamath Basin has a substantial regional ground-water flow system. The late Tertiary to Quaternary volcanic rocks that underlie the region are generally permeable, with transmissivity estimates ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 feet squared per day, and compose a system of variously interconnected aquifers. Interbedded with the volcanic rocks are late Tertiary sedimentary rocks composed primarily of fine-grained lake sediments and basin-filling deposits. These sedimentary deposits have generally low permeability, are not good aquifers, and probably restrict ground-water movement in some areas. The regional ground-water system is underlain and bounded on the east and west by older Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks that have generally low permeability. Eight regional-scale hydrogeologic units are defined in the upper Klamath Basin on the basis of surficial geology and subsurface data. Ground water flows from recharge areas in the Cascade Range and upland areas in the basin interior and eastern margins toward stream valleys and interior subbasins. Ground water discharge to streams throughout the basin, and most streams have some component of ground water (baseflow). Some streams, however, are predominantly ground-water fed and have relatively constant flows throughout the year. Large amounts of ground water discharges in the Wood River subbasin, the lower Williamson River area, and along the margin of the Cascade Range. Much of the inflow to Upper Klamath Lake can be attributed to ground-water discharge to streams and major spring complexes within a dozen or so miles from the lake. This large component of ground water buffers the lake somewhat from climate cycles. There are also ground-water discharge areas in the eastern parts of the basin, for example in the upper Williamson and Sprague River subbasins and in the Lost River subbasin at Bonanza Springs. Irrigated agriculture is an integral part of the economy of the upper Klamath Basin. Although estimates vary somewhat, roughly 500,000 acres are irrigated in the upper Klamath Basin, about 190,000 acres of which are part of the Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Project. Most of this land is irrigated with surface water. Ground water has been used for many decades to irrigate areas where surface water is not available, for example outside of irrigation districts and stream valleys. Ground water has also been used as a supplemental source of water in areas where surface water supplies are limited and during droughts. Ground water use for irrigation has increased in recent years due to drought and shifts in surface-water allocation from irrigati

Excitation of photosystem I by 760 nm femtosecond laser pulses: transient absorption spectra and intermediates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherepanov, Dmitry A.; Shelaev, Ivan V.; Gostev, Fedor E.; Mamedov, Mahir D.; Petrova, Anastasia A.; Aybush, Arseniy V.; Shuvalov, Vladimir A.; Semenov, Alexey Yu; Nadtochenko, Victor A.

2017-09-01

Excitation of photosystem I (PS I) by a femtosecond 760 nm pump leads to one- and two-photon absorption. The one-photon excitation produces intermediates with transient absorption spectra similar to the spectra of the primary [{{{P}}700}+{{{A}}0}-{{A}}1] and secondary [{{{P}}700}+{{A}}0{{{A}}1}-] ion-radical pairs in the PS I reaction center. The two-photon absorption generates the upper level excited states of chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoid molecules in the antenna. These excited states are converted into the long-lived intermediates and can be tentatively attributed to the excited and charge-transfer ion-radical states of Chl molecules and to the excited states of carotenoids in the antenna. The transient spectra of intermediates generated by two-photon excitation differ from the transient one-photon spectra of the primary and secondary ion-radical pairs.

Vertical stratification of the nutritional value of fruit: macronutrients and condensed tannins.

PubMed

Houle, Alain; Conklin-Brittain, Nancy L; Wrangham, Richard W

2014-12-01

Competing successfully for the best feeding sites is an important behavioral strategy but little is known about how feeding sites vary nutritionally within a fruit tree. To answer this question we tested how the nutritional value of a fruit is influenced by its ripeness and its height within the tree crown. A complementary objective was to assess the nutritional value of the midripe fruit, a food item rarely mentioned in the literature despite being exploited on a daily basis by many frugivores. We measured how the dry weight of pulp, water content, and concentration of macronutrients and condensed tannins varied within the tree crowns of 15 fruit species. Collections occurred early in the fruiting cycle, so as to assess the amount of food in the tree before its exploitation by primates. We found that (1) the upper crown produced fruit densities 4.2 times higher, and a fruit crop 4.8 times larger, than the lower crown of the same tree; (2) considering only midripe and ripe stages, upper-crown fruits contained 28.6% more dry pulp, 21.1% more water, and 13.5% more sugars per dry matter than lower-crown fruits of the same tree; (3) midripe fruits contained 80% of the concentrations of sugars of ripe fruits, making them a sweeter food item than one would expect from the intermediate color of their epidermis; (4) cellulose, hemicellulose, proteins, and ash proportionally decreased in concentration while dry pulp and sugars increased during ripening; and (5) ripe fruits were usually rare in the tree (<0.5% of all fruit available) compared to midripe fruits (3-8%). Overall, upper-crown feeding sites produced a higher density and quality of food than lower-crown sites of the same tree. Our data therefore provide a clear nutritional explanation for why tree-feeding frugivores compete for the highest feeding sites. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Statistical analysis of the water-quality monitoring program, Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and optimization of the program for 2013 and beyond

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eldridge, Sara L. Caldwell; Wherry, Susan A.; Wood, Tamara M.

2014-01-01

Upper Klamath Lake in south-central Oregon has become increasingly eutrophic over the past century and now experiences seasonal cyanobacteria-dominated and potentially toxic phytoplankton blooms. Growth and decline of these blooms create poor water-quality conditions that can be detrimental to fish, including two resident endangered sucker species. Upper Klamath Lake is the primary water supply to agricultural areas within the upper Klamath Basin. Water from the lake is also used to generate power and to enhance and sustain downstream flows in the Klamath River. Water quality in Upper Klamath Lake has been monitored by the Klamath Tribes since the early 1990s and by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since 2002. Management agencies and other stakeholders have determined that a re-evaluation of the goals for water-quality monitoring is warranted to assess whether current data-collection activities will continue to adequately provide data for researchers to address questions of interest and to facilitate future natural resource management decisions. The purpose of this study was to (1) compile an updated list of the goals and objectives for long-term water-quality monitoring in Upper Klamath Lake with input from upper Klamath Basin stakeholders, (2) assess the current water-quality monitoring programs in Upper Klamath Lake to determine whether existing data-collection strategies can fulfill the updated goals and objectives for monitoring, and (3) identify potential modifications to future monitoring plans in accordance with the updated monitoring objectives and improve stakeholder cooperation and data-collection efficiency. Data collected by the Klamath Tribes and the USGS were evaluated to determine whether consistent long-term trends in water-quality variables can be described by the dataset and whether the number and distribution of currently monitored sites captures the full range of environmental conditions and the multi-scale variability of water-quality parameters in the lake. Also, current monitoring strategies were scrutinized for unnecessary redundancy within the overall network.

Seasonal and interannual variability of dissolved oxygen around the Balearic Islands from hydrographic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balbín, R.; López-Jurado, J. L.; Aparicio-González, A.; Serra, M.

2014-10-01

Oceanographic data obtained between 2001 and 2011 by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO, Spain) have been used to characterise the spatial distribution and the temporal variability of the dissolved oxygen around the Balearic Islands (Mediterranean Sea). The study area includes most of the Western Mediterranean Sea, from the Alboran Sea to Cape Creus, at the border between France and Spain. Dissolved oxygen (DO) at the water surface is found to be in a state of equilibrium exchange with the atmosphere. In the spring and summer a subsurface oxygen supersaturation is observed due to the biological activity, above the subsurface fluorescence maximum. Minimum observed values of dissolved oxygen are related to the Levantine Intermediate Waters (LIW). An unusual minimum of dissolved oxygen concentrations was also recorded in the Alboran Sea Oxygen Minimum Zone. The Western Mediterranean Deep Waters (WMDW) and the Western Intermediate Waters (WIW) show higher values of dissolved oxygen than the Levantine Intermediate Waters due to their more recent formation. Using these dissolved oxygen concentrations it is possible to show that the Western Intermediate Waters move southwards across the Ibiza Channel and the deep water circulates around the Balearic Islands. It has also been possible to characterise the seasonal evolution of the different water masses and their dissolved oxygen content in a station in the Algerian sub-basin.

Selected Natural Attenuation Monitoring Data, Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington, June 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dinicola, Richard S.; Huffman, R.L.

2006-01-01

Previous investigations have shown that natural attenuation and biodegradation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are substantial in shallow ground water beneath the 9-acre former landfill at Operable Unit 1 (OU-1), Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has continued to monitor ground-water geochemistry to assure that conditions remain favorable for contaminant biodegradation. This report presents the ground-water geochemical and selected VOC data collected at OU-1 by the USGS during June 21-24, 2005, in support of long-term monitoring for natural attenuation. For June 2005, the strongly reducing conditions (sulfate reduction and methanogenesis) most favorable for reductive dechlorination of chlorinated VOCs were detected in fewer upper-aquifer wells than were detected during 2004. Redox conditions in ground water from the intermediate aquifer just downgradient of the landfill remained somewhat favorable for reductive dechlorination. Overall, the changes in redox conditions observed at individual wells have not been consistent or substantial throughout either the upper or the intermediate aquifers. In apparent contrast to changes in redox conditions, the chlorinated VOC concentrations were lower than previously measured in many of the piezometers in the northern phytoremediation plantation. The decrease in contaminant concentrations beneath the northern plantation and the end-product (ethane and ethene) evidence for reductive dechlorination are consistent with 2000-04 results. In the southern phytoremediation plantation, changes in chlorinated VOC concentrations were variable. Most notable was a substantial decrease in the sum of trichloroethene, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride concentrations at piezometer P1-9 from 75,000 to 1,000 micrograms per liter between 2004 and 2005. The high concentrations of the reductive dechlorination end-products ethane and ethene measured at the most contaminated sites (P1-6 and P1-7), as well as measurable concentrations at sites P1-9 and P1-10, are reliable evidence that reductive dechlorination of chlorinated VOCs is ongoing in the southern plantation. In the 10 passive-diffusion samplers deployed beneath the marsh stream, the highest chlorinated VOC concentrations measured were at a site (S-4) about midway along the sampled stream reach. In 2005, the sum of trichloroethene, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride concentrations increased nearly twofold in comparison to 2004. It is not certain that the apparent increase in concentrations is representative of site conditions. However, the chlorinated VOC concentrations have increased each time at the two most contaminated passive-diffusion sampler sites that have been sampled for multiple years. In the marsh stream, chlorinated VOC concentrations in surface water were low at the site (SW-S6) near the upgradient margin of the former landfill. Concentrations in the stream increased substantially after flowing past the southern phytoremediation plantation to the downstream site (MA-12). Overall, the 2005 data were consistent with previous findings of continued biodegradation of chlorinated VOCs in ground water, along with continued discharge of some chlorinated VOCs to surface water in the marsh stream.

Ground-water quality of the surficial aquifer system and the upper Floridan Aquifer, Ocala National Forest and Lake County, Florida, 1990-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adamski, J.C.; Knowles, Leel

2001-01-01

Data from 217 ground-water samples were statistically analyzed to assess the water quality of the surficial aquifer system and Upper Floridan aquifer in the Ocala National Forest and Lake County, Florida. Samples were collected from 49 wells tapping the surficial aquifer system, 141 wells tapping the Upper Floridan aquifer, and from 27 springs that discharge water from the Upper Floridan aquifer. A total of 136 samples was collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1995 through 1999. These data were supplemented with 81 samples collected by the St. Johns River Water Management District and Lake County Water Resources Management from 1990 through 1998. In general, the surficial aquifer system has low concentrations of total dissolved solids (median was 41 milligrams per liter) and major ions. Water quality of the surficial aquifer system, however, is not homogeneous throughout the study area. Concentrations of total dissolved solids, many major ions, and nutrients are greater in samples from Lake County outside the Ocala National Forest than in samples from within the Forest. These results indicate that the surficial aquifer system in Lake County outside the Ocala National Forest probably is being affected by agricultural and (or) urban land-use practices. High concentrations of dissolved oxygen (less than 0.1 to 8.2 milligrams per liter) in the surficial aquifer system underlying the Ocala National Forest indicate that the aquifer is readily recharged by precipitation and is susceptible to surface contamination. Concentrations of total dissolved solids were significantly greater in the Upper Floridan aquifer (median was 182 milligrams per liter) than in the surficial aquifer system. In general, water quality of the Upper Floridan aquifer was homogeneous, primarily being a calcium or calciummagnesium- bicarbonate water type. Near the St. Johns River, the water type of the Upper Floridan aquifer is sodium-chloride, corresponding to an increase in total dissolved solids. Dissolvedoxygen concentrations in the Upper Floridan aquifer ranged from less than 0.1 to 7.3 milligrams per liter, indicating that, in parts of the aquifer, ground water is rapidly recharged by rainfall and is susceptible to surface contamination. Median concentrations of nutrients in the Upper Floridan aquifer were not significantly different between the Ocala National Forest and the area of Lake County outside the Forest. The maximum nitrate concentration in the Upper Floridan aquifer in Ocala National Forest was only 0.20 milligram per liter, whereas, 9 of 39 samples from the Upper Floridan aquifer in Lake County had elevated nitrate concentrations (greater than 1.0 milligram per liter). Hence, nitrate concentrations of the Upper Floridan aquifer appear to be affected by land use in Lake County.

Search for gravitational waves from intermediate mass binary black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, R.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amariutei, D.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Arain, M. A.; Araya, M. C.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Atkinson, D.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S.; Barayoga, J. C. B.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Bastarrika, M.; Basti, A.; Batch, J.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bebronne, M.; Beck, D.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Bell, A. S.; Belletoile, A.; Belopolski, I.; Benacquista, M.; Berliner, J. M.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beveridge, N.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biswas, R.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bland, B.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Bogan, C.; Bondarescu, R.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bouhou, B.; Braccini, S.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burguet-Castell, J.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannizzo, J.; Cannon, K.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chaibi, O.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chelkowski, S.; Chen, W.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, C. T. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, D. E.; Clark, J.; Clayton, J. H.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colacino, C. N.; Colas, J.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Conte, A.; Conte, R.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M.; Coulon, J.-P.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Cruise, A. M.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Cutler, R. M.; Dahl, K.; Danilishin, S. L.; Dannenberg, R.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; De Rosa, R.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Del Pozzo, W.; del Prete, M.; Dent, T.; Dergachev, V.; DeRosa, R.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Paolo Emilio, M.; Di Virgilio, A.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dumas, J.-C.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edgar, M.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Endrőczi, G.; Engel, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, K.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, Y.; Farr, B. F.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Feroz, F.; Ferrante, I.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Flanigan, M.; Foley, S.; Forsi, E.; Forte, L. A.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franc, J.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Friedrich, D.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fujimoto, M.-K.; Fulda, P. J.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Galimberti, M.; Gammaitoni, L.; Garcia, J.; Garufi, F.; Gáspár, M. E.; Gemme, G.; Geng, R.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gergely, L. Á.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gil, S.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goggin, L. M.; González, G.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Gray, N.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Greverie, C.; Grosso, R.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gupta, R.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Ha, T.; Hallam, J. M.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hartman, M. T.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Hayau, J.-F.; Heefner, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hendry, M. A.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Herrera, V.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Holtrop, M.; Hong, T.; Hooper, S.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, Y. J.; Jaranowski, P.; Jesse, E.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, G.; Jones, R.; Ju, L.; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kasturi, R.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kelley, D.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Keresztes, Z.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, B.; Kim, C.; Kim, H.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Kranz, O.; Kringel, V.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, R.; Kwee, P.; Lam, P. K.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Lastzka, N.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Leaci, P.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Leong, J. R.; Leonor, I.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Li, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Liguori, N.; Lindquist, P. E.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lodhia, D.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Luan, J.; Lubinski, M.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Macdonald, E.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Man, N.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marandi, A.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McKechan, D. J. A.; McWilliams, S.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Melissinos, A. C.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Miyakawa, O.; Moe, B.; Mohan, M.; Mohanty, S. D.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morgia, A.; Mori, T.; Morriss, S. R.; Mosca, S.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Müller-Ebhardt, H.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nash, T.; Naticchioni, L.; Necula, V.; Nelson, J.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nishizawa, A.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E.; Nuttall, L.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ott, C. D.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Page, A.; Pagliaroli, G.; Palladino, L.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Parisi, M.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patel, P.; Pedraza, M.; Peiris, P.; Pekowsky, L.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Persichetti, G.; Phelps, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pietka, M.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Pletsch, H. J.; Plissi, M. V.; Poggiani, R.; Pöld, J.; Postiglione, F.; Prato, M.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L. G.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rankins, B.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Redwine, K.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Robinson, C.; Robinson, E. L.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Rodriguez, C.; Rodruck, M.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Röver, C.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sainathan, P.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sannibale, V.; Santamaría, L.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Santostasi, G.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Sato, S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R. L.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sentenac, D.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sibley, A.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G. R.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Somiya, K.; Sorazu, B.; Soto, J.; Speirits, F. C.; Sperandio, L.; Stefszky, M.; Stein, A. J.; Stein, L. C.; Steinert, E.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Strigin, S. E.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sung, M.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Taffarello, L.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, J. R.; Taylor, R.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Thüring, A.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C.; Torrie, C. I.; Tournefier, E.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tseng, K.; Ugolini, D.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasuth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vavoulidis, M.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Veltkamp, C.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Villar, A. E.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vitale, S.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Waldman, S. J.; Wallace, L.; Wan, Y.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wang, Z.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wilkinson, C.; Willems, P. A.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Willke, B.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Wooley, R.; Worden, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yamamoto, K.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yu, P.; Yvert, M.; Zadroźny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, W.; Zhao, C.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.

2012-05-01

We present the results of a weakly modeled burst search for gravitational waves from mergers of nonspinning intermediate mass black holes in the total mass range 100-450M⊙ and with the component mass ratios between 1∶1 and 4∶1. The search was conducted on data collected by the LIGO and Virgo detectors between November of 2005 and October of 2007. No plausible signals were observed by the search which constrains the astrophysical rates of the intermediate mass black holes mergers as a function of the component masses. In the most efficiently detected bin centered on 88+88M⊙, for nonspinning sources, the rate density upper limit is 0.13 per Mpc3 per Myr at the 90% confidence level.

Unmanned Evaluation of Select Commercially Available Open Circuit Scuba Regulators for Cold Water Diving

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

Water Kit (dry system) installed as standard Abyss second stage with integrated 30-inch braided intermediate pressure hose as standard No user...diaphragm system) installed as standard Abyss second stage with integrated 30-inch braided intermediate pressure hose as standard No user adjustments...1st Stage Regulator with Abyss 2nd Stage and Integrated Intermediate Pressure Hose ..………………………….. A-2 A3 Modified Mares Proton Ice Extreme V32

Mapping spatial and temporal variation of stream water temperature in the upper Esopus Creek watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chien, H.; McGlinn, L.

2017-12-01

The upper Esopus Creek and its tributary streams located in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State provide habitats for cold-adapted aquatic species. However, ongoing global warming may change the stream water temperature within a watershed and disturb the persistence of coldwater habitats. Characterizing thermal regimes within the upper Esopus Creek watershed is important to provide information of thermally suitable habitats for aquatic species. The objectives of this study are to measure stream water temperature and map thermal variability among tributaries to the Esopus Creek and within Esopus Creek. These objectives will be achieved by measuring stream water temperature for at least two years. More than 100 water temperature data loggers have been placed in the upper Esopus Creek and their tributaries to collect 30-minute interval water temperatures. With the measured water temperature, we will use spatial interpolation in ArcGIS to create weekly and monthly water temperature surface maps to evaluate the thermal variation over time and space within the upper Esopus Creek watershed. We will characterize responsiveness of water temperature in tributary streams to air temperature as well. This information of spatial and temporal variation of stream water temperature will assist stream managers with prioritizing management practices that maintain or enhance connectivity of thermally suitable habitats in high priority areas.

Dehydration-driven stress transfer triggers intermediate-depth earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrand, T. P.; Schubnel, A.; Hilairet, N.; Incel, S.; Deldicque, D.; Labrousse, L.; Gasc, J.; Renner, J.; Wang, Y.; Green, H. W., II

2016-12-01

Intermediate-depth earthquakes (30-300 km) have been extensively documented within subducting oceanic slabs but their physical mechanisms remain enigmatic. Earthquakes occur both in the upper and lower Wadati-Benioff planes of seismicity (UBP and LBP). The LBP is located in the mantle of the subducted oceanic lithosphere, 20-40 km below the plate interface. Several mechanisms have been proposed: dehydration embrittlement of antigorite, shear heating instabilities, and the reactivation of pre-existing shear zones. We dehydrated synthetic antigorite-olivine aggregates, a proxy for serpentinized mantle, during deformation at upper mantle conditions. Acoustic emissions (AEs) were recorded during dehydration of samples with antigorite contents as low as 5 vol.% and with up to 50 vol.%, deformed at pressures of 1.1 GPa and 3.5 GPa, respectively. Source characteristics of these AEs are compatible with faults sealed by fluid-bearing micro-pseudotachylytes in recovered samples, demonstrating that antigorite dehydration triggered dynamic shear failure of the olivine load-bearing network. These intermediate-depth earthquake analogs reconcile the apparent contradictions of previous laboratory studies and confirm that little mantle hydration, as suggested by seismic imaging, may suffice to generate LBP seismicity. We propose an alternative model to dehydration-embrittlement in which dehydration-induced stress transfer, rather than fluid overpressure, is the trigger of mantle rocks embrittlement.

Upper internals arrangement for a pressurized water reactor

DOEpatents

Singleton, Norman R; Altman, David A; Yu, Ching; Rex, James A; Forsyth, David R

2013-07-09

In a pressurized water reactor with all of the in-core instrumentation gaining access to the core through the reactor head, each fuel assembly in which the instrumentation is introduced is aligned with an upper internals instrumentation guide-way. In the elevations above the upper internals upper support assembly, the instrumentation is protected and aligned by upper mounted instrumentation columns that are part of the instrumentation guide-way and extend from the upper support assembly towards the reactor head in hue with a corresponding head penetration. The upper mounted instrumentation columns are supported laterally at one end by an upper guide tube and at the other end by the upper support plate.

Water-table and potentiometric-surface altitudes of the upper glacial, Magothy, and Lloyd aquifers on Long Island, New York, in March-April 2000, with a summary of hydrogeologic conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Busciolano, Ronald J.

2002-01-01

The three main water-bearing units on Long Island, New York--the upper glacial aquifer (water table) and the underlying Magothy and Lloyd aquifers--are the sole source of water supply for more than 3 million people. Water-table and potentiometric-surface altitudes were contoured from water-level measurements made at 394 observation, public-supply, and industrial-supply wells during March-April 2000. In general, water-level altitudes in the upper glacial, Magothy, and Lloyd aquifers were lower throughout most parts of Long Island than those measured during March-April 1997. Changes in altitude during this period ranged from an increase of about 6 feet in the Magothy aquifer in southwestern Nassau County to a decrease of more than 8 feet in the upper glacial aquifer in eastern Suffolk County.

18 CFR 708.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Snelling, Twin Cities, Minnesota. (c) Master Plan means the Upper Mississippi River System Comprehensive... Section 708.1 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN COMMISSION: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER SYSTEM MASTER PLAN § 708.1 Definitions...

Cyanobacterial mats: Microanalysis of community metabolism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Y.; Bermudes, D.; Fischer, U.; Haddad, R.; Prufert, L.; Scheulderman-Suylen, T.; Shaw, T.

1985-01-01

The microbial communities in two sites were studied using several approaches: (1) light microscopy; (2) the measurement of microprofiles of oxygen and sulfide at the surface of the microbial mat; (3) the study of diurnal variation of oxygen and sulfides; (4) in situ measurement of photosynthesis and sulfate reduction and study of the coupling of these two processes; (5) measurement of glutathione in the upper layers of the microbial mat as a possible oxygen quencher; (6) measurement of reduced iron as a possible intermediate electron donor along the established redoxcline in the mats; (7) measurement of dissolved phosphate as an indicator of processes of break down of organic matter in these systems; and (8) measurement of carbon dioxide in the interstitial water and its delta C-13 in an attempt to understand the flow of CO2 through the systems. Microbial processes of primary production and initial degradation at the most active zone of the microbial mat were analyzed.

Hydrological and Biogeochemical Controls on Absorption and Fluorescence of Dissolved Organic Matter in the Northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chao; Guo, Weidong; Li, Yan; Stubbins, Aron; Li, Yizhen; Song, Guodong; Wang, Lei; Cheng, Yuanyue

2017-12-01

The Kuroshio intrusion from the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and mesoscale eddies are important hydrological features in the northern South China Sea (SCS). In this study, absorption and fluorescence of dissolved organic matter (CDOM and FDOM) were determined to assess the impact of these hydrological features on DOM dynamics in the SCS. DOM in the upper 100 m of the northern SCS had higher absorption, fluorescence, and degree of humification than in the Kuroshio Current of the WPS. The results of an isopycnal mixing model showed that CDOM and humic-like FDOM inventories in the upper 100 m of the SCS were modulated by the Kuroshio intrusion. However, protein-like FDOM was influenced by in situ processes. This basic trend was modified by mesoscale eddies, three of which were encountered during the fieldwork (one warm eddy and two cold eddies). DOM optical properties inside the warm eddy resembled those of DOM in the WPS, indicating that warm eddies could derive from the Kuroshio Current through Luzon Strait. DOM at the center of cold eddies was enriched in humic-like fluorescence and had lower spectral slopes than in eddy-free waters, suggesting inputs of humic-rich DOM from upwelling and enhanced productivity inside the eddy. Excess CDOM and FDOM in northern SCS intermediate water led to export to the Pacific Ocean interior, potentially delivering refractory carbon to the deep ocean. This study demonstrated that DOM optical properties are promising tools to study active marginal sea-open ocean interactions.

Middle to Late Eocene paleoenvironmental changes in a marine transgressive sequence from the northern Tethyan margin (Adelholzen, Germany).

PubMed

Gebhardt, Holger; Ćorić, Stjepan; Darga, Robert; Briguglio, Antonino; Schenk, Bettina; Werner, Winfried; Andersen, Nils; Sames, Benjamin

The northern Tethyan margin is a key region for determining environmental changes associated with the collision of continental and oceanic tectonic plates and Alpine orogeny. Herein we investigated Middle to Late Eocene neritic to bathyal sediments deposited during an interval of unstable climatic conditions. In order to quantify paleoenvironmental changes, we developed a detailed age model based on biozonations of planktic foraminifera, calcareous nannoplankton, and larger benthic foraminifera. The section at Adelholzen covers the almost complete Lutetian Stage (calcareous nannoplankton zones NP15a-16, planktic foraminifera zones E8-11, shallow benthic (foraminifera) zones SBZ13-15) and large parts of the Priabonian Stage (NP18-20, E14/15), while the intermediate Bartonian Stage (NP17) is completely missing. Foraminiferal, calcareous nannoplankton, and macrofossil assemblages were analyzed for changes in paleo-water depth, mixing and stratification, paleo-primary productivity (pPP), food supply, and bottom water oxygenation. Paleo-water depth estimates range from 50 m (middle neritic, early Lutetian) to nearly 500 m (upper bathyal, late Priabonian). The combination of assemblage composition, planktic and benthic foraminiferal accumulation rates, and derived parameters (carbon-flux to sea floor, pPP) enabled us to identify a series of distinct paleoceanographic events of at least regional significance. Such events are characterized by considerable changes in primary productivity or reduced bottom water ventilation. Calculated pPP-values indicate oligotrophic conditions throughout.

Mechanisms of deterioration of intermediate moisture food systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labuza, T. P.

1972-01-01

A study of shelf stability in intermediate moisture foods was made. Major efforts were made to control lipid oxidation and nonenzymatic browning. In order to determine means of preventing these reactions, model systems were developed having the same water activity content relationship of intermediate moisture foods. Models were based on a cellulose-lipid and protein-lipid system with glycerol added as the humectant. Experiments with both systems indicate that lipid oxidation is promoted significantly in the intermediate moisture range. The effect appeared to be related to increased mobility of either reactants or catalysts, since when the amount of water in the system reached a level where capillary condensation occurred and thus free water was present, the rates of oxidation increased. With added glycerol, which is water soluble and thus increases the amount of mobile phase, the increase in oxidation rate occurs at a lower relative humidity. The rates of oxidation were maximized at 61% RH and decreased again at 75% RH probably due to dilution. No significant non-enzymatic browning occurred in the protein-lipid systems. Prevention of oxidation by the use of metal chelating agents was enhanced in the cellulose system, whereas, with protein present, the lipid soluble chain terminating antioxidants (such as BHA) worked equally as well. Preliminary studies of foods adjusted to the intermediate moisture range bear out the results of oxidation in model systems. It can be concluded that for most fat containing intermediate moisture foods, rancidity will be the reaction most limiting stability.

Potentiometric surfaces of the intermediate aquifer system, west-central Florida, May, 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mularoni, R.A.

1994-01-01

The intermediate aquifer system underlies a 5000-sq-mi area including De Soto, Sarasota, Hardee, Manatee, and parts of Charlotte, Hillsborough, Highlands, and Polk Counties, Florida. It is overlain by the surf@cial aquifer system and underlain by the Floridan aquifer system. The potentiometric surface of the intermediate aquifer system was mapped by determining the altitude of water levels in a network of wells and represented on a map by contours that connect points of equal altitude. This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the spring dry season when ground- water withdrawals for agricultural use were high. The cumulative rainfall for the study area was 4.84 inches above normal for the period from June 1992 to May 1993. Hydrographs for selected wells indicated that the annual and seasonal fluctuations of the water levels were generally large (greater than 15 feet) in the central interior region where water demand for irrigation is high during the fall and spring. Seasonal fluctuations were smaller in the northern recharge area where water use is predominantly for public supply. Water levels measured in May 1993 for the composite intermediate aquifer potentiometric surface were lower than those measured in May or September 1992. A cone of depression exists in the potentiometric surface for the composite aquifer system at Warm Mineral Springs, which is a natural discharge point from this system.

Multi-proxy Reconstructions of Deglacial Variability of Antarctic Intermediate Water Circulation in the Western Tropical Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, K.; Oppo, D.; Curry, W. B.

2012-12-01

Reconstruction of changes in Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) circulation across the last deglaciation is critical in constraining the links between AAIW and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and understanding how AAIW influences oceanic heat transport and carbon budget across abrupt climate events. Here we systematically establish in situ calibrations for carbonate saturation state (B/Ca), nutrient (Cd/Ca and δ13C) and watermass proxies (ɛNd) in foraminifera using multicore tops and ambient seawater samples collected from the Demerara Rise, western tropical Atlantic. Through the multi-proxy reconstructions, deglacial variability of intermediate water circulation in the western tropical Atlantic can be further constrained. The reconstructed seawater Cd record from the Demerara Rise sediment core (KNR197-3-46CDH, at 947 m water depth) over the last 21 kyrs suggests reduced presence of AAIW during the cold intervals (LGM, H1 and YD) when AMOC was reduced. Down-core B/Ca record shows elevated intermediate water Δ[CO32-] during these cold intervals, further indicating a weaker influence of AAIW in the western tropical Atlantic. The δ13C record exhibits a pronounced deglacial minimum and a clear decoupling between δ13C and Cd/Ca after the AMOC completely recovered at around 8 kyr BP. This could be due to the carbonate ion effect on benthic Cd/Ca or the influence of organic matter remineralization on benthic δ13C. A new ɛNd record for the last deglaciation will be provided to evaluate the relative proportions of southern and northern waters at this intermediate site in the western tropical Atlantic.

Make It Metric.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camilli, Thomas

Measurement is perhaps the most frequently used form of mathematics. This book presents activities for learning about the metric system designed for upper intermediate and junior high levels. Discussions include: why metrics, history of metrics, changing to a metric world, teaching tips, and formulas. Activities presented are: metrics all around…

Probing the Role of Active Site Water in the Sesquiterpene Cyclization Reaction Catalyzed by Aristolochene Synthase.

PubMed

Chen, Mengbin; Chou, Wayne K W; Al-Lami, Naeemah; Faraldos, Juan A; Allemann, Rudolf K; Cane, David E; Christianson, David W

2016-05-24

Aristolochene synthase (ATAS) is a high-fidelity terpenoid cyclase that converts farnesyl diphosphate exclusively into the bicyclic hydrocarbon aristolochene. Previously determined crystal structures of ATAS complexes revealed trapped active site water molecules that could potentially interact with catalytic intermediates: water "w" hydrogen bonds with S303 and N299, water molecules "w1" and "w2" hydrogen bond with Q151, and a fourth water molecule coordinates to the Mg(2+)C ion. There is no obvious role for water in the ATAS mechanism because the enzyme exclusively generates a hydrocarbon product. Thus, these water molecules are tightly controlled so that they cannot react with carbocation intermediates. Steady-state kinetics and product distribution analyses of eight ATAS mutants designed to perturb interactions with active site water molecules (S303A, S303H, S303D, N299A, N299L, N299A/S303A, Q151H, and Q151E) indicate relatively modest effects on catalysis but significant effects on sesquiterpene product distributions. X-ray crystal structures of S303A, N299A, N299A/S303A, and Q151H mutants reveal minimal perturbation of active site solvent structure. Seven of the eight mutants generate farnesol and nerolidol, possibly resulting from addition of the Mg(2+)C-bound water molecule to the initially formed farnesyl cation, but no products are generated that would suggest enhanced reactivity of other active site water molecules. However, intermediate germacrene A tends to accumulate in these mutants. Thus, apart from the possible reactivity of Mg(2+)C-bound water, active site water molecules in ATAS are not directly involved in the chemistry of catalysis but instead contribute to the template that governs the conformation of the flexible substrate and carbocation intermediates.

33 CFR 117.671 - Upper Mississippi River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Upper Mississippi River. 117.671 Section 117.671 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Minnesota § 117.671 Upper Mississippi River. (a) The...

33 CFR 117.671 - Upper Mississippi River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Upper Mississippi River. 117.671 Section 117.671 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Minnesota § 117.671 Upper Mississippi River. (a) The...

33 CFR 117.671 - Upper Mississippi River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Upper Mississippi River. 117.671 Section 117.671 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Minnesota § 117.671 Upper Mississippi River. (a) The...

33 CFR 117.1103 - Upper Mississippi River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Upper Mississippi River. 117.1103 Section 117.1103 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Wisconsin § 117.1103 Upper Mississippi River. See...

33 CFR 117.1103 - Upper Mississippi River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Upper Mississippi River. 117.1103 Section 117.1103 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Wisconsin § 117.1103 Upper Mississippi River. See...

33 CFR 117.1103 - Upper Mississippi River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Upper Mississippi River. 117.1103 Section 117.1103 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Wisconsin § 117.1103 Upper Mississippi River. See...

33 CFR 117.1103 - Upper Mississippi River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Upper Mississippi River. 117.1103 Section 117.1103 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Wisconsin § 117.1103 Upper Mississippi River. See...

33 CFR 117.1103 - Upper Mississippi River.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Upper Mississippi River. 117.1103 Section 117.1103 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Wisconsin § 117.1103 Upper Mississippi River. See...

Hydrogeology of the surficial aquifer in the vicinity of a former landfill, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Camden County, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leeth, David C.

1999-01-01

Neogene and Quaternary sediments constitute the surficial aquifer beneath the study area; in descending order from youngest to oldest these include-the Quaternary undifferentiated surficial sand and Satilla Formation; the Pliocene(?) Cypresshead Formation; and the middle Miocene Coosawhatchie Formation. Beneath the surficial aquifer, the upper Brunswick aquifer consists of part of the lower Miocene Marks Head Formation. The surficial aquifer is divided into three water-bearing zones on the basis of lithologic and geophysical properties of sediments, hydraulic-head differences between zones, and differences in ground-water chemistry. The shallowest zone-the water-table zone-consists of medium to fine sand and clayey sand and is present from land surface to a depth of about 77 feet. Below the water-table zone, the confined upper water-bearing zone consists of medium to very coarse sand and is present from a depth of about 110 to 132 feet. Beneath the upper water-bearing zone, the confined lower water-bearing zone consists of coarse sand and very fine gravel and is present from a depth of about 195 to 237 feet. Hydraulic separation is suggested by differences in water chemistry between the water-table zone and upper water-bearing zone. The sodium chloride type water in the water-table zone differs from the calcium bicarbonate type water in the upper water-bearing zone. Hydraulic separation also is indicated by hydraulic head differences of more than 6.5 feet between the water-table zone and the upper water-bearing zone. Continuous and synoptic water-level measurements in the water-table zone, from October 1995 to April 1997, indicate the presence of a water-table high beneath and adjacent to the former landfill-the surface of which varies about 5 feet with time because of recharge and discharge. Water-level data from clustered wells also suggest that restriction of vertical ground-water flow begins to occur at an altitude of about 5 to 10 feet below sea level (35 to 40 feet below land surface) in the water-table zone because of the increasing clay content of the Cypresshead Formation.

Hydrology, Water Quality, and Surface- and Ground-Water Interactions in the Upper Hillsborough River Watershed, West-Central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trommer, J.T.; Sacks, L.A.; Kuniansky, E.L.

2007-01-01

A study of the Hillsborough River watershed was conducted between October 1999 through September 2003 to characterize the hydrology, water quality, and interaction between the surface and ground water in the highly karstic uppermost part of the watershed. Information such as locations of ground-water recharge and discharge, depth of the flow system interacting with the stream, and water quality in the watershed can aid in prudent water-management decisions. The upper Hillsborough River watershed covers a 220-square-mile area upstream from Hillsborough River State Park where the watershed is relatively undeveloped. The watershed contains a second order magnitude spring, many karst features, poorly drained swamps, marshes, upland flatwoods, and ridge areas. The upper Hillsborough River watershed is subdivided into two major subbasins, namely, the upper Hillsborough River subbasin, and the Blackwater Creek subbasin. The Blackwater Creek subbasin includes the Itchepackesassa Creek subbasin, which in turn includes the East Canal subbasin. The upper Hillsborough River watershed is underlain by thick sequences of carbonate rock that are covered by thin surficial deposits of unconsolidated sand and sandy clay. The clay layer is breached in many places because of the karst nature of the underlying limestone, and the highly variable degree of confinement between the Upper Floridan and surficial aquifers throughout the watershed. Potentiometric-surface maps indicate good hydraulic connection between the Upper Floridan aquifer and the Hillsborough River, and a poorer connection with Blackwater and Itchepackesassa Creeks. Similar water level elevations and fluctuations in the Upper Floridan and surficial aquifers at paired wells also indicate good hydraulic connection. Calcium was the dominant ion in ground water from all wells sampled in the watershed. Nitrate concentrations were near or below the detection limit in all except two wells that may have been affected by fertilizer or animal waste. Wells at the Blackwater Creek and Hillsborough River at State Road 39 transects showed little seasonal variation in dissolved organic carbon. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations, however, were greater during the wet season than during the dry season at the Hillsborough River Tract transect, indicating some influence from surface-water sources. During dry periods, streamflow in the upper Hillsborough River was sustained by ground water from the underlying Upper Floridan aquifer. During wet periods, streamflow had additional contributions from runoff, and release of water from extensive riverine wetlands, and by overflow from the Withlacoochee River. In contrast, streamflow in Blackwater and Itchepackesassa Creeks was less constant, with many no-flow days occurring during dry periods. During wet season storm events, streamflow peaks occur more rapidly because there is greater confinement between the surficial deposits and the Upper Floridan aquifer, and these creeks have been highly channelized, leaving less of the adjacent wetlands intact. During dry periods, Blackwater Creek is dry upstream from its confluence with Itchepackesassa Creek, and all downstream flow is from Itchepackesassa Creek. Much of the dry season flow in Itchepackesassa Creek originates from a treated wastewater effluent outfall located on East Canal. Long-term streamflow at the Hillsborough River and Blackwater Creek stations was greater than the discharge observed during the study period. Water quality in the upper Hillsborough River is influenced by ground-water discharge. The chemical composition of water from Blackwater Creek, Itchepackesassa Creek, and East Canal was more variable because there was less ground-water discharge to these creeks than to the upper Hillsborough River, and because of the influence of wastewater effluent. Strontium isotope data indicated that the source of the water at all Hillsborough River sites during the dry season was the Oli

The Pianosa Contourite Depositional System (Northern Tyrrhenian Sea): drift morphology and Plio-Quaternary stratigraphic evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miramontes Garcia, Elda; Cattaneo, Antonio; Jouet, Gwenael; Thereau, Estelle; Thomas, Yannick; Rovere, Marzia; Cauquil, Eric; Trincardi, Fabio

2016-04-01

The Pianosa Contourite Depositional System (CDS) is located in the Corsica Trough (Northern Tyrrhenian Sea), a confined basin dominated by mass transport and contour currents in the eastern flank and by turbidity currents in the western flank. The morphologic and stratigraphic characterisation of the Pianosa CDS is based on multibeam bathymetry, seismic reflection data (multi-channel high resolution mini GI gun, single-channel sparker and CHIRP), sediment cores and ADCP data. The Pianosa CDS is located at shallow to intermediate water depths (170 to 850 m water depth) and is formed under the influence of the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW). It is 120 km long, has a maximum width of 10 km and is composed of different types of muddy sediment drifts: plastered drift, separated mounded drift, sigmoid drift and multicrested drift. The reduced tectonic activity in the Corsica Trough since the early Pliocene permits to recover a sedimentary record of the contourite depositional system that is only influenced by climate fluctuations. Contourites started to develop in the Middle-Late Pliocene, but their growth was enhanced since the Middle Pleistocene Transition (0.7-0.9 Ma). Although the general circulation of the LIW, flowing northwards in the Corsica Trough, remained active all along the history of the system, contourite drift formation changed, controlled by sediment influx and bottom current velocity. During periods of sea level fall, fast bottom currents often eroded the drift crest in the middle and upper slope. At that time the proximity of the coast to the shelf edge favoured the formation of bioclastic sand deposits winnowed by bottom currents. Higher sediment accumulation of mud in the drifts occurred during periods of fast bottom currents and high sediment availability (i.e. high activity of turbidity currents), coincident with periods of sea level low-stands. Condensed sections were formed during sea level high-stands, when bottom currents were more sluggish and the turbidite system was disconnected, resulting in a lower sediment influx.

Hurricane Arthur and its effect on the short-term variability of pCO2 on the Scotian Shelf, NW Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemay, Jonathan; Thomas, Helmuth; Craig, Susanne E.; Burt, William J.; Fennel, Katja; Greenan, Blair J. W.

2018-04-01

The understanding of the seasonal variability of carbon cycling on the Scotian Shelf in the NW Atlantic Ocean has improved in recent years; however, very little information is available regarding its short-term variability. In order to shed light on this aspect of carbon cycling on the Scotian Shelf we investigate the effects of Hurricane Arthur, which passed the region on 5 July 2014. The hurricane caused a substantial decline in the surface water partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), even though the Scotian Shelf possesses CO2-rich deep waters. High-temporal-resolution data of moored autonomous instruments demonstrate that there is a distinct layer of relatively cold water with low dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) slightly above the thermocline, presumably due to a sustained population of phytoplankton. Strong storm-related wind mixing caused this cold intermediate layer with high phytoplankton biomass to be entrained into the surface mixed layer. At the surface, phytoplankton begin to grow more rapidly due to increased light. The combination of growth and the mixing of low DIC water led to a short-term reduction in the partial pressure of CO2 until wind speeds relaxed and allowed for the restratification of the upper water column. These hurricane-related processes caused a (net) CO2 uptake by the Scotian Shelf region that is comparable to the spring bloom, thus exerting a major impact on the annual CO2 flux budget.

Intermediate water circulation in the North Pacific subarctic and northern subtropical regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueno, Hiromichi; Yasuda, Ichiro

2003-11-01

The intermediate water circulation in the North Pacific subarctic and northern subtropical regions is investigated through inverse analysis, focusing on the volume and heat transports from the subtropical to the subarctic regions. The inverse method we adopted is a hybrid method of β-spiral and box inverse methods which permits diapycnal flux. The isopycnal velocities estimated through the inverse analysis are mostly consistent with the oxygen distribution and support the hypothesis that warm and saline intermediate water is transported from the transition domain east of Japan to the northern Gulf of Alaska. The northward volume transport across 46°N between 158°E and 130°W is estimated to be -0.2 to 5.3 Sv in the density range of 26.7-27.2σθ. The upward diapycnal transports in the open subarctic North Pacific (region N) across 26.7 and 27.2σθ isopycnal surfaces are estimated to be 0.2 to 1.5 Sv and -0.2 to 0.9 Sv, respectively. Part of the water transported upward across 26.7σθ might outcrop and be carried to the subtropical region by the southward Ekman drift. Through the examination of heat balance of the intermediate layer in the subarctic region, it is suggested quantitatively that the intermediate heat transport from the south plays an essential role in maintaining the heat of the mesothermal waters in the subarctic region.

The thermodynamic balance of the Weddell Gyre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naveira Garabato, Alberto C.; Zika, Jan D.; Jullion, Loïc.; Brown, Peter J.; Holland, Paul R.; Meredith, Michael P.; Bacon, Sheldon

2016-01-01

The thermodynamic balance of the Weddell Gyre is assessed from an inverse estimate of the circulation across the gyre's rim. The gyre experiences a weak net buoyancy gain that arises from a leading-order cancelation between two opposing contributions, linked to two cells of water mass transformation and diapycnal overturning. The lower cell involves a cooling-driven densification of 8.4 ± 2.0 Sv of Circumpolar Deep Water and Antarctic Bottom Water near the gyre's southern and western margins. The upper cell entails a freshening-driven conversion of 4.9 ± 2.0 Sv of Circumpolar Deep Water into lighter upper ocean waters within the gyre interior. The distinct role of salinity between the two cells stems from opposing salinity changes induced by sea ice production, meteoric sources, and admixture of fresh upper ocean waters in the lower cell, which contrasts with coherent reductions in salinity associated with sea ice melting and meteoric sources in the upper cell.

Upper Rio Grande Simulation Model (URGSIM)

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

Roach, Jesse; & Tidwell, Vincent

2010-08-05

URGSIM estimates the location of surface water and groundwater resources in the upper Rio Grande Basin between the Colorado-New Mexico state line, and Caballo Reservoir from 1975 - 2045. It is a mass balance hydrology model of the Upper Rio Grande surface water, groundwater, and water demand systems which runs at a monthly timestep from 1975-1999 in calibration mode, 2000-2004 in validation mode, and 2005-2045 in scenario analysis mode.

Water levels shape fishing participation in flood-control reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miranda, Leandro E.; Meals, K. O.

2013-01-01

We examined the relationship between fishing effort (hours fished) and average March–May water level in 3 flood control reservoirs in Mississippi. Fishing effort increased as water level rose, peaked at intermediate water levels, and decreased at high water levels. We suggest that the observed arched-shaped relationship is driven by the shifting influence of fishability (adequacy of the fishing circumstances from an angler's perspective) and catch rate along a water level continuum. Fishability reduces fishing effort during low water, despite the potential for higher catch rates. Conversely, reduced catch rates and fishability at high water also curtail effort. Thus, both high and low water levels seem to discourage fishing effort, whereas anglers seem to favor intermediate water levels. Our results have implications for water level management in reservoirs with large water level fluctuations.

Bridging the GAPS from Space: A Research/Educational Partnership in the Upper Delaware River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown de Colstoun, E.; Robin, J.; Minelli, S.; Katsaros, M.; Peterec, I.; Sandt, K.

2006-05-01

The National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program is currently developing scientific protocols to inventory and monitor the natural resources of 270 park units at the national level. These are aimed at providing critical tools needed by park managers for effective decision-making regarding the management and stewardship of the resources they are charged with protecting. We are currently developing a satellite-based regional land cover and land use monitoring protocol that addresses the immediate needs of the NPS I&M. This is a pilot project that examines land cover/use changes in and around the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area national parks from Landsat data for the period 1984 to 2005, in one the fastest growing regions in the country. The products resulting from the application of the protocols are then used to guide the simulation of land cover/use changes within a simple Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere-Transfer (SVAT) model called GAPS in order to better understand the consequences of the measured land cover/use change on the water and energy cycles of the parks and surrounding areas. The data needed for product validation and model parameterization are being acquired with the assistance of students and educators from area schools using protocols established through the GLOBE program. Through focused workshops organized in collaboration with NPS educational specialists and PA regional educational service agencies called Intermediate Units, and participation in hands-on field measurement campaigns, students and educators are learning about satellite remote sensing interpretation, land cover classification, and how to measure/monitor changes in land cover/use in their communities. Students will also assist in the model simulations using the data they acquire in the field. This partnership between the Principal Investigator, the NPS, Intermediate Units and area students and educators is one that clearly benefits the development and validation of the research but also provides the compelling story line for a variety of educational activities, all within the spectacular setting of our National Parks. We are building here on existing relationships between NASA, the NPS, and local governments and schools to strengthen the local curriculum in the natural sciences and to enhance the study and appreciation of the Earth as a system of interconnected parts.

Hydrogeology, water quality, and water-supply potential of the Lower Floridan Aquifer, coastal Georgia, 1999-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Falls, W. Fred; Harrelson, Larry G.; Conlon, Kevin J.; Petkewich, Matthew D.

2005-01-01

The hydrogeology and water quality of the upper permeable and Fernandina permeable zones of the Lower Floridan aquifer were studied at seven sites in the 24-county study area encompassed by the Georgia Coastal Sound Science Initiative. Although substantially less than the Upper Floridan aquifer in coastal Georgia, transmissivities for the Lower Floridan aquifer are in the same range as other water-supply aquifers in Georgia and South Carolina and could meet the needs of public drinking-water supply. Water of the upper permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer exceeds the Federal secondary drinking-water standards for sulfate and total dissolved solids at most coastal Georgia sites and the Federal secondary drinking-water standard for chloride at the Shellman Bluff site. The top of the Lower Floridan aquifer correlates within 50 feet of the previously reported top, except at the St Simons Island site where the top is more than 80 feet higher. Based on the hydrogeologic characteristics, the seven sites are divided into the northern sites at Shellman Bluff, Richmond Hill, Pembroke, and Pineora; and southern sites at St Marys, Brunswick, and St Simons Island. At the northern sites, the Lower Floridan aquifer does not include the Fernandina permeable zone, is thinner than the overlying Upper Floridan aquifer, and consists of only strata of the middle Eocene Avon Park Formation. Transmissivities in the Lower Floridan aquifer are 8,300 feet squared per day at Richmond Hill and 6,000 feet squared per day at Shellman Bluff, generally one tenth the transmissivity of the Upper Floridan aquifer at these sites. At the southern sites, the upper permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer is thicker than the Upper Floridan aquifer and consists of porous limestone and dolomite interbedded with nonporous strata of the middle Eocene Avon Park and early Eocene Oldsmar Formations. Transmissivities for the upper permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer are 500 feet squared per day at the St Simons Island site and 13,000 feet squared per day at the St Marys site. The Lower Floridan aquifer at the Brunswick and St Marys sites includes the Fernandina permeable zone, which consists of saltwater-bearing dolomite. Hydrographs of Coastal Sound Science Initiative wells and other nearby wells open to the Upper Floridan aquifer, and the upper permeable and Fernandina permeable zones of the Lower Floridan aquifer have similar trends. Water levels in wells open to the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers are below land surface at the northern sites and the St Simons Island site, and above land surface at the Brunswick and St Marys sites, as of January 1, 2004. Freshwater is present in the Lower Floridan aquifer at Pineora, Pembroke, and St Marys, and from 1,259 to 1,648 feet below land surface at Brunswick. Slightly saline water is present in the Lower Floridan aquifer at Richmond Hill, Shellman Bluff, St Simons Island, and from 1,679 to 1,970 feet below land surface in well 34H495 at Brunswick. The upper permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer contains bicarbonate water at the Pembroke site, sulfate-bicarbonate water at the Brunswick site, and sulfate water at the St Simons Island, Shellman Bluff, St Marys, and Richmond Hill sites. The bicarbonate, sulfate-bicarbonate, and sulfate waters are saturated relative to calcite and dolomite, and undersaturated with gypsum and anhydrite. The Fernandina permeable zone in well 34H495 includes moderately saline water, very saline water, and brine. The Fernandina permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer beneath downtown Brunswick contains chloride water that is slightly undersaturated to saturated with gypsum and anhydrite. Concentrations of total dissolved solids, sulfate, and chloride exceeded the Federal secondary drinking-water standards. The chloride-contaminated plumes beneath downtown Brunswick would require at least a 12- to 20-percent contribution of very saline water from the Fernandi

Looking through the Zircon Kaleidoscope: Durations, Rates, and Fluxes in Silicic Magmatic System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaltegger, U.; Wotzlaw, J. F.

2014-12-01

The crystallization rate of zircon in a cooling magma depends on the cooling rate through the saturation interval in addition to compositional and kinetic factors. Repeated influx of hot magma over 10-20 ka leads to short-amplitude temperature oscillations, which are recorded by resorption/crystallization cycles of zircon. Plotting the number of dated zircons versus their high-precision U-Pb date results in curves that qualitatively relate to the evolution of magma temperature over time [1], [2]. The trace elemental, O and Hf isotopic composition of zircon gives indications about the degree of magma homogenization and thermal evolution. Zircons from systems with small volumes and magma fluxes record non-systematic chemical and Hf isotopic heterogeneity, suggesting crystallization in non-homogenized ephemeral magma batches. Such systems typically lead to small, mid-upper crustal plutons [3]. Zircons from large-volume crystal-poor rhyolites record initial heterogeneities and rapid amalgamation of smaller magma batches over 10 ka [4], while zircons from monotonous intermediates record magma evolution over several 100 ka with coherent fractionation trends suggesting homogenization and a coherent thermal evolution [2]. In both cases, volumes and flux rates were sufficient to produce large volumes of eruptible magma on very contrasting time scales. Zircon is therefore recording cyclic crystallization-rejuvenation processes during temperature fluctuations in intermediate to upper crustal magma reservoirs but may not relate to the physical pluton emplacement or eruption. We can quantify volumes, rates of magma influx, rates of cooling and crystallization, and the degree of convective homogenization from zircon data, and infer reservoir assembly and eruption trigger mechanisms. These parameters largely control the evolution of long-lived, low-flux silicic magmatic system typical for mid-to-upper crustal plutons, monotonous intermediates are characterized by intermediate durations and fluxes while short-lived, high-flux systems preferentially produce crystal-poor rhyolites. References: [1] Caricchi et al. (2014) Nature 511, 457-461; [2] Wotzlaw et al. (2013) Geology 41, 867-870; [3] Broderick (2013) PhD thesis, Univ. of Geneva; [3] Wotzlaw et al. (2014) Geology, doi:10.1130/G35979.1

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.

Ecological risks of home and personal care products in the riverine environment of a rural region in South China without domestic wastewater treatment facilities.

PubMed

Zhang, Nai-Sheng; Liu, You-sheng; Van den Brink, Paul J; Price, Oliver R; Ying, Guang-Guo

2015-12-01

Home and personal care products (HPCPs) including biocides, benzotriazoles (BTs) and ultraviolet (UV) filters are widely used in our daily life. After use, they are discharged with domestic wastewater into the receiving environment. This study investigated the occurrence of 29 representative HPCPs, including biocides, BTs and UV filters, in the riverine environment of a rural region of South China where no wastewater treatment plants were present, and assessed their potential ecological risks to aquatic organisms. The results showed the detection of 11 biocides and 4 BTs in surface water, and 9 biocides, 3 BTs and 4 UV filters in sediment. In surface water, methylparaben (MeP), triclocarban (TCC), and triclosan (TCS) were detected at all sites with median concentrations of 9.23 ng/L, 2.64 ng/L and 5.39 ng/L, respectively. However, the highest median concentrations were found for clotrimazole (CLOT), 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (MBT) and carbendazim (CARB) at 55.6 ng/L, 33.7 ng/L and 13.8 ng/L, respectively. In sediment, TCC, TCS, and UV-326 were detected with their maximum concentrations up to 353 ng/g, 155 ng/g, and 133 ng/g, respectively. The concentrations for those detected HPCPs in surface water and sediment were generally lower in the upper reach (rural area) of Sha River than in the lower reach of Sha River with close proximity to Dongjiang River (Pt-test<0.05), indicating other input sources of HPCPs in the lower reach. Biocides showed significantly higher levels in surface water in the wet season than in the dry and intermediate seasons. Preliminary risk assessment demonstrated that the majority of HPCPs monitored represented low risk in surface waters. There are potentially greater risks to aquatic organisms from the use of TCS and TCC in the wet season than in dry and intermediate seasons in surface waters. This preliminary assessment also indicates potential concerns associated with TCC, TCS, DEET, CARB, and CLOT in sediments, although additional data should be generated to assess this fully. Thus future research is needed to investigate ecological effects of these HPCPs on benthic organisms in sediment of rural rivers receiving untreated wastewater discharge. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in the formation of AAIW and storage of anthropogenic carbon in the South Atlantic in the 1990s and 2000s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kieke, Dagmar; Steinfeldt, Reiner; Rhein, Monika; Huhn, Oliver

2017-04-01

Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is the most abundant intermediate water mass originating in the southern hemisphere and is easily recognized by its low salinity tongue located at depths between 500 m to 1500 m. As AAIW contributes to the upper limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), knowledge regarding its formation, associated variability, and its vulnerability with respect to the uptake of anthropogenic carbon (Cant) is of high relevance in a world facing increasing atmospheric Cant concentrations and global warming with direct impact on the AMOC strength and variability. We have used transient tracer data (chlorofluorocarbon, CFC) covering the period 1982-2005 to calculate CFC inventories and to derive rates of AAIW formation in the South Atlantic. Tracer data collected prior to 1995 have been referenced to 1990 and data from 1995 onwards to the year 2000. This allows to assess the changes in formation between these two periods. As a major result, we find a significant decrease in the formation of AAIW in the South Atlantic. Based on the tracer data and applying the transit time distribution (TTD) method, we have furthermore estimated changes in the inventories and storage of Cant within the AAIW. We find that the reduction of AAIW formation has severe implications for the uptake of Cant within this layer in the South Atlantic. Our results are discussed in the light of long-term changes regarding the strength of the surface forcing over the western South Atlantic and variations in the phase of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). A decrease in the AAIW formation can partly be attributed to a weakening in the surface forcing that correlates to variations in the SAM.

Laboratory earthquakes triggered during eclogitization of lawsonite-bearing blueschist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Incel, Sarah; Hilairet, Nadège; Labrousse, Loïc; John, Timm; Deldicque, Damien; Ferrand, Thomas; Wang, Yanbin; Renner, Jörg; Morales, Luiz; Schubnel, Alexandre

2017-04-01

The origin of intermediate-depth seismicity has been debated for decades. A substantial fraction of these events occurs within the upper plane of Wadati-Benioff double seismic zones believed to represent subducting oceanic crust. We deformed natural lawsonite-rich blueschist samples under eclogite-facies conditions, using a D-DIA apparatus installed at a synchrotron beamline continuously monitoring stress, strain, phase changes, and acoustic emissions (AEs). Two distinct paths were investigated during which i) lawsonite and glaucophane became gradually unstable while entering the stability field of lawsonite-eclogite and the breakdown reaction of lawsonite was only crossed in case of the highest final temperature; ii) lawsonite broke down and the sample successively entered the stability fields of epidote-blueschist and eclogite-amphibolite but not of lawsonite-eclogite. Upon entering the Lws-Ecl stability field, samples exhibited brittle failure, accompanied by the radiation of AEs. In-situ X-ray diffraction and microstructural analysis demonstrate that fractures are topologically related to the formation of omphacite. Amorphous material was detected along the fractures by transmission-electron microscopy without evidence for free-water. Since the newly formed omphacite crystals are small compared to the initial grains, we interpret the observed mechanical instability as a transformation-induced runaway under stress triggered during the transformation from lawsonite-blueschist to lawsonite-eclogite. In contrast, we find no microstructural evidence that the breakdown of lawsonite, and hence the liberation of water leads to the fracturing. Our experimental results challenge the concept of "dehydration embrittlement", which ascribes the genesis of intermediate-depth earthquakes to the breakdown of hydrous phases in the subducting oceanic plate. Instead we suggest that grain-size reduction (transformational faulting) during the transformation from lawsonite-blueschist to lawsonite-eclogite leads to brittle failure of the deviatorically loaded samples.

Cross-Country Adventures. Teaching with Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Denise

1995-01-01

Features reviews of four computer games for use with intermediate and upper grade students, three on geography (Travelrama USA, Crosscountry USA, My America) and one on history (Vital Links). Comments include strengths of each activity, related multimedia activities and resources, and links to literature. Also reviews "Educator's Internet…

Technology: Educational Media and Materials for the Handicapped Program. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD. Applied Physics Lab.

Results are presented of a project that developed 12 social studies (specifically, directionality and geography) and critical thinking computerized instructional modules using multimedia instruction for students with learning disabilities at the upper elementary and lower intermediate school levels. Seven overarching principles were identified as…

Math Process Standards Series, Grades 3-5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connell, Susan, Ed.

2008-01-01

NCTM's Process Standards support teaching that helps upper elementary level children develop independent, effective mathematical thinking. The books in the Heinemann Math Process Standards Series give every intermediate-grades teacher the opportunity to explore each standard in depth. With language and examples that don't require prior math…

Graphic Organizers and Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dexter, Douglas D.; Hughes, Charles A.

2011-01-01

This meta-analysis reviews experimental and quasi-experimental studies in which upper-elementary, intermediate, and secondary students with learning disabilities learned from graphic organizers. Following an exhaustive search for studies meeting specified design criteria, 55 standardized mean effect sizes were extracted from 16 articles involving…

101 Environmental Education Activities. Booklet 4--Science Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitney, Helen, Comp.

Fourth in the series "101 Environmental Education Activities" by the Upper Mississippi River ECO-Center, the booklet contains 39 environment-based science activities directed to students in primary, intermediate, and junior high classes. Organization of the activities usually includes grade level, objectives, procedures, and materials,…

Hydrogen and the Wadsleyite to Ringwoodite Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smyth, J. R.

2017-12-01

Olivine [(Mg,Fe)2SiO4] has a stoichiometry of three cations to four oxygens. The three well-known high-pressure polymorphs, olivine, wadsleyite, and ringwoodite, are the dominant mineral phases in the upper mantle (0 - 410 km) and upper (410 - 525 km) and lower (525 - 660 transition zones, respectively. There is, however a fourth polymorph, known as wadsleyite II, that has been seen in a few experiments at pressures near the wadsleyite - ringwoodite transition that might account for the lack of a sharp seismic discontinuity at 525 km. Wadsleyite II is a spinelloid and like wadsleyite and ringwoodite, is based on a cubic-close-packed array of oxygen atoms. Its a and c crystallographic axes are similar to wadsleyite but has a very long b-axis ( 29Å) and has only been identified in experiments that have been equilibrated for more than 20 h. Like wadsleyite and ringwoodite, it can incorporate more than two weight percent water, but has never been observed to incorporate less than 2% H2O by weight. The structure contains both Si2O7 groups as well as isolated SiO4 tetraheda and its density and physical properties are intermediate between wadsleyite and ringwoodite. When it occurs, in long-duration experiments, it is very well-ordered with few if any stacking faults so it is likely to be a stable phase. Although anhydrous samples have been synthesized as spinelloid IV in the nickel aluminate system, the Fo90 silicate composition has only been seen in long-duration experiments in the hydrous peridotite system. From measured elastic properties of anhydrous wadsleyite and ringwoodite, one would expect an observable seismic transition discontinuity between wadsleyite and ringwoodite near 525 km depth under anhydrous conditions. However the presence of an intermediate phase may obscure the seismic signal under hydrous conditions.

Evidence for Sexual Dimorphism in the Plated Dinosaur Stegosaurus mjosi (Ornithischia, Stegosauria) from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Western USA.

PubMed

Saitta, Evan Thomas

2015-01-01

Conclusive evidence for sexual dimorphism in non-avian dinosaurs has been elusive. Here it is shown that dimorphism in the shape of the dermal plates of Stegosaurus mjosi (Upper Jurassic, western USA) does not result from non-sex-related individual, interspecific, or ontogenetic variation and is most likely a sexually dimorphic feature. One morph possessed wide, oval plates 45% larger in surface area than the tall, narrow plates of the other morph. Intermediate morphologies are lacking as principal component analysis supports marked size- and shape-based dimorphism. In contrast, many non-sex-related individual variations are expected to show intermediate morphologies. Taphonomy of a new quarry in Montana (JRDI 5ES Quarry) shows that at least five individuals were buried in a single horizon and were not brought together by water or scavenger transportation. This new site demonstrates co-existence, and possibly suggests sociality, between two morphs that only show dimorphism in their plates. Without evidence for niche partitioning, it is unlikely that the two morphs represent different species. Histology of the new specimens in combination with studies on previous specimens indicates that both morphs occur in fully-grown individuals. Therefore, the dimorphism is not a result of ontogenetic change. Furthermore, the two morphs of plates do not simply come from different positions on the back of a single individual. Plates from all positions on the body can be classified as one of the two morphs, and previously discovered, isolated specimens possess only one morph of plates. Based on the seemingly display-oriented morphology of plates, female mate choice was likely the driving evolutionary mechanism rather than male-male competition. Dinosaur ornamentation possibly served similar functions to the ornamentation of modern species. Comparisons to ornamentation involved in sexual selection of extant species, such as the horns of bovids, may be appropriate in predicting the function of some dinosaur ornamentation.

Hydrogeology, water quality, and saltwater intrusion in the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the offshore area near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and Tybee Island, Georgia, 1999-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Falls, W. Fred; Ransom, Camille; Landmeyer, James E.; Reuber, Eric J.; Edwards, Lucy E.

2005-01-01

To assess the hydrogeology, water quality, and the potential for saltwater intrusion in the offshore Upper Floridan aquifer, a scientific investigation was conducted near Tybee Island, Georgia, and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Four temporary wells were drilled at 7, 8, 10, and 15 miles to the northeast of Tybee Island, and one temporary well was drilled in Calibogue Sound west of Hilton Head Island. The Upper Floridan aquifer at the offshore and Calibogue sites includes the unconsolidated calcareous quartz sand, calcareous quartz sandstone, and sandy limestone of the Oligocene Lazaretto Creek and Tiger Leap Formations, and the limestone of the late Eocene Ocala Limestone and middle Avon Park Formation. At the 7-, 10-, and 15-mile sites, the upper confining unit between the Upper Floridan and surficial aquifers correlates to the Miocene Marks Head Formation. Paleochannel incisions have completely removed the upper confining unit at the Calibogue site and all but a 0.8-foot-thick interval of the confining unit at the 8-mile site, raising concern about the potential for saltwater intrusion through the paleochannel-fill sediments at these two sites. The paleochannel incisions at the Calibogue and 8-mile sites are filled with fine- and coarse-grained sediments, respectively. The hydrogeologic setting and the vertical hydraulic gradients at the 7- and 10-mile sites favored the absence of saltwater intrusion during predevelopment. After decades of onshore water use in Georgia and South Carolina, the 0-foot contour in the regional cone of depression of the Upper Floridan aquifer is estimated to have been at the general location of the 7- and 10-mile sites by the mid-1950s and at or past the 15-mile site by the 1980s. The upward vertical hydraulic gradient reversed, but the presence of more than 17 feet of upper confining unit impeded the downward movement of saltwater from the surficial aquifer to the Upper Floridan aquifer at the 7- and 10-mile sites. At the 10-mile site, the chloride concentration in the Upper Floridan borehole-water sample and the pore-water samples from the Oligocene and Eocene strata support the conclusion of no noticeable modern saltwater intrusion in the Upper Floridan aquifer. The chloride concentration of 370 milligrams per liter in the borehole-water sample at the 7-mile site from the Upper Floridan aquifer at 78 to 135 feet below North American Vertical Datum of 1988 is considerably higher than the chloride concentration of 25 milligrams per liter measured at the 10-mile site. The higher concentration probably is the result of downward leakage of saltwater through the confining unit at the 7-mile site or could reflect downward leakage of saltwater through an even thinner layer of the upper confining unit beneath the paleochannel to the northeast and lateral movement (encroachment) from the paleochannel to the 7-mile site. Carbon-14 concentrations at both sites, however, are low and indicate that most of the water is relict fresh ground water. The hydrogeology at the 15-mile site includes 17 feet of the upper confining unit. The chloride concentration in the Upper Floridan aquifer is 6,800 milligrams per liter. The setting for the Upper Floridan aquifer beneath the 15-mile site is interpreted as a transitional mixing zone between relict freshwater and relict saltwater. At the Calibogue site, 35 feet of fine-grained paleochannel-fill sediments overlies the Oligocene strata of the Upper Floridan aquifer. The vertical hydraulic conductivity of the paleochannel fill at this site is similar to the upper confining unit and effectively replaces the missing upper confining unit. Chloride concentrations and low carbon-14 and tritium concentrations in borehole water from the Upper Floridan aquifer, and low chloride concentrations in pore water from the upper confining unit indicate relict freshwater confined in the Upper Floridan aquifer at the Calibogue site. The coarse-grained paleochannel-f

Implementing online quantitative support modules in an intermediate-level course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daly, J.

2011-12-01

While instructors typically anticipate that students in introductory geology courses enter a class with a wide range of quantitative ability, we often overlook the fact that this may also be true in upper-level courses. Some students are drawn to the subject and experience success in early courses with an emphasis on descriptive geology, then experience frustration and disappointment in mid- and upper-level courses that are more quantitative. To bolster student confidence in quantitative skills and enhance their performance in an upper-level course, I implemented several modules from The Math You Need (TMYN) online resource with a 200-level geomorphology class. Student facility with basic quantitative skills (rearranging equations, manipulating units, and graphing) was assessed with an online pre- and post-test. During the semester, modules were assigned to complement existing course activities (for example, the module on manipulating units was assigned prior to a lab on measurement of channel area and water velocity, then calculation of discharge). The implementation was designed to be a concise review of relevant skills for students with higher confidence in their quantitative abilities, and to provide a self-paced opportunity for students with less quantitative facility to build skills. This course already includes a strong emphasis on quantitative data collection, analysis, and presentation; in the past, student performance in the course has been strongly influenced by their individual quantitative ability. I anticipate that giving students the opportunity to improve mastery of fundamental quantitative skills will improve their performance on higher-stakes assignments and exams, and will enhance their sense of accomplishment in the course.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and Vicinity, Florida, May 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnaman, Sandra L.

2006-01-01

INTRODUCTION This map depicts the potentiometric surface of the upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity for May 2005. Potentiometric contours are based on water level measurements collected at 598 wens during the period May 5 - 31, near the end of the dry season. Some contours are inferred from previous potentiometric-surface maps with larger well networks. The potentiometric surface of the carbonate upper Floridan aquifer responds mainly to rainfall, and more locally, to ground water withdrawals. Potentiometric-surface highs generally correspond to topographic highs where the aquifer is recharged. Springs and areas of diffuse upward leakage naturally discharge water from the aquifer and are most prevalent along the St. Johns River. Areas of discharge are reflected by depressions in the potentiometric surface. Ground water withdrawals locally have lowered the potentiometric surface. Ground water in the upper Floridan aquifer generally flows from potentiometric highs to potentiometric lows in a direction perpendicular to the contours.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and Vicinity, Florida, May 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnaman, Sandra L.

2006-01-01

Introduction: This map depicts the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity for May 2006. Potentiometric contours are based on water-level measurements collected at 599 wells during the period May 14-31, near the end of the dry season. Some contours are inferred from previous potentiometric-surface maps with larger well networks. The potentiometric surface of the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer responds mainly to rainfall, and more locally, to ground-water withdrawals and springflow. Potentiometric-surface highs generally correspond to topographic highs where the aquifer is recharged. Springs and areas of diffuse upward leakage naturally discharge water from the aquifer and are most prevalent along the St. Johns River. Areas of discharge are reflected by depressions in the potentiometric surface. Ground-water withdrawals locally have lowered the potentiometric surface. Ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer generally flows from potentiometric highs to potentiometric lows in a direction perpendicular to the contours.

Potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River water management district and vicinity, Florida, September 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnaman, Sandra L.

2006-01-01

This map depicts the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity for September 2005. Potentiometric contours are based on water-level measurements collected at 643 wells during the period September 12-28, near the end of the wet season. Some contours are inferred from previous potentiometric-surface maps with larger well networks. The potentiometric surface of the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer responds mainly to rainfall, and more locally, to ground-water withdrawals and springflow. Potentiometric-surface highs generally correspond to topographic highs where the aquifer is recharged. Springs and areas of diffuse upward leakage naturally discharge water from the aquifer and are most prevalent along the St. Johns River. Areas of discharge are reflected by depressions in the potentiometric surface. Ground-water withdrawals locally have lowered the potentiometric surface. Ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer generally flows from potentiometric highs to potentiometric lows in a direction perpendicular to the contours.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and Vicinity, Florida, September 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnaman, Sandra L.; Dixon, Joann F.

2007-01-01

Introduction This map depicts the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity for September 2006. Potentiometric contours are based on water-level measurements collected at 571 wells during the period September 11-29, near the end of the wet season. Some contours are inferred from previouspotentiometric-surface maps with larger well networks. The potentiometric surface of the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer responds mainly to rainfall, and more locally, to ground-water withdrawals and spring flow. Potentiometric-surface highs generally correspond to topographic highs where the aquifer is recharged. Springs and areas of diffuse upward leakage naturally discharge water from the aquifer and are most prevalent along the St. Johns River. Areas of discharge are reflected by depressions in the potentiometric surface. Ground-water withdrawals locally have lowered the potentiometric surface. Ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer generally flows from potentiometric highs to potentiometric lows in a direction perpendicular to the contours.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and Vicinity, Florida, September 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnaman, Sandra L.; Dixon, Joann F.

2009-01-01

This map depicts the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity for September 2008. Potentiometric contours are based on water-level measurements collected at 589 wells during the period September 15-25, near the end of the wet season. Some contours are inferred from previous potentiometric-surface maps with larger well networks. The potentiometric surface of the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer responds mainly to rainfall, and more locally, to ground-water withdrawals and spring flow. Potentiometric-surface highs generally correspond to topographic highs where the aquifer is recharged. Springs and areas of diffuse upward leakage naturally discharge water from the aquifer and are most prevalent along the St. Johns River. Areas of discharge are reflected by depressions in the potentiometric surface. Ground-water withdrawals locally have lowered the potentiometric surface. Ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer generally flows from potentiometric highs to potentiometric lows in a direction perpendicular to the contours.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and Vicinity, Florida, September 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnaman, Sandra L.; Dixon, Joann F.

2008-01-01

This map depicts the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity for September 2007. Potentiometric contours are based on water-level measurements collected at 554 wells during the period September 15-27, near the end of the wet season. Some contours are inferred from previous potentiometric-surface maps with larger well networks. The potentiometric surface of the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer responds mainly to rainfall, and more locally, to ground-water withdrawals and spring flow. Potentiometric-surface highs generally correspond to topographic highs where the aquifer is recharged. Springs and areas of diffuse upward leakage naturally discharge water from the aquifer and are most prevalent along the St. Johns River. Areas of discharge are reflected by depressions in the potentiometric surface. Ground-water withdrawals locally have lowered the potentiometric surface. Ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer generally flows from potentiometric highs to potentiometric lows in a direction perpendicular to the contours.

Ground-water conditions and studies in Georgia, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leeth, David C.; Clarke, John S.; Craigg, Steven D.; Wipperfurth, Caryl J.

2003-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collects ground-water data and conducts studies to monitor hydrologic conditions, to better define ground-water resources, and address problems related to water supply and water quality. Data collected as part of ground-water studies include geologic, geophysical, hydraulic property, water level, and water quality. A ground-water-level network has been established throughout most of the State of Georgia, and ground-water-quality networks have been established in the cities of Albany, Savannah, and Brunswick and in Camden County, Georgia. Ground-water levels are monitored continuously in a network of wells completed in major aquifers of the State. This network includes 17 wells in the surficial aquifer, 12 wells in the upper and lower Brunswick aquifers, 73 wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer, 10 wells in the Lower Floridan aquifer and underlying units, 12 wells in the Claiborne aquifer, 1 well in the Gordon aquifer, 11 wells in the Clayton aquifer, 11 wells in the Cretaceous aquifer system, 2 wells in Paleozoic-rock aquifers, and 7 wells in crystalline-rock aquifers. In this report, data from these 156 wells were evaluated to determine whether mean-annual ground-water levels were within, below, or above the normal range during 2001, based on summary statistics for the period of record. Information from these summaries indicates that water levels during 2001 were below normal in almost all aquifers monitored, largely reflecting climatic effects from drought and pumping. In addition, water-level hydrographs for selected wells indicate that water levels have declined during the past 5 years (since 1997) in almost all aquifers monitored, with water levels in some wells falling below historical lows. In addition to continuous water-level data, periodic measurements taken in 52 wells in the Camden County-Charlton County area, and 65 wells in the city of Albany-Dougherty County area were used to construct potentiometric-surface maps for the Upper Floridan aquifer. Ground-water quality in the Upper Floridan aquifer is monitored in the cities of Albany, Savannah, and Brunswick and in Camden County; and monitored in the Lower Floridan aquifer in the Savannah and Brunswick areas. In the Albany area since 1998, nitrate concentrations in the Upper Floridan aquifer have increased in 4 of the 11 wells monitored, and in 1 well, concentrations were above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) drinking-water standard. In the Savannah area, chloride concentration in water from four wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer showed no appreciable change during 2001, remaining within the USEPA 250 mg/L drinking-water standard; in seven wells completed in the Lower Floridan aquifer and in underlying zones, the chloride concentration remained above the drinking-water standard, with one well showing an increase over previous years. In the Brunswick area, water samples from 66 wells completed in the Upper or Lower Floridan aquifers were collected during June 2001 and analyzed for chloride. A map showing chloride concentrations in the Upper Floridan aquifer during June 2001 indicates that concentrations remained above USEPA drinking-water standards across a 2-square-mile area. In the north Brunswick area, chloride concentrations in the Upper Floridan aquifer continued to increase, whereas in the south Brunswick area, concentrations continued to decrease. In the Camden County area, chloride concentrations in six wells completed in the Upper Floridan aquifer remained within drinking-water standards. With the exception of one well, concentrations remained the same and were below 40 mg/L. In one well, concentrations showed a sharp decline during 2001, but remained above 130 mg/L. Ongoing studies during 2001 include evaluation of agricultural chemicals in shallow ground water in southwestern Georgia; evaluation of saltwater intrusion and water-level and water-quality m

Potential for using the Upper Coachella Valley ground-water basin, California, for storage of artificially recharged water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mallory, Michael J.; Swain, Lindsay A.; Tyley, Stephen J.

1980-01-01

This report presents a preliminary evaluation of the geohydrologic factors affecting storage of water by artificial recharge in the upper Coachella Valley, Calif. The ground-water basin of the upper Coachella Valley seems to be geologically suitable for large-scale artificial recharge. A minimum of 900 ,000 acre-feet of water could probably be stored in the basin without raising basinwide water levels above those that existed in 1945. Preliminary tests indicate that a long-term artificial recharge rate of 5 feet per day may be feasible for spreading grounds in the basin if such factors as sediment and bacterial clogging can be controlled. The California Department of Water Resources, through the Future Water Supply Program, is investigating the use of ground-water basins for storage of State Water Project water in order to help meet maximum annual entitlements to water project contractors. (USGS)

Study on dioxygen reduction by mutational modifications of the hydrogen bond network leading from bulk water to the trinuclear copper center in bilirubin oxidase

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

Morishita, Hirotoshi; Kurita, Daisuke; Kataoka, Kunishige

2014-07-18

Highlights: • Proton transport pathway in bilirubin oxidase was mutated. • Two intermediates in the dioxygen reduction steps were trapped and characterized. • A specific glutamate for dioxygen reduction by multicopper oxidases was identified. - Abstract: The hydrogen bond network leading from bulk water to the trinuclear copper center in bilirubin oxidase is constructed with Glu463 and water molecules to transport protons for the four-electron reduction of dioxygen. Substitutions of Glu463 with Gln or Ala were attributed to virtually complete loss or significant reduction in enzymatic activities due to an inhibition of the proton transfer steps to dioxygen. The singlemore » turnover reaction of the Glu463Gln mutant afforded the highly magnetically interacted intermediate II (native intermediate) with a broad g = 1.96 electron paramagnetic resonance signal detectable at cryogenic temperatures. Reactions of the double mutants, Cys457Ser/Glu463Gln and Cys457Ser/Glu463Ala afforded the intermediate I (peroxide intermediate) because the type I copper center to donate the fourth electron to dioxygen was vacant in addition to the interference of proton transport due to the mutation at Glu463. The intermediate I gave no electron paramagnetic resonance signal, but the type II copper signal became detectable with the decay of the intermediate I. Structural and functional similarities between multicopper oxidases are discussed based on the present mutation at Glu463 in bilirubin oxidase.« less

NTTC Course 215: Intermediate Water Examination.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of the Navy, Washington, DC.

This publication is the examination booklet used for a home study course in water treatment. This course is the intermediate part of a series produced by the Department of the Navy. This publication is designed to be used in conjunction with a textbook. Each of the two examinations contained in this document are referenced to a section of the…

Chemical Evolution of Groundwater Near a Sinkhole Lake, Northern Florida: 1. Flow Patterns, Age of Groundwater, and Influence of Lake Water Leakage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Brian G.; Lee, Terrie M.; Plummer, L. Niel; Busenberg, Eurybiades

1995-06-01

Leakage from sinkhole lakes significantly influences recharge to the Upper Floridan aquifer in poorly confined sediments in northern Florida. Environmental isotopes (oxygen 18, deuterium, and tritium), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs: CFC-11, CCl3F; CFC-12, CCl2F2; and CFC-113, C2Cl3F3), and solute tracers were used to investigate groundwater flow patterns near Lake Barco, a seepage lake in a mantled karst setting in northern Florida. Stable isotope data indicated that the groundwater downgradient from the lake contained 11-67% lake water leakage, with a limit of detection of lake water in groundwater of 4.3%. The mixing fractions of lake water leakage, which passed through organic-rich sediments in the lake bottom, were directly proportional to the observed methane concentrations and increased with depth in the groundwater flow system. In aerobic groundwater upgradient from Lake Barco, CFC-modeled recharge dates ranged from 1987 near the water table to the mid 1970s for water collected at a depth of 30 m below the water table. CFC-modeled recharge dates (based on CFC-12) for anaerobic groundwater downgradient from the lake ranged from the late 1950s to the mid 1970s and were consistent with tritium data. CFC-modeled recharge dates based on CFC-11 indicated preferential microbial degradation in anoxic waters. Vertical hydraulic conductivities, calculated using CFC-12 modeled recharge dates and Darcy's law, were 0.17, 0.033, and 0.019 m/d for the surficial aquifer, intermediate confining unit, and lake sediments, respectively. These conductivities agreed closely with those used in the calibration of a three-dimensional groundwater flow model for transient and steady state flow conditions.

Dynamics of two-dimensional monolayer water confined in hydrophobic and charged environments.

PubMed

Kumar, Pradeep; Han, Sungho

2012-09-21

We perform molecular dynamics simulations to study the effect of charged surfaces on the intermediate and long time dynamics of water in nanoconfinements. Here, we use the transferable interaction potential with five points (TIP5P) model of a water molecule confined in both hydrophobic and charged surfaces. For a single molecular layer of water between the surfaces, we find that the temperature dependence of the lateral diffusion constant of water up to very high temperatures remains Arrhenius with a high activation energy. In case of charged surfaces, however, the dynamics of water in the intermediate time regime is drastically modified presumably due to the transient coupling of dipoles of water molecules with electric field fluctuations induced by charges on the confining surfaces. Specifically, the lateral mean square displacements display a distinct super-diffusive behavior at intermediate time scale, defined as the time scale between ballistic and diffusive regimes. This change in the intermediate time-scale dynamics in the charged confinement leads to the enhancement of long-time dynamics as reflected in increasing diffusion constant. We introduce a simple model for a possible explanation of the super-diffusive behavior and find it to be in good agreement with our simulation results. Furthermore, we find that confinement and the surface polarity enhance the low frequency vibration in confinement compared to bulk water. By introducing a new effective length scale of coupling between translational and orientational motions, we find that the length scale increases with the increasing strength of the surface polarity. Further, we calculate the correlation between the diffusion constant and the excess entropy and find a disordering effect of polar surfaces on the structure of water. Finally, we find that the empirical relation between the diffusion constant and the excess entropy holds for a monolayer of water in nanoconfinement.

Silicate melts density, buoyancy relations and the dynamics of magmatic processes in the upper mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Valle, Carmen; Malfait, Wim J.

2016-04-01

Although silicate melts comprise only a minor volume fraction of the present day Earth, they play a critical role on the Earth's geochemical and geodynamical evolution. Their physical properties, namely the density, are a key control on many magmatic processes, including magma chamber dynamics and volcanic eruptions, melt extraction from residual rocks during partial melting, as well as crystal settling and melt migration. However, the quantitative modeling of these processes has been long limited by the scarcity of data on the density and compressibility of volatile-bearing silicate melts at relevant pressure and temperature conditions. In the last decade, new experimental designs namely combining large volume presses and synchrotron-based techniques have opened the possibility for determining in situ the density of a wide range of dry and volatile-bearing (H2O and CO2) silicate melt compositions at high pressure-high temperature conditions. In this contribution we will illustrate some of these progresses with focus on recent results on the density of dry and hydrous felsic and intermediate melt compositions (rhyolite, phonolite and andesite melts) at crustal and upper mantle conditions (up to 4 GPa and 2000 K). The new data on felsic-intermediate melts has been combined with in situ data on (ultra)mafic systems and ambient pressure dilatometry and sound velocity data to calibrate a continuous, predictive density model for hydrous and CO2-bearing silicate melts with applications to magmatic processes down to the conditions of the mantle transition zone (up to 2773 K and 22 GPa). The calibration dataset consist of more than 370 density measurements on high-pressure and/or water-and CO2-bearing melts and it is formulated in terms of the partial molar properties of the oxide components. The model predicts the density of volatile-bearing liquids to within 42 kg/m3 in the calibration interval and the model extrapolations up to 3000 K and 100 GPa are in good agreement with results from ab initio calculations. The density model has been applied to examine the mineral-melt buoyancy relations at depth and the implications of these results for the dynamics of magma chambers, crystal settling and the stability and mobility of magmas in the upper mantle will be discussed.

Analysis of the GOES 6.7 micrometer channel observations during FIRE 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soden, B. J.; Ackerman, S. A.; Starr, David

1993-01-01

Clouds form in moist environments. FIRE Phase II Cirrus Implementation Plan (August, 1990) noted the need for mesoscale measurements of upper tropospheric water vapor content. These measurements are needed for initializing and verifying numerical weather prediction models and for describing the environment in which cirrus clouds develop and dissipate. Various instruments where deployed to measure the water vapor amounts of the upper troposphere during FIRE II (e.g. Raman lidar, CLASS sonds and new cryogenic frost hygrometer on-board aircraft). The formation, maintenance and dissipation of cirrus clouds involve the time variation of the water budget of the upper troposphere. The GOES 6.7 mu m radiance observations are sensitive to the upper tropospheric relative humidity, and therefore proved extremely valuable in planning aircraft missions during the field phase of FIRE II. Warm 6.7 mu m equivalent black body temperatures indicate a relatively dry upper troposphere and were associated with regions generally free of cirrus clouds. Regions that were colder, implying more moisture was available may or may not have had cirrus clouds present. Animation of a time sequence of 6.7 mu m images was particularly useful in planning various FIRE missions. The 6.7 mu m observations can also be very valuable in the verification of model simulations and describing the upper tropospheric synoptic conditions. A quantitative analysis of the 6.7 mu m measurement is required to successfully incorporate these satellite observations into describing the upper tropospheric water vapor budget. Recently, Soden and Bretherton (1993) have proposed a method of deriving an upper tropospheric humidity based on observations from the GOES 6.7 mu m observations. The method is summarized in the next section. In their paper they compare their retrieval method to radiance simulations. Observations were also compared to ECMWF model output to assess the model performance. The FIRE experiment provides a unique opportunity to further verify the GOES upper tropospheric relative humidity retrieval scheme by providing (1) aircraft observations to cross-validate the calibration of the GOES 6.7 mu m channel, (2) accurate upper tropospheric water vapor concentrations for verification, and (3) veritical variability of upper tropospheric water vapor.

Paleoclimatic analyses of middle Eocene through Oligocene planktic foraminiferal faunas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keller, G.

1983-01-01

Quantitative faunal analyses and oxygen isotope ranking of individual planktic foraminiferal species from deep sea sequences of three oceans are used to make paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic inferences. Species grouped into surface, intermediate and deep water categories based on ??18O values provide evidence of major changes in water-mass stratification, and individual species abundances indicate low frequency cool-warm oscillations. These data suggest that relatively stable climatic phases with minor cool-warm oscillations of ???0.5 m.y. frequency are separated by rapid cooling events during middle Eocene to early Oligocene time. Five major climatic phases are evident in the water-mass stratification between middle Eocene through Oligocene time. Phase changes occur at P14/P15, P15/P16, P20/P21 and P21/P22 Zone boundaries and are marked by major faunal turnovers, rapid cooling in the isotope record, hiatuses and changes in the eustatic sea level. A general cooling trend between middle Eocene to early late Oligocene is indicated by the successive replacement of warm middle Eocene surface water species by cooler late Eocene intermediate water species and still cooler Oligocene intermediate and deep water species. Increased water-mass stratification in the latest Eocene (P17), indicated by the coexistence of surface, intermediate and deep dwelling species groups, suggest that increased thermal gradients developed between the equator and poles nearly coincident with the development of the psychrosphere. This pattern may be related to significant ice accumulation between late Eocene and early late Oligocene time. ?? 1983.

Salinity driven oceanographic upwelling

DOEpatents

Johnson, D.H.

1984-08-30

The salinity driven oceanographic upwelling is maintained in a mariculture device that includes a long main duct in the general shape of a cylinder having perforated cover plates at each end. The mariculture device is suspended vertically in the ocean such that one end of the main duct is in surface water and the other end in relatively deep water that is cold, nutrient rich and relatively fresh in comparison to the surface water which is relatively warm, relatively nutrient deficient and relatively saline. A plurality of elongated flow segregating tubes are disposed in the main duct and extend from the upper cover plate beyond the lower cover plate into a lower manifold plate. The lower manifold plate is spaced from the lower cover plate to define a deep water fluid flow path to the interior space of the main duct. Spacer tubes extend from the upper cover plate and communicate with the interior space of the main duct. The spacer tubes are received in an upper manifold plate spaced from the upper cover plate to define a surface water fluid flow path into the flow segregating tubes. A surface water-deep water counterflow is thus established with deep water flowing upwardly through the main duct interior for discharge beyond the upper manifold plate while surface water flows downwardly through the flow segregating tubes for discharge below the lower manifold plate. During such counterflow heat is transferred from the downflowing warm water to the upflowing cold water. The flow is maintained by the difference in density between the deep water and the surface water due to their differences in salinity. The upwelling of nutrient rich deep water is used for marifarming by fertilizing the nutrient deficient surface water. 1 fig.

Salinity driven oceanographic upwelling

DOEpatents

Johnson, David H.

1986-01-01

The salinity driven oceanographic upwelling is maintained in a mariculture device that includes a long main duct in the general shape of a cylinder having perforated cover plates at each end. The mariculture device is suspended vertically in the ocean such that one end of the main duct is in surface water and the other end in relatively deep water that is cold, nutrient rich and relatively fresh in comparison to the surface water which is relatively warm, relatively nutrient deficient and relatively saline. A plurality of elongated flow segregating tubes are disposed in the main duct and extend from the upper cover plate beyond the lower cover plate into a lower manifold plate. The lower manifold plate is spaced from the lower cover plate to define a deep water fluid flow path to the interior space of the main duct. Spacer tubes extend from the upper cover plate and communicate with the interior space of the main duct. The spacer tubes are received in an upper manifold plate spaced from the upper cover plate to define a surface water fluid flow path into the flow segregating tubes. A surface water-deep water counterflow is thus established with deep water flowing upwardly through the main duct interior for discharge beyond the upper manifold plate while surface water flows downwardly through the flow segregating tubes for discharge below the lower manifold plate. During such counterflow heat is transferred from the downflowing warm water to the upflowing cold water. The flow is maintained by the difference in density between the deep water and the surface water due to their differences in salinity. The upwelling of nutrient rich deep water is used for marifarming by fertilizing the nutrient deficient surface water.

Stratigraphy and sedimentology of a dry to wet eolian depositional system, Burns formation, Meridiani Planum, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grotzinger, J. P.; Arvidson, R. E.; Bell, J. F.; Calvin, W.; Clark, B. C.; Fike, D. A.; Golombek, M.; Greeley, R.; Haldemann, A.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Jolliff, B. L.; Knoll, A. H.; Malin, M.; McLennan, S. M.; Parker, T.; Soderblom, L.; Sohl-Dickstein, J. N.; Squyres, S. W.; Tosca, N. J.; Watters, W. A.

2005-11-01

Outcrop exposures of sedimentary rocks at the Opportunity landing site (Meridiani Planum) form a set of genetically related strata defined here informally as the Burns formation. This formation can be subdivided into lower, middle, and upper units which, respectively, represent eolian dune, eolian sand sheet, and mixed eolian sand sheet and interdune facies associations. Collectively, these three units are at least 7 m thick and define a "wetting-upward" succession which records a progressive increase in the influence of groundwater and, ultimately, surface water in controlling primary depositional processes. The Burns lower unit is interpreted as a dry dune field (though grain composition indicates an evaporitic source), whose preserved record of large-scale cross-bedded sandstones indicates either superimposed bedforms of variable size or reactivation of lee-side slip faces by episodic (possibly seasonal) changes in wind direction. The boundary between the lower and middle units is a significant eolian deflation surface. This surface is interpreted to record eolian erosion down to the capillary fringe of the water table, where increased resistance to wind-induced erosion was promoted by increased sediment cohesiveness in the capillary fringe. The overlying Burns middle unit is characterized by fine-scale planar-laminated to low-angle-stratified sandstones. These sandstones accumulated during lateral migration of eolian impact ripples over the flat to gently undulating sand sheet surface. In terrestrial settings, sand sheets may form an intermediate environment between dune fields and interdune or playa surfaces. The contact between the middle and upper units of the Burns formation is interpreted as a diagenetic front, where recrystallization in the phreatic or capillary zones may have occurred. The upper unit of the Burns formation contains a mixture of sand sheet facies and interdune facies. Interdune facies include wavy bedding, irregular lamination with convolute bedding and possible small tepee or salt-ridge structures, and cm-scale festoon cross-lamination indicative of shallow subaqueous flows marked by current velocities of a few tens of cm/s. Most likely, these currents were gravity-driven, possibly unchannelized flows resulting from the flooding of interdune/playa surfaces. However, evidence for lacustrine sedimentation, including mudstones or in situ bottom-growth evaporites, has not been observed so far at Eagle and Endurance craters. Mineralogical and elemental data indicate that the eolian sandstones of the lower and middle units, as well as the subaqueous and eolian deposits of the Burns upper unit, were derived from an evaporitic source. This indirectly points to a temporally equivalent playa where lacustrine evaporites or ground-water-generated efflorescent crusts were deflated to provide a source of sand-sized particles that were entrained to form eolian dunes and sand sheets. This process is responsible for the development of sulfate eolianites at White Sands, New Mexico, and could have provided a prolific flux of sulfate sediment at Meridiani. Though evidence for surface water in the Burns formation is mostly limited to the upper unit, the associated sulfate eolianites provide strong evidence for the critical role of groundwater in controlling sediment production and stratigraphic architecture throughout the formation.

The Value of Targeted Comic Book Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammond, Kay; Danaher, Katherine

2012-01-01

A limitation of extensive reading programmes is the time required for progress in vocabulary acquisition. This paper reports on a qualitative exploration of student perceptions of the value of non-compulsory comic books in ESL elementary and upper-intermediate level courses at a tertiary institution. We aimed to develop supplementary materials…

The Great Mini-Debate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benucci, Heather

2017-01-01

Debates remain popular in English language courses, and this activity gives students a low-stress opportunity to develop their speaking debating skills. This lesson plan is appropriate for upper intermediate or advanced students. Goals of the activity are to present an oral argument using evidence and use functional language related to agreeing,…

Flow and Reading Comprehension: Testing the Mediating Role of Emotioncy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahian, Leila; Pishghadam, Reza; Khajavy, Gholam Hassan

2017-01-01

Considering the importance of psychological factors in learners' reading abilities, this study examines the relationship between flow, emotioncy, and reading comprehension. To this end, 238 upper-intermediate and advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners were asked to take four tests of reading comprehension along with flow and…

American English Dialogues; Exercises in Colloquial Idiom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakajima, Fumio; And Others

The material in this volume is designed especially for university-level, adult Japanese speakers studying upper-intermediate or advanced conversational English. Each of the 60 lessons presents several common American English idioms in a set of three dialogs. Each idiom appears in various contexts, which are of particular interest to Japanese…

Consumer Education for Kindergarten through Grade 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Office of Education, Springfield. Div. of Program Planning and Development.

This guide is intended to assist school administrative personnel in the integration of consumer education into the curriculum at the elementary level and to assist teachers in planning and implementing consumer education concepts at the primary, intermediate, and upper elementary levels in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies…

Review of Student Difficulties in Upper-Level Quantum Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Chandralekha; Marshman, Emily

2015-01-01

Learning advanced physics, in general, is challenging not only due to the increased mathematical sophistication but also because one must continue to build on all of the prior knowledge acquired at the introductory and intermediate levels. In addition, learning quantum mechanics can be especially challenging because the paradigms of classical…

Explicit Grammar Rules and L2 Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheffler, Pawel; Cinciala, Marcin

2011-01-01

This article reports an empirical study that examines to what extent learners can identify and understand the grammatical structures they produce when they speak spontaneously. In the study, 20 upper-intermediate Polish learners of English were interviewed in English by the researchers. The structures used accurately by each learner were isolated…

ENGLISH FOR TODAY. BOOK FOUR, OUR CHANGING WORLD.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SLAGER, WILLIAM R.; AND OTHERS

"OUR CHANGING WORLD," THE FOURTH BOOK IN THE "ENGLISH FOR TODAY" SERIES, CONTAINS 20 READINGS DEALING PRIMARILY WITH SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SPACE AGE. DESIGNED FOR UPPER-INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS ON SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL, THE TOPICS RANGE FROM JET PLANES AND ROCKETS, SATELLITES AND NUCLEAR SUBMARINES TO COMPUTERS, SUPERMARKETS, AND MIRACLE…

Direct Structural and Chemical Characterization of the Photolytic Intermediates of Methylcobalamin Using Time-Resolved X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

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

Subramanian, Ganesh; Zhang, Xiaoyi; Kodis, Gerdenis

Cobalt-carbon bond cleavage is crucial to most natural and synthetic applications of the cobalamin class of compounds, and here we present the first direct electronic and geometric structural characteristics of intermediates formed following photoexcitation of methylcobalamin (MeCbl) using time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). We catch transients corresponding to two intermediates, in the hundreds of picoseconds and a few microseconds. Highlights of the picosecond intermediate, which is reduced in comparison to the ground state, are elongation of the upper axial Co-C bond and relaxation of the corrin ring. This is not so with the recombining photocleaved products captured at a fewmore » microseconds, where the Co-C bond almost (yet not entirely) reverts to its ground state configuration and a substantially elongated lower axial Co-NIm bond is observed. The reduced cobalt site here confirms formation of methyl radical as the photoproduct.« less

Analysis of flowpath dynamics in a steep unchannelled hollow in the Tanakami Mountains of Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchida, Taro; Asano, Yuko; Ohte, Nobuhito; Mizuyama, Takahisa

2003-02-01

Simultaneous measurements of runoff, soil pore water pressure, soil temperature, and water chemistry were taken to evaluate the spatial and temporal nature of flowpaths in a steep 0·1 ha unchannelled hollow in the Tanakami Mountains of central Japan. Tensiometers showed that a saturated area formed and a downward hydraulic gradient existed continuously in the area near a spring. The amplitude of the soil-bedrock interface temperature difference near the spring was smaller than that in the upper hollow, although soil depth near the spring was smaller than in the upper hollow. This suggests that, in the small perennially saturated area near the spring, water percolates through the vadose zone mixed with water emerging from the bedrock. During summer rainstorms, the soil-bedrock interface temperature increased as the ground became saturated. Silica and sodium concentrations in the transient saturated groundwater during these episodes were significantly lower than those in the perennial groundwater, suggesting that both rainwater and shallow soil water had important effects on the formation of transient saturated groundwater on the upper slope. In this case, the streamflow varied with the soil pore water pressure on the upper slope; the soil pore water pressure in the area near the spring remained nearly constant. Moreover, the spring water temperature was almost the same as the transient groundwater temperature on the upper slope. This indicates that the transient groundwater in the upper slope flowed to the spring via lateral preferential paths. The relative inflow of bedrock groundwater to the spring decreased as rainfall increased.

Ground-water and water-chemistry data for the upper Deschutes Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caldwell, Rodney R.; Truini, Margot

1997-01-01

This report presents ground-water data collected and compiled as part of a study of the ground-water resources of the upper Deschutes Basin, Oregon. Data in this report include tabulated information and a location map for more than 1,500 field-located water wells, hydrographs showing water-level fluctuations over various time periods for 102 of the wells, and water-chemistry analyses from 26 wells, 7 springs, and 5 surface-water sites.

Design Concept of Dialyzer Biomaterials: How to Find Biocompatible Polymers Based on the Biointerfacial Water Structure.

PubMed

Tanaka, Masaru

2017-01-01

Although various types of materials have been used widely in dialyzers, most biomaterials lack the desired functional properties to interface with blood and have not been engineered for optimum performance. Therefore, there is increasing demand to develop novel materials to address such problems in the dialysis arena. Numerous parameters of polymeric biomaterials can affect biocompatibility in a controlled manner. The mechanisms responsible for the biocompatibility of polymers at the molecular level have not been clearly demonstrated, although many theoretical and experimental efforts have been made to try and understand them. Moreover, water interactions have been recognized as fundamental for the blood response to contact with polymers. We have proposed the 'intermediate water' concept and hypothesized that intermediate water, which prevents the proteins and blood cells from directly contacting the polymer surface, or nonfreezing water on the polymer surface, plays an important role in the biocompatibility of polymers. This chapter provides an overview of the recent experimental progress of biocompatible polymers measured by thermal, spectroscopic, and surface force techniques. Additionally, it highlights recent developments in the use of biocompatible polymeric biomaterials for dialyzers and provides an overview of the progress made in the design of multifunctional biomedical polymers by controlling the biointerfacial water structure through precision polymer synthesis. Key Messages: Intermediate water was found only in hydrated biopolymers (proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids, DNA and RNA) and hydrated biocompatible synthetic polymers. Intermediate water could be one of the main screening factors for the design of appropriate dialyzer materials. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Search for B decays to final states with the η c meson

DOE PAGES

Vinokurova, A.; Kuzmin, A.; Eidelman, S.; ...

2015-06-18

We report a search for B decays to selected final states with the η c meson: B ± → K ±η cπ +π -, B ± → K ±η cω, B ± → K ±η cη and B ± → K ±η cπ 0. The analysis is based on 772 × 10 6 BB-bar pairs collected at the Υ(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e +e - collider. We set 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions of the studied B decay modes, independent of intermediate resonances, in the range (0.6–5.3) × 10 -4.more » We also search for molecular-state candidates in the D 0D*-bar 0 - D-bar 0D* 0, D 0D-bar 0 + D-bar 0D 0 and D* 0D*-bar 0 + D*-bar 0D* 0 combinations, neutral partners of the Z(3900) ± and Z(4020) ±, and a poorly understood state X(3915) as possible intermediate states in the decay chain, and set 90% confidence level upper limits on the product of branching fractions to the mentioned intermediate states and decay branching fractions of these states in the range (0.6–6.9) × 10 -5.« less

Variations in Depth and Chemical Composition of Groundwater During an Interval in Intermittent Water Delivery.

PubMed

Yongjin, Chen; Weihong, Li; Jiazhen, Liu; Ming, Lu; Mengchen, Xu; Shengliang, Liu

2015-08-01

Based on monitoring data collected from 2006 to 2009 at the lower reaches of the Tarim River, tempo-spatial variations in groundwater depth and chemistry during an approximately 3-year interval of intermittent water delivery were studied. Results indicate that as the groundwater depth increased at the upper sector of the river's lower reaches from March 2007 to September 2009, so too did the main chemical composition of groundwater. Groundwater depth at the intermediate sector also increased, but major ions in groundwater declined. The groundwater depth at the lower sector started to decrease in August 2008, and the concentrations of main ions in the groundwater generally rose and fell along with the variations in groundwater depth. The groundwater depth and chemistry in the monitoring wells located at a distance from the aqueduct expressed complex changes at different sections. For instance, at the section near the Daxihaizi Reservoir Section B, groundwater depth increased gradually, but chemical composition changed little. In contrast, the groundwater depth of monitoring wells far from the Daxihaizi Reservoir (Section I) decreased and salt content in the groundwater increased. In sectors at a moderate distance from the reservoir, groundwater depth decreased and concentrations of main ions significantly increased.

Is there Place for Perfectionism in the NIR Spectral Data Reduction?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chilingarian, Igor

2017-09-01

"Despite the crucial importance of the near-infrared spectral domain for understanding the star formation and galaxy evolution, NIR observations and data reduction represent a significant challenge. The known complexity of NIR detectors is aggravated by the airglow emission in the upper atmosphere and the water absorption in the troposphere so that up until now, the astronomical community is divided on the issue whether ground based NIR spectroscopy has a future or should it move completely to space (JWST, Euclid, WFIRST). I will share my experience of pipeline development for low- and intermediate-resolution spectrographs operated at Magellan and MMT. The MMIRS data reduction pipeline became the first example of the sky subtraction quality approaching the limit set by the Poisson photon noise and demonstrated the feasibility of low-resolution (R=1200-3000) NIR spectroscopy from the ground even for very faint (J=24.5) continuum sources. On the other hand, the FIRE Bright Source Pipeline developed specifically for high signal-to-noise intermediate resolution stellar spectra proves that systematics in the flux calibration and telluric absorption correction can be pushed down to the (sub-)percent level. My conclusion is that even though substantial effort and time investment is needed to design and develop NIR spectroscopic pipelines for ground based instruments, it will pay off, if done properly, and open new windows of opportunity in the ELT era."

Simulation of annual plankton productivity cycle in the Black Sea by a one-dimensional physical-biological model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oguz, Temel; Ducklow, Hugh; Malanotte-Rizzoli, Paola; Tugrul, Suleyman; Nezlin, Nikolai P.; Unluata, Umit

1996-07-01

The annual cycle of the plankton dynamics in the central Black Sea is studied by a one-dimensional vertically resolved physical-biological upper ocean model, coupled with the Mellor-Yamada level 2.5 turbulence closure scheme. The biological model involves interactions between the inorganic nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium), phytoplankton and herbivorous zooplankton biomasses, and detritus. Given a knowledge of physical forcing, the model simulates main observed seasonal and vertical characteristic features, in particular, formation of the cold intermediate water mass and yearly evolution of the upper layer stratification, the annual cycle of production with the fall and the spring blooms, and the subsurface phytoplankton maximum layer in summer, as well as realistic patterns of particulate organic carbon and nitrogen. The computed seasonal cycles of the chlorophyll and primary production distributions over the euphotic layer compare reasonably well with the data. Initiation of the spring bloom is shown to be critically dependent on the water column stability. It commences as soon as the convective mixing process weakens and before the seasonal stratification of surface waters begins to develop. It is followed by a weaker phytoplankton production at the time of establishment of the seasonal thermocline in April. While summer nutrient concentrations in the mixed layer are low enough to limit production, the layer between the thermocline and the base of the euphotic zone provides sufficient light and nutrient to support subsurface phytoplankton development. The autumn bloom takes place sometime between October and December depending on environmental conditions. In the case of weaker grazing pressure to control the growth rate, the autumn bloom shifts to December-January and emerges as the winter bloom, or, in some cases, is connected with the spring bloom to form one unified continuous bloom structure during the January-March period. These bloom structures are similar to the year-to-year variabilities present in the data.

Water beetle tolerance to salinity and anionic composition and its relationship to habitat occupancy.

PubMed

Céspedes, V; Pallarés, S; Arribas, P; Millán, A; Velasco, J

2013-10-01

Water salinity and ionic composition are among the main environmental variables that constrain the fundamental niches of aquatic species, and accordingly, physiological tolerance to these factors constitutes a crucial part of the evolution, ecology, and biogeography of these organisms. The present study experimentally estimated the fundamental saline and anionic niches of adults of two pairs of congeneric saline beetle species that differ in habitat preference (lotic and lentic) in order to test the habitat constraint hypothesis. Osmotic and anionic realised niches were also estimated based on the field occurrences of adult beetle species using Outlying Mean Index analysis and their relationship with experimental tolerances. In the laboratory, all of the studied species showed a threshold response to increased salinity, displaying high survival times when exposed to low and intermediate conductivity levels. These results suggest that these species are not strictly halophilic, but that they are able to regulate both hyperosmotically and hypoosmotically. Anionic water composition had a significant effect on salinity tolerance at conductivity levels near their upper tolerance limits, with decreased species survival at elevated sulphate concentrations. Species occupying lentic habitats demonstrated higher salinity tolerance than their lotic congeners in agreement with the habitat constraint hypothesis. As expected, realised salinity niches were narrower than fundamental niches and corresponded to conditions near the upper tolerance limits of the species. These species are uncommon on freshwater-low conductivity habitats despite the fact that these conditions might be physiologically suitable for the adult life stage. Other factors, such as biotic interactions, could prevent their establishment at low salinities. Differences in the realised anionic niches of congeneric species could be partially explained by the varying habitat availability in the study area. Combining the experimental estimation of fundamental niches with realised field data niche estimates is a powerful method for understanding the main factors constraining species' distribution at multiple scales, which is a key issue when predicting species' ability to cope with global change. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mode and Intermediate Waters in Earth System Models

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

Gnanadesikan, Anand; Sarmiento, Jorge L.

This report describes work done as part of a joint Princeton-Johns Hopkins project to look at the impact of mode and intermediate waters in Earth System Models. The Johns Hopkins portion of this work focussed on the role of lateral mixing in ventilating such waters, with important implications for hypoxia, the uptake of anthropogenic carbon, the dynamics of El Nino and carbon pumps. The Johns Hopkins group also collaborated with the Princeton Group to help develop a watermass diagnostics framework.

Minor elements in Quaternary sediment from the Sea of Japan: a record of surface-water productivity and intermediate-water redox conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Piper, D.Z.; Isaacs, C.M.

1995-01-01

Records six episodes of high accumulation rates of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, U, V, and Zn. The high rates correspond to periods of sulfate reduction in the water column at the intermediate depth of Oki Ridge; the intervening low values correspond to periods of denitrification and oxygen respiration. The maxima have a period of 41 k.y., the youngest having an age of 1.10 Ma. -from Authors

Experimental demonstration of radicaloid character in a RuV=O intermediate in catalytic water oxidation

PubMed Central

Moonshiram, Dooshaye; Alperovich, Igor; Concepcion, Javier J.; Meyer, Thomas J.; Pushkar, Yulia

2013-01-01

Water oxidation is the key half reaction in artificial photosynthesis. An absence of detailed mechanistic insight impedes design of new catalysts that are more reactive and more robust. A proposed paradigm leading to enhanced reactivity is the existence of oxyl radical intermediates capable of rapid water activation, but there is a dearth of experimental validation. Here, we show the radicaloid nature of an intermediate reactive toward formation of the O-O bond by assessing the spin density on the oxyl group by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). In the study, an 17O-labeled form of a highly oxidized, short-lived intermediate in the catalytic cycle of the water oxidation catalyst cis,cis-[(2,2-bipyridine)2(H2O)RuIIIORuIII(OH2)(bpy)2]4+ was investigated. It contains Ru centers in oxidation states [4,5], has at least one RuV = O unit, and shows |Axx| = 60G 17O hyperfine splittings (hfs) consistent with the high spin density of a radicaloid. Destabilization of π-bonding in the d3 RuV = O fragment is responsible for the high spin density on the oxygen and its high reactivity. PMID:23417296

Intermediate tree cover can maximize groundwater recharge in the seasonally dry tropics

PubMed Central

Ilstedt, U.; Bargués Tobella, A.; Bazié, H. R.; Bayala, J.; Verbeeten, E.; Nyberg, G.; Sanou, J.; Benegas, L.; Murdiyarso, D.; Laudon, H.; Sheil, D.; Malmer, A.

2016-01-01

Water scarcity contributes to the poverty of around one-third of the world’s people. Despite many benefits, tree planting in dry regions is often discouraged by concerns that trees reduce water availability. Yet relevant studies from the tropics are scarce, and the impacts of intermediate tree cover remain unexplored. We developed and tested an optimum tree cover theory in which groundwater recharge is maximized at an intermediate tree density. Below this optimal tree density the benefits from any additional trees on water percolation exceed their extra water use, leading to increased groundwater recharge, while above the optimum the opposite occurs. Our results, based on groundwater budgets calibrated with measurements of drainage and transpiration in a cultivated woodland in West Africa, demonstrate that groundwater recharge was maximised at intermediate tree densities. In contrast to the prevailing view, we therefore find that moderate tree cover can increase groundwater recharge, and that tree planting and various tree management options can improve groundwater resources. We evaluate the necessary conditions for these results to hold and suggest that they are likely to be common in the seasonally dry tropics, offering potential for widespread tree establishment and increased benefits for hundreds of millions of people. PMID:26908158

Intermediate tree cover can maximize groundwater recharge in the seasonally dry tropics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilstedt, U.; Bargués Tobella, A.; Bazié, H. R.; Bayala, J.; Verbeeten, E.; Nyberg, G.; Sanou, J.; Benegas, L.; Murdiyarso, D.; Laudon, H.; Sheil, D.; Malmer, A.

2016-02-01

Water scarcity contributes to the poverty of around one-third of the world’s people. Despite many benefits, tree planting in dry regions is often discouraged by concerns that trees reduce water availability. Yet relevant studies from the tropics are scarce, and the impacts of intermediate tree cover remain unexplored. We developed and tested an optimum tree cover theory in which groundwater recharge is maximized at an intermediate tree density. Below this optimal tree density the benefits from any additional trees on water percolation exceed their extra water use, leading to increased groundwater recharge, while above the optimum the opposite occurs. Our results, based on groundwater budgets calibrated with measurements of drainage and transpiration in a cultivated woodland in West Africa, demonstrate that groundwater recharge was maximised at intermediate tree densities. In contrast to the prevailing view, we therefore find that moderate tree cover can increase groundwater recharge, and that tree planting and various tree management options can improve groundwater resources. We evaluate the necessary conditions for these results to hold and suggest that they are likely to be common in the seasonally dry tropics, offering potential for widespread tree establishment and increased benefits for hundreds of millions of people.

Comparison of 2002 Water Year and Historical Water-Quality Data, Upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spahr, N.E.

2003-01-01

Introduction: Population growth and changes in land-use practices have the potential to affect water quality and quantity in the upper Gunnison River basin. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local sponsors, City of Gunnison, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Gunnison County, Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, National Park Service, Town of Crested Butte, and Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, established a water-quality monitoring program in the upper Gunnison River basin to characterize current water-quality conditions and to assess the effects of increased urban development and other land-use changes on water quality. The monitoring network has evolved into two groups of stations, stations that are considered as long term and stations that are rotational. The long-term stations are monitored to assist in defining temporal changes in water quality (how conditions have changed over time). The rotational stations are monitored to assist in the spatial definition of water-quality conditions (how conditions differ throughout the basin) and to address local and short term concerns. Another group of stations (rotational group 2) will be chosen and sampled beginning in water year 2004. Annual summaries of the water-quality data from the monitoring network provide a point of reference for discussions regarding water-quality sampling in the upper Gunnison River basin. This summary includes data collected during water year 2002. The introduction provides a map of the sampling locations, definitions of terms, and a one-page summary of selected water-quality conditions at the network stations. The remainder of the summary is organized around the data collected at individual stations. Data collected during water year 2002 are compared to historical data (data collected for this network since 1995), state water-quality standards, and federal water-quality guidelines. Data were collected during water year 2002 following USGS protocols (U.S. Geological Survey, variously dated).

Acid neutralization capacity measurements in surface and ground waters in the Upper River Severn, Plynlimon: from hydrograph splitting to water flow pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neal, C.; Hill, T.; Hill, S.; Reynolds, B.

Acid Neutralization Capacity (ANC) data for ephemeral stream and shallow groundwater for the catchments of the upper River Severn show a highly heterogeneous system of within-catchment water flow pathways and chemical weathering on scales of less than 100m. Ephemeral streams draining permeable soils seem to be supplied mainly from shallow groundwater sources. For these streams, large systematic differences in pH and alkalinity occur due to the variability of the groundwater sources and variability in water residence times. However, the variability cannot be gauged on the basis of broad based physical information collected in the field as geology, catchment gradients and forest structure are very similar. In contrast, ephemeral streams draining impermeable soils are of more uniform chemistry as surface runoff is mainly supplied from the soil zone. Groundwater ANC varies considerably over space and time. In general, the groundwaters have higher ANCs than the ephemeral streams. This is due to increased chemical weathering from the inorganic materials in the lower soils and groundwater areas and possibly longer residence times. However, during the winter months the groundwater ANCs tend to be at their lowest due to additional event driven acidic soil water contributions and intermediate groundwater residence times. The results indicate the inappropriateness of a blanket approach to classifying stream vulnerability to acidification simply on the basis of soil sensitivity. However, the results may well indicate good news for the environmental management of acidic and acid sensitive systems. For example, they clearly indicate a large potential supply of weathering components within the groundwater zone to reduce or mitigate the acidifying effects of land use change and acidic deposition without the environmental needs for Aiming. Furthermore, the high variability of ephemeral stream runoff means that certain areas of catchments where there are specific problems associated with acidification can be identified for focused remediation work for the situation where liming is required. The case for focused field campaigns and caution against over reliance on blanket modelling approaches is suggested. The results negate the conventional generalizations within hydrology of how water moves through catchments to generate streamflow events (from Hortonian overland flow to catchment contributing areas).

Modeling water-quality loads to the reservoirs of the Upper Trinity River Basin, Texas, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water quality modeling efforts have been conducted for 12 reservoirs in ten watersheds in Upper Trinity River Basin located in north Texas. The reservoirs are being used for water supply to the populated area around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro and the water quality of some of these reservoirs has b...

Analysis of the spatial and temporal variability of mountain snowpack and terrestrial water storage in the Upper Snake River, USA

EPA Science Inventory

The spatial and temporal relationships of winter snowpack and terrestrial water storage (TWS) in the Upper Snake River were analyzed for water years 2001–2010 at a monthly time step. We coupled a regionally validated snow model with gravimetric measurements of the Earth’s water...

Comparison of Water Years 2004-05 and Historical Water-Quality Data, Upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spahr, Norman E.; Hartle, David M.; Diaz, Paul

2008-01-01

Population growth and changes in land use have the potential to affect water quality and quantity in the upper Gunnison River Basin. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, City of Gunnison, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Gunnison County, Hinsdale County, Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, National Park Service, Town of Crested Butte, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, and Western State College, established a water-quality monitoring program in the upper Gunnison River Basin to characterize current water-quality conditions and to assess the effects of increased urban development and other land-use changes on water quality. The monitoring network has evolved into two groups of stations - stations that are considered long term and stations that are considered rotational. The long-term stations are monitored to assist in defining temporal changes in water quality (how conditions may change over time). The rotational stations are monitored to assist in the spatial definition of water-quality conditions (how conditions differ throughout the basin) and to address local and short-term concerns. Some stations in the rotational group were changed beginning in water year 2007. Annual summaries of the water-quality data from the monitoring network provide a point of reference for discussions regarding water-quality monitoring in the upper Gunnison River Basin. This summary includes data collected during water years 2004 and 2005. The introduction provides a map of the sampling sites, definitions of terms, and a one-page summary of selected water-quality conditions at the network stations. The remainder of the summary is organized around the data collected at individual stations. Data collected during water years 2004 and 2005 are compared to historical data, State water-quality standards, and Federal water-quality guidelines. Data were collected following USGS protocols.

Comparison of 2006-2007 Water Years and Historical Water-Quality Data, Upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Solberg, P.A.; Moore, Bryan; Smits, Dennis

2009-01-01

Population growth and changes in land use have the potential to affect water quality and quantity in the upper Gunnison River basin. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, City of Gunnison, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Gunnison County, Hinsdale County, Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, National Park Service, Town of Crested Butte, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, and Western State College established a water-quality monitoring program in the upper Gunnison River basin to characterize current water-quality conditions and to assess the effects of increased urban development and other land-use changes on water quality. The monitoring network has evolved into two groups of stations - stations that are considered long term and stations that are considered rotational. The long-term stations are monitored to assist in defining temporal changes in water quality (how conditions may change over time). The rotational stations are monitored to assist in the spatial definition of water-quality conditions (how conditions differ throughout the basin) and to address local and short-term concerns. Some stations in the rotational group were changed beginning in water year 2007. Annual summaries of the water-quality data from the monitoring network provide a point of reference for discussions regarding water-quality monitoring in the upper Gunnison River basin. This summary includes data collected during water years 2006 and 2007. The introduction provides a map of the sampling sites, definitions of terms, and a one-page summary of selected water-quality conditions at the network stations. The remainder of the summary is organized around the data collected at individual stations. Data collected during water years 2006 and 2007 are compared to historical data, State water-quality standards, and Federal water-quality guidelines. Data were collected following USGS protocols (U.S. Geological Survey, variously dated).

Effects of temperature and salinity on emergence of Gynaecotyla adunca cercariae from the intertidal gastropod Ilyanassa obsoleta.

PubMed

Koprivnikar, J; Ellis, D; Shim, K C; Forbes, M R

2014-04-01

Fluctuating abiotic conditions within intertidal zones have been shown to affect the emergence of free-swimming trematode infectious stages (cercariae) from their gastropod first intermediate hosts, likely reflecting adaptations to maximize transmission in this marine environment. We investigated the influences of temperature (17 and 22 C) and salinity (25, 30, and 35 ppt) on the emergence of marine cercariae (Gynaecotyla adunca) from their mud snail first intermediate host ( Ilyanassa obsoleta ). Cercariae emerged in greater numbers at 22 C and the 2 lowest salinities, with a sharp decrease at the 35 ppt level, but there was no interactive effect. We discuss these patterns of G. adunca emergence as possible adaptations to facilitate transmission to its amphipod second intermediate host ( Corophium volutator ) in conditions common to the Upper Bay of Fundy.

Fish elevator and method of elevating fish

DOEpatents

Truebe, Jonathan; Drooker, Michael S.

1984-01-01

A means and method for transporting fish from a lower body of water to a higher body of water. The means comprises a tubular lock with a gated entrance below the level of the lower body of water through which fish may enter the lock and a discharge passage above the level of the upper body of water. The fish raising means in the lock is a crowder pulled upward by a surface float as water from the upper body of water gravitationally flows into the closed lock filling it to the level of the upper body. Water is then pumped into the lock to raise the level to the discharge passage. The crowder is then caused to float upward the remaining distance through the water to the level of the discharge passage by the introduction of air into a pocket on the underside of the crowder. The fish are then automatically discharged from the lock into the discharge passage by the out of water position of the crowder. The movement of the fish into the discharge passage is aided by the continuous overflow of water still being pumped into the lock. A pipe may be connected to the discharge passage to deliver the fish to a selected location in the upper body of water.

Vertical oxygen minimum zone oscillations since 20 ka in Santa Barbara Basin: A benthic foraminiferal community perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moffitt, Sarah E.; Hill, Tessa M.; Ohkushi, Kenichi; Kennett, James P.; Behl, Richard J.

2014-01-01

we present a history of deoxygenation of upper intermediate waters during the last deglaciation from Santa Barbara Basin (SBB), based on quantitative analyses of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, from a new shallow piston core above basin sill depth (MV0811-15JC, 418 m), and previously described sequences in the deeper basin (MD02-2504, 481 m and MD02-2503, 570 m). We document a 152 m depth transect of benthic foraminiferal assemblages to extract changing community structure (density, diversity, and evenness) and improve paleoenvironmental interpretation of late Quaternary vertical oscillations in the upper boundary of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Close interaction between changes in open margin OMZ and that of the restricted SBB is documented using these quantitative techniques. MV0811-15JC, while being unlaminated, contains strongly hypoxic foraminiferal assemblages (including species Bolivina tumida and Nonionella stella), coeval with preserved sediment laminations in the deeper cores. Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) assemblages across this transect contained oxic fauna and high diversity. At 14.7 ka, glacial termination IA, hypoxic benthic fauna appeared across the transect, recording hypoxic waters (<0.5 ml L-1) < 300 m from the ocean surface. Bølling/Allerød (B/A) assemblages uniquely stand out in the record, exhibited by low density, diversity, and evenness, and taxonomic composition reflecting extreme and stressful hypoxia and methane-rich environments. Younger Dryas assemblages were diverse and composed of oxic fauna, similar to LGM assemblages. Termination IB initiated another deoxygenation shift, followed by OMZ-associated faunal and density patterns. This analysis strengthens the quantitative assessment of oxygen concentrations involved in deglacial OMZ change and reveals the unexpected, remarkable shallowness of OMZ influence during the B/A.

Diagenesis and porosity preservation in Eocene microporous limestones, South Florida, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maliva, Robert G.; Missimer, Thomas M.; Clayton, Edward A.; Dickson, J. A. D.

2009-05-01

Microporous limestones may contain immobile, capillary-bound (irreducible) water that is only in diffusional contact with mobile pore waters or in some reservoirs may contain producible hydrocarbons. The preservation and distribution of microporosity impact both subsurface fluid flow and solute transport. The diagenesis of microporous limestones has received relatively little attention because their very fine grains and cements are not amenable to standard analytical methods. The Ocala Limestone (Upper Eocene) and upper Avon Park Formation (Middle Eocene) in South Florida contain microporous micritic limestones (mudstones to packstones) that are at an intermediate stage of diagenesis. The limestones have been exposed to the active near-surface environment, but have not yet reached a burial depth sufficient for intense chemical compaction and associated porosity reduction. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging allowed for the quantification of total porosity, pore-size distribution, and permeability. The Ocala Limestone and Avon Park Formation have different predominant microfacies and porosity size distributions, but yet both retain total porosities predominantly between 35% and 37%. Estimated microporosities range mostly between 12% and 45%. The mudstones and wackestones of the Ocala Limestone have significantly lower permeabilities (mostly 3 to 12 md) than the wackestones to grainstones of the Avon Park Formation (commonly in the 100 to 3000 md range), which have more mixed and overall coarser pore sizes. Computer modeling using carbon and oxygen stable data indicates that the studied microporous limestones underwent only a low degree of chemical diagenetic alteration, despite likely experiencing episodes of freshwater flushing associated with post-depositional sea-level lowstands. The Ocala Limestone and Avon Park Formation limestones illustrate the general concept that total porosity is often largely preserved through early diagenesis (although may undergo intra-formational redistribution) and that confined aquifers are diagenetic quiescent environments.

Geohydrology of the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basin, southwestern Georgia, northwestern Florida, and southeastern Alabama

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torak, Lynn J.; Painter, Jaime A.

2006-01-01

The lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin contains about 4,600 square miles of karstic and fluvial plains and nearly 100,000 cubic miles of predominantly karst limestone connected hydraulically to the principal rivers and lakes in the Coastal Plain of southwestern Georgia, northwestern Florida, and southwestern Alabama. Sediments of late-middle Eocene to Holocene in hydraulic connection with lakes, streams, and land surface comprise the surficial aquifer system, upper semiconfining unit, Upper Floridan aquifer, and lower semiconfining unit and contribute to the exchange of ground water and surface water in the stream-lake-aquifer flow system. Karst processes, hydraulic properties, and stratigraphic relations limit ground-water and surface-water interaction to the following hydrologic units of the stream-lake-aquifer flow system: the surficial aquifer system, upper semiconfining unit, Upper Floridan aquifer, and lower confining unit. Geologic units corresponding to these hydrologic units are, in ascending order: Lisbon Formation; Clinchfield Sand; Ocala, Marianna, Suwannee, and Tampa Limestones; Hawthorn Group; undifferentiated overburden (residuum); and terrace and undifferentiated (surficial) deposits. Similarities in hydraulic properties and direct or indirect interaction with surface water allow grouping sediments within these geologic units into the aforementioned hydrologic units, which transcend time-stratigraphic classifications and define the geohydrologic framework for the lower ACF River Basin. The low water-transmitting properties of the lower confining unit, principally the Lisbon Formation, allow it to act as a nearly impermeable base to the stream-lake-aquifer flow system. Hydraulic connection of the surficial aquifer system with surface water and the Upper Floridan aquifer is direct where sandy deposits overlie the limestone, or indirect where fluvial deposits overlie clayey limestone residuum. The water level in perched zones within the surficial aquifer system fluctuates independently of water-level changes in the underlying aquifer, adjacent streams, or lakes. Where the surficial aquifer system is connected with surface water and the Upper Floridan aquifer, water-table fluctuations parallel those in adjacent streams or the underlying aquifer. More...

Intermediate to deep water hydrographic changes of the Japan Sea over the past 10 Myr, inferred from radiolarian data (IODP Exp. 346, Site U1425)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuzaki, Kenji M.; Itaki, Takuya; Tada, Ryuji; Kurokawa, Shunsuke

2017-04-01

The Japan Sea is a back-arc basin opened under a continental rifting during the Early to Middle Miocene (ca. 25-13 Ma). This area is characterized by active tectonism, which drastically modified the Japan Sea paleogeography such as the sill depth of its key straits. In modern condition, the Japan Sea is connected to adjacent marginal seas and the Pacific Ocean by four straits shallower than 130 m. These straits are the Tsushima Strait connecting to the East China Sea, the Tsugaru Strait connecting to the Pacific, and the Soya and Mamiya Straits connecting to the Sea of Okhotsk. Therefore, the intermediate and deep water of the Japan Sea is isolated, leading the formation of a unique and regional deep sea water, known as the Japan Sea Proper Water. However, past studies show that during the late Miocene and Pliocene, only the Tsugaru Strait connecting to the North Pacific was opened. This strait was deeper during Plio-Miocene and have likely enable inflow of deep to intermediate water of the North Pacific in the Japan Sea. Radiolarians are one of the planktic micro-organisms group bearing siliceous skeletons. Their species comprise shallow to deep water dwellers, sensitive to changes in sea water physical/ecological properties forced by climate changes. Their fossils are known for be well preserved in the deep-sea sediments of the North Pacific. Therefore, in this study we propose to monitor changes in intermediate to deep water hydrography of the Japan Sea since the late Miocene, using radiolarian as an environmental proxy. In 2013 the IODP Expedition 346 retrieved sediment cores at different sites in the Japan Sea. In this study, we have analyzed 139 core sediments samples collected at Site U1425. This site is situated in the middle of the Yamato Bank. We selected this site because the past 10 Myr could be recovered continuously without hiatuses. Changes in radiolarian assemblages reveal that the oceanographic setting of the Japan Sea changed drastically at ca. 2.7 Ma. For older interval (2.7- 10 Ma), deep water species of the North Pacific could be identified at site U1425, inferring influences of deep water from the North Pacific and consequently a deeper sill depths of the connecting strait. Radiolarian assemblages also show that the intermediate water of the Japan sea is characterized by taxa living in equatorial to mid latitude area of the Northwest Pacific during the time interval between 2.7-10 Ma. While between 4 and 5 Ma, taxa related to the Sea of Okhotsk show very high abundances, inferring also inflow of intermediate water from the Sea of Okhotsk in the Japan Sea.

Potentiometric surface of the upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity, Florida, September, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnaman, Sandra L.

2005-01-01

Introduction: This map depicts the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity in September 2004. Potentiometric contours are based on water-level measurements collected at 608 wells during the period September 14-October 1, near the end of the wet season. The shapes of some contours have been inferred from previous potentiometric-surface maps with larger well networks. The potentiometric surface of the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer responds mainly to rainfall, and more locally, to ground-water withdrawals. Potentiometric-surface highs generally correspond to topographic highs where the aquifer is recharged. Springs and areas of diffuse upward leakage naturally discharge water from the aquifer and are most prevalent along the St. Johns River. Areas of discharge are reflected by depressions in the potentiometric surface. Ground-water withdrawals locally have lowered the potentiometric surface. Ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer generally flows from potentiometric highs to potentiometric lows in a direction perpendicular to the contours.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and Vicinity, Florida, May, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnaman, Sandra L.; Knowles, Leel

2004-01-01

INTRODUCTION This map depicts the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity in May 2001. Potentiometric contours are based on water-level measurements collected at 684 wells during the period May 2 - 30, near the end of the dry season. The shapes of some contours have been inferred from previous potentiometric-surface maps with larger well networks. The potentiometric surface of the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer responds mainly to rainfall, and more locally, to ground-water withdrawals. Potentiometric-surface highs generally correspond to topographic highs where the aquifer is recharged. Springs and areas of diffuse upward leakage naturally discharge water from the aquifer and are most prevalent along the St. Johns River. Areas of discharge are reflected by depressions in the potentiometric surface. Ground-water withdrawals locally have lowered the potentiometric surface. Ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer generally flows from potentiometric highs to potentiometric lows in a direction perpendicular to the contours.

Documentation of input datasets for the soil-water balance groundwater recharge model of the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred D.

2015-01-01

The Colorado River and its tributaries supply water to more than 35 million people in the United States and 3 million people in Mexico, irrigating more than 4.5 million acres of farmland, and generating about 12 billion kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power annually. The Upper Colorado River Basin, encompassing more than 110,000 square miles (mi2), contains the headwaters of the Colorado River (also known as the River) and is an important source of snowmelt runoff to the River. Groundwater discharge also is an important source of water in the River and its tributaries, with estimates ranging from 21 to 58 percent of streamflow in the upper basin. Planning for the sustainable management of the Colorado River in future climates requires an understanding of the Upper Colorado River Basin groundwater system. This report documents input datasets for a Soil-Water Balance groundwater recharge model that was developed for the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Chemical evolution of groundwater near a sinkhole lake, northern Florida: 1. Flow patterns, age of groundwater, and influence of lakewater leakage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, Brian G.; Lee, Terrie M.; Plummer, Niel; Busenberg, Eurybiades

1995-01-01

Leakage from sinkhole lakes significantly influences recharge to the Upper Floridan aquifer in poorly confined sediments in northern Florida. Environmental isotopes (oxygen 18, deuterium, and tritium), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs: CFC-11, CCl3F; CFC-12, CCl2F2; and CFC-113, C2Cl3F3), and solute tracers were used to investigate groundwater flow patterns near Lake Barco, a seepage lake in a mantled karst setting in northern Florida. Stable isotope data indicated that the groundwater downgradient from the lake contained 11–67% lake water leakage, with a limit of detection of lake water in groundwater of 4.3%. The mixing fractions of lake water leakage, which passed through organic-rich sediments in the lake bottom, were directly proportional to the observed methane concentrations and increased with depth in the groundwater flow system. In aerobic groundwater upgradient from Lake Barco, CFC-modeled recharge dates ranged from 1987 near the water table to the mid 1970s for water collected at a depth of 30 m below the water table. CFC-modeled recharge dates (based on CFC-12) for anaerobic groundwater downgradient from the lake ranged from the late 1950s to the mid 1970s and were consistent with tritium data. CFC-modeled recharge dates based on CFC-11 indicated preferential microbial degradation in anoxic waters. Vertical hydraulic conductivities, calculated using CFC-12 modeled recharge dates and Darcy's law, were 0.17, 0.033, and 0.019 m/d for the surficial aquifer, intermediate confining unit, and lake sediments, respectively. These conductivities agreed closely with those used in the calibration of a three-dimensional groundwater flow model for transient and steady state flow conditions.

Search for Gravitational Wave Ringdowns from Perturbed Intermediate Mass Black Holes in LIGO-Virgo Data from 2005-2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Blackburn, Lindy L.; Camp, J. B.; Gehrels, N.; Graff, P. B.

2014-01-01

We report results from a search for gravitational waves produced by perturbed intermediate mass black holes (IMBH) in data collected by LIGO and Virgo between 2005 and 2010. The search was sensitive to astrophysical sources that produced damped sinusoid gravitational wave signals, also known as ringdowns, with frequency 50 less than or equal to italic f0/Hz less than or equal to 2000 and decay timescale 0.0001 approximately less than t/s approximately less than 0.1 characteristic of those produced in mergers of IMBH pairs. No significant gravitational wave candidate was detected. We report upper limits on the astrophysical coalescence rates of IMBHs with total binary mass 50 less than or equal to M/solar mass less than or equal to 450 and component mass ratios of either 1:1 or 4:1. For systems with total mass 100 less than or equal to M/solar mass 150, we report a 90%-confidence upper limit on the rate of binary IMBH mergers with non-spinning and equal mass components of 6:9 x 10(exp 8) Mpc(exp -3)yr(exp -1). We also report a rate upper limit for ringdown waveforms from perturbed IMBHs, radiating 1% of their mass as gravitational waves in the fundamental, l=m=2, oscillation mode, that is nearly three orders of magnitude more stringent than previous results.

Middle to Late Eocene paleoenvironmental changes in a marine transgressive sequence from the northern Tethyan margin (Adelholzen, Germany)

PubMed Central

GEBHARDT, Holger; ĆORIĆ, Stjepan; DARGA, Robert; BRIGUGLIO, Antonino; SCHENK, Bettina; WERNER, Winfried; ANDERSEN, Nils; SAMES, Benjamin

2015-01-01

The northern Tethyan margin is a key region for determining environmental changes associated with the collision of continental and oceanic tectonic plates and Alpine orogeny. Herein we investigated Middle to Late Eocene neritic to bathyal sediments deposited during an interval of unstable climatic conditions. In order to quantify paleoenvironmental changes, we developed a detailed age model based on biozonations of planktic foraminifera, calcareous nannoplankton, and larger benthic foraminifera. The section at Adelholzen covers the almost complete Lutetian Stage (calcareous nannoplankton zones NP15a-16, planktic foraminifera zones E8-11, shallow benthic (foraminifera) zones SBZ13-15) and large parts of the Priabonian Stage (NP18-20, E14/15), while the intermediate Bartonian Stage (NP17) is completely missing. Foraminiferal, calcareous nannoplankton, and macrofossil assemblages were analyzed for changes in paleo-water depth, mixing and stratification, paleo-primary productivity (pPP), food supply, and bottom water oxygenation. Paleo-water depth estimates range from 50 m (middle neritic, early Lutetian) to nearly 500 m (upper bathyal, late Priabonian). The combination of assemblage composition, planktic and benthic foraminiferal accumulation rates, and derived parameters (carbon-flux to sea floor, pPP) enabled us to identify a series of distinct paleoceanographic events of at least regional significance. Such events are characterized by considerable changes in primary productivity or reduced bottom water ventilation. Calculated pPP-values indicate oligotrophic conditions throughout. PMID:26346423

Regional variations in transepidermal water loss, eccrine sweat gland density, sweat secretion rates and electrolyte composition in resting and exercising humans

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Literature from the past 168 years has been filtered to provide a unified summary of the regional distribution of cutaneous water and electrolyte losses. The former occurs via transepidermal water vapour diffusion and secretion from the eccrine sweat glands. Daily insensible water losses for a standardised individual (surface area 1.8 m2) will be 0.6–2.3 L, with the hands (80–160 g.h−1) and feet (50–150 g.h−1) losing the most, the head and neck losing intermediate amounts (40–75 g.h−1) and all remaining sites losing 15–60 g.h−1. Whilst sweat gland densities vary widely across the skin surface, this same individual would possess some 2.03 million functional glands, with the highest density on the volar surfaces of the fingers (530 glands.cm−2) and the lowest on the upper lip (16 glands.cm−2). During passive heating that results in a resting whole-body sweat rate of approximately 0.4 L.min−1, the forehead (0.99 mg.cm−2.min−1), dorsal fingers (0.62 mg.cm−2.min−1) and upper back (0.59 mg.cm−2.min−1) would display the highest sweat flows, whilst the medial thighs and anterior legs will secrete the least (both 0.12 mg.cm−2.min−1). Since sweat glands selectively reabsorb electrolytes, the sodium and chloride composition of discharged sweat varies with secretion rate. Across whole-body sweat rates from 0.72 to 3.65 mg.cm−2.min−1, sodium losses of 26.5–49.7 mmol.L−1 could be expected, with the corresponding chloride loss being 26.8–36.7 mmol.L−1. Nevertheless, there can be threefold differences in electrolyte losses across skin regions. When exercising in the heat, local sweat rates increase dramatically, with regional glandular flows becoming more homogeneous. However, intra-regional evaporative potential remains proportional to each local surface area. Thus, there is little evidence that regional sudomotor variations reflect an hierarchical distribution of sweating either at rest or during exercise. PMID:23849497

Recent reconstruction of deep-water macrofaunal communities recorded in Continental Margin sediments in the Balearic Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartes, J. E.; Schirone, A.; Barsanti, M.; Delbono, I.; Martínez-Aliaga, A.; Lombarte, A.

2017-07-01

We present an initial reconstruction of recent (last few centuries) mud-bottom faunal communities on the upper slope (398-667 m) of the continental margin off Catalonia (western Mediterranean), including periods free of any trawling impact. Radiometric dating of marine sediments and identification of faunal remains (e.g., fish otoliths, pteropod shells, coral sclerites) were performed to obtain a sediment geochronology in a 56 cm sediment core (MC4) taken at 398 m off the Ebro Delta in 2011. Core MC4 was especially rich in faunal remains, including, for example, 247 identifiable otoliths. A fine-scale chronology of MC4 was not possible due to sediment mixing. However, the depth of 210Pbxs penetration (20-22 cm) identified sediments older (below 22 cm depth) and younger (from core top to 22 cm) than ca. 100 years. Mass Accumulation Rate (MAR) from the 210Pbxs profile was estimated as 0.23±0.02 g cm-2 y-1. A significant peak of sclerites of the bamboo coral Isidella elongata was found between 4 and 8 cm in MC4, with remains of the axes and bases of Isidella colonies exclusively found at core depths >8-10 cm, which would correspond (MAR results) to the period 1980-1985. Such structures were not found in the 0-8 cm layer, likely an effect of trawling that started in the area in the 1980s. Other changes both in benthos (corals and cirripedes) and zooplankton (pteropods) seemed to be related with Ebro river discharge, with changes coinciding with massive damming of the Ebro and tributary rivers in the 1950s and until 1965. Mesopelagic fish also showed temporal oscillations in MC4. Abundance of some myctophid remains (Lampanyctus croccodilus and Benthosema glaciale) was related with positive NAO periods and with rather high temperature in Levantine Intermediate Waters. By contrast, periods of higher dominance of Ceratoscopelus maderensis off Catalonian coasts could indicate lower salinity during the past and a progressive degree of eutrophication in intermediate waters in recent decades. A general decline in myctophids otolith abundance during the last ca. 100 years could be related to changes in the temperature and salinity of deep-water masses and a decline in ocean productivity that would also have affected open-water fish stocks.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer, West-central Florida, May 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, A.G.

2010-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing fresh water are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the principal source of water in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is used for major public supply, domestic use, irrigation, and brackish water desalination in coastal communities (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2000). This map report shows the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer measured in May 2010. The potentiometric surface is an imaginary surface connecting points of equal altitude to which water will rise in tightly-cased wells that tap a confined aquifer system (Lohman, 1979). This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the dry season, when groundwater levels usually are at an annual low and withdrawals for agricultural use typically are high. The cumulative average rainfall of 55.21 inches for west-central Florida (from June 2009 through May 2010) was 2.55 inches above the historical cumulative average of 52.66 inches (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2010). Historical cumulative averages are calculated from regional rainfall summary reports (1915 to most recent complete calendar year) and are updated monthly by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is part of a semi-annual series of Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface map reports for west-central Florida. Potentiometric-surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971, May 1973, May 1974, and for each May and September since 1975. Water-level data are collected in May and September each year to show the approximate annual low and high water-level conditions, respectively. Most of the water-level data for this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the period May 17-21, 2010. Supplemental water-level data were collected by other agencies and companies. Most water-level measurements were made during a 5-day period; therefore, measurements do not represent a 'snapshot' of conditions at a specific time, nor do they necessarily coincide with the seasonal low water-level condition.

Effect of Niagara power project on ground-water flow in the upper part of the Lockport Dolomite, Niagara Falls area, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Todd S.; Kappel, W.M.

1987-01-01

The Niagara River Power Project near Niagara Falls, N.Y., has created recharge and discharge areas that have modified the direction of groundwater flow east and northeast of the falls. Before construction of the power project in 1962, the configuration of the potentiometric surface in the upper part of the Silurian Lockport Dolomite generally paralleled the buried upper surface of the bedrock. Ground water in the central and east parts of the city of Niagara Falls flowed south and southwestward toward the upper Niagara River (above the falls), and ground water in the western part flowed westward into Niagara River gorge. The power project consists of two hydroelectric powerplants separated by a forebay canal that receives water from the upper Niagara River through two 4-mi-long, parallel, buried conduits. During periods of nonpeak power demand, some water in the forebay canal is pumped to a storage reservoir for later release to generate electricity during peak-demand periods. Since the power project began operation in 1962, groundwater within 0.5 mi of the buried conduits has seeped into the drain system that surrounds the conduits, then flows both south from the forebay canal and north from the Niagara River toward the Falls Street tunnel--a former sewer that crosses the conduits 0.65 mi north of the upper Niagara River. Approximately 6 million gallons of ground water a day leaks into the Falls Street tunnel, which carries it 2.3 mi westward to the Niagara River gorge below the falls. Daily water-level fluctuations in the forebay canal affect water levels in the drain system that surrounds the conduits, and this , in turn, affects the potentiometric surface in the Lockport Dolomite within 0.5 mi of the conduits. The drains transmit changes in pressure head near the forebay canal southward at least as far as the Falls Street tunnel area and possibly to the upper Niagara River. Some water in the pumped-storage reservoir recharges ground water in the Lockport Dolomite by seepage through bedding joints, which are exposed in the unlined reservoir bottom, and through the grout curtain beneath the reservoir 's dike. Water-level fluctuations in the reservoir cause slight ground-water fluctuations near the reservoir. (Author 's abstract)

Deep-convection events foster carbonate ion reduction in deep coral reefs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Fiz F.; Fontela, Marcos; Garcia-Ibañez, Maribel I.; Lherminier, Pascale; Zunino, Patricia; de la Paz, Mercedes; Padín, Xose A.; Alonso-Pérez, Fernando; Velo, Anton; Guallart, Elisa F.; Mercier, Herle

2017-04-01

Since millennial times, water mass circulation and deep-convection events have been transforming warm upper waters at high latitudes into cold and well-oxygenated deep waters. These processes have filled the deep North Atlantic Ocean with waters moderately saturated in calcium carbonate, thus promoting the growth of stony corals, which are hotspots of biodiversity. During the Anthropocene, the meridional circulation has been conveying cumulative amounts of more acidified waters with lower calcium carbonate saturation levels due to the incorporation of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, with very harsh conditions for deep cold-water corals projected by 2100. We evaluate the diminution of calcium carbonate saturation levels (aragonite form) due to the increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide during the last two decades (2002-2016). We observe a strong decrease in the aragonite saturation levels concomitant with the reduction in the volume transport of aragonite-saturated waters. We estimate a 30-35% reduction in the transport of ion carbonate excess over the saturation levels with respect to the natural carbon cycle for the period 2002-2016. This reduction is associated with an increase in the downward transport of hydrogen ions. We also observe a heaving of the aragonite saturation horizons during the last 25 years, which is estimated at 6 m year-1 for the deep waters and 12-14 m year-1 for the intermediated waters. The harsh winters of 2015 and 2016 have fostered the fast addition of more acidified water into the lower layers of the North Atlantic through deep-convection events. In the future scenario of 2oC warming, the anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the water column would be double than today and the associated transport of hydrogen ions towards the bottom water would reduce the aragonite saturation levels to 60-80% with respect to preindustrial levels. This reduction in the aragonite saturation levels would suppose a strong diminution of the North Atlantic habitats where stony corals will be able to inhabit.

The Public Discourse about Land Use and Water Quality: Themes in Newspapers in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmid, Andrea N.; Thompson, Jan R.; Bengston, David N.

2007-01-01

Effective educational and management programs to improve water quality will require an improved understanding of public perceptions of the relationship between land use and water quality. We analyzed a large database of newspaper articles in the Upper Mississippi River Basin to assess the public discourse about water quality and land use, and…

Phosphorus losses from an irrigated watershed in the Northwestern U.S.: Case study of the Upper Snake Rock Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Watersheds utilizing surface water for irrigation often return a portion of the water to a water body. This irrigation return flow often includes sediment and nutrients that reduce the quality of the receiving water body. Research in the 82,000 ha Upper Snake Rock (USR) watershed from 2005 to 2008 s...

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and Vicinity, Florida, May 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinnaman, Sandra L.; Dixon, Joann F.

2007-01-01

Introduction This map depicts the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity for May 2007. Potentiometric contours are based on water-level measurements collected at 566 wells during the period May 4-June 11 near the end of the dry season, however most of the water level data for this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the period May 21-25, 2007. Some contours are inferred from previous potentiometric-surface maps with larger well networks. The potentiometric surface of the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer responds mainly to rainfall, and more locally, to ground-water withdrawals and spring flow. Potentiometric-surface highs generally correspond to topographic highs where the aquifer is recharged. Springs and areas of diffuse upward leakage naturally discharge water from the aquifer and are most prevalent along the St. Johns River. Areas of discharge are reflected by depressions in the potentiometric surface. Ground-water withdrawals locally have lowered the potentiometric surface. Ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer generally flows from potentiometric highs to potentiometric lows in a direction perpendicular to the contours.

Washington Water Power Spokane River Upper Falls Hydroelectric Development, Gate ...

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

Washington Water Power Spokane River Upper Falls Hydroelectric Development, Gate House, Spokane River, approximately 0.5 mile northeast of intersection of Spokane Falls Boulevard & Post Street, Spokane, Spokane County, WA

Unfolding mechanism of thrombin-binding aptamer revealed by molecular dynamics simulation and Markov State Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Xiaojun; Zhang, Liyun; Xiao, Xiuchan; Jiang, Yuanyuan; Guo, Yanzhi; Yu, Xinyan; Pu, Xuemei; Li, Menglong

2016-04-01

Thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) with the sequence 5‧GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG3‧ could fold into G-quadruplex, which correlates with functionally important genomic regionsis. However, unfolding mechanism involved in the structural stability of G-quadruplex has not been satisfactorily elucidated on experiments so far. Herein, we studied the unfolding pathway of TBA by a combination of molecular dynamics simulation (MD) and Markov State Model (MSM). Our results revealed that the unfolding of TBA is not a simple two-state process but proceeds along multiple pathways with multistate intermediates. One high flux confirms some observations from NMR experiment. Another high flux exhibits a different and simpler unfolding pathway with less intermediates. Two important intermediate states were identified. One is similar to the G-triplex reported in the folding of G-quadruplex, but lack of H-bonding between guanines in the upper plane. More importantly, another intermediate state acting as a connector to link the folding region and the unfolding one, was the first time identified, which exhibits higher population and stability than the G-triplex-like intermediate. These results will provide valuable information for extending our understanding the folding landscape of G-quadruplex formation.

Try This: Role-Play Party: Talking about Jobs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benucci, Heather

2015-01-01

This article presents a stand-alone language-learning activity emphasizing speaking. Specifically, students will participate in role plays to describe occupations and job-related duties. The level of the activity is upper beginner or low intermediate and the time required is 45-60 minutes. The goals are: (1) to ask and answer small-talk questions…

Adult Hispanic ESL Students and Graded Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Liza E.

2017-01-01

This study examined the extent to which graded readers vis-à-vis scaffolded silent reading (ScSR) resulted in increased vocabulary, reading comprehension, and a positive attitude toward reading. A mixed-methods study was administered to two upper-intermediate adult ESL classes at a community college in southwestern Arizona. Both groups took The…

Island of the Sharks Activity Guide To Accompany the Large-Format Film.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gowell, Elizabeth Tayntor

This document targets upper elementary and middle school students and provides activities to understand what the ocean floor looks like, the interactions of ocean communities, and the true nature of sharks. The activities are developed at three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The twelve activities include: (1) "Ocean…

Vocabulary Materials and Study Strategies at Advanced Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pauwels, Paul

2012-01-01

This paper reports on a quasi-experimental study of the effect of different vocabulary study materials and strategies used by upper-intermediate English as a foreign language students in higher education. Students were assigned a selection of 163 words from the Academic Word List and were provided with different types of study materials. They were…

101 Environmental Education Activities. Booklet 5--Science & Social Studies (Interdisciplinary) Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitney, Helen, Comp.

Forestry is the main focus of this fifth booklet in the series "101 Environmental Education Activities" by the Upper Mississippi River ECO-Center. Designed for students in the intermediate grades and junior high school, the booklet contains 9 science and social studies activities and 5 interdisciplinary activities. Most activity…

The Role of Cognitive and Affective Factors in Measures of L2 Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zabihi, Reza

2018-01-01

This study investigates the direct and/or indirect effects of some cognitive (working memory capacity) and affective (writing anxiety and writing self-efficacy) variables on the complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) of second language (L2) learners' writings. To achieve this goal, 232 upper-intermediate English learners performed an automated…

Teaching New Tendencies in Gender Usage in Modern English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sudo, Julia

2007-01-01

Many fluent EFL speakers experience psychological problems after discovering gender-inclusive English during their first stay abroad, due to the unforeseen nature of this discovery. For example, most EFL students in Russia seem to be unaware of this linguistic phenomenon, even at upper-intermediate and advanced levels. They use and expect others…

The Effects of Implicit Instruction on Implicit and Explicit Knowledge Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godfroid, Aline

2016-01-01

This study extends the evidence for implicit second language (L2) learning, which comes largely from (semi-)artificial language research, to German. Upper-intermediate L2 German learners were flooded with spoken exemplars of a difficult morphological structure, namely strong, vowel-changing verbs. Toward the end of exposure, the mandatory vowel…

Ice-Breaking as a Useful Teaching Policy for Both Genders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeganehpour, Parisa

2017-01-01

These days focus of interest in English learning changes to productive skills, in Turkey. This research study assesses the teachers' point of view about using ice-breakers for adult Turkish EFL learners in upper-intermediate level. It also anticipates finding valuable information with applying ice-breaker activities as a useful teaching policy…

Forest Canopy Water Cycling Responses to an Intermediate Disturbance Revealed Through Stable Water Vapor Isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiorella, R.; Poulsen, C. J.; Matheny, A. M.; Rey Sanchez, C.; Fotis, A. T.; Morin, T. H.; Vogel, C. S.; Gough, C. M.; Aron, P.; Bohrer, G.

2016-12-01

Forest structure, age, and species composition modulate fluxes of carbon and water between the land surface and the atmosphere. The response of forests to intermediate disturbances such as ecological succession, species-specific insect invasion, or selective logging that disrupt the canopy but do not promote complete stand replacement, shape how these fluxes evolve through time. We investigate the impact of an intermediate disturbance to water cycling processes by comparing vertical profiles of stable water isotopes in two closely located forest canopies in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan using cavity ring-down spectroscopy. In one of the canopies, an intermediate disturbance was prescribed in 2008 by inducing mortality in all canopy-dominant early successional species. Isotopic compositions of atmospheric water vapor are measured at six heights during two time periods (summer and early fall) at two flux towers and compared with local meteorology and calculated atmospheric back-trajectories. Disturbance has little impact on low-frequency changes in isotopic composition (e.g., >1 day); at these timescales, isotopic composition is strongly related to large-scale moisture transport. In contrast, disturbance has substantial impacts on the vertical distribution of water isotopes throughout the canopy when transpiration rates are high during the summer, but impact is muted during early fall. Sub-diurnal differences in canopy water vapor cycling are likely related to differences in species composition and response to disturbance and changes in canopy structure. Predictions of transpiration fluxes by land-surface models that do not account species-specific relationships and canopy structure are unlikely to capture these relationships, but addition of stable isotopes to land surface models may provide a useful parameter to improve these predictions.

Silver concentrations and selected hydrologic data in the Upper Colorado River basin, 1991-92

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johncox, D.A.

1993-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado River Water Conservation District and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, collected water and sediment samples in May and September 1991 and 1992 from nine stream-sampling sites and three lake-sampling sites within the Upper Colorado River Basin upstream from Kremmling, Colorado. Data were collected to determine the present (1992) conditions of the Upper Colorado River Basin regarding silver concentrations in the water and sediment. Lake-water and stream-water samples were analyzed for concentrations of total recoverable silver, dissolved silver, and suspended solids. Lake- and stream-bottom material was analyzed for concentrations of total recoverable silver. Additional data collected were streamflow, specific conductance, pH, and water temperature. Transparency (Secchi-disk measurements) also was measured in the lakes.

Study of dilution, height, and lateral spread of vertical dense jets in marine shallow water.

PubMed

Ahmad, Nadeem; Suzuki, Takayuki

2016-01-01

This study provides information for the design of sea outfalls to dispose of brine from desalination plants into shallow lagoons of the sea. The behavior of vertical dense jets was studied experimentally by discharging cold saline water vertically upward into a tank filled with hot freshwater under stagnant ambient conditions. The minimum return point dilution, μmin, was determined using thermocouples, and the maximum height, Z(m), and the lateral spread, R(sp), of the fountains were determined by observing shadowgraph pictures. The flow was turbulent and the densimetric Froude number Fr(0) varied from 9 to 18.8. Three mixing regimes were identified: deep, intermediate, and impinging mixing regimes. In the intermediate mixing regime, μ(min) and Z(m) were analyzed and compared with the results of deep water studies. The μ(min) and Z(m) values of fountains at an intermediate water depth were found to be higher than those of fountains at deep water depths. In the impinging regime, μ(min) decreases rapidly when a fountain starts to continuously impinge on the water surface, showing a noticeable disturbance in the water surface. Therefore, a good rule of thumb is to reduce the flow through multiport diffusers from desalination plants when the noticeable disturbance is observed from the top water surface.

Water Quality Conditions in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoilman, Gene R.; Lindenberg, Mary K.; Wood, Tamara M.

2008-01-01

During June-October 2005, water quality data were collected from Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes in Oregon, and meteorological data were collected around and within Upper Klamath Lake. Data recorded at two continuous water quality monitors in Agency Lake showed similar temperature patterns throughout the field season, but data recorded at the northern site showed more day-to-day variability for dissolved oxygen concentration and saturation after late June and more day-to-day variability for pH and specific conductance values after mid-July. Data recorded from the northern and southern parts of Agency Lake showed more comparable day-to-day variability in dissolved oxygen concentrations and pH from September through the end of the monitoring period. For Upper Klamath Lake, seasonal (late July through early August) lows of dissolved oxygen concentrations and saturation were coincident with a seasonal low of pH values and seasonal highs of ammonia and orthophosphate concentrations, specific conductance values, and water temperatures. Patterns in these parameters, excluding water temperature, were associated with bloom dynamics of the cyanobacterium (blue-green alga) Aphanizomenon flos-aquae in Upper Klamath Lake. In Upper Klamath Lake, water temperature in excess of 28 degrees Celsius (a high stress threshold for Upper Klamath Lake suckers) was recorded only once at one site during the field season. Large areas of Upper Klamath Lake had periods of dissolved oxygen concentration of less than 4 milligrams per liter and pH value greater than 9.7, but these conditions were not persistent throughout days at most sites. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in Upper Klamath Lake on time scales of days and months appeared to be influenced, in part, by bathymetry and prevailing current flow patterns. Diel patterns of water column stratification were evident, even at the deepest sites. This diel pattern of stratification was attributable to diel wind speed patterns and the shallow nature of most of Upper Klamath Lake. Timing of the daily extreme values of dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, and water temperature was less distinct with increased water column depth. Chlorophyll a concentrations varied spatially and temporally throughout Upper Klamath Lake. Location greatly affected algal concentrations, in turn affecting nutrient and dissolved oxygen concentrations - some of the highest chlorophyll a concentrations were associated with the lowest dissolved oxygen concentrations and the highest un-ionized ammonia concentrations. The occurrence of the low dissolved oxygen and high un-ionized ammonia concentrations coincided with a decline in algae resulting from cell death, as measured by concentrations of chlorophyll a. Dissolved oxygen production rates in experiments were as high as 1.47 milligrams of oxygen per liter per hour, and consumption rates were as much as -0.73 milligrams of oxygen per liter per hour. Dissolved oxygen consumption rates measured in this study were comparable to those measured in a 2002 Upper Klamath Lake study, and a higher rate of dissolved oxygen consumption was recorded in dark bottles positioned higher in the water column. Data, though inconclusive, indicated that a decreasing trend of dissolved oxygen productivity through July could have contributed to the decreasing dissolved oxygen concentrations and percent saturation recorded in Upper Klamath Lake during this time. Phytoplankton self-shading was evident from a general inverse relation between depth of photic zone and chlorophyll a concentrations. This shading caused net dissolved oxygen consumption during daylight hours in lower parts of the water column that would otherwise have been in the photic zone. Meteorological data collected in and around Upper Klamath Lake showed that winds were likely to come from a broad range of westerly directions in the northern one-third of the lake, but tended to come from a narrow range of northwesterly directions

Potentiometric surface of the upper Floridan aquifer, west-central Florida, May 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, Anita G.

2011-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing freshwater are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the principal source of water in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is used for major public supply, domestic use, irrigation, and brackish water desalination in coastal communities (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2000). This map report shows the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer measured in May 2011. The potentiometric surface is an imaginary surface connecting points of equal altitude to which water will rise in tightly-cased wells that tap a confined aquifer system (Lohman, 1979). This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the dry season, when groundwater levels usually are at an annual low and withdrawals for agricultural use typically are high. The cumulative average rainfall of 45.74 inches for west-central Florida (from June 2010 through May 2011) was 6.85 inches below the historical cumulative average of 52.59 inches (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2011). Historical cumulative averages are calculated from regional rainfall summary reports (1915 to most recent complete calendar year) and are updated monthly by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is part of a semi-annual series of Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface map reports for west-central Florida. Potentiometric-surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971, May 1973, May 1974, and for each May and September from 1975 through 2010. Water-level data are collected in May and September each year to show the approximate annual low and high water-level conditions, respectively. Most of the water-level data for this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the period May 23-27, 2011. Supplemental water-level data were collected by other agencies and companies. Most water-level measurements were made during a 5-day period; therefore, measurements do not represent a "snapshot" of conditions at a specific time, nor do they necessarily coincide with the seasonal low water-level condition.

Reconstruction of deglacial Antarctic Intermediate Water variations in the subtropical North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, R. C.; Marcantonio, F.; Schmidt, M. W.

2012-12-01

Understanding intermediate water circulation across the last deglaciation is critical in assessing the role of oceanic heat transport associated with Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) variability across abrupt climate events. Abrupt changes in the northward flow of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) associated with AMOC reduction during the Younger Dryas (YD) and Heinrich Event 1 (H1) have been hypothesized, suggesting a potential connection between the Southern Ocean and high-latitude North Atlantic climate change. However, controversy persists as to whether the northward flow of AAIW is stronger or weaker during these abrupt cold events. One school maintains that there is an increase in the northward penetration of AAIW associated with weaker AMOC during both the YD and H1 cold events (e.g., [1-2]). However, each of these previous studies analyzed sediment cores retrieved from depths deeper than the modern depth range of AAIW (500-1100 m in the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic). Another school comes to the opposite conclusion, namely that there is a weakening of AAIW at least during one of the deglacial events (e.g., [3-4]). Here, we reconstruct deglacial AAIW variations using authigenic Nd isotope ratios from sediment recovered from core VM12-107 (11.33°N, 66.63°W; 1079 m) in the Southern Caribbean Sea. VM12-107 lies at the boundary between modern AAIW and modern upper NADW and thus is ideal for investigating the shoaling/deepening of the competing water masses as well as the variations of AAIW across abrupt climate events during the last deglaciation. We measured authigenic Nd isotope compositions in three different fractions in core VM12-107: the Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide leachate of the bulk sediment, the uncleaned planktonic foraminifera (mixed species), and fish debris wherever possible. Preliminary authigenic Nd isotope results from the Fe-Mn leachate show little variability in the ɛNd values, ranging from -9.6 to -10.6, during the last deglaciation. No discernable long-term trend is suggested. The small variation in authigenic ɛNd values may suggest little change in the northward penetration of AAIW at our study site during the last deglaciation. On the other hand, shoaling of the glacial analogue of NADW (i.e., Glacial North Atlantic Intermediate Water), with a more radiogenic ɛNd signature during the YD and H1, can also explain our authigenic ɛNd record from the Fe-Mn leachates. Comparing our authigenic Nd isotope record with those recently published from the Florida Straits [4] and those from the Tobago Basin [1], we propose that sediment cores retrieved from depths below the modern AAIW depth range are not suitable in tracing deglacial AAIW variability. Because the Nd isotope record from authigenic Fe-Mn leachate fraction can be biased by excess leaching of the detrital fraction of the sediment, ɛNd values from uncleaned planktonic foraminifera (mixed species) and fish debris will be presented to test the Nd isotope record from authigenic Fe-Mn leachates. [1] Pahnke et al. (2008) Nature Geoscience 1, 870-874 [2] Thornalley et al. (2011) Science 331(6014), 202-205; [3] Came et al. (2008) Paleoceanography 23, PA1217; [4] Xie et al. (in press) Paleoceanography, doi:10.1029/2012PA002337

Abrupt climate change and collapse of deep-sea ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yasuhara, Moriaki; Cronin, T. M.; Demenocal, P.B.; Okahashi, H.; Linsley, B.K.

2008-01-01

We investigated the deep-sea fossil record of benthic ostracodes during periods of rapid climate and oceanographic change over the past 20,000 years in a core from intermediate depth in the northwestern Atlantic. Results show that deep-sea benthic community "collapses" occur with faunal turnover of up to 50% during major climatically driven oceanographic changes. Species diversity as measured by the Shannon-Wiener index falls from 3 to as low as 1.6 during these events. Major disruptions in the benthic communities commenced with Heinrich Event 1, the Inter-Aller??d Cold Period (IACP: 13.1 ka), the Younger Dryas (YD: 12.9-11.5 ka), and several Holocene Bond events when changes in deep-water circulation occurred. The largest collapse is associated with the YD/IACP and is characterized by an abrupt two-step decrease in both the upper North Atlantic Deep Water assemblage and species diversity at 13.1 ka and at 12.2 ka. The ostracode fauna at this site did not fully recover until ???8 ka, with the establishment of Labrador Sea Water ventilation. Ecologically opportunistic slope species prospered during this community collapse. Other abrupt community collapses during the past 20 ka generally correspond to millennial climate events. These results indicate that deep-sea ecosystems are not immune to the effects of rapid climate changes occurring over centuries or less. ?? 2008 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA.

Material test machine for tension-compression tests at high temperature

DOEpatents

Cioletti, Olisse C.

1988-01-01

Apparatus providing a device for testing the properties of material specimens at high temperatures and pressures in controlled water chemistries includes, inter alia, an autoclave housing the specimen which is being tested. The specimen is connected to a pull rod which couples out of the autoclave to an external assembly which includes one or more transducers, a force balance chamber and a piston type actuator. The pull rod feeds through the force balance chamber and is compensated thereby for the pressure conditions existing within the autoclave and tending to eject the pull rod therefrom. The upper end of the push rod is connected to the actuator through elements containing a transducer comprising a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT). The housing and coil assembly of the LVDT is coupled to a tube which runs through a central bore of the pull rod into the autoclave where it is connected to one side of the specimen. The movable core of the LVDT is coupled to a stem which runs through the tube where it is then connected to the other side of the specimen through a coupling member. A transducer in the form of a load cell including one or more strain gages is located on a necked-down portion of the upper part of the pull rod intermediate the LVDT and force balance chamber.

Washington Water Power Spokane River Upper Falls Hydroelectric Development, Gates ...

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

Washington Water Power Spokane River Upper Falls Hydroelectric Development, Gates & Gate-Lifting Mechanisms, Spokane River, approximately 0.5 mile northeast of intersection of Spokane Falls Boulevard & Post Street, Spokane, Spokane County, WA

Distribution of palaeosols and deposits in the temporal evolution of a semiarid fluvial distributary system (Bauru Group, Upper Cretaceous, SE Brazil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basilici, Giorgio; Bo, Patrick Führ Dal'; de Oliveira, Emerson Ferreira

2016-07-01

The stratigraphic and sedimentological knowledge of the Bauru Group (Upper Cretaceous, SE Brazil) is still generally insufficient and controversial. A sedimentological and palaeopedological study allowed to interpret the south-eastern portion of the Bauru Group according to the model of a fluvial distributary system. This work has two objectives: (1) to include palaeosols in the interpretation of a fluvial distributary system and (2) to give detailed information on the sedimentological and stratigraphic features of the SE portion of the Bauru Group in order to support biostratigraphical, taphonomic and palaeoecological studies. In the south-eastern portion of the Bauru Group, three genetic stratigraphic units were described and interpreted, here informally called lower, intermediate and upper units. The lower unit is constituted of muddy sandstone salt flat deposits and sandstone sheet deltas deposits and is interpreted as a basinal part of a fluvial distributary system. The intermediate unit is formed of very fine to fine-grained sandstone-filled ribbon channel and sandy sheet-shaped beds, suggesting a distal or medial portion of a fluvial distributary system. The upper unit does not match with the present models of the fluvial distributary system because mostly constituted of moderately developed, well-drained, medium- to fine-grained sandstone palaeosols, which testify pauses of sedimentation to the order of 104 years. Preserved features of sedimentary structures suggest that the parent material was formed by occasional catastrophic unconfined flows. This unit may represent the most distal portion of a fluvial distributary system generated by retrogradation of the alluvial system due to aridification of the climate. The upper unit may be interpreted also as proximal portion of fluvial distributary system if considering the coarser-grained and the well-drained palaeosols. However, the absence of channel deposits makes this interpretation unconvincing.

Reconstruction of the Eocene Arctic Ocean Using Ichthyolith Isotope Analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleason, J. D.; Thomas, D. J.; Moore, T. C.; Waddell, L. M.; Blum, J. D.; Haley, B. A.

2007-12-01

Nd, Sr, O and C isotopic compositions of Eocene fish debris (teeth, bones, scales), and their reduced organic coatings, have been used to reconstruct water mass composition, water column structure, surface productivity and salinities of the Arctic Ocean Basin at Lomonosov Ridge between 55 and 44 Ma. Cleaned ichthyolith samples from IODP Expedition 302 (ACEX) record epsilon Nd values that range from -5.7 to -7.8, distinct from modern Arctic Intermediate Water (-10.5) and North Atlantic Deep Water. These Nd values may record some exchange with Pacific/Tethyan water masses, but inputs from local continental sources are more likely. Sr isotopic values are consistent with a brackish-to-fresh water surface layer (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7079-0.7087) that was poorly mixed with Eocene global seawater (0.7077-0.7078). Leaching experiments show reduced organic coatings to be more radiogenic (>0.7090) than cleaned ichthyolith phosphate. Ichthyolith Sr isotopic variations likely reflect changes in localized river input as a function of shifts in the Arctic hydrologic cycle, and 87Sr/86Sr values might be used as a proxy for surface water salinity. Model mixing calculations indicate salinities of 5 to 20 per mil, lower than estimates based on O isotopes from fish bone carbonate (16 to 26 per mil). Significant salinity drops (i.e., 55 Ma PETM and 48.5 Ma Azolla event) registered in oxygen isotopes do not show large excursions in the 87Sr/86Sr data. Carbon isotopes in fish debris record a spike in organic activity at 48.5 Ma (Azolla event), and otherwise high-productivity waters between 55 and 44 Ma. The combined Sr-Nd-O-C isotopic record is consistent with highly restricted basin-wide circulation in the Eocene, indicative of a highly stratified water column with anoxic bottom waters, a "fresh" water upper layer, and enhanced continental runoff during warm intervals until the first appearance of ice rafted debris at 45 Ma.

Influence of pycnocline topography and water-column structure on marine distributions of alcids (Aves: Alcidae) in Anadyr Strait, Northern Bering Sea, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haney, J. Christopher

1991-01-01

Systematic ship-board surveys were used to simultaneously record seabird abundances and resolve coarse-scale (3 to 10 km) horizontal and fine-scale (1 to 10 m) vertical variability in water-column structure and bathymetry for portions of the coastal zone in Anadyr Strait near western St. Lawrence Island, northern Bering Sea, Alaska, during August and September 1987. Three plankton-feeding alcids, parakeet (Cyclorrhynchus psittacula), crested (Aethia cristatella) and least (A. pusilla) auklets, each exhibited distinct associations for different pycnocline characteristics. Least auklets were more abundant in mixed water, but they also occurred within stratified water where the pycnocline and upper-mixed layer were shallow (≤8 m) and thin (≤10 m), respectively. Low body mass (85 g), high buoyancy, and relatively poor diving ability may have restricted this auklet to areas where water-column strata nearly intersected the surface, or to areas from which strata were absent altogether due to strong vertical mixing. Parakeet and crested auklets, which are larger-bodied (ca. 260 g) planktivores with presumably greater diving ability, were more abundant in stratified water, and both species exhibited less specific affinities for water-column characteristic at intermediate and shallow levels. All three auklets avoided locations with strong pycnocline gradients (≤0.22σtm−1), a crude index of the strong, subsurface shear in water velocities characteristic of this region. Auklet distributions in Anadyr Strait were consistent with: (1) strata accessibility, as estimated from relationships between body mass and relative diving ability, (2) possible avoidance of strong subsurface water motions, and (3) habits and distributions of plankton prey. In contrast, largebodied (>450 g) alcids [i.e., common (Uria aalge) and thick-billed (U. lomvia) murres, pigeon guillemots (Cephus columba), tufted (Fratercula cirrhata), and horned (F. corniculata) puffins feeding on fish or benthic invertebrates] showed no consistent relationships with either the pycnocline or upper-mixed layers. All large alcids were more common in stratified than in vertically-mixed waters, but differences in abundance between mixing regimes were small or equivocal. The only measured variable with which all large alcids were associated was total water-column depth: murres, guillemots, and puffins each used areas with shallow sea floors and avoided areas with deeper sea floors. Failure of large alcids to discriminate among foraging areas in Anadyr Strait as a function of pycnocline topography and strength may be attributable to: (1) greater reliance on large pelagic and benthic prey not associated with the pycnocline; (2) higher body mass, lower buoyancy, and greater diving ability; (3) foraging over a uniquely shallow continental shelf where all vertical strata, including the sea floor, are potentially accessible from the ocean surface.

Diversity, distribution and population size structure of deep Mediterranean gorgonian assemblages (Menorca Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grinyó, Jordi; Gori, Andrea; Ambroso, Stefano; Purroy, Ariadna; Calatayud, Clara; Dominguez-Carrió, Carlos; Coppari, Martina; Lo Iacono, Claudio; López-González, Pablo J.; Gili, Josep-Maria

2016-06-01

Gorgonians are a key group of organisms in benthic marine communities with a wide bathymetric and geographical distribution. Although their presence on continental shelves and slopes has been known for more than 100 years, knowledge concerning the ecology of deep gorgonian species is still in a very preliminary stage. To overcome this situation, gorgonian assemblages located at 40-360 m depth were studied over a large geographical area on the continental shelf and upper slope of the Menorca Channel (Western Mediterranean Sea). A quantitative analysis of video transects recorded by a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle, were used to examine the diversity, distribution and demography of gorgonian species. Results showed high gorgonian diversity within this depth range (a total of nine species were observed) compared to Mediterranean coastal areas. Gorgonian assemblages on the continental shelf and upper slope were mostly monospecific (respectively 73% and 76% of occupied sampling units contained one single species), whereas shelf edge assemblages were highly multispecific (92% of occupied sampling units contained several species). This contrasts with the monospecificity of Mediterranean coastal gorgonian assemblages. Gorgonian populations on the continental shelf were mostly dominated by small colonies (88% of measured colonies) with few intermediate and large colonies (12% of measured colonies). In deeper areas small colonies were still dominant (60% of measured colonies), but intermediate and large colonies were much more abundant (40% of measured colonies). This suggests high recruitment rates on the continental shelf, but perturbations (trammel nets, long lines and strong storms) may limit the presence of intermediate and large colonies. Conversely, on the shelf edge and upper slope a more stable environment may allow colonies to reach larger dimensions. The identification and ecological characterization of these deep assemblages further extends the current knowledge about Mediterranean gorgonians, and is fundamental in improving the management and conservation of deep benthic ecosystems.

Hydrogeology, water quality, and water-resources development potential of the upper Floridan Aquifer in the Valdosta area, south-central Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

McConnell, J.B.; Hacke, C.M.

1993-01-01

Water quality in the Upper Floridan aquifer in the Valdosta, Georgia area is adversely affected by direct recharge from the Withlacoochee River. Water enters the aquifer along a short reach of the river where sinkholes have formed in the stream bed. The water receives little filtration as it recharges the Upper Floridan aquifer through these sinkholes. Naturally occurring organic material in the river provides a readily available source of energy for the growth of microbiota in the aquifer. Microbiological processes and chemical reactions in the aquifer produce methane and hydrogen sulfide as the water from the river mixes with ground water and moves downgradient in the aquifer. Humic substances associated with the organic material in the ground water in this area can form trihalomethanes when the water is chlorinated for public supply. To assess areas most suitable for ground-water supply development, areal distributions of total organic carbon, total sulfide, and methane in the Upper Floridan aquifer were mapped and used to evaluate areas affected by recharge from the Withlacoochee River. Areas where concentrations of total organic carbon, total sulfide, and methane were less than or equal to 2.0 milligrams per liter, 0.5 milligrams per liter, and 100 micrograms per liter, respectively, were considered to be relatively unaffected by recharge from the river and to have the greatest potential for water- resources development.

Sources of groundwater and characteristics of surface-water recharge at Bell, White, and Suwannee Springs, Florida, 2012–13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stamm, John F.; McBride, W. Scott

2016-12-21

Discharge from springs in Florida is sourced from aquifers, such as the Upper Floridan aquifer, which is overlain by an upper confining unit that locally can have properties of an aquifer. Water levels in aquifers are affected by several factors, such as precipitation, recharge, and groundwater withdrawals, which in turn can affect discharge from springs. Therefore, identifying groundwater sources and recharge characteristics can be important in assessing how these factors might affect flows and water levels in springs and can be informative in broader applications such as groundwater modeling. Recharge characteristics include the residence time of water at the surface, apparent age of recharge, and recharge water temperature.The groundwater sources and recharge characteristics of three springs that discharge from the banks of the Suwannee River in northern Florida were assessed for this study: Bell Springs, White Springs, and Suwannee Springs. Sources of groundwater were also assessed for a 150-foot-deep well finished within the Upper Floridan aquifer, hereafter referred to as the UFA well. Water samples were collected for geochemical analyses in November 2012 and October 2013 from the three springs and the UFA well. Samples were analyzed for a suite of major ions, dissolved gases, and isotopes of sulfur, strontium, oxygen, and hydrogen. Daily means of water level and specific conductance at White Springs were continuously recorded from October 2012 through December 2013 by the Suwannee River Water Management District. Suwannee River stage at White Springs was computed on the basis of stage at a U.S. Geological Survey streamgage about 2.4 miles upstream. Water levels in two wells, located about 2.5 miles northwest and 13 miles southeast of White Springs, were also used in the analyses.Major ion concentrations were used to differentiate water from the springs and Upper Floridan aquifer into three groups: Bell Springs, UFA well, and White and Suwannee Springs. When considered together, evidence from water-level, specific conductance, major-ion concentration, and isotope data indicated that groundwater at Bell Springs and the UFA well was a mixture of surface water and groundwater from the upper confining unit, and that groundwater at White and Suwannee Springs was a mixture of surface water, groundwater from the upper confining unit, and groundwater from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Higher concentrations of magnesium in groundwater samples at the UFA well than in samples at Bell Springs might indicate less mixing with surface water at the UFA well than at Bell Springs. Characteristics of surface-water recharge, such as residence time at the surface, apparent age, and recharge water temperature, were estimated on the basis of isotopic ratios, and dissolved concentrations of gases such as argon, tritium, and sulfur hexafluoride. Oxygen and deuterium isotopic ratios were consistent with rapid recharge by rainwater for samples collected in 2012, and longer residence time at the surface (ponding) for samples collected in 2013. Apparent ages of groundwater samples, computed on the basis of tritium activity and sulfur hexafluoride concentration, indicated groundwater recharge occurred after the late 1980s; however, the estimated apparent ages likely represent the average of ages of multiple sources. Recharge since the 1980s is consistent with groundwater from shallow sources, such as the upper confining unit and Upper Floridan aquifer. Recharge water temperature computed for the three springs and UFA well averaged 20.1 degrees Celsius, which is similar to the mean annual air temperature of 20.6 degrees Celsius at a nearby weather station for 1960–2014.

Provenance and depositional history of continental slope sediments in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico unraveled by geochemical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong-Altrin, John S.; Machain-Castillo, María Luisa; Rosales-Hoz, Leticia; Carranza-Edwards, Arturo; Sanchez-Cabeza, Joan-Albert; Ruíz-Fernández, Ana Carolina

2015-03-01

The aim of this work is to constrain the provenance and depositional history of continental slope sediments in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico (~1089-1785 m water depth). To achieve this, 10 piston sediment cores (~5-5.5 m long) were studied for mineralogy, major, trace and rare earth element geochemistry. Samples were analyzed at three core sections, i.e. upper (0-1 cm), middle (30-31 cm) and lower (~300-391 cm). The textural study reveals that the core sediments are characterized by silt and clay fractions. Radiocarbon dating of sediments for the cores at different levels indicated a maximum of ~28,000 year BP. Sediments were classified as shale. The chemical index of alteration (CIA) values for the upper, middle, and lower sections revealed moderate weathering in the source region. The index of chemical maturity (ICV) and SiO2/Al2O3 ratio indicated low compositional maturity for the core sediments. A statistically significant correlation observed between total rare earth elements (∑REE) versus Al2O3 and Zr indicated that REE are mainly housed in detrital minerals. The North American Shale Composite (NASC) normalized REE patterns, trace element concentrations such as Cr, Ni and V, and the comparison of REE concentrations in sediments and source rocks indicated that the study area received sediments from rocks intermediate between felsic and mafic composition. The enrichment factor (EF) results indicated that the Cd and Zn contents of the upper section sediments were influenced by an anthropogenic source. The trace element ratios and authigenic U content of the core sediments indicated the existence of an oxic depositional environment.

METHOD OF IMPROVING CORROSION RESISTANCE OF ZIRCONIUM

DOEpatents

Shannon, D.W.

1961-03-28

An improved intermediate rinse for zirconium counteracts an anomalous deposit that often results in crevices and outof-the-way places when ordinary water is used to rinse away a strong fluoride etching solution designed to promote passivation of the metal. The intermediate rinse, which is used after the etching solution and before the water, is characterized by a complexing agent for fluoride ions such as aluminum or zirconium nitrates or chlorides.

Gateways and Water Mass Mixing in the Late Cretaceous North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asgharian Rostami, M.; Martin, E. E.; MacLeod, K. G.; Poulsen, C. J.; Vande Guchte, A.; Haynes, S.

2017-12-01

Regions of intermediate/deep water formation and water-mass mixing in the North Atlantic are poorly defined for the Late Cretaceous, a time of gateway evolution and cooler conditions following the Mid Cretaceous greenhouse. Improved proxy data combined with modeling efforts are required to effectively evaluate the relationship between CO2, paleogeography, and circulation during this cooler interval. We analyzed and compiled latest Cretaceous (79 - 66 Ma) ɛNd and δ13C records from seven bathyal (paleodepths 0.2 - 2 km) and eight abyssal (paleodepths > 2 km) sites in the North Atlantic. Data suggest local downwelling of Northern Component Water (NCW; ɛNd -9.5 and δ13C 1.7 ‰) is the primary source of intermediate/deep water masses in the basin. As this water flows southward and ages, δ13C values decrease and ɛNd values increase; however, additional chemical changes at several sites require mixing with contributions from several additional water masses. Lower ɛNd ( -10) and higher δ13C ( 1.9 ‰) values in the deep NW part of the basin indicate proximal contributions from a region draining old continental crust, potentially representing deep convection following opening of the Labrador Sea. In the deep NE Iberian Basin, higher ɛNd ( -7) and lower δ13C ( 0.8 ‰) during the Campanian suggest mixing with a Tethyan source (ɛNd -7 and δ13C 0.1 ‰) whose importance decreased with restriction of that gateway in the Maastrichtian. Data from bathyal sites suggest additional mixing. In the SE Cape Verde region, observed ɛNd variations from -10 in the Campanian to -13 and -12 in the early and late Maastrichtian, respectively, may record variations in output rates of Tethyan and/or NCW sources and Demerara Bottom Water (ɛNd -16), a proposed warm saline intermediate water mass formed in shallow, equatorial seas. Pacific inflow through the Caribbean gateway impacts intermediate sites at Blake Nose (ɛNd values -8), particularly the shallowest site during the late Maastrichtian, although this influence is greatly reduced relative to the Mid Cretaceous. We compare our proxy-based interpretations of North Atlantic intermediate/deep water circulation with model simulations of the Late Cretaceous performed using NCAR CESM1.2 that test the sensitivity of circulation to changes in atmospheric CO2 and paleogeographic gateways.

Deglacial variability of Antarctic Intermediate Water penetration into the North Atlantic from authigenic neodymium isotope ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Ruifang C.; Marcantonio, Franco; Schmidt, Matthew W.

2012-09-01

Understanding intermediate water circulation across the last deglacial is critical in assessing the role of oceanic heat transport associated with Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation variability across abrupt climate events. However, the links between intermediate water circulation and abrupt climate events such as the Younger Dryas (YD) and Heinrich Event 1 (H1) are still poorly constrained. Here, we reconstruct changes in Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) circulation in the subtropical North Atlantic over the past 25 kyr by measuring authigenic neodymium isotope ratios in sediments from two sites in the Florida Straits. Our authigenic Nd isotope records suggest that there was little to no penetration of AAIW into the subtropical North Atlantic during the YD and H1. Variations in the northward penetration of AAIW into the Florida Straits documented in our authigenic Nd isotope record are synchronous with multiple climatic archives, including the Greenland ice core δ18O record, the Cariaco Basin atmosphere Δ14C reconstruction, the Bermuda Rise sedimentary Pa/Th record, and nutrient and stable isotope data from the tropical North Atlantic. The synchroneity of our Nd records with multiple climatic archives suggests a tight connection between AAIW variability and high-latitude North Atlantic climate change.

Terminator assembly for a floating structure

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

Chiu, H.; Hall, J.E.

1987-10-20

A terminator assembly is described for use in mooring a floating surface to the floor of a body of water. The floating structure has has an upper support and a lower support, comprising: a hawsepipe extending downwardly from adjacent the upper support and supported by the lower support, a tension member extending downwardly from adjacent the upper support through the hawsepipe and the lower support. The tension member has a lower end adapted for connection to the floor of the body of water. Locking means connected to an upper portion of the tension member for maintaining the tension member inmore » tension by acting upon an upper portion of the hawsepipe without transferring primary tension load forces to the upper support.« less

Search for pair production of strongly interacting particles decaying to pairs of jets in pp collisions at √s=1.96 TeV.

PubMed

Aaltonen, T; Albin, E; Amerio, S; Amidei, D; Anastassov, A; Annovi, A; Antos, J; Apollinari, G; Appel, J A; Arisawa, T; Artikov, A; Asaadi, J; Ashmanskas, W; Auerbach, B; Aurisano, A; Azfar, F; Badgett, W; Bae, T; Barbaro-Galtieri, A; Barnes, V E; Barnett, B A; Barria, P; Bartos, P; Bauce, M; Bedeschi, F; Behari, S; Bellettini, G; Bellinger, J; Benjamin, D; Beretvas, A; Bhatti, A; Bland, K R; Blumenfeld, B; Bocci, A; Bodek, A; Bortoletto, D; Boudreau, J; Boveia, A; Brigliadori, L; Bromberg, C; Brucken, E; Budagov, J; Budd, H S; Burkett, K; Busetto, G; Bussey, P; Butti, P; Buzatu, A; Calamba, A; Camarda, S; Campanelli, M; Canelli, F; Carls, B; Carlsmith, D; Carosi, R; Carrillo, S; Casal, B; Casarsa, M; Castro, A; Catastini, P; Cauz, D; Cavaliere, V; Cavalli-Sforza, M; Cerri, A; Cerrito, L; Chen, Y C; Chertok, M; Chiarelli, G; Chlachidze, G; Cho, K; Chokheli, D; Ciocci, M A; Clark, A; Clarke, C; Convery, M E; Conway, J; Corbo, M; Cordelli, M; Cox, C A; Cox, D J; Cremonesi, M; Cruz, D; Cuevas, J; Culbertson, R; d'Ascenzo, N; Datta, M; De Barbaro, P; Demortier, L; Deninno, M; Devoto, F; d'Errico, M; Di Canto, A; Di Ruzza, B; Dittmann, J R; D'Onofrio, M; Donati, S; Dorigo, M; Driutti, A; Ebina, K; Edgar, R; Elagin, A; Erbacher, R; Errede, S; Esham, B; Eusebi, R; Farrington, S; Fernández Ramos, J P; Field, R; Flanagan, G; Forrest, R; Franklin, M; Freeman, J C; Frisch, H; Funakoshi, Y; Garfinkel, A F; Garosi, P; Gerberich, H; Gerchtein, E; Giagu, S; Giakoumopoulou, V; Gibson, K; Ginsburg, C M; Giokaris, N; Giromini, P; Giurgiu, G; Glagolev, V; Glenzinski, D; Gold, M; Goldin, D; Golossanov, A; Gomez, G; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Goncharov, M; González López, O; Gorelov, I; Goshaw, A T; Goulianos, K; Gramellini, E; Grinstein, S; Grosso-Pilcher, C; Group, R C; Guimaraes da Costa, J; Hahn, S R; Han, J Y; Happacher, F; Hara, K; Hare, M; Harr, R F; Harrington-Taber, T; Hatakeyama, K; Hays, C; Heinrich, J; Herndon, M; Hocker, A; Hong, Z; Hopkins, W; Hou, S; Hughes, R E; Husemann, U; Hussein, M; Huston, J; Introzzi, G; Iori, M; Ivanov, A; James, E; Jang, D; Jayatilaka, B; Jeon, E J; Jindariani, S; Jones, M; Joo, K K; Jun, S Y; Junk, T R; Kambeitz, M; Kamon, T; Karchin, P E; Kasmi, A; Kato, Y; Ketchum, W; Keung, J; Kilminster, B; Kim, D H; Kim, H S; Kim, J E; Kim, M J; Kim, S B; Kim, S H; Kim, Y K; Kim, Y J; Kimura, N; Kirby, M; Knoepfel, K; Kondo, K; Kong, D J; Konigsberg, J; Kotwal, A V; Kreps, M; Kroll, J; Kruse, M; Kuhr, T; Kurata, M; Laasanen, A T; Lammel, S; Lancaster, M; Lannon, K; Latino, G; Lee, H S; Lee, J S; Leo, S; Leone, S; Lewis, J D; Limosani, A; Lipeles, E; Liu, H; Liu, Q; Liu, T; Lockwitz, S; Loginov, A; Lucchesi, D; Lueck, J; Lujan, P; Lukens, P; Lungu, G; Lys, J; Lysak, R; Madrak, R; Maestro, P; Malik, S; Manca, G; Manousakis-Katsikakis, A; Margaroli, F; Marino, P; Martínez, M; Matera, K; Mattson, M E; Mazzacane, A; Mazzanti, P; McNulty, R; Mehta, A; Mehtala, P; Mesropian, C; Miao, T; Mietlicki, D; Mitra, A; Miyake, H; Moed, S; Moggi, N; Moon, C S; Moore, R; Morello, M J; Mukherjee, A; Muller, Th; Murat, P; Mussini, M; Nachtman, J; Nagai, Y; Naganoma, J; Nakano, I; Napier, A; Nett, J; Neu, C; Nigmanov, T; Nodulman, L; Noh, S Y; Norniella, O; Oakes, L; Oh, S H; Oh, Y D; Oksuzian, I; Okusawa, T; Orava, R; Ortolan, L; Pagliarone, C; Palencia, E; Palni, P; Papadimitriou, V; Parker, W; Pauletta, G; Paulini, M; Paus, C; Phillips, T J; Piacentino, G; Pianori, E; Pilot, J; Pitts, K; Plager, C; Pondrom, L; Poprocki, S; Potamianos, K; Prokoshin, F; Pranko, A; Ptohos, F; Punzi, G; Ranjan, N; Redondo Fernández, I; Renton, P; Rescigno, M; Riddick, T; Rimondi, F; Ristori, L; Robson, A; Rodriguez, T; Rolli, S; Ronzani, M; Roser, R; Rosner, J L; Ruffini, F; Ruiz, A; Russ, J; Rusu, V; Safonov, A; Sakumoto, W K; Sakurai, Y; Santi, L; Sato, K; Saveliev, V; Savoy-Navarro, A; Schlabach, P; Schmidt, E E; Schwarz, T; Scodellaro, L; Scuri, F; Seidel, S; Seiya, Y; Semenov, A; Sforza, F; Shalhout, S Z; Shears, T; Shepard, P F; Shimojima, M; Shochet, M; Shreyber-Tecker, I; Simonenko, A; Sinervo, P; Sliwa, K; Smith, J R; Snider, F D; Sorin, V; Song, H; Stancari, M; St Denis, R; Stelzer, B; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stentz, D; Strologas, J; Sudo, Y; Sukhanov, A; Suslov, I; Takemasa, K; Takeuchi, Y; Tang, J; Tecchio, M; Teng, P K; Thom, J; Thomson, E; Thukral, V; Toback, D; Tokar, S; Tollefson, K; Tomura, T; Tonelli, D; Torre, S; Torretta, D; Totaro, P; Trovato, M; Ukegawa, F; Uozumi, S; Vázquez, F; Velev, G; Vellidis, C; Vernieri, C; Vidal, M; Vilar, R; Vizán, J; Vogel, M; Volpi, G; Wagner, P; Wallny, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Waters, D; Wester, W C; Whiteson, D; Wicklund, A B; Wilbur, S; Williams, H H; Wilson, J S; Wilson, P; Winer, B L; Wittich, P; Wolbers, S; Wolfe, H; Wright, T; Wu, X; Wu, Z; Yamamoto, K; Yamato, D; Yang, T; Yang, U K; Yang, Y C; Yao, W-M; Yeh, G P; Yi, K; Yoh, J; Yorita, K; Yoshida, T; Yu, G B; Yu, I; Zanetti, A M; Zeng, Y; Zhou, C; Zucchelli, S

2013-07-19

We present a search for the pair production of a narrow nonstandard-model strongly interacting particle that decays to a pair of quarks or gluons, leading to a final state with four hadronic jets. We consider both nonresonant production via an intermediate gluon as well as resonant production via a distinct nonstandard-model intermediate strongly interacting particle. We use data collected by the CDF experiment in proton-antiproton collisions at √[s]=1.96 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.6 fb(-1). We find the data to be consistent with nonresonant production. We report limits on σ(pp[over ¯]→jjjj) as a function of the masses of the hypothetical intermediate particles. Upper limits on the production cross sections for nonstandard-model particles in several resonant and nonresonant processes are also derived.

Search for Pair Production of Strongly Interacting Particles Decaying to Pairs of Jets in pp̄ Collisions at √s=1.96 TeV

DOE PAGES

Aaltonen, T.; Albin, E.; Amerio, S.; ...

2013-07-18

We present a search for the pair production of a narrow nonstandard-model strongly interacting particle that decays to a pair of quarks or gluons, leading to a final state with four hadronic jets. We consider both nonresonant production via an intermediate gluon as well as resonant production via a distinct nonstandard-model intermediate strongly interacting particle. We use data collected by the CDF experiment in proton-antiproton collisions at √s=1.96 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.6 fb⁻¹. We find the data to be consistent with nonresonant production. We report limits on σ(pp̄→jjjj) as a function of the masses of themore » hypothetical intermediate particles. Upper limits on the production cross sections for nonstandard-model particles in several resonant and nonresonant processes are also derived.« less

Dehydration-driven stress transfer triggers intermediate-depth earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrand, Thomas P.; Hilairet, Nadège; Incel, Sarah; Deldicque, Damien; Labrousse, Loïc; Gasc, Julien; Renner, Joerg; Wang, Yanbin; Green, Harry W., II; Schubnel, Alexandre

2017-05-01

Intermediate-depth earthquakes (30-300 km) have been extensively documented within subducting oceanic slabs, but their mechanics remains enigmatic. Here we decipher the mechanism of these earthquakes by performing deformation experiments on dehydrating serpentinized peridotites (synthetic antigorite-olivine aggregates, minerals representative of subduction zones lithologies) at upper mantle conditions. At a pressure of 1.1 gigapascals, dehydration of deforming samples containing only 5 vol% of antigorite suffices to trigger acoustic emissions, a laboratory-scale analogue of earthquakes. At 3.5 gigapascals, acoustic emissions are recorded from samples with up to 50 vol% of antigorite. Experimentally produced faults, observed post-mortem, are sealed by fluid-bearing micro-pseudotachylytes. Microstructural observations demonstrate that antigorite dehydration triggered dynamic shear failure of the olivine load-bearing network. These laboratory analogues of intermediate-depth earthquakes demonstrate that little dehydration is required to trigger embrittlement. We propose an alternative model to dehydration-embrittlement in which dehydration-driven stress transfer, rather than fluid overpressure, causes embrittlement.

Monitoring deep geodynamic processes within Vrancea intermediate-depth seismic zone by geodetic means

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besutiu, Lucian; Zlagnean, Luminita

2015-04-01

Background Located in the bending zone of East Carpathians, the so-called Vrancea zone is one of the most active seismic regions in Europe. Despite many years of international research, its intermediate-depth seismicity within full intra-continental environment still represents a challenge of the 21st century. Infrastructure In the attempt to join the above-mentioned efforts, the Solid Earth Dynamics Department (SEDD) in the Institute of Geodynamics of the Romanian Academy has developed a special research infrastructure, mainly devoted to gravity and space geodesy observations. A geodetic network covering the epicentre area of the intermediate-depth earthquakes has been designed and implemented for monitoring deep geodynamic processes and their surface echoes. Within each base-station of the above-mentioned network, a still-reinforced concrete pillar allows for high accuracy repeated gravity and GPS determinations. Results Starting from some results of the previously run CERGOP and UNIGRACE European programmes, to which additional SEDD repeated field campaigns were added, an unusual geodynamic behaviour has been revealed in the area. 1) Crust deformation: unlike the overall uprising of East Carpathians, as a result of denudation followed by erosion, their SE bending zone, with Vrancea epicentre area exhibits a slight subsidence. 2) Gravity change: more than 200 microgals non-tidal gravity decrease over a 20 years time-span has been noticed within the subsiding area. Extended observations showed the gravity lowering as a nowadays continuing process. Interpretation This strange combination of topography subsidence and gravity lowering has been interpreted in terms of crust stretching in the Vrancea epicentre zone due to the gravity pull created by densification of the lower crust as a result of phase-transform processes taking place in the lithospheric compartment sunken into the upper mantle. The occurrence of crust earthquakes with vertical-extension focal mechanism exclusively in the Vrancea seismic zone support the assumption. Recent studies on the Vrancea echoes of 2013 Galati-Izvoarele quake swarm have also confirmed our hypotheses. Based on numerical modelling of the geodynamic process, an estimate of the stretching rate has been obtained, fully consistent with results inferred from studies on the seismic energy released by the Vrancea intermediate earthquakes. Concluding remarks Looking further, the sinking of the Vrancea lithosphere into the upper mantle (and consequent crust stretching, appropriately reflected in the non-tidal gravity change) appears as an ongoing geodynamic process, tightly connected to the intermediate-depth seismicity generated within the lithosphere penetrating the upper mantle by thermo-baric accommodation phenomena. Time series provided by repeated gravity observations conducted on the above-mentioned infrastructure for about ten years have clearly revealed: (i) the persistence of the gravity lowering, and (ii) some apparent connection between the rate of the gravity change, and the amount of seismic energy released by intermediate-depth earthquakes. Acknowledgements. The research has been partly performed through CYBERDYNE project, funded through the EU structural programme (contract #184/2010).

Upper York Creek Dam Removal, Fish Passage, and Ecosystem Restoration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Information about the Upper York Creek Dam Removal, Fish Passage, and Ecosystem Restoration part of an EPA competitive grant program to improve SF Bay water quality focused on restoring impaired waters and enhancing aquatic resources.

Geochemical and sedimentological records of intermediate-depth circulation in the Labrador Sea since the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, S. S.; Dalsing, R.; McManus, J. F.

2016-12-01

Dynamical sedimentary proxies for deep ocean circulation, such as mean sortable silt size and 231Pa/230Th, allow the reconstruction of past changes in deep water circulation speed and ocean basin ventilation. This provides an important addition to traditional methods of deep water circulation reconstruction such as mapping water mass geometry through foraminiferal carbon isotopic records. We have produced records of mean sortable silt size from three intermediate-depth sediment core sites in the Labrador Sea, taken from the continental slope and Orphan Knoll east of Newfoundland, to reconstruct changes in intermediate depth water circulation including Glacial North Atlantic Intermediate Water and Labrador Sea Water. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the cores span the Holocene, deglaciation and LGM. Increases in mean sortable silt size appear to coincide with Heinrich Event 1, the Older Dryas, Younger Dryas, and mid-late Holocene, which could suggest increased bottom current speeds at these times. However, ice-rafted debris contributes to marine sediments in this region, and mean sortable silt size at times of major IRD input such as Heinrich Event 1 may therefore reflect multiple influences. We will use inverse modeling techniques to determine likely end members contributing to the sortable silt fraction and to correct for the effect of IRD on sortable silt size, allowing a better understanding of the influence of current speed on these samples. We combine these sortable silt measurements with the sedimentary geochemical proxy 231Pa/230Th, which has been used to reconstruct changes in North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. New 231Pa/230Th data from cores KN158-4-27/28, which provided our best-resolved sortable silt record, will allow us to compare results from the two dynamical proxies to better understand both the behavior of these proxies in the Labrador Sea, and the history of intermediate-depth circulation and ventilation in the Labrador Sea during major abrupt climate events and transitions.

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.

Upper-Tropospheric Winds Derived from Geostationary Satellite Water Vapor Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Velden, Christopher S.; Hayden, Christopher M.; Nieman, Steven J.; Menzel, W. Paul; Wanzong, Steven; Goerss, James S.

1997-01-01

The coverage and quality of remotely sensed upper-tropospheric moisture parameters have improved considerably with the deployment of a new generation of operational geostationary meteorological satellites: GOES-8/9 and GMS-5. The GOES-8/9 water vapor imaging capabilities have increased as a result of improved radiometric sensitivity and higher spatial resolution. The addition of a water vapor sensing channel on the latest GMS permits nearly global viewing of upper-tropospheric water vapor (when joined with GOES and Meteosat) and enhances the commonality of geostationary meteorological satellite observing capabilities. Upper-tropospheric motions derived from sequential water vapor imagery provided by these satellites can be objectively extracted by automated techniques. Wind fields can be deduced in both cloudy and cloud-free environments. In addition to the spatially coherent nature of these vector fields, the GOES-8/9 multispectral water vapor sensing capabilities allow for determination of wind fields over multiple tropospheric layers in cloud-free environments. This article provides an update on the latest efforts to extract water vapor motion displacements over meteorological scales ranging from subsynoptic to global. The potential applications of these data to impact operations, numerical assimilation and prediction, and research studies are discussed.

The deterioration of intermediate moisture foods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labruza, T. P.

1971-01-01

Deteriorative reactions are low and food quality high if intermediate moisture content of a food is held at a water activity of 0.6 to 0.75. Information is of interest to food processing and packaging industry.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer, West-Central Florida, September 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, A.G.

2008-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing fresh water are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the principal source of water in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is used for major public supply, domestic use, irrigation, and brackish water desalination in coastal communities (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2000). This map report shows the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer measured in September 2007. The potentiometric surface is an imaginary surface connecting points of equal altitude to which water will rise in tightly-cased wells that tap a confined aquifer system (Lohman, 1979). This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the wet season, when ground-water levels usually are at an annual high and withdrawals for agricultural use typically are low. The cumulative average rainfall of 39.50 inches for west-central Florida (from October 2006 through September 2007) was 13.42 inches below the historical cumulative average of 52.92 inches (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2007). Historical cumulative averages are calculated from regional rainfall summary reports (1915 to most recent complete calendar year) and are updated monthly by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is part of a semi-annual series of Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface map reports for west-central Florida. Potentiometric-surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971, May 1973, May 1974, and for each May and September since 1975. Water-level data are collected in May and September each year to show the approximate annual low and high water-level conditions, respectively. Most of the water-level data for this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the period September 17-21, 2007. Supplemental water-level data were collected by other agencies and companies. A corresponding potentiometric-surface map was prepared for areas east and north of the Southwest Florida Water Management District boundary by the U.S. Geological Survey office in Orlando, Florida (Kinnaman and Dixon, 2008). Most water-level measurements were made during a 5-day period; therefore, measurements do not represent a 'snapshot' of conditions at a specific time, nor do they necessarily coincide with the seasonal high water-level condition.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer, West-Central Florida, September 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, Anita G.

2009-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing fresh water are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the principal source of water in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is used for major public supply, domestic use, irrigation, and brackish water desalination in coastal communities (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2000). This map report shows the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer measured in September 2008. The potentiometric surface is an imaginary surface connecting points of equal altitude to which water will rise in tightly-cased wells that tap a confined aquifer system (Lohman, 1979). This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the wet season, when ground-water levels usually are at an annual high and withdrawals for agricultural use typically are low. The cumulative average rainfall of 50.63 inches for west-central Florida (from October 2007 through September 2008) was 2.26 inches below the historical cumulative average of 52.89 inches (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2008). Historical cumulative averages are calculated from regional rainfall summary reports (1915 to most recent complete calendar year) and are updated monthly by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is part of a semi-annual series of Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface map reports for west-central Florida. Potentiometric-surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971, May 1973, May 1974, and for each May and September since 1975. Water-level data are collected in May and September each year to show the approximate annual low and high water-level conditions, respectively. Most of the water-level data for this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the period September 15-19, 2008. Supplemental water-level data were collected by other agencies and companies. A corresponding potentiometric-surface map was prepared for areas east and north of the Southwest Florida Water Management District boundary by the U.S. Geological Survey office in Orlando, Florida (Kinnaman and Dixon, 2009). Most water-level measurements were made during a 5-day period; therefore, measurements do not represent a 'snapshot' of conditions at a specific time, nor do they necessarily coincide with the seasonal high water-level condition.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer, West-Central Florida, May 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, A.G.

2008-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing fresh water are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the principal source of water in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is used for major public supply, domestic use, irrigation, and brackish water desalination in coastal communities (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2000). This map report shows the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer measured in May 2008. The potentiometric surface is an imaginary surface connecting points of equal altitude to which water will rise in tightly-cased wells that tap a confined aquifer system (Lohman, 1979). This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the dry season, when ground-water levels usually are at an annual low and withdrawals for agricultural use typically are high. The cumulative average rainfall of 46.95 inches for west-central Florida (from June 2007 through May 2008) was 5.83 inches below the historical cumulative average of 52.78 inches (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2008). Historical cumulative averages are calculated from regional rainfall summary reports (1915 to most recent complete calendar year) and are updated monthly by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is part of a semi-annual series of Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface map reports for west-central Florida. Potentiometric-surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971, May 1973, May 1974, and for each May and September since 1975. Water-level data are collected in May and September each year to show the approximate annual low and high water-level conditions, respectively. Most of the water-level data for this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the period May 19-23, 2008. Supplemental water-level data were collected by other agencies and companies. A corresponding potentiometric-surface map was prepared for areas east and north of the Southwest Florida Water Management District boundary by the U.S. Geological Survey office in Orlando, Florida (Kinnaman and Dixon, 2008). Most water-level measurements were made during a 5-day period; therefore, measurements do not represent a 'snapshot' of conditions at a specific time, nor do they necessarily coincide with the seasonal low water-level condition.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer, West-Central Florida, May 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, A.G.

2008-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing fresh water are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the principal source of water in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is used for major public supply, domestic use, irrigation, and brackish water desalination in coastal communities (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2000). This map report shows the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer measured in May 2007. The potentiometric surface is an imaginary surface connecting points of equal altitude to which water will rise in tightly-cased wells that tap a confined aquifer system (Lohman, 1979). This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the dry season, when ground-water levels usually are at an annual low and withdrawals for agricultural use typically are high. The cumulative average rainfall of 41.21 inches for west-central Florida (from June 2006 through May 2007) was 11.63 inches below the historical cumulative average of 52.84 inches (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2007). Historical cumulative averages are calculated from regional rainfall summary reports (1915 to most recent complete calendar year) and are updated monthly by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is part of a semi-annual series of Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface map reports for west-central Florida. Potentiometric-surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971, May 1973, May 1974, and for each May and September since 1975. Water-level data are collected in May and September each year to show the approximate annual low and high water-level conditions, respectively. Most of the water-level data for this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the period May 21-25, 2007. Supplemental water-level data were collected by other agencies and companies. A corresponding potentiometric-surface map was prepared for areas east and north of the Southwest Florida Water Management District boundary by the U.S. Geological Survey office in Orlando, Florida (Kinnaman and Dixon, 2007). Most water-level measurements were made during a 5-day period; therefore, measurements do not represent a 'snapshot' of conditions at a specific time, nor do they necessarily coincide with the seasonal low water-level condition.

Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene oscillations in Mediterranean Overflow water: a new perspective from the Iberian Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso-Garcia, M.; Salgueiro, E.; Rodrigues, T.; Alvarez Zarikian, C. A.; Kuhnert, H.; Roehl, U.; Voelker, A. H. L.; Sierro, F. J.; Abrantes, F. F. G.

2016-12-01

During the Late Pliocene to the Early Pleistocene the Earth experienced a transition from the warm Pliocene climate, with high greenhouse gases concentrations, to a colder climate with significant expansion of ice-sheets in the Northern Hemisphere and alternation between glacial and interglacial periods. Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain this climate transition, and recently, the enhancement of the Mediterranean Overflow Water (MOW) was suggested to have played a major role since it contributes high salinity water to the North Atlantic. Sedimentary records from the last glacial cycle and modelling experiments evidenced this link and suggested that the MOW injection of salty water to intermediate depths may have enhanced the upper branch of NADW, which ultimately reinvigorated the whole Atlantic Meridional overturning circulation. Here we present sedimentological and paleontological data from Site U1391 (37° N; 9° W; 1085 m water depth), recovered on the Southwest Iberian Margin during the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 339. This site is located in a plastered drift in the path of the MOW and offers high sedimentation rates to perform high resolution studies of past climatic and oceanographic conditions. In this study, we combined XRF geochemical data (from X-ray fluorescence core scanning) with grain-size, benthic foraminifer δ18O and δ13C, and ostracod records to reconstruct deep water circulation and climatic conditions during the Plio-Pleistocene transition. The high-resolution record of the XRF analysis indicates a switch in the response of MOW to climate changes across this transition. Early Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles show a stronger coupling between MOW oscillations (as indicated by the Zr/Al ratio) and sea surface temperature conditions (as indicated by the Ca/Ti ratio).

Beyond annual streamflow reconstructions for the Upper Colorado River Basin: a paleo-water-balance approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gangopadhyay, Subhrendu; McCabe, Gregory J.; Woodhouse, Connie A.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a methodology to use annual tree-ring chronologies and a monthly water balance model to generate annual reconstructions of water balance variables (e.g., potential evapotrans- piration (PET), actual evapotranspiration (AET), snow water equivalent (SWE), soil moisture storage (SMS), and runoff (R)). The method involves resampling monthly temperature and precipitation from the instrumental record directed by variability indicated by the paleoclimate record. The generated time series of monthly temperature and precipitation are subsequently used as inputs to a monthly water balance model. The methodology is applied to the Upper Colorado River Basin, and results indicate that the methodology reliably simulates water-year runoff, maximum snow water equivalent, and seasonal soil moisture storage for the instrumental period. As a final application, the methodology is used to produce time series of PET, AET, SWE, SMS, and R for the 1404–1905 period for the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Floridan Aquifer, West-Central Florida, September 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, A.G.

2007-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing freshwater are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the principal source of water in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is used for major public supply, domestic use, irrigation, and brackish water desalination in coastal communities (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2000). This map report shows the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer measured in September 2006. The potentiometric surface is an imaginary surface connecting points of equal altitude to which water will rise in tightly cased wells that tap a confined aquifer system (Lohman, 1979). This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the wet season, when ground-water levels usually are at an annual high and withdrawals for agricultural use typically are low. The cumulative average rainfall of 46.06 inches for west-central Florida (from October 2005 through September 2006) was 6.91 inches below the historical cumulative average of 52.97 inches (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2006). Historical cumulative averages are calculated from regional rainfall summary reports (1915 to most recent complete calendar year) and are updated monthly by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is part of a semi-annual series of Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface map reports for west-central Florida. Potentiometric-surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971, May 1973, May 1974, and for each May and September since 1975. Water-level data are collected in May and September each year to show the approximate annual low and high water-level conditions, respectively. Most of the water-level data for this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during September 18-22, 2006. Supplemental water-level data were collected by other agencies and companies. A corresponding potentiometric-surface map was prepared for areas east and north of the Southwest Florida Water Management District boundary by the U.S. Geological Survey office in Orlando, Florida (Kinnaman, 2007). Most water-level measurements were made during a 5-day period; therefore, measurements do not represent a 'snapshot' of conditions at a specific time, nor do they necessarily coincide with the seasonal high water-level condition.

Potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer, west-central Florida, September 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, A.G.

2006-01-01

The Floridan aquifer system consists of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers separated by the middle confining unit. The middle confining unit and the Lower Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida generally contain highly mineralized water. The water-bearing units containing freshwater are herein referred to as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer is the principal source of water in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is used for major public-supply, domestic use, irrigation, and brackish-water desalination in coastal communities (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2000).This map report shows the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer measured in September 2005. The potentiometric surface is an imaginary surface, connecting points of equal altitude to which water will rise in tightly cased wells that tap a confined aquifer system (Lohman, 1979). This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the wet season, when ground-water levels usually are at an annual high and withdrawals for agricultural use typically are low. The cumulative average rainfall of 55.19 inches for west-central Florida (from October 2004 through September 2005) was 2.00 inches above the historical cumulative average of 53.19 inches (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 2005). Historical cumulative averages are calculated from regional rainfall summary reports (1915 to most recent complete calendar year) and are updated monthly by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, is part of a semi-annual series of Upper Floridan aquifer potentiometric-surface map reports for west-central Florida. Potentiometric-surface maps have been prepared for January 1964, May 1969, May 1971, May 1973, May 1974, and for each May and September since 1975. Water-level data are collected in May and September each year to show the approximate annual low and high water-level conditions, respectively. Most of the water-level data for this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during the period September 19-23, 2005. Supplemental water-level data were collected by other agencies and companies. A corresponding potentiometric-surface map was prepared for areas east and north of the Southwest Florida Water Management District boundary by the U.S. Geological Survey office in Altamonte Springs, Florida (Kinnaman, 2006). Most water-level measurements were made during a 5-day period; therefore, measurements do not represent a "snapshot" of conditions at a specific time, nor do they necessarily coincide with the seasonal high water-level condition.

Microwave Limb Sounder/El Niño Watch - Water Vapor Measurement, October, 1997

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-30

This image shows atmospheric water vapor in Earth upper troposphere, about 10 kilometers 6 miles above the surface, as measured by NASA Microwave Limb Sounder MLS instrument flying aboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite.

Space-Time Variations in Water Vapor as Observed by the UARS Microwave Limb Sounder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elson, Lee S.; Read, William G.; Waters, Joe W.; Mote, Philip W.; Kinnersley, Jonathan S.; Harwood, Robert S.

1996-01-01

Water vapor in the upper troposphere has a significant impact on the climate system. Difficulties in making accurate global measurements have led to uncertainty in understanding water vapor's coupling to the hydrologic cycle in the lower troposphere and its role in radiative energy balance. The Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is able to retrieve water vapor concentration in the upper troposphere with good sensitivity and nearly global coverage. An analysis of these preliminary retrievals based on 3 years of observations shows the water vapor distribution to be similar to that measured by other techniques and to model results. The primary MLS water vapor measurements were made in the stratosphere, where this species acts as a conserved tracer under certain conditions. As is the case for the upper troposphere, most of the stratospheric discussion focuses on the time evolution of the zonal mean and zonally varying water vapor. Stratospheric results span a 19-month period and tropospheric results a 36-month period, both beginning in October of 1991. Comparisons with stratospheric model calculations show general agreement, with some differences in the amplitude and phase of long-term variations. At certain times and places, the evolution of water vapor distributions in the lower stratosphere suggests the presence of meridional transport.

Comparison of 2008-2009 water years and historical water-quality data, upper Gunnison River Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Solberg, Patricia A.; Moore, Bryan; Blacklock, Ty D.

2012-01-01

Population growth and changes in land use have the potential to affect water quality and quantity in the upper Gunnison River Basin. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, City of Gunnison, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Gunnison County, Hinsdale County, Mount Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District, National Park Service, Town of Crested Butte, U.S. Forest Service, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, and Western State College, established a water-quality monitoring program in the upper Gunnison River Basin to characterize current water-quality conditions and to assess the effects of increased urban development and other land-use changes on water quality. The monitoring network has evolved into two groups of sites: (1) sites that are considered long term and (2) sites that are considered rotational. Data from the long-term sites assist in defining temporal changes in water quality (how conditions may change over time). The rotational sites assist in the spatial definition of water-quality conditions (how conditions differ throughout the basin) and address local and short-term concerns. Biannual summaries of the water-quality data from the monitoring network provide a point of reference for stakeholder discussions regarding the location and purpose of water-quality monitoring sites in the upper Gunnison River Basin. This report compares and summarizes the data collected during water years 2008 and 2009 to the historical data available at these sites. The introduction provides a map of the sampling sites, definitions of terms, and a one-page summary of selected water-quality conditions at the network sites. The remainder of the report is organized around the data collected at individual sites. Data collected during water years 2008 and 2009 are compared to historical data, State water-quality standards, and Federal water-quality guidelines. A seasonal Kendall test for trend analysis is completed when there is sufficient data (typically >5 years) at the station. Data were collected following USGS protocols.

Ground-water flow near two radioactive-waste-disposal areas at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center, Cattaraugus County, New York; results of flow simulation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergeron, M.P.; Bugliosi, E.F.

1988-01-01

Two adjacent burial areas were excavated in a clay-rich till at a radioactive waste disposal site near West Valley in Cattaraugus County, N.Y.: (1) which contains mainly low-level radioactive wastes generated onsite by a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, has been in operation since 1966; and (2) which contains commercial low-level radioactive wastes, was operated during 1963-75. Groundwater below the upper 3 meters of till generally moves downward through a 20- to 30-meter thick sequence of tills underlain by lacustrine and kame-delta deposits of fine sand and silt. Groundwater in the weathered, upper 3 meters of till can move laterally for several meters before either moving downward into the kame-delta deposits or discharging to the land surface. A two-dimensional finite-element model that simulates two vertical sections was used to evaluate hydrologic factors that control groundwater flow in the till. Conditions observed during March 1983 were reproduced accurately in steady-state simulations that used four isotropic units of differing hydraulic conductivity to represent two fractured and weathered till units near land surfaces, an intermediate group of isolated till zones that contain significant amounts of fine sand and silt, and a sequence of till units at depths that have been consolidated by overburden pressure. Recharge rates used in the best-fit simulation ranged from 1.4 cm/yr along smooth, sloping or compacted surfaces to 3.8 cm/yr near swampy areas. Values of hydraulic conductivity and infiltration used in the calibrated best-fit model were nearly identical to values used in a previous model analysis of the nearby commercial-waste burial area. Results of the model simulations of a burial pit assumed to be filled with water indicate that water near the bottom of the burial pit would migrate laterally in the shallow, weathered till for 5 to 6 meters before moving downward into the unweathered till, and water near the top of the pit would move laterally less than 20 meters before moving downward into the unweathered till. These results indicate that subsurface migration of radionuclides in groundwater to points of discharge to land surface is unlikely as long as the water level does not rise into the reworked cover material. (Author 's abstract)

Water Planning in the States of the Upper Basin of the Colorado River.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mann, Dean E.

1978-01-01

Discussion of issues involved in water planning of the upper basin of the Colorado River: attitudes toward water planning, agricultural leisure and environmental issues, pollution, and energy issues. Various sections are devoted to Indian interests and the interests of Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. Final section discusses the future of…

The 226Ra-Ba relationship in the North Atlantic during GEOTRACES-GA01

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Roy, Emilie; Sanial, Virginie; Charette, Matthew A.; van Beek, Pieter; Lacan, François; Jacquet, Stéphanie H. M.; Henderson, Paul B.; Souhaut, Marc; García-Ibáñez, Maribel I.; Jeandel, Catherine; Pérez, Fiz F.; Sarthou, Géraldine

2018-05-01

We report detailed sections of radium-226 (226Ra, T1/2 = 1602 years) activities and barium (Ba) concentrations determined in the North Atlantic (Portugal-Greenland-Canada) in the framework of the international GEOTRACES program (GA01 section - GEOVIDE project, May-July 2014). Dissolved 226Ra and Ba are strongly correlated along the section, a pattern that may reflect their similar chemical behavior. Because 226Ra and Ba have been widely used as tracers of water masses and ocean mixing, we investigated their behavior more thoroughly in this crucial region for thermohaline circulation, taking advantage of the contrasting biogeochemical patterns existing along the GA01 section. We used an optimum multiparameter (OMP) analysis to distinguish the relative importance of physical transport (water mass mixing) from nonconservative processes (sedimentary, river or hydrothermal inputs, uptake by particles and dissolved-particulate dynamics) on the 226Ra and Ba distributions in the North Atlantic. Results show that the measured 226Ra and Ba concentrations can be explained by conservative mixing for 58 and 65 % of the samples, respectively, notably at intermediate depth, away from the ocean interfaces. 226Ra and Ba can thus be considered conservative tracers of water mass transport in the ocean interior on the space scales considered here, namely, on the order of a few thousand kilometers. However, regions in which 226Ra and Ba displayed nonconservative behavior and in some cases decoupled behaviors were also identified, mostly at the ocean boundaries (seafloor, continental margins and surface waters). Elevated 226Ra and Ba concentrations found in deepwater in the West European Basin suggest that lower Northeast Atlantic Deep Water (NEADWl) accumulates 226Ra and Ba from sediment diffusion and/or particle dissolution during transport. In the upper 1500 m of the West European Basin, deficiencies in 226Ra and Ba are likely explained by their incorporation in planktonic calcareous and siliceous shells, or in barite (BaSO4) by substitution or adsorption mechanisms. Finally, because Ba and 226Ra display different source terms (mostly deep-sea sediments for 226Ra and rivers for Ba), strong decoupling between 226Ra and Ba were observed at the land-ocean boundaries. This is especially true in the shallow stations near the coasts of Greenland and Newfoundland where high 226Ra / Ba ratios at depth reflect the diffusion of 226Ra from sediment and low 226Ra / Ba ratios in the upper water column reflect the input of Ba associated with meteoric waters.

Coastal sources, sinks and strong organic complexation of dissolved cobalt within the US North Atlantic GEOTRACES transect GA03

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noble, Abigail E.; Ohnemus, Daniel C.; Hawco, Nicholas J.; Lam, Phoebe J.; Saito, Mak A.

2017-06-01

Cobalt is the scarcest of metallic micronutrients and displays a complex biogeochemical cycle. This study examines the distribution, chemical speciation, and biogeochemistry of dissolved cobalt during the US North Atlantic GEOTRACES transect expeditions (GA03/3_e), which took place in the fall of 2010 and 2011. Two major subsurface sources of cobalt to the North Atlantic were identified. The more prominent of the two was a large plume of cobalt emanating from the African coast off the eastern tropical North Atlantic coincident with the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) likely due to reductive dissolution, biouptake and remineralization, and aeolian dust deposition. The occurrence of this plume in an OMZ with oxygen above suboxic levels implies a high threshold for persistence of dissolved cobalt plumes. The other major subsurface source came from Upper Labrador Seawater, which may carry high cobalt concentrations due to the interaction of this water mass with resuspended sediment at the western margin or from transport further upstream. Minor sources of cobalt came from dust, coastal surface waters and hydrothermal systems along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The full depth section of cobalt chemical speciation revealed near-complete complexation in surface waters, even within regions of high dust deposition. However, labile cobalt observed below the euphotic zone demonstrated that strong cobalt-binding ligands were not present in excess of the total cobalt concentration there, implying that mesopelagic labile cobalt was sourced from the remineralization of sinking organic matter. In the upper water column, correlations were observed between total cobalt and phosphate, and between labile cobalt and phosphate, demonstrating a strong biological influence on cobalt cycling. Along the western margin off the North American coast, this correlation with phosphate was no longer observed and instead a relationship between cobalt and salinity was observed, reflecting the importance of coastal input processes on cobalt distributions. In deep waters, both total and labile cobalt concentrations were lower than in intermediate depth waters, demonstrating that scavenging may remove labile cobalt from the water column. Total and labile cobalt distributions were also compared to a previously published South Atlantic GEOTRACES-compliant zonal transect (CoFeMUG, GAc01) to discern regional biogeochemical differences. Together, these Atlantic sectional studies highlight the dynamic ecological stoichiometry of total and labile cobalt. As increasing anthropogenic use and subsequent release of cobalt poses the potential to overpower natural cobalt signals in the oceans, it is more important than ever to establish a baseline understanding of cobalt distributions in the ocean.

Increasing Confidence to Decrease Reticence: A Qualitative Action Research in Second Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doqaruni, Vahid Rahmani

2015-01-01

This study reports on an action research on increasing the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' confidence in speaking. Participants involved in this study were 16 male university students who had an upper-intermediate level of English. Extra speaking activities were incorporated into the classroom for 8 successive weeks. Insights into…

The Impact of Concept Mapping on EFL Learners' Critical Thinking Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khodadady, Ebrahim; Ghanizadeh, Afsaneh

2011-01-01

The present study investigated the influence of concept mapping as a post-reading strategy on EFL learners' critical thinking ability. The study utilized a pretest-posttest control and experimental group design. To do so, thirty six EFL learners at upper intermediate and advanced levels were randomly assigned to experimental (n=18) and control…

Evaluation of English Results Course Books at Upper-Intermediate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haghi, Eshrat Bazarmaj

2013-01-01

The importance of the course books in language teaching leads the way to the evaluation of them. Evaluating the teaching materials specially course books can help teachers to understand more about language learning. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate English Results course books which are widely used at Iranian institutes. The focus…

ENGLISH FOR TODAY. BOOK FIVE, LIFE IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SLAGER, WILLIAM R.; AND OTHERS

ON AN UPPER-INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED LEVEL OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS, "LIFE IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES" IS THE FIFTH VOLUME IN THE "ENGLISH FOR TODAY" SERIES. THE MAIN EMPHASIS IN THIS VOLUME IS THE TRANSITION FROM READING TO COMPOSITION. EACH OF THE 14 READINGS IS FOLLOWED BY INTENSIVE COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS,…

The Effect of Portfolio Assessment on Learning Idioms in Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tahriri, Abdorreza; Sabet, Masoud Khalili; Aeineh, Afrouz

2014-01-01

The present study sought to investigate the effect of portfolio assessment on idiom competence of Iranian EFL learners. For the purpose of this study, 30 students from upper-intermediate level of English proficiency took part in this study. They were chosen through convenience sampling from a language institute in Rasht, Iran. They were randomly…

Rights and Responsibilities. User Guide for Grades K-6. My America: Building a Democracy Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fier, Harriet, Ed.; And Others

This user guide covers "Rights and Responsibilities," and offers suggestions for preparatory activities, lessons, and follow-up activities for primary, intermediate, and upper grade students. Goals for the series are to help children: (1) become familiar with the democratic process and active citizenship; (2) recognize what it means to be a…

The Development of Anaphora Resolution at the Syntax-Discourse Interface: Pronominal Subjects in Greek Learners of Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lozano, Cristóbal

2018-01-01

This study explores the development of anaphora resolution (AR) in late sequential bilinguals, namely, adult Greek learners of Spanish at three proficiency levels (intermediate, lower advanced, upper advanced). The use of an overt/null pronominal subject anaphor is investigated in three discourse contexts: topic-continuity (a single antecedent…

L2 Japanese Learners' Responses to Translation, Speed Reading, and "Pleasure Reading" as a Form of Extensive Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabata-Sandom, Mitsue

2017-01-01

Fluency development instruction lacks in reading in Japanese as a foreign language instruction. This study examined how 34 upper-intermediate level learners of Japanese responded when they first experienced pleasure reading and speed reading. The participants also engaged in intensive reading, the main component of which was translation. Survey…

A Novice-Expert Study of Modeling Skills and Knowledge Structures about Air Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Ying-Shao; Lin, Li-Fen; Wu, Hsin-Kai; Lee, Dai-Ying; Hwang, Fu-Kwun

2012-01-01

This study compared modeling skills and knowledge structures of four groups as seen in their understanding of air quality. The four groups were: experts (atmospheric scientists), intermediates (upper-level graduate students in a different field), advanced novices (talented 11th and 12th graders), and novices (10th graders). It was found that when…

[Livedo racemosa generalisata. Clinical aspects and histopathology of obliterating arteriolopathy with CNS involvement].

PubMed

Marsch, W C; Muckelmann, R

1985-06-01

The histopathology of Sneddon's syndrome (livedo racemosa generalisata and cerebrovascular defects) is characterized by a thickened intima with subsequent narrowing of the lumen of ascending arterioles in the upper subcutaneous tissue and deep dermis. Ultrastructurally, migrating medial smooth muscle cells with plenty of intermediate filaments colonize the subendothelial intimal space ("intima proliferation").

α-chymotrypsin in water-acetone and water-dimethyl sulfoxide mixtures: Effect of preferential solvation and hydration.

PubMed

Sirotkin, Vladimir A; Kuchierskaya, Alexandra A

2017-10-01

We investigated water/organic solvent sorption and residual enzyme activity to simultaneously monitor preferential solvation/hydration of protein macromolecules in the entire range of water content at 25°C. We applied this approach to estimate protein destabilization/stabilization due to the preferential interactions of bovine pancreatic α-chymotrypsin with water-acetone (moderate-strength H-bond acceptor) and water-DMSO (strong H-bond acceptor) mixtures. There are three concentration regimes for the dried α-chymotrypsin. α-Chymotrypsin is preferentially hydrated at high water content. The residual enzyme activity values are close to 100%. At intermediate water content, the dehydrated α-chymotrypsin has a higher affinity for acetone/DMSO than for water. Residual enzyme activity is minimal in this concentration range. The acetone/DMSO molecules are preferentially excluded from the protein surface at the lowest water content, resulting in preferential hydration. The residual catalytic activity in the water-poor acetone is ∼80%, compared with that observed after incubation in pure water. This effect is very small for the water-poor DMSO. Two different schemes are operative for the hydrated enzyme. At high and intermediate water content, α-chymotrypsin exhibits preferential hydration. However, at intermediate water content, in contrast to the dried enzyme, the initially hydrated α-chymotrypsin possesses increased preferential hydration parameters. At low water content, no residual enzyme activity was observed. Preferential binding of DMSO/acetone to α-chymotrypsin was detected. Our data clearly demonstrate that the hydrogen bond accepting ability of organic solvents and the protein hydration level constitute key factors in determining the stability of protein-water-organic solvent systems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Method for producing metal oxide aerogels

DOEpatents

Tillotson, Thomas M.; Poco, John F.; Hrubesh, Lawrence W.; Thomas, Ian M.

1995-01-01

A two-step hydrolysis-condensation method was developed to form metal oxide aerogels of any density, including densities of less than 0.003g/cm.sup.3 and greater than 0.27g/cm.sup.3. High purity metal alkoxide is reacted with water, alcohol solvent, and an additive to form a partially condensed metal intermediate. All solvent and reaction-generated alcohol is removed, and the intermediate is diluted with a nonalcoholic solvent. The intermediate can be stored for future use to make aerogels of any density. The aerogels are formed by reacting the intermediate with water, nonalcoholic solvent, and a catalyst, and extracting the nonalcoholic solvent directly. The resulting monolithic aerogels are hydrophobic and stable under atmospheric conditions, and exhibit good optical transparency, high clarity, and homogeneity. The aerogels have high thermal insulation capacity, high porosity, mechanical strength and stability, and require shorter gelation times than aerogels formed by conventional methods.

Method for producing metal oxide aerogels

DOEpatents

Tillotson, T.M.; Poco, J.F.; Hrubesh, L.W.; Thomas, I.M.

1995-04-25

A two-step hydrolysis-condensation method was developed to form metal oxide aerogels of any density, including densities of less than 0.003g/cm{sup 3} and greater than 0.27g/cm{sup 3}. High purity metal alkoxide is reacted with water, alcohol solvent, and an additive to form a partially condensed metal intermediate. All solvent and reaction-generated alcohol is removed, and the intermediate is diluted with a nonalcoholic solvent. The intermediate can be stored for future use to make aerogels of any density. The aerogels are formed by reacting the intermediate with water, nonalcoholic solvent, and a catalyst, and extracting the nonalcoholic solvent directly. The resulting monolithic aerogels are hydrophobic and stable under atmospheric conditions, and exhibit good optical transparency, high clarity, and homogeneity. The aerogels have high thermal insulation capacity, high porosity, mechanical strength and stability, and require shorter gelation times than aerogels formed by conventional methods. 8 figs.

33 CFR 165.T08-0315 - Safety Zone; Upper Mississippi River, Mile 183.0 to 183.5.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... River, Mile 183.0 to 183.5. 165.T08-0315 Section 165.T08-0315 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Guard District § 165.T08-0315 Safety Zone; Upper Mississippi River, Mile 183.0 to 183.5. (a) Location. The following area is a safety zone: All waters of the Upper Mississippi River, mile 183.0 to 183.5...

Water Oxidation Mechanisms of Metal Oxide Catalysts by Vibrational Spectroscopy of Transient Intermediates.

PubMed

Zhang, Miao; Frei, Heinz

2017-05-05

Water oxidation is an essential reaction of an artificial photosystem for solar fuel generation because it provides electrons needed to reduce carbon dioxide or protons to a fuel. Earth-abundant metal oxides are among the most attractive catalytic materials for this reaction because of their robustness and scalability, but their efficiency poses a challenge. Knowledge of catalytic surface intermediates gained by vibrational spectroscopy under reaction conditions plays a key role in uncovering kinetic bottlenecks and provides a basis for catalyst design improvements. Recent dynamic infrared and Raman studies reveal the molecular identity of transient surface intermediates of water oxidation on metal oxides. Combined with ultrafast infrared observations of how charges are delivered to active sites of the metal oxide catalyst and drive the multielectron reaction, spectroscopic advances are poised to play a key role in accelerating progress toward improved catalysts for artificial photosynthesis.

Seismic imaging of slab metamorphism and genesis of intermediate-depth intraslab earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasegawa, Akira; Nakajima, Junichi

2017-12-01

We review studies of intermediate-depth seismicity and seismic imaging of the interior of subducting slabs in relation to slab metamorphism and their implications for the genesis of intermediate-depth earthquakes. Intermediate-depth events form a double seismic zone in the depth range of c. 40-180 km, which occur only at locations where hydrous minerals are present, and are particularly concentrated along dehydration reaction boundaries. Recent studies have revealed detailed spatial distributions of these events and a close relationship with slab metamorphism. Pressure-temperature paths of the crust for cold slabs encounter facies boundaries with large H2O production rates and positive total volume change, which are expected to cause highly active seismicity near the facies boundaries. A belt of upper-plane seismicity in the crust nearly parallel to 80-90 km depth contours of the slab surface has been detected in the cold Pacific slab beneath eastern Japan, and is probably caused by slab crust dehydration with a large H2O production rate. A seismic low-velocity layer in the slab crust persists down to the depth of this upper-plane seismic belt, which provides evidence for phase transformation of dehydration at this depth. Similar low-velocity subducting crust closely related with intraslab seismicity has been detected in several other subduction zones. Seismic tomography studies in NE Japan and northern Chile also revealed the presence of a P-wave low-velocity layer along the lower plane of a double seismic zone. However, in contrast to predictions based on the serpentinized mantle, S-wave velocity along this layer is not low. Seismic anisotropy and pore aspect ratio may play a role in generating this unique structure. Although further validation is required, observations of these distinct low P-wave velocities along the lower seismic plane suggest the presence of hydrated rocks or fluids within that layer. These observations support the hypothesis that dehydration-derived H2O causes intermediate-depth intraslab earthquakes. However, it is possible that dual mechanisms generate these earthquakes; the initiation of earthquake rupture may be caused by local excess pore pressure from H2O, and subsequent ruptures may propagate through thermal shear instability. In either case, slab-derived H2O plays an important role in generating intermediate-depth events.

Generalized racemose livedo with cerebrovascular lesions (Sneddon syndrome): an occlusive arteriolopathy due to proliferation and migration of medial smooth muscle cells.

PubMed

Marsch, W C; Muckelmann, R

1985-06-01

We describe two cases of livedo racemosa generalisata with cerebrovascular defects (Sneddon syndrome). The histology is characterized by a proliferation and migration of medial smooth muscle cells in ascending arterioles of the upper subcutis and deep dermis. Migrating smooth muscle cells with a high content of intermediate filaments colonize the sub-endothelial intimal space, with subsequent narrowing of the vessel lumen. Since the discoloration of the skin is provoked by a reactive dilatation of venules, the biopsy should be performed in the adjacent normal-looking skin, taking in the upper subcutis.

An atmosphere-ocean GCM modelling study of the climate response to changing Arctic seaways in the early Cenozoic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, C. D.; Legrande, A. N.; Tripati, A. K.

2008-12-01

The report of fossil Azolla (a freshwater aquatic fern) in sediments from the Lomonosov Ridge suggests low salinity conditions occurred in the Arctic Ocean in the early Eocene. Restricted passages between the Arctic Ocean and the surrounding oceans are hypothesized to have caused this Arctic freshening. We investigate this scenario using a water-isotope enabled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model with Eocene boundary conditions including 4xCO2, 7xCH4, altered bathymetry and topography, and an estimated distribution of Eocene vegetational types. In one experiment, oceanic exchange between the Arctic Ocean and other ocean basins was restricted to two shallow (~250 m) seaways, one in the North Atlantic, the Greenland-Norwegian seaway, and the second connecting the Arctic Ocean with the Tethys Ocean, the Turgai Straits. In the restricted configuration, the Greenland-Norwegian seaway was closed and exchange through the Turgai Straits was limited to a depth of ~60 m. The simulations suggest that the severe restriction of Arctic seaways in the early Eocene may have been sufficient to freshen Arctic Ocean surface waters, conducive to Azolla blooms. When exchange with the Arctic Ocean is limited, salinities in the upper several hundred meters of the water column decrease by ~10 psu. In some regions, surface salinity is within 2-3 psu of the reported maximum modern conditions tolerated by Azolla (~5 psu). In the restricted scenario, salt is stored preferentially in the North Atlantic and Tethys oceans, resulting in enhanced meridional overturning, increased poleward heat transport in the North Atlantic western boundary current, and warming of surface and intermediate waters in the North Atlantic by several degrees. Increased sensible and latent heat fluxes from the North Atlantic Ocean, combined with a reduction in cloud albedo, also lead to an increase in surface air temperature of over much of North America, Greenland and Eurasia. Our work is consistent with previous findings on the potential influence of Arctic gateways on ocean overturning and also suggests that Northern Hemisphere climate, particularly in the North Atlantic, was very sensitive to changes in Arctic seaways. This result is of particular significance when considered in the context of the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Volcanic activity prior to the PETM may have been responsible for the formation of a sub-aerial barrier in the North Atlantic, and consequently may have driven warming of intermediate waters sufficient to destabilize methane clathrates. Evidence for freshening of Arctic ocean waters prior to the PETM would support this hypothesis.

U.S. Geological Survey Georgia Water Science Center and City of Brunswick- Glynn County Cooperative Water Program-Summary of Activities, July 2005 through June 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cherry, Gregory S.

2007-01-01

Since 1959, the U.S. Geological Survey has conducted a cooperative water resources program (CWP) with the City of Brunswick and Glynn County in the Brunswick, Georgia, area. Since the late 1950s, the salinity of ground water in the Upper Floridan aquifer near downtown Brunswick, Georgia, has been increasing, and its occurrence has been detected across an area of increasing size. Pumping of the Upper Floridan aquifer near downtown Brunswick has lowered water levels in the aquifer and resulted in an upward hydraulic gradient between the highly saline parts of the Lower Floridan aquifer and the normally fresh Upper Floridan aquifer. Saltwater likely enters the Upper Floridan aquifer through localized, vertically oriented conduits of relatively high permeability and moves laterally in response to the distribution of stresses within the aquifer. The Brunswick-Glynn County CWP for fiscal year 2006 includes the operation and maintenance of 12 continuous water-level recorders. In addition, water-level data were collected from 52 wells and water from 70 wells was analyzed for chloride concentration during June 2005. Geophysical logs were obtained from one well to assess whether the cause of elevated chloride concentration could be due to leaky well casing. A summary of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division (GaEPD) Georgia Coastal Sound Science Initiative (CSSI) activities that directly benefit the CWP-Brunswick-Glynn County is included in this report. The GaEPD CSSI is a program of scientific and feasibility studies to support development of a final strategy to protect the Upper Floridan aquifer from saltwater contamination. These data presented in this report are needed by State and local authorities to manage water resources effectively in the coastal area of Georgia.

Active-site solvent replenishment observed during human carbonic anhydrase II catalysis.

PubMed

Kim, Jin Kyun; Lomelino, Carrie L; Avvaru, Balendu Sankara; Mahon, Brian P; McKenna, Robert; Park, SangYoun; Kim, Chae Un

2018-01-01

Human carbonic anhydrase II (hCA II) is a zinc metalloenzyme that catalyzes the reversible hydration/dehydration of CO 2 /HCO 3 - . Although hCA II has been extensively studied to investigate the proton-transfer process that occurs in the active site, its underlying mechanism is still not fully understood. Here, ultrahigh-resolution crystallographic structures of hCA II cryocooled under CO 2 pressures of 7.0 and 2.5 atm are presented. The structures reveal new intermediate solvent states of hCA II that provide crystallographic snapshots during the restoration of the proton-transfer water network in the active site. Specifically, a new intermediate water (W I ') is observed next to the previously observed intermediate water W I , and they are both stabilized by the five water molecules at the entrance to the active site (the entrance conduit). Based on these structures, a water network-restructuring mechanism is proposed, which takes place at the active site after the nucleophilic attack of OH - on CO 2 . This mechanism explains how the zinc-bound water (W Zn ) and W1 are replenished, which are directly responsible for the reconnection of the His64-mediated proton-transfer water network. This study provides the first 'physical' glimpse of how a water reservoir flows into the hCA II active site during its catalytic activity.

The Upper Mississippi River System—Topobathy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, Jayme M.; Hanson, Jenny L.; Sattler, Stephanie R.

2017-03-23

The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), the navigable part of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, is a diverse ecosystem that contains river channels, tributaries, shallow-water wetlands, backwater lakes, and flood-plain forests. Approximately 10,000 years of geologic and hydrographic history exist within the UMRS. Because it maintains crucial wildlife and fish habitats, the dynamic ecosystems of the Upper Mississippi River Basin and its tributaries are contingent on the adjacent flood plains and water-level fluctuations of the Mississippi River. Separate data for flood-plain elevation (lidar) and riverbed elevation (bathymetry) were collected on the UMRS by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program. Using the two elevation datasets, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) developed a systemic topobathy dataset.

Freshwater and Saline Loads of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen to Hood Canal and Lynch Cove, Western Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paulson, Anthony J.; Konrad, Christopher P.; Frans, Lonna M.; Noble, Marlene; Kendall, Carol; Josberger, Edward G.; Huffman, Raegan L.; Olsen, Theresa D.

2006-01-01

Hood Canal is a long (110 kilometers), deep (175 meters) and narrow (2 to 4 kilometers wide) fjord of Puget Sound in western Washington. The stratification of a less dense, fresh upper layer of the water column causes the cold, saltier lower layer of the water column to be isolated from the atmosphere in the late summer and autumn, which limits reaeration of the lower layer. In the upper layer of Hood Canal, the production of organic matter that settles and consumes dissolved oxygen in the lower layer appears to be limited by the load of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN): nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia. Freshwater and saline loads of DIN to Hood Canal were estimated from available historical data. The freshwater load of DIN to the upper layer of Hood Canal, which could be taken up by phytoplankton, came mostly from surface and ground water from subbasins, which accounts for 92 percent of total load of DIN to the upper layer of Hood Canal. Although DIN in rain falling on land surfaces amounts to about one-half of the DIN entering Hood Canal from subbasins, rain falling directly on the surface of marine waters contributed only 4 percent of the load to the upper layer. Point-source discharges and subsurface flow from shallow shoreline septic systems contributed less than 4 percent of the DIN load to the upper layer. DIN in saline water flowing over the sill into Hood Canal from Admiralty Inlet was at least 17 times the total load to the upper layer of Hood Canal. In September and October 2004, field data were collected to estimate DIN loads to Lynch Cove - the most inland marine waters of Hood Canal that routinely contain low dissolved-oxygen waters. Based on measured streamflow and DIN concentrations, surface discharge was estimated to have contributed about one-fourth of DIN loads to the upper layer of Lynch Cove. Ground-water flow from subbasins was estimated to have contributed about one-half of total DIN loads to the upper layer. In autumn 2004, the relative contribution of DIN from shallow shoreline septic systems to the upper layer was higher in Lynch Cove (23 percent) than in the entire Hood Canal. Net transport of DIN into Lynch Cove by marine currents was measured during August and October 2004-a time of high biological productivity. The net transport of lower-layer water into Lynch Cove was significantly diminished relative to the flow entering Hood Canal at its entrance. Even though the net transport of saline water into the lower layer of Lynch Cove was only 119 cubic meters per second, estuarine currents between 33 and 47 m were estimated to have carried more than 35 times the total freshwater load of DIN to the upper layer from surface and ground water, shallow shoreline septic systems, and direct atmospheric rainfall. The subsurface maximums in measured turbidity, chlorophyll a, particulate organic carbon, and particulate organic nitrogen strongly suggest that the upward mixing of nitrate-rich deeper water is a limiting factor in supplying DIN to the upper layer that enhances marine productivity in Lynch Cove. The presence of phosphate in the upper layer in the absence of dissolved inorganic nitrogen also suggests that the biological productivity that leads to low dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the lower layer of Lynch Cove is limited by the supply of nitrogen rather than by phosphate loads. Although the near-shore zones of the shallow parts of Lynch Cove were sampled, a biogeochemical signal from terrestrial nitrogen was not found. Reversals in the normal estuarine circulation suggest that if the relative importance of the DIN load of freshwater terrestrial and atmospheric sources and the DIN load from transport of saline water by the estuarine circulation in controlling dissolved-oxygen concentrations in Lynch Cove is to be better understood, then the physical forces driving Hood Canal circulation must be better defined.

Distribution of Arctic and Pacific copepods and their habitat in the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasaki, H.; Matsuno, K.; Fujiwara, A.; Onuka, M.; Yamaguchi, A.; Ueno, H.; Watanuki, Y.; Kikuchi, T.

2015-11-01

The advection of warm Pacific water and the reduction of sea-ice extent in the western Arctic Ocean may influence the abundance and distribution of copepods, i.e., a key component in food webs. To understand the factors affecting abundance of copepods in the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, we constructed habitat models explaining the spatial patterns of the large and small Arctic copepods and the Pacific copepods, separately, using generalized additive models. Copepods were sampled by NORPAC net. Vertical profiles of density, temperature and salinity in the seawater were measured using CTD, and concentration of chlorophyll a in seawater was measured with a fluorometer. The timing of sea-ice retreat was determined using the satellite image. To quantify the structure of water masses, the magnitude of pycnocline and averaged density, temperature and salinity in upper and bottom layers were scored along three axes using principal component analysis (PCA). The structures of water masses indexed by the scores of PCAs were selected as explanatory variables in the best models. Large Arctic copepods were abundant in the water mass with high salinity water in bottom layer or with cold/low salinity water in upper layer and cold/high salinity water in bottom layer, and small Arctic copepods were abundant in the water mass with warm/saline water in upper layer and cold/high salinity water in bottom layers, while Pacific copepods were abundant in the water mass with warm/saline in upper layer and cold/high salinity water in bottom layer. All copepod groups were abundant in areas with deeper depth. Although chlorophyll a in upper and bottom layers were selected as explanatory variables in the best models, apparent trends were not observed. All copepod groups were abundant where the sea-ice retreated at earlier timing. Our study might indicate potential positive effects of the reduction of sea-ice extent on the distribution of all groups of copepods in the Arctic Ocean.

Use of environmental tracers to study the chemical evolution of shallow ground water in a karst area of northern Florida

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

Katz, B.G.; Plummer, L.N.; Busenberg, E.

1993-03-01

The pathways of shallow ground-water flow in poorly confined aquifer systems of northern FL are influenced by inflow to and outflow from numerous sinkhole lakes that are characteristic of the Sand Hills karst region. Ground-water samples were collected immediately upgradient and downgradient from Lake Barco at depths of 1.6--29 m below the water table from observation wells completed in the surficial aquifer system, the intermediate confining unit (icu), and the Upper Floridan aquifer. Samples were also collected of rainfall, lake water, and ground water at a depth of 4.1 m beneath the lake bottom. The environmental tracers tritium and chlorofluorocarbonsmore » were used to estimate mean residence times of water and rates of chemical mass transfer along flow paths. Water samples collected from wells upgradient of the lake were oxic and had CFC-model recharge dates between 1971 and 1986. The content of delta H-2 and delta O-18 of water from the two aquifer systems and the icu was nearly identical to the isotopic composition of rainfall. Changes in the chemical composition of the ground water with depth were simulated by reacting rainfall with minerals and dissolved gases that exist in the hydrogeologic units. Ground-water samples collected from sites beneath and downgradient of the lake were anoxic, with measured concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and methane ranging from 0.02--0.58 mg/l and 0.30--6.1 mg/l, respectively. CFC-model recharge dates ranged from 1956 to 1983. The data indicated that ground water downgradient of the lake is being recharged by leakage of lake water. The chemical composition of ground water is influenced by the movement of lake water through reducing, organic-rich sediments accumulated at the bottom. Along the downgradient flow paths, the water chemistry evolves from the composition of lake water and is modified by subsequent reactions including reduction of sulfate and ferric iron, methanogenesis, and dissolution and precipitation of minerals.« less

U.S. Geological Survey Georgia Water Science Center and Albany Water, Gas, and Light Commission Cooperative Water Program-Summary of Activities, July 2005 through June 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gordon, Debbie W.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been working with the Albany Water, Gas, and Light Commission to monitor ground-water quality and availability since 1977. This report presents the findings for July 2005 through June 2006 and summarizes the ground-water and surface-water conditions for 2005. Water levels in 14 wells were continuously monitored in Dougherty County, Georgia. Water levels in 12 of those wells were above normal, one was normal, and one was below normal. Ground-water samples collected from the Upper Floridan aquifer indicate that nitrate levels have increased in 13 wells and decreased in two wells from a year earlier. A sample also was collected from the Flint River. A trilinear diagram showing the percent composition of selected major cations and anions indicates that the ground-water quality of the Upper Floridan aquifer at the Albany wellfield is distinctly different from the water quality of the Flint River. To improve the understanding of the ground-water flow system and nitrate movement in the Upper Floridan aquifer, the USGS is developing a ground-water flow model in the southwest Albany area, Georgia.

Origin and Distribution of Water Contents in Continental and Oceanic Lithospheric Mantle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peslier, Anne H.

2013-01-01

The water content distribution of the upper mantle will be reviewed as based on the peridotite record. The amount of water in cratonic xenoliths appears controlled by metasomatism while that of the oceanic mantle retains in part the signature of melting events. In both cases, the water distribution is heterogeneous both with depth and laterally, depending on localized water re-enrichments next to melt/fluid channels. The consequence of the water distribution on the rheology of the upper mantle and the location of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary will also be discussed.

Impact of the Hydration States of Polymers on Their Hemocompatibility for Medical Applications: A Review

PubMed Central

Bag, Min A.

2017-01-01

Water has a key role in the functioning of all biological systems, it mediates many biochemical reactions, as well as other biological activities such as material biocompatibility. Water is often considered as an inert solvent, however at the molecular level, it shows different behavior when sorbed onto surfaces like polymeric implants. Three states of water have been recognized: non-freezable water, which does not freeze even at −100 °C; intermediate water, which freezes below 0 °C; and, free water, which freezes at 0 °C like bulk water. This review describes the different states of water and the techniques for their identification and quantification, and analyzes their relationship with hemocompatibility in polymer surfaces. Intermediate water content higher than 3 wt % is related to better hemocompatibility for poly(ethylene glycol), poly(meth)acrylates, aliphatic carbonyls, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) surfaces. Therefore, characterizing water states in addition to water content is key for polymer selection and material design for medical applications. PMID:28771174

Imaging the 2017 MW 8.2 Tehuantepec intermediate-depth earthquake using Teleseismic P Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brudzinski, M.; Zhang, H.; Koper, K. D.; Pankow, K. L.

2017-12-01

The September 8, 2017 MW 8.1 Tehuantepec, Mexico earthquakes in the middle American subduction zone is one of the largest intermediate-depth earthquake ever recorded and could provide an unprecedented opportunity for understanding the mechanism of intermediate-depth earthquakes. While the hypocenter and centroid depths for this earthquake are shallower than typically considered for intermediate depth earthquakes, the normal faulting mechanism consistent with down-dip extension and location within the subducting plate align with properties of intermediate depth earthquakes. Back-projection of high-frequency teleseismic P-waves from two regional arrays for this earthquake shows unilateral rupture on a southeast-northwest striking fault that extends north of the Tehuantepec fracture zone (TFZ), with an average horizontal rupture speed of 3.0 km/s and total duration of 60 s. Guided by these back-projection results, 47 globally distributed low-frequency P-waves were inverted for a finite-fault model (FFM) of slip for both nodal planes. The FFM shows a slip deficit in proximity to the extension of the TFZ, as well as the minor rupture beyond the TFZ (confirmed by the synthetic tests), which indicates that the TFZ acted as a barrier for this earthquake. Analysis of waveform misfit leads to the preference of a subvertical plane as the causative fault. The FFM shows that the majority of the rupture is above the focal depth and consists of two large slip patches: the first one is near the hypocenter ( 55 km depth) and the second larger one near 30 km depth. The distribution of the two patches spatially agrees with seismicity that defines the upper and lower zones of a double Benioff zone (DBZ). It appears there was single fault rupture across the two depth zones of the DBZ. This is uncommon because a stark aseismic zone is typically observed between the upper and lower zones of the DBZ. This finding indicates that the mechanism for intraslab earthquakes must allow for rupture to propagate from one of the DBZ to the other despite seismic quiescence in between, suggesting the aseismic zone is conditionally stable: unable to nucleate earthquakes but able to host a large rupture going across.

Deep-sea suprabenthos assemblages (Crustacea) off the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean): Mesoscale variability in diversity and production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartes, J. E.; Mamouridis, V.; Fanelli, E.

2011-04-01

The composition of suprabenthic crustacean assemblages, their diversity, production (P) and production/biomass (P/B) ratios, were analyzed at species level along two transects situated to the north (N) and south (S) of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean) at depths between 134 m and 760 m, based on a ca. bi-monthly sampling performed between August 2003 and June 2004. Differences with depth and season in assemblage composition and diversity were analyzed as a function of the contrasting environmental features (e.g. water mass dynamics) of the two areas. We identified 187 species (18 decapods, 5 euphausiids, 16 mysids, 76 gammaridean amphipods, 13 hyperiids, 1 caprellid, 21 isopods and 37 cumaceans). Substantial mesoscale variability in the deep-sea suprabenthic assemblages coupled with diversity trends between the N and S transects were found. Seasonality was the most important gradient influencing the dynamics of suprabenthos over the upper (350 m) and middle (650-750 m) slope in the N area. Conversely, the S area appeared to be more stable temporally with depth as the main gradient inducing assemblage differences. Different depth-related patterns were observed both for diversity and P/B. To the north diversity was very low at the shelf-break, increasing on the upper-slope ( H' > 3.00) and then decreasing again on the middle-slope. To the south diversity increased smoothly downward, reaching the highest values on the middle-slope. Regarding productivity, P/B was highest at intermediate depths to the north (over ca. 450-500 m), while to the south highest P/Bs were found deeper (over ca. 600-650 m). The higher P/B at intermediate depths found along N are likely due to higher % of organic matter (OM) in sediments, a product of oceanographic frontal systems. In particular, P/B was higher along N among omnivores and detritus feeders (e.g. Andaniexis mimonectes, Lepechinella manco and combined cumaceans), coupled to enriched OM in sediments, while along S mesoplanktonic carnivores ( Rhachotropis spp.) had higher P/Bs. We conclude that on the north slope the influence of frontal systems and more active flow dynamics of different water masses (WIW and LIW) increases natural disturbance in the area, increasing productivity and diversity of suprabenthic peracarids in the Benthic Boundary Layer. Also, species showed a displacement of their average distributions (their Centres of Gravity, CoG) to shallower depths along N, which is another indicator of more favorable habitat conditions for suprabenthos in the 400-500 m range at N.

Nonlinear rovibrational polarization response of water vapor to ultrashort long-wave infrared pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuh, K.; Rosenow, P.; Kolesik, M.; Wright, E. M.; Koch, S. W.; Moloney, J. V.

2017-10-01

We study the rovibrational polarization response of water vapor using a fully correlated optical Bloch equation approach employing data from the HITRAN database. For a 10 -μ m long-wave infrared pulse the resulting linear response is negative, with a negative nonlinear response at intermediate intensities and a positive value at higher intensities. For a model atmosphere comprised of the electronic response of argon combined with the rovibrational response of water vapor this leads to a weakened positive nonlinear response at intermediate intensities. Propagation simulations using a simplified noncorrelated approach show the resultant reduction in the peak filament intensity sustained during filamentation due to the presence of the water vapor.

3H and 14C as tracers of ground-water recharge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izbicki, John A.; Michel, Robert L.; Martin, Peter

1992-01-01

Surface spreading of water from the Santa Clara River is used to recharge aquifers underlying the Oxnard Plain. These aquifers are divided into an upper system about 400 feet thick, and a lower system more than 1,000 feet thick. In previous studies, it has been reported that surface spreading recharged aquifers in both the upper and lower systems. Water from most wells perforated in the upper system has tritium levels consistent with decay-corrected concentrations found in water recharged after 1952 when tritium levels increased as a result of atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. Water from most wells in the lower system does not contain measurable tritium and must have been recharged prior to 1952. Carbon-14 ages estimated for water from wells in the lower system range from recent to about 25,000 years before present. These data show that the lower system is not effectively recharged by surface spreading.

Declining Nutrient Concentrations in the Northeast Atlantic as a Result of a Weakening Subpolar Gyre

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Clare; Inall, Mark; Hakkinen, Sirpa

2013-01-01

Between 1996 and the mid-2000s the upper waters (200-700 m) of the Rockall Trough became warmer (+0.72 C), saltier (+0.088) and reduced in nitrate and phosphate (-2.00 Micron and -0.14 Micron respectively). These changes, out-with calculated errors, can be explained by the varying influence of southern versus subpolar water masses in the basin as the Subpolar Gyre weakened and contracted. Upper water properties strongly correlate with a measure of the strength of the Subpolar Gyre (the first principal component of sea surface height over the Subpolar North Atlantic) prior to the mid-2000s. As the gyre weakens, the upper layers of the trough become warmer (r -0.85), more saline (r -0.86) and reduced in nitrate and phosphate (r +0.81 and r +0.87 respectively). Further the proportion of subpolar waters in the basin decreases from around 50% to less than 20% (r +0. 88). Since the mid-2000s the Subpolar Gyre has been particularly weak. During this period temperatures decreased slightly (-0.21 1C), salinities remained near constant (35.410 +/- 0.005) and phosphate levels low and stable (0.68 +/- 0.02 Micron). These relative lack of changes are thought to be related to the maximum proportion of southern water masses within the Rockall Trough having been reached. Thus the upper water properties are no longer controlled by changes in the relative importance of different water masses in the basin (as prior to the mid-2000s), but rather a different process. We suggest that when the gyre is particularly weak the interannual changes in upper water properties in the Rockall Trough reflect changes in the source properties of the southern water masses. Since the early-2000s the Subpolar Gyre has been weaker than observed since 1992, or modelled since 1960-1970. Hence upper waters within the Rockall Trough may be warmer, saltier and more depleted in nitrate and phosphate than at any time in the last half century.

Magnetohydrodynamic electrode

DOEpatents

Marchant, David D.; Killpatrick, Don H.

1978-01-01

An electrode capable of withstanding high temperatures and suitable for use as a current collector in the channel of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator consists of a sintered powdered metal base portion, the upper surface of the base being coated with a first layer of nickel aluminide, an intermediate layer of a mixture of nickel aluminide - refractory ceramic on the first layer and a third or outer layer of a refractory ceramic material on the intermediate layer. The sintered powdered metal base resists spalling by the ceramic coatings and permits greater electrode compliance to thermal shock. The density of the powdered metal base can be varied to allow optimization of the thermal conductivity of the electrode and prevent excess heat loss from the channel.

DO INTERMEDIATE-MASS BLACK HOLES EXIST IN GLOBULAR CLUSTERS?

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

Sun, Mou-Yuan; Jin, Ya-Ling; Gu, Wei-Min

2013-10-20

The existence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) in globular clusters (GCs) remains a crucial problem. Searching for IMBHs in GCs reveals a discrepancy between radio observations and dynamical modelings: the upper mass limits constrained by radio observations are systematically lower than that of dynamical modelings. One possibility for such a discrepancy is that, as we suggest in this work, there exist outflows in accretion flows. Our results indicate that, for most sources, current radio observations cannot rule out the possibility that IMBHs may exist in GCs. In addition, we adopt an M-dot -L{sub R} relation to revisit this issue, whichmore » confirms the results obtained by the fundamental plane relation.« less

Fe/Co doped molybdenum diselenide: a promising two-dimensional intermediate-band photovoltaic material.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiajia; He, Haiyan; Pan, Bicai

2015-05-15

An intermediate-band (IB) photovoltaic material is an important candidate in developing the new-generation solar cell. In this paper, we propose that the Fe-doped or the Co-doped MoSe2 just meets the required features in IB photovoltaic materials. Our calculations demonstrate that when the concentration of the doped element reaches 11.11%, the doped MoSe2 shows a high absorptivity for both infrared and visible light, where the photovoltaic efficiency of the doped MoSe2 is as high as 56%, approaching the upper limit of photovoltaic efficiency of IB materials. So, the Fe- or Co-doped MoSe2 is a promising two-dimensional photovoltaic material.

The benthic fauna from the lower Maastrichtian chalk of Kronsmoor (Saturn quarry, northern Germany): composition and palaeoecologic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelke, Julia; Linnert, Christian; Mutterlose, Jörg; Wilmsen, Markus

2017-04-01

The Saturn quarry near Kronsmoor (northern Germany) offers an undisturbed section of upper Campanian to lower Maastrichtian chalks. The target interval of the DFG project "Biodiversity and plankton-benthos coupling: an integrated ecosystem analysis from the Late Cretaceous Chalk" is focused on the lower Maastrichtian Belemnella obtusa Zone to mid-Belemnella sumensis Zone, i.e. to the uppermost Kronsmoor and lowermost Hemmoor formations. In this interval, a conspicuous increase in macrofossil abundance without apparent lithofacies changes has been observed and the project intends to integrate planktic, benthic and geochemical proxies for a comprehensive understanding of the Chalk Sea ecosystem. The aim of this study is the analysis of the benthic community. In a first step, the benthic body fossils of the c. 25-m-thick section were semi-quantitatively studied based on a collection of more than 1,000 specimens. Two successive benthic macrofossil assemblages were recognised: the lower interval (upper part of the Kronsmoor Formation, B. obtusa Zone) is characterized by low abundances, only about 100 macroinvertebrates were collected, mostly irregular and regular echinoids, brachiopods and crinoids. The upper interval (B. sumensis Zone) shows an eight times higher macroinvertebrate abundance and a conspicuous dominance of brachiopods, increasing from only 30 to over 500 specimens. In order to quantify the observed qualitative palaeoecological changes, 33 bulk samples of about 6 kg each were retrieved in a distance of c. 0.75 m. The bulk samples were frozen and thawed, washed and sieved in different sizes. The fraction 500 μm-1 mm and >1 mm were picked, sorted and counted. A diverse assemblage of bryozoans, foraminifers, shell fragments of brachiopods and bivalves, spines and test fragments of different echinoid taxa, parts of asteroids and ophiuroids, sponge debris, crinoids and small serpulids, is present. Reduced abundances in the lower part and generally higher abundances in the upper part are recognised. The palaeoecological analysis of both datasets indicates different guilds, of which epifaunal suspension feeders (fixo-sessile and libero-sessile guilds), comprising c. 50 % of the fauna in the lower interval, increase to a dominance of c. 80 % in the upper interval, including a considerable proportion of rhynchonelliform brachiopods. The palaeoecological data of benthic communities at Kronsmoor are indicative of increased nutrient availability during the early Maastrichtian. However, in the absence of any evidence of increased productivity in the overlying photic zone (calcareous nannofossil data), a lateral input (upwelling) of nutrient-rich waters onto the shelf to fuel the benthic ecosystem has to be considered. This view is supported by records of contemporaneous changes in latest Cretaceous ocean circulation that followed the latest Campanian cooling event, inclusive of a southward spread of waters of intermediate depth from high-latitudes.

Surface-Water and Groundwater Interactions along the Withlacoochee River, West-Central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trommer, J.T.; Yobbi, D.K.; McBride, W.S.

2009-01-01

A study of the Withlacoochee River watershed in west-central Florida was conducted from October 2003 to March 2007 to gain a better understanding of the hydrology and surface-water and groundwater interactions along the river. The Withlacoochee River originates in the Green Swamp area in north-central Polk County and flows northerly through seven counties, emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. This study includes only the part of the watershed located between the headwaters in the Green Swamp and the U.S. Geological Survey gaging station near Holder, Florida. The Withlacoochee River within the study area is about 108 miles long and drains about 1,820 square miles. The Withlacoochee River watershed is underlain by thick sequences of carbonate rock that are covered by thin surficial deposits of unconsolidated sand and sandy clay. The clay layer is breached in many places because of the karst nature of the underlying limestone, and the degree of confinement between the Upper Florida aquifer and the surficial aquifer is highly variable throughout the watershed. The potential for movement of water from the surface or shallow deposits to deeper deposits, or from deeper deposits to the shallow deposits, exists throughout the Withlacoochee River watershed. Water levels were higher in deeper Upper Floridan aquifer wells than in shallow Upper Floridan aquifer wells or surficial aquifer wells at 11 of 19 paired or nested well sites, indicating potential for discharge to the surface-water system. Water levels were higher in shallow Upper Floridan aquifer or surficial aquifer wells than in deeper Upper Floridan aquifer wells at five other sites, indicating potential for recharge to the deeper Upper Floridan aquifer. Water levels in the surficial aquifer and Upper Floridan aquifer wells at the remaining three sites were virtually the same, indicating little or no confinement at the sites. Potentiometric-surface maps of the Upper Floridan aquifer indicate the pattern of groundwater flow in the aquifer did not vary greatly from season to season during the study. Potentiometric contours indicate groundwater discharge to the river in the vicinity of Dade City and Lake Panasoffkee. During dry periods, groundwater from the underlying Upper Floridan aquifer contributed to the flow in the river. During wet periods, streamflow had additional contributions from runoff and input from tributaries. Groundwater has a greater effect on streamflow downstream from the Dade City station than upstream from the Dade City station because confinement between surficial deposits and the Upper Floridan aquifer is greater in the Green Swamp area than in downstream areas. Estimates of streamflow gains and losses were made along the Withlacoochee River during base-flow conditions in May 2004, April 2005, and April 2006. Base flow was higher in April 2005 than in May 2004 and April 2006. Consistent net seepage gains were identified in 16 of 20 subreaches analyzed during all seepage runs. The direction of exchange was variable in the remaining four subreaches. Low specific conductance, pH, and calcium concentrations in water from the Withlacoochee River near the headwater area indicated a surface-water system not directly connected to the Upper Floridan aquifer. Downstream from the Dade City station, higher specific conductance, pH, and calcium concentrations in the river water indicated an increasing influence of groundwater, and were similar to groundwater during low-flow conditions. Strontium isotope ratios indicate groundwater originates from shallow parts of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the upper reaches of the river, and from increasingly deeper parts of the aquifer in the downstream direction. Mean annual base-flow estimates also indicate increasing groundwater discharge to the river in the downstream direction. Mean annual base flow estimated using standard hydrograph separation method assumptions ranged from about 4.7 to 5.1 inches per year

Hydrological Impacts of Mesquite Encroachment in the Upper San Pedro Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

Invasion of mesquite into grassland occurs in water-limited ecosystems throughout the world. To assess hydrological consequences of mesquite invasion, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to simulate idealized progressive mesquite encroachments in the upper San P...

Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District Chief Operator Recognized for Outstanding Service

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Joseph Nowak, a resident of Ware Mass. and Chief Operator of the Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District (District) in Milbury, Mass., was honored by EPA with a 2016 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator of the Year Excellence Award.

The accumulation pattern of ferruginol in the heartwood-forming Cryptomeria japonica xylem as determined by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and quantity analysis

PubMed Central

Kuroda, Katsushi; Fujiwara, Takeshi; Hashida, Koh; Imai, Takanori; Kushi, Masayoshi; Saito, Kaori; Fukushima, Kazuhiko

2014-01-01

Background and Aims Heartwood formation is a unique phenomenon of tree species. Although the accumulation of heartwood substances is a well-known feature of the process, the accumulation mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the accumulation process of ferruginol, a predominant heartwood substance of Cryptomeria japonica, in heartwood-forming xylem. Methods The radial accumulation pattern of ferruginol was examined from sapwood and through the intermediate wood to the heartwood by direct mapping using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The data were compared with quantitative results obtained from a novel method of gas chromatography analysis using laser microdissection sampling and with water distribution obtained from cryo-scanning electron microscopy. Key Results Ferruginol initially accumulated in the middle of the intermediate wood, in the earlywood near the annual ring boundary. It accumulated throughout the entire earlywood in the inner intermediate wood, and in both the earlywood and the latewood in the heartwood. The process of ferruginol accumulation continued for more than eight annual rings. Ferruginol concentration peaked at the border between the intermediate wood and heartwood, while the concentration was less in the latewood compared wiht the earlywood in each annual ring. Ferruginol tended to accumulate around the ray parenchyma cells. In addition, at the border between the intermediate wood and heartwood, the accumulation was higher in areas without water than in areas with water. Conclusions TOF-SIMS clearly revealed ferruginol distribution at the cellular level. Ferruginol accumulation begins in the middle of intermediate wood, initially in the earlywood near the annual ring boundary, then throughout the entire earlywood, and finally across to the whole annual ring in the heartwood. The heterogeneous timing of ferruginol accumulation could be related to the distribution of ray parenchyma cells and/or water in the heartwood-forming xylem. PMID:24651372

Upper bound on the slope of steady water waves with small adverse vorticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

So, Seung Wook; Strauss, Walter A.

2018-03-01

We consider the angle of inclination (with respect to the horizontal) of the profile of a steady 2D inviscid symmetric periodic or solitary water wave subject to gravity. There is an upper bound of 31.15° in the irrotational case [1] and an upper bound of 45° in the case of favorable vorticity [13]. On the other hand, if the vorticity is adverse, the profile can become vertical. We prove here that if the adverse vorticity is sufficiently small, then the angle still has an upper bound which is slightly larger than 45°.

Simulated Effects of Seasonal Ground-Water Pumpage for Irrigation on Hydrologic Conditions in the Lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, Southwestern Georgia and Parts of Alabama and Florida, 1999-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, L. Elliott; Torak, Lynn J.

2006-01-01

To determine the effects of seasonal ground-water pumpage for irrigation, a finite-element ground-water flow model was developed for the Upper Floridan aquifer in the lower Flint River Basin area, including adjacent parts of the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola River Basins. The model simulates withdrawal from the aquifer at 3,280 irrigation, municipal, and industrial wells; stream-aquifer flow between the aquifer and 36 area streams; leakage to and from the overlying upper semiconfining unit; regional ground-water flow at the lateral boundaries of the model; and water-table recharge in areas where the aquifer is at or near land surface. Steady-state calibration to drought conditions of October 1999 indicated that the model could adequately simulate measured groundwater levels at 275 well locations and streamflow gains and losses along 53 reaches of area streams. A transient simulation having 12 monthly stress periods from March 2001 to February 2002 incorporated time-varying stress from irrigation pumpage, stream and lake stage, head in the overlying upper semiconfining unit, and infiltration rates. Analysis of simulated water budgets of the Upper Floridan aquifer provides estimates of the source of water pumped for irrigation. During October 1999, an estimated 127 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of irrigation pumpage from the Upper Floridan aquifer in the model area were simulated to be derived from changes in: stream-aquifer flux (about 56 Mgal/d, or 44 percent); leakage to or from the upper semiconfining unit (about 49 Mgal/d, or 39 percent); regional flow (about 18 Mgal/d, or 14 percent); leakage to or from Lakes Seminole and Blackshear (about 2.7 Mgal/d, or 2 percent); and flux at the Upper Floridan aquifer updip boundary (about 1.8 Mgal/d, or 1 percent). During the 2001 growing season (May-August), estimated irrigation pumpage ranged from about 310 to 830 Mgal/ d, about 79 percent of the 12-month total. During the growing season, irrigation pumpage was derived from decreased discharge or increased recharge of stream-aquifer flux (from about 23 to 39 percent), leakage to or from the upper semiconfining unit (from about 30 to 36 percent), regional flow (from about 8 to 11 percent), Lakes Seminole and Blackshear (about 2 percent), and flux at the Upper Floridan aquifer updip boundary (about 1 percent). Storage effects (decreased storage gain or increased storage loss) contributed from about 11 to 36 percent of irrigation pumpage during the growing season. Water managers can use the model to determine where and how much additional ground-water pumpage for irrigation should be permitted based on a variety of hydrologic constraints. For example, the model results may indicate that in some critical locations, additional ground-water pumpage during a prolonged drought might reduce stream-aquifer flux enough to cause noncompliance of established minimum instream flow conditions.

Reconnaissance of Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation ichnofossils, Rocky Mountain Region, USA: paleoenvironmental, stratigraphic, and paleoclimatic significance of terrestrial and freshwater ichnocoenoses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasiotis, Stephen T.

2004-05-01

Seventy-five types of ichnofossils documented during a four-year reconnaissance study in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation demonstrate that highly diverse and abundant plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates occur throughout most of the Morrison or equivalent strata. Invertebrate ichnofossils, preserving the most environmentally and climatically sensitive in situ behavior of Morrison organisms, are in nearly all outcrops. Terrestrial ichnofossils record biotic processes in soil formation, indicating soil moisture and water-table levels. Freshwater ichnofossils preserve evidence of water depth, salinity, and seasonality of water bodies. Ichnofossils, categorized as epiterraphilic, terraphilic, hygrophilic, and hydrophilic (new terms), reflect the moisture regime where they were constructed. The ichnofossils are vertically zoned with respect to physical, chemical, and biological factors in the environment that controlled their distribution and abundance, and are expressed as surficial, shallow, intermediate, and deep. The sedimentologic, stratigraphic, and geographic distribution of Morrison ichnofossils reflects the environmental and climatic variations across the basin through time. Marginal-marine, tidal to brackish-water ichnofossils are mainly restricted to the Windy Hill Member. Very large to small termite nests dominate the Salt Wash Member. Similar size ranges of ant nests dominate the Brushy Basin Member. Soil bee nests dominate in the Salt Wash, decreasing in abundance through the Brushy Basin. Deeper and larger insect nests indicate more seasonal distribution of precipitation and rainfall. Shallower and smaller insect nests indicate either dry or wet substrate conditions depending on the nest architecture and paleopedogenic and sedimentologic character of the substrate. Trace-fossil indicators of flowing or standing water conditions are dominant in the Tidwell Member and in fluvial sandstones of the Salt Wash and Brushy Basin Members. Large communities of perennial, freshwater bivalve traces are abundant in the Tidwell and Brushy Basin Members but to a lesser extent in the Salt Wash Member. Shallow crayfish burrows, indicating a water-table level close to the surface (<1 m), are restricted to channel bank and proximal alluvial deposits in the Salt Wash, Recapture, and Brushy Basin Members. Sauropod, theropod, pterosaur, and other vertebrate tracks occur throughout the Morrison Formation associated with alluvial, lacustrine, and transitional-marine shoreline deposits. Ichnofossils and co-occurring paleosols in the Morrison reflect the local and regional paleohydrologic settings, which record the annual soil moisture budget and were largely controlled by the climate in the basin. Contributions to near-surface biologic systems by groundwater from distant sources were minor, except where the water table perennially, seasonally, or ephemerally intersected the ground-surface. The Jurassic Morrison Formation in the southern portion of the basin experienced a mosaic of seasonal climates that varied from a drier (Tidwell/Windy Hill deposition) to a wetter (lower and middle Salt Wash deposition) and slightly drier (upper Salt Wash deposition) tropical wet-dry climate, returning to a wetter tropical wet-dry climate near the end of Morrison deposition (Brushy Basin deposition). The northern part of the basin experienced similar trends across a mosaic of Mediterranean climate types. The range and mosaic pattern of wet-dry Morrison climates is analogous to the range of climates (and their seasonal variability) that dominates the African savanna today.

Short-term use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

PubMed

Wang, Yen-Po; Chen, Yung-Tai; Tsai, Chia-Fen; Li, Szu-Yuan; Luo, Jiing-Chyuan; Wang, Shuu-Jiun; Tang, Chao-Hsiun; Liu, Chia-Jen; Lin, Han-Chieh; Lee, Fa-Yauh; Chang, Full-Young; Lu, Ching-Liang

2014-01-01

The association between selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRIs) and risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding remains controversial. Previous studies have generally evaluated the issue for approximately 3 months, even though the SSRI-mediated inhibition of platelet serotonin concentrations occurs within 7-14 days. The authors explored the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding after short-term SSRI exposure by a case-crossover design. The records of psychiatric inpatients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database (1998-2009). Rates of antidepressant use were compared for case and control periods with time windows of 7, 14, and 28 days. The adjusted self-matched odds ratios from a conditional logistic regression model were used to determine the association between SSRI use and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. A total of 5,377 patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding were enrolled. The adjusted odds ratio for the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding after SSRI exposure was 1.67 (95% CI=1.23-2.26) for the 7-day window, 1.84 (95% CI=1.42-2.40) for the 14-day window, and 1.67 (95% CI=1.34-2.08) for the 28-day window. SSRIs with high and intermediate, but not low, affinity for serotonin transporter were associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. An elevated risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding after SSRI exposure was seen in male but not female patients. Short-term SSRI use (7-28 days) is significantly associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Gender differences may exist in the relationship between SSRI use and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Physicians should carefully monitor signs of upper gastrointestinal bleeding even after short-term exposure to SSRIs, as is done with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirin.

Reaction Mechanism of Organocatalytic Michael Addition of Nitromethane to Cinnamaldehyde: A Case Study on Catalyst Regeneration and Solvent Effects.

PubMed

Świderek, Katarzyna; Nödling, Alexander R; Tsai, Yu-Hsuan; Luk, Louis Y P; Moliner, Vicent

2018-01-11

The Michael addition of nitromethane to cinnamaldehyde has been computationally studied in the absence of a catalyst and the presence of a biotinylated secondary amine by a combined computational and experimental approach. The calculations were performed at the density functional theory (DFT) level with the M06-2X hybrid functional, and a polarizable continuum model has been employed to mimic the effect of two different solvents: dichloromethane (DCM) and water. Contrary to common assumption, the product-derived iminium intermediate was absent in both of the solvents tested. Instead, hydrating the C1-C2 double bond in the enamine intermediate directly yields the tetrahedral intermediate, which is key for forming the product and regenerating the catalyst. Enamine hydration is concerted and found to be rate-limiting in DCM but segregated into two non-rate-limiting steps when the solvent is replaced with water. However, further analysis revealed that the use of water as solvent also raises the energy barriers for other chemical steps, particularly the critical step of C-C bond formation between the iminium intermediate and nucleophile; this consequently lowers both the reaction yield and enantioselectivity of this LUMO-lowering reaction, as experimentally detected. These findings provide a logical explanation to why water often enhances organocatalysis when used as an additive but hampers the reaction progress when employed as a solvent.

Reaction Mechanism of Organocatalytic Michael Addition of Nitromethane to Cinnamaldehyde: A Case Study on Catalyst Regeneration and Solvent Effects

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The Michael addition of nitromethane to cinnamaldehyde has been computationally studied in the absence of a catalyst and the presence of a biotinylated secondary amine by a combined computational and experimental approach. The calculations were performed at the density functional theory (DFT) level with the M06-2X hybrid functional, and a polarizable continuum model has been employed to mimic the effect of two different solvents: dichloromethane (DCM) and water. Contrary to common assumption, the product-derived iminium intermediate was absent in both of the solvents tested. Instead, hydrating the C1–C2 double bond in the enamine intermediate directly yields the tetrahedral intermediate, which is key for forming the product and regenerating the catalyst. Enamine hydration is concerted and found to be rate-limiting in DCM but segregated into two non-rate-limiting steps when the solvent is replaced with water. However, further analysis revealed that the use of water as solvent also raises the energy barriers for other chemical steps, particularly the critical step of C–C bond formation between the iminium intermediate and nucleophile; this consequently lowers both the reaction yield and enantioselectivity of this LUMO-lowering reaction, as experimentally detected. These findings provide a logical explanation to why water often enhances organocatalysis when used as an additive but hampers the reaction progress when employed as a solvent. PMID:29256614

Recirculation of the Canary Current in Fall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez-Guerra, A.; Espino-Falcón, E.; Vélez-Belchí, P.; Pérez-Hernández, M. D.; Martínez, A.; Cana, L.

2015-12-01

CTD and LADCP data measured in October 2014 are used to describe water masses, geostrophic circulation and mass transport in the Eastern Boundary of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. Initial geostrophic velocities are adjusted to velocities from the LADCP data to estimate an initial velocity at the reference layer. Final reference velocities and consequently circulation is estimated from an inverse box model applied to an ocean divided into 12 neutral density layers. This allows us to evaluate mass fluxes consistent with the thermal wind equation and mass conservation. Ekman transport derived from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is added to the first layer and adjusted with the inverse model. The Canary Current (CC) transports southward a net mass of 3.8±0.7 Sv (1 Sv=106 m3/s≈109 kg/s) of North Atlantic Central Water (NACW) at the thermocline layers (~0-700 m) and 1.9±0.6 Sv of a mixture of Mediterranean Water (MW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) at intermediate layers (~800-1400 m). The CC recirculates northward at a rate of 4.8±0.8 Sv at the thermocline layers between the Lanzarote Island and the African coast (Lanzarote Passage) on this occasion. Separately, at intermediate layers, AAIW flows northward at a rate of 2.4±0.6 Sv through the Lanzarote Passage transported by the Intermediate Poleward Undercurrent (IPUC).

Gibbs Free Energy of Hydrolytic Water Molecule in Acyl-Enzyme Intermediates of a Serine Protease: A Potential Application for Computer-Aided Discovery of Mechanism-Based Reversible Covalent Inhibitors.

PubMed

Masuda, Yosuke; Yamaotsu, Noriyuki; Hirono, Shuichi

2017-01-01

In order to predict the potencies of mechanism-based reversible covalent inhibitors, the relationships between calculated Gibbs free energy of hydrolytic water molecule in acyl-trypsin intermediates and experimentally measured catalytic rate constants (k cat ) were investigated. After obtaining representative solution structures by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, hydration thermodynamics analyses using WaterMap™ were conducted. Consequently, we found for the first time that when Gibbs free energy of the hydrolytic water molecule was lower, logarithms of k cat were also lower. The hydrolytic water molecule with favorable Gibbs free energy may hydrolyze acylated serine slowly. Gibbs free energy of hydrolytic water molecule might be a useful descriptor for computer-aided discovery of mechanism-based reversible covalent inhibitors of hydrolytic enzymes.

A Critical Test of Nd isotopes as a Paleocirculation Proxy in the Southwest Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Y.; Goldstein, S. L.; Pena, L.; Hartman, A. E.; Rijkenberg, M. J. A.; de Baar, H. J. W.

2016-12-01

The application of Nd isotopes as a paleo-ocean circulation tracer assumes that Nd isotope ratios (ɛNd) effectively fingerprint different water masses and approximate expected values from water mass mixing. The Southwest Atlantic, with the major water masses involved in the Atlantic Meridional Ocean Circulation (southward flowing North Atlantic Deep Water, northward flowing Antarctic Intermediate Water and Antarctic Bottom Water), is one of the best places on Earth to evaluate how well Nd isotope ratios act like a conservative water mass tracer in the modern ocean. Seawater profiles and core-top sediments from 17 stations were sampled in the Southwest Atlantic in the South Atlantic Meridional GEOTRACES cruise (GA02 Leg 3; RRS James Cook 057) between Tierra del Fuego and the Equator. Along the cruise track, along with the possibility of "boundary exchange", there are several additional potential sources that could add external Nd to seawater and disturb the "quasi-conservative" behavior of ɛNd. For example, it transects the continental shelf in the far south, the Rio Grande Rise, volcanic seamounts, and the major geological age boundaries of South America. It also crosses the major Southern Hemisphere wind zones, allowing us to test the impacts of eolian dust input, as well as inputs from major rivers. Our results on seawater ɛNd show strikingly that the Southwest Atlantic transect confirms "quasi-conservative" behavior of ɛNd in intermediate and deep water. Shallow depths show local impacts but these are not transferred to intermediate and deep water.

Summary appraisals of the Nation's ground-water resources; Upper Colorado region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, Don; Arnow, Ted

1974-01-01

Options available for use of ground water in water-resources management·in the·region include conjunctive use with surface water or development of ground water as an independent supply. The latter option could be for & perennial supply or for a time-limited supply (mining ground water), depending on the need and the existing ground-water conditions. All options can be carried out so as to meet the requirements of the Colorado River Compact. The options could be implemented to optimally develop the Upper Colorado River Basin's allocation of Colorado River water while meeting the Compact commitments to the Lower Basin.

Millennial-Scale Variability in the Indian Monsoon and Links to Ocean Circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLong, K. A.; Came, R. E.; Johnson, J. E.; Giosan, L.

2014-12-01

Millennial-scale variability in the Indian monsoon was temporally linked to changes in global ocean circulation during the last glacial period, as evidenced by planktic-benthic foraminiferal stable isotope and trace element results from an intermediate depth sediment core from the northwestern Bay of Bengal. Paired planktic foraminiferal Mg/Ca and δ18Oc constrain sea surface temperatures and isolate millennial-scale variations in the δ18O of surface waters (δ18Osw), which resulted from changes in river runoff in the northwestern Bay. Concurrently with low δ18Osw events, benthic foraminiferal δ13C decreased, suggesting an increased influence of an aged water mass at this intermediate depth site during the low salinity events. Benthic foraminiferal Cd/Ca results support the identification of this water mass as aged Glacial Antarctic Intermediate Water (GAAIW). Lagged correlation analysis (r= 0.41) indicates that changes in subsurface properties led changes in surface properties by an average of 380 years. The implication is that Southern Hemisphere climate exerted a controlling influence on the Indian monsoon during the last glacial period.