Adsorption of Lead (II) and Zinc (II) from Aqueous Solution by Bituminous coal

Activated carbons have been proven to be effective adsorbents for the removal of Pb (II) and Zn (II) dissolved in aqueous media. The study of adsorption of Pb (II) and Zn (II) on two different size fractions from a composite coal sample of Maghara coal mine, C₆₃ (63–125 μm) and C₂₅₀ (125–250 μm) is presented in this paper. C₆₃ and C₂₅₀ were treated in water solutions of 50 mM lead and zinc acetates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the starting and treated coal surfaces. The high surface area and surface functional groups (carboxy and phenolic) enable activated bituminous coal of Maghara to act as efficient adsorbents for removing dissolved Pb (II) and Zn (II) in alkaline medium.     

Propagation of guided waves in a fluid layer bounded by two viscoelastic transversely isotropic solids

The analysis of Stoneley wave propagation in a fracture is essential for the identification and evaluation of fracture parameters from the borehole Stoneley wave. Also, it is important for many geophysics considerations, e.g. for tremor and long-period events observed in volcanoes and geothermal areas. In this paper, we investigate the guided waves propagation in a fluid layer lying between two viscoelastic vertically transversely isotropic media. The viscoelastic mechanism models the attenuation due to the presence of fluid saturation in the rock. A model based on the superposition of three inhomogeneous partial plane waves: one in the fluid and two heterogeneous waves in the solid is developed. The dispersion equation is obtained for this case. A numerical solution is carried out to obtain the guided wave velocity and attenuation coefficient. The results of this investigation show that there is a strong correlation between the velocity dispersion and attenuation of Stoneley wave and the anisotropic parameters of the medium especially in a sandstone (fast) medium.     

Mineral and chemical composition of Karak mudstone, Kohat Plateau, Pakistan: implications for smectite-illitization and provenance

The Karak mudstone interbedded in an Eocene evaporite sequence, is dominated by R-1 ordered illite-smectite with a 20 to 30% expandable component. Minor phases include kaolinite, chlorite, illite/muscovite, plagioclase, potash feldspar, quartz, dolomite and pyrite. The present illite-smectite was probably originally smectite or highly expandable illite-smectite which underwent conversion to illite-smectite with a low expandable component in a comparatively low-temperature (ca. 100°C) closed-system sedimentary basinal diagenetic environment at a depth of ca. 5 km. Al³⁺ and K⁺ necessary for the conversion reaction were provided through the breakdown of potash feldspar. Burial under a 5 km thick pile of sediments produced some of the observed structures. Whole-rock chemistry presented here suggests that the mudstone formed by severe weathering of acidic source rocks. The influx of freshwater probably flushed out Ba, Rb, Ca and Mn from the restricted basin.     

VARIATIONS IN KAMILA AMPHIBOLITES FROM SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE KOHISTAN ISLAND-ARC TERRANE,PAKISTAN

VARIATIONS IN KAMILA AMPHIBOLITES FROM SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE KOHISTAN ISLAND-ARC TERRANE,PAKISTAN     

Origin of spheroidal chert nodules, Drunka Formation (Lower Eocene), Egypt

Chert nodules of the Drunka Formation (Lower Eocene) are mostly spherical, have diameters from 40 to 120 cm, are quasi-uniformly spaced 2–3 m apart in the plane of bedding, have concentric internal structure and, except for rare small (<6 cm) solid chert nodules, are less than 85% chertified. Nodules formed after moderate alteration of limestone by meteoric water (δ¹⁸O_calcite = –4 to –8‰) at shallow (<100 m) burial depths; more extensive alteration of limestone (δ¹⁸O = –10 to –16‰) by meteoric water followed nodule growth. Chertification was by low-temperature meteoric water (δ¹⁸O_quartz = +18‰ in margins to +22‰ in nuclei) at shallow burial depths. Meteoric water may have invaded the Drunka Formation in association with shelf progradation during the Early Eocene, or during the development of a Middle Eocene unconformity. Replacement of carbonate mud by microcrystalline quartz was the dominant chertification process, but fossils were replaced in part by fine-grained equant megaquartz, quartzine and chalcedony; the last of these occurs in places as beekite. Opal A-secreting marine organisms are the inferred source of silica, but none are preserved. There is no compelling evidence of an opal-CT precursor, so quartz may have formed by direct precipitation. Self-organization processes of enigmatic character established the spacing pattern of the nodules and also the Liesegang-banded internal structure of the chert nodules. Nodules grew chiefly by diffusive supply of silica, although one locality has elongate nodules that grew when there was some porewater advection. Chertification patterns and δ¹⁸O values of both calcite and quartz indicate that nodule growth was complex and variable. Some nodules probably grew from the centre outwards. Many nodules, however, initially grew simultaneously across the entire nodule, but late-stage growth was predominantly at the outer margins or at selective internal sites.     

Using a naive Bayes classifier to explore the factors driving the harmful dinoflagellate Karenia selliformis blooms in a southeastern Mediterranean lagoon

Ocean Dynamics - The blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia selliformis can be predicted with accuracy derived from knowledge of the main forcing variables. A naive Bayes classifier modeling...     

Seismic behavior and zoning of the sabkha soils in Jubail industrial city,Saudi Arabia

This study aimed at the micro-level seismic behavior and zoning of the saline sabkha strata in Jubail industrial area in Eastern Saudi Arabia. It encompasses the evaluation of the site-specific seismic response parameters and the liquefaction potential for various possible subsurface conditions under the probable seismic event(s). The approach to achieve the objectives of this study included the following: analysis of geologic, hydrologic, and geotechnical data of the area; performance of field and laboratory dynamic testing; and dynamic modeling and analysis of the subsurface profiles. The results of the simulation have been used to develop liquefaction potential maps and site-specific spectra of the study area, consisting of ten seismic zones under a range of probable peak horizontal ground acceleration (PHA). Results do not show significant probability of liquefaction of the loose soil layers in the study area at the maximum possible design PHA of 0.035 g; however, liquefaction is anticipated at higher PHA values. Site-specific spectral response resulted in values of S _s and S ₁ spectral accelerations to be different as compared to those suggested by local standards. The resulting seismic micro-zonation maps and the corresponding parameters are very useful for the stability analysis of the existing and planned structures in the Jubail area.     

Detection of trends in the 7-day sustained low-flow time series of Irish rivers

A combination of statistical hypothesis testing methods (Mann-Whitney, Mann-Kendall and Spearman’s rho) and visual exploratory analysis were used to investigate trends in Irish 7-day sustained low-flow (7SLF) series possibly driven by changes in summer rainfall patterns. River flow data from 33 gauging stations covering most major Irish rivers were analysed, after excluding catchments where low flows are influenced by significant human interventions. A statistically significant increasing trend in the 7SLF series was identified by all three tests at eight gauging stations; in contrast, a statistically significant decreasing trend was identified by all three tests at four stations. The stations with increasing trends are mainly located within the western half of the country, while there is no particular spatial clustering of the stations showing a decreasing trend. Further analysis suggests that the increasing trend in the 7SLF time series persists regardless of the starting year of analysis. However, the decreasing trend occurs only when years prior to 1970 are included in the analysis, and disappears, or is reversed, if only the data from 1970 and onwards are considered. There is strong evidence that the direction of the trends in the 7SLF series is determined mainly by trends in total summer rainfall amounts, i.e. is linked to weather.

EDITOR Z.W. Kundzewicz

ASSOCIATE EDITOR not assigned     

Application of Large‐Scale Inversion Algorithms to Hydraulic Tomography in an Alluvial Aquifer

Large‐scale inversion methods have been recently developed and permitted now to considerably reduce the computation time and memory needed for inversions of models with a large amount of parameters and data. In this work, we have applied a deterministic geostatistical inversion algorithm to a hydraulic tomography investigation conducted in an experimental field site situated within an alluvial aquifer in Southern France. This application aims to achieve a 2‐D large‐scale modeling of the spatial transmissivity distribution of the site. The inversion algorithm uses a quasi‐Newton iterative process based on a Bayesian approach. We compared the results obtained by using three different methodologies for sensitivity analysis: an adjoint‐state method, a finite‐difference method, and a principal component geostatistical approach (PCGA). The PCGA is a large‐scale adapted method which was developed for inversions with a large number of parameters by using an approximation of the covariance matrix, and by avoiding the calculation of the full Jacobian sensitivity matrix. We reconstructed high‐resolution transmissivity fields (composed of up to 25,600 cells) which generated good correlations between the measured and computed hydraulic heads. In particular, we show that, by combining the PCGA inversion method and the hydraulic tomography method, we are able to substantially reduce the computation time of the inversions, while still producing high‐quality inversion results as those obtained from the other sensitivity analysis methodologies.