Clean enough for industry? An airborne geophysical case study

Data from two airborne geophysical surveys of the Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) were extremely valuable in deciding whether a 1000-acre (400 hectare) parcel of the ORR should be released to the City of Oak Ridge for industrial development. Our findings, based on electromagnetic and magnetic data, were incorporated in the federally mandated Environmental Assessment Statement (EAS), and in general supported claims that this land was never used as a hazardous waste disposal site. We estimated the amount of iron required to produce each anomaly using a simple dipole model. All anomalies with equivalent sources greater than approximately 1000 kg of iron were checked in the field, and the source of all but one identified as either a bridge, reinforced concrete debris, or a similarly benign object. Additionally, some smaller anomalies (equivalent sources of roughly 500 kg) have been checked; thus far, these also have innocuous sources. Airborne video proved invaluable in identifying logging equipment as the source of some of these anomalies. Geologic noise may account for some of the remaining anomalies. Naturally occurring accumulations of magnetic minerals in the soil on the ORR have been shown to produce anomalies which, at a sensor height of 30 m, are comparable to the anomaly produced by about 500 kg of iron. By comparison, the electronic noise of the magnetic gradiometer, 0.01--0.02 nT/m, is equivalent to only about 50--100 kg of iron at a 30 m sensor height. The electromagnetic data, combined with field mapping of karst structures, provided evidence of a northeast-southwest striking conduit spanning the parcel. The possible existence of a karst conduit led the EAS authors to conclude that this is a ``sensitive hydrologic setting.`` We conclude that aerial geophysics is an extremely cost-effective, and efficient technique for screening large tracts of land for environmental characterization

Novel genetic loci associated with hippocampal volume

The hippocampal formation is a brain structure integrally involved in episodic memory, spatial navigation, cognition and stress responsiveness. Structural abnormalities in hippocampal volume and shape are found in several common neuropsychiatric disorders. To identify the genetic underpinnings of hippocampal structure here we perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 33,536 individuals and discover six independent loci significantly associated with hippocampal volume, four of them novel. Of the novel loci, three lie within genes (ASTN2, DPP4 and MAST4) and one is found 200 kb upstream of SHH. A hippocampal subfield analysis shows that a locus within the MSRB3 gene shows evidence of a localized effect along the dentate gyrus, subiculum, CA1 and fissure. Further, we show that genetic variants associated with decreased hippocampal volume are also associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (rg =-0.155). Our findings suggest novel biological pathways through which human genetic variation influences hippocampal volume and risk for neuropsychiatric illness

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

Applications of low-cost radio-controlled airplanes to environmental restoration at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The US DOE is endeavoring to clean up contamination created by the disposal of chemical and nuclear waste on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), Tennessee, with an emphasis on minimizing off-site migration of contaminated surface and ground water. The task is complicated by inadequate disposal records and by the complexity of the local geology. Remote sensing data, including aerial photography and geophysics, have played an important role in the ORR site characterization. Are there advantages to collecting remote sensing data using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV`s)? In this paper, I will discuss the applications of UAV`s being explored at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the sponsorship of the Department of Energy`s Office of Science and technology. These applications are : aerial photography, magnetic mapping, and Very Low Frequency (VLF) electromagnetic mapping

Electromagnetic survey of the K1070A burial ground at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The K1070A burial ground, located at the K-25 Site on the Oak Ridge Reservation, received chemical and radioactive wastes from the late 1940s until 1975. Analysis of water samples collected from nearby monitoring wells indicates that contamination is migrating offsite. In November 1991, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) personnel collected high-resolution electrical terrain conductivity data at the K1070A burial ground. A Model EM31 terrain conductivity meter manufactured by Geonics Limited was used in conjunction with the ORNL-developed Ultrasonic Ranging and Data System (USRADS) to perform the survey. The purposeof the survey was to provide Environmental Restoration (ER) staff with a detailed map of the spatial variation of the apparent electrical conductivity of the shallow subsurface (upper 3 m) to assist them in siting future monitoring wells closer to the waste area without drilling into the buried waste

Allowable residual contamination levels of radionuclides in soil from pathway analysis

The uncertainty regarding radionuclide distributions among Remedial Action Program (RAP) sites and long-term decommissioning and closure options for these sites requires a flexible approach capable of handling different levels of contamination, dose limits, and closure scenarios. We identified a commercially available pathway analysis model, DECOM, which had been used previously in support of remedial activities involving contaminated soil at the Savannah River Plant. The DECOM computer code, which estimates concentrations of radionuclides uniformly distributed in soil that correspond to an annual effective dose equivalent, is written in BASIC and runs on an IBM PC or compatible microcomputer. We obtained the latest version of DECOM and modified it to make it more user friendly and applicable to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) RAP. Some modifications involved changes in default parameters or changes in models based on approaches used by the EPA in regulating remedial actions for hazardous substances. We created a version of DECOM as a LOTUS spreadsheet, using the same models as the BASIC version of DECOM. We discuss the specific modeling approaches taken, the regulatory framework that guided our efforts, the strengths and limitations of each approach, and areas for improvement. We also demonstrate how the LOTUS version of DECOM can be applied to specific problems that may be encountered during ORNL RAP activities. 18 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs

Geophysical Surveys of a Known Karst Feature, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Geophysical data were acquired at a site on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee to determine the characteristics of a mud-filled void and to evaluate the effectiveness of a suite of geophysical methods at the site. Methods that were used included microgravity, electrical resistivity, and seismic refraction. Both microgravity and resistivity were able to detect the void as well as overlying structural features. The seismic data provide bedrock depth control for the other two methods, and show other effects that are caused by the void

Geophysical Surveys of a Known Karst Feature, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Geophysical data were acquired at a site on the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee to determine the characteristics of a mud-filled void and to evaluate the effectiveness of a suite of geophysical methods at the site. Methods that were used included microgravity, electrical resistivity, and seismic refraction. Both microgravity and resistivity were able to detect the void as well as overlying structural features. The seismic data provide bedrock depth control for the other two methods, and show other effects that are caused by the void

Testing the Fill-and-Spill Model ofSubsurface Lateral Flow Using GroundPenetrating Radar and Dye Tracing

Preferential flow (PF), which bypasses large portions of the soil or subsurface matrix, is critical in the transport of water and dissolved constituents in the unsaturated zone. To test the “fill-and-spill” model of hillslope hydrology that describes the generation and pattern of downslope lateral PF after storms, we used dye tracer and time-lapse, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) on a forested hillslope in the Susquehanna–Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. We injected 50 L of water mixed with Brilliant Blue dye (4 g L⁻¹) into a shallow trench cut perpendicular to the slope and used GPR to monitor the tracer downslope across a 1.0- by 2.0-m grid. The site was then excavated to the soil–saprock interface and photographed to document the dye pathways. We observed vertical dye fingering near the infiltration trench. Downslope lateral PF at the soil–saprock boundary was limited to ~0.40 m, which is evidence that the soil–saprock interface did not fill-and-spill. The extent, depth, and direction of the downslope PF indicated by GPR generally matched the dye staining patterns in the excavation, but the resolution of the 800-MHz GPR antenna was insufficient to distinguish small fingers of dye. A revised filland- spill model was proposed for this site that incorporates the PF through fractured saprock before water encounters fresh bedrock surface. This study demonstrates that GPR integrated with dye tracer infiltration can provide a useful means of testing hillslope hydrological hypotheses and unraveling the complexity of PF at the hillslope scale in a field setting