Developing a seismic source model for the Arabian Plate

A seismic source model is developed for the entire Arabian Plate, which has been affected by a number of earthquakes in the past and in recent times. Delineation and characterization of the sources responsible for these seismic activities are crucial inputs for any seismic hazard study. Available earthquake data and installation of local seismic networks in most of the Arabian Plate countries made it feasible to delineate the seismic sources that have a hazardous potential on the region. Boundaries of the seismic zones are essentially identified based upon the seismicity, available data on active faults and their potential to generate effective earthquakes, prevailing focal mechanism, available geophysical maps, and the volcanic activity in the Arabian Shield. Variations in the characteristics given by the above datasets provide the bases for delineating individual seismic zones. The present model consists of 57 seismic zones extending along the Makran Subduction Zone, Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt, Eastern Anatolian Fault, Aqaba-Dead Sea Fault, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Owen Fracture Zone, Arabian Intraplate, and a background seismic zone, which models the floating seismicity that is unrelated to any of the distinctly identified seismic zones. The features of the newly developed model make the seismic hazard results likely be more realistic.     

A new record and a new ichnospecies of Arachnostega from the Middle Miocene of Egypt

The ichnogenus Arachnostega Bertling, 1992 is recorded for the first time from a bioeroded, coral-rich, Middle Miocene limestone bed in the middle Siwa Escarpment Member (Marmarica Formation) at Siwa Oasis, northern Western Desert of Egypt. These burrowing traces are preserved on the surface of a few internal moulds of bivalves and gastropods. Until now, the ichnogenus Arachnostega included a single ichnospecies, A. gastrochaenae Bertling, 1992. In the material studied herein, two ichnospecies are identified, described, illustrated and compared with other, similar traces. One of these is a new ichnospecies of Arachnostega; this is here named A. siwaensis ichnosp. nov. It is distinguished from A. gastrochaenae in the possession of tunnels that usually branch in a V-pattern; intervals of ramification are longest in the main branch and decrease in second- and third-order branches. Arachnostega traces were produced in a warm, low-energy, shallow-marine (<10?m water depth) environment. Polychaetes are the most likely producers of marine Arachnostega, which are commonly occurred in the same studied bed. This new occurrence is significant in extending the known stratigraphical and geographical ranges of Arachnostega into the Middle Miocene of Egypt.     

Mapping coastal erosion at the Nile Delta western promontory using Landsat imagery

A set of six Landsat satellite images with 5–9 years apart was used in a post-classification analysis to map changes occurred at Rosetta promontory between 1973 and 2008 due to coastal erosion. Spectral information were extracted from two multi-spectral scanner (MSS) images (1973 and 1978), three thematic mapper (TM) images (1984, 1990, and 1999), and one enhanced thematic mapper plus (ETM+) image (2008). To estimate the quantity of land loss in terms of coastal erosion, a supervised classification scheme was applied to each image to highlight only two classes: seawater and land. The area of each class was then estimated from the number of pixels pertaining to this class in every image. In addition, the shoreline position was digitized to address retreat/advance pattern throughout the study period. Results showed that Rosetta promontory had lost 12.29 km² of land between 1973 and 2008 and the shoreline withdrew southward about 3.5 km due to coastal erosion. Most land loss and shoreline retreat occurred between 1973 and 1978 (0.55 km²/year and 132 m/year, respectively). Coastal protection structures were constructed successively at the promontory. These structures have considerably contributed to reduce coastal erosion; however, they promoted downdrift erosion.     

Utilization of Lime for Stabilizing Soft Clay Soil of High Organic Content

This paper presents the results of geotechnical and mineralogical investigations on lime-treated soft clay soil from Idku City, Egypt, where high organic matters of about 14% exist. Lime was added in the order of 1%, 3%, 5% and 7% by weight and laboratory experiments after 7, 15, 30 and 60 days were conducted including the mineralogical and microstructural examinations, grain size analysis, plasticity limits, unconfined compressive tests, vane shear tests and oedometer tests. The results indicate that soft clay soil of high organic content of 14% can be stabilized satisfactorily with the addition of 7% lime. The results also demonstrate that the changes in the mineralogical contents and soil fabric of high organic lime-treated soft clay improve soil plasticity, strength and compressibility.     

Hydrogeological investigation of an oasis-system aquifer in arid southeastern Morocco by development of a groundwater flow model

Groundwater of the Tafilalet oasis system (TOS) is an important water resource in the lower Ziz and Rheris valleys of arid southeastern Morocco. The unconfined aquifer is exploited for domestic consumption and irrigation. A groundwater flow model was developed to assess the impact of climatic variations and development, including the construction of hydraulic structures, on the hydrodynamic behavior of the aquifer. Numerical simulations were performed by implementing a spatial database within a geographic information system and using the Arc Hydro Groundwater tool with the code MODFLOW-2000. The results of steady-state and transient simulations between 1960 and 2011 show that the water table is at equilibrium between recharge, which is mainly by surface-water infiltration, and discharge by evapotranspiration. After the commissioning of the Hassan Addakhil dam in 1971, hydraulic heads became more sensitive to annual variations than to seasonal variations. Heads are also influenced by recurrent droughts and the highest water-level changes are recorded in irrigated areas. The model provides a way of managing groundwater resources in the TOS. It can be used as a tool to predict the impact of different management plans for the protection of groundwater against overexploitation and deterioration of water quality.     

Événements panafricains dans l'Adrar Souttouf (Sahara marocain)

The Adrar Souttouf belt (Western Sahara) lies in the northern part of the Mauritanide belt and was considered as a part of the Hercynian Mauritanian-Appalachian belt. Recently the presence of a Panafrican protolith (595 Ma) was evidenced by the age of inherited zircons from an eclogitic unit and led to consider complex Panafrican events included in the Hercynian belt, as in the central and southern Mauritanide belt. Our new field survey completed by ten KAr dating (whole rocks and separate minerals) confirmed that multiphased Panafrican formations outcrop within the center of the Adrar Souttouf massif. Diverse events ranged from ca. 1000 to 500 Ma, some of them being indicative of an oceanic type environment and metamorphism. The 1000 Ma metamorphic event is recorded for the first time in the West African craton. A large Hercynian remobilisation is also evidenced. To cite this article: M. Villeneuve et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

Hydro-mechanical evaluation of soil stabilized with cement-kiln dust in arid lands

This study evaluates the potential use of cement-kiln dust (CKD), a waste product from the cement industry, for enhancing the mechanical as well as the hydraulic properties of soils in arid lands. Stabilized products will play a major role in reducing slope failures, pavement damage and the design of containment barriers for hazardous waste in arid lands. Various tests to determine the different physical properties of the stabilized matrix were conducted and the optimum mixture that produces maximum internal energy and minimum hydraulic conductivity was selected. The effect of soaking and unsoaking of the treated specimens on the mechanical properties was also evaluated. The effect of metal ion concentration and conjugate anions on the resultant hydraulic conductivity was evaluated. The optimum percentage of CKD was calculated by using stress-strain data, Newton's divided difference and Simpson's integration technique. The analyses have shown that 6% by weight of CKD is the optimum mix design, which increases the shear strength and decreases the hydraulic conductivity to less than 10^-9 m/s. Therefore, the treated soil could be used as a soil-based barrier layer for containment of hazardous waste.     

Generation and migration: Identity crisis and political change among the Moro of the Nuba mountains

During the past half century Moro society has undergone immense economic and social transformations. The Moro adopted rural-urban and rural-rural migration, among other things, to diversify their incomes and augment their sources of livelihood. Politically, the introduction of modern political parties since independence in 1956 and the emergence of regional movements have influenced Moro perception of their reality and relationship with their Hawazma and Jellaba neighbours.I argue in this paper that due to disappointments emanating from harsh living conditions in discordant Northern Sudanese towns, the Moro translate past experiences into a common identity. Migration, in this sense, is seen as a major factor in explaining the Moro crisis of identity and their oscillation between integration and aloofness or modernity and traditionalism.