Psychological sequels of flood on residents of southeast Caspian region

Flood is the most common disaster in the world and has acute or chronic health consequences including psychological sequels. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the main consequences. This study aimed to explore the psychological impacts (PTSD) in two flooded cities of Mazandaran Province, Neka and Behshahr, in the southeastern Caspian region that experienced flooding in 2012. A cross-sectional community-based study was performed on randomly selected samples of 400 individuals using GIS-based sampling from 139931 residents of the two flooded cities. The PTSS-10 questionnaire was used for data collection. The results showed that the overall stress disorder mean score among the participants was 2.59 out of 6. PTSD prevalence in the affected population was 64%. It was also found that stress scores significantly increased in younger people, male gender, the divorced, the widows or the widowers, and those who lost their properties (p < 0.05). Study findings showed that flood is a considerable stressor which develops PTSD. This finding should be taken into account in all four phases of disaster management cycle, and subsequently, specialized post-disaster mental health services must be provided for the afflicted population.     

Geochemical and quality assessment of groundwater of Marand Basin, East Azarbaijan Province, northwestern Iran

The chemical analysis of 83 water wells in the Marand area, Azarbaijan Province NW of Iran was evaluated to determine the hydrogeochemical processes and ion concentration background in the region. Over the entire area, the dominated hydrochemical types are Ca? +?Mg?+?SO₄?+?Cl, Ca?+?SO₄, Na?+?Cl and Ca?+?Mg?+?HCO₃. Based on the total hardness, the softness of the groundwater is determined. According to electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), the most dominant classes are C3?CS1, C3?CS2, C4?CS2 and C2?CS1. The major ion concentrations are below the acceptable level for drinking water. The groundwater salinity hazard is medium to high, but the Na hazard is low to medium; with regard to irrigation water, the quality is low to medium. So, a drainage system is necessary to avoid the increase of toxic salt concentrations.     

Visibility and Origin of Compact Interplanetary Radio Type IV Bursts

We have analyzed radio type IV bursts in the interplanetary (IP) space at decameter–hectometer (DH) wavelengths to determine their source origin and a reason for the observed directivity. We used radio dynamic spectra from the instruments on three different spacecraft, STEREO-A, Wind, and STEREO-B, which were located approximately 90 degrees apart from each other in 2011?–?2012, and thus gave a 360 degree view of the Sun. The radio data were compared to white-light and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations of flares, EUV waves, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in five solar events. We find that the reason that compact and intense DH type IV burst emission is observed from only one spacecraft at a time is the absorption of emission in one direction and that the emission is blocked by the solar disk and dense corona in the other direction. The geometry also makes it possible to observe metric type IV bursts in the low corona from a direction where the higher-located DH type IV emission is not detectable. In the absorbed direction we found streamers, and they were estimated to be the locations of type II bursts, caused by shocks at the CME flanks. The high-density plasma was therefore most probably formed by shock–streamer interaction. In some cases, the type II-emitting region was also capable of stopping later-accelerated electron beams, which were visible as type III bursts that ended near the type II burst lanes.     

Predictive value of Keetch-Byram Drought Index for cereal yields in a semi-arid environment

The study examines the potential of urban roofs to reduce the urban heat island (UHI) effect by changing their reflectivity and implementing vegetation (green roofs) using the example of the City of Vienna. The urban modelling simulations are performed based on high-resolution orography and land use data, climatological observations, surface albedo values from satellite imagery and registry of the green roof potential in Vienna. The modelling results show that a moderate increase in reflectivity of roofs (up to 0.45) reduces the mean summer temperatures in the densely built-up environment by approximately 0.25 °C. Applying high reflectivity materials (roof albedo up to 0.7) leads to average cooling in densely built-up area of approximately 0.5 °C. The green roofs yield a heat load reduction in similar order of magnitude as the high reflectivity materials. However, only 45 % of roof area in Vienna is suitable for greening and the green roof potential mostly applies to industrial areas in city outskirts and is therefore not sufficient for substantial reduction of the UHI effect, particularly in the city centre which has the highest heat load. The strongest cooling effect can be achieved by combining the green roofs with high reflectivity materials. In this case, using 50 or 100 % of the green roof potential and applying high reflectivity materials on the remaining surfaces have a similar cooling effect.     

Monitoring and projection of climate change impact on 24-h probable maximum precipitation in the Southeast of Caspian Sea

Natural Hazards - Due to the impacts of climate change on probable maximum precipitation (PMP) and its importance in designing hydraulic structures, PMP estimation is crucial. In this study, the...     

Improvement of a simplified process‐based model for estimating transpiration under water‐limited conditions

Plant transpiration depends on environmental conditions, and soil water availability is its primary control under water deficit conditions. In this study, we improve a simplified process‐based model (hereafter “BTA”) by including soil water potential (ψ_soil) to explicitly represent the dependence of plant transpiration on root‐zone moisture conditions. The improved model is denoted as the BTA‐ψ model. We assessed the performance of the BTA and BTA‐ψ models in a subtropical monsoon climate and a Mediterranean climate with different levels of water stress. The BTA model performed reasonably in estimating daily and hourly transpiration under sufficient water conditions, but it failed during dry periods. Overall, the BTA‐ψ model provided a significant improvement for estimating transpiration under a wide range of soil moisture conditions. Although both models could estimate transpiration (sap flow) at night, BTA‐ψ was superior to BTA in this regard. Species differences in the calibrated parameters of both models were consistent with leaf‐level photosynthetic measurements on each species, as expected given the physiological basis of these parameters. With a simplified representation of physiological regulation and reasonable performance across a range of soil moisture conditions, the BTA‐ψ model provides a useful alternative to purely empirical models for modelling transpiration.     

Kerman Clay Improvement by Lime and Bentonite to Be Used as Materials of Landfill Liner

Kerman province, located in the south eastern Iran, is dominated with clays which can be used in different projects. The liner system within a landfill is constructed to control leachate migration and can be constructed by low permeable natural soils or plastic lining materials, environmentally however, natural materials is preferred that usually need to be amended in order to meet requirements recommended by environmental agencies. This research examines the possibility of using the Kerman collapsible clay as a liner layer material. A set of laboratory test was conducted on pure soil samples and additive treated samples. The moderate collapse potential of the used soil is decreased with wet compaction and under the effect of additive-soil reactions. Laboratory investigations showed that lime and bentonite treatment improved the hydraulic conductivity. The results revealed hydraulic conductivities on the order of 10^?8 m/s. The obtained values met the 1.0E?07 m/s criterion required by Iranian standards. Unconfined compression tests were also performed on pure soil and additive amended samples. The unconfined compression strength values demonstrated gradual decreases with the addition of bentonite and considerable increases with adding lime such that with adding 1% lime the unconfined compression strength increased by 75%. This study verified that the Kerman collapsing clay can be used as a liner material using lime and bentonite as additives.     

A Preliminary Study on the Aghbolaq(Fe,Cu) Skarn Deposit,Oshnavieh, NW Iran: Constraints on Metasomatic Fluid Evolution

The Aghbolaq skarn deposit is located in the Urumieh-Golpayegan plutonic belt,NW Iran.The garnetite skarn(stage I) has been intensely cross-cut by the magnetite-garnet skarn (stage II) which were,in turn,cut and offset by the orehosting quartz veins/veinlets (stage III).The predominance of andradite (Adr_(82.5–89.1)) and its high Fe~(3+)/Al ratio (up to 1685)apparently supports the high f O_2,salinity and prevalence of magmatic/hydrothermal fluids involved,rather than meteoric waters,during the magnetite-garnet skarn formation.Two major groups of fluid inclusions,namely aqueous (LV,LVS) and aqueous–carbonic (LV_C,LL_CV_C),were recognized in garnet and quartz veins that,especially in growth zones and along intra-granular trails,better display fluid inclusion assemblages (FIAs) than those in clusters.The prograde magnetite-garnet skarn was formed by the metasomatic fluid at relatively high T_h (209–374℃),under a lithostatic pressure of～200 bars.The retrograde mineralized quartz veins were formed at temperatures ranging from 124℃to 256℃,by dilute and less saline(2.57–11.93 wt%Na Cl eq.) hydrothermal fluids under a hydrostatic pressure of～80 bars.The fluid evolution of the Aghbolaq skarn began with an earlier simple cooling of metasomatic fluid during the prograde stage,followed by the later influx of low salinity meteoric fluids during the retrograde stage.     

A reconnaissance study of platinum group elements (PGE) contents from sulfide mineralization in pyroxenites in Faryab ophiolite of Iran

Platinum group elements (PGE) enrichment occurs in Zn–Cu and Ni-rich ophiolities in a number of geological settings. Platinum group elements (PGE) mineralization in Pyroxenite from the Faryab ophiolities of Zagros belt in south Iran was studied. The ophiolite rocks represent blocks of Tethyan oceanic crust that were emplaced on the continental margin during the late Cretaceous period. Much of lower ophiolitic section is composed of homogeneous harzburgite, while upper sections harzburgite interlayer with dunite and pyroxenite are included. This study focused on pyroxenite that includes most of sulfide mineralization in Faryab. More than 500 samples were investigated from polished thin sections; that cover all area of Faryab. The sulfide phases include pyrrhotite, pentlandite, millerite, violarite, smythite, and heazlewoodite. The results show that in almost all the samples Os is below the 2 ppb detection limit, Platinum values vary from <5 to 91 ppb and the light PGE (Ru, Rh, and Pd) relative to the heavy PGE (Os, Ir, and Pt) are more concentrated. Calculation showed that in pyroxenites Pd–Pt is occurring with orthopyroxenite and Rh–Os is occurring in clinopyroxenite. Ni/Pd ratios in Faryab vary between 7 and 356 and Pd/Ir ratio is 0.1–27. This indicates that in Faryab area partial melt of mantle occurred. Pd/Rh ratio in Faryab is 0.1–11, and Pd/Pt varies between 0.2 and 1.5. Pd/Ir ratio in Faryab decreases and shows that PGE in Faryab occurred.