Case study of reservoir triggered seismicity, Latian Dam, Tehran, Iran

Latian dam is located in the North East of Tehran in Elburz Mountain. It falls in the category of large dams according to the International Committee on Large Dams (ICOLD). It was constructed in 1967 for agricultural purposes, drinking water, and power generation. Producing triggered earthquakes may be a consequent result of dam construction. In this paper, the complete seismic statistics of the region from 1996 onwards has been studied to understand the seismic condition of Latain region. For this purpose, frequency of earthquakes within a radius of 30/60 km around the dam is studied considering its relationship with the reservoir volume variation. Using Gutenberg-Richter rule, parameter b of the region was determined within the same region. The results of this study show the existence of triggered seismicity around the reservoir of Latian dam. Considering the tectonic-geological condition of the region, the existence of triggered earthquakes may create landslides in the reservoir and around it.     

Carbamazepine Removal from Groundwater: Effectiveness of the TiO2/UV,Nanoparticulate Zero‐Valent Iron,and Fenton (NZVI/H2O2) Processes

Pharmaceutical compounds, widely produced and used all around the world, are partly responsible for the widespread water pollution in the environment. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an antiepileptic drug that persists in the environment for many years. In the present study, we used the TiO₂/UV, nanoparticulate zero‐valent iron (NZVI), and NZVI/H₂O₂ treatment processes to compare efficiency of CBZ removal from water. Influence of NZVI loading, H₂O₂ concentration, TiO₂ loading, UV lamp power, and the matrix (distilled water and groundwater) on CBZ removal efficiency was evaluated using full factorial design. Results indicated that the NZVI/H₂O₂ process oxidized CBZ within 5 min. On the other hand, the NZVI process alone did not reduce CBZ concentration after 120 min of process time. The NZVI/H₂O₂ process was equally effective in CBZ removal from both distilled water and groundwater whereas the TiO₂/UV process was less effective due to the presence of ions in groundwater. CBZ removal efficiency of the TiO₂/UV process declined 30% when the matrix was changed from distilled water to groundwater. Negative divalent ions, i.e., and , were the main cause of reduction of CBZ removal efficiency from groundwater. It is likely that these two ions adsorb onto, and consequently prevent the superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical OH^? from being generated on, the surface of the TiO₂.     

Performance of the horizontal drains in upstream shell of earth dams on the upstream slope stability during rapid drawdown conditions

Slope stability analysis during rapid drawdown is an important consideration in the design of embankment dams. During rapid drawdown, the stabilizing effect of the water on the upstream face is lost, but the pore water pressures within the embankment may remain high. As a result, the stability of the upstream face of the dam can be much reduced. Installing horizontal drains is a very efficient and cost-effective method for reducing the pore water pressure and increasing the stability of the upstream slope. The theory of horizontal drains in the upstream shell of earth dams is well established, but there seems to be limited resources available for the design of this type of horizontal drains. Hence, this study is focused on the performance of horizontal drains in the upstream shell of the slope of earth dams on the upstream slope stability during rapid drawdown conditions. The parametric study has been conducted on the variation of horizontal drain parameters such as the number of drains, their length, and their location. In this study, ten scenarios were analyzed based on different drainage configurations and the performance of each scenario is investigated on the seepage and the upstream slope stability during rapid drawdown conditions using finite element and limit equilibrium methods. The results demonstrated that the stability of the upstream slope during rapid drawdown conditions increases by increasing the number of drains. The length of drains extending further from its intersection with the critical failure surface does not provide any significant change in the factor of safety. Finally, the study also found that installing drains in the lower region of the upstream shell of earth dams gives more stability than those installed in higher elevations.     

Moment tensor inversion of nine events in Iran using INSN data

In this research, moment tensor (MT) inversion procedure in frequency domain is applied to nine events in order to evaluate the data efficiencies in computing source parameters of earthquakes in Iran. The events are recorded by Iranian National Seismological Network (INSN) stations, currently comprising 22 broadband stations. For the purpose of this study, first, the inversion procedure is applied to obtain source parameters. Then, the results obtained here are compared with those of Harvard global centroid moment tensors (GCMT) in order to estimate their reliabilities. The results show reasonable consistencies with those of Harvard GCMT within 0.075 uncertainties in logarithmic scalar moment or 0.05 in moment magnitude and 20° in Kagan angle for focal angles. Furthermore, according to the present research, the calculated source parameters are not significantly sensitive to the azimuthal gap.     

Thermal comfort and forecast of energy consumption in Northwest Iran

Assessing the climatic characteristics and identifying the climatic parameters of a specific region can play a major role in human welfare. Thermal comfort conditions are among the most significant factors of climatic variables in the northwestern regions of Iran due to the considerable spatial and temporal variations and are vital for environmental, energy and economic management. It is therefore necessary to advance our knowledge of the climatic conditions in order to provide an appropriate tool for managing climatic extremes. This requires charting of the range of clusters of the thermal comfort conditions in this region. In this study, the general atmosphere circulation model HADCM3 and the A1 scenario, downscaled by the LARS-WG model, were employed to simulate the climatic conditions in Iran during the period 2011–2040. The data obtained were compared with sampled data from six Iranian climatic stations for the 30-year period (1961–1990). In order to tabulate this comparison, six clusters per climatic station were defined based on intrinsic similarity of data. Results show an increase in the annual average temperature of these six stations by 1.69 °C for the predicted years, projected from the base years 1961–1990. This factor has resulted in an increment of the annual average thermal comfort temperature inside buildings by a magnitude of 0.52 °C in future decades. When the thermal requirements of the studied region were evaluated based on the real temperature difference and the degree of thermal comfort, it becomes clear that apart from cluster 1, the energy required to reach thermal comfort inside buildings will increase in the future. As a result of this temperature increase, an increase of the energy required to reach the thermal comfort is expected. This new methodology is an interesting tool and needs to be seriously considered by engineers and architects in designing buildings of the future.     

Origin of 1.8 Ga zircons in Post Eocene mafic dikes in the Roshtkhar area,NE Iran

The Roshtkhar area is located in the Khaf-Kashmar-Bardaskan volcano-plutonic belt to the northeastern Iran along the regional E–W trending Dorouneh Fault, northeastern of the Lut Block. There are several outcrops of subvolcanic rocks occurring mainly as dikes in the area, which intruded into Cenozoic intrusive rocks. We present U–Pb dating of zircons from a diabase dike and syenite rock using LA-ICP-MS that yielded an age of 1778 ± 10 Ma for the dike, indicating this Cenozoic dike has zircon xenocrysts inherited from deeper sources; and 38.0 ± 0.5 Ma, indicating an Late Eocene crystallization age for the syenite. Geochemically, the dikes typical of high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic magmas. Petrographic observations and major and trace element variations suggest that diabase melts underwent variable fractionation of clinopyroxene, olivine, and Fe-Ti oxides and minor crustal contamination during the differentiation process. Primitive mantle-normalized multi-element diagrams display enrichment in LILE, such as Rb, Ba, Th, U, and Sr compared to HFSE, as well as negative anomalies of Nb, Ta, P, and Ti, suggesting derivation from subduction-modified mantle. Chondrite-normalized REE plots show moderately LREE enriched patterns (<3.83 La_N/Yb_N <8.27), and no significant Eu anomalies. Geochemical modelling using Sm/Yb versus La/Yb and La/Sm ratios suggests a low-degree of batch melting (~1–3%) of a phlogopite-spinel peridotite source to generate the mafic dikes. The geochemical signatures suggest that the Roshtkhar mafic dikes cannot be related directly to subduction and likely resulted from melting of upper mantle in an extensional setting where the heat flow was provided from deeper levels. These dikes presumably derived the zircon xenocrysts from the assimilation of upper crust of Gondwanian basement. Processes responsible for partial melting of metasomatized lithospheric mantle and post-collision magmatism in NE Iran was triggered by heating due to asthenospheric upwelling in an extensional setting.     

Systematic study of effects of pH and ionic strength on attachment of phage PRD1

Objectives of this work are to investigate effects of pH and ionic strength (IS) on virus transport in saturated soil and to develop a quantitative relationship for these effects. A series of 50-cm column experiments with clean quartz sand under saturated conditions and with pH values of 5, 6, 7, 8, and IS values of 1, 10, and 20 mM were conducted. Bacteriophage PRD1 was used as a model virus. Applying a one-site kinetic model, attachment, detachment, and inactivation rate coefficients were determined from fitting breakthrough curves using the software package Hydrus-1D. Attachment rate coefficients increased with decreasing pH and increasing IS, in agreement with DLVO theory. Sticking efficiencies were calculated from the attachment rate coefficients and used to develop an empirical formula for sticking efficiency as a function of pH and IS. This relationship is applicable under unfavorable conditions for virus attachment. We compared sticking efficiencies predicted by the empirical formula with those from field and column experiments. Within the calibrated range of pH and IS, the predicted and observed sticking efficiencies are in reasonable agreement for bacteriophages PRD1 and MS2. However, the formula significantly overestimates sticking efficiencies for IS higher than 100 mM. In addition, it performs less well for viruses with different surface reactivity than PRD1 and MS2. Effects of pH and IS on detachment and inactivation rate coefficients were also investigated but the experimental results do not allow constraining these parameters with sufficient certainty.     

Bayesian estimation of b-value in Gutenberg–Richter relationship: a sample size reduction approach

Natural Hazards - One of the most widely used relationships for prediction of b-value is the Aki–Utsu relationship, which is based on the maximum likelihood estimating. This method has some...     

Partitioning of metals in sediments of the Haraz River (Southern Caspian Sea basin)

The Haraz River flows northwards through the Iranian Alborz mountains in the central region of Mazandaran province and empties into the Caspian Sea. This area has been a rich source of minerals from times immemorial. About 45 mines (coal, limestone, sand and gravel, etc.) have been operational for the last eight decades. Towards the estuary, the river receives a discharge of industrial, agricultural and urban wastes. Eight sediment samples from the Haraz River and its main tributaries were collected and analyzed for base metals as well as Sr and Fe. The chemical partitioning of metals (Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, Fe, Ni, Cr, Co and Sr) in each sample was determined in four fractions (acid-soluble, reducible, oxidizable and residual). The total content of each metal was also determined. The results showed relatively higher concentrations of Cd, As, Sr and Pb in comparison to that of shale. However, based on the chemical partitioning of metals, it is found that Pb, Co, Cd and Sr are the most mobile metals. In spite of the high As concentrations in sediments, it is not likely that this element is a major hazard for the aquatic environment, since it is found mainly in the residual fraction. Cadmium is the metal that showed the highest percentages in the acid-soluble fraction (the most labile) and the lowest in the residual fraction. However, Fe, Cr and Ni are present in the greatest percentages in the residual fraction, which implies that these metals are strongly linked to the sediments.