The influence of floodplain geohydrology on the distribution of Sarcocornia pillansii in the Olifants Estuary on the West Coast, South Africa     

Thomas G. Bornman  Janine B. Adams  Guy C. Bate 《Journal of Arid Environments》2004,56(4):603

The distribution of Sarcocornia pillansii (Moss) A.J. Scott was determined by water-table depth and electrical conductivity (EC) of the groundwater. Where the groundwater was accessible (<1.5 m) and had a low EC (<80 mS cm⁻¹), S. pillansii extended its roots down to the water-table where a suitable water potential gradient was shown to exist between the soil and roots. In areas where the groundwater was too deep and/or hypersaline, the plants grew on hummocks. The unconfined aquifer below the floodplain is linked to the estuary and although diurnal tidal waves were dampened, water-table level fluctuations were recorded between tidal events. The complex geomorphology of the floodplain influences groundwater flow, in turn affecting the distribution of the salt marsh vegetation.  相似文献   

Book Review     

Matthew Bate 《地球物理与天体物理流体动力学》2013,107(4):435-436

  相似文献   

Evidence for Enhanced Mineral Dissolution in Organic Acid-Rich Shallow Ground Water   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Peter B. McMahon  Don A. Vroblesky  Paul M. Bradley  Francis H. Chapelle  Cheryl D. Gullett 《Ground water》1995,33(2):207-216

Total concentrations of formate, acetate, and isobutyrate varied from less than 5 to greater than 9,000 μmol/l over distances of < 3 m in ground water from a shallow hydrocarbon contaminated aquifer. Laboratory incubations of aquifer material indicate that organic acid concentrations were dependent on the amount of hydrocarbon loading in the sediment and the relative rates of microbial organic acid production and consumption. In heavily contaminated sediments, production greatly exceeded consumption and organic acid concentrations increased. In lightly contaminated sediments rates were essentially equal and organic acid concentrations remained low. Concentrations of dissolved calcium, magnesium, and iron generally were one to two orders of magnitude higher in organic acid-rich ground water than in ground water having low organic acid concentrations. Carbonate and Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide minerals were the likely sources of these elements. Similarly, concentrations of dissolved silica, derived from quartz and k-feldspar, were higher in organic acid-rich ground water than in other waters. The positive relation (r = 0.60, p < .05, n = 16) between concentrations of silica and organic acids suggests that the microbially mediated buildup of organic acids in ground water enhanced quartz/k-feldspar dissolution in the aquifer, although it was not the only factor influencing their dissolution. A model that included organic acid microequivalents normalized by cation microequivalents significantly strengthened the correlation (r = 0.79, p < .001, n = 16) between dissolved silica and organic acid concentrations, indicating that competition between silica and cations for complexation sites on organic acids also influenced quartz/k-feldspar dissolution. Physical evidence for enhanced mineral dissolution in organic acid-rich waters included scanning electron microscopy images of highly corroded quartz and k-feldspar grains from portions of the aquifer containing organic acid-rich ground water. Microporosity generated in hydrocarbon contaminated sediments may adversely affect remediation efforts that depend on the efficient injection of electron acceptors into an aquifer or on the recovery of solutes from an aquifer.  相似文献   

A comparison of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) mRNA inducibility in four species of Atlantic coast anadromous fishes     

Isaac Wirgin  Blake Konkle  Mark Pedersen  Cheryl Grunwald  Jim Williams  Simon C. Courtenay 《Estuaries and Coasts》1996,19(4):913-922

Quantification of levels of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) gene expression in sentinel species of fishes has been proposed as a management tool to evaluate contamination of aquatic systems. Based on preliminary studies, we hypothesized that differences in CYP1A mRNA inducibility among individuals, populations, or species might lead to spurious conclusions when using this approach in environmental monitoring programs. To address this possibility, we quantitated and compared CYP1A mRNA induction levels in four species of common Atlantic Coast estuarine fish: smooth flounder, hogchoker, striped bass, and Atlantic tomcod, which were treated with model chemicals (beta naphthoflavone (β-NF), or benzo[a]pyrene at 10 ppm) known to induce CYP1A mRNA, or were exposed to contaminated environments. Species-specific CYP1A DNA probes were generated from PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification of genomic DNA using conserved oligonucleotide primers, and, along with cloned rainbow trout and Atlantic tomcod CYP1A cDNA probes were used to quantify CYP1A mRNA levels in northern blot analyses. Successful PCR amplification of CYP1A hybridizable DNA fragments was observed for all four species. Results from northern blot analyses showed large differences in CYP1A mRNA induction among species; only Atlantic tomcod exhibited significant induction of CYP1A mRNA for both chemically treated (97-fold) and environmentally exposed fish (34-fold). Significant, although lower, levels of induction were observed in β-NF treated (14-fold) smooth flounder, but not in environmentally exposed smooth flounder. Only low levels (not significant) of CYP1A gene induction were detected in hogchokers and striped bass. We conclude that CYP1A mRNA inducibility differed significantly among fish taxa perhaps due to differences in regulation of gene expression, suggesting that careful selection of sentinel species should be exercised prior to the use of CYP1A mRNA induction in environmental monitoring programs. However, the significance of differences in CYP1A mRNA inducibility in relation to higher level biological endpoints has yet to be determined.  相似文献   

Effects of Temperature and Humidity upon the Entrainment of Sedimentary Particles by Wind   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Cheryl Mckenna Neuman 《Boundary-Layer Meteorology》2003,108(1):61-89

Aeolian transport of sedimentary particles is a well-recognized phenomenon in cold regions, but the effect of low temperature (T) and specific humidity (q) upon particle entrainment has not previously been investigated. This study reports on wind-tunnel experiments (-12 °C T 32 °C, and 1 g kg^-1 q 10 g kg^-1) that suggest the aerodynamic drag required to entrain sand sized particles can be 30% lower in cold or high latitude settings, as compared to hot deserts. For any given regional wind velocity, this effect will increase the wind strength index and thereby the proportion of time a surface is active at low temperature.The influence of air temperature and humidity upon the threshold for particle motion is determined by three physical processes: (1) The effect of air viscosity and density on the fluid drag force acting to dislodge sedimentary particles; (2) the effect of viscosity on the turbulent wake shed from these particles, and the frequency and magnitude of burst-sweep events; and (3) the development of inter-particle cohesion via adsorbed water. This study considers the relative importance of each of these processes. The threshold friction velocity model of Shao and Lu is revised to incorporate the inter-particle force associated with hygroscopic water. It is found to perform well when tested against the experimental data obtained for this study.  相似文献   

Meso-scale testing and development of test procedures to maintain mass balance     

Bonner J  Page C  Fuller C 《Marine pollution bulletin》2003,47(9-12):406-414

The Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science (Texas A&M University––Corpus Christi) has conducted numerous petroleum experiments at the Shoreline Environmental Research Facility (Corpus Christi, Texas, USA). The meso-scale facility has multiple wave tanks, permitting some control in experimental design of the investigations, but allowing for real-world conditions. This paper outlines the evolution of a materials balance approach in conducting petroleum experiments at the facility. The first attempt at a materials balance was during a 1998 study on the fate/effects of dispersant use on crude oil. Both water column and beach sediment samples were collected. For the materials balance, the defined environmental compartments for oil accumulation were sediments, water column, and the water surface, while the discharge from the tanks was presumed to be the primary sink. The “lessons learned” included a need to quantify oil adhesion to the tank surfaces. This was resolved by adhering strips of the polymer tank lining to the tank sides that could be later removed and extracted for oil. Also, a protocol was needed to quantify any floating oil on the water surface. A water surface (oil slick) quantification protocol was developed, involving the use of solid-phase extraction disks. This protocol was first tested during a shoreline cleaner experiment, and later refined in subsequent dispersant effectiveness studies. The effectiveness tests were designed to simulate shallow embayments which created the need for additional adjustments in the tanks. Since dispersant efficacy is largely affected by hydrodynamics, it was necessary to scale the hydrodynamic conditions of the tanks to those expected in our prototype system (Corpus Christi Bay, Texas). The use of a scaled model permits the experiment to be reproduced and/or evaluated under different conditions. To minimize wave reflection in the tank, a parabolic wave dissipater was built. In terms of materials balance, this design reduced available surface area as a sink for oil adsorption.  相似文献   

Cenozoic latitudinal shift of the Hawaiian hotspot and its implications for true polar wander     

Richard G. Gordon  Cheryl D. Cape 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1981,55(1):37-47

Pacific plate equatorial sediment facies provide estimates of the northward motion of the Pacific plate that are independent of paleomagnetic data and hotspot tracks. Analyses of equatorial sediment facies consistently indicate less northward motion than analyses of the dated volcanic edifices of the Hawaiian-Emperor chain. The discrepancy is largest 60–70 Ma B.P.; the 60- to 70-Ma equatorial sediment facies data agree with recent paleomagnetic results from deep-sea drilling on Suiko seamount [1] and from a northern Pacific piston core [2]. Equatorial sediment facies data and paleomagnetic data, combined with K-Ar age dates along the Emperor chain [3], indicate a position of the spin axis at 65 Ma B.P. of 82°N, 205°E in the reference frame in which the Pacific Ocean hotspots are fixed. This pole agrees well with the position of the spin axis in the reference frame in which the Atlantic Ocean hotspots and the Indian Ocean hotspots are fixed [4,5], supporting the joint hypotheses that (1) the Pacific Ocean hotspots are fixed with respect to the hotspots in other oceans, (2) the hotspots have shifted coherently with respect to the spin axis, and (3) the time average of the earth's magnetic field 65 Ma B.P. was an axial geocentric dipole. Global Neogene paleomagnetic data suggest that a shift of the mantle relative to the spin axis has been occurring during the Neogene in the same direction as the shift between 65 Ma B.P. and the present. All data are consistent with a model in which the hotspots (and by inference the mantle) have shifted with respect to the spin axis about a fixed Euler pole at a constant rate of rotation for the last 65 Ma.  相似文献   

Currents and sediment transport in the Mississippi Canyon and effects of Hurricane Georges     

Cheryl Burden Ross  Wilford D. Gardner  Mary Jo Richardson  Vernon L. Asper 《Continental Shelf Research》2009,29(11-12):1384-1396

The temporal variability in currents, temperature, and particulate matter concentration were measured in the Mississippi Canyon axis where the thalweg was 300 m deep from May–July and August–November 1998 using current meters, thermographs, a light-scattering sensor, and sediment traps. Canyon sediments were sampled by coring and observed using an ROV video camera. Currents in the upper Mississippi Canyon generally oscillated up/down canyon with diurnal periodicity and were bottom-intensified. Mean current speed at 3.5 mab was approximately 8 cm s^?1 during both deployments, reaching maximum speeds of over 50 cm s^?1 under normal conditions. Based on current velocities, critical bed shear stress for resuspension of canyon-floor sediments was exceeded about 30% of the time during both deployments. In late September, Hurricane Georges passed 150 km NE of the study site, significantly intensifying current velocities, bed shear stress, resuspension, trap fluxes and temperature fluctuations. As the hurricane passed, maximum current speed reached 68 cm^?s and temperature decreased ～7 °C in less than two hours. Critical bed shear stress for sediment resuspension was exceeded approximately 50% of the time during the five days of hurricane influence. Further evidence for sediment resuspension was the five-fold (and perhaps 70–130 fold) increase in trap fluxes and compositional similarities between canyon surface sediment and material collected by traps.  相似文献   

Turbulence Anisotropy in the Near-Surface Atmosphere and the Evaluation of Multiple Outer Length Scales     

Cheryl Klipp 《Boundary-Layer Meteorology》2014,151(1):57-77

Length scales determined by maximum turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), the integral scale, and two length scales based on Reynolds stress-tensor anisotropy are compared to the often stated outer length scales of boundary-layer depth and distance from the earth’s surface, $z$ . The scales are calculated using sonic anemometer data from two elevations, 5 and 50 m above the ground at the main tower site of the CASES-99 field campaign. In general, none of these scales agrees with the other, although the scale of maximum TKE is often similar to the boundary-layer depth during daytime hours, and the length scales derived from anisotropy characteristics are sometimes similar to $\kappa \!z, z$ , and $2z$ depending on scale definition and thermal stability. Except for the scale with the strictest isotropy threshold, the turbulence is anisotropic for each of the various candidates for the outer scale. Length scales for maximum buoyancy flux and temperature variance are evaluated and the turbulence characteristics at these scales are almost always found to be anisotropic.  相似文献   

The origin of the initial mass function and its dependence on the mean Jeans mass in molecular clouds     

Matthew R. Bate  Ian A. Bonnell 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2005,356(4):1201-1221

We investigate the dependence of stellar properties on the mean thermal Jeans mass in molecular clouds. We compare the results from the two largest hydrodynamical simulations of star formation to resolve the fragmentation process down to the opacity limit, the first of which was reported by Bate, Bonnell & Bromm. The initial conditions of the two calculations are identical except for the radii of the clouds, which are chosen so that the mean densities and mean thermal Jeans masses of the clouds differ by factors of 9 and 3, respectively.
We find that the denser cloud, with the lower mean thermal Jeans mass, produces a higher proportion of brown dwarfs and has a lower characteristic (median) mass of the stars and brown dwarfs. This dependence of the initial mass function (IMF) on the density of the cloud may explain the observation that the Taurus star-forming region appears to be deficient in brown dwarfs when compared with the Orion Trapezium cluster. The new calculation also produces wide binaries (separations >20 au), one of which is a wide binary brown dwarf system.
Based on the hydrodynamical calculations, we develop a simple accretion/ejection model for the origin of the IMF. In the model, all stars and brown dwarfs begin with the same mass (set by the opacity limit for fragmentation) and grow in mass until their accretion is terminated stochastically by their ejection from the cloud through dynamically interactions. The model predicts that the main variation of the IMF in different star-forming environments should be in the location of the peak (due to variations in the mean thermal Jeans mass of the cloud) and in the substellar regime. However, the slope of the IMF at high masses may depend on the dispersion in the accretion rates of protostars.  相似文献