Stochastic evaluation of subsurface contaminant discharges under physical,chemical, and biological heterogeneities

A finite element 2D Monte Carlo approach is used to evaluate the sensitivity of groundwater contaminant discharges to a Damkohler number ω and spatial variability in aquifer hydraulic conductivity, initial microbial biomass concentrations, and electron acceptor/donor concentrations. Bioattenuation is most sensitive to spatial variations in incipient biomass and critical electron donors/acceptors for ω ≥ 1 (i.e., when pore-water residence times are high compared to the time needed for microbial growth or contaminant attenuation). Under these conditions, critical reaction processes can become substrate-limited at multiple locations throughout the aquifer; which in turn increases expected contaminant discharges and their uncertainties at monitored transects. For ω ≤ 0.2, contaminant discharge is not sensitive to incipient biomass variations. Physical heterogeneities expedite plume arrival and delay departure at transects and in turn attenuate peak discharges but do not affect cumulative contaminant discharges. Physical heterogeneities do, however, induce transect mass discharge variances that are bimodal functions of time; the first peak beings consistently higher. A simple stream tube model is invoked to explain the occurrence of peaks in contaminant discharge variance.     

Interacting physical,chemical and biological forcing of phytoplankton thin-layer variability in Monterey Bay,California

During the 2005 Layered Organization in the Coastal Ocean (LOCO) field program in Monterey Bay, California, we integrated intensive water column surveys by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with satellite and mooring data to examine the spatiotemporal scales and processes of phytoplankton thin-layer development. Surveying inner to outer shelf waters repeatedly between August 18 and September 6, the AUV acquired 6841 profiles. By the criteria: [(1) thickness ≤3 m at the full-width half-maximum, (2) peak chlorophyll at least twice the local background concentrations, and (3) a corresponding peak in optical backscattering], thin layers were detected in 3978 (58%) of the profiles. Average layer thickness was 1.4 m, and average intensity was 13.5 μg l^?1 above (3.2x) background. Thin layers were observed at depths between 2.6 and 17.6 m, and their depths showed diurnal vertical migration of the layer phytoplankton populations. Horizontal scales of thin-layer patches ranged from <100 m to>10,000 m. A thin-layer index (TLI), computed from layer frequency, intensity and thinness, was highest in mid-shelf waters, coincident with a frontal zone between bay waters and an intrusion of low-salinity offshore waters. Satellite observations showed locally enhanced chlorophyll concentrations along the front, and in situ observations indicated that phytoplankton may have been affected by locally enhanced nutrient supply in the front and concentration of motile populations in a convergence zone. Minimum TLI was furthest offshore, in the area most affected by the intrusion of offshore, low-chlorophyll waters. Average thin-layer intensity doubled during August 25–29, in parallel with warming at the surface and cooling within and below the thermocline. During this apparent bloom of thin-layer populations, density oscillations in the diurnal frequency band increased by an order of magnitude at the shelfbreak and in near-bottom waters of the inner shelf, indicating the role of internal tidal pumping from Monterey Canyon onto the shelf. This nutrient transport process was mapped by the AUV. Peak TLI was observed on August 29 during a nighttime survey, when phytoplankton were concentrated in the nutricline. Empirical orthogonal function decomposition of the thin-layer particle size distribution data from this survey showed that throughout the inner to outer shelf survey domain, the layers were dominated by phytoplankton having a cross-section of ～50 μm. This is consistent with the size of abundant Akashiwo sanguinea cells observed microscopically in water samples. During a subsequent and stronger intrusion of low-salinity offshore waters, spatially-averaged vertical density stratification decreased by > 50%, and phytoplankton thin layers disappeared almost completely from the AUV survey domain.     

Flocculation and particle size analysis of expansive clay sediments affected by biological, chemical, and hydrodynamic factors

Expansive clay sediments are abundant in riverine and estuarine waters and bottom beds, and their particle size distributions (PSD) are important for the analysis of sediment transport. This paper presents an experimental study to evaluate, using a laser particle size analyzer under varying flow conditions, the intrinsic PSD of two expansive clays, a Ca- and a Na-montmorillonite and the influence of biological, chemical, and hydrodynamic factors on their flocculation and PSD. The considered biological factor consists of three extracellular polymeric substances of varying polarity, including xanthan gum, guar gum, and chitosan; the chemical factor is the salinity; and the hydrodynamic factor is the types of flow indicated by the Reynolds number and shear rate. The intrinsic PSD of both clays show a multimodal lognormal distribution with sizes ranging from 0.2 to 50 μm. All three biopolymers, xanthan gum, guar gum, and chitosan, can facilitate flocculation through long-range polymer bridging and short-range ion-dipole interaction, hydrogen bonding, and Coulomb force. The influence of salinity is different for the two clays: the particle size of the Na-montmorillonite increases with salinity, which is caused by flocculation resulting from the suppressed electrical double layer, while that of the Ca-montmorillonite is slightly reduced owing to the decreased basal spacing and cation exchange. For different hydrodynamic conditions, higher shear rate promotes the flocculation of Ca-montmorillonite, but breaks the Na-montmorillonite flocs. The significance of understanding the flocculation and PSD of expansive clays is also discussed in terms of sediment transport under different aquatic environments.     

Atmospheric,weathering and biological contributions in the chemical signature of stream water: the upper Iskar Reka watershed,Bulgaria

Abstract

The chemical signature of stream water is influenced by several factors: atmospheric input, weathering of bedrock and soils, biological uptake, soil storage, and decomposition of organic matter. The importance of weathering and biological activity, according to season, can be assessed by subtracting atmospheric input. In the upper Iskar Reka watershed, Bulgaria, results show that Na and Ca are mainly exported out of the basin (weathering is dominant), while nitrate and sulphate are consumed/stored. The behaviour of K suggests that biological activity is dominated by vegetation uptake in spring and by bacterial activity in autumn. In summer, the weathering load of Mg is compensated by reactions with clays. The low nutrient input from weathering due to low reserves in the soil may lead to a biomass production closely linked to a rapid internal cycle and also to a relative sensitivity of the ecosystem to any change in vegetation cover and atmospheric input.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Gassama, N. and Violette, S., 2012. Atmospheric, weathering and biological contributions in the chemical signature of stream water: the Upper Iskar Reka watershed, Bulgaria. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (3), 535–546.     

Fish biological effect monitoring of chemical stressors using a generalized linear model in South Sea,Korea

To evaluate the health status at six different study areas, we used the generalized linear model approach with selected biochemical markers in resident fish from uncontaminated and contaminated sites. We also confirmed the independence between the biochemical indices and the morphometric indices including the hepato-somatic index (HSI), gonado-somatic index (GSI), and condition factor (CF) in fish from the sampling areas. The effect of area on the presence of biotransformation markers (ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity; EROD) was significantly high in Masan Bay. The area with the greatest effect on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was Jindong Bay, while there was no significant effect of GSI, HSI, CF, and sex in the EROD model and HSI, CF and sex in the AChE model. These results clarify that fish from Masan, Gwangyang and Jindong Bay were affected by pollutant stress, and the analysis of sensitive biochemical responses allowed for an improved interpretation of the results.     

The use of chemical indicators in the surveillance of volcanic activity affecting the Crater Lake on Mt Ruapehu,New Zealand

Between January 1966 and December 1973 approximately 100 water samples wert collected from the Crater Lake of Mt Ruapehu. From analyses of the samples, changes in chloride and magnesium concentrations and pH emerged as the most useful indicators for the occurrence of the two major processes associated with eruptive activity: Chloride concentrations vary in response to changes in fumarolic activity, arising from the degassing of magma; rises in magnesium concentrations are due to interaction of lake water with freshly injected, hot andesitic material. Similarly, variations in temperature, pH and the ratio Mg/Cl enable the effects of dilution and evaporation to be considered. The thermal power required to maintain elevated lake temperatures ～200 MW during quiet periods, reaching 1000 MW during active periods, is largely transferred by fumarolic steam.     

Environmental regulation of the chemical pollution in aquatic ecosystem (biological aspects)

The basic principles of the environmental regulation of anthropogenic impact on water bodies were discussed in this paper. Importance of the biological approach to pollution regulation in aquatic ecosystems was shown. The environmental regulation of the chemical pollution in aquatic ecosystems is based on the methodology of environmentally acceptable exposure levels.     

Variation in transparent exopolymer particles in relation to biological and chemical factors in two contrasting lake districts

In inland waters, transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) can affect carbon export and sequestration in sediments with consequences for lake C budgets. We measured TEP concentration in 32 lakes from two contrasting lake districts covering wide ranges in biological and chemical characteristics. North temperate lakes, located in a wet region, have low to moderate ionic strength and low to high dissolved organic carbon with corresponding variation in color (light absorbance). Mediterranean lakes located in a semiarid region were characterized by high ionic strength and high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon but low color. TEP concentrations were large relative to the living portion of the particulate organic carbon pool in both Mediterranean (36%) and north temperate (33%) lakes. TEP concentrations ranged from 36 to 1,462 μg [as Gum Xanthan equivalents (GX eq)] L⁻¹ in north temperate lakes. In the Mediterranean lakes, concentrations were higher that previously reported for other systems and ranged from 66 to 9,038 μg GX eq L⁻¹. TEP concentration was positive and significantly related to chlorophyll a (chl a) in north temperate lakes and in the entire data set. Although a significant and positive relationship between TEP and chl a was also detected in the Mediterranean lakes, bacterial abundance was most strongly related to TEP. In contrast with the positive influence of phytoplankton and bacteria on TEP, there were weaker relationships between TEP and the chemical variables tested. We observed a significant and positive relationship between pH and TEP (for all lakes) but this relationship was indirectly driven by a co-variation of pH with phytoplankton biomass based on multiple regression analysis. For the Mediterranean lakes, the negative (but not significant) trends between TEP and both conductivity and divalent cations suggest thresholds above which TEP will likely be destabilized. Under these conditions, TEP may flocculate or disperse in the water column.     

Monitoring chemical contamination levels in the Mediterranean based on the use of mussel caging

Within the framework of the biointegrator network (RINBIO), 92 man-made cages containing mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), distributed over 1800 km of the French Mediterranean coast, made it possible to assess chemical contamination by heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr, As) and organic compounds (DDT, PCBs, HAP). The caging technique was adopted to compensate for the scarcity of natural shellfish stocks in the Mediterranean and to enable comparison of the sites regardless of their physicochemical and trophic characteristics. Models linking a biometric parameter (the condition index) to pollutant levels make it possible to adjust raw data on contamination for a reference individual, by making a clear distinction between physiological factors (growth) and environmental ones. The results demonstrate significant levels of pollutants in sites heretofore unsampled; the pollution occurs at limited areas, and the sources have been identified. Moreover, average contamination levels are comparable to those measured in wild species and in other areas. Overall, the research demonstrates the reliability of this methodological approach for monitoring marine pollution, especially in the Mediterranean.     

Monitoring,causality, and uncertainty in a stratospheric context

Our increasingly complex understanding of stratospheric chemistry and transport processes leaves us with various theoretical possibilities of appreciable and perhaps serious environmental impact due to human activities. These possibilities raise policy questions in which the economic and other costs of regulating human activities must be weighed against the possible consequences of no such regulation. The natural variability of the atmosphere, the physical and other limitations on our global sampling and monitoring abilities, and the difficulties in establishing causal connections leave us in a state of uncertainty as to the reality and magnitude of at least some of these theoretical environmental impacts. Policy-makers must make decisions in the face of these uncertainties.The proper role of scientists as such in narrowing and quantifying the uncertainties is discussed, with particular regard to the evidence that cultural and other biases often affect individual scientists' conclusions. Conscious efforts are needed to minimize bias, quantify uncertainties, and speed up the process of scientific consensus-building. A careful distinction should be drawn between scientifically determined probabilities, and cost-benefit analyses which necessarily involve value judgments.     

Elastic properties,chemical composition,and crystal structure of minerals

The observed systematic relations between velocities, density, and crystal structure in minerals are viewed as part of the general problem of the interactions of ions and electrons in solids. A complete explanation of these systematics would result from an adequate physical model of interactions between atoms in a crystal. For ionic models, understanding such interactions mainly requires knowledge of inter-ionic repulsive forces, which can be calculated from solutions for the electronic energy levels. The main forms of systematics developed in the last few years can be classed either as bulk modulus-molar volume (K-V _M ) or, equivalently, velocity-density (v-p) relations. Isostructural and isochemical (having constant mean atomic weight ) trends exist, and for both classes of systematics it is possible to produce semi-empirical universal expressions with the ability to predict elastic properties to a few percent. The best estimates of composition of the Earth's interior come from comparisons of mineral elastic properties with seismic data. On the basis of current velocity profiles of the Earth, the mantle appears to be chemically homogeneous.     

Biological and chemical composition of Boston Harbor, USA

As part of a planning study of improvements to the navigation channels in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts (USA) biological and chemical composition were determined. During 1985 and 1986, sampling of the sediments and water column took place to understand existing conditions. These sampling efforts involved 21 sediment chemistry stations, 13 benthic infaunal stations, 6 otter trawl and gill net stations. The chemical determinations show high levels of contaminations in the inner channels. The benthic organisms react to this substrate chemical stress and a seasonal oxygen depletion with episodes of tolerance and defaunation. The finfish species follow a similar pattern as the infaunal community.     

山西大同-阳高地震的监测与预报

1989年至1999年10 a间在山西大同-阳高地区连续发生了3次中强地震,这是地震预报"实用化"攻关后,我国大陆地区发生的几次较大地震.叙述了大同盆地的监测能力及对大同-阳高3次中强地震的预报情况,指出短期判断与中期背景脱节,异常没有全面地掌握在某一级地震预报部门手中,似是当时地震预报的现状和未能作出短临预报的原因.     

Guagua pichincha volcano, Ecuador: fluid geochemistry in volcanic surveillance

The densely populated metropolitan area of Quito is located on the slopes of the active Guagua Pichincha volcano at only 10 km from the crater. Recently, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sponsored a project for the mitigation of volcanic hazard in this area. The geochemical study carried out as part of this project was aimed at constructing a geochemical model of the zone for use in volcanic surveillance.According to this geochemical model, a hydrothermal aquifer (T = 200–240°C), fed both by meteoric waters and by fluids released by a magma body, lies at shallow levels beneath Guagua Pichincha crater. The crater fumaroles are essentially fed by steam boiled off from the hydrothermal aquifer. The high flow rate fumaroles located in the dome area show significant SO₂ contents, which suggest a relatively high contribution of magmatic fluids in the zone of the aquifer feeding them. The absence of SO₂ in the fumarolic discharges near the southern crater wall indicates instead that the magmatic fluids dissolve entirely into the aquifer here. The hot springs located at the western end of the crater represent the lateral discharge of the hydrothermal aquifer.On the basis of this model, it is likely that an increment in the flux of both the magmatic fluids and the heat from a magma body produces an increase, albeit small, of the pressure-temperature conditions of the hydrothermal system and consequent changes in flow rate and fluid chemistry of the fumarolic vents. In particular, total sulphur and possibly hydrochloric acid may increase in all the vents and sulphur dioxide may appear in other fumarolic discharges. The varying thermodynamic conditions in the hydrothermal aquifer can be evaluated on the basis of the equilibria among carbon species and hydrogen. Only minor delayed changes are expected in the physical-chemical characteristics of the springs located at the western end of the crater.     

Low-cost volcano surveillance from space: case studies from Etna, Krafla, Cerro Negro, Fogo, Lascar and Erebus

 Satellite data offer a means of supplementing ground-based monitoring during volcanic eruptions, especially at times or locations where ground-based monitoring is difficult. Being directly and freely available several times a day, data from the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) offers great potential for near real-time monitoring of all volcanoes across large (3000×3000 km) areas. Herein we describe techniques to detect and locate activity; estimate lava area, thermal flux, effusion rates and cumulative volume; and distinguish types of activity. Application is demonstrated using data for active lavas at Krafla, Etna, Fogo, Cerro Negro and Erebus; a pyroclastic flow at Lascar; and open vent systems at Etna and Stromboli. Automated near real-time analysis of AVHRR data could be achieved at existing, or cheap to install, receiving stations, offering a supplement to conventional monitoring methods. Received: 21 January 1997 / Accepted: 3 April 1997     

Casing Leakage in Monitoring Wells: Detection, Confirmation, and Prevention

A small but significant proportion of all existing monitoring wells may be affected by leakage through the casing, usually at joints. Casing leakage can render data obtained from a monitoring well unreliable. Anomalous water level, water quality, or isotope data from a particular well are an indication of possible leakage. The occurrence of a casing leak can be confirmed by means of a pressure test using water. The magnitude of the leakage flow can be estimated from the pressure test or from the observed head anomaly. Casing leaks can be largely prevented with adequate care during monitoring well installation, but the possibility that data may be affected by casing leaks should always be taken into account during hydrogeological investigations.