Isotopic evidence for identifying the mechanism of salinization of groundwater in Bacolod City,Negros Occidental

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castaneda, Soledad S.; Almoneda, Rosalinda V.; Sucgang, Raymond J.; Desengano, Daisy; Lim, Fatima

2008-01-01

Saline water is easily identified by measurement of the conductivity of the ionic species in the water. In groundwater, it is important to identify the mechanism of salinization for proper management of the resource. Salinization may come from: a) leaching of salts by percolating water, b) intrusion of modern saltwater bodies of connate water, and c) concentration of dissolved salts due to evaporation. The salinity and isotopic concentrations of 18 O, 2 H, and 3 H of the water sources were used to assess the processes which lead to the salinization of groundwater in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. The isotopic composition of deep groundwater, river water, and springs cluster along the LMWL with δ 18 O ranging from -7.9 ''promille'' to -6.5 ''promille'' and δ 2 H ranging from -52.6 ''promille'' to -39.1''promille''. Two isotopically distinct groups of deep groundwater were deleated; the higher elevation wells yielding isotopically depleted waters while the lowland wells yielding relatively enriched water with higher conductivity. The shallow coastal wells exhibited more enriched isotope values with δ 18 O values from 6.10 ''promille''-5.61''promille'' and δ 2 H from -43.1''promille'' to -38.8''promille'' and highest conductivity. The relative enrichment in the isotopic composition of the deep groundwater in the lowland and the shallow groundwater along the coast is attributed to saltwater intrusion. The process of salinization in these waters is differentiated based on the relationship between their isotopic compositions and the chlorine concentrations. The high salinity of the isotopically enriched and old deep groundwater inland is attributed to mixing with connate water. On the other hand , mixing with modern sea water is evident in the deep and shallow coastal wells. (author)

Optimizing geologic CO2 sequestration by injection in deep saline formations below oil reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Weon Shik; McPherson, Brian J.

2009-01-01

properties and processes by performing numerical simulations. Results suggest that deep saline CO 2 injection immediately below oil formations reduces buoyancy-driven CO 2 migration and, at the same time, minimizes the amount of mobile CO 2 compared to conventional deep saline CO 2 injection (i.e., CO 2 injection into brine formations not below oil-bearing strata). Finally, to investigate practical aspects and field applications of this injection paradigm, we characterized oil-bearing formations and their thickness (capacity) as a component of the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP) field deployments. The field-testing program includes specific sites in Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, and western Texas of the United States.

Water sources accessed by arid zone riparian trees in highly saline environments, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Costelloe, Justin F; Payne, Emily; Woodrow, Ian E; Irvine, Elizabeth C; Western, Andrew W; Leaney, Fred W

2008-05-01

The flow regimes of arid zone rivers are often highly variable, and shallow groundwater in the alluvial aquifers can be very saline, thus constraining the availability and quality of the major water sources available to riparian trees-soil water, shallow groundwater and stream water. We have identified water sources and strategies used by riparian trees in more highly saline and arid conditions than previously studied for riparian trees of arid zone rivers. Our research focused on the riparian species Eucalyptus coolabah, one of the major riparian trees of ephemeral arid zone rivers in Australia. The water sources available to this riparian tree were examined using delta(18)O isotope data from xylem, soil water, groundwater and surface water. Additionally, soil chloride and matric potential data were used to infer zones of water availability for root uptake. Despite the saline conditions, the trees used a mixture of soil water and groundwater sources, but they did not use surface water directly. The study identified three strategies used to cope with typically high groundwater and soil water salinities. Firstly, the trees preferentially grow in zones of most frequent flushing by infiltrating streamflow, such as the bank-tops of channels. Secondly, the trees limit water use by having low transpiration rates. Thirdly, the trees are able to extract water at very low osmotic potentials, with water uptake continuing at chloride concentrations of at least 20,000-30,000 mg L(-1).

Saline groundwater in crystalline bedrock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lampen, P.

1992-11-01

The State-of-art report describes research made on deep saline groundwaters and brines found in crystalline bedrock, mainly in site studies for nuclear waste disposal. The occurrence, definitions and classifications of saline groundwaters are reviewed with a special emphasis on the different theories concerning the origins of saline groundwaters. Studies of the saline groundwaters in Finland and Sweden have been reviewed more thoroughly. Also the mixing of different bodies of groundwaters, observations of the contact of saline groundwaters and permafrost, and the geochemical modelling of saline groundwaters as well as the future trends of research have been discussed. (orig.)

The Atlantic Multidecadal Variability in surface and deep ocean temperature and salinity fields from unperturbed climate simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Zanchettin, D.; Jungclaus, J. H.

2013-12-01

Large multidecadal fluctuations in basin-average sea-surface temperature (SST) are a known feature of observed, reconstructed and simulated variability in the North Atlantic Ocean. This phenomenon is often referred to as Multidecadal Atlantic Variability or AMV. Historical AMV fluctuations are associated with analog basin-scale changes in sea-surface salinity, so that warming corresponds to salinification and cooling to freshening [Polyakov et al., 2005]. The surface imprint of the AMV further corresponds to same-sign fluctuations in the shallow ocean and with opposite-sign fluctuations in the deep ocean for both temperature and salinity [Polyakov et al., 2005]. This out-of-phase behavior reflects the thermohaline overturning circulation shaping North Atlantic's low-frequency variability. Several processes contribute to the AMV, involving both ocean-atmosphere coupled processes and deep ocean circulation [e.g., Grossmann and Klotzbach, 2009]. In particular, recirculation in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre region of salinity anomalies from Arctic freshwater export may trigger multidecadal variability in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, and therefore may be part of the AMV [Jungclaus et al., 2005; Dima and Lohmann, 2007]. With this contribution, we aim to improve the physical interpretation of the AMV by investigating spatial and temporal patterns of temperature and salinity fields in the shallow and deep ocean. We focus on two unperturbed millennial-scale simulations performed with the Max Planck Institute Earth system model in its paleo (MPI-ESM-P) and low-resolution (MPI-ESM-LR) configurations, which provide reference control climates for assessments of pre-industrial and historical climate simulations. The two model configurations only differ for the presence, in MPI-ESM-LR, of an active module for dynamical vegetation. We use spatial-average indices and empirical orthogonal functions/principal components to track the horizontal and vertical

A deep gold mine metagenome as a source of novel esterases ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

New sources of enzymes for biotechnological applications are continually being sought for. While diverse microbial ecosysyems have been demonstrated in the deep subsurfaces, deep mines provide easy access to these specialist communities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess a deep mine biofilm as a source ...

The source of groundwater salinization in the Indus basin - an isotopic evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sajjad, M.I.; Hussain, S.D.; Tasneem, M.A.; Ahmad, M.; Khan, I.H.; Akram, W.; Waheed, R.

1991-09-01

The isotopic and chemical studies were carried out in three regions of the Indus Basin to ascertain the source of salinity. Samples collected from the Faisalabad are in Rechna Doab, Chaj Doab and Mardan Valley, were analysed on mass spectrometer for D/H, 18O/16O and 34S/32S ratios. Electrical conductivities and pH measurements were made in situ while the analyses of various cations/anions were made in the laboratory. The isotopic results show that the salinity is mainly due to the dissolution of sediments salts by the infiltrating sweet water. The chemical data also support this conclusion. The rise in salinity is also partly due to the use of fertilizers and evaporation processes. (author)

Sulfate reduction controlled by organic matter availability in deep sediment cores from the saline, alkaline Lake Van (Eastern Anatolia, Turkey

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Clemens eGlombitza

2013-07-01

Full Text Available As part of the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP deep lake drilling project PaleoVan, we investigated sulfate reduction (SR in deep sediment cores of the saline, alkaline (salinity 21.4 ‰, alkalinity 155 m mEq-1, pH 9.81 Lake Van, Turkey. The cores were retrieved in the Northern Basin (NB and at Ahlat Ridge (AR and reached a maximum depth of 220 m. Additionally, 65-75 cm long gravity cores were taken at both sites. Sulfate reduction rates (SRR were low (≤ 22 nmol cm-3 d-1 compared to lakes with higher salinity and alkalinity, indicating that salinity and alkalinity are not limiting SR in Lake Van. Both sites differ significantly in rates and depth distribution of SR. In NB, SRR are up to 10 times higher than at AR. Sulfate reduction (SR could be detected down to 19 meters below lake floor (mblf at NB and down to 13 mblf at AR. Although SRR were lower at AR than at NB, organic matter (OM concentrations were higher. In contrast, dissolved OM in the pore water at AR contained more macromolecular OM and less low molecular weight OM. We thus suggest, that OM content alone cannot be used to infer microbial activity at Lake Van but that quality of OM has an important impact as well. These differences suggest that biogeochemical processes in lacustrine sediments are reacting very sensitively to small variations in geological, physical or chemical parameters over relatively short distances. 

DeepInfer: open-source deep learning deployment toolkit for image-guided therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Mehrtash, Alireza; Pesteie, Mehran; Hetherington, Jorden; Behringer, Peter A.; Kapur, Tina; Wells, William M.; Rohling, Robert; Fedorov, Andriy; Abolmaesumi, Purang

2017-03-01

Deep learning models have outperformed some of the previous state-of-the-art approaches in medical image analysis. Instead of using hand-engineered features, deep models attempt to automatically extract hierarchical representations at multiple levels of abstraction from the data. Therefore, deep models are usually considered to be more flexible and robust solutions for image analysis problems compared to conventional computer vision models. They have demonstrated significant improvements in computer-aided diagnosis and automatic medical image analysis applied to such tasks as image segmentation, classification and registration. However, deploying deep learning models often has a steep learning curve and requires detailed knowledge of various software packages. Thus, many deep models have not been integrated into the clinical research work ows causing a gap between the state-of-the-art machine learning in medical applications and evaluation in clinical research procedures. In this paper, we propose "DeepInfer" - an open-source toolkit for developing and deploying deep learning models within the 3D Slicer medical image analysis platform. Utilizing a repository of task-specific models, DeepInfer allows clinical researchers and biomedical engineers to deploy a trained model selected from the public registry, and apply it to new data without the need for software development or configuration. As two practical use cases, we demonstrate the application of DeepInfer in prostate segmentation for targeted MRI-guided biopsy and identification of the target plane in 3D ultrasound for spinal injections.

THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY CO2 STORAGE PROJECT - PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF DEEP SALINE RESERVOIRS AND COAL SEAMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael J. Mudd; Howard Johnson; Charles Christopher; T.S. Ramakrishnan, Ph.D.

2003-08-01

,100 ft above the basal sandstone and is 100-200 ft thick. The storage capacity estimates for a 20-mile radius from the injection well ranged from 39-78 million tons (Mt) for each formation. Several other oil and gas plays have hydraulic properties conducive for injection, but the formations are generally only 5-50 ft thick in the study area. Overlying the injection reservoirs are thick sequences of dense, impermeable dolomite, limestone, and shale. These layers provide containment above the potential injection reservoirs. In general, it appears that the containment layers are much thicker and extensive than the injection intervals. Other physical parameters for the study area appear to be typical for the region. Anticipated pressures at maximum depths are approximately 4,100 psi based on a 0.45 psi/ft pressure gradient. Temperatures are likely to be 150 F. Groundwater flow is slow and complex in deep formations. Regional flow directions appear to be toward the west-northwest at less than 1 ft per year within the basal sandstone. Vertical gradients are downward in the study area. A review of brine geochemistry indicates that formation fluids have high salinity and dissolved solids. Total dissolved solids ranges from 200,000-325,000 mg/L in the deep reservoirs. Brine chemistry is similar throughout the different formations, suggesting extensive mixing in a mature basin. Unconsolidated sediments in the Ohio River Valley are the primary source of drinking water in the study area.

Messinian Salinity Crisis' Primary Evaporites: the shallow gypsum vs. deep dolomite formation paradox solved

Science.gov (United States)

De Lange, G. J.; Krijgsman, W.

2015-12-01

The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) is a dramatic event that took place ~ 5.9 Ma ago, resulting in deposition of 1-3 km thick evaporites at the Mediterranean seafloor. A considerable, long-lasting controversy existed on the modes of their formation, including the observed shallow gypsum versus deep dolostone deposits for the early phase of MSC. The onset of MSC is marked by deposition of gypsum/sapropel-like alternations, thought to relate to arid/humid climate conditions at a precessional rhythm. Gypsum precipitation only occurred at marginal- and dolomite formation at deeper settings. A range of potential explanations was given, most of which cannot satisfactorily explain all observations. Biogeochemical processes during MSC are commonly neglected but may explain that different deposits formed in shallow vs deep environments without exceptional physical boundary conditions for each. A unifying mechanism is presented in which gypsum formation occurs at all shallow water depths but its preservation is limited to shallow sedimentary settings. In contrast, ongoing deep-basin anoxic organic matter (OM) degradation processes result in dolomite formation. Gypsum precipitation in evaporating seawater takes place at 3-7 times concentrated seawater; seawater is always oversaturated relative to dolomite but its formation is inhibited by the presence of dissolved sulphate. Thus conditions for formation of gypsum exclude those for formation of dolomite and vice versa. Another process linking the saturation states of gypsum and dolomite is that of OM degradation by sulphate reduction. In stagnant deep water, ongoing OM-degradation may result in reducing the sulphate and enhancing the dissolved carbonate content. Such low-sulphate / high carbonate conditions in MSC deepwater are. unfavorable for gypsum preservation and favorable for dolomite formation, and always coincide with anoxic, i.e. oxygen-free conditions. Including dynamic biogeochemical processes in the thusfar static

Sources of the deep water masses in the northern Red Sea

OpenAIRE

Said, M.A.

1998-01-01

The hydrographic structure of the northern Red Sea indicated that, the surface waters of temperature around 22°C, salinity of 40.1OO%o and dt = 28.1 might sink to depths between 400-500 m by convective overturn, contributing to the formation of the mid-deep Red Sea waters. Below the 500 db depth down to the bottom the water column is stable. The geostrophic circulation clearly indicated an inflow of water from the Red Sea towards NNW, along the main axis of the sea. Arriving at the nort...

Remote sensing for assessing the zone of benefit where deep drains improve productivity of land affected by shallow saline groundwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobryn, H T; Lantzke, R; Bell, R; Admiraal, R

2015-03-01

The installation of deep drains is an engineering approach to remediate land salinised by the influence of shallow groundwater. It is a costly treatment and its economic viability is, in part, dependent on the lateral extent to which the drain increases biological productivity by lowering water tables and soil salinity (referred to as the drains' zone of benefit). Such zones may be determined by assessing the biological productivity response of adjacent vegetation over time. We tested a multi-temporal satellite remote sensing method to analyse temporal and spatial changes in vegetation condition surrounding deep drainage sites at five locations in the Western Australian wheatbelt affected by dryland salinity-Morawa, Pithara, Beacon, Narembeen and Dumbleyung. Vegetation condition as a surrogate for biological productivity was assessed by Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) during the peak growing season. Analysis was at the site scale within a 1000 m buffer zone from the drains. There was clear evidence of NDVI increasing with elevation, slope and distance from the drain. After accounting for elevation, slope and distance from the drain, there was a significant increase in NDVI across the five locations after installation of deep drains. Changes in NDVI after drainage were broadly consistent with measured changes at each site in groundwater levels after installation of the deep drains. However, this study assessed the lateral extent of benefit for biological productivity and gave a measure of the area of benefit along the entire length of the drain. The method demonstrated the utility of spring NDVI images for rapid and relatively simple assessment of the change in site condition after implementation of drainage, but approaches for further improvement of the procedure were identified. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SEDS: THE SPITZER EXTENDED DEEP SURVEY. SURVEY DESIGN, PHOTOMETRY, AND DEEP IRAC SOURCE COUNTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashby, M. L. N.; Willner, S. P.; Fazio, G. G.; Huang, J.-S.; Hernquist, L.; Hora, J. L.; Arendt, R.; Barmby, P.; Barro, G.; Faber, S.; Guhathakurta, P.; Bell, E. F.; Bouwens, R.; Cattaneo, A.; Croton, D.; Davé, R.; Dunlop, J. S.; Egami, E.; Finlator, K.; Grogin, N. A.

2013-01-01

The Spitzer Extended Deep Survey (SEDS) is a very deep infrared survey within five well-known extragalactic science fields: the UKIDSS Ultra-Deep Survey, the Extended Chandra Deep Field South, COSMOS, the Hubble Deep Field North, and the Extended Groth Strip. SEDS covers a total area of 1.46 deg 2 to a depth of 26 AB mag (3σ) in both of the warm Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) bands at 3.6 and 4.5 μm. Because of its uniform depth of coverage in so many widely-separated fields, SEDS is subject to roughly 25% smaller errors due to cosmic variance than a single-field survey of the same size. SEDS was designed to detect and characterize galaxies from intermediate to high redshifts (z = 2-7) with a built-in means of assessing the impact of cosmic variance on the individual fields. Because the full SEDS depth was accumulated in at least three separate visits to each field, typically with six-month intervals between visits, SEDS also furnishes an opportunity to assess the infrared variability of faint objects. This paper describes the SEDS survey design, processing, and publicly-available data products. Deep IRAC counts for the more than 300,000 galaxies detected by SEDS are consistent with models based on known galaxy populations. Discrete IRAC sources contribute 5.6 ± 1.0 and 4.4 ± 0.8 nW m –2 sr –1 at 3.6 and 4.5 μm to the diffuse cosmic infrared background (CIB). IRAC sources cannot contribute more than half of the total CIB flux estimated from DIRBE data. Barring an unexpected error in the DIRBE flux estimates, half the CIB flux must therefore come from a diffuse component.

Primary Nutritional Content of Bio-Flocs Cultured with Different Organic Carbon Sources and Salinity

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JULIE EKASARI

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Application of bio-flocs technology (BFT in aquaculture offers a solution to avoid environmental impact of high nutrient discharges and to reduce the use of artificial feed. In BFT, excess of nutrients in aquaculture systems are converted into microbial biomass, which can be consumed by the cultured animals as a food source. In this experiment, upconcentrated pond water obtained from the drum filter of a freshwater tilapia farm was used for bio-flocs reactors. Two carbon sources, sugar and glycerol, were used as the first variable, and two different levels of salinity, 0 and 30 ppt, were used as the second variable. Bio-flocs with glycerol as a carbon source had higher total n-6 PUFAs (19.1 ± 2.1 and 22.3 ± 8.6 mg/g DW at 0 and 30 ppt, respectively than that of glucose (4.0 ± 0.1 and 12.6 ± 2.5 mg/g DW at 0 and 30 ppt. However, there was no effect of carbon source or salinity on crude protein, lipid, and total n-3 PUFAs contents of the bio-flocs.

Mapping deep aquifer salinity trends in the southern San Joaquin Valley using borehole geophysical data constrained by chemical analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Gillespie, J.; Shimabukuro, D.; Stephens, M.; Chang, W. H.; Ball, L. B.; Everett, R.; Metzger, L.; Landon, M. K.

2016-12-01

The California State Water Resources Control Board and the California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources are collaborating with the U.S. Geological Survey to map groundwater resources near oil fields and to assess potential interactions between oil and gas development and groundwater resources. Groundwater resources having salinity less than 10,000 mg/L total dissolved solids may be classified as Underground Sources of Drinking Water (USDW) and subject to protection under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. In this study, we use information from oil well borehole geophysical logs, oilfield produced water and groundwater chemistry data, and three-dimensional geologic surfaces to map the spatial distribution of salinity in aquifers near oil fields. Salinity in the southern San Joaquin Valley is controlled primarily by depth and location. The base of protected waters occurs at very shallow depths, often 1,500 meters, in the eastern part of the San Joaquin Valley where higher runoff from the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada provide relatively abundant aquifer recharge. Stratigraphy acts as a secondary control on salinity within these broader areas. Formations deposited in non-marine environments are generally fresher than marine deposits. Layers isolated vertically between confining beds and cut off from recharge sources may be more saline than underlying aquifers that outcrop in upland areas on the edge of the valley with more direct connection to regional recharge areas. The role of faulting is more ambiguous. In some areas, abrupt changes in salinity may be fault controlled but, more commonly, the faults serve as traps separating oil-bearing strata that are exempt from USDW regulations, from water-bearing strata that are not exempt.

Origins and processes of groundwater salinization in the urban coastal aquifers of Recife (Pernambuco, Brazil): A multi-isotope approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cary, Lise; Petelet-Giraud, Emmanuelle; Bertrand, Guillaume; Kloppmann, Wolfram; Aquilina, Luc; Martins, Veridiana; Hirata, Ricardo; Montenegro, Suzana; Pauwels, Hélène; Chatton, Eliot; Franzen, Melissa; Aurouet, Axel; Lasseur, Eric; Picot, Géraldine; Guerrot, Catherine; Fléhoc, Christine

2015-01-01

In the coastal multilayer aquifer system of a highly urbanized southern city (Recife, Brazil), where groundwaters are affected by salinization, a multi-isotope approach (Sr, B, O, H) was used to investigate the sources and processes of salinization. The high diversity of the geological bodies, built since the Atlantic opening during the Cretaceous, highly constrains the heterogeneity of the groundwater chemistry, e.g. Sr isotope ratios, and needs to be integrated to explain the salinization processes and groundwater pathways. A paleoseawater intrusion, most probably the 120 ky B.P. Pleistocene marine transgression, and cationic exchange are clearly evidenced in the most salinized parts of the Cabo and Beberibe aquifers. All 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values are above the past and present-day seawater signatures, meaning that the Sr isotopic signature is altered due to additional Sr inputs from dilution with different freshwaters, and water–rock interactions. Only the Cabo aquifer presents a well-delimitated area of Na-HCO 3 water typical of a freshening process. The two deep aquifers also display a broad range of B concentrations and B isotope ratios with values among the highest known to date (63–68.5‰). This suggests multiple sources and processes affecting B behavior, among which mixing with saline water, B sorption on clays and mixing with wastewater. The highly fractionated B isotopic values were explained by infiltration of relatively salty water with B interacting with clays, pointing out the major role played by (palaeo)-channels for the deep Beberibe aquifer recharge. Based on an increase of salinity at the end of the dry season, a present-day seawater intrusion is identified in the surficial Boa Viagem aquifer. Our conceptual model presents a comprehensive understanding of the major groundwater salinization pathways and processes, and should be of benefit for other southern Atlantic coastal aquifers to better address groundwater management issues. - Highlights: �

Effect of Different Alternate Irrigation Strategies using Saline and Non-Saline Water on Corn Yield, Salinity and Moisture Distribution in Soil Profile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Reza Kiani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Lack of water and deterioration in the quality of soil and water resources are considered to be the prime cause of reduced crop yield in arid and semi-arid regions ‘More crop per drop’ by trickle irrigation, deficit irrigation, and uncommon water are the best strategies for mitigating water crises. Different irrigation management strategies are needed to increase production in different areas. In areas where sufficient water is available, a full irrigation strategy could be a suitable option, while in areas where water is limited, deficit irrigation would be an appropriate method, and finally in areas where water resources are saline, management strategies for achieving sustainable production as well as economic yields would be suitable. Maize is the third most important grain crop in the world following wheat and rice and it is the main source of nutrition for humans and animals. Because of the importance of maize in the world, increasing maize production under environmental stresses is a big challenge for agricultural scientists. Different methods of irrigation and the use of saline water that had satisfactory results for increasing agricultural production have been studied by several investigators . The main objective of this study was to establish an efficient use of limited water resources as well as to explore the possibility of replacing saline water with fresh water using different management techniques. Materials and Methods: A field experiment was conducted over two maize cropping seasons (2012–2013 in northern Iran (Gorgan Agricultural Research Station to compare different alternate irrigation scenarios using saline water on corn yield, salinity and soil moisture distribution in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments were: T1 and T2 = 100 and 50 % of crop water requirement with non-saline water, respectively; T3 and T4 = variable and fixed full irrigation with saline and non-saline

Introduction: From pathogenesis to therapy, deep endometriosis remains a source of controversy.

Science.gov (United States)

Donnez, Jacques

2017-12-01

Deep endometriosis remains a source of controversy. A number of theories may explain its pathogenesis and many arguments support the hypothesis that genetic or epigenetic changes are a prerequisite for development of lesions into deep endometriosis. Deep endometriosis is frequently responsible for pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and/or deep dyspareunia, but can also cause obstetrical complications. Diagnosis may be improved by high-quality imaging. Therapeutic approaches are a source of contention as well. In this issue's Views and Reviews, medical and surgical strategies are discussed, and it is emphasized that treatment should be designed according to a patient's symptoms and individual needs. It is also vital that referral centers have the knowledge and experience to treat deep endometriosis medically and/or surgically. The debate must continue because emerging trends in therapy need to be followed and investigated for optimal management. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

XMM-Newton 13H deep field - I. X-ray sources

Science.gov (United States)

Loaring, N. S.; Dwelly, T.; Page, M. J.; Mason, K.; McHardy, I.; Gunn, K.; Moss, D.; Seymour, N.; Newsam, A. M.; Takata, T.; Sekguchi, K.; Sasseen, T.; Cordova, F.

2005-10-01

We present the results of a deep X-ray survey conducted with XMM-Newton, centred on the UK ROSAT13H deep field area. This region covers 0.18 deg2, and is the first of the two areas covered with XMM-Newton as part of an extensive multiwavelength survey designed to study the nature and evolution of the faint X-ray source population. We have produced detailed Monte Carlo simulations to obtain a quantitative characterization of the source detection procedure and to assess the reliability of the resultant sourcelist. We use the simulations to establish a likelihood threshold, above which we expect less than seven (3 per cent) of our sources to be spurious. We present the final catalogue of 225 sources. Within the central 9 arcmin, 68 per cent of source positions are accurate to 2 arcsec, making optical follow-up relatively straightforward. We construct the N(>S) relation in four energy bands: 0.2-0.5, 0.5-2, 2-5 and 5-10 keV. In all but our highest energy band we find that the source counts can be represented by a double power law with a bright-end slope consistent with the Euclidean case and a break around 10-14yergcm-2s-1. Below this flux, the counts exhibit a flattening. Our source counts reach densities of 700, 1300, 900 and 300 deg-2 at fluxes of 4.1 × 10-16,4.5 × 10-16,1.1 × 10-15 and 5.3 × 10-15ergcm-2s-1 in the 0.2-0.5, 0.5-2, 2-5 and 5-10 keV energy bands, respectively. We have compared our source counts with those in the two Chandra deep fields and Lockman hole, and found our source counts to be amongst the highest of these fields in all energy bands. We resolve >51 per cent (>50 per cent) of the X-ray background emission in the 1-2 keV (2-5 keV) energy bands.

Estimation of salinity power potential in India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Das, V.K.; RamaRaju, D.V.

Salinity gradient as a source of energy has much potential, but this has been recognized only recently. The energy density of this source is equivalent to about 250 m water head for a salinity difference of 35 ppt. This source exists...

Estuarine turbidity, flushing, salinity, and circulation

Science.gov (United States)

Pritchard, D. W.

1972-01-01

The effects of estuarine turbidity, flushing, salinity, and circulation on the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay are discussed. The sources of fresh water, the variations in salinity, and the circulation patterns created by temperature and salinity changes are analyzed. The application of remote sensors for long term observation of water temperatures is described. The sources of sediment and the biological effects resulting from increased sediments and siltation are identified.

Salinization of porewater in a multiple aquitard-aquifer system in Jiangsu coastal plain, China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Liang, Xing; Zhang, Yanian; Liu, Yan; Chen, Naijia; Abubakari, Alhassan; Jin, Menggui

2017-12-01

Chemical and isotopic compositions were analyzed in porewater squeezed from a clayey aquitard in Jiangsu coastal plain, eastern China, to interpret the salinity origin, chemical evolution and water-mass mixing process. A strong geochemical fingerprint was obtained with an aligned Cl/Br ratio of 154 in the salinized aquitard porewater over a wide Cl- concentration range (396-9,720 mg/L), indicating that porewater salinity is likely derived from a mixing with old brine with a proportion of less than 20%. Very small contributions of brine exerted limited effects on water stable isotopes. The relationships between porewater δ18O and δD indicate that shallow and intermediate porewaters could be original seawater and were subsequently diluted with modern meteoric water, whereas deep porewaters with depleted stable isotopic values were probably recharged during a cooler period and modified by evaporation and seawater infiltration. The cation-Cl relationship and mineralogy of associated strata indicate that porewater has been chemically modified by silicate weathering and ion-exchange reactions. 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7094-0.7112 further confirm the input source of silicate minerals. Numerical simulations were used to evaluate the long-term salinity evolution of the deep porewater. The alternations of boundary conditions (i.e., the third aquifer mixed with brine at approximately 70 ka BP, followed by recharge of glacial meltwater at 20-25 ka BP, and then mixing with Holocene seawater at 7-10 ka BP) are responsible for the shift in porewater salinity. These timeframes correspond with the results of previous studies on ancient marine transgression-regression in Jiangsu coastal plain.

Origins and processes of groundwater salinization in the urban coastal aquifers of Recife (Pernambuco, Brazil): A multi-isotope approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cary, Lise, E-mail: l.cary@brgm.fr [BRGM French Geological Survey, 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orléans Cedex 2 (France); Petelet-Giraud, Emmanuelle [BRGM French Geological Survey, 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orléans Cedex 2 (France); Bertrand, Guillaume [Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Lago, 562 Butantã, 05508-080 Sao Paulo (Brazil); Kloppmann, Wolfram [BRGM French Geological Survey, 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orléans Cedex 2 (France); Aquilina, Luc [OSUR-Géosciences Rennes, Université Rennes 1 — CNRS, 35000 Rennes (France); Martins, Veridiana; Hirata, Ricardo [Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Lago, 562 Butantã, 05508-080 Sao Paulo (Brazil); Montenegro, Suzana [Civil Engineering Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, 50740 Recife, PE Brazil (Brazil); Pauwels, Hélène [BRGM French Geological Survey, 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orléans Cedex 2 (France); Chatton, Eliot [OSUR-Géosciences Rennes, Université Rennes 1 — CNRS, 35000 Rennes (France); Franzen, Melissa [CPRM, Brazilian Geologic Survey, Avenida Sul 2291, Recife PE (Brazil); Aurouet, Axel [Géo-Hyd, 101 rue Jacques Charles, 45160 Olivet (France); Lasseur, Eric; Picot, Géraldine; Guerrot, Catherine; Fléhoc, Christine [BRGM French Geological Survey, 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orléans Cedex 2 (France); and others

2015-10-15

In the coastal multilayer aquifer system of a highly urbanized southern city (Recife, Brazil), where groundwaters are affected by salinization, a multi-isotope approach (Sr, B, O, H) was used to investigate the sources and processes of salinization. The high diversity of the geological bodies, built since the Atlantic opening during the Cretaceous, highly constrains the heterogeneity of the groundwater chemistry, e.g. Sr isotope ratios, and needs to be integrated to explain the salinization processes and groundwater pathways. A paleoseawater intrusion, most probably the 120 ky B.P. Pleistocene marine transgression, and cationic exchange are clearly evidenced in the most salinized parts of the Cabo and Beberibe aquifers. All {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr values are above the past and present-day seawater signatures, meaning that the Sr isotopic signature is altered due to additional Sr inputs from dilution with different freshwaters, and water–rock interactions. Only the Cabo aquifer presents a well-delimitated area of Na-HCO{sub 3} water typical of a freshening process. The two deep aquifers also display a broad range of B concentrations and B isotope ratios with values among the highest known to date (63–68.5‰). This suggests multiple sources and processes affecting B behavior, among which mixing with saline water, B sorption on clays and mixing with wastewater. The highly fractionated B isotopic values were explained by infiltration of relatively salty water with B interacting with clays, pointing out the major role played by (palaeo)-channels for the deep Beberibe aquifer recharge. Based on an increase of salinity at the end of the dry season, a present-day seawater intrusion is identified in the surficial Boa Viagem aquifer. Our conceptual model presents a comprehensive understanding of the major groundwater salinization pathways and processes, and should be of benefit for other southern Atlantic coastal aquifers to better address groundwater management issues

Response of balanites aegyptiaca (l.) del. var. aegyptiaca seedlings from three different sources to water and salinity stressess

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elfeel, A.A.; Abohassan, R.A.

2015-01-01

Water and salinity are main co-occurring stresses affecting plant growth and development in arid lands. In this study interactive effects of water and salinity stresses on Balanites aegyptiaca seedlings from three different sources (SD5.1, SD6.2 and KSA) were assessed in potted experiment under greenhouse conditions. The effect was measured on stomatal conductance (Gs), specific leaf area (SLA), seedling quality (Shoot to Root ratio (S/R), Dickson Quality Index (DQI) and Sturdiness Quotient (SQ)), Nutrient uptake (N content, K/Na and Ca/Na ratios) and growth. The seedlings were either watered twice a week (well watered) or every two weeks (water stressed), in addition to four salt concentrations (fresh water as control, 5 dS m-1, 7 dS m-1 and 9 dS m-1 EC). Water and salinity stresses resulted in reduced Gs, SLA, DQ, SQ and S/R, associated with lower height and root collar diameter. However, irrespective of salt concentration, water stressed seedlings displayed substantial reduction in Gs, indicating that Gs is among the most important water conservation strategy for this species. S/R also, remarkably decreased in water stressed seedlings, but, within watering treatment it was increased with increasing salt concentration. SLA and DQI were more affected by salinity stress, due to the increased leaf weight with increasing salinity. N content was more sensitive to water stress than salinity. Both Ca/Na and K/Na ratios were decreased with increasing salt concentration. The three sources exhibited significant variation in their response to water and salinity stresses. SD5.1 displayed higher values in most of studied traits. Gs and S/R may be considered as fitness responses of this species to water stress, while DQI, SLA and K/Na can serve as good indicators to measure response to salt stress. (author)

A review of theories on the origins of saline waters and brines in the Canadian Precambrian Shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bottomley, D.J.

1996-02-01

Groundwater at depths greater that 500 m in the Canadian Precambrian Shield is typically saline with a sodium-calcium/chloride chemical composition. Brines with dissolved solid concentrations exceeding 100 g/L have been encountered in several deep mines (>1000 m) on the Shield. Theories on the origins of these deep saline waters and brines can be grouped into two general categories: (1) autochthonous (in situ) origins attributable to silicate mineral hydrolysis over geologic time scales, leaching of fluid inclusions or radiolysis effects, and (2) allochthonous (external) sources caused by the infiltration of brine of modified seawater origins in the geologic past. Although the chemical and isotopic compositions of these waters clearly reflect the effects of reaction between the water and their silicate host rocks, it is unlikely that the high chlorinity of the brines is in an autochthonous attribute. It is proposed that the compositions of these brines are most compatible with the Paleozoic residual brine hypothesis of Spencer (1987). This theory invokes deep infiltration of a high-density residual brine, formed by the evaporation of seawater during Devonian time, into underlying Precambrian basement rocks where subsequent chemical modifications occurred. (author) 39 refs., 2 figs

Deep 20-GHz survey of the Chandra Deep Field South and SDSS Stripe 82: source catalogue and spectral properties

Science.gov (United States)

Franzen, Thomas M. O.; Sadler, Elaine M.; Chhetri, Rajan; Ekers, Ronald D.; Mahony, Elizabeth K.; Murphy, Tara; Norris, Ray P.; Waldram, Elizabeth M.; Whittam, Imogen H.

2014-04-01

We present a source catalogue and first results from a deep, blind radio survey carried out at 20 GHz with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, with follow-up observations at 5.5, 9 and 18 GHz. The Australia Telescope 20 GHz (AT20G) deep pilot survey covers a total area of 5 deg2 in the Chandra Deep Field South and in Stripe 82 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We estimate the survey to be 90 per cent complete above 2.5 mJy. Of the 85 sources detected, 55 per cent have steep spectra (α _{1.4}^{20} law spectra between 1.4 and 18 GHz, while the spectral indices of the flat- or inverted-spectrum sources tend to steepen with frequency. Among the 18 inverted-spectrum (α _{1.4}^{20} ≥ 0.0) sources, 10 have clearly defined peaks in their spectra with α _{1.4}^{5.5} > 0.15 and α 9^{18} Cambridge and Tenth Cambridge surveys: there is a shift towards a steeper-spectrum population when going from ˜1 Jy to ˜5 mJy, which is followed by a shift back towards a flatter-spectrum population below ˜5 mJy. The 5-GHz source-count model by Jackson & Wall, which only includes contributions from FRI and FRII sources, and star-forming galaxies, does not reproduce the observed flattening of the flat-spectrum counts below ˜5 mJy. It is therefore possible that another population of sources is contributing to this effect.

Dispersal from deep ocean sources: physical and related scientific processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, A.R.; Kupferman, S.L.

1985-02-01

This report presents the results of the workshop ''Dispersal from Deep Ocean Sources: Physical and Related Scientific Processes,'' together with subsequent developments and syntheses of the material discussed there. The project was undertaken to develop usable predictive descriptions of dispersal from deep oceanic sources. Relatively simple theoretical models embodying modern ocean physics were applied, and observational and experimental data bases were exploited. All known physical processes relevant to the dispersal of passive, conservative tracers were discussed, and contact points for inclusion of nonconservative processes (biological and chemical) were identified. Numerical estimates of the amplitude, space, and time scales of dispersion were made for various mechanisms that control the evolution of the dispersal as the material spreads from a bottom point source to small-, meso-, and world-ocean scales. Recommendations for additional work are given. The volume is presented as a handbook of dispersion processes. It is intended to be updated as new results become available

Seismic modeling of acid-gas injection in a deep saline reservoir

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ursenbach, C.P.; Lawton, D.C. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada). Dept. of Geoscience, Consortium for Research in Elastic Wave Exploration Seismology

2008-07-01

Carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) are common byproducts of the energy industry. As such, remediation studies are underway to determine the feasibility of sequestering these byproducts in subsurface reservoirs, including deep saline reservoirs. Acid gas injection at smaller gas wells holds promise. However, in order for such injection programs to work, the progress of the injection plume must be tracked. A modeling study of fluid substitution was carried out to gain insight into the ability of seismic monitoring to distinguish pre- and post-injection states of the reservoir medium. The purpose of this study was to carry out fluid substitution calculations for the modeling of an injection process. A methodology that may be applied or adapted to a variety of acid-gas injection scenarios was also developed. The general approach involved determining acoustic properties at reservoir temperature and pressure of relevant fluids; obtaining elastic properties of the reservoir rock for some reference saturated state, and the elastic properties of the mineral comprising it; and, determining the change in reservoir elastic properties due to fluid substitution via Gassmann's equation. Water, brine and non-aqueous acid gas were the 3 fluids of interest in this case. The feasibility of monitoring was judged by the sensitivity of travel times and reflection coefficients to fluid substitution. 4 refs., 2 figs.

Salinization and Saline Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Vengosh, A.

2003-12-01

, such as treated wastewater and agricultural drainage water. Two anthropogenic salinization cycles are introduced - the agricultural and the domestic cycles. Some useful geochemical fingerprinting tracers are also included for defining the sources of salinity. Finally, the chemical composition of future water resources is predicted, based on the chemical and isotopic fractionation associated with remediation and desalination.

Saline sewage treatment and source separation of urine for more sustainable urban water management.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekama, G A; Wilsenach, J A; Chen, G H

2011-01-01

While energy consumption and its associated carbon emission should be minimized in wastewater treatment, it has a much lower priority than human and environmental health, which are both closely related to efficient water quality management. So conservation of surface water quality and quantity are more important for sustainable development than green house gas (GHG) emissions per se. In this paper, two urban water management strategies to conserve fresh water quality and quantity are considered: (1) source separation of urine for improved water quality and (2) saline (e.g. sea) water toilet flushing for reduced fresh water consumption in coastal and mining cities. The former holds promise for simpler and shorter sludge age activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (no nitrification and denitrification), nutrient (Mg, K, P) recovery and improved effluent quality (reduced endocrine disruptor and environmental oestrogen concentrations) and the latter for significantly reduced fresh water consumption, sludge production and oxygen demand (through using anaerobic bioprocesses) and hence energy consumption. Combining source separation of urine and saline water toilet flushing can reduce sewer crown corrosion and reduce effluent P concentrations. To realize the advantages of these two approaches will require significant urban water management changes in that both need dual (fresh and saline) water distribution and (yellow and grey/brown) wastewater collection systems. While considerable work is still required to evaluate these new approaches and quantify their advantages and disadvantages, it would appear that the investment for dual water distribution and wastewater collection systems may be worth making to unlock their benefits for more sustainable urban development.

Hydrochemical Characteristics and Formation of the Saline or Salty Springs in Eastern Sichuan Basin of China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, X.

2017-12-01

Saline or salty springs provide important information on the hydrogeochemical processes and hydrology within subsurface aquifers. More than 20 saline and salty springs occur in the core of anticlines in the eastern Sichuan Basin in southwestern China where the Lower and Middle Triassic carbonates outcrop. Water samples of 8 saline and salty springs (including one saline hot spring) were collected for analyses of the major and minor constituents, trace elements and stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes. The TDS of the springs range from 4 to 83 g/L, and they are mainly of Cl-Na type. Sr, Ba and Li are the predominant trace elements. The δ2H and δ18O of the water samples indicate that they are of meteoric origin. The source of salinity of the springs originates from dissolution of minerals in the carbonates, including halite, gypsum, calcite and dolomite. The formation mechanism of the springs is that groundwater receives recharge from infiltration of precipitation, undergoes shallow or deep circulation in the core of the anticline and incongruent dissolution of the salt-bearing carbonates occurs, and emerges in the river valley in the form of springs with relatively high TDS. The 8 springs can be classified into 4 springs of shallow groundwater circulation and 4 springs of deep groundwater circulation according to the depth of groundwater circulation, 7 springs of normal temperature and 1 hot spring according to temperature. There are also 2 up-flow springs: the carbonate aquifers are overlain by relatively impervious sandstone and shale, groundwater may flows up to the ground surface through the local portion of the overlying aquiclude where fractures were relatively well developed, and emerges as an up-flow spring. Knowledge of the hydrochemical characteristics and the geneses of the saline and salty springs are of important significance for the utilization and preservation of the springs.

Groundwater quality for irrigation of deep aquifer in southwestern zone of Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirza A.T.M. Tanvir Rahman

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In coastal regions of Bangladesh, sources of irrigation are rain, surface and groundwater. Due to rainfall anomaly andsaline contamination, it is important to identify deep groundwater that is eligible for irrigation. The main goal of the study wasto identify deep groundwater which is suitable for irrigation. Satkhira Sadar Upazila, at the southwestern coastal zone ofBangladesh, was the study area, which was divided into North, Center and South zones. Twenty samples of groundwaterwere analyzed for salinity (0.65-4.79 ppt, sodium absorption ratio (1.14-11.62, soluble sodium percentage (32.95-82.21, electricalconductivity (614-2082.11 μS/cm, magnesium adsorption ratio (21.96-26.97, Kelly’s ratio (0.48-4.62, total hardness(150.76-313.33 mg/l, permeability index (68.02-94.16 and residual sodium bi-carbonate (79.68-230.72 mg/l. Chemical constituentsand values were compared with national and international standards. Northern deep groundwater has the highest salinityand chemical concentrations. Salinity and other chemical concentrations show a decreasing trend towards the south. Lowchemical concentrations in the southern region indicate the best quality groundwater for irrigation.

Modeling carbon dioxide sequestration in saline aquifers: Significance of elevated pressures and salinities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, D.E.; Strazisar, B.R.; Soong, Y.; Hedges, S.W.

2005-01-01

The ultimate capacity of saline formations to sequester carbon dioxide by solubility and mineral trapping must be determined by simulating sequestration with geochemical models. These models, however, are only as reliable as the data and reaction scheme on which they are based. Several models have been used to make estimates of carbon dioxide solubility and mineral formation as a function of pressure and fluid composition. Intercomparison of modeling results indicates that failure to adjust all equilibrium constants to account for elevated carbon dioxide pressures results in significant errors in both solubility and mineral formation estimates. Absence of experimental data at high carbon dioxide pressures and high salinities make verification of model results difficult. Results indicate standalone solubility models that do not take mineral reactions into account will underestimate the total capacity of aquifers to sequester carbon dioxide in the long term through enhanced solubility and mineral trapping mechanisms. Overall, it is difficult to confidently predict the ultimate sequestration capacity of deep saline aquifers using geochemical models. (author)

Desalination Economic Evaluation Program (DEEP-3.0). User's manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

DEEP is a Desalination Economic Evaluation Program developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and made freely available for download, under a license agreement (www.iaea.org/nucleardesalination). The program is based on linked Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and can be useful for evaluating desalination strategies by calculating estimates of technical performance and costs for various alternative energy and desalination technology configurations. Desalination technology options modelled, include multi-stage flashing (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED), reverse osmosis (RO) and hybrid options (RO-MSF, RO-MED) while energy source options include nuclear, fossil, renewables and grid electricity (stand-alone RO). Version 3 of DEEP (DEEP 3.0) features important changes from previous versions, including upgrades in thermal and membrane performance and costing models, the coupling configuration matrix and the user interface. Changes in the thermal performance model include a revision of the gain output ratio (GOR) calculation and its generalization to include thermal vapour compression effects. Since energy costs continue to represent an important fraction of seawater desalination costs, the lost shaft work model has been generalized to properly account for both backpressure and extraction systems. For RO systems, changes include improved modelling of system recovery, feed pressure and permeate salinity, taking into account temperature, feed salinity and fouling correction factors. The upgrade to the coupling technology configuration matrix includes a re-categorization of the energy sources to follow turbine design (steam vs. gas) and cogeneration features (dual-purpose vs. heat-only). In addition, cost data has also been updated to reflect current practice and the user interface has been refurbished and made user-friendlier

Saline-water intrusion related to well construction in Lee County, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Boggess, Durward Hoye; Missimer, T.M.; O'Donnell, T. H.

1977-01-01

Ground water is the principle source of water supply in Lee County, Florida where an estimated 30,000 wells have been drilled since 1990. These wells ranges in depth from about 10 to 1,240 feet and tap the water table aquifer or one or more of the artesian water-bearing units or zones in the Tamiami Formation, the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation, the lower part of the Hawthorn Formation and the Tampa Limestone and the Suwannee Limestone. Before 1968, nearly all wells were constructed with galvanized or black iron pipe. Many of these wells are sources of saline-water intrusion into freshwater-bearing zones. The water-bearing zones in the lower part of the Hawthorn Formation, Tampa Limestone, and Suwannee Limestone are artesian-they have higher water levels and usually contain water with a higher concentration of dissolved solids than do the aquifers occurring at shallower depths. The water from these deeper aquifers generally range in dissolved solids concentration from about 1,500 to 2,400 mg/L, and in chloride from about 500 to 1,00 mg/L. A maximum chloride concentration of 15,200 mg/L has been determined. Few of the 3,00 wells estimated to have been drilled to these zones contain sufficient casing to prevent upward flow into overlaying water-bearing zones. Because of water-level differentials, upward movement and lateral intrusion of saline water occurs principally into the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation where the chloride concentrations in water unaffected by saline-water intrusion ranges from about 80 to 150 mg/L. Where intrusion from deep artesian zones has occurred, the chloride concentration in water from the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation ranges from about 300 to more than 2,100 mg/L Surface discharges of the saline water from wells tapping the lower part of the Hawthorn Formation and the Suwannee Limestone also had affected the water-table aquifer which normally contains water with 10 to 50 mg/L of chloride. In one area, the chloride

Numerical Simulation of Borehole Flow in Deep Monitor Wells, Pearl Harbor Aquifer, Oahu, Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Rotzoll, K.; Oki, D. S.; El-Kadi, A. I.

2010-12-01

Salinity profiles collected from uncased deep monitor wells are commonly used to monitor freshwater-lens thickness in coastal aquifers. However, vertical flow in these wells can cause the measured salinity to differ from salinity in the adjacent aquifer. Substantial borehole flow has been observed in uncased wells in the Pearl Harbor aquifer, Oahu, Hawaii. A numerical modeling approach, incorporating aquifer hydraulic characteristics and recharge rates representative of the Pearl Harbor aquifer, was used to evaluate the effects of borehole flow on measured salinity profiles from deep monitor wells. Borehole flow caused by vertical hydraulic gradients associated with the natural regional groundwater-flow system and local groundwater withdrawals was simulated. Model results were used to estimate differences between vertical salinity profiles in deep monitor wells and the adjacent aquifer in areas of downward, horizontal, and upward flow within the regional flow system—for cases with and without nearby pumped wells. Aquifer heterogeneity, represented in the model as layers of contrasting permeability, was incorporated in model scenarios. Results from this study provide insight into the magnitude of the differences between vertical salinity profiles from deep monitor wells and the salinity distributions in the aquifers. These insights are relevant and are critically needed for management and predictive modeling purposes.

Deep Ocean Contribution to Sea Level Rise

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, L.; Sun, W.; Tang, H.; Wang, Q.

2017-12-01

The ocean temperature and salinity change in the upper 2000m can be detected by Argo floats, so we can know the steric height change of the ocean. But the ocean layers above 2000m represent only 50% of the total ocean volume. Although the temperature and salinity change are small compared to the upper ocean, the deep ocean contribution to sea level might be significant because of its large volume. There has been some research on the deep ocean rely on the very sparse situ observation and are limited to decadal and longer-term rates of change. The available observational data in the deep ocean are too spares to determine the temporal variability, and the long-term changes may have a bias. We will use the Argo date and combine the situ data and topographic data to estimate the temperature and salinity of the sea water below 2000m, so we can obtain a monthly data. We will analyze the seasonal and annual change of the steric height change due to the deep ocean between 2005 and 2016. And we will evaluate the result combination the present-day satellite and in situ observing systems. The deep ocean contribution can be inferred indirectly as the difference between the altimetry minus GRACE and Argo-based steric sea level.

Global dust sources detection using MODIS Deep Blue Collection 6 aerosol products

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez García-Pando, C.; Ginoux, P. A.

2015-12-01

Our understanding of the global dust cycle is limited by a dearth of information about dust sources, especially small-scale features which could account for a large fraction of global emissions. Remote sensing sensors are the most useful tool to locate dust sources. These sensors include microwaves, visible channels, and lidar. On the global scale, major dust source regions have been identified using polar orbiting satellite instruments. The MODIS Deep Blue algorithm has been particularly useful to detect small-scale sources such as floodplains, alluvial fans, rivers, and wadis , as well as to identify anthropogenic sources from agriculture. The recent release of Collection 6 MODIS aerosol products allows to extend dust source detection to the entire land surfaces, which is quite useful to identify mid to high latitude dust sources and detect not only dust from agriculture but fugitive dust from transport and industrial activities. This presentation will overview the advantages and drawbacks of using MODIS Deep Blue for dust detection, compare to other instruments (polar orbiting and geostationary). The results of Collection 6 with a new dust screening will be compared against AERONET. Applications to long range transport of anthropogenic dust will be presented.

The origin of groundwater salinity in granitic rocks: identification and characterisation of chloride sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savoye, Sebastien

1998-01-01

This research thesis aims at clearly identifying the possible origins of chlorine in solution in underground waters in a granitic environment, and is thus a first step in the prediction of concentration of dissolved compounds in waters in crystalline environment, with respect to the geological context. In a first part, the author proposes a synthetic and critical overview of knowledge and previous studies: definition of the term 'salinity', presentation of geochemical tracers, presentation of available data on potential chlorine sources in granitic rocks. The author then describes the experimental protocols and studied sites, reports results of the characterisation of different chlorine tanks performed on samples from each studied site. Based on mass assessment calculations and on the use of tracers, the author finally discusses the contribution of each of the chlorine tanks to the salinity of underground waters [fr

Deep UV Semiconductor Sources for Advanced Planetary Science Instruments, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This proposal addresses the need for miniature, narrow-linewidth, deep UV optical sources that operate at very low ambient temperatures for use in advanced in situ...

Beamspace dual signal space projection (bDSSP): a method for selective detection of deep sources in MEG measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Sekihara, Kensuke; Adachi, Yoshiaki; Kubota, Hiroshi K.; Cai, Chang; Nagarajan, Srikantan S.

2018-06-01

Objective. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has a well-recognized weakness at detecting deeper brain activities. This paper proposes a novel algorithm for selective detection of deep sources by suppressing interference signals from superficial sources in MEG measurements. Approach. The proposed algorithm combines the beamspace preprocessing method with the dual signal space projection (DSSP) interference suppression method. A prerequisite of the proposed algorithm is prior knowledge of the location of the deep sources. The proposed algorithm first derives the basis vectors that span a local region just covering the locations of the deep sources. It then estimates the time-domain signal subspace of the superficial sources by using the projector composed of these basis vectors. Signals from the deep sources are extracted by projecting the row space of the data matrix onto the direction orthogonal to the signal subspace of the superficial sources. Main results. Compared with the previously proposed beamspace signal space separation (SSS) method, the proposed algorithm is capable of suppressing much stronger interference from superficial sources. This capability is demonstrated in our computer simulation as well as experiments using phantom data. Significance. The proposed bDSSP algorithm can be a powerful tool in studies of physiological functions of midbrain and deep brain structures.

Salinity Trends in the Upper Colorado River Basin Upstream From the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit, Colorado, 1986-2003

Science.gov (United States)

Leib, Kenneth J.; Bauch, Nancy J.

2008-01-01

Salinity Control Unit was 10,700 tons/year. This accounts for approximately 27 percent of the decrease observed downstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Salinity loads were decreasing at the fastest rate (6,950 tons/year) in Region 4, which drains an area between the Colorado River at Cameo, Colorado (station CAMEO) and Colorado River above Glenwood Springs, Colorado (station GLEN) streamflow-gaging stations. Trends in salinity concentration and streamflow were tested at station CAMEO to determine if salinity concentration, streamflow, or both are controlling salinity loads upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Trend tests of individual ion concentrations were included as potential indicators of what sources (based on mineral composition) may be controlling trends in the upper Colorado. No significant trend was detected for streamflow from 1986 to 2003 at station CAMEO; however, a significant downward trend was detected for salinity concentration. The trend slope indicates that salinity concentration is decreasing at a median rate of about 3.54 milligrams per liter per year. Five major ions (calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate, and chloride) were tested for trends. The results indicate that processes within source areas with rock and soil types (or other unidentified sources) bearing calcium, sodium, and sulfate had the largest effect on the downward trend in salinity load upstream from station CAMEO. Downward trends in salinity load resulting from ground-water sources and/or land-use change were thought to be possible reasons for the observed decreases in salinity loads; however, the cause or causes of the decreasing salinity loads are not fully understood. A reduction in the amount of ground-water percolation from Region 4 (resulting from work done through Federal irrigation system improvement programs as well as privately funded irrigation system improvements) has helped reduce annual salinity load from Region 4 by approxima

Experimental investigation of geochemical and mineralogical effects of CO2 sequestration on flow characteristics of reservoir rock in deep saline aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Rathnaweera, T. D.; Ranjith, P. G.; Perera, M. S. A.

2016-01-01

Interactions between injected CO2, brine, and rock during CO2 sequestration in deep saline aquifers alter their natural hydro-mechanical properties, affecting the safety, and efficiency of the sequestration process. This study aims to identify such interaction-induced mineralogical changes in aquifers, and in particular their impact on the reservoir rock’s flow characteristics. Sandstone samples were first exposed for 1.5 years to a mixture of brine and super-critical CO2 (scCO2), then tested to determine their altered geochemical and mineralogical properties. Changes caused uniquely by CO2 were identified by comparison with samples exposed over a similar period to either plain brine or brine saturated with N2. The results show that long-term reaction with CO2 causes a significant pH drop in the saline pore fluid, clearly due to carbonic acid (as dissolved CO2) in the brine. Free H+ ions released into the pore fluid alter the mineralogical structure of the rock formation, through the dissolution of minerals such as calcite, siderite, barite, and quartz. Long-term CO2 injection also creates a significant CO2 drying-out effect and crystals of salt (NaCl) precipitate in the system, further changing the pore structure. Such mineralogical alterations significantly affect the saline aquifer’s permeability, with important practical consequences for the sequestration process. PMID:26785912

A study of wild tomatoes endemic to the Galapagos Islands as a source for salinity tolerance traits

KAUST Repository

Pailles Galvez, Claudia Yveline

2017-11-01

Salinity is a major concern in agriculture since it adversely affects plant growth, development, and yield. Domestication of crops exerted strong selective pressure and reduced their genetic diversity. Meanwhile, wild species continued to adapt to their environment becoming valuable sources of genetic variation, with the potential for enhancing modern crops performance in today’s changing climate. Some wild species are found in highly saline environments; remarkable examples are the endemic wild tomatoes from the Galapagos Islands, forming the Solanum cheesmaniae and Solanum galapagense species (hereafter termed Galapagos tomatoes). These wild tomatoes adapted to thrive in the coastal regions of the Galapagos Islands. The present work includes a thorough characterization of a collection of 67 accessions of Galapagos tomatoes obtained from the Tomato Genetics Resource Center (TGRC). Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) was performed to establish the population structure and genetic distance within the germplasm collection. Both species were genetically differentiated, and a substructure was found in S. cheesmaniae dividing the accessions in two groups based on their origin: eastern and western islands. Phenotypic studies were performed at the seedling stage, subjecting seedlings to 200 mM NaCl for 10 days. Various traits were recorded and analysed for their contribution to salinity tolerance, compared to control conditions. Large natural variation was found across the collection in terms of salt stress responses and different possible salt tolerant mechanisms were identified. Six accessions were selected for further work, based on their good performance under salinity. This experiment included scoring several plant growth and yield-related traits, as well as RNA sequencing (RNAseq) at the fruit-ripening stage, under three different NaCl concentrations. Accession LA0421 showed an increased yield of almost 50% in mild salinity (150 mM NaCl) compared to control conditions

Leveraging Machine Learning to Estimate Soil Salinity through Satellite-Based Remote Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Welle, P.; Ravanbakhsh, S.; Póczos, B.; Mauter, M.

2016-12-01

Human-induced salinization of agricultural soils is a growing problem which now affects an estimated 76 million hectares and causes billions of dollars of lost agricultural revenues annually. While there are indications that soil salinization is increasing in extent, current assessments of global salinity levels are outdated and rely heavily on expert opinion due to the prohibitive cost of a worldwide sampling campaign. A more practical alternative to field sampling may be earth observation through remote sensing, which takes advantage of the distinct spectral signature of salts in order to estimate soil conductivity. Recent efforts to map salinity using remote sensing have been met with limited success due to tractability issues of managing the computational load associated with large amounts of satellite data. In this study, we use Google Earth Engine to create composite satellite soil datasets, which combine data from multiple sources and sensors. These composite datasets contain pixel-level surface reflectance values for dates in which the algorithm is most confident that the surface contains bare soil. We leverage the detailed soil maps created and updated by the United States Geological Survey as label data and apply machine learning regression techniques such as Gaussian processes to learn a smooth mapping from surface reflection to noisy estimates of salinity. We also explore a semi-supervised approach using deep generative convolutional networks to leverage the abundance of unlabeled satellite images in producing better estimates for salinity values where we have relatively fewer measurements across the globe. The general method results in two significant contributions: (1) an algorithm that can be used to predict levels of soil salinity in regions without detailed soil maps and (2) a general framework that serves as an example for how remote sensing can be paired with extensive label data to generate methods for prediction of physical phenomenon.

Plume Migration of Different Carbon Dioxide Phases During Geological Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chien-Hao Shen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study estimates the plume migration of mobile supercritical phase (flowing, aqueous phase (dissolved, and ionic phase CO2 (bicarbonate, and evaluates the spatial distribution of immobile supercritical phase (residual and mineral phase CO2 (carbonates when CO2 was sequestered. This utilized a simulation, in an anticline structure of a deep saline aquifer in the Tiechenshan (TCS field, Taiwan. All of the trapping mechanisms and different CO2 phases were studied using the fully coupled geochemical equation-of-state GEM compositional simulator. The mobile supercritical phase CO2 moved upward and then accumulated in the up-dip of the structure because of buoyancy. A large amount of immobile supercritical phase CO2 was formed at the rear of the moving plume where the imbibition process prevailed. Both the aqueous and ionic phase CO2 finally accumulated in the down-dip of the structure because of convection. The plume volume of aqueous phase CO2 was larger than that of the supercritical phase CO2, because the convection process increased vertical sweep efficiency. The up-dip of the structure was not the major location for mineralization, which is different from mobile supercritical phase CO2 accumulation.

Drinking cholera: salinity levels and palatability of drinking water in coastal Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Stephen Lawrence; Tamason, Charlotte Crim; Hoque, Bilqis Amin; Jensen, Peter Kjaer Mackie

2015-04-01

To measure the salinity levels of common water sources in coastal Bangladesh and explore perceptions of water palatability among the local population to investigate the plausibility of linking cholera outbreaks in Bangladesh with ingestion of saline-rich cholera-infected river water. Hundred participants took part in a taste-testing experiment of water with varying levels of salinity. Salinity measurements were taken of both drinking and non-drinking water sources. Informal group discussions were conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of water sources and water uses. Salinity levels of non-drinking water sources suggest that the conditions for Vibrio cholerae survival exist 7-8 days within the local aquatic environment. However, 96% of participants in the taste-testing experiment reported that they would never drink water with salinity levels that would be conducive to V. cholerae survival. Furthermore, salinity levels of participant's drinking water sources were all well below the levels required for optimal survival of V. cholerae. Respondents explained that they preferred less salty and more aesthetically pleasing drinking water. Theoretically, V. cholerae can survive in the river systems in Bangladesh; however, water sources which have been contaminated with river water are avoided as potential drinking water sources. Furthermore, there are no physical connecting points between the river system and drinking water sources among the study population, indicating that the primary driver for cholera cases in Bangladesh is likely not through the contamination of saline-rich river water into drinking water sources. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Origin of Boron and Brine Evolution in Saline Springs in the Nangqen Basin, Southern Tibetan Plateau

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Ji-long Han

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Nangqen Basin is a typical shearing-extensional basin situated in the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau. It contains abundant saline spring resources and abnormal trace element enrichments. The hydrochemical molar ratios (Na/Cl, B/Cl, and Br/Cl, H-O isotopes, and B isotopes of the saline spring were systematically measured to describe the evolution of brines and the origin of the boron. The sodium chloride coefficient of the water samples in this area is around 1.0 or slightly greater, which is characteristic of leached brines; the highest B/Cl value is 4.25 (greater than that of seawater. The Na/Cl, B/Cl, and Br/Cl values of the springs are clear indicators of a crustal origin. The δ18O values of the spring waters range from −12.88‰ to −16.05‰, and the δD values range from −100.91‰ to −132.98‰. Meanwhile the B content and B isotopes in the saline springs are in the ranges of 1.00 to 575.56 ppm and +3.55‰ to +29.59‰, respectively. It has been proven that the saline springs in the Nangqen Basin are a type of leached brine, suggesting that the saline springs have a terrestrial origin. The δ11B-B characteristics of the springs are similar to those observed in the Tibetan geothermal area, indicating that these two places have the same B source. Moreover, they have a crustal origin (marine carbonate rocks and volcanic rocks instead of a deep mantle source.

Hydrogeochemical characteristics and sources of salinity of the springs near Wenquanzhen in the eastern Sichuan Basin, China

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Juan; Zhou, Xun; Wang, Lidong; Zhang, Yuqi; Shen, Xiaowei; Zhou, Haiyan; Ye, Shen; Fang, Bin

2017-12-01

Natural springs have the potential to provide important information on hydrogeochemical processes within aquifers. This study used traditional and classic technical methods and procedures to determine the characteristics and evolution of springs to gain further knowledge on the differences between hot saline springs and cold fresh springs. In a short river segment near Wenquanzhen in the eastern Sichuan Basin, southwest China, several natural springs coexist with total dissolved solids (TDS) ranging from less than 1 to 15 g/L and temperatures from 15 to 40 °C. The springs emanate from the outcropping Lower and Middle Triassic carbonates in the river valley cutting the core of an anticline. The cold springs are of Cl·HCO3-Na·Ca and Cl·SO4-Na types, and the hot saline springs are mainly of Cl-Na type. The chemistry of the springs has undergone some changes with time. The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes indicate that the spring waters are of a meteoric origin. The salinity of the springs originates from dissolution of minerals, including halite, gypsum, calcite and dolomite. The evolution of the springs involves the following mechanisms: the groundwater receives recharge from infiltration of precipitation, then undergoes deep circulation in the core of the anticline (incongruent dissolution of the salt-bearing strata occurs), and emerges in the river valley in the form of hot springs with high TDS. Groundwater also undergoes shallow circulation in the northern and southern flanks of the anticline and appears in the river valley in the form of cold springs with low TDS.

The hydrography of the Mozambique Channel from six years of continuous temperature, salinity, and velocity observations

Science.gov (United States)

Ullgren, J. E.; van Aken, H. M.; Ridderinkhof, H.; de Ruijter, W. P. M.

2012-11-01

Temperature, salinity and velocity data are presented, along with the estimated volume transport, from seven full-length deep sea moorings placed across the narrowest part of the Mozambique Channel, southwest Indian Ocean, during the period November 2003 to December 2009. The dominant water mass in the upper layer is Sub-Tropical Surface Water (STSW) which overlies South Indian Central Water (SICW), and is normally capped by fresher Tropical Surface Water (TSW). Upper ocean salinity increased through 2005 as a result of saline STSW taking up a relatively larger part of the upper layer, at the expense of TSW. Upper waters are on average warmer and lighter in the central Channel than on the sides. Throughout the upper 1.5 km of the water column there is large hydrographic variability, short-term as well as interannual, and in particular at frequencies (four to seven cycles per year) associated with the southward passage of anticyclonic Mozambique Channel eddies. The eddies have a strong T-S signal, in the upper and central waters as well as on the intermediate level, as the eddies usually carry saline Red Sea Water (RSW) in their core. While the interannual frequency band displays an east-west gradient with higher temperature variance on the western side, the eddy frequency band shows highest variance in the centre of the Channel, where the eddy band contains about 40% of the total isopycnal hydrographic variability. Throughout the >6 years of measurements, the frequency and characteristics of eddies vary between periods, both in terms of strength and vertical structure of eddy T-S signals. These changes contribute to the interannual variability of water mass properties: an increase in central water salinity to a maximum in late 2007 coincided with a period of unusually frequent eddies with strong salinity signals. The warmest and most saline deep water is found within the northward flowing Mozambique Undercurrent, on the western side of the Channel. The Undercurrent

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis in the Hepatopancreas Tissue of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei Fed Different Lipid Sources at Low Salinity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Chen

Full Text Available RNA-seq was used to compare the transcriptomic response of hepatopancreas in juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei fed three diets with different lipid sources, including beef tallow (BT, fish oil (FO, and an equal combination of soybean oil + BT + linseed oil (SBL for 8 weeks at 3 practical salinity unit (psu. A total of 9622 isogenes were annotated in 316 KEGG pathways and 39, 42 and 32 pathways significantly changed in the paired comparisons of FO vs SBL, BT vs SBL, or FO vs BT, respectively. The pathways of glycerolipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid elongation, fatty acid degradation, and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid were significantly changed in all paired comparisons between dietary lipid sources, and the pathways of glycerolipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism significantly changed in the FO vs SBL and BT vs SBL comparisons. These pathways are associated with energy metabolism and cell membrane structure. The results indicate that lipids sources affect the adaptation of L. vannamei to low salinity by providing extra energy or specific fatty acids to change gill membrane structure and control iron balance. The results of this study lay a foundation for further understanding lipid or fatty acid metabolism in L. vannamei at low salinity.

Infrared Faint Radio Sources in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South

Science.gov (United States)

Huynh, Minh T.

2009-01-01

Infrared-Faint Radio Sources (IFRSs) are a class of radio objects found in the Australia Telescope Large Area Survey (ATLAS) which have no observable counterpart in the Spitzer Wide-area Infrared Extragalactic Survey (SWIRE). The extended Chandra Deep Field South now has even deeper Spitzer imaging (3.6 to 70 micron) from a number of Legacy surveys. We report the detections of two IFRS sources in IRAC images. The non-detection of two other IFRSs allows us to constrain the source type. Detailed modeling of the SED of these objects shows that they are consistent with high redshift AGN (z > 2).

Irrigation salinity hazard assessment and risk mapping in the lower Macintyre Valley, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jingyi; Prochazka, Melissa J; Triantafilis, John

2016-05-01

In the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia, secondary soil salinization occurs due to excessive deep drainage and the presence of shallow saline water tables. In order to understand the cause and best management, soil and vadose zone information is necessary. This type of information has been generated in the Toobeah district but owing to the state border an inconsistent methodology was used. This has led to much confusion from stakeholders who are unable to understand the ambiguity of the results in terms of final overall risk of salinization. In this research, a digital soil mapping method that employs various ancillary data is presented. Firstly, an electromagnetic induction survey using a Geonics EM34 and EM38 was used to characterise soil and vadose zone stratigraphy. From the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) collected, soil sampling locations were selected and with laboratory analysis carried out to determine average (2-12m) clay and EC of a saturated soil-paste extract (ECe). EM34 ECa, land surface parameters derived from a digital elevation model and measured soil data were used to establish multiple linear regression models, which allowed for mapping of various hazard factors, including clay and ECe. EM38 ECa data were calibrated to deep drainage obtained from Salt and Leaching Fraction (SaLF) modelling of soil data. Expert knowledge and indicator kriging were used to determine critical values where the salinity hazard factors were likely to contribute to a shallow saline water table (i.e., clay ≤35%; ECe>2.5dS/m, and deep drainage >100mm/year). This information was combined to produce an overall salinity risk map for the Toobeah district using indicator kriging. The risk map shows potential salinization areas and where detailed information is required and where targeted research can be conducted to monitor soil conditions and water table heights and determine best management strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evidence for Upward Flow of Saline Water from Depth into the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer in Southeastern Arkansas

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, D.; Paul, J.

2017-12-01

Groundwater salinization is occurring in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial (MRVA) aquifer in southeastern Arkansas (SE AR). Water samples from the MRVA aquifer in Chicot and Desha counties have yielded elevated Cl-concentrations with some as high as 1,639 mg/L. Considering that the MRVA aquifer is the principle source of irrigation water for the agricultural economy of SE AR, salinization needs to be addressed to ensure the sustainability of crop, groundwater, and soil resources in the area. The origin of elevated salinity in MRVA aquifer was investigated using spatial and factor analysis of historical water quality data, and sampling and tracer analysis of groundwater from irrigation, municipal, and flowing industrial wells in SE AR. Spatial analysis of Cl- data in relation to soil type, geomorphic features and sand-blow density indicate that the Cl- anomalies are more closely related to the sand-blow density than soil data, suggesting an underlying tectonic control for the distribution of salinity. Factor analysis of historical geochemical data from the MRVA and underlying Sparta aquifer shows dilute and saline groups, with saline groups weighted positively with Cl- or Na+ and Cl-. Tracer data suggest a component of evaporatively evolved crustal water of pre-modern age has mixed with younger, fresher meteoric sources in SE AR to create the saline conditions in the MRVA aquifer. Stable hydrogen and oxygen values of waters sampled from the Tertiary Sparta and MRVA aquifers deviate from the global and local meteoric water lines along an evaporative trend (slope=4.4) and mixing line with Eocene Wilcox Group groundwaters. Ca2+ and Cl- contents vary with Br- along mixing trends between dilute MRVA water and Jurassic Smackover Formation pore fluids in southern AR. Increasing Cl- content with C-14 age in MRVA aquifer groundwater suggests that the older waters are more saline. Helium isotope ratios decrease with He gas content for more saline water, consistent with

Using Deep Learning for Gamma Ray Source Detection at the First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope (FACT)

Science.gov (United States)

Bieker, Jacob

2018-06-01

Finding gamma-ray sources is of paramount importance for Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT). This study looks at using deep neural networks on data from the First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope (FACT) as a proof-of-concept of finding gamma-ray sources with deep learning for the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). In this study, FACT’s individual photon level observation data from the last 5 years was used with convolutional neural networks to determine if one or more sources were present. The neural networks used various architectures to determine which architectures were most successful in finding sources. Neural networks offer a promising method for finding faint and extended gamma-ray sources for IACTs. With further improvement and modifications, they offer a compelling method for source detection for the next generation of IACTs.

REGIONAL DRAINWATER MANAGEMENT: SOURCE CONTROL, AGROFORESTRY, AND EVAPORATION PONDS

OpenAIRE

Posnikoff, Judith F.; Knapp, Keith C.

1996-01-01

Source control is one way to address salinity and drainage problems in irrigated agriculture, and reuse of drainage flows on salt-tolerant crops or trees in agroforestry production is another. A regional model of agricultural production with drainwater reuse and disposal is developed. Deep percolation flows are controlled through choice of crop areas, irrigation systems, and applied-water quantities. Crop drainwater may by reused in agroforestry production, and residual emissions are disposed...

Primary Evaporites for the Messinian Salinity Crisis: the shallow gypsum vs. deep dolomite formation paradox solved

Science.gov (United States)

De Lange, Gert J.; Krijgsman, Wout

2014-05-01

The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) is a dramatic event that took place ~ 5.9 Ma ago, and resulted in the deposition of 0.3-3 km thick evaporites at the Mediterranean seafloor. A considerable and long-lasting controversy existed on the modes of their formation. During the CIESM Almeria Workshop a consensus was reached on several aspects. In addition, remaining issues to be solved were identified, such as for the observed shallow gypsum versus deep dolostone deposits for the early phase of MSC. The onset of MSC is marked by deposition of gypsum/sapropel-like alternations, thought to relate to arid/humid climate conditions. Gypsum precipitation only occurred at marginal settings, while dolomite containing rocks have been reported from deeper settings. A range of potential explanations have been reported, most of which cannot satisfactorily explain all observations. Biogeochemical processes during MSC are poorly understood and commonly neglected. These may, however, explain that different deposits formed in shallow versus deep environments without needing exceptional physical boundary conditions for each. We present here a unifying mechanism in which gypsum formation occurs at all shallow water depths but its preservation is mostly limited to shallow sedimentary settings. In contrast, ongoing anoxic organic matter (OM) degradation processes in the deep basin result in the formation of dolomite. Gypsum precipitation in evaporating seawater takes place at 3-7 times concentrated seawater; seawater is always largely oversaturated relative to dolomite but its formation is thought to be inhibited by the presence of dissolved sulphate. Thus the conditions for formation of gypsum exclude those for the formation of dolomite and vice versa. Another process that links the saturation states of gypsum and dolomite is that of OM degradation by sulphate reduction. In stagnant deep water, oxygen is rapidly depleted through OM degradation, then sulphate becomes the main oxidant for OM

Implications of salinity pollution hotspots on agricultural production

Science.gov (United States)

Floerke, Martina; Fink, Julia; Malsy, Marcus; Voelker, Jeanette; Alcamo, Joseph

2016-04-01

Salinity pollution can have many negative impacts on water resources used for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes. Elevated concentrations of salinity in irrigation water can lead to decreased crop production or crop death and, thus, causing an economic problem. Overall, salinity pollution is a global problem but tends to be more severe in arid and semi-arid regions where the dilution capacity of rivers and lakes is lower and the use of irrigation higher. Particularly in these regions agricultural production is exposed to high salinity of irrigation water as insufficient water quality further reduces the available freshwater resources. According to the FAO, irrigated agriculture contributes about 40 percent of the total food production globally, and therefore, high salinity pollution poses a major concern for food production and food security. We use the WaterGAP3 modeling framework to simulate hydrological, water use, and water quality conditions on a global scale for the time period 1990 to 2010. The modeling framework is applied to simulate total dissolved solids (TDS) loadings and in-stream concentrations from different point and diffuse sources to get an insight on potential environmental impacts as well as risks to agricultural food production. The model was tested and calibrated against observed data from GEMStat and literature sources. Although global in scope, the focus of this study is on developing countries, i.e., in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as these are most threatened by salinity pollution. Furthermore, insufficient water quality for irrigation and therefore restrictions in irrigation water use are examined, indicating limitations to crop production. Our results show that elevated salinity concentrations in surface waters mainly occur in peak irrigation regions as irrigated agriculture is not only the most relevant water use sector contributing to water abstractions, but also the dominant source of salinity pollution. Additionally

The deep hydrogeologic flow system underlying the Oak Ridge Reservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nativ, R.; Hunley, A.E.

1993-07-01

The deep hydrogeologic system underlying the Oak Ridge Reservation contains some areas contaminated with radionuclides, heavy metals, nitrates, and organic compounds. The groundwater at that depth is saline and has previously been considered stagnant. On the basis of existing and newly collected data, the nature of flow of the saline groundwater and its potential discharge into shallow, freshwater systems was assessed. Data used for this purpose included (1) spatial and temporal pressures and hydraulic heads measured in the deep system, (2) hydraulic parameters of the formations in question, (3) spatial temperature variations, and (4) spatial and temporal chemical and isotopic composition of the saline groundwater. In addition, chemical analyses of brine in adjacent areas in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia were compared with the deep water underlying the reservation to help assess the origin of the brine. Preliminary conclusions suggest that the saline water contained at depth is old but not isolated (in terms of recharge and discharge) from the overlying active and freshwater-bearing units. The confined water (along with dissolved solutes) moves along open fractures (or man-made shortcuts) at relatively high velocity into adjacent, more permeable units. Groundwater volumes involved in this flow probably are small

Using environmental isotopes along with major hydro-geochemical compositions to assess deep groundwater formation and evolution in eastern coastal China

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Naizheng; Gong, Jianshi; Yang, Guoqiang

2018-01-01

Hydrochemical analysis and environmental isotopic tracing are successfully applied to study groundwater evolution processes. Located in eastern China, the Jiangsu Coastal Plain is characterized by an extensively exploited deep groundwater system, and groundwater salinization has become the primary water environmental problem. This paper provides a case study on the use of a hydrochemical and environmental isotopic approach to assess possible mixing and evolution processes at Yoco Port, Jiangsu Province, China. Hydrochemical and isotopic patterns of deep groundwater allow one to distinguish different origins in deep water systems. HCO3- is the dominant anion in the freshwater samples, whereas Na+ and Cl- are the dominant major ions in the saline samples. According to δ18O, δ2H and 14C dating, the fresh water is derived from precipitation under a colder climate during the Glacial Maximum (Dali Glacial), while the saline groundwater is influenced by glacial-interglacial cycles during the Holocene Hypsithermal. The δ18O, δ2H and 3H data confirm that deep groundwater in some boreholes is mixed with overlying saline water. The deep groundwater reservoir can be divided into a saline water sector and a fresh water sector, and each show distinct hydrochemical and isotopic compositions. The saline groundwater found in the deep aquifer cannot be associated with present seawater intrusion. Since the Last Glacial Maximum in the Late Pleistocene, the deep groundwater flow system has evolved to its current status with the decrease in ice cover and the rising of sea level. However, the hydraulic connection is strengthened by continuous overexploitation, and deep groundwater is mixed with shallow groundwater at some points.

DEEP GALEX OBSERVATIONS OF THE COMA CLUSTER: SOURCE CATALOG AND GALAXY COUNTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammer, D.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Miller, N.; Jenkins, L.; Mobasher, B.; Smith, R.; Arnouts, S.; Milliard, B.

2010-01-01

We present a source catalog from a deep 26 ks Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) observation of the Coma cluster in the far-UV (FUV; 1530 A) and near-UV (NUV; 2310 A) wavebands. The observed field is centered ∼0. 0 9 (1.6 Mpc) southwest of the Coma core in a well-studied region of the cluster known as 'Coma-3'. The entire field is located within the apparent virial radius of the Coma cluster, and has optical photometric coverage with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and deep spectroscopic coverage to r ∼ 21. We detect GALEX sources to NUV = 24.5 and FUV = 25.0, which corresponds to a star formation rate of ∼10 -3 M sun yr -1 for galaxies at the distance of Coma. We have assembled a catalog of 9700 galaxies with GALEX and SDSS photometry, including 242 spectroscopically confirmed Coma member galaxies that span a large range of galaxy types from giant spirals and elliptical galaxies to dwarf irregular and early-type galaxies. The full multi-wavelength catalog (cluster plus background galaxies) is ∼80% complete to NUV = 23 and FUV = 23.5. The GALEX images presented here are very deep and include detections of many resolved cluster members superposed on a dense field of unresolved background galaxies. This required a two-fold approach to generating a source catalog: we used a Bayesian deblending algorithm to measure faint and compact sources (using SDSS coordinates as position prior), and used the GALEX pipeline catalog for bright and/or extended objects. We performed simulations to assess the importance of systematic effects (e.g., object blends, source confusion, Eddington Bias) that influence the source detection and photometry when using both methods. The Bayesian deblending method roughly doubles the number of source detections and provides reliable photometry to a few magnitudes deeper than the GALEX pipeline catalog. This method is free from source confusion over the UV magnitude range studied here; we estimate that the GALEX pipeline catalogs are

Advances in measuring ocean salinity with an optical sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menn, M Le; De Bougrenet de la Tocnaye, J L; Grosso, P; Delauney, L; Podeur, C; Brault, P; Guillerme, O

2011-01-01

Absolute salinity measurement of seawater has become a key issue in thermodynamic models of the oceans. One of the most direct ways is to measure the seawater refractive index which is related to density and can therefore be related to the absolute salinity. Recent advances in high resolution position sensitive devices enable us to take advantage of small beam deviation measurements using refractometers. This paper assesses the advantages of such technology with respect to the current state-of-the-art technology. In particular, we present the resolution dependence on refractive index variations and derive the limits of such a solution for designing seawater sensors well suited for coastal and deep-sea applications. Particular attention has been paid to investigate the impact of environmental parameters, such as temperature and pressure, on an optical sensor, and ways to mitigate or compensate them have been suggested here. The sensor has been successfully tested in a pressure tank and in open oceans 2000 m deep

IDENTIFICATIONS AND PHOTOMETRIC REDSHIFTS OF THE 2 Ms CHANDRA DEEP FIELD-SOUTH SOURCES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Xue, Y. Q.; Rafferty, D. A.; Schneider, D. P.; Brusa, M.; Alexander, D. M.; Lehmer, B. D.; Bauer, F. E.; Comastri, A.; Koekemoer, A.; Mainieri, V.; Silverman, J. D.; Vignali, C.

2010-01-01

We present reliable multiwavelength identifications and high-quality photometric redshifts for the 462 X-ray sources in the ∼2 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South (CDF-S) survey. Source identifications are carried out using deep optical-to-radio multiwavelength catalogs, and are then combined to create lists of primary and secondary counterparts for the X-ray sources. We identified reliable counterparts for 442 (95.7%) of the X-ray sources, with an expected false-match probability of ∼ 6.2%; we also selected four additional likely counterparts. The majority of the other 16 X-ray sources appear to be off-nuclear sources, sources associated with galaxy groups and clusters, high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGNs), or spurious X-ray sources. A likelihood-ratio method is used for source matching, which effectively reduces the false-match probability at faint magnitudes compared to a simple error-circle matching method. We construct a master photometric catalog for the identified X-ray sources including up to 42 bands of UV-to-infrared data, and then calculate their photometric redshifts (photo-z's). High accuracy in the derived photo-z's is accomplished owing to (1) the up-to-date photometric data covering the full spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the X-ray sources, (2) more accurate photometric data as a result of source deblending for ∼10% of the sources in the infrared bands and a few percent in the optical and near-infrared bands, (3) a set of 265 galaxy, AGN, and galaxy/AGN hybrid templates carefully constructed to best represent all possible SEDs, (4) the Zurich Extragalactic Bayesian Redshift Analyzer used to derive the photo-z's, which corrects the SED templates to best represent the SEDs of real sources at different redshifts and thus improves the photo-z quality. The reliability of the photo-z's is evaluated using the subsample of 220 sources with secure spectroscopic redshifts. We achieve an accuracy of |Δz|/(1 + z) ∼ 1% and an outlier [with |�

The Baltic Sea natural long-term variability of salinity

Science.gov (United States)

Schimanke, Semjon; Markus Meier, H. E.

2015-04-01

The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish sea areas of the world. The sensitive state of the Baltic Sea is sustained by a fresh-water surplus by river discharge and precipitation on one hand as well as inflows of highly saline and oxygen-rich water masses from the North Sea on the other. Major inflows which are crucial for the renewal of the deep water occur very intermittent with a mean frequency of approximately one per year. Stagnation periods (periods without major inflows) lead for instance to a reduction of oxygen concentration in the deep Baltic Sea spreading hypoxic conditions. Depending on the amount of salt water inflow and fresh-water supply the deep water salinity of the Baltic Sea varies between 11 to 14 PSU on the decadal scale. The goal of this study is to understand the contribution of different driving factors for the decadal to multi-decadal variability of salinity in the Baltic Sea. Continuous measurement series of salinity exist from the 1950 but are not sufficiently long for the investigation of long-term fluctuations. Therefore, a climate simulation of more than 800 years has been carried out with the Rossby Center Ocean model (RCO). RCO is a biogeochemical regional climate model which covers the entire Baltic Sea. It is driven with atmospheric data dynamical downscaled from a GCM mimicking natural climate variability. The analysis focus on the role of variations in river discharge and precipitation, changes in wind speed and direction, fluctuations in temperature and shifts in large scale pressure patterns (e.g. NAO). Hereby, the length of the simulation will allow to identify mechanisms working on decadal to multi-decadal time scales. Moreover, it will be discussed how likely long stagnation periods are under natural climate variability and if the observed exceptional long stagnation period between 1983-1993 might be related to beginning climate change.

subsurface sequence delineation and saline water mapping of lagos

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A subsurface sequence delineation and saline water mapping of Lagos State was carried out. Ten (10) deep boreholes with average depth of 300 m were drilled within the sedimentary basin. The boreholes were lithologically and geophysically logged. The driller's lithological logs aided by gamma and resistivity logs, ...

Constructed wetlands for saline wastewater treatment: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Saline wastewater originating from sources such as agriculture, aquaculture, and many industrial sectors usually contains high levels of salts and other contaminants, which can adversely affect both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, the treatment of saline wastewater (removal of both sa...

utilization of bio fertilizers and organic sources in arable soils under saline conditions using tracer technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salama, O.A.E.

2011-01-01

Recently, more attention has been paid to conserve and save surrounding environment via minimizing the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and, in general, the agrochemicals applied in heavy quantities in agricultural agroecosystems. Therefore, the attention of most of agronomists was turned towards the use of so called clean agriculture or organic farming. Many of organic systems was pointed out such as the recycling of farm wastes i.e. crop residues, animal manure, organic conditioners for reclamation of soil and in the same time enhancement of plant growth and improving yield quality. The application of organic wastes combined with or without microbial inoculants to plant media are considered as a good management practice in any agricultural production system because it improves, plant quality and soil fertility. Therefore, we have the opportunity to conduct some experiments for achieving the clean agriculture approach, combating the adverse effects of salinity and avoiding the environmental pollution. Series of laboratory and greenhouse experiments were carried out to evaluate the impact of (1) potent isolated fungi (Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus terreus) on degrading plant residues (Leucaena and Acacia green parts), and (2) biofertilizers (Sinorhizobium meliloti, Azospirillum brasilense, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) in assessing barley and spinach plants to combat salinity of soil and irrigation water. 15 N-tracer technique that considered unique and more reliable technique may benefits in clarifying the responsible mechanisms related to plant growth and gave us the opportunity to quantify the exact amounts of N derived from the different sources of nitrogen available to spinach and barley plants grown on sandy saline soil and irrigated with saline water.

SALINE WATER RESOURCES IN CLUJ-NAPOCA SURROUNDINGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. CZELLECZ

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Saline waters are usually researched in those places where it is used for balneotherapy or other industrial purposes. The aim of this study is to describe the saline water sources from less known areas, as they are an important natural mineral water resource. Twenty nine water samples were analyzed from Cojocna-Pata-Sopor region, thirteen of them can be considered saline waters. The visited locations are 21, 15 and 3 km far from Cluj-Napoca. Highly concentrated springs are to be found in the old mine area from Pata village and in the slough from Cojocna. Beside the well known saline lakes from Cojocna, five other saline lakes were identified; most of them are having artificial origin.

Identifications and Photometric Redshifts of the 2 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, B.; Brandt, W. N.; Xue, Y. Q.; Brusa, M.; Alexander, D. M.; Bauer, F. E.; Comastri, A.; Koekemoer, A.; Lehmer, B. D.; Mainieri, V.; Rafferty, D. A.; Schneider, D. P.; Silverman, J. D.; Vignali, C.

2010-04-01

We present reliable multiwavelength identifications and high-quality photometric redshifts for the 462 X-ray sources in the ≈2 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South (CDF-S) survey. Source identifications are carried out using deep optical-to-radio multiwavelength catalogs, and are then combined to create lists of primary and secondary counterparts for the X-ray sources. We identified reliable counterparts for 442 (95.7%) of the X-ray sources, with an expected false-match probability of ≈ 6.2%; we also selected four additional likely counterparts. The majority of the other 16 X-ray sources appear to be off-nuclear sources, sources associated with galaxy groups and clusters, high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGNs), or spurious X-ray sources. A likelihood-ratio method is used for source matching, which effectively reduces the false-match probability at faint magnitudes compared to a simple error-circle matching method. We construct a master photometric catalog for the identified X-ray sources including up to 42 bands of UV-to-infrared data, and then calculate their photometric redshifts (photo-z's). High accuracy in the derived photo-z's is accomplished owing to (1) the up-to-date photometric data covering the full spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the X-ray sources, (2) more accurate photometric data as a result of source deblending for ≈10% of the sources in the infrared bands and a few percent in the optical and near-infrared bands, (3) a set of 265 galaxy, AGN, and galaxy/AGN hybrid templates carefully constructed to best represent all possible SEDs, (4) the Zurich Extragalactic Bayesian Redshift Analyzer used to derive the photo-z's, which corrects the SED templates to best represent the SEDs of real sources at different redshifts and thus improves the photo-z quality. The reliability of the photo-z's is evaluated using the subsample of 220 sources with secure spectroscopic redshifts. We achieve an accuracy of |Δz|/(1 + z) ≈ 1% and an outlier [with |�

The XMM deep survey in the CDF-S. X. X-ray variability of bright sources

Science.gov (United States)

Falocco, S.; Paolillo, M.; Comastri, A.; Carrera, F. J.; Ranalli, P.; Iwasawa, K.; Georgantopoulos, I.; Vignali, C.; Gilli, R.

2017-12-01

Aims: We aim to study the variability properties of bright hard X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the redshift range between 0.3 and 1.6 detected in the Chandra Deep Field South (XMM-CDFS) by a long ( 3 Ms) XMM observation. Methods: Taking advantage of the good count statistics in the XMM CDFS, we search for flux and spectral variability using the hardness ratio (HR) techniques. We also investigate the spectral variability of different spectral components (photon index of the power law, column density of the local absorber, and reflection intensity). The spectra were merged in six epochs (defined as adjacent observations) and in high and low flux states to understand whether the flux transitions are accompanied by spectral changes. Results: The flux variability is significant in all the sources investigated. The HRs in general are not as variable as the fluxes, in line with previous results on deep fields. Only one source displays a variable HR, anti-correlated with the flux (source 337). The spectral analysis in the available epochs confirms the steeper when brighter trend consistent with Comptonisation models only in this source at 99% confidence level. Finding this trend in one out of seven unabsorbed sources is consistent, within the statistical limits, with the 15% of unabsorbed AGN in previous deep surveys. No significant variability in the column densities, nor in the Compton reflection component, has been detected across the epochs considered. The high and low states display in general different normalisations but consistent spectral properties. Conclusions: X-ray flux fluctuations are ubiquitous in AGN, though in some cases the data quality does not allow for their detection. In general, the significant flux variations are not associated with spectral variability: photon index and column densities are not significantly variable in nine out of the ten AGN over long timescales (from three to six and a half years). Photon index variability is

The origin, source and cycling of methane in deep crystalline rock biosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riikka eKietäväinen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The emerging interest in using stable bedrock formations for industrial purposes, e.g. nuclear waste disposal, has increased the need for understanding microbiological and geochemical processes in deep crystalline rock environments, including the carbon cycle. Considering the origin and evolution of life on Earth, these environments may also serve as windows to the past. Various geological, chemical and biological processes can influence the deep carbon cycle. Conditions of CH4 formation, available substrates and time scales can be drastically different from surface environments. This paper reviews the origin, source and cycling of methane in deep terrestrial crystalline bedrock with an emphasis on microbiology. In addition to potential formation pathways of CH4, microbial consumption of CH4 is also discussed. Recent studies on the origin of CH4 in continental bedrock environments have shown that the traditional separation of biotic and abiotic CH4 by the isotopic composition can be misleading in substrate-limited environments, such as the deep crystalline bedrock. Despite of similarities between Precambrian continental sites in Fennoscandia, South Africa and North America, where deep methane cycling has been studied, common physicochemical properties which could explain the variation in the amount of CH4 and presence or absence of CH4 cycling microbes were not found. However, based on their preferred carbon metabolism, methanogenic microbes appeared to have similar spatial distribution among the different sites.

The origin, source, and cycling of methane in deep crystalline rock biosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Kietäväinen, Riikka; Purkamo, Lotta

2015-01-01

The emerging interest in using stable bedrock formations for industrial purposes, e.g., nuclear waste disposal, has increased the need for understanding microbiological and geochemical processes in deep crystalline rock environments, including the carbon cycle. Considering the origin and evolution of life on Earth, these environments may also serve as windows to the past. Various geological, chemical, and biological processes can influence the deep carbon cycle. Conditions of CH4 formation, available substrates and time scales can be drastically different from surface environments. This paper reviews the origin, source, and cycling of methane in deep terrestrial crystalline bedrock with an emphasis on microbiology. In addition to potential formation pathways of CH4, microbial consumption of CH4 is also discussed. Recent studies on the origin of CH4 in continental bedrock environments have shown that the traditional separation of biotic and abiotic CH4 by the isotopic composition can be misleading in substrate-limited environments, such as the deep crystalline bedrock. Despite of similarities between Precambrian continental sites in Fennoscandia, South Africa and North America, where deep methane cycling has been studied, common physicochemical properties which could explain the variation in the amount of CH4 and presence or absence of CH4 cycling microbes were not found. However, based on their preferred carbon metabolism, methanogenic microbes appeared to have similar spatial distribution among the different sites.

Climate stability in central Anatolia during the Messinian Salinity Crisis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijers, Maud J.M.; Peynircioğlu, A. Ahmet; Cosca, Michael A.; Brocard, Gilles Y.; Whitney, Donna L.; Langereis, Cor G.; Mulch, Andreas

2018-01-01

Deposition of large amounts of evaporites and erosion of deep canyons within the Mediterranean Basin as a result of reduced basin connectivity with the Atlantic Ocean and the epicontinental Paratethys Sea characterized the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, 5.97–5.33 Ma). The influence of the MSC on

Deep ultraviolet semiconductor light sources for sensing and security

Science.gov (United States)

Shatalov, Max; Bilenko, Yuri; Yang, Jinwei; Gaska, Remis

2009-09-01

III-Nitride based deep ultraviolet (DUV) light emitting diodes (LEDs) rapidly penetrate into sensing market owing to several advantages over traditional UV sources (i.e. mercury, xenon and deuterium lamps). Small size, a wide choice of peak emission wavelengths, lower power consumption and reduced cost offer flexibility to system integrators. Short emission wavelength offer advantages for gas detection and optical sensing systems based on UV induced fluorescence. Large modulation bandwidth for these devices makes them attractive for frequency-domain spectroscopy. We will review present status of DUV LED technology and discuss recent advances in short wavelength emitters and high power LED lamps.

Observations of the Hubble Deep Field with the Infrared Space Observatory .2. Source detection and photometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goldschmidt, P.; Oliver, S.J.; Serjeant, S.B.G.

1997-01-01

We present positions and fluxes of point sources found in the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) images of the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) at 6.7 and 15 mu m. We have constructed algorithmically selected 'complete' flux-limited samples of 19 sources in the 15-mu m image, and seven sources in the 6.7-mu m...

A Modeling Study of Deep Water Renewal in the Red Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, F.; Hoteit, I.

2016-02-01

Deep water renewal processes in the Red Sea are examined in this study using a 50-year numerical simulation from 1952-2001. The deep water in the Red Sea below the thermocline ( 200 m) exhibits a near-uniform vertical structure in temperature and salinity, but geochemical tracer distributions, such as 14C and 3He, and dissolved oxygen concentrations indicate that the deep water is renewed on time scales as short as 36 years. The renewal process is accomplished through a deep overturning cell that consists of a southward bottom current and a northward returning current at depths of 400-600 m. Three sources regions are proposed for the formation of the deep water, including two deep outflows from the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez and winter deep convections in the northern Red Sea. The MITgcm (MIT general circulation model), which has been used to simulate the shallow overturning circulations in the Red Sea, is configured in this study with increased resolutions in the deep water. During the 50 years of simulation, artificial passive tracers added in the model indicate that the deep water in the Red Sea was only episodically renewed during some anomalously cold years; two significant episodes of deep water renewal are reproduced in the winters of 1983 and 1992, in accordance with reported historical hydrographic observations. During these renewal events, deep convections reaching the bottom of the basin occurred, which further facilitated deep sinking of the outflows from the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez. Ensuing spreading of the newly formed deep water along the bottom caused upward displacements of thermocline, which may have profound effects on the water exchanges in the Strait of Bab el Mandeb between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and the functioning of the ecosystem in the Red Sea by changing the vertical distributions of nutrients.

Deep-blue supercontinuum light sources based on tapered photonic crystal bres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Simon Toft

applications in areas such as spectroscopy and microscopy. In this work, we exploit the tremendous design freedom in air hole structured photonic crystal fibres to shape the supercontinuum spectrum. Specifically, the supercontinuum dynamics can be controlled by clever engineering of fibres with longitudinally...... varying air hole structures. Here we demonstrate supercontinuum generation into the commercially attractive deep-blue spectral region below 400 nm from an Yb laser in such fibres. In particular, we introduce the concept of a group acceleration mismatch that allows us to enhance the amount of light...... in the deep-blue by optimising the fibre structure. To this end, we fabricate the first single-mode high air-fill fraction photonic crystal fibre for blue-extended supercontinuum sources. The mechanisms of supercontinuum broadening are highly sensitive to noise, and the inherent shot-to-shot variations...

Variability in δ{sup 15}N of intertidal brown algae along a salinity gradient: Differential impact of nitrogen sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viana, Inés G., E-mail: inesgviana@gmail.com; Bode, Antonio

2015-04-15

While it is generally agreed that δ{sup 15}N of brown macroalgae can discriminate between anthropogenic and natural sources of nitrogen, this study provides new insights on net fractionation processes occurring in some of these species. The contribution of continental and marine sources of nitrogen to benthic macroalgae in the estuary-ria system of A Coruña (NW Spain) was investigated by analyzing the temporal (at a monthly and annual basis) and spatial (up to 10 km) variability of δ{sup 15}N in the macroalgae Ascophyllum nodosum and three species of the genus Fucus (F. serratus, F. spiralis and F. vesiculosus). Total nitrate and ammonium concentrations and δ{sup 15}N-DIN, along with salinity and temperature in seawater were also studied to address the sources of such variability. Macroalgal δ{sup 15}N and nutrient concentrations decreased from estuarine to marine waters, suggesting larger dominance of anthropogenic nitrogen sources in the estuary. However, δ{sup 15}N values of macroalgae were generally higher than those of ambient nitrogen at all temporal and spatial scales considered. This suggests that the isotopic composition of these macroalgae is strongly affected by fractionation during uptake, assimilation or release of nitrogen. The absence of correlation between macroalgal and water samples suggests that the δ{sup 15}N of the species considered cannot be used for monitoring short-term changes. But their long lifespan and slow turnover rates make them suitable to determine the impact of the different nitrogen sources integrated over long-time periods. - Highlights: • Variability of Fucacean δ{sup 15}N indicates N sources along a salinity gradient. • δ{sup 15}N of Fucaceae and seawater are not correlated at short time scales. • Isotopic fractionation in macroalgal tissue varies at seasonal and at local scale. • Fucacean species are suitable for monitoring chronic N loadings.

Organic carbon source and salinity shape sediment bacterial composition in two China marginal seas and their major tributaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kai; Zou, Li; Lu, Xinxin; Mou, Xiaozhen

2018-08-15

Marginal sea sediments receive organic substrates of different origins, but whether and to what extent sediment microbial communities are reflective of the different sources of organic substrates remain unclear. To address these questions, sediment samples were collected in two connected China marginal seas, i.e., Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea, and their two major tributaries (Yellow River and Liao River). Sediment bacterial community composition (BCC) was examined using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. In addition, physicochemical variables that describe environmental conditions and sediment features were measured. Our results revealed that BCCs changed with salinity and organic carbon (OC) content. Members of Gaiellaceae and Comamonadaceae showed a rapid decrease as salinity and phytoplankton-derived OC increased, while Piscirickettsiaceae and Desulfobulbaceae exhibited an opposite distribution pattern. Differences of riverine vs. marginal sea sediment BCCs could be mostly explained by salinity. However, within the marginal seas, sediment BCC variations were mainly explained by OC-related variables, including terrestrial-derived fatty acids (Terr_FA), phytoplankton-derived polyunsaturated fatty acids (Phyto_PUFA), stable carbon isotopes (δ 13 C), and carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N). In addition to environmental variables, network analysis suggested that interactions among individual bacterial taxa might be important in shaping sediment BCCs in the studied areas. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogeologic framework and salinity distribution of the Floridan aquifer system of Broward County, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Reese, Ronald S.; Cunningham, Kevin J.

2014-01-01

Concerns about water-level decline and seawater intrusion in the surficial Biscayne aquifer, currently the principal source of water supply to Broward County, prompted a study to refine the hydrogeologic framework of the underlying Floridan aquifer system to evaluate its potential as an alternative source of supply. This report presents cross sections that illustrate the stratigraphy and hydrogeology in eastern Broward County; maps of the upper surfaces and thicknesses of several geologic formations or units within the Floridan aquifer system; and maps of two of the potentially productive water-bearing zones within the system, the Upper Floridan aquifer and the Avon Park permeable zone. An analysis of data on rock depositional textures, associated pore networks, and flow zones in the Floridan aquifer system shows that groundwater moves through the system in two ways. These data support a conceptual, dual-porosity model of the system wherein groundwater moves either as concentrated flow in discrete, thin bedding-plane vugs or zones of vuggy megaporosity, or as diffuse flow through rocks with primarily interparticle and moldic-particle porosity. Because considerable exchange of groundwater may occur between the zones of vuggy and matrix-dominated porosity, understanding the distribution of that porosity and flow zone types is important to evaluating the suitability of the several units within the Floridan aquifer system for managing the water through practices such as aquifer storage and recovery (ASR). The salinity of the water in the Floridan aquifer system is highest in the central part of the study area, and lower toward the north and south. Although salinity generally increases with depth, in the western part of the study area a zone of relatively high saline water is perched above water of lower salinity in the underlying Avon Park permeable zone. Overall, the areas of highest salinity in the aquifer system coincide with those with the lowest estimated

A groundwater salinity hotspot and its connection to an intermittent stream identified by environmental tracers (Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia)

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Thomas A.; Bestland, Erick A.; Soloninka, Lesja; Wallis, Ilka; Banks, Edward W.; Pichler, Markus

2017-12-01

High and variable levels of salinity were investigated in an intermittent stream in a high-rainfall area (˜800 mm/year) of the Mt. Lofty Ranges of South Australia. The groundwater system was found to have a local, upslope saline lens, referred to here as a groundwater salinity `hotspot'. Environmental tracer analyses (δ18O, δ2H, 87/86Sr, and major elements) of water from the intermittent stream, a nearby permanent stream, shallow and deep groundwater, and soil-water/runoff demonstrate seasonal groundwater input of very saline composition into the intermittent stream. This input results in large salinity increases of the stream water because the winter wet-season stream flow decreases during spring in this Mediterranean climate. Furthermore, strontium and water isotope analyses demonstrate: (1) the upslope-saline-groundwater zone (hotspot) mixes with the dominant groundwater system, (2) the intermittent-stream water is a mixture of soil-water/runoff and the upslope saline groundwater, and (3) the upslope-saline-groundwater zone results from the flushing of unsaturated-zone salts from the thick clayey regolith and soil which overlie the metamorphosed shale bedrock. The preferred theory on the origin of the upslope-saline-groundwater hotspot is land clearing of native deep-rooted woodland, followed by flushing of accumulated salts from the unsaturated zone due to increased recharge. This cause of elevated groundwater and surface-water salinity, if correct, could be widespread in Mt. Lofty Ranges areas, as well as other climatically and geologically similar areas with comparable hydrogeologic conditions.

Intestinal transcriptome analysis revealed differential salinity adaptation between two tilapiine species.

Science.gov (United States)

Ronkin, Dana; Seroussi, Eyal; Nitzan, Tali; Doron-Faigenboim, Adi; Cnaani, Avner

2015-03-01

Tilapias are a group of freshwater species, which vary in their ability to adapt to high salinity water. Osmotic regulation in fish is conducted mainly in the gills, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The mechanisms involved in ion and water transport through the GIT is not well-characterized, with only a few described complexes. Comparing the transcriptome of the anterior and posterior intestinal sections of a freshwater and saltwater adapted fish by deep-sequencing, we examined the salinity adaptation of two tilapia species: the high salinity-tolerant Oreochromis mossambicus (Mozambique tilapia), and the less salinity-tolerant Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia). This comparative analysis revealed high similarity in gene expression response to salinity change between species in the posterior intestine and large differences in the anterior intestine. Furthermore, in the anterior intestine 68 genes were saltwater up-regulated in one species and down-regulated in the other species (47 genes up-regulated in O. niloticus and down-regulated in O. mossambicus, with 21 genes showing the reverse pattern). Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed a high proportion of transporter and ion channel function among these genes. The results of this study point to a group of genes that differed in their salinity-dependent regulation pattern in the anterior intestine as potentially having a role in the differential salinity tolerance of these two closely related species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A methodology for the geological and numerical modelling of CO2 storage in deep saline formations

Science.gov (United States)

Guandalini, R.; Moia, F.; Ciampa, G.; Cangiano, C.

2009-04-01

Several technological options have been proposed to stabilize and reduce the atmospheric concentrations of CO2 among which the most promising are the CCS technologies. The remedy proposed for large stationary CO2 sources as thermoelectric power plants is to separate the flue gas, capturing CO2 and to store it into deep subsurface geological formations. In order to support the identification of potential CO2 storage reservoirs in Italy, the project "Identification of Italian CO2 geological storage sites", financed by the Ministry of Economic Development with the Research Fund for the Italian Electrical System under the Contract Agreement established with the Ministry Decree of march 23, 2006, has been completed in 2008. The project involves all the aspects related to the selection of potential storage sites, each carried out in a proper task. The first task has been devoted to the data collection of more than 6800 wells, and their organization into a geological data base supported by GIS, of which 1911 contain information about the nature and the thickness of geological formations, the presence of fresh, saline or brackish water, brine, gas and oil, the underground temperature, the seismic velocity and electric resistance of geological materials from different logs, the permeability, porosity and geochemical characteristics. The goal of the second task was the set up of a numerical modelling integrated tool, that is the in order to allow the analysis of a potential site in terms of the storage capacity, both from solubility and mineral trapping points of view, in terms of risk assessment and long-term storage of CO2. This tool includes a fluid dynamic module, a chemical module and a module linking a geomechanical simulator. Acquirement of geological data, definition of simulation parameter, run control and final result analysis can be performed by a properly developed graphic user interface, fully integrated and calculation platform independent. The project is then

Dosimetric effects of saline- versus water-filled balloon applicators for IORT using the model S700 electronic brachytherapy source.

Science.gov (United States)

Redler, Gage; Templeton, Alistair; Zhen, Heming; Turian, Julius; Bernard, Damian; Chu, James C H; Griem, Katherine L; Liao, Yixiang

The Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System (Xoft, Inc., San Jose, CA) is a viable option for intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) treatment of early-stage breast cancer. The low-energy (50-kVp) X-ray source simplifies shielding and increases relative biological effectiveness but increases dose distribution sensitivity to medium composition. Treatment planning systems typically assume homogenous water for brachytherapy dose calculations, including precalculated atlas plans for Xoft IORT. However, Xoft recommends saline for balloon applicator filling. This study investigates dosimetric differences due to increased effective atomic number (Z eff ) for saline (Z eff  = 7.56) versus water (Z eff  = 7.42). Balloon applicator diameters range from 3 to 6 cm. Monte Carlo N-Particle software is used to calculate dose at the surface (D s ) of and 1 cm away (D 1cm ) from the water-/saline-filled balloon applicator using a single dwell at the applicator center as a simple estimation of the dosimetry and multiple dwells simulating the clinical dose distributions for the atlas plans. Single-dwell plans show a 4.4-6.1% decrease in D s for the 3- to 6-cm diameter applicators due to the saline. Multidwell plans show similar results: 4.9% and 6.4% D s decrease, for 4-cm and 6-cm diameter applicators, respectively. For the single-dwell plans, D 1cm decreases 3.6-5.2% for the 3- to 6-cm diameter applicators. For the multidwell plans, D 1cm decreases 3.3% and 5.3% for the 4-cm and 6-cm applicators, respectively. The dosimetric effect introduced by saline versus water filling for Xoft balloon applicator-based IORT treatments is ∼5%. Users should be aware of this in the context of both treatment planning and patient outcome studies. Copyright © 2017 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Importance of ocean salinity for climate and habitability.

Science.gov (United States)

Cullum, Jodie; Stevens, David P; Joshi, Manoj M

2016-04-19

Modeling studies of terrestrial extrasolar planetary climates are now including the effects of ocean circulation due to a recognition of the importance of oceans for climate; indeed, the peak equator-pole ocean heat transport on Earth peaks at almost half that of the atmosphere. However, such studies have made the assumption that fundamental oceanic properties, such as salinity, temperature, and depth, are similar to Earth. This assumption results in Earth-like circulations: a meridional overturning with warm water moving poleward at the surface, being cooled, sinking at high latitudes, and traveling equatorward at depth. Here it is shown that an exoplanetary ocean with a different salinity can circulate in the opposite direction: an equatorward flow of polar water at the surface, sinking in the tropics, and filling the deep ocean with warm water. This alternative flow regime results in a dramatic warming in the polar regions, demonstrated here using both a conceptual model and an ocean general circulation model. These results highlight the importance of ocean salinity for exoplanetary climate and consequent habitability and the need for its consideration in future studies.

Deep Biosphere Secrets of the Mediterranean Salt Giant

Science.gov (United States)

Aloisi, Giovanni; Lugli, Stefano; McGenity, Terry; Kuroda, Junichiro; Takai, Ken; Treude, Tina; Camerlenghi, Angelo

2015-04-01

One component of the IODP multi-platform drilling proposal called DREAM (Deep-Sea Record of Mediterranean Messisnian Events), plans to investigate the deep biosphere associated to the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) Salt Giant. We propose that the MSC Salt Giant, because of the variety of chemical environments it produces, has the potential to harbour an unprecedented diversity of microbial life with exceptional metabolic activity. Gypsum and anhydrite deposits provide a virtually unlimited source of sulphate at depths where oxidants are a rarity in other sedimentary environments. When reduced organic carbon comes into contact with these minerals there is the potential for a dynamic deep biosphere community of sulphate reducers to develop, with implications for sedimentary biogeochemical cycles and the souring of cruide oil. But the thickness of the Messinian evaporites and the range of chemical environments it harbours poses fundamental questions: will the interaction of several extreme conditions of temperature, salinity, pressure and chemical composition limit the ability of microbes to take advantage of such favourable thermodynamic conditions? And has such a diverse set of physical and chemical environments fostered microbal diversity, rather than phylogenetic specialization, as recent research into deep Mediterranean brine systems seems to indicate ? Over three kilometres in thickness, approaching the known temperature limits of life and with fluids precipitating carbonate, sulphate, halite and potash salts, microbes living within and around the MSC Salt Giant will be subject to the most exotic combinations of extremes, and have likely evolved yet unknown adaptations. Gypsum and Halite crystals contain fluid inclusions that are a micro-habitat in which microbes survive for tens of thousands, to possibly millions, of years, posing the fundamental question of cells devoting nearly all of their energy flow to somatic maintenance needs, rather than growth and

Effects of reduction in porosity and permeability with depth on storage capacity and injectivity in deep saline aquifers: A case study from the Mount Simon Sandstone aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Medina, C.R.; Rupp, J.A.; Barnes, D.A.

2011-01-01

The Upper Cambrian Mount Simon Sandstone is recognized as a deep saline reservoir that has significant potential for geological sequestration in the Midwestern region of the United States. Porosity and permeability values collected from core analyses in rocks from this formation and its lateral equivalents in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio indicate a predictable relationship with depth owing to a reduction in the pore structure due to the effects of compaction and/or cementation, primarily as quartz overgrowths. The regional trend of decreasing porosity with depth is described by the equation: ??(d)=16.36??e-0.00039*d, where ?? is the porosity and d is the depth in m. The decrease of porosity with depth generally holds true on a basinwide scale. Bearing in mind local variations in lithologic and petrophysical character within the Mount Simon Sandstone, the source data that were used to predict porosity were utilized to estimate the pore volume available within the reservoir that could potentially serve as storage space for injected CO2. The potential storage capacity estimated for the Mount Simon Sandstone in the study area, using efficiency factors of 1%, 5%, 10%, and 15%, is 23,680, 118,418, 236,832, and 355,242 million metric tons of CO2, respectively. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Numerical Simulation of Multiphase Hydromechanical Processes Induced by CO2 Injection into Deep Saline Aquifers Simulation numérique des processus hydromécaniques polyphasiques provoqués par l’injection de CO2 dans des aquifères salins profonds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goerke U.-J.

2011-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the conceptual modeling and the numerical simulation of two-phase flow during CO2 injection into deep saline aquifers is presented. The work focuses on isothermal short-term processes in the vicinity of the injection well. Governing differential equations are based on balance laws for mass and momentum, and completed by constitutive relations for the fluid and solid phases as well as their mutual interactions. Constraint conditions for the partial saturations and the pressure fractions of CO2 and brine are defined. To characterize the stress state in the solid matrix, the effective stress principle is applied. The coupled problem is solved using the inhouse scientific code OpenGeoSys (an open source finite element code and verified with benchmarks. Cet article présente le concept de la modélisation ainsi que la simulation numérique d’écoulement biphasé lors de l’injection de CO2 dans des aquifères salins profonds. L’étude se concentre sur des processus à court terme dans la proximité de puits d’injection dans les conditions isothermes. Les équations différentielles principales sont dérivées des équations de bilan de masse et de la quantité de mouvement, et elles sont complétées par des relations constitutives pour des phases solides et fluides ainsi que leur interaction. Les conditions de contrainte sont définies pour la saturation partielle, les fractions de pression de CO2 et l’eau salée. Pour caractériser l’état de contrainte dans la matrice solide, le principe de contrainte effective est appliqué. Le problème couplé considéré est résolu en utilisant le logiciel scientifique interne OpenGeoSys (un logiciel d’éléments finis libre d’accès et vérifié avec des exemples pour les processus concernés.

Groundwater sampling and chemical characterisation of the Laxemar deep borehole KLX02

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laaksoharju, M.; Skaarman, C.; Smellie, J.; Nilsson, A.C.

1995-02-01

The Laxemar deep borehole, KLX02 (1705 m depth), located close to the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), has been investigated. Groundwater sampling was conducted on two occasions and using different methods. The first sampling was taken in the open borehole using the so-called Tube sampler; the second sampling carried out using the SKB-packer equipment to isolate pre-determined borehole sections. Groundwater compositions consist of two distinct groupings; one shallow to intermediate Sodium-Bicarbonate type (Na(Ca,K):HC 3 Cl(SO 4 )) to a depth of 1000 m, and the other of deep origin, a calcium-chloride type (Ca-Na(K):Cl-SO 4 (Br)), occurring below 1000 m. The deep brines contain up to 46000 mg of Cl per litre. The influence of borehole activities are seen in the tritium data which record significant tritium down to 1000 m, and even to 1420 m. Mixing modelling shows that water from the 1960's is the main source for this tritium. The high tritium values in the 1090-1096.2 m section are due to contamination of 1% shallow water from 1960 and 2% of modern shallow water. The upper 800 m of bedrock at Laxemar lies within a groundwater recharge area; the sub-vertical to moderate angled fracture zones facilitate groundwater circulation to considerable depths, at least to 800 m, thus accounting for some of the low saline brackish groundwaters in these conducting fracture zones. Below 1000 m the system is hydraulically and geochemically 'closed' such that highly saline brines exist in a near-stagnant environment. 30 refs, 22 figs, 8 tabs

Precessional control of Sr ratios in marginal basins during the Messinian Salinity Crisis?

Science.gov (United States)

Topper, R. P. M.; Lugli, S.; Manzi, V.; Roveri, M.; Meijer, P. Th.

2014-05-01

Based on 87Sr/86Sr data of the Primary Lower Gypsum (PLG) deposits in the Vena del Gesso basin—a marginal basin of the Mediterranean during the Messinian Salinity Crisis—a correlation between 87Sr/86Sr values and precessional forcing has recently been proposed but not yet confirmed. In this study, a box model is set up to represent the Miocene Mediterranean deep basin and a connected marginal basin. Measurements of 87Sr/86Sr in the Vena del Gesso and estimated salinity extrema are used to constrain model results. In an extensive analysis with this model, we assess whether coeval 87Sr/86Sr and salinity fluctuations could have been forced by precession-driven changes in the fresh water budget. A comprehensive set of the controlling parameters is examined to assess the conditions under which precession-driven 87Sr/86Sr variations occur and to determine the most likely setting for PLG formation. Model results show that precession-driven 87Sr/86Sr and salinity fluctuations in marginal basins are produced in settings within a large range of marginal basin sizes, riverine strontium characteristics, amplitudes of precessional fresh water budget variation, and average fresh water budgets of both the marginal and deep basin. PLG deposition most likely occurred when the Atlantic-Mediterranean connection was restricted, and the average fresh water budget in the Mediterranean was significantly less negative than at present day. Considering the large range of settings in which salinities and 87Sr/86Sr fluctuate on a precessional timescale, 87Sr/86Sr variations are expected to be a common feature in PLG deposits in marginal basins of the Mediterranean.

Observations of the Hubble Deep Field with the Infrared Space Observatory .4. Association of sources with Hubble Deep Field galaxies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mann, R.G.; Oliver, S.J.; Serjeant, S.B.G.

1997-01-01

We discuss the identification of sources detected by the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) at 6.7 and 15 mu m in the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) region. We conservatively associate ISO sources with objects in existing optical and near-infrared HDF catalogues using the likelihood ratio method, confirming...... these results (and, in one case, clarifying them) with independent visual searches, We find 15 ISO sources to be reliably associated with bright [I-814(AB) HDF, and one with an I-814(AB)=19.9 star, while a further 11 are associated with objects in the Hubble Flanking Fields (10 galaxies...... and one star), Amongst optically bright HDF galaxies, ISO tends to detect luminous, star-forming galaxies at fairly high redshift and with disturbed morphologies, in preference to nearby ellipticals....

Investigation of Lake Water Salinity by Using Four-Band Salinity Algorithm on WorldView-2 Satellite Image for a Saline Industrial Lake

Science.gov (United States)

Budakoǧlu, Murat; Karaman, Muhittin; Damla Uça Avcı, Z.; Kumral, Mustafa; Geredeli (Yılmaz), Serpil

2014-05-01

Salinity of a lake is an important characteristic since, these are potentially industrial lakes and the degree of salinity can significantly be used for determination of mineral resources and for the production management. In the literature, there are many studies of using satellite data for salinity related lake studies such as determination of salinity distribution and detection of potential freshwater sources in less salt concentrated regions. As the study area Lake Acigol, located in Denizli (Turkey) was selected. With it's saline environment, it's the major sodium sulphate production resource of Turkey. In this study, remote sensing data and data from a field study was used and correlated. Remote sensing is an efficient tool to monitor and analyze lake properties by using it complementary to field data. Worldview-2 satellite data was used in this study which consists of 8 bands. At the same time with the satellite data acquisition, a field study was conducted to collect the salinity values in 17 points of the laker with using YSI 556 Multiparametre for measurements. The values were measured as salinity amount in grams per kilogram solution and obtained as ppt unit. It was observed that the values vary from 34 ppt - 40.1 ppt and the average is 38.056 ppt. In Thalassic serie, the lake was in mixoeuhaline state in the time of issue. As a first step, ATCOR correction was performed on satellite image for atmospheric correction. There were some clouds on the lake field, hence it was decided to continue the study by using the 12 sampling points which were clear on the image. Then, for each sampling point, a spectral value was obtained by calculating the average at a 11*11 neighborhood. The relation between the spectral reflectance values and the salinity was investigated. The 4-band algorithm, which was used for determination of chlorophyll-a distribution in highly turbid coastal environment by Wei (2012) was applied. Salinity α (Λi-1 / Λj-1) * (Λk-1 / Λm-1) (i

Sea-ice transport driving Southern Ocean salinity and its recent trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Haumann, F Alexander; Gruber, Nicolas; Münnich, Matthias; Frenger, Ivy; Kern, Stefan

2016-09-01

Recent salinity changes in the Southern Ocean are among the most prominent signals of climate change in the global ocean, yet their underlying causes have not been firmly established. Here we propose that trends in the northward transport of Antarctic sea ice are a major contributor to these changes. Using satellite observations supplemented by sea-ice reconstructions, we estimate that wind-driven northward freshwater transport by sea ice increased by 20 ± 10 per cent between 1982 and 2008. The strongest and most robust increase occurred in the Pacific sector, coinciding with the largest observed salinity changes. We estimate that the additional freshwater for the entire northern sea-ice edge entails a freshening rate of -0.02 ± 0.01 grams per kilogram per decade in the surface and intermediate waters of the open ocean, similar to the observed freshening. The enhanced rejection of salt near the coast of Antarctica associated with stronger sea-ice export counteracts the freshening of both continental shelf and newly formed bottom waters due to increases in glacial meltwater. Although the data sources underlying our results have substantial uncertainties, regional analyses and independent data from an atmospheric reanalysis support our conclusions. Our finding that northward sea-ice freshwater transport is also a key determinant of the mean salinity distribution in the Southern Ocean further underpins the importance of the sea-ice-induced freshwater flux. Through its influence on the density structure of the ocean, this process has critical consequences for the global climate by affecting the exchange of heat, carbon and nutrients between the deep ocean and surface waters.

Deep Galex Observations of the Coma Cluster: Source Catalog and Galaxy Counts

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, D.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Mobasher, B.; Miller, N.; Smith, R.; Arnouts, S.; Milliard, B.; Jenkins, L.

2010-01-01

We present a source catalog from deep 26 ks GALEX observations of the Coma cluster in the far-UV (FUV; 1530 Angstroms) and near-UV (NUV; 2310 Angstroms) wavebands. The observed field is centered 0.9 deg. (1.6 Mpc) south-west of the Coma core, and has full optical photometric coverage by SDSS and spectroscopic coverage to r-21. The catalog consists of 9700 galaxies with GALEX and SDSS photometry, including 242 spectroscopically-confirmed Coma member galaxies that range from giant spirals and elliptical galaxies to dwarf irregular and early-type galaxies. The full multi-wavelength catalog (cluster plus background galaxies) is 80% complete to NUV=23 and FUV=23.5, and has a limiting depth at NUV=24.5 and FUV=25.0 which corresponds to a star formation rate of 10(exp -3) solar mass yr(sup -1) at the distance of Coma. The GALEX images presented here are very deep and include detections of many resolved cluster members superposed on a dense field of unresolved background galaxies. This required a two-fold approach to generating a source catalog: we used a Bayesian deblending algorithm to measure faint and compact sources (using SDSS coordinates as a position prior), and used the GALEX pipeline catalog for bright and/or extended objects. We performed simulations to assess the importance of systematic effects (e.g. object blends, source confusion, Eddington Bias) that influence source detection and photometry when using both methods. The Bayesian deblending method roughly doubles the number of source detections and provides reliable photometry to a few magnitudes deeper than the GALEX pipeline catalog. This method is also free from source confusion over the UV magnitude range studied here: conversely, we estimate that the GALEX pipeline catalogs are confusion limited at NUV approximately 23 and FUV approximately 24. We have measured the total UV galaxy counts using our catalog and report a 50% excess of counts across FUV=22-23.5 and NUV=21.5-23 relative to previous GALEX

Identification and characterization of miRNAs and targets in flax (Linum usitatissimum) under saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ying; Wu, Guangwen; Yuan, Hongmei; Cheng, Lili; Zhao, Dongsheng; Huang, Wengong; Zhang, Shuquan; Zhang, Liguo; Chen, Hongyu; Zhang, Jian; Guan, Fengzhi

2016-05-27

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in responses to biotic and abiotic stress and have been characterized in a large number of plant species. Although flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the most important fiber and oil crops worldwide, no reports have been published describing flax miRNAs (Lus-miRNAs) induced in response to saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses. In this work, combined small RNA and degradome deep sequencing was used to analyze flax libraries constructed after alkaline-salt stress (AS2), neutral salt stress (NSS), alkaline stress (AS), and the non-stressed control (CK). From the CK, AS, AS2, and NSS libraries, a total of 118, 119, 122, and 120 known Lus-miRNAs and 233, 213, 211, and 212 novel Lus-miRNAs were isolated, respectively. After assessment of differential expression profiles, 17 known Lus-miRNAs and 36 novel Lus-miRNAs were selected and used to predict putative target genes. Gene ontology term enrichment analysis revealed target genes that were involved in responses to stimuli, including signaling and catalytic activity. Eight Lus-miRNAs were selected for analysis using qRT-PCR to confirm the accuracy and reliability of the miRNA-seq results. The qRT-PCR results showed that changes in stress-induced expression profiles of these miRNAs mirrored expression trends observed using miRNA-seq. Degradome sequencing and transcriptome profiling showed that expression of 29 miRNA-target pairs displayed inverse expression patterns under saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stresses. From the target prediction analysis, the miR398a-targeted gene codes for a copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, and the miR530 has been shown to explicitly target WRKY family transcription factors, which suggesting that these two micRNAs and their targets may significant involve in the saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stress response in flax. Identification and characterization of flax miRNAs, their target genes, functional annotations, and gene

Potential Physiologies of Deep Branches on the Tree of Life with Deep Subsurface Samples from IODP Leg 347: Baltic Sea Paleoenvironment

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd, K. G.; Bird, J. T.; Shumaker, A.

2014-12-01

Very little is known about how evolutionary branches that are distantly related to cultured microorganisms make a living in the deep subsurface marine environment. Here, sediments are cut-off from surface inputs of organic substrates for tens of thousands of years; yet somehow support a diverse population of microorganisms. We examined the potential metabolic and ecological roles of uncultured archaea and bacteria in IODP Leg 347: Baltic Sea Paleoenvironment samples, using quantitative PCR holes 60B, 63E, 65C, and 59C and single cell genomic analysis for hole 60B. We quantified changes in total archaea and bacteria, as well as deeply-branching archaeal taxa with depth. These sediment cores alternate between high and low salinities, following a glacial cycle. This allows changes in the quantities of these groups to be placed in the context of potentially vastly different organic matter sources. In addition, single cells were isolated, and their genomes were amplified and sequenced to allow a deeper look into potential physiologies of uncultured deeply-branching organisms found up to 86 meters deep in marine sediments. Together, these data provide deeper insight into the relationship between microorganisms and their organic matter substrates in this extreme environments.

LED deep UV source for charge management of gravitational reference sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Kexun; Allard, Brett; Buchman, Saps; Williams, Scott; Byer, Robert L

2006-01-01

Proof mass electrical charge management is an important functionality for the ST-7-LTP technology demonstration flight and for LISA. Photoemission for charge control is accomplished by using deep ultraviolet (UV) light to excite photoelectron emission from an Au alloy. The conventional UV source is a mercury vapour lamp. We propose and demonstrate charge management using a deep UV light emitting diode (LED) source. We have acquired selected AlGaN UV LEDs, characterized their performance and successfully used them to realize charge management. The UV LEDs emit at a 257 nm central wavelength with a bandwidth of ∼12 nm. The UV power for a free-space LED is ∼120 μW, and after fibre coupling is ∼16 μW, more than sufficient for LISA applications. We have directly observed the LED UV light-induced photocurrent response from an Au photocathode and an Au-coated GRS/ST-7 proof mass. We demonstrated fast switching of UV LEDs and associated fast changes in photocurrent. This allows modulation and continuous discharge to meet stringent LISA disturbance reduction requirements. We propose and demonstrate AC charge management outside the gravitational wave signal band. Further, the megahertz bandwidth for UV LED switching allows for up to six orders of magnitude dynamic power range and a number of novel modes of operations. The UV LED based charge management system offers the advantages of small-size, lightweight, fibre-coupled operation with very low power consumption

SWEPT-SOURCE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY REVEALS INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE PEELING ALTERS DEEP RETINAL VASCULATURE.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalewska, Zofia; Nawrocki, Jerzy

2018-04-30

To describe morphology of retinal and choroidal vessels in swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography before and after vitrectomy with the temporal inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique for full-thickness macular holes. Prospective, observational study of 36 eyes of 33 patients with full-thickness macular holes swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography was performed in patients before and 1 month after vitrectomy. Vitrectomy with the temporal inverted ILM flap technique was performed. In this method, ILM is peeled only at one side of the fovea. An ILM flap is created to cover the macular hole. Comparison of retina vasculature in the areas of ILM peeling vs. no ILM peeling at 1 and 3 months after successful vitrectomy was performed. The study demonstrated lower density of vessels in the deep retinal plexus in the area where ILM was peeled as compared to the rest of the fovea. Visual acuity and central retinal thickness 1 month after surgery correlates with fovea avascular zone diameter in deep retinal layers at the same time point (P = 0.001). This study confirmed that ILM peeling might alter blood flow in deep retinal vessels below the peeling area in the early postoperative period. The area of the fovea avascular zone corresponds to functional results at the same time point.

Modelling saline intrusion for repository performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, C.P.

1989-04-01

UK Nirex Ltd are currently considering the possibility of disposal of radioactive waste by burial in deep underground repositories. The natural pathway for radionuclides from such a repository to return to Man's immediate environment (the biosphere) is via groundwater. Thus analyses of the groundwater flow in the neighbourhood of a possible repository, and consequent radionuclide transport form an important part of a performance assessment for a repository. Some of the areas in the UK that might be considered as possible locations for a repository are near the coast. If a repository is located in a coastal region seawater may intrude into the groundwater flow system. As seawater is denser than fresh water buoyancy forces acting on the intruding saline water may have significant effects on the groundwater flow system, and consequently on the time for radionuclides to return to the biosphere. Further, the chemistry of the repository near-field may be strongly influenced by the salinity of the groundwater. It is therefore important for Nirex to have a capability for reliably modelling saline intrusion to an appropriate degree of accuracy in order to make performance assessments for a repository in a coastal region. This report describes work undertaken in the Nirex Research programme to provide such a capability. (author)

Updating temperature and salinity mean values and trends in the Western Mediterranean: The RADMED project

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas-Yáñez, M.; García-Martínez, M. C.; Moya, F.; Balbín, R.; López-Jurado, J. L.; Serra, M.; Zunino, P.; Pascual, J.; Salat, J.

2017-09-01

The RADMED project is devoted to the implementation and maintenance of a multidisciplinary monitoring system around the Spanish Mediterranean waters. This observing system is based on periodic multidisciplinary cruises covering the coastal waters, continental shelf and slope waters and some deep stations (>2000 m) from the Westernmost Alboran Sea to Barcelona in the Catalan Sea, including the Balearic Islands. This project was launched in 2007 unifying and extending some previous monitoring projects which had a more reduced geographical coverage. Some of the time series currently available extend from 1992, while the more recent ones were initiated in 2007. The present work updates the available time series up to 2015 (included) and shows the capability of these time series for two main purposes: the calculation of mean values for the properties of main water masses around the Spanish Mediterranean, and the study of the interannual and decadal variability of such properties. The data set provided by the RADMED project has been merged with historical data from the MEDAR/MEDATLAS data base for the calculation of temperature and salinity trends from 1900 to 2015. The analysis of these time series shows that the intermediate and deep layers of the Western Mediterranean have increased their temperature and salinity with an acceleration of the warming and salting trends from 1943. Trends for the heat absorbed by the water column for the 1943-2015 period, range between 0.2 and 0.6 W/m2 depending on the used methodology. The temperature and salinity trends for the same period and for the intermediate layer are 0.002 °C/yr and 0.001 yr-1 respectively. Deep layers warmed and increased their salinity at a rate of 0.004 °C/yr and 0.001 yr-1.

Effects of Trophic Modes, Carbon Sources, and Salinity on the Cell Growth and Lipid Accumulation of Tropic Ocean Oilgae Strain Desmodesmus sp. WC08.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhenyu; Ma, Shasha; Li, Ang; Liu, Pinghuai; Wang, Meng

2016-10-01

The effects of trophic modes, carbon sources, and salinity on the growth and lipid accumulation of a marine oilgae Desmodesmus sp. WC08 in different trophic cultures were assayed by single factor experiment based on the blue-green algae medium (BG-11). The results implied that biomass and lipid accumulation culture process were optimized depending on the tophic modes, sorts, and concentration of carbon sources and salinity in the cultivation. There was no significant difference in growth or lipid accumulation with Na 2 CO 3 amendment or NaHCO 3 amendment. However, Na 2 CO 3 amendment did enhance the biomass and lipid accumulation to some extent. The highest Desmodesmus sp. WC08 biomass and lipid accumulation was achieved in the growth medium with photoautotrophic cultivation, 0.08 g L -1 Na 2 CO 3 amendment and 15 g L -1 sea salt, respectively.

Groundwater salinity at Olkiluoto and its effects on a spent fuel repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vieno, T. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

2000-06-01

The Olkiluoto island rose from the Baltic Sea 2500 to 3000 years ago. The layered sequence of groundwaters can be related to climatic and shoreline changes from modern tune through former Baltic stages to the deglaciation phase about 10 000 years ago and even to preglacial times. Fresh groundwater is found to the depth of about 150 metres, brackish between 100 and 400 metres, deeper groundwaters are saline. At the depth of 500 meters, the content of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) varies between 10 and 25 g/l. The most saline waters at depths greater than 800 metres have TDS values between 30 and 75 g/l. These deep saline waters seem to have been undisturbed during the most recent glaciation and even much longer in the past. Today fresh water infiltrating at the surface gradually displaces brackish and saline groundwater in the bedrock. Due to the still ongoing postglacial land uplift, Olkiluoto is likely to become an inland site with brackish or fresh groundwater at the depth of 500 metres within the next 10 000 years. During the construction and operation phases groundwater will be drawn into the repository from the surrounding bedrock. As a consequence, more saline groundwaters, presently laying 100 to 200 metres below the repository level, may rise to the disposal level. After the closing of the repository the salinity distribution will gradually return towards the natural state. During the glacial cycle groundwater salinity may increase, for example, during freezing of groundwater into permafrost, when dissolved solids concentrate in the remaining water phase, and in a situation where deep saline groundwaters from under the centre of the glacier are pushed to the upper parts of the bedrock at the periphery of the glacier. The most significant open issue related to saline groundwater is the performance of the tunnel backfill which in the BS-3 concept has been planned to consist of a mixture of crushed rock and 10-30% of bentonite. Saline groundwater may

Salinity Regulates Claudin mRNA and Protein Expression in the Teleost Gill

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tipsmark, Christian K; Baltzegar, David A; Ozden, Ozkan

2008-01-01

The teleost gill carries out NaCl uptake in fresh water (FW) and NaCl excretion in seawater (SW). This transformation with salinity requires close regulation of ion transporter capacity and epithelial permeability. This study investigates the regulation of tight junctional claudins during salinity...... was localized deep in the FW gill filament, whereas staining was found apically in SW gill. Claudin 4-like proteins are localized predominantly in the filament outer epithelial layer and staining appears more intense in gill of FW versus SW fish. Additionally, tilapia claudin 28a and 30 genes were characterized......, and mRNA expression was found to increase during FW acclimation. These studies are the first to detect putative claudin proteins in teleosts and show their localization and regulation with salinity in gill epithelium. The data indicate that claudins may be important in permeability changes associated...

Effect of water regime and salinity on artichoke yield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca Boari

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This work focuses on the effects of different salinity and water inputs on the yield of artichoke Violetto di Provenza. Two years of experimental works had been carried out in a site in Southern Italy characterized by semi-arid climate and deep loam soil. Three salinity levels of irrigation water (S0, S1 and S2 with electrical conductivity (ECw of 0.5, 5 and 10 dS m-1, respectively, were combined with three water regimes (W1, W2 and W3 corresponding in that order to 20 40 and 60% of available water depletion. The overall results of the salinity tolerance are in agreement with those from the literature. However, an higher tolerance to salinity was demonstrated when crop was watered more frequently (at 20% of available water depletion and a lower one when crop watering was performed less frequently (at 60% of available water depletion. The increase of salinity level reduced marketable yield (from 12.9 to 8.8 Mg ha-1, total heads (from 125,100 to 94,700 n ha-1 and heads mean weight (from 99.9 to 94.6 g, while increased heads dry matter (from 161.8 to 193.6 g kg-1 f.w. and reduced edible parte percentage of heads (from 35.2 to 33.2 %. Watering regimes, as average of the salinity levels, affected total heads marketable yield (115,350 n ha-1 and 11.4 Mg ha-1 for W1 and W2, 105,900 n ha-1 and 10 Mg ha-1 for W3. In addition, different watering regimes affected the secondary heads yield for which it was reduced by 3% of mean weight. The effect of different watering regimes changed with various salinity levels. In condition of moderate salinity (S1, maximum water depletion fraction to preserve heads number and weight yield was 40 and 20% of total soil available water, respectively. However, with high salinity (S2, maximum water depletion fraction to keep unchanged heads number and weight yield was 20% for both. The level of soil salinity at beginning of the crop cycle favoured the incidence of head atrophy in the main heads produced in the second year.

Quality of jackfruit seedlings under saline water stress and nitrogen fertilisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Ítalo Fernandes de Oliveira

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The lack of good quality water for agriculture purposes regarding salts and quantity in relation to demand for the plants has, for more than 30 years, been forcing the use of restrictive water because of salinity issues in agricultural production systems worldwide. In Brazil, the situation is no different, in the semi-arid areas, there are reports of losses of seed germination, initial growth of seedlings and yield of crops of commercial importance due to the salinity of the water used in irrigation systems. Therefore, an experiment was carried out from June to September/2014 in a protected environment, with a plastic film on the upper base and a thin screen against insects on the sides, to evaluate the effects of salinity interaction between water irrigation and nitrogen fertilisation sources on soil salinity, initial plant growth and the quality of the jackfruit seedlings. The treatments were distributed in randomised blocks, in the factorial scheme 5 × 3, reference irrigation water of 0.3, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 dS m-1, in soil with and without ammonium sulfate and urea. An increase in the salinity of the irrigation water to 1.32 and 1.70 dS m-1 on the substrate without nitrogen stimulated an increase in the number of leaves and leaf area of the jackfruit seedlings. The ammonium sulfate was the nitrogen source that mainly contributed to the increase of soil salinity and to the reduction of the quality index of the seedlings. Despite the reduction of the Dickson quality index due to the salinity of the irrigation water and the nitrogen sources, the seedlings were suitable for cultivation.

Process strategies for ultra-deep x-ray lithography at the Advanced Photon Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mancini, D.C.; Moldovan, N.; Divan, R.; De Carlo, F.; Yaeger, J.

2001-01-01

For the past five years, we have been investigating and advancing processing capabilities for deep x-ray lithography (DXRL) using synchrotron radiation from a bending magnet at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), with an emphasis on ultra-deep structures (1mm to 1cm thick). The use of higher-energy x-rays has presented many challenges in developing optimal lithographic techniques for high-aspect ratio structures: mask requirements, resist preparation, exposure, development, and post-processing. Many problems are more severe for high-energy exposure of thicker films than for sub-millimeter structures and affect resolution, processing time, adhesion, damage, and residue. A number of strategies have been created to overcome the challenges and limitations of ultra-deep x-ray lithography (UDXRL), that have resulted in the current choices for mask, substrate, and process flow at the APS. We describe our current process strategies for UDXRL, how they address the challenges presented, and their current limitations. We note especially the importance of the process parameters for use of the positive tone resist PMMA for UDXRL, and compare to the use of negative tone resists such as SU-8 regarding throughput, resolution, adhesion, damage, and post-processing.

The hydrogeochemical and isotopic investigations of the two-layered Shiraz aquifer in the northwest of Maharlou saline lake, south of Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Tajabadi, Mehdi; Zare, Mohammad; Chitsazan, Manouchehr

2018-03-01

Maharlou saline lake is the outlet of Shiraz closed basin in southern Iran, surrounded by several disconnected alluvial fresh water aquifers. These aquifers in the west and northwest of the lake are recharged by karstic anticlines such as Kaftarak in the north and Barmshour in the south. Here groundwater salinity varies along the depth so that better quality water is located below brackish or saline waters. The aim of this study is to investigate the reason for the salinity anomaly and the origin of the fresher groundwater in lower depth. Hence, the change in groundwater salinity along depth has been investigated by means of a set of geoelectrical, hydrogeological, hydrogeochemical, and environmental isotopes data. The interpretation of geoelectrical profiles and hydrogeological data indicates that the aquifer in the southeast of Shiraz plain is a two-layer aquifer separated by a fine-grained (silt and clay) layer with an approximate thickness of 40 m at the depth of about 100-120 m. Hydrgeochemistry showed that the shallow aquifer is recharged by Kaftarak karstic anticline and is affected by the saline lake water. The lake water fraction varies in different parts from zero for shallow aquifer close to the karstic anticlines to ∼70 percent in the margin of the lake. The deep aquifer is protected from the intrusion of saline lake water due to the presence of the above-mentioned confining layer with lake water fraction of zero. The stable isotopes signatures also indicate that the 'fresh' groundwater belonging to the deep aquifer is not subject to severe evaporation or mixing which is typical of the karstic water of the area. It is concluded that the characteristics of the deep aquifer are similar to those of the karstic carbonate aquifer. This karstic aquifer is most probably the Barmshour carbonated anticline buried under the shallow aquifer in the southern part. It may also be the extension of the Kaftarak anticline in the northern part.

Characterization of salinity loads and selenium loads in the Smith Fork Creek region of the Lower Gunnison River Basin, western Colorado, 2008-2009

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Rodney J.; Linard, Joshua I.; Hobza, Christopher M.

2014-01-01

The lower Gunnison River Basin of the Colorado River Basin has elevated salinity and selenium levels. The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of June 24, 1974 (Public Law 93–320, amended by Public Law 98–569), authorized investigation of the Lower Gunnison Basin Unit Salinity Control Project by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are responsible for assessing and implementing measures to reduce salinity and selenium loading in the Colorado River Basin. Cost-sharing programs help farmers, ranchers, and canal companies improve the efficiency of water delivery systems and irrigation practices. The delivery systems (irrigation canals) have been identified as potential sources of seepage, which can contribute to salinity loading. Reclamation wants to identify seepage from irrigation systems in order to maximize the effectiveness of the various salinity-control methods, such as polyacrylamide lining and piping of irrigation canals programs. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Reclamation, developed a study to characterize the salinity and selenium loading of seven subbasins in the Smith Fork Creek region and identify where control efforts can be maximized to reduce salinity and selenium loading. Total salinity loads ranged from 27.9±19.1 tons per year (t/yr) to 87,500±80,500 t/yr. The four natural subbasins—BkKm, RCG1, RCG2, and SF1—had total salinity loads of 27.9±19.1 t/yr, 371±248 t/yr, 2,180±1,590 t/yr, and 4,200±2,720 t/yr, respectively. The agriculturally influenced sites had salinity loads that ranged from 7,580±6,900 t/yr to 87,500±80,500 t/yr. Salinity loads for the subbasins AL1, B1, CK1, SF2, and SF3 were 7,580±6,900 t/yr; 28,300±26,700 t/yr; 48,700±36,100 t/yr; 87,500±80,900 t/yr; and 52,200±31,800 t/yr, respectively. The agricultural salinity load was separated into three components: tail water, deep percolation, and canal seepage

Numerical simulation methods applied to injection and storage of CO{sub 2} in saline aquifers; Metodos de simulacion numerica aplicados a la inyeccion y almacenamiento de CO{sub 2} en formaciones salinas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arjona Garcia-Borreguero, J.; Rodriguez Pons-Esparver, R.; Iglesias Lopez, A.

2015-07-01

One of the Climate Change mitigation proposals suggested by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in its Synthesis Report 2007 involves the launch of applications for capturing and storing carbon dioxide, existing three different geological structures suitable for gas storage: oil and gas depleted reservoirs, useless coal layers and deep saline structures. In case of deep saline structures, the main problem to prepare a study of CO{sub 2} storage is the difficulty of obtaining geological data for some selected structure with characteristics that could be suitable for injection and gas storage. According to this situation, the solution to analyze the feasibility of a storage project in a geological structure will need numerical simulation from a 3D terrain model. Numerical methods allow the simulation of the carbon dioxide filling in saline structures from a well, used to inject gas with a particular flow. This paper presents a methodology to address the modeling and simulation process of CO{sub 2} injection into deep saline aquifers. (Author)

Soil salinity and yield of mango fertigated with potassium sources

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Marcio A. Carneiro

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Irrigated fruit crops have an important role in the economic and social aspects in the region of the Sub-middle São Francisco River Valley. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate soil salinity and the productive aspects of the mango crop, cv. Tommy Atkins, fertigated with doses of potassium chloride (KCl and potassium sulfate (K2SO4 during two crop cycles (from January to March 2014 and from January to March 2015. The experiment was carried out in a strip-split-plot design and five potassium doses (50, 75, 100, 125 and 150% of the recommended dose as plots and two potassium sources (KCl and K2SO4 as subplots, with four replicates. Soil electrical conductivity (EC, exchangeable sodium (Na+ and potassium (K+ contents and pH were evaluated. In addition, the number of commercial fruits and yield were determined. The fertilization with KCl resulted in higher soil EC compared with K2SO4 fertigation. Soil Na+ and K+ contents increased with increasing doses of fertilizers. K2SO4 was more efficient for the production per plant and yield than KCl. Thus, under the conditions of this study, the K2SO4 dose of 174.24 g plant-1 (24.89 kg ha-1 or 96.8% of recommendation, spacing of 10 x 7 m was recommended for a yield of 23.1 t ha-1 of mango fruits, cv. Tommy Atkins.

Dryland salinity: threatening water resources in the semi-arid Western Cape

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Bugan, Richard DH

2010-11-01

Full Text Available associated with the mobilisation of inorganic salts from the landscape and the consequent increase in salt concentrations in receiving water bodies. Dyland salinity is not new to this area. Wheat lands in the Swartland and Overberg regions are widely known... to contain ?brak kolle? (saline scalds) where the wheat will not germinate. CAPTION: The Berg River near Velddrif. The river drains an area of approximately 9 000 km? and is an important source of water to the Boland and Cape Peninsula (source: Vernon...

Sources and doses of nitrogen in the production of sunflower plants irrigated with saline water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reginaldo G. Nobre

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The cultivation of sunflower allows its use as bio-fuel and alternative forage. It is a viable alternative in the semiarid regions. Current study evaluates the effect of saline water use, sources and doses of nitrogen fertilization on the production of sunflower in the experiment conducted in drainage lysimeters between May and August 2012, under protected conditions, at Pombal - PB Brazil. The experiment consisted of a randomized block design, with a 2 x 3 x 4 factorial arrangement and three replications. The treatments consisted of two levels of electrical conductivity of water - ECw (0.3 and 3.0 dS m-1, three sources of nitrogen (urea, ammonium sulfate and calcium nitrate and four levels of N (40, 80, 120 and 160% of recommended dose - 100 mg kg-1, for trials in pots. Dry mass of chapter (DMC, mass of achenes (MAc, the number of viable seeds (MVS, total number of seeds (TNS and internal (DCI and external (DCE diameter of chapter. Irrigation with water of ECw=3.0 dS m-1 negatively affected all variable evaluated. Doses of N 104 and 160% of recommended dose for trials in pots, resulted in the highest DMC, TNS, DCE and DCI. N sources and the interaction between factors did not affect significantly any of the variable evaluated.

The deep hydrogeologic flow system underlying the Oak Ridge Reservation - Assessing the potential for active groundwater flow and origin of the brine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nativ, R.; Halleran, A.; Hunley, A.

1997-08-01

The deep hydrogeologic system underlying the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) contains contaminants such as radionuclides, heavy metals, nitrates, and organic compounds. The groundwater in the deep system is saline and has been considered to be stagnant in previous studies. This study was designed to address the following questions: is groundwater in the deep system stagnant; is contaminant migration controlled by diffusion only or is advection a viable mechanism; where are the potential outlet points? On the basis of existing and newly collected data, the nature of saline groundwater flow and potential discharge into shallow, freshwater systems was assessed. Data used for this purpose included (1) spatial and temporal pressures and hydraulic heads measured in the deep system, (2) hydraulic parameters of the formations in question, (3) spatial and temporal temperature variations at depth, and (4) spatial and temporal chemical and isotopic composition of the saline groundwater. The observations suggest that the saline water contained at depth is old but not isolated (in terms of recharge and discharge) from the overlying active, freshwater-bearing units. Influx of recent water does occur. Groundwater volumes involved in this flow are likely to be small. The origin of the saline groundwater was assessed by using existing and newly acquired chemical and isotopic data. The proposed model that best fits the data is modification of residual brine from which halite has been precipitated. Other models, such as ultrafiltration and halite dissolution, were also evaluated

Seasonal variations of the upper ocean salinity stratification in the Tropics

Science.gov (United States)

Maes, Christophe; O'Kane, Terence J.

2014-03-01

In comparison to the deep ocean, the upper mixed layer is a region typically characterized by substantial vertical gradients in water properties. Within the Tropics, the rich variability in the vertical shapes and forms that these structures can assume through variation in the atmospheric forcing results in a differential effect in terms of the temperature and salinity stratification. Rather than focusing on the strong halocline above the thermocline, commonly referred to as the salinity barrier layer, the present study takes into account the respective thermal and saline dependencies in the Brunt-Väisälä frequency (N2) in order to isolate the specific role of the salinity stratification in the layers above the main pycnocline. We examine daily vertical profiles of temperature and salinity from an ocean reanalysis over the period 2001-2007. We find significant seasonal variations in the Brunt-Väisälä frequency profiles are limited to the upper 300 m depth. Based on this, we determine the ocean salinity stratification (OSS) to be defined as the stabilizing effect (positive values) due to the haline part of N2 averaged over the upper 300 m. In many regions of the tropics, the OSS contributes 40-50% to N2 as compared to the thermal stratification and, in some specific regions, exceeds it for a few months of the seasonal cycle. Away from the tropics, for example, near the centers of action of the subtropical gyres, there are regions characterized by the permanent absence of OSS. In other regions previously characterized with salinity barrier layers, the OSS obviously shares some common variations; however, we show that where temperature and salinity are mixed over the same depth, the salinity stratification can be significant. In addition, relationships between the OSS and the sea surface salinity are shown to be well defined and quasilinear in the tropics, providing some indication that in the future, analyses that consider both satellite surface salinity

Treatability of a Highly-Impaired, Saline Surface Water for Potential Urban Water Use

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Frederick Pontius

2018-03-01

Full Text Available As freshwater sources of drinking water become limited, cities and urban areas must consider higher-salinity waters as potential sources of drinking water. The Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley of California has a very high salinity (43 ppt, total dissolved solids (70,000 mg/L, and color (1440 CU. Future wetlands and habitat restoration will have significant ecological benefits, but salinity levels will remain elevated. High salinity eutrophic waters, such as the Salton Sea, are difficult to treat, yet more desirable sources of drinking water are limited. The treatability of Salton Sea water for potential urban water use was evaluated here. Coagulation-sedimentation using aluminum chlorohydrate, ferric chloride, and alum proved to be relatively ineffective for lowering turbidity, with no clear optimum dose for any of the coagulants tested. Alum was most effective for color removal (28 percent at a dose of 40 mg/L. Turbidity was removed effectively with 0.45 μm and 0.1 μm microfiltration. Bench tests of Salton Sea water using sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO achieved initial contaminant rejections of 99 percent salinity, 97.7 percent conductivity, 98.6 percent total dissolved solids, 98.7 percent chloride, 65 percent sulfate, and 99.3 percent turbidity.

Strontium isotopes as an indicator for groundwater salinity sources in the Kirkuk region, Iraq

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahib, Layth Y. [Institute for Applied Geosciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 9, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Geology Department, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Jadreya, Baghdad (Iraq); Marandi, Andres; Schüth, Christoph [Institute for Applied Geosciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 9, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2016-08-15

The Kirkuk region in northern Iraq hosts some of the largest oil fields in the Middle East. Several anticline structures enabled vertical migration and entrapment of the oil. Frequently, complex fracture systems and faults cut across the Eocene and middle Oligocene reservoirs and the cap rock, the Fatha Formation of Miocene age. Seepage of crude oil and oil field brines are therefore a common observation in the anticline axes and contamination of shallow groundwater resources is a major concern. In this study, 65 water samples were collected in the Kirkuk region to analyze and distinguish mixing processes between shallow groundwater resources, uprising oil field brines, and dissolution of gypsum and halite from the Fatha Formation. Hydrochemical analyses of the water samples included general hydrochemistry, stable water isotopes, as well as strontium concentrations and for 22 of the samples strontium isotopes ({sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr). Strontium concentrations increased close to the anticline axes with highest concentrations in the oil field brines (300 mg/l). Strontium isotopes proved to be a valuable tool to distinguish mixing processes as isotope signatures of the oil field brines and of waters from the Fatha Formation are significantly different. It could be shown, that mixing of shallow groundwater with oil field brines is occurring close to the major fault zones in the anticlines but high concentrations of strontium in the water samples are mainly due to dissolution from the Fatha Formation. - Highlights: • This field study evaluates the salinity sources in the groundwater in Kirkuk region. • Salinity is related to evaporates dissolving and/or mixing with oil field brine. • Strontium isotopes proved to be a valuable tool to distinguish mixing processes.

Geochemical characteristics of Tertiary saline lacustrine oils in the Western Qaidam Basin, northwest China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Yangming; Weng Huanxin; Su Aiguo; Liang Digang; Peng Dehua

2005-01-01

Based on the systematic analyses of light hydrocarbon, saturate, aromatic fractions and C isotopes of over 40 oil samples along with related Tertiary source rocks collected from the western Qaidam basin, the geochemical characteristics of the Tertiary saline lacustrine oils in this region was investigated. The oils are characterized by bimodal n-alkane distributions with odd-to-even (C 11 -C 17 ) and even-to-odd (C 18 -C 28 ) predominance, low Pr/Ph (mostly lower than 0.6), high concentration of gammacerane, C 35 hopane and methylated MTTCs, reflecting the high salinity and anoxic setting typical of a saline lacustrine depositional environment. Mango's K 1 values in the saline oils are highly variable (0.99-1.63), and could be associated with the facies-dependent parameters such as Pr/Ph and gammacerane indexes. Compared with other Tertiary oils, the studied Tertiary saline oils are marked by enhanced C 28 sterane abundance (30% or more of C 27 -C 29 homologues), possibly derived from halophilic algae. It is noted that the geochemical parameters of the oils in various oilfields exhibit regular spatial changes, which are consistent with the depositional phase variations of the source rocks. The oils have uncommon heavy C isotopic ratios (-24%o to -26%o) and a flat shape of the individual n-alkane isotope profile, and show isotopic characteristics similar to marine organic matter. The appearance of oleanane and high 24/(24 + 27)-norcholestane ratios (0.57-0.87) in the saline oils and source rocks confirm a Tertiary organic source

Stable groundwater quality in deep aquifers of Southern Bangladesh: The case against sustainable abstraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ravenscroft, P.; McArthur, J.M.; Hoque, M.A.

2013-01-01

In forty six wells > 150 m deep, from across the arsenic-polluted area of south-central Bangladesh, groundwater composition remained unchanged between 1998 and 2011. No evidence of deteriorating water quality was found in terms of arsenic, iron, manganese, boron, barium or salinity over this period of 13 years. These deep tubewells have achieved operating lives of more than 20 years with minimal institutional support. These findings confirm that tubewells tapping the deep aquifers in the Bengal Basin provide a safe, popular, and economic, means of arsenic mitigation and are likely to do so for decades to come. Nevertheless, concerns remain about the sustainability of a resource that could serve as a source of As-safe water to mitigate As-pollution in shallower aquifers in an area where tens of millions of people are exposed to dangerous levels of arsenic in well water. The conjunction of the stable composition in deep groundwater and the severe adverse health effects of arsenic in shallow groundwater lead us to challenge the notion that strong sustainability principles should be applied to the management of deep aquifer abstraction in Bangladesh is, the notion that the deep groundwater resource should be preserved for future generations by protecting it from adverse impacts, probably of a minor nature, that could occur after a long time and might not happen at all. Instead, we advocate an ethical approach to development of the deep aquifer, based on adaptive abstraction management, which allows possibly unsustainable exploitation now in order to alleviate crippling disease and death from arsenic today while also benefiting future generations by improving the health, education and economy of living children. - Highlights: • Tens of millions of people in Bangladesh are affected by arsenic pollution of groundwater. • Deep wells in potentially non-renewable aquifers are the dominant form of mitigation. • Water quality in these aquifers has remained stable for 13

Stable groundwater quality in deep aquifers of Southern Bangladesh: The case against sustainable abstraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ravenscroft, P., E-mail: pravenscroft@unicef.org [UNICEF, BSL Office Complex, Minto Road, Dhaka 1000 (Bangladesh); McArthur, J.M.; Hoque, M.A. [Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom)

2013-06-01

In forty six wells > 150 m deep, from across the arsenic-polluted area of south-central Bangladesh, groundwater composition remained unchanged between 1998 and 2011. No evidence of deteriorating water quality was found in terms of arsenic, iron, manganese, boron, barium or salinity over this period of 13 years. These deep tubewells have achieved operating lives of more than 20 years with minimal institutional support. These findings confirm that tubewells tapping the deep aquifers in the Bengal Basin provide a safe, popular, and economic, means of arsenic mitigation and are likely to do so for decades to come. Nevertheless, concerns remain about the sustainability of a resource that could serve as a source of As-safe water to mitigate As-pollution in shallower aquifers in an area where tens of millions of people are exposed to dangerous levels of arsenic in well water. The conjunction of the stable composition in deep groundwater and the severe adverse health effects of arsenic in shallow groundwater lead us to challenge the notion that strong sustainability principles should be applied to the management of deep aquifer abstraction in Bangladesh is, the notion that the deep groundwater resource should be preserved for future generations by protecting it from adverse impacts, probably of a minor nature, that could occur after a long time and might not happen at all. Instead, we advocate an ethical approach to development of the deep aquifer, based on adaptive abstraction management, which allows possibly unsustainable exploitation now in order to alleviate crippling disease and death from arsenic today while also benefiting future generations by improving the health, education and economy of living children. - Highlights: • Tens of millions of people in Bangladesh are affected by arsenic pollution of groundwater. • Deep wells in potentially non-renewable aquifers are the dominant form of mitigation. • Water quality in these aquifers has remained stable for 13

Modelling the salinization of a coastal lagoon-aquifer system

Science.gov (United States)

Colombani, N.; Mastrocicco, M.

2017-08-01

In this study, a coastal area constituted by alternations of saline-brackish lagoons and freshwater bodies was studied and modelled to understand the hydrological processes occurring between the lagoons, the groundwater system of the Po River Delta (Italy) and the Adriatic Sea. The contribution of both evaporation and anthropogenic factors on groundwater salinization was assessed by means of soil, groundwater and surface water monitoring. Highresolution multi-level samplers were used to capture salinity gradients within the aquifer and surface water bodies. Data were employed to calibrate a density-dependent numerical transport model implemented with SEAWAT code along a transect perpendicular to the coast line. The results show that the lagoon is hydraulically well connected with the aquifer, which provides the major source of salinity because of the upcoming of paleo-seawater from the aquitard laying at the base of the unconfined aquifer. On the contrary, the seawater (diluted by the freshwater river outflow) creates only a limited saltwater wedge. The increase in groundwater salinity could be of serious concern, especially for the pinewood located in the dune near the coast, sensitive to salinity increases. This case study represents an interesting paradigm for other similar environmental setting, where the assumption of classical aquifer salinization from a saltwater wedge intruding from the sea is often not representative of the actual aquifer’s salinization mechanisms.

A Framework for Transparently Accessing Deep Web Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Dragut, Eduard Constantin

2010-01-01

An increasing number of Web sites expose their content via query interfaces, many of them offering the same type of products/services (e.g., flight tickets, car rental/purchasing). They constitute the so-called "Deep Web". Accessing the content on the Deep Web has been a long-standing challenge for the database community. For a user interested in…

An environmental model study of the deep layers of the North East Atlantic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bork, I.

1989-01-01

The field work of the north Atlantic monitoring Program (NOAMP) was supplemented by numerical simulations of the transport of radionuclides in the North Atlantic Ocean by annual mean flows and mixing processes. During the last year of NOAMP, a different attempt was made to compute the current field and three-dimensional trajectories of particles released in deep layers of the NOAMP area. It is the subject of this paper. The model used is of Bryan/Semtner type, but with smoothed topography and climatological (winter) temperature and salinity data. The results form a compromise between interpretation of climatological temperature and salinity data and the complete prediction of the current field by prognostic calculations, which yields a deep flow pattern that agrees with some ideas of the abyssal circulation

Influence of salinity and water regime on tomato for processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vito Cantore

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The effects of salinity and watering regime on tomato crop are reported. The trials have been carried out over two years in Southern Italy on a deep loam soil. Three saline levels of irrigation water (with electrical conductivity of 0.5, 5 and 10 dS m-1, three watering regimes (at 20, 40 and 60% of available water depletion, and two cultivars (HLY19 and Perfectpeel were compared. The overall results related to the salinity tolerance are in agreement with those from the literature indicating that water salinity reduced marketable yield by 55% in respect to the control treatments. The irrigation regimes that provided higher total and marketable yield were at 40 and 60% of available water depletion (on average, 90.5 and 58.1 Mg ha-1 against 85.3 and 55.5 Mg ha-1 of the 20% available water depletion. Saline and irrigation treatments did not affect sunburned fruits, while affected incidence of fruits with blossom-end rot. The former disease appeared more dramatically in saline treatments (+28% in respect to the control, and occurred mainly in HLY19. The disease incidence was by 52% lower in W2 respect to the W1 and W3. Fruit firmness was higher in S0, whereas it was not affected by irrigation regimes. Total soluble solids and dry matter content of tomato fruits were increased by salinity, whereas it was not affected by irrigation regimes and cultivars. The pH and the titratable acidity remained unchanged between the years, the cultivar and the saline and irrigation treatments. Similarly to the last parameters, the fruit ascorbic acid content remained unchanged in relation to the treatments, but it was higher in HLY19. The recommended thresholds of easily available water to preserve total and marketable yield were at 40 and 60%, respectively. Watering more frequently, instead, on the soil type of the trial, probably caused water-logging and root hypoxia affecting negatively yield.

Enhanced deep ocean ventilation and oxygenation with global warming

Science.gov (United States)

Froelicher, T. L.; Jaccard, S.; Dunne, J. P.; Paynter, D.; Gruber, N.

2014-12-01

Twenty-first century coupled climate model simulations, observations from the recent past, and theoretical arguments suggest a consistent trend towards warmer ocean temperatures and fresher polar surface oceans in response to increased radiative forcing resulting in increased upper ocean stratification and reduced ventilation and oxygenation of the deep ocean. Paleo-proxy records of the warming at the end of the last ice age, however, suggests a different outcome, namely a better ventilated and oxygenated deep ocean with global warming. Here we use a four thousand year global warming simulation from a comprehensive Earth System Model (GFDL ESM2M) to show that this conundrum is a consequence of different rates of warming and that the deep ocean is actually better ventilated and oxygenated in a future warmer equilibrated climate consistent with paleo-proxy records. The enhanced deep ocean ventilation in the Southern Ocean occurs in spite of increased positive surface buoyancy fluxes and a constancy of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds - circumstances that would otherwise be expected to lead to a reduction in deep ocean ventilation. This ventilation recovery occurs through a global scale interaction of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation undergoing a multi-centennial recovery after an initial century of transient decrease and transports salinity-rich waters inform the subtropical surface ocean to the Southern Ocean interior on multi-century timescales. The subsequent upwelling of salinity-rich waters in the Southern Ocean strips away the freshwater cap that maintains vertical stability and increases open ocean convection and the formation of Antarctic Bottom Waters. As a result, the global ocean oxygen content and the nutrient supply from the deep ocean to the surface are higher in a warmer ocean. The implications for past and future changes in ocean heat and carbon storage will be discussed.

On the Sources of Salinity in Groundwater under Plain Areas. Insights from {delta}{sup 18}O, {delta}{sup 2}H and Hydrochemistry in the Azul River Basin, Argentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zabala, M. E.; Varni, M.; Weinzettel, P. [Instituto de Hidrologia de llanuras, Azul (Argentina); Manzano, M. [Technical University of Cartagena (Spain)

2013-07-15

The Azul River basin, with some 6200 km{sup 2}, is located in the plains of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The Azul River flows along 160 km from the Tandilia Range, in the SW, to the Channel 11, in the NE. Average annual precipitation is 1005 mm (1988-2000); mean reference evapotranspiration is 1090 mm. The geology consists of Miocene to recent sediments, mostly sands and silts with some clay and calcrete layers, overlying crystalline rocks and marine sediments. The water table is shallow and groundwater in the aquifer upper 30 m displays an increasing salinity from SW to NE. The previous hypothesis to explain the salinity was infiltration of evapo-concentrated surface water, as the small soil slope in the northern basin (< 0.2%) induces rainfall accumulation in lowlands, where water evaporates prior to infiltration. But recent chemical and isotopic data reveal two salinity sources: evaporation of recent recharge water, and mixing with old saline groundwater of yet unknown origin. (author)

Case study on combined CO₂ sequestration and low-salinity water production potential in a shallow saline aquifer in Qatar.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Tausif Khizar; Nasrabadi, Hadi

2012-10-30

CO₂ is one of the byproducts of natural gas production in Qatar. The high rate of natural gas production from Qatar's North Field (world's largest non-associated gas field) has led to the production of significant amounts of CO₂. The release of CO₂ into the atmosphere may be harmful from the perspective of global warming. In this work, we study the CO₂ sequestration potential in Qatar's Aruma aquifer. The Aruma aquifer is a saline aquifer in the southwest of Qatar. It occupies an area of approximately 1985 km₂ on land (16% of Qatar's total area). We have developed a compositional model for CO₂ sequestration in the Aruma aquifer on the basis of available log and flow test data. We suggest water production at some distance from the CO₂ injection wells as a possible way to control the pore pressure. This method increases the potential for safe sequestration of CO₂ in the aquifer without losing integrity of the caprock and without any CO₂ leakage. The water produced from this aquifer is considerably less saline than seawater and could be a good water source for the desalination process, which is currently the main source of water in Qatar. The outcome of the desalination process is water with higher salinity than the seawater that is currently discharged into the sea. This discharge can have negative long-term environmental effects. The water produced from the Aruma aquifer is considerably less saline than seawater and can be a partial solution to this problem. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of imaging modalities and source-localization algorithms in locating the induced activity during deep brain stimulation of the STN.

Science.gov (United States)

Mideksa, K G; Singh, A; Hoogenboom, N; Hellriegel, H; Krause, H; Schnitzler, A; Deuschl, G; Raethjen, J; Schmidt, G; Muthuraman, M

2016-08-01

One of the most commonly used therapy to treat patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Identifying the most optimal target area for the placement of the DBS electrodes have become one of the intensive research area. In this study, the first aim is to investigate the capabilities of different source-analysis techniques in detecting deep sources located at the sub-cortical level and validating it using the a-priori information about the location of the source, that is, the STN. Secondly, we aim at an investigation of whether EEG or MEG is best suited in mapping the DBS-induced brain activity. To do this, simultaneous EEG and MEG measurement were used to record the DBS-induced electromagnetic potentials and fields. The boundary-element method (BEM) have been used to solve the forward problem. The position of the DBS electrodes was then estimated using the dipole (moving, rotating, and fixed MUSIC), and current-density-reconstruction (CDR) (minimum-norm and sLORETA) approaches. The source-localization results from the dipole approaches demonstrated that the fixed MUSIC algorithm best localizes deep focal sources, whereas the moving dipole detects not only the region of interest but also neighboring regions that are affected by stimulating the STN. The results from the CDR approaches validated the capability of sLORETA in detecting the STN compared to minimum-norm. Moreover, the source-localization results using the EEG modality outperformed that of the MEG by locating the DBS-induced activity in the STN.

Search for and characterization of microorganisms in deep geological compartments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barsotti, Vanessa

2011-01-01

Over the past 50 years, the scientific community has shown a growing interest for deep geological compartments. However, these ecosystems remain largely unknown due to their inaccessibility. The aim of the present thesis was double; the first aim was to characterize, from a microbiological perspective, four terrestrial Triassic sedimentary formations located between 1700 and 2000 m depth in the Parisian Basin and collected by the ANDRA during a deep drilling campaign in 2008, and the second aim was to study the combined effects of temperature, pressure and salinity on the metabolic activity of anaerobic prokaryotes in order to predict their reaction to geological burial. Incubations in a large variety of media were carried out in order to stimulate the growth of the main trophic types found in such environments such as methanogens, fermenters and bacteria reducing sulphur compounds, however, no viable and cultivable microorganisms could be isolated. In parallel, a molecular approach was used to i) compare the efficacy of several DNA extractions methods and ii) analyse the bacterial diversity, using DGGE (Denaturing Gel Gradient Electrophoresis) and cloning, present in rock inner cores conserved either at atmospheric pressure or under pressure, in their initial states and following incubations in various media. The genetic exploration of these samples revealed a very low biomass and a poor diversity composed mainly of aerobic and mesophilic members of the Bacteria domain, a priori unadapted to such a deep, hot, saline and anoxic environment. This unexpected microbial community also found in many subsurface ecosystems as well as in extreme ecosystems could have partially originated from a paleo-recharge of the Trias aquifer with cold waters coming from the melting of ice formed during the last Pleistocene glaciation. The second objective was to study the combined effects of temperature (40, 55 and 70 C), pressure (1, 90 and 180 bars) and salinity (13, 50, 110, 180

Saline irrigation water and its effect on N.use efficiency, growth and yield of Sorghum plant using 15N

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd El-Latteef, E.M.

2010-01-01

Series of pot experiments were conducted and randomly arranged under greenhouse conditions for evaluating the effect of irrigation with saline water (alternative source) in combination with different organic sources (amendments) i.e. leucaena plant residue (LU), Quail feces (QF) and chicken manure (ChM) added in different percentages against the mineral form (ammonium sulfate) either in ordinary or 15 N labeled (2 and 5% 15 N atom excess) forms, on sorghum growth and nutrients acquisition. Artificial saline water with different EC and SAR values was prepared at laboratory using computer program designed by the author with guiding of the designed Package named Artificial Saline Irrigation Water (ASIW) (Manual of Salinity Research Methods). In addition, proline acid was also sprayed (foliar) on leaves of sorghum plants at different concentrations. The experimental results indicated the positive effect of organic amendments, as compared to mineral fertilizer, and foliar application of proline acid on enhancement of plant growth and nutrient uptake. This phenomenon was pronounced under water salinity conditions. In this regard, increasing of water salinity levels induced reduction in plant growth as well as nutrients acquisition. Data of 14 N/ 15 N ratio analysis pointed out enhancement of N derived from mineral source as affected by organic amendments. At the same time, considerable amounts of N was derived from organic sources and utilized by plants. The superiority of organic sources on each others was fluctuated depending on interaction with water salinity levels and proline concentrations. In conclusion, organic additives and proline acid has an improvement effects especially under adverse condition of irrigation water salinity.

Exploiting Deep Neural Networks and Head Movements for Robust Binaural Localization of Multiple Sources in Reverberant Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ma, Ning; May, Tobias; Brown, Guy J.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a novel machine-hearing system that exploits deep neural networks (DNNs) and head movements for robust binaural localization of multiple sources in reverberant environments. DNNs are used to learn the relationship between the source azimuth and binaural cues, consisting...... of the complete cross-correlation function (CCF) and interaural level differences (ILDs). In contrast to many previous binaural hearing systems, the proposed approach is not restricted to localization of sound sources in the frontal hemifield. Due to the similarity of binaural cues in the frontal and rear...

Sr ISOTOPIC EVIDENCE FOR STUDYING THE SALINIZATION OF SOILS: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE SAN VITALE PINEWOOD (RAVENNA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umberto Masi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available In the frame of a multidisciplinary project of research on the San Vitale Pinewood ecosystem, north of Ravenna, the Sr isotope study of a soil profile developed on an old coastal dune aiming at detecting the effect of salinization is presented. The Sr isotope ratios of the bulk soil samples decreased significantly from upper (0.717 to lower (0.712 horizons because of the abundant marine salts deposited by the brackish water present in the deep soil. While the main source of Sr in the upper horizons is the silicates, especially the feldspaths contained in the old dune sediments; in contrast, Sr in the lower horizons is significantly also of evaporitic origin (0.707-0.709. This latter is dominantly the strontium bio-available to the plants.

Geochemistry of coal-measure source rocks and natural gases in deep formations in Songliao Basin, NE China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mi, Jingkui; Zhang, Shuichang; Hu, Guoyi; He, Kun [State Key Laboratory for Enhanced Oil Recovery, Beijing (China); Petroleum Geology Research and Laboratory Center, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina (China); Key Laboratory for Petroleum Geochemistry, China National Petroleum Corp. (China)

2010-12-01

The natural gases developed in deep volcanic rock reservoirs of the Songliao Basin, NE China are characterized by enriched {delta}{sup 13}C value for methane and frequently reversal carbon isotopic distribution pattern. Although many researchers consider such gas type as an abiogenic origin, we believe the natural gases have a biogenic origin mainly except little inorganic gases and the reversal carbon isotopic distribution pattern of gases is caused by mixing of different origin gases. Methane carbon isotopic values for majority samples fall in the range from - 24 permille to - 32 permille, which is heavier than typical coal-type gases in other Chinese basins. There are several reasons caused heavy carbon isotope of methane: (1) Carbon isotopic values of source kerogen are 3-5 permille heavier than these from other basins; (2) Source rocks are at extremely high maturity stage with vitrinite reflectance mostly above 3.0%; (3) Portion of gas is derived from basement mudrock or slate with higher maturity. The observation on the organic from deep formation reveals that there is a relatively high content for liptinite, which reaches approximately 8 to 10%. The macerals component of source rock shows that the source rocks have some ability to generate oil. Small portion of oil was generated from high hydrogen content macerals in coals and shales as proof by oil found in microcrack and in micropore of coal and oil-bearing fluid inclusions grown in volcanic reservoir. The occurrence of pyrobitumen in volcanic reservoir indicates preexisted oil had been cracked into wet gas, and this kind of gas had also been found in gas pools. Heavy isotopic methane is derived from coal at extremely high maturity stage. There may be little inorganic alkane gases in deep layers for their geochemistry and special geological setting of Songliao Basin. Artificial mixing experiments of different origins gases confirm that inorganic gas such as gas from well FS1 mixed with other end members

Is Multitask Deep Learning Practical for Pharma?

Science.gov (United States)

Ramsundar, Bharath; Liu, Bowen; Wu, Zhenqin; Verras, Andreas; Tudor, Matthew; Sheridan, Robert P; Pande, Vijay

2017-08-28

Multitask deep learning has emerged as a powerful tool for computational drug discovery. However, despite a number of preliminary studies, multitask deep networks have yet to be widely deployed in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. This lack of acceptance stems from both software difficulties and lack of understanding of the robustness of multitask deep networks. Our work aims to resolve both of these barriers to adoption. We introduce a high-quality open-source implementation of multitask deep networks as part of the DeepChem open-source platform. Our implementation enables simple python scripts to construct, fit, and evaluate sophisticated deep models. We use our implementation to analyze the performance of multitask deep networks and related deep models on four collections of pharmaceutical data (three of which have not previously been analyzed in the literature). We split these data sets into train/valid/test using time and neighbor splits to test multitask deep learning performance under challenging conditions. Our results demonstrate that multitask deep networks are surprisingly robust and can offer strong improvement over random forests. Our analysis and open-source implementation in DeepChem provide an argument that multitask deep networks are ready for widespread use in commercial drug discovery.

Salinization Sources Along the Lower Jordan River Under Draught Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Holtzman, R.; Shavit, U.; Segal, M.; Vengosh, A.; Farber, E.; Gavrieli, I.

2003-12-01

solutes (e.g. Sulfate) that flows in the river. The assumption of a hydraulic gradient that points at inflows from subsurface flows is encouraged by high water levels measured in nearby piezometers. Possible natural subsurface sources include shallow groundwater or rising of water from deep formations. The existence of adjacent thermal wells strengthens the reasonability of such water rise. Possible anthropogenic sources include return flows and effluents. The results are consistent and agree with the geochemical and isotopic analyses. It is concluded that the impact of the subsurface component on the Jordan River is significant and must be taken into consideration, for future water management schemes and implementation of the Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan.

Transport of barium through dolomite rocks under the presence of guar gum and brine salinities of hydraulic fracturing wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimi, P.; Vilcaez, J.

2017-12-01

Hydraulic fracturing wastewater (HFW) containing high concentrations of Ba, is commonly disposed into the deep saline aquifers. We investigate the effect of brine salinity, competing cations (Ca and Mg), and guar gum (most common fracturing viscosifier) on the sorption and transport of Ba through dolomite rocks. To this aim, we have conducted batch sorption and core-flooding experiments at both ambient (22°C) and deep subsurface (60°C) temperature conditions. The effect of mineral composition is assessed by comparing batch and core-flooding experimental results obtained with sandstone and dolomite rocks. Batch sorption experiments conducted using powdered dolomite rocks (500-600 µm particle size) revealed that Ba sorption on dolomite greatly decreases with increasing brine salinity (0 - 180,000 mg-NaCl/L), and that at brine salinities of HFW, chloro-complexation reactions between Ba and Cl ions and changes in pH (that results from dolomite dissolution) are the controlling factors of Ba sorption on dolomite. Organo-complexation reactions between Ba and guar gum, and competition of Ba with common cations (Ca and Mg) for hydration sites of dolomite, play a secondary role. This finding is in accordance with core-flooding experimental results, showing that the transport of Ba through synthetic dolomite rocks of high flow properties (25-29.6% porosity, 9.6-13.7 mD permeability), increases with increasing brine salinity (0-180,000 mg-NaCl/L), while the presence of guar gum (50-500 mg/L) does not affect the transport of Ba. On the other hand, core-flooding experiments conducted using natural dolomite core plugs (6.5-8.6% porosity, 0.06-0.3 mD permeability), indicates that guar gum can clog the pore throats of tight dolomite rocks retarding the transport of Ba. Results of our numerical simulation studies indicate that the mechanism of Ba sorption on dolomite can be represented by a sorption model that accounts for both surface complexation reactions on three distinct

Do laboratory salinity tolerances of freshwater animals correspond with their field salinity?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kefford, Ben J.; Papas, Phil J.; Metzeling, Leon; Nugegoda, Dayanthi

2004-06-01

The degree to which laboratory derived measures of salinity tolerance reflect the field distributions of freshwater biota is uncertain. In this paper we compare laboratory-derived acute salinity tolerance (LC{sub 50} values) of freshwater macroinvertebrates (range 5.5-76 mS/cm) and fish (range 2.7-82 mS/cm) from southeastern Australia with the salinity from which they have been collected in the field. Only 4% of the macroinvertebrates were collected at salinity levels substantially higher than their 72-h LC{sub 50} obtained from directly transferring animals from low salinity water to the water they were tested (direct transfer LC{sub 50}). This LC{sub 50} value was correlated with the maximum salinity at which a species had been collected. For common macroinvertebrates, the maximum field salinity was approximated by the direct transfer 72-h LC{sub 50}. For adult freshwater fish, 21% of species were collected at salinities substantially greater than their acute direct transfer LC{sub 50} and there was a weak relationship between these two variables. Although there was a weak correlation between the direct transfer LC{sub 50} of early life stages of freshwater fish and the maximum field salinity, 58% of the field distribution were in higher than their LC{sub 50} values. In contrast, LC{sub 50} determined from experiments that acclimated adult fish to higher salinity (slow acclimation) provided a better indication of the field distribution: with only one fish species (7%) being in conflict with their maximum field salinity and a strong positive relationship between these variables. This study shows that laboratory measures of acute salinity tolerance can reflect the maximum salinity that macroinvertebrate and fish species inhabit and are consistent with some anecdotal observations from other studies. - Acute laboratory salinity tolerances relate to maximum salinity where organisms occur in nature.

Do laboratory salinity tolerances of freshwater animals correspond with their field salinity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kefford, Ben J.; Papas, Phil J.; Metzeling, Leon; Nugegoda, Dayanthi

2004-01-01

The degree to which laboratory derived measures of salinity tolerance reflect the field distributions of freshwater biota is uncertain. In this paper we compare laboratory-derived acute salinity tolerance (LC 50 values) of freshwater macroinvertebrates (range 5.5-76 mS/cm) and fish (range 2.7-82 mS/cm) from southeastern Australia with the salinity from which they have been collected in the field. Only 4% of the macroinvertebrates were collected at salinity levels substantially higher than their 72-h LC 50 obtained from directly transferring animals from low salinity water to the water they were tested (direct transfer LC 50 ). This LC 50 value was correlated with the maximum salinity at which a species had been collected. For common macroinvertebrates, the maximum field salinity was approximated by the direct transfer 72-h LC 50 . For adult freshwater fish, 21% of species were collected at salinities substantially greater than their acute direct transfer LC 50 and there was a weak relationship between these two variables. Although there was a weak correlation between the direct transfer LC 50 of early life stages of freshwater fish and the maximum field salinity, 58% of the field distribution were in higher than their LC 50 values. In contrast, LC 50 determined from experiments that acclimated adult fish to higher salinity (slow acclimation) provided a better indication of the field distribution: with only one fish species (7%) being in conflict with their maximum field salinity and a strong positive relationship between these variables. This study shows that laboratory measures of acute salinity tolerance can reflect the maximum salinity that macroinvertebrate and fish species inhabit and are consistent with some anecdotal observations from other studies. - Acute laboratory salinity tolerances relate to maximum salinity where organisms occur in nature

Two case studies on the origin of aqueous sulphate in deep crystalline rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michelot, J.L.; Fontes, J.C.

1987-01-01

The paper reports preliminary results obtained from studies in Central Sweden (Stripa) and in Northern Switzerland (Boettstein). The isotopic compositions ( 34 S, 18 O) of dissolved sulphates in shallow and deep groundwaters from the Stripa test site show that (1) the origins of the salinity in the shallow and in the deep groundwaters are probably different, (2) the low sulphate content of the waters collected from the upper part of the deep aquifer system could be derived from the shallow aqueous sulphate through bacterial reduction, (3) a deeper bulk of sulphate can be identified. After examining several hypotheses, a Permian or Triassic origin is attributed to this deep sulphate. Boettstein is the first drilled borehole of the NAGRA (Swiss National Co-operative for the Storage of Radioactive Wastes programme). In the 34 S versus 18 O diagram, most of the representative points of samples collected at different depths (from apparently different water bodies), lie along a straight line. It seems that this line cannot be a reduction line, nor a precipitation line (gypsum or anhydrite). It is thus interpreted as a mixing line. The end members of this mixing line are still unknown. However, a deep brine is present at the bottom of the system, probably related to brines circulating in the Permian channel found at the same depth, a few kilometres away. A working hypothesis involving this deep brine as a source for both end members of the mixing, through two different processes, is presented, with the problem of possible connections between the different water bodies. (author). 16 refs, 5 figs, 2 tabs

Towards a model-based understanding of the Mediterranean circulation during the Messinian Salinity Crisis

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Dirk; Meijer, Paul

2016-04-01

Today, the Atlantic-Mediterranean gateway (the Strait of Gibraltar) and the strong evaporative loss in the east let the Mediterranean Sea attain a salinity of 2-3 g/l higher than the Atlantic Ocean. During the winter months, strong cooling of surface waters in the north forms deep water, which mixes the Mediterranean, while during summer the water column is stratified. During the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, 5.97-5.33Ma) the salt concentration was high enough to reach the saturation of gypsum (~130-160 g/l) and halite (~350 g/l). This caused large deposits of these evaporites all over the basin, capturing 6% of the World Ocean salt within the Mediterranean at the time. Although several mechanisms have been proposed as to how the Mediterranean circulation might have functioned, these mechanisms have yet to be rooted in physics and tested quantitatively. Understanding circulation during the MSC becomes particularly important when comparing Mediterranean marginal to deep basins. On the one hand, many of the marginal basins in the Mediterranean are well studied, like the Sorbas basin (Spain) or the Vena del Gesso basin (Italy). On the other hand, the deep Mediterranean is less well studied, as no full record of the whole deep sequence exists. This makes it very complicated to correlate marginal and deep basin records. Here we are presenting the first steps in working towards a physics-based understanding of the mixing and stratification bahaviour of the Mediterranean Sea during the MSC. The final goal is to identify the physical mechanism needed to form such a salt brine and to understand how it differs from today's situation. We are hoping to compare our results to, and learn from, the much smaller but best available analog to the MSC, the Dead Sea, where recent overturning has been documented.

Extracting renewable energy from a salinity difference using a capacitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Brogioli, Doriano

2009-07-31

Completely renewable energy can be produced by using water solutions of different salinity, like river water and sea water. Many different methods are already known, but development is still at prototype stage. Here I report a novel method, based on electric double-layer capacitor technology. Two porous electrodes, immersed in the salt solution, constitute a capacitor. It is first charged, then the salt solution is brought into contact with fresh water. The electrostatic energy increases as the salt concentration of the solution is reduced due to diffusion. This device can be used to turn sources of salinity difference into completely renewable sources of energy. An experimental demonstration is given, and performances and possible improvements are discussed.

Potential Use of Halophytes to Remediate Saline Soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirza Hasanuzzaman

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Salinity is one of the rising problems causing tremendous yield losses in many regions of the world especially in arid and semiarid regions. To maximize crop productivity, these areas should be brought under utilization where there are options for removing salinity or using the salt-tolerant crops. Use of salt-tolerant crops does not remove the salt and hence halophytes that have capacity to accumulate and exclude the salt can be an effective way. Methods for salt removal include agronomic practices or phytoremediation. The first is cost- and labor-intensive and needs some developmental strategies for implication; on the contrary, the phytoremediation by halophyte is more suitable as it can be executed very easily without those problems. Several halophyte species including grasses, shrubs, and trees can remove the salt from different kinds of salt-affected problematic soils through salt excluding, excreting, or accumulating by their morphological, anatomical, physiological adaptation in their organelle level and cellular level. Exploiting halophytes for reducing salinity can be good sources for meeting the basic needs of people in salt-affected areas as well. This review focuses on the special adaptive features of halophytic plants under saline condition and the possible ways to utilize these plants to remediate salinity.

Iron oxide reduction in methane-rich deep Baltic Sea sediments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Egger, Matthias; Hagens, Mathilde; Sapart, Celia J.

2017-01-01

/L transition. Our results reveal a complex interplay between production, oxidation and transport of methane showing that besides organoclastic Fe reduction, oxidation of downward migrating methane with Fe oxides may also explain the elevated concentrations of dissolved ferrous Fe in deep Baltic Sea sediments...... profiles and numerical modeling, we propose that a potential coupling between Fe oxide reduction and methane oxidation likely affects deep Fe cycling and related biogeochemical processes, such as burial of phosphorus, in systems subject to changes in organic matter loading or bottom water salinity....

Phenotyping Root System Architecture of Cotton (Gossypium barbadense L. Grown Under Salinity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mottaleb Shady A.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Soil salinity causes an annual deep negative impact to the global agricultural economy. In this study, the effects of salinity on early seedling physiology of two Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense L. cultivars differing in their salinity tolerance were examined. Also the potential use of a low cost mini-rhizotron system to measure variation in root system architecture (RSA traits existing in both cultivars was assessed. Salt tolerant cotton cultivar ‘Giza 90’ produced significantly higher root and shoot biomass, accumulated lower Na+/K+ ratio through a higher Na+ exclusion from both roots and leaves as well as synthesized higher proline contents compared to salt sensitive ‘Giza 45’ cultivar. Measuring RSA in mini-rhizotrons containing solid MS nutrient medium as substrate proved to be more precise and efficient than peat moss/sand mixture. We report superior values of main root growth rate, total root system size, main root length, higher number of lateral roots and average lateral root length in ‘Giza 90’ under salinity. Higher lateral root density and length together with higher root tissue tolerance of Na+ ions in ‘Giza 90’ give it an advantage to be used as donor genotype for desirable root traits to other elite cultivars.

Rehabilitation of saline ecosystems through cultivation of salt tolerant plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdul, R.; Mahmood, K.

2012-01-01

In Pakistan, salt-affected regions have been drastically disturbed by unchecked activities of local populations. Removal of deep-rooted perennials and overgrazing destroy the native vegetation leading to rapid desertification. Shallow-rooted agricultural crops are grown on marginal soils on limited area that is not enough with respect to the spread of salinity problem. Sustainable restoration of these ecosystems requires a large scale integration of perennial plants (trees, shrubs and herbs) back in to farming systems. However, selenization processes continue because the available options for cultivation of perennial plants prove less profitable than agricultural crops. This study relates to resort the salt-affected lands for plant production and develop a technology for sustainable saline ecosystem. Plants, having salt tolerance potential, have been identified and introduced on salt-affected wastelands to develop a sustainable ecosystem with increased productivity. The biomass so produced can be used directly as forage, fuel, and even as food or feed. In addition, fish aquaculture, and some value-added products make this ecosystem more sustainable. This technology is practically demonstrated at Biosaline Research Station of Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Pakka Anna, Faisalabad, Pakistan. The marginally saline soils and wastelands ameliorated as a result of growing salt tolerant perennials can also be used for growing salt tolerant cultivars of conventional crops like wheat, barley and mustard. So, through proper management the saline ecosystem can become economical and profitable. (author)

Rapid estimation of aquifer salinity structure from oil and gas geophysical logs

Science.gov (United States)

Shimabukuro, D.; Stephens, M.; Ducart, A.; Skinner, S. M.

2016-12-01

We describe a workflow for creating aquifer salinity maps using Archie's equation for areas that have geophysical data from oil and gas wells. We apply this method in California, where geophysical logs are available in raster format from the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resource (DOGGR) online archive. This method should be applicable to any region where geophysical logs are readily available. Much of the work is controlled by computer code, allowing salinity estimates for new areas to be rapidly generated. For a region of interest, the DOGGR online database is scraped for wells that were logged with multi-tool suites, such as the Platform Express or Triple Combination Logging Tools. Then, well construction metadata, such as measured depth, spud date, and well orientation, is attached. The resultant local database allows a weighted criteria selection of wells that are most likely to have the shallow resistivity, deep resistivity, and density porosity measurements necessary to calculate salinity over the longest depth interval. The algorithm can be adjusted for geophysical log availability for older well fields and density of sampling. Once priority wells are identified, a student researcher team uses Neuralog software to digitize the raster geophysical logs. Total dissolved solid (TDS) concentration is then calculated in clean, wet sand intervals using the resistivity-porosity method, a modified form of Archie's equation. These sand intervals are automatically selected using a combination of spontaneous potential and the difference in shallow resistivity and deep resistivity measurements. Gamma ray logs are not used because arkosic sands common in California make it difficult to distinguish sand and shale. Computer calculation allows easy adjustment of Archie's parameters. The result is a semi-continuous TDS profile for the wells of interest. These profiles are combined and contoured using standard 3-d visualization software to yield preliminary salinity

Absolute Salinity, ''Density Salinity'' and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale: present and future use in the seawater standard TEOS-10

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, D. G.; Pawlowicz, R.; McDougall, T. J.; Feistel, R.; Marion, G. M.

2011-01-01

Salinity plays a key role in the determination of the thermodynamic properties of seawater and the new TEOS-101 standard provides a consistent and effective approach to dealing with relationships between salinity and these thermodynamic properties. However, there are a number of practical issues that arise in the application of TEOS-10, both in terms of accuracy and scope, including its use in the reduction of field data and in numerical models. First, in the TEOS-10 formulation for IAPSO Standard Seawater, the Gibbs function takes the Reference Salinity as its salinity argument, denoted SR, which provides a measure of the mass fraction of dissolved material in solution based on the Reference Composition approximation for Standard Seawater. We discuss uncertainties in both the Reference Composition and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale on which Reference Salinity is reported. The Reference Composition provides a much-needed fixed benchmark but modified reference states will inevitably be required to improve the representation of Standard Seawater for some studies. However, the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale should remain unaltered to provide a stable representation of salinity for use with the TEOS-10 Gibbs function and in climate change detection studies. Second, when composition anomalies are present in seawater, no single salinity variable can fully represent the influence of dissolved material on the thermodynamic properties of seawater. We consider three distinct representations of salinity that have been used in previous studies and discuss the connections and distinctions between them. One of these variables provides the most accurate representation of density possible as well as improvements over Reference Salinity for the determination of other thermodynamic properties. It is referred to as "Density Salinity" and is represented by the symbol SAdens; it stands out as the most appropriate representation of salinity for use in dynamical physical

Absolute Salinity, "Density Salinity" and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale: present and future use in the seawater standard TEOS-10

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, D. G.; Pawlowicz, R.; McDougall, T. J.; Feistel, R.; Marion, G. M.

2010-08-01

Salinity plays a key role in the determination of the thermodynamic properties of seawater and the new TEOS-101 standard provides a consistent and effective approach to dealing with relationships between salinity and these thermodynamic properties. However, there are a number of practical issues that arise in the application of TEOS-10, both in terms of accuracy and scope, including its use in the reduction of field data and in numerical models. First, in the TEOS-10 formulation for IAPSO Standard Seawater, the Gibbs function takes the Reference Salinity as its salinity argument, denoted SR, which provides a measure of the mass fraction of dissolved material in solution based on the Reference Composition approximation for Standard Seawater. We discuss uncertainties in both the Reference Composition and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale on which Reference Salinity is reported. The Reference Composition provides a much-needed fixed benchmark but modified reference states will inevitably be required to improve the representation of Standard Seawater for some studies. The Reference-Composition Salinity Scale should remain unaltered to provide a stable representation of salinity for use with the TEOS-10 Gibbs function and in climate change detection studies. Second, when composition anomalies are present in seawater, no single salinity variable can fully represent the influence of dissolved material on the thermodynamic properties of seawater. We consider three distinct representations of salinity that have been used in previous studies and discuss the connections and distinctions between them. One of these variables provides the most accurate representation of density possible as well as improvements over Reference Salinity for the determination of other thermodynamic properties. It is referred to as "Density Salinity" and is represented by the symbol SAdens; it stands out as the most appropriate representation of salinity for use in dynamical physical

Stable groundwater quality in deep aquifers of Southern Bangladesh: the case against sustainable abstraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravenscroft, P; McArthur, J M; Hoque, M A

2013-06-01

In forty six wells >150 m deep, from across the arsenic-polluted area of south-central Bangladesh, groundwater composition remained unchanged between 1998 and 2011. No evidence of deteriorating water quality was found in terms of arsenic, iron, manganese, boron, barium or salinity over this period of 13 years. These deep tubewells have achieved operating lives of more than 20 years with minimal institutional support. These findings confirm that tubewells tapping the deep aquifers in the Bengal Basin provide a safe, popular, and economic, means of arsenic mitigation and are likely to do so for decades to come. Nevertheless, concerns remain about the sustainability of a resource that could serve as a source of As-safe water to mitigate As-pollution in shallower aquifers in an area where tens of millions of people are exposed to dangerous levels of arsenic in well water. The conjunction of the stable composition in deep groundwater and the severe adverse health effects of arsenic in shallow groundwater lead us to challenge the notion that strong sustainability principles should be applied to the management of deep aquifer abstraction in Bangladesh is, the notion that the deep groundwater resource should be preserved for future generations by protecting it from adverse impacts, probably of a minor nature, that could occur after a long time and might not happen at all. Instead, we advocate an ethical approach to development of the deep aquifer, based on adaptive abstraction management, which allows possibly unsustainable exploitation now in order to alleviate crippling disease and death from arsenic today while also benefiting future generations by improving the health, education and economy of living children. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensory processing of deep tissue nociception in the rat spinal cord and thalamic ventrobasal complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Sikandar, Shafaq; West, Steven J; McMahon, Stephen B; Bennett, David L; Dickenson, Anthony H

2017-07-01

Sensory processing of deep somatic tissue constitutes an important component of the nociceptive system, yet associated central processing pathways remain poorly understood. Here, we provide a novel electrophysiological characterization and immunohistochemical analysis of neural activation in the lateral spinal nucleus (LSN). These neurons show evoked activity to deep, but not cutaneous, stimulation. The evoked responses of neurons in the LSN can be sensitized to somatosensory stimulation following intramuscular hypertonic saline, an acute model of muscle pain, suggesting this is an important spinal relay site for the processing of deep tissue nociceptive inputs. Neurons of the thalamic ventrobasal complex (VBC) mediate both cutaneous and deep tissue sensory processing, but in contrast to the lateral spinal nucleus our electrophysiological studies do not suggest the existence of a subgroup of cells that selectively process deep tissue inputs. The sensitization of polymodal and thermospecific VBC neurons to mechanical somatosensory stimulation following acute muscle stimulation with hypertonic saline suggests differential roles of thalamic subpopulations in mediating cutaneous and deep tissue nociception in pathological states. Overall, our studies at both the spinal (lateral spinal nucleus) and supraspinal (thalamic ventrobasal complex) levels suggest a convergence of cutaneous and deep somatosensory inputs onto spinothalamic pathways, which are unmasked by activation of muscle nociceptive afferents to produce consequent phenotypic alterations in spinal and thalamic neural coding of somatosensory stimulation. A better understanding of the sensory pathways involved in deep tissue nociception, as well as the degree of labeled line and convergent pathways for cutaneous and deep somatosensory inputs, is fundamental to developing targeted analgesic therapies for deep pain syndromes. © 2017 University College London. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals

Isotopic, hydrochemical, and hydrogeological study of deep aquifer of Sfax: First results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maliki, M. A.; Zouari, K.; Amouri, M.

1996-01-01

The water of the chlorinated sodic with chemical facies deep aquifer of Sfax presents a difference on the level of mineralization between the northern sector with a relatively weak salin charge (average of 3,5 g/l) and the southern sector with an important mineralization (about 10g/l). The mineralization of water in linked to dissolution phenomena. Based on the first isotopic results, it seems that the present refill of the deep aquifer of Sfax is very weak (author)

The role of salinity in the decadal variability of the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frankignoul, Claude [Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 6, LOCEAN/IPSL, Paris Cedex 05 (France); Deshayes, Julie; Curry, Ruth [Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA (United States)

2009-11-15

An OGCM hindcast is used to investigate the linkages between North Atlantic Ocean salinity and circulation changes during 1963-2003. The focus is on the eastern subpolar region consisting of the Irminger Sea and the eastern North Atlantic where a careful assessment shows that the simulated interannual to decadal salinity changes in the upper 1,500 m reproduce well those derived from the available record of hydrographic measurements. In the model, the variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is primarily driven by changes in deep water formation taking place in the Irminger Sea and, to a lesser extent, the Labrador Sea. Both are strongly influenced by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The modeled interannual to decadal salinity changes in the subpolar basins are mostly controlled by circulation-driven anomalies of freshwater flux convergence, although surface salinity restoring to climatology and other boundary fluxes each account for approximately 25% of the variance. The NAO plays an important role: a positive NAO phase is associated with increased precipitation, reduced northward salt transport by the wind-driven intergyre gyre, and increased southward flows of freshwater across the Greenland-Scotland ridge. Since the NAO largely controlled deep convection in the subpolar gyre, fresher waters are found near the sinking region during convective events. This markedly differs from the active influence on the MOC that salinity exerts at decadal and longer timescales in most coupled models. The intensification of the MOC that follows a positive NAO phase by about 2 years does not lead to an increase in the northward salt transport into the subpolar domain at low frequencies because it is cancelled by the concomitant intensification of the subpolar gyre which shifts the subpolar front eastward and reduces the northward salt transport by the North Atlantic Current waters. This differs again from most coupled models, where the gyre

Chemistry and origin of deep ground water in crystalline rocks; Kemi och genes av djupa grundvatten i kristallint berg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lagerblad, B [Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Inst., Stockholm (Sweden)

1995-11-01

This report discusses the interactions between water and crystalline rocks and its consequences for the chemical composition of the water. It also treats how flows of different types of water are modified by the rock, and the possible consequences for the ground water near a nuclear waste repository. The focus of the work is the changes in composition that ground water gets at deep levels in the rock. Data from Finnsjoen and Aespoe in Sweden show higher salinity in deep rock, which has been interpreted as a result of marine inflow of water during glaciation. Data from other, deeper boreholes in Finland, Canada, Russia, England and Sweden show that the increasing salinity is a rule and very high at great depths, higher than marine water can produce. Therefore, the deep waters from Finnsjoen and Aespoe are probably very old, and the high salinity a result from geological processes. Differing cation and isotopic composition than seawater also indicate geologic water. Differing theories on the origin of the ground water should be regarded in the safety analysis for a repository. 36 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab.

Anthropogenic and tidal influences on salinity levels of the Shatt al-Arab River, Basra, Iraq

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abdullah, Ali Dinar; Karim, Usama F.A.; Masih, Ilyas; Popescu, Ioana; van der Zaag, Pieter

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT: Understanding the salinity variation caused by a combination of anthropogenic and marine sources is important for water resource management in heavily used rivers impacted by tidal influence. A quantitative analysis of intra-annual variability of salinity levels was conducted in the Shatt

Salinization and arsenic contamination of surface water in southwest Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayers, John C; George, Gregory; Fry, David; Benneyworth, Laura; Wilson, Carol; Auerbach, Leslie; Roy, Kushal; Karim, Md Rezaul; Akter, Farjana; Goodbred, Steven

2017-09-11

To identify the causes of salinization and arsenic contamination of surface water on an embanked island (i.e., polder) in the tidal delta plain of SW Bangladesh we collected and analyzed water samples in the dry (May) and wet (October) seasons in 2012-2013. Samples were collected from rice paddies (wet season), saltwater ponds used for brine shrimp aquaculture (dry season), freshwater ponds and tidal channels (both wet and dry season), and rainwater collectors. Continuous measurements of salinity from March 2012 to February 2013 show that tidal channel water increases from ~0.15 ppt in the wet season up to ~20 ppt in the dry season. On the polder, surface water exceeds the World Health Organization drinking water guideline of 10 μg As/L in 78% of shrimp ponds and 27% of rice paddies, raising concerns that produced shrimp and rice could have unsafe levels of As. Drinking water sources also often have unsafe As levels, with 83% of tubewell and 43% of freshwater pond samples having >10 μg As/L. Water compositions and field observations are consistent with shrimp pond water being sourced from tidal channels during the dry season, rather than the locally saline groundwater from tubewells. Irrigation water for rice paddies is also obtained from the tidal channels, but during the wet season when surface waters are fresh. Salts become concentrated in irrigation water through evaporation, with average salinity increasing from 0.43 ppt in the tidal channel source to 0.91 ppt in the rice paddies. Our observations suggest that the practice of seasonally alternating rice and shrimp farming in a field has a negligible effect on rice paddy water salinity. Also, shrimp ponds do not significantly affect the salinity of adjacent surface water bodies or subjacent groundwater because impermeable shallow surface deposits of silt and clay mostly isolate surface water bodies from each other and from the shallow groundwater aquifer. Bivariate plots of conservative element

Diversity of pico- to mesoplankton along the 2000 km salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yue O.O. Hu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Microbial plankton form the productive base of both marine and freshwater ecosystems and are key drivers of global biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients. Plankton diversity is immense with representations from all major phyla within the three domains of life. So far, plankton monitoring has mainly been based on microscopic identification, which has limited sensitivity and reproducibility, not least because of the numerical majority of plankton being unidentifiable under the light microscope. High-throughput sequencing of taxonomic marker genes offers a means to identify taxa inaccessible by traditional methods; thus, recent studies have unveiled an extensive previously unknown diversity of plankton. Here, we conducted ultra-deep Illumina sequencing (average 105 sequences/sample of rRNA gene amplicons of surface water eukaryotic and bacterial plankton communities sampled in summer along a 2000 km transect following the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea. Community composition was strongly correlated with salinity for both bacterial and eukaryotic plankton assemblages, highlighting the importance of salinity for structuring the biodiversity within this ecosystem. In contrast, no clear trends in alpha-diversity for bacterial or eukaryotic communities could be detected along the transect. The distribution of major planktonic taxa followed expected patterns as observed in monitoring programs, but groups novel to the Baltic Sea were also identified, such as relatives to the coccolithophore Emiliana huxleyi detected in the northern Baltic Sea. This study provides the first ultra-deep sequencing-based survey on eukaryotic and bacterial plankton biogeography in the Baltic Sea.

Absolute Salinity, ''Density Salinity'' and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale: present and future use in the seawater standard TEOS-10

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. G. Wright

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Salinity plays a key role in the determination of the thermodynamic properties of seawater and the new TEOS-10¹ standard provides a consistent and effective approach to dealing with relationships between salinity and these thermodynamic properties. However, there are a number of practical issues that arise in the application of TEOS-10, both in terms of accuracy and scope, including its use in the reduction of field data and in numerical models.

First, in the TEOS-10 formulation for IAPSO Standard Seawater, the Gibbs function takes the Reference Salinity as its salinity argument, denoted S_R, which provides a measure of the mass fraction of dissolved material in solution based on the Reference Composition approximation for Standard Seawater. We discuss uncertainties in both the Reference Composition and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale on which Reference Salinity is reported. The Reference Composition provides a much-needed fixed benchmark but modified reference states will inevitably be required to improve the representation of Standard Seawater for some studies. However, the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale should remain unaltered to provide a stable representation of salinity for use with the TEOS-10 Gibbs function and in climate change detection studies.

Second, when composition anomalies are present in seawater, no single salinity variable can fully represent the influence of dissolved material on the thermodynamic properties of seawater. We consider three distinct representations of salinity that have been used in previous studies and discuss the connections and distinctions between them. One of these variables provides the most accurate representation of density possible as well as improvements over Reference Salinity for the determination of other thermodynamic properties. It is referred to as "Density Salinity" and is represented by the symbol

Nitrogen Recovered By Sorghum Plants As Affected By Saline Irrigation Water And Organic/Inorganic Resources Using 15N Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ABOU-ELKHAIR, R.A.; EL-MOHTASEM, M.O.; SOLIMAN, S.M.; GALAL, Y.G.M.; ABD EL-LATIF, E.M.

2009-01-01

A pot experiment was conducted in the green house of Soil and Water Department, Nuclear Research Centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt, to follow up the effect of saline irrigation water, inorganic and organic fertilizers on sorghum growth and N fractions that recovered by plant organs. Two types of artificial water salinity were used; one has 3 dS m -1 salinity level with 4 and 8 SAR and the second one has 3 and 6 dS m -1 salinity levels with 6 SAR . Leucenae residue and chicken manure were applied as organic sources at rate of 2% v/v. Sorghum was fertilized with recommended doses of super phosphate and potassium sulfate at rate of 150 kg P and 50 kg K per feddan, respectively. Labelled ammonium sulfate with 5% 15 N atom excess was applied to sorghum at rate of 100 kg N fed -1 . Dry matter yield (stalks and roots) was negatively affected by increasing water salinity levels or SAR ratios. Similar trend was recorded with N uptake by either stalks or roots of sorghum plants. On the other hand, both the dry matter yield and N uptake were positively and significantly affected by incorporation of organic sources in comparison to the untreated control. In this regard, the dry matter yield and N uptake induced by incorporation of chicken manure was superior over those recorded with leucenae residues. It means, in general, that the incorporation of organic sources into the soil may maximize the plant ability to combat the hazards effects caused by irrigation with saline water. Nitrogen derived from fertilizer (% Ndff), soil (% Ndfs) and organic resources (% Ndfr) showed frequent trends as affected by water salinity and organic resources but in most cases, severe reduction of these values was recorded when plants were irrigated with saline water. In the same time, plants were more dependent on N derived from organic sources than those derived from mineral fertilizer. Superiority of one organic source over the other was related to water salinity levels and SAR ratios

Salinity stratification of the Mediterranean Sea during the Messinian crisis: A first model analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Dirk; Meijer, Paul Th.

2017-12-01

In the late Miocene, a thick and complex sequence of evaporites was deposited in the Mediterranean Sea during an interruption of normal marine sedimentation known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Because the related deposits are mostly hidden from scrutiny in the deep basin, correlation between onshore and offshore sediments is difficult, hampering the development of a comprehensive stratigraphic model. Since the various facies correspond to different salinities of the basin waters, it would help to have physics-based understanding of the spatial distribution of salt concentration. Here, we focus on modelling salinity as a function of depth, i.e., on the stratification of the water column. A box model is set up that includes a simple representation of a haline overturning circulation and of mixing. It is forced by Atlantic exchange and evaporative loss and is used to systematically explore the degree of stratification that results under a wide range of combinations of parameter values. The model demonstrates counterintuitive behaviour close to the saturation of halite. For parameter values that may well be realistic for the Messinian, we show that a significantly stratified Mediterranean water column can be established. In this case, Atlantic connectivity is limited but may be closer to modern magnitudes than previously thought. In addition, a slowing of Mediterranean overturning and a larger deep-water formation region (both in comparison to the present day) are required. Under these conditions, we would expect a longer duration of halite deposition than currently considered in the MSC stratigraphic consensus model.

Machine Learning for Mapping Groundwater Salinity with Oil Well Log Data

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, W. H.; Shimabukuro, D.; Gillespie, J. M.; Stephens, M.

2016-12-01

An oil field may have thousands of wells with detailed petrophysical logs, and far fewer direct measurements of groundwater salinity. Can the former be used to extrapolate the latter into a detailed map of groundwater salinity? California Senate Bill 4, with its requirement to identify Underground Sources of Drinking Water, makes this a question worth answering. A well-known obstacle is that the basic petrophysical equations describe ideal scenarios ("clean wet sand") and even these equations contain many parameters that may vary with location and depth. Accounting for other common scenarios such as high-conductivity shaly sands or low-permeability diatomite (both characteristic of California's Central Valley) causes parameters to proliferate to the point where the model is underdetermined by the data. When parameters outnumber data points, however, is when machine learning methods are most advantageous. We present a method for modeling a generic oil field, where groundwater salinity and lithology are depth series parameters, and the constants in petrophysical equations are scalar parameters. The data are well log measurements (resistivity, porosity, spontaneous potential, and gamma ray) and a small number of direct groundwater salinity measurements. Embedded in the model are petrophysical equations that account for shaly sand and diatomite formations. As a proof of concept, we feed in well logs and salinity measurements from the Lost Hills Oil Field in Kern County, California, and show that with proper regularization and validation the model makes reasonable predictions of groundwater salinity despite the large number of parameters. The model is implemented using Tensorflow, which is an open-source software released by Google in November, 2015 that has been rapidly and widely adopted by machine learning researchers. The code will be made available on Github, and we encourage scrutiny and modification by machine learning researchers and hydrogeologists alike.

Geochemical effects of CO2 sequestration in sandstones under simulated in situ conditions of deep saline aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wigand, M.; Carey, J.W.; Schuett, H.; Spangenberg, E.; Erzinger, J.

2008-01-01

The geochemical effects of brine and supercritical CO 2 (SCCO 2 ) on reservoir rocks from deep (1500-2000 m) saline aquifers were examined via experimental simulation at in situ conditions. Dry sandstone samples were mounted in a triaxial cell and autoclave system, evacuated, and saturated with 1 M NaCl solution. The brine-rock system was allowed to react at 30 MPa confining pressure, 15 MPa pore fluid pressure, and 60 deg. C while SCCO 2 was injected at a pressure gradient of 1-2 MPa. The experiment was conducted for a period of 1496 h, during which fluids were periodically sampled and analyzed. The pH measured in partially degassed fluid samples at 25 deg. C decreased from a starting value of 7.0-4.3 (9 days) and finally 5.1 after saturation with SCCO 2 . Fluid analyses indicate that most of the major (e.g. Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn) and trace elements (e.g. Sr, Ba, Pb) of the sandstone increase in concentration during the reaction with brine and SCCO 2 . These results are supported by scanning electron microscopy which indicates dissolution of dolomite cement, K-feldspar, and albite. In addition to dissolution reactions the formation of montmorillonite was observed. By adjusting surface area and reaction rates of dissolution and precipitation, geochemical modeling of the experiments could reproduce long-term trends in solution chemistry and indicated limited rates of dissolution as the system remained strongly undersaturated with most minerals, including carbonates. The geochemical models could not account for decreases in concentration of some elements, changes in solution composition resulting from changes in imposed pressure gradient, and the observed Ca/Mg and Si/Al ratios in solution

Deep primary production in coastal pelagic systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyngsgaard, Maren Moltke; Richardson, Katherine; Markager, Stiig

2014-01-01

produced. The primary production (PP) occurring below the surface layer, i.e. in the pycnocline-bottom layer (PBL), is shown to contribute significantly to total PP. Oxygen concentrations in the PBL are shown to correlate significantly with the deep primary production (DPP) as well as with salinity...... that eutrophication effects may include changes in the structure of planktonic food webs and element cycling in the water column, both brought about through an altered vertical distribution of PP....

Characterisation of DOC and its relation to the deep terrestrial biosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Vieth, Andrea; Vetter, Alexandra; Sachse, Anke; Horsfield, Brian

2010-05-01

The deep subsurface is populated by a large number of microorganisms playing a pivotal role in the carbon cycling. The question arises as to the origin of the potential carbon sources that support deep microbial communities and their possible interactions within the deep subsurface. As the carbon sources need to be dissolved in formation fluids to become available to microorganisms, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) needs further characterisation as regards concentration, structural as well as molecular composition and origin. The Malm carbonates in the Molasse basin of southern Germany are of large economic potential as they are targets for both hydrocarbon and geothermal exploration (ANDREWS et al., 1987). Five locations that differ in their depth of the Malm aquifer between 220 m and 3445 m below surface have been selected for fluid sampling. The concentration and the isotopic composition of the DOC have been determined. To get a better insight into the structural composition of the DOC, we also applied size exclusion chromatography and quantified the amount of low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOA) by ion chromatography. With increasing depth of the aquifer the formation fluids show increasing salinity as chloride concentrations increase from 2 to 300 mg/l and also the composition of the DOC changes. Water samples from greater depth (>3000 m) showed that the DOC mainly consists of LMWOA (max. 83 %) and low percentages of neutral compounds (alcohols, aldehyde, ketones, amino acids) as well as "building blocks". Building blocks have been described to be the oxidation intermediates from humic substances to LMWOA. With decreasing depth of the aquifer, the DOC of the fluid becomes increasingly dominated by neutral compounds and the percentage of building blocks increases to around 27%. The fluid sample from 220 m depth still contains a small amount of humic substances. The DOC of formation fluids in some terrestrial sediments may originate from organic

Using euhalophytes to understand salt tolerance and to develop saline agriculture: Suaeda salsa as a promising model.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jie; Wang, Baoshan

2015-02-01

As important components in saline agriculture, halophytes can help to provide food for a growing world population. In addition to being potential crops in their own right, halophytes are also potential sources of salt-resistance genes that might help plant breeders and molecular biologists increase the salt tolerance of conventional crop plants. One especially promising halophyte is Suaeda salsa, a euhalophytic herb that occurs both on inland saline soils and in the intertidal zone. The species produces dimorphic seeds: black seeds are sensitive to salinity and remain dormant in light under high salt concentrations, while brown seeds can germinate under high salinity (e.g. 600 mm NaCl) regardless of light. Consequently, the species is useful for studying the mechanisms by which dimorphic seeds are adapted to saline environments. S. salsa has succulent leaves and is highly salt tolerant (e.g. its optimal NaCl concentration for growth is 200 mm). A series of S. salsa genes related to salt tolerance have been cloned and their functions tested: these include SsNHX1, SsHKT1, SsAPX, SsCAT1, SsP5CS and SsBADH. The species is economically important because its fresh branches have high value as a vegetable, and its seed oil is edible and rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Because it can remove salts and heavy metals from saline soils, S. salsa can also be used in the restoration of salinized or contaminated saline land. Because of its economic and ecological value in saline agriculture, S. salsa is one of the most important halophytes in China. In this review, the value of S. salsa as a source of food, medicine and forage is discussed. Its uses in the restoration of salinized or contaminated land and as a source of salt-resistance genes are also considered. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Deep water overflow in the Faroe Bank Channel; modelling, processes, and impact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rullyanto, Arief

, creating new water masses with distinct temperature, salinity and density characteristics. The change of water mass characteristics not only affects the local environment, but also far distant regions. The Faroe Bank Channel, which is located in the southern part of Faroe Islands, is one of the most...... under different circumstances. The focus is on the Faroe Bank Channel, a relatively small region, which has a significant impact on the global ocean circulation and marine organisms that live in its environment....... or tides, but also deep beneath the surface, where deep-water currents circulate waters throughout the world’s oceans. In certain very-localized regions, the flow of the deep-water has to travel over a sill in a narrow submarine channel. This overflow process mixes the deep water with overlying waters...

Salinity in the Sicily Channel corroborates the role of the Adriatic–Ionian Bimodal Oscillating System (BiOS in shaping the decadal variability of the Mediterranean overturning circulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Gačić

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have demonstrated that the salinity in the Levantine basin depends on the intensity of the Atlantic water (AW inflow. Moreover, its spreading eastward (to the Levantine basin or northward (to the Ionian Sea is determined by the Ionian circulation pattern, i.e. by the Adriatic–Ionian Bimodal Oscillating System (BiOS mechanism. The aim of this paper is to relate salinity variations in the Levantine basin to the salt content variability in the core of the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW passing through the Sicily Channel (SC and its possible impact on the Western Mediterranean Transition – WMT (i.e. the sudden salinity and temperature increase in the deep layer of the Algero-Provençal subbasin occurring since 2004. From the historical data set MEDAR/MEDATLAS in the Levantine and northern Ionian, we present evidence of decadal occurrences of extreme salinities associated with the varying influx of AW over the last 60 yr. Furthermore, we show that the salinity variations in the two subbasins are out of phase. High-salinity episodes in the Levantine are a pre-conditioning for the potential occurrence of the events like the Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT. Cross-correlation between the salinity time series in the Levantine basin and in the SC suggests that the travel time of the LIW is between 10 and 13 yr. Comparing the timing of the salinity increase associated with the WMT and the salinity in the LIW core in the SC, we estimate that the total time interval needed for the signal propagating from the Levantine to reach the deep mixed layers of the Algero-Provençal subbasin is about 25 yr. We also showed that the extra salt input from the eastern Mediterranean contribute up to about 60% to the salt content increase in the bottom layer of the western Mediterranean.

The very deep hole concept - Geoscientific appraisal of conditions at great depth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juhlin, C.; Wallroth, T.; Smellie, J.; Leijon, B.; Eliasson, T.; Ljunggren, C.; Beswick, J.

1998-06-01

One of the alternative systems for disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste being studied by SKB is the very deep hole (2000 - 4000 m) concept. As part of SKB's research programme a study has been carried out to increase the level of knowledge on the expected geological conditions in the depth interval 1000-5000 m in older crystalline rock. As a first step, existing data from relevant areas throughout the world have been compiled. The majority of the data come from deep boreholes, mines, and surface geophysical surveys. An attempt has been made to interpret these data in an integrated manner and to develop a conceptual geological model on the conditions in the Baltic Shield down to a depth of 5 km. One of the main features of the suggested model is that the upper 1 km of crust contains significantly more open fractures than the rock below. However, hydraulically conductive fractures and fracture zones may exist at great depth. In areas of low topography active groundwater circulation is primarily limited to the upper 1 km with the water below 1 km having high salinity. The high salinity reflects the near hydraulically stagnant conditions which exist relatively shallow in areas of low topography. In areas with greater topographic relief fresh water penetrates to great depth and near stagnant conditions are first encountered much deeper. The report also covers how the studied parameters which describe the geological conditions vary with depth. A number of recommendations are made on how the presented conceptual model can be tested and improved aside from obtaining data from new boreholes. These recommendations include the following geoscientific surveys and studies: Reflection and refraction seismics for mapping discrete sub-horizontal fracture zones and the upper more fractured part of the crust; Geoelectric methods for mapping the depth to saline water; Detailed hydrogeological measurements in existing deep boreholes; Isotope studies on fracture minerals

The very deep hole concept - Geoscientific appraisal of conditions at great depth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juhlin, C. [Christopher Juhlin Consulting (Sweden); Wallroth, T. [Bergab Consulting Geologists (Sweden); Smellie, J.; Leijon, B. [Conterra AB (Sweden); Eliasson, T. [Geological Survey of Sweden (Sweden); Ljunggren, C. [Vattenfall Hydropower AB (Sweden); Beswick, J. [EDECO Petroleum Services Ltd. (United Kingdom)

1998-06-01

One of the alternative systems for disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste being studied by SKB is the very deep hole (2000 - 4000 m) concept. As part of SKB`s research programme a study has been carried out to increase the level of knowledge on the expected geological conditions in the depth interval 1000-5000 m in older crystalline rock. As a first step, existing data from relevant areas throughout the world have been compiled. The majority of the data come from deep boreholes, mines, and surface geophysical surveys. An attempt has been made to interpret these data in an integrated manner and to develop a conceptual geological model on the conditions in the Baltic Shield down to a depth of 5 km. One of the main features of the suggested model is that the upper 1 km of crust contains significantly more open fractures than the rock below. However, hydraulically conductive fractures and fracture zones may exist at great depth. In areas of low topography active groundwater circulation is primarily limited to the upper 1 km with the water below 1 km having high salinity. The high salinity reflects the near hydraulically stagnant conditions which exist relatively shallow in areas of low topography. In areas with greater topographic relief fresh water penetrates to great depth and near stagnant conditions are first encountered much deeper. The report also covers how the studied parameters which describe the geological conditions vary with depth. A number of recommendations are made on how the presented conceptual model can be tested and improved aside from obtaining data from new boreholes. These recommendations include the following geoscientific surveys and studies: Reflection and refraction seismics for mapping discrete sub-horizontal fracture zones and the upper more fractured part of the crust; Geoelectric methods for mapping the depth to saline water; Detailed hydrogeological measurements in existing deep boreholes; Isotope studies on fracture minerals

Evaluation of some soil amendments plant productivity under saline conditions using nuclear techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aly, E.A.K.

2004-01-01

this study was carried out in Wadi Ras Sudr (south Saini government). this location was characterized as poor soil with high salinity (wasteland). in the same time it suffers from shortage of water resources. therefore, we aimed to utilize this soil as well as the saline ground water for introducing it into production systems. the reclamation of virgin poor soil need large efforts and much research, especially plant exposure to salinity which is rapidly followed by a decrease in growth rate. the use of natural organic sources as organic fertilizers improve the growth and yields of plants, and safe the environment from pollution . organic fertilizers (Of) such as green manure (G M) or poultry manure (P M) can be used as nutrient sources for good plant growth, where the soil amendments improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. economically, the yield improvement and nutrient supply will reflect the potential use of such organic materials. also , phosphorus and/or potassium supplementation separately or in combination with O F (G M and/or P M) improved the growth of both barley and wheat plants under such adverse condition of salinity using 15 N isotope dilution technique

CO2 point sources and subsurface storage capacities for CO2 in aquifers in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boee, Reidulv; Magnus, Christian; Osmundsen, Per Terje; Rindstad, Bjoern Ivar

2002-01-01

The GESTCO project comprises a study of the distribution and coincidence of thermal CO 2 emission sources and location/quality of geological storage capacity in Europe. Four of the most promising types of geological storage are being studied. 1. Onshore/offshore saline aquifers with or without lateral seal. 2. Low entalpy geothermal reservoirs. 3. Deep methane-bearing coal beds and abandoned coal and salt mines. 4. Exhausted or near exhausted hydrocarbon structures. In this report we present an inventory of CO 2 point sources in Norway (1999) and the results of the work within Study Area C: Deep saline aquifers offshore/near shore Northern and Central Norway. Also offshore/near shore Southern Norway has been included while the Barents Sea is not described in any detail. The most detailed studies are on the Tilje and Aare Formations on the Troendelag Platform off Mid-Norway and on the Sognefjord, Fensfjord and Krossfjord Formations, southeast of the Troll Field off Western Norway. The Tilje Formation has been chosen as one of the cases to be studied in greater detail (numerical modelling) in the project. This report shows that offshore Norway, there are concentrations of large CO 2 point sources in the Haltenbanken, the Viking Graben/Tampen Spur area, the Southern Viking Graben and the central Trough, while onshore Norway there are concentrations of point sources in the Oslofjord/Porsgrund area, along the coast of western Norway and in the Troendelag. A number of aquifers with large theoretical CO 2 storage potential are pointed out in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and in the Southern Barents Sea. The storage capacity in the depth interval 0.8 - 4 km below sea level is estimated to be ca. 13 Gt (13000000000 tonnes) CO 2 in geological traps (outside hydrocarbon fields), while the storage capacity in aquifers not confined to traps is estimated to be at least 280 Gt CO 2 . (Author)

Review of geoscientific data of relevance to disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes in crystalline rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsic, Nico; Grundfelt, Bertil

2013-09-01

from the hole at Outokumpu is there information under all headings. A general conclusion is that data available from deep boreholes demonstrate that there are conductive fractures also at depth. However, the hydrogeochemistry and isotope data suggest that the water in these fractures has been isolated from surface processes for a very long time. Despite this, it appears that the origin of these deep groundwaters is ancient meteoric water rather than fluid inclusions. The deep waters are generally saline, but the salinity varies in a non-regular fashion. Thus, the present study confirm the conceptual picture from the previous studies that the saline groundwater found below a halocline located at 1-2 kilometres depth in flat areas with crystalline rock is virtually stagnant. The results from the Outokumpu hole seem to more clearly explain the origin of the salinity in the deep groundwater than the earlier studies

Review of geoscientific data of relevance to disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep boreholes in crystalline rock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marsic, Nico; Grundfelt, Bertil [Kemakta Konsult AB, Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-09-15

from the hole at Outokumpu is there information under all headings. A general conclusion is that data available from deep boreholes demonstrate that there are conductive fractures also at depth. However, the hydrogeochemistry and isotope data suggest that the water in these fractures has been isolated from surface processes for a very long time. Despite this, it appears that the origin of these deep groundwaters is ancient meteoric water rather than fluid inclusions. The deep waters are generally saline, but the salinity varies in a non-regular fashion. Thus, the present study confirm the conceptual picture from the previous studies that the saline groundwater found below a halocline located at 1-2 kilometres depth in flat areas with crystalline rock is virtually stagnant. The results from the Outokumpu hole seem to more clearly explain the origin of the salinity in the deep groundwater than the earlier studies.

Conceptualization and validation of an open-source closed-loop deep brain stimulation system in rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hemmings; Ghekiere, Hartwin; Beeckmans, Dorien; Tambuyzer, Tim; van Kuyck, Kris; Aerts, Jean-Marie; Nuttin, Bart

2015-04-21

Conventional deep brain stimulation (DBS) applies constant electrical stimulation to specific brain regions to treat neurological disorders. Closed-loop DBS with real-time feedback is gaining attention in recent years, after proved more effective than conventional DBS in terms of pathological symptom control clinically. Here we demonstrate the conceptualization and validation of a closed-loop DBS system using open-source hardware. We used hippocampal theta oscillations as system input, and electrical stimulation in the mesencephalic reticular formation (mRt) as controller output. It is well documented that hippocampal theta oscillations are highly related to locomotion, while electrical stimulation in the mRt induces freezing. We used an Arduino open-source microcontroller between input and output sources. This allowed us to use hippocampal local field potentials (LFPs) to steer electrical stimulation in the mRt. Our results showed that closed-loop DBS significantly suppressed locomotion compared to no stimulation, and required on average only 56% of the stimulation used in open-loop DBS to reach similar effects. The main advantages of open-source hardware include wide selection and availability, high customizability, and affordability. Our open-source closed-loop DBS system is effective, and warrants further research using open-source hardware for closed-loop neuromodulation.

Contribution of water chemistry and fish condition to otolith chemistry: comparisons across salinity environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Izzo, C; Doubleday, Z A; Schultz, A G; Woodcock, S H; Gillanders, B M

2015-06-01

This study quantified the per cent contribution of water chemistry to otolith chemistry using enriched stable isotopes of strontium ((86) Sr) and barium ((137) Ba). Euryhaline barramundi Lates calcarifer, were reared in marine (salinity 40), estuarine (salinity 20) and freshwater (salinity 0) under different temperature treatments. To calculate the contribution of water to Sr and Ba in otoliths, enriched isotopes in the tank water and otoliths were quantified and fitted to isotope mixing models. Fulton's K and RNA:DNA were also measured to explore the influence of fish condition on sources of element uptake. Water was the predominant source of otolith Sr (between 65 and 99%) and Ba (between 64 and 89%) in all treatments, but contributions varied with temperature (for Ba), or interactively with temperature and salinity (for Sr). Fish condition indices were affected independently by the experimental rearing conditions, as RNA:DNA differed significantly among salinity treatments and Fulton's K was significantly different between temperature treatments. Regression analyses did not detect relations between fish condition and per cent contribution values. General linear models indicated that contributions from water chemistry to otolith chemistry were primarily influenced by temperature and secondly by fish condition, with a relatively minor influence of salinity. These results further the understanding of factors that affect otolith element uptake, highlighting the necessity to consider the influence of environment and fish condition when interpreting otolith element data to reconstruct the environmental histories of fish. © 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Batteries for Efficient Energy Extraction from a Water Salinity Difference

KAUST Repository

La Mantia, Fabio; Pasta, Mauro; Deshazer, Heather D.; Logan, Bruce E.; Cui, Yi

2011-01-01

The salinity difference between seawater and river water is a renewable source of enormous entropic energy, but extracting it efficiently as a form of useful energy remains a challenge. Here we demonstrate a device called "mixing entropy battery

Thermodynamics of saline and fresh water mixing in estuaries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhilin; Savenije, Hubert H. G.

2018-03-01

The mixing of saline and fresh water is a process of energy dissipation. The freshwater flow that enters an estuary from the river contains potential energy with respect to the saline ocean water. This potential energy is able to perform work. Looking from the ocean to the river, there is a gradual transition from saline to fresh water and an associated rise in the water level in accordance with the increase in potential energy. Alluvial estuaries are systems that are free to adjust dissipation processes to the energy sources that drive them, primarily the kinetic energy of the tide and the potential energy of the river flow and to a minor extent the energy in wind and waves. Mixing is the process that dissipates the potential energy of the fresh water. The maximum power (MP) concept assumes that this dissipation takes place at maximum power, whereby the different mixing mechanisms of the estuary jointly perform the work. In this paper, the power is maximized with respect to the dispersion coefficient that reflects the combined mixing processes. The resulting equation is an additional differential equation that can be solved in combination with the advection-dispersion equation, requiring only two boundary conditions for the salinity and the dispersion. The new equation has been confronted with 52 salinity distributions observed in 23 estuaries in different parts of the world and performs very well.

Deep Vs Profiling Along the Top of Yucca Mountain Using a Vibroseis Source and Surface Waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stokoe, K.; Rosenblad, B.; Wong, I.; Bay, J.; Thomas, P.; Silva, W.

2004-01-01

Yucca Mountain, Nevada, was approved as the site for development of the geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel in the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy has been conducting studies to characterize the site and assess its future performance as a geologic repository. As part of these studies, a program of deep seismic profiling, to depths of 200 m, was conducted along the top of Yucca Mountain to evaluate the shear-wave velocity (V s ) structure of the repository block. The resulting V s data were used as input into the development of ground motions for the preclosure seismic design of the repository and for postclosure performance assessment. The noninvasive spectral-analysis-of-surface-waves (SASW) method was employed in the deep profiling. Field measurements involved the use of a modified Vibroseis as the seismic source. The modifications allowed the Vibroseis to be controlled by a signal analyzer so that slow frequency sweeps could be performed while simultaneous narrow-band filtering was performed on the receiver outputs. This process optimized input energy from the source and signal analysis of the receiver outputs. Six deep V s profiles and five intermediate-depth (about 100 m) profiles were performed along the top of Yucca Mountain over a distance of about 5 km. In addition, eleven shallower profiles (averaging about 45-m deep) were measured using a bulldozer source. The shallower profiles were used to augment the deeper profiles and to evaluate further the near-surface velocity structure. The V s profiles exhibit a strong velocity gradient within 5 m of the surface, with the mean V s value more than doubling. Below this depth, V s gradually increases from a mean value of about 900 to 1000 m/s at a depth of 150 m. Between the depths of 150 and 210 m, V s increases more rapidly to about 1350 m/s, but this trend is based on limited data. At depths less than 50 m, anisotropy in V s was measured for surveys conducted

Management scenarios for the Jordan River salinity crisis

Science.gov (United States)

Farber, E.; Vengosh, A.; Gavrieli, I.; Marie, Amarisa; Bullen, T.D.; Mayer, B.; Holtzman, R.; Segal, M.; Shavit, U.

2005-01-01

Recent geochemical and hydrological findings show that the water quality of the base flow of the Lower Jordan River, between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, is dependent upon the ratio between surface water flow and groundwater discharge. Using water quality data, mass-balance calculations, and actual flow-rate measurements, possible management scenarios for the Lower Jordan River and their potential affects on its salinity are investigated. The predicted scenarios reveal that implementation of some elements of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty will have negative effects on the Jordan River water salinity. It is predicted that removal of sewage effluents dumped into the river (???13 MCM/a) will significantly reduce the river water's flow and increase the relative proportion of the saline groundwater flux into the river. Under this scenario, the Cl content of the river at its southern point (Abdalla Bridge) will rise to almost 7000 mg/L during the summer. In contrast, removal of all the saline water (16.5 MCM/a) that is artificially discharged into the Lower Jordan River will significantly reduce its Cl concentration, to levels of 650-2600 and 3000-3500 mg/L in the northern and southern areas of the Lower Jordan River, respectively. However, because the removal of either the sewage effluents or the saline water will decrease the river's discharge to a level that could potentially cause river desiccation during the summer months, other water sources must be allocated to preserve in-stream flow needs and hence the river's ecosystem. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-resolution model for estimating the economic and policy implications of agricultural soil salinization in California

Science.gov (United States)

Welle, Paul D.; Mauter, Meagan S.

2017-09-01

This work introduces a generalizable approach for estimating the field-scale agricultural yield losses due to soil salinization. When integrated with regional data on crop yields and prices, this model provides high-resolution estimates for revenue losses over large agricultural regions. These methods account for the uncertainty inherent in model inputs derived from satellites, experimental field data, and interpreted model results. We apply this method to estimate the effect of soil salinity on agricultural outputs in California, performing the analysis with both high-resolution (i.e. field scale) and low-resolution (i.e. county-scale) data sources to highlight the importance of spatial resolution in agricultural analysis. We estimate that soil salinity reduced agricultural revenues by 3.7 billion (1.7-7.0 billion) in 2014, amounting to 8.0 million tons of lost production relative to soil salinities below the crop-specific thresholds. When using low-resolution data sources, we find that the costs of salinization are underestimated by a factor of three. These results highlight the need for high-resolution data in agro-environmental assessment as well as the challenges associated with their integration.

Application of isotope techniques to investigate groundwater pollution in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shivanna, K.; Navada, S.V.; Kulkarni, K.M.; Sinha, U.K.; Sharma, S.

1998-01-01

Environmental isotopes ( 2 H, 18 O, 34 S, 3 H, and 14 C) techniques have been used along with hydrogeology and hydrochemistry to investigate: (a). the source of salinity and origin of sulphate in groundwaters of coastal Orissa, Orissa State, India and (b) to study the source of salinity in deep saline groundwaters of charnockite terrain at Kokkilimedu, South of Chennai, India. In the first case, as a part of large drinking water supply project, thousands of hand pumps were installed from 1985. Many of them became quickly unacceptable for potable supply due to salinity, increased iron and sulphate contents of the groundwater. In this alluvial, multiaquifer system, fresh, brackish and saline groundwaters occur in a rather complicated fashion. The conditions change from phreatic to confined flowing type with increasing depth. The results of the isotope geochemical investigation indicate that the shallow groundwater (depth/<50m) is fresh and modern. Groundwater salinity in intermediate aquifer (50 - 100m) is due to the Flandrian transgression during Holocene period. Fresh and modern deep groundwater forms a well developed aquifer which receives recharge through weathered basement rock. The saline groundwater found below the fresh deep aquifer have marine water entrapped during late Pleistocene. The source of high sulphate in the groundwater is of marine origin. In the second case, under the host rock characterization programme, the charnockite rock formation at Kokkilimedu, Kalpakkam was evaluated to assess its suitability as host medium for location of a geological repository for high level radioactive waste. Four deep boreholes were drilled in this area, the depth varying from 200 to 618 m. In these boreholes, large variations in groundwater salinity were observed over a distance of only a few hundred meters and no regional pattern could be identified. The results of the isotope investigation show that there are two different sources of salinity in this area. Among

Effects of the Ionosphere on Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of Ocean Salinity from Space

Science.gov (United States)

LeVine, D. M.; Abaham, Saji; Hildebrand, Peter H. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Among the remote sensing applications currently being considered from space is the measurement of sea surface salinity. The salinity of the open ocean is important for understanding ocean circulation and for modeling energy exchange with the atmosphere. Passive microwave remote sensors operating near 1.4 GHz (L-band) could provide data needed to fill the gap in current coverage and to complement in situ arrays being planned to provide subsurface profiles in the future. However, the dynamic range of the salinity signal in the open ocean is relatively small and propagation effects along the path from surface to sensor must be taken into account. In particular, Faraday rotation and even attenuation/emission in the ionosphere can be important sources of error. The purpose or this work is to estimate the magnitude of these effects in the context of a future remote sensing system in space to measure salinity in L-band. Data will be presented as a function of time location and solar activity using IRI-95 to model the ionosphere. The ionosphere presents two potential sources of error for the measurement of salinity: Rotation of the polarization vector (Faraday rotation) and attenuation/emission. Estimates of the effect of these two phenomena on passive remote sensing over the oceans at L-band (1.4 GHz) are presented.

Subtask 2.17 - CO₂ Storage Efficiency in Deep Saline Formations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gorecki, Charles D. [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States); Liu, Guoxiang [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States); Braunberger, Jason R. [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States); Klenner, Robert C. L. [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States); Ayash, Scott C. [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States); Dotzenrod, Neil W. [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States); Steadman, Edward N. [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States); Harju, John A. [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States)

2014-02-01

As the field of carbon capture and storage (CCS) continues to advance, and large-scale implementation of geologic carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage progresses, it will be important to understand the potential of geologic formations to store meaningful amounts of CO₂. Geologic CO₂ storage in deep saline formations (DSFs) has been suggested as one of the best potential methods for reducing anthropogenic CO₂ emission to the atmosphere, and as such, updated storage resource estimation methods will continue to be an important component for the widespread deployment of CCS around the world. While there have been several methodologies suggested in the literature, most of these methods are based on a volumetric calculation of the pore volume of the DSF multiplied by a storage efficiency term and do not consider the effect of site-specific dynamic factors such as injection rate, injection pattern, timing of injection, pressure interference between injection locations, and overall formation pressure buildup. These volumetric methods may be excellent for comparing the potential between particular formations or basins, but they have not been validated through real-world experience or full-formation injection simulations. Several studies have also suggested that the dynamic components of geologic storage may play the most important role in storing CO₂ in DSFs but until now have not directly compared CO₂ storage resource estimates made with volumetric methodologies to estimates made using dynamic CO₂ storage methodologies. In this study, two DSFs, in geographically separate areas with geologically diverse properties, were evaluated with both volumetric and dynamic CO₂ storage resource estimation methodologies to compare the results and determine the applicability of both approaches. In the end, it was determined that the dynamic CO₂ storage resource potential is timedependent and it

Constraining the source location of the 30 May 2015 (Mw 7.9) Bonin deep-focus earthquake using seismogram envelopes of high-frequency P waveforms: Occurrence of deep-focus earthquake at the bottom of a subducting slab

Science.gov (United States)

Takemura, Shunsuke; Maeda, Takuto; Furumura, Takashi; Obara, Kazushige

2016-05-01

In this study, the source location of the 30 May 2015 (Mw 7.9) deep-focus Bonin earthquake was constrained using P wave seismograms recorded across Japan. We focus on propagation characteristics of high-frequency P wave. Deep-focus intraslab earthquakes typically show spindle-shaped seismogram envelopes with peak delays of several seconds and subsequent long-duration coda waves; however, both the main shock and aftershock of the 2015 Bonin event exhibited pulse-like P wave propagations with high apparent velocities (~12.2 km/s). Such P wave propagation features were reproduced by finite-difference method simulations of seismic wave propagation in the case of slab-bottom source. The pulse-like P wave seismogram envelopes observed from the 2015 Bonin earthquake show that its source was located at the bottom of the Pacific slab at a depth of ~680 km, rather than within its middle or upper regions.

Evaluation of Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) for Water Quality Monitoring: A Case Study for the Estimation of Salinity

Science.gov (United States)

Nazeer, Majid; Bilal, Muhammad

2018-04-01

Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) dataset have been used to estimate salinity in the coastal area of Hong Kong. Four adjacent Landsat TM images were used in this study, which was atmospherically corrected using the Second Simulation of the Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6S) radiative transfer code. The atmospherically corrected images were further used to develop models for salinity using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) based on in situ data of October 2009. Results show that the coefficient of determination ( R 2) of 0.42 between the OLS estimated and in situ measured salinity is much lower than that of the GWR model, which is two times higher ( R 2 = 0.86). It indicates that the GWR model has more ability than the OLS regression model to predict salinity and show its spatial heterogeneity better. It was observed that the salinity was high in Deep Bay (north-western part of Hong Kong) which might be due to the industrial waste disposal, whereas the salinity was estimated to be constant (32 practical salinity units) towards the open sea.

Laser microprobe analyses of Cl, Br, I, and K in fluid inclusions: Implications for sources of salinity in some ancient hydrothermal fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Böhlke, J.K.; Irwin, J.J.

1992-01-01

The relative concentrations of Cl, Br, I, and K in fluid inclusions in hydrothermal minerals were measured by laser microprobe noble gas mass spectrometry on irradiated samples containing 10−10 to 10−8 L of fluid. Distinctive halogen signatures indicate contrasting sources of fluid salinity in fluid inclusions from representative “magmatic” (St. Austell), “metamorphic” (Alleghany), and “geothermal” (Creede, Salton Sea) aqueous systems. Br/Cl mol ratios are lowest at Salton Sea (0.27–0.33 × 10−3), where high salinities are largely due to halite dissolution; intermediate at St. Austell (0.85 × 10−3), possibly representative of magmatic volatiles; and highest (near that of seawater) at Creede (1.5–2.1 × 10−3) and Alleghany (1.2–2.4 × 10−3), where dissolved halogens probably were leached from volcanic and (or) nonevaporitic sedimentary rocks. IC1">IC1 mol ratios are lowest (near that of seawater) at Creede (1–14 × 10−6), possibly because organisms scavenged I during low temperature recharge; intermediate at Salton Sea (24–26 × 10−6) and St. Austell (81× 10−6); and highest at Alleghany (320–940 × 10−6), probably because the fluids interacted with organic-rich sediments at high temperatures before being trapped. KCl">KCl mol ratios indicate disequilibrium with respect to hypothetical feldspathic alkali-Al-silicate mineral buffers at fluid inclusion trapping temperatures at Creede, and large contributions of (Na, K)-bicarbonate to total fluid ionic strength at Alleghany. Significant variations in Cl/Br/I/K ratios among different fluid inclusion types are correlated with previously documented mineralization stages at Creede, and with the apparent oxidation state of dissolved carbon at Alleghany. The new data indicate that Cl/ Br/I ratios in hydrothermal fluid inclusions vary by several orders of magnitude, as they do in modern surface and ground waters. This study demonstrates that halogen signatures of fluid inclusions

Modeling of fate and transport of co-injection of H2S with CO2 in deep saline formations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, W.; Xu, T.; Li, Y.

2010-12-15

The geological storage of CO{sub 2} in deep saline formations is increasing seen as a viable strategy to reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. However, costs of capture and compression of CO{sub 2} from industrial waste streams containing small quantities of sulfur and nitrogen compounds such as SO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}S and N{sub 2} are very expensive. Therefore, studies on the co-injection of CO{sub 2} containing other acid gases from industrial emissions are very important. In this paper, numerical simulations were performed to study the co-injection of H{sub 2}S with CO{sub 2} in sandstone and carbonate formations. Results indicate that the preferential dissolution of H{sub 2}S gas (compared with CO{sub 2} gas) into formation water results in the delayed breakthrough of H{sub 2}S gas. Co-injection of H{sub 2}S results in the precipitation of pyrite through interactions between the dissolved H{sub 2}S and Fe{sup 2+} from the dissolution of Fe-bearing minerals. Additional injection of H{sub 2}S reduces the capabilities for solubility and mineral trappings of CO{sub 2} compared to the CO{sub 2} only case. In comparison to the sandstone (siliciclastic) formation, the carbonate formation is less favorable to the mineral sequestration of CO{sub 2}. Different from CO{sub 2} mineral trapping, the presence of Fe-bearing siliciclastic and/or carbonate is more favorable to the H{sub 2}S mineral trapping.

Geochemical evolution of groundwater salinity at basin scale: a case study from Datong basin, Northern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ya; Wang, Yanxin

2014-05-01

A hydrogeochemical investigation using integrated methods of stable isotopes ((18)O, (2)H), (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios, Cl/Br ratios, chloride-mass balance, mass balance and hydrogeochemical modeling was conducted to interpret the geochemical evolution of groundwater salinity in Datong basin, northern China. The δ(2)H, δ(18)O ratios in precipitation exhibited a local meteoric water line of δ(2)H = 6.4 δ(18)O -5 (R(2) = 0.94), while those in groundwater suggested their meteoric origin in a historically colder climatic regime with a speculated recharge rate of less than 20.5 mm overall per year, in addition to recharge from a component of deep residual ancient lake water enriched with Br. According to the Sr isotope binary mixing model, the mixing of recharges from the Shentou karst springs (24%), the western margins (11%) and the eastern margins (65%) accounts for the groundwater from the deep aquifers of the down-gradient parts in the central basin is a possible mixing mechanism. In Datong, hydrolysis of silicate minerals is the most important hydrogeochemical process responsible for groundwater chemistry, in addition to dissolution of carbonate and evaporites. In the recharge areas, silicate chemical weathering is typically at the bisiallitization stage, while that in the central basin is mostly at the monosiallitization stage with limited evidence of being in equilibrium with gibbsite. Na exchange with bound Ca, Mg prevails at basin scale, and intensifies with groundwater salinity, while Ca, Mg exchange with bound Na locally occurs in the east pluvial and alluvial plains. Although groundwater salinity increases with the progress of water-rock/sediment interactions along the flow path, as a result of carbonate solubility control and continuous evapotranspiration, Na-HCO3 and Na-Cl-SO4 types of water are usually characterized respectively in the deep and the shallow aquifers of an inland basin with a silicate terrain in an arid climatic regime.

Over half a century of Messinian salinity crisis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Battista Vai, G.

2016-10-01

Did the Mediterranean ever become a desert during Messinian or was it a huge hyperhaline water body? According to Selli, the introduction of the concept and name of the Messinian Salinity Crisis in 1954, the second hypothesis was correct, but he did not succeed in preventing the rapid growth of popularity of the first hypothesis, triggered by the DSD Mediterranean campaign during the 1970s. The ensuing desiccation theory became popular enough to be included in elementary text books. The controversy has been revived in the new millennium and much former proof of the theory is now in doubt. The Mediterranean was not totally isolated, but often supplied with normal marine water. Instead of km-deep drawdown, shallower-to-absent level drop is favoured. Exposed canyons at the mouth of major Mediterranean rivers have turned into submarine channels filled by clastic sulphates. The mega-catastrophic potential of the desiccation theory has turned out to be less worrying. Perhaps the text books of our grandchildren should be updated. Within the frame of new evidence regarding normal water supply, even from the Indian Ocean, are discussed, based on two new palinspastic Messinian maps. However, reduced sharpness in the controversy and increasing consensus reached among specialists depend on ongoing inferred correlations between on-land and deep-marine Messinian evaporites. Only drilling across the whole, deep Mediterranean evaporite sequences can back-up the reliability of the correlation and validity of these new views. (Author)

Mineralization sources of surface and subsurface waters at the southeastern edges of dead sea basin in Jordan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AbdEl-Samie, S.G.; EL-Shahat, M.F.; Al-Nawayseh, K.M.

2004-01-01

Surface and ground waters within the shallow-Alluvial and deep- Kurnub aquifers in four areas (Issal, Mazraa, Safi and Haditha) in the southeastern edge of the Dead Sea basin were evaluated according to Salinity changes and water quality degradation. Chemical and isotopic parameters were integrated to follow the chemical evolutionary trend and sources of mineralization in these waters. The isotopic results indicated that the main recharge sources Issal. Mazraa and Safi groundwaters are the flash flood and base flow water from the eastern highland through wadies. In Safi area, the groundwater that mixed with other depleted source could be paleowater seeped from older formation. The depletion in stable isotopic values with low d-parametewr (less than 10%) for Haditha groundwater confirms that the replenishment to the aquifer (Kurnub sandstone) had been formed during the pluvial time. The chemical data showed that the base flow water from the eastern highland is denoted by the least salinity values, whereas drainage water acquired the highest values as aa result of receiving a considerable amount of the remaining water from salt extraction processes. The groundwater in Safi wells has low salt content with respect to the other areas taping the same aquifer. The elevation in Ca and Mg ions reflects the dissolution of Ca-Mg rich minerals that actively reached saturation with respect to calcite and dolomite in all samples except Haditha deep aquifer due to its low ph values. In spite of the meteoric origin of the recharge source, the presence of MgCl 2 and CaCl 2 salts in almost all samples changed the water character to be old or recent marine genesis. This points to the effect of Dead Sea in both surface and ground waters. The obvious depletion in O-18 and isotopes for all ground waters samples with respect to the positive values of Dead Sea sample is good indicative for non mixing trend with Dead Sea water in the Alluvial and Kurnub aquifers

DEEP SPITZER OBSERVATIONS OF INFRARED-FAINT RADIO SOURCES: HIGH-REDSHIFT RADIO-LOUD ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norris, Ray P.; Mao, Minnie; Afonso, Jose; Cava, Antonio; Farrah, Duncan; Oliver, Seb; Huynh, Minh T.; Mauduit, Jean-Christophe; Surace, Jason; Ivison, R. J.; Jarvis, Matt; Lacy, Mark; Maraston, Claudia; Middelberg, Enno; Seymour, Nick

2011-01-01

Infrared-faint radio sources (IFRSs) are a rare class of objects which are relatively bright at radio wavelengths but very faint at infrared and optical wavelengths. Here we present sensitive near-infrared observations of a sample of these sources taken as part of the Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey. Nearly all the IFRSs are undetected at a level of ∼1 μJy in these new deep observations, and even the detections are consistent with confusion with unrelated galaxies. A stacked image implies that the median flux density is S 3.6μm ∼ 0.2 μJy or less, giving extreme values of the radio-infrared flux density ratio. Comparison of these objects with known classes of object suggests that the majority are probably high-redshift radio-loud galaxies, possibly suffering from significant dust extinction.

Power generation from water salinity gradient via osmosis and reverse osmosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, Milancho

2015-01-01

To reduce dependence on fossil fuels, while at the same time to meet the growing energy demands of the world, it is necessary to explore and promote new alternative energy sources. One such type of renewable energy sources, which recently gained greater credibility is the energy extracted from the water salinity gradient, which is also called blue energy. In this research project will be described a new model of osmotic power plant (MIOS plant), which uses a combination of reverse osmosis and osmosis to convert the energy from the water salinity gradient into electricity. MIOS plant can be built as a vessel anywhere on the surface of the oceans or in the form of dam on the land, which will have a huge advantage over existing plants that can be built only on mouths of rivers. (author)

Assessment of Dynamic Flow, Pressure and Geomechanical Behaviour of a CO2 Storage Complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mbia, Ernest Ncha; Frykman, Peter

dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. Over 7,500 large CO2 emission sources (above 0.1 million tons CO2 year-1) have been identified (IPCC, 2005). These sources are distributed geographically around the world but four clusters of emissions can be observed: in North......-fired power plants) and injecting it into deep formations (e.g., saline aquifers, oil and gas reservoirs, and coalbeds) for storage. This process has drawn increasing consideration as a promising mitigation method that is economically possible. Deep saline aquifers offer the largest storage potential of all...

Observations of the Hubble Deep Field with the Infrared Space Observatory .3. Source counts and P(D) analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oliver, S.J.; Goldschmidt, P.; Franceschini, A.

1997-01-01

We present source counts at 6.7 and 15 mu m from our maps of the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) region, reaching 38.6 mu Jy at 6.7 mu m and 255 mu Jy at 15 mu m. These are the first ever extragalactic number counts to be presented at 6.7 mu m, and are three decades fainter than IRAS at 12 mu m. Both...

Deep water characteristics and circulation in the South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Aimei; Du, Yan; Peng, Shiqiu; Liu, Kexiu; Huang, Rui Xin

2018-04-01

This study investigates the deep circulation in the South China Sea (SCS) using oceanographic observations combined with results from a bottom layer reduced gravity model. The SCS water, 2000 m below the surface, is quite different from that in the adjacent Pacific Ocean, and it is characterized by its low dissolved oxygen (DO), high temperature and low salinity. The horizontal distribution of deep water properties indicates a basin-scale cyclonic circulation driven by the Luzon overflow. The results of the bottom layer reduced gravity model are consistent with the existence of the cyclonic circulation in the deep SCS. The circulation is stronger at the northern/western boundary. After overflowing the sill of the Luzon Strait, the deep water moves broadly southwestward, constrained by the 3500 m isobath. The broadening of the southward flow is induced by the downwelling velocity in the interior of the deep basin. The main deep circulation bifurcates into two branches after the Zhongsha Islands. The southward branch continues flowing along the 3500 m isobath, and the eastward branch forms the sub-basin scale cyclonic circulation around the seamounts in the central deep SCS. The returning flow along the east boundary is fairly weak. The numerical experiments of the bottom layer reduced gravity model reveal the important roles of topography, bottom friction, and the upwelling/downwelling pattern in controlling the spatial structure, particularly the strong, deep western boundary current.

Recent geoscientific information relating to deep crustal studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smellie, John

2004-01-01

Geoscientific information relating to conditions deep in the earth's crust, as a basis to the deposition of radioactive wastes in vertically drilled boreholes to depths of 4-5 km, has been compiled already in several reports. The objective of this present document is to provide an update of geoscientific information that has become available in the open literature since 1998. Emphasis has been put on crystalline rocks to conform to SKB's disposal concepts for radioactive wastes. These conclusions are arranged under various headings of importance with respect to deep hole disposal of radioactive wastes at 4,000-5,000 m depth. Geothermal considerations: The rock thermal conductivity is an important parameter to help dissipate the heat generated by the waste package and depends on rock composition. In this respect, since mafic-rich varieties are more conductive, a granitic host rock may be considered more problematic. Fractures tend to increase the thermal conductivity; however due to the rock stress the frequency of fractures decreases with depth so that a deterioration in thermal conductivity with depth is to be expected. Evaluating the temperature/heat production gradient is an important pre-requisite for disposal, for example the long-term stability of engineered materials. The experience from the German KTB programme has underlined that it may not always be possible to extrapolate near-surface derived predictions of temperature variations to repository depths, especially in a heterogeneous bedrock environment. Hydraulic conductivity: Main problems are the presence of gas phases and groundwater flow; of lesser importance is fluid circulation initiated by the temperature gradient resulting from the temperature increase of the waste package. Rock permeability is expected to be in the order of (1 to 3) x 10 -13 m 2 over a 1-2 km zone if exogenic fracturing is assumed, in the order of 10 -17 -10 -16 m 2 at repository depths, and in the order of 10 -20 -10 -19 m 2 at

Recent geoscientific information relating to deep crustal studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smellie, John [Conterra AB, Uppsala (Sweden)

2004-01-01

Geoscientific information relating to conditions deep in the earth's crust, as a basis to the deposition of radioactive wastes in vertically drilled boreholes to depths of 4-5 km, has been compiled already in several reports. The objective of this present document is to provide an update of geoscientific information that has become available in the open literature since 1998. Emphasis has been put on crystalline rocks to conform to SKB's disposal concepts for radioactive wastes. These conclusions are arranged under various headings of importance with respect to deep hole disposal of radioactive wastes at 4,000-5,000 m depth. Geothermal considerations: The rock thermal conductivity is an important parameter to help dissipate the heat generated by the waste package and depends on rock composition. In this respect, since mafic-rich varieties are more conductive, a granitic host rock may be considered more problematic. Fractures tend to increase the thermal conductivity; however due to the rock stress the frequency of fractures decreases with depth so that a deterioration in thermal conductivity with depth is to be expected. Evaluating the temperature/heat production gradient is an important pre-requisite for disposal, for example the long-term stability of engineered materials. The experience from the German KTB programme has underlined that it may not always be possible to extrapolate near-surface derived predictions of temperature variations to repository depths, especially in a heterogeneous bedrock environment. Hydraulic conductivity: Main problems are the presence of gas phases and groundwater flow; of lesser importance is fluid circulation initiated by the temperature gradient resulting from the temperature increase of the waste package. Rock permeability is expected to be in the order of (1 to 3) x 10{sup -13} m{sup 2} over a 1-2 km zone if exogenic fracturing is assumed, in the order of 10{sup -17}-10{sup -16} m{sup 2} at repository depths, and in

Fiscal 1996 verification and survey of geothermal prospecting technology etc. 2/2. Survey report on deep-seated geothermal resources; 1996 nendo chinetsu tansa gijutsu nado kensho chosa hokokusho. 2/2. Shinbu chinetsu shigen chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

For the purpose of reducing the risk to accompany the exploitation of deep-seated geothermal resources, investigations are conducted into the three factors that govern the formation of geothermal resources at deep levels, that is, the supply of heat from heat sources, the supply of geothermal fluids, and the development of fracture systems contributing to the constitution of reservoir structures. In the study of deep-seated geothermal models for the Kakkonda area, a reservoir structure model, a thermal structure model, and a geothermal fluid/hydraulic structure model are deliberated. Then, after studying the relations of the said three structure models to fracture systems, the boundary between the geothermal fluid convection region and the thermal conduction region near the 3,100m-deep level, the existence of high-salinity fluids and the depth of gas inflow, the ranges of shallow-seated reservoirs and deep-seated reservoirs, the trend of reduction in reservoir pressure and the anisotropy in water permeability in shallow-seated reservoirs, etc., a latest reservoir model is constructed into which all the findings obtained so far are incorporated. As for guidelines for deep-seated thermal resources survey and development, it is so decided that deep-seated geothermal survey guidelines, deep-seated fluid production guidelines, and deep-seated well drilling guidelines be prepared and that assessment be made of their economic effectiveness. (NEDO)

Gypsum Formation during the Messinian Salinity Crisis: an Alternative Model

Science.gov (United States)

Grothe, A.; Krijgsman, W.; Sangiorgi, F.; Vasiliev, I.; Baak, C. V.; Wolthers, M.; Stoica, M.; Reichart, G. J.; Davies, G.

2016-12-01

During the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC; 5.97 - 5.33 Myr ago), thick packages of evaporites (gypsum and halite) were deposited in the Mediterranean Basin. Traditionally, the occurrence of these evaporites is explained by the so-called "desiccation-model", in which evaporites are considered to result from a (partly) desiccated basin. In the last decade, it was thought that changes in the Mediterranean-Atlantic connectivity could explain the formation of gypsum. Stable isotope studies, however, show that the gypsum formed under influence of large freshwater input. Here we present new strontium isotope data from two well-dated Messinian sections in the Black and Caspian Seas. Our Sr isotope records suggest a persistent Mediterranean-Black Sea connection throughout the salinity crisis, which implies a large additional freshwater source to the Mediterranean. We claim that low saline waters from the Black Sea region are a prerequisite for gypsum formation in the Mediterranean and speculate about the mechanisms explaining this apparent paradox.

Fresh meteoric versus recirculated saline groundwater nutrient inputs into a subtropical estuary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadat-Noori, Mahmood; Santos, Isaac R.; Tait, Douglas R.; Maher, Damien T.

2016-01-01

The role of groundwater in transporting nutrients to coastal aquatic systems has recently received considerable attention. However, the relative importance of fresh versus saline groundwater-derived nutrient inputs to estuaries and how these groundwater pathways may alter surface water N:P ratios remains poorly constrained. We performed detailed time series measurements of nutrients in a tidal estuary (Hat Head, NSW, Australia) and used radium to quantify the contribution of fresh and saline groundwater to total surface water estuarine exports under contrasting hydrological conditions (wet and dry season). Tidally integrated nutrient fluxes showed that the estuary was a source of nutrients to the coastal waters. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) export was 7-fold higher than the average global areal flux rate for rivers likely due to the small catchment size, surrounding wetlands and high groundwater inputs. Fresh groundwater discharge was dominant in the wet season accounting for up to 45% of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and 48% of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) estuarine exports. In the dry season, fresh and saline groundwater accounted for 21 and 33% of TDN export, respectively. The combined fresh and saline groundwater fluxes of NO_3, PO_4, NH_4, DON, DOP, TDN and TDP were estimated to account for 66, 58, 55, 31, 21, 53 and 47% of surface water exports, respectively. Groundwater-derived nitrogen inputs to the estuary were responsible for a change in the surface water N:P ratio from typical N-limiting conditions to P-limiting as predicted by previous studies. This shows the importance of both fresh and saline groundwater as a source of nutrients for coastal productivity and nutrient budgets of coastal waters. - Highlights: • Groundwater TDN and TDP fluxes account for 53 and 47% of surface water exports. • The estuary DIN export was 7-fold higher than the average global areal flux. • Fresh GW nutrient input dominated the wet season and saline GW the

Linking water and carbon cycles through salinity observed from space

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, X.; Liu, W. T.

2017-12-01

The association of ocean surface salinity in global hydrological cycle and climate change has been traditionally studied through the examination of its tendency and advection as manifestation of ocean's heat and water fluxes with the atmosphere. The variability of surface heat and water fluxes are linked to top of atmosphere radiation, whose imbalance is the main cause of global warming. Besides the link of salinity to greenhouse warming through water balance, this study will focus on the effect of changing salinity on carbon dioxide flux between the ocean and the atmosphere. We have built statistical models to estimate the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and ocean acidification (in terms of total alkalinity and pH) using spacebased data. PCO2 is a critical parameter governing ocean as source and sink of the accumulated greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. The exchange also causes ocean acidification, which is detrimental to marine lives and ecology. Before we had sufficient spacebased salinity measurements coincident with in situ pCO2 measurement, we trained our statistical models to use satellite sea surface temperature and chlorophyll, with one model using salinity climatology and the other without. We found significant differences between the two models in regions of strong water input through river discharge and surface water flux. The pCO2 output follows the seasonal salinity advection of the Amazon outflow. The seasonal salinity advection between Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea are followed by change of pCO2 and total alkalinity. At shorter time scales, the signatures of rain associated with intraseasonal organized convection of summer monsoon can be detected. We have observed distribution agreement of among pCO2, surface salinity, and surface water flux for variation from a few days to a few years under the Pacific ITCZ; the agreement varies slightly with season and longitudes and the reason is under study.

Finding a solution: Heparinised saline versus normal saline in the maintenance of invasive arterial lines in intensive care.

Science.gov (United States)

Everson, Matthew; Webber, Lucy; Penfold, Chris; Shah, Sanjoy; Freshwater-Turner, Dan

2016-11-01

We assessed the impact of heparinised saline versus 0.9% normal saline on arterial line patency. Maintaining the patency of arterial lines is essential for obtaining accurate physiological measurements, enabling blood sampling and minimising line replacement. Use of heparinised saline is associated with risks such as thrombocytopenia, haemorrhage and mis-selection. Historical studies draw variable conclusions but suggest that normal saline is at least as effective at maintaining line patency, although recent evidence has questioned this. We conducted a prospective analysis of the use of heparinised saline versus normal saline on unselected patients in the intensive care of our hospital. Data concerning duration of 471 lines insertion and reason for removal was collected. We found a higher risk of blockage for lines flushed with normal saline compared with heparinised saline (RR = 2.15, 95% CI 1.392-3.32, p  ≤ 0.001). Of the 56 lines which blocked initially (19 heparinised saline and 37 normal saline lines), 16 were replaced with new lines; 5 heparinised saline lines and 11 normal saline lines were reinserted; 5 of these lines subsequently blocked again, 3 of which were flushed with normal saline. Our study demonstrates a clinically important reduction in arterial line longevity due to blockages when flushed with normal saline compared to heparinised saline. We have determined that these excess blockages have a significant clinical impact with further lines being inserted after blockage, resulting in increased risks to patients, wasted time and cost of resources. Our findings suggest that the current UK guidance favouring normal saline flushes should be reviewed.

Effects of Precipitation on Ocean Mixed-Layer Temperature and Salinity as Simulated in a 2-D Coupled Ocean-Cloud Resolving Atmosphere Model

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaofan; Sui, C.-H.; Lau, K-M.; Adamec, D.

1999-01-01

A two-dimensional coupled ocean-cloud resolving atmosphere model is used to investigate possible roles of convective scale ocean disturbances induced by atmospheric precipitation on ocean mixed-layer heat and salt budgets. The model couples a cloud resolving model with an embedded mixed layer-ocean circulation model. Five experiment are performed under imposed large-scale atmospheric forcing in terms of vertical velocity derived from the TOGA COARE observations during a selected seven-day period. The dominant variability of mixed-layer temperature and salinity are simulated by the coupled model with imposed large-scale forcing. The mixed-layer temperatures in the coupled experiments with 1-D and 2-D ocean models show similar variations when salinity effects are not included. When salinity effects are included, however, differences in the domain-mean mixed-layer salinity and temperature between coupled experiments with 1-D and 2-D ocean models could be as large as 0.3 PSU and 0.4 C respectively. Without fresh water effects, the nocturnal heat loss over ocean surface causes deep mixed layers and weak cooling rates so that the nocturnal mixed-layer temperatures tend to be horizontally-uniform. The fresh water flux, however, causes shallow mixed layers over convective areas while the nocturnal heat loss causes deep mixed layer over convection-free areas so that the mixed-layer temperatures have large horizontal fluctuations. Furthermore, fresh water flux exhibits larger spatial fluctuations than surface heat flux because heavy rainfall occurs over convective areas embedded in broad non-convective or clear areas, whereas diurnal signals over whole model areas yield high spatial correlation of surface heat flux. As a result, mixed-layer salinities contribute more to the density differences than do mixed-layer temperatures.

Salinity variations and chemical compositions of waters in the Frio Formation, Texas Gulf Coast. Annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morton, R.A.; Garrett, C.M. Jr.; Posey, J.S.; Han, J.H.; Jirik, L.A.

1981-11-01

Waters produced from sandstone reservoirs of the deep Frio Formation exhibit spatial variations in chemical composition that roughly coincide with the major tectonic elements (Houston and Rio Grande Embayments, San Marcos Arch) and corresponding depositional systems (Houston and Norias deltas, Greta-Carancahua barrier/strandplain system) that were respectively active along the upper, lower, and middle Texas Coast during Frio deposition. Within an area, salinities are usually depth dependent, and primary trends closely correspond to pore pressure gradients and thermal gradients. Where data are available (mainly in Brazoria County) the increases in TDS and calcium with depth coincide with the zone of albitization, smectite-illite transition, and calcite decrease in shales. Waters have fairly uniform salinities when produced from the same sandstone reservoir within a fault block or adjacent fault blocks with minor displacement. In contrast, stratigraphically equivalent sandstones separated by faults with large displacement usually yield waters with substantially different salinities owing to the markedly different thermal and pressure gradients across the faults that act as barriers to fluid movement.

Influence of salinity and prey presence on the survival of aquatic macroinvertebrates of a freshwater marsh

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Sung-Ryong; King, Sammy L.

2012-01-01

Salinization of coastal freshwater environments is a global issue. Increased salinity from sea level rise, storm surges, or other mechanisms is common in coastal freshwater marshes of Louisiana, USA. The effects of salinity increases on aquatic macroinvertebrates in these systems have received little attention, despite the importance of aquatic macroinvertebrates for nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and as a food source for vertebrate species. We used microcosm experiments to evaluate the effects of salinity, duration of exposure, and prey availability on the relative survival of dominant aquatic macroinvertebrates (i.e., Procambarus clarkii Girard, Cambarellus puer Hobbs, Libellulidae, Dytiscidae cybister) in a freshwater marsh of southwestern Louisiana. We hypothesized that increased salinity, absence of prey, and increased duration of exposure would decrease survival of aquatic macroinvertebrates and that crustaceans would have higher survival than aquatic insect taxon. Our first hypothesis was only partially supported as only salinity increases combined with prolonged exposure duration affected aquatic macroinvertebrate survival. Furthermore, crustaceans had higher survival than aquatic insects. Salinity stress may cause mortality when acting together with other stressful conditions.

Physiological changes of pepper accessions in response to salinity and water stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

López-Serrano, L.; Penella, C.; San Bautista, A.; López-Galarza, S.; Calatayud, A.

2017-07-01

New sources of water stress and salinity tolerances are needed for crops grown in marginal lands. Pepper is considered one of the most important crops in the world. Many varieties belong to the genus Capsicum spp., and display wide variability in tolerance/sensitivity terms in response to drought and salinity stress. The objective was to screen seven salt/drought-tolerant pepper accessions to breed new cultivars that could overcome abiotic stresses, or be used as new crops in land with water and salinity stress. Fast and effective physiological traits were measured to achieve the objective. The present study showed wide variability of the seven pepper accessions in response to both stresses. Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration reduced mainly under salinity due to stomatal and non-stomatal (Na+ accumulation) constraints and, to a lesser extent, in the accessions grown under water stress. A positive relationship between CO2 fixation and fresh weight generation was observed for both stresses. Decreases in Ys and YW and increased proline were observed only when accessions were grown under salinity. However, these factors were not enough to alleviate salt effects and an inverse relation was noted between plant salt tolerance and proline accumulation. Under water stress, A31 was the least affected and A34 showed the best tolerance to salinity in terms of photosynthesis and biomass.

Physiological changes of pepper accessions in response to salinity and water stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López-Serrano, L.; Penella, C.; San Bautista, A.; López-Galarza, S.; Calatayud, A.

2017-01-01

New sources of water stress and salinity tolerances are needed for crops grown in marginal lands. Pepper is considered one of the most important crops in the world. Many varieties belong to the genus Capsicum spp., and display wide variability in tolerance/sensitivity terms in response to drought and salinity stress. The objective was to screen seven salt/drought-tolerant pepper accessions to breed new cultivars that could overcome abiotic stresses, or be used as new crops in land with water and salinity stress. Fast and effective physiological traits were measured to achieve the objective. The present study showed wide variability of the seven pepper accessions in response to both stresses. Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration reduced mainly under salinity due to stomatal and non-stomatal (Na+ accumulation) constraints and, to a lesser extent, in the accessions grown under water stress. A positive relationship between CO2 fixation and fresh weight generation was observed for both stresses. Decreases in Ys and YW and increased proline were observed only when accessions were grown under salinity. However, these factors were not enough to alleviate salt effects and an inverse relation was noted between plant salt tolerance and proline accumulation. Under water stress, A31 was the least affected and A34 showed the best tolerance to salinity in terms of photosynthesis and biomass.

Saline agriculture: A technology for economic utilization and improvement of saline environments (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aslam, Z.; Malik, K.A.; Khurshid, S.J.; Awan, A.R.; Akram, M.; Hashmi, Z.; Ali, Y.; Gulnaz, A.; Hussain, M.; Hussain, F.

2005-01-01

The salinity problem is one of the severe constraints for agriculture in Pakistan. In a socio-economic and salinity and drainage survey over an area of about 25000 acres of salt-affected land recently, crop production is found to be very low. Livestock is underfed and malnourished. Pakistan has spent and allocated over one billion US dollars on Salinity Control and Reclamation Projects (SCARP), of course, with dubious results. Over the years, a Saline Agriculture Technology has been developed as a cheap alternative at NIAB for comfortably living with salinity and to profitably utilize saline land rather than its reclamation. The soil improvement is a fringe benefit in this approach. The Saline Agriculture Technology has been tested at laboratory level, at field stations and at farms of some progressive farmers. Now we are sharing this technology with farming communities through a 'Saline Agriculture Farmer Participatory Development Project in Pakistan', with assistance from the National Rural Support Programme. The new project has been launched simultaneously in all four provinces of Pakistan on 25000 acres of salt-affected land. Under this project seeds of salt tolerant crop varieties wheat, cotton, rice, castor, brassica and barley and saplings of trees/shrubs, e.g. Acacia ampliceps, A. nilotica, Casuarina glauca, ber, jaman, etc selected for development work in various institutions of Pakistan are being provided to farmers. Know-how on new irrigation techniques like bed-and-corrugation and bed-and-furrow, agronomic practices like laser land leveling, planting on beds and in auger holes and soil/water amendment practices (use of gypsum and mineral acids) are being shared with farmers. These interventions are quite efficient, save water up to 40% and enable farmers to utilize bad quality water. In general, farmers are being familiarized with prevalent animal diseases, nutritional problems and prophylactic techniques. They are being helped in developing Saline

Dextrose saline compared with normal saline rehydration of hyperemesis gravidarum: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Peng Chiong; Norazilah, Mat Jin; Omar, Siti Zawiah

2013-02-01

To compare 5% dextrose-0.9% saline against 0.9% saline solution in the intravenous rehydration of hyperemesis gravidarum. Women at their first hospitalization for hyperemesis gravidarum were enrolled on admission to the ward and randomly assigned to receive either 5% dextrose-0.9% saline or 0.9% saline by intravenous infusion at a rate 125 mL/h over 24 hours in a double-blind trial. All participants also received thiamine and an antiemetic intravenously. Oral intake was allowed as tolerated. Primary outcomes were resolution of ketonuria and well-being (by 10-point visual numerical rating scale) at 24 hours. Nausea visual numerical rating scale scores were obtained every 8 hours for 24 hours. Persistent ketonuria rates after the 24-hour study period were 10 of 101 (9.9%) compared with 11 of 101 (10.9%) (P>.99; relative risk 0.9, 95% confidence interval 0.4-2.2) and median (interquartile range) well-being scores at 24 hours were 9 (8-10) compared with 9 (8-9.5) (P=.73) in the 5% dextrose-0.9% saline and 0.9% saline arms, respectively. Repeated measures analysis of variance of the nausea visual numerical rating scale score as assessed every 8 hours during the 24-hour study period showed a significant difference in favor of the 5% dextrose-0.9% saline arm (P=.046) with the superiority apparent at 8 and 16 hours, but the advantage had dissipated by 24 hours. Secondary outcomes of vomiting, resolution of hyponatremia, hypochloremia and hypokalemia, length of hospitalization, duration of intravenous antiemetic, and rehydration were not different. Intravenous rehydration with 5% dextrose-0.9% saline or 0.9% saline solution in women hospitalized for hyperemesis gravidarum produced similar outcomes. ISRCTN Register, www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn, ISRCTN65014409. I.

Low salinity hydrocarbon water disposal through deep subsurface drip irrigation: leaching of native selenium

Science.gov (United States)

Bern, Carleton R.; Engle, Mark A.; Boehlke, Adam R.; Zupancic, John W.; Brown, Adrian; Figueroa, Linda; Wolkersdorfer, Christian

2013-01-01

A subsurface drip irrigation system is being used in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin that treats high sodium, low salinity, coal bed methane (CBM) produced water with sulfuric acid and injects it into cropped fields at a depth of 0.92 m. Dissolution of native gypsum releases calcium that combats soil degradation that would otherwise result from high sodium water. Native selenium is leached from soil by application of the CBM water and traces native salt mobilization to groundwater. Resulting selenium concentrations in groundwater at this alluvial site were generally low (0.5–23 μg/L) compared to Wyoming’s agricultural use suitability standard (20 μg/L).

Assessment of risk to aquatic biota from elevated salinity -- a case study from the Hunter River, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Muschal, Monika

2006-05-01

An ecological risk assessment was performed on salinity levels of the Hunter River and its tributaries to respond to concerns that high salinity may be damaging aquatic ecosystems. Probabilistic techniques were used to assess likelihood and consequence, and hence the risk to aquatic biota from salinity. Continuous electrical conductivity distributions were used to describe the likelihood that high salinity would occur (exposure dataset) and toxicity values were compiled from the limited literature sources available to describe the consequence of high salinity (effects dataset). The assessment was preliminary in the sense that it modelled risk on the basis of existing data and did not undertake site-specific toxicity testing. Some sections of the Hunter River catchment have geologies that are saline because of their marine origins. Catchment development has increased the liberation rates of salts into surface-waters. Such modifying activities include coal-mining, power generation and land clearing. The aquatic biota of tributaries had a greater risk of impairment from high salinity than that of the Hunter River. High salinities in the tributaries were attributed to the combined factors of naturally saline geologies, increased liberation of salts due to modification of the landscape, and reduced dilution by flushing flows. A salinity guideline trigger value of 1100 mg L(-1) was recommended.

Effective bioremediation of a petroleum-polluted saline soil by a surfactant-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa consortium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Ebadi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Bacteria able to produce biosurfactants can use petroleum-based hydrocarbons as a carbon source. Herein, four biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, isolated from oil-contaminated saline soil, were combined to form a bacterial consortium. The inoculation of the consortium to contaminated soil alleviated the adverse effects of salinity on biodegradation and increased the rate of degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon approximately 30% compared to the rate achieved in non-treated soil. In saline condition, treatment of polluted soil with the consortium led to a significant boost in the activity of dehydrogenase (approximately 2-fold. A lettuce seedling bioassay showed that, following the treatment, the soil's level of phytotoxicity was reduced up to 30% compared to non-treated soil. Treatment with an appropriate bacterial consortium can represent an effective means of reducing the adverse effects of salinity on the microbial degradation of petroleum and thus provides enhancement in the efficiency of microbial remediation of oil-contaminated saline soils.

Deficit irrigation of a landscape halophyte for reuse of saline waste water in a desert city

Science.gov (United States)

Glenn, E.P.; Mckeon, C.; Gerhart, V.; Nagler, P.L.; Jordan, F.; Artiola, J.

2009-01-01

Saline waste waters from industrial and water treatment processes are an under-utilized resource in desert urban environments. Management practices to safely use these water sources are still in development. We used a deeprooted native halophyte, Atriplex lentiformis (quailbush), to absorb mildly saline effluent (1800 mg l-1 total dissolved solids, mainly sodium sulfate) from a water treatment plant in the desert community of Twentynine Palms, California. We developed a deficit irrigation strategy to avoid discharging water past the root zone to the aquifer. The plants were irrigated at about one-third the rate of reference evapotranspiration (ETo) calculated from meteorological data over five years and soil moisture levels were monitored to a soil depth of 4.7 m at monthly intervals with a neutron hydroprobe. The deficit irrigation schedule maintained the soil below field capacity throughout the study. Water was presented on a more or less constant schedule, so that the application rates were less than ETo in summer and equal to or slightly greater than ETo in winter, but the plants were able to consume water stored in the profile in winter to support summer ET. Sodium salts gradually increased in the soil profile over the study but sulfate levels remained low, due to formation of gypsum in the calcic soil. The high salt tolerance, deep roots, and drought tolerance of desert halophytes such as A. lentiformis lend these plants to use as deficit-irrigated landscape plants for disposal of effluents in urban setting when protection of the aquifer is important. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V.

Short-term impact of deep sand extraction and ecosystem-based landscaping on macrozoobenthos and sediment characteristics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Maarten F.; Baptist, Martin J.; Lindeboom, Han J.; Hoekstra, Piet

2015-01-01

We studied short-term changes in macrozoobenthos in a 20. m deep borrow pit. A boxcorer was used to sample macrobenthic infauna and a bottom sledge was used to sample macrobenthic epifauna. Sediment characteristics were determined from the boxcore samples, bed shear stress and near-bed salinity were

Is there evidence of adaptation to tidal flooding in saplings of baldcypress subjected to different salinity regimes?

Science.gov (United States)

Krauss, K.W.; Doyle, T.W.; Howard, R.J.

2009-01-01

Plant populations may adapt to environmental conditions over time by developing genetically based morphological or physiological characteristics. For tidal freshwater forested wetlands, we hypothesized that the conditions under which trees developed led to ecotypic difference in response of progeny to hydroperiod. Specifically, we looked for evidence of ecotypic adaptation for tidal flooding at different salinity regimes using growth and ecophysiological characteristics of two tidal and two non-tidal source collections of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) L.C. Rich) from the southeastern United States. Saplings were subjected to treatments of hydrology (permanent versus tidal flooding) and salinity (0 versus ???2 g l-1) for two and a half growing seasons in a greenhouse environment. Saplings from tidal sources maintained 21-41% lower overall growth and biomass accumulation than saplings from non-tidal sources, while saplings from non-tidal sources maintained 14-19% lower overall rates of net photosynthetic assimilation, leaf transpiration, and stomatal conductance than saplings from tidal sources. However, we found no evidence for growth or physiological enhancement of saplings from tidal sources to tide, or of saplings from non-tidal sources to no tide. All saplings growing under permanent flooding exhibited reduced growth and leaf gas exchange regardless of source, with little evidence for consistent salinity effects across hydroperiods. While we reject our original hypothesis, we suggest that adaptations of coastal baldcypress to broad (rather than narrow) environmental conditions may promote ecophysiological and growth enhancements under a range of global-change-induced stressors, perhaps reflecting a natural resilience to environmental change while precluding adaptations for specific flood regimes.

Global Sensitivity Analysis to Assess Salt Precipitation for CO2 Geological Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers

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Yuan Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Salt precipitation is generated near the injection well when dry supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2 is injected into saline aquifers, and it can seriously impair the CO2 injectivity of the well. We used solid saturation (Ss to map CO2 injectivity. Ss was used as the response variable for the sensitivity analysis, and the input variables included the CO2 injection rate (QCO2, salinity of the aquifer (XNaCl, empirical parameter m, air entry pressure (P0, maximum capillary pressure (Pmax, and liquid residual saturation (Splr and Sclr. Global sensitivity analysis methods, namely, the Morris method and Sobol method, were used. A significant increase in Ss was observed near the injection well, and the results of the two methods were similar: XNaCl had the greatest effect on Ss; the effect of P0 and Pmax on Ss was negligible. On the other hand, with these two methods, QCO2 had various effects on Ss: QCO2 had a large effect on Ss in the Morris method, but it had little effect on Ss in the Sobol method. We also found that a low QCO2 had a profound effect on Ss but that a high QCO2 had almost no effect on the Ss value.

Saline agriculture in Mediterranean environments

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Albino Maggio

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Salinization is increasingly affecting world's agricultural land causing serious yield loss and soil degradation. Understanding how we could improve crop productivity in salinized environments is therefore critical to meet the challenging goal of feeding 9.3 billion people by 2050. Our comprehension of fundamental physiological mechanisms in plant salt stress adaptation has greatly advanced over the last decades. However, many of these mechanisms have been linked to salt tolerance in simplified experimental systems whereas they have been rarely functionally proven in real agricultural contexts. In-depth analyses of specific crop-salinity interactions could reveal important aspects of plant salt stress adaptation as well as novel physiological/agronomic targets to improve salinity tolerance. These include the developmental role of root vs. shoot systems respect to water-ion homeostasis, morphological vs. metabolic contributions to stress adaptation, developmental processes vs. seasonal soil salinity evolution, residual effects of saline irrigation in non-irrigated crops, critical parameters of salt tolerance in soil-less systems and controlled environments, response to multiple stresses. Finally, beneficial effects of salinization on qualitative parameters such as stress-induced accumulation of high nutritional value secondary metabolites should be considered, also. In this short review we attempted to highlight the multifaceted nature of salinity in Mediterranean agricultural systems by summarizing most experimental activity carried out at the Department of Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy of University of Naples Federico II in the last few years.

Effects of Deep Water Source-Sink Terms in 3rd generation Wave Model SWAN using different wind data in Black Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Kirezci, Cagil; Ozyurt Tarakcioglu, Gulizar

2016-04-01

Coastal development in Black Sea has increased in recent years. Therefore, careful monitoring of the storms and verification of numerical tools with reliable data has become important. Previous studies by Kirezci and Ozyurt (2015) investigated extreme events in Black Sea using different wind datasets (NCEP's CFSR and ECMWF's operational datasets) and different numerical tools (SWAN and Wavewatch III). These studies showed that significant effect to results is caused by the deep water source-sink terms (wave growth by wind, deep water dissipation of wave energy (whitecapping) and deep water non-linear wave-wave interactions). According to Timmermans(2015), uncertainty about wind forcing and the process of nonlinear wave-wave interactions are found to be dominant in numerical wave modelling. Therefore, in this study deep water source and sink term solution approaches of 3rd generation numerical tool (SWAN model) are tested, validated and compared using the selected extreme storms in Black Sea. 45 different storms and storm like events observed in Black Sea between years 1994-1999 are selected to use in the models. The storm selection depends on the instrumental wave data (significant wave heights, mean wave period and mean wave direction) obtained in NATO-TU Waves project by the deep water buoy measurements at Hopa, Sinop, Gelendzhik, and wind data (mean and peak wind speeds, storm durations) of the regarding events. 2 different wave growth by wind with the corresponding deep water dissipation terms and 3 different wave -wave interaction terms of SWAN model are used in this study. Wave growth by wind consist of two parts, linear growth which is explained by Cavaleri and Malanotte-Rizzoli(1981),and dominant exponential growth. There are two methods in SWAN model for exponential growth of wave, first one by Snyder et al. (1981), rescaled in terms of friction velocity by Komen et. al (1984) which is derived using driving wind speed at 10m elevation with related drag

Characterization of saline groundwater across the coastal aquifer of Israel as resource for desalination

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Shaked; Russak, Amos; Sivan, Orit; Yechieli, Yospeh; Oren, Yoram; Kasher, Roni

2015-04-01

In arid countries with access to marine water seawater desalination is becoming an important water source in order to deal with the water scarcity and population growth. Seawater reverse osmosis (RO) facilities use open seawater intake, which requires pretreatment processes to remove particles in order to avoid fouling of the RO membrane. In small and medium size desalination facilities, an alternative water source can be saline groundwater in coastal aquifers. Using saline groundwater from boreholes near the shore as feed water may have the advantage of natural filtration and low organic content. It will also reduce operation costs of pretreatment. Another advantage of using groundwater is its availability in highly populated areas, where planning of large RO desalination plants is difficult and expensive due to real-estate prices. Pumping saline groundwater underneath the freshwater-seawater interface (FSI) might shift the interface towards the sea, thus rehabilitating the fresh water reservoirs in the aquifer. In this research, we tested the potential use of saline groundwater in the coastal aquifer of Israel as feed water for desalination using field work and desalination experiments. Specifically, we sampled the groundwater from a pumping well 100 m from the shore of Tel-Aviv and sea water from the desalination plant in Ashqelon, Israel. We used an RO cross flow system in a pilot plant in order to compare between the two water types in terms of permeate flux, permeate flux decline, salt rejection of the membrane and the fouling on the membrane. The feed, brine and fresh desalinated water from the outlet of the desalination system were chemically analyzed and compared. Field measurements of dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH and salinity were also conducted in situ. Additionally, SDI (silt density index), which is an important index for desalination, and total organic carbon that has a key role in organic fouling and development of biofouling, were measured and

Environmental isotope study related to groundwater age, flow system and saline water origin in Quaternary aquifers of North China Plain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhigan; Payne, B.R.

1988-01-01

An isotopic hydrology section across the North China Plain has been studied to investigate problems of groundwater age, flow system and saline water origin in a semi-arid pre-mountain artesian basin. Two local and one regional flow system along the section have been recognized. Turnover time of water for alluvial fan, shallow and regional systems are estimated to be the order of 10 2 , 10 3 , and 10 4 years respectively. Specific flow rates for the three systems have been calculated. Only less than 5 percent of flow from alluvial fan is drained by the regional flow system and the rest, in natural conditions, discharges at surface in the front edge of an alluvial fan and forms a groundwater discharge belt at a good distance away from the mountain foot. Developed in the alluvial plain and coastal plain areas the shallow flow system embraces a series of small local systems. Groundwater in these systems appears to be the salt carrier during continental salinization. It washes salt out of the recharge area and deep-occurred strata by circulating and carries it up to the surface in lowland areas. Consequently, in parallel with salinization at surface a desalinization process occurs at depth, which provides an additional explanation for the existing thick deep fresh water zone in most arid and semi-arid regions, where continental salting process is in progress. (author). 6 refs, 8 figs, 4 tabs

N2-fixation in fababean (vicia faba l.) grown in saline and non saline conditions using 15N tracer technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalifa, Kh.; Kurdali, F.

2002-09-01

A pot experiment was conducted to study the performance of growing fababean and barley under saline conditions, in terms of, dry matter yield, total nitrogen and, percentages and amount of N derived from soil, fertilizer and atmosphere using 15 N isotope dilution method. Three saline treatments were performed: First, plants were grown in saline soil and irrigated with saline water (Ws Ss), Second, Plants were grown in saline soil and irrigated with saline water (Ws Ss); and Third, Plants grown in non saline soil and irrigated with saline water (Ws Sn). Furthermore, a control treatment was performed by using non-saline soil and non-saline water (Wn Sn). The different salinity treatments reduced plant growth and the reduction was more pronounced in fababean than in barley. However, under conditions of either saline soil-soft irrigation water or non saline soil-salty irrigation water, the relative growth reduction did not exceed 50% of the control; whereas, a significant negative effect was obtained when plants were grown under completely saline conditions of both soil and irrigation water. Percentage of N 2 -fixed (% Ndfa) was not negatively affected by saline conditions. However, our results clearly demonstrated that the effect of salinity in fababean was more evident on plant growth than on N 2 -fixing activity. Further studies are needed to obtain more salt tolerant faba bean genotypes in terms of growth and yield. This could be simultaneously improve yield and N 2 -fixation under sever saline conditions. (author)

Experimental research of joint influence of salinization and petroleum pollution on thermal capacity of frozen ground

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motenko, R.G.

2010-01-01

Most gas and petroleum fields are located in permafrost zones, with some being on saline territories. Oil pollution of soils can occur in different ways and at different points such as during the extraction, processing and storage, and during transportation of oil and petroleum products. Oil producing pollution and salinization of soil often happen together. In this case, the sources of salts are the formation fluid, commercial waste water, the contents of the granaries and other geochemically active substances used for the extraction and desalting of crude oil. Joint salinization and contamination can also happen during the rupture of oil pipelines in saline areas. Although there is research available on the properties of saline soils and on properties of soils polluted with petroleum, there are no studies that describe changes of ground properties with joint pollution of salt and petroleum. This paper presented a study that examined the joint influence of salinization and petroleum pollution on the thermal characteristics of thawed and frozen grounds, particularly on thermal capacity. The paper outlined the purpose of the research and described the experimental methods. It was concluded that an increase of salinization increases the heat capacity of frozen soil because the amount of unfrozen water increases with increasing salinization. 10 refs., 5 figs.

Experimental research of joint influence of salinization and petroleum pollution on thermal capacity of frozen ground

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Motenko, R.G. [Moscow State Univ., Moscow (Russian Federation). Dept. of Geocryology; Grechishcheva, E.S. [Fundamentproek, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2010-07-01

Most gas and petroleum fields are located in permafrost zones, with some being on saline territories. Oil pollution of soils can occur in different ways and at different points such as during the extraction, processing and storage, and during transportation of oil and petroleum products. Oil producing pollution and salinization of soil often happen together. In this case, the sources of salts are the formation fluid, commercial waste water, the contents of the granaries and other geochemically active substances used for the extraction and desalting of crude oil. Joint salinization and contamination can also happen during the rupture of oil pipelines in saline areas. Although there is research available on the properties of saline soils and on properties of soils polluted with petroleum, there are no studies that describe changes of ground properties with joint pollution of salt and petroleum. This paper presented a study that examined the joint influence of salinization and petroleum pollution on the thermal characteristics of thawed and frozen grounds, particularly on thermal capacity. The paper outlined the purpose of the research and described the experimental methods. It was concluded that an increase of salinization increases the heat capacity of frozen soil because the amount of unfrozen water increases with increasing salinization. 10 refs., 5 figs.

Experimentally derived salinity tolerance of hatchling Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) from the Everglades, Florida (USA)

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Kristen M.; Schofield, Pamela J.; Gregoire, Denise R.

2012-01-01

In a laboratory setting, we tested the ability of 24 non-native, wild-caught hatchling Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) collected in the Florida Everglades to survive when given water containing salt to drink. After a one-month acclimation period in the laboratory, we grouped snakes into three treatments, giving them access to water that was fresh (salinity of 0, control), brackish (salinity of 10), or full-strength sea water (salinity of 35). Hatchlings survived about one month at the highest marine salinity and about five months at the brackish-water salinity; no control animals perished during the experiment. These results are indicative of a "worst-case scenario", as in the laboratory we denied access to alternate fresh-water sources that may be accessible in the wild (e.g., through rainfall). Therefore, our results may underestimate the potential of hatchling pythons to persist in saline habitats in the wild. Because of the effect of different salinity regimes on survival, predictions of ultimate geographic expansion by non-native Burmese pythons that consider salt water as barriers to dispersal for pythons may warrant re-evaluation, especially under global climate change and associated sea-level-rise scenarios.

Alternative Options for Safe Drinking Water in Arsenic and Salinity Affected Bornal-Iliasabad Union of Kalia Upazila, Narail District, Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, M. M.; Hasan, M. A.; Ahmed, K. M.; Nawrin, N.

2016-12-01

The study area, Bornal-Ilisabad union, Kalia, Narail is one of the most vulnerable areas of Bangladesh in terms of access to safe drinking water. Shallow groundwater of this area is highly arsenic contaminated (mostly >500 μg/L) and deep groundwater is saline (EC ranges 1 to 8 mS/cm). Local communities rely on rainwater for drinking and cooking purposes during the monsoon and rest of the year they use surface water from pond which are mostly polluted. In areas where surface water is not available people are compelled to use arsenic contaminated groundwater and thus exposing themselves to serious health hazard. Principal objective of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and subsurface arsenic removal (SAR) technology in mitigating groundwater salinity and arsenic, to provide alternative sources of safe water. Surface water (pond water) and rainwater collected from roof top are used as source water to be recharged into the target aquifer for the MAR system. Source water is filtered through a sand filtration unit to remove turbidity and microorganisms before recharging through infiltration wells. For SAR system, on the other hand, a certain volume (2000L) of groundwater is abstracted from the target aquifer and then aerated for about half an hour to saturate with oxygen. The oxygenated water is injected into the aquifer and kept there for 6-8 hours and then abstracted for use. The MAR system constructed in the study area is found very effective in reducing groundwater salinity. The electrical conductivity (EC) of the groundwater of MAR system has been reduced 72-81% from the initial EC value of 3.4 mS/cm. A significant improvement in groundwater arsenic and iron concentration is also observed. The system is yielding groundwater with arsenic within permissible limit of Bangladesh drinking water standard (50 μg/L) which was 100 μg/L before introduction of MAR system. The SAR system is also found effective in reducing

Salinity mobilization and transport from rangelands: assessment, recommendations, and knowledge gaps

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The purpose of the salinity project is to improve the understanding of sources and transport mechanisms in rangeland catchments that deliver dissolved solids (salts) to streams within the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) through a review of relevant literature on what is known about the impact of r...

Phylogeography, salinity adaptations and metabolic potential of the Candidate Division KB1 Bacteria based on a partial single cell genome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa M Nigro

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Deep-sea hypersaline anoxic basins (DHABs and other hypersaline environments contain abundant and diverse microbial life that has adapted to these extreme conditions. The bacterial Candidate Division KB1 represents one of several uncultured groups that has been consistently observed in hypersaline microbial diversity studies. Here we report the phylogeography of KB1, its phylogenetic relationships to Candidate Division OP1 Bacteria, and its potential metabolic and osmotic stress adaptations based on a partial single cell amplified genome (SAG of KB1 from Orca Basin, the largest hypersaline seafloor brine basin in the Gulf of Mexico. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis – previously developed based on 14C incorporation experiments with mixed-species enrichments from Mediterranean seafloor brines - that KB1 has adapted its proteins to elevated intracellular salinity, but at the same time KB1 apparently imports glycine betaine; this compatible solute is potentially not limited to osmoregulation but could also serve as a carbon and energy source.

North Atlantic deep water formation and AMOC in CMIP5 models

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C. Heuzé

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Deep water formation in climate models is indicative of their ability to simulate future ocean circulation, carbon and heat uptake, and sea level rise. Present-day temperature, salinity, sea ice concentration and ocean transport in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre and Nordic Seas from 23 CMIP5 (Climate Model Intercomparison Project, phase 5 models are compared with observations to assess the biases, causes and consequences of North Atlantic deep convection in models. The majority of models convect too deep, over too large an area, too often and too far south. Deep convection occurs at the sea ice edge and is most realistic in models with accurate sea ice extent, mostly those using the CICE model. Half of the models convect in response to local cooling or salinification of the surface waters; only a third have a dynamic relationship between freshwater coming from the Arctic and deep convection. The models with the most intense deep convection have the warmest deep waters, due to a redistribution of heat through the water column. For the majority of models, the variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC is explained by the volumes of deep water produced in the subpolar gyre and Nordic Seas up to 2 years before. In turn, models with the strongest AMOC have the largest heat export to the Arctic. Understanding the dynamical drivers of deep convection and AMOC in models is hence key to realistically forecasting Arctic oceanic warming and its consequences for the global ocean circulation, cryosphere and marine life.

Deep formation waters of Western Europe, Russia and North America characterised by sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Bozau, Elke; Hemme, Christina; Sattler, Carl-Diedrich; van Berk, Wolfgang

2015-04-01

Deep formation water can be classified according to depth, temperature, and salinity (e.g., Graf et al. 1966, Kharaka & Hanor 2007). Most of the deep formation waters contain dissolved solids in excess of sea water. The hydrogeochemical development of formation water has been discussed for a long time. It is widely accepted that deep aquifers are influenced by the meteoric cycle and geochemical processes within the crust (e.g., Hebig et al. 2012). Similar hydrogeochemical signatures are found in deep formation waters of all continents and can be explained by general geochemical processes within the deep reservoirs (e.g., Land 1995). Therefore, data of deep formation waters from Western Europe, Russia, and North America are collected and classified by the major water components. The data are used to identify important hydrogeochemical processes (e.g., halite dissolution and albitisation) leading to different compositions of formation water. Two significant water types are identified: Na-Cl water and Na-Ca-Cl water. Based on the collected hydrogeochemical data, development trends are stated for the formation waters, and albitisation is favoured as the main process for calcium enrichment. Furthermore, differences of formation water according to stratigraphical units are shown for deep reservoirs of the North German Basin and the North Sea. References: Graf, D.L., 1982. Chemical osmosis, reverse chemical osmosis, and the origin of subsurface brines. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta 46, 1431-1448. Hebig, K.H., Ito, N., Scheytt, T., Marui, A., 2012. Review: Deep groundwater research with focus on Germany. Hydrogeology Journal 20, 227-243. Kharaka, Y.K., Hanor, J.S., 2007. Deep fluids in continents: I. Sedimentary Basins. Treatise on Geochemistry 5, 1-48. Land, L.S., 1995. The role of saline formation water in the crustal cycling. Aquatic Geochemistry 1, 137-145. Acknowledgements: The presented data are results of the collaborative research program "gebo" (Geothermal energy

Monitoring and Modelling of Salinity Behaviour in Drinking Water Ponds in Southern Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Hoque, M. A.; Williams, A.; Mathewson, E.; Rahman, A. K. M. M.; Ahmed, K. M.; Scheelbeek, P. F. D.; Vineis, P.; Butler, A. P.

2015-12-01

Drinking water in southern Bangladesh is provided by a variety of sources including constructed storage ponds, seasonal rainwater and, ubiquitously saline, shallow groundwater. The ponds, the communal reservoirs for harvested rainwater, also tend to be saline, some as high as 2 g/l. Drinking water salinity has several health impacts including high blood pressure associated major risk factor for several cardio-vascular diseases. Two representative drinking water ponds in Dacope Upazila of Khulna District in southwest Bangladesh were monitored over two years for rainfall, evaporation, pond and groundwater level, abstraction, and solute concentration, to better understand the controls on drinking water salinity. Water level monitoring at both ponds shows groundwater levels predominantly below the pond level throughout the year implying a downward gradient. The grain size analysis of the underlying sediments gives an estimated hydraulic conductivity of 3E-8 m/s allowing limited seepage loss. Water balance modelling indicates that the seepage has a relatively minor effect on the pond level and that the bulk of the losses come from the combination of evaporation and abstraction particularly in dry season when precipitation, the only inflow to the pond, is close to zero. Seasonal variation in salinity (electrical conductivities, EC, ranged between 1500 to 3000 μS/cm) has been observed, and are primarily due to dilution from rainfall and concentration from evaporation, except on one occasion when EC reached 16,000 μS/cm due to a breach in the pond levee. This event was analogous to the episodic inundation that occurs from tropical cyclone storm surges and appears to indicate that such events are important for explaining the widespread salinisation of surface water and shallow groundwater bodies in coastal areas. A variety of adaptations (either from practical protection measures) or novel alternative drinking sources (such as aquifer storage and recovery) can be applied

The origin of groundwater salinity in granitic rocks: identification and characterisation of chloride sources; Origine de la salinite des eaux souterraines en milieu granitique: identification et caracterisation des sources de chlorure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Savoye, S.

1998-04-29

Hydrogeological research in crystalline rocks, developed either in geothermics or in feasibility studies for geological disposal of radioactive waste, points out a wide range of chloride contents in associated groundwaters. The aim of this dissertation is to identify the possible origins of chloride in groundwaters within different geological conditions. The three possible chloride reservoirs (chloride-bearing minerals, fluid inclusions, micro-porosity) located in rock have been characterised by studying samples from eight granitic sites with different technical approaches (electronic microbeam, alkaline fusion, micro-thermometry, crush-leaching, diffusion experiment). Firstly, this allows the definition of a new typology of the sites, by considering not only hydrogeological features but also occurrence of salt-rich fluid inclusions with sedimentary origin. Secondly, the use of tracers (such as Cl/Br ratio, {delta}{sup 37}Cl) and mass balance calculations shows that the contribution of fluid inclusions trapped in quartz and chloride-bearing minerals cannot account for the high salinity of groundwater. In this case, the chloride origin could be of sedimentary type. Chloride would be stored in micro-porosity and in fluid inclusions trapped in carbonates. Thirdly, we have pointed out the importance of micro-porosity, acting more as a sieve and a buffer than as a source. Finally, we have shown that the low salinity of groundwaters has not always an internal origin. (author) 187 refs.

DeepPicker: A deep learning approach for fully automated particle picking in cryo-EM.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feng; Gong, Huichao; Liu, Gaochao; Li, Meijing; Yan, Chuangye; Xia, Tian; Li, Xueming; Zeng, Jianyang

2016-09-01

Particle picking is a time-consuming step in single-particle analysis and often requires significant interventions from users, which has become a bottleneck for future automated electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM). Here we report a deep learning framework, called DeepPicker, to address this problem and fill the current gaps toward a fully automated cryo-EM pipeline. DeepPicker employs a novel cross-molecule training strategy to capture common features of particles from previously-analyzed micrographs, and thus does not require any human intervention during particle picking. Tests on the recently-published cryo-EM data of three complexes have demonstrated that our deep learning based scheme can successfully accomplish the human-level particle picking process and identify a sufficient number of particles that are comparable to those picked manually by human experts. These results indicate that DeepPicker can provide a practically useful tool to significantly reduce the time and manual effort spent in single-particle analysis and thus greatly facilitate high-resolution cryo-EM structure determination. DeepPicker is released as an open-source program, which can be downloaded from https://github.com/nejyeah/DeepPicker-python. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fresh meteoric versus recirculated saline groundwater nutrient inputs into a subtropical estuary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sadat-Noori, Mahmood, E-mail: mahmood.sadat-noori@scu.edu.au [National Marine Science Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW (Australia); School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW (Australia); Santos, Isaac R. [National Marine Science Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW (Australia); Tait, Douglas R. [National Marine Science Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW (Australia); School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW (Australia); Maher, Damien T. [School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW (Australia)

2016-10-01

The role of groundwater in transporting nutrients to coastal aquatic systems has recently received considerable attention. However, the relative importance of fresh versus saline groundwater-derived nutrient inputs to estuaries and how these groundwater pathways may alter surface water N:P ratios remains poorly constrained. We performed detailed time series measurements of nutrients in a tidal estuary (Hat Head, NSW, Australia) and used radium to quantify the contribution of fresh and saline groundwater to total surface water estuarine exports under contrasting hydrological conditions (wet and dry season). Tidally integrated nutrient fluxes showed that the estuary was a source of nutrients to the coastal waters. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) export was 7-fold higher than the average global areal flux rate for rivers likely due to the small catchment size, surrounding wetlands and high groundwater inputs. Fresh groundwater discharge was dominant in the wet season accounting for up to 45% of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and 48% of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) estuarine exports. In the dry season, fresh and saline groundwater accounted for 21 and 33% of TDN export, respectively. The combined fresh and saline groundwater fluxes of NO{sub 3}, PO{sub 4}, NH{sub 4}, DON, DOP, TDN and TDP were estimated to account for 66, 58, 55, 31, 21, 53 and 47% of surface water exports, respectively. Groundwater-derived nitrogen inputs to the estuary were responsible for a change in the surface water N:P ratio from typical N-limiting conditions to P-limiting as predicted by previous studies. This shows the importance of both fresh and saline groundwater as a source of nutrients for coastal productivity and nutrient budgets of coastal waters. - Highlights: • Groundwater TDN and TDP fluxes account for 53 and 47% of surface water exports. • The estuary DIN export was 7-fold higher than the average global areal flux. • Fresh GW nutrient input dominated the wet season and

The effect of sodium chloride salinity on germination and productivity of mung bean (Vigna Mungo Linn.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabeen, M.; Azim, F.; Ibrar, M.; Hussain, F.; Ilahi, I.

2003-01-01

The germination was significantly declined at salinity levels of 5.0 dSm/sup -1/ and above in the laboratory experiment while in the pot experiment germination significantly reduced at salinity levels of 7.5 dSm/sup -1/ and above. Radicle and plumule lengths were also significantly reduced at 5.0 dSm/sup -1/ and higher levels of NaCl. Plant height, number of branches and number of leaves significantly decreased at 10.0 dSm/sup -1/ and higher levels of salinity. The number of seeds was significantly dwindled at 7.5 dSm/sup -1/ and above. Similarly, chlorophyll contents were also significantly low at 7.5 dSm/sup -1/ and higher concentrations. It was concluded that Vigna mungo might not show promising growth and productivity in saline habitats. However, under mild saline conditions it might be grown not only to supplement the crop yield, but also as a source of fodder and soil reclamation measure. (author)

Salinity effect on the maximal growth temperature of some bacteria isolated from marine enviroments.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, S O; Morita, R Y

1968-01-01

Salinity of the growth medium was found to have a marked effect on the maximal growth temperature of four bacteria isolated from marine sources. Vibrio marinus MP-1 had a maximal growth temperature of 21.2 C at a salinity of 35% and a maximal growth temperature of 10.5 C at a salinity of 7%, the lowest salinity at which it would grow. This effect was shown to be due to the presence of various cations in the medium. The order of effectiveness of cations in restoring the normal maximal growth temperature, when added to dilute seawater, was Na(+) > Li(+) > Mg(++) > K(+) > Rb(+) > NH(4) (+). The anions tested, with the exception of SO(4)=, had no marked effect on the maximal growth temperature response. In a completely defined medium, the highest maximal growth temperature was 20.0 C at 0.40 m NaCl. A decrease in the maximal growth temperature was observed at both low and high concentrations of NaCl.

Characterization of mechanisms and processes of groundwater salinization in irrigated coastal area using statistics, GIS, and hydrogeochemical investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouzourra, Hazar; Bouhlila, Rachida; Elango, L; Slama, Fairouz; Ouslati, Naceur

2015-02-01

Coastal aquifers are at threat of salinization in most parts of the world. This study was carried out in coastal shallow aquifers of Aousja-Ghar El Melh and Kalâat el Andalous, northeastern of Tunisia with an objective to identify sources and processes of groundwater salinization. Groundwater samples were collected from 42 shallow dug wells during July and September 2007. Chemical parameters such as Na(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), K(+), Cl(-), SO4 (2-), HCO3 (-), NO3 (-), Br(-), and F(-) were analyzed. The combination of hydrogeochemical, statistical, and GIS approaches was used to understand and to identify the main sources of salinization and contamination of these shallow coastal aquifers as follows: (i) water-rock interaction, (ii) evapotranspiration, (iii) saltwater is started to intrude before 1972 and it is still intruding continuously, (iv) irrigation return flow, (v) sea aerosol spray, and finally, (vi) agricultural fertilizers. During 2005/2006, the overexploitation of the renewable water resources of aquifers caused saline water intrusion. In 2007, the freshening of a brackish-saline groundwater occurred under natural recharge conditions by Ca-HCO3 meteoric freshwater. The cationic exchange processes are occurred at fresh-saline interfaces of mixtures along the hydraulic gradient. The sulfate reduction process and the neo-formation of clays minerals characterize the hypersaline coastal Sebkha environments. Evaporation tends to increase the concentrations of solutes in groundwater from the recharge areas to the discharge areas and leads to precipitate carbonate and sulfate minerals.

Efficacy of nebulised L-adrenaline with 3% hypertonic saline versus normal saline in bronchiolitis

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Shabnam Sharmin

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Bronchiolitis is one of the most common respiratory diseases requiring hospitalization. Nebulized epineph­rine and salbutamol therapy has been used in different centres with varying results. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy of nebulised adrenaline diluted with 3% hypertonic saline with nebulised adrenaline diluted with normal saline in bronchiolitis. Methods: Fifty three infants and young children with bronchiolitis, age ranging from 2 months to 2 years, presenting in the emergency department of Manikganj Sadar Hospital were enrolled in the study. After initial evaluation, patients were randomized to receive either nebulized adrenaline I .5 ml ( 1.5 mg diluted with 2 ml of3% hypertonic saline (group I ornebulised adrenaline 1.5 ml (1.5 mg diluted with 2 ml of normal saline (group II. Patients were evaluated again 30 minutes after nebulization. Results: Twenty eight patients in the group I (hypertonic saline and twenty five in groupII (normal saline were included in the study. After nebulization, mean respiratory rate decreased from 63.7 to 48.1 (p<.01, mean clinical severity score decreased from 8.5 to 3.5 (p<.01 and mean oxygen satw·ation increased 94.7% to 96.9% (p<.01 in group I. In group II, mean respiratory rate decreased from 62.4 to 47.4 (p<.01, mean clinical severity score decreased from 7.2 to 4.1 (p<.01 and mean oxygen saturation increased from 94. 7% to 96. 7% (p<.01. Mean respiratory rate decreased by 16 in group I versus 14.8 (p>.05 in group 11, mean clinical severity score decreased by 4.6 in group versus 3 (p<.05 in group, and mean oxygen saturation increased by 2.2% and 1.9% in group and group respectively. Difference in reduction in clinical severity score was statistically significant , though the changes in respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The study concluded that both nebulised adrenaline diluted with 3% hypertonic saline and

Estimation of solar energy resources for low salinity water desalination in several regions of Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Tarasenko, A. B.; Kiseleva, S. V.; Shakun, V. P.; Gabderakhmanova, T. S.

2018-01-01

This paper focuses on estimation of demanded photovoltaic (PV) array areas and capital expenses to feed a reverse osmosis desalination unit (1 m3/day fresh water production rate). The investigation have been made for different climatic conditions of Russia using regional data on ground water salinity from different sources and empirical dependence of specific energy consumption on salinity and temperature. The most optimal results were obtained for Krasnodar, Volgograd, Crimea Republic and some other southern regions. Combination of salinity, temperature and solar radiation level there makes reverse osmosis coupled with photovoltaics very attractive to solve infrastructure problems in rural areas. Estimation results are represented as maps showing PV array areas and capital expenses for selected regions.

Salinity Impacts on Agriculture and Groundwater in Delta Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, D.; Salehin, M.; Jairuddin, M.; Saleh, A. F. M.; Rahman, M. M.; Parks, K. E.; Haque, M. A.; Lázár, A. N.; Payo, A.

2015-12-01

Delta regions are attractive for high intensity agriculture due to the availability of rich sedimentary soils and of fresh water. Many of the world's tropical deltas support high population densities which are reliant on irrigated agriculture. However environmental changes such as sea level rise, tidal inundation and reduced river flows have reduced the quantity and quality of water available for successful agriculture. Additionally, anthropogenic influences such as the over abstraction of ground water and the increased use of low quality water from river inlets has resulted in the accumulation of salts in the soils which diminishes crop productivity. Communities based in these regions are usually reliant on the same water for drinking and cooking because surface water is frequently contaminated by commercial and urban pollution. The expansion of shallow tube well systems for drinking water and agricultural use over the last few decades has resulted in mobilisation of salinity in the coastal and estuarine fringes. Sustainable development in delta regions is becoming constrained by water salinity. However salinity is often studied as an independent issue by specialists working in the fields of agriculture, community water supply and groundwater. The lack of interaction between these disciplines often results in corrective actions being applied to one sector without fully assessing the effects of these actions on other sectors. This paper describes a framework for indentifying the causes and impacts of salinity in delta regions based on the source-pathway-receptor framework. It uses examples and scenarios from the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta in Bangladesh together with field measurements and observations made in vulnerable coastal communities. The paper demonstrates the importance of creating an holistic understanding of the development and management of water resources to reduce the impact of salinity in fresh water in delta regions.

Beneficial effects of hydrogen-rich saline on early burn-wound progression in rats.

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Song Xue Guo

Full Text Available Deep burn wounds undergo a dynamic process known as wound progression that results in a deepening and extension of the initial burn area. The zone of stasis is more likely to develop more severe during wound progression in the presence of hypoperfusion. Hydrogen has been reported to alleviate injury triggered by ischaemia/reperfusion and burns in various organs by selectively quenching oxygen free radicals. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective effects of hydrogen against early burn-wound progression.Deep-burn models were established through contact with a boiled, rectangular, brass comb for 20 s. Fifty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham, burn plus saline, and burn plus hydrogen-rich saline (HS groups with sacrifice and analysis at various time windows (6 h, 24 h, 48 h post burn. Indexes of oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy were measured in each group. The zone of stasis was evaluated using immunofluorescence staining, ELISA, and Western blot to explore the underlying effects and mechanisms post burn.The burn-induced increase in malondialdehyde was markedly reduced with HS, while the activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes were significantly increased. Moreover, HS treatment attenuated increases in apoptosis and autophagy postburn in wounds, according to the TUNEL staining results and the expression analysis of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, Beclin-1 and Atg-5 proteins. Additionally, HS lowered the level of myeloperoxidase and expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the zone of stasis while augmenting IL-10. The elevated levels of Akt phosphorylation and NF-κB p65 expression post burn were also downregulated by HS management.Hydrogen can attenuate early wound progression following deep burn injury. The beneficial effect of hydrogen was mediated by attenuating oxidative stress, which inhibited apoptosis and inflammation, and the Akt/NF-κB signalling pathway may be involved in regulating the

A global algorithm for estimating Absolute Salinity

Science.gov (United States)

McDougall, T. J.; Jackett, D. R.; Millero, F. J.; Pawlowicz, R.; Barker, P. M.

2012-12-01

The International Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater - 2010 has defined the thermodynamic properties of seawater in terms of a new salinity variable, Absolute Salinity, which takes into account the spatial variation of the composition of seawater. Absolute Salinity more accurately reflects the effects of the dissolved material in seawater on the thermodynamic properties (particularly density) than does Practical Salinity. When a seawater sample has standard composition (i.e. the ratios of the constituents of sea salt are the same as those of surface water of the North Atlantic), Practical Salinity can be used to accurately evaluate the thermodynamic properties of seawater. When seawater is not of standard composition, Practical Salinity alone is not sufficient and the Absolute Salinity Anomaly needs to be estimated; this anomaly is as large as 0.025 g kg-1 in the northernmost North Pacific. Here we provide an algorithm for estimating Absolute Salinity Anomaly for any location (x, y, p) in the world ocean. To develop this algorithm, we used the Absolute Salinity Anomaly that is found by comparing the density calculated from Practical Salinity to the density measured in the laboratory. These estimates of Absolute Salinity Anomaly however are limited to the number of available observations (namely 811). In order to provide a practical method that can be used at any location in the world ocean, we take advantage of approximate relationships between Absolute Salinity Anomaly and silicate concentrations (which are available globally).

The effect of drinking water salinity on blood pressure in young adults of coastal Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Talukder, Mohammad Radwanur Rahman; Rutherford, Shannon; Phung, Dung; Islam, Mohammad Zahirul; Chu, Cordia

2016-07-01

More than 35 million people in coastal Bangladesh are vulnerable to increasing freshwater salinization. This will continue to affect more people and to a greater extent as climate change projections are realised in this area in the future. However the evidence for health effects of consuming high salinity water is limited. This research examined the association between drinking water salinity and blood pressure in young adults in coastal Bangladesh. We conducted a cross-sectional study during May-June 2014 in a rural coastal sub-district of Bangladesh. Data on blood pressure (BP) and salinity of potable water sources was collected from 253 participants aged 19-25 years. A linear regression method was used to examine the association between water salinity exposure categories and systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) level. Sixty five percent of the study population were exposed to highly saline drinking water above the Bangladesh standard (600 mg/L and above). Multivariable linear regression analyses identified that compared to the low water salinity exposure category (water salinity category (>600 mg/L), had statistically significantly higher SBP (B 3.46, 95% CI 0.75, 6.17; p = 0.01) and DBP (B 2.77, 95% CI 0.31, 5.24; p = 0.03). Our research shows that elevated salinity in drinking water is associated with higher BP in young coastal populations. Blood pressure is an important risk factor of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Given the extent of salinization of freshwater in many low-lying countries including in Bangladesh, and the likely exacerbation related to climate change-induced sea level rise, implementation of preventative strategies through dietary interventions along with promotion of low saline drinking water must be a priority in these settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of the microbes mediating Fe reduction in a deep saline aquifer and their influence during managed aquifer recharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Myoung-Soo; Cho, Kyungjin; Jeong, Dawoon; Lee, Seunghak

2016-03-01

In this study, indigenous microbes enabling Fe reduction under saline groundwater conditions were identified, and their potential contribution to Fe release from aquifer sediments during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) was evaluated. Sediment and groundwater samples were collected from a MAR feasibility test site in Korea, where adjacent river water will be injected into the confined aquifer. The residual groundwater had a high salinity over 26.0 psu, as well as strong reducing conditions (dissolved oxygen, DOaquifer were found to be Citrobacter sp. However, column experiments to simulate field operation scenarios indicated that additional Fe release would be limited during MAR, as the dominant microbial community in the sediment would shift from Citrobacter sp. to Pseudomonas sp. and Limnohabitans sp. as river water injection alters the pore water chemistry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Performance Evaluation of Moving Bed Bio Film Reactor in Saline Wastewater Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Ahmadi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Background and purpose:Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor is an aerobic attached growth with better biofilm thickness control, lack of plugging and lower head loss. Consequently, this system is greatly used by different wastewater treatment plants. High TDS wastewater produced petrochemical, leather tanning, sea food processing, cannery, pickling and dairy industries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of MBBR in saline wastewater treatment. Materials and methods: In this study, 50 percent of a cylindrical reactor with 9.5 liter occupied media with 650 m2.m-3. In the first step, hydraulic regime was evaluated and startup reactor was done by sanitary sludge. Bio film was generated with glucose as the sole carbon source in synthetic wastewater. MBBR performance evaluation was performed in 6:30 and 8:45 with saline wastewater after bio film produced on media. Results: After 83 days of passing MBBR operation with saline wastewater containing 3000-12000 mg.L-1 TDS, organic loading rate of 2.2-3.5 kg/m3.d COD removal efficiency reached 80-92%. Conclusion: Moving bed biofilm reactor is effective in organic load elimination from saline wastewater.

deepTools2: a next generation web server for deep-sequencing data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez, Fidel; Ryan, Devon P; Grüning, Björn; Bhardwaj, Vivek; Kilpert, Fabian; Richter, Andreas S; Heyne, Steffen; Dündar, Friederike; Manke, Thomas

2016-07-08

We present an update to our Galaxy-based web server for processing and visualizing deeply sequenced data. Its core tool set, deepTools, allows users to perform complete bioinformatic workflows ranging from quality controls and normalizations of aligned reads to integrative analyses, including clustering and visualization approaches. Since we first described our deepTools Galaxy server in 2014, we have implemented new solutions for many requests from the community and our users. Here, we introduce significant enhancements and new tools to further improve data visualization and interpretation. deepTools continue to be open to all users and freely available as a web service at deeptools.ie-freiburg.mpg.de The new deepTools2 suite can be easily deployed within any Galaxy framework via the toolshed repository, and we also provide source code for command line usage under Linux and Mac OS X. A public and documented API for access to deepTools functionality is also available. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Geological-geochemical evidence for deep fluid action in Daqiaowu uranium deposit, Zhejiang province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Linfei; Ou Guangxi; Zhang Jianfeng; Zhang Min; Jin Miaozhang; Wang Binghua

2009-01-01

Through the contrast study of petrography, micro thermometry and laser Raman ingredient analysis of fluid inclusion, this paper has verified the basic nature of ore-forming fluid (temperature, salinity and ingredient) in daqiaowu uranium deposit, discussed the origin of the ore-forming fluid with its structure character and geology-geochemistry character. The testing results indicats that ore-forming temperature of this deposit is between 200 degree C and 250 degree C in main metallogenetic period, which belongs to middle temperature hydrothermal. The ore-forming fluids are of middle-high salinity and rich in valatility suchas CO 2 , H 2 , CH 4 . To sum up, the deposit mineralization process should be affected by the deep fluid primarily, and the ore-forming fluid is mainly the mantle fluid.(authors)

Vision in the deep sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Warrant, Eric J; Locket, N Adam

2004-08-01

The deep sea is the largest habitat on earth. Its three great faunal environments--the twilight mesopelagic zone, the dark bathypelagic zone and the vast flat expanses of the benthic habitat--are home to a rich fauna of vertebrates and invertebrates. In the mesopelagic zone (150-1000 m), the down-welling daylight creates an extended scene that becomes increasingly dimmer and bluer with depth. The available daylight also originates increasingly from vertically above, and bioluminescent point-source flashes, well contrasted against the dim background daylight, become increasingly visible. In the bathypelagic zone below 1000 m no daylight remains, and the scene becomes entirely dominated by point-like bioluminescence. This changing nature of visual scenes with depth--from extended source to point source--has had a profound effect on the designs of deep-sea eyes, both optically and neurally, a fact that until recently was not fully appreciated. Recent measurements of the sensitivity and spatial resolution of deep-sea eyes--particularly from the camera eyes of fishes and cephalopods and the compound eyes of crustaceans--reveal that ocular designs are well matched to the nature of the visual scene at any given depth. This match between eye design and visual scene is the subject of this review. The greatest variation in eye design is found in the mesopelagic zone, where dim down-welling daylight and bio-luminescent point sources may be visible simultaneously. Some mesopelagic eyes rely on spatial and temporal summation to increase sensitivity to a dim extended scene, while others sacrifice this sensitivity to localise pinpoints of bright bioluminescence. Yet other eyes have retinal regions separately specialised for each type of light. In the bathypelagic zone, eyes generally get smaller and therefore less sensitive to point sources with increasing depth. In fishes, this insensitivity, combined with surprisingly high spatial resolution, is very well adapted to the

Effect of Salinity on Germination and Its Relationship with Vegetative growth in Bromus danthoniae Genotypes from Saline and Non-Saline Areas of Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Rezaei

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Bromus danthoniae Trin. is an annual grass species that is well adapted to harsh climates and could be considered as an important genetic resources for tolerance to environmental stresses such as salinity. In this study, 24 genotypes collected from Ilam, Kurdistan, Kermanshah (non-saline areas and West Azerbaijan (saline area: shores of Uremia Salt Lake provinces of Iran were investigated at the germination stage under salt treatments with concentrations of 0, 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 mM sodium chloride. Germination percentage, germination rate index, seed vigor, root length, shoot length and seedling fresh and dry weights were measured. In addition, the relationship between the percentage of germination in 300 mM sodium chloride and the survival rate (% after four weeks in 350 mM sodium chloride at the vegetative stage was evaluated. The results of analysis of variance showed that salinity treatments caused significant reductions in all the studied traits. Genotypic variation and the interaction of genotype × salt treatments were also significant. Genotypes USLN3 and KER4 were found to be the most tolerant and sensitive genotypes to salinity stress, with 13% and 98% reduction in germination percentage at 300 mM NaCl, respectively. Cluster analysis divided the genotypes into three groups, with one group containing only tolerant genotypes from Uremia Salt Lake, another one comprising only sensitive genotypes from non-saline regions, and the third one containing genotypes from both regions. The correlation between the germination percentage and the survival rate at the vegetative stage was not significant, indicating that different mechanisms are, perhaps, responsible for salinity tolerance at the germination and vegetative stages in B. danthoniae.

Meddy Interaction With A Deep Cyclone In The Gulf of Cadiz

Science.gov (United States)

Carton, Xavier; Cherubin, Laurent

Hydrological measurements made in July 1999 in the Gulf of Cadiz reveal the presence of two meddies, one south of Cape Saint Vincent, the other one near the Moroccan shelf and their interaction with a deep cyclone. The thermohaline anomalies of the meddies reach 60-70 km diameter, and are concentrated between 750 and 1500m depths; they reach 2C and 0.5 in salinity. The cyclone is shallower (between 600 and 1300m) with a weaker signature of Mediterranean water (12C at 800m, 36.2 in salinity between 800 and 1200m). This cyclone is coupled with one of the meddies as a baroclinic dipole. This dipole tears a long warm and salty filament away from the other meddy at 1200m. The long term evolution of these eddies is described by means of deep-drogued drifting buoy trajectories: the isolated meddy drifts southwestward, the dipole remains coherent while moving along the continental shelf until it reaches Cape Saint Vincent where it splits. A three-layer quasi-geostrophic model is used to evaluate the possible origin of the meddy and cyclone near the Portuguese coast, and to assess if their interactions, both mutual, with the domain boundaries, and with bottom topography, can account for their motion and deformation. L. Cherubin, X. Carton, J. Paillet, Y. Morel, A. Serpette, 2000: "Instability of the Mediterranean water undercurrents southwest of Portugal: effects of baroclinicity and of topography", Oceanologica Acta, 23, 551-573. X. Carton, L. Cherubin, J. Paillet, Y. Morel, A. Serpette, B. Le Cann, 2002: "Meddy coupling with a deep cyclone in the Gulf of Cadiz ". To appear in J. Mar. Syst.

Improvement of Chickpea Growth and Biological N Fixation under Water Salinity Stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gadalla, A. M.; Galal, Y. G. M.; Hamdy, A.

2004-01-01

This work had been carried out under greenhouse conditions of IAM-Bari, aimed at evaluating the effects of water and soil salinity on growth, yield and nitrogen fixation by chickpea plants inoculated with selected Rhizobium strains. Isotope dilution approach ( 15 N) was applied for quantification of biological N fixation and portions derived from fertilizer and soil (Ndff and Ndfs, respectively). Number of pods was decreased gradually with increasing water salinity levels. High levels of salinity negatively affected shoot, root dry matter, seed yield and N accumulated in shoots and roots. A slight difference in seed N was noticed between fresh water and 9 dS/m treatments. Nitrogen derived from fertilizer by shoots was slightly increased with 3, 6 and 9 dS/m treatments, while they were notably higher than the fresh water control. More than 80% and 70% of N accumulated in shoots and seeds, respectively were derived from fixation. Portions of N 2 -fixed in shoots was decreased with the level of 3 dS/m as compared to the fresh water, then tended to increase with both 6 and 9 dS/m treatments. Stability of %Ndfa with increasing salinity was noticed with seeds-N. Soil-N came next as a fraction of nitrogen demand, where it increased with increasing water salinity levels. Under adverse conditions of salinity, the plants offered some of their N requirements from the other two N sources. Application of the suitable Rhizobium bacteria strains could be profits for both of the plant growth and soil fertility via N 2 fixation. (Authors)

Deep challenges for China's war on water pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Dongmei; Currell, Matthew J; Cao, Guoliang

2016-11-01

China's Central government has released an ambitious plan to tackle the nation's water pollution crisis. However, this is inhibited by a lack of data, particularly for groundwater. We compiled and analyzed water quality classification data from publicly available government sources, further revealing the scale and extent of the crisis. We also compiled nitrate data in shallow and deep groundwater from a range of literature sources, covering 52 of China's groundwater systems; the most comprehensive national-scale assessment yet. Nitrate pollution at levels exceeding the US EPA's maximum contaminant level (10 mg/L NO 3 N) occurs at the 90th percentile in 25 of 36 shallow aquifers and 10 out of 37 deep or karst aquifers. Isotopic compositions of groundwater nitrate (δ 15 N and δ 18 O NO3 values ranging from -14.9‰ to 35.5‰ and -8.1‰ to 51.0‰, respectively) indicate many nitrate sources including soil nitrogen, agricultural fertilizers, untreated wastewater and/or manure, and locally show evidence of de-nitrification. From these data, it is clear that contaminated groundwater is ubiquitous in deep aquifers as well as shallow groundwater (and surface water). Deep aquifers contain water recharged tens of thousands of years before present, long before widespread anthropogenic nitrate contamination. This groundwater has therefore likely been contaminated due to rapid bypass flow along wells or other conduits. Addressing the issue of well condition is urgently needed to stop further pollution of China's deep aquifers, which are some of China's most important drinking water sources. China's new 10-point Water Pollution Plan addresses previous shortcomings, however, control and remediation of deep groundwater pollution will take decades of sustained effort. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

CO{sub 2} storage in saline aquifers; Stockage du CO{sub 2} dans les aquiferes salins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bentham, M.; Kirby, G. [British Geological Survey (BGS), Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham (United Kingdom)

2005-06-01

Saline aquifers represent a promising way for CO{sub 2} sequestration. Storage capacities of saline aquifers are very important around the world. The Sleipner site in the North Sea is currently the single case world-wide of CO{sub 2} storage in a saline aquifer. A general review is given on the specific risks for CO{sub 2} storage in saline aquifer. The regional distribution of CO{sub 2} storage potential is presented. Finally, the knowledge gaps and the future research in this field are defined. (authors)

224Ra distribution in surface and deep water of Long Island Sound: sources and horizontal transport rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torgersen, T.; O'Donnell, J.; DeAngelo, E.; Turekian, K.K.; Turekian, V.C.; Tanaka, N.

1997-01-01

Measurements of surface water and deep water 224 Ra(half-life 3.64 days) distributions in Long Island Sound (LIS) were conducted in July 1991. Because the pycnocline structure of LIS had been in place for about 50 days in July (long compared to the half-life of 224 Ra) in the surface water and the deep water operate as separate systems. In the surface water, the fine-grain sediments of nearshore and saltmarsh environments provide a strong source of 224 Ra, which is horizontally mixed away from the short to central LIS. A one-dimensional model of 224 Ra distribution suggests a cross-LIS horizontal eddy dispersivity of 5-50 m 2 s -1 . In the deep water, the mid-LIS sediment flux of 224 Ra is enhanced by ∼ 2x relative to the periphery, and the horizontal eddy flux is from central LIS to the periphery. A second one-dimensional model suggests a cross-LIS horizontal eddy dispersivity below the thermocline of 5-50 m 2 -1 . 224 Ra fluxes into the deep water of the central LIS are likely enhanced by (1) inhomogeneous sediment or (2) a reduced scavenging of 224 Ra in the sediments of central LIS brought about by low oxygen conditions (hypoxia) and the loss of the MnO 2 scavenging layer in the sediments. These rates of horizontal eddy dispersivity are significantly less than the estimate of 100-650 m 2 s -1 (Riley, 1967) but are consistent with the transport necessary to explain the dynamics of oxygen depletion in summer LIS. These results demonstrate the use of 224 Ra for quantifying the parameters needed to describe estuarine mixing and transport. (Author)

Focused Crawling of the Deep Web Using Service Class Descriptions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rocco, D; Liu, L; Critchlow, T

2004-06-21

Dynamic Web data sources--sometimes known collectively as the Deep Web--increase the utility of the Web by providing intuitive access to data repositories anywhere that Web access is available. Deep Web services provide access to real-time information, like entertainment event listings, or present a Web interface to large databases or other data repositories. Recent studies suggest that the size and growth rate of the dynamic Web greatly exceed that of the static Web, yet dynamic content is often ignored by existing search engine indexers owing to the technical challenges that arise when attempting to search the Deep Web. To address these challenges, we present DynaBot, a service-centric crawler for discovering and clustering Deep Web sources offering dynamic content. DynaBot has three unique characteristics. First, DynaBot utilizes a service class model of the Web implemented through the construction of service class descriptions (SCDs). Second, DynaBot employs a modular, self-tuning system architecture for focused crawling of the DeepWeb using service class descriptions. Third, DynaBot incorporates methods and algorithms for efficient probing of the Deep Web and for discovering and clustering Deep Web sources and services through SCD-based service matching analysis. Our experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the service class discovery, probing, and matching algorithms and suggest techniques for efficiently managing service discovery in the face of the immense scale of the Deep Web.

A global algorithm for estimating Absolute Salinity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. J. McDougall

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The International Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater – 2010 has defined the thermodynamic properties of seawater in terms of a new salinity variable, Absolute Salinity, which takes into account the spatial variation of the composition of seawater. Absolute Salinity more accurately reflects the effects of the dissolved material in seawater on the thermodynamic properties (particularly density than does Practical Salinity.

When a seawater sample has standard composition (i.e. the ratios of the constituents of sea salt are the same as those of surface water of the North Atlantic, Practical Salinity can be used to accurately evaluate the thermodynamic properties of seawater. When seawater is not of standard composition, Practical Salinity alone is not sufficient and the Absolute Salinity Anomaly needs to be estimated; this anomaly is as large as 0.025 g kg⁻¹ in the northernmost North Pacific. Here we provide an algorithm for estimating Absolute Salinity Anomaly for any location (x, y, p in the world ocean.

To develop this algorithm, we used the Absolute Salinity Anomaly that is found by comparing the density calculated from Practical Salinity to the density measured in the laboratory. These estimates of Absolute Salinity Anomaly however are limited to the number of available observations (namely 811. In order to provide a practical method that can be used at any location in the world ocean, we take advantage of approximate relationships between Absolute Salinity Anomaly and silicate concentrations (which are available globally.

Soil disturbance as a driver of increased stream salinity in a semiarid watershed undergoing energy development

Science.gov (United States)

Bern, Carleton R.; Clark, Melanie L.; Schmidt, Travis S.; Holloway, JoAnn M.; Mcdougal, Robert

2015-01-01

Salinization is a global threat to the quality of streams and rivers, but it can have many causes. Oil and gas development were investigated as one of several potential causes of changes in the salinity of Muddy Creek, which drains 2470 km2 of mostly public land in Wyoming, U.S.A. Stream discharge and salinity vary with seasonal snowmelt and define a primary salinity-discharge relationship. Salinity, measured by specific conductance, increased substantially in 2009 and was 53-71% higher at low discharge and 33-34% higher at high discharge for the years 2009-2012 compared to 2005-2008. Short-term processes (e.g., flushing of efflorescent salts) cause within-year deviations from the primary relation but do not obscure the overall increase in salinity. Dissolved elements associated with increased salinity include calcium, magnesium, and sulfate, a composition that points to native soil salts derived from marine shales as a likely source. Potential causes of the salinity increase were evaluated for consistency by using measured patterns in stream chemistry, slope of the salinity-discharge relationship, and inter-annual timing of the salinity increase. Potential causes that were inconsistent with one or more of those criteria included effects from precipitation, evapotranspiration, reservoirs, grazing, irrigation return flow, groundwater discharge, discharge of energy co-produced waters, and stream habitat restoration. In contrast, surface disturbance of naturally salt-rich soil by oil and gas development activities, such as pipeline, road, and well pad construction, is a reasonable candidate for explaining the salinity increase. As development continues to expand in semiarid lands worldwide, the potential for soil disturbance to increase stream salinity should be considered, particularly where soils host substantial quantities of native salts.

The salinity signature of the cross-shelf exchanges in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: Numerical simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Matano, Ricardo P; Combes, Vincent; Piola, Alberto R; Guerrero, Raul; Palma, Elbio D; Ted Strub, P; James, Corinne; Fenco, Harold; Chao, Yi; Saraceno, Martin

2014-11-01

A high-resolution model is used to characterize the dominant patterns of sea surface salinity (SSS) variability generated by the freshwater discharges of the Rio de la Plata (RdlP) and the Patos/Mirim Lagoon in the southwestern Atlantic region. We identify three dominant modes of SSS variability. The first two, which have been discussed in previous studies, represent the seasonal and the interannual variations of the freshwater plumes over the continental shelf. The third mode of SSS variability, which has not been discussed hitherto, represents the salinity exchanges between the shelf and the deep ocean. A diagnostic study using floats and passive tracers identifies the pathways taken by the freshwater plumes. During the austral winter (JJA) , the plumes leave the shelf region north of the BMC. During the austral summer (DJF), the plumes are entrained more directly into the BMC. A sensitivity study indicates that the high - frequency component of the wind stress forcing controls the vertical structure of the plumes while the low-frequency component of the wind stress forcing and the interannual variations of the RdlP discharge controls the horizontal structure of the plumes. Dynamical analysis reveals that the cross-shelf flow has a dominant barotropic structure and, therefore, the SSS anomalies detected by Aquarius represent net mass exchanges between the shelf and the deep ocean. The net cross-shelf volume flux is 1.21 Sv. This outflow is largely compensated by an inflow from the Patagonian shelf.

Progress and prospects in reverse electrodialysis for salinity gradient energy conversion and storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tufa, Ramato Ashu; Pawlowski, Sylwin; Veerman, Joost; Bouzek, Karel; Fontananova, Enrica; di Profio, Gianluca; Velizarov, Svetlozar; Goulão Crespo, João; Nijmeijer, Kitty; Curcio, Efrem

2018-01-01

Salinity gradient energy is currently attracting growing attention among the scientific community as a renewable energy source. In particular, Reverse Electrodialysis (RED) is emerging as one of the most promising membrane-based technologies for renewable energy generation by mixing two solutions of

Brine/CO2 Interfacial Properties and Effects on CO2 Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers Propriétés interfaciales saumure/CO2 et effets sur le stockage du CO2 dans des aquifères salins profonds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chalbaud C.

2010-05-01

Full Text Available It has been long recognized that interfacial interactions (interfacial tension, wettability, capillarity and interfacial mass transfer govern fluid distribution and behaviour in porous media. Therefore the interfacial interactions between CO2, brine and reservoir oil and/or gas have an important influence on the effectiveness of any CO2 storage operation. There is a lack of experimental data related to interfacial properties for all the geological storage options (oil & gas reservoirs, coalbeds, deep saline aquifers. In the case of deep saline aquifers, there is a gap in data and knowledge of brine-CO2 interfacial properties at storage conditions. More specifically, experimental interfacial tension values and experimental tests in porous media are necessary to better understand the wettability evolution as a function of thermodynamic conditions and it’s effects on fluid flow in the porous media. In this paper, a complete set of experimental values of brine-CO2 Interfaciale Tension (IFT at pressure, temperature and salt concentration conditions representative of those of a CO2 storage operation. A correlation is derived from experimental data published in a companion paper [Chalbaud C., Robin M., Lombard J.-M., Egermann P., Bertin H. (2009 Interfacial Tension Measurements and Wettability Evaluation for Geological CO2 Storage, Adv. Water Resour. 32, 1, 1-109] to model IFT values. This paper pays particular attention to coreflooding experiments showing that the CO2 partially wets the surface in a Intermediate-Wet (IW or Oil-Wet (OW limestone rock. This wetting behavior of CO2 is coherent with observations at the pore scale in glass micromodels and presents a negative impact on the storage capacity of a given site. Il est admis depuis longtemps que les propriétés interfaciales (tension interfaciale, mouillabilité, capillarité et transfert de masse régissent la distribution et le comportement des fluides au sein des milieux poreux. Par cons

Millennial changes of the Baltic Sea salinity. Studies of the sensitivity of the salinity to climate change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustafsson, Bo G.

2004-05-01

An important question for safety assessments of nuclear waste repositories is the salinity of the Baltic Sea under different conditions. The salinity affects the potential recipient ecosystems, the water turnover along the coast and the hydrology as well as the groundwater chemistry. In this report a model that enables computation of the Baltic Sea salinity for different sea level positions and freshwater supplies is presented. The model is used to compute the salinities in Baltic proper, Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay for all combinations of global sea level changes from -10 m to 10 m and freshwater supplies from 0 to 60,000 m 3 /s. The results are presented in a series of graphs that enables the reader to make an assessment of the impact of a given climatic change. The model is also used to compute the decrease of the salinity in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay during the next few millennia due to the postglacial uplift. The results show that modest changes in global sea level, say ±1 m, give a salinity change of the order of 1 psu in southern Baltic proper. Changing the freshwater supply with about 2,000 m 3 /s (approximately 10%) gives a similar salinity change. Further, a sea level drop of about 5 m or an increase of the freshwater supply by a factor of 3 is needed to reduce the salinity in southern Baltic proper below 1 psu. In this limit large parts of the Baltic would be limnic. A 50% decrease of the freshwater supply increase the salinity in the southern Baltic proper by a factor of 2 to some 15 psu, but the effect is even more drastic in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay where the salinity increase to 13 and 10 psu, respectively. A less windy climate might have a significant effect in lowering the Baltic salinity due to a combined effect of lowered mixing in Kattegat and lowered exchange between Kattegat and the Baltic. A windier climate will not have such strong effect since increased mixing does not affect the Baltic as much. Most probably the shoreline

Millennial changes of the Baltic Sea salinity. Studies of the sensitivity of the salinity to climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gustafsson, Bo G. [Oceanus Havsundersoekningar, Goeteborg (Sweden)

2004-05-01

An important question for safety assessments of nuclear waste repositories is the salinity of the Baltic Sea under different conditions. The salinity affects the potential recipient ecosystems, the water turnover along the coast and the hydrology as well as the groundwater chemistry. In this report a model that enables computation of the Baltic Sea salinity for different sea level positions and freshwater supplies is presented. The model is used to compute the salinities in Baltic proper, Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay for all combinations of global sea level changes from -10 m to 10 m and freshwater supplies from 0 to 60,000 m{sup 3}/s. The results are presented in a series of graphs that enables the reader to make an assessment of the impact of a given climatic change. The model is also used to compute the decrease of the salinity in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay during the next few millennia due to the postglacial uplift. The results show that modest changes in global sea level, say {+-}1 m, give a salinity change of the order of 1 psu in southern Baltic proper. Changing the freshwater supply with about 2,000 m{sup 3}/s (approximately 10%) gives a similar salinity change. Further, a sea level drop of about 5 m or an increase of the freshwater supply by a factor of 3 is needed to reduce the salinity in southern Baltic proper below 1 psu. In this limit large parts of the Baltic would be limnic. A 50% decrease of the freshwater supply increase the salinity in the southern Baltic proper by a factor of 2 to some 15 psu, but the effect is even more drastic in Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay where the salinity increase to 13 and 10 psu, respectively. A less windy climate might have a significant effect in lowering the Baltic salinity due to a combined effect of lowered mixing in Kattegat and lowered exchange between Kattegat and the Baltic. A windier climate will not have such strong effect since increased mixing does not affect the Baltic as much. Most probably the

Saline water irrigation for crop production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, A R [Directorate of Water Management Research, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Walmi Complex, P.O. - Phulwari Sharif, Patna (India); [Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste (Italy); Singh, S S; Singh, S R [Directorate of Water Management Research, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Walmi Complex, P.O. - Phulwari Sharif, Patna (India)

2001-05-01

Salinity is one of agriculture's most complex production problems. Excessive salts from irrigation water or high water tables can severely limit crop production. Years of saline water irrigation on poorly drained soils can eventually make economic crop production impossible. About 10% of all land are affected by salinity problems. They occur in every continent in different proportions, more frequently in arid and semi-arid areas. This paper discusses a range of problems related to use of saline water for crop irrigation.

Saline water irrigation for crop production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A.R.; Singh, S.S.; Singh, S.R.

2001-05-01

Salinity is one of agriculture's most complex production problems. Excessive salts from irrigation water or high water tables can severely limit crop production. Years of saline water irrigation on poorly drained soils can eventually make economic crop production impossible. About 10% of all land are affected by salinity problems. They occur in every continent in different proportions, more frequently in arid and semi-arid areas. This paper discusses a range of problems related to use of saline water for crop irrigation

40 CFR 230.25 - Salinity gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Salinity gradients. 230.25 Section 230.25 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) OCEAN DUMPING SECTION 404(b... Physical and Chemical Characteristics of the Aquatic Ecosystem § 230.25 Salinity gradients. (a) Salinity...

Use of gypsum residues as a corrective for saline-sodic soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Medeiros dos Santos

2014-03-01

Full Text Available One of the hugest problems faced by the civil construction sector is the final destination of residues, especially gypsum, which presents recycling restrictions. However, these residues present a high amount of calcium in their composition, and can be alternatively used for replacing mined gypsum as a saline-sodic soil corrective. This study aimed at evaluating the efficiency of gypsum residues from the civil construction, when compared to mined gypsum, for correcting a saline-sodic soil. A randomized blocks design was used, in a factorial arrangement consisting of two kinds of corrective (gypsum residue and mined gypsum and five leaching depths (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 times the soil pores volume, with three replications. Electric conductivity, soluble cations and sodium adsorption ratio were evaluated in the soil saturation extract. The use of gypsum residue proved to be effective in leaching salts and soluble sodium in saline-sodic soil, and can be recommended as a calcium source for recovering from sodicity.

Abrupt pre-Bølling-Allerød warming and circulation changes in the deep ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Thiagarajan, Nivedita; Subhas, Adam V; Southon, John R; Eiler, John M; Adkins, Jess F

2014-07-03

Several large and rapid changes in atmospheric temperature and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere--probably linked to changes in deep ocean circulation--occurred during the last deglaciation. The abrupt temperature rise in the Northern Hemisphere and the restart of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at the start of the Bølling-Allerød interstadial, 14,700 years ago, are among the most dramatic deglacial events, but their underlying physical causes are not known. Here we show that the release of heat from warm waters in the deep North Atlantic Ocean probably triggered the Bølling-Allerød warming and reinvigoration of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Our results are based on coupled radiocarbon and uranium-series dates, along with clumped isotope temperature estimates, from water column profiles of fossil deep-sea corals in a limited area of the western North Atlantic. We find that during Heinrich stadial 1 (the cool period immediately before the Bølling-Allerød interstadial), the deep ocean was about three degrees Celsius warmer than shallower waters above. This reversal of the ocean's usual thermal stratification pre-dates the Bølling-Allerød warming and must have been associated with increased salinity at depth to preserve the static stability of the water column. The depleted radiocarbon content of the warm and salty water mass implies a long-term disconnect from rapid surface exchanges, and, although uncertainties remain, is most consistent with a Southern Ocean source. The Heinrich stadial 1 ocean profile is distinct from the modern water column, that for the Last Glacial Maximum and that for the Younger Dryas, suggesting that the patterns we observe are a unique feature of the deglacial climate system. Our observations indicate that the deep ocean influenced dramatic Northern Hemisphere warming by storing heat at depth that preconditioned the system for a subsequent abrupt overturning event during the

The deep-tow marine controlled-source electromagnetic transmitter system for gas hydrate exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Meng; Deng, Ming; Wu, Zhongliang; Luo, Xianhu; Jing, Jianen; Chen, Kai

2017-02-01

The Marine Controlled-Source Electromagnetic (MCSEM) method has been recognized as an important and effective tool to detect electrically resistive structures, such as oil, gas, and gas hydrate. The MCSEM performance is strongly influenced by the transmitter system design. We have developed a deep-tow MCSEM transmitter system. In this paper, some new technical details will be present. A 10,000 m optical-electrical composite cable is used to support high power transmission and fast data transfer; a new clock unit is designed to keep the synchronization between transmitter and receivers, and mark the time stamp into the transmission current full waveform; a data link is established to monitor the real-time altitude of the tail unit; an online insulation measuring instrument is adopted to monitor current leakage from high voltage transformer; a neutrally buoyant dipole antenna of copper cable and flexible electrodes are created to transmit the large power current into seawater; a new design method for the transmitter, which is called "real-time control technology of hardware parallelism", is described to achieve inverting and recording high-power current waveform, controlling functions, and collecting auxiliary information. We use a gas hydrate exploration test to verify the performance of the transmitter system, focusing on more technical details, rather than applications. The test shows that the transmitter can be used for gas hydrate exploration as an effective source.

Electrochemical characterization of a supercapacitor flow cell for power production from salinity gradients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sales, B.B.; Liu, F.; Schaetzle, O.; Buisman, C.J.N.; Hamelers, H.V.M.

2012-01-01

Salinity gradients could be a great source of energy in the future. Capacitive energy extraction based on Donnan Potential (CDP) is a new technique to directly convert this energy into electricity. COP uses a supercapacitor-like device combining ion exchange membranes and capacitive materials to

Hydrochemical measures and salinity studies in Inhanhuns' waters, Ceara State, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, Carlos Henrique; Santiago, Marlucia Freitas; Mendes Filho, Josue; Frischkorn, Horst

1996-08-01

The Inhamuns region is one of the most arid in Ceara Waters exhibit very high salinity. Here we evaluate measurements of chemical parameters (electrical conductivity, EC, and major ions) and δ 18 O for waters from wells, springs and surface reservoirs. Results show that springs, with EC of up to nearly 5000 μS/cm, are fed by pluvial water, exchange through dams can be excluded. Electrical conductivity is well correlated with Na + Mg ++ and Cl - for waters of various origins, whereas Ca ++ correlates reasonably only for wells. We conclude that aerosol deposition is a major source of salt, Enrichment through evaporation constitutes the most important process for surface water salination. Dissolution of chlorite-silicates is the cause for the magnesian character of underground water. (author)

Vulnerability of deep groundwater in the Bengal Aquifer System to contamination by arsenic

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, W.G.; Hoque, M.A.; Michael, H.A.; Voss, C.I.; Breit, G.N.; Ahmed, K.M.

2010-01-01

Shallow groundwater, the primary water source in the Bengal Basin, contains up to 100 times the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking-water guideline of 10g l 1 arsenic (As), threatening the health of 70 million people. Groundwater from a depth greater than 150m, which almost uniformly meets the WHO guideline, has become the preferred alternative source. The vulnerability of deep wells to contamination by As is governed by the geometry of induced groundwater flow paths and the geochemical conditions encountered between the shallow and deep regions of the aquifer. Stratification of flow separates deep groundwater from shallow sources of As in some areas. Oxidized sediments also protect deep groundwater through the ability of ferric oxyhydroxides to adsorb As. Basin-scale groundwater flow modelling suggests that, over large regions, deep hand-pumped wells for domestic supply may be secure against As invasion for hundreds of years. By contrast, widespread deep irrigation pumping might effectively eliminate deep groundwater as an As-free resource within decades. Finer-scale models, incorporating spatial heterogeneity, are needed to investigate the security of deep municipal abstraction at specific urban locations. ?? 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Coherent mesoscale eddies in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre: 3-D structure and transport with application to the salinity maximum

Science.gov (United States)

Amores, Angel; Melnichenko, Oleg; Maximenko, Nikolai

2017-01-01

The mean vertical structure and transport properties of mesoscale eddies are investigated in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre by combining historical records of Argo temperature/salinity profiles and satellite sea level anomaly data in the framework of the eddy tracking technique. The study area is characterized by a low eddy kinetic energy and sea surface salinity maximum. Although eddies have a relatively weak signal at surface (amplitudes around 3-7 cm), the eddy composites reveal a clear deep signal that penetrates down to at least 1200 m depth. The analysis also reveals that the vertical structure of the eddy composites is strongly affected by the background stratification. The horizontal patterns of temperature/salinity anomalies can be reconstructed by a linear combination of a monopole, related to the elevation/depression of the isopycnals in the eddy core, and a dipole, associated with the horizontal advection of the background gradient by the eddy rotation. A common feature of all the eddy composites reconstructed is the phase coherence between the eddy temperature/salinity and velocity anomalies in the upper ˜300 m layer, resulting in the transient eddy transports of heat and salt. As an application, a box model of the near-surface layer is used to estimate the role of mesoscale eddies in maintaining a quasi-steady state distribution of salinity in the North Atlantic subtropical salinity maximum. The results show that mesoscale eddies are able to provide between 4 and 21% of the salt flux out of the area required to compensate for the local excess of evaporation over precipitation.

Electrocapillary Phenomena at Edible Oil/Saline Interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimura, Satoshi; Ohzono, Takuya; Shoji, Kohei; Yagihara, Shin; Hayashi, Masafumi; Tanaka, Hisao

2017-03-01

Interfacial tension between edible oil and saline was measured under applied electric fields to understand the electrocapillary phenomena at the edible oil/saline interfaces. The electric responses of saline droplets in edible oil were also observed microscopically to examine the relationship between the electrocapillary phenomena and interfacial polarization. When sodium oleate (SO) was added to edible oil (SO-oil), the interfacial tension between SO-oil and saline decreased. However, no decrease was observed for additive-free oil or oleic acid (OA)-added oil (OA-oil). Microscopic observations suggested that the magnitude of interfacial polarization increased in the order of additive-free oil oil oil. The difference in electrocapillary phenomena between OA- and SO-oils was closely related to the polarization magnitude. In the case of SO-oil, the decrease in interfacial tension was remarkably larger for saline (pH 5.4~5.6) than that for phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.2~7.4). However, no difference was observed between the electric responses of PBS and saline droplets in SO-oil. The difference in electrocapillary phenomena for PBS and saline could not be simply explained in terms of polarization magnitude. The ratio of ionized and non-ionized OA at the interfaces changed with the saline pH, possibly leading to the above difference.

Benchmarking State-of-the-Art Deep Learning Software Tools

OpenAIRE

Shi, Shaohuai; Wang, Qiang; Xu, Pengfei; Chu, Xiaowen

2016-01-01

Deep learning has been shown as a successful machine learning method for a variety of tasks, and its popularity results in numerous open-source deep learning software tools. Training a deep network is usually a very time-consuming process. To address the computational challenge in deep learning, many tools exploit hardware features such as multi-core CPUs and many-core GPUs to shorten the training time. However, different tools exhibit different features and running performance when training ...

Overview of deep learning in medical imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Kenji

2017-09-01

The use of machine learning (ML) has been increasing rapidly in the medical imaging field, including computer-aided diagnosis (CAD), radiomics, and medical image analysis. Recently, an ML area called deep learning emerged in the computer vision field and became very popular in many fields. It started from an event in late 2012, when a deep-learning approach based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) won an overwhelming victory in the best-known worldwide computer vision competition, ImageNet Classification. Since then, researchers in virtually all fields, including medical imaging, have started actively participating in the explosively growing field of deep learning. In this paper, the area of deep learning in medical imaging is overviewed, including (1) what was changed in machine learning before and after the introduction of deep learning, (2) what is the source of the power of deep learning, (3) two major deep-learning models: a massive-training artificial neural network (MTANN) and a convolutional neural network (CNN), (4) similarities and differences between the two models, and (5) their applications to medical imaging. This review shows that ML with feature input (or feature-based ML) was dominant before the introduction of deep learning, and that the major and essential difference between ML before and after deep learning is the learning of image data directly without object segmentation or feature extraction; thus, it is the source of the power of deep learning, although the depth of the model is an important attribute. The class of ML with image input (or image-based ML) including deep learning has a long history, but recently gained popularity due to the use of the new terminology, deep learning. There are two major models in this class of ML in medical imaging, MTANN and CNN, which have similarities as well as several differences. In our experience, MTANNs were substantially more efficient in their development, had a higher performance, and required a

COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF HYPERTONIC SALINE AND NORMAL SALINE SOLUTIONS IN EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED ENDOTOXIC SHOCK IN DOGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. ZAFAR, G. MUHAMMAD, M. H. HUSSAIN, T. AHMAD, A. YOUSAF AND I. SARFARAZ

2009-07-01

Full Text Available This study was contemplated to determine the comparative beneficial effects of hypertonic saline solution and sterile saline solution in induced endotoxic shock in dogs. For this purpose, 12 healthy Mongrel dogs were randomly divided into two equal groups (A and B. All the animals were induced endotoxaemia by slow intravenous administration of Escherichia coli endotoxins 0111:B4. Group A was treated with normal saline solution @ 90 ml/kg BW, while group B was given hypertonic saline solution @ 4 ml/kg BW, followed by normal saline solution @ 10 ml/kg BW. Different parameters were observed for evaluation of these fluids including clinical and haematological parameters, serum electrolytes, mean arterial pressure, and blood gases at different time intervals up to 24 hours post treatments. After infusion of respective fluids, all parameters returned to baseline values in both the groups but group B showed better results than group A except bicarbonates, which better recovered in group A. Thus, it was concluded that a small-volume of hypertonic saline solution could be effectively used in reversing the endotoxaemia. Moreover, it provides a rapid and inexpensive resuscitation from endotoxic shock.

A tripolar current-steering stimulator ASIC for field shaping in deep brain stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Valente, Virgilio; Demosthenous, Andreas; Bayford, Richard

2012-06-01

A significant problem with clinical deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the high variability of its efficacy and the frequency of side effects, related to the spreading of current beyond the anatomical target area. This is the result of the lack of control that current DBS systems offer on the shaping of the electric potential distribution around the electrode. This paper presents a stimulator ASIC with a tripolar current-steering output stage, aiming at achieving more selectivity and field shaping than current DBS systems. The ASIC was fabricated in a 0.35-μ m CMOS technology occupying a core area of 0.71 mm(2). It consists of three current sourcing/sinking channels. It is capable of generating square and exponential-decay biphasic current pulses with five different time constants up to 28 ms and delivering up to 1.85 mA of cathodic current, in steps of 4 μA, from a 12 V power supply. Field shaping was validated by mapping the potential distribution when injecting current pulses through a multicontact DBS electrode in saline.

Changes in hydrology and salinity accompanying a century of agricultural conversion in Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Jayawickreme, Dushmantha H; Santoni, Celina S; Kim, John H; Jobbágy, Esteban G; Jackson, Robert B

2011-10-01

Conversions of natural woodlands to agriculture can alter the hydrologic balance, aquifer recharge, and salinity of soils and groundwater in ways that influence productivity and sustainable land use. Using a land-use change chronosequence in semiarid woodlands of Argentina's Espinal province, we examined the distribution of moisture and solutes and estimated recharge rates on adjacent plots of native woodlands and rain-fed agriculture converted 6-90 years previously. Soil coring and geoelectrical profiling confirmed the presence of spatially extensive salt accumulations in dry woodlands and pervasive salt losses in areas converted to agriculture. A 1.1-km-long electrical resistivity transect traversing woodland, 70-year-old agriculture, and woodland, for instance, revealed a low-resistivity (high-salinity) horizon between approximately 3 m and 13 m depth in the woodlands that was virtually absent in the agricultural site because of leaching. Nine-meter-deep soil profiles indicated a 53% increase in soil water storage after 30 or more years of cultivation. Conservative groundwater-recharge estimates based on chloride tracer methods in agricultural plots ranged from approximately 12 to 45 mm/yr, a substantial increase from the led to >95% loss of sulfate and chloride ions from the shallow vadose zone in most agriculture plots. These losses correspond to over 100 Mg of sulfate and chloride salts potentially released to the region's groundwater aquifers through time with each hectare of deforestation, including a capacity to increase groundwater salinity to >4000 mg/L from these ions alone. Similarities between our findings and those of the dryland salinity problems of deforested woodlands in Australia suggest an important warning about the potential ecohydrological risks brought by the current wave of deforestation in the Espinal and other regions of South America and the world.

DeepQA: improving the estimation of single protein model quality with deep belief networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Renzhi; Bhattacharya, Debswapna; Hou, Jie; Cheng, Jianlin

2016-12-05

Protein quality assessment (QA) useful for ranking and selecting protein models has long been viewed as one of the major challenges for protein tertiary structure prediction. Especially, estimating the quality of a single protein model, which is important for selecting a few good models out of a large model pool consisting of mostly low-quality models, is still a largely unsolved problem. We introduce a novel single-model quality assessment method DeepQA based on deep belief network that utilizes a number of selected features describing the quality of a model from different perspectives, such as energy, physio-chemical characteristics, and structural information. The deep belief network is trained on several large datasets consisting of models from the Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction (CASP) experiments, several publicly available datasets, and models generated by our in-house ab initio method. Our experiments demonstrate that deep belief network has better performance compared to Support Vector Machines and Neural Networks on the protein model quality assessment problem, and our method DeepQA achieves the state-of-the-art performance on CASP11 dataset. It also outperformed two well-established methods in selecting good outlier models from a large set of models of mostly low quality generated by ab initio modeling methods. DeepQA is a useful deep learning tool for protein single model quality assessment and protein structure prediction. The source code, executable, document and training/test datasets of DeepQA for Linux is freely available to non-commercial users at http://cactus.rnet.missouri.edu/DeepQA/ .

Study on long-term stability of geochemical environments at deep underground

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuno, Takashi; Iwatsuki, Teruki

2005-01-01

Observation and fluid inclusion analysis of fracture filling calcites in granite at the Tono area were conducted to assess long-term stability of geochemical environment at deep underground. The result of observation using SEM and luminoscope shows that precipitation processes of calcite can be divided into four phases (1 to 4) based on their occurrence. (1) Phase 1: indistinct morphology and includes the wall rock fragments. (2) Phase 2: rhombohedral and hexagonal form. (3) Phase 3: elongate rhombohedral form, growth over the layer of phase 2 calcite. (4) Phase 4: small rhombohedral form crystals growth from surface of phase 3 calcite. On Phase 1 calcite, it seems to be hydrothermal origin related to fracture activation. Previous study shows the correlation between the salinity of fluid from which calcite precipitated and morphology of calcite. According to previous studies, the groundwater from which phase 3 calcite precipitated would be the highest salinity such as seawater. Phase 2 and 4 calcite may be precipitated from groundwater with low salinity. On the other hand, fluid inclusions were recognized in phase 2 and 3 calcite. All inclusions indicated mono-phase (liquid phase). These suggest that phase 2 and 3 calcites were precipitated in low-temperature condition. Result of salinity analysis indicates that two groundwaters having different chemical properties had existed during phase 2 and 3 calcite precipitation. Based on these results, geochemical environment had changed by input of high salinity groundwater during Phase 2 and 3 calcite precipitation. It is required to identify the origin of each groundwater in consideration of historical geology for further understanding of long-term hydrochemical condition. (author)

Selection of efficient salt-tolerant bacteria containing ACC deaminase for promotion of tomato growth under salinity stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kannika Chookietwattana* and Kedsukon Maneewan

2012-05-01

Full Text Available For successful application of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB in salt-affected soil, bioinoculant with salt-tolerant property is required in order to provide better survival and perform well in the field. The present study aimed to select the most efficient salt-tolerant bacterium containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC deaminase from eighty four bacterial strains and to investigate the effects of the selected bacterium on the germination and growth of tomato (Licopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Seeda under saline conditions. The Bacillus licheniformis B2r was selected for its ability to utilize ACC as a sole nitrogen source under salinity stress. It also showed a high ACC deaminase activity at 0.6 M NaCl salinity. Tomato plants inoculated with the selected bacterium under various saline conditions (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 mM NaCl revealed a significant increase in the germination percentage, germination index, root length, and seedling dry weight especially at salinity levels ranging from 30-90 mM NaCl. The work described in this report is an important step in developing an efficient salt-tolerant bioinoculant to facilitate plant growth in saline soil.

Numerical simulation of flow in deep open boreholes in a coastal freshwater lens, Pearl Harbor Aquifer, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i

Science.gov (United States)

Rotzoll, Kolja

2012-01-01

The Pearl Harbor aquifer in southern O‘ahu is one of the most important sources of freshwater in Hawai‘i. A thick freshwater lens overlays brackish and saltwater in this coastal aquifer. Salinity profiles collected from uncased deep monitor wells (DMWs) commonly are used to monitor freshwater-lens thickness. However, vertical flow in DMWs can cause the measured salinity to differ from salinity in the adjacent aquifer or in an aquifer without a DWM. Substantial borehole flow and displacement of salinity in DMWs over several hundred feet have been observed in the Pearl Harbor aquifer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of borehole flow on measured salinity profiles from DMWs. A numerical modeling approach incorporated aquifer hydraulic characteristics and recharge and withdrawal rates representative of the Pearl Harbor aquifer. Borehole flow caused by vertical hydraulic gradients associated with both the natural regional flow system and groundwater withdrawals was simulated. Model results indicate that, with all other factors being equal, greater withdrawal rates, closer withdrawal locations, or higher hydraulic conductivities of the well cause greater borehole flow and displacement of salinity in the well. Borehole flow caused by the natural groundwater-flow system is five orders of magnitude greater than vertical flow in a homogeneous aquifer, and borehole-flow directions are consistent with the regional flow system: downward flow in inland recharge areas and upward flow in coastal discharge areas. Displacement of salinity inside the DMWs associated with the regional groundwater-flow system ranges from less than 1 to 220 ft, depending on the location and assumed hydraulic conductivity of the well. For example, upward displacements of the 2 percent and 50 percent salinity depths in a well in the coastal discharge part of the flow system are 17 and 4.4 ft, respectively, and the average salinity difference between aquifer and borehole is 0

Geochemical constraints on sources of metabolic energy for chemolithoautotrophy in ultramafic-hosted deep-sea hydrothermal systems.

Science.gov (United States)

McCollom, Thomas M

2007-12-01

Numerical models are employed to investigate sources of chemical energy for autotrophic microbial metabolism that develop during mixing of oxidized seawater with strongly reduced fluids discharged from ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems on the seafloor. Hydrothermal fluids in these systems are highly enriched in H(2) and CH(4) as a result of alteration of ultramafic rocks (serpentinization) in the subsurface. Based on the availability of chemical energy sources, inferences are made about the likely metabolic diversity, relative abundance, and spatial distribution of microorganisms within ultramafic-hosted systems. Metabolic reactions involving H(2) and CH(4), particularly hydrogen oxidation, methanotrophy, sulfate reduction, and methanogenesis, represent the predominant sources of chemical energy during fluid mixing. Owing to chemical gradients that develop from fluid mixing, aerobic metabolisms are likely to predominate in low-temperature environments (energy per kilogram of hydrothermal fluid, while anaerobic metabolic reactions can supply about 1 kJ, which is sufficient to support a maximum of approximately 120 mg (dry weight) of primary biomass production by aerobic organisms and approximately 20-30 mg biomass by anaerobes. The results indicate that ultramafic-hosted systems are capable of supplying about twice as much chemical energy as analogous deep-sea hydrothermal systems hosted in basaltic rocks.

Deep-sea fungi as a source of alkaline and cold-tolerant proteases

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Damare, S.R.; Raghukumar, C.; Muraleedharan, U.; Raghukumar, S.

,5]. Fungi and their enzymes from the deep-sea environment have received scant attention. Proteins and peptides constitute a substantial portion of the organic nutrients present in the deep-sea sediments as well as suspended particulate matter [6... alkaline protease using a qualitative plate assay on Czapek Dox agar (CDA) supplemented with 1% skimmed milk powder (Trade name Sagar, India). Clearance zone produced around the fungal colonies in plates indicated protease positive reaction [19...

Last Glacial Maximum Salinity Reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Homola, K.; Spivack, A. J.

2016-12-01

It has been previously demonstrated that salinity can be reconstructed from sediment porewater. The goal of our study is to reconstruct high precision salinity during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Salinity is usually determined at high precision via conductivity, which requires a larger volume of water than can be extracted from a sediment core, or via chloride titration, which yields lower than ideal precision. It has been demonstrated for water column samples that high precision density measurements can be used to determine salinity at the precision of a conductivity measurement using the equation of state of seawater. However, water column seawater has a relatively constant composition, in contrast to porewater, where variations from standard seawater composition occur. These deviations, which affect the equation of state, must be corrected for through precise measurements of each ion's concentration and knowledge of apparent partial molar density in seawater. We have developed a density-based method for determining porewater salinity that requires only 5 mL of sample, achieving density precisions of 10-6 g/mL. We have applied this method to porewater samples extracted from long cores collected along a N-S transect across the western North Atlantic (R/V Knorr cruise KN223). Density was determined to a precision of 2.3x10-6 g/mL, which translates to salinity uncertainty of 0.002 gms/kg if the effect of differences in composition is well constrained. Concentrations of anions (Cl-, and SO4-2) and cations (Na+, Mg+, Ca+2, and K+) were measured. To correct salinities at the precision required to unravel LGM Meridional Overturning Circulation, our ion precisions must be better than 0.1% for SO4-/Cl- and Mg+/Na+, and 0.4% for Ca+/Na+, and K+/Na+. Alkalinity, pH and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon of the porewater were determined to precisions better than 4% when ratioed to Cl-, and used to calculate HCO3-, and CO3-2. Apparent partial molar densities in seawater were

The salt-responsive transcriptome of chickpea roots and nodules via deepSuperSAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steinhauer Diana

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The combination of high-throughput transcript profiling and next-generation sequencing technologies is a prerequisite for genome-wide comprehensive transcriptome analysis. Our recent innovation of deepSuperSAGE is based on an advanced SuperSAGE protocol and its combination with massively parallel pyrosequencing on Roche's 454 sequencing platform. As a demonstration of the power of this combination, we have chosen the salt stress transcriptomes of roots and nodules of the third most important legume crop chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.. While our report is more technology-oriented, it nevertheless addresses a major world-wide problem for crops generally: high salinity. Together with low temperatures and water stress, high salinity is responsible for crop losses of millions of tons of various legume (and other crops. Continuously deteriorating environmental conditions will combine with salinity stress to further compromise crop yields. As a good example for such stress-exposed crop plants, we started to characterize salt stress responses of chickpeas on the transcriptome level. Results We used deepSuperSAGE to detect early global transcriptome changes in salt-stressed chickpea. The salt stress responses of 86,919 transcripts representing 17,918 unique 26 bp deepSuperSAGE tags (UniTags from roots of the salt-tolerant variety INRAT-93 two hours after treatment with 25 mM NaCl were characterized. Additionally, the expression of 57,281 transcripts representing 13,115 UniTags was monitored in nodules of the same plants. From a total of 144,200 analyzed 26 bp tags in roots and nodules together, 21,401 unique transcripts were identified. Of these, only 363 and 106 specific transcripts, respectively, were commonly up- or down-regulated (>3.0-fold under salt stress in both organs, witnessing a differential organ-specific response to stress. Profiting from recent pioneer works on massive cDNA sequencing in chickpea, more than 9,400 Uni

Estimates of matter yield and N-uptake in sorghum grown on saline and non-saline soils manured with dhaincha (sesbania aculeata) plant residues utilizing 15N tracer techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurdali, F.

2002-11-01

Pot experiments were conducted to study the effect of manuring with three types of plant residues (roots, shoots or roots plus shoots) of Dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata Pers.) on the yield and N-uptake of Sorghum bicolor grown in saline and non-saline soils. For measuring various sources of N-uptake, two isotopic dilution techniques were utilized by adding to these soils either 15 N-labelled inorganic N-fertilizer (indirect method) or 15 N-labelled sesbania leaves (direct method). For the indirect method, both soils manured with each type of sesbania residue, received four split applications of 15 N-labelled ammonium sulphate. Results indicated that each type of sesbania residue, applied as a green manure, resulted in significant increases in both dry matter yield and N-uptake of sorghum as compared with the un manured control. Moreover, sesbania residues decreased the harmful effect of salinity on plant growth. Percentages of N derived from residues (%Ndfr) in sorghum grown in non saline soil ranged between 3.9 and 33%; whereas, in saline soil, the observed values ranged between 4.9 and 19.8%. N recoveries in sorghum grown in non saline soil were 61, 45 and 37% of the total amount contained in the sesbania root, shoot and root plus shoot; whereas, values in sorghum grown in saline soils were 48, 14,8 and 15.7%, respectively. The beneficial effects of sesbania residues have been attributed not only to the additional N availability to the plants, but also to its effects on the enhancement of soil N uptake. Percentages and amounts of Ndfr calculated using the indirect method were not significantly different from those obtained by the direct method indicating that the indirect method used herein is feasible and simple for measuring N release from organic residues. It is suggested that the use of Sesbania aculeata residues, particularly the shoots, as a green manure, can provide a substantial portion of total N in sorghum. Moreover, the use of sesbania green manure in

Coastal groundwater salinization: Focus on the vertical variability in a multi-layered aquifer through a multi-isotope fingerprinting (Roussillon Basin, France)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petelet-Giraud, Emmanuelle, E-mail: e.petelet@brgm.fr [BRGM, Avenue C. Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 Orléans Cedex 02 (France); Négrel, Philippe [BRGM, Avenue C. Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 Orléans Cedex 02 (France); Aunay, Bertrand [BRGM, Réunion Agency, 5, rue Sainte-Anne, CS 51016, 97404 Saint Denis Cedex (France); Ladouche, Bernard; Bailly-Comte, Vincent [BRGM Montpellier Agency, 1039, rue de Pinville, 34000 Montpellier (France); Guerrot, Catherine; Flehoc, Christine [BRGM, Avenue C. Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 Orléans Cedex 02 (France); Pezard, Philippe; Lofi, Johanna [Géosciences Montpellier, UMR 5243, Université de Montpellier, cc069, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05 (France); Dörfliger, Nathalie [BRGM, Avenue C. Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 Orléans Cedex 02 (France)

2016-10-01

The Roussillon sedimentary Basin (South France) is a complex multi-layered aquifer, close to the Mediterranean Sea facing seasonally increases of water abstraction and salinization issues. We report geochemical and isotopic vertical variability in this aquifer using groundwater sampled with a Westbay System® at two coastal monitoring sites: Barcarès and Canet. The Westbay sampling allows pointing out and explaining the variation of water quality along vertical profiles, both in productive layers and in the less permeable ones where most of the chemical processes are susceptible to take place. The aquifer layers are not equally impacted by salinization, with electrical conductivity ranging from 460 to 43,000 μS·cm{sup −1}. The δ{sup 2}H–δ{sup 18}O signatures show mixing between seawater and freshwater components with long water residence time as evidenced by the lack of contribution from modern water using {sup 3}H, {sup 14}C and CFCs/SF6. S(SO{sub 4}) isotopes also evidence seawater contribution but some signatures can be related to oxidation of pyrite and/or organically bounded S. In the upper layers {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratios are close to that of seawater and then increase with depth, reflecting water–rock interaction with argillaceous formations while punctual low values reflect interaction with carbonate. Boron isotopes highlight secondary processes such as adsorption/desorption onto clays in addition to mixings. At the Barcarès site (120 m deep), the high salinity in some layers appear to be related neither to present day seawater intrusion, nor to Salses-Leucate lagoonwater intrusion. Groundwater chemical composition thus highlights binary mixing between fresh groundwater and inherited salty water together with cation exchange processes, water–rock interactions and, locally, sedimentary organic matter mineralisation probably enhanced by pyrite oxidation. Finally, combining the results of this study and those of Caballero and Ladouche (2015

Delta sup(14)C, sigma CO sub(2) salinity of the western Indian Ocean deep waters: Spatial and temporal variations

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Somayajulu, B.L.K.; Bhushan, R.; Narvekar, P.V.

ppt, as revealed by the GEOSECS data (1977-78). The delta sup(14)C-sigma CO sub(2)-salinity relationships show better correlation in the western sector. High biological productivity induced changes and corrosive deepwaters could account for sigma CO...

Harnessing the Deep Web: Present and Future

OpenAIRE

Madhavan, Jayant; Afanasiev, Loredana; Antova, Lyublena; Halevy, Alon

2009-01-01

Over the past few years, we have built a system that has exposed large volumes of Deep-Web content to Google.com users. The content that our system exposes contributes to more than 1000 search queries per-second and spans over 50 languages and hundreds of domains. The Deep Web has long been acknowledged to be a major source of structured data on the web, and hence accessing Deep-Web content has long been a problem of interest in the data management community. In this paper, we report on where...

Effectiveness of benzocaine in reducing deep cavity restoration and post-extraction stress in dental patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalid H. Al-Samadani

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To investigate the effectiveness of topical anesthetic, 20% benzocaine in relieving pain and stress in patients following deep cavity restoration and extraction of teeth under local anesthesia (LA. Methods: A prospective clinical trial was conducted from October 2014 until April 2015 at Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Forty-five patients were included in the 20% benzocaine group, and 46 in the normal saline group. Evaluation of the dental stress was made pre-operatively and immediately post-operative treatment using the visual analogue scale (VAS. Furthermore, discomfort of the injections were recorded by the patients after each treatment on standard 100 mm VAS, tagged at the endpoints with “no pain” (0 mm and “unbearable pain” (100 mm. Results: There were statistically significant differences between the mean stress scores for patients in the benzocaine and normal saline groups post-operatively (p=0.002. There were significant differences between the mean pain scores for patients in the post buccal injection (p=0.001, post palatal injection (p=0.01, and the post inferior alveolar nerve block groups (p=0.02. Buccal, palatal, and inferior alveolar nerve block injections were more painful for patients in the normal saline group than the benzocaine group. Conclusion: This investigation has demonstrated that post-operative stress associated with deep cavity restoration and dental extractions under LA can be reduced by the application of topical anesthetic (20% benzocaine at the operative site for intra-oral injections.

Evaluating physiological responses of plants to salinity stress

KAUST Repository

Negrão, Sónia

2016-10-06

Background Because soil salinity is a major abiotic constraint affecting crop yield, much research has been conducted to develop plants with improved salinity tolerance. Salinity stress impacts many aspects of a plant’s physiology, making it difficult to study in toto. Instead, it is more tractable to dissect the plant’s response into traits that are hypothesized to be involved in the overall tolerance of the plant to salinity. Scope and conclusions We discuss how to quantify the impact of salinity on different traits, such as relative growth rate, water relations, transpiration, transpiration use efficiency, ionic relations, photosynthesis, senescence, yield and yield components. We also suggest some guidelines to assist with the selection of appropriate experimental systems, imposition of salinity stress, and obtaining and analysing relevant physiological data using appropriate indices. We illustrate how these indices can be used to identify relationships amongst the proposed traits to identify which traits are the most important contributors to salinity tolerance. Salinity tolerance is complex and involves many genes, but progress has been made in studying the mechanisms underlying a plant’s response to salinity. Nevertheless, several previous studies on salinity tolerance could have benefited from improved experimental design. We hope that this paper will provide pertinent information to researchers on performing proficient assays and interpreting results from salinity tolerance experiments.

Deep diode atomic battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anthony, T.R.; Cline, H.E.

1977-01-01

A deep diode atomic battery is made from a bulk semiconductor crystal containing three-dimensional arrays of columnar and lamellar P-N junctions. The battery is powered by gamma rays and x-ray emission from a radioactive source embedded in the interior of the semiconductor crystal

Microstrip Patch Sensor for Salinity Determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kibae; Hassan, Arshad; Lee, Chong Hyun; Bae, Jinho

2017-12-18

In this paper, a compact microstrip feed inset patch sensor is proposed for measuring the salinities in seawater. The working principle of the proposed sensor depends on the fact that different salinities in liquid have different relative permittivities and cause different resonance frequencies. The proposed sensor can obtain better sensitivity to salinity changes than common sensors using conductivity change, since the relative permittivity change to salinity is 2.5 times more sensitive than the conductivity change. The patch and ground plane of the proposed sensor are fabricated by conductive copper spray coating on the masks made by 3D printer. The fabricated patch and the ground plane are bonded to a commercial silicon substrate and then attached to 5 mm-high chamber made by 3D printer so that it contains only 1 mL seawater. For easy fabrication and testing, the maximum resonance frequency was selected under 3 GHz and to cover salinities in real seawater, it was assumed that the salinity changes from 20 to 35 ppt. The sensor was designed by the finite element method-based ANSYS high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS), and it can detect the salinity with 0.01 ppt resolution. The designed sensor has a resonance frequency separation of 37.9 kHz and reflection coefficients under -20 dB at the resonant frequencies. The fabricated sensor showed better performance with average frequency separation of 48 kHz and maximum reflection coefficient of -35 dB. By comparing with the existing sensors, the proposed compact and low-cost sensor showed a better detection capability. Therefore, the proposed patch sensor can be utilized in radio frequency (RF) tunable sensors for salinity determination.

Salinity and Temperature Constraints on Microbial Methanogenesis in the Lei-Gong-Huo Mud Volcano of Eastern Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, W.; Lin, L.; Wang, P.

2012-12-01

Terrestrial mud volcano is thought to be one of the most important natural sources of methane emission. Previous studies have shown that methane cycling in terrestrial mud volcanoes involves a complex reaction network driven by the interactions between subsurface and surface abiotic and microbial processes. In situ methanogenesis appears to produce methane at quantities exceeding those of deeply-sourced thermogenic methane and the capacities of anaerobic methanotrophy at shallow depth levels, thereby contributing significantly to the methane emission. Various degrees of evaporation at surface also lead to the enhancement of chloride concentrations in pore water, favoring the proliferation of halo-tolerant and/or halophilic methanogens. The goal of this study is to investigate the extent of methanogenesis in terrestrial mud volcanoes by incubating mud slurries with various precursors (H2/CO2, acetate, methanol, and methylamine) at different salinities (up to 2000 mM) and temperatures (up to 50 oC). Methane concentrations were monitored through time and molecular analyses were applied to investigate the changes of methanogenic communities. Methanogenesis was stimulated by any investigated precursor at room temperature. However, the methanogenic response to salinity varied. Of the investigated precursors, H2/CO2 and methyl-compounds (methanol and methylamine) stimulated methanogenesis at all investigated salinities. The rates and yields of hydrogen- and methyl-utilizing methanogenesis declined significantly at salinities greater than 1500 mM. Acetate-utilizing methanogenesis proceeded at salinities less than 700 mM. At 40 oC, methanogenesis was stimulated by all investigated precursors at the in situ salinity (~400 mM). At 50 oC, only H2-utilizing methanogenesis was stimulated. Analyses of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) for 16S rRNA genes revealed various patterns upon different precursors and salinities. The TRFLP results combined with

Hurricane-induced failure of low salinity wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Howes, Nick C.; FitzGerald, Duncan M.; Hughes, Zoe J.; Georgiou, Ioannis Y.; Kulp, Mark A.; Miner, Michael D.; Smith, Jane M.; Barras, John A.

2010-01-01

During the 2005 hurricane season, the storm surge and wave field associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita eroded 527 km2 of wetlands within the Louisiana coastal plain. Low salinity wetlands were preferentially eroded, while higher salinity wetlands remained robust and largely unchanged. Here we highlight geotechnical differences between the soil profiles of high and low salinity regimes, which are controlled by vegetation and result in differential erosion. In low salinity wetlands, a weak zone (shear strength 500–1450 Pa) was observed ∼30 cm below the marsh surface, coinciding with the base of rooting. High salinity wetlands had no such zone (shear strengths > 4500 Pa) and contained deeper rooting. Storm waves during Hurricane Katrina produced shear stresses between 425–3600 Pa, sufficient to cause widespread erosion of the low salinity wetlands. Vegetation in low salinity marshes is subject to shallower rooting and is susceptible to erosion during large magnitude storms; these conditions may be exacerbated by low inorganic sediment content and high nutrient inputs. The dramatic difference in resiliency of fresh versus more saline marshes suggests that the introduction of freshwater to marshes as part of restoration efforts may therefore weaken existing wetlands rendering them vulnerable to hurricanes. PMID:20660777

Modeling the dispersal of Levantine Intermediate Water and its role in Mediterranean deep water formation

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Peili; Haines, Keith

1996-03-01

This paper demonstrates the importance of Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) in the deep water formation process in the Mediterranean using the modular ocean general circulation model at 0.25° resolution, 19 vertical levels, over the entire Mediterranean with an open Gibraltar strait. LIW formation is strongly prescribed in the Rhodes Gyre region by Haney [1971] relaxation, while in other regions, surface salinity relaxation is much reduced by applying the `mixed' thermohaline surface boundary conditions. Isopycnal diagnostics are used to trace water mass movements, and volume fluxes are monitored at straits. Low viscosity and diffusion are used to permit baroclinic eddies to play a role in water mass dispersal. The overall water budget is measured by an average flux at Gibraltar of 0.8 Sv, of which 0.7 Sv is exchanged with the eastern basin at Sicily. LIW (density around 28.95) spreads rapidly after formation throughout the entire Levantine due to baroclinic eddies. Toward the west, LIW accumulates in the northern and central Ionian, with some entering the Adriatic through Otranto and some mixing southward in eddies and exiting to the western Mediterranean through Sicily. LIW is converted to deep water in the south Adriatic at an average rate of 0.4 Sv. Water exchange through the Otranto strait appears to be buoyancy driven, with a strong bias to the end of winter (March-April), while at Sicily the exchange has a strong symmetric seasonal cycle, with maximum transport of 1.1 Sv in December indicating the effects of wind driving. LIW pathways in the west are complex and variable. In the Tyrrhenian, intermediate water becomes uniform on isopycnal surfaces due to eddy stirring. West of Sardinia, two LIW boundary currents are formed in the Balearic basin; one flows northward up the west coast of Sardinia and Corsica, and one westward along the northern African coast. The northward current is consistent with observations, while the westward current is intermittent for

Swept-source optical coherence tomography powered by a 1.3-μm vertical cavity surface emitting laser enables 2.3-mm-deep brain imaging in mice in vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Woo June; Wang, Ruikang K.

2015-10-01

We report noninvasive, in vivo optical imaging deep within a mouse brain by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT), enabled by a 1.3-μm vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). VCSEL SS-OCT offers a constant signal sensitivity of 105 dB throughout an entire depth of 4.25 mm in air, ensuring an extended usable imaging depth range of more than 2 mm in turbid biological tissue. Using this approach, we show deep brain imaging in mice with an open-skull cranial window preparation, revealing intact mouse brain anatomy from the superficial cerebral cortex to the deep hippocampus. VCSEL SS-OCT would be applicable to small animal studies for the investigation of deep tissue compartments in living brains where diseases such as dementia and tumor can take their toll.

Predictive modeling of deep-sea fish distribution in the Azores

Science.gov (United States)

Parra, Hugo E.; Pham, Christopher K.; Menezes, Gui M.; Rosa, Alexandra; Tempera, Fernando; Morato, Telmo

2017-11-01

Understanding the link between fish and their habitat is essential for an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. However, determining such relationship is challenging, especially for deep-sea species. In this study, we applied generalized additive models (GAMs) to relate presence-absence and relative abundance data of eight economically-important fish species to environmental variables (depth, slope, aspect, substrate type, bottom temperature, salinity and oxygen saturation). We combined 13 years of catch data collected from systematic longline surveys performed across the region. Overall, presence-absence GAMs performed better than abundance models and predictions made for the observed data successfully predicted the occurrence of the eight deep-sea fish species. Depth was the most influential predictor of all fish species occurrence and abundance distributions, whereas other factors were found to be significant for some species but did not show such a clear influence. Our results predicted that despite the extensive Azores EEZ, the habitats available for the studied deep-sea fish species are highly limited and patchy, restricted to seamounts slopes and summits, offshore banks and island slopes. Despite some identified limitations, our GAMs provide an improved knowledge of the spatial distribution of these commercially important fish species in the region.

Ocean circulation drifts in multi-millennial climate simulations: the role of salinity corrections and climate feedbacks

Science.gov (United States)

Dentith, Jennifer E.; Ivanovic, Ruza F.; Gregoire, Lauren J.; Tindall, Julia C.; Smith, Robin S.

2018-05-01

Low-resolution, complex general circulation models (GCMs) are valuable tools for studying the Earth system on multi-millennial timescales. However, slowly evolving salinity drifts can cause large shifts in climatic and oceanic regimes over thousands of years. We test two different schemes for neutralising unforced salinity drifts in the FAMOUS GCM: surface flux correction and volumetric flux correction. Although both methods successfully maintain a steady global mean salinity, local drifts and subsequent feedbacks promote cooling (≈ 4 °C over 6000 years) and freshening (≈ 2 psu over 6000 years) in the North Atlantic Ocean, and gradual warming (≈ 0.2 °C per millennium) and salinification (≈ 0.15 psu per millennium) in the North Pacific Ocean. Changes in the surface density in these regions affect the meridional overturning circulation (MOC), such that, after several millennia, the Atlantic MOC (AMOC) is in a collapsed state, and there is a strong, deep Pacific MOC (PMOC). Furthermore, the AMOC exhibits a period of metastability, which is only identifiable with run lengths in excess of 1500 years. We also compare simulations with two different land surface schemes, demonstrating that small biases in the surface climate may cause regional salinity drifts and significant shifts in the MOC (weakening of the AMOC and the initiation then invigoration of PMOC), even when the global hydrological cycle has been forcibly closed. Although there is no specific precursor to the simulated AMOC collapse, the northwest North Pacific and northeast North Atlantic are important areas that should be closely monitored for trends arising from such biases.

Tackling the salinity-pollution nexus in coastal aquifers from arid regions using nitrate and boron isotopes.

Science.gov (United States)

Re, V; Sacchi, E

2017-05-01

Salinization and nitrate pollution are generally ascertained as the main issues affecting coastal aquifers worldwide. In arid zones, where agricultural activities also result in soil salinization, both phenomena tend to co-exist and synergically contribute to alter groundwater quality, with severe negative impacts on human populations and natural ecosystems' wellbeing. It becomes therefore necessary to understand if and to what extent integrated hydrogeochemical tools can help in distinguishing among possible different salinization and nitrate contamination origins, in order to provide adequate science-based support to local development and environmental protection. The alluvial plain of Bou-Areg (North Morocco) extends over about 190 km 2 and is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by the coastal Lagoon of Nador. Its surface is covered for more than 60% by agricultural activities, although the region has been recently concerned by urban population increase and tourism expansion. All these activities mainly rely on groundwater exploitation and at the same time are the main causes of both aquifer and lagoon water quality degradation. For this reason, it was chosen as a case study representative of the typical situation of coastal aquifers in arid zones worldwide, where a clear identification of salinization and pollution sources is fundamental for the implementation of locally oriented remedies and long-term management strategies. Results of a hydrogeochemical investigation performed between 2009 and 2011 show that the Bou-Areg aquifer presents high salinity (often exceeding 100 mg/L in TDS) due to both natural and anthropogenic processes. The area is also impacted by nitrate contamination, with concentrations generally exceeding the WHO statutory limits for drinking water (50 mg/L) and reaching up to about 300 mg/L, in both the rural and urban/peri-urban areas. The isotopic composition of dissolved nitrates (δ 15 N NO3 and δ 18 O NO ) was used to constrain

Evaluating management-induced soil salinization in golf courses in semi-arid landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Young, J.; Udeigwe, T. K.; Weindorf, D. C.; Kandakji, T.; Gautam, P.; Mahmoud, M. A.

2015-04-01

Site-specific information on land management practices are often desired to make better assessments of their environmental impacts. A study was conducted in Lubbock, Texas, in the Southern High Plains of the United States, an area characterized by semi-arid climatic conditions, to (1) examine the potential management-induced alterations in soil salinity indicators in golf course facilities and (2) develop predictive relationships for a more rapid soil salinity examination within these urban landscape soils using findings from a portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometer. Soil samples were collected from managed (well irrigated) and non-managed (non-irrigated) areas of seven golf course facilities at 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm depths and analyzed for a suite of chemical properties. Among the extractable cations, sodium (Na) was significantly (p golf facilities. Soil electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), parameters often used in characterizing soil salinity and sodicity, were for the most part significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the managed areas. Water quality reports collected over a 22-year period (1991-2013, all years not available) indicated a gradual increase in pH, EC, SAR, total alkalinity, and extractable ions, thus supporting the former findings. Findings from the PXRF suggested possible differences in chemical species and sources that contribute to salinity between the managed and non-managed zones. PXRF-quantified Cl and S, and to a lesser extent Ca, individually and collectively explained 23-85% of the variability associated with soil salinity at these facilities.

Effect of Phosphorous and Potassium Fertilization on Nitrogen Utilized by wheat Grown in Saline Soil Amended with Organic Manures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soliman, S.M.; Gadalla, A.M.; Kotb, E.A.; Mostafa, S.M.A.; Mansour, M.M.F.

2008-01-01

This study was carried out on poor saline soil located at Wad Ras Sudr, South Saini Governorate, and suffers from shortage of water resources. Therefore, we aimed to utilize this soil as well as the saline ground water for plant production. Organic fertilizers such as green manure(GM) or poultry manure(PM) can be used as nutrient sources, where it improves the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. Economically, the yield improvement and nutrient supply will reflect the potential use of such organic materials. Also, phosphorus and/or potassium supplementation separately or in combination with green or poultry manures improved the growth of wheat plants under such adverse condition of salinity. Application of 15 N technique indicated that labeled nitrogen added as ammonium sulphate (AS) to investigate and discrimination between the different N sources i.e. nitrogen derived from fertilizer (Ndff) and nitrogen derived from soil (Ndfs) as well as nitrogen use efficiency (FUE %)

Salinity independent volume fraction prediction in water-gas-oil multiphase flows using artificial neural networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salgado, C.M.; Pereira, Claudio M.N.A.; Brandao, Luis E.B., E-mail: otero@ien.gov.b, E-mail: cmnap@ien.gov.b, E-mail: brandao@ien.gov.b [Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (DIRA/IEN/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Div. de Radiofarmacos

2011-07-01

This work investigates the response of a volume fraction prediction system for water-gas-oil multiphase flows considering variations on water salinity. The approach is based on gamma-ray pulse height distributions pattern recognition by means the artificial neural networks (ANNs). The detection system uses appropriate fan beam geometry, comprised of a dual-energy gamma-ray source and two NaI(Tl) detectors adequately positioned outside the pipe in order measure transmitted and scattered beams. An ideal and static theoretical model for annular flow regime have been developed using MCNP-X code, which was used to provide training, test and validation data for the ANN. More than 500 simulations have been done, in which water salinity have been ranged from 0 to 16% in order to cover a most practical situations. Validation tests have included values of volume fractions and water salinity different from those used in ANN training phase. The results presented here show that the proposed approach may be successfully applied to material volume fraction prediction on watergas- oil multiphase flows considering practical (real) levels of variations in water salinity. (author)

Salinity independent volume fraction prediction in water-gas-oil multiphase flows using artificial neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salgado, C.M.; Pereira, Claudio M.N.A.; Brandao, Luis E.B.

2011-01-01

This work investigates the response of a volume fraction prediction system for water-gas-oil multiphase flows considering variations on water salinity. The approach is based on gamma-ray pulse height distributions pattern recognition by means the artificial neural networks (ANNs). The detection system uses appropriate fan beam geometry, comprised of a dual-energy gamma-ray source and two NaI(Tl) detectors adequately positioned outside the pipe in order measure transmitted and scattered beams. An ideal and static theoretical model for annular flow regime have been developed using MCNP-X code, which was used to provide training, test and validation data for the ANN. More than 500 simulations have been done, in which water salinity have been ranged from 0 to 16% in order to cover a most practical situations. Validation tests have included values of volume fractions and water salinity different from those used in ANN training phase. The results presented here show that the proposed approach may be successfully applied to material volume fraction prediction on watergas- oil multiphase flows considering practical (real) levels of variations in water salinity. (author)

Microbial ecology of deep-sea hypersaline anoxic basins

KAUST Repository

Merlino, Giuseppe

2018-05-09

Deep hypersaline anoxic basins (DHABs) are unique water bodies occurring within fractures at the bottom of the sea, where the dissolution of anciently buried evaporites created dense anoxic brines that are separated by a chemocline/pycnocline from the overlying oxygenated deep-seawater column. DHABs have been described in the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Red Sea. They are characterized by prolonged historical separation of the brines from the upper water column due to lack of mixing and by extreme conditions of salinity, anoxia, and relatively high hydrostatic pressure and temperatures. Due to these combined selection factors, unique microbial assemblages thrive in these polyextreme ecosystems. The topological localization of the different taxa in the brine-seawater transition zone coupled with the metabolic interactions and niche adaptations determine the metabolic functioning and biogeochemistry of DHABs. In particular, inherent metabolic strategies accompanied by genetic adaptations have provided insights on how prokaryotic communities can adapt to salt-saturated condition. Here, we review the current knowledge on the diversity, genomics, metabolisms and ecology of prokaryotes in DHABs.

Microstrip Patch Sensor for Salinity Determination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kibae Lee

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a compact microstrip feed inset patch sensor is proposed for measuring the salinities in seawater. The working principle of the proposed sensor depends on the fact that different salinities in liquid have different relative permittivities and cause different resonance frequencies. The proposed sensor can obtain better sensitivity to salinity changes than common sensors using conductivity change, since the relative permittivity change to salinity is 2.5 times more sensitive than the conductivity change. The patch and ground plane of the proposed sensor are fabricated by conductive copper spray coating on the masks made by 3D printer. The fabricated patch and the ground plane are bonded to a commercial silicon substrate and then attached to 5 mm-high chamber made by 3D printer so that it contains only 1 mL seawater. For easy fabrication and testing, the maximum resonance frequency was selected under 3 GHz and to cover salinities in real seawater, it was assumed that the salinity changes from 20 to 35 ppt. The sensor was designed by the finite element method-based ANSYS high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS, and it can detect the salinity with 0.01 ppt resolution. The designed sensor has a resonance frequency separation of 37.9 kHz and reflection coefficients under −20 dB at the resonant frequencies. The fabricated sensor showed better performance with average frequency separation of 48 kHz and maximum reflection coefficient of −35 dB. By comparing with the existing sensors, the proposed compact and low-cost sensor showed a better detection capability. Therefore, the proposed patch sensor can be utilized in radio frequency (RF tunable sensors for salinity determination.

Salinity, can be indicator for radioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrascu, V.

2006-01-01

Radioactivity being within nature is an incontestable reality. Less than a century, man have diversified and intensified its presence, especially after nuclear weapons and peaceful use of fission power. Secondary, the risks of ionizing radiation effects on live matter have increased. The need of environmental radioactivity assessment and knowledge development in the field is and remains actually in follow time. The nuclear techniques are generally expensive and the radioanalytical methods are no so fast. Sometimes it is necessary to make the rapid and cheapest estimation, without to replace them. This is possible by finding of some accessible correlated parameters and easy to be analyzed. These parameters could indicate the availability of radionuclides in different ecosystems or the availability of ecosystems for different radionuclides. K-40 is a remarkable presence in marine natural radioactivity and plays an important role for euphotic and deep levels. As nutrient it can influence coastal ecosystems and its radiation power can be significant for microbiological processes. This present work analyzed the correlation between salinity and water K-40 radioactivity (beta, gamma) and proposes an empirical connection formula on the base of the good correlation that has been identified

What Drives Saline Circulation Cells in Coastal Aquifers? An Energy Balance for Density-Driven Groundwater Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, C. F.; Michael, H. A.

2017-12-01

We formulate the energy balance for coastal groundwater systems and apply it to: (1) Explain the energy driving offshore saline circulation cells, and; (2) Assess the accuracy of numerical simulations of coastal groundwater systems. The flow of fresh groundwater to the ocean is driven by the loss of potential energy as groundwater drops from the elevation of the inland watertable, where recharge occurs, to discharge at sea level. This freshwater flow creates an underlying circulation cell of seawater, drawn into coastal aquifers offshore and discharging near shore, that adds to total submarine groundwater discharge. The saline water in the circulation cell enters and exits the aquifer through the sea floor at the same hydraulic potential. Existing theory explains that the saline circulation cell is driven by mixing of fresh and saline without any additional source of potential or mechanical power. This explanation raises a basic thermodynamic question: what is the source of energy that drives the saline circulation cell? Here, we resolve this question by building upon Hubbert's conception of hydraulic potential to formulate an energy balance for density-dependent flow and salt transport through an aquifer. We show that, because local energy dissipation within the aquifer is proportional to the square of the groundwater velocity, more groundwater flow may be driven through an aquifer for a given energy input if local variations in velocity are smoothed. Our numerical simulations of coastal groundwater systems show that dispersion of salt across the fresh-saline interface spreads flow over larger volumes of the aquifer, smoothing the velocity field, and increasing total flow and submarine groundwater discharge without consuming more power. The energy balance also provides a criterion, in addition to conventional mass balances, for judging the accuracy of numerical solutions of non-linear density-dependent flow problems. Our results show that some numerical

River salinity on a mega-delta, an unstructured grid model approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Bricheno, Lucy; Saiful Islam, Akm; Wolf, Judith

2014-05-01

With an average freshwater discharge of around 40,000 m3/s the BGM (Brahmaputra Ganges and Meghna) river system has the third largest discharge worldwide. The BGM river delta is a low-lying fertile area covering over 100,000 km2 mainly in India and Bangladesh. Approximately two-thirds of the Bangladesh people work in agriculture and these local livelihoods depend on freshwater sources directly linked to river salinity. The finite volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM) has been applied to the BGM delta in order to simulate river salinity under present and future climate conditions. Forced by a combination of regional climate model predictions, and a basin-wide river catchment model, the 3D baroclinic delta model can determine river salinity under the current climate, and make predictions for future wet and dry years. The river salinity demonstrates a strong seasonal and tidal cycle, making it important for the model to be able to capture a wide range of timescales. The unstructured mesh approach used in FVCOM is required to properly represent the delta's structure; a complex network of interconnected river channels. The model extends 250 km inland in order to capture the full extent of the tidal influence and grid resolutions of 10s of metres are required to represent narrow inland river channels. The use of FVCOM to simulate flows so far inland is a novel challenge, which also requires knowledge of the shape and cross-section of the river channels.

Provision of Desalinated Irrigation Water by the Desalination of Groundwater within a Saline Aquifer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David D. J. Antia

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Irrigated land accounts for 70% of global water usage and 30% of global agricultural production. Forty percent of this water is derived from groundwater. Approximately 20%–30% of the groundwater sources are saline and 20%–50% of global irrigation water is salinized. Salinization reduces crop yields and the number of crop varieties which can be grown on an arable holding. Structured ZVI (zero valent iron, Fe0 pellets desalinate water by storing the removed ions as halite (NaCl within their porosity. This allows an “Aquifer Treatment Zone” to be created within an aquifer, (penetrated by a number of wells (containing ZVI pellets. This zone is used to supply partially desalinated water directly from a saline aquifer. A modeled reconfigured aquifer producing a continuous flow (e.g., 20 m3/day, 7300 m3/a of partially desalinated irrigation water is used to illustrate the impact of porosity, permeability, aquifer heterogeneity, abstraction rate, Aquifer Treatment Zone size, aquifer thickness, optional reinjection, leakage and flow by-pass on the product water salinity. This desalination approach has no operating costs (other than abstraction costs (and ZVI regeneration and may potentially be able to deliver a continuous flow of partially desalinated water (30%–80% NaCl reduction for $0.05–0.5/m3.

Salinity tolerance of the South African endemic amphipod ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Salinities were prepared using natural seawater and synthetic sea salt. Grandidierella lignorum tolerated all salinities, but showed highest survival at salinities of 7–42. Salinity tolerance was modified by temperature, with highest survival occurring between 10 and 25 °C. These represent the range of conditions at which ...

The effect of drinking water salinity on blood pressure in young adults of coastal Bangladesh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talukder, Mohammad Radwanur Rahman; Rutherford, Shannon; Phung, Dung; Islam, Mohammad Zahirul; Chu, Cordia

2016-01-01

More than 35 million people in coastal Bangladesh are vulnerable to increasing freshwater salinization. This will continue to affect more people and to a greater extent as climate change projections are realised in this area in the future. However the evidence for health effects of consuming high salinity water is limited. This research examined the association between drinking water salinity and blood pressure in young adults in coastal Bangladesh. We conducted a cross-sectional study during May-June 2014 in a rural coastal sub-district of Bangladesh. Data on blood pressure (BP) and salinity of potable water sources was collected from 253 participants aged 19–25 years. A linear regression method was used to examine the association between water salinity exposure categories and systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) level. Sixty five percent of the study population were exposed to highly saline drinking water above the Bangladesh standard (600 mg/L and above). Multivariable linear regression analyses identified that compared to the low water salinity exposure category (<600 mg/L), those in the high water salinity category (>600 mg/L), had statistically significantly higher SBP (B 3.46, 95% CI 0.75, 6.17; p = 0.01) and DBP (B 2.77, 95% CI 0.31, 5.24; p = 0.03). Our research shows that elevated salinity in drinking water is associated with higher BP in young coastal populations. Blood pressure is an important risk factor of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Given the extent of salinization of freshwater in many low-lying countries including in Bangladesh, and the likely exacerbation related to climate change-induced sea level rise, implementation of preventative strategies through dietary interventions along with promotion of low saline drinking water must be a priority in these settings. - Highlights: • Freshwater salinization will affect more people and to a greater extent as climate projections are realised in low-lying regions of the world. �

NOAA Average Annual Salinity (3-Zone)

Data.gov (United States)

California Natural Resource Agency — The 3-Zone Average Annual Salinity Digital Geography is a digital spatial framework developed using geographic information system (GIS) technology. These salinity...

Are Low Salinity Waters the Remedy to Noctiluca scintillans Blooms in the Arabian Sea?

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, J.

2017-12-01

Noctiluca scintillans (Noctiluca) is a mixotrophic, green dinoflagellate that for the past two decades has been producing problematic algal blooms in the Arabian Sea (AS). As a mixotroph, Noctiluca obtains energy from both consumption of phytoplankton as well as its intracellular photosynthesizing endosymbionts named, Pedinomonas noctilucae. It is this autotrophic and heterotrophic dual capability that has largely enabled Noctiluca to be a highly dominant species at the planktonic trophic layer in the AS. Exacerbated by non-point source/point-source pollution in the AS, ocean acidification, and intensified monsoons, Noctiluca currently algal blooms can be as big as three times the size of Texas. By depleting the AS of oxygen, clogging the gills of fish, and altering the AS food web, these algal blooms result in mass fish die offs. In turn this propagates financial and food insecurity issues in countless coastal communities. However, through satellite imaging over the years, it has been observed that the proliferation of Noctiluca is precluded or encounters a "wall" about mid-way along the west coast of India. It is theorized that this "wall" is due to a significant change in salinity. Snow from atop the Himalayan Mountains melts and adds fresh water to the Bay of Bengal (BB), and in winter the East Indian Coastal Current (EICC) carries this fresher water around the southern tip of India and towards the AS. It is believed that this dilution effect impedes the growth of Noctiluca further south. Ultimately, in this study the salinity gradient from the Bay of Bengal (BB) around the horn of India into the AS was replicated in six pairs of culture bottles. Noctiluca was grown in six different salinities including 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, and 38 psu. Algae grown in the 34 and 38 psu bottles, were healthier and 38 psu treated Noctiluca provided optimal conditions for its photosynthesizing endosymbionts. Noctiluca does not grow well at lower salinities, thus applications of low

Ocean Surface Emissivity at L-band (1.4 GHz): The Dependence on Salinity and Roughness

Science.gov (United States)

LeVine, D. M.; Lang, R.; Wentz, F.; Messiner, T.

2012-01-01

A characterization of the emissivity of sea water at L-band is important for the remote sensing of sea surface salinity. Measurements of salinity are currently being made in the radio astronomy band at 1.413 GHz by ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission and NASA's Aquarius instrument aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D observatory. The goal of both missions is accuracy on the order of 0.1 psu. This requires accurate knowledge of the dielectric constant of sea water as a function of salinity and temperature and also the effect of waves (roughness). The former determines the emissivity of an ideal (i.e. flat) surface and the later is the major source of error from predictions based on a flat surface. These two aspects of the problem of characterizing the emissivity are being addressed in the context of the Aquarius mission. First, laboratory measurements are being made of the dielectric constant of sea water. This is being done at the George Washington University using a resonant cavity. In this technique, sea water of known salinity and temperature is fed into the cavity along its axis through a narrow tube. The sea water changes the resonant frequency and Q of the cavity which, if the sample is small enough, can be related to the dielectric constant of the sample. An extensive set of measurements have been conducted at 1.413 GHz to develop a model for the real and imaginary part of the dielectric constant as a function of salinity and temperature. The results are compared to the predictions of models based on parameterization of the Debye resonance of the water molecule. The models and measurements are close; however, the differences are significant for remote sensing of salinity. This is especially true at low temperatures where the sensitivity to salinity is lowest.

The GISMO two-millimeter deep field in GOODS-N

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staguhn, Johannes G. [The Henry A. Rowland Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Kovács, Attila [California Institute of Technology 301-17, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Arendt, Richard G.; Benford, Dominic J.; Dwek, Eli; Fixsen, Dale J.; Jhabvala, Christine A.; Maher, Stephen F.; Miller, Timothy M.; Moseley, S. Harvey; Sharp, Elmer H.; Wollack, Edward J. [Observational Cosmology Lab, Code 665, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Decarli, Roberto; Walter, Fabian [Max-Planck-Institute für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Hilton, Gene C.; Irwin, Kent D. [NIST Quantum Devices Group, 325 Broadway Mailcode 817.03, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Karim, Alexander [Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Leclercq, Samuel [Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique, 300 Rue de la Piscine, F-38406 Saint Martin d' Heres (France)

2014-07-20

We present deep continuum observations using the GISMO camera at a wavelength of 2 mm centered on the Hubble Deep Field in the GOODS-N field. These are the first deep field observations ever obtained at this wavelength. The 1σ sensitivity in the innermost ∼4' of the 7' diameter map is ∼135 μJy beam{sup –1}, a factor of three higher in flux/beam sensitivity than the deepest available SCUBA 850 μm observations, and almost a factor of four higher in flux/beam sensitivity than the combined MAMBO/AzTEC 1.2 mm observations of this region. Our source extraction algorithm identifies 12 sources directly, and another 3 through correlation with known sources at 1.2 mm and 850 μm. Five of the directly detected GISMO sources have counterparts in the MAMBO/AzTEC catalog, and four of those also have SCUBA counterparts. HDF850.1, one of the first blank-field detected submillimeter galaxies, is now detected at 2 mm. The median redshift of all sources with counterparts of known redshifts is z-tilde =2.91±0.94. Statistically, the detections are most likely real for five of the seven 2 mm sources without shorter wavelength counterparts, while the probability for none of them being real is negligible.

Salinity: Electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids

Science.gov (United States)

The measurement of soil salinity is a quantification of the total salts present in the liquid portion of the soil. Soil salinity is important in agriculture because salinity reduces crop yields by reducing the osmotic potential making it more difficult for the plant to extract water, by causing spe...

Soil salinity decreases global soil organic carbon stocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Setia, Raj; Gottschalk, Pia; Smith, Pete; Marschner, Petra; Baldock, Jeff; Setia, Deepika; Smith, Jo

2013-11-01

Saline soils cover 3.1% (397 million hectare) of the total land area of the world. The stock of soil organic carbon (SOC) reflects the balance between carbon (C) inputs from plants, and losses through decomposition, leaching and erosion. Soil salinity decreases plant productivity and hence C inputs to the soil, but also microbial activity and therefore SOC decomposition rates. Using a modified Rothamsted Carbon model (RothC) with a newly introduced salinity decomposition rate modifier and a plant input modifier we estimate that, historically, world soils that are currently saline have lost an average of 3.47 tSOC ha(-1) since they became saline. With the extent of saline soils predicted to increase in the future, our modelling suggests that world soils may lose 6.8 Pg SOC due to salinity by the year 2100. Our findings suggest that current models overestimate future global SOC stocks and underestimate net CO2 emissions from the soil-plant system by not taking salinity effects into account. From the perspective of enhancing soil C stocks, however, given the lower SOC decomposition rate in saline soils, salt tolerant plants could be used to sequester C in salt-affected areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deep and intermediate mediterranean water in the western Alboran Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Parrilla, Gregorio; Kinder, Thomas H.; Preller, Ruth H.

1986-01-01

Hydrographic and current meter data, obtained during June to October 1982, and numerical model experiments are used to study the distribution and flow of Mediterranean waters in the western Alboran Sea. The Intermediate Water is more pronounced in the northern three-fourths of the sea, but its distribution is patchy as manifested by variability of the temperature and salinity maxima at scales ≤10 km. Current meters in the lower Intermediate Water showed mean flow toward the Strait at 2 cm s -1. A reversal of this flow lasted about 2 weeks. A rough estimate of the mean westward Intermediate Water transport was 0.4 × 10 6 m 3 s -1, about one-third of the total outflow, so that the best estimates of the contributions of traditionally defined Intermediate Water and Deep Water account for only about one-half of the total outflow. The Deep Water was uplifted against the southern continental slope from Alboran Island (3°W) to the Strait. There was also a similar but much weaker banking against the Spanish slope, but a deep current record showed that the eastward recirculation implied by this banking is probably intermittent. Two-layer numerical model experiments simulated the Intermediate Water flow with a flat bottom and the Deep Water with realistic bottom topography. Both experiments replicated the major circulation features, and the Intermediate Water flow was concentrated in the north because of rotation and the Deep Water flow in the south because of topographic control.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is tolerant to higher levels of salinity than previous guidelines indicated: Implications of field and greenhouse studies

Science.gov (United States)

Putnam, Daniel H.; Benes, Sharon; Galdi, Giuliano; Hutmacher, Bob; Grattan, Steve

2017-04-01

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most widely grown leguminous forage crop in North America and is valued for high productivity, quality, economic value, and for dairy productivity. Alfalfa has historically been classified as moderately sensitive to saline conditions, with yield declines predicted at >2 dS/m in the saturated soil paste extract. However, greenhouse, sand tank, and field studies over the past five years have confirmed that alfalfa can be grown with limited negative effects at much higher salinity levels. A broad collection of alfalfa varieties has exhibited a range of resistance at irrigation water salinities >5 dS/m ECw in greenhouse trials, with significant variation due to variety. USDA-ARS sand tank studies indicated similar or greater tolerances closer to 8 dS/m in the soil water, in addition to confirmation of significant varietal differences. A three-year field study on clay loam soil with applications of 5-7 dS/m ECw irrigation water indicated normal yields and excellent stand survivability. A second field study in the same soil type with levels from 8-10 dS/m ECw showed yield reductions of 10-15% but economic yields were still achieved at those levels. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted with mixed salt saline sodic waters typical of the San Joaquin Valley of California. Field evaluation of variety performance was subject to greater variation due to secondary salinity-soil interactions including water infiltration and crusting problems, not only salinity per-se. Thus, adequate irrigation water availability to the crop may be as important as salinity in impacting yields under field conditions. Once established, the deep-rooted characteristics of alfalfa enable utilization of deeper subsurface moisture, even at moderate to high salinity levels, as documented by USDA lysimeter studies. Significant advantages to salinity-tolerant varieties have been observed. It will be important to consider specific management factors which may enable

Observed salinity changes in the Alappuzha mud bank, southwest coast of India and its implication to hypothesis of mudbank formation

Science.gov (United States)

Muraleedharan, K. R.; Dinesh Kumar, P. K.; Prasanna Kumar, S.; Srijith, B.; John, Sebin; Naveen Kumar, K. R.

2017-04-01

Alappuzha mud bank draws special attention among the twenty-mud bank locations reported along the Kerala coast by its remoteness from riverine sources. Among several hypotheses proposed for the formation of mud bank, the subterranean hypothesis was most accepted because of the occurrence of low salinity in the bottom layers. The present study provides evidence to show that occurrence of low salinity waters near the bottom in the mud bank region is an artifact of measuring technique employed for the measurement of salinity. The usual technique of conductivity based salinity determination completely fails in the presence of water laden with high amount of suspended sediment. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the response of electrode and conductivity cell sensor types to determine the salinity using a range of suspended sediment in the water column. Actual sediment samples from the mud bank region were utilized for the above studies. Based on field observations and experiments, we conclude that the low salinity was the manifestation of the presence highly turbid fluid mud formation in the mud bank region rather than the influence of fresh water.

Hydroxyurea Treatment and Development of the Rat Cerebellum: Effects on the Neurogenetic Profiles and Settled Patterns of Purkinje Cells and Deep Cerebellar Nuclei Neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Martí, Joaquín; Santa-Cruz, M C; Serra, Roger; Hervás, José P

2016-11-01

The current paper analyzes the development of the male and female rat cerebellum exposed to hydroxyurea (HU) (300 or 600 mg/kg) as embryo and collected at postnatal day 90. Our study reveals that the administration of this drug compromises neither the cytoarchitecture of the cerebellar cortex nor deep nuclei (DCN). However, in comparison with the saline group, we observed that several cerebellar parameters were lower in the HU injected groups. These parameters included area of the cerebellum, cerebellar cortex length, molecular layer area, Purkinje cell number, granule cell counts, internal granular layer, white matter and cerebellar nuclei areas, and number of deep cerebellar nuclei neurons. These features were larger in the rats injected with saline, smaller in those exposed to 300 mg/kg of HU and smallest in the group receiving 600 mg/kg of this agent. No sex differences in the effect of the HU were observed. In addition, we infer the neurogenetic timetables and the neurogenetic gradients of PCs and DCN neurons in rats exposed to either saline or HU as embryos. For this purpose, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine was injected into pregnant rats previously administered with saline or HU. This thymidine analog was administered following a progressively delayed cumulative labeling method. The data presented here show that systematic differences exist in the pattern of neurogenesis and in the spatial location of cerebellar neurons between rats injected with saline or HU. No sex differences in the effect of the HU were observed. These findings have implications for the administration of this compound to women in gestation as the effects of HU on the development of the cerebellum might persist throughout their offsprings' life.

Hydraulic lift and tolerance to salinity of semiarid species: consequences for species interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Armas, Cristina; Padilla, Francisco M; Pugnaire, Francisco I; Jackson, Robert B

2010-01-01

The different abilities of plant species to use ephemeral or permanent water sources strongly affect physiological performance and species coexistence in water-limited ecosystems. In addition to withstanding drought, plants in coastal habitats often have to withstand highly saline soils, an additional ecological stress. Here we tested whether observed competitive abilities and C-water relations of two interacting shrub species from an arid coastal system were more related to differences in root architecture or salinity tolerance. We explored water sources of interacting Juniperus phoenicea Guss. and Pistacia lentiscus L. plants by conducting physiology measurements, including water relations, CO2 exchange, photochemical efficiency, sap osmolality, and water and C isotopes. We also conducted parallel soil analyses that included electrical conductivity, humidity, and water isotopes. During drought, Pistacia shrubs relied primarily on permanent salty groundwater, while isolated Juniperus plants took up the scarce and relatively fresh water stored in upper soil layers. As drought progressed further, the physiological activity of Juniperus plants nearly stopped while Pistacia plants were only slightly affected. Juniperus plants growing with Pistacia had stem-water isotopes that matched Pistacia, unlike values for isolated Juniperus plants. This result suggests that Pistacia shrubs supplied water to nearby Juniperus plants through hydraulic lift. This lifted water, however, did not appear to benefit Juniperus plants, as their physiological performance with co-occurring Pistacia plants was poor, including lower water potentials and rates of photosynthesis than isolated plants. Juniperus was more salt sensitive than Pistacia, which withstood salinity levels similar to that of groundwater. Overall, the different abilities of the two species to use salty water appear to drive the outcome of their interaction, resulting in asymmetric competition where Juniperus is negatively

Simulation of droplet impact onto a deep pool for large Froude numbers in different open-source codes

Science.gov (United States)

Korchagova, V. N.; Kraposhin, M. V.; Marchevsky, I. K.; Smirnova, E. V.

2017-11-01

A droplet impact on a deep pool can induce macro-scale or micro-scale effects like a crown splash, a high-speed jet, formation of secondary droplets or thin liquid films, etc. It depends on the diameter and velocity of the droplet, liquid properties, effects of external forces and other factors that a ratio of dimensionless criteria can account for. In the present research, we considered the droplet and the pool consist of the same viscous incompressible liquid. We took surface tension into account but neglected gravity forces. We used two open-source codes (OpenFOAM and Gerris) for our computations. We review the possibility of using these codes for simulation of processes in free-surface flows that may take place after a droplet impact on the pool. Both codes simulated several modes of droplet impact. We estimated the effect of liquid properties with respect to the Reynolds number and Weber number. Numerical simulation enabled us to find boundaries between different modes of droplet impact on a deep pool and to plot corresponding mode maps. The ratio of liquid density to that of the surrounding gas induces several changes in mode maps. Increasing this density ratio suppresses the crown splash.

Drinking Water Sodium and Elevated Blood Pressure of Healthy Pregnant Women in Salinity-Affected Coastal Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheelbeek, Pauline F D; Khan, Aneire E; Mojumder, Sontosh; Elliott, Paul; Vineis, Paolo

2016-08-01

Coastal areas in Southeast Asia are experiencing high sodium concentrations in drinking water sources that are commonly consumed by local populations. Salinity problems caused by episodic cyclones and subsequent seawater inundations are likely (partly) related to climate change and further exacerbated by changes in upstream river flow and local land-use activities. Dietary (food) sodium plays an important role in the global burden of hypertensive disease. It remains unknown, however, if sodium in drinking water-rather than food-has similar effects on blood pressure and disease risk. In this study, we examined the effect of drinking water sodium on blood pressure of pregnant women: increases in blood pressure in this group could severely affect maternal and fetal health. Data on blood pressure, drinking water source, and personal, lifestyle, and environmental confounders was obtained from 701 normotensive pregnant women residing in coastal Bangladesh. Generalized linear mixed regression models were used to investigate association of systolic and diastolic blood pressure of these-otherwise healthy-women with their water source. After adjustment for confounders, drinkers of tube well and pond water (high saline sources) were found to have significantly higher average systolic (+4.85 and +3.62 mm Hg) and diastolic (+2.30 and +1.72 mm Hg) blood pressures than rainwater drinkers. Drinking water salinity problems are expected to exacerbate in the future, putting millions of coastal people-including pregnant women-at increased risk of hypertension and associated diseases. There is an urgent need to further explore the health risks associated to this understudied environmental health problem and feasibility of possible adaptation strategies. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Embedded regional/Local-scale model of natural transients in saline groundwater flow. Illustrated using the Beberg Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsic, Niko; Hartley, Lee; Sanchez-Friera, Paula; Morvik, Arnfinn

2002-04-01

The main focus of this report is to develop and test a methodology for performing large simulations of transient variable density flow. Several developments were made to NAMMU to enable such calculations. The following lists the findings of this study: 1) Feasibility: it is numerically feasible to construct large (0.5 million elements) embedded models of transient variable density flow with a relatively fine mesh (about 35m) of the site-scale. 2) Stochastic simulation: performing stochastic realisations of long transients is just possible, although the requirements on CPU and disk to store the results for 100 realisations, say, would be significant. As an indication, about 19 realisations of the current model could be run on a Sun Enterprise 450 (4 x UltraSPARC-II 400MHz) computer in one week if all four processors are fully utilised. 3) Embedded grid: the nesting of a refined site-scale model (35m elements) within a coarser (100m) regional-scale mesh for variable density flow was tested successfully. It was found that grading the refinement around the site-scale to avoid a large step change in element size was beneficial for convergence and stability. This may be less of an issue if a more sophisticated pre conditioner was used. 4) Solver: the most efficient and stable scheme was obtained by decoupling the flow and transport equation at each time-step. GMRES (Generalised Minimum Residual) was the most robust conjugate gradient method for this problem. 5) Boundary conditions: a set of relatively complex non-linear boundary conditions had to be applied for both pressure and salinity on the top and vertical boundaries to give the system sufficient freedom to approximate realistic conditions over a large area and long times. It was important that both flow and a flux of salinity could cross each boundary, and that the direction and magnitude could evolve in time. 6) Calibration on salinity: model predictions of the salinity in the deep boreholes were used to calibrate

Electrochemical Systems for Renewable Energy Conversion from Salinity and Proton Gradients

OpenAIRE

Morais, William G.; Lima, Gilberto; Gomes, Wellington J. A. S.; Huguenin, Fritz

2018-01-01

Ever-rising energy demand, fossil fuel dependence, and climate issues have harmful consequences to the society. Exploring clean and renewable energy to diversify the world energy matrix has become an urgent matter. Less explored or unexplored renewable energy sources like the salinity and proton gradient energy are an attractive alternative with great energy potential. This paper discusses important electrochemical systems for energy conversion from natural and artificial concentration gradie...

Characterization of salinity and selenium loading and land-use change in Montrose Arroyo, western Colorado, from 1992 to 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Jennifer L.

2011-01-01

Salinity and selenium are naturally occurring and perva-sive in the lower Gunnison River Basin of Colorado, includ-ing the watershed of Montrose Arroyo. Although some of the salinity and selenium loading in the Montrose Arroyo study area is from natural sources, additional loading has resulted from the introduction of intensive irrigation in the water-shed. With increasing land-use change and the conversion from irrigated agricultural to urban land, land managers and stakeholders need information about the long-term effects of land-use change on salinity and selenium loading. In response to the need to advance salinity and selenium science, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, and Colorado River Water Conservation District, developed a study to characterize salinity and selenium loading and how salinity and selenium sources may relate to land-use change in Montrose Arroyo. This report characterizes changes in salinity and selenium loading to Montrose Arroyo from March 1992 to February 2010 and the magnitude of land-use change between unirrigated desert, irrigated agricultural, and urban land-use/land-cover types, and discusses how the respective loads may relate to land-use change. Montrose Arroyo is an approximately 8-square-mile watershed in Montrose County in western Colorado. Salinity and selenium were studied in Montrose Arroyo in a 2001 study as part of a salinity- and selenium-control lateral project. The robust nature of the historical dataset indicated that Montrose Arroyo was a prime watershed for a follow-up study. Two sites from the 2001 study were used to monitor salinity and selenium loads in Montrose Arroyo in the follow-up study. Over the period of 2 water years and respective irrigation seasons (2008-2010), 27 water-quality samples were collected and streamflow measurements were made at the historical sites MA2 and MA4. Salinity and selenium concen-trations, loads

Deep borehole disposition of surplus fissile materials-The site selection process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiken, G.; WoldeGabriel, G.; Morley, R.; Plannerer, H.

1996-01-01

One option for disposing of excess weapons plutonium is to place it near the base of deep boreholes in stable crystalline rocks. The technology exists to immediately begin the design of this means of disposition and there are many attractive sites available within the conterminous US. The borehole system utilizes mainly natural barriers to preven migration of Pu and U to the Earth's surface. Careful site selection ensures favorable geologic conditions that provide natural long-lived migration barriers; they include deep, extremely stable rock formations, strongly reducing brines that exhibit increasing salinity with depth, and most importantly, demonstrated isolation or non-communication of deep fluids with the biosphere for millions of years. This isolation is the most important characteristic, with the other conditions mainly being those that will enhance the potential of locating and maintaining the isolated zones. Candidate sites will probably be located on the craton in very old Precambrian crystalline rocks, most likely the center of a granitic pluton. The sites will be located in tectonically stable areas with no recent volcanic or seismic activity, and situated away from tectonic features that might become active in the near geologic future

Applications of Deep Learning in Biomedicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Mamoshina, Polina; Vieira, Armando; Putin, Evgeny; Zhavoronkov, Alex

2016-05-02

Increases in throughput and installed base of biomedical research equipment led to a massive accumulation of -omics data known to be highly variable, high-dimensional, and sourced from multiple often incompatible data platforms. While this data may be useful for biomarker identification and drug discovery, the bulk of it remains underutilized. Deep neural networks (DNNs) are efficient algorithms based on the use of compositional layers of neurons, with advantages well matched to the challenges -omics data presents. While achieving state-of-the-art results and even surpassing human accuracy in many challenging tasks, the adoption of deep learning in biomedicine has been comparatively slow. Here, we discuss key features of deep learning that may give this approach an edge over other machine learning methods. We then consider limitations and review a number of applications of deep learning in biomedical studies demonstrating proof of concept and practical utility.

Biochar mitigates salinity stress in potato

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saleem Akhtar, Saqib; Andersen, M.N.; Liu, Fulai

2015-01-01

capability of biochar. Results indicated that biochar was capable to ameliorate salinity stress by adsorbing Na+. Increasing salinity level resulted in significant reductions of shoot biomass, root length and volume, tuber yield, photosynthetic rate (An), stomatal conductance (gs), midday leaf water......A pot experiment was conducted in a climate-controlled greenhouse to investigate the growth, physiology and yield of potato in response to salinity stress under biochar amendment. It was hypothesized that addition of biochar may improve plant growth and yield by mitigating the negative effect...... potential, but increased abscisic acid (ABA) concentration in both leaf and xylem sap. At each salinity level, incorporation of biochar increased shoot biomass, root length and volume, tuber yield, An, gs, midday leaf water potential, and decreased ABA concentration in the leaf and xylem sap as compared...

Non-nuclear power sources for deep space

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennel, E.B.; Tang, C.; Santarius, J.F.

1998-07-01

Electric propulsion and non-nuclear power can be used in tandem as a replacement for the current chemical booster and radioisotope thermoelectric generators now in use for deep space applications (i.e., to the asteroid belt and beyond). In current generation systems, electric propulsion is usually considered to be impractical because of the lack of high power for deep space, and non-nuclear power is thought to be impractical partly due to its high mass. However, when taken in combination, a solar powered electric upper stage can provide ample power and propulsion capability for use in deep space. Radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) systems have generally been selected for missions only when other systems are absolutely unavailable. The disadvantages of radioisotopes include the need for nuclear safety as another dimension of concern in payload integration; the lack of assured availability of plutonium in the post-cold-war world; the enormous cost of plutonium-238; and the system complexity introduced by the need to continuously cool the system during the pre-launch phase. A conservative estimate for the total power for the solar array at beginning of life (BOL) may be in the range of 25 kW in order to provide 500 W continuous power at Jupiter. The availability of {approximately} 25 kW(e) in earth orbit raises the interesting possibility of coupling electric propulsion units to this free electric power. If electric propulsion is used to raise the probe from low-earth-orbit to an earth-escape trajectory, the system could actually save on low-earth orbit mass. Electric propulsion could be used by itself in a spiral trajectory orbit raising maneuver to earth escape velocity, or it could be used in conjunction with a chemical upper stage (either solid rocket or liquid), which would boost the payload to an elliptical orbit. The concept is to begin the Earth-Jupiter trip with a swing-by near the Sun close to the orbit of Venus and perhaps even closer if thermal

Investigation of Soil Salinity to Distinguish Boundary Line between ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

Investigation of Soil Salinity to Distinguish Boundary Line between Saline and ... Setting 4 dSm-1 as the limit between saline and non-saline soils in kriging algorithms resulted in a .... number of sample points within the search window,.

A deep gold mine metagenome as a source of novel esterases

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-07-04

Jul 4, 2011 ... small metagenome library from the deep mine biofilm provided two esterolytic clones, ...... tuberosum) tubers, and its occurrence as genotype effect: processing .... diversity in freshwater sediment of a shallow eutrophic lake by.

Study of groundwater chemistry and salinization in Rechna Doab using hydrochemical and isotopic tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sajjad, M.I.; Tasneem, M.A.; Akram, W.; Ahmad, M.; Hussain, S.D.; Khan, I.H.

1991-09-01

Isotopic and chemical characterization of groundwater in Rechna Doab were studied. Samples of water from existing shallow and deep wells, etc. were collected and analyzed for their major ionic and stable isotopic (/sup 2/H, /sup 18/O) contents. The chemical data was used to have a knowledge of various aspects of water chemistry. Different compositional types of water existing in the area were identified. It was observed that groundwater at most of the locations belongs to sodium bicarbonate type. The geochemical evaluation of groundwater was also studied. It is suggested that infiltering water picks up carbon dioxide during percolation through the soil zone. This CO/sub 2/rich water upon interaction with the sediments dissolves more soluble ions. With the increase in salinity soluble remains in solution. Chemical quality of water was evaluated for various uses and found satisfactory in most of the cases. Stable isotopic values in combination with conservative ion (Cl) concentration were used to identify the process of groundwater salinization. Three possible processes, mixing with connate marine water, concentration of salts by evaporation and dissolution of salts from sediments was found to be the operating mechanism under the prevailing conditions. (author)

Variations of marine pore water salinity and chlorinity in Gulf of Alaska sediments (IODP Expedition 341)

Science.gov (United States)

März, Christian; Mix, Alan C.; McClymont, Erin; Nakamura, Atsunori; Berbel, Glaucia; Gulick, Sean; Jaeger, John; Schneider (LeVay), Leah

2014-05-01

Pore waters of marine sediments usually have salinities and chlorinities similar to the overlying sea water, ranging around 34-35 psu (Practical Salinity Units) and around 550 mM Cl-, respectively. This is because these parameters are conservative in the sense that they do not significantly participate in biogeochemical cycles. However, pore water studies carried out in the frame of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and its predecessors have shown that salinities and chlorinities of marine pore waters can substantially deviate from the modern bottom water composition in a number of environmental settings, and various processes have been suggested to explain these phenomena. Also during the recent IODP Expedition 341 that drilled five sites in the Gulf of Alaska (Northeast Pacific Ocean) from the deep Surveyor Fan across the continental slope to the glaciomarine shelf deposits, several occurrences of pore waters with salinities and chlorinities significantly different from respective bottom waters were encountered during shipboard analyses. At the pelagic Sites U1417 and U1418 (~4,200 and ~3,700 m water depth, respectively), salinity and chlorinity maxima occur around 20-50 m sediment depth, but values gradually decrease with increasing drilling depths (down to 30 psu in ~600 m sediment depth). While the pore water freshening at depth is most likely an effect of clay mineral dehydration due to increasing burial depth, the shallow salinity and chlorinity maxima are interpreted as relicts of more saline bottom waters that existed in the North Pacific during the Last Glacial Maximum (Adkins et al., 2002). In contrast, the glaciomarine slope and shelf deposits at Site U1419 to U1421 (~200 to 1,000 m water depth) are characterised by unexpectedly low salinitiy and chlorinity values (as low as 16 psu and 295 mM Cl-, respectively) already in very shallow sediment depths (~10 m), and their records do not show systematic trends with sediment depth. Freshening

Evaluating physiological responses of plants to salinity stress

KAUST Repository

Negrã o, Só nia; Schmö ckel, S. M.; Tester, Mark A.

2016-01-01

Background Because soil salinity is a major abiotic constraint affecting crop yield, much research has been conducted to develop plants with improved salinity tolerance. Salinity stress impacts many aspects of a plant’s physiology, making

Land degradation of Taleghan drainage basin, Iran from saline and alkaline marly formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakikhani, K.; Feiznia, S.; Hosseini, S. H.

2009-01-01

In Iran fine-grained, saline, alkaline and erodible Tertiary marly formations are exposed in many geological zones and play important role in the formation of present landforms. They also play important role in degradation of water resources and soils as diffuse sources, they are the main sources of suspension loads of many rivers and are endless sources of sediments for sand dunes. These marly formations are present in Zagros, Central Iran, Alborz and Kopeh Dagh geological Zones and consists of different geological formations such as Gachsaran, Mishan and Razak Formations ( in Zagros), Lower Red and Upper Red Formations ( in Central Iran) and Neogene Red Beds (in Albords and Kopeh Dagh). (Author)

Land degradation of Taleghan drainage basin, Iran from saline and alkaline marly formations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zakikhani, K.; Feiznia, S.; Hosseini, S. H.

2009-07-01

In Iran fine-grained, saline, alkaline and erodible Tertiary marly formations are exposed in many geological zones and play important role in the formation of present landforms. They also play important role in degradation of water resources and soils as diffuse sources, they are the main sources of suspension loads of many rivers and are endless sources of sediments for sand dunes. These marly formations are present in Zagros, Central Iran, Alborz and Kopeh Dagh geological Zones and consists of different geological formations such as Gachsaran, Mishan and Razak Formations ( in Zagros), Lower Red and Upper Red Formations ( in Central Iran) and Neogene Red Beds (in Albords and Kopeh Dagh). (Author)

Influence of salinity and water content on soil microorganisms

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Nan Yan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Salinization is one of the most serious land degradation problems facing world. Salinity results in poor plant growth and low soil microbial activity due to osmotic stress and toxic ions. Soil microorganisms play a pivotal role in soils through mineralization of organic matter into plant available nutrients. Therefore it is important to maintain high microbial activity in soils. Salinity tolerant soil microbes counteract osmotic stress by synthesizing osmolytes which allows them to maintain their cell turgor and metabolism. Osmotic potential is a function of the salt concentration in the soil solution and therefore affected by both salinity (measured as electrical conductivity at a certain water content and soil water content. Soil salinity and water content vary in time and space. Understanding the effect of changes in salinity and water content on soil microorganisms is important for crop production, sustainable land use and rehabilitation of saline soils. In this review, the effects of soil salinity and water content on microbes are discussed to guide future research into management of saline soils.

Seasonal variability of salinity and circulation in a silled estuarine fjord: A numerical model study

Science.gov (United States)

Kawase, Mitsuhiro; Bang, Bohyun

2013-12-01

A three-dimensional hydrodynamic model is used to study seasonal variability of circulation and hydrography in Hood Canal, Washington, United States, an estuarine fjord that develops seasonally hypoxic conditions. The model is validated with data from year 2006, and is shown to be capable of quantitatively realistic simulation of hydrographic variability. Sensitivity experiments show the largest cause of seasonal variability to be that of salinity at the mouth of the fjord, which drives an annual deep water renewal in late summer-early autumn. Variability of fresh water input from the watershed also causes significant but secondary changes, especially in winter. Local wind stress has little effect over the seasonal timescale. Further experiments, in which one forcing parameter is abruptly altered while others are kept constant, show that outside salinity change induces an immediate response in the exchange circulation that, however, decays as a transient as the system equilibrates. In contrast, a change in the river input initiates gradual adjustment towards a new equilibrium value for the exchange transport. It is hypothesized that the spectral character of the system response to river variability will be redder than to salinity variability. This is demonstrated with a stochastically forced, semi-analytical model of fjord exchange circulation. While the exchange circulation in Hood Canal appears less sensitive to the river variability than to the outside hydrography at seasonal timescales, at decadal and longer timescales both could become significant factors in affecting the exchange circulation.

Radium Adsorption to Iron Bearing Minerals in Variable Salinity Waters

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, M.; Kocar, B. D.

2014-12-01

Radium is a common, naturally occurring radioactive metal found in many subsurface environments. Radium isotopes are a product of natural uranium and thorium decay, and are particularly abundant within groundwaters where minimal flux leads to accumulation within porewaters. Radium has been used as a natural tracer to estimate submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) [1], where the ratios of various radium isotopes are used to estimate total groundwater flux to and from the ocean [2]. Further, it represents a substantial hazard in waste water produced after hydraulic fracturing for natural gas extraction [3], resulting in a significant risk of environmental release and increased cost for water treatment or disposal. Adsorption to mineral surfaces represents a primary pathway of radium retention within subsurface environments. For SGD studies, it is important to understand adsorption processes to correctly estimate GW fluxes, while in hydraulic fracturing, radium adsorption to aquifer solids will mediate the activities of radium within produced water. While some studies of radium adsorption to various minerals have been performed [4], there is a limited understanding of the surface chemistry of radium adsorption, particularly to iron-bearing minerals such as pyrite, goethite and ferrihydrite. Accordingly, we present the results of sorption experiments of radium to a suite of iron-bearing minerals representative of those found within deep saline and near-surface (freshwater) aquifers, and evaluate impacts of varying salinity solutions through the use of artificial groundwater, seawater, and shale formation brine. Further, we explore the impacts of pyrite oxidation and ferrihydrite transformation to other iron-bearing secondary minerals on the retention of radium. This work lays the groundwork for further study of radium use as a tracer for SGD, as well as understanding mechanisms of radium retention and release from deep aquifer materials following hydraulic fracturing

( Phaseolus vulgaris L. ) seedlings to salinity stress

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of salinity stress on five cultivars of common bean: Bassbeer, Beladi, Giza 3, HRS 516 and RO21 were evaluated on a sand/peat medium with different salinity levels (0, 50 and 100 mM NaCl) applied 3 weeks after germination for duration of 10 days. Salinity had adverse effects not only on the biomass yield and ...

Effect of saline water on growth, yield and N2 fixation by faba bean and lentil plants using nitrogen-15

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gadalla, A.M.; Galal, Y.G.M.; Elakel, E.A.; Ismail, H.; Hamdy, A.

2003-01-01

This work had been carried out under greenhouse conditions through joint research project between international agronomic mediterranean (IAM, Bari), italy and soils and water dept., Egyptian atomic energy authority. The aim of this dy was to assess the effect of saline water irrigation on growth, yield and nitrogen fixation (% Ndfa) by faba bean and lentil plants inoculated with selected rhizobium strains. Four saline irrigation water levels (fresh water, 3.6 and ds/m) were used. 20 kg N/ha as ammonium sulfate contained 10% N-15 atom excess was applied for quantification of biological N-fixation N-portions derived from fertilizer (Ndff). Results showed that high levels of salinity negatively affected seed yield and N accumulated in tissue of faba bean. Similar trend was noticed with dry matter of lentil while shoot-N was increased at 6 and 9 ds/m. Both leguminous crops were mainly dependent on N 2 fixation as an important source of nitrogen nutrition. Under adverse conditions salinity, the plants gained some of their N requirements from the other two N sources (Ndff and Ndfs). Application of the suitable Rhizobium bacteria strains could be beneficial for both the plant growth and soil fertility via N 2 fixation

Integral Analysis of Field Work and Laboratory Electrical Resistivity Imaging for Saline Water Intrusion Prediction in Groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Zawawi, M. H.; Zahar, M. F.; Hashim, M. M. M.; Hazreek, Z. A. M.; Zahari, N. M.; Kamaruddin, M. A.

2018-04-01

Saline water intrusion is a serious threat to the groundwater as many part of the world utilize groundwater as their main source of fresh water supply. The usage of high salinity level of water as drinking water can lead to a very serious health hazard towards human. Saline water intrusion is a process by which induced flow of seawater into freshwater aquifer along the coastal area. It might happen due to human action and/or by natural event. The climate change and rise up of sea level may speed up the saline water intrusion process. The conventional method for distinguishing and checking saltwater interference to groundwater along the coast aquifers is to gather and test the groundwater from series of observation wells (borehole) with an end goal to give the important information about the hydrochemistry data to conclude whether the water in the well are safe to consume or not. An integrated approach of field and laboratory electrical resistivity investigation is proposed for indicating the contact region between saline and fresh groundwater. It was found that correlation for both soilbox produced almost identical curvilinear trends for 2% increment of seawater tested using sand sample. This project contributes towards predicting the saline water intrusion to the groundwater by non-destructive test that can replaced the conventional method of groundwater monitoring using series of boreholes in the coastal area

Larval tolerance to salinity in three species of Australian anuran: an indication of saline specialisation in Litoria aurea.

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Brian D Kearney

Full Text Available Recent anthropogenic influences on freshwater habitats are forcing anuran populations to rapidly adapt to high magnitude changes in environmental conditions or face local extinction. We examined the effects of ecologically relevant elevated salinity levels on larval growth, metamorphosis and survival of three species of Australian anuran; the spotted marsh frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis, the painted burrowing frog (Neobatrachus sudelli and the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea, in order to better understand the responses of these animals to environmental change. Elevated salinity (16% seawater negatively impacted on the survival of L. tasmaniensis (35% survival and N sudelli (0% survival, while reduced salinity had a negative impact on L. aurea. (16% seawater: 85% survival; 0.4% seawater: 35% survival. L. aurea tadpoles survived in salinities much higher than previously reported for this species, indicating the potential for inter-populations differences in salinity tolerance. In L. tasmaniensis and L. aurea, development to metamorphosis was fastest in low and high salinity treatments suggesting it is advantageous for tadpoles to invest energy in development in both highly favourable and developmentally challenging environments. We propose that this response might either maximise potential lifetime fecundity when tadpoles experience favourable environments, or, facilitate a more rapid escape from pond environments where there is a reduced probability of survival.

Deep neural networks to enable real-time multimessenger astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

George, Daniel; Huerta, E. A.

2018-02-01

Gravitational wave astronomy has set in motion a scientific revolution. To further enhance the science reach of this emergent field of research, there is a pressing need to increase the depth and speed of the algorithms used to enable these ground-breaking discoveries. We introduce Deep Filtering—a new scalable machine learning method for end-to-end time-series signal processing. Deep Filtering is based on deep learning with two deep convolutional neural networks, which are designed for classification and regression, to detect gravitational wave signals in highly noisy time-series data streams and also estimate the parameters of their sources in real time. Acknowledging that some of the most sensitive algorithms for the detection of gravitational waves are based on implementations of matched filtering, and that a matched filter is the optimal linear filter in Gaussian noise, the application of Deep Filtering using whitened signals in Gaussian noise is investigated in this foundational article. The results indicate that Deep Filtering outperforms conventional machine learning techniques, achieves similar performance compared to matched filtering, while being several orders of magnitude faster, allowing real-time signal processing with minimal resources. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Deep Filtering can detect and characterize waveform signals emitted from new classes of eccentric or spin-precessing binary black holes, even when trained with data sets of only quasicircular binary black hole waveforms. The results presented in this article, and the recent use of deep neural networks for the identification of optical transients in telescope data, suggests that deep learning can facilitate real-time searches of gravitational wave sources and their electromagnetic and astroparticle counterparts. In the subsequent article, the framework introduced herein is directly applied to identify and characterize gravitational wave events in real LIGO data.

Salinity management in southern Italy irrigation areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimo Monteleone

Full Text Available After a synthetic review of the most worrisome pressures applied over soils and waters, general criterions and normative principles that have to lead the technical intervention on soil and water protection are accounted, both with respect to farm activity and land planning. The salinity problem is faced, then, through the analysis of the nature and origin of saline soil and of the complex quantitative relationships able to interpret the accumulation and leaching of soil salts. Having specified the theoretical bases of salinity, the related technical features are then considered in order to define a proper management of soil and waters. Particular relevance is assigned to the irrigation and leaching techniques as well as, more briefly, to other agronomic interventions in order to guarantee the most effective salinity control. Another relevant technical facet of salinity control, although quite often neglected or retained of secondary importance in comparison to irrigation, is the drainage and disposal of leached water. The increased sensibility on the environmental impacts that the disposal of these waters can produce has raised today the level of attention on these procedures that are disciplined by norms of law and, therefore, require appropriate techniques of intervention. Finally, after the different scale orders involved in the management of salinity are defined (from the field and farm level up to the land and basin, the fundamental elements in order to work out a risk analysis and an action program are illustrated; some indications about the most up to date salinity monitoring and mapping methods are also provided, considering their great importance to continuously check the possible broadening of salinization and to carefully maintain its control.

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Amelioration of Salinity Stress: A Systems Biology Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gayathri Ilangumaran

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Salinity affects plant growth and is a major abiotic stress that limits crop productivity. It is well-understood that environmental adaptations and genetic traits regulate salinity tolerance in plants, but imparting the knowledge gained towards crop improvement remain arduous. Harnessing the potential of beneficial microorganisms present in the rhizosphere is an alternative strategy for improving plant stress tolerance. This review intends to elucidate the understanding of salinity tolerance mechanisms attributed by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR. Recent advances in molecular studies have yielded insights into the signaling networks of plant–microbe interactions that contribute to salt tolerance. The beneficial effects of PGPR involve boosting key physiological processes, including water and nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and source-sink relationships that promote growth and development. The regulation of osmotic balance and ion homeostasis by PGPR are conducted through modulation of phytohormone status, gene expression, protein function, and metabolite synthesis in plants. As a result, improved antioxidant activity, osmolyte accumulation, proton transport machinery, salt compartmentalization, and nutrient status reduce osmotic stress and ion toxicity. Furthermore, in addition to indole-3-acetic acid and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase biosynthesis, other extracellular secretions of the rhizobacteria function as signaling molecules and elicit stress responsive pathways. Application of PGPR inoculants is a promising measure to combat salinity in agricultural fields, thereby increasing global food production.

YouTube as a potential source of information on deep venous thrombosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bademci, Mehmet Ş; Yazman, Serkan; Güneş, Tevfik; Ocakoglu, Gokhan; Tayfur, Kaptanderya; Gokalp, Orhan

2017-09-01

Background No work has been reported on the use of video websites to learn about deep vein thrombosis and the value of education using them. We examined the characteristics and scientific accuracy of videos related to deep vein thrombosis on YouTube. Methods YouTube was surveyed using no filter and the key words 'deep vein thrombosis' and 'leg vein clot' in June 2016. The videos evaluated were divided into three groups in terms of their scientific content, accuracy, and currency: useful, partly useful, and useless. Results Of the 1200 videos watched, 715 (59.58%) were excluded with the exclusion criteria. Although most of the videos uploaded (22.9%, n = 111) were created by physicians, the number of views for website-based videos was significantly higher (p = 0.002). When the uploaded videos were assessed in terms of their usefulness, videos from physicians and hospitals were statistically more useful than other videos (p < 0.001). Conclusions For videos created by medical professionals to be of higher quality, we believe they should be more up-to-date and comprehensive, and contain animations about treatment modalities and early diagnosis in particular.

Stratification-Based Outlier Detection over the Deep Web.

Science.gov (United States)

Xian, Xuefeng; Zhao, Pengpeng; Sheng, Victor S; Fang, Ligang; Gu, Caidong; Yang, Yuanfeng; Cui, Zhiming

2016-01-01

For many applications, finding rare instances or outliers can be more interesting than finding common patterns. Existing work in outlier detection never considers the context of deep web. In this paper, we argue that, for many scenarios, it is more meaningful to detect outliers over deep web. In the context of deep web, users must submit queries through a query interface to retrieve corresponding data. Therefore, traditional data mining methods cannot be directly applied. The primary contribution of this paper is to develop a new data mining method for outlier detection over deep web. In our approach, the query space of a deep web data source is stratified based on a pilot sample. Neighborhood sampling and uncertainty sampling are developed in this paper with the goal of improving recall and precision based on stratification. Finally, a careful performance evaluation of our algorithm confirms that our approach can effectively detect outliers in deep web.

Distinctive Microbial Community Structure in Highly Stratified Deep-Sea Brine Water Columns

KAUST Repository

Bougouffa, Salim; Yang, J. K.; Lee, O. O.; Wang, Y.; Batang, Zenon B.; Al-Suwailem, Abdulaziz M.; Qian, P. Y.

2013-01-01

Atlantis II and Discovery are two hydrothermal and hypersaline deep-sea pools in the Red Sea rift that are characterized by strong thermohalo-stratification and temperatures steadily peaking near the bottom. We conducted comprehensive vertical profiling of the microbial populations in both pools and highlighted the influential environmental factors. Pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA genes revealed shifts in community structures vis-à-vis depth. High diversity and low abundance were features of the deepest convective layers despite the low cell density. Surprisingly, the brine interfaces had significantly higher cell counts than the overlying deep-sea water, yet they were lowest in diversity. Vertical stratification of the bacterial populations was apparent as we moved from the Alphaproteobacteria-dominated deep sea to the Planctomycetaceae- or Deferribacteres-dominated interfaces to the Gammaproteobacteria-dominated brine layers. Archaeal marine group I was dominant in the deep-sea water and interfaces, while several euryarchaeotic groups increased in the brine. Across sites, microbial phylotypes and abundances varied substantially in the brine interface of Discovery compared with Atlantis II, despite the near-identical populations in the overlying deep-sea waters. The lowest convective layers harbored interestingly similar microbial communities, even though temperature and heavy metal concentrations were very different. Multivariate analysis indicated that temperature and salinity were the major influences shaping the communities. The harsh conditions and the low-abundance phylotypes could explain the observed correlation in the brine pools.

Distinctive Microbial Community Structure in Highly Stratified Deep-Sea Brine Water Columns

KAUST Repository

Bougouffa, Salim

2013-03-29

Atlantis II and Discovery are two hydrothermal and hypersaline deep-sea pools in the Red Sea rift that are characterized by strong thermohalo-stratification and temperatures steadily peaking near the bottom. We conducted comprehensive vertical profiling of the microbial populations in both pools and highlighted the influential environmental factors. Pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA genes revealed shifts in community structures vis-à-vis depth. High diversity and low abundance were features of the deepest convective layers despite the low cell density. Surprisingly, the brine interfaces had significantly higher cell counts than the overlying deep-sea water, yet they were lowest in diversity. Vertical stratification of the bacterial populations was apparent as we moved from the Alphaproteobacteria-dominated deep sea to the Planctomycetaceae- or Deferribacteres-dominated interfaces to the Gammaproteobacteria-dominated brine layers. Archaeal marine group I was dominant in the deep-sea water and interfaces, while several euryarchaeotic groups increased in the brine. Across sites, microbial phylotypes and abundances varied substantially in the brine interface of Discovery compared with Atlantis II, despite the near-identical populations in the overlying deep-sea waters. The lowest convective layers harbored interestingly similar microbial communities, even though temperature and heavy metal concentrations were very different. Multivariate analysis indicated that temperature and salinity were the major influences shaping the communities. The harsh conditions and the low-abundance phylotypes could explain the observed correlation in the brine pools.

Measuring the fractal dimension of the seismic source through the high-frequency fall-off of source spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Z.L.; Chen, Y.T.; Kim, S.G.

1995-09-01

Using the Wigner-distribution estimation, the high-frequency fall-off of source spectra was estimated. The technique was applied to the analysis of the source spectra of the July 22, 1994, Vladivostok M6.4 deep-focus earthquake and that of the July 22, 1994, Northern Japan Sea M5.7 deep-focus earthquake. It is shown that the high-frequency fall-off of the source spectra of these two earthquakes may be characterized by two parts. Between the first corner frequency f 1 and the second corner frequency f 2 , the high-frequency fall-off of the source spectra can be represented by f 5.0 : above f 2 , the high-frequency fall-off can be represented by f 1.4 . In the perspective of the fractal geometry of earthquake source, it seems that the deep-focus earthquakes under consideration may be characterized as being composed of some 'sub events'. On the other hand, each sub event has its complex structure. (author). 12 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab

Microbiological characterization of deep geological compartments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barsotti, V.; Sergeant, C.; Vesvres, M.H.; Coulon, S.; Joulian, C.; Garrido, F.; Ollivier, B.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Microbial life in deep sediments and Earth's crust is now acknowledged by the scientific world. The deep subsurface biosphere contributes significantly to fundamental biogeochemical processes. However, despite great advances in geo-microbiological studies, deep terrestrial ecosystems are microbiologically poorly understood, mainly due to their inaccessibility. The drilling down to the base of the Triassic (1980 meters deep) in the geological formations of the eastern Paris Basin performed by ANDRA (EST433) in 2008 provides us a good opportunity to explore the deep biosphere. We conditioned the samples on the coring site, in as aseptic conditions as possible. In addition to storage at atmospheric pressure, a portion of the four Triassic samples was placed in a 190 bars pressurized chamber to investigate the influence of the conservation pressure factor on the found microflora. In parallel, in order to evaluate a potential bacterial contamination of the cores by the drilling fluids, samples of mud just before each sample drilling were taken and analyzed. The microbial exploration can be divided in two parts: - A cultural approach in different culture media for metabolic groups as methanogens, fermenters and sulphate reducing bacteria to stimulate their growth and to isolate microbial cells still viable. - A molecular approach by direct extraction of genomic DNA from the geological samples to explore a larger biodiversity. The limits are here the difficulties to extract DNA from these low biomass containing rocks. After comparison and optimization of several DNA extraction methods, the bacterial diversity present in rock cores was analyzed using DGGE (Denaturating Gel Gradient Electrophoresis) and cloning. The detailed results of all these investigations will be presented: - Despite all 400 cultural conditions experimented (with various media, salinities, temperatures, conservation pressure, agitation), no viable and

Evaluation of salinity stress on morphophysiological traits of four salin tolarant wheat cultivars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

leila yadelerloo

2009-06-01

Full Text Available For assessment the effects of salinity on morphophysiological traits of wheat an experiment with four caltivars (Karchia, Sorkh tokhm, Sholeh and Roshan and one line (1-66-22 in four salt concentrations(0, 60, 120, and 180 mM NaCl, were conducted by factorial analysis in a completely randomized design with three replications. The rate of leaf area were measured in four stages. In booting stage, relative chlorophyll content (SPAD meter, and in pollination phase the rate of Na+ and K+ iones in four leaves(up to down were assessed and finally stem length and total dry matter were measured. Results showed that salinity reduced leaf area, total dry matter stem length of plants and relative chlorophyll content. With increasing of salinity the rate of Na+ were increased but the rate of K+ iones were decreased. Also the salt exclusion was observed at nodes of stem that of 1-66-22 was spot form.

DeepDive: Declarative Knowledge Base Construction.

Science.gov (United States)

De Sa, Christopher; Ratner, Alex; Ré, Christopher; Shin, Jaeho; Wang, Feiran; Wu, Sen; Zhang, Ce

2016-03-01

The dark data extraction or knowledge base construction (KBC) problem is to populate a SQL database with information from unstructured data sources including emails, webpages, and pdf reports. KBC is a long-standing problem in industry and research that encompasses problems of data extraction, cleaning, and integration. We describe DeepDive, a system that combines database and machine learning ideas to help develop KBC systems. The key idea in DeepDive is that statistical inference and machine learning are key tools to attack classical data problems in extraction, cleaning, and integration in a unified and more effective manner. DeepDive programs are declarative in that one cannot write probabilistic inference algorithms; instead, one interacts by defining features or rules about the domain. A key reason for this design choice is to enable domain experts to build their own KBC systems. We present the applications, abstractions, and techniques of DeepDive employed to accelerate construction of KBC systems.

SMAP Salinity Artifacts Associated With Presence of Rain

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, M. M.; Santos-Garcia, A.; Jones, L.

2016-02-01

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite carries an L-band radiometer, which measures sea surface salinity (SSS) over a swath of 1000 km @ 40 km resolution. SMAP can extend the Aquarius (AQ) salinity data record with improved temporal/spatial sampling. Previous studies [see references] have demonstrated significant differences between satellite and in-situ salinity measurements during rain. In the presence of precipitation, salinity stratification exists near the sea surface, which nullifies the presumption of a well-mixed salinity. In general, these salinity gradients last only a few hours and the upper layer becomes slightly fresher in salinity. This paper describes the Rain Impact Model (RIM) that simulates the effects of rain accumulation on the SSS [Santos-Garcia et al., 2014] applied to SMAP. This model incorporates rainfall information for the previous 24 hours to the measurement sample (in this case SMAP) and uses as initialization the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) data. Given the better resolution of SMAP, the goal of this paper is to continue the analysis previously done with AQ to better understand the effects of the instantaneous and accumulated rain on the salinity measurements. Boutin, J., N. Martin, G. Reverdin, X. Yin, and F. Gaillard (2013), Sea surface freshening inferred from SMOS and ARGO salinity: Impact of rain, Ocean Sci., 9(1), 183-192, doi:10.5194/os-9-183-2013. Santos-Garcia, A., M. Jacob, L. Jones, W. Asher, Y. Hejazin, H. Ebrahimi, and M. Rabolli (2014), Investigation of rain effects on Aquarius Sea Surface Salinity measurements, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 119, 7605-7624, doi:10.1002/2014JC010137. Tang, W., S.H Yueh, A. Hayashi, A.G. Fore, W.L. Jones, A. Santos-Garcia, and M.M. Jacob, (2015), Rain-Induced Near Surface Salinity Stratification and Rain Roughness Correction for Aquarius SSS Retrieval, in Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, IEEE Journal of, 8(99), 1-11, doi: 10.1109/JSTARS.2015.2463768.

Salinity tolerance of Picochlorum atomus and the use of salinity for contamination control by the freshwater cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena limnetica.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas von Alvensleben

Full Text Available Microalgae are ideal candidates for waste-gas and -water remediation. However, salinity often varies between different sites. A cosmopolitan microalga with large salinity tolerance and consistent biochemical profiles would be ideal for standardised cultivation across various remediation sites. The aims of this study were to determine the effects of salinity on Picochlorum atomus growth, biomass productivity, nutrient uptake and biochemical profiles. To determine if target end-products could be manipulated, the effects of 4-day nutrient limitation were also determined. Culture salinity had no effect on growth, biomass productivity, phosphate, nitrate and total nitrogen uptake at 2, 8, 18, 28 and 36 ppt. 11 ppt, however, initiated a significantly higher total nitrogen uptake. While salinity had only minor effects on biochemical composition, nutrient depletion was a major driver for changes in biomass quality, leading to significant increases in total lipid, fatty acid and carbohydrate quantities. Fatty acid composition was also significantly affected by nutrient depletion, with an increased proportion of saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids. Having established that P. atomus is a euryhaline microalga, the effects of culture salinity on the development of the freshwater cyanobacterial contaminant Pseudanabaena limnetica were determined. Salinity at 28 and 36 ppt significantly inhibited establishment of P. limnetica in P. atomus cultures. In conclusion, P. atomus can be deployed for bioremediation at sites with highly variable salinities without effects on end-product potential. Nutrient status critically affected biochemical profiles--an important consideration for end-product development by microalgal industries. 28 and 36 ppt slow the establishment of the freshwater cyanobacterium P. limnetica, allowing for harvest of low contaminant containing biomass.

Genome interrogation for novel salinity tolerant Arabidopsis mutants.

Science.gov (United States)

van Tol, Niels; Pinas, Johan; Schat, Henk; Hooykaas, Paul J J; van der Zaal, Bert J

2016-12-01

Soil salinity is becoming an increasingly large problem in agriculture. In this study, we have investigated whether a capacity to withstand salinity can be induced in the salinity sensitive plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, and whether it can be maintained in subsequent generations. To this end, we have used zinc finger artificial transcription factor (ZF-ATFs) mediated genome interrogation. Already within a relatively small collection Arabidopsis lines expressing ZF-ATFs, we found 41 lines that were tolerant to 100 mM NaCl. Furthermore, ZF-ATF encoding gene constructs rescued from the most strongly salinity tolerant lines were indeed found to act as dominant and heritable agents for salinity tolerance. Altogether, our data provide evidence that a silent capacity to withstand normally lethal levels of salinity exists in Arabidopsis and can be evoked relatively easily by in trans acting transcription factors like ZF-ATFs. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Using Argo-O2 data to examine the impact of deep-water formation events on oxygen uptake in the Labrador Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, M. K.; Hamme, R. C.; Gilbert, D.; Yashayaev, I.

2016-02-01

Deep-water formation allows the deep ocean to communicate with the atmosphere, facilitating exchanges of heat as well as important gases such as CO2 and oxygen. The Labrador Sea is the most studied location of deep convection in the North Atlantic Ocean and a strong contributor to the global thermohaline circulation. Since there are no internal sources of oxygen below the euphotic zone, deep-water formation is vital for oxygen transport to the deep ocean. Recent studies document large interannual variability in the strength and depth of convection in the Labrador Sea, from mixed layers of 100m to greater than 1000m. A weakening of this deep convection starves the deep ocean of oxygen, disrupting crucial deep sea biological processes, as well as reducing oceanic CO2 uptake and ocean circulation. We used data from the extensive Argo float network to examine these deep-water formation events in the Labrador Sea. The oxygen optodes onboard many Argo floats suffer from biases whose amplitude must be determined; therefore we investigated and applied various optode calibration methods. Using calibrated vertical profiles of oxygen, temperature, and salinity, we observed the timing, magnitude, and location of deep convection, restratification, and spring phytoplankton blooms. In addition, we used surface oxygen values along with NCEP wind speeds to calculate the air-sea oxygen flux using a range of air-sea gas exchange parameterizations. We then compared this oxygen flux to the rate of change of the measured oxygen inventory. Where the inventory and flux did not agree, we identified other oceanic processes such as biological activity or lateral advection of water masses occurring, or advection of the float itself into a new area. The large role that horizontal advection of water or the float has on oxygen uptake and cycling leads us to conclude that this data cannot be easily interpreted as a 1-D system. Oxygen exchanges with the atmosphere at a faster rate than CO2, is

The density-salinity relation of standard seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Hannes; Seitz, Steffen; Hassel, Egon; Wolf, Henning

2018-01-01

The determination of salinity by means of electrical conductivity relies on stable salt proportions in the North Atlantic Ocean, because standard seawater, which is required for salinometer calibration, is produced from water of the North Atlantic. To verify the long-term stability of the standard seawater composition, it was proposed to perform measurements of the standard seawater density. Since the density is sensitive to all salt components, a density measurement can detect any change in the composition. A conversion of the density values to salinity can be performed by means of a density-salinity relation. To use such a relation with a target uncertainty in salinity comparable to that in salinity obtained from conductivity measurements, a density measurement with an uncertainty of 2 g m-3 is mandatory. We present a new density-salinity relation based on such accurate density measurements. The substitution measurement method used is described and density corrections for uniform isotopic and chemical compositions are reported. The comparison of densities calculated using the new relation with those calculated using the present reference equations of state TEOS-10 suggests that the density accuracy of TEOS-10 (as well as that of EOS-80) has been overestimated, as the accuracy of some of its underlying density measurements had been overestimated. The new density-salinity relation may be used to verify the stable composition of standard seawater by means of routine density measurements.

Effects of Vinegar Bad and Flyash on the Growth of Sorghum and the Improvement of Saline Soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FAN Na

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Based on the sorghum growth and salinity soil improvement, the effects of vinegar bad and flyash on the growth of sorghum and the improvement of saline soils were studied. The experiment was carried out with random block design, in 4 treatment, which were pure vinegar bad(treatment 1, vinegar bad and fly ash 1:1 ratio(treatment 2, vinegar bad and fly ash 2:1 ratio(treatment 3 and control respectively. The results showed that the contents of available nutrient in the four periods of sorghum growth increased firstly and then decreased, and the effect of vinegar bad and flyash treatment was better than that of control. Among them, the ratio 1:1 of vinegar and fly ash had the best effect. The results showed that compared with the control, the soil bulk density of treatment 1~3 was decreased by 19.6%, 28.6% and 11.32%, respectively. The spike length of treatment 1~3 was 6.25%, 9.06%, 3.93% higher than that of the control, respectively. The yield per plant of treatment 1~3 was increased by 10.53%, 13.26% and 8.89%, respectively. In summary, vinegar bad, flyash could improve the physical and chemical properties of saline soil, improve the environment of deep soil for plant growth, thereby increase the yield of sorghum.

DeepPy: Pythonic deep learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Anders Boesen Lindbo

This technical report introduces DeepPy – a deep learning framework built on top of NumPy with GPU acceleration. DeepPy bridges the gap between highperformance neural networks and the ease of development from Python/NumPy. Users with a background in scientific computing in Python will quickly...... be able to understand and change the DeepPy codebase as it is mainly implemented using high-level NumPy primitives. Moreover, DeepPy supports complex network architectures by letting the user compose mathematical expressions as directed graphs. The latest version is available at http...

Use of microwave remote sensing in salinity estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, R.P.; Kumar, V.; Srivastav, S.K.

1990-01-01

Soil-moisture interaction and the consequent liberation of ions causes the salinity of waters. The salinity of river, lake, ocean and ground water changes due to seepage and surface runoff. We have studied the feasibility of using microwave remote sensing for the estimation of salinity by carrying out numerical calculations to study the microwave remote sensing responses of various models representative of river, lake and ocean water. The results show the dependence of microwave remote sensing responses on the salinity and surface temperature of water. The results presented in this paper will be useful in the selection of microwave sensor parameters and in the accurate estimation of salinity from microwave remote sensing data

New techniques to control salinity-wastewater reuse interactions in golf courses of the Mediterranean regions

Science.gov (United States)

Beltrao, J.; Costa, M.; Rosado, V.; Gamito, P.; Santos, R.; Khaydarova, V.

2003-04-01

Due to the lack water around the Mediterranean regions, potable water luxurious uses - as in golf courses - are increasingly contested. In order to solve this problem, non conventional water resources (effluent, gray, recycled, reclaimed, brackish), like treated wastewater, for irrigation gained increasing role in the planning and development of additional water supplies in golf courses. In most cases, the intense use of effluent for irrigation attracted public awareness in respect of contaminating pathogens and heavy metals. The contaminating effect of salinity in soil and underground water is very often neglected. The objective of this work is to present the conventional techniques to control salinity of treated wastewater and to present some results on new clean techniques to solve this problem, in the framework of the INCO-COPERNICUS project (no. IC-15CT98-0105) "Adaptation of Efficient Water Use Criteria in Marginal Regions of Europe and Middle Asia with Scarce Sources Subject to Environmental Control, Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development" and of the INCO-DC project (no. IC18-CT98-0266) "Control of Salination and Combating Desertification Effects in the Mediterranean Region. Phase II". Saline water is the most common irrigation water in arid climates. Moreover, for each region treated wastewater is always more saline than tap water, and therefore, when treated wastewater is reused in golf courses, more salinity problems occur. Conventional techniques to combat the salination process in golf courses can be characterized by four generations: 1) Problem of root zone salination by soil leaching - two options can occur - when there is an impermeable layer, salts will be concentrated above this layer; on the other hand, when there is no impermeable layer, aquifers contamination can be observed; 2) Use of subsurface trickle irrigation - economy of water, and therefore less additional salts; however the problem of groundwater contamination due to natural rain

Application of wastewater with high organic load for saline-sodic soil reclamation focusing on soil purification ability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.A. Kameli

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Fresh water source scarcity in arid and semiarid area is limitation factor for saline-sodic soil reclamation. The reusing of agricultural drainage and industrial wastewater are preferred strategies for combating with this concern. The objective of current study was evaluation in application of industrial sugar manufacture wastewater due to high soluble organic compounds in saline-sodic and sodic soil. Also soil ability in wastewater organic compounds removal was second aim of present study. Saline-sodic and sodic soil sample was leached in soil column by diluted wastewater of amirkabir sugar manufacture in Khuzestan Province of Iran at constant water head. Sodium, electric conductivity and chemical oxygen demand of soil column leachate were measured per each pore volume. The experimental kinetics of wastewater organic compounds on two saline-sodic and sodic soil were also investigated by three pseudo second order, intra particle diffusion and elovich model. The results of current study showed that electric conductivity of saline-sodic soil was decreased to 90% during 3 initial pore volumes, from other side exchangeable sodium percent of saline-sodic and sodic soil decreased 30 and 71 percent, respectively. There were no significant different between wastewater chemical oxygen demand removal by saline-sodic and sodic soil in both batch and column studies. Wastewater chemical oxygen demand was decreased to 35% during pass through soil column. The results showed that the adsorption kinetics of wastewater organic compounds were best fitted by the pseudo-second order model with 99 percent correlation coefficient (r2=0.99%.

Deep Transfer Metric Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Junlin Hu; Jiwen Lu; Yap-Peng Tan; Jie Zhou

2016-12-01

Conventional metric learning methods usually assume that the training and test samples are captured in similar scenarios so that their distributions are assumed to be the same. This assumption does not hold in many real visual recognition applications, especially when samples are captured across different data sets. In this paper, we propose a new deep transfer metric learning (DTML) method to learn a set of hierarchical nonlinear transformations for cross-domain visual recognition by transferring discriminative knowledge from the labeled source domain to the unlabeled target domain. Specifically, our DTML learns a deep metric network by maximizing the inter-class variations and minimizing the intra-class variations, and minimizing the distribution divergence between the source domain and the target domain at the top layer of the network. To better exploit the discriminative information from the source domain, we further develop a deeply supervised transfer metric learning (DSTML) method by including an additional objective on DTML, where the output of both the hidden layers and the top layer are optimized jointly. To preserve the local manifold of input data points in the metric space, we present two new methods, DTML with autoencoder regularization and DSTML with autoencoder regularization. Experimental results on face verification, person re-identification, and handwritten digit recognition validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Fiscal 1997 verification and survey of geothermal prospecting technology etc. 2/2. Survey report on deep-seated geothermal resources; 1997 nendo chinetsu tansa gijutsu nado kensho chosa hokokusho. 2/2. Shinbu chinetsu shigen chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-02-01

For the purpose of reducing the risk to accompany the exploitation of deep-seated geothermal resources, investigations are conducted into the three factors that govern the formation of geothermal resources at deep levels, that is, the supply of heat from heat sources, the supply of geothermal fluids, and the development of fracture systems contributing to the constitution of reservoir structures. In the evaluation and study of reservoirs and the amount of resources, a reservoir simulation is conducted to grasp the characteristics of reservoirs and the amount of resources. For this purpose, the origin and history of the Kakkonda geothermal field are studied, with special attention paid to the origin of the difference in temperature between the shallow-seated and deep-seated reservoirs, the geometry of granite at Kakkonda, the region of recharge of meteoric water, the distribution of saline concentration in the natural state and the cause of the occurrence, the amount of supply of fluids and heat from the depth to the reservoirs, etc. In the evaluation and study of the economic effectiveness of the exploitation of deep-seated geothermal resources, it is learned that, if a 50MW geothermal power station is to be built at a deep level (drilled depth of 3000m on the average) with a rate of 50% attained in drilling, the steam amount required at such a deep level (presumed to be 75t/h) will be more than twice that required at a shallow level (presumed to be 35/h). (NEDO)

An Investigation of the Radiative Effects and Climate Feedbacks of Sea Ice Sources of Sea Salt Aerosol

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, H. M.; Alexander, B.; Bitz, C. M.; Jaegle, L.; Burrows, S. M.

2017-12-01

In polar regions, sea ice is a major source of sea salt aerosol through lofting of saline frost flowers or blowing saline snow from the sea ice surface. Under continued climate warming, an ice-free Arctic in summer with only first-year, more saline sea ice in winter is likely. Previous work has focused on climate impacts in summer from increasing open ocean sea salt aerosol emissions following complete sea ice loss in the Arctic, with conflicting results suggesting no net radiative effect or a negative climate feedback resulting from a strong first aerosol indirect effect. However, the radiative forcing from changes to the sea ice sources of sea salt aerosol in a future, warmer climate has not previously been explored. Understanding how sea ice loss affects the Arctic climate system requires investigating both open-ocean and sea ice sources of sea-salt aerosol and their potential interactions. Here, we implement a blowing snow source of sea salt aerosol into the Community Earth System Model (CESM) dynamically coupled to the latest version of the Los Alamos sea ice model (CICE5). Snow salinity is a key parameter affecting blowing snow sea salt emissions and previous work has assumed constant regional snow salinity over sea ice. We develop a parameterization for dynamic snow salinity in the sea ice model and examine how its spatial and temporal variability impacts the production of sea salt from blowing snow. We evaluate and constrain the snow salinity parameterization using available observations. Present-day coupled CESM-CICE5 simulations of sea salt aerosol concentrations including sea ice sources are evaluated against in situ and satellite (CALIOP) observations in polar regions. We then quantify the present-day radiative forcing from the addition of blowing snow sea salt aerosol with respect to aerosol-radiation and aerosol-cloud interactions. The relative contributions of sea ice vs. open ocean sources of sea salt aerosol to radiative forcing in polar regions is

Impact of proton irradiation on deep level states in n-GaN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Z.; Arehart, A. R.; Cinkilic, E.; Ringel, S. A.; Chen, J.; Zhang, E. X.; Fleetwood, D. M.; Schrimpf, R. D.; McSkimming, B.; Speck, J. S.

2013-01-01

Deep levels in 1.8 MeV proton irradiated n-type GaN were systematically characterized using deep level transient spectroscopies and deep level optical spectroscopies. The impacts of proton irradiation on the introduction and evolution of those deep states were revealed as a function of proton fluences up to 1.1 × 10 13 cm −2 . The proton irradiation introduced two traps with activation energies of E C - 0.13 eV and 0.16 eV, and a monotonic increase in the concentration for most of the pre-existing traps, though the increase rates were different for each trap, suggesting different physical sources and/or configurations for these states. Through lighted capacitance voltage measurements, the deep levels at E C - 1.25 eV, 2.50 eV, and 3.25 eV were identified as being the source of systematic carrier removal in proton-damaged n-GaN as a function of proton fluence

Pliocene cooling enhanced by flow of low-salinity Bering Sea water to the Arctic Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Horikawa, Keiji; Martin, Ellen E; Basak, Chandranath; Onodera, Jonaotaro; Seki, Osamu; Sakamoto, Tatsuhiko; Ikehara, Minoru; Sakai, Saburo; Kawamura, Kimitaka

2015-06-29

Warming of high northern latitudes in the Pliocene (5.33-2.58 Myr ago) has been linked to the closure of the Central American Seaway and intensification of North Atlantic Deep Water. Subsequent cooling in the late Pliocene may be related to the effects of freshwater input from the Arctic Ocean via the Bering Strait, disrupting North Atlantic Deep Water formation and enhancing sea ice formation. However, the timing of Arctic freshening has not been defined. Here we present neodymium and lead isotope records of detrital sediment from the Bering Sea for the past 4.3 million years. Isotopic data suggest the presence of Alaskan glaciers as far back as 4.2 Myr ago, while diatom and C37:4 alkenone records show a long-term trend towards colder and fresher water in the Bering Sea beginning with the M2 glaciation (3.3 Myr ago). We argue that the introduction of low-salinity Bering Sea water to the Arctic Ocean by 3.3 Myr ago preconditioned the climate system for global cooling.

Biogeochemical cycling of arsenic in coastal salinized aquifers: Evidence from sulfur isotope study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kao, Yu-Hsuan; Wang, Sheng-Wei; Liu, Chen-Wuing; Wang, Pei-Ling; Wang, Chung-Ho; Maji, Sanjoy Kumar

2011-01-01

Arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater, accompanied by critical salinization, occurs in the southwestern coastal area of Taiwan. Statistical analyses and geochemical calculations indicate that a possible source of aqueous arsenic is the reductive dissolution of As-bearing iron oxyhydroxides. There are few reports of the influence of sulfate-sulfide redox cycling on arsenic mobility in brackish groundwater. We evaluated the contribution of sulfate reduction and sulfide re-oxidation on As enrichment using δ 34 S [SO 4 ] and δ 18 O [SO 4 ] sulfur isotopic analyses of groundwater. Fifty-three groundwater samples were divided into groups of high-As content and salinized (Type A), low-As and non-salinized (Type B), and high-As and non-salinized (Type C) groundwaters, based on hydro-geochemical analysis. The relatively high enrichment of 34 S [SO 4 ] and 18 O [SO 4 ] present in Type A, caused by microbial-mediated reduction of sulfate, and high 18 O enrichment factor (ε [SO 4 -H 2 O] ), suggests that sulfur disproportionation is an important process during the reductive dissolution of As-containing iron oxyhydroxides. Limited co-precipitation of ion-sulfide increased the rate of As liberation under anaerobic conditions. In contrast to this, Type B and Type C groundwater samples showed high δ 18 O [SO 4 ] and low δ 34 S [SO 4 ] values under mildly reducing conditions. Base on 18 O mass balance calculations, the oxide sources of sulfate are from infiltrated atmospheric O 2 , caused by additional recharge of dissolved oxygen and sulfide re-oxidation. The anthropogenic influence of extensive pumping also promotes atmospheric oxygen entry into aquifers, altering redox conditions, and increasing the rate of As release into groundwater. - Highlights: → Seawater intrusion and elevated As are the main issues of groundwater in Taiwan. → Sulfur and oxygen isotopes of sulfate were analyzed to evaluate the As mobility. → Reductive dissolution of Fe minerals and

Ventilation of the deep Greenland and Norwegian seas: evidence from krypton-85, tritium, carbon-14 and argon-39

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smethie, W.M. Jr.; Ostlund, H.G.; Loosli, H.H.

1986-01-01

On leg 5 of the TTO expedition, the distributions of 85 Kr, tritium, 14 C, 39 Ar, temperature, salinity, oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients were measured in the Greenland and Norwegian seas. These observations support previous observations that Greenland Sea Deep Water is formed by a deep convective process within the Greenland gyre. They also support AAGAARD et al.'s (1985, Journal of Geophysical Research, 90, 4833-4846) new hypothesis that Norwegian Sea Deep Water forms from a mixture of Greenland Sea Deep Water and Eurasian Basin Deep Water. Volume transports estimated from the distributions of 85 Kr, tritium, 14 C and 39 Ar range from 0.53 to 0.74 Sv for exchange between the surface and deep Greenland Sea and from 0.9 to 1.47 Sv for exchange between the deep Greenland and deep Norwegian Seas. The residence time of water and the deep Greenland Sea with respect to exchange with surface water ranges from 24 to 34 years reported by PETERSON and ROOTH (1976, Deep-Sea Research, 23, 273-283) and 35-42 years reported by BULLISTER and WEISS (1983, Science, 221, 265-268). The residence time of water in the deep Norwegian Sea with respect to exchange with the deep Greenland Sea ranges from 19 to 30 years compared to 97-107 years reported by PETERSON and ROOTH (1976) and 10-28 years reported by BULLISTER and WEISS (1983). The oxygen consumption rate was estimated to be at most 1.04 μM kg -1 y -1 for the deep Greenland Sea and to be between 0.47 and 0.79 μM kg -1 y -1 for the deep Norwegian Sea. (author)

Chemical stratigraphy of the Apollo 17 deep drill cores 70009-70007

Science.gov (United States)

Ehmann, W. D.; Ali, M. Z.

1977-01-01

A description is presented of an analysis of a total of 26 samples from three core segments (70009, 70008, 70007) of the Apollo 17 deep drill string. The deep drill string was taken about 700 m east of the Camelot Crater in the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon. Three core segments have been chemically characterized from the mainly coarse-grained upper portion of the deep drill string. The chemical data suggest that the entire 70007-70009 portion of the deep drill string examined was not deposited as a single unit, but was formed by several events sampling slightly different source materials which may have occurred over a relatively short period of time. According to the data from drill stem 70007, there were at least two phases of deposition. Core segment 70009 is probably derived from somewhat different source material than 70008. It seems to be a very well mixed material.

PRODUCTION OF TOMATO SEEDLINGS UNDER SALINE IRRIGATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Alberto Brasiliano Campos

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Processing tomato is the most important vegetable crop of the Brazilian agribusiness and few researches have been conducted to evaluate the tolerance of this crop to saline stress. In this study, the effects of five levels of salinity of the irrigation water (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 dS m-1 and three equivalent proportions of Na:Ca:Mg (1:1:0.5, 4:1:0.5 and 7:1:0.5 were tested on the emergence and vigor of processing tomato, cultivar IPA 6. Seeds were sowed in expanded polystyrene tray (128 cells and each tray received 1 L of water after sowing. The trays were piled and, four days after sowing, they were placed on suspended supports in a greenhouse. Irrigation was accomplished daily from the fifth day after sowing. Only dry weight of shoot and root was affected by sodium proportions, while linear reductions of the speed of emergence, stem length and the dry weight of shoot and root were observed with increasing salinity. Root was more affected than shoot by salinity and relative growth ratioincreased with salinity levels on the 14-21 days after sowing period, indicating that the crop showed a certain increase of salinity tolerance with the time of exposure to salts.

Sources and sinks of nitrogen and phosphorus to a deep, oligotrophic lake, Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, P.W.; Cox, S.E.; Embrey, S.S.; Huffman, R.L.; Olsen, T.D.; Fradkin, S.C.

2012-01-01

Lake Crescent, in Olympic National Park in the northwest corner of Washington State is a deep-water lake renowned for its pristine water quality and oligotrophic nature. To examine the major sources and sinks of nutrients (as total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and dissolved nitrate), a study was conducted in the Lake Crescent watershed. The study involved measuring five major inflow streams, the Lyre River as the major outflow, recording weather and climatic data, coring lake bed sediment, and analyzing nutrient chemistry in several relevant media over 14 months. Water samples for total nitrogen, total phosphorous, and dissolved nitrate from the five inflow streams, the outlet Lyre River, and two stations in the lake were collected monthly from May 2006 through May 2007. Periodic samples of shallow water from temporary sampling wells were collected at numerous locations around the lake. Concentrations of nutrients detected in Lake Crescent and tributaries were then applied to the water budget estimates to arrive at monthly and annual loads from various environmental components within the watershed. Other sources, such as leaf litter, pollen, or automobile exhaust were estimated from annual values obtained from various literature sources. This information then was used to construct a nutrient budget for total nitrogen and total phosphorus. The nitrogen budget generally highlights vehicle traffic-diesel trucks in particular-along U.S. Highway 101 as a potential major anthropogenic source of nitrogen compounds in the lake. In contrast, contribution of nitrogen compounds from onsite septic systems appears to be relatively minor related to the other sources identified.

Active microbial community structure of deep subsurface sediments within Baltic Sea Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Reese, B. K.; Zinke, L.; Carvalho, G.; Lloyd, K. G.; Marshall, I.; Shumaker, A.; Amend, J.

2014-12-01

The Baltic Sea Basin (BSB) is a unique depositional setting that has experienced periods of glaciation and deglaciation as a result of climatic fluctuations over past tens of thousands of years. This has resulted in laminated sediments formed during periods with strong permanent salinity stratification. The high sedimentation rates make this an ideal setting to understand the microbial structure of a deep biosphere community in a relatively high carbon, and thus high-energy environment, compared to other deep subsurface sites. Samples were collected through scientific drilling during the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 347 on board the Greatship Manisha, September-November 2013. We examined the active microbial community structure using the 16S rRNA gene transcript and active functional genes through metatranscriptome sequencing. Major biogeochemical shifts have been observed in response to the depositional history between the limnic, brackish, and marine phases. The active microbial community structure in the BSB is diverse and reflective of the unique changes in the geochemical profile. These data further refine our understanding of the existence life in the deep subsurface and the survival mechanisms required for this extreme environment.

Basaltic substrate composition affects microbial community development and acts as a source of nutrients in the deep biosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, B.; Sudek, L.; Templeton, A.; Staudigel, H.; Tebo, B.; Moyer, C.; Davis, R.

2006-12-01

Studies of the oceanic crust over the past decade have revealed that in spite of the oligotrophic nature of this environment, a diverse biosphere is present in the upper 1 km of basaltic crust. The key energy source in this setting may be the high content of transistion metals (Fe, Mn) found in the basaltic glass, but in order to discover the role of Fe and Mn in the deep biosphere, we must first determine which microbes are present and how they attain the necessary metabolites for proliferation. Our work contributes to both questions through the use of molecular microbiology techniques and the exposure of specifically designed substrates on the ocean floor. Loihi Seamount off the southeast coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i provides a unique laboratory for the study of distribution and population of microbial communities associated with iron rich environments on the ocean floor. Iron oxide flocculent material (floc) dominates the direct and diffuse hydrothermal venting areas on Loihi which makes it a prime target for understanding the role of iron in biological systems in the deep biosphere. We collected iron oxide floc and basaltic glass from pillow basalts around several hydrothermal vents on the crater rim, within the pit crater Pele's Pit, and from deep off of the southern rift zone of Loihi using the HURL PISCES IV/V submersibles. We also deployed basaltic glass sand amended with various nutrients (phosphate, oxidized and reduced iron, manganese) and recovered them in subsequent years to determine how substrate composition affects community structure. We extracted DNA from both rock and iron flocs and used t-RFLP to obtain a genetic fingerprint of the microbial communities associated with each substrate. From olivine and tholeiitic basalt enrichments, it appears that substrate composition strongly influences microbial colonization and subsequent community development even when deployed in the same conditions. Culturing efforts have yielded several iron

EFFECTIVENESS OF INHIBITORS OF METAL CORROSION IN AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENTS WITH VARYING SALINITY

OpenAIRE

Носачова, Юлія Вікторівна; Макаренко, Ірина Миколаївна; Шаблій, Тетяна Олександрівна

2015-01-01

EFFECTIVENESS OF INHIBITORS OF METAL CORROSION IN AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENTS WITH VARYING SALINITYThe main reason for the growing problem of water quality in Ukraine is the increase of anthropogenic impacts on water resources caused by intense chemical, biological and radiation contamination of existing and potential sources for industrial and communal water supply. Especially polluted rivers in Donbass and Krivbas area, that turned into collectors of saline wastewater. Especially hard environment...

Dwarf cashew growth irrigated with saline waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hugo Orlando Carvallo Guerra

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The cashew production is one of the most important agricultural activities from the social-economical viewpoint for the North East of Brazil; besides to produce a great deal of hand labor, it is very important as an exporting commodity. The inadequate use of irrigation in the semi arid regions of the North East of Brazil has induced soil salinization and consequently problems for the irrigated agriculture. In spite of this, few works have been conducted to study the effect of saline stress on the growth and development of the cashew. Because of the lack of information for this crop, an experiment was conducted to study the effect of salinity stress on the phytomass production and nutrient accumulation on the different organs of the precocious dwarf cashew (Anacardium occidentale L. clone CCP76. The study was conducted under controlled conditions using as statistical scheme a randomized block design factorial with six replicates. Five salinity treatments were considered for the irrigation water (electrical conductivities of 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, 3.2 and 4.0 dS m-1 at 25oC. The increasing in salinity of the irrigation water reduced the phytomass at different organs of the studied plant. The nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, chloride and sodium in the plant varied with the salinity of the irrigation water according with the part of the plant analyzed; in some parts increased, in others decreased, in others increased initially and decreased afterwards, and finally, in other part of the plant the salinity of the irrigation water did not affect the nutrient concentration.

Geogenic sources of benzene in aquifers used for public supply, California

Science.gov (United States)

Landon, Matthew K.; Belitz, Kenneth

2012-01-01

Statistical evaluation of two large statewide data sets from the California State Water Board's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program (1973 wells) and the California Department of Public Health (12417 wells) reveals that benzene occurs infrequently (1.7%) and at generally low concentrations (median detected concentration of 0.024 μg/L) in groundwater used for public supply in California. When detected, benzene is more often related to geogenic (45% of detections) than anthropogenic sources (27% of detections). Similar relations are evident for the sum of 17 hydrocarbons analyzed. Benzene occurs most frequently and at the highest concentrations in old, brackish, and reducing groundwater; the detection frequency was 13.0% in groundwater with tritium 1600 μS/cm, and anoxic conditions. This groundwater is typically deep (>180 m). Benzene occurs somewhat less frequently in recent, shallow, and reducing groundwater; the detection frequency was 2.6% in groundwater with tritium ≥1 pCi/L, depth <30 m, and anoxic conditions. Evidence for geogenic sources of benzene include: higher concentrations and detection frequencies with increasing well depth, groundwater age, and proximity to oil and gas fields; and higher salinity and lower chloride/iodide ratios in old groundwater with detections of benzene, consistent with interactions with oil-field brines.

Dwarfism of blue mussels in the low saline Baltic Sea — growth to the lower salinity limit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riisgård, Hans Ulrik; Larsen, Poul Scheel; Turja, Raisa

2014-01-01

Mussels within the Baltic Mytilus edulis × M. trossulus hybrid zone have adapted to the low salinities in the Baltic Sea which, however, results in slow-growing dwarfed mussels. To get a better understanding of the nature of dwarfism, we studied the ability of M. trossulus to feed and grow at low...... to become negative below 4.5 psu. We suggest that reduced ability to produce shell material at extremely low salinity may explain dwarfism of mussels in the Baltic Sea. Reduced bio-calcification at low salinity, however, may impede shell growth, but not somatic growth, and this may at first result...

Strategies for safe exploitation of fresh water through multi-strainer skimming wells in saline groundwater areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alam, M.M.; Jaffery, H.M.; Hanif, M.

2005-01-01

Indus Basin of Pakistan to develop strategies for the safe exploitation of fresh upper groundwater layer through multi-strainer skimming wells in the areas having deeper saline groundwater. Results of detailed investigations are given in this paper. A methodology was designed for investigations and to study the movement of saline-fresh water interface. For this purpose deep observation wells were installed and water samples from various depths over a period of wells operational hours have been collected. Water quality of these samples was tested to evaluate the movement of saline-fresh water interface. Results indicated that there exists a relatively fresh water aquifer above the depth of 20m. Relatively impervious layer and clay lenses of variable thickness exists at various locations in the area. There is relatively less contribution from the lower aquifer as compared to the lateral movement of water to the well above the impervious layers. The skimming wells were operated for a different number of hours and water quality evaluated. The results show that the quality and quantity of the pumped groundwater can be improved with intermittent pumping for 4-6 hours per day under drought conditions and recovery of the water-table is quick. Moreover, the intermittent pumping maintained a minimum suction lift that helped get a relatively good discharge. Continuous long term pumping proved to be dangerous which can cause saline water intrusion. It is recommended to avoid long term pumping of skimming wells. Intermittent short hours operation can be helpful for safe exploitation of fresh water and make skimming well operation more cost effective. It is further added that 4-6 strainers make these skimming wells cost effective as compared to having a large number of strainers in a skimming well. (author)

Growth responses of Phragmites karka - a candidate for second generation biofuel from degraded saline lands

Science.gov (United States)

Zaheer Ahmed, Muhammad; Shoukat, Erum; Abideen, Zainul; Aziz, Irfan; Gulzar, Salman; Ajmal Khan, M.

2017-04-01

Global changes like rapidly increasing population, limited fresh water resources, increasing salinity and aridity are the major causes of land degradation. Increasing feed production for bioenergy through direct and indirect land use cause major threat to biodiversity besides competing with food resources. Growing halophytes on saline lands would provide alternate source of energy without compromising food and cash crop farming. Phragmites karkahas recently emerged as a potential bio-fuel crop, which maintains optimal growth at 100 mM NaCl with high ligno-cellulosic biomass. However, temporal and organ specific plant responses under salinity needs to be understood for effective management of degraded saline lands. This study was designed to investigate variation in growth, water relations, ion-flux, damage markers, soluble sugars, stomatal stoichiometry and photosynthetic responses of P. karka to short (0-7 days) and long (15-30 days) term exposure with 0 (control), 100 (moderate) and 300 (high) mM NaCl. A reduced shoot growth ( 45%) during earlier (within 7 days) phase was observed in 300 mM NaCl compared to control and moderate salinity. Reduced leaf elongation rate and leaf senescence from 7th day in 300 mM NaCl (and later in moderate salinity) correspond to increasing hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents. Leaf turgor loss represents the osmotic effect of NaCl at both concentrations, however turgor recovered completely in moderate salinity within a week. Plant appeared to use both organic solutes (soluble sugars) and ions (Na++K++Cl-) for osmotic adjustment along with improved water use efficiency under saline conditions. Turgor loss in high salinity (300 mM NaCl) was related to increased bulk elastic modulus and decreased hydraulic capacitance which ultimately resulted in low water potential. Leaf Na+ and Cl- accumulation increased earlier (from 7th day) in 300 mM NaCl and later in 100 mM. Higher ion sequestration in different organs was found in the

Salinity anomaly as a trigger for ENSO events.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jieshun; Huang, Bohua; Zhang, Rong-Hua; Hu, Zeng-Zhen; Kumar, Arun; Balmaseda, Magdalena A; Marx, Lawrence; Kinter, James L

2014-10-29

According to the classical theories of ENSO, subsurface anomalies in ocean thermal structure are precursors for ENSO events and their initial specification is essential for skillful ENSO forecast. Although ocean salinity in the tropical Pacific (particularly in the western Pacific warm pool) can vary in response to El Niño events, its effect on ENSO evolution and forecasts of ENSO has been less explored. Here we present evidence that, in addition to the passive response, salinity variability may also play an active role in ENSO evolution, and thus important in forecasting El Niño events. By comparing two forecast experiments in which the interannually variability of salinity in the ocean initial states is either included or excluded, the salinity variability is shown to be essential to correctly forecast the 2007/08 La Niña starting from April 2007. With realistic salinity initial states, the tendency to decay of the subsurface cold condition during the spring and early summer 2007 was interrupted by positive salinity anomalies in the upper central Pacific, which working together with the Bjerknes positive feedback, contributed to the development of the La Niña event. Our study suggests that ENSO forecasts will benefit from more accurate salinity observations with large-scale spatial coverage.

Late Neogene benthic stable isotope record of ODP Site 999: Implications for Caribbean paleoceanography, organic carbon burial and the Messininian salinity crisis

Science.gov (United States)

Bickert, T.; Haug, G.; Tiedemann, R.

2003-04-01

The late Neogene closure of the seaway between the North and South American continents is thought to have caused extensive changes in ocean circulation and Northern Hemisphere climate. The timing and consequences of the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama for the ocean circulation have been addressed in several papers which indicate a marked reorganization of surface and deep ocean circulation starting 4.6 million years ago. However, the biogeographic development of marine faunas and floras on both sides of the Panama Isthmus suggests that the paleoceanographic changes related to the closing of the isthmus started much earlier. Furthermore, the closing history of the Panama Seaway overlaps with the tectonic evolution of other ocean gateways in the late Miocene, especially the closure of the Strait of Gibraltar, which led to a transient isolation of the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean, known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis. We report on epibenthic foraminiferal d18O and d13C and percentage sand records of the carbonate fraction from Caribbean ODP Site 999 (12°44´N, 78° 44´W, water depth 2828 m) spanning the interval from 8.6 to 5.3 Ma. Low epibenthic d13C values and low sand contents indicate a poorly ventilated deep Caribbean throughout the late Miocene. At this time the deep Caribbean was dominated by a nutrient-rich Southern Ocean water mass. A mostly constant d13C gradient between the Caribbean and deep Atlantic records suggests that the fluctuations in d13C reflect rather global changes in d13C of the dissolved inorganic carbon due to varying erosion of organic carbon from terrigenous soils and shelf sediments. The observed 100-ky cyclicity of epibenthic d13C is in well accordance with the variability of the terrigenous input to the equatorial Atlantic as recorded by susceptibility records of the Ceara Rise. However, some gradient changes between 6.8 and 5.6 Ma indicate a poorer ventilation of the deep Atlantic related to a reduced production of

Literature Review and Database of Relations Between Salinity and Aquatic Biota: Applications to Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, Montana

Science.gov (United States)

Gleason, Robert A.; Tangen, Brian A.; Laubhan, Murray K.; Finocchiaro, Raymond G.; Stamm, John F.

2009-01-01

27 data fields that include variables such as taxonomic identification, values for salinity and pH, wetland classification, location of study, and source of data. The databases are not exhaustive of the literature and are biased toward wetland habitats located in the glaciated North-Central United States; however, the databases do encompass a diversity of biota commonly found in brackish and freshwater inland wetland habitats.

Cyclone, Salinity Intrusion and Adaptation and Coping Measures in Coastal Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebak Kumar Saha

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Although households in the coastal areas of Bangladesh undertake various adaptation and coping measures to minimise their vulnerability to cyclone hazards and salinity intrusion, these autonomous measures have received little attention in the past. However, the Government of Bangladesh has recently emphasised the importance of understanding these measures so that necessary interventions to make households more resilient to natural hazards and the adverse impacts of climate change can be introduced. This paper, based on secondary sources, explores adaptation and coping measures that households in the coastal areas of Bangladesh undertake to minimise their vulnerability to cyclone hazards and salinity intrusion. This paper shows that many of the adaptation and coping measures contribute to making households less vulnerable and more resilient to cyclone hazards and salinity intrusion, although some coping measures do the opposite as they reduce households’ adaptive capacities instead of improving them. This paper argues that the adaptation and coping measures that contribute to reducing households’ vulnerability to natural hazards need to be supported and guided by the government and NGOs to make them more effective. Additionally, measures that make households more vulnerable also need to be addressed by the government and NGOs, as most of these measures are related to and constrained by both poverty, and because the households have little or no access to economic opportunities.

Deep transfer learning for automatic target classification: MWIR to LWIR

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Zhengming; Nasrabadi, Nasser; Fu, Yun

2016-05-01

Publisher's Note: This paper, originally published on 5/12/2016, was replaced with a corrected/revised version on 5/18/2016. If you downloaded the original PDF but are unable to access the revision, please contact SPIE Digital Library Customer Service for assistance. When dealing with sparse or no labeled data in the target domain, transfer learning shows its appealing performance by borrowing the supervised knowledge from external domains. Recently deep structure learning has been exploited in transfer learning due to its attractive power in extracting effective knowledge through multi-layer strategy, so that deep transfer learning is promising to address the cross-domain mismatch. In general, cross-domain disparity can be resulted from the difference between source and target distributions or different modalities, e.g., Midwave IR (MWIR) and Longwave IR (LWIR). In this paper, we propose a Weighted Deep Transfer Learning framework for automatic target classification through a task-driven fashion. Specifically, deep features and classifier parameters are obtained simultaneously for optimal classification performance. In this way, the proposed deep structures can extract more effective features with the guidance of the classifier performance; on the other hand, the classifier performance is further improved since it is optimized on more discriminative features. Furthermore, we build a weighted scheme to couple source and target output by assigning pseudo labels to target data, therefore we can transfer knowledge from source (i.e., MWIR) to target (i.e., LWIR). Experimental results on real databases demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm by comparing with others.

On the assimilation of absolute geodetic dynamic topography in a global ocean model: impact on the deep ocean state

Science.gov (United States)

Androsov, Alexey; Nerger, Lars; Schnur, Reiner; Schröter, Jens; Albertella, Alberta; Rummel, Reiner; Savcenko, Roman; Bosch, Wolfgang; Skachko, Sergey; Danilov, Sergey

2018-05-01

General ocean circulation models are not perfect. Forced with observed atmospheric fluxes they gradually drift away from measured distributions of temperature and salinity. We suggest data assimilation of absolute dynamical ocean topography (DOT) observed from space geodetic missions as an option to reduce these differences. Sea surface information of DOT is transferred into the deep ocean by defining the analysed ocean state as a weighted average of an ensemble of fully consistent model solutions using an error-subspace ensemble Kalman filter technique. Success of the technique is demonstrated by assimilation into a global configuration of the ocean circulation model FESOM over 1 year. The dynamic ocean topography data are obtained from a combination of multi-satellite altimetry and geoid measurements. The assimilation result is assessed using independent temperature and salinity analysis derived from profiling buoys of the AGRO float data set. The largest impact of the assimilation occurs at the first few analysis steps where both the model ocean topography and the steric height (i.e. temperature and salinity) are improved. The continued data assimilation over 1 year further improves the model state gradually. Deep ocean fields quickly adjust in a sustained manner: A model forecast initialized from the model state estimated by the data assimilation after only 1 month shows that improvements induced by the data assimilation remain in the model state for a long time. Even after 11 months, the modelled ocean topography and temperature fields show smaller errors than the model forecast without any data assimilation.

A CO2-storage supply curve for North America and its implications for the deployment of carbon dioxide capture and storage systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dooley, J.J.; Bachu, S.; Gupta, N.; Gale, J.

2005-01-01

This paper presented a highly disaggregated estimate of carbon dioxide (CO 2 )-storage capacity of more than 330 onshore geological reservoirs across the United States and Canada. The demand placed upon these reservoirs by thousands of existing large anthropogenic CO 2 point sources was also reviewed based on a newly developed methodology for estimating the effective storage capacities of deep saline formations, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and deep unmineable coal seams. This analysis was based on matching the identified point sources with candidate storage reservoirs. By incorporating the updated source and reservoir data into the Battelle CO 2 -GIS, a series of pairwise costs for transporting CO 2 from sites of anthropogenic CO 2 sources was calculated along with the net cost of storing it in each of the candidate reservoirs within a specified distance of the point source. Results indicate a large and variably distributed North American storage capacity of at least 3,800 gigatonnes of CO 2 , with deep saline formations accounting for most of this capacity. A geospatial and techno-economic database of 2,082 anthropogenic CO 2 point sources in North America, each with annual emissions greater than 100,000 tonnes of CO 2 , was also refined. Sensitivities examined for the CO 2 -storage cost curve focused on high/low oil and gas prices; the maximum allowed distance between source and reservoir; and, the infrastructure costs associated with CO 2 -driven hydrocarbon recovery. 20 refs., 5 figs

Investigations in Marine Chemistry: Salinity II.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlenker, Richard M.

Presented is a science activity in which the student investigates methods of calibration of a simple conductivity meter via a hands-on inquiry technique. Conductivity is mathematically compared to salinity using a point slope formula and graphical techniques. Sample solutions of unknown salinity are provided so that the students can sharpen their…

RESPONSE OF CHILE PEPPER (Capsicum annuum L. TO SALT STRESS AND ORGANIC AND INORGANIC NITROGEN SOURCES: I.GROWTH AND YIELD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Antonio Huez Lopez

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The effect of two sources of nitrogen on plant growth, and fruit yield of chile pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Sandia grown in greenhouse to increased salinity   were evaluated. An organic source extracted from grass clippings in rates of 120 and 200 kg N ha-1, and another inorganic (ammonium nitrate in rate of 120 kg ha-1 were combined with low, moderate and high (1.5, 4.5, and 6.5 dS m-1 salinity levels arranged in a randomized complete block design replicated four times. Salinity treatments reduced dry matter production, leaf area, relative growth rate and net assimilation rate but increased leaf area ratio. Mean fresh fruit yields decreased for each N rate and source combinations as soil salinity increased. The organic fertilizer produced higher fruit yields tan the inorganic fertilizer. The highest fruit yield was obtained with the increased rate of organic N.    The fruit number was more affected by salinity than the individual fruit weight. This organic fertilizer may be an effective N source for chile pepper and other vegetable crops grown under non- and salt-stressed conditions.

Global Scale Attribution of Anthropogenic and Natural Dust Sources and their Emission Rates Based on MODIS Deep Blue Aerosol Products

Science.gov (United States)

Ginoux, Paul; Prospero, Joseph M.; Gill, Thomas E.; Hsu, N. Christina; Zhao, Ming

2012-01-01

Our understanding of the global dust cycle is limited by a dearth of information about dust sources, especially small-scale features which could account for a large fraction of global emissions. Here we present a global-scale high-resolution (0.1 deg) mapping of sources based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Deep Blue estimates of dust optical depth in conjunction with other data sets including land use. We ascribe dust sources to natural and anthropogenic (primarily agricultural) origins, calculate their respective contributions to emissions, and extensively compare these products against literature. Natural dust sources globally account for 75% of emissions; anthropogenic sources account for 25%. North Africa accounts for 55% of global dust emissions with only 8% being anthropogenic, mostly from the Sahel. Elsewhere, anthropogenic dust emissions can be much higher (75% in Australia). Hydrologic dust sources (e.g., ephemeral water bodies) account for 31% worldwide; 15% of them are natural while 85% are anthropogenic. Globally, 20% of emissions are from vegetated surfaces, primarily desert shrublands and agricultural lands. Since anthropogenic dust sources are associated with land use and ephemeral water bodies, both in turn linked to the hydrological cycle, their emissions are affected by climate variability. Such changes in dust emissions can impact climate, air quality, and human health. Improved dust emission estimates will require a better mapping of threshold wind velocities, vegetation dynamics, and surface conditions (soil moisture and land use) especially in the sensitive regions identified here, as well as improved ability to address small-scale convective processes producing dust via cold pool (haboob) events frequent in monsoon regimes.

Global-scale attribution of anthropogenic and natural dust sources and their emission rates based on MODIS Deep Blue aerosol products

Science.gov (United States)

Ginoux, Paul; Prospero, Joseph M.; Gill, Thomas E.; Hsu, N. Christina; Zhao, Ming

2012-09-01

Our understanding of the global dust cycle is limited by a dearth of information about dust sources, especially small-scale features which could account for a large fraction of global emissions. Here we present a global-scale high-resolution (0.1°) mapping of sources based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Deep Blue estimates of dust optical depth in conjunction with other data sets including land use. We ascribe dust sources to natural and anthropogenic (primarily agricultural) origins, calculate their respective contributions to emissions, and extensively compare these products against literature. Natural dust sources globally account for 75% of emissions; anthropogenic sources account for 25%. North Africa accounts for 55% of global dust emissions with only 8% being anthropogenic, mostly from the Sahel. Elsewhere, anthropogenic dust emissions can be much higher (75% in Australia). Hydrologic dust sources (e.g., ephemeral water bodies) account for 31% worldwide; 15% of them are natural while 85% are anthropogenic. Globally, 20% of emissions are from vegetated surfaces, primarily desert shrublands and agricultural lands. Since anthropogenic dust sources are associated with land use and ephemeral water bodies, both in turn linked to the hydrological cycle, their emissions are affected by climate variability. Such changes in dust emissions can impact climate, air quality, and human health. Improved dust emission estimates will require a better mapping of threshold wind velocities, vegetation dynamics, and surface conditions (soil moisture and land use) especially in the sensitive regions identified here, as well as improved ability to address small-scale convective processes producing dust via cold pool (haboob) events frequent in monsoon regimes.

Influence of salinity and cadmium on the survival and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

osmoregulated at salinities between 5 and 25 and osmoconformed at salinities greater than 25. Chiromantes eulimene followed a hyper-hypo-osmoregulatory strategy; it hyper-regulated in salinities from 0 up to isosmotic conditions at about 28 (c.

Constraining the origin of the Messinian gypsum deposits using coupled measurement of δ^{18}O$/δD in gypsum hydration water and salinity of fluid inclusions

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Nicholas P.; Gázquez, Fernando; McKenzie, Judith A.; Chapman, Hazel J.; Hodell, David A.

2016-04-01

We used oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of gypsum hydration water (GHW) coupled with salinity deduced from ice melting temperatures of primary fluid inclusions in the same samples (in tandem with 87Sr/86Sr, δ34S and other isotopic measurements) to determine the composition of the mother fluids that formed the gypsum deposits of the Messinian Salinity Crisis from shallow and intermediate-depth basins. Using this method, we constrain the origin of the Messinian Primary Lower Gypsum (PLG) of the Sorbas basin (Betic foreland) and both the Upper Gypsum (UG) and the Lower Gypsum of the Sicilian basin. We then compare these results to measurements made on UG recovered from the deep Ionian and Balearic basins drilled during DSDP Leg 42A. The evolution of GHW δ18O/δD vs. salinity is controlled by mixing processes between fresh and seawater, coupled with the degree of evaporation. Evaporation and subsequent precipitation of gypsum from fluids dominated by freshwater will result in a depressed 87Sr/86Sr values and different trajectory in δ18O/δD vs. salinity space compared to fluids dominated by seawater. The slopes of these regression equations help to define the end-members from which the fluid originated. For example, salinity estimates from PLG cycle 6 in the Sorbas basin range from 18 to 51ppt, and after correction for fractionation factors, estimated δ18O and δD values of the mother water are low (-2.6 meteoric water during gypsum deposition, while 87Sr/86Sr (0.708942 fall below those expected from the evaporation of seawater alone, the slope of the regression equation is similar to that of seawater evaporation. This implies that there is a change up-section from a dominantly marine environment in cycle 2 to a greater influence of meteoric water in cycle 6. The UG from the Sicilian basin display greater δ18O/δD values (2.9 meteoric water that subsequently underwent intense evaporation. This observation concurs with the low values of 87Sr/86Sr from the same UG

Population specific salinity tolerance in eelgrass (Zostera marina)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salo, Tiina Elina; Pedersen, Morten Foldager; Boström, Christoffer

2014-01-01

and that the lowsaline population is better adapted to hyposaline conditions. Despite the long-term adaptation of the low saline population to stable, low salinity, these plants were still able to function normally in high salinities, indicating remarkable plasticity. The results further suggest that altered salinity...

Salinity information in coral δ18O records

Science.gov (United States)

Conroy, J. L.; Thompson, D. M.; Dassié, E. P.; Stevenson, S.; Konecky, B. L.; DeLong, K. L.; Sayani, H. R.; Emile-Geay, J.; Partin, J. W.; Abram, N. J.; Martrat, B.

2017-12-01

Coral oxygen isotopic ratios (δ18O) are typically utilized to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST), or SST-based El Niño-Southern Oscillation metrics (e.g., NIÑO3.4), despite the influence of both SST and the oxygen isotopic composition of seawater (δ18Osw) on coral δ18O. The ideal way to isolate past δ18Osw variations is to develop independent and univariate SST and δ18Osw responders, for instance, via paired coral δ18O and Sr/Ca analyses. Nonetheless, many coral δ18O records without paired Sr/Ca records already exist in the paleoclimatic literature, and these may be able to provide some insight into past δ18Osw and salinity changes due to the nature of the significant positive relationship between instrumental salinity and δ18Osw. Here we use coral δ18O records from the new PAGES Iso2k database to assess the regions in which coral δ18O has the greatest potential to provide salinity information based on the strength of the relationship between instrumental salinity and coral δ18O values. We find from annual pseudocoral similations that corals in the western tropical Pacific share a substantial fraction of their variance with δ18Osw rather than SST. In contrast, in the Indian Ocean and eastern tropical Pacific it is SST that predominantly explains coral δ18O variance. In agreement with this variance decomposition, we find that coral δ18O time series from the western tropical Pacific are significantly correlated with mid to late 20th century salinity. However, variations in the strength of the δ18Osw-salinity relationship across the western tropical Pacific will likely have a significant influence on coral δ18O-based salinity reconstructions. Additionally, in some cases a strong, negative correlation between SST and δ18Osw might not allow their influences to be adequately separated in coral δ18O records without the use of coupled Sr/Ca estimates of the temperature contribution. Overall, we find a range of modern salinity and SST

Growth and proximate composition of the Chaetoceros calcitrans f. pumilus under different temperature, salinity and carbon dioxide levels

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Raghavan, G.; Haridevi, C; Gopinathan, C

The marine diatom Chaetoceros calcitrans f. pumilus has been examined for its potential source as live feed in aquaculture. The present study investigated eíects of temperature (20,25 and 30 degrees C), salinity (25 and 35) and carbon dioxide...