Geospatial analysis of Maize yield vulnerability to climate change in Nigeria

The fifth assessment report (AR5) predicted that land temperatures would rise faster over Africa than other global averages while changes in rainfall are uncertain across Sub-Saharan Africa. These portend water availability challenges with direct impacts on agricultural production. Existing studies on yield vulnerability in Nigeria are mostly at a national scale, which is not adequate for local decision making. This study provides a spatially explicit model of Maize yield vulnerabilities across the growing areas (GA). Thereby, turning available data into actionable information to support development actions. Yield vulnerability index was constructed as a relationship among exposure, yield sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Exposure was computed as the ratio between long and short-term climatic factors. Yield sensitivities were expressed as the ratio between expected and actual yield. Adaptive capacity was captured using a combination of socio-economic proxies. The result shows that Maize yields were vulnerable to climate variability across most of the GAs. Exposure values indicate a very high level of climate variability with the northern region more exposed. Yield sensitivity ranges between ranges 0.47 and 0.95, and highest along the northern extremes, moderate sensitivities were observed across large tracts of the north-west, northeast, south-east and south–south geopolitical regions. Adaptive capacity is highly variable ranging between 0.27 and 1. Yield vulnerability ranges between 0.46 and 1.51. The general assumption of a north–south divide for yield vulnerability was invalidated. Vulnerability is more disparate beyond latitudinal differences. The model presented, creates a framework to support targeted response, and opportunity for building resilience to climate change impact for crop yield.

     

Geochemistry,zircon UPb ages and Hf isotopes of granites and pegmatites from Gubrunde region in the Eastern Nigeria Terrane: Insight into magmatism and tectonic evolution of the late Pan-African orogeny

This study reports a new dataset of whole-rock geochemistry, biotite chemistry, in situ zircon UPb geochronology and Hf isotope for a suite of granite and associated pegmatite samples from the Gubrunde region in the Eastern Nigeria Terrane (ENT), Nigeria. The Gubrunde granitic rocks are weakly ferroan, peraluminous and calc-alkalic to alkali-calcic in composition, and show I-type affinity. The zircon UPb geochronology gives an age of ~580 Ma for the rocks, although the presence of inherited zircons with early Pan-African ages of 696 ± 12, 647 ± 7 and 624–613 Ma are evident indicative of a complex history of their source rocks. The Gubrunde granite and the pegmatite yielded similar average Hf crustal model age T_DM2 of 1.9 ± 0.1 Ga and εHf(t) values ?6.2 ± 1.2, suggesting that they may have sourced from reworked old crustal rocks with minor contributions from the mantle. The granite and the pegmatite were likely to connect by fractional crystallization under low to moderate pressure (~2.2 to 3.0 kbar) and temperature (~717 °C), and low oxygen fugacity (<ΔNNO ?1.14). The ca. 580 Ma magmatism may have been triggered by delamination of the lithospheric mantle as a consequence of crustal thinning during waning stage of the Pan-African orogeny.     

Forward plane-wave electromagnetic model in three dimensions using hybrid finite volume–integral equation scheme

We present a concept of the hybrid finite volume–integral equation technique for solving Maxwell's equation in a quasi-static form. The divergence correction was incorporated to improve the convergence and stability of the governing linear system equations which pose a challenge on the discretization of the curl–curl Helmholtz equation. A staggered finite volume approach is applied for discretizing the system of equations on a structured mesh and solved in a secondary field technique. The bi-conjugate gradient stabilizer was utilized with block incomplete lower-upper factorization preconditioner to solve the system of equation. To obtain the electric and magnetic fields at the receivers, we use the integral Green tensor scheme. We verify the strength of our hybrid technique with benchmark models relative to other numerical algorithms. Importantly, from the tested models, our scheme was in close agreement with the semi-analytical solution. It also revealed that the use of a quasi-analytical boundary condition helps to minimize the runtime for the linear system equation. Furthermore, the integral Green tensor approach to compute at the receivers demonstrates better accuracy compared with the conventional interpolation method. This adopted technique can be applied efficiently to the inversion procedure.     

Magnetic gradient techniques on digitized aeromagnetic data of Ibadan area, south-western Nigeria

Locations and depths to magnetic contacts were estimated from the total intensity magnetic field using the Horizontal Gradient Magnitude (HGM), Analytic Signal Amplitude (ASA) and Local Wavenumber (LWN) methods. Aeromagnetic data from the Ibadan area, in south-western Nigeria, were analyzed to estimate depths to magnetic sources as well as source locations. The minimum/maximum depth limits of the HGM and LWN are relatively close and comparable, while shallow source depths limits are greater than expected in the ASA method when compared with the HGM and LWN functions.     

Rapid assessment for seismic vulnerability of low and medium rise infilled RC frame buildings

An indexing method for rapid evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of infi lled RC frame buildings in Jordan is proposed. The method aims at identifying low and medium rise residential buildings as safe or in need of further detailed evaluation. Following a rapid visual screening, the building is assigned a Basic Capacity Index(BCI); fi ve performance modifi ers are identifi ed and multiplied by the BCI to arrive at the Capacity Index(CI) of the building. A Capacity Index lower than a limit CI value indicates that the screened building could experience moderate earthquake damage whereas a higher value implies that minor damage, if any, would take place. To establish the basic evaluation parameters; forty RC frame buildings were selected, designed and analyzed using static nonlinear analysis and incorporating the effect of infi ll walls. Effects of seismicity, local site conditions, horizontal irregularities(setbacks and re-entrant corners), vertical irregularities(soft story at ground fl oor level) and overhangs on the seismic performance of local buildings were examined. Assessment forms were designed and used to evaluate and rank 112 sample buildings. About 40% of the surveyed buildings were found to be in need of detailed evaluation to better defi ne their seismic vulnerabilities.     

Incorporation of silica into the goethite structure: a microscopic and spectroscopic study

Quartz and iron (hydr)oxide are reactive surface phases that are often associated with one another in soils and sediments. Despite the several studies on the coating of quartz with iron oxides, the reactivity of dissolved species (Si) leached from quartz with iron (hydr)oxides has received limited attention. In this study, goethite synthesized on quartz substrates were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The SEM characterization revealed that bundles of thin parallel aligned goethite rods were formed at pH?>?10, while large pseudohexagonal crystals of twinned goethite needles were synthesized at pH?≤?10 after dehydration and hydration in the alkaline media. TEM analysis showed expanded and distorted lattice spacing of the crystal structure of iron (hydr)oxide due to silica incorporation. The characterization showed that silica increased the crystallite size of the goethite and transformed its acicular texture to a larger, twinned needle structure. FT-IR and XRD analyses revealed band shifts in crystal bonds as well as new bond formations, which indicate the presence of changes in the chemical environment of Fe–O and Si–O bonds. Thus, the presence of sorbed silicates modifies the crystal and lattice structure of goethite.     

Integrated geophysical mapping of the Ifewara transcurrent fault system, Nigeria

Integrated geophysical methods involving magnetic and dipole–dipole resistivity (DDR) were conducted across a prominent zone of weakness clearly observable in Landsat MSS and SLAR images in the Precambrian basement complex of southwestern Nigeria. Up till now, the location and existence of this megascopic structure have not been confirmed using geophysical methods. With the objective of delineating this weak zone and its structural attributes, three traverses were established at 500 m intervals across it, and geophysical measurements were made at 10 m intervals along these traverses. Qualitative interpretation of the magnetic data obtained shows a diagnostic signature of a near-vertical fault, trending along a NNE–SSW direction. Also, the quantitative interpretation of the data using the non-linear least-squares regression technique indicates that the width of the magnetic anomaly ranges from 90 to 150 m, its dip angle varies between 75° and 85°; the anomaly is concealed by a regolith of approximately 15 m thickness. Furthermore, a 2D resistivity inversion of the field resistivity data reveals a three-layer model, representing thin resistive topsoil underlain by weathered bedrock, resistive bedrock with a distinct low resistivity zone located within the bedrock. The most plausible explanation for this low resistivity zone is that it was formed by shearing activities during Late Precambrian times. Conclusively, the integrated approach employed in this research confirms the existence of the supposed Ifewara shear zone (ISZ).