Liquefaction resistance evaluation of soils using artificial neural network for Dhaka City,Bangladesh

Natural Hazards - Soil liquefaction resistance evaluation is an important site investigation for seismically active areas. To minimize the loss of life and property, liquefaction hazard analysis is...     

A new look on Imperial Porphyry: a famous ancient dimension stone from the Eastern Desert of Egypt—petrogenesis and cultural relevance

International Journal of Earth Sciences - Imperial Porphyry, a famous dimension stone of spectacular purple color, was quarried in the Mons Porphyrites area north of Jabal Dokhan in the Eastern...     

Magnetic and seismic refraction survey for site investigation of an urban expansion site in Abha District,Southwest Saudi Arabia

Arabian Journal of Geosciences - Ground magnetic and seismic refraction survey is carried out on an urban extension site in the southwest of Ahud Rufeidah town, southwest Saudi Arabia. The purpose...     

Influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the water quality of the coastal waters around the South Andaman in the Bay of Bengal

During the last decade, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) have witnessed a marginal population growth with associated variations and degradation in the water quality of the inhabited coastal region. Monthly water quality data collected from six coastal locations in ANI were used to evaluate the anthropogenic influence in an otherwise pristine island environment. Exceptionally low dissolved oxygen (0.7–2.0 mg/L) at the Phoenix Jetty (PJ) and mangrove site indicates hypoxic conditions. Among the nutrients, nitrate shows high values at PJ due to heavy nutrient loading from domestic sewage. The cluster analysis segregated PJ from the remaining sites, indicating deterioration in the water quality. On the other hand, water quality at Sippighat, a low-intensity aquaculture site, does not indicate any deterioration. Apart from the large modulations in the water quality of the study area by the Bay of Bengal waters, the effect of domestic waste discharges significantly affects the coastal waters of Andaman. Though the present water quality at most of the study sites appears acceptable, the increased volume of tourism and allied activities poses a potential threat to the island ecosystem. Besides the anthropogenic influences, the long-term trends in oceanographic factors were analyzed in order to decipher the expected natural effect on future water quality of the region. Based on the increasing sea surface temperature as well as the decreasing chlorophyll-a, eddy kinetic energy, and zonal kinetic energy, we propose that the combined effect of both natural and anthropogenic factors can ultimately distress the present ambient water quality of ANI.     

Finite larmor-radius effects on Rayleigh-Taylor instability of a dusty magnetized plasma

This paper discusses the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability of an infinitely conducting medium having an exponential density distribution which includes the effects of finite ion Larmor-radius (FLR) corrections and suspended particles in the presence of a uniform horizontal magnetic field. The relevant equations of the problem are linearized and from the linearized perturbation equations a dispersion relation is obtained, using appropriate boundary conditions. It has been found that the criterion for the stable density stratification remains uninfluenced by the simultaneous inclusion of the FLR corrections and suspended particles. The stability of the medium has been proved for the case of stable stratification when the FLR corrections are not considered in the analysis. The growth rate of unstable RT modes with increasing relaxation frequency of the suspended particles is evaluated analytically. It has been shown that the presence of suspended particles in the medium suppresses the growth rate of the unstable RT modes, thereby implying a stabilizing influence of the particles on the considered configuration.     

Optimal estimation of ship's attitudes for beampattern corrections in a coaxial circular array

A study is conducted to estimate the accurate attitude of a ship's motion and the estimation is used to arrive at the corrections required for a farfield pattern of a coaxial circular array. The relevant analytical expression is developed for the computation of moving average filter weights to estimate the ship's attitude for beamsteerings at different sea conditions. Farfield patterns are presented for different steered directions for the coaxial circular array of the additive type, and the multiplicative array technique is also used for beamsteering for higher steering angles to observe its control on the sidelobes as well as for the main beamwidths. In order to introduce an adaptive filter to estimate the accurate attitude for stable sonar platform, an adaptive parameter is examined for bathymetric applications where nonstationary ship movement prevails.     

Groundwater exploration using remote sensing and geographic information systems in a semi-arid area (Southwest of Urmieh, Northwest of Iran)

Shortage of water required for drinking and agricultural uses is a subject with a vital importance in most arid and semi-arid regions. The area of this study is one of the semi-arid regions located in southwest of Urmieh lake, northwest of Iran, between N 37°00′, 37°15′ latitude and E 45°05′, 45°30′ longitude which is composed of Permian dolomitic limestone, limestone, and post-Jurassic granite with a very low primary porosity/permeability character. In order to delineate groundwater potential zones in this area, the study focused on identifying secondary porosity/permeability indicators such as lineaments, vegetation cover, lithology, drainage pattern, drainage density, etc. In this regard, a remote sensing and geographic information system-based methodology was selected. Landsat ETM, IRS (pan), SPOT data, digital elevation model, and digital image processing techniques such as filtering, false color composite, principal component analysis, band rationing and classification have been applied to reach the purposes. Information layers extracted for analysis and interpretation stage were then integrated with other data and modeled through the use of existing geographic information system (GIS) software and their related analytical functions. Finally, based on determined ground water favorability index for different sub zones, layers, weighting, and overlapping, a ground water potential index (GWPI) was defined which respectively was utilized to groundwater potential zoning and preparation of GWPI map of the region. Within the six different sub zones defined, two sub zones labeled with high and very good potential areas were highly recommended for further development and exploration purposes. Geophysical investigations in target areas confirm the labeled subzones. Based on the obtained results of the study, it can be concluded that remote sensing data are very useful tool to extract information of groundwater exploration. Also, application of geographic information systems to find target areas for groundwater exploration are effective to save time and cost.     

Groundwater resource sustainability in the Wadi Watir delta, Gulf of Aqaba, Sinai, Egypt

The Wadi Watir delta, in the arid Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, contains an alluvial aquifer underlain by impermeable Precambrian basement rock. The scarcity of rainfall during the last decade, combined with high pumping rates, resulted in degradation of water quality in the main supply wells along the mountain front, which has resulted in reduced groundwater pumping. Additionally, seawater intrusion along the coast has increased salinity in some wells. A three-dimensional (3D) groundwater flow model (MODFLOW) was calibrated using groundwater-level changes and pumping rates from 1982 to 2009; the groundwater recharge rate was estimated to be 1.58?×?10⁶ m³/year. A variable-density flow model (SEAWAT) was used to evaluate seawater intrusion for different pumping rates and well-field locations. Water chemistry and stable isotope data were used to calculate seawater mixing with groundwater along the coast. Geochemical modeling (NETPATH) determined the sources and mixing of different groundwaters from the mountainous recharge areas and within the delta aquifers; results showed that the groundwater salinity is controlled by dissolution of minerals and salts in the aquifers along flow paths and mixing of chemically different waters, including upwelling of saline groundwater and seawater intrusion. Future groundwater pumping must be closely monitored to limit these effects.     

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of the Ediacaran post-collisional Jabal Al-Hassir ring complex,Southern Arabian Shield,Saudi Arabia

The Jabal Al-Hassir ring complex is located between latitudes 19°21′ and 19°42′ N,  and longitudes 42°55′ and 4312′ E, Southern Arabian Shield. It is an alkaline to highly fractionated calc-alkaline granite complex consisting of an inner core of biotite granite followed outward by porphyritic sodic-calcic amphibole (ferrobarroisite) granite. U–Pb zircon geochronology indicates that the Jabal Al-Hassir ring complex was emplaced at ca. 620 Ma. The granites display highly fractionated geochemical features (i.e., Eu/Eu* = 0.05–0.35; enrichment of K, Rb, Th, U, Zr, Hf, Y and REE; depletion of Ta, Nb, Ba, Sr, P, Eu, and Ti). Jabal Al-Hassir granites are post-collisional plutonic rocks and contain abundant microcline perthite and sodic-calcic amphibole, sharing the petrological and chemical features of A₂-type granites. Sr_i values range from 0.70241 to 0.70424, are similar to those expected for magmas extracted from a Neoproterozoic depleted source and much lower than what would be expected, if there was minor involvement of pre-Neoproterozoic continental crust. The geochemical characteristics indicate that their magma was most plausibly represented by partial melting of juvenile lower crust following the collision between East and West Gondwana at the final stage of the Arabian Shield evolution. The data presented in this study are therefore consistent with an intraplate, post-collisional magmatism formed at the beginning of a transition from convergent to extensional tectonics.     

Assessment of Grouting Efficiency for Treatment of Underground Cavities

Ground subsidence incidents occurred in a residential suburb in an arid desert terrain due to sinkholes. Several investigation programs were conducted to understand the cause of the incidents attributed to the dissolution of the limestone bedrock and the subsequent ravelling of the overburden soil cover. A pilot area within the affected locale of the residential suburb in the state of Kuwait was selected for implementing treatment measures. The main purpose of the treatment measures was to fill the uppermost layer of the limestone bedrock in order to eliminate the risk of recurrence of ground subsidence. Cavity filling and permeation cement grouts were injected from the ground surface for filling the underground cavities and the fractured rocks. Results of the implemented grouting measures for treating underground voids and the GIN concept are presented in the paper. Reduction in the porosity of the bedrock layer due to the applied treatment measures was verified and percentage of treatment fill volume for the entire pilot area was estimated. An assessment method for the efficiency of the treatment measures coupled with the properties of grout materials, and lessons learned from the implemented treatment are also presented herein.