A mathematical view of water table fluctuations in a shallow aquifer in Brazil

Detailed monitoring of the groundwater table can provide important data about both short- and long-term aquifer processes, including information useful for estimating recharge and facilitating groundwater modeling and remediation efforts. In this paper, we presents results of 4 years (2002 to 2005) of monitoring groundwater water levels in the Rio Claro Aquifer using observation wells drilled at the Rio Claro campus of São Paulo State University in Brazil. The data were used to follow natural periodic fluctuations in the water table, specifically those resulting from earth tides and seasonal recharge cycles. Statistical analyses included methods of time-series analysis using Fourier analysis, cross-correlation, and R/S analysis. Relationships could be established between rainfall and well recovery, as well as the persistence and degree of autocorrelation of the water table variations. We further used numerical solutions of the Richards equation to obtain estimates of the recharge rate and seasonable groundwater fluctuations. Seasonable soil moisture transit times through the vadose zone obtained with the numerical solution were very close to those obtained with the cross-correlation analysis. We also employed a little-used deep drainage boundary condition to obtain estimates of seasonable water table fluctuations, which were found to be consistent with observed transient groundwater levels during the period of study.

Integração de modelos espaciais e temporais para predições de níveis freáticos extremos

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar cenários de níveis freáticos extremos, em bacia hidrográfica, por meio de métodos de análise espacial de dados geográficos. Avaliou-se a dinâmica espaço‑temporal dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos em área de afloramento do Sistema Aquífero Guarani. As alturas do lençol freático foram estimadas por meio do monitoramento de níveis em 23 piezômetros e da modelagem das séries temporais disponíveis de abril de 2004 a abril de 2011. Para a geração de cenários espaciais, foram utilizadas técnicas geoestatísticas que incorporaram informações auxiliares relativas a padrões geomorfológicos da bacia, por meio de modelo digital de terreno. Esse procedimento melhorou as estimativas, em razão da alta correlação entre altura do lençol e elevação, e agregou sentido físico às predições. Os cenários apresentaram diferenças quanto aos níveis considerados extremos - muito profundos ou muito superficiais - e podem subsidiar o planejamento, o uso eficiente da água e a gestão sustentável dos recursos hídricos na bacia.

Efeito de épocas de colheita e período de repouso pós-colheita sobre as características físicas de frutos e sementes de mamoneira

This study aimed to assess the effect of harvesting times and of post-harvest resting period on physical characteristics of fruits and seeds of castor bean (AL Guarany 2002 genotype) and to verify if theses characteristics could be used to identify the ideal harvest time. Nine times of raceme harvest were assessed from 30 to the 142 days after anthesis (DAA) at fourteen days intervals, and four conditions of resting; (without and with seven days of resting period of seeds extracted (bare), from fruits and fixed to the racemes). It was evaluated water content, seed thickness, and length, width, and weight of fresh fruits and seeds, and seedling emergence in sand. The statistical design was completely randomized with four replications. The harvest times and the post-harvest rest period affected the physical characteristics of fruits and seeds of castor bean but none of these have proved to be effective in the identification of the ideal harvest time.

Teste de condutividade elétrica para sementes de mamoneira

The aim was to study the efficiency of electrical conductivity test in evaluating the quality of castor seeds. Emergence of seedlings was evaluated in the field, with five seed lots of cv. AL Guarany 2002. The seeds were submitted to the following tests: germination; first count of germination; accelerated aging (45 degrees C by 24 to 100% UR), emergence of seedlings in the field, rate of speed of development of seedlings and electrical conductivity, testing the periods (2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 hours) and the number of seeds (25,50 and 75) in 75ml of distilled water conditioning to 25 degrees C. A completely randomized design was used. The averages were compared by the Tukey test at 5%. The mean laboratory and field test data were correlated. Electrical conductivity test for 4 hours with 25 seeds and 6 hours with 50 seeds, and the rate of speed emergency proved efficient in the selection of lots vigor by providing information equivalent to the emergence of seedlings in the field.

Efficiency of seed treatment with fungicides in castor bean crop genotypes

With the objective of assessing castor bean genotypes in relation to the influence of seeds treatment on agronomic characteristics and physiological quality of seeds, two experiments were conducted between November, 2005 and March, 2006. In the first study, experimental design used was randomized complete blocks, in factorial scheme (2 x 10), by comparing Lyra hybrid and AL Guarany 2002 cultivar and nine fungicides, including its mixtures and test, with four repetitions. Plant height, stem diameter, medium yield and observation of diseases incidence were evaluated. In the second study, conducted in randomized entirely design, in factorial scheme 2 x 10 with four repetitions, Savana and AL Guarany 2002 genotypes were analyzed, using the same fungicides. Germination, infected and dead seeds, vigor, initial moisture content and simulation of field emergency and seeds sanitary quality were also evaluated. The results obtained point that there is positive influence of seed treatment on agronomic characteristics in castor bean crop, increasing grain yield for AL Guarany cultivar and Lyra hybrid. In the analysis of seed quality, it was observed that seed treatments with fungicides and their mixtures provided superior percentages of germination and vigor, reduced the number of infected and dead seeds and increased seeds emergency for Guarany 2002 cultivar and Savana hybrid.

Produção e características físicas de sementes de mamoneira em função da posição do racemo e do fruto

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Estádios de colheita e repouso pós-colheita dos frutos na qualidade de sementes de mamoneira

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito dos estádios de colheita e do repouso pós-colheita dos frutos na qualidade de sementes de mamoneira (Ricinus communis L.) cultivar AL Guarany 2002. Foram avaliadas 9 épocas de colheita dos racemos, dos 30 até 142 dias após a antese (DAA), em intervalos de 14 dias e quatro condições de repouso: sem e com repouso de sete dias de sementes extraídas (nuas), de frutos e de frutos presos ao racemo. Foram avaliados a cor de frutos e de sementes; o teor de água, a massa seca, as porcentagens de germinação e de vigor das sementes (primeira contagem de germinação, índice de velocidade de emergência e condutividade elétrica). Sementes com máxima qualidade fisiológica e massa seca foram obtidas de frutos colhidos aos 86 DAA. A colheita pode ser realizada até os 128 DAA sem redução da germinação, mas com prejuízos devido à queda dos frutos, dispersão das sementes aos 100 dias e reduções do vigor. O repouso permitiu a antecipação da colheita para 72 DAA sem prejuízos à germinação e massa seca, mas com reduções de vigor. A cor dos frutos, das sementes e o teor de água das sementes são parâmetros eficientes para a identificação do ponto de colheita, principalmente se usados conjuntamente.

Posição do racemo e do fruto na qualidade fisiológica de sementes de mamona durante o armazenamento

The present research had as objective to evaluate the influence of raceme and fruit position on physiological quality of castor bean seeds (Ricinus communis L.) during storage of cultivar AL Guarany 2002. The treatments were: position of the raceme in plants (primary, secondary and tertiary) and position of fruit in racemes (low, medium and high). After fruit extraction, seeds were stored under environmental conditions for twelve months. The experimental design used was the completely randomized in a split-plot arrangement. Main plots consisted of the interaction raceme x fruit position and subplots were the storage time. Physiological quality was evaluated quarterly through tests of moisture content, germination and vigor (first count, accelerated aging, seedling length and seedling dry matter). Neither the position of racemes in the plant nor fruit in racemes does not affect germination of castor bean seeds. Dormancy of castor bean seeds decreases during storage, but also increases percentage of abnormal seedlings, seedling dry matter and root, hypocotyl and seedling total length.

Desenvolvimento de cultivares de mamoneiras em relação à profundidade de semeadura e seletividade de herbicidas dinitroanilinas

Three trials were carry out at Garca Municipal County, São Paulo, Brazil in order to study the effects of sowing depth of three castor bean cultivars submitted or not to dinitroaniline herbicides application in pre-emergency. The three cultivars chosen as fllow: AL Guarany 2002 variety and Iris and Savana hybrids. The experiments were disposed in randomized complete blocks, with fifteen treatments and four replications, by using factorial scheme 5x3, composed by sowing in 2,5; 5,0; 10,0; 15,0 and 20,0 cm depths with application in pre-emergency condition of the herbicides: trifluralin (1125 g a.i. ha(-1)), pendimethalin (1500 g a.i. ha(-1)) and check without herbicide (hand-hold check). Only the sowing depths of 2.5 and 20.0 significantly reduced the initial development of castor bean cultivars AL Guarany 2002 and Iris, without interfering in characteristics number of leaves, stem diameter, insertion height of first raceme and yield. Trifluralin application has increased significantly AL Guarany 2002 yield, in sowings from 5.0 cm deep, unlike Iris and Savana hybrids, where most of sowing depths studied, resulted in yield declines. Pendimethalin herbicide presented high selectivity mainly for AL Guarany 2002 and Savana cultivars, characterizing, generally as the safest option castor bean crop.

Interpretation of Resistivity Piezocone Tests in a Contaminated Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Site

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Preparation of pyrochlore-free PMN by an alternative chemical method

This work reports the synthesis of the MgNb(2)O(6) and the ferroelectric lead magnesium niobate Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3) (PMN) using fine precursor powders obtained from a chemical Oxide Precursor Method (OPM). To obtain pyrochlore-free PMN ceramics, the synthesis of the precursor MgNb(2)O(6) powders was studied for 2-25 mol% excess of MgO and 10 mol% excess of PbO. Structural and microstructural properties of the sintered ceramics obtained by the cited method and by the classical columbite method were studied and compared. Results lead to good quality, pyrochlore-free PMN ceramic prepared by OPM, presenting greater grain size if compared with ceramic prepared by columbite method.

Structural phase transitions of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 ceramic: An infrared spectroscopy study

The recent discovery of a ferroelectric monoclinic phase in the PbZr1-xTixO3 (PZT) system attained the attention of several researchers due to the possibility of understanding the relationships between structural features and piezoelectric properties. The nature of the monoclinic phase in some PZT compositions remains controversial and unclear. In this work, structural phase transitions of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 ceramic were investigated by infrared spectroscopy as a function of temperature. Studies were centered on nu(1)-stretching modes and corresponding half width Wi as a function of temperature. The occurrence of the anomalies in the infrared spectra as a function of temperature suggests the following monoclinic ( LT) -> monoclinic ( HT) -> tetragonal phase transition were observed at 183 K and at 263 K.

Infrared studies of the monoclinic-tetragonal phase transition in Pb(Zr, Ti)O-3 ceramics

Recently, the observation of a new monoclinic phase in the PbZr1-xTixO3 (PZT) system in the vicinity of the morphotropic phase boundary was reported. Investigations of this new phase were reported using different techniques such as high-resolution synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. In this work, the monoclinic --> tetragonal phase transition in PbZr0.50Ti0.50O3 ceramics was studied using infrared spectroscopy between 1000 and 400 cm(-1). The four possible nu(1)-stretching modes (Ti-O and Zr-O stretch) in the BO6 octahedron in the ABO(3) structure of PZT in this region were monitored as a function of temperature. The lower-frequency mode nu(1)-(Zr-O) remains practically unaltered, while both intermediate nu(1)-(Ti-O) modes decrease linearly as temperature increases from 89 to 263 K. In contrast, the higher-frequency nu(1)-(Ti-O) and nu(1)-(Zr-O) modes present anomalous behaviour around 178 K. The singularity observed at this mode was associated with the monoclinic --> tetragonal phase transition in PbZr0.50Ti0.50O3 ceramics.

Synthesis of slightly < 111 >-oriented 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-0.35PbTiO(3) ceramic prepared from fine powders

Slightly < 111 >-oriented 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)03-0.35PbTiO(3) ceramic was prepared using fine powders obtained by means of an alternative and promising chemical oxide precursor method. High quality samples with improved structural, microstructural, dielectric and ferroelectric properties were obtained. The dielectric constant value (epsilon similar to 2577) measured at 1 kHz is compared to unpoled < 112 > grain-oriented ceramics while the remanent polarization (P-r similar to 19-1 mu cm(-2)) is compared with random grain-oriented ceramics. These results point out the viability to produce ferroelectric PMN-PT ceramics of very good quality using powder precursors prepared from this chemical method. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Features of dielectric response in PMN-PT ferroelectric ceramics

In this paper, electrical and structural properties were reported for pyrochlore free (1-x)[Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3] - xPbTiO(3) (PMN-PT) (with 35 mol% PbTiO3) ceramics obtained from fine powders. Dielectric studies were focused on the investigation of the complex dielectric permittivity (epsilon '-i epsilon '') as a function of frequency and temperature. The effects of the dc applied electric field on dielectric response were also investigated. Results revealed a field dependence dielectric anomaly in the dielectric permittivity curves (epsilon(T)) in the low dc electric field region, which in turn prevails in the whole analysed frequency interval. To the best of our knowledge, these properties for the PMN-PT ceramic system have not been reported before as in this work. The results were analysed within the framework of the current models found in the literature.