Search USGS⌕ Search

Geology topics

A. P. Jackman

Publications and source records attributed to A. P. Jackman.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2007

DIN retention-transport through four hydrologically connected zones in a headwater catchment of the Upper Mississippi River

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) retention-transport through a headwater catchment was synthesized from studies encompassing four distinct hydrologic zones of the Shingobee River Headwaters near the origin of the Mississippi River. The hydrologic zones included: (1) hillslope ground water (ridge to bankside riparian); (2) alluvial riparian ground water; (3) ground water discharged through subchannel sediments (hyporheic zone); and (4) channel surface water. During subsurface hillslope transport through Zone 1, DIN, primarily nitrate, decreased from ∼3 mg-N/l to <0.1 mg-N/l. Ambient seasonal nitrate:chloride ratios in hillslope flow paths indicated both dilution and biotic processing caused nitrate loss. Biologically available organic carbon controlled biotic nitrate retention during hillslope transport. In the alluvial riparian zone (Zone 2) biologically available organic carbon controlled nitrate depletion although processing of both ambient and amended nitrate was faster during the summer than winter. In the hyporheic zone (Zone 3) and stream surface water (Zone 4) DIN retention was primarily controlled by temperature. Perfusion core studies using hyporheic sediment indicated sufficient organic carbon in bed sediments to retain ground water DIN via coupled nitrification-denitrification. Numerical simulations of seasonal hyporheic sediment nitrification-denitrification rates from perfusion cores adequately predicted surface water ammonium but not nitrate when compared to 5 years of monthly field data (1989-93). Mass balance studies in stream surface water indicated proportionally higher summer than winter N retention. Watershed DIN retention was effective during summer under the current land use of intermittently grazed pasture. However, more intensive land use such as row crop agriculture would decrease nitrate retention efficiency and increase loads to surface water. Understanding DIN retention capacity throughout the system, including special channel features such as sloughs, wetlands and floodplains that provide surface water-ground water connectivity, will be required to develop effective nitrate management strategies.

Minnesota↗
USGS2007

Nitrate retention in riparian ground water at natural and elevated nitrate levels in North Central Minnesota

The relationship between local ground water flows and NO3− transport to the channel was examined in three well transects from a natural, wooded riparian zone adjacent to the Shingobee River, MN. The hillslope ground water originated as recharge from intermittently grazed pasture up slope of the site. In the hillslope transect perpendicular to the stream, ground water NO3− concentrations decreased from ∼3 mg N L−1 beneath the ridge (80 m from the channel) to 0.01 to 1.0 mg N L−1 at wells 1 to 3 m from the channel. The Cl− concentrations and NO3/Cl ratios decreased toward the channel indicating NO3− dilution and biotic retention. In the bankside well transect parallel to the stream, two distinct ground water environments were observed: an alluvial environment upstream of a relict beaver dam influenced by stream water and a hillslope environment downstream of the relict beaver dam. Nitrate was elevated to levels representative of agricultural runoff in a third well transect located ∼5 m from the stream to assess the effectiveness of the riparian zone as a NO3− sink. Subsurface NO3− injections revealed transport of up to 15 mg N L−1 was nearly conservative in the alluvial riparian environment. Addition of glucose stimulated dissolved oxygen uptake and promoted NO3− retention under both background and elevated NO3− levels in summer and winter. Disappearance of added NO3− was followed by transient NO2− formation and, in the presence of C2H2, by N2O formation, demonstrating potential denitrification. Under current land use, most NO3− associated with local ground water is biotically retained or diluted before reaching the channel. However, elevating NO3− levels through agricultural cultivation would likely result in increased NO3− transport to the channel.

Minnesota↗
USGS2006

Soluble reactive phosphorus transport and retention in tropical, rainforest streams draining a volcanic and geothermally active landscape in Costa Rica.: Long-term concentration patterns, pore water environment and response to ENSO events

Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) transport/retention was determined at four sites in three rainforest streams draining La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. La Selva is located at the base of the last remaining intact rainforest transect from 30 m above sea level to 3000 m along the entire Caribbean slope of Central America. Steam SRP levels can be naturally high there due to regional, geothermal groundwater discharged at ambient temperature. Monitoring since 1988 has revealed distinctive long-term differences in background SRP and total P (TP) for three streams in close proximity, and identified the impact of ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) events on SRP-enriched reaches. Mean interannual SRP concentrations (?? standard deviation) were 89 ?? 53??g/l in the Salto (1988-1996), 21 ?? 39??g/l in the Pantano (1988-1998), and 26 ?? 35??g/l in the Sabalo (1988-1996). After January, 1997 the separate upland-lowland contributions to discharge and SRP load were determined monthly in the Salto. SRP in Upper Salto was low (19 ?? 8??g/l, 1997-2002) until enriched at the upland-lowland transition by regional groundwater. Mean SRP concentration in Lower Salto (108 ?? 104??g/l) was typically highest February-April, the driest months, and lowest July-September, the wettest. SRP concentration was positively correlated to the inverse of discharge in Lower Salto when ENSO data were omitted (1992 and 1998-1999), but not in the Upper Salto, Pantano, or Sabalo. TP was positively correlated to the inverse of discharge in all three streams when ENSO data were omitted. High SRP springs and seeps along the Lower Salto contributed 36% of discharge but 85% of SRP export 1997-2001. Annual SRP flux from the total Salto watershed (1997-2001) averaged 2.9 kg/ha year, but only 0.6 kg/ha year from the Upper Salto. A dye tracer injection showed that pore water environments were distinctly different between Upper and Lower Salto. Upper Salto had high surface water-pore water exchange, high dissolved oxygen, low SRP, and low conductivity similar to surface water, and Lower Salto had low surface water-pore water exchange, low dissolved oxygen, high SRP, and high conductivity reflecting geothermal groundwater influence. SRP export from the Salto was controlled by regional groundwater transfer, which in similar volcanic settings could be a significant P source. However, ENSO events modified the SRP concentration in the Salto suggesting that long-term monitoring is required to understand underlying SRP dynamics and P flux to downstream communities. ?? 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

Biogeochemistry↗
USGS2003

Inorganic nitrogen transformations in the bed of the Shingobee River, Minnesota: Integrating hydrologic and biological processes using sediment perfusion cores

Inorganic N transformations were examined in streambed sediments from the Shingobee River using sediment perfusion cores. The experimental design simulated groundwater-stream water mixing within sediment cores, which provided a well-defined one-dimensional representation of in situ hydrologic conditions. Two distinct hydrologic and chemical settings were preserved in the sediment cores: the lowermost sediments, perfused with groundwater, remained anaerobic during the incubations, whereas the uppermost sediments, perfused with oxic water pumped from the overlying water column, simulated stream water penetration into the bed. The maintenance of oxic and anoxic zones formed a biologically active aerobic-anaerobic interface. Ammonium (NH4+) dissolved in groundwater was transported conservatively through the lower core zone but was removed as it mixed with aerated recycle water. Concurrently, a small quantity of nitrate (NO3-) equaling ???25% of the NH4+ loss was produced in the upper sediments. The NH4+ and NO3- profiles in the uppermost sediments resulted from coupled nitrification-denitrification, because assimilation and sorption were negligible. We hypothesize that anaerobic microsites within the aerated upper sediments supported denitrification. Rates of nitrification and denitrification in the perfusion cores ranged 42-209 and 53-160 mg N m-2 day-1, respectively. The use of modified perfusion cores permitted the identification and quantification of N transformations and verified process control by surface water exchange into the shallow hyporheic zone of the Shingobee River.

Minnesota↗
USGS2003

Numerical modeling of coupled nitrification-denitrification in sediment perfusion cores from the hyporheic zone of the Shingobee River, MN

Nitrification and denitrification kinetics in sediment perfusion cores were numerically modeled and compared to experiments on cores from the Shingobee River MN, USA. The experimental design incorporated mixing groundwater discharge with stream water penetration into the cores, which provided a well-defined, one-dimensional simulation of in situ hydrologic conditions. Ammonium (NH 4 + ) and nitrate (NO 3 − ) concentration gradients suggested the upper region of the cores supported coupled nitrification–denitrification, where groundwater-derived NH 4 + was first oxidized to NO 3 − then subsequently reduced via denitrification to N 2 . Nitrification and denitrification were modeled using a Crank–Nicolson finite difference approximation to a one-dimensional advection–dispersion equation. Both processes were modeled using first-order reaction kinetics because substrate concentrations (NH 4 + and NO 3 − ) were much smaller than published Michaelis constants. Rate coefficients for nitrification and denitrification ranged from 0.2 to 15.8 h −1 and 0.02 to 8.0 h −1 , respectively. The rate constants followed an Arrhenius relationship between 7.5 and 22 °C. Activation energies for nitrification and denitrification were 162 and 97.3 kJ/mol, respectively. Seasonal NH 4 + concentration patterns in the Shingobee River were accurately simulated from the relationship between perfusion core temperature and NH 4 + flux to the overlying water. The simulations suggest that NH 4 + in groundwater discharge is controlled by sediment nitrification that, consistent with its activation energy, is strongly temperature dependent.

Minnesota↗
USGS2001

Interparticle migration of metal cations in stream sediments as a factor in toxics transport

Sorption of metal cations by stream sediments is an important process affecting the movement of released contaminants in the environment. The ability of cations to desorb from one sediment particle and subsequently sorb to another can greatly affect metal transport rates but rates for this process have not been reported. The objective of this study was to determine the rate at which sorbed metals can migrate from contaminated sediment particles to uncontaminated sediment particles as a function of the concentration of the contaminating solution and the duration of the contact with the contaminating solution. Samples of small sediment particles were exposed to solutions containing cobalt, after which they were rinsed and combined with larger uncontaminated sediment particles in the presence of stream water. Initial concentrations of the contaminating solution ranged from 1ng/l to 1000mg/l and exposures to the contaminating solution ranged from 6h to 14 days. The rate of the migration increased with increasing concentrations in the contaminating solution and with decreasing times of exposure to the contaminating solution. Under the conditions of these experiments, the time required for the migration to reach equilibrium was on the order of months or longer. In separate experiments, the kinetics of adsorption and desorption of cobalt were measured as a function of concentration of the contaminating solution. The time required to reach adsorption equilibrium increased with increasing concentration in the contaminating solution. Times to sorption equilibrium were on the order of months. Desorption was much slower than adsorption and, together with intraparticle diffusion, probably controls the rate of migration from contaminated to uncontaminated sediment. The results of this study show that interparticle migration of metal cations can proceed at significant rates that are strongly influenced by the length of time that the metal has been in contact with the sediment. Copyright ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.Sorption of metal cations by stream sediments is an important process affecting the movement of released contaminants in the environment. The ability of cations to desorb from one sediment particle and subsequently sorb to another can greatly affect metal transport rates but rates for this process have not been reported. The objective of this study was to determine the rate at which sorbed metals can migrate from contaminated sediment particles to uncontaminated sediment particles as a function of the concentration of the contaminating solution and the duration of the contact with the contaminating solution. Samples of small sediment particles were exposed to solutions containing cobalt, after which they were rinsed and combined with larger uncontaminated sediment particles in the presence of stream water. Initial concentrations of the contaminating solution ranged from 1 ng/l to 1000 mg/l and exposures to the contaminating solution ranged from 6 h to 14 days. The rate of the migration increased with increasing concentrations in the contaminating solution and with decreasing times of exposure to the contaminating solution. Under the conditions of these experiments, the time required for the migration to reach equilibrium was on the order of months or longer. In separate experiments, the kinetics of adsorption and desorption of cobalt were measured as a function of concentration of the contaminating solution. The time required to reach adsorption equilibrium increased with increasing concentration in the contaminating solution. Times to sorption equilibrium were on the order of months. Desorption was much slower than adsorption and, together with intraparticle diffusion, probably controls the rate of migration from contaminated to uncontaminated sediment. The results of this study show that interparticle migration of metal cations can proceed at significant rates that are strongly influenced by the length of time that the metal has

Journal of Hazardous Materials↗
USGS1986

Data on the solute concentration within the subsurface flows of Little Lost Man Creek in response to a transport experiment, Redwood National Park, northwest California

A solute transport experiment was conducted on a 327-m reach of Little Lost Man Creek, a small stream in Humboldt County, California. Solutes were injected for 20 days. Chloride was used as a conservative tracer; lithium, potassium, and strontium were used as reactive tracers. In addition, nitrate and phosphate were added as biological reactants. Eighteen shallow wells were dug along the length of the study reach, 1-10 m laterally from the edge of the stream. The wells and sites in the stream were monitored for the injected solutes during and after the injection. Solute concentrations in the wells and stream are indicative of transport properties of stream and subsurface channel flow. This report presents the results of the analyses of the well samples and chemical data relevant to the interpretation of hydrological and chemical interaction between the stream and adjacent channel subsurface flows in the streambed. Calculations of the percentage of streamwater in the wellwater were made from conservative tracer measurements. The composition of wellwater ranged from 47% to 100% streamwater with most values above 90%. The time for water to travel from the beginning of the study reach to the wells was approximately three times as great as the travel time in the stream at the same distance down the reach. The three conclusions that can be drawn are (1) water in the stream exchanges extensively with water in the rest of the channel; (2) the interstitial water in the channel gravels achieves almost the same composition as the stream; and (3) under low flow conditions the stream gravels contain a significant portion of the stream volume. Plots of normalized chloride, lithium, and strontium concentrations at three stream sites are included. (Author 's abstract)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1984

Transport and concentration controls for chloride, strontium, potassium and lead in Uvas Creek, a small cobble-bed stream in Santa Clara County, California, U.S.A.: 1. Conceptual model

Stream sediments adsorb certain solutes from streams, thereby significantly changing the solute composition; but little is known about the details and rates of these adsorptive processes. To investigate such processes, a 24-hr. injection of a solution containing chloride, strontium, potassium, sodium and lead was made at the head of a 640-m reach of Uvas Creek in west-central Santa Clara County, California. Uvas Creek is a cobble-bed pool-and-riffle stream draining the eastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. By September 12, 1973, after a long dry season, Uvas Creek had a low (0.0215 m 3 s −1 average) flow which varied diurnally, from 0.018 to 0.025 m 3 s −1 . Because stream discharge varied while the injection rate was constant, the concentration of tracers (injected solutes), after mixing in the stream, varied inversely with discharge. Chloride, a nonreactive solute, served as a tracer of water movement. Analysis of extensive chloride concentration data at five sites below the injection point during and after the injection demonstrated that there was considerable underflow of water through the stream gravels; however, the extent of underflow varied greatly within the study reach. Pre-injection water, displaced by tracer-laden water percolating through the gravels, diluted tracers in the stream channel, giving the mistaken impression of groundwater inflow at some points. Accurate measurement of total discharge in such streams requires prolonged tracer injection unless a reach can be found where underflow is negligible. Strontium and potassium were adsorbed by the bed sediments to a moderate extent and lead was strongly adsorbed. A high proportion of these metals could be removed by adsorption from percolating underflow because of extensive and intimate contact with bed sediments. After channel clearing following injection cutoff, 51% of the added strontium and 96% of the lead remained in the study reach, whereas only 19% of the chloride remained. Packets of sized sediment, placed in the stream before the experiment and withdrawn during and after the injection, indicated that the strontium absorbed on the 0.42–0.50-mm size sediment appeared to achieve near equilibrium with dissolved strontium within less than 2 hr. whereas 3.4–4.0-mm grains had not reached that stage after 24 hr. The cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of the sediments shows a “bimodal” distribution with grain size. Largest values are in the finest sizes, lower values in the fine-to-medium sand-size range, intermediate values in the coarse- to very coarse-grained sand, and decreasing values with size above very coarse-grained sand. This considerable exchange capacity in coarse-sand to granule-size particles means that a streambed, that has not been infilled with fines to reduce permeability, can be highly reactive and accessible throughout a rather thick sediment layer and hence have a large and available reactive capacity. As stream discharge increases from low flow, the ratio of underflow to channel flow should decrease rapidly with resultant diminution in percent of solutes sorbed within a particular stream reach.

California↗
USGS1984

Transport and concentration controls for chloride, strontium, potassium and lead in Uvas Creek, a small cobble-bed stream in Santa Clara County, California, U.S.A.: 2. Mathematical modeling

Three models describing solute transport of conservative ion species and another describing transport of species which adsorb linearly and reversibly on bed sediments are developed and tested. The conservative models are based on three different conceptual models of the transient storage of solute in the bed. One model assumes the bed to be a well-mixed zone with flux of solute into the bed proportional to the difference between stream concentration and bed concentration. The second model assumes solute in the bed is transported by a vertical diffusion process described by Fick's law. The third model assumes that convection occurs in a selected portion of the bed while the mechanism of the first model functions everywhere. The model for adsorbing species assumes that the bed consists of particles of uniform size with the rate of uptake controlled by an intraparticle diffusion process. All models are tested using data collected before, during and after a 24-hr. pulse injection of chloride, strontium, potassium and lead ions into Uvas Creek near Morgan Hill, California, U.S.A. All three conservative models accurately predict chloride ion concentrations in the stream. The model employing the diffusion mechanism for bed transport predicts better than the others. The adsorption model predicts both strontium and potassium ion concentrations well during the injection of the pulse but somewhat overestimates the observed concentrations after the injection ceases. The overestimation may be due to the convection of solute deep into the bed where it is retained longer than the 3-week post-injection observation period. The model, when calibrated for strontium, predicts potassium equally well when the adsorption equilibrium constant for strontium is replaced by that for potassium.

California↗
USGS1984

Low-flow transport models for conservative and sorbed solutes — Uvas Creek, near Morgan Hill, California

Models describing low-flow transport of conservative (nonreactive) and reactive solutes, which adsorb on the streambed, are developed and tested. Temporary storage within the bed plays an important role in solute movement. Three different models of bed-storage processes are developed for conservative solutes. One model assumes the bed is a well-mixed, nondiffusing, nonreacting zone. Solute flux into the bed is then proportional to the difference between stream and bed-solute concentrations. A second model assumes that solute is transported within the bed by a vertical diffusion process. The bed-solute concentration, which matches the stream concentration at the interface, varies with depth in the bed according to Fick 's law. A third model assumes convection in the downstream direction occurs in certain parts of the bed, while the mechanism of the first model functions elsewhere. Storage of absorbing species is assumed to occur by equilibrium adsorption within streambed particles. Uptake rate is described by an intraparticle diffusion process. Model equations were solved using finite element numerical methods. Models were calibrated using data from a 24-hour injection of conservative chloride and adsorptive Sr ions at Uvas Creek near Morgan Hill, California. All models predict well except for some overestimation by the adsorption model during dieaway.

California↗