Shear waves in elastic medium with void pores welded between vertically inhomogeneous and anisotropic magnetoelastic semi-infinite media

The paper intends to study the propagation of horizontally polarized shear waves in an elastic medium with void pores constrained between a vertically inhomogeneous and an anisotropic magnetoelastic semi-infinite media. Elasto-dynamical equations of elastic medium with void pores and magnetoelastic solid have been employed to investigate the shear wave propagation in the proposed three-layered earth model. Method of separation of variables has been incorporated to deduce the dispersion relation. All possible special cases have been envisaged and they fairly comply with the corresponding results for classical cases. The role of inhomogeneity parameter, thickness of layer, angle with which the wave crosses the magnetic field and anisotropic magnetoelastic coupling parameter for three different materials has been elucidated and represented by graphs using MATHEMATICA.     

Salinisation de l’aquifère libre de la Chaouia côtière (Azemmour-Tnine Chtouka), Maroc

L’aquifère libre de la Chaouia côtière constitue un exemple des aquifères les plus exploités au Maroc. Ce travail est consacré à l’étude des processus de la salinisation des eaux souterraines par l’analyse physico-chimique de 39 puits répartis dans la zone. Deux types de faciès ont été révélés, l’un est chloruré-sodique dans la frange côtière ; l’autre faciès est de type chloruré bicarbonaté-calcique caractérisant les eaux exploitées dans les calcaires marneux du Crétacé. L’influence marine (aérosols et intrusion marine), la dissolution/précipitation de la roche aquifère et l’infiltration des eaux d’irrigation, sont parmi les causes de l’augmentation de la salinité des eaux souterraines, en plus de l’exploitation excessive de l’eau souterraine.     

Crop evapotranspiration in the Nile Delta under different irrigation methods

Eddy correlation measurements within the Nile Delta allowed the determination of evapotranspiration (E) for seven crops (rice, maize, cotton, sugar beet, berseem, wheat and fava beans) using basin irrigation (BI), furrow irrigation (FI), BI with increased intervals (BI_i), FI with increased intervals (FI_i), strip irrigation (SI) and drip irrigation (DI). Total E values over the cropping season for rice (BI, BI_i) were the highest (>600 mm), while those for sugar beet (DI), maize (SI and DI) and berseem (BI_i) were the lowest (<250 mm). The differences were due to a combination of atmospheric demand, soil moisture, the presence of surface standing water, root depth, and the length and timing of the cropping season. The DI and SI methods had the advantage for water saving, while the FI_i and BI_i methods were effective for crops with shallow root lengths. Estimated annual E was 566–828 mm/year (water-saving irrigation) and 875–1225 mm/year (conventional irrigation).     

Structuring factors of the spatio-temporal variability of macrozoobenthos assemblages in a southern Mediterranean lagoon: How useful for bioindication is a multi-biotic indices approach?

The authors investigated the impact of the extension of the El Kantra Channel on the composition and structure of macrobenthic assemblages in Boughrara Lagoon (Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia along with the use of 4 biotic indices (AMBI, BENTIX, M-AMBI and TUBI). Thirteen stations were sampled seasonally in 2012–2013. Forty-one species were found in 2012–2013 not recorded in 2009–2010, including 20 species of polychaetes belonging to the trophic groups of deposit-feeders and carnivores which are expected to increase in areas disturbed by organic pollution. During the survey, we recorded a high fish mortality, essentially caused by the development of harmful algal blooms (HAB) which increased organic matter deposition, thus inducing polychaete development. This seems to weaken the bio-indicating power of biotic indices used here which, paradoxically, classified all sampled stations at a high ecological status. A review of these indices and their applicability to all marine environments is recommended.     

Compositional time series analysis for Air Pollution Index data

The increasing importance of understanding the structure of Air Pollution Index (API) makes it necessary to come out with a compositional of API based on its pollutants. This will be more comprehensible for the public and easier to cooperate with authorities in reducing the causes of air pollution. Since five pollutants contribute in determining the API values, API can be shown as a compositional data. This study is conducted based on the data of API and its pollutants collected from Klang city in Malaysia for the period of January 2005 to December 2014. The proportion of each pollutant in API is considered as a component with five components in a compositional API. The existence of zero components in some pollutants, that have no effect on API, is a serious problem that prevents the application of log-ratio transformation. Thus, the approach of amalgamation has been used to combine the components with zero in order to reduce the number of zeros. Also, a multiplicative replacement has been utilized to eliminate the zero components and replace them with a small value that maintains the ratios of nonzero components. Transforming the compositional data to log-ratio coordinates has been done using the additive log ratio transformation, and the transformed series is then modeled by using a VAR model. Four criteria are used to determine the number of lags p of VAR(p) and these are: the Akaike Information, the Schwartz, the Hannan–Quinn and the Final Prediction Error criteria. Based on the results, A VAR (1) model with no constants or trend is considered as the best fitted model and it is used to forecast 12 months ahead. In addition, API values are mainly determined by PM₁₀ that has a proportion close to one most of the time during study period. Therefore, authorities and researchers need to study the sources of PM₁₀ and provide the public with useful information and alternatives in term of reducing the air pollution.     

Updated earthquake catalogue for seismic hazard analysis in Pakistan

A reliable and homogenized earthquake catalogue is essential for seismic hazard assessment in any area. This article describes the compilation and processing of an updated earthquake catalogue for Pakistan. The earthquake catalogue compiled in this study for the region (quadrangle bounded by the geographical limits 40–83° N and 20–40° E) includes 36,563 earthquake events, which are reported as 4.0–8.3 moment magnitude (M_W) and span from 25 AD to 2016. Relationships are developed between the moment magnitude and body, and surface wave magnitude scales to unify the catalogue in terms of magnitude M_W. The catalogue includes earthquakes from Pakistan and neighbouring countries to minimize the effects of geopolitical boundaries in seismic hazard assessment studies. Earthquakes reported by local and international agencies as well as individual catalogues are included. The proposed catalogue is further used to obtain magnitude of completeness after removal of dependent events by using four different algorithms. Finally, seismicity parameters of the seismic sources are reported, and recommendations are made for seismic hazard assessment studies in Pakistan.     

Approaches for delineating landslide hazard areas using different training sites in an advanced artificial neural network model

The current paper presents landslide hazard analysis around the Cameron area, Malaysia, using advanced artificial neural networks with the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing techniques. Landslide locations were determined in the study area by interpretation of aerial photographs and from field investigations. Topographical and geological data as well as satellite images were collected, processed, and constructed into a spatial database using GIS and image processing. Ten factors were selected for landslide hazard including: 1) factors related to topography as slope, aspect, and curvature; 2) factors related to geology as lithology and distance from lineament; 3) factors related to drainage as distance from drainage; and 4) factors extracted from TM satellite images as land cover and the vegetation index value. An advanced artificial neural network model has been used to analyze these factors in order to establish the landslide hazard map. The back-propagation training method has been used for the selection of the five different random training sites in order to calculate the factor’s weight and then the landslide hazard indices were computed for each of the five hazard maps. Finally, the landslide hazard maps (five cases) were prepared using GIS tools. Results of the landslides hazard maps have been verified using landslide test locations that were not used during the training phase of the neural network. Our findings of verification results show an accuracy of 69%, 75%, 70%, 83% and 86% for training sites 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. GIS data was used to efficiently analyze the large volume of data, and the artificial neural network proved to be an effective tool for landslide hazard analysis. The verification results showed sufficient agreement between the presumptive hazard map and the existing data on landslide areas.     

Geochemical and geochronological characteristics of the Um Rus granite intrusion and associated gold deposit,Eastern Desert,Egypt

The Um Rus tonalite-granodiorite intrusion(~6 km2)occurs at the eastern end of the Neoproterozoic,ENE-trending Wadi Muba rak shear belt in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt.Gold-bearing quartz veins hosted by the Um Rus intrusion were mined intermittently,and initially by the ancient Egyptians and until the early 1900 s.The relationship between the gold mineralization,host intrusion,and regional structures has always been unclear.We present new geochemical and geochronological data that help to define the tectonic environment and age of the Um Rus intrusion.In addition,field studies are integrated with EPMA and LA-ICP-MS data for gold-associated sulfides to better understand the formation and distribution of gold mineralization.The bulk-rock geochemical data of fresh host rocks indicate a calc-alkaline,metaluminous to mildly peraluminous,I-type granite signature.Their trace element composition reflects a tectonic setting intermediate between subduction-related and within-plate environments,presumably transitional between syn-and post-collisional stages.The crystallization age of the Um Rus intrusion was determined by in situ SHRIMP 206 Pb/238 U and 207Pb/235U measurements on accessory monazite grains.The resultant monazite U-Pb weighted mean age(643±9 Ma;MSWD 1.8)roughly overlaps existing geochronological data for similar granitic intrusions that are confined to major shear systems and are locally associated with gold mineralization in the Central Eastrn Desert(e.g.,Fawakhir and Hangaliya).This age is also consistent with magmatism recognized as concomitant to transpressional tectonics(D2:~650 Ma)during the evolution of the Wadi Mubark belt.Formation of the gold-bearing quartz veins in NNE-SSW and N-S striking fault segments was likely linked to the change from transpressional to transtensional tectonics and terrane exhumation(D3:620-580 Ma).The development of N-S throughgoing fault arrays and dike swarms(~595 Ma)led to heterogeneous deformation and recrystallization of the mineralized quartz veins.Ore minerals in the auriferous quartz veins include ubiquitous pyrite and arsenopyrite,with less abundant pyrrhotite,chalcopyrite,sphalerite,and galena.Uncommon pentlandite,gersdorffite,and cobaltite inclusions hosted in quartz veins with meladiorite slivers are interpreted as pre-ore sulfide phases.The gold-sulfide paragenesis encompasses an early pyrite-arsenopyrite±loellingite assemblage,a transitional pyrite-arsenopyrite assemblage,and a late pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite±galena assemblage.Free-milling gold/electrum grains(10 sμm-long)are scattered in extensively deformed vein quartz and in and adjacent to sulfide grains.Marcasite,malachite,and nodular goethite are authigenic alteration phases after pyrrhotite,chalcopyrite,and pyrite and arsenopyrite,respectively.A combined ore petrography,EPMA,and LA-ICP-MS study distinguishes morphological and compositional differences in the early and transitional pyrites(PyⅠ,PyⅡ)and arsenopyrite(ApyⅠ,ApyⅡ).Py I forms uncommon small euhedral inclusions in later PyⅡand Apy II.PyⅡforms large subhedral crystals with porous inner zones and massive outer zones,separated by narrow As-rich irregular mantles.The Fe and As contents in PyⅡare variable,and the LA-ICP-MS analysis shows erratic concentrations of Au(<1 to 177 ppm)and other trace elements(e.g.,Ag,Te,and Sb)in the porous inner zones,most likely related to discrete sub-microscopic sulfide inclusions.The outer massive zones have a rather homogenous composition,with consistently lower abundances of base metals and Au(mean 1.28 ppm).The early arsenopyrite(Apy I)forms fine-grained euhedral crystals enriched in Au(mean 17.7 ppm)and many other trace elements(i.e.,Ni,Co,Se,Ag,Sb,Te,Hg,and Bi).On the other hand,ApyⅡoccurs as coarsegrained subhedral crystals with lower and less variable concentrations of Au(mean 4 ppm).Elevated concentrations of Au(max.327 ppm)and other trace elements are measured in fragmented and aggregated pyrite and arsenopyrite grains,whereas the undeformed intact zones of the same grains are poor in all trace elements.The occurrence of gold/electrum as secondary inclusions in deformed pyrite and arsenopyrite crystals indicates that gold introduction was relatively late in the paragenesis.The LAICP-MS results are consistent with gold redistribution by the N-S though-going faults/dikes overprinted the earlier NNW-SSE quartz veins in the southeastern part of the intrusion,where the underground mining is concentrated.Formation of the Um Rus intrusion and gold-bearing quartz veins can be related to the evolution of the Wadi Mubarak shear belt,where the granitic intrusion formed during or just subsequent to D2 and provided dilatation spaces for gold-quartz vein deposition when deformed by D3 structures.     

Separation of magnetic anomalies into induced and remanent magnetization contributions

Inversion of magnetic data is complicated by the presence of remanent magnetization, and it provides limited information about the magnetic source because of the insufficiency of data and constraint information. We propose a Fourier domain transformation allowing the separation of magnetic anomalies into the components caused by induced and remanent magnetizations. The approach is based on the hypothesis that each isolated source is homogeneous with a uniform and specific Koenigsberger ratio. The distributions of susceptibility and remanent magnetization are subsequently recovered from the separated anomalies. Anomaly components, susceptibility distribution and distribution of the remanent and total magnetization vectors (direction and intensity) can be achieved through the processing of the anomaly components. The proposed method therefore provides a procedure to test the hypotheses about target source and magnetic field, by verifying these models based on available information or a priori information from geology. We test our methods using synthetic and real data acquired over the Zhangfushan iron-ore deposit and the Yeshan polymetallic deposit in eastern China. All the tests yield favourable results and the obtained models are helpful for the geological interpretation.     

Lithology-dependent seismic anisotropic amplitude variation with offset correction in transversely isotropic media

Analysis of amplitude variation with offset is an essential step for reservoir characterization. For an accurate reservoir characterization, the amplitude obtained with an isotropic assumption of the reservoir must be corrected for the anisotropic effects. The objective is seismic anisotropic amplitude correction in an effective medium, and, to this end, values and signs of anisotropic parameter differences (Δδ and Δε) across the reflection interfaces are needed. These parameters can be identified by seismic and well log data. A new technique for anisotropic amplitude correction was developed to modify amplitude changes in seismic data in transversely isotropic media with a vertical axis of symmetry. The results show that characteristics of pre-stack seismic data, that is, amplitude variation with offset gradient, can be potentially related to the sign of anisotropic parameter differences (Δδ and Δε) between two layers of the reflection boundary. The proposed methodology is designed to attain a proper fit between modelled and observed amplitude variation with offset responses, after anisotropic correction, for all possible lithofacies at the reservoir boundary. We first estimate anisotropic parameters, that is, δ and ε, away from the wells through Backus averaging of elastic properties resulted from the first pass of isotropic pre-stack seismic inversion, on input data with no amplitude correction. Next, we estimate the anisotropic parameter differences at reflection interfaces (values and signs of Δδ and Δε). We then generate seismic angle gather data after anisotropic amplitude correction using Rüger's equation for the P-P reflection coefficient. The second pass of isotropic pre-stack seismic inversion is then performed on the amplitude-corrected data, and elastic properties are estimated. Final outcome demonstrates how introduced methodology helps to reduce the uncertainty of elastic property prediction. Pre-stack seismic inversion on amplitude-corrected seismic data results in more accurate elastic property prediction than what can be obtained from non-corrected data. Moreover, a new anisotropy attribute (ν) is presented for improvement of lithology identification.