Interpretation of aeromagnetic and gravity data in East Qattara Depression, North Western Desert, Egypt

The study area lies to the east of Qattara Depression at the north of the Western Desert, Egypt. It is bounded by latitudes 29°00?? and 30°00?? N and longitudes 28°00?? and 29°30?? E, including Abu Gharadig basin, which is the most petroliferous basin in the Egyptian Western Desert. Numerous exploratory wells show that the area is characterized by a thick sedimentary section, unconformably overlying the basement rocks. The main objective of the present study is to outline the structural parameters controlling the area under consideration. Aeromagnetic and gravity data were subjected to the analytic signal, 3D Euler deconvolution and edge enhancement techniques. The Analytic signal and 3D Euler deconvolution were utilized mainly to locate the main subsurface contact zones and to determine the depth and structural indices of the expected causative subsurface structural elements. However, the edge enhancement technique was used with various windows to enhance the edges of subsurface structures. The structural indices were estimated to be ranging between 0.16 and 0.26, indicating that the area is mainly controlled by faults. The depth of these structural elements was also estimated to be ranging between <1.37 and 5.29?km. It has been shown that the structural elements of the study area have different directions, trending E-W, ENE, NW, and N-S.     

Neuro-fuzzy modeling based genetic algorithms for identification of geochemical anomalies in mining geochemistry

A genetic algorithm (GA)-based neuro-fuzzy approach is used for identification of geochemical anomalies by implementing a Takagi, Sugeno and Kang (TSK) type fuzzy inference system in a 5-layered feed-forward adaptive artificial neural network. This paper investigates the effectiveness of GA-based neuro-fuzzy for separating zone dispersed mineralization (ZDM) from blind mineralization, and its application for identification of geochemical anomalies in the arid landscape of the Lut metallogenic province in eastern Iran. Other classification algorithms such as metallometry, zonality, criteria, and back-propagation artificial neural network classifiers are also used for comparison. The genetic operators are carefully designed to optimize the artificial neural network, avoiding premature convergence and permutation problems. The results show that the GA-based hybrid neuro-fuzzy model can provide accurate results in comparison with those results obtained by other techniques. Neuro-fuzzy and GA-based neuro-fuzzy techniques appear to be well-suited for routine exploration geochemistry applications. In conjunction with statistics and conventional mathematical methods, hybrid approaches can be developed and may prove a step forward in the practice of applied geochemistry.     

Variability of the Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) in the Western Tropical Pacific: On the Ability of an OGCM to Simulate the SSS, and on the Sampling of an Operating Merchant Ship SSS Network

The sea surface salinity (SSS) derived from a network developed at Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD/Nouméa) has been analyzed during the period 1995–1998 in the tropical western Pacific. The measurements were made with thermosalinographs installed on merchant ships selected for their regularity and routes. The western tropical Pacific was sampled mainly along three regular routes across the equator leading to an average of a one month frequency. We analyze here how such a network can be efficient in monitoring the SSS at time scales longer than one month. For this purpose we have used results derived from the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) which is forced by the surface flux of National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data. The interannual variability of the simulated SSS exhibits very similar features to (sub-sampled) observations despite its being weakly damped to a climatology in order to avoid biases. Even smaller time scale phenomena can be simulated, like the erosion/reconstruction of the region composed of low density waters lying within the Pacific warm pool. The agreement between the observational data and the simulations indicate that the network sampling is sufficient to monitor the SSS variability of the western tropical Pacific from three-month to interannual time scales. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Source geometry and mechanism of 1978 Tabas, Iran, earthquake from well located aftershocks

Aftershocks of the September 16, 1978 Tabas earthquake located from close-in observations made during a four-week fielding of temporary stations have been analyzed for the purpose of delineating detailed source geometry of the 1978 earthquake. Spatial distribution of aftershocks and their composite focal mechanism suggest that the geometry of faulting is far from planar. Aftershocks define two prominent alignment. The southern alignment strikes E-W to WNW-ESE, whereas the northern alignment strikes in a N-S to NNW-SSE direction with an abrupt change of nearly 55–60 degrees near 33.4°N latitude. Both field observations of surface faulting pattern and systematic variation of principal directions of stress axes computed from aftershock focal mechanisms are consistent with the upthrusting and imbrication of a wedge shaped crustal block with the wedge angle of about 120 degrees. Both geological and seismological evidence suggest that the deformed zone is truncated at the southern edge by preexisting E-W fault structures. New observations may provide a partial answer to the unexplained farfield asymmetry of the long period Rayleigh wave radiation pattern recently observed for the mainshock across IDA network.     

Distance scaling of vertical and horizontal response spectra of the Loma Prieta earthquake

Attenuations of the vertical and horizontal response spectra of the 17 October 1989 Loma Prieta, California, earthquake are developed through analyses of the ground motion at 53 sites within a 100 km radius of the source. The analyses are performed on the spectral ordinates for 16 incremental periods ranging from 0.05 to 2.0 sec. The response spectra are modelled empirically for two different site conditions characterized by rock and stiff-soil geologies. Data analysis is performed by the application of a non-linear multivariate regression procedure allowing for distance and site factor as independent variables. Variation of the vertical-to-horizontal (V/H) spectral ratios with wave frequency and distance shows the same behaviour as observed previously in the widely separated geographic regions of northeastern Taiwan and east-central Iran. The predicted ratios at sites underlain by stiff soil are generally higher than the commonly used value of 2/3 at high frequencies ( > 5 Hz) in the near-source region (R < 30 km), but reduce to 1/2 or less at longer periods and farther distances. This behaviour is also observed at rock sites; however, it is somewhat less pronounced. With a faster attenuation of spectral ordinates at higher frequencies, the shape of the response spectrum is found to change with distance. As expected, the spectral attenuation with distance is generally higher for the vertical spectrum than for the horizontal spectrum. The difference is particularly significant at the higher-frequency end of spectrum. Site amplification factors for stiff soil with respect to rock geology varies between 1.17 and 1.72 for horizontal spectrum and 1.01 and 1.81 for vertical spectrum. Spectral amplifications at four sites underlain by soft soil and artificial fill, are also evaluated. This is done by a comparison of the observed spectra with those predicted for rock geology at corresponding distances. As expected, the resulting amplification factors at soft-soil sites show significant increase relative to those at sites underlain by rock.     

REE Tetrad Effect as a Powerful Indicator of Formation Conditions of Karst Bauxites: A Case Study of the Shahindezh Deposit,NW Iran

Study of the concentration of major, trace, and rare earth elements (REE) in the Shahindezh karst bauxite deposit, northwestern Iran clarifies the relationship of the tetrad effect with geochemical parameters in the bauxite ores. The existence of irregular curves in the chondrite-normalized REE patterns as well as non-CHARAC behavior of geochemically isovalent pairs (Y/Ho) are related to the tetrad effect. The meaningful positive correlation between the sizes of the calculated T3 tetrad effect and some geochemical factors such as Y/Ho, ΣREE, La/Y, (La/Yb)N, and (LREE/HREE)N as well as some major oxides-based parameters like Al2O3 + LOI/SiO2 + Fe2O3, Al2O3/Fe2O3, Al2O3 + LOI, IOL, and SiO2 + Fe2O3 indicate that the studied bauxite horizon was likely deposited by different (acidic and/or alkalic) solutions at different stages. The lower part of the studied horizon with a thickness of ~4.7 m displays alkali characteristics whereas the upper parts of the horizon with a thickness of ~5.3 m are characterized by more acidic conditions. These results are fully supported by the co-occurrence of convex-concave tetrad effect curves in the chondrite-normalized REE patterns. Therefore, the tetrad effect phenomenon used in this study has proved to be a good and reliable geochemical proxy to assess the conditions of the depositional environment in the Shahindezh bauxite ores.     

Will autogenic succession be sufficient to recover from vegetation cover loss or will soil condition need to be addressed in the arid lands of Kuwait?

Intervention is often required for the restoration of damaged arid ecosystems, particularly when the base environmental conditions are no longer suitable for autogenic recovery. Umm Nigga, in Kuwait, was damaged by overgrazing and destructive camping. It is unclear whether its restoration will require remediation of the soil conditions, or whether autogenic succession can occur once the area is fenced and released from this pressure. Thus, in this project, we assessed the current condition of the site by collecting soil samples and vegetation assessment within each ecosystem and determined suitable locations for the re-vegetation of native seeds and seedlings using geographical information system. Our results showed that the vegetation in the coastal portions of the ecosystem was not damaged. However, in the desert ecosystem locations, vegetation cover was very low and composed of very few species in the damaged areas but still, most soil nutrients were in supply similar to that in the control areas. We conclude that soil remediation and re-vegetation are, likely, not necessary to restore the damaged sites in any of these ecosystems. Rather, fencing alone will probably release the ecosystem. With these sites as a model, a conceptual framework is presented for arid ecosystem assessment and restoration planning.     

Apatite fission track analysis in the Argentera massif: evidence of contrasting denudation rates in the External Crystalline Massifs of the Western Alps

Apatite fission track dating from a central transect in the Argentera massif (southernmost External Crystalline Massif = ECM) yielded ages between 8.05 ± 0.6 and 2.4 ± 0.2 Myr, with a positive age/altitude correlation above 3 Ma, 1200 m. Recognising a thermal peak at c . 250°C, 33 Ma, based on stratigraphic, metamorphic and ³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar data, the present results suggest a slow cooling rate (8–5°C) for the Argentera massif during the Oligocene–early Pliocene. This rate compares with that from the Pelvoux massif, but contrasts with those observed in the northern ECM (Mont-Blanc and Aar: up to 14°C Myr⁻¹) for the same time interval. This can be related to the different location of the ECM within the collided European margin. At about 3–4 Ma, the denudation rate would have increased up to c . 1 mm yr⁻¹ in the Argentera massif, reaching the same value as in the Belledonne and northern ECM, likely a consequence of Penninic thrust inversion.     

Magnetite‐out and pyrrhotite‐in temperatures in shales and slates

Clay‐rich basins have undergone varying degrees of magnetic transformation during burial, affecting their ability to retain accurate records of Earth's dynamic magnetic field. We propose to bracket the magnetite‐out and pyrrhotite‐in temperatures in shales and slates from Taiwan and the Pyrenees by using a combination of low‐temperature magnetic transitions and geothermometers. For T_burial < 340°C, the magnetic assemblage is dominated by magnetite. Gradually with increasing burial temperature, the concentration of magnetite decreases to a few ppmv. We observe the magnetite‐out isograd at T_burial ~350°C. At T_burial >60°C and T_burial >340°C respectively, fine‐grained and coarse‐grained pyrrhotite develop. In the course of burial, a clay‐rich basin gradually loses its capability to retain a record of Earth's magnetic field. It is only during basin uplift, that coarse pyrrhotite might acquire a thermo remanent magnetization. Our results point out therefore highly contrasted magnetic properties and palaeomagnetic records between deeply buried basins and exhumed ones.