Surface Hydrosphere Research Articles

ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AS A FUNDAMENTAL INTEGRAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PECULIARITIES OF ABIOTIC ENVIRONMENTS OF ECOSYSTEM - LITHOSPHERE, PEDOSPHERE, ATMOSPHERE AND HYDROSPHERE

The achievements of present regulatory and technical base for assessing quantitative indicators of ecosystems state are shown relying on the statistics of types of jobs for studying the abiotic spheres of the Earth (lithosphere, pedosphere, atmosphere and surface hydrosphere) as a part of engineering-ecological survey. Those achievements regarding to the regulation of indicators of state of abiotic spheres of ecosystem are described. Ways for further improvement of regulatory and technical base have been outlined using the doctrine of ecological functions of the lithosphere as a fundamental integral characteristic of abiotic spheres of ecosystems and the systematization of individual indicators by introducing of four categories of integral indicators (resource, geochemical, geophysical and geodynamic). Attention is drawn to the need to elaborate the integral indicators of all abiotic spheres of ecosystems basing on development of ecological geology. Various approaches for assessing of such integral indicators are considered. Variant of their determination on the base of summary indicators method is proposed.

Methodology of formation of the hydrosphere state management system in technogenically-loaded regions of Russia

The condition of the underground and surface hydrosphere as one of the shells of the human habitat plays an exceptional role in ensuring the normal functioning of the population. In Russian regions with developed industry and transport infrastructure, the hydrosphere is experiencing significant man-made loads, which are objectively characterized by saturation of its facilities with various industrial and household effluents containing harmful and toxic substances, including heavy metals and their compounds. The article presents the results of the development of a hydraulic network management system in these territories. Scientifically grounded approaches to the formation of an appropriate methodology for the construction of control subsystems are presented. In particular, the complex of integrated system analysis and synthesis was chosen as the basic analytical tools, which allows taking into account the fundamental properties of natural and technical systems. It is shown that effective control of the hydrosphere can be carried out only with the joint synchronous functioning of the control and regulating blocks. The regional system, built according to the proposed scheme, allows you to quickly develop and implement organizational and technical measures to normalize the chemical and biological composition of drainage waters.

Molecular imprinting functionalization of magnetic biochar to adsorb sulfamethoxazole: Mechanism, regeneration and targeted adsorption

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a typical medical antibiotic, is regarded as a major risk in the surface hydrosphere because of its harmful biological reaction and potential to trigger bacterial resistance. Ameliorating the hydrosphere will become more convenient if the challenging adsorption and separation of SMX in hydrosphere are achieved. To reveal the mechanism, regeneration and targeted adsorption of SMX on a novel surface-imprinted polymer (MIP-MBC) and batch experiments were carried out in this study. MIP-MBC was prepared in organic solution using a Fe-Mn-modified biochar to selectively adsorb SMX in a water solution. Owing to the mesopores and oxygen-containing functional groups of MIP-MBC, imprinted cavities in pores are found to lead to a remarkable adsorption efficiency for SMX. The maximum adsorption capacity for SMX reaches up to 25.65 mg g−1, which is 1.34 times that of the non-molecularly imprinted magnetic biochar (NIP-MBC). The adsorption process matches well with the second-order kinetics and Freundlich thermodynamic model, which indicates that hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions are simultaneously involved in the adsorption process. After five cycles, the adsorption rate for MIP-MBC reaches 88.34%. Furthermore, MIP-MBC is applied to the binary system to remove SMX, and it can be used to accurately identify and adsorb SMX due to K`> 1 and being independent of the ion concentration. The high affinity site plays a major role in the imprinting process for SMX. This study furnishes a novel perspective for promoting the practical application and economic benefits of targeted biochar material to capture SMX in sewage purification.

A New Map of the World’s Hydrosphere

ABSTRACT This paper presents the Cameron Aquatic Projection, a novel concept designed to depict the world’s surface hydrosphere as it is, a continuous unbroken unit including oceans and rivers. After a review of related past projections, the paper will describe the parameters of the projection, according to the existing layout of surface water on Planet Earth. This description of the design principles is followed by the mathematical realization of the proposal. The article concludes with completed examples of the projection and suggests future applications.

Analysis of formation of ecological-technogenic and social threats of life safety in the coal industry zone of Donbass

The article considers the need to form an information-analytical complex of natural-technogenic geosystem (NTGS) of Donbass "regional technogenic complex – environment" as a tool base for building a model of ecological and economic development. Donbass (area up to 5.8 thousand km2 with a population of more than 4 million people) is a technogenic-geological system (TGS) ("regional technogenic complex – geological environment"). In addition, there are more than 4,000 potentially dangerous objects within the PTGS of Donbass. The predominance of regional irreversible changes in the ecological parameters of the geological environment as the main "depot" of the technogenesis effects (deformation of the earth's surface, geochemical pollution of landscapes, surface and groundwater, biodiversity loss, etc.) necessitates the preservation of its ecological resources for further socio-economic recovery of the Donbass region. Comparison of the impact of natural resource potential of the geological environment (GS) of Donbass and the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone showed the fundamental importance of balancing the interaction of the lithosphere with the surface hydrosphere, near-surface atmosphere and biosphere for the formation of socio-economic parameters and safety of life activity. Flooding of coal mines and rising of groundwater level to surface are the critical ecological factors of post-mining situation within Donbas. The performed analysis of ecological and technogenic parameters of NTGS of mining areas within Donbass also showed that in case of further increase in the number of flooded mines, advanced scientific development of maximum allowable changes in the environment is necessary. It is also noted that all selected tools for the formation of life safety should have a clear justification of socio-economic and environmental-technological parameters. All this should provide an opportunity to assess the efficiency of the ecological and economic system, methods of its construction and possible forecasting.

Carbon cycle and interactions between surface hydrosphere and deep-subsurface: key molecule and isotopic ratio approaches

Carbon cycle and interactions between surface hydrosphere and deep-subsurface: key molecule and isotopic ratio approaches

Processes of hydrosphere self-rehabilitation and mine water treatment in post mining period

The hydrosphere of catchments, which are disturbed by mining, is formed under the influence of not only natural, but also, to a large extent, man-made factors over a long period, sometimes tens or even hundreds of years. After the cessation of production, the return of the mining territory to a state as close to natural as possible is possible, as world experience shows, in exceptional cases, provided that the process of reclamation and revitalization is planned at the design stage of mining. In old industrial areas, the selfhealing processes of the hydrosphere are of great importance, which determine the time during which the territory should be considered as an object of accumulated environmental damage. At present, the total removal of metal compounds by mine waters in the discharge zones at flooded copper-ore mines of the Sverdlovsk region amounts to hundreds (manganese, zinc) and even thousands of tons per year (iron). The duration of self-rehabilitation of the hydrosphere of mining areas at the post-operational stage, i.e. the duration of the period during which the content of the main polluting components (copper, zinc, iron, sulfate ion) is reduced to the maximum permissible or background values, is tens or even hundreds of years. During this time, in order to prevent pollution of the underground and surface hydrosphere, expensive measures are required to implement a system of purification of underground and surface waters of the old industrial territory. The research was carried out on the basis of observations of the chemical composition of water bodies in the territory of the abandoned Levikhinsky mine since the beginning of the 2000s.

THE CONTENT OF THE ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE ABIOTIC EARTH SPHERES AND THE ACCOUNTING OF THEIR INDEXES IN THE CODE OF RULES FOR ENGINEERING-ECOLOGICAL SURVEYS FOR CONSTRUCTION

Abstract: starting with the works of V.I. Vernadsky, the history of the development of ideas about the interaction of the abiotic spheres of the Earth (upper lithosphere, pedosphere, lower atmosphere and surface hydrosphere) and the living (society, microorganisms, vegetation and land wildlife, hydrobionts (bacterioplankton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrobenthos)) is presented. The modern ideas about the content of the concept "ecological functions of abiotic spheres of the Earth", including the resource, geochemical, geophysical and geodynamic, involved in the resource and energy support of life and development of biota, are formulated. Three time stages of formation of the ecological functions of abiotic spheres of the Earth are allocated and characterized. It is shown that at the third technogenic-natural stage of development of these functions, when engineering-ecological surveys are carried out, at local sites, the consequences of technogenesis are leading in the assessment of the current state of ecosystems. The interaction of the lithosphere, pedosphere, surface hydrosphere, Earth's atmosphere with each other and the technosphere is described. The issues of necessity of taking into account perception of ecological functions of the Earth in the code of rules (SP) for engineeringecological surveys and the input of new terminology are considered. It is noted that each ecological function of the abiotic spheres of the Earth is characterized by a large number of indicators of private and complex properties, the study of which has long been mandatory during engineeringecological surveys. The statistics on the composition of the work on the study of the spheres of the Earth in the technical guidance documents of different years on engineering-ecological surveys is adduced. It is stated that in the current SP 47.13330.2016 “Engineering surveys for construction. Main provisions” in terms of engineering-ecological surveys, the vast number of characteristics of ecological functions of the abiotic spheres of the Earth, including the study and evaluation of modern geological processes affecting biota are taken into account. The recommendations on improvement of technical guidance documents for engineering-ecological surveys are formulated.

ABOUT SOME THEORETICAL POSITIONS, ASSESSMENT AND INVESTIGATION OF HAZARDOUS NATURAL PROCESSES AT ENGINEERING-ECOLOGICAL SURVEYS

Abstract: four provisions were considered as initial theoretical positions: 1) the influence of dangerous natural and anthropogenic processes on biota is determined by the geodynamic ecological functions of the abiotic spheres of the Earth - the lithosphere, atmosphere and surface hydrosphere; 2) all the dangerous natural processes occurring on Earth are geological; in accordance with the classification of natural sciences and types of engineering surveys, they are divided into two groups — geological and hydrometeorological; 3) the object of study of ecological-dynamic research are these dangerous processes and geodynamic zones and anomalies; 4) the question of purposeful classification of natural processes in relation to the problems of engineering-ecological works. The significant difficulties and uncertainties in the assessment of hazard categories of natural processes are shown. Because of this, not every manifestation of a dangerous process, even catastrophic in its intensity, is accompanied by human casualties, the complete destruction of ecosystems. These uncertainties include: 1) the uncertainty of the time and intensity of the manifestation of the considered dangerous geological process for the living; 2) the probability of cascading manifestations of hazardous processes; 3) the need to take into account the propensity of such processes to paragenesis, which most often forms the geodynamic background of a territory and determines the contribution of the processes to its ecological situation; 4) the probability of manifestation of the danger of natural processes also depends on the population density and the degree of development of the territory; 5) the need to take into account the scientific and technical level of development of the society, reflecting the degree of development of the system of forecasting, warnings and prevention of possible disasters. It is shown that taking into account these uncertainties of assessing the impact of hazardous natural processes on the ecosystem and human is a complex task and requires an individual approach not only to the process, but also to the territory.

Distribution of environmental tritium in rivers, groundwater, mine water and precipitation in Goa, India

Tritium concentration in rivers, groundwater, precipitation and mine pits water, all over Goa state was characterized to find out spatial and temporal variability of tritium. Twenty four water samples were collected during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon and analyzed for their tritium concentration. The mean tritium concentration in surface and sub-surface hydrosphere is 2.5 (±0.6) TU. The mean concentration of tritium in rivers, groundwater, mines pits water and rain water are 2.9 (±0.5) TU, 1.95 (±0.5) TU, 2.5(±0.3) TU and 3.1(±0.1) TU respectively. The tritium distribution in all the samples shows modern precipitation (post-1950) component in surface and sub-surface hydrosphere of Goa. The HYSPLIT4.0 air mass trajectory model and atmospheric circulation pattern suggest that the moisture origin was from the Arabian Sea and this low tritium moisture is diluting the tritium concentration of surface hydrosphere near the coastal area. The tritium concentration in surface hydrosphere shows more and more enrichment as one move inland (i.e. away from the coast). Significant seasonal change is observed in the surface hydrosphere. The pre-monsoon samples showed higher tritium concentration than post-monsoon samples. This may be due to high rate of re-evaporation of water and a reduction in the supply of oceanic moisture during the summer (pre-monsoon).

Substantiating the criteria for applying selective excavation of coal deposits in the Western Donbass

The provision of the energy system of Ukraine with a stable supply of coal in the long term demands calculation of the capacity of the exploitable deposits. Ukrainian deposits are characterized by insignificant thickness and complicated mining-geological conditions, which significantly complicates the mining process. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and use new energy-efficient technologies of coal mining. The article evaluates the criteria of usefulness of thin layers of deposits in the Western Donbass, which contains 25 bn t of coal, i.e 21.3% of total resources of the country, for processing in selective technology. According to the geologicstructural factor, we distinguished the fields of mines of hydrodynamically “open” and “close” types, the water inflows of which differ by a factor of ten. Taking the example of the mines of the east group, we ascertained the potential of the most promising coal reserves, which are appropriate for mining using selective technology. It was established that in these conditions, selective technology of coal excavation would not only allow a decrease in the ash content of the coal output, but would also prolong the period of the industries` operation. Backfilling of mined-out areas decreases the technogenic load on the underground and surface hydrosphere, decreases the subsidence of the surface and the volume of waste rocks.

Analysis of water budget prediction accuracy using ARIMA models

Abstract The European Union Water Framework Directive obliges each country to monitor the groundwater level as it is an important source of drinking water, but also an important part of agriculture. A water budget is used for assessing the accuracy of the groundwater level determination. The computations of the water budget are based on evapotranspiration and the state of land surface hydrosphere. On the basis of the determined water budget, statistics and the prognosis for the next 12 months can be computed. In this paper, all the components of the water budget, such as precipitation, surface run-off and evapotranspiration, are studied for the three tested locations in Poland: Suwalki, Zegrzynski and Tarnow cells. The resultant water budget was also determined and presented graphically. On the basis of the water budget research, a prognosis was determined using AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models with the parameters (2,0,2). A comparison between actual water budget data and a prediction prepared for 2015.08–2016.08 indicated that analysing a 12-month period provides a satisfactory prediction assessment.

Distribution of tritium in precipitation and surface water in California

Summary The tritium concentration in the surface hydrosphere throughout California was characterized to examine the reasons for spatial variability and to enhance the applicability of tritium in hydrological investigations. Eighteen precipitation samples were analyzed and 148 samples were collected from surface waters across California in the Summer and Fall of 2013, with repeat samples from some locations collected in Winter and Spring of 2014 to examine seasonal variation. The concentration of tritium in present day precipitation varied from 4.0 pCi/L near the California coast to 17.8 pCi/L in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Concentrations in precipitation increase in spring due to the ‘Spring Leak’ phenomenon. The average coastal concentration (6.3 ± 1.2 pCi/L) in precipitation matches estimated pre-nuclear levels. Surface water samples show a trend of increasing tritium with inland distance. Superimposed on that trend, elevated tritium concentrations are found in the San Francisco Bay area compared to other coastal areas, resulting from municipal water imported from inland mountain sources and local anthropogenic sources. Tritium concentrations in most surface waters decreased between Summer/Fall 2013 and Winter/Spring 2014 likely due to an increased groundwater signal as a result of drought conditions in 2014. A relationship between tritium and electrical conductivity in surface water was found to be indicative of water provenance and anthropogenic influences such as agricultural runoff. Despite low initial concentrations in precipitation, tritium continues to be a valuable tracer in a post nuclear bomb pulse world.

Record of the ancient martian hydrosphere and atmosphere preserved in zircon from a martian meteorite

Mars exhibits ample evidence for an ancient surface hydrosphere. The oxygen isotope compositions of carbonate minerals and alteration products in martian meteorites suggest that this ancient hydrosphere was not in isotopic equilibrium with the martian lithosphere1,2,3,4. Martian meteorite NWA 7533 is composed of regolith breccia from the heavily cratered terrains of ancient Mars and contains zircon grains for which U–Pb ages have been reported5. Here we report variations between the oxygen isotopic compositions of four zircon grains from NWA 7533. We propose that these variations can be explained if the mantle melts from which the zircon crystallized approximately 4.43 Gyr ago had assimiliated 17O-enriched regolith materials, and that some of the zircon grains, while in a metamict state, were later altered by low-temperature fluids near the surface less than 1.7 Gyr ago. Enrichment of the martian regolith in 17O before the zircon crystallized, presumably through exchange with the 17O-enriched atmosphere or hydrosphere during surface alteration, suggests that the thick primary atmosphere of Mars was lost within the first 120 Myr after accretion. We conclude that the observed variation of 17O anomalies in zircon from NWA 7533 points to prolonged interaction between the martian regolith, atmosphere and hydrosphere.

Masses of carbon in the Earth’s hydrosphere

Recent data were summarized on the concentration and mass of inorganic and organic carbon in reservoirs of the Earth’s hydrosphere. We compared carbon masses and accumulation conditions in the surface hydrosphere and waters of the sedimentary shell and proportions between carbonate, dissolved, and suspended particulate organic carbon. It was shown that the total masses of carbon in the surface hydrosphere and in the waters of the sedimentary shell are approximately equal to 80 × 1018 g C at an organic to carbonate carbon ratio of 1 : 36 and 1 : 43, respectively. Three main forms of organic compounds in the ocean (living organisms, suspended particles, and dissolved species) occur in the proportion 1 : 13 : 250 and form the pyramid of masses 4 × 1015 g, 50 × 1015 g, and 1000 × 1015 g Corg. The descending sequence of the organic to carbonate carbon ratio in water, ocean (1 : 36) > glaciers (1 : 8) > lakes (1 : 2) > rivers (1 : 0.6) > wetlands (1 : 0.3), is in general consistent with an increase in the same direction in the mean concentrations of organic matter: 0.77 mg Corg/L in the ocean, 0.7 mg Corg/L in glaciers, 6–30 mg Corg/L in lakes, 15 mg Corg/L in rivers, and 75 mg Corg/L in wetlands. Both the mean concentrations and masses of dissolved organic matter in the pore waters of oceanic sediments and in the waters of the sedimentary shell are similar: 36–37 mg/L and 5 × 1018 and 5.6 × 1018 g, respectively. The mass of carbonate carbon in the pore waters of the ocean, (19–33) × 1018 g, is comparable with its mass in the water column, 38.1 × 1018 g.

Residence half-times of 129I in undisturbed surface soils based on measured soil concentration profiles.

Measured 129I concentration profiles in southeastern United States soil are examined by means of a six-compartment model to estimate accumulation and downward migration in undisturbed surface soil. Effective mean residence half-times in the top 30-cm-depth interval averaged 30 +/- 6 y, based on estimated annual 129I deposition rates in the vicinity of a chemical separations facility for nuclear material over a 25-y period. The model demonstrates the need for subdividing the soil into small depth intervals of 5 cm or less near the surface. The results of this study differ significantly with other surface soil residence time studies where a large single depth interval was assumed. The conclusions do, however, compare favorably with distribution coefficient studies in the surface hydrosphere. Application of the results are graphically demonstrated.

Subduction and the geochemical cycle

Abstract The present balance of crust creation at ocean ridges and above subduction zones appears to be similar to crust removal processes at subduction zones. Almost 10% of the mass of the upper mantle has been influenced by surface hydrosphere, atmosphere and crustal component contamination. As long as surface components are subducted, then in a slowly cooling planet it is difficult to see how the mass of continents and hydrosphere can increase with time.