Assessment of temporal variation and sources of PCBs in the sediments of Mediterranean Sea, Mersin Bay, Turkey

Information on temporal distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the coastal sediments of Mediterranean Sea, Mersin was compiled using data published between 1980 and 2009, and the present study. The first congener specific PCB results from the region yield concentration levels of Σ₄₁PCBs in sediments ranging from 0.61 to 1.04 ng g⁻¹. Sediment profiles show penta-, hexa- and hepta-chlorobiphenyls, specifically, #149 and 153 as the most abundant congeners in all samples. Comparison of total PCB concentrations over time suggests no recent PCB input to the region. Using congener specific PCB data for the region, identity and contribution of PCB sources were also predicted using a chemical mass balance -based (CMB) receptor model. The CMB model identified Aroclor 1260 to be the major PCB source in coastal sediments. The potential sources for the PCBs were briefly discussed in terms of their use in various industrial applications.     

Seismic stratigraphy and structural setting of the Adventure Plateau (Sicily Channel)

Within the central Mediterranean, the northwestern sector of the Sicily Channel is the unique area where two independent tectonic processes can be analyzed: the building of the Sicilian–Maghrebian Chain occurred in Late Miocene and the continental lithospheric rifting of the northern African margin occurred since Early Pliocene. These two geodynamic processes generated a peculiar structural style that is largely recognizable in the Adventure Plateau. This plateau is the shallowest part of the Sicily Channel, where water depths do not generally exceed 150 m. It hosts several areas of geomorphic relief, which in some cases rise up to less than 20 m beneath sea-level. A series of submarine magmatic manifestations occur in this area, mainly associated with the extensional phase which produced the rift-related depressions of Pantelleria, Malta and Linosa. Seismic-stratigraphic and structural analyses, based on a large set of multichannel seismic reflection profiles and well information acquired mostly for commercial purposes in the 1970s and 1980s, have allowed us to reconstruct the Triassic-Quaternary sedimentary succession of the Adventure Plateau and define its structural setting. A broad lithological distinction can be made between the successions ranging from Triassic to Paleogene, predominantly carbonate, and the successions ranging from Miocene to Quaternary, predominantly siliciclastic. Three main structural belts have been identified within the Adventure Plateau: (1) the northern belt, affected during Late Miocene time by ESE-verging thrusts belonging to the External Thrust System orogenic domain, which represents the lowermost structural level of the Sicilian–Maghrebian Orogen; (2) the Apenninic–Maghrebian domain of the Sicilian–Maghrebian Orogen, which occupies the northwestern sector of the Adventure Plateau, and that is overthrusted on the External Thrust System orogenic domain during the Late Miocene; (3) the extensional belt of the southwestern sector of the Adventure Plateau, affected by broad NW-trending, high-angle normal faults associated with the Early Pliocene continental rifting phase. The eastern boundary of the Adventure Plateau corresponds to a broadly N–S trending lithospheric transfer zone separating two sectors of the Sicily Channel characterized by a different tectonic evolution.     

Evidence for active faults in Küçükçekmece Lagoon (Marmara Sea,Turkey), inferred from high-resolution seismic data

A total of 42 km of high-resolution seismic reflection and bathymetric data were collected for the first time to document stratigraphic and structural features of the uppermost 5 m of the Holocene sedimentary infill of Küçükçekmece Lagoon along the Marmara Sea coast of Turkey. The lagoon gradually deepens from 1 m off the northern coast to a maximum of 20 m in the southern basin. Stratigraphically, the uppermost seismic unit is characterized by a generally parallel reflection configuration, indicating deposition under low-energy conditions. In the southern basin of the lagoon, the sub-bottom is locally characterized by frequency attenuated and chaotic reflections interpreted as gas-charged sediments. Structurally, the soft sediment of the first 5 m below the lagoon floor is locally deformed by active strike-slip fault zones, here named FZ1, FZ2, and FZ3. These fault zones are NW–SE oriented and follow the long axis of the lagoon, compatible with the geographic alignment of the lagoon, the onland drainage pattern, and the scarps of the surrounding terrain. Moreover, the fault zones in Küçükçekmece Lagoon are well correlated with active offshore faults mapped during previous studies. This suggests that the FZ1, FZ2, and FZ3 fault zones are not merely local fault systems deforming the Küçükçekmece Lagoon bottom, but that they may be part of a regional fault zone extending both north and southward to merge with the northern branch of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in the Ç?narc?k Basin. This, however, needs to be confirmed by further structural and seismological studies around Küçükçekmece Lagoon in order to more firmly establish its link with the NAFZ in the Marmara Sea, and to highlight potential seismic risks for the densely populated Istanbul metropolitan area.     

Description of dynamics of the Tuzla Landslide and its implications for further landslides in the northern slope and shelf of the Cinarcik Basin (Marmara Sea, Turkey)

Seismic and multi-beam bathymetric data from the northern shelf and slope of the Cinarcik Basin, which is generated by the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) located in the easternmost basin in the Marmara Sea, were re-interpreted to better understand the future sub-marine landslide susceptibility. Seismic data indicate that upper surface of the sub-marine extension of the Paleozoic rocks has an NNE–SSW oriented basin and a ridge type morphology controlled by the secondary faults of the NAFZ. Basins are fulfilled by Plio-Quaternary sediments, which are cut by strike-slip faults on the shelf and slope. The thickness of basin deposits reaches up to 130 m toward the linear northern slope of the Cinarcik Basin. A relatively recent sub-marine landslide, the Tuzla Landslide, cuts the slope of the Cinarcik Basin. The detailed morphological investigation indicates that the Tuzla Landslide is a deep-seated rotational landslide, which was likely triggered by activity of the NAFZ. Morphological analyses also indicate that the thick Plio-Quaternary deposits on the Paleozoic basement slid during the Tuzla Landslide event. This landslide is considered as a key event to understand the dynamics of the potential landslides on the northern shelf and slope of the Cinarcik Basin. Two areas locating on the eastern and the western sides of the Tuzla Landslide are considered as the potential areas for future sliding due to similarities of geological and geomorphological features with the Tuzla Landslide such as similar thick Plio-Quaternary deposits, similar slope morphology, and similar fault activity cutting the sediments. Considering this information, the purposes of the present study are to determine the dynamics of the possible landslide areas and to discuss their effects on the sub-marine morphology. In the light of the interpretations, the amounts of possible displaced material are obtained. Three different landslide scenarios due to possible slide surfaces for future landslides are developed and assessed. The first scenario is sliding of the sediments at the shelf break. The third scenario is a mass movement of almost whole basin deposits on the Paleozoic rocks. The latter one is evaluated as less important because of the volume of the displaced material, and the latter one is accepted as lowest possible event. Among the scenarios, the second scenario is accepted as the most critical and possible because of the amount of the slipped material and existence of faults rupture, which is considered as further sliding surfaces. These landslides will result in important changes in shelf, slope and basin floor in the study area.     

Geotechnical investigations and remediation design for failure of tunnel portal section: a case study in northern Turkey

Mass movements are very common problems in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey due to its climate conditions, geological, and geomorphological characteristics. High slope angle, weathering, dense rainfalls, and anthropogenic impacts are generally reported as the most important triggering factors in the region. Following the portal slope excavations in the entrance section of Cankurtaran tunnel, located in the region, where the highly weathered andesitic tuff crops out, a circular toe failure occurred. The main target of the present study is to investigate the causes and occurrence mechanism of this failure and to determine the feasible remedial measures against it using finite element method (FEM) in four stages. These stages are slope stability analyses for pre- and postexcavation cases, and remediation design assessments for slope and tunnel. The results of the FEM-SSR analyses indicated that the insufficient initial support design and weathering of the andesitic tuffs are the main factors that caused the portal failure. After installing a rock retaining wall with jet grout columns and reinforced slope benching applications, the factor of safety increased from 0.83 to 2.80. In addition to slope stability evaluation, the Rock Mass Rating (RMR), Rock Mass Quality (Q) and New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) systems were also utilized as empirical methods to characterize the tunnel ground and to determine the tunnel support design. The performance of the suggested empirical support design, induced stress distributions and deformations were analyzed by means of numerical modelling. Finally, it was concluded that the recommended stabilization technique was essential for the dynamic long-term stability and prevents the effects of failure. Additionally, the FEM method gives useful and reasonably reliable results in evaluating the stability of cut slopes and tunnels excavated both in continuous and discontinuous rock masses.     

Influences of human activities and agriculture on groundwater quality of Kayseri-Incesu-Dokuzpınar springs,central Anatolian part of Turkey

Human activities and agriculture have had direct and indirect effects on the rates of contamination of groundwater in the Incesu-Dokuzp inar spring area. Direct effects include dissolution and transport of excess quantities of fertilizers with associated materials and hydrological alterations related to irrigation and drainage. Indirect effects may include changes in water–rock reactions in soils and aquifers caused by increased concentrations of dissolved oxidants, protons, and major ions. Agricultural activities have directly or indirectly affected the concentrations of a large number of inorganic chemicals in groundwater, for example NO ₃, N ₂, Cl, SO ₄ ², H ⁺, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu, B, Pb, and Zn, as well as a wide variety of pesticides and other organic compounds. For reactive contaminants like NO ₃, it is recommended that a combination of hydrochemical and environmental-tracer analytical approaches might be required to resolve changing inputs from subsequent alterations as causes of concentration gradients in groundwater. The water type of Dokuzp inar springs is mainly Na–Mg–Ca–Cl–HCO ₃. Note that the water types of the springs were directly related to the hydrogeochemical properties of outcrops at the study area. Thus, the high concentration of Ca ²⁺ and HCO ₃ is mainly related to the high CO ₂ contents in the marbles, whereas the high Na concentration arises from the existing syenite, volcanic ash, basalt, and clay units, although the Incesu-Dokuzp inar springs cover most of the drinking and irrigation water demands of this area. The high concentrations of NO ₃ and NaCl show that the area around the springs is continuously being contaminated by untreated sewage and agricultural wastes, especially during dry periods. Therefore, this approach is based on the vulnerability studies of the catchment area, determination of the transfer time of the pollutant, and the water-bearing formations of Incesu-Dokuzp inar springs. Vulnerability in this study is defined as the intrinsic hydrogeochemical characteristics of an aquifer, which may show the sensitivity of groundwater to be contaminated by different human activities.     

Dissolution of magnesia in aqueous carbon dioxide by ultrasound

This paper deals with the dissolution of magnesia in aqueous carbon dioxide, in the absence and presence of ultrasound. The particle size, reaction temperature and solid / liquid ratio were chosen parameters. The reaction was homogeneous first-order reaction model according to kinetic data and the activation energy was found to be 17.5 kJ/mol in both cases. The effect of ultrasound is on the pre-exponential factor A in the Arrhenius equation. An empirical relation was also given, which relates the rate constant to ultrasound power.     

Origin of petroliferous bitumen from the Büyük Menderes–Gediz geothermal graben system,Denizli – Sarayköy,western Turkey

The KB-5 well is located at the intersection of the geothermally active Menderes and Gediz graben systems in western Turkey. Significant volumes of “petroleum-like material” (PLM) with its associated thermal water (120 °C) erupted onto the surface during drilling from a depth of 120–132 m (i.e., from the claystone and marl-rich Early to Middle Pliocene Kolonkoya formation). The purpose of this paper is: (1) to characterize this PLM, (2) to assess the source characteristics from which the PLM was likely generated, and (3) to recognize the generation mechanism considering the geothermal-gradual versus the hydrothermal-rapid processes. Analytical organic geochemistry using thin layer chromatographic separation followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was carried out.     

Evaluation of dose parameters and radiological hazards in gravel samples of Konyaaltı Beach,Antalya

It is important to know the distribution and transfer of radionuclides such as uranium, thorium, and potassium, which exist naturally in the environment we live in. For this reason, measurements of these natural radionuclides have been carried out for 15 gravel samples collected from Konyaalt? Beach, Antalya. In order to measure the natural activity concentrations of potassium-40, uranium-238, and thorium-232 radionuclides, we performed the measurements by applying a gamma spectrometry method with a “3?×?3” NaI(Tl) detector, which is a multichannel analytical detector in the Suleyman Demirel University gamma spectrometry laboratory. The minimum, maximum, and mean values for the ²²⁶Ra activity concentration were measured as 19.74 Bq/kg, 37.03 Bq/kg, and 31.64 Bq/kg, respectively. The minimum, maximum, and mean values for the ²³²Th activity concentration were measured as 12.76 Bq/kg, 34.32 Bq/kg, and 26.67 Bq/kg, respectively. The minimum, maximum, and mean values for the ⁴⁰K activity concentration were measured as 196.37 Bq/kg, 421.13 Bq/kg, and 350.42 Bq/kg, respectively. Dose parameters and radiation damage indices were calculated using experimentally measured activity results and the resulting dose and hazard index values were compared with the determined limit values. It can be concluded that no risk may threat in terms of the hazard index values. In addition, all results obtained in terms of calculated dose values except for annual gonadal dose are below the recommended limit values.