The yield and isotopic composition of radiolytic H₂, a potential energy source for the deep subsurface biosphere     

Li-Hung Lin  Greg F. Slater  Barbara Sherwood Lollar  T.C. Onstott 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2005,69(4):893-903

The production rate and isotopic composition of H₂ derived from radiolytic reactions in H₂O were measured to assess the importance of radiolytic H₂ in subsurface environments and to determine whether its isotopic signature can be used as a diagnostic tool. Saline and pure, aerobic and anaerobic water samples with pH values of 4, 7, and 10 were irradiated in sealed vials at room temperature with an artificial γ source, and the H₂ abundance in the headspace and its isotopic composition were measured. The H₂ concentrations were observed to increase linearly with dosage at a rate of 0.40 ± 0.04 molecules (100 eV)⁻¹ within the dosage range of 900 to 3500 Gray (Gy; Gy = 1 J Kg⁻¹) with no indication of a maximum limit on H₂ concentration. At ∼2000 Gy, the H₂ concentration varied only by 16% across the experimental range of pH, salinity, and O₂. Based upon this measured yield and H₂ yields for α and β particles, a radiolytic H₂ production rate of 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁴ nM s⁻¹ was estimated for the range of radioactive element concentrations and porosities typical of crustal rocks. The δD of H₂ was independent of the dosage, pH (except for pH 4), salinity, and O₂ and yielded an αD_H2O-H2 of 2.05 ± 0.07 (αD_H2O-H2 = (D/H)_H2O to (D/H)_H2), slightly less than predicted radiolytic models. Although this radiolytic fractionation value is significantly heavier than that of equilibrium isotopic exchange between H₂ and H₂O, the isotopic exchange rate between H₂ and H₂O will erase the heavy δD of radiolytic H₂ if the age of the groundwater is greater than ∼10³ to 10⁴ yr. The millimolar concentrations of H₂ observed in the groundwater of several Precambrian Shields are consistent with radiolysis of water that has resided in the subsurface for a few million years. These concentrations are well above those required to support H₂-utilizing microorganisms and to inhibit H₂-producing, fermentative microorganisms.  相似文献   

Gravity wave and sporadic-E echo signatures on VHF backscatter radar systems     

J.G. Keys  M.K. Andrews 《Planetary and Space Science》1984,32(11):1455-1462

Wave-like features in range seen on the range/time/intensity (RTI) records of VHF backscatter radars operating in the South of New Zealand are interpreted as being the signature of gravity waves propagating in an ionospheric sporadic-E layer. The data show that, during midsummer in particular, sporadic-E ionisation which has been modified by the passage of a gravity wave can produce two distinct echo types : backscatter from field-aligned irregularities within the sporadic-E layer, probably generated by plasma waves, and a second type of echo resulting from energy backscattered from the surface of the sea after specular reflection in the ionosphere. The backscattering and reflecting region can exist at latitudes at least as low as 49° geographic (57° geomagnetic) latitude during quiet magnetic conditions. We confirm the patchiness of dense sporadic-E, and conclude that gravity waves at sporadic-E heights have amplitudes of the order of several tenths of a kilometre.  相似文献   

Geomagnetic secular variation since 1901   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Barbara M. Hodder 《Geophysical Journal International》1981,65(3):763-776

Summary. All available annual means, from the world-wide network of magnetic observatories, of north intensity ( X ), east intensity ( Y ) and vertical intensity (Z) from 1901 to 1977 are subjected to spherical harmonic analysis to obtain 38 models of the Earth's geomagnetic field at two-year intervals. These models are differenced to give 37 models of secular variation at two-year intervals from 1903.5 to 1975.5. The results show the decreasing trend of the dipole moment and are analysed for possible information on the westward drift of the magnetic field.  相似文献   

“WOMEN IN GEOGRAPHY” REVISITED: PRESENT STATUS,NEW OPTIONS     

Barbara Rubin 《The Professional geographer》1979,31(2):125-134

The representation of women on geography faculties did not increase appreciably between 1971 and 1977, but women in other academic disciplines have fared somewhat better. The latter have improved their status primarily as a result of actions taken by professional associations representing their fields. When a professional association ignores its female constituency or refuses to commit itself to improving their circumstances, federal agencies now offer alternative channels for obtaining redress.  相似文献   

Containment criterion for contaminant isolation by cutoff walls     

Neville CJ  Andrews CB 《Ground water》2006,44(5):682-686

A rigorous solution is developed from first principles to guide the preliminary design of cutoff walls installed to contain the migration of contaminants from source zones. The full analytic solution is used to develop a criterion for determining the configuration and hydraulics of optimal wall designs. The solution is used to demonstrate the interaction between the properties of the wall, the Darcy flux, and the concentration of contaminants at the outside face of the well. For a particular wall design, the containment criterion can be used to estimate the long-term concentration that will develop at the outside face of the wall. Alternatively, for a given concentration on the outside face of the cutoff wall, the containment criterion can be used to estimate the Darcy flux required to balance the outward diffusion of contaminants. The results of numerical simulations are presented to evaluate the analytic approach. The numerical results confirm that for a wall with known transport properties, a specified Darcy flux is associated with a unique outside contaminant concentration.  相似文献   

Depth-related influences on biodegradation rates of phenanthrene in polluted marine sediments of Puget Sound, WA     

Tang YJ  Carpenter SD  Deming JW  Krieger-Brockett B 《Marine pollution bulletin》2006,52(11):1431-1440

A whole-core injection method was used to determine depth-related rates of microbial mineralization of (14)C-phenanthrene added to both contaminated and clean marine sediments of Puget Sound, WA. For 26-day incubations under micro-aerobic conditions, conversions of (14)C-phenanthrene to (14)CO(2) in heavily PAH-contaminated sediments from two sites in Eagle Harbor were much higher (up to 30%) than those in clean sediments from nearby Blakely Harbor (<3%). The averaged (14)C-phenanthrene degradation rates in the surface sediment horizons (0-3 cm) were more rapid (2-3 times) than in the deeper sediment horizons examined (>6 cm), especially in the most PAH polluted EH9 site. Differences in mineralization were associated with properties of the sediments as a function of sediment depth, including grain-size distribution, PAH concentration, total organic matter and total bacterial abundance. When strictly anaerobic incubations (in N(2)/H(2)/CO(2) atmosphere) were used, the phenanthrene biodegradation rates at all sediment depths were two times slower than under micro-aerobic conditions, with methanogenesis observed after 24 days. The main rate-limiting factor for phenanthrene degradation under anaerobic conditions appeared to be the availability of suitable electron acceptors. Addition of calcium sulfate enhanced the first order rate coefficient (k(1) increased from 0.003 to 0.006 day(-1)), whereas addition of soluble nitrate, even at very low concentration (<0.5 mM), inhibited mineralization. Long-term storage of heavily polluted Eagle Harbor sediment as intact cores under micro-aerobic conditions also appeared to enhance anaerobic biodegradation rates (k(1) up to 0.11 day(-1)).  相似文献   

Chemical characterization of fine particulate matter during peak PM10 episodes in Apulia (South Italy)     

Martino Amodio  Paolo Bruno  Maurizio Caselli  Gianluigi de Gennaro  Paolo Rosario Dambruoso  Barbara Elisabetta Daresta  Pieirna Ielpo  Francesco Gungolo  Claudia Marcella Placentino  Vincenzo Paolillo  Maria Tutino 《Atmospheric Research》2008,90(2-4):313-ICNAA07

Some peak PM10 episodes, occurred during PM monitoring campaigns performed on October 2005 and February and June 2006 in Bari town, have been characterized. Moreover back trajectories of air masses and Principal Component Analyses were applied. Three of the peak PM10 episodes investigated were related to local emissions of primary pollutants during poor atmospheric dispersion conditions. The other two peak PM10 episodes considered are related with long range transport air masses toward Apulia region: in one case the chemical characterization and the back trajectories analysis indicate that high PM10 value detected is due to the Saharan dust advection in the Apulia region; in the other case air masses with different origin give rise to high PM10 value.Moreover PM10 daily mean concentrations, presented in this paper collected from January 2005 to August 2007 and obtained by automatic device in six stations of air quality monitoring networks in Bari territory, do not show a seasonal trend for PM10 concentrations, contrary to the PM10 trend shown in the towns of North Italy. This can be explained mostly considering that our region presents generally meteo-climatic conditions that favour pollutants dispersion.  相似文献   

Towards molecular-level understanding of geochemical processes in mineral exploration     

Joël Brugger  Allan Pring  Frank Reith  Barbara Etschmann  Weihua Liu 《Journal of Geochemical Exploration》2009

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A synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopic study of copper solubility and speciation in supercritical water     

Weihua Liu  Joël Brugger  Barbara Etschmann  Denis Testemale  Jean-Louis Hazemann 《Journal of Geochemical Exploration》2009

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Warming the early earth—CO₂ reconsidered     

Philip von Paris  Heike Rauer  J. Lee Grenfell  Beate Patzer  Barbara Stracke  Franz Schreier 《Planetary and Space Science》2008,56(9):1244-1259

Despite a fainter Sun, the surface of the early Earth was mostly ice-free. Proposed solutions to this so-called “faint young Sun problem” have usually involved higher amounts of greenhouse gases than present in the modern-day atmosphere. However, geological evidence seemed to indicate that the atmospheric CO₂ concentrations during the Archaean and Proterozoic were far too low to keep the surface from freezing. With a radiative-convective model including new, updated thermal absorption coefficients, we found that the amount of CO₂ necessary to obtain 273 K at the surface is reduced up to an order of magnitude compared to previous studies. For the late Archaean and early Proterozoic period of the Earth, we calculate that CO₂ partial pressures of only about 2.9 mb are required to keep its surface from freezing which is compatible with the amount inferred from sediment studies. This conclusion was not significantly changed when we varied model parameters such as relative humidity or surface albedo, obtaining CO₂ partial pressures for the late Archaean between 1.5 and 5.5 mb. Thus, the contradiction between sediment data and model results disappears for the late Archaean and early proterozoic.  相似文献