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Author (up) Smedley, P.L.; Bearcock, J.M.; Ward, R.S.; Crewdson, E.; Bowes, M.J.; Darling, W.G.; Smith, A.C. url  openurl
  Title Monitoring of methane in groundwater from the Vale of Pickering, UK: Temporal variability and source discrimination Type Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemical Geology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 636 Issue Pages 121640  
  Keywords Aquifer, Biogenic, Ethane, Hydrocarbons, Methane, Shale gas  
  Abstract Groundwater abstracted from aquifers in the Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire, UK and monitored over the period 2015–2022, shows evidence of variable but commonly high concentrations of dissolved CH4. Sampled groundwater from the Jurassic organic-rich Kimmeridge Clay Formation (boreholes up to 180 m depth) has concentrations up to 57 mg/L, and concentrations up to 59 mg/L are found in groundwater from underlying confined Corallian Group limestone (borehole depths 50–227 m). The high concentrations are mainly from boreholes in the central parts of the vale. Small concentrations of ethane (C2H6, up to 800 μg/L) have been found in the Kimmeridge Clay and confined Corallian groundwaters, and of propane (C3H8, up to 160 μg/L) in deeper boreholes (110–180 m) from these formations. The concentrations are typically higher in groundwater from the deeper boreholes and vary with hydrostatic pressure, reflecting the pressure control on CH4 solubility. The occurrences contrast with groundwater from shallow Quaternary superficial deposits which have low CH4 concentrations (up to 0.39 mg/L), and with the unconfined and semi-confined sections of the Corallian aquifer (up to 0.7 mg/L) around the margins of the vale. Groundwater from the Quaternary, Kimmeridge Clay formations and to a small extent the confined Corallian aquifer, supports local private-water supplies, that from the peripheral unconfined sections of Corallian also supports public supply for towns and villages across the region. Dissolved methane/ethane (C1/C2) ratios and stable-isotopic compositions (δ13C-CH4, δ2H-CH4 and δ13C-CO2) suggest that the high-CH4 groundwater from both the Kimmeridge Clay and confined Corallian formations derives overwhelmingly from biogenic reactions, the methanogenesis pathway by CO2 reduction. A small minority of groundwater samples shows a more enriched δ13C-CH4 composition (−50 to −44 ‰) which has been interpreted as due to anaerobic or aerobic methylotrophic oxidation in situ or post-sampling oxidation, rather than derivation by a thermogenic route. Few of the existing groundwater sites are proximal to abandoned or disused conventional hydrocarbon wells that exist in the region, and little evidence has been found for an influence on groundwater dissolved gases from these sites. The Vale of Pickering has also been under recent consideration for development of an unconventional hydrocarbon (shale-gas) resource. In this context, the monitoring of dissolved gases has been an important step in establishing the high-CH4 baseline of groundwaters from Jurassic deposits in the region and in apportioning their sources and mechanisms of genesis.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0009-2541 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ smedley_monitoring_2023 Serial 172  
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Author (up) Smedley, P.L.; Kinniburgh, D.G. url  openurl
  Title Uranium in natural waters and the environment: Distribution, speciation and impact Type Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Applied Geochemistry Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 148 Issue Pages 105534  
  Keywords Drinking water, Mine water, NORM, Radionuclide, Redox, U isotopes, Uranium, Uranyl  
  Abstract The concentrations of U in natural waters are usually low, being typically less than 4 μg/L in river water, around 3.3 μg/L in open seawater, and usually less than 5 μg/L in groundwater. Higher concentrations can occur in both surface water and groundwater and the range spans some six orders of magnitude, with extremes in the mg/L range. However, such extremes in surface water are rare and linked to localized mineralization or evaporation in alkaline lakes. High concentrations in groundwater, substantially above the WHO provisional guideline value for U in drinking water of 30 μg/L, are associated most strongly with (i) granitic and felsic volcanic aquifers, (ii) continental sandstone aquifers especially in alluvial plains and (iii) areas of U mineralization. High-U groundwater provinces are more common in arid and semi-arid terrains where evaporation is an additional factor involved in concentrating U and other solutes. Examples of granitic and felsic volcanic terrains with documented high U concentrations include several parts of peninsular India, eastern USA, Canada, South Korea, southern Finland, Norway, Switzerland and Burundi. Examples of continental sandstone aquifers include the alluvial plains of the Indo-Gangetic Basin of India and Pakistan, the Central Valley, High Plains, Carson Desert, Española Basin and Edwards-Trinity aquifers of the USA, Datong Basin, China, parts of Iraq and the loess of the Chaco-Pampean Plain, Argentina. Many of these plains host eroded deposits of granitic and felsic volcanic precursors which likely act as primary sources of U. Numerous examples exist of groundwater impacted by U mineralization, often accompanied by mining, including locations in USA, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Portugal, China, Egypt and Germany. These may host high to extreme concentrations of U but are typically of localized extent. The overarching mechanisms of U mobilization in water are now well-established and depend broadly on redox conditions, pH and solute chemistry, which are shaped by the geological conditions outlined above. Uranium is recognized to be mobile in its oxic, U(VI) state, at neutral to alkaline pH (7–9) and is aided by the formation of stable U–CO3(±Ca, Mg) complexes. In such oxic and alkaline conditions, U commonly covaries with other similarly controlled anions and oxyanions such as F, As, V and Mo. Uranium is also mobile at acidic pH (2–4), principally as the uranyl cation UO22+. Mobility in U mineralized areas may therefore occur in neutral to alkaline conditions or in conditions with acid drainage, depending on the local occurrence and capacity for pH buffering by carbonate minerals. In groundwater, mobilization has also been observed in mildly (Mn-) reducing conditions. Uranium is immobile in more strongly (Fe-, SO4-) reducing conditions as it is reduced to U(IV) and is either precipitated as a crystalline or ‘non-crystalline’ form of UO2 or is sorbed to mineral surfaces. A more detailed understanding of U chemistry in the natural environment is challenging because of the large number of complexes formed, the strong binding to oxides and humic substances and their interactions, including ternary oxide-humic-U interactions. Improved quantification of these interactions will require updating of the commonly-used speciation software and databases to include the most recent developments in surface complexation models. Also, given their important role in maintaining low U concentrations in many natural waters, the nature and solubility of the amorphous or non-crystalline forms of UO2 that result from microbial reduction of U(VI) need improved quantification. Even where high-U groundwater exists, percentage exceedances of the WHO guideline value are variable and often small. More rigorous testing programmes to establish usable sources are therefore warranted in such vulnerable aquifers. As drinking-water regulation for U is a relatively recent introduction in many countries (e.g. the European Union), testing is not yet routine or established and data are still relatively limited. Acquisition of more data will establish whether analogous aquifers elsewhere in the world have similar patterns of aqueous U distribution. In the high-U groundwater regions that have been recognized so far, the general absence of evidence for clinical health symptoms is a positive finding and tempers the scale of public health concern, though it also highlights a need for continued investigation.  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0883-2927 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ smedley_uranium_2023 Serial 118  
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Author (up) Soh, Q.Y.; O’Dwyer, E.; Acha, S.; Shah, N. url  openurl
  Title Robust optimisation of combined rainwater harvesting and flood mitigation systems Type Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Water Research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 245 Issue Pages 120532  
  Keywords Rainwater harvesting, Flood mitigation, Robust stochastic optimisation, Sustainable environmental engineering, Decision tool, Urban residential estates  
  Abstract Combined large-scale rainwater harvesting (RWH) and flood mitigation systems are promising as a sustainable water management strategy in urban areas. These are multi-purpose infrastructure that not only provide a secondary, localised water resource, but can also reduce discharge and hence loads on any downstream wastewater networks if these are integrated into the wider water network. However, the performance of these systems is dependent on the specific design used for its local catchment which can vary significantly between different implementations. A multitude of design strategies exist, however there is no universally accepted standard framework. To tackle these issues, this paper presents a two-player optimisation framework which utilises a stochastic design optimisation model and a competing, high-intensity rainfall design model to optimise passively-operated RWH systems. A customisable tool set is provided, under which optimisation models specific to a given catchment can be built quickly. This reduces the barriers to implementing computationally complex sizing strategies and encouraging more resource-efficient systems to be built. The framework was applied to a densely populated high-rise residential estate, eliminating overflow events from historical rainfall. The optimised configuration resulted in a 32% increase in harvested water yield, but its ability to meet irrigation demands was limited by the operational levels of the treatment pump. Hence, with the inclusion of operational levels in the optimisation model, the framework can provide an efficient large-scale RWH system that is capable of simultaneously meeting water demands and reducing stresses within and beyond its local catchment.  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ Soh2023120532 Serial 243  
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Author (up) Stavi, I.; Eldad, S.; Xu, C.; Xu, Z.; Gusarov, Y.; Haiman, M.; Argaman, E. url  openurl
  Title Ancient agricultural terrace walls control floods and regulate the distribution of Asphodelus ramosus geophytes in the Israeli arid Negev Type Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Catena Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 234 Issue Pages 107588  
  Keywords Geo-archaeology, Hydrological connectivity, Hydrological modelling, Runoff harvesting, Soil and water conservation, Watershed management  
  Abstract Ancient stone terrace walls aimed at harvesting water runoff and facilitating crop production are widespread across the drylands of the Middle East and beyond. In addition to retaining the scarce water resource, the terrace walls also conserve soil and thicken its profile along ephemeral stream channels (wadis) by decreasing fluvial connectivity and mitigating erosional processes. In this study, we created hydrological models for three wadis with ancient stone terrace walls in the arid northern Negev of Israel, where the predominant geophyte species is Asphodelus ramosus L. A two-dimensional (2D) rain-on-grid (RoG) approach with a resolution of 2 m was used to simulate the rain events with return periods of 10, 20, 50, and 99 % (10-y, 5-y, 2-y, and yearly, respectively) based on the Intensity-Duration-Frequency rain curves for the region. To evaluate the effect of stone terrace walls on fluvial hydrology and geomorphology, the ground level was artificially elevated by 20 cm at the wall locations in a digital terrain model (DTM), using the built-in HEC-RAS 2D terrain modification tool. Our results showed that the terraced wadis have a high capacity to mitigate runoff loss, but a lesser capacity to delay the peak flow. Yet, for all rainstorm return periods, peak flow mitigation was positively related to the number of terrace walls along the stream channel. Field surveys in two of the studied wadis demonstrated that the A. ramosus clones were found in proximity to the stone terrace walls, presumably due to the greater soil–water content there. The results thus suggest that the terrace walls provide improved habitat conditions for these geophytes, supporting their growth and regulating their distribution along the wadi beds.  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0341-8162 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ Stavi2024107588 Serial 229  
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Author (up) Stone, A. url  openurl
  Title Recharge investigations above the Stampriet Aquifer in semi-arid Namibia using geochemical methods and environmental tracers; sand, salt and water Type Journal Article
  Year 2012 Publication Quaternary International Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 279-280 Issue Pages 470-471  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1040-6182 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ stone_recharge_2012 Serial 108  
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Author (up) Stone, A.E.C.; Edmunds, W.M. url  openurl
  Title Naturally-high nitrate in unsaturated zone sand dunes above the Stampriet Basin, Namibia Type Journal Article
  Year 2014 Publication Journal of Arid Environments Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 105 Issue Pages 41-51  
  Keywords Kalahari, Namibia, Nitrate in the unsaturated zone, Stampriet Basin, Transboundary basin, Unsaturated zone recharge  
  Abstract Elevated groundwater nitrate levels are common in drylands, often in excess of WHO guidelines, with concern for human and animal health. In light of recent attempts to identify nitrate sources in the Kalahari this paper presents the first unsaturated zone (USZ) nitrate profiles and recharge rate estimates for the important transboundary Stampriet Basin, alongside the first rainfall chemistry records. Elevated subsurface nitrate reaches 100–250 and 250–525 mg/L NO3–N, with NO3–N/Cl of 4–12, indicating input above evapotranspiration. Chloride mass balance recharge rates range from 4 to 27 mm/y, indicating a vertical movement of these nitrate pulses toward the water table over multi-decadal timescales. These profiles are sampled from dune crests, away from high concentrations of animals and without termite mounds. Given low-density animal grazing is unlikely to contribute consistent spot-scale nitrate over decades, these profiles give an initial estimate of naturally-produced concentrations. This insight is important for the management of the Stampriet Basin and wider Kalahari groundwater. This study expands our knowledge about elevated nitrate in dryland USZs, demonstrating that it can occur as pulses, probably in response to transient vegetation cover and that it is not limited to long-residence time USZs with very limited downward moisture flux (recharge).  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0140-1963 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ stone_naturally-high_2014 Serial 91  
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Author (up) Stone, A.E.C.; Edmunds, W.M. url  openurl
  Title Naturally-high nitrate in unsaturated zone sand dunes above the Stampriet Basin, Namibia Type Journal Article
  Year 2014 Publication Journal of Arid Environments Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 105 Issue Pages 41-51  
  Keywords Kalahari, Namibia, Nitrate in the unsaturated zone, Stampriet Basin, Transboundary basin, Unsaturated zone recharge  
  Abstract Elevated groundwater nitrate levels are common in drylands, often in excess of WHO guidelines, with concern for human and animal health. In light of recent attempts to identify nitrate sources in the Kalahari this paper presents the first unsaturated zone (USZ) nitrate profiles and recharge rate estimates for the important transboundary Stampriet Basin, alongside the first rainfall chemistry records. Elevated subsurface nitrate reaches 100–250 and 250–525 mg/L NO3–N, with NO3–N/Cl of 4–12, indicating input above evapotranspiration. Chloride mass balance recharge rates range from 4 to 27 mm/y, indicating a vertical movement of these nitrate pulses toward the water table over multi-decadal timescales. These profiles are sampled from dune crests, away from high concentrations of animals and without termite mounds. Given low-density animal grazing is unlikely to contribute consistent spot-scale nitrate over decades, these profiles give an initial estimate of naturally-produced concentrations. This insight is important for the management of the Stampriet Basin and wider Kalahari groundwater. This study expands our knowledge about elevated nitrate in dryland USZs, demonstrating that it can occur as pulses, probably in response to transient vegetation cover and that it is not limited to long-residence time USZs with very limited downward moisture flux (recharge).  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0140-1963 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ Stone201441 Serial 218  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Stone, A.E.C.; Edmunds, W.M. url  openurl
  Title Naturally-high nitrate in unsaturated zone sand dunes above the Stampriet Basin, Namibia Type Journal Article
  Year 2014 Publication Journal of Arid Environments Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 105 Issue Pages 41-51  
  Keywords Kalahari, Namibia, Nitrate in the unsaturated zone, Stampriet Basin, Transboundary basin, Unsaturated zone recharge  
  Abstract Elevated groundwater nitrate levels are common in drylands, often in excess of WHO guidelines, with concern for human and animal health. In light of recent attempts to identify nitrate sources in the Kalahari this paper presents the first unsaturated zone (USZ) nitrate profiles and recharge rate estimates for the important transboundary Stampriet Basin, alongside the first rainfall chemistry records. Elevated subsurface nitrate reaches 100–250 and 250–525 mg/L NO3–N, with NO3–N/Cl of 4–12, indicating input above evapotranspiration. Chloride mass balance recharge rates range from 4 to 27 mm/y, indicating a vertical movement of these nitrate pulses toward the water table over multi-decadal timescales. These profiles are sampled from dune crests, away from high concentrations of animals and without termite mounds. Given low-density animal grazing is unlikely to contribute consistent spot-scale nitrate over decades, these profiles give an initial estimate of naturally-produced concentrations. This insight is important for the management of the Stampriet Basin and wider Kalahari groundwater. This study expands our knowledge about elevated nitrate in dryland USZs, demonstrating that it can occur as pulses, probably in response to transient vegetation cover and that it is not limited to long-residence time USZs with very limited downward moisture flux (recharge).  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0140-1963 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ Stone201441 Serial 279  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Stone, A.E.C.; Thomas, D.S.G. url  openurl
  Title Casting new light on late Quaternary environmental and palaeohydrological change in the Namib Desert: A review of the application of optically stimulated luminescence in the region Type Journal Article
  Year 2013 Publication Journal of Arid Environments Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 93 Issue Pages 40-58  
  Keywords Namib Desert, Optically stimulated luminescence dating, Palaeoenvironment, Palaeohydrology, Quaternary, Southern Africa  
  Abstract The application of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating in the Namib Desert is casting new light on late Quaternary environments. OSL has been applied to: (i) complex linear dunes, alongside ground penetrating radar stratigraphy in order to establish dune migration rates, (ii) fluvial lithofacies associations that distinguish between flood deposits and river end points, in order to constrain the timing of periods of higher discharge and conditions relatively drier than present and (iii) aeolian sand interbedded with carbonate deposits in order to provide chronologies for water-lain interdune sediments. We present and review the contribution of these data to enhancing reconstructions of the palaeoenvironments and palaeohydrology of the west coast of Namibia, particularly the increased confidence in interpretations provided by lithofacies analysis of the river deposits. This includes major silt deposits, which have had a contested palaeohydrological interpretation, such as the Kuiseb River Homeb Silts. We conclude that OSL should remain a key chronological technique to further elucidate the palaeoenvironmental history of southern Africa.  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0140-1963 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ stone_casting_2013 Serial 98  
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Author (up) Strandmann, P.A.E.P. von; Reynolds, B.C.; Porcelli, D.; James, R.H.; Calsteren, P. van; Baskaran, M.; Burton, K.W. url  openurl
  Title Assessing continental weathering rates and actinide transport in the Great Artesian Basin Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 70 Issue 18, Supplement Pages 497  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0016-7037 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number THL @ christoph.kuells @ strandmann_assessing_2006 Serial 116  
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