Groundwater flow modeling for effective implementation of landslide stability enhancement measures

This paper deals with groundwater hydrology at a prominent fracture zone landslide slope (Nuta–Yone landslides) in Japan with an objective to explore an efficient method for the application of landslide stability enhancement measures. The correlation analyses between the hydrological parameters and ground surface movement data at this landslide resulted in low correlation values indicating that the geological formation of the area is extremely complex. For the purpose of understanding the groundwater flow behavior in the landslide area, a three-dimensional transient groundwater flow model was prepared for a part of the landslide slope, where the levels of effectiveness of applied landslide stability enhancement measures (in the form of multilayered deep horizontal drains) are different, and was calibrated against the measured water surface elevations at different piezometer locations. The parameter distributions in the calibrated model and the general directions of the groundwater flow in terms of flow vectors and the results of particle tracking at the model site were interpreted to understand the reasons for variations in effectiveness of existing landslide stability enhancement measures and to find potentially better locations for the implementation of future landslide stability enhancement measures. From the modeling results, it was also understood that groundwater flow model can be effectively used in better planning and locating the landslide stability enhancement measures.     

An essay on the interactions between climate and society

There has been increasing concern about the lack of involvement by social scientists and humanists in a global change program, although many social scientists are already directly involved in various aspects of research on environmental change, and their research interests are clearly central to a global change research agenda. Based on a historical review, the role of social science disciplines as well as social science institutes in an emerging multidecadal global change program is discussed. Both “plan of action” and “plan of inaction” are suggested to avoid potential pitfalls due to the rush development of a social science program into the existing global climate change problem.     

Application of an environmentally optimum cooling water system design in water and energy conservation

Recirculating cooling water systems are consist of a cooling tower and heat-exchanger network which conventionally have a parallel configuration. However, reuse of water between different cooling duties enables cooling water networks to be designed with series arrangements. This will results in performance improvement and increased cooling tower capacity. Research on recirculating cooling water systems has mostly focused on the individual components. However, a particular design method represented by Kim and Smith accounts for the whole system interactions. In this study, the Kim and Smith design method is expanded and a comprehensive simulation model of recirculating cooling system was developed to account for the interaction between the cooling tower performance and the heat-exchanger network configuration. Regarding this model and considering cycle water quality through introducing ozone treatment technology, a modern methodology of recirculating cooling water system design was established and developed. This technique, called the integrated ozone treatment cooling system design, is a superior designed tool based on pinch analysis and mathematical programing. It also ensures maximum water and energy conservation, minimum cost and environmental impacts. Related coding in MATLAB version 7.3 was used for the illustrative example to get optimal values in cooling water design method computations. The result of the recently introduced design methodology was compared with the Kim and Smith design method.     

Ability of indigenous Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis in microbial enhanced oil recovery

Microbially produced lipopeptide have been isolated and studied for microbial enhanced oil recovery. About 60 gram positive bacteria isolated from soil contaminated with crude oil, near the crude oil storage tank in Tehran Refinery, Tehran, Iran. However, most of these studies have produced lipopeptide by one of the pure-culture microbes isolated in a laboratory. Among the isolates, heamolytic tests revealed two biosurfactant producers. The isolated strains were designated as C2, E1. By using morphological, biochemical and molecular biology tests (16 SrRNA), the strains identified as Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtitlis, respectively. Emulsification activity and measurement of surface tension indicated that, the isolates were high producers of biosurfactant. The product of C2 and E1 is mainly lipopeptide. This product reduce surface tension from 65 to 30 mN/m. Emulsified activity of crude oil was 92% for C2 and 90 % in case of E1. This is the first report of indigenous Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis from a soil contaminated with oil in an Iranian refinery with ability to produce biosurfactant.     

On the use of gravity and magnetic anomalies for locating probable areas of metallic mineralization in South Sinai, Egypt

The present study deals with processing and interpreting the potential gravity and magnetic data in order to locate promising sites for metallic mineral occurrences in the basement rocks of South Sinai. Two promising sites were anticipated by combining the geophysical results and the available geological information. Each site was profiled and interpreted to the nearly approximated subsurface feature model, and the geometrical parameters of the expected subsurface structures may form mineralized bodies such as depth, thickness, width, dipping, density contrast, and magnetic susceptibility contrast could be delineated. Detailed ground Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Vertical Magnetic Gradient (VMG) methods were carried out in the site A2, eight VLF and VMG anomalies were determined, and their depths were calculated.     

Transition from eclogite to amphibolite-facies metamorphism in the Austroalpine Ulten Zone

Summary The Ulten Zone of the Austroalpine crystalline basement south-west of Meran (Italy) contains metapelitic schists and granoblastic paragneisses, leucocratic orthogneisses, migmatites (in both gneiss-lithologies), metabasites and ultramafic lenses. Metamorphic textures of the metapelitic schists and granoblastic paragneisses indicate two different metamorphic events, characterized by two mineral assemblages, which differ in mineral chemistry: (1) an eclogite facies mineral assemblage (M1) comprising Grt-Ky I-Bt. Ms-Kfs-PI-Qtz-Rt, and (2) an amphibolite facies mineral assemblage (M2) comprising Grt-KyII-Bt-Ms-PI-Qtz-Ilm±St. For the M1 event, pressures of at least 15kbar and temperatures of about 700°±50°C can be estimated. The later amphibolite facies overprint occurred at pressures of 6 to 8kbar and about 600°±50°C. The M1 and M2 assemblages belong to a continuous clockwise metamorphic evolution during the Variscan orogeny. Evidence for Alpine metamorphism can only be detected by sericite rims around kyanite and reset biotite ages. The migmatites, which contribute about 15–30vol.% of all rocks in the investigated area, were formed on the prograde path during the M1 event. Dissolution of H₂O in the melted part of the migmatites resulted in a CO₂dominated fluid, which was trapped in primary kyanite (M1) fluid inclusions. Secondary H₂O-rich fluid inclusions are found in quartz grains and may represent the fluid which enabled a pervasive equilibration during M2.

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Übergang von eklogit-zu amphibolitfazieller Matamorphose in der austroalpinen Ultenzone

Zusammenfassung Die Ulten Zone, ein Teil des ostalpinen kristallinen basements, südwestlich von Meran, wird aus Metapeliten and granoblastischen Paragneisen, leukokraten Orthogneisen, Migmatiten (in beiden Lithologien), Metabasiten and ultramafischen Linsen aufgebaut. Metamorphe Texturen der Metapelite und granoblastischen Paragneise lassen auf zwei verschiedene metamorphe Ereignisse schließen, die durch unterschiedliche Mineral-chemismen und Paragenesen charakterisiert sind: (1) eine eklogitfazielle Paragenese (M1), bestehend aus Grt-KyI-Bt-Ms-Kfs-P1-Qtz-Rt und (2) eine amphibolitfazielle Paragenese (M2), bestehend aus Grt-KyII-Bt-Ms-P1-Qtz-Ilm±St. Für M1 konnten Minimaldrucke von 15kbar und Temperaturen von 700°±50°C abgeleitet werden. Die spätere amphibolitfazielle Überprägung fand bei 6 bis 8kbar und 600°±50°C statt. M1 und M2 gehören einer kontinuierlichen Metamorphoseentwicklung während der variszischen Orogenese an.Die Migmatite, ungefähr 15–30vol.% der Gesteine im untersuchten Gebiet, wurden am prograden Pfad während des M1 Ereignisses gebildet. Aufgrund der höheren Löslichkeit von H₂0 in der Schmelze, blieb ein CO₂, reiches Fluid zurück, das im primären Kyanit (M1) eingeschlossen wurde. Wässrige Flüssigkeitseinschlüsse können in Quarzkörnern gefunden werden. Dieses Fluid ist wahrscheinlich für die Reequilibrierung zu amphibolitfaziellen Bedingungen verantwortlich.

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With 5 Figures     

Spatial orientation of the spin vectors of the disk galaxies in the Virgo cluster I. A catalogue of the disk galaxies in the Virgo cluster

Based on four UK Schmidt Telescope (UKST) IIIa-j direct plates which had been digitized by the Automated Plate Measuring System (APM), a detailed identification of the disk galaxies in the Virgo cluster has been carried out. The certain and possible member galaxies are mainly selected from the updated Catalogue of 2096 Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster Area (VCC). The area of this identification covers a 85 square degree region centered on this cluster. As a result, we compiled a new catalogue of 340 certain and possible member disk galaxies, including 85 lenticulars (SO), 136 spirals (S) and 119 irregulars (Irr), where the APM-measured values of the position angle (P.A.) and diameters of 299 disk galaxies are provided. For at least 149 galaxies, the values of the P.A. and diameters are published for the first time.Comparison between the APM-measured P.A. and diameters of galaxies and those given by the Uppsala General Catalog of Galaxies (UGC) demonstrates the reliability of our data. The statistical properties and completeness of this database are also discussed. Compared with the UGC-given P.A. and diameters which were determined by eyes, our data has no selection effect owing to the instrument measurements. Within our searching region, this might be the largest and relatively complete photometric database published so far for investigating the spatial orientation of the spin vectors of galaxies in the Virgo cluster.     

Detection of a new interstellar molecular ion, H2COH+ (protonated formaldehyde)

A new interstellar molecular ion, H2COH+ (protonated formaldehyde), has been detected toward Sgr B2, Orion KL, W51, and possibly in NGC 7538 and DR21(OH). Six transitions were detected in Sgr B2(M). The 1(1,0)-1(0,1) transition was detected in all sources listed above. Searches were also made toward the cold, dark clouds TMC-1 and L134N, Orion (3N, 1E), and a red giant, IRC + 10216, without success. The excitation temperatures of H2COH+ are calculated to be 60-110 K, and the column densities are on the order of 10(12)-10(14) cm-2 in Sgr B2, Orion KL, and W51. The fractional abundance of H2COH+ is on the order of 10(-11) to 10-(9), and the ratio of H2COH+ to H2CO is in the range 0.001-0.5 in these objects. The values in Orion KL seem to be consistent with the "early time" values of recent model calculations by Lee, Bettens, & Herbst, but they appear to be higher than the model values in Sgr B2 and W51 even if we take the large uncertainties of column densities of H2CO into account. We suggest production routes starting from CH3OH may play an important role in the formation of H2COH+.     

Integrated chronostratigraphy of Proterozoic-Cambrian boundary beds in the western Anabar region, northern Siberia

Carbonate-rich sedimentary rocks of the western Anabar region, northern Siberia, preserve an exceptional record of evolutionary and biogeochemical events near the Proterozoic/Cambrian boundary. Sedimentologically, the boundary succession can be divided into three sequences representing successive episodes of late transgressive to early highstand deposition; four parasequences are recognized in the sequence corresponding lithostratigraphically to the Manykal Formation. Small shelly fossils are abundant and include many taxa that also occur in standard sections of southeastern Siberia. Despite this coincidence of faunal elements, biostratigraphic correlations between the two regions have been controversial because numerous species that first appear at or immediately above the basal Tommotian boundary in southeastern sections have first appearances scattered through more than thirty metres of section in the western Anabar. Carbon- and Sr-isotopic data on petrographically and geochemically screened samples collected at one- to two-metre intervals in a section along the Kotuikan River, favour correlation of the Staraya Reckha Formation and most of the overlying Manykai Formation with sub-Tommotian carbonates in southeastern Siberia. In contrast, isotopic data suggest that the uppermost Manykai Formation and the basal 26 m of the unconformably overlying Medvezhya Formation may have no equivalent in the southeast; they appear to provide a sedimentary and palaeontological record of an evolutionarily significant time interval represented in southeastern Siberia only by the sub-Tommotian unconformity. Correlations with radiometrically dated horizons in the Olenek and Kharaulakh regions of northern Siberia suggest that this interval lasted approximately three to six million years, during which essentially all 'basal Tommotian' small shelly fossils evolved.