An integrated web framework for HAZUS-MH flood loss estimation analysis

Natural Hazards - Flood emergency management practices cover various aspects of flooding, such as demography, infrastructure, economy, transportation, and agriculture. Emergency managers and local...     

Biomarker analysis of the upper Jurassic Naokelekan and Barsarin formations in the Miran Well-2, Miran oil field,Kurdistan region,Iraq

The Miran oilfield is one of the new oil fields in Kurdistan region, northern Iraq, located in the Sulaimani Governorate. Twelve Cuttings samples from the Upper Jurassic Naokelekan and Barsarin formations in well Miran-2 were selected for detailed organic geochemical investigations. All the samples were subjected to bitumen extraction in order to study any biomarkers present using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The dominance of low-molecular-weight n-alkanes and other calculated parameters indicate a marine source for the organic matter derived from planktonic algal and bacterial precursors deposited under anoxic conditions. The isoprenoids/n-alkanes ratios indicate type II and mixed II/III kerogen for both formations. The type II/III kerogen is characteristic of transitional environment under anoxic to dysoxic conditions as also indicated by the homohopane index for studied samples. More argillaceous carbonate rocks were deposited when reducing conditions were prevalent. Medium to high gammacerane index values in the rock extracts probably indicate a stratified water column during deposition of both formations. The studied samples from both formations have entered peak oil window maturity as reflected from the biomarker ratios from both aliphatic and aromatic fractions of the extracts.     

Incorporation of silica into the goethite structure: a microscopic and spectroscopic study

Quartz and iron (hydr)oxide are reactive surface phases that are often associated with one another in soils and sediments. Despite the several studies on the coating of quartz with iron oxides, the reactivity of dissolved species (Si) leached from quartz with iron (hydr)oxides has received limited attention. In this study, goethite synthesized on quartz substrates were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The SEM characterization revealed that bundles of thin parallel aligned goethite rods were formed at pH?>?10, while large pseudohexagonal crystals of twinned goethite needles were synthesized at pH?≤?10 after dehydration and hydration in the alkaline media. TEM analysis showed expanded and distorted lattice spacing of the crystal structure of iron (hydr)oxide due to silica incorporation. The characterization showed that silica increased the crystallite size of the goethite and transformed its acicular texture to a larger, twinned needle structure. FT-IR and XRD analyses revealed band shifts in crystal bonds as well as new bond formations, which indicate the presence of changes in the chemical environment of Fe–O and Si–O bonds. Thus, the presence of sorbed silicates modifies the crystal and lattice structure of goethite.     

Paleomagnetism of Carboniferous sediments from the West Sudetes (SW Poland)

The studied Carboniferous flysch and molasse sediments from the Intra-Sudetic Basin correspond to the period from Middle Visean to Early Autunian. Main magnetic minerals carrying the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) are goethite, magnetite, maghemite and hematite, all usually secondarily formed and/or remagnetized due to several tectonometamorphic events. In most samples several NRM components were isolated. One of them is usually a Jurassic-Triassic overprint. Some others define the Westphalian-Early Permian segment of the declination and inclination trajectory for the Sudetes calculated according to the reference apparent polar wander path for the Baltica plate. The Sudetic path is slightly shifted to the east compared to the reference path, suggesting the possibility of independent movements of the Sudetes during this time. The majority of isolated NRM components are secondary and related to the Sudetic orogenic phase and later tectonometamorphic activity.     

Application of a two-dimensional electrical tomography technique for investigating landslides along the Amman–Dead Sea highway, Jordan

Electrical tomography geophysical surveys were conducted with the SYSCAL-R2 resistivity instrument at the location of instantaneous rock failure of a few 1,000s m³ along the Amman-Dead Sea highway, Jordan, providing a ground image for investigating landslide sites which caused material damage and closed the road. This slide occurred along two major fault planes after heavy rainfall in a rock consisting of a succession of shale, marl and marly limestone layers which were folded, tilted and fractured. Three electrical tomography profiles were performed along the axis of the slope to assess the landslide risk in such potential unstable areas. The results obtained, based on two-dimensional inversion of field data, have allowed mapping of the shale zones at depths which are characterized by a lower resistivity value, and have demonstrated that the rupture was initiated at the contact between the shale mass (black colored) and the massive limestone (white, yellowish-brown colored).     

Analytic network process for criteria selection in sustainable coastal land use planning

The coastal lands are very important boundaries in the natural system. But these areas are under pressure that has threatened their health by short-sighted planning policies. The management options have focused on economic production and human benefits rather than the natural systems that guaranty sustainability of them. Evaluation of sustainability in coastal lands needs some critical criteria and indicators. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate an innovative reliable method for identification of the most important criteria and indicators using multi criteria techniques, especially the Analytic Network Process (ANP). Analytic Network Process as a new approach has potential to be applied into the field of coastal land use development. This is the first time ANP has been used for criteria selection to ensure sustainability in coastal land use planning. The integration of social, economic and environmental criteria within the planning framework in this paper has provided a holistic approach for integrated coastal land use development.     

Seismic risk assessment at the proposed site of Gemsa wind power station,southwestern coast of Gulf of Suez,Egypt

Gemsa has been chosen as the site for one of a new generation of power stations along the south-western margin of the Gulf of Suez. This site has been affected by a number of destructive earthquakes (M_w> 5), in addition to large number of earthquakes with magnitudes of less than 5. In this study seismic activities in the region were collected and re-evaluated, and the main earthquake prone zones were identified. It is indicated that this site is affected by the southern Gulf of Suez, northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba source zones. The southern Gulf of Suez source zone is the nearest to the proposed site. The stochastic simulation method has been applied to estimate the Peak GroundAcceleration at the site of the proposed Gemsa power plant. It was noticed that the pseudo-spectral acceleration (PSA) reaches 175 cm/sec2 resulting from the southern Gulf of Suez seismic source. In addition, the response spectrum was conducted with a damping value of 5% of the critical damping, and the predominant period reached 0.1sec at the site. These results should be taken into consideration by civil engineers and decision-makers for designing earthquake resistant structures.