Algal community and pollution indicators for the assessment of water quality of Ismailia canal,Egypt

Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment - The phytoplankton community structure is affected by both ecological and spatial factors. Influences of these two factors on phytoplankton...     

Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to Geoelectric and Geologic Parameters for Spatial Prediction of Groundwater Resources Potential and Aquifer Evaluation

Prediction of groundwater resources potential is a spatial decision problem that involves a set of multiple evaluation parameters. In order to produce a groundwater resources potential prediction model of higher reliability and precision in a given study area, the effects of all the important parameters that can contribute to the groundwater occurrence in the area must be integrated. However, the methodology of integrating these parameters such that the relative importance of each is reflected is still a challenge that has not been efficiently handled. In this study, the principle of multi-criteria decision analysis in the context of the analytical hierarchy process is proposed as a technique that can yield a prediction model of higher reliability and precision. The proposed technique was applied to geoelectric and geologic parameters, derived from the results of the interpretation of 2D resistivity imaging data acquired from the study area. The advantage of the proposed technique is that it reduces bias in decision making. The main objective of the study is to produce groundwater potential map for the area. Furthermore, an attempt was also made in the study to characterize the aquifer of the area by estimating the Dar-Zarrouk parameters, using the integration of borehole and 2D resistivity data. The success rate (accuracy) of the prediction was established to be 80 %. Furthermore, the regression line fitted to the aquifer transmissivity and transverse resistance data shows linear relationship with a high regression coefficient of 0.79. The prediction success rate obtained showed that the method proposed in this study is reliable, accurate, and an improved technique of integrating multiple parameters for holistic evaluation of groundwater resources.     

Area Influence Kriging

This paper presents a modified ordinary kriging technique referred to as the “Area Influence Kriging” (AIK). The method is a simple and practical tool to use for more accurate prediction of global recoverable ore resources in any type of deposit. AIK performs well even in deposits with skewed grade distributions when the ordinary kriging (OK) results are unreasonably smooth. It is robust and globally unbiased like OK. The AIK method is not intended to replace OK, which is a better estimator of the average grade of the blocks. Rather it aims to complement OK with its excellent performance in predicting recoverable resources that have been the major pitfalls of OK in many resource estimation cases. The paper details the methodology of AIK with a couple of examples. It also reports the results from its application to a gold deposit.     

NARX neural network approach for the monthly prediction of groundwater levels in Sylhet Sadar,Bangladesh

Groundwater is important for managing the water supply in agricultural countries like Bangladesh. Therefore, the ability to predict the changes of groundwater level is necessary for jointly planning the uses of groundwater resources. In this study, a new nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous inputs(NARX) network has been applied to simulate monthly groundwater levels in a well of Sylhet Sadar at a local scale. The Levenberg-Marquardt(LM) and Bayesian Regularization(BR) algorithms were used to train the NARX network, and the results were compared to determine the best architecture for predicting monthly groundwater levels over time. The comparison between LM and BR showed that NARX-BR has advantages over predicting monthly levels based on the Mean Squared Error(MSE), coefficient of determination(R~2), and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency(NSE). The results show that BR is the most accurate method for predicting groundwater levels with an error of ± 0.35 m. This method is applied to the management of irrigation water source, which provides important information for the prediction of local groundwater fluctuation at local level during a short period.     

Application of a two-dimensional electrical tomography technique for investigating landslides along the Amman–Dead Sea highway, Jordan

Electrical tomography geophysical surveys were conducted with the SYSCAL-R2 resistivity instrument at the location of instantaneous rock failure of a few 1,000s m³ along the Amman-Dead Sea highway, Jordan, providing a ground image for investigating landslide sites which caused material damage and closed the road. This slide occurred along two major fault planes after heavy rainfall in a rock consisting of a succession of shale, marl and marly limestone layers which were folded, tilted and fractured. Three electrical tomography profiles were performed along the axis of the slope to assess the landslide risk in such potential unstable areas. The results obtained, based on two-dimensional inversion of field data, have allowed mapping of the shale zones at depths which are characterized by a lower resistivity value, and have demonstrated that the rupture was initiated at the contact between the shale mass (black colored) and the massive limestone (white, yellowish-brown colored).     

Eocene I-type magmatism in the Eastern Pontides,NE Turkey: insights into magma genesis and magma-tectonic evolution from whole-rock geochemistry,geochronology and isotope systematics

ABSTRACT

The Eastern Pontides orogenic belt in NE Turkey hosts numerous I-type plutons of Eocene epoch. Here, we report new U–Pb SHRIMP zircon ages and in situ zircon Lu-Hf isotopes along with bulk-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb-O isotope data from the Kemerlikda??, Ayd?ntepe and Pelitli plutons and mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) to constrain their parental melt source(s) and evolutionary processes. U-Pb SHRIMP zircon dating yielded crystallization ages between 45 and 44 Ma for the studied plutons and their MMEs. The plutons range from gabbro to granite and have I-type, medium to high-K calc-alkaline, and metaluminous to slightly peraluminous characteristics. On the primitive mantle-normalized multi-trace-element variations, the plutons and their MMEs are characterized by signi?cant enrichment in LILE/HFSE. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the plutons and their MMEs are close to each other and show moderate enrichment with variable negative Eu anomalies. The studied plutons have fairly homogeneous isotope composition (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_(i) = 0.70502 to 0.70560; εNd_(i) = +0.9 to – 1.4; δ¹⁸O = +5.0 to +8.7‰, εHf_(i) = – 2.2 to +13.5). The MMEs show medium to high-K calc-alkaline and metaluminous character. Although the isotope signatures of the MMEs (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_(i) = 0.70508 to 0.70542; εNd_(i) = +0.9 to ?1.1; δ¹⁸O = +5.8 to +8.0, εHf_(i) = +4.3 to +10.4) are very similar to those of the host rocks. Fractionation of plagioclase, amphibole, pyroxene and Fe-Ti oxides played an important role in the evolution of the plutons. The isotopic composition of the studied plutons and MMEs are similar to I-type plutons derived from mantle sources. The MMEs show incomplete magma mixing/mingling, representing small bodies of mafic parental magma. The parental magma(s) of the studied plutons were generated from the enriched lithospheric mantle and then modified by fractional crystallisation, and lesser assimilation and mixing/mingling in the crustal magma chambers.     

Tsunami hazard evaluation for Kuwait and Arabian Gulf due to Makran Subduction Zone and Subaerial landslides

Given the recent historical disastrous tsunamis and the knowledge that the Arabian Gulf (AG) is tectonically active, this study aimed to evaluate tsunami hazards in Kuwait from both submarine earthquakes and subaerial landslides. Despite the low or unknown tsunami risks that impose potential threats to the coastal area’s infrastructures and population of Kuwait, such an investigation is important to sustain the economy and safety of life. This study focused on tsunamis generated by submarine earthquakes with earthquake magnitudes (M _w ) of 8.3–9.0 along the Makran Subduction Zone (MSZ) and subaerial landslides with volumes of 0.75–2.0 km³ from six sources along the Iranian coast inside the AG and one source at the Gulf entrance in Oman. The level of tsunami hazards associated with these tsunamigenic sources was evaluated using numerical modeling. Tsunami model was applied to conduct a numerical tsunami simulation and predict tsunami propagation. For landslide sources, a two-layer model was proposed to solve nonlinear longwave equations within two interfacing layers with appropriate kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions. Threat level maps along the coasts of the AG and Kuwait were developed to illustrate the impacts of potential tsunamis triggered by submarine earthquakes of different scales and subaerial landslides at different sources. GEBCO 30 arc-second grid data and others were used as bathymetry and topography data for numerical modeling. Earthquakes of M _w 8.3 and M _w 8.6 along the MSZ had low and considerable impacts, respectively, at the Gulf entrance, but negligible impacts on Kuwait. An earthquake of M _w 9.0 had a remarkable impact for the entire Gulf region and generated a maximum tsunami amplitude of up to 0.5 m along the Kuwaiti coastline 12 h after the earthquake. In the case of landslides inside the AG, the majority impact occurred locally near the sources. The landslide source opposite to Kuwait Bay generated the maximum tsunami amplitudes reaching 0.3 m inside Kuwait Bay and 1.8 m along the southern coasts of Kuwait.

     

Seismic identification of geothermal prospecting in Harrat Rahat,Northern Arabian Shield

Influenced by mining activities in adjacent coal seams, stresses on rocks surrounding roadway were redistributed, and the roadways in lower coal seam were subjected to the asymmetrical roof falling and roof sagging. Considering stresses effect on the plastic zone around the roadway, numerical models were carried out by FLAC to investigate plastic zone with respect to stress ratio and direction of stresses. The relationship between the properties of surrounding rock and plastic zone boundary was also investigated by another numerical model and analytical study, whereby the tailgate stability of panel 30,501 in Tashan coal mine was implemented. It is shown that the rocks surrounding a roadway in the lower coal seam were subjected to unequal stresses, and the principal stress direction was deflected from the original direction. High stresses and big stress ratio can produce butterfly-shaped or X-shaped plastic zone. The direction of stresses was deflected, causing the plastic zone around the roadway to be transferred from the shoulder to the roof of the roadway. Consequently, asymmetrical stresses produce asymmetrical plastic zone. On this basis, the tailgate should be assigned conditions of the stresses and stress ratio at a low level. In this way, the tailgate was arranged at the position where the horizontal distance from the roadway in the lower seam to the centre line of the coal pillar in the upper seam (x) is 52.5 m, and was stable relatively.     

Adaptive base-isolation of civil structures using variable amplification

Semi-active dampers are used in base-isolation to reduce the seismic response of civil engineering structures. In the present study, a new semi-active damping system using variable amplification will be investigated for adaptive baseisolation. It uses a novel variable amplification device （VAD） connected in series with a passive damper. The VAD is capable of producing multiple amplification factors, each corresponding to a different amplification state. Forces from the damper are amplified to the structure according to the current amplification state, which is selected via a semi-active control algorithm specifically tailored to the system＇s tmique damping characteristics. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the VAD-damper system for adaptive base-isolation, numerical simulations are conducted for three and seven-story base-isolated buildings subject to both far and near-field ground motions. The results indicate that the system can achieve significant reductions in response compared to the base-isolated buildings with no damper. The proposed system is also found to perform well compared to a typical semi-active damper.