Paul P. Hearn

Intragranular Diffusion: An Important Mechanism Influencing Solute Transport in Clastic Aquifers?

Quantification of intragranular porosity in sand-size material from an aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, by scanning electron microscopy, mercury injection, and epifluorescence techniques shows that there are more reaction sites and that porosity is greater than indicated by standard short-term laboratory tests and measurement techniques. Results from laboratory and field tracer tests show solute nonequilibrium for a reacting ion consistent with a model of diffusion into, and exchange within, grain interiors. These data indicate that a diffusion expression needs to be included in transport codes, particularly for simulation of the transport of radioactive and toxic wastes.

Evidence for Late-Paleozoic brine migration in Cambrian carbonate rocks of the central and southern Appalachians: Implications for Mississippi Valley-type sulfide mineralization

Abstract Many Lower Paleozoic limestones and dolostones in the Valley and Ridge province of the central and southern Appalachians contain 10 to 25 weight percent authigenic potassium feldspar. This was considered to be a product of early diagenesis, however, 40 Ar 39 Ar analyses of overgrowths on detrital K-feldspar in Cambrian carbonate rocks from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Tennessee yield Late Carboniferous-Early Permian ages (278–322 Ma). Simple mass balance calculations suggest that the feldspar could not have formed isochemically, but required the flux of multiple pore volumes of fluid through the rocks, reflecting regional fluid migration events during the Late-Paleozoic Alleghanian orogeny. Microthermometric measurements of fluid inclusions in overgrowths on detrital K-feldspar and quartz grains from unmineralized rocks throughout the study area indicate homogenization temperatures from 100° to 200°C and freezing point depressions of −14° to −18.5°C (18–21 wt.% NaCl equiv). The apparent similarity of these fluids to fluid inclusions in ore and gangue minerals of nearby Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits suggests that the regional occurrences of authigenic K-feldspar and MVT mineralization may be genetically related. This hypothesis is supported by the discovery of authigenic K-feldspar intergrown with sphalerite in several mines of the Mascot-Jefferson City District, E. Tennessee. Regional potassic alteration in unmineralized carbonate rocks and localized occurrences of MVT mineralization are both explainable by a gravity-driven flow model, in which deep brines migrate towards the basin margin under a hydraulic gradient established during the Alleghanian orogeny. The authigenic K-feldspar may reflect the loss of K during disequilibrium cooling of the ascending brines. MVT deposits are probably localized manifestations of the same migrating fluids, occurring where the necessary physical and chemical traps are present.

Authigenic potassium feldspar in cambrian carbonates: evidence of alleghanian brine migration.

The shallow-water limestones and dolostones of the Conococheague Limestone (Upper Cambrian) of western Maryland contain large amounts of authigenic potassium feldspar. The presence of halite daughter crystals in breached fluid inclusions, low whole-rock ratios of chlorine to bromine, and thermochemical data suggest that the potassium feldspar formed at low temperature by the reaction of connate brines with intercalated siliciclastic debris. Analyses of argon age spectra indicate that the authigenic feldspar probably formed during Late Pennsylvanian to Early Permian time. These results may indicate mobilization and migration of connate brines brought about by Alleghanian folding. The widespread occurrence of authigenic potassium feldspar in Cambrian and Ordovician carbonate rocks throughout the Appalachians suggests that this may have occurred throughout the entire basin.

An integrated multi-criteria scenario evaluation web tool for participatory land-use planning in urbanized areas: The Ecosystem Portfolio Model

Land-use land-cover change is one of the most important and direct drivers of changes in ecosystem functions and services. Given the complexity of the decision-making, there is a need for Internet-based decision support systems with scenario evaluation capabilities to help planners, resource managers and communities visualize, compare and consider trade-offs among the many values at stake in land use planning. This article presents details on an Ecosystem Portfolio Model (EPM) prototype that integrates ecological, socio-economic information and associated values of relevance to decision-makers and stakeholders. The EPM uses a multi-criteria scenario evaluation framework, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis and spatially-explicit land-use/land-cover change-sensitive models to characterize changes in important land-cover related ecosystem values related to ecosystem services and functions, land parcel prices, and community quality-of-life (QoL) metrics. Parameters in the underlying models can be modified through the interface, allowing users in a facilitated group setting to explore simultaneously issues of scientific uncertainty and divergence in the preferences of stakeholders. One application of the South Florida EPM prototype reported in this article shows the modeled changes (which are significant) in aggregate ecological value, landscape patterns and fragmentation, biodiversity potential and ecological restoration potential for current land uses compared to the 2050 land-use scenario. Ongoing refinements to EPM, and future work especially in regard to modifiable sea level rise scenarios are also discussed.

Do ages of authigenic K-feldspar date the formation of Mississippi Valley-type Pb-Zn deposits, central and southeastern United States?: Pb isotopic evidence

Pb concentrations and isotopic compositions have been determined for authigenic over-growths and detrital cores of K-feldspar from Cambrian sedimentary rocks in Texas, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania (referred to as group 1) and southeastern Missouri (referred to as group 2). Overgrowths and cores were separated by abrasion and analyzed separately. In three group 1 samples, cores have Pb isotopic ratios similar to initial ratios in K-feldspar from nearby Middle Proterozoic basement rocks ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb =16.7-17.0). Pb ratios in overgrowths are radiogenic ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb up to 19.3) and mostly are distinct from those in ore deposits in the southern Appalachians. Pb isotopic data for two samples of K-feldspar from southeastern Missouri are scattered; in one sample, cores and overgrowths contain radiogenic Pb, suggesting at least two periods of authigenic replacement, in agreement with petrographic evidence. Proterozoic material must still be present because 40 Ar/ 39 Ar stepwise analysis of a total (cores plus overgrowths) sample yields incremental ages ranging from about 500 to 750 Ma. The disparity in Pb isotopic ratios of group 1 overgrowths and Pb in nearby Mississippi Valley-type deposits implies that the regional authigenic K-feldspar event was not synchronous with ore deposition in the southeastern United States. In contrast, Pb isotopic ratios from group 2 authigenic K-feldspar are similar to ratios in ores of southeastern Missouri, suggesting a genetic relation in late Paleozoic time.

Oxygen-isotope composition of ground water and secondary minerals in Columbia Plateau basalts: Implications for the paleohydrology of the Pasco Basin

Concentrations of {sup 18}O and deuterium in ground waters beneath the Handford Reservation, Washington State, suggest that the meteoric waters recharging the basalt aquifers have been progressively depleted in these isotopes since at least Pleistocene time. This conclusion is supported by oxygen-isotope analyses of low-temperature secondary minerals filing vugs and fractures in the basalts, which are used to approximate the {sup 18}O content of ground water at the time the mineral assemblage formed. A fossil profile of {delta}{sup 18}O values projected for ground water in a 1500 m vertical section beneath the reservation suggest that the vertical mixing of shallow and deep ground water indicated by present-day hydrochemical data was also occurring during Neogene time. These data also suggest that a unidirectional depletion of {sup 18}O and deuterium recorded in Pleistocene ground waters may have extended considerably further back in time. This shift is tentatively attributed to the orographic depletion of {sup 18}O associated with the progressive uplift of the Cascade Range since the middle Miocene.

Estimating the Cumulative Ecological Effect of Local Scale Landscape Changes in South Florida

Ecosystem restoration in south Florida is a state and national priority centered on the Everglades wetlands. However, urban development pressures affect the restoration potential and remaining habitat functions of the natural undeveloped areas. Land use (LU) planning often focuses at the local level, but a better understanding of the cumulative effects of small projects at the landscape level is needed to support ecosystem restoration and preservation. The South Florida Ecosystem Portfolio Model (SFL EPM) is a regional LU planning tool developed to help stakeholders visualize LU scenario evaluation and improve communication about regional effects of LU decisions. One component of the SFL EPM is ecological value (EV), which is evaluated through modeled ecological criteria related to ecosystem services using metrics for (1) biodiversity potential, (2) threatened and endangered species, (3) rare and unique habitats, (4) landscape pattern and fragmentation, (5) water quality buffer potential, and (6) ecological restoration potential. In this article, we demonstrate the calculation of EV using two case studies: (1) assessing altered EV in the Biscayne Gateway area by comparing 2004 LU to potential LU in 2025 and 2050, and (2) the cumulative impact of adding limestone mines south of Miami. Our analyses spatially convey changing regional EV resulting from conversion of local natural and agricultural areas to urban, industrial, or extractive use. Different simulated local LU scenarios may result in different alterations in calculated regional EV. These case studies demonstrate methods that may facilitate evaluation of potential future LU patterns and incorporate EV into decision making.

The South Florida Ecosystem Portfolio Model: A Web-Enabled Multicriteria Land Use Planning Decision Support System

The South Florida Ecosystem Portfolio Model (EPM) prototype is a regional land use planning web tool that integrates ecological, economic, and social information and values of relevance to decision-makers and stakeholders. The EPM uses a multi-attribute evaluation framework that builds on GIS analysis and spatially-explicit models that characterize a wide array of important ecological, economic, and societal endpoints and consequences that are sensitive to regional land use/cover change. The EPM uses both monetized and non-monetized (multi-attribute utility) approaches to valuing these endpoints and consequences. By integrating a broad set of stakeholder values, from natural habitat preservation to storm surge concerns, the EPM allows on-line users to explore land use consequences and trade-offs that are often overlooked in public discourse. The EPM is designed to be used as an on-line decision support system for sustainable land use planning in South Florida. The EPM can be used directly by land use planning stakeholders or as part of a facilitated participatory decision process. The current prototype is implemented for Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Web-based decision support and visualization tools for water quality management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

Federal, State, and local water quality managers charged with restoring the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem require tools to maximize the impact of their limited resources. To address this need, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Environmental Protection Agencys Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) are developing a suite of Web-based tools called the Chesapeake Online Assessment Support Toolkit (COAST). The goal of COAST is to help CBP partners identify geographic areas where restoration activities would have the greatest effect, select the appropriate management strategies, and improve coordination and prioritization among partners. As part of the COAST suite of tools focused on environmental restoration, a water quality management visualization component called the Nutrient Yields Mapper (NYM) tool is being developed by USGS. The NYM tool is a web application that uses watershed yield estimates from USGS SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed (SPARROW) attributes model (Schwarz et al., 2006) [6] to allow water quality managers to identify important sources of nitrogen and phosphorous within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The NYM tool utilizes new open source technologies that have become popular in geospatial web development, including components such as OpenLayers and GeoServer. This paper presents examples of water quality data analysis based on nutrient type, source, yield, and area of interest using the NYM tool for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In addition, we describe examples of map-based techniques for identifying high and low nutrient yield areas; web map engines; and data visualization and data management techniques.

CACOXENITE IN MIOCENE SEDIMENTS OF THE MARYLAND COASTAL PLAIN

Cacoxenite having the composition (Al4.0Fe22.5O7.1(OH)14.3(PO4)17(H2O)23.7)·50.3H2O was identified in a bed of mature quartz sand in the Miocene Calvert Formation near Popes Creek, Maryland. This is the first reported occurrence of this mineral in Atlantic Coastal Plain sediments north of Florida. The cacoxenite occurs as silt-size to sand-size grains, both as irregularly shaped aggregates and as radiating arrays of delicate acicular crystals. The presence of discrete cores and overgrowths in some grains indicates at least two generations of crystal growth. Electron microprobe analyses reveal excess Si and Al (relative to the ideal composition), which is believed to reflect ultra-fine clay particles within the cacoxenite grains. Admixed clays probably served as a substrate for the formation of ferric oxyhydroxides, which were subsequently converted to cacoxenite through the addition of dissolved phosphorus.