Latest Permian carbonate carbon isotope variability traces heterogeneous organic carbon accumulation and authigenic carbonate formation

Science.gov (United States)

Schobben, Martin; van de Velde, Sebastiaan; Gliwa, Jana; Leda, Lucyna; Korn, Dieter; Struck, Ulrich; Vinzenz Ullmann, Clemens; Hairapetian, Vachik; Ghaderi, Abbas; Korte, Christoph; Newton, Robert J.; Poulton, Simon W.; Wignall, Paul B.

2017-11-01

Bulk-carbonate carbon isotope ratios are a widely applied proxy for investigating the ancient biogeochemical carbon cycle. Temporal carbon isotope trends serve as a prime stratigraphic tool, with the inherent assumption that bulk micritic carbonate rock is a faithful geochemical recorder of the isotopic composition of seawater dissolved inorganic carbon. However, bulk-carbonate rock is also prone to incorporate diagenetic signals. The aim of the present study is to disentangle primary trends from diagenetic signals in carbon isotope records which traverse the Permian-Triassic boundary in the marine carbonate-bearing sequences of Iran and South China. By pooling newly produced and published carbon isotope data, we confirm that a global first-order trend towards depleted values exists. However, a large amount of scatter is superimposed on this geochemical record. In addition, we observe a temporal trend in the amplitude of this residual δ13C variability, which is reproducible for the two studied regions. We suggest that (sub-)sea-floor microbial communities and their control on calcite nucleation and ambient porewater dissolved inorganic carbon δ13C pose a viable mechanism to induce bulk-rock δ13C variability. Numerical model calculations highlight that early diagenetic carbonate rock stabilization and linked carbon isotope alteration can be controlled by organic matter supply and subsequent microbial remineralization. A major biotic decline among Late Permian bottom-dwelling organisms facilitated a spatial increase in heterogeneous organic carbon accumulation. Combined with low marine sulfate, this resulted in varying degrees of carbon isotope overprinting. A simulated time series suggests that a 50 % increase in the spatial scatter of organic carbon relative to the average, in addition to an imposed increase in the likelihood of sampling cements formed by microbial calcite nucleation to 1 out of 10 samples, is sufficient to induce the observed signal of carbon

Latest Permian carbonate carbon isotope variability traces heterogeneous organic carbon accumulation and authigenic carbonate formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Schobben

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Bulk-carbonate carbon isotope ratios are a widely applied proxy for investigating the ancient biogeochemical carbon cycle. Temporal carbon isotope trends serve as a prime stratigraphic tool, with the inherent assumption that bulk micritic carbonate rock is a faithful geochemical recorder of the isotopic composition of seawater dissolved inorganic carbon. However, bulk-carbonate rock is also prone to incorporate diagenetic signals. The aim of the present study is to disentangle primary trends from diagenetic signals in carbon isotope records which traverse the Permian–Triassic boundary in the marine carbonate-bearing sequences of Iran and South China. By pooling newly produced and published carbon isotope data, we confirm that a global first-order trend towards depleted values exists. However, a large amount of scatter is superimposed on this geochemical record. In addition, we observe a temporal trend in the amplitude of this residual δ13C variability, which is reproducible for the two studied regions. We suggest that (sub-sea-floor microbial communities and their control on calcite nucleation and ambient porewater dissolved inorganic carbon δ13C pose a viable mechanism to induce bulk-rock δ13C variability. Numerical model calculations highlight that early diagenetic carbonate rock stabilization and linked carbon isotope alteration can be controlled by organic matter supply and subsequent microbial remineralization. A major biotic decline among Late Permian bottom-dwelling organisms facilitated a spatial increase in heterogeneous organic carbon accumulation. Combined with low marine sulfate, this resulted in varying degrees of carbon isotope overprinting. A simulated time series suggests that a 50 % increase in the spatial scatter of organic carbon relative to the average, in addition to an imposed increase in the likelihood of sampling cements formed by microbial calcite nucleation to 1 out of 10 samples, is sufficient to induce the

Dynamical links between small- and large-scale mantle heterogeneity: Seismological evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, Daniel A.; Garnero, Edward J.; Rost, Sebastian

2018-01-01

We identify PKP • PKP scattered waves (also known as P‧ •P‧) from earthquakes recorded at small-aperture seismic arrays at distances less than 65°. P‧ •P‧ energy travels as a PKP wave through the core, up into the mantle, then scatters back down through the core to the receiver as a second PKP. P‧ •P‧ waves are unique in that they allow scattering heterogeneities throughout the mantle to be imaged. We use array-processing methods to amplify low amplitude, coherent scattered energy signals and resolve their incoming direction. We deterministically map scattering heterogeneity locations from the core-mantle boundary to the surface. We use an extensive dataset with sensitivity to a large volume of the mantle and a location method allowing us to resolve and map more heterogeneities than have previously been possible, representing a significant increase in our understanding of small-scale structure within the mantle. Our results demonstrate that the distribution of scattering heterogeneities varies both radially and laterally. Scattering is most abundant in the uppermost and lowermost mantle, and a minimum in the mid-mantle, resembling the radial distribution of tomographically derived whole-mantle velocity heterogeneity. We investigate the spatial correlation of scattering heterogeneities with large-scale tomographic velocities, lateral velocity gradients, the locations of deep-seated hotspots and subducted slabs. In the lowermost 1500 km of the mantle, small-scale heterogeneities correlate with regions of low seismic velocity, high lateral seismic gradient, and proximity to hotspots. In the upper 1000 km of the mantle there is no significant correlation between scattering heterogeneity location and subducted slabs. Between 600 and 900 km depth, scattering heterogeneities are more common in the regions most remote from slabs, and close to hotspots. Scattering heterogeneities show an affinity for regions close to slabs within the upper 200 km of the

Heterogeneity of the Caribbean plateau mantle source: Sr, O and He isotopic compositions of olivine and clinopyroxene from Gorgona Island

Science.gov (United States)

Révillon, S.; Chauvel, C.; Arndt, N. T.; Pik, R.; Martineau, F.; Fourcade, S.; Marty, B.

2002-12-01

The composition of the mantle plumes that created large oceanic plateaus such as Ontong Java or the Caribbean is still poorly known. Geochemical and isotopic studies on accreted portions of the Caribbean plateau have shown that the plume source was heterogeneous and contained isotopically depleted and relatively enriched portions. A distinctive feature of samples from the Caribbean plateau is their unusual Sr isotopic compositions, which, at a given Nd isotopic ratio, are far higher than in samples from other oceanic plateaus. Sr, O and He isotopic compositions of whole rocks and magmatic minerals (clinopyroxene or olivine) separated from komatiites, gabbros and peridotites from Gorgona Island in Colombia were determined to investigate the origin of these anomalously radiogenic compositions. Sequentially leached clinopyroxenes have Sr isotopic compositions in the range 87Sr/ 86Sr=0.70271-0.70352, systematically lower than those of leached and unleached whole rocks. Oxygen isotopic ratios of clinopyroxene vary within the range δ 18O=5.18-5.35‰, similar to that recorded in oceanic island basalts. He isotopic ratios are high ( R/ Ra=8-19). The lower 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of most of the clinopyroxenes shift the field of the Caribbean plateau in Nd-Sr isotope diagrams toward more 'normal' values, i.e. a position closer to the field defined by mid-ocean ridge basalts and oceanic-island basalts. Three clinopyroxenes have slightly higher 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios that cannot be explained by an assimilation model. The high 87Sr/ 86Sr and variations of 143Nd/ 144Nd are interpreted as a source characteristic. Trace-element ratios, however, are controlled mainly by fractionation during partial melting. We combine these isotopic data in a heterogeneous plume source model that accounts for the diversity of isotopic signatures recorded on Gorgona Island and throughout the Caribbean plateau. The heterogeneities are related to old recycled oceanic lithosphere in the plume source; the high 3

Application of personal computers to study the kinetics of heterogeneous isotopic exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koernyei, Jozsef; Lakatos, Mihaly

1985-01-01

The kinetics of some heterogeneous isotopic exchange reactions of alkaline metal ions between solid (crystalline zirconium phosphate) and liquid phases were investigated. Ion diffusion in solid phase was considered as rate controlling step. The Laplace transformation solution of Fick's II law was used with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum personal computer. In some cases the exchange reaction should be regarded as a superposition of diffusion and a first order process. (author)

Dietary heterogeneity among Western industrialized countries reflected in the stable isotope ratios of human hair.

Science.gov (United States)

Valenzuela, Luciano O; Chesson, Lesley A; Bowen, Gabriel J; Cerling, Thure E; Ehleringer, James R

2012-01-01

Although the globalization of food production is often assumed to result in a homogenization of consumption patterns with a convergence towards a Western style diet, the resources used to make global food products may still be locally produced (glocalization). Stable isotope ratios of human hair can quantify the extent to which residents of industrialized nations have converged on a standardized diet or whether there is persistent heterogeneity and glocalization among countries as a result of different dietary patterns and the use of local food products. Here we report isotopic differences among carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios of human hair collected in thirteen Western European countries and in the USA. European hair samples had significantly lower δ(13)C values (-22.7 to -18.3‰), and significantly higher δ(15)N (7.8 to 10.3‰) and δ(34)S (4.8 to 8.3‰) values than samples from the USA (δ(13)C: -21.9 to -15.0‰, δ(15)N: 6.7 to 9.9‰, δ(34)S: -1.2 to 9.9‰). Within Europe, we detected differences in hair δ(13)C and δ(34)S values among countries and covariation of isotope ratios with latitude and longitude. This geographic structuring of isotopic data suggests heterogeneity in the food resources used by citizens of industrialized nations and supports the presence of different dietary patterns within Western Europe despite globalization trends. Here we showed the potential of stable isotope analysis as a population-wide tool for dietary screening, particularly as a complement of dietary surveys, that can provide additional information on assimilated macronutrients and independent verification of data obtained by those self-reporting instruments.

Dietary heterogeneity among Western industrialized countries reflected in the stable isotope ratios of human hair.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano O Valenzuela

Full Text Available Although the globalization of food production is often assumed to result in a homogenization of consumption patterns with a convergence towards a Western style diet, the resources used to make global food products may still be locally produced (glocalization. Stable isotope ratios of human hair can quantify the extent to which residents of industrialized nations have converged on a standardized diet or whether there is persistent heterogeneity and glocalization among countries as a result of different dietary patterns and the use of local food products. Here we report isotopic differences among carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios of human hair collected in thirteen Western European countries and in the USA. European hair samples had significantly lower δ(13C values (-22.7 to -18.3‰, and significantly higher δ(15N (7.8 to 10.3‰ and δ(34S (4.8 to 8.3‰ values than samples from the USA (δ(13C: -21.9 to -15.0‰, δ(15N: 6.7 to 9.9‰, δ(34S: -1.2 to 9.9‰. Within Europe, we detected differences in hair δ(13C and δ(34S values among countries and covariation of isotope ratios with latitude and longitude. This geographic structuring of isotopic data suggests heterogeneity in the food resources used by citizens of industrialized nations and supports the presence of different dietary patterns within Western Europe despite globalization trends. Here we showed the potential of stable isotope analysis as a population-wide tool for dietary screening, particularly as a complement of dietary surveys, that can provide additional information on assimilated macronutrients and independent verification of data obtained by those self-reporting instruments.

Assessing the scale of tumor heterogeneity by complete hierarchical segmentation of MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Gensheimer, Michael F; Hawkins, Douglas S; Ermoian, Ralph P; Trister, Andrew D

2015-02-07

In many cancers, intratumoral heterogeneity has been found in histology, genetic variation and vascular structure. We developed an algorithm to interrogate different scales of heterogeneity using clinical imaging. We hypothesize that heterogeneity of perfusion at coarse scale may correlate with treatment resistance and propensity for disease recurrence. The algorithm recursively segments the tumor image into increasingly smaller regions. Each dividing line is chosen so as to maximize signal intensity difference between the two regions. This process continues until the tumor has been divided into single voxels, resulting in segments at multiple scales. For each scale, heterogeneity is measured by comparing each segmented region to the adjacent region and calculating the difference in signal intensity histograms. Using digital phantom images, we showed that the algorithm is robust to image artifacts and various tumor shapes. We then measured the primary tumor scales of contrast enhancement heterogeneity in MRI of 18 rhabdomyosarcoma patients. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we explored the influence of heterogeneity parameters on relapse-free survival. Coarser scale of maximum signal intensity heterogeneity was prognostic of shorter survival (p = 0.05). By contrast, two fractal parameters and three Haralick texture features were not prognostic. In summary, our algorithm produces a biologically motivated segmentation of tumor regions and reports the amount of heterogeneity at various distance scales. If validated on a larger dataset, this prognostic imaging biomarker could be useful to identify patients at higher risk for recurrence and candidates for alternative treatment.

Spatial Heterogeneity of the Forest Canopy Scales with the Heterogeneity of an Understory Shrub Based on Fractal Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine K. Denny

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Spatial heterogeneity of vegetation is an important landscape characteristic, but is difficult to assess due to scale-dependence. Here we examine how spatial patterns in the forest canopy affect those of understory plants, using the shrub Canada buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis (L. Nutt. as a focal species. Evergreen and deciduous forest canopy and buffaloberry shrub presence were measured with line-intercept sampling along ten 2-km transects in the Rocky Mountain foothills of west-central Alberta, Canada. Relationships between overstory canopy and understory buffaloberry presence were assessed for scales ranging from 2 m to 502 m. Fractal dimensions of both canopy and buffaloberry were estimated and then related using box-counting methods to evaluate spatial heterogeneity based on patch distribution and abundance. Effects of canopy presence on buffaloberry were scale-dependent, with shrub presence negatively related to evergreen canopy cover and positively related to deciduous cover. The effect of evergreen canopy was significant at a local scale between 2 m and 42 m, while that of deciduous canopy was significant at a meso-scale between 150 m and 358 m. Fractal analysis indicated that buffaloberry heterogeneity positively scaled with evergreen canopy heterogeneity, but was unrelated to that of deciduous canopy. This study demonstrates that evergreen canopy cover is a determinant of buffaloberry heterogeneity, highlighting the importance of spatial scale and canopy composition in understanding canopy-understory relationships.

Direct stable isotope porewater equilibration and identification of groundwater processes in heterogeneous sedimentary rock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David, Katarina, E-mail: k.david@student.unsw.edu.au [School of Mining Engineering, UNSW Australia, NSW 2052 (Australia); Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Australia, NSW 2052 (Australia); Timms, Wendy [School of Mining Engineering, UNSW Australia, NSW 2052 (Australia); Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Australia, NSW 2052 (Australia); Baker, Andy [Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Australia, NSW 2052 (Australia)

2015-12-15

The off-axis integrated cavity output spectrometry (ICOS) method to analyse porewater isotopic composition has been successfully applied over the last decade in groundwater studies. This paper applies the off-axis ICOS method to analyse the porewater isotopic composition, attempts to use the isotopic shift in groundwater values along with simple geochemical mixing model to define the groundwater processes in the Sydney Basin, Australia. Complementary data included geophysical, hydrogeological, geochemical, and mineralogical investigations. Porewater from core samples were analysed for δ{sup 18}O and δ{sup 2}H from various sedimentary units in the Basin and compared to endpoint water members. Stable δ{sup 18}O and δ{sup 2}H values of porewaters in the Basin (− 9.5 to 2.8‰ for δ{sup 18}O and − 41.9 to 7.9‰ for δ{sup 2}H) covered a relatively narrow range in values. The variability in water isotopes reflects the variability of the input signal, which is the synoptic variability in isotopic composition of rainfall, and to a minor extent the subsequent evaporation. The porosity, bulk density and mineralogy data demonstrate the heterogeneity that adds the complexity to variations in the isotope profile with depth. The source of chloride in the sedimentary sequence was related to rock–water and cement/matrix–water interaction rather than to evaporation. The heterogeneous character of the sedimentary rock strata was supported by a change in pore pressures between units, density and variability in rock geochemical analyses obtained by using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray power diffraction analyses. This research identified distinct hydrogeological zones in the Basin that were not previously defined by classic hydrogeological investigations. Isotopic signature of porewaters along the detailed vertical profile in combination with mineralogical, geochemical, geophysical and hydrogeological methods can provide useful information on groundwater movement in

Accounting for small scale heterogeneity in ecohydrologic watershed models

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, W.; Tague, C.

2017-12-01

Spatially distributed ecohydrologic models are inherently constrained by the spatial resolution of their smallest units, below which land and processes are assumed to be homogenous. At coarse scales, heterogeneity is often accounted for by computing store and fluxes of interest over a distribution of land cover types (or other sources of heterogeneity) within spatially explicit modeling units. However this approach ignores spatial organization and the lateral transfer of water and materials downslope. The challenge is to account both for the role of flow network topology and fine-scale heterogeneity. We present a new approach that defines two levels of spatial aggregation and that integrates spatially explicit network approach with a flexible representation of finer-scale aspatial heterogeneity. Critically, this solution does not simply increase the resolution of the smallest spatial unit, and so by comparison, results in improved computational efficiency. The approach is demonstrated by adapting Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System (RHESSys), an ecohydrologic model widely used to simulate climate, land use, and land management impacts. We illustrate the utility of our approach by showing how the model can be used to better characterize forest thinning impacts on ecohydrology. Forest thinning is typically done at the scale of individual trees, and yet management responses of interest include impacts on watershed scale hydrology and on downslope riparian vegetation. Our approach allow us to characterize the variability in tree size/carbon reduction and water transfers between neighboring trees while still capturing hillslope to watershed scale effects, Our illustrative example demonstrates that accounting for these fine scale effects can substantially alter model estimates, in some cases shifting the impacts of thinning on downslope water availability from increases to decreases. We conclude by describing other use cases that may benefit from this approach

Chemical and Isotopic Diversity of Organic Particles in Chondrites: Parent Body vs. Nebular Processes

OpenAIRE

Remusat, L.; Guan, Y.; Eiler, J. M.

2009-01-01

Insoluble organic matter (IOM), the main organic constituent in chondrites, has been extensively studied after HF/HCl isolation techniques. Bulk isotopic compositions and elemental ratios show variations between chondrite groups, whereas they are quite homogeneous within each class [1]. Recent isotopic measurements by ion probes have revealed that IOM is heterogeneous at the sub-micron scale [2,3]. Does this heterogeneity reflect parent body evolution or reactions in the gas...

U-Th isotopic systematics at 13deg N east Pacific Ridge segment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben Othman, D.; Allegre, C.J.

1990-01-01

Fresh basaltic glasses have been analyzed for U-Th disequilibrium systematics as part of an extensive study on the East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 12deg 45'N. These samples are well described in terms of major and trace elements as well as in Nd, Pb and Sr isotopes. Our results show significant heterogeneities in the mantle source at a small scale, and show heterogeneities at larger scales also when compared to other EPR data. U and Th concentration and isotopic data rule out fractional crystallization as a main process and support a mixing model in agreement with the marble cake model developed by Allegre and Turcotte and constrained by trace elements and Nd, Sr and Pb isotopes on the same samples by Prinzhofer et al. Based on the high ( 230 Th/ 232 Th) isotopic ratios on recent tholeiites especially the Th/U values inferred for their sources clearly show that the upper mantle Th/U has decreased with time. (orig.)

Scale Reliability Evaluation with Heterogeneous Populations

Science.gov (United States)

Raykov, Tenko; Marcoulides, George A.

2015-01-01

A latent variable modeling approach for scale reliability evaluation in heterogeneous populations is discussed. The method can be used for point and interval estimation of reliability of multicomponent measuring instruments in populations representing mixtures of an unknown number of latent classes or subpopulations. The procedure is helpful also…

Assessing the scale of tumor heterogeneity by complete hierarchical segmentation of MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gensheimer, Michael F; Ermoian, Ralph P; Hawkins, Douglas S; Trister, Andrew D

2015-01-01

In many cancers, intratumoral heterogeneity has been found in histology, genetic variation and vascular structure. We developed an algorithm to interrogate different scales of heterogeneity using clinical imaging. We hypothesize that heterogeneity of perfusion at coarse scale may correlate with treatment resistance and propensity for disease recurrence. The algorithm recursively segments the tumor image into increasingly smaller regions. Each dividing line is chosen so as to maximize signal intensity difference between the two regions. This process continues until the tumor has been divided into single voxels, resulting in segments at multiple scales. For each scale, heterogeneity is measured by comparing each segmented region to the adjacent region and calculating the difference in signal intensity histograms. Using digital phantom images, we showed that the algorithm is robust to image artifacts and various tumor shapes. We then measured the primary tumor scales of contrast enhancement heterogeneity in MRI of 18 rhabdomyosarcoma patients. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we explored the influence of heterogeneity parameters on relapse-free survival. Coarser scale of maximum signal intensity heterogeneity was prognostic of shorter survival (p = 0.05). By contrast, two fractal parameters and three Haralick texture features were not prognostic. In summary, our algorithm produces a biologically motivated segmentation of tumor regions and reports the amount of heterogeneity at various distance scales. If validated on a larger dataset, this prognostic imaging biomarker could be useful to identify patients at higher risk for recurrence and candidates for alternative treatment. (paper)

Reconstruction of the isotope activity content of heterogeneous nuclear waste drums.

Science.gov (United States)

Krings, Thomas; Mauerhofer, Eric

2012-07-01

Radioactive waste must be characterized in order to verify its conformance with national regulations for intermediate storage or its disposal. Segmented gamma scanning (SGS) is a most widely applied non-destructive analytical technique for the characterization of radioactive waste drums. The isotope specific activity content is generally calculated assuming a homogeneous matrix and activity distribution for each measured drum segment. However, real radioactive waste drums exhibit non-uniform isotope and density distributions most affecting the reliability and accuracy of activities reconstruction in SGS. The presence of internal shielding structures in the waste drum contributes generally to a strong underestimation of the activity and this in particular for radioactive sources emitting low energy gamma-rays independently of their spatial distribution. In this work we present an improved method to quantify the activity of spatially concentrated gamma-emitting isotopes (point sources or hot spots) in heterogeneous waste drums with internal shielding structures. The isotope activity is reconstructed by numerical simulations and fits of the angular dependent count rate distribution recorded during the drum rotation in SGS using an analytical expression derived from a geometric model. First results of the improved method and enhancements of this method are shown and are compared to each other as well as to the conventional method which assumes a homogeneous matrix and activity distribution. It is shown that the new model improves the accuracy and the reliability of the activity reconstruction in SGS and that the presented algorithm is suitable with respect to the framework requirement of industrial application. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large-scale compositional heterogeneity in the Earth's mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Ballmer, M.

2017-12-01

Seismic imaging of subducted Farallon and Tethys lithosphere in the lower mantle has been taken as evidence for whole-mantle convection, and efficient mantle mixing. However, cosmochemical constraints point to a lower-mantle composition that has a lower Mg/Si compared to upper-mantle pyrolite. Moreover, geochemical signatures of magmatic rocks indicate the long-term persistence of primordial reservoirs somewhere in the mantle. In this presentation, I establish geodynamic mechanisms for sustaining large-scale (primordial) heterogeneity in the Earth's mantle using numerical models. Mantle flow is controlled by rock density and viscosity. Variations in intrinsic rock density, such as due to heterogeneity in basalt or iron content, can induce layering or partial layering in the mantle. Layering can be sustained in the presence of persistent whole mantle convection due to active "unmixing" of heterogeneity in low-viscosity domains, e.g. in the transition zone or near the core-mantle boundary [1]. On the other hand, lateral variations in intrinsic rock viscosity, such as due to heterogeneity in Mg/Si, can strongly affect the mixing timescales of the mantle. In the extreme case, intrinsically strong rocks may remain unmixed through the age of the Earth, and persist as large-scale domains in the mid-mantle due to focusing of deformation along weak conveyor belts [2]. That large-scale lateral heterogeneity and/or layering can persist in the presence of whole-mantle convection can explain the stagnation of some slabs, as well as the deflection of some plumes, in the mid-mantle. These findings indeed motivate new seismic studies for rigorous testing of model predictions. [1] Ballmer, M. D., N. C. Schmerr, T. Nakagawa, and J. Ritsema (2015), Science Advances, doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500815. [2] Ballmer, M. D., C. Houser, J. W. Hernlund, R. Wentzcovitch, and K. Hirose (2017), Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo2898.

Effects of reservoir heterogeneity on scaling of effective mass transfer coefficient for solute transport

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Juliana Y.; Srinivasan, Sanjay

2016-09-01

Modeling transport process at large scale requires proper scale-up of subsurface heterogeneity and an understanding of its interaction with the underlying transport mechanisms. A technique based on volume averaging is applied to quantitatively assess the scaling characteristics of effective mass transfer coefficient in heterogeneous reservoir models. The effective mass transfer coefficient represents the combined contribution from diffusion and dispersion to the transport of non-reactive solute particles within a fluid phase. Although treatment of transport problems with the volume averaging technique has been published in the past, application to geological systems exhibiting realistic spatial variability remains a challenge. Previously, the authors developed a new procedure where results from a fine-scale numerical flow simulation reflecting the full physics of the transport process albeit over a sub-volume of the reservoir are integrated with the volume averaging technique to provide effective description of transport properties. The procedure is extended such that spatial averaging is performed at the local-heterogeneity scale. In this paper, the transport of a passive (non-reactive) solute is simulated on multiple reservoir models exhibiting different patterns of heterogeneities, and the scaling behavior of effective mass transfer coefficient (Keff) is examined and compared. One such set of models exhibit power-law (fractal) characteristics, and the variability of dispersion and Keff with scale is in good agreement with analytical expressions described in the literature. This work offers an insight into the impacts of heterogeneity on the scaling of effective transport parameters. A key finding is that spatial heterogeneity models with similar univariate and bivariate statistics may exhibit different scaling characteristics because of the influence of higher order statistics. More mixing is observed in the channelized models with higher-order continuity. It

Investigation into reaction of heterogenous isotopic exchange with gaseoUs tritium in solution for preparation labelled lipid compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shevchenko, V.P.; Myasoedov, N.F.

1983-01-01

The applicability of the method of heterogeneous catalytic isotopic exchange with gaseous tritium in the solution for the production of labelled lipide preparations is studied. Labelled saturated and unsaturated aliphatic acids, prostaglandins, phospholipides and sphingolipides are prepared

Micro-scale heterogeneity of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Coarse-scale studies that focus on species distributions and richness neglect heterogeneity that may be present at finer scales. Studies of arthropod assemblage structure at fine (1 × 1 km) scales are rare, but important, because these are the spatial levels at which real world applications are viable. Here we investigate ...

The Mantle Isotopic Array: A Tale of Two FOZOs

Science.gov (United States)

Apen, F. E.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Williams, C. D.

2017-12-01

Oceanic basalts display isotopic arrays that suggest mixing between a depleted component, several enriched components, and a primitive component. The topology of the arrays provides information on mantle mixing, the distribution of heterogeneities, and information on mantle structure. Here we use a global compilation of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) and ocean island basalt (OIB) He-Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data to further analyze the topology of these arrays. Previous work indicated that OIB isotopic arrays converge to a common component [1-3] referred to as the focus zone, or FOZO. Our analyses suggest that while all OIBs do point to a common component with unradiogenic 4He/3He ratios relative to MORBs, this component has to be quite variable in its He, Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions. FOZO cannot be a pure component but must represent a heterogeneous mixture of primitive and recycled material. Our analyses of the MORB and OIB isotopic compositions also indicate that while MORBs and OIBs sample the same components, the topology of their mixing arrays are quite distinct. Different MOR segments show quasi-linear isotopic arrays that all converge to a common component. This component is distinctive from the OIB FOZO being more depleted and more restrictive in its He, Sr, Nd and Pb composition. We suggest two common but distinguishable components are present in the mantle arrays: one common to MORBs and the other to OIBs, and we refer to them as MORB-FOZO and OIB-FOZO, respectively. We interpret the two FOZOs to represent the average composition of small-scale heterogeneities that make up the background matrix in the sources of MORBs and OIBs. The depleted and enriched components that are sampled in MORBs and OIBs reflect relatively large-scale heterogeneities distributed within the matrix, material that have yet to be deformed into the smaller length scales of the matrix material. Differences between the two FOZO compositions reflects the inclusion of a component with

Scaling of rotation and isotope separation in a vacuum-arc centrifuge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, R.R.; Krishnan, M.

1987-01-01

Scaling is described of rotation, plasma column size and separation in a vacuum-arc centrifuge. The vacuum-arc centrifuge is a magnetized, fulled ionized, quasineutral column of plasma. The source of plasma is a vacuum-arc discharge between a negatively biased cathode and a grounded mesh anode. Rigid-body rotation, induced by the J x B force, causes radial, centrifugal separation of isotopes in the plasma column. Salient features of a fluid model that provides an understanding of rotation and the concomitant isotope separation in the vacuum-arc centrifuge are described. Scaling of rotation and plasma column size is found be consistent with the model. Measurements of isotope separation, also found to agree with the predictions of the model, are presented. Results of a parametric analysis of isotope separation in such a vacuum-arc centrifuge, using the fluid model and the observed scaling laws, are described. An analysis of the energy cost of separation of the vacuum-arc centrifuge shows that it typically requires only 70 keV/separated atom. (orig.)

Earthquake scaling laws for rupture geometry and slip heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Thingbaijam, Kiran K. S.; Mai, P. Martin; Goda, Katsuichiro

2016-04-01

We analyze an extensive compilation of finite-fault rupture models to investigate earthquake scaling of source geometry and slip heterogeneity to derive new relationships for seismic and tsunami hazard assessment. Our dataset comprises 158 earthquakes with a total of 316 rupture models selected from the SRCMOD database (http://equake-rc.info/srcmod). We find that fault-length does not saturate with earthquake magnitude, while fault-width reveals inhibited growth due to the finite seismogenic thickness. For strike-slip earthquakes, fault-length grows more rapidly with increasing magnitude compared to events of other faulting types. Interestingly, our derived relationship falls between the L-model and W-model end-members. In contrast, both reverse and normal dip-slip events are more consistent with self-similar scaling of fault-length. However, fault-width scaling relationships for large strike-slip and normal dip-slip events, occurring on steeply dipping faults (δ~90° for strike-slip faults, and δ~60° for normal faults), deviate from self-similarity. Although reverse dip-slip events in general show self-similar scaling, the restricted growth of down-dip fault extent (with upper limit of ~200 km) can be seen for mega-thrust subduction events (M~9.0). Despite this fact, for a given earthquake magnitude, subduction reverse dip-slip events occupy relatively larger rupture area, compared to shallow crustal events. In addition, we characterize slip heterogeneity in terms of its probability distribution and spatial correlation structure to develop a complete stochastic random-field characterization of earthquake slip. We find that truncated exponential law best describes the probability distribution of slip, with observable scale parameters determined by the average and maximum slip. Applying Box-Cox transformation to slip distributions (to create quasi-normal distributed data) supports cube-root transformation, which also implies distinctive non-Gaussian slip

Quantifying seismic anisotropy induced by small-scale chemical heterogeneities

Science.gov (United States)

Alder, C.; Bodin, T.; Ricard, Y.; Capdeville, Y.; Debayle, E.; Montagner, J. P.

2017-12-01

Observations of seismic anisotropy are usually used as a proxy for lattice-preferred orientation (LPO) of anisotropic minerals in the Earth's mantle. In this way, seismic anisotropy observed in tomographic models provides important constraints on the geometry of mantle deformation associated with thermal convection and plate tectonics. However, in addition to LPO, small-scale heterogeneities that cannot be resolved by long-period seismic waves may also produce anisotropy. The observed (i.e. apparent) anisotropy is then a combination of an intrinsic and an extrinsic component. Assuming the Earth's mantle exhibits petrological inhomogeneities at all scales, tomographic models built from long-period seismic waves may thus display extrinsic anisotropy. In this paper, we investigate the relation between the amplitude of seismic heterogeneities and the level of induced S-wave radial anisotropy as seen by long-period seismic waves. We generate some simple 1-D and 2-D isotropic models that exhibit a power spectrum of heterogeneities as what is expected for the Earth's mantle, that is, varying as 1/k, with k the wavenumber of these heterogeneities. The 1-D toy models correspond to simple layered media. In the 2-D case, our models depict marble-cake patterns in which an anomaly in shear wave velocity has been advected within convective cells. The long-wavelength equivalents of these models are computed using upscaling relations that link properties of a rapidly varying elastic medium to properties of the effective, that is, apparent, medium as seen by long-period waves. The resulting homogenized media exhibit extrinsic anisotropy and represent what would be observed in tomography. In the 1-D case, we analytically show that the level of anisotropy increases with the square of the amplitude of heterogeneities. This relation is numerically verified for both 1-D and 2-D media. In addition, we predict that 10 per cent of chemical heterogeneities in 2-D marble-cake models can

Alpine Ecohydrology Across Scales: Propagating Fine-scale Heterogeneity to the Catchment and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Mastrotheodoros, T.; Pappas, C.; Molnar, P.; Burlando, P.; Hadjidoukas, P.; Fatichi, S.

2017-12-01

In mountainous ecosystems, complex topography and landscape heterogeneity govern ecohydrological states and fluxes. Here, we investigate topographic controls on water, energy and carbon fluxes across different climatic regimes and vegetation types representative of the European Alps. We use an ecohydrological model to perform fine-scale numerical experiments on a synthetic domain that comprises a symmetric mountain with eight catchments draining along the cardinal and intercardinal directions. Distributed meteorological model input variables are generated using observations from Switzerland. The model computes the incoming solar radiation based on the local topography. We implement a multivariate statistical framework to disentangle the impact of landscape heterogeneity (i.e., elevation, aspect, flow contributing area, vegetation type) on the simulated water, carbon, and energy dynamics. This allows us to identify the sensitivities of several ecohydrological variables (including leaf area index, evapotranspiration, snow-cover and net primary productivity) to topographic and meteorological inputs at different spatial and temporal scales. We also use an alpine catchment as a real case study to investigate how the natural variability of soil and land cover affects the idealized relationships that arise from the synthetic domain. In accordance with previous studies, our analysis shows a complex pattern of vegetation response to radiation. We find also different patterns of ecosystem sensitivity to topography-driven heterogeneity depending on the hydrological regime (i.e., wet vs. dry conditions). Our results suggest that topography-driven variability in ecohydrological variables (e.g. transpiration) at the fine spatial scale can exceed 50%, but it is substantially reduced ( 5%) when integrated at the catchment scale.

WE-E-17A-06: Assessing the Scale of Tumor Heterogeneity by Complete Hierarchical Segmentation On MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gensheimer, M; Trister, A; Ermoian, R; Hawkins, D

2014-01-01

Purpose: In many cancers, intratumoral heterogeneity exists in vascular and genetic structure. We developed an algorithm which uses clinical imaging to interrogate different scales of heterogeneity. We hypothesize that heterogeneity of perfusion at large distance scales may correlate with propensity for disease recurrence. We applied the algorithm to initial diagnosis MRI of rhabdomyosarcoma patients to predict recurrence. Methods: The Spatial Heterogeneity Analysis by Recursive Partitioning (SHARP) algorithm recursively segments the tumor image. The tumor is repeatedly subdivided, with each dividing line chosen to maximize signal intensity difference between the two subregions. This process continues to the voxel level, producing segments at multiple scales. Heterogeneity is measured by comparing signal intensity histograms between each segmented region and the adjacent region. We measured the scales of contrast enhancement heterogeneity of the primary tumor in 18 rhabdomyosarcoma patients. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we explored the influence of heterogeneity parameters on relapse-free survival (RFS). To compare with existing methods, fractal and Haralick texture features were also calculated. Results: The complete segmentation produced by SHARP allows extraction of diverse features, including the amount of heterogeneity at various distance scales, the area of the tumor with the most heterogeneity at each scale, and for a given point in the tumor, the heterogeneity at different scales. 10/18 rhabdomyosarcoma patients suffered disease recurrence. On contrast-enhanced MRI, larger scale of maximum signal intensity heterogeneity, relative to tumor diameter, predicted for shorter RFS (p=0.05). Fractal dimension, fractal fit, and three Haralick features did not predict RFS (p=0.09-0.90). Conclusion: SHARP produces an automatic segmentation of tumor regions and reports the amount of heterogeneity at various distance scales. In rhabdomyosarcoma, RFS was

Assessment of local and regional isotopic equilibrium in the mantle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hofmann, A W; Hart, S R [Carnegie Institution of Washington, D.C. (USA). Dept. of Terrestrial Magnetism

1978-02-01

The assumption of local equilibrium during partial melting is fundamental to the interpretation of isotope and trace element data for mantle-derived rocks. If disequilibrium melting is significant, the scale of the chemical and isotopic heterogeneity in the mantle indicated by the data could be as small as the grain size of the mantle rock, and the isotope data themselves are then of doubtful value to the understanding of mantle processes. To assess the scale of isotopic heterogeneity in a partially molten asthenosphere the authors review the Sr isotopic data of volcanic rocks from oceanic regions and the available experimental data on diffusion kinetics in minerals and melts similar to those existing in the mantle. Although diffusion data are scarce and afflicted with uncertainties, most of the diffusion coefficients for cations in mantle minerals at temperatures of 1000 to 1200/sup 0/C appear to be greater than 10/sup -13/ cm/sup 2/ s/sup -1/. Struntium diffusion in liquid basalt is more rapid, with diffusion coefficients of D = 10/sup -7/ to 10/sup -6/ cm/sup 2/ s/sup -1/ near 1300/sup 0/C. Simple model calculations show that, with these D values, a fluid-free mantle can maintain a state of disequilibrium on a centimeter scale for periods of 10/sup 8/ to 10/sup 9/ years. The state of disequilibrium found in many mantle-derived xenoliths is thus easily explained. A partially molten mantle, on the other hand, will tend to equilibrate locally in less than 10/sup 5/ to 10/sup 6/ years. The analytical data on natural rocks likewise indicate that the inhomogeneities are both old (> 1.5 b.y.) and regional in character and that the consistent isotopic differences between ocean island and ocean floor volcanics cannot be explained by small-scall hetorogeneity of the source rock.

Industrial scale production of stable isotopes employing the technique of plasma separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, N.R.; Bigelow, T.S.; Tarallo, F.J.

2003-01-01

Calutrons, centrifuges, diffusion and distillation processes are some of the devices and techniques that have been employed to produce substantial quantities of enriched stable isotopes. Nevertheless, the availability of enriched isotopes in sufficient quantities for industrial applications remains very restricted. Industries such as those involved with medicine, semiconductors, nuclear fuel, propulsion, and national defense have identified the potential need for various enriched isotopes in large quantities. Economically producing most enriched (non-gaseous) isotopes in sufficient quantities has so far eluded commercial producers. The plasma separation process is a commercial technique now available for producing large quantities of a wide range of enriched isotopes. Until recently, this technique has mainly been explored with small-scale ('proof-of-principle') devices that have been built and operated at research institutes. The new Theragenics TM facility at Oak Ridge, TN houses the only existing commercial scale PSP system. This device, which successfully operated in the 1980's, has recently been re-commissioned and is planned to be used to produce a variety of isotopes. Progress and the capabilities of this device and it's potential for impacting the world's supply of stable isotopes in the future is summarized. This technique now holds promise of being able to open the door to allowing new and exciting applications of these isotopes in the future. (author)

Scale-specific correlations between habitat heterogeneity and soil fauna diversity along a landscape structure gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanbergen, Adam J; Watt, Allan D; Mitchell, Ruth; Truscott, Anne-Marie; Palmer, Stephen C F; Ivits, Eva; Eggleton, Paul; Jones, T Hefin; Sousa, José Paulo

2007-09-01

Habitat heterogeneity contributes to the maintenance of diversity, but the extent that landscape-scale rather than local-scale heterogeneity influences the diversity of soil invertebrates-species with small range sizes-is less clear. Using a Scottish habitat heterogeneity gradient we correlated Collembola and lumbricid worm species richness and abundance with different elements (forest cover, habitat richness and patchiness) and qualities (plant species richness, soil variables) of habitat heterogeneity, at landscape (1 km(2)) and local (up to 200 m(2)) scales. Soil fauna assemblages showed considerable turnover in species composition along this habitat heterogeneity gradient. Soil fauna species richness and turnover was greatest in landscapes that were a mosaic of habitats. Soil fauna diversity was hump-shaped along a gradient of forest cover, peaking where there was a mixture of forest and open habitats in the landscape. Landscape-scale habitat richness was positively correlated with lumbricid diversity, while Collembola and lumbricid abundances were negatively and positively related to landscape spatial patchiness. Furthermore, soil fauna diversity was positively correlated with plant diversity, which in turn peaked in the sites that were a mosaic of forest and open habitat patches. There was less evidence that local-scale habitat variables (habitat richness, tree cover, plant species richness, litter cover, soil pH, depth of organic horizon) affected soil fauna diversity: Collembola diversity was independent of all these measures, while lumbricid diversity positively and negatively correlated with vascular plant species richness and tree canopy density. Landscape-scale habitat heterogeneity affects soil diversity regardless of taxon, while the influence of habitat heterogeneity at local scales is dependent on taxon identity, and hence ecological traits, e.g. body size. Landscape-scale habitat heterogeneity by providing different niches and refuges, together

Study of intramolecular isotope heterogeneity of organic oxy acids in order to detect sophisticated wines and juice drinks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuzmina Helen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available According to International Code of Oenological Practices it is allowed to use acide L(+tartrique for wine acidification, while use of synthetic dihydroxysuccinic acid is forbidden. Today it is impossible to differentiate natural dihydroxysuccinic acid from synthetic one by standard techniques. Even by using very sensitive method of isotope mass spectrometry certain difficulties emerge because total isotope characteristics of carbon of dihydroxysuccinic acid of different nature have the same values. However, isotope characteristics of carbon of intramolecular structural groups of dihydroxysuccinic acid made of different raw materials differ significantly. This allows specifying the nature of dihydroxysuccinic acid that is used for making of wines and juice drinks. In Russia, scientific and research institute of beer brewing and wine-making industry carried out a work for studying isotope characteristics of intramolecular isotope heterogeneity of dihydroxysuccinic acid from different origins in order to identify wines and juice drinks. Isotope characteristics of organic oxy acids from different origins were studied including them obtained by synthetic way and numeric range of value δ13 C,‰ were specified. The obtained results allow performing identification tests of wines and juice drinks to find out the products that contain not specified additives as that allowed for its use in production process.

Heterogenous Oxygen Isotopic Composition of a Complex Wark-Lovering Rim and the Margin of a Refractory Inclusion from Leoville

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, J. I.; Matzel, J. E. P.; Simon, S. B.; Weber, P. K.; Grossman, L.; Ross, D. K.; Hutcheon, I. D.

2014-01-01

Wark-Lovering (WL) rims [1] surrounding many refractory inclusions represent marker events in the early evolution of the Solar System in which many inclusions were exposed to changes in pressure [2], temperature [3], and isotopic reservoirs [4-7]. The effects of these events can be complex, not only producing mineralogical variability of WL rims [2], but also leading to mineralogical [8-10] and isotopic [7, 11, 12] changes within inclusion interiors. Extreme oxygen isotopic heterogeneity measured in CAIs has been explained by mixing between distinct oxygen gas reservoirs in the nebula [13]. Some WL rims contain relatively simple mineral layering and/or are isotopically homogeneous [14, 15]. As part of a larger effort to document and understand the modifications observed in some CAIs, an inclusion (L6) with a complex WL rim from Leoville, a member of the reduced CV3 subgroup was studied. Initial study of the textures and mineral chemistry was presented by [16]. Here we present NanoSIMS oxygen isotopic measurements to complement these petrologic observations.

Re - Os isotopic constraints on the origin of volcanic rocks, Gorgona Island, Colombia: Os isotopic evidence for ancient heterogeneities in the mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, R.J.; Echeverria, L.M.; Shirey, S.B.; Horan, M.F.

1991-01-01

The Re - Os isotopic systematics of komatiites and spatially associated basalts from Gorgona Island, Colombia, indicate that they were produced at 155??43 Ma. Subsequent episodes of volcanism produced basalts at 88.1??3.8 Ma and picritic and basaltic lavas at ca. 58 Ma. The age for the ultramafic rocks is important because it coincides with the late-Jurassic, early-Cretaceous disassembly of Pangea, when the North- and South-American plates began to pull apart. Deep-seated mantle upwelling possibly precipitated the break-up of these continental plates and caused a tear in the subducting slab west of Gorgona, providing a rare, late-Phanerozoic conduit for the komatiitic melts. Mantle sources for the komatiites were heterogeneous with respect to Os and Pb isotopic compositions, but had homogeneous Nd isotopic compositions (??Nd+9??1). Initial 187Os/186Os normalized to carbonaceous chondrites at 155 Ma (??Os) ranged from 0 to +22, and model-initial ?? values ranged from 8.17 to 8.39. The excess radiogenic Os, compared with an assumed bulk-mantle evolution similar to carbonaceous chondrites, was likely produced in portions of the mantle with long-term elevated Re concentrations. The Os, Pb and Nd isotopic compositions, together with major-element constraints, suggest that the sources of the komatiites were enriched more than 1 Ga ago by low (<20%) and variable amounts of a basalt or komatiite component. This component was added as either subducted oceanic crust or melt derived from greater depths in the mantle. These results suggest that the Re - Os isotope system may be a highly sensitive indicator of the presence of ancient subducted oceanic crust in mantle-source regions. ?? 1991 Springer-Verlag.

Accounting for Scale Heterogeneity in Healthcare-Related Discrete Choice Experiments when Comparing Stated Preferences: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Stuart J; Vass, Caroline M; Sim, Gene; Burton, Michael; Fiebig, Denzil G; Payne, Katherine

2018-02-28

Scale heterogeneity, or differences in the error variance of choices, may account for a significant amount of the observed variation in the results of discrete choice experiments (DCEs) when comparing preferences between different groups of respondents. The aim of this study was to identify if, and how, scale heterogeneity has been addressed in healthcare DCEs that compare the preferences of different groups. A systematic review identified all healthcare DCEs published between 1990 and February 2016. The full-text of each DCE was then screened to identify studies that compared preferences using data generated from multiple groups. Data were extracted and tabulated on year of publication, samples compared, tests for scale heterogeneity, and analytical methods to account for scale heterogeneity. Narrative analysis was used to describe if, and how, scale heterogeneity was accounted for when preferences were compared. A total of 626 healthcare DCEs were identified. Of these 199 (32%) aimed to compare the preferences of different groups specified at the design stage, while 79 (13%) compared the preferences of groups identified at the analysis stage. Of the 278 included papers, 49 (18%) discussed potential scale issues, 18 (7%) used a formal method of analysis to account for scale between groups, and 2 (1%) accounted for scale differences between preference groups at the analysis stage. Scale heterogeneity was present in 65% (n = 13) of studies that tested for it. Analytical methods to test for scale heterogeneity included coefficient plots (n = 5, 2%), heteroscedastic conditional logit models (n = 6, 2%), Swait and Louviere tests (n = 4, 1%), generalised multinomial logit models (n = 5, 2%), and scale-adjusted latent class analysis (n = 2, 1%). Scale heterogeneity is a prevalent issue in healthcare DCEs. Despite this, few published DCEs have discussed such issues, and fewer still have used formal methods to identify and account for the impact of scale

Micro-scale novel stable isotope fractionation during weathering disclosed by femtosecond laser ablation

Science.gov (United States)

Schuessler, J. A.; von Blanckenburg, F.

2012-12-01

The stable isotope fractionation of metals and metalloids during chemical weathering and alteration of rocks at low temperature is a topic receiving increasing scientific attention. For these systems, weathering of primary minerals leads to selective partitioning of isotopes between the secondary minerals formed from them, and the dissolved phase of soil or river water. While the isotopic signatures of these processes have been mapped-out at the catchment or the soil scale, the actual isotopic fractionation is occurring at the mineral scale. To identify the processes underlying such micro-scale fractionation, the development of micro-analytical tools allows to investigate mechanisms of isotope fractionation in-situ, in combination with textural information of weathering reactions. We have developed a second-generation UV femtosecond (fs) laser system at GFZ Potsdam. The advantage of UV-fs laser ablation is the reduction of laser-induced isotopic and elemental fractionation by avoiding 'thermal effects' during ablation, such that accurate isotope ratios can be measured by standard-sample-standard bracketing using laser ablation multicollector ICP-MS; where the matrix of the bracketing standard does not need to match that of the sample [1]. Our system consists of the latest generation femtosecond solid-state laser (Newport Spectra Physics Solstice), producing an ultra short pulse width of about 100 femtoseconds at a wavelength of 196 nm. The system is combined with a custom-build computer-controlled sample stage and allows fully automated isotope analyses through synchronised operation of the laser with the Neptune MC-ICP-MS. To assess precision and accuracy of our laser ablation method, we analysed various geological reference materials. We obtained δ30Si values of -0.31 ± 0.23 (2SD, n = 13) for basalt glass BHVO-2G, and -1.25 ± 0.21 (2SD, n = 27) for pure Si IRMM17 when bracketed against NBS-28 quartz. δ56Fe and δ26Mg values obtained from non-matrix matched

Pb-Sr-Nd isotopic data of Indian Ocean ridges: New evidence of large-scale mapping of mantle heterogeneities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamelin, B.; Dupre, B.; Allegre, C.J.

1986-01-01

A Pb-Sr-Nd isotope study of South West and East Indian Ridges confirms that the Indian Ocean belongs to a specific regional isotopic domain, as previously suggested by the results from islands of this ocean. The isotopic domain defined by the Indian MORB is indeed different from that of the North Atlantic and East Pacific Oceans. This demonstrates that the convective circulation of the upper mantle does not allow a rapid homogenization from one region to the other. The isotopic data of the Indian ridges can be interpreted by a contamination model, in which the depleted upper mantle (identical to that under the North Atlantic) is contaminated by two different types of contaminant, one corresponding to the source of the ''central Indian Ocean'' islands (Amsterdam, St. Paul, Marion, Prince Edward, Reunion, Rodriguez, Mauritius), and the other to a source similar to that of Walvis or Ninety East aseismic ridges. These two contaminants would have contributed to the ridge volcanism in different proportion over time. (orig.)

Implications of 187Os isotopic heterogeneities in a mantle plume: evidence from Gorgona Island and Curaçao

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Richard J.; Storey, Michael; Kerr, Andrew C.; Tarney, John; Arndt, Nicholas T.

1999-03-01

Recent work has suggested that the mafic-ultramafic volcanism in evidence throughout portions of the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America, including the islands of Gorgona and Curaçao, was generated as part of a middle-Cretaceous, large igneous province. New Re-Os isochron results for tholeiitic basalts from Gorgona and Curaçao indicate crystallization ages of 89.2 ± 5.2 and 85.6 ± 8.1 Ma, respectively, consistent with reported Ar ages. The Gorgona ultramafic suite shows a large range in initial Os isotopic composition, with γ Os values ranging from -0.5 to +12.4. This large range reflects isotopic heterogeneities in the mantle source similar to those observed for modern ocean island basalts. In contrast to ocean island basalts, however, Os isotopic compositions do not correlate with variations in Nd, Sr, or Pb isotopic compositions, which are within the range of depleted mid-ocean ridge basalts. The processes that produced these rocks evidently resulted in the decoupling of Os isotopes from the Nd, Sr, and Pb isotopic systems. Picrites from Curaçao have very uniform, chondritic initial Os isotopic compositions, with initial γ Os values ranging only from -0.4 to ±1.4. Basalts from Curaçao, however, define an isochron with a 187Os-enriched initial isotopic composition (γ Os = +9.5). In contrast to the 187Os-enriched ultramafic rocks from Gorgona, the enrichment in these basalts could have resulted from lithospheric contamination. If the Gorgona and Curaçao rocks were derived from the same plume, Os results, combined with Sr, Nd, and Pb data indicate a heterogeneous plume, with multiple compositionally and isotopically distinct domains. The Os isotopic results require derivation of Os from a minimum of two distinct reservoirs, one with a composition very similar to the chondritic average and one with long-term enriched Re/Os. Oceanic crustal recycling has been invoked to explain most of the 187Os enrichments that have been observed in

Scaling impacts on environmental controls and spatial heterogeneity of soil organic carbon stocks

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, U.; Riley, W. J.

2015-07-01

The spatial heterogeneity of land surfaces affects energy, moisture, and greenhouse gas exchanges with the atmosphere. However, representing the heterogeneity of terrestrial hydrological and biogeochemical processes in Earth system models (ESMs) remains a critical scientific challenge. We report the impact of spatial scaling on environmental controls, spatial structure, and statistical properties of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks across the US state of Alaska. We used soil profile observations and environmental factors such as topography, climate, land cover types, and surficial geology to predict the SOC stocks at a 50 m spatial scale. These spatially heterogeneous estimates provide a data set with reasonable fidelity to the observations at a sufficiently high resolution to examine the environmental controls on the spatial structure of SOC stocks. We upscaled both the predicted SOC stocks and environmental variables from finer to coarser spatial scales (s = 100, 200, and 500 m and 1, 2, 5, and 10 km) and generated various statistical properties of SOC stock estimates. We found different environmental factors to be statistically significant predictors at different spatial scales. Only elevation, temperature, potential evapotranspiration, and scrub land cover types were significant predictors at all scales. The strengths of control (the median value of geographically weighted regression coefficients) of these four environmental variables on SOC stocks decreased with increasing scale and were accurately represented using mathematical functions (R2 = 0.83-0.97). The spatial structure of SOC stocks across Alaska changed with spatial scale. Although the variance (sill) and unstructured variability (nugget) of the calculated variograms of SOC stocks decreased exponentially with scale, the correlation length (range) remained relatively constant across scale. The variance of predicted SOC stocks decreased with spatial scale over the range of 50 m to ~ 500 m, and remained

Preparation of H3-labelled methyl ethers of saturated fatty acids by heterogeneous catalytic isotope exchange in solution with gaseous tritium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shevchenko, V.P.; Myasoedov, N.F.

1980-01-01

A simple method of preparing 3 H-labelled methyl ethers of saturated fatty acids in the dioxane solution using the method of isotopic heterogenous catalytic exchange with gaseous tritium, is suggested. 3 H-labelled natural fatty acids (C 12 -C 18 ) are prepared by alkaline hydrolysis [ru

Micro-scale heterogeneity in water temperature | Dallas | Water SA

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Micro-scale heterogeneity in water temperature was examined in 6 upland sites in the Western Cape, South Africa. Hourly water temperature data converted to daily data showed that greatest differences were apparent in daily maximum temperatures between shallow- and deep-water biotopes during the warmest period of ...

Re — Os isotopic constraints on the origin of volcanic rocks, Gorgona Island, Colombia: Os isotopic evidence for ancient heterogeneities in the mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, R. J.; Echeverria, L. M.; Shirey, S. B.; Horan, M. F.

1991-04-01

The Re — Os isotopic systematics of komatiites and spatially associated basalts from Gorgona Island, Colombia, indicate that they were produced at 155±43 Ma. Subsequent episodes of volcanism produced basalts at 88.1±3.8 Ma and picritic and basaltic lavas at ca. 58 Ma. The age for the ultramafic rocks is important because it coincides with the late-Jurassic, early-Cretaceous disassembly of Pangea, when the North- and South-American plates began to pull apart. Deep-seated mantle upwelling possibly precipitated the break-up of these continental plates and caused a tear in the subducting slab west of Gorgona, providing a rare, late-Phanerozoic conduit for the komatiitic melts. Mantle sources for the komatiites were heterogeneous with respect to Os and Pb isotopic compositions, but had homogeneous Nd isotopic compositions (ɛNd+9±1). Initial 187Os/186Os normalized to carbonaceous chondrites at 155 Ma (γOs) ranged from 0 to +22, and model-initial μ values ranged from 8.17 to 8.39. The excess radiogenic Os, compared with an assumed bulk-mantle evolution similar to carbonaceous chondrites, was likely produced in portions of the mantle with long-term elevated Re concentrations. The Os, Pb and Nd isotopic compositions, together with major-element constraints, suggest that the sources of the komatiites were enriched more than 1 Ga ago by low (<20%) and variable amounts of a basalt or komatiite component. This component was added as either subducted oceanic crust or melt derived from greater depths in the mantle. These results suggest that the Re — Os isotope system may be a highly sensitive indicator of the presence of ancient subducted oceanic crust in mantle-source regions.

Constraints on small-scale heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle from observations of near podal PcP precursors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Baolong; Ni, Sidao; Sun, Daoyuan; Shen, Zhichao; Jackson, Jennifer M.; Wu, Wenbo

2018-05-01

Volumetric heterogeneities on large (∼>1000 km) and intermediate scales (∼>100 km) in the lowermost mantle have been established with seismological approaches. However, there are controversies regarding the level of heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle at small scales (a few kilometers to tens of kilometers), with lower bound estimates ranging from 0.1% to a few percent. We take advantage of the small amplitude PcP waves at near podal distances (0-12°) to constrain the level of small-scale heterogeneity within 250 km above the CMB. First, we compute short period synthetic seismograms with a finite difference code for a series of volumetric heterogeneity models in the lowermost mantle, and find that PcP is not identifiable if the small-scale heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle is above 2.5%. We then use a functional form appropriate for coda decay to suppress P coda contamination. By comparing the corrected envelope of PcP and its precursors with synthetic seismograms, we find that perturbations of small-scale (∼8 km) heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle is ∼0.2-0.5% beneath regions of the China-Myanmar border area, Okhotsk Sea and South America. Whereas strong perturbations (∼1.0%) are found beneath Central America. In the regions studied, we find that this particular type of small-scale heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle is weak, yet there are some regions requiring heterogeneity up to 1.0%. Where scattering is stronger, such as under Central America, more chemically complex mineral assemblages may be present at the core-mantle boundary.

SCALE Validation Experience Using an Expanded Isotopic Assay Database for Spent Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauld, Ian C.; Radulescu, Georgeta; Ilas, Germina

2009-01-01

The availability of measured isotopic assay data to validate computer code predictions of spent fuel compositions applied in burnup-credit criticality calculations is an essential component for bias and uncertainty determination in safety and licensing analyses. In recent years, as many countries move closer to implementing or expanding the use of burnup credit in criticality safety for licensing, there has been growing interest in acquiring additional high-quality assay data. The well-known open sources of assay data are viewed as potentially limiting for validating depletion calculations for burnup credit due to the relatively small number of isotopes measured (primarily actinides with relatively few fission products), sometimes large measurement uncertainties, incomplete documentation, and the limited burnup and enrichment range of the fuel samples. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) recently initiated an extensive isotopic validation study that includes most of the public data archived in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) electronic database, SFCOMPO, and new datasets obtained through participation in commercial experimental programs. To date, ORNL has analyzed approximately 120 different spent fuel samples from pressurized-water reactors that span a wide enrichment and burnup range and represent a broad class of assembly designs. The validation studies, completed using SCALE 5.1, are being used to support a technical basis for expanded implementation of burnup credit for spent fuel storage facilities, and other spent fuel analyses including radiation source term, dose assessment, decay heat, and waste repository safety analyses. This paper summarizes the isotopic assay data selected for this study, presents validation results obtained with SCALE 5.1, and discusses some of the challenges and experience associated with evaluating the results. Preliminary results obtained using SCALE 6 and ENDF

Algorithmic Foundation of Spectral Rarefaction for Measuring Satellite Imagery Heterogeneity at Multiple Spatial Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Rocchini, Duccio

2009-01-01

Measuring heterogeneity in satellite imagery is an important task to deal with. Most measures of spectral diversity have been based on Shannon Information theory. However, this approach does not inherently address different scales, ranging from local (hereafter referred to alpha diversity) to global scales (gamma diversity). The aim of this paper is to propose a method for measuring spectral heterogeneity at multiple scales based on rarefaction curves. An algorithmic solution of rarefaction applied to image pixel values (Digital Numbers, DNs) is provided and discussed. PMID:22389600

Scale dependent drivers of wild bee diversity in tropical heterogeneous agricultural landscapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Parthiba; Parui, Arpan Kumar; Chatterjee, Soumik; Dutta, Aditi; Chakraborty, Pushan; Roberts, Stuart; Smith, Barbara

2016-10-01

Factors associated with agricultural intensification, for example, loss of seminatural vegetation and pesticide use has been shown to adversely affect the bee community. These factors may impact the bee community differently at different landscape scales. The scale dependency is expected to be more pronounced in heterogeneous landscapes. However, the scale-dependent response of the bee community to drivers of its decline is relatively understudied, especially in the tropics where the agricultural landscape is often heterogeneous. This study looked at effects of agricultural intensification on bee diversity at patch and landscape scales in a tropical agricultural landscape. Wild bees were sampled using 12 permanent pan trap stations. Patch and landscape characteristics were measured within a 100 m (patch scale) and a 500 m (landscape scale) radius of pan trap stations. Information on pesticide input was obtained from farmer surveys. Data on vegetation cover, productivity, and percentage of agricultural and fallow land (FL) were collected using satellite imagery. Intensive areas in a bee-site network were less specialized in terms of resources to attract rare bee species while the less intensive areas, which supported more rare species, were more vulnerable to disturbance. A combination of patch quality and diversity as well as pesticide use regulates species diversity at the landscape scale (500 m), whereas pesticide quantity drove diversity at the patch scale (100 m). At the landscape scale, specialization of each site in terms of resources for bees increased with increasing patch diversity and FL while at the patch scale specialization declined with increased pesticide use. Bee functional groups responded differentially to landscape characteristics as well as pesticide use. Wood nesting bees were negatively affected by the number of pesticides used but other bee functional groups were not sensitive to pesticides. Synthesis and Applications : Different factors

Spatial heterogeneity and scale-dependent habitat selection for two sympatric raptors in mixed-grass prairie.

Science.gov (United States)

Atuo, Fidelis Akunke; O'Connell, Timothy John

2017-08-01

Sympatric predators are predicted to partition resources, especially under conditions of food limitation. Spatial heterogeneity that influences prey availability might play an important role in the scales at which potential competitors select habitat. We assessed potential mechanisms for coexistence by examining the role of heterogeneity in resource partitioning between sympatric raptors overwintering in the southern Great Plains. We conducted surveys for wintering Red-tailed hawk ( Buteo jamaicensis ) and Northern Harrier ( Circus cyanea ) at two state wildlife management areas in Oklahoma, USA. We used information from repeated distance sampling to project use locations in a GIS. We applied resource selection functions to model habitat selection at three scales and analyzed for niche partitioning using the outlying mean index. Habitat selection of the two predators was mediated by spatial heterogeneity. The two predators demonstrated significant fine-scale discrimination in habitat selection in homogeneous landscapes, but were more sympatric in heterogeneous landscapes. Red-tailed hawk used a variety of cover types in heterogeneous landscapes but specialized on riparian forest in homogeneous landscapes. Northern Harrier specialized on upland grasslands in homogeneous landscapes but selected more cover types in heterogeneous landscapes. Our study supports the growing body of evidence that landscapes can affect animal behaviors. In the system we studied, larger patches of primary land cover types were associated with greater allopatry in habitat selection between two potentially competing predators. Heterogeneity within the scale of raptor home ranges was associated with greater sympatry in use and less specialization in land cover types selected.

Modelling solute dispersion in periodic heterogeneous porous media: Model benchmarking against intermediate scale experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Majdalani, Samer; Guinot, Vincent; Delenne, Carole; Gebran, Hicham

2018-06-01

This paper is devoted to theoretical and experimental investigations of solute dispersion in heterogeneous porous media. Dispersion in heterogenous porous media has been reported to be scale-dependent, a likely indication that the proposed dispersion models are incompletely formulated. A high quality experimental data set of breakthrough curves in periodic model heterogeneous porous media is presented. In contrast with most previously published experiments, the present experiments involve numerous replicates. This allows the statistical variability of experimental data to be accounted for. Several models are benchmarked against the data set: the Fickian-based advection-dispersion, mobile-immobile, multirate, multiple region advection dispersion models, and a newly proposed transport model based on pure advection. A salient property of the latter model is that its solutions exhibit a ballistic behaviour for small times, while tending to the Fickian behaviour for large time scales. Model performance is assessed using a novel objective function accounting for the statistical variability of the experimental data set, while putting equal emphasis on both small and large time scale behaviours. Besides being as accurate as the other models, the new purely advective model has the advantages that (i) it does not exhibit the undesirable effects associated with the usual Fickian operator (namely the infinite solute front propagation speed), and (ii) it allows dispersive transport to be simulated on every heterogeneity scale using scale-independent parameters.

Large-scale model of flow in heterogeneous and hierarchical porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Chabanon, Morgan; Valdés-Parada, Francisco J.; Ochoa-Tapia, J. Alberto; Goyeau, Benoît

2017-11-01

Heterogeneous porous structures are very often encountered in natural environments, bioremediation processes among many others. Reliable models for momentum transport are crucial whenever mass transport or convective heat occurs in these systems. In this work, we derive a large-scale average model for incompressible single-phase flow in heterogeneous and hierarchical soil porous media composed of two distinct porous regions embedding a solid impermeable structure. The model, based on the local mechanical equilibrium assumption between the porous regions, results in a unique momentum transport equation where the global effective permeability naturally depends on the permeabilities at the intermediate mesoscopic scales and therefore includes the complex hierarchical structure of the soil. The associated closure problem is numerically solved for various configurations and properties of the heterogeneous medium. The results clearly show that the effective permeability increases with the volume fraction of the most permeable porous region. It is also shown that the effective permeability is sensitive to the dimensionality spatial arrangement of the porous regions and in particular depends on the contact between the impermeable solid and the two porous regions.

Seismic modeling of multidimensional heterogeneity scales of Mallik gas hydrate reservoirs, Northwest Territories of Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jun-Wei; Bellefleur, Gilles; Milkereit, Bernd

2009-07-01

In hydrate-bearing sediments, the velocity and attenuation of compressional and shear waves depend primarily on the spatial distribution of hydrates in the pore space of the subsurface lithologies. Recent characterizations of gas hydrate accumulations based on seismic velocity and attenuation generally assume homogeneous sedimentary layers and neglect effects from large- and small-scale heterogeneities of hydrate-bearing sediments. We present an algorithm, based on stochastic medium theory, to construct heterogeneous multivariable models that mimic heterogeneities of hydrate-bearing sediments at the level of detail provided by borehole logging data. Using this algorithm, we model some key petrophysical properties of gas hydrates within heterogeneous sediments near the Mallik well site, Northwest Territories, Canada. The modeled density, and P and S wave velocities used in combination with a modified Biot-Gassmann theory provide a first-order estimate of the in situ volume of gas hydrate near the Mallik 5L-38 borehole. Our results suggest a range of 528 to 768 × 106 m3/km2 of natural gas trapped within hydrates, nearly an order of magnitude lower than earlier estimates which did not include effects of small-scale heterogeneities. Further, the petrophysical models are combined with a 3-D finite difference modeling algorithm to study seismic attenuation due to scattering and leaky mode propagation. Simulations of a near-offset vertical seismic profile and cross-borehole numerical surveys demonstrate that attenuation of seismic energy may not be directly related to the intrinsic attenuation of hydrate-bearing sediments but, instead, may be largely attributed to scattering from small-scale heterogeneities and highly attenuate leaky mode propagation of seismic waves through larger-scale heterogeneities in sediments.

Multi-scale heterogeneity in the temporal origin of water taken up by trees water uptake inferred using stable isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, S. T.; Kirchner, J. W.; Braun, S.; Siegwolf, R. T.; Goldsmith, G. R.

2017-12-01

Xylem water isotopic composition can reveal how water moves through soil and is subsequently taken up by plants. By examining how xylem water isotopes vary across distinct climates and soils, we test how these site characteristics control critical-zone water movement and tree uptake. Xylem water was collected from over 900 trees at 191 sites across Switzerland during a 10-day period in mid-summer 2015. Sites contained oak, beech and/or spruce trees and ranged in elevation from 260 to 1870 m asl with mean annual precipitation from 700 to 2060 mm. Xylem water samples were analyzed for 2H and 18O using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Patterns in the temporal origin of xylem water showed regional differences. For example, trees in the southern and alpine regions had xylem water isotopic signatures that more closely resembled summer precipitation. The isotopic spatial range observed for mid-summer xylem waters was similar to the seasonal range of precipitation; that is, mid-summer xylem water at some sites resembled summer precipitation, and at other sites resembled winter precipitation. Xylem water from spruces, oaks, and beeches at the same sites did not differ from each other, despite these species having different rooting habits. Across all sites and species, precipitation amount correlated positively with xylem δ18O. In higher-precipitation areas, summer rain apparently displaces or mixes with older (winter) stored waters, thus reducing the winter-water isotopic signal in xylem water. Alternatively, in areas with limited precipitation, xylem water more closely matched winter water, indicating greater use of older stored water. We conclude that regional variations in precipitation deficits determine variations in the turnover rate of plant-available soil water and storage.

Impact of spatially correlated pore-scale heterogeneity on drying porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Borgman, Oshri; Fantinel, Paolo; Lühder, Wieland; Goehring, Lucas; Holtzman, Ran

2017-07-01

We study the effect of spatially-correlated heterogeneity on isothermal drying of porous media. We combine a minimal pore-scale model with microfluidic experiments with the same pore geometry. Our simulated drying behavior compares favorably with experiments, considering the large sensitivity of the emergent behavior to the uncertainty associated with even small manufacturing errors. We show that increasing the correlation length in particle sizes promotes preferential drying of clusters of large pores, prolonging liquid connectivity and surface wetness and thus higher drying rates for longer periods. Our findings improve our quantitative understanding of how pore-scale heterogeneity impacts drying, which plays a role in a wide range of processes ranging from fuel cells to curing of paints and cements to global budgets of energy, water and solutes in soils.

Fluid heterogeneity during granulite facies metamorphism in the Adirondacks: stable isotope evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Valley, J.W.; O'Neil, J.R.

1984-01-01

premetamorphic isotopic compositions. Such preservation is particularly evident in instances of high ??18O calcites (25.0 to 27.2), low ??18O wollastonites (-1.3 to 3.5), and sharp gradients in ??18O (18 permil/15m between marble and anorthosite, 8 permil/25 m in metasediments, and 6 permil/1 m in skarn). Isotopic exchange is seen across marble-anorthosite and marble-granite contacts only at the scale of a few meters. Small (<5 m) marble xenoliths are in approximate exchange equilibrium with their hosts, but for larger xenoliths and layers of marble there is no evidence of exchange at distances greater than 10 m from meta-igneous contacts. ?? 1984 Springer-Verlag.

Ion Microprobe Measurements of Comet Dust and Implications for Models of Oxygen Isotope Heterogeneity in the Solar System

Science.gov (United States)

Snead, C. J.; McKeegan, K. D.; Keller, L. P.; Messenger, S.

2017-01-01

The oxygen isotopic compositions of anhydrous minerals in carbonaceous chondrites reflect mixing between a O-16-rich and O-17, O18-rich reservoir. The UV photodissociation of CO (i.e. selfshielding) has been proposed as a mass-independent mechanism for producing these isotopically distinct reservoirs. Self-shielding models predict the composition for the CO gas reservoir to be O-16-rich, and that the accreting primordial dust was in isotopic equilibrium with the gaseous reservoir [1, 2]. Self-shielding also predicts that cometary water, presumed to represent the O-17, O-18-rich reservoir, should be enriched in O-17 and O-18, with compositions of 200 -1000per mille, and that the interaction with this O-17, O-18-rich H2O reservoir altered the compositions of the primordial dust toward planetary values. The bulk composition of the solar nebula, which may be an approximation to the 16O-rich gaseous reservoir, has been constrained by the Genesis results [3]. However, material representing the O-17, O-18-rich end-member is rare [4], and dust representing the original accreting primordial dust has been challenging to conclusively identify in current collections. Anhydrous dust from comets, which accreted in the distal cold regions of the nebula at temperatures below approximately 30K, may provide the best opportunity to measure the oxygen isotope composition of primordial dust. Chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles (CP-IDPs) have been suggested as having cometary origins [5]; however, until direct comparisons with dust from a known comet parent body were made, link between CP-IDPs and comets remained circumstantial. Oxygen isotope analyses of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 collected by NASA's Stardust mission have revealed surprising similarities to minerals in carbonaceous chondrites which have been interpreted as evidence for large scale radial migration of dust components from the inner solar nebula to the accretion regions of Jupiter- family comets [6

Pb sbnd Sr sbnd Nd isotopic data of Indian Ocean ridges: new evidence of large-scale mapping of mantle heterogeneities

Science.gov (United States)

Hamelin, Bruno; Dupré, Bernard; Allègre, Claude J.

1986-01-01

A Pb sbnd Sr sbnd Nd isotope study of South West and East Indian Ridges confirms that the Indian Ocean belongs to a specific regional isotopic domain, as previously suggested by the results from islands of this ocean. The isotopic domain defined by the Indian MORB is indeed different from that of the North Atlantic and East Pacific Oceans. This demonstrates that the convective circulation of the upper mantle does not allow a rapid homogenization from one region to the other. The isotopic data of the Indian ridges can be interpreted by a contamination model, in which the depleted upper mantle (identical to that under the North Atlantic) is contaminated by two different types of contaminant, one corresponding to the source of the "central Indian Ocean" islands (Amsterdam, St. Paul, Marion, Prince Edward, Réunion, Rodriguez, Mauritius), and the other to a source similar to that of Walvis or Ninety East aseismic ridges. These two contaminants would have contributed to the ridge volcanism in different proportions over time.

Field scale heterogeneity of redox conditions in till-upscaling to a catchment nitrate model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, J.R.; Erntsen, V.; Refsgaard, J.C.

2008-01-01

Point scale studies in different settings of glacial geology show a large local variation of redox conditions. There is a need to develop an upscaling methodology for catchment scale models. This paper describes a study of field-scale heterogeneity of redox-interfaces in a till aquitard within an...

Estimation of microbial respiration rates in groundwater by geochemical modeling constrained with stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, E.M.

1998-01-01

Changes in geochemistry and stable isotopes along a well-established groundwater flow path were used to estimate in situ microbial respiration rates in the Middendorf aquifer in the southeastern United States. Respiration rates were determined for individual terminal electron acceptors including O 2 , MnO 2 , Fe 3+ , and SO 4 2- . The extent of biotic reactions were constrained by the fractionation of stable isotopes of carbon and sulfur. Sulfur isotopes and the presence of sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms indicated that sulfate is produced through the oxidation of reduced sulfur species in the aquifer and not by the dissolution of gypsum, as previously reported. The respiration rates varied along the flow path as the groundwater transitioned between primarily oxic to anoxic conditions. Iron-reducing microorganisms were the largest contributors to the oxidation of organic matter along the portion of the groundwater flow path investigated in this study. The transition zone between oxic and anoxic groundwater contained a wide range of terminal electron acceptors and showed the greatest diversity and numbers of culturable microorganisms and the highest respiration rates. A comparison of respiration rates measured from core samples and pumped groundwater suggests that variability in respiration rates may often reflect the measurement scales, both in the sample volume and the time-frame over which the respiration measurement is averaged. Chemical heterogeneity may create a wide range of respiration rates when the scale of the observation is below the scale of the heterogeneity

Assessing heterogeneity in soil nitrogen cycling: a plot-scale approach

Science.gov (United States)

Peter Baas; Jacqueline E. Mohan; David Markewitz; Jennifer D. Knoepp

2014-01-01

The high level of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in soil N cycling processes hinders our ability to develop an ecosystem-wide understanding of this cycle. This study examined how incorporating an intensive assessment of spatial variability for soil moisture, C, nutrients, and soil texture can better explain ecosystem N cycling at the plot scale. Five sites...

Fine scale heterogeneity in the Earth's upper mantle - observation and interpretation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thybo, Hans

2014-01-01

can be correlated to main plate tectonic features, such as oceanic spreading centres, continental rift zones and subducting slabs. Much seismological mantle research is now concentrated on imaging fine scale heterogeneity, which may be detected and imaged with high-resolution seismic data with dense...

Sr and Nd isotopes in basalts form the East Pacific Rise: Significance for mantle heterogeneity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macdougall, J.D.; Lugmair, G.W.

1986-01-01

Isotopic data for Sr and Nd from fresh glassy East Pacific Rise basalts suggest that this part of the suboceanic mantle is characterized by subtle but distinct large-scale regional isotopic variability which may reflect differences between cells of the convecting mantle. In spite of a systematic N-S change in spreading rate of a factor of three along the sampled portion of the EPR, no correlation is observed between spreading rate and range of isotopic composition, indicating that the regional variations override homogenization effects which may be correlated with rate of magma generation and hence spreading rate. There is no clear signature in our data of effects from the postulated global ''Dupal Anomaly''. However, for a restricted ridge segment at the latitude of Easter Island, anomalously high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and low 143 Nd/ 144 Nd occur, coupled with high incompatible element concentrations. These features are most easily understood as being the result of inclusion of a ''plume'' component in these ridge basalts. (orig.)

Isotopic diversity in nebular dust: The distribution of Ti isotopic anomalies in carbonaceous chondrites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niemeyer, S.

1988-01-01

Average Ti isotopic patterns are derived for each class of carbonaceous chondrite from a chemically characterized suite of whole-rock samples. There is a well-resolved excess of 50 Ti in a subset of CI meteorites. Mean values of the 50 Ti excess for the four classes span a range of only 2 ε-units, with an apparent positive correlation with Al content. Previous evidence for anomalies in chondrules is augmented here by demonstrating that: (1) the more pristine Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) in Efremovka show the same isotopic pattern as the typical Allende CAI; and, (2) CM and CV matrix carry 50 Ti excesses of about 2 ε-units. The distribution of Ti isotopic anomalies among matrix, chondrules, and CAIs suggests a model in which all three constituents formed from precursor-assemblages in which some chemical memories were still intact; the isotopic differences reflect fractionations among the carrier phases of the different isotopic components. Chondrules formed by a mostly closed-system melting of their precursors, and thus provide a recording of the extent of nebular heterogeneity on the mg-size scale. The larger anomalies in CAIs, compared to matrix and most (but not all) chondrules, are attributed primarily to an open- rather than closed-system processing of the CAI precursors. Precursors of both FUN and normal CAIs experienced an episode of intense processing, perhaps partial melting, that created the FUN characteristics, but for normal CAIs the FUN effects were erased by subsequent isotopic equilibration and exchange

Iron isotopic systematics of oceanic basalts

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Fang-Zhen; Dauphas, Nicolas; Huang, Shichun; Marty, Bernard

2013-04-01

The iron isotopic compositions of 93 well-characterized basalts from geochemically and geologically diverse mid-ocean ridge segments, oceanic islands and back arc basins were measured. Forty-three MORBs have homogeneous Fe isotopic composition, with δ56Fe ranging from +0.07‰ to +0.14‰ and an average of +0.105 ± 0.006‰ (2SD/√n, n = 43, MSWD = 1.9). Three back arc basin basalts have similar δ56Fe to MORBs. By contrast, OIBs are slightly heterogeneous with δ56Fe ranging from +0.05‰ to +0.14‰ in samples from Koolau and Loihi, Hawaii, and from +0.09‰ to +0.18‰ in samples from the Society Islands and Cook-Austral chain, French Polynesia. Overall, oceanic basalts are isotopically heavier than mantle peridotite and pyroxenite xenoliths, reflecting Fe isotope fractionation during partial melting of the mantle. Iron isotopic variations in OIBs mainly reflect Fe isotope fractionation during fractional crystallization of olivine and pyroxene, enhanced by source heterogeneity in Koolau samples.

A multi-scale computational scheme for anisotropic hydro-mechanical couplings in saturated heterogeneous porous media

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mercatoris, B.C.N.; Massart, T.J.; Sluys, L.J.

2013-01-01

This contribution discusses a coupled two-scale framework for hydro-mechanical problems in saturated heterogeneous porous geomaterials. The heterogeneous nature of such materials can lead to an anisotropy of the hydro-mechanical couplings and non-linear effects. Based on an assumed model of the

Isotope heterogeneity of Pre-Holocene groundwater in Iceland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sveinbjörnsdóttir, Á.E.; Arnorsson, S.; Heinemeier, Jan

2007-01-01

In recent years, it has been shown that groundwater with a Pre-Holocene component is more common in the Icelandic bedrock than previously thought. Some of the Pre-Holocene water samples are more depleted in delta H-2 and delta O-18 than any mean annual precipitation in Iceland today due to the cold...... climate at that time. However, most often Pre-Holocene water components cannot be detected based on the water isotopes alone due to mixing with younger and isotopically heavier water. The Cl concentration in relation to the water isotopes in specific areas has proved to be a good indicator of a Pre......-Holocene component in the groundwater. The deuterium excess value may also help to identify water from a different climate regime, if no oxygen shift has occurred. The relative abundance of a Pre-Holocene water component of the Icelandic groundwater has led to the understanding that combined interpretation of water...

Scale-up of miscible flood processes for heterogeneous reservoirs. 1993 annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orr, F.M. Jr.

1994-05-01

Progress is reported for a comprehensive investigation of the scaling behavior of gas injection processes in heterogeneous reservoirs. The interplay of phase behavior, viscous fingering, gravity segregation, capillary imbibition and drainage, and reservoir heterogeneity is examined in a series of simulations and experiments. Compositional and first-contact miscable simulations of viscous fingering and gravity segregation are compared to show that the two techniques can give very different results. Also, analyzed are two-dimensional and three-dimensional flows in which gravity segregation and viscous fingering interact. The simulations show that 2D and 3D flows can differ significantly. A comparison of analytical solutions for three-component two-phase flow with experimental results for oil/water/alcohol systems is reported. While the experiments and theory show reasonable agreement, some differences remain to be explained. The scaling behavior of the interaction of gravity segregation and capillary forces is investigated through simulations and through scaling arguments based on analysis of the differential equations. The simulations show that standard approaches do not agree well with results of low IFT displacements. The scaling analyses, however, reveal flow regimes where capillary, gravity, or viscous forces dominate the flow.

Calcium isotopic anomalies in the Allende meteorite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, T.; Papanastassiou, D.A.; Wasserburg, G.J.

1978-01-01

We report isotopic anomalies in Ca which were found in two Ca-Al-rich inclusions of the Allende meteorite. These inclusions previously had been shown to contain special anomalies for Mg and O which were attributed to fractionation and unknown nuclear effects. The Ca data, when corrected for mass fractionation by using 40 Ca/ 44 Ca as a standard, show nonlinear isotopic effects in 48 Ca of +13.5 per mil and in 42 Ca of +1.7 per mil for one sample. The second sample shows a 48 Ca depletion of -2.9 per mil, but all other isotopes are normal. Samples with large excesses in 26 Mg show no Ca anomalies. The effects demonstrate that isotopic anomalies exist for higher-atomic-number refractory elements in solar-system materials and do not appear to be readily explainable by a simple model. The correlation of O, Mg, and Ca results on the same inclusions requires the addition and preservation in the solar system of components from idverse nucleosynthetic sources. Observed anomalous Mg and Ca compositions for coexisting mineral phases are uniform within each inclusion, and require initial isotopic homogeneity within an inclusion but the preservation of wide variations between inclusions. Assuming formation of these inclusions by condensation from a gaseous part of the solar nebula, this implies isotopic heterogeneity on a scale of 10-10 2 km within the nebula

Stable isotope analyses of feather amino acids identify penguin migration strategies at ocean basin scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Polito, Michael J; Hinke, Jefferson T; Hart, Tom; Santos, Mercedes; Houghton, Leah A; Thorrold, Simon R

2017-08-01

Identifying the at-sea distribution of wide-ranging marine predators is critical to understanding their ecology. Advances in electronic tracking devices and intrinsic biogeochemical markers have greatly improved our ability to track animal movements on ocean-wide scales. Here, we show that, in combination with direct tracking, stable carbon isotope analysis of essential amino acids in tail feathers provides the ability to track the movement patterns of two, wide-ranging penguin species over ocean basin scales. In addition, we use this isotopic approach across multiple breeding colonies in the Scotia Arc to evaluate migration trends at a regional scale that would be logistically challenging using direct tracking alone. © 2017 The Author(s).

Response of Moist Convection to Multi-scale Surface Flux Heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, S. L.; Ryu, J. H.

2015-12-01

We investigate response of moist convection to multi-scale feature of the spatial variation of surface sensible heat fluxes (SHF) in the afternoon evolution of the convective boundary layer (CBL), utilizing a mesoscale-domain large eddy simulation (LES) model. The multi-scale surface heterogeneity feature is analytically created as a function of the spectral slope in the wavelength range from a few tens of km to a few hundreds of m in the spectrum of surface SHF on a log-log scale. The response of moist convection to the κ-3 - slope (where κ is wavenumber) surface SHF field is compared with that to the κ-2 - slope surface, which has a relatively weak mesoscale feature, and the homogeneous κ0 - slope surface. Given the surface energy balance with a spatially uniform available energy, the prescribed SHF has a 180° phase lag with the latent heat flux (LHF) in a horizontal domain of (several tens of km)2. Thus, warmer (cooler) surface is relatively dry (moist). For all the cases, the same observation-based sounding is prescribed for the initial condition. For all the κ-3 - slope surface heterogeneity cases, early non-precipitating shallow clouds further develop into precipitating deep thunderstorms. But for all the κ-2 - slope cases, only shallow clouds develop. We compare the vertical profiles of domain-averaged fluxes and variances, and the contribution of the mesoscale and turbulence contributions to the fluxes and variances, between the κ-3 versus κ-2 slope cases. Also the cross-scale processes are investigated.

Inferring biome-scale net primary productivity from tree-ring isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Pederson, N.; Levesque, M.; Williams, A. P.; Hobi, M. L.; Smith, W. K.; Andreu-Hayles, L.

2017-12-01

Satellite estimates of vegetation growth (net primary productivity; NPP), tree-ring records, and forest inventories indicate that ongoing climate change and rising atmospheric CO2 concentration are altering productivity and carbon storage of forests worldwide. The impact of global change on the trends of NPP, however, remain unknown because of the lack of long-term high-resolution NPP data. For the first time, we tested if annually resolved carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) stable isotopes from the cellulose of tree rings from trees in temperate regions could be used as a tool for inferring NPP across spatiotemporal scales. We compared satellite NPP estimates from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer sensor (MODIS, product MOD17A) and a newly developed global NPP dataset derived from the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) dataset to annually resolved tree-ring width and δ13C and δ18O records from four sites along a hydroclimatic gradient in Eastern and Central United States. We found strong correlations across large geographical regions between satellite-derived NPP and tree-ring isotopes that ranged from -0.40 to -0.91. Notably, tree-ring derived δ18O had the strongest relation to climate. The results were consistent among the studied tree species (Quercus rubra and Liriodendron tulipifera) and along the hydroclimatic conditions of our network. Our study indicates that tree-ring isotopes can potentially be used to reconstruct NPP in time and space. As such, our findings represent an important breakthrough for estimating long-term changes in vegetation productivity at the biome scale.

Impact of Subsurface Heterogeneities on nano-Scale Zero Valent Iron Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Krol, M. M.; Sleep, B. E.; O'Carroll, D. M.

2011-12-01

Nano-scale zero valent iron (nZVI) has been applied as a remediation technology at sites contaminated with chlorinated compounds and heavy metals. Although laboratory studies have demonstrated high reactivity for the degradation of target contaminants, the success of nZVI in the field has been limited due to poor subsurface mobility. When injected into the subsurface, nZVI tends to aggregate and be retained by subsurface soils. As such nZVI suspensions need to be stabilized for increased mobility. However, even with stabilization, soil heterogeneities can still lead to non-uniform nZVI transport, resulting in poor distribution and consequently decreased degradation of target compounds. Understanding how nZVI transport can be affected by subsurface heterogeneities can aid in improving the technology. This can be done with the use of a numerical model which can simulate nZVI transport. In this study CompSim, a finite difference groundwater model, is used to simulate the movement of nZVI in a two-dimensional domain. CompSim has been shown in previous studies to accurately predict nZVI movement in the subsurface, and is used in this study to examine the impact of soil heterogeneity on nZVI transport. This work also explores the impact of different viscosities of the injected nZVI suspensions (corresponding to different stabilizing polymers) and injection rates on nZVI mobility. Analysis metrics include travel time, travel distance, and average nZVI concentrations. Improving our understanding of the influence of soil heterogeneity on nZVI transport will lead to improved field scale implementation and, potentially, to more effective remediation of contaminated sites.

Lead Isotope Compositions of Acid Residues from Olivine-Phyric Shergottite Tissint: Implications for Heterogeneous Shergottite Source Reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Moriwaki, R.; Usui, T.; Yokoyama, T.; Simon, J. I.; Jones, J. H.

2015-01-01

Geochemical studies of shergottites suggest that their parental magmas reflect mixtures between at least two distinct geochemical source reservoirs, producing correlations between radiogenic isotope compositions and trace element abundances. These correlations have been interpreted as indicating the presence of a reduced, incompatible element- depleted reservoir and an oxidized, incompatible- element-enriched reservoir. The former is clearly a depleted mantle source, but there is ongoing debate regarding the origin of the enriched reservoir. Two contrasting models have been proposed regarding the location and mixing process of the two geochemical source reservoirs: (1) assimilation of oxidized crust by mantle derived, reduced magmas, or (2) mixing of two distinct mantle reservoirs during melting. The former requires the ancient Martian crust to be the enriched source (crustal assimilation), whereas the latter requires isolation of a long-lived enriched mantle domain that probably originated from residual melts formed during solidification of a magma ocean (heterogeneous mantle model). This study conducts Pb isotope and trace element concentration analyses of sequential acid-leaching fractions (leachates and the final residues) from the geochemically depleted olivine-phyric shergottite Tissint. The results suggest that the Tissint magma is not isotopically uniform and sampled at least two geochemical source reservoirs, implying that either crustal assimilation or magma mixing would have played a role in the Tissint petrogenesis.

From Gene Expression to the Earth System: Isotopic Constraints on Nitrogen Cycling Across Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Houlton, B. Z.

2015-12-01

A central motivation of the Biogeosciences is to understand the cycling of biologically essential elements over multiple scales of space and time. This charge is vital to basic knowledge of Earth system functioning. It is also relevant to many of the global challenges we face, such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, and the multifaceted role of global fertilizer use in maximizing human health and well-being. Nitrogen is connected to all of these; yet it has been one of the more vexing elements to quantitatively appraise across systems and scales. Here I discuss how research in my group has been exploring the use of natural nitrogen isotope abundance (15N/14N) as a biogeochemical tracer - from the level of gene expression to nitrogen's role in global climate change. First, I present evidence for a positive correlation between the bacterial genes that encode for gaseous nitrogen production (i.e., nirS) and the 15N/14N of soil extractable nitrate pools across an array of terrestrial ecosystems. Second, I demonstrate how these local-scale results fit with our work on ecosystem-scale nitrogen isotope budgets, where we quantify a uniformly small isotope effect (i.e., supports the working hypothesis that bacterial denitrification is the major fractionating pathway of nitrogen loss from the terrestrial biosphere, much like the global ocean.

SCALE 5.1 Predictions of PWR Spent Nuclear Fuel Isotopic Compositions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radulescu, Georgeta [ORNL; Gauld, Ian C [ORNL; Ilas, Germina [ORNL

2010-03-01

The purpose of this calculation report is to document the comparison to measurement of the isotopic concentrations for pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent nuclear fuel determined with the Standardized Computer Analysis for Licensing Evaluation (SCALE) 5.1 (Ref. ) epletion calculation method. Specifically, the depletion computer code and the cross-section library being evaluated are the twodimensional (2-D) transport and depletion module, TRITON/NEWT,2, 3 and the 44GROUPNDF5 (Ref. 4) cross-section library, respectively, in the SCALE .1 code system.

Heterogeneity and Scaling in Geologic Media: Applications to Transport in the Vadose and Saturated Zones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Stephen R.

2003-06-01

Heterogeneity and Scaling in Geologic Media: Applications to Transport in the Vadose and Saturated Zones Stephen Brown, Gregory Boitnott, and Martin Smith New England Research In rocks and soils, the bulk geophysical and transport properties of the matrix and of fracture systems are determined by the juxtaposition of geometric features at many length scales. For sedimentary materials the length scales are: the pore scale (irregularities in grain surface roughness and cementation), the scale of grain packing faults (and the resulting correlated porosity structures), the scale dominated by sorting or winnowing due to depositional processes, and the scale of geomorphology at the time of deposition. We are studying the heterogeneity and anisotropy in geometry, permeability, and geophysical response from the pore (microscopic), laboratory (mesoscopic), and backyard field (macroscopic) scales. In turn these data are being described and synthesized for development of mathematical models. Eventually, we will perform parameter studies to explore these models in the context of transport in the vadose and saturated zones. We have developed a multi-probe physical properties scanner which allows for the mapping of geophysical properties on a slabbed sample or core. This device allows for detailed study of heterogeneity at those length scales most difficult to quantify using standard field and laboratory practices. The measurement head consists of a variety of probes designed to make local measurements of various properties, including: gas permeability, acoustic velocities (compressional and shear), complex electrical impedance (4 electrode, wide frequency coverage), and ultrasonic reflection (ultrasonic impedance and permeability). We can thus routinely generate detailed geophysical maps of a particular sample. With the exception of the acoustic velocity, we are testing and modifying these probes as necessary for use on soil samples. As a baseline study we have been

Optimization of large-scale heterogeneous system-of-systems models.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parekh, Ojas; Watson, Jean-Paul; Phillips, Cynthia Ann; Siirola, John; Swiler, Laura Painton; Hough, Patricia Diane (Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA); Lee, Herbert K. H. (University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA); Hart, William Eugene; Gray, Genetha Anne (Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA); Woodruff, David L. (University of California, Davis, Davis, CA)

2012-01-01

Decision makers increasingly rely on large-scale computational models to simulate and analyze complex man-made systems. For example, computational models of national infrastructures are being used to inform government policy, assess economic and national security risks, evaluate infrastructure interdependencies, and plan for the growth and evolution of infrastructure capabilities. A major challenge for decision makers is the analysis of national-scale models that are composed of interacting systems: effective integration of system models is difficult, there are many parameters to analyze in these systems, and fundamental modeling uncertainties complicate analysis. This project is developing optimization methods to effectively represent and analyze large-scale heterogeneous system of systems (HSoS) models, which have emerged as a promising approach for describing such complex man-made systems. These optimization methods enable decision makers to predict future system behavior, manage system risk, assess tradeoffs between system criteria, and identify critical modeling uncertainties.

Detecting Local Drivers of Fire Cycle Heterogeneity in Boreal Forests: A Scale Issue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annie Claude Bélisle

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Severe crown fires are determining disturbances for the composition and structure of boreal forests in North America. Fire cycle (FC associations with continental climate gradients are well known, but smaller scale controls remain poorly documented. Using a time since fire map (time scale of 300 years, the study aims to assess the relative contributions of local and regional controls on FC and to describe the relationship between FC heterogeneity and vegetation patterns. The study area, located in boreal eastern North America, was partitioned into watersheds according to five scales going from local (3 km2 to landscape (2800 km2 scales. Using survival analysis, we observed that dry surficial deposits and hydrography density better predict FC when measured at the local scale, while terrain complexity and slope position perform better when measured at the middle and landscape scales. The most parsimonious model was selected according to the Akaike information criterion to predict FC throughout the study area. We detected two FC zones, one short (159 years and one long (303 years, with specific age structures and tree compositions. We argue that the local heterogeneity of the fire regime contributes to ecosystem diversity and must be considered in ecosystem management.

Investigations on the heterogenous catalytic hydrogenation using isotope effect and gamma- and neutron radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kudlacek, R; Cabicar, J [Ceske Vysoke Uceni Technicke, Prague (Czechoslovakia). Katedra Jaderne Chemie

1976-01-01

The kinetic and solvent isotope effects during the maleic acid heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation and deuteration in light and heavy water have been studied. Also the effect of the gamma and neutron irradiation on the Ni-ZnO catalysts (with various ratios of components) on the reaction kinetics and mechanism has been measured, as well as the effect of pH on the adsorption behaviour of maleic acid and the temperature dependence of the reaction rate. Existence of different adsorption centers for hydrogen and maleic acid could be deduced from these experiments. A reaction mechanism based on the two-dimensional diffusion of components in the surface is proposed. The catalyst is formed from Ni and ZnO-microspheres. Hydrogen is bound to nickel and maleic acid is adsorbed on the ZnO-microspheres. The reaction takes place on the boundary layers of these microspheres.

Dynamic Arrest in Charged Colloidal Systems Exhibiting Large-Scale Structural Heterogeneities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haro-Perez, C.; Callejas-Fernandez, J.; Hidalgo-Alvarez, R.; Rojas-Ochoa, L. F.; Castaneda-Priego, R.; Quesada-Perez, M.; Trappe, V.

2009-01-01

Suspensions of charged liposomes are found to exhibit typical features of strongly repulsive fluid systems at short length scales, while exhibiting structural heterogeneities at larger length scales that are characteristic of attractive systems. We model the static structure factor of these systems using effective pair interaction potentials composed of a long-range attraction and a shorter range repulsion. Our modeling of the static structure yields conditions for dynamically arrested states at larger volume fractions, which we find to agree with the experimentally observed dynamics

A Ranking Approach on Large-Scale Graph With Multidimensional Heterogeneous Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Wei; Gao, Bin; Liu, Tie-Yan; Wang, Taifeng; Li, Guohui; Li, Hang

2016-04-01

Graph-based ranking has been extensively studied and frequently applied in many applications, such as webpage ranking. It aims at mining potentially valuable information from the raw graph-structured data. Recently, with the proliferation of rich heterogeneous information (e.g., node/edge features and prior knowledge) available in many real-world graphs, how to effectively and efficiently leverage all information to improve the ranking performance becomes a new challenging problem. Previous methods only utilize part of such information and attempt to rank graph nodes according to link-based methods, of which the ranking performances are severely affected by several well-known issues, e.g., over-fitting or high computational complexity, especially when the scale of graph is very large. In this paper, we address the large-scale graph-based ranking problem and focus on how to effectively exploit rich heterogeneous information of the graph to improve the ranking performance. Specifically, we propose an innovative and effective semi-supervised PageRank (SSP) approach to parameterize the derived information within a unified semi-supervised learning framework (SSLF-GR), then simultaneously optimize the parameters and the ranking scores of graph nodes. Experiments on the real-world large-scale graphs demonstrate that our method significantly outperforms the algorithms that consider such graph information only partially.

The role of eclogite in the mantle heterogeneity at Cape Verde

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barker, Abigail Katrine; Holm, Paul Martin; Troll, Valentin R.

2014-01-01

The Cape Verde hotspot, like many other Ocean Island Basalt provinces, demonstrates isotopic heterogeneity on a 100–200 km scale. The heterogeneity is represented by the appearance of an EM1-like component at several of the southern islands and with a HIMU-like component present throughout...... have been limited. We apply the minor elements in olivine approach (Sobolev et al. in Nature 434:590–597, 2005; Science, doi:10.1126/science.1138113, 2007), to determine and quantify the contributions of peridotite, pyroxenite and eclogite melts to the mantle heterogeneity observed at Cape Verde. Cores...... of olivine phenocrysts of the Cape Verde volcanics have low Mn/FeO and low Ni*FeO/MgO that deviate from the negative trend of the global array. The global array is defined by mixing between peridotite and pyroxenite, whereas the Cape Verde volcanics indicate contribution of an additional eclogite source...

Scale-up of miscible flood processes for heterogeneous reservoirs. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orr, F.M. Jr.

1996-04-01

Results of a wide-ranging investigation of the scaling of gas injection processes are reported. The research examines how the physical mechanisms at work during a gas injection project interact to determine process performance. In particular, the authors examine: the interactions of equilibrium phase behavior and two-phase flow that determine local displacement efficiency and minimum miscibility pressure, the combined effects of viscous fingering, gravity segregation and heterogeneity that control sweep efficiency in 2- and 3-dimensional porous media, the use of streamtube/streamline methods to create very efficient simulation technique for multiphase compositional displacements, the scaling of viscous, capillary and gravity forces for heterogeneous reservoirs, and the effects of the thin films and spreading behavior on three-phase flow. The following key results are documented: rigorous procedures for determination of minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) or minimum miscibility enrichment (MME) for miscibility have been developed for multicomponent systems; the complex dependence of MMP`s for nitrogen/methane floods on oil and injection gas composition observed experimentally is explained for the first time; the presence of layer-like heterogeneities strongly influences the interplay of gravity segregation and viscous fingering, as viscous fingers adapt to preferential flow paths and low permeability layers restrict vertical flow; streamtube/streamline simulation techniques are demonstrated for a variety of injection processes in 2 and 3 dimensions; quantitative scaling estimates for the transitions from capillary-dominated to gravity-dominated to viscous-dominated flows are reported; experimental results are given that demonstrate that high pressure CO{sub 2} can be used to generate low IFT gravity drainage in fractured reservoirs if fractures are suitably connected; and the effect of wetting and spreading behavior on three-phase flow is described. 209 refs.

Isotopic scaling of transport in deuterium-tritium plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, S.D.; Adler, H.; Bell, M.G.; Bell, R.; Budny, R.V.; Bush, C.E.; Chang, Z.; Duong, H.

1995-01-01

Both global and thermal energy confinement improve in high-temperature supershot plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) when deuterium beam heating is partially or wholly replaced by tritium beam heating. For the same heating power, the tritium-rich plasmas obtain up to 22% higher total energy, 30% higher thermal ion energy, and 20-25% higher central ion temperature. Kinetic analysis of the temperature and density profiles indicates a favorable isotopic scaling of ion heat transport and electron particle transport, with τ Ei (a/2) ∝ (A) 0.7-0.8 and τ pe (a) ∝ (A) 0.8

Assessment of mercury exposure among small-scale gold miners using mercury stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherman, Laura S.; Blum, Joel D.; Basu, Niladri; Rajaee, Mozhgon; Evers, David C.; Buck, David G.; Petrlik, Jindrich; DiGangi, Joseph

2015-01-01

Total mercury (Hg) concentrations in hair and urine are often used as biomarkers of exposure to fish-derived methylmercury (MeHg) and gaseous elemental Hg, respectively. We used Hg stable isotopes to assess the validity of these biomarkers among small-scale gold mining populations in Ghana and Indonesia. Urine from Ghanaian miners displayed similar Δ 199 Hg values to Hg derived from ore deposits (mean urine Δ 199 Hg=0.01‰, n=6). This suggests that urine total Hg concentrations accurately reflect exposure to inorganic Hg among this population. Hair samples from Ghanaian miners displayed low positive Δ 199 Hg values (0.23–0.55‰, n=6) and low percentages of total Hg as MeHg (7.6–29%, n=7). These data suggest that the majority of the Hg in these miners' hair samples is exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg and not fish-derived MeHg. Hair samples from Indonesian gold miners who eat fish daily displayed a wider range of positive Δ 199 Hg values (0.21–1.32‰, n=5) and percentages of total Hg as MeHg (32–72%, n=4). This suggests that total Hg in the hair samples from Indonesian gold miners is likely a mixture of ingested fish MeHg and exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg. Based on data from both populations, we suggest that total Hg concentrations in hair samples from small-scale gold miners likely overestimate exposure to MeHg from fish consumption. - Highlights: • Mercury isotopes were measured in hair and urine from small-scale gold miners. • Mercury isotopes indicate that Hg in urine comes from mining activity. • Mercury isotopes suggest Hg in hair is a mixture of fish MeHg and inorganic Hg. • A large percentage of Hg in miner’s hair is released during amalgam burning and adsorbed

The 2014-15 eruption and the short-term geochemical evolution of the Fogo volcano (Cape Verde): Evidence for small-scale mantle heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Mata, J.; Martins, S.; Mattielli, N.; Madeira, J.; Faria, B.; Ramalho, R. S.; Silva, P.; Moreira, M.; Caldeira, R.; Moreira, M.; Rodrigues, J.; Martins, L.

2017-09-01

Recurrent eruptions at very active ocean island volcanoes provide the ideal means to gain insight on the scale of spatial variations at the mantle source and on temporal changes of magma genesis and evolution processes. In 2014, after 19 years of quiescence, Fogo volcano (Cape Verde Archipelago) experienced a new eruption, with the vents located 200 m from those of the 1995 eruption, and less than 2000 m from those of the 1951 event. This offered a unique opportunity to investigate the existence of small-scale mantle heterogeneities and the short-term compositional evolution of magmas erupted by a very active oceanic volcano like Fogo. Here we present petrological and geochemical data from the early stages of the Fogo's most recent eruption - started on November 23, 2014 - and compare them with the signature of previous eruptions (particularly those of 1995 and 1951). The magmas erupted in 2014 are alkaline (up to 23.4% and 0.94% of normative ne and lc, respectively) with somewhat evolved compositions (Mg # < 56), ranging from tephrites to phonotephrites. The eruption of phonotephritic lavas preceded the effusion of tephritic ones. Lavas carried to the surface clinopyroxene and kaersutite phenocrysts and cognate megacrysts, which indicate that the main stages of magma evolution occurred in magma chambers most probably located at mantle depths (25.6 ± 5.5 km below sea level). This was followed by a shallower (< 1.5 km below sea level) and shorter (≈ 50 days) magma stagnation before the eruption. 2014 magmas have more unradiogenic Sr and more radiogenic Nd compositions than those of the previous 1951 and 1995 eruptions, which generally have less radiogenic Pb ratios. These isotopic differences - coming from quasi-coeval materials erupted almost in the same place - are remarkable and reflect the small-scale heterogeneity of the underlying mantle source. Moreover, they reflect the limited isotopic averaging of the source composition during partial melting events as

Atomic-scale structural signature of dynamic heterogeneities in metallic liquids

Science.gov (United States)

Pasturel, Alain; Jakse, Noel

2017-08-01

With sufficiently high cooling rates, liquids will cross their equilibrium melting temperatures and can be maintained in a metastable undercooled state before solidifying. Studies of undercooled liquids reveal several intriguing dynamic phenomena and because explicit connections between liquid structure and liquids dynamics are difficult to identify, it remains a major challenge to capture the underlying structural link to these phenomena. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations are yet especially powerful in providing atomic-scale details otherwise not accessible in experiments. Through the AIMD-based study of Cr additions in Al-based liquids, we evidence for the first time a close relationship between the decoupling of component diffusion and the emergence of dynamic heterogeneities in the undercooling regime. In addition, we demonstrate that the origin of both phenomena is related to a structural heterogeneity caused by a strong interplay between chemical short-range order (CSRO) and local fivefold topology (ISRO) at the short-range scale in the liquid phase that develops into an icosahedral-based medium-range order (IMRO) upon undercooling. Finally, our findings reveal that this structural signature is also captured in the temperature dependence of partial pair-distribution functions which opens up the route to more elaborated experimental studies.

A continuous time random walk model for Darcy-scale anomalous transport in heterogeneous porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Comolli, Alessandro; Hakoun, Vivien; Dentz, Marco

2017-04-01

Achieving the understanding of the process of solute transport in heterogeneous porous media is of crucial importance for several environmental and social purposes, ranging from aquifers contamination and remediation, to risk assessment in nuclear waste repositories. The complexity of this aim is mainly ascribable to the heterogeneity of natural media, which can be observed at all the scales of interest, from pore scale to catchment scale. In fact, the intrinsic heterogeneity of porous media is responsible for the arising of the well-known non-Fickian footprints of transport, including heavy-tailed breakthrough curves, non-Gaussian spatial density profiles and the non-linear growth of the mean squared displacement. Several studies investigated the processes through which heterogeneity impacts the transport properties, which include local modifications to the advective-dispersive motion of solutes, mass exchanges between some mobile and immobile phases (e.g. sorption/desorption reactions or diffusion into solid matrix) and spatial correlation of the flow field. In the last decades, the continuous time random walk (CTRW) model has often been used to describe solute transport in heterogenous conditions and to quantify the impact of point heterogeneity, spatial correlation and mass transfer on the average transport properties [1]. Open issues regarding this approach are the possibility to relate measurable properties of the medium to the parameters of the model, as well as its capability to provide predictive information. In a recent work [2] the authors have shed new light on understanding the relationship between Lagrangian and Eulerian dynamics as well as on their evolution from arbitrary initial conditions. On the basis of these results, we derive a CTRW model for the description of Darcy-scale transport in d-dimensional media characterized by spatially random permeability fields. The CTRW approach models particle velocities as a spatial Markov process, which is

Isotopic scaling of transport in deuterium-tritium plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, S.D.; Murakami, M.; Adler, H.; Chang, Z.; Duong, H.; Grisham, L.R.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Grek, B.; Hawryluk, R.J.; Hill, K.W.; Hosea, J.; Jassby, D.L.; Johnson, D.W.; Johnson, L.C.; Loughlin, M.J.; Mansfield, D.K.; McGuire, K.M.; Meade, D.M.; Mikkelsen, D.M.; Murphy, J.; Park, H.K.; Ramsey, A.T.; Schivell, J.; Skinner, C.H.; Strachan, J.D.; Synakowski, E.J.; Taylor, G.; Thompson, M.E.; Wieland, R.; Zarnstorff, M.C.

1995-01-01

Both global and thermal energy confinement improve in high-temperature supershot plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) when deuterium beam heating is partially or wholly replaced by tritium beam heating. For the same heating power, the tritium-rich plasmas obtain up to 22% higher total energy, 30% higher thermal ion energy, and 20-25% higher central ion temperature. Kinetic analysis of the temperature and density profiles indicates a favorable isotopic scaling of ion heat transport and electron particle transport, with τ Ei (a/2) ∝ left angle A right angle 0.7-0.8 and τ pe (a) ∝ left angle A right angle 0.8 . (orig.)

Role of medium heterogeneity and viscosity contrast in miscible flow regimes and mixing zone growth: A computational pore-scale approach

Science.gov (United States)

Afshari, Saied; Hejazi, S. Hossein; Kantzas, Apostolos

2018-05-01

Miscible displacement of fluids in porous media is often characterized by the scaling of the mixing zone length with displacement time. Depending on the viscosity contrast of fluids, the scaling law varies between the square root relationship, a sign for dispersive transport regime during stable displacement, and the linear relationship, which represents the viscous fingering regime during an unstable displacement. The presence of heterogeneities in a porous medium significantly affects the scaling behavior of the mixing length as it interacts with the viscosity contrast to control the mixing of fluids in the pore space. In this study, the dynamics of the flow and transport during both unit and adverse viscosity ratio miscible displacements are investigated in heterogeneous packings of circular grains using pore-scale numerical simulations. The pore-scale heterogeneity level is characterized by the variations of the grain diameter and velocity field. The growth of mixing length is employed to identify the nature of the miscible transport regime at different viscosity ratios and heterogeneity levels. It is shown that as the viscosity ratio increases to higher adverse values, the scaling law of mixing length gradually shifts from dispersive to fingering nature up to a certain viscosity ratio and remains almost the same afterwards. In heterogeneous media, the mixing length scaling law is observed to be generally governed by the variations of the velocity field rather than the grain size. Furthermore, the normalization of mixing length temporal plots with respect to the governing parameters of viscosity ratio, heterogeneity, medium length, and medium aspect ratio is performed. The results indicate that mixing length scales exponentially with log-viscosity ratio and grain size standard deviation while the impact of aspect ratio is insignificant. For stable flows, mixing length scales with the square root of medium length, whereas it changes linearly with length during

Seismic Modeling Of Reservoir Heterogeneity Scales: An Application To Gas Hydrate Reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, J.; Bellefleur, G.; Milkereit, B.

2008-12-01

Natural gas hydrates, a type of inclusion compound or clathrate, are composed of gas molecules trapped within a cage of water molecules. The occurrence of gas hydrates in permafrost regions has been confirmed by core samples recovered from the Mallik gas hydrate research wells located within Mackenzie Delta in Northwest Territories of Canada. Strong vertical variations of compressional and shear sonic velocities and weak surface seismic expressions of gas hydrates indicate that lithological heterogeneities control the distribution of hydrates. Seismic scattering studies predict that typical scales and strong physical contrasts due to gas hydrate concentration will generate strong forward scattering, leaving only weak energy captured by surface receivers. In order to understand the distribution of hydrates and the seismic scattering effects, an algorithm was developed to construct heterogeneous petrophysical reservoir models. The algorithm was based on well logs showing power law features and Gaussian or Non-Gaussian probability density distribution, and was designed to honor the whole statistical features of well logs such as the characteristic scales and the correlation among rock parameters. Multi-dimensional and multi-variable heterogeneous models representing the same statistical properties were constructed and applied to the heterogeneity analysis of gas hydrate reservoirs. The petrophysical models provide the platform to estimate rock physics properties as well as to study the impact of seismic scattering, wave mode conversion, and their integration on wave behavior in heterogeneous reservoirs. Using the Biot-Gassmann theory, the statistical parameters obtained from Mallik 5L-38, and the correlation length estimated from acoustic impedance inversion, gas hydrate volume fraction in Mallik area was estimated to be 1.8%, approximately 2x108 m3 natural gas stored in a hydrate bearing interval within 0.25 km2 lateral extension and between 889 m and 1115 m depth

Carbon isotope effects in carbohydrates and amino acids of photosynthesizing organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivlev, A.A.; Kaloshin, A.G.; Koroleva, M.Ya.

1982-01-01

The analysis of the carbon isotope distribution in carbohydrates and amino acids of some photosynthesizing organisms revealed the close relationship between distribution and the pathways of biosynthesis of the molecules. This relationship is explained on the basis of the previously proposed mechanism of carbon isotope fractionation in a cell, in which the chief part is played by kinetic isotope effects in the pyruvate decarboxylation reaction progressively increased in the conjugated processes of gluconeogenesis. Isotope differences of C 2 and C 3 fragments arising in decarboxylation of pyruvate, as well as isotope differences of biogenic acceptor and environmental CO 2 appearing in assimilation are the main reasons of the observed intramolecular isotopic heterogeneity of biomolecules. The heterogeneity is preserved in metabolites owing to an incomplete mixing of carbon atoms in biochemical reactions. The probable existence of two pools of carbohydrates in photosynthesizing organisms different in isotopic composition is predicted. Two types of intramolecular isotope distribution in amino acids are shown. (author)

Carbon isotope effects in carbohydrates and amino acids of photosynthesizing organisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivlev, A.A.; Kaloshin, A.G.; Koroleva, M.Ya. (Ministerstvo Geologii SSR, Moscow)

1982-02-10

The analysis of the carbon isotope distribution in carbohydrates and amino acids of some photosynthesizing organisms revealed the close relationship between distribution and the pathways of biosynthesis of the molecules. This relationship is explained on the basis of the previously proposed mechanism of carbon isotope fractionation in a cell, in which the chief part is played by kinetic isotope effects in the pyruvate decarboxylation reaction progressively increased in the conjugated processes of gluconeogenesis. Isotope differences of C/sub 2/ and C/sub 3/ fragments arising in decarboxylation of pyruvate, as well as isotope differences of biogenic acceptor and environmental CO/sub 2/ appearing in assimilation are the main reasons of the observed intramolecular isotopic heterogeneity of biomolecules. The heterogeneity is preserved in metabolites owing to an incomplete mixing of carbon atoms in biochemical reactions. The probable existence of two pools of carbohydrates in photosynthesizing organisms different in isotopic composition is predicted. Two types of intramolecular isotope distribution in amino acids are shown.

Assessment of mercury exposure among small-scale gold miners using mercury stable isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sherman, Laura S., E-mail: lsaylors@umich.edu [University of Michigan, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 1100 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Blum, Joel D. [University of Michigan, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 1100 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Basu, Niladri [McGill University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada H9X3V9 (Canada); Rajaee, Mozhgon [University of Michigan, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Evers, David C.; Buck, David G. [Biodiversity Research Institute, 19 Flaggy Meadow Road, Gorham, ME 04038 (United States); Petrlik, Jindrich [Arnika Association, Chlumova 17, Prague 3 (Czech Republic); DiGangi, Joseph [IPEN, Box 7256, SE-402 35 Gothenburg (Sweden)

2015-02-15

Total mercury (Hg) concentrations in hair and urine are often used as biomarkers of exposure to fish-derived methylmercury (MeHg) and gaseous elemental Hg, respectively. We used Hg stable isotopes to assess the validity of these biomarkers among small-scale gold mining populations in Ghana and Indonesia. Urine from Ghanaian miners displayed similar Δ{sup 199}Hg values to Hg derived from ore deposits (mean urine Δ{sup 199}Hg=0.01‰, n=6). This suggests that urine total Hg concentrations accurately reflect exposure to inorganic Hg among this population. Hair samples from Ghanaian miners displayed low positive Δ{sup 199}Hg values (0.23–0.55‰, n=6) and low percentages of total Hg as MeHg (7.6–29%, n=7). These data suggest that the majority of the Hg in these miners' hair samples is exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg and not fish-derived MeHg. Hair samples from Indonesian gold miners who eat fish daily displayed a wider range of positive Δ{sup 199}Hg values (0.21–1.32‰, n=5) and percentages of total Hg as MeHg (32–72%, n=4). This suggests that total Hg in the hair samples from Indonesian gold miners is likely a mixture of ingested fish MeHg and exogenously adsorbed inorganic Hg. Based on data from both populations, we suggest that total Hg concentrations in hair samples from small-scale gold miners likely overestimate exposure to MeHg from fish consumption. - Highlights: • Mercury isotopes were measured in hair and urine from small-scale gold miners. • Mercury isotopes indicate that Hg in urine comes from mining activity. • Mercury isotopes suggest Hg in hair is a mixture of fish MeHg and inorganic Hg. • A large percentage of Hg in miner’s hair is released during amalgam burning and adsorbed.

Modeling fine-scale geological heterogeneity-examples of sand lenses in tills

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kessler, Timo Christian; Comunian, Alessandro; Oriani, Fabio

2013-01-01

that hamper subsequent simulation. Transition probability (TP) and multiple-point statistics (MPS) were employed to simulate sand lens heterogeneity. We used one cross-section to parameterize the spatial correlation and a second, parallel section as a reference: it allowed testing the quality......Sand lenses at various spatial scales are recognized to add heterogeneity to glacial sediments. They have high hydraulic conductivities relative to the surrounding till matrix and may affect the advective transport of water and contaminants in clayey till settings. Sand lenses were investigated...... on till outcrops producing binary images of geological cross-sections capturing the size, shape and distribution of individual features. Sand lenses occur as elongated, anisotropic geobodies that vary in size and extent. Besides, sand lenses show strong non-stationary patterns on section images...

Modeling Transport of Cesium in Grimsel Granodiorite With Micrometer Scale Heterogeneities and Dynamic Update of Kd

Science.gov (United States)

Voutilainen, Mikko; Kekäläinen, Pekka; Siitari-Kauppi, Marja; Sardini, Paul; Muuri, Eveliina; Timonen, Jussi; Martin, Andrew

2017-11-01

Transport and retardation of cesium in Grimsel granodiorite taking into account heterogeneity of mineral and pore structure was studied using rock samples overcored from an in situ diffusion test at the Grimsel Test Site. The field test was part of the Long-Term Diffusion (LTD) project designed to characterize retardation properties (diffusion and distribution coefficients) under in situ conditions. Results of the LTD experiment for cesium showed that in-diffusion profiles and spatial concentration distributions were strongly influenced by the heterogeneous pore structure and mineral distribution. In order to study the effect of heterogeneity on the in-diffusion profile and spatial concentration distribution, a Time Domain Random Walk (TDRW) method was applied along with a feature for modeling chemical sorption in geological materials. A heterogeneous mineral structure of Grimsel granodiorite was constructed using X-ray microcomputed tomography (X-μCT) and the map was linked to previous results for mineral specific porosities and distribution coefficients (Kd) that were determined using C-14-PMMA autoradiography and batch sorption experiments, respectively. After this the heterogeneous structure contains information on local porosity and Kd in 3-D. It was found that the heterogeneity of the mineral structure on the micrometer scale affects significantly the diffusion and sorption of cesium in Grimsel granodiorite at the centimeter scale. Furthermore, the modeled in-diffusion profiles and spatial concentration distributions show similar shape and pattern to those from the LTD experiment. It was concluded that the use of detailed structure characterization and quantitative data on heterogeneity can significantly improve the interpretation and evaluation of transport experiments.

TensorFlow: Large-Scale Machine Learning on Heterogeneous Distributed Systems

OpenAIRE

Abadi, Martín; Agarwal, Ashish; Barham, Paul; Brevdo, Eugene; Chen, Zhifeng; Citro, Craig; Corrado, Greg S.; Davis, Andy; Dean, Jeffrey; Devin, Matthieu; Ghemawat, Sanjay; Goodfellow, Ian; Harp, Andrew; Irving, Geoffrey; Isard, Michael

2016-01-01

TensorFlow is an interface for expressing machine learning algorithms, and an implementation for executing such algorithms. A computation expressed using TensorFlow can be executed with little or no change on a wide variety of heterogeneous systems, ranging from mobile devices such as phones and tablets up to large-scale distributed systems of hundreds of machines and thousands of computational devices such as GPU cards. The system is flexible and can be used to express a wide variety of algo...

Up scaling two-phase flow in heterogeneous porous media; Mise a l'echelle des ecoulements diphasiques dans les milieux poreux heterogenes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Artus, V.

2003-11-01

For two-phase flow in heterogeneous media, the emergence of different flow regimes at large-scale is driven by local interactions between the viscous coupling and the heterogeneity. In particular, when the viscosity ratio is favorable, viscous effects induce a transverse flow that stabilizes the front while flooding. However, most of recent stochastic models neglect the influence of the viscous coupling. We developed a stochastic model for the dynamics of the front, taking the viscous coupling into account. For stable cases, this model relates the statistical properties of the front to the statistical properties of the permeability field. For stable flow in stratified media, we show that the front is stationary by parts in the reservoir. These parts can be identified as large-scale hydrodynamic layers and separately coarsened in the large-scale simulation model. For flows with favorable viscosity ratios in isotropic reservoirs, we show that a stationary front occurs, in a statistical sense. For unfavorable viscosity ratios, the flow is driven by the development of viscous fingering. These different regimes lead to different large-scale saturation profiles that can be matched with a macro-dispersion equation, if the effective convective flux is modified to take into account stabilizing or destabilizing viscous effects. (author)

Practical-scale tests of cryogenic molecular sieve for separating low-concentration hydrogen isotopes from helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willms, R.S.; Taylor, D.J.; Enoeda, Mikio; Okuno, Kenji

1994-01-01

Earlier bench-scale work at the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) at Los Alamos National Laboratory examined a number of adsorbents for their suitability for separating low-concentration hydrogen (no tritium) from helium. One of the effective adsorbents was Linde 5A molecular sieve. Recently, experiments including tritium were conducted using practical-scale adsorbers. These tests used existing cryogenic molecular sieve beds (CMSB's) which each contain about 1.6 kg of Linde 5A molecular sieve. They are part of the TSTA integrated tritium processing system. Gas was fed to each CMSB at about 13 SLPM with a nominal composition of 99% He, 0.98% H 2 and 0.02% HT. In all cases, for an extended period of time, the beds allowed no detectable (via Raman spectroscopy) hydrogen isotopes to escape in the bed effluent. Thereafter, the hydrogen isotopes appeared in the bed exit with a relatively sharp breakthrough curve. This work concludes that cryogenic molecular sieve adsorption is an practical and effective means of separating low-concentration hydrogen isotopes from a helium carrier

Scaling Effects of Cr(VI) Reduction Kinetics. The Role of Geochemical Heterogeneity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Li [Pennsylvania State Univ., State College, PA (United States); Li, Li [Pennsylvania State Univ., State College, PA (United States)

2015-10-22

The natural subsurface is highly heterogeneous with minerals distributed in different spatial patterns. Fundamental understanding of how mineral spatial distribution patterns regulate sorption process is important for predicting the transport and fate of chemicals. Existing studies about the sorption was carried out in well-mixed batch reactors or uniformly packed columns, with few data available on the effects of spatial heterogeneities. As a result, there is a lack of data and understanding on how spatial heterogeneities control sorption processes. In this project, we aim to understand and develop modeling capabilities to predict the sorption of Cr(VI), an omnipresent contaminant in natural systems due to its natural occurrence and industrial utilization. We systematically examine the role of spatial patterns of illite, a common clay, in determining the extent of transport limitation and scaling effects associated with Cr(VI) sorption capacity and kinetics using column experiments and reactive transport modeling. Our results showed that the sorbed mass and rates can differ by an order of magnitude due to of the illite spatial heterogeneities and transport limitation. With constraints from data, we also developed the capabilities of modeling Cr(VI) in heterogeneous media. The developed model is then utilized to understand the general principles that govern the relationship between sorption and connectivity, a key measure of the spatial pattern characteristics. This correlation can be used to estimate Cr(VI) sorption characteristics in heterogeneous porous media. Insights gained here bridge gaps between laboratory and field application in hydrogeology and geochemical field, and advance predictive understanding of reactive transport processes in the natural heterogeneous subsurface. We believe that these findings will be of interest to a large number of environmental geochemists and engineers, hydrogeologists, and those interested in contaminant fate and transport

Influences of large-scale convection and moisture source on monthly precipitation isotope ratios observed in Thailand, Southeast Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Zhongwang; Lee, Xuhui; Liu, Zhongfang; Seeboonruang, Uma; Koike, Masahiro; Yoshimura, Kei

2018-04-01

Many paleoclimatic records in Southeast Asia rely on rainfall isotope ratios as proxies for past hydroclimatic variability. However, the physical processes controlling modern rainfall isotopic behaviors in the region is poorly constrained. Here, we combined isotopic measurements at six sites across Thailand with an isotope-incorporated atmospheric circulation model (IsoGSM) and the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model to investigate the factors that govern the variability of precipitation isotope ratios in this region. Results show that rainfall isotope ratios are both correlated with local rainfall amount and regional outgoing longwave radiation, suggesting that rainfall isotope ratios in this region are controlled not only by local rain amount (amount effect) but also by large-scale convection. As a transition zone between the Indian monsoon and the western North Pacific monsoon, the spatial difference of observed precipitation isotope among different sites are associated with moisture source. These results highlight the importance of regional processes in determining rainfall isotope ratios in the tropics and provide constraints on the interpretation of paleo-precipitation isotope records in the context of regional climate dynamics.

Vortex forcing model for turbulent flow over spanwise-heterogeneous topogrpahies: scaling arguments and similarity solution

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, William; Yang, Jianzhi

2017-11-01

Spanwise surface heterogeneity beneath high-Reynolds number, fully-rough wall turbulence is known to induce mean secondary flows in the form of counter-rotating streamwise vortices. The secondary flows are a manifestation of Prandtl's secondary flow of the second kind - driven and sustained by spatial heterogeneity of components of the turbulent (Reynolds averaged) stress tensor. The spacing between adjacent surface heterogeneities serves as a control on the spatial extent of the counter-rotating cells, while their intensity is controlled by the spanwise gradient in imposed drag (where larger gradients associated with more dramatic transitions in roughness induce stronger cells). In this work, we have performed an order of magnitude analysis of the mean (Reynolds averaged) streamwise vorticity transport equation, revealing the scaling dependence of circulation upon spanwise spacing. The scaling arguments are supported by simulation data. Then, we demonstrate that mean streamwise velocity can be predicted a priori via a similarity solution to the mean streamwise vorticity transport equation. A vortex forcing term was used to represent the affects of spanwise topographic heterogeneity within the flow. Efficacy of the vortex forcing term was established with large-eddy simulation cases, wherein vortex forcing model parameters were altered to capture different values of spanwise spacing.

The influence of small-scale interlayer heterogeneity on DDT removal efficiency for flushing technology

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xingwei; Chen, Jiajun

2017-06-01

With an aim to investigate the influence of small-scale interlayer heterogeneity on DDT removal efficiency, batch test including surfactant-stabilized foam flushing and solution flushing were carried out. Two man-made heterogeneous patterns consisting of coarse and fine quartz sand were designed to reveal the influencing mechanism. Moreover, the removal mechanism and the corresponding contribution by foam flushing were quantitatively studied. Compared with surfactant solution flushing, the DDT removal efficiency by surfactant-stabilized foam flushing increased by 9.47% and 11.28% under heterogeneous patterns 1 and 2, respectively. The DDT removal contributions of improving sweep efficiency for heterogeneous patterns 1 and 2 by foam flushing were 40.82% and 45.98%, and the contribution of dissolving capacity were 59.18% and 54.02%, respectively. The dissolving capacity of DDT played a major role in DDT removal efficiency by foam flushing under laboratory conditions. And the DDT removal contribution of significant improving sweep efficiency was higher than that of removal decline caused by weak solubilizing ability of foam film compared with solution flushing. The obtained results indicated that the difference of DDT removal efficiency by foam flushing was decreased under two different heterogeneous patterns with the increase of the contribution of improving foam flushing sweep efficiency. It suggested that foam flushing can reduce the disturbance from interlayer heterogeneity in remediating DDT contaminated heterogeneous medium.

Incorporating the Impacts of Small Scale Rock Heterogeneity into Models of Flow and Trapping in Target UK CO2 Storage Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, S. J.; Reynolds, C.; Krevor, S. C.

2017-12-01

Predictions of the flow behaviour and storage capacity of CO2 in subsurface reservoirs are dependent on accurate modelling of multiphase flow and trapping. A number of studies have shown that small scale rock heterogeneities have a significant impact on CO2flow propagating to larger scales. The need to simulate flow in heterogeneous reservoir systems has led to the development of numerical upscaling techniques which are widely used in industry. Less well understood, however, is the best approach for incorporating laboratory characterisations of small scale heterogeneities into models. At small scales, heterogeneity in the capillary pressure characteristic function becomes significant. We present a digital rock workflow that combines core flood experiments with numerical simulations to characterise sub-core scale capillary pressure heterogeneities within rock cores from several target UK storage reservoirs - the Bunter, Captain and Ormskirk sandstone formations. Measured intrinsic properties (permeability, capillary pressure, relative permeability) and 3D saturations maps from steady-state core flood experiments were the primary inputs to construct a 3D digital rock model in CMG IMEX. We used vertical end-point scaling to iteratively update the voxel by voxel capillary pressure curves from the average MICP curve; with each iteration more closely predicting the experimental saturations and pressure drops. Once characterised, the digital rock cores were used to predict equivalent flow functions, such as relative permeability and residual trapping, across the range of flow conditions estimated to prevail in the CO2 storage reservoirs. In the case of the Captain sandstone, rock cores were characterised across an entire 100m vertical transect of the reservoir. This allowed analysis of the upscaled impact of small scale heterogeneity on flow and trapping. Figure 1 shows the varying degree to which heterogeneity impacted flow depending on the capillary number in the

Heterogeneity and scale of sustainable development in cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Brelsford, Christa; Lobo, José; Hand, Joe; Bettencourt, Luís M A

2017-08-22

Rapid worldwide urbanization is at once the main cause and, potentially, the main solution to global sustainable development challenges. The growth of cities is typically associated with increases in socioeconomic productivity, but it also creates strong inequalities. Despite a growing body of evidence characterizing these heterogeneities in developed urban areas, not much is known systematically about their most extreme forms in developing cities and their consequences for sustainability. Here, we characterize the general patterns of income and access to services in a large number of developing cities, with an emphasis on an extensive, high-resolution analysis of the urban areas of Brazil and South Africa. We use detailed census data to construct sustainable development indices in hundreds of thousands of neighborhoods and show that their statistics are scale-dependent and point to the critical role of large cities in creating higher average incomes and greater access to services within their national context. We then quantify the general statistical trajectory toward universal basic service provision at different scales to show that it is characterized by varying levels of inequality, with initial increases in access being typically accompanied by growing disparities over characteristic spatial scales. These results demonstrate how extensions of these methods to other goals and data can be used over time and space to produce a simple but general quantitative assessment of progress toward internationally agreed sustainable development goals.

Heterogeneity and scale of sustainable development in cities

Science.gov (United States)

Brelsford, Christa; Lobo, José; Hand, Joe

2017-01-01

Rapid worldwide urbanization is at once the main cause and, potentially, the main solution to global sustainable development challenges. The growth of cities is typically associated with increases in socioeconomic productivity, but it also creates strong inequalities. Despite a growing body of evidence characterizing these heterogeneities in developed urban areas, not much is known systematically about their most extreme forms in developing cities and their consequences for sustainability. Here, we characterize the general patterns of income and access to services in a large number of developing cities, with an emphasis on an extensive, high-resolution analysis of the urban areas of Brazil and South Africa. We use detailed census data to construct sustainable development indices in hundreds of thousands of neighborhoods and show that their statistics are scale-dependent and point to the critical role of large cities in creating higher average incomes and greater access to services within their national context. We then quantify the general statistical trajectory toward universal basic service provision at different scales to show that it is characterized by varying levels of inequality, with initial increases in access being typically accompanied by growing disparities over characteristic spatial scales. These results demonstrate how extensions of these methods to other goals and data can be used over time and space to produce a simple but general quantitative assessment of progress toward internationally agreed sustainable development goals. PMID:28461489

Pb isotopes during crustal melting and magma mingling - A cautionary tale from the Miki Fjord macrodike, central east Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waight, Tod Earle; Lesher, Charles

2010-01-01

Pb isotopic data are presented for hybrid rocks formed by mingling between mantle-derived tholeiitic magma of the Eocene Miki Fjord macrodike (East Greenland) and melt derived from the adjacent Precambrian basement. Bulk mixing and AFC processes between end-members readily identified in the field...... grain boundaries during disequilibrium melting of the host rock by the mafic magma. The crustal melt involved in magma interactions was therefore heterogeneous with respect to Pb isotopes on a metre-scale. These results illustrate the difficulties inherent in interpreting isotopic variations...... in contaminated mafic magmas even when the end-members are well constrained by field relations. We show that the Pb isotopic composition of the crustal contaminants and contamination trajectories for the Miki Fjord hybrid magmatic lithologies are markedly different from regional basement gneisses and contaminated...

A comparison of chemical compositions of reported altered oceanic crusts and global MORB data set: implication for isotopic heterogeneity of recycled materials

Science.gov (United States)

Shimoda, G.; Kogiso, T.

2017-12-01

Chemical composition of altered oceanic crust is one of important constraints to delineate chemical heterogeneity of the mantle. Accordingly, many researchers have been studied to determine bulk chemical composition of altered oceanic crust mainly based on chemical compositions of old oceanic crusts at Site 801 and Site 417/418, and young crust at Site 504 (e.g., Staudigel et al., 1996; Bach et al. 2003; Kuo et al., 2016). Their careful estimation provided reliable bulk chemical compositions of these Sites and revealed common geochemical feature of alteration. To assess effect of recycling of altered oceanic crust on chemical evolution of the mantle, it might be meaningful to discuss whether the reported chemical compositions of altered oceanic crusts can represent chemical composition of globally subducted oceanic crusts. Reported chemical compositions of fresh glass or less altered samples from Site 801, 417/418 and 504 were highly depleted compared to that of global MORB reported by Gale et al. (2013), suggesting that there might be sampling bias. Hence, it could be important to consider chemical difference between oceanic crusts of these three Sites and global MORB to discuss effect of recycling of oceanic crust on isotopic heterogeneity of the mantle. It has been suggested that one of controlling factors of chemical variation of oceanic crust is crustal spreading rate because different degree of partial melting affects chemical composition of magmas produced at a mid-ocean ridge. Crustal spreading rate could also affect intensity of alteration. Namely, oceanic crusts produced at slow-spreading ridges may prone to be altered due to existence of larger displacement faults compared to fast spreading ridges which have relatively smooth topography. Thus, it might be significant to evaluate isotopic evolution of oceanic crusts those were produced at different spreading rates. In this presentation, we will provide a possible chemical variation of altered oceanic

Heterogeneous distribution of Zn stable isotopes in mice and applications to medical sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Moynier, F.; Fujii, T.; Shaw, A.; Le Borgne, M.

2013-12-01

Zinc is required for the function of more than 300 enzymes involved in many metabolic pathways, and is a vital micronutrient for living organisms. To investigate if Zn isotopes could be used to better understand metal homeostasis, as well as a biomarker for diseases, we assessed the distribution of natural Zn isotopes in various mouse tissues. We found that, with respect to Zn isotopes, most mouse organs are isotopically distinct and that the total range of variation within one mouse encompasses the variations observed in the Earth's crust. Therefore, biological activity must have a major impact on the distribution of Zn isotopes in inorganic materials. The most striking aspect of the data is that red blood cells and bones are enriched by ~0.5 per mil in 66Zn relative to 64Zn when compared to serum, and up to ~1 per mil when compared to the brain and liver. This fractionation is well explained by the equilibrium distribution of isotopes between different bonding environments of Zn in different organs. Differences in gender and genetic background did not appear to affect the isotopic distribution of Zn. Together, these results suggest that potential use of Zn isotopes as a tracer for dietary Zn, and for detecting disturbances in Zn metabolism due to pathological conditions.

Isotopic composition of Pb and Th in interplinian volcanics from Somma-Vesuvius volcano, Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cortini, M.; De Vivo, B.; Somma, R.; Ayuso, R.A.; Holden, P.

2004-01-01

We present a detailed isotopic study of volcanic rocks emitted from Somma-Vesuvius volcano during three periods of interplinian activity: 'Protohistoric' (3550 y B.P. to 79 A.D.), 'Ancient Historic' (79 to 472 A.D.) and 'Medieval' (472 to 1631 A.D.). Pb isotopic compositions of two acid leached fractions and whole rock residues of 37 whole rock samples (determined by Somma et al., 2001) show that each of the three interplinian periods is distinguished by small, systematic, and unique uranogenic and thorogenic Pb isotopic trends. This key and novel feature is compatible with the notion that the Pb isotopic data reflect small-scale source heterogeneity operating over relatively short periods of time. From this representative group of samples, a selected set of nine whole rocks were analyzed for Th isotopes. 232 Th/ 238 U ratios in the source can be obtained independently from Pb and from Th isotopes. Those obtained from Pb isotopes represent source ratios, time-integrated over the whole age of the earth; they range from 3.9 to 4.1. 232 Th/ 238 U obtained from Th isotopes are those of the present source. They are lower, and cluster around 3.5; this difference probably indicates recent U enrichment of the present source. The behavior of Pb, as inferred by its isotopic ratios, is quite distinct from that of Sr and Nd isotopes: Pb isotope variations are not correlated to Sr or Nd isotope variations. The isotopic contrast is compatible with the idea that the isotopes were decoupled during magmatic production, evolution, and ascent through the crust. Thus, the Pb isotopes do not reflect the effects of the same processes as in the case of the Sr and Nd isotopes, or, as we also favor, they do not necessarily reflect the same source contributions into the magmas. Moreover, the Pb isotopic evolution of the interplinian rocks chiefly reflects mixing, driven by processes that are superimposed on, and independent of, other source contributions that determine the isotopic

The effects of spatial heterogeneity and subsurface lateral transfer on evapotranspiration estimates in large scale Earth system models

Science.gov (United States)

Rouholahnejad, E.; Fan, Y.; Kirchner, J. W.; Miralles, D. G.

2017-12-01

Most Earth system models (ESM) average over considerable sub-grid heterogeneity in land surface properties, and overlook subsurface lateral flow. This could potentially bias evapotranspiration (ET) estimates and has implications for future temperature predictions, since overestimations in ET imply greater latent heat fluxes and potential underestimation of dry and warm conditions in the context of climate change. Here we quantify the bias in evaporation estimates that may arise from the fact that ESMs average over considerable heterogeneity in surface properties, and also neglect lateral transfer of water across the heterogeneous landscapes at global scale. We use a Budyko framework to express ET as a function of P and PET to derive simple sub-grid closure relations that quantify how spatial heterogeneity and lateral transfer could affect average ET as seen from the atmosphere. We show that averaging over sub-grid heterogeneity in P and PET, as typical Earth system models do, leads to overestimation of average ET. Our analysis at global scale shows that the effects of sub-grid heterogeneity will be most pronounced in steep mountainous areas where the topographic gradient is high and where P is inversely correlated with PET across the landscape. In addition, we use the Total Water Storage (TWS) anomaly estimates from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) remote sensing product and assimilate it into the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM) to correct for existing free drainage lower boundary condition in GLEAM and quantify whether, and how much, accounting for changes in terrestrial storage can improve the simulation of soil moisture and regional ET fluxes at global scale.

Full-Scale Continuous Mini-Reactor Setup for Heterogeneous Grignard Alkylation of a Pharmaceutical Intermediate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Michael Jønch; Holm, Thomas; Rahbek, Jesper P.

2013-01-01

A reactor setup consisting of two reactors in series has been implemented for a full-scale, heterogeneous Grignard alkylation. Solutions pass from a small filter reactor into a static mixer reactor with multiple side entries, thus combining continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and plug flow...

Proteins are secreted from heterogeneous prestored sources in the exocrine pancreas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, P.E.; Adelson, J.W.

1987-01-01

Recent studies demonstrating nonparallel regulated secretion of prestored digestive enzymes in tightly linked groups consistent with the exocytosis mechanisms led the authors to predict that digestive enzymes would be found to be secreted from heterogeneous sources within the exocrine pancreas. They explored whether the gland was heterogeneous with respect to its sources of prestored secretory proteins with a double isotopic label method not dependent on activity of secreted digestive enzymes. Rabbit pancreatic proteins were double labeled in vivo by injection of each animal with chemically identical but isotopically distinct mixtures of 3 H- and 14 C-labeled amino acids, which were administered separately or together on consecutive days after partial depletion of prestored proteins by administration of cholecystokinin (CCK), methacholine chloride, or saline in a protocol in which order of both isotope and secretagogue administration was varied. Three days after labeling, proteins were recovered by collection from cannulated pancreatic ducts of anesthetized animals after stimulation with alternating increasing doses of CCK and methacholine chloride. Correlation and regression analysis of isotopic outputs and variance analysis of specific radioactivities of secreted proteins showed sequestration into and secretion from heterogeneous pools of secretory proteins, directly confirming the hypothesis. These results provide a cell biological mechanism explaining regulated nonparallel secretion of digestive enzymes

Effects of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography on spatial scaling of net primary productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, J. M.; Chen, X.; Ju, W.

2013-07-01

Due to the heterogeneous nature of the land surface, spatial scaling is an inevitable issue in the development of land models coupled with low-resolution Earth system models (ESMs) for predicting land-atmosphere interactions and carbon-climate feedbacks. In this study, a simple spatial scaling algorithm is developed to correct errors in net primary productivity (NPP) estimates made at a coarse spatial resolution based on sub-pixel information of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography. An eco-hydrological model BEPS-TerrainLab, which considers both vegetation and topographical effects on the vertical and lateral water flows and the carbon cycle, is used to simulate NPP at 30 m and 1 km resolutions for a 5700 km2 watershed with an elevation range from 518 m to 3767 m in the Qinling Mountain, Shanxi Province, China. Assuming that the NPP simulated at 30 m resolution represents the reality and that at 1 km resolution is subject to errors due to sub-pixel heterogeneity, a spatial scaling index (SSI) is developed to correct the coarse resolution NPP values pixel by pixel. The agreement between the NPP values at these two resolutions is improved considerably from R2 = 0.782 to R2 = 0.884 after the correction. The mean bias error (MBE) in NPP modelled at the 1 km resolution is reduced from 14.8 g C m-2 yr-1 to 4.8 g C m-2 yr-1 in comparison with NPP modelled at 30 m resolution, where the mean NPP is 668 g C m-2 yr-1. The range of spatial variations of NPP at 30 m resolution is larger than that at 1 km resolution. Land cover fraction is the most important vegetation factor to be considered in NPP spatial scaling, and slope is the most important topographical factor for NPP spatial scaling especially in mountainous areas, because of its influence on the lateral water redistribution, affecting water table, soil moisture and plant growth. Other factors including leaf area index (LAI) and elevation have small and additive effects on improving the spatial scaling

Effects of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography on spatial scaling of net primary productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. M. Chen

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Due to the heterogeneous nature of the land surface, spatial scaling is an inevitable issue in the development of land models coupled with low-resolution Earth system models (ESMs for predicting land-atmosphere interactions and carbon-climate feedbacks. In this study, a simple spatial scaling algorithm is developed to correct errors in net primary productivity (NPP estimates made at a coarse spatial resolution based on sub-pixel information of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography. An eco-hydrological model BEPS-TerrainLab, which considers both vegetation and topographical effects on the vertical and lateral water flows and the carbon cycle, is used to simulate NPP at 30 m and 1 km resolutions for a 5700 km2 watershed with an elevation range from 518 m to 3767 m in the Qinling Mountain, Shanxi Province, China. Assuming that the NPP simulated at 30 m resolution represents the reality and that at 1 km resolution is subject to errors due to sub-pixel heterogeneity, a spatial scaling index (SSI is developed to correct the coarse resolution NPP values pixel by pixel. The agreement between the NPP values at these two resolutions is improved considerably from R2 = 0.782 to R2 = 0.884 after the correction. The mean bias error (MBE in NPP modelled at the 1 km resolution is reduced from 14.8 g C m−2 yr−1 to 4.8 g C m−2 yr−1 in comparison with NPP modelled at 30 m resolution, where the mean NPP is 668 g C m−2 yr−1. The range of spatial variations of NPP at 30 m resolution is larger than that at 1 km resolution. Land cover fraction is the most important vegetation factor to be considered in NPP spatial scaling, and slope is the most important topographical factor for NPP spatial scaling especially in mountainous areas, because of its influence on the lateral water redistribution, affecting water table, soil moisture and plant growth. Other factors including leaf area index (LAI and elevation have small and additive effects on improving

Viscous fingering with permeability heterogeneity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, C.; Homsy, G.M.

1992-01-01

Viscous fingering in miscible displacements in the presence of permeability heterogeneities is studied using two-dimensional simulations. The heterogeneities are modeled as stationary random functions of space with finite correlation scale. Both the variance and scale of the heterogeneities are varied over modest ranges. It is found that the fingered zone grows linearly in time in a fashion analogous to that found in homogeneous media by Tan and Homsy [Phys. Fluids 31, 1330 (1988)], indicating a close coupling between viscous fingering on the one hand and flow through preferentially more permeable paths on the other. The growth rate of the mixing zone increases monotonically with the variance of the heterogeneity, as expected, but shows a maximum as the correlation scale is varied. The latter is explained as a ''resonance'' between the natural scale of fingers in homogeneous media and the correlation scale

Heterogeneous grain-scale response in ferroic polycrystals under electric field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daniels, John E.; Majkut, Marta; Cao, Qingua

2016-01-01

-ray diffraction (3D-XRD) is used to resolve the non-180° ferroelectric domain switching strain components of 191 grains from the bulk of a polycrystalline electro-ceramic that has undergone an electric-field-induced phase transformation. It is found that while the orientation of a given grain relative...... to the field direction has a significant influence on the phase and resultant domain texture, there are large deviations from the average behaviour at the grain scale. It is suggested that these deviations arise from local strain and electric field neighbourhoods being highly heterogeneous within the bulk...

Temporal and spatial heterogeneity in lacustrine δ13CDIC and δ18ODO signatures in a large mid-latitude temperate lake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jane DRUMMOND

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Modelling limnetic carbon processes is necessary for accurate global carbon models and stable isotope analysis can provide additional insight of carbon flow pathways. This research examined the spatial and temporal complexity of carbon cycling in a large temperate lake. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC is utilised by photosynthetic organisms and dissolved oxygen (DO is used by heterotrophic organisms during respiration. Thus the spatial heterogeneity in the pelagic metabolic balance in Loch Lomond, Scotland was investigated using a combined natural abundance isotope technique. The isotopic signatures of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC and dissolved oxygen (δ18ODO were measured concurrently on four different dates between November 2004 and September 2005. We measured isotopic variation over small and large spatial scales, both horizontal distance and depth. δ13CDIC and δ18ODO changed over a seasonal cycle, becoming concurrently more positive (negative in the summer (winter months, responding to increased photosynthetic and respiratory rates, respectively. With increasing depth, δ13CDIC became more negative and δ18ODO more positive, reflecting the shift to a respiration-dominated system. The horizontal distribution of δ13CDIC and δ18ODO in the epilimnion was heterogeneous. In general, the south basin had the most positive δ13CDIC, becoming more negative with increasing latitude, except in winter when the opposite pattern was observed. Areas of local variation were often observed near inflows. Clearly δ13CDIC and δ18ODO can show large spatial heterogeneity, as a result of varying metabolic balance coupled with inflow proximity and thus single point sampling to extrapolate whole lake metabolic patterns can result in error when modelling large lake systems Whilst we advise caution when using single point representation, we also show that this combined isotopic approach has potential to assist in constructing detailed lake carbon models.

Quantifying spatial heterogeneity from images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomerantz, Andrew E; Song Yiqiao

2008-01-01

Visualization techniques are extremely useful for characterizing natural materials with complex spatial structure. Although many powerful imaging modalities exist, simple display of the images often does not convey the underlying spatial structure. Instead, quantitative image analysis can extract the most important features of the imaged object in a manner that is easier to comprehend and to compare from sample to sample. This paper describes the formulation of the heterogeneity spectrum to show the extent of spatial heterogeneity as a function of length scale for all length scales to which a particular measurement is sensitive. This technique is especially relevant for describing materials that simultaneously present spatial heterogeneity at multiple length scales. In this paper, the heterogeneity spectrum is applied for the first time to images from optical microscopy. The spectrum is measured for thin section images of complex carbonate rock cores showing heterogeneity at several length scales in the range 10-10 000 μm.

Spatiotemporal patterns of plant water isotope values from a continental-scale sample network in Europe as a tool to improve hydroclimate proxies

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, D. B.; Kahmen, A.

2016-12-01

The hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of water available for biosynthetic processes in vascular plants plays an important role in shaping the isotopic composition of organic compounds that these organisms produce, including leaf waxes and cellulose in leaves and tree rings. Characterizing changes in large scale spatial patterns of precipitation, soil water, stem water, and leaf water isotope values over time is therefore useful for evaluating how plants reflect changes in the isotopic composition of these source waters in different environments. This information can, in turn, provide improved calibration targets for understanding the environmental signals that plants preserve. The pathway of water through this continuum can include several isotopic fractionations, but the extent to which the isotopic composition of each of these water pools varies under normal field conditions and over space and time has not been systematically and concurrently evaluated at large spatial scales. Two season-long sampling campaigns were conducted at nineteen sites throughout Europe over the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons to track changes in the isotopic composition of plant-relevant waters. Samples of precipitation, soil water, stem water, and leaf water were collected over more than 200 field days and include more than 500 samples from each water pool. Measurements were used to validate continent-wide gridded estimates of leaf water isotope values derived from a combination of mechanistic and statistical modeling conducted with temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity data. Data-model comparison shows good agreement for summer leaf waters, and substantiates the incorporation of modeled leaf waters in evaluating how plants respond to hydroclimate changes at large spatial scales. These results also suggest that modeled leaf water isotope values might be used in future studies in similar ecosystems to improve the coverage density of spatial or temporal data.

Organic and Isotopic Signatures of Life: Lessons from the Early Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, K. H.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; House, C. H.

2002-12-01

In the study of life on earth, isotopic analyses of organic biomarkers provide essential insight to their biological and environmental provenance. Isotopic analyses of organic materials on other planets present a number of challenges, both analytical and interpretive. Prebiotic planetary organic materials can derive from condensation reactions and by delivery through meteorites or interplanetary dust, with the relative importance of each influenced by the oxidation state of the atmosphere. Material delivered to planets can have an interstellar origin, although it is dominated by compounds influenced by the formation of the solar system. Each of these processes impact molecular isotopic signatures and must be considered in life-detection strategies. Pronounced effects are observed for hydrogen isotopes, with smaller fractionations observed for other elements. Theoretical, laboratory and observational studies of non-terrean materials are essential to further understand molecular isotopic heterogeneity associated with these exclusively abiotic processes. Studies of Archean-aged samples provide an important resource for interpreting molecular isotopic patterns as signatures of life processes. Carbon assimilation and biomass synthesis from simple precursor compounds typically discriminate against 13C. This generality, however, is complicated by the observations of a wide range of fractionation factors associated with important microbial carbon-uptake processes. Metabolic processes further distribute isotopic signatures, such that wide isotopic heterogeneity is observed among cellular biochemical constituents. In addition, preservation/contamination concerns dominate studies of very ancient organic matter, as they likely will in life-detection studies. However, both biochemical heterogeneity and sample integrity can be addressed by considering patterns from different paleoenvironments. Molecular results demonstrate that Late Archean microbial life on this planet was

Osmium Isotopic Evolution of the Mantle Sources of Precambrian Ultramafic Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Gangopadhyay, A.; Walker, R. J.

2006-12-01

The Os isotopic composition of the modern mantle, as recorded collectively by ocean island basalts, mid- oceanic ridge basalts (MORB) and abyssal peridotites, is evidently highly heterogeneous (γ Os(I) ranging from +25). One important question, therefore, is how and when the Earth's mantle developed such large-scale Os isotopic heterogeneities. Previous Os isotopic studies of ancient ultramafic systems, including komatiites and picrites, have shown that the Os isotopic heterogeneity of the terrestrial mantle can be traced as far back as the late-Archean (~ 2.7-2.8 Ga). This observation is based on the initial Os isotopic ratios obtained for the mantle sources of some of the ancient ultramafic rocks determined through analyses of numerous Os-rich whole-rock and/or mineral samples. In some cases, the closed-system behavior of these ancient ultramafic rocks was demonstrated via the generation of isochrons of precise ages, consistent with those obtained from other radiogenic isotopic systems. Thus, a compilation of the published initial ^{187}Os/^{188}Os ratios reported for the mantle sources of komatiitic and picritic rocks is now possible that covers a large range of geologic time spanning from the Mesozoic (ca. 89 Ma Gorgona komatiites) to the Mid-Archean (e.g., ca. 3.3 Ga Commondale komatiites), which provides a comprehensive picture of the Os isotopic evolution of their mantle sources through geologic time. Several Precambrian komatiite/picrite systems are characterized by suprachondritic initial ^{187}Os/^{188}Os ratios (e.g., Belingwe, Kostomuksha, Pechenga). Such long-term enrichments in ^{187}Os of the mantle sources for these rocks may be explained via recycling of old mafic oceanic crust or incorporation of putative suprachondritic outer core materials entrained into their mantle sources. The relative importance of the two processes for some modern mantle-derived systems (e.g., Hawaiian picrites) is an issue of substantial debate. Importantly, however, the

Wetting at the nanometer scale: effects of long-range forces and substrate heterogeneities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Checco, Antonio

2003-01-01

Wetting phenomena on the nano-scale remain poorly understood in spite of their growing theoretical and practical interest. In this context, the present work aimed at studying partial wetting of nanometer-sized alkane droplets on 'model' surfaces build by self-assembly of organic monolayers. For this purpose a novel technique, based on 'noncontact' Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), has been developed to image, with minimal artefacts, drops of adjustable size directly condensed on so- lid surfaces. We have thus shown that contact angle of alkanes, wetting a weakly heterogeneous, silanized substrate, noticeably decreases from its macroscopic value for droplets sizes in the submicron range. The line tension, arising in this case from purely dispersive long-range interactions between the liquid and the substrate, is theoretically too weak to be responsible for the observed effect. Therefore we have supposed that contact angle is affected by mesoscopic chemical heterogeneities of the substrate whenever the droplets size becomes sufficiently small. This scenario has been supported by numerical simulations based on a simplified model of the spatial distribution of surface defects. Similar experiments, performed on different substrates (monolayers made of alkane-thiols self-assembled on gold and of alkyl chains covalently bound onto a silicon surface), have also shown that wetting on small scales is strongly affected by minimal physical and chemical surface heterogeneities. Finally, to provide further examples of the potential of the above mentioned AFM technique, we have studied the wettability of nano-structured surfaces and the local wetting properties of hair. (author) [fr

Integrated modelling of enhanced in situ biodenitrification in a fractured aquifer: biogeochemistry and isotope geochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Escales, Paula; Folch, Albert; van Breukelen, Boris M.; Vidal-Gavilan, Georgina; Soler, Albert

2014-05-01

Enhanced in-situ biodenitrification is a feasible technology to recovery groundwater polluted by nitrates and achieves drinking water standards. Under optimum conditions, nitrate is reduced by autochthonous bacteria trough different reactions until arrive to harmless dinitrogen gas. Isotopic fractionation monitoring in field applications allows knowing the exact degree and the real scope of this technology. Using the Rayleigh equation the change in the isotope ratio of the nitrate molecule (δ15N-NO3-, δ18O-NO3-) is related to the fraction of molecules remaining as a result of biodenitrification. However, Rayleigh application at field scale is sometimes limited due to other processes involved during groundwater flow such as dispersion or adsorption and geological media heterogeneities that interferes in concentration values. Then, include isotope fractionation processes in reactive transport models is a useful tool to interpret and predict data from in-situ biodenitrification. We developed a reactive transport model of enhanced in situ application at field scale in a fractured aquifer that considers biogeochemical processes as well as isotope fractionation to enable better monitoring and management of this technology. Processes considered were: microbiological- exogenous and endogenous nitrate and sulfate respiration coupled with microbial growth and decay, geochemical reactions (precipitation of calcite) and isotopic fractionation (δ15N-NO3-; δ18O- NO3- and carbon isotope network). The 2-D simulations at field scale were developed using PHAST code. Modeling of nitrate isotope geochemistry has allowed determining the extent of biodenitrification in model domain. We have quantified which is the importance in decreasing of nitrate concentrations due to biodegradation (percentage of biodegradation, 'B%') and due to dilution process (percentage of dilution, 'D%'). On the other hand, the stable carbon isotope geochemistry has been modeled. We have considered the

Chromium Isotope Anomaly Scaling with Past Warming Episodes

Science.gov (United States)

Remmelzwaal, S.; O'Connor, L.; Preston, W.; Parkinson, I. J.; Schmidt, D. N.

2017-12-01

The recent expansion of oxygen minimum zones caused by anthropogenic global warming raises questions about the scale of this expansion with different emission scenarios. Ocean deoxygenation will impact marine ecosystems and fisheries demanding an assessment of the possible extent and intensity of deoxygenation. Here, we used past climate warming events to quantify a potential link between warming and the spread of oxygen minimum zones: including Ocean Anoxic Event (OAE) 1a, OAE 2 in the Cretaceous, the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), the Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (ETM2), and Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles. We applied the emerging proxy of chromium isotopes in planktic foraminifera to assess redox changes during the PETM, ETM2, and Pleistocene and bulk carbonate for the OAEs. Both δ53Cr and chromium concentrations respond markedly during the PETM indicative of a reduction in dissolved oxygen concentrations caused by changes in ocean ventilation and associated warming [1]. A strong correlation between Δδ53Cr and benthic Δδ18O, a measure of the excursion size in both oxygen and chromium isotopes, suggest temperatures to be one of the main drivers of ocean deoxygenation in the past [1]. Chromium concentrations decrease during ETM2 and OAE1a, and, increase by 4.5 ppm over the Plenus Cold Event during OAE2, which suggests enhanced seafloor ventilation. [1] Remmelzwaal, S.R.C., Dixon, S., Parkinson, I.J., Schmidt, D.N., Monteiro, F.M., Sexton, P., Fehr, M., Peacock, C., Donnadieu, Y., James, R.H., in review. Ocean deoxygenation during the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. EPSL.

The impacts of pore-scale physical and chemical heterogeneities on the transport of radionuclide-carrying colloids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

WU, Ning

2018-04-24

Independent of the methods of nuclear waste disposal, the degradation of packaging materials could lead to mobilization and transport of radionuclides into the geosphere. This process can be significantly accelerated due to the association of radionuclides with the backfill materials or mobile colloids in groundwater. The transport of these colloids is complicated by the inherent coupling of physical and chemical heterogeneities (e.g., pore space geometry, grain size, charge heterogeneity, and surface hydrophobicity) in natural porous media that can exist on the length scale of a few grains. In addition, natural colloids themselves are often heterogeneous in their surface properties (e.g., clay platelets possess opposite charges on the surface and along the rim). Both physical and chemical heterogeneities influence the transport and retention of radionuclides under various groundwater conditions. However, the precise mechanisms how these coupled heterogeneities influence colloidal transport are largely elusive. This knowledge gap is a major source of uncertainty in developing accurate models to represent the transport process and to predict distribution of radionuclides in the geosphere.

Changing the scale of hydrogeophysical aquifer heterogeneity characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Paradis, Daniel; Tremblay, Laurie; Ruggeri, Paolo; Brunet, Patrick; Fabien-Ouellet, Gabriel; Gloaguen, Erwan; Holliger, Klaus; Irving, James; Molson, John; Lefebvre, Rene

2015-04-01

Contaminant remediation and management require the quantitative predictive capabilities of groundwater flow and mass transport numerical models. Such models have to encompass source zones and receptors, and thus typically cover several square kilometers. To predict the path and fate of contaminant plumes, these models have to represent the heterogeneous distribution of hydraulic conductivity (K). However, hydrogeophysics has generally been used to image relatively restricted areas of the subsurface (small fractions of km2), so there is a need for approaches defining heterogeneity at larger scales and providing data to constrain conceptual and numerical models of aquifer systems. This communication describes a workflow defining aquifer heterogeneity that was applied over a 12 km2 sub-watershed surrounding a decommissioned landfill emitting landfill leachate. The aquifer is a shallow, 10 to 20 m thick, highly heterogeneous and anisotropic assemblage of littoral sand and silt. Field work involved the acquisition of a broad range of data: geological, hydraulic, geophysical, and geochemical. The emphasis was put on high resolution and continuous hydrogeophysical data, the use of direct-push fully-screened wells and the acquisition of targeted high-resolution hydraulic data covering the range of observed aquifer materials. The main methods were: 1) surface geophysics (ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity); 2) direct-push operations with a geotechnical drilling rig (cone penetration tests with soil moisture resistivity CPT/SMR; full-screen well installation); and 3) borehole operations, including high-resolution hydraulic tests and geochemical sampling. New methods were developed to acquire high vertical resolution hydraulic data in direct-push wells, including both vertical and horizontal K (Kv and Kh). Various data integration approaches were used to represent aquifer properties in 1D, 2D and 3D. Using relevant vector machines (RVM), the mechanical and

FOREWORD: Heterogenous nucleation and microstructure formation—a scale- and system-bridging approach Heterogenous nucleation and microstructure formation—a scale- and system-bridging approach

Science.gov (United States)

Emmerich, H.

2009-11-01

Scope and aim of this volume. Nucleation and initial microstructure formation play an important role in almost all aspects of materials science [1-5]. The relevance of the prediction and control of nucleation and the subsequent microstructure formation is fully accepted across many areas of modern surface and materials science and technology. One reason is that a large range of material properties, from mechanical ones such as ductility and hardness to electrical and magnetic ones such as electric conductivity and magnetic hardness, depend largely on the specific crystalline structure that forms in nucleation and the subsequent initial microstructure growth. A very demonstrative example for the latter is the so called bamboo structure of an integrated circuit, for which resistance against electromigration [6] , a parallel alignment of grain boundaries vertical to the direction of electricity, is most favorable. Despite the large relevance of predicting and controlling nucleation and the subsequent microstructure formation, and despite significant progress in the experimental analysis of the later stages of crystal growth in line with new theoretical computer simulation concepts [7], details about the initial stages of solidification are still far from being satisfactorily understood. This is in particular true when the nucleation event occurs as heterogenous nucleation. The Priority Program SPP 1296 'Heterogenous Nucleation and Microstructure Formation—a Scale- and System-Bridging Approach' [8] sponsored by the German Research Foundation, DFG, intends to contribute to this open issue via a six year research program that enables approximately twenty research groups in Germany to work interdisciplinarily together following this goal. Moreover, it enables the participants to embed themselves in the international community which focuses on this issue via internationally open joint workshops, conferences and summer schools. An outline of such activities can be found

Scale-up of miscible flood processes for heterogeneous reservoirs. Second annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orr, F.M. Jr.

1995-03-01

Progress is reported for a comprehensive investigation of the scaling behavior of gas injection processes in heterogeneous reservoirs. The interplay of phase behavior, viscous fingering, gravity segregation, capillary imbibition and drainage, and reservoir heterogeneity is examined in a series of simulations and experiments. Use of streamtube to model multiphase flow is demonstrated to be a fast and accurate approach for displacements that are dominated by reservoir heterogeneity. The streamtube technique is particularly powerful for multiphase compositional displacements because it represents the effects of phase behavior with a one-dimensional flow and represents the effects of heterogeneity through the locations of streamtubes. A new approach for fast calculations of critical tie-lines directly from criticality conditions is reported. A global triangular structure solution for four-component flow systems, whose tie-lies meet at the edge of a quaternary phase diagram or lie in planes is presented. Also demonstrated is the extension of this solution to multicomponent systems under the same assumptions. The interplay of gravity, capillary and viscous forces on final residual oil saturation is examined experimentally and theoretically. The analysis of vertical equilibrium conditions for three-phase gravity drainage shows that almost all oil can be recovered from the top part of a reservoir. The prediction of spreading and stability of thin film is performed to investigate three-phase gravity drainage mechanisms. Finally, experimental results from gravity drainage of crude oil in the presence of CO{sub 2} suggest that gravity drainage could be an efficient oil recovery process for vertically fractured reservoirs.

Upscaling of Large-Scale Transport in Spatially Heterogeneous Porous Media Using Wavelet Transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Moslehi, M.; de Barros, F.; Ebrahimi, F.; Sahimi, M.

2015-12-01

Modeling flow and solute transport in large-scale heterogeneous porous media involves substantial computational burdens. A common approach to alleviate this complexity is to utilize upscaling methods. These processes generate upscaled models with less complexity while attempting to preserve the hydrogeological properties comparable to the original fine-scale model. We use Wavelet Transformations (WT) of the spatial distribution of aquifer's property to upscale the hydrogeological models and consequently transport processes. In particular, we apply the technique to a porous formation with broadly distributed and correlated transmissivity to verify the performance of the WT. First, transmissivity fields are coarsened using WT in such a way that the high transmissivity zones, in which more important information is embedded, mostly remain the same, while the low transmissivity zones are averaged out since they contain less information about the hydrogeological formation. Next, flow and non-reactive transport are simulated in both fine-scale and upscaled models to predict both the concentration breakthrough curves at a control location and the large-scale spreading of the plume around its centroid. The results reveal that the WT of the fields generates non-uniform grids with an average of 2.1% of the number of grid blocks in the original fine-scale models, which eventually leads to a significant reduction in the computational costs. We show that the upscaled model obtained through the WT reconstructs the concentration breakthrough curves and the spreading of the plume at different times accurately. Furthermore, the impacts of the Hurst coefficient, size of the flow domain and the orders of magnitude difference in transmissivity values on the results have been investigated. It is observed that as the heterogeneity and the size of the domain increase, better agreement between the results of fine-scale and upscaled models can be achieved. Having this framework at hand aids

Determination of marble provenance: limits of isotopic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Germann, K.; Holzmann, G.; Winkler, F.J.

1980-01-01

Provenance determination of Thessalian stelae marbles using the C/O isotopic analysis proved to be misleading, as the isotopic composition even in very small quarrying areas is heterogeneous and isotopic coincidence of marbles from very distant sources occurs. Therefore additional geological features must be taken into consideration and preference should be given to combinations of both petrographical and geochemical properties. Geological field work to establish the range of possible marble sources and the variability within these sources is one of the prerequisites of provenance studies. (author)

Small-scale computerized isotope record monitoring system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richards, L [Queen Elizabeth Coll., London (UK)

1979-05-01

A system in use at Queen Elizabeth College for monitoring the isotopes used by radiation workers and the precautionary medical screening of the workers is described. It consists of a PDP-11 minicomputer and flexible disk storage system. The machine is run under a single-user, real-time operating system and is linked on-line to a teleprinter and a VDU. Data is stored as a series of files, each relating to an individual worker, which can be updated individually from the VDU. The files contain information on the worker's project and medical screening records, and his holdings of isotopes and their use and disposal. A warning is printed automatically if a worker's holding exceeds the allowed maximum. The total quantity of isotopes held and their distribution in an institution such as a university can easily be monitored so that legal limits can be adhered to. The system is inexpensive and can be used by personnel not familiar with computer systems.

Scaling properties of conduction velocity in heterogeneous excitable media

Science.gov (United States)

Shajahan, T. K.; Borek, Bartłomiej; Shrier, Alvin; Glass, Leon

2011-10-01

Waves of excitation through excitable media, such as cardiac tissue, can propagate as plane waves or break up to form reentrant spiral waves. In diseased hearts reentrant waves can be associated with fatal cardiac arrhythmias. In this paper we investigate the conditions that lead to wave break, reentry, and propagation failure in mathematical models of heterogeneous excitable media. Two types of heterogeneities are considered: sinks are regions in space in which the voltage is fixed at its rest value, and breaks are nonconducting regions with no-flux boundary conditions. We find that randomly distributed heterogeneities in the medium have a decremental effect on the velocity, and above a critical density of such heterogeneities the conduction fails. Using numerical and analytical methods we derive the general relationship among the conduction velocity, density of heterogeneities, diffusion coefficient, and the rise time of the excitation in both two and three dimensions. This work helps us understand the factors leading to reduced propagation velocity and the formation of spiral waves in heterogeneous excitable media.

A generalized Levene's scale test for variance heterogeneity in the presence of sample correlation and group uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Soave, David; Sun, Lei

2017-09-01

We generalize Levene's test for variance (scale) heterogeneity between k groups for more complex data, when there are sample correlation and group membership uncertainty. Following a two-stage regression framework, we show that least absolute deviation regression must be used in the stage 1 analysis to ensure a correct asymptotic χk-12/(k-1) distribution of the generalized scale (gS) test statistic. We then show that the proposed gS test is independent of the generalized location test, under the joint null hypothesis of no mean and no variance heterogeneity. Consequently, we generalize the recently proposed joint location-scale (gJLS) test, valuable in settings where there is an interaction effect but one interacting variable is not available. We evaluate the proposed method via an extensive simulation study and two genetic association application studies. © 2017 The Authors Biometrics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Biometric Society.

Using cosmogenic isotopes to measure basin-scale rates of erosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bierman, P.R.; Steig, E.

1992-01-01

The authors present a new and different approach to interpreting the abundance of in situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides such as 36 Cl, 26 Al, and 10 Be. Unlike most existing models, which are appropriate for evaluating isotope concentrations on bedrock surfaces, this model can be used to interpret isotope concentration in fluvial sediment. Because sediment is a mixture of material derived from the entire drainage basin, measured isotope abundances can be used to estimate spatially-averaged rates of erosion and sediment transport. Their approach has the potential to provide geomorphologists with a relatively simple but powerful means by which to constrain rates of landscape evolution. The model considers the flux of cosmogenic isotopes into and out of various reservoirs. Implicit in model development are the assumptions that a geomorphic steady-state has been reached and that sampled sediment is spatially and temporally representative of all sediment leaving the basin. Each year, the impinging cosmic-ray flux produces a certain quantity of cosmogenic isotopes in the rock and soil of a drainage basin. For a basin in steady state, the outgoing isotope flux is also constant. They solve for the rate of mass loss as a function of isotope abundance in the sediment, the cosmic ray attenuation length, the isotope half life, and the effective isotope production rate. There are only a few published measurements of cosmogenic isotope abundance in sediment. They calculated model denudation rates for sediment samples from Zaire and central Texas. The denudation rates they calculated appear reasonable and are similar to those they have measured directly on granite landforms in Georgia and southeastern California and those calculated for the Appalachian Piedmont

Bulk Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Ultracarbonaceous Antarctic Micrometeorites with the NanoSIMS

Science.gov (United States)

Kakazu, Y.; Engrand, C.; Duprat, J.; Briani, G.; Bardin, N.; Mostefaoui, S.; Duhamel, R.; Remusat, L.

2014-09-01

We analyzed the carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of two UCAMMs with the NanoSIMS in order to understand the origin and formation of UCAMMs. One UCAMM has 16O-rich composition and a highly heterogeneous oxygen isotopic distribution.

Sublatitudinal Isotope Heterogeneity of The Atlantic and Adjacent Continents: A Relation To The Litospheric Plates and Superplums

Science.gov (United States)

Mironov, Yu. V.; Ryakhovsky, V. M.; Pustovoy, A. A.; Lapidus, I. V.

Northern Atlantic, Norvegian-Greenland sea and Arctic ocean, islands Iceland and Jan-Mayen, Iceland-Faeroe Rise, and also traps of Norway, Britain, and Greenland. MORB and the island rocks correspond to the line of mixture F + DM. On major- ity of isotope characteristics they are similar with DUPAL-MORB (with admixture EM1), but on a ratio 206Pb and 207Pb are close to normal MORB (with admixture 1 HIMU). This specificity is connected to admixture of the special component ARC- TIC. This component represents one of end-components of trends, which are formed by compositions of continental rocks of the Arctic area and reach far beyond "mantle tetrahedron". Thus, transoceanic sublatitudinal isotope heterogeneity, which we have revealed earlier using data on oceanic structures (Mironov et al., 2000; Rundquist et al., 2000; Ryakhovsky, 2000), is traced and on continents. The specificity of main elements of this heterogeneity determine or end-members of "mantle tetrahedron" (HIMU or EM1), or component ARCTIC, located outside "tetrahedron". The main differences between types of structures are determined by mixture of specific compo- nent for given province (HIMU, EM1 or ARCTIC) or with intratetrahedron compo- nent F, or with depleted mantle (DM). The isotopic provinces are discordant to the lithospheric plate boundaries, to extended transform fault, and also to areas of low velosity mantle at the core boundary, which are considered as a places of superplume generating (Fukao et al., 1994). The work is supported by RFBR, and federal program "World Ocean". 2

Osmium isotope anomalies in chondrites: Results for acid residues and related leachates

Science.gov (United States)

Yokoyama, Tetsuya; O'D. Alexander, Conel M.; Walker, Richard J.

2010-03-01

We have investigated Os isotope anomalies in acid residues enriched in insoluble organic matter (IOM) extracted from ten primitive chondrites, acid leachates and residues of these fractions, as well as acid leachates of bulk chondrites. Osmium isotopic compositions of bulk carbonaceous, ordinary and enstatite chondrites are also reported. Consistent with prior results, bulk chondrites have homogeneous Os isotope compositions for s-, r-, and p-process nuclides that are indistinguishable from terrestrial, at the current level of resolution. In contrast, nearly all the IOM-rich residues are enriched in s-process Os, evidently due to the preferential incorporation of s-process enriched presolar grains (most likely presolar SiC). Presolar silicate grains that formed in red giant branch (RGB) or asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are also likely hosts of additional s-process Os in chondrites. Consistent with one prior study, Os released by weak acid leaching of bulk chondrites is slightly to strongly enriched in r-process nuclides, of which the carrier may be fine-grained presolar silicates formed in supernovae or unidentified solar phases. Collectively, the different, chemically concentrated components in these meteorites are variably enriched in s-, r-, and possibly p-process Os, of which the individual carriers must have been produced in multiple stellar environments. The lack of evidence for Os isotopic heterogeneity among bulk chondrites contrasts with evidence for isotopic heterogeneities for various other elements at approximately the same levels of resolution (e.g., Cr, Mo, Ru, Ba, Sm, and Nd). One possible explanation for this is that the heterogeneities for some elements in bulk materials reflect selective removal of some types of presolar grains as a result of nebular processes, and that because of the strong chemical differences between Os and the other elements, the Os was not significantly affected. Another possible explanation is that late-stage injection

A Sharable and Efficient Metadata Model for Heterogeneous Earth Observation Data Retrieval in Multi-Scale Flood Mapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nengcheng Chen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Remote sensing plays an important role in flood mapping and is helping advance flood monitoring and management. Multi-scale flood mapping is necessary for dividing floods into several stages for comprehensive management. However, existing data systems are typically heterogeneous owing to the use of different access protocols and archiving metadata models. In this paper, we proposed a sharable and efficient metadata model (APEOPM for constructing an Earth observation (EO data system to retrieve remote sensing data for flood mapping. The proposed model contains two sub-models, an access protocol model and an enhanced encoding model. The access protocol model helps unify heterogeneous access protocols and can achieve intelligent access via a semantic enhancement method. The enhanced encoding model helps unify a heterogeneous archiving metadata model. Wuhan city, one of the most important cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China, is selected as a study area for testing the retrieval of heterogeneous EO data and flood mapping. The past torrential rain period from 25 March 2015 to 10 April 2015 is chosen as the temporal range in this study. To aid in comprehensive management, mapping is conducted at different spatial and temporal scales. In addition, the efficiency of data retrieval is analyzed, and validation between the flood maps and actual precipitation was conducted. The results show that the flood map coincided with the actual precipitation.

Chemical heterogeneities in the interior of terrestrial bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Plesa, Ana-Catalina; Maurice, Maxime; Tosi, Nicola; Breuer, Doris

2016-04-01

Mantle chemical heterogeneities that can strongly influence the interior dynamics have been inferred for all terrestrial bodies of the Solar System and range from local to global scale. Seismic data for the Earth, differences in surface mineral compositions observed in data sets from space missions, and isotopic variations identified in laboratory analyses of meteorites or samples indicate chemically heterogeneous systems. One way to generate large scale geochemical heterogeneities is through the fractional crystallization of a liquid magma ocean. The large amount of energy available in the early stages of planetary evolution can cause melting of a significant part or perhaps even the entire mantle of a terrestrial body resulting in a liquid magma ocean. Assuming fractional crystallization, magma ocean solidification proceeds from the core-mantle boundary to the surface where dense cumulates tend to form due to iron enrichment in the evolving liquid. This process leads to a gravitationally unstable mantle, which is prone to overturn. Following cumulate overturn, a stable stratification may be reached that prevents efficient material transport. As a consequence, mantle reservoirs may be kept separate, possibly for the entire thermo-chemical evolution of a terrestrial body. Scenarios assuming fractional crystallization of a liquid magma ocean have been suggested to explain lavas with distinct composition on Mercury's surface [1], the generation of the Moon's mare basalts by sampling a reservoir consisting of overturned ilmenite-bearing cumulates [2], and the preservation of Mars' geochemical reservoirs as inferred by isotopic analysis of the SNC meteorites [3]. However, recent studies have shown that the style of the overturn as well as the subsequent density stratification are of extreme importance for the subsequent thermo-chemical evolution of a planetary body and may have a major impact on the later surface tectonics and volcanic history. The rapid formation of a

Calcium Isotope Analysis by Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Boulyga, S.; Richter, S.

2010-12-01

The variations in the isotopic composition of calcium caused by fractionation in heterogeneous systems and by nuclear reactions can provide insight into numerous biological, geological, and cosmic processes, and therefore isotopic analysis finds a wide spectrum of applications in cosmo- and geochemistry, paleoclimatic, nutritional, and biomedical studies. The measurement of calcium isotopic abundances in natural samples has challenged the analysts for more than three decades. Practically all Ca isotopes suffer from significant isobaric interferences, whereas low-abundant isotopes can be particularly affected by neighboring major isotopes. The extent of natural variations of stable isotopes appears to be relatively limited, and highly precise techniques are required to resolve isotopic effects. Isotope fractionation during sample preparation and measurements and instrumental mass bias can significantly exceed small isotope abundance variations in samples, which have to be investigated. Not surprisingly, a TIMS procedure developed by Russell et al. (Russell et al., 1978. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 42: 1075-1090) for Ca isotope measurements was considered as revolutionary for isotopic measurements in general, and that approach is used nowadays (with small modifications) for practically all isotopic systems and with different mass spectrometric techniques. Nevertheless, despite several decades of calcium research and corresponding development of mass spectrometers, the available precision and accuracy is still not always sufficient to achieve the challenging goals. This presentation discusses figures of merits of presently used analytical methods and instrumentation, and attempts to critically assess their limitations. Additionally, the availability of Ca isotope reference materials will be discussed.

Isotopic exchange reactions. Kinetics and efficiency of the reactors using them in isotopic separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ravoire, Jean

1979-11-01

In the first part, some definitions and the thermodynamic and kinetic isotopic effect concepts are recalled. In the second part the kinetic laws are established, in homogeneous and heterogeneous medium (one component being on occasions present in both phases), without and with isotopic effects. Emphasis is put on application to separation of isotopes, the separation factor α being close to 1, one isotope being in large excess with respect to the other one. Isotopic transfer is then given by: J = Ka (x - y/α) where x and y are the (isotopic) mole fractions in both phases, Ka may be either the rate of exchange or a transfer coefficient which can be considered as the 'same in both ways' if α-1 is small compared to the relative error on the measure of Ka. The third part is devoted to isotopic exchange reactors. Relationships between their efficiency and kinetics are established in some simple cases: plug cocurrent flow reactors, perfectly mixed reactors, countercurrent reactors without axial mixing. We treat only cases where α and the up flow to down flow ratio is close to 1 so that Murphee efficiency approximately overall efficiency (discrete stage contactors). HTU (phase 1) approximately HTU (phase 2) approximately HETP (columns). In a fourth part, an expression of the isotopic separative power of reactors is proposed and discussed [fr

Rate tracer studies of heterogeneous catalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Happel, J; Kiang, S

1977-10-01

An analysis is presented of the extent to which parameters involved in transient tracing of isotopic species in heterogeneous catalysis can be determined by experiments in which tracer concentrations are measured as a function of time. Different treatments for open and closed systems with the over-all reaction at equilibrium or irreversible were developed.

Dynamic Pore-Scale Imaging of Reactive Transport in Heterogeneous Carbonates at Reservoir Conditions Across Multiple Dissolution Regimes

Science.gov (United States)

Menke, H. P.; Bijeljic, B.; Andrew, M. G.; Blunt, M. J.

2014-12-01

Sequestering carbon in deep geologic formations is one way of reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions. When supercritical CO2 mixes with brine in a reservoir, the acid generated has the potential to dissolve the surrounding pore structure. However, the magnitude and type of dissolution are condition dependent. Understanding how small changes in the pore structure, chemistry, and flow properties affect dissolution is paramount for successful predictive modelling. Both 'Pink Beam' synchrotron radiation and a Micro-CT lab source are used in dynamic X-ray microtomography to investigate the pore structure changes during supercritical CO2 injection in carbonate rocks of varying heterogeneity at high temperatures and pressures and various flow-rates. Three carbonate rock types were studied, one with a homogeneous pore structure and two heterogeneous carbonates. All samples are practically pure calcium carbonate, but have widely varying rock structures. Flow-rate was varied in three successive experiments by over an order of magnitude whlie keeping all other experimental conditions constant. A 4-mm carbonate core was injected with CO2-saturated brine at 10 MPa and 50oC. Tomographic images were taken at 30-second to 20-minute time-resolutions during a 2 to 4-hour injection period. A pore network was extracted using a topological analysis of the pore space and pore-scale flow modelling was performed directly on the binarized images with connected pathways and used to track the altering velocity distributions. Significant differences in dissolution type and magnitude were found for each rock type and flowrate. At the highest flow-rates, the homogeneous carbonate was seen to have predominately uniform dissolution with minor dissolution rate differences between the pores and pore throats. Alternatively, the heterogeneous carbonates which formed wormholes at high flow rates. At low flow rates the homogeneous rock developed wormholes, while the heterogeneous samples showed evidence

Contrasting isotopic mantle sources for proterozoic lamproites and kimberlites from the Cuddapah basin and eastern Dharwar craton: implication for proterozoic mantle heterogeneity beneath southern India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chalapathi Rao, N.V.; Gibson, S.A.; Pyle, D.M.; Dickin, A.P.

1998-01-01

Kimberlites intruding the Precambrian basement towards the western margin of the Cuddapah basin near Anantapur (1090 Ma) and Mahbubnagar (1360 Ma) in Andhra Pradesh have initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr between 0.70205 to 0.70734 and σNd between +0.5 to +4.68. Mesoproterozoic lamproites (1380 Ma) from the Cuddapah basin (Chelima and Zangamarajupalle) and its NE margin (Ramannapeta) have initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr between 0.70520 and 0.7390 and εNd from -6.43 to -8.29. Combined Sr- and Nd- isotopic ratios suggest that lamproites were derived from enriched sources which have time-averaged higher Rb/Sr and lower Sm/Nd ratios than the Bulk Earth whereas kimberlites were derived from depleted source with lower Rb/Sr and higher Sm/Nd ratios. Calculated T DM model ages suggest that the lamproite source enrichment (∼2 Ga) preceded that of kimberlites (∼1.37 Ga). Our work demonstrates the existence of isotopically contrasting upper mantle sources for southern Indian kimberlites and lamproites and provides evidence for a lateral, isotopically heterogeneous mantle beneath the Cuddapah basin and eastern Dharwar craton. The significance of our results in the context of diamond exploration is also highlighted. (author)

Coordinated SLNR based Precoding in Large-Scale Heterogeneous Networks

KAUST Repository

Boukhedimi, Ikram

2017-03-06

This work focuses on the downlink of large-scale two-tier heterogeneous networks composed of a macro-cell overlaid by micro-cell networks. Our interest is on the design of coordinated beamforming techniques that allow to mitigate the inter-cell interference. Particularly, we consider the case in which the coordinating base stations (BSs) have imperfect knowledge of the channel state information. Under this setting, we propose a regularized SLNR based precoding design in which the regularization factor is used to allow better resilience with respect to the channel estimation errors. Based on tools from random matrix theory, we provide an analytical analysis of the SINR and SLNR performances. These results are then exploited to propose a proper setting of the regularization factor. Simulation results are finally provided in order to validate our findings and to confirm the performance of the proposed precoding scheme.

Coordinated SLNR based Precoding in Large-Scale Heterogeneous Networks

KAUST Repository

Boukhedimi, Ikram; Kammoun, Abla; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

This work focuses on the downlink of large-scale two-tier heterogeneous networks composed of a macro-cell overlaid by micro-cell networks. Our interest is on the design of coordinated beamforming techniques that allow to mitigate the inter-cell interference. Particularly, we consider the case in which the coordinating base stations (BSs) have imperfect knowledge of the channel state information. Under this setting, we propose a regularized SLNR based precoding design in which the regularization factor is used to allow better resilience with respect to the channel estimation errors. Based on tools from random matrix theory, we provide an analytical analysis of the SINR and SLNR performances. These results are then exploited to propose a proper setting of the regularization factor. Simulation results are finally provided in order to validate our findings and to confirm the performance of the proposed precoding scheme.

Isotopic constraints on heterogeneous sulfate production in Beijing haze

Science.gov (United States)

He, Pengzhen; Alexander, Becky; Geng, Lei; Chi, Xiyuan; Fan, Shidong; Zhan, Haicong; Kang, Hui; Zheng, Guangjie; Cheng, Yafang; Su, Hang; Liu, Cheng; Xie, Zhouqing

2018-04-01

Discerning mechanisms of sulfate formation during fine-particle pollution (referred to as haze hereafter) in Beijing is important for understanding the rapid evolution of haze and for developing cost-effective air pollution mitigation strategies. Here we present observations of the oxygen-17 excess of PM2.5 sulfate (Δ17O(SO42-)) collected in Beijing haze from October 2014 to January 2015 to constrain possible sulfate formation pathways. Throughout the sampling campaign, the 12-hourly averaged PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 16 to 323 µg m-3 with a mean of (141 ± 88 (1σ)) µg m-3, with SO42- representing 8-25 % of PM2.5 mass. The observed Δ17O(SO42-) varied from 0.1 to 1.6 ‰ with a mean of (0.9 ± 0.3) ‰. Δ17O(SO42-) increased with PM2.5 levels in October 2014 while the opposite trend was observed from November 2014 to January 2015. Our estimate suggested that in-cloud reactions dominated sulfate production on polluted days (PDs, PM2.5 ≥ 75 µg m-3) of Case II in October 2014 due to the relatively high cloud liquid water content, with a fractional contribution of up to 68 %. During PDs of Cases I and III-V, heterogeneous sulfate production (Phet) was estimated to contribute 41-54 % to total sulfate formation with a mean of (48 ± 5) %. For the specific mechanisms of heterogeneous oxidation of SO2, chemical reaction kinetics calculations suggested S(IV) ( = SO2 ⚫ H2O + HSO3- + SO32-) oxidation by H2O2 in aerosol water accounted for 5-13 % of Phet. The relative importance of heterogeneous sulfate production by other mechanisms was constrained by our observed Δ17O(SO42-). Heterogeneous sulfate production via S(IV) oxidation by O3 was estimated to contribute 21-22 % of Phet on average. Heterogeneous sulfate production pathways that result in zero-Δ17O(SO42-), such as S(IV) oxidation by NO2 in aerosol water and/or by O2 via a radical chain mechanism, contributed the remaining 66-73 % of Phet. The assumption about the thermodynamic state of aerosols

Universal Linear Scaling of Permeability and Time for Heterogeneous Fracture Dissolution

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, L.; Cardenas, M. B.

2017-12-01

Fractures are dynamically changing over geological time scale due to mechanical deformation and chemical reactions. However, the latter mechanism remains poorly understood with respect to the expanding fracture, which leads to a positively coupled flow and reactive transport processes, i.e., as a fracture expands, so does its permeability (k) and thus flow and reactive transport processes. To unravel this coupling, we consider a self-enhancing process that leads to fracture expansion caused by acidic fluid, i.e., CO2-saturated brine dissolving calcite fracture. We rigorously derive a theory, for the first time, showing that fracture permeability increases linearly with time [Wang and Cardenas, 2017]. To validate this theory, we resort to the direct simulation that solves the Navier-Stokes and Advection-Diffusion equations with a moving mesh according to the dynamic dissolution process in two-dimensional (2D) fractures. We find that k slowly increases first until the dissolution front breakthrough the outbound when we observe a rapid k increase, i.e., the linear time-dependence of k occurs. The theory agrees well with numerical observations across a broad range of Peclet and Damkohler numbers through homogeneous and heterogeneous 2D fractures. Moreover, the theory of linear scaling relationship between k and time matches well with experimental observations of three-dimensional (3D) fractures' dissolution. To further attest to our theory's universality for 3D heterogeneous fractures across a broad range of roughness and correlation length of aperture field, we develop a depth-averaged model that simulates the process-based reactive transport. The simulation results show that, regardless of a wide variety of dissolution patterns such as the presence of dissolution fingers and preferential dissolution paths, the linear scaling relationship between k and time holds. Our theory sheds light on predicting permeability evolution in many geological settings when the self

Multiple recharge processes to heterogeneous Mediterranean coastal aquifers and implications on recharge rates evolution in time

Science.gov (United States)

Santoni, S.; Huneau, F.; Garel, E.; Celle-Jeanton, H.

2018-04-01

Climate change is nowadays widely considered to have major effects on groundwater resources. Climatic projections suggest a global increase in evaporation and higher frequency of strong rainfall events especially in Mediterranean context. Since evaporation is synonym of low recharge conditions whereas strong rainfall events are more favourable to recharge in heterogeneous subsurface contexts, a lack of knowledge remains then on the real ongoing and future drinking groundwater supply availability at aquifers scale. Due to low recharge potential and high inter-annual climate variability, this issue is strategic for the Mediterranean hydrosystems. This is especially the case for coastal aquifers because they are exposed to seawater intrusion, sea-level rise and overpumping risks. In this context, recharge processes and rates were investigated in a Mediterranean coastal aquifer with subsurface heterogeneity located in Southern Corsica (France). Aquifer recharge rates from combining ten physical and chemical methods were computed. In addition, hydrochemical and isotopic investigations were carried out through a monthly two years monitoring combining major ions and stable isotopes of water in rain, runoff and groundwater. Diffuse, focused, lateral mountain system and irrigation recharge processes were identified and characterized. A predominant focused recharge conditioned by subsurface heterogeneity is evidenced in agreement with variable but highly favourable recharge rates. The fast water transfer from the surface to the aquifer implied by this recharge process suggests less evaporation, which means higher groundwater renewal and availability in such Mediterranean coastal aquifers.

Vadose Zone Infiltration Rate at Hanford, Washington, Inferred from Sr Isotope Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maher, Katharine; DePaolo, Donald J.; Conrad, Mark E.; Serne, R. Jeffrey

2003-01-01

Sr isotope ratios were measured in the pore water, acid extracts, and sediments of a 70-m vadose zone core to obtain estimates of the long-term infiltration flux for a site in the Hanford/DOE complex in eastern Washington State. The 87Sr/86Sr values of the pore waters decrease systematically with depth, from a high value of 0.721 near the surface toward the bulk sediment average value of 0.711. Estimates of the bulk weathering rate combined with Sr isotopic data were used to constrain the long-term (century to millenial scale) natural diffuse infiltration flux for the site given both steady state and nonsteady state conditions. The models suggest that the infiltration fluc for the site is 7+- 3 mm/yr. The method shows potential for providing long-term in situ estimates of infiltration rates for deep heterogeneous vadose zones

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions with fractionation and unidentified nuclear effects (FUN CAIs): II. Heterogeneities of magnesium isotopes and 26Al in the early Solar System inferred from in situ high-precision magnesium-isotope measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Changkun; Nagashima, Kazuhide; Krot, Alexander N.; Huss, Gary R.; Davis, Andrew M.; Bizzarro, Martin

2017-03-01

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions with isotopic mass fractionation effects and unidentified nuclear isotopic anomalies (FUN CAIs) have been studied for more than 40 years, but their origins remain enigmatic. Here we report in situ high precision measurements of aluminum-magnesium isotope systematics of FUN CAIs by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Individual minerals were analyzed in six FUN CAIs from the oxidized CV3 carbonaceous chondrites Axtell (compact Type A CAI Axtell 2271) and Allende (Type B CAIs C1 and EK1-4-1, and forsterite-bearing Type B CAIs BG82DH8, CG-14, and TE). Most of these CAIs show evidence for excess 26Mg due to the decay of 26Al. The inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratios [(26Al/27Al)0] and the initial magnesium isotopic compositions (δ26Mg0) calculated using an exponential law with an exponent β of 0.5128 are (3.1 ± 1.6) × 10-6 and 0.60 ± 0.10‰ (Axtell 2271), (3.7 ± 1.5) × 10-6 and -0.20 ± 0.05‰ (BG82DH8), (2.2 ± 1.1) × 10-6 and -0.18 ± 0.05‰ (C1), (2.3 ± 2.4) × 10-5 and -2.23 ± 0.37‰ (EK1-4-1), (1.5 ± 1.1) × 10-5 and -0.42 ± 0.08‰ (CG-14), and (5.3 ± 0.9) × 10-5 and -0.05 ± 0.08‰ (TE) with 2σ uncertainties. We infer that FUN CAIs recorded heterogeneities of magnesium isotopes and 26Al in the CAI-forming region(s). Comparison of 26Al-26Mg systematics, stable isotope (oxygen, magnesium, calcium, and titanium) and trace element studies of FUN and non-FUN igneous CAIs indicates that there is a continuum among these CAI types. Based on these observations and evaporation experiments on CAI-like melts, we propose a generic scenario for the origin of igneous (FUN and non-FUN) CAIs: (i) condensation of isotopically normal solids in an 16O-rich gas of approximately solar composition; (ii) formation of CAI precursors by aggregation of these solids together with variable abundances of isotopically anomalous grains-possible carriers of unidentified nuclear (UN) effects; and (iii) melt evaporation of these precursors

Spatial Heterogeneity, Scale, Data Character and Sustainable Transport in the Big Data Era

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Bin

2018-04-01

In light of the emergence of big data, I have advocated and argued for a paradigm shift from Tobler's law to scaling law, from Euclidean geometry to fractal geometry, from Gaussian statistics to Paretian statistics, and - more importantly - from Descartes' mechanistic thinking to Alexander's organic thinking. Fractal geometry falls under the third definition of fractal - that is, a set or pattern is fractal if the scaling of far more small things than large ones recurs multiple times (Jiang and Yin 2014) - rather than under the second definition of fractal, which requires a power law between scales and details (Mandelbrot 1982). The new fractal geometry is more towards living geometry that "follows the rules, constraints, and contingent conditions that are, inevitably, encountered in the real world" (Alexander et al. 2012, p. 395), not only for understanding complexity, but also for creating complex or living structure (Alexander 2002-2005). This editorial attempts to clarify why the paradigm shift is essential and to elaborate on several concepts, including spatial heterogeneity (scaling law), scale (or the fourth meaning of scale), data character (in contrast to data quality), and sustainable transport in the big data era.

Nitrogen isotopes in bulk marine sediment: linking seafloor observations with subseafloor records

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-E. Tesdal

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The stable isotopes of nitrogen offer a unique perspective on changes in the nitrogen cycle, past and present. However, the presence of multiple forms of nitrogen in marine sediments can complicate the interpretation of bulk nitrogen isotope measurements. Although the large-scale global patterns of seafloor δ¹⁵N have been shown to match process-based expectations, small-scale heterogeneity on the seafloor, or alterations of isotopic signals during translation into the subseafloor record, could obscure the primary signals. Here, a public database of nitrogen isotope measurements is described, including both seafloor and subseafloor sediment samples ranging in age from modern to the Pliocene, and used to assess these uncertainties. In general, good agreement is observed between neighbouring seafloor sites within a 100 km radius, with 85% showing differences of < 1‰. There is also a good correlation between the δ¹⁵N of the shallowest (< 5 ka subseafloor sediments and neighbouring seafloor sites within a 100 km radius (R² = 0.83, which suggests a reliable translation of sediments into the buried sediment record. Meanwhile, gradual δ¹⁵N decreases over multiple glacial–interglacial cycles appear to reflect post-depositional alteration in records from the deep sea (below 2000 m. We suggest a simple conceptual model to explain these 100-kyr-timescale changes in well-oxygenated, slowly accumulating sediments, which calls on differential loss rates for pools of organic N with different δ¹⁵N. We conclude that bulk sedimentary nitrogen isotope records are reliable monitors of past changes in the marine nitrogen cycle at most locations, and could be further improved with a better understanding of systematic post-depositional alteration. Furthermore, geochemical or environmental criteria should be developed in order to effectively identify problematic locations and to account for

Pore-scale simulations of concentration tails in heterogeneous porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Di Palma, Paolo Roberto; Parmigiani, Andrea; Huber, Christian; Guyennon, Nicolas; Viotti, Paolo

2017-10-01

The retention of contaminants in the finest and less-conductive regions of natural aquifer is known to strongly affect the decontamination of polluted aquifers. In fact, contaminant transfer from low to high mobility regions at the back end of a contaminant plume (i.e. back diffusion) is responsible for the long-term release of contaminants during remediation operation. In this paper, we perform pore-scale calculations for the transport of contaminant through heterogeneous porous media composed of low and high mobility regions with two objectives: (i) study the effect of permeability contrast and solute transport conditions on the exchange of solutes between mobile and immobile regions and (ii) estimate the mass of contaminants sequestered in low mobility regions based on concentration breakthrough curves.

Elucidating the impact of micro-scale heterogeneous bacterial distribution on biodegradation

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Susanne I.; Kreft, Jan-Ulrich; Mackay, Rae; Picioreanu, Cristian; Thullner, Martin

2018-06-01

Groundwater microorganisms hardly ever cover the solid matrix uniformly-instead they form micro-scale colonies. To which extent such colony formation limits the bioavailability and biodegradation of a substrate is poorly understood. We used a high-resolution numerical model of a single pore channel inhabited by bacterial colonies to simulate the transport and biodegradation of organic substrates. These high-resolution 2D simulation results were compared to 1D simulations that were based on effective rate laws for bioavailability-limited biodegradation. We (i) quantified the observed bioavailability limitations and (ii) evaluated the applicability of previously established effective rate concepts if microorganisms are heterogeneously distributed. Effective bioavailability reductions of up to more than one order of magnitude were observed, showing that the micro-scale aggregation of bacterial cells into colonies can severely restrict the bioavailability of a substrate and reduce in situ degradation rates. Effective rate laws proved applicable for upscaling when using the introduced effective colony sizes.

Scale and the isotopic record of C4 plants in pedogenic carbonate: from the biome to the rhizospere.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monger, Dr. H Curtis [New Mexico State University, Las Cruces; Cole, David R [ORNL; Buck, Dr. Brenda [University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Gallegos, Robert [Sant fe Water Division

2009-01-01

The 13C/12C ratio in pedogenic carbonate (i.e., CaCO3 formed in soil) is a significant tool for investigating C4 biomes of the past. However, the paleoecological meaning of d13C values in pedogenic carbonate can change with the scale at which one considers the data. We describe studies of modern soils, fossil soils, and vegetation change in the Chihuahuan Desert of North America and elsewhere that reveal four scales important for paleoecologic interpretations. (1) At the broadest scale, the biome scale (hundreds to millions of km2), an isotopic record interpreted as C3 vegetation replacing C4 grasslands may indicate invading C3 woody shrubs instead of expanding C3 forests (a common interpretation). (2) At the landscape scale (several tens of m2 to hundreds of km2), the accuracy of scaling up paleoclimatic interpretations to a regional level is affected by the landform containing the isotopic record. (3) At the soil-profile scale (cm2 to m2), soil profiles with multiple generations of carbonate mixed together have a lower-resolution paleoecologic record than soil profiles repeatedly buried. (4) At the rhizosphere scale (lm2 to cm2), carbonate formed on roots lack the 14 17 enrichment observed at broader scales, revealing different fractionation processes at different scales. A multi-scale approach in dealing with d13C in pedogenic carbonate will increase the accuracy of paleoecologic interpretations and understanding of soil geomorphic climatic interactions that affect boundaries between C4 and C3 vegetation.

Scale and the isotopic record of C4 plants in pedogenic carbonate: from the biome to the rhizosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monger, Dr. H Curtis [New Mexico State University, Las Cruces; Cole, David [Ohio State University; Buck, Dr. Brenda [University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Gallegos, Robert [Sant fe Water Division

2009-01-01

The 13C/12C ratio in pedogenic carbonate (i.e., CaCO3 formed in soil) is a significant tool for investigating C4 biomes of the past. However, the paleoecological meaning of d13C values in pedogenic carbonate can change with the scale at which one considers the data. We describe studies of modern soils, fossil soils, and vegetation change in the Chihuahuan Desert of North America and elsewhere that reveal four scales important for paleoecologic interpretations. (1) At the broadest scale, the biome scale (hundreds to millions of km2), an isotopic record interpreted as C3 vegetation replacing C4 grasslands may indicate invading C3 woody shrubs instead of expanding C3 forests (a common interpretation). (2) At the landscape scale (several tens of m2 to hundreds of km2), the accuracy of scaling up paleoclimatic interpretations to a regional level is affected by the landform containing the isotopic record. (3) At the soil-profile scale (cm2 to m2), soil profiles with multiple generations of carbonate mixed together have a lower-resolution paleoecologic record than soil profiles repeatedly buried. (4) At the rhizosphere scale (lm2 to cm2), carbonate formed on roots lack the 14 17 enrichment observed at broader scales, revealing different fractionation processes at different scales. A multi-scale approach in dealing with d13C in pedogenic carbonate will increase the accuracy of paleoecologic interpretations and understanding of soil geomorphic climatic interactions that affect boundaries between C4 and C3 vegetation.

Determination of formation heterogeneity at a range of scales using novel multi-electrode resistivity scanning techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, G.M.; Jackson, P.D.; Ward, R.S.; Sen, M.A.; Meldrum, P.; Lovell, M.

1991-01-01

The traditional method of measuring ground resistivity involves passing a current through two outer electrodes, measuring the potential developed across two electrodes in between, and applying Ohm's Law. In the RESCAN system developed by the British Geological Survey, each electrode can be electronically selected and controlled by software to either pass current or measure potential. Thousands of electrodes can be attached to the system either in 2-D surface arrays or along special plastic covered probes driven vertically into the ground or emplaced in boreholes. Under computer control, the resistivity distribution within the emplaced array can be determined automatically with unprecedented detail and speed, and may be displayed as an image. So far, the RESCAN system has been applied at the meso-scale in monitoring the radial migration of an electrolyte introduced into a recharge well in an unconsolidated aquifer; and CORSCAN at the micro-scale on drill cores to evaluate spatial variability in physical properties. The RESCAN technique has considerable potential for determining formation heterogeneity at different scales and provides a basis for developing stochastic models of groundwater and solute flow in heterogeneous systems. 13 figs.; 1 tab.; 12 refs

Heterogeneity of Cr in Mytilus edulis: Implications for the Cr isotope system as a paleo-redox proxy

Science.gov (United States)

Bruggmann, Sylvie; Klaebe, Robert; Frei, Robert

2017-04-01

's Cr isotopic composition [3]. A detailed understanding of the processes causing the observed heterogeneity of [Cr] and δ53Cr in modern carbonate shells is crucial for the use of the Cr isotope system as a potential paleo-redox proxy. [1] Bonnand, P., James, R. H., Parkinson, I. J., Connelly, D. P., and Fairchild, I. J. (2013). The chromium isotopic composition of seawater and marine carbonates. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 382:10-20. [2] Holmden, C., Jacobsen, A. D., Sageman, B. B., Hurgten, M. T. (2016). Response of the Cr isotope proxy to Cretaceous Ocean Anoxic Event 2 in a pelagic carbonate succession from the Western Interior Seaway. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 186:227-295. [3] Paulukat, C., Gilleaudeau, G. J., Chernyavskiy, P., Frei, R. (2016). The Cr-isotope signature of surface seawater -A global perspective. Chemical Geology, 444:101-109. [4] Pereira, N. S., Voegelin, A. R., Paulukat, C., Sial, A. N., Ferreira, V. P., and Frei, R. (2015). Chromium-isotope signatures in scleractinian corals from the Rocas Atoll, Tropical South Atlantic. Geobiology 1-14.

Laser assisted aerodynamic isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, H. van den

1985-01-01

It is shown that the efficiency of conventional aerodynamic isotope seperation can be improved by two orders of magnitude with the aid of a relatively weak cw infrared laser which is used to induce isotopically selective condensation. Overall isotope enrichment factors in excess of 2 are obtained as compared to about 1.02 in the conventional seperation. Sulphur isotopes in SF 6 as well as Silicon isotopes in SiF 4 and Bromine isotopes in CF 3 Br are seperated on a laboratory scale. Infrared vibrational predissociation by itself and in combination with isotopically selective condensation are also shown to be effective new ways of isotope separation. (orig.) [de

Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Kinetic Isotope Effect During Snow Crystal Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, G.; Depaolo, D. J.; Kang, Q.; Zhang, D.

2007-12-01

and allows us to scale the numerical calculations to atmospheric conditions. Our calculations confirm that the crystal/vapor isotopic fractionation approaches the equilibrium value, and the crystals are compact (circular in 2D) as the saturation factor approaches unity (S= 1.0). However, few natural crystals form under such conditions. At higher oversaturation (e.g. S = 1.2), dendritic crystals of millimeter size develop on timescales appropriate to cloud processes, and kinetic effects control isotopic fractionation. Fractionation factors for dendritic crystals are similar to those predicted by the spherical diffusion model, but the model also gives estimates of crystal heterogeneity. Dendritic crystals are constrained to be relatively large, with dimension much greater than about 20D/k. The most difficult aspect of the modeling is to account for the large density difference between air and ice, which requires us to use a fictitious higher density for the vapor-oversaturated air and scale the crystal growth time accordingly. An approach using a larger scale simulation and the domain decomposition method can provide a vapor flux for a nested smaller scale calculation. The results clarify the controls on crystal growth, and the relationships between saturation state, growth rate, crystal morphology and isotopic fractionation.

Reducing Disparity in Radio-Isotopic and Astrochronology-Based Time Scales of the Late Eocene and Oligocene

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sahy, Diana; Condon, Daniel J.; Hilgen, Frederik J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/102639876; Kuiper, Klaudia F.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/258125772

2017-01-01

A significant discrepancy of up to 0.6 Myr exists between radio-isotopically calibrated and astronomically tuned time scales of the late Eocene-Oligocene. We explore the possible causes of this discrepancy through the acquisition of “high-precision” 206Pb/238U dating of zircons from 11 volcanic ash

Large-scale Modeling of Nitrous Oxide Production: Issues of Representing Spatial Heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, C. K.; Knighton, J.

2017-12-01

Nitrous oxide is produced from the biological processes of nitrification and denitrification in terrestrial environments and contributes to the greenhouse effect that warms Earth's climate. Large scale modeling can be used to determine how global rate of nitrous oxide production and consumption will shift under future climates. However, accurate modeling of nitrification and denitrification is made difficult by highly parameterized, nonlinear equations. Here we show that the representation of spatial heterogeneity in inputs, specifically soil moisture, causes inaccuracies in estimating the average nitrous oxide production in soils. We demonstrate that when soil moisture is averaged from a spatially heterogeneous surface, net nitrous oxide production is under predicted. We apply this general result in a test of a widely-used global land surface model, the Community Land Model v4.5. The challenges presented by nonlinear controls on nitrous oxide are highlighted here to provide a wider context to the problem of extraordinary denitrification losses in CLM. We hope that these findings will inform future researchers on the possibilities for model improvement of the global nitrogen cycle.

Evidence for magnesium isotope heterogeneity in the solar protoplanetary disk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Kirsten Kolbjørn; Trinquier, Anne Marie-Pierre Emilie; Paton, Chad

2011-01-01

With a half-life of 0.73 Myr, the 26Al-to-26Mg decay system is the most widely used short-lived chronometer for understanding the formation and earliest evolution of the solar protoplanetary disk. However, the validity of 26Al–26Mg ages of meteorites and their components relies on the critical......, and planets demonstrating the existence of widespread heterogeneity in the mass-independent 26Mg composition (µ26Mg*) of bulk solar system reservoirs with solar or near-solar Al/Mg ratios. This variability may represent heterogeneity in the initial abundance of 26Al across the solar protoplanetary disk...

Pico-CSIA: Picomolar Scale Compound-Specific Isotope Analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Baczynski, A. A.; Polissar, P. J.; Juchelka, D.; Schwieters, J. B.; Hilkert, A.; Freeman, K. H.

2016-12-01

The basic approach to analyzing molecular isotopes has remained largely unchanged since the late 1990s. Conventional compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) are conducted using capillary gas chromatography (GC), a combustion interface, and an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). Commercially available GC-IRMS systems are comprised of components with inner diameters ≥0.25 mm and employ helium flow rates of 1-4 mL/min. These flow rates are an order of magnitude larger than what the IRMS can accept. Consequently, ≥90% of the sample is lost through the open split, and 1-10s of nanomoles of carbon are required for analysis. These sample requirements are prohibitive for many biomarkers, which are often present in picomolar concentrations. We utilize the resolving power and low flows of narrow-bore capillary GC to improve the sensitivity of CSIA. Narrow bore capillary columns (<0.25 mm ID) allow low helium flow rates of ≤0.5mL/min for more efficient sample transfer to the ion source of the IRMS while maintaining the high linear flow rates necessary to preserve narrow peak widths ( 250 ms). The IRMS has been fitted with collector amplifiers configured to 25 ms response times for rapid data acquisition across narrow peaks. Previous authors (e.g., Sacks et al., 2007) successfully demonstrated improved sensitivity afforded by narrow-bore GC columns. They reported an accuracy and precision of 1.4‰ for peaks with an average width at half maximum of 720 ms for 100 picomoles of carbon on column. Our method builds on their advances and further reduces peak widths ( 600 ms) and the amount of sample lost prior to isotopic analysis. Preliminary experiments with 100 picomoles of carbon on column show an accuracy and standard deviation <1‰. With further improvement, we hope to demonstrate robust isotopic analysis of 10s of picomoles of carbon, more than 2 orders of magnitude lower than commercial systems. The pico-CSIA method affords high-precision isotopic analyses for

Isotopic constraints on heterogeneous sulfate production in Beijing haze

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. He

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Discerning mechanisms of sulfate formation during fine-particle pollution (referred to as haze hereafter in Beijing is important for understanding the rapid evolution of haze and for developing cost-effective air pollution mitigation strategies. Here we present observations of the oxygen-17 excess of PM2.5 sulfate (Δ17O(SO42− collected in Beijing haze from October 2014 to January 2015 to constrain possible sulfate formation pathways. Throughout the sampling campaign, the 12-hourly averaged PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 16 to 323 µg m−3 with a mean of (141  ±  88 (1σ µg m−3, with SO42− representing 8–25 % of PM2.5 mass. The observed Δ17O(SO42− varied from 0.1 to 1.6 ‰ with a mean of (0.9  ±  0.3 ‰. Δ17O(SO42− increased with PM2.5 levels in October 2014 while the opposite trend was observed from November 2014 to January 2015. Our estimate suggested that in-cloud reactions dominated sulfate production on polluted days (PDs, PM2.5  ≥  75 µg m−3 of Case II in October 2014 due to the relatively high cloud liquid water content, with a fractional contribution of up to 68 %. During PDs of Cases I and III–V, heterogeneous sulfate production (Phet was estimated to contribute 41–54 % to total sulfate formation with a mean of (48  ±  5 %. For the specific mechanisms of heterogeneous oxidation of SO2, chemical reaction kinetics calculations suggested S(IV ( =  SO2 ⚫ H2O + HSO3−  +  SO32− oxidation by H2O2 in aerosol water accounted for 5–13 % of Phet. The relative importance of heterogeneous sulfate production by other mechanisms was constrained by our observed Δ17O(SO42−. Heterogeneous sulfate production via S(IV oxidation by O3 was estimated to contribute 21–22 % of Phet on average. Heterogeneous sulfate production pathways that result in zero-Δ17O(SO42−, such as S(IV oxidation by NO2 in aerosol water and/or by O2 via a

Chemical stability of levoglucosan: An isotopic perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Sang, X. F.; Gensch, I.; Kammer, B.; Khan, A.; Kleist, E.; Laumer, W.; Schlag, P.; Schmitt, S. H.; Wildt, J.; Zhao, R.; Mungall, E. L.; Abbatt, J. P. D.; Kiendler-Scharr, A.

2016-05-01

The chemical stability of levoglucosan was studied by exploring its isotopic fractionation during the oxidation by hydroxyl radicals. Aqueous solutions as well as mixed (NH4)2SO4-levoglucosan particles were exposed to OH. In both cases, samples experiencing different extents of processing were isotopically analyzed by Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (TD-GC-IRMS). From the dependence of levoglucosan δ13C and concentration on the reaction extent, the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of the OH oxidation reactions was determined to be 1.00187±0.00027 and 1.00229±0.00018, respectively. Both show good agreement within the uncertainty range. For the heterogeneous oxidation of particulate levoglucosan by gas-phase OH, a reaction rate constant of (2.67±0.03)·10-12 cm3 molecule-1S-1 was derived. The laboratory kinetic data, together with isotopic source and ambient observations, give information on the extent of aerosol chemical processing in the atmosphere.

Scale-dependent effects of a heterogeneous landscape on genetic differentiation in the Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary E Blair

Full Text Available Landscape genetic studies offer a fine-scale understanding of how habitat heterogeneity influences population genetic structure. We examined population genetic structure and conducted a landscape genetic analysis for the endangered Central American Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri oerstedii that lives in the fragmented, human-modified habitats of the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica. We analyzed non-invasively collected fecal samples from 244 individuals from 14 groups for 16 microsatellite markers. We found two geographically separate genetic clusters in the Central Pacific region with evidence of recent gene flow among them. We also found significant differentiation among groups of S. o. citrinellus using pairwise F(ST comparisons. These groups are in fragments of secondary forest separated by unsuitable "matrix" habitats such as cattle pasture, commercial African oil palm plantations, and human residential areas. We used an individual-based landscape genetic approach to measure spatial patterns of genetic variance while taking into account landscape heterogeneity. We found that large, commercial oil palm plantations represent moderate barriers to gene flow between populations, but cattle pastures, rivers, and residential areas do not. However, the influence of oil palm plantations on genetic variance was diminished when we restricted analyses to within population pairs, suggesting that their effect is scale-dependent and manifests during longer dispersal events among populations. We show that when landscape genetic methods are applied rigorously and at the right scale, they are sensitive enough to track population processes even in species with long, overlapping generations such as primates. Thus landscape genetic approaches are extremely valuable for the conservation management of a diverse array of endangered species in heterogeneous, human-modified habitats. Our results also stress the importance of explicitly considering the heterogeneity of

A small-scale computerized isotope record monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richards, L.

1979-01-01

A system in use at Queen Elizabeth College for monitoring the isotopes used by radiation workers and the precautionary medical screening of the workers is described. It consists of a PDP-11 minicomputer and flexible disk storage system. The machine is run under a single-user, real-time operating system and is linked on-line to a teleprinter and a VDU. Data is stored as a series of files, each relating to an individual worker, which can be updated individually from the VDU. The files contain information on the worker's project and medical screening records, and his holdings of isotopes and their use and disposal. A warning is printed automatically if a worker's holding exceeds the allowed maximum. The total quantity of isotopes held and their distribution in an institution such as a university can easily be monitored so that legal limits can be adhered to. The system is inexpensive and can be used by personnel not familiar with computer systems. (author)

A generic library for large scale solution of PDEs on modern heterogeneous architectures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glimberg, Stefan Lemvig; Engsig-Karup, Allan Peter

2012-01-01

Adapting to new programming models for modern multi- and many-core architectures requires code-rewriting and changing algorithms and data structures, in order to achieve good efficiency and scalability. We present a generic library for solving large scale partial differential equations (PDEs......), capable of utilizing heterogeneous CPU/GPU environments. The library can be used for fast proto-typing of PDE solvers, based on finite difference approximations of spatial derivatives in one, two, or three dimensions. In order to efficiently solve large scale problems, we keep memory consumption...... and memory access low, using a low-storage implementation of flexible-order finite difference operators. We will illustrate the use of library components by assembling such matrix-free operators to be used with one of the supported iterative solvers, such as GMRES, CG, Multigrid or Defect Correction...

Topology in isotopic multispace and origin of mantle chemical heterogeneities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allegre, C.J.; Hamelin, B.; Provost, A.; Dupre, B.

1987-01-01

In this paper we present a simple technique for multidimensional treatment of isotopic data, which allows a global and rigorous correlation between the various radiogenic tracers. This technique is based on the determination of eigenvectors of the data matrix, allowing a geometric description of the inertia ellipsoid corresponding to the cluster of experimental data points. The relationships between the various sets of samples can be analyzed using the projections on the main elongation planes. When processing the Pb-Sr-Nd data for the oceanic mantle (OIB+MORB) with this technique we find that at least four different end-members are needed to define the 'mantle array' which thus cannot be a plane surface. Samples from island arcs (IAB) show the contribution of a component clearly out of the oceanic domain and very similar to terrigenous sediments. Continental tholeiites (CFB) also show some sort of contamination (but distinct from that of IAB) by the continental crust. They also show a domain overlapping with that of the oceanic islands corresponding to the compositions of the 'Dupal anomaly'. Multispace analysis also permits a rigorous comparison of relationships between the various isotopic tracers. In particular, we demonstrate that a U-Pb fractionation independent from the correlated Sr-Nd, Th-U and Th-Sr ones does exist. Consequently, a three-dimensional analysis performed only with lead isotopes yields by itself the main information that can be inferred from the five Pb-Sr-Nd dimensions. Helium also yields independent information decoupled with respect to the other tracers, adding one fifth end-member (Loihi, Hawaii islands) to the OIB+MORB array. (orig.)

The epidemiology and small-scale spatial heterogeneity of urinary schistosomiasis in Lusaka province, Zambia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Simoonga

2008-11-01

Full Text Available In line with the aims of the “National Bilharzia Control Programme” and the “School Health and Nutrition Programme” in Zambia, a study on urinary schistosomiasis was conducted in 20 primary schools of Lusaka province to further our understanding of the epidemiology of the infection, and to enhance spatial targeting of control. We investigated risk factors associated with urinary schistosomiasis, and examined small-scale spatial heterogeneity in prevalence, using data collected from 1,912 schoolchildren, 6 to 15-year-old, recruited from 20 schools in Kafue and Luangwa districts. The risk factors identified included geographical location, altitude, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI, maximum temperature, age, sex of the child and intermediate host snail abundance. Three logistic regression models were fitted assuming different random effects to allow for spatial structuring. The mean prevalence rate was 9.6%, with significance difference between young and older children (odds ratio (OR = 0.71; 95% confidence interval (CI = 0.51-0.96. The risk of infection was related to intermediate host snail abundance (OR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.00-1.05 and vegetation cover (OR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.00-1.07. Schools located either on the plateau and the valley also differed in prevalence and intensity of infection for moderate infection to none (OR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.36- 1.96. The overall predictive performance of the spatial random effects model was higher than the ordinary logistic regression. In addition, evidence of heterogeneity of the infection risk was found at the micro-geographical level. A sound understanding of small-scale heterogeneity, caused by spatial aggregation of schoolchildren, is important to inform health planners for implementing control schistosomiasis interventions.

Normalization of oxygen and hydrogen isotope data

Science.gov (United States)

Coplen, T.B.

1988-01-01

To resolve confusion due to expression of isotopic data from different laboratories on non-corresponding scales, oxygen isotope analyses of all substances can be expressed relative to VSMOW or VPDB (Vienna Peedee belemnite) on scales normalized such that the ??18O of SLAP is -55.5% relative to VSMOW. H3+ contribution in hydrogen isotope ratio analysis can be easily determined using two gaseous reference samples that differ greatly in deuterium content. ?? 1988.

Magma mixing and the generation of isotopically juvenile silicic magma at Yellowstone caldera inferred from coupling 238U–230Th ages with trace elements and Hf and O isotopes in zircon and Pb isotopes in sanidine

Science.gov (United States)

Stelten, Mark E.; Cooper, Kari M.; Vazquez, Jorge A.; Reid, Mary R.; Barfod, Gry H.; Wimpenny, Josh; Yin, Qing-Zhu

2013-01-01

The nature of compositional heterogeneity within large silicic magma bodies has important implications for how silicic reservoirs are assembled and evolve through time. We examine compositional heterogeneity in the youngest (~170 to 70 ka) post-caldera volcanism at Yellowstone caldera, the Central Plateau Member (CPM) rhyolites, as a case study. We compare 238U–230Th age, trace-element, and Hf isotopic data from zircons, and major-element, Ba, and Pb isotopic data from sanidines hosted in two CPM rhyolites (Hayden Valley and Solfatara Plateau flows) and one extracaldera rhyolite (Gibbon River flow), all of which erupted near the caldera margin ca. 100 ka. The Hayden Valley flow hosts two zircon populations and one sanidine population that are consistent with residence in the CPM reservoir. The Gibbon River flow hosts one zircon population that is compositionally distinct from Hayden Valley flow zircons. The Solfatara Plateau flow contains multiple sanidine populations and all three zircon populations found in the Hayden Valley and Gibbon River flows, demonstrating that the Solfatara Plateau flow formed by mixing extracaldera magma with the margin of the CPM reservoir. This process highlights the dynamic nature of magmatic interactions at the margins of large silicic reservoirs. More generally, Hf isotopic data from the CPM zircons provide the first direct evidence for isotopically juvenile magmas contributing mass to the youngest post-caldera magmatic system and demonstrate that the sources contributing magma to the CPM reservoir were heterogeneous in 176Hf/177Hf at ca. 100 ka. Thus, the limited compositional variability of CPM glasses reflects homogenization occurring within the CPM reservoir, not a homogeneous source.

Sulfur and selenium isotope separation by distillation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, T. R.; McInteer, B. B.; Montoya, J. G.

1988-01-01

Sulfur and selenium isotopes are used for labeled compounds and as precursors for radioisotope production; however, both limited availability and high costs are problems. A new method is needed for large-scale separation of these isotopes. Experimental distillation columns were used to measure isotopic separations for sulfur and selenium compounds. The maximum total isotope separation of 32 S vs. 34 S were 1.127 for H 2 S, 1.048 for COS, 0.838 for SF 4 , and 1.058 for CH 3 SH. Relative volatilities of 32 S vs. 34 S are 1.0006 for COS and 0.9976 for SF 4 . There is a reverse isotope effect for carbon in COS. No isotopic separation was observed for dimethyl selenide. The lower mass selenium isotopes in H 2 Se are more volatile. Distillation is a promising method for separating sulfur isotopes on a production scale. Existing distillation technology produced separated isotopes with an effect similar to that found for sulfur in SF 4 . 8 refs., 2 tabs

Sulfur and selenium isotope separation by distillation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, T.R.; McInteer, B.B.; Montoya, J.G.

1989-01-01

Sulfur and selenium isotopes are used for labeled compounds and as precursors for radioisotope production; however, both limited availability and high costs are problems. A new method is needed for large-scale separation of theses isotopes. Experimental distillation columns were used to measure isotopic separations for sulfur and selenium compounds. The maximum total isotope separations of 32 S vs. 34 S were 1.127 for H 2 S, 1.048 for COS, 0.838 for SF 4 , and 1.058 for CH 3 SH. Relative volatilities of 32 S and 34 S are 1.0006 for COS and 0.9976 for SF 4 . There is a reverse isotope effect for carbon in COS. No isotopic separation was observed for dimethyl selenide. The lower mass selenium isotopes in H 2 Se are more volatile. Distillation is a promising method for separating sulfur isotopes on a production scale. Existing distillation technology produces separated isotopes with an effect similar to that found for sulfur in SF 4 . (author). 8 refs.; 2 tabs

Scale of human mobility in the southern Andes (Argentina and Chile): A new framework based on strontium isotopes.

Science.gov (United States)

Barberena, Ramiro; Durán, Víctor A; Novellino, Paula; Winocur, Diego; Benítez, Anahí; Tessone, Augusto; Quiroga, María N; Marsh, Erik J; Gasco, Alejandra; Cortegoso, Valeria; Lucero, Gustavo; Llano, Carina; Knudson, Kelly J

2017-10-01

The goal of this article is to assess the scale of human paleomobility and ecological complementarity between the lowlands and highlands in the southern Andes during the last 2,300 years. By providing isotope results for human bone and teeth samples, we assess a hypothesis of "high residential mobility" suggested on the basis of oxygen isotopes from human remains. We develop an isotopic assessment of human mobility in a mountain landscape combining strontium and oxygen isotopes. We analyze bone and teeth samples as an approach to life-history changes in spatial residence. Human samples from the main geological units and periods within the last two millennia are selected. We present a framework for the analysis of bioavailable strontium based on the combination of the geological data with isotope results for rodent samples. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values from human samples indicate residential stability within geological regions along life history. When comparing strontium and oxygen values for the same human samples, we record a divergent pattern: while δ 18 O values for samples from distant regions overlap widely, there are important differences in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values. Despite the large socio-economic changes recorded, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values indicate a persisting scenario of low systematic mobility between the different geological regions. Our results suggest that strontium isotope values provide the most germane means to track patterns of human occupation of distinct regions in complex geological landscapes, offering a much higher spatial resolution than oxygen isotopes in the southern Andes. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maximising electro-mechanical response by minimising grain-scale strain heterogeneity in phase-change actuator ceramics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oddershede, Jette; Hossain, Mohammad Jahangir; Daniels, John E.

2016-01-01

Phase-change actuator ceramics directly couple electrical and mechanical energies through an electric-field-induced phase transformation. These materials are promising for the replacement of the most common electro-mechanical ceramic, lead zirconate titanate, which has environmental concerns. Here......, we show that by compositional modification, we reduce the grain-scale heterogeneity of the electro-mechanical response by 40%. In the materials investigated, this leads to an increase in the achievable electric-field-induced strain of the bulk ceramic of 45%. Compositions of (100-x)Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-(x...... heterogeneity can be achieved by precise control of the lattice distortions and orientation distributions of the induced phases. The current results can be used to guide the design of next generation high-strain electro-mechanical ceramic actuator materials....

Landscape scale heterogeneity in the East Turkana ecosystem during the Okote Member (1.56-1.38 Ma).

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, D B; Braun, D R; Behrensmeyer, A K; Lehmann, S B; Merritt, S R; Reeves, J S; Wood, B A; Bobe, R

2017-11-01

Placing the biological adaptations of Pleistocene hominins within a well-resolved ecological framework has been a longstanding goal of paleoanthropology. This effort, however, has been challenging due to the discontinuous nature of paleoecological data spanning many important periods in hominin evolution. Sediments from the Upper Burgi (1.98-1.87 Ma), KBS (1.87-1.56 Ma) and Okote (1.56-1.38 Ma) members of the Koobi Fora Formation at East Turkana in northern Kenya document an important time interval in the evolutionary history of the hominin genera Homo and Paranthropus. Although much attention has been paid to Upper Burgi and KBS member deposits, far less is known regarding the East Turkana paleoecosystem during Okote Member times. This study pairs spatially-resolved faunal abundance data with stable isotope geochemistry from mammalian enamel to investigate landscape-scale ecosystem variability during Okote Member times. We find that during this period 1) taxa within the East Turkana large mammal community were distributed heterogeneously across space, 2) the abundance of C 3 and C 4 vegetation varied between East Turkana subregions, and 3) the Karari subregion, an area with abundant evidence of hominin stone tool manufacture, had significantly more C 3 vegetation than regions closer to the central axis of the Turkana Basin (i.e., Ileret and Koobi Fora). These findings indicate that the East Turkana paleoecosystem during the Okote Member was highly variable across space and provided a complex adaptive landscape for Pleistocene hominins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lead-strontium isotopic variations along the East Pacific Rise and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: A comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamelin, B.; Dupre, B.; Allegre, C.J.

1984-01-01

We have determined the Pb and Sr isotopic compositions in a number of fresh young oceanic basalts from the East Pacific Rise (between 20 0 N and 21 0 S latitudes), and from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (between 65 0 N and 10 0 N). A comparison between the Atlantic and Pacific results reveals that there is a wider range of values for the Atlantic than for the Pacific. After filtering the short wavelengths, a good correlation is obtained between long-wavelength bathymetric and isotopic variations for the Atlantic. The preferred model proposed to explain these differences involves the constant presence of hot spots under ridges. On slow-spreading ridges like the Atlantic, the host spots signature is clearly visible in both bathymetry and isotopic ratios. On fast-spreading centres, the hot spot signature in both the bathymetry and isotopic signature may be diluted by the rapid supply of material coming from the asthenosphere. However, an alternative explanation for which no hot spot influence is found on the East Pacific Rise cannot be definitely ruled out. In two occurrences, south of the Hayes fracture zone (Atlantic), large isotopic heterogeneities are observed within a single dredge. This does not contradict the concept of regional isotopic regularities, but suggests that blob injection and source mixing may be observed at very different scales under the ridges. (orig./WB)

Modeling heterogeneous unsaturated porous media flow at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robey, T.H.

1994-01-01

Geologic systems are inherently heterogeneous and this heterogeneity can have a significant impact on unsaturated flow through porous media. Most previous efforts to model groundwater flow through Yucca Mountain have used stratigraphic units with homogeneous properties. However, modeling heterogeneous porous and fractured tuff in a more realistic manner requires numerical methods for generating heterogeneous simulations of the media, scaling of material properties from core scale to computational scale, and flow modeling that allows channeling. The Yucca Mountain test case of the INTRAVAL project is used to test the numerical approaches. Geostatistics is used to generate more realistic representations of the stratigraphic units and heterogeneity within units is generated using sampling from property distributions. Scaling problems are reduced using an adaptive grid that minimizes heterogeneity within each flow element. A flow code based on the dual mixed-finite-element method that allows for heterogeneity and channeling is employed. In the Yucca Mountain test case, the simulated volumetric water contents matched the measured values at drill hole USW UZ-16 except in the nonwelded portion of Prow Pass

Environmental isotope hydrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1973-01-01

Environmental isotope hydrology is a relatively new field of investigation based on isotopic variations observed in natural waters. These isotopic characteristics have been established over a broad space and time scale. They cannot be controlled by man, but can be observed and interpreted to gain valuable regional information on the origin, turnover and transit time of water in the system which often cannot be obtained by other techniques. The cost of such investigations is usually relatively small in comparison with the cost of classical hydrological studies. The main environmental isotopes of hydrological interest are the stable isotopes deuterium (hydrogen-2), carbon-13, oxygen-18, and the radioactive isotopes tritium (hydrogen-3) and carbon-14. Isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen are ideal geochemical tracers of water because their concentrations are usually not subject to change by interaction with the aquifer material. On the other hand, carbon compounds in groundwater may interact with the aquifer material, complicating the interpretation of carbon-14 data. A few other environmental isotopes such as 32 Si and 238 U/ 234 U have been proposed recently for hydrological purposes but their use has been quite limited until now and they will not be discussed here. (author)

Impacts of physical and chemical aquifer heterogeneity on basin-scale solute transport: Vulnerability of deep groundwater to arsenic contamination in Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Michael, Holly A.; Khan, Mahfuzur R.

2016-12-01

Aquifer heterogeneity presents a primary challenge in predicting the movement of solutes in groundwater systems. The problem is particularly difficult on very large scales, across which permeability, chemical properties, and pumping rates may vary by many orders of magnitude and data are often sparse. An example is the fluvio-deltaic aquifer system of Bangladesh, where naturally-occurring arsenic (As) exists over tens of thousands of square kilometers in shallow groundwater. Millions of people in As-affected regions rely on deep (≥150 m) groundwater as a safe source of drinking water. The sustainability of this resource has been evaluated with models using effective properties appropriate for a basin-scale contamination problem, but the extent to which preferential flow affects the timescale of downward migration of As-contaminated shallow groundwater is unknown. Here we embed detailed, heterogeneous representations of hydraulic conductivity (K), pumping rates, and sorptive properties (Kd) within a basin-scale numerical groundwater flow and solute transport model to evaluate their effects on vulnerability and deviations from simulations with homogeneous representations in two areas with different flow systems. Advective particle tracking shows that heterogeneity in K does not affect average travel times from shallow zones to 150 m depth, but the travel times of the fastest 10% of particles decreases by a factor of ∼2. Pumping distributions do not strongly affect travel times if irrigation remains shallow, but increases in the deep pumping rate substantially reduce travel times. Simulation of advective-dispersive transport with sorption shows that deep groundwater is protected from contamination over a sustainable timeframe (>1000 y) if the spatial distribution of Kd is uniform. However, if only low-K sediments sorb As, 30% of the aquifer is not protected. Results indicate that sustainable management strategies in the Bengal Basin should consider impacts of both

182W and HSE constraints from 2.7 Ga komatiites on the heterogeneous nature of the Archean mantle

Science.gov (United States)

Puchtel, Igor S.; Blichert-Toft, Janne; Touboul, Mathieu; Walker, Richard J.

2018-05-01

While the isotopically heterogeneous nature of the terrestrial mantle has long been established, the origin, scale, and longevity of the heterogeneities for different elements and isotopic systems are still debated. Here, we report Nd, Hf, W, and Os isotopic and highly siderophile element (HSE) abundance data for the Boston Creek komatiitic basalt lava flow (BCF) in the 2.7 Ga Abitibi greenstone belt, Canada. This lava flow is characterized by strong depletions in Al and heavy rare earth elements (REE), enrichments in light REE, and initial ε143Nd = +2.5 ± 0.2 and intial ε176Hf = +4.2 ± 0.9 indicative of derivation from a deep mantle source with time-integrated suprachondritic Sm/Nd and Lu/Hf ratios. The data plot on the terrestrial Nd-Hf array suggesting minimal involvement of early magma ocean processes in the fractionation of lithophile trace elements in the mantle source. This conclusion is supported by a mean μ142Nd = -3.8 ± 2.8 that is unresolvable from terrestrial standards. By contrast, the BCF exhibits a positive 182W anomaly (μ182W = +11.7 ± 4.5), yet is characterized by chondritic initial γ187Os = +0.1 ± 0.3 and low inferred source HSE abundances (35 ± 5% of those estimated for the present-day Bulk Silicate Earth, BSE). Collectively, these characteristics are unique among Archean komatiite systems studied so far. The deficit in the HSE, coupled with the chondritic Os isotopic composition, but a positive 182W anomaly, are best explained by derivation of the parental BCF magma from a mantle domain characterized by a predominance of HSE-deficient, differentiated late accreted material. According to the model presented here, the mantle domain that gave rise to the BCF received only ∼35% of the present-day HSE complement in the BSE before becoming isolated from the rest of the convecting mantle until the time of komatiite emplacement at 2.72 Ga. These new data provide strong evidence for a highly heterogeneous Archean mantle in terms of absolute

Stable isotope signatures reflect dietary diversity in European forest moths.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Marc-Oliver; Seifert, Carlo Lutz; Lehner, Lisamarie; Truxa, Christine; Wanek, Wolfgang; Fiedler, Konrad

2016-01-01

Information on larval diet of many holometabolous insects remains incomplete. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotope analysis in adult wing tissue can provide an efficient tool to infer such trophic relationships. The present study examines whether moth feeding guild affiliations taken from literature are reflected in isotopic signatures. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and permutational analysis of variance indicate that centroids of dietary groups differ significantly. In particular, species whose larvae feed on mosses or aquatic plants deviated from those that consumed vascular land plants. Moth δ(15)N signatures spanned a broader range, and were less dependent on species identity than δ(13)C values. Comparison between moth samples and ostensible food sources revealed heterogeneity in the lichenivorous guild, indicating only Lithosia quadra as an obligate lichen feeder. Among root-feeding Agrotis segetum, some specimens appear to have developed on crop plants in forest-adjacent farm land. Reed-feeding stem-borers may partially rely on intermediary trophic levels such as fungal or bacterial growth. Diagnostic partitioning of moth dietary guilds based on isotopic signatures alone could not be achieved, but hypotheses on trophic relationships based on often vague literature records could be assessed with high resolution. Hence, the approach is well suited for basic categorization of moths where diet is unknown or notoriously difficult to observe (i.e. Microlepidoptera, lichen-feeders).

Does the Rayleigh equation apply to evaluate field isotope data in contaminant hydrogeology?

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Yumiko; Hunkeler, Daniel

2006-03-01

Stable isotope data have been increasingly used to assess in situ biodegradation of organic contaminants in groundwater. The data are usually evaluated using the Rayleigh equation to evaluate whether isotope data follow a Rayleigh trend, to calculate the extent of contaminant biodegradation, or to estimate first-order rate constants. However, the Rayleigh equation was developed for homogeneous systems while in the subsurface, contaminants can migrate at different velocities due to physical heterogeneity. This paper presents a method to quantify the systematic effect that is introduced by applying the Rayleigh equation to field isotope data. For this purpose, the travel time distribution between source and sampling point is characterized by an analytical solution to the advection-dispersion equation. The systematic effect was evaluated as a function of the magnitude of physical heterogeneity, geometry of the contaminant plume, and degree of biodegradation. Results revealed that the systematic effect always leads to an underestimation of the actual values of isotope enrichment factors, the extent of biodegradation, or first-order rate constants, especially in the dispersion-dominant region representing a higher degree of physical heterogeneity. A substantial systematic effect occurs especially for the quantification of first-order rate constants (up to 50% underestimation of actual rate) while it is relatively small for quantification of the extent of biodegradation (< 5% underestimation of actual degree of biodegradation). The magnitude of the systematic effect is in the same range as the uncertainty due to uncertainty of the analytical data, of the isotope enrichment factor, and the average travel time.

Real-time isotope monitoring network at the Biosphere 2 Landscape Evolution Observatory resolves meter-to-catchment scale flow dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Volkmann, T. H. M.; Van Haren, J. L. M.; Kim, M.; Harman, C. J.; Pangle, L.; Meredith, L. K.; Troch, P. A.

2017-12-01

Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for tracking flow pathways, residence times, and the partitioning of water resources through catchments. However, the capacity of stable isotopes to characterize catchment hydrological dynamics has not been fully exploited as commonly used methodologies constrain the frequency and extent at which isotopic data is available across hydrologically-relevant compartments (e.g. soil, plants, atmosphere, streams). Here, building upon significant recent developments in laser spectroscopy and sampling techniques, we present a fully automated monitoring network for tracing water isotopes through the three model catchments of the Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO) at the Biosphere 2, University of Arizona. The network implements state-of-the-art techniques for monitoring in great spatiotemporal detail the stable isotope composition of water in the subsurface soil, the discharge outflow, and the atmosphere above the bare soil surface of each of the 330-m2 catchments. The extensive valving and probing systems facilitate repeated isotope measurements from a total of more than five-hundred locations across the LEO domain, complementing an already dense array of hydrometric and other sensors installed on, within, and above each catchment. The isotope monitoring network is operational and was leveraged during several months of experimentation with deuterium-labelled rain pulse applications. Data obtained during the experiments demonstrate the capacity of the monitoring network to resolve sub-meter to whole-catchment scale flow and transport dynamics in continuous time. Over the years to come, the isotope monitoring network is expected to serve as an essential tool for collaborative interdisciplinary Earth science at LEO, allowing us to disentangle changes in hydrological behavior as the model catchments evolve in time through weathering and colonization by plant communities.

Water-hydrogen isotope exchange process analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fedorchenko, O.; Alekseev, I.; Uborsky, V.

2008-01-01

The use of a numerical method is needed to find a solution to the equation system describing a general case of heterogeneous isotope exchange between gaseous hydrogen and liquid water in a column. A computer model of the column merely outputting the isotope compositions in the flows leaving the column, like the experimental column itself, is a 'black box' to a certain extent: the solution is not transparent and occasionally not fully comprehended. The approximate analytical solution was derived from the ZXY-diagram (McCabe-Thiele diagram), which illustrates the solution of the renewed computer model called 'EVIO-4.2' Several 'unusual' results and dependences have been analyzed and explained. (authors)

Environmental hydrochemical and stabile isotope methods used to characterise the relation between karst water and surface water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romeo Eftimi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Karst aquifers are characterized by high heterogeneity of groundwater flow. The classical study methods such as boreholes, pumping tests, and point observations give important data but cannot be extended to the entire aquifer. However the environmental hydrochemical and stabile isotope methods could give important information about large scale aquifer characterization. Some study examples from Albania, shown in this paper, demonstrate the successful application of the isotope methods, which are more powerful if applied in combination with hydrochemical ones, for the identification of the karst water recharge sources. Among the isotope methods the altitude effect seems to be more indicative for the solution of the problem concerned. For characterising the lithology of karst rocks and the physical aspects of karst aquifers (type of groundwater flow the combined use of some hydrochemical parameters like the water conductivity, total hardness, ionic ratios rCa/ rMg, rSO4/r/mg, CO2 pressure and the indexes of calcite and (Sic and of dolomite saturation (Sid, result very useful.

Spatially-resolved isotopic study of carbon trapped in ∼3.43 Ga Strelley Pool Formation stromatolites

Science.gov (United States)

Flannery, David T.; Allwood, Abigail C.; Summons, Roger E.; Williford, Kenneth H.; Abbey, William; Matys, Emily D.; Ferralis, Nicola

2018-02-01

The large isotopic fractionation of carbon associated with enzymatic carbon assimilation allows evidence for life's antiquity, and potentially the early operation of several extant metabolic pathways, to be derived from the stable carbon isotope record of sedimentary rocks. Earth's organic carbon isotope record extends to the Late Eoarchean-Early Paleoarchean: the age of the oldest known sedimentary rocks. However, complementary inorganic carbon reservoirs are poorly represented in the oldest units, and commonly reported bulk organic carbon isotope measurements do not capture the micro-scale isotopic heterogeneities that are increasingly reported from younger rocks. Here, we investigated the isotopic composition of the oldest paired occurrences of sedimentary carbonate and organic matter, which are preserved as dolomite and kerogen within textural biosignatures of the ∼3.43 Ga Strelley Pool Formation. We targeted least-altered carbonate phases in situ using microsampling techniques guided by non-destructive elemental mapping. Organic carbon isotope values were measured by spatially-resolved bulk analyses, and in situ using secondary ion mass spectrometry to target microscale domains of organic material trapped within inorganic carbon matrixes. Total observed fractionation of 13C ranges from -29 to -45‰. Our data are consistent with studies of younger Archean rocks that host biogenic stromatolites and organic-inorganic carbon pairs showing greater fractionation than expected for Rubisco fixation alone. We conclude that organic matter was fixed and/or remobilized by at least one metabolism in addition to the CBB cycle, possibly by the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway or methanogenesis-methanotrophy, in a shallow-water marine environment during the Paleoarchean.

Large scale gas chromatographic demonstration system for hydrogen isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheh, C.H.

1988-01-01

A large scale demonstration system was designed for a throughput of 3 mol/day equimolar mixture of H,D, and T. The demonstration system was assembled and an experimental program carried out. This project was funded by Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Canadian Fusion Fuel Technology Projects and Ontario Hydro Research Division. Several major design innovations were successfully implemented in the demonstration system and are discussed in detail. Many experiments were carried out in the demonstration system to study the performance of the system to separate hydrogen isotopes at high throughput. Various temperature programming schemes were tested, heart-cutting operation was evaluated, and very large (up to 138 NL/injection) samples were separated in the system. The results of the experiments showed that the specially designed column performed well as a chromatographic column and good separation could be achieved even when a 138 NL sample was injected

Effects of small-scale hydrogeologic heterogeneity on submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) dynamics in river dominated estuaries: example of Mobile Bay, Alabama

Science.gov (United States)

Montiel, D.; Dimova, N.

2017-12-01

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is known to be an important pathway for nutrients and dissolved constituents in estuarine environments worldwide. Despite its limited contribution to the total fresh water flux to the ocean (5 - 10 %), SGD-derived material loadings can rival riverine inputs. Therefore, a good understanding of the coastal hydrogeology and subsequent SGD dynamics is crucial to further investigate constituent fluxes and its implications on small and large scale coastal ecosystems. We evaluated SGD in Mobile Bay (Alabama), the fourth largest estuary in the US, using a combination of radiotracer techniques (223Ra, 226Ra, and 222Rn), stable isotopes (δ 18O and δ 2H), geophysical surveys (continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)), and seepage meters during three consecutive years. A detailed examination of the entire shoreline of Mobile Bay using CRP, ERT imaging, and multiple sediment cores collection unveiled a heterogeneous (horizontal and vertical) distribution of the surficial coastal aquifer. This was reflected and confirmed by groundwater tracer measurements and direct measurements of SGD in the coastal zone. We found that SGD occurs mainly in the northeast section of Mobile Bay with a total flux that ranged between 0.9 and 13 × 105 m3 d-1 during dry and wet periods, which represents 0.4 - 2 % of the total fresh water inputs into the Bay. While total SGD is insignificant when accounting the whole water budget of Mobile Bay, we found that small-scale geology variations produce groundwater flow preferential pathways in particular areas where SGD inputs play an important role in the water and nutrient budgets.

Spurious and functional correlates of the isotopic composition of a generalist across a tropical rainforest landscape

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poirson Evan K

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The isotopic composition of generalist consumers may be expected to vary in space as a consequence of spatial heterogeneity in isotope ratios, the abundance of resources, and competition. We aim to account for the spatial variation in the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of a generalized predatory species across a 500 ha. tropical rain forest landscape. We test competing models to account for relative influence of resources and competitors to the carbon and nitrogen isotopic enrichment of gypsy ants (Aphaenogaster araneoides, taking into account site-specific differences in baseline isotope ratios. Results We found that 75% of the variance in the fraction of 15N in the tissue of A. araneoides was accounted by one environmental parameter, the concentration of soil phosphorus. After taking into account landscape-scale variation in baseline resources, the most parsimonious model indicated that colony growth and leaf litter biomass accounted for nearly all of the variance in the δ15N discrimination factor, whereas the δ13C discrimination factor was most parsimoniously associated with colony size and the rate of leaf litter decomposition. There was no indication that competitor density or diversity accounted for spatial differences in the isotopic composition of gypsy ants. Conclusion Across a 500 ha. landscape, soil phosphorus accounted for spatial variation in baseline nitrogen isotope ratios. The δ15N discrimination factor of a higher order consumer in this food web was structured by bottom-up influences - the quantity and decomposition rate of leaf litter. Stable isotope studies on the trophic biology of consumers may benefit from explicit spatial design to account for edaphic properties that alter the baseline at fine spatial grains.

Li Isotope Studies of Olivine in Mantle Xenoliths by SIMS

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, D. R.; Hervig, R. L.; Buseck, P. R.

2005-01-01

Variations in the ratio of the stable isotopes of Li are a potentially powerful tracer of processes in planetary and nebular environments [1]. Large differences in the 7Li/6Li ratio between the terrestrial upper mantle and various crustal materials make Li isotope composition a potentially powerful tracer of crustal recycling processes on Earth [2]. Recent SIMS studies of terrestrial mantle and Martian meteorite samples report intra-mineral Li isotope zoning [3-5]. Substantial Li isotope heterogeneity also exists within and between the components of chondritic meteorites [6,7]. Experimental studies of Li diffusion suggest the potential for rapid isotope exchange at elevated temperatures [8]. Large variations in 7Li, exceeding the range of unaltered basalts, occur in terrestrial mantle-derived xenoliths from individual localities [9]. The origins of these variations are not fully understood.

Scaling net ecosystem production and net biome production over a heterogeneous region in the Western United States

Science.gov (United States)

D.P. Turner; W.D. Ritts; B.E. Law; W.B. Cohen; Z. Yan; T. Hudiburg; J.L. Campbell; M. Duane

2007-01-01

Bottom-up scaling of net ecosystem production (NEP) and net biome production (NBP) was used to generate a carbon budget for a large heterogeneous region (the state of Oregon, 2.5x105 km2 ) in the Western United States. Landsat resolution (30 m) remote sensing provided the basis for mapping land cover and disturbance history...

Tracing source and migration of Pb during waste incineration using stable Pb isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yang [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Zhang, Hua, E-mail: zhanghua_tj@tongji.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Shao, Li-Ming; He, Pin-Jing [Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Research and Training Center on Rural Waste Management, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of P.R. China, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China)

2017-04-05

Highlights: • The migration of Pb during waste incineration was investigated using Pb isotopes. • Source tracing of Pb during incineration by isotopic technology was feasible. • Contributions of MSW components were measured to trace Pb sources quantitatively. • Isotopic technology helps understand the migration of Pb during thermal treatment. - Abstract: Emission of Pb is a significant environmental concern during solid waste incineration. To target Pb emission control strategies effectively, the major sources of Pb in the waste incineration byproducts must be traced and quantified. However, identifying the migration of Pb in each waste component is difficult because of the heterogeneity of the waste. This study used a laboratory-scale incinerator to simulate the incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW). The Pb isotope ratios of the major waste components ({sup 207}Pb/{sup 206}Pb = 0.8550–0.8627 and {sup 208}Pb/{sup 206}Pb = 2.0957–2.1131) and their incineration byproducts were measured to trace sources and quantify the Pb contribution of each component to incineration byproducts. As the proportions of food waste (FW), newspaper (NP), and polyethylene bag (PE) in the artificial MSW changed, the contribution ratios of FW and PE to Pb in fly ash changed accordingly, ranging from 31.2% to 50.6% and from 35.0% to 41.8%, respectively. The replacement of PE by PVC significantly increased the partitioning and migration ratio of Pb. The use of Pb isotope ratios as a quantitative tool for tracing Pb from raw waste to incineration byproducts is a feasible means for improving Pb pollution control.

Isotope, scanning electron microscope, and energy dispersive spectrometer studies of heterogeneous zircons from radioactive granites in the Grenville structural province, Quebec and Ontario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rimsaite, J.

1981-01-01

Heterogeneous zircons yielded discordant Pb-U, Pb-Th, and 207 Pb- 206 Pb isotopic ages. Most data points fall below the concordia curve, implying losses of daughter elements, bqt they define a discordia line that intersects the concordia at approximately 90 Ma and 1020 Ma. To obtain evidence for mobilization of U and radiogenic Pb, zircon grains were studied using a scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy dispersive spectrometer. High magnification backscattered and secondary electron images of the zircon revealed narrow fractures, zoning and diverse mineral inclusions. Three groups of mineral inclusions observed were: 1) those predating zoned zircon and apparently serving as a nucleus; 2) uraninite, feldspar, and apatite associated with the growth and zoning of the host zircon; and 3) fracture-fillings that postdate crystallization of the host zircon. The U- and Pb-rich inclusions incorporated into the zircon grains during and after its crystallization markedly affect isotopic ages of the host zircon. Migration of Pb and U have occurred along fractures in zircon. Zircon, uraninite, and other associated minerals have decomposed and complex reactions have taken place between the liberated Zr, U, Th and other elements to produce overgrowths on mineral grains and unidentified Zr-bearing material in fractures

Large regional-scale variation in C3/C4 distribution pattern of Inner Mongolia steppe is revealed by grazer wool carbon isotope composition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Auerswald

2009-05-01

Full Text Available This work explored the spatial variation of C3/C4 distribution in the Inner Mongolia, P. R. China, steppe by geostatistical analysis of carbon isotope data of vegetation and sheep wool. Standing community biomass (n=118 and sheep wool (n=146 were sampled in a ~0.2 Mio km² area. Samples from ten consecutive years (1998–2007 were obtained. Community biomass samples represented the carbon isotopic composition of standing vegetation on about 1000 m² ("community-scale", whereas the spatio-temporal scale of wool reflected the isotope composition of the entire area grazed by the herd during a 1-yr period (~5–10 km², "farm-scale". Pair wise sampling of wool and vegetation revealed a ¹³C-enrichment of 2.7±0.7‰ (95% confidence interval in wool relative to vegetation, but this shift exhibited no apparent relationships with environmental parameters or stocking rate. The proportion of C4 plants in above-ground biomass (P_C4, % was estimated with a two-member mixing model of ¹³C discrimination by C3 and C4 vegetation (¹³Δ₃ and ¹³Δ₄, respectively, in accounting for the effects of changing ¹³C in atmospheric CO₂ on sample isotope composition, and of altitude and aridity on ¹³Δ₃. P_C4 averaged 19%, but the variation was enormous: full-scale (0% to 100% at community-scale, and 0% to 85% at farm-scale. The farm-scale variation of P_C4 exhibited a clear regional pattern over a range of ~250 km. Importantly P_C4 was significantly higher above the 22°C isotherm of the warmest month, which was obtained from annual high-resolution maps and averaged over the different sampling years. This is consistent with predictions from C3/C4 crossover temperature of quantum yield or light use efficiency in C3 and C4 plants. Still, temperature gradients accounted for only 10% of

Chemical separation of boron isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palko, A.A.

1978-06-01

This is the final report of the research performed at ORNL on the chemical fractionation of boron isotopes between BF/sub 3/ gas and the liquid molecular addition compounds of BF/sub 3/. Thirty compounds were studied, ten of them in detail. Graphs and equations are given for variation of isotopic equilibrium constant, vapor pressure, and BF/sub 3/ solubility as a function of temperature. Rate of isotopic exchange and melting points were determined. Several of the compounds are likely candidates for use in a gas-liquid countercurrent exchange system for large-scale separation of boron isotopes. 23 figs, 53 tables, 39 references.

Chemical separation of boron isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palko, A.A.

1978-06-01

This is the final report of the research performed at ORNL on the chemical fractionation of boron isotopes between BF 3 gas and the liquid molecular addition compounds of BF 3 . Thirty compounds were studied, ten of them in detail. Graphs and equations are given for variation of isotopic equilibrium constant, vapor pressure, and BF 3 solubility as a function of temperature. Rate of isotopic exchange and melting points were determined. Several of the compounds are likely candidates for use in a gas-liquid countercurrent exchange system for large-scale separation of boron isotopes. 23 figs, 53 tables, 39 references

Magma Diversity in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt: the role of Mantle Heterogeneities, Slab-derived Fluxes and Crustal Contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaaf, P.; Valdez, G.; Siebe, C.; Carrasco, G.

2005-12-01

The Plio-Quaternary Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) is related to subduction of the Cocos and Rivera plates underneath the North American plate. Non-parallelism of the magmatic arc with respect to the trench can be explained by oblique subduction and changes of dip angle. In this contribution we compare geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data of five TMVB stratovolcanoes (from east to west: Colima Volcano, Nevado de Toluca, Popocatepetl, La Malinche, and Pico de Orizaba) and associated cinder cones. Volcanic products range in stratovolcanoes from andesites (e.g. Colima, Popocatepetl) to rhyolites (e.g. Pico de Orizaba), and from basalts to andesites in the monogenetic cones. Concentrations of incompatible elements correlate positively with Sr-Nd-Pb isotope ratios from east to west along the arc. 87Sr/86Sr, eNd, and 206Pb/204Pb range from 0.7034-0.7050, +6.9 to minus 1.8, and 18.57-18.78, respectively, displaying considerable differences. In the central TMVB, REE patterns of closely spaced high-Mg basaltic andesites differ substantially. This cannot be explained by fractional crystallization processes or differential partial melting of a homogeneous mantle source. Instead, it points towards small-scale mantle heterogeneities. LILE (e.g. Cs, Rb, Ba, Pb) and HFSE (e.g. Ta, Nb, Zr) display variations of orders in magnitude at different segments along the arc. These variations might correlate with amounts of slab-derived aqueous fluids and intensity of metasomatic reactions between the subducting lithosphere and the overlying mantle wedge. Isotopic ratios of mid-lower crustal xenoliths found in nearly all stratovolcano products reflect the nature of the underlying crust beneath the TMVB. Tertiary-Cretaceous plagiogranites (Colima), Cretaceous limestones (Popocatepetl), and Grenvillian quartzites (Pico de Orizaba)and their increasing radiogenic isotope ratios match well with the observed isotopic signatures of the stratovolcanoes. Moreover, elevated CO2 amounts in

Uses of stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Axente, Damian

1998-01-01

The most important fields of stable isotope use with examples are presented. These are: 1. Isotope dilution analysis: trace analysis, measurements of volumes and masses; 2. Stable isotopes as tracers: transport phenomena, environmental studies, agricultural research, authentication of products and objects, archaeometry, studies of reaction mechanisms, structure and function determination of complex biological entities, studies of metabolism, breath test for diagnostic; 3. Isotope equilibrium effects: measurement of equilibrium effects, investigation of equilibrium conditions, mechanism of drug action, study of natural processes, water cycle, temperature measurements; 4. Stable isotope for advanced nuclear reactors: uranium nitride with 15 N as nuclear fuel, 157 Gd for reactor control. In spite of some difficulties of stable isotope use, particularly related to the analytical techniques, which are slow and expensive, the number of papers reporting on this subject is steadily growing as well as the number of scientific meetings organized by International Isotope Section and IAEA, Gordon Conferences, and regional meeting in Germany, France, etc. Stable isotope application development on large scale is determined by improving their production technologies as well as those of labeled compound and the analytical techniques. (author)

Small scale denitrification variability in riparian zones: Results from a high-resolution dataset

Science.gov (United States)

Gassen, Niklas; Knöller, Kay; Musolff, Andreas; Popp, Felix; Lüders, Tillmann; Stumpp, Christine

2017-04-01

Riparian zones are important compartments at the interface between groundwater and surface water where biogeochemical processes like denitrification are often enhanced. Nitrate loads of either groundwater entering a stream through the riparian zone or streamwater infiltrating into the riparian zone can be substantially reduced. These processes are spatially and temporally highly variable, making it difficult to capture solute variabilities, estimate realistic turnover rates and thus to quantify integral mass removal. A crucial step towards a more detailed characterization is to monitor solutes on a scale which adequately resemble the highly heterogeneous distribution and on a scale where processes occur. We measured biogeochemical parameters in a spatial high resolution within a riparian corridor of a German lowland river system over the course of one year. Samples were taken from three newly developed high-resolution multi-level wells with a maximum vertical resolution of 5 cm and analyzed for major ions, DOC and N-O isotopes. Sediment derived during installation of the wells was analyzed for specific denitrifying enzymes. Results showed a distinct depth zonation of hydrochemistry within the shallow alluvial aquifer, with a 1 m thick zone just below the water table with lower nitrate concentrations and EC values similar to the nearby river. Conservative parameters were consistent inbetween the three wells, but nitrate was highly variable. In addition, spots with low nitrate concentrations showed isotopic and microbial evidence for higher denitrification activities. The depth zonation was observed throughout the year, with stronger temporal variations of nitrate concentrations just below the water table compared to deeper layers. Nitrate isotopes showed a clear seasonal trend of denitrification activities (high in summer, low in winter). Our dataset gives new insight into river-groundwater exchange processes and shows the highly heterogeneous distribution of

Grain-scale Sr isotope heterogeneity in amphibolite (retrograded UHP eclogite, Dabie terrane): Implications for the origin and flow behavior of retrograde fluids during slab exhumation

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Shun; Yang, Yueheng; Chen, Yi; Su, Bin; Gao, Yijie; Zhang, Lingmin; Liu, Jingbo; Mao, Qian

2016-12-01

the same initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio range as the Ep-AI, indicating that the amphibolite-facies fluid involved in the apatite crystallization was also internally derived. We propose that at least two separate stages of fluids were accounted for the amphibolite-facies retrogression of the Hualiangting eclogite. The fluid responsible for the growth of most of the amphibolite minerals was locally derived and behaved in a pervasive manner, whereas the influx of gneiss-derived fluid was transient, episodic, and highly channelized with a longer transport distance (> 60 m). The disparate origins and flow behavior of these fluids significantly influence the water budget and element transfer in exhumed HP-UHP slabs. This study also indicates that examining grain-scale Sr isotopic variations provides key information regarding the isotopic (dis)equilibrium, fluid origins, and fluid-flow regimes in metamorphic or metasomatic rocks that form in subduction-zone environments.

Oxygen isotopic abundances in calcium- aluminum-rich inclusions from ordinary chondrites: implications for nebular heterogeneity.

Science.gov (United States)

McKeegan, K D; Leshin, L A; Russell, S S; MacPherson, G J

1998-04-17

The oxygen isotopic compositions of two calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from the unequilibrated ordinary chondrite meteorites Quinyambie and Semarkona are enriched in 16O by an amount similar to that in CAIs from carbonaceous chondrites. This may indicate that most CAIs formed in a restricted region of the solar nebula and were then unevenly distributed throughout the various chondrite accretion regions. The Semarkona CAI is isotopically homogeneous and contains highly 16O-enriched melilite, supporting the hypothesis that all CAI minerals were originally 16O-rich, but that in most carbonaceous chondrite inclusions some minerals exchanged oxygen isotopes with an external reservoir following crystallization.

Nitrate reduction in geologically heterogeneous catchments — A framework for assessing the scale of predictive capability of hydrological models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Refsgaard, Jens Christian; Auken, Esben; Bamberg, Charlotte A.; Christensen, Britt S.B.; Clausen, Thomas; Dalgaard, Esben; Effersø, Flemming; Ernstsen, Vibeke; Gertz, Flemming; Hansen, Anne Lausten; He, Xin; Jacobsen, Brian H.; Jensen, Karsten Høgh; Jørgensen, Flemming; Jørgensen, Lisbeth Flindt; Koch, Julian; Nilsson, Bertel; Petersen, Christian; De Schepper, Guillaume; Schamper, Cyril

2014-01-01

In order to fulfil the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive nitrate load from agricultural areas to surface water in Denmark needs to be reduced by about 40%. The regulations imposed until now have been uniform, i.e. the same restrictions for all areas independent of the subsurface conditions. Studies have shown that on a national basis about 2/3 of the nitrate leaching from the root zone is reduced naturally, through denitrification, in the subsurface before reaching the streams. Therefore, it is more cost-effective to identify robust areas, where nitrate leaching through the root zone is reduced in the saturated zone before reaching the streams, and vulnerable areas, where no subsurface reduction takes place, and then only impose regulations/restrictions on the vulnerable areas. Distributed hydrological models can make predictions at grid scale, i.e. at much smaller scale than the entire catchment. However, as distributed models often do not include local scale hydrogeological heterogeneities, they are typically not able to make accurate predictions at scales smaller than they are calibrated. We present a framework for assessing nitrate reduction in the subsurface and for assessing at which spatial scales modelling tools have predictive capabilities. A new instrument has been developed for airborne geophysical measurements, Mini-SkyTEM, dedicated to identifying geological structures and heterogeneities with horizontal and lateral resolutions of 30–50 m and 2 m, respectively, in the upper 30 m. The geological heterogeneity and uncertainty are further analysed by use of the geostatistical software TProGS by generating stochastic geological realisations that are soft conditioned against the geophysical data. Finally, the flow paths within the catchment are simulated by use of the MIKE SHE hydrological modelling system for each of the geological models generated by TProGS and the prediction uncertainty is characterised by the variance between the

Nitrate reduction in geologically heterogeneous catchments — A framework for assessing the scale of predictive capability of hydrological models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Refsgaard, Jens Christian, E-mail: jcr@geus.dk [Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) (Denmark); Auken, Esben [Department of Earth Sciences, Aarhus University (Denmark); Bamberg, Charlotte A. [City of Aarhus (Denmark); Christensen, Britt S.B. [Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) (Denmark); Clausen, Thomas [DHI, Hørsholm (Denmark); Dalgaard, Esben [Department of Earth Sciences, Aarhus University (Denmark); Effersø, Flemming [SkyTEM Aps, Beder (Denmark); Ernstsen, Vibeke [Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) (Denmark); Gertz, Flemming [Knowledge Center for Agriculture, Skejby (Denmark); Hansen, Anne Lausten [Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen (Denmark); He, Xin [Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) (Denmark); Jacobsen, Brian H. [Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen (Denmark); Jensen, Karsten Høgh [Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen (Denmark); Jørgensen, Flemming; Jørgensen, Lisbeth Flindt [Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) (Denmark); Koch, Julian [Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen (Denmark); Nilsson, Bertel [Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) (Denmark); Petersen, Christian [City of Odder (Denmark); De Schepper, Guillaume [Université Laval, Québec (Canada); Schamper, Cyril [Department of Earth Sciences, Aarhus University (Denmark); and others

2014-01-01

In order to fulfil the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive nitrate load from agricultural areas to surface water in Denmark needs to be reduced by about 40%. The regulations imposed until now have been uniform, i.e. the same restrictions for all areas independent of the subsurface conditions. Studies have shown that on a national basis about 2/3 of the nitrate leaching from the root zone is reduced naturally, through denitrification, in the subsurface before reaching the streams. Therefore, it is more cost-effective to identify robust areas, where nitrate leaching through the root zone is reduced in the saturated zone before reaching the streams, and vulnerable areas, where no subsurface reduction takes place, and then only impose regulations/restrictions on the vulnerable areas. Distributed hydrological models can make predictions at grid scale, i.e. at much smaller scale than the entire catchment. However, as distributed models often do not include local scale hydrogeological heterogeneities, they are typically not able to make accurate predictions at scales smaller than they are calibrated. We present a framework for assessing nitrate reduction in the subsurface and for assessing at which spatial scales modelling tools have predictive capabilities. A new instrument has been developed for airborne geophysical measurements, Mini-SkyTEM, dedicated to identifying geological structures and heterogeneities with horizontal and lateral resolutions of 30–50 m and 2 m, respectively, in the upper 30 m. The geological heterogeneity and uncertainty are further analysed by use of the geostatistical software TProGS by generating stochastic geological realisations that are soft conditioned against the geophysical data. Finally, the flow paths within the catchment are simulated by use of the MIKE SHE hydrological modelling system for each of the geological models generated by TProGS and the prediction uncertainty is characterised by the variance between the

Base Station Placement Algorithm for Large-Scale LTE Heterogeneous Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seungseob; Lee, SuKyoung; Kim, Kyungsoo; Kim, Yoon Hyuk

2015-01-01

Data traffic demands in cellular networks today are increasing at an exponential rate, giving rise to the development of heterogeneous networks (HetNets), in which small cells complement traditional macro cells by extending coverage to indoor areas. However, the deployment of small cells as parts of HetNets creates a key challenge for operators' careful network planning. In particular, massive and unplanned deployment of base stations can cause high interference, resulting in highly degrading network performance. Although different mathematical modeling and optimization methods have been used to approach various problems related to this issue, most traditional network planning models are ill-equipped to deal with HetNet-specific characteristics due to their focus on classical cellular network designs. Furthermore, increased wireless data demands have driven mobile operators to roll out large-scale networks of small long term evolution (LTE) cells. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to derive an optimum network planning algorithm for large-scale LTE HetNets. Recently, attempts have been made to apply evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to the field of radio network planning, since they are characterized as global optimization methods. Yet, EA performance often deteriorates rapidly with the growth of search space dimensionality. To overcome this limitation when designing optimum network deployments for large-scale LTE HetNets, we attempt to decompose the problem and tackle its subcomponents individually. Particularly noting that some HetNet cells have strong correlations due to inter-cell interference, we propose a correlation grouping approach in which cells are grouped together according to their mutual interference. Both the simulation and analytical results indicate that the proposed solution outperforms the random-grouping based EA as well as an EA that detects interacting variables by monitoring the changes in the objective function algorithm in terms of system

Millennial-scale interaction between ice sheets and ocean circulation during marine isotope stage 100

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masao eOhno

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Waxing/waning of the ice sheets and the associated change in thermohaline circulation have played an important role in global climate change since major continental ice sheets appeared in the northern hemisphere about 2.75 million years ago. In the earliest glacial stages, however, establishment of the linkage between ice sheet development and ocean circulation remain largely unclear. Here we show new high-resolution records of marine isotope stage 100 recovered from deep-sea sediments on the Gardar Drift, in the subpolar North Atlantic. Results of a wide range of analyses clearly reveal the influence of millennial-scale variability in iceberg discharge on ocean surface condition and bottom current variability in the subpolar North Atlantic during marine isotope stage 100. We identified eight events of ice-rafted debris, which occurred mostly with decreases in sea surface temperature and in current components indicating North Atlantic Deep Water. These decreases are interpreted by weakened deep water formation linked to iceberg discharge, similarly to observations from the last glacial period. Dolomite fraction of the ice-rafted events in early MIS 100 like the last glacial Heinrich events suggests massive collapse of the Laurentide ice sheet in North America. At the same time, our early glacial data suggest differences from the last glacial period: absence of 1470-year periodicity in the interactions between ice sheets and ocean, and northerly shift of the ice-rafted debris belt. Our high-resolution data largely improve the picture of ice-sheet/ocean interactions on millennial time scales in the early glacial period after major Northern Hemisphere glaciation.

Quantitative multi-scale analysis of mineral distributions and fractal pore structures for a heterogeneous Junger Basin shale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Y.D.; Ren, Y.Q.; Hu, T.; Deng, B.; Xiao, T.Q.; Liu, K.Y.; Yang, Y.S.

2016-01-01

Three dimensional (3D) characterization of shales has recently attracted wide attentions in relation to the growing importance of shale oil and gas. Obtaining a complete 3D compositional distribution of shale has proven to be challenging due to its multi-scale characteristics. A combined multi-energy X-ray micro-CT technique and data-constrained modelling (DCM) approach has been used to quantitatively investigate the multi-scale mineral and porosity distributions of a heterogeneous shale from the Junger Basin, northwestern China by sub-sampling. The 3D sub-resolution structures of minerals and pores in the samples are quantitatively obtained as the partial volume fraction distributions, with colours representing compositions. The shale sub-samples from two areas have different physical structures for minerals and pores, with the dominant minerals being feldspar and dolomite, respectively. Significant heterogeneities have been observed in the analysis. The sub-voxel sized pores form large interconnected clusters with fractal structures. The fractal dimensions of the largest clusters for both sub-samples were quantitatively calculated and found to be 2.34 and 2.86, respectively. The results are relevant in quantitative modelling of gas transport in shale reservoirs

Systematic Analysis of the Effect of Small Scale Permeability Heterogeneity on Hyporheic Exchange Flux and Residence Times

Science.gov (United States)

Laube, G.; Schmidt, C.; Fleckenstein, J. H.

2014-12-01

The hyporheic zone (HZ) contributes significantly to whole stream biogeochemical cycling. Biogeochemical reactions within the HZ are often transport limited, thus, understanding these reactions requires knowledge about the magnitude of hyporheic fluxes (HF) and the residence time (RT) of these fluxes within the HZ. While the hydraulics of HF are relatively well understood, studies addressing the influence of permeability heterogeneity lack systematic analysis and have even produced contradictory results (e.g. [1] vs. [2]). In order to close this gap, this study uses a statistical numerical approach to elucidate the influence of permeability heterogeneity on HF and RT. We simulated and evaluated 3750 2D-scenarios of sediment heterogeneity by means of Gaussian random fields with focus on total HF and RT distribution. The scenarios were based on ten realizations of each of all possible combinations of 15 different correlation lengths, 5 dipping angles and 5 permeability variances. Roughly 500 hyporheic stream traces were analyzed per simulation, for a total of almost two million stream traces analyzed for correlations between permeability heterogeneity, HF, and RT. Total HF and the RT variance positively correlated with permeability variance while the mean RT negatively correlated with permeability variance. In contrast, changes in correlation lengths and dipping angles had little effect on the examined properties RT and HF. These results provide a possible explanation of the seemingly contradictory conclusions of recent studies, given that the permeability variances in these studies differ by several orders of magnitude. [1] Bardini, L., Boano, F., Cardenas, M.B, Sawyer, A.H, Revelli, R. and Ridolfi, L. "Small-Scale Permeability Heterogeneity Has Negligible Effects on Nutrient Cycling in Streambeds." Geophysical Research Letters, 2013. doi:10.1002/grl.50224. [2] Zhou, Y., Ritzi, R. W., Soltanian, M. R. and Dominic, D. F. "The Influence of Streambed Heterogeneity on

Multi-scale effects of nestling diet on breeding performance in a terrestrial top predator inferred from stable isotope analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaime Resano-Mayor

Full Text Available Inter-individual diet variation within populations is likely to have important ecological and evolutionary implications. The diet-fitness relationships at the individual level and the emerging population processes are, however, poorly understood for most avian predators inhabiting complex terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we use an isotopic approach to assess the trophic ecology of nestlings in a long-lived raptor, the Bonelli's eagle Aquila fasciata, and investigate whether nestling dietary breath and main prey consumption can affect the species' reproductive performance at two spatial scales: territories within populations and populations over a large geographic area. At the territory level, those breeding pairs whose nestlings consumed similar diets to the overall population (i.e. moderate consumption of preferred prey, but complemented by alternative prey categories or those disproportionally consuming preferred prey were more likely to fledge two chicks. An increase in the diet diversity, however, related negatively with productivity. The age and replacements of breeding pair members had also an influence on productivity, with more fledglings associated to adult pairs with few replacements, as expected in long-lived species. At the population level, mean productivity was higher in those population-years with lower dietary breadth and higher diet similarity among territories, which was related to an overall higher consumption of preferred prey. Thus, we revealed a correspondence in diet-fitness relationships at two spatial scales: territories and populations. We suggest that stable isotope analyses may be a powerful tool to monitor the diet of terrestrial avian predators on large spatio-temporal scales, which could serve to detect potential changes in the availability of those prey on which predators depend for breeding. We encourage ecologists and evolutionary and conservation biologists concerned with the multi-scale fitness

Multiple Nebular Gas Reservoirs Recorded by Oxygen Isotope Variation in a Spinel-Rich CAI in CO3 MIL 090019

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, J. I.; Simon, S. B.; Nguyen, A. N.; Ross, D. K.; Messenger, S.

2017-07-01

We conducted NanoSIMS ion imaging studies of a primitive spinel-rich CAI from the MIL 090019 CO3 chondrite. It records radial O-isotopic heterogeneity among multiple occurrences of the same mineral, reflecting distinct nebular O-isotopic reservoirs.

Contributions of isotopic bio-geochemistry to the analysis of water - soil - root interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cayet, S.

2001-07-01

The aim of this work is to study the origin of the isotopic signal of the water produced by plants transpiration. It stresses more particularly on the water movements between the soil and the plant in a context of heterogenous water availability for the root system. The use of water isotopes ( 18 O and 2 H) should allow to precise the water extraction depth of the roots and the plant strategy in front of a hydric stress of edaphic origin. The first chapter presents the place of water in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, the different potential sources of water accessible to the plant, the principles of water absorption and the hydric transfer in the plant in relation with the variations of water absorption and of the evaporative conditions. The isotopic method is introduced with the natural variability of the isotopic composition of the atmospheric and soil waters. Finally, the reaction of the plant in front of a hydric stress is described. The second chapter presents a series of experiments carried out in the natural environment and shows the problems encountered during the determination of water origin in heterogenous hydric availability conditions. The third chapter describes the experiments performed in controlled environment. One series of experiments is performed in homogenous hydric availability condition. The aim is to analyze the isotopic signal emitted by the plant and its significance with respect to the feeding water. The second series of experiments is performed in heterogenous hydric availability conditions and in stable or variable climatic conditions. In the last chapter, the different experiments performed in natural environment are presented, first in optimum hydric availability conditions, and second in variable hydric conditions. These experiments allow to reconstruct the isotopic signal of the soil water which is recorded by the plant and to precise the preferential areas of water extraction by the roots, and the competitive behaviour of

Numerical Investigation of Earthquake Nucleation on a Laboratory-Scale Heterogeneous Fault with Rate-and-State Friction

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, N.; Lapusta, N.

2014-12-01

Many large earthquakes on natural faults are preceded by smaller events, often termed foreshocks, that occur close in time and space to the larger event that follows. Understanding the origin of such events is important for understanding earthquake physics. Unique laboratory experiments of earthquake nucleation in a meter-scale slab of granite (McLaskey and Kilgore, 2013; McLaskey et al., 2014) demonstrate that sample-scale nucleation processes are also accompanied by much smaller seismic events. One potential explanation for these foreshocks is that they occur on small asperities - or bumps - on the fault interface, which may also be the locations of smaller critical nucleation size. We explore this possibility through 3D numerical simulations of a heterogeneous 2D fault embedded in a homogeneous elastic half-space, in an attempt to qualitatively reproduce the laboratory observations of foreshocks. In our model, the simulated fault interface is governed by rate-and-state friction with laboratory-relevant frictional properties, fault loading, and fault size. To create favorable locations for foreshocks, the fault surface heterogeneity is represented as patches of increased normal stress, decreased characteristic slip distance L, or both. Our simulation results indicate that one can create a rate-and-state model of the experimental observations. Models with a combination of higher normal stress and lower L at the patches are closest to matching the laboratory observations of foreshocks in moment magnitude, source size, and stress drop. In particular, we find that, when the local compression is increased, foreshocks can occur on patches that are smaller than theoretical critical nucleation size estimates. The additional inclusion of lower L for these patches helps to keep stress drops within the range observed in experiments, and is compatible with the asperity model of foreshock sources, since one would expect more compressed spots to be smoother (and hence have

Effects of dynamic heterogeneity and density scaling of molecular dynamics on the relationship among thermodynamic coefficients at the glass transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koperwas, K.; Grzybowski, A.; Grzybowska, K.; Wojnarowska, Z.; Paluch, M.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we define and experimentally verify thermodynamic characteristics of the liquid-glass transition, taking into account a kinetic origin of the process. Using the density scaling law and the four-point measure of the dynamic heterogeneity of molecular dynamics of glass forming liquids, we investigate contributions of enthalpy, temperature, and density fluctuations to spatially heterogeneous molecular dynamics at the liquid-glass transition, finding an equation for the pressure coefficient of the glass transition temperature, dTg/dp. This equation combined with our previous formula for dTg/dp, derived solely from the density scaling criterion, implies a relationship among thermodynamic coefficients at Tg. Since this relationship and both the equations for dTg/dp are very well validated using experimental data at Tg, they are promising alternatives to the classical Prigogine-Defay ratio and both the Ehrenfest equations in case of the liquid-glass transition

Effects of dynamic heterogeneity and density scaling of molecular dynamics on the relationship among thermodynamic coefficients at the glass transition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koperwas, K., E-mail: kkoperwas@us.edu.pl; Grzybowski, A.; Grzybowska, K.; Wojnarowska, Z.; Paluch, M. [Institute of Physics, University of Silesia, Uniwersytecka 4, 40-007 Katowice (Poland); Silesian Center for Education and Interdisciplinary Research, 75 Pulku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow (Poland)

2015-07-14

In this paper, we define and experimentally verify thermodynamic characteristics of the liquid-glass transition, taking into account a kinetic origin of the process. Using the density scaling law and the four-point measure of the dynamic heterogeneity of molecular dynamics of glass forming liquids, we investigate contributions of enthalpy, temperature, and density fluctuations to spatially heterogeneous molecular dynamics at the liquid-glass transition, finding an equation for the pressure coefficient of the glass transition temperature, dTg/dp. This equation combined with our previous formula for dTg/dp, derived solely from the density scaling criterion, implies a relationship among thermodynamic coefficients at Tg. Since this relationship and both the equations for dTg/dp are very well validated using experimental data at Tg, they are promising alternatives to the classical Prigogine-Defay ratio and both the Ehrenfest equations in case of the liquid-glass transition.

Surface fluxes in heterogeneous landscape

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bay Hasager, C

1997-01-01

The surface fluxes in homogeneous landscapes are calculated by similarity scaling principles. The methodology is well establish. In heterogeneous landscapes with spatial changes in the micro scale range, i e from 100 m to 10 km, advective effects are significant. The present work focus on these effects in an agricultural countryside typical for the midlatitudes. Meteorological and satellite data from a highly heterogeneous landscape in the Rhine Valley, Germany was collected in the large-scale field experiment TRACT (Transport of pollutants over complex terrain) in 1992. Classified satellite images, Landsat TM and ERS SAR, are used as basis for roughness maps. The roughnesses were measured at meteorological masts in the various cover classes and assigned pixel by pixel to the images. The roughness maps are aggregated, i e spatially averaged, into so-called effective roughness lengths. This calculation is performed by a micro scale aggregation model. The model solves the linearized atmospheric flow equations by a numerical (Fast Fourier Transform) method. This model also calculate maps of friction velocity and momentum flux pixel wise in heterogeneous landscapes. It is indicated how the aggregation methodology can be used to calculate the heat fluxes based on the relevant satellite data i e temperature and soil moisture information. (au) 10 tabs., 49 ills., 223 refs.

On effeciency of isotopes application in industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yankovskij, L.

1979-01-01

The final results of the long term work in the field of research, projecting and pilot production are: the technology; methods and instruments of the isotope technique and their applications in the peoples economy, especially in industry. Effectiveness of isotope technique and especially its economic effectiveness depends on the scale of application of these techniques (instrument, method, technology) in different branches of the peoples economy. Comparing expenses on istope and radiation researches with total economic effectiveness of the isotope techniques application in some countries, the total economic effectiveness of the isotope researches has been determined. The main content of the paper is the analysis of structure and dynamics of the efficiency factor for the isotope technique application in separate countries for long period of time. Determination of the total economic efficiency of the whole branch of researches, conducted according to the methodology developed by the author, on the example of isotope research in some countries, permits to make a conclusion about the state and development tendencies of these researches in the international scale and can be a good base for making decisions in the field of the scientific policy of countries [ru

Isotopic discontinuities in ground water beneath Yucca Mountain, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stuckless, J.S.; Whelan, J.F.; Steinkampf, W.C.

1991-01-01

Analytical data for stable isotopes in ground water from beneath Yucca Mountain, when examined in map view, show areal patterns of heterogeneity that can be interpreted in terms of mixing of at least three end members. One end member must be isotopically heavy in terms of hydrogen and oxygen and have a young apparent 14 C age such as water found at the north end of Yucca Mountain beneath Fortymile Wash. A second end member must contain isotopically heavy carbon and have an old apparent 14 C age such as water from the Paleozoic aquifer. The third end member cannot be tightly defined. It must be isotopically lighter than the first with respect of hydrogen and oxygen and be intermediate to the first and second end members with respect to both apparent 14 C age and δ 13 C. The variable isotopic compositions of hydrogen and oxygen indicate that two of the end members are waters, but the variable carbon isotopic composition could represent either a third water end member or reaction of water with a carbon-bearing solids such as calcite. 15 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

Tempo and scale of late Paleocene and early Eocene carbon isotope cycles: Implications for the origin of hyperthermals

Science.gov (United States)

Zachos, James C.; McCarren, Heather; Murphy, Brandon; Röhl, Ursula; Westerhold, Thomas

2010-10-01

The upper Paleocene and lower Eocene are marked by several prominent (> 1‰) carbon isotope (δ 13C) excursions (CIE) that coincide with transient global warmings, or thermal maxima, including the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The CIE, which are recorded mainly in marine sedimentary sequences, have also been identified in continental sequences, occurred episodically, and yet appear to be paced or triggered by orbital forcing. To constrain the timing and scale of the CIE relative to long-term baseline variability, we have constructed a 4.52 million year (myr) long, high-resolution (~ 3 kyr) bulk sediment carbon isotope record spanning the lower Eocene to upper Paleocene (C25r-C24n) from a pelagic sediment section recovered at ODP Site 1262 in the southeast Atlantic. This section, which was orbitally-tuned utilizing high-resolution core log physical property and geochemical records, is the most stratigraphically complete upper Paleocene to lower Eocene sequence recovered to date. Time-series analysis of the carbon isotope record along with a high-resolution Fe intensity record obtained by XRF core scanner reveal cyclicity with variance concentrated primarily in the precession (21 kyr) and eccentricity bands (100 and 400-kyr) throughout the upper Paleocene-lower Eocene. In general, minima in δ 13C correspond with peaks in Fe (i.e., carbonate dissolution), both of which appear to be in phase with maxima in eccentricity. This covariance is consistent with excess oceanic uptake of isotopically depleted carbon resulting in lower carbonate saturation during periods of high eccentricity. This relationship includes all late Paleocene and early Eocene CIE confirming pacing by orbital forcing. The lone exception is the PETM, which appears to be out of phase with the 400-kyr cycle, though possibly in phase with the 100-kyr cycle, reinforcing the notion that a mechanism other than orbital forcing and/or an additional source of carbon is required to account for the

Basin-scale heterogeneity in Antarctic precipitation and its impact on surface mass variability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Fyke

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Annually averaged precipitation in the form of snow, the dominant term of the Antarctic Ice Sheet surface mass balance, displays large spatial and temporal variability. Here we present an analysis of spatial patterns of regional Antarctic precipitation variability and their impact on integrated Antarctic surface mass balance variability simulated as part of a preindustrial 1800-year global, fully coupled Community Earth System Model simulation. Correlation and composite analyses based on this output allow for a robust exploration of Antarctic precipitation variability. We identify statistically significant relationships between precipitation patterns across Antarctica that are corroborated by climate reanalyses, regional modeling and ice core records. These patterns are driven by variability in large-scale atmospheric moisture transport, which itself is characterized by decadal- to centennial-scale oscillations around the long-term mean. We suggest that this heterogeneity in Antarctic precipitation variability has a dampening effect on overall Antarctic surface mass balance variability, with implications for regulation of Antarctic-sourced sea level variability, detection of an emergent anthropogenic signal in Antarctic mass trends and identification of Antarctic mass loss accelerations.

Estimating field-scale soil water dynamics at a heterogeneous site using multi-channel GPR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Pan

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We explore the feasibility to quantify the field-scale soil water dynamics through time series of GPR (ground-penetrating radar measurements, which bridge the gap between point measurements and field measurements. Working on a 40 m × 50 m area in a heterogeneous agricultural field, we obtain a time series of radargrams after a heavy rainfall event. The data are analysed to simultaneously yield (i a three-dimensional representation of the subsurface architecture and (ii the total soil water volume between the surface and a reflection boundary associated with the presence of paleo sand dunes or clay inclusions in a rather uniform sand matrix. We assess the precision and the accuracy of these quantities and conclude that the method is sensitive enough to capture the spatial structure of the changing soil water content in a three-dimensional heterogeneous soil during a short-duration infiltration event. While the sensitivity of the method needs to be improved, it already produced useful information to understand the observed patterns in crop height and it yielded insight into the dynamics of soil water content at this site including the effect of evaporation.

IR laser enrichment of light elements isotopes - challenges and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parthasarathy, V.

2002-01-01

Full text: Infra-red multiple photon dissociation (IR MPD) of poly-atomic molecules has made considerable progress since its discovery in the early seventies. Since the process was found to be isotopically selective; the possibility of laser isotope separation (LIS) created a lot of initial excitement. While the early investigations were concerned with the fundamental dynamics and potential applications of the phenomenon, serious efforts for the isotope enrichment process have been made only during the last decade. These efforts focussed on aspects to improve both the enrichment factor and throughput in various systems. Many research groups have achieved a good measure of success for scaling up the process for various light elements like carbon, oxygen, silicon and sulphur whose isotopes are quite important in medicine and technology. Significant results have been reported especially for the separation of carbon isotopes wherein macroscopic operating scales have been already realised. This talk will give-a summary of our work carried out at BARC and highlight the current efforts for scaling up the process for carbon isotopes enrichment. This would include the design aspects of a large photochemical reactor with multi-pass, refocusing optics for efficient photon utilization. It will also cover the development of a cryogenic distillation set up and a preparative gas chromatograph for a large scale separation and collection of the isotopically enriched photoproduct in the post irradiation stage. Based on the experience gained and infra structure developed, plans are afoot to separate oxygen and sulphur isotopes using a similar approach

Food web heterogeneity and succession in created saltmarshes

Science.gov (United States)

Nordstrom, M C; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Whitcraft, CR; Rismondo, A.; McMillan, P.; Gonzales, J P; Levin, L A

2015-01-01

1. Ecological restoration must achieve functional as well as structural recovery. Functional metrics for reestablishment of trophic interactions can be used to complement traditional monitoring of structural attributes. In addition, topographic effects on food web structure provide added information within a restoration context; often, created sites may require spatial heterogeneity to effectively match structure and function of natural habitats. 2. We addressed both of these issues in our study of successional development of benthic food web structure, with focus on bottom–up driven changes in macroinvertebrate consumer assemblages in the salt marshes of the Venice Lagoon, Italy. We combined quantified estimates of the changing community composition with stable isotope data (13C:12C and 15N:14N) to compare the general trophic structure between created (2–14 years) marshes and reference sites and along topographic elevation gradients within salt marshes. 3. Macrofaunal invertebrate consumers exhibited local, habitat-specific trophic patterns. Stable isotope-based trophic structure changed with increasing marsh age, in particular with regards to mid-elevation (Salicornia) habitats. In young marshes, the mid-elevation consumer signatures resembled those of unvegetated ponds. The mid elevation of older and natural marshes had a more distinct Salicornia-zone food web, occasionally resembling that of the highest (Sarcocornia-dominated) elevation. In summary, this indicates that primary producers and availability of vascular plant detritus structure consumer trophic interactions and the flow of carbon. 4. Functionally different consumers, subsurface-feeding detritivores (Oligochaeta) and surface grazers (Hydrobia sp.), showed distinct but converging trajectories of isotopic change over time, indicating that successional development may be asymmetric between ‘brown’ (detrital) guilds and ‘green’ (grazing) guilds in the food web. 5. Synthesis and applications

Using compound-specific isotope analysis to assess the degradation of chloroacetanilide herbicides in lab-scale wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Elsayed, O F; Maillard, E; Vuilleumier, S; Nijenhuis, I; Richnow, H H; Imfeld, G

2014-03-01

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a promising tool to study the environmental fate of a wide range of contaminants including pesticides. In this study, a novel CSIA method was developed to analyse the stable carbon isotope signatures of widely used chloroacetanilide herbicides. The developed method was applied in combination with herbicide concentration and hydrochemical analyses to investigate in situ biodegradation of metolachlor, acetochlor and alachlor during their transport in lab-scale wetlands. Two distinct redox zones were identified in the wetlands. Oxic conditions prevailed close to the inlet of the four wetlands (oxygen concentration of 212±24μM), and anoxic conditions (oxygen concentrations of 28±41μM) prevailed towards the outlet, where dissipation of herbicides mainly occurred. Removal of acetochlor and alachlor from inlet to outlet of wetlands was 56% and 51%, whereas metolachlor was more persistent (23% of load dissipation). CSIA of chloroacetanilides at the inlet and outlet of the wetlands revealed carbon isotope fractionation of alachlor (εbulk=-2.0±0.3‰) and acetochlor (εbulk=-3.4±0.5‰), indicating that biodegradation contributes to the dissipation of both herbicides. This study is a first step towards the application of CSIA to evaluate the transport and degradation of chloroacetanilide herbicides in the environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mining the Mind Research Network: A Novel Framework for Exploring Large Scale, Heterogeneous Translational Neuroscience Research Data Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Bockholt, Henry J.; Scully, Mark; Courtney, William; Rachakonda, Srinivas; Scott, Adam; Caprihan, Arvind; Fries, Jill; Kalyanam, Ravi; Segall, Judith M.; de la Garza, Raul; Lane, Susan; Calhoun, Vince D.

2009-01-01

A neuroinformatics (NI) system is critical to brain imaging research in order to shorten the time between study conception and results. Such a NI system is required to scale well when large numbers of subjects are studied. Further, when multiple sites participate in research projects organizational issues become increasingly difficult. Optimized NI applications mitigate these problems. Additionally, NI software enables coordination across multiple studies, leveraging advantages potentially leading to exponential research discoveries. The web-based, Mind Research Network (MRN), database system has been designed and improved through our experience with 200 research studies and 250 researchers from seven different institutions. The MRN tools permit the collection, management, reporting and efficient use of large scale, heterogeneous data sources, e.g., multiple institutions, multiple principal investigators, multiple research programs and studies, and multimodal acquisitions. We have collected and analyzed data sets on thousands of research participants and have set up a framework to automatically analyze the data, thereby making efficient, practical data mining of this vast resource possible. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for capturing and analyzing heterogeneous neuroscience research data sources that has been fully optimized for end-users to perform novel data mining. PMID:20461147

Mining the mind research network: a novel framework for exploring large scale, heterogeneous translational neuroscience research data sources.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Jeremy Bockholt

2010-04-01

Full Text Available A neuroinformatics (NI system is critical to brain imaging research in order to shorten the time between study conception and results. Such a NI system is required to scale well when large numbers of subjects are studied. Further, when multiple sites participate in research projects organizational issues become increasingly difficult. Optimized NI applications mitigate these problems. Additionally, NI software enables coordination across multiple studies, leveraging advantages potentially leading to exponential research discoveries. The web-based, Mind Research Network (MRN, database system has been designed and improved through our experience with 200 research studies and 250 researchers from 7 different institutions. The MRN tools permit the collection, management, reporting and efficient use of large scale, heterogeneous data sources, e.g., multiple institutions, multiple principal investigators, multiple research programs and studies, and multimodal acquisitions. We have collected and analyzed data sets on thousands of research participants and have set up a framework to automatically analyze the data, thereby making efficient, practical data mining of this vast resource possible. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for capturing and analyzing heterogeneous neuroscience research data sources that has been fully optimized for end-users to perform novel data mining.

The effects of habitat connectivity and regional heterogeneity on artificial pond metacommunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedruski, Michael T; Arnott, Shelley E

2011-05-01

Habitat connectivity and regional heterogeneity represent two factors likely to affect biodiversity across different spatial scales. We performed a 3 × 2 factorial design experiment to investigate the effects of connectivity, heterogeneity, and their interaction on artificial pond communities of freshwater invertebrates at the local (α), among-community (β), and regional (γ) scales. Despite expectations that the effects of connectivity would depend on levels of regional heterogeneity, no significant interactions were found for any diversity index investigated at any spatial scale. While observed responses of biodiversity to connectivity and heterogeneity depended to some extent on the diversity index and spatial partitioning formula used, the general pattern shows that these factors largely act at the β scale, as opposed to the α or γ scales. We conclude that the major role of connectivity in aquatic invertebrate communities is to act as a homogenizing force with relatively little effect on diversity at the α or γ levels. Conversely, heterogeneity acts as a force maintaining differences between communities.

Spectral analysis in thin tubes with axial heterogeneities

KAUST Repository

Ferreira, Rita; Mascarenhas, M. Luí sa; Piatnitski, Andrey

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present the 3D-1D asymptotic analysis of the Dirichlet spectral problem associated with an elliptic operator with axial periodic heterogeneities. We extend to the 3D-1D case previous 3D-2D results (see [10]) and we analyze the special case where the scale of thickness is much smaller than the scale of the heterogeneities and the planar coefficient has a unique global minimum in the periodic cell. These results are of great relevance in the comprehension of the wave propagation in nanowires showing axial heterogeneities (see [17]).

Dendritic Connectivity, Heterogeneity, and Scaling in Urban Stormwater Networks: Implications for Socio-Hydrology

Science.gov (United States)

Mejia, A.; Jovanovic, T.; Hale, R. L.; Gironas, J. A.

2017-12-01

Urban stormwater networks (USNs) are unique dendritic (tree-like) structures that combine both artificial (e.g., swales and pipes) and natural (e.g., streams and wetlands) components. They are central to stream ecosystem structure and function in urban watersheds. The emphasis of conventional stormwater management, however, has been on localized, temporal impacts (e.g., changes to hydrographs at discrete locations), and the performance of individual stormwater control measures. This is the case even though control measures are implemented to prevent impacts on the USN. We develop a modeling approach to retrospectively study hydrological fluxes and states in USNs and apply the model to an urban watershed in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Using outputs from the model, we analyze over space and time the network properties of dendritic connectivity, heterogeneity, and scaling. Results show that as the network growth over time, due to increasing urbanization, it tends to become more homogenous in terms of topological features but increasingly heterogeneous in terms of dynamic features. We further use the modeling results to address socio-hydrological implications for USNs. We find that the adoption over time of evolving management strategies (e.g., widespread implementation of vegetated swales and retention ponds versus pipes) may be locally beneficial to the USN but benefits may not propagate systematically through the network. The latter can be reinforced by sudden, perhaps unintended, changes to the overall dendritic connectivity.

CHROMIUM ISOTOPE SYSTEMATICS OF ACHONDRITES: CHRONOLOGY AND ISOTOPIC HETEROGENEITY OF THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakawa, Akane; Yamashita, Katsuyuki; Makishima, Akio; Nakamura, Eizo

2010-01-01

The standard planetary formation models assume that primitive materials, such as carbonaceous chondrites, are the precursor materials of evolved planetesimals. Past chronological studies have revealed that planetesimals of several hundred kilometers in size, such as the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite (HED) parent body (Vesta) and angrite parent body, began their differentiation as early as ∼3 million years of the solar system formation, and continued for at least several million years. However, the timescale of planetesimal formation in distinct regions of the inner solar system, as well as the isotopic characteristics of the reservoirs from which they evolved, remains unclear. Here we present the first report for the precise 53 Mn- 53 Cr ages of monomict ureilites. Chemically separated phases from one monomict ureilite (NWA 766) yielded the Mn-Cr age of 4564.60 ± 0.67 Ma, identical within error to the oldest age preserved in other achondrites, such as angrites and eucrites. The 54 Cr isotopic data for this and seven additional bulk ureilites show homogeneous ε 54 Cr of ∼-0.9, a value distinct from other achondrites and chondrites. Using the ε 54 Cr signatures of Earth, Mars, and Vesta (HED), we noticed a linear decrease in the ε 54 Cr value with the heliocentric distance in the inner region of the solar system. If this trend can be extrapolated into the outer asteroid belt, the ε 54 Cr signatures of monomict ureilites will place the position of the ureilite parent body at ∼2.8 AU. These observations imply that the differentiation of achondrite parent bodies began nearly simultaneously at ∼4565 Ma in different regions of the inner solar system. The distinct ε 54 Cr value between ureilite and carbonaceous chondrite also implies that a genetic link commonly proposed between the two is unlikely.

Isotopic composition of primary xenon and the fission of Pu-244

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levskii, L K

1983-05-01

The hypothesis that the origin of xenon on earth is due to the fission of uranium and/or transuranium elements is examined. The isotopic composition of primary xenon on earth is calculated using a model (Levskii, 1980) of the isotopic composition of rare gases which is based on the hypothesis of the heterogeneity of the isotopic composition of the elements of the solar system. The isotopic composition of fission-produced xenon in the atmosphere and solid earth is determined to correspond to the abundance of xenon isotopes as a result of the spontaneous fission of Pu-244 (half-life of 8.2 x 10 to the 7th years). The amount of fission-produced xenon in the atmosphere is shown to amount to about 30 percent (Xe-136). Under certain conditions, the degree of the degassing of the solid earth for xenon is 25 percent, which corresponds to a ratio of Kr-84/Xe-130 45 for the earth as a whole.

A data-driven analysis of energy balance closure across FLUXNET research sites: The role of landscape scale heterogeneity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stoy, Paul C.; Mauder, Matthias; Foken, Thomas

2013-01-01

approached 1. These results suggest that landscape-level heterogeneity in vegetation and topography cannot be ignored as a contributor to incomplete energy balance closure at the flux network level, although net radiation measurements, biological energy assimilation, unmeasured storage terms......The energy balance at most surface-atmosphere flux research sites remains unclosed. The mechanisms underlying the discrepancy between measured energy inputs and outputs across the global FLUXNET tower network are still under debate. Recent reviews have identified exchange processes and turbulent...... motions at large spatial and temporal scales in heterogeneous landscapes as the primary cause of the lack of energy balance closure at some intensively-researched sites, while unmeasured storage terms cannot be ruled out as a dominant contributor to the lack of energy balance closure at many other sites...

Cascading Dynamics of Heterogenous Scale-Free Networks with Recovery Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shudong Li

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In network security, how to use efficient response methods against cascading failures of complex networks is very important. In this paper, concerned with the highest-load attack (HL and random attack (RA on one edge, we define five kinds of weighting strategies to assign the external resources for recovering the edges from cascading failures in heterogeneous scale-free (SF networks. The influence of external resources, the tolerance parameter, and the different weighting strategies on SF networks against cascading failures is investigated carefully. We find that, under HL attack, the fourth kind of weighting method can more effectively improve the integral robustness of SF networks, simultaneously control the spreading velocity, and control the outburst of cascading failures in SF networks than other methods. Moreover, the third method is optimal if we only knew the local structure of SF networks and the uniform assignment is the worst. The simulations of the real-world autonomous system in, Internet have also supported our findings. The results are useful for using efficient response strategy against the emergent accidents and controlling the cascading failures in the real-world networks.

Statistical characterization of Earth’s heterogeneities from seismic scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Y.; Wu, R.

2009-12-01

The distortion of a teleseismic wavefront carries information about the heterogeneities through which the wave propagates and it is manifestited as logarithmic amplitude (logA) and phase fluctuations of the direct P wave recorded by a seismic network. By cross correlating the fluctuations (e.g., logA-logA or phase-phase), we obtain coherence functions, which depend on spatial lags between stations and incident angles between the incident waves. We have mathematically related the depth-dependent heterogeneity spectrum to the observable coherence functions using seismic scattering theory. We will show that our method has sharp depth resolution. Using the HiNet seismic network data in Japan, we have inverted power spectra for two depth ranges, ~0-120km and below ~120km depth. The coherence functions formed by different groups of stations or by different groups of earthquakes at different back azimuths are similar. This demonstrates that the method is statistically stable and the inhomogeneities are statistically stationary. In both depth intervals, the trend of the spectral amplitude decays from large scale to small scale in a power-law fashion with exceptions at ~50km for the logA data. Due to the spatial spacing of the seismometers, only information from length scale 15km to 200km is inverted. However our scattering method provides new information on small to intermediate scales that are comparable to scales of the recycled materials and thus is complimentary to the global seismic tomography which reveals mainly large-scale heterogeneities on the order of ~1000km. The small-scale heterogeneities revealed here are not likely of pure thermal origin. Therefore, the length scale and strength of heterogeneities as a function of depth may provide important constraints in mechanical mixing of various components in the mantle convection.

Isotope hydrology: A historical overview of achievements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

The IAEA's efforts in the water sector cover all aspects of the three main categories of isotope methodologies, such as the use of radioactive isotopes as tracers for site-specific investigations related to water movement; the use of sealed radioactive sources for in-situ measurement of hydrological field parameters; and the use of naturally occurring isotopic species for the assessment and study of water occurrence, genesis and flow pathways/dynamics at regional-scale hydrological systems

Guild-specific responses of avian species richness to LiDAR-derived habitat heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Weisberg, Peter J.; Dilts, Thomas E.; Becker, Miles E.; Young, Jock S.; Wong-Kone, Diane C.; Newton, Wesley E.; Ammon, Elisabeth M.

2014-01-01

Ecological niche theory implies that more heterogeneous habitats have the potential to support greater biodiversity. Positive heterogeneity-diversity relationships have been found for most studies investigating animal taxa, although negative relationships also occur and the scale dependence of heterogeneity-diversity relationships is little known. We investigated multi-scale, heterogeneity-diversity relationships for bird communities in a semi-arid riparian landscape, using airborne LiDAR data to derive key measures of structural habitat complexity. Habitat heterogeneity-diversity relationships were generally positive, although the overall strength of relationships varied across avian life history guilds (R2 range: 0.03–0.41). Best predicted were the species richness indices of cavity nesters, habitat generalists, woodland specialists, and foliage foragers. Heterogeneity-diversity relationships were also strongly scale-dependent, with strongest associations at the 200-m scale (4 ha) and weakest associations at the 50-m scale (0.25 ha). Our results underscore the value of LiDAR data for fine-grained quantification of habitat structure, as well as the need for biodiversity studies to incorporate variation among life-history guilds and to simultaneously consider multiple guild functional types (e.g. nesting, foraging, habitat). Results suggest that certain life-history guilds (foliage foragers, cavity nesters, woodland specialists) are more susceptible than others (ground foragers, ground nesters, low nesters) to experiencing declines in local species richness if functional elements of habitat heterogeneity are lost. Positive heterogeneity-diversity relationships imply that riparian conservation efforts need to not only provide high-quality riparian habitat locally, but also to provide habitat heterogeneity across multiple scales.

Up-scaling of a two-phase flow model including gravity effect in geological heterogeneous media: application to CO2 sequestration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngo, Tri-Dat

2016-01-01

This work deals with the mathematical modeling and the numerical simulation of the migration under gravity and capillarity effects of the supercritical CO 2 injected into a geological heterogeneous sequestration site. The simulations are performed with the code DuMux. Particularly, we consider the up-scaling, from the cell scale to the reservoir scale, of a two-phase (CO 2 -brine) flow model within a periodic stratified medium made up of horizontal low permeability barriers, continuous or discontinuous. The up-scaling is done by the two-scale asymptotic method. First, we consider perfectly layered media. An homogenized model is developed and validated by numerical simulation for different values of capillary number and the incident flux of CO 2 . The homogenization method is then applied to the case of a two-dimensional medium made up of discontinuous layers. Due to the gravity effect, the CO 2 accumulates under the low permeability layers, which leads to a non-standard local mathematical problem. This stratification is modeled using the gravity current approach. This approach is then extended to the case of semi-permeable strata taking into account the capillarity. The up-scaled model is compared with numerical simulations for different types of layers, with or without capillary pressure, and its limit of validity is discussed in each of these cases. The final part of this thesis is devoted to the study of the parallel computing performances of the code DuMux to simulate the injection and migration of CO 2 in three-dimensional heterogeneous media (layered periodic media, fluvial media and reservoir model SPE 10). (author) [fr

Modeling solute transport in a heterogeneous unsaturated porous medium under dynamic boundary conditions on different spatial scales

Science.gov (United States)

Cremer, Clemens; Neuweiler, Insa; Bechtold, Michel

2013-04-01

Understanding transport of solutes/contaminants through unsaturated soil in the shallow subsurface is vital to assess groundwater quality, nutrient cycling or to plan remediation projects. Alternating precipitation and evaporation conditions causing upward and downward flux with differing flow paths, changes in saturation and related structural heterogeneity make the description of transport in the unsaturated zone near the soil-surface a complex problem. Preferential flow paths strongly depend, among other things, on the saturation of a medium. Recent studies (e.g. Bechtold et al., 2011) showed lateral flow and solute transport during evaporation conditions (upward flux) in vertically layered sand columns. Results revealed that during evaporation water and solute are redistributed laterally from coarse to fine media deeper in the soil, and towards zones of lowest hydraulic head near to the soil surface. These zones at the surface can be coarse or fine grained depending on saturation status and evaporation flux. However, if boundary conditions are reversed and precipitation is applied, the flow field is not reversed in the same manner, resulting in entirely different transport patterns for downward and upward flow. Therefore, considering net-flow rates alone is misleading when describing transport in the shallow unsaturated zone. In this contribution, we analyze transport of a solute in the shallow subsurface to assess effects resulting from the superposition of heterogeneous soil structures and dynamic flow conditions on various spatial scales. Two-dimensional numerical simulations of unsaturated flow and transport in heterogeneous porous media under changing boundary conditions are carried out using a finite-volume code coupled to a particle tracking algorithm to quantify solute transport and leaching rates. In order to validate numerical simulations, results are qualitatively compared to those of a physical experiment (Bechtold et al., 2011). Numerical

Overview of medium heterogeneity and transport processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, Y.; Tsang, C.F.

1993-11-01

Medium heterogeneity can have significant impact on the behavior of solute transport. Tracer breakthrough curves from transport in a heterogeneous medium are distinctly different from that in a homogeneous porous medium. Usually the shape of the breakthrough curves are highly non-symmetrical with a fast rise at early times and very long tail at late times, and often, they consist of multiple peaks. Moreover, unlike transport in a homogeneous medium where the same transport parameters describe the entire medium, transport through heterogeneous media gives rise to breakthrough curves which have strong spatial dependence. These inherent characteristics of transport in heterogeneous medium present special challenge to the performance assessment of a potential high level nuclear waste repository with respect to the possible release of radio nuclides to the accessible environment. Since an inherently desirable site characteristic for a waste repository is that flow and transport should be slow, then transport measurements in site characterization efforts will necessarily be spatially small and temporally short compare to the scales which are of relevance to performance assessment predictions. In this paper we discuss the role of medium heterogeneity in site characterization and performance assessment. Our discussion will be based on a specific example of a 3D heterogeneous stochastic model of a site generally similar to, the Aespoe Island, the site of the Hard Rock Laboratory in Southern Sweden. For our study, alternative 3D stochastic fields of hydraulic conductivities conditioned on ''point'' measurements shall be generated. Results of stochastic flow and transport simulations would be used to address the issues of (1) the relationship of tracer breakthrough with the structure of heterogeneity, and (2) the inference from small scale testing results to large scale and long term predictions

Production of molybdenum-99 by heterogeneous and homogeneous uranium fueled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlin, G.E.; Bonin, H.W.

2012-01-01

The use of radioisotopes for various procedures in the health care industry has become one of the most important practices in medicine. At the forefront of the medical isotope list is molybdenum-99 and its daughter isotope technetium-99m, which encompass over 80% of radiopharmaceutical procedures. Fission of uranium-235 to produce molybdenum-99 is the most widely used method for producing this radioisotope. The heterogeneous reactor and the aqueous homogeneous reactor are looked at here with emphasis on the use of low enriched uranium as the fuel source. Methods of technetium-99m generation and its medical use are also reviewed. (author)

Production of molybdenum-99 by heterogeneous and homogeneous uranium fueled reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlin, G.E.; Bonin, H.W., E-mail: george.carlin@rmc.ca, E-mail: bonin-h@rmc.ca [Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario (Canada)

2012-07-01

The use of radioisotopes for various procedures in the health care industry has become one of the most important practices in medicine. At the forefront of the medical isotope list is molybdenum-99 and its daughter isotope technetium-99m, which encompass over 80% of radiopharmaceutical procedures. Fission of uranium-235 to produce molybdenum-99 is the most widely used method for producing this radioisotope. The heterogeneous reactor and the aqueous homogeneous reactor are looked at here with emphasis on the use of low enriched uranium as the fuel source. Methods of technetium-99m generation and its medical use are also reviewed. (author)

Meta-Analysis of Heterogeneous Data Sources for Genome-Scale Identification of Risk Genes in Complex Phenotypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pers, Tune Hannes; Hansen, Niclas Tue; Hansen, Kasper Lage

2011-01-01

Meta‐analyses of large‐scale association studies typically proceed solely within one data type and do not exploit the potential complementarities in other sources of molecular evidence. Here, we present an approach to combine heterogeneous data from genome‐wide association (GWA) studies, protein......) with an odds ratio of 1.28 [1.12–1.48], which replicates a previous case‐control study. In addition, we demonstrate our approach's general applicability by use of type 2 diabetes data sets. The method presented augments moderately powered GWA data, and represents a validated, flexible, and publicly available...

Chlorine isotopic compositions of apatite in Apollo 14 rocks: Evidence for widespread vapor-phase metasomatism on the lunar nearside ∼4 billion years ago

Science.gov (United States)

Potts, Nicola J.; Barnes, Jessica J.; Tartèse, Romain; Franchi, Ian A.; Anand, Mahesh

2018-06-01

Compared to most other planetary materials in the Solar System, some lunar rocks display high δ37Cl signatures. Loss of Cl in a H ≪ Cl environment has been invoked to explain the heavy signatures observed in lunar samples, either during volcanic eruptions onto the lunar surface or during large scale degassing of the lunar magma ocean. To explore the conditions under which Cl isotope fractionation occurred in lunar basaltic melts, five Apollo 14 crystalline samples were selected (14053,19, 14072,13, 14073,9, 14310,171 along with basaltic clast 14321,1482) for in situ analysis of Cl isotopes using secondary ion mass spectrometry. Cl isotopes were measured within the mineral apatite, with δ37Cl values ranging from +14.6 ± 1.6‰ to +40.0 ± 2.9‰. These values expand the range previously reported for apatite in lunar rocks, and include some of the heaviest Cl isotope compositions measured in lunar samples to date. The data here do not display a trend between increasing rare earth elements contents and δ37Cl values, reported in previous studies. Other processes that can explain the wide inter- and intra-sample variability of δ37Cl values are explored. Magmatic degassing is suggested to have potentially played a role in fractionating Cl isotope in these samples. Degassing alone, however, could not create the wide variability in isotopic signatures. Our favored hypothesis, to explain small scale heterogeneity, is late-stage interaction with a volatile-rich gas phase, originating from devolatilization of lunar surface regolith rocks ∼4 billion years ago. This period coincides with vapor-induced metasomastism recorded in other lunar samples collected at the Apollo 16 and 17 landing sites, pointing to the possibility of widespread volatile-induced metasomatism on the lunar nearside at that time, potentially attributed to the Imbrium formation event.

Analysis of a homogenous and heterogeneous stylized half core of a CANDU reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

EL-Khawlani, Afrah [Physics Department, Sana' a (Yemen); Aziz, Moustafa [Nuclear and radiological regulatory authority, Cairo (Egypt); Ismail, Mahmud Yehia; Ellithi, Ali Yehia [Cairo Univ. (Egypt). Faculty of Science

2015-03-15

The MCNPX (Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code System) code has been used for modeling and simulation of a half core of CANDU (CANada Deuterium-Uranium) reactor, both homogenous and heterogeneous model for the reactor core are designed. The fuel is burnt in normal operation conditions of CANDU reactors. Natural uranium fuel is used in the model. The multiplication factor for homogeneous and heterogeneous reactor core is calculated and compared during fuel burnup. The concentration of both uranium and plutonium isotopes are analysed in the model. The flux and power distributions through channels are calculated.

Numerical calculations on heterogeneity of groundwater flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Follin, S.

1992-01-01

The upscaling of model parameters is a key issue in many research fields concerned with parameter heterogeneity. The upscaling process allows for fewer model blocks and relaxes the numerical problems caused by high contrasts in the hydraulic conductivity. The trade-offs are dependent on the object but the general drawback is an increasing uncertainty about the representativeness. The present study deals with numerical calculations of heterogeneity of groundwater flow and solute transport in hypothetical blocks of fractured hard rock in a '3m scale' and addresses both conceptual and practical problems in numerical simulation. Evidence that the hydraulic conductivity (K) of the rock mass between major fracture zones is highly heterogeneous in a 3m scale is provided by a large number of field investigations. The present uses the documented heterogeneity and investigates flow and transport in a two-dimensional stochastic continuum characterized by a variance in Y = In(K) of σ y 2 = 16, corresponding to about 12 log 10 cycles in K. The study considers anisotropy, channelling, non-Fickian and Fickian transport, and conditional simulation. The major conclusions are: * heterogeneity gives rise to anisotropy in the upscaling process, * the choice of support scale is crucial for the modelling of solute transport. As a consequence of the obtained results, a two-dimensional stochastic discontinuum model is presented, which provides a tool for linking stochastic continuum models to discrete fracture network models. (au) (14 figs., 136 refs.)

Assessing microbial degradation of o-xylene at field-scale from the reduction in mass flow rate combined with compound-specific isotope analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Peter, A.; Steinbach, A.; Liedl, R.; Ptak, T.; Michaelis, W.; Teutsch, G.

2004-07-01

In recent years, natural attenuation (NA) has evolved into a possible remediation alternative, especially in the case of BTEX spills. In order to be approved by the regulators, biodegradation needs to be demonstrated which requires efficient site investigation and monitoring tools. Three methods—the Integral Groundwater Investigation method, the compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) and a newly developed combination of both—were used in this work to quantify at field scale the biodegradation of o-xylene at a former gasworks site which is heavily contaminated with BTEX and PAHs. First, the Integral Groundwater Investigation method [Schwarz, R., Ptak, T., Holder, T., Teutsch, G., 1998. Groundwater risk assessment at contaminated sites: a new investigation approach. In: Herbert, M. and Kovar, K. (Editors), GQ'98 Groundwater Quality: Remediation and Protection. IAHS Publication 250, pp. 68-71; COH 4 (2000) 170] was applied, which allows the determination of mass flow rates of o-xylene by integral pumping tests. Concentration time series obtained during pumping at two wells were used to calculate inversely contaminant mass flow rates at the two control planes that are defined by the diameter of the maximum isochrone. A reactive transport model was used within a Monte Carlo approach to identify biodegradation as the dominant process for reduction in the contaminant mass flow rate between the two consecutive control planes. Secondly, compound-specific carbon isotope analyses of o-xylene were performed on the basis of point-scale samples from the same two wells. The Rayleigh equation was used to quantify the degree of biodegradation that occurred between the wells. Thirdly, a combination of the Integral Groundwater Investigation method and the compound-specific isotope analysis was developed and applied. It comprises isotope measurements during the integral pumping tests and the evaluation of δ13C time series by an inversion algorithm to obtain spatially

Thermochemical conversion of biomass in smouldering combustion across scales: The roles of heterogeneous kinetics, oxygen and transport phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xinyan; Rein, Guillermo

2016-05-01

The thermochemical conversion of biomass in smouldering combustion is investigated here by combining experiments and modeling at two scales: matter (1mg) and bench (100g) scales. Emphasis is put on the effect of oxygen (0-33vol.%) and oxidation reactions because these are poorly studied in the literature in comparison to pyrolysis. The results are obtained for peat as a representative biomass for which there is high-quality experimental data published previously. Three kinetic schemes are explored, including various steps of drying, pyrolysis and oxidation. The kinetic parameters are found using the Kissinger-Genetic Algorithm method, and then implemented in a one-dimensional model of heat and mass transfer. The predictions are validated with thermogravimetric and bench-scale experiments and then analyzed to unravel the role of heterogeneous reaction. This is the first time that the influence of oxygen on biomass smouldering is explained in terms of both chemistry and transport phenomena across scales. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Cancer heterogeneity and imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, James P B

2017-04-01

There is interest in identifying and quantifying tumor heterogeneity at the genomic, tissue pathology and clinical imaging scales, as this may help better understand tumor biology and may yield useful biomarkers for guiding therapy-based decision making. This review focuses on the role and value of using x-ray, CT, MRI and PET based imaging methods that identify, measure and map tumor heterogeneity. In particular we highlight the potential value of these techniques and the key challenges required to validate and qualify these biomarkers for clinical use. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Surface area of antimony oxide by isotope exchange and other methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Y.K.; Acharya, B.V.; Rangamannar, B.

1985-06-17

Specific surface areas of antimony oxide samples, one commercial, the other prepared from antimony trichloride were measured by heterogeneous isotope exchange, gas adsorption, air permeability and microscopic methods. Specific surface areas obtained by these four methods for the two samples were compared and the observed differences are explained.

Development of non-lethal monitoring of stable isotopes in asp (Leuciscus aspius): a comparison of muscle, fin and scale tissues

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vašek, Mojmír; Vejřík, Lukáš; Vejříková, Ivana; Šmejkal, Marek; Baran, Roman; Muška, Milan; Kubečka, Jan; Peterka, Jiří

2017-01-01

Roč. 785, č. 1 (2017), s. 327-335 ISSN 0018-8158 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-01625S; GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.20.0204 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : fish fins * fish scales * fractionation * non-lethal sampling * stable isotopes Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Zoology Impact factor: 2.056, year: 2016

Oxygen isotope study of the Long Valley magma system, California: isotope thermometry and convection in large silicic magma bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Bindeman, Ilya; Valley, John

2002-07-01

Products of voluminous pyroclastic eruptions with eruptive draw-down of several kilometers provide a snap-shot view of batholith-scale magma chambers, and quench pre-eruptive isotopic fractionations (i.e., temperatures) between minerals. We report analyses of oxygen isotope ratio in individual quartz phenocrysts and concentrates of magnetite, pyroxene, and zircon from individual pumice clasts of ignimbrite and fall units of caldera-forming 0.76 Ma Bishop Tuff (BT), pre-caldera Glass Mountain (2.1-0.78 Ma), and post-caldera rhyolites (0.65-0.04 Ma) to characterize the long-lived, batholith-scale magma chamber beneath Long Valley Caldera in California. Values of δ18O show a subtle 1‰ decrease from the oldest Glass Mountain lavas to the youngest post-caldera rhyolites. Older Glass Mountain lavas exhibit larger ( 1‰) variability of δ18O(quartz). The youngest domes of Glass Mountain are similar to BT in δ18O(quartz) values and reflect convective homogenization during formation of BT magma chamber surrounded by extremely heterogeneous country rocks (ranging from 2 to +29‰). Oxygen isotope thermometry of BT confirms a temperature gradient between "Late" (815 °C) and "Early" (715 °C) BT. The δ18O(quartz) values of "Early" and "Late" BT are +8.33 and 8.21‰, consistent with a constant δ18O(melt)=7.8+/-0.1‰ and 100 °C temperature difference. Zircon-melt saturation equilibria gives a similar temperature range. Values of δ18O(quartz) for different stratigraphic units of BT, and in pumice clasts ranging in pre-eruptive depths from 6 to 11 km (based on melt inclusions), and document vertical and lateral homogeneity of δ18O(melt). Worldwide, five other large-volume rhyolites, Lava Creek, Lower Bandelier, Fish Canyon, Cerro Galan, and Toba, exhibit equal δ18O(melt) values of earlier and later erupted portions in each of the these climactic caldera-forming eruptions. We interpret the large-scale δ18O homogeneity of BT and other large magma chambers as evidence

Accounting for spatially heterogeneous conditions in local-scale surveillance strategies: case study of the biosecurity insect pest, grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch)).

Science.gov (United States)

Triska, Maggie D; Powell, Kevin S; Collins, Cassandra; Pearce, Inca; Renton, Michael

2018-04-29

Surveillance strategies are often standardized and completed on grid patterns to detect pest incursions quickly; however, it may be possible to improve surveillance through more targeted surveillance that accounts for landscape heterogeneity, dispersal and the habitat requirements of the invading organism. We simulated pest spread at a local-scale, using grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch)) as a case study, and assessed the influence of incorporating spatial heterogeneity into surveillance strategies compared to current, standard surveillance strategies. Time to detection, spread within and spread beyond the vineyard were reduced by conducting surveys that target sampling effort in soil that is highly suitable to the invading pest in comparison to standard surveillance strategies. However, these outcomes were dependent on the virulence level of phylloxera as phylloxera is a complex pest with multiple genotypes that influence spread and detectability. Targeting surveillance strategies based on local-scale spatial heterogeneity can decrease the time to detection without increasing the survey cost and surveillance that targets highly suitable soil is the most efficient strategy for detecting new incursions. Additionally, combining targeted surveillance strategies with buffer zones and hygiene procedures, and updating surveillance strategies as additional species information becomes available, will further decrease the risk of pest spread. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Spatially resolved δ13C analysis using laser ablation isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, J.; Riha, K. M.; Nims, M. K.; Linley, T. J.; Hess, N. J.; Nico, P. S.

2014-12-01

Inherent geochemical, organic matter, and microbial heterogeneity over small spatial scales can complicate studies of carbon dynamics through soils. Stable isotope analysis has a strong history of helping track substrate turnover, delineate rhizosphere activity zones, and identifying transitions in vegetation cover, but most traditional isotope approaches are limited in spatial resolution by a combination of physical separation techniques (manual dissection) and IRMS instrument sensitivity. We coupled laser ablation sampling with isotope measurement via IRMS to enable spatially resolved analysis over solid surfaces. Once a targeted sample region is ablated the resulting particulates are entrained in a helium carrier gas and passed through a combustion reactor where carbon is converted to CO2. Cyrotrapping of the resulting CO2 enables a reduction in carrier gas flow which improves overall measurement sensitivity versus traditional, high flow sample introduction. Currently we are performing sample analysis at 50 μm resolution, require 65 ng C per analysis, and achieve measurement precision consistent with other continuous flow techniques. We will discuss applications of the laser ablation IRMS (LA-IRMS) system to microbial communities and fish ecology studies to demonstrate the merits of this technique and how similar analytical approaches can be transitioned to soil systems. Preliminary efforts at analyzing soil samples will be used to highlight strengths and limitations of the LA-IRMS approach, paying particular attention to sample preparation requirements, spatial resolution, sample analysis time, and the types of questions most conducive to analysis via LA-IRMS.

Heterogeneous Gossip

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, Davide; Guerraoui, Rachid; Kermarrec, Anne-Marie; Koldehofe, Boris; Mogensen, Martin; Monod, Maxime; Quéma, Vivien

Gossip-based information dissemination protocols are considered easy to deploy, scalable and resilient to network dynamics. Load-balancing is inherent in these protocols as the dissemination work is evenly spread among all nodes. Yet, large-scale distributed systems are usually heterogeneous with respect to network capabilities such as bandwidth. In practice, a blind load-balancing strategy might significantly hamper the performance of the gossip dissemination.

Meso-Scale Modeling of Spall in a Heterogeneous Two-Phase Material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Springer, Harry Keo [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

2008-07-11

The influence of the heterogeneous second-phase particle structure and applied loading conditions on the ductile spall response of a model two-phase material was investigated. Quantitative metallography, three-dimensional (3D) meso-scale simulations (MSS), and small-scale spall experiments provided the foundation for this study. Nodular ductile iron (NDI) was selected as the model two-phase material for this study because it contains a large and readily identifiable second- phase particle population. Second-phase particles serve as the primary void nucleation sites in NDI and are, therefore, central to its ductile spall response. A mathematical model was developed for the NDI second-phase volume fraction that accounted for the non-uniform particle size and spacing distributions within the framework of a length-scale dependent Gaussian probability distribution function (PDF). This model was based on novel multiscale sampling measurements. A methodology was also developed for the computer generation of representative particle structures based on their mathematical description, enabling 3D MSS. MSS were used to investigate the effects of second-phase particle volume fraction and particle size, loading conditions, and physical domain size of simulation on the ductile spall response of a model two-phase material. MSS results reinforce existing model predictions, where the spall strength metric (SSM) logarithmically decreases with increasing particle volume fraction. While SSM predictions are nearly independent of applied load conditions at lower loading rates, which is consistent with previous studies, loading dependencies are observed at higher loading rates. There is also a logarithmic decrease in SSM for increasing (initial) void size, as well. A model was developed to account for the effects of loading rate, particle size, matrix sound-speed, and, in the NDI-specific case, the probabilistic particle volume fraction model. Small-scale spall experiments were designed

Assessment of international reference materials for isotope-ratio analysis (IUPAC Technical Report)

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Willi A.; Coplen, Tyler B.; Vogl, Jochen; Rosner, Martin; Prohaska, Thomas

2014-01-01

Since the early 1950s, the number of international measurement standards for anchoring stable isotope delta scales has mushroomed from 3 to more than 30, expanding to more than 25 chemical elements. With the development of new instrumentation, along with new and improved measurement procedures for studying naturally occurring isotopic abundance variations in natural and technical samples, the number of internationally distributed, secondary isotopic reference materials with a specified delta value has blossomed in the last six decades to more than 150 materials. More than half of these isotopic reference materials were produced for isotope-delta measurements of seven elements: H, Li, B, C, N, O, and S. The number of isotopic reference materials for other, heavier elements has grown considerably over the last decade. Nevertheless, even primary international measurement standards for isotope-delta measurements are still needed for some elements, including Mg, Fe, Te, Sb, Mo, and Ge. It is recommended that authors publish the delta values of internationally distributed, secondary isotopic reference materials that were used for anchoring their measurement results to the respective primary stable isotope scale.

Inter- and intra-storm variability of the isotope composition of precipitation in Southern Israel: Are local or large-scale factors responsible?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gat, J.R.; Adar, E.; Alpert, P.

2002-01-01

A detailed sequential rain sampling of rainstorms was carried out during the 1989/90 and 1990/91 rainy season in the coastal plain of Israel with an annual average of 530 mm of rain and in the western Negev where the average annual rainfall is 93 mm. On four occasions, rain was concurrently available at both stations. The variability of the isotope composition within a rainy spell is quite considerable but falls short of the range of isotopic values encountered during the total season. Different rainy episodes show distinguishable isotope compositions, which evidently are characteristic of a larger time/space niche than that of the momentary, local, rain event. This is confirmed by the good correlation between the mean isotope composition of concurrently sampled events at both stations. A 'rain amount effect' is not apparent when the amount-weighted data for each complete rain episode are compared, because any possible effect is masked by the inter-storm variability. However by singling out the data within each storm sequence separately, a moderate effect is seen. On the whole, the results seem to support the notion that the isotope data are determined by the large, synoptic scale, situation. However within the range of values characteristic of the origin of the air masses there is a pronounced dependence of the isotope composition on the extent of the cloud field associated with each event, which is interpreted as a measure of the degree of rainout from the air mass, i.e. a typical Rayleigh effect. Local effects related to momentary rain intensity contribute only to a residual modulation of the above-mentioned effects. (author)

Isotope production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, Dewi M.

1995-07-15

Some 2 0% of patients using radiopharmaceuticals receive injections of materials produced by cyclotrons. There are over 200 cyclotrons worldwide; around 35 are operated by commercial companies solely for the production of radio-pharmaceuticals with another 25 accelerators producing medically useful isotopes. These neutron-deficient isotopes are usually produced by proton bombardment. All commonly used medical isotopes can be generated by 'compact' cyclotrons with energies up to 40 MeV and beam intensities in the range 50 to 400 microamps. Specially designed target systems contain gram-quantities of highly enriched stable isotopes as starting materials. The targets can accommodate the high power densities of the proton beams and are designed for automated remote handling. The complete manufacturing cycle includes large-scale target production, isotope generation by cyclotron beam bombardment, radio-chemical extraction, pharmaceutical dispensing, raw material recovery, and labelling/packaging prior to the rapid delivery of these short-lived products. All these manufacturing steps adhere to the pharmaceutical industry standards of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Unlike research accelerators, commercial cyclotrons are customized 'compact' machines usually supplied by specialist companies such as IBA (Belgium), EBCO (Canada) or Scanditronix (Sweden). The design criteria for these commercial cyclotrons are - small magnet dimensions, power-efficient operation of magnet and radiofrequency systems, high intensity extracted proton beams, well defined beam size and automated computer control. Performance requirements include rapid startup and shutdown, high reliability to support the daily production of short-lived isotopes and low maintenance to minimize the radiation dose to personnel. In 1987 a major step forward in meeting these exacting industrial requirements came when IBA, together with the University of Louvain-La-Neuve in Belgium, developed the Cyclone-30

Bird Community Composition in a Shaded Coffee Agro-ecological Matrix in Puebla, Mexico: The Effects of Landscape Heterogeneity at Multiple Spatial Scales

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leyequien, E.; Boer, de W.F.; Toledo, V.M.

2010-01-01

This study examined the importance of habitat heterogeneity on the avian community composition, and investigated the scale at which species abundances respond to habitat variables. The study was conducted within a diverse landscape matrix of a shaded coffee region in Mexico. To detect at which

Analysis of Grassland Ecosystem Physiology at Multiple Scales Using Eddy Covariance, Stable Isotope and Remote Sensing Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Flanagan, L. B.; Geske, N.; Emrick, C.; Johnson, B. G.

2006-12-01

Grassland ecosystems typically exhibit very large annual fluctuations in above-ground biomass production and net ecosystem productivity (NEP). Eddy covariance flux measurements, plant stable isotope analyses, and canopy spectral reflectance techniques have been applied to study environmental constraints on grassland ecosystem productivity and the acclimation responses of the ecosystem at a site near Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. We have observed substantial interannual variation in grassland productivity during 1999-2005. In addition, there was a strong correlation between peak above-ground biomass production and NEP calculated from eddy covariance measurements. Interannual variation in NEP was strongly controlled by the total amount of precipitation received during the growing season (April-August). We also observed significant positive correlations between a multivariate ENSO index and total growing season precipitation, and between the ENSO index and annual NEP values. This suggested that a significant fraction of the annual variability in grassland productivity was associated with ENSO during 1999-2005. Grassland productivity varies asymmetrically in response to changes in precipitation with increases in productivity during wet years being much more pronounced than reductions during dry years. Strong increases in plant water-use efficiency, based on carbon and oxygen stable isotope analyses, contribute to the resilience of productivity during times of drought. Within a growing season increased stomatal limitation of photosynthesis, associated with improved water-use efficiency, resulted in apparent shifts in leaf xanthophyll cycle pigments and changes to the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) calculated from hyper-spectral reflectance measurements conducted at the canopy-scale. These shifts in PRI were apparent before seasonal drought caused significant reductions in leaf area index (LAI) and changes to canopy-scale "greenness" based on NDVI values. With

Isotope and mixture effects on neoclassical transport in the pedestal

Science.gov (United States)

Pusztai, Istvan; Buller, Stefan; Omotani, John T.; Newton, Sarah L.

2017-10-01

The isotope mass scaling of the energy confinement time in tokamak plasmas differs from gyro-Bohm estimates, with implications for the extrapolation from current experiments to D-T reactors. Differences in mass scaling in L-mode and various H-mode regimes suggest that the isotope effect may originate from the pedestal. In the pedestal, sharp gradients render local diffusive estimates invalid, and global effects due to orbit-width scale profile variations have to be taken into account. We calculate neoclassical cross-field fluxes from a radially global drift-kinetic equation using the PERFECT code, to study isotope composition effects in density pedestals. The relative reduction to the peak heat flux due to global effects as a function of the density scale length is found to saturate at an isotope-dependent value that is larger for heavier ions. We also consider D-T and H-D mixtures with a focus on isotope separation. The ability to reproduce the mixture results via single-species simulations with artificial ``DT'' and ``HD'' species has been considered. These computationally convenient single ion simulations give a good estimate of the total ion heat flux in corresponding mixtures. Funding received from the International Career Grant of Vetenskapsradet (VR) (330-2014-6313) with Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions, Cofund, Project INCA 600398, and Framework Grant for Strategic Energy Research of VR (2014-5392).

Isotopic studies of Yucca Mountain soil fluids and carbonate pedogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McConnaughey, T.A.; Whelan, J.F.; Wickland, K.P.; Moscati, R.J.

1994-01-01

Secondary carbonates occurring within the soils, faults, and subsurface fractures of Yucca Mountain contain some of the best available records of paleoclimate and palehydrology for the potential radioactive waste repository site. This article discusses conceptual and analytical advances being made with regard to the interpretation of stable isotope data from pedogenic carbonates, specifically related to the 13 C content of soil CO 2 , CaCO 3 , precipitation mechanisms, and isotopic fractionations between parent fluids and precipitating carbonates. The 13 C content of soil carbon dioxide from Yucca Mountain and vicinity shows most of the usual patterns expected in such contexts: Decreasing 13 C content with depth decreasing 13 C with altitude and reduced 13 C during spring. These patterns exist within the domain of a noisy data set; soil and vegetational heterogeneities, weather, and other factors apparently contribute to isotopic variability in the system. Several soil calcification mechanisms appear to be important, involving characteristic physical and chemical environments and isotopic fractionations. When CO 2 loss from thin soil solutions is an important driving factor, carbonates may contain excess heavy isotopes, compared to equilibrium precipitation with soil fluids. When root calcification serves as a proton generator for plant absorption of soil nutrients, heavy isotope deficiencies are likely. Successive cycles of dissolution and reprecipitation mix and redistribute pedogenic carbonates, and tend to isotopically homogenize and equilibrate pedogenic carbonates with soil fluids

Characterizing hydrogeologic heterogeneity using lithologic data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flach, G.P.; Hamm, L.L.; Harris, M.K.; Thayer, P.A.; Haselow, J.S.; Smits, A.D.

1995-01-01

Large-scale (> 1 m) variability in hydraulic conductivity is usually the main influence on field-scale groundwater flow patterns and dispersive transport. Sediment lithologic descriptions and geophysical logs typically offer finer spatial resolution, and therefore more potential information about site-scale heterogeneity, than other site characterization data. In this study, a technique for generating a heterogeneous, three-dimensional hydraulic conductivity field from sediment lithologic descriptions is presented. The approach involves creating a three-dimensional, fine-scale representation of mud (silt + clay) percentage using a stratified interpolation algorithm. Mud percentage is then translated into horizontal and vertical conductivity using direct correlations derived from measured data and inverse groundwater flow modeling. Lastly, the fine-scale conductivity fields are averaged to create a coarser grid for use in groundwater flow and transport modeling. The approach is demonstrated using a finite-element groundwater flow model of a Savannah River Site solid radioactive and hazardous waste burial ground. Hydrostratigraphic units in the area consist of fluvial, deltaic, and shallow marine sand, mud and calcareous sediment that exhibit abrupt facies changes over short distances

Length Scales and Types of Heterogeneities Along the Deep Subduction Interface: Insights From an Exhumed Subduction Complex on Syros Island, Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Kotowski, A. J.; Behr, W. M.; Tong, X.; Lavier, L.

2017-12-01

The rheology of the deep subduction interface strongly influences the occurrence, recurrence, and migration of episodic tremor and slow slip (ETS) events. To better understand the environment of deep ETS, we characterize the length scales and types of rheological heterogeneities that decorate the deep interface using an exhumed subduction complex. The Cycladic Blueschist Unit on Syros, Greece, records Eocene subduction to 60 km, partial exhumation along the top of the slab, and final exhumation along Miocene detachment faults. The CBU reached 450-580˚C and 14-16 kbar, PT conditions similar to where ETS occurs in several modern subduction zones. Rheological heterogeneity is preserved in a range of rock types on Syros, with the most prominent type being brittle pods embedded within a viscous matrix. Prograde, blueschist-facies metabasalts show strong deformation fabrics characteristic of viscous flow; cm- to m-scale eclogitic lenses are embedded within them as massive, veined pods, foliated pods rotated with respect to the blueschist fabric, and attenuated, foliation-parallel lenses. Similar relationships are observed in blueschist-facies metasediments interpreted to have deformed during early exhumation. In these rocks, metabasalts form lenses ranging in size from m- to 10s of m and are distributed at the m-scale throughout the metasedimentary matrix. Several of the metamafic lenses, and the matrix rocks immediately adjacent to them, preserve multiple generations of dilational veins and shear fractures filled with quartz and high pressure minerals. These observations suggest that coupled brittle-viscous deformation under high fluid pressures may characterize the subduction interface in the deep tremor source region. To test this further, we modeled the behavior of an elasto-plastic pod in a viscous shear zone under high fluid pressures. Our models show that local stress concentrations around the pod are large enough to generate transient dilational shear at seismic

Metrology for stable isotope reference materials: 13C/12C and 18O/16O isotope ratio value assignment of pure carbon dioxide gas samples on the Vienna PeeDee Belemnite-CO2 scale using dual-inlet mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Abneesh; Michael Verkouteren, R

2018-05-25

Isotope ratio measurements have been conducted on a series of isotopically distinct pure CO 2 gas samples using the technique of dual-inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry (DI-IRMS). The influence of instrumental parameters, data normalization schemes on the metrological traceability and uncertainty of the sample isotope composition have been characterized. Traceability to the Vienna PeeDee Belemnite(VPDB)-CO 2 scale was realized using the pure CO 2 isotope reference materials(IRMs) 8562, 8563, and 8564. The uncertainty analyses include contributions associated with the values of iRMs and the repeatability and reproducibility of our measurements. Our DI-IRMS measurement system is demonstrated to have high long-term stability, approaching a precision of 0.001 parts-per-thousand for the 45/44 and 46/44 ion signal ratios. The single- and two-point normalization bias for the iRMs were found to be within their published standard uncertainty values. The values of 13 C/ 12 C and 18 O/ 16 O isotope ratios are expressed relative to VPDB-CO 2 using the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] notation, respectively, in parts-per-thousand (‰ or per mil). For the samples, value assignments between (-25 to +2) ‰ and (-33 to -1) ‰ with nominal combined standard uncertainties of (0.05, 0.3) ‰ for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively were obtained. These samples are used as laboratory reference to provide anchor points for value assignment of isotope ratios (with VPDB traceability) to pure CO 2 samples. Additionally, they serve as potential parent isotopic source material required for the development of gravimetric based iRMs of CO 2 in CO 2 -free dry air in high pressure gas cylinder packages at desired abundance levels and isotopic composition values. Graphical abstract CO 2 gas isotope ratio metrology.

Multi-scale variation in spatial heterogeneity for microbial community structure in an eastern Virginia agricultural field

Science.gov (United States)

Franklin, Rima B.; Mills, Aaron L.

2003-01-01

To better understand the distribution of soil microbial communities at multiple spatial scales, a survey was conducted to examine the spatial organization of community structure in a wheat field in eastern Virginia (USA). Nearly 200 soil samples were collected at a variety of separation distances ranging from 2.5 cm to 11 m. Whole-community DNA was extracted from each sample, and community structure was compared using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) DNA fingerprinting. Relative similarity was calculated between each pair of samples and compared using geostatistical variogram analysis to study autocorrelation as a function of separation distance. Spatial autocorrelation was found at scales ranging from 30 cm to more than 6 m, depending on the sampling extent considered. In some locations, up to four different correlation length scales were detected. The presence of nested scales of variability suggests that the environmental factors regulating the development of the communities in this soil may operate at different scales. Kriging was used to generate maps of the spatial organization of communities across the plot, and the results demonstrated that bacterial distributions can be highly structured, even within a habitat that appears relatively homogeneous at the plot and field scale. Different subsets of the microbial community were distributed differently across the plot, and this is thought to be due to the variable response of individual populations to spatial heterogeneity associated with soil properties. c2003 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship of Tree Stand Heterogeneity and Forest Naturalness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BARTHA, Dénes

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of our study was to investigate if compositional (tree species richness andstructural (vertical structure, age-structure, patterns of canopy closure heterogeneity of the canopylayer is related to individual naturalness criteria and to overall forest naturalness at the stand scale. Thenaturalness values of the assessed criteria (tree species composition, tree stand structure, speciescomposition and structure of shrub layer and forest floor vegetation, dead wood, effects of game, sitecharacteristics showed similar behaviour when groups of stands with different heterogeneity werecompared, regardless of the studied aspect of canopy heterogeneity. The greatest difference was foundfor criteria describing the canopy layer. Composition and structure of canopy layer, dead wood andtotal naturalness of the stand differed significantly among the stand groups showing consistentlyhigher values from homogeneous to the most heterogeneous group. Naturalness of the compositionand structure of the shrub layer is slightly but significantly higher in stands with heterogeneous canopylayer. Regarding other criteria, significant differences were found only between the homogeneous andthe most heterogeneous groups, while groups with intermediate level of heterogeneity did not differsignificantly from one extreme. However, the criterion describing effects of game got lowernaturalness values in more heterogeneous stands. Naturalness of site characteristics did not differsignificantly among the groups except for when stands were grouped based on pattern of canopyclosure. From the practical viewpoint it is shown that purposeful forestry operations affecting thecanopy layer cause changes in compositional and structural characteristics of other layers as well as inoverall stand scale forest naturalness.

Climatic signals in multiple highly resolved stable isotope records from Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinther, Bo Møllesøe; Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe; Johnsen, Sigfus Johann

2010-01-01

are found to correspond better with winter stable isotope data than with summer or annual average stable isotope data it is suggested that a strong local Greenland temperature signal can be extracted from the winter stable isotope data even on centennial to millennial time scales. Udgivelsesdato: Feb....

Landscape configurational heterogeneity by small-scale agriculture, not crop diversity, maintains pollinators and plant reproduction in western Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Hass, Annika L; Kormann, Urs G; Tscharntke, Teja; Clough, Yann; Baillod, Aliette Bosem; Sirami, Clélia; Fahrig, Lenore; Martin, Jean-Louis; Baudry, Jacques; Bertrand, Colette; Bosch, Jordi; Brotons, Lluís; Burel, Françoise; Georges, Romain; Giralt, David; Marcos-García, María Á; Ricarte, Antonio; Siriwardena, Gavin; Batáry, Péter

2018-02-14

Agricultural intensification is one of the main causes for the current biodiversity crisis. While reversing habitat loss on agricultural land is challenging, increasing the farmland configurational heterogeneity (higher field border density) and farmland compositional heterogeneity (higher crop diversity) has been proposed to counteract some habitat loss. Here, we tested whether increased farmland configurational and compositional heterogeneity promote wild pollinators and plant reproduction in 229 landscapes located in four major western European agricultural regions. High-field border density consistently increased wild bee abundance and seed set of radish ( Raphanus sativus ), probably through enhanced connectivity. In particular, we demonstrate the importance of crop-crop borders for pollinator movement as an additional experiment showed higher transfer of a pollen analogue along crop-crop borders than across fields or along semi-natural crop borders. By contrast, high crop diversity reduced bee abundance, probably due to an increase of crop types with particularly intensive management. This highlights the importance of crop identity when higher crop diversity is promoted. Our results show that small-scale agricultural systems can boost pollinators and plant reproduction. Agri-environmental policies should therefore aim to halt and reverse the current trend of increasing field sizes and to reduce the amount of crop types with particularly intensive management. © 2018 The Author(s).

Isotopic patterns in silicic ignimbrites and lava flows of the Mogan and lower Fataga Formations, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cousens, B.L.; Tilton, G.R.; Spera, F.J.

1990-01-01

We report the Sr, Pb, and Nd isotopic composition of thirty-six intercalated extracaldera silicic ignimbrites and basaltic lavas of the Miocene Hogarzales, Mogan, and Fataga Formations, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. The aims are to constrain petrogenetic models for the silicic volcanics, and determine mantle source characteristics and temporal variations between 14.2 and ≅ 12.1 Ma. Feldspars from the extracaldera silicic ignimbrites are identical in isotopic composition to coeval extracaldera basaltic lavas, supporting a fractional crystallization model for the evolved lavas from parental Hogarzales basalts. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios range from 0.70306 to 0.70341, 206 Pb/ 204 Pb from 19.32 to 19.90, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb from 15.56 to 15.65, and 208 Pb/ 204 Pb from 38.82 to 39.65. 143 Nd/ 144 Nd ratios are nearly constant at 0.512913±15. The source of Gran Canaria magmas is heterogeneous on small scales of both time and distance. Isotope-isotope and isotope-incompatible element plots suggest mixing between well-mixed, slightly enriched mantle (similar to PREMA as defined by Zindler and Hart) and the HIMU mantle component. The proportion of HIMU component (low 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, high 206 Pb/ 204 Pb) increases upsection. Stratigraphic patterns in major, trace element, and isotopic compositions may be explained by the influx of a geochemically distinct ''Fataga'' magma into the Tejeda magma chamber, which mixed with and/or finally completely displaced existing ''Lower Mogan'' magmas. Alternatively, mixing of these two end members could occur in the mantle, prior to injection into the chamber. There is no evidence of lithospheric/asthenospheric contamination in the late-stage shield magmas on Gran Canaria. (orig.)

Revealing the Link between Structural Relaxation and Dynamic Heterogeneity in Glass-Forming Liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lijin; Xu, Ning; Wang, W H; Guan, Pengfei

2018-03-23

Despite the use of glasses for thousands of years, the nature of the glass transition is still mysterious. On approaching the glass transition, the growth of dynamic heterogeneity has long been thought to play a key role in explaining the abrupt slowdown of structural relaxation. However, it still remains elusive whether there is an underlying link between structural relaxation and dynamic heterogeneity. Here, we unravel the link by introducing a characteristic time scale hiding behind an identical dynamic heterogeneity for various model glass-forming liquids. We find that the time scale corresponds to the kinetic fragility of liquids. Moreover, it leads to scaling collapse of both the structural relaxation time and dynamic heterogeneity for all liquids studied, together with a characteristic temperature associated with the same dynamic heterogeneity. Our findings imply that studying the glass transition from the viewpoint of dynamic heterogeneity is more informative than expected.

Revealing the Link between Structural Relaxation and Dynamic Heterogeneity in Glass-Forming Liquids

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lijin; Xu, Ning; Wang, W. H.; Guan, Pengfei

2018-03-01

Despite the use of glasses for thousands of years, the nature of the glass transition is still mysterious. On approaching the glass transition, the growth of dynamic heterogeneity has long been thought to play a key role in explaining the abrupt slowdown of structural relaxation. However, it still remains elusive whether there is an underlying link between structural relaxation and dynamic heterogeneity. Here, we unravel the link by introducing a characteristic time scale hiding behind an identical dynamic heterogeneity for various model glass-forming liquids. We find that the time scale corresponds to the kinetic fragility of liquids. Moreover, it leads to scaling collapse of both the structural relaxation time and dynamic heterogeneity for all liquids studied, together with a characteristic temperature associated with the same dynamic heterogeneity. Our findings imply that studying the glass transition from the viewpoint of dynamic heterogeneity is more informative than expected.

Sr isotopic tracer study of the Samail ophiolite, Oman

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanphere, M.A.; Coleman, R.G.; Hopson, C.A.

1981-01-01

We have measured Rb and Sr concentrations and Sr isotopic compositions in 41 whole-rock samples and 12 mineral separates from units of the Samail ophiolite, including peridotite, gabbro, plagiogranite diabase dikes, and gabbro and websterite dikes within the metamorphic peridotite. Ten samples of cummulate gabbro from the Wadir Kadir section and nine samples from the Wadi Khafifah section have mean 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios and standard deviations of 0.70314 +- 0.00030 and 0.70306 +- 0.00034, respectively. The dispersion in Sr isotopic composition may reflect real heterogeneities in the magma source region. The average Sr isotopic composition of cumulate gabbro falls in the range of isotopic compositions of modern midocean ridge basalt. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of noncumulate gabbro, plagiogranite, and diabase dikes range from 0.7034 to 0.7047, 0.7038 to 0.7046, and 0.7037 to 0.7061, respectively. These higher 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios are due to alteration of initial magmatic compositions by hydrothermal exchange with seawater. Mineral separates from dikes that cut harzburgite tectonite have Sr isotopic compositions which agree with that of cumulate gabbro. These data indicate that the cumulate gabbro and the different dikes were derived from partial melting of source regions that had similar long-term histories and chemical compositions

Two-dimensional pencil beam scaling: an improved proton dose algorithm for heterogeneous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szymanowski, Hanitra; Oelfke, Uwe

2002-01-01

New dose delivery techniques with proton beams, such as beam spot scanning or raster scanning, require fast and accurate dose algorithms which can be applied for treatment plan optimization in clinically acceptable timescales. The clinically required accuracy is particularly difficult to achieve for the irradiation of complex, heterogeneous regions of the patient's anatomy. Currently applied fast pencil beam dose calculations based on the standard inhomogeneity correction of pathlength scaling often cannot provide the accuracy required for clinically acceptable dose distributions. This could be achieved with sophisticated Monte Carlo simulations which are still unacceptably time consuming for use as dose engines in optimization calculations. We therefore present a new algorithm for proton dose calculations which aims to resolve the inherent problem between calculation speed and required clinical accuracy. First, a detailed derivation of the new concept, which is based on an additional scaling of the lateral proton fluence is provided. Then, the newly devised two-dimensional (2D) scaling method is tested for various geometries of different phantom materials. These include standard biological tissues such as bone, muscle and fat as well as air. A detailed comparison of the new 2D pencil beam scaling with the current standard pencil beam approach and Monte Carlo simulations, performed with GEANT, is presented. It was found that the new concept proposed allows calculation of absorbed dose with an accuracy almost equal to that achievable with Monte Carlo simulations while requiring only modestly increased calculation times in comparison to the standard pencil beam approach. It is believed that this new proton dose algorithm has the potential to significantly improve the treatment planning outcome for many clinical cases encountered in highly conformal proton therapy. (author)

Fractionation of lithium isotopes in cation-exchange chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oi, Takao; Kawada, Kazuhiko; Kakihana, Hidetake; Hosoe, Morikazu

1991-01-01

Various methods for lithium isotope separation have been developed, and their applicability to large-scale enriched lithium isotope production has been assessed. Ion-exchange chromatography is one such method. Cation-exchange chromatography of lithium was carried out to investigate the lithium isotope effect in aqueous ion-exchange systems. The heavier isotope. 7 Li, was preferentially fractionated into the resin phase in every experiment conducted, and this result is consistent with the results of previous work. The value of the separation factor was 1.00089-1.00171 at 25C. A comparison of lithium isotope effect with those of potassium and rubidium indicated that the isotope effect originating from hydration is larger than the effect due to phase change for lithium, while the opposite is the case with potassium and rubidium

Scaling Analysis of Ocean Surface Turbulent Heterogeneities from Satellite Remote Sensing: Use of 2D Structure Functions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P R Renosh

Full Text Available Satellite remote sensing observations allow the ocean surface to be sampled synoptically over large spatio-temporal scales. The images provided from visible and thermal infrared satellite observations are widely used in physical, biological, and ecological oceanography. The present work proposes a method to understand the multi-scaling properties of satellite products such as the Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a, and the Sea Surface Temperature (SST, rarely studied. The specific objectives of this study are to show how the small scale heterogeneities of satellite images can be characterised using tools borrowed from the fields of turbulence. For that purpose, we show how the structure function, which is classically used in the frame of scaling time series analysis, can be used also in 2D. The main advantage of this method is that it can be applied to process images which have missing data. Based on both simulated and real images, we demonstrate that coarse-graining (CG of a gradient modulus transform of the original image does not provide correct scaling exponents. We show, using a fractional Brownian simulation in 2D, that the structure function (SF can be used with randomly sampled couple of points, and verify that 1 million of couple of points provides enough statistics.

SU-E-I-100: Heterogeneity Studying for Primary and Lymphoma Tumors by Using Multi-Scale Image Texture Analysis with PET-CT Images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Dengwang [Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong Province (China); Wang, Qinfen [Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong (China); Li, H; Chen, J [Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Jinan, Shandong (China)

2014-06-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is studying tumor heterogeneity of the primary and lymphoma by using multi-scale texture analysis with PET-CT images, where the tumor heterogeneity is expressed by texture features. Methods: Datasets were collected from 12 lung cancer patients, and both of primary and lymphoma tumors were detected with all these patients. All patients underwent whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT scan before treatment.The regions of interest (ROI) of primary and lymphoma tumor were contoured by experienced clinical doctors. Then the ROI of primary and lymphoma tumor is extracted automatically by using Matlab software. According to the geometry size of contour structure, the images of tumor are decomposed by multi-scale method.Wavelet transform was performed on ROI structures within images by L layers sampling, and then wavelet sub-bands which have the same size of the original image are obtained. The number of sub-bands is 3L+1.The gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) is calculated within different sub-bands, thenenergy, inertia, correlation and gray in-homogeneity were extracted from GLCM.Finally, heterogeneity statistical analysis was studied for primary and lymphoma tumor using the texture features. Results: Energy, inertia, correlation and gray in-homogeneity are calculated with our experiments for heterogeneity statistical analysis.Energy for primary and lymphomatumor is equal with the same patient, while gray in-homogeneity and inertia of primaryare 2.59595±0.00855, 0.6439±0.0007 respectively. Gray in-homogeneity and inertia of lymphoma are 2.60115±0.00635, 0.64435±0.00055 respectively. The experiments showed that the volume of lymphoma is smaller than primary tumor, but thegray in-homogeneity and inertia were higher than primary tumor with the same patient, and the correlation with lymphoma tumors is zero, while the correlation with primary tumor isslightly strong. Conclusion: This studying showed that there were effective heterogeneity

Stable isotopes and mercury in a model estuarine fish: Multibasin comparisons with water quality, community structure, and available prey base

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, Douglas H., E-mail: Doug.Adams@MyFWC.com; Paperno, Richard

2012-01-01

Stable-isotope ratios ({delta}{sup 13}C and {delta}{sup 15}N) and mercury in a model predator, and associated prey community assessments were used to make inferences regarding food web relationships and how these relationships are influenced by habitat variability and anthropogenic factors. Although interconnected, the three major basins of the Indian River Lagoon system on the Atlantic coast of Florida comprise noticeably different available habitat types with spatially distinct faunal communities and available prey for spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, a model predatory fish species. Water quality, degree of urbanization, human population density, and levels of nitrogen enrichment clearly differ between these representative estuarine basins. The differences can influence feeding ecology and therefore result in different mercury concentrations and different stable-isotope signatures of spotted seatrout between basins. Mercury concentrations in spotted seatrout were greatest in Mosquito Lagoon (ML) and least in the Indian River Lagoon proper (IRL), although concentrations were low for all basins. Spotted seatrout from IRL were carbon-depleted and nitrogen-enriched compared with those from the other basins; this suggests either that the fish's primary source of carbon in IRL is an algae- or phytoplankton-based food web or that the pathway through the food web is shorter there. The {delta}{sup 15}N values of IRL spotted seatrout were greater than those in the Banana River Lagoon or ML, suggesting slightly different trophic positioning of fish in these basins. The greater {delta}{sup 15}N values in IRL spotted seatrout may also reflect the greater human population density and resultant anthropogenic inputs (e.g., observed higher total nitrogen levels) in IRL compared with the other more pristine basins examined. Understanding species' responses to broad-scale habitat heterogeneity in estuaries and knowing basin-specific differences in stable isotopes

Laboratory-scale in situ bioremediation in heterogeneous porous media: biokinetics-limited scenario.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xin; Hong, Eunyoung; Seagren, Eric A

2014-03-01

Subsurface heterogeneities influence interfacial mass-transfer processes and affect the application of in situ bioremediation by impacting the availability of substrates to the microorganisms. However, for difficult-to-degrade compounds, and/or cases with inhibitory biodegradation conditions, slow biokinetics may also limit the overall bioremediation rate, or be as limiting as mass-transfer processes. In this work, a quantitative framework based on a set of dimensionless coefficients was used to capture the effects of the competing interfacial and biokinetic processes and define the overall rate-limiting process. An integrated numerical modeling and experimental approach was used to evaluate application of the quantitative framework for a scenario in which slow-biokinetics limited the overall bioremediation rate of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (naphthalene). Numerical modeling was conducted to simulate the groundwater flow and naphthalene transport and verify the system parameters, which were used in the quantitative framework application. The experiments examined the movement and biodegradation of naphthalene in a saturated, heterogeneous intermediate-scale flow cell with two layers of contrasting hydraulic conductivities. These experiments were conducted in two phases: Phase I, simulating an inhibited slow biodegradation; and Phase II, simulating an engineered bioremediation, with system perturbations selected to enhance the slow biodegradation rate. In Phase II, two engineered perturbations to the system were selected to examine their ability to enhance in situ biodegradation. In the first perturbation, nitrogen and phosphorus in excess of the required stoichiometric amounts were spiked into the influent solution to mimic a common remedial action taken in the field. The results showed that this perturbation had a moderate positive impact, consistent with slow biokinetics being the overall rate-limiting process. However, the second perturbation, which was to

Mg isotope systematics during magmatic processes: Inter-mineral fractionation in mafic to ultramafic Hawaiian xenoliths

Science.gov (United States)

Stracke, A.; Tipper, E. T.; Klemme, S.; Bizimis, M.

2018-04-01

Observed differences in Mg isotope ratios between bulk magmatic rocks are small, often on a sub per mill level. Inter-mineral differences in the 26Mg/24Mg ratio (expressed as δ26Mg) in plutonic rocks are on a similar scale, and have mostly been attributed to equilibrium isotope fractionation at magmatic temperatures. Here we report Mg isotope data on minerals in spinel peridotite and garnet pyroxenite xenoliths from the rejuvenated stage of volcanism on Oahu and Kauai, Hawaii. The new data are compared to literature data and to theoretical predictions to investigate the processes responsible for inter-mineral Mg isotope fractionation at magmatic temperatures. Theory predicts up to per mill level differences in δ26Mg between olivine and spinel at magmatic temperatures and a general decrease in Δ26Mgolivine-spinel (=δ26Mgolivine - δ26Mgspinel) with increasing temperature, but also with increasing Cr# in spinel. For peridotites with a simple petrogenetic history by melt depletion, where increasing depletion relates to increasing melting temperatures, Δ26Mgolivine-spinel should thus systematically decrease with increasing Cr# in spinel. However, most natural peridotites, including the Hawaiian spinel peridotites investigated in this study, are overprinted by variable extents of melt-rock reaction, which disturb the systematic primary temperature and compositionally related olivine-spinel Mg isotope systematics. Diffusion, subsolidus re-equilibration, or surface alteration may further affect the observed olivine-spinel Mg isotope fractionation in peridotites, making Δ26Mgolivine-spinel in peridotites a difficult-to-apply geothermometer. The available Mg isotope data on clinopyroxene and garnet suggest that this mineral pair is a more promising geothermometer, but its application is restricted to garnet-bearing igneous (garnet pyroxenites) and metamorphic rocks (eclogites). Although the observed δ26Mg variation is on a sub per mill range in bulk magmatic rocks

Satellite-based remote sensing of running water habitats at large riverscape scales: Tools to analyze habitat heterogeneity for river ecosystem management

Science.gov (United States)

Hugue, F.; Lapointe, M.; Eaton, B. C.; Lepoutre, A.

2016-01-01

We illustrate an approach to quantify patterns in hydraulic habitat composition and local heterogeneity applicable at low cost over very large river extents, with selectable reach window scales. Ongoing developments in remote sensing and geographical information science massively improve efficiencies in analyzing earth surface features. With the development of new satellite sensors and drone platforms and with the lowered cost of high resolution multispectral imagery, fluvial geomorphology is experiencing a revolution in mapping streams at high resolution. Exploiting the power of aerial or satellite imagery is particularly useful in a riverscape research framework (Fausch et al., 2002), where high resolution sampling of fluvial features and very large coverage extents are needed. This study presents a satellite remote sensing method that requires very limited field calibration data to estimate over various scales ranging from 1 m to many tens or river kilometers (i) spatial composition metrics for key hydraulic mesohabitat types and (ii) reach-scale wetted habitat heterogeneity indices such as the hydromorphological index of diversity (HMID). When the purpose is hydraulic habitat characterization applied over long river networks, the proposed method (although less accurate) is much less computationally expensive and less data demanding than two dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Here, we illustrate the tools based on a Worldview 2 satellite image of the Kiamika River, near Mont Laurier, Quebec, Canada, specifically over a 17-km river reach below the Kiamika dam. In the first step, a high resolution water depth (D) map is produced from a spectral band ratio (calculated from the multispectral image), calibrated with limited field measurements. Next, based only on known river discharge and estimated cross section depths at time of image capture, empirical-based pseudo-2D hydraulic rules are used to rapidly generate a two-dimensional map of flow velocity

Determination of urea kinetics by isotope dilution with [C-13]urea and gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kloppenburg, Wybe; Wolthers, BG; Stellaard, F; Elzinga, H; Tepper, T; deJong, PE; Huisman, RM

1. Stable urea isotopes can be used to study urea kinetics in humans, The use of stable urea isotopes far studying urea kinetic parameters in humans on a large scale is hampered by the high costs of the labelled material, We devised a urea dilution for measurement of the distribution volume,

Multiple Nebular Gas Reservoirs Recorded by Oxygen Isotope Variation in a Spinel-rich CAI in CO3 MIL 090019

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, J. I.; Simon, S. B.; Nguyen, A. N.; Ross, D. K.; Messenger, S.

2017-01-01

We conducted NanoSIMS O-isotopic imaging of a primitive spinel-rich CAI spherule (27-2) from the MIL 090019 CO3 chondrite. Inclusions such as 27-2 are proposed to record inner nebula processes during an epoch of rapid solar nebula evolution. Mineralogical and textural analyses suggest that this CAI formed by high temperature reactions, partial melting, and condensation. This CAI exhibits radial O-isotopic heterogeneity among multiple occurrences of the same mineral, reflecting interactions with distinct nebular O-isotopic reservoirs.

Spatial variations in food web structures with alternative stable states: evidence from stable isotope analysis in a large eutrophic lake

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yunkai; Zhang, Yuying; Xu, Jun; Zhang, Shuo

2018-03-01

Food web structures are well known to vary widely among ecosystems. Moreover, many food web studies of lakes have generally attempted to characterize the overall food web structure and have largely ignored internal spatial and environmental variations. In this study, we hypothesize that there is a high degree of spatial heterogeneity within an ecosystem and such heterogeneity may lead to strong variations in environmental conditions and resource availability, in turn resulting in different trophic pathways. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were employed for the whole food web to describe the structure of the food web in different sub-basins within Taihu Lake. This lake is a large eutrophic freshwater lake that has been intensively managed and highly influenced by human activities for more than 50 years. The results show significant isotopic differences between basins with different environmental characteristics. Such differences likely result from isotopic baseline differences combining with a shift in food web structure. Both are related to local spatial heterogeneity in nutrient loading in waters. Such variation should be explicitly considered in future food web studies and ecosystem-based management in this lake ecosystem.

Spatial variations in food web structures with alternative stable states: evidence from stable isotope analysis in a large eutrophic lake

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yunkai; Zhang, Yuying; Xu, Jun; Zhang, Shuo

2017-05-01

Food web structures are well known to vary widely among ecosystems. Moreover, many food web studies of lakes have generally attempted to characterize the overall food web structure and have largely ignored internal spatial and environmental variations. In this study, we hypothesize that there is a high degree of spatial heterogeneity within an ecosystem and such heterogeneity may lead to strong variations in environmental conditions and resource availability, in turn resulting in different trophic pathways. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were employed for the whole food web to describe the structure of the food web in different sub-basins within Taihu Lake. This lake is a large eutrophic freshwater lake that has been intensively managed and highly influenced by human activities for more than 50 years. The results show significant isotopic differences between basins with different environmental characteristics. Such differences likely result from isotopic baseline differences combining with a shift in food web structure. Both are related to local spatial heterogeneity in nutrient loading in waters. Such variation should be explicitly considered in future food web studies and ecosystem-based management in this lake ecosystem.

Hf isotope evidence for variable slab input and crustal addition in basalts and andesites of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waight, Tod Earle; Troll, Valentin R.; Gamble, J.A.

2017-01-01

-Nd isotopes. Here we present new Hf isotope data for a selection of volcanic rocks and crustal lithologies fromthe Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), NewZealand and propose that the scatter in Hf-Nd isotopes indicates heterogeneity in the parental magmas prior to interactions with crustal lithologies. The observed......, whereas younger lavas have probably interacted more with mid- to shallow crustal meta-sedimentary greywacke-argillite lithologies of the Permian to Cretaceous composite Torlesse Terrane. Hf-Nd isotopic compositions of meta-igneous granulite xenoliths from Mt. Ruapehu are consistent with previous...

A Monte Carlo simulation of the exchange reaction between gaseous molecules and the atoms on a heterogeneous solid surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imai, Hisao

1980-01-01

A method of the Monte Carlo simulation of the isotopic exchange reaction between gaseous molecules and the atoms on an arbitrarily heterogeneous solid surface is described by employing hydrogen as an example. (author)

Intermediate Scale Laboratory Testing to Understand Mechanisms of Capillary and Dissolution Trapping during Injection and Post-Injection of CO₂ in Heterogeneous Geological Formations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Illangasekare, Tissa [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Trevisan, Luca [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Agartan, Elif [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Mori, Hiroko [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Vargas-Johnson, Javier [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Gonzalez-Nicolas, Ana [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Cihan, Abdullah [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Birkholzer, Jens [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Zhou, Quanlin [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

2015-03-31

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) represents a technology aimed to reduce atmospheric loading of CO₂ from power plants and heavy industries by injecting it into deep geological formations, such as saline aquifers. A number of trapping mechanisms contribute to effective and secure storage of the injected CO₂ in supercritical fluid phase (scCO₂) in the formation over the long term. The primary trapping mechanisms are structural, residual, dissolution and mineralization. Knowledge gaps exist on how the heterogeneity of the formation manifested at all scales from the pore to the site scales affects trapping and parameterization of contributing mechanisms in models. An experimental and modeling study was conducted to fill these knowledge gaps. Experimental investigation of fundamental processes and mechanisms in field settings is not possible as it is not feasible to fully characterize the geologic heterogeneity at all relevant scales and gathering data on migration, trapping and dissolution of scCO₂. Laboratory experiments using scCO₂ under ambient conditions are also not feasible as it is technically challenging and cost prohibitive to develop large, two- or three-dimensional test systems with controlled high pressures to keep the scCO₂ as a liquid. Hence, an innovative approach that used surrogate fluids in place of scCO₂ and formation brine in multi-scale, synthetic aquifers test systems ranging in scales from centimeter to meter scale developed used. New modeling algorithms were developed to capture the processes controlled by the formation heterogeneity, and they were tested using the data from the laboratory test systems. The results and findings are expected to contribute toward better conceptual models, future improvements to DOE numerical codes, more accurate assessment of storage capacities, and optimized placement strategies. This report presents the experimental and modeling methods

Lead isotopes in archaean plutonic rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oversby, V.M.

1978-01-01

Archaean intrusive rocks have initial Pb isotopic compositions which show a varied and complex history for the source regions of the rocks. Even the oldest rocks from Greenland indicate heterogenous U and Pb distribution prior to 3800 m.y. ago. Source regions with μ values less than 7 must have played a significant role in the early history of the earth. By late Archaean time U/Pb ratios of source regions had increased substantially. Data from Australia and North America show distinct regional differences, both within and between continents. (Auth.)

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope variation in the northern lampfish and Neocalanus, marine survival rates of pink salmon, and meso-scale eddies in the Gulf of Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Kline, Thomas C., Jr.

2010-10-01

Northern lampfish (NLF), Stenobrachius leucopsarus (Myctophidae), the dominant pelagic fish taxon of the subarctic North Pacific Ocean, were sampled opportunistically in MOCNESS tows made on continental slope waters of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) as well as in deep areas of Prince William Sound (PWS) during 1997-2006. The overall mean whole-body lipid-corrected stable carbon isotope value of NLF from the GOA was -21.4 (SD = 0.7) whereas that from PWS was -19.5 (SD = 0.9). This pattern is similar to that observed for late feeding stage Neocalanus cristatus copepods thus confirming a mean cross-shelf carbon stable isotope gradient. As well, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the considerable temporal variation in the monthly mean carbon stable isotope composition of GOA Neocalanus and GOA NLF ( r = 0.69, P food chain length whereas carbon stable isotopes reflect organic carbon production. The carbon stable isotope values of NLF, measured in May, were positively correlated to marine survival rate of PWS hatchery salmon cohorts entering the marine environment the same year ( r = 0.84, P < 0.001). The carbon stable isotope values for Neocalanus in May were also positively correlated to salmon marine survival ( r = 0.82, P < 0.001). Processes thus manifested through the carbon stable isotope value of biota from the continental slope more closely predicted marine survival rate than that of the salmon themselves. The incipient relationships suggested by the correlations are consistent with the hypothesis that exchange between coastal and oceanic waters in the study area is driven by meso-scale eddies. These eddies facilitate the occurrence of slope phytoplankton blooms as well as drive oceanic zooplankton subsidies into coastal waters. The strong as well as more significant correlations of salmon marine survival rate to NLF as well as slope Neocalanus carbon stable isotope values point to processes taking place at the slope (i.e., interactions

Stochastic heterogeneous interaction promotes cooperation in spatial prisoner's dilemma game.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping Zhu

Full Text Available Previous studies mostly investigate player's cooperative behavior as affected by game time-scale or individual diversity. In this paper, by involving both time-scale and diversity simultaneously, we explore the effect of stochastic heterogeneous interaction. In our model, the occurrence of game interaction between each pair of linked player obeys a random probability, which is further described by certain distributions. Simulations on a 4-neighbor square lattice show that the cooperation level is remarkably promoted when stochastic heterogeneous interaction is considered. The results are then explained by investigating the mean payoffs, the mean boundary payoffs and the transition probabilities between cooperators and defectors. We also show some typical snapshots and evolution time series of the system. Finally, the 8-neighbor square lattice and BA scale-free network results indicate that the stochastic heterogeneous interaction can be robust against different network topologies. Our work may sharpen the understanding of the joint effect of game time-scale and individual diversity on spatial games.

Laser isotope and isomer separations: History and trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letok'ov, V.S.

1990-01-01

Paper will review history and principles of laser isotope and nuclear isomer separation: laser multistep photoionization of isotopic and isomeric atoms, laser IR-UV two-step photodissociation of molecules, laser IR multiphoton photodissociation of polyatomic molecules. The comparison and areas of applications of these methods will be considered. Paper will discuss a present state of art of technology of these methods in practical scale in various countries. In conclusion the trends of research in this field including applications of laser-separated isotopes and isomers will be considered

Oxygen isotopic anomalies in Allende inclusion HAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, T.; Mayeda, T.K.; Clayton, R.N.

1980-01-01

The oxygen isotopic composition has been measured on the constituent phases of Allende inclusion HAL, which has unusual mineralogical, chemical, and calcium isotopic compositions. The oxygen in HAL is heterogeneous, with the rim showing more ''normal'' composition and the hibonite core showing large deviation from both the terrestrial material and the usual inclusions. The observed pattern indicates that HAL is a bona fide and more devious member of the rare ''FUN'' family, whose isotopic composition is characterized by correlated nuclear effects and extreme mass fractionation. The data imply that HAL has suffered a large oxygen mass fractionation of 25% 0 per mass unit, followed by exchange with oxygen in a second reservoir. The present experiment supports the identification of two distinct reservoirs from which all refractory inclusions in carbonaceous meteorites derived their oxygen. The required fractionation process seems to operate according to the volatility of various elements and could have been caused by evaporation during a heating event. Nuclear anomalies can be produced in the same heating event if the progenitors of the refractory inclusions were macroscopic aggregates of tiny pre-solar interstellar dust grains and if these grains were destroyed differentially during the evaporation

The Global Network of Isotopes in Rivers (GNIR): Integration of Stable Water Isotopes in Riverine Research and Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halder, J.; Terzer, S.; Wassenaar, L.; Araguas, L.; Aggarwal, P.

2015-01-01

Rivers play a crucial role in the global water cycle as watershed-integrating hydrological conduits for returning terrestrial precipitation, runoff, surface and groundwater, as well as melting snow and ice back to the world’s oceans. The IAEA Global Network of Isotopes in Rivers (GNIR) is the coherent extension of the IAEA Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) and aims to fill the informational data gaps between rainfall and river discharge. Whereas the GNIP has been surveying the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, and tritium composition in precipitation, the objective of GNIR is to accumulate and disseminate riverine isotope data. We introduce the new global database of riverine water isotopes and evaluate its current long-term data holdings with the objective to improve the application of water isotopes and to inform water managers and researchers. An evaluation of current GNIR database holdings confirmed that seasonal variations of the stable water isotope composition in rivers are closely coupled to precipitation and snow-melt water run-off on a global scale. Rivers could be clustered on the basis of seasonal variations in their isotope composition and latitude. Results showed furthermore, that there were periodic phases within each of these groupings and additional modelling exercises allowed a priori prediction of the seasonal variability as well as the isotopic composition of stable water isotopes in rivers. This predictive capacity will help to improve existing and new sampling strategies, help to validate and interpret riverine isotope data, and identify important catchment processes. Hence, the IAEA promulgates and supports longterm hydrological isotope observation networks and the application of isotope studies complementary with conventional hydrological, water quality, and ecological studies. (author)

Hydrogen isotope fractionation in methane plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Robert, François; Derenne, Sylvie; Lombardi, Guillaume; Hassouni, Khaled; Michau, Armelle; Reinhardt, Peter; Duhamel, Rémi; Gonzalez, Adriana; Biron, Kasia

2017-01-01

The hydrogen isotope ratio (D/H) is commonly used to reconstruct the chemical processes at the origin of water and organic compounds in the early solar system. On the one hand, the large enrichments in deuterium of the insoluble organic matter (IOM) isolated from the carbonaceous meteorites are interpreted as a heritage of the interstellar medium or resulting from ion-molecule reactions taking place in the diffuse part of the protosolar nebula. On the other hand, the molecular structure of this IOM suggests that organic radicals have played a central role in a gas-phase organosynthesis. So as to reproduce this type of chemistry between organic radicals, experiments based on a microwave plasma of CH4 have been performed. They yielded a black organic residue in which ion microprobe analyses revealed hydrogen isotopic anomalies at a submicrometric spatial resolution. They likely reflect differences in the D/H ratios between the various CHx radicals whose polymerization is at the origin of the IOM. These isotopic heterogeneities, usually referred to as hot and cold spots, are commensurable with those observed in meteorite IOM. As a consequence, the appearance of organic radicals in the ionized regions of the disk surrounding the Sun during its formation may have triggered the formation of organic compounds.

Using nitrogen concentration and isotopic composition in lichens to spatially assess the relative contribution of atmospheric nitrogen sources in complex landscapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinho, P; Barros, C; Augusto, S; Pereira, M J; Máguas, C; Branquinho, C

2017-11-01

Reactive nitrogen (Nr) is an important driver of global change, causing alterations in ecosystem biodiversity and functionality. Environmental assessments require monitoring the emission and deposition of both the amount and types of Nr. This is especially important in heterogeneous landscapes, as different land-cover types emit particular forms of Nr to the atmosphere, which can impact ecosystems distinctively. Such assessments require high spatial resolution maps that also integrate temporal variations, and can only be feasibly achieved by using ecological indicators. Our aim was to rank land-cover types according to the amount and form of emitted atmospheric Nr in a complex landscape with multiple sources of N. To do so, we measured and mapped nitrogen concentration and isotopic composition in lichen thalli, which we then related to land-cover data. Results suggested that, at the landscape scale, intensive agriculture and urban areas were the most important sources of Nr to the atmosphere. Additionally, the ocean greatly influences Nr in land, by providing air with low Nr concentration and a unique isotopic composition. These results have important consequences for managing air pollution at the regional level, as they provide critical information for modeling Nr emission and deposition across regional as well as continental scales. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understory Plant Community Composition Is Associated with Fine-Scale Above- and Below-Ground Resource Heterogeneity in Mature Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) Forests

Science.gov (United States)

McIntosh, Anne C. S.; Macdonald, S. Ellen; Quideau, Sylvie A.

2016-01-01

Understory plant communities play critical ecological roles in forest ecosystems. Both above- and below-ground ecosystem properties and processes influence these communities but relatively little is known about such effects at fine (i.e., one to several meters within-stand) scales, particularly for forests in which the canopy is dominated by a single species. An improved understanding of these effects is critical for understanding how understory biodiversity is regulated in such forests and for anticipating impacts of changing disturbance regimes. Our primary objective was to examine the patterns of fine-scale variation in understory plant communities and their relationships to above- and below-ground resource and environmental heterogeneity within mature lodgepole pine forests. We assessed composition and diversity of understory vegetation in relation to heterogeneity of both the above-ground (canopy tree density, canopy and tall shrub basal area and cover, downed wood biomass, litter cover) and below-ground (soil nutrient availability, decomposition, forest floor thickness, pH, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and multiple carbon-source substrate-induced respiration (MSIR) of the forest floor microbial community) environment. There was notable variation in fine-scale plant community composition; cluster and indicator species analyses of the 24 most commonly occurring understory species distinguished four assemblages, one for which a pioneer forb species had the highest cover levels, and three others that were characterized by different bryophyte species having the highest cover. Constrained ordination (distance-based redundancy analysis) showed that two above-ground (mean tree diameter, litter cover) and eight below-ground (forest floor pH, plant available boron, microbial community composition and function as indicated by MSIR and PLFAs) properties were associated with variation in understory plant community composition. These results provide novel insights

Understory Plant Community Composition Is Associated with Fine-Scale Above- and Below-Ground Resource Heterogeneity in Mature Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta Forests.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne C S McIntosh

Full Text Available Understory plant communities play critical ecological roles in forest ecosystems. Both above- and below-ground ecosystem properties and processes influence these communities but relatively little is known about such effects at fine (i.e., one to several meters within-stand scales, particularly for forests in which the canopy is dominated by a single species. An improved understanding of these effects is critical for understanding how understory biodiversity is regulated in such forests and for anticipating impacts of changing disturbance regimes. Our primary objective was to examine the patterns of fine-scale variation in understory plant communities and their relationships to above- and below-ground resource and environmental heterogeneity within mature lodgepole pine forests. We assessed composition and diversity of understory vegetation in relation to heterogeneity of both the above-ground (canopy tree density, canopy and tall shrub basal area and cover, downed wood biomass, litter cover and below-ground (soil nutrient availability, decomposition, forest floor thickness, pH, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs and multiple carbon-source substrate-induced respiration (MSIR of the forest floor microbial community environment. There was notable variation in fine-scale plant community composition; cluster and indicator species analyses of the 24 most commonly occurring understory species distinguished four assemblages, one for which a pioneer forb species had the highest cover levels, and three others that were characterized by different bryophyte species having the highest cover. Constrained ordination (distance-based redundancy analysis showed that two above-ground (mean tree diameter, litter cover and eight below-ground (forest floor pH, plant available boron, microbial community composition and function as indicated by MSIR and PLFAs properties were associated with variation in understory plant community composition. These results provide

Understory Plant Community Composition Is Associated with Fine-Scale Above- and Below-Ground Resource Heterogeneity in Mature Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) Forests.

Science.gov (United States)

McIntosh, Anne C S; Macdonald, S Ellen; Quideau, Sylvie A

2016-01-01

Understory plant communities play critical ecological roles in forest ecosystems. Both above- and below-ground ecosystem properties and processes influence these communities but relatively little is known about such effects at fine (i.e., one to several meters within-stand) scales, particularly for forests in which the canopy is dominated by a single species. An improved understanding of these effects is critical for understanding how understory biodiversity is regulated in such forests and for anticipating impacts of changing disturbance regimes. Our primary objective was to examine the patterns of fine-scale variation in understory plant communities and their relationships to above- and below-ground resource and environmental heterogeneity within mature lodgepole pine forests. We assessed composition and diversity of understory vegetation in relation to heterogeneity of both the above-ground (canopy tree density, canopy and tall shrub basal area and cover, downed wood biomass, litter cover) and below-ground (soil nutrient availability, decomposition, forest floor thickness, pH, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and multiple carbon-source substrate-induced respiration (MSIR) of the forest floor microbial community) environment. There was notable variation in fine-scale plant community composition; cluster and indicator species analyses of the 24 most commonly occurring understory species distinguished four assemblages, one for which a pioneer forb species had the highest cover levels, and three others that were characterized by different bryophyte species having the highest cover. Constrained ordination (distance-based redundancy analysis) showed that two above-ground (mean tree diameter, litter cover) and eight below-ground (forest floor pH, plant available boron, microbial community composition and function as indicated by MSIR and PLFAs) properties were associated with variation in understory plant community composition. These results provide novel insights

Stable isotope studies: Progress report, March 1985--August 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Takanobu.

1987-01-01

Studies have been carried out in the following areas: Stable Isotope Fractionation (1) Effects of chemical poisons and surface modifiers on polycrystalline platinum electrode surfaces have been investigated with a goal to develop a new form of heterogeneous catalyst for the hydrogen isotope exchange between dihydrogen and water. (2) A new nitrogen-15 fractionation process has been developed, based on the isotope exchange between liquid N 2 O 3 -N 2 O 4 mixture and their vapor phase at a subambient temperature and a raised pressure. (3) A closed chemical recycle process has been developed for use in connection with the refluxer in the Nitrox-type nitrogen-15 plant. Isotope Effects (1) The vapor pressure isotope effect (VPIE) study of liquid fluoromethanes have been completed. (2) The VPIE study of solid and liquid ammonia has been completed. (3) A theoretical foundation of the additivity for the vibrational zero-point energy (ZPE) has been developed. Studies of Liquid Ammonia. With an aim to study intermolecular interaction (and the inversion phenomenon, in particular) in liquid ammonia, and to further investigate various ammonia solutions, a molecular dynamics (MD) study has been initiated. An MD program has been completed, and force field functions have been developed for an ensemble of non-rigid ammonia molecules. 107 refs., 41 figs., 10 tabs

Trace element and isotopic effects arising from magma migration beneath mid-ocean ridges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenyon, P.M.

1990-01-01

The trace element concentrations and isotopic ratios in the magma erupted on mid-ocean ridges may differ from those in the source material due to physical effects such as porous flow dispersion, exchange of trace elements between the fluid and solid phases during magma migration, and convective mixing in magma chambers. These differences are in addition to those produced by better known processes such as fractional crystallization and partial melting. The effects of the three former processes are described. It is predicted that magma typically reaches the sub-ridge magma chambers with a spatial heterogeneity only slightly reduced from that of the source material, but with a subdued variation in time. Convective mixing then further reduces the spatial heterogeneity. Application of the results for convective mixing to a recent Fourier analysis of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr variations along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge suggests that the falloff in amplitude of variation observed with decreasing wavelength in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge data cannot be explained by convective mixing in magma chambers. Instead, it is postulated that this falloff is due to the mechanics of the production and/or the solid-state convective mixing of chemical and isotopic heterogeneities in the solid mantle. (orig.)

Using nitrogen concentration and isotopic composition in lichens to spatially assess the relative contribution of atmospheric nitrogen sources in complex landscapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinho, P.; Barros, C.; Augusto, S.; Pereira, M.J.

2017-01-01

Reactive nitrogen (Nr) is an important driver of global change, causing alterations in ecosystem biodiversity and functionality. Environmental assessments require monitoring the emission and deposition of both the amount and types of Nr. This is especially important in heterogeneous landscapes, as different land-cover types emit particular forms of Nr to the atmosphere, which can impact ecosystems distinctively. Such assessments require high spatial resolution maps that also integrate temporal variations, and can only be feasibly achieved by using ecological indicators. Our aim was to rank land-cover types according to the amount and form of emitted atmospheric Nr in a complex landscape with multiple sources of N. To do so, we measured and mapped nitrogen concentration and isotopic composition in lichen thalli, which we then related to land-cover data. Results suggested that, at the landscape scale, intensive agriculture and urban areas were the most important sources of Nr to the atmosphere. Additionally, the ocean greatly influences Nr in land, by providing air with low Nr concentration and a unique isotopic composition. These results have important consequences for managing air pollution at the regional level, as they provide critical information for modeling Nr emission and deposition across regional as well as continental scales. - Highlights: • Which land-cover types are reactive nitrogen sources or sinks at a landscape level? • Nitrogen concentration and isotopic composition were analyzed in lichens. • This allowed determination of the main nitrogen sources: agricultural and urban areas. • Marine sources provided persistent low concentrations of reactive nitrogen. • The typical signature of each source was also determined. - Reactive-nitrogen concentration and isotopic composition in lichens were used to rank Nr sources at a landscape level.

Water stable isotopes: application to the water cycle and climate variations study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Risi, C.

2009-12-01

The stable isotopic composition of water (H 2 16 , HDO, H 2 18 , H 2 17 ) is a promising tracer of the present day water cycle and past climates. While the isotopic composition recorded in polar ice core have long been used to reconstruct past temperatures, however, what controls the isotopic composition of the tropical precipitation is more complex. The goal of this thesis is thus to better understand the processes that affect the isotopic composition of tropical precipitation and atmospheric water, more particularly in the tropics. Since most of the tropical precipitation arises from atmospheric convection, and most isotopic archives are on land, we focus more particularly on the impact of convective and land surface processes. In turn, what can be learned about convection and land surface processes using isotopic measurements? Can they help constrain their representation in models? At the inter-annual to climate change scale, what information about the tropical climate variability is recorded in isotopic signals observed in archives? First, we investigate the influence of convection on water stable isotopes. We use both (1) numerical modeling, with a hierarchy of models (single column model, two-dimensional model of squall lines, general circulation model) and (2) data analysis, using isotopic data from rain collected in the Sahel during the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis campaign, at the event and intra-event scales. These studies highlight the strong impact of convection on the precipitation composition, and stress the importance of rain evaporation and convective or meso-scale subsidence in controlling the rain isotopic composition. Convection also plays an important role on isotopic profiles in the upper troposphere-lower stratosphere. Second, we study what information about climatic variability is recorded by water stable isotopes in precipitation. We analyze simulations of present day and past climates with LMDZ, and evaluate to what extent

Determination of traces of phosphorus using isotope exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeman, A.; Kratzer, K.

1976-01-01

A simple and selective radioanalytical method for the determination of phosphorus (0.015 - 5 μg in a 5 ml sample), based on the heterogeneous isotope exchange, has been developed. The sample containing phosphorus is shaken in the presence of molybdate with a standard solution of tetraphenylarsonium molybdophosphate labelled with phosphorus-32 in 1-2 dicloroethan. From the distribution of the activity between the aqueous and organic phases the amount of phosphorus in the sample can be determined. (Authors)

Integrated modeling and up-scaling of landfill processes and heterogeneity using stochastic approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bun, A.; Heimovaara, T.J.; Baviskar, S.M.; van Turnhout, A.G.; Konstantaki, L.A.

2012-01-01

Municipal solid waste landfills are a very complex and heterogeneous systems. The waste in a landfill body is a heterogeneous mixture of a wide range of materials containing high levels of organic matter, high amounts of salts and a wide range of different organic and inorganic substances, such as

Scale-up of heterogeneous catalytic reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heggs, P; Sunderland, P

1979-12-01

This report on the Institution of Chemical Engineers ''Problems in Applied Catalysis'' Meeting (Bath, U.K. 1/4-5/78) covers papers on the nature of the catalyst surface, including the use of IR spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, electron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and modular-beam scattering for investigating solid surfaces and their relevance to catalysis; study of the reaction mechanisms by which catalysis takes place; use of mechanistic models to determine the true chemical kinetics illustrated for the oxidation of benzene to maleic anhydride over a vanadium pentoxide/molybdenum trioxide catalyst; the study with respect to the importance of transport effects in catalyst pellets on scale-up, falsification of true kinetics, and the design of laboratory reactors; full-scale reactor design of packed-bed reactors; and practical scale-up problems illustrated for methanol synthesis over a copper catalyst, ammonia oxidation over a cobalt oxide catalyst, and the steam reforming of naphtha.

Measuring the triple O2 isotopic composition of air trapped in ice cores and quantifying thecauses of δ18Oatm Millennial Scale Variations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reutenauer, Corentin

of O2 isotopologues as global tracers of past changes in the climate system. The evolution of the past atmosphere can be retrieved from the air bubbles occluded n polar ice cores back to 800 kyr. However, elemental and isotopic fractionation processes alter O2 isotope ratios during the transport......, or the reproducibility of ice core δ18Oatm measurements is estimated with 21 Late Holocene Neem (Greenland) icecore samples from the same depth. A melt-extraction method is applied on these large samples (⋍ 30 g) and δ18Oatm , δO2/N2 and δ15N are measured in an O2 /N2/Ar mixture by isotope ratio mass spectrometry...... of the analytical system to reproduce δ18Oatm and δO2/N2 is estimated as 0.028‰ (1 σ) and 0.021‰ (1 σ), respectively. Fifth, thanks to improving isotope measurement techniques, millennial scale variations of δ18Oatm and 17Δatm preserved in polar ice cores have been revealed. In particular, a systematic δ18Oatm...

Efficiency of Al2O3 supported palladium sorbents in the process of hydrogen isotope exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andreev, B.M.; Perevezentsev, A.N.; Yasenkov, V.I.

1981-01-01

It is found that in the hydrogen-palladium system while applying the metal to aluminium oxide a considerable increase of the heterogeneous hydrogen isotopic exchange rate is observed due to the increase of its specific surface at 167-298 K temperatures and 350-500 Torr hydrogen pressures. It is shown that in the process of thermal treatment of the supported palladium sorbent resulting in reconstruction of the carrier porous structure, as well as in increasing the metal crystal size, the change of the stage, limiting the isotopic exchange process, occurs. The values of the rate and energy of activation of the hydrogen isotopic exchange are presented [ru

Stable isotope series from elephant ivory reveal lifetime histories of a true dietary generalist.

Science.gov (United States)

Codron, Jacqueline; Codron, Daryl; Sponheimer, Matt; Kirkman, Kevin; Duffy, Kevin J; Raubenheimer, Erich J; Mélice, Jean-Luc; Grant, Rina; Clauss, Marcus; Lee-Thorp, Julia A

2012-06-22

Longitudinal studies have revealed how variation in resource use within consumer populations can impact their dynamics and functional significance in communities. Here, we investigate multi-decadal diet variations within individuals of a keystone megaherbivore species, the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), using serial stable isotope analysis of tusks from the Kruger National Park, South Africa. These records, representing the longest continuous diet histories documented for any extant species, reveal extensive seasonal and annual variations in isotopic--and hence dietary--niches of individuals, but little variation between them. Lack of niche distinction across individuals contrasts several recent studies, which found relatively high levels of individual niche specialization in various taxa. Our result is consistent with theory that individual mammal herbivores are nutritionally constrained to maintain broad diet niches. Individual diet specialization would also be a costly strategy for large-bodied taxa foraging over wide areas in spatio-temporally heterogeneous environments. High levels of within-individual diet variability occurred within and across seasons, and persisted despite an overall increase in inferred C(4) grass consumption through the twentieth century. We suggest that switching between C(3) browsing and C(4) grazing over extended time scales facilitates elephant survival through environmental change, and could even allow recovery of overused resources.

Heterogeneous patterns enhancing static and dynamic texture classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Núbia Rosa da; Martinez Bruno, Odemir

2013-01-01

Some mixtures, such as colloids like milk, blood, and gelatin, have homogeneous appearance when viewed with the naked eye, however, to observe them at the nanoscale is possible to understand the heterogeneity of its components. The same phenomenon can occur in pattern recognition in which it is possible to see heterogeneous patterns in texture images. However, current methods of texture analysis can not adequately describe such heterogeneous patterns. Common methods used by researchers analyse the image information in a global way, taking all its features in an integrated manner. Furthermore, multi-scale analysis verifies the patterns at different scales, but still preserving the homogeneous analysis. On the other hand various methods use textons to represent the texture, breaking texture down into its smallest unit. To tackle this problem, we propose a method to identify texture patterns not small as textons at distinct scales enhancing the separability among different types of texture. We find sub patterns of texture according to the scale and then group similar patterns for a more refined analysis. Tests were performed in four static texture databases and one dynamical one. Results show that our method provide better classification rate compared with conventional approaches both in static and in dynamic texture.

Are leaf physiological traits related to leaf water isotopic enrichment in restinga woody species?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BRUNO H.P. ROSADO

2013-09-01

Full Text Available During plant-transpiration, water molecules having the lighter stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen evaporate and diffuse at a faster rate through the stomata than molecules having the heavier isotopes, which cause isotopic enrichment of leaf water. Although previous models have assumed that leaf water is well-mixed and isotopically uniform, non-uniform stomatal closure, promoting different enrichments between cells, and different pools of water within leaves, due to morpho-physiological traits, might lead to inaccuracies in isotopic models predicting leaf water enrichment. We evaluate the role of leaf morpho-physiological traits on leaf water isotopic enrichment in woody species occurring in a coastal vegetation of Brazil known as restinga. Hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope values of soil, plant stem and leaf water and leaf traits were measured in six species from restinga vegetation during a drought and a wet period. Leaf water isotopic enrichment relative to stem water was more homogeneous among species during the drought in contrast to the wet period suggesting convergent responses to deal to temporal heterogeneity in water availability. Average leaf water isotopic enrichment relative to stem water during the drought period was highly correlated with relative apoplastic water content. We discuss this observation in the context of current models of leaf water isotopic enrichment as a function of the Péclet effect. We suggest that future studies should include relative apoplastic water content in isotopic models.

Are leaf physiological traits related to leaf water isotopic enrichment in restinga woody species?

Science.gov (United States)

Rosado, Bruno H P; De Mattos, Eduardo A; Sternberg, Leonel Da S L

2013-09-01

During plant-transpiration, water molecules having the lighter stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen evaporate and diffuse at a faster rate through the stomata than molecules having the heavier isotopes, which cause isotopic enrichment of leaf water. Although previous models have assumed that leaf water is well-mixed and isotopically uniform, non-uniform stomatal closure, promoting different enrichments between cells, and different pools of water within leaves, due to morpho-physiological traits, might lead to inaccuracies in isotopic models predicting leaf water enrichment. We evaluate the role of leaf morpho-physiological traits on leaf water isotopic enrichment in woody species occurring in a coastal vegetation of Brazil known as restinga. Hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope values of soil, plant stem and leaf water and leaf traits were measured in six species from restinga vegetation during a drought and a wet period. Leaf water isotopic enrichment relative to stem water was more homogeneous among species during the drought in contrast to the wet period suggesting convergent responses to deal to temporal heterogeneity in water availability. Average leaf water isotopic enrichment relative to stem water during the drought period was highly correlated with relative apoplastic water content. We discuss this observation in the context of current models of leaf water isotopic enrichment as a function of the Péclet effect. We suggest that future studies should include relative apoplastic water content in isotopic models.

The Green's function method for critical heterogeneous slabs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kornreich, D.E.

1996-01-01

Recently, the Green's Function Method (GFM) has been employed to obtain benchmark-quality results for nuclear engineering and radiative transfer calculations. This was possible because of fast and accurate calculations of the Green's function and the associated Fourier and Laplace transform inversions. Calculations have been provided in one-dimensional slab geometries for both homogeneous and heterogeneous media. A heterogeneous medium is analyzed as a series of homogeneous slabs, and Placzek's lemma is used to extend each slab to infinity. This allows use of the infinite medium Green's function (the anisotropic plane source in an infinite homogeneous medium) in the solution. To this point, a drawback of the GFM has been the limitation to media with c 1; however, mathematical solutions exist which result in oscillating Green's functions. Such calculations are briefly discussing. The limitation to media with c < 1 has been relaxed so that the Green's function may also be calculated for media with c ≥ 1. Thus, materials that contain fissionable isotopes may be modeled

Isotopes in North American Rocky Mountain snowpack 1993–2014

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Lesleigh; Max Berkelhammer,; Mast, M. Alisa

2015-01-01

We present ∼1300 new isotopic measurements (δ18O and δ2H) from a network of snowpack sites in the Rocky Mountains that have been sampled since 1993. The network includes 177 locations where depth-integrated snow samples are collected each spring near peak accumulation. At 57 of these locations snowpack samples were obtained for 10–21 years and their isotopic measurements provide unprecedented spatial and temporal documentation of snowpack isotope values at mid-latitudes. For environments where snowfall accounts for the majority of annual precipitation, snowmelt is likely to have the strongest influence on isotope values retained in proxy archives. In this first presentation of the dataset we (1) describe the basic features of the isotope values in relation to the Global Meteoric Water Line (GMWL), (2) evaluate space for time substitutions traditionally used to establish δ18O-temperature relations, (3) evaluate site-to-site similarities across the network and identify those that are the most regionally representative, (4) examine atmospheric circulation patterns for several years with spatially coherent isotope patterns, and (5) provide examples of the implications this new dataset has for interpreting paleoclimate records (Bison Lake, Colorado and Minnetonka Cave, Idaho). Results indicate that snowpack δ18O is rarely a simple proxy of temperature. Instead, it exhibits a high degree of spatial heterogeneity and temporal variance that reflect additional processes such as vapor transport and post-depositional modification. Despite these complexities we identify consistent climate-isotope patterns and regionally representative locations that serve to better define Holocene hydroclimate estimates and their uncertainty. Climate change has and will affect western U.S. snowpack and we suggest these changes can be better understood and anticipated by oxygen and hydrogen isotope-based reconstructions of Holocene hydroclimate using a process-based understanding of the

Pyroxene Homogenization and the Isotopic Systematics of Eucrites

Science.gov (United States)

Nyquist, L. E.; Bogard, D. D.

1996-01-01

The original Mg-Fe zoning of eucritic pyroxenes has in nearly all cases been partly homogenized, an observation that has been combined with other petrographic and compositional criteria to establish a scale of thermal "metamorphism" for eucrites. To evaluate hypotheses explaining development of conditions on the HED parent body (Vesta?) leading to pyroxene homogenization against their chronological implications, it is necessary to know whether pyroxene metamorphism was recorded in the isotopic systems. However, identifying the effects of the thermal metamorphism with specific effects in the isotopic systems has been difficult, due in part to a lack of correlated isotopic and mineralogical studies of the same eucrites. Furthermore, isotopic studies often place high demands on analytical capabilities, resulting in slow growth of the isotopic database. Additionally, some isotopic systems would not respond in a direct and sensitive way to pyroxene homogenization. Nevertheless, sufficient data exist to generalize some observations, and to identify directions of potentially fruitful investigations.

Effect of heterogeneities on evaluating earthquake triggering of volcanic eruptions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Takekawa

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Recent researches have indicated coupling between volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Some of them calculated static stress transfer in subsurface induced by the occurrences of earthquakes. Most of their analyses ignored the spatial heterogeneity in subsurface, or only took into account the rigidity layering in the crust. On the other hand, a smaller scale heterogeneity of around hundreds of meters has been suggested by geophysical investigations. It is difficult to reflect that kind of heterogeneity in analysis models because accurate distributions of fluctuation are not well understood in many cases. Thus, the effect of the ignorance of the smaller scale heterogeneity on evaluating the earthquake triggering of volcanic eruptions is also not well understood. In the present study, we investigate the influence of the assumption of homogeneity on evaluating earthquake triggering of volcanic eruptions using finite element simulations. The crust is treated as a stochastic media with different heterogeneous parameters (correlation length and magnitude of velocity perturbation in our simulations. We adopt exponential and von Karman functions as spatial auto-correlation functions (ACF. In all our simulation results, the ignorance of the smaller scale heterogeneity leads to underestimation of the failure pressure around a chamber wall, which relates to dyke initiation. The magnitude of the velocity perturbation has a larger effect on the tensile failure at the chamber wall than the difference of the ACF and the correlation length. The maximum effect on the failure pressure in all our simulations is about twice larger than that in the homogeneous case. This indicates that the estimation of the earthquake triggering due to static stress transfer should take account of the heterogeneity of around hundreds of meters.

Osmium Isotope Compositions of Komatiite Sources Through Time

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, R. J.

2001-12-01

Extending Os isotopic measurements to ancient plume sources may help to constrain how and when the well-documented isotopic heterogeneities in modern systems were created. Komatiites and picrites associated with plume-related volcanism are valuable tracers of the Os isotopic composition of plumes because of their typically high Os concentrations and relatively low Re/Os. Re-Os data are now available for a variety of Phanerozoic, Proterozoic and Archean komatiites and picrites. As with modern plumes, the sources of Archean and Proterozoic komatiites exhibit a large range of initial 187Os/188Os ratios. Most komatiites are dominated by sources with chondritic Os isotopic compositions (e.g. Song La; Norseman-Wiluna; Pyke Hill; Alexo), though some (e.g. Gorgona) derive from heterogeneous sources. Of note, however, two ca. 2.7 Ga systems, Kostomuksha (Russia) and Belingwe (Zimbabwe), have initial ratios enriched by 2-3% relative to the contemporary convecting upper mantle. These results suggest that if the 187Os enrichment was due to the incorporation of minor amounts of recycled crust into the mantle source of the rocks, the crust formed very early in Earth history. Thus, the Os results could reflect derivation of melt from hybrid mantle whose composition was modified by the addition of mafic crustal material that would most likely have formed between 4.2 and 4.5 Ga. Alternately, the mantle sources of these komatiites may have derived a portion of their Os from the putative 187Os - and 186Os -enriched outer core. For this hypothesis to be applicable to Archean rocks, an inner core of sufficient mass would have to have crystallized sufficiently early in Earth history to generate an outer core with 187Os enriched by at least 3% relative to the chondritic average. Using the Pt-Re-Os partition coefficients espoused by our earlier work, and assuming linear growth of the inner core started at 4.5 Ga and continued to present, would yield an outer core at 2.7 Ga with a gamma Os

Applications of C and N stable isotopes to ecological and environmental studies in seagrass ecosystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lepoint, Gilles [Centre MARE, Laboratoire d' Oceanologie, Institut de Chimie, B6, Universite de Liege, B-4000 Liege (Belgium)]. E-mail: g.lepoint@ulg.ac.be; Dauby, Patrick [Centre MARE, Laboratoire d' Oceanologie, Institut de Chimie, B6, Universite de Liege, B-4000 Liege (Belgium); Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, rue Vautier, B1000 Brussels (Belgium); Gobert, Sylvie [Centre MARE, Laboratoire d' Oceanologie, Institut de Chimie, B6, Universite de Liege, B-4000 Liege (Belgium)

2004-12-01

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen are increasingly used in marine ecosystems, for ecological and environmental studies. Here, we examine some applications of stable isotopes as ecological integrators or tracers in seagrass ecosystem studies. We focus on both the use of natural isotope abundance as food web integrators or environmental tracers and on the use of stable isotopes as experimental tools. As ecosystem integrators, stable isotopes have helped to elucidate the general structure of trophic webs in temperate, Mediterranean and tropical seagrass ecosystems. As environmental tracers, stable isotopes have proven their utility in sewage impact measuring and mapping. However, to make such environmental studies more comprehensible, future works on understanding of basic reasons for variations of N and C stable isotopes in seagrasses should be encouraged. At least, as experimental tracers, stable isotopes allow the study of many aspects of N and C cycles at the scale of a plant or at the scale of the seagrass ecosystem.

A revision in hydrogen isotopic composition of USGS42 and USGS43 human-hair stable isotopic reference materials for forensic science

Science.gov (United States)

Coplen, Tyler B.; Qi, Haiping

2016-01-01

The hydrogen isotopic composition (δ2HVSMOW-SLAP) of USGS42 and USGS43 human hair stable isotopic reference materials, normalized to the VSMOW (Vienna-Standard Mean Ocean Water)–SLAP (Standard Light Antarctic Precipitation) scale, was originally determined with a high temperature conversion technique using an elemental analyzer (TC/EA) with a glassy carbon tube and glassy carbon filling and analysis by isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). However, the TC/EA IRMS method can produce inaccurate δ2HVSMOW-SLAPresults when analyzing nitrogen-bearing organic substances owing to the formation of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), leading to non-quantitative conversion of a sample into molecular hydrogen (H2) for IRMS analysis. A single-oven, chromium-filled, elemental analyzer (Cr-EA) coupled to an IRMS substantially improves the measurement quality and reliability of hydrogen isotopic analysis of hydrogen- and nitrogen-bearing organic material because hot chromium scavenges all reactive elements except hydrogen. USGS42 and USGS43 human hair isotopic reference materials have been analyzed with the Cr-EA IRMS method, and the δ2HVSMOW-SLAP values of their non-exchangeable hydrogen fractions have been revised:where mUr = 0.001 = ‰. On average, these revised δ2HVSMOW-SLAP values are 5.7 mUr more positive than those previously measured. It is critical that readers pay attention to the δ2HVSMOW-SLAP of isotopic reference materials in publications as they may need to adjust the δ2HVSMOW–SLAP measurement results of human hair in previous publications to ensure all results are on the same isotope-delta scale.

A Plant-Based Proxy for the Oxygen Isotope Ratio of Atmospheric Water Vapor

Science.gov (United States)

Helliker, B.

2007-12-01

Atmospheric water vapor is a major component of the global hydrological cycle, but the isotopic balance of vapor is largely unknown. It is shown here that the oxygen isotope ratio of leaf water in the epiphytic Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish Moss) is controlled by the oxygen isotope ratio of atmospheric water vapor in both field and lab studies. Assuming that the leaf-water isotopic signature (and hence the atmospheric water vapor signature) is recorded in plant organic material, the atmospheric water vapor oxygen isotope ratios for Miami, Florida (USA) were reconstructed for several years from 1878 to 2005 using contemporary and herbarium specimens. T. usneoides ranges from Virginia, USA southwards through the tropics to Argentina, and the CAM epiphytic lifeform is widespread in other species. Therefore, epiphytes may be used to reconstruct the isotope ratio of atmospheric water for spatial scales that span over 60° of latitude and temporal scales that cover the last century of global temperature increase.

Biogeochemial modeling of biodegradation and stable isotope fractionation of DCE in a small-scale wetland

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez-Zaldívar, Pablo; Imfeld, Gwenaël; Maier, Uli; Centler, Florian; Thullner, Martin

2013-04-01

In recent years, the use of (constructed) wetlands has gained significant attention for the in situ remediation of groundwater contaminated with (chlorinated) organic hydrocarbons. Although many sophisticated experimental methods exist for the assessment of contaminant removal in such wetlands the understanding how changes in wetland hydrochemistry affect the removal processes is still limited. This knowledge gap might be reduced by the use of biogeochemical reactive transport models. This study presents the reactive transport simulation of a small-scale constructed wetland treated with groundwater containing cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE). Simulated processes consider different cDCE biodegradation pathways and the associated carbon isotope fractionation, a set of further (bio)geochemical processes as well as the activity of the plant roots. Spatio-temporal hydrochemical and isotope data from a long-term constructed wetland experiment [1] are used to constrain the model. Simulation results for the initial oxic phase of the wetland experiment indicate carbon isotope enrichment factors typical for cometabolic DCE oxidation, which suggests that aerobic treatment of cDCE is not an optimal remediation strategy. For the later anoxic phase of the experiment model derived enrichment factors indicate reductive dechlorination pathways. This degradation is promoted at all wetland depths by a sufficient availability of electron donor and carbon sources from root exudates, which makes the anoxic treatment of groundwater in such wetlands an effective remediation strategy. In combination with the previous experimental data results from this study suggest that constructed wetlands are viable remediation means for the treatment of cDCE contaminated groundwater. Reactive transport models can improve the understanding of the factors controlling chlorinated ethenes removal, and the used model approach would also allow for an optimization of the wetland operation needed for a complete

Simple heterogeneity parametrization for sea surface temperature and chlorophyll

Science.gov (United States)

Skákala, Jozef; Smyth, Timothy J.

2016-06-01

Using satellite maps this paper offers a complex analysis of chlorophyll & SST heterogeneity in the shelf seas around the southwest of the UK. The heterogeneity scaling follows a simple power law and is consequently parametrized by two parameters. It is shown that in most cases these two parameters vary only relatively little with time. The paper offers a detailed comparison of field heterogeneity between different regions. How much heterogeneity is in each region preserved in the annual median data is also determined. The paper explicitly demonstrates how one can use these results to calculate representative measurement area for in situ networks.

Melting of a beta-Hairpin Peptide Using Isotope-Edited 2D IR Spectroscopy and Simulations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smith, Adam W.; Lessing, Joshua; Ganim, Ziad; Peng, Chunte Sam; Tokmakoff, Andrei; Roy, Santanu; Jansen, Thomas L. C.; Knoester, Jasper

2010-01-01

Isotope-edited two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy has been used! to characterize the conformational heterogeneity of the beta-hairpin peptide TrpZip2 (17.2) across its thermal unfolding transition Four isotopologues were synthesized to probe hydrogen bonding and solvent exposure of the beta-turn

Melting of a beta-hairpin peptide using isotope-edited 2D IR spectroscopy and simulations.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smith, A.W.; Lessing, J.; Ganim, Z.; Peng, C.S.; Tokmakoff, A.; Roy, S.; Jansen, T.L.Th.A.; Knoester, J.

2010-01-01

Isotope-edited two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy has been used to characterize the conformational heterogeneity of the beta-hairpin peptide TrpZip2 (TZ2) across its thermal unfolding transition. Four isotopologues were synthesized to probe hydrogen bonding and solvent exposure of the beta-turn

An investigation of the heterogeneous nucleation of calcite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

House, W.A.; Tutton, J.A.

1982-01-01

The heterogeneous precipitation kinetics of calcite from dilute calcium bicarbonate solutions onto pyrex glass seeds is investigated by using a modified form of the Davies and Jones equation. The rate constant is evaluated from experiments using calcite seeds and it is demonstrated that the growth rate does not increase in proportion to the increase in surface area accompanying precipitation. The number of heteronucleated particles is estimated by assuming a constant density of growth sites on the different calcite surfaces. A comparison is made between the specific surface areas of calcite obtained by the calcium-45 isotopic exchange method and other values. (orig.)

The influence of idealized surface heterogeneity on virtual turbulent flux measurements

Science.gov (United States)

De Roo, Frederik; Mauder, Matthias

2018-04-01

The imbalance of the surface energy budget in eddy-covariance measurements is still an unsolved problem. A possible cause is the presence of land surface heterogeneity, which affects the boundary-layer turbulence. To investigate the impact of surface variables on the partitioning of the energy budget of flux measurements in the surface layer under convective conditions, we set up a systematic parameter study by means of large-eddy simulation. For the study we use a virtual control volume approach, which allows the determination of advection by the mean flow, flux-divergence and storage terms of the energy budget at the virtual measurement site, in addition to the standard turbulent flux. We focus on the heterogeneity of the surface fluxes and keep the topography flat. The surface fluxes vary locally in intensity and these patches have different length scales. Intensity and length scales can vary for the two horizontal dimensions but follow an idealized chessboard pattern. Our main focus lies on surface heterogeneity of the kilometer scale, and one order of magnitude smaller. For these two length scales, we investigate the average response of the fluxes at a number of virtual towers, when varying the heterogeneity length within the length scale and when varying the contrast between the different patches. For each simulation, virtual measurement towers were positioned at functionally different positions (e.g., downdraft region, updraft region, at border between domains, etc.). As the storage term is always small, the non-closure is given by the sum of the advection by the mean flow and the flux-divergence. Remarkably, the missing flux can be described by either the advection by the mean flow or the flux-divergence separately, because the latter two have a high correlation with each other. For kilometer scale heterogeneity, we notice a clear dependence of the updrafts and downdrafts on the surface heterogeneity and likewise we also see a dependence of the energy

Population heterogeneity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli lab scale cultivations simulating industrial scale bioprocesses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heins, Anna-Lena

Today it is well known that a population of cells in a bioreactor is heterogeneous, opposite to traditional belief, and thus exhibiting distributions of single cell properties e.g. cell size, viability and metabolic activity rather than having a set of characteristics that can be described...

Isotopes in environmental research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowen, G.; Rozanski, K.; Vose, P.

1990-01-01

Radioactive and stable isotopes have long been considered a very efficient tool for studying physical and biological aspects of how the global ecosystem functions. Their applications in environmental research are numerous, embracing research at all levels. This article looks at only a few of the approaches to environmental problems that involve the use of isotopes. Special attention is given to studies of the Amazon Basin. Environmental isotopes are very efficient tools in water cycle studies. Tritium, a radioactive tracer, is especially useful in studying dynamics of water movement in different compartments of the hydrosphere, both on the local and global scales. Heavy stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen (deuterium and oxygen-18) provide information about steady-state characteristics of the water cycle. Isotope methods, some relatively new, have a major role in site-specific studies. Some indicative examples include: Studying turnover of organic matter. Changes in the carbon-13/carbon-12 isotopic ratio of organic matter were used to determine the respective contributions of organic carbon derived from forest and pasture. Studying biological nitrogen fixation. One of the ways nitrogen levels in soil can be maintained for productivity is by biological nitrogen fixation. Studying nitrogen availability and losses. The experimental use of nitrogen-15 is invaluable for defining losses of soil nitrogen to the atmosphere and to groundwater. Studies can similarly be done with stable and radioactive sulphur isotopes. This article indicates some potential uses of isotopes in environmental research. While the major problem of global climate change has not been specifically addressed here, the clearing of the Amazon forest, one focus of the IAEA's environmental programme, may have serious consequences for the global climate. These include substantial reduction of the amount of latent heat transported to the regions outside the tropics and acceleration of the greenhouse

Calculation of Site-specific Carbon-isotope Fractionation in Pedogenic Oxide Minerals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rustad, James R.; Zarzycki, Piotr

2008-07-29

Ab initio molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry techniques are used to calculate the structure, vibrational frequencies, and carbon-isotope fractionation factors of the carbon dioxide component [CO2(m)] of soil (oxy)hydroxide minerals goethite, diaspore, and gibbsite. We have identified two possible pathways of incorporation of CO2(m) into (oxy)hydroxide crystal structures: one in which the C4+ substitutes for four H+ [CO2(m)A] and another in which C4+ substitutes for (Al3+,Fe3+) + H+ [CO2(m)B]. Calculations of isotope fractionation factors give large differences between the two structures, with the CO2(m)A being isotopically lighter than CO2(m)B by ≈10 per mil in the case of gibbsite and nearly 20 per mil in the case of goethite. The reduced partition function ratio of CO2(m)B structure in goethite differs from CO2(g) by <1 per mil. The predicted fractionation for gibbsite is >10 per mil higher, close to those measured for calcite and aragonite. The surprisingly large difference in the carbon-isotope fractionation factor between the CO2(m)A and CO2(m)B structures within a given mineral suggests that the isotopic signatures of soil (oxy)hydroxide could be heterogeneous.

Strontium and neodymium isotopic evidence for the heterogeneous nature and development of the mantle beneath Afar (Ethiopia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betton, P.J.; Civetta, L.

1984-01-01

Neodymium isotope and REE analyses of recent volcanic rocks and spinel lherzolite nodules from the Afar area are reported. The 143 Nd/ 144 Nd ratios of the volcanic rocks range from 0.51286 to 0.51304, similar to the range recorded from Iceland. However, the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios display a distinctly greater range (0.70328-0.70410) than those reported from the primitive rocks of Iceland. Whole rock samples and mineral separates from the spinel lherzolite nodules exhibit uniform 143 Nd/ 144 Nd ratios (ca. 0.5129) but varied 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in the range 0.70427-0.70528. The Sr-Nd isotope variations suggest that the volcanic rocks may have been produced by mixing between two reservoirs with distinct isotopic compositions. Two possible magma reservoirs in this area are the source which produced the 'MORB-type' volcanics in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the anomalous source represented by the nodule suite. The isotopic composition of the volcanics is compatible with mixing between these two reservoirs. It is shown that the anomalous source with a high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio cannot have been produced by simple processes of partial melting and mixing within normal mantle. Instead the high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr is equated with a fluid phase. A primitive cognate fluid, subducted seawater or altered oceanic lithosphere may have been responsible for the generation of the source with a high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio. (orig.)

3D modeling of carbonates petro-acoustic heterogeneities

Science.gov (United States)

Baden, Dawin; Guglielmi, Yves; Saracco, Ginette; Marié, Lionel; Viseur, Sophie

2015-04-01

Characterizing carbonate reservoirs heterogeneity is a challenging issue for Oil & Gas Industry, CO2 sequestration and all kinds of fluid manipulations in natural reservoirs, due to the significant impact of heterogeneities on fluid flow and storage within the reservoir. Although large scale (> meter) heterogeneities such as layers petrophysical contrasts are well addressed by computing facies-based models, low scale (ultrasonic apparatus and using different sensors allowing acoustic characterization through a bandwidth varying from 50 to 500 kHz. Comprehensive measurements realized on each samples allowed statistical analyses of petro-acoustic properties such as attenuation, shear and longitudinal wave velocity. The cores properties (geological and acoustic facies) were modeled in 3D using photogrammetry and GOCAD geo-modeler. This method successfully allowed detecting and imaging in three dimensions differential diagenesis effects characterized by the occurrence of decimeter-scale diagenetic horizons in samples assumed to be homogeneous and/or different diagenetic sequences between shells filling and the packing matrix. We then discuss how small interfaces such as cracks, stylolithes and laminations which are also imaged may have guided these differential effects, considering that understanding the processes may be taken as an analogue to actual fluid drainage complexity in deep carbonate reservoir.

Correlation between isotopic and meteorological parameters in Italian wines: a local-scale approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Aghemo, Costanza; Albertino, Andrea; Gobetto, Roberto; Spanna, Federico

2011-08-30

Since the beginning of the 1980s deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance and carbon-13 mass spectrometry have proved to be reliable techniques for detecting adulteration and for classifying natural products by their geographic origin. Scientific literature has so far mainly focused on data acquired at regional level where isotopic parameters are correlated to climatic mean data relative to large territories. Nebbiolo and Barbera wine samples of various vintages and from different areas within the Piedmont region (northern Italy) were analysed using SNIF-NMR and GC-C-IRMS and a large set of meteorological parameters were recorded by means of weather stations placed in fields where the grapes were grown. Correlations between isotopic ((2)H and (13)C) data and several climatic parameters at a local level (mean temperature, total rainfall, mean humidity and thermal sums) were attempted and some linear correlations were found. Mean temperature and total rainfall were found to be correlated to isotopic ((2)H and (13)C) abundance in linear direct and inverse proportions respectively. Lower or no correlations between deuterium and carbon-13 abundances and other meteorological parameters such as mean humidity and thermal sums were found. Moreover, wines produced from different grape varieties in the same grape field showed significantly different isotopic values. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Generic evolution of mixing in heterogeneous media

Science.gov (United States)

De Dreuzy, J.; Carrera, J.; Dentz, M.; Le Borgne, T.

2011-12-01

Mixing in heterogeneous media results from the competition bewteen flow fluctuations and local scale diffusion. Flow fluctuations quickly create concentration contrasts and thus heterogeneity of the concentration field, which is slowly homogenized by local scale diffusion. Mixing first deviates from Gaussian mixing, which represents the potential mixing induced by spreading before approaching it. This deviation fundamentally expresses the evolution of the interaction between spreading and local scale diffusion. We characterize it by the ratio γ of the non-Gaussian to the Gaussian mixing states. We define the Gaussian mixing state as the integrated squared concentration of the Gaussian plume that has the same longitudinal dispersion as the real plume. The non-Gaussian mixing state is the difference between the overall mixing state defined as the integrated squared concentration and the Gaussian mixing state. The main advantage of this definition is to use the full knowledge previously acquired on dispersion for characterizing mixing even when the solute concentration field is highly non Gaussian. Using high precision numerical simulations, we show that γ quickly increases, peaks and slowly decreases. γ can be derived from two scales characterizing spreading and local mixing, at least for large flux-weighted solute injection conditions into classically log-normal Gaussian correlated permeability fields. The spreading scale is directly related to the longitudinal dispersion. The local mixing scale is the largest scale over which solute concentrations can be considered locally uniform. More generally, beyond the characteristics of its maximum, γ turns out to have a highly generic scaling form. Its fast increase and slow decrease depend neither on the heterogeneity level, nor on the ratio of diffusion to advection, nor on the injection conditions. They might even not depend on the particularities of the flow fields as the same generic features also prevail for

Upscaling of Constitutive Relations In Unsaturated Heterogeneous Porous Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, H. H.; Bodvarsson, G. S.

2001-01-01

When numerical model are used for modeling field scale flow and transport processes in the subsurface, the problem of ''upscaling'' arises. Typical scales, corresponding to spatial resolutions of subsurface heterogeneity in numerical models, are generally much larger than the measurement scale of the parameters and physical processes involved. The upscaling problems is, then, one of assigning parameters to gridblock scale based on parameter values measured on small scales. The focus of this study is to develop an approach to determine large-scale (upscaled) constitutive relations (relationships among relative permeability, capillary pressure and saturation) from small-scale measurements for porous media for a range of air entry values that are typical for the tuff matrix in the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain. For porous media with large air entry values, capillary forces play a key role in determining spatial water distribution at large-scales. Therefore, a relatively uniform capillary pressure approximately exists even for a large gridblock scale under steady state flow conditions. Based on these reasoning, we developed formulations that relate upscaled constitutive relations to ones measured at core-scale. Numerical experiments with stochastically generated heterogeneous porous media were used to evaluate the upscaling formulations

Discontinuous Galerkin Subgrid Finite Element Method for Heterogeneous Brinkman’s Equations

KAUST Repository

Iliev, Oleg P.; Lazarov, Raytcho D.; Willems, Joerg

2010-01-01

We present a two-scale finite element method for solving Brinkman's equations with piece-wise constant coefficients. This system of equations model fluid flows in highly porous, heterogeneous media with complex topology of the heterogeneities. We

Accounting for the Decreasing Reaction Potential of Heterogeneous Aquifers in a Stochastic Framework of Aquifer-Scale Reactive Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Loschko, Matthias; Wöhling, Thomas; Rudolph, David L.; Cirpka, Olaf A.

2018-01-01

Many groundwater contaminants react with components of the aquifer matrix, causing a depletion of the aquifer's reactivity with time. We discuss conceptual simplifications of reactive transport that allow the implementation of a decreasing reaction potential in reactive-transport simulations in chemically and hydraulically heterogeneous aquifers without relying on a fully explicit description. We replace spatial coordinates by travel-times and use the concept of relative reactivity, which represents the reaction-partner supply from the matrix relative to a reference. Microorganisms facilitating the reactions are not explicitly modeled. Solute mixing is neglected. Streamlines, obtained by particle tracking, are discretized in travel-time increments with variable content of reaction partners in the matrix. As exemplary reactive system, we consider aerobic respiration and denitrification with simplified reaction equations: Dissolved oxygen undergoes conditional zero-order decay, nitrate follows first-order decay, which is inhibited in the presence of dissolved oxygen. Both reactions deplete the bioavailable organic carbon of the matrix, which in turn determines the relative reactivity. These simplifications reduce the computational effort, facilitating stochastic simulations of reactive transport on the aquifer scale. In a one-dimensional test case with a more detailed description of the reactions, we derive a potential relationship between the bioavailable organic-carbon content and the relative reactivity. In a three-dimensional steady-state test case, we use the simplified model to calculate the decreasing denitrification potential of an artificial aquifer over 200 years in an ensemble of 200 members. We demonstrate that the uncertainty in predicting the nitrate breakthrough in a heterogeneous aquifer decreases with increasing scale of observation.

Compositional and isotopic heterogeneities in the Neo-Tethyan upper mantle recorded by coexisting Al-rich and Cr-rich chromitites in the Purang peridotite massif, SW Tibet (China)

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Fahui; Yang, Jingsui; Xu, Xiangzhen; Kapsiotis, Argyrios; Hao, Xiaolin; Liu, Zhao

2018-06-01

The Purang harzburgite massif in SW Tibet (China) hosts abundant chrome ore deposits. Ores consist of 20 to >95% modal chromian spinel (Cr-spinel) with mylonitic fabric in imbricate shaped pods. The composition of Cr-spinel in these ores ranges from Al-rich [Cr#Sp or Cr/(Cr + Al) × 100 = 47.60-57.56] to Cr-rich (Cr#Sp: 62.55-79.57). Bulk platinum-group element (PGE) contents of chromitites are also highly variable ranging from 17.5 ppb to ∼2.5 ppm. Both metallurgical and refractory chromitites show a general enrichment in the IPGE (Os, Ir and Ru) with respect to the PPGE (Rh, Pt and Pd), resulting mostly in right-sloping primitive mantle (PM)-normalized PGE profiles. The platinum-group mineral (PGM) assemblages of both chromitite types are dominated by heterogeneously distributed, euhedral Os-bearing laurite inclusions in Cr-spinel. The Purang chromitites have quite inhomogeneous 187Os/188Os ratios (0.12289-0.13194) that are within the range of those reported for mantle-hosted chromitites from other peridotite massifs. Geochemical calculations demonstrate that the parental melts of high-Cr chromitites were boninitic, whereas those of high-Al chromitites had an arc-type tholeiitic affinity. Chromite crystallization was most likely stimulated by changes in magma compositions due to melt-peridotite interaction, leading to the establishment of a heterogeneous physicochemical environment during the early crystallization of the PGM. The highly variable PGE contents, inhomogeneous Os-isotopic compositions and varying Cr#Sp ratios of these chromitites imply a polygenetic origin for them from spatially distinct melt inputs. The generally low γOs values (different sections of a heterogeneously depleted mantle source region. These melts were most likely produced in the mantle wedge above a downgoing lithospheric slab.

Pore-scale investigation on the response of heterotrophic respiration to moisture conditions in heterogeneous soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Zhifeng; Liu, Chongxuan; Todd-Brown, Katherine E.; Liu, Yuanyuan; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Bailey, Vanessa L.

2016-11-15

The relationship between microbial respiration rate and soil moisture content is an important property for understanding and predicting soil organic carbon degradation, CO₂ production and emission, and their subsequent effects on climate change. This paper reports a pore-scale modeling study to investigate the response of heterotrophic respiration to moisture conditions in soils and to evaluate various factors that affect this response. X-ray computed tomography was used to derive soil pore structures, which were then used for pore-scale model investigation. The pore-scale results were then averaged to calculate the effective respiration rates as a function of water content in soils. The calculated effective respiration rate first increases and then decreases with increasing soil water content, showing a maximum respiration rate at water saturation degree of 0.75 that is consistent with field and laboratory observations. The relationship between the respiration rate and moisture content is affected by various factors, including pore-scale organic carbon bioavailability, the rate of oxygen delivery, soil pore structure and physical heterogeneity, soil clay content, and microbial drought resistivity. Simulations also illustrates that a larger fraction of CO₂ produced from microbial respiration can be accumulated inside soil cores under higher saturation conditions, implying that CO₂ flux measured on the top of soil cores may underestimate or overestimate true soil respiration rates under dynamic moisture conditions. Overall, this study provides mechanistic insights into the soil respiration response to the change in moisture conditions, and reveals a complex relationship between heterotrophic microbial respiration rate and moisture content in soils that is affected by various hydrological, geochemical, and biophysical factors.

Interrogating trees for isotopic archives of atmospheric sulphur deposition and comparison to speleothem records

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wynn, P.M.; Loader, N.J.; Fairchild, I.J.

2014-01-01

Palaeorecords which depict changes in sulphur dynamics form an invaluable resource for recording atmospheric pollution. Tree rings constitute an archive that are ubiquitously available and can be absolutely dated, providing the potential to explore local- to regional-scale trends in sulphur availability. Rapid isotopic analysis by a novel “on-line” method using elemental analyser isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) is developed, achieving sample precision of <0.4‰ using sample sizes of 40 mg wood powder. Tree cores from NE Italy show trends in pollution, evidenced through increasing concentrations of sulphur towards the youngest growth, and inverse trends in sulphur isotopes differentiating modern growth with light sulphur isotopes (+0.7‰) from pre-industrial growth (+7.5‰) influenced by bedrock composition. Comparison with speleothem records from the same location demonstrate replication, albeit offset in isotopic value due to groundwater storage. Using EA-IRMS, tree ring archives form a valuable resource for understanding local- to regional-scale sulphur pollution dynamics. - Highlights: • Sulphur isotopes from tree rings are analysed using ‘on-line’ EA combustion. • Isotopes differentiate modern growth influenced by pollution from pre-industrial growth. • Biogeochemical cycling imparts minimal delay in sulphur incorporation into tree rings. • Trends in pollution are replicated between speleothems and trees from the same location. - Sulphur isotopes extracted from tree ring records are used to identify twentieth century pollution dynamics at the local- to regional-scale

Characterisation of stable isotopes to identify residence times and runoff components in two meso-scale catchments in the Abay/Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tekleab, S.; Wenninger, J.W.; Uhlenbrook, S.

2014-01-01

Measurements of the stable isotopes oxygen-18 (18O) and deuterium (2H) were carried out in two meso-scale catchments, Chemoga (358 km2) and Jedeb (296 km2) south of Lake Tana, Abay/Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia. The region is of paramount importance for the water resources in the Nile basin, as

Unifying Pore Network Modeling, Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) Theory and Experiment to Describe Impact of Spatial Heterogeneities on Solute Dispersion at Multiple Length-scales

Science.gov (United States)

Bijeljic, B.; Blunt, M. J.; Rhodes, M. E.

2009-04-01

This talk will describe and highlight the advantages offered by a novel methodology that unifies pore network modeling, CTRW theory and experiment in description of solute dispersion in porous media. Solute transport in a porous medium is characterized by the interplay of advection and diffusion (described by Peclet number, Pe) that cause dispersion of solute particles. Dispersion is traditionally described by dispersion coefficients, D, that are commonly calculated from the spatial moments of the plume. Using a pore-scale network model based on particle tracking, the rich Peclet-number dependence of dispersion coefficient is predicted from first principles and is shown to compare well with experimental data for restricted diffusion, transition, power-law and mechanical dispersion regimes in the asymptotic limit. In the asymptotic limit D is constant and can be used in an averaged advection-dispersion equation. However, it is highly important to recognize that, until the velocity field is fully sampled, the particle transport is non-Gaussian and D possesses temporal or spatial variation. Furthermore, temporal probability density functions (PDF) of tracer particles are studied in pore networks and an excellent agreement for the spectrum of transition times for particles from pore to pore is obtained between network model results and CTRW theory. Based on the truncated power-law interpretation of PDF-s, the physical origin of the power-law scaling of dispersion coefficient vs. Peclet number has been explained for unconsolidated porous media, sands and a number of sandstones, arriving at the same conclusion from numerical network modelling, analytic CTRW theory and experiment. The length traveled by solute plumes before Gaussian behaviour is reached increases with an increase in heterogeneity and/or Pe. This opens up the question on the nature of dispersion in natural systems where the heterogeneities at the larger scales will significantly increase the range of

Amino acid compositions in heated carbonaceous chondrites and their compound-specific nitrogen isotopic ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Queenie Hoi Shan; Chikaraishi, Yoshito; Takano, Yoshinori; Ogawa, Nanako O.; Ohkouchi, Naohiko

2016-01-01

A novel method has been developed for compound-specific nitrogen isotope compositions with an achiral column which was previously shown to offer high precision for nitrogen isotopic analysis. We applied the method to determine the amino acid contents and stable nitrogen isotopic compositions of individual amino acids from the thermally metamorphosed (above 500 °C) Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites Ivuna-like (CI)1 (or CI-like) Yamato (Y) 980115 and Ornans-like (CO)3.5 Allan Hills (ALH) A77003 with the use of gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry. ALHA77003 was deprived of amino acids due to its extended thermal alteration history. Amino acids were unambiguously identified in Y-980115, and the δ15N values of selected amino acids (glycine +144.8 ‰; α-alanine +121.2 ‰) are clearly extraterrestrial. Y-980115 has experienced an extended period of aqueous alteration as indicated by the presence of hydrous mineral phases. It has also been exposed to at least one post-hydration short-lived thermal metamorphism. Glycine and alanine were possibly produced shortly after the accretion event of the asteroid parent body during the course of an extensive aqueous alteration event and have abstained from the short-term post-aqueous alteration heating due to the heterogeneity of the parent body composition and porosity. These carbonaceous chondrite samples are good analogs that offer important insights into the target asteroid Ryugu of the Hayabusa-2 mission, which is a C-type asteroid likely composed of heterogeneous materials including hydrated and dehydrated minerals.

Stable isotope separation by thermal diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasaru, Gheorghe

2001-01-01

Thermal diffusion in both gaseous and liquid phase has been subject of extensive experimental and theoretical investigations, especially after the invention of K. Clusius and G. Dickel of the thermal diffusion column, sixty three years ago. This paper gives a brief overview of the most important research and developments performed during the time at the National Institute for Research and Development for Isotopic and Molecular Technology (ITIM) at Cluj - Napoca, Romania in the field of separation of stable isotopes by thermal diffusion. An retrospective analysis of the research and results concerning isotope separation by thermal diffusion entails the following conclusions: - thermal diffusion is an adequate method for hydrogen isotope separation (deuterium and tritium) and for noble gas isotope separation (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe); - thermal diffusion is attractive also for 13 C enrichment using methane as raw material for separation, when annual yields of up to 100 g are envisaged; - lately, the thermal diffusion appears to be chosen as a final enrichment step for 17 O. An obvious advantage of this method is its non-specificity, i.e. the implied equipment can be utilized for isotope separation of other chemical elements too. Having in view the low investment costs for thermal diffusion cascades the method appears economically attractive for obtaining low-scale, laboratory isotope production. The paper has the following content: 1. The principle of method; 2. The method's application; 3. Research in the field of thermal diffusion at ITIM; 4. Thermal diffusion cascades for N, C, Ne, Ar and Kr isotope separation; 5. Conclusion

Dual Si and O Isotope Measurement of Lunar Samples Using IRMS

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, N.; Hill, P. J. A.; Osinski, G. R.

2016-12-01

The use of isotopic systems and their associated theoretical models have become an increasingly sophisticated tool for investigating the origin of planetary bodies in the solar system. It was originally hypothesized that evidence for the impact origin of Moon would manifest itself as an isotopic heterogeneity between lunar and terrestrial samples; however, most isotope systems show no difference between the bulk Earth and Moon. The stable isotopes of both silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) have been essential in further understanding planetary processes including core formation. Historically the analysis of the Si and O isotope ratios in terrestrial and extraterrestrial material has primarily been measured independent of each other through three main techniques: isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (MC-ICPMS). Each technique has its own strength and weakness in regards to resolution and precision; however, one of the main limiting factors in all three of these techniques rests on the requirement of multiple aliquots. As most literature focuses on the measurement of oxygen or silicon isotopes, this unique line allows for the precise analysis of Si and O isotopes from the same aliquot of bulk sample, which cannot be done with SIMS or ICP-MS analysis. To deal with this problem a unique laser line system has been developed in the Laboratory for Stable Isotope Science at Western University, Canada, that simultaneously extracts SiF4 and O2 from the same 1-2 mg aliquot. We present the application of analyzing both isotopic systems from the sample aliquot to Apollo, meteoritic, and terrestrial samples and its implication for the formation of the Moon. Preliminary results from this line suggest that although the O isotopes ratios are consistent with a homogenous Moon-Earth system, a difference is observed in Si isotopes between Apollo and terrestrial samples compared to

Dynamics of epidemics outbreaks in heterogeneous populations

Science.gov (United States)

Brockmann, Dirk; Morales-Gallardo, Alejandro; Geisel, Theo

2007-03-01

The dynamics of epidemic outbreaks have been investigated in recent years within two alternative theoretical paradigms. The key parameter of mean field type of models such as the SIR model is the basic reproduction number R0, the average number of secondary infections caused by one infected individual. Recently, scale free network models have received much attention as they account for the high variability in the number of social contacts involved. These models predict an infinite basic reproduction number in some cases. We investigate the impact of heterogeneities of contact rates in a generic model for epidemic outbreaks. We present a system in which both the time periods of being infectious and the time periods between transmissions are Poissonian processes. The heterogeneities are introduced by means of strongly variable contact rates. In contrast to scale free network models we observe a finite basic reproduction number and, counterintuitively a smaller overall epidemic outbreak as compared to the homogeneous system. Our study thus reveals that heterogeneities in contact rates do not necessarily facilitate the spread to infectious disease but may well attenuate it.

New Isotopic clues to solar system formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, T.

1979-01-01

The presence of two new extinct nuclides 26 Al and 107 Pd with half-lives approx.10 6 years in the early solar system implies that there were nucleosynthetic activities involving a great many elements almost at the instant of solar system formation. Rare gas and oxygen isotopic abundance variations [''anomalies''] relative to the ''cosmic'' composition were observed in a variety of planetary objects indicating that isotopic heterogeneities caused by the incomplete mixing of distinct nucleosynthetic components permeate of the entire solar system. The correlated nuclear [''FUN''] anomalies in O, Mg, Si, Ca, Sr, Ba, Nd, and Sm were found in three rare inclusions in the Allende meteorite, which show large mass-dependent isotopic fractionation effects. The signature of the nuclear component required to explain these anomalies suggests a source which has received a catastrophic neutron burst [e.g., an r-process event]. These extinct nuclides and nucleosynthetic anomalies provide new clues to solar system formation. In particular, these results have led to the speculation that a nearby supernova had injected freshly synthesized material into the early solar nebula and possibly triggered the collapse of the proto-solar interstellar cloud. Furthermore, these new results have major implications on cosmochronology, nucleosynthesis theory, star formation, planetary heating, and the genetic relationship between different planetary bodies

Isotopic and criticality validation for actinide-only burnup credit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuentes, E.; Lancaster, D.; Rahimi, M.

1997-01-01

The techniques used for actinide-only burnup credit isotopic validation and criticality validation are presented and discussed. Trending analyses have been incorporated into both methodologies, requiring biases and uncertainties to be treated as a function of the trending parameters. The isotopic validation is demonstrated using the SAS2H module of SCALE 4.2, with the 27BURNUPLIB cross section library; correction factors are presented for each of the actinides in the burnup credit methodology. For the criticality validation, the demonstration is performed with the CSAS module of SCALE 4.2 and the 27BURNUPLIB, resulting in a validated upper safety limit

Epidemic Spreading with Heterogeneous Awareness on Human Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanling Lu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The spontaneous awareness behavioral responses of individuals have a significant impact on epidemic spreading. In this paper, a modified Susceptible-Alert-Infected-Susceptible (SAIS epidemic model with heterogeneous awareness is presented to study epidemic spreading in human networks and the impact of heterogeneous awareness on epidemic dynamics. In this model, when susceptible individuals receive awareness information about the presence of epidemic from their infected neighbor nodes, they will become alert individuals with heterogeneous awareness rate. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations show that heterogeneous awareness can enhance the epidemic threshold with certain conditions and reduce the scale of virus outbreaks compared with no awareness. What is more, for the same awareness parameter, it also shows that heterogeneous awareness can slow effectively the spreading size and does not delay the arrival time of epidemic spreading peak compared with homogeneous awareness.

Variation in the carbon and oxygen isotope composition of plant biomass and its relationship to water-use efficiency at the leaf- and ecosystem-scales in a northern Great Plains grassland.

Science.gov (United States)

Flanagan, Lawrence B; Farquhar, Graham D

2014-02-01

Measurements of the carbon (δ(13) Cm ) and oxygen (δ(18) Om ) isotope composition of C3 plant tissue provide important insights into controls on water-use efficiency. We investigated the causes of seasonal and inter-annual variability in water-use efficiency in a grassland near Lethbridge, Canada using stable isotope (leaf-scale) and eddy covariance measurements (ecosystem-scale). The positive relationship between δ(13) Cm and δ(18) Om values for samples collected during 1998-2001 indicated that variation in stomatal conductance and water stress-induced changes in the degree of stomatal limitation of net photosynthesis were the major controls on variation in δ(13) Cm and biomass production during this time. By comparison, the lack of a significant relationship between δ(13) Cm and δ(18) Om values during 2002, 2003 and 2006 demonstrated that water stress was not a significant limitation on photosynthesis and biomass production in these years. Water-use efficiency was higher in 2000 than 1999, consistent with expectations because of greater stomatal limitation of photosynthesis and lower leaf ci /ca during the drier conditions of 2000. Calculated values of leaf-scale water-use efficiency were 2-3 times higher than ecosystem-scale water-use efficiency, a difference that was likely due to carbon lost in root respiration and water lost during soil evaporation that was not accounted for by the stable isotope measurements. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Penguin Proxies: Deciphering Millennial-Scale Antarctic Ecosystem Change using Amino Acid Stable Isotope Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Michelson, C.; McMahon, K.; Emslie, S. D.; Patterson, W. P.; McCarthy, M. D.; Polito, M. J.

2017-12-01

The Southern Ocean ecosystem is undergoing rapid environmental change due to ongoing and historic anthropogenic impacts such as climate change and marine mammal harvesting. These disturbances may have cascading effects through the Antarctic food webs, resulting in profound shifts in the sources and cycling of organic matter supporting higher-trophic organisms, such as penguins. For example, bulk stable isotope analyses of modern and ancient preserved penguin tissues suggest variations in penguin feeding ecology throughout the Holocene with dramatic isotopic shifts in the last 200 years. However, it is not clear whether these isotopic shifts resulted from changes at the base of the food web, dietary shifts in penguins, or some combination of both factors. Newly developed compound-specific stable nitrogen isotope analysis of individual amino acids (CSIA-AA) may provide a powerful new tool to tease apart these confounding variables. Stable nitrogen isotope values of trophic amino acids (e.g., glutamic acid) increase substantially with each trophic transfer in the food web, while source amino acid (e.g., phenylalanine) stable nitrogen isotope values remain relatively unchanged and reflect ecosystem baselines. As such, we can use this CSIA-AA approach to decipher between baseline and dietary shifts in penguins over time from modern and ancient eggshells of Pygoscelis penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea regions of Antarctica. In order to accurately apply this CSIA-AA approach, we first characterized the trophic fractionation factors of individual amino acids between diet and penguin consumers in a long-term controlled penguin feeding experiment. We then applied these values to modern and ancient eggshells from the Antarctic Peninsula and Ross Sea to evaluate shifts in penguin trophic dynamics as a function of climate and anthropogenic interaction throughout much of the Holocene. This work develops a cutting edge new molecular geochemistry approach

A molecular view of heterogeneous catalysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Claus H.; Nørskov, Jens Kehlet

2008-01-01

The establishment of a molecular view of heterogeneous catalysis has been hampered for a number of reasons. There are, however, recent developments, which show that we are now on the way towards reaching a molecular-scale picture of the way solids work as catalysts. By a combination of new...... by enabling a rational design of new catalysts. We illustrate this important development in heterogeneous catalysis by highlighting recent examples of catalyst systems for which it has been possible to achieve such a detailed understanding. In particular, we emphasize examples where this progress has made...

Intraclade heterogeneity in nitrogen utilization by marine prokaryotes revealed using stable isotope probing coupled with tag sequencing (Tag-SIP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Morando

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Nitrogen can greatly influence the structure and productivity of microbial communities through its relative availability and form. However, roles of specific organisms in the uptake of different nitrogen species remain poorly characterized. Most studies seeking to identify agents of assimilation have been correlative, indirectly linking activity measurements (e.g., nitrate uptake with the presence or absence of biological markers, particularly functional genes and their transcripts. Evidence is accumulating of previously underappreciated functional diversity in major microbial subpopulations, which may confer physiological advantages under certain environmental conditions leading to ecotype divergence. This microdiversity further complicates our view of genetic variation in environmental samples requiring the development of more targeted approaches. Here, next-generation tag sequencing was successfully coupled with stable isotope probing (Tag-SIP to assess the ability of individual phylotypes to assimilate a particular N source. Our results provide the first direct evidence of nitrate utilization by organisms thought to lack the genes required for this process including the heterotrophic clades SAR11 and the Archaeal Marine Group II (MG-II. We also provide new direct evidence of in situ nitrate utilization by the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus in support of recent findings. Furthermore, these results revealed widespread functional heterogeneity, i.e. different levels of N assimilation within clades, likely reflecting niche partitioning by ecotypes. The addition of nitrate utilization to ecosystem and ecosystem models by these globally dominant clades will likely improve the mechanistic accuracy of these models.

New Hf-Nd evidence supports a heterogeneous plume source for the Caribbean Plateau

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, P.M.E; Kempton, P.D; White, R.V; Kerr, A.C; Tarney, J.; Sauders, A.D

2001-01-01

Hf-Nd systematics provide us with a valuable tool for tracing mantle sources and signatures in ancient or altered rocks. Hf and Nd are amongst the most resistant of all elements to secondary alteration processes (Pearce et al., 1999) and hence can give us insights into the source compositions of altered plateau basalts that other isotopic systems will not. Here we use Hf-Nd systematics to probe the depths of the Cretaceous Caribbean Plateau, in order to characterise its isotope systematics, and hence determine the geochemical nature of the mantle plume responsible for its formation. Much of the plateau is already well characterised in terms of trace elements and isotopes such as Sr, Nd, Pb and Os (Kerr et al., 1997; White et al., 1999; Walker et al., 1999). Unfortunately, isotope system resetting due to sub- solidus alteration, amongst other factors, has ensured that these isotopes have been inconclusive in resolving many important issues, such as whether the Caribbean plateau is a product of an earlier Galapagos plume phase, and how the apparently unique Gorgona komatiites relate to the rest of the Caribbean plateau. We present new Hf-Nd isotopic data which reveal that the Caribbean plume must have been compositionally heterogeneous, comprising at least three different source components. We then compare this 'Caribbean plume' to other present-day plumes, (e.g. Galapagos) and from this speculate whether initial magmatism from the Galapagos plume could indeed have been responsible for the formation of the Caribbean Plateau (au)

Lead isotopic studies of the Samail ophiolite, Oman

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, J.H.; Pallister, J.S.

1981-04-10

The isotopic composition of Pb and the concentrations of U, Th, and Pb have been determined for samples from various lithologic units and massive sulfides of the Samail ophiolite. The observed /sup 206/Pb//sup 204/Pb ratios range from 17.90 to 19.06, /sup 207/Pb//sup 204/Pb ratios from 15.43 to 15.63, and /sup 208/Pb//sup 204/Pb from 37.66 to 38.78. In Pb isotopic evolution diagrams, the initial Pb isotopic compositions of most of the samples from the Samail ophiolite plot within the field of oceanic basalt, clearly distinct from island arc data, and define some of the least radiogenic Pb observed from oceanic rocks. Lead data from the Samail are compatible with a model involving magma generation from an oceanic mantle source and formation of the ophiolite at an oceanic spreading center. U--Th--Pb isotopic systematics demonstrate that vertical heterogeneity in the oceanic crust can be created through differential concentration of U, Th, and Pb during crystal fractionation and alteration at, or near, the spreading ridge. Calcite form amygdules in the ophiolite basalt has similar Pb isotopic composition to the igneous rocks, suggesting precipitation of the calcite from seawater which contained Pb derived mostly from the oceanic crust. Lead isotopic data on Fe--Cu sulfides are also similar to the results from the igneous suite suggesting that the source of the sulfides is predominently from the oceanic crust. Lead data from serpentinized peridotite and a galena sample from below the ophiolite suggest that part of the serpentinization process and the formation of galena could involve addition of radiogenic Pb from either a continental source or from oceanic sediments.

Seasonality of Leaf Carbon Isotopic Composition and Leaf Water Isotopic Enrichment in a Mixed Evergreen Forest in Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Santiago, L. S.; Sickman, J. O.; Goulden, M.; DeVan, C.; Pasquini, S. C.; Pivovaroff, A. L.

2011-12-01

Leaf carbon isotopic composition and leaf water isotopic enrichment reflect physiological processes and are important for linking local and regional scale processes to global patterns. We investigated how seasonality affects the isotopic composition of bulk leaf carbon, leaf sugar carbon, and leaf water hydrogen under a Mediterranean climate. Leaf and stem samples were collected monthly from four tree species (Calocedrus decurrens, Pinus lambertiana, Pinus ponderosa, and Quercus chrysolepis) at the James San Jacinto Mountain Reserve in southern California. Mean monthly bulk leaf carbon isotopic composition varied from -34.5 % in P. ponderosa to -24.7 % in P. lambertiana and became more depleted in 13C from the spring to the summer. Mean monthly leaf sugar varied from -29.3 % in P. ponderosa to -21.8 % in P. lambertiana and was enriched in 13C during the winter, spring and autumn, but depleted during the mid-summer. Leaf water hydrogen isotopic composition was 28.4 to 68.8 % more enriched in deuterium than source water and this enrichment was greater as seasonal drought progressed. These data indicate that leaf carbon and leaf water hydrogen isotopic composition provide sensitive measures that connect plant physiological processes to short-term climatic variability.

Strange Isotope Ratios in Jupiter

Science.gov (United States)

Manuel, O.; Ragland, D.; Windler, K.; Zirbel, J.; Johannes, L.; Nolte, A.

1998-05-01

At the January AAS meeting, Dr. Daniel Goldin ordered the release of isotopic data from the 1995 Galileo probe into Jupiter. This probe took mass readings for mass numbers 2-150, which includes all of the noble gas isotopes. A certain few noble gas isotopes, specifically those at mass/charge = 21, 40, 78, 124, and 126, are difficult to distinguish from background, while interference causes some variation in signals for noble gas isotopes at mass/charge = 20, 22, 36, 38, 40, 80, 82, 83, 84 and 86. Some contamination was caused by incomplete adsorption of low mass hydrocarbons by Carbosieve, the material used in the concentration cells [Space Sci. Rev. 60, 120 (1992)]. Thus, preliminary results are most reliable in the high mass region that includes xenon. The Galileo Probe provided the first direct measurements from a planet with a chemical composition drastically different from Earth. Our preliminary analyses indicate that Jupiter contains Xe-X [Nature 240, 99 (1972)], which differs significantly from Earth's xenon. Xe-X and primordial He are tightly coupled on the microscopic scale of meteorite minerals [Science 195, 208 (1977); Meteoritics 15, 117 (1980)]. The presence today of Xe-X in the He-rich atmosphere of Jupiter suggests that the primordial linkage of Xe-X with He extended across the protosolar nebula, on a planetary scale [Comments Astrophys. 18, 335 (1997)]. Contamination by hydrocarbons and other gases does not necessarily remove light noble gases from further consideration. Currently, isolation of signals of these elements from interference continues and may result in the presentation of many other interesting observations at the conference.

Strontium and neodymium isotopic evidence for the heterogeneous nature and development of the mantle beneath Afar (Ethiopia)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Betton, P.J. (Leeds Univ. (UK). Dept. of Earth Sciences); Civetta, L. (Naples Univ. (Italy). Dipartimento di Geofisica e Vulcanologia)

1984-11-01

Neodymium isotope and REE analyses of recent volcanic rocks and spinel lherzolite nodules from the Afar area are reported. The /sup 143/Nd//sup 144/Nd ratios of the volcanic rocks range from 0.51286 to 0.51304, similar to the range recorded from Iceland. However, the /sup 87/Sr//sup 86/Sr ratios display a distinctly greater range (0.70328-0.70410) than those reported from the primitive rocks of Iceland. Whole rock samples and mineral separates from the spinel lherzolite nodules exhibit uniform /sup 143/Nd//sup 144/Nd ratios (ca. 0.5129) but varied /sup 87/Sr//sup 86/Sr ratios in the range 0.70427-0.70528. The Sr-Nd isotope variations suggest that the volcanic rocks may have been produced by mixing between two reservoirs with distinct isotopic compositions. Two possible magma reservoirs in this area are the source which produced the 'MORB-type' volcanics in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the anomalous source represented by the nodule suite. The isotopic composition of the volcanics is compatible with mixing between these two reservoirs. It is shown that the anomalous source with a high /sup 87/Sr//sup 86/Sr ratio cannot have been produced by simple processes of partial melting and mixing within normal mantle. Instead the high /sup 87/Sr//sup 86/Sr is equated with a fluid phase. A primitive cognate fluid, subducted seawater or altered oceanic lithosphere may have been responsible for the generation of the source with a high /sup 87/Sr//sup 86/Sr ratio.

Kinetics of isotopic exchange between strontium polymolybdate and strontium ions in aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atun, Gulten; Bilgin, Binay; Kilislioglu, Ayben

2002-01-01

A heterogeneous isotopic exchange reaction of strontium polymolybdate in strontium chloride solution was studied using 90 Sr as a tracer. The effects of low and high strontium chloride concentration on the rate and mechanism of the isotopic exchange reaction were investigated. It was found that, at high concentrations, the rate is independent of strontium concentration, but, at low concentrations, the rate is proportional to the strontium concentration. These results support a hypothesis that, at low concentrations, the rate is controlled by film diffusion, whereas at high concentrations it is controlled by particle diffusion. Experiments were performed at 293, 303 and 313 K. Activation energy of isotopic exchange reaction and thermodynamic parameters ΔH*, ΔS*, and ΔG* were calculated using the Arrhenius and Eyring equations. The results also indicated that recrystallization is a predominant factor in the present exchange reaction

Kinetics of isotopic exchange between strontium polymolybdate and strontium ions in aqueous solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atun, Gulten E-mail: gultena@istanbul.edu.tr; Bilgin, Binay; Kilislioglu, Ayben

2002-06-01

A heterogeneous isotopic exchange reaction of strontium polymolybdate in strontium chloride solution was studied using {sup 90}Sr as a tracer. The effects of low and high strontium chloride concentration on the rate and mechanism of the isotopic exchange reaction were investigated. It was found that, at high concentrations, the rate is independent of strontium concentration, but, at low concentrations, the rate is proportional to the strontium concentration. These results support a hypothesis that, at low concentrations, the rate is controlled by film diffusion, whereas at high concentrations it is controlled by particle diffusion. Experiments were performed at 293, 303 and 313 K. Activation energy of isotopic exchange reaction and thermodynamic parameters {delta}H*, {delta}S*, and {delta}G* were calculated using the Arrhenius and Eyring equations. The results also indicated that recrystallization is a predominant factor in the present exchange reaction.

Isotopic and Chemical Evidence for Primitive Aqueous Alteration in the Tagish Lake Meteorite

Science.gov (United States)

Sakuma, Keisuke; Hidaka, Hiroshi; Yoneda, Shigekazu

2018-01-01

Aqueous alteration is one of the primitive activities that occurred on meteorite parent bodies in the early solar system. The Tagish Lake meteorite is known to show an intense parent body aqueous alteration signature. In this study, quantitative analyses of the alkaline elements and isotopic analyses of Sr and Ba from acid leachates of TL (C2-ungrouped) were performed to investigate effects of aqueous alteration. The main purpose of this study is to search for isotopic evidence of extinct 135Cs from the Ba isotopic analyses in the chemical separates from the Tagish Lake meteorite. Barium isotopic data from the leachates show variable 135Ba isotopic anomalies (ε = ‑2.6 ∼ +3.6) which correlatewith 137Ba and 138Ba suggesting a heterogeneous distribution of s- and r-rich nucleosynthetic components in the early solar system. The 87Rb–87Sr and 135Cs–135Ba decay systems on TL in this study do not provide any chronological information. The disturbance of the TL chronometers is likely a reflection of the selective dissolution of Cs and Rb given the relatively higher mobility of Cs and Rb compared to Ba and Sr, respectively, during fluid mineral interactions.

Imaging of heterogeneous materials by prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staples, P.; Prettyman, T.; Lestone, J.

1998-01-01

The authors have used a tomographic gamma scanner (TGS) to produce tomographic prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis imaging (PGNAA) of heterogeneous matrices. The TGS was modified by the addition of graphite reflectors that contain isotopic neutron sources for sample interrogation. The authors are in the process of developing the analysis methodology necessary for a quantitative assay of large containers of heterogeneous material. This nondestructive analysis (NDA) technique can be used for material characterization and the determination of neutron assay correction factors. The most difficult question to be answered is the determination of the source-to-sample coupling term. To assist in the determination of the coupling term, the authors have obtained images for a range of sample that are very well characterized, such as, homogenous pseudo one-dimensional samples to three-dimensional heterogeneous samples. They then compare the measurements to MCNP calculations. For an accurate quantitative measurement, it is also necessary to determine the sample gamma-ray self attenuation at higher gamma-ray energies, namely pair production should be incorporated into the analysis codes

Experimental Quantification of Pore-Scale Flow Phenomena in 2D Heterogeneous Porous Micromodels: Multiphase Flow Towards Coupled Solid-Liquid Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y.; Kazemifar, F.; Blois, G.; Christensen, K. T.

2017-12-01

Geological sequestration of CO2 within saline aquifers is a viable technology for reducing CO2 emissions. Central to this goal is accurately predicting both the fidelity of candidate sites pre-injection of CO2 and its post-injection migration. Moreover, local fluid pressure buildup may cause activation of small pre-existing unidentified faults, leading to micro-seismic events, which could prove disastrous for societal acceptance of CCS, and possibly compromise seal integrity. Recent evidence shows that large-scale events are coupled with pore-scale phenomena, which necessitates the representation of pore-scale stress, strain, and multiphase flow processes in large-scale modeling. To this end, the pore-scale flow of water and liquid/supercritical CO2 is investigated under reservoir-relevant conditions, over a range of wettability conditions in 2D heterogeneous micromodels that reflect the complexity of a real sandstone. High-speed fluorescent microscopy, complemented by a fast differential pressure transmitter, allows for simultaneous measurement of the flow field within and the instantaneous pressure drop across the micromodels. A flexible micromodel is also designed and fabricated, to be used in conjunction with the micro-PIV technique, enabling the quantification of coupled solid-liquid interactions.

Laser isotope separation - a new class of chemical process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodall, K.B.; Mannik, L.; O'Neill, J.A.; Mader, D.L.; Nickerson, S.B.; Robins, J.R.; Bartoszek, F.E.; Gratton, D.

1983-01-01

Lasers may soon find several applications in chemical processing. The applications that have attracted the most research funding to date involve isotope separation for the nuclear industry. These isotopes have an unusually high value (≥$1000/kg) compared to bulk chemicals (∼$1/kg) and are generally required in very large quantities. In a laser isotope separation process, light is used to convert a separation that is very difficult or even impossible by conventional chemical engineering techniques to one that is readily handled by conventional separation technology. For some isotopes this can result in substantial capital and energy savings. A uranium enrichment process developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is the closest to commercialization of the large scale laser isotope separation processes. Of particular interest to the Canadian nuclear industry are the laser separation of deuterium, tritium, zirconium-90 and carbon-14. In this paper, the basic principles behind laser isotope separation are reviewed and brief dscriptions of the more developed processes are given

Transfers in heterogeneous environments; Transferts en milieux heterogenes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flesselles, J M [Saint-Gobain Recherche, 93 - Aubervilliers (France); Gouesbet, G; Mees, L; Roze, C; Girasole, Th; Grehan, G [Laboratoire d' Electromagnetisme et Systemes Particulaires (LESP), UMR CNRS 6614, CORIA. Universite de Rouen et INSA de Rouen, 76 - Saint-Etienne du Rouvray (France); Goyheneche, J M; Vignoles, G; Coindreau, O [Laboratoire des Composites Thermostructuraux (LCTS), UMR 5801, 33 - Pessac (France); Moyne, Ch [LEMTA (UMR 7563) CNRS-INPL-UHP, 54 - Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France); Coussy, O [Institut Navier - ENPC, 77 - Marne-la-Vallee (France); Lassabatere, Th [Electricite de France Les Renardieres, Dept. Materiaux Mecanique des Composants, 77 - Moret sur Loing (France); Tadrist, L [IUSTI - UMR 6595, 13 - Marseille (France)

2004-07-01

This document gathers the articles and transparencies of the invited talks given at the 2004 French congress of thermal engineering about transfers in heterogeneous environment. Content: transfer phenomena in industrial glass furnaces; simple and multiple scattering diagnosis by femto-second pulsed laser: application to particulate diagnoses; thermal modeling of thermo-structural composites; hybrid mixtures theory, average volumic measurement, periodical or stochastic homogenization: advance in scale change processes; thermo-hydro-chemical-mechanical coupling in porous medium: application to young concrete structures and to clay barriers of disposal facilities; transfers and flows in fluidization: recent advances and future challenges. (J.S.)

Fine-Scale Spatial Heterogeneity in the Distribution of Waterborne Protozoa in a Drinking Water Reservoir.

Science.gov (United States)

Burnet, Jean-Baptiste; Ogorzaly, Leslie; Penny, Christian; Cauchie, Henry-Michel

2015-09-23

The occurrence of faecal pathogens in drinking water resources constitutes a threat to the supply of safe drinking water, even in industrialized nations. To efficiently assess and monitor the risk posed by these pathogens, sampling deserves careful design, based on preliminary knowledge on their distribution dynamics in water. For the protozoan pathogens Cryptosporidium and Giardia, only little is known about their spatial distribution within drinking water supplies, especially at fine scale. Two-dimensional distribution maps were generated by sampling cross-sections at meter resolution in two different zones of a drinking water reservoir. Samples were analysed for protozoan pathogens as well as for E. coli, turbidity and physico-chemical parameters. Parasites displayed heterogeneous distribution patterns, as reflected by significant (oo)cyst density gradients along reservoir depth. Spatial correlations between parasites and E. coli were observed near the reservoir inlet but were absent in the downstream lacustrine zone. Measurements of surface and subsurface flow velocities suggest a role of local hydrodynamics on these spatial patterns. This fine-scale spatial study emphasizes the importance of sampling design (site, depth and position on the reservoir) for the acquisition of representative parasite data and for optimization of microbial risk assessment and monitoring. Such spatial information should prove useful to the modelling of pathogen transport dynamics in drinking water supplies.

Modeling 3D-CSIA data: Carbon, chlorine, and hydrogen isotope fractionation during reductive dechlorination of TCE to ethene.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Breukelen, Boris M; Thouement, Héloïse A A; Stack, Philip E; Vanderford, Mindy; Philp, Paul; Kuder, Tomasz

2017-09-01

Reactive transport modeling of multi-element, compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) data has great potential to quantify sequential microbial reductive dechlorination (SRD) and alternative pathways such as oxidation, in support of remediation of chlorinated solvents in groundwater. As a key step towards this goal, a model was developed that simulates simultaneous carbon, chlorine, and hydrogen isotope fractionation during SRD of trichloroethene, via cis-1,2-dichloroethene (and trans-DCE as minor pathway), and vinyl chloride to ethene, following Monod kinetics. A simple correction term for individual isotope/isotopologue rates avoided multi-element isotopologue modeling. The model was successfully validated with data from a mixed culture Dehalococcoides microcosm. Simulation of Cl-CSIA required incorporation of secondary kinetic isotope effects (SKIEs). Assuming a limited degree of intramolecular heterogeneity of δ 37 Cl in TCE decreased the magnitudes of SKIEs required at the non-reacting Cl positions, without compromising the goodness of model fit, whereas a good fit of a model involving intramolecular CCl bond competition required an unlikely degree of intramolecular heterogeneity. Simulation of H-CSIA required SKIEs in H atoms originally present in the reacting compounds, especially for TCE, together with imprints of strongly depleted δ 2 H during protonation in the products. Scenario modeling illustrates the potential of H-CSIA for source apportionment. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Groundwater regimes and isotopic studies, Ranger mine area, Northern Territory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, M; Green, D C

1986-12-01

Three types of groundwater occur in the area of the Ranger mine. Type A groundwater occurs in the loose sands and gravels occupying the present day stream channels, Type B in the weathering profile and Type C occurs in relatively fresh fractured bedrock occupying open fractures and other cavities. The three types of groundwater can be distinguished both chemically and isotopically. Light stable isotope data suggest that most early rains are lost by evapotranspiration and have no imprint on the groundwater. Later in the wet season, the ground is saturated and groundwater recharge occurs on a regional scale. This younger groundwater sits on the older waters. Mixing is probably minimal as before any large scale mixing could occur, most younger waters are lost by evapotranspiration. Stable isotope data suggest that Type B groundwater in certain areas has some connection with evaporated surface water bodies. Stable isotope measurements for the pollution monitoring bores around the tailings dam do not indicate any connection with the polluted pond waters at the time of sample collection.

Environmental forcing of terrestrial carbon isotope excursion amplification across five Eocene hyperthermals

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, G. J.; Abels, H.

2015-12-01

Abrupt changes in the isotope composition of exogenic carbon pools accompany many major episodes of global change in the geologic record. The global expression of this change in substrates that reflect multiple carbon pools provides important evidence that many events reflect persistent, global redistribution of carbon between reduced and oxidized stocks. As the diversity of records documenting any event grows, however, discrepancies in the expression of carbon isotope change among substrates are almost always revealed. These differences in magnitude, pace, and pattern of change can complicate interpretations of global carbon redistribution, but under ideal circumstances can also provide additional information on changes in specific environmental and biogeochemical systems that accompanied the global events. Here we evaluate possible environmental influences on new terrestrial records of the negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) associated with multiple hyperthermals of the Early Eocene, which show a common pattern of amplified carbon isotope change in terrestrial paleosol carbonate records relative to that recorded in marine substrates. Scaling relationships between climate and carbon-cycle proxies suggest that that the climatic (temperature) impact of each event scaled proportionally with the magnitude of its marine CIE, likely implying that all events involved release of reduced carbon with a similar isotopic composition. Amplification of the terrestrial CIEs, however, does not scale with event magnitude, being proportionally less for the first, largest event (the PETM). We conduct a sensitivity test of a coupled plant-soil carbon isotope model to identify conditions that could account for the observed CIE scaling. At least two possibilities consistent with independent lines of evidence emerge: first, varying effects of pCO2 change on photosynthetic carbon isotope discrimination under changing background pCO2, and second, contrasting changes in regional

Dependence of chlorine isotope separation in ion exchange chromatography on the nature and concentration of the eluent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heumann, K.G.; Baier, K.

1980-01-01

In a heterogeneous electrolyte system of a strongly basic anion exchanger and solutions of NaBF 4 or NaClO 4 we established the influence of the nature and concentration of the eluent in chromatographic experiments on chlorine isotope separation. Results show that when the elctrolyte concentration is increased the degree of isotope separation decreases. With NaBF 4 the separation factor is greater than with NaClO 4 under conditions which are otherwise the same. For electrolyte solutions containing ClO 4 -, NO 3 - and BF 4 - there is a linear relation between the separation factor of the chlorine isotopes and the logarithm of the heat of anion hydration of the elution electrolyte. (orig.)

Nanometer-scale isotope analysis of bulk diamond by atom probe tomography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schirhagl, R.; Raatz, N.; Meijer, J.; Markham, M.; Gerstl, S. S. A.; Degen, C. L.

2015-01-01

Atom-probe tomography (APT) combines field emission of atoms with mass spectrometry to reconstruct three-dimensional tomograms of materials with atomic resolution and isotope specificity. Despite significant recent progress in APT technology, application to wide-bandgap materials with strong

Ecoregion-Based Conservation Planning in the Mediterranean: Dealing with Large-Scale Heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Giakoumi, Sylvaine; Sini, Maria; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Mazor, Tessa; Beher, Jutta; Possingham, Hugh P.; Abdulla, Ameer; Çinar, Melih Ertan; Dendrinos, Panagiotis; Gucu, Ali Cemal; Karamanlidis, Alexandros A.; Rodic, Petra; Panayotidis, Panayotis; Taskin, Ergun; Jaklin, Andrej; Voultsiadou, Eleni; Webster, Chloë; Zenetos, Argyro; Katsanevakis, Stelios

2013-01-01

socioeconomically heterogeneous basin, and (c) it adopts ecoregions as the most appropriate level for large-scale planning. PMID:24155901

Deep graphs—A general framework to represent and analyze heterogeneous complex systems across scales

Science.gov (United States)

Traxl, Dominik; Boers, Niklas; Kurths, Jürgen

2016-06-01

Network theory has proven to be a powerful tool in describing and analyzing systems by modelling the relations between their constituent objects. Particularly in recent years, a great progress has been made by augmenting "traditional" network theory in order to account for the multiplex nature of many networks, multiple types of connections between objects, the time-evolution of networks, networks of networks and other intricacies. However, existing network representations still lack crucial features in order to serve as a general data analysis tool. These include, most importantly, an explicit association of information with possibly heterogeneous types of objects and relations, and a conclusive representation of the properties of groups of nodes as well as the interactions between such groups on different scales. In this paper, we introduce a collection of definitions resulting in a framework that, on the one hand, entails and unifies existing network representations (e.g., network of networks and multilayer networks), and on the other hand, generalizes and extends them by incorporating the above features. To implement these features, we first specify the nodes and edges of a finite graph as sets of properties (which are permitted to be arbitrary mathematical objects). Second, the mathematical concept of partition lattices is transferred to the network theory in order to demonstrate how partitioning the node and edge set of a graph into supernodes and superedges allows us to aggregate, compute, and allocate information on and between arbitrary groups of nodes. The derived partition lattice of a graph, which we denote by deep graph, constitutes a concise, yet comprehensive representation that enables the expression and analysis of heterogeneous properties, relations, and interactions on all scales of a complex system in a self-contained manner. Furthermore, to be able to utilize existing network-based methods and models, we derive different representations of

The effect of soil heterogeneity on ATES performance

Science.gov (United States)

Sommer, W.; Rijnaarts, H.; Grotenhuis, T.; van Gaans, P.

2012-04-01

Due to an increasing demand for sustainable energy, application of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) is growing rapidly. Large-scale application of ATES is limited by the space that is available in the subsurface. Especially in urban areas, suboptimal performance is expected due to thermal interference between individual wells of a single system, or interference with other ATES systems or groundwater abstractions. To avoid thermal interference there are guidelines on well spacing. However, these guidelines, and also design calculations, are based on the assumption of a homogeneous subsurface, while studies report a standard deviation in logpermeability of 1 to 2 for unconsolidated aquifers (Gelhar, 1993). Such heterogeneity may create preferential pathways, reducing ATES performance due to increased advective heat loss or interference between ATES wells. The role of hydraulic heterogeneity of the subsurface related to ATES performance has received little attention in literature. Previous research shows that even small amounts of heterogeneity can result in considerable uncertainty in the distribution of thermal energy in the subsurface and an increased radius of influence (Ferguson, 2007). This is supported by subsurface temperature measurements around ATES wells, which suggest heterogeneity gives rise to preferential pathways and short-circuiting between ATES wells (Bridger and Allen, 2010). Using 3-dimensional stochastic heat transport modeling, we quantified the influence of heterogeneity on the performance of a doublet well energy storage system. The following key parameters are varied to study their influence on thermal recovery and thermal balance: 1) regional flow velocity, 2) distance between wells and 3) characteristics of the heterogeneity. Results show that heterogeneity at the scale of a doublet ATES system introduces an uncertainty up to 18% in expected thermal recovery. The uncertainty increases with decreasing distance between ATES wells. The

Titanium stable isotope investigation of magmatic processes on the Earth and Moon

Science.gov (United States)

Millet, Marc-Alban; Dauphas, Nicolas; Greber, Nicolas D.; Burton, Kevin W.; Dale, Chris W.; Debret, Baptiste; Macpherson, Colin G.; Nowell, Geoffrey M.; Williams, Helen M.

2016-09-01

We present titanium stable isotope measurements of terrestrial magmatic samples and lunar mare basalts with the aims of constraining the composition of the lunar and terrestrial mantles and evaluating the potential of Ti stable isotopes for understanding magmatic processes. Relative to the OL-Ti isotope standard, the δ49Ti values of terrestrial samples vary from -0.05 to +0.55‰, whereas those of lunar mare basalts vary from -0.01 to +0.03‰ (the precisions of the double spike Ti isotope measurements are ca. ±0.02‰ at 95% confidence). The Ti stable isotope compositions of differentiated terrestrial magmas define a well-defined positive correlation with SiO2 content, which appears to result from the fractional crystallisation of Ti-bearing oxides with an inferred isotope fractionation factor of ΔTi49oxide-melt = - 0.23 ‰ ×106 /T2. Primitive terrestrial basalts show no resolvable Ti isotope variations and display similar values to mantle-derived samples (peridotite and serpentinites), indicating that partial melting does not fractionate Ti stable isotopes and that the Earth's mantle has a homogeneous δ49Ti composition of +0.005 ± 0.005 (95% c.i., n = 29). Eclogites also display similar Ti stable isotope compositions, suggesting that Ti is immobile during dehydration of subducted oceanic lithosphere. Lunar basalts have variable δ49Ti values; low-Ti mare basalts have δ49Ti values similar to that of the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) while high-Ti lunar basalts display small enrichment in the heavy Ti isotopes. This is best interpreted in terms of source heterogeneity resulting from Ti stable isotope fractionation associated with ilmenite-melt equilibrium during the generation of the mantle source of high-Ti lunar mare basalts. The similarity in δ49Ti between terrestrial samples and low-Ti lunar basalts provides strong evidence that the Earth and Moon have identical stable Ti isotope compositions.

Effects of Heterogeneous Social Interactions on Flocking Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Miguel, M. Carmen; Parley, Jack T.; Pastor-Satorras, Romualdo

2018-02-01

Social relationships characterize the interactions that occur within social species and may have an important impact on collective animal motion. Here, we consider a variation of the standard Vicsek model for collective motion in which interactions are mediated by an empirically motivated scale-free topology that represents a heterogeneous pattern of social contacts. We observe that the degree of order of the model is strongly affected by network heterogeneity: more heterogeneous networks show a more resilient ordered state, while less heterogeneity leads to a more fragile ordered state that can be destroyed by sufficient external noise. Our results challenge the previously accepted equivalence between the static Vicsek model and the equilibrium X Y model on the network of connections, and point towards a possible equivalence with models exhibiting a different symmetry.

Renewal-anomalous-heterogeneous files

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flomenbom, Ophir

2010-01-01

Renewal-anomalous-heterogeneous files are solved. A simple file is made of Brownian hard spheres that diffuse stochastically in an effective 1D channel. Generally, Brownian files are heterogeneous: the spheres' diffusion coefficients are distributed and the initial spheres' density is non-uniform. In renewal-anomalous files, the distribution of waiting times for individual jumps is not exponential as in Brownian files, yet obeys: ψ α (t)∼t -1-α , 0 2 >, obeys, 2 >∼ 2 > nrml α , where 2 > nrml is the MSD in the corresponding Brownian file. This scaling is an outcome of an exact relation (derived here) connecting probability density functions of Brownian files and renewal-anomalous files. It is also shown that non-renewal-anomalous files are slower than the corresponding renewal ones.

Asthenospheric and lithospheric sources for Mesozoic dolerites from Liberia (Africa): Trace element and isotopic evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupuy, C.; Marsh, J.

1988-01-01

Combined elemental, and Sr and Nd isotopic data are presented for Mesozoic dolerite dikes of Liberia (Africa) which are related to the initial stage of opening of the Atlantic Ocean. The large scatter of both trace element and isotopic data allows the identification of five groups of dolerites which cannot be related to each other by simple processes of mineral fractionation from a common source. On the contrary, the observed chemical and isotopic variation within some dolerites (Groups I and II) may result either from variable degrees of melting of an isotopically heterogeneous source or mixing between enriched and depleted oceanic type mantle. For the other dolerites (Groups III-V) mixing with a third mantle source with more radiogenic Sr and with element ratios characteristic of subduction environments is suggested. This third source is probably the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Finally, no significant modification by interaction with continental crust is apparent in most of the analyzed samples. (orig.)

Magnesium isotope systematics in Martian meteorites

Science.gov (United States)

Magna, Tomáš; Hu, Yan; Teng, Fang-Zhen; Mezger, Klaus

2017-09-01

Magnesium isotope compositions are reported for a suite of Martian meteorites that span the range of petrological and geochemical types recognized to date for Mars, including crustal breccia Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034. The δ26Mg values (per mil units relative to DSM-3 reference material) range from -0.32 to -0.11‰; basaltic shergottites and nakhlites lie to the heavier end of the Mg isotope range whereas olivine-phyric, olivine-orthopyroxene-phyric and lherzolitic shergottites, and chassignites have slightly lighter Mg isotope compositions, attesting to modest correlation of Mg isotopes and petrology of the samples. Slightly heavier Mg isotope compositions found for surface-related materials (NWA 7034, black glass fraction of the Tissint shergottite fall; δ26Mg > -0.17‰) indicate measurable Mg isotope difference between the Martian mantle and crust but the true extent of Mg isotope fractionation for Martian surface materials remains unconstrained. The range of δ26Mg values from -0.19 to -0.11‰ in nakhlites is most likely due to accumulation of clinopyroxene during petrogenesis rather than garnet fractionation in the source or assimilation of surface material modified at low temperatures. The rather restricted range in Mg isotope compositions between spatially and temporally distinct mantle-derived samples supports the idea of inefficient/absent major tectonic cycles on Mars, which would include plate tectonics and large-scale recycling of isotopically fractionated surface materials back into the Martian mantle. The cumulative δ26Mg value of Martian samples, which are not influenced by late-stage alteration processes and/or crust-mantle interactions, is - 0.271 ± 0.040 ‰ (2SD) and is considered to reflect δ26Mg value of the Bulk Silicate Mars. This value is robust taking into account the range of lithologies involved in this estimate. It also attests to the lack of the Mg isotope variability reported for the inner Solar System bodies at current

Isotopic evolution of Mauna Loa volcano

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurz, M.D.; Kammer, D.P.

1991-01-01

In an effort to understand the temporal helium isotopic variations in Mauna Loa volcano, we have measured helium, strontium and lead isotopes in a suite of Mauna Loa lavas that span most of the subaerial eruptive history of the volcano. The lavas range in age from historical flows to Ninole basalt which are thought to be several hundred thousand years old. Most of the samples younger than 30 ka in age (Kau Basalt) are radiocarbon-dated flows, while the samples older than 30 ka are stratigraphically controlled (Kahuku and Ninole Basalt). The data reveal a striking change in the geochemistry of the lavas approximately 10 ka before present. The lavas older than 10 ka are characterized by high 3 He/ 4 He (≅ 16-20 times atmospheric), higher 206 Pb/ 204 Pb (≅ 18.2), and lower 87 Sr/ 86 Sr(≅ 0.70365) ratios than the younger Kau samples (having He, Pb and Sr ratios of approximately 8.5 x atmospheric, 18.1 and 0.70390, respectively). The historical lavas are distinct in having intermediate Sr and Pb isotopic compositions with 3 He/ 4 He ratios similar to the other young Kau basalt (≅ 8.5 x atmospheric). The isotopic variations are on a shorter time scale (100 to 10,000 years) than has previously been observed for Hawaiian volcanoes, and demonstrate the importance of geochronology and stratigraphy to geochemical studies. The data show consistency between all three isotope systems, which suggests that the variations are not related to magma chamber degassing processes, and that helium is not decoupled from the other isotopes. However, the complex temporal evolution suggests that three distinct mantle sources are required to explain the isotopic data. Most of the Mauna Loa isotopic variations could be explained by mixing between a plume type source, similar to Loihi, and an asthenospheric source with helium isotopic composition close to MORB and elevated Sr isotopic values. (orig./WL)

Measuring biogeochemical heterogeneity at the micro scale in soils and sediments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Lasse L.; Smets, Barth F.; Dechesne, Arnaud

2015-01-01

Steep physiochemical gradients and diffusive limitation associated with microscale features such as cracks and pores make soil and sediments remarkably heterogeneous environments, which is reflected on many environmentally important processes. If we are to understand and attempt to control the ec...

Disentangling drought-induced variation in ecosystem and soil respiration using stable carbon isotopes.

Science.gov (United States)

Unger, Stephan; Máguas, Cristina; Pereira, João S; Aires, Luis M; David, Teresa S; Werner, Christiane

2010-08-01

Combining C flux measurements with information on their isotopic composition can yield a process-based understanding of ecosystem C dynamics. We studied the variations in both respiratory fluxes and their stable C isotopic compositions (delta(13)C) for all major components (trees, understory, roots and soil microorganisms) in a Mediterranean oak savannah during a period with increasing drought. We found large drought-induced and diurnal dynamics in isotopic compositions of soil, root and foliage respiration (delta(13)C(res)). Soil respiration was the largest contributor to ecosystem respiration (R (eco)), exhibiting a depleted isotopic signature and no marked variations with increasing drought, similar to ecosystem respired delta(13)CO(2), providing evidence for a stable C-source and minor influence of recent photosynthate from plants. Short-term and diurnal variations in delta(13)C(res) of foliage and roots (up to 8 and 4 per thousand, respectively) were in agreement with: (1) recent hypotheses on post-photosynthetic fractionation processes, (2) substrate changes with decreasing assimilation rates in combination with increased respiratory demand, and (3) decreased phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity in drying roots, while altered photosynthetic discrimination was not responsible for the observed changes in delta(13)C(res). We applied a flux-based and an isotopic flux-based mass balance, yielding good agreement at the soil scale, while the isotopic mass balance at the ecosystem scale was not conserved. This was mainly caused by uncertainties in Keeling plot intercepts at the ecosystem scale due to small CO(2) gradients and large differences in delta(13)C(res) of the different component fluxes. Overall, stable isotopes provided valuable new insights into the drought-related variations of ecosystem C dynamics, encouraging future studies but also highlighting the need of improved methodology to disentangle short-term dynamics of isotopic composition of R (eco).

Heterogeneous Epidemic Model for Assessing Data Dissemination in Opportunistic Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rozanova, Liudmila; Alekseev, Vadim; Temerev, Alexander

2014-01-01

that amount of data transferred between network nodes possesses a Pareto distribution, implying scale-free properties. In this context, more heterogeneity in susceptibility means the less severe epidemic progression, and, on the contrary, more heterogeneity in infectivity leads to more severe epidemics...... — assuming that the other parameter (either heterogeneity or susceptibility) stays fixed. The results are general enough to be useful for estimating the epidemic progression with no significant acquired immunity — in the cases where Pareto distribution holds....

A novel methodology to investigate isotopic biosignatures

Science.gov (United States)

Horner, T. J.; Lee, R. B. Y.; Henderson, G. M.; Rickaby, R. E. M.

2012-04-01

. coli (e.g. membranes, cytosol, etc.), including the catalytic metal atoms within CdCA. These experiments allow isotopic exchange reactions to be observed in biological systems at an unparalleled resolution, demonstrating that isotopic fractionation can occur, in vivo, on length scales as small as a few Å. We will explore future applications of this technique using the marine geochemistry of Cd as a case study. This experimental approach has great promise for studying the individual isotopic biosignatures of other biochemical reactions, in particular those which may have been active during early Earth History.

146Sm-142Nd systematics measured in enstatite chondrites reveals a heterogeneous distribution of 142Nd in the solar nebula.

Science.gov (United States)

Gannoun, Abdelmouhcine; Boyet, Maud; Rizo, Hanika; El Goresy, Ahmed

2011-05-10

The short-lived (146)Sm-(142)Nd chronometer (T(1/2) = 103 Ma) is used to constrain the early silicate evolution of planetary bodies. The composition of bulk terrestrial planets is then considered to be similar to that of primitive chondrites that represent the building blocks of rocky planets. However for many elements chondrites preserve small isotope differences. In this case it is not always clear to what extent these variations reflect the isotope heterogeneity of the protosolar nebula rather than being produced by the decay of parent isotopes. Here we present Sm-Nd isotopes data measured in a comprehensive suite of enstatite chondrites (EC). The EC preserve (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratios that range from those of ordinary chondrites to values similar to terrestrial samples. The EC having terrestrial (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratios are also characterized by small (144)Sm excesses, which is a pure p-process nuclide. The correlation between (144)Sm and (142)Nd for chondrites may indicate a heterogeneous distribution in the solar nebula of p-process matter synthesized in supernovae. However to explain the difference in (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratios, 20% of the p-process contribution to (142)Nd is required, at odds with the value of 4% currently proposed in stellar models. This study highlights the necessity of obtaining high-precision (144)Sm measurements to interpret properly measured (142)Nd signatures. Another explanation could be that the chondrites sample material formed in different pulses of the lifetime of asymptotic giant branch stars. Then the isotope signature measured in SiC presolar would not represent the unique s-process signature of the material present in the solar nebula during accretion.

Stochastic Heterogeneity Mapping around a Mediterranean salt lens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. G. Buffett

2010-03-01

Full Text Available We present the first application of Stochastic Heterogeneity Mapping based on the band-limited von Kármán function to a seismic reflection stack of a Mediterranean water eddy (meddy, a large salt lens of Mediterranean water. This process extracts two stochastic parameters directly from the reflectivity field of the seismic data: the Hurst number, which ranges from 0 to 1, and the correlation length (scale length. Lower Hurst numbers represent a richer range of high wavenumbers and correspond to a broader range of heterogeneity in reflection events. The Hurst number estimate for the top of the meddy (0.39 compares well with recent theoretical work, which required values between 0.25 and 0.5 to model internal wave surfaces in open ocean conditions based on simulating a Garrett-Munk spectrum (GM76 slope of −2. The scale lengths obtained do not fit as well to seismic reflection events as those used in other studies to model internal waves. We suggest two explanations for this discrepancy: (1 due to the fact that the stochastic parameters are derived from the reflectivity field rather than the impedance field the estimated scale lengths may be underestimated, as has been reported; and (2 because the meddy seismic image is a two-dimensional slice of a complex and dynamic three-dimensional object, the derived scale lengths are biased to the direction of flow. Nonetheless, varying stochastic parameters, which correspond to different spectral slopes in the Garrett-Munk spectrum (horizontal wavenumber spectrum, can provide an estimate of different internal wave scales from seismic data alone. We hence introduce Stochastic Heterogeneity Mapping as a novel tool in physical oceanography.

Ages of the solar system: Isotopic dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, G.

1982-01-01

The major concern of this section will be to outline the ways in which measurements of isotope abundances have been used to determine the chronology of the origin and evolution of the solar system. In passing it should be remembered that the use of isotopic information is by no means restricted simply to the measurement of time scales and, particularly in recent years, isotope abundances have been used to investigate problems as diverse as the heat sources in the early solar nebula and the chemical evolution of the Earth's mantle. The fundamental property of isotopes which makes them especially useful for dating and other applications is the fact that, apart from a limited amount of mass fractionation, the composition of an isotopic mixture is unaffected by chemical processes. In those cases where mass fractionation does occur this effect may itself be useful, particularly as a source of information on temperatures. Since our main theme is time the events discussed in this section will be most conveniently presented as a chronological sequence, progressing from some time before the solar system existed down to the present day. (orig./WL)

Evaluation on island ecological vulnerability and its spatial heterogeneity.

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Yuan; Shi, Honghua; Wang, Yuanyuan; Guo, Zhen; Wang, Enkang

2017-12-15

The evaluation on island ecological vulnerability (IEV) can help reveal the comprehensive characteristics of the island ecosystem and provide reference for controlling human activities on islands. An IEV evaluation model which reflects the land-sea dual features, natural and anthropogenic attributes, and spatial heterogeneity of the island ecosystem was established, and the southern islands of Miaodao Archipelago in North China were taken as the study area. The IEV, its spatial heterogeneity, and its sensitivities to the evaluation elements were analyzed. Results indicated that the IEV was in status of mild vulnerability in the archipelago scale, and population pressure, ecosystem productivity, environmental quality, landscape pattern, and economic development were the sensitive elements. The IEV showed significant spatial heterogeneities both in land and surrounding waters sub-ecosystems. Construction scale control, optimization of development allocation, improvement of exploitation methods, and reasonable ecological construction are important measures to control the IEV. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of multiple-point geostatistics to simulate the effect of small-scale aquifer heterogeneity on the efficiency of aquifer thermal energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Possemiers, Mathias; Huysmans, Marijke; Batelaan, Okke

2015-08-01

Adequate aquifer characterization and simulation using heat transport models are indispensible for determining the optimal design for aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) systems and wells. Recent model studies indicate that meter-scale heterogeneities in the hydraulic conductivity field introduce a considerable uncertainty in the distribution of thermal energy around an ATES system and can lead to a reduction in the thermal recoverability. In a study site in Bierbeek, Belgium, the influence of centimeter-scale clay drapes on the efficiency of a doublet ATES system and the distribution of the thermal energy around the ATES wells are quantified. Multiple-point geostatistical simulation of edge properties is used to incorporate the clay drapes in the models. The results show that clay drapes have an influence both on the distribution of thermal energy in the subsurface and on the efficiency of the ATES system. The distribution of the thermal energy is determined by the strike of the clay drapes, with the major axis of anisotropy parallel to the clay drape strike. The clay drapes have a negative impact (3.3-3.6 %) on the energy output in the models without a hydraulic gradient. In the models with a hydraulic gradient, however, the presence of clay drapes has a positive influence (1.6-10.2 %) on the energy output of the ATES system. It is concluded that it is important to incorporate small-scale heterogeneities in heat transport models to get a better estimate on ATES efficiency and distribution of thermal energy.

Stochastic description of heterogeneities of permeability within groundwater flow models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacas, M.C.; Lachassagne, P.; Ledoux, E.; Marsily, G. de

1991-01-01

In order to model radionuclide migration in the geosphere realistically at the field scale, the hydrogeologist needs to be able to simulate groundwater flow in heterogeneous media. Heterogeneity of the medium can be described using a stochastic approach, that affects the way in which a flow model is formulated. In this paper, we discuss the problems that we have encountered in modelling both continuous and fractured media. The stochastic approach leads to a methodology that enables local measurements of permeability to be integrated into a model which gives a good prediction of groundwater flow on a regional scale. 5 Figs.; 8 Refs

Application of multiple-point geostatistics to simulate the effect of small scale aquifer heterogeneity on the efficiency of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES)

Science.gov (United States)

Possemiers, Mathias; Huysmans, Marijke; Batelaan, Okke

2015-04-01

Adequate aquifer characterization and simulation using heat transport models are indispensible for determining the optimal design for Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systems and wells. Recent model studies indicate that meter scale heterogeneities in the hydraulic conductivity field introduce a considerable uncertainty in the distribution of thermal energy around an ATES system and can lead to a reduction in the thermal recoverability. In this paper, the influence of centimeter scale clay drapes on the efficiency of a doublet ATES system and the distribution of the thermal energy around the ATES wells are quantified. Multiple-point geostatistical simulation of edge properties is used to incorporate the clay drapes in the models. The results show that clay drapes have an influence both on the distribution of thermal energy in the subsurface and on the efficiency of the ATES system. The distribution of the thermal energy is determined by the strike of the clay drapes, with the major axis of anisotropy parallel to the clay drape strike. The clay drapes have a negative impact (3.3 - 3.6%) on the energy output in the models without a hydraulic gradient. In the models with a hydraulic gradient, however, the presence of clay drapes has a positive influence (1.6 - 10.2%) on the energy output of the ATES system. It is concluded that it is important to incorporate small scale heterogeneities in heat transport models to get a better estimate on ATES efficiency and distribution of thermal energy.

Upscaling of permeability heterogeneities in reservoir rocks; an integrated approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mikes, D.

2002-01-01

This thesis presents a hierarchical and geologically constrained deterministic approach to incorporate small-scale heterogeneities into reservoir flow simulators. We use a hierarchical structure to encompass all scales from laminae to an entire depositional system. For the geological models under

Isotopic Discrimination During Leaf Litter Decomposition

Science.gov (United States)

Ngao, J.; Rubino, M.

2006-12-01

Methods involving stable isotopes have been successfully applied since decades in various research fields. Tracing 13C natural abundance in ecosystem compartments greatly enhanced the understanding of the C fluxes in the plant-soil-atmosphere C exchanges when compartments present different C isotopic signatures (i.e. atmospheric CO2 vs photosynthetic leaves, C3 vs C4; etc.). However, the assumption that no isotopic discrimination occurs during respiration is commonly made in numbers of C isotope-based ecological studies. Furthermore, verifications of such assumption are sparse and not enough reliable. The aim of our study is to assess the potential isotopic discrimination that may occur during litter decomposition. Leaf litter from an Arbutus unedo (L.) stand (Tolfa, Italy) was incubated in 1L jars, under constant laboratory conditions (i.e. 25 ° C and 135% WC). During the entire incubation period, gravimetric mass loss, litter respiration rates and the isotopic composition of respired CO2 are monitored at regular intervals. Data from 7 months of incubation will be presented and discussed. After two months, the litter mass loss averaged 16% of initial dry mass. During the same time-period, the respiration rate decreased significantly by 58% of the initial respiration rate. Isotopic compositions of respired CO2 ranged between -27.95‰ and - 25.69‰. Mean values did not differ significantly among the sampling days, in spite of an apparent enrichment in 13C of respired CO2 with time. The significance of these isotopic enrichment will be determined at a longer time scale. They may reveal both/either a direct microbial discrimination during respiration processes and/or a use of different litter compounds as C source along time. Further chemical and compound-specific isotopic analysis of dry matter will be performed in order to clarify these hypotheses. This work is part of the "ALICE" project, funded by the European Union's Marie Curie Fellowship Actions that aims to

Boron isotopes at the catchment scale, a new potential tool to infer critical zone processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaillardet, J.; Noireaux, J.; Braun, J. J.; Riotte, J.; Louvat, P.; Bouchez, J.; Lemarchand, D.; Muddu, S.; Mohan Kumar, M.; Candaudap, F.

2017-12-01

Boron is a mid-mass element that has two isotopes, 10B and 11B. These isotopes are largely fractioned by a number of chemical, biological and physical processes. Boron as a great affinity for clays and is useful for life, making it a double tracer of critical zone processes. This study focuses on the Mule Hole Critical Zone Observatory in South India. This is part of the French Research Infrastructure OZCAR and has benefited from the fruitful Indo-French collaboration (Indo-French Cell for Water Sciences) for more that 15 years. Boron and its isotopes were measured in the different compartment of the CZ in Mule Hole, vegetation, atmosphere, throughfall, soil, soil water, river water and compared to the behavior of other elements. The well constrained hydrology in Mule Hole allowed us to calculate the main fluxes affecting boron in the Critical Zone and came to the first order conclusion that the recycling of boron by vegetation is by far the most important flux within the system, reaching 15-20 times the catchment outlet flux. From an isotopic point of view, the total range of variation is measured between -3 ‰ and 77‰, with a bedrock value at 10‰ in classical delta unit, making boron a well suited tracer for constraining CZ processes. The flux of boron most enriched in heavy boron is the throughfall, showing the importance of biological processes in controlling the boron isotopic composition of the stream. Boron in soils in depleted in the heavy isotope but is enriched in boron compared to the bedrock, a surprising situation that we interpret as the legacy of a previous stage of transient weathering. These results indicate a strong decoupling between the behaviors of boron at the surface of the CZ and at depth.

Genetic heterogeneity of within-family variance of body weight in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

Science.gov (United States)

Sonesson, Anna K; Odegård, Jørgen; Rönnegård, Lars

2013-10-17

Canalization is defined as the stability of a genotype against minor variations in both environment and genetics. Genetic variation in degree of canalization causes heterogeneity of within-family variance. The aims of this study are twofold: (1) quantify genetic heterogeneity of (within-family) residual variance in Atlantic salmon and (2) test whether the observed heterogeneity of (within-family) residual variance can be explained by simple scaling effects. Analysis of body weight in Atlantic salmon using a double hierarchical generalized linear model (DHGLM) revealed substantial heterogeneity of within-family variance. The 95% prediction interval for within-family variance ranged from ~0.4 to 1.2 kg2, implying that the within-family variance of the most extreme high families is expected to be approximately three times larger than the extreme low families. For cross-sectional data, DHGLM with an animal mean sub-model resulted in severe bias, while a corresponding sire-dam model was appropriate. Heterogeneity of variance was not sensitive to Box-Cox transformations of phenotypes, which implies that heterogeneity of variance exists beyond what would be expected from simple scaling effects. Substantial heterogeneity of within-family variance was found for body weight in Atlantic salmon. A tendency towards higher variance with higher means (scaling effects) was observed, but heterogeneity of within-family variance existed beyond what could be explained by simple scaling effects. For cross-sectional data, using the animal mean sub-model in the DHGLM resulted in biased estimates of variance components, which differed substantially both from a standard linear mean animal model and a sire-dam DHGLM model. Although genetic differences in canalization were observed, selection for increased canalization is difficult, because there is limited individual information for the variance sub-model, especially when based on cross-sectional data. Furthermore, potential macro

Heterogeneous catalysis at nanoscale for energy applications

CERN Document Server

Tao, Franklin (Feng); Kamat, Prashant V

2015-01-01

This book presents both the fundamentals concepts and latest achievements of a field that is growing in importance since it represents a possible solution for global energy problems.  It focuses on an atomic-level understanding of heterogeneous catalysis involved in important energy conversion processes. It presents a concise picture for the entire area of heterogeneous catalysis with vision at the atomic- and nano- scales, from synthesis, ex-situ and in-situ characterization, catalytic activity and selectivity, to mechanistic understanding based on experimental exploration and theoretical si

Boron isotopic enrichment by displacement chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohapatra, K.K.; Bose, Arun

2014-01-01

10 B enriched boron is used in applications requiring high volumetric neutron absorption (absorption cross section- 3837 barn for thermal and 1 barn for 1 MeV fast neutron). It is used in fast breeder reactor (as control rod material), in neutron counter, in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy etc. Owing to very small separation factor, boron isotopic enrichment is a complex process requiring large number of separation stages. Heavy Water Board has ventured in industrial scale production of 10 B enriched boron using Exchange Distillation Process as well as Ion Displacement Chromatography Process. Ion Displacement Chromatography process is used in Boron Enrichment Plant at HWP, Manuguru. It is based on isotopic exchange between borate ions (B(OH) 4 - ) on anion exchange resin and boric acid passing through resin. The isotopic exchange takes place due to difference in zero point energy of 10 B and 11 B

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals metallothionein heterogeneity during hESC differentiation to definitive endoderm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junjie Lu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells towards definitive endoderm (DE is the critical first step for generating cells comprising organs such as the gut, liver, pancreas and lung. This in-vitro differentiation process generates a heterogeneous population with a proportion of cells failing to differentiate properly and maintaining expression of pluripotency factors such as Oct4. RNA sequencing of single cells collected at four time points during a 4-day DE differentiation identified high expression of metallothionein genes in the residual Oct4-positive cells that failed to differentiate to DE. Using X-ray fluorescence microscopy and multi-isotope mass spectrometry, we discovered that high intracellular zinc level corresponds with persistent Oct4 expression and failure to differentiate. This study improves our understanding of the cellular heterogeneity during in-vitro directed differentiation and provides a valuable resource to improve DE differentiation efficiency. Keywords: hPSC, Differentiation, Definitive endoderm, Heterogeneity, Single cell, RNA sequencing

Carbon abundance and isotopic studies of Shergotty and other shergottite meteorites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, I.P.; Carr, R.H.; Pillinger, C.T.

1986-01-01

Consortium samples of the Shergotty meteorite have been measured for C abundance and isotopic composition by stepped combustion and the results compared to different samples of the same meteorite and the other known shergottites. Clearly, the shergottite meteorites have a complex C chemistry and contain components of both low and high thermal stability. Two components labile at low temperature can be tentatively identified, one which is enriched in 13 C and may be related to the carbonate thought to be produced by pre-terrestrial weathering in Nakhla. The other, which is isotopically light, is presently of unknown origin but we speculate that it may be related to shock effects. At high temperatures, two of the samples examined show evidence for a component of CO 2 trapped from the martian atmosphere, possibly indicating that shock-produced glass is heterogeneously distributed throughout the shergottite group. This interpretation is corroborated by N isotope measurements made on one of the specimens. All samples appear to contain evidence of a high temperature magmatic component of C. (author)

A 15N-poor isotopic composition for the solar system as shown by Genesis solar wind samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Marty, B; Chaussidon, M; Wiens, R C; Jurewicz, A J G; Burnett, D S

2011-06-24

The Genesis mission sampled solar wind ions to document the elemental and isotopic compositions of the Sun and, by inference, of the protosolar nebula. Nitrogen was a key target element because the extent and origin of its isotopic variations in solar system materials remain unknown. Isotopic analysis of a Genesis Solar Wind Concentrator target material shows that implanted solar wind nitrogen has a (15)N/(14)N ratio of 2.18 ± 0.02 × 10(-3) (that is, ≈40% poorer in (15)N relative to terrestrial atmosphere). The (15)N/(14)N ratio of the protosolar nebula was 2.27 ± 0.03 × 10(-3), which is the lowest (15)N/(14)N ratio known for solar system objects. This result demonstrates the extreme nitrogen isotopic heterogeneity of the nascent solar system and accounts for the (15)N-depleted components observed in solar system reservoirs.

Simulation of unsaturated flow and nonreactive solute transport in a heterogeneous soil at the field scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rockhold, M.L.

1993-02-01

A field-scale, unsaturated flow and solute transport experiment at the Las Cruces trench site in New Mexico was simulated as part of a ''blind'' modeling exercise to demonstrate the ability or inability of uncalibrated models to predict unsaturated flow and solute transport in spatially variable porous media. Simulations were conducted using a recently developed multiphase flow and transport simulator. Uniform and heterogeneous soil models were tested, and data from a previous experiment at the site were used with an inverse procedure to estimate water retention parameters. A spatial moment analysis was used to provide a quantitative basis for comparing the mean observed and simulated flow and transport behavior. The results of this study suggest that defensible predictions of waste migration and fate at low-level waste sites will ultimately require site-specific data for model calibration

Hydrogen isotopic fractionation during crystallization of the terrestrial magma ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Pahlevan, K.; Karato, S. I.

2016-12-01

magma ocean. Whether such endogenous isotopic heterogeneity would survive as an observable signature in the modern silicate Earth is an open question.