Geophysical Constraints on the Location and Nature of the North Saharan Flexure in Southern Tunisia

Gravity data, integrated with seismic refraction/reflection data, well data and geological investigations, were used to determine the location of the paleogeographic boundary between the Precambrian Saharan domain and the younger Tunisian Atlas domain. This boundary (North Saharan Flexure or NSF) has not been as clearly defined as it has been to the west in Algeria and Morocco. The gravity data analysis, which included the construction of complete Bouguer and residual gravity anomaly maps, revealed that the Atlasic domain is characterized by relative negative gravity anomalies and numerous linear gravity trends implying a thick and deformed sediment cover. The Saharan domain is characterized by relatively positive gravity anomalies with few gravity trends implying a thin and relatively undeformed sediment cover. An edge-enhancement analysis of the residual gravity anomalies revealed that the NSF is characterized by a series of discontinuous east- and northwest-trending linear anomalies south of 34°N that are not related to the well-known faults within the Gafsa and Accident de Medenine regions. Based on the continuity of the amplitudes of seismic reflection data and the trends of the residual gravity anomalies, the NSF is not an abrupt discontinuity but a series of step faults dipping toward the Atlasic domain. To obtain a more quantitative representation of the southern edge of Tunisian Atlas, a regional gravity model constrained by two wells and seismic reflection/refraction data was constructed along a north-south trending profile which confirms the presence of thicker sediments north of the NSF. Our analysis shows that the NSF has controlled the depositional environment of the sedimentary rocks within the region since at least Triassic time and has acted as a barrier to Atlasic deformation south of the NSF. The NSF is considered an important tectonic feature that has controlled the paleogeographic evolution of the southern margin of the Tethys Ocean, and it continues to be active today based on seismicity hazard studies.     

Green and Sustainable Commercial Property Supply in Malaysia and Nigeria

The aim of this study is to identify the predictive factors and variables that motivate decisions to supply sustainable or green commercial properties, and to apply discriminant analysis technique to assess if there are significant differences in perception between real estate developers in Malaysia and Nigeria based on the identified variables. The result revealed a significant discriminant function differentiating the two countries based on their perception of the variables. The motivational components and attributes were found to be in favor of Malaysia. The Wilks' lambda F‐test and the standardized discriminant function coefficients, showed that there were significant differences between developers in both countries as assessed by the life‐cycle cost motivations, green policies and certification, market strategy, developers expected rate of return, green tax incentive, and available green skills. However, the variables with the most predictive power in accounting for the differences were found to be within the measures of life‐cycle, cost‐saving motivations.     

Karst groundwater resources in the countries of eastern Mediterranean: the example of Lebanon

The hydrogeological study of some karst systems in Lebanon shows important storage capacity, up to 27 billions m³ for Zarka system, the spring of Orontes River. Their geological and morphological settings, as well as their hydrodynamic function, show structures developed below the level of present springs, probably up to several hundreds meters at depth. Since Miocene, those carbonate formations were subject to a remarkable instability of their base levels. Variations of sea level, of which the Messinian salinity crisis is the major phase, and effects of the alpine orogenesis, combined with climate variations to develop complex, multiphased karst systems. Karstification occurs frequently in the whole formation, often deeply below sea level or underneath sediment filling of continental basins. The surface karst landscape is often intensely eroded. Those multiple, superimposed karst phases give the carbonate aquifers their large extension and storage capacity. These karst aquifers show the typical easy restoration of storage. They have the ability to bear large interannual recharge variations and support exploitation under high pumping rates. However, these aquifers have some disadvantages for sustainable management. In some regions, successful boreholes, which allow high pumping rates also induce uncontrolled exploitation. Another consequence is natural seawater intrusion, as well as the submarine discharge of fresh groundwater, in coastal aquifers. Those carbonate aquifers are subject to important economical stress which jeopardizes their durability. The systematic study and understanding of carbonate aquifers in Eastern Mediterranean is a preliminary condition to any integrated and sustainable management of water resources. Studies in progress in Lebanon may serve as examples to the whole region.     

Signatures of rift environment in the production of garnet-amphibolites and eclogites from Tso-Morari region, Ladakh, India: A geochemical study

The geochemistry of eclogites and garnet-amphibolites from Tso-Morari region, Ladakh, India has been investigated to characterize their protoliths on the basis of immobile elements, especially trace elements including REE. The eclogites and garnet-amphibolites have coherent compositions, except for the UHP metamorphic minerals being preserved in eclogites. Compositionally, the metabasites range from ‘depleted’ to ‘enriched’, and span from within-plate basalts (WPB) to MORB fields, and match with various enriched or ‘transitional’ MORB types (e.g., on Ti–Zr–Y and Nb–Zr–Y ternary plots). Isotopically they have Sr_i ratio 0.706 which is similar to some of the Ocean Island Basalt (OIB). The rocks under study suggest that the enriched components are probably derived by melting of a mantle source with an enriched OIB-type component rather than due to the crustal contamination. We propose a rift environment for their protoliths and relate to advanced intra-continental rift situation. Furthermore, our geochemical studies envisage an initial phase of plume activity (Cambrian or earlier) resulting in basaltic magma in the eclogitic layers at sub-lithospheric levels, wherein they were subjected to crystallization under ultra-high pressure conditions. At a later stage the reactivation of faults (probably during Permo-Triassic times) acted as channels for the emplacement of the high pressure rocks in the continental crust. Subsequently, the ultra-high pressure rocks got re-equilibrated as amphibolites, with some remaining as relict eclogites, which later got exposed to the surface during various phases of the Himalayan uplift.     

A Coastal Aquifer Study Using Magnetotelluric and Gravity Methods in Abo Zenema, Egypt

Magnetotelluric (MT) soundings and gravity methods were employed to study the deep freshwater aquifer in the area north of Abo Zenema city on the eastern side of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Seven MT sites and 48 gravity stations were surveyed along northeast–southwest profiles as close as possible to a line perpendicular to the coast of the Gulf of Suez. The MT survey was conducted using high and low frequencies to investigate shallow and deep areas, respectively. One-dimensional inversion was conducted using a heuristic inversion scheme of the Bostick algorithm. The MT data were also inverted with a 2-D smooth model inversion routine using the nonlinear conjugate gradient method to infer variation in vertical and lateral resistivity inside the Earth. A 100-Ohm-m homogeneous half-space initial model was used to invert the TE mode data only. Then, the inverted model obtained from the TE mode data was used as an initial model for inversion of the TM mode data. The inverted model thus obtained from the TM mode data inversion was used as an initial model for the inversion of the joint TE and TM responses. Two-dimensional (2-D) forward modeling of the gravity data was conducted using the 2-D polygon method of Talwani’s algorithm for an arbitrarily shaped body and was based on the subsurface information from the MT survey and the available information about the geological structure of the study area. This method enabled us to obtain the basement structure of the coastal aquifer in the study area. The results from the analysis and the interpretation of MT and gravity data were used to detect and delineate the groundwater coastal aquifer in the study area.     

The role of E–W basement faults in the Mesozoic geodynamic evolution of the Gafsa and Chotts basins,south-central Tunisia

The Gafsa and Chotts intracratonic basins in south-central Tunisia are transitional zones between the Atlasic domain to the north and the Saharan platform to the south. The principal aim of this paper is to unravel the geodynamic evolution of these basins following an integrated approach including seismic, well log and gravity data. These data are used to highlight the tectonic control on the deposition of Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous series and to discuss the role of the main faults that controlled the basin architecture and Cretaceous–Tertiary inversion. The horizontal gravity gradient map of the study area highlights the pattern of discontinuities within the two basins and reveals the presence of deep E–W basement faults. Primary attention is given to the role played by the E–W faults system and that of the NW–SE Gafsa fault which was previously considered active since the Jurassic. Facies and thickness analyses based on new seismic interpretation and well data suggest that the E–W-oriented faults controlled the subsidence distribution especially during the Jurassic. The NW–SE faults seem to be key structures that controlled the basins paleogeography during Late Cretaceous–Cenozoic time. The upper Triassic evaporite bodies, which locally outline the main NW–SE Gafsa fault, are regarded as intrusive salt bodies rather than early diapiric extrusions as previously interpreted since they are rare and occurred only along main strike-slip faults. In addition, seismic lines show that Triassic rocks are deep and do not exhibit true diapiric features.     

Statistical improvement in detection level of gravitational microlensing events from their light curves

In astronomy,the brightness of a source is typically expressed in terms of magnitude.Conventionally,the magnitude is defined by the logarithm of received flux.This relationship is known as the Pogson formula.For received flux with a small signal to noise ratio(S/N),however,the formula gives a large magnitude error.We investigate whether the use of Inverse Hyperbolic Sine function(hereafter referred to as the Asinh magnitude)in the modified formulae could allow for an alternative calculation of magnitudes for small S/N flux,and whether the new approach is better for representing the brightness of that region.We study the possibility of increasing the detection level of gravitational microlensing using 40 selected microlensing light curves from the 2013 and 2014 seasons and by using the Asinh magnitude.Photometric data of the selected events are obtained from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment(OGLE).We found that utilization of the Asinh magnitude makes the events brighter compared to using the logarithmic magnitude,with an average of about 3.42×10~(-2)magnitude and an average in the difference of error between the logarithmic and the Asinh magnitude of about 2.21×10(-2)magnitude.The microlensing events OB140847 and OB140885 are found to have the largest difference values among the selected events.Using a Gaussian fit to find the peak for OB140847 and OB140885,we conclude statistically that the Asinh magnitude gives better mean squared values of the regression and narrower residual histograms than the Pogson magnitude.Based on these results,we also attempt to propose a limit in magnitude value for which use of the Asinh magnitude is optimal with small S/N data.