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   

Numerical experiments on the onset of convective instability in the Earth's mantle     

Greg Houseman  Dan P. McKenzie 《Geophysical Journal International》1982,68(1):133-164

Summary. A simplified model of convection in the mantle is used to investigate the transient effect of cooling a fluid layer from above, The model, representing the mantle overlain by the lithosphere, consists of a two-dimensional fluid layer overlain by a solid conducting lid. The initial temperature of both layers is the same, with the top surface of the lid kept at 0°C throughout. We observe the onset of small-scale flow in the model. In the absence of internal heating the behaviour of the system is controlled by the Rayleigh number, R , and the ratio of the thicknesses of the two layers, a . The onset time of convection as defined by reference to conduction temperature profiles is related simply to a boundary layer critical Rayleigh number. The mean temperature profiles for the convection model are also compared with the observed depth—age relation for oceanic lithosphere and the results are used to estimate the viscosity of the mantle.  相似文献   

Delta-v requirements for earth co-orbital rendezvous missions   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

R. Greg Stacey  Martin Connors 《Planetary and Space Science》2009,57(7):822-483

Earth co-orbital asteroids present advantages as potential targets for future asteroid rendezvous missions. Their prolonged proximity to Earth facilitates communication, while their Earth-like orbits mean a steady flux of solar power and no significant periodic heating and cooling of the spacecraft throughout the course of the mission. Theoretical studies show that low-inclination co-orbital orbits are more stable than high-inclination orbits. As inclination is the most significant indicator of low delta-v rendezvous orbits, there is the potential for a large population of easily accessible asteroids, with favorable engineering requirements. This study first looks at phase-independent rendezvous orbits to a large number of objects, then looks in more detail at the phase-dependent orbits to the most favorable objects. While rendezvous orbits to co-orbital objects do not have a low delta-v necessarily, some objects present energy requirements significantly less than previous rendezvous missions. Currently we find no ideal co-orbital asteroids for rendezvous missions, although theoretical Earth Trojans present very low-energy requirements for rendezvous.  相似文献   

Long-term hydrology and aquatic biogeochemistry data from H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest,Cascade Mountains,Oregon     

Sherri L. Johnson  Don Henshaw  Greg Downing  Steve Wondzell  Mark Schulze  Adam Kennedy  Greg Cohn  Stephanie A. Schmidt  Julia A. Jones 《水文研究》2021,35(5):e14187

The H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA) encompasses the 6400 ha Lookout Creek watershed in western Oregon, USA. Hydrologic, chemistry and precipitation data have been collected, curated, and archived for up to 70 years. The HJA was established in 1948 to study the effects of harvest of old-growth conifer forest and logging-road construction on water quality, quantity and vegetation succession. Over time, research questions have expanded to include terrestrial and aquatic species, communities and ecosystem dynamics. There are nine small experimental watersheds and 10 gaging stations in the HJA, including both reference and experimentally treated watersheds. Gaged watershed areas range from 8.5 to 6242 ha. All gaging stations record stage height, water conductivity, water temperature and above-stream air temperature. At nine of the gage sites, flow-proportional water samples are collected and composited over 3-week intervals for chemical analysis. Analysis of stream and precipitation chemistry began in 1968. Analytes include dissolved and particulate species of nitrogen and phosphorus, dissolved organic carbon, pH, specific conductance, suspended sediment, alkalinity, and major cations and anions. Supporting climate measurements began in the 1950s in association with the first small watershed experiments. Over time, and following the initiation of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) grant in 1980, infrastructure expanded to include a set of benchmark and secondary meteorological stations located in clearings spanning the elevation range within the Lookout Creek watershed, as well as a large number of forest understory temperature stations. Extensive metadata on sensor configurations, changes in methods over time, sensor accuracy and precision, and data quality control flags are associated with the HJA data.  相似文献   

Whose carbon is burnable? Equity considerations in the allocation of a “right to extract”     

Sivan Kartha  Simon Caney  Navroz K. Dubash  Greg Muttitt 《Climatic change》2018,150(1-2):117-129

Carbon emissions—and hence fossil fuel combustion—must decline rapidly if warming is to be held below 1.5 or 2 °C. Yet fossil fuels are so deeply entrenched in the broader economy that a rapid transition poses the challenge of significant transitional disruption. Fossil fuels must be phased out even as access to energy services for basic needs and for economic development expands, particularly in developing countries. Nations, communities, and workers that are economically dependent on fossil fuel extraction will need to find a new foundation for livelihoods and revenue. These challenges are surmountable. In principle, societies could undertake a decarbonization transition in which they anticipate the transitional disruption, and cooperate and contribute fairly to minimize and alleviate it. Indeed, if societies do not work to avoid that disruption, a decarbonization transition may not be possible at all. Too many people may conclude they will suffer undue hardship, and thus undermine the political consensus required to undertake an ambitious transition. The principles and framework laid out here are offered as a contribution to understanding the nature of the potential impacts of a transition, principles for equitably sharing the costs of avoiding them, and guidance for prioritizing which fossil resources can still be extracted.  相似文献   

A successful transformation of conventional SBR to MBR at Indian casino and facility: a case study of Chumash Casino and Resort Water Reclamation Facility (WRF), water reuse perspectives     

Daeik Kim  Yoonho Cho  Kevin McKennon  Greg Lowe  Sungjin Jung  Jinho Kim 《Environmental Earth Sciences》2017,76(16):578

A conventional sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was successfully transformed to a membrane bioreactor (MBR) at an Indian casino resort and hotel, Santa Ynez, California. The technical difficulties from the existing process at the site including a 3-mm screening unit, SBR biological tanks, and sand filtration were relieved of by new biological membrane technology. As the hotel and its vicinity expanded, the existing SBR was not able to treat an increased flow, which was major driving force for such membrane-upgraded project. In addition, as the area was in a high drought zone, without meeting the purpose of water reuse, new hotel expansion was not permitted. New membrane process was designed and built with new 2-mm screening unit, pre-anoxic, oxic (or aerobic), post-anoxic, and MBR tanks along with UV disinfection. The retrofitting work was conducted, minimizing a major revision on the existing SBR structure and its civil work. Therefore, the new packaged system has brought a number of benefits to the customer, thereby utilizing reclaimed water highly meeting the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 22 requirements. The reclaimed water goes to toilet water, cooling tower, and irrigation. This study details how such process transformation was technically finished and would help other similar cases in terms of retrofitting exiting biological process to a membrane application without a major civil construction. The cost analysis including capital, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs was included so that it will be practical to ones who will conduct future similar projects.  相似文献   

Identifying the Leading Edge of Exceptionally Long Contaminant Plumes          下载免费PDF全文

Richard Jackson  Greg Cross 《Ground water》2016,54(6):754-755

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Natural Attenuation of Perchlorate in Denitrified Groundwater     

William D. Robertson  James W. Roy  Susan J. Brown  Dale R. Van Stempvoort  Greg Bickerton 《Ground water》2014,52(1):63-70

Monitoring of a well‐defined septic system groundwater plume and groundwater discharging to two urban streams located in southern Ontario, Canada, provided evidence of natural attenuation of background low level (ng/L) perchlorate (ClO₄^?) under denitrifying conditions in the field. The septic system site at Long Point contains ClO₄^? from a mix of waste water, atmospheric deposition, and periodic use of fireworks, while the nitrate plume indicates active denitrification. Plume nitrate (NO₃^?‐N) concentrations of up to 103 mg/L declined with depth and downgradient of the tile bed due to denitrification and anammox activity, and the plume was almost completely denitrified beyond 35 m from the tile bed. The ClO₄^? natural attenuation occurs at the site only when NO₃^?‐N concentrations are <0.3 mg/L, after which ClO₄^? concentrations decline abruptly from 187 ± 202 to 11 ± 15 ng/L. A similar pattern between NO₃^?‐N and ClO₄^? was found in groundwater discharging to the two urban streams. These findings suggest that natural attenuation (i.e., biodegradation) of ClO₄^? may be commonplace in denitrified aquifers with appropriate electron donors present, and thus, should be considered as a remediation option for ClO₄^? contaminated groundwater.  相似文献   

Numerical Modeling of Ice Fog in Interior Alaska Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model     

Chang Ki Kim  Martin Stuefer  Carl G. Schmitt  Andrew Heymsfield  Greg Thompson 《Pure and Applied Geophysics》2014,171(8):1963-1982

An ice microphysics parameterization scheme has been modified to better describe and understand ice fog formation. The modeling effort is based on observations in the Sub-Arctic Region of Interior Alaska, where ice fog occurs frequently during the cold season due to abundant water vapor sources and strong inversions existing near the surface at extremely low air temperatures. The microphysical characteristics of ice fog are different from those of other ice clouds, implying that the microphysical processes of ice should be changed in order to generate ice fog particles. Ice fog microphysical characteristics were derived with the NCAR Video Ice Particle Sampler during strong ice fog cases in the vicinity of Fairbanks, Alaska, in January and February 2012. To improve the prediction of ice fog in the Weather Research and Forecasting model, observational data were used to change particle size distribution properties and gravitational settling rates, as well as to implement a homogeneous freezing process. The newly implemented homogeneous freezing process compliments the existing heterogeneous freezing scheme and generates a higher number concentration of ice crystals than the original Thompson scheme. The size distribution of ice crystals is changed into a Gamma distribution with the shape factor of 2.0, using the observed size distribution. Furthermore, gravitational settling rates are reduced for the ice crystals since the crystals in ice fog do not precipitate in a similar manner when compared to the ice crystals of cirrus clouds. The slow terminal velocity plays a role in increasing the time scale for the ice crystals to settle to the surface. Sensitivity tests contribute to understanding the effects of water vapor emissions as an anthropogenic source on the formation of ice fog.  相似文献   

Progressive failure of sheeted rock slopes: the 2009–2010 Rhombus Wall rock falls in Yosemite Valley,California, USA     

Greg M. Stock  Stephen J. Martel  Brian D. Collins  Edwin L. Harp 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2012,37(5):546-561

Progressive rock‐fall failures in natural rock slopes are common in many environments, but often elude detailed quantitative documentation and analysis. Here we present high‐resolution photography, video, and laser scanning data that document spatial and temporal patterns of a 15‐month‐long sequence of at least 14 rock falls from the Rhombus Wall, a sheeted granitic cliff in Yosemite Valley, California. The rock‐fall sequence began on 26 August 2009 with a small failure at the tip of an overhanging rock slab. Several hours later, a series of five rock falls totaling 736 m³ progressed upward along a sheeting joint behind the overhanging slab. Over the next 3 weeks, audible cracking occurred on the Rhombus Wall, suggesting crack propagation, while visual monitoring revealed opening of a sheeting joint adjacent to the previous failure surface. On 14 September 2009 a 110 m³ slab detached along this sheeting joint. Additional rock falls between 30 August and 20 November 2010, totaling 187 m³, radiated outward from the initial failure area along cliff (sub)parallel sheeting joints. We suggest that these progressive failures might have been related to stress redistributions accompanying propagation of sheeting joints behind the cliff face. Mechanical analyses indicate that tensile stresses should occur perpendicular to the cliff face and open sheeting joints, and that sheeting joints should propagate parallel to a cliff face from areas of stress concentrations. The analyses also account for how sheeting joints can propagate to lengths many times greater than their depths behind cliff faces. We posit that as a region of failure spreads across a cliff face, stress concentrations along its margin will spread with it, promoting further crack propagation and rock falls. Published in 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.  相似文献