Groundwater Storage Changes: Present Status from GRACE Observations     

Jianli Chen  James S. Famigliett  Bridget R. Scanlon  Matthew Rodell 《Surveys in Geophysics》2016,37(2):397-417

Satellite gravity measurements from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) provide quantitative measurement of terrestrial water storage (TWS) changes with unprecedented accuracy. Combining GRACE-observed TWS changes and independent estimates of water change in soil and snow and surface reservoirs offers a means for estimating groundwater storage change. Since its launch in March 2002, GRACE time-variable gravity data have been successfully used to quantify long-term groundwater storage changes in different regions over the world, including northwest India, the High Plains Aquifer and the Central Valley in the USA, the North China Plain, Middle East, and southern Murray–Darling Basin in Australia, where groundwater storage has been significantly depleted in recent years (or decades). It is difficult to rely on in situ groundwater measurements for accurate quantification of large, regional-scale groundwater storage changes, especially at long timescales due to inadequate spatial and temporal coverage of in situ data and uncertainties in storage coefficients. The now nearly 13 years of GRACE gravity data provide a successful and unique complementary tool for monitoring and measuring groundwater changes on a global and regional basis. Despite the successful applications of GRACE in studying global groundwater storage change, there are still some major challenges limiting the application and interpretation of GRACE data. In this paper, we present an overview of GRACE applications in groundwater studies and discuss if and how the main challenges to using GRACE data can be addressed.  相似文献   

Analyses on granular mass movement mechanics and deformation with distinct element numerical modeling: implications for large-scale rock and debris avalanches     

Nick Thompson  Matthew R. Bennett  Nick Petford 《Acta Geotechnica》2009,4(4):233-247

A large-scale avalanche of Earth material is modeled here as a granular flow using a distinct element numerical model PFC ^2D. Such failures occur in a variety of geological settings and are known to occur frequently over geologic time-scales transporting significant volumes of material basinward. Despite this, they remain poorly understood. The model used here begins with a listric failure, typical of the flank collapse of a volcanic cone, and describes the movement of an assembly of several thousand particles from failure to deposition. Within the model, each particle possesses its own material properties and interacts with its immediate neighbors and/or the basal boundary during emplacement. The general mechanics of the particle assembly are observed by monitoring the stresses, displacements, and velocities of distinct sections of the avalanche body. We monitor the avalanches’ energy regime (e.g., gravitational influence, energy dissipation by friction, kinetic energy evolution, and avalanche body strain). The addition of colored markers of varying geometry to the pre-failure avalanche was also used to make qualitative observations on the internal deformation that occurs during avalanche emplacement. A general stretching and thinning of the avalanche is observed. Monitoring of vertical and horizontal variations in stress, strain, porosity, and relative particle stability indicate that the lower more proximal sections of the avalanche are subject to higher stresses. These stresses are observed to be most significant during the initial phases of failure but decline thereafter; a situation likely to be conducive to block fragmentation and in developing a basal shear layer in real-world events. The model also shows how an avalanche which is initially influenced purely by gravity (potential energy) develops into a fully flowing assemblage as downslope momentum is gained and kinetic energy increases. The horizontal transition where the failure meets the run-out surface is recognized as a key area in emplacement evolution. The model has particular relevance to volcanic flank collapses and consequently the implications of the model to these types of failure and the geological products that result are considered in detail although the model is relevant to any form of large-scale rock or debris avalanche.  相似文献   

Whither the Jobs: Identifying Concentrations of Employment in Metropolitan Areas     

Todd K. Gardner  Matthew Marlay 《Urban geography》2013,34(6):795-814

Large concentrations of employment have developed outside traditional central business districts. Our research focuses on analyzing the changing distribution of employment in metropolitan areas by using tract-to-tract commuting data from Census 2000 to identify high-employment nodes within large metropolitan areas. We propose a new way to delineate clusters of contiguous high-employment tracts based on the job density in these areas. We then compare outlying employment clusters with traditional central business districts and contrast employment clusters of varying job densities. Our method has several advantages over existing methods of identifying employment clusters: it is conceptually simple, can use publicly available data, relies on a standardized geographic unit applicable across the entire United States, and offers the ability to examine data from multiple census years.  相似文献   

Mobile evaporite controls on the structural style and evolution of rift basins: Danish Central Graben,North Sea     

Oliver B. Duffy  Rob L. Gawthorpe  Matthew Docherty  Simon H. Brocklehurst 《Basin Research》2013,25(3):310-330

The Southern Tail‐End Graben, Danish Central Graben, is characterized by a lateral variation in the thickness and mobility of pre‐rift Zechstein Supergroup evaporites, allowing investigation of how supra‐basement evaporite variability influences rift structural style and tectono‐stratigraphy. The study area is divided into two structural domains based on interpretations of the depositional thickness and mobility of the Zechstein Supergroup. Within each domain, we examine the overall basin morphology and the structural styles in the pre‐Zechstein and supra‐Zechstein (cover) units. Furthermore, integration of two‐way travel‐time (TWT)‐structure and ‐thickness maps allows fault activity and evaporite migration maps to be generated for pre‐ and syn‐rift stratal units within the two domains, permitting constraints to be placed on: (i) the timing of activity on pre‐Zechstein and cover faults and (ii) the onset, duration and migration direction of mobile evaporites. The northern domain is interpreted to be free from evaporite‐influence, and has developed in a manner typical of brittle‐only, basement‐involved rifts. Syn‐rift basins display classical half‐graben geometries bounded by thick‐skinned faults. In contrast, the southern domain is interpreted to be evaporite‐influenced, and cover structure reflects a southward increase in the thickness and mobility of the Zechstein Supergroup evaporites. Fault‐related and evaporite‐related folding is prominent in the southern domain, together with variable degrees of decoupling of sub‐Zechstein and cover fault and fold systems. The addition of mobile evaporites to the rift results in: (i) complex and spatially variable modes of tectono‐stratigraphic evolution; (ii) syn‐rift stratal geometries which are condensed above evaporite swells and over‐thickened in areas of withdrawal; (iii) compartmentalized syn‐rift depocentres; and (iv) masking of rift‐related megasequence boundaries. Through demonstrating these deviations from the characteristics of rifts free from evaporite influence, we highlight the first order control evaporites may exert upon rift structural style and the distribution and thicknesses of syn‐rift units.  相似文献   

Procedures for woody vegetation surveys in the Kazgail rural council area,Kordofan, Sudan     

Allan Falconer  Matthew D. Cross  Donald G. Orr 《国际地球制图》2013,28(3):49-58

Efforts to reforest parts of the Kordofan Province of Sudan are receiving support from international development agencies. These efforts include planning and implementing reforestation activities that require the collection of natural resources and socioeconomic data, and the preparation of base maps. A combination of remote sensing, geographic information system and global positioning systems procedures are used in this study to meet these requirements.

Remote sensing techniques were used to provide base maps and to guide the compilation of vegetation resources maps. These techniques provided a rapid and efficient method for documenting available resources. Pocket‐sized global positioning system units were used to establish the location of field data collected for mapping and resource analysis. A microcomputer data management system tabulated and displayed the field data. The resulting system for data analysis, management, and planning has been adopted for the mapping and inventory of the Gum Belt of Sudan.  相似文献   

Exploring links between juvenile offenders and social disorganization at a large map scale: a Bayesian spatial modeling approach     

Jane Law  Matthew Quick 《Journal of Geographical Systems》2013,15(1):89-113

This paper adopts a Bayesian spatial modeling approach to investigate the distribution of young offender residences in York Region, Southern Ontario, Canada, at the census dissemination area level. Few geographic researches have analyzed offender (as opposed to offense) data at a large map scale (i.e., using a relatively small areal unit of analysis) to minimize aggregation effects. Providing context is the social disorganization theory, which hypothesizes that areas with economic deprivation, high population turnover, and high ethnic heterogeneity exhibit social disorganization and are expected to facilitate higher instances of young offenders. Non-spatial and spatial Poisson models indicate that spatial methods are superior to non-spatial models with respect to model fit and that index of ethnic heterogeneity, residential mobility (1 year moving rate), and percentage of residents receiving government transfer payments are, respectively, the most significant explanatory variables related to young offender location. These findings provide overwhelming support for social disorganization theory as it applies to offender location in York Region, Ontario. Targeting areas where prevalence of young offenders could or could not be explained by social disorganization through decomposing the estimated risk map are helpful for dealing with juvenile offenders in the region. Results prompt discussion into geographically targeted police services and young offender placement pertaining to risk of recidivism. We discuss possible reasons for differences and similarities between the previous findings (that analyzed offense data and/or were conducted at a smaller map scale) and our findings, limitations of our study, and practical outcomes of this research from a law enforcement perspective.  相似文献   

Revised 14C dating of ice wedge growth in interior Alaska (USA) to MIS 2 reveals cold paleoclimate and carbon recycling in ancient permafrost terrain     

Matthew S. Lachniet  Daniel E. Lawson  Alison R. Sloat 《Quaternary Research》2012,78(2):217-225

Establishing firm radiocarbon chronologies for Quaternary permafrost sequences remains a challenge because of the persistence of old carbon in younger deposits. To investigate carbon dynamics and establish ice wedge formation ages in Interior Alaska, we dated a late Pleistocene ice wedge, formerly assigned to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, and host sediments near Fairbanks, Alaska, with 24 radiocarbon analyses on wood, particulate organic carbon (POC), air-bubble CO₂, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Our new CO₂ and DOC ages are up to 11,170 yr younger than ice wedge POC ages, indicating that POC is detrital in origin. We conclude an ice wedge formation age between 28 and 22 cal ka BP during cold stadial conditions of MIS 2 and solar insolation minimum, possibly associated with Heinrich event 2 or the last glacial maximum. A DOC age for an ice lens in a thaw unconformity above the ice wedge returned a maximum age of 21,470 ± 200 cal yr BP. Our variable ¹⁴C data indicate recycling of older carbon in ancient permafrost terrain, resulting in radiocarbon ages significantly older than the period of ice-wedge activity. Release of ancient carbon with climatic warming will therefore affect the global ¹⁴C budget.  相似文献   

Development of unusual rock weathering features in the Cordillera Blanca,Peru     

Donald T. Rodbell  Holli M. Frey  Matthew R.F. Manon  Jacqueline A. Smith  Nicholas A. McTurk 《Quaternary Research》2012,77(1):149-158

Mylonite textures in granodiorite boulders are responsible for higher rates of surface denudation of host rocks and the progressive development of unusual rock weathering features, termed weathering posts. These textures are characterized by smaller grain sizes, higher biotite content, and a higher biotite axial ratio in host rocks relative to weathering posts. Elemental concentrations do not show a significant difference between weathering posts and the host rocks in which they are found, and this reflects the absence of a weathering residue on the rock surfaces. Chemical weathering loosens the bonds between mineral grains through the expansion of biotite, and the loosened grains fall off or are blown off the boulder surface and continue their chemical alteration in the surrounding soil. The height of weathering posts on late Quaternary moraines increases at a linear rate of ~ 1.45 ± 0.45 cm (1000 yr)^? 1 until post heights reach the diameter of host rocks. Such a rate of boulder denudation, if unrecognized, would generate significant errors (> 20%) in cosmogenic exposure ages for Pleistocene moraines. Given the paucity of boulders with diameters that significantly exceed 1.5 m, the maximum age of utility of weathering posts as a numeric age indicator is ~ 100 ka.  相似文献   

An introspective glance into damage assessment: challenges and lessons learned from the Paso Robles (San Simeon) earthquake     

David McEntire  Jill Souza  Matthew Lloyd Collins  Ekong J. Peters  Abdul-Akeem Sadiq 《Natural Hazards》2012,61(3):1389-1409

This paper underscores the importance of damage assessment and recognizes the direct effect it has on post-disaster response and recovery operations. The paper first explores the literature on this subject, including the history, types, methods, and problems relating to damage assessment. After discussing the employed research methodology, the paper uses the Paso Robles (San Simeon, California) earthquake as a case study to illustrate the challenges and successes with regard to damage assessment. Logistics, politics, information management, coordination, preparedness, and other topics are discussed in this section. The paper concludes with lessons and opportunities for research and its application.  相似文献   

Arsenic attenuation in tailings at a former Cu–W–As mine,SW Finland     

Annika Parviainen  Matthew B.J. Lindsay  Rafael Pérez-López  Blair D. Gibson  Carol J. Ptacek  David W. Blowes  Kirsti Loukola-Ruskeeniemi 《Applied Geochemistry》2012

Nearly half a century after mine closure, release of As from the Ylöjärvi Cu–W–As mine tailings in groundwater and surface water run-off was observed. Investigations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), synchrotron-based micro-X-ray diffraction (μ-XRD), micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure (μ-XANES) and micro-extended X-ray absorption fine structure (μ-EXAFS) spectroscopy, and a sequential extraction procedure were performed to assess As attenuation mechanisms in the vadose zone of this tailings deposit. Results of SEM, EMPA, and sequential extractions indicated that the precipitation of As bearing Fe(III) (oxy)hydroxides (up to 18.4 wt.% As₂O₅) and Fe(III) arsenates were important secondary controls on As mobility. The μ-XRD, μ-XANES and μ-EXAFS analyses suggested that these phases correspond to poorly crystalline and disordered As-bearing precipitates, including arsenical ferrihydrite, scorodite, kaňkite, and hydrous ferric arsenate (HFA). The pH within 200 cm of the tailings surface averaged 5.7, conditions which favor the precipitation of ferrihydrite. Poorly crystalline Fe(III) arsenates are potentially unstable over time, and their transformation to ferrihydrite, which contributes to As uptake, has potential to increase the As adsorption capacity of the tailings. Arsenic mobility in tailings pore water at the Ylöjärvi mine will depend on continued arsenopyrite oxidation, dissolution or transformation of secondary Fe(III) arsenates, and the As adsorption capacity of Fe(III) (oxy)hydroxides within this tailings deposit.  相似文献