High and low temperature alteration of uranium and thorium minerals, Um Ara granites, south Eastern Desert, Egypt

The Um Ara area, in the south Eastern Desert of Egypt contains a number of uranium occurrences related to granitic rocks. U-rich thorite, thorite and zircon are the main primary uranium- and thorium-bearing minerals found in mineralized zones of the Um Ara alkali-feldspar granites; uranophane is the most common secondary uranium mineral. U-rich thorite contains blebs of galena, has rims of uranophane and contains inclusions of Zr-rich thorite. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) provides an indication of a range of solid solution between thorite and zircon, in which intermediate phases, such as Th-rich zircon and Zr-rich thorite, were formed. These phases have higher sum of all cations per formula (2.05 to 2.06 apfu, for 4 oxygen atoms) than that of ideal thorite and zircon. This is attributed to the presence of substantial amount of interstitial cations such as Ca, U and Al in these phases. Some zircon grains are stoichiometric in composition, other altered grains display lower SiO₂ and ZrO₂ contents. Enrichment of Th and U in altered zircon preferentially involves coupled substitution (Ca²⁺ + (Th,U)⁴⁺ ↔ 2Zr⁴⁺ + 2Si⁴⁺), implying that significant U and Th may enter the Zr and Si position in zircon. Negative correlation of Zr vs. Hf and Al may indicate that Hf and Al have been introduced to the zircon during later fluid alteration rather than during the primary magmatic event. A two-stage metallogenetic model is proposed for the alteration processes and origin of U- and Th-bearing minerals in the Um Ara alkali-feldspar granite: 1) the first stage was dominated by hydrothermal alteration and accompanied by albitization, k-feldspathization, desilicification, chloritization, hematitization, silicification, argillization, fluoritization and corrosion of primary U-bearing minerals. Solid-solution between thorite and zircon occurred during this stage. The second stage occurred at the near-surface profile where circulating meteoric water played an important role in mobilizing the early formed primary U-bearing minerals. Uranium was likely transported as a calcium uranyl carbonate complexes. When these complexes lost their stabilities by precipitation of calcite, they decomposed in the presence of silica to form uranophane.     

Influence of vibration grinding and calcination on the physico-chemical properties of Egyptian kaolinite

Summary The effects of vibratory grinding and calcination on the structure and reactivity of Kalabsha kaolinite were studied by means of XRD, IR, DTA and surface area determination. Leaching experiments on ground and calcined samples were carried out using 20% HCl for aluminum extraction. At the early stages of grinding, partial destruction of stacked kaolinite layers occurred. These changes were associated with an increase in surface area due to formation of fine grains with numerous boundaries. Further grinding, as well as calcination, led to deterioration of the kaolinite structure. A significant increase of surface area was observed, starting from 18 m²/g for the original sample to a maximum of 42 m²/g after 120 minutes of grinding and 30 m²/g after calcination at 300°C. The extraction of aluminum after 30 minutes leaching time was about 97% for kaolinite ground for 240 minutes, and about 93% for kaolinite calcined at 550°C.

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Der Einfluß von Aufmahlen und Kalzinierung auf die physiko-chemischen Eigenschaften von ägyptischem Kaolinit

Zusammenfassung Die Effekte von Vibrations-Mahlung und Kalzinierung auf die Struktur und die Reaktivität von Kalolinit aus Kalabsha wurden mit XRD, IR, DTA und Methoden zur Bestimmung der Oberfläche untersucht. Auslaugungsexperimente zur Extraktion des Aluminiums erfolgten an gemahlenen und kalzinierten Proben unter Verwendung 20% er Salzsäure. In den Frühstadien des Mahlprozesses tritt eine teilweise Zerstörung der Kaolinitschichtstruktur auf. Diese Änderungen gehen mit einer Zunahme der Oberfläche, infolge der Neubildung von Körnern mit zahlreichen Korngrenzen, einher. Weiteres Aufmahlen und Kalzinieren führt zu zusätzlicher Zerstörung der Kaolinitstruktur. Eine signifikante Zunahme der Oberfläche von 18 m²/g für das Ausgangsmaterial auf 42m²/g nach 120 min Aufmahlen, bzw. auf 30 m²/ g nach Kalzinierung bei 300°C ist zu beobachten. Die Extraktion von Aluminium nach 30 minütiger Auslaugung liegt bei 97% für gemahlenen Kaolinit (240 min) und bei 93% für bei 550°C kalzinierten Kaolinit.

     

Temperature and precipitation trend analysis of the Iraq Region under SRES scenarios during the twenty-first century

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Iraq is classified as the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to decreased water and food availability, extreme temperatures, and associated health...     

Simulating time-histories and pseudo-spectral accelerations from the 1992 Cairo earthquake at the proposed El-Fayoum New City Site,Egypt

El-Fayoum New City represents one of the new urban settlements that are recently erected all over Egypt. Because seismic recordings are not available, I used the stochastic method to simulate the largest damaging earthquake from the closest seismic source to the proposed area of the city. To verify the method and its computed results in Egypt, a study termed “method verification” was performed. I found that the October 12, 1992, earthquake (M _b = 5.8) that occurred southwest of Cairo in the vicinity of the Dahshour region, at the coordinates 29.77°N, 31.07°E, is a significant earthquake to the city. The parameters of the path from the hypocenter of the event to the city were taken into consideration. To determine the site parameters, a shallow seismic refraction survey was carried out in the studied area. Accordingly, I simulated time-histories and pseudo-spectral accelerations from the October 12, 1992, earthquake at the location of seismic profiles. Finally, it is demonstrated that the site is characterized by high ground motion amplification factors, producing a high ground motion acceleration value.     

Prediction of temperature variation within a snowpack in open areas and under different canopy covers

Snow temperature is a major component of many physical processes in a snowpack. The temperature and the change in temperature across a layer have a dominant effect on physical properties of snow grains as well as its hardness, strength, and failure resistance. In this study, temperature and snow cover thickness were measured during the snow season of 2007–2008 in 11 elevation classes and in three different sampling locations, one in an open area and two under different forest canopy covers for each class along Kartalkaya road, Bolu. Each sampling site was visited 44 times to collect data including snow depth, snow surface temperature, ground temperature, and temperature within snowpack at 20‐cm intervals. Seven different models are developed to determine snowpack temperature variations under forest canopy covers and in an open area with different leaf area index values. All models were performed using a multilayer perceptron (MP) method for the Bolu–Kartalkaya area, Turkey. MP approach constitutes a standard form of neural network modeling and can modify two‐layer linear perceptron methods using three and more layers. The ability of MP is to handle complex nonlinear interactions, which ease the natural process of modeling. This method can overcome complex computations using neuron networks, and they can easily nonlinearly link input and output variables. The predictive errors are determined on the basis of mean absolute error and mean square error criteria. The Nash–Sutcliffe sufficiency score showing compliance between observed and predicted values is also calculated. According to the mean absolute error, the mean square error, and the Nash–Sutcliffe sufficiency score criteria, the predictive errors are within reasonable error intervals, justifying the use of the developed MP models for engineering applications. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A 3-tier tsunami vulnerability assessment technique for the north-west coast of Peninsular Malaysia

The 2004 tsunami that struck the Sumatra coast gave a warning sign to Malaysia that it is no longer regarded as safe from a future tsunami attack. Since the event, the Malaysian Government has formulated its plan of action by developing an integrated tsunami vulnerability assessment technique to determine the vulnerability levels of each sector along the 520-km-long coastline of the north-west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The scope of assessment is focused on the vulnerability of the physical characteristics of the coastal area, and the vulnerability of the built environment in the area that includes building structures and infrastructures. The assessment was conducted in three distinct stages which stretched across from a macro-scale assessment to several local-scale and finally a micro-scale assessment. On a macro-scale assessment, Tsunami Impact Classification Maps were constructed based on the results of the tsunami propagation modelling of the various tsunami source scenarios. At this stage, highly impacted areas were selected for an assessment of the local hazards in the form of local flood maps based on the inundation modelling output. Tsunami heights and flood depths obtained from these maps were then used to produce the Tsunami Physical Vulnerability Index (PVI) maps. These maps recognize sectors within the selected areas that are highly vulnerable to a maximum tsunami run-up and flood event. The final stage is the development of the Structural Vulnerability Index (SVI) maps, which may qualitatively and quantitatively capture the physical and economic resources that are in the tsunami inundation zone during the worst-case scenario event. The results of the assessment in the form of GIS-based Tsunami-prone Vulnerability Index (PVI and SVI) maps are able to differentiate between the various levels of vulnerability, based on the tsunami height and inundation, the various levels of impact severity towards existing building structures, property and land use, and also indicate the resources and human settlements within the study area. Most importantly, the maps could help planners to establish a zoning scheme for potential coastline development based on its sensitivity to tsunami. As a result, some recommendations on evacuation routes and tsunami shelters in the potentially affected areas were also proposed to the Government as a tool for relief agencies to plan for safe evacuation.     

Curie point depth beneath the Barramiya–Red Sea coast area estimated from aeromagnetic spectral analysis

The geothermal structure beneath of the Barramiya?CRed Sea coast area of the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt has been determined using Curie point depth (CPD), which is temperature-dependent. The CPD and the surface heat flow (q) maps of such area are estimated by analyzing aeromagnetic data. Such data are low-pass-filtered and analyzed to estimate the magnetic bottom using the centroid method. The heat flow map reflects the geothermic nature of the region. However, it is suggested that the shallow Curie point temperature depth pattern depends on the tectonic regime and morphology, which continues eastwards through the Red Sea. Particularly, the coastal regions are characterized by high heat flow (83.6?mW/m²) and shallow Curie depth (22.5?km), whereas the western portion of the studied area has a lower heat flow (<50?mW/m²) and deeper Curie depth (~40?km). In addition to its bordering to the Red Sea margin, such high heat flow anomaly is associated with the increased earthquake swarms activity in the Abu Dabbab area. El-Hady (1993) attributed the swarm activity to the geothermal evolution. Also, the heat flow pattern is correlatable by the numerous results of shallow borehole temperature measurements as reported by Morgan and Swanberg (1979). A significant low heat flow extending in the northeast?Csouthwest direction, which is associated with NE?CSW large areal extent negative Bouguer gravity anomaly and NE/SW-trending belt of the deep CPD region, seems to be directly related to the surface outcrops of Precambrian older granitoids of the mountainous range of that trend.     

A regional stratigraphic correlation for the upper Campanian phosphorites and associated rocks in Egypt and Jordan

Facies analyses and a sequence stratigraphical framework with regional correlation of the upper Campanian phosphate province are presented, based on three main sections located in Egypt (Gebel Duwi and Abu Tartur sections) and north Jordan (Umm Qais section). Fifteen facies types were grouped into: phosphate (FT1–5), carbonate (FT6–11) and siliciclastic (FT12–15) facies associations. The main component of phosphate rocks is pellets in situ and common reworked biogenic debris, especially in the upper phosphate beds (e.g. fish teeth and bones), which along with abundant Thalassinoides burrows suggests that the skeletal material was the main source for phosphates in Egypt; in contrast the common authigenic phosphatic grains (pristine) in Jordan reflect an upwelling regime. Based on age assignment as well as stratigraphical position, the phosphorite beds show great similarity that may suggests a similar origin and proximity during the period of deposition of the Duwi Formation of the Red Sea coast of Egypt and its equivalent, the Al-Hisa Phosphorite Formation in Jordan, which represents an early transgressive system tract of a depositional sequence. On the Abu Tartur plateau, the presence of sandy pyritic phosphatic grainstone (FT1) and glauconitic quartz arenite (FT12) in the middle part of the studied section, along with the absence of chert facies (FT14), reflects a more shallow marine depositional environment with increased fluvial sediment supply compared to those along the Red Sea coast and north Jordan.     

Hornblende gabbros of Wadi Az Zarib area,Central Eastern Desert,Egypt: opaque mineralogy,geochemistry, tectonic setting,and petrogenesis

A small intrusive fresh gabbroic mass intrudes the Neoproterozoic metasediments and Dokhan volcanics of Wadi Az Zarib area, Central Eastern Desert. It is composed of hornblende gabbros and leuco-hornblende gabbros. Their petrography, opaque mineralogy, and geochemistry are addressed to elucidate their tectonic setting and petrogenesis. They represent a subduction-related calc–alkaline magma that evolved in an island arc setting. In terms of maturity, the supposed arc represents an intermediate stage between continental arc and active continental margin. Thermobarometry and physical–chemical data of the parent magma as deduced from compositions of amphiboles, biotite, and plagioclase indicate crystallization temperatures of 931–825 °C at pressures of 6.16–4.01 kbar and H₂O_melt of 6.4–5.2 wt%. Data, as presented, argue in favor of fractional crystallization mechanism to be accounted to the present suite to interpret the observed variations. The evolution of the suite from hornblende gabbros to leuco-hornblende gabbros was accompanied by decreasing of MgO, CaO, Cr, and Ni with simultaneous increasing of Al₂O₃, TiO₂, Na₂O, K₂O, Ba, Rb, Sr, La, and Ce. Residuals calculated during mass balance fractional crystallization modeling suggest that brown and green hornblendes are the main fractionated phases which derived the melt composition towards the leuco-hornblende gabbros.     

Acoustic Conditioning System Development and Conditioning Experiments on Black Seabreams in the Xiangshan Bay Sea Ranch

Attracting released hatchery-reared fish to designated areas during the growth process is vital to realize the objectives of sea ranching. Based on the bottom artificial reefs and surface kelp culture facilities in the Xiangshan Bay sea ranch, we proposed systematic techniques related to acoustic conditioning of the black seabream(Sparus macrocephalus). Experiments conducted in 12 m × 10 m × 1.6 m ponds on Xixuan Island showed that black seabream was positively sensitive to 500–600 Hz periodic signals. Conditioned responses were apparent after 8 d. Two to three days were required for recovery of the memory of a conditioned response after a 20-day interval. According to the practical application requirements in the open sea, unattended acoustic conditioning equipment was developed. The ranching equipment was used in 12 m × 12 m × 2.5 m cages, and the behavior of black seabream juveniles was successfully guided after 7 days. Of the 16000 released fish, 82.5% of them were conditioned with a flexible grading net. To avoid inducing a stress response, the juveniles were released into the sea ranch in situ from the net cage. The acoustic conditioning equipments were moved into the open sea and the aggregation phenomenon of the released fish was observed when the sound was played. After 6 months of investigation and based on Sr+ marking, only one acoustically conditioned fish was found outside the 3.5-km~2 sea ranch area, thereby reached the goal of guiding activity. The practical effect in the Xiangshan Bay sea ranch showed the validity of the acoustic conditioning system, which may contribute to improve the operation of the sea ranches in the East China Sea.