We present a decade-long (1981–1990) high-resolution (subseasonal) record of Pb and Cd concentrations and Pb isotopic composition in a series of 119 snow samples from a 6-m snow pit at Summit, Greenland. Both metals show order of magnitude seasonal variability, with maxima in spring of every year, coinciding with sulfate...
Contamination of stormwater with Cu⁺², Pb⁺², and Zn⁺² has become an important issue with recognition of the neurotoxic effects of these metal ions on aquatic life. Low levels of aqueous Cu⁺² disrupt olfactory functioning in endangered Pacific Northwest salmon, decreasing their ability to avoid predation. One common solution is stormwater...
Piezoelectric materials convert mechanical strain into a dielectric displacement, as well as the converse, allowing these materials to be used as sensors, actuators, and transducers. Currently, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is the primary material used in these applications. Due to environmental toxicity and safety concerns associated with Pb, development of...
The piezoelectric fatigue behavior of Pb-free ceramics based on solid solutions of Bi(Zn₀.₅Ti₀.₅)O₃-(Bi₀.5K₀.₅)TiO₃-(Bi₀.₅Na₀.₅)TiO₃ was characterized at 50 kV/cm after 10⁶ bipolar cycles. Ferroelectric compositions containing 2.5% Bi(Zn₀.₅Ti₀.₅)O₃ exhibited only minor losses in maximum strain (~10%). In compositions with 5% Bi(Zn₀.₅Ti₀.₅)O₃ that exhibit large electric field-induced strains, the electromechanical strain actually...
This work explores the electric field induced strain mechanisms in environmentally benign Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 (BNT) based piezoelectric thin films. Although BNT-based materials show promise as replacements for toxic Pb-based piezoelectrics, the displacement mechanisms are not consistent between thin films and bulk materials, and the differences have yet to be well understood....
We present new age determinations, derived from ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar incremental heating experiments, for basaltic lava flows from the Mandla lobe, located on the eastern margin of the main Deccan volcanic province, some ~ 1000 km from the Western Ghats escarpment. The most reliable estimates of crystallization ages come from 5 plateau...
This study evaluates ore transport and other mining activities on metal levels in the remote Arctic ecosystem of Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR) in northwestern Alaska. This monument is 50 km SW of Red Dog Mine, one of the world’s largest Pb–Zn mines. The Delong Mountain Transportation System (DMTS) haul...