Copper isotope fractionation in the Meiduk porphyry copper deposit,Northwest of Kerman Cenozoic magmatic arc,Iran

The Meiduk deposit possesses three different Cu reservoirs each with a unique Cu isotope signature. δ⁶⁵Cu for the leached cap minerals ranges from ?2.5 to +0.49‰ to ?0.45 to +0.3‰ for hypogene minerals and from +1.3 to +4.4‰ for supergene enrichment minerals. Oxidation of hypogene sulphides and effective trapping of copper (from solutions derived from the leached cap) in the supergene enrichment zone caused this relationship. A systematic pattern of low Cu isotope values close to the surface and higher isotope values with depth reveals a palaeo‐fluid pathway in the northwest–southeast direction over the deposit. Thus, the copper isotope data from leached cap and enrichment minerals can be used to monitor copper migration during supergene weathering at the Meiduk deposit.     

Ground motion record simulation for structural analysis by consideration of spectral acceleration autocorrelation pattern

A novel approach is introduced to generate simulated ground motion records by considering spectral acceleration correlations at multiple periods. Most of the current reliable Ground Motion Record(GMR) simulation procedures use a seismological model including source, path and site characteristics. However, the response spectrum of simulated GMR is somewhat different when compared with the response spectrum based on recorded GMRs. More specifi cally, the correlation between the spectral values at multiple periods is a characteristic of a record which is usually different between simulated and recorded GMRs. As this correlation has a signifi cant infl uence on the structural response, it is needed to investigate the consistency of the simulated ground motions with actual records. This issue has been investigated in this study by incorporating an optimization algorithm within the Boore simulation technique. Eight seismological key parameters were optimized in order to achieve approximately the same correlation coeffi cients and spectral acceleration between two sets of real and simulated records. The results show that the acceleration response spectra of the synthetic ground motions also have good agreement with the real recorded response spectra by implementation of the proposed optimized values.     

System dynamics approach for simulating water resources of an urban water system with emphasis on sustainability of groundwater

Water resources management is an important driver in social and economic development. Water shortage is one of the most critical issues threatening human welfare, public health, and ecosystems. This issue has turned into a major challenge in many river basins all around the world due to the imbalance in water supply and demand. Use of simulation models can be effective tools in providing water managers with scientifically supported decisions in dealing with complex and uncertain water resource systems. System dynamics approach serves as a management tool and may play an important role in understanding the cause–effect in water resources systems. In the present study, system dynamics approach was applied to simulate management strategies dealing with Tehran metropolitan water resources systems. In the developed model, the trend of water storage in the next 30-year period and the effectiveness of water supply strategies were simulated. The results showed that, despite the growing shortage of the water resources, optimal use of existing resources under appropriate strategies could reduce water deficit within the next 30 years.     

The Gol-e-Zard Zn-Pb Deposit,Lorestan Province,Iran: a Metamorphosed SEDEX Deposit简

The Gol-e-Zard Zn-Pb deposit is one of several sediment-hosted Zn-Pb deposits found in the central part of the Sanadaj-Sirjan Zone, known as the Isfahan-Malayer belt, western Iran. Mineralization occurs in Upper Triassic to Jurassic phyllites and meta-sandstones. Sphalerite and galena are the most abundant metallic ores, with minor chalcopyrite. Calcite and quartz are the main gangue minerals. Fissure filling, replacement textures and especially mineralized faults, suggest an epigenetic stage in the Gol-e-Zard deposit formation. Geochemical studies of mineralized rocks show high concentrations of Zn, Pb and Cu,（Zn and Pb 〉 10000 ppm and Cu average 3000 ppm）. LREE enrichment（LREE〉HREE, La/Lu average 1.44） and positive Eu anomalies（Eu/Eu＊〉1 average 1.67） indicate reducing conditions during the deposition of deposit. However, some samples do not display negative Ce anomalies, which indicate that localized oxidizing conditions are also present. This study indicates that the Gol-e-Zard deposit formed due to circulating hydrothermal fluids in a marine environment. A SEDEX-type genesis, which is defined by circulating hydrothermal fluids through sediments in a marine environment, and syngenetic precipitation of Zn and Pb sulphides, is suggested for the Gol-e-Zard deposit. Emplacement of some granitoid intrusions such as the Aligudarz granitoid intrusion remobilized mineralizing fluids and metamorphosed the Gol-e-Zard deposit.     

Compounding effects of human activities and climatic changes on surface water availability in Iran

Climatic Change - By combining long-term ground-based data on water withdrawal with climate model projections, this study quantifies the compounding effects of human activities and climate change...     

Developing an agricultural flood loss estimation function (case study: rice)

In recent years, flood control has been replaced by flood management concept in terms of living with flood, making benefit of it, and minimizing its losses. Succeeding in flood management in any region depends on the evaluation of different types of flood losses. Because of providing water resources and suitable arable lands, especially in arid and semiarid countries, floodplains are very important for agricultural activities. These lands are naturally vulnerable to flood; henceforth, determining the degree of protection and acceptable risk in flood damage-reduction projects without agricultural flood loss evaluation could be unrealistic. In this research, effective hydraulic parameters for flood loss estimation were determined and a set of laboratory tests were performed to evaluate the loss of rice, as the main crop in the study region, under different hydraulic conditions. In this regard, flow parameters like depth, velocity, multiplication of depth and velocity, shear stress, the Froude number, and the Reynolds number were employed for different rice growth stages including after transplanting, shooting, clustering, and harvesting. Analyzing the results showed that the Reynolds number, as a dimensionless parameter, is the best one for simulation of flood physical factor-loss function. Statistical analysis revealed that the logarithmic function is the best regression equation fitted to the Reynolds number-loss function. The amount of loss depends on growth stage; therefore, the time of flood occurrence is of vital importance for agricultural loss estimation. In this research, it was realized that the amount of loss is increased in the following order: after transplanting, shooting, harvesting, and clustering.     

Cost–benefit analyses to assess the potential of Operational Earthquake Forecasting prior to a mainshock in Europe

In the past couple of decades, Operational Earthquake Forecasting (OEF) has been proposed as a way of mitigating earthquake risk. In particular, it has the potential to reduce human losses (injuries and deaths) by triggering actions such as reinforcing earthquake drills and preventing access to vulnerable structures during a period of increased seismic hazard. Despite the dramatic increases in seismic hazard in the immediate period before a mainshock (of up to 1000 times has been observed), the probability of a potentially damaging earthquake occurring in the coming days or weeks remains small (generally less than 5%). Therefore, it is necessary to balance the definite cost of taking an action against the uncertain chance that it will mitigate earthquake losses. In this article, parametric cost–benefit analyses using a recent seismic hazard model for Europe and a wide range of inputs are conducted to assess when potential actions for short-term OEF are cost–beneficial prior to a severe mainshock. Ninety-six maps for various combinations of input parameters are presented. These maps show that low-cost actions (costing less than 1% of the mitigated losses) are cost–beneficial within the context of OEF for areas of moderate to high seismicity in the Mediterranean region. The actions triggered by OEF in northern areas of the continent are, however, unlikely to be cost–beneficial unless very large increases in seismicity are observed or very low-cost actions are possible.