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Soil erodibility (the K factor in the Universal Soil Loss Equation, USLE) is an important index to measure soil susceptibility to water erosion, and an essential parameter needed for soil erosion prediction. To evaluate the appropriateness of the nomograph and other methods for estimating the K factor for the USLE and to develop a relationship for soil erodibility estimation for Chinese soils, a set of soil erodibility values was calculated using soil loss data from natural runoff plots at 13 sites in eastern China. The definition of soil erodibility in relation to the USLE was strictly followed. Comparing these measured values to those estimated using the nomograph method, the method adopted for the EPIC model and the formula of Shirazi and Boersma, we found that all these estimated soil ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

To evaluate soil erodibility under different land uses and to study the applicability of nomograph for estimation of soil erodibility a field experiment was conducted under both natural and simulated rainfall conditions under four land uses viz. barren, cultivated, grassland, and forest in the sub-mountainous tract of Punjab (India). Measured soil erodibility (K) values varied from 033 to 067 under natural rainfall conditions and from 023 to 040 under simulated rainfall conditions. Among different land uses, measured K was in the order of barren > cultivated > grassland > forest soils. The values of the K estimated by nomograph were very low as compared to the observed values. The trends were also in contrast to these observed values of K under simulated and natural rainfall conditions. To...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Soil acidification via acid precipitation is recognized to have detrimental impacts on forest ecosystems, which is in part associated with the function of ethylene released from the soil. However, the impacts of acidification on the cycling of ethylene in forest soils have not been fully taken into consideration in global change studies. Forest topsoils (0?5 cm) under four temperate forest stands were sampled to study the effects of a pH change on the emissions of ethylene and carbon dioxide from the soils and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released into the soils. Increasing acidification or alkalinization of forest soils could increase concentrations of DOC released into the soils under anoxic and oxic conditions. The ethylene emission from these forest topsoils could s...

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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenland is the world's largest island, with an area of 2.2 million square kilometres, 80 % of which is covered by the ice sheet. The climate is Arctic, but as Greenland stretches 2600 km from north to south, there is a huge variability in climate, with temperature decreasing from south to north. Due to the influence of oceanic currents, the west coast is slightly warmer than the east coast. Precipitation also decreases strongly from the south to the north, and also with distance from the coast. Kangerlussuaq is located in the dry, continental area of central west Greenland. The bedrock of Greenland is dominated by Precambrian gneisses, with sedimentary rocks occurring in some areas of East and North Greenland, and smaller areas of basalts. All of Greenland has been glaciated several times and has thus been eroded and shaped by the ice, as it still is at the ice margin. Soils are generally thin, and especially in the gneiss regions rather poor ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The metabolism of organic matter in the coastal regions of the ocean may significantly affect the oceanic carbon budget. This paper describes the high percentage (30%) of oceanic oxidation that occurs in coastal areas and the impact of this metabolism on the carbon cycle and climate of earth. Organic metabolism in the ocean appears to be a source of carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere. Oxidation in the coastal zone is of special interest, as it is likely influenced by anthropogenic activity. Recommendations for future research on this topic are proposed. 129 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

SummaryTwo Caucasian males (57 and 70 years old) were referred to our attention with parasinus mucoceles, maxillary and frontal mucocele, respectively, that had eroded the orbital rim...Full Text Available

Environmental Research Database

ObjectivesObjectives Not AvailableDescriptionA collaborative study of the anaerobic treatment of wastes containing recalcitrant and inhibitory compounds using the SERC Anaerobic facility, in particular biomass structure, monitoring and control, catabolism and toxicity, pre-acidification and microbial growth and mesophilic and thermophilic lignocellulose degradation.~%~

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Cells of oat coleoptiles (Avena sativa L. cv. “Garry”) have been osmotically shocked in order to observe the effect of alterations of the plasma membrane on some auxin...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A novel therapeutic compound was found to induce bladder tumors in male rats. Given the location of the tumors and the increased amounts of calcium- and magnesium-containing solids found in the urine...Full Text Available

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... Examples are when carbon dioxide and volcanic ash emitted into the atmosphere by volcanic eruptions ...

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... is Jin Ho Ocean Enterprise Co., Ltd., a Taiwanese business incorporated in 1985. Under the U.S. Oil ... ...

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

During the weekend of September 2--3, 1984, a part of the wooden spillway for Steed Pond gave way and the pond slowly drained. Consideration is being given to leaving Steed Pond dry. Steed Pond has accumulated some of the uranium discharged from 300 Area operations and past surveys have shown that the uranium concentration in the sediments ranges between 20 and 531 pCi/gm. The recently completed aerial survey of the exposed area of Steed Pond showed that the uranium was widely spread in the sediments of Steed Pond. Until ground cover is established over the exposed pond sediments, they will be subject to erosion. As much as 90 tons of sediment could be eroded from the exposed sediments in Steed Pond the first year, but the erosion could be reduced to 5--15 tons by establishing a ground cover such as rye grass. Only about 40% of the eroded sediment would be delivered to Upper Three Runs Creek, because most of the eroded ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Riparian zones of streams in northwestern Mississippi have been impacted by agriculture, channelization, channel incision, and gully erosion. Riparian gully formation has resulted in the fragmentation of remnant riparian zones within agricultural watersheds. One widely used conservation practice for controlling gully erosion is the installation of drop pipes. This practice involves placing earthen dams across eroding gullies and embedding a metal standpipe within the dam to convey water from the field to stream level. Installation of this structure halts gully erosion and incidentally replaces eroding gullies with riparian habitats. Previous research evaluating gully erosion control structures have not considered the ecological impacts of these conservation practices on amphibian and repti...

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The Model of Acidification of Groundwaters in Catchments (MAGIC) was used to simulate the impact of acidifying deposition and future recovery at the Gaardsjoen Covered Catchment Experiment, at a number of hypothetical stations defined by statistical variation of the Gaardsjoen data and at 20 forest monitoring sites in Southern Sweden. For the future predictions a decrease of sulphur deposition of more than 70% was assumed. This assumption is based on a full implementation of the agreements made under the second sulphur protocol from 1994. The modelled impact of reduced deposition on the soils and on the runoff waters was discussed. To complement the discussion on long-term trends in future run-off chemistry, data from Gaardsjoen has been used to asses the risk for short-term acid runoff episodes 26 refs, 23 figs, 7 tabs

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The world's oceans contain a complex mixture of micro-organisms that are for the most part, uncharacterized both genetically and biochemically. We report here a metagenomic study of the marine planktonic...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Subseabed Disposal Program has recently completed a 30-day, 0.286-scale laboratory simulation of an In Situ Heat Transfer Experiment (ISHTE), scheduled for eventual deployment in the deep ocean 600 nautical miles north of Hawaii. 10 figures.

Science.gov (United States)

The report gives an initial assessment of the feasibility of disposing of flue gas desulfurization wastes in mines and in the ocean. The purpose of the assessment was to evaluate environmental, technical, regulatory, and economic aspects of the use of such disposal sites. Availab...

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... 2004, Underwater Gliders for Ocean Research. Journal of the Marine Technology Society. Fiorelli, E., NE Leonard, P. Bhatta ...

Wastenet

... Studies People Projects Opportunities Framework Critical Sectors Development Goals Geographic Region Geographic Scale Research Themes Printer-Friendly Center for Ocean Solutions Early Career Fellowship Program Location: Stanford, California Source: The Center for Ocean Solutions (“Ocean Solutions”) seeks one or more recent graduates who have received a JD, MBA or PhD in the natural, physical or social sciences in the last five years, and who ...

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Erosion is the main contributing factor to the decrease in lifetime of gun barrels. The precision, muzzle velocity and fire range deteriorate when the surface inside the gun tube is eroded. This study deals with gun barrel material, what happens in the ba...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A complete analysis is performed to simulate biomass production incorporated into a realistic whole farm situation, including or replacing a typical crop mix. Representative farms are constructed to accommodate such simulation. Four management systems are simulated for each firm, with each simulation depicting a different crop mix and/or use of different farming technologies and production methods. The first simulation was a base farm plan in which the operator would maintain the historical crop mix for the area, participate in all price support programs, and not participate in either a conservative reserve or a biomass production program. In the second simulation, the operator would again maintain the historical crop mix, would not participate in a conservation reserve or biomass production program, and would be ineligible to participate in any price support system. The third simulation introduced the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and included participation in all price support ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In PWR's steam generators, ''denting'' resulted from corrosion of support plate material, carbon steel is an important problem. The role of chlorides in corrosion acceleration of mild steel was studied. Corrosion tests were conducted at temperature from 100"0C to 280"0C in deaerated solutions of NaCl and MgCl_2 which are main content of sea water. 1) Solution of MgCl_2 was more corrosive than that of NaCl. The more increased in concentration of each chloride solution, the more corrosive in MgCl_2 soln. but the less corrosive in NaCl soln. 2) The rate of corrosion in the mixed solution of NaCl and MgCl_2 was governed by the concentration of MgCl_2 soln. The corrosion behaviour in sea water was suggested to be not controlled by NaCl but by MgCl_2. 3) Acidification of MgCl_2 soln. could be evaluated by experiment at 100"0C, the degree of acidification increased with increasing the concentration. However, the value of pH during corrosion was kept ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The CYP1A (EROD)-inducing potencies of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 3,3minutes or feet,4,4minutes or feet,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) and benzo(k)fluoranthene (B(k)F) were studied in avian embryo livers. TCDD and PCB126 proved to be much more potent as inducers in the chicken than in the other species examined. This finding is consistent with a considerably higher sensitivity of the chicken compared with a number of other avian species to the embryotoxic effects of these compounds. Furthermore, the relative potencies of the tested Ah receptor agonists as CYP1A inducers differed substantially between species. B(k)F and PCB126 showed similar induction potencies in domestic duck embryos, whereas PCB126 is much more potent than B(k)F in the chicken. Also, the potency of PCB126,relative to that of TCDD, was much lower in quail embryo liver in vitro than in chicken embryo liver. Thus, there are large interspecific differences in birds in the sensitivity ...

Science.gov (United States)

Federal regulators were set to vote on a plan to protect deep water corals and other sensitive fish habitats that will likely include a permanent ban on ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The classification of petrels (Pterodroma spp.) from Round Island, near Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, has confounded researchers since their...Full Text Available

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Deforestation farther inland causes delayed reactions. When roots no longer hold soil in place, it ends up muddying streams, rivers, and coastal waters. ...

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The company reports that with the help of outside companies, they completed all major fixes including high-voltage transmission lines to neighborhood ...

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... DV Holliday BAE SYSTEMS Applied Technologies, IES/ITS Analysis and Applied Research 4545A Viewridge Avenue San Diego, CA 92123 phone ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Present and potential future changes to the global environment have important implications for marine pollution and for the air-sea exchange of both anthropogenic and natural substances. This report addresses three issues related to the potential impact of global change on the air-sea exchange of chemicals: Global change and the air-sea transfer of the nutrients nitrogen and iron. Global change and the air-sea exchange of gases. Oceanic responses to radiative and oxidative changes in the atmosphere. The deposition of atmospheric anthropogenic nitrogen has probably increased biological productivity in coastal regions along many continental margins. Atmospheric deposition of new nitrogen may also have increased productivity somewhat in mid-ocean regions. The projected future increases of nitrogen oxide emissions from Asia, Africa and South America will provide significant increases in the rate of deposition of oxidized nitrogen to the central ...

Science.gov (United States)

... Distribution Unlimited: Approved for "i3a. ... 'he tide changes were obtained using the standard NOAA National Ocean Survey tide tables. ...

Science.gov (United States)

... Characterizing the Relative Contributions of Large Vessels to Total Ocean Noise Fields: A Case Study Using the Gerry E. ... ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheap air conditioning from oceanic temperature differences is a possible new competitor for coal in coastal regions. Coal suppliers planning expansion in growing economies need to be aware of the possibilities and limitations of this new competitor. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) used to be uneconomic but the National Energy Laboratory of Hawaii (NELH) has developed a very economic method of utilising the temperature difference between warm ocean surface and cold deep ocean to generate energy for air conditioning. The article outlines the process and mentions demonstrations of OTEC technology to produce electricity and air conditioning at a site in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Indonesia and India have viable sites for OTEC installations, and NELH is working with Madras State on a project to construct a commercial OTEC plant in India. 2 photos.

Science.gov (United States)

The rate of hepatic cytochrome P450 Cypla1 and Cyp1a2 induction was investigated in C57BL male mice during induction with o-aminoazotoluene (OAT), benzo[a]pyrene (BP) and 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone (AQ). The Cypla1 mPNA level determined by quantitative RT-competitive PCR increased more than three orders of magnitude during induction with OAT and BP compared with untreated animals and remained unchanged during induction with AQ. The Cypla2 mRNA level was only 8.5, 18.7 and 1.9 times higher during induction with OAT, BP and AQ respectively than in untreated mice. At the same time 7-Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and 7-Methoxyresorufin-O-demethylase (MROD) activities of Cypla were also investigated in liver. The increase of Cypla1 mRNA level correlated with the increase of EROD activity. This suggests involvement of the transcriptional mechanism of the inducibility of this enzyme. In the case of Cypla2 there was insignificant increase of its ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buried soils occur on kettle floors of four Pinedale moraine catenas of the western Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. Radiocarbon ages from bulk samples of Ab horizons indicate the soils were buried during the mid-Holocene. Soils on kettle floors have silty A and Bw horizons that overlie buried A and B horizons that also formed in silt-rich sediments. Crests and backslope soils also have A and Bw horizons of sandy loam formed over 2BCb and 2Cb horizons of stony coarse loamy sand. Recent data show the silty textures of the A and B horizons are due to eolian silt and clay from the Green River Basin just west of the mountains. The buried soils appear to represent alternate periods of erosion and deposition on the moraines during the Holocene. The original soils developed on higher slopes of the moraines were eroded during the mid-Holocene and the 2BC and 2C horizons exposed at the surface. Eroded soil sediments were transported downslope onto the ...

CERN Document Server

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of short gravity waves is examined in order to explain the recent findings of the decrease in momentum transfer from hurricane winds to sea waves. A three-fluid configuration of a foam layer between the atmosphere and the ocean is suggested to provide signifficant stabilization of the system and shifting the marginal critical wavelength to the shortwave part of the spectrum. It is conjectured that such stabilization leads to the observed drag reduction. The high contrasts in three fluid densities provide a universal mechanism for stabilizing surface perturbations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Separate abstracts were prepared for 20 papers in this conference report and includes all papers in the ''engineering'' section (program E). Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), moorings, cables, corrosion protection, corrosion testing, coatings, offshore platforms, pipelines, OTEC models and pilot plants, and energy transfer are topics discussed.

Wastenet

...ENSO Applications Center (PEAC) Institutional Affiliation: PEAC's core members are The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Office of Global Programs (NOAA/OGP) The NOAA National Weather Service - Pacific Region (NWS-PR), The University of Hawaii - School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology UH/SOEST, The University of Guam - Water and Energy Research Institute (UOG/WERI), and a regional association of the USAPI Governments, the Pacific Basin ...

Science.gov (United States)

The summertime tropical cyclogenesis rate per unit area in the eastern Pacific ocean is arguably higher than in any other location in the world. Many if not most of these cyclones form from African easterly waves which cross Central America into the Pacific. Of order 25% of these waves intensify into cyclones. A significant fraction of east Pacific tropical cyclones undergoes landfall on the Mexican coast. Those which do not, generally dissipate over cold ocean waters north of the east Pacific intertropical convergence zone, often not far from land. The layer of warm ocean water which supports the development of east Pacific cyclones is unusually shallow and is structured by anticyclonic vortices which form by various processes and propagate slowly to the west. These vortices locally deepen the oceanic mixed layer and support stronger convection than their surroundings, possibly promoting ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) of the Department of Energy is designed to identify and evaluate the radiological conditions at sites formerly used by the Corps of Engineers Manhattan Engineer District and the US Atomic Energy Commission. Where required, remedial action will be instituted to remove potential restrictions on the use of the sites due to residual low-level radioactive contamination. A total of 31 sites that may require remedial action has been identified. The purpose of the Ocean FUSRAP Program, which began in March 1981, is to assess the technical, environmental, and institutional feasibility of disposing, in the ocean and on the ocean floor, of FUSRAP soil and rubble which contains traces of natural radioactive materials. The initial focus has been on the Middlesex, New Jersey, Sampling Plant site and surrounding properties, which contain on the order of 100,000 metric tons of ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Political leaders in numerous nations argue for an upper limit of the global average surface temperature of 2 K above the pre-industrial level, in order to attempt to avoid the most serious impacts of climate change. This paper analyzes what this limit implies in terms of radiative forcing, emissions pathways and abatement costs, for a range of assumptions on rate of ocean heat uptake and climate sensitivity. The primary aim is to analyze the importance of ocean heat uptake for radiative forcing pathways that temporarily overshoot the long-run stabilization forcing, yet keep the temperature increase at or below the 2 K limit. In order to generate such pathways, an integrated climate-economy model, MiMiC, is used, in which the emissions pathways generated represent the least-cost solution o...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Spratly Islands, located in the southern part of the South China Sea (SCS), consist of more than 100 small islands, coral reefs and banks. Remote sensing is the only way to obtain a synoptic view of all of the islands in such a large area. It has been demonstrated that satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery is a very powerful tool for monitoring meso-scale and small-scale ocean processes in a large area. In this study, satellite SAR images were used to study the ocean environment in the area of Spratly Islands. The aim was to understand the capability of satellite remote sensing to monitor ocean processes and provide information for future field studies. Two sets of high-resolution European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS)-2 SAR images over the entire Spratly Islands area were coll...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Man's wastes are polluting the oceans from various sources and delivered by various routes. The result has been the loss of habitat and the irreversible altering of marine ecosystems. Development in the coastal zones and offshore activities that disrupt biologically sensitive areas have led to international negotiations to regulate these impacts and develop a law of the sea. Basic to international cooperation, however, is the need to develop answers to questions about the ecological consequences of development programs and the carrying capacity of the oceans. Current information does not demonstrate long-term global impacts, making it difficult to detect and predict incremental changes and causal relationships. Society needs to determine how much environmental damage it will accept and then to develop appropriate technology, such as biomonitoring. Society also needs to reexamine its positions on technology-based regulatory controls to ...

Science.gov (United States)

The total amount of uranium dissolved in seawater at a uniform concentration of 3 mg U/m{sup 3} in the world's oceans is 4.5 billion tons. An adsorption method using polymeric adsorbents capable of specifically recovering uranium from seawater is reported to be economically feasible. A uranium-specific nonwoven fabric was used as the adsorbent packed in an adsorption cage 16 m{sup 2} in cross-sectional area and 16 cm in height. We submerged three adsorption cages in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 20 m at 7 km offshore of Japan. The three adsorption cages consisted of stacks of 52 000 sheets of the uranium-specific non-woven fabric with a total mass of 350 kg. The total amount of uranium recovered by the nonwoven fabric was >1 kg in terms of yellow cake during a total submersion time of 240 days in the ocean.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Bank sediments along a 40km reach of the South River, downstream of Waynesboro, VA, store mercury from historical contamination as a result of textile manufacturing. Knowledge of the rate at which contaminated sediment is released to the stream channel through bank erosion is required to implement restoration programs designed, for example, to minimize its ecological impact and to reduce risk to human health. Digitized stream channel boundaries based on visual interpretations of georeferenced aerial imagery from 1937 and 2005 were compared to calculate a minimum estimate of the total area of bank sediment eroded between Waynesboro and Port Republic, Virginia. Estimates of riverbank height were extracted from aerial LIDAR data, allowing areal estimates of bank retreat to be converted to vol...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract We use Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics to simulate the formation of a massive (106-M-) stellar cluster system formed from the gravitational collapse of a turbulent molecular cloud. We investigate the hierarchical clustering properties of our model system and we study the influence of the photoionizing radiation produced by the system's multiple O-type stars on the evolution of the protocluster. We find that dense gas near the ionizing sources prevents the radiation from eroding the filaments in which most of the star formation occurs and that instead, ionized gas fills pre-existing voids and bubbles originally created by the turbulent velocity field.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The application of multi-objective genetic algorithms for green building design in two phases were presented in order to better help designers in the decision-making process. The purpose is to minimize two conflicting criteria: the life-cycle cost and the life-cycle environmental impact. Environmental impact criteria examined include energy and non-energy natural resources, global warming, and acidification. Variables focus on building envelope-related parameters. The application of multi-objective genetic algorithms is divided into two phases. The first phase intends to help designers in understanding the trade-off relationship between the two conflicting criteria. The second phase intends to refine the performance region that is of the designer's interest. The results after the two-phase application of the multi objective genetic algorithm were then presented. 13 refs., 4 tabs., 3 figs.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundDinoflagellates are unicellular, often photosynthetic protists that play a major role in the dynamics of the Earth's oceans and climate. Sequencing of dinoflagellate nuclear...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

The ratio of particle velocity to translation speed exceeds 1 for 98% of .... The westward movement of the meandering jet and eddy system transports nutrient- rich ...... J. Hydrometeor., 4, 1044-1066. Gedney, N., P. M. Cox, H. Douville, ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundFood supply from the ocean is constrained by the shortage of domesticated and selected fish. Development of genomic models of economically important fishes should assist...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Separate abstracts were prepared for 60 papers in this volume of conference proceedings. None other papers in the proceedings were previously abstracted for EDB. Also included in the proceedings but not indexed separately are six workshop summaries and a session introduction. (LEW)

Science.gov (United States)

In the IEEE Marine Technology Society OCEANS 2009 Conference, Biloxi. October 26-29, 2009. Biloxi, MS. Al-Hamdan, M.; Estes, M.; Quattrochi, D.; Thom, R.; ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Records of past climates contained in ice cores, ocean sediments, and other archives show that large, abrupt, widespread climate changes have occurred repeatedly in the past. These changes were especially...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

It is now widely accepted that novel infectious disease can be a leading cause of serious population decline and even outright extinction in some invertebrate and vertebrate groups (e.g., amphibians)....Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plants discharge large volumes of cold water into the upper ocean. A three-dimensional, limited-area model was developed to investigate the regional influence of the far-field effluent plume created by the negatively buoyant discharge. The model was applied to discharges from a 40-MW/sub e/ OTEC plant into coastal waters characterized by various ambient ocean conditions. A typical ambient temperature structure and nutrient distribution, as well as the behavior of the effluent plume itself, were strongly modified by the discharge-induced circulation. Although temperature perturbations in the plume were small, upward entrainment of nutrients from below the thermocline was significant. The regional influence of discharges from an 80-MW/sub e/ OTEC plant, the interactions between the discharges from two adjacent 40-MW/sub e/ OTEC plants, and the effects of coastal boundary and bottom ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an indicator of living biomass in marine particulates. This report details the method used by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory to analyze particulate ATP in samples taken from oligotrophic, tropical ocean waters. It represents a synthesis of previously published methods.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Picocyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus are important contributors to marine primary production and are ubiquitous in the world's oceans. This genus is genetically diverse, and...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

It is often advantageous to generate power with combinations of wind and ocean waves. In fact ocean waves, their generation, propagation, dissipation are directly related to wind velocity and its duration oven the sea. In this paper an attempt has been made to demonstrate statistically to present some advantages with combined wind and ocean wave power generation. Even though many conceptual techniques and methods are possible to harness combined power generation, it is important to test feasibility of combined output as well as individual outputs mathematically. One of the major advantages of combined wind and wave power generation is to improve probability of continuous power supply (it minimises the interruptions and compensates power fluctuations with one another). Some of the major wave characteristics like wave Height (H), Time period (T), Wave length (L) significantly influence wave power generation. Interestingly, ...

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Urinary acidification, bone metabolism and urinary excretion of calcium and citrate were evaluated in 10 recurrent stone formers with incomplete renal tubular acidosis (iRTA), 10 recurrent stone formers with normal urinary acidification (NUA) and 10 normal controls (NC). Patients with iRTA had lower plasma standard bicarbonate after fasting (P <0.01) and lower urinary excretion of titratable acid (P <0.05) and citrate (P <0.01) compared with NUA patients and NC, and higher urinary excretion of ammonia (P <0.05) compared with NC (P <0.05). Hypercalciuria was found in 6 of 10 patients with iRTA compared with 3 of 10 with NUA, and 0 of 10 NC. The citrate/calcium ratio in urine was significantly reduced in iRTA compared with the value in NUA (P <0.01), and in NUA compared with NC (P <0.05). Biochemical markers of bone formation (serum osteocalcin) and bone resorption (urinary hydroxyproline) were significantly increased in iRTA ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The improvement in the functions of the viscous flow calculation method VEGA-SHIP around a ship and the expansion of application range were described as the numerical flow simulation in ship and ocean engineering and at the same time application examples to the ocean engineering by the general-purpose flow simulation code FLOW-3D handling the non-steady flow with a free surface were introduced as the numerical simulation regarding such products as a water gate and a dam. In the VEGA-SHIP, water surface was handled as a fixed wall so that wave could not be calculated. Therefore, an algorithm for calculating wave on the water surface was added to the VEGA-SHIP and a calculation method simultaneously considering the creation of wave around the ship and viscosity was developed. The FLOW-3D was used to calculate the phenomenon where inside liquid moved greatly due to the oscillation of a tank and hit against and damaged the tank ceiling in the tank, ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A parameterized surface wave-induced vertical mixing (B"v) is incorporated into the Modular Ocean Model version 4 (MOM4). A comparison of the two numerical experiments with and without B"v shows that B"v can significantly improve the upper-ocean (20-100m) simulation in summer. The simulated upper-ocean temperature errors are reduced in summer due to the surface wave-induced vertical diffusive heat flux. The non-breaking-wave-induced vertical mixing can increase the probability of the simulated SST biases between -1^oC and 1^oC from 64% to 76% in the Southern Hemisphere (60^oS-10^oS) in January, and from 66% to 75% in the Northern Hemisphere (10^oN-60^oN) in July. The averaged mixed layer depth (MLD) simulated by the MOM4 without B"v is 14.4m shallower than the observations in 10^oS-60^oS i...

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The tidal motion of the ocean water through the ambient magnetic field, generates secondary electric field. This motionally induced electric field can be detected in the sea or inland and has a potential for electrical soundings of the Earth. A first goal of the paper is to gain an understanding of the global distribution of the electric signal due to tidal ocean flow. We simulate the electric signals for two tidal constituents - lunar semidiurnal (M2) and diurnal (O1) tides. We assume a realistic Earth's conductivity model with a surface thin shell and 1-D mantle underneath. Simulations demonstrate that in some coastal regions the amplitudes of the electric field can reach 100 mV/km and 10 mV/km for M2 and O1 tides respectively. The changes of lithosphere resistance produce detectable changes in the tidal electric signals. We show that our predictions are in a good agreement with observations.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The possibility of smoothening aspherical X-ray mirrors by irradiation of the surface with a low-energy ion beam is investigated. Nanofocusing being the primary application of these mirrors the ion beam conditions must be optimized to achieve a surface roughness of the order of 0.1-0.2 nm. To address this issue a first study was performed on silicon flat substrates etched using ion energies ranging from 400 to 1200 eV. A second study consisted of eroding the silicon surface while varying the ion grazing incidence angle between 10 deg. and 90 deg. for a fixed value of the ion energy. The surface topography of the samples was characterized at various scales using atomic force microscopy (probed area: 1-10 ?m2), interferential optical microscopy (probed area: 1 mm2) and X-ray scattering (probed area: 100 mm2). Finally, a study by AFM of the evolution of the surface finish level of a silicon mirror after ion erosion at various depth values up to 10 ?m allowed a trade ...

Science.gov (United States)

Gallstone is a common disease with a 10% prevalence in the United States and Western Europe. However, it is only symptomatic in 20-30% of patients, with biliary pain "colic" being the most common symptom. Complications of asymptomatic gallstone disease are generally rare, with an incidence of <1 %/yr. The most common complications of gallstone disease are acute cholecystitis, acute pancreatitis, ascending cholangitis, and gangrenous gallbladder. Less frequent complications include Mirizzi syndrome, cholecystocholedochal fistula, and gallstone ileus. Mirizzi syndrome and cholecystocholedochal fistula are two manifestations of the same process that starts with impaction of a gallstone in the gallbladder neck that results in obstruction of the bile duct, causing jaundice. The gallstone may erode into the bile duct, causing cholecystocholedochal fistula. Gallstone ileus refers to small bowel obstruction resulting from the impaction of one or more gallstones after ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This study investigates the turnover of polysaccharides by heterotrophic bacterioplankton in the northern Bay of Biscay, a productive marine system on the continental margin of the temperate Atlantic Ocean. Bacterial biomass production (BBP) near the surface ranged from 0.5 to 25.7 nmol C L?1 h?1 during small phytoplankton blooms in May and June that occurred after the main spring bloom. A direct relationship between BBP and total polysaccharides strongly suggests the dependence of bacterial growth on the availability of semi-labile organic matter. Concentrations of combined glucose as well as rate constants of extracellular glucosidase activity and glucose uptake were determined to estimate the actual carbon fluxes from bacterial polysaccharide turnover. Results reveal that ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SZI global distribution due to biogeochemical cycle in environment reservoirs has been studied. It is shown that during the operation of nuclear fuel cycle facilities and at a modern level of the decontamination factor the SZI concentration in some natural media (soil, the Earth biosphere, ocean mixing layer) will increase by 4-5 orders. Recommended gradual increase of the decontamnation factor in time for conserving the SZI concentration level not exceeding one order in comparison with modern one is given. At that to the end of the century the decontamination factor must be of an order of 1 x 10U in the case of SZI intake to the ocean mixing layer and of 1 x 10V in the case of its intake to the atmosphere.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Remotely sensed ocean color data and numerical modeling have been used to study the phenology of both spring and fall phytoplankton blooms (FPBs) in the Nova Scotian Shelf (NSS)-Gulf of Maine (GoM) region. The ocean color data reveal a general pattern of westward progression of the spring phytoplankton bloom (SPB), and an eastward progression of the FPB in the NSS-GoM region. The spatial pattern of mean chlorophyll concentration in spring is similar to that in fall, with a lower concentration in the NSS and higher in the GoM. Interannually, there is a weak but significant tendency for years with earlier (delayed) SPBs to be followed by delayed (earlier) FPBs, but the mean chlorophyll concentrations during SPBs are not correlated with those during FPBs. The interannual variability of SPB ti...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In 1946, the Philippines raised claims in the South China Sea over an area already known as Spratly Islands. This claim advanced through peculiar stages, starting when Thomas Cloma allegedly discovered islands in 1946, later named as Freedomland, and maturing to some extent in 1978 by the governments claim over the so-called Kalayaan Island Group. Considered as an oceanic expansion of its frontiers, this paper reviews the basis of the claim, first over the nature of Clomas activities, and secondly over the measures the Philippine government took as a reaction of Clomas claim of discovery of an area already known in western cartography as the Spratlys. Eventually, what is the nature of the link between the 1978 Kalayaan Islands Groups official claim and 1956 Clomas private one?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this paper is to check up a GPS (global positioning system) impact on scientific research activities of the Geodetic Society of Japan. First, it is mentioned that the conventional geoid-based concept of 'gravity anomaly' should be changed to a new definition, according to the GPS-determined ellipsoidal height system. Secondly, the results of many experiments, which have been made to monitor ocean-plate motions relative to the Japanese island-arcs, demonstrate that GPS is a powerful tool for obtaining temporal changes in horizontal displacement induced by the plate motion. Therefore, it is suggested that terrestrial measurements, such as triangulation and long-range leveling, would be replaced by GPS measurements in near future. Moreover, it is pointed out that GPS geodesy should play an important role in monitoring secular sea level trend due to global warming of the atmosphere and ocean. 19 refs., 4 figs.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

World demand for rare-earth elements and the metal yttrium?which are crucial for novel electronic equipment and green-energy technologies?is increasing rapidly. Several types of seafloor sediment harbour high concentrations of these elements. However, seafloor sediments have not been regarded as a rare-earth element and yttrium resource, because data on the spatial distribution of these deposits are insufficient. Here, we report measurements of the elemental composition of over 2,000 seafloor sediments, sampled at depth intervals of around one metre, at 78 sites that cover a large part of the Pacific Ocean. We show that deep-sea mud contains high concentrations of rare-earth elements and yttrium at numerous sites throughout the eastern South and central North Pacific. We estimate that an a...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In recent years, the influences of acid rain such as the acidification of lake water, on bio-system by the heavy metals from effluent of soils with acid rain and also on the structural materials of buildings are seriously discussed. Sulfur and nitrogen that are contained in fossil fuels are released into the atmosphere by the fuel combustion as their oxides dissolve in rain drops as sulfite and nitrous ions, where they are further oxidized into sulfate and nitrate ions These ions lower the pH of rain water resulting so-called acid rain. Therefore, it is important to accurately determine these ions in rain water for the investigation of reality of acid rain. However, it is not easy to accurately determine these ions, especially for sulfite ions in rain water, since they are quickly oxidized by the catalytic action of metallic ions such as ferric and manganous ions. And light, temperature, pH of solution and also species and concentrations of dissolved metallic ions ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mechanisms that govern transport, accumulation and toxicity of persistent pollutants at interfaces in aquatic ecosystems were the foci of this thesis. Specific attention was paid to humic substances, their occurrence, composition, and role in exchange processes across interfaces. It was concluded that: The composition of humic substances in aquatic surface microlayers is different from that of the subsurface water and terrestrial humic matter. Levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the aquatic surface microlayer reflect the DOC levels in the subsurface water. While the levels and enrichment of DOC in the microlayer generally show small variations, the levels and enrichment of particulate organic carbon (POC) vary to a great extent. Similarities exist between aquatic surface films, artificial semi-permeable and biological membranes regarding their structure and functioning. Acidification and liming of freshwater ecosystems affect DOC:POC ratio and humic ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report is an appraisal of the state of the European Union`s environment. It was requested by the European Commission as part of the review process of the Fifth Environmental Action Programme `Toward sustainability`. Main sections of the report are headed: societal developments and driving forces; environmental themes and topics; integration economy and environment. Themes covered are: climate change, ozone depletion, acidification, air pollution and quality, waste management, urban-issues, inland water resources, coastal zones and marine waters, risk management, soil quality, and nature and diversity. The main conclusions of this report are that the European Union is making progress towards reducing certain pressures on the environment, though this is not enough to improve the general quality of the environment and represents even less progress towards sustainability. Without accelerated policies, pressures on the environment will remain exceeding human health ...

Science.gov (United States)

The dealumination of mordenite by acidification (HCl, HNO/sub 3/) and by SiCl/sub 4/ and steaming treatments is followed by high-resolution magic-angle-spinning solid-state /sup 29/Si and /sup 27/Al NMR spectroscopy. The combined use of these techniques leads to the determination of the silicon-aluminum ordering. It is demonstrated that aluminum atoms preferentially occupy tetrahedral positions in the four-membered rings of the mordenite structure. In addition, a mechanism of dealumination can be inferred, consisting in removing the aluminum atoms two by two from the four-membered rings. It is also possible to compute the number of SiOH groups left in the unit cell after the progressive removal of aluminum atoms: four groups per extracted Al atom are generated in the beginning of dealumination and this number gradually decreases to two, suggesting that a structural reorganization must necessarily occur for substantial dealumination. These silanol groups are also ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Part I of this thesis is on long-term iceberg collision-risk assessment methods for fixed offshore structures. Estimates for the long-term probability that an iceberg will hit a fixed offshore structure are based on estimates of the total volume of produced iceberg, a model for the size distribution of icebergs and a description of how iceberg trajectories ``fill`` the plane (the ocean`s surface). Part II of the thesis discusses methods for analysis of low resolution data in the sense that the size of the area covered by each pixel is not small compared to the dominating floes. Still, this type of data can provide estimates of the ice extent (and hence the ice edge) and ice concentration. The estimates of the ice edge (at least) seem to be physically significant in the sense that ``in some way`` they can reflect ice drift in an image time sequence. A priori this is far from obvious. A central idea is that the ``ice edge`` is close to a transition zone between two ...

Wastenet

... The National Oceanography Centre, Southampton is one of the world's leading research centres for the study of ocean and earth sciences. Southampton General Hospital One of the country's leading teaching hospitals and the base for the University's School of Medicine. Winchester School of Art Founded in 1863, Winchester School of Art is based 12 miles (20 kilometres) north of Southampton in the historic city of Winchester,...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report highlights the significance of the geological sciences to the nation and to society. Discussions include understanding plate tectonics and surface processes, exploring the continental crust, ocean basins and the deep earth, applications of geology to social problems such as mineral resources, waste disposal, siting of critical facilities, geological hazards, water resources management, and coastal zones. The state of health of geological research is also discussed. (ACR)

Wastenet

... 01, 2009 | Rate It Marine Technology Society https://www.mtsociety.org/home.aspx emphasizes the importance of marine technology as it applies to global issues, encourages marine technology education and facilitates the use of marine technology in managing marine resources Added: Mar. 11, 2010 |...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The oceanic bathypelagic realm (1000–4000 m) is a nutrient-poor habitat. Most fishes living there have pelagic larvae using the rich waters of the upper 200 m. Morphological...Full Text Available

Environmental Research Database

DescriptionRemote sensing of the sea surface from satellites in near-polar orbits has contributed greatly to our understanding of the links between physical and biological processes in marine systems. However most of this progress has been made in open oceanic waters or major upwelling areas, and many unresolved problems are encountered in coastal regions and shelf seas. In these optically complex waters, quantitative remote sensing requires a more sophisticated interpretation strategy than that implemente [continued...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ammonia is a common and highly toxic pollutant which, in sufficient quantities, will adversely affect aquatic organisms. This ammonia criteria document for salt water will allow establishment of regulatory standards for ammonia discharge into estuaries, near coastal zones and oceans. Possible adverse impacts in highly sensitive and abundant ecosystems such as estuaries make regulation particularly important.

Environmental Research Database

ObjectivesThe overall aim of the proposed research is explicit in the project title, i.e. the creation of a map of current vertical land movements in the UK based on an optimal combination of absolute gravity (AG) and continuous GPS (CGPS). This is consistent with specific objective (ii) of WP1.9 of the Oceans 2025 programme and is related to priority topic area 4 (application of satellite geodesy to sea level science) of the NERC Strategic Ocean Funding Initiative (SOFI). From long term geological an [continued...]DescriptionThe proposed research aims to create a map of current vertical land movements in the UK based on an optimal combination of estimates from two geodetic surveying and monitoring techniques; the measurement of absolute gravity (AG) and the use of high precision, continuous GPS (CGPS) observations. From long term geological and geophysical studies, vertical land movements in the UK are thought to be of the order of 1 to 2 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The adsorption capacity of radionuclides onto suspended sediment was experimented on each of the coastal seawater sampled around the Kori and the Wolsung nuclear power plant. During the experiment the quantity and size fraction of suspended sediment were adjusted and the seawater and sediment chemistry is approximated to the expected field condition. Because the sorption capacity depends on the specific minerals, ocean chemistry and radionuclide involved, it is necessary to analyze sediment mineralogy. Clay mineral is dominant in seabed mineral and suspended sediment as the result of x-ray diffraction. Radionuclide sorbed to silty-clay mineral can be rather transported to ocean than scavenged to seabed because of low quantity and fine grained suspended sediment in the coast around the Kori and the Wolsung. The result of adsorption examinations shows that {sup 139}Ce and {sup 51}Cr and {sup 110m}Ag are strongly sorbed to suspended particle, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The authors have discovered chert xenoliths from green rocks in the Pippu area, central Hokkaido, Japan. Reports were given on the discovery with regard to the state of its production, chemical composition of the green rocks, and radiolarian fossils produced from the chert and their age. Considerations were given on the geological significance thereof. On 23 green rocks and five cherts out of the collected samples, rock slices were prepared, and petrographic statement was made by using a polarizing microscope. In addition, the whole petro-chemical composition analysis was performed on green rocks to discuss the radiolarian fossils and geological ages. The following conclusions were obtained as a result: green rocks may be identified as a product of igneous activities in a large plate in a certain period from the latter Callovian period of the middle age of the Jurassic period to the Barremian period of the Paleozoic era in the Cretaceous period; and their formation field should have ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Platinum Group Element (PGE) concentrations in garnet pyroxenite xenoliths from Oahu, Hawaii, are significantly lower than those in mantle peridotites and show fractionated patterns (e.g. PdN/OsN=2-10, PdN/IrN=4-24; N=chondrite normalized) and very high ReN/OsN ratios (9-248). Mass balance calculations show that the bulk rock pyroxenite PGE inventory is controlled by the presence of sulfide phases. The 187Os/188Os ratios of these pyroxenites vary from subchondritic to suprachondritic (0.123-0.164); and the 187Os/188Os ratios show good correlations with bulk rock and clinopyroxene major and trace element compositions, and bulk rock PGE and sulfur abundances. These observations suggest that the Os isotope compositions in these pyroxenites largely reflect primary processes in the oceanic mant...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gas hydrates have impacted the oil and gas industry since 1934, when they were first found to plug pipelines. Today we know that in deep oceans and in permafrost, very substantial gas reserves are present in hydrated form. Concerns are being raised about in situ dissociation for both energy and greenhouse implications upon methane release. In Japan work is underway to consider the storage of carbon dioxide, concentrated in clathrates. This talk will deal with some basic questions. Why should we be interested in gas hydrates? What are gas hydrates? How do gas hydrates form? How might hydrates impact on the energy/environmental picture?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A shock absorber mechanism and method for use on the leg structure of a jack-up offshore drilling rig is described. It is mounted on the bottom of each existing leg of a drilling rig and comprises a pointed piston member which is positioned on the bottom of the leg structure and projects downwards through the can/footing of the rig leg. The piston member is held in place by a resilient tension member which is designed to absorb shock forces during vertical/axial impact of the leg structure when contact is made with the ocean floor. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the United States, economic growth increasingly requires that greater volumes of freshwater be made available for new users, yet supplies of freshwater are already allocated to existing users. Currently, water for new users is made available through re-allocation of xisting water supplies-for example, by cities purchasing agricultural water rights. Water may also be made available through conservation efforts and, in some locales, through the development of ''new'' water from non-traditional sources such as the oceans, deep aquifer rackish groundwater, and water reuse.

Wastenet

... (restricted)] 319-341 The value of container terminal investment to ocean carrier strategy by Thomas Pawlik & Lars Stemmler & Alfred J Baird ... (restricted)] 142-173 Prediction of arrival times and human resources allocation for container terminal by Gianfranco Fancello & Claudia Pani & Marco Pisano ... (restricted)] 347-369 Analysis of berth allocation and inspection operations in a container terminal by Yongpei Guan & Kang-hung Yang [Downloadable! (... (restricted)] 237-262 Container terminal concessions: A game theory application to the case of the ports of Pakistan by Naima Saeed & Odd ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A study for Cs-137 radionuclide dispersion in the marine environment through of compartmental model (Box Model) is presented. The model simulates the surface water contamination caused by direct atmospheric deposition, surface wash off, desorption from sediments and transfer with the ground water of accidentally released radionuclides. For this study the model was applied to the North Sea, near to Sellafield, based on the transfer coefficients obtain at the literature. The results obtained are in good agreement with the literature, being that the model developed can be applied in to the brazilian coastal regions. (author). 7 refs, 7 figs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this project we determined primary production and optical variability in the shelf and slope waters off of Cape Hatteras, N.C. These processes were addressed in conjunction with other Ocean Margins Program investigators, during the Spring Transition period and during Summer. We found that there were significant differences in measured parameters between Spring and Summer, enabling us to develop seasonally specific carbon production and ecosystem models as well as seasonal and regional algorithm improvements for use in remote sensing applications.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tree swallows were used to evaluate movement and potential impacts of contaminants from sediments in Newton Creek (diesel range organics: DROs) and Sheboygan River (PCBs), tributaries to Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, respectively. Contaminated sites occurred along the course of each river, while reference sites were located upstream or on a nearby river. Productivity was monitored and eggs, day 1 nestlings, and day 12 nestlings were collected from each nest. Whole body or egg homogenates were analyzed for PCBs or DROs. EROD activity in livers from day 12 nestlings is being determined for both PCB and DRO exposures. In the Newton Creek study, hatching success was similar for DRO and reference sites. DROs were detected in gastrointestinal tracts of 1 nestling from the reference and 1 from the contaminated site. DROs were not detected in any egg samples. In the Sheboygan River study, hatching success rates differed between 1 reference and 1 contaminated river ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The ceramic composite armor has been lucubrated in the past 40 years. Ceramic can provide the same protection as metal, but it has lighter weight than metal. Ceramic has excellent ability of resisting kinetic energy projectile, because it can transfer energy to a large range by its fragmented cone and has higher ability of eroding the projectile than metal. But the researches indicated the full potential of the ceramic hard face has not been achieved because the significant interface between ceramic and metal has the unfavorable impedance effects and would induce tensile failure. FGM is a new type composite with continuous transition from ceramic to metal; it has no significant discrete materials interfaces between ceramic and metal. This paper deals with the impact response of Ceramic/FGM/Metal armor by numerical and theoretical methods. Firstly, the ability of TiB{sub 2}/FGM/Metal armor resisting KE projectile is analyzed by Dytran FEM program. The comparison ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

One set of hypotheses offered to explain the decline of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) in eastern North America focuses on the effect of acidic deposition on soil chemistry changes that may affect nutrient availability and root function. Long-term soils data suggests that soil acidification has occurred in some spruce stands over the past 50 yr, with plant uptake and cation leaching both contributing to the loss of cations. Studies of tree ring chemistry also have indicated changes in Ca/Al and Mg/Al ratios in red spruce wood, suggesting increases in the ionic strength of soil solution. Irrigation studies using strong acid inputs have demonstrated accelerated displacement of base cations from upper horizons. Spruce-fir (Abies spp.) nutrient budgets indicate that current net Ca and Mg leaching loss rates are of the same order of magnitude as losses to whole tree harvest removals, spread out over a 50-yr rotation. For most cations, red spruce foliar nutrient levels ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cereal straw, a by-product in the production of agricultural crops, is considered as a potentially large source of energy supply with an estimated value of 47 x 10{sup 18} J worldwide. However, there is some debate regarding the actual amounts of straw which could be removed from arable soils without jeopardizing their quality, as well as the potential trade-offs in the overall straw-to-energy chain compared to the use of fossil energy sources. Here, we used a deterministic model of C and N dynamics in soil-crop systems to simulate the effect of straw removal under various sets of soil, climate and crop management conditions in northeastern France. Model results in terms of nitrate leaching, soil C variations, nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions were subsequently inputted into the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a particular bio-energy chain in which straw was used to generate heat and power in a plant producing bio-ethanol from wheat grains. Straw removal had little influence on ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arsenic in soils from the Asarco lead smelter in East Helena, Montana was characterized by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Arsenic oxidation state and geochemical speciation were analyzed as a function of depth (two sampling sites) and surface distribution. These results were compared with intensive desorption/dissolution experiments performed in a pH stat reactor for samples from the site with the highest degree of As heterogeneity. The objectives of the study were to investigate the solid-phase geochemical As speciation, assess the speciation of As in solutions equilibrated with the solids under controlled pH (pH=4 or 6) and Eh (using hydrogen or air) environments, observe the effects of phosphate on the release of As into solution, and examine the effects of phosphate on metal mobility in the systems. Arsenic was predominantly found in the As(V) valence state, though there was evidence that As(III) and As(0) were present also. The dominant geochemical phase was scorodite ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scour around offshore structures is well known. It is caused by the strong eddy formation at the base of the structures protruding from the sea bottom. The strong vortices result in an amplified effective shear stress working on the sea bottom surface adjacent to the structure. When the surrounding sea bottom is lowered the scour protection will end up being a cap on a small hill and when the slopes are getting too steep the scour protection will roll or slide down the sides. It will loose its cohesion and therefore its integrity. This will take place irrespective of the type of scour protection material and the type of scour protection. This report describes scour protections, which can deal with this particular problem. Such a scour protection must be able to sustain the following loads: Be able to follow the lowering of the seabed on its way down; Be resistant to edge scour (scour around the perimeter of the scour protection). The installation of scour protection is not ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The specific goals of this research are to (1) determine daily and seasonal variability of seawater pCO{sub 2} partial pressure of CO{sub 2} and NO{sub 3} in Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) waters; (2) estimate seasonal CO{sub 2} fluxes between the MAB shelf and the atmosphere; and (3) determine the primary controls of surface seawater pCO{sub 2} in this coastal system. During the first phase of the DOE-OMP (1992-1995) we developed the Submersible Autonomous Moored Instrument for CO{sub 2} (SAMI-CO{sub 2}) which is designed to measure seawater CO{sub 2} on ocean moorings for extended periods.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the study, wind data from the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) are used to determine atmospheric circulation changes which are empirically associated with the air temperature changes. Some understanding of the natural processes which produce climate change is anticipated from the study of these associations. Systematic changes of wind in US coastal regions with periods of climate warming and cooling suggest circulation changes, in addition to carbon dioxide-controlled radiation effects, could produce the climate changes indicated by air temperature. A statistical procedure for analyses of COADS was used to determine decade-period vector wind-field differences from the COADS record period. The statistical procedure for these analyses is explained and the wind differences are compared to summaries of mid-Atlantic coast island-station observations.

CERN Document Server

This is our response to a comment by Walter Eifler on our paper `A simple model for the short-time evolution of near-surface current and temperature profiles' (arXiv:physics/0503186, accepted for publication in Deep-Sea Research II). Although Eifler raises genuine issues regarding our model's validity and applicability, we are nevertheless of the opinion that it is of value for the short-term evolution of the upper-ocean profiles of current and temperature. The fact that the effective eddy viscosity tends to infinity for infinite time under a steady wind stress may not be surprising. It can be interpreted as a vertical shift of the eddy viscosity profile and an increase in the size of the dominant turbulent eddies under the assumed conditions of small stratification and infinite water depth.

CERN Document Server

The Eady problem of baroclinic instability as applicable to quasi-geostrophic oceanic flows with zero internal PV gradients is revisited by introducing a mild slope and Ekman pumping on the lower boundary. The solution behaviour is determined by the isopycnal slope relative to either the bottom slope or the ratio of Ekman depth to horizontal wavenumber. Attention is paid to the physical interpretation of the growing, decaying and stable disturbances, with emphasis on the intimate connection between the quasigeostrophic edge waves and Eady waves, and the role of the isopycnal slope for the stability properties as opposed to the bottom density gradient. The disturbance structure is found to be strongly influenced by the boundary conditions. For a sloping bottom boundary, the growth rate is enhanced for the most unstable waves if the isopycnals tilt in the same direction as the bottom, but in general non-standard boundary conditions tend to retard the growth of ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Maldives comprise some of the most characteristic and significant atoll systems, but the meiobenthic assemblages of these islands are still largely unknown. A study on meiofauna was conducted on three Maldivian sandy back-reef platforms differently exposed to stronger westerly monsoons. Clear high energy effects of the waves causing currents and erosions were observed at the completely exposed and isolated offshore reef of Thoddoo Island. Wave energy of medium intensity was confirmed at Rasdhoo by depositional structures (finolhu), while a medium to low energy level was recorded at Gulhi on the basis of the presence of a low sandy bar. The meiofaunal assemblage counted 17 major taxa. Copepods and nematodes were dominant, followed by platyhelminthes and polychaetes. The nematode assemblage ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Experiments were carried out to test the hypothesis that instantaneous daily rates of egg-larval mortality of Pacific herring were higher at two oil-exposed sites than at two other sites not so exposed. Results showed that egg-larval mortality was twice as great in the oil-exposed areas as in the two non-oiled areas. Larval growth rates were also severely affected; they were about half of those measured in populations from other areas of the north Pacific Ocean. A cautionary note was introduced to the effect that the differences in the egg-larval mortality between oiled and control sites may have been influenced by differences in egg dessication, predation, and wave scouring, hence these results should not be construed as conclusive evidence of oil spill damage. 40 refs., 6 figs.

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

A seasonal forecasting technique to produce probabilistic and deterministic streamflow forecasts for 23 basins in Norway and northern Sweden is developed in this work. Large scale circulation and moisture fields, forecasted by the ECHAM4.5 model 4 months in advance, are used to forecast spring flows. The technique includes model output statistics (MOS) based on a non-linear Neural Network (NN) approach. Results show that streamflow forecasts from Global Circulation Model (GCM) predictions, for the Scandinavia region are viable and highest skill values were found for basins located in south-western Norway. The physical interpretation of the forecasting skill is that stations close to the Norwegian coast are directly exposed to prevailing winds from the Atlantic ocean, which constitute the principal source of predictive information from the atmosphere on the seasonal timescale.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper describes the design, fabrication and application of a micro-fabricated salinity sensor system. The theoretical electrochemical behaviour is described using electrical equivalent diagrams and simple scaling properties are investigated analytically and numerically using finite element method (FEM). The chip design and fabrication is described and measurement results of two different electrode designs are presented. The 4mm Formula Not Shown 4mm multi-sensor allows for salinity determination with an accuracy of Formula Not Shown 0.5psu through determination of the electrical conductivity, temperature and pressure with accuracies of Formula Not Shown 0.6mS, Formula Not Shown 0.065 Formula Not Shown C and Formula Not Shown 0.05bar, respectively.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory uses the U.S. Navy's Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) to supply high-resolution wind data for use in its real-time dispersion modeling system. ARAC has used COAMPS products to support several events and exercises, and COAMPS forecasts appear accurate, based on qualitative examination. Recently ARAC has developed a quantitative verification system which calculates COAMPS error and bias statistics, comparing COAMPS forecasts of various lengths with observational data. This paper shows how this system has been used to guide ARAC operators, who need an estimate of the likely behavior of COAMPS forecasts of various lengths in different regions, seasons, and weather patterns.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

To reconstruct the profiles of heavy metal levels in the South Ocean ecosystem of Antarctica, the concentrations of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) in seal hairs and lake sediments spanning the past 1500?years from Fildes Peninsula of King George Island and in weathering lake sediments from Nelson Island of West Antarctica were determined. The lead contents in the seal hairs and the weathering sediments show a sharp increase since the late 1800s, very likely due to anthropogenic contamination from modern industries. After the 1980s, the Pb content in seal hairs dropped by one-third, apparently due to the reduced usage of leaded gasoline in the Southern Hemisphere. Copper arises mainly from the weathering process, and its level may be substantially affected...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The climate modeling community has focused recently on improving our understanding of certain processes, such as cloud feedbacks and ocean circulation, that are deemed critical to climate-change prediction. Although attention to such processes is warranted, emphasis on these areas has diminished a general appreciation of the role played by the large-scale dynamics of the extratropical atmosphere. Lack of interest in extratropical dynamics may reflect the assumption that these dynamical processes are a non-problem as far as climate modeling is concerned, since general circulation models (GCMs) calculate motions on this scale from first principles. Nevertheless, serious shortcomings in our ability to understand and simulate large-scale dynamics exist. Partly due to a paucity of standard GCM diagnostic calculations of large-scale motions and their transports of heat, momentum, potential vorticity, and moisture, a comprehensive understanding of the role of large-scale ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This spring, Newfoundland will send off a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel to the offshore Terra Nova field. The Terra Nova will proceed southeast through Bull Arm, then northeast out of Trinity Bay, then heads southeast to the Jeanne d'Arc Basin on the Grand Banks. The Terra Nova is expected to produce 115,000 barrels of oil per day for six years, when it reaches full capacity. The consortium, headed by Petro-Canada as senior ownership partner and operator, built an environment protection program into every aspect of the project. Some of the features of the environment protection program include glory holes excavated on the ocean floor for the protection of production equipment from icebergs, to a flare stack on the platform, which has four legs to provide stability in rough seas. The FPSO was designed to withstand sea ice, icebergs, and severe winter storms. Flow lines are also protected, and in the event that a line is damaged, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Outstanding Achievement Award in Water Pollution Control' is intended to recognize the water pollution control program that best demonstrates achieving significant, lasting, and measurable excellence in water-quality improvement in preventing water-quality degradation in a region, basin, or water body. This article is about the 1991 Award. This year, WPCF honored Los Angeles Hyperion Treatment Plant with a citation of outstanding achievement. To qualify for this honor, Hyperion has remarkably improved the quality of wastewater discharged to Santa Monica Bay since 1985. Capital programs developed by Los Angeles to achieve this rapid improvement, coined the Hyperion Improvement Program (HIP), reflect the city's commitment to protect the valuable resource of Santa Monica Bay. The HIP was conceived in 1986 to cease sludge ocean disposal by the end of 1987 and expedite effluent quality improvement before 1991, when the full secondary expansion is ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richmond Harbor is on the eastern shoreline of central San Francisco Bay and its access channels and several of the shipping berths are no longer wide or deep enough to accommodate modem deeper-draft vessels. The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (PL99-662) authorized the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), San Francisco District to deepen and widen the navigation channels in Richmond Harbor. Several options for disposal of the material from this dredging project are under consideration by USACE: disposal within San Francisco Bay, at open-ocean disposal sites, or at uplands disposal sites. Purpose of this study was to conduct comprehensive evaluations, including chemical, biological, and bioaccumulation testing of sediments in selected areas of Richmond Harbor. This information was required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USACE. Battelle/Marine Sciences Laboratory collected 20 core samples, both 4-in. and 12-in., to a project depth of -40 ft ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A 12 m.y. record of large rhyolitic eruptions from the Coromandel (CVZ) and Taupo (TVZ) volcanic zones of New Zealand is contained in cores retrieved by Leg 181 of the Ocean Drilling Program. Site 1124, located 670 km from the TVZ, has a maximum of 134 macroscopic tephra layers with a total thickness of 13.18 m. These units, along with between 7 and 63 tephras from 3 other sites, were dated by a combination of magnetostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, isothermal plateau fission track determinations, and geochemical correlation with onshore tephra deposits. Additional time control for the last 3 m.y. came from an orbitally tuned, benthic, oxygen isotope profile for Site 1123. Results extend the incomplete terrestrial record of volcanism by placing the first major rhyolitic eruption in the CVZ at c. 12 Ma, c. 1.6-1 m.y. earlier than previously known. Tephras became thicker and more frequent from the late Miocene into the Quaternary - a trend that probably reflected (1) ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beyond a great number of applications in mineral process, the hydrocyclone separation has been used recently in an increasing number of fields, such as: environmental engineering, petrochemical engineering, food engineering, electrochemical engineering, pulp bioengineering, processes and paper industries, among others. Nowadays, the produced water is treated and then reinjected in the surface and also in return to the formation. In the offshore platforms, the produced water can be directly discarded in the ocean, since the dispersed phase concentration (oil) is according to Brazilian regulating agency limits. The basic principle used in hydrocyclone separation is the centrifugal sedimentation machine: the suspended particles are submitted to centrifugal acceleration, which separates them from the fluid. The basic geometry of a hydrocyclone consists of four parts: a cylindrical section for feeding, a conical section for swirling, an overflow and an under flow. The ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Coastal Zone Sector of the Canadian Climate Impact and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN) was established to address concerns regarding climate change in coastal areas. Coastal zones are sensitive to increases in air, sea and ground temperatures as well as to variations in sea level, precipitation, ice thickness, and storm intensity. This report presents the results of a workshop which focused on how coastal communities will be affected by climate induced water level changes, particularly sea-level rise on ocean coasts and decreasing lake levels in the Great Lakes. The workshop addressed issues such as the effects of changing water levels on coastal infrastructure, utilities, community development, and the implications of changing water levels to human safety, cultural resources, tourism, and insurance. The workshop reviewed the current state of understanding on water level fluctuations resulting from climate change. It also identified information and ...

CERN Document Server

During the Eddy Experiment, two synchronous GPS receivers were flown at 1 km altitude to collect L1 signals and their reflections from the sea surface for assessment of altimetric precision and accuracy. Wind speed (U10) was around 10 m/s, and SWH up to 2 m. A geophysical parametric waveform model was used for retracking and estimation of the lapse between the direct and reflected signals with a 1-second precision of 3 m. The lapse was used to estimate the SSH along the track using a differential model. The RMS error of the 20 km averaged GNSS-R absolute altimetric solution with respect to Jason-1 SSH and a GPS buoy measurement was of 10 cm, with a 2 cm mean difference. Multipath and retracking parameter sensitivity due to the low altitude are suspected to have degraded accuracy. This result provides an important milestone on the road to a GNSS-R mesoscale altimetry space mission.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper presents the directional dependence of surface scaling parameters namely roughness length and corresponding friction velocity, for neutral category of Tarapur coastal site. The average roughness length of lowest value of 0.07 m (SW) and the highest value of 0.32 m (E) and average friction velocity of lowest value 1.6 m/sec(SSE) and a highest value 2.8 m/sec (SW) for the year 2006 were observed. Wind profile studies for the coastal site Tarapur with the wind data measured from meteorological tower of 30m which is at 1500m downwind fetch distance from the coastal line in the east direction gave the wind profile index parameter 'p' as 0.4, 0.5 and 0.75 for Unstable, Neutral and Stable weather conditions respectively. Sector Average Turbulent kinetic energy estimated as 17.7m2/s2 and its dissipation rate is 3.1 m2/s3 for the 10m elevation from the surface. A surface drag coefficient CD for the 10m height is 0.0076 for the smooth ocean surface and 0.0107 for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this article, the isotope geochemical study for Iceland is reviewed. Iceland is geologically unique because it is a subaerial exposure of Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which is caused by the interaction between the ridge and the Icelandic hot spot. To investigate what is happening beneath Iceland, many geochemical studies have been done. The geochemical studies using conventional Sr, Nd, Pb, He and O isotope tracers revealed the heterogeneity not only of the oceanic mantle, but also of the Icelandic hot spot mantle itself. Furthermore, the oxygen isotope studies revealed the reworking of the Icelandic crust which is altered by meteoritic water. The characterization of the Icelandic hot spot from the isotope geochemistry is very important in testing the hypothesis of the mantle-crust recycling. In near future, new tracers such as Li, B or Ce will be applied to this problem, and new constraints will be obtained. 37 refs., 7 figs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The volume examines the scientific interfaces and technological applications of physics. Twelve areas are dealt with: biological physics--biophysics, the brain, and theoretical biology; the physics-chemistry interface--instrumentation, surfaces, neutron and synchrotron radiation, polymers, organic electronic materials; materials science; geophysics--tectonics, the atmosphere and oceans, planets, drilling and seismic exploration, and remote sensing; computational physics--complex systems and applications in basic research; mathematics--field theory and chaos; microelectronics--integrated circuits, miniaturization, future trends; optical information technologies--fiber optics and photonics; instrumentation; physics applications to energy needs and the environment; national security--devices, weapons, and arms control; medical physics--radiology, ultrasonics, NMR, and photonics. An executive summary and many chapters contain recommendations regarding funding, ...

CERN Document Server

Weak lensing measurements are entering a precision era to statistically map the distribution of matter in the universe. The most common measurement has been of the variance of the projected surface density of matter, which corresponds to the induced correlation in alignments of background galaxies. This measurement of the fluctuations is insensitive to the total mass content, like using waves on the ocean to measure its depths. But when the depth is shallow as happens near a beach, waves become skewed. Similarly, a measurement of skewness in the projected matter distribution directly measures the total matter content of the universe. While skewness has already been convincingly detected, its constraint on cosmology is still weak. We address optimal analyses for the CFHT Legacy Survey in the presence of noise. We show that a compensated Gaussian filter with a width of 2.5 arc minutes optimizes the cosmological constraint, yielding $\\Delta \\Omega_m/\\Omega_m\\sim ...

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The National Survey and Cadastre - Denmark (KMS) has for several years produced gravity anomaly maps over the oceans derived from satellite altimetry. During the last four years, KMS has also conducted airborne gravity surveys along the coast of Greenland dedicated to complement the existing onshore gravity coverage and fill in new data in the very-near coastal area, where altimetry data may contain gross errors. The airborne surveys extend from the coastline to approximately 100 km offshore, along 6000 km of coastline. An adequate merging of these different data sources is important for the use of gravity data especially, when computing geoid models in coastal regions. The presence of reliable marine gravity data for independent control offers an opportunity to study procedures for the merging of airborne and satellite data around Greenland. Two different merging techniques, both based on collocation, are investigated in this paper. Collocation offers a way of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The authors will be conducting an integrated seismic experiment to image the structure of the crust and upper mantle of northern California immediately before and after passage of the Mendocino Triple Junction. The purpose of this representation is to describe the project to other scientists interested in geological and geophysical processes in this region and to solicit input relevant to detailed siting of the funded seismic profiles. The experiment encompasses two field seasons: onshore seismic refraction/wide angle reflection data acquisition along three long profiles scheduled for late summer, 1993; and MCS deep crustal seismic reflection data acquisition accompanied by simultaneous large aperture recording using both ocean bottom and onshore seismographs, tentatively scheduled for summer, 1994. This study represents a component of a long-term, multi-disciplinary effort on the part of many investigators to exploit this well defined system as an in-situ ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In the utilization of the thermal energy by ocean temperature difference and factory waste heat, the high performance heating surfaces in pipes from which scale can be removed are required. As the method of removing scale, the method using sponge balls seems most suitable, but for applying this method, as the form of the protrusions attached to the inner surfaces of pipes, smooth circular are form is desirable. The promotion of heat transfer with the rows of circular arc protrusions like this is strongly related to the mode of flow and such structure as separation, recirculation flow, readhesion and turbulent energy generation. In this study, as the basic research to optimize the heating surface with the rows of smooth protrusions, the flow characteristics and the heat transfer characteristics including the turbulent structure of the wake of protrusions were experimentally determined, and the essence of the heat transfer characteristics was to be clarified on the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Two 40 MWe Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Pilot Plant programs are in the initial phase of development near Kahe Point, Oahu, Hawaii. The two options being examined are: (1) a shelf-seated artificial island, connected via a causeway to Oahu, using stainless steel heat exchangers, with the thermal resource enhanced by effluent from a near-by power plant, ammonia working fluid and biocide (chlorine) cleaning; and (2) a shelf mount tower 1 mile off shore using submerged aluminum heat exchangers, R-22 working fluid, and slurry cleaning with biocide (chlorine) backup. Environmental Technical Requirements are described including: siting criteria; environmental design, and operational criteria; thermal resource evaluation and variability; physical, chemical, and biological data requirements; and regulatory requirements. Due to siting, design, and operational differences the proposed two pilot plant options have individual environmental monitoring criteria and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

As part of a larger elastic numerical modeling project, we have been investigating how energy reflected from steeply dipping interfaces is recorded using typical multicomponent acquisition geometries. Specifically, we have been interpreting how rcflection events from the flanks of salt dome structures are distributed on 3C and 4C phones for vertical seismic profiles (VSPs) and ocean bottom seismic (OBS) or land surface surveys. The ultimate goal of this investigation is to improve the structural imaging of steeply dipping interfaces and eventually to evaluate the usc of the recorded elastic wavefield for fluid description near these interfaces. In the current work, we focus on a common assumption used when processing converted wave reflection seismic data that most PP energy is recorded on the vertical geophone and/or the hydrophone and that most PS energy is recorded on the horizontal geophones. This is a useful assumption when it is valid, because it eliminates ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper proposes a high accuracy numerical method to model oil spill trajectories using a particle-tracking algorithm. The Euler method, used to calculate oil trajectories, can give adequate solutions in most open ocean applications. However, this method may not predict accurate particle trajectories in certain highly non-uniform velocity fields near coastal zones or in river problems. Simple numerical experiments show that the Euler method may also introduce artificial numerical dispersion that could lead to overestimation of spill areas. This article proposes a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method with fourth-order velocity interpolation to calculate oil trajectories that minimise these problems. The algorithm is implemented in the OilTrack model to predict oil trajectories following the 'Nissos Amorgos' oil spill accident that occurred in the Gulf of Venezuela in 1997. Despite lack of adequate field information, model results compare well with ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The report was prepared for the IPCC by Working Group II. The remit of Working Group II was to describe the environmental and socioeconomic implications of possible climate changes over the next decades caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases. The scenarios used include the following features: an effective doubling of atmospheric CO{sub 2} between now and 2025-2050; a consequent increase of global mean temperature of 1.5-4.5{degree}C; an unequal global distribution of the temperature increase; a sea level rise of 0.3 to 0.5m by 2050. The impacts of possible climate change were assessed for the following: agriculture and forestry; natural terrestrial ecosystems; hydrology and water resources; human settlements including the energy, transport and industrial sectors; human health; air quality and changes in UV-B radiation; oceans and coastal zones; seasonal snow cover; ice and permafrost. Further action is recommended. 1015 refs., 34 figs., 26 tabs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chemical composition of fine aerosol particles over the northern Chilean coastal waters was determined onboard the U.S. DOE G-1 aircraft during the VOCALS (VAMOS Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study) field campaign between October 16 and November 15, 2008. SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, and total organics (Org) were determined using an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer, and SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, Na+, Cl-, CH3SO3-, Mg2+, Ca2+, and K+ were determined using a particle-into-liquid sampler-ion chromatography technique. The results show the marine boundary layer (MBL) aerosol mass was dominated by non- sea-salt SO42- followed by Na+, Cl-, Org, NO3-, and NH4+, in decreasing importance; CH3SO3-, Ca2+, and K+ rarely exceeded their respective limits of detection. The SO42- aerosols were strongly acidic as the equivalent NH4+ to SO42- ratio was only ~0.25 on average. NaCl particles, presumably of sea-salt origin, showed chloride deficits but retained Cl- typically more than half the ...

Science.gov (United States)

On-orbit spectral calibration of hyperspectral imaging data is a key step for quantitatively analyzing them. Like the atmospheric correction, accurate spectral calibration is very necessary for improved studies of land or ocean surface properties. Based on the previous literatures, a new method which coupled an optimization algorithm was developed to simultaneously retrieve the central wavelength and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the hyperspectral sensor without needing the in situ reflectance spectra. Firstly, the Hyperion data set simulated using MODTRAN4 with the Hyperion spectral specification was used to test the new method, and the results indicated that the maximum error was less than 0.1 and 0.7 nm for central wavelength and FWHM respectively when the spectral shift is 5 nm. Then the algorithm was applied to the Hyperion data acquired on May 20, 2008 over Heihe River Basin and it was iteratively performed for each detector of the two ...

Science.gov (United States)

We explore the impact of obliquity variations on planetary habitability in hypothetical systems with high mutual inclination. For the hypothetical systems, we restrict our exploration to systems consisting of a solar-mass star, an Earth-mass planet at 1 AU, and 1 or 2 giant planets. We verify that these systems are stable for 108 years with N-body simulations. We then calculate the obliquity variations induced by the orbital architecture on the Earth-mass planets. We find that in some cases the spin axes can rotate through 360 degrees in as little as 10,000 years (John is that right? Can you look through the systems and find the most extreme case of obliquity variation?) Next, we run energy balance models (EBM) on the terrestrial planets to assess surface temperature and ice coverage on the planets' oceans. Finally, we explore differences in the outer edge of the habitable zone for planets with rapid obliquity variations. We run EBM simulations for a range of ...

Science.gov (United States)

The R&D in satellite communications in Korea has been driven mainly by KCC (Korea Communications Commission) but in a small scale compared to Korea space development program organized by MEST (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology). Public and civilian satcom sector R&D has been led mainly by ETRI with small/medium companies contrary to rare investment in private sector while military sector R&D has been orchestrated by ADD with defense industry. By the COMS (Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite) experimental Ka-band payload, Korea pursues a space qualification of own technology for national infrastructure evolution as well as industrialization of space R&D results. Once COMS launched and space qualified in 2009, subsequent application experiments and new technology R&D like UHDTV will entail service and industry promotion. The payload technology is expected for the next Korean commercial satellites or for new OBP ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Eiric Raude offshore drilling rig is a powerful machine that is suitable for drilling in harsh environments in ultra deep water. It has a total drilling depth of 8,200 to 10,000 metres and an operational displacement of 53,400 mt. The rig complies with the regulatory regimes of Norway, the United Kingdom and Canada. The Eiric Raude has drilled 5 deepwater wells offshore eastern Canada, 1 well offshore Cuba, 1 well west of Shetland, and 3 offshore Norway. The environmental criteria for extreme weather conditions consider wave, current and wind forces. The general operational guidelines were discussed along with key areas for prevention of environmental impact, including emissions from well testing, air emissions from diesel engines, cooling water, bunkering operations, discharges from drilling, accidental discharges, drain water, and domestic sewage. It was noted that the zero discharge philosophy is the basis for all activities. The original design was meant to comply with the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The recently completed ''Deep River Study, Lower Mississippi River'' sponsored by the ''Governor's Task Force on Deep-Draft Vessel Access to the Lower Mississippi River'' contained the following recommended program: Dredge the present 40 foot deep channel to 45 feet initially from the Gulf via Southwest Pass to Mile 172 AHP to provide for two-way navigation of the deep draft vessels that would serve the forecasted most likely level of waterborne commerce (Alternative 9). Plan and seek authorization to further deepen the channel in stages to 55 feet in the future should actual increases in commerce equal the high level level of commerce (Alternative 11). Put into operation, as soon as possible, facilities for loading and topping-off grain ships midstream and topping-off coal carriers in the Gulf in order to attract and establish patterns of trade in large ships. The South Pass Bulk Terminal is a project ...

Science.gov (United States)

The evolutionary history of the reef fish genus Naso (F. Acanthuridae) was examined using a complete species-level molecular phylogeny of all recognized (19) species based on three loci (one nuclear ETS2 and two mitochondrial 16S, cyt b). This study demonstrates that distinct foraging modes and specialized body shapes arose independently at different times in the evolutionary history of the genus. Members of the subgenus Axinurus, characterized by a scombriform morphology, caudal fin structure and pelagic foraging mode, were consistently placed basal to the remaining Naso species, suggesting that pelagic foraging is plesiomorphic and benthic foraging derived in this genus. We used a genus-level phylogeny (nuclear marker, ETS2), which included several taxa from all other acanthurid genera, to obtain a range of age estimates for the most recent common ancestor of the genus Naso. These age estimates (range of 52-43.3 MY) were then used to estimate divergence times (by nonparametric rate ...

Science.gov (United States)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Defense (DoD), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly acquiring the next-generation weather and environmental satellite system; the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). NPOESS replaces the current Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) managed by NOAA and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) managed by the DoD. The NPOESS satellites carry a suite of sensors that collect meteorological, oceanographic, climatological, and solar-geophysical observations of the earth, atmosphere, and space. The NPOESS design allows centralized mission management and delivers high quality environmental products to military, civil and scientific users. The ground data processing segment for NPOESS is the Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS), developed by Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems. IDPS ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basalt and diabase from the Cretaceous Dumisseau Formation, southern Haiti have Mg-numbers of 43-63, TiO/sub 2/ contents of 1.6-3.9% and La abundances of 3.6-15.3 ppm. LaTa ratios average 10, and indicate that the basalts are oceanic in character, distinct from the arc associations forming the northern part of Haiti. Oldest lavas have low TiO/sub 2/, (1.6%) and are LREE-depleted, similar to N-MORBs, whereas overlying lavas have higher TiO/sub 2/ (2-3.9%) and are LREE-enriched, similar to E-MORBs or hotspot basalts. /sup 87/Sr/sup 86/Sr ratios vary from 0.70280 to 0.70316, /sup 143/Nd/sup 144/Nd from 0.512929 to 0.513121, and /sup 206/Pb/sup 204/Pb from 19.00 to 19.27 LREE-depleted lavas have high /sup 143/Nd/sup 144/Nd (0.51309-0.51310) typical of MORBs, whereas /sup 143/Nd/sup 144/Nd in the LREE-enriched lavas varies widely (0.512929-0.513121). Chemical features of the Dumisseau basalts are equivalent to those of Caribbean seafloor basalts recovered on DSDP Leg ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

It has been understood that production of hydrogen from fossil and carbonaceous fuels with reduced CO{sub 2} emission to the atmosphere is key to the production of hydrogen-rich fuels for mitigating the CO{sub 2} greenhouse gas climate change problem. The conventional methods of hydrogen production from fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas and biomass) include steam reforming and water gas shift mainly of natural gas (SRM). In order to suppress CO{sub 2} emission from the steam reforming process, CO{sub 2} must be concentrated and sequestered either in or under the ocean or underground (in aquifers, or depleted oil or gas wells). Up to about 40% of the energy is lost in this process. An alternative process is the pyrolysis or the thermal decomposition of methane, natural gas (TDM) to hydrogen and carbon. The carbon can either be sequestered or sold on the market as a materials commodity or used as a fuel at a later date under less severe CO{sub 2} restraints. The energy ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

There are at present 116 floating production systems and 60 storage vessels dotting the oceans involved in hydrocarbon exploration and production activities. Although concentrated mostly in the North Sea, they can be found also off the coast of Australia, eastern Canada, Brazil, some African nations and the Gulf of Mexico. They range from converted tankers to purpose built rigs. The most adaptable of the various systems is the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, first developed as a cost-effective means of developing fields in Brazil's very deep offshore areas. Still being tested and modified for work in widely different environments, FPSOs appear to have met all requirements in producing expenditure efficiencies, maximizing profits, and protecting workers. One of the most efficient and most technically advanced is a 292-metre long FPSO built for the Terra Nova Alliance by Daewoo Shipyards in South Korea. It arrived at ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CNPT-3 is the laboratory designation of a strain of bacteria that reproduces best at deep-sea pressures. It was isolated from a sample collected at a 5800 m depth of the Pacific Ocean. This isolation was achieved from a sample that had been retrieved without warning. This year we demonstrated that there are similarly behaving bacteria that can be isolated from samples even when retrieved with decompression. The purpose of this project was to define the temperatures and pressures over which CNPT-3 can exist and function. (1) At 2"0C CNPT-3 is eurybathic from about 1000 to 6500 m, as judged from an only slightly pressure dependent generation time. (2) CNPT-3 is unquestionably barophilic at 2"0C, with doubling times of 9 hours at 580 bars and over 18 hours at 1 bar. (3) At 10"0C, reproduction is adversely affected at 1 bar to the extent that CNPT-3 becomes obligately barophilic at 10"0C. Yet reproduction is enhanced above 280 bars and occurs with a regeneration time ...

Science.gov (United States)

The Earth`s oceans, forests, agricultural lands and other natural areas absorb about half of the carbon dioxide emitted from anthropogenic sources. Terrestrial carbon sequestration strategies are immediately available to bridge the gap between current terrestrial sequestration capacity and high-capacity geologic sequestration projects available in 10 to 20 years. Terrestrial carbon sequestration strategies consist of implementing land management practices aimed at decreasing CO2 emitted into the atmosphere and developing advanced measurement tools to inventory and monitor carbon processes in soils and biota. In addition to atmospheric CO2 mitigation and carbon trading advantages, terrestrial carbon sequestration produces a variety of benefits which include reclamation of degraded lands, increased soil productivity, increased land value and a more secure food source. Carbon storage in soil depends on climate and management practices, with potential yearly ...

Science.gov (United States)

Information about surface soil moisture conditions is of critical importance to real-world applications such as agricultural production, water resource management, flood prediction, fire prediction, water supply, military mobility, etc.. Near-surface soil moisture is currently available from non-ideal sensor configuration observations, and two missions targeted at measuring near-surface soil moisture with ideal sensor configuration are expected before the end of the decade (the European Space Agency (ESA), Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Hydrospheric states "Hydros" mission). Though remote sensing can make spatially comprehensive measurements of surface soil moisture, it cannot provide information on the entire land surface hydrologic system, and the measurements represent only a snap shot in time. Alternatively, land surface hydrology process models may be used to predict the temporal ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The work presented here demonstrates the ability of proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) to perform fast-response measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (including methanol, acetonitrile, acetaldehyde, acetone, PAN-type compounds, alpha- and beta-pinene, nopinone and pinonaldehyde) at the pptv level and its versatile applicability in the field of environmental trace gas analysis. Laboratory and field experiments including various calibration techniques and intercomparisons with other measurement techniques such as gas chromatography, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy were performed providing a first characterization of the PTR-MS instrument performance (sensitivity, detection limit, precision, accuracy). Typically a detection limit (S/N=2) of 50 pptv for a 10 s signal integration time, a precision of 5 % and an accuracy in the range between 10 and 25 % were observed. Due to its compactness and ruggedness ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This study focuses the granitoids of center-southern portion of Guyana Shield, southeastern Roraima, Brazil. The region is characterized by two tectonic-stratigraphic domains, named as Central Guyana (GCD) and Uatuma-Anaua (UAD) and located probably in the limits of geochronological provinces (e.g. Ventuari-Tapajos or Tapajos-Parima, Central Amazonian and Maroni-Itacaiunas or Transamazon). The aim this doctoral thesis is to provide new petrological and lithostratigraphic constraints on the granitoid rocks and contribute to a better understanding of the origin and geo dynamic evolution of Guyana Shield. The GCD is only locally studied near to the UAD boundary, and new geological data and two single zircon Pb-evaporation ages in mylonitic biotite granodiorite (1.89 Ga) and foliated hastingsite-biotite granite (1.72 Ga) are presented. These ages of the protholiths contrast with the lithostratigraphic picture in the other areas of Cd (1.96-1.93 Ga). Regional mapping, petrography, ...