Upgrading of the inverse slope method for quantitative interpretation of earth resistivity measurements

The present study is an attempt to upgrade the previously used semi-analytical inverse slope method. The upgrade method was applied to the interpretation of VES’s measured with different electrode arrays in two and three layers laboratory tank model. Then the method was applied on VES’s measured at different sites of different geologic conditions. The study showed that the inverse slope method is a quick method for obtaining depths to interfaces. The method can be implemented on a hand-held calculator or more efficiently on a small microcomputer where the data can be processed at a faster rate than that of conventional data acquisition systems. This allows the method to be potent tools for infield data analysis and more cost effective to assess the success of a sounding on-the-spot and modify the experimental set-up as appropriate. The comparison between the results obtained from this method and the traditional digital computerized methods indicated that the geoelectrical models derived from inverse slope method have a good correlation with the actual model. Also, when applying the method on VES’s measured by using Schlumberger and Wenner arrays at areas of different geologic setting, gave results in comfortable with the actual lithology obtained from the lithologic data of the neighboring wells. The results obtained from the lab experiment and field survey indicated that the inverse slope method has the potential to be applied on VES data collected with any electrode array, the advantage that is not available with all the traditional interpretation methods available nowadays.     

Investigation of a relation between radiogenic heat production and kinetic surface temperature from multispectral ASTER-TIR data: a case study on Elmissikat-Eleridiya granites,Central Eastern Desert,Egypt

In this paper, an attempt was tried to study the relation between radiogenic heat production rate (RHPR) that derived from gamma-ray spectrometric data and the kinetic surface temperature KST, which was calculated from the thermal emission and reflection radiometer-thermal infrared (ASTER-TIR) imagery applied on Elmissikat-Eleridiya district. This area is considered one of the most important uranium localities in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The gamma-ray spectrometric data including both airborne data and in situ measurements concurrent with the collection of 20 rock samples were used to determine the rock density. The ground gamma-ray spectrometry has been conducted using GS-256 spectrometer at the same locations of rock samples. The gamma-ray spectrometric data (airborne and ground) beside rock density data were used for calculating RHPR. Alongside, pairs of daytime and nighttime ASTER-TIR images were collected and surface kinetic temperature for both day (daytime kinetic surface temperature (DKST)) and night (nighttime kinetic surface temperature (NKST)) were derived by using reference channel emissivity technique. The study showed a relative higher RHPR within syenogranite (4.2 up to 6 μW/m³) than other rock units. Besides, the KST of syenogranite ranged from 33 to 48 °C in daytime and between 7 and 17 °C at night. Comparing all results, no clear relation between RHPR and KST is evident. This is due to the very weak RHPR that is not sufficient to affect the surface heat temperature, which can be remotely sensed by ASTER satellite TIR data. This factor in addition to other factors such as: structural elements, topography, geographic locations, shading and scattering, rock moisture and density, can strongly affect the surface temperature. In conclusion, these results could be improved in areas of very high radioelement concentrations, especially ²³⁵U and through the use of the enhanced spatial resolution of future satellite TIR imaging instruments.     

Survival of Vibrio alginolyticus in seawater and retention of virulence of its starved cells

The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival responses of four strains of Vibrio alginolyticus in seawater under starvation conditions. We used microcosms containing sterilised seawater and incubated at ambient temperature (22-25 degrees C). V. alginolyticus maintained its culturability for at least nine months. Long-term-starved cells showed an absence or a decrease in their enzymatic activities. Resuscitation assays of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells were conducted and the recovery of these cells was achieved after the addition of nutrients. Amplified 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) restriction analysis (ARDRA) was used to confirm that the same strain of V. alginolyticus persisted in all microcosms during a long period of time. Starved cells maintained their infectivity for gilt head sea bream (Sparus aurata) and sea bass (Dicentrachus labrax) as determined by intraperitoneal challenges.     

Ability of corals to accumulate heavy metals,Northern Red Sea,Egypt

The concentrations of six heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Pb and Zn) were studied in 11 hard and 4 soft common coral species collected from Hurghada, Wadi Al-Gemal and Gola’an along the Red Sea coast to assess the differential abilities of corals to concentrate and assimilate the heavy metals inside soft coral tissues and hard coral skeletons. These results reveal the order of Fe > Zn > Ni > Pb ≥ Mn > Cu. Fe recorded significant high concentrations in mushroom (funnel) forms of the soft corals at the different sites; 125.19, 101.71 and 90.44 ppm at Gola’an, Hurghada and Wadi Al-Gemal, respectively. The soft coral species recorded the highest average concentration of Mn, Ni, Cu and Zn than the hard corals, which were 13.22, 16.05, 13.08 and 148.17 ppm, respectively. Generally, soft corals show higher metal concentrations than the hard ones; moreover, Hurghada recorded a higher trend of metal concentrations in soft and hard corals than the other sites. The study concluded that many biological and local environmental factors influenced the metal occurrences and uptakes in both coral forms such as, the exposed surface area for metal uptake, turbidity, overlying mucus thickness and the ability of metals to substitute inside the crystal lattice of the hard corals.     

Statistical Relationship Between UVB(280-320nm) and Broadband Solar Radiation(295-2800nm) at a Subtropical Location(Qena,Egypt)

The present study quantifies the relationship between ultraviolet-B(UVB) and broadband solar radiation(G) at Qena,Egypt.Data from 10-year hourly integrated totals for both UVB and G on a horizontal surface were used to determine the best fit between the two radiation types.On the basis of the correlation of determination(r2),a second-order polynomial was determined to provide the best fit.For the purpose of developing an empirical model to estimate UVB,all of the cases of UVB and G from a nine-year study from 2001 to 2009 were introduced.Monthly and seasonal empirical models,as well as a general expression,were established for UVB as a function of G.The values of r2 ranged from 0.90 to 0.97.By using a new dataset of G,the estimated and the corresponding measured values of UVB were determined to be in good agreement whereby the values of r2 between the two ranged from 0.91 to 0.98.In addition,the significance and performance of the regression forms were evaluated with the aid of several statistical analysis procedures.The values of the index of modeling(d) and coefficient of modeling efficiency(ME) were close to one.Moreover,the values of RMSE,mean bias error(MBE),and mean absolute error(MAE) were lower than the experimental errors.On the basis of this analysis,it has been determined that the suggested regression forms can be used to estimate UVB when it difficult to obtain measurements or when measurements are available only for limited periods at the studied region.     

Sorption of lead on Iranian bentonite and zeolite: kinetics and isotherms

This study deals with the use of the natural, low-cost sorbents bentonite and zeolite for the removal of lead from aqueous solutions. The mineral material is from large deposits of bentonite and zeolite that have been discovered recently in Iran. Experimental and modeling data from our kinetic and equilibrium investigations reveal that (1) the pseudo-second-order kinetic model gave the best fit, and (2) the Koble–Corrigan sorption model describes the interaction between Pb(II) and the two mineral materials better than the Freundlich and Langmuir models. However, the sorption of Pb(II) ions by zeolite and bentonite is complex and probably involves several mechanisms. The experimental data show that natural zeolite and bentonite used in this study exhibited a reasonable sorption capacity for Pb(II), and thus may be useful for the immobilization of Pb(II) from polluted sites.     

Characterization of Iranian Obsidian Artifacts by PIXE and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

It had long been thought that obsidian found in Iranian sites originated from Anatolia and Armenia, but new research has challenged this assumption. In this study, 68 samples of obsidian obtained from an archaeological survey of Nader‐Tepe Aslanduz were analyzed by Proton Induced X‐ray Emission (PIXE). Nader‐Tepe Aslanduz is a tell site west of the city of Aslanduz in the Parsabad county of the Ardebil province in northern Iran. The site was inhabited from the first millennium B.C. to A.D. 17, and its history may extend back to the third or fourth millennium B.C. Our chemical composition results have been combined with obsidian composition data from Turkey and Armenia and subjected to Principal Component Analysis (PCA). This analysis shows that obsidian from each location can be grouped into distinctive classes—the obsidian from Nader‐Tepe Aslanduz is therefore probably derived from volcanic outcrops of the Sahand and Sabalan region. This study has been unable to assign a known source from Anatolia and Armenia for the obsidian of Nader‐Tepe Aslanduz.     

Electrochemical Treatment of Dye Solution by Oxalate Catalyzed Photoelectro‐Fenton Process Using a Carbon Nanotube‐PTFE Cathode: Optimization by Central Composite Design

Decolorization of C.I. Basic Blue 3 (BB3) by oxalate catalyzed photoelectro‐Fenton process based on carbon nanotube‐polytetrafluoroethylene (CNT‐PTFE) electrode as cathode under visible light was studied. A comparison of electro‐Fenton, photoelectro‐Fenton, and photoelectro‐Fenton/oxalate processes for decolorization of the solution containing BB3 has been performed. The results showed that color removal follows the decreasing order: photoelectro‐Fenton/oxalate > photoelectro‐Fenton > electro‐Fenton. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to assess individual and interactive effects of the four main independent parameters on the decolorization efficiency. A central composite design (CCD) was employed for optimization of photoelectro‐Fenton/oxalate treatment of BB3. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a high coefficient of determination value (R² = 0.958) and satisfactory prediction second‐order regression. This study clearly showed that RSM was one of the suitable methods to optimize the operating conditions.     

Taphonomic and diagenetic aspects of the Late Cretaceous Libycoceras ismaeli (Zittel) from Northern Jordan

Taphonomy and diagenesis of the ammonoid Libycoceras ismaeli (Zittel) have been approached in order to interpret the post-mortem depositional history during the Late Cretaceous of Jordan based on the comparative analysis of composition and taphonomy. The Campanian–Maastrichtian Al-Hisa Phosphorite Formation is exposed in northwestern and central Jordan is rich in cephalopods. It consists of alternating thin-bedded limestone, more or less silicified or calcified phosphorite layers, thick- and cross-bedded oyster lumachells, and lenses and layers of minable phosphate. The sphenodiscid ammonite L. ismaeli (Zittel) predominantly occurs in the middle part of this formation. L. ismaeli is associated with different nautiloid and baculitid species. The mode of occurrence of the studied ammonoids suggesting that they are best interpreted to been nektobenthic, not nektoplanktic. Taphonomic and diagenetic studies of transversely sliced specimens were carried out by means of polarizing and scanning electron microscope.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of bank infiltration process in new Aswan City, Egypt

Riverbank filtration (RBF) is an efficient and low-cost natural alternative technology for water supply application in which surface water contaminants are removed or degraded as the infiltrating water moves from the river to the pumping wells. In this study, a full-scale RBF site consisting of three vertical wells installed 50 m from Nile bank was investigated. The RBF systems are particularly well suited for providing better water quality than withdrawal directly from the Nile River to produce drinking water for New Aswan city. The study is carried out by taking samples over 1 year from riverbank filtrates wells, Nile River (as induced surface water), and some production wells were collected and analyzed. Physicochemical and microbiological measurements such as turbidity, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, total organic carbon, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, pH, Fe, Mn, NH₃, NO₂, NO₃, PO₄, Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO₃, SO₄, Cl, total bacteria, and total coliform were carried out. The results of bank filtrate were compared with those of the natural groundwater and previous reported Nile water. Chemical and bacterial quality parameters of RBF are under the allowable limits for drinking water. Moreover, bank filtration is simultaneously improved the ambient groundwater and cleaned Nile water in the studied area. Result of this full-scale RBF plant showed the effectiveness of riverbank filtration as a proven treatment technique in Nile Valley with a fraction of cost comparing to conventional surface treatment plants.