Deccan volcanism linked to the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary mass extinction: New evidence from ONGC wells in the Krishna-Godavari basin

A scientific challenge is to assess the role of Deccan volcanism in the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (KTB) mass extinction. Here we report on the stratigraphy and biologic effects of Deccan volcanism in eleven deep wells from the Krishna-Godavari (K-G) Basin, Andhra Pradesh, India. In these wells, two phases of Deccan volcanism record the world's largest and longest lava mega-flows interbedded in marine sediments in the K-G Basin about 1500 km from the main Deccan volcanic province. The main phase-2 eruptions (similar to 80% of total Deccan Traps) began in C29r and ended at or near the KTB, an interval that spans planktic foraminiferal zones CF1-CF2 and most of the nannofossil Micula prinsii zone, and is correlative with the rapid global warming and subsequent cooling near the end of the Maastrichtian. The mass extinction began in phase-2 preceding the first of four mega-flows. Planktic foraminifera suffered a 50% drop in species richness. Survivors suffered another 50% drop after the first mega-flow, leaving just 7 to 8 survivor species. No recovery occurred between the next three mega-flows and the mass extinction was complete with the last phase-2 mega-flow at the KTB. The mass extinction was likely the consequence of rapid and massive volcanic CO(2) and SO(2) gas emissions, leading to high continental weathering rates, global warming, cooling, acid rains, ocean acidification and a carbon crisis in the marine environment. Deccan volcanism phase-3 began in the early Danian near the C29R/C29n boundary correlative with the planktic foraminiferal zone P1a/P1b boundary and accounts for similar to 14% of the total volume of Deccan eruptions, including four of Earth's longest and largest mega-flows. No major faunal changes are observed in the intertrappeans of zone P1b, which suggests that environmental conditions remained tolerable, volcanic eruptions were less intense and/or separated by longer time intervals thus preventing runaway effects. Alternatively, early Danian assemblages evolved in adaptation to high-stress conditions in the aftermath of the mass extinction and therefore survived phase-3 volcanism. Full marine biotic recovery did not occur until after Deccan phase-3. These data suggest that the catastrophic effects of phase-2 Deccan volcanism upon the Cretaceous planktic foraminifera were a function of both the rapid and massive volcanic eruptions and the highly specialized faunal assemblages prone to extinction in a changing environment. Data from the K-G Basin indicates that Deccan phase-2 alone could have caused the KTB mass extinction and that impacts may have had secondary effects.

Wind turbine for developing countries

Aquest treball avarca des de reunions amb personal de qualitat d’una fàbrica decremalleres fins a la proposta d’un prototip d’una màquina que solucionés els seusproblemes concrets de producció. Pel camí s’ha fet recerca envers de solucionsprèvies que fossin factibles a realitzar en uns pocs mesos i amb els medis limitatsdels que es desponiaLes solucions, tant de mètodes d’assaig i observació com de disseny són un reflexclar de procés d’enginyeria en l’àmbit industrial espanyol. Els medis escassegen,però amb temps (tampoc gaire) i enginy es troben formes de satisfer lesnecessitats. Al cap i a la fi és el que s’espera de nosaltres com a enginyers.

Investigation of the Lane-Wells Road Logger, HR-113, 1966

The Lane-Wells Road Logger was utilized primarily to determine the feasibility of employing such a device for moisture and density control in Iowa highway construction. A secondary objective was the use of the Road Logger to obtain information concerning moisture content and density during and after construction. Correlation studies with conventional test results required a small portion of the lease period. Practically all phases of construction and most materials utilized in base and surface courses were surveyed. Results of this study were good, in general, with the Road Logger indicating dry density slightly higher and the moisture content slightly lower than conventional results in most instances. Economic feasibility seemed to pose the greatest problem for the acceptance of the Road Logger as a standard compaction control device. It would appear from the findings of this study that probably only large projects, or several smaller contracts tested simultaneously, could justify the expense of the Logger. A total of about 128 miles were surveyed with the Logger during the lease period. Approximately 16 days of downtime due to minor breakdowns were recorded. Inclement weather forcing construction delays resulted in several idle days in which the Logger's full capabilities were not realized.

Health consultation : Private drinking water wells -- Camanche, Iowa (2011)

This letter has been prepared as a consultation to evaluate human health impacts from the use of private drinking water wells in Clinton County, Iowa. These wells are located just to the west of Highway 67 and Camanche, Iowa and near 9th Street, 31st Avenue, and 37th Avenue. The wells are also located to the south of contaminated sites known as Chemplex and PCS Nitrogen, and near former disposal areas known as Todtz Landfill and Doty Landfill. The Iowa Department of Public Health’s priority is to ensure the Clinton County community has the best information possible to safeguard its health. That information is included in the following paragraphs.

Health consultation : Silver City petroleum release and municipal wells, Silver City, Mills County, Iowa (2005)

A resident of Silver City, Iowa requested the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Hazardous Waste Site Health Assessment Program to evaluate the health impacts of a petroleum release in Silver City, Iowa, and the health impacts from the presence of chemicals detected in wells utilized as the source of municipal water for the citizens of Silver City and in the treated municipal water supply. This health consultation addresses exposure to residents of Silver City to organic chemicals within the groundwater and water supply and potential health effects at the levels of exposure. The information in this health consultation was current at the time of writing. Data that emerges later could alter this document’s conclusions and recommendations.

Photoluminescence of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

In this thesis is studied the influence of uniaxial deformation of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well structures to photoluminescence. Uniaxial deformation was applied along [110] and polarization ratio of photoluminescence at T = 77 K and 300 K was measured. Also the physical origin of photoluminescence lines in spectrum was determined and the energy band splitting value between states of heavy and light holes was estimated. It was found that the dependencies of polarization ratio on uniaxial deformation for bulk GaAs and GaAs/AlGaAs are different. Two observed lines in photoluminescence spectrum are induced by free electron recombination to energy sublevels of valence band corresponding to heavy and light holes. Those sublevels are splited due to the combination of size quantization and external pressure. The quantum splitting energy value was estimated. Also was shown a method, which allows to determine the energy splitting value of sublevels at room temperature and at comparatively low uniaxial deformation, when the other method for determining of the splitting becomes impossible.

The Present State and a Development Plan of Cost Accounting in Batch Production of Wind Turbine Gears

The aim of this master’s thesis was to document the present state and to create a development plan for Moventas Wind’s cost accounting. The current cost accounting system was evaluated and most fundamental problems were chosen as areas of focus in development work. The development plan includes both short- and long-term development proposals for problems identified. This report presents two alternative models for product costing. Benchmarking of cost accounting practices and modern cost accounting theories were used in development of cost accounting. It was found that the current cost accounting system functions quite well and the adjustments in unit cost rate calculation have only a minor influence on costs of goods sold. An OEE-based standard cycle concept was also developed and it was found that the implementation of this new system is worthwhile in the long-term.

Alternative Energy Conversion Systems for a Micro Scale Wind Turbine

This Master's thesis deals with a Micro Scale Wind Wind Turbine application. The thesis consists of nine chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the philosophy of a small scale wind turbine application. The second defines concepts, and lists the requirements. The third presents the whole application for an On-Grid , and for an Off-Grid arrangement, with main concentration on lighting, heating, and energy storage. The fourth deals with the Inverter's technology, which are used for the conversion of the produced power. The fifth chapter presents the available storage technology and it's possibilities. The sixth deals with the system, and the technological means used for the implementation. The seventh presents the PLC device, which was used as the controller for the management of the whole application. The eighth deals with the concept and the control application philosophy that the PLC involves. And the final chapter presents conclusions and ideas for further considerations.

Magnetic and transport properties of InGaAs quantum wells with Mn

In the present work structural, magnetic and transport properties of InGaAs quantum wells (QW) prepared by MBE with an remote Mn layer are investigated. By means of high-resolution X-ray diffractometry the structure of the samples is analyzed. It is shown that Mn ions penetrate into the QW. Influence of the thickness of GaAs spacer and annealing at 286 ºС on the properties of the system is shown. It is shown that annealing of the samples led to Mn activation and narrowing of the Mn layer. Substantial role of 2D holes in ferromagnetic ordering in Mn layer is shown. Evidence for that is observation of maximum at 25 – 55 K on the resistivity temperature dependence. Position of maximum, which is used for quantitative assessment of the Curie temperature, correlates with calculations of the Curie temperature for structures with indirect interaction via 2D holes’ channel. Dependence of the Curie temperature on the spacer thickness shows, that creation of applicable spintronic devices needs high-precision equipment to manufacture extra fine structures. The magnetotransport measurements show that charge carrier mobility is very low. This leads to deficiency of the anomalous Hall effect. At the same time, magnetic field dependences of the magnetization at different temperatures demonstrate that systems are ferromagnetically ordered. These facts, most probably, give evidence of presence of the ferromagnetic MnAs clusters.

Investigation of the occurrence of pesticide residues in rural wells and surface water following application to tobacco

In this work the exposure of wells and surface water to pesticides, commonly used for tobacco cropping, was assessed. Water consumption wells and surface water flows were sampled at different times. After a preconcentration step with solid phase extraction (SPE), the selected pesticides were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) or high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). No pesticides were detected in the well water samples and surface water flow in the winter season. However, in the spring and summer higher concentrations of chlorpyrifos and imidacloprid were found in the water source samples. Atrazine, simazine and clomazone were also found. The occurrence of pesticides in collected water samples was related with the application to tobacco.

Groundwater quality comparison between rural farms and riparian wells in the western Amazon, Brazil

Groundwater quality of a riparian forest is compared to wells in surrounding rural areas at Urupá River basin. Groundwater types were calcium bicarbonated at left margin and sodium chloride at right, whereas riparian wells exhibited a combination of both (sodium bicarbonate). Groundwater was mostly solute-depleted with concentrations within permissible limits for human consumption, except for nitrate. Isotopic composition suggests that inorganic carbon in Urupá River is mostly supplied by runoff instead of riparian groundwater. Hence, large pasture areas in addition to narrow riparian forest width in this watershed may have an important contribution in the chemical composition of this river.

Chlorophenols in tap water from wells and surface sources in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: method validation and analysis

Two analytical methods were validated for determination of trichlorophenols, tetrachlorophenols and pentachlorophenol in drinking water. Limits of quantification were at least ten times lower than maximum permissible levels set by the Brazilian legislation, which are 200 ng mL-1 for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and 9 ng mL-1 for pentachlorophenol. Chlorophenol levels were determined in tap water collected in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro. 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol residues were detected in 36% of the samples, varying from 0.008 to 0.238 ng mL-1. All other analytes were below the limit of quantification. The validated methods showed to be suitable for application in routine quality control.