A detailed analysis of microseismicity in Samos and Kusadasi (Eastern Aegean Sea) areas

A detailed investigation of microseismicity and fault plane solutions are used to determine the current tectonic activity of the prominent zone of seismicity near Samos Island and Kusadasi Bay. The activation of fault populations in this complex strike-slip and normal faulting system was investigated by using several thousand accurate earthquake locations obtained by applying a double-difference location method and waveform cross-correlation, appropriate for areas with relatively small seismogenic structures. The fault plane solutions, determined by both moment tensor waveform inversions and P-wave first motion polarities, reveal a clear NS trending extension direction, for strike slip, oblique normal and normal faults. The geometry of each segment is quite simple and indicates planar dislocations gently dipping with an average dip of 40–45°, maintaining a constant dip through the entire seismogenic layer, down to 15 km depth.     

The climate and bioclimate of Bursa (Turkey) from the perspective of tourism

Climate is an important resource for tourism and an equally important element that needs to be included in tourism promotions. This study reveals Bursa’s bioclimatological conditions. These conditions were identified by using physiologically equivalent temperature and a Climate–Tourism–Information–Scheme over 10-day periods and analyzing the mean thermal perception values that emerged. Evaluating bioclimatic conditions and meteorological parameters such as air temperature, duration of sunshine, number of wet days, amount of precipitation, and wind from the perspective of tourism will help people choose the best holiday times depending on their individual needs and circumstances.     

Development of a GIS-based monitoring and management system for underground coal mining safety

Coal mine safety is of paramount concern to mining industry. Mine accidents have various causes and consequences including catastrophic failure of mine, substantial economic losses and most notably loss of lives. Therefore, any initiative in mine monitoring is of vital importance for progressing safety surveillance and maintenance.This paper presents the development of a geographic information system (GIS)-based monitoring and management system for underground mine safety in three levels as constructive safety, surveillance and maintenance, and emergency. The developed model integrates the database design and management to the monitoring system implementation which encompasses query and analysis operations with the help of web and desktop applications. Interactive object-oriented graphical user interfaces (GUIs) were developed to visualize information about the entities gathered from the model and also to provide analysis operations based on the graphical representations and demonstrations using data tables and map objects.The research methodology essentially encompasses five main stages: (i) designing a conceptual database model; (ii) development of a logical model in terms of entity-relationship (ER) diagrams; (iii) development of a physical model based on physical constraints and requirements; (iv) development of GUIs and implementation of the developed model, analysis and queries; (v) verification and validation of the created model for Ömerler underground coal mine in Turkey. The proposed system is expected to be an efficient tool for improving and maintaining healthy standards in underground coal mines which can possibly be extended to a national GIS infrastructure.     

The origin and evolution of the Menderes Massif,W-Turkey: A rubidium/strontium and oxygen isotope study

The Menderes Massif, located in the Alpine orogen of Western Turkey, has three litho-structural units, a basal »gneiss core«, a »schist mantle« covering the gneiss core, and an overlying »marble mantle«. This study reports isotopic data from samples of metasediments and migmatites from the southern (Type A) and of tonalitic to granitic metaigneous rocks from the northern Menderes Massif (Type B).Type A rocks define a Rb/Sr whole rock isochron age of 502±10 Ma and an initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.71174±73. This is interpreted as the age of migmatization. Type B rocks give a Rb/Sr whole rock isochron age of 471±9 Ma with an initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.70684±25, which we interpret as the intrusion age.K-White micas from rock type A give an average Rb/Sr mineral age of 56±1 Ma, which can be interpreted as the formation age of the Alpine mineral paragenesis. K-white micas from rock type B give Rb/Sr mixed ages of 120–230 Ma between Alpine and Pan-African orogenies. Biotites from both rock types yield an average Rb/Sr age of 37±1 Ma, which is interpreted as an Alpine cooling age.The oxygen isotope ratios of type A rocks range from 10.4 to 14.6, and of type B from 8.9 to 11.8. The oxygen and strontium isotopic compositions together clearly distinguish rocks of types A and B. Compositions of type A rocks suggest a crustal origin: type B rocks have compositions transitional between those of crustal and mantle-derived materials.

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Zusammenfassung Das Menderes Massiv ist ein alpinotypes Gebirge der West-Türkei und besteht aus drei tektonisch-lithologischen Einheiten, die in den »Gneisskern« und in die »Schieferhülle« und »Marmorhülle« gegliedert werden. Diese Arbeit berichtet über Isotopenanalysen, die an einer metasedimentären und migmatitischen Gesteinsserie vom Südrand (Typ A) und an einer metatonalitischen bis metagranitischen Gesteinsserie vom Nordrand des Menderes Massivs (Typ B) durchgeführt wurden.Die Rb-Sr-Gesamtgesteinsisochrone der Gesteine (Typ A) definiert ein Alter von 502±10 Ma und ein initiales⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-Isotopenverhältnis von 0.71174±73. Dieser Alterswert wurde als Zeitraum der Migmatisierung interpretiert. Die Rb-Sr-Gesamtgesteinsisochrone der Gesteine (Typ B) ergibt ein Alter von 471±9 Ma bei einem initialen⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-Isotopenverhältnis von 0.70684±25, wobei dieser Alterswert als Intrusionsalter gedeutet wird.Der Zeitraum der Kristallisation alpiner Mineralparagenesen wird durch einen mittleren Rb-Sr-Hellglimmeralterswert von 56±1 Ma erfa\t. Die Hellglimmer aus dem Gesteinstyp B ergeben Rb-Sr-Mischalter von 120–230 Ma, die im Zeitraum zwischen der mittelalpinen und der kaledonischen Metamorphose liegen. Die Biotite aus den beiden Gesteinstypen (A und B) definieren einen mittleren Rb-Sr-Alterswert von 37±1 Ma, der als das alpine Abkühlalter interpretiert wird.Die Sauerstoffisotopenwerte des Gesteinstyps A variieren von 10.4 bis 14.6, und des Typs B von 8.9 bis 11.8. Die Unterschiede in den Sauerstoff- und Strontium-Isotopenzusammensetzungen zwischen den Gesteinstypen A und B weisen beim Typ A auf eine kontinentale Herkunft und beim Typ B auf eine Mischung zwischen kontinentaler Kruste und Mantel hin.

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Résumé Le massif de Menderes, situé dans l'orogène alpin en Turquie occidentale, se compose de trois unités lithologico-tectoniques: le noyau gneissique, l'enveloppe de micaschistes qui entoure le noyau et l'enveloppe de marbre qui coiffe le tout. La présente note donne les résultats d'analyses isotopiques pratiquées sur une série de métasédiments et migmatites du bord sud du massif (type A), ainsi que sur une série métatonalitique à métagranitique du bord nord (type B).Les roches du type A donnent sur roche totale une isochrone Rb-Sr de 502±10 Ma avec un rapport initial de 0,71174±73. Cet âge est interprété comme celui de la migmatitisation. Les roches du type B donnent sur roche totale une isochrone Rb-Sr de 471±9 Ma, avec un rapport initial de 0,70684±25, ce qui est interprété comme l'âge de l'intrusion.Les micas blancs des roches de type A donnent un âge moyen Rb-Sr de 56± 1 Ma, interprété comme celui de la formation des paragenèses alpines. Les micas blancs des roches de type B donnent des âges divers entre 120 et 230 Ma, compris entre ceux des orogenèses alpine et calédonienne. Les biotites des deux types de roches (A et B) fournissent un âge moyen Rb-Sr de 37±1 Ma, interprété comme celui du refroidissement alpin.Les rapports isotopiques de l'oxygène s'échelonnent pour le type A de 10,4 à 14,6 et pour le type B de 8,9 à 11,8. Les différences de compositions isotopiques du Sr et de 1'O distinguent nettement les roches A des roches B et indiquent: pour le type A une origine crustale et pour le type B une origine mixte manteau — croûte continentale.

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Gravimetric examination of Hagia Sophia's subsurface structure

The subsurface structure of Hagia Sophia, one of the oldest sacred monuments in the world built between 532–537 under the reign of Justinian in today's Istanbul, has been investigated by using two relative LaCoste-Romberg gravimeters in order to detect hidden cavities which have also served as earthquake dampers in similar constructions. On the building's ground floor a grid of 100 points with a grid size of about 4.m was measured. The mean gravimetric point error was ± 3.10^–8 ms^–2. The result of the examination is that cavities were not detected in the inner central part of Hagia Sophia with a larger diameter than 8.m down to a depth of about 20.m, and Hagia Sophia's foundation was found to be a slope of natural rock with a downward inclination to the East that has a small crest symmetrical to the building's East-West axis.     

Attenuation characteristics of peak ground acceleration from fault trace of the 1999 Kocaeli (Turkey) earthquake and comparison of spectral acceleration with seismic design code

The 17 August 1999 Kocaeli earthquake in Turkey produced a majorsurface rupture. We traced this surface rupture from Gölcük toDüzce and located it accurately by using GPS. The closest distancefrom the surface rupture to the strong motion observation sites weredetermined. Then the attenuation characteristics of the observed peakground acceleration were compared with the attenuation relation given byFukushima and Tanaka (1992), which is suitable for the near-fault zone inJapan and gives results that closely match data recorded during the 1995Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake in Japan. Although this attenuation relationwas developed for Japan, we found that it agreed well with the KOCAELIearthquake. Furthermore, the observed spectral acceleration of 5%damping was compared with the building design code of Turkey and theobserved level was lower than the code.     

Seasonal variations in soil radon emanation: long-term continuous monitoring in light of seismicity

Soil gas radon release patterns have been monitored continuously for more than 3 years in the Eastern Mediterranean Province (EMP) (Southern Turkey), alongside regional seismic events, providing a multidisciplinary approach. In the period from January 2008 to January 2011, 14 earthquakes M _L ≥4 occurred in the study area. By monitoring the sites for more than 3 years, the site-characteristic patterns of soil radon emanation of each site have become evident. Radon emanation data show seasonal (semi-annual) variation characteristics; high soil radon values are between May and October and low soil radon values are between November and April. With available rainfall data, the soil gas radon data can be more reliably evaluated. It is shown in this paper that if radon emanation data are available over sufficiently long periods of time and baseline data (and their seasonal variations) are known with certainty for each monitoring site, then the observation of positive anomalies might provide a correlation or connection to seismic activity.     

Oxygen isotope exchange and disequilibrium between calcite and tremolite in the absence and presence of an experimental C–O–H fluid

Oxygen isotope exchange between minerals during metamorphism can occur in either the presence or the absence of aqueous fluids. Oxygen isotope partitioning among minerals and fluid is governed by both chemical and isotopic equilibria during these processes, which progress by intragranular and intergranular diffusion as well as by surface reactions. We have carried out isotope exchange experiments in two- and three-phase systems, respectively, between calcite and tremolite at high temperatures and pressures. The two-phase system experiments were conducted without fluid either at 1 GPa and 680 °C for 7 days or at 500 MPa and 560 °C for 20 days. Extrapolated equilibrium fractionations between calcite and tremolite are significantly lower than existing empirical estimates and experimental determinations in the presence of small amounts of fluid, but closely match calculated fractionations by means of the increment method for framework oxygen in tremolite. The small fractionations measured in the direct calcite–tremolite exchange experiments are interpreted by different rates of oxygen isotope exchange between hydroxyl oxygen, framework oxygen and calcite during the solid–solid reactions where significant recrystallization occurs. The three-phase system experiments were accomplished in the presence of a large amount of fluid (CO₂+H₂O) at 500 MPa and 560 °C under conditions of phase equilibrium for 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 days. The results show that oxygen isotope exchange between minerals and fluid proceeds in two stages: first, through a mechanism of dissolution-recrystallization and very rapidly; second, through a mechanism of diffusion and very slowly. Synthetic calcite shows a greater rate of isotopic exchange with fluid than natural calcite in the first stage. The rate of oxygen diffusion in calcite is approximately equal to or slightly greater than that in tremolite in the second stage. A calculation using available diffusion coefficients for calcite suggests that grain boundary diffusion, rather than volume diffusion, has been the dominant mechanism of oxygen transport between the fluid and the mineral grains in the later stage.Editorial responsibility: T.L. Grove