Mudbank regime off the Kerala coast during monsoon and non-monsoon seasons

Field experiments conducted in the nearshore ocean to understand the dynamics of mudbank off Kerala, south-west coast of India, are highlighted. Real time monitoring of the nearshore ocean off Purakkad, Kerala was accomplished using pressure transducers for nearshore surface wave measurements, and current sensors for nearshore velocity measurements. Comprehensive information on the spatial structure of mudbank was obtained from aerial surveys. Extensive data collected on surface waves and currents in the nearshore ocean, indicate that the infra-gravity (IG) waves (leaky modes and trapped edge wave modes), and far infra-gravity (FIG) waves coupled with strong shoreline reflections and undertow play an important role in the dynamics associated with the mudbanks off Kerala during the monsoon season. During the non-monsoon season evidence for progressive edge waves in the infragravity frequency band, an energetic gravity wave band and a strong undertow with weak reflections was observed.     

Planning in Nigeria: The agricultural base 1962–1985

This paper critically examines some of the causes and the problems of agricultural development in Nigeria. It also discusses very minimally, the rise and the contribution of the petroleum industry to the Nigerian economy and its effect on the agricultural sector. Finally, some possible suggestions are made in order to ameliorate the situation of agriculture and to overcome the shortage of food production in the country.     

Schotcrete as permanent lining for the Furka base tunnel

Summary The lining concept of the 15.4 km long one-track Furka railway tunnel is described with particular emphasis on shotcrete application as a permanent support Altogether 70000 m³ dry aggregate/ cement mix and 115000 rock bolts have been applied. The tunnel was lined at a rate of approx. 400 tunnel metres per month using up to five shotcrete machines simultaneously. Systematic quality control throughout the construction work indicated an average uniaxial compressive strength of shotcrete of 40 N/mm². The support requirements were grouped into 16 different classes and an additional special class accounting for extreme geological conditions in some relatively short stretches.     

The Lake Manzala of Egypt: an ambiguous future

The Lake Manzala of Egypt has a relatively short history and its future, however, is uncertain. The lake which was the biggest coastal wetland along the Mediterranean Coast is moving toward its disappearance by two opposite forces, one of them is the shrinking of the water body by siltation of sediments coming from agricultural lands and the abundance of weeds and swamp vegetation as well as the drying practices for agriculture, whereas the other force incorporates the removal of the coastal sand bar separating the lake from the Mediterranean Sea by erosion, which should eventually lead to the conversion of the lake into a coastal embayment instead of being a closed coastal lagoon. The study provided a spatiotemporal change analysis of the lake using remotely sensed data.     

Spatial distribution of uranium and vanadium in the upper phosphorite member in Eshidiyya basin, southern Jordan

Geostatistical analysis of geochemical exploration data can provide useful information for evaluating the mineralization potential of geologic bodies. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of U and V over an area in the upper phosphorite member, the A0 unit, in Eshidiyya basin in southern Jordan. Drill-hole samples were analyzed. The geochemistry of the analyzed elements was assessed. The spatial variability of U and V was also assessed using semivariance analysis. Both U and V were found to exhibit a normal distribution as indicated by the constructed histograms and the calculated skewness and kurtosis coefficients. Exponential models with nugget effects were fitted to the experimental semivariograms. Ordinary kriging was performed to generate geochemical maps. The applied interpolation technique proved to be the best in producing geochemical exploration maps for both U and V in Eshidiyya phosphorites. The constructed geochemical maps helped visualize a WNW–ESE U mineralization trend in the studied phosphorites. This trend should be taken into consideration in any future exploration programs for U in south Jordan.     

Application of a square wave potentiometry technique for electroreductive sulfur removal from a thiophenic model fuel

Thiophene-containing solutions were electroreductively desulfurized by a dynamic method. Initially, cyclic voltammetry was utilized to study thiophene electroadsorption from aqueous solution onto a platinum electrode surface and also to investigate the thiophene electroreductive behavior. Then, the solution was desulfurized via a square wave potentiometry method. The objective of this study was to find the optimal conditions. In this regard, the best adsorption potential, electroreduction potential, and square wave frequency were found to be ?0.54 V, ?0.95 V, and 1 Hz, respectively. Finally, a model fuel (containing 294 part per millions thiophene) was desulfurized by the square wave potentiometry method. Gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to examine the feed and product solutions. Gas chromatographic measurements revealed that sulfur content decreased to 55 part per millions. Based on the acquired results, electroreductive desulfurization could be designated as an efficient superseded for the commercial hydrodesulfurization process. However, more studies must perform to overcome technical limitations of electroreductive desulfurization technique and to guarantee its reliability.