Interactive effect of nitrogen fertilizer and hydrocarbon pollution on soil biological indicators

The investigation of the impact of different forms of nitrogen fertilizer (NO₃-N and NH₄-N) on microbial parameters, enzyme activities and phytotoxicity in a petroleum-contaminated soil was evaluated by an incubation study. The tested enzymes, microbial activity and seed germination index showed different patterns in response to both petroleum and nitrogen fertilizer addition and time of incubation. The results apparently showed that the contamination of soil with petroleum has a negative effect on soil ecosystem. Nitrogen fertilizer could improve inhibition of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil. Nevertheless, nitrogen fertilizer had no significant effect on urease activity in the petroleum-contaminated soil. As compared to NO₃-N, the addition of NH₄-N to the soil resulted in a greater impact on soil performance as attested by the recovery of the soil germination capability and higher values of the respiration. The application of nitrogen fertilizer may be suggested as a good strategy for restoring soils in regions affected by the same problem.     

Geochemistry of Ground and Groundwater Pertinent to Chemical Attacks Mitigation on Concrete Foundations; A Case Study of the City of Rasht,Northern Iran

Presence of aggressive chemicals in ground and groundwater can deteriorate concrete foundations or its reinforcements. Concrete codes require preventive measures to assure durability of concrete foundations which is based on geochemistry information of the site. Construction in the city of Rasht, in the Iranian Caspian coast, is fast growing often without sufficient geochemistry data for residential buildings. The later may pose risk of chemical attacks on concrete foundations. To resolve this shortcoming, this study aimed at investigating geochemistry of ground and groundwater from the upper 10 m which can serve as a preliminary guideline for shallow foundation constructions in the city. The database for this study included previous geochemical investigations from 50 boreholes in the city as well as boring eleven test pits at various locations along with soil and groundwater geochemistry tests. The geochemistry experiments included measurement of sulfate, chloride, organic matter, as well as pH in soil and groundwater. Geochemistry of ground and groundwater in the city mostly fell within permissible limits set by a local concrete code. Based on current study, service environment for shallow concrete foundations in the city was categorized in a moderate class; hence, durability requirements from the same local concrete code were emphasized.     

A practical and efficient numerical scheme for the analysis of steady state unconfined seepage flows

The scaled boundary finite‐element method (SBFEM), a novel semi‐analytical technique, is applied to the analysis of the confined and unconfined seepage flow. This method combines the advantages of the finite‐element method and the boundary element method. In this method, only the boundary of the domain is discretized; no fundamental solution is required, and singularity problems can be modeled rigorously. Anisotropic and nonhomogeneous materials satisfying similarity are modeled without additional efforts. In this paper, SBFE equations and solution procedures for the analysis of seepage flow are outlined. The accuracy of the proposed method in modeling singularity problems is demonstrated by analyzing seepage flow under a concrete dam with a cutoff at heel. As only the boundary is discretized, the variable mesh technique is advisable for modeling unconfined seepage analyses. The accuracy, effectiveness, and efficiency of the method are demonstrated by modeling several unconfined seepage flow problems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

APG:A novel python-based ArcGIS toolbox to generate absence-datasets for geospatial studies

One important step in binary modeling of environmental problems is the generation of absence-datasets that are traditionally generated by random sampling and can undermine the quality of outputs.To solve this problem,this study develops the Absence Point Generation(APG)toolbox which is a Python-based ArcGIS toolbox for automated construction of absence-datasets for geospatial studies.The APG employs a frequency ratio analysis of four commonly used and important driving factors such as altitude,slope degree,topographic wetness index,and distance from rivers,and considers the presence locations buffer and density layers to define the low potential or susceptibility zones where absence-datasets are gener-ated.To test the APG toolbox,we applied two benchmark algorithms of random forest(RF)and boosted regression trees(BRT)in a case study to investigate groundwater potential using three absence datasets i.e.,the APG,random,and selection of absence samples(SAS)toolbox.The BRT-APG and RF-APG had the area under receiver operating curve(AUC)values of 0.947 and 0.942,while BRT and RF had weaker per-formances with the SAS and Random datasets.This effect resulted in AUC improvements for BRT and RF by 7.2,and 9.7％from the Random dataset,and AUC improvements for BRT and RF by 6.1,and 5.4％from the SAS dataset,respectively.The APG also impacted the importance of the input factors and the pattern of the groundwater potential maps,which proves the importance of absence points in environmental bin-ary issues.The proposed APG toolbox could be easily applied in other environmental hazards such as landslides,floods,and gully erosion,and land subsidence.     

Biostratigraphy and Sequence Stratigraphy of the Tarbur Formation (Maastrichtian) from Iranian Zagros Foreland Basin, Southwest of Iran

Shallow carbonate deposits(Tarbur Formation)were formed in the Zagros foreland basin with dynamic tectonics during the Maastrichtian age.From the viewpoint of reconstruction of depositional conditions in these deposits,studies of biostratigraphy,microfacies,microtaphofacies,and sequence stratigraphy were performed in a single area at Tang-e Shabi Khoon,northwest of Zagros.Based on the identification of two assemblage zones consisting of benthic foraminifera in these strata,the formation was deposited during the middle to late Maastrichtian.The number of cycles in test size and type of coiling in Loftusia decreased from the study area toward the northwest of the Neotethys basin.The input of clastic sediments affected the distribution of Loftusia and rudists in the study area.Nine microfacies,six microtaphofacies,and one terrigenous facies(shale)were identified based on the sedimentary features.These deposits of the middle-late Maastrichtian were deposited on a homoclinal carbonate ramp.The platform can be divided into restricted and semi-restricted lagoon,shoal,and open marine environments.In the study area,the deposits of the Tarbur Formation were deposited during four third-order depositional sequences.Local fault activities affected the formation of depositional sequences in the study area.     

Modeling and assessing the effects of land use changes on runoff generation with the CLUE-s and WetSpa models

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Land use change is an important determinant of hydrological processes and is known to affect hydrological parameters such as runoff volume, flood frequency,...     

Artificial recharge efficiency assessment by soil water balance and modelling approaches in a multi-layered vadose zone in a dry region

To assess recharge through floodwater spreading, three wells, approx. 30 m deep, were dug in a 35-year-old basin in southern Iran. Hydraulic parameters of the layers were measured. One well was equipped with pre-calibrated time domain reflectometry (TDR) sensors. The soil moisture was measured continuously before and after events. Rainfall, ponding depth and the duration of the flooding events were also measured. Recharge was assessed by the soil water balance method, and by calibrated (inverse solution) HYDRUS-1D. The results show that the 15 wetting front was interrupted at a layer with fine soil accumulation over a coarse layer at the depth of approx. 4 m. This seemed to occur due to fingering flow. Estimation of recharge by the soil water balance and modelling approaches showed a downward water flux of 55 and 57% of impounded floodwater, respectively.     

Factors associated with unnecessary requests for an ambulance by non-traumatic patients after the acute earthquake responding phase: a qualitative content analysis

The pre-hospital emergency staff played a key role in transferring the injured patients to health centers. Usually, they reported changes in their decisions on the transfer of non-traumatic patients to hospitals. So, this study was aimed to explore the reasons for unnecessarily requesting an ambulance by non-traumatic patients after the acute responding-to-earthquake phase. This study was a qualitative study that data were analyzed by content analysis approach. Participants were eleven pre-hospital emergency technicians. Data were collected by three sessions of focus group discussion. Data analysis was led to emergence of a main theme: “feeling urgency due to turmoil and uncertainty.” This theme illustrates the basic approach of the inhabitants of the earthquake-stricken region when unnecessarily requesting an ambulance. This theme was derived from two main categories of “turbulent and uncertain conditions” and “psychological turmoil.” The category of “turbulent and uncertain conditions” was comprised of three subcategories: “unreliable care,” “inadequate facilities” and “turbulent living conditions.” The category of “psychological turmoil” was comprised of three subcategories: “psychological turmoil in survivors,” “healthcare providers deciding under pressure” and “turmoil in providing psychological and psychiatric services.” Ambulance dispatch may be unnecessarily performed owing to turbulent and unsure conditions and psychological turmoil in earthquake-stricken people and pre-hospital emergency staff. Providing earthquake-stricken people with psycho-medical services in their place of residence can significantly reduce the workload of pre-hospital emergency staff and consequently that of hospital staff and therefore save time and treatment costs and increase the quality of health services provided for the injured.

     

An Introduction to MODISI and SCMOD Methods for Correction of the MODIS Snow Assessment Algorithm

Detection, monitoring and precise assessment of the snow covered regions is an important issue. Snow cover area and consequently the amount of runoff generated from snowmelt have a significant effect on water supply management. To precisely detect and monitor the snow covered area we need satellite images with suitable spatial and temporal resolutions where we usually lose one for the other. In this study, products of two sensors MODIS and ASTER both on board of TERRA platform having low and high spatial resolution respectively were used. The objective of the study was to modify the snow products of MODIS by using simultaneous images of ASTER. For this, MODIS snow index image with high temporal resolution were compared with that of ASTER, using regression and correlation analysis. To improve NDSI index two methods were developed. The first method generated from direct comparison of ASTER averaged NDSI with those of MODIS (MODISI). The second method generated by dividing MODIS NDSI index into 10 codes according to their percentage of surface cover and then compared the results with the difference between ASTER averaged and MODIS snow indices (SCMOD). Both methods were tested against some 16 MODIS pixels. It is found that the precision of the MODISI method was more than 96%. This for SCMOD was about 98%. The RMSE of both methods were as good as 0.02.