A “simple” geomatics-based approach for assessing water erosion hazard at montane areas

Soil erosion by water is recognised as a worldwide land degradation issue, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. The aim of this study is to apply the powerful capabilities of advanced remote sensing and geographic information system techniques to identify the areas at risk to water erosion. This study presents the assessment of water erosion in mountainous areas (eastern Aures, Algeria) based on three main factors: the friability of the bedrock, degree of slope and density of vegetation cover. Alsat1 image was used to produce land use and vegetation (NDVI) maps. Digital elevation model was used in constructing the slope gradient map. The erosion risk map was obtained by the combination of indices assigned to thematic layers following multicriteria decision rules. Water erosion was generally not concerning in the eastern Aures (slight risk = 33 %, moderate risk = 44 % of the area). This simple–qualitative approach gave good results for assessing soil erosion equally to quantitative methods since 89.55 % of field verifications were accurate. The non-alarming state and the low rate of severe and extremely severe risk to erosion are due to (1) the low steep slopes, (2) the good quality of vegetation (forests with thick undergrowth), and which are occurring on (3) resistant materials of the substratum, and (4) the low human pressure. Results of this study, which may be conducted with reasonable costs and accuracy over large areas, are of significant help in prioritising areas in decision making and sustainable planning.     

Moment magnitude estimation using Iran strong motion data

Journal of Seismology - In this study, seismic moment, moment magnitude, and the corner frequency of Iranian earthquakes were estimated using the Iran Strong Motion Network (ISMN) data. To estimate...     

Assessment of organic pollutants (PAH and PCB) in surface water: sediments and shallow groundwater of Grombalia watershed in northeast of Tunisia

Toxic organic compounds in wastewater are serious threats for both human and environment healthy states. This study investigates the potential sources of surface water, sediment and groundwater pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) as discharged by wastewater into the River of Oued El bey in northeastern Tunisia. Analysis indicates that the concentration of PAHs and PCBs are high in wastewater and vary from 0.37 to 0.83 mg/L and from 0.28 and 1.18 mg/L, respectively. The spatial distribution of PAHs and PCB in surface water showed a variation between 0.37 to 9.91 mg/L and between 0.1 to 0.47 mg/L, respectively. However, the quality of surface water is changed after wastewater evacuation at Oued Tahouna. The determination of PAH and PCB pollutants in groundwater shows a great interest in the development of water resources. The Concentration of these pollutants varying from 0.0204 to 1.93 mg/L and from 0.0052 to 0.196 mg/L, respectively. For PAH, analysis reveals also that naphtelene, fluorene, anthracene and chrysene are the most detected PAHs compounds in water and sediment samples while benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene are less present and in trace level. Higher concentrations of PAHs and PCBs are found in samples taken close to industrial areas of Bouargoub and Soliman, and wastewater discharge locations in Soliman. Analysis of the spatial distribution of PAHs and PCBs clearly link their higher concentration in water and sediments to wastewater and manufacturing discharges in the study area. In surface sediment, the organic pollutants are present. The cluster analysis for organic pollutants in different state and different matrix highlight a relationship between the wastewater evacuation and the water qualities which confirmed the direct response of the pollution sources on the surface water and groundwater organic pollution quality.     

Constraints on the location and mechanism of the 1511 Western-Slovenia earthquake from active tectonics and modeling of macroseismic data

The 1511 Western Slovenia earthquake (M = 6.9) is the largest event occurred so far in the region of the Alps–Dinarides junction. Though it strongly influences the regional seismic hazard assessment, the epicenter and mechanism are still under debate. The complexity of the active tectonics of the Alps–Dinarides junction is reflected by the presence of both compressional and transpressional deformations. This complexity is witnessed by the recent occurrence of three main earthquake sequences, the 1976 Friuli thrust faulting events, the 1998 Bovec–Krn Mountain and the 2004 Kobarid strike-slip events. The epicenters of the 1998 and 2004 strike-slip earthquakes (M_s = 5.7 and M_s = 4.9, respectively) lie only 50 km far from the 1976 thrust earthquake (M_s = 6.5).We use the available macroseismic data and recent active tectonics studies, to assess a possible epicenter and mechanism for the 1511 earthquake and causative fault. According with previous works reported in the literature, we analyze both a two-and a single-event case, defining several input fault models. We compute synthetic seismograms up to 1 Hz in an extended-source approximation, testing different rupture propagations and applying a uniform seismic moment distribution on the fault segments. We extract the maximum horizontal velocities from the synthetics and we convert them into intensities by means of an empirical relation. A rounded-to-integer misfit between observed and computed intensities is performed, considering both a minimized and a maximized databases, built to avoid the use of half-degree macroseismic intensity data points. Our results are consistent with a 6.9 magnitude single event rupturing 50 km of the Idrija right-lateral strike-slip fault with bilateral rupture propagation.     

Effet auto-épurateur de la lithologie des affleurements géologiques dans un climat semi-aride: cas du bassin versant de l'Oued Mellègue (Nord-Ouest de la Tunisie)

Résumé

Le Nord-Ouest de la Tunisie renferme plus que 81% des eaux de surface et 95% des mines et gîtes miniers. Le bassin versant de l'Oued Mellègue, situé dans cette zone, englobe 13 mines de plomb, zinc, fer, strontium, fluor, barium et phosphates. L'impact des rejets de ces mines sur les eaux de surface a été apprécié grâce à plusieurs compagnes d’échantillonnage. Les résultats d'analyse par ICP/MS de ces échantillons montrent qu'ils renferment des quantités non négligeables d'Al, As, B, Ba, Br, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Sr, U et de Zn. L'analyse des ces éléments dans les eaux du Mellègue, de ses affluents et dans la retenue de Nebeur montre que leurs concentrations sont inférieures aux normes d'eau potable. Ce comportement pourrait être dû à la nature des affleurements géologiques formés par des carbonates des argiles et des évaporites, à l'absence de cours d'eau drainant directement les rejets, à la formation de minéraux secondaires caractérisés par une importante rétention des métaux et à l’étendue des bassins versants non pollués.     

Stratigraphie et évolution structurale paléozoïque d''un segment de la Meseta orientale marocaine (Monts du Sud-Est d''Oujda): rôle des décrochements dans la formation de l''olistostrome intraviséen et le plutonisme tardi-hercynien

In the Paleozoic basement of the southeast Oujda mountains, the Lower Ordovician, Silurian-Devonian and Devonian-Dinantian are dated for the first time through palynology. This paper shows the autochtonous character and continuous stratigraphy of the formations of the Lower Ordovician to Devonian or probably Dinantian. The Intra-Visean Olistostrome is interpreted as a tectono-sedimentary breccia associated with strike-slip faults. The structural Variscan evolution is characterized by two major phases, each of them being divided in three stages. The ante-Upper Visean early phase is characterized in chronological order by (1) submeridian folds, (2) northeast-southwest folds and (3) extensional, oblique-slip, east-west trending faults. The second phase post-dates the Westphalian C and is marked by open east-northeast - west-southwest trending folds cut by reverse faults with the same trend and by a set of north-south sinistral and east-west dextral strike-slip faults. These later faults have allowed the emplacement of late Hercynian granitoïds.A palaeogeographical and structural reconstruction comparable to that established in the rest of the Moroccan Meseta is proposed.