[Virtual water content of livestock products in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hong-rui; Wang, Jun-hong

2006-04-01

The paper expatiated the virtual water content concept of livestock products and the study meaning on developing virtual water trade of livestock products in China, then summarized the calculation methods on virtual water and virtual water trade of livestock products. Based on these, the paper analyzed and researched every province virtual water content of livestock products in details, then elicited various situation of every province virtual water content of livestock products in China by year. Moreover, it compared virtual water content of livestock products with local water resources. The study indicated the following results: (1) The virtual water content of livestock products is increasing rapidly in China recently, especially poultry eggs and pork. (2) The distribution of virtual water content of livestock products is not balanced, mainly lies in North China, East China and so on; (3) The increasing production of livestock in Beijing City, Tianjin City, Hebei, Nei Monggol, Liaononing, Jilin, Shandong, Henan and Ningxia province and autonom ous region will bring pressure to local water shortage.

Water content of aged aerosol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. J. Engelhart

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The composition and physical properties of aged atmospheric aerosol were characterized at a remote sampling site on the northern coast of Crete, Greece during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment in May 2008 (FAME-2008. A reduced Dry-Ambient Aerosol Size Spectrometer (DAASS was deployed to measure the aerosol water content and volumetric growth factor of fine particulate matter. The particles remained wet even at relative humidity (RH as low as 20%. The aerosol was acidic during most of the measurement campaign, which likely contributed to the water uptake at low RH. The water content observations were compared to the thermodynamic model E-AIM, neglecting any contribution of the organics to aerosol water content. There was good agreement between the water measurements and the model predictions. Adding the small amount of water associated with the organic aerosol based on monoterpene water absorption did not change the quality of the agreement. These results strongly suggest that the water uptake by aged organic aerosol is relatively small (a few percent of the total water for the conditions during FAME-08 and generally consistent with what has been observed in laboratory experiments. The water concentration measured by a Q-AMS was well correlated with the DAASS measurements and in good agreement with the predicted values for the RH of the Q-AMS inlet. This suggests that, at least for the conditions of the study, the Q-AMS can provide valuable information about the aerosol water concentrations if the sample is not dried.

Increased cerebral water content in hemodialysis patients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathrin Reetz

Full Text Available Little information is available on the impact of hemodialysis on cerebral water homeostasis and its distribution in chronic kidney disease. We used a neuropsychological test battery, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and a novel technique for quantitative measurement of localized water content using 3T MRI to investigate ten hemodialysis patients (HD on a dialysis-free day and after hemodialysis (2.4±2.2 hours, and a matched healthy control group with the same time interval. Neuropsychological testing revealed mainly attentional and executive cognitive dysfunction in HD. Voxel-based-morphometry showed only marginal alterations in the right inferior medial temporal lobe white matter in HD compared to controls. Marked increases in global brain water content were found in the white matter, specifically in parietal areas, in HD patients compared to controls. Although the global water content in the gray matter did not differ between the two groups, regional increases of brain water content in particular in parieto-temporal gray matter areas were observed in HD patients. No relevant brain hydration changes were revealed before and after hemodialysis. Whereas longer duration of dialysis vintage was associated with increased water content in parieto-temporal-occipital regions, lower intradialytic weight changes were negatively correlated with brain water content in these areas in HD patients. Worse cognitive performance on an attention task correlated with increased hydration in frontal white matter. In conclusion, long-term HD is associated with altered brain tissue water homeostasis mainly in parietal white matter regions, whereas the attentional domain in the cognitive dysfunction profile in HD could be linked to increased frontal white matter water content.

Increased cerebral water content in hemodialysis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Reetz, Kathrin; Abbas, Zaheer; Costa, Ana Sofia; Gras, Vincent; Tiffin-Richards, Frances; Mirzazade, Shahram; Holschbach, Bernhard; Frank, Rolf Dario; Vassiliadou, Athina; Krüger, Thilo; Eitner, Frank; Gross, Theresa; Schulz, Jörg Bernhard; Floege, Jürgen; Shah, Nadim Jon

2015-01-01

Little information is available on the impact of hemodialysis on cerebral water homeostasis and its distribution in chronic kidney disease. We used a neuropsychological test battery, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a novel technique for quantitative measurement of localized water content using 3T MRI to investigate ten hemodialysis patients (HD) on a dialysis-free day and after hemodialysis (2.4±2.2 hours), and a matched healthy control group with the same time interval. Neuropsychological testing revealed mainly attentional and executive cognitive dysfunction in HD. Voxel-based-morphometry showed only marginal alterations in the right inferior medial temporal lobe white matter in HD compared to controls. Marked increases in global brain water content were found in the white matter, specifically in parietal areas, in HD patients compared to controls. Although the global water content in the gray matter did not differ between the two groups, regional increases of brain water content in particular in parieto-temporal gray matter areas were observed in HD patients. No relevant brain hydration changes were revealed before and after hemodialysis. Whereas longer duration of dialysis vintage was associated with increased water content in parieto-temporal-occipital regions, lower intradialytic weight changes were negatively correlated with brain water content in these areas in HD patients. Worse cognitive performance on an attention task correlated with increased hydration in frontal white matter. In conclusion, long-term HD is associated with altered brain tissue water homeostasis mainly in parietal white matter regions, whereas the attentional domain in the cognitive dysfunction profile in HD could be linked to increased frontal white matter water content.

[The water content reference material of water saturated octanol].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haifeng; Ma, Kang; Zhang, Wei; Li, Zhanyuan

2011-03-01

The national standards of biofuels specify the technique specification and analytical methods. A water content certified reference material based on the water saturated octanol was developed in order to satisfy the needs of the instrument calibration and the methods validation, assure the accuracy and consistency of results in water content measurements of biofuels. Three analytical methods based on different theories were employed to certify the water content of the reference material, including Karl Fischer coulometric titration, Karl Fischer volumetric titration and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance. The consistency of coulometric and volumetric titration was achieved through the improvement of methods. The accuracy of the certified result was improved by the introduction of the new method of quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance. Finally, the certified value of reference material is 4.76% with an expanded uncertainty of 0.09%.

Effect of water content on the water repellency for hydrophobized sands

Science.gov (United States)

Subedi, S.; Kawamoto, K.; Kuroda, T.; Moldrup, P.; Komatsu, T.

2011-12-01

Alternative earthen covers such as capillary barriers (CBs) and evapotranspirative covers are recognized as useful technical and low-cost solutions for limiting water infiltration and controlling seepage flow at solid waste landfills in semi-arid and arid regions. However, their application to the landfills at wet regions seems to be matter of concern due to loss of their impending capability under high precipitation. One of the possible techniques to enhance the impermeable properties of CBs is to alter soil grain surfaces to be water-repellent by mixing/coating hydrophobic agents (HAs). In order to examine a potential use of model sands hydrophobized with locally available and environmental-friendly HAs such as oleic acid (OA) and stearic acid (SA) for hydrophobic CBs. In the present study, we first characterized the effect of water content on the degree of water repellency (WR) for hydrophobized sands and volcanic ash soil at different depth. Secondly, the time dependency of the contact angle in hydrophobized sands and volcanic ash soils at different water content was evaluated. Further, the effects of hydrophobic organic matter contents on the WR of hydrophobized sands were investigated by horizontal infiltration test. We investigated the degree of WR as functions of volumetric water content (θ) of a volcanic ash soil samples from different depth and water adjusted hydrophobized sand samples with different ratio of HAs by using sessile drop method (SDM). The initial contact angle (αi) measured from SDM decreased gradually with increasing water content in OA and SA coated samples. Measured αi values for volcanic ash soils increased with increasing water content and reached a peak values of 111.7o at θ= 0.325 cm3 cm-3, where-after αi gradually decreased. Each test sample exhibited sharp decrease in contact angle with time at higher water content. Sorptivity values for oleic acid coated samples decreased with increasing HA content and reached the minimum

Water Content of Lunar Alkali Fedlspar

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, R. D.; Simon, J. I.; Wang, J.; Alexander, C. M. O'D.; Hauri, E. H.

2016-01-01

Detection of indigenous hydrogen in a diversity of lunar materials, including volcanic glass, melt inclusions, apatite, and plagioclase suggests water may have played a role in the chemical differentiation of the Moon. Spectroscopic data from the Moon indicate a positive correlation between water and Th. Modeling of lunar magma ocean crystallization predicts a similar chemical differentiation with the highest levels of water in the K- and Th-rich melt residuum of the magma ocean (i.e. urKREEP). Until now, the only sample-based estimates of water content of KREEP-rich magmas come from measurements of OH, F, and Cl in lunar apatites, which suggest a water concentration of alkali feldspar, a common mineral in K-enriched rocks, can have approx. 20 ppm of water, which implies magmatic water contents of approx. 1 wt % in the high-silica magmas. This estimate is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than that estimated from apatite in similar rocks. However, the Cl and F contents of apatite in chemically similar rocks suggest that these melts also had high Cl/F ratios, which leads to spuriously low water estimates from the apatite. We can only estimate the minimum water content of urKREEP (+ bulk Moon) from our alkali feldspar data because of the unknown amount of degassing that led to the formation of the granites. Assuming a reasonable 10 to 100 times enrichment of water from urKREEP into the granites produces an estimate of 100-1000 ppm of water for the urKREEP reservoir. Using the modeling of and the 100-1000 ppm of water in urKREEP suggests a minimum bulk silicate Moon water content between 2 and 20 ppm. However, hydrogen loss was likely very significant in the evolution of the lunar mantle. Conclusions: Lunar granites crystallized between 4.3-3.8 Ga from relatively wet melts that degassed upon crystallization. The formation of these granites likely removed significant amounts of water from some mantle source regions, e.g. later mare basalts predicting derivation from a

A new perspective on origin of the East Sea Intermediate Water: Observations of Argo floats

Science.gov (United States)

Park, JongJin; Lim, Byunghwan

2018-01-01

The East Sea Intermediate Water (ESIW), defined as the salinity minimum in the East Sea (hereafter ES) (Sea of Japan), is examined with respect to its overall characteristics and its low salinity origin using historical Argo float data from 1999 to 2015. Our findings suggest that the ESIW is formed in the western Japan Basin (40-42°N, 130-133°E), especially west of the North Korean front in North Korean waters, where strong negative surface wind stress curl resides in wintertime. The core ESIW near the formation site has temperatures of 3-4 °C and less than 33.98 psu salinity, warmer and fresher than that in the southern part of the ES. In order to trace the origin of the warmer and fresher water at the sea surface in winter, we analyzed the data in three different ways: (1) spatial distribution of surface water properties using monthly climatology from the Argo float data, (2) seasonal variation of heat and salt contents at the formation site, and (3) backtracking of surface drifter trajectories. Based on these analyses, it is likely that the warmer and fresher surface water properties found in the ESIW formation site are attributed to the low-salinity surface water advected from the southern part of the ES in autumn.

Monitoring water content in Opalinus Clay within the FE-Experiment: Test application of dielectric water content sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Sakaki, T.; Vogt, T.; Komatsu, M.; Müller, H. R.

2013-12-01

The spatiotemporal variation of water content in the near field rock around repository tunnels for radioactive waste in clay formations is one of the essential quantities to be monitored for safety assessment in many waste disposal programs. Reliable measurements of water content are important not only for the understanding and prediction of coupled hydraulic-mechanic processes that occur during tunnel construction and ventilation phase, but also for the understanding of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) processes that take place in the host rock during the post closure phase of a repository tunnel for spent fuel and high level radioactive waste (SF/HLW). The host rock of the Swiss disposal concept for SF/HLW is the Opalinus Clay formation (age of approx. 175 Million years). To better understand the THM effects in a full-scale heater-engineered barrier-rock system in Opalinus Clay, a full-scale heater test, namely the Full-Scale Emplacement (FE) experiment, was initiated in 2010 at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory in north-western Switzerland. The experiment is designed to simulate the THM evolution of a SF/HLW repository tunnel based on the Swiss disposal concept in a realistic manner during the construction, emplacement, backfilling, and post-closure phases. The entire experiment implementation (in a 50 m long gallery with approx. 3 m diameter) as well as the post-closure THM evolution will be monitored using a network of several hundred sensors. The sensors will be distributed in the host rock, the tunnel lining, the engineered barrier, which consists of bentonite pellets and blocks, and on the heaters. The excavation is completed and the tunnel is currently being ventilated. Measuring water content in partially saturated clay-rich high-salinity rock with a deformable grain skeleton is challenging. Therefore, we use the ventilation phase (before backfilling and heating) to examine the applicability of commercial water content sensors and to

Influence of water air content on cavitation erosion in distilled water

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Auret, JG

1993-12-01

Full Text Available The influence of increased air content of the cavitating liquid (distilled water) was studied in a rotating disk test rig. A rise in the total air content including dissolved and entrained air of the water in the under saturated range resulted...

Simultaneous measurement of unfrozen water content and ice content in frozen soil using gamma ray attenuation and TDR

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaohai; Zhou, Jian; Kinzelbach, Wolfgang; Stauffer, Fritz

2014-12-01

The freezing temperature of water in soil is not constant but varies over a range determined by soil texture. Consequently, the amounts of unfrozen water and ice change with temperature in frozen soil, which in turn affects hydraulic, thermal, and mechanical properties of frozen soil. In this paper, an Am-241 gamma ray source and time-domain reflectometry (TDR) were combined to measure unfrozen water content and ice content in frozen soil simultaneously. The gamma ray attenuation was used to determine total water content. The TDR was used to determine the dielectric constant of the frozen soil. Based on a four-phase mixing model, the amount of unfrozen water content in the frozen soil could be determined. The ice content was inferred by the difference between total water content and unfrozen water content. The gamma ray attenuation and the TDR were both calibrated by a gravimetric method. Water contents measured by gamma ray attenuation and TDR in an unfrozen silt column under infiltration were compared and showed that the two methods have the same accuracy and response to changes of water content. Unidirectional column freezing experiments were performed to apply the combined method of gamma ray attenuation and TDR for measuring unfrozen water content and ice content. The measurement error of the gamma ray attenuation and TDR was around 0.02 and 0.01 m3/m3, respectively. The overestimation of unfrozen water in frozen soil by TDR alone was quantified and found to depend on the amount of ice content. The higher the ice content, the larger the overestimation. The study confirmed that the combined method could accurately determine unfrozen water content and ice content in frozen soil. The results of soil column freezing experiments indicate that total water content distribution is affected by available pore space and the freezing front advance rate. It was found that there is similarity between the soil water characteristic and the soil freezing characteristic of

Soil water diffusivity as a function of water content and time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerrini, I.A.

1976-04-01

The soil-water diffusivity has been studied as a function of water content and time. From the idea of studying the horizontal movement of water in swelling soils, a simple formulation has been achieved which allows for the diffusivity, water content dependency and time dependency, to be estimated, not only of this kind of soil, but for any other soil as well. It was observed that the internal rearrangement of soil particles is a more important phenomenon than swelling, being responsible for time dependency. The method 2γ is utilized, which makes it possible to simultaneously determine the water content and density, point by point, in a soil column. The diffusivity data thus obtained are compared to those obtained when time dependency is not considered. Finally, a new soil parameter, α, is introduced and the values obtained agrees with the internal rearrangment assumption and time dependency for diffusivity (Author) [pt

Intermediate and deep water mass distribution in the Pacific during the Last Glacial Maximum inferred from oxygen and carbon stable isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Herguera, J. C.; Herbert, T.; Kashgarian, M.; Charles, C.

2010-05-01

Intermediate ocean circulation changes during the last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the North Pacific have been linked with Northern Hemisphere climate through air-sea interactions, although the extent and the source of the variability of the processes forcing these changes are still not well resolved. The ventilated volumes and ages in the upper wind driven layer are related to the wind stress curl and surface buoyancy fluxes at mid to high latitudes in the North Pacific. In contrast, the deeper thermohaline layers are more effectively ventilated by direct atmosphere-sea exchange during convective formation of Subantarctic Mode Waters (SAMW) and Antarctic Intermediate Waters (AAIW) in the Southern Ocean, the precursors of Pacific Intermediate Waters (PIW) in the North Pacific. Results reported here show a fundamental change in the carbon isotopic gradient between intermediate and deep waters during the LGM in the eastern North Pacific indicating a deepening of nutrient and carbon rich waters. These observations suggest changes in the source and nature of intermediate waters of Southern Ocean origin that feed PIW and enhanced ventilation processes in the North Pacific, further affecting paleoproductivity and export patters in this basin. Furthermore, oxygen isotopic results indicate these changes may have been accomplished in part by changes in circulation affecting the intermediate depths during the LGM.

shoot water content and reference evapotranspiration

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ACSS

measurement affects irrigation amount, while in the atmospheric-based methods, the soil water content affects evapotranspiration. Most ... stem water potential, leaf water potential, and .... cells. No tillage plots were weeded by hand pulling of weeds; whereas hoes were used in ..... based on soil electrical conductivity and.

[Foliar water use efficiency of Platycladus orientalis sapling under different soil water contents].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yong E; Yu, Xin Xiao; Chen, Li Hua; Jia, Guo Dong; Zhao, Na; Li, Han Zhi; Chang, Xiao Min

2017-07-18

The determination of plant foliar water use efficiency will be of great value to improve our understanding about mechanism of plant water consumption and provide important basis of regional forest ecosystem management and maintenance, thus, laboratory controlled experiments were carried out to obtain Platycladus orientalis sapling foliar water use efficiency under five different soil water contents, including instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE gs ) derived from gas exchange and short-term water use efficiency (WUE cp ) caculated using carbon isotope model. The results showed that, controlled by stomatal conductance (g s ), foliar net photosynthesis rate (P n ) and transpiration rate (T r ) increased as soil water content increased, which both reached maximum va-lues at soil water content of 70%-80% field capacity (FC), while WUE gs reached a maximum of 7.26 mmol·m -2 ·s -1 at the lowest soil water content (35%-45% FC). Both δ 13 C of water-soluble leaf and twig phloem material achieved maximum values at the lowest soil water content (35%-45% FC). Besides, δ 13 C values of leaf water-soluble compounds were significantly greater than that of phloem exudates, indicating that there was depletion in 13 C in twig phloem compared with leaf water-soluble compounds and no obvious fractionation in the process of water-soluble material transportation from leaf to twig. Foliar WUE cp also reached a maximum of 7.26 mmol·m -2 ·s -1 at the lowest soil water content (35%-45% FC). There was some difference between foliar WUE gs and WUE cp under the same condition, and the average difference was 0.52 mmol·m -2 ·s -1 . The WUE gs had great space-time variability, by contrast, WUE cp was more representative. It was concluded that P. orientalis sapling adapted to drought condition by increasing water use efficiency and decreasing physiological activity.

Influence of Water Content on Pullout Behaviour of Geogrid

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Rong; Song, Yang-yang; Hao, Dong-xue; Gao, Yu-cong

2017-06-01

The interaction between geogrid and soil is fundamental and crucial factor on safety and stability of geogrid-reinforced earth structure. Therefore, the interface index between geogrid and soil is of vital importance in the design of reinforced earth structures. The pullout behaviour of geogrid in soil is studied, an experimental investigation is conducted using geogrid in four groups of soil with 20%, 24%, 28%, 32% water contents, which correspond to normal stresses of 50, 100, 200 and 300 kPa respectively. The results indicate that the geogrid embedded in soil mainly represents pullout failure, and the ultimate pullout force is sensitive to water content. It decreases with the increase of the water content firstly. Besides, the water content influences the process of the pullout behaviour. The increase of water content leads to the ultimate pullout force soon.

Sensing the water content of honey from temperature-dependent electrical conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Wenchuan; Liu, Yi; Zhu, Xinhua; Zhuang, Hong

2011-01-01

In order to predict the water content in honey, electrical conductivity was measured on blossom honey types milk-vetch, jujube and yellow-locust with the water content of 18–37% between 5 and 40 °C. The regression models of electrical conductivity were developed as functions of water content and temperature. The results showed that increases in either water content or temperature resulted in an increase in the electrical conductivity of honey with greater changes at higher water content and/or higher temperature. The linear terms of water content and temperature, a quadratic term of water content, and the interaction effect of water content and temperature had significant influence on the electrical conductivity of honey (p < 0.0001). Regardless of blossom honey type, the linear coefficient of the determination of measured and calculated electrical conductivities was 0.998 and the range error ratio was larger than 100. These results suggest that the electrical conductivity of honey might be used to develop a detector for rapidly predicting the water content in blossom honey

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

MR-visible brain water content in human acute stroke

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gideon, P; Rosenbaum, S; Sperling, B

1999-01-01

CBF) SPECT-scanning using 99mTc-HMPAO as flow tracer was performed in the patients. Mean water content (SD) in the infarct area was 37.7 (5.1); 41.8 (4.8); 35.2 (5.4); and 39.3 (5.1) mol x [kg wet weight](-1) at 0-3; 4-7; 8-21; and >180 days after stroke, respectively. Water content increased between Day 0......CBF from Day 0-3 to Day 4-7 (p = 0.050) and from Day 0-3 to Day 8-21 (p = 0.028). No correlation between rCBF and water content was found. Water content in ischemic brain tissue increased significantly between Day 4-7 after stroke. This should be considered when performing quantitative 1H-MRS using water...... as an internal standard in stroke patients....

Abrupt changes of intermediate water properties on the northeastern slope of the Bering Sea during the last glacial and deglacial period

Science.gov (United States)

Rella, Stephan F.; Tada, Ryuji; Nagashima, Kana; Ikehara, Minoru; Itaki, Takuya; Ohkushi, Ken'ichi; Sakamoto, Tatsuhiko; Harada, Naomi; Uchida, Masao

2012-09-01

Millennial-scale variability in the behavior of North Pacific Intermediate Water during the last glacial and deglacial period, and its association with Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) cycles and Heinrich events, are examined based on benthic foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotopes (δ18Obf and δ13Cbf) and %CaCO3 using a sediment core recovered from the northeastern slope of the Bering Sea. A suite of positive δ18Obf excursions at intermediate depths of the Bering Sea, which seem at least in part associated with increases in the δ18Obf gradients between the Bering and Okhotsk Seas, suggest the Bering Sea as a proximate source of intermediate water during several severe stadial episodes in the last glacial and deglacial period. Absence of such δ18Obf gradients during periods of high surface productivity in the Bering and Okhotsk Seas, which we correlate to D-O interstadials, suggests a reduction in intermediate water production in the Bering Sea and subsequent introduction of nutrient-rich deep waters from the North Pacific into intermediate depths of the Bering Sea. We argue that a reorganization of atmospheric circulation in the high-latitude North Pacific during severe cold episodes in the last glacial and deglacial period created favorable conditions for brine rejection in the northeastern Bering Sea. The resulting salinity increase in the cold surface waters could have initiated intermediate (and deep) water formation that spread out to the North Pacific.

Estimation of areal soil water content through microwave remote sensing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oevelen, van P.J.

2000-01-01

In this thesis the use of microwave remote sensing to estimate soil water content is investigated. A general framework is described which is applicable to both passive and active microwave remote sensing of soil water content. The various steps necessary to estimate areal soil water content

Vegetation Water Content Mapping for Agricultural Regions in SMAPVEX16

Science.gov (United States)

White, W. A.; Cosh, M. H.; McKee, L.; Berg, A. A.; McNairn, H.; Hornbuckle, B. K.; Colliander, A.; Jackson, T. J.

2017-12-01

Vegetation water content impacts the ability of L-band radiometers to measure surface soil moisture. Therefore it is necessary to quantify the amount of water held in surface vegetation for an accurate soil moisture remote sensing retrieval. A methodology is presented for generating agricultural vegetation water content maps using Landsat 8 scenes for agricultural fields of Iowa and Manitoba for the Soil Moisture Active Passive Validation Experiments in 2016 (SMAPVEX16). Manitoba has a variety of row crops across the region, and the study period encompasses the time frame from emergence to reproduction, as well as a forested region. The Iowa study site is dominated by corn and soybeans, presenting an easier challenge. Ground collection of vegetation biomass and water content were also collected to provide a ground truth data source. Errors for the resulting vegetation water content maps ranged depending upon crop type, but generally were less than 15% of the total plant water content per crop type. Interpolation is done between Landsat overpasses to produce daily vegetation water content maps for the summer of 2016 at a 30 meter resolution.

Active THz inspection of water content in plants

Science.gov (United States)

Etayo, D.; Iriarte, J. C.; Palacios, I.; Teniente, J.; Ederra, I.; Gonzalo, R.

2010-04-01

The THz range offers the possibility of measuring water content. This can be useful in wine industry to control plants water levels and also to decrease irrigation costs. This paper presents a THz imaging system used to characterise water content in leaves using frequency and time domain methods from 0.14 to 0.22 THz. Our results show the possibility of getting useful information out of the preformed measurements.

Effect of moisture content of concrete on water uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rucker-Gramm, P.; Beddoe, R.E.

2010-01-01

The penetration of water and non-polar hexane in Portland cement mortar prisms with different initial moisture contents was investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR). The amount of water in gel pores strongly affects the penetration of water in much larger capillary pores. Water penetration is reduced by the self-sealing effect as characterized by non-√t dependence of capillary uptake and penetration depth. This is explained by the ongoing redistribution of water from capillaries into gel pores which results in internal swelling and loss of continuity of the capillary pore system; a correlation was observed between the amount of redistributed water and departure from √t behaviour. A descriptive model is used to explain the dependence of water uptake and penetration on moisture content. For increasing initial moisture contents up to a critical value equivalent to equilibrium with a relative humidity between 65 and 80%, less penetrating water is able to redistribute. Thus more penetrating water is in larger capillaries with less viscous resistance; uptake and penetration depth increase. Above the critical initial moisture content, uptake and penetration depth decrease towards zero. This is explained by (a) an overall reduction in capillary pressure because transport takes places in fewer and larger pores and (b) an increase in viscous resistance due to the connection of penetrating capillary water with pores already containing water. Less capillary pore space is available for transport. The surface region of concrete placed in contact with water is not instantaneously saturated. Water content increases with time depending on the degree of surface saturation. A new transition coefficient for capillary suction γ is defined for the calculation of surface flux.

Critical masses of bare homogeneous spherical UO2-water mixtures at intermediate enrichments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rendon, G.L.; Stratton, W.

1999-01-01

Critical masses of bare homogeneous spherical UO 2 -water mixtures at various intermediate fissile enrichments determined by multigroup, transport theory is presented. This work was performed to provide support for particular issues encountered by the nuclear industry when operating in the intermediate enrichment regime, namely, the validation of codes used to set criticality safety limits. Validation is normally performed with a comparison of computational results and applicable experiments. However, this may be difficult in some cases because of the lack of sufficient applicable experiments in the intermediate enrichment range. If a large extension of the area of applicability from an experiment to the desired application exists, then an alternative means for validation must be employed. Ideal interpretations of standard ANSI/ANS 8.1 Section 4.3 (1983) implies that perhaps an independent code and data system may be employed for validation purposes

Soil volumetric water content measurements using TDR technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Vincenzi

1996-06-01

Full Text Available A physical model to measure some hydrological and thermal parameters in soils will to be set up. The vertical profiles of: volumetric water content, matric potential and temperature will be monitored in different soils. The volumetric soil water content is measured by means of the Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR technique. The result of a test to determine experimentally the reproducibility of the volumetric water content measurements is reported together with the methodology and the results of the analysis of the TDR wave forms. The analysis is based on the calculation of the travel time of the TDR signal in the wave guide embedded in the soil.

Influence of salinity and water content on soil microorganisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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.

Development of Non-Platinum Catalysts for Intermediate Temperature Water Electrolysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nikiforov, Aleksey Valerievich; Petrushina, Irina Michailovna; Bjerrum, Niels J.

2014-01-01

Water electrolysis is recognized as an efficient energy storage (in the form of hydrogen) supplement in renewable energy production. However, industrial alkaline water electrolyzers are rather ineffective and space requiring for a commercial use in connection with energy storage. The most effective...... modern water electrolyzers are based on polymeric proton-conducting membrane electrolytes (PEM), e.g. Nafion®, a perfluorocarbon-sulfonic acid polymer. These electrolyzers work at temperatures up to around 80 °C, and, in extreme cases, up to 130-140 °C. The most developed PEM electrolyzers...... as electrolytes for the intermediate temperature applications, such as CsHSO4, KHSO45. The most successful systems have been developed with CsH2PO4 (solid acid fuel cells (SAFCs) and Sn0.9In0.1P2O7 electrolytes6,7. While developing materials for the promising medium temperature electrolysis systems...

Increased Ice-age Influence of Antarctic Intermediate Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Muratli, J.; McManus, J.; Mix, A.; Chase, Z.

2008-12-01

A depth transect of three ODP sites collected along the central Chile Margin constrain Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) distributions and regional export production over the last 30 ka. Reduced Re and Cd, and increased Mn are proxies for higher bottom water oxygenation; 230Th-normalized burial of opal is a proxy for productivity. Mn/Al is high during the glacial interval at all three sites, suggesting high oxygenation and the retreat of the oxygen minimum zone during this period. At Site 1233, within the core of modern AAIW, Re and Cd are unchanged from detrital values throughout the last 30 ky, implying continuously oxic conditions. In contrast, at the northern sites 1234 and 1235, which reside below and above AAIW respectively, Re and Cd rise rapidly from low glacial values at ~15ka, signifying lower oxygen concentrations at the sea floor during Holocene time relative to ice-age conditions. Local productivity, recorded in Th-normalized opal burial, is highest during the glacial interval at both sites 1233 and 1234, and varies independently from the redox proxies. We conclude that local productivity does not drive bottom water oxygenation here, and that ventilation of the shallow subsurface southeast Pacific increased during the last ice age, with an expanded depth range of AAIW relative to the present.

Rapid myelin water content mapping on clinical MR systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonkova, Vyara; Arhelger, Volker; Schenk, Jochen; Neeb, Heiko; Koblenz Univ.

2012-01-01

We present an algorithm for the fast mapping of myelin water content using standard multiecho gradient echo acquisitions of the human brain. The method extents a previously published approach for the simultaneous measurement of brain T 1 , T * 2 and total water content. Employing the multiexponential T * 2 decay signal of myelinated tissue, myelin water content was measured based on the quantification of two water pools ('myelin water' and 'rest') with different relaxation times. As the existing protocol was focussed on the fast mapping of quantitative MR parameters with whole brain coverage in clinically relevant measurement times, the sampling density of the T * 2 curve was compromised to 10 echo times with a T Emax of approx. 40 ms. Therefore, pool amplitudes were determined using a quadratic optimisation approach. The optimisation was constrained by including a priori knowledge about brain water pools. All constraints were optimised in a simulation study to minimise systematic error sources given the incomplete knowledge about the real pool-specific relaxation properties. Based on the simulation results, whole brain in vivo myelin water content maps were acquired in 10 healthy controls and one subject with multiple sclerosis. The in vivo results obtained were consistent with previous reports which demonstrates that a simultaneous whole brain mapping of T 1 , T * 2 , total and myelin water content is feasible on almost any modern MR scanner in less than 10 minutes. (orig.)

The effect of water purification systems on fluoride content of drinking water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prabhakar A

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of different water purification systems on the fluoride content of drinking water and to compare the efficacy of these water purification systems in reducing the fluoride content. Materials and Methods: Five different water purification systems were tested in this study. They were reverse osmosis, distillation, activated carbon, Reviva ® , and candle filter. The water samples in the study were of two types, viz, borewell water and tap water, these being commonly used by the people of Davangere City, Karnataka. The samples were collected before and after purification, and fluoride analysis was done using fluoride ion-specific electrode. Results: The results showed that the systems based on reverse osmosis, viz, reverse osmosis system and Reviva ® showed maximum reduction in fluoride levels, the former proving to be more effective than the latter; followed by distillation and the activated carbon system, with the least reduction being brought about by candle filter. The amount of fluoride removed by the purification system varied between the system and from one source of water to the other. Interpretation and Conclusion: Considering the beneficial effects of fluoride on caries prevention; when drinking water is subjected to water purification systems that reduce fluoride significantly below the optimal level, fluoride supplementation may be necessary. The efficacy of systems based on reverse osmosis in reducing the fluoride content of water indicates their potential for use as defluoridation devices.

Southern Ocean Surface and Intermediate Water Temperature from Alkenones and Mg/Ca of Infaunal Foraminifera for the last 1.5 Ma

Science.gov (United States)

Elmore, Aurora; McClymont, Erin; Elderfield, Harry; Kender, Sev

2014-05-01

The reconstruction of past surface (SST), intermediate, and deep-water temperatures is critical to our understanding of feedbacks within the ocean-climate system. Intermediate water temperature (IWT) reconstruction is particularly important since intermediate waters, including Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), are proposed to be an important driver in high-low latitude teleconnections, despite limited intermediate-depth records through the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Paleotemperature proxies have caveats, including the 'Carbonate Ion Effect' on the Magnesium to Calcium ratio (Mg/Ca) of benthic foraminifera. However, recent studies demonstrated that the infaunal species, Uvigerina peregrina, co-precipitates Mg independent of secondary effects, affording the use of U.peregrina Mg/Ca as a paleotemperature proxy (Elderfield et al., 2010). We present the first 1.5 Ma record of IWT from Mg/CaU.peregrina coupled with an alkenone- derived UK37' SST record from a sediment core in the Southwest Pacific (DSDP site 593; 1068m water depth), in the core of modern AAIW. Our new data reconstruct interglacial IWTs at ~7°C before and after the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), whereas values of ~5°C occur in the later Pleistocene. Glacial IWT remained fairly constant (~2°C) throughout the last 1 Ma. These results are in apparent disagreement with the typical idea that glacial-interglacial temperature fluctuations were smaller in the '41-kyr world' before the MPT, than during the '100-kyr world', after the MPT. At proximal ODP site 1123 (3290m water depth; Elderfield et al., 2012), interglacial deepwater temperatures increase by ~1°C after the MPT, with relatively constant glacial deepwater temperatures (~-2°C) over the last 1 Ma. New results from DSDP 593 therefore imply that the mechanisms that drive intermediate and deep water temperatures varied, suggesting that at least one of these watermasses has properties driven by something other than Northern Hemisphere glaciation

Characterization of soil water content variability and soil texture using GPR groundwave techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grote, K.; Anger, C.; Kelly, B.; Hubbard, S.; Rubin, Y.

2010-08-15

Accurate characterization of near-surface soil water content is vital for guiding agricultural management decisions and for reducing the potential negative environmental impacts of agriculture. Characterizing the near-surface soil water content can be difficult, as this parameter is often both spatially and temporally variable, and obtaining sufficient measurements to describe the heterogeneity can be prohibitively expensive. Understanding the spatial correlation of near-surface soil water content can help optimize data acquisition and improve understanding of the processes controlling soil water content at the field scale. In this study, ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods were used to characterize the spatial correlation of water content in a three acre field as a function of sampling depth, season, vegetation, and soil texture. GPR data were acquired with 450 MHz and 900 MHz antennas, and measurements of the GPR groundwave were used to estimate soil water content at four different times. Additional water content estimates were obtained using time domain reflectometry measurements, and soil texture measurements were also acquired. Variograms were calculated for each set of measurements, and comparison of these variograms showed that the horizontal spatial correlation was greater for deeper water content measurements than for shallower measurements. Precipitation and irrigation were both shown to increase the spatial variability of water content, while shallowly-rooted vegetation decreased the variability. Comparison of the variograms of water content and soil texture showed that soil texture generally had greater small-scale spatial correlation than water content, and that the variability of water content in deeper soil layers was more closely correlated to soil texture than were shallower water content measurements. Lastly, cross-variograms of soil texture and water content were calculated, and co-kriging of water content estimates and soil texture

Rapid myelin water content mapping on clinical MR systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tonkova, Vyara; Arhelger, Volker [Fachhochschule Koblenz, RheinAhrCampus Remagen (Germany); Schenk, Jochen [Radiologisches Institut, Koblenz (Germany); Neeb, Heiko [Fachhochschule Koblenz, RheinAhrCampus Remagen (Germany); Koblenz Univ. (Germany). Inst. for Medical Engineering and Information Processing - MTI Mittelrhein

2012-07-01

We present an algorithm for the fast mapping of myelin water content using standard multiecho gradient echo acquisitions of the human brain. The method extents a previously published approach for the simultaneous measurement of brain T{sub 1}, T{sup *}{sub 2} and total water content. Employing the multiexponential T{sup *}{sub 2} decay signal of myelinated tissue, myelin water content was measured based on the quantification of two water pools ('myelin water' and 'rest') with different relaxation times. As the existing protocol was focussed on the fast mapping of quantitative MR parameters with whole brain coverage in clinically relevant measurement times, the sampling density of the T{sup *}{sub 2} curve was compromised to 10 echo times with a T {sub Emax} of approx. 40 ms. Therefore, pool amplitudes were determined using a quadratic optimisation approach. The optimisation was constrained by including a priori knowledge about brain water pools. All constraints were optimised in a simulation study to minimise systematic error sources given the incomplete knowledge about the real pool-specific relaxation properties. Based on the simulation results, whole brain in vivo myelin water content maps were acquired in 10 healthy controls and one subject with multiple sclerosis. The in vivo results obtained were consistent with previous reports which demonstrates that a simultaneous whole brain mapping of T{sub 1}, T{sup *}{sub 2}, total and myelin water content is feasible on almost any modern MR scanner in less than 10 minutes. (orig.)

Water and deuterium content of chondrites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robert, Francois

1978-01-01

The main objective of this research thesis which deals with meteorite study, is to develop an experimental technique to measure the hydrogen isotopic rate in the case of very low quantities of hydrogen, notably in samples in which water content is hundred or thousand times less than in reported experiments, in order to study mechanisms of alteration of chondrites. The author reports an attempt to reconcile obtained results for isotopic rates as well as for water contents with those of the main existing models of chondrite formation. He proposes a detailed description of isotopic exchange mechanisms at low temperature, and shows that this mechanism is not in disagreement with literature published on chondrites

Iodine content in drinking water and other beverages in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Lone Banke; Larsen, Erik Huusfeldt; Ovesen, L.

2000-01-01

Objective: To investigate the variation in iodine content in drinking water in Denmark and to determine the difference in iodine content between organic and non-organic milk. Further, to analyse the iodine content in other beverages. Design and setting: Tap water samples were collected from 41 ev...

[Near infrared spectroscopy study on water content in turbine oil].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bin; Liu, Ge; Zhang, Xian-Ming

2013-11-01

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with successive projections algorithm (SPA) was investigated for determination of water content in turbine oil. Through the 57 samples of different water content in turbine oil scanned applying near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, with the water content in the turbine oil of 0-0.156%, different pretreatment methods such as the original spectra, first derivative spectra and differential polynomial least squares fitting algorithm Savitzky-Golay (SG), and successive projections algorithm (SPA) were applied for the extraction of effective wavelengths, the correlation coefficient (R) and root mean square error (RMSE) were used as the model evaluation indices, accordingly water content in turbine oil was investigated. The results indicated that the original spectra with different water content in turbine oil were pretreated by the performance of first derivative + SG pretreatments, then the selected effective wavelengths were used as the inputs of least square support vector machine (LS-SVM). A total of 16 variables selected by SPA were employed to construct the model of SPA and least square support vector machine (SPA-LS-SVM). There is 9 as The correlation coefficient was 0.975 9 and the root of mean square error of validation set was 2.655 8 x 10(-3) using the model, and it is feasible to determine the water content in oil using near infrared spectroscopy and SPA-LS-SVM, and an excellent prediction precision was obtained. This study supplied a new and alternative approach to the further application of near infrared spectroscopy in on-line monitoring of contamination such as water content in oil.

Formation of Antarctic Intermediate Water during the Plio-Pleistocene

Science.gov (United States)

Karas, C.; Goldstein, S. L.; deMenocal, P. B.

2017-12-01

Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) plays a fundamental role in modern climate change. It is an important sink for anthropogenic CO2, it represents an important source water in several (sub)tropical upwelling regions and it is the coldwater route from the Southern Hemisphere to the North Atlantic Ocean replacing North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). During the last 4 million years, which marks the transition from the warm Pliocene climate towards icehouse conditions, the formation of this watermass is still largely unknown. We here present a multi-proxy approach using neodymium isotopes (ɛNd) on Fe-Mn encrusted foraminifera and coupled benthic Mg/Ca and stable isotopes from South Atlantic Site 516, within AAIW, to reconstruct its variability. Our data show that the modern formation of AAIW started about 3 million years ago, indicated by a distinct drop of ɛNd by 1.5, a cooling and freshening of benthic TMg/Ca by 8°C and a drop in benthic d13C values towards modern times. We interpret these changes as a reduced inflow of Pacific waters into the South Atlantic and the onset of modern deep vertical mixing at the source regions of AAIW near the polar front. These processes had significant effects on the CO2 storage of the ocean that supported global cooling and the intensification of the Northern Hemisphere Glaciation.

An analysis of infiltration with moisture content distribution in a two-dimensional discretized water content domain

KAUST Repository

Yu, Han; Douglas, Craig C.

2014-01-01

On the basis of unsaturated Darcy's law, the Talbot-Ogden method provides a fast unconditional mass conservative algorithm to simulate groundwater infiltration in various unsaturated soil textures. Unlike advanced reservoir modelling methods that compute unsaturated flow in space, it only discretizes the moisture content domain into a suitable number of bins so that the vertical water movement is estimated piecewise in each bin. The dimensionality of the moisture content domain is extended from one dimensional to two dimensional in this study, which allows us to distinguish pore shapes within the same moisture content range. The vertical movement of water in the extended model imitates the infiltration phase in the Talbot-Ogden method. However, the difference in this extension is the directional redistribution, which represents the horizontal inter-bin flow and causes the water content distribution to have an effect on infiltration. Using this extension, we mathematically analyse the general relationship between infiltration and the moisture content distribution associated with wetting front depths in different bins. We show that a more negatively skewed moisture content distribution can produce a longer ponding time, whereas a higher overall flux cannot be guaranteed in this situation. It is proven on the basis of the water content probability distribution independent of soil textures. To illustrate this analysis, we also present numerical examples for both fine and coarse soil textures.

An analysis of infiltration with moisture content distribution in a two-dimensional discretized water content domain

KAUST Repository

Yu, Han

2014-06-11

On the basis of unsaturated Darcy\\'s law, the Talbot-Ogden method provides a fast unconditional mass conservative algorithm to simulate groundwater infiltration in various unsaturated soil textures. Unlike advanced reservoir modelling methods that compute unsaturated flow in space, it only discretizes the moisture content domain into a suitable number of bins so that the vertical water movement is estimated piecewise in each bin. The dimensionality of the moisture content domain is extended from one dimensional to two dimensional in this study, which allows us to distinguish pore shapes within the same moisture content range. The vertical movement of water in the extended model imitates the infiltration phase in the Talbot-Ogden method. However, the difference in this extension is the directional redistribution, which represents the horizontal inter-bin flow and causes the water content distribution to have an effect on infiltration. Using this extension, we mathematically analyse the general relationship between infiltration and the moisture content distribution associated with wetting front depths in different bins. We show that a more negatively skewed moisture content distribution can produce a longer ponding time, whereas a higher overall flux cannot be guaranteed in this situation. It is proven on the basis of the water content probability distribution independent of soil textures. To illustrate this analysis, we also present numerical examples for both fine and coarse soil textures.

Determining the water content in concrete by gamma scattering method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Priyada, P.; Ramar, R.; Shivaramu

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Gamma scattering technique for estimation of water content in concrete is given. • The scattered intensity increases with the volumetric water content. • Attenuation correction is provided to the scattered intensities. • Volumetric water content of 137 Cs radioactive source and a high resolution HPGe detector based energy dispersive gamma ray spectrometer. Concrete samples of uniform density ≈2.4 g/cm 3 are chosen for the study and the scattered intensities found to vary with the amount of water present in the specimen. The scattered intensities are corrected for attenuation effects and the results obtained with reference to a dry sample are compared with those obtained by gravimetrical and gamma transmission methods. A good agreement is seen between gamma scattering results and those obtained by gravimetric and transmission methods within accuracy of 6% and <2% change in water content can be detected

Terahertz Measurement of the Water Content Distribution in Wood Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Bensalem, M.; Sommier, A.; Mindeguia, J. C.; Batsale, J. C.; Pradere, C.

2018-02-01

Recently, THz waves have been shown to be an effective technique for investigating the water diffusion within porous media, such as biomaterial or insulation materials. This applicability is due to the sufficient resolution for such applications and the safe levels of radiation. This study aims to achieve contactless absolute water content measurements at a steady state case in semi-transparent solids (wood) using a transmittance THz wave range setup. First, a calibration method is developed to validate an analytical model based on the Beer-Lambert law, linking the absorption coefficient, the density of the solid, and its water content. Then, an estimation of the water content on a local scale in a transient-state case (drying) is performed. This study shows that THz waves are an effective contactless, safe, and low-cost technique for the measurement of water content in a porous medium, such as wood.

Influence of water content on the inactivation of P. digitatum spores using an air-water plasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Youyi, HU; Weidong, ZHU; Kun, LIU; Leng, HAN; Zhenfeng, ZHENG; Huimin, HU

2018-04-01

In order to investigate whether an air-water plasma jet is beneficial to improve the efficiency of inactivation, a series of experiments were done using a ring-needle plasma jet. The water content in the working gas (air) was accurately measured based on the Karl Fischer method. The effects of water on the production of OH (A2Σ+-X2Πi) and O (3p5P-3s5S) were also studied by optical emission spectroscopy. The results show that the water content is in the range of 2.53-9.58 mg l-1, depending on the gas/water mixture ratio. The production of OH (A2Σ+-X2Πi) rises with the increase of water content, whereas the O (3p5P-3s5S) shows a declining tendency with higher water content. The sterilization experiments indicate that this air-water plasma jet inactivates the P. digitatum spores very effectively and its efficiency rises with the increase of the water content. It is possible that OH (A2Σ+-X2Πi) is a more effective species in inactivation than O (3p5P-3s5S) and the water content benefit the spore germination inhibition through rising the OH (A2Σ+-X2Πi) production. The maximum of the inactivation efficacy is up to 93% when the applied voltage is -6.75 kV and the water content is 9.58 mg l-1.

Peatland water repellency: Importance of soil water content, moss species, and burn severity

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, P. A.; Lukenbach, M. C.; Kettridge, N.; Petrone, R. M.; Devito, K. J.; Waddington, J. M.

2017-11-01

Wildfire is the largest disturbance affecting peatlands, with northern peat reserves expected to become more vulnerable to wildfire as climate change enhances the length and severity of the fire season. Recent research suggests that high water table positions after wildfire are critical to limit atmospheric carbon losses and enable the re-establishment of keystone peatland mosses (i.e. Sphagnum). Post-fire recovery of the moss surface in Sphagnum-feathermoss peatlands, however, has been shown to be limited where moss type and burn severity interact to result in a water repellent surface. While in situ measurements of moss water repellency in peatlands have been shown to be greater for feathermoss in both a burned and unburned state in comparison to Sphagnum moss, it is difficult to separate the effect of water content from species. Consequently, we carried out a laboratory based drying experiment where we compared the water repellency of two dominant peatland moss species, Sphagnum and feathermoss, for several burn severity classes including unburned samples. The results suggest that water repellency in moss is primarily controlled by water content, where a sharp threshold exists at gravimetric water contents (GWC) lower than ∼1.4 g g-1. While GWC is shown to be a strong predictor of water repellency, the effect is enhanced by burning. Based on soil water retention curves, we suggest that it is highly unlikely that Sphagnum will exhibit strong hydrophobic conditions under field conditions.

[Analysis of spectral features based on water content of desert vegetation].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhao; Li, Xia; Yin, Ye-biao; Tang, Jin; Zhou, Sheng-bin

2010-09-01

By using HR-768 field-portable spectroradiometer made by the Spectra Vista Corporation (SVC) of America, the hyper-spectral data of nine types of desert plants were measured, and the water content of corresponding vegetation was determined by roasting in lab. The continuum of measured hyperspectral data was removed by using ENVI, and the relationship between the water content of vegetation and the reflectance spectrum was analyzed by using correlation coefficient method. The result shows that the correlation between the bands from 978 to 1030 nm and water content of vegetation is weak while it is better for the bands from 1133 to 1266 nm. The bands from 1374 to 1534 nm are the characteristic bands because of the correlation between them and water content is the best. By using cluster analysis and according to the water content, the vegetation could be marked off into three grades: high (>70%), medium (50%-70%) and low (<50%). The research reveals the relationship between water content of desert vegetation and hyperspectral data, and provides basis for the analysis of area in desert and the monitoring of desert vegetation by using remote sensing data.

Variability of nutrients and carbon dioxide in the Antarctic Intermediate Water between 1990 and 2014

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Panassa, E.; Santana-Casiano, J.M.; González-Dávila, M.; Hoppema, M.; van Heuven, S.M.A.C.; Völker, C.; Wolf-Gladrow, D.; Hauck, J.

2018-01-01

Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) formation constitutes an important mechanism for the export of macronutrients outof the Southern Ocean that fuels primary production in low latitudes. We used quality-controlled gridded data from fivehydrographic cruises between 1990 and 2014 to examine decadal

Problems of estimation of water content history of loesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rendell, H.M.

1983-01-01

The estimation of 'mean water content' is a major source of error in the TL dating of many sediments. The engineering behaviour of loesses can be used, under certain circumstances, to interfer their content history. The construction of 'stress history' for particular loesses is therefore proposed in order to establish the critical conditions of moisture and applied stress (overburden) at which irreversible structural change occurs. A programme of field and laboratory tests should enable more precise estimates of water content history to be made. (author)

On contribution of horizontal and intra-layer convection to the formation of the Baltic Sea cold intermediate layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Chubarenko

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Seasonal cascades down the coastal slopes and intra-layer convection are considered as the two additional mechanisms contributing to the Baltic Sea cold intermediate layer (CIL formation along with conventional seasonal vertical mixing. Field measurements are presented, reporting for the first time the possibility of denser water formation and cascading from the Baltic Sea underwater slopes, which take place under fall and winter cooling conditions and deliver waters into intermediate layer of salinity stratified deep-sea area. The presence in spring within the CIL of water with temperature below that of maximum density (Tmd and that at the local surface in winter time allows tracing its formation: it is argued that the source of the coldest waters of the Baltic CIL is early spring (March–April cascading, arising due to heating of water before reaching the Tmd. Fast increase of the open water heat content during further spring heating indicates that horizontal exchange rather than direct solar heating is responsible for that. When the surface is covered with water, heated above the Tmd, the conditions within the CIL become favorable for intralayer convection due to the presence of waters of Tmd in intermediate layer, which can explain its well-known features – the observed increase of its salinity and deepening with time.

The Mediterranean Water content in the Northeast Atlantic

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Angela; Bashmachnikov, Igor; Neves, Filipe

2014-05-01

Distribution of the Mediterranean Water (MW) in the subtropical Northeast Atlantic [20-50o N, 5-40o W] was studied using Optimum Multiparameter analysis (OMP) applied to the World Ocean Atlas (http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/) and MEDTRANS climatologies (http://co.fc.ul.pt/en/). The areas of influence of water masses in the study region were obtained from literature and from analysis of individual TS-diagrams. The analysis permitted to divide the water column between 500 to 2000 m into 5 vertical layers. The boundaries of the layers separated different expected sets of the dominant water masses; their depth varied across the study region. For the OMP we used the following water masses: the central fraction of the North Atlantic Central Water (H), the lower fraction of the North Atlantic Central Water (NACWl), the Mediterranean Water (MW), the Sub-Artic Intermediate Water (SAIW), the modified Antarctic Intermediate Water (AA), the Labrador Sea Water (LSW) and the upper fraction of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADWu). The characteristics of the water masses were obtained from Perez et al. (2001), Alvarez et al. (2004) and Barbero et al. (2010), taken at the places where the water masses entered the study region. For each of the layers and each of the grid-points OMP was applied for estimation of the percentage of the each of the water masses in the observed mixture. The analysis of sensitivity of the results to the definition of water mass proprieties showed that their percentages were derived within the average error of 10%. The percentages of water masses obtained in this study compared well with the previous OMP results at some individual sections across our region (Hinrichsen and Tomczak, 1993; Alvarez et al., 2004 and Barbero et al., 2010). In this work we specifically focused on distribution of the MW. The results showed that the MW reached its maximum of 50% at 1200 m depth in the Gulf of Cadiz. The percentage decreased to about 40% along the Iberian continental

Activated carbon oxygen content influence on water and surfactant adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Pendleton, Phillip; Wu, Sophie Hua; Badalyan, Alexander

2002-02-15

This research investigates the adsorption properties of three activated carbons (AC) derived from coconut, coal, and wood origin. Each carbon demonstrates different levels of resistance to 2 M NaOH treatment. The coconut AC offers the greatest and wood AC the least resistance. The influence of base treatment is mapped in terms of its effects on specific surface area, micropore volume, water adsorption, and dodecanoic acid adsorption from both water and 2 M NaOH solution. A linear relationship exists between the number of water molecules adsorbed at the B-point of the water adsorption isotherm and the oxygen content determined from elemental analysis. Surfactant adsorption isotherms from water and 2 M NaOH indicate that the AC oxygen content effects a greater dependence on affinity for surfactant than specific surface area and micropore volume. We show a linear relationship between the plateau amount of surfactant adsorbed and the AC oxygen content in both water and NaOH phases. The higher the AC oxygen content, the lower the amount of surfactant adsorbed. In contrast, no obvious relationship could be drawn between the surfactant amount adsorbed and the surface area.

Estimating water content in an active landfill with the aid of GPR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yochim, April, E-mail: ayochim@regionofwaterloo.ca [Region of Waterloo Waste Management Division, 925 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4 (Canada); Zytner, Richard G., E-mail: rzytner@uoguelph.ca [School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 (Canada); McBean, Edward A., E-mail: emcbean@uoguelph.ca [School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 (Canada); Endres, Anthony L., E-mail: alendres@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca [Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2013-10-15

Highlights: • Limited information in the literature on the use of GPR to measure in situ water content in a landfill. • Developed GPR method allows measurement of in situ water content in a landfill. • Developed GPR method is appealing to waste management professionals operating landfills. - Abstract: Landfill gas (LFG) receives a great deal of attention due to both negative and positive environmental impacts, global warming and a green energy source, respectively. However, predicting the quantity of LFG generated at a given landfill, whether active or closed is difficult due to the heterogeneities present in waste, and the lack of accurate in situ waste parameters like water content. Accordingly, ground penetrating radar (GPR) was evaluated as a tool for estimating in situ water content. Due to the large degree of subsurface heterogeneity and the electrically conductive clay cap covering landfills, both of which affect the transmission of the electromagnetic pulses, there is much scepticism concerning the use of GPR to quantify in situ water content within a municipal landfill. Two landfills were studied. The first landfill was used to develop the measurement protocols, while the second landfill provided a means of confirming these protocols. GPR measurements were initially completed using the surface GPR approach, but the lack of success led to the use of borehole (BH) GPR. Both zero offset profiling (ZOP) and multiple offset gathers (MOG) modes were tried, with the results indicating that BH GPR using the ZOP mode is the most simple and efficient method to measure in situ water content. The best results were obtained at a separation distance of 2 m, where higher the water content, smaller the effective separation distance. However, an increase in water content did appear to increase the accuracy of the GPR measurements. For the effective separation distance of 2 m at both landfills, the difference between GPR and lab measured water contents were reasonable

Estimating water content in an active landfill with the aid of GPR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yochim, April; Zytner, Richard G.; McBean, Edward A.; Endres, Anthony L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Limited information in the literature on the use of GPR to measure in situ water content in a landfill. • Developed GPR method allows measurement of in situ water content in a landfill. • Developed GPR method is appealing to waste management professionals operating landfills. - Abstract: Landfill gas (LFG) receives a great deal of attention due to both negative and positive environmental impacts, global warming and a green energy source, respectively. However, predicting the quantity of LFG generated at a given landfill, whether active or closed is difficult due to the heterogeneities present in waste, and the lack of accurate in situ waste parameters like water content. Accordingly, ground penetrating radar (GPR) was evaluated as a tool for estimating in situ water content. Due to the large degree of subsurface heterogeneity and the electrically conductive clay cap covering landfills, both of which affect the transmission of the electromagnetic pulses, there is much scepticism concerning the use of GPR to quantify in situ water content within a municipal landfill. Two landfills were studied. The first landfill was used to develop the measurement protocols, while the second landfill provided a means of confirming these protocols. GPR measurements were initially completed using the surface GPR approach, but the lack of success led to the use of borehole (BH) GPR. Both zero offset profiling (ZOP) and multiple offset gathers (MOG) modes were tried, with the results indicating that BH GPR using the ZOP mode is the most simple and efficient method to measure in situ water content. The best results were obtained at a separation distance of 2 m, where higher the water content, smaller the effective separation distance. However, an increase in water content did appear to increase the accuracy of the GPR measurements. For the effective separation distance of 2 m at both landfills, the difference between GPR and lab measured water contents were reasonable

Water calibration measurements for neutron radiography: Application to water content quantification in porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, M., E-mail: kangm@ornl.gov [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Chemical and Engineering Materials Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bilheux, H.Z., E-mail: bilheuxhn@ornl.gov [Chemical and Engineering Materials Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Voisin, S. [Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Cheng, C.L.; Perfect, E. [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Horita, J. [Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX (United States); Warren, J.M. [Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2013-04-21

Using neutron radiography, the measurement of water thickness was performed using aluminum (Al) water calibration cells at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) Cold-Guide (CG) 1D neutron imaging facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA. Calibration of water thickness is an important step to accurately measure water contents in samples of interest. Neutron attenuation by water does not vary linearly with thickness mainly due to beam hardening and scattering effects. Transmission measurements for known water thicknesses in water calibration cells allow proper correction of the underestimation of water content due to these effects. As anticipated, strong scattering effects were observed for water thicknesses greater than 0.2 cm when the water calibration cells were positioned close to the face of the detector/scintillator (0 and 2.4 cm away, respectively). The water calibration cells were also positioned 24 cm away from the detector face. These measurements resulted in less scattering and this position (designated as the sample position) was used for the subsequent experimental determination of the neutron attenuation coefficient for water. Neutron radiographic images of moist Flint sand in rectangular and cylindrical containers acquired at the sample position were used to demonstrate the applicability of the water calibration. Cumulative changes in the water volumes within the sand columns during monotonic drainage determined by neutron radiography were compared with those recorded by direct reading from a burette connected to a hanging water column. In general, the neutron radiography data showed very good agreement with those obtained volumetrically using the hanging water-column method. These results allow extension of the calibration equation to the quantification of unknown water contents within other samples of porous media.

Spatio-temporal variability of soil water content on the local scale in a Mediterranean mountain area (Vallcebre, North Eastern Spain). How different spatio-temporal scales reflect mean soil water content

Science.gov (United States)

Molina, Antonio J.; Latron, Jérôme; Rubio, Carles M.; Gallart, Francesc; Llorens, Pilar

2014-08-01

As a result of complex human-land interactions and topographic variability, many Mediterranean mountain catchments are covered by agricultural terraces that have locally modified the soil water content dynamic. Understanding these local-scale dynamics helps us grasp better how hydrology behaves on the catchment scale. Thus, this study examined soil water content variability in the upper 30 cm of the soil on a Mediterranean abandoned terrace in north-east Spain. Using a dataset of high spatial (regular grid of 128 automatic TDR probes at 2.5 m intervals) and temporal (20-min time step) resolution, gathered throughout a 84-day period, the spatio-temporal variability of soil water content at the local scale and the way that different spatio-temporal scales reflect the mean soil water content were investigated. Soil water content spatial variability and its relation to wetness conditions were examined, along with the spatial structuring of the soil water content within the terrace. Then, the ability of single probes and of different combinations of spatial measurements (transects and grids) to provide a good estimate of mean soil water content on the terrace scale was explored by means of temporal stability analyses. Finally, the effect of monitoring frequency on the magnitude of detectable daily soil water content variations was studied. Results showed that soil water content spatial variability followed a bimodal pattern of increasing absolute variability with increasing soil water content. In addition, a linear trend of decreasing soil water content as the distance from the inner part of the terrace increased was identified. Once this trend was subtracted, resulting semi-variograms suggested that the spatial resolution examined was too high to appreciate spatial structuring in the data. Thus, the spatial pattern should be considered as random. Of all the spatial designs tested, the 10 × 10 m mesh grid (9 probes) was considered the most suitable option for a good

Auto Detection For High Level Water Content For Oil Well

Science.gov (United States)

Janier, Josefina Barnachea; Jumaludin, Zainul Arifin B.

2010-06-01

Auto detection of high level water content for oil well is a system that measures the percentage of water in crude oil. This paper aims to discuss an auto detection system for measuring the content of water level in crude oil which is applicable for offshore and onshore oil operations. Data regarding water level content from wells can be determined by using automation thus, well with high water level can be determined immediately whether to be closed or not from operations. Theoretically the system measures the percentage of two- fluid mixture where the fluids have different electrical conductivities which are water and crude oil. The system made use of grid sensor which is a grid pattern like of horizontal and vertical wires. When water occupies the space at the intersection of vertical and horizontal wires, an electrical signal is detected which proved that water completed the circuit path in the system. The electrical signals are counted whereas the percentage of water is determined from the total electrical signals detected over electrical signals provided. Simulation of the system using the MultiSIM showed that the system provided the desired result.

The correlation of metal content in medicinal plants and their water extracts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ranđelović Saša S.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The quality of some medicinal plants and their water extracts from South East Serbia is determined on the basis of metal content using atomic absorption spectrometry. The two methods were used for the preparation of water extracts, to examine the impact of the preparation on the content of metals in them. Content of investigated metals in both water extracts is markedly lower then in medicinal plants, but were higher in water extract prepared by method (I, with exception of lead content. The coefficients of extraction for the observed metal can be represented in the following order: Zn > Mn > Pb > Cu > Fe. Correlation coefficients between the metal concentration in the extract and total metal content in plant material vary in the range from 0.6369 to 0.9956. This indicates need the plants to be collected and grown in the unpolluted area and to examine the metal content. The content of heavy metals in the investigated medicinal plants and their water extracts is below the maximum allowable values, so they are safe to use.

No evidence for a deglacial intermediate water Δ14C anomaly in the SW Atlantic

Science.gov (United States)

Sortor, R. N.; Lund, D. C.

2010-12-01

Reconstructions of Δ14C from the eastern tropical Pacific show that severe depletions in 14C occurred at intermediate depths during the last deglaciation (Marchitto et al. 2007; Stott et al. 2009). Marchitto et al. (2007) suggested that old radiocarbon from an isolated abyssal reservoir was injected via the Southern Ocean, and that this anomaly was then carried by Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) to the tropical Pacific. However, a core from the southeastern Pacific Ocean near Chile, which is in the direct path of modern-day AAIW, does not exhibit the excursion and therefore casts doubts upon the AAIW mechanism (De Pol-Holz et al. 2010). Here we evaluate whether or not a deglacial 14C anomaly similar to that in the eastern tropical Pacific occurred at intermediate depths in the South Atlantic. We reconstructed Δ14C using planktonic and benthic foraminifera from core KNR159-5-36GGC on the Brazil Margin (27○31’S and 46○28’W, 1268 m depth). In the modern ocean, the hydrography near this core site is heavily influenced by AAIW (Oppo & Horowitz, 2000). Benthic Δ14C values were determined using raw benthic 14C ages and calendar-calibrated planktonic ages. The deglacial benthic Δ14C trend at this site is similar to the atmospheric Δ14C trend, and is consistent with U/Th-dated corals from intermediate depths on the Brazil Margin (Mangini et al. 2010). The amplitude and timing of Δ14C changes in the foraminiferal and coral records are especially congruous during the Mystery Interval. We find no evidence in the southwestern Atlantic of a ~300‰ decrease in intermediate water Δ14C beginning at 18 kyr BP. Changes in reservoir age of ~1000 years are required to create a Baja-like Δ14C anomaly off Brazil, an implausible increase for a subtropical gyre location. Furthermore, the resulting sedimentation rates would be up to ~145 cm/kyr during the deglaciation, an order of magnitude higher than the average sedimentation rate for 36GGC. When our results are

Water solubility in monzogranite melts: experimental and calculated water contents at 6 kbar

OpenAIRE

García Moreno, Olga; Castro Dorado, Antonio; Corretgé, Luis Guillermo

2002-01-01

Several piston-cylinder crystallisation experiments have been performed with a synthetic monzogranitic glass with different initial water contents at 6 kbar. Comparison with calculated water contents shows: 1) some differences of the order of 10% of XH2Q; 2) "non-linear" behaviour in XH2C/T curves; and 3) similar pattern in the XH2JT curves in both measured and calculated data. Resumen Se han realizado varios experimentos de cristalización en aparatos "piston-cylinder" a 6 kbar, u...

Determining the in situ water content of the Geysers Graywacke of Northern California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marsh, A.

1994-12-01

The water content, porosity and permeability measurements of the Northern California Geysers rocks are used to predict the lifetime of the geothermal resource, which provides 10% of Northern California`s electricity. The Geysers rock was drilled from defunct well SB-15-D, and some cores wee sealed in aluminum tubes to preserve the in situ water content. These cores were sent to the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to measure the water content. Humidity measurements were taken of the air around a one and a half foot encased core, recovered from a depth of 918.9 feet. Over a seven day period, the humidity reached almost 100% indicating that the air around the core was saturated in water vapor. We believe the sealing method is effective, preserving the in-situ water content. To measure water content, I will use Archimede`s principle to determine the density of the core before and after drying in an oven. Ultrasonic measurements will be taken of the core upon removal from aluminum tube to determine the change of p-wave velocity with change in water content. Water in the pores increases the effective compressibility of the rock therefore increasing the p-velocity. The measured p-wave velocities can then be used in the field to determine in-situ water content. Three dimensional x-ray images will be used to determine the deviations from average density within individual cores. Since the density depends on water content as well as mineralogy, images can show the location of pore fluid and drilling mud. Archimede`s principle, humidity detection, ultrasonics and x-ray scanning are viable methods to measure the in-situ water content and pore water distribution in the graywacke.

[Spectrum Variance Analysis of Tree Leaves Under the Condition of Different Leaf water Content].

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jian; Chen, Tai-sheng; Pan, Li-xin

2015-07-01

Leaf water content is an important factor affecting tree spectral characteristics. So Exploring the leaf spectral characteristics change rule of the same tree under the condition of different leaf water content and the spectral differences of different tree leaves under the condition of the same leaf water content are not only the keys of hyperspectral vegetation remote sensing information identification but also the theoretical support of research on vegetation spectrum change as the differences in leaf water content. The spectrometer was used to observe six species of tree leaves, and the reflectivity and first order differential spectrum of different leaf water content were obtained. Then, the spectral characteristics of each tree species leaves under the condition of different leaf water content were analyzed, and the spectral differences of different tree species leaves under the condition of the same leaf water content were compared to explore possible bands of the leaf water content identification by hyperspectral remote sensing. Results show that the spectra of each tree leaf have changed a lot with the change of the leaf water content, but the change laws are different. Leaf spectral of different tree species has lager differences in some wavelength range under the condition of same leaf water content, and it provides some possibility for high precision identification of tree species.

Effect of water content on dispersion of transferred solute in unsaturated porous media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Latrille, C. [CEA Saclay, DEN/DANS/DPC/SECR/L3MR, 91191 Gif sur Yvette (France)

2013-07-01

Estimating contaminant migration in the context of waste disposal and/or environmental remediation of polluted soils requires a complete understanding of the underlying transport processes. In unsaturated porous media, water content impacts directly on porous solute transfer. Depending on the spatial distribution of water content, the flow pathway is more complex than in water saturated media. Dispersivity is consequently dependent on water content. Non-reactive tracer experiments performed using unsaturated sand columns confirm the dependence of dispersivity with pore velocity; moreover, a power law relationship between dispersivity and water content is evidenced. (authors)

Characterisation of long-lived low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in the Nordic Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broden, K.; Carugati, S.; Brodersen, K.; Carlsson, T.; Viitanen, P.; Walderhaug, T.; Sneve, M.; Hornkjoel, S.; Backe, S.

1997-11-01

The present report is final report from a study on characterisation of radioactive waters in the Nordic countries. The study has mainly been focused on long-lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Methods to measure or estimate the activity content and the general composition are discussed. Recommendations are given regarding characterisation of waste under treatment and characterisation of already produced waste packages. (au)

Characterisation of long-lived low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in the Nordic Countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broden, K. [Studsvik RadWaste AB, (El Salvador); Carugati, S.; Brodersen, K. [Forskningscenter Risoe, (Denmark); Carlsson, T.; Viitanen, P. [VVT, (Finland); Walderhaug, T. [Icelandic Radiation Protection Institute (Iceland); Sneve, M.; Hornkjoel, S. [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (Norway); Backe, S. [Institute for Energy Technology (Norway)

1997-11-01

The present report is final report from a study on characterisation of radioactive waters in the Nordic countries. The study has mainly been focused on long-lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Methods to measure or estimate the activity content and the general composition are discussed. Recommendations are given regarding characterisation of waste under treatment and characterisation of already produced waste packages. (au).

Field, laboratory and estimated soil-water content limits

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2005-01-21

Jan 21, 2005 ... silt (0.002 to 0.05 mm) percentage to estimate the soil-water content at a given soil-water .... ar and br are the intercept and slope values of the regres- .... tions use the particle size classification of the South African Soil.

Tritium content in tissue free water of Japanese bodies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ujeno, Y.; Yamamoto, K.; Aoki, T.; Kurihara, N.

1986-01-01

The tritium content of tissue free water was measured in fresh, non-diseased organs (brain, lungs, liver, kidneys and muscle) removed by forensic autopsy from 4 male and 4 female bodies. Tissue free water was extracted by freeze drying and distillation and tritium measured in the absence of background radon gas. A typical count was approximately 2.70 cpm. The mean tritium content of tissue free water in all the organs examined was 2.50 + - 0.67 Bq.1/sup -1/ (67.6 + -18.2 pCi1/sup -1/). This value was much lower than that obtained for tissues from Italian bodies: the value was, however, similar to that obtained for tap water (70.2 + -28.0 pCi.1/sup -1/), rain water (77.8 + - 47.4 pCi.1/sup -1/) and tissue free water of foods (55.6 + - 26.2 pCi.1/sup -1/).

Variability of nutrients and carbon dioxide in the Antarctic Intermediate Water between 1990 and 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Panassa, Essowè; Santana-Casiano, J. Magdalena; González-Dávila, Melchor; Hoppema, Mario; van Heuven, Steven M. A. C.; Völker, Christoph; Wolf-Gladrow, Dieter; Hauck, Judith

2018-03-01

Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) formation constitutes an important mechanism for the export of macronutrients out of the Southern Ocean that fuels primary production in low latitudes. We used quality-controlled gridded data from five hydrographic cruises between 1990 and 2014 to examine decadal variability in nutrients and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the AAIW (neutral density range 27 net primary productivity (more nutrients unutilized) in the source waters of the AAIW could have contributed as well but cannot fully explain all observed changes.

Determination of water content in natural zeolites by reflection method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarria, Lopez P.; Desdin Garcia, V.; Freixas Lemus, V.; Dominguez Ley, O.; Csikai, G.

1989-01-01

Water content in natural zeolites collected from different site places in Cuba has been determined by neutron reflection method. Results show that it is possible to separate the minerals abundant in zeolite from the surrounding barren rocks. Water content of about 10% can be determined with 2-3% relative accuracy for different matrices, using 10 m measuring time

Stable isotope content of South African river water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talma, A.S.

1987-01-01

Variations of the isotopic ratios 18 O/ 16 O and D/H in natural waters reflect the variety of processes to which the water was subjected within the hydrological cycle. Time series of the 18 O content of the major South African rivers over a few years have been obtained in order to characterise the main features of these variations in both time and space. Regionally the average '1 8 O content of river water reflects that of the prevailing rains within the catchment. 18 O variations with time are mainly correlated with river flow rates. Impoundments upstream and management of river flows reduce this correlation. Isotope variations along the course of a river show the effects of inflow from smaller streams and evaporation in the river or its impoundments. These observations indicate the use of isotopic methods to study the evaporation and mixing of river water and its interaction with the surrounding environment

Decoupling Seasonal Changes in Water Content and Dry Matter to Predict Live Conifer Foliar Moisture Content.

OpenAIRE

Jolly, W. M.; Hadlow, A. M.; Huguet, K.

2014-01-01

Live foliar moisture content (LFMC) significantly influences wildland fire behaviour. However, characterising variations in LFMC is difficult because both foliar mass and dry mass can change throughout the season. Here we quantify the seasonal changes in both plant water status and dry matter partitioning. We collected new and old foliar samples fromPinus contorta for two growing seasons and quantified their LFMC, relative water content (RWC) and dry matter chemistry. LFMC quantifies the amou...

Application of acoustical methods to the measurement of water content in sand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazarov, V.E.; Radostin, A.V.; Stepanyants, Y.A.

2000-10-01

Results of laboratory experiments on the propagation of high-frequency acoustic waves (f = 100 kHz) in a glass tube, filled with river sand are presented. Several sand samples have been used with different water content: dry, unsaturated and completely water saturated. It is shown that the dissipative coefficient of acoustic waves decreases with increasing wave amplitude. This 'self-brightening' phenomenon takes place over the whole range of moisture content, from zero to 100%, but its degree of manifestation depends on the moisture content. The exponent of the dissipative nonlinearity α, is found to be the most sensitive parameter to the moisture content and is determined on the basis of measurements. It is considered to be a good indicator of water content in porous media and provides an opportunity to measure water content in such materials indirectly by means of an acoustic method. A simple phenomenological model is presented to explain the experimental results

CAMEX-4 CVI CLOUD CONDENSED WATER CONTENT V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The counterflow virtual impactor (CVI) was used to measure condensed water content (liquid water or ice in particles about 8 microns in diameter and up) and cloud...

Evaluation of surface nuclear magnetic resonance-estimated subsurface water content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller-Petke, M; Dlugosch, R; Yaramanci, U

2011-01-01

The technique of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has found widespread use in geophysical applications for determining rock properties (e.g. porosity and permeability) and state variables (e.g. water content) or to distinguish between oil and water. NMR measurements are most commonly made in the laboratory and in boreholes. The technique of surface NMR (or magnetic resonance sounding (MRS)) also takes advantage of the NMR phenomenon, but by measuring subsurface rock properties from the surface using large coils of some tens of meters and reaching depths as much as 150 m. We give here a brief review of the current state of the art of forward modeling and inversion techniques. In laboratory NMR a calibration is used to convert measured signal amplitudes into water content. Surface NMR-measured amplitudes cannot be converted by a simple calibration. The water content is derived by comparing a measured amplitude with an amplitude calculated for a given subsurface water content model as input for a forward modeling that must account for all relevant physics. A convenient option to check whether the measured signals are reliable or the forward modeling accounts for all effects is to make measurements in a well-defined environment. Therefore, measurements on top of a frozen lake were made with the latest-generation surface NMR instruments. We found the measured amplitudes to be in agreement with the calculated amplitudes for a model of 100 % water content. Assuming then both the forward modeling and the measurement to be correct, the uncertainty of the model is calculated with only a few per cent based on the measurement uncertainty.

K-Basins particulate water content, and behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DUNCAN, D.R.

1999-01-01

This analysis summarizes the state of knowledge of K-basins spent nuclear fuel oxide (film, particulate or sludge) and its chemically bound water in order to estimate the associated multi-canister overpack (MCO) water inventory and to describe particulate dehydration behavior. This information can be used to evaluate the thermal and chemical history of an MCO and its contents during cold vacuum drying (CVD), shipping, and interim storage

K-Basins particulate water content, and behavior

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DUNCAN, D.R.

1999-02-25

This analysis summarizes the state of knowledge of K-basins spent nuclear fuel oxide (film, particulate or sludge) and its chemically bound water in order to estimate the associated multi-canister overpack (MCO) water inventory and to describe particulate dehydration behavior. This information can be used to evaluate the thermal and chemical history of an MCO and its contents during cold vacuum drying (CVD), shipping, and interim storage.

Performance evaluation of TDT soil water content and watermark soil water potential sensors

Science.gov (United States)

This study evaluated the performance of digitized Time Domain Transmissometry (TDT) soil water content sensors (Acclima, Inc., Meridian, ID) and resistance-based soil water potential sensors (Watermark 200, Irrometer Company, Inc., Riverside, CA) in two soils. The evaluation was performed by compar...

The virtual water content of major grain crops and virtual water flows between regions in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Shi-Kun; Wu, Pu-Te; Wang, Yu-Bao; Zhao, Xi-Ning

2013-04-01

The disproportionate distribution of arable land and water resources has become a bottleneck for guaranteeing food security in China. Virtual water and virtual water trade theory have provided a potential solution to improve water resources management in agriculture and alleviate water crises in water-scarce regions. The present study evaluates the green and blue virtual water content of wheat, maize and rice at the regional scale in China. It then assesses the water-saving benefits of virtual water flows related to the transfer of the three crops between regions. The national average virtual water content of wheat, maize and rice were 1071 m(3) per ton (50.98% green water, 49.02% blue water ), 830 m(3) per ton (76.27% green water, 23.73% blue water) and 1294 m(3) per ton (61.90% green water, 38.10% blue water), respectively. With the regional transfer of wheat, maize and rice, virtual water flows reached 30.08 Gm(3) (59.91% green water, 40.09% blue water). Meanwhile, China saved 11.47 Gm(3) green water, while it consumed 7.84 Gm(3) more blue water than with a no-grain transfer scenario in 2009. In order to guarantee food security in China, the government should improve water productivity (reduce virtual water content of crops) during the grain production process. Meanwhile, under the preconditions of economic feasibility and land-water resources availability, China should guarantee the grain-sown area in southern regions for taking full advantage of green water resources and to alleviate the pressure on water resources. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lead Content of Well Water in Enugu South-East Nigeria | Ogbu ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: To study the lead content of well water in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. Method: Wells (101) were located using the multistage sampling procedure and samples were collected into clean plastic containers. Analysis was done using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Result: The means lead content of well water ...

Unsaturated flow characterization utilizing water content data collected within the capillary fringe

Science.gov (United States)

Baehr, Arthur; Reilly, Timothy J.

2014-01-01

An analysis is presented to determine unsaturated zone hydraulic parameters based on detailed water content profiles, which can be readily acquired during hydrological investigations. Core samples taken through the unsaturated zone allow for the acquisition of gravimetrically determined water content data as a function of elevation at 3 inch intervals. This dense spacing of data provides several measurements of the water content within the capillary fringe, which are utilized to determine capillary pressure function parameters via least-squares calibration. The water content data collected above the capillary fringe are used to calculate dimensionless flow as a function of elevation providing a snapshot characterization of flow through the unsaturated zone. The water content at a flow stagnation point provides an in situ estimate of specific yield. In situ determinations of capillary pressure function parameters utilizing this method, together with particle-size distributions, can provide a valuable supplement to data libraries of unsaturated zone hydraulic parameters. The method is illustrated using data collected from plots within an agricultural research facility in Wisconsin.

Bituminization of low- and intermediate-level radioactive concentrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breza, M.; Krejci, F.; Timulak, J.; Tibensky, L.

1985-01-01

The results and experiences are summed up from the research and development of the technology of bituminization of low- and intermediate-level radioactive concentrates generated in the operation of nuclear power plants with WWER-440 reactors. The experiments took place on a pilot plant bituminization line with various model solutions at an evaporator capacity of 70, 100 and 140 litres per hour. The composition of the solutions changed in dependence on the knowledge of the composition of actual concentrates in the V-1 nuclear power plant at Jaslovske Bohunice. The following factors were studied in the concentrate: the effect of its pH, its borate content and content of metal carbonates, the content of organic acid salts, the content of detergents, etc., on the process of bituminization. Physico-chemical conditions are described under which the operation of the evaporator was fail-safe and filling of the bituminization product with salts homogeneous. A low water content of up to 1% was achieved. The properties of the bituminization product were negatively affected by a high level of heavy metal oxides, surfactants, oxalates and citrates. In order to improve the properties of the product it will be necessary to replace bitumen emulsion Silembit-60 used as reinforcement matrix, by a different type of bitumen. (Z.M.)

Laser-light backscattering response to water content and proteolysis in dry-cured ham

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fulladosa, E.; Rubio-Celorio, M.; Skytte, Jacob Lercke

2017-01-01

on the acquisition conditions used. Laser backscattering was influenced by both dryness and proteolysis intensity showing an average light intensity decrease of 0.2 when decreasing water content (1% weight loss) and increasing proteolysis (equivalent to one-hour enzyme action). However, a decrease of scattering area...... was only detected when the water content was decreased (618 mm(2) per 1% weight loss). Changes on scattering of light profiles were only observed when the water content changed. Although there is a good correlation between water content and LBI parameters when analysing commercial samples, proteolysis...... of laser incidence) and to analyse the laser-light backscattering changes caused by additional hot air drying and proteolysis of dry-cured ham slices. The feasibility of the technology to determine water content and proteolysis (which is related to textural characteristics) of commercial sliced dry...

CAMEX-4 DC-8 NEVZOROV TOTAL CONDENSED WATER CONTENT SENSOR V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The CAMEX-4 DC-8 Nevzorov Total Condensed Water Content Sensor dataset was collected by the Nevzorov total condensed water content sensor which was used to measure...

Variation of the cold intermediate water in the Black Sea exit of the Strait of Istanbul (Bosphorus and its transfer through the strait

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huseyin Yuce

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The cold intermediate water (CIW, T < 8°C entering the Strait of Istanbul and its variation along the strait have been studied by using monthly conductivity-temperature-depth (CTDdata sets collected during the period from 1996 to 2000. In the northern exit of the strait, CIW is located between the seasonal thermocline and Mediterranean water originating from the lowerlayer of the Sea of Marmara. The thickness of CIW decreases fromApril to October. In the Strait of Istanbul, CIW is observedas a layer of temperature < 14$^{circ}$C. The thickness of thismodified cold intermediate water flowing southwards with the upper layer decreases, while its temperature increases along thestrait due to mixing with adjacent water. In the southern exit of the strait, the modified cold intermediate water is observed during the period from May to October. If CIW exists in the Black Sea exit region of the strait, modified cold water is found inthe Marmara exit region during the same period. The distribution of CIW in the Strait of Istanbul contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of the strait, especially in the summer months.

Water content of aged aerosol

OpenAIRE

G. J. Engelhart; L. Hildebrandt; E. Kostenidou; N. Mihalopoulos; N. M. Donahue; S. N. Pandis

2010-01-01

The composition and physical properties of aged atmospheric aerosol were characterized at a remote sampling site on the northern coast of Crete, Greece during the Finokalia Aerosol Measurement Experiment in May 2008 (FAME-2008). A reduced Dry-Ambient Aerosol Size Spectrometer (DAASS) was deployed to measure the aerosol water content and volumetric growth factor of fine particulate matter. The particles remained wet even at relative humidity (RH) as low as 20%. The aerosol was acidic during mo...

Magmatic water contents determined through clinopyroxene: Examples from the Western Canary Islands, Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Weis, Franz A.; Skogby, Henrik; Troll, Valentin R.; Deegan, Frances M.; Dahren, Börje

2015-07-01

Water is a key parameter in magma genesis, magma evolution, and resulting eruption styles, because it controls the density, the viscosity, as well as the melting and crystallization behavior of a melt. The parental water content of a magma is usually measured through melt inclusions in minerals such as olivine, a method which may be hampered, however, by the lack of melt inclusions suitable for analysis, or postentrapment changes in their water content. An alternative way to reconstruct the water content of a magma is to use nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs), such as pyroxene, which take up low concentrations of hydrogen as a function of the magma's water content. During magma degassing and eruption, however, NAMs may dehydrate. We therefore tested a method to reconstruct the water contents of dehydrated clinopyroxene phenocrysts from the Western Canary islands (n = 28) through rehydration experiments followed by infrared and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Employing currently available crystal/melt partitioning data, the results of the experiments were used to calculate parental water contents of 0.71 ± 0.07 to 1.49 ± 0.15 wt % H2O for Western Canary magmas during clinopyroxene crystallization at upper mantle conditions. This H2O range is in agreement with calculated water contents using plagioclase-liquid-hygrometry, and with previously published data for mafic lavas from the Canary Islands and comparable ocean island systems elsewhere. Utilizing NAMs in combination with hydrogen treatment can therefore serve as a proxy for pre-eruptive H2O contents, which we anticipate becoming a useful method applicable to mafic rocks where pyroxene is the main phenocryst phase.

Water contents of clinopyroxenes from sub-arc mantle peridotites

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Michael; Turner, Simon; Blatter, Dawnika; Maury, Rene; Perfit, Michael; Yogodzinski, Gene

2017-01-01

One poorly constrained reservoir of the Earth's water budget is that of clinopyroxene in metasomatised, mantle peridotites. This study presents reconnaissance Sensitive High-Resolution, Ion Microprobe–Stable Isotope (SHRIMP–SI) determinations of the H2O contents of (dominantly) clinopyroxenes in rare mantle xenoliths from four different subduction zones, i.e. Mexico, Kamchatka, Philippines, and New Britain (Tabar-Feni island chain) as well as one intra-plate setting (western Victoria). All of the sub-arc xenoliths have been metasomatised and carry strong arc trace element signatures. Average measured H2O contents of the pyroxenes range from 70 ppm to 510 ppm whereas calculated bulk H2O contents range from 88 ppm to 3 737 ppm if the variable presence of amphibole is taken into account. In contrast, the intra-plate, continental mantle xenolith from western Victoria has higher water contents (3 447 ppm) but was metasomatised by alkali and/or carbonatitic melts and does not carry a subduction-related signature. Material similar to the sub-arc peridotites can either be accreted to the base of the lithosphere or potentially be transported by convection deeper into the mantle where it will lose water due to amphibole breakdown.

Increased Cerebral Water Content in Hemodialysis Patients

OpenAIRE

Reetz, Kathrin; Abbas, Zaheer; Eitner, Frank; Gross, Theresa; Schulz, Jörg Bernhard; Floege, Jürgen; Shah, N. J.; Costa, Ana Sofia; Gras, Vincent; Tiffin-Richards, Frances; Mirzazade, Shahram; Holschbach, Bernhard; Frank, Rolf Dario; Vassiliadou, Athina; Krüger, Thilo

2015-01-01

Little information is available on the impact of hemodialysis on cerebral water homeostasis and its distribution in chronic kidney disease. We used a neuropsychological test battery, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a novel technique for quantitative measurement of localized water content using 3T MRI to investigate ten hemodialysis patients (HD) on a dialysis-free day and after hemodialysis (2.4±2.2 hours), and a matched healthy control group with the same time interval. Neuro...

Measuring water content in soil using TDR: A state-of-the-art in 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Topp, G.C.; Ferre, P.A.

2000-01-01

Over the past decade or so, the development and continuing refinement of the time-domain reflectometry (TDR) technique for in-situ, nondestructive measurement of water content has revolutionized the study and management of the transfer and storage of water within the soil profile. The principles for the application of TDR to water content are now well accepted and straight forward. For many mineral soils, the calibration for water content has a linear relationship with the square root of the relative permittivity measured by TDR. This allows a two-point calibration. TDR-measured water content has been applied successfully to water balance studies ranging from the km scale of small watersheds to the nun scale of the root-soil interface. Soil probes can be designed to meet many and varied requirements. The performance of a number of probe geometries is presented, including some of their strengths and weaknesses. Although coated soil probes allow measurement in more conductive soils, the probe coatings alter the water-content calibration both in sensitivity and linearity. Three general options are available for determining profiles of soil water content from the soil surface to a depth of 1 m. Soil probes of differing total depths extending to the surface are the most accessible. Soil probes buried at selected depths provide easily repeatable values. The vertically installed single probe, Aith depth segments separated by diodes, allows repeated measurement in a single vertical slice. The portability of TDR instrumentation coupled with the simplicity and flexibility of probes has allowed the mapping of spatial patterns of water content and field-based spatial and temporal soil water content distributions. The usefulness and power of the TDR technique for characterizing soil water content is increasing rapidly through continuing improvements in instrument operating range, probe design, multiplexing and automated data collection. (author)

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrey E. Krauklis

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer–Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for Monitoring Water Content in Epoxy Resins and Fiber-Reinforced Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Krauklis, Andrey E; Gagani, Abedin I; Echtermeyer, Andreas T

2018-04-11

Monitoring water content and predicting the water-induced drop in strength of fiber-reinforced composites are of great importance for the oil and gas and marine industries. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods are broadly available and often used for process and quality control in industrial applications. A benefit of using such spectroscopic methods over the conventional gravimetric analysis is the possibility to deduce the mass of an absolutely dry material and subsequently the true water content, which is an important indicator of water content-dependent properties. The objective of this study is to develop an efficient and detailed method for estimating the water content in epoxy resins and fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was applied to measure the water content of amine-epoxy neat resin. The method was developed and successfully extended to glass fiber-reinforced composite materials. Based on extensive measurements of neat resin and composite samples of varying water content and thickness, regression was performed, and the quantitative absorbance dependence on water content in the material was established. The mass of an absolutely dry resin was identified, and the true water content was obtained. The method was related to the Beer-Lambert law and explained in such terms. A detailed spectroscopic method for measuring water content in resins and fiber-reinforced composites was developed and described.

Formulation and make-up of simulated concentrated water, high ionic content aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gdowski, G.

1997-01-01

This procedure describes the formulation and make-up of Simulated Concentrated Water (SCW), a high-ionic-content water to be used for Activity E-20-50 Long-Term Corrosion Studies. This water has an ionic content which is nominally a factor of a thousand higher than that of representative waters at or near Yucca Mountain. Representative waters were chosen as J-13 well water [Harrar, 1990] and perched water at Yucca Mountain [Glassley, 1996]. J-13 well water is obtained from ground water that is in contact with the Topopah Spring tuff, which is the repository horizon rock. The perched water is located in the Topopah Spring tuff, but below the repository horizon and above the water table. A nominal thousand times higher ionic content was chosen to simulate the water that would result from the wetting of salts which have been previously deposited on a container surface

Rapid assessment of water pollution by airborne measurement of chlorophyll content.

Science.gov (United States)

Arvesen, J. C.; Weaver, E. C.; Millard, J. P.

1971-01-01

Present techniques of airborne chlorophyll measurement are discussed as an approach to water pollution assessment. The differential radiometer, the chlorophyll correlation radiometer, and an infrared radiometer for water temperature measurements are described as the key components of the equipment. Also covered are flight missions carried out to evaluate the capability of the chlorophyll correlation radiometer in measuring the chlorophyll content in water bodies with widely different levels of nutrients, such as fresh-water lakes of high and low eutrophic levels, marine waters of high and low productivity, and an estuary with a high sediment content. The feasibility and usefulness of these techniques are indicated.

TDR water content inverse profiling in layered soils during infiltration and evaporation

Science.gov (United States)

Greco, R.; Guida, A.

2009-04-01

During the last three decades, time domain reflectometry (TDR) has become one of the most commonly used tools for soil water content measurements either in laboratory or in the field. Indeed, TDR provides easy and cheap water content estimations with relatively small disturbance to the investigated soil. TDR measurements of soil water content are based on the strong correlation between relative dielectric permittivity of wet soil and its volumetric water content. Several expressions of the relationship between relative dielectric permittivity and volumetric water content have been proposed, empirically stated (Topp et al., 1980) as well as based on semi-analytical approach to dielectric mixing models (Roth et al., 1990; Whalley, 1993). So far, TDR field applications suffered the limitation due to the capability of the technique of estimating only the mean water content in the volume investigated by the probe. Whereas the knowledge of non homogeneous vertical water content profiles was needed, it was necessary to install either several vertical probes of different length or several horizontal probes placed in the soil at different depths, in both cases strongly increasing soil disturbance as well as the complexity of the measurements. Several studies have been recently dedicated to the development of inversion methods aimed to extract more information from TDR waveforms, in order to estimate non homogeneous moisture profiles along the axis of the metallic probe used for TDR measurements. A common feature of all these methods is that electromagnetic transient through the wet soil along the probe is mathematically modelled, assuming that the unknown soil water content distribution corresponds to the best agreement between simulated and measured waveforms. In some cases the soil is modelled as a series of small layers with different dielectric properties, and the waveform is obtained as the result of the superposition of multiple reflections arising from impedance

Retrieval of canopy water content of different crop types with two new hyperspectral indices: Water Absorption Area Index and Depth Water Index

Science.gov (United States)

Pasqualotto, Nieves; Delegido, Jesús; Van Wittenberghe, Shari; Verrelst, Jochem; Rivera, Juan Pablo; Moreno, José

2018-05-01

Crop canopy water content (CWC) is an essential indicator of the crop's physiological state. While a diverse range of vegetation indices have earlier been developed for the remote estimation of CWC, most of them are defined for specific crop types and areas, making them less universally applicable. We propose two new water content indices applicable to a wide variety of crop types, allowing to derive CWC maps at a large spatial scale. These indices were developed based on PROSAIL simulations and then optimized with an experimental dataset (SPARC03; Barrax, Spain). This dataset consists of water content and other biophysical variables for five common crop types (lucerne, corn, potato, sugar beet and onion) and corresponding top-of-canopy (TOC) reflectance spectra acquired by the hyperspectral HyMap airborne sensor. First, commonly used water content index formulations were analysed and validated for the variety of crops, overall resulting in a R2 lower than 0.6. In an attempt to move towards more generically applicable indices, the two new CWC indices exploit the principal water absorption features in the near-infrared by using multiple bands sensitive to water content. We propose the Water Absorption Area Index (WAAI) as the difference between the area under the null water content of TOC reflectance (reference line) simulated with PROSAIL and the area under measured TOC reflectance between 911 and 1271 nm. We also propose the Depth Water Index (DWI), a simplified four-band index based on the spectral depths produced by the water absorption at 970 and 1200 nm and two reference bands. Both the WAAI and DWI outperform established indices in predicting CWC when applied to heterogeneous croplands, with a R2 of 0.8 and 0.7, respectively, using an exponential fit. However, these indices did not perform well for species with a low fractional vegetation cover (<30%). HyMap CWC maps calculated with both indices are shown for the Barrax region. The results confirmed the

A scheme for parameterizing ice cloud water content in general circulation models

Science.gov (United States)

Heymsfield, Andrew J.; Donner, Leo J.

1989-01-01

A method for specifying ice water content in GCMs is developed, based on theory and in-cloud measurements. A theoretical development of the conceptual precipitation model is given and the aircraft flights used to characterize the ice mass distribution in deep ice clouds is discussed. Ice water content values derived from the theoretical parameterization are compared with the measured values. The results demonstrate that a simple parameterization for atmospheric ice content can account for ice contents observed in several synoptic contexts.

MR-based water content estimation in cartilage: design and validation of a method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shiguetomi Medina, Juan Manuel; Kristiansen, Maja Sophie; Ringgaard, Steffen

Purpose: Design and validation of an MR-based method that allows the calculation of the water content in cartilage tissue. Methods and Materials: Cartilage tissue T1 map based water content MR sequences were used on a 37 Celsius degree stable system. The T1 map intensity signal was analyzed on 6...... cartilage samples from living animals (pig) and on 8 gelatin samples which water content was already known. For the data analysis a T1 intensity signal map software analyzer used. Finally, the method was validated after measuring and comparing 3 more cartilage samples in a living animal (pig). The obtained...... map based water content sequences can provide information that, after being analyzed using a T1-map analysis software, can be interpreted as the water contained inside a cartilage tissue. The amount of water estimated using this method was similar to the one obtained at the dry-freeze procedure...

Freshening of Antarctic Intermediate Water in the South Atlantic Ocean in 2005–2014

OpenAIRE

Yao, Wenjun; Shi, Jiuxin

2016-01-01

Basin-scaled freshening of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is reported to have dominated South Atlantic Ocean during period from 2005 to 2014, as shown by the gridded monthly means Argo (Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography) data. The relevant investigation was also revealed by two transatlantic occupations of repeated section along 30° S, from World Ocean Circulation Experiment Hydrographic Program. Freshening of the AAIW was compensated by the opposing salinity increase o...

Formulation and make-up of simulate dilute water, low ionic content aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gdowski, G.

1997-01-01

This procedure describes the formulation and make-up of Simulated Dilute Water (SOW), a low-ionic-content water to be used for Activity E-20-50, Long-Term Corrosion Studies. This water has an ionic content which is nominally a factor of ten higher than that of representative waters at or near Yucca Mountain. Representative waters were chosen as J-13 well water [Harrar, 1990] and perched water at Yucca Mountain [Glassley, 1996]. J-13 well water is obtained from ground water that is in contact with the Topopah Spring tuff, which is the repository horizon rock. The perched water is located in the Topopah Spring tuff, but below the repository horizon and above the water table. A nominal times ten higher ionic content was chosen to simulate the effect of ionic concentrating due to elevated temperature water flowing through fractures where salts and minerals have been deposited due to evaporation and boiling

The reliability and validity of hand-held refractometry water content measures of hydrogel lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, Jason J; Mitchell, G Lynn; Good, Gregory W

2003-06-01

To investigate within- and between-examiner reliability and validity of hand-held refractometry water content measures of hydrogel lenses. Nineteen lenses of various nominal water contents were examined by two examiners on two occasions separated by 1 hour. An Atago N2 hand-held refractometer was used for all water content measures. Lenses were presented in a random order to each examiner by a third party, and examiners were masked to any potential lens identifiers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), 95% limits of agreement, and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to characterize the within- and between-examiner reliability and validity of lens water content measures. Within-examiner reliability was excellent (ICC, 0.97; 95% limits of agreement, -3.6% to +5.7%), and the inter-visit mean difference of 1.1 +/- 2.4% was not biased (p = 0.08). Between-examiner reliability was also excellent (ICC, 0.98; 95% limits of agreement, -4.1% to +3.9%). The mean difference between examiners was -0.1 +/- 2.1% (p = 0.83). The mean difference between the nominally reported water content and our water content measures was -2.1 +/- 1.7% (p refractometry and is material dependent. Therefore, investigators may need to account for bias when measuring hydrogel lens water content via hand-held refractometry.

Concurrent temporal stability of the apparent electrical conductivity and soil water content

Science.gov (United States)

Knowledge of spatio-temporal soil water content (SWC) variability within agricultural fields is useful to improve crop management. Spatial patterns of soil water contents can be characterized using the temporal stability analysis, however high density sampling is required. Soil apparent electrical c...

Computation of porosity and water content from geophysical logs, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, P.H.

1996-01-01

Neutron and density logs acquired in boreholes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada are used to determine porosity and water content as a function of depth. Computation of porosity requires an estimate of grain density, which is provided by core data, mineralogical data, or is inferred from rock type where neither core nor mineralogy are available. The porosity estimate is merged with mineralogical data acquired by X-ray diffraction to compute the volumetric fractions of major mineral groups. The resulting depth-based portrayal of bulk rock composition is equivalent to a whole rock analysis of mineralogy and porosity. Water content is computed from epithermal and thermal neutron logs. In the unsaturated zone, the density log is required along with a neutron log. Water content can also be computed from dielectric logs, which were acquired in only a fraction of the boreholes, whereas neutron logs were acquired in all boreholes. Mineralogical data are used to compute a structural (or bound) water estimate, which is subtracted from the total water estimate from the neutron-density combination. Structural water can be subtracted only from intervals where mineralogical analyses are available; otherwise only total water can be reported. The algorithms and procedures are applied to logs acquired during 1979 to 1984 at Yucca Mountain. Examples illustrate the results. Comparison between computed porosity and core measurements shows systematic differences ranging from 0.005 to 0.04. These values are consistent with a sensitivity analysis using uncertainty parameters for good logging conditions. Water content from core measurements is available in only one borehole, yielding a difference between computed and core-based water content of 0.006

Metrologically Traceable Determination of the Water Content in Biopolymers: INRiM Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Rolle, F.; Beltramino, G.; Fernicola, V.; Sega, M.; Verdoja, A.

2017-03-01

Water content in materials is a key factor affecting many chemical and physical properties. In polymers of biological origin, it influences their stability and mechanical properties as well as their biodegradability. The present work describes the activity carried out at INRiM on the determination of water content in samples of a commercial starch-derived biopolymer widely used in shopping bags (Mater-Bi^{circledR }). Its water content, together with temperature, is the most influencing parameter affecting its biodegradability, because of the considerable impact on the microbial activity which is responsible for the biopolymer degradation in the environment. The main scope of the work was the establishment of a metrologically traceable procedure for the determination of water content by using two electrochemical methods, namely coulometric Karl Fischer (cKF) titration and evolved water vapour (EWV) analysis. The obtained results are presented. The most significant operational parameters were considered, and a particular attention was devoted to the establishment of metrological traceability of the measurement results by using appropriate calibration procedures, calibrated standards and suitable certified reference materials. Sample homogeneity and oven-drying temperature were found to be the most important influence quantities in the whole water content measurement process. The results of the two methods were in agreement within the stated uncertainties. Further development is foreseen for the application of cKF and EWV to other polymers.

Results and Conclusions from the NASA Isokinetic Total Water Content Probe 2009 IRT Test

Science.gov (United States)

Reehorst, Andrew; Brinker, David

2010-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center has developed and tested a Total Water Content Isokinetic Sampling Probe. Since, by its nature, it is not sensitive to cloud water particle phase nor size, it is particularly attractive to support super-cooled large droplet and high ice water content aircraft icing studies. The instrument comprises the Sampling Probe, Sample Flow Control, and Water Vapor Measurement subsystems. Results and conclusions are presented from probe tests in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) during January and February 2009. The use of reference probe heat and the control of air pressure in the water vapor measurement subsystem are discussed. Several run-time error sources were found to produce identifiable signatures that are presented and discussed. Some of the differences between measured Isokinetic Total Water Content Probe and IRT calibration seems to be caused by tunnel humidification and moisture/ice crystal blow around. Droplet size, airspeed, and liquid water content effects also appear to be present in the IRT calibration. Based upon test results, the authors provide recommendations for future Isokinetic Total Water Content Probe development.

Niobium phosphates as an intermediate temperature proton conducting electrolyte for fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Yunjie; Li, Qingfeng; Jensen, Annemette Hindhede

2012-01-01

A new proton conductor based on niobium phosphates was synthesized using niobium pentoxide and phosphoric acid as precursors. The existence of hydroxyl groups in the phosphates was confirmed and found to be preserved after heat treatment at 500 °C or higher, contributing to an anhydrous proton co...... are of high interest as potential proton conducting electrolytes for fuel cells operational in an intermediate temperature range....... conductivity of 1.6 × 10−2 S cm−1 at 250 °C. The conductivity increased with water content in the atmosphere and reached 5.8 × 10−2 S cm−1 under pure water vapour at the same temperature. The conductivity showed good stability in the low water partial pressure range of up to 0.05 atm. The metal phosphates...

MR-based Water Content Estimation in Cartilage: Design and Validation of a Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shiguetomi Medina, Juan Manuel; Kristiansen, Maja Sofie; Ringgaard, Steffen

2012-01-01

Objective Design and validation of an MR-based method that allows the calculation of the water content in cartilage tissue. Material and Methods We modified and adapted to cartilage tissue T1 map based water content MR sequences commonly used in the neurology field. Using a 37 Celsius degree stable...... was costumed and programmed. Finally, we validated the method after measuring and comparing 3 more cartilage samples in a living animal (pig). The obtained data was analyzed and the water content calculated. Then, the same samples were freeze-dried (this technique allows to take out all the water that a tissue...... contains) and we measured the water they contained. Results We could reproduce twice the 37 Celsius degree system and could perform the measurements in a similar way. We found that the MR T1 map based water content sequences can provide information that, after being analyzed with a special software, can...

The water content of recurring slope lineae on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Christopher S.; Piqueux, Sylvain

2016-01-01

Observations of recurring slope lineae (RSL) from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment have been interpreted as present-day, seasonally variable liquid water flows; however, orbital spectroscopy has not confirmed the presence of liquid H2O, only hydrated salts. Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) temperature data and a numerical heat transfer model definitively constrain the amount of water associated with RSL. Surface temperature differences between RSL-bearing and dry RSL-free terrains are consistent with no water associated with RSL and, based on measurement uncertainties, limit the water content of RSL to at most 0.5–3 wt %. In addition, distinct high thermal inertia regolith signatures expected with crust-forming evaporitic salt deposits from cyclical briny water flows are not observed, indicating low water salinity (if any) and/or low enough volumes to prevent their formation. Alternatively, observed salts may be preexisting in soils at low abundances (i.e., near or below detection limits) and largely immobile. These RSL-rich surfaces experience ~100 K diurnal temperature oscillations, possible freeze/thaw cycles and/or complete evaporation on time scales that challenge their habitability potential. The unique surface temperature measurements provided by THEMIS are consistent with a dry RSL hypothesis or at least significantly limit the water content of Martian RSL.

Droplet-Sizing Liquid Water Content Sensor, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Icing is one of the most significant hazards to aircraft. A sizing supercooled liquid water content (SSLWC) sonde is being developed to meet a directly related need...

Physiological response of selected eragrostis species to water ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-09-07

Sep 7, 2011 ... Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, .... respiration measurements were taken at night (20:00 h). .... Cellular ultrastructure .... these in place, to be held at intermediate water contents.

Radio requestable passive SAW water content sensor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reindl, L.; Ruppel, C.C.W.; Kirmayr, A.; Stockhausen, N.; Hilhorst, M.A.; Balendonk, J.

2001-01-01

A new passive sensor for remote measurement of water content in sandy soil was designed, using a surface acoustic wave (SAW) reflective delay line. Information from this sensor can be obtained by an interrogation device via a radio link operating in the European 434-MHz industrial-scientific-medical

Thermo physical properties of lateritic soil bricks: Influence of water content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meukam, P.; Noumowe, A.; Kofane, T.C.

2002-11-01

This paper presents an experimental study carried out in order to determine the properties of local materials used as construction materials. Cement stabilized compressed bricks were tested. The thermal properties of lateritic soil based materials were determined. The objectives of work reported in this paper are to determine the effect of addition of pozzolan or sawdust in lateritic soil brick on the thermal properties. It was shown that the effect of the incorporation of pozzolan or sawdust is the decreasing of the thermal conductivity and density. The moisture content of these materials can modify their thermal performance. Thus a study of the influence of the water content on the thermal conductivity k and the thermal diffusivity a is presented. The thermal conductivity, as a function of water content, increases rapidly between O% and 12% for lateritic soil. The thermal diffusivity curve presents a maximum for values of water content of 15% for lateritic soil and 8% for lateritic soil-pozzolan or lateritic soil- sawdust. (author)

Profiling water content in soils with TDR: Comparison with the neutron probe technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laurent, J.P.

2000-01-01

In November 1996, at a site on the Grenoble campus a 1.2-m-long neutron access tube, a 0.8-m fibreglass Trime access tube and three sets of 1-m twin-rod TDR probes were installed. Weekly measurements were made over a 9-month period. In addition, soil samples were taken from time to time with an auger, to determine gravimetric water-contents. The soil bulk density profile was initially characterised by gammametry using a Campbell TM probe. A Troxler TM 4300 was used for the neutron-probe measurements. The TDR signals, for further processing by TDR-SSI, were logged using a Trase 2000 from Soil Moisture Equipment Corporation TM . TDR methods were employed without any special calibration of the permittivity/water-content relationship: standard internal calibrations of the devices or Topp polynomial relation were always applied. The results of all these water-content profiling methods were compared in three ways: (i) the water-content profiles were plotted directly on the same graph for different dates; (ii) all the water contents measured at all dates and all depths were plotted against a corresponding 'reference', namely neutron probe or gravimetry; (iii) water balances were calculated for each method and their respective time-profiles analysed. There was fairly good agreement among the three profiling methods, indicating that TDR is now a viable alternative to nuclear techniques for soil water-content profiling. (author)

Ground penetrating radar water content mapping of golf course green sand layers

Science.gov (United States)

Information on the spatial distribution of water content across the sand layer component of a golf course green can be important to golf course superintendents for evaluating drainage effectiveness and scheduling irrigation. To estimate the bulk water content of the sand layer at point locations ac...

Freshening of Antarctic Intermediate Water in the South Atlantic Ocean in 2005–2014

OpenAIRE

W. Yao; J. Shi; X. Zhao

2017-01-01

Basin-scale freshening of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is reported to have occurred in the South Atlantic Ocean during the period from 2005 to 2014, as shown by the gridded monthly means of the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography (Argo) data. This phenomenon was also revealed by two repeated transects along a section at 30° S, performed during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment Hydrographic Program. Freshening of the AAIW was compensated for by a salinity...

Determining the water-cement ratio, cement content, water content and degree of hydration of hardened cement paste: Method development and validation on paste samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, H.S.; Buenfeld, N.R.

2009-01-01

We propose a new method to estimate the initial cement content, water content and free water/cement ratio (w/c) of hardened cement-based materials made with Portland cements that have unknown mixture proportions and degree of hydration. This method first quantifies the composition of the hardened cement paste, i.e. the volumetric fractions of capillary pores, hydration products and unreacted cement, using high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) in the backscattered electron (BSE) mode and image analysis. From the obtained data and the volumetric increase of solids during cement hydration, we compute the initial free water content and cement content, hence the free w/c ratio. The same method can also be used to calculate the degree of hydration. The proposed method has the advantage that it is quantitative and does not require comparison with calibration graphs or reference samples made with the same materials and cured to the same degree of hydration as the tested sample. This paper reports the development, assumptions and limitations of the proposed method, and preliminary results from Portland cement pastes with a range of w/c ratios (0.25-0.50) and curing ages (3-90 days). We also discuss the extension of the technique to mortars and concretes, and samples made with blended cements.

Pedotransfer functions to estimate soil water content at field capacity ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

20

Soil water retention, Dry lands, Western India, Pedotransfer functions, Soil moisture calculator. 1. 2. 3. 4 ..... samples although it is known that structure and macro-porosity of the sample affect water retention (Unger ..... and OC content has positive influence on water retention whereas interaction of clay and OC has negative ...

Simple, fast, and low-cost camera-based water content measurement with colorimetric fluorescent indicator

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Seok-Jeong; Kim, Tae-Il; Kim, Youngmi; Nam, Hyoungsik

2018-05-01

Recently, a simple, sensitive, and low-cost fluorescent indicator has been proposed to determine water contents in organic solvents, drugs, and foodstuffs. The change of water content leads to the change of the indicator's fluorescence color under the ultra-violet (UV) light. Whereas the water content values could be estimated from the spectrum obtained by a bulky and expensive spectrometer in the previous research, this paper demonstrates a simple and low-cost camera-based water content measurement scheme with the same fluorescent water indicator. Water content is calculated over the range of 0-30% by quadratic polynomial regression models with color information extracted from the captured images of samples. Especially, several color spaces such as RGB, xyY, L∗a∗b∗, u‧v‧, HSV, and YCBCR have been investigated to establish the optimal color information features over both linear and nonlinear RGB data given by a camera before and after gamma correction. In the end, a 2nd order polynomial regression model along with HSV in a linear domain achieves the minimum mean square error of 1.06% for a 3-fold cross validation method. Additionally, the resultant water content estimation model is implemented and evaluated in an off-the-shelf Android-based smartphone.

Monitoring of Water Content in Building Materials Using a Wireless Passive Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goran Stojanović

2010-04-01

Full Text Available This paper describes an innovative design of a wireless, passive LC sensor and its application for monitoring of water content in building materials. The sensor was embedded in test material samples so that the internal water content of the samples could be measured with an antenna by tracking the changes in the sensor’s resonant frequency. Since the dielectric constant of water was much higher compared with that of the test samples, the presence of water in the samples increased the capacitance of the LC circuit, thus decreasing the sensor’s resonant frequency. The sensor is made up of a printed circuit board in one metal layer and water content has been determined for clay brick and autoclaved aerated concrete block, both widely used construction materials. Measurements were conducted at room temperature using a HP-4194A Impedance/Gain-Phase Analyzer instrument.

Measurement of water content and density of soil using photon multiplescattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ertek, C.; Haselberger, N.

1981-04-01

A gamma-backscatter gauge for field and laboratory applications was set up for the measurement of density and water content of soil at the same time. The method works successfully between 0-40 cm depth of the soil and is superior to the neutron gauge between 0-30 cm depth. The system is extremely simple and practical and can be installed on a tractor during ploughing. The developed method also works for absolute values of densities and moisture content and is able to distinguish the bulk density changes due to vacancies in the soil or the water content taken inside the soil grains

Remote Sensing of Vegetation Nitrogen Content for Spatially Explicit Carbon and Water Cycle Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Y. L.; Miller, J. R.; Chen, J. M.

2009-05-01

Foliage nitrogen concentration is a determinant of photosynthetic capacity of leaves, thereby an important input to ecological models for estimating terrestrial carbon and water budgets. Recently, spectrally continuous airborne hyperspectral remote sensing imagery has proven to be useful for retrieving an important related parameter, total chlorophyll content at both leaf and canopy scales. Thus remote sensing of vegetation biochemical parameters has promising potential for improving the prediction of global carbon and water balance patterns. In this research, we explored the feasibility of estimating leaf nitrogen content using hyperspectral remote sensing data for spatially explicit estimation of carbon and water budgets. Multi-year measurements of leaf biochemical contents of seven major boreal forest species were carried out in northeastern Ontario, Canada. The variation of leaf chlorophyll and nitrogen content in response to various growth conditions, and the relationship between them,were investigated. Despite differences in plant type (deciduous and evergreen), leaf age, stand growth conditions and developmental stages, leaf nitrogen content was strongly correlated with leaf chlorophyll content on a mass basis during the active growing season (r2=0.78). With this general correlation, leaf nitrogen content was estimated from leaf chlorophyll content at an accuracy of RMSE=2.2 mg/g, equivalent to 20.5% of the average measured leaf nitrogen content. Based on this correlation and a hyperspectral remote sensing algorithm for leaf chlorophyll content retrieval, the spatial variation of leaf nitrogen content was inferred from the airborne hyperspectral remote sensing imagery acquired by Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI). A process-based ecological model Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS) was used for estimating terrestrial carbon and water budgets. In contrast to the scenario with leaf nitrogen content assigned as a constant value without

Precision of neutron scattering and capacitance type soil water content gauges from field calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evett, S.R.; Steiner, J.L.

1995-01-01

Soil water content gauges based on neutron scattering (NS) have been a valuable tool for soil water investigations for some 40 yr. However, licensing, training, and safety regulations pertaining to the radioactive source in these gauges makes their use expensive and prevents use in some situations such as unattended monitoring. A capacitance probe (CP) gauge has characteristics that would seem to make it an ideal replacement for NS gauges. We determined the relative precision of two brands of NS gauges (three gauges of each) and a brand of CP gauge (four gauges) in a field calibration exercise. Both brands of NS gauges were calibrated vs. volumetric soil water content with coefficients of determination (r2) ranging from 0.97 to 0.99 and root mean squared errors (RMSE) 0.012 m3 m-3 water content. Calibrations for the CP gauges resulted in r2 ranging from 0.68 to 0.71 and RMSE of 0.036 m3 m-3 water content. Average 95% confidence intervals on predictions were three to five times higher for the CP gauges than for the NS gauges, ranging from 0.153 to 0.161 and 0.032 to 0.052 m3 m-3, respectively. Although poorly correlated with soil water content, readings were reproducible among the four CP gauges. The poor correlation for CP gauges may be due to small-scale soil water content variations within the measurement volume of the gauge. The NS gauges provide acceptable precision but the CP gauge has poor precision and is unacceptable for routine soil water content measurements

Modeled effects on permittivity measurements of water content in high surface area porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, S.B.; Or, Dani

2003-01-01

Time domain reflectometry (TDR) has become an important measurement technique for determination of porous media water content and electrical conductivity due to its accuracy, fast response and automation capability. Water content is inferred from the measured bulk dielectric constant based on travel time analysis along simple transmission lines. TDR measurements in low surface area porous media accurately describe water content using an empirical relationship. Measurement discrepancies arise from dominating influences such as bound water due to high surface area, extreme aspect ratio particles or atypical water phase configuration. Our objectives were to highlight primary factors affecting dielectric permittivity measurements for water content determination in porous mixtures, and demonstrate the influence of these factors on mixture permittivity as predicted by a three-phase dielectric mixture model. Modeled results considering water binding, higher porosity, constituent geometry or phase configuration suggest any of these effects individually are capable of causing permittivity reduction, though all likely contribute in high surface area porous media

Evaluation of free water and water activity measurements as functional alternatives to total moisture content in broiler excreta and litter samples.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Hoeven-Hangoor, E; Rademaker, C J; Paton, N D; Verstegen, M W A; Hendriks, W H

2014-07-01

Litter moisture contents vary greatly between and within practical poultry barns. The current experiment was designed to measure the effects of 8 different dietary characteristics on litter and excreta moisture content. Additionally, free water content and water activity of the excreta and litter were evaluated as additional quality measures. The dietary treatments consisted of nonstarch polysaccharide content (NSP; corn vs. wheat), particle size of insoluble fiber (coarse vs. finely ground oat hulls), viscosity of a nonfermentable fiber (low- and high-viscosity carboxymethyl cellulose), inclusion of a clay mineral (sepiolite), and inclusion of a laxative electrolyte (MgSO4). The 8 treatments were randomly assigned to cages within blocks, resulting in 12 replicates per treatment with 6 birds per replicate. Limited effects of the dietary treatments were noted on excreta and litter water activity, and indications were observed that this measurement is limited in high-moisture samples. Increasing dietary NSP content by feeding a corn-based diet (low NSP) compared with a wheat-based diet (high NSP) increased water intake, excreta moisture and free water, and litter moisture content. Adding insoluble fibers to the wheat-based diet reduced excreta and litter moisture content, as well as litter water activity. Fine grinding of the oat hulls diminished the effect on litter moisture and water activity. However, excreta moisture and free water content were similar when fed finely or coarsely ground oat hulls. The effects of changing viscosity and adding a clay mineral or laxative deviated from results observed in previous studies. Findings of the current experiment indicate a potential for excreta free water measurement as an additional parameter to assess excreta quality besides total moisture. The exact implication of this parameter warrants further investigation. © 2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Heavy metal contents and other physical quality indices of sewerage, canal and drinking water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmood, S.; Sattar, A.; Ihsanullash; Atta, S.; Arif, S. University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar

2001-01-01

Analysis of Cd, Pb and Cu in canal, sewerage and drinking water by potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) is described. Other quality indices of water such as temperature, pH, EC and total solid were also determined. The levels of heavy metal contents of sewerage, canal and drinking water revealed marked differences and wide coefficient of variability (CV). Generally Cd and Pb contents were higher in sewerage than canal and drinking water. However, Cu content of drinking waters was higher than other water tested. The total solids were found to be generally higher in sewerage and canal water than drinking water tested. The total solids were found to be generally higher in sewerage and canal water than drinking water The variations in temperature, pH and EC were marginal to marked depending upon the source and the location. (author)

Use of in situ volumetric water content at field capacity to improve prediction of soil water retention properties

OpenAIRE

Al Majou , Hassan; Bruand , Ary; Duval , Odile

2008-01-01

International audience; Use of in situ volumetric water content at field capacity to improve prediction of soil water retention properties. Most pedotransfer functions (PTFs) developed over the last three decades to generate water retention characteristics use soil texture, bulk density and organic carbon content as predictors. Despite of the high number of PTFs published, most being class- or continuous-PTFs, accuracy of prediction remains limited. In this study, we compared the performance ...

Mixing and remineralization in waters detrained from the surface into Subantarctic Mode Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water in the southeastern Pacific

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, B. R.; Talley, L. D.; Dickson, A. G.

2014-06-01

A hydrographic data set collected in the region and season of Subantarctic Mode Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water (SAMW and AAIW) formation in the southeastern Pacific allows us to estimate the preformed properties of surface water detrained into these water masses from deep mixed layers north of the Subantarctic Front and Antarctic Surface Water south of the front. Using 10 measured seawater properties, we estimate: the fractions of SAMW/AAIW that originate as surface source waters, as well as fractions that mix into these water masses from subtropical thermocline water above and Upper Circumpolar Deep Water below the subducted SAMW/AAIW; ages associated with the detrained surface water; and remineralization and dissolution rates and ratios. The mixing patterns imply that cabbeling can account for ˜0.005-0.03 kg m-3 of additional density in AAIW, and ˜0-0.02 kg m-3 in SAMW. We estimate a shallow depth (˜300-700 m, above the aragonite saturation horizon) calcium carbonate dissolution rate of 0.4 ± 0.2 µmol CaCO3 kg-1 yr-1, a phosphate remineralization rate of 0.031 ± 0.009 µmol P kg-1 yr-1, and remineralization ratios of P:N:-O2:Corg of 1:(15.5 ± 0.6):(143 ± 10):(104 ± 22) for SAMW/AAIW. Our shallow depth calcium carbonate dissolution rate is comparable to previous estimates for our region. Our -O2:P ratio is smaller than many global averages. Our model suggests neglecting diapycnal mixing of preformed phosphate has likely biased previous estimates of -O2:P and Corg:P high, but that the Corg:P ratio bias may have been counteracted by a second bias in previous studies from neglecting anthropogenic carbon gradients.

Effect of water content and organic carbon on remote sensing of crop residue cover

Science.gov (United States)

Serbin, G.; Hunt, E. R., Jr.; Daughtry, C. S. T.; McCarty, G. W.; Brown, D. J.; Doraiswamy, P. C.

2009-04-01

Crop residue cover is an important indicator of tillage method. Remote sensing of crop residue cover is an attractive and efficient method when compared with traditional ground-based methods, e.g., the line-point transect or windshield survey. A number of spectral indices have been devised for residue cover estimation. Of these, the most effective are those in the shortwave infrared portion of the spectrum, situated between 1950 and 2500 nm. These indices include the hyperspectral Cellulose Absorption Index (CAI), and advanced multispectral indices, i.e., the Lignin-Cellulose Absorption (LCA) index and the Shortwave Infrared Normalized Difference Residue Index (SINDRI), which were devised for the NASA Terra Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor. Spectra of numerous soils from U.S. Corn Belt (Indiana and Iowa) were acquired under wetness conditions varying from saturation to oven-dry conditions. The behavior of soil reflectance with water content was also dependent on the soil organic carbon content (SOC) of the soils, and the location of the spectral bands relative to significant water absorptions. High-SOC soils showed the least change in spectral index values with increase in soil water content. Low-SOC soils, on the other hand, showed measurable difference. For CAI, low-SOC soils show an initial decrease in index value followed by an increase, due to the way that water content affects CAI spectral bands. Crop residue CAI values decrease with water content. For LCA, water content increases decrease crop residue index values and increase them for soils, resulting in decreased contrast. SINDRI is also affected by SOC and water content. As such, spatial information on the distribution of surface soil water content and SOC, when used in a geographic information system (GIS), will improve the accuracy of remotely-sensed crop residue cover estimates.

Oxy-combustion of high water content fuels

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Fei

As the issues of global warming and the energy crisis arouse extensive concern, more and more research is focused on maximizing energy efficiency and capturing CO2 in power generation. To achieve this, in this research, we propose an unconventional concept of combustion - direct combustion of high water content fuels. Due to the high water content in the fuels, they may not burn under air-fired conditions. Therefore, oxy-combustion is applied. Three applications of this concept in power generation are proposed - direct steam generation for the turbine cycle, staged oxy-combustion with zero flue gas recycle, and oxy-combustion in a low speed diesel-type engine. The proposed processes could provide alternative approaches to directly utilize fuels which intrinsically have high water content. A large amount of energy to remove the water, when the fuels are utilized in a conventional approach, is saved. The properties and difficulty in dewatering high water content fuels (e.g. bioethanol, microalgae and fine coal) are summarized. These fuels include both renewable and fossil fuels. In addition, the technique can also allow for low-cost carbon capture due to oxy-combustion. When renewable fuel is utilized, the whole process can be carbon negative. To validate and evaluate this concept, the research focused on the investigation of the flame stability and characteristics for high water content fuels. My study has demonstrated the feasibility of burning fuels that have been heavily diluted with water in a swirl-stabilized burner. Ethanol and 1-propanol were first tested as the fuels and the flame stability maps were obtained. Flame stability, as characterized by the blow-off limit -- the lowest O2 concentration when a flame could exist under a given oxidizer flow rate, was determined as a function of total oxidizer flow rate, fuel concentration and nozzle type. Furthermore, both the gas temperature contour and the overall ethanol concentration in the droplets along the

Evaluation of free water and water activity measurements as functional alternatives to total moisture content in broiler excreta and litter samples

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoeven-Hangoor, van der E.; Rademaker, C.; Paton, N.D.; Verstegen, M.W.A.; Hendriks, W.H.

2014-01-01

Litter moisture contents vary greatly between and within practical poultry barns. The current experiment was designed to measure the effects of 8 different dietary characteristics on litter and excreta moisture content. Additionally, free water content and water activity of the excreta and litter

Deuterium content on surface waters VI to X Chile regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aravena C, R; Pollastri J, A.; Suzuki S, O.

1984-01-01

One important parameter on any sitting study for a heavy water plant installation is the deuterium content of the feed water. Deuterium data on surface waters from differents areas located in the south of Chile, are presented. These results allow to idently some potential areas for a future heavy water plant. One of these areas, Lago Llanquihue, was sampled more in detail to study the vertical distribution and spatial variations. (Author)

Propagation of errors from a null balance terahertz reflectometer to a sample's relative water content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadjiloucas, S; Walker, G C; Bowen, J W; Zafiropoulos, A

2009-01-01

The THz water content index of a sample is defined and advantages in using such metric in estimating a sample's relative water content are discussed. The errors from reflectance measurements performed at two different THz frequencies using a quasi-optical null-balance reflectometer are propagated to the errors in estimating the sample water content index.

The effect of water content on the magnetic and structural properties of goethite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betancur, J.D.; Barrero, C.A.; Greneche, J.M.; Goya, G.F.

2004-01-01

We have studied the effect of water content on the magnetic and structural properties of goethite. For that purpose, four samples were prepared using two different hydrothermal methods, one of them is derived on the Fe(II) precursors and the other one from Fe(III) precursors. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), TGA, BET, FTIR, Moessbauer spectrometry at RT, 77 and 4.2 K and ZFC and FC curves. The results suggest that the goethites from the Fe(II) precursors are less crystalline, have higher water contents and do not show magnetic ordered structure at RT in comparison to the goethites from the Fe(III) precursors. The goethites from the last systems exhibit good crystallinity, low water content and magnetic ordering at room temperature. Our results suggest that both structural and adsorbed water contents reduce the magnetic hyperfine field at 4.2 K. A linear correlation with regression coefficient of 0.91 between the saturation hyperfine field and both the structural hydroxyl content and the surface area could be derived

Gamma transmission gauge for assay of integral water content in soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fishman, A.; Notea, A.; Segal, Y.

1981-01-01

A photon transmission gauge applied for integral water content measurement in a soil layer was analyzed. The gauge may be used as a control unit for automatic irrigation in a field, or as a scanner employed for establishing an irrigation policy. The characteristic functions of the gauge: response and relative resolving power were developed. The functions provide parameter study at the design stage and interpretational ability at the operational stage. The model led to a design which eliminates sensitivity to water distribution in the examined soil. It is shown that a resolving power of 2% was obtained for a 2.3 mCi 137 Cs source at 53 cm below surface, in measuring water content of 0.2 g water/cm 3 soil during 1000 s. (orig.)

4.2.1. Water content: nuclear radiation methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooli, J.; Kasi, S.

1975-01-01

The radiometric methods of measuring the soil water distribution are presented. The neutron method consists of measuring the thermal neutron density around a fast neutron source. Since the moisture in the soil is usually the principle hydrogen compound the thermal neutron density is a function of the water content. The neutron gauge may be of the subsurface type, placed in a vertical access tube, or of the surface type, resting on the soil surface. Cf 252 is a useful neutron source, having low mean energy and being cheap. Tritium-target deuterium bombarded neutron generators may be used in large volume single or dual tube measurements. The hydrogen content of the dry soil matrix and the dry density profile should be determined. Epithermal measurements eliminate the effect of thermal neutron absorbers. The ideal access tube is of thin-walled aluminium, but this in many cases lacks the required strength and durability, and iron or stainless steel may be used. The measured volume ranges from 20cm to 110cm radius, and the resolution is limited to 30cm layers, with measurement intervals of 15cm. Gamma ray sources may also be used, both in single-well density gauges in conjunction with a neutron gauge, and in a dual-tube arrangement, measuring the water content by attenuation, using a Cs 137 source. This can give a resolution of down to 0.5cm, and an accuracy of 0.0015g/cm 3 . Finally radiation dose calculations are briefly discussed. (JIW)

Latitudinal variations in intermediate depth ventilation and biological production over northeastern Pacific Oxygen Minimum Zones during the last 60 ka

Science.gov (United States)

Cartapanis, Olivier; Tachikawa, Kazuyo; Bard, Edouard

2012-10-01

Mechanisms affecting past variability in the Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific (ETNP) are poorly known. We analyzed core MD02-2524, obtained from the Nicaragua Margin in the present ETNP OMZ for major and minor elements (titanium (Ti), brome (Br), silicon (Si), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca)) using an X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) core scanner, and redox-sensitive trace elements (uranium (U), molybdenum (Mo), and nickel (Ni)) determined by ICP-MS. The U and Mo content was higher during the deglaciation than during the Holocene and the last glacial maximum, whereas enrichment was not observed for Ni, an element closely associated with organic matter. High-resolution XRF scanning indicated that the Ca-based carbonate content had millennial-scale variability inversely correlated with Br-based organic matter and Si/K-based opal content during the last glacial period. The available data suggest no clear regional trend in biological productivity during the last deglaciation, but significant local variability in the coastal eastern equatorial Pacific. The trace element enrichment and the lack of a concomitant increase in biogenic phases indicated that an enhanced ETNP OMZ, at least between 15°N and 12°N at a water depth of 500-900 m, was principally caused by a reduced oxygen supply driven by oceanic circulation to the Nicaragua Basin during the deglaciation. The observed patterns can be interpreted as the distinct changes in the oxygenation state of northern and southern water masses at intermediate depths. We also found evidence for a decoupling between local productivity and pore water oxygenation for several millennial-scale events during Marine Isotopic Stage 3, indicating that remote oxygen consumption and/or oceanic ventilation impacted OMZ intensity. Multi-millennial scale variations of the productivity at Papagayo upwelling cell displayed an opposite trend from productivity at the Costa Rica Dome, in relation with the latitudinal shift

Estimating the Relative Water Content of Single Leaves from Optical Polarization Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Vanderbilt, Vern; Daughtry, Craig; Dahlgren, Robert

2016-01-01

Remotely sensing the water status of plants and the water content of canopies remain long-term goals of remote sensing research. For monitoring canopy water status, existing approaches such as the Crop Water Stress Index and the Equivalent Water Thickness have limitations. The CWSI does not work well in humid regions, requires estimates of the vapor pressure deficit near the canopy during the remote sensing over-flight and, once stomata close, provides little information regarding the canopy water status. The EWI is based upon the physics of water-light interaction, not plant physiology. In this research, we applied optical polarization techniques to monitor the VISNIR light reflected from the leaf interior, R, as well as the leaf transmittance, T, as the relative water content (RWC) of corn (Zea mays) leaves decreased. Our results show that R and T both changed nonlinearly as each leaf dried, R increasing and T decreasing. Our results tie changes in the VISNIR R and T to leaf physiological changes linking the light scattered out of the drying leaf interior to its relative water content and to changes in leaf cellular structure and pigments. Our results suggest remotely sensing the physiological water status of a single leaf and perhaps of a plant canopy might be possible in the future. However, using our approach to estimate the water status of a leaf does not appear possible at present, because our results display too much variability that we do not yet understand.

A calculation method of available soil water content : application to viticultural terroirs mapping of the Loire valley

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Etienne Goulet

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Vine water supply is one of the most important elements in the determination of grape composition and wine quality. Water supply conditions are in relation with available soil water content, therefore this one has to be determined when vineyard terroir mapping is undertaken. The available soil water content depends on soil factors like water content at field capacity, water content at the permanent wilting point, apparent density and rooting depth. The aim of this study is to seek the relationship between these factors and a simple soil characteristic such as texture which could be easily measurable in routine cartography. Study area is located in the Loire valley, in two different geological regions. First results indicate that it is possible to determine available soil water content from clay percentage, then from soil texture. These results also show that available soil water content algorithms differ with geological properties. This calculation can be used at each auger boring and results can be spatialised within a Geographical Information System that allows the production of available water content maps.

Water Content of the Oceanic Lithosphere at Hawaii from FTIR Analysis of Peridotite Xenoliths

Science.gov (United States)

Peslier, Anne H.; Bizmis, Michael

2013-01-01

Although water in the mantle is mostly present as trace H dissolved in minerals, it has a large influence on its melting and rheological properties. The water content of the mantle lithosphere beneath continents is better constrained by abundant mantle xenolith data than beneath oceans where it is mainly inferred from MORB glass analysis. Using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, we determined the water content of olivine (Ol), clinopyroxene (Cpx) and orthopyroxene (Opx) in spinel peridotite xenoliths from Salt Lake Crater, Oahu, Hawaii, which are thought to represent fragments of the Pacific oceanic lithosphere that was refertilized by alkalic Hawaiian melts. Only Ol exhibits H diffusion profiles, evidence of limited H loss during xenolith transport to the surface. Water concentrations (Ol: 9-28 ppm H2O, Cpx: 246-566 ppm H2O, Opx: 116-224 ppm H2O) are within the range of those from continental settings but higher than those from Gakkel ridge abyssal peridotites. The Opx H2O contents are similar to those of abyssal peridotites from Atlantic ridge Leg 153 (170-230 ppm) but higher than those from Leg 209 (10- 14 ppm). The calculated bulk peridotite water contents (94 to 144 ppm H2O) are in agreement with MORB mantle source water estimates and lower than estimates for the source of Hawaiian rejuvenated volcanism (approx 540 ppm H2O) . The water content of Cpx and most Opx correlates negatively with spinel Cr#, and positively with pyroxene Al and HREE contents. This is qualitatively consistent with the partitioning of H into the melt during partial melting, but the water contents are too high for the degree of melting these peridotites experienced. Melts in equilibrium with xenolith minerals have H2O/Ce ratios similar to those of OIB

Farm scale application of EMI and FDR sensors to measuring and mapping soil water content

Science.gov (United States)

Rallo, Giovanni; Provenzano, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

Soil water content (SWC) controls most water exchange processes within and between the soil-plants-atmosphere continuum and can therefore be considered as a practical variable for irrigation farmer choices. A better knowledge of spatial SWC patterns could improve farmer's awareness about critical crop water status conditions and enhance their capacity to characterize their behavior at the field or farm scale. However, accurate soil moisture measurement across spatial and temporal scales is still a challenging task and, specifically at intermediate spatial (0.1-100 ha) and temporal (minutes to days) scales, a data gap remains that limits our understanding over reliability of the SWC spatial measurements and its practical applicability in irrigation scheduling. In this work we compare the integrated EM38 (Geonics Ltd. Canada) response, collected at different sensor positions above ground to that obtained by integrating the depth profile of volumetric SWC measured with Diviner 2000 (Sentek) in conjunction with the depth response function of the EM38 when operated in both horizontal and vertical dipole configurations. On a 1.0-ha Olive grove site in Sicliy (Italy), 200 data points were collected before and after irrigation or precipitation events following a systematic sampling grid with focused measurements around the tree. Inside two different zone of the field, characterized from different soil physical properties, two Diviner 2000 access tube (1.2 m) were installed and used for the EM38 calibration. After calibration, the work aimed to propose the combined use of the FDR and EMI sensors to measuring and mapping root zone soil water content. We found strong correlations (R2 = 0.66) between Diviner 2000 SWC averaged to a depth of 1.2 m and ECa from an EM38 held in the vertical mode above the soil surface. The site-specific relationship between FDR-based SWC and ECa was linear for the purposes of estimating SWC over the explored range of ECa monitored at field levels

The MODIS Vegetation Canopy Water Content product

Science.gov (United States)

Ustin, S. L.; Riano, D.; Trombetti, M.

2008-12-01

Vegetation water stress drives wildfire behavior and risk, having important implications for biogeochemical cycling in natural ecosystems, agriculture, and forestry. Water stress limits plant transpiration and carbon gain. The regulation of photosynthesis creates close linkages between the carbon, water, and energy cycles and through metabolism to the nitrogen cycle. We generated systematic weekly CWC estimated for the USA from 2000-2006. MODIS measures the sunlit reflectance of the vegetation in the visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared. Radiative transfer models, such as PROSPECT-SAILH, determine how sunlight interacts with plant and soil materials. These models can be applied over a range of scales and ecosystem types. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were used to optimize the inversion of these models to determine vegetation water content. We carried out multi-scale validation of the product using field data, airborne and satellite cross-calibration. An Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD) of the product is under evaluation by NASA. The CWC product inputs are 1) The MODIS Terra/Aqua surface reflectance product (MOD09A1/MYD09A1) 2) The MODIS land cover map product (MOD12Q1) reclassified to grassland, shrub-land and forest canopies; 3) An ANN trained with PROSPECT-SAILH; 4) A calibration file for each land cover type. The output is an ENVI file with the CWC values. The code is written in Matlab environment and is being adapted to read not only the 8 day MODIS composites, but also daily surface reflectance data. We plan to incorporate the cloud and snow mask and generate as output a geotiff file. Vegetation water content estimates will help predicting linkages between biogeochemical cycles, which will enable further understanding of feedbacks to atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. It will also serve to estimate primary productivity of the biosphere; monitor/assess natural vegetation health related to drought, pollution or diseases

Correlation between magnetic resonance image and content of water and fat in experimental tumor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Tachio; Yamada, Kenji; Yamada, Susumu; Yoshioka, Seiro; Ono, Shuichi; Hishinuma, Takashi; Abe, Yoshinao; Matsuzawa, Taiju; Ogata, Yuko.

1987-01-01

Water and fat are considered to be major protons contributing to magnetic resonance (MR) signals in living tissues. This study compared proton density and T1 and T2 relaxation times with content of water and fat in tumor bearing rabbits. MR scans were performed using a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence with short and long repetition times. There was a strong correlation between proton density and the content of water and fat. The correlation of the content of water and fat to T1 and T2 relaxation times was not so strong as that to proton density. Viable tumor tissues had significantly shorter T2 relaxation time than the surrounding edematous tissues (p < 0.005), although the content of water and fat did not differ in the two types of tissues. T1 relaxation time did not differ in viable tumorous and edematous tissues. (Namekawa, K.)

Change of deuterium volume content in heavy water during carbon dioxide dissolution in it

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efimova, T.I.; Kapitanov, V.F.; Levchenko, G.V.

1985-01-01

Carbon dioxide solution density in heavy water at increased temperature and pressure is measured and the influence of carbon dioxide solubility in heavy water on volumetric content of deuterium in it is determined. Investigations were conducted in the temperature range of 303-473 K and pressure range of 3-20 MPa by the autoclave method. Volumetric content of deuterium in heavy water decreases sufficiently with CO 2 dissolved in it in comparison with pure D 2 O under the similar conditions, and this decrease becomes more sufficient with the pressure increase. With the temperature increase the volumetric content of deuterium both for heavy water and for saturated carbon solution in heavy water decreases

Radon content in various types of ground water in south-eastern Sweden. A preliminary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knutsson, G.

1977-01-01

The purpose of investigation has been to study the radon content and its seasonal fluctuations in different types of ground water. The investigation was carried out in an area where the hydrogeological conditions are fairly well known. The geology is dominated by granitic bedrock and till. Water samples were collected from drilled wells in different rocks and from dug wells and springs in till and gravel. The seasonal fluctuations were studied in a small area. All radon measurements were made in the laboratory. The main results are following.(1) The highest radon content (max. 40 nCi/l) was observed in water from wells drilled granite. (2) The radon content in ground water from till never exceeds 8 nCi/l; the highest amount is normally found in springs situated in drumlin terrain with basel till and gravel lenses and beds (3-5 nCi/l) the contents in dug wells are 0.5-3.5 nCi/l.(3) Waters from gravel deposits have constantly low radon contents (0.1-3 nCi/l), and surface water has no radon.(4) The seasonal fluctuations in radon content are rather high and show a similar pattern to that of the fluctuations of the ground-water levels in till in the same area. (author)

The temperature dependence of intermediate range oxygen-oxygen correlations in liquid water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlesinger, Daniel; Pettersson, Lars G. M.; Wikfeldt, K. Thor; Skinner, Lawrie B.; Benmore, Chris J.; Nilsson, Anders

2016-01-01

We analyze the recent temperature dependent oxygen-oxygen pair-distribution functions from experimental high-precision x-ray diffraction data of bulk water by Skinner et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 141, 214507 (2014)] with particular focus on the intermediate range where small, but significant, correlations are found out to 17 Å. The second peak in the pair-distribution function at 4.5 Å is connected to tetrahedral coordination and was shown by Skinner et al. to change behavior with temperature below the temperature of minimum isothermal compressibility. Here we show that this is associated also with a peak growing at 11 Å which strongly indicates a collective character of fluctuations leading to the enhanced compressibility at lower temperatures. We note that the peak at ∼13.2 Å exhibits a temperature dependence similar to that of the density with a maximum close to 277 K or 4 °C. We analyze simulations of the TIP4P/2005 water model in the same manner and find excellent agreement between simulations and experiment albeit with a temperature shift of ∼20 K.

The temperature dependence of intermediate range oxygen-oxygen correlations in liquid water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlesinger, Daniel; Pettersson, Lars G. M., E-mail: Lars.Pettersson@fysik.su.se [Department of Physics, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Wikfeldt, K. Thor [Department of Physics, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Science Institute, University of Iceland, VR-III, 107 Reykjavik (Iceland); Skinner, Lawrie B.; Benmore, Chris J. [X-ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Nilsson, Anders [Department of Physics, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States)

2016-08-28

We analyze the recent temperature dependent oxygen-oxygen pair-distribution functions from experimental high-precision x-ray diffraction data of bulk water by Skinner et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 141, 214507 (2014)] with particular focus on the intermediate range where small, but significant, correlations are found out to 17 Å. The second peak in the pair-distribution function at 4.5 Å is connected to tetrahedral coordination and was shown by Skinner et al. to change behavior with temperature below the temperature of minimum isothermal compressibility. Here we show that this is associated also with a peak growing at 11 Å which strongly indicates a collective character of fluctuations leading to the enhanced compressibility at lower temperatures. We note that the peak at ∼13.2 Å exhibits a temperature dependence similar to that of the density with a maximum close to 277 K or 4 °C. We analyze simulations of the TIP4P/2005 water model in the same manner and find excellent agreement between simulations and experiment albeit with a temperature shift of ∼20 K.

Predicting Soil-Water Characteristics from Volumetric Contents of Pore-Size Analogue Particle Fractions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naveed, Muhammad; Møldrup, Per; Tuller, Markus

*-model) for the SWC, derived from readily available soil properties such as texture and bulk density. A total of 46 soils from different horizons at 15 locations across Denmark were used for models evaluation. The Xw-model predicts the volumetric water content as a function of volumetric fines content (organic matter...... and clay). It performed reasonably well for the dry-end (above a pF value of 2.0; pF = log(|Ψ|), where Ψ is the matric potential in cm), but did not do as well closer to saturated conditions. The Xw*-model gives the volumetric water content as a function of volumetric content of particle size fractions...... (organic matter, clay, silt, fine and coarse sand), variably included in the model depending on the pF value. The volumetric content of a particular soil particle size fraction was included in the model if it was assumed to contribute to the pore size fraction still occupied with water at the given p...

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Matheny, Ashley M; Garrity, Steven R; Bohrer, Gil

2017-12-27

Water transport and storage through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum is critical to the terrestrial water cycle, and has become a major research focus area. Biomass capacitance plays an integral role in the avoidance of hydraulic impairment to transpiration. However, high temporal resolution measurements of dynamic changes in the hydraulic capacitance of large trees are rare. Here, we present procedures for the calibration and use of capacitance sensors, typically used to monitor soil water content, to measure the volumetric water content in trees in the field. Frequency domain reflectometry-style observations are sensitive to the density of the media being studied. Therefore, it is necessary to perform species-specific calibrations to convert from the sensor-reported values of dielectric permittivity to volumetric water content. Calibration is performed on a harvested branch or stem cut into segments that are dried or re-hydrated to produce a full range of water contents used to generate a best-fit regression with sensor observations. Sensors are inserted into calibration segments or installed in trees after pre-drilling holes to a tolerance fit using a fabricated template to ensure proper drill alignment. Special care is taken to ensure that sensor tines make good contact with the surrounding media, while allowing them to be inserted without excessive force. Volumetric water content dynamics observed via the presented methodology align with sap flow measurements recorded using thermal dissipation techniques and environmental forcing data. Biomass water content data can be used to observe the onset of water stress, drought response and recovery, and has the potential to be applied to the calibration and evaluation of new plant-level hydrodynamics models, as well as to the partitioning of remotely sensed moisture products into above- and belowground components.

Stability and anti-glycation properties of intermediate moisture apple products fortified with green tea.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavelli, Vera; Corey, Mark; Kerr, William; Vantaggi, Claudia

2011-07-15

Intermediate moisture products made from blanched apple flesh and green tea extract (about 6mg of monomeric flavan 3-ols added per g of dry apple) or blanched apple flesh (control) were produced, and their quality attributes were investigated over storage for two months at water activity (a(w)) levels of 0.55 and 0.75, at 30°C. Products were evaluated for colour (L(∗), a(∗), and b(∗) Hunter's parameters), phytochemical contents (flavan 3-ols, chlorogenic acid, dihydrochalcones, ascorbic acid and total polyphenols), ferric reducing antioxidant potential, 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl radical-scavenging activity and ability to inhibit formation of fructose-induced advanced glycation end-products. During storage of the fortified and unfortified intermediate moisture apples, water availability was sufficient to support various chemical reactions involving phytochemicals, which degraded at different rates: ascorbic acid>flavan 3-ols>dihydrochalcones and chlorogenic acid. Colour variations occurred at slightly slower rates after green tea addition. In the intermediate moisture apple, antioxidant and anti-glycoxidative properties decreased at similar rates (half-life was about 80d at a(w) of 0.75, 30°C). In the green tea-fortified intermediate moisture apple, the antioxidant activity decreased at a slow rate (half-life was 165d at a(w) of 0.75, 30°C) and the anti-glycoxidative properties did not change, indicating that flavan 3-ol degradation involved the formation of derivatives that retained the properties of their parent compounds. Since these properties are linked to oxidative- and advanced glycation end-product-related diseases, these results suggest that green tea fortification of intermediate moisture apple products could be a valuable means of product innovation, to address consumers' nutritional needs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Water Content of Medium Containing Oryctes rhinoceros Larvae on Metarhizium anisopliae Pathogenicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dyah Rini Indriyanti

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff Sorokin (Ascomycota: Hypocrealeswould effectively infect the target host on the appropriate medium water content. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of water content of medium on the effectiveness of M. anisopliae fungus infection on O. rhinoceros larvae in the laboratory. Fifty healthy third instar larvae of O. rhinoceros were  obtained from field. The M. anisopliae obtained from Estate Crop Protection Board in Salatiga. The conidia density and viability of M. anisopliae were examined before used. The medium for maintaining the larva was the sawdust that had been sterilized. A total of 50 plastic cups were prepared to place 50 larvae (1 larva/cup. Each cup was filled with 100 g medium  of sawdust plus 2 g of M. anisopliae which was then stirred until mixed, with different water content: P1 (20%, P2 (40%, P3 (60%, P4 (80% and P5 (98%. The result indicated that  the water content of the medium affected the effectiveness of M. anisopliae fungus infection on O. rhinoceros larvae. The water content influenced the duration of larval mortality at each treatment. An important finding in this study is that controlling O. rhineceros larvae  with M. anisopliae can be done by manipulating the water content of medium. The benefit of this study may be used for the recommendation of O. rhinoceros pest control using M. anisopliae  with an effective water media content.

Density and water content measurement with two dual detector probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cariou, J.; Menard, J.

1980-01-01

The ''Laboratoires des Ponts et Chaussees'' have developed an electronic device for geological prospections. This system includes gamma-gamma and neutron-neutron probes for continuous measurement in borehole down to one hundred meters. It is used, as well to measure the density and the water content in the field of soil mechanic engineering. When the diameter is not constant all along the borehole the two probes have to use a dual detector procedure. When constant, a simple detector procedure is sufficient to obtain density and water content. Two examples show the possibilities of this apparatus, particularly to control the borehole diameter and the soil chemical composition [fr

Water content estimated from point scale to plot scale

Science.gov (United States)

Akyurek, Z.; Binley, A. M.; Demir, G.; Abgarmi, B.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture controls the portioning of rainfall into infiltration and runoff. Here we investigate measurements of soil moisture using a range of techniques spanning different spatial scales. In order to understand soil water content in a test basin, 512 km2 in area, in the south of Turkey, a Cosmic Ray CRS200B soil moisture probe was installed at elevation of 1459 m and an ML3 ThetaProbe (CS 616) soil moisture sensor was established at 5cm depth used to get continuous soil moisture. Neutron count measurements were corrected for the changes in atmospheric pressure, atmospheric water vapour and intensity of incoming neutron flux. The calibration of the volumetric soil moisture was performed, from the laboratory analysis, the bulk density varies between 1.719 (g/cm3) -1.390 (g/cm3), and the dominant soil texture is silty clay loam and silt loamThe water content reflectometer was calibrated for soil-specific conditions and soil moisture estimates were also corrected with respect to soil temperature. In order to characterize the subsurface, soil electrical resistivity tomography was used. Wenner and Schlumberger array geometries were used with electrode spacing varied from 1m- 5 m along 40 m and 200 m profiles. From the inversions of ERT data it is apparent that within 50 m distance from the CRS200B, the soil is moderately resistive to a depth of 2m and more conductive at greater depths. At greater distances from the CRS200B, the ERT results indicate more resistive soils. In addition to the ERT surveys, ground penetrating radar surveys using a common mid-point configuration was used with 200MHz antennas. The volumetric soil moisture obtained from GPR appears to overestimate those based on TDR observations. The values obtained from CS616 (at a point scale) and CRS200B (at a mesoscale) are compared with the values obtained at a plot scale. For the field study dates (20-22.06.2017) the volumetric moisture content obtained from CS616 were 25.14%, 25.22% and 25

A Simple Beta-Function Model for Soil-Water Repellency as a Function of Water and Organic Carbon Contents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karunarathna, Anurudda Kumara; Kawamoto, Ken; Møldrup, Per

2010-01-01

Soil-water content (θ) and soil organic carbon (SOC) are key factors controlling the occurrence and magnitude of soil-water repellency (WR). Although expressions have recently been proposed to describe the nonlinear variation of WR with θ, the inclusion of easily measurable parameters in predictive...... conditions for 19 soils were used to test the model. The beta function successfully reproduced all the measured soil-water repellency characteristic, α(θ), curves. Significant correlations were found between model parameters and SOC content (1%-14%). The model was independently tested against data...

Assessment of the soil water content temporal variations in an agricultural area of Galicia (NW Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Mestas-Valero, Roger Manuel; Miras-Avalos, Jose Manuel; Paz-González, Antonio

2010-05-01

The direct and continuous assessment of the temporal variation on soil water content is of paramount importance for agricultural practices and, in particular, for the management of water resources. Soil water content is affected by many factors such as topography, particle size, clay and organic matter contents, and tillage systems. There are several techniques to measure or estimate soil water content. Among them, Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) stands out. It is based on measuring the dielectrical constant of the soil environment. This technique allows to describe water dynamics in time and space, to determine the main patterns of soil moisture, the water uptake by roots, the evapotranspiration and the drainage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the daily variation of soil water content in the root-influenced zone in plots devoted to maize and grassland as a function of the soil water volumetric content. The studied site is located in an experimental field of the Centre for Agricultural Research (CIAM) in Mabegondo located in the province of A Coruña, Spain (43°14'N, 8°15'W; 91 masl). The study was carried out from June 2008 to September 2009 in a field devoted to maize (Zea mays, L.) and another field devoted to grassland. The soil of these sites is silt-clay textured. Long-term mean annual temperature and rainfall figures are 13.3 °C and 1288 mm, respectively. During the study period, maize crop was subjected to conventional agricultural practices. A weekly evaluation of the phenological stage of the crop was performed. An EnviroSCAN FDR equipment, comprising six capacitance sensors, was installed in the studied sites following the manufacturer's recommendations, thus assuring a proper contact between the probe and the soil. Soil water content in the root-influenced zone (40 cm depth in grassland and 60 cm depth in maize were considered) was hourly monitored in 20 cm ranges (0-20 cm, 20-40 cm, and 40-60 cm) using FDR. Evaluations were

Data and prediction of water content of high pressure nitrogen, methane and natural gas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Folas, Georgios; Froyna, E.W.; Lovland, J.

2007-01-01

New data for the equilibrium water content of nitrogen, methane and one natural gas mixture are presented. The new binary data and existing binary sets were compared to calculated values of dew point temperature using both the CPA (Cubic-Plus-Association) EoS and the GERG-water EoS. CPA is purely...... predictive (i.e. all binary interaction parameters are set equal to 0), while GERG-water uses a temperature dependent interaction parameter fitted to published data. The GERG-water model is proposed as an ISO standard for determining the water content of natural gas. The data sets for nitrogen cover...... conclusion is that GERG-water must be used with caution outside its specified working range. For some selected natural gas mixtures the two models also perform very much alike. The water content of the mixtures decreases with increasing amount of heavier components, and it seems that both models slightly...

Organic tank safety project: Effect of water partial pressure on the equilibrium water contents of waste samples from Hanford Tank 241-BY-108

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheele, R.D.; Bredt, P.R.; Sell, R.L.

1997-02-01

Water content plays a crucial role in the strategy developed by Webb et al. to prevent propagating or sustainable chemical reactions in the organic-bearing wastes stored in the 20 Organic Tank Watch List tanks at the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site. Because of water's importance in ensuring that the organic-bearing wastes continue to be stored safely, Duke Engineering and Services Hanford commissioned the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to investigate the effect of water partial pressure (P H2O ) on the water content of organic-bearing or representative wastes. Of the various interrelated controlling factors affecting the water content in wastes, P H2O is the most susceptible to being controlled by the and Hanford Site's environmental conditions and, if necessary, could be managed to maintain the water content at an acceptable level or could be used to adjust the water content back to an acceptable level. Of the various waste types resulting from weapons production and waste-management operations at the Hanford Site, Webb et al. determined that saltcake wastes are the most likely to require active management to maintain the wastes in a Conditionally Safe condition. A Conditionally Safe waste is one that satisfies the waste classification criteria based on water content alone or a combination of water content and either total organic carbon (TOC) content or waste energetics. To provide information on the behavior of saltcake wastes, two waste samples taken from Tank 241-BY-108 (BY-108) were selected for study, even though BY-108 is not on the Organic Tanks Watch List because of their ready availability and their similarity to some of the organic-bearing saltcakes

Stabilization of Aley river water content by forest stands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. G. Paramonov

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Aley river basin is one of the most developed territories in West Siberia. Initially, the development here was related to the development of ore mining in the Altai. Currently it is associated mainly with the agricultural orientation of economic development. The intensive involvement of basin lands into the economic turnover for the last 100 years contributed to the formation of a number of environmental problems, such as water and wind erosion, loss of soil fertility and salinization, and desertification of the territory. Besides, the decrease of Aley river water content due to natural and anthropogenic reasons was observed. A specific feature of water management in Aley river basin is a significant amount of water resources used for irrigation purposes and agricultural water supply. To ensure the economic and drinking water supply, two reservoirs and a number of ponds have been constructed and operate in the basin. Forest ecosystems of the basin are considered from the viewpoint of preservation and restoration of small rivers. The ability of forest to accumulate solid precipitation and intercept them during the snowmelt for a longer time reduces the surface drainage and promotes transfer into the subsurface flow, significantly influencing the water content of permanent watercourses, is shown. The state of protective forest plantations in Aley river basin is analyzed. Aley river tributaries are compared by area, the length of water flow, and forest coverage of the basin. It is proposed to regulate the runoff through drastic actions on the increase of forest cover in the plain and especially in the mountainous parts of the basin. Measures to increase the forest cover within water protection zones, afforestation of temporary and permanent river basins, and the protection of agricultural soil fertility are worked out.

In-Line Measurement of Water Content in Ethanol Using a PVA-Coated Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byoung Chul Kim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available An in-line device for measuring the water content in ethanol was developed using a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA-coated quartz crystal microbalance. Bio-ethanol is widely used as the replacement of gasoline, and its water content is a key component of its specifications. When the PVA-coated quartz crystal microbalance is contacted with ethanol containing a small amount of water, the water is absorbed into the PVA increasing the load on the microbalance surface to cause a frequency drop. The determination performance of the PVA-coated microbalance is examined by measuring the frequency decreases in ethanol containing 2% to 10% water while the ethanol flows through the measurement device. The measurements indicates that the higher water content is the more the frequency reduction is, though some deviation in the measurements is observed. This indicates that the frequency measurement of an unknown concentration of water in ethanol can be used to determine the water content in ethanol. The PVA coating is examined by microscopy and FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Influence of free water content on the compressive mechanical ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tars with different water content, the upward section of the stress–strain curve ..... Recent work by Zhou & Hao (2008) also provide computational confirmation ... these volume change may be closely related to micro-capillarity action in the ...

Relationship between arsenic content of food and water applied for food processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugár, Eva; Tatár, Enikő; Záray, Gyula; Mihucz, Victor G

2013-12-01

As part of a survey conducted by the Central Agricultural Office of Hungary, 67 food samples including beverages were taken from 57 food industrial and catering companies, 75% of them being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, 40% of the SMEs were micro entities. Water used for food processing was simultaneously sampled. The arsenic (As) content of solid food stuff was determined by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry after dry ashing. Food stuff with high water content and water samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The As concentration exceeded 10 μg/L in 74% of the water samples taken from SMEs. The As concentrations of samples with high water content and water used were linearly correlated. Estimated As intake from combined exposure to drinking water and food of the population was on average 40% of the daily lower limit of WHO on the benchmark dose for a 0.5% increased incidence of lung cancer (BMDL0.5) for As. Five settlements had higher As intake than the BMDL0.5. Three of these settlements are situated in Csongrád county and the distance between them is less than 55 km. The maximum As intake might be 3.8 μg/kg body weight. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A New Method for Sensing Soil Water Content in Green Roofs Using Plant Microbial Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tapia, Natalia F; Rojas, Claudia; Bonilla, Carlos A; Vargas, Ignacio T

2017-12-28

Green roofs have many benefits, but in countries with semiarid climates the amount of water needed for irrigation is a limiting factor for their maintenance. The use of drought-tolerant plants such as Sedum species, reduces the water requirements in the dry season, but, even so, in semiarid environments these can reach up to 60 L m -2 per day. Continuous substrate/soil water content monitoring would facilitate the efficient use of this critical resource. In this context, the use of plant microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) emerges as a suitable and more sustainable alternative for monitoring water content in green roofs in semiarid climates. In this study, bench and pilot-scale experiments using seven Sedum species showed a positive relationship between current generation and water content in the substrate. PMFC reactors with higher water content (around 27% vs. 17.5% v / v ) showed larger power density (114.6 and 82.3 μW m -2 vs. 32.5 μW m -2 ). Moreover, a correlation coefficient of 0.95 (±0.01) between current density and water content was observed. The results of this research represent the first effort of using PMFCs as low-cost water content biosensors for green roofs.

Detecting leaf-water content in Mediterranean trees using high-resolution spectrometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Steven M.; Addink, Elisabeth A.; Doelman, Jonathan C.

2014-01-01

Water content of the vegetation canopy or individual leaves is an important variable in physiological plant processes. In Mediterranean regions where water availability is an important production limiting factor, it is a strong indicator of vegetation stress. Spectroscopic earth-observation

Plant Water Content is the Best Predictor of Drought-induced Mortality

Science.gov (United States)

Sapes, G.; Roskilly, B.; Dobrowski, S.; Sala, A.

2017-12-01

Predicting drought-induced forest mortality remains extremely challenging. Recent research has shown that both plant hydraulics and stored non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) interact during drought-induced mortality. The strong interaction between these two variables and the fact that they are both difficult to measure render drought-induced plant mortality extremely difficult to monitor and predict. A variable that is easier to measure and that integrates hydraulic transport and carbohydrate dynamics may, therefore, improve our ability to monitor and predict mortality. Here, we tested whether plant water content is such an integrator variable and, therefore, a better predictor of mortality under drought. We subjected 250 two-year-old ponderosa pine seedlings to drought until they died in a greenhouse experiment. Periodically during the dry down, we measured percent loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC), NSC concentration (starch and soluble sugars), and tissue volumetric water content (VWC) in roots, stems and leaves. At each measurement time, a separate set of seedlings were re-watered to estimate the probability of mortality at the population level. Linear models were used to explore whether PLC and NSC were linked to VWC and to determine which of the three variables predicted mortality the best. As expected, plants lost hydraulic conductivity in stems and roots during the dry down. Starch concentrations also decreased in all organs as the drought proceeded. In contrast, soluble sugars increased in stems and roots, consistent with the conversion of stored NSCs into osmotically active compounds. Models containing both PLC and NSC concentrations as predictors of VWC were highly significant in all organs and at the whole plant level, indicating that water content is influenced by both PLC and NSCs. PLC, NSC, and VWC explained mortality across organs and at the whole plant level, but VWC was the best predictor (R2 = 0.99). Our results indicate that plant water

Remote sensing of atmospheric water content from Bhaskara SAMIR data. [using statistical linear regression analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Gohil, B. S.; Hariharan, T. A.; Sharma, A. K.; Pandey, P. C.

1982-01-01

The 19.35 GHz and 22.235 GHz passive microwave radiometers (SAMIR) on board the Indian satellite Bhaskara have provided very useful data. From these data has been demonstrated the feasibility of deriving atmospheric and ocean surface parameters such as water vapor content, liquid water content, rainfall rate and ocean surface winds. Different approaches have been tried for deriving the atmospheric water content. The statistical and empirical methods have been used by others for the analysis of the Nimbus data. A simulation technique has been attempted for the first time for 19.35 GHz and 22.235 GHz radiometer data. The results obtained from three different methods are compared with radiosonde data. A case study of a tropical depression has been undertaken to demonstrate the capability of Bhaskara SAMIR data to show the variation of total water vapor and liquid water contents.

DIURNAL CHANGES IN LEAF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RELATIVE WATER CONTENT OF GRAPEVINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monica Popescu

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Variation in light intensity, air temperature and relative air humidity leads to diurnal variations of photosynthetic rate and leaf relative water content. In order to determine the diurnal changes in net photosynthetic rate of vine plants and influence of the main environmental factors, gas exchange in the vine leaves were measure using a portable plant CO2 analysis package. The results show that diurnal changes in photosynthetic rate could be interpreted as single-peak curve, with a maximum at noon (10.794 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1. Leaf relative water content has maximum value in the morning; the values may slightly decrease during the day (day of June, with normal temperature, no rain, no water restriction in soil.

Increases in soil water content after the mortality of non-native trees in oceanic island forest ecosystems are due to reduced water loss during dry periods.

Science.gov (United States)

Hata, Kenji; Kawakami, Kazuto; Kachi, Naoki

2016-03-01

The control of dominant, non-native trees can alter the water balance of soils in forest ecosystems via hydrological processes, which results in changes in soil water environments. To test this idea, we evaluated the effects of the mortality of an invasive tree, Casuarina equisetifolia Forst., on the water content of surface soils on the Ogasawara Islands, subtropical islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, using a manipulative herbicide experiment. Temporal changes in volumetric water content of surface soils at 6 cm depth at sites where all trees of C. equisetifolia were killed by herbicide were compared with those of adjacent control sites before and after their mortality with consideration of the amount of precipitation. In addition, the rate of decrease in the soil water content during dry periods and the rate of increase in the soil water content during rainfall periods were compared between herbicide and control sites. Soil water content at sites treated with herbicide was significantly higher after treatment than soil water content at control sites during the same period. Differences between initial and minimum values of soil water content at the herbicide sites during the drying events were significantly lower than the corresponding differences in the control quadrats. During rainfall periods, both initial and maximum values of soil water contents in the herbicided quadrats were higher, and differences between the maximum and initial values did not differ between the herbicided and control quadrats. Our results indicated that the mortality of non-native trees from forest ecosystems increased water content of surface soils, due primarily to a slower rate of decrease in soil water content during dry periods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Water masses in the Humboldt Current System: Properties, distribution, and the nitrate deficit as a chemical water mass tracer for Equatorial Subsurface Water off Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Nelson; Rojas, Nora; Fedele, Aldo

2009-07-01

Three sections are used to analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of the water masses in the eastern South Pacific and their distributions. Oceanographic data were taken from the SCORPIO (May-June 1967), PIQUERO (May-June 1969), and KRILL (June 1974) cruises. Vertical sections of temperature, salinity, σ θ, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, and silicate were used to analyze the water column structure. Five water masses were identified in the zone through T- S diagrams: Subantarctic Water, Subtropical Water, Equatorial Subsurface Water, Antarctic Intermediate Water, and Pacific Deep Water. Their proportions in the sea water mixture are calculated using the mixing triangle method. Vertical sections were used to describe the geographical distributions of the water mass cores in the upper 1500 m. Several characteristic oceanographic features in the study area were analyzed: the shallow salinity minimum displacement towards the equator, the equatorial subsurface salinity maximum associated with a dissolved oxygen minimum zone and a high nutrient content displacement towards the south, and the equatorward intermediate Antarctic salinity minimum associated with a dissolved oxygen maximum. The nitrate deficit generated in the denitrification area off Peru and northern Chile is proposed as a conservative chemical tracer for the Equatorial Subsurface Waters off the coast of Chile, south of 25°S.

Study of the radioactive contents in Barcelona's water supply during 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortega, X.; Valles, I.

1988-01-01

Throughout 1986 several determinations were carried out of the contents in α and β radioactivity transmitters of different samples of the Barcelona water supply. It could be verified that beta radioactivity was ten times higher in the waters collected in the basin of Llobregat river than water from Ter river. Both rivers are the main sources of Barcelona supply. The reason for this unbalanced result is the high potassic content of the first river, coming from the mining exploitation of the basin. On the other hand, the contamination that could be measured in May, due to the Chernobyl nuclear accident, showed that the supply system from Llobregat river was more sensitive to the incorporation of contaminants carried down by the rain, whereas in the case of Ter river, owing to the presence of impounding regulation, a higher retention time of these waters was obtained. (author)

Viability study of photodiodes utilization in determination of soil water content by gamma transmission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, L.A.P.; Khoury, H.; Carneiro, C.J.G.

1991-01-01

An experiment to verify the viability of using silicon photodetectors in a sup(241)Am γ-ray spectroscopy system for measuring soil water content was carried out in disturbed soil cores. The good correlation between the logarithm of the attenuation factor and the water content, r sup(2)=0.99, proves that the low efficiency of these detectors is not a limiting factor in measuring the water content. Furthermore, the small dimensions of the silicon photodetectors and associate electronic equipment are important characteristics that could permit the construction of a portable gammametry system to be used under field conditions. (author)

Sensitivity of probabilistic MCO water content estimates to key assumptions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DUNCAN, D.R.

1999-01-01

Sensitivity of probabilistic multi-canister overpack (MCO) water content estimates to key assumptions is evaluated with emphasis on the largest non-cladding film-contributors, water borne by particulates adhering to damage sites, and water borne by canister particulate. Calculations considered different choices of damage state degree of independence, different choices of percentile for reference high inputs, three types of input probability density function (pdfs): triangular, log-normal, and Weibull, and the number of scrap baskets in an MCO

Can the water content of highly compacted bentonite be increased by applying a high water pressure?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, R.; Kasbohm, J.

2001-10-01

A great many laboratory investigations have shown that the water uptake in highly compacted MX-80 clay takes place by diffusion at low external pressure. It means that wetting of the clay buffer in the deposition holes of a KBS-3 repository is very slow if the water pressure is low and that complete water saturation can take several tens of years if the initial degree of water saturation of the buffer clay and the ability of the rock to give off water are low. It has therefore been asked whether injection of water can raise the degree of water saturation and if a high water pressure in the nearfield can have the same effect. The present report describes attempts to moisten highly compacted blocks of MX-80 clay with a dry density of 1510 kg/m 3 by injecting water under a pressure of 650 kPa through a perforated injection pipe for 3 and 20 minutes, respectively. The interpretation was made by determining the water content of a number of samples located at different distances from the pipe. An attempt to interpret the pattern of distribution of injected uranium acetate solution showed that the channels into which the solution went became closed in a few minutes and that dispersion in the homogenized clay gave low U-concentrations. The result was that the water content increased from about 9 to about 11-12 % within a distance of about 1 centimeter from the injection pipe and to slightly more than 9 % at a distance of about 4-5 cm almost independently of the injection time. Complete water saturation corresponds to a water content of about 30 % and the wetting effect was hence small from a practical point of view. By use of microstructural models it can be shown that injected water enters only the widest channels that remain after the compaction and that these channels are quickly closed by expansion of the hydrating surrounding clay. Part of the particles that are thereby released become transported by the flowing water and cause clogging of the channels, which is

Validation of methods for determination of free water content in poultry meat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jarmila Žítková

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Methods for determination of free water content in poultry meat are described in Commission Regulation EEC No 1538/91 as amended and in ČSN 57 3100. Two of them (method A and D have been validated in conditions of a Czech poultry processing plant. The capacity of slaughtering was 6000 pieces per hour and carcasses were chilled by air with spraying. All determinations were carried out in the plant’s lab and in the lab of the Institute of Food Technology. Method A was used to detect the amount of water lost from frozen chicken during thawing in controlled conditions. Twenty carcasses from six weight groups (900 g–1400 g were tested. The average values of thaw loss water contents ranged between 0.46% and 1.71%, the average value of total 120 samples was 1.16%. The results were compared with the required maximum limit value of 3.3%. The water loss content was in negative correlation with the weight of chicken (r = –0.56. Method D (chemical test has been applied to determine the total water content of certain poultry cuts. It involved the determination of water and protein contents of 62 representative samples in total. The average values of ratio of water weight to proteins weight WA/RPA were in breast fillets 3.29, in legs with a portion of the back 4.06, legs 4.00, thighs 3.85 and drumsticks 4.10. The results corresponded to the required limit values for breast fillets 3.40 and for leg cuts 4.15. The ratio of water weight to proteins weight WA/RPA was correlated with the weight of chicken for breast fillets negatively (r = –0.61 and for leg cuts positively (r = 0.70. Different correlations can be explained by the distribution of water, protein and fat in carcasses. The evaluation of methods in the parameter of percentage ratio of the average value to the limit showed that method D (results were at the level of 97% of the limit was more exact than method A (results were at the level 32% of the limit but it is more expensive. Both methods

The Effect of Preservative Methods on the Yield, Water Content and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

.niger, A.aureous and Fusarium spp. A. flavipes was isolated from samples of water activity at 0.33 while A.niger was isolated from samples of water activity at 0.11. It was recommended that the reduction in moisture content of smoke-dried ...

Non-destructive evaluation of the water content of concretes by low energy gamma backscattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghunath, V.M.; Bhatnagar, P.K.; Meenakshisundaram, V.

1983-01-01

A method of estimating the water content of various concretes mixed with neutron absorbers like boron or rare earths is described. This makes use of the fact that a large buildup of low energy photons in the 20 - 100 keV range is observed in the backscattered spectrum from water when compared to conrete. A 4.36 mCi 137 Cs (662 keV) source is used with a 1 mm thick NaI scintillator as the detector to measure the backscattered radiation in the energy range. Calibration curves for evaluating the water content in borated concretes, ordinary conretes of different thickness, and a mortar brick are reported. It has been possible to estimate the water content to within 0.25% (by weight) by this method. (orig.)

Non-destructive evaluation of the water content of concretes by low energy gamma backscattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raghunath, V M; Bhatnagar, P K; Meenakshisundaram, V [Reactor Research Centre, Kalpakkam (India). Safety Research Lab.

1983-02-15

A method of estimating the water content of various concretes mixed with neutron absorbers like boron or rare earths is described. This makes use of the fact that a large buildup of low energy photons in the 20 - 100 keV range is observed in the backscattered spectrum from water when compared to concrete. A 4.36 mCi /sup 137/Cs (662 keV) source is used with a 1 mm thick NaI scintillator as the detector to measure the backscattered radiation in the energy range. Calibration curves for evaluating the water content in borated concretes, ordinary concretes of different thickness, and a mortar brick are reported. It has been possible to estimate the water content to within 0.25% (by weight) by this method.

From water to energy. The virtual water content and water footprint of biofuel consumption in Spain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elena, Galan-del-Castillo [Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain); Esther, Velazquez [Pablo de Olavide University, Department of Economics, Crta. Utrera, Km.1, 41013 Seville (Spain)

2010-03-15

Energy diversification and the use of renewable energy sources are key points in the European energy strategy. Biofuels are the most popular renewable resource option for the transport sector, and the European Union has established objectives that the Member States must adopt and implement. However, biofuel production at such a scale requires a considerable amount of water resources, and this water-energy nexus is rarely taken into account. This paper shows the strong nexus between water and energy in biofuel production and estimates the virtual water (VW) content and the water footprint (WF) from the raw material production that will be needed to reach the Spanish targets for biofuel consumption by 2010. The results show how the impact of such targets on the global and local water situation could be reduced through virtual water imports and, at the same time, how these imports could increase Spain's water and energy dependence. Hence, in order to manage water from an integral perspective of the territory, the inclusion of biofuel consumption objectives should go hand in hand with measures to reduce the demand of energy in the transport sector. (author)

From water to energy: The virtual water content and water footprint of biofuel consumption in Spain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galan-del-Castillo, Elena [Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain); Velazquez, Esther, E-mail: evelalo@upo.e [Pablo de Olavide University, Department of Economics, Crta. Utrera, Km.1, 41013 Seville (Spain)

2010-03-15

Energy diversification and the use of renewable energy sources are key points in the European energy strategy. Biofuels are the most popular renewable resource option for the transport sector, and the European Union has established objectives that the Member States must adopt and implement. However, biofuel production at such a scale requires a considerable amount of water resources, and this water-energy nexus is rarely taken into account. This paper shows the strong nexus between water and energy in biofuel production and estimates the virtual water (VW) content and the water footprint (WF) from the raw material production that will be needed to reach the Spanish targets for biofuel consumption by 2010. The results show how the impact of such targets on the global and local water situation could be reduced through virtual water imports and, at the same time, how these imports could increase Spain's water and energy dependence. Hence, in order to manage water from an integral perspective of the territory, the inclusion of biofuel consumption objectives should go hand in hand with measures to reduce the demand of energy in the transport sector.

From water to energy. The virtual water content and water footprint of biofuel consumption in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elena, Galan-del-Castillo; Esther, Velazquez

2010-01-01

Energy diversification and the use of renewable energy sources are key points in the European energy strategy. Biofuels are the most popular renewable resource option for the transport sector, and the European Union has established objectives that the Member States must adopt and implement. However, biofuel production at such a scale requires a considerable amount of water resources, and this water-energy nexus is rarely taken into account. This paper shows the strong nexus between water and energy in biofuel production and estimates the virtual water (VW) content and the water footprint (WF) from the raw material production that will be needed to reach the Spanish targets for biofuel consumption by 2010. The results show how the impact of such targets on the global and local water situation could be reduced through virtual water imports and, at the same time, how these imports could increase Spain's water and energy dependence. Hence, in order to manage water from an integral perspective of the territory, the inclusion of biofuel consumption objectives should go hand in hand with measures to reduce the demand of energy in the transport sector. (author)

Soil Water Retention and Relative Permeability for Full Range of Saturation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Z. F.

2010-09-28

Common conceptual models for unsaturated flow often rely on the oversimplified representation of medium pores as a bundle of cylindrical capillaries and assume that the matric potential is attributed to capillary forces only. The adsorptive surface forces are ignored. It is often assumed that aqueous flow is negligible when a soil is near or at the residual water content. These models are successful at high and medium water contents but often give poor results at low water contents. These models do not apply to conditions at which water content is less than the residual water content. We extend the lower bound of existing water-retention functions and conductivity models from residual water content to the oven-dry condition (i.e., zero water content) by defining a state-dependent, residual-water content for a soil drier than a critical value. Furthermore, a hydraulic conductivity model for smooth uniform spheres was modified by introducing a correction factor to describe the film flow-induced hydraulic conductivity for natural porous media. The total unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is the sum of those due to capillary and film flow. The extended retention and conductivity models were verified with six datasets from the literature. Results show that, when the soil is at high and intermediate water content, there is no difference between the un-extended and the extended models; when the soil is at low water content, the un-extended models overestimate the water content but under-estimate the conductivity while the extended models match the retention and conductivity measurements well.

Understanding the bias between moisture content by oven drying and water content by Karl Fischer titration at moisture equilibrium

Science.gov (United States)

Multiple causes of the difference between equilibrium moisture and water content have been found. The errors or biases were traced to the oven drying procedure to determine moisture content. The present paper explains the nature of the biases in oven drying and how it is possible to suppress one ...

Activity of water content and storage temperature on the seed-borne mycoflora of lens culinaris

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahim, S.; Dawar, S.

2014-01-01

Storage of seeds with high water content and temperatures favors the growth of mould fungi which in turn affect the germination of seeds while low temperature with low water content prevent the growth of storage fungi and help in maintaining seed viability for longer duration of time. Seed sample from Sukkur district was stored at 4 degree C and room temperature (25-30 degree C) with water content of 8, 13 and 17% for about 80 days. The fungi were isolated at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 days intervals. Highest infection percentage of fungi was observed at 13 and 17% water contents at room temperature after 20 days of storage. High infection percentage of storage fungi affected the germination of seeds. Aspergillus spp were the most dominant fungi. (author)

In-Line Measurement of Water Contents in Ethanol Using a Zeolite-Coated Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byoung Chul Kim

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM was utilized to measure the water content in ethanol. For the improvement of measurement sensitivity, the QCM was modified by applying zeolite particles on the surface with poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA binder. The measurement performance was examined with ethanol of 1% to 5% water content in circulation. The experimental results showed that the frequency drop of the QCM was related with the water content though there was some deviation. The sensitivity of the zeolite-coated QCM was sufficient to be implemented in water content determination, and a higher ratio of silicon to aluminum in the molecular structure of the zeolite gave better performance. The coated surface was inspected by microscopy to show the distribution of zeolite particles and PMMA spread.

Phenolic content, physical and sensory properties of breads made with different types of barley wort.

Science.gov (United States)

Baiano, Antonietta; Viggiani, Ilaria; Terracone, Carmela; Romaniello, Roberto; Del Nobile, Matteo Alessandro

2015-10-01

Barley wort, an intermediate product of beer brewing, is rich in phenolic compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the possibility of increasing the antioxidant content of bread by replacing water with three types of wort: two of them withdrawn at the end of the mashing operation during the production of a Pilsner and a Double Malt Pilsner beer respectively; the other collected at an intermediate stage of mashing of the Pilsner beer. The chemical, physical and sensory properties of the wort-added breads were compared with those of a control bread. All three worts led to increased phenolic content, volume and specific volume of the breads and induced significant changes in 11 of 23 sensory descriptors. The highest phenolic contents were detected in breads made either with the Pilsner wort withdrawn at an intermediate stage of mashing or with the Double Malt Pilsner wort. The former also gave the highest increase in volume and specific volume but significantly reduced the scores for crunchiness, firmness and cohesiveness. The latter led to lower increases in volume and specific volume, but less significant changes in the sensory properties were associated with its use. Worts can be conveniently used to increase the antioxidant content of bread. However, different types of wort can modify to different extents the physical and sensory properties of the product. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Two-Region Model for Soil Water Repellency as a Function of Matric Potential and Water Content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karunarathna, Anurudda Kumara; Møldrup, Per; Kawamoto, Ken

2010-01-01

by the so-called Dexter index) is useful for predicting if soils are likely to exhibit WR. Expression of soil water repellency depends on soil water content; however, only a limited amount of predictive description is available to date. In this study, based on experimental data, a simple two-region model...

Inactivation of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in rumen content- or feces-contaminated drinking water for cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Tong; Zhao, Ping; West, Joe W; Bernard, John K; Cross, Heath G; Doyle, Michael P

2006-05-01

Cattle drinking water is a source of on-farm Escherichia coli O157:H7 transmission. The antimicrobial activities of disinfectants to control E. coli O157:H7 in on-farm drinking water are frequently neutralized by the presence of rumen content and manure that generally contaminate the drinking water. Different chemical treatments, including lactic acid, acidic calcium sulfate, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, caprylic acid, ozone, butyric acid, sodium benzoate, and competing E. coli, were tested individually or in combination for inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 in the presence of rumen content. Chlorine (5 ppm), ozone (22 to 24 ppm at 5 degrees C), and competing E. coli treatment of water had minimal effects (rumen content at water-to-rumen content ratios of 50:1 (vol/wt) and lower. Four chemical-treatment combinations, including (i) 0.1% lactic acid, 0.9% acidic calcium sulfate, and 0.05% caprylic acid (treatment A); (ii) 0.1% lactic acid, 0.9% acidic calcium sulfate, and 0.1% sodium benzoate (treatment B); (iii) 0.1% lactic acid, 0.9% acidic calcium sulfate, and 0.5% butyric acid (treatment C); and (iv) 0.1% lactic acid, 0.9% acidic calcium sulfate, and 100 ppm chlorine dioxide (treatment D); were highly effective (>3 log CFU/ml reduction) at 21 degrees C in killing E. coli O157:H7, O26:H11, and O111:NM in water heavily contaminated with rumen content (10:1 water/rumen content ratio [vol/wt]) or feces (20:1 water/feces ratio [vol/wt]). Among them, treatments A, B, and C killed >5 log CFU E. coli O157:H7, O26:H11, and O111:NM/ml within 30 min in water containing rumen content or feces, whereas treatment D inactivated approximately 3 to 4 log CFU/ml under the same conditions. Cattle given water containing treatment A or C or untreated water (control) ad libitum for two 7-day periods drank 15.2, 13.8, and 30.3 liters/day, respectively, and cattle given water containing 0.1% lactic acid plus 0.9% acidic calcium sulfate (pH 2.1) drank 18.6 liters/day. The

Estimates of Leaf Relative Water Content from Optical Polarization Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlgren, R. P.; Vanderbilt, V. C.; Daughtry, C. S. T.

2017-12-01

Remotely sensing the water status of plant canopies remains a long term goal of remote sensing research. Existing approaches to remotely sensing canopy water status, such as the Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) and the Equivalent Water Thickness (EWT), have limitations. The CWSI, based upon remotely sensing canopy radiant temperature in the thermal infrared spectral region, does not work well in humid regions, requires estimates of the vapor pressure deficit near the canopy during the remote sensing over-flight and, once stomata close, provides little information regarding the canopy water status. The EWT is based upon the physics of water-light interaction in the 900-2000nm spectral region, not plant physiology. Our goal, development of a remote sensing technique for estimating plant water status based upon measurements in the VIS/NIR spectral region, would potentially provide remote sensing access to plant dehydration physiology - to the cellular photochemistry and structural changes associated with water deficits in leaves. In this research, we used optical, crossed polarization filters to measure the VIS/NIR light reflected from the leaf interior, R, as well as the leaf transmittance, T, for 78 corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) leaves having relative water contents (RWC) between 0.60 and 0.98. Our results show that as RWC decreases R increases while T decreases. Our results tie R and T changes in the VIS/NIR to leaf physiological changes - linking the light scattered out of the drying leaf interior to its relative water content and to changes in leaf cellular structure and pigments. Our results suggest remotely sensing the physiological water status of a single leaf - and perhaps of a plant canopy - might be possible in the future.

Wheat dough rheology at low water contents and the influence of xylanases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hardt, N.A.; Boom, R.M.; Goot, van der A.J.

2014-01-01

The effect of low water contents and xylanases on wheat dough rheology is reported. Farinograph, dynamic oscillation, and creep-recovery measurements were performed using water concentrations from 34 to 44.8% (total basis). A water reduction from 43.5–44.8% to 34% increased resistance upon mixing as

Cloud Water Content Sensor for Sounding Balloons and Small UAVs

Science.gov (United States)

Bognar, John A.

2009-01-01

A lightweight, battery-powered sensor was developed for measuring cloud water content, which is the amount of liquid or solid water present in a cloud, generally expressed as grams of water per cubic meter. This sensor has near-zero power consumption and can be flown on standard sounding balloons and small, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The amount of solid or liquid water is important to the study of atmospheric processes and behavior. Previous sensing techniques relied on strongly heating the incoming air, which requires a major energy input that cannot be achieved on sounding balloons or small UAVs.

The Effect of Text Materials with Relevant Language, Illustrations and Content Upon the Reading Achievement and Reading Preference (Attitude) of Black Primary and Intermediate Inner-City Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Gloria W.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of text materials with relevant language, illustrations, and content upon the reading achievement and reading preference (attitude) of black primary and intermediate grade inner-city students. The subjects for the study were 330 black students enrolled in three schools in a large urban area. A…

Effect of water regime on the growth, flower yield, essential oil and proline contents of Calendula officinalis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SAMI ALI METWALLY

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Metwally SA,Khalid KA, Abou-Leila BH. 2013. Effect of water regime on the growth, flower yield, essential oil and proline contents of Calendula officinalis. Nusantara Bioscience 5: 63-67. The effects of water regime on the growth, content of essential oil and proline of Calendula officinalis L. plants were investigated. Water regimes of 75% of field water capacity increased certain growth characters [i.e. plant height (cm, leaf area (cm2, flower diameter (cm and spike stem diameter] and vase life (day. Water regime promoted the accumulation of essential oil content and its main components as well as proline contents.

Empirical model to estimate the thermal conductivity of granite with various water contents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Win Jin; Kwon, Sang Ki; Lee, Jae Owan

2010-01-01

To obtain the input data for the design and long-term performance assessment of a high-level waste repository, the thermal conductivities of several granite rocks which were taken from the rock cores from the declined borehole were measured. The thermal conductivities of granite were measured under the different conditions of water content to investigate the effects of the water content on the thermal conductivity. A simple empirical correlation was proposed to predict the thermal conductivity of granite as a function of effective porosity and water content which can be measured with relative ease while neglecting the possible effects of mineralogy, structure and anisotropy. The correlation could predict the thermal conductivity of granite with the effective porosity below 2.7% from the KURT site with an estimated error below 10%.

Using near infrared spectrum analysis to predict water and chlorophyll content in tomato leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Huanyu; Ying, Yibin; Liu, Yande

2004-11-01

In this study, we developed a nondestructive way to analyze water and chlorophyll content in tomato leaves. A total of 200 leaves were collected as experimental materials, 120 of them were used to form a calibration data set. Drying chest, SPAD meter and NIR spectrometer were used to get water content, chlorophyll content and spectrums of tomato leaves respectively. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTNIR) method with a smart Near-IR Updrift was used to test spectrums, and partial least squares (PLS) technique was used to analyze the data we get by normal experimentation and near infrared spectrometer, set up a calibration model to predict the leaf water and chlorophyll content based on the characteristics of diffuse reflectance spectrums of tomato leaves. Three different mathematical treatments were used in spectrums processing: different wavelength range, different smoothing points, first and second derivative. We can get best prediction model when we select full range (800-2500nm), 3 points for spectrums smoothing and spectrums by baseline correction, the best model of chlorophyll content has a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 8.16 and a calibration correlation coefficient (R2) value of 0.89452 and the best model of water content has a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.0214 and a calibration correlation coefficient (R2) value of 0.91043.

Determining the water cut and water salinity in an oil-water flowstream by measuring the sulfur content of the produced oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, H.D.; Arnold, D.M.

1980-01-01

A technique for detecting water cut and water salinity in an oil/water flowstream in petroleum refining and producing operations is described. The fluid is bombarded with fast neutrons which are slowed down and then captured producing gamma spectra characteristic of the fluid material. Analysis of the spectra indicates the relative presence of the elements sulfur, hydrogen and chlorine and from the sulfur measurement, the oil cut (fractional oil content) of the fluid is determined, enabling the water cut to be found. From the water cut, water salinity can also be determined. (U.K.)

Corn seed response to gamma radiation as a function of water content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viccini, Lyderson Facio; Saraiva, Luiz Sergio; Cruz, Cosme Damiao

1997-01-01

The study of the factors that affect the radiation efficiency is important, because it makes easier to get mutants that may be used as source of variability on improvement programs or as structural chromosomic aberrations for cytogenetics studies. The main of this research was to investigate the influence of corn seed water content on gamma radiation response. As a rule, the damage caused by irradiation was more evident on seeds with higher water content. Also, increased damages were observed with higher radiation doses. (author)

Water Content Effect on Oxides Yield in Gas and Liquid Phase Using DBD Arrays in Mist Spray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Bingyan; Zhu Changping; He Xiang; Yin Cheng; Fei Juntao; Wang Yuan; Jiang Yongfeng; Chen Longwei; Gao Yuan; Han Qingbang

2016-01-01

Electric discharge in and in contact with water can accompany ultraviolet (UV) radiation and electron impact, which can generate a large number of active species such as hydroxyl radicals (OH), oxygen radical (O), ozone (O 3 ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). In this paper, a nonthermal plasma processing system was established by means of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) arrays in water mist spray. The relationship between droplet size and water content was examined, and the effects of the concentrations of oxides in both treated water and gas were investigated under different water content and discharge time. The relative intensity of UV spectra from DBD in water mist was a function of water content. The concentrations of both O 3 and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) in DBD room decreased with increasing water content. Moreover, the concentrations of H 2 O 2 , O 3 and nitrogen oxides (NO x ) in treated water decreased with increasing water content, and all the ones enhanced after discharge. The experimental results were further analyzed by chemical reaction equations and commented by physical principles as much as possible. At last, the water containing phenol was tested in this system for the concentration from 100 mg/L to 9.8 mg/L in a period of 35 min. (paper)

Global statistics of liquid water content and effective number density of water clouds over ocean derived from combined CALIPSO and MODIS measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Y.; Vaughan, M.; McClain, C.; Behrenfeld, M.; Maring, H.; Anderson, D.; Sun-Mack, S.; Flittner, D.; Huang, J.; Wielicki, B.; Minnis, P.; Weimer, C.; Trepte, C.; Kuehn, R.

2007-03-01

This study presents an empirical relation that links layer integrated depolarization ratios, the extinction coefficients, and effective radii of water clouds, based on Monte Carlo simulations of CALIPSO lidar observations. Combined with cloud effective radius retrieved from MODIS, cloud liquid water content and effective number density of water clouds are estimated from CALIPSO lidar depolarization measurements in this study. Global statistics of the cloud liquid water content and effective number density are presented.

Total phenol content and antioxidant activity of water solutions of plant extracts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirela Kopjar

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Water solutions of extracts were investigated for total phenol content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. Susceptibility to degradation of water solutions of plant extracts, under light and in the dark, during storage at room temperature was investigated in order to determine their stability prior to their application for fortification of food products. Large dispersion of total phenol (TP content in the investigated model solutions of selected extracts (olive leaves, green tea, red grape, red wine, pine bark PE 5:1, pine bark PE 95 %, resveratrol, ranging from 11.10 mg GAE/100 mL to 92.19 mg GAE/100 mL was observed. Consequently, large dispersion of total flavonoids (TF content (8.89 mg to 61.75 mg CTE/100 mL was also observed. Since phenols have been mostly responsible for antioxidant activity of extracts, in most cases, antioxidant activity followed the TP content. That was proven by estimation of correlation coefficient between the total phenol content and antioxidant activity. Correlation coefficients between investigated parameters ranged from 0.5749 to 0.9604. During storage of 5 weeks at room temperature loss of phenols and flavonoids occurred. Antioxidant activity decreased with the decrease of TP and TF content. Degradations of phenols and flavonoids were more pronounced in samples stored at light.

Organic Tank Safety Project: Effect of water partial pressure on the equilibrium water content of waste samples from Hanford Tank 241-U-105

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheele, R.D.; Bredt, P.R.; Sell, R.L.

1997-09-01

Water content plays a crucial role in the strategy developed by Webb et al. to prevent propagating or sustainable chemical reactions in the organic-bearing wastes stored in the 20 Organic Tank Watch List tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy''s Hanford Site. Because of water''s importance in ensuring that the organic-bearing wastes continue to be stored safely, Duke Engineering and Services Hanford commissioned the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to investigate the effect of water partial pressure (P H2O ) on the water content of organic-bearing or representative wastes. Of the various interrelated controlling factors affecting the water content in wastes, P H2O is the most susceptible to being controlled by the and Hanford Site''s environmental conditions and, if necessary, could be managed to maintain the water content at an acceptable level or could be used to adjust the water content back to an acceptable level. Of the various waste types resulting from weapons production and waste-management operations at the Hanford Site, determined that saltcake wastes are the most likely to require active management to maintain the wastes in a Conditionally Safe condition. Webb et al. identified Tank U-105 as a Conditionally Safe saltcake tank. A Conditionally Safe waste is one that is currently safe based on waste classification criteria but could, if dried, be classified as open-quotes Unsafe.close quotes To provide information on the behavior of organic-bearing wastes, the Westinghouse Hanford Company provided us with four waste samples taken from Tank 241-U-105 (U-105) to determine the effect of P H2O on their equilibrium water content

Effect of sugar addition on glass transition temperatures of cassava starch with low to intermediate moisture contents.

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa, Yetzury; Guevara, Marvilan; Pérez, Adriana; Cova, Aura; Sandoval, Aleida J; Müller, Alejandro J

2016-08-01

This work studies how sucrose (S) addition modifies the thermal properties of cassava starch (CS). Neat CS and CS-S blends with 4, 6 and 8% sugar contents (CS-S-4%, CS-S-6% and CS-S-8%) were prepared and analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), in a wide range of moisture levels (2-20%). In equilibrated samples with moisture contents lower than 10%, twoendothermic steps were observed during first DSC heating scans and two corresponding relaxation maxima in tan δ were detected by DMTA. The first transition, detected at around 45-55°C by both DSC and DMTA, is frequently found in starchy foods, while the second observed at higher temperatures is associated to the glass transition temperature of the blends. At higher moisture contents, only one thermal transition was observed. Samples analyzed immediately after cooling from the melt (i.e., after erasing their thermal history), exhibited a single glass transition temperature, regardless of their moisture content. Addition of sugar promotes water plasticization of CS only at high moisture contents. In the low moisture content range, anti-plasticization was observed for both neat and sugar-added CS samples. Addition of sugar decreases the moisture content needed to achieve the maximum value of the glass transition temperature before plasticization starts. The results of this work may be valuable for the study of texture establishment in low moisture content extruded food products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive Field Measurements of Soil Water Content Using a Pulsed 14 MeV Neutron Generator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitra S.; Wielopolski L.; Omonode, R.; Novak, J.; Frederick, J.; Chan, A.

2012-01-26

Current techniques of soil water content measurement are invasive and labor-intensive. Here, we demonstrate that an in situ soil carbon (C) analyzer with a multi-elemental analysis capability, developed for studies of terrestrial C sequestration, can be used concurrently to non-invasively measure the water content of large-volume ({approx}0.3 m{sup 3}) soil samples. Our objectives were to investigate the correlations of the hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) signals with water to the changes in the soil water content in laboratory experiments, and in an agricultural field. Implementing prompt gamma neutron activation analyses we showed that in the field, the signal from the H nucleus better indicates the soil water content than does that from the O nucleus. Using a field calibration, we were able to use the H signal to estimate a minimum detectable change of {approx}2% volumetric water in a 0-30 cm depth of soil.

Nitrate, sulphate and chloride contents in public drinking water supplies in Sicily, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Alessandro, Walter; Bellomo, Sergio; Parello, Francesco; Bonfanti, Pietro; Brusca, Lorenzo; Longo, Manfredi; Maugeri, Roberto

2012-05-01

Water samples collected from public drinking water supplies in Sicily were analysed for electric conductivity and for their chloride, sulphate and nitrate contents. The samples were collected as uniformly as possible from throughout the Sicilian territory, with an average sampling density of about one sample for every 7,600 inhabitants. Chloride contents that ranged from 5.53 to 1,302 mg/l were correlated strongly with electric conductivity, a parameter used as a proxy for water salinity. The highest values are attributable to seawater contamination along the coasts of the island. High chloride and sulphate values attributable to evaporitic rock dissolution were found in the central part of Sicily. The nitrate concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 296 mg/l, with 31 samples (4.7% of the total) exceeding the maximum admissible concentration of 50 mg/l. Anomalous samples always came from areas of intensive agricultural usage, indicating a clear anthropogenic origin. The same parameters were also measured in bottled water sold in Sicily, and they all were within the ranges for public drinking water supplies. The calculated mean nitrate intake from consuming public water supplies (16.1 mg/l) did not differ significantly from that of bottled water (15.2 mg/l). Although the quality of public water supplies needs to be improved by eliminating those that do not comply with the current drinking water limits, at present it does not justify the high consumption of bottled water (at least for nitrate contents).

Prediction of clay content from water vapour sorption isotherms considering hysteresis and soil organic matter content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arthur, E.; Tuller, M.; Møldrup, Per

2015-01-01

Soil texture, in particular the clay fraction, governs numerous environmental, agricultural and engineering soil processes. Traditional measurement methods for clay content are laborious and impractical for large-scale soil surveys. Consequently, clay prediction models that are based on water...... within a RH range from 3 to 93%. The clay contents, which ranged between 1 and 56%, were measured with a combination of sieving and sedimentation methods. Two regression models were developed for both adsorption and desorption at 10 RH levels (5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90%). While the first...

A rapid method for measuring soil water content in the field with a areometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Calbo Adonai Gimenez

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The availability of a rapid method to evaluate the soil water content (U can be an important tool to determine the moment to irrigate. The soil areometer consists of an elongated hydrostatic balance with a weighing pan, a graduated neck, a float and a pynometric flask. In this work an areometer was adapted to rapidly measure soil water content without the need of drying the soil. The expression U = (M A - M AD/(M M -M A was used to calculate the soil water content. In this equation M M is the mass to level the areometer with the pycnometric flask filled with water, M A the mass to level the areometer with a mass M M of soil in the pycnometer, the volume being completed with water, and similarly M AD the mass added to the pan to level the areometer with a mass M M of dried soil in the pycnometric flask. The convenience of this method is that the values M M and M AD are known. Consequently, the decision on irrigation can be made after a measurement that takes, about, ten minutes. The procedure involves only stirring the soil with water for at least 2 minutes to remove the adhered air. The soil water content data obtained with the areometric method were similar to those obtained weighing the soil before and after drying to constant weight, in an oven at 105º C.

Remote sensing of leaf, canopy and vegetation water contents for satellite climate data records

Science.gov (United States)

Foliar water content is a dynamic quantity depending on water losses from transpiration and water uptake from the soil. Absorption of shortwave radiation by water is determined by various frequency overtones of fundamental bending and stretching molecular transitions. Leaf water potential and rela...

influence of molding water content on shear strength characteristic

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eobe

INFLUENCE OF MOLDING WATER CONTENT ON SHEAR STRENGTH OF COMPACTED CEMENT KILN DUST, K. J. Osinub. K. J. Osinub. K. J. Osinubi, et al. Nigerian Journal of Technology,. Vol. 34, No. 2, April 2015 267 pavements or as waste containment materials. Therefore, recent studies have been geared towards.

Pattern transitions of oil-water two-phase flow with low water content in rectangular horizontal pipes probed by terahertz spectrum.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xin; Wu, Shi-Xiang; Zhao, Kun; Wang, Wei; Zhan, Hong-Lei; Jiang, Chen; Xiao, Li-Zhi; Chen, Shao-Hua

2015-11-30

The flow-pattern transition has been a challenging problem in two-phase flow system. We propose the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) to investigate the behavior underlying oil-water flow in rectangular horizontal pipes. The low water content (0.03-2.3%) in oil-water flow can be measured accurately and reliably from the relationship between THz peak amplitude and water volume fraction. In addition, we obtain the flow pattern transition boundaries in terms of flow rates. The critical flow rate Qc of the flow pattern transitions decreases from 0.32 m3 h to 0.18 m3 h when the corresponding water content increases from 0.03% to 2.3%. These properties render THz-TDS particularly powerful technology for investigating a horizontal oil-water two-phase flow system.

MONITORING OF PHOSPHORUS CONTENT IN “WATER-PARTICULATE MATERIALS-BOTTOM SEDIMENTS SYSTEM” FOR RIVER PRUT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VASILE RUSU

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Monitoring of phosphorus content in “water-particulatematerials-bottom sediments system” for river Prut. Seasonal and spatialdynamics of phosphorus forms in water, particulate materials and bottomsediments of river Prut was elucidated. The scheme for determination ofphosphorus forms in water and particulate materials according to World HealthOrganization classification was evaluated. Additionally, this scheme was tested forestimation of phosphorus content in bottom sediments. The supplemented schemeallows the analysis of the phosphorus forms for the entirely system “water –particulate materials – bottom sediments”, extending possibilities for interpretationof phosphorus dynamics in natural waters.

Optimization of Water Content for the Cryopreservation Of Allium sativum In Vitro Cultures by Encapsulation-Dehydration.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, P T; Souch, G R; Zamecnik, J; Harding, K

There is a general requirement to determine and correlate water content to viability for the standardization of conservation protocols to facilitate effective cryostorage of plant germplasm. This study examined water content as a critical factor to optimize the cryostorage of Allium sativum. Stem discs were excised from post-harvest, stored bulbs prior to cryopreservation by encapsulation-dehydration and water content was determined gravimetrically. Survival of cryopreserved stem discs was 42.5 %, with 22.5 % exhibiting shoot regrowth following 6 h desiccation. Gravimetric data demonstrated a correlation between water content corresponding with survival / regrowth from desiccated, cryopreserved stem discs. For encapsulated stem discs a 25 % residual moisture and corresponding water content of 0.36 g H2O g -1 d.wt correlated with maximal survival following ~6.5 h of desiccation. The data concurs with the literature suggesting the formation of a stable vitrified state and a 'window' for optimal survival and regrowth that is between 6 - 10 h desiccation. Further studies using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are suggested to substantiate these findings.

Removal of Intermediate Aromatic Halogenated DBPs by Activated Carbon Adsorption: A New Approach to Controlling Halogenated DBPs in Chlorinated Drinking Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jingyi; Zhang, Xiangru; Zhu, Xiaohu; Li, Yu

2017-03-21

During chlorine disinfection of drinking water, chlorine may react with natural organic matter (NOM) and bromide ion in raw water to generate halogenated disinfection byproducts (DBPs). To mitigate adverse effects from DBP exposure, granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption has been considered as one of the best available technologies for removing NOM (DBP precursor) in drinking water treatment. Recently, we have found that many aromatic halogenated DBPs form in chlorination, and they act as intermediate DBPs to decompose and form commonly known DBPs including trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. In this work, we proposed a new approach to controlling drinking water halogenated DBPs by GAC adsorption of intermediate aromatic halogenated DBPs during chlorination, rather than by GAC adsorption of NOM prior to chlorination (i.e., traditional approach). Rapid small-scale column tests were used to simulate GAC adsorption in the new and traditional approaches. Significant reductions of aromatic halogenated DBPs were observed in the effluents with the new approach; the removals of total organic halogen, trihalomethanes, and haloacetic acids by the new approach always exceeded those by the traditional approach; and the effluents with the new approach were considerably less developmentally toxic than those with the traditional approach. Our findings indicate that the new approach is substantially more effective in controlling halogenated DBPs than the traditional approach.

Vegetation Water Content Mapping in a Diverse Agricultural Landscape: National Airborne Field Experiment 2006

Science.gov (United States)

Cosh, Michael H.; Jing Tao; Jackson, Thomas J.; McKee, Lynn; O'Neill, Peggy

2011-01-01

Mapping land cover and vegetation characteristics on a regional scale is critical to soil moisture retrieval using microwave remote sensing. In aircraft-based experiments such as the National Airborne Field Experiment 2006 (NAFE 06), it is challenging to provide accurate high resolution vegetation information, especially on a daily basis. A technique proposed in previous studies was adapted here to the heterogenous conditions encountered in NAFE 06, which included a hydrologically complex landscape consisting of both irrigated and dryland agriculture. Using field vegetation sampling and ground-based reflectance measurements, the knowledge base for relating the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and the vegetation water content was extended to a greater diversity of agricultural crops, which included dryland and irrigated wheat, alfalfa, and canola. Critical to the generation of vegetation water content maps, the land cover for this region was determined from satellite visible/infrared imagery and ground surveys with an accuracy of 95.5% and a kappa coefficient of 0.95. The vegetation water content was estimated with a root mean square error of 0.33 kg/sq m. The results of this investigation contribute to a more robust database of global vegetation water content observations and demonstrate that the approach can be applied with high accuracy. Keywords: Vegetation, field experimentation, thematic mapper, NDWI, agriculture.

The lower body muscle activation of intermediate to experienced kayakers when navigating white water.

Science.gov (United States)

Murtagh, Misha; Brooks, Darrell; Sinclair, Jonathan; Atkins, Stephen

2016-11-01

In white-water kayaking, the legs play a vital part in turning, stabilising and bracing actions. To date, there has been no reported information on neuromuscular activation of the legs in an authentic white-water environment. The aim of the current study was to identify lower body muscle activation, using 'in-boat' electromyography (EMG), whilst navigating a white-water run. Ten experienced male kayakers (age 31.5 ± 12.5 yr, intermediate to advanced experience) completed three successful runs of an international standard white-water course (grade 3 rapids), targeting right and left sides of the course, in a zigzag formation. Surface EMG (sEMG) outputs were generated, bilaterally, for the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis, biceps femoris and gastrocnemius, expressed as a percentage of a dynamic maximal voluntary contraction (dMVC). Only RF showed significantly higher activation than any muscle on the left side of the body, and only on the left side of the course (P = .004; ETA(2) = 0.56). Other results showed no significant difference between muscle activation in the right and left legs during each run, nor when assessed at either the right or left side of the course (P > .05). These findings indicate that contralateral symmetry in lower limb muscle activation is evident during white-water kayaking. This symmetry may provide a stable base to allow more asymmetrical upper body and trunk movements to be fully optimised. Lower body symmetry development should be considered useful in targeted training programmes for white-water kayakers.

[Effect of irregular bedrock topography on the soil profile pattern of water content in a Karst hillslope.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Jin Tian; Fu, Zhi Yong; Chen, Hong Song; Wang, Ke Lin; Zhou, Wei Jun

2016-06-01

Based on three manually excavated trenches (projection length of 21 m, width of 1 m) along a typical Karst hillslope, the changing trends for soil-bedrock structure, average water content of soil profile and soil-bedrock interface water content along each individual trench were studied. The effect of irregular bedrock topography on soil moisture distribution was discussed. The results showed that the surface topography was inconsistent with the bedrock topography in the Karst hill-slopes. The bedrock topography was highly irregular with a maximum variation coefficient of 82%. The distribution pattern of soil profile of moisture was significantly affected by the underlying undulant bedrock. The soil water content was related to slope position when the fluctuation was gentle, and displayed a linear increase from upslope to downslope. When the bedrock fluctuation increased, the downslope linear increasing trend for soil water content became unapparent, and the spatial continuity of soil moisture was weakened. The soil moisture was converged in rock dents and cracks. The average water content of soil profile was significantly positively correlated with the soil-bedrock interface water content, while the latter responded more sensitively to the bedrock fluctuation.

Quantitative modeling of the Water Footprint and Energy Content of Crop and Animal Products Consumption in Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

felichesmi Selestine lyakurwa

2014-05-01

Full Text Available A comprehensive understanding of the link between water footprint and energy content of crop and animal products is vitally important for the sound management of water resources. In this study, we developed a mathematical relationship between water content, and energy content of many crops and animal products by using an improved LCA approach (water footprint. The standard values of the water and energy contents of crops and animal products were obtained from the databases of Agricultural Research Service, UNESCO Institute for water education and Food, and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The water footprint approach was applied to analyze the relationship between water requirement and energy of content of crop and animal products, in which the uncertainty and sensitivity was evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation technique that is contained in the Oracle Crystal Ball Fusion Edition v11.1.1.3.00. The results revealed significant water saving due to changes in food consumption pattern i.e. from consumption of more meat to vegetables. The production of 1kcal of crop and animal products requires about 98% of green, 4.8% blue water and 0.4% of gray water. In which changes in consumption pattern gave annual blue water saving of about 1605 Mm3 that is equivalent to 41.30m3/capita, extremely greater than the standard drinking water requirement for the whole population. Moreover, the projected results indicated, triple increase of dietary water requirement from 30.9 Mm3 in 2005 to 108 Mm3 by 2050. It was also inferred that, Tanzania has a positive virtual water balance of crop and animal products consumption with net virtual water import of 9.1 Mm3 that is the contribution margin to the water scarcity alleviation strategy. Therefore, developed relationship of water footprint and energy content of crops and animal products can be used by water resource experts for sustainable freshwater and food supply.

Germination, seedling growth and relative water content of shoot in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-08-18

Aug 18, 2008 ... (mg), root : shoot length (R:S) ratio, and relative water content of shoot (RWC, %) were investigated in this study. The results ... seedlings may provide an advantage by allowing access ... Residual chlorine was eliminated by.

Modeling Soil Water Retention Curves in the Dry Range Using the Hygroscopic Water Content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Chong; Hu, Kelin; Arthur, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

Accurate information on the dry end (matric potential less than −1500 kPa) of soil water retention curves (SWRCs) is crucial for studying water vapor transport and evaporation in soils. The objectives of this study were to assess the potential of the Oswin model for describing the water adsorption...... curves of soils and to predict SWRCs at the dry end using the hygroscopic water content at a relative humidity of 50% (θRH50). The Oswin model yielded satisfactory fits to dry-end SWRCs for soils dominated by both 2:1 and 1:1 clay minerals. Compared with the Oswin model, the Campbell and Shiozawa model...... for soils dominated by 2:1 and 1:1 clays, respectively. Comparison of the Oswin model combined with the Kelvin equation, with water potential estimated from θRH50 (Oswin-KRH50), CS model combined with the Arthur equation (CS-A), and CS-K model, with water potential obtained from θRH50 (CS-KRH50) indicated...

Effect of water content on partial ternary phase diagram water-in-diesel microemulsion fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Mukayat, Hastinatun; Badri, Khairiah Haji; Raman, Ismail Ab.; Ramli, Suria

2014-09-01

Introduction of water in the fuel gave a significant effect to the reduction of pollutant such as NOx emission. In this work, water/diesel microemulsion fuels were prepared using compositional method by mixing water and diesel in the presence of non-ionic surfactant and co-surfactant. The effects of water composition on the partial ternary phase diagram were studied at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% (w/w). The physical stability of the microemulsion was investigated at 45°C over a period of one month. The optimum formulae obtained were diesel/T80/1-penthanol/water 60:20:15:5 wt% (System 1), 55:20:15:10 wt% (System 2), 50:20:15:15 wt% (System 3) and 45:20:15:20 wt% (System 4). Physicochemical characterizations of optimum formulae were studied. The results showed that water content has a significant effect to the formation of microemulsion, its stability, droplet size and viscosity.

Optical measurements in the North Sea-Baltic Sea transition zone. I. On the origin of the deep water in the Kattegat

Science.gov (United States)

Højerslev, N. K.; Holt, N.; Aarup, T.

1996-08-01

In the North Sea-Baltic Sea region, several studies have shown that yellow substance can be treated as a quasi-conservative parameter that is negatively correlated with salinity. A review of more than 5000 historic and recently gathered yellow substance absorption and salinity measurements from the transition zone between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea have been analyzed for the purpose of water mass identification. Salinity-yellow substance scatter plots show that three water masses can be identified in the area: (1) North Sea water (high salinity, low yellow substance content); (2) Baltic Sea water (low salinity, intermediate-high yellow substance content); and (3) German Bight/Southern North Sea water (intermediate-high salinity, high yellow substance content). Based on the volume flow estimates used in a two-layer box-model of the Kattegat (Jørgensen, Continental Shelf Research, 12, 103-114, 1992) and conservation of yellow substance, it is argued that the long-term average composition of the bottom layer inflow to the Kattegat from the Skagerrak consists of about 90% North Sea/Atlantic water and 10% German Bight/Southern North Sea water. The German Bight content estimate is substantially lower than the ones given in earlier studies (50-67%) and implies that the Jutland Coastal Current only has a small impact on the water quality of the Kattegat.

Uranium bone content as an indicator of chronic environmental exposure from drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Larivière, Dominic; Tolmachev, Sergei Y; Kochermin, Vera; Johnson, Sonia

2013-07-01

Uranium (U) is an ubiquitous radioelement found in drinking water and food. As a consequence of its prevalence, most humans ingest a few micrograms (μg) of this element daily. It is incorporated in various organs and tissues. Several studies have demonstrated that ingested U is deposited mainly in bones. Therefore, U skeletal content could be considered as a prime indicator for low-level chronic intake. In this study, 71 archived vertebrae bone samples collected in seven Canadian cities were subjected to digestion and U analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These results were correlated with U concentrations in municipal drinking water supplies, with the data originating from historical studies performed by Health Canada. A strong relationship (r(2) = 0.97) was observed between the averaged U total skeletal content and averaged drinking water concentration, supporting the hypothesis that bones are indeed a good indicator of U intake. Using a PowerBASIC compiler to process an ICRP systemic model for U (ICRP, 1995a), U total skeletal content was estimated using two gastrointestinal tract absorption factors (ƒ1 = 0.009 and 0.03). Comparisons between observed and modelled skeletal contents as a function of U intake from drinking water tend to demonstrate that neither of the ƒ1 values can adequately estimate observed values. An ƒ1value of 0.009 provides a realistic estimate for intake resulting from food consumption only (6.72 μg) compared to experimental data (7.4 ± 0.8 μg), whereas an ƒ1value of 0.03 tends to better estimate U skeletal content at higher levels of U (1-10 μg L(-1)) in drinking water. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High water contents in basaltic melt inclusions from Arenal volcano, Costa Rica

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, J. A.; Plank, T.; Hauri, E. H.; Melson, W. G.; Soto, G. J.

2004-12-01

Despite the importance of water to arc magma genesis, fractionation and eruption, few quantitative constraints exist on the water content of Arenal magmas. Early estimates, by electron microprobe sum deficit, suggested up to 4 wt% H2O in olivine-hosted basaltic andesite melt inclusions (MI) from pre-historic ET-6 tephra (Melson, 1982), and up to 7 wt% H2O in plagioclase and orthopyroxene-hosted dacitic MI from 1968 lapilli (Anderson, 1979). These high water contents are consistent with abundant hornblende phenocrysts in Arenal volcanics, but inconsistent with geochemical tracers such as 10Be and Ba/La that suggest a low flux of recycled material (and presumably water) from the subduction zone. In order to test these ideas, and provide the first direct measurements of water in mafic Arenal magmas, we have studied olivine-hosted MI from the prehistoric (900 yBP; Soto et al., 1998) ET3 tephra layer. MI range from andesitic (> 58% SiO2) to basaltic compositions ( 4 wt%) found here for Arenal basaltic MI support the semi-quantitative data from earlier studies, but are somewhat unexpected given predictions from slab tracers. Arenal water contents (4%) approach those of the 1995 eruption of Cerro Negro in Nicaragua (4-5 wt% in basaltic MI; Roggensack et al., 1997), despite the fact that the latter has Ba/La of > 100, while Arenal has Ba/La Journal of Geology; Melson, William G. (1982) Boletin de Volcanologia; Roggensack et al. (1997) Science; Soto et al. (1998) OSIVAM; Williams-Jones et al. (2001) Journal of Volc. and Geoth. Res.

The Soil Characteristic Curve at Low Water Contents: Relations to Specific Surface Area and Texture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Resurreccion, Augustus; Møldrup, Per; Schjønning, Per

Accurate description of the soil-water retention curve (SWRC) at low water contents is important for simulating water dynamics, plant-water relations, and microbial processes in surface soil. Soil-water retention at soil-water matric potential of less than -10 MPa, where adsorptive forces dominate...... that measurements by traditional pressure plate apparatus generally overestimated water contents at -1.5 MPa (plant wilting point). The 41 soils were classified into four textural classes based on the so-called Dexter index n (= CL/OC), and the Tuller-Or (TO) general scaling model describing the water film...... thickness at a given soil-water matric potential ( 10, the estimated SA from the dry soil-water retention was in good agreement with the SA measured using ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (SA_EGME). A strong relationship between the ratio...

Effect of water deficit stress on proline contents, soluble sugars ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of water deficit stress on proline contents, soluble sugars, chlorophyll and grain yield of sunflower ... Journal Home > Vol 11, No 1 (2012) > ... The objective of the present work was to determine the mechanisms of tolerance of four ...

Efficient quantification of water content in edible oils by headspace gas chromatography with vapour phase calibration.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Wei-Qi; Gong, Yi-Xian; Yu, Kong-Xian

2018-06-01

An automated and accurate headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) technique was investigated for rapidly quantifying water content in edible oils. In this method, multiple headspace extraction (MHE) procedures were used to analyse the integrated water content from the edible oil sample. A simple vapour phase calibration technique with an external vapour standard was used to calibrate both the water content in the gas phase and the total weight of water in edible oil sample. After that the water in edible oils can be quantified. The data showed that the relative standard deviation of the present HS-GC method in the precision test was less than 1.13%, the relative differences between the new method and a reference method (i.e. the oven-drying method) were no more than 1.62%. The present HS-GC method is automated, accurate, efficient, and can be a reliable tool for quantifying water content in edible oil related products and research. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Soil water content and evaporation determined by thermal parameters obtained from ground-based and remote measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Reginato, R. J.; Idso, S. B.; Jackson, R. D.; Vedder, J. F.; Blanchard, M. B.; Goettelman, R.

1976-01-01

Soil water contents from both smooth and rough bare soil were estimated from remotely sensed surface soil and air temperatures. An inverse relationship between two thermal parameters and gravimetric soil water content was found for Avondale loam when its water content was between air-dry and field capacity. These parameters, daily maximum minus minimum surface soil temperature and daily maximum soil minus air temperature, appear to describe the relationship reasonably well. These two parameters also describe relative soil water evaporation (actual/potential). Surface soil temperatures showed good agreement among three measurement techniques: in situ thermocouples, a ground-based infrared radiation thermometer, and the thermal infrared band of an airborne multispectral scanner.

Effect of water content and temperature on inactivation kinetics of myrosinase in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica).

Science.gov (United States)

Oliviero, T; Verkerk, R; Van Boekel, M A J S; Dekker, M

2014-11-15

Broccoli belongs to the Brassicaceae plant family consisting of widely eaten vegetables containing high concentrations of glucosinolates. Enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates by endogenous myrosinase (MYR) can form isothiocyanates with health-promoting activities. The effect of water content (WC) and temperature on MYR inactivation in broccoli was investigated. Broccoli was freeze dried obtaining batches with WC between 10% and 90% (aw from 0.10 to 0.96). These samples were incubated for various times at different temperatures (40-70°C) and MYR activity was measured. The initial MYR inactivation rates were estimated by the first-order reaction kinetic model. MYR inactivation rate constants were lower in the driest samples (10% WC) at all studied temperatures. Samples with 67% and 90% WC showed initial inactivation rate constants all in the same order of magnitude. Samples with 31% WC showed intermediate initial inactivation rate constants. These results are useful to optimise the conditions of drying processes to produce dried broccoli with optimal MYR retention for human health. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pedotransfer functions to estimate soil water content at field capacity ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Priyabrata Santra

2018-03-27

Mar 27, 2018 ... of the global population (Millennium Ecosystem. Assessment 2005). Likewise, there is a .... Therefore, the main objective of this study was to develop PTFs for arid soils of India to estimate soil water content at FC and PWP.

Estimation of water content in the leaves of fruit trees using infra-red images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muramatsu, N.; Hiraoka, K.

2006-01-01

A method was developed to evaluate water contents of fruit trees using infra-red photography. The irrigation of potted satsuma mandarin trees and grapevines was suppressed to induce water stress. During the drought treatment the leaf edges of basal parts of the shoots of grapevines became necrotic and the area of necrosis extended as the duration of stress increased. Necrosis was clearly distinguished from the viable areas on infra-red images. In satsuma mandarin, an abscission layer formed at the basal part of the petiole, then the leaves fell. Thus, detailed analysis was indispensable for detecting of the leaf water content. After obtaining infra-red images of satsuma mandarin leaves with or without water stress, a background treatment (subtraction of the background image) was performed on the images, then the average brightness of the leaf was determined using image analyzing software (Image Pro-plus). Coefficient correlation between the water status index using the infra-red camera and water content determined from dry weight and fresh weight of leaves was significant (r = 0.917 for adaxial surface data and r = 0.880 for abaxial surface data). These data indicate that infra-red photography is useful for detecting the degree of plant water stress

Robust spatialization of soil water content at the scale of an agricultural field using geophysical and geostatistical methods

Science.gov (United States)

Henine, Hocine; Tournebize, Julien; Laurent, Gourdol; Christophe, Hissler; Cournede, Paul-Henry; Clement, Remi

2017-04-01

Research on the Critical Zone (CZ) is a prerequisite for undertaking issues related to ecosystemic services that human societies rely on (nutrient cycles, water supply and quality). However, while the upper part of CZ (vegetation, soil, surface water) is readily accessible, knowledge of the subsurface remains limited, due to the point-scale character of conventional direct observations. While the potential for geophysical methods to overcome this limitation is recognized, the translation of the geophysical information into physical properties or states of interest remains a challenge (e.g. the translation of soil electrical resistivity into soil water content). In this study, we propose a geostatistical framework using the Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) approach to assimilate geophysical and point-scale data. We especially focus on the prediction of the spatial distribution of soil water content using (1) TDR point-scale measurements of soil water content, which are considered as accurate data, and (2) soil water content data derived from electrical resistivity measurements, which are uncertain data but spatially dense. We used a synthetic dataset obtained with a vertical 2D domain to evaluate the performance of this geostatistical approach. Spatio-temporal simulations of soil water content were carried out using Hydrus-software for different scenarios: homogeneous or heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity distribution, and continuous or punctual infiltration pattern. From the simulations of soil water content, conceptual soil resistivity models were built using a forward modeling approach and point sampling of water content values, vertically ranged, were done. These two datasets are similar to field measurements of soil electrical resistivity (using electrical resistivity tomography, ERT) and soil water content (using TDR probes) obtained at the Boissy-le-Chatel site, in Orgeval catchment (East of Paris, France). We then integrated them into a specialization

Water infiltration into homogeneous soils: a new concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manfredni, S.

1977-10-01

A new concept for the analytical description of the process of water infiltration into homogeneous soils is presented. The concept uses a new definition of a 'gravitational diffusivity' which permits the generalization of both cases, horizontal and vertical infiltration. The efficiency of the new concept in describing the infiltration process, for short and intermediate times, is proved through experimental data obtained during water infiltration into air-dry soil columns. Its advantages are discussed comparing soil water contents predicted by the numerical solution proposed by PHILLIP (1955, 1957) [pt

Determination of the water content in tetra-ammonium uranyl tricarbonate by the Karl Fischer reagent method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisti, C.; Grigoletto, T.

1990-08-01

Two methods are compared for the determination of water content in tetra-ammonium uranyl tricarbonate by the Karl Fischer reagent method. In the first method it is Known that the carbonate reacts stoichiometrically with the iodine content of the Karl Fischer reagent in the same way it reacts with the water (mole of apparent H 2 O per mole of carbonate is produced). In this case, the carbonate content in the sample is determined and a suitable correction is applied to take into account the apparent water results. In the second method it is performed an extraction of the moisture by adding methanol to the sample in an independent flask. After the decantation, an aliquot of the clear supernatant methanol is taken for the determination of water content by the Karl Fischer reagent method. (author) [pt

Temporal and spatial variabilities in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach

Science.gov (United States)

Namikas, S. L.; Edwards, B. L.; Bitton, M. C. A.; Booth, J. L.; Zhu, Y.

2010-01-01

This study examined spatial and temporal variations in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach at Padre Island, Texas, USA. Surface moisture measurements were collected on a 27 × 24 m grid that extended from the dune toe to the upper foreshore. The grid was surveyed at 2 to 4 h intervals for two tidal cycles, generating 17 maps of the spatial distribution of surface moisture. Simultaneous measurements of air temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, tidal elevation, and water table elevation were used to interpret observed changes in surface moisture. It was found that the spatial distribution of surface moisture was broadly characterized by a cross-shore gradient of high to low content moving landward from the swash zone. The distribution of surface moisture was conceptualized in terms of three zones: saturated (> 25%), intermediate or transitional (5-25%), and dry (< 5%). The position of the saturated zone corresponded to the uppermost swash zone and therefore shifted in accordance with tidal elevation. Moisture contents in the intermediate and dry zones were primarily related to variation in water table depth (which was in turn controlled by tidal elevation) and to a lesser extent by evaporation. Signals associated with atmospheric processes such as evaporation were muted by the minimal degree of variation in atmospheric parameters experienced during most of the study period, but were apparent for the last few hours. The observed spatial and temporal variations in moisture content correspond reasonably well with observations of key controlling processes, but more work is needed to fully characterize this process suite.

The modelling influence of water content to mechanical parameter of soil in analysis of slope stability

Science.gov (United States)

Gusman, M.; Nazki, A.; Putra, R. R.

2018-04-01

One of the parameters in slope stability analysis is the shear strength of the soil. Changes in soil shear strength characteristics lead to a decrease in safety factors on the slopes. This study aims to see the effect of increased moisture content on soil mechanical parameters. The case study study was conducted on the slopes of Sitinjau Lauik Kota Padang. The research method was done by laboratory analysis and simple liniear regression analysis and multiple. Based on the test soil results show that the increase in soil water content causes a decrease in cohesion values and internal shear angle. The relationship of moisture content to cohesion is described in equation Y = 55.713-0,6X with R2 = 0.842. While the relationship of water content to shear angle in soil is described in the equation Y = 38.878-0.258X with R2 = 0.915. From several simulations of soil water level improvement, calculation of safety factor (SF) of slope. The calculation results show that the increase of groundwater content is very significant affect the safety factor (SF) slope. SF slope values are in safe condition when moisture content is 50% and when it reaches maximum water content 73.74% slope safety factor value potentially for landslide.

The MHD intermediate shock interaction with an intermediate wave: Are intermediate shocks physical?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, C.C.

1988-01-01

Contrary to the usual belief that MHD intermediate shocks are extraneous, the authors have recently shown by numerical solutions of dissipative MHD equations that intermediate shocks are admissible and can be formed through nonlinear steepening from a continuous wave. In this paper, he clarifies the differences between the conventional view and the results by studying the interaction of an MHD intermediate shock with an intermediate wave. The study reaffirms his results. In addition, the study shows that there exists a larger class of shocklike solutions in the time-dependent dissiaptive MHD equations than are given by the MHD Rankine-Hugoniot relations. it also suggests a mechanism for forming rotational discontinuities through the interaction of an intermediate shock with an intermediate wave. The results are of importance not only to the MHD shock theory but also to studies such as magnetic field reconnection models

Analytical calculation of electrolyte water content of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell for on-board modelling applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrara, Alessandro; Polverino, Pierpaolo; Pianese, Cesare

2018-06-01

This paper proposes an analytical model of the water content of the electrolyte of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. The model is designed by accounting for several simplifying assumptions, which make the model suitable for on-board/online water management applications, while ensuring a good accuracy of the considered phenomena, with respect to advanced numerical solutions. The achieved analytical solution, expressing electrolyte water content, is compared with that obtained by means of a complex numerical approach, used to solve the same mathematical problem. The achieved results show that the mean error is below 5% for electrodes water content values ranging from 2 to 15 (given as boundary conditions), and it does not overcome 0.26% for electrodes water content above 5. These results prove the capability of the solution to correctly model electrolyte water content at any operating condition, aiming at embodiment into more complex frameworks (e.g., cell or stack models), related to fuel cell simulation, monitoring, control, diagnosis and prognosis.

Soil Water Retention and Relative Permeability for Conditions from Oven-Dry to Full Saturation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Z. F.

2011-11-04

Common conceptual models for unsaturated flow often rely on the oversimplified representation of medium pores as a bundle of cylindrical capillaries and assume that the matric potential is attributed to the capillary force only. The adsorptive surface forces are ignored. It is often assumed that aqueous flow is negligible when a soil is near or at the residual water content. These models are successful at high and medium water contents but often give poor results at low water contents. These models do not apply to conditions at which the water content is less than the residual water content. We extend the lower bound of existing water-retention functions and conductivity models from residual water content to the oven-dry condition (i.e., zero water content) by defining a state-dependent, residual-water content for a soil drier than a critical value. Furthermore, a hydraulic conductivity model for smooth uniform spheres was modified by introducing a correction factor to describe the film flow-induced hydraulic conductivity for natural porous media. The total unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is the sum of those due to capillary and film flow. The extended retention and conductivity models were verified measurements. Results show that, when the soil is at high and intermediate water content, there is no difference between the un-extended and the extended models; when the soil is at low water content, the un-extended models overestimate the water content but underestimate the conductivity. The extended models match the retention and conductivity measurements well.

Technological advances in cosmogenic neutron detectors for measuring soil water content

Science.gov (United States)

Zreda, M. G.; Schrön, M.; Köhli, M.

2017-12-01

The cosmic-ray neutron probe is used for measuring area-average soil water content at the hectometer scale. Early work showed a simple exponential decrease with distance of the instrument's sensitivity and a footprint 300 m in radius. Recent research suggested a much higher sensitivity to local neutrons and reduced footprint. We show results confirming the high sensitivity to local neutrons, describe two ways to reduce local and increase far-field effects, and propose ways of measuring neutrons at different spatial scales. Measurements with moderated detectors across a 10-m-wide creek and a 2-m-wide water tank show a decrease by 30% and 20%, respectively, of neutron intensity over water compared to that over land nearby. These results mean that the detector is sensitive to meter-scale heterogeneities of water content. This sensitivity can be reduced by rising the detector or by shielding it from local neutrons. The effect of local water distributions on the measured neutron intensity decreases with height. In the water tank experiment it disappeared almost completely at the height of 2 m, leading to the conjecture that the height roughly equal to the horizontal scale of heterogeneity would eliminate the sensitivity. This may or may not be practical. Shielding the detector below by a hydrogenous material removes a substantial fraction of the local neutrons. The shielded detector has a reduced count rate, reduced sensitivity to local neutrons and increased sensitivity to neutrons farther afield, and a larger footprint. Such a detector could be preferable to the current cosmogenic-neutron probe under heterogeneous soil water conditions. The shielding experiments also inspired the development of a local-area neutron detector. It has hydrogenous neutron shields on all sides except the bottom, substantially blocking the neutrons coming from afar, while allowing the neutrons coming directly from below. Its footprint is equal to its physical dimension when the detector is

Seasonal Effects on the Relationships Between Soil Water Content, Pore Water Pressure and Shear Strength and Their Implications for Slope Stability

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, P. N.

2015-12-01

A soil's shear resistance is mainly dependent upon the magnitude of effective stress. For small to medium height slopes (up to 10m) in clay soils the total stress acting along potential failure planes will be low, therefore the magnitude of effective stress (and hence soil shear strength) will be dominated by the pore-water pressure. The stability of slopes on this scale through periods of increased precipitation is improved by the generation of negative pore pressures (soil suctions) during preceding, warmer, drier periods. These negative pore water pressures increase the effective stress within the soil and cause a corresponding increase in shearing resistance. The relationships between soil water content and pore water pressure (soil water retention curves) are known to be hysteretic, but for the purposes of the majority of slope stability assessments in partially saturated clay soils, these are assumed to be consistent with time. Similarly, the relationship between shear strength and water content is assumed to be consistent over time. This research presents a laboratory study in which specimens of compacted Glacial Till (typical of engineered slopes within the UK) were subjected to repeated cycles of wetting and drying to simulate seasonal cycles. At predetermined water contents, measurements of soil suction were made using tensiometer and dewpoint potentiometer methods. The undrained shear strength of the specimens was then measured using triaxial strength testing equipment. Results indicate that repeated wetting and drying cycles caused a change in the soil water retention behaviour. A reduction in undrained shear strength at corresponding water contents along the wetting and drying paths was also observed. The mechanism for the change in the relationship is believed to be a deterioration in the soil physical structure due to shrink/swell induced micro-cracking. The non-stationarity of these relationships has implications for slope stability assessment.

Influence of water content on the ablation of skin with a 532 nm nanosecond Nd:YAG laser

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soogeun; Eom, Tae Joong; Jeong, Sungho

2015-01-01

This work reports that the ablation volume and rate of porcine skin changed significantly with the change of skin water content. Under the same laser irradiation conditions (532 nm Nd:YAG laser, pulse width=11.5 ns, pulse energy=1.54 J, beam radius=0.54 mm), the ablation volume dropped by a factor of 4 as the skin water content decreased from 40 wt. % (native) to 19 wt. % with a change in the ablation rate below and above around 25 wt. %. Based on the ablation characteristics observed by in situ shadowgraph images and the calculated tissue temperatures, it is considered that an explosive rupture by rapid volumetric vaporization of water is responsible for the ablation of the high water content of skin, whereas thermal disintegration of directly irradiated surface layer is responsible for the low water content of skin.

[Estimation of vegetation canopy water content using Hyperion hyperspectral data].

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xiao-Ning; Ma, Jian-Wei; Li, Xiao-Tao; Leng, Pei; Zhou, Fang-Cheng; Li, Shuang

2013-10-01

Vegetation canopy water content (VCWC) has widespread utility in agriculture, ecology and hydrology. Based on the PROSAIL model, a novel model for quantitative inversion of vegetation canopy water content using Hyperion hyperspectral data was explored. Firstly, characteristics of vegetation canopy reflection were investigated with the PROSAIL radiative transfer model, and it was showed that the first derivative at the right slope (980 - 1 070 nm) of the 970 nm water absorption feature (D98-1 070) was closely related to VCWC, and determination coefficient reached to 0.96. Then, bands 983, 993, 1 003, 1 013, 1 023, 1 033, 1 043, 1 053 and 1 063 nm of Hyperion data were selected to calculate D980-1 070, and VCWC was estimated using the proposed method. Finally, the retrieval result was verified using field measured data in Yingke oasis of the Heihe basin. It indicated that the mean relative error was 12.5%, RMSE was within 0.1 kg x m(-2) and the proposed model was practical and reliable. This study provides a more efficient way for obtaining VCWC of large area.

Variation in foliar water content and hyperspectral reflectance of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sirex noctilio, the Eurasian wood wasp, is one of the major pests responsible for declining forest health in pine forests located in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Researchers have shown that stress induced by S. noctilio causes a rapid decrease in foliar water content, with the foliage of the tree changing from a dark green to a ...

Improved amylose content of rice (IR72) induced through gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrida, Adelaida C.; Rivera, Faye G.; Manrique, Mary Jayne C.; Dimaano, Arvin O.; Costimiano, Eduardo C.

2015-01-01

In general grain quality and quality preferences vary across rice growing countries and regions. Filipinos preferres translucent, well milled, long grain rice with aroma and minimal broken grains which is soft after cooling. The amylose content of rice starch is a major eating quality factor. The aim of this study is to develop rice mutants with good eating quality and low to intermediate amylose content through induced mutation using gamma radiation. Low to intermediate amylose content in rice were identified and selected among the advance generation lines irradiated with 200 and 300Gy dose of gamma radiation. Screening was done using qualitative method (Iodine staining method). Selected lines were analyzed quantitatively, to determine the percent amylose content. Percent amylose were group to several categories where; 0-6% is waxy, 6-12% is very low, 12-18% is low, 18-24% is intermediate and >25% is high. Results were further confirmed using molecular marker technique by looking at the waxy gene which code for granule bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) and controls amylose content in rice. Among the 30 lines selcted and anaylzes, 2 lines were confirmed to have a gene base mutation with a low to intermediate amylose content. Thus, induced mutation using gamma radiation has successfully improved amylose content in rice (IR72). (author)

Variations of free gas content in water during pressure fluctuations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keller, A.; Zielke, W.

1977-01-01

In this paper an experimental programme is described in order to determine the influence of the cavitation nuclei distribution on cavitation inception. This programme has been used to measure air bubbles dimensions and number and particularly to determine the influence of quick pressure variations on the size on the number of bubbles in a pipe. An optical device counting scattered light is used as a measuring technique. Gas bubbles go through an optical control volume where they receive a high intensity light beam and scatter the light, then led to a photomultiplier; the signals are sorted and counted according to their size. If the number of nuclei, the dimensions of the control volume and the velocity of the water are known, it is possible to determine bubbles concentrations and the bulk modulus of the water. This measuring technique has been applied to a flow in a 140 mm diameter pipe with quick pressure variations from 2 bar to 0-10 bar. During the variations, the void fraction depends on the Reynolds number of the flow and on the gas content of the water. The bulk modulus has been computed with different conditions. Most results concern pressures slightly over the vapor pressure. Air content has a strong influence on cavitation and on water compressibility after a vapor cavity collapse

In-situ burning of emulsions: The effects of varying water content and degree of evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bech, C.; Sveum, P.; Buist, I.

1992-01-01

In-situ burning of oil is considered to be one of the most promising techniques for rapid removal of large quantities of oil at sea, particularly in ice-infested waters. A series of field experiments was conducted in Spitsbergen, circular basins cut in sea ice, to study the effect of water content, evaporation, thickness of the emulsion layer, and environmental factors on the burn efficiency of Statfjord crude oil and emulsions. Results from the experiments are presented along with preliminary results concerning the dynamics of burning emulsions and the efficiency of conventional and novel igniters. Water-in-oil emulsions with 40% water content could be burned. However, for oils evaporated more than 18% and with a water content of over 20%, conventional gelled gasoline was not a very effective igniter. Ignition success was improved when gelled crude oil was used as the igniter. The results imply that for practical in-situ burning, the igniter technology needs to be improved. 5 refs., 11 figs., 3 tabs

Uptake of radioactive strontium by fishes in relation to the calcium content of the water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiosila, J.

1975-01-01

The study attempts to compare experimental results obtained with pseudorasbora parava with regard to 85 Sr uptake at various Ca concentrations of the water (4.20 and 50 mg/l Ca) and also to compare these results with natural conditions. The water was contaminated with 500 pCi/ml 85 SrCl 2 only at the onset of the experiments. Radiostrontium uptake is much higher with a very low calcium content of the water; maximum values are reached in about 10 days. - With low or optimum calcium contents of the water, the values are 3-5 times lower and are not reached until 30 days after radioactive contamination. The fish in this Danube water experiment took up somewhat less radioactivity than in an experiment with the same amounts of Ca and Mg in a control medium. The uptake of 85 Sr in fish in dependence of the Ca content of the water varies according to the formula F.C = 2.505 x Casup(-0.909), with Ca given in Mg/l. (orig.) [de

Origin and Distribution of Water Contents in Continental and Oceanic Lithospheric Mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Peslier, Anne H.

2013-01-01

The water content distribution of the upper mantle will be reviewed as based on the peridotite record. The amount of water in cratonic xenoliths appears controlled by metasomatism while that of the oceanic mantle retains in part the signature of melting events. In both cases, the water distribution is heterogeneous both with depth and laterally, depending on localized water re-enrichments next to melt/fluid channels. The consequence of the water distribution on the rheology of the upper mantle and the location of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary will also be discussed.

Mechanical impedance of soil crusts and water content in loamy soils

Science.gov (United States)

Josa March, Ramon; Verdú, Antoni M. C.; Mas, Maria Teresa

2013-04-01

Soil crust development affects soil water dynamics and soil aeration. Soil crusts act as mechanical barriers to fluid flow and, as their mechanical impedance increases with drying, they also become obstacles to seedling emergence. As a consequence, the emergence of seedling cohorts (sensitive seeds) might be reduced. However, this may be of interest to be used as an effective system of weed control. Soil crusting is determined by several factors: soil texture, rain intensity, sedimentation processes, etc. There are different ways to characterize the crusts. One of them is to measure their mechanical impedance (MI), which is linked to their moisture level. In this study, we measured the evolution of the mechanical impedance of crusts formed by three loamy soil types (clay loam, loam and sandy clay loam, USDA) with different soil water contents. The aim of this communication was to establish a mathematical relationship between the crust water content and its MI. A saturated soil paste was prepared and placed in PVC cylinders (50 mm diameter and 10 mm height) arranged on a plastic tray. Previously the plastic tray was sprayed with a hydrophobic liquid to prevent the adherence of samples. The samples on the plastic tray were left to air-dry under laboratory conditions until their IM was measured. To measure IM, a food texture analyzer was used. The equipment incorporates a mobile arm, a load cell to apply force and a probe. The arm moves down vertically at a constant rate and the cylindrical steel probe (4 mm diameter) penetrates the soil sample vertically at a constant rate. The equipment is provided with software to store data (time, vertical distance and force values) at a rate of up to 500 points per second. Water content in crust soil samples was determined as the loss of weight after oven-drying (105°C). From the results, an exponential regression between MI and the water content was obtained (determination coefficient very close to 1). This methodology allows

Factors affecting neutron measurements and calculations. Part F. Water content in granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwatani, Kazuo; Hasai, Hiromi; Shizuma, Kiyoshi; Hoshi, Masaharu; Endo, Satoru; Oka, Takamitsu; Imanaka, Tetsuji

2005-01-01

As part of the DS02 studies to reevaluate neutrons from the atomic bomb, we cored rock samples from a pillar of Motoyasu Bridge, located at a distance of 128 m from the hypocenter in Hiroshima, and measured the depth profile of induced 152 Eu radioactivity in the rock (Hasai et al. 1987). By use of the MCNP neutron transport calculation code, the depth profile of 152 Eu in the rock was calculated, assuming a neutron distribution at the given location around the pillar based on the DS86 calculations. The depth profile was then compared with the distribution of measurements (Endo et al. 1999). For the calculation, it is necessary to know the major components of the rock. It is also necessary to estimate the water content correctly, since the cross section of hydrogen-neutron reactions is large, and neutron moderation effects of hydrogen are significant. For this purpose, the basic characteristics of water content in rock were studied, based on a few characteristic experiments to estimate the water content, which was then used in neutron transport calculations. The following describes our concepts and methods. (author)

Towards Estimating Water Stress through Leaf and Canopy Water Content Derived from Optical and Thermal Hyperspectral Data

Science.gov (United States)

Corbin, Amie; Timmermans, Joris; van der Tol, Christiaan; Verhoef, Wout

2015-04-01

A competition for available (drinkable) water has arisen. This competition originated due to increasing global population and the respective needs of this population. The water demand for human consumption and irrigation of food producing crops and biofuel related vegetation, has led to early indication of drought as a key issue in many studies. However, while drought monitoring systems might provide some reasonable predictions, at the time of visible symptoms of plant stress, a plant may already be critically affected. Consequently, pre-symptomatic non-destructive monitoring of plants is needed. In many studies of plant stress, this is performed by examining internal plant physiology through existing remote sensing techniques, with varying applications. However, a uniform remote sensing method for identifying early plant stress under drought conditions is still developing. In some instances, observations of vegetation water content are used to assess the impact of soil water deficit on the health of a plant or canopy. When considering water content as an indicator of water stress in a plant, this comments not only on the condition of the plant itself, but also provides indicators of photosynthetic activity and the susceptibility to drought. Several indices of canopy health currently exists (NDVI, DVI, SAVI, etc.) using optical and near infrared reflectance bands. However, these are considered inadequate for vegetation health investigations because such semi-empirical models result in less accuracy for canopy measurements. In response, a large amount of research has been conducted to estimate canopy health directly from considering the full spectral behaviour. In these studies , the canopy reflectance has been coupled to leaf parameters, by using coupling leaf radiative transfer models (RTM), such as PROSPECT, to a canopy RTM such as SAIL. The major shortcomings of these researches is that they have been conducted primarily for optical remote sensing. Recently

[Dynamics and modeling of water content of ten shrub species in their growth period in Maoershan Mountain region of Northeast China].

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Sen; Yan, Xue-Jiao

2012-12-01

Based on the two successive years observation of the water content of ten representative shrub species in Maoershan Mountain region of Northeast China, this paper studied the dynamics of the water content of these shrub species during their growth period and related affecting factors, with the prediction models of the shrub water content established. For the ten shrub species, their minimal water content during growth period was higher than 100% , and most of the species had a water content higher than 200% within the period from the late phase of leaf-unfolding to early phase of leaf-falling. Euonymus verrucosus, Sorbaria sorbifolia, and Sambucus williamsii were incombustible in their whole growth period due to the extremely high water content, while Syringa reticulate, Philadelphus schrenkii, Euonymus verrucosus, Spiraea chamaedryfolia, Lonicera maackii, Lonicera ruprechtiana, and Rhamnus parvifolia were combustible only in the phases of budding and leaf-falling. Soil moisture content and daily maximum temperature had effects on the water content of most (7) of the ten shrubs, and canopy drought severity index affected the water content of 5 of the ten shrubs. The established 9 prediction models could explain more than 35% of the water content variance of the shrub species, with a mean MRE of 35.9% and a mean MRE of 13.4%.

Diverse patterns of stored water use among saplings in seasonally dry tropical forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Brett T; Kursar, Thomas A

2015-12-01

Tree species in seasonally dry tropical forests likely vary in their drought-survival mechanisms. Drought-deciduousness, which reduces water loss, and low wood density, which may permit dependence on stored water, are considered key traits. For saplings of six species at two distinct sites, we studied these and two associated traits: the seasonal amount of water released per stem volume ("water released") and the hydraulic capacitance of the stem (C). Two deciduous species with low stem density, Cavanillesia platanifolia and Bursera simaruba, had high C and high dry-season stem water potential (Ψ(stem)), but differed in dry-season water released. C. platanifolia did not use stored water during the dry season whereas B. simaruba, in a drier forest, released stored water. In both, water released was highest while flushing leaves, suggesting that stored water supports leaf flushing. In contrast, two deciduous species with intermediate stem density, Annona hayesii and Genipa americana, had intermediate C, low dry-season Ψ(stem), and high seasonal change in water released. Meanwhile, two evergreen species with intermediate stem density, Cojoba rufescens and Astronium graveolens, had relatively low C, low dry-season Ψ(stem), and intermediate seasonal change in water released. Thus, at least three, distinct stored-water-use strategies were observed. Additionally, bark relative water content (RWC) decreased along with Ψ(stem) during the dry season while xylem RWC did not change, suggesting that bark-stored water buffers Ψ(stem) seasonally. Together these results suggest that seasonal use of stored water and change in Ψ(stem) are associated with functional groups that are characterized by combinations of deciduousness and stem density.

Capillary and sorbed water content in wood as studied by nuclear magnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olek, W.; Baranowska, H.M.; Guzenda, R.; Olszewski, K.J.

1995-01-01

Water content in wood has been studied by NMR technique. The spin-spin relaxation time has been measured for distinguish the capillary and sorbed water. The qualitative and quantitative determination have been possible by means of proposed method

Quality of Water Content, Diastase Enzyme Activity and Hidroximetilfurfural (HMF in Rubber and Rambutan Honey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sulis Setio Toto Harjo

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to determine the water content, diastase enzyme activity and HMF of the rubber and rambutan honey. The method was a laboratory experiments with statistical analysis unpaired student t-test by two treatments and fifteen replications. The variable of this research were water content, diastase enzyme activity and HMF. The results of rubber and rambutan honey showed that there were significant difference effect (P0.05 that is 11 DN and there is a highly significant difference (P<0.01 on the HMF content of 17.23±0.54 mg/kg and 7.61±0.23 mg/kg. Rubber and rambutan honey have good quality based on the water content, diastase enzyme activity and HMF. It was concluded that the rubber and rambutan honey used were of good quality because it has met the requirements of SNI.

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors—Air Gap Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Bore, Thierry; Wagner, Norman; Delepine Lesoille, Sylvie; Taillade, Frederic; Six, Gonzague; Daout, Franck; Placko, Dominique

2016-01-01

Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock) and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM) to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling. PMID:27096865

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors—Air Gap Effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thierry Bore

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling.

Error Analysis of Clay-Rock Water Content Estimation with Broadband High-Frequency Electromagnetic Sensors--Air Gap Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Bore, Thierry; Wagner, Norman; Lesoille, Sylvie Delepine; Taillade, Frederic; Six, Gonzague; Daout, Franck; Placko, Dominique

2016-04-18

Broadband electromagnetic frequency or time domain sensor techniques present high potential for quantitative water content monitoring in porous media. Prior to in situ application, the impact of the relationship between the broadband electromagnetic properties of the porous material (clay-rock) and the water content on the frequency or time domain sensor response is required. For this purpose, dielectric properties of intact clay rock samples experimental determined in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 10 GHz were used as input data in 3-D numerical frequency domain finite element field calculations to model the one port broadband frequency or time domain transfer function for a three rods based sensor embedded in the clay-rock. The sensor response in terms of the reflection factor was analyzed in time domain with classical travel time analysis in combination with an empirical model according to Topp equation, as well as the theoretical Lichtenecker and Rother model (LRM) to estimate the volumetric water content. The mixture equation considering the appropriate porosity of the investigated material provide a practical and efficient approach for water content estimation based on classical travel time analysis with the onset-method. The inflection method is not recommended for water content estimation in electrical dispersive and absorptive material. Moreover, the results clearly indicate that effects due to coupling of the sensor to the material cannot be neglected. Coupling problems caused by an air gap lead to dramatic effects on water content estimation, even for submillimeter gaps. Thus, the quantitative determination of the in situ water content requires careful sensor installation in order to reach a perfect probe clay rock coupling.

Effect of Drought Stress and Methanol on Chlorophyll Parameters, Chlorophyll Content and Relative Water Content of Soybean (Glycine max L., var. L 17

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Mirakhori

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In order to investigate the effects of methanol application on some physiological properties of soybean under low water stress, a factorial experiment was conducted at Research Field of Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Islamic Azad University-Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran, during 2008, based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The first factor was consisted of different levels of methanol equal to 0 (control, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 volumetric percentage (v/v, which were used as foliar applications at three times during growth season of soybean, with 15 days intervals. The second factor was water stress conditions in two levels, based on depletion of 40 and 70% of available soil moisture. Some traits such as grain yield (GY, relative water content (RWC, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and chlorophyll content were measured, one day before and after the third methanol application. Results showed that chlorophyll content (Chl, GY, electrolytes leakage (EL at second sampling, photochemical capacity of PSII (Fv/Fm, maximum and variable fluorescence (Fm and FV, respectively were affected by water stress significantly (p

Mapping soil water content on golf course greens with GPR

Science.gov (United States)

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can be an effective and efficient method for high-resolution mapping of volumetric water content in the sand layer directly beneath the ground surface at a golf course green. This information could potentially be very useful to golf course superintendents for determi...

Proficiency Testing for Determination of Water Content in Toluene of Chemical Reagents by iteration robust statistic technique

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Wang, Qunwei; He, Ming

2018-05-01

In order to investigate and improve the level of detection technology of water content in liquid chemical reagents of domestic laboratories, proficiency testing provider PT0031 (CNAS) has organized proficiency testing program of water content in toluene, 48 laboratories from 18 provinces/cities/municipals took part in the PT. This paper introduces the implementation process of proficiency testing for determination of water content in toluene, including sample preparation, homogeneity and stability test, the results of statistics of iteration robust statistic technique and analysis, summarized and analyzed those of the different test standards which are widely used in the laboratories, put forward the technological suggestions for the improvement of the test quality of water content. Satisfactory results were obtained by 43 laboratories, amounting to 89.6% of the total participating laboratories.

Global statistics of liquid water content and effective number concentration of water clouds over ocean derived from combined CALIPSO and MODIS measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Hu

2007-06-01

Full Text Available This study presents an empirical relation that links the volume extinction coefficients of water clouds, the layer integrated depolarization ratios measured by lidar, and the effective radii of water clouds derived from collocated passive sensor observations. Based on Monte Carlo simulations of CALIPSO lidar observations, this method combines the cloud effective radius reported by MODIS with the lidar depolarization ratios measured by CALIPSO to estimate both the liquid water content and the effective number concentration of water clouds. The method is applied to collocated CALIPSO and MODIS measurements obtained during July and October of 2006, and January 2007. Global statistics of the cloud liquid water content and effective number concentration are presented.

Global statistics of liquid water content and effective number concentration of water clouds over ocean derived from combined CALIPSO and MODIS measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Y.; Vaughan, M.; McClain, C.; Behrenfeld, M.; Maring, H.; Anderson, D.; Sun-Mack, S.; Flittner, D.; Huang, J.; Wielicki, B.; Minnis, P.; Weimer, C.; Trepte, C.; Kuehn, R.

2007-06-01

This study presents an empirical relation that links the volume extinction coefficients of water clouds, the layer integrated depolarization ratios measured by lidar, and the effective radii of water clouds derived from collocated passive sensor observations. Based on Monte Carlo simulations of CALIPSO lidar observations, this method combines the cloud effective radius reported by MODIS with the lidar depolarization ratios measured by CALIPSO to estimate both the liquid water content and the effective number concentration of water clouds. The method is applied to collocated CALIPSO and MODIS measurements obtained during July and October of 2006, and January 2007. Global statistics of the cloud liquid water content and effective number concentration are presented.

Acid and base recovery from brine solution using PVP intermediate-based bipolar membrane through water splitting technology

Science.gov (United States)

Venugopal, Krishnaveni; Murugappan, Minnoli; Dharmalingam, Sangeetha

2017-07-01

Potable water has become a scarce resource in many countries. In fact, the world is not running out of water, but rather, the relatively fixed quantity is becoming too contaminated for many applications. Hence, the present work was designed to evaluate the desalination efficiency of resin and glass fiber-reinforced Polysulfone polymer-based monopolar and bipolar (BPM) ion exchange membranes (with polyvinyl pyrrolidone as the intermediate layer) on a real sample brine solution for 8 h duration. The prepared ion exchange membranes (IEMs) were characterized using FTIR, SEM, TGA, water absorption, and contact angle measurements. The BPM efficiency, electrical conductivity, salinity, sodium, and chloride ion concentration were evaluated for both prepared and commercial-based IEM systems. The current efficiency and energy consumption values obtained during BPMED process were found to be 45 % and 0.41 Wh for RPSu-PVP-based IEM system and 38 % and 1.60 Wh for PSDVB-based IEM system, respectively.

A Global Perspective on Drinking-Water and Sanitation Classification: An Evaluation of Census Content.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Weiyu; Wardrop, Nicola A; Bain, Robert E S; Lin, Yanzhao; Zhang, Ce; Wright, Jim A

2016-01-01

Following the recent expiry of the United Nations' 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), new international development agenda covering 2030 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) targets have been proposed, which imply new demands on data sources for monitoring relevant progress. This study evaluates drinking-water and sanitation classification systems from national census questionnaire content, based upon the most recent international policy changes, to examine national population census's ability to capture drinking-water and sanitation availability, safety, accessibility, and sustainability. In total, 247 censuses from 83 low income and lower-middle income countries were assessed using a scoring system, intended to assess harmonised water supply and sanitation classification systems for each census relative to the typology needed to monitor the proposed post-2015 indicators of WASH targets. The results signal a lack of international harmonisation and standardisation in census categorisation systems, especially concerning safety, accessibility, and sustainability of services in current census content. This suggests further refinements and harmonisation of future census content may be necessary to reflect ambitions for post-2015 monitoring.

A Global Perspective on Drinking-Water and Sanitation Classification: An Evaluation of Census Content.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiyu Yu

Full Text Available Following the recent expiry of the United Nations' 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, new international development agenda covering 2030 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH targets have been proposed, which imply new demands on data sources for monitoring relevant progress. This study evaluates drinking-water and sanitation classification systems from national census questionnaire content, based upon the most recent international policy changes, to examine national population census's ability to capture drinking-water and sanitation availability, safety, accessibility, and sustainability. In total, 247 censuses from 83 low income and lower-middle income countries were assessed using a scoring system, intended to assess harmonised water supply and sanitation classification systems for each census relative to the typology needed to monitor the proposed post-2015 indicators of WASH targets. The results signal a lack of international harmonisation and standardisation in census categorisation systems, especially concerning safety, accessibility, and sustainability of services in current census content. This suggests further refinements and harmonisation of future census content may be necessary to reflect ambitions for post-2015 monitoring.

Investigation of water content in primary upper shield of high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumita, Junya; Sawa, Kazuhiro; Mogi, Haruyoshi; Itahashi, Shuuji; Kitami, Toshiyuki; Akutu, Youichi; Fuchita, Yasuhiro; Kawaguchi, Toru; Moriya, Masahiro

1999-09-01

A primary upper shield of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) is composed of concrete (grout) which is packed into iron frames. The main function of the primary upper shield is to attenuate neutron and gamma ray from the core, that leads to satisfy dose equivalent rate limit of operating floor and stand-pipe room. Water content in the concrete is one of the most important things because it strongly affects neutron-shielding ability. Then, we carried out out-of-pile experiments to investigate relationship between temperature and water content in the concrete. Based on the experimental results, a hydrolysis-diffusion model was developed to investigate water release behavior from the concrete. The model showed that water content used for shielding design in the primary upper shield of the HTTR will be maintained if temperature during operating life is under 110degC. (author)

A High Resolution Capacitive Sensing System for the Measurement of Water Content in Crude Oil

Science.gov (United States)

Aslam, Muhammad Zubair; Tang, Tong Boon

2014-01-01

This paper presents the design of a non-intrusive system to measure ultra-low water content in crude oil. The system is based on a capacitance to phase angle conversion method. Water content is measured with a capacitance sensor comprising two semi-cylindrical electrodes mounted on the outer side of a glass tube. The presence of water induces a capacitance change that in turn converts into a phase angle, with respect to a main oscillator. A differential sensing technique is adopted not only to ensure high immunity against temperature variation and background noise, but also to eliminate phase jitter and amplitude variation of the main oscillator that could destabilize the output. The complete capacitive sensing system was implemented in hardware and experiment results using crude oil samples demonstrated that a resolution of ±50 ppm of water content in crude oil was achieved by the proposed design. PMID:24967606

A High Resolution Capacitive Sensing System for the Measurement of Water Content in Crude Oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Zubair Aslam

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design of a non-intrusive system to measure ultra-low water content in crude oil. The system is based on a capacitance to phase angle conversion method. Water content is measured with a capacitance sensor comprising two semi-cylindrical electrodes mounted on the outer side of a glass tube. The presence of water induces a capacitance change that in turn converts into a phase angle, with respect to a main oscillator. A differential sensing technique is adopted not only to ensure high immunity against temperature variation and background noise, but also to eliminate phase jitter and amplitude variation of the main oscillator that could destabilize the output. The complete capacitive sensing system was implemented in hardware and experiment results using crude oil samples demonstrated that a resolution of ±50 ppm of water content in crude oil was achieved by the proposed design.

Phytochemical content of hot and cold water extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Habboo, Maysam Dahham; Nor, Norefrina Shafinaz Md.; Ibrahim, Nazlina

2018-04-01

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth (Lamiaceae) is a plant with ethnobotanical applications including antifungal and antibacterial properties. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical contents of Orthosiphon stamineus leaves water extract prepared in cold and hot distilled water. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of phytochemicals components such as a flavonoid, terpenoid and steroid in both extracts. Cold water extract has two extra components: saponin and alkaloid that may be destroyed by the exposure to heat.

Pectin Methyl Esterase Activity Change in Intermediate Moisture Sun-Dried Figs after Storage

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Dilek Demirbüker Kavak

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Intermediate moisture fruits can be obtained by rehydrating dried fruits. Intermediate moisture fruits are suitable for direct consumption compared to dry fruits and can be directly used in the production of various products such as bakery products, dairy products and candies. Aim of this study is to compare the pectin methyl esterase (PME activity of intermediate moisture figs which causes softening of the texture and to compare their microbial stability after 3 months storage period. For this purpose, dried figs were rehydrated in 30 and 80° C water until they reach 30% moisture content. Rehydrated samples were stored for 3 months at +4°C. Results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the control samples and the samples rehydrated at 80°C according to the total viable counts. At the end of the storage period, results of residual PME activity in control samples was 24.1 μmol COOH min-1g-1, while it was found 17.4 μmol COOH min-1g-1 in samples rehydrated at 80°C. As a result rehydration conducted at 80°C provided 28% reduction in PME activity compared to the control samples rehydrated at 30°C, although it did not affect the microbial load significantly after storage.

Interaction between litter quality and simulated water depth on decomposition of two emergent macrophytes

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Yajun Xie

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Both water depth and litter quality are important factors influencing litter decomposition in wetlands, but the interactive role of these factors in regulating mass loss and nutrient dynamics is far from clear. The responses of mass loss and nutrient dynamics to simulated water depths and litter quality are investigated in leaves of Carex brevicuspis and leaves and stems of Miscanthus sacchariflorus from the Dongting Lake, China. Three litter types differing in litter quality were incubated for 210 days at three water depths (0 cm, 5 cm, and 80 cm, relative to the water surface in a pond near the Dongting Lake. The litter mass remaining, nitrogen (N, phosphorus (P, organic carbon (organic C, cellulose, and lignin contents were analyzed during the controlled decomposition experiment. Moreover, water properties (temperature, dissolved oxygen content, and conductivity and fungal biomass were also characterized. Initial N and P contents were highest in C. brevicuspis leaves, intermediate in M. sacchariflorus leaves and lowest in M. sacchariflorus stems, whereas the organic C, cellulose, and lignin contents exhibited an opposite trend. After a 210 days incubation, decomposition rate was highest in M. sacchariflorus leaves (0.0034–0.0090 g g-1 DW day-1, in exponential decay model, intermediate in C. brevicuspis leaves (0.0019–0.0041 g g-1 DW day-1, and lowest in M. sacchariflorus stems (0.0005–0.0011 g g-1DW day-1. Decomposition rate of C. brevicuspis leaves was highest at 5 cm water depth, intermediate at 80 cm, and lowest at 0 cm. Decomposition rate of M. sacchariflorus leaves was higher at 5 cm, and 80 cm than at 0 cm water depths. Water depth had no effect on decomposition of M. sacchariflorus stems. At the end of incubation, N and P mineralization was completely in leaf litters with increasing rates along with increasing water depth, while nutrients were accumulated in M. sacchariflorus stem. Organic C, cellulose, and lignin decayed quickly

The role of water content in triboelectric charging of wind-blown sand.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Zhaolin; Wei, Wei; Su, Junwei; Yu, Chuck Wah

2013-01-01

Triboelectric charging is common in desert sandstorms and dust devils on Earth; however, it remains poorly understood. Here we show a charging mechanism of sands with the adsorbed water on micro-porous surface in wind-blown sand based on the fact that water content is universal but usually a minor component in most particle systems. The triboelectric charging could be resulted due to the different mobility of H(+)/OH(-) between the contacting sands with a temperature difference. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) were used to demonstrate the dynamics of the sand charging. The numerically simulated charge-to-mass ratios of sands and electric field strength established in wind tunnel agreed well with the experimental data. The charging mechanism could provide an explanation for the charging process of all identical granular systems with water content, including Martian dust devils, wind-blown snow, even powder electrification in industrial processes.

Organic matter and soil water content influence on BRS 188 castor bean growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lacerda, Rogerio Dantas de; Araujo, Ester Luiz de; Nascimento, Elka Costa Santos; Barros Junior, Genival [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil); Guerra, Hugo O. Carvallo; Chaves, Lucia Helena G. [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UAEAg/UFCG), PB (Brazil). Unidade Academica de Engenharia Agricola

2008-07-01

The castor bean culture has been highlighted due to the several applications of its oil, which constitutes one of the best row materials for biodiesel manufacturing, and the base for several other industrial products. The objective of the present work was to study the effect of different soil water and soil organic matter on the castor bean growth. The experiment was conducted from April to August 2006 under greenhouse conditions using a randomized block 2x4 factorial design with two soil organic mater content (5.0 g.kg{sup -1} e 25.0 g.kg{sup -1}), four levels of available water (100, 90, 80 e 70% ) and three replicates. For this, 24 plastic containers, 75 kg capacity, were used on which was grown one plant 120 days after the seedling. At regular intervals the plant height was measured and the results analyzed statistically. For the qualitative treatments (with and without organic matter) the treatment means were compared through the Tukey test. For the quantitative ones (water levels) were used regressions. The castor bean cultivar height was significantly influenced by the organic matter content only after 80 days. Castor bean height increased significantly with the soil water content after 40 days of growing. (author)

Effect of water content on specific heat capacity of porcine septum cartilage

Science.gov (United States)

Chae, Yongseok; Lavernia, Enrique J.; Wong, Brian J.

2002-06-01

The effect of water content on specific heat capacity was examined using temperature modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TMDSC). This research was motivated in part by the development laser cartilage reshaping operations, which use photothermal heating to accelerate stress relaxation and shape change. Deposition of thermal energy leads to mechanical stress relaxation and redistribution of cartilage internal stresses, which may lead to a permanent shape change. The specific heat of cartilage specimens (dia: 3 mm and thickness 1-2 mm) was measured using a heating rate of 2 degree(s)C/min for conventional DSC and 2 degree(s)C/min with an amplitude 0.38-0.45 degree(s)C and a period 60-100 sec for TMDSC. The amount of water in cartilaginous tissue was determined using thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) under ambient conditions. In order to correlate changes in heat flow with alterations in cartilage mechanical behavior, dynamic mechanical temperature analysis (DMTA) was used to estimate the specific transition temperatures where stress relaxation occurs. With decreasing water content, we identified a phase transition that shifted to a higher temperature after 35-45% water content was measured. The phase transition energy increased from 0.12 J/g to 1.68 J/g after a 45% weight loss. This study is a preliminary investigation focused on understanding the mechanism of the stress relaxation of cartilage during heating. The energy requirement of such a transition estimated using TMDSC and temperature range, where cartilage shape changes likely occur, was estimated.

Novel Calibration Technique for a Coulometric Evolved Vapor Analyzer for Measuring Water Content of Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, S. A.; Miao, P.; Carroll, P. A.

2018-04-01

Evolved vapor coulometry is a measurement technique that selectively detects water and is used to measure water content of materials. The basis of the measurement is the quantitative electrolysis of evaporated water entrained in a carrier gas stream. Although this measurement has a fundamental principle—based on Faraday's law which directly relates electrolysis current to amount of substance electrolyzed—in practice it requires calibration. Commonly, reference materials of known water content are used, but the variety of these is limited, and they are not always available for suitable values, materials, with SI traceability, or with well-characterized uncertainty. In this paper, we report development of an alternative calibration approach using as a reference the water content of humid gas of defined dew point traceable to the SI via national humidity standards. The increased information available through this new type of calibration reveals a variation of the instrument performance across its range not visible using the conventional approach. The significance of this is discussed along with details of the calibration technique, example results, and an uncertainty evaluation.

Using advanced oxidation treatment for biofilm inactivation by varying water vapor content in air plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Ryota, Suganuma; Koichi, Yasuoka

2015-09-01

Biofilms are caused by environmental degradation in food factories and medical facilities. The inactivation of biofilms involves making them react with chemicals including chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, and ozone, although inactivation using chemicals has a potential problem because of the hazardous properties of the residual substance and hydrogen peroxide, which have slow reaction velocity. We successfully performed an advanced oxidation process (AOP) using air plasma. Hydrogen peroxide and ozone, which were used for the formation of OH radicals in our experiment, were generated by varying the amount of water vapor supplied to the plasma. By varying the content of the water included in the air, the main product was changed from air plasma. When we increased the water content in the air, hydrogen peroxide was produced, while ozone peroxide was produced when we decreased the water content in the air. By varying the amount of water vapor, we realized a 99.9% reduction in the amount of bacteria in the biofilm when we discharged humidified air only. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 25630104.

Advances in estimation methods of vegetation water content based on optical remote sensing techniques

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2010-01-01

Quantitative estimation of vegetation water content(VWC) using optical remote sensing techniques is helpful in forest fire as-sessment,agricultural drought monitoring and crop yield estimation.This paper reviews the research advances of VWC retrieval using spectral reflectance,spectral water index and radiative transfer model(RTM) methods.It also evaluates the reli-ability of VWC estimation using spectral water index from the observation data and the RTM.Focusing on two main definitions of VWC-the fuel moisture content(FMC) and the equivalent water thickness(EWT),the retrieval accuracies of FMC and EWT using vegetation water indices are analyzed.Moreover,the measured information and the dataset are used to estimate VWC,the results show there are significant correlations among three kinds of vegetation water indices(i.e.,WSI,NDⅡ,NDWI1640,WI/NDVI) and canopy FMC of winter wheat(n=45).Finally,the future development directions of VWC detection based on optical remote sensing techniques are also summarized.

BOLE WATER CONTENT SHOWS LITTLE SEASONAL VARIATION IN CENTURY-OLD DOUGLAS-FIR TREES

Science.gov (United States)

Purportedly, large Douglas-fir trees in the American Pacific Northwest use water stored in bole tissues to ameliorate the effects of seasonal summer drought, the water content of bole tissues being drawn down over the summer months and replenished during the winter. Continuous mo...

Water content determination of soil surface in an intensive apple orchard

Science.gov (United States)

Riczu, Péter; Nagy, Gábor; Tamás, János

2015-04-01

Currently in Hungary, less than 100,000 hectares of orchards can be found, from which cultivation of apple is one of the most dominant ones. Production of marketable horticulture products can be difficult without employing advanced and high quality horticulture practices, which, in turn, depends on appropriate management and irrigation systems, basically. The got out water amount depend on climatic, edafic factors and the water demand of plants as well. The soil water content can be determined by traditional and modern methods. In order to define soil moisture content, gravimetry measurement is one of the most accurate methods, but it is time consuming and sometimes soil sampling and given results are in different times. Today, IT provides the farmers such tools, like global positioning system (GPS), geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS). These tools develop in a great integration rapidly. RS methods are ideal to survey larger area quick and accurate. Laser scanning is a novel technique which analyses a real-world or object environment to collect structural and spectral data. In order to obtain soil moisture information, the Leica ScanStation C10 terrestrial 3D laser scanner was used on an intensive apple orchard on the Study and Regional Research Farm of the University of Debrecen, near Pallag. Previously, soil samples from the study area with different moisture content were used as reference points. Based on the return intensity values of the laser scanner can be distinguished the different moisture content areas of soil surface. Nevertheless, the error of laser distance echo were examined and statistically evaluated. This research was realized in the frames of TÁMOP 4.2.4. A/2-11-1-2012-0001 "National Excellence Program - Elaborating and operating an inland student and researcher personal support system". The project was subsidized by the European Union and co-financed by the European Social Fund.

Role of Water Vapor Content in the Effects of Aerosol on the Electrification of Thunderstorms: A Numerical Study

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Pengguo Zhao

2016-10-01

Full Text Available We explored the role of the water vapor content below the freezing level in the response of idealized supercell storm electrical processes to increased concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with parameterizations electrification and discharging, we performed 30 simulations by varying both the CCN concentration and water vapor content below the freezing level. The sensitivity simulations showed a distinct response to increased concentrations of CCN, depending on the water vapor content below the freezing level. Enhancing CCN concentrations increased electrification processes of thunderstorms and produced a new negative charge region above the main positive charge center when there were ample amounts of water vapor below the freezing level. Conversely, there were weak effects on electrification and the charge structure in numerical experiments initialized with lower water vapor content below the freezing level.

Comprehensive determination of macrolide antibiotics, their synthesis intermediates and transformation products in wastewater effluents and ambient waters by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Senta, Ivan; Krizman-Matasic, Ivona; Terzic, Senka; Ahel, Marijan

2017-08-04

Macrolide antibiotics are a prominent group of emerging contaminants frequently found in wastewater effluents and wastewater-impacted aquatic environments. In this work, a novel analytical method for simultaneous determination of parent macrolide antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin and roxithromycin), along with their synthesis intermediates, byproducts, metabolites and transformation products in wastewater and surface water was developed and validated. Samples were enriched using solid-phase extraction on Oasis HLB cartridges and analyzed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The target macrolide compounds were separated on an ACE C18 PFP column and detected using multiple reaction monitoring in positive ionization polarity. The optimized method, which included an additional extract clean-up on strong anion-exchange cartridges (SAX), resulted in high recoveries and accuracies, low matrix effects and improved chromatographic separation of the target compounds, even in highly complex matrices, such as raw wastewater. The developed method was applied to the analysis of macrolide compounds in wastewater and river water samples from Croatia. In addition to parent antibiotics, several previously unreported macrolide transformation products and/or synthesis intermediates were detected in municipal wastewater, some of them reaching μg/L levels. Moreover, extremely high concentrations of macrolides up to mg/L level were found in pharmaceutical industry effluents, indicating possible importance of this source to the total loads into ambient waters. The results revealed a significant contribution of synthesis intermediates and transformation products to the overall mass balance of macrolides in the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Free water content and monitoring of healing processes of skin burns studied by microwave dielectric spectroscopy in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Yoshihito; Miura, Nobuhiro; Shinyashiki, Naoki; Yagihara, Shin

2005-01-01

We have investigated the dielectric properties of human skin in vivo at frequencies up to 10 GHz using a time-domain reflectometry method with open-ended coaxial probes. Since γ-dispersion results from the reorientation of free water molecules, the free water content of skin is quantitatively determined by dielectric measurements. The free water content of finger skin increased by about 10% after soaking in 37 0 C water for 30 min, and it systematically decreased again through the drying process, as expected. Thus this analytical method has been applied to the study of skin burns. The free water content of burned human cheek skin due to hydrofluoric acid was significantly lower than that of normal skin, and the burned skin recovered through the healing process. In the case of a human hand skin burn due to heat, although the free water content was almost the same as that of normal skin at the beginning, it decreased during the healing process for the first 10 days, then began to increase. Although the number of test subjects was one for each experiment, it was shown that free water content is a good indicator for evaluating skin health and can be well monitored by dielectric spectroscopy

Time-lapse monitoring of soil water content using electromagnetic conductivity imaging

Science.gov (United States)

The volumetric soil water content (VWC) is fundamental to agriculture. Unfortunately, the universally accepted thermogravimetric method is labour intensive and time-consuming to use for field-scale monitoring. Electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments have proven to be useful in mapping the spatio-...

De-coupling seasonal changes in water content and dry matter to predict live conifer foliar moisture content

Science.gov (United States)

W. Matt Jolly; Ann M. Hadlow; Kathleen Huguet

2014-01-01

Live foliar moisture content (LFMC) significantly influences wildland fire behaviour. However, characterising variations in LFMC is difficult because both foliar mass and dry mass can change throughout the season. Here we quantify the seasonal changes in both plant water status and dry matter partitioning. We collected new and old foliar samples from Pinus contorta for...

Ground Albedo Neutron Sensing (GANS) for Measurement of Integral Soil Water Content at the Small Catchment Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera Villarreyes, C.; Baroni, G.; Oswald, S. E.

2012-12-01

Soil water content at the plot or hill-slope scale is an important link between local vadose zone hydrology and catchment hydrology. One largest initiative to cover the measuring gap of soil moisture between point scale and remote sensing observations is the COSMOS network (Zreda et al., 2012). Here, cosmic-ray neutron sensing, which may be more precisely named ground albedo neutron sensing (GANS), is applied. The measuring principle is based on the crucial role of hydrogen as neutron moderator compared to others landscape materials. Soil water content contained in a footprint of ca. 600 m diameter and a depth ranging down to a few decimeters is inversely correlated to the neutron flux at the air-ground interface. This approach is now implemented, e.g. in USA (Zreda et al., 2012) and Germany (Rivera Villarreyes et al., 2011), based on its simple installation and integral measurement of soil moisture at the small catchment scale. The present study performed Ground Albedo Neutron Sensing on farmland at two locations in Germany under different vegetative situations (cropped and bare field) and different seasonal conditions (summer, autumn and winter). Ground albedo neutrons were measured at (i) a farmland close to Potsdam and Berlin cropped with corn in 2010, sunflower in 2011 and winter rye in 2012, and (ii) a mountainous farmland catchment (Schaefertal, Harz Mountains) since middle 2011. In order to test this methodology, classical soil moisture devices and meteorological data were used for comparison. Moreover, several calibration approaches, role of vegetation cover and transferability of calibration parameters to different times and locations were also evaluated. Observations suggest that GANS can overcome the lack of data for hydrological processes at the intermediate scale. Soil moisture from GANS compared quantitatively with mean values derived from a network of classical devices under vegetated and non- vegetated conditions. The GANS approach responded well

Systematized water content calculation in cartilage using T1-mapping MR estimations: design and validation of a mathematical model.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiguetomi-Medina, J M; Ramirez-Gl, J L; Stødkilde-Jørgensen, H; Møller-Madsen, B

2017-09-01

Up to 80 % of cartilage is water; the rest is collagen fibers and proteoglycans. Magnetic resonance (MR) T1-weighted measurements can be employed to calculate the water content of a tissue using T1 mapping. In this study, a method that translates T1 values into water content data was tested statistically. To develop a predictive equation, T1 values were obtained for tissue-mimicking gelatin samples. 1.5 T MRI was performed using inverse angle phase and an inverse sequence at 37 (±0.5) °C. Regions of interest were manually delineated and the mean T1 value was estimated in arbitrary units. Data were collected and modeled using linear regression. To validate the method, articular cartilage from six healthy pigs was used. The experiment was conducted in accordance with the Danish Animal Experiment Committee. Double measurements were performed for each animal. Ex vivo, all water in the tissue was extracted by lyophilization, thus allowing the volume of water to be measured. This was then compared with the predicted water content via Lin's concordance correlation coefficient at the 95 % confidence level. The mathematical model was highly significant when compared to a null model (p < 0.0001). 97.3 % of the variation in water content can be explained by absolute T1 values. Percentage water content could be predicted as 0.476 + (T1 value) × 0.000193 × 100 %. We found that there was 98 % concordance between the actual and predicted water contents. The results of this study demonstrate that MR data can be used to predict percentage water contents of cartilage samples. 3 (case-control study).

Valorization of MSWI bottom ash for biogas desulfurization: Influence of biogas water content.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontseré Obis, Marta; Germain, Patrick; Troesch, Olivier; Spillemaecker, Michel; Benbelkacem, Hassen

2017-02-01

In this study an alternative valorization of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (MSWI) Bottom Ash (BA) for H 2 S elimination from landfill biogas was evaluated. Emphasis was given to the influence of water content in biogas on H 2 S removal efficiency by BA. A small-scale pilot was developed and implemented in a landfill site located in France. A new biogas analyzer was used and allowed real-time continuous measurement of CH 4 , CO 2 , O 2 , H 2 S and H 2 O in raw and treated biogas. The H 2 S removal efficiency of bottom ash was evaluated for different inlet biogas humidities: from 4 to 24g water /m 3 . The biogas water content was found to greatly affect bottom ash efficiency regarding H 2 S removal. With humid inlet biogas the H 2 S removal was almost 3 times higher than with a dry inlet biogas. Best removal capacity obtained was 56gH 2 S/kgdryBA. A humid inlet biogas allows to conserve the bottom ash moisture content for a maximum H 2 S retention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Absolute measurement of the isotopic ratio of a water sample with very low deuterium content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagemann, R.; Nief, G.; Roth, E.

1968-01-01

The presence of H 3+ ions which are indistinguishable from HD + ions presents the principal difficulty encountered in the measurement of isotopic ratios of water samples with very low deuterium contents using a mass spectrometer. Thus, when the sample contains no deuterium, the mass spectrometer does not indicate zero. By producing, in situ, from the sample to be measured, water vapor with an isotopic ratio very close to zero using a small distilling column, this difficulty is overcome. This column, its operating parameters, as well as the way in which the measurements are made are described. An arrangement is employed in which the isotopic ratios can be measured with a sensitivity better than 0.01 x 10 -6 . The method is applied to the determination of the isotopic ratios of three low deuterium content water samples. The results obtained permit one to assign to the sample with the lowest deuterium content an absolute value equal to 1.71 ± 0.03 ppm. This water sample is a primary standard from which is determined the isotopic ratio of a natural water sample which serves as the laboratory standard. (author) [fr

The long-term effects of alfalfa on soil water content in the Loess ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-05-23

May 23, 2011 ... affect the water content in deep soil and continuous growing alfalfa ... Wasteland, wheat field and six seeded alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grasslands with ... The crops (wheat, maize, potato, beans and millet) had been rainfed on all ..... Productivity dynamic of alfalfa and its effects on water eco-environment.

The Calculated and Measured Performance Characteristics of a Heated-Wire Liquid-Water-Content Meter for Measuring Icing Severity

Science.gov (United States)

Neel, Carr B.; Steinmetz, Charles P.

1952-01-01

Ground tests have been made of an instrument which, when assembled in a more compact form for flight installation, could be used to obtain statistical flight data on the liquid-water content of icing clouds and to provide an indication of icing severity. The sensing element of the instrument consists of an electrically heated wire which is mounted in the air stream. The degree of cooling of the wire resulting from evaporation of the impinging water droplets is a measure. of the liquid-water content of the cloud. Determination of the value of the liquid-water content from the wire temperature at any instant requires a knowledge of the airspeed, altitude, and air temperature. An analysis was made of the temperature response of a heated wire exposed to an air stream containing water drops. Comparisons were made of the liquid-water content as measured with several heated wires and absorbent cylinders in an artificially produced cloud. For one of the wires, comparative tests were made with a rotating-disk icing-rate meter in an icing wind tunnel. From the test results, it was shown that an instrument for measuring the concentration of liquid water in an air stream can be built using an electrically heated wire of known temperatureresistance characteristics, and that the performance of such a device can be predicted using appropriate theory. Although an instrument in a form suitable for gathering statistical data in flight was not built, the practicability of constructing such an instrument was illustrated. The ground-test results indicated that a flight heated-wire instrument would be simple and durable, would respond rapidly to variations in liquid-water content, and could be used for the measurement of water content in clouds which are above freezing temperature, as well as in icing clouds.

Optimizing spatial and temporal constraints for cropland canopy water content retrieval through coupled radiative transfer model inversion

Science.gov (United States)

Boren, E. J.; Boschetti, L.; Johnson, D.

2017-12-01

Water plays a critical role in all plant physiological processes, including transpiration, photosynthesis, nutrient transportation, and maintenance of proper plant cell functions. Deficits in water content cause drought-induced stress conditions, such as constrained plant growth and cellular metabolism, while overabundance of water cause anoxic conditions which limit plant physiological processes and promote disease. Vegetation water content maps can provide agricultural producers key knowledge for improving production capacity and resiliency in agricultural systems while facilitating the ability to pinpoint, monitor, and resolve water scarcity issues. Radiative transfer model (RTM) inversion has been successfully applied to remotely sensed data to retrieve biophysical and canopy parameter estimates, including water content. The successful launch of the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) in 2012, Sentinel 2A Multispectral Instrument (MSI) in 2015, followed by Sentinel 2B in 2017, the systematic acquisition schedule and free data distribution policy provide the opportunity for water content estimation at a spatial and temporal scale that can meet the demands of potential operational users: combined, these polar-orbiting systems provide 10 m to 30 m multi-spectral global coverage up to every 3 days. The goal of the present research is to prototype the generation of a cropland canopy water content product, obtained from the newly developed Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 atmospherically corrected HLS product, through the inversion of the leaf and canopy model PROSAIL5B. We assess the impact of a novel spatial and temporal stratification, where some parameters of the model are constrained by crop type and phenological phase, based on ancillary biophysical data, collected from various crop species grown in a controlled setting and under different water stress conditions. Canopy-level data, collected coincidently with satellite overpasses during four summer field campaigns

Feeding frequency, but not dietary water content, affects voluntary physical activity in young lean adult female cats.

Science.gov (United States)

de Godoy, M R C; Ochi, K; de Oliveira Mateus, L F; de Justino, A C C; Swanson, K S

2015-05-01

The objective of this study was to investigate whether increased dietary water content and feeding frequency increased voluntary physical activity of young, lean adult female cats. A replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement (feeding frequency and water content) was used. The 4 treatments consisted of 1 meal daily dry pet food without added water (1D; 12% moisture as is), 1 meal daily dry pet food with added water (1W; 70% total water content), 4 meals daily dry pet food without added water (4D; 12% moisture as is), and 4 meals daily dry pet food with added water (4W; 70% total water content). Eight healthy adult, lean, intact, young, female domestic shorthair cats were used in this experiment. Voluntary physical activity was evaluated using Actical activity monitors placed on collars and worn around the cats' necks for the last 7 d of each experimental period of 14 d. Food anticipatory activity (FAA) was calculated based on 2 h prior to feeding periods and expressed as a percentage of total daily voluntary physical activity. Increased feeding frequency (4 vs. 1 meal daily) resulted in greater average daily activity (P = 0.0147), activity during the light period (P = 0.0023), and light:dark activity ratio (P = 0.0002). In contrast, physical activity during the dark period was not altered by feeding frequency (P > 0.05). Cats fed 4 meals daily had increased afternoon FAA (P= 0.0029) compared with cats fed once daily. Dietary water content did not affect any measure of voluntary physical activity. Increased feeding frequency is an effective strategy to increase the voluntary physical activity of cats. Thus, it may assist in the prevention and management of obesity.

Estimating carbonate parameters from hydrographic data for the intermediate and deep waters of the Southern Hemisphere oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Bostock, H. C.; Mikaloff Fletcher, S. E.; Williams, M. J. M.

2013-10-01

Using ocean carbon data from global datasets, we have developed several multiple linear regression (MLR) algorithms to estimate alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the intermediate and deep waters of the Southern Hemisphere (south of 25° S) from only hydrographic data (temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen). A Monte Carlo experiment was used to identify a potential density (σθ) of 27.5 as an optimal break point between the two regimes with different MLR algorithms. The algorithms provide a good estimate of DIC (R2=0.98) and alkalinity (R2=0.91), and excellent agreement for aragonite and calcite saturation states (R2=0.99). Combining the algorithms with the CSIRO Atlas of Regional Seas (CARS), we have mapped the calcite saturation horizon (CSH) and aragonite saturation horizon (ASH) for the Southern Ocean at a spatial resolution of 0.5°. These maps are more detailed and more consistent with the oceanography than the previously gridded GLODAP data. The high-resolution ASH map reveals a dramatic circumpolar shoaling at the polar front. North of 40° S the CSH is deepest in the Atlantic (~ 4000 m) and shallower in the Pacific Ocean (~ 2750 m), while the CSH sits between 3200 and 3400 m in the Indian Ocean. The uptake of anthropogenic carbon by the ocean will alter the relationships between DIC and hydrographic data in the intermediate and deep waters over time. Thus continued sampling will be required, and the MLR algorithms will need to be adjusted in the future to account for these changes.

Estimating carbonate parameters from hydrographic data for the intermediate and deep waters of the Southern Hemisphere oceans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. C. Bostock

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Using ocean carbon data from global datasets, we have developed several multiple linear regression (MLR algorithms to estimate alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC in the intermediate and deep waters of the Southern Hemisphere (south of 25° S from only hydrographic data (temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. A Monte Carlo experiment was used to identify a potential density (σθ of 27.5 as an optimal break point between the two regimes with different MLR algorithms. The algorithms provide a good estimate of DIC (R2=0.98 and alkalinity (R2=0.91, and excellent agreement for aragonite and calcite saturation states (R2=0.99. Combining the algorithms with the CSIRO Atlas of Regional Seas (CARS, we have mapped the calcite saturation horizon (CSH and aragonite saturation horizon (ASH for the Southern Ocean at a spatial resolution of 0.5°. These maps are more detailed and more consistent with the oceanography than the previously gridded GLODAP data. The high-resolution ASH map reveals a dramatic circumpolar shoaling at the polar front. North of 40° S the CSH is deepest in the Atlantic (~ 4000 m and shallower in the Pacific Ocean (~ 2750 m, while the CSH sits between 3200 and 3400 m in the Indian Ocean. The uptake of anthropogenic carbon by the ocean will alter the relationships between DIC and hydrographic data in the intermediate and deep waters over time. Thus continued sampling will be required, and the MLR algorithms will need to be adjusted in the future to account for these changes.

Comparison of neutron scattering, gravimetric and tensiometric methods for measuring soil water content in the field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jat, R.L.; Das, D.K.; Naskar, G.C.

1975-01-01

Water content of a sandy clay loam soil was measured by neutron scattering, gravimetric and tensiometric methods. Tensiometric measurement based on laboratory moisture retention curve gave comparatively higher moisture content than those obtained by other methods. No significant differences were observed among neutron meter, gravimetric and tensiometric measurement based on field calibration curve. Though for irrigation purposes all the methods can be used equally, use of tensiometric method with field calibration curve is suggested for easy and more accurate soil water content measurement where neutron meter is not available. (author)

Effect of residual water content on the physico-chemical properties of sucralfate dried gel obtained by microwave drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Gainotti, Alessandro; Losi, Elena; Bettini, Ruggero; Colombo, Paolo; Sonvico, Fabio; Baroni, Daniela; Santi, Patrizia; Colombo, Gaia

2005-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physico-chemical characteristics of sucralfate humid gel dried by microwaves, in relation to the residual water content. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) allowed for the determination of the water state in sucralfate samples. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to monitor the changes in sucralfate gel structure induced by the microwave drying. A boundary value of total water content for sucralfate gel samples was found at 42% (w/w). Below this value only bound water was present, whereas above this value, the increase in total water was due to free water. In the physical form of gel, the strength of the coordination between sulfate anions and the positively charged aluminum hydroxide was dependent on the residual water content. The study of the sedimentation behavior of water suspensions prepared with dried sucralfate allowed for the evaluation of the retention of gel properties. We found that the microwave drying process affected the sedimentation of sucralfate dried gel suspensions independent of the residual water content: when suspensions were prepared from sucralfate dried gel powders containing more than 42% (w/w) of residual water, the sedimentation ratio was higher than 0.9. The non-gel powder suspension showed a sedimentation ratio of 0.68 +/- 0.02, whereas the sucralfate humid gel suspension did not sediment.

Potentiometric surfaces of the intermediate aquifer system, west-central Florida, May, 1993

Science.gov (United States)

Mularoni, R.A.

1994-01-01

The intermediate aquifer system underlies a 5000-sq-mi area including De Soto, Sarasota, Hardee, Manatee, and parts of Charlotte, Hillsborough, Highlands, and Polk Counties, Florida. It is overlain by the surf@cial aquifer system and underlain by the Floridan aquifer system. The potentiometric surface of the intermediate aquifer system was mapped by determining the altitude of water levels in a network of wells and represented on a map by contours that connect points of equal altitude. This map represents water-level conditions near the end of the spring dry season when ground- water withdrawals for agricultural use were high. The cumulative rainfall for the study area was 4.84 inches above normal for the period from June 1992 to May 1993. Hydrographs for selected wells indicated that the annual and seasonal fluctuations of the water levels were generally large (greater than 15 feet) in the central interior region where water demand for irrigation is high during the fall and spring. Seasonal fluctuations were smaller in the northern recharge area where water use is predominantly for public supply. Water levels measured in May 1993 for the composite intermediate aquifer potentiometric surface were lower than those measured in May or September 1992. A cone of depression exists in the potentiometric surface for the composite aquifer system at Warm Mineral Springs, which is a natural discharge point from this system.

CALCULATED AND MEASURED VALUES OF LIQUID WATER CONTENT IN CLEAN AND POLLUTED ENVIRONMENTS

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fišák, Jaroslav; Řezáčová, Daniela; Mattanen, J.

2006-01-01

Roč. 50, č. 1 (2006), s. 121-130 ISSN 0039-3169 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA3042301 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : liquid water content * visibility * air pollutant * fog /cloud water Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 0.603, year: 2006

Leaf and shoot water content and leaf dry matter content of Mediterranean woody species with different post-fire regenerative strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Saura-Mas, S; Lloret, F

2007-03-01

Post-fire regeneration is a key process in Mediterranean shrubland dynamics, strongly determining the functional properties of the community. In this study, a test is carried out to determine whether there is co-variation between species regenerative types and functional attributes related to water use. An analysis was made of the seasonal variations in leaf relative water content (RWC), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf moisture (LM) and live fine fuel moisture (LFFM) in 30 woody species of a coastal shrubland, with different post-fire regenerative strategies (seeding, resprouting or both). RWC results suggest that the studied resprouters have more efficient mechanisms to reduce water losses and maintain water supply between seasons. In contrast, seeders are more drought tolerant. LDMC is higher in resprouters over the course of the year, suggesting a more efficient conservation of nutrients. The weight of the phylogenetic constraint to understand differences between regenerative strategies tends to be important for LDMC, while it is not the case for variables such as RWC. Groups of species with different post-fire regenerative strategies (seeders and resprouters) have different functional traits related to water use. In addition to the role of phylogenetical constraints, these differences are also likely to be related to the respective life history characteristics. Therefore, the presence and abundance of species with different post-fire regenerative responses influence the functional properties of the communities.

Variation of inulin content, inulin yield and water use efficiency for inulin yield in Jerusalem artichoke genotypes under different water regimes

Science.gov (United States)

The information on genotypic variation for inulin content, inulin yield and water use efficiency of inulin yield (WUEi) in response to drought is limited. This study was to investigate the genetic variability in inulin content, inulin yield and WUEi of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) ...

Evidence on dynamic effects in the water content – water potential relation of building materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheffler, Gregor Albrecht; Plagge, Rudolf

2008-01-01

static and dynamic moisture storage data and the more pronounced was the corresponding dynamic hysteresis. The paper thus provides clear experimental evidence on dynamic effects in the water content – water potential relation of building materials. By that, data published by previous authors as Topp et......Hygrothermal simulation has become a widely applied tool for the design and assessment of building structures under possible indoor and outdoor climatic conditions. One of the most important prerequisites of such simulations is reliable material data. Different approaches exist here to derive...... the required material functions, i.e. the moisture storage characteristic and the liquid water conductivity, from measured basic properties. The current state of the art in material modelling as well as the corresponding transport theory implies that the moisture transport function is unique...

Field evaluation of a direct push deployed sensor probe for vertical soil water content profiling

Science.gov (United States)

Vienken, Thomas; Reboulet, Ed; Leven, Carsten; Kreck, Manuel; Zschornack, Ludwig; Dietrich, Peter

2015-04-01

Reliable high-resolution information about vertical variations in soil water content, i.e. total porosity in the saturated zone, is essential for flow and transport predictions within the subsurface. However, porosity measurements are often associated with high efforts and high uncertainties, e.g. caused by soil disturbance during sampling or sensor installation procedures. In hydrogeological practice, commonly applied tools for the investigation of vertical soil water content distribution include gravimetric laboratory analyses of soil samples and neutron probe measurements. A yet less well established technique is the use of direct push-deployed sensor probes. Each of these methods is associated with inherent advantages and limitations due to their underlying measurement principles and operation modes. The presented study describes results of a joint field evaluation of the individual methods under different depositional and hydrogeological conditions with special focus on the performance on the direct push-deployed water content profiler. Therefore, direct push-profiling results from three different test sites are compared with results obtained from gravimetric analysis of soil cores and neutron probe measurements. In direct comparison, the applied direct push-based sensor probe proved to be a suitable alternative for vertical soil water content profiling to neutron probe technology, and, in addition, proved to be advantageous over gravimetric analysis in terms vertical resolution and time efficiency. Results of this study identify application-specific limitations of the methods and thereby highlight the need for careful data evaluation, even though neutron probe measurements and gravimetric analyses of soil samples are well established techniques (see Vienken et al. 2013). Reference: Vienken, T., Reboulet, E., Leven, C., Kreck, M., Zschornack, L., Dietrich, P., 2013. Field comparison of selected methods for vertical soil water content profiling. Journal of

Kinetics of a Criegee intermediate that would survive high humidity and may oxidize atmospheric SO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hao-Li; Chao, Wen; Lin, Jim Jr-Min

2015-09-01

Criegee intermediates are thought to play a role in atmospheric chemistry, in particular, the oxidation of SO2, which produces SO3 and subsequently H2SO4, an important constituent of aerosols and acid rain. However, the impact of such oxidation reactions is affected by the reactions of Criegee intermediates with water vapor, because of high water concentrations in the troposphere. In this work, the kinetics of the reactions of dimethyl substituted Criegee intermediate (CH3)2COO with water vapor and with SO2 were directly measured via UV absorption of (CH3)2COO under near-atmospheric conditions. The results indicate that (i) the water reaction with (CH3)2COO is not fast enough (kH2O SO2 at a near-gas-kinetic-limit rate (kSO2 = 1.3 × 10(-10) cm(3) s(-1)). These observations imply a significant fraction of atmospheric (CH3)2COO may survive under humid conditions and react with SO2, very different from the case of the simplest Criegee intermediate CH2OO, in which the reaction with water dimer predominates in the CH2OO decay under typical tropospheric conditions. In addition, a significant pressure dependence was observed for the reaction of (CH3)2COO with SO2, suggesting the use of low pressure rate may underestimate the impact of this reaction. This work demonstrates that the reactivity of a Criegee intermediate toward water vapor strongly depends on its structure, which will influence the main decay pathways and steady-state concentrations for various Criegee intermediates in the atmosphere.

Stalagmite water content as a proxy for drip water supply in tropical and subtropical areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Vogel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this pilot study water was extracted from samples of two Holocene stalagmites from Socotra Island, Yemen, and one Eemian stalagmite from southern continental Yemen. The amount of water extracted per unit mass of stalagmite rock, termed "water yield" hereafter, serves as a measure of its total water content. Based on direct correlation plots of water yields and δ18Ocalcite and on regime shift analyses, we demonstrate that for the studied stalagmites the water yield records vary systematically with the corresponding oxygen isotopic compositions of the calcite (δ18Ocalcite. Within each stalagmite lower δ18Ocalcite values are accompanied by lower water yields and vice versa. The δ18Ocalcite records of the studied stalagmites have previously been interpreted to predominantly reflect the amount of rainfall in the area; thus, water yields can be linked to drip water supply. Higher, and therefore more continuous drip water supply caused by higher rainfall rates, supports homogeneous deposition of calcite with low porosity and therefore a small fraction of water-filled inclusions, resulting in low water yields of the respective samples. A reduction of drip water supply fosters irregular growth of calcite with higher porosity, leading to an increase of the fraction of water-filled inclusions and thus higher water yields. The results are consistent with the literature on stalagmite growth and supported by optical inspection of thin sections of our samples. We propose that for a stalagmite from a dry tropical or subtropical area, its water yield record represents a novel paleo-climate proxy recording changes in drip water supply, which can in turn be interpreted in terms of associated rainfall rates.

OER Use in Intermediate Language Instruction: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Godwin-Jones, Robert

2017-01-01

This paper reports on a case study in the experimental use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in intermediate level language instruction. The resources come from three sources: the instructor, the students, and open content repositories. The objective of this action research project was to provide student-centered learning materials, enhance…

ACCELERATING COLUMN FOR SEPARATION OF ETHANOL FROM FACTIONS OF INTERMEDIATE AND HEAD IMPURITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. V. Agafonov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Summary. Nowadays purification of ethanol from the head and intermediate impurities is done with the selection of fractions of fusel alcohol and fusel oil from the distillation column and head and intermediate fractions impurities from condenser Epuration column operating accord-ing to the hydro-selection method. Due to this the fraction contains at least 13% ethyl alcohol, resulting in a reduced yield of the final product. Distillation of these fractions in the known acceleration columns requires increased consumption of heating steam for 6-8 kg / dal and increasing installation metal content. In this paper we investigate the process of distillation fraction from the condenser of Epura-tion column, fusel alcohol from the distillation column and subfusel liquid layer from the decanter, which is fed on a plate of supply of new accelerating column (AC, which operates on Epuration technology with the supply of hydro-selection water on the top plate and has in its composition concentration, boiling and stripping parts, a dephlagmator, a condenser, a boiler. Material balance equations of the column were obtained and ethyl alcohol concentration on its plates were determined by them. Having converted the material balance equations, we determined the dependences for the impurities ratio being drawn from the accelerating column with the Luther flows and ethyl alcohol fraction. Then we received the equation for determining the proportion of impurities taken from the column condenser with fraction. These calculations proved that the studied impurities are almost completely selected with this faction, ethyl alcohol content of it being 0.14% of the hourly output.

Effects of vine water status on dimethyl sulfur potential, ammonium, and amino acid contents in Grenache Noir grapes (Vitis vinifera).

Science.gov (United States)

De Royer Dupré, N; Schneider, R; Payan, J C; Salançon, E; Razungles, A

2014-04-02

We studied the effect of vine water status on the dimethyl sulfur potential (DMSP), ammonium, and amino acid contents of the berry during the maturation of Grenache Noir grapes. Water deficit increased the accumulation of amino acids in berries and favored yeast assimilable amino nitrogen. Similarly, ammonium content was higher in berries from vines subjected to moderate water deficit. DMSP content followed the same trend as yeast assimilable amino acid content, with higher concentrations observed in the berries of vines subjected to water deficit. The high DMSP and yeast assimilable nitrogen contents of musts from vines subjected to water deficit resulted in a better preservation of DMSP during winemaking. The wines produced from these musts had a higher DMSP level and would therefore probably have a higher aroma shelf life, because the DMSP determines the rate of release of dimethyl sulfur during wine storage, and this compound enhances fruity notes.

Effect of water content on thermal oxidation of oleic acid investigated by combination of EPR spectroscopy and SPME-GC-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongjian; Cao, Peirang; Li, Bo; Sun, Dewei; Wang, Yong; Li, Jinwei; Liu, Yuanfa

2017-04-15

Promotion of water to the thermal oxidation of oleic acid was detected by the combination of EPR, SPME-GC-MS/MS and GC. Spin-trapping technique was used to identify and quantify the radical species formed during thermal oxidation of oleic acid by using DMPO as electron spin trap. The most abundant radical species were identified as DMPO-alkyl radical adducts. EPR intensity plateau of the samples with 5% water content was 140% higher than the samples without water. It implies oleic acid samples with high water content had high level of oxidation rates. The proportion of aldehydes of the samples with 2% water content was the maximum about 59.97%. Among the formed products, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal has genotoxic and cytotoxic effects, whose percentage was nearly twice comparing with that of 5-0% water content. This study demonstrated that higher water content in frying systems would contribute to seriously oxidation and degradation of oleic acids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving water content estimation on landslide-prone hillslopes using structurally-constrained inversion of electrical resistivity data

Science.gov (United States)

Heinze, Thomas; Möhring, Simon; Budler, Jasmin; Weigand, Maximilian; Kemna, Andreas

2017-04-01

Rainfall-triggered landslides are a latent danger in almost any place of the world. Due to climate change heavy rainfalls might occur more often, increasing the risk of landslides. With pore pressure as mechanical trigger, knowledge of water content distribution in the ground is essential for hazard analysis during monitoring of potentially dangerous rainfall events. Geophysical methods like electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) can be utilized to determine the spatial distribution of water content using established soil physical relationships between bulk electrical resistivity and water content. However, often more dominant electrical contrasts due to lithological structures outplay these hydraulic signatures and blur the results in the inversion process. Additionally, the inversion of ERT data requires further constraints. In the standard Occam inversion method, a smoothness constraint is used, assuming that soil properties change softly in space. This applies in many scenarios, as for example during infiltration of water without a clear saturation front. Sharp lithological layers with strongly divergent hydrological parameters, as often found in landslide prone hillslopes, on the other hand, are typically badly resolved by standard ERT. We use a structurally constrained ERT inversion approach for improving water content estimation in landslide prone hills by including a-priori information about lithological layers. Here the standard smoothness constraint is reduced along layer boundaries identified using seismic data or other additional sources. This approach significantly improves water content estimations, because in landslide prone hills often a layer of rather high hydraulic conductivity is followed by a hydraulic barrier like clay-rich soil, causing higher pore pressures. One saturated layer and one almost drained layer typically result also in a sharp contrast in electrical resistivity, assuming that surface conductivity of the soil does not change in

Alkaline anion exchange membrane water electrolysis: Effects of electrolyte feed method and electrode binder content

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Min Kyung; Park, Hee-Young; Lee, Hye Jin; Kim, Hyoung-Juhn; Lim, Ahyoun; Henkensmeier, Dirk; Yoo, Sung Jong; Kim, Jin Young; Lee, So Young; Park, Hyun S.; Jang, Jong Hyun

2018-04-01

Herein, we investigate the effects of catholyte feed method and anode binder content on the characteristics of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) to construct a high-performance electrolyzer, revealing that the initial AEMWE performance is significantly improved by pre-feeding 0.5 M aqueous KOH to the cathode. The highest long-term activity during repeated voltage cycling is observed for AEMWE operation in the dry cathode mode, for which the best long-term performance among membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) featuring polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder-impregnated (5-20 wt%) anodes is detected for a PTFE content of 20 wt%. MEAs with low PTFE content (5 and 9 wt%) demonstrate high initial performance, rapid performance decay, and significant catalyst loss from the electrode during long-term operation, whereas the MEA with 20 wt% PTFE allows stable water electrolysis for over 1600 voltage cycles. Optimization of cell operating conditions (i.e., operation in dry cathode mode at an optimum anode binder content following an initial solution feed) achieves an enhanced water splitting current density (1.07 A cm-2 at 1.8 V) and stable long-term AEMWE performance (0.01% current density reduction per voltage cycle).

Required Accuracy of Structural Constraints in the Inversion of Electrical Resistivity Data for Improved Water Content Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Heinze, T.; Budler, J.; Weigand, M.; Kemna, A.

2017-12-01

Water content distribution in the ground is essential for hazard analysis during monitoring of landslide prone hills. Geophysical methods like electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) can be utilized to determine the spatial distribution of water content using established soil physical relationships between bulk electrical resistivity and water content. However, often more dominant electrical contrasts due to lithological structures outplay these hydraulic signatures and blur the results in the inversion process. Additionally, the inversion of ERT data requires further constraints. In the standard Occam inversion method, a smoothness constraint is used, assuming that soil properties change softly in space. While this applies in many scenarios, sharp lithological layers with strongly divergent hydrological parameters, as often found in landslide prone hillslopes, are typically badly resolved by standard ERT. We use a structurally constrained ERT inversion approach for improving water content estimation in landslide prone hills by including a-priori information about lithological layers. The smoothness constraint is reduced along layer boundaries identified using seismic data. This approach significantly improves water content estimations, because in landslide prone hills often a layer of rather high hydraulic conductivity is followed by a hydraulic barrier like clay-rich soil, causing higher pore pressures. One saturated layer and one almost drained layer typically result also in a sharp contrast in electrical resistivity, assuming that surface conductivity of the soil does not change in similar order. Using synthetic data, we study the influence of uncertainties in the a-priori information on the inverted resistivity and estimated water content distribution. We find a similar behavior over a broad range of models and depths. Based on our simulation results, we provide best-practice recommendations for field applications and suggest important tests to obtain reliable

Determination of aluminium, silicon and magnesium content in water samples by nuclear physical methods using XRFA and the MT-25 microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maslov, O.D.; Gustova, M.V.; Belov, A.G.; Drobina, T.P.

2011-01-01

Some of element contents in the samples have been determined by nuclear physical methods (XRFA, GAA and NAA). The possibility of determining Al, Si and Mg content in water samples has been studied. The detection limits of 0.03 mg/1 for Al, 0.3 mg/1 for Si and 0.1 mg/1 for Mg in water samples have been obtained. Monitoring of the aluminium and silicon content in water is important because the high concentration of aluminium or the low content of silicon in drinking water may be risk factors for Alzheimer's disease

Radiation absorption, water content and contrast medium impregnation of gallstones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt, W.G.H.

1982-01-01

Gallstones extracted by surgery were examined for CT density, which was compared with the X-ray film, floating performance and chemical analysis of the stones. So far, the water content of the biliary concrements - 14% on the average - has not been given much attention. Drying will considerably reduce the density; examination of the dried gallstones yields a false picture of direct ray absorption. Pure cholesterol stones do not float in water, and they show positive values on Hounsfield's scale (+30 - +60). The article discusses the question whether CT is suitable for effecting a better selection of gallstone patients who can be treated by drug therapy. (orig.) [de

Advective and atmospheric forced changes in heat and fresh water content in the Norwegian Sea, 1951-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Mork, Kjell Arne; Skagseth, Øystein; Ivshin, Victor; Ozhigin, Vladimir; Hughes, Sarah L.; Valdimarsson, Hédinn

2014-09-01

Climate variability in the Norwegian Sea was investigated in terms of ocean heat and fresh water contents of Atlantic water above a reference surface, using hydrographic data during spring 1951-2010. The main processes acting on this variability were examined and then quantified. The area-averaged water mass cooled and freshened, but a deepening of the reference surface resulted in a positive trend in the heat content of 0.3 W m-2. Air-sea heat fluxes explained about half of the interannual variability in heat content. The effect of the advection of Atlantic and Arctic waters on the variability varied with time, apparently due to large-scale changes in the ocean circulation. The data are consistent with the explanation that changing wind patterns caused buffering and then release of Arctic water in the Iceland Sea during the late 1960s to early 1970s, and this caused large hydrographic changes in the Norwegian Sea.

Development of a new medium frequency EM device: Mapping soil water content variations using electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity

Science.gov (United States)

Kessouri, P.; Buvat, S.; Tabbagh, A.

2012-12-01

Both electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of soil are influenced by its water content. Dielectric permittivity is usually measured in the high frequency range, using GPR or TDR, where the sensitivity to water content is high. However, its evaluation is limited by a low investigation depth, especially for clay rich soils. Electrical conductivity is closely related not only to soil water content, but also to clay content and soil structure. A simultaneous estimation of these electrical parameters can allow the mapping of soil water content variations for an investigation depth close to 1m. In order to estimate simultaneously both soil electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity, an electromagnetic device working in the medium frequency range (between 100 kHz and 10 MHz) has been designed. We adopted Slingram geometry for the EM prototype: its PERP configuration (vertical transmission loop Tx and horizontal measuring loop Rx) was defined using 1D ground models. As the required investigation depth is around 1m, the coil spacing was fixed to 1.2m. This prototype works in a frequency range between 1 and 5 MHz. After calibration, we tested the response of prototype to objects with known properties. The first in situ measurements were led on experimental sites with different types of soils and different water content variations (artificially created or natural): sandy alluvium on a plot of INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) in Orléans (Centre, France), a clay-loam soil on an experimental site in Estrée-Mons (Picardie, France) and fractured limestone at the vicinity of Grand (Vosges, France). In the case of the sandy alluvium, the values of dielectric permittivity measured are close to those of HF permittivity and allow the use of existing theoretical models to determine the soil water content. For soils containing higher amount of clay, the coupled information brought by the electrical conductivity and the dielectric

CAMEX-4 DC-8 NEVZOROV TOTAL CONDENSED WATER CONTENT SENSOR V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Nevzorov probe is an instrument that measures the total water content of the sample of air which passes through it. It flew on the NASA DC-8 during the CAMEX-4...

Strategies to increase the stability of intermediate moisture foods towards Zygosaccharomyces rouxii: The effect of temperature, ethanol, pH and water activity, with or without the influence of organic acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vermeulen, A.; Nielsen, Cecilie Lykke Marvig; Daelman, J.

2015-01-01

Intermediate moisture foods (IMF) are in general microbiologically stable products. However, due to health concerns consumer demands are increasingly forcing producers to lower the fat, sugar and preservatives content, which impede the stability of the IMF products. One of the strategies to count......Intermediate moisture foods (IMF) are in general microbiologically stable products. However, due to health concerns consumer demands are increasingly forcing producers to lower the fat, sugar and preservatives content, which impede the stability of the IMF products. One of the strategies......, acetic acid had only an additive effect to ethanol and aw at low pH, whereas sorbic acid had also an additive effect at the higher pH values. For incubation periods longer than 30 days the growth/no growth boundary remained stable but enlarged gradually between day 60 and 90, except for the lower...

Effects of chemical composite, puffing temperature and intermediate moisture content on physical properties of potato and apple slices

Science.gov (United States)

Tabtaing, S.; Paengkanya, S.; Tanthong, P.

2017-09-01

Puffing technique is the process that can improve texture and volumetric of crisp fruit and vegetable. However, the effect of chemical composite in foods on puffing characteristics is still lack of study. Therefore, potato and apple slices were comparative study on their physical properties. Potato and apple were sliced into 2.5 mm thickness and 2.5 cm in diameter. Potato slices were treated by hot water for 2 min while apple slices were not treatment. After that, they were dried in 3 steps. First step, they were dried by hot air at temperature of 90°C until their moisture content reached to 30, 40, and 50 % dry basis. Then they were puffed by hot air at temperature of 130, 150, and 170°C for 2 min. Finally, they were dried again by hot air at temperature of 90°C until their final moisture content reached to 4% dry basis. The experimental results showed that chemical composite of food affected on physical properties of puffed product. Puffed potato had higher volume ratio than those puffed apple because potato slices contains starch. The higher starch content provided more hard texture of potato than those apples. Puffing temperature and moisture content strongly affected on the color, volume ratio, and textural properties of puffed potato slices. In addition, the high drying rate of puffed product observed at high puffing temperature and higher moisture content.

Water content of acacia honey dertermined by two established methods and by optothermal window

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Szopos, S.; Doka, O.; Bicanic, D.D.; Ajtony, Z.

2008-01-01

The major objective of the research study described here was to explore the potential of the optothermal window (OW) technique as a new approach towards a simple, rapid determination of water content in honey. Water, major component of foods, influences their physical and chemical properties. Single

Sapflow+: a four-needle heat-pulse sap flow sensor enabling nonempirical sap flux density and water content measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandegehuchte, Maurits W; Steppe, Kathy

2012-10-01

• To our knowledge, to date, no nonempirical method exists to measure reverse, low or high sap flux density. Moreover, existing sap flow methods require destructive wood core measurements to determine sapwood water content, necessary to convert heat velocity to sap flux density, not only damaging the tree, but also neglecting seasonal variability in sapwood water content. • Here, we present a nonempirical heat-pulse-based method and coupled sensor which measure temperature changes around a linear heater in both axial and tangential directions after application of a heat pulse. By fitting the correct heat conduction-convection equation to the measured temperature profiles, the heat velocity and water content of the sapwood can be determined. • An identifiability analysis and validation tests on artificial and real stem segments of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) confirm the applicability of the method, leading to accurate determinations of heat velocity, water content and hence sap flux density. • The proposed method enables sap flux density measurements to be made across the entire natural occurring sap flux density range of woody plants. Moreover, the water content during low flows can be determined accurately, enabling a correct conversion from heat velocity to sap flux density without destructive core measurements. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

Water content within the oceanic upper mantle of the Southwest Indian Ridge: a FTIR analysis of orthopyroxenes of abyssal peridotites

Science.gov (United States)

Li, W.; Li, H.; Tao, C.; Jin, Z.

2013-12-01

Water can be present in the oceanic upper mantle as structural OH in nominally anhydrous minerals. Such water has marked effects on manlte melting and rheology properties. However, the water content of MORB source is mainly inferred from MORB glass data that the water budget of oceanic upper mantle is poorly constrained. Here we present water analysis of peridotites from different sites on the Southwest Indian Ridge. The mineral assemblages of these peridotites are olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and spinel. As the peridotites have been serpentinized to different degrees, only water contents in orthopyroxnene can be better determined by FTIR spectrometry. The IR absorption bands of all measured orthopyroxenes can be devided into four different groups: (1)3562-3596 cm-1, (2)3515-3520 cm-1, (3)3415-3420 cm-1, (4)3200-3210 cm-1. The positions of these absorption bands are in good agreement with perivious reports. Hydrogen profile measurements performed on larger opx grains in each suite of samples show no obvious variations between core and rims regions, indicating that diffusion of H in orthopyroxene is insignificant. Preliminary measured water contents of orthopyroxene differ by up to one order of magnitude. Opx water contents (80-220 ppm) of most samples are within the range of those found in mantle xenoliths of contentinal settings [1]. Opx water contents of one sample (VM-21V-S9-D5-2: 38-64 ppm) are similar to those from Gakkel Ridge abyssal peridotites (25-60 ppm) [2] but higher than those from Mid-Atlantic Ridge ODP-Leg 209(~15 ppm) [3]. Two other samples show high water concentrations (VM-19ΙΙΙ-S3-TVG2-4: 260-275 ppm, Wb-18-b: 190-265 ppm) which compare well with those from Mid-Atlantic Ridge ODP-Leg 153(160-270 ppm) [4]. Most opx water contents decrease with increasing depletion degree (spl Cr#) consistent with an incompatible behavior of water during partial melting. Recalculated bulk water contents (27-117 ppm) of these peridotites overlap

Effects of salinity on growth, water content and distribution of Na + ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effects of 4 different concentrations of NaCl on plant height, on water content and on the distribution of monovalent cations (Na + and K +) in organs of Avicennia germinans seedlings in semi-controlled conditions were investigated. After 4 weeks of cultivation, results showed that 200 mmoles sodium chloride reduced the ...

The Quality of Rambak Cracker from Rabbit Skin (Water Content and Swelling Power using The Different Technique of Fur Picking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dedes Amertaningtyas

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This objective of this researchwas to compare the different technique of fur picking (liming and boiling inthe quality rambak cracker from rabbit skin on water content and swelling power.Materials of this research were 20 drying rabbit skin 5 – 6 months old. The tTest was using to compare the different technique of fur picking. Theindependent variables of this research were water content and swelling power onrambak cracker from rabbit skin. The result showed that the different techniqueof fur picking had highly significant effect (P<0.01 on water content and  expanding rate. The best result was limingtechnique of fur picking. It had the following properties: Water content of 1.5922% and expending rate of 855.3798 %. The conclusion showed that the use limingof 4% produced high quality of rambak cracker from rabbit skin or anotheranimal skin (cow, buffalo, chicken or fish. Keywords: rambak cracker, rabbit skin, water content,expanding rate

[Arsenic contents in soil, water, and crops in an e-waste disposal area].

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Chun-xia; Yin, Xue-bin; Song, Jing; Li, Chen-xi; Qian, Wei; Zhao, Qi-guo; Luo, Yong-ming

2008-06-01

In order to study whether disposing electronic wastes and secondary metal smelting could cause an arsenic pollution in the environment or not, Luqiao town, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province was selected as a study area. The main purpose of this paper was to characterize arsenic contents in the local environment, including waters, sediments, soils and rice, and to assess the potential risk to humans. Additionally, the arsenic spatial distribution property and arsenic uptake-translocation rule in soil-rice system were also studied. The results showed that the average arsenic levels in the surface water and the groundwater were 8.26 microg/L and 18.52 microg/L, respectively, which did not exceed the limiting value of Chinese Environment Standards class III . Whereas,some groundwater exceeded the recommended standard by the WHO for drinking water (10 microg/L). The arsenic (on average 7.11 mg/kg) in paddy soils and arsenic (on average 6.17 mg/kg) in the vegetable garden soils were lower than the value recommended by the National Standard (level I). The average arsenic contents in brown rice and husks were 165.1 microg/kg and 144.2 microg/kg, which was also lower than the Chinese Foods Quality Standard. The arsenic contents between the corresponding soils-rice and husks-brown rice showed significantly positive correlations. By comparison, the arsenic contents of soils and husks collected around electroplating were relatively higher than most of other pollutant sources, indicating the electroplating may lead accumulation of arsenic in the paddy soil-rice system.

Mercury content in wetland rice soil and water of two different seasons at small-scale gold mine processing areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Sugianti

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed to identify the impact of small-scale gold processing activities on mercury content in wetland rice soil and water during the rainy and first dry seasons in Central Lombok and West Lombok Districts. The method used for this study was survey method. Measurement of mercury levels in water samples was conducted at Agro Bogor Centre using SNI 6989.77: 2011 methods. The data was collected and processed in a simple statistic presented descriptively, in order to obtain information. Results of the study showed that mercury content soils in the rainy season exceeded the threshold of 0.005 ppm, while in the first dry season the mercury content in soil decreased, but it was still above the threshold value permitted. The contents of mercury in water samples in the rainy season and the first dry season were still at a safe point that was less than 0.05 ppm. The wetland rice soil and water had been polluted with mercury, although the mercury content in the water was still below the threshold, but the accumulation of mercury that could have been absorbed by the plants are of particular concerns. The decrease of mercury content in soil in dry season was due to lack of gold processing activities.

Non-invasive measurements of soil water content using a pulsed 14 MeV neutron generator

Science.gov (United States)

Most current techniques of setting crop irrigation schedules use invasive, labor-intensive soil-water content measurements. We developed a cart-mounted neutron probe capable of non-invasive measurements of volumetric soil moisture contents. The instrument emits neutrons which are captured by hydroge...

Liquid water content variation with altitude in clouds over Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Andreea, Boscornea; Sabina, Stefan

2013-04-01

Cloud water content is one of the most fundamental measurements in cloud physics. Knowledge of the vertical variability of cloud microphysical characteristics is important for a variety of reasons. The profile of liquid water content (LWC) partially governs the radiative transfer for cloudy atmospheres, LWC profiles improves our understanding of processes acting to form and maintain cloud systems and may lead to improvements in the representation of clouds in numerical models. Presently, in situ airborne measurements provide the most accurate information about cloud microphysical characteristics. This information can be used for verification of both numerical models and cloud remote sensing techniques. The aim of this paper was to analyze the liquid water content (LWC) measurements in clouds, in time of the aircraft flights. The aircraft and its platform ATMOSLAB - Airborne Laboratory for Environmental Atmospheric Research is property of the National Institute for Aerospace Research "Elie Carafoli" (INCAS), Bucharest, Romania. The airborne laboratory equipped for special research missions is based on a Hawker Beechcraft - King Air C90 GTx aircraft and is equipped with a sensors system CAPS - Cloud, Aerosol and Precipitation Spectrometer (30 bins, 0.51-50 m). The processed and analyzed measurements are acquired during 4 flights from Romania (Bucharest, 44°25'57″N 26°06'14″E) to Germany (Berlin 52°30'2″N 13°23'56″E) above the same region of Europe. The flight path was starting from Bucharest to the western part of Romania above Hungary, Austria at a cruse altitude between 6000-8500 m, and after 5 hours reaching Berlin. In total we acquired data during approximately 20 flight hours and we presented the vertical and horizontal LWC variations for different cloud types. The LWC values are similar for each type of cloud to values from literature. The vertical LWC profiles in the atmosphere measured during takeoff and landing of the aircraft have shown their

Variation in faecal water content may confound estimates of gastro-intestinal parasite intensity in wild African herbivores.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, W C; Cizauskas, C A; Getz, W M

2010-03-01

Estimates of parasite intensity within host populations are essential for many studies of host-parasite relationships. Here we evaluated the seasonal, age- and sex-related variability in faecal water content for two wild ungulate species, springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) and plains zebra (Equus quagga). We then assessed whether or not faecal water content biased conclusions regarding differences in strongyle infection rates by season, age or sex. There was evidence of significant variation in faecal water content by season and age for both species, and by sex in springbok. Analyses of faecal egg counts demonstrated that sex was a near-significant factor in explaining variation in strongyle parasite infection rates in zebra (P = 0.055) and springbok (P = 0.052) using wet-weight faecal samples. However, once these intensity estimates were re-scaled by the percent of dry matter in the faeces, sex was no longer a significant factor (zebra, P = 0.268; springbok, P = 0.234). These results demonstrate that variation in faecal water content may confound analyses and could produce spurious conclusions, as was the case with host sex as a factor in the analysis. We thus recommend that researchers assess whether water variation could be a confounding factor when designing and performing research using faecal indices of parasite intensity.

Derivation of an empirical formula for determining water content of mixed uranyl nitrate-thorium nitrate solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Duck Kee; Choi, Byung Il; Ro, Seung Gy; Eom, Tae Yoon; Kim, Zong Goo

1986-01-01

Densities of a large number of mixed uranyl nitrate-thorium nitrate solutions were measured with pycnometer. By the least squares analysis of the experimental result, an empirical formula for determining water content of mixed uranyl nitrate-thorium nitrate solutions as functions of uranium concentration, thorium concentration and nitric acid normality is derived; W=1.0-0.3580 C u -0.4538 C Th -0.0307H + where W, C u , C Th , and H + stand for water content(g/cc), uranium concentration (g/cc), thorium concentration(g/cc), and nitric acid normality, respectively. Water contents of the mixed uranyl nitrate-thorium nitrate solutions are calculated by using the empirical formular, and compared with the values calculated by Bouly's equation in which an additional data, solution density, is required. The two results show good agreements within 2.7%. (Author)

Modeling the release of E. coli D21g with transients in water content

Science.gov (United States)

Transients in water content are well known to mobilize colloids that are retained in the vadose zone. However, there is no consensus on the proper model formulation to simulate colloid release during drainage and imbibition. We present a model that relates colloid release to changes in the air-water...

Microbial and trace metal content of well water in three rural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Microbial and trace metal content of well water in three rural communities in Bauchi State, Nigeria*. E Ikeh, PN Durfee, RH Glew, R Amato, FJ Frost, DJ Vanderjagt. Abstract. No Abstract. Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 5 (2) 2006: 66-70. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT

Effect of water content on strontium retardation factor and distribution coefficient in Chinese loess.

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Lijuan; Qian, Tianwei; Hao, Junting; Liu, Hongfang; Zhao, Dongye

2013-12-01

Geological burial and landfill are often employed for disposal of nuclear wastes. Typically, radionuclides from nuclear facilities transport through the unsaturated zone before reaching the groundwater aquifer. However, transport studies are often conducted under saturated and steady-state flow conditions. This research aimed to examine the effects of unsaturated flow conditions and soil water content (θ) on Sr sorption and retardation in Chinese loess through 1D column transport experiments. Reagent SrCl2 was used as a surrogate for the radioactive isotope ((90)Sr) in the experiment because of their analogous adsorption and transportation characteristics. The spatial distribution of Sr along the column length was determined by segmenting the soil bed and analysing the Sr content in each soil segment following each column breakthrough test. The single-region (SR) and two-region (TR) models were employed to interpret the transport data of Sr as well as a tracer (Br(-)), which resulted in the dispersion coefficient (D) and retardation factor (Rd) under a given set of unsaturated flow conditions. For the tracer, the SR and TR models offered nearly the same goodness of fitting to the breakthrough curves (R(2) ≈ 0.97 for both models). For the highly sorptive Sr, however, the TR model provided better fitting (R(2), 0.80-0.96) to the Sr retention profiles than the SR model (R(2), 0.20-0.89). The Sr retention curves exhibited physical non-equilibrium characteristics, particularly at lower water content of the soil. For the unsaturated soil, D and the pore water velocity (v) displayed a weak linear correlation, which is attributed to the altering dispersivity as the water content varies. A much improved linear correlation was observed between D and v/θ. The retardation factor of Sr increased from 69.1 to 174.2 as θ decreased from 0.46 to 0.26 (cm(3) cm(-3)), while the distribution coefficient (Kd) based on Rd remained nearly unchanged at various θ levels. These

THE INFLUENCE OF THE CONTENT OF ALUMINIUM ON THE BIOCENOSIS OF THE WATERS OF LAKES WITH POORLY URBANIZED RECEPTION BASINS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacek Kubiak

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The article presents the research results of the content of aluminium in the waters of the largest lakes situated in the reception basin of the Tywa river. The general content of aluminium and its form: dissolved and non-dissolved was examined. The general content of aluminium in those waters varied from 5.3 to 98.9 μg/l, while the content of dissolved aluminium varied from 3.0 to 57.0 and its non-dissolved form from 1.0 to 54.0 μg/l. The average concentration of the content of aluminium in the waters of examined lakes was similar; Dłużec lake – 42.9, Strzeszowskie lake – 39.2, Dołgie lake 45.7, Swobnickie lake 41.4 μg/l. The prevailing form of aluminium in the examined bodies of water was the dissolved form. The greatest amounts of that metal in waters of the examined lakes were present in autumn and spring, and the smallest amounts in summer and winter, the tendency concerned the entire content of aluminium and its non-dissolved form. The dissolved form of aluminium in the waters of examined lakes was present in the largest amounts in winter (on average – 17.4 μg/l, in the smallest amounts in spring (14.0 μg/l, this seasonal diversity – was weakly marked. The existing concentration of aluminium is typical of non-polluted surface waters, and with the stated reaction and the content of sulfurs, carbonates and chlorides in the examined waters, they were not toxic to the biocenosis.

Effects of season on the bathypelagic mysid Gnathophausia ingens: water content, respiration, and excretion

Science.gov (United States)

Hiller-Adams, Page; Childress, James J.

1983-06-01

Water contents, oxygen consumption rates and ammonia excretion rates of individuals of the large bathypelagic mysid Gnathophausia ingens were measured as a function of size and season (winter and summer). Individuals of the sizes studied live permanently beneath the euphotic zone. Water content, as a percent of wet weight, is higher in winter than in summer, suggesting seasonal variability in the midwater environment. Our data suggest that the seasonal change in water content increases with increasing size. We suggest that the changes are due in part to seasonal changes in food intake. Seasonal differences were not observed in wet-weight-specific rates of either respiration or ammonia excretion. Both rates decrease with increasing size. The constancy of the atomic O:N ratio and its high value (geometric mean = 44.3) indicate that the average proportions of lipid and protein metabolized by individuals were independent of size and season and that lipid stores were not sufficiently depleted, even in small animals, to cause a shift to predominantly protein metabolism in winter or summer. On the average, metabolic rates of individuals were unaffected by seasonal variation in the midwater environment.

Modification of stool's water content in constipated infants: management with an adapted infant formula

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvarez Marina M

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Constipation is a common occurrence in formula-fed infants. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the impact of a formula with high levels of lactose and magnesium, in compliance with the official regulations, on stool water content, as well as a parental assessment of constipation. Materials and methods Thirty healthy term-born, formula-fed infants, aged 4-10 weeks, with functional constipation were included. All infants were full-term and fed standard formula. Exclusion criteria were preterm and/or low birth weight, organic constipation, being breast fed or fed a formula specially designed to treat constipation. Stool composition was measured by near-infrared reflectance analysis (NIRA and parents answered questions about crying associated with defecation and stool consistency at baseline and after two weeks of the adapted formula. Results After 2 weeks of the adapted formula, stool water content increased from 71 +/- 8.1% to 84 +/- 5.9%, (p Conclusions This preliminary study suggests that an adapted formula with high levels of lactose and magnesium increases stool water content and improves symptoms of constipation in term-born, formula-fed infants. A larger randomized placebo-controlled trial is indicated.

Desiccation resistance: effect of cuticular hydrocarbons and water content in Drosophila melanogaster adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Francois Ferveur

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background The insect cuticle covers the whole body and all appendages and has bi-directionnal selective permeability: it protects against environmental stress and pathogen infection and also helps to reduce water loss. The adult cuticle is often associated with a superficial layer of fatty acid-derived molecules such as waxes and long chain hydrocarbons that prevent rapid dehydration. The waterproofing properties of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs depend on their chain length and desaturation number. Drosophila CH biosynthesis involves an enzymatic pathway including several elongase and desaturase enzymes. Methods The link between desiccation resistance and CH profile remains unclear, so we tested (1 experimentally selected desiccation-resistant lines, (2 transgenic flies with altered desaturase expression and (3 natural and laboratory-induced CH variants. We also explored the possible relationship between desiccation resistance, relative water content and fecundity in females. Results We found that increased desiccation resistance is linked with the increased proportion of desaturated CHs, but not with their total amount. Experimentally-induced desiccation resistance and CH variation both remained stable after many generations without selection. Conversely, flies with a higher water content and a lower proportion of desaturated CHs showed reduced desiccation resistance. This was also the case in flies with defective desaturase expression in the fat body. Discussion We conclude that rapidly acquired desiccation resistance, depending on both CH profile and water content, can remain stable without selection in a humid environment. These three phenotypes, which might be expected to show a simple relationship, turn out to have complex physiological and genetic links.

Development of a differential infrared absorption method to measure the deuterium content of natural water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Alessio, Enrique; Bonadeo, Hernan; Karaianev de Del Carril, Stiliana.

1975-07-01

A system to measure the deuterium content of natural water using differential infrared spectroscopy is described. Parameters conducing to an optimized design are analyzed, and the construction of the system is described. A Perkin Elmer 225 infrared spectrometer, to which a scale expansion system has been added, is used. Sample and reference waters are alternatively introduced by a pneumatical-mechanical system into a unique F Ca thermostatized infrared cell. Results and calibration curves shown prove that the system is capable of measuring deuterium content with a precision of 1 part per million. (author)

Saline-boron stress in northern Chile olive accessions: water relations, B and Cl contents and impact on plant growth

OpenAIRE

Escobar, Hugo; Lara, Nelson; Zapata, Yubinza; Urbina, Camilo; Rodriguez, Manuel; Figueroa, Leonardo

2013-01-01

H. Escobar, N. Lara, Y. Zapata, C. Urbina, M. Rodriguez, and L. Figueroa. 2013. Saline-boron stress in northern Chile olive accessions: water relations, B and Cl contents and impact on plant growth. Cien. Inv. Agr. 40(3): 597-607. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of saline-boron stress on the vegetative growth, dry leaf weight, water potential (Ψw), relative water content, and leaf and root B and Cl- contents in 8 accessions of olive. Rooted one-year-old plants were culti...

Intermediate-energy neutron beam for NCT at MURR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brugger, R.M.; Less, T.J.; Passmore, G.G.

1986-01-01

The University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) is one of the high-flux reactors in the USA and it can be used to produce an intense beam of intermediate-energy neutrons for neutron capture therapy. Two methods are being evaluated at MURR to produce such a beam. The first uses a moderator of Al 2 O 3 replacing part of the graphite and water on one side of the core of the reactor to produce a source of predominantly intermediate-energy neutrons. The second method is a filter of 238 U between the core and the patient position to pass only intermediate-energy neutrons. The results of these evaluations are presented in this paper along with an outline of the other resources at the University of Missouri-Columbia that are available to support an NCT program. 4 references, 7 figures, 1 table

Late Holocene Radiocarbon Variability in Northwest Atlantic Slope Waters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sherwood, O; Edinger, E; Guilderson, T P; Ghaleb, B; Risk, M J; Scott, D B

2008-08-15

Deep-sea gorgonian corals secrete a 2-part skeleton of calcite, derived from dissolved inorganic carbon at depth, and gorgonin, derived from recently fixed and exported particulate organic matter. Radiocarbon contents of the calcite and gorgonin provide direct measures of seawater radiocarbon at depth and in the overlying surface waters, respectively. Using specimens collected from Northwest Atlantic slope waters, we generated radiocarbon records for surface and upper intermediate water layers spanning the pre- and post bomb-{sup 14}C eras. In Labrador Slope Water (LSW), convective mixing homogenizes the pre-bomb {Delta}{sup 14}C signature (-67 {+-} 4{per_thousand}) to at least 1000 m depth. Surface water bomb-{sup 14}C signals were lagged and damped (peaking at {approx} +45{per_thousand} in the early 1980s) relative to other regions of the northwest Atlantic, and intermediate water signals were damped further. Off southwest Nova Scotia, the vertical gradient in {Delta}{sup 14}C is much stronger. In surface water, pre-bomb {Delta}{sup 14}C averaged -75 {+-} 5{per_thousand}. At 250-475 m depth, prebomb {Delta}{sup 14}C oscillated quasi-decadally between -80 and -100{per_thousand}, likely reflecting interannual variability in the presence of Labrador Slope Water vs. Warm Slope Water (WSW). Finally, subfossil corals reveal no systematic changes in vertical {Delta}{sup 14}C gradients over the last 1200 years.

Effects of different mycorrhiza species on grain yield, nutrient uptake and oil content of sunflower under water stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Heidari

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in alleviating water stress is well documented. In order to study the effects of water stress and two different mycorrhiza species on grain yield, nutrient uptake and oil content of sunflower, a field experiment as split plot design with three replications was conducted in the Research Field Station, Zabol University, Zabol, Iran in 2011. Water stress treatments included control as 90% of field capacity (W1, 70% field capacity (W2 and 50% field capacity (W3 assigned to the main plots and two different mycorrhiza species, consisting of M1 = control (without any inoculation, M2 = Glumus mossea and M3 = Glumus etanicatum as sub plots. Results showed that by increasing water stress from control (W1 to W3 treatment, grain yield was significantly decreased. The reduction in the level of W3 was 15.05%. The content of potassium in seeds significantly decreased due to water stress but water stress upto W2 treatment increased the content of phosphorus, nitrogen and oil content of seeds. In between two species of mycorrhiza in sunflower plants, Glumus etanicatum had the highest effect on grain yield and these elements in seeds and increased both.

Soil water content plays an important role in soil-atmosphere exchange of carbonyl sulfide (OCS)

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Zhigang; Behrendt, Thomas; Bunk, Rüdiger; Wu, Dianming; Kesselmeier, Jürgen

2016-04-01

Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) is a quite stable gas in the troposphere and is transported up to the stratosphere, where it contributes to the sulfate aerosol layer (Crutzen 1976). The tropospheric concentration seems to be quite constant, indicating a balance between sinks and sources. Recent work by Sandoval-Soto et al. (2005) demonstrated the enormous strength of the vegetation sink and the urgent needs to understand the sinks and sources. The role of soils is a matter of discussion (Kesselmeier et al., 1999; Van Diest and Kesselmeier, 2008; Maseyk et al., 2014; Whelan et al., 2015). To better understand the influence of soil water content and OCS mixing ratio on OCS fluxes, we used an OCS analyzer (LGR COS/CO Analyzer 907-0028, Los Gatos, CA, USA) coupled with automated soil chamber system (Behrendt et al., 2014) to measure the OCS fluxes with a slow drying of four different types of soil (arable wheat soil in Mainz, blueberry soil in Waldstein, spruce soil in Waldstein and needle forest soil in Finland). Results showed that OCS fluxes as well as the optimum soil water content for OCS uptake varied significantly for different soils. The net production rates changed significantly with the soil drying out from 100% to about 5% water holding capacity (WHC), implying that soil water content play an important role in the uptake processes. The production and uptake processes were distinguished by the regression of OCS fluxes under different OCS mixing ratios. OCS compensation points (CP) were found to differ significantly for different soil types and water content, with the lowest CP at about 20% WHC, implying that when estimating the global budgets of OCS, especially for soils fluxes, soil water content should be taken into serious consideration. References Crutzen, P. J. 1976, Geophys. Res. Lett., 3, 73-76. Sandoval-Soto, L. et al., 2005, Biogeosciences, 2, 125-132. Kesselmeier, J. et al., 1999, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 11577-11584. Van Diest, H. and Kesselmeier, J. 2008

Effect of Soil Water Content on the Distribution of Diuron into Organomineral Aggregates of Highly Weathered Tropical Soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Regitano, Jussara B; Rocha, Wadson S D; Bonfleur, Eloana J; Milori, Debora; Alleoni, Luís R F

2016-05-25

We evaluated the effects of soil water content on the retention of diuron and its residual distribution into organomineral aggregates in four Brazilian oxisols. (14)C-Diuron was incubated for days at 25, 50, and 75% of maximum water-holding capacity for each soil. After 42 days, the physical fractionation method was used to obtain >150, 53-150, 20-53, 2-20, and retention increased with increasing soil water content for all soils. At lower soil water content, diuron's retention was higher in the sandier soil. It was mostly retained in the fine (retention was higher in the coarse aggregates (>53 μm). The sorption coefficients (Kd and Koc) generated by batch studies should be carefully used because they do not provide information about aggregation and diffusion effects on pesticides soil sorption.

Calibration of neutron moisture gauges and their ability to spatially determine soil water content in environmental studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyhan, J.W.; Martinez, J.L.; Langhorst, G.J.

1994-10-01

Several neutron moisture gauges were calibrated, and their ability to spatially determine soil water content was evaluated. In 1982, the midpoint of sensitivity of each neutron probe to the detection of hydrogen was determined, as well as the radius of investigation of each probe in crushed Bandelier Tuff with varying water contents. After determining the response of one of the moisture gauges to changes in soil water at the soil-air interface, a neutron transport model was successfully calibrated to predict spatial variations in soil water content. The model was then used to predict various shapes and volumes of crushed Bandelier Tuff interrogated by the neutron moisture gauge. From 1991 through 1994, six neutron moisture gauges were calibrated for soil water determinations in a local topsoil and crushed Bandelier Tuff, as well as for a sample of fine sand and soils from a field experiment at Hill Air Force Base. Statistical analysis of the calibration results is presented and summarized, and a final summary of practical implications for future neutron moisture gauge studies at Los Alamos is included

Observation and Modelling of Soil Water Content Towards Improved Performance Indicators of Large Irrigation Schemes

Science.gov (United States)

Labbassi, Kamal; Akdim, Nadia; Alfieri, Silvia Maria; Menenti, Massimo

2014-05-01

Irrigation performance may be evaluated for different objectives such as equity, adequacy, or effectiveness. We are using two performance indicators: IP2 measures the consistency of the allocation of the irrigation water with gross Crop Water requirements, while IP3 measures the effectiveness of irrigation by evaluating the increase in crop transpiration between the case of no irrigation and the case of different levels of irrigation. To evaluate IP3 we need to calculate the soil water balance for the two cases. We have developed a system based on the hydrological model SWAP (Soil Water atmosphere Plant) to calculate spatial and temporal patterns of crop transpiration T(x, y, t) and of the vertical distribution of soil water content θ(x, y, z, t). On one hand, in the absence of ground measurement of soil water content to validate and evaluate the precision of the estimated one, a possibility would be to use satellite retrievals of top soil water content, such as the data to be provided by SMAP. On the other hand, to calculate IP3 we need root zone rather than top soil water content. In principle, we could use the model SWAP to establish a relationship between the top soil and root zone water content. Such relationship could be a simple empirical one or a data assimilation procedure. In our study area (Doukkala- Morocco) we have assessed the consistency of the water allocation with the actual irrigated area and crop water requirements (CWR) by using a combination of multispectral satellite image time series (i,e RapidEye (REIS), SPOT4 (HRVIR1) and Landsat 8 (OLI) images acquired during the 2012/2013 agricultural season). To obtain IP2 (x, y, t) we need to determine ETc (x, y, t). We have applied two (semi)empirical approaches: the first one is the Kc-NDVI method, based on the correlation between the Near Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the value of crop coefficient (kc); the second one is the analytical approach based on the direct application of Penman

Global statistics of liquid water content and effective number density of water clouds over ocean derived from combined CALIPSO and MODIS measurements

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