34 research outputs found
Populist Mobilization: A New Theoretical Approach to Populism*
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112280/1/j.1467-9558.2011.01388.x.pd
Solid-phase arsenic speciation in aquifer sediments: A micro-X-ray absorption spectroscopy approach for quantifying trace-level speciation
Arsenic (As) is a geogenic contaminant affecting groundwater in geologically diverse systems globally. Arsenic release from aquifer sediments to groundwater is favored when biogeochemical conditions, especially oxidation-reduction (redox) potential, in aquifers fluctuate. The specific objective of this research is to identify the solid-phase sources and geochemical mechanisms of release of As in aquifers of the Des Moines Lobe glacial advance. The overarching concept is that conditions present at the aquifer-aquitard interfaces promote a suite of geochemical reactions leading to mineral alteration and release of As to groundwater. A microprobe X-ray absorption spectroscopy (μXAS) approach is developed and applied to rotosonic drill core samples to identify the solid-phase speciation of As in aquifer, aquitard, and aquifer-aquitard interface sediments. This approach addresses the low solid-phase As concentrations, as well as the fine-scale physical and chemical heterogeneity of the sediments. The spectroscopy data are analyzed using novel cosine-distance and correlation-distance hierarchical clustering for Fe 1s and As 1s μXAS datasets. The solid-phase Fe and As speciation is then interpreted using sediment and well-water chemical data to propose solid-phase As reservoirs and release mechanisms. The results confirm that in two of the three locations studied, the glacial sediment forming the aquitard is the source of As to the aquifer sediments. The results are consistent with three different As release mechanisms: (1) desorption from Fe (oxyhydr)oxides, (2) reductive dissolution of Fe (oxyhydr)oxides, and (3) oxidative dissolution of Fe sulfides. The findings confirm that glacial sediments at the interface between aquifer and aquitard are geochemically active zones for As. The diversity of As release mechanisms is consistent with the geographic heterogeneity observed in the distribution of elevated-As wells
Recommended from our members
Mathematical and Geological Approaches to Minimizing the Data Requirements for Statistical Analysis of Hydraulic Conductivity. Technical Completion Report.
Field scale heterogeneity has been recognized as a dominant control on solute dispersion in groundwater. Numerous random field models exist for quantifying heterogeneity and its influence on solute transport. Minimizing data requirements in model selection and subsequent parameterization will be necessary for efficient application of quantitative models in contaminated subsurface environments. In this study, a detailed quantitative sedimentological study is performed to address the issue of incorporating geologic information into the geostatistical characterization process. A field air-minipermeameter is developed for rapid in-situ measurements. The field study conducted on an outcrop of fluvial/interfluvial deposits of the Pliocene- Pleistocene Sierra Ladrones Formation in the Albuquerque Basin of central New Mexico. Architectural element analysis is adopted for mapping and analysis of depositional environment. Geostatistical analysis is performed at two scales. At the architectural element scale, geostatistical analysis of assigned mean log-permeabilities of a 0.16 km{sup 2} peninsular region indicates that the directions of maximum and minimum correlation correspond to the directions of the large-scale depositional processes. At the facies scale, permeability is found to be adequately represented as a log-normal process. Log-permeability within individual lithofacies appears uncorrelated. The overall correlation structure at the facies scale is found to be a function of the mean log-permeability and spatial distribution of the individual lithofacies. Based on field observations of abrupt spatial changes in lithology and hydrologic properties, an algorithm for simulating multi-dimensional discrete Markov random fields. Finally, a conceptual model is constructed relating the information inferred from dimensional environment analysis to the various random fields of heterogeneity