Nearby Springs Research Articles

Naturally occurring progesterone in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.): A major steroid precursor of environmental androgens

AbstractProgesterone, androstenedione, and androstadienedione were previously identified in the water and sediment of the Fenholloway River (Taylor County, FL, USA), a river that contains populations of masculinized female mosquitofish downstream of a paper mill, at levels higher than those in the nearby Spring Creek. Plant sterols, such as β‐sitosterol in mill effluent derived from pine tree pulp, were suggested to be metabolized by bacteria to progesterone and androgens to account for the masculinization phenomenon. The current study made use of standard solid‐phase methanol extraction procedures, high‐performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry, and a cell‐based, androgen‐receptor transcription assay to determine naturally occurring progesterone levels in mature pine trees. Progesterone concentrations in the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were 49.34 ± 4.1 nmol/g dry mature wood (15.5 ± 1.29 μg/g), 12.26 ± 1.78 nmol/g pine needles (3.85 ± 0.56 μg/g), and 3.81 ± 0.36 nmol/g pine bark (1.19 ± 0.11 μg/g). The results suggest that naturally occurring progesterone from pine wood pulp contributes to increased progesterone levels downstream of paper mill effluent discharges and may serve as the natural steroid precursor for environmental androgen production that causes masculinization of female mosquitofish.

Spared Another Day

Spared Another Day Shulamit Lotate (bio) "Yalah! Yalah!" come closer! The voice of the Berber in his djelaba (Moroccan hooded overcoat) rises above the bustling crowd. The year is 1959. Outside the ramparts of the old Jewish quarter in the city of Fez, also known as the mellah, is the market place. The souk is the traditional outdoor market where merchants sell everything from vegetables to items of clothing, vegetables, poultry and cattle. Under the dark and translucent fabric canopies, vendors display their wear on the ground and shout out to attract clientele. Only the waterman carrying gallons of water from a nearby spring, attracts his thirsty clients with the sound of a little bell. He carries the water in a sewn goat hide over his shoulder with a metal spout where the throat used to be, and a metal cup. Once in a while I have enough 'sous' to get the waterman to tilt his gourd and fill an ornate brass cup with water under the watchful and content eye of my father. To accompany our father to the market is a privilege among my siblings. I recall those [End Page 108] occasions with affection. I pride myself in my ability to assist with the load of colorful woven panniers. We pass mounds of colorful spices displayed on burlap bags. The smells of cumin, turmeric and cardamom are intoxicating. I walk one step behind him for two reasons. The first is because it is so crowded that I need to grab on to his jacket with my free hand, the other reason is to watch for pickpockets. At nine years old, I am the right height for the job. Today is a special day. It is the eve of Yom Kippur. The Day of Atonement when Jews around the world ask their fellow human beings and God for forgiveness for any offence they might have committed throughout the year. It is a day of fast, conducted almost entirely in prayers and followed by a substantial dinner at the end of the day. Our custom is to prepare a chicken as a symbolic sacrifice for our sins. We reach the area where the chickens, turkeys and doves are being sold. The birds lay under the scorching sun, in bunches on the reddish soil, feet tied and beaks open. My father, with a humble smile, confides in me that this year he can afford a bird for each of us. Two grown chicken for Papa and Maman and one white dove for each child: Alice, Mathieu, Loulou and myself. After a careful examination, he gently places the four handpicked doves in my basket and carries the chicken from their feet, upside down. With a final customary bargaining of the price, we are heading to the kosher butcher towards the gate of the city. I carry my bundle with care, as we weave a path through the crowd. To assure they have ample space to fold their wings, I wrap my arms around my basket and watch their silky heads bob in cadence with my small hurried steps. How white, delicate and beautiful they are! How helpless? Right then, I decide that I could not take them to the butcher and should set them free. I spread my arms and let the doves take to the sky. The sound and flutter of wings startles the crowd around us. It is our turn to hold our mouths open at the surprising and delightful sight of doves' flight. Their life is spared another day. My father finally turns his head slowly and looks at me. I search his eyes, expecting some reproach. A faint smile lights his face, he is not angry! I detect the look of empathy behind the veiled faces and smiling eyes lined with kohl of the Arab women around us. He puts his hand on my shoulder, pulls me a little closer "We still have enough for all of us." [End Page 109] Shulamit Lotate Shulamit Lotate is a 56-year-old Moroccan Jewess, and proud parent of three. She immigrated to Israel at the age of fourteen, studied two years at the University of Haifa Philosophy and Fine Arts...

Bottom sediments and pore waters near a hydrothermal vent in Lake Baikal (Frolikha Bay)

We discuss the redox environments and the compositions of bottom sediments and sedimentary pore waters in the region of a hydrothermal vent in Frolikha Bay, Lake Baikal. According to our results, the submarine vent and its companion nearby spring on land originate from a common source. The most convincing evidence for their relation comes from the proximity of stable oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions in pore waters and in the spring water. The isotope composition indicates a meteoric origin of pore waters, but their major- and minor-element chemistry bears imprint of deep water which may seep through permeable faulted crust. Although pore waters near the submarine vent have a specific enrichment in major and minor constituents, hydrothermal discharge at the Baikal bottom causes a minor impact on the lake water chemistry, unlike the case of freshwater geothermal lakes in the East-African Rift and North America.

Indigenous Strategies of Sustainable Farming Systems in the Highlands of Northern Philippines

ABSTRACT Indigenous strategies have been practiced in the Philippine uplands and they have maintained the sustainability of upland farming systems for generations. A collaborative activity among researchers, extensionists and practitioners from UPLB, BSU, HARRDEC, ICRAF, DENR-CAR, DA-CHARM, and NCIP was carried out to document and understand the indigenous strategies of farming systems in Bayyo, Mt. Province. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) activities including transect lines, resource mapping, key informant interviews, and mind mapping were conducted with selected participants from the community. Most households in Bayyo maintain three production systems: irrigated rice fields (payew), permanent swidden (katualle), and shifting cultivation (uma) plots. All three production systems are essential for their survival. Local people practice a variety of indigenous strategies to sustain productivity in these production systems. These include terracing, crop rotation, mixed cropping, soil fertility management, and the sweetpotato cropping system. Payew fields are flat terraces built along the mountainsides with terrace sides fortified with stone walls. These fields are irrigated with water from nearby spring water to grow paddy rice. Terracing is also practiced in the katualle to reduce the steepness of the slope of the fields and to reduce soil erosion. Different systems of crop rotation and mixed cropping of rice, sweet potato, and peanuts are practiced in the three production systems to sustain crop productivity. Soil fertility in the payew fields is maintained by the application of the indigenous species Tithonia diversifolia. Laying removed weeds around sweetpotato plants as mulch is the main soil fertility management and weed control in the katualle fields. Fallowing is an important component of the shifting cultivation cycle in the uma fields. Sweet potato is the second staple food crop in Bayyo and farmers keep a collection of a diverse array of sweet potato varieties suited to different growing conditions and with varying characteristics of growing season length, herbage yield, drought tolerance and tuber storage longevity. PRA results have shown that indigenous practices kept the upland farms in Bayyo sustainable through the years.

Geochemical Signature of the Kizildere Geothermal Field, Western Anatolia, Turkey

The Kizildere thermal waters are located in the northern part of the Büyük Menderes rift zone. The Paleozoic metamorphic rocks form the basement of the studied area and are discordantly overlain by Pliocene clastic sediments. The thermal waters are associated with NE-SW- and NW-SE- oriented faults, representing a compressional event that followed extensional formation of the rift zone. The hydrothermal alteration includes phyllic, argillic, silicic, hematitized, and carbonatized alteration zones. Precambrian to Cambrian metamorphic and Pliocene sedimentary rocks are distinguished from one another by enrichment patterns for Hg, Sb, As, Tl, Ag, and Au, and depletion patterns for alkaline and alkaline-earth elements in connection with degree of hydrothermal alteration. The thermal waters have surface temperatures of up to 100°C and reservoir temperatures from 148 to 198°C in the Sazak formation and from 200 to 212°C in the Igdecik formation. Hydrogeochemically, Kizildere thermal waters are of the Na-HCO3-(SO4) type. Metalloids of As and Sb and some trace elements (e.g., B and F, indicating high-temperature water-rock interaction), are found in high concentrations. Isotopic data reveal that Kizildere thermal waters do not contain measurable 3H. Conversely, some nearby thermal springs with temperatures of up to 88°C contain atmospheric and anthropogenic 3H (up to 6.5 TU). Therefore, there is evidence for a mixing process between the fresh groundwater and deep thermal water. The Kizildere thermal waters are of meteoric origin. Stable isotope values of σD and σ18O show that the mixed groundwater-thermal water systems lie along the meteoric water line, whereas high-temperature, deep groundwater systems deviate from the meteoric water line in showing a water-rock interaction at high-temperature conditions. These data agree well with the results of hydrogeochemical analyses indicating intensive water-rock interaction and reactions with silicates. Due to the deep circulation, the water is heated by recent subvolcanic activity. Overprinting by reactions with crystalline rocks was intensified by outgassing of magmatic CO2 and H2S, proven by isotope analyses of σ13C, σ34S, and σ11B. Although intense geochemical near-surface reactions occur, the geochemical features of high-temperature, water-rock interaction dominate the chemical and isotopic characteristics of the studied waters.

Cyanide custom mill site closure

ABSTRACT April 17,1999 saw the beginning of the closure of a very controversial mining site in the small town of Pony, MT with the completion of the stabilization and rinsing of the tailings. In late 1994, low concentrations of cyanide were detected in a domestic well in the town of Pony, Montana, and at a nearby spring. The cyanide is believed to have leaked through the liner of a tailings impoundment at the site of the Pony Custom Gold Mill. Responsibility for the site reverted to The Montana Department of Environmental Quality and reclamation efforts began with removal of hazardous chemicals from the site and dewatering of the tailings pond. Further reclamation of the site required engineering design involving the dam, pond, and the surrounding slopes. Of particular interest is the manner in which the cyanide-processed tailings were handled. The tailings were treated by rinsing and subsequently buried under several feet of soil originating from the tailings dam.

Recharge Estimation by Stage‐Discharge Interpolation of Springflows from Cross‐Correlated Well Measurements

AbstractFor shallow phreatic aquifers, from which springflow is the predominant source of discharge, recharge volumes may be approximated as the time integral of springflow time series. However, field measurement of flows from numerous springs, with sufficient frequency to accurately estimate this time integral, is frequently impractical. A technique for interpolation of continuous springflow time series is presented, using cross‐correlation between flows and continuous head measurements in associated wells. Suitable wells must lie within the recharge catchment of the spring in question and display negligible phase lag between well and spring response to recharge. Brief (<1 year) periods of calibration may be sufficient to establish calibration upon which discharge interpolation from well data may be based. A 7 m thick highly heterogeneous mine‐waste aquifer, with springflows highly sensitive to recharge events, is examined as a test case. Over a 40 day recharge period, three well/spring pairs yielded acceptable cross‐correlation across four recharge events. Head from one of these wells was compared to a second nearby spring and found to show poor correlation, attributed to its location outside of that spring's catchment. Calibration statistics were found to be robust when the calibration dataset for one pair was reduced in size. Measured flows from one of the correlated springs also displayed correlation with summed discharge from the aquifer at all measured springs, based on concurrent flow measurements over time. Results suggest that continuous measurements of head from a small number of critically selected wells may allow accurate estimates of transient spring discharge rates following a relatively brief period of flow‐stage calibration. The success of the method may depend on specific characteristics of aquifers to which it is applied, such as size of spring catchments, aquifer conductance, aquifer heterogeneity, and spatial distribution of recharge.

Ghost Ranch Field, Nevada: New Discovery from Combined 3-D Seismic and Well Log Data

Ghost Ranch field was discovered in 1996 on the basis of a 3-D (three-dimensional) seismic survey guided by analysis of log data from nearby existing wells. The 7 mi2 (18 km2) survey had the initial goal of identifying infill opportunities in Eagle Springs field and led to the drilling of a series of new producers. Results from this activity, combined with log data from nearby Kate Spring field, enabled the mapping of an oil-bearing Paleozoic slide-block mass between the two fields. A structural high with four-way closure, roughly 40-50 ac (16-20 ha) in size, was identified and successfully drilled to open Ghost Ranch field. Ghost Ranch produces from fractured Devonian dolomites at depths of about 4350-4400 ft (1326-1342 m). The field has a strong water drive, an oil column of 100 ft (30 m), and estimated original oil in place (OOIP) of 2 million bbl. Production through January 1999 was 216.7 mbbl (11% OOIP) from three wells. Success at Ghost Ranch suggests that the updip margins of the productive slide-block mass define an excellent target for future exploration.

Partitioning of soil water among canopy trees in a seasonally dry tropical forest.

Little is known about partitioning of soil water resources in species-rich, seasonally dry tropical forests. We assessed spatial and temporal patterns of soil water utilization in several canopy tree species on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, during the 1997 dry season. Stable hydrogen isotope composition (δD) of xylem and soil water, soil volumetric water content (θv), and sap flow were measured concurrently. Evaporative fractionation near the soil surface caused soil water δD to decrease from about -15‰ at 0.1 m to -50 to -55‰ at 1.2 m depth. Groundwater sampled at the sources of nearby springs during this period yielded an average δD value of -60‰. θv increased sharply and nearly linearly with depth to 0.7 m, then increased more slowly between 0.7 and 1.05 m. Based on xylem δD values, water uptake in some individual plants appeared to be restricted largely to the upper 20 cm of the soil profile where θv dropped below 20% during the dry season. In contrast, other individuals appeared to have access to water at depths greater than 1 m where θv remained above 45% throughout the dry season. The depths of water sources for trees with intermediate xylem δD values were less certain because variation in soil water δD between 20 and 70 cm was relatively small. Xylem water δD was also strongly dependent on tree size (diameter at breast height), with smaller trees appearing to preferentially tap deeper sources of soil water than larger trees. This relationship appeared to be species independent. Trees able to exploit progressively deeper sources of soil water during the dry season, as indicated by increasingly negative xylem δD values, were also able to maintain constant or even increase rates of water use. Seasonal courses of water use and soil water partitioning were associated with leaf phenology. Species with the smallest seasonal variability in leaf fall were also able to tap increasingly deep sources of soil water as the dry season progressed. Comparison of xylem, soil, and groundwater δD values thus pointed to spatial and temporal partitioning of water resources among several tropical forest canopy tree species during the dry season.

Migration of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons, MTBE and chlorinated solvents in a karstified limestone aquifer, Stamford, UK

Abstract Two incidents of hydrocarbon contamination to the Lincolnshire Limestone in east Stamford, UK, have been investigated. No evidence of LNAPL contamination of groundwater was observed, suggesting that the spills may largely have been retained in the unsaturated zone. Some groundwater contamination by dissolved hydrocarbons occurred, apparently especially at times of high recharge. Rapid flow paths were proven to nearby springs in the River Welland (with groundwater flow velocities of up to 240 m day −1 ), and dissolved hydrocarbon and MTBE contamination appears to have been flushed rapidly from these systems. MTBE contamination at Tallington Pumping Station (5 km east of the site) is not clearly linked to these incidents. Of potentially more concern was the discovery of dissolved chlorinated solvent contamination in the groundwater at the spill sites, possibly related to a landfilled quarry and/or a nearby engineering works. No direct evidence of DNAPL was observed. A conceptual model of solvent distribution suggests independent sources of TCE, PCE and TCA.

A photographic method for rapid assessment of landslide displacement

During the summer months when the local demand for water is heavy the supply for Lyme Regis in Dorset, UK, relies on water pumped from a nearby spring at Pinhay in the lower levels of the area of landsliding known as the ‘undercliff’ (Pitts 1983). From cliffs that reach a height of 160 m AOD retrogressive slumping of the Chalk and Chert Beds has occurred mainly into the underlying Foxmould, which is a silty fine sand susceptible to liquefaction. These Cretaceous formations together constitute an aquifer that unconformably overlies the much less permeable mudstones and limestones of the Lower Lias. The debris from the degraded slumping of the Cretaceous strata has a high water table and forms a shallow apron of weak material which spills over the low cliff of Lias on to the foreshore. The Earth Resources Centre of the University of Exeter has been monitoring, by a combination of surveying and photographic techniques, the displacements across the major scarps and the toe area of those landslides which directly affect the continued operation of the Pinhay pumping station (Grainger et al. 1985, 1996; Grainger & Kalaugher 1995). Of particular concern are the displacements of the toe in the area immediately seaward (south) of the pumping station, which threaten eventually to undermine its foundations. From near the seaward edge of this toe area the view to the west along the beach and wave-cut platform includes a group of very large boulders derived from the Chert Beds. These boulders form a

Growth and Yield of Pea (Pisum sativumL.) and Lentil (Lens culinarisL.) Sprayed with Low Rates of Sulfonylurea and Phenoxy Herbicides

Drift of sulfonylurea and phenoxy herbicides from spring cereal fields to nearby spring pea and lentil crops was simulated by spraying pea and lentil with 2,4-D or the 2:1 commercial mixture of thifensulfuron and tribenuron at rates of 0, 0.33, 1, 3.3, or 10% of the use rates (X) for spring cereal crops approximately 3 and 5 wk after planting pea and lentil. 2,4-D had minimal inhibitory effects on both crops at all rates tested. Lentil was slightly more sensitive than pea to 10% X 2,4-D. Thifensulfuron:tribenuron had no effect on either crop at rates less than 3.3% X. Two weeks after application of thifensulfuron:tribenuron, 10% X, and to a lesser degree 3.3% X rates, caused newly emerged leaves to become chlorotic, reducing chlorophyll content 25 to 50%. These treatments also reduced net photosynthesis by 37% and reduced or halted growth of the main stem. Early formation of leaves was reduced, thus tripling light penetration through the canopy. Five to six weeks after application, 10% X thifensulfuron:tribenuron had, in some treatments, more than tripled branching in pea, more than quadrupled branching in lentil, and reduced biomass as much as 42%. Flowering and maturity were delayed. Plants recovered from stunting by thifensulfuron:tribenuron to varying degrees depending on environmental conditions, and final seed yield generally was reduced less than 25%. In controlled greenhouse experiments, rate response to thifensulfuron generally was similar to that observed in field experiments. Pea was stunted less at 30 C than at 10 C, whereas lentil was affected similarly at these temperatures. Overall, visual symptoms from thifensulfuron:tribenuron exposure were more pronounced in pea than in lentil and were detectable at levels substantially lower than those that affected final seed yields.

Genetic differentiation of aquatic snails (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from artesian springs in arid Australia

Abstract Electrophoretic surveys of 10 species of hydrobiid snails in two indigenous genera ( Fonscochlea and Trochidrobia ) living in arid-zone artesian ‘mound’ springs are reported. The study is based on 96 populations of hydrobiid snails living in 32 different springs representing 18 spring groups in the Lake Eyre Supergroup, northern South Australia. The species-level taxonomy of these snails, previously based on morphological differences alone, was tested and modified. The snails were examined within five clear-cut morphological groups: the two largest, fully aquatic species ( Fonscochlea accepta and F. aquatica ) were treated independently, as was the amphibious F. zeidleri The morphologically similar three smaller aquatic species were investigated as a group. Within this group one new species is described and, on the basis of the genetic evidence, two others ( F. variabilis and F. conica ) are considered conspecific. The four species of Trochidrobia are investigated together and T. punicea separately in more detail. Sympatry between Trochidrobia smithi and T. punicea is recorded for the first time. The springs are arranged in an essentially linear pattern and genetic differentiation largely follows an isolation by distance model, although there is a significant genetic discontinuity between two nearby spring groups, Beresford/Warburton Springs and Strangways Spring, which is presumably the result of differential historical continuity of spring habitat. The size of the spring influences the degree of genetic difference between springs within spring groups, with small springs attaining greater levels of differentiation than large springs. The findings suggest that if genetic diversity is to be conserved, current management strategies protecting only single springs within a group are inadequate. Despite the considerable number of indigenous species found in these springs, currently all remain on pastoral leases and some are threatened by the continuing expansion of water extraction from the Great Artesian Basin.

EFFECTS OF LOMA PRIETA EARTHQUAKE ON SURFACE WATERS IN WADDELL VALLEY1

ABSTRACT: Waddell Creek is a perennial stream near Santa Cruz, California, which discharges into the Pacific Ocean about 38 km from the epicenter of the Loma Prieta earthquake (October 17, 1989, M 7.1). The earthquake caused no significant changes or damage to structures or surface features in the area, but was followed by an order of magnitude transient increase in discharge of Waddell Creek and nearby springs. The transients approximate a step rise followed by an exponential recession with time constants of from 37 to 59 days. The flow recession pattern of Waddell Creek was obscured by heavy rains after about 50 days; however, the springs maintained an exponential recession with minimal rain interference for periods of several time constants, then abruptly ceased flowing. A comparison of the pre‐quake and post‐quake chemical signature of one of the springs shows only minor changes in water chemistry indicating a common source for pre‐ and post‐quake waters. Increased permeability of the subsurface ground material appears to be the most probable cause of the hydrologic changes. Post‐seismic reduction of permeability has not been observed or inferred.

Stable Isotopic Evidence for a Pedogenic Origin of Carbonates in Trench 14 near Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Layered carbonate and silica encrust fault fractures exposed in Trench 14 near Yucca Mountain, site of the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository in southern Nevada. Comparison of the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of the fracture carbonates with those of modern soil carbonates in the area shows that the fracture carbonates are pedogenic in origin and that they likely formed in the presence of vegetation and rainfall typical of a glacial climate. Their isotopic composition differs markedly from that of carbonate associated with nearby springs. The regional water table therefore remained below the level of Trench 14 during the time that the carbonates and silica precipitated, a period probably covering parts of at least the last 300,000 years.

Planning and engineering in relation to waste disposal: a case study of the Alkerton landfill

Abstract The integration of planning with geology and engineering is essential in the successful location and development of landfill sites, particularly in areas which are not intrinsically safe for waste disposal without engineering improvements. Although technical matters often form the primary basis for site selection, planning constraints and political factors can be as important and yet may receive less emphasis by the developers. Selection of a site can arouse concern amongst local people who consider that they will be adversely affected, despite assurances from the developer, and the formation of local action groups employing specialist expertise to oppose development of landfill sites, is now common-place. Landfill developers must therefore address technical, planning and public acceptability matters equally and effectively, in an integrated way, and must ensure that prediction of the impact of the landfill on the environment and its affect on the community proves to be accurate to maintain the credibility of the developer and the planning authorities. Recently, Oxfordshire County Council faced co-ordinated oppostion to their proposals to develop a landfill near the picturesque village of Alkerton, near Banbury. Because of the risk of pollution to nearby springs perceived by the local community, the Council created a containment site by constructing a clay trench through the vestigial ironstone, keyed into the relatively impermeable underlying silts and clays. The landfill has been operated to reduced infiltration and leachate production, and regular monitoring of environmental conditions has been carried out in conjunction with representatives from the Parish Council. This paper describes the interplay between planning, technical and political factors on which the decision to approve the development was based. The results of subsequent monitoring and the long term implications for site operations as a result of the engineering solution adopted, are also discussed.

Asklepios and Hygieia and the Cult Statue at Tegea

Pausanias records seeing statues of Athena Hippia, Asklepios and Hygieia in the cella of the temple of Athena Alea at Tegea. The Athena statue, from nearby Manthourea, replaced the original cult statue which was taken by Augustus to Rome; the figures of Asklepios and Hygieia, both by Skopas, are thought to have flanked the Athena. This group has been interpreted as a reflection of the complex nature of the Tegean Athena as a goddess of asylum. This article suggests that the Skopaic figures did not originally stand within the temple cella. Asklepios and Hygieia are not deities traditionally associated with political asylum. Rather, as healing deities, they are often associated with water and their images are likely to have been sculpted by Skopas for the nearby spring. The statues were moved into the cella only in the Roman period, after Augustus had removed the original cult statue of Athena.

Isotope geochemistry of frost-blister ice, North Fork Pass, Yukon, Canada

Oxygen-18 and deuterium abundances vary with depth in ice from a frost blister at a spring site near North Fork Pass, Yukon. They indicate that the ice was formed by continuous downward freezing under nearly ideal, closed-system conditions in a water-filled cavity. Weighted mean values of δ18O and δ2H for the ice samples indicate that the frost–blister ice was formed from groundwater similar to that of nearby springs. The slope of the regression line (5.1) for the 18O and 2H data of the frost–blister ice suggests that nonequilibrium fractionation conditions existed during freezing. Tritium concentrations in the ice show irregular variations with depth; the weighted mean 3H concentration for the ice is, however, similar to that of the spring water.

Utah State Prison Geothermal System: ABSTRACT

A geothermal space heating project was recently completed at the Utah State Prison complex at Crystal Hot Springs located near Murray, Utah. The project was initiated in 1978 as a joint U.S. Department of Energy and State of Utah project. Geologic and geophysical investigations initiated in 1979 consist of surface geologic mapping and aeromagnetic and detailed gravity surveys. This exploration program along with several shallow thermal-gradient holes provided the structural details for a subsequent exploration drilling program. The exploration drilling program involved deepening an existing well (SF-1) to 500 ft (150 m) and drilling a new hole (USP/TH-1) to 1,000 ft (300 m) to test the extent of the thermal anomaly. Well SF-1 intersected 175°F (79°C) temperatures in a low permeable quartzite, and well USP/TH-1 intersected highly fractured quartzite in the lower section of the well. A temperature reversal was noted in USP/TH-1 below 700 ft (213 m) with a maximum temperature of 175°F (79°C) occurring in the zone from 300 to 700 ft (90 to 215 m). Flow testing of USP/TH-1 indicated the well would flow at 1,000 gpm with a sustained flow of 400 gpm at a 3.5 psi drawdown over the heating season. Testing also indicated interference with other nearby wells and thermal springs. Fluid production for space heating of the prison facilities took place during the winter of 1983-84. This production will give more data to refine the calculations of reservoir producibility and provide information on the economics of utilizing geothermal fluids for space heating. End_of_Article - Last_Page 943------------

Correlation of groundwater radon anomalies with earthquakes in the Greater Palmdale Bulge Area

Recent measurements in the Central Transverse Ranges of southern California suggest possible correlations of changes in groundwater radon content with occurrences of nearby earthquakes. Since measurements began in 1974, three radon anomalies have been accompanied by subsequent nearby seismic events. Two of these anomalies were associated with moderate‐sized earthquakes and one with a swarm. Within a 60‐day window prior to the seismicity, groundwater radon increased in each case at sites close to the earthquake epicenters. Before the Big Bear earthquake of June 30, 1979 (M=4.8), radon anomalies were found at three nearby monitoring sites. Groundwater radon content at one site near the January 1, 1979 Malibu earthquake (M=5.0) showed negative as well as positive anomalies both prior to and following the earthquake. A radon anomaly occurred at a nearby spring prior to the fall 1976 Palmdale swarm. The observed pattern is similar to pre‐earthquake anomalies reported from Russia, China and Japan.