Fish community responses to invasive fish removal and installation of an exclusion barrier at Lake Ohinewai,Waikato

Introduced common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are a recognised threat to New Zealand’s freshwater ecosystems. In 2011, an invasive fish removal programme was undertaken in 16.8 ha Lake Ohinewai, a Waikato riverine lake. Active fish removal using netting and boat electrofishing was supported by installation of a one-way exclusion barrier on the outflow to Lake Ohinewai. The barrier was designed to allow fish passage downstream out of the lake, while preventing adult carp from moving upstream. The estimated carp population was reduced from 8,548 fish (5,863–12,937, 95% confidence limits) in 2011–454 fish (251–889, 95% CL) in 2014. However, by 2016 the carp population had recovered to 2,063 fish (1,070–4,328, 95% CL) with increased abundance in invasive brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) also observed. This research demonstrates that carp populations can be reduced to low abundances in the short to medium term, but continued removal will be required for on-going control.     

Stratification of selected hydrolytic enzyme activities in the sediment in two lakes in Finland

To investigate the stratification of hydrolytic enzyme activities and importance of subsurface layers in depolymerization of detritus biopolymers,nine hydrolytic enzyme activities involved in the cycling of carbon,phosphorus,nitrogen and sulphur were measured in various sediment layers and their extracts at Kylaniemi in Lake Saimaa in southern Finland and in Lake Ahvenjarvi in northern Finland. The results show that for each lake all nine hydrolytic enzyme activities were higher in all sediment layers than in comparable sediment extracts indicating that the major part of enzymes was bound to the sediment particles in all layers in both lakes.Carbohydratase,P-cellobiosidase,activities did not show any gradient with sediment depth at Kylaniemi in Lake Saimaa indicating that there was rapid turnover of carbohydrates in the entire sediment column.The activities of acetate esterase,butyrate esterase,phosphomonoesterase,aminopeptidase,N-acetyl glucosaminidase,sulphatase andβ-glucosidase in the deepest layers were 19-53%of those in the surface sediment indicating that depolymerization of biopolymers involved in the cycling of carbon,nitrogen,phosphorus and sulphur was substantial in subsurface sediment.     

Lithology and hydrocarbon mapping from multicomponent seismic data

Elastic rock properties can be estimated from prestack seismic data using amplitude variation with offset analysis. P‐wave, S‐wave and density ‘reflectivities’, or contrasts, can be inverted from angle‐band stacks. The ‘reflectivities’ are then inverted to absolute acoustic impedance, shear impedance and density. These rock properties can be used to map reservoir parameters through all stages of field development and production. When P‐wave contrast is small, or gas clouds obscure reservoir zones, multicomponent ocean‐bottom recording of converted‐waves (P to S or Ps) data provides reliable mapping of reservoir boundaries. Angle‐band stacks of multicomponent P‐wave (Pz) and Ps data can also be inverted jointly. In this paper Aki‐Richards equations are used without simplifications to invert angle‐band stacks to ‘reflectivities’. This enables the use of reflection seismic data beyond 30° of incident angles compared to the conventional amplitude variation with offset analysis. It, in turn, provides better shear impedance and density estimates. An important input to amplitude variation with offset analysis is the V_s/V_p ratio. Conventional methods use a constant or a time‐varying V_s/V_p model. Here, a time‐ and space‐varying model is used during the computation of the ‘reflectivities’. The V_s/V_p model is generated using well log data and picked horizons. For multicomponent data applications, the latter model can also be generated from processing V_s/V_p models and available well data. Reservoir rock properties such as λρ, μρ, Poisson's ratio and bulk modulus can be computed from acoustic impedance, shear impedance and density for pore fill and lithology identification. λ and μ are the Lamé constants and ρ is density. These estimations can also be used for a more efficient log property mapping. V_p/V_s ratio or Poisson's ratio, λρ and weighted stacks, such as the one computed from λρ and λ/μ, are good gas/oil and oil/water contact indicators, i.e., pore fill indicators, while μρ mainly indicates lithology. μρ is also affected by pressure changes. Results from a multicomponent data set are used to illustrate mapping of gas, oil and water saturation and lithology in a Tertiary sand/shale setting. Whilst initial log crossplot analysis suggested that pore fill discrimination may be possible, the inversion was not successful in revealing fluid effects. However, rock properties computed from acoustic impedance, shear impedance and density estimates provided good lithology indicators; pore fill identification was less successful. Neural network analysis using computed rock properties provided good indication of sand/shale distribution away from the existing wells and complemented the results depicted from individual rock property inversions.     

Recovery of Phosphate Sludge as Concrete Supplementary Material

The automotive industry plays a major role in the worldwide economy and represents an opportunity to increase the performance of the Turkish economy. Phosphating units in the automotive manufacturing plants generate phosphate sludge as waste, which is classified as hazardous waste in the European Waste Catalogue. Phosphate sludge must be disposed of in licensed disposal plants according to the current environmental regulations. Solidification/stabilization (S/S) is a widely used treatment technology for the disposal of hazardous wastes. Portland cement is used for the solidification and stabilization processes to immobilize Ni and Zn in the phosphate sludge as well as to create construction material to be used as cobble stone for pavement. Examination of products obtained by S/S processes is performed for two points: to determine the quality and to assess the environmental impacts. The phosphate sludge samples are subjected to chemical characterization and a size distribution analysis leaching test. Concrete for cobble stone was produced by the S/S process with the addition of phosphate sludge to replace sand. Tests for the quality of the product were carried out to determine compressive strength, permeability, and elasticity. At the end of the leaching test, elution concentrations of Zn and Ni while using water with pH values of 4.0, 5.4, and 9.0 were determined to be under the limit of inert material properties. Use of phosphate sludge should be considered as a sand replacement in the proportion of 1% of phosphate sludge to cement in concrete production, such as for cobble stone for pavement, without any adverse environmental impacts.     

Crushed recycled glass as a filter medium and comparison with silica sand

The objective of this work was to evaluate crushed recycled glass as a medium for rapid filtration. In the first part of this work, physical and hydraulic characteristics of the glass medium were studied. In the second part, pilot scale inline filtration experiments were carried out using raw waters from three different water sources. Two physically identical filter columns were operated in parallel in all the experiments. One filter contained a silica sand medium that is widely used in Turkey, whereas the other filter contained crushed recycled glass. Experiments were repeated five times as follows: (i) Without the use of a coagulant, (ii–iii) with 5 mg/L and 10 mg/L of alum, and (iv–v) with 5 mg/L and 10 mg/L of ferric chloride. Turbidity, particle counts, and head losses were measured and compared as functions of time. The following were observed: (1) Provided that a coagulant was used, the filter containing crushed glass produced effluent turbidities and particle counts similar to those obtained with the sand filter. (2) The crushed glass medium generated both a smaller clean‐bed head loss and smaller clogging head losses than those of the sand filter. It is concluded that crushed glass shows significant promise as an alternative to silica sand in rapid filtration.     

Seismic crust structure beneath the Aegean region in southwest Turkey from radial anisotropic inversion of Rayleigh and Love surface waves

The Turkish plate is covered by hundreds of accelerometer and broadband seismic stations with less than 50 km inter-station distance providing high-quality earthquake recordings within the last decade. We utilize part of these stations to extract the fundamental mode Rayleigh and Love surface wave phase and group velocity data in the period range 5–20 s to determine the crust structure beneath the Aegean region in southwest Turkey. The observed surface wave signals are interpreted using both single-station and two-station techniques. A tomographic inversion technique is employed to obtain the two-dimensional group velocity maps from the single-station group velocities. One-dimensional velocity–depth profiles under each two-dimensional mesh point, which are jointly interpreted to acquire the three-dimensional image of the shear-wave velocities underneath the study area, are attained by utilizing the least-squares inversion technique, which is repeated for both Rayleigh and Love surface waves. The isotropic crust structure cannot jointly invert the observed Rayleigh and Love surface waves where the radial anisotropic crust better describes the observed surface wave data. The intrusive magmatic activity related to the northward subducting African plate under the Turkish plate results the crust structure deformations, which we think, causing the observed radial anisotropy throughout complex pattern of dykes and sills. The magma flow resulting in the mineral alignment within dykes and sills contributes to the observed anisotropy. Due to the existence of dykes, the radial anisotropy in the upper crust is generally negative, i.e., vertically polarized S-waves (Vsv) are faster than horizontally polarized S-waves (Vsh). Due to the existence of sills, the radial anisotropy in the middle-to-lower crust is generally positive, i.e., horizontally polarized S-waves (Vsh) are faster than vertically polarized S-waves (Vsv). Similar radial anisotropic results to those of the single-station analyses are obtained by the two-station analyses utilizing the cross-correlograms. The widespread volcanic and plutonic rocks in the region are consistent with the current seismic interpretations of the crustal deformations.     

Long-Term 3D Hydrodynamic Modeling and Water Surface Statistics in Marmara Sea

Marmara Sea (MS) lies in the strategic crossroad, accommodating one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. In general, there is a two-layer current system in the MS and Turkish Straits system; the brackish waters originating in the Black Sea (BS) (18 PSU) moving southward to the Aegean Sea (AS), and a lower layer return flow of saltier Aegean waters (38.5 PSU) back to the BS. This variability poses a challenging task within the modeling perspective. In this research, 3D hydrodynamic modeling of MS is performed in order to investigate the spatial and temporal behavior of elevations between years 2000 and 2015. During the calibration process, the grid configuration, time step, and model coefficients (Manning bed roughness coefficient, a wind drag coefficient and horizontal viscosity are coefficients) are adjusted until the computed solution produced the best match to the observed data such as water surface elevations, velocities, and net discharges. To this end, a series of simulations are made. As a result, the observed and the predicted water surface elevations follow each other very closely. The developed model could accurately estimate the net discharge as well. In order to understand the behavior of MS, elevation pattern is calculated and depicted both on annual and seasonal scales. It is demonstrated that the influence of seasonally varying strong fresh water river discharges of Danube in BS have strong influence on the water mass characteristics of the MS.     

Factors controlling the morphological evolution of the Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles, Turkey)

Seismic profiling, bathymetric and physical oceanographic data collected from the Çanakkale Strait revealed that the morphological evolution of the strait has been controlled by tectonic activity, and sediment erosion and deposition. Sediments in the strait have been sourced mostly by rivers draining the Biga Peninsula during lowstand periods. In highstand periods, by contrast, deposits in the strait were reworked by currents. The seafloor morphology of the Çanakkale Strait is also controlled by a sequence of factors ranging from tectonics to current erosion and deposition. Channel deposits overlying the basement are being eroded at the narrower, meandering central section of the strait (the Nara Passage) due to high current velocities. The eroded sediments are deposited in the relatively linear and wider, northern and southern sectors of the strait exposed to low current velocities. As a result, the high-energy areas are more deeply incised due to the erosion, whereas deposition elevates the seafloor in the areas exposed to lower current energy. Three strike-slip faults, which possibly relate to the activity of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, are responsible for the irregular shape of the strait and this, in turn, controls the current velocity along the strait. The high-energy conditions probably commenced with the latest invasion of Mediterranean waters some 12 ka b.p., and have continued as a two-layered current system to the present day.     

Marine vibrators: the new phase of seismic exploration

Marine seismic vibrators are generally considered to be less intrusive than airguns from an environmental perspective. This is because they emit their energy spread out in time, rather than in a single, high-intensity pulse. There are also significant geophysical benefits associated with marine vibrators, and they stem from the ability to specify in detail the output acoustic waveform. The phase can be specified independently at each frequency. Such detailed control cannot be achieved with conventional airgun sources, where the phase can only be modified using simple overall time delays. The vibrator phase can be employed in several different ways: it can be applied to the overall source phase in a sequence so that it varies from one source point to the next; it can be applied to the individual vibrators within the source array so the source directivity is changed; it can be applied to the overall source phase of each source in a simultaneous source acquisition. Carefully designed phase sequences can attenuate the residual source noise, and this in turn allows extra source points to be interleaved between the conventional ones. For these extra source points, the relative phase of the vibrators within the array can be chosen to create a transverse gradient source, which illuminates the earth predominantly in directions out of the plane of the sail line without left/right ambiguity. If seismic vibrator data are acquired using interleaved conventional and transverse gradient sweeps, more information is collected per kilometre of vessel travel than is the case in conventional acquisition. This richer data acquisition leads to the possibility of acquiring all the necessary seismic data in a shorter time. Three-dimensional reconstruction techniques are used to recover the same image quality that would have been obtained using the conventional, more time-consuming acquisition. For a marine vibrator to be suitable for these techniques it must, in general terms, have ‘high fidelity’. The precise device specifications are defined through realistic end-to-end simulations of the physical systems and the processing. The specifications are somewhat more onerous than for a conventional vibrator, but they are achievable. A prototype vibrator that satisfies these requirements has been built. In a simulated case study of a three-dimensional deep-water ocean bottom node survey, the seismic data could have been acquired using marine vibrators in one third of the time that it would have taken using airguns.