Regional characterization of the Paskapoo bedrock aquifer system, southern AlbertaGeological Survey of Canada Contribution 2008-0479.

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 1501-1516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Grasby ◽  
Zhuoheng Chen ◽  
Anthony P. Hamblin ◽  
Paul R.J. Wozniak ◽  
Arthur R. Sweet
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Fracture Density ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Bedrock Aquifer ◽  
Western Portion

The Paskapoo Formation of southern Alberta supports more groundwater wells than any other aquifer system in the Canadian Prairies. Located in a region of rapid population growth and straddling watersheds where no new surface water licenses are available, this aquifer system is under increasing pressure to provide water supply. The Paskapoo Formation represents a foreland deposit of a siltstone- and mudstone-dominated fluvial system. The system is highly heterogeneous with broad ranges in physical properties that impact groundwater production. High-porosity coarse-grained channel sandstone can provide productive wells, whereas thin and fractured sands and siltstones are low producers. The basal Haynes Member and western portion of the Paskpaoo Formation have higher sandstone volumes than other portions of the system. Fracture density shows a strong inverse relationship to bed thickness, such that fracture flow becomes more important for thinner sandstone beds. There is no regional-scale flow system associated with the Paskapoo Formation; rather it is dominated by local-scale recharge processes. The geochemistry of Paskapoo Formation groundwater is largely controlled by the variable composition of immediately overlying glacial deposits.

Multi-scale hydrogeologic characterization of a leaky till–mantled fractured bedrock aquifer system

2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 1945-1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Lukas ◽  
Don J. DeGroot ◽  
David W. Ostendorf ◽  
Erich S. Hinlein
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Monitoring Wells ◽  
Fractured Bedrock ◽  
Decadal Scale ◽  
Fractured Bedrock Aquifer ◽  
Bedrock Aquifer

The paper presents hydrogeologic properties for a leaky till–mantled fractured bedrock aquifer system based on geophysical and hydraulic tests performed at a drumlin located in northeastern Massachusetts, USA. The site profile consists of a fractured bedrock aquifer overlain by a 30 m thick unweathered, coarse-grained till aquitard. Steady state, decadal scale, hydraulics varied little until seasonal irrigation pumping was initiated in recent years, causing a substantial annual drawdown in the aquifer and leakage from the overlying till. High frequency hydraulic head data sets collected in monitoring wells record the hydraulic response to the irrigation pumping. These data sets, together with results from small scale slug and purge tests performed in monitoring wells, are used to characterize the hydrogeologic behavior of this groundwater system. Geophysical logging performed in bedrock wells confirmed the presence of numerous flowing fractures. The large-scale continuum analysis of the fractured bedrock aquifer response to the irrigation pumping yields transmissivity values consistent with those determined from the small-scale, short-term purge test results. The low hydraulic conductivity till has a significant impact on the drawdown behavior of the fractured bedrock aquifer. Calibrated values from the collective data sets and analyses result in the following properties for the 30 m thick unweathered till: hydraulic conductivity K′ = 7.2 × 10−9 m/s, transmissivity T′ = 2.3 × 10−8 m2/s, and storativity S′ = 2.7 × 10−4, and for the underlying fractured bedrock aquifer: T = 6.5 × 10−6 m2/s with an average fracture aperture of 46 μm and hydraulic conductivity Kf = 1.3 × 10−3 m/s. These results should describe similar unweathered coarse-grained till–mantled fractured bedrock aquifer systems and provide useful data for preliminary analyses prior to any site-specific investigations.

scholarly journals Characterization of extractable metals from the aquifers with arsenic contamination in the Tsengwen Creek, Taiwan

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 66-76
Author(s):  
H.-Y. Lu
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Arsenic Contamination ◽  
Shallow Aquifer ◽  
Deep Aquifer ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Creek Watershed ◽  
Groundwater Hydrochemistry ◽  
Extractable Metals

Arsenic contamination in groundwater is a common groundwater problem worldwide. To manage groundwater resources effectively, it is crucial to determine the arsenic source. Taiwan’s Tsengwen Creek watershed is one of the known areas for groundwater arsenic contamination. Water-rock interactions are evaluated on a regional scale. A conceptual hydrogeological framework is first established based on groundwater hydrochemistry. The local aquifer system can be categorized into high-arsenic deep aquifer and low-arsenic shallow aquifer. The average geochemistry of sediments indicates that arsenic and heavy metals are not significantly enriched in the deeper aquifer on the scale of the whole watershed. Therefore, arsenic contamination in the deeper groundwater of the Tsengwen Creek watershed is not simply source-controlled. However, the Fe-Mn oxides in sediments contain slightly more arsenic in the deep aquifer. The long residence time of groundwater could magnify the enrichment and cause natural arsenic contamination in the deep aquifer.

Tracing recharge and groundwater evolution in a glaciated, regional-scale carbonate bedrock aquifer system, southern Ontario, Canada

2020 ◽  
pp. 104794
Author(s):  
Elizabeth H. Priebe ◽  
Shaun K. Frape ◽  
Richard E. Jackson ◽  
David L. Rudolph ◽  
Frank R. Brunton
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Groundwater Evolution ◽  
Bedrock Aquifer

scholarly journals Vacuum-Free and Highly Dense Nanoparticle Based Low-Band-Gap CuInSe2 Thin-Films Manufactured by Face-to-Face Annealing with Application of Uniaxial Mechanical Pressure

Coatings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 484
Author(s):  
Matthias Schuster ◽  
Dominik Stapf ◽  
Tobias Osterrieder ◽  
Vincent Barthel ◽  
Peter J. Wellmann
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Band Gap ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Low Band Gap ◽  
Seeding Layer ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Copper Indium ◽  
Vis Spectroscopy

Copper indium gallium sulfo-selenide (CIGS) based solar cells show the highest conversion efficiencies among all thin-film photovoltaic competition. However, the absorber material manufacturing is in most cases dependent on vacuum-technology like sputtering and evaporation, and the use of toxic and environmentally harmful substances like H2Se. In this work, the goal to fabricate dense, coarse grained CuInSe2 (CISe) thin-films with vacuum-free processing based on nanoparticle (NP) precursors was achieved. Bimetallic copper-indium, elemental selenium and binary selenide (Cu2−xSe and In2Se3) NPs were synthesized by wet-chemical methods and dispersed in nontoxic solvents. Layer-stacks from these inks were printed on molybdenum coated float-glass-substrates via doctor-blading. During the temperature treatment, a face-to-face technique and mechanically applied pressure were used to transform the precursor-stacks into dense CuInSe2 films. By combining liquid phase sintering and pressure sintering, and using a seeding layer later on, issues like high porosity, oxidation, or selenium- and indium-depletion were overcome. There was no need for external Se atmosphere or H2Se gas, as all of the Se was directly in the precursor and could not leave the face-to-face sandwich. All thin-films were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV/vis spectroscopy. Dense CISe layers with a thickness of about 2–3 µm and low band gap energies of 0.93–0.97 eV were formed in this work, which show potential to be used as a solar cell absorber.

Preparation and Characterization of Silk Fibroin/Hydroxyapatite Bilayer Scaffolds

2011 ◽  
Vol 415-417 ◽  
pp. 1810-1815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Bing Liu ◽  
Qiang Tang ◽  
Shen Zhou Lu ◽  
Ceng Zhang ◽  
Ming Zhong Li
Keyword(s):  
Silk Fibroin ◽  
Electron Excitation ◽  
Mouse Bone Marrow ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Tissue Engineering Scaffolds ◽  
Molding Method ◽  
Isostatic Compaction ◽  
Fibroin Solution

When the articular cartilage defect accompanies with the subchondral bone defect, using bilayer scaffolds which can integrate with surrounding host cartilage and bone tissue respectively as the tissue engineering scaffolds will be conducive to the repair of tissue defects. This paper reports a new method for preparing bilayer scaffolds. Firstly, hydroxyapatite (HA)/silk fibroin(SF) composite porous materials which have high porosity were prepared by a isostatic compaction molding method, then it was fully immersed in silk fibroin solution, and finally SF/HA bilayer scaffolds were obtained by freeze-drying. The structure of the bilayer scaffolds were investigated through scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, electron excitation spectroscopy and electron microprobe. The results indicated that the upper layer of SF/HA bilayer scaffolds is porous SF component, the under layer is the porous HA/SF composite component and the interface of the two layer is closely connected. Furthermore, mesenchymal stem cells from mouse bone marrow were seeded into the bilayer scaffolds and the results showed that the cells had a well adhesion and growth after culturing for 3 days.

Factors affecting interannual variation in growth of western Canadian aspen forests during 1951-2000

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 610-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
EH (Ted) Hogg ◽  
James P Brandt ◽  
B Kochtubajda
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Interannual Variation ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Moisture Index ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
The North

Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most important deciduous tree in the North American boreal forest and is also the dominant tree in the aspen parkland zone along the northern edge of the Canadian prairies. Since the 1990s, observations of dieback and reduced growth of aspen forests have led to concerns about the potential impacts of climate change. To address these concerns, a regional-scale study (CIPHA) was established in 2000 that includes annual monitoring of forest health and productivity of 72 aspen stands across the western Canadian interior. Tree-ring analysis was conducted to determine the magnitude and cause of temporal variation in stand growth of aspen at the scale (1800 km × 500 km area) encompassed by this study. The results showed that during 1951–2000 the region's aspen forests underwent several cycles of reduced growth, notably between 1976 and 1981, when mean stand basal area increment decreased by about 50%. Most of the growth variation was explained by interannual variation in a climate moisture index in combination with insect defoliation. The results of the analysis indicate that a major collapse in aspen productivity likely occurred during the severe drought that affected much of the region during 2001–2003.

scholarly journals Biophysical characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 E protein

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aujan Mehregan ◽  
Sergio Perez-Conesa ◽  
Yuxuan Zhuang ◽  
Ahmad Elbahnsi ◽  
Diletta Pasini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Recombinant Expression ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Biophysical Characterization ◽  
Viral Budding ◽  
Nmr Structures ◽  
E Protein

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic which continues to wreak havoc across the world, over a year and a half after its effects were first reported in the general media. Current fundamental research efforts largely focus on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Since successful antiviral therapies are likely to target multiple viral components, there is considerable interest in understanding the biophysical role of its other proteins, in particular structural membrane proteins. Here, we have focused our efforts on the characterization of the full-length E protein from SARS-CoV-2, combining experimental and computational approaches. Recombinant expression of the full-length E protein from SARS-CoV-2 reveals that this membrane protein is capable of independent multimerization, possibly as a tetrameric or smaller species. Fluorescence microscopy shows that the protein localizes intracellularly, and coarse-grained MD simulations indicate it causes bending of the surrounding lipid bilayer, corroborating a potential role for the E protein in viral budding. Although we did not find robust electrophysiological evidence of ion-channel activity, cells transfected with the E protein exhibited reduced intracellular Ca2+, which may further promote viral replication. However, our atomistic MD simulations revealed that previous NMR structures are relatively unstable, and result in models incapable of ion conduction. Our study highlights the importance of using high-resolution structural data obtained from a full-length protein to gain detailed molecular insights, and eventually permitting virtual drug screening.

scholarly journals Fire and Its Interactions With Other Drivers Shape a Distinctive, Semi-Arid ‘Mallee’ Ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Clarke ◽  
Luke T. Kelly ◽  
Sarah C. Avitabile ◽  
Joe Benshemesh ◽  
Kate E. Callister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Animal Communities ◽  
Semi Arid

Fire shapes ecosystems globally, including semi-arid ecosystems. In Australia, semi-arid ‘mallee’ ecosystems occur primarily across the southern part of the continent, forming an interface between the arid interior and temperate south. Mallee vegetation is characterized by short, multi-stemmed eucalypts that grow from a basal lignotuber. Fire shapes the structure and functioning of mallee ecosystems. Using the Murray Mallee region in south-eastern Australia as a case study, we examine the characteristics and role of fire, the consequences for biota, and the interaction of fire with other drivers. Wildfires in mallee ecosystems typically are large (1000s ha), burn with high severity, commonly cause top-kill of eucalypts, and create coarse-grained mosaics at a regional scale. Wildfires can occur in late spring and summer in both dry and wet years. Recovery of plant and animal communities is predictable and slow, with regeneration of eucalypts and many habitat components extending over decades. Time since the last fire strongly influences the distribution and abundance of many species and the structure of plant and animal communities. Animal species display a discrete set of generalized responses to time since fire. Systematic field studies and modeling are beginning to reveal how spatial variation in fire regimes (‘pyrodiversity’) at different scales shapes biodiversity. Pyrodiversity includes variation in the extent of post-fire habitats, the diversity of post-fire age-classes and their configuration. At regional scales, a desirable mix of fire histories for biodiversity conservation includes a combination of early, mid and late post-fire age-classes, weighted toward later seral stages that provide critical habitat for threatened species. Biodiversity is also influenced by interactions between fire and other drivers, including land clearing, rainfall, herbivory and predation. Extensive clearing for agriculture has altered the nature and impact of fire, and facilitated invasion by pest species that modify fuels, fire regimes and post-fire recovery. Given the natural and anthropogenic drivers of fire and the consequences of their interactions, we highlight opportunities for conserving mallee ecosystems. These include learning from and fostering Indigenous knowledge of fire, implementing actions that consider synergies between fire and other processes, and strategic monitoring of fire, biodiversity and other drivers to guide place-based, adaptive management under climate change.

scholarly journals Characterization of earth fissures in South Jiangsu, China

2015 ◽  
Vol 372 ◽  
pp. 249-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ye ◽  
Y. Wang ◽  
J. Wu ◽  
P. Teatini ◽  
J. Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Subsidence ◽  
Earth Fissure ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Groundwater Levels ◽  
Earth Fissures ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Cumulative Length ◽  
Differential Land Subsidence

Abstract. The Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou (known as "Su-Xi-Chang") area, located in the southern part of Jiangsu Province, China, experienced serious land subsidence caused by overly exploitation of groundwater. The largest cumulative land subsidence has reached 3 m. With the rapid progress of land subsidence since the late 1980s, more than 20 earth fissures developed in Su-Xi-Chang area, although no pre-existing faults have been detected in the surroundings. The mechanisms of earth fissure generation associated with excessive groundwater pumping are: (i) differential land subsidence, (ii) differences in the thickness of the aquifer system, and (iii) bedrock ridges and cliffs at relatively shallow depths. In this study, the Guangming Village Earth Fissures in Wuxi area are selected as a case study to discuss in details the mechanisms of fissure generation. Aquifer exploitation resulted in a drop of groundwater head at a rate of 5–6 m yr−1 in the 1990s, with a cumulative drawdown of 40 m. The first earth fissure at Guangming Village was observed in 1998. The earth fissures, which developed in a zone characterized by a cumulative land subsidence of approximately 800 mm, are located at the flank of a main subsidence bowl with differential subsidence ranging from 0 to 1600 mm in 2001. The maximum differential subsidence rate amounts to 5 mm yr−1 between the two sides of the fissures. The fissure openings range from 30 to 80 mm, with a cumulative length of 1000 m. Depth of bed rock changes from 60 to 140 m across the earth fissure. The causes of earth fissure generation at Guangming Village includes a decrease in groundwater levels, differences in the thickness of aquifer system, shallow depths of bedrock ridges and cliffs, and subsequent differential land subsidence.

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