The effect of clay mineral content on the dynamic response of reconstituted fine grained soil

Fine grained soils with considerable amount of silt may exhibit sand-like or clay-like behavior depending on several factors such as the amount of fines and clay content, as well as the consistency limits, other variables being kept unchanged. This unpredictable behavior makes silts highly problematic, especially under seismic conditions. This paper describes the laboratory behavior of low plasticity Adapazari silt, known to be highly sensitive to cyclic loading. In the first phase of the basic study reported herein, Adapazari silt was mixed with different percentages of bentonite and kaolin and the behavior of these reconstituted mixtures was investigated in cyclic triaxial and dynamic simple shear tests. The purpose was to identify basic index properties and their threshold values to delineate sand- and clay-like behavior. Such a distinction may make it possible to complement field penetration resistance with appropriate adjustment factors to evaluate the pore pressure development potential, thus the risk of ground failure during an earthquake. The results show that there is a range of liquid limit and plasticity index values above which cyclic failure is significantly mitigated. It can now be stated that silts of intermediate and high plasticity may be deemed of relatively low potential for ground failure during seismic loading.     

Selective Preconcentration of Trace Amounts of Cu(II) With Surface‐Imprinted Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

In this study, a new sorbent is synthesized using surface imprinting technique. Cu(II)‐imprinted multiwalled carbon nanotube sorbent (Cu(II)‐IMWCNT) is used as the solid phase in the solid‐phase extraction method. After the preconcentration procedure, Cu(II) ions are determined by high‐resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry. A total of 0.1 mol L^?1 ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is used to remove Cu(II) ions from the sorbent surface. The optimum experimental conditions for effective preconcentration of Cu(II), parameters such as pH, eluent type and concentration, flow rate, sample volume, sorbent capacity, and selectivity are investigated. The synthesized solid phase is characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The maximum adsorption capacities of Cu(II)‐IMWCNT and non‐imprinted solid phases are 270.3 and 14.3 mg g^?1 at pH 5, respectively. Under optimum experimental conditions for Cu(II) ions, the limit of detection is 0.07 μg L^?1 and preconcentration factor is 40. In addition, it is determined to be reusable without significant decrease in recovery values up to 100 adsorption–desorption cycles. Cu(II)‐IMWCNT have a high stability. To check the accuracy of the developed method, certified reference materials, and water samples are analyzed with satisfactory analytical results.     

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.     

3D gravity modeling of Büyük Menderes basin in Western Anatolia using parabolic density function

A method to model 3D sedimentary basins with parabolic density contrast is applied to Büyük Menderes basin in Western Anatolia. The measured gravity fields, reduced to a horizontal plane, are assumed to be available at grid nodes of a rectangular/square mesh. Juxtaposed 3D vertical prisms with their geometrical epicenters on top coincide with grid nodes of a mesh to approximate a sedimentary basin. The algorithm based on Newton’s forward difference formula automatically calculates the initial depth estimates of a sedimentary basin assuming that 2D infinite horizontal slabs can generate the measured gravity fields and among these slabs the density contrast varies with depth. The lower boundary of a sedimentary basin is formulated by estimating the depth values of the 3D prisms with in predetermined limits. Measured gravity fields pertaining to the Büyük Menderes basin, Turkey, where the density contrast varies with depth, are interpreted to show the applicability of the method.     

Heavy metal contamination of soils and tea plants in the eastern Black Sea region,NE Turkey

The study area covers two geologically different regions which have intensively been carpeted by tea plants in the eastern Black Sea. The rocks exposed in the region contain considerable amount of trace metals due to Upper Cretaceous massive sulfide formations and tertiary epithermal mineralizations. Tea plants that grow in soils derived from such mineralized rocks contain different concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cd, P, Al, Na, K, and S. The content ratios of most of the analyzed elements except Al are higher in basaltic and sedimentary rocks. To describe the transfer of metals from soil to tea leaf, the Freundlich-type model (log c _plant = ac _soil + log b) is used. The metal concentrations in leaves of tea plant in the studied soils are ranked as Zn > Cu > Pb > Al > Cd > Fe. The capacity of the plant to affect the metal accumulation decreased as follows: Fe > Cd > Pb > Cu > Zn > Al. Negative correlations were found between pH and availability of Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Al elements by the tea plant. Experimental applications indicated that tea plant leaves growing on soils with high metal contents show some signs of toxicity. In soils where, particularly, ammonium sulfate fertilizer is used, metal uptake by the tea plant was found to be significantly higher as a result of extremely acidic character of the soil.     

Geothermometry applications for the Balıkesir thermal waters,Turkey

In this study, reservoir temperatures of Balıkesir geothermal waters in northwestern Turkey are estimated with various geochemical models. The geothermal fluids in the region are represented by Na–SO₄, Na–HCO₃ and Ca–HCO₃ type waters with discharge temperatures up to 98°C. It was determined that the solubility of silica in most of the waters is controlled by the chalcedony phase. Equilibrium states of the Balıkesir thermal waters studied by means of Na–K–Mg–Ca diagram, mineral saturation calculations and activity diagrams in the system composed of Na₂O–CaO–K₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O phases approximate a reservoir temperature of about 120°C. Most of the waters are found to be equilibrated with calcite, chalcedony ± quartz and muscovite at predicted temperature ranges, similar to those calculated from the chemical geothermometers.     

Mineralogy,diagenesis and hydrochemical evolution in a probertite–glauberite–halite saline lake (Miocene,Emet Basin,Turkey)

The Emet basin is one of the Neogene basins in western Turkey containing significant amounts of borate minerals, mainly colemanite. The petrologic study of core samples from two exploratory wells in the Do?anlar sector, under optic and electron microscopy, reveals a complex mineral association in which probertite, glauberite, and halite constitute the major primary phases (without mineral precursors) precipitated in a saline lake placed in a volcano-sedimentary context. Other sulfates (anhydrite, gypsum, thenardite, celestite and kalistrontite), borates (colemanite, ulexite, hydroboracite, tunellite, kaliborite and aristarainite), and sulfides (arsenopyrite, realgar and orpiment) are attributed to early diagenesis. So far, the Do?anlar deposit is the most important deposit of probertite known up to now.Chemical changes in the groundwater inflow led to the precipitation of Ca-bearing borates (colemanite) in the tuff-flat environment surrounding the lake, while Na–Ca sulfates and borates (glauberite and probertite) precipitated in the center of the lake. Fluid inclusion compositions in halite indicate that the advanced brines correspond to the Na-K-Cl-SO₄ type. During restricted stages of the saline lake, the residual brines seeped through the tuff-flat sediments, leading to transformations of previous precipitates that resulted in the formation of K-bearing minerals.The abundance of coccoid-like biogenic dolomite, colloidal arsenopyrite and the isotopic composition of sulfates are indicative of bacterial sulfate reduction. In contrast, arsenic sulfides are attributed to acidophilic micro-organisms in oxidizing conditions. Fluctuations of redox conditions in both free and interstitial brines control the biological influence in some diagenetic transformations.     

New paleomagnetic constraints on the late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic tectonic history of the Eastern Pontides

The Pontides are characterized by a series of Mesozoic-Cenozoic fold belts comprising a N-vergent foreland fold and thrust belt in the Western Pontides and a concave, upward-shaped fold belt in the Eastern Pontides. The curvature of the fold belt follows the Caucasus which may imply a phase of oroclinal bending. In order to test whether the fold curvature represents a phase of oroclinal bending, a paleomagnetic study has been carried out in the Eastern Pontides on late Cretaceous and middle Eocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks from 29 sites. Rock magnetic studies reveal medium-temperature components with an unblocking temperature of 400–580 °C, indicating pseudo-single domain titanomagnetite as the most abundant carrier of magnetic remanence in the middle Eocene rocks studied here. In the upper Cretaceous rocks, a high-temperature component with an unblocking range of 580–650 °C was isolated. Stepwise thermal and alternating field demagnetization isolated two components of remanent magnetization in middle Eocene rocks comprising a low unblocking temperature/coercivity component near the present field direction and a characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) component of D_s = 332.3°, I_s = 49.9° (k = 33.3, α₉₅ = 9.2°, N = 15 sites). A positive fold test at a 95% confidence level and a reversal test indicate a primary magnetization. Component analysis of the upper Cretaceous rocks identifies a stable ChRM D_s = 160.3°, I_s = −45.0°, (k =  85.6, α₉₅ = 6.0°, N =  8 sites) following removal of secondary remanence. Their ChRM direction passes fold and reversal tests at a 95% confidence level. Both the upper Cretaceous and middle Eocene paleomagnetic data from the Eastern Pontides and the Lesser Caucasus clearly demonstrate evidence of oroclinal bending that occurred contemporaneouslywith the convergence between Arabia and Eurasia in the Paleocene.     

Selective Separation and Preconcentration of Fe(III) and Zn(II) Ions by Solvent Extraction Using a New Triketone Reagent

A simple, rapid, and accurate method was developed for separation and preconcentration of trace levels of iron(III) and zinc(II) ions in environmental samples. Methyl‐2‐(4‐methoxy‐benzoyl)‐3‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐3‐oxopropanoylcarbamate (MMPC) has been proposed as a new complexing agent for Fe(III) and Zn(II) ions using solvent extraction prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Fe(III) and Zn(II) ions can be selectively separated from Fe(II), Pb(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), Cr(III), Ni(II), Cd(II), Ag(I), Au(III), Pd(II), Cr(VI), and Al(III) ions in the solution by using the MMPC reagent. The analytical parameters such as pH, sample volume, shaking time, amount of MMPC reagent, volume of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), effect of ionic strength, and type of back extractant were investigated. The recovery values for Fe(III) and Zn(II) ions were greater than 95% and the detection limits for Fe(III) and Zn(II) ions were 0.26 and 0.32 µg L^?1, respectively. The precision of the method as the relative standard deviation changed between 1.8 and 2.1%. Calibration curves have a determination coefficient (r²) of at least 0.997 or higher. The preconcentration factor was found to be 100. Accuracy of the method was checked by analyzing of a certified reference material and spiked samples. The developed method was applied to several matrices such as water, hair, and food samples.