Natural and anthropogenic heavy metals in estuarine cohesive sediments: geochemistry and bioavailability

The geochemistry, mineralogy, and grain size distribution of several estuarine cohesive sediment samples from potentially human-influenced areas without such an influence were analyzed to determine the natural heavy metal content and evaluate its impact on the Bahía Blanca estuarine environment. The data were compared with different ranges of concentrations for heavy metals in marine sediments established by the NOAA Screening Quick Reference Tables in which values range from background levels to those considered toxic to the marine environment. Our total heavy metal contents were below the established hazardous levels in all the analyzed samples, even though the potentially human-influenced areas (harbors, industry, urban spread) showed the highest total concentration values as well as greater percentages of bioavailable compounds. This would imply a low and not extensive anthropogenic input into the environment. The relatively high proportions in which Cd, Pb, and Cr appear as bioavailable compounds at some sites not influenced by human activity suggest the presence of a natural source for these elements. This could be attributed to the weathering of naturally occurring volcanic minerals, indicating that special care must be taken when monitoring of sediment for anthropogenic activity is carried out within this environment. According to the results obtained, and in order to minimize the environmental impact caused by periodic water injection dredging, relocation of sewage outfalls from vessel mooring areas into open waters is strongly recommended.     

Mineralogy and palynology of the Mesopotamian plain sediments, Central Iraq

This work was done on the representative section (230 cm) in Dora site which located in Baghdad in the central of the Mesopotamian Plain. Eleven soil samples were examined mineralogically and palynologically. Grain size analyses showed that silt is the higher fraction (61%), clay is the least (9%), whereas sand forms 30%. Translucent and opaque heavy minerals contributed 57% from the sand fraction, whereas the light minerals formed just 43%. The type of heavy minerals and its maturity defined four provenances—they are granitic, basic igneous and metamorphic rocks—that belong to the high lands of south Turkey and north of Iraq. The fourth provenance is the sedimentary rocks which are located north of Mesopotamian Plain around the Tigris River and their tributaries. Dinoflagellate within thin bed of marine origin clearly indicated the transgression of the Arabian Sea northward through Tigris and Euphrates valleys or high marine waves reached to Baghdad before 10,000 years P.B. approximately. This means that the marine sediments were also an additional source of the Mesopotamian Plain. Three specific climatic features are identified via palynological interpretation; a temperate-wet climate extended from 10,000 to 5,000 years P.B. followed by dry period extended from 5,000 to 3,500 years P.B. and the last climatic feature is characterized by oscillation of wet to dry periods which is dominant since 3,500 till now.     

Precursory signals associated with the 2010 M8.8 Bio-Bio earthquake (Chile) and the 2010 M7.2 Baja California earthquake (Mexico)

Recently, new theories on underground geophysical and geochemical interactions which had been reported to occur during the preparation stages of earthquakes and the remotely measurable variations have been put to test and some warning factors were suggested as earthquake precursors. Data vendors are providing daily basis information from the earth's surface by combining remote sensing data and in situ observations. In this paper, we analyze atmospheric, oceanic, and surface changes in the ocean, coast, and land lying near the epicenters of two recent major earthquakes. The changes are studied in terms of the regional fault locations which have been reported by the U.S. Geological Survey as the shake triggering geological structures. Our detailed analyses showed anomalous increases of surface latent heat flux (SLHF) for both the earthquakes. Meaningfully limited to the geographical extents of the regional active faults, the SLHF variation patterns suggest pre-seismic activity 2–3 weeks before the main events. The agreement of these variations with abnormalities in other climatic and surface factors like relative humidity and temperature represents an unusual situation during the same period as well. Spatiotemporal variations of chlorophyll-a was also studied as another earthquake indicator. Abnormal rises in these factors are possibly caused by the formation of micro-cracks, heat production, evaporation, ionization, and upwelling of nutrient-rich water produced by pre-seismic activity prior to the main events.     

Improved Pile Geometry to Reduce Negative Skin Friction on Single Driven Pile and Pile Groups Subjected to Lateral Loads

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Negative skin friction on piles represents a severe problem when piles were installed in soft clay due to consolidation process. It reduces the bearing...     

Morpho-Structural Study of the Korek Anticline,Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt,Kurdistan of Iraq

The present study is an attempt to construct a morpho-structural model for the Korek anticline that is located within the High folded zone of the Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt in the Northern Iraq-Kurdistan region. A detail geological map constructed for this structure, the stratigraphic succession that is exposed in the area was deposited from the middle Jurassic up to upper Cretaceous, and consists of nine formations. The most important morphological landscape and landforms in the studied area are due to endogenic and exogenic processes. Accordingly, the area is divided into four main units, which are units of structural, denudational, fluvial and solution origins. Each unit characterized by its own morphological feature differs from one another. According to structural point of view the field data are analyzed from two point of the viewing, one from map view and secondly from cross sections. The geometrical properties from map view of the Korek Anticline indicated that this fold is an asymmetrical double plunging, open to gentle, non-cylindrically curviplanar fold. The Korek Anticline becomes sharper with the depth, but broader and more open upward, this is one of the most characteristic features of the parallel fold (Class 1B). The presence of numerous reverse faults and strike-slip faults which affect the architecture of the Korek Anticline indicates that this Anticline formed by a Fault-propagation fold mechanism. Detailed balanced and retro-deformable cross sections along this anticline indicate that the shortening percentage can be differentiated in space and times, while the depth to detachment gives values that iscoincident with the Ora Shale Formation of Paleozoic age. A morpho-structural model was constructed for this structure and it consists of two main stages and five substages were responsible for the formation of the Korek structure. The first main stage belongs to structural construction, which consists of three sub-stages, while the main second stage is belonging to morphological destruction, which consist also two sub-stages. The effect of these stages and sub-stages makes the anticline to take the nowadays architects shape.     

A simple apparatus to study the effect of lithology,permeability, and wettability on spontaneous imbibition

The spontaneous imbibition phenomenon is an important process in hydrocarbon recovery. Laboratory study of imbibition is affected by many parameters including, rock characteristics, boundary conditions, length of the sample, variable interfacial tension, and sample heterogeneity. Investigating spontaneous imbibition enhances our understanding of the imbibition mechanism and, hence, helps improve waterflooding used in the oil industry. A simple apparatus has been developed to resemble naturally fractured reservoirs. Using the developed apparatus, the effects of lithology, permeability, and wettability on spontaneous imbibition have been experimentally investigated. Some encountered unexpected technical problems during the experiments are overcome and reported in this paper. Details of the developed apparatus are shown and spontaneous imbibition results are presented. First, the effect of permeability on the oil recovery rate is presented. In addition, obtained curves of oil recovery by water spontaneous imbibition using different lithology are presented. Finally, results of oil recovery from Berea sandstone core sample before and after wettability alteration are shown.     

Estimating of water erosion in semiarid regions using RUSLE equation under GIS environment

Water erosion is one of the main forms of land degradation in Algeria, with a serious repercussion on agricultural productivity. The purpose of this study is to estimate the soil loss of Wadi El-Ham watershed in the center of Algeria, this study aims also to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of the use of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) under a Geographic Information System in this field. The RUSLE model involves the main factors of erosion phenomena, namely, rain aggressiveness, soil erodibility, topographic factor, land cover index and the anti-erosive practices factor. Using this approach, the specific erosion in Wadi El-Ham watershed is estimated as 5.7 (t/ha/yr) in the entire watershed area. This result is compared to the measured suspended sediment at the Rocade-Sud gauging station situated outlet the watershed. These data consist of 1293 instantaneous measures of the water discharge and the suspended sediment concentration recorded during 21 years. Through this comparison, the used approach of RUSLE under GIS estimates the soil loss in Wadi El-Ham in Hodna region of Algeria with an error of 7.5%. Consequently, the results obtained in cartographic format make it possible to target the areas requiring priority action for a larger scale analysis to find appropriate solutions to combat erosion and to protect the natural environment.     

Perspectives for Distributed Observations of Near-Earth Space Using a Russian–Cuban Observatory

The creation of a specialized network of large, wide-angle telescopes for distributed observations of near-Earth space using a Russian–Cuban Observatory is considered. An extremely important goal of routine monitoring of near-Earth and near-Sun space is warding off threats with both natural and technogenic origins. Natural threats are associated with asteroids or comets, and technogenic threats with man-made debris in near-Earth space. A modern network of ground-based optical instruments designed to ward off such threats must: (a) have a global and, if possible, uniform geographic distribution, (b) be suitable for wide-angle, high-accuracy precision survey observations, and (c) be created and operated within a single network-oriented framework. Experience at the Institute of Astronomy on the development of one-meter-class wide-angle telescopes and elements of a super-wide-angle telescope cluster is applied to determine preferences for the composition of each node of such a network. The efficiency of distributed observations in attaining maximally accurate predictions of the motions of potentially dangerous celestial bodies as they approach the Earth and in observations of space debris and man-made satellites is estimated. The first estimates of astroclimatic conditions at the proposed site of the future Russian–Cuban Observatory in the mountains of the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve are obtained. Special attention is given to the possible use of the network to carry out a wide range of astrophysical studies, including optical support for the localization of gravitational waves and other transient events.