Assessment of Grouting Efficiency for Treatment of Underground Cavities

Ground subsidence incidents occurred in a residential suburb in an arid desert terrain due to sinkholes. Several investigation programs were conducted to understand the cause of the incidents attributed to the dissolution of the limestone bedrock and the subsequent ravelling of the overburden soil cover. A pilot area within the affected locale of the residential suburb in the state of Kuwait was selected for implementing treatment measures. The main purpose of the treatment measures was to fill the uppermost layer of the limestone bedrock in order to eliminate the risk of recurrence of ground subsidence. Cavity filling and permeation cement grouts were injected from the ground surface for filling the underground cavities and the fractured rocks. Results of the implemented grouting measures for treating underground voids and the GIN concept are presented in the paper. Reduction in the porosity of the bedrock layer due to the applied treatment measures was verified and percentage of treatment fill volume for the entire pilot area was estimated. An assessment method for the efficiency of the treatment measures coupled with the properties of grout materials, and lessons learned from the implemented treatment are also presented herein.     

Estimation of water cloud model vegetation parameters using a genetic algorithm

Abstract

The water cloud model is used to account for the effect of vegetation water content on radar backscatter data. The model generally comprises two parameters that characterize the vegetated terrain, A and B, and two bare soil parameters, C and D. In the present study, parameters A and B were estimated using a genetic algorithm (GA) optimization technique and compared with estimates obtained by the sequential unconstrained minimization technique (SUMT) from measured backscatter data. The parameter estimation was formulated as a least squares optimization problem by minimizing the deviations between the backscatter coefficients retrieved from the ENVISAT ASAR image and those predicted by the water cloud model. The bias induced by three different objective functions was statistically analysed by generating synthetic backscatter data. It was observed that, when the backscatter coefficient data contain no errors, the objective functions do not induce any bias in the parameter estimation and the true parameters are uniquely identified. However, in the presence of noise, these objective functions induce bias in the parameter estimates. For the cases considered, the objective function based on the sum of squares of normalized deviations with respect to the computed backscatter coefficient resulted in the best possible estimates. A comparison of the GA technique with the SUMT was undertaken in estimating the water cloud model parameters. For the case considered, the GA technique performed better than the SUMT in parameter estimation, where the root mean squared error obtained from the GA was about half of that obtained by the SUMT.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor L. See

Citation Kumar, K., Hari Prasad, K.S. and Arora, M.K., 2012. Estimation of water cloud model vegetation parameters using a genetic algorithm. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (4), 776–789.     

Nonlinear analysis of seasonality and stochasticity of the Indus River

Abstract

One of the world's largest irrigation networks, based on the Indus River system in Pakistan, faces serious scarcity of water in one season and disastrous floods in another. The system is dominated both by monsoon and by snow and glacier dynamics, which confer strong seasonal and inter-annual variability. In this paper two different forecasting methods are utilized to analyse the long-term seasonal behaviour of the Indus River. The study also assesses whether the strong seasonal behaviour is dominated by the presence of low-dimensional nonlinear dynamics, or whether the periodic behaviour is simply immersed in random fluctuations. Forecasts obtained by nonlinear prediction (NLP) and the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) methods show that the performance of NLP is relatively better than the SARIMA method. This, along with the low values of the correlation dimension, is indicative of low-dimensional nonlinear behaviour of the hydrological dynamics. A relatively better performance of NLP, using an inverse technique, may also be indicative of the low-dimensional behaviour. Moreover, the embedding dimension of the best NLP forecasts is in good agreement with the estimated correlation dimension. This provides evidence that the nonlinearity inherent in the monthly river flow due to the snowmelt and the monsoon variations dominate over the high-dimensional components and might be exploited for prediction and modelling of the complex hydrological system.

Citation Hassan, S. A. & Ansari, M. R. K. (2010) Nonlinear analysis of seasonality and stochasticity of the Indus River. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(2), 250–265.     

Mumbai 2005, Bihar 2008 Flood Reflected in Mass Changes Seen by GRACE Satellites

Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites were launched on March 17 2002 to derive with unprecedented accuracy, estimates of the global high resolution model of the earth’s gravity field. Local gravity changes with change in mass or mass redistribution. The mass changes can be due to hydrological events, seismic events or postglacial rebound, majorly. GRACE is sensitive to changes at large spatial scale since the resolution of GRACE is 400 km. Hydrological activities over basins provide sufficient mass changes to be detected by GRACE. In this research paper the discussion would be about two major flooding events in India, one being the 2005 monsoon flooding in Mumbai and nearby states and other being flood experienced by Bihar in 2008. The GRACE data is in the form of matrix consisting spherical harmonic coefficients. These coefficients are processed to obtain mass changes in terms of equivalent water height at a spatial scale of 400 km. The strategy of analysis is also discussed which need to be followed depending upon limitations of GRACE observation and requirement of application, here in this case application is flood induced mass change detection. Time-series and residual plots are generated and they show the flooding events for the concerned area as outliers. Better visualisation is obtained by residual plot, if there is a trend or systematic behaviour in time-series. This work points towards the qualitative capability of GRACE to detect flooding events at large spatial scale. Quantitative analysis requires in-situ data over the period of GRACE which is not possible for the cases discussed here.     

An index to assess the propensity of landfall in Australia of a tropical cyclone

Every year, Australian oceans experience the genesis of many tropical cyclones (TCs). About 40 percent of these make landfall. Because of the enormous difference in impacts between landfalling and non-landfalling TCs on coastal communities, the benefits would be enormous if it were possible to capture early the potentiality of landfall of a TC that has undergone genesis. Published literature identifies many factors such as location, warm sea surface temperature above 26 °C, conditional instability and high relative humidity in the middle troposphere and low vertical wind shear for the genesis of cyclones. Some of these factors could hold information about the potentiality of landfall while a TC is forming. An investigation into these factors actually revealed that a landfall potential index can be developed that can capture the potentiality of making a landfall. An attractive feature of this index is that it uses values at the time and location of genesis, providing a long and useful lead time. Furthermore, it is made into a dimensionless number, which makes for easy comprehension and interpretation.     

Geochemical and isotopic evolution of groundwater in the Wadi Watir watershed,Sinai Peninsula,Egypt

The Wadi Watir delta in the Wadi Watir watershed is a tourist area in the arid southeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, where development and growth of the community on the delta are constrained by the amount of groundwater that can be withdrawn sustainably. To effectively manage groundwater resources in the Wadi Watir delta, the origin of groundwater recharge, groundwater age, and changes in groundwater chemistry in the watershed needs to be understood. Mineral identification, rock chemistry, water chemistry, and the isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon in groundwater were used to identify the sources, mixing, and ages of groundwater in the watershed and the chemical evolution of groundwater as it flows from the upland areas in the watershed to the developed areas at the Wadi Watir delta. Groundwater in the Wadi Watir watershed is primarily from recent recharge while groundwater salinity is controlled by mixing of chemically different waters and dissolution of minerals and salts in the aquifers. The El Shiekh Attia and Wadi El Ain areas in the upper Wadi Watir watershed have different recharge sources, either from recharge from other areas or from different storm events. The downgradient Main Channel area receives groundwater flow primarily from the El Shiekh Attia area. Groundwater in the Main Channel area is the primary source of groundwater supplying the aquifers of the Wadi Watir delta.     

Geology and geochemistry of Kurkur bentonites,southern Egypt: provenance,depositional environment,and compositional implication of Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum

A large lower Eocene bentonite deposit at the top of Sinn El-Kaddab plateau, southern Egypt, is investigated. It forms isolated anticlinal hills as mesa and cuesta geomorphic units. The Sinn El-Kaddab plateau (497 m above sea level) with Gebel Abyad in northern Sudan represent the most southern margin of Tethys realm in East Africa. Clay and silt fractions constitute up to 95 % of the bentonite and calcium montmorillonite is the predominant phase (70–87 %). These sediments were deposited during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) event. Grain-size distribution in conjunction with their geologic setting argues in favor of a low energy deep hemipelagic, restricted basin within the outer shelf zone. They suggest sporadic deposition in a basin characterized by relief oscillation, in response to continuous tectonic uplifting. The sediments of the peripheral parts of the basin are more calcareous and were deposited in an arid climatic condition. Calcium montmorillonite was deposited in subtropical warm climate, with alternating wet and dry seasons. Compositionally, the bentonite shales are basic to intermediate and exhibit a rather limited range of K₂O/Na₂O and SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratios. They suggest mature polycyclic siliciclastics as the main provenance and within-plate alkali basalts as a main igneous precursor. They are the product of intensive physical weathering process in response to combined effects of both tectonic disturbance and prevailed climatic conditions during the PETM event. Geochemically, they are interpreted in terms of mixing of two end-members: pure clastic terrigenous component (inherited from the source area) and carbonate-rich matrix.     

Groundwater resource sustainability in the Wadi Watir delta, Gulf of Aqaba, Sinai, Egypt

The Wadi Watir delta, in the arid Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, contains an alluvial aquifer underlain by impermeable Precambrian basement rock. The scarcity of rainfall during the last decade, combined with high pumping rates, resulted in degradation of water quality in the main supply wells along the mountain front, which has resulted in reduced groundwater pumping. Additionally, seawater intrusion along the coast has increased salinity in some wells. A three-dimensional (3D) groundwater flow model (MODFLOW) was calibrated using groundwater-level changes and pumping rates from 1982 to 2009; the groundwater recharge rate was estimated to be 1.58?×?10⁶ m³/year. A variable-density flow model (SEAWAT) was used to evaluate seawater intrusion for different pumping rates and well-field locations. Water chemistry and stable isotope data were used to calculate seawater mixing with groundwater along the coast. Geochemical modeling (NETPATH) determined the sources and mixing of different groundwaters from the mountainous recharge areas and within the delta aquifers; results showed that the groundwater salinity is controlled by dissolution of minerals and salts in the aquifers along flow paths and mixing of chemically different waters, including upwelling of saline groundwater and seawater intrusion. Future groundwater pumping must be closely monitored to limit these effects.     

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of the Ediacaran post-collisional Jabal Al-Hassir ring complex,Southern Arabian Shield,Saudi Arabia

The Jabal Al-Hassir ring complex is located between latitudes 19°21′ and 19°42′ N,  and longitudes 42°55′ and 4312′ E, Southern Arabian Shield. It is an alkaline to highly fractionated calc-alkaline granite complex consisting of an inner core of biotite granite followed outward by porphyritic sodic-calcic amphibole (ferrobarroisite) granite. U–Pb zircon geochronology indicates that the Jabal Al-Hassir ring complex was emplaced at ca. 620 Ma. The granites display highly fractionated geochemical features (i.e., Eu/Eu* = 0.05–0.35; enrichment of K, Rb, Th, U, Zr, Hf, Y and REE; depletion of Ta, Nb, Ba, Sr, P, Eu, and Ti). Jabal Al-Hassir granites are post-collisional plutonic rocks and contain abundant microcline perthite and sodic-calcic amphibole, sharing the petrological and chemical features of A₂-type granites. Sr_i values range from 0.70241 to 0.70424, are similar to those expected for magmas extracted from a Neoproterozoic depleted source and much lower than what would be expected, if there was minor involvement of pre-Neoproterozoic continental crust. The geochemical characteristics indicate that their magma was most plausibly represented by partial melting of juvenile lower crust following the collision between East and West Gondwana at the final stage of the Arabian Shield evolution. The data presented in this study are therefore consistent with an intraplate, post-collisional magmatism formed at the beginning of a transition from convergent to extensional tectonics.     

Groundwater exploration using remote sensing and geographic information systems in a semi-arid area (Southwest of Urmieh, Northwest of Iran)

Shortage of water required for drinking and agricultural uses is a subject with a vital importance in most arid and semi-arid regions. The area of this study is one of the semi-arid regions located in southwest of Urmieh lake, northwest of Iran, between N 37°00′, 37°15′ latitude and E 45°05′, 45°30′ longitude which is composed of Permian dolomitic limestone, limestone, and post-Jurassic granite with a very low primary porosity/permeability character. In order to delineate groundwater potential zones in this area, the study focused on identifying secondary porosity/permeability indicators such as lineaments, vegetation cover, lithology, drainage pattern, drainage density, etc. In this regard, a remote sensing and geographic information system-based methodology was selected. Landsat ETM, IRS (pan), SPOT data, digital elevation model, and digital image processing techniques such as filtering, false color composite, principal component analysis, band rationing and classification have been applied to reach the purposes. Information layers extracted for analysis and interpretation stage were then integrated with other data and modeled through the use of existing geographic information system (GIS) software and their related analytical functions. Finally, based on determined ground water favorability index for different sub zones, layers, weighting, and overlapping, a ground water potential index (GWPI) was defined which respectively was utilized to groundwater potential zoning and preparation of GWPI map of the region. Within the six different sub zones defined, two sub zones labeled with high and very good potential areas were highly recommended for further development and exploration purposes. Geophysical investigations in target areas confirm the labeled subzones. Based on the obtained results of the study, it can be concluded that remote sensing data are very useful tool to extract information of groundwater exploration. Also, application of geographic information systems to find target areas for groundwater exploration are effective to save time and cost.