Soil properties and moisture characteristics and their relationship with crop mid-day stress in the Sudan Gezira

This study is mainly about the relationship of the moisture holding and release capacity of soils with their texture, particularly the clay fraction. Soil samples collected from various sites in the Sudan Gezira were analysed for physical and chemical properties and moisture characteristics. Generally the soils were clayey except the recent alluvium which was loamy. The pH was alkaline and the electric conductivity < 1.0 dS m^–1. The studied soils were calcareous and very poor in organic matter, their intermediate to high water holding capacity being due mainly to the presence of large quantities of clay. Matric potentials of –0.4 to –1.5 MPa reduced soil moisture for all types of soils but the effects were not necessarily quantitatively equal. Permanent wilting point — moisture content at – 1.5 MPa — varied widely (10.5 – 22.0%) amongst the different soils and this was mainly attributed to texture and mineralogy of the soil clays. Bulk density decreased with increase in clay content. Calcium carbonate content was found to have no apparent relationship with the moisture content of these soils. The amount of silt fraction seems to have an overriding effect on the relationship between soil moisture availability in the recent alluvium soil and its subsequent release to growing plants. The results are discussed in relation to the phenomenon of mid-day stress observed in all grown crops of the Sudan Gezira.     

Are carbonate barrier islands mobile? Insights from a mid to late-Holocene system,Al Ruwais,northern Qatar

Barrier islands are important landforms in many coastal systems around the globe. Studies of modern barrier island systems are mostly limited to those of siliciclastic realms, where the islands are recognized as mobile features that form on transgressive coastlines and migrate landward as sea-level rises. Barrier islands of the ‘Great Pearl Bank’ along the United Arab Emirates coast are the best-known carbonate examples. These Holocene islands, however, are interpreted to be anchored by older deposits and immobile. The mid-Holocene to late-Holocene depositional system at Al Ruwais, northern Qatar, provides an example of a mobile carbonate barrier island system, perhaps more similar to siliciclastic equivalents. Sedimentological and petrographic analyses, as well as ¹⁴C-dating of shells and biogenic remains from vibracored sediments and surface deposits, show that after 7000 years ago a barrier system with a narrow back-barrier lagoon formed along what is now an exposed coastal zone, while, contemporaneously, a laterally-extensive coral reef was forming immediately offshore. After 1400 years ago the barrier system was forced to step ca 3 km seaward in response to a sea-level fall of less than 2 m, where it re-established itself directly on the mid-Holocene reef. Since that time, the barrier has retreated landward as much as 1000 m to its current position, exposing previously-deposited back-barrier lagoonal sediment at the open-coast shoreline. In modern neritic warm-water carbonate settings mobile barrier island systems are rare. Their construction and migration may be inhibited by reef formation, early cementation, and the relative inefficiency of sourcing beach sediments from open carbonate shelves. Carbonate barrier island systems likely formed more commonly during geological periods when ramps and unrimmed shelves predominated and in calcite seas, when meteoric cementation was minimized as a result of initial calcitic allochem mineralogy. As with their siliciclastic analogues, however, recognition of the influence of these transient landforms in the rock record is challenging.     

Saturated and unsaturated River Nile/groundwater aquifer interaction systems in the Nile Valley, Egypt

Surface water bodies interact with underlying aquifer systems, creating a complex flow system and flow paths. In general, a surface water body may be classified as gaining, losing, or flow through on the basis of its interaction with the surrounding aquifer. In the Nile Valley, the quaternary aquifer system is in a direct hydraulic interaction with the River Nile, canals, and drains. In this study, a regional numerical model was developed and used to evaluate the interaction between surface water bodies and the quaternary aquifer system in the Nile Valley. The solution is considered for a quasi three-dimensional, steady-state groundwater flow. The model used simulates the interaction between surface water bodies and groundwater for saturated and unsaturated flow conditions. In addition, a hydrodynamic model was used to simulate different extreme (high and low) scenarios for Nile surface water levels along the distance between Old Aswan Dam and Delta Barrages. Model calibration shows close results, and the model was used to simulate surface water levels. Results indicate that the Nile River acts as a drain for the quaternary aquifer (gaining water from the aquifer), although in the reaches upstream of the main barrages, the Nile loses the water, recharging the aquifer. All other main canals are recharging the aquifer system. The seepage rate depends mainly on the difference in piezometric head between the aquifer system and surface water bodies, as well as the hydraulic conductance of the base layer sediments of the surface water body. The model was used to evaluate the regional water balance for the Nile Valley and to estimate the surface water bodies' gains and losses.     

Hydrothermal alteration and evolution of Zr-Th-U-REE mineralization in the microgranite of Wadi Ras Abda,North Eastern Desert,Egypt

Ras Abda plutonic suite, North Eastern Desert of Egypt, consists predominantly of Neoproterozoic calc-alkaline older granites. Minor exposures of pink microgranite are occurring along Wadi Ras Abda within the older granites. Previous studies on this area demonstrated that the microgranite is altered in some parts and contains anomalous concentrations of rare metal elements (Zr, Th, and U). These altered and mineralized zones are re-assessed using field observations, chemical analysis, and by the application of various transmitted light and electron microscopic techniques. The rare metals exist as mineral segregation grew freely into open cavities of the microgranite and concordant with the NNE strike-slip fault movement. The mineralized zones contain an assemblage of secondary magnetite, zircon, uranothorite, columbite-(Mn), fergusonite-(Y), and allanite-(Ce). The extreme abundance of zircon in the mineralized zone, along with other evidence, indicates a hydrothermal origin of this zircon together with associated rare metals. The geochemical investigation and mass balance calculations revealed extreme enrichment of Zr, Th, U, Y, Nb, Ta, and REE. Post-magmatic hydrothermal alterations resulted in such pronounced chemical and mineralogical heterogeneity. The hydrothermal fluids are thought to be oxidizing, alkaline and of medium temperature (>?250 °C). The average contents of the elements Zr (1606 ppm), Th (1639 ppm), U (306 ppm), Nb (955 ppm), and REE (1710 ppm) in the mineralized microgranite reach sub-economic levels and could be a potential source of these elements.     

Elimination of hydraulic effects for cassiterite in a Malaysian Stream

Geochemical patterns for elements, such as Sn, W and Au, present in drainage sediments as resistate heavy minerals are often erratic and difficult to interpret. To investigate the source of these problems and develop methods of eliminating them we have compared the behavior of Sn, present as cassiterite, and associated pathfinder elements downstream from a small primary Sn deposit in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia.Dispersion trains for the pathfinder elements are characterized by smooth decay patterns and differences in concentrations between high- and low-energy environments, characterized by coarse-and medium-grained sands respectively, are not significant. In contrast, Sn (and magnetite) concentrations are extremely erratic with significantly higher concentrations in high- compared to low-energy environments. As a result the dispersion train for Sn exhibits no regular decay pattern away from its source. These findings suggest that the action of the stream is analogous to that of sluice box, with light minerals being winnowed away and cassiterite, together with magnetite, accumulating. For all but the finest sizes this process, which is most efficient in high-energy environments, causes considerable local variability in Sn content of the sediments. However, because the hydraulic behavior of cassiterite and magnetite is similar, but magnetite is not associated with the primary mineralization, the Sn/magnetite ratio can be used to eliminate Sn anomalies resulting from local variations in hydraulic conditions.The concept of hydraulic equivalence of cassiterite and magnetite was extended to examining the relationship between Sn and different size fractions of the light minerals that constitute the bulk of most sediments. Greatest contrast is obtained when the Sn content of the −270 mesh (−53 μm) fraction is re-expressed as its hydraulic equivalent concentration in −65 + 100 mesh (−212 + 150 μm) material.For exploration purposes it is concluded that: (1) providing cassiterite is present in the fine size fractions, sampling of this material will reduce hydraulic effects, thereby reducing data variability, and can also increase the length of the anomalous dispersion train; and (2) hydraulic effects can also be reduced by re-expressing Sn concentrations as ratios to magnetite (provided this is not associated with the primary Sn mineralization) or a hydraulically equivalent size fraction of the light minerals that constitute the bulk of the sediment. Similar principles probably apply to the interpretation of geochemical data for other elements dispersed in drainage sediments as heavy minerals; this warrants further investigation.     

Factors controlling the changes and spatial variability of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Junipers phoenicea</Emphasis> in Jabal Al Akhdar,Libya, using remote sensing and GIS

The Junipers phoenicea, which covers 70 % of the Jabal Al Akhdar (Green Mountain) in Cyrene on the northeast coast of Libya, has deteriorated over large scales. To deal with this problem, the images of the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) in conjunction with the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM) were used to map factors controlling the J. phoenicea mortality using a set of automated algorithms and tools. These factors include altitude, slope, aspect, curvature, drainage pattern, seawater intrusion, and land cover. As a first step, changes of J. phoenicea and land cover during the period from the year 2000 to 2015 were mapped. The results showed a sharp decline in J. phoenicea covering an area of 396 km² (22 %) of the total area. The result also showed that areas at a lower elevation with steep slope and faced to the south and southeast directions have a higher probability of J. phoenicea distribution. The spatial analysis showed a positive correlation between wetness and the intensity of J. phoenicea mortality. The results also show that altitude and slope have the most influencing power on the J. phoenicea morality. This study is of great help for decision makers and agriculture engineers and permits a better understanding of ecological and biomass changes in the Jabal Al Akhdar, Libya, over a regional scale.     

Electrical and electromagnetic surveys to locate possible causes of water seepage to ground surface at a quarry open pit near Helwan city,Egypt

Water seepage to ground surface at a limestone quarry located at Wadi Garawy about 20 km south-east of Helwan city in Egypt posed a real threat to the mining activity at the quarry. The quarry area is known to be very dry for decades and away from water utilities and infrastructures that may cause water leaks to the quarry. Geophysical investigation including 1D Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and 1D Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) surveys were conducted to characterize the rock sequence and locate what could be a possible source of water seepage to the quarry. The resistivity profiles generated from the VES and TEM surveys mapped the rock units in the area down to depths exceeded 100 m. The ERT profiles acquired from the quarrying zone close to the water seepage spot have imaged the top of groundwater level at few meters below the ground surface at the quarry open pit. The spot of groundwater seepage seemed to occur at an area of limestone dissolution that were filled by finer sediments. The finer sediments acted as a hydrological conduit that allowed an upward seepage of groundwater to ground surface under the capillary action effect.     

Tunisian landfill leachate treatment using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella</Emphasis> sp.: effective factors and microalgae strain performance

The potential of the autoclaved Tunisian landfill leachate treatment using microalgae (Chlorella sp.) cultivation was investigated in this study. Landfill leachate was collected from Borj Chakir landfill, Tunisia. A full factorial experimental design 2² was proposed to study the effects of the incubation time and leachate ratio factors on the organic matter removal expressed in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₄─N) and on the biological response of Chlorella sp. expressed by the cell density and chlorophyll content. All experiments were batch runs at ambient temperature (25 ± 2 °C). The Chlorella sp. biomass and chlorophyll a concentrations of 1.2 and 5.32 mg L^?1, respectively, were obtained with 10% leachate spike ratio. The obtained results showed that up to 90% of the ammoniacal nitrogen in landfill leachate was removed in 10% leachate ratio spiked medium with a residual concentration of 40 mg L^?1. The maximum COD removal rate reached 60% within 13 days of incubation time indicating that microalgae consortium was quite effective for treating landfill leachate organic contaminants. Furthermore, with the 10% leachate ratio spiked medium, the maximum lipid productivity was 4.74 mg L^?1 d^?1. The present study provides valuable information for potential adaptation of microalgae culture and its contribution for the treatment of Tunisian landfill leachate.