WaterWired

CRS Report: 'Quantum Information Science - Applications, Global Research and Development, and Policy Considerations'

I know next to nothing about quantum information science but all three words in the title mean something to me. Obviously, someone in Congress thought similarly and commissioned this 14 December 2018 CRS report by Patricia Moloney Figliola: Quantum Information Science: Applications,Global Research and Development, and Policy Considerations.

Download CRS_QIS_Report_14Dec2018

Introduction

Quantum information science (QIS) combines elements of mathematics, computer science, engineering, and physical sciences, and has the potential to provide capabilities far beyond what is possible with the most advanced technologies available today. Although much of the press coverage of QIS has been devoted to quantum computing, there is more to QIS. Many experts divide QIS technologies into three application areas:

•   Sensing and metrology,

•   Communications, and

•   Computing and simulation.

  The government’s interest in QIS dates back at least to the mid-1990s, when the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department of Defense (DOD) held their first workshops on the topic. QIS is first mentioned in the FY2008 budget of what is now the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program and has been a component of the program since then.

  Today, QIS is a component of the National Strategic Computing Initiative (Presidential Executive Order 13702), which was established in 2015. Most recently, in September 2018, the National Science and Technology Council issued the National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science. The policy opportunities identified in this strategic overview include—

•   choosing a science-first approach to QIS,

•   creating a “quantum-smart” workforce,

•   deepening engagement with the quantum industry,

•   providing critical infrastructure,

•   maintaining national security and economic growth, and

•   advancing international cooperation.

  The United States is not alone in increasing investment in QIS R&D. This research is also being pursued at major research centers worldwide, with China and the European Union having the largest foreign QIS programs. Further, even without explicit QIS initiatives, many other countries, including Russia, Germany, and Austria, are making strides in QIS research and development (R&D).

  The Senate has introduced three bills in the 115th Congress (S. 3143, S. 2998, and S. 3673) and the House has introduced one bill in the 115th Congress (H.R. 6227) related to QIS. These bills would establish a federal program to accelerate U.S. QIS R&D, create a National Quantum Coordination Office within OSTP, establish a Defense Quantum Information Consortium, and require the Secretary of Energy to carry out quantum information science research. The House has held three hearings related to QIS. Issues discussed in these hearings included a comparison of U.S. and international QIS R&D, and how to effectively train a QIS-knowledgeable workforce; China’s investment in leading-edge technologies, including QIS, and concerns that China may be closing the gap with the United States in advanced technology R&D; and an overview of quantum computers.

  This report provides an overview of QIS technologies: sensing and metrology, communications, and computing and simulation. It also includes examples of existing and potential future applications; brief summaries of funding and selected R&D initiatives in the United States and elsewhere around the world; a description of U.S. congressional activity; and a discussion of related policy considerations.

Wow!

Enjoy!

"You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth." - Evan Esar

Paper: 'Origin of Earth’s Water - Chondritic Inheritance Plus Nebular Ingassing and Storage of Hydrogen in the Core'

Nifty stuff from Jun Wu, Steven J. Desch, Laura Schaefer, Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Kevehm Pahlevan and Peter R. Buseck: Origin of Earth's Water: Chondritic Inheritance Plus Nebular Ingassing and Storage of Hydrogen in the Core, J. Geophysical Research - Planets..

Download Wu_et_al-2018-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research_Planets

Abstract

Recent developments in planet formation theory and measurements of low D/H in deep mantle material support a solar nebula source for some of Earth's hydrogen. Here we present a new model for the origin of Earth's water that considers both chondritic water and nebular ingassing of hydrogen. The largest embryo that formed Earth likely had a magma ocean while the solar nebula persisted and could have ingassed nebular gases. The model considers iron hydrogenation reactions during Earth's core formation as a mechanism for both sequestering hydrogen in the core and simultaneously fractionating hydrogen isotopes. By parameterizing the isotopic fractionation factor and initial bulk D/H ratio of Earth's chondritic material, we explore the combined effects of elemental dissolution and isotopic fractionation of hydrogen in iron. By fitting to the two key constraints (three oceans' worth of water in Earth's mantle and on its surface; and D/H in the bulk silicate Earth close to 150 × 10⁻⁶), the model searches for best solutions among ~10,000 different combinations of chondritic and nebular contributions. We find that ingassing of a small amount, typically >0–0.5 oceans of nebular hydrogen, is generally demanded, supplementing seven to eight oceans from chondritic contributions. About 60% of the total hydrogen enters the core, and attendant isotopic fractionation plausibly lowers the core's D/H to ~130 × 10⁻⁶. Crystallized magma ocean material may have D/H ≈ 110 × 10⁻⁶. These modeling results readily explain the low D/H in core‐mantle boundary material and account for Earth's inventory of solar neon and helium.

Plain Language Summary

People have long had curiosity in the origin of Earth's water (equivalently hydrogen). Solar nebula has been given the least attention among existing theories, although it was the predominating reservoir of hydrogen in our early solar system. Here we present a first model for Earth's water origin that quantifies contribution from the solar nebula in addition to that from chondrites, the primary building blocks of Earth. The model considers dissolution of nebular hydrogen into the early Earth's magma oceans and reaction between hydrogen and iron droplets within the magma ocean. Such processes not only delivered countless hydrogen atoms from the mantle to the core but also generated an appreciable difference in hydrogen isotopic composition (2H/1H ratio) between the mantle and core. Fitting the model to current knowledge about Earth's hydrogen produces best combinations of nebular and chondritic contributions to Earth's water. We find that nearly one out of every 100 water molecules on Earth came from the solar nebula. Our planet hides majority of its water inside, with roughly two oceans in the mantle and four to five oceans in the core. These results suggest inevitable formation of water on sufficiently large rocky planets in extrasolar systems.

Let's get to the bottom line:

Conclusions

Our comprehensive model for the origin of Earth's water considers, for the first time, the effects of isotopic fractionation as hydrogen dissolved into metal and was sequestered into the core. Based on the behaviors of proxies, we consider it likely that the D/H ratio of the core is ~10% lighter than the mantle. We hypothesize that Earth accreted a few to tens of oceans of water from chondrites, mostly carbonaceous chondrites. Drawing on the latest theories of planet formation, which argue for rapid (<2 Myr) formation of planetary embryos, we favor ingassing of a few tenths of an ocean of solar nebula hydrogen into the magma oceans of the embryos that formed Earth.

Based on modeling, we favor scenarios in which chondrites contributed seven to eight oceans of hydrogen, and about 0.06 oceans of hydrogen was ingassed, unless Earth's core contains a significant amount of carbon (>1 wt %). Such models are consistent with about four to five oceans of hydrogen sequestered in the core, with D/H possibly as low as 120 × 10⁻⁶, and approximately three oceans of hydrogen in the mantle and surface, with D/H = 150 × 10⁻⁶.

The predicted existence of majority of Earth's hydrogen in its core has only a minor contribution to the observed density deficit of the core, a result consistent with the current knowledge of light elements in the core. Our conclusions are not overly sensitive to reasonable uncertainties in thermodynamic quantities governing hydrogen solubility in iron. We interpret the anomalously low solubilities measured by Clesi et al. (2018) to reflect the effect of carbon. Accounting for this effect and assuming <1 wt % carbon in Earth's core, we find not large differences compared to the case presented here.

Both ingassing of isotopically light hydrogen and isotopic fractionation of hydrogen as it is sequestered into the core provide an explanation for the low‐D/H material sampled by Hallis et al. (2015). Either the measurements are of solidified magma ocean material containing ingassed solar nebula hydrogen or they are of lower mantle material that has isotopically exchanged with the core. Testing our model and distinguishing between these scenarios will require the technically challenging measurements of the solubility of hydrogen into iron, and the isotopic fractionation factor, α, at high pressures. Firmer constraints on the bulk D/H ratios of various chondrites would also constrain the model.

Our model explains the reported solar compositions of hydrogen and noble gases in Earth's mantle. In particular, nebular ingassing through equilibration dissolution appears to be a viable mechanism to supply adequate amounts of ²²Ne and ³He for their terrestrial inventories, provided that the mass of magma ocean was no less than ~0.1 M_E. Extension to other noble gases would further test the model.

I don't pretend to understand all of this. But I do know that nebular ingassing will get you every time.

Enjoy!

"We're probably known around the Universe as that really noisy blue planet where everybody pees in their water." - @willdurst (thanks to Elizabeth Dougherty @WhollyH2o)

U.S. Water Alliance Report: 'Advancing One Water Through Arts and Culture: A Blueprint for Action'

This report looks fascinating. Thanks to friend and colleague Lisa Beutler for sending it my way.

Download USWA_artsculture_FINAL

 Here is the preface from U.S. Water Alliance CEO Radhika Fox and ArtPlace America ED Jamie Bennett.

 Preface
The urgent and multifaceted nature of our water challenges
calls for new ways of thinking, acting, and investing.
Water leaders across the nation are embracing the One
Water approach—managing water resources in a more
integrated, inclusive, and sustainable manner in order to
secure a bright and prosperous future for our children,
communities, and country.

ArtPlace America and the US Water Alliance believe
there is tremendous opportunity to utilize arts and culture
strategies to advance One Water. As creative thinkers
and doers, artists can be powerful partners for water
leaders seeking to reimagine traditional approaches to
water planning and management and connect with
communities in new ways.

Our partnership has been a collaboration in the finest
sense of the word. Together we learned about each
other’s sectors, challenged assumptions, and have
developed a powerful framework for how to use arts and
culture to forge One Water progress. We are so inspired
by the creative ways that utilities, environmental groups,
public agencies, and other water practitioners are
collaborating with artists and cultural leaders. But it is
only the beginning.

We hope this blueprint sparks a new era of partnership
between arts, cultural, and water leaders in communities
across the country. To do so, we need to invest in building
a robust field of practice—one that cultivates the commitment
and capacity of the water sector and arts and culture
leaders to work in tandem.

I thought for sure my former UNM colleague Basia Irland would be in this report. She's quite remarkable.

Enjoy. 

“Combining water and sewer improvement projects with artwork, or something that attracts the attention of the community, is critical—because otherwise, the community doesn’t see the
progress of the work were doing.” - John Nichols, Rural Utility Management Services, Director, Alaska Rural Utility Collaborative

A Father's Day Tribute to Giovanni Pellegrino Campana

Giovanni Pellegrino Campana would have been 104 just 11 days prior to this Father's Day.  That name
is on his birth certificate, but we knew my father as John Pilgrim Campana. Born on 6 June 1914, the son of Italian immigrants Consiglia and Domenico Campana, who arrived on these shores from Naples, Italy, in the late 1890s.   

The family settled in Boston, where my father grew up playing baseball, ice hockey, but most of all, studying. He attended Boston Latin School, the oldest and arguably still the best high school in the USA.

 

After that, it was off to the oldest college in the USA, Harvard, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in history in 1936. In those days, Harvard was not a hospitable place for Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, or Jews. Forget about Latinos or African-Americans; it was the bastion of WASPs - White (or Wealthy) Anglo-Saxon Protestants.

 

He loved playing hockey - he was a right winger - but didn't play for Harvard after his freshman year. He told me that the rich kids on the team would rent one of the indoor arenas for practices that were restricted to themselves and their friends. So while he worked, they practiced and he fell behind. When he told me this, there was nary a trace of bitterness in his voice. That's just the way it was.

 

But his true sports love was baseball. He played shortstop and pitcher on the Harvard team till he graduated in 1936. I have a team ball signed by all the players on the 1936 team, with the inscription: Harvard - 3, Yale - 0.

 

He married 'Southern belle' (North Carolina) Ruth Ellen Emerson in 1943 and they had three children. They first lived in Manhattan, then moved out to Queens, and finally, headed to the Long Island suburbs in December 1951, where they remained until 1978., retiring to Mooresville, North Carolina.

 

He started teaching in the New York City school system in 1938, a career that spanned 36 years, 26 of which were spent at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School, the nation's second-oldest high school. He taught history and political science and coached golf and bowling. In those days, EHHS was one of the nation's best. Its top students won scholarships to the USA's finest universities. As I grew up, I remember many visits from former students who would drop by to thank him for all he had done. They told me what a remarkable teacher and man he was and how much he had helped them.

 

Many of his students in those days were Jewish students from the Flatbush section. Their parents were not wealthy but small shopkeepers and homemakers. Yet their children routinely won scholarships to the Ivy League schools. I recall one of them who ranked 100th in his senior class but won a free ride to Princeton. My father was so proud of them - he knew they still faced the discrimination he had known in the 1930s. He had some famous students - Barbra Streisand and Bobby Fischer were among them. How about Kenny Vance? Listen to him sing 'Looking for an Echo' (skip to 1:15 if you don't want to wait). Kenny was one of the founders of Jay and the Americans. 

 

He left EHHS in 1964 to help open Canarsie High School in Brooklyn. He was the Assistant Principal, a position that earned him more money but meant no more teaching. That was a tough call for him.

 

His time at CHS was difficult - an unreasonable boss and trouble from the start. In those days, the races and ethnicities mixed worse than they do today. On some days scores of NYPD officers patrolled the halls and grounds. When a chair whizzed by his head during a cafeteria free-for-all, he knew it was time to retire. That was 1974. 

 

The photo was taken a few years before he left CHS.

 

My father was an inveterate and prolific letter-writer. He would write letters to all kinds of people: political leaders, heads of state, CEOs, editors, sports figures, et al.  At the time of his death he was working on a book titled, One Small Voice, a collection of his letters. His favorite target was Tom Yawkey, then the owner of his beloved but then-incompetent Boston Red Sox. He would instruct Yawkey on whom to trade, whom to release, etc. He reminded Yawkey that he was losing black players to other teams (the Red Sox were one of the last teams to integrate). It was a futile exercise, of course, but he enjoyed it. One of my big regrets in life was seeing him die in 1984, before the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, 2007 and 2013. But at least he did not witness the 1986 debacle. That surely would have killed him. My father's devotion to the Sox and their history still has an impression on me: although I am a Yankees fan, there is a soft spot in my heart for the Red Sox.

 

He worked summers serving as a golf instructor at summer camps or running camps supplying caddies for resort hotels - The Balsams and Mount Washington hotels in New Hampshire. Because of him I have a love for the Granite State's White Mountains, where I caddied at the Maplewood Hotel - the same place he caddied in the late 1920s - early 1930s.

 

I often wonder how the Internet would have appeared to him. Given his love for writing and commentary, would he have become a blogger? Somehow I doubt it. He was committed to letters.

 

He was remarkable man. A student of history, language, politics, sports, chess, and more. He was small in stature and an unlikely athlete. Baseball, hockey, golf, bowling, and tennis were his games.

 

I know for sure what he would think of our current President!

 

Whatever my talents are as a scholar, mentor, and teacher I owe to him. Likewise for what it means to be a man. He was so proud when I received my PhD. He had an ABD (all but dissertation) from Fordham - marriage and a family intevened - and he never finished.  He would have made quite a professor!

 

At the end of my freshman year in college he even took my announcement that I wanted to be a disk jockey with uncustomary tranquility. Well, sort of.... 

 

I miss you, Dad; I think of you each day.  You're my role model.

But I think the Yankees will beat out your Sox this year. And what happened to the Bruins this year?

 

"Democracy is like a raft; you're safe, but your feet get wet." -- John P. Campana

CRS Report 'Prioritizing Waterway Lock Projects: Barge Traffic Changes'

Another CRS water report - this one issued on 1 June 2018 and written by John Frittelli: Prioritizing Waterway Lock Projects: Barge Traffic Changes. 

Download CRS_Waterway_Lock_Barge_Traffic_1June 2018

 Summary

Congress faces decisions about prioritizing new lock construction projects on the inland waterway system. As both houses debate differing versions of water resources and development bills (S. 2800, H.R. 8) and the FY2019 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill (S. 2975, H.R. 5895), the decision about which of these projects could be undertaken first will likely be among the most controversial issues.

The inland waterway system supports barge transportation of heavy raw materials such as grain, coal, petroleum, and construction aggregates. The new locks are needed, according to the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and barge shippers, where existing locks are in poor condition, requiring frequent closures for repairs, and/or because a lock’s size causes delays for barge tows. The total estimated cost for the 21 planned lock projects is several billion dollars (many of the individual projects have a cost estimate of between $300 million and $800 million). However, available funding for these projects is about $200 million per year. This is because of limited appropriations and cost-sharing capabilities. Under current cost-share arrangements, the barge industry pays half the cost of construction projects. It does this by paying a $0.29 per gallon fuel tax, which annually generates around $100 million.

Significant changes in traffic levels through particular locks may affect the benefits that were estimated as expansion projects were advanced. The calculation of benefits is critical to advancing a project: the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will not request funding for a project unless the estimated economic benefit is at least 2.5 times the expected cost. The lock projects are clustered in three regions, each facing different economic conditions that are affecting barge traffic:

• in the agricultural heartland, record corn and soybean harvests have reversed the long-term downward trend of cargo volumes on the Upper Mississippi River;

• in the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys, the domestic natural gas boom has reduced the demand for coal by barge to power plants by nearly half;

• along the Texas and Louisiana intracoastal waterway, tank barge traffic is still in a state of flux as the petrochemical industry makes longer-term investments related to the Texas shale oil boom.

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expecting corn and soybean exports to increase slightly over the next decade, but this projection could be affected by possible Chinese tariff increases on U.S. agricultural goods, including soybeans. The closing of additional coal-fired electric power plants along the Ohio, Monongahela, and Tennessee Rivers would reduce waterway use, as the power plants generate 75% or more of the barge traffic through many of the locks on these rivers. The loss of coal traffic is significant for other commodities as well, as it could lead to more empty repositioning of barges, reducing economies of density for barge transport on the rivers. New pipeline construction and the lifting of the crude oil export ban at the end of 2015 are two factors that could influence barge demand over the long-term on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

Enjoy!

"We have seen pictures [of Mars] where there there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe." - Dan Quayle