Petrogenesis of Volcanic Rocks in the Khabr-Marvast Tectonized Ophiolite:Evidence for Subduction Processes in the South-Western Margin of Central Iranian Microcontinent

Abstract: The Late Cretaceous Khabr–Marvast tectonized ophiolite is located in the middle part of the Nain–Baft ophiolite belt, at the south-western edge of the central Iranian microcontinent. Although all the volcanic rocks in the study area indicate subduction-related magmatism (e.g. high LILE (large ion lithophile elements) / HFSE (high field strenght elements) ratios and negative anomalies in Nb and Ta), geological and geochemical data clearly distinguish two distinct groups of volcanic rocks in the tectonized association: (1) group 1 is comprised of hyaloclastic breccias, basaltic pillow lavas, and andesite sheet flows. These rocks represent the Nain–Baft oceanic crust; and (2) group 2 is alkaline lavas from the top section of the ophiolite suite. These lavas show shoshonite affinity, but do not support the propensity of ophiolite.     

Forced vertical vibration of rigid circular disc buried in an arbitrary depth of a transversely isotropic half space

This paper is concerned with the investigation of the vertical vibration of a rigid circular disc buried at an arbitrary depth in a transversely isotropic half space in such a way the axis of material symmetry of the half space is normal to the surface of it and parallel to the vibration direction. By using the Hankel integral transforms, the mixed boundary-value problem is transformed to a pair of integral equations called dual integral equations, which generally can be reduced to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. With the aid of complex variable or contour integration, the governing integral equation is numerically solved in the general dynamic case. Two degenerated cases (i) the disc is buried in a transversely isotropic full space, and (ii) rigid circular disc is attached on the surface of the half space are discussed. The reduced static case of the dual integral equations is solved analytically and the vertical displacement, the contact pressure and the static impedance/compliance function are explicitly found. It is shown that the vertical pressure and the compliance function reduced for isotropic half space are identical to the previous solutions reported in the literature. The dynamic contact pressure under the disc and the impedance function are numerically evaluated in general dynamic case and graphically shown that the singularity exists in the contact pressure at the edge of the disc is the same as the static case. In addition, the impedance functions evaluated here for the isotropic domain are collapsed on the solution given by Luco and Mita. To show the effect of different material anisotropy, the numerical evaluations are given for some different transversely isotropic materials and compared.     

Synoptic and remote sensing analysis of dust events in southwestern Iran

Southwest regions of Iran, due to dry environmental and climatic conditions, have been identified as one of the five major regions in the world. In recent years, large parts of Iran have been affected by suspended particles from the dust storms. The studied area is located in foothills of the Zagros Mountain Range just north of Persian Gulf in southwest of Iran. Dust and other meteorological data were prepared in 3-hour intervals from 12 synoptic weather stations. For tracking dust storms, satellite images of MODIS were used. Atmospheric conditions during the occurrence of dust storms were determined using NCEP reanalysis data. According to the statistical calculations, most storms occurred in the spring and summer. The lowest number of dust events occurred in the fall and winter particularly in December and January, when there are high possibilities of rainfall occurrence and dynamical instability conditions in the north and west of the region. The results illustrated that the highest amounts of hourly dust occurred in the afternoon and the lowest amounts occurred at 00UTC (3.30 am local times). It seems that it is closely related to the heating surface and the occurrence of local dry instabilities. Analyses of data showed that dust amounts (or volumes) in all the stations have two climactic peaks, first between 1982 and 1990 and second between 2005 and 2008 periods. These peaks can be related to a variety of factors including anthropogenic factors such as war, agricultural activities, dam construction, and widespread droughts.     

Probabilistic Analysis of Ground Surface Vibration Due to Train Movement, a Case Study on Tehran Metro Line 4

Ground surface vibration produced by moving train is one of the most important aspects in urban areas. The purpose of this study is the probabilistic analysis of ground surface vibration, which is generated by metro transportations. For this reason, Tehran metro line 4 is considered as a case study. In this paper, at first, a new procedure is used to simulate train dynamic load. In the second step, based on the variation of geomechanical properties and train characteristics in Tehran metro line 4, more than 60 numerical models are simulated. The results of numerical simulations are analyzed by multivariate statistical technique and an equation for prediction of peak particle velocity (PPV) in the ground surface is presented. In the next step, probabilistic analysis is done using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). Finally, sensitivity of input data on ground surface vibration is discussed and the impact of geomechanical properties and train characteristics on the surface vibration is considered. Based on the probabilistic analysis, PPV in the surface region of Tehran metro line 4 is <2.76?mm/s with 95?% probability.     

On the criteria for the initiation of motion in tidal inlets,deterministic and stochastic approaches

Details are given herein of the refinement and application of a three-dimensional layer integrated numerical model to predict morphological changes in tidal basins. The solution of governing differential equations, which consist of the conservation of mass and momentum for the hydrodynamics, the transport equation for the suspended sediment fluxes and the sediment mass conservation equation for the bed level changes are carried out by the use of Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) Finite Difference Method (FDM). The model includes different criteria for the initiation of motion namely Shields (1936, Application of Similarity Principles and Turbulence Research to Bed load Movement, Hydrodynamics Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pub. No. 167), Kolahdoozan (1999, Numerical Modelling of Geomorphological Processes in Estuarine Waters, PhD Thesis, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK, 288) and Zanke (2003, On the Influence of Turbulence on the Initiation of Sediment Motion, International Journal of Sediment Research, 18(1), 17–31), to compare different aspects of flow conditions. As the flow is highly turbulent with the random nature of its components, many researchers have tried to express sediment transport processes by using stochastic approaches. In the current study both deterministic and stochastic methods are included in the numerical model to evaluate their accuracy and efficiency. To validate the numerical model results, laboratory measurements are used, with these being obtained from an earlier experimental program undertaken by the authors. Results of a short term bed level changes in a laboratory model harbor are included for the model verification purposes. Comparisons are undertaken using different criteria for the initiation of motion, with the results highlighting that the unsteadiness in the flow parameters included in the numerical model has a major effect on the bed level changes inside the harbor, in compare with the turbulence structure of the flow. The model is then applied to a real case study of the Humber Estuary, located in the UK, with comparisons being undertaken for different criteria for the initiation of motion, using both deterministic and stochastic approaches for the long term bed level predictions.     

Axisymmetric transient waves in transversely isotropic half-space

A transversely isotropic material in the sense of Green is considered. Using a series of potential functions proposed in [Eskandari-Ghadi M. A complete solution of the wave equations for transversely isotropic media. J Elasticity 2005; 81:1–19], the solutions of the transient wave equations within a half-space under surface load are obtained in the Laplace–Hankel domain for axisymmetric problems. The solutions are investigated in detail in the special case of a surface point force pulse varying with time as Heaviside function. Using Cagniard–De Hoop method, the inverse Laplace transform and inverse Hankel transform of the solutions are then obtained in the form of integrals with finite limits. For validity of the analytical results, the final formulations for surface waves are degenerated for an isotropic material and compared with the existing formulation obtained by Pekeris [The seismic surface pulse. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1955;41:469–80], to show that they are exactly the same. The numerical evaluations of the integrals for some transversely isotropic materials as well as an isotropic one are obtained. The present approach is then numerically verified by comparing a particular case of displacements for the surface of an isotropic half-space subjected to a point load of Heaviside function with the solutions obtained by Pekeris [The seismic surface pulse. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1955;41:469–80]. In addition, the wave equations for the mentioned medium are obtained on the vertical line directly under the applied surface load. The final formulations are degenerated for an isotropic material and compared with the existing formulation given in Graff [Wave motion in elastic solids. New York: Dover Publications Inc; 1975 [New Ed edition, November 1991]], to show that they are also exactly the same. Then equations are presented in graphical forms using an appropriate numerical evaluation.     

Spatial correlation for horizontal and vertical components of acceleration from northern Iran seismic events

The evaluation of seismic risk of spatially distributed systems requires the spatial correlation model for ground motion intensity measures. This study investigates the spatial correlation of four earthquakes recorded in northern Iran. The intra-event spatial correlation for both horizontal and vertical components of spectral acceleration at eight periods in the range of 0.0–3.0 s is estimated using geostatistical tools. An exponential form is chosen to fit experimental semivariograms, and the correlation ranges of spectral accelerations as a function of period are derived. The results show similar trend of correlation ranges for both components. It should be mentioned that the ranges for the vertical component, in general, are higher than those observed for the horizontal one. For both components, the correlation ranges as a function of period are divided into three segments. The first and the third one are increasing while the second one is decreasing with increasing period.     

Risk analysis of health,safety and environment in chemical industry integrating linguistic FMEA,fuzzy inference system and fuzzy DEA

Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment - Organizations are continuously endeavoring to provide a healthy work environment without any incident, by Health, Safety, and Environment...